AUTHOR'S NOTE: Heeeeeello everyone, I'm happy to return with a fresh story in mind. New story, new franchise, so excited to make this one :)
There will probably still be more Sonic stories in the future as well as one that I had planned for Spyro, but this one felt the most interesting and fun to create at the moment.
It is very important to remember that this story is going to be based strongly off my own headcanon, so it does not follow a strict story from any of the Star Fox games (though it does take place some time after Star Fox 64). I hope to give you all a good time by making an epic story, bringing some interesting new and nostalgic familiar faces, and diving deep into the psyche and story of Wolf O'Donnell, all while crafting an entirely new set of planets.
Leave a review and tell me what you think of this introductory chapter, it would mean a lot to me :)
Other than that, please enjoy!
–
Charon-1 was an infamous prisoner transfer ship, perhaps the most well known in the Lylat System. That being said, it was not a pretty object to look at.
It was hexagonal in shape throughout the whole mile and a half that it stretched out to, bulky and moving at a glacial rate through space. It was utterly black; one might never see it coming had it not been for the two bars of white light glowing on parallel sides of the carrier. There was seemingly no front or back; it could pass as a floating mass of steel and nothing much nicer than that.
Now it drifted slowly through the stars as if without any direction or purpose. There was a destination however; Charon-1 was making the tedious journey from one side of Lylat to the other where the planet Corneria was. Its' most recent passenger was taken from Venom.
There was still a decent amount of room available on the ship to cram some more criminals and current prisoners aboard, but this particular voyage was urgent; the longer it took to cruise around Lylat, the trip would be extended, and every second that passed gave more time for a certain prisoner to make an escape.
His escape would be far too costly. If he got away, he would likely never be caught again.
…
Aboard the ship, a common guard traversed the long linear hallways of Charon-1. He carried with him a silver tray of sickly yellow mash without any recognizable smell along with a chrome cup of water with added minerals.
His name tag read "WESLEY" with all letters capital. His canine facial features were young and healthy, albeit looking a little nervous and jumpy. His uniform still had faint crease marks from when he last folded it.
Giles Wesley was twenty two, born on the planet Fortuna. He'd longed to join the Cornerian Army, but shortly after the fall of Andross and his empire, something changed his mind. Rather than becoming a combat pilot to revel in glorious battle or becoming a marine with vigorous training, he decided to find an occupation in the Interstellar Federation of Lylat; a branch of both political and military forces that stemmed from the Cornerian Army.
And here he was, doing his duty as a prison guard aboard Charon-1.
Wesley walked past a long glass window that looked into cafeteria D. On the other side of the window, dozens of inmates in dark gray uniforms wolfed down their meals; some banging spoons and trays on the chrome tables like animals. Even from the other side, Wesley could faintly hear the immense commotion of shouting, jeering, laughing, and crude conversations between the prisoners.
They all were served breakfast, lunch, and dinner by assigned servers who passed out trays and meals. Wesley was ordered to bring lunch to an isolated prisoner however.
He passed cafeteria D and went through a metallic door that slid open with a quick scan of his key card, then continued onward down a generic corridor. At the end of this particular corridor, two other guards with cold black rifles stood on both sides of the heavily sealed door. When they saw Wesley approaching and took notice of the tray in his hands, they acknowledged his purpose and unsealed the door before stepping aside. The young canine gave them a shy nod before walking past them and into a small rectangular room with a total of twelve cells.
This was where the most dangerous inmates were kept. They were separated from the rest of the prisoners for everyone else's protection as well as to keep an even keener eye on these handful of criminals, and allowing even just one of them to escape could lead to critical scenarios.
Wesley felt uneasy as he walked past them, feeling cold eyes stab at him from each cell. He made the mistake of glancing to his right for one second and saw an eight foot reptilian glaring at him. His face was horribly pockmarked and ugly, and he gave Wesley a threatening gesture of a throat slice.
The canine looked away and gulped. The six guards that were present inside the room were heavily armed, but they were little comfort. Wesley continued forward to the end of the room with the tray. There was another large metal door that stood blocking his way. The warden in the control room took one glance at Wesley and gave the green light to the system operators to open up.
Slowly, the door rose upwards and cleared the way for Wesley to walk through. There was another corridor that lacked any windows, leading straight ahead to one final sealed doorway. Behind this doorway was a single cell block reserved for the prisoner detained on Venom.
This was Wolf O'Donnell's cell.
Wesley hesitated briefly before reaching down to his belt buckle and taking off a temporary key card with a purple color. Translucent and lightweight, it was the only thing on the ship that could unlock the door, and it would only last for two scans; one to enter the room, and one to exit. The key card would immediately be vaporized upon the second scan, and the door would remain open for only ten seconds before sealing shut again. Wesley was issued only one, just to deliver lunch and leave.
He scanned it once and passed through into the cell block.
The cell block was the smallest on Charon-1. It was hardly a block though; the walls were circular in shape and had only one entrance and exit. Four cameras were attached to the ceiling of the room, constantly monitoring the prisoner. There was a bed against the right wall and a single chair with a table in the center. It was overall extremely claustrophobic.
The prisoner sat in the metallic chair, restrained down by his wrists. Before Wesley had arrived, he'd been ordered over the intercom to sit at the table and willingly place his arms down on the armrests to lock him in place until Wesley had left. The chair was attached to the ground itself, offering no escape.
Wesley took a look at the prisoner and froze. He never thought he'd be this close to such a notorious legend. Seeing his gray and white fur up close felt so surreal. Seeing the eyepatch hiding the emptiness of his left eye was haunting.
"So, this is him...Wolf O'Donnell, leader of Star Wolf..."
Wesley stood in a trance for a few moments, eyes locked with Wolf's.
Wolf did not look happy, not one bit. His right eye burned through Wesley's timid mind, forever etching it into the boy's memory. He wore only the gray slacks given to him, opting not to wear the shirt. He sat there in a plain white sleeveless undershirt that broadly showed his intimidating and muscular build.
Just from Wolf's mere look and presence, Wesley felt as though he had done something to anger him. Somehow, he didn't feel safe despite all the security around the two. It was their moment alone, and it felt as though it dragged on for eternity before Wolf broke the silence with a dark growl. "I dare you to keep staring..."
Wesley's heart skipped a beat upon hearing those words. He looked down at the tray and stuttered, "S-Sorry...". He wasn't supposed to say a word to Wolf, but he couldn't help it. He felt legitimately scared as he approached Wolf and heard him scoff, feeling his judgment without even looking up at him.
Wesley set the tray down on the table and gently slid it forward with shaky hands. All these security measures...isolation, constant intense surveillance, triple the amount of guards...could Wolf truly be that dangerous? Or was he worth far too much to let escape? Perhaps it was a mix of both; Wolf's bounty was ludicrously high at this point, and although he had been captured by the Interstellar Federation, the outlaw was still highly sought after and had never been successfully caught.
After setting the tray down, Wesley turned around without making any sort of eye contact with Wolf and hurried back to the door, reaching for his key card.
Wolf looked down at his lunch. The tray consisted of nothing but the yellow mash and the chrome cup of water. He hadn't been captive for very long, but he was beginning to get sick of the food already. Not that he complained however; it's not as if the staff aboard Charon-1 cared much about the convenience and comfort of the inmates. In fact, some of the staff were just as ruthless as some of the inmates.
When Wolf realized that Wesley still hadn't left, he looked back up and sneered with an aggressive tone, "Hurry it up already!". His wrists were still locked since the guard had not yet left the room.
Wesley had been struggling to take the key card off his belt. His hands were cold and clammy, and they hardly listened to his instructions.
Right as he scanned his card however, the light in the room (as well as the rest of the ship) flickered and turned an ominous red tint. A loud obnoxious alarm rang as the ship's artificial intelligence announced, "Warning. Breach detected in western edge of D-block. Remain calm and carry out emergency protocols. Inmates, return to your cells immediately.".
Wesley froze up as he heard this. A breach? In D-block? He was in D-block.
The door flung open, and the scanner consumed his key card. He glanced back at Wolf briefly and saw his unfazed glare again. Wasting no further time, Wesley hurried out the door and allowed it to seal shut again.
Wolf glanced around the room. His restraints had yet to be manually unlocked. He shook his head in frustration. "Great. Now that there's a breach, idiots won't let me go 'till after the problem's solved..."
What could've breached the ship's hull? Certainly not common asteroids; Charon-1 was built to endure all sorts of physical abuse from space debris.
Another artificial voice clicked on the intercom in Wolf's chamber and said cheerily, "Hello inmate! In the case of an emergency, Charon-1 prioritizes your safety and will make absolute certain you cannot leave your cell. Releasing chemical sedative agent now. This will help you relax and doze off, inmate. Cooperation is key, and–"
"Oh come ON!" Wolf grumbled as he struggled in his restraints. From somewhere in the ceiling of the room, a thin white mass of the sedative agent descended down upon him. Wolf could do nothing as he breathed it in. Holding his breath or resisting was utterly useless. Within seconds, he already felt dizzy and lightheaded.
As his head tilted to his left, his vision began blurring and his hearing gradually became impaired. Despite this, he felt an enormous vibration sent to the cell from somewhere outside. Something more than a breach was definitely going on out there. He felt another massive vibration, this time even louder and it lingered this time around. Judging by the sheer impact of the vibrations, the sounds must've been outrageously loud. Explosions maybe?
He began to close his eyes as unconsciousness took him. In his last few seconds he remained awake, he heard the rapid tat-tat-tat of machine gun fire.
…
The buzz of the light acted in unison with the whirring of the spacecraft to slowly drag Wolf out of his unpleasant slumber. He opened his eye and felt dim light illuminating his face from above. The fur under his bare arms and right cheek felt matted and squashed against the cold table.
He wasn't in restraints any longer. Considering all the events before passing out, Wolf guessed that something much more than a simple breach happened to Charon-1. He lifted his head with a low groan and squinted. He still wore the exact same clothes. Looking around, he realized he wasn't in his cell any longer.
The table was aged and stained. The walls, ceiling, and floor were all a dreary greenish brown color with smidgens of black around the edges and corners that bled down the walls in uneven waves. It looked unsanitary; the room smelled of old copper, and particles of dust and other materials could be seen under the flickering light panel above.
Then Wolf noticed the figure sitting across from him.
Broad shoulders held a masculine and sturdy looking body in place, and two thick black coat sleeves lay parallel to one another on the table, hands hidden by black leather gloves. The sleeves hid the skin, but Wolf could tell the man was massive. His head was tilted down until he slowly lifted it up and opened his eyes.
Wolf found himself staring face to face with an aged white tiger. Sharp blue eyes creaked open and peered at Wolf as if searching for something within him. His face was rough around the edges with a prominent chin. Surprisingly, a subtle smile came to the tiger's lips. When he spoke, his words came out with a unique accent; somewhat Slavic. "Ah, you awaken. Good to see you, Wolf O'Donnell. My name is Len, and you will refer to me as such."
Wolf rubbed the sore joint in his neck. He refused to reciprocate the tiger's apparent hospitality. "Cut to the chase already. You already know my questions, so spare me the formalities..."
Len nodded as though Wolf was being polite. He put his hands together and smiled again. His silver fur might've been snowy white when he was younger, but now it looked washed out and bland. Age had treated him well though, he was still decently handsome considering how old he was. "You were on board Charon-1, en route to Corneria to what would've been your certain imprisonment, possibly even your execution. You were captured about twenty one hours ago after a critical encounter with the leader of Star Fox: Fox McCloud."
Wolf leered at Len and crossed his arms, leaning back in his seat with attitude. "You're pretty busy for an old man it seems."
Len cocked his head ever so slightly. His smile seemed more polite than genuine. There was something sinister about him in his movements and eerie hospitality. "I know that the Interstellar Federation got to you before you could finish McCloud off...it's a shame, really. You may appreciate the news that you managed to put him in a coma. The news has been an immediate outburst all around Lylat."
Wolf stretched his arms out above his head and twisted his torso side to side. His tail hung loosely behind him between the edge of the seat and back rest. "Heh, of course. Soon as their precious hero is hurt, every other important thing in this damn world doesn't matter."
Earlier, Wolf had made a desperate attack on Fox during his time on Venom. Andross had been defeated for months by then, yet Fox had returned to oversee the stabilizing of the planet. That was the moment that Wolf took his chance and ambushed his rival without the rest of his team, intent on finally killing him. In the end, both pilots' aircraft went down, and a brutal, exhausting brawl ensued. Wolf very nearly succeeded, but the Interstellar Federation's marines patrolling Venom somehow arrived just in time. Long story short, Fox was taken away for immediate medical care, and Wolf was beaten down voraciously to unconsciousness and taken into captivity for Charon-1 to pick up.
Len kept his eyes on Wolf as if studying him. "Heroes revel in the glory and appraisal of the masses, yet many are unworthy. I do not particularly like McCloud or the rest of Star Fox..."
Wolf shook his head and growled with irritation in his voice, "Listen, since you're so intent on keeping me in the dark from everything I want to know, just tell me where the hell I am and why you took me.".
Len nodded like Wolf was returning his hospitality. He paused for a moment to make sure Wolf was finished speaking, then began. "Clearly, you are no longer aboard Charon-1, Mr. O'Donnell. I've liberated you from both the Cornerian Army's and the federation's grasp. You will hear me out and accept one of two options."
Wolf held up a hand, stopping Len from speaking. "You alone broke into the ship just to get me?"
"Not quite. A certain group of men did that job for me, thanks to a hefty amount of credits paid. Entry was rather spectacular to say the least." Len leaned forward a little and took a closer look at Wolf. His hands remained closed together on the table in front of his chest.
Wolf's eye widened at this statement. "Do you know how many people were–?"
"I'm very much aware of the amount, Mr. O'Donnell." Len said with another smile. Wolf seemed appalled; the tiger's outlook on the deaths involved seemed so cynical. It only added to his sinister nature. "Let it comfort you to know that only D-block was lost. An otherwise small price to pay. Now, enough with the filler questions and disrespect. It is your turn to listen, Mr. O'Donnell."
That last line was delivered with chilling solemnity. Wolf scoffed a little and slouched back, watching Len with disapproval. Admittedly, he was intimidated. Surely Len had some sort of plan to protect himself from Wolf. He wasn't restrained, meaning he could lunge and attack the old tiger freely. Something told Wolf that it would end direly for himself though, so he did nothing and sat back, submitting to Len's unsettling authority.
"Now then, listen...I'm sure you are aware of Lylat's neighbor system, Kreev?" Len questioned, suddenly stern.
Wolf thought for a moment and mumbled, "I've only heard of it. Never been there.".
"It is my home, one of the least desirable systems in the galaxy to live in. Kreev is teeming to the brim with dangerous planets, constant civil wars, and a corrupt government run by one of the most well known criminal organizations: the Harbingers."
The name of the gang struck Wolf as familiar. Len must've noticed Wolf's expression change, and the two remained silent for a good few seconds before Wolf recalled, "The Harbingers. They pretty much own almost half of the planets in the Kreev System.".
Len raised his head as if in approval of Wolf's knowledge. "Of course you know them. I'd expect a leader of a petty space gang to know the massive organization that dwarfs them even smaller than they already are. Star Wolf may have some level of influence here in Lylat, but your little group of friends are nothing compared to the sheer size and power of the Harbingers." All of Len's politeness had seemed to be non existent now. Perhaps he'd run out of patience.
Wolf frowned at Len's latter comment. He shook his head and sneered, "You are pushing it, old man...why would any of this matter to me?".
Len looked Wolf straight in his eye and leaned close, half whispering with a deadly effectiveness to his voice, "Because you will be the one to murder Satan's child..."
Wolf narrowed his eye and straightened up slightly. Whatever Len had planned for him, it would certainly not be in Wolf's favor or best interests.
Len place his hands flat down on the table as if gripping it, staring at Wolf intensely. It was his turn to sneer. "I will make this as clear as possible, Mr. O'Donnell...the head of all operations of the Harbingers is Goren Prax. I want you to find and kill his son, Marq Prax for me."
Wolf growled and began standing up, clenching his fists. "And you think I'm just going to do as you say? Watch your next words Len, you might end up on the floor with a seizure and a bloody mess of a throat..."
Len stood from his seat, towering tall and glaring down at Wolf as he exclaimed with ferocity, "Go ahead then you lowlife outlaw, do it! Acting so fierce and fearless, show me what you can do, Star Wolf! We'll see who ends up in separate body bags drifting in the darkness of space! TRY ME!".
Wolf stood his ground and exchanged glares with Len, having a tense standoff with the tiger. Eventually, he looked down and slowly parked his tail back into his chair.
Len stayed standing for a while and leered down at Wolf's submission. He muttered as he finally began sitting down, "You will not question my motives, Mr. O'Donnell. Realize your situation and think wisely...you will travel to Kreev, and you will assassinate Marq Prax no matter what the cost...".
Wolf glanced up at Len with a contemptuous look as he muttered back, "And if I refuse?".
"Then I will hand you over to the Cornerian Army myself. You may think that they will be suspicious that I've captured you after the Charon-1 incident, but it will not matter. It will mean nothing so long as they have you at long last. Remember, you are worth a fortune of credits. Credits that will repay those that I have used on this entire operation. As for you, you will face either life imprisonment or execution. Considering your status, you will likely receive the latter as punishment for your crimes." Len finished coldly and allowed Wolf to take it all in.
He was being blackmailed into doing this mysterious old man's dirty work. And it was outrageous dirty work, hunting down the son of a criminal organization's leader, not to mention one of the largest organizations. And for what? Len refused to tell him why. And the tiger definitely didn't seem keen on answering any further questions.
Len made no mention of allowing Wolf to bring anyone from his crew like Leon Powalski. He was going to drop into a world of criminal activity and constant danger by himself as a lone wolf.
There was no way around it.
Wolf inhaled some air and exhaled heavily, coming to terms with this blackmail. Len watched him closely, impatiently waiting for his response. Eventually, Wolf quietly and bitterly requested, "Give me a ship, a gun, and let me eat and rest for one night...".
Len grinned darkly, speaking with a mocking tone. "Good boy, Mr. O'Donnell...I'm glad we've come to an agreement."
…
Ripped out of his sleep, Wolf jutted upwards from the bed, intensely gasping for air and staring ahead in a momentary state of catatonia. The flimsy blanket fell down from his shoulders onto his lap, freeing his naked chest and torso.
His body felt tingly and drenched in sweat. Still shaking, he blinked and tried to ease his panting. He slipped the rest of the blanket off his legs and sat on the edge of the bed, putting his hands on his knees and looking down at nothing in particular. The only light in the room came from the small narrow strip of window close to the ceiling where the bluish white particles sped past the ship faster than light. Len's ship was traveling in hyperspace from Lylat to Kreev. They would arrive within a few hours.
Wolf rubbed his head and took a long, fatigued breath of air. He couldn't recall the last time he had a decent sleep. It was always the same dream, cursed to return to him every time he tried to rest peacefully.
Something in his past, something traumatic, kept him from being at peace with his inner self. He was reminded of the deeds he'd done in his past with every night of sleep. A certain event refused to die down in his memory.
Shaking his head and doing his best to ignore it, Wolf wiped his eye and stood to his feet. Finely toned muscles lined his arms with his pectorals as an attractive centerpiece to his physique. With well shaped legs and flexible limbs, he had the body of an elite Cornerian soldier. He wasn't necessarily the tallest, yet he was far from short and nothing less than intimidating.
His well conditioned body did not save him from his age however. Despite his looks, Wolf was in his thirties. And time flew so fast, it would only be a matter of time before he was in his forties. And while thirty was certainly not that old, he still felt he was getting old; at least too old for his line of work for that matter. It would be a long time before his body failed him and forced him to stop, though retirement was something he'd been considering for some time now.
But then he'd made the mistake of impulsively attacking Fox McCloud; an action that landed him on Charon-1 and worsened even further into his current dilemma. The choice had been made already; Wolf was embarking on what may very well be his most dangerous job yet.
He quietly walked around the room for a few moments to work out the cramps in his joints. There was little purpose returning to sleep at this hour.
At least Len seemed to have depth to his plan. He looked well funded enough with a crew on board this otherwise unimpressive vessel. Most of the crew members referred to Len and each other as "brother" like a cult of some sort. The tiger had taken Wolf to the room he now stayed in.
Len had informed Wolf that he would be dropped off on the first planet closest to the west edge of Kreev: Sordes. Once Wolf was deployed, he would navigate to a contact of Len's named Rys Kigor. He would be the one to supply Wolf with an outlaw's tools of the trade and a fully functioning ship to fly himself around the many planets of Kreev. Len had made it very clear that once Wolf stepped foot on Sordes, the tiger would return to Lylat. Wolf had decided it best not to ask why. Perhaps Len himself was wanted in Kreev. Or maybe the Harbingers were after him.
Without any prior signs or warnings, the light outside abruptly cut out, and the window returned to showing nothing but the vast emptiness of space. The ship had exited hyperspace; they were in the territory of Kreev now.
There was absolutely no turning back no matter what. He was in a star system with planets entirely alien to him.
Wolf's mission would begin the moment he stepped foot on Sordes.