William Dawkins was fighting for his life.
His well-known double blasters drawn, he was firing into the seething mass of enemies all trying to kill him. His charger packs on each gun were full, and he was ready for a battle to the death. He dashed behind pillars and desks, holding them off as long as he could.
Many of them were falling, but more just kept coming. Laser beams landed around his head like some insane, deadly light show. The walls and floor were peppered with holes characteristic of the deadly beams.
Suddenly a searing pain shot through him. He looked down, and one of the holes that was on the walls and floor had now appeared on him, smoking slightly. In the time it had taken him to glance at the wound, more flashes of light shot through him. Everything was spinning, swirling, fading, spinning, black.
SIMULATION TERMINATED
Will's eyes shot open to reveal the simulation room, the many machines gleaming in the light of the afternoon.
"Ten minutes and thirty-seven seconds, Dawkins. Not bad, not bad at all. Just don't be so enthralled with your wounds, and you'll do fine." This was the voice of Samuel Willis, Will's instructor.
"Does this mean—?" Will asked excitedly, but Sam cut him off.
"Yep," he confirmed. "You pass."
"Yes!" Will exclaimed, and his pride at the success of his four years of hard work was apparent in his shining eyes. He had just officially passed his graduation exam in hand-to hand combat and firearms, and was now an official hand-to hand specialist for the Cornerian Defense Military. Without a further word, he left the room ready to brag to his potential squadron.
Will was a wolf, jet-black save for a single tuft of white on the end of his tail. He had twinkling green eyes and was six feet tall exactly. Known throughout the academy for his well taken care of double handheld laser pistols and his superb hand-to-hand skills, he was a formidable force. He had expected to graduate with highest honors, and had even formed a "team-in-training", as he called it, that he would be working with for the rest of his time in the Cornerian Defense.
This team was waiting right outside his facility, all of them graduated and waiting for Will's results. He burst out of the door like a rocket and told his team the news.
"Well, we're a team now."
Graduation day was a few weeks later. The team waited impatiently for their turn. Finally it came.
"Dawkins, William and team," General Pepper announced. They all arose from their seats and headed up to the gigantic stage. Pepper put his hand over Will. "William Dawkins. Graduating in hand-to-hand combat. Highest honors." There was appropriate applause as Pepper moved on.
"Kevin Thorton. Graduating in aviation. Highest honors." More clapping. Kevin was the same age as Will, nineteen, and one of the best pilots in his class. Will knew he would be invaluable in dogfights and aerial support. A strong canine, he was no slacker in fighting on the ground either.
"Theodore Smith. Graduating in mechanics. Highest honors." Theo was incredibly smart, even for a frog. One year younger than all the rest of the team, he usually preferred hanging back and figuring things out rather than brute force.
"And finally, Ryan Freeman. Graduating in navigation and aviation." The applause here was not as loud, as people awaited the name of the team. Ryan, a patient coyote, showed a lack of anxiety and even looked indifferent as the name was called.
"The team name is, after much discussion, Omega Wolf." There was much applause as the newly christened Omega Wolf took their seats. The ceremony soon ended, and General Pepper faced the audience for a final announcement. All individuals in any team or division, please report to receive your initial assignments. Dismissed!"
Will felt a slight pang of hurt as the parents of the kids that had graduated congratulated them personally. He had been orphaned as a baby when his house was bombed during the Lylat War. He had never actually known his parents at all, and had vowed to get back at the Venomians who had killed them.
Will and his team headed over to the office, talking, laughing, and discussing what they wanted to get for an assignment. They walked quickly, and were one of the first ones to get there.
"Ah, Omega Wolf," Pepper said in greeting. "Ready for your assignment?"
"You bet," Will said enthusiastically.
Pepper opened a file cabinet drawer behind him and pulled out a file with Omega Wolf written across the top in dark ink. He ruffled through it quickly and pulled out two pieces of paper. One was a map depicting the Lylat System, with a certain section circled in blue. "You're on patrol duty, boys. The blue area is yours to patrol. Anything odd or weird should be reported as soon as possible. The location is Sector 7 of the Gamma Quadrant."
"Correct me if I'm wrong, sir, but isn't that near Planet Venom?" Theo asked.
"You are correct, Theodore. You're right on the front lines, so to speak. Anything happens, you'll probably know it first. This piece of paper," Pepper said as he switched the papers, "lists your correspondents. They are basically a part of your patrol team. You will be relaying constant information between them on data you collect and observations you make." With an air of finality, he quickly slipped the papers back into the folder and snapped it shut.
"Enjoy your work, boys."