Hello everyone! Here's the prequel fic to my previous story: A Simple Test Drive. So whether you've read it already or not, I hope you enjoy this!
"Shit shit shit shit shit shit shit SHIT! SHIT!"
A sleek starship cut through the blackness of space, flanked on either side by crafts just like it. A couple dozen kilometers in front of them was an unassuming civilian ship, and a few thousand more kilometers ahead a blue planet sat suspended.
The center ship's comms crackled to life. "Very insightful, dear leader. Tell us more." A chameleon's face appeared on the cockpit's HUD, causing the wolf piloting it to grumble.
"You left your comm open, Wolf." Another voice, this time followed by the image of a panther. Wolf growled and punched the dashboard, shutting off his channel.
The cat's face disappeared, but the lizard's remained. "Why are we doing this, Wolf? Why are we here?"
Wolf let out a frustrated grunt before activating his comm again. "I told you already, Leon!"
"This is not our fight, Wolf. Don't we hate Corneria?"
"That's not the point! You know what'll happen if that ship reaches the Capital!"
"And I am saying, why risk our hides for them? We are wanted criminals there." Leon's tone was calm, reinforced by his Venomian accent.
"You know damn well the payload that fucker is carrying! That ain't a toy! It'll level the entire city and then some!"
"I say let it. Less problems for us."
Wolf completely shut his comm system off, shouting in frustration. The fact that Leon was still there told him that he wasn't going anywhere, but the words still stung. Corneria's atmosphere soon rushed to meet them
This is my home! I won't let that fucking monkey destroy it!
The three Wolfens flew low over the ocean, still in pursuit of the other ship. There was no way a standard civilian model like that could outrun a Wolfen.
If we fail here, hundreds of thousands will die! Maybe more! Among them could even be…
"Team Star Fox has arrived, Wolf. You should turn your comms back on." Panther's deep voice hit Wolf's ears. He had used the emergency frequency to get through. Wolf felt his heart skip as he turned the comm back on.
"Star Wolf. You'd better have a damn good reason for being here!" The leader of Star Fox, Fox McCloud, popped up on the feed. His voice was of a higher pitch and certainly annoyed, but he still held an air of authority.
Wolf began to speak. "McCloud, y-"
"Thank god you're here, Star Fox!" Another face popped up on the comms. A monkey. "These damned ruffians have been chasing me through half the system!" The civilian ship they had been pursuing positioned itself behind the four Arwings that had just appeared.
Fox's orange and white furred face twisted into a scowl on the display. "Really, Wolf? One ship? That's pathetic, even for you! What's on there that's so valuable to you?" The Wolfen's sensors had detected that the Arwings' weapons systems had come online.
"You can't listen to him, McCloud! He has an antimatter bomb on board! He's gonna set it off in the city!"
"You certainly can't expect that trash to be telling the truth! I'm just making a simple delivery and these scoundrels want to rob me of everything I own!" The monkey's feigned pitiful voice was grating.
Fox responded quickly. "And how do you know all of this, Wolf? If you're telling the truth, that is!"
"He's not!"
"Shut up!" Wolf pinched his brow. "He hired me to deliver a component of that bomb, but I didn't know what it was until I had Leon do some snooping afterward!"
"He is right." Surprisingly, Leon's voice joined. "I hacked into communications between him and his affiliates. He plans to detonate that bomb in the Capital."
"We are here to stop him, Star Fox. Please do not let your judgment of us cloud the facts." Panther added smoothly.
"More lies! Star Wolf would say anything to get to my cargo! Shoot them down, Star Fox!"
An additional face appeared, accompanied by a shrill voice. "I can run a scan of the ship, Fox. If what they're saying is correct, something like an antimatter bomb should be picked up quite easily."
"Fine. Do it Slippy."
"Man, I haven't been in a dogfight with you clowns in such a long time. I'm gonna enjoy this!" The cracking of knuckles could be heard as yet another voice joined, belonging to the bird Falco Lombardi.
"Fox!" Slippy's voice rang out once again. "He's right! There's a bomb!"
"What!?"
The monkey's craft suddenly shot off from the group.
"Dammit! We have to stop him!" Wolf pitched his Wolfen forward at full speed, breaking through the confused rival team.
"H-hey!" Fox recovered from his shock, following Wolf along with the rest of both teams. His voice could be heard again, hailing a new frequency. "General Pepper, this is Fox McCloud. We have an emergency."
The general replied curtly. "What is it, Star Fox?"
"We've intercepted a possible terrorist with an antimatter bomb making his way toward the Cornerian Capital. He's piloting a standard light cargo civilian craft with modified boosters. My team is in pursuit." He took a deep breath before continuing. "Star Wolf is assisting."
"What? Star Wolf? What's going on?"
"I've told you all that I know, Pepper. You'll just have to trust me."
Pepper sighed. "Fine. How far from the city are you?"
"About 300 kilometers east, over the ocean."
"I'll alert the military. Good luck, Star Fox."
Fox closed the channel, turning his attention to the ship in front. "Wolf! If you want to cooperate you're going to let me lead the formation!"
"Fat chance, kid! Stay in line!"
"It wasn't a suggestion! Fall behind me! Now!"
Cursing under his breath, Wolf hit the brake, allowing Fox in front of him. "You'd better have a plan, McCloud!"
"I do! Slippy, jam the target's communications!"
"Done!"
"Good. Wolf, you and your team exit atmosphere and fly ahead of the target to cut him off. We'll work to disable his ship from there."
"Fine. C'mon, boys." The three Wolfens pointed skywards, quickly exiting the atmosphere. With the loss of drag from the air, they were able to easily overtake the target ship.
"Looks like he has the same idea." Panther's comment turned everyone's attention to the craft below, which was quickly rising up to meet them.
"At least we are closer, now. I'll shoot out his boosters." Leon maneuvered his craft behind the monkey while Wolf and Panther boxed him in.
Slippy cut in. "Be careful! If you hit the wrong spot you'll ignite the fuel and set the bomb off! Make sure to sh-"
"I know how to disable a ship, frog!" The lizard sneered, firing precision shots into the back of the craft, taking out one of the thrusters.
Wolf noticed the ship dipping from the damage. "He's banking right! Panther!"
"I have him." Panther angled his Wolfen to support the damaged ship, keeping it stable for Leon's next shot. Wolf could see the pilot screaming in rage from his cockpit.
"So what's keeping this guy from detonating the bomb right now?" Falco's voice returned.
"Well, piloting, for one." The fourth Star Fox pilot, Peppy, spoke for the first time since the encounter started.
"Well if he gets desperate enough, he'll abandon the whole thing and blow us all up with him." Falco concluded.
"All the more reason we need to hurry up!" Fox's voice was urgent yet calm. "New plan: we're coming up with you. Slippy, do you have the capture field onboard?"
"Always do!"
"Great. Once his ship falls you'll need to set it up beneath him. Pepper will need him alive for questioning."
Suddenly, the cargo ship shot off with its one remaining booster, spinning wildly due to the lack of balance.
"Oh, dammit!" Fox's Arwing flew past Star Wolf in pursuit. Wolf reacted first, following his rival.
"McCloud, set me up for a shot!" The enemy ship had more or less stabilized, but it flew in an erratic path.
"Who's giving the orders here, again?"
"Goddammit, McCloud! Just trust me here! You're too close to get a good angle! I can make the shot and you know I can!"
There was a beat of silence before a reply. "Slippy, get ready to deploy the field."
"Roger!"
The craft took another sudden turn, and was going to jerk in the opposite direction, but a volley of fire from Fox prevented it. Fox shot all around the ship to keep it in place. Wolf set his ships targeting system to lock onto the remaining booster. The center of the reticle closed in, inching closer and closer to the sweet spot. The monkey attempted to fly downward, but Fox flew below to block him. The new angle worked perfectly for Wolf, and he fired a single shot.
The remaining thruster went up in smoke, the flames petering out as the craft began to careen downward. Fox's Arwing remained below it, and if its current trajectory was any indication, then…
"McCloud..." Wolf's voice caught in his throat. "FOX! LOOK OUT!"
Time slowed down as Wolf's heart hammered in his chest. There was nothing he could do. If he shot the ship the bomb could detonate, killing everyone. It was too far away for Wolf to ram. All he could do is watch in horror…
...as it passed clearly in front of Fox's Arwing, falling into the energy snare that Slippy had set up below.
"I'm fine, Wolf. Nice shot, by the way."
Wolf simply sat there, heart still pounding as he touched his eyepatch, cursing his lack of depth perception.
"Wolf." Leon brought him back to attention. "The Cornerian military is here." Sure enough, several ships had arrived, moving in to collect the terrorist. The capture field not only caught the ship, but also stopped the pilot from moving, preventing him from setting the bomb off.
Wolf switched to Star Wolf's private channel. "I'm nearly out of fuel, guys. I can't make it back to base."
Leon chuckled grimly. "What, and you think we are in a different situation? All of us are running low, since you decided to chase after that madman immediately."
Wolf sighed, as well as his two teammates. Sure enough, the transmission they were all expecting showed up on their HUDs.
"Team Star Wolf. You will be escorted to the Capital by my men here. I wish to speak with you in person." As soon as his face had appeared, General Pepper's image disappeared, leaving no time for reply.
As promised, a group of six ships flew to the group, leading them toward the city. Star Fox had already left by this point, it seemed. The trip was spent in silence.
The Wolfens were quickly parked in a government hangar upon the team's arrival. They were quickly carted off to see the General. Oddly, they had not been cuffed, but did have armed guards surrounding them. Making their way through the well kept government building was an odd experience for the mercenaries. They never set foot in structures like this unless they were doing something illegal.
Two large wooden doors were parted by the guards, leading into a spacious, extravagantly decorated office. The old dog, Pepper, stood in front of his desk, and all four members of Star Fox stood facing him. They had been talking, but focused their attention on the newcomers. Pepper smirked while the other men turned around. Peppy stared daggers at them while Slippy and Falco looked nervous. Fox's face was blank. Wolf managed a small wave.
"Star Wolf! I'll be right with you." Pepper refocused on the men in front of him. "Now, I'll be compensating you just as I would if I had hired you for the task."
"Thank you, General. We were happy to help!" Fox exclaimed cheerfully.
"Also, we won't be releasing information of this event to the public. We don't want there to be panic, naturally."
"Understood."
"Very good. Check your accounts later for your payment. That'll be all." Pepper looked back at Wolf expectantly. Wolf didn't move as the other team shuffled out of the room, the neat and orderly uniforms passing by the disorganized metal, leather, and spikes of Wolf's crew. Fox's gaze caught Wolf's single eye for a split second. He tried to speak, but Fox had walked out of the room before he could.
"Here, Star Wolf." Pepper pointed to the ground where Star Fox had been standing just moments before. The three mercenaries stepped forward.
"Let's just get this over with." Wolf grumbled.
Pepper cleared his throat. "Wolf O'Donnell! Fox told me of your team's efforts in helping apprehend the terrorist! From my understanding, you had chased him all the way here after learning of his intentions."
Wolf blinked. "That...that is correct."
"And not only you, but your teammates as well. You all did your part in helping Star Fox, and by extension, Corneria."
"What are you getting at here?"
The general smirked. "What I am getting at, is that we don't let good work go unpaid."
"Bullshit." Leon hissed.
"On the contrary!" Pepper straightened some of the medals on his chest before continuing. "I won't pretend that your bounties don't exist. I'm well aware of them. But that's why I'm offering to wipe them away completely, on top of your compensation."
"Spill it! What's the catch!" Wolf tapped his foot, arms crossed.
Pepper laughed softly. "Simply put, we will be restricting your movements to Corneria. Your Wolfens' weapons systems and FTL capabilities will be taken offline."
"WHAT!"
Pepper raised his hands in a calming manner. "Now, Wolf, this is the alternative to your team being incarcerated. Surely you wouldn't expect us to simply let you go back into the system now that we finally have you all here under this roof."
Wolf grit his teeth, eye stuck on his boots. Panther was the only one to respond. "I believe that is fair, in all honesty."
"Shut up Panther." Leon mumbled.
"Well it is."
Wolf didn't move. He hated it, but it was true. It was the best deal they were going to get from the Cornerian government. He raised his head to meet Pepper's stare once again.
"What about all our stuff? We have a home base, y'know. We can't just leave everything there."
The general pondered for a second as Wolf could feel his teammates' eyes on him. "We can escort you to your base to gather your possessions in a few days. Please understand that you will be under heavily armed guard. So don't try any-"
"Yeah yeah, you don't have to tell us." Wolf waved his hand dismissively. "Looks like we don't have a choice in the matter here. How much money?"
Pepper grinned. "250,000. Each."
Wolf blinked. His compatriots beside him were equally speechless. It was the most money they had ever received at a single time. He clenched his fists. "So, we're stuck on this planet until we die, then?"
The general shook his head. "Find a job within a respectable organization that requires space travel and we will lift your restrictions. Barring that, it will expire in ten years, if your records remain relatively clean."
Leon let out an amused huff while Wolf nodded grimly. "Alright."
"So, you accept these terms?"
"Not like you'd give us anything else. But there is one thing."
"And that is?"
Wolf closed his eye, grimacing. "Don't tell Star Fox that we're stuck here."
"Very well." The amusement was clear on Pepper's face. "Your Wolfens will be kept in a nearby commercial hangar, and I will work on transferring your payment as soon as possible. I'll let you know when we'll be ready to make the trip for the rest of your possessions. You three are dismissed." The dog trudged around his desk and settled into his large leather chair, pulling out a datapad and tapping it vigorously. The guards approached the three men and escorted them outside.
The day on Corneria had started to close. The three ex-mercenaries stood on the sidewalk, still stunned by the previous events. Wolf was the first to speak.
"I need a fuckin drink."
"Didn't it sound like he was givin us orders? Like we were his soldiers?"
Wolf sat with Panther and Leon in a booth tucked in the dark corner of a remote bar they had found. Empty bottles collected around them.
"Mhm. Makes sense for someone like him, though. That's all he knows." Panther took a swig of his beer, wiping the dribble from his lip that resulted afterward.
The table in front of Wolf was swimming in his vision as he raised his own bottle to his mouth. The warmth of the alcohol was chilled by the lizard across from him. "Hey." He reached over and nudged his shoulder clumsily. "Hey hey, Leooooon."
"Wolf."
"Yer mad at me, aren't ya."
Leon closed his eyes and breathed deeply through his nose. "You are a fucking genius."
"C'moooooon it won't be so bad! We got enough drinkin money to last us years! An we're free men!"
Leon stood up suddenly, knocking over some of the bottles. "You call this free?" His arms shot out, gesturing all around them. "Stuck on this oppressive rock? Wasting our lives away on foot when we belong in space? Of course I am mad! I am furious!"
"Leoooon yer drunk. C'mon, sit back down."
The chameleon scoffed, shaking his head. "You are a sad sight. What happened to the Wolf O'Donnell of the old days? The one who knew how to take care of his men?"
"Well, I jus got ridda all our bounties n got us a whole tonna cash!"
"That is not what I mean, you idiot! Clearly you have lost sight of what made us Star Wolf!"
Panther eyed his two arguing friends with large eyes, darting back and forth between them. He sipped his drink slowly.
"Well maybe we'll jus be a new Star Wolf! Don't hafta be spaceships n shit!"
"Star Wolf is dead! You killed it! You and your softness for McCloud! You have fucked us!"
Done with his rant, Leon stood there panting, staring down his former leader. Wolf stared back, only registering half of the words that had been yelled his way.
Panther shifted in his seat. "I hate when mom and dad fight..."
There was silence, giving way to a soft chuckle from Wolf, which soon devolved into drunken laughter. Leon narrowed his eyes before storming out of the bar.
"Whaaaat c'mon it was funnyyyyyy!" Wolf's head hit the table. "Ow!" He felt a soft hand on his back.
"He will be fine, Wolf. You know how Leon is." Panther crooned. His voice was as soothing as his touch.
"I dunno, Panth, maybe I am a bad leader."
Panther continued to rub Wolf's back. "If it is any consolation, I think everything you did today was the right thing. Even if the outcome may have had drawbacks, I am proud to call you our leader."
Wolf turned his face to Panther, head still resting on the table. "Thanks, man. But Leon's right. Star Wolf is over, an I ain't anybodies leader no more."
"Well, it is still too early to say that. But we are all still friends."
"...yeahhhh."
Panther stood up and squeezed past Wolf, offering a hand to him. "I think we should get out of here."
Wolf nodded, taking the help and standing up. He stumbled a bit at first, but soon was able to walk outside with Panther. The brisk night air snapped him out of his stupor somewhat. "So, uh, where exactly we goin?"
"Well, money is certainly not a problem, so we can check into a hotel for the time being." The cat strode confidently forward while gently guiding Wolf. Panther always held his drinks mysteriously well.
"What about Leon?"
"He can take care of himself, but I will message him just in case."
"Thanks Panth. Maybe you should be leader." Wolf poked his friend on the cheek, prompting a smile from him.
"I think I will pass."
Panther located the nearest hotel to them and hailed an automated taxi. Wolf sobered up enough to be able to stand on his own when it arrived. The two men stepped into the invitingly warm cabin.
"What do ya think McCloud thought about what we did?" Wolf let himself sink into the soft material of the seat as he closed his eye.
Panther's ears perked. "I am not sure. I do think he was grateful, of course."
"He coulda showed it better." Wolf rest his cheek on his hand, staring out the window. Panther's chuckling brought his attention back. "What?"
"Leon is right! You are soft on him!"
"Yeah, yeah, whatever." Wolf turned to look out the window once again, contemplating this new chapter in his life.