I really apologize for the delay, ive had work and some personal issues to work through lately. But hopefully from here on out I can get on a more stable update schedule.

Anyway.

Enjoy!

xxxxxxx

One Month Later.

"So, after careful evaluation, we can conclude that several factors were the primary cause to the war with Venom. Number one: the forced exile of Andross Oikonny to Venom solidified, in his mind, the idea that he had been betrayed and set up by the Cornerian government. Though there are rumors of other reasons and the disputed murder trial involving the wife of James McCloud, we can not rely on such things to draw a reliable conclusion. Thus we can rule that it was a combination of his own exile and the racist policies of Corneria at the time that led to him starting Venom's military buildup.

Second: the policies of the Cornerian and Macbeth governments at the time. Such policies of canids and felines before others no doubt agitated racial fervor amongst those that took refuge with Andross and gave him all the ammunition he needed to fuel his war machine. Not to mention it gave an excuse for some of the atrocities that took place on Macbeth and other planets occupied by Venom during the early days of the war. Not that I am saying that such acts were justified of course, but rather that in the eyes of those who committed these crimes, they were excusable.

Lastly: economic growth. One can easily see that Corneria no doubt viewed Venom as a threat during its inital buildup and brief economic boom while the terraforming on the planet was proceeding so well. Though this was halted once the war broke out, this wave of workers and supplies to Venom no doubt elevated the threat that Corneria was perceiving from Andross and his people. Corneria has been the dominant power in Lylat for decades and the idea of being surpassed no doubt agitated Parliment."

Gabriel smiled, pressing a button on the remote he held in his hand as he did so. The lights came back on, and the projector behind him turned off. He was in a classroom at the Beltino Institute on Corneria, perhaps the most respected place of learning in Lylat. As a respected source of military and historical viewpoints, Gabriel had been invited to speak at a history class. In front of him were about thirty to forty students who had been busy taking notes on his presentation, though some seemed a little skeptical.

This didnt really surprise Gabriel much, Corneria was in the fervor of Victory over Venom day, or VV day, and an unbiased view of the war would not be recieved as well by the youth of the world at the moment. For now at least. Gabriel walked over to a podium in front of the wide, spacious, lecture hall where he had spent the last hour presenting his most recent report on the war.

"Any questions?"

A young canine in the front row raised his hand and stood up after being awknowledged by the snow leopard.

"Do you not think that Andross's attemped murder of the McCloud family was the primary cause in turning him against Corneria?"

Gabriel scratched his chin. "The primary cause? No, I dont think so. Though im sure that the much publicized trial had at least a small part in him doing what he did, my sources and reasarch have shown that Andross was already making moves to prepare for a military buildup on Venom at the time. Though its possible that the trial might have accelerated his movements, I dont think it was the primary cause. Not to mention, if you remember, the trial was split. There was still plenty of people that did not believe that Andross was capable of doing such a thing."

The canine sat back down with an perplexed look on his face.

Gabriel looked around the room. "Any other questions?"

Another canine, this one a female with a VV T-shirt, stood up next.

"Venom accused Macbeth of opening fire first, and that they were only defending their interests on Venom by invading the planet. Corneria and Macbeth said that Venom shot first. Did your research reveal who actually did shoot first?"

"Thats a good question, and im not sure I have an answer. That first day was extremely hectic, communications from Macbeth were cut by Venom special forces not long after the first shots were fired, and all audio records of the first battle are classified by the Cornerian government. Though this classification of what should be public knowledge is a little suspicious of the Cornerian government, the fact that Venom had sabetours already in palce to cut all off planet communications from Macbeth would indicate to me at least that this was planned by Venom. Perhaps the whole accusation of Macbeth shooting first was simply a propaganda ploy by Andross to make it seem like he was in the right to invade Macbeth. But thats just my opinion, dont put too much into it."

The girl sat down, apparently a little dissapointed, and no other hands were raised.

"No other questions? Okay. Thank you very much for taking the time out of your very busy school day to give me the honor of presenting my recent findings on the war with Venom and its causes. As your teachers have no doubt promised you, you will recieve extra credit for being here." Gabriel finished with a smile.

The students stood up and clapped for several moments as Gabriel walked off the stage. He waved his thanks to the students and was greeted at the base of the stairs by none other than Beltino Tolado himself. The father of Slippy Tolado and one of the most prestigous scientists in all of Lylat, he had founded the Beltino Institute as the premier source of advanced learning on Corneria. This wasnt the first time Gabriel had taught at the Institute, so he had gotten to know the toad quite well.

Beltino shook his hand as the students stood up to leave. "Excellent as always my friend, its good to have an unbiased opinion here for once. Though I cant really blame people for their hatred of that ape."

Gabriel nodded. "Neither can I. Thank you for giving me the oppritunity to come back here, my time on the front had made me a bit weary to tell the truth and ive kind of missed my university days."

"There's always room for you here Gabriel, you can always finish your degree."

"Ha, thank you but ill pass. I got a lot of things on my plate at the moment, most of all my new book, and I really wouldnt have the time to keep up with my studies. Maybe sometime when im not so busy?"

Beltino smiled and released his hand, he had quite a forcefull handshake.

"Of course, of course. But there's something I need to talk to you about. Something important, and also a favor to me."

Gabriel raised his eyebrows in curiostity. "Really? You know im always here to help, though im not sure what good a writer is to the director of the Beltino Institute."

"Oh I think you'll be perfect for what I have in mind. Come with me, we can talk it over in my office."

The pair exited behind the lines of students who were heading off for lunch, Gabriel had almost forgotten it was midday already. As they made their past throngs of students heading for the exits, he could only marvel at the beauty of this place of learning. The walls and floors were a beautiful blue marble and the ceilings were an advanced type of glass that adjusted to Lylat's rays and allowed in just the right amount of light. This building wide type of ceiling meant that there were few real artificial light sources on during the day, at least on the top floors.

Gabriel and Beltino made their way to an elevator that took them to the top floor, where Beltino had his office. The top floor was reserved for the teachers and professors that were privileged to work here, though there were a few labs for some of the more advanced classes present as well. Beltino's office was as large and spacious as the institute itself, with its backwalls lined with bookcases. This was something of a rarity in Lylat as books have been largely replaced by online sources, but Beltino was a great lover of classic reading.

Gabriel took a seat in the leather chair in front of his desk as Beltino sat down behind it and took a moment to look over his vid screen on the computer on his desk. After puling up a file, he turned the screen around so that Gabriel could see it. It was a picture of a girl in a medical smock, a black feline to be exact, with striking red eyes, looking at the camera with a mute tone. That's when Gabriel remembered, he had seen those eyes before. Venom!

"Do you recognize this woman?" Beltino spoke matter of factly.

"Yes, if I remember correctly, she was one of the survivors we pulled out of those prisons on Venom." Gabriel said as he continued to look at her bright red eyes. They didnt seem natural, those sparkling red rubies that seemed to pierce right through him.

"The only survivor actually. She is quite the find as well, if unfortunate."

"What do you mean?"

"The girl has undergone quite a bit of cybernetic implantation, most of it internal, that quite honestly makes her more machine than person. She wont tell us why this was done to her, in fact she hasnt said much at all until recently. She only identifies herself as '9'."

Gabriel nodded. "I remember now. What kind of implantation has been done on her...and why are you interested? There must be something you are not telling me."

Beltino sighed before continuing. "Yes, some of the implants are quite unique, never before seen in a person, at least successfully. The girl was brought to the institute so that she could recover and be studied, we have the best psychiatrists in Lylat here and quite honestly she needs them. Though not a lot of progress has been made."

"Study her?"

"Oh she is fascinating. She has implants throughout her nervous and muscular system, as well as some some on the outside of her body that seem almost cosmetic. Perhaps some kind of joke from her captors? I dont know."

Beltino leaned forward and spoke in a very serious tone. "But this is where I need you Gabriel. The CDF is interested in her due to her implantation, there are some that even think she is dangerous. The Cornerian forensic team on Venom made their report on what they found in that cache and its not pleasant. All of the bodies in those prisons were filled with similar cybernetic implantation, it seems they were experimenting on them Gabriel."

This new revelation made the snow leopard uneasy. "So she was a test subject? But for what? Did the forensic team give an explanation?"

Beltino shook his head. "No, they didnt. In fact, the findings were immediately made classified, so I cant help you much there. As for the girl, she doesnt act dangerously, she doesnt show much emotion or action at all really, but there are those who are a little concerned. Her implants make her quite strong and she could really hurt someone if she wanted to. But to get back to the point, I need you here. She's obviously frightened and in need of extended medical care. But she wont speak to anyone, until recently at least."

"What did she say?"

"She asked for you actually."

This caught Gabriel by surprise and he took a moment to digest this new information. "Really? She asked for me?"

"Yes, and she wont say anything else either. How does she know you?"

Gabriel shrugged. "Not really? I mean, I did tell her my name when she was pulled out of that hole in the ground. I tried my best to make her trust me so we wouldnt have to forcefully take her out. Perhaps she feels like she can trust me a little?"

"So it seems. Please Gabriel, ive seen enough suffering in this war to last a lifetime. Speak to her, see if you cant calm her nerves a bit. If she makes positive progress in the next few days, ill have medical reason to not turn her over to the CDF. Thats all im asking, a few hours of the next couple of days. Thats it."

Gabriel thought it over for a few moments. He had hoped to erase any memories of that horrible dungeon beneath Andross's palace for good, but if he could help another soul in need, especially someone who had clearly suffered greatly at the hands of the enemy, then it would be worth it. Besides, he owed Beltino anyway.

"Ok, ill do it. Is she here?"

"Yes, just across the street at the university medical center. Ill let them know you are coming. Thank you Gabriel, this means a lot to me."

Gabriel stood up and shook his old mentor's hand. "Of course, though we are even after this one. Got it?"

"Yeah yeah, get out of my office cheapskate."

Gabriel smirked and did as he was told, leaving his office and heading for the elevator. He was no therapist, but if this girl trusted him and him alone then he would do what he could. He should have known that he hadn't seen the last of her. As he descended back down to the ground floor, he couldn't help but be mistified by the thought of the girls eyes, that same bright, beautiful crimson that had first caught his attention in those dank bunkers on Venom. Maybe there was something to be learned from this girl, and as he considered it more, maybe even an oppurtunity.

xxxxxxx

Twenty Minutes Later

Gabriel arrived in the therapeutic wing at the Beltino Institute Medical Center shortly after, stepping past nurses and doctors buzzing about the hallways. There were quite a few victims of the war still being treated here, from Cornerian soldiers dealing with shellshock to civilians who had lost love ones and needed help dealing with their grief. He made his way past these people and came to his objective, a normally restricted area where some of the more severe cases were being dealt with.

Gabriel swiped a card he had been given by the front desk and entered another set of quiet hallways that split off into seperate wings. As he entered, he was greeted by a blue and green plumaged avian doctor named Terry.

"Are you Gabriel? My name is Doctor Terry, a pleasure to meet you."

Gabriel shook his hand. "Yeah thats me, you the one in charge of the girl?"

Terry shook his head. "Im one of several doctors and therpists that look after her, though I must say im intrigued to hear what she has to say to you actually. How do you know her?"

"Its a long story doctor, ill tell you about it later. Where is she?"

Terry motioned for Gabriel to follow. "This way, ill take you to her room."

The pair walked down to the very end of the hallway and took a left to a seperate ward. The white sterile walls seemed to be a bit unerving to him but he kept his mouth shut, he had always depised hosptials. Anything that kept him tied down was not someplace he wanted to be often. They came to the end of the ward and opened a door to their right, which revealed a quiet cozy room with a single bed, Vid screen for entertainment, and a couch for visitors to sit on.

On the bed was the person of interest, though she looked quite a bit more healthy than the last time he had seen her. She was clad in a blue medical smock and had been busy flipping through the channels on the vid screen when she turned her head to view her visitors. Gabriel drew in his breath a little bit as those same ruby eyes looked him over. Her hair was a long and raven black that seemed to accomidate her black and red fur tone quite well. It was straight and well kept, and Gabriel had to check himself as he looked her over. For a former victim of Venomian experimentation, she was quite beautiful.

"Good evening Ms 9, you have a visitor today."

The girl sat up in surprise as she recognized Gabriel and quickly got to her feet. This seemed to alarm the doctor a bit.

"Now now, no need to get upset. This is Gabriel. Do you two know each other?"

The girl stared at Gabriel for a few moments before speaking, a thick accent that Gabriel recognized as Macbethian.

"No."

Terry was quite surpirsed at getting a response out of her but did his best to hide it, moving over to the table next to her bed to check on her vital signs. While he was doing that, Gabriel moved closer to her and smiled at the girl, though she only continued to stare at him blankly. After Terry was finished with his vital check, he picked up her clipboard and after writing several notes down, looked over to Gabriel.

"Alright, she looks stable as always. Ill leave you two alone for a little bit, ive got other patients to check on. Good luck."

He exited out the door leaving Gabriel and the girl alone. Gabriel put his hands behind his back and spoke in a friendly tone.

"My name is Gabriel Lawerence, though I think you know that already. Im not a doctor or a therpist, so im not going to bother you with too many questions."

The girl sat back down on her bed and nodded. "Thank you."

"Do you have a name besides the number they gave you in prison? Do you remember?"

The girl said nothing at first, as if deep in thought. "I-I dont. Ive tried so hard to, but I cant. I cant remember anything about...about before I was with the emperor."

Gabriel took a moment to digest what she said before taking a seat on the couch next to her bed.

"I'm not here to judge you. I promise. I just want to help."

"You've already helped. You saved me."

"Well, I was just doing my job. Im just glad we found you when we did, I was scared that no one survived."

Gabriel fumbled with his hands awkwardly before continuing. "How are you doing though? Seriously? You've been through a lot, and to have done-"

Gabriel chose his next words carefully. "To have done to you what has been done by those monsters on Venom, is not an easy thing to overcome, im sure."

She only nodded and ran her hands through her hair nervously. Gabriel continued with his questioning. "Why did you want to speak to me? Why not talk to the doctors?"

"Because...I know you arent with him."

"Him? Who's him?"

"The emperor."

"You mean you were involved with Andross?"

She nodded. "I was...his personal servant for a time. I remember a little before I captured, I was born on Macbeth, I think. Though I cant remember my parents or what I was doing before him or-"

She stopped suddenly, clearly begining to get upset. Gabriel stood up and approched her, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"Look, I wont ask you anything else. You've been through too much for me to bother you with any more questions."

"Thank you. I think I-I think going to lay down bit ok? It hurts to think about what happened."

"I understand."

A knock came on the door and Terry poked his head through the door. "Everything going alright?"

"Yeah, I was just leaving. She needs rest."

Gabriel turned to leave when the girl grabbed his hand suddenly. Gabriel turned back to look at her with concern, staring into those beautiful eyes of hers.

"Give me a name."

"What? Now?"

"Yes, I dont want to think about what I used to be. I want to be someone else. Give me a name."

Gabriel took a few moments to think, looking around the room for inspiration before turning back to look at the girl, her red and black fur giving him a thought.

"How about Robin?"

"Robin..."

She thought it over for a few seconds before looking up and smiling at the snow leopard.

"Robin is nice. I like it."

Gabriel smiled back. "Robin it is then. Get some rest Robin, ill be back to see you soon."

With that Gabriel left the room and was joined outside by the Doctor Terry. He spoke in an excited tone, clearly elated at their interaction.

"Thats the first time ive seen her smile. Quite honestly Gabriel, I would love if you came to visit her again. Say, tommorrow?"

Gabriel thought it over. Robin was certainly interesting, and he did have a few days before he really needed to retun to work on his book. Why not?

"Sure, ill do it."

"Wonderful! Just hold on to the pass we gave you at the front desk. How about you come by in the early moring, does 8:00 sound good to you?"

"That would be fine."

"Excellent. Well then, thank you very much Gabriel and I hope you have a wonderful rest of your day."

With that, the avian was gone and Gabriel took his leave of the hospital. As he walked out the front door back to his skycar, he wondered at what he could truly learn from Robin, if she really had been in contact with Andross himself. If she really had been around him for quite a bit of time, then she could be a literal gold mine of information about Venom politics during the war. And then there was her cybernetics, which was another set of quesitons entirely. Why had they experimented on her? Would she even be able to tell him? She clearly had suffered a good bit of trauma in her time there.

As he sat in his car, going over the days events, he realized that he was being selfish. This womand had suffered things that he could never dream of surviving and here he was trying to see what he could gain from her. How wrong of him! He slapped himself upside the said so that he would remember not to do it again, and keyed the ignition to his car. No, he was not going to be in this for him.

He was in this for her sake.

xxxxxxx

Well, there is chapter one. Many thanks you guys for reading, and ill see you guys next time!