"The Tigrinian Islands," started the female computer voice as it highlighted a cluster of dots on the Zonessian map. Stats began to list on the side of the image as the image zoomed in on the chain of islands. "Population 280,000, provincial capital Deltap City," it chimed as the image froze on a close up of the main island in the chain.
Olivia paced around the meeting room. It was a simple room with wood wall paneling and pictures of previous leaders hanging every other foot. A long table in the center with several chairs around it complimented the area. Advisors and officials spoke to each other fervently in front of the massive computer screen on the wall at the head of the table. They were all bickering about what had just happened in the chamber room.
"The media is going to definitely pry their fingers into the Zonessian situation, I can say that for sure," said one advisor, the same raccoon who recommended to Olivia that Xavier Zan be escorted back to Zoness.
Olivia shook her head, "Alright, let's go over exactly what has just happened." Everyone nodded as she continued. "Right now, we have a radical nationalist from a small group of islands on Zoness who just threatened the most powerful planet in Lylat with violence to forward his "people's" agenda." She continued to pace around as the room stayed quiet. "Ambassador Monroe," she started. Katt looked up from her notes. "You're going to go on a small trip."
"A trip?" questioned Katt.
"Yes, a trip." Olivia clasped her hands behind her back, "You're going to go to Zoness, scope out the situation for us. It's going to be low profile, no big entourages, no fanfare, just you, and a small intelligence group."
The raccoon shot up from his seat, "Chancellor Cardus I must disapprove..." Olivia waved him off. "Advisor Akun, your comments will be kept to a minimum when I am speaking. Please...it will make things easier." The older raccoon took his seat with dignity, making sure not to lower his chin as he descended.
She frowned, "Now where was I." She looked back at Katt, "Yes, you will depart immediately Ms. Monroe, however, when there, I don't want you to make contact with the Zonessian chancellor at all."
Katt nodded, "Then who do I make contact with?" she questioned carefully.
"Xavier Zan."
The raccoon shot up from his seat, "Chancellor!"
"SIDDOWN!" she bellowed. The room went silent. No one was sure how to respond from the sudden exchange. Olivia paced around the table as everyone looked around awkwardly. "Okay," started the cardinal after a moment of silence. She rubbed her temples with her gloved hands. "I know I don't know much about this...these politics. I know some of you in this room right now have been in this field for decades, perhaps even before I was born." She nodded to a white horse sitting at the far end who appeared in his upper 70's. "But right now, I'm trying. Okay? I'm really trying, and if you all could just..." She took in a deep breath, "Just trust me..." Everyone stayed silent. "Okay? Can I at least have that?"
The raccoon lowered his head.
"Thank you," finished Olivia. "Katt, what I'm trying to do is learn more about who Xavier Zan is, and what his "federation" is. Even though it's microscopic and it has hardly a quarter million citizens, I want to know as much as possible about it, its people, its culture from a personal standpoint. The computer can only tell us the statistics and I can already see that they aren't a military threat. However, Chancellor Leto of Zoness will not cooperate because he doesn't acknowledge what this federation is or who its people are. Just because he says it doesn't exist doesn't mean they don't have a real tangible presence in Lylat. We're going to do things our way, and what's in the best interest of Corneria's safety." She smiled at her.
Katt smiled and nodded back. "I'll go get ready." She got up and made her way towards the door. Olivia caught her by the arm. "Hey," she whispered, "Good luck ok?" Katt straightened her blouse, "You too." The cardinal broke a smile.
The raccoon rose from his seat as well, "Chancellor, you do understand that this solar system has a principle for its political structure. We all live under one government per world. Surely, you will not support this federation, because then Zoness will have two governments, and that will only cause chaos..."
"Akun," she began stiffly, "I'm not trying to start a war. I'm trying to prevent one. This meeting is adjourned."
"WHAT?!" screeched Falco. Katt shuffled around the condo throwing random clothes into her government issued black suitcase which was propped open on the couch next to the avian.
"Oh, isn't this exciting?! Zoness!" She squealed in giddiness as Falco stared in disbelief.
"And what am I supposed to DO?!" he shouted in question.
"Do? You're coming with me!" She moved around rapidly as she tossed one of his shirts into the suitcase. He threw the shirt out the suitcase, "I can't go with you! There are things I have to do here!"
Katt stopped and crossed her arms. "Hah, like what?" she questioned bitingly.
"Like..." he paused and looked around for a moment, soon snapping his fingers. "OH I know, like doing missions for the Star Fox team maybe?!"
"You can't do anything til another Great Fox is built."
"DAMMIT!" he shouted.
She laughed and threw the shirt back into the suitcase. "Oh come on! This will be so much fun! We get to to go the beach, see the islands!"
"Deal with planetary terrorists..."
"Oh come on, who said they were terrorists?!" shouted Katt.
"Uh, I think that was made clear when that tiger guy said whatever it was he said in that chamber room a few hours ago." Falco crossed his arms.
"Whatever," she replied nonchalantly. "He was probably just angry that no one was listening to him. And I can't blame him! On this trip we'll get to learn more about him. Who knows maybe he isn't that bad of guy! You know how tigers are."
"Oh and how are tigers?" he questioned helping her close the over packed suitcase.
"Just like avians," She pecked him on the cheek as he scowled. "Now don't forget your bathing suit!"
"You didn't forget the keys did you?" asked Wolf as they walked down the sidewalk slowly next to each other.
"They're right here Wolfs," said Fox waving them in the air with a smirk.
"Shut up. It's not mine remember? I'm just being precautionary."
"Precautionary? That's a new one for Chairman O'Donnell!" said Fox humorously. They had recently had enough of riding in cars for today so they decided to stroll around and just see the sights of the city. The sun was setting now, the orange reflections bounced off the glass skyscrapers above them. He hadn't been to Corneria in years and he was seeing the city up close for the first time in a long while.
"I remember these buildings..." Wolf looked up as they continued down the sidewalk. "...from when I was young. Leetah," he blinked, "Mother, she'd take me walking with her, we'd walk down these sidewalks, ride the hovertrains and I'd just watch them go by." He dazed upward as Fox watched him from behind the rim of a soft drink cup in his hand. "Of course I probably sound silly. I'm talking about myself from when I was just a pup of three." Wolf stopped looking and folded his arms as they walked.
"No of course not," started Fox. "I think you're someone who's just reminiscing on a place where he grew up. There is certainly nothing silly about that."
Wolf smiled, "Well, thank you Fox."
He laughed, "For what?"
"For the tour." Wolf looked around, "This city is beautiful. I don't know why there would ever be people who'd want to destroy it."
"Were you not one of those people?" questioned Fox.
Wolf looked at his hands absently, trying to think of what to do with them. "What's your point?" He folded his arms again.
Fox nodded. He knew when to stop. He threw his drink cup in a trash can as they passed it by, Wolf still silent. The streets were moderately empty, only a few people out doing some shopping. They were probably at home watching the news or with their families. However as time went by and the sun dipped below the horizon, something peculiar happened in the streets, more people appeared. They began to fill the sidewalks, the roadways, as the city seemed to just come alive with the pulse of the night.
"Oh no," muttered Fox as they began to weave through the now crowded sidewalk of people. They seemed like they were in a partying frame of mind, the crowds being mainly of people in their early and late 20's.
"What is this?" asked Wolf with slight curiosity.
"This city sort of just springs to life after sunset. I'm sure after being under tyranny for the past few months they're in a mood to party."
"Well what's wrong with that?"
"I'll tell you what's wrong!" shouted Falco. "I just don't swim! It's not in my nature!" He crossed his arms and raised his chin up. Katt and him were in the line at the spaceport for their flight check in. The sun had just set and the massive lines to the different flights abounded inside the terminal. A blue robin one line over with a suitcase looked him up and down.
"Why the hell aren't we taking our own private ship?!" he asked in annoyance.
Katt looked through her passport and ID cards, "Well, because Olivia wants this trip to be discreet," she started calmly. "If we went in our own ship then it wouldn't be very discreet if the Chancellor of Zoness knew that a private shuttle from Corneria had to get landing clearance right?"
"Argh fine," Falco looked around at the crowds in the terminal with disgust. "I haven't even been on a spaceplane in years."
"Well then, now's the perfect time to get yourself reacquainted!"
"I don't want to be reacquainted. I'm just not a club person!" said Fox as his friend laughed.
"I've never even been in a nightclub Fox! So trust me, I'm not one either," added Wolf. "Besides, you're right. I don't feel like dealing with the crowds. And listen to me, I sound old already."
"What, no nightclubs on Venom?" A camera flashed in their faces blinding him for a second. "Fox McCloud and Wolf O'Donnell!" screamed a woman.
Wolf's eye darted around the crowds on the sidewalk as Fox blinked. They were all looking at them.
"Oh...hello...?" said Fox dumbly. "Wolf," he whispered desperately to the side. "Run to the car. I'll be the diversion."
"What?!" gasped Wolf as the crowds drew around them with cameras flashing.
"Just go!" shouted Fox.
Wolf slowly backed off as everyone's attention stayed on Fox. He jogged down the sidewalk weaving through more crowds and past the fluorescent lit shop windows. However something quickly dawned on his mind. "Shit the keys." He swerved around, seeing Fox had disappeared in the amassing crowd of flashing cameras behind him. He scowled and figured Fox was probably a liar and was enjoying the attention. He started to pace back towards the mob, but something caught his eye off to the side, a man standing in the distance, one who stood out from the crowded street horde. He was wearing a long black coat simply watching the crowd and camera flashes from a distance. Wolf slowed and watched him as the masses of people merely drifted around him. He just stood there blankly.
"Hmm...a tiger, that's a species you don't see too often."
The poodle flight attendant stood at the front of their aisle with her partner for the other one. "We'd like to thank all our passengers for flying with Lylat Space Carriers Flight 221 Corneria City to Zoness City direct..." Falco put on his headphones and looked out the window as they taxied down the tarmac, getting ready for takeoff. Katt was seated next to him by the window fiddling with her PDA and inputting her itinerary for the trip. "We ask that all our passengers adjust their watches, clocks or other time pieces as there will be an 11 minute time dilation between the point when we accelerate to light speed and when we achieve light speed," she smiled in excitement as the space plane rumbled from its engines warming up. He watched the dumb looking poodle in the colorful uniform point out the exits, merely watching her lips move as loud rock music blared through his ears. Might as well enjoy this trip while you can, he thought. Katt buckled her seatbelt and looked out her window. She smiled triumphantly, glad she got the window seat and Falco stuck by the aisle.
Wolf watched the tiger carefully. He was doing something peculiar. "What is he? Some sort of crazy?" said Wolf aloud. The tiger was raising his arms out to the side as though he were being crucified. More people just walked around him, not even looking at him, not even acknowledging.
Katt held the edge of her seat as the spaceplane rumbled again, it was slowly turning to face the long stretch of runway it was to use to take off.
No one else except Wolf seemed to notice the tiger. The large feline cocked his head back and looked up towards the sky, a huge smile on his face, his razor sharp teeth glistening as he stared upward with glossy eyes. The image became haunting, Wolf took a step back, bumping into a lady.
Falco shut off his music, gripping his seat as the flaps retracted on the wings. "Full power in five seconds," said the eagle captain.
Wolf watched the man grin eerily toward the black sky, unable to take his sight off of him.
"Four." The eagle pulled on a lever above him.
Wolf couldn't stand it anymore, what was this man doing, this tiger.
"Three, power check good." The flight attendants buckled themselves in.
Wolf wanted to approach him but he was frozen, unable to move as he watched him. The crowds flowed around him.
"Two, engine stablilty check good." The tiger looked straight at Wolf through the crowds, locking eyes, a huge beaming smile on his face as he clenched his chest.
"One, stand by." He ripped open the black trenchcoat.
"What the hell?"
"Launch."
A massive explosion replaced the tiger, a rupturing orange ball of a fire boomed out. Wolf's feet left the ground, becoming airborne, he blasted through the plate glass shop window behind him. The crowds around him blew back, becoming airborne as well as the entire block was bathed with fiery light and debris shooting outward.
The engines roared out with jets of fire. The plane screamed down the runway. Falco clenched his eyes shut.
Fox flew into the concrete from the thrusting force, covering his head as chunks of debris shattered around him and into the howling crowds. All he could hear was the screaming as he held his eyes shut and covered himself as best he could. The concrete and metal rained down like hail all around him.
"Rotate engines V1. Control, air lift off, stand by!" The eagle captain pulled another lever and tapped into a computer console, the co- pilot doing the same. The space plane glided off the ground and climbed toward the night sky above.
Fox looked up, chaotic bedlam of smoke and fire meeting his eyes.
Olivia burst into the control room. Dozens of image screens filled the circular room as operators rushed frantically to and from different consoles. A beady eyed rabbit rushed up to her with a hand to his ear, listening to his headset intently. "Chancellor Cardus!"
"What just happened?!" Olivia shouted.
"Ava at Main, in the uptown district, yes I got it." The hare nodded and returned his attention to Olivia. "Please stay calm Chancellor. There's been an explosion. Information is sketchy, power and city cams are out in a three block radius."
Olivia's face went dead as three more people burst into the room. The raccoon advisor Akun, complimented with two rottweiler guards towering over him, rushed towards the chancellor.
"Chancellor Cardus!" he began with a finger raised. "This is the exact situation I warned of!"
"SAVE IT!" she howled as the busy room went silent. "Operator, get me a skyway cam from one of the freeways, anything facing the skyline."
"Chancellor it won't show much..."
"Just do it," she said sharply. The raccoon folded his arms as the operator worked the computer at his console. The largest screen in the center of the room cycled through different images of jammed pack freeways, hovercars at a standstill in the skyways, one after another as everyone stayed silent, not even breathing. Finally it stopped at an image of Corneria City's skyline from a distance, the city lights illuminated most of the area. They were also highlighting a clearly visible smoke trail billowing on the left side of the skyline coming from somewhere between the buildings. Olivia's face began to twist in anger, finally letting out an enraged screech that echoed through the room.
"WOLF!" Fox scrambled up, fanning smoke out of his vision. He clamored over shattered slabs of concrete as he made his way towards where his friend had headed moments before. There were downed people everywhere crying out in anguish as howling sirens could be heard echoing through the streets. He finally came to a battered shop window. A blue uniformed figure was crumpled in the display case. "NO WOLF!" Fox rushed towards him and pulled the shelves and appliances off of him. He shook the weak figure in his arms as he came to, brushing the pieces of glass out of his fur.
"Oh...? What was that...?" he muttered softly. His eye patch was missing showing both eyes, one scared, one half closed.
"Wolf! Look at me! Look at me!"
His eye sifted around until they met Fox's. "Ah...such a...handsome...save me..." he muttered drearily.
"You're gonna be ok Wolf! Please tell me you're gonna be ok!" He scooped him in his arms and pulled him out of the shop. There was hazy smoke and dust everywhere as he coughed it away, Wolf draped in his arms.
"I...I need an ambulance!" cried a shrill woman from under a slab of concrete. Fox couldn't look, it was too awful. "Please...help me..." came another. They were everywhere, the bodies. It was horrifying, moments before everything was just fine and now it was all wrecked to the ground and strewn about. Fox looked down at Wolf, there was shrapnel in his arms and his blue uniform was ripped in several places. His head looked ok, no blood there thankfully. He had to get him out of here.
Several doctors and regular people who were unhurt scrambled over the debris filled street and were helping people onto stretchers. Soon dozens of hover ambulances were at the scene, dozens of doctors all trying to do the same thing, the lights and sirens mixing together in the smoky night.
"Sir! Does that man need medical attention!" shouted one doctor through the haze and pointing at Wolf in his arms. Fox couldn't think, but he saw all the other bodies.
"No...I got him. Help them!" shouted Fox, shaking his head at the helpless people all around the area. The doctor nodded stiffly and rushed with his team to take care of the victims.
"Ah...this makes it the fourth time I've been in your arms Fox..." Wolf smiled weakly up at him, his good eye still half closed, obviously he was in a daze thought Fox, not responding to him.