Star Wolf Adventures : Galaxy War
(Version 1.2)
Chapter Twenty-Six :
Prelude to War
The explosion was bright and vivid in the darkness, though it was very far away... The sound didn't carry, but the young eyes that were watching could imagine exactly what it sounded like.
"Mom... He... He's going to come home... Right?"
"I'm so sorry, Gerik... So very sorry..."
"You mean..."
"Your father isn't... Isn't coming back."
Gerik's gaze, that had been glued to the dark skies, suddenly shifted, connecting with the eyes of his mother. He could see the pain there... The anguish... The defeat. She was broken, he could tell. Broken in a way no one could ever repair.
"Why?" was all he could ask.
"It's... It's all part of the Creator's plans..." his mother answered, with a shaky voice.
"The Creator planned this?"
"Everything that happens is part of... A bigger plan, a purpose," she said, trying to sound stronger than she was. "Your father... His time came now, and..." She then dissolved into tears, slumping down to the ground, no longer able to pretend she was in control.
Gerik watched her for several minutes, sobbing into the gravel, slipping further and further away from him, knowing she would never be the same again. And then he turned his eyes back to the sky... Not to look for his father's ship, but to look further... Higher... To try and meet the eyes of the Creator himself.
"I hate you... And I will never trust you again."
*****
"You can come on in, Wolf," Fox called.
Wolf turned away from the window in the lobby, and made his way to the office that now belonged to Peppy Hare. Fox was already inside, pacing anxiously. Peppy was seated behind his desk, rubbing his temples.
"McCloud... Hare..." Wolf said, nodding. "What's the decision?"
"Take a seat, O'Donnell," Peppy said, frowning as he looked up. "You too, Fox... You're making me nervous, my boy."
"Sorry, Pep..." Fox said, dropping into a chair by the window, as Wolf sat down in front of the desk.
"I've given this a lot of thought," Peppy started slowly. "And I'm telling you, it's the hardest decision I've ever made." He paused, then went on. "If you had come here with your team, and offered to help us out by flying alongside Star Fox, I wouldn't have hesitated to accept."
"I'm offering that and a whole lot more, Hare," Wolf said, his eyes narrowing slightly. "I can turn the tide in this little war of yours..."
"But in whose favor?" Peppy fired back. "Seems to me you'd be in a position of power. With all those forces at your disposal, you already have control of most of Sauria... Take down Andross and you have Venom... What's next? Corneria?"
Wolf glared at the old anthro-rabbit.
"Listen up, Gramps, and listen good," he said, his voice taking a sharp edge. "I'm offering you the chance to work together. I'm taking down Andross one way or another... If you want my men to help you while we're at it, fine. But if not, then we'll just do what we have to do, and then leave you to sort out all those other planets you've made enemies out of."
He got to his feet, and walked to the door.
"One thing, though," Wolf added, turning back. "I don't want Venom, or Sauria... And I certainly don't want Corneria. I'm not a tyrant, a dictator, or a king. When this is over, I'm out of here... I promised myself that someday I'd see the far side of the universe, and that's what I intend to do."
He started to walk out the door, but Fox quickly jumped up and said, "Hang on, Wolf... We haven't finished here." Wolf looked back to see his nemesis looking troubled. Peppy sighed, and motioned him back to the chair he had vacated. Grudgingly, Wolf returned to his seat, and returned to glaring at Peppy.
"Say I believed you, O'Donnell," Peppy said. "How am I to convince my men, and the Cornerian Royal Family, that pirates, smugglers, even SharpClaws, are our allies, and that they are to shoot down noble soldiers from planets who chose the wrong side, but they are to work with the scourge of the universe?"
Wolf shrugged.
"Not my problem, Gramps," he said, curtly. "I'm just offering the manpower, the weapons, the ships... An offer that could turn this war on it's ear within the first few days, instead of letting it go on for months... Years, even."
Fox shot Peppy a look that spoke volumes... He obviously agreed with Wolf, and was really wanting Peppy to look past the lack of respect, and realize how much they needed Wolf's help.
Peppy sighed again, and took off his glasses so he could rub his eyes. He was tired. In the short time since he had taken the post of Supreme Commander of the Cornerian army he'd had to deal with about a million problems. He never knew how much Pepper had dealt with until dealing with it himself.
"I'll give you an ultimatum, Wolf," he said at last, his voice betraying how tired he really was. "You give me assurance that you won't doublecross us, and I'll sell this to the Royal Family."
Wolf raised an eyebrow.
"Assurance?" he repeated. "Okay... I promise to not go back on our deal."
"Nice, but I need more," Peppy countered. "Sign this." He slid a piece of paper over to Wolf, who leaned over to read it. The Star Wolf captain's good eye widened, and a snarl formed at the back of his throat... But he took a breath, and nodded. Grabbing a pen, he signed it, and shoved it back at Peppy. "Done."
Peppy looked surprised, and Fox looked relieved.
"I... Well... Okay, then..." Peppy managed to get out. "I will... Uh... Go see about smoothing this over." He got to his feet, and quickly left the office, holding the paper tightly.
Wolf got up as well, turning to leave, but Fox stopped him.
"What did the paper say? Pep didn't clue me in," he said.
"Oh, not much," Wolf replied. "Just that Star Wolf is to work in tandem with Star Fox, at the head of the space armada..."
"I assumed that much," Fox said, nodding. "But there must've been more..."
"Yeah, one more little detail," Wolf said, heading out the door. "If they even think I've betrayed Corneria, I'm to be terminated immediately."
Fox stood there, now alone in the room, eyebrows raised.
"And you signed it?" he asked in surprise. But there was no answer... Wolf was gone.
*****
"Sonuvamartian! Sonuvamartian! Sonuvamartian!"
"Shut up, will you, you're driving me nuts!"
"Sorry," Dox said, taking a breath. "I'm just ticked off at myself for getting us into this mess."
Bartimaeus didn't argue with him... If Dox hadn't fallen on him, they most likely wouldn't have been caught. Bart shot a glance over at Carlos, to see that the smuggler was calmly checking the powerpack on his blaster.
"You could at least act nervous, you know," Bart told him.
Carlos looked his way and grinned.
"I'm not nervous at all, mate," he said. "And you shouldn't be either. We're going to have us a nice little fight, and then be on our way."
Bart couldn't believe it. This guy was actually happy to be in this predicament. They were in a storage room, still some distance from the nearest exit. The door was barricaded, and outside they could hear the footsteps of several soldiers running back and forth. So far, none of them had stopped.
But that wasn't going to last forever... Eventually someone would check the door, and find it wouldn't open. Then they would get suspicious, and it would get messy for the three spies inside the room.
"I knew this was a bad idea," Bartimaeus grumbled. "We should never have come."
"We found out some important information," Dox reminded him. "Things that the chief needs to know."
"Yeah, well... What good will it do him? 'Gee Wolf, Andross is a horrific looking creature, and he's got a statue that's going to make him powerful enough to take control of the universe... Oh and he's got a million ships to help him!'... Yeah, that'll just make his day."
Carlos chuckled.
"Doesn't sound so good when you say it like that," he remarked. "But hey, Wolf's going to figure it out. He's always got a plan."
"We're the ones who need a plan," Bart grumbled, bitterly
"I've got one," Carlos said, still quite calm. "As soon as the footsteps quiet down a little, we'll throw open the door, blast whoever's nearby, and make a break for that exit I was trying to get us to before."
"Easy-peasy, lemon-squeezy," Dox said, with a laugh.
"Oh yes, I can't imagine why I ever felt worried at all," Bart said, rolling his eyes. "You two are about the-"
"Shhh!" Carlos hushed him. "Listen..." They all strained their ears, trying to hear something... Anything. But they didn't.
"I don't hear a blasted thing," Bart murmured.
"Exactly... That's our cue."
Carlos and Dox made their way to the door, while Bart tried to become invisible. To his dismay, he couldn't... But after having Dox fall on his head, he wasn't surprised. He had to be in good condition to pull it off. He sighed, and pulled his gun.
"When I say 'Go!', we go for it, okay?" Carlos whispered. He had moved the crate that was blocking the door, and had his hand on the door handle.
"Roger that," Dox said.
Bartimaeus rolled his eyes again.
"Oh, ten-four, yes indeedy," he muttered. "And just so you know, I'd much rather have died with someone other than the two of you. It is not an honor to fall in battle alongside you guys."
"Back at ya," Dox said, smirking.
"Ready..." Carlos said quietly. "Go!"
*****
"How'd it go, boss?"
"Oh, splendidly, Kay-Tee, splendidly," Wolf said, sarcastically. "I tell you, if we live through this, I'm strangling that stupid, long-eared sonuvamartian."
"He said no?"
"Nah, I think we're good to go... It just took a lot of... Assurance."
"Oh. Well, still... This is good! We're ready to take Andross on head-to-head now!" Kay-Tee sounded thrilled at the thought.
"Maybe... But it's still going to be hard, kid..." Wolf paused, then said, "Anyway, I'll be back soon. I have to wait and get the official word after General Hare talks to the Royal Family."
"Okay, boss... See ya."
"Wolf, out."
Wolf was standing on a balcony that overlooked Corneria City, providing a nice view of the bustling metropolis. The fact that only a few years before the city had been in ruins couldn't be computed when seeing it now.
"Ever miss this place?" asked a voice behind him. Wolf turned, and saw Fox standing there.
"No," he said darkly, looking back toward the city.
"Ah, come on... This is your home, Wolf," Fox pressed.
Wolf spun around, glaring at his nemesis.
"It... is... not... my... home!" he said, biting off each word. "The only real home I've ever had is Venom, and even that isn't my home anymore. I have no home now, other than the Great Wolfen."
Fox frowned.
"You're telling me that those years in school here mean nothing?" he asked. "What about graduating the top-ranked pilot in class? What about 'borrowing' those Arwings, that time, and racing through the asteroids? What about saving those downed pilots that time with only seconds to spare? What about Laina?"
Quicker than the eye could see Wolf drew his pistol, and pressed the muzzle against Fox's chest, thumbing the setting to the highest level. His eye had a deadly gleam in it's depths.
"Never say her name again, you sonuvamartian, or I swear I will kill you."
Fox didn't flinch, didn't even blink.
"You can run around the universe, breaking laws, saving lives, playing the big anti-hero... But you can't change who you really are, Wolf," he said quietly. He then turned and walked away.
Wolf slowly holstered his blaster, and then looked toward the sky.
"I can try," he murmured. "I can try."
*****
They were everywhere... Guards just kept spilling in, coming from every direction. Shots rang out, blasterbolts sizzling through the air, cries of anguish being heard now and then.
And then... They were in the Renegade, and taking off. They dodged an army cruiser, and hyperjumped before even clearing the atmosphere completely. They were safe... On their way back to the Great Wolfen. But there was no celebrating to be heard aboard the ship.
Dox was seated at the controls, and slumped back in his seat, relieved. He allowed himself a moment to calm down after the harrowing escape, then got up, and headed into the back of the ship.
"Is he okay?" he asked.
"Not even close... I'm not even sure he can hang on until we reach the Great Wolfen..." Bartimaeus sighed. "I knew this was a bad idea. I just... I assumed it would be me who got... Hurt."
He and Dox looked down at the still form of Carlos Soldado. The smuggler, and ex-soldier, was barely breathing. He was covered in blood... Most of it was his own, but some of it was that of his enemies. He'd taken no less than four blaster bolts, and then a brutal gouging with a lance through his side. He was very pale... Deathly pale.
"He saved our rears back there," Dox said, shakily. "We'd have never made it through those doors if he hadn't thrown himself at those last two guards... He took a lance in the side but still killed them, man."
Bart nodded.
"I know... He was insane for doing it, but it gave us a chance to get out of that confined space," he said. "We were going to die... And now-"
"We can fix him up when we get home," Dox said, cutting him off. "We've healed a lot worse on that ship." He wasn't so sure about that, but he chose to try and believe his own words.
"Yeah... Sure," Bart replied, not wanting to dwell on what appeared to be the inevitable. "He's still in with a chance." To himself he sighed again, and thought, "This is why I hate war... Nothing good comes of it."
*****
"It's done."
"Good... I'm heading back to my ship," Wolf said, quickly turning to leave.
"Hold on, we need to make plans!" Peppy countered.
"The Great Fox is floating above Sauria not too far from the Great Wolfen... I think making plans should be easy," Wolf shot back.
Fox, who had just entered the office, nodded.
"We can talk tomorrow," he said. "There's a lot you need to know about this Alliance. And people you need to meet."
"Tomorrow."
With that, Wolf exited the office. He told himself he never wanted to step foot in there again... Little did he know, he wouldn't. That would be the last time Wolf ever found himself there.
Minutes later, the Wolfen was airborne. Wolf's mind was troubled... But not because of the war. Because of the past, and all the baggage he was still carrying with him, even after all that time.
*****
The Renegade touched down in the docking bay of the Great Wolfen, and immediately the back hatch opened. Dox having commed ahead, Arti, Kay-Tee, Andrew, and Mumbo were standing by, ready to help Bartimaeus get Carlos out of the ship.
"Mumbo prepare Bacta tank," Mumbo said, hurrying off.
"What the heck happened to him?" Andrew inquired, as he helped Bart and Arti carry Carlos deeper into the ship.
Dox quickened his steps, so he was walking alongside Andrew.
"We got in a bad spot, thanks to me, and were backed into a corner," he replied. "We had to fight our way out... And... Carlos pretty much sacrificed himself to get us out the door."
"It was completely crazy," Bart said, grimacing. "But very brave..."
Kay-Tee shook his head.
"We should've been there," he stated.
"It was a spy mission... The more people, the less stealthy it would be," Dox told him. "If only the vent hadn't collapsed..."
Bart nodded.
"Yes, I wouldn't have this terrible headache, had that not happened," he said, smirking. His smile faded, though, as he glanced down at Carlos on the stretcher they were carrying. "I guess a headache is nothing to complain about, though."
Later, after Carlos' wounds had been cleaned and he had been placed into the Bacta tank, the group went into the meeting room, and sat down at the large table.
"He has a chance, but... Admittedly, it's not a great chance," Arti said. "I'm not a medical expert, but he lost a lot of blood, and the wounds were pretty bad."
Dox had his eyes cast down as he asked, "How long until we know something for sure?"
Arti shook his head.
"I have no idea," he replied. "But... Well, if he's going to go downhill, it'll happen quickly. If he's going to improve, it'll take some time. So... The longer he at least stays stable, the better." He paused, then added, "Even though his tank is set to trigger an alarm if his vitals drop, I still think we should keep someone in there..."
"I'll spell Andrew, and stay with Carlos a while," Dox offered immediately. Andrew had stayed behind to make sure the equipment was registering properly. Arti nodded at Dox, and the young spy hurried off.
"He's going to carry this with him forever, if Carlos doesn't live," Bartimaeus commented. "It's going to eat him up that he delayed us just long enough to get caught."
"Pair of Socks Man not to blame," Mumbo said quietly. "In war, many things go wrong."
Kay-Tee echoed his agreement somberly, thinking of his past.
"One minute you and your team are working together perfectly, and the next... You're on your own, wondering if you could have downloaded the content faster and prevented what happened." He shook his head. "But eventually you have to accept that things just didn't work properly... And there could have been no other outcome."
Lazlo had been quiet the whole time, quite shaken by seeing the bloody form of Carlos brought in. He sat, as usual, on CT64's hoverbase. The droid had been quiet as well, not sure how to interpret the emotions of the sentients around him.
Just then, Andrew came walking into the room.
"I hate things like that," he remarked, sitting down.
"What?" Kay-Tee asked.
"Seeing people so close to death... Up close, and all," the nephew of Andross replied. "It's... I don't know, it's disturbing I guess. I also hate the sight of blood..." He shuddered.
"Better get used to it, Andrew," Arti said. "We're going to see a lot more death before this war is over... I can feel it."
Just then, the nearby vidscreens came to life, showing a ship approaching. It was the Wolfen.
*****
"Commander!"
"Yes, what is it?"
"Three spies broke into the main compound, and were seen not far from Lord Andross' quarters!"
"Did you apprehend them?"
"N-no, sir... They escaped. But one was mortally wounded."
"Fool! They may have learned something important! Track them at once!"
"We tried, sir... But it would seem the ship they escaped in was outfitted with special equipment that completely erased it's trail."
"Failure is frowned upon by Lord Andross... Remember that the next time you are confronted with a problem."
"Y-yes, sir..."
"I must visit Lord Andross at once. Go now... And see to it you do not fail again."
"Yes sir, Commander Caruso!"
The nervous man bolted away, leaving Panther grinning evilly.
"Commander Caruso... I do so love how that sounds," he said. "Especially when there is fear in the speaker's voice." He laughed, then hurried down a hallway, planning to head for Lord Andross' quarters.
"Hey, wait!"
Panther whirled, and then grimaced in disgust.
"What now?" he asked.
"I'm going with you to see Lord Andross, Panther."
Panther laughed heartily.
"Oh, I think not, boy," he said, adjusting his new commander's uniform. "He only allows his closest confidants to enter his quarters."
"You can't treat me like this! My father will destroy you when he returns!"
"Two things, boy," Panther said icily. "One, it isn't when he returns, it is if he returns. And two... I should like to see your father try. Better yet, I would like to see you try, boy. I would so enjoy killing you." With that he whirled about, and stalked away.
"You will pay for that, Panther... You will pay." A fire glinted in the dark eyes of Mafefe, as he turned and hurried down the corridor.
*****
"I shouldn't have sent you."
"We did learn quite a bit, though..."
"It doesn't matter. You were right, Bart... It was suicide..." Wolf sighed wearily, thinking of how Carlos looked in that Bacta tank, barely alive.
Bartimaeus shrugged.
"Maybe," he said. "But this is war. Every bit of information you can get is important. And, if someone gets hurt... Or worse... In the process of getting that information, well... That's to be expected."
Wolf turned toward his long-time contact, and frowned.
"You're sounding like a soldier," he commented.
"We all have our pasts, Wolf," Bart replied, looking away.
"Yes... Yes, we do," the Star Wolf captain agreed somberly. "Well, Bart... You did me a great favor, and I'm grateful. I'm sure you want to clear out before the war officially starts, so I'll get your denari, and you can be on your way."
"Wait... I'm not going." Bartimaeus could have kicked himself for saying it like that. He quickly went on. "I mean... Not if you double the denari. Do that, and I'll see this through to the end."
Wolf raised an eyebrow.
"You sure, kid?" he asked.
"You've got the denari, I've got the time," Bart responded, trying to seem casual about it. He didn't want Wolf to know his real reasons for staying... That his old urges to fight the good fight had returned, and that he liked working with a group again. No, there was no need for Wolf to know that.
Wolf suspected as much, however, even though he said nothing about it.
"Well, looks like you'll be sticking around, then," he said, smirking. "You must need the denari."
"Yeah... So... How was Carlos when you checked on him?"
"Not good, but not gone," Wolf said, shrugging. "I wish someone with medical training could check him... Bacta can't perform miracles." He paused, then said, "Not that my luck with doctors has been so great."
"Dox told me about some doctor... Kab, was it? That healed people and then tried to kill you in your sleep?" Bart chuckled darkly. "Some bedside manner."
"That guy's a total nutjob," Wolf replied. "Probably up to his ears in Andross' plans... I only wished I had killed the sonuvamartian."
"Well... He's probably so far away now you'll never get the chance."
*****
Just beyond viewing and scanning distances of the Great Wolfen, the Lamooie was suspended in space. Kab was sitting in the pilot seat, trying to stay awake. His job was to figure out what Wolf and Fox were planning to do first, and so far, he'd learned nothing. Mostly because he couldn't get close enough.
Kab cursed under his breath... He'd just have to wait for an opportunity to present itself. Just then, his comm link sounded. Pulling it out, he said, "Kab here."
"Father?"
Kab's eyes widened. He hadn't heard his son's voice in so very long.
"Mafefe?" he murmured. "Son, it's good to hear from you!"
"The touching reunions can wait," Mafefe said curtly. "There's a problem."
"What?"
"Panther is now commander of the Andross' army... And he's threatening you, and me."
Kab scowled.
"Caruso is all hiss and no scratch," he said. "I wouldn't worry..."
"He is more formidable than you think, Father."
"Lord Andross respects me, and in turn, you... He will not see harm come to either of us."
"You are deluded," Mafefe replied, bitterly. "Andross is insane, and from what I've heard, he's become some sort of monster. An evil creature. We can not rely on him to protect us. We need a better plan, Father."
"I have a plan, Mafefe... Don't you worry," Kab told his son. "Just... Be wary of Caruso and Lord Andross... Mind your tongue, and don't get them mad at you. Wait for me to contact you... We will win out, son."
"I hope you're right."
*****
"The time is drawing near, team," Wolf said, looking around the room at each of them in turn. "We're going on the biggest mission of our lives. This ain't about making denari, or getting a thrill. This is about the fate of the whole galaxy."
"We're totally ready," Kay-Tee replied.
"Absolutely," Arti agreed.
"Mumbo ready to Eekum Bokum Andross into giant block of cheese," Mumbo said, earning some laughs.
"I'm ready to put an end to Andross' evil reign," Andrew said, seriously.
"Um... I dunno what good I can do, boss, but... I'll try," Lazlo said timidly.
"I will navigate this ship the best of my abilities, sir," CT64 added.
"Yeah, let's do it, why not?" Bartimaeus said, shrugging.
Wolf nodded.
"All right, then," he said, a grim smile on his face. "I guess there's nothing more to say... The Galaxy War has begun."
_End of Chapter Twenty-Six_