Star Wolf Adventures : Galaxy War
(Version 1.2)
Chapter Twenty-Nine :
An Evil Twist
Zack Vee never saw it coming. One moment he was flying into battle alongside his crewmates and the Alliance, and the next... He was gone. It took three charged shots to take him down... He'd worked on the old Arwing's shields himself... But the third shot broke through the cockpit, and he was dead before the ship exploded.
Mac Banno had no expression on his face, as he let go of the gun controls. He appeared as docile as if he had just turned the page of a book he was reading... A rather dull book, at that. From the cockpit, El Boton let out a surprised yell.
"What the %$# did you do?!?" he screamed, leaning around the pilot's seat, and looking back toward his friend. "That was Zack!"
Mac calmly got to his feet, and turned toward El. Still he said nothing... He just stood there.
"What did you do?!?" El repeated, staring at him in disbelief.
"What I was told," Mac said quietly, raising a blaster pistol, and firing.
*****
Pablo G. Pym was horrified. He had been listening from inside the NinsonX, and heard the exchange between Mac and El. He heard the shot. Mac had gone insane... He'd murdered his teammates. He'd murdered his friends.
Shaking off the shock and pain, Pablo set his comm to the frequencies of all the flagships.
"Emergency!" he exclaimed. "One of my men just killed the other two, and is now piloting a ship you have marked on your radars as 'friendly'. That ship is the Bolt Bucket... It is an enemy, repeat, it is an enemy."
He paused, wincing at the pain he felt deep inside, then added something that popped into his mind.
"Beware of other possible traitors in our midst."
*****
"Andrew? This is CT64... I can't get through to Captain O'Donnell..."
"Neither can we," Andrew grunted, spiralling in and out of blaster fire. "But he must be okay... His ship is intermittently flickering on and off my radar screen. Not sure why... But, I can't get out of this dogfight to go back him up, yet."
"I see. It's just that disturbing news has arisen... Captain Pym informed all flagships that one of his ships, the Bolt Bucket, has changed sides, and that there might be other traitors among us."
"Holy crap, are you serious?!?" Andrew exclaimed, as Carlos blasted their opponent, and bought them a brief moment of respite.
"Of course. This news must be relayed to Captain O'Donnell as soon as possible."
"I'll try to get to him as soon as the masses give way," Andrew promised. "You'd better make sure everyone else knows about that ship being an enemy."
"Affirmative."
*****
Kain Frederick had been granted the choice to either join the battle, or stay behind flying equipment back and forth. There was little hesitation when he chose to fight.
So, flying for the Alliance with a squadron commanded by Queen Mandara, Kain found himself with plenty of excitement to make up for the long, tedious hours shuttling people and equipment about, for very little denari. This was war, and though he might die at any moment, he wouldn't have traded the chance to fight for anything.
"All Alliance ships... The ship called the Bolt Bucket is now your enemy. Repeat, the Bolt Bucket is a traitor. Be wary of it's movements."
Kain listened to the droid speaking over the comm link in surprise... A traitor? Well, this was war, after all. No one should be surprised by the fact that the enemy would have planted spies and double agents. He had no clue how unusual the circumstances were in this case, however.
*****
"Did I just hear him right?" Kay-Tee wondered aloud. "Mac is... Our enemy?"
"That's what your droid said," Falco interjected, tersely. "Seems your friends weren't so trustworthy after all."
Kay-Tee wanted to argue the point with him, but he didn't know how. Mac had, apparently, shot down Zack, and then killed his copilot El... This was so bizarre for the young Anthro-Avian to imagine, because he had worked with them all to stop the bomb countdown aboard what was now the Great Wolfen. Now two were dead, and another was a murderous traitor.
"Dox? You there?"
"Yeah."
"What do you think about this?" Kay-Tee asked, looping to get behind a Venomian craft.
"Something about it bothers me... I mean, I can't put my finger on it, but I feel like I'm not remembering something important... Like some clue to what happened with Mac is right in front of me, and I just can't see it."
"I know what you mean..."
"Well, bird-brain, just hang in there... We need to keep fighting, find
the chief, and then get to the surface." Dox paused, and Kay-Tee sensed a heaviness there. "Andross is going down," he said at length.
"Sure, Doxxy... Of course he is," he told his friend. And he almost believed him... Until the next domino fell.
*****
Arti had been being bothered by a strange sort of tingling in the back of his skull. It was annoying at first, and then outright discomforting. In such a heated space battle he needed to keep focused, but twice he had almost collided with other ships because of the distraction. Then... It went away. And everything was clear once more.
He rolled his ship to the side, executing a long, casual turn. The ships he had been fighting paid him little attention, simply because the XV-88 had shields that put most ships to shame, and there was weaker prey out there. Even his allies barely noted his long arcing maneuver, because they were much too busy.
Finally, finding himself nearing the Great Wolfen, Arti straightened his ship... And opened fire. Two bombs, and a series of charged shots, were all it took to destroy the navigational system, and put a massive dent in the shields. CT64 predictably threw up extra shields from reserve energy sources, but by then, Arti was flying away, and the damage was done. None of the Star Wolf members would have nav-maps to rely on, anymore.
"All aircraft! This is the Great Wolfen! Nav-Systems are down! We have just been fired on by..." Droid he might be, but CT64 remembered how Arti had pieced him together again, and gave him a new life. "...By one of our own. The XV-88 Destroyer Wolfen-Mech is a traitor... And an enemy."
*****
A broken body... And a broken mind. He sometimes felt himself lose complete grip of reality, but always his main goal brought him back from the brink of darkness. Revenge.
He was different now. Nearly 70% of his body was synthetic, including half of his face. The doctors had offered to graft a skin that would seem almost normal over the metal parts and pieces, but he had refused... He needed the reminder, he had said. It gave him strength.
Although he was mostly borg, now, he was not a fit specimen... Some of the nerves and neurons necessary to control such sophisticated machinery had been destroyed in the crash. He would never be the same... But he would have his revenge.
"Are... *gasp*... You ready?" he wheezed into his comm link.
"Of course. Everything has gone according to plan so far... Meet us at position 001-256-901."
"On my... Way."
He hated that he wheezed and gasped for air. He hated that he didn't walk anymore, but scooted about in a hoverchair. He hated that he couldn't reclaim his life. But, he could still fly, and that was all he needed, now. That, and the destruction of team Star Wolf. The thought caused a glint in his one normal eye.
"I... *cough*... Am the great... Leon."
*****
"Kab, you are a &%$# genius." Of course the mad little man was talking to himself. It pleased him nonetheless to hear those words, and he believed them to be true. Oh, very true indeed.
He watched as the Bolt Bucket, the XV-88, and the Chameleon (Leon's ship had been rebuilt to look exactly as it had before the crash), joined him in a relatively quiet pocket of space, near the raging battle scene. His secret weapons had arrived.
"Leon Powalski, Mac Banno, Articerile Montague... Are you ready for the next phase?"
"Of... Course, Kab... *cough*..."
"Yes."
"Yes."
Kab grinned. Leon was there for revenge, and he was following Kab because he had been the one who found him crashed on that small moon. The other two were his greatest achievements. No one had suspected a thing, and the plan had worked perfectly. He only wished he could have seen the faces of his enemies when there friends turned on them.
"Those little brain implants worked $#% near superbly, didn't they, Mac and Arti?" he asked, snickering.
"Yes."
"Yes."
Of course. Simple replies from simple minds. And it had been so simple. Well, at least with Arti... Kab was able to take his time, inject the brainwave control device into his brain, and then make sure he lived. With Mac, it had been spur of the moment... But he had managed just as well with him. And now, they were under his complete control.
"Let's find the two Commanders... It's about &%$# time they both got what's coming to them."
*****
"No... Not Arti, it can't be," Dox murmured.
"It's true," CT64 replied.
"Why Art Man do this? Mumbo no understand."
"I'll find him," Dox declared. "Soon as I can figure out which way is
up... Where the heck am I? Ack! Man, almost ran right into that ship!"
"That was me!"
"Sorry, Andrew," Dox said. "Hey, Star Fox? Your nav-systems still up?"
"Roger that," the reply came in, from Slippy. "It was only your flagship that was hit."
"Think you could give us a hand getting through this mess?"
"We're all on the same side, so I guess that means we have to help you," Falco said, distastefully. "I'll do what I can."
"We all will," Krystal added.
"Come on," Dox murmured, under his breath. "We need you, chief."
*****
It was a game of cat and mouse... Well, cat and wolf... Actually, nevermind that. It was like an intricate dance. Wolf and Panther would each try to test the weakness of one another, making sudden moves, making feints, firing wildly, spinning, looping, and everything else they could think of.
And yet, after several long minutes, both were basically unscathed, and both were becoming frustrated. Panther's frustration had a tinge of nervous fear behind it, while Wolf's frustration stemmed from anger at wasting so much time... Time he could better spend taking down enemy ships, and then heading off to aid Thorne and Narl.
"Give up, Caruso, you're just putting off the inevitable," Wolf snarled.
"I'm no longer taking orders from you, Wolf... This is my show now."
Wolf rolled his eyes.
"Keep telling yourself that, while I send this bomb up your exhaust," he shot back. He'd said that on purpose, of course... And right on cue, Panther immediately looped away, firing his thrusters. Wolf laughed, and charged a shot, waiting for Panther to catch on.
"Wait... You lied to me!"
Panther was just coming back around, angry at himself for falling for that trick, when Wolf unloaded on him. Again, the shields took the brunt of it, but then he felt a heavy shudder, and saw flames burst from one wing. Wolf noted this as well, and grinned, as he looped clear of Panther's range.
"You... You'll pay, O'Donnell! I swear it! I'll kill-"
Wolf stiffened at the abrupt end to Panther's tirade, and the static that now filled his earpiece. He did a half loop, and saw with surprise that Panther's ship was a ball of flames! Seconds later it exploded completely, and Panther Caruso was no more.
"What? But that damage wasn't enough to... Wait..."
In front of Wolf were four ships... It was they who had killed Panther, he realized... And now they were coming toward him. If that weren't worrying enough, he recognized all four ships.
"The Chameleon... So Leon's alive. That's not a surprise." He paused, then with a sickening lurch of the stomach, mumbled, "Mac and El? And... No... Arti?!? You can't be my enemies..." A few shots of laser fire in his direction from them said otherwise. He spiraled quickly, then his eyes settled on the lead ship, and it all made sense. "Kab. You sonuvamartian."
The comm link's static finally cleared, and Kay-Tee's voice broke through.
"Boss, if you can hear me, listen up! Mac killed El and Zack, and has switched sides! And... Arti..." The young pilot trailed off.
"I know, kid," Wolf said, looping around, and thrusting away from Kab's group. "They're with Kab. I don't get it... But I know. Try to get back to the Great Wolfen, and-"
"Our navigation systems are shot, we're flying by instinct," Andrew broke in. "We need some breathing room in this fight, so we can see our way clear. The Star Fox guys are trying to be our eyes, but it's not doing much good. We need a plan."
"On my way, but I'll be bringing trouble behind me," Wolf declared. "Be ready for anything."
"We weren't ready for this," Dox said quietly. "We couldn't prepare for something like this."
"I knew this was a bad idea," Bart muttered absently.
"Watch where you're flying!" Carlos yelled, as Bart nearly flew into
his ship.
"Sorry, Wolf," Fox spoke up. "Betrayal's are never easy..."
Wolf knew he was talking about that scum Pigma, and what happened to James McCloud. But deep down, he didn't buy that this was the same. Arti was his teammate, his friend... He wouldn't betray them! And yet... He had. But why? Well, Wolf intended to find out... Just as soon as he rallied his team together, and put an end to this battle.
*****
It had all went wrong. Right from the first charge. They had lost too many warriors just to get through the gates, and now, somewhere about halfway between Andross' palace, and the edge of Venomia City, the group was surrounded, and getting hammered relentlessly.
Thorne was dying... He had multiple wounds that the flimsy bandages could not come close to sealing. It was how he had always imagined his death, however... On the battlefield, wielding his lance, taking the enemy down with him. The only negative thought crossing his mind as he grew weaker was that his side was losing.
"Narl... Keep trying the General'sss comm until he ressspondsss..."
Narl was a young SharpClaw, at least by their standards, and he found it harder to accept that they were losing. And hard to accept that his uncle was dying.
"We will be victoriousss, I ssswear!" he said, kneeling by Thorne.
The older SharpClaw coughed, and gave a small nod.
"Ssstand and lead your troopsss," he said, very quietly. "The General will be here sssoon, and then the accursssed tyrant, Androssss, will die..." He coughed again, then whispered, "Be brave, Narl... Be a SssharpClaw." And then he died.
"Yesss, Uncle..." Narl murmured, and then got to his feet. He again tried Wolf's comm link, saying, "General, if you can hear thisss, we are under heavy assssault... We need assssissstance!" He paused, then added, "Thorne isss dead. I will avenge hisss death."
Then, without waiting for a reply, he bellowed to his troops, "SssharpClawsss! Humansss! Corneriansss!" The group was made up of the best of the Alliance's group troops, though not many were left. "We will not ssstand here and wait for death! We will march, and bring death to thossse that bar our way! For Sssauria... For Lylat... WE FIGHT!!!"
With a primal roar, every living member of the group charged forward, following Narl. Death was likely, but not feared... And even as one after another fell to the blasterfire of the enemies, they drew closer and closer to Andross' compound. Bodies piled up, blood spilled, and continuous explosions shook Venomia City, as Narl led the final charge to the front door of Lord Andross' home.
*****
"Ah... We have guests."
"Y-yes, it would s-seem so..."
"Why do you tremble, boy? Are you not proud to be by my side? Are you not glad that you were whisked off of Panther's ship, before he fell in battle? No doubt you would have died aboard a captainless flagship, before long."
Mafefe swallowed hard. He could barely stand to look at his new master.
"Of course I'm glad, my lord," he said, working hard to control his emotions. "I am in your debt."
"Yes, you most certainly are," Andross replied. "A debt that will soon be paid."
"What will you do about those Alliance fighters outside?" Mafefe inquired, trying to evade the debt paying comment.
"Nothing at all... If I had wished them dead, they would have been long ago," Andross informed him. "All over Venom, cities are being invaded by the Alliance... And though my men are making it look convincing, they are, slowly but surely, succeeding."
"But... Why?"
"Simple. I want them to be so close to victory that they can taste it. I want Wolf O'Donnell, Fox McCloud, and the other Alliance leaders, to land their ships, and aid their soldiers in breaking down the last walls. I want them all here..."
Mafefe felt he was pressing his luck, but asked again, "Why?"
"Because, boy, I intend to blow up the entire planet," Andross stated, matter-of-factly. "With the best the Alliance has to offer standing there thinking they have won."
Mafefe was shocked. Andross was utterly mad, he realized... Beyond what he or anyone else could have fathomed. His eyes began searching for the quickest exit, as he asked, "You would destroy your home planet, my lord?"
"This planet means nothing at all to me," Andross said, casually. "And besides... My scientists discovered that the Ancient Minister was being far to extravagant. He didn't need to destroy a star... There's more than enough energy in a single planet to open the doorway."
"Doorway?" Mafefe stopped looking for an exit, and stared openly at the mad would-be conqueror.
"To the fifth dimension... It is a universe filled with powers and beings unlike anything you could possibly imagine," Andross said, dreamily. "And it's also the location of the Tower of Time... Where all times do meet." With a grunt, Andross got up from his throne, and walked to an alcove, where the Golden Idol of Wannamakacasha sat.
"This will give me the final power I need," he murmured. "I will take my penultimate form, and greet the Alliance when they arrive... And then give them the shock of their lives." He laughed evilly, clutching the idol tightly to his chest. "My destiny is to rule all of time and space..."
Mafefe was inching toward the door that led out of Andross' private quarters. He turned, and placed his hand on the door. He was close, so close, to making his escape... And then he felt a painful blow land on the back of his head. The world spun, tilted, and went black... But he could still hear Andross laughing.
____________End of Chapter Twenty-Nine____________
