Chapter 2: By Any Other Name
1030 hours. 45 minutes have elapsed into the operation. Bravo 39 was making its first turn inside Sector Z with at least fifteen space craft surrounding it, three of which belonging to Blue Squadron. Fenris continued to monitor his instruments as their blue glow faintly lit the cockpit. He was checking the particle density as they flew through the deep red micro-nebula.
While Sector Z had all of the building blocks to create a planetary system, it didn't have enough of them and was unable to form a gravitational center. Lylat's brightest minds have yet to figure out how exactly the micro nebula came to be, but the continued space travel in and out of it stirs up the dust and debris, preventing it from fully collecting into one spot. This convoy was no different as space dust split apart in the wake of the fighters and the freighter they protected.
As the LIDAR instruments in Fenris's cockpit began to fail, he would resort to looking up and out into open space, checking all around him and even defaulting to the cockpit mirrors which were rarely used thanks to modern scanning systems. However, no amount of modernization can deal with the radioactivity and chaos of a nebula, with red swirling clouds of dust and rocks brushing against the fuselage like a rainstorm. There was a certain beauty to it, he thought, simply being able to observe space as it is rather than see it through a digital lens. It brought a smile to his face, letting him relax.
Flynt on the other hand was getting antsy. He didn't like nebulae, especially this one. It reminded him of his homeworld and the constant red haze that it had from the pollution. He shivered slightly as he looked around, continuing to get more and more agitated.
"Hey boss, I'd be lying if I said this wasn't getting to me," he said.
Fenris looked over his right shoulder to see Flynt on his wing being twitchy before turning back forward. "Don't like nebulae, Flynt?"
"It's nothing," Flynt said with a hint of frustration.
Fenris cloud sense the tension. He looked around as he thought about what to say next before closing his eyes and thinking back. "Something my old guidance counselor told me is that if something around you is triggering something, a bad memory or a fear… You try to focus on something else."
Flynt sounded almost confused as he heard this. "You had a guidance counselor?" he said, tilting his head to the side.
"It was back when I was a pup. Our family's first house burned down when I was four, right after my father died. For a while I had a fear of fire and heat, but after some coping, I learned how to set it aside."
Fenris turned his head to the freighter nearby, noticing how it took up a decent amount of their view. "I know you're not exactly comfortable now, but think about the freighter. Focus on that. They're probably just as scared being in here without any defenses, and they're looking to us for a sense of security."
Flynt looked toward the freighter as Fenris asked, the sight of it breaking the illusion that he was on Venom. He started to breathe somewhat easier as his focus shifted from the nebula to the ships around him.
Claire on the other hand had her head on a swivel. While Flynt was agitated from bad memories, Claire was bouncing off the walls with anticipation. This was her first true mission out of the academy, and her first opportunity to prove that she was a capable pilot in the field. She was doing constant cycles of her sectors, looking for nearly anything out of the ordinary. Fenris checked over his left shoulder on Claire, noticing her behavior as well.
"You good, Burnham?" he asked.
"Huh? Yeah! Just being diligent. All that good stuff!"
Fenris let loose a light chuckle which almost irritated Claire for a moment until he finally responded.
"Don't worry. We'll find some action some day. If anything, today being quiet would be a good thing."
]Claire sighed as she started to think to herself. She was hoping her career would be full of dogfighting and high octane flying, not patrolling and boring escorts. Today however, she might be getting her wish.
As Flynt was checking his sectors, he noticed something off, spotting a dark mass moving faster than normal in the debris field.
"Boss, Ive got something at three-zero-zero mark zero-four-five!"
Fenris looked up and to the left, trying to catch whatever was moving. When he checked, he didn't notice anything out of the ordinary, except for a blurry object moving parallel to them. He input a command on his comms console, connecting directly to the Vigilance on a secure channel.
"Vigilance, Blue Leader. Is there a squadron placed near us? Specifically at our ten o'clock?" Some time passed before he received an answer.
"Bzzt Blue Leader, Vigilance. Major Grey here. We don't have anyone else but you in that sector. Bzzt"
Without saying a word, Fenris watched as Claire zipped past him toward the object.
"Claire, get back here!" barked Fenris.
Claire immediately came to a halt before going too far. Her heart rate was skyrocketing, pushing her to take any chance to fly out of formation. "Sorry, sir. Permission to investigate?" She said quickly.
Fenris sighed before opening comms. "Let me take point. We'll check it out together."
Claire was content as she waited for Fenris to pass her, staying on his wing as they traveled to the object.
Fenris opened his comms across the board, trying to identify the object.
"Unknown craft, this is Captain Yeager of the Cornerian Defense Force. Please identify yourself," he asked with direct annunciation. He waited some time before trying again, this time more sternly. "Unknown craft, this is Captain Yeager of the CDF. Identify or be fired upon."
The object came to a complete halt, Fenris's eyes widening as more began to rapidly appear from behind debris.
"It's an ambush! Fall back!"
Streaks of red light flew past Claire's and Fenris's fighters before the two made hairpin turns, falling back to the fleet.
On the Vigilance, Bill watched as dozens of unknown signatures began to appear on the strategic map.
"Action Stations!" he called out. "All fighters, fire at will! Protect the freighter!"
Fenris and Claire sped through the nebula toward the freighter, looping behind it as the rest of the fighters flew past them to begin the fray. Fenris then cut his engines before spinning his fighter around and pushing full thrust toward the enemy cluster. Claire and Flynt weren't far behind as the three grouped up for their attack run.
"Cannon fire, full volley! Make it hard for them to bust through!"
Fenris gripped the flightstick hard, pulling the trigger and unleashing a volley of laser fire into the cloud of bogeys. Green streaks of light joined the red, many of them whizzing past their targets as both clusters of fighters approached each other. His wingmen were right behind him, adding their laserfire to the chaos as explosions began to light up the nebula cloud, obscuring their vision. Fenris called out to Claire and Flynt as they began approaching the enemy force.
"Keep your eyes forward and your path clear. Loop around and break formation once we finish our first pass," ordered Fenris.
He kept his commands concise and clear, making sure they were getting through to his wingmen. The three fighters darted and weaved through the fight, sometimes narrowly missing enemy craft by a hair. Flynt locked his eyes on a passing target and opened fire, letting his cannons rip through the nebula and tear straight through an opposing fighter. The craft lost a chunk of its hull before exploding in a ball of flame. Flynt cheered as he threw his fist in the air gleefully.
"Got one!" he yelled excitedly.
Fenris turned to see the gator obliterate a second bogey right after. "Nice work, Flynt! Keep it up."
He returned his focus back to the fore, coming around after encircling the battlefield. He then saw a pair of enemies tailing another Cornerian fighter and began chasing after them. It was hard to tell what kind of craft these were, but the V-Wing's silhouette was unmistakable amidst the unknown forms, only lit by their engines and laserfire. He closed in tight, leaving no margin for error before squeezing the trigger and laying down a laser sweep from right to left. He struck both fighters, causing one to spiral out of control while the other simply exploded on impact. The fellow pilot acknowledged this, complimenting him over the comms.
"Thanks for the save, Blue Leader!"
Fenris smiled as he put down two notches on his scorecard. "Any time, Bulldog Four."
Elsewhere in the nebula, Claire was running off of an adrenaline high. She was firing frantically at her target, putting in way more rounds than needed as it was shot until it resembled swiss cheese, drifting off into deep space before smashing into an asteroid. She swapped targets immediately and began tailing another bogey that was chasing an ally. She swooped in from overtop, unleashing a volley of laser fire and plowing it straight through the nose of the fighter until there was nothing left but a pair of wings and half of a fuselage.
"Thanks for the save, Blue 3!" called a masculine voice over comms. Claire smiled as the other V-Wing sped away to rejoin its squadron.
She then found her next target, the fighter with the swept wing design Fenris had pointed out earlier. She recognized it and found a grin creeping along her face. She was going to bring this target down and impress her squadron leader.
"So you're the one the Captain took an interest in? Let's see what you got!" she said to herself.
She began to lay into the enemy fighter, but as the barrage of lasers reached the target, it immediately started to roll, and fast. A deep purple aura surrounded the craft as it spun, the lasers deflecting off of it without so much as a scratch. Claire's eyes widened as a laser blast came back and hit her craft, most of it being absorbed by her shields. She was shook up and forced to break off her attack before coming to her senses.
"Fenris! That ship you were looking at? It can deflect lasers!" she said over comms.
Fenris's brow furrowed as his hunch was proven correct. "I'm on my way. Don't engage any further, Blue 3." Star Wolf… He thought to himself. But which one?
Fenris turned his fighter toward Claire's position, immediately spotting the fighter. He narrowed his eyes as the ship's computer magnified the visuals on his headset for him, showing more detail. It was definitely a Wolfen. The tri-engine design and quad swept wings were a dead giveaway. He tried to look at the pilot, but it wasn't necessary. A red rose was emblazoned on the side of the craft, the signature of Panther Caroso.
"Ive got this one, Claire. Just keep the rest off of my back. Flynt, make sure the freighter is safe," he said before switching his comms from closed to open.
"I've got your back, sir!" said Claire.
"On, it boss! Easy duty it is!" said Flynt.
Fenris accelerated toward the Wolfen Mk II at max speed, breaking free from the pack. He took a wide angle to make sure he kept as far out of Panther's viewing angle as possible before broadcasting. "And here I thought Star Wolf turned a new leaf after the Aparoid Invasion," he said, trying to taunt the newer member of the mercenary team.
"And here I thought that Cornerian Pilots could keep their mouths shut while I flay them… Just who do you think you are?" the feline said with a growl.
Fenris opened fire, landing a number of shots before Panther was forced to withdraw from his current target and fly deeper into the debris field. Fenris knew better than to keep egging him on and remained silent. Now he just had to best a veteran pilot or survive long enough for backup to arrive.
Panther took a look behind him, seeing the Cornerian fighter giving chase. He bared his teeth with a deep growl before flying into a large asteroid cavern, firing into its walls to create a hazard for Fenris to fly through. Fenris pulled hard on the flight stick, avoiding the cavern entrance and electing to fly alongside it, finding himself next to the Wolfen and staring straight into his adversary's face, as did Panther to him.
Time almost slowed down as Panther looked shocked if not confused, only seeing the silhouette of Fenris and thinking… What is he doing here? Flying with them? As Fenris's details became clearer, the confusion wiped from his face before he turned hard, pointing his nose toward Fenris who began to instinctively roll to the side. The Wolfen's hot red lasers barely missed his fighter before he punched the boost and flew past Panther. As soon as he cleared him, he cut his engines and swung his craft around, feeling the blood rush to his skull as he nearly started to red out before punching the afterburners and giving chase once more. Fenris started to breathe heavy before disabling the lock of his cannons, not wanting to give Panther any indication he had him in his sights.
The black cat swung between asteroids and meteors, trying to lose this unorthodox pilot before Fenris finally had a clear shot, firing a heavy volley that punch through his shields and tore into the Wolfen's wing. The craft spun out of control, Panther trying hard to reach for the ejector seat before pulling hard on it. His helmet was shoved onto his head before the canopy was blown off, sending Caroso careening off into space before his ship smashed into an asteroid.
While Panther's EVA suit used its built in inertia dampeners to slow himself down, Fenris pulled up to him, keeping his nose trained on him as he grinned. The wolf was pretty happy with his catch of the day. "Blue Leader to Vigilance… Ive got someone here you might want to talk to."
…
The freighter had been successfully escorted through Sector Z, and a majority of the pirate fighters had been destroyed before the rest began to flee without many casualties. Two pilots were injured, but all aircraft were recovered. Some enemy pilots were also captured, including their commander, Panther.
Fenris was escorting Panther along with two marines to the brig, where Major Grey was waiting for them. Bill raised an eyebrow as he saw Fenris with the Star Wolf pilot in tow.
"I heard one of my pilots nabbed a high value target; I didn't think that value would be five hundred thousand credits!" he said, referring to the bounty on Panther. Fenris looked at Panther who was watching Bill with narrowed eyes before he gave him a light push into the brig. Bill walked past the two before Fenris exchanged information with the warden. He waited outside for Fenris to walk out, clapping his hands after the doors closed.
"Nice work, Captain! Objective complete, no one's dead, and you nabbed a member of Star Wolf! I'd say you've more than earned that title by now," he said with a smile.
Fenris felt a little embarrassed with all of the praise, hoping Panther didn't hear and put a bigger target on his head, but he also wasn't used to any sort of fanfare for his accomplishments, much less from someone he looked up to. He looked off to the side and made a half grin, before looking back up at him with a genuine smile. "I think it was mostly luck based," he said. "I did pull off a risky maneuver to get him, after all."
Bill started walking up to him, patting him on the shoulder, the two walking to the debriefing room. "I saw your feed. You did great out there. Each of your pilots kept on task, and your newbie kept herself alive. The only piece of advice I've got for you is to try to stick with your squadron. It's not a team if you're out there by yourself, right?"
Fenris nodded looking to the floor. "Yeah. I guess I'm still getting used to being a shepherd of sorts rather than a go-getter." He looked back up at Bill who smiled as he took the criticism in stride.
"Like I said, you did great today. I look forward to seeing what you can do in the next mission!" Bill turned to walk down the corridor with Fenris following behind to the debriefing room. The door opened automatically to the room as Bill walked in, a holographic display of General Peppy Hare appearing over the projector in the center of the room.
"It's good to see you again, Bill! I hear you've bagged one of our most wanted pilots?" he asked.
Bill gave a smile to the old hare. "Yes, sir. And the pilot that pulled it off is right here." He turned to Fenris, motioning towards him as Peppy looked to the young wolf.
Peppy gave a small bow, his red dress uniform lightly creasing at the chest as he did so. "Captain Yeager, I assume?" he asked.
Fenris brought himself to attention and saluted the general, making sure he was at his best for a first impression. "Yes, sir!"
Peppy chuckled as he eased the tension. "Easy there, son! I'm not sure what Pepper expected of his men, but I'm pretty laid back when it comes to these things."
Fenris started to relax as he brought his arm down from the salute. "Of course, sir."
"Catching Panther is certainly quite a feat, Captain. Though I will say I've kept an eye on you ever since Fox noted your performance during the Aparoid War. He told me you were responsible for evacuating Corneria City and keeping the civilian population safe," said Peppy.
"Yes, sir," said Fenris. He was surprised to hear that the Fox McCloud actually noticed him during that chaos. Ever since he was a child, he heard stories of James McCloud and the Star Fox team, then as a freshman at the academy, witnessed Fox McCloud and his own Star Fox taking to the skies. The team were role models and living legends to him. Any amount of recognition from them was enough to put the wolf in high spirits.
Peppy continued. "That's the kind of performance we need if we're gonna act on the latest intel we received."
Fenris's ears perked, anticipating a special assignment.
"The images taken of Panther's squadron were sent to us by an anonymous informant. This latest information was sent the same way, through an anonymous channel. We just got word that Leon Powlaski, Star Wolf's master assassin, is plotting an attack at one of our research outposts. We're not certain which one it is, but I want you and your squadron back on Corneria ready to deploy at a moment's notice."
Fenris looked to Bill, who in turn looked back at him before the two looked to Peppy. "You want me to track down Leon, sir?"
Peppy shook his head. "No, Mister Yeager. We'll do the tracking and then send you and your team in once we have confirmation. We just need you to apprehend him."
Fenris relaxed a little, but was still excited nonetheless. "I wont let you down, sir!" he said excitedly.
Peppy chuckled a little at the wolf's eagerness. "Try not to get too wound up. Take some leave while you're at Corneria. I bet your newest pilot could use some after her first firefight. It IS the Winter Solstice afterall."
…
On his way back to his quarters, Fenris couldn't help but keep going back to a moment during the battle, a moment that would preoccupy his thoughts most of the day. He stopped in the middle of the corridor, looking straight forward before turning to his right and looking at the ship's map. He was looking specifically for the brig. He traced his finger on the map, following his current position to a lift, then down three decks until his finger hit the brig, indicated by a lock icon with the name just under it. He then began to fast walk to the nearest lift, doors already open, hitting the command to bring himself three floors down as the doors closed.
Arriving at the brig, Fenris would find two guards posted on either side of the door. He looked to the taller of the two who looked down, making eye contact with him.
The taller dog opened their dialogue. "What brings ye to brig, Capn Yeager?"
Fenris was straight with his answer. "I'd like a chance to talk to the prisoner. I've got some questions that I need answered."
The dog tilted his head, wondering what Fenris was on about. "Yer not an interrogator nor are ya trained to be one… What do ya think you'll get out of th' kitty?" he asked again.
Fenris shook his head. "No, I'm not an interrogator. Something happened during the dogfight. I just needed to know what that was. Personal reasons," he said.
The dog shrugged. "Aye, fair 'nuff. Yer above my paygrade anyway, Capn." He tapped a few commands as the doors to the cell block opened, letting the wolf inside.
He stepped in, the door closing behind him before he started to walk down the halls. Most of the cells were empty, a scant few containing pirates that had survived the day's incursion. All the way in the back behind a forcefield wall however was Panther Caroso, who had been stripped of his EVA suit and given a standard issue prison jumpsuit. He was pacing through his cell, constantly keeping his eyes on the guard stationed in front of it before shifting his gaze to Fenris, a growl leaving his lips. "So… The lucky pilot comes to laugh in my face…"
Fenris didn't seem intimidated as he stood safely behind a wall, though anyone with x-ray vision could see that his heart was pounding. "No. Just curious is all."
Panther tilted his head in confusion, but nevertheless kept his hostility. "Hmmm… Not the gloating kind, I see?"
Fenris decided to get straight to the point. "You hesitated for a moment there. I'd dare say you even looked frightened before I got too close. What happened?"
Panther grew irritated with the question, turning around and refusing to answer. The fact that his captor knew of this fallacy was humiliating. "Nothing of your concern, pup… Now let me think about how I'm going to break out of here and make it in time for my date tonight."
Fenris started getting annoyed as the feline was toying with him. "Fine… I guess I'll start telling everyone that the 'Great Panther Caroso' is actually a scaredy cat."
Fenris had a smug grin watching Panther start to get agitated, but that grin very quickly left his face when the feline began to hunch over and growl. Panther slowly turned, pacing again and keeping his eyes trained on Fenris's. "When I get out of this cell, the first thing I'll do is tear out your vocal chords…"
Fenris had finally made his first real enemy, and he could have picked worse. His heartbeat was still racing and it was clear that Panther spooked him for a moment, but he regained his composure and took a couple of steps closer. Without the forcefield, Panther would be able to reach over and grab Fenris's throat. After a moment of the two staring each other down, Panther grinned before straightening his poster once again. "Heh… You do remind me of him with that kind of gall…"
Fenris narrowed his eyes, getting a half-answer to his question. "Remind you of who?"
Panther turned around, still grinning, even chuckling now as he padded back to the bunk in his cell. "Nothing… Just a mere coincidence."
Fenris grew frustrated, huffing as he turned away. It was a pyrrhic victory, getting only half of the answer as to why Panther feared him for a moment. He reminded him of someone, but now the question was who.