Chapter 8: The Red Baron
The six ships descended into the thick, blooded clouds of Titania. For the first time for many hours, his thoughts of Fara were locked away in himself, as he closely monitored his heat shield gauge. It was holding at 70%. His thoughts were again disrupted though, as he checked all his instruments on his panel, he noticed the small picture of Fara, tattered and frail, jammed in behind the fuel gauge. It was a picture of her, on her 18th birthday, the huge smile she had in the picture as she blew out her candles, almost made Fox weep.

"I'm coming babe, hold on." He whispered to himself, not trusting his voice for fear of crying. Unknown to him, he didn't realise the comm was still on, the others heard everything he'd been saying to himself, the others felt so much guilt and pity for Fox, Katt, even cried a tear for him. She knew how much he loved his vixen, and she knows what it's like to be parted from the one you love.

"Fox, are you ok?" Peppy's calming voice broke the silence. Fox cleared his throat before speaking, wanting to make sure he didn't sound upset,

"I'm fine old timer." Fox replied, "We're now exiting the atmosphere, expect close contact with enemy fighters, heads up everyone."

"We hear you Fox. Don't worry, everything's gonna be fine!" Falco said over the comm. Fox decided not to reply.

The six ships dived out of the atmosphere and down towards the surface of the planet. The planet was desolate, dry as a bone. Fox couldn't believe how anyone could live hear on this desert world where Solar's orange rays of light were turned crimson by the red sulphuric atmosphere. But then, Venom was a worse place than this, that planet was no more than a toxic waste dump. All he knew, is this is where Starwolf is, and where Starwolf is, is his beloved Fara.

"There are some kind of satellite dishes ahead?" Slippy croaked out to the others.

"They must be sensors or early warning systems. Break formation and spread out. Lets take em all out!" Fox ordered.

The ships broke and designated a dish to them selves. A series of blue and green lasers from the separate ships quickly destroyed a number of installations. However one was hidden from view behind a rock, Falco flew right past it, without noticing till it was to late.

"Shit!!" Falco cursed.

"Ok, never mind now. They know we're here, lets quickly find their base." Fox stated to the others as the ships raced off over the arid desert.

A few dim lights and the flashing buttons on the board only lighted the dark control room. Pigma's gigantic carcass sat at the control panel, which had now developed into something looking like a mess hall, it was an amass of half eaten sandwiches and other foods of which the hog had been stuffing himself for the duration of his watch. Wolf entered the room, startling Pigma and making him spill his drink on the panel.

"How many times do I have to tell you!!" Wolf snapped at him.

"What boss?" Pigma replied in his sniffle, low voice.

"Not to eat in the control room!!" Wolf replied angrily, "If you break the control panel, it's coming out of your pay!"

"But I ain't done nothing boss?" the hog replied, getting skittish now at Wolf's tone of voice.

"..yet!" Wolf finished the sentence. "Anything to report? Have we heard anything from Caimen?" Wolf asked, getting on about what he was supposed to be.

"Not yet boss, we lost contact with Caimen an hour ago." Pigma stated.

"Anything on the sensors?" Wolf asked, frustration building in his voice.

"Not yet boss. Maybe he don't care about her and will just leave her?" Pigma questioned.

"Oh no.. he'll come for her. This is Fox McCloud, the hero of Lylat, he won't let me keep his precious Fara."

Wolf's statement was ended by a sudden alarm going off in the room. Pigma pressed a few buttons and a alert status came up on the screen.

"Boss..one of the satellites has picked up an Arwing fighter!"

An evil smile adorned Wolf's muzzle, "Here he is. Pigma, I want you to get some of those god damm lizards around this place to spray my Wolfen red."

"But why Boss?" Pigma asked.

"Because I said so! Go and do it or stay grounded during the fight!" Wolf's tyrannical voice snapped at the hog again.

"Ok boss. I'm on it." Pigma quickly said before waddling out of the control room, and towards the hanger.

Wolf looks at the huge screen as Pigma exits, "You're mine McCloud, mine!" Wolf dictated the words to himself. He calms himself down before deciding to head towards the brig where Leon is 'entertaining' Fara.

As he makes his way towards the brig, Wolf focuses his mind on the upcoming battle and what he believes is his destiny to beat Starfox. As he enters the brig, he hears the tortured screams of Fara. Obviously, Leon is having his fun with her. He reaches Fara's cell. Her normally rich orange fur is tinted red by her blood. Her eyes lackluster and devoid of happiness, she has many cuts abruses over her body. Along with these, wires connect many white pads over her body. Wolf knew exactly what they were going to do with her.

"Lets see, I wonder what this does?" Leon teased as he pressed the switch, as the electricity flowed through her body to the sound of an ear-piercing scream from the vixen. For a few seconds, Wolf felt remorse and pity for Fara, Wolf was not one who enjoyed the sight of torture, no matter whom.

"Leon!" Wolf shouted. Leon turned round startled that Wolf was behind him.

"Can't you knock like everyone else?" Leon asked cockily.

"I did, you can't hear me however over your joyful playing!" Wolf answered back in a stern manner.

"Well, what is it you want?" Leon asked, impatient to carry on.

"Sensors picked up a Arwing, so our little orange vulpine will be with us soon." Wolf replied with a smile on his face.

Leon read Wolf's body language and beamed a equally evil smile back. He turns to Fara, "You hear that hon? Your little foxy has come to save you." Leon laughed wickedly.

Fara was fighting to stay conscious, she told herself that Leon was lying, that it was a trick, but deep down, in her tortured bleeding heart, she knew it was probably true. She knew how much Fox loved her, and now that power of attraction and devotion that she had loved him for, was now working against them both and into Starwolf's hands. She let herself cry inside, but not outside, that would just play to Leon advantage to torture her more if she began to break.

She whispered, "Don't come Fox, please, don't come."

Luckily for Fara, Wolf and Leon were too wrapped up in their conversation to hear her.

"I suggest we go ready ourselves for combat." Leon suggested.

"Yes, I've ordered Pigma to paint my ship red." Wolf told his friend.

"May I ask why you want your Wolfen red?" Leon asked, sceptically.

"I'll explain it to you later." Wolf answered.

At that Leon packed his toys up and picked up his bag to leave for his quarters, he turned to Fara for one last time.

"I have to love and leave you now my dear. I will return however, after I kill your precious little McCloud." He teased as he kissed her forehead. Fara was too weak to respond, but she noticed the cold, scaly kiss off Leon that made her blood run cold.

Twenty minutes passed until the pilots of Starwolf congregated in the hanger.

"Ok, are we ready?" Wolf asked as he strolled into the hanger in his black leather flight suit.

"Yes" was the small cold remark of Leon, obviously impatient to get airborne.

Pigma butted in, "Boss, your Wolfen has been painted red as requested, can we go fight now?" he whined.

"In a minute! So shut up!" Wolf's tyrannical voice shouted down Pigma's protests.

"I'm here Wolf, but why the hell do you want your ship red?" Andrew spoke as he sat on top of a fuel drum.

"Because it was the colour of leadership and victory. Also, could you think of a better colour to have on this planet? Your perfectly camouflaged. It'll also act as a taster to Fox what colour he's gonna see a lot of when I shoot him down into the desert!" Wolf stated, with an evil grin adorning his face, "Happy? Ok, lets go!" Wolf ordered, as the others raced to their ships.

As wolf got in, he felt very much at home, the cockpit of the new fighter was much bigger than it's predecessor, it was super fast and very deadly, Wolf could not help but think to himself,

"Prepare to die McCloud!"