Chapter 10: Forcibly Betrayed
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Wolf lifted his eye to find himself sitting calmly in a small chair. He looked down to find
himself no longer bound by his hands or feet, his movements were not restricted at all.
As Wolf raised his head, his eye met a figure, a bit red and blurry at first. He felt light-
headed, as he put his paw to his temple rubbing it as the image became clearer.
The red suited figure turned around slowly cocking his head up a bit as he spoke, "Did
you sleep well?"
"...I don't know Pepper," whispered Wolf.
The General walked slowly over to Wolf and helped him stand up, letting the drowsy
wolf use his shoulder for support.
"You will feel better later...I have something for you."
Pepper walked behind his desk, which was silhouetted by the stars that shone through the
window. He opened a small box taking out a black eye patch and held it in the air
towards Wolf.
Wolf cracked a small smile as he took the eye patch slowly, putting it on with a slight
struggle as he was still groggy. After adjusting his new accessory a bit, he stood next to
Pepper who was looking out the window into the stars.
"What happens now," spoke Wolf softly as he gazed straight ahead.
"Now...we go to Zoness, and we wait to see what Fox will do."
Wolf's face cringed at the sound of Fox's name. The single syllable serpent gnawed at his
mind, the name echoing in a sickening reverb through his head.
"I'll enjoy watching him die..." whispered Wolf, his words trailing off into the sparkling
points of light outside.
Pepper finally broke his gaze, and looked down at Wolf, "I want you to lead the
contingency to Zoness as commander. Fox can come second as his power is miniscule to
ours. We'll be approaching the planet within the hour, where I will assert my new
leadership. I'm sure Fox will be there to greet us, and I'm curious as to how that will turn
out."
Wolf continued to look out the window, "Life has purpose now…"
"A virtue...to be cherished..." Pepper smiled a bit, "I'd like to get underway as soon as
possible, things to do, people to see...fish to fry."
Wolf ignoring the General's crass humor continued to stare into the stars nodding his
head while curling his lip, provoking a vicious tone, "Yes...the sooner...the better."
*************************************************************************
Fox looked out the canopy of his arwing, high into the heavens above, something in his
gut told him something was wrong with this mission, something told him that all was not
well with their plans.
"Fox..." cracked Bill's comm window as it popped up.
"Yes what is it?"
"Something has happened..."
"Why do you say that?"
"We've been flying in circles for over 3 hours...and Pepper's ship is still in one piece."
Fox glanced down at his console radar, he saw that the blue dot which symbolized the
capital ship, was still inching towards Zoness with steady speed.
Fox intently stared at the radar without moving his eyes an inch, "Wolf..." he whispered
under his breath.
Suddenly the Great Fox swooped into view as it gracefully glided through the stars
toward the three.
"Thought you guys might like to take a breather," croaked Slippy over the other end of
the comm window.
"Bill I'm going to group up with the squadrons at Macbeth, I'm going to tell them to head
to Zoness and defend the planet at whatever costs."
"That might be hopeless Elena," spoke Bill softly.
"We don't have a choice."
Before Bill could respond to his gray squirreled companion, she had already zipped off at
light speed towards Macbeth.
*************************************************************************
As Fox and Bill stepped onto the bridge, Peppy shifted around in his seat to speak, "Well
now are you going to tell us what's going on?...where's Wolf?"
"Wolf..."
Everyone stared at the two as Fox began to speak,
"We sent him to Pepper's capital ship to destroy it..."
Peppy turned his head slightly so he could look at the long range radar, "I can see it, it's
still heading towards Zoness, when is he going to......destroy it exactly?"
Fox clenched his eyes as his face tensed up, "We think something might have happened."
Bill cut in seeing his friend was becoming frustrated and upset, "We can only assume he
was killed when he was caught Fox."
"No...no...he's not dead... I know he's not. It's only been a few hours, he could just
be...taking a long time. I didn't send him on that mission to die Bill and if he's alive I'm
damned well obliged to get him back!"
"Fox, we don't have ti..."
"NO! You don't know ANYTHING Bill, you have NO chance at succeeding in this
struggle, your rebellion is POINTLESS! Everything is just so GOD damned pointless!"
Bill looked down at the floor, he shifted his foot around as though he were trying to
uncover his words from the metal plating.
"Fox...Wolf went knowing the risks..."
As Bill spoke his words quietly, Fox was already walking towards the lift,
"I'm taking my arwing and I'm getting him back."
"You can't do this Fox, he could be dead and it would all be for nothing."
"Well, I'll just have to find out."
Bill who's patience was deteriorating as Fox continued to act more resilient, began to
vocalize himself more,
"Alright...alright fine, you know what, you might think that is an attainable goal, but
right now there is an entire fleet encroaching upon Zoness and your moping around here
worrying about someone who could already be dead. One person Fox! Now I don't know
anything about your personal friendship with Wolf, but if he's someone who used to
work for Andross, your desires to save him shouldn't be this ridiculous."
"You're RIGHT you don't know him, and you definitely don't know me either, I'm
going."
Falco stomped his boot against the floor with a loud clang, "Fox listen to yourself! Or
better yet, listen to Bill. If Wolf is dead you're only risking yourself out there."
"The fleet has entered weapons range to Zoness's outer defense perimeter," muttered
Peppy.
Fox paused before stepping onto the lift, "Then someone cover my tail."
Bill grabbed Fox's arm pulling him back, "Listen to me, we need you now. I'm not going
to let you go kill yourself."
"Get your Goddamn paws off me," growled Fox as he stepped onto the lift not looking
back.
The doors closed abruptly as Bill stood in silence…
"Damn it."
"I'm getting to my arwing," growled Falco as he put on his pilot's jacket.
"Fox took yours to go to Fortuna."
"Damn it Slippy then I'm taking yours!"
Slippy sighed a bit before turning around. "Fine I won't argue, I'll stay here. Great Fox
will cover you guys out there. Judging from the size of this fleet, you're going to need all
the cover you can get, and while you are out there, try to knock some sense into Fox
before he makes a big mistake."
"I definitely will," said Falco as he, Bill and Peppy stepped into the lift.
*************************************************************************
"Alpha team, Beta team, Delta team, Omega team, everyone target the three primary
battle ships and the capital ship, formation One Lylat One," cried Elena as she and 20
other Cornerian fighter ships zipped in streaking as they slowed down from light speed.
Bill opened his comm window, "Boy am I glad to see you guys."
"No time for welcomes, I'm tracking Fox heading toward the capital ship, he's in grave
danger."
"Bill Grey to Fox McCloud come in!"
Fox's comm window opened his face was stern, cold and determined, "Don't attack the
capital ship you hear me?"
"Fox we've gone through this already! Please!"
There was no reply as Bill's eyes continued to track the arwing as it moved closer
towards the gray specks of the fleet, moving closer to Zoness with each passing second.
"I'm going after him."
"Bill wait!"
The green and white Cornerian fighter blasted off after Fox, gaining on him rapidly.
*************************************************************************
Wolf stood on the bridge of the capital ship moving his fingers around, enjoying the
black leather gloves he was wearing. He brushed his jet black military uniform smiling a
bit as he felt more powerful just by looking at the clothes that adorned him.
A small science officer looked up from his station urgently at the wolf, "Commander
O'Donnell, I am tracking an arwing that is headed straight for our ship. It'll be here in a
few minutes, what should I do?"
Wolf turned around to face General Pepper. "Let him come...he's in for a big suprise,"
uttered Pepper smugly.
Wolf raised his chin a bit in annoyance, "We should eliminate him now."
"Easy Wolf, part of the fun is savoring the kill…do you not play with your food before
you eat it?"
Wolf clenched his leather glove while a smile poured onto his lips, "Yes...I suppose."
"First before we get to that I'd like to test out a new weapon of mine, I believe the capital
city will be a sufficient target to test its efficiency?"
"Weapons officer, patch into battleship alpha's command systems. Bring the prototype
weapon it has online. Target Zoness City, 36 latitude west, 98 longitude north."
"Yes sir."
"Prototype weapon?" questioned Wolf.
"Yes, this should be quite beautiful to watch."
One of the larger battle ships appeared on the screen with a flicker, it was drifting
towards Zoness as a massively large canon began to protrude from the front of the vessel.
"Now watch this."
Pepper approached the weapon officer's panel and pressed a large red button.
"Activating weapon, please stand by," chimed the computer softly.
*************************************************************************
*In Zoness City*
"What the hell is going on Commander Grey, I'd like some answers now!" cried the sub-
chancellor, the successor to prime minister Calar Troikas, as he stared into the comm
window in his office.
"Sub-chancellor, I want you to leave the capital immediately, we're still figuring out the
situation, but you could very well be in danger!"
"This is ridiculous, you have no idea what is going on, first we find out that Troikas is
dead, second Pepper wants to take leadership of Zoness and now our defense perimeter is
reporting his massive fleet approaching. What exactly is on his mind Commander?!"
"You're right, we don't know what's going on, but you could very well be in danger at
this moment, we really don't ha..."
"Well Commander Grey, I'd personally be happy to hand over leadership to Pepper if
that is what he wants, I am not prepared to handle the burden of ruling a planet in the first
place."
"I don't think you understand Sub-chancellor, he has turned into Corneria into a
tyrannical police state. We have no time to discuss this further, you have to get out of
there. My squadron is almost within weapons range of Pepper's fleet. We want him to
stay the hell out of Zoness so we'll be defending you."
"I'm very confused...I do not understand what is going on..." The shrill looking squid
broke his glare into the comm window as he glanced out the window. He noticed a bright
white light was bathing the landscape outside. "What...what is this...?"
Almost in a trance he walked towards the window, opening the curtain a bit.
"Sub-chancellor?! Are you there?! What's going on?!" cried Bill, but the squid did not
answer.
Bill looked up from the comm window in his fighter to see one of the fleet's ships
emitting a blinding beam of light.
"All squadron fighters full stop!"
*************************************************************************
Pepper clenched his teeth at the main viewer, "Watch an entire world fall before us
Wolf."
"Beam resonance, level two...initiated," beeped the computer.
The broad blinding beam focused into a narrower blue laser, no longer bathing everything
in its pristine light.
*************************************************************************
"What the...," muttered the Sub-chancellor as the skies literally opened up. An intense
column of light ripped apart the clouds instantly penetrating into the crust of the planet.
There was a silence for a brief nanosecond before a deafening blast rocketed through the
air. Everything within the squid's view vaporized in a blinding flash. Buildings shattered
like broken pieces of porcelain, huge marble chunks shooting back under the
shockwave's powerful bow. The glowing beam was instantly replaced by a mushrooming
orange explosion, expanding outward fervently with speed.
There were no screams to be heard in the streets as the heat blast instantly turned flesh,
bone, rock and earth into microscopic ashes shooting across the landscape.
Pepper looked down at the planet as he watched the orange plume spread through the
atmosphere, the rippling shockwave gliding across the continental islands under the
smearing white clouds.
"Watch Wolf......Wolf?"
Pepper took his eyes off the horrid scene on the viewer to glance at Wolf whose face was
cringing. The General drew a confused look on his face while he watched Wolf's eyes
twitch and his lips quiver.
"What is wrong with him?" snapped Pepper, grabbing a scientist by the arm.
"He's becoming aware of what's going on around him, the drug is wearing off."
"Well do something about it," growled Pepper from under his teeth.
Without hesitation the canine doctor took out a small syringe and inserted it into Wolf's
arm. He gasped a bit until his eyes went lazy and his face changed into the vicious
entranced gaze that was pasted on him before.
"That's better," muttered Pepper under his breath.
*************************************************************************
"Christ, everyone pull back, pull back!" cried Bill as he pulled a U-turn with his fighter
swerving away from the gigantic beam weapon. He watched as Fox's arwing continued
to pursue towards the capital ship.
"Pepper's fighters are coming in!" shouted Falco. "We could use Great Fox's cover
now!"
Laser blasts filled the space around everyone's ships as each side exchanged intense
amounts of fire, with an occasional nova bomb showering a flood of light over the region.
"I'm coming to get you Wolf," whispered Fox as he boosted towards the General's ship.
*************************************************************************
"Yes...come closer Fox...that's it..." Pepper adjusted his hat a bit as he intently stared at
the radar. Fox's arwing was approaching closer and closer.
"I believe...I believe he's trying to save me," chuckled Wolf, covering his mouth to hold
back his laughter.
"Science officer, bring the teleporter online and target the occupant of the arwing,
prepare to transport him directly to the bridge."
Wolf swerved around to face Pepper, "What are you going to do?"
"Patience Wolf...patience."
"I did not know that teleportation was a perfected technology."
"Wolf you will learn that on our side, our technology reigns supreme."
"Activating teleporter." Instantly a white light flashed, outlining Fox as he appeared in
the center of the command deck.
"What the hell?!" Fox instantly got into a defensive stance as he looked around
frantically.
Pepper grinned wildly as he stared at his captive who was just clutched from the stars
outside, "Ah so glad you could join us, we were just talking about you."
"How did...what the...wh..."
Wolf stepped out from behind Pepper, still eyeing Fox in silence.
"Wolf! You're alive!"
There was no reply as The General glanced at Wolf in unison with Fox.
"What have you done to him?!" shouted Fox.
"Oh nothing really, but as you can see he is mine now. He is no longer interested in
holding a pointless existence with you, instead choosing a fulfilling destiny at my side."
"Wolf...no..."
"You sicken me Fox...I would rather be dead than to ever stand at your side. Your
resistance to Pepper is pointless."
Fox looked away shaking his head as he felt defeated by his own actions.
"General Pepper we have a problem!"
"What?!," growled the canine as he glared at the shaken science officer.
"It's McCloud's arwing. It's headed straight for the ship! There's no one flying it!"
"Well get rid of it you fool!"
"Too late!"
The ship jolted violently as a massive explosion ruptured through the decks below, the
bridge erupted into sparks and debris, throwing everyone around.
Bill watched in horror as he saw the arwing disappear into the expanding fiery explosion.
"NO!!!"
Falco pounded his control panel in rage. Slippy looked out from the Great Fox in
speechless silence. Peppy clenched his eyes shut, hiding them from the orange plumes.
"Fox!!!"
Pepper leaped up from the floor running towards the control consoles in a hurried panic,
he punched a few buttons quickly with his paw,
"Sorry I couldn't stay for the fireworks!" In a bright flash Pepper disappeared from the
bridge as smoke filled the room.
Warning sirens resonated through the command deck as Fox coughed desperately,
brushing himself off from the floor. Sparks and flames shot out from all directions as the
ship tilted and shook.
Fox's eyes darted around until they caught a blackish gray figure sprawled against the
wall, it was Wolf and he was groaning loudly in pain. Without much hesitation Fox
rushed towards the helpless figure, kneeling next to him.
"Fox...let me die..."
"No Wolf, I'm not leaving you!"
"I...have...betrayed you..."
Fox shook his head as he dragged Wolf along the floor, "No...Pepper has manipulated
you in some way...I'm not leaving you to die."
"No...just...leave me...there is no time..."
Fox crouched down and picked up Wolf, cradling him with both arms as he kicked the
exit door open. Fox looked up to find a long smoke filled corridor with crewmen
frantically running about in the pulsing red light ignoring Fox and Wolf. He ran down the
hallway ducking his head from the sparks flying through the air as the incapacitated wolf
in his arms slipped in and out of consciousness. Soon he came to an intersection where
the corridor split in two directions.
"Wolf...Wolf wake up...where do I go?! We have to get out of here!"
"Docking bay...go...go left."
Fox adjusted Wolf a bit and turned left, jogging down the debris laden hallway. As he
continued to run, he had to stop for a moment as the ship made a loud rupturing noise. He
could feel the ship tilt and sway even more, however without wasting time he started
running again as Wolf moaned in pain.
"Engine status, critical, overload in fifty seconds."
The two came to another door which would not open, Fox kicked it in, rushing into the
massive docking bay. Fox could not see any ships as he frantically looked around.
"Right pocket...," mumbled Wolf as Fox dug his hand through Wolf's coat pulling out a
small remote. He pressed a button on it which caused the shimmering outline of the
cloakable Cornerian fighter that Wolf had arrived in to appear.
Fox threw Wolf inside the cockpit as the canopy opened before leaping in himself.
Without further hesitation he activated the start sequence and the ship shot off out into
the stars.
As they blasted away the capital ship erupted into a massive explosion taking out several
smaller ships around it.
Pepper rammed his fist into one of the consoles on the battleship he had just teleported to,
"I got you Fox! I got you at last! You will no longer be able to stop me!" He let out a
pleased laughter almost coming to tears of joy as he watched his ship rip to pieces in
space.
A comm window opened on the main viewer, it was Fox. "Nice try General Pepper, but
I'm still alive and kicking." The window closed with a click as Pepper's face went dead.
"Find him and destroy him!" he growled at the top of his lungs.
"Unable to, I do not see the ship where that message came from."
Pepper howled as he grabbed the tactical officer by the neck, snapping it swiftly. The
small uniformed canine went limp, collapsing to the floor as everyone stared in shock.
"General Pepper sir, William Grey's fighters have destroyed another one of our battle
ships. I'm also detecting that our fighters are fleeing. They think you are dead."
Pepper let out a vicious roar in a fit of furious rage that no one had ever seen before,
he ripped off his sunglasses and threw them against the floor before stomping on them
with his boot. The satisfying crunch brought a smile to his contorted face.
"Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but very soon...I'll get you McCloud."
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Again thanks for all the reviews so far, look foward to Chapter 11.
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Wolf lifted his eye to find himself sitting calmly in a small chair. He looked down to find
himself no longer bound by his hands or feet, his movements were not restricted at all.
As Wolf raised his head, his eye met a figure, a bit red and blurry at first. He felt light-
headed, as he put his paw to his temple rubbing it as the image became clearer.
The red suited figure turned around slowly cocking his head up a bit as he spoke, "Did
you sleep well?"
"...I don't know Pepper," whispered Wolf.
The General walked slowly over to Wolf and helped him stand up, letting the drowsy
wolf use his shoulder for support.
"You will feel better later...I have something for you."
Pepper walked behind his desk, which was silhouetted by the stars that shone through the
window. He opened a small box taking out a black eye patch and held it in the air
towards Wolf.
Wolf cracked a small smile as he took the eye patch slowly, putting it on with a slight
struggle as he was still groggy. After adjusting his new accessory a bit, he stood next to
Pepper who was looking out the window into the stars.
"What happens now," spoke Wolf softly as he gazed straight ahead.
"Now...we go to Zoness, and we wait to see what Fox will do."
Wolf's face cringed at the sound of Fox's name. The single syllable serpent gnawed at his
mind, the name echoing in a sickening reverb through his head.
"I'll enjoy watching him die..." whispered Wolf, his words trailing off into the sparkling
points of light outside.
Pepper finally broke his gaze, and looked down at Wolf, "I want you to lead the
contingency to Zoness as commander. Fox can come second as his power is miniscule to
ours. We'll be approaching the planet within the hour, where I will assert my new
leadership. I'm sure Fox will be there to greet us, and I'm curious as to how that will turn
out."
Wolf continued to look out the window, "Life has purpose now…"
"A virtue...to be cherished..." Pepper smiled a bit, "I'd like to get underway as soon as
possible, things to do, people to see...fish to fry."
Wolf ignoring the General's crass humor continued to stare into the stars nodding his
head while curling his lip, provoking a vicious tone, "Yes...the sooner...the better."
*************************************************************************
Fox looked out the canopy of his arwing, high into the heavens above, something in his
gut told him something was wrong with this mission, something told him that all was not
well with their plans.
"Fox..." cracked Bill's comm window as it popped up.
"Yes what is it?"
"Something has happened..."
"Why do you say that?"
"We've been flying in circles for over 3 hours...and Pepper's ship is still in one piece."
Fox glanced down at his console radar, he saw that the blue dot which symbolized the
capital ship, was still inching towards Zoness with steady speed.
Fox intently stared at the radar without moving his eyes an inch, "Wolf..." he whispered
under his breath.
Suddenly the Great Fox swooped into view as it gracefully glided through the stars
toward the three.
"Thought you guys might like to take a breather," croaked Slippy over the other end of
the comm window.
"Bill I'm going to group up with the squadrons at Macbeth, I'm going to tell them to head
to Zoness and defend the planet at whatever costs."
"That might be hopeless Elena," spoke Bill softly.
"We don't have a choice."
Before Bill could respond to his gray squirreled companion, she had already zipped off at
light speed towards Macbeth.
*************************************************************************
As Fox and Bill stepped onto the bridge, Peppy shifted around in his seat to speak, "Well
now are you going to tell us what's going on?...where's Wolf?"
"Wolf..."
Everyone stared at the two as Fox began to speak,
"We sent him to Pepper's capital ship to destroy it..."
Peppy turned his head slightly so he could look at the long range radar, "I can see it, it's
still heading towards Zoness, when is he going to......destroy it exactly?"
Fox clenched his eyes as his face tensed up, "We think something might have happened."
Bill cut in seeing his friend was becoming frustrated and upset, "We can only assume he
was killed when he was caught Fox."
"No...no...he's not dead... I know he's not. It's only been a few hours, he could just
be...taking a long time. I didn't send him on that mission to die Bill and if he's alive I'm
damned well obliged to get him back!"
"Fox, we don't have ti..."
"NO! You don't know ANYTHING Bill, you have NO chance at succeeding in this
struggle, your rebellion is POINTLESS! Everything is just so GOD damned pointless!"
Bill looked down at the floor, he shifted his foot around as though he were trying to
uncover his words from the metal plating.
"Fox...Wolf went knowing the risks..."
As Bill spoke his words quietly, Fox was already walking towards the lift,
"I'm taking my arwing and I'm getting him back."
"You can't do this Fox, he could be dead and it would all be for nothing."
"Well, I'll just have to find out."
Bill who's patience was deteriorating as Fox continued to act more resilient, began to
vocalize himself more,
"Alright...alright fine, you know what, you might think that is an attainable goal, but
right now there is an entire fleet encroaching upon Zoness and your moping around here
worrying about someone who could already be dead. One person Fox! Now I don't know
anything about your personal friendship with Wolf, but if he's someone who used to
work for Andross, your desires to save him shouldn't be this ridiculous."
"You're RIGHT you don't know him, and you definitely don't know me either, I'm
going."
Falco stomped his boot against the floor with a loud clang, "Fox listen to yourself! Or
better yet, listen to Bill. If Wolf is dead you're only risking yourself out there."
"The fleet has entered weapons range to Zoness's outer defense perimeter," muttered
Peppy.
Fox paused before stepping onto the lift, "Then someone cover my tail."
Bill grabbed Fox's arm pulling him back, "Listen to me, we need you now. I'm not going
to let you go kill yourself."
"Get your Goddamn paws off me," growled Fox as he stepped onto the lift not looking
back.
The doors closed abruptly as Bill stood in silence…
"Damn it."
"I'm getting to my arwing," growled Falco as he put on his pilot's jacket.
"Fox took yours to go to Fortuna."
"Damn it Slippy then I'm taking yours!"
Slippy sighed a bit before turning around. "Fine I won't argue, I'll stay here. Great Fox
will cover you guys out there. Judging from the size of this fleet, you're going to need all
the cover you can get, and while you are out there, try to knock some sense into Fox
before he makes a big mistake."
"I definitely will," said Falco as he, Bill and Peppy stepped into the lift.
*************************************************************************
"Alpha team, Beta team, Delta team, Omega team, everyone target the three primary
battle ships and the capital ship, formation One Lylat One," cried Elena as she and 20
other Cornerian fighter ships zipped in streaking as they slowed down from light speed.
Bill opened his comm window, "Boy am I glad to see you guys."
"No time for welcomes, I'm tracking Fox heading toward the capital ship, he's in grave
danger."
"Bill Grey to Fox McCloud come in!"
Fox's comm window opened his face was stern, cold and determined, "Don't attack the
capital ship you hear me?"
"Fox we've gone through this already! Please!"
There was no reply as Bill's eyes continued to track the arwing as it moved closer
towards the gray specks of the fleet, moving closer to Zoness with each passing second.
"I'm going after him."
"Bill wait!"
The green and white Cornerian fighter blasted off after Fox, gaining on him rapidly.
*************************************************************************
Wolf stood on the bridge of the capital ship moving his fingers around, enjoying the
black leather gloves he was wearing. He brushed his jet black military uniform smiling a
bit as he felt more powerful just by looking at the clothes that adorned him.
A small science officer looked up from his station urgently at the wolf, "Commander
O'Donnell, I am tracking an arwing that is headed straight for our ship. It'll be here in a
few minutes, what should I do?"
Wolf turned around to face General Pepper. "Let him come...he's in for a big suprise,"
uttered Pepper smugly.
Wolf raised his chin a bit in annoyance, "We should eliminate him now."
"Easy Wolf, part of the fun is savoring the kill…do you not play with your food before
you eat it?"
Wolf clenched his leather glove while a smile poured onto his lips, "Yes...I suppose."
"First before we get to that I'd like to test out a new weapon of mine, I believe the capital
city will be a sufficient target to test its efficiency?"
"Weapons officer, patch into battleship alpha's command systems. Bring the prototype
weapon it has online. Target Zoness City, 36 latitude west, 98 longitude north."
"Yes sir."
"Prototype weapon?" questioned Wolf.
"Yes, this should be quite beautiful to watch."
One of the larger battle ships appeared on the screen with a flicker, it was drifting
towards Zoness as a massively large canon began to protrude from the front of the vessel.
"Now watch this."
Pepper approached the weapon officer's panel and pressed a large red button.
"Activating weapon, please stand by," chimed the computer softly.
*************************************************************************
*In Zoness City*
"What the hell is going on Commander Grey, I'd like some answers now!" cried the sub-
chancellor, the successor to prime minister Calar Troikas, as he stared into the comm
window in his office.
"Sub-chancellor, I want you to leave the capital immediately, we're still figuring out the
situation, but you could very well be in danger!"
"This is ridiculous, you have no idea what is going on, first we find out that Troikas is
dead, second Pepper wants to take leadership of Zoness and now our defense perimeter is
reporting his massive fleet approaching. What exactly is on his mind Commander?!"
"You're right, we don't know what's going on, but you could very well be in danger at
this moment, we really don't ha..."
"Well Commander Grey, I'd personally be happy to hand over leadership to Pepper if
that is what he wants, I am not prepared to handle the burden of ruling a planet in the first
place."
"I don't think you understand Sub-chancellor, he has turned into Corneria into a
tyrannical police state. We have no time to discuss this further, you have to get out of
there. My squadron is almost within weapons range of Pepper's fleet. We want him to
stay the hell out of Zoness so we'll be defending you."
"I'm very confused...I do not understand what is going on..." The shrill looking squid
broke his glare into the comm window as he glanced out the window. He noticed a bright
white light was bathing the landscape outside. "What...what is this...?"
Almost in a trance he walked towards the window, opening the curtain a bit.
"Sub-chancellor?! Are you there?! What's going on?!" cried Bill, but the squid did not
answer.
Bill looked up from the comm window in his fighter to see one of the fleet's ships
emitting a blinding beam of light.
"All squadron fighters full stop!"
*************************************************************************
Pepper clenched his teeth at the main viewer, "Watch an entire world fall before us
Wolf."
"Beam resonance, level two...initiated," beeped the computer.
The broad blinding beam focused into a narrower blue laser, no longer bathing everything
in its pristine light.
*************************************************************************
"What the...," muttered the Sub-chancellor as the skies literally opened up. An intense
column of light ripped apart the clouds instantly penetrating into the crust of the planet.
There was a silence for a brief nanosecond before a deafening blast rocketed through the
air. Everything within the squid's view vaporized in a blinding flash. Buildings shattered
like broken pieces of porcelain, huge marble chunks shooting back under the
shockwave's powerful bow. The glowing beam was instantly replaced by a mushrooming
orange explosion, expanding outward fervently with speed.
There were no screams to be heard in the streets as the heat blast instantly turned flesh,
bone, rock and earth into microscopic ashes shooting across the landscape.
Pepper looked down at the planet as he watched the orange plume spread through the
atmosphere, the rippling shockwave gliding across the continental islands under the
smearing white clouds.
"Watch Wolf......Wolf?"
Pepper took his eyes off the horrid scene on the viewer to glance at Wolf whose face was
cringing. The General drew a confused look on his face while he watched Wolf's eyes
twitch and his lips quiver.
"What is wrong with him?" snapped Pepper, grabbing a scientist by the arm.
"He's becoming aware of what's going on around him, the drug is wearing off."
"Well do something about it," growled Pepper from under his teeth.
Without hesitation the canine doctor took out a small syringe and inserted it into Wolf's
arm. He gasped a bit until his eyes went lazy and his face changed into the vicious
entranced gaze that was pasted on him before.
"That's better," muttered Pepper under his breath.
*************************************************************************
"Christ, everyone pull back, pull back!" cried Bill as he pulled a U-turn with his fighter
swerving away from the gigantic beam weapon. He watched as Fox's arwing continued
to pursue towards the capital ship.
"Pepper's fighters are coming in!" shouted Falco. "We could use Great Fox's cover
now!"
Laser blasts filled the space around everyone's ships as each side exchanged intense
amounts of fire, with an occasional nova bomb showering a flood of light over the region.
"I'm coming to get you Wolf," whispered Fox as he boosted towards the General's ship.
*************************************************************************
"Yes...come closer Fox...that's it..." Pepper adjusted his hat a bit as he intently stared at
the radar. Fox's arwing was approaching closer and closer.
"I believe...I believe he's trying to save me," chuckled Wolf, covering his mouth to hold
back his laughter.
"Science officer, bring the teleporter online and target the occupant of the arwing,
prepare to transport him directly to the bridge."
Wolf swerved around to face Pepper, "What are you going to do?"
"Patience Wolf...patience."
"I did not know that teleportation was a perfected technology."
"Wolf you will learn that on our side, our technology reigns supreme."
"Activating teleporter." Instantly a white light flashed, outlining Fox as he appeared in
the center of the command deck.
"What the hell?!" Fox instantly got into a defensive stance as he looked around
frantically.
Pepper grinned wildly as he stared at his captive who was just clutched from the stars
outside, "Ah so glad you could join us, we were just talking about you."
"How did...what the...wh..."
Wolf stepped out from behind Pepper, still eyeing Fox in silence.
"Wolf! You're alive!"
There was no reply as The General glanced at Wolf in unison with Fox.
"What have you done to him?!" shouted Fox.
"Oh nothing really, but as you can see he is mine now. He is no longer interested in
holding a pointless existence with you, instead choosing a fulfilling destiny at my side."
"Wolf...no..."
"You sicken me Fox...I would rather be dead than to ever stand at your side. Your
resistance to Pepper is pointless."
Fox looked away shaking his head as he felt defeated by his own actions.
"General Pepper we have a problem!"
"What?!," growled the canine as he glared at the shaken science officer.
"It's McCloud's arwing. It's headed straight for the ship! There's no one flying it!"
"Well get rid of it you fool!"
"Too late!"
The ship jolted violently as a massive explosion ruptured through the decks below, the
bridge erupted into sparks and debris, throwing everyone around.
Bill watched in horror as he saw the arwing disappear into the expanding fiery explosion.
"NO!!!"
Falco pounded his control panel in rage. Slippy looked out from the Great Fox in
speechless silence. Peppy clenched his eyes shut, hiding them from the orange plumes.
"Fox!!!"
Pepper leaped up from the floor running towards the control consoles in a hurried panic,
he punched a few buttons quickly with his paw,
"Sorry I couldn't stay for the fireworks!" In a bright flash Pepper disappeared from the
bridge as smoke filled the room.
Warning sirens resonated through the command deck as Fox coughed desperately,
brushing himself off from the floor. Sparks and flames shot out from all directions as the
ship tilted and shook.
Fox's eyes darted around until they caught a blackish gray figure sprawled against the
wall, it was Wolf and he was groaning loudly in pain. Without much hesitation Fox
rushed towards the helpless figure, kneeling next to him.
"Fox...let me die..."
"No Wolf, I'm not leaving you!"
"I...have...betrayed you..."
Fox shook his head as he dragged Wolf along the floor, "No...Pepper has manipulated
you in some way...I'm not leaving you to die."
"No...just...leave me...there is no time..."
Fox crouched down and picked up Wolf, cradling him with both arms as he kicked the
exit door open. Fox looked up to find a long smoke filled corridor with crewmen
frantically running about in the pulsing red light ignoring Fox and Wolf. He ran down the
hallway ducking his head from the sparks flying through the air as the incapacitated wolf
in his arms slipped in and out of consciousness. Soon he came to an intersection where
the corridor split in two directions.
"Wolf...Wolf wake up...where do I go?! We have to get out of here!"
"Docking bay...go...go left."
Fox adjusted Wolf a bit and turned left, jogging down the debris laden hallway. As he
continued to run, he had to stop for a moment as the ship made a loud rupturing noise. He
could feel the ship tilt and sway even more, however without wasting time he started
running again as Wolf moaned in pain.
"Engine status, critical, overload in fifty seconds."
The two came to another door which would not open, Fox kicked it in, rushing into the
massive docking bay. Fox could not see any ships as he frantically looked around.
"Right pocket...," mumbled Wolf as Fox dug his hand through Wolf's coat pulling out a
small remote. He pressed a button on it which caused the shimmering outline of the
cloakable Cornerian fighter that Wolf had arrived in to appear.
Fox threw Wolf inside the cockpit as the canopy opened before leaping in himself.
Without further hesitation he activated the start sequence and the ship shot off out into
the stars.
As they blasted away the capital ship erupted into a massive explosion taking out several
smaller ships around it.
Pepper rammed his fist into one of the consoles on the battleship he had just teleported to,
"I got you Fox! I got you at last! You will no longer be able to stop me!" He let out a
pleased laughter almost coming to tears of joy as he watched his ship rip to pieces in
space.
A comm window opened on the main viewer, it was Fox. "Nice try General Pepper, but
I'm still alive and kicking." The window closed with a click as Pepper's face went dead.
"Find him and destroy him!" he growled at the top of his lungs.
"Unable to, I do not see the ship where that message came from."
Pepper howled as he grabbed the tactical officer by the neck, snapping it swiftly. The
small uniformed canine went limp, collapsing to the floor as everyone stared in shock.
"General Pepper sir, William Grey's fighters have destroyed another one of our battle
ships. I'm also detecting that our fighters are fleeing. They think you are dead."
Pepper let out a vicious roar in a fit of furious rage that no one had ever seen before,
he ripped off his sunglasses and threw them against the floor before stomping on them
with his boot. The satisfying crunch brought a smile to his contorted face.
"Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but very soon...I'll get you McCloud."
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Again thanks for all the reviews so far, look foward to Chapter 11.