Chapter 16: Dear Macbeth
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"Prole is a fool for resisting me..."
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"Get up Wolf NOW!"
He jerked awake throwing the sheets into the air, darting his eyes around. Rubbing his
temples, the blurry vision of Fox struggling with his jacket came quickly into focus.
Turning his head slightly, his sights rested upon the terrain outside the window where
numerous lofty buildings were quiescently resting. Red lights pulsed on their rooftops
through the morning mist, waning their crimson light in a soft cry...almost a reverent
panic.
"What is going on?" he grumbled pulling himself out of bed.
"I just got a call, Prole says their scanners are picking up ships coming from
Corneria...it's Pepper!" he belted with powerful emphasis on the name of their enemy.
"No...it's too...soon...It's only been a day," mumbled Wolf still shaking off the
drowsiness of sleep.
Fox grabbed his blaster off the dresser and holstered it on his side belt in a flurry of quick
movements, still shaking his arm through the last sleeve of his white jacket. Tightening a
red scarf around his neck with one hand, he yanked Wolf completely off the bed forcing
him awake.
After scampering back to his room and seizing a shirt and his black jacket, Wolf speed
back towards his friend who was standing in the middle of the corridor, eyes full of
tension, an idle panic setting in.
"Alright, let's go."
Exiting the Great Fox, onto the platform it was docked on, they ran hurriedly towards the
government building. It was a short ways across the sky bridge which connected to the
large dome shaped structure that housed Prole's offices. As they ran, jackets blowing in
the cool morning breeze, hovercars zipped overhead at incredible speed, aware of the
impending danger.
"Fox wait!" cried Wolf in a quick breath, gasping for air.
"Look..."
He pointed his extended arm towards the hundreds of buildings that expanded across the
terrain overlooking the great mining quarry of Macbeth City just as the sun was rising
above the horizon. The red lights that dotted the rooftops on hundreds of towering cliff
lined structures, pulsed in a paralyzing majesty that back dropped the flurry of hovercars
zooming across the metallic blue sky.
"It's beautiful," he whispered.
"We have to protect this land...that is why we're here Wolf..."
"Hey guys wait!!" came a screeching voice from the platform. Fox swerved around to see
Falco and Katt running across the sky bridge towards them. Coming to a rest at their side
Falco pulled out his PDA.
"Yes Nicholas...I'm here with them...we're all on our way."
Folding it up with a quick flip of his wrist, Falco smirked, "You guys ready? Bill, Peppy,
Nick and Slip are already with Prole."
They merely nodded as they jogged towards the door ahead.
Entering the Viceroy's main office chamber, bursting through the double doors, Fox laid
his eyes upon several panicked faces, strained eyes, bristled fur...they were all afraid.
Slippy, Peppy, Nicholas, even Bill was afraid, all except Prole. The Viceroy held a face
stiffer than concrete as he poked through his command console sending messages to
associates, directors, appointees.
Peppy turned around after hearing the doors open so suddenly, "There you are...now that
we're all here, let's get this de-briefing going."
"Yes," spoke Prole as he looked up, "Right now we have a serious crisis on our hands...at
0:700 hours this morning long range scanners detected five large heavy cruiser class
ships advancing towards Macbeth at incredible speed. Along with these include a
complement of nearly five hundred fighters. They are Pepper's regiment fleet and they
will be in weapons range of Macbeth within the hour."
"What?!" burst out Falco. "We don't have any time! We're not even ready, we have
barely two hundred modified vessels!"
"I can get extra help," shot Bill, "I have a friend...Elena...she has a contingency of twenty
fighters with her that can offer assistance."
"That's nothing!" he bolted in reply. "This is all ridicul..."
"Slippy what about the Corodus drill," flared Prole, cutting off Falco's criticisms. "Do
you think it's ready and capable of hitting a ship outside Macbeth's atmosphere?"
Slippy stood in silence as he glared into the table with wide eyes. They had only worked
on the project for a day. He knew that it was capable of firing, but it hadn't even been
tested once. He didn't even know if they had the power to fire it more than twice in a two
hour period. Analyzing the data, the possible scenarios, the information, the...shut up Slippy,
just give him a goddamned answer.
"Yes...I believe it is."
"Good because right now that is the strongest asset we have, do you understand that?"
He nodded in response, his eyes still glaring into the table as they did before.
"Go."
Slippy twitched and looked up from the table to meet Prole's deep piercing eyes.
"Go, now, there is no more time for discussion. I want you to get to the drill station,
target any heavy cruiser ship, and when it comes into range, I want you to fire on your
own accord without questioning me. Do you understand this as well?"
He nodded again in response, with one last look at everyone around the room. Fox's
strained face, Wolf's folded arm stance, Peppy's stress flopped ears. They were all
counting on him. This was his chance to make it all work...
Without any more thought he bolted for the exit, rushing out of the room with the double
doors slamming behind him.
"God speed Slippy," muttered Wolf in hope.
Nicholas glanced over at the Viceroy with a deep set of fear in his eyes as his tail swished
back and forth. His face was ravaged with stress, fur matted, his usual happy glint that
graced his face was no longer to be seen.
"Peppy, Falco, Bill, get to the fleet barracks, organize as many fighters as you can. Get
them in orbit as soon as possible. Again, do not wait for Prole's confirmation just do it."
Falco opened his beak to speak, but Peppy pulled him with a tug towards the door
following Bill.
Fox zipped up his jacket and tightened his gloves, as Katt did the same. "I'm going to my
Arwing to back up the fleet."
"As am I," she chimed with a firm tone that felt foreign to everyone, herself included.
"Wait wait," stumbled Wolf, "Shouldn't we stay here and coordinate the fleet with Prole
and Nicholas. They need our help down here just as much as they do up there."
Katt jerked around sharply with a vicious strain in her eyes, "You're afraid aren't you?"
"How dare you even..."
"Yes, it's true, the high and mighty Wolf O'Donnell is a coward, afraid to face his
enemies."
"I wouldn't start Monroe, you're just as afraid as anyone else in this God-forsaken place."
"Don't tell me how I feel," she growled flashing her sharp teeth.
"That is enough!" boomed Fox. "Prole, what do you suggest?"
He glanced around their faces, he knew there was a powerful tension engraving their
presence, but he also knew right now that, more than ever, they needed to stay together.
He did not want them to be victimized by their own grudges up in the coldness of space.
"I need you three down here, we will coordinate the attack from the command station."
"Fine," spat Katt as she unzipped her jacket with a quick thrust. "Where is this 'command
station'?" she added with sarcasm pouring forth.
Prole walked over to the edge of the room, his boots clicking against the solid marble
floor. He carefully pulled open a panel that was imbedded in the steel wall and pressed, a
now visible, green button.
The room dimmed slightly and the vastly gaping window tinted considerably as the
center table expanded to the size of a large circle. Several indicators lit up on the surface
of the table in a flurry of flashes. It was essentially a large radar that had tracking on
anything within sensor range, which appeared to extend as far as Fortuna. Fox, Katt and
Wolf stepped back in awe and appeased stun as Prole and Nicholas smiled.
"I never thought I'd have to use this, for we are a passive society, but even the fairest doe
wields a blade in a world filled with war..."
"I see the ships," stated Wolf as he pointed towards bright red dots moving towards
the outline of the planet.
"Computer, ETA for aggressive vessels on intercept to Macbeth."
"Forty...two...minutes," sputtered the system's dull voice.
Fox quickly flipped open his PDA,
"Rob."
"Rob here."
"Are you settled into the Great Fox's computer systems yet?"
"Yes."
"Good, keep the ship on the landing platform. Do not, I repeat, do not go into orbit.
Pepper's fleet is headed towards the planet. The ship is much safer here than up there."
"Understood Fox."
Nicholas spun around sharply, "I left some important items in my apartment, I have to go
get them right away," he stuttered as he ran out the doors.
The four looked at him quizzically before returning their attention to the table's displays.
*******************************************
Slippy's hands flew across the keyboard at incredible speed as he typed access
commands into the beam powered drill. Frantically he went over every diagnostic on the
system, his eyes scanning back and forth, laser resonance, targeting, optical focus, power
allotment....power allotment.......shit.
"Mr. Toad!" cried one of the scientists in a lab coat as he ran across the cat walk towards
Slippy's computer console, "Mr. Toad, she can fire, but we're only gonna get one shot
out before the power cuplings blow."
He slammed his webbed fist into the keyboard prompting a loud error beep from the
system.
*******************************************
Bill's fighter shot out from the smoky atmosphere of Macbeth with dozens of ships
tailing him. The inexperienced mole pilots firmly held their course with determination as
they left the protection of their planet and entered the space that rested above. Bill knew
they were afraid, that this was something they had never done before, but their time to
protect their homes, their families had come. Tyranny could not be allowed to win today.
Macbeth was the last free populated planet in Lylat. Pepper must be stopped now...
"Alright, alright, D Group, E Group, stay on my wings and switch to intercept course.
We're going to try and keep the enemy fleet as far away from Macbeth as possible, if any
fall through, we have planetary defense to help us out."
"Right the Corodus..." grumbled Falco.
"A Group, C Group, stay with me as well," added Peppy as he zoomed past Bill with
dozens of other fighters following him. "And Falco, you had the same doubts about the
Blue Marine all those years ago, remember? Show some faith."
"Fine...B Group, you're with me," he muttered as he passed below Peppy with a handful
of ships on both sides of his Arwing.
The ships were definitely small, as moles were not people that required large amounts of
space. The volume of their vessels was a mixed blessing. One that could be used either to
their advantage or disadvantaged. The main weakness being however was that they were
previously only cargo ships, not designed or equipped with strong shielding or armor.
They were a people of peace, not conflict. Bill hoped those fighting simulators would be
helpful to the moles, but a simulation is nothing compared to the real thing.
A comm window cracked open on his console, it was a familiar face that he hadn't seen
in a long while. The squirrel's visage held a devious looking smirk as she opened her
mouth to speak. "Well Bill, did you think I'd miss out on all the fun?"
"Elena!" he cried. "Again, as usual, you have no idea how glad I am that you're here. We
need all the help we can get."
"Well, help is something I can definitely provide! I got twenty battle hungry fighters here
who can't keep their thumbs off a trigger button, I guess we'll follow your lead?"
*******************************************
Wolf pressed his hand into the open channel button on the table, "Alright guys, you
should be entering visual range to Pepper's ships right about now," he spoke as he
glanced down at the table's indicators.
"Confirmed," came Bill's scratchy voice over the speaker, "I see them up ahead, fighters
are arced around the main heavy cruisers in diamond formation.
"Like a snake," whispered Katt, "Ready to strike, its fangs hot with venom..."
*******************************************
"General, I have two hundred and twenty four enemy contacts on scanners, they are on an
intercept course."
Pepper stroked his chin lightly, stepping to the center of the dimly lit command deck as
he burned his eyes into the screen display. The bluish sphere of Macbeth hung behind the
speckled ships ahead of them. He knew that what he wanted was only minutes away. He
would not let these bugs stop him...
"Send out our fighters, scatter wave formation. Keep our capital ships on steady course
towards the planet."
His voice was unusually cheery, but had a sinister tone painted under his words. The
unnerving quality made the sub-commander glance at him twice as he poked at the
buttons on his console.
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"Alright everyone, this is Commander Grey, I'm going in with D and E group. All pilots
stay close, but randomize your targets. Focus on the fighters and not the capital ships, our
planetary defense will take care of them."
"Acknowledged," came the scattered voices from across the comm channel.
"This is Elena, as I said before, I'm following your lead. My group, quadratic formation,
full speed!"
"They're entering weapons range," strained Wolf with an unyielding coldness blanketed
over his voice.
*******************************************
In a brief moment, all of space seemed to go silent as the clusters of ships glided towards
each other. The green and white Cornerian vessels pointed their noses toward the plain
gray specks of modified Macbethian cargo ships and converted Cornerian fighters.
At the peak of the calmness an explosion of hailing laser beams scorched across the star
field instantaneously as the ships exchanged their rapid bursts of fire. The massive
clusters of vessels meshed together with searing blue white beams searing across the
sparkling landscape of space. Handfuls of ships instantly exploded into bursting fireballs
after being pierced by blazing swords of light and fire.
Pepper's capital ships drifted lazily past the beehive of intertwining fighters and weapon
blasts as they continued their march towards Macbeth.
*******************************************
"I've got contacts falling through towards the planet," spoke Wolf stiffly as he glared at
the rapidly moving indicators, his eyes locking on five red dots that appeared to simply
glide past the buzzing markers that clustered the center of the screen.
"Pepper...he's coming," whispered Prole as he stared at the same place Wolf was.
"They will be within orbiting range in about three minutes."
Fox looked up at Dordon's nerve racked face. Staring into his deep brown eyes as the
mole nervously pulled at his pins. It was the first time he had ever seen the Viceroy in
such a state.
"Don't worry...Slippy will have the Corodus ready."
*******************************************
The perspiring amphibian leaped over his computer console and rushed towards a set of
information panels on the wall, frantically punching in data with as much speed and
agility as possible.
"Mr. Toad!" screamed another mole scientist. "I've got an unauthorized information
access into the drill's computer!"
"No time to worry about security!" screamed Slippy as he frenetically stammered his
fingers across controls and consoles. "I've got a target lock, bring the power cuplings
online, I'm charging the beam to maximum!"
"But Mr. Toad!"
"DO IT!" he shouted in sweltering rage.
Slippy had never felt his irritation flow so high before. He was always the light hearted
happy sap who did nothing but smile and bend backwards under pressure, but right now
was a moment filled with apprehension. This was their chance to get Pepper to back off.
He had to make this right. It had to be perfect. The bluff could not be called.
"Firing! Stand by!"
*******************************************
Nicholas ran his fingers across the keyboard with incredible dexterity as he inputted the
heavy encrypted access codes to enter the Corodus' mainframe. A smile flashed across
his face as numbers poured onto the screen.
"Computer, prepare linkup...subspace proxy tunnel with Cornerian capital ship."
"Linkup approved...data transfer ready."
"Select Corodus location and power data...transfer to Pepper now..."
"Transferring."
The computer hummed to life as a progress indicator danced across the monitor. He felt a
soft glowing warmth of success pour through his body as he watched with a rigid smile.
His eyes drifted over to the other monitor which showed the Corodus' current weapon
status. His smile quickly erased. The beam was entering firing mode.
"Oh God no!" he shrieked at the screen.
*******************************************
"General, I have a strange target lock on one of our ships, shall I move to full stop?"
"No, continue forward..." Pepper paused as he smiled at his console display. Vital
information, including the location of the beam weapon, poured onto his screen in an
excellent display of numbers and data. Exactly what Pepper wanted, handed to him from
his brilliant minded insider.
"The Corodus, how interesting," he mumbled, "Sub-Commander, target these coordinates,
135.29 degrees Longitude West, 33.33 degrees North. Prepare to fire our protium laser
weapon on my mark."
"Yes sir."
*******************************************
Slippy watched in amazement as the beam charged to life. It was working, it was going to
fire! The roaring sound of energy filled the chasm that housed the weapon. Deafening as
it was, it was beautiful to him. The noise resonated through his ears and echoed back and
forth through the massive chamber as scientists in lab coats braced themselves against
whatever they could find.
In an instant bright flash, a burst of energy exploded outward from the underground silo
that protruded from the surface of the mine quarry. The intense red beam blasting
outward toward the sky, parting the clouds like a knife as it zoomed into space.
*******************************************
Peppy swerved his Arwing around dodging the flurry of fighters that surrounded him...
Glancing towards the planet and the five heavy cruisers, a blinding crimson filled his
eyes. In alarm he watched the red column of light shoot from the planet and impale one
of the massive gray ships resulting in a brilliant explosion that expanded in seconds
above Macbeth.
A shockwave rushed outward rattling all the ships in the surrounding area as Pepper
braced his console firmly. The lights on the command deck flickered from the turbulence.
He could feel his face twisting, his teeth clenching in anger as he watched his crew
recuperate from the sudden jolts. The beam weapon firing at them was entirely
unexpected...
"Delta ship down, Delta ship down," cried the control officer anxiously as he scanned his
console display. Frantically the sub-commander curtly swerved in his chair to face
Pepper.
"Shall we retreat sir? We cannot risk another attack of that caliber."
Pepper's twisted expression of madness turned into a delicate smile as he stared at the
numbers on his personal display.
"No...they were only able to fire the weapon once."
"How do you know this?" questioned the sub-commander with shocked inquisitiveness.
"Because we have an insider on the planet, that's how," he barked in annoyance,"And
commander, if you question me again.......I'll execute you immediately."
The uniformed weasel's face turned stone white as he pulled at his collar and took his
seat civilly.
*******************************************
"Direct hit!" shouted Wolf as he leaped up in the air, his eyes still strongly locked onto
the table display below. "The Corodus fired and has completely eliminated one of the
heavy cruisers, they should be turning away in retreat any second now!"
Fox glared into the display intently with Katt and Prole as they watched the four
indicators continue to inch closer and closer to the planet.
"Not....much....happening..." whispered Katt softly, taking care not to raise her voice and
disturb the devoted concentration of the room.
Something caught Wolf's attention as a new triangle shaped indicator appeared on the
display, but instead of being on the outside of the planet, the marker popped up within the
planet's sphere indicator.
"What does this mean?" he questioned, glancing at the Viceroy.
"Someone is making an unauthorized communications link with one of the heavy
cruisers," There was an icy contemplation in his voice as he returned Wolf's interrogative
glare.
Katt looked up at them harshly, her face filled with stunned confusion, but they could
practically read her mind as she glowered intensely.
"Where is Nicholas?"
"We're dropping like flies!" screamed Falco as he watched more brilliant explosions pop
out almost in a blustering chain reaction. One after the other, each one, another
Macbethian ship lost, another life, another pilot, another asset to success.
"We're down to only forty-two vessels," gasped Fox as Katt, Wolf and Prole bickered
about Nicholas' whereabouts in a frenzy of shouts and howls.
"Thirty-two ships! Good God! Twenty-eight!"
"I am quite sure Mr. Ivanfox is where he claims he is Ms. Monroe!"
"He used to work for Corneria put those two together Prole!"
"Twenty-five! Falco! Bill! Everyone get the hell out of there!"
"Can we even try to contact Nicholas now?!"
"Twenty-three!"
"Mr. Ivanfox is not responding to my comm messages."
"Twenty!"
"Then someone FIND him dammit!"
"Input that weapon's coordinates and fire!" roared Pepper before the sub-commander
jammed a red square button on his console.
And the skies opened up...taking in the beautiful light. The serpentine column, the
gracious hand of God, reaching down...further and further, it was so beautiful, the deep
blue color. The color of haunting shimmering dusk, stabbed into the ground right where
the Corodus was. The massive plume of orange and red puffing across the terrain in a
fractionated second, as millions of tons of gray crusted matter ejected across the land
spewing forth as the earth vomited onto itself in fit of surreal calamity.
Wolf, Katt, Prole, and Fox, all thrown to the floor, as the earth violently shook below
them. Chairs and loose objects flying back into the walls with assorted crashes. The room
darkened instantly, lights exploding out in a shower of sparks. The table display zapped
blank as a roaring rumble resounded from outside.
Slippy looked up as he saw the wall of fire, rock and ash soar towards him from inside
his control room; his last memory, launching against the floor and under his console as
shards of metal impaled the walls around him.
Bill and Peppy zoomed away from the planet as they and only a few scattered ships were
left of their shredded fleet. Falco broke away from the two and rushed back towards the
planet with all the speed his Arwing could muster. He knew in his mind that something
horrible had just happened. He hoped to God that everyone was alright. His friends, Fox,
Katt, Wolf...Slippy...
It was over...they had all failed...
*******************************************
...
...
Katt rolled over, lying on her back, looking up at the dark ceiling, the overhead lights
empty, blank, without electricity.
"Wh...what happened," she groaned.
She felt a hand press against her shoulder softly, it was Falco, "Katt, are you ok?" he
questioned in a caring tone.
"Oh Falco...talk about deja vu, saving me again?"
Her eyes darted around, Wolf and Fox were clenching onto each other, huddling in each
others arms for comfort on the floor. Meanwhile Prole was rolled into a ball, crouched
under the table; an odd position to see such an elite official contort into, but
understandable as he was a mole after all.
"Dordon?...Viceroy Prole? It's ok, you're alright, you can come out now," insisted Falco
as he looked over his shoulder towards the broken shell-shocked leader.
Crawling out from under the table, he raised himself up and looked around, "Is everyone
here alright?"
Wolf and Fox nodded as they released each other from their embrace and straightened
themselves out, still dazed as they glanced around at the debris laden room.
"What about the Macbethian fleet?"
Falco lowered his head, fighting back a hot anger that began to flash inside of him,
"There is not much left...Pepper wiped us out."
The Viceroy lowered his head as well, quietly thinking to himself. What was going to
happen now? Their goals, ambitions, all lay to waste. Where did they go wrong, what
happened in their plan that was flawed? They just weren't strong enough he thought to
himself.
A small ship landing on a platform outside the gaping blown out window frame caught
Wolf's attention. Straitening his jacket out, he strained his right eye to get a better view
of the vessel as its doors opened. His heart dropped into his stomach as he saw Pepper's
vicious visage look around, stepping out the doorway of his shuttle. He paced towards the
doors of the government building with a dark determination in his eyebrows that rested
above his dark sunglasses. He was coming. He was going to be right in front of them, in
the same room, any second.
Prole turned around to face the door as he heard it unlatch and begin to open. They all
stood in an arc with the Viceroy in the middle as General Pepper entered the room slowly,
two guards at his side, rifles in hand.
Each step he took towards the group had a sense of finality; they were slow, precise, like
an executioner's march. His blazing red uniform matched the fire of his rabid demeanor.
The black boots he wore clicked against the firm tiled floor, taps echoing throughout the
vaulted room. Turning his head aslant, he stopped a few feet in front of Prole and pulled
his sunglasses off, revealing a pair of steely cold eyes.
"Well...Dordon Prole, at last I have the pleasure of seeing you."
"There is no pleasure in your visit," flashed the Viceroy as he glared deeply at him.
Pepper folded his dark spectacles into the left pocket of his coat, holding a snarled
expression as the opposite facing doors slid open silently. Nicholas entered the room with
an equal amount of finality in his steps, except his stride was accompanied by a cheery
smile. He nodded to Pepper with a warm gesture, stopping a few feet away, folding his
arms across his chest.
"And the star of the show, Mr. Nicholas Ivanfox. Bravo Nicholas that was magnificent
work, I would not have been able to pull all of this off without you. The information you
provided on that nasty weapon of theirs was quite helpful."
"No need to thank me General, actually you should thank these lovely people over here,"
he cheered as he gestured his arm towards Prole, and the rest of them.
"We trusted you Nicholas," belted Wolf, his voice filled with anger and malice.
"Oh my Wolf O'Donnell! There you are!" cried Pepper in sarcastic shock. "I was
beginning to grow fond of our short friendship we had a while ago,"
"We never had a friendship, you drugged me," was the cold response.
Pepper frowned with exaggeration, looking upward, "A bit of an icy reunion
unfortunately."
"Yes, he is somewhat of a tough one," started Nicholas, "Wasn't too nice to me either."
Wolf shot a hot glare at him as he smiled mockingly. The level of sarcasm in the room
was beginning to make him feel ill. But the tension was incredibly strong, like an odor
that couldn't be ignored.
Before they could think twice, the General pulled out his blaster, yanking it with quick
motion from his crimson coat, pointing it straight at the Viceroy's face.
"And now...I exercise my first act of authority on Macbeth."
There was a sharp silence stabbing through the room in that moment, Pepper's leather
glove clasped around the trigger...Prole's shallow breaths, they were the only audible
sounds in the room.
"Nicholas, let me ask you a question," started Pepper still pointing the gun at Prole's
forehead.
"Yes, of course anything."
"Do you think I enjoy incompetence?" he questioned tilting his head to the side, still
clasping his finger around the trigger of the blaster.
"No, I would think not."
"Then why was one of my battle cruisers destroyed?"
Nicholas froze, his tail falling to the floor stiffly as his muzzle quivered. Everyone stared
at him with Pepper, waiting to hear a response but terrified as to what could happen next.
"I...I...didn't have time...to warn you..."
"Well, then I suppose I don't have time for you either," he thrashed with his voice.
In rapid movement he swerved his arm wildly towards Nicholas, the gun pointing at his
face. Without anymore deliberation, he yanked the trigger with a jerk of his finger.
The sudden blast coincided with a sharp scream from Katt as everyone stared in horror.
Nicholas' body collapsed to the floor, a smoldering hole entrenched through his forehead
as blood pooled on the marble tiles in a widening lake.
"You see everyone," began Pepper, waving his gun as he spoke. "That is incompetence.
That is what happens to people that disappoint me. I really cannot stand for it...at all."
Wolf could only look at Nicholas's limp body with regret. Regret of trusting him, but
such sorrow as well. He was betrayed the same way he betrayed them. He was paid his
own death in the end. Treachery begets treachery, corruption, malice, deceit, hate.
Whatever entity judges us in death...forgive his soul.
"You sick bastard!" bellowed Falco.
Ignoring him, the General stepped closer to Prole, his eyes glaring down into his soul; the
Viceroy didn't flinch as he stared right back at him with equal strength. So many
thoughts raced through Prole's head as he stood there. He had just witnessed this man
commit heartless murder before his very own eyes. He was a monster, he was staring
right into evil, he was afraid, terrified, but he couldn't show it. All those times before
when he trembled in anxiety seemed miniscule compared to now. This was fear and it
was paralyzing him.
"You should have run when you had the chance Dordon," whispered Pepper, inching
closer and closer.
"I do not run from my enemies."
"Then you are a fool."
A shot exploded throughout the room as a delirious grin danced on Pepper's face, a
smoking blaster clenched in his hand, pointed forward from his side.
Prole looked down at the uniform he was wearing to see a cleanly cut hole in the center
of his chest. A fascinating tingling sensation rippled through his body as he stared at the
puncturing cavity, not looking up at all, entranced by what had just occurred... A tint of
redness quickly began to expand around the orifice, staining the blue fabric behind his
pins and metals.
He finally looked up, smiling weakly, a flashing beam that gave the General a confused
expression. Calmly, he fell backwards as Fox caught him in his arms. He knelt under the
Viceroy's weight, lowering him to the floor as smoothly as possible. A hand was placed
on Prole's chest, Fox's hand, the blood mixing with his fur as Dordon placed his glove on
top.
"Fox...protect...my people," he gasped, struggling for air. "Don't...try and stop the
blood...it is over for me, just......protect......" he looked away, glancing at the ceiling, his
eyes glossing over with the fogginess of death. They locked into a permanent stare
toward the heavens as his body went limp.
Enraged with fury, Fox raised his eyes from the dead leader slowly up Pepper's figure
until he met his eyes.
"Parting is such sweet sorrow is it not?" hissed the General malevolently.
Canine teeth showing, Fox got up with heaviness in his face, his emerald orbs burning
hot with seething anger. He felt his hand slowly grip around his blaster that was hoisted
on his belt.
Wolf swiftly grabbed his jacket arm, "Don't...he'll only kill us."
Pepper smiled warmly, "Smart fellow, yes...here's a proposition for you two," he began,
gesturing at Fox, "You turn yourself and Wolf over to me, and I'll spare your friends."
"What?! Fox don't do it!" screeched Falco.
"Silence Lombardi!" he barked, "If Fox and Wolf do not give themselves to me, I will
make sure to kill every non-work capable citizen of Macbeth."
Katt gasped covering her mouth as her whiskers perked back in shock.
"Women...children...they're just pathetic moles to me."
Fox glared at Wolf as he stared back. He knew as he looked into his eyes that he had to
do the right thing. They had no choice. So many people had died today and now the lives
of so many more rested in his hands.
"Why should they trust you to honor your side of the bargain..." mewed Katt quietly.
"Because I have a fucking gun to their heads, that's why."
A stabbing curse that made Wolf flinch, trying to fight his emotions with all his strength,
he felt warm drops of water build up in his sight, blurring his vision, rising up on his bottom
eyelid before tipping over in a single tear. Anguish, pain and fear dripped forth from him
with that watery orb as he watched Fox nod. His head lowering with such conclusiveness, he
knew that turning themselves over was most likely the end for them, giving into Pepper's wishes.
He didn't know what lied ahead and the fear of a future so dark stabbed inside of him like hot
dagger to the stomach.
"Excellent," jeered Pepper, "Escort them to the shuttle immediately," he added as he
gestured at his guards.
They pressed their laser rifles to the two prisoners backs as they paced towards the shuttle,
the acrid wind hitting their noses as the doors opened. The sunlight was masked by
smoke and gray clouds, diffusing over the terrain with a soft dull glow.
Katt and Falco watched from behind the scorched glassless window as their two friends
stepped onto the shuttle with lowered heads, the guards and Pepper following closely
behind. Katt wept into the blue avian's arm as she thought about how it could very well
be the last time they ever saw them again.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I'd like to thank FoxMcCloud761, ImagenAshyun, and DarthVenom for putting up with
all my bickering, complaining and conversation about this chapter. Although this was a
climactic entry, the story is not complete, the adventure will definitely continue. Check
back for Chapter 17 soon!
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Prole is a fool for resisting me..."
**************************************
"Get up Wolf NOW!"
He jerked awake throwing the sheets into the air, darting his eyes around. Rubbing his
temples, the blurry vision of Fox struggling with his jacket came quickly into focus.
Turning his head slightly, his sights rested upon the terrain outside the window where
numerous lofty buildings were quiescently resting. Red lights pulsed on their rooftops
through the morning mist, waning their crimson light in a soft cry...almost a reverent
panic.
"What is going on?" he grumbled pulling himself out of bed.
"I just got a call, Prole says their scanners are picking up ships coming from
Corneria...it's Pepper!" he belted with powerful emphasis on the name of their enemy.
"No...it's too...soon...It's only been a day," mumbled Wolf still shaking off the
drowsiness of sleep.
Fox grabbed his blaster off the dresser and holstered it on his side belt in a flurry of quick
movements, still shaking his arm through the last sleeve of his white jacket. Tightening a
red scarf around his neck with one hand, he yanked Wolf completely off the bed forcing
him awake.
After scampering back to his room and seizing a shirt and his black jacket, Wolf speed
back towards his friend who was standing in the middle of the corridor, eyes full of
tension, an idle panic setting in.
"Alright, let's go."
Exiting the Great Fox, onto the platform it was docked on, they ran hurriedly towards the
government building. It was a short ways across the sky bridge which connected to the
large dome shaped structure that housed Prole's offices. As they ran, jackets blowing in
the cool morning breeze, hovercars zipped overhead at incredible speed, aware of the
impending danger.
"Fox wait!" cried Wolf in a quick breath, gasping for air.
"Look..."
He pointed his extended arm towards the hundreds of buildings that expanded across the
terrain overlooking the great mining quarry of Macbeth City just as the sun was rising
above the horizon. The red lights that dotted the rooftops on hundreds of towering cliff
lined structures, pulsed in a paralyzing majesty that back dropped the flurry of hovercars
zooming across the metallic blue sky.
"It's beautiful," he whispered.
"We have to protect this land...that is why we're here Wolf..."
"Hey guys wait!!" came a screeching voice from the platform. Fox swerved around to see
Falco and Katt running across the sky bridge towards them. Coming to a rest at their side
Falco pulled out his PDA.
"Yes Nicholas...I'm here with them...we're all on our way."
Folding it up with a quick flip of his wrist, Falco smirked, "You guys ready? Bill, Peppy,
Nick and Slip are already with Prole."
They merely nodded as they jogged towards the door ahead.
Entering the Viceroy's main office chamber, bursting through the double doors, Fox laid
his eyes upon several panicked faces, strained eyes, bristled fur...they were all afraid.
Slippy, Peppy, Nicholas, even Bill was afraid, all except Prole. The Viceroy held a face
stiffer than concrete as he poked through his command console sending messages to
associates, directors, appointees.
Peppy turned around after hearing the doors open so suddenly, "There you are...now that
we're all here, let's get this de-briefing going."
"Yes," spoke Prole as he looked up, "Right now we have a serious crisis on our hands...at
0:700 hours this morning long range scanners detected five large heavy cruiser class
ships advancing towards Macbeth at incredible speed. Along with these include a
complement of nearly five hundred fighters. They are Pepper's regiment fleet and they
will be in weapons range of Macbeth within the hour."
"What?!" burst out Falco. "We don't have any time! We're not even ready, we have
barely two hundred modified vessels!"
"I can get extra help," shot Bill, "I have a friend...Elena...she has a contingency of twenty
fighters with her that can offer assistance."
"That's nothing!" he bolted in reply. "This is all ridicul..."
"Slippy what about the Corodus drill," flared Prole, cutting off Falco's criticisms. "Do
you think it's ready and capable of hitting a ship outside Macbeth's atmosphere?"
Slippy stood in silence as he glared into the table with wide eyes. They had only worked
on the project for a day. He knew that it was capable of firing, but it hadn't even been
tested once. He didn't even know if they had the power to fire it more than twice in a two
hour period. Analyzing the data, the possible scenarios, the information, the...shut up Slippy,
just give him a goddamned answer.
"Yes...I believe it is."
"Good because right now that is the strongest asset we have, do you understand that?"
He nodded in response, his eyes still glaring into the table as they did before.
"Go."
Slippy twitched and looked up from the table to meet Prole's deep piercing eyes.
"Go, now, there is no more time for discussion. I want you to get to the drill station,
target any heavy cruiser ship, and when it comes into range, I want you to fire on your
own accord without questioning me. Do you understand this as well?"
He nodded again in response, with one last look at everyone around the room. Fox's
strained face, Wolf's folded arm stance, Peppy's stress flopped ears. They were all
counting on him. This was his chance to make it all work...
Without any more thought he bolted for the exit, rushing out of the room with the double
doors slamming behind him.
"God speed Slippy," muttered Wolf in hope.
Nicholas glanced over at the Viceroy with a deep set of fear in his eyes as his tail swished
back and forth. His face was ravaged with stress, fur matted, his usual happy glint that
graced his face was no longer to be seen.
"Peppy, Falco, Bill, get to the fleet barracks, organize as many fighters as you can. Get
them in orbit as soon as possible. Again, do not wait for Prole's confirmation just do it."
Falco opened his beak to speak, but Peppy pulled him with a tug towards the door
following Bill.
Fox zipped up his jacket and tightened his gloves, as Katt did the same. "I'm going to my
Arwing to back up the fleet."
"As am I," she chimed with a firm tone that felt foreign to everyone, herself included.
"Wait wait," stumbled Wolf, "Shouldn't we stay here and coordinate the fleet with Prole
and Nicholas. They need our help down here just as much as they do up there."
Katt jerked around sharply with a vicious strain in her eyes, "You're afraid aren't you?"
"How dare you even..."
"Yes, it's true, the high and mighty Wolf O'Donnell is a coward, afraid to face his
enemies."
"I wouldn't start Monroe, you're just as afraid as anyone else in this God-forsaken place."
"Don't tell me how I feel," she growled flashing her sharp teeth.
"That is enough!" boomed Fox. "Prole, what do you suggest?"
He glanced around their faces, he knew there was a powerful tension engraving their
presence, but he also knew right now that, more than ever, they needed to stay together.
He did not want them to be victimized by their own grudges up in the coldness of space.
"I need you three down here, we will coordinate the attack from the command station."
"Fine," spat Katt as she unzipped her jacket with a quick thrust. "Where is this 'command
station'?" she added with sarcasm pouring forth.
Prole walked over to the edge of the room, his boots clicking against the solid marble
floor. He carefully pulled open a panel that was imbedded in the steel wall and pressed, a
now visible, green button.
The room dimmed slightly and the vastly gaping window tinted considerably as the
center table expanded to the size of a large circle. Several indicators lit up on the surface
of the table in a flurry of flashes. It was essentially a large radar that had tracking on
anything within sensor range, which appeared to extend as far as Fortuna. Fox, Katt and
Wolf stepped back in awe and appeased stun as Prole and Nicholas smiled.
"I never thought I'd have to use this, for we are a passive society, but even the fairest doe
wields a blade in a world filled with war..."
"I see the ships," stated Wolf as he pointed towards bright red dots moving towards
the outline of the planet.
"Computer, ETA for aggressive vessels on intercept to Macbeth."
"Forty...two...minutes," sputtered the system's dull voice.
Fox quickly flipped open his PDA,
"Rob."
"Rob here."
"Are you settled into the Great Fox's computer systems yet?"
"Yes."
"Good, keep the ship on the landing platform. Do not, I repeat, do not go into orbit.
Pepper's fleet is headed towards the planet. The ship is much safer here than up there."
"Understood Fox."
Nicholas spun around sharply, "I left some important items in my apartment, I have to go
get them right away," he stuttered as he ran out the doors.
The four looked at him quizzically before returning their attention to the table's displays.
*******************************************
Slippy's hands flew across the keyboard at incredible speed as he typed access
commands into the beam powered drill. Frantically he went over every diagnostic on the
system, his eyes scanning back and forth, laser resonance, targeting, optical focus, power
allotment....power allotment.......shit.
"Mr. Toad!" cried one of the scientists in a lab coat as he ran across the cat walk towards
Slippy's computer console, "Mr. Toad, she can fire, but we're only gonna get one shot
out before the power cuplings blow."
He slammed his webbed fist into the keyboard prompting a loud error beep from the
system.
*******************************************
Bill's fighter shot out from the smoky atmosphere of Macbeth with dozens of ships
tailing him. The inexperienced mole pilots firmly held their course with determination as
they left the protection of their planet and entered the space that rested above. Bill knew
they were afraid, that this was something they had never done before, but their time to
protect their homes, their families had come. Tyranny could not be allowed to win today.
Macbeth was the last free populated planet in Lylat. Pepper must be stopped now...
"Alright, alright, D Group, E Group, stay on my wings and switch to intercept course.
We're going to try and keep the enemy fleet as far away from Macbeth as possible, if any
fall through, we have planetary defense to help us out."
"Right the Corodus..." grumbled Falco.
"A Group, C Group, stay with me as well," added Peppy as he zoomed past Bill with
dozens of other fighters following him. "And Falco, you had the same doubts about the
Blue Marine all those years ago, remember? Show some faith."
"Fine...B Group, you're with me," he muttered as he passed below Peppy with a handful
of ships on both sides of his Arwing.
The ships were definitely small, as moles were not people that required large amounts of
space. The volume of their vessels was a mixed blessing. One that could be used either to
their advantage or disadvantaged. The main weakness being however was that they were
previously only cargo ships, not designed or equipped with strong shielding or armor.
They were a people of peace, not conflict. Bill hoped those fighting simulators would be
helpful to the moles, but a simulation is nothing compared to the real thing.
A comm window cracked open on his console, it was a familiar face that he hadn't seen
in a long while. The squirrel's visage held a devious looking smirk as she opened her
mouth to speak. "Well Bill, did you think I'd miss out on all the fun?"
"Elena!" he cried. "Again, as usual, you have no idea how glad I am that you're here. We
need all the help we can get."
"Well, help is something I can definitely provide! I got twenty battle hungry fighters here
who can't keep their thumbs off a trigger button, I guess we'll follow your lead?"
*******************************************
Wolf pressed his hand into the open channel button on the table, "Alright guys, you
should be entering visual range to Pepper's ships right about now," he spoke as he
glanced down at the table's indicators.
"Confirmed," came Bill's scratchy voice over the speaker, "I see them up ahead, fighters
are arced around the main heavy cruisers in diamond formation.
"Like a snake," whispered Katt, "Ready to strike, its fangs hot with venom..."
*******************************************
"General, I have two hundred and twenty four enemy contacts on scanners, they are on an
intercept course."
Pepper stroked his chin lightly, stepping to the center of the dimly lit command deck as
he burned his eyes into the screen display. The bluish sphere of Macbeth hung behind the
speckled ships ahead of them. He knew that what he wanted was only minutes away. He
would not let these bugs stop him...
"Send out our fighters, scatter wave formation. Keep our capital ships on steady course
towards the planet."
His voice was unusually cheery, but had a sinister tone painted under his words. The
unnerving quality made the sub-commander glance at him twice as he poked at the
buttons on his console.
*******************************************
"Alright everyone, this is Commander Grey, I'm going in with D and E group. All pilots
stay close, but randomize your targets. Focus on the fighters and not the capital ships, our
planetary defense will take care of them."
"Acknowledged," came the scattered voices from across the comm channel.
"This is Elena, as I said before, I'm following your lead. My group, quadratic formation,
full speed!"
"They're entering weapons range," strained Wolf with an unyielding coldness blanketed
over his voice.
*******************************************
In a brief moment, all of space seemed to go silent as the clusters of ships glided towards
each other. The green and white Cornerian vessels pointed their noses toward the plain
gray specks of modified Macbethian cargo ships and converted Cornerian fighters.
At the peak of the calmness an explosion of hailing laser beams scorched across the star
field instantaneously as the ships exchanged their rapid bursts of fire. The massive
clusters of vessels meshed together with searing blue white beams searing across the
sparkling landscape of space. Handfuls of ships instantly exploded into bursting fireballs
after being pierced by blazing swords of light and fire.
Pepper's capital ships drifted lazily past the beehive of intertwining fighters and weapon
blasts as they continued their march towards Macbeth.
*******************************************
"I've got contacts falling through towards the planet," spoke Wolf stiffly as he glared at
the rapidly moving indicators, his eyes locking on five red dots that appeared to simply
glide past the buzzing markers that clustered the center of the screen.
"Pepper...he's coming," whispered Prole as he stared at the same place Wolf was.
"They will be within orbiting range in about three minutes."
Fox looked up at Dordon's nerve racked face. Staring into his deep brown eyes as the
mole nervously pulled at his pins. It was the first time he had ever seen the Viceroy in
such a state.
"Don't worry...Slippy will have the Corodus ready."
*******************************************
The perspiring amphibian leaped over his computer console and rushed towards a set of
information panels on the wall, frantically punching in data with as much speed and
agility as possible.
"Mr. Toad!" screamed another mole scientist. "I've got an unauthorized information
access into the drill's computer!"
"No time to worry about security!" screamed Slippy as he frenetically stammered his
fingers across controls and consoles. "I've got a target lock, bring the power cuplings
online, I'm charging the beam to maximum!"
"But Mr. Toad!"
"DO IT!" he shouted in sweltering rage.
Slippy had never felt his irritation flow so high before. He was always the light hearted
happy sap who did nothing but smile and bend backwards under pressure, but right now
was a moment filled with apprehension. This was their chance to get Pepper to back off.
He had to make this right. It had to be perfect. The bluff could not be called.
"Firing! Stand by!"
*******************************************
Nicholas ran his fingers across the keyboard with incredible dexterity as he inputted the
heavy encrypted access codes to enter the Corodus' mainframe. A smile flashed across
his face as numbers poured onto the screen.
"Computer, prepare linkup...subspace proxy tunnel with Cornerian capital ship."
"Linkup approved...data transfer ready."
"Select Corodus location and power data...transfer to Pepper now..."
"Transferring."
The computer hummed to life as a progress indicator danced across the monitor. He felt a
soft glowing warmth of success pour through his body as he watched with a rigid smile.
His eyes drifted over to the other monitor which showed the Corodus' current weapon
status. His smile quickly erased. The beam was entering firing mode.
"Oh God no!" he shrieked at the screen.
*******************************************
"General, I have a strange target lock on one of our ships, shall I move to full stop?"
"No, continue forward..." Pepper paused as he smiled at his console display. Vital
information, including the location of the beam weapon, poured onto his screen in an
excellent display of numbers and data. Exactly what Pepper wanted, handed to him from
his brilliant minded insider.
"The Corodus, how interesting," he mumbled, "Sub-Commander, target these coordinates,
135.29 degrees Longitude West, 33.33 degrees North. Prepare to fire our protium laser
weapon on my mark."
"Yes sir."
*******************************************
Slippy watched in amazement as the beam charged to life. It was working, it was going to
fire! The roaring sound of energy filled the chasm that housed the weapon. Deafening as
it was, it was beautiful to him. The noise resonated through his ears and echoed back and
forth through the massive chamber as scientists in lab coats braced themselves against
whatever they could find.
In an instant bright flash, a burst of energy exploded outward from the underground silo
that protruded from the surface of the mine quarry. The intense red beam blasting
outward toward the sky, parting the clouds like a knife as it zoomed into space.
*******************************************
Peppy swerved his Arwing around dodging the flurry of fighters that surrounded him...
Glancing towards the planet and the five heavy cruisers, a blinding crimson filled his
eyes. In alarm he watched the red column of light shoot from the planet and impale one
of the massive gray ships resulting in a brilliant explosion that expanded in seconds
above Macbeth.
A shockwave rushed outward rattling all the ships in the surrounding area as Pepper
braced his console firmly. The lights on the command deck flickered from the turbulence.
He could feel his face twisting, his teeth clenching in anger as he watched his crew
recuperate from the sudden jolts. The beam weapon firing at them was entirely
unexpected...
"Delta ship down, Delta ship down," cried the control officer anxiously as he scanned his
console display. Frantically the sub-commander curtly swerved in his chair to face
Pepper.
"Shall we retreat sir? We cannot risk another attack of that caliber."
Pepper's twisted expression of madness turned into a delicate smile as he stared at the
numbers on his personal display.
"No...they were only able to fire the weapon once."
"How do you know this?" questioned the sub-commander with shocked inquisitiveness.
"Because we have an insider on the planet, that's how," he barked in annoyance,"And
commander, if you question me again.......I'll execute you immediately."
The uniformed weasel's face turned stone white as he pulled at his collar and took his
seat civilly.
*******************************************
"Direct hit!" shouted Wolf as he leaped up in the air, his eyes still strongly locked onto
the table display below. "The Corodus fired and has completely eliminated one of the
heavy cruisers, they should be turning away in retreat any second now!"
Fox glared into the display intently with Katt and Prole as they watched the four
indicators continue to inch closer and closer to the planet.
"Not....much....happening..." whispered Katt softly, taking care not to raise her voice and
disturb the devoted concentration of the room.
Something caught Wolf's attention as a new triangle shaped indicator appeared on the
display, but instead of being on the outside of the planet, the marker popped up within the
planet's sphere indicator.
"What does this mean?" he questioned, glancing at the Viceroy.
"Someone is making an unauthorized communications link with one of the heavy
cruisers," There was an icy contemplation in his voice as he returned Wolf's interrogative
glare.
Katt looked up at them harshly, her face filled with stunned confusion, but they could
practically read her mind as she glowered intensely.
"Where is Nicholas?"
"We're dropping like flies!" screamed Falco as he watched more brilliant explosions pop
out almost in a blustering chain reaction. One after the other, each one, another
Macbethian ship lost, another life, another pilot, another asset to success.
"We're down to only forty-two vessels," gasped Fox as Katt, Wolf and Prole bickered
about Nicholas' whereabouts in a frenzy of shouts and howls.
"Thirty-two ships! Good God! Twenty-eight!"
"I am quite sure Mr. Ivanfox is where he claims he is Ms. Monroe!"
"He used to work for Corneria put those two together Prole!"
"Twenty-five! Falco! Bill! Everyone get the hell out of there!"
"Can we even try to contact Nicholas now?!"
"Twenty-three!"
"Mr. Ivanfox is not responding to my comm messages."
"Twenty!"
"Then someone FIND him dammit!"
"Input that weapon's coordinates and fire!" roared Pepper before the sub-commander
jammed a red square button on his console.
And the skies opened up...taking in the beautiful light. The serpentine column, the
gracious hand of God, reaching down...further and further, it was so beautiful, the deep
blue color. The color of haunting shimmering dusk, stabbed into the ground right where
the Corodus was. The massive plume of orange and red puffing across the terrain in a
fractionated second, as millions of tons of gray crusted matter ejected across the land
spewing forth as the earth vomited onto itself in fit of surreal calamity.
Wolf, Katt, Prole, and Fox, all thrown to the floor, as the earth violently shook below
them. Chairs and loose objects flying back into the walls with assorted crashes. The room
darkened instantly, lights exploding out in a shower of sparks. The table display zapped
blank as a roaring rumble resounded from outside.
Slippy looked up as he saw the wall of fire, rock and ash soar towards him from inside
his control room; his last memory, launching against the floor and under his console as
shards of metal impaled the walls around him.
Bill and Peppy zoomed away from the planet as they and only a few scattered ships were
left of their shredded fleet. Falco broke away from the two and rushed back towards the
planet with all the speed his Arwing could muster. He knew in his mind that something
horrible had just happened. He hoped to God that everyone was alright. His friends, Fox,
Katt, Wolf...Slippy...
It was over...they had all failed...
*******************************************
...
...
Katt rolled over, lying on her back, looking up at the dark ceiling, the overhead lights
empty, blank, without electricity.
"Wh...what happened," she groaned.
She felt a hand press against her shoulder softly, it was Falco, "Katt, are you ok?" he
questioned in a caring tone.
"Oh Falco...talk about deja vu, saving me again?"
Her eyes darted around, Wolf and Fox were clenching onto each other, huddling in each
others arms for comfort on the floor. Meanwhile Prole was rolled into a ball, crouched
under the table; an odd position to see such an elite official contort into, but
understandable as he was a mole after all.
"Dordon?...Viceroy Prole? It's ok, you're alright, you can come out now," insisted Falco
as he looked over his shoulder towards the broken shell-shocked leader.
Crawling out from under the table, he raised himself up and looked around, "Is everyone
here alright?"
Wolf and Fox nodded as they released each other from their embrace and straightened
themselves out, still dazed as they glanced around at the debris laden room.
"What about the Macbethian fleet?"
Falco lowered his head, fighting back a hot anger that began to flash inside of him,
"There is not much left...Pepper wiped us out."
The Viceroy lowered his head as well, quietly thinking to himself. What was going to
happen now? Their goals, ambitions, all lay to waste. Where did they go wrong, what
happened in their plan that was flawed? They just weren't strong enough he thought to
himself.
A small ship landing on a platform outside the gaping blown out window frame caught
Wolf's attention. Straitening his jacket out, he strained his right eye to get a better view
of the vessel as its doors opened. His heart dropped into his stomach as he saw Pepper's
vicious visage look around, stepping out the doorway of his shuttle. He paced towards the
doors of the government building with a dark determination in his eyebrows that rested
above his dark sunglasses. He was coming. He was going to be right in front of them, in
the same room, any second.
Prole turned around to face the door as he heard it unlatch and begin to open. They all
stood in an arc with the Viceroy in the middle as General Pepper entered the room slowly,
two guards at his side, rifles in hand.
Each step he took towards the group had a sense of finality; they were slow, precise, like
an executioner's march. His blazing red uniform matched the fire of his rabid demeanor.
The black boots he wore clicked against the firm tiled floor, taps echoing throughout the
vaulted room. Turning his head aslant, he stopped a few feet in front of Prole and pulled
his sunglasses off, revealing a pair of steely cold eyes.
"Well...Dordon Prole, at last I have the pleasure of seeing you."
"There is no pleasure in your visit," flashed the Viceroy as he glared deeply at him.
Pepper folded his dark spectacles into the left pocket of his coat, holding a snarled
expression as the opposite facing doors slid open silently. Nicholas entered the room with
an equal amount of finality in his steps, except his stride was accompanied by a cheery
smile. He nodded to Pepper with a warm gesture, stopping a few feet away, folding his
arms across his chest.
"And the star of the show, Mr. Nicholas Ivanfox. Bravo Nicholas that was magnificent
work, I would not have been able to pull all of this off without you. The information you
provided on that nasty weapon of theirs was quite helpful."
"No need to thank me General, actually you should thank these lovely people over here,"
he cheered as he gestured his arm towards Prole, and the rest of them.
"We trusted you Nicholas," belted Wolf, his voice filled with anger and malice.
"Oh my Wolf O'Donnell! There you are!" cried Pepper in sarcastic shock. "I was
beginning to grow fond of our short friendship we had a while ago,"
"We never had a friendship, you drugged me," was the cold response.
Pepper frowned with exaggeration, looking upward, "A bit of an icy reunion
unfortunately."
"Yes, he is somewhat of a tough one," started Nicholas, "Wasn't too nice to me either."
Wolf shot a hot glare at him as he smiled mockingly. The level of sarcasm in the room
was beginning to make him feel ill. But the tension was incredibly strong, like an odor
that couldn't be ignored.
Before they could think twice, the General pulled out his blaster, yanking it with quick
motion from his crimson coat, pointing it straight at the Viceroy's face.
"And now...I exercise my first act of authority on Macbeth."
There was a sharp silence stabbing through the room in that moment, Pepper's leather
glove clasped around the trigger...Prole's shallow breaths, they were the only audible
sounds in the room.
"Nicholas, let me ask you a question," started Pepper still pointing the gun at Prole's
forehead.
"Yes, of course anything."
"Do you think I enjoy incompetence?" he questioned tilting his head to the side, still
clasping his finger around the trigger of the blaster.
"No, I would think not."
"Then why was one of my battle cruisers destroyed?"
Nicholas froze, his tail falling to the floor stiffly as his muzzle quivered. Everyone stared
at him with Pepper, waiting to hear a response but terrified as to what could happen next.
"I...I...didn't have time...to warn you..."
"Well, then I suppose I don't have time for you either," he thrashed with his voice.
In rapid movement he swerved his arm wildly towards Nicholas, the gun pointing at his
face. Without anymore deliberation, he yanked the trigger with a jerk of his finger.
The sudden blast coincided with a sharp scream from Katt as everyone stared in horror.
Nicholas' body collapsed to the floor, a smoldering hole entrenched through his forehead
as blood pooled on the marble tiles in a widening lake.
"You see everyone," began Pepper, waving his gun as he spoke. "That is incompetence.
That is what happens to people that disappoint me. I really cannot stand for it...at all."
Wolf could only look at Nicholas's limp body with regret. Regret of trusting him, but
such sorrow as well. He was betrayed the same way he betrayed them. He was paid his
own death in the end. Treachery begets treachery, corruption, malice, deceit, hate.
Whatever entity judges us in death...forgive his soul.
"You sick bastard!" bellowed Falco.
Ignoring him, the General stepped closer to Prole, his eyes glaring down into his soul; the
Viceroy didn't flinch as he stared right back at him with equal strength. So many
thoughts raced through Prole's head as he stood there. He had just witnessed this man
commit heartless murder before his very own eyes. He was a monster, he was staring
right into evil, he was afraid, terrified, but he couldn't show it. All those times before
when he trembled in anxiety seemed miniscule compared to now. This was fear and it
was paralyzing him.
"You should have run when you had the chance Dordon," whispered Pepper, inching
closer and closer.
"I do not run from my enemies."
"Then you are a fool."
A shot exploded throughout the room as a delirious grin danced on Pepper's face, a
smoking blaster clenched in his hand, pointed forward from his side.
Prole looked down at the uniform he was wearing to see a cleanly cut hole in the center
of his chest. A fascinating tingling sensation rippled through his body as he stared at the
puncturing cavity, not looking up at all, entranced by what had just occurred... A tint of
redness quickly began to expand around the orifice, staining the blue fabric behind his
pins and metals.
He finally looked up, smiling weakly, a flashing beam that gave the General a confused
expression. Calmly, he fell backwards as Fox caught him in his arms. He knelt under the
Viceroy's weight, lowering him to the floor as smoothly as possible. A hand was placed
on Prole's chest, Fox's hand, the blood mixing with his fur as Dordon placed his glove on
top.
"Fox...protect...my people," he gasped, struggling for air. "Don't...try and stop the
blood...it is over for me, just......protect......" he looked away, glancing at the ceiling, his
eyes glossing over with the fogginess of death. They locked into a permanent stare
toward the heavens as his body went limp.
Enraged with fury, Fox raised his eyes from the dead leader slowly up Pepper's figure
until he met his eyes.
"Parting is such sweet sorrow is it not?" hissed the General malevolently.
Canine teeth showing, Fox got up with heaviness in his face, his emerald orbs burning
hot with seething anger. He felt his hand slowly grip around his blaster that was hoisted
on his belt.
Wolf swiftly grabbed his jacket arm, "Don't...he'll only kill us."
Pepper smiled warmly, "Smart fellow, yes...here's a proposition for you two," he began,
gesturing at Fox, "You turn yourself and Wolf over to me, and I'll spare your friends."
"What?! Fox don't do it!" screeched Falco.
"Silence Lombardi!" he barked, "If Fox and Wolf do not give themselves to me, I will
make sure to kill every non-work capable citizen of Macbeth."
Katt gasped covering her mouth as her whiskers perked back in shock.
"Women...children...they're just pathetic moles to me."
Fox glared at Wolf as he stared back. He knew as he looked into his eyes that he had to
do the right thing. They had no choice. So many people had died today and now the lives
of so many more rested in his hands.
"Why should they trust you to honor your side of the bargain..." mewed Katt quietly.
"Because I have a fucking gun to their heads, that's why."
A stabbing curse that made Wolf flinch, trying to fight his emotions with all his strength,
he felt warm drops of water build up in his sight, blurring his vision, rising up on his bottom
eyelid before tipping over in a single tear. Anguish, pain and fear dripped forth from him
with that watery orb as he watched Fox nod. His head lowering with such conclusiveness, he
knew that turning themselves over was most likely the end for them, giving into Pepper's wishes.
He didn't know what lied ahead and the fear of a future so dark stabbed inside of him like hot
dagger to the stomach.
"Excellent," jeered Pepper, "Escort them to the shuttle immediately," he added as he
gestured at his guards.
They pressed their laser rifles to the two prisoners backs as they paced towards the shuttle,
the acrid wind hitting their noses as the doors opened. The sunlight was masked by
smoke and gray clouds, diffusing over the terrain with a soft dull glow.
Katt and Falco watched from behind the scorched glassless window as their two friends
stepped onto the shuttle with lowered heads, the guards and Pepper following closely
behind. Katt wept into the blue avian's arm as she thought about how it could very well
be the last time they ever saw them again.
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I'd like to thank FoxMcCloud761, ImagenAshyun, and DarthVenom for putting up with
all my bickering, complaining and conversation about this chapter. Although this was a
climactic entry, the story is not complete, the adventure will definitely continue. Check
back for Chapter 17 soon!