Torzan, Kew
He awoke to the sound of thunder. Only it wasn't thunder.
It was cannon fire.
The smells of smoke, fire, and above all else, death hung in the air. He also discovered that there was a warm and sticky sensation on the left side of his face and that he couldn't see out of his left eye.
Not to mention the pain. But nonetheless, he followed Mom and Dad's instructions and ran. That was easier said than done, due to the smoke and the fact that the loss of an eye left him without depth perception.
Even so, he made it outside, only for a shadow to fall over him. Looking up, he saw what appeared to be a tank, and it's commander reaching for the cupola-mounted machine gun.
"Outlaw whelp!"
Wolf woke with a start. For a few minutes, he simply lay on the mattress on the floor, massaging his pounding forehead.
"Hell of a night." he thought as he finally got up and threw on a tanktop.
Heading into the hallway of Star Wolf's apartment, the lupine could hear snores coming from Leon's room, but not from Panther's.
"Looks like someone got lucky." he mused as he headed for the bathroom.
After showering, Wolf reemerged and went up to the kitchen on the apartment's second level. Both it and the adjacent living room were littered with empty beer cans and other bits of junk. Wolf let out a sigh as he turned on the coffee machine. He knew that they should probably do a better job of picking up after themselves.
But on the other hand, if they were at the apartment, they weren't making money. And if they weren't making money, they wouldn't make rent and the landlord would get blabby about just who his tenants were.
Shrugging, Wolf opened the fridge to see if he could scrounge up anything to eat. To his good fortune, there was a half-full pack of buns and a full pack of bacon in there.
The lupine then searched the counters for a pan, finding one that looked the least dirty and giving it a wash. He then set it on the stove, started cooking the bacon, and seeing that the coffee machine was finished, poured himself a cup.
After several minutes, the bacon was cooked and Wolf was piling some pieces onto a bun along with a slice of cheese. While he was eating his breakfast, the lupine heard a key turning in the lock downstairs.
"Honey, I'm home!"
"Funny, Panther. Funny like your mother." Wolf chided.
The black-furred jungle cat soon walked into view and came up to the kitchen.
"So, how was your night?" Wolf asked.
"Pretty damn good." the wildcat replied as he poured himself a coffee.
The lupine nodded and gestured behind him.
"There's more in there if you're hungry."
"I ate on the way back, but thanks anyway."
Leon soon joined them and helped himself to the rest of the bacon. After breakfast, the team busied themselves cleaning up their apartment. A few minutes after finishing up, their communicator started beeping.
"Back to the grind." Wolf said as he answered.
"O'Donnell here."
"Greetings, Star Wolf." said a heavily distorted voice.
"What can we do for you?"
"There is a warehouse on Korben Street in the industrial sector. It contains highly sensitive materials. I want you to ascertain their nature, and then destroy the building."
An image was uploaded onto the communicator. It showed two men rolling a crate marked "Explosives!" into a warehouse. What really caught Wolf's eye was the fact that they were dressed in the dark grey fatigues and body armour of Venom.
"Remnants on Kew. Why does that not surprise me?"
Turning back to the communicator, Wolf said "Alright, we'll take the job. But given who we're up against, it's gonna cost you double our normal rate."
"That is acceptable."
Raising an eyebrow at the fact that the mysterious client wasn't arguing with the price, Wolf continued "Good. I want half in advance."
"Very well."
A beeping sounded from Wolf's wristcom, indicating that money had been transferred to the team's account.
"Godspeed, Star Wolf." the client said before cutting the line.
Wolf turned to his wingmen.
"Gear up, boys."
Several hours later
After spending the day doing recon on the warehouse, Star Wolf now found themselves sneaking up to one of the building's windows. Wolf bemoaned the fact that there was no cloud cover, allowing Thayern's moonlight to leave them exposed most of the time.
"It can't be helped."
The three outlaws came up to the window. While Wolf and Panther kept a lookout, Leon used a knife to pry away a panel.
"Just as I suspected, they've got alarms wired to these. I'll take care of this."
The chameleon took out some duct sealer, gingerly pulled out the wire connected to the alarm, and wrapped the sealer around it. Wolf and Panther waited anxiously as Leon slowly opened the window and breathed a sigh of relief when no klaxons sounded.
"We're in business." said the chameleon before he stepped inside.
Leon listened carefully for footsteps or voices, and hearing nothing, beckoned his teammates to follow. The three then snuck through the halls, occasionally having to avoid patrolling Remnant troopers.
Star Wolf were crouched behind some crates as a pair of guards walked past.
"So, when do you think Kingmaker is going down?" one of them asked.
"The way things are looking, the Marshal will give the word any day now." the other Venomian replied.
As the team waited for the guards to get out of earshot, Wolf's mind turned. Ever since Andrew Oikonny had bought the plot on Fortuna at the very start of the Aparoid invasion, all sorts of rumours had been circulating about the remains of Andross' forces.
Sightings of Venomian ships had been reported all across the outer fringe. No surprise there, Corneria rarely bothered with the area at the best of times. That was doubly true in the wake of the Aparoids.
But there were also more sinister whispers that spoke of the Remnant now being under a ruthless new leader and that the coup on Eladard that had brought Admiral Waylon Kreiger to power had been sponsored by the Venomians. Of course, there was no way to find out, seeing as Eladard had severed its ties with the rest of Lylat.
After the guards were gone, Wolf signalled for everyone to move on. Even so, his thoughts remained on what he had heard. There had been several Marshals in the Imperial Army, though the only leadership candidate Wolf could think of was Kalman Koates, the armadillo who was often referred to as Andross' Fireman.
"But that's impossible. He's dead. The Cornerians dropped firebombs on his headquarters at the end of the war."
The lupine looked back at his teammates and saw that they were also brooding.
"Focus up, boys. We've still got a job to do."
After a few minutes of sneaking and dodging patrols, the Star Wolf team came upon a door locked with a keypad. Leon set to work removing the maintenance panel in order to hotwire the door. Unbeknownst to him, Wolf, and Panther however, the action disturbed what would appear to be a glass ball with a spring inside of it.
Said object was the latest in anti-tampering devices from the Venomian Advanced Weapons and Technologies Division. Nobody knew about them, so nobody expected them. It sent out a sonic ping that set off a silent alarm in the security system.
Elsewhere
A brown-furred jackal dressed in a Venomian Major's uniform was conducting a video call with Marshal Koates.
"What is your status, Major Janek?" inquired the nine-banded armadillo.
"We are fully stocked and ready to move once you give the order, sir."
"Excellent. You need only wait a little longer."
Suddenly, a beeping sounded from the terminal. Major Janek held down a button and answered.
"Yes?"
"Sir, we have a situation in the storeroom."
"You don't need to call me about some stupid street punks. Take care of the problem."
"It's not punks, sir. It's Star Wolf."
Janek felt his blood turn to ice.
"Star Wolf?"
He regained his composure.
"Follow procedure. I'll be there in a moment."
"I would like to speak with Star Wolf." Marshal Koates chimed in.
"After all, it's been years since I've seen O'Donnell and Powalski."
"As you wish, Marshal." Janek replied as he checked the charge on his blaster.
Elsewhere
Star Wolf had managed to hotwire the door and enter the storeroom, where they were shocked by the contents. While there were the usual things that could be found in a Venomian arsenal such as VAR-77s, Yellowjacket rocket launchers, grenades, satchel charges, and numerous other explosives, there was also what appeared to be four-tubed rocket launchers and also what looked similar to a Cornerian Gatling gun, but with more barrels.
"For a remnant, the Venomians seem to have been very busy." Panther commented.
"Let's just get this done." said Wolf.
It didn't take the outlaws long to find a crate similar to the one in the picture from the client. Using a nearby pair of crowbars, Wolf and Panther pried the lid off and the three peered inside. The lupine and the chameleon gasped at the ball-shaped objects.
"Leon, are those what I think they are?"
The lizard bobbed his head up and down.
"Yeah, Boss. They've put the Dragon Bomb into production."
"Dragon Bomb? I don't like the sound of that." remarked Panther.
"You shouldn't." replied Wolf. "These things are miniaturized fuel-air explosives."
"Damn."
Suddenly a sound reached their ears; Footsteps, and lots of them.
"Shit! We've gotta run!" exclaimed Leon.
But it was too late. Remnant troopers poured into the room from several entrances and more took up positions on the second floor. Soon, Star Wolf was surrounded and covered from all angles.
Even so, Wolf still greeted them with a toothy grin.
"Seriously guys? Do you really want to risk a laser going through us and setting off this powder keg?"
"I am well aware of that, O'Donnell. Hence why I ordered my men to set for stun."
The owner of the voice, a jackal Major, walked into view.
"If it were up to me, we would stun you, give you Kewian neckties, and dump you in an alley."
The wild dog pressed some buttons on his wristcom.
"As it stands, someone wants to talk to you."
A hologram drone floated into the centre of the room. The image it projected made Wolf and Leon's mouths drop.
For in spite of having aged ten years, in spite of the Aparoid-inflicted scars on the right side of his face and the discoloured eye, they both recognized the man as the same nine-banded armadillo who, even after the tide had shifted against Venom, had always vexed the CDF.
Marshal Koates regarded Star Wolf with his discoloured right eye and his grey left eye.
"Wolf O'Donnell and Leon Powalski. Long time, no see."
"You're alive? No way, I don't believe it."
"Believe it, O'Donnell."
Koates cracked a smile.
"I won't beat around the bush, gentlemen. Rejoin the empire and I will let you live."
Wolf narrowed his eye.
"Fat chance."
Koates shook his head.
"You really don't have a choice, O'Donnell."
"I wonder if your superiors would approve of us in your ranks?" Panther interjected.
The armadillo shot him an icy glare.
"I am the superior, Caroso."
Star Wolf's eyes widened at that statement. Leon gave voice to their thoughts.
"You? The Remnant's new leader?"
Marshal Koates smiled and spread his hands.
"Who else, Powalski? Now make up your minds, I don't have all day."
"The answer's no, Marshal. The empire died with Andross." Wolf retorted.
Koates frowned and locked eyes with the lupine.
"Emperor Andross may be dead, but the empire is not. We have merely gone to sleep to regain our strength. When we awaken, we will be more powerful than ever."
The armadillo grinned and gazed upwards.
"Corneria will fall, Lylat will be ours. And then, we will take the Imperial Banner to the stars."
"What a vivid imagination." Wolf sarcastically quipped. "Why don't you wish for Thayern while you're at it?"
Koates tilted his head to the side.
"Last chance, Star Wolf."
None of the team responded, but the glares they gave the Venomians said it all. Marshal Koates let out a sigh and mockingly tipped his cap towards them.
"Than you will die. Carry on, Major."
"With pleasure, sir."
As the Remnants readied their weapons, Wolf desperately tried to think of a way out, but nothing was coming to mind. At least, nothing that wouldn't get him and the boys killed.
Suddenly, a stack of crates crashed down onto a group of soldiers. Then spherical objects landed on the floor and began spewing smoke. Seeing the opening, Star Wolf shot their way through several shocked Venomians and ran out of the storeroom.
"After them! Shoot to kill!" They heard the Major bark.
The three outlaws ran as fast as their legs could carry them, but the Remnant troops were slowly gaining. Suddenly, a figure stepped out in front of them. Wolf instinctively brought up his blaster, but held off on pulling the trigger when he saw that they were not in uniform.
In fact, they were dressed all in black and had a hood over their head, obscuring their identity. Judging by their sandy-brown tail, they were a canine.
"You boys wanna live? Than follow me." the figure said in a feminine voice.
Wolf kept his blaster leveled at the mysterious woman.
"Why the hell should we trust you?"
The sounds of pounding boots drew closer, both behind the team and further ahead. The hooded canine shook her head.
"Do you think you stand a chance on your own?"
Reluctantly, Wolf pointed his weapon away from her.
"Lead the way."
"C'mon." the woman beckoned.
As they followed after her, the same thought kept repeating in Wolf's mind.
"I hope I don't regret this."
After a few minutes of running, the quartet came upon a window that the woman shot out with a blaster. They hopped outside and once they were several feet away, the hooded canine took out a detonator and clicked the button. Several explosions rippled across the building and set it alight.
"Let's go."
Wolf glared daggers at her.
"And just why should we go with you?"
The canine tilted her head.
"Number one, I just saved your lives. Number two, you're marked men now. Knowing Marshal Koates, he'll turn this whole planet upside down to find you."
The lupine let out a frustrated huff.
"Unfortunately, you're right."
The next several minutes were spent zig-zagging through alleys and sidestreets to throw off any pursuers. While the group was taking a rest, Wolf asked the question that was on everyone's minds.
"Who are you?"
The canine drew back her hood, revealing her species to be a dingo.
"I'm Carmen Sanders." she said.
To his surprise, Wolf found himself unable to respond. His eye traced her up and down.
"My, she's..."
"Such a pretty thing." Panther remarked, unwittingly giving voice to Wolf's thought.
Sanders, for her part, merely rolled her eyes.
"Boys." she scoffed.
"I for one, would like to know what's going on." Leon said.
"I'll explain tomorrow when we're back at the safehouse."
"Safehouse?" the lizard hissed. "What are you, some type of Cornerian spook?"
His hand hovered threateningly near his blaster. Sanders put her hand on her own weapon and replied "I used to be."
"Rogue agent, huh? Interesting."
The group eventually set off again. It was just beginning to hit Wolf that the life him and the boys had been living was now gone, probably forever.
"I guess playtime is over." he thought bitterly.