Chapter 16

As his men packed up and prepared to leave the base, Wolf held the silver case in his hands. It had been through a lot compared to when he'd picked it up in the vault. Dents and scratches covered the metal, etched from where the case had fallen through the trees into Fortuna's jungle. Only two small stumps remained where the handle used to be. Dried mud, soot, and dirty water coated the exterior, making it slippery to hold onto. It was supposed to be a simple job to steal this thing, but all of the damage told otherwise. Like he needed a reminder.

He examined the top where the case opened. While faded from water damage, the yellow-and-black-striped seal still covered the opening and the clamps. Good. Sable gave strict instructions that the case remain closed until delivery, and he wouldn't be able to prove that if the seal was broken. Was the item inside still in good shape though? The lupine held the case up to his ear and shook it. No sound came back. That's a good sign…I think. Ugh, he wished he could open this case to check the item.

What if Sable opened the case, said whatever inside was broken, and refused to pay up? She'd made it clear many times she didn't like working with Star Wolf, and had only hired them out of necessity. Said she wanted to hire someone local to Lylat so Corneria wouldn't know she or her superiors had any part in this theft. Wolf grumbled under his breath. While he had the case, the money wasn't in his pocket yet. He would not be surprised if she tried to stiff them at the last minute, even though they'd gone through hell and back to get this thing for her. He'd need to be on his guard at sale time.

"Sumimasen..."

Wolf turned around, seeing Tadao behind him with Panther. The black cat rubbed his wrists, trying to look anywhere but into Wolf's face. A visible bruise stood out on his forehead.

"I found Panther for you." Tadao beamed a large smile. "He was captured, tied up, and struck once in the head, but he is otherwise unharmed. Giichi ordered his subordinate to spare his life, for some reason."

"All right, thanks." Wolf gave the jungle cat a glance before returning his gaze to the case. "Panther, get on a transport and head back to the Retribution."

Panther raised an eyebrow, confused by why he wasn't being berated or anything, but walked off without comment. In truth, Wolf would have chewed him out over his humiliating capture, but there were more important things to worry about right now. The Cornerian fleet was probably on its way here right now after Star Fox's failure. He needed to get his own fleet away from Fortuna as quickly as possible…

Tadao remained standing there, with that big smile never wavering. As happy as he looked, he shifted on his feet, folded his arms behind his back, and his eyes wandered, as if nervous about something. For a cold-blooded killer, the pose looked hilariously out of place, like he was a ditzy school girl.

Wolf chuckled. "What is it?"

"I…I have a request." Tadao shifted around on his feet again.

Wolf raised an eyebrow. A request? This was new. Wolf didn't mind granting one right now though. "Okay, tell me."

"Well…I…" Tadao spoke in stops and starts, having trouble getting the words out. "I…uh…wanted to ask if…"

"Ask for anything you want!" Wolf nodded, encouraging him. "You earned it. We would have never gotten this back without you." He held up the case.

"Oh, good!" The iguana sighed, as it became a laugh. "Umm…well, could I join you? Join Star Wolf?"

The smile fell off of Wolf's face. Oh…shit.

"I'd love to join your unit!" The iguana gushed away, spilling out all of his hopes and dreams. "Our emperor's going to send you to Corneria when we finally conquer it, and I want to be by your side when we strike the final blow! It'll be the greatest day of my life, if you'd let me come with you!"

Wolf shook his head, putting a palm to his forehead. Goddamn it, why did I give him permission to ask for anything he wanted?! There's no telling what will happen once he finds out I've been lying to him about the Lylat Wars! Wolf pictured an enraged Tadao carving his way through Retribution with that machete, raising all kinds of hell and mayhem as he cut through his men one by one. The corridors would be filled with buckets of blood and corpses.

"Are you okay Wolf?" Tadao looked up at him, the smile disappearing.

Wolf averted his eye, staring out through the open docking port to watch the rain instead. This sucks. Tadao's been nothing but one hundred percent loyal to me ever since we've met, and it's only because of Venomian propaganda he loves so much. I'll never find someone else as dedicated and hardworking in my lifetime. But he's also a ticking time bomb. I don't want to be around when he goes off.

Tadao waited for an answer, and the silence stretched on for an uncomfortable amount of time. Wolf scrambled to figure out a response, hoping he didn't say something that would set this lizard off…

Beep beep!

Wolf's ears jumped, as he looked down. Someone was trying to hail him on his wrist communicator. Thank goodness. It would buy him a little more time.

He brought the device up to his mouth. "Yes?"

"Wolf," Leon answered. "A shuttle's ready in the next bay over. Do you want to head back to the Retribution now?"

"I'll be there in a minute. Wait for me." Wolf cut off the call, giving a sad look to Tadao.

You're amazing, kiddo. Were it not for this one problem, I'd be glad to have you on my team. But that makes this one of the hardest decisions I've ever had to make as leader of Star Wolf. I could leave you behind and not say anything, but that would be shitty even for me. You at least deserve an answer.

Clearing his throat, Wolf prepared himself, saying his final words. "No." He shook his head. "You can't join Star Wolf." Before he saw the look on Tadao's face, he turned away, hurrying through the hangar's exit and down the hallway.

Another set of footsteps hurried after him, Tadao falling into step to his right. "I don't understand!" His voice had an innocent quality to it, like he was a child. "I saved your life. You're impressed by my work. Wouldn't you like me to do more for you? I don't even care about money. I only want to work with you. You're my hero!" He walked backwards in front of Wolf, trying keep the conversation face to face.

Wolf clenched his teeth, staring straight ahead as he pushed Tadao aside. He'd expected the iguana to get angry, maybe even attack him for saying no. But the sadness cut even deeper. Tadao had placed the lupine upon a pedestal, and Wolf was about to destroy it himself. He knew from the beginning this charade couldn't last forever, but that wasn't making this any easier.

Turning the corner, Wolf entered the adjoining docking bay, a Star Wolf vessel humming on the landing pad. Leon stood at the base of the loading ramp.

"Don't let him in," Wolf whispered as he passed Leon, hurrying inside the shuttle.

Confused by this, the chameleon pulled out his blaster and pointed it at Tadao.

"What are you doing?" Tadao was on the verge of tears, staring at the weapon. "Wolf, what did I do?!"

No one answered, Leon training the gun squarely on the iguana's face.

"Wolf! Wolf!" Tadao cried out, waving his hands and trying to look around Leon.

The lupine kept his eyes to the floor, buckling himself into a seat. His ears curled back, as he did his best to ignore the cries. With a hiss, the rear cargo ramp ascended upwards, Leon hopping aboard but keeping his weapon pointed at the closing opening. Tadao grabbed onto the lip of the ramp, attempting to climb aboard. Leon fired a blaster shot near his hands, the iguana screaming out as he let go.

"Don't leave me here!" Tadao screamed over the roaring engines. "Don't leave me behind again!"

The door sealed shut, silencing the iguana's voice. Leon jumped into a seat next to Wolf and buckled in, not having any visible reaction to what he did. Why would he? It was his boss' orders. With a steady hum, the shuttle lifted off, leaving Andrew's base behind. Wolf stared at the case in his hands. You're still getting your one hundred and three million credits. Still plenty to celebrate…right? He drummed his fingers on the case, and his eyes met Ooveh's. The bear's eyes narrowed, his mouth curled into a frown. He wasn't happy about what he'd done with Shuro and Augustine either. Wolf returned his eyes to the case. Oh well, I'll get over this before long. So will Ooveh.

"Ey…" Ooveh spoke up.

Wolf raised his eyes to the bear, but Ooveh was talking to the person sitting to Wolf's right. Giichi sat there, secured to the bench by chains. His face was blank, and he appeared unaware of everything happening around him, not even acknowledging Ooveh.

"Giichi…" The bear tapped on his chest. "Why did you tell Nail to spare me?"

Interesting question. Panther was sitting across from Wolf too, listening for Giichi's reply. Wolf realized why, when he recalled how Tadao said the sand cat also didn't let Panther die. Why were these mercenaries, soldiers, agents, or whatever taking orders from this kid? Why was he so important to them? Why was he important to Sable?

Giichi remained silent, his cloudy eyes not even blinking. The way he slumped gave the impression of a corpse. Even his skinny striped tail remained motionless.

"Ich verstehe nicht." Ooveh shook his head. "If you let him kill me, you would have gotten away. I am grateful but I am also confused."

Still no reply. Ooveh sighed, settling his massive hands on his hips as he leaned back. To occupy himself, he pulled something out of his pocket, tossing it back and forth in his hands. Wait a second, wasn't he doing that earlier?

"What do you have there?" Wolf craned his head to see.

Ooveh leaned in closer, cupping his hands into a bowl. Inside the hands wiggled a silvery, amorphous blob, almost like mercury. "It's Nail's glove. I wanted to see it, so I made sure to get it after Leon and Tadao captured him." The blob kept melting into a puddle, requiring him to cup his hands and mash it back into a ball shape over and over again. "I wanted to put it on and study it, but it won't hold its shape anymore." The bear sighed. "I think it's taken too much damage. Schade…"

"Can I see it?" Wolf held out his hands.

Ooveh plopped the silvery mass into them. What a weird feeling it was holding this thing. It rippled and hardened, like it wanted to achieve a solid shape but couldn't. He even poked it with his claw when this happened, and it almost felt like solid metal. But then it would melt again and ooze over his fingers. Hard to believe this was the weapon Nail used to take down Ooveh.

"I'm curious too…" Panther moved closer, eying the object.

Wolf smirked. They were like kids passing around a new toy. This thing even looked like something a kid would play with, like putty. He gave it to Panther. Like the others, he toyed with it in his hand, amused by the object.

Until something unexpected happened.

The metallic blob flowed over Panther's right hand, like it had a mind of its own. He gasped, watching the thing cover his palm, the back of his hand, and his fingers. The material expanded until it had concealed most of his wrist too. He turned his arm back and forth, looking at it from all sides as he flexed his fingers. The material still oozed and dripped, but now it had attained a glove shape once more.

"Was?!" Ooveh's eyes widened. "That's what the glove looked like when Nail had it! Panther, let me see it again!"

Confused, Panther reached over to take the glove off…only to discover he couldn't. The melted material stretched when he grabbed it, but snapped back into place as soon as he let go. It clung tight to his skin, like it wanted to bond with him. Panther's yellow eyes widened, as he pulled harder.

"Well?" Ooveh asked.

"It's not coming off." The jungle cat held out his arm to Ooveh. "Here, help me."

The bear put both hands on the glove while Panther pulled back in the opposite direction. While there was a mighty amount of grunting and straining between the two, the glove refused to budge. Ooveh looked like he had steam coming out of his nostrils, while Panther's yellow eyes were wide in terror.

"Is this going to be stuck to me forever now?!" He kept pawing away at the silvery mass over his hand. But its slippery, gooey texture made it difficult to keep a grasp on.

"Leon…" Wolf asked. "How did you get it off of Nail in the first place?"

Leon glanced at the glove. "Well, it was falling off of his hand in droplets with how damaged it was. I collected all the drops together into a ball and gave it to Ooveh, since he wanted it. Now it looks a bit more solid…like it's repairing itself."

"I don't understand!" Ooveh shook his head, running his hands over his head fur and ears.

Panther turned to Giichi. "Hey Giichi!" Panther held up the glove. "How does this thing work? You should know! You're Nail's friend!"

Giichi was still oblivious, staring off into space.

"Do you hear me?!" Panther growled, clenching his gloved fist. "I'm talking to you!"

This time the sand cat's eyes focused, as he turned his head to the side to look at Panther. "Shut up." He turned away again.

Snarling, Panther's hands ran over his belt buckle, trying to undo it.

"Hey, hey! Stop that!" Wolf raised a hand, pushing Panther back down. "We've put him through a lot."

"But Wolf—"

"Sit your ass down. I'd like to hit him too for all the trouble he's caused, but Sable said Giichi can't be harmed. You can ask him again later."

Panther didn't like the answer, but quieted down. Still, he stared at the glove on his hand like it was diseased, rotting flesh. Giichi's eyes resumed that vacant, cloudy look, staring far off through the side of the shuttle. Ooveh fumed over his new toy being stuck to somebody else, and Leon gave zero craps about all of it. Oh, and Tadao was probably bawling his eyes out back on Fortuna. Wolf slid his fingers over the case in his lap again.

Not the mood I expected once we got this thing back…

~X~

Why did they leave me behind?! Why? Why? Why?

Tadao watched as Wolf's shuttle left him behind, the entire Star Wolf fleet departing alongside him. The glow of their thrusters disappeared through the cloud cover, leaving him alone with nothing but the sound of falling rain. He stared around Andrew's base, the crumbling walls and rubble offering nothing but their silence.

Why had Wolf abandoned him? He'd done everything his idol commanded to the best of his ability, never once resting or letting himself get distracted as he tirelessly worked to complete his mission. Why was he left behind? Had he not worked hard enough?

Or…did he not need you anymore? As soon as he got his hands on the case, you saw how scared he was. He wanted to get away from you as fast as possible.

Tadao shook his head.

No, it can't be that simple. Wolf wouldn't use me and discard me, right? Surely it was something I did wrong. Something I missed but he caught. That must be it.

Tears fell out of Tadao's eyes. He'd let down his hero. That's why he was being left behind here. He needed to do more for his Emperor to prove he was ready to join Star Wolf and do greater things in other parts of the system. As much as it hurt to have such a harsh dismissal from Wolf, Tadao knew he needed to better himself.

But still… In hindsight, some things felt a bit off about Star Wolf as he worked with them. Like how evasive their answers were about the state of the war elsewhere in the system, how they all kept shutting down his questions. But maybe they were keeping that information away from him for a reason. Need to know basis, right?

Or he used you.

Tadao covered his face with his hands, rubbing it. The thought that Wolf had used and discarded him like a tool wouldn't leave, and he found himself ashamed he was thinking such a thing. It was a dangerous thing to think. He could not allow himself to dwell on it. He needed to distract himself with something.

Perhaps trying to figure out what he would do with this base would be good? Despite the battle tearing it to shreds he'd seen it still had a lot of supplies, far more than he could ever dream of compared to what was in the little cave he'd been living in for the past several years. He could easily live and fight from here for several decades or more, for the rest of his life if he wished…

He turned away from the open docking port, wandering back inside the base. As the darkness came back, he switched on his flashlight. A week ago, he would have been excited beyond his wildest dreams about finding this place, but now it felt like a punishment to be here. The dank corridors offered him no comfort, the place feeling cold and indifferent to his presence. Tears flowed over his face. No matter how much he tried to spin his new home as a plus, Wolf abandoning him cast a long dark shadow over it all.

Meeting Star Wolf and serving alongside them was his lifelong dream. He had achieved it now. But was that the peak of his life? What came after? What would he do with himself now? Was Fortuna it for the rest of his days? Why was he dwelling on the fact he was stuck here and how much he didn't want to be here? He was happy to be here and serve his Emperor, right? Right? Like he had for the past ten years? Why did it all feel so wrong now, after he'd met Wolf? Like this was nothing but a gigantic mistake?

His feet carried him through the dark corridors, Tadao not conscious of where he was going. He ran on autopilot, too busy mulling over everything to consider where he wanted to end up. As he wandered, the surroundings changed. Wood paneling and red carpeting replaced the concrete walls. A grand chandelier hung from the ceiling. While it was all covered with dust and stains from the passage of time, he could tell this place was meant to appear like something grand and impressive back in its heyday. What was all of this? During his time serving Venom he'd never remembered seeing anything like this at any of the bases he'd been to. It spoke of decadence and wastefulness, unbecoming of the proud Venomian military. Why was this here?

He waved his flashlight beam around, dust particles floating into the air where his feet stirred them up. The flashlight beam fell upon a large painting. It depicted Andrew Oikonny dressed up like a nobleman from centuries' past, in a period outfit, trying to look regal and emulate decadent nobles from Corneria's past. Tadao's eyes narrowed. What was this abomination? One of the reasons Tadao joined up with the Venomian military was Andross standing up for the proletariat, the oppressed of the Lylat System underneath the heel of Corneria's bourgeoisie. Andross always dressed in plain clothes, never anything more expensive than a simple suit. Why would his nephew Andrew want to emulate the looks of their enemies? He glanced down at the gold plaque underneath the painting.

The title read 'Emperor Andrew'.

What did this mean? Why would Andrew be so arrogant as to declare himself the emperor and not Andross?

He glanced off to the side, his flashlight reflecting back on the gold covering a pair of gilded doors, one of them cracked open. The painting hung near them, as if a prelude to what waited further inside. As much as the painting was an insult to Andross, Tadao found himself morbidly curious. He walked over to the cracked open metal door, pushing it. The heavy door creaked on his hinges as he swept his flashlight beam inside. What appeared to be a luxurious apartment or gallery greeted him on the other side. A sea of red carpet surrounded his feet, with expensive artwork on the walls and even a derelict fountain in the middle of the room.

And Andrew was everywhere.

One painting showed Andrew in a general's outfit, surveying a group of troops standing underneath a depiction of Venom and the Bolse space station. And here was another one, him riding on top of a tank and waving for his entire space force above him onwards. A marble statue, cracked but still intact, depicted him in the same nobleman's outfit from the painting outside, standing on a pillar in the middle of the fountain.

Andross was nowhere to be found though. Where was he? Why didn't he have any artwork here?

And what the hell happened during all those years I've been in this jungle?

He paced around the room, his flashlight beam waving over piece after piece, each one more blasphemous and grotesque to him than the last. Andrew had not only left Star Wolf, he'd gone full on traitor before he died, trying to usurp Andross' leadership! Why didn't Wolf say anything about any of this?

He walked through a doorway, revealing another corridor full of portraits, but something at the far end of the hallway caught his attention. A small flame burned there, like on a lit candle. Tadao got the feeling he didn't want to go over there, but again his curiosity got the best of him. As he approached closer, the flame revealed itself as a gas flame, burning from a torch mounted on the wall. Under the torch light was a bust of Andross, the dim light creating harsh shadows over the ape's withered face, making it appear like it belonged on a monster.

Yet Tadao breathed a sigh of relief. Here was his true emperor. Looked like Andross hadn't been forgotten after all. However, a lingering doubt clouded his mind. Why was that painting from before titled Emperor Andrew? He could see some words carved into the stone base of the bust. The light of the torch wasn't enough to reveal them, so he moved in closer with the flashlight:

AA 1 – AA 62

Dedicated to the memory of my uncle Andross. May this flame taken from the battles of Venom burn until I have completed the legacy you began, and restore our homeworld.

Andrew Oikonny

Tadao gasped, almost dropping his light. He turned away, refusing to look at the bust. But it was too late now. He'd seen those dates. One of Andross' laws was to create the Venom's own calendar: the AA system. It represented Anno Andross, or 'In the year of Andross', with AA 1 being his birth year. By Tadao's calculations in his notebook back at his cave, it was currently AA 64.

Andross died two years ago… The iguana shook his head, the tears flowing readily. Andross is dead and Venom is gone! Star Wolf lied to me! They're nothing but liars! Everything was a lie! It was all nothing but a lie!

Screaming, Tadao turned to the nearest painting of Andrew. He took out his machete and reduced the carefully painted image to nothing more than shreds upon the floor. In the fountain in the main hall, he kicked over the statue, sending Andrew's body shattering to pieces and his head bouncing around in the dry basin. The iguana wasn't done yet, as he screamed, running with his blade held high towards the next piece of artwork.

Once the entire room was in tatters and everything was ripped to shreds, Tadao sat on the lip of the fountain, breathing hard from the work he'd done. But now he had nothing more to do, and he was alone. Alone…with no empire to pledge allegiance to. No cause to fight for. No one who would come to find him. No one to remember him. Nothing left…except for one thing.

Tadao held his machete in his hands, grasping it by the handle and the blade. He clenched his hand around the sharp edge, a drop of blood flowing along the cleaned metal and dripping on the floor.

~X~

Wolf entered the Retribution's bridge, thunderous applause and hollers from the horde of Star Wolf members crowding the room along with many more standing in the hallways outside. Everyone craned their heads to get a look at the case Wolf held up in his left hand. In his right hand, he pulled on one of the loose chains wrapped around Giichi, the boy getting dragged along like he was a small pet. The sand cat still had that blank look in his eyes, like he didn't notice or care about anything anymore. Served the brat right though, with all the hell he and Nail had raised between them. Leon, Panther, and Ooveh brought up the rear, making sure the sand cat didn't try escaping or anything stupid.

Wolf made a mocking bow to his minions as he moved to the center of the room, still drinking in the adulation of his men with a big grin on his face. All of them knew they were about to get paid a huge cut of Sable's reward money, plus thinking about what they were going to do with it. However, while this was a huge milestone, the money wasn't in their pockets yet. It was time to set up the moment they'd all been waiting for: the sale.

Wolf turned around to Captain Jamal, the gray rhino in his massive raised chair at the back of the room. "Jamal, get Sable on the line!"

"Right on it, boss!" the rhino replied, grinning back.

As Wolf waited for Sable to appear on the main screen, he reflected this was the first time he'd looked forward to speaking with her. If there were no other complications, soon they would be paid, and she'd be out of his hair for good. One hundred million credits were great and all, but there was no way in hell he'd ever take her on as a client again. Too much damn hassle, between her attitude and all of the shit she failed to mention about how dangerous this job would be. Like how a shady government black ops team from some planet he'd never even heard of would be attacking them during this mission. Ah well, this would all soon be water under the bridge.

"We have Sable now," Jamal said.

"Put her on." Wolf shifted on his feet, watching the main screen.

The familiar black panthress appeared before him, still wearing her shiny gold jewelry and spotless white dress. Wolf didn't say anything, instead holding the case up where she could see it. Next, he yanked on Giichi's chain, shoving him to the front. Giichi stumbled forward, but remained standing. He was so lifeless it was like pushing around a mannequin instead of a live person.

"Well Wolf, it seems against all odds you have succeeded! I'm impressed!" For the first time, Sable smiled at him.

Wolf grinned back, but found her own smile on the creepy side. As she gazed upon the case and Giichi, she looked like a predator anticipating a kill. He wasn't sure what to think of this, but decided it wasn't worth commenting on. So long as he was getting paid she could hold her face like that as much as she pleased.

"Great." Wolf cleared his throat. Time for the important question. "So, how about we discuss exchange and payment?"

"But of course." She chuckled, folding her hands together. "I'm eager to complete this transaction as quickly as possible."

"So am I." Wolf was glad they were on the same page, although he wondered how long they'd be waiting for a face to face. He didn't even know if she was in Lylat, so it could be weeks or months until payment. "Where and when do you want to meet?"

"Here and now."

Wolf blinked, head tilting. "Uh…really?"

"Of course." She smirked, settling back into her chair. "I was watching the entire time."

"Boss," the mallard radar tech called out. "Strange ship approaching off our portside. Got nothing like it in our databanks."

Wolf pushed through the crowd of people in the bridge, hurrying to look at the tech's screen. A strange delta-shaped craft appeared in the image, black in color. Whatever paint the ship had, it absorbed light like a black hole, almost letting it blend in against the backdrop of stars behind it. The only thing that made it visible was orange glowing highlights running along the vessel's creases. What was that thing?

Sable chuckled off to the side. "That would be me. I'll be with you momentarily. Prepare to receive me in your hangar bay, would you please?" She stood up, moving away from the camera as it faded to black.

Wolf looked around the bridge, dumbfounded by what he'd seen. Everyone else looked as stunned. She was right there the entire time they were mucking about on Fortuna?!

"Um…" Wolf shrugged. "Okay. Let's go, boys."

~X~

The group from the bridge had reassembled in the Retribution's hangar bay, the mood tense and quiet. Whispers had been going around about how the black ship came out of nowhere, only showing up on radar screens the moment Sable wanted it to be seen. Nobody knew what to make of all this.

Panther however had a more immediate problem, as he continued to tug at the melting glove on his right hand. Damn thing still didn't show any sign of coming off. Ooveh stood beside him, casting annoyed glances his way. Panther would have liked to give the glove back to the bear, but it had taken a liking to him…

"She's here!" Wolf called out.

Panther looked up along with the others, putting his gloved hand down for the moment. A black shuttle similar in appearance to the delta-shaped ship entered the Retribution's hangar bay, landing on the floor with little more than a whisper. Besides the strange blackness, something else seemed odd about it. It took Panther a moment to place it, but then it hit him. The ship didn't have any discernible windows, doors, or seams, like the ship's entire body was one solid piece. So how were you supposed to get in and out of it?

He got his answer a moment later, when a gap appeared on the back of the ship, expanding in length as it formed the outline of a door, the metal itself changing shape as it did so. Without any visible hinges, the door-shaped piece simply tilted downwards to form an exit ramp. The entire action happened with little more than some low hisses. With how most starships made all sorts of noises as they operated, this quietness made the process eerie to watch.

A group walked out through the newly formed opening. Sable stood at the head, her black fur standing out against her gold jewelry and gold-embroidered white dress. Seeing her over a ship's monitor and seeing her in person were two different things altogether. Panther found his eyes tracing upwards along her body, the white dress not hiding much. He could see the curves of her hips, and her supple breasts, her dark fur groomed into a mirror sheen much like his own.

Two other jungle cats fell into step behind them: a female snow leopard, and a brown, male puma. They wore dark body suits with orange highlights, mimicking the colors of their ship. Why did something about them look familiar?

"Meine Güte…they have Augustine's glove," the bear whispered.

Panther looked again, seeing the same type of glove stuck to his own hand. And they were young, looking like they could be high schoolers. Even so, they maintained the same intense, frowning look Augustine always had, scanning everything for potential threats like they were robotic soldiers. What was this now? It was like they'd downloaded his personality and mannerisms to their brains.

As Sable approached with her bodyguards, she gave a warm smile to Panther. Was it his imagination, or was she checking him out like he'd been doing before? She looked over his own figure, showing a small grin as her eyes lingered on his crotch for a long moment. Panther's heart fluttered. Unusual to see a woman this eager to devour him instead of the other way around.

Her eyes focused upon his right hand for another few seconds, noticing the silver glove. The two bodyguards, looking as if they were operating on the same wavelength, spotted the glove as well. He didn't like that, especially with how much they reminded him of Augustine. It was like locking eyes with predators about to strike. But as soon as it started, Sable snapped her attention to Wolf, the bodyguards also looking away. The jungle cat sighed, putting a hand to his chest.

Wolf waited for her with the case in one hand and Giichi's chains in the other. Sable's hungry grin morphed into a more professional, smaller smile.

"Welcome aboard the Retribution, Sable." Wolf put down the case and offered his hand.

She looked down at his hand, the smile vanishing and replaced with a mildly disgusted look, but accepted the handshake anyway out of courtesy.

"Thank you." Again, she appeared to only be acting the way she was out of etiquette. "I must admit…after you lost the case I was furious, and I regretted ever contacting you for this job. I was considering even destroying Star Wolf myself to cover my tracks." She said those words so casually, as if she were discussing what she had for dinner last night.

Everyone who overheard widened their eyes, faces turning towards each other as if to go 'did she say that?!' Panther wasn't sure if she was bluffing or not, but they didn't know anything about her black ship. At the least, its ability to appear from seemingly nowhere sent chills down his spine.

Looking at the case, she held out her hands to receive it from Wolf. The lupine frowned, not returning the gesture. "I want half first, before you open it."

Panther sensed Wolf had made a mistake, as Sable scowled at him, her good mood instantly melting away. Her two bodyguards even appeared to be reacting, their silver-gloved fists clenching, like they were ready to morph them into weapons as Augustine had done.

Nonetheless, Wolf kept his face hard. "I sacrificed a lot of men and material to get this for you. I only wish to ensure I am fairly compensated for my trouble and expenses."

"Fair enough…" Sable held up a wrist unit to her face, a hologram appearing. It showed a credit transfer screen with the one hundred and three million credits Star Wolf was promised for completing this job. One hundred for the case, and three for Giichi.

She tapped several commands into her wrist computer, authorizing the transaction of funds. Wolf meanwhile brought up his own wrist computer, showing Star Wolf's own account. He glanced between the hologram and her repeatedly. With a few more taps, fifty-one point five million was moved over to his team's account, Wolf verifying the transaction.

Panther let out a long sigh, seeing those numbers popping up in Star Wolf's account. He was about to be in the clear now. That would cover up most of the money he'd 'borrowed' to pay for the Hyoodin. Everything was going to be okay now…at least, as long she opened the case and verified the item was in good condition.

Grinning, Wolf picked up and held out the case. "Well, I can't say it's been a pleasure doing business with you, but thank you regardless."

"Likewise." Sable accepted the case. "Also…Giichi, if you please?"

Panther's eyes widened, staring at the cat in his restraints. Wolf held out his chain leash, and the puma bodyguard accepted it and took charge of the prisoner. As Panther watched, he reflected on the words of the sand cat back on Fortuna.

"This is way bigger than just you and your car… A lot more people are going to die instead if you give the case to her!"

Was he speaking the truth? Giichi seemed to believe it, and so did all of the others with him. If they didn't, why would all those Sentinel members give their lives to keep the case out of Sable's hands?

Sable stepped backwards away from Star Wolf, moving closer to her snow leopard guard. She inspected the case, turning it over to look at it from all angles. While she frowned at its dirty appearance, she nodded in satisfaction at the seal still being intact. Cutting the seal aside, she moved her hands to the clamps. Thump, thump they went as she undid them. Panther's heart pounded, as all eyes focused on the case. Silence settled over the room, even Leon next to him enchanted by the proceedings.

She opened the case.

Everyone leaned forward, trying to steal a peek at whatever was inside. But Sable held it so only the outside of the case was visible to them. She noticed all of the attention, her eyes glittering as she stared back, enjoying how she was teasing them. As she looked back at the item inside, a broad smile crossed her face, showing her sharp panther teeth, contrasting in eerie white against her black fur. That look on her face…it frightened Panther. She had the look of someone not only crazy, but plotting something horrible with whatever was in that case.

Was Giichi right about millions dying, and Lylat and Thaljista burning if she got the case? But at the same time, his own life was off the chopping block. Fixing that was all that mattered, wasn't it? As long as he had riches, luxuries, and women, nothing else mattered right? He could take that vacation to Zoness he was dreaming of, and give his car its first proper test drive after hiding it away for so long. But no matter how much he tried to cheer himself up, the things Giichi said wouldn't leave him alone.

"The item is in satisfactory condition." Sable pushed the case close again, redoing the clamps noisily. A collective sigh rose up from Star Wolf, but it came loudest from Wolf. "I am transmitting the remainder now." With a few more quick taps, Sable zapped the other half of the one hundred and three million over to Star Wolf's account. "I would suggest spending the money quickly though, Mr. O'Donnell."

Wolf ignored her, turning around as soon as he verified the transaction. Panther's eyes widened at the rude gesture, but he soon realized the reason for the quick one eighty in etiquette. They'd been paid now. Star Wolf was out from underneath her. She didn't matter anymore. Also—Panther grinned—neither did the hole in Star Wolf's budget left behind by the Hyoodin now! It was all over now!

"Now…" Wolf turned to Ooveh, tapping some more on his wrist computer. "I believe you get one million for Giichi's capture."

"Hang on a minute!" Panther spoke up. "I caught Giichi too!"

"No you didn't!" Ooveh snarled, towering over the jungle cat. "He got away from you! I was the one who caught him in the end!"

"But they would have gotten away if I hadn't done what I did!" Panther jerked his thumb at himself. "I deserve the extra million! I'm the number three of Star Wolf!"

"Excuse me boys, but I think I can resolve this." She gave a large grin to Panther. "You get one million too."

"Entschuldigung, frau?!" Ooveh roared. "Why? Why does he get all that money even though he didn't make the final capture?"

"Frau?" Sable wrinkled her nose, frowning as she had to crane her neck up to look at the bear. Panther imagined to her, a bear looked like some kind of brutish monster, especially when she complained about having to talk to Wolf so much. "Why are you angry? I think Panther did a fine job helping out. Besides, it's my money. I can do with it as I wish."

Ooveh looked like he wanted to say something else, but Wolf shook his head no. Let it go, he seemed to say.

Panther had the sensation of the floor spinning underneath him, having trouble processing what she said. An extra one million on top of his cut of the one hundred and three million?! He could get a vacation home or something to go with the private beach now! He was walking on clouds! So much money, so many possibilities! Sable did look like a busy woman but he wondered if he tried his luck with her, maybe she would accept—

A beeping noise interrupted everyone, coming from Wolf's communicator. Wolf groaned, seeing who it was. "Engineering? What the hell do they want?" He pushed some buttons, with the face of a beaver appearing in hologram form. He was wearing an engineer's cap and coveralls. "What is it? I'm kinda busy right now!"

"Um…Wolf, we've set about making repairs to the Retribution like you wanted, but I found something kinda…weird in one of the storage warehouses when we were getting the materials." The beaver scratched the side of his head.

Panther held his breath. The beaver wasn't talking about what he thought he was, was he?

"Weird?" Wolf raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

"Umm…" The beaver shook his head. "Well, it'd be easier to show you. Hang on a second." The beaver's hologram walked in place over Wolf's wrist unit as he headed somewhere else, and then he spun around his unit's camera to face the thing he wanted to show.

Panther's heart stopped. It was the Hyoodin! He took a few steps back away from Wolf, hoping he could slip out of the hangar without notice. Unfortunately, Leon's narrow eyes focused upon him, those slit eyes studying him closely. Panther froze in place, unable to do anything but watch his moment of salvation self-destruct before his eyes.

"What the hell…?" Wolf's eye opened wide. "Why is that thing in my ship?! How did it get there?! We don't steal cars!"

The beaver examined the car. "I don't know Wolf, it's the darndest thing, isn't it?" He lowered his hands to the driver's side door, trying to open it. The car's alarm went off, sending an irritating whining sound through the tinny speaker of Wolf's communicator. "Oh shoot! Sorry Wolf!"

In Panther's pocket, the Hyoodin's key vibrated, also making its own alarm sound. "Caution! Unauthorized party attempting to access your vehicle! Caution! Unauthorized party attempting to access your vehicle!"

Everyone in the room turned to Panther, listening to the robotic voice coming from his pocket. He could feel his black fur turning white. The jungle cat wanted to disappear on the spot, never to be seen or heard of again. Wolf's brain looked like it had broken. Too bad it didn't stay that way. Fury reemerged on the lupine's face, as he pushed aside everyone else to stomp over towards the jungle cat.

"Panther!" Wolf grabbed him by the scruff of his flight suit, waving the picture of his car in his face. "You bought this thing?!"

Weakly, the jungle cat nodded, not able to utter a word.

"Okay, and where did you get the money to buy it? It looks expensive. What kind of car is it?"

Panther couldn't say anything. He swore Wolf was going to shoot him on the spot now! How would he weasel his way out of this one?

"It's an Aquila Hyoodin." That was Giichi's voice! Everyone turned to him, still wrapped up in chains and under the puma's guard.

"It will be the last car Sergei Aquila builds before he retires and hands over the company Aquila to his son." He continued, sounding annoyed and not caring about how he'd chosen this of all things to speak up about even as he was in captivity. "There are only twenty in existence, and they have all sold for two point five million credits each."

Bewildered as he was, Wolf turned back to Panther. "Two…point five…million credits? Let me guess, you borrowed some of our budget to buy it, huh? I know you don't have enough money right now."

"I did…but but but…" Panther put his hands in front of his mouth, in a praying gesture. "Look look look! I was going to use my share of Sable's reward to repay it! We got the money right? Everything's okay now, isn't it?"

"You stole money from Star Wolf. From me." Wolf's hot breath flowed out of his mouth, the stink swarming over Panther's face. "You know why I got rid of Pigma, right?"

Too well. Nonetheless, Panther tried to argue his point again. "But I helped you finish the job! Look! My share will more than cover what I took out! I'll even pay it back with interest!"

"Panther, shut up." Wolf shook his head. Panther tried to stammer out a response, but the lupine clenched his teeth. "Just shut. Up. Okay? After Pigma, I don't tolerate shit like this."

"Please Wolf!" Panther begged. "Please don't kill me!"

"Look, I'm not gonna kill you, okay?" Wolf sighed, letting go of his jumpsuit's collar at last. "I will admit you did help catch Giichi. And I'm taking that into consideration."

"Consideration?" Panther saw a flicker of hope. "Does this mean I get to keep—?"

"Nope." Wolf shook his head. "I'm still firin' your ass. And I'm keeping your cut of the one hundred million too."

"But that's a lot more than two point five million!"

"I'm not killing you. It's a fair price for your life, isn't it? Also, I will let you keep the car. I don't care about cars, so I ain't got any use for the damn thing. You can keep the rest of your stuff too, like your fighter. Considering what you did, I think I'm going too easy on you, but I'm in a good mood right now. We do have Sable's money now, after all."

Yeah… Panther's ears deflated. Too bad I won't see any of it and I'm out of a job now

"Pardon me…" Sable walked over to Wolf and Panther, smiling. "I couldn't help but hear all of that hubbub. You're saying Panther is no longer under your employ, Wolf?"

Wolf nodded. "Right."

"Well, if so…" Sable turned to Panther. "Do you want to work for me, Panther?"

Wait wait wait, what?!

Wolf did a double take. "Excuse me?! You want to hire Panther?!"

"Well, why not? He's unemployed now thanks to you, right?" Sable chuckled to Wolf, then looking at Panther with that sensual look again, once more focusing on his crotch. "He doesn't belong to you anymore. He's free now. So what do you think Panther?" She met his eyes, bright yellow like his own. "Come back with me to Thaljista?"

Panther sure didn't expect this turn of events. It was all happening so fast he was feeling dizzy, needing to lean against a nearby stack of boxes to collect himself. What to do? What to do? Should he work for Sable? But what about all those things Giichi said about her? Panther stared at her. She still had that grin on his face, checking him out like she wanted to do it on the floor right there in front of everyone. Oh that was hot. His pants started to stretch. Even the thought of mating while everyone watched was turning him on. Panther shook his head, snarling. Focus Panther! This is serious! You don't know anything about her or where she comes from! And you want to get on her ship, go to Thaljista, and leave behind everything you know?

Even while he was agonizing over what to do, she put her hands on his hips, tugging him in closer. Her warmth spread over him like a blanket. She looked like she wanted him for a lot more than a job. Panther's eyes bulged. Unless…she's thinking of a different kind of job than the one I'm thinking of.

"Umm…" Panther tried to keep himself focused, even as she pressed her nuzzle into his side. "What, exactly, will I be doing?" Panther cursed himself, at how he sounded like a nervous fifteen-year-old virgin. Why was he so afraid of this?

"Oooooh…" Sable cooed. "You'll be doing about what you've done for Star Wolf, just for me instead. Plus a few other things…" Her skinny tail batted itself against his legs, making his heart jump. "Interested?"

At any other time, he'd be happy to let a woman get this close to him. In fact, normally it was him initiating things, not the other way around. The tables had been turned! And yet, he didn't mind. She looked up at him, the lighter shade of her dark fur showing off those beautiful black spots framing her face, back, arms, and hips. He'd never seen such a fine specimen of a black panthress.

"Well, what do you say?" She gave him a small peck on the cheek.

Ooooh… Panther melted at her touch. What's the problem with taking her offer? If you don't go with her, what else will you do? Wolf might dump you over on Fichina with all your possessions. Good luck fitting all your rubbish inside the Hyoodin's tiny trunk, or driving it on solid ice roads… Go with Sable. Take the plunge. She wants you. You want her. This is the perfect match for both of you.

"I accept." Panther kissed her back, getting a grin out of her in return. "Let's get out of here."

"Excellent!" She drew back from Panther, laughing as she turned back to walk into her transport shuttle. "Let's get going! I'll have your possessions packed along as well. Don't worry about a thing, Panther."

Sable pulled away so fast Panther became cold as she withdrew. He reached after her, watching her fingers trail away from his own. She gave him a little wink over her shoulder, teasing him to follow as her tail swished behind her. Without even thinking about it, he smiled, following after. The two of them rushed for the shuttle.

"What the hell was all that…?" Wolf muttered from behind.

Panther ran inside the vessel, still chasing Sable. She settled into a soft black seat, Panther jumping in next to her, the two of them laughing and smiling the whole way.

"We're going to make paradise for our kind on Thaljista. You'll love it there."

"I'm sure I will."

His fortunes…how fickle they were. But what an amazing turn of events, all things considered. He was on his way to a new, wonderful home, he still had his Hyoodin, and he had a beautiful new woman to enjoy as well.

What more could he ask for?