Downtown Jasper…

Was in ruin.

As the cloaked figure of Axis walked through the burning, war-torn streets, their shoulders slumped as their tired eyes stared ahead. Staring at what? Nothing really, just all the dreams and ambitions of the Lords of Prey going up with the buildings in smoke.

And as it did, Axis found themselves lamenting.

It went exactly as they had planned…though with a few bumps in the road.

The morning after Diane Foxington and Lillian Shaughnessy had been found innocent of the murder of Henry "Hench" Wulf and the attempted murder of Roy Larson, nearly three-thousand Lords of Prey supporters mustered in key spots all around Jasper, setting up defensive posts and sniper positions to begin a mass riot. By midday, the ragtag group of prey began seizing key areas throughout Jasper, including key rail depots on the southern and western edges of the city.

The key objective: take Jasper Center, hold it…

And take down as many predators along the way as possible.

Throughout the day, civilians were evacuated, prey members of the police were given the choice of the joining the fight, being ejected from the city…or taken prisoner. In key buildings, doors were barricaded, food and supplies were secured, and first aid posts were set up. The Lords of Prey even set up barricades when they had learned that the Canadian Rangers had been called in, the extremists hoping to hinder any movement.

By that afternoon, the Jasper Post Office became the headquarters for the terrorist leaders.

And it was on this day, that many of the extremists wept tears of pride as one of the self-proclaimed leaders of the movement read out a proclamation that Angela Swinton had prepared in the event of a total prey victory before she was cut down.

"MY FELLOW PREY!" a male skunk by the name Jamie Mephits bellowed, his black, white-striped fur gleaming in the light of the room as he addressed the prey congregated inside of the post office's main foyer.

"In the name of God and of the dead generations from which she receives her old tradition, Angela Swinton, through us, summons her children to her flag and strike for her mission."

A chorus of yells from the crowd sounded as the skunk read with such passion, his own eyes looking to the people from the ground, up to the balcony overlooking the foyer, were an undercover and disguised Jack and Judy stood, clad in their civilian clothing, and their fur died brown to further conceal their identity as they listened.

"Having organized and trained her supporters through her secret revolutionary organization, the Lords of Prey, reveals itself. She now seizes that moment and supported by her exiled children, she strikes in full confidence of victory."

Another chorus of cheers broke out, each animal in the hall filled with pride as these beautiful words rang in their ears.

"We declare the right," the skunk continued, "of the prey species to the ownership of the world and to the unfettered control of it and the protection from the vile scourge of predators upon it, to be sovereign and indefeasible. The long usurpation of that right by predators and the government that supports them has not extinguished the right, nor can it ever be extinguished except by the destruction of us prey."

At this point, tears flowed freely from the eyes of all prey present, their pride in the cause they fought for ever present. Though as the crowd started to become rowdy, Jack, with a silent signal to Judy, began to lead them out of the building, trying to be as inconspicuous as possible as they prepared to report their findings to colleagues and authorities.

"In every generation, prey have asserted their right to national freedom and sovereignty; many times during the past three hundred years they have asserted it in arms. Standing on that fundamental right and again asserting it in arms in the face of the world, we hereby proclaim the Lords of Prey as legitimate party, and we pledge our lives and the lives of our comrades in arms to the cause of its freedom, of its welfare, and of its exaltation among the nations."

Another chorus of cheers.

"We place the cause of the movement under the protection of the Most High God, Whose blessing we invoke upon our arms, and we pray that no one who serves that cause will dishonor it by cowardice or rapine. In this supreme hour the Lords of Prey must, by its valor and discipline, and by the readiness of its children to sacrifice themselves for the common good, prove themselves worthy of the august destiny to which it is called."

With that, the skunk ended the proclamation with a mighty yell, quickly joined by a massive uproar from the prey around him. Many in the group raised procured weapons above their heads, others waving hats, and others just eagerly clapping. However, concealed within the crowd, her distinguishable features hidden beneath the hood of her jacket, Jade Tusk, a sly smirk on her face, threw her fist into the air, and called out in a loud and proud voice,

"DOWN WITH PREDS!"

In response, the prey around her repeated the chant.

" DOWN WITH PREDS!" A rabbit called out.

" DOWN WITH PREDS!" shouted a zebra in response.

And before long, the chant became a chorus in the whole building.

" DOWN WITH PREDS!"

" DOWN WITH PREDS!"

" DOWN WITH PREDS!"

And it seemed as the last echoes of "Down With Preds" faded away, the room just suddenly turned into a pile of charred wood, gathered in a pile of debris within the stone facade of that was the Post Office.

The Rangers response, at first, was sloppy and un-coordinated. In truth, a couple of units had been sent to investigate what was happening in Jasper. Shots rang out, and four soldiers lay dead in their own blood. Later in the day, members of an impromptu militia organized by Able took on a Lords of Prey position near the South side of Jasper, where Jack and Judy took part in the fighting, fighting back the Lords of Prey supporters with great resilience, while Dax picked them off from a higher position with a sniper rifle.

Death smiled as he whistled his tune, claiming the souls of the fallen with unimaginable speed, and driving the living mad with fear. That was something the immortal loved, he lived to hunt, the smell of fear was his strength and there was no end of it today.

While the Rangers put up a good fight, the center remained in Lord of Prey hands.

Unfortunately for Eve, she lost a good friend.

Maggie Muller, a fox nurse who had been shot dead by the Lord of Prey forces when they attempted to storm the hospital, only to be turned away by the arrival of a unit of officers from the Emergency Response Team, or ERT, which was essentially a sort of Canadian SWAT.

But the rest of the day proved even more trying.

Members of the Moonlight Howl were being moved to safety, but sadly, the ERT arrived to late to save Zira and her son Nuka. Both mother and son had been shot execution style by the supporters, but they had been slaughtered and devoured by Diego and Shira.

At the local store, Candy and Mooch were holding up inside a freezer, while Manny, Ellie, and Peaches fought off the supporters of the Lords of Prey.

At Dax and Sam's place, it was not looking good either.

"Come on! Get to the tunnel!" Eric shouted as he shot an invading Lord of Prey supporter with his trusty 12-gauge. Sweets and Terra quickly lead Anna, Liam, and Ruth out of living room and into the garage. Eric stayed behind to protect his family.

Opening the door to the hidden passage that would lead the wolves back to the book store, Sweets froze when she heard another loud gunshot and Eric calling out for them to leave him.

Jamie and group of eight followers had manged to overpower poor Eric, the young teen wolf was now at their mercy. And so far, they had already put a bullet into his right leg and was now ready to do the same to the left one. Even when Jamie offered Eric his freedom in exchange for Sweets and Terra, he refused.

"Then it's you who will pay the price predator scum," Jamie said with a smile as he placed his pistol to Eric forehead. The young wolf closed his eyes and listened for Death's tune to be heard, but instead all he heard was screaming.

He opened his eyes, Jamie was on his back, covered in blood of his fallen followers and standing before him was Diane, with a blood soaked sword in her hand. She pointed the blade at the Skunk's neck.

"If you ever come near my son again, I'll gut you like the vermin you are!" she said baring her fangs at him. Jamie quickly turned and ran for his life. Then Mother and Son embraced and hurried to join the others at the book store.

That evening, Alberta's governor had declared a state of emergency, and relinquished all authority to the leaders overseeing the Canadian Rangers.

By the time the state of emergency had been declared, the Lords of Prey had massacred several predators, from law enforcement, rangers, and even civilians, lynching them by the light poles in the streets, totaling to fifty or more. The force by which the Lords of Prey moved forced the responding troops back.

Unfortunately for them, when the Lords of Prey had taken the City Center, they had failed to take in to account one very serious factor that would make the Rangers a real thorn in the side…

They had artillery.

Before long, word had reached the Lords of Prey that 18-pounder shells had all but obliterated their lines to the north. And with those lines gone, another fatal mistake was realized when the terrorists had first taken the city. They had failed to secure two vital railway stations. Before long the Rangers were able to ferry in reinforcements by rail from Calgary and Banff.

By the end, the Rangers were 16,000 strong…

And advancing at a fast pace.

The Post Office was one of few central buildings that saw little action. But that was where the 18-pounders came in. The Rangers thought it smarter to bombard key rebel positions, rather than take them head on. By the end, the Post office was a shell of its former self.

And Sam, who was leading his own front, and several other natives were saddened to see it so.

And by the late afternoon, everything started to fall apart.

"Jamie!"

The skunk leader turned from speaking to one of his lieutenants as he heard his name, an eyebrow quirked in curiosity as a grey-furred rabbit ran up to, the fur on his face and hands riddled with cuts and bruises, and dirtied from the soot and grime from all the fighting.

"Easy son, easy," Jamie said with a soft smile, placing both of his hands firmly on the young rabbit's shoulders, making sure that the smaller mammal's eyes could focus on him, the dirt, grime and blood on his face perfectly framing his still passionate amber eyes, as that quickly filled with concern upon seeing the bunny's distressed expression.

"What is it?"

"The preds and those traitorous bastards," the bunny practically wept as he relayed new information to Jamie, still out of breath from his run to the southern positions, "they surrounded the west side of downtown."

Jamie's eyes shot wide open upon hearing of the attack on a vital piece of his revolt, his concern made even greater when he remembered it was position taken and led by a ram who had been sent by Dawn Bellwether herself to help bolster the Lords of Prey in Jasper.

"What do you know?" Jamie said, his voice know quivering with worry.

"We received dispatch from our forces. They had twenty-six volunteers left and said they were surrounded. He," the bunny stumbled for a moment, almost as if trying to compose himself to deliver a devastating truth.

"He was killed?" Jamie inquired, his eyes brimming with tears, only for his heart to break at what the bunny said next.

"He surrendered to Jack and Judy Savage!"

At that moment, Jamie knew that the battle was lost…especially when he heard that his forces were losing ground, and fast.

"GO! GO! GO!"

Able was screaming at the top of his lungs as he and what was left of his unit, charged at a heavily defended Lords of Prey line. It had only been ten minutes since the Rangers and Riot Squad had advanced on Main Street, which had only just become the headquarters of the advancing counterattack. But try as they might, the ranks of Lords of Prey rioters could not push them back. The gunfire was proving to have little effect on the more experienced soldiers, who just seemed to keep coming in droves, no matter how many were shot down.

"DOWN WITH PREDS!"

Able turned just in time to see a charging zebra take a direct hit to the head from Samson, brains and blood being splattered all over the road.

"FOR THE LORDS OF PREY!"

Looking to another rioter, a young deer, Able witnessed the poor buck take a direct hit through the chest, the sickening sight of bone being pushed out the back with the man falling on his knees shocking him. Looking around frantically, Able watched in horror as several of these mislead prey were mowed down as if they were nothing.

One rabbit hid behind a wrecked truck that just happen to be loaded with a box of explosives. From up on his vantage point, Dax took aim at the box.

"I sure hope the driver has his truck insured," he said with a smile and pulled the trigger.

BANG! The bullet soared through the air and struck the box. The rabbit turned just in time to see the box get it.

"OHHH SHIT!" he cried before being blown to bits.

Slowly, the peel of guns began to be replaced by said weapons clattering to the ground, the sound accompanied by the loud thuds of bodies hitting the ground as Able and his men continued to charge, all while the enemy held the line, slowly advancing as they did, taking down as many rioters as possible.

At this point, the rioters knew there was no chance.

"FALL BACK!" a gazelle called, firing his pistol into the head of a dangerously close soldier a second later, said soldier's brains staining the face of one his comrades just behind him, who only had enough to time to hunch over and expel his lunch onto the road before receiving his bullet through his skull, courtesy of the gazelle.

"FALL BACK!"

"THEY'RE PULLING BACK LADS! PRESS ON!" A determined voice hollered. At that moment, Able was met with a spectacular sight of Sam and his "militia" charging right into the fray, Sam's top covered with a thick Kevlar vest, his muscular frame and fierce appearance easily striking fear into the Lords of Prey.

"RUN FOR IT!" a pig screamed as he turned tail and ran, only to receive a burst of a Mini-14 to his back, the porcine rioter soon finding himself chocking on his own blood, only to receive a round to the head from one of Sam's men. And as Sam continued to advance, he continued to fire his mini from his hip, letting out a mighty war cry as he and his men advanced on the Lords of Prey line, which appeared to be faltering.

Unfortunately, Sam found himself low on ammo, as evident by the Mini-14 ejecting its last cartridge. Realizing that he had used the last of his 22 for the gun, Sam resorted to using the dirk he kept in his boot.

And from were Dax stood from behind, he could see the full savagery of the Faolahd come forth for the first time in so many years.

With a mixture of mighty battle cries and savage growls, Sam hacked away at the now counterattacked soldiers, driving the ten-inch blade through hearts, lungs, skulls and eyes. He slashed the throat of a gazelle, gutted a pig, and even punched a hole from a bunny's throat through the top of his skull.

And he always made sure they saw his eyes first.

And by his actions alone, the fighting fire of the forces behind him was reignited.

"YOU HEARD HIM MEN!" Dax called back, "PUSH FORWARD!"

Before long, the men under Dax's command began to make a noticeable dent in the enemies ranks, each giving out massive battle cries as they charged toward the enemy line, the rangers and "militia" charged toward the rows of faltering Lords of Prey rioters, and vice versa. And shots rang out as loudly as before as rifles and pistols were fired, clanging sounded as blades met…

And yells and thuds were heard as bodies were broken.

But in the midst of the battle, came a devastating blow to the Lords of Prey in the form of Ranger reinforcements. Behind the faltering lines of the soldiers being taken down by Sam and Dax's forces, a new, well-rested regiment took their place. And when the last of the already depleted former regiment fell, the rebel forces froze in their places, their eyes widening at the sight of this new regiment leveling their bayonet-fixed guns at them.

And behind them…Rex Chambers.

"I ORDER YOU…" Rex yelled, "TO SURRENDER!"

Five, deathly silent seconds followed, the only sound being the reports of distant fighting.

Then came the order.

"FIRE!"

And in a matter if seconds, cries of agony came from the prey in front of them as they were torn down by the Canadian bullets. A bunny practically had his face blow off, a zebra just in front of him taking a round right through the throat with the poor lad choking on his own blood, and another being dropped to the ground by a round to the knee.

Then came another cry.

"CHARGE!"

A porcupine didn't think twice about the order he gave when he saw the rangers charge them.

"RETREAT!"

At first shocked by these words, the prey by his side knew that there was no arguing with his reason. Before long, the rioters were in full retreat, save for a few who would rather die charging forward, than be shot in the back while retreating.

Needless to say, the cold steel that skewered them was not a pleasant experience.

However, as the rebels retreated, there was new problem…

The Ranger reinforcements had grenades.

Before long, roads were littered with craters, windows on nearby buildings blew in, and bodies, intact or blow apart, were thrown everywhere. And it was only when the porcupine noticed some nearby alcoves that could be used for cover, and possibly create a counter attack.

"DIG IN! DON'T LET EM PASS!"

And the moment these words were said, the remaining rebels in the units found cover, quickly returning fire on the still charging Rangers, many falling in rapid succession. Nearby, the porcupine saw a fallen Volunteer, rifle still in his hands and ammo pouch still on his person. Moving quickly so as to avoid bullets and grenades, the rodent procured the rifle and ammo and, after fixing his bayonet to the rifle itself, began returning fire, dropping several more soldiers.

As for Jamie, who decided to go down fighting with his colleagues, he was holding his own with another young bunny, only to find himself alone in his position when the boy took a direct hit between the eyes, his brains splattering over the road. But this did not deter Jamie as he kept firing, that is until the bolt on his rifle jammed. And from where Jamie stood, he could see a soldier running towards him.

Having turned just in time to see the soldier charging towards the line, Jamie had managed to dislodge the cartridge that had jammed his rifle, and in the next instant, the Ranger's brains were pushed out the back of his skull as a shot rang out, the Soldiers body collapsing on the ground. But when Jamie looked down at the soldier, his heart dropped faster than the soldier had, for in one of the soldier's hands, a grenade, and in the other…

The Pin.

And Jamie only had enough to time to mutter one word…

"Fuck."

And the moment the remaining Lords of Prey saw and heard the explosion, combined with the faint, sickening crack of Jamie's body being flung against the brick façade of the building behind him, they instantly forgot they was in the middle of a battle as they ran toward Jamie, their hearts aching as they saw the blood drenching his shirt, a clear indication of the shrapnel that penetrated his chest. But what was truly haunting to see was the pool of blood around Jamies's head, a clear sign of a skull fracture.

And his eyes staring blankly up at the heavens, or rather, the figure that stared down at him from the roof of the building while a whistling tune soon was heard in the air.

Axis's lament came to an end as they stopped at the charred remains of a home, the once beautiful building now a victim to the fires that swept over Jasper

It was evening…

The Rebellion had fallen apart…

The leadership surrendered…

.

.

.

The Lords of Prey had Lost.

Sam and Dax entered their book store to see their loved ones waiting for them. Eric's leg was bandaged and he was being treated by his mother, who was happy to see her ex come back alive.

Dax then dropped to a knee in front of Sweets and he pulled out a ring.

"Sweets, will you merry me?" he asked her.

"YES!" she said sobbing and pull her silver wolf into a deep kiss.

But as the silver lining of this ghastly battle occurred, Axis ascended the now rickety stairs to the first floor of the destroyed home of King Bear, only to freeze when they saw Max Fray standing at the top.

For two minutes the two stood in silence, that is until Axis spoke up.

"It's done."

"Not yet," Max readily answered, "there is still one thing left to do."