Friend in Need
"He's coming to, Bucky!" Informed Jenny as she and others made it back after dealing with the Toad Cruiser. It was a lengthy fight but under, Bucky's tactical maneuvering and coordination of their efforts they outwitted the dimwitted toads and got past their defenses effectively shutting down their take off and stopping them from taking the supplies they mined to use for their own war efforts. When they got back they noticed the ship was too quiet and when they got in they found, Bruiser on the floor knocked out and, Willy was missing.
Groaning Bruiser sat up with Deadeye and Blinky helping him up. "What happened me lad? Where's Willy me boy?" Asked the duck and, Bruiser whimpered remembering his failure.
"It's was that mercenary menace Al-Negator! He raided the ship! Tried to stop him but he did something, and I was knocked out!" Bruiser explained feeling horrible. If Willy was missing then it was obvious he was taken. "We gotta find Willy!"
Bucky stood in front of him helping the space marine back on his feet. He hated that once again their engineer and friend was taken by the Toads. No doubt they needed him again for a vile plan. "We get on our way soon, Bruiser. First we need to see what is keeping the ship depowered. We tried to take off, but nothing is powering up. We have to find the source of the problem then we can try to find our friend before he gets too far."
Deadeyes gritted his teeth. "That dirty little sleaze! He dares to take ol willy! Just give me a clear shot when we find him!"
"You'll get your chance Deadeye." Bucky promised. "But first we need to figure out the trouble for the ship. We'll look here. Blinky head to the bridge and see what you can do there."
"Aye, Captain O'Hare." Blinky saluted before climbing up the ladder and, Jenny followed him up.
"Where are you going Jenny?" Asked Bucky noticing her go up with Blinky.
"I'll help Blinky and see if we can get a fix on, Willy's position." Jenny replied which Bucky nodded in approval. The faster they fix the ship and find where their friend was the better. Blinky climbed up to the bridge while Jenny stopped at the gunners deck. By the time Blinky or the rest of the crew got the ship running again it could be too late to try to use the radar to find, Willy. There was another way, but she had to make sure no one was around.
Putting her hands over her forehead touching her crystal she spoke softly. "Sisters. Here me. Help me find my friend. He is in danger. I must find him." Jenny could hear the voices of many of her sisters offering their magic across the galaxy to assist her. Jenny's power was boosted, and she could finally feel, Willy's own spiritual force. It was closer than she once thought. Peering through the window of, Deadeye's gun she saw the desert-ridden world nearby. That's where Willy had to be. She could feel his presence and it was filled with aggravation and fear. He was in a struggle and that only could be the Toads and their favorite mercenary hire.
Smiling lowly she was grateful for the assistance by her sisters who just showed her the way to her friend through a location spell and the Righteous Indignation powered up.
"Captain! Good news I discovered the problem. Righteous Indignation had a power jammer latched to wires in the Bridge." Informed Blinky. Captain O'Hare and Deadeye climbed up the ladder.
"That must have been Negator's doing." Bucky believed. "He wanted to slow us down to keep us from following as soon as we could. Great work Blinky."
Blinky slid down the ladder and saluted. "Happy to assist!"
Bucky smiled. "All hands to your stations! We are rescuing our friend! Prepare to move out!" Bucky and Jenny headed for the Bridge while, Deadeye hopped to his gunnery station and, Blinky went below to engineering where, Bruiser was growling cracking his knuckles. He had a bone to pick with that sleazasaur who had only tricked him and managed to knock him out. It was too often when a Berserker Baboon gets bested by anyone. Typical of that mercenary to use a dirty trick to best him. He would not have won if he truly fought him face to face. Willy had tried to help but his own trickery had bested him. Bruiser told himself from then on out he would be more vigilant, and he would not let down his friends ever again for it.
"Hold on little buddy! We're coming!" He cried as the frigate lifted off and following, Jenny's direction having lied that she found Willy's location on the radar that shown, Willy's signature was planet side. Which meant the mercenary had to take a short range ship a toad double bubble most likely which meant he was on world and needed to transfer, Willy to another frigate which if they took him on it and went into hyperspace it would be near impossible to find him let alone rescue him if they even could find him again. Bucky was not going to let that happened and put every bit of power into the thrusters racing towards the planet going to get as close as possible to, Willy's location.
Willy when he finally came to found himself laying on the ground surrounded by Storm Toads. His hands were cuffed in front of him as their plasma rifles were pointing at him.
"Finally awake are we?" A Voice laughed from behind him and, Willy shimmed turning around to see it was Al-Negator. Willy gave him an angry look.
"Whatever is your wanting I am not going to give it!" He snapped but the mercenary laughed.
"I already got what I wanted. Now its what the Toads want from you. Be grateful they wanted you in one piece or I would send you to them in pieces. I never forgotten how you tricked me with the fake money. Trust me a sleazasaur that's crossed is never forgotten." Snarled Negator. If only the Toads were more open but for some reason they wanted, Willy intact.
"All right on your feet! Move it!" One of the Stormtoads ordered kicking Willy in the side knocking him back over.
"I'm not going anywhere!" Willy retorted though the kick to his side hurt.
"Yes you are! Move!" The Same Toad yelled louder snatching him by his hair and pulled him up to, Willy's painful yelp.
"To the frigate now!" Another one of the Toads orders poking Willy in the back with his rifle. The Frigate was small but, Willy knew all the toad ships by now it had a hyperdrive on it. If the Toads took him it would be a miracle if he was found. He did not want to be part of another scheme to take over any of the worlds that belonged to his friends or any other planet with innocent animals that could fall under the toads tyrannical regime. He tried to keep back but more pokes of the rifles and shoving by his captors made move forward to the frigate. The Moment they would board they would take off. He knew it was bad. Did his friends know he was gone? Was Bruiser okay? Are they still dealing with the frigate back on the asteroid? So many questions but yet he was concerned for his own well-being.
But then just before they made it to the boarding ramp they all heard a blood curdling howl. "AAHHHH-OOOOH-GAAAHHH!" The Toads along with, Willy and Negator looked up to see a Betelgeusian Berserker Baboon had leapt down from the Righteous Indignation that flew low enough for, Bruiser to hop out of and land on the boarding ramp of the toad cruiser. Bucky followed with Deadeye clinging onto his back while, Jenny flew the frigate with, Blinky remaining on board.
The Toads gasped in fright at the sight of the menacing baboon showing his teeth through an angry snarl. "You DARE TAKE OUR BUDDY?! I WILL POUND EVERY SINGLE ONE OF YOU TO THE GROUND!" Shouted Bruiser pounding his chest and every toad around, Willy scattered in fright, but the berserker was not letting them off the hook so easily. Especially not the mercenary who snatched, Willy up and pulled him back while, Bruiser handed the fleeing toads. Bucky and Deadeye hopped down on the boarding ramp with, Deadeye letting go.
"Deadeye you take the frigate ill get, Willy!" Ordered Bucky.
"Right Bucky me boy! Time to croak some toads!" Cried Deadeye manically pulling out his two maser pistols and went to work inside the frigate. It didn't matter about the number as long as he had a toad to shoot at, Deadeye could handle them. As for Bucky he ran for the mercenary that had, Willy in his clutches as, Bruiser was busy handling two stormtoads slamming one onto the sandy grounds with another in his hold squeezing him so hard that his meager bones were popping within.
"Stop right there, Negator!" Ordered Bucky pulling out his pistol and aimed it at the mercenary firing but, Negator ducked before holding up, Willy and one maser blast hit his cuffs blowing them off of him. Bucky ceased his firing when he saw his friend nearly was hit.
"You're going nowhere! Stop where you are now!" Bucky shouted pursuing the sleazasaur jumping so high he went over the mercenary and got into his way seeing his own fighter was a short distance away.
"Jenny destroy the fighter behind me!" Bucky ordered through his comms and Jenny circling the battle zone moved their ship into firing range and, Blinky at the controls of the guns took aim and fired hitting, Negators fighter blowing it to pieces. "Happy to inform that Toad Fighter is out of commission." The Android happy exclaimed.
Al-Negator growled holding Willy by the neck. "Your becoming trouble than your worth. Guess I'll just take half the payment and end you here!" He took out his gun from his holster and aimed it behind, Willy.
"Don't do it!" Shouted Bucky with fear in his voice and his eyes wide. Negator laughed as, Willy desperately tried to struggle but his captors grip was too strong for him.
"Say bye-bye furless!" Al-Negator laughed but then a throat was cleared behind him and just before he could turn a heavy fist knocked him in his muzzle causing him to let go of, Willy and fell to the ground with a plop. Bruiser had finished up with the toads troops he was attacking and while, Al-Negator was not looking he came up from behind him and hit him hard while he had the chance.
"Round two!" Snarled the Baboon leaping onto the mercenary, and they rolled over each other trying to get an advantage while, Bucky hurried to, Willy's side.
"Willy are you okay?" He asked and the boy nodded with a low smile. He was hurt slightly but nothing serious, but he was more worried about, Bruiser who had his hands full with Al-Negator.
"Get off me you filthy ape!" Yelled Negator as he tried to get the baboon off, but his strength was matching his own.
"Make me!" Retorted Bruiser as he delivered two more strikes across the mercenary's muzzle before Negator swiped his tail across the baboons face allowing him to finally get out from under him and got to his feet shaking his distorted head.
Bruiser was barely phased by the strike this time taking a step back with his fists clenched he was far from done with the mercenary and, Deadeye came running at mercenary shooting a few shots over his head.
"Freeze sleazo! Ye ain't going nowhere! We got ye now!" Squawked the Gunner and, Bucky aimed his weapon at the mercenary while, Bruiser waited with his arms out threateningly.
"Its over Negator! You're under arrest! You're coming with us!" Demanded Bucky but the mercenary only gave the Captain and his crew a nasty look.
"I'm not going anywhere with you! Guess our next meeting will need to be more thorough touch! Ill see you all soon!" Negator took out what appeared to be a grenade with the tip of his tail from behind him and tossed it at the group.
"LOOK OUT!" Bruiser turned around grabbing all three of his friends and jumped far back as he could and in a second the grenade blew up sending out a large cloud of dust and some stones as they were all covered in it.
Breathing a quick sigh of relief the whole crew quickly got back to their feet turning around to see where the grenade went off. It left a big hole in the ground and, Al-Negator was nowhere to be seen.
"Blast it! He got away!" Bucky snapped his fingers in frustration.
"Cowardly reptile!" Cried out Deadeye and, Bruiser stomped his feet in rage. He had not even gotten to do hardly much with that mercenary that made a fool out of him and took his friend.
"Jenny any sign of Negator?" Bucky called up to his first mate.
"Negative Captain. No life signs other than ours can be seen on the scanner." Jenny reported. "He must be using a jammer to hide his life sign."
"Typical." Bucky shook his head in frustration but when looked at, Willy he was more relieved. "Are you alright, Willy?"
"Yeah, Bucky. I'm okay." Willy replied and, Bruiser patted the boy on the back happily. "Thanks for saving me guys."
"We got your back little buddy!" Bruiser grinned and Deadeye nodded.
"That's right. Ye always have us too. We got che back." Deadeye proclaimed with a smile.
Bucky nodded as well. Everyone on his crew is important. They were all friends as well as crewmates. Without any one of them they could never be at their best.
"It seems the toads wanted me again. I don't know why but it couldn't be for anything good." Informed Willy.
"Right. It can't be." Agreed Bucky as he took a look around. Still no signs of the mercenary and all that was left of the toads were their lifeless bodies and a frigate filled with, Deadeyes own numbers he racked up from having finished every toad inside it. "We better report back to Genus and inform them. Let's rig the frigate to explode and board our ship and leave."
The Crew all boarded the Righteous Indignation after they set the Toad Frigate to self-destruct and by the time they left the atmosphere the ship was engulfed in a grand explosion that left an even bigger hole in dunes of the planet but a mile away Al-Negator emerged from within the dunes and growled angrily. Again, that mangy crew of Bucky O'Hare bested him. And now he would not get paid for delivering that furless engineer of theirs. He had a secondary shuttle hidden away should the first craft he was using was destroyed. He needed to report to the Toad Air Marshal of the failure. The Toad Army hated failure, but they could not afford losing an asset of theirs. Maybe the next plan would work flawlessly and, Negator would try to plead a heavier case on getting rid of that boy who ruined a good portion of his reputation by tricking him when his own race were known for their trickery.
"Another day you hairless prone!" He snarled before taking out his wrist device to bring his shuttle out from its hidden location and rendezvous near him to pick him up.