Winds of Change
President Granger stood up angrily. "You can't do this!"
General Pepper had a sympathetic look on his face. "I'm afraid it was already done a very long time ago."
The two were in Granger's office on Kerlruit. "It's ridiculous! We are not an experiment! It's a lie so that we won't help Andrew."
Pepper was nervously squeezing his hat in his hands. "I sympathize, Mister President, but it's the truth, and there's nothing I can do. According to our archives, Kerlruit was a Cornerian experiment, and now that it poses a threat, they intend to reclaim it."
"We belong to no one! Who we choose to side with--if anyone--is our prerogative. If it's war you want, Lylat already has its hands full."
Pepper bowed his head. "I sincerely hope it doesn't come to that. Our diplomats are on the way. Please, let's try to settle this peacefully."
"Let's get this straight, General. Kerlruit is not a negotiable item. We'll defend ourselves if need be."
Pepper put his hat back on and quietly left the room. At length, Granger's secretary buzzed in.
"Mister President, Lord Oikonny is here to see you."
"Send him in."
Andrew entered casually with a sly smile on his face. "Hello again, Mister President."
Granger sighed. "I supposed you've heard."
"Yes, that's why I'm here. I'd like to extend my gratitude for training my troops. Perhaps I could repay the debt." Andrew tapped his fingers together.
Granger sat back down in his chair. "You mean you'll keep Lylat off the planet? Aren't you already at war with them?"
"You don't want to be under Lylatian control any more than I want them to gain ground. Especially with a planet of warriors. It's a mutual deal."
"What did you have in mind?"
"I'll lend my protection, if you'll accept it. We are on friendly terms, aren't we?"
"I hope it doesn't involve planetary war."
"Don't worry, Mister President, Corneria won't get anywhere near Kerlruit. Just leave everything to me."
Wolf O'Donnell lay on the cell's cot, holding a spoon in his mouth that was left over from lunch. Leon Powalski was leaning against the cell wall. At length, Korgan came in with a key in her hand.
Leon straightened up. "I knew you'd warm up to me sooner or later!"
"Drop dead, dirt bag," she shot back, unlocking the cell, "You're both outta here."
Wolf sat up. "We're being released?"
"You wish. You've been turned over to Cornerian custody. It's about time you both got the punishment you deserve."
Leon put his hands on the bars. "Korgan, please don't let them do this."
"Forget it, Leon. I should've realized you were never worth it."
General Pepper walked into the room. Some guards came in behind him. They entered the cell and cuffed Wolf and Leon. The two were then taken aboard a transport with a couple of fighter escorts. Neither one said anything as the transport lifted off. They just sat, staring at the floor. A long time past, and no one said a word until Pepper broke the silence.
"Don't you two have anything to say?" he asked.
Wolf brought his head up. "What would you like us to say?"
"Anything. It's too quiet. It's driving me crazy."
Wolf and Leon said nothing and just stared at Pepper with narrow eyes. Pepper pointed to Wolf's eye-patch. "What happened to your eye? Lose it in a fight?"
Wolf leaned toward Pepper and said in a low voice, "Use your imagination."
Pepper winced. "I'd hate to see the other guy."
Wolf sighed and shook his head.
The door to the cockpit opened and a guard entered. "General, the pilots say we've picked up a distress signal. A small, independent fighter ship is being attacked by two Venomian scouts. Orders, sir?"
"Only two? You're sure?"
"Yes, sir, probably on patrol, but they could be part of a convoy. There may be more of them."
"Well, we can't just leave him." He paused in consideration, then said reluctantly, "Send the escorts."
"Yes, sir."
The two fighters broke formation and headed for the dog fight in the distance. Pepper moved to the cockpit and watched the radar. They seemed to be handling things okay when two more blips appeared heading for the transport. The co-pilot checked his display.
"They're Venomian, sir."
"Wonderful. Call back the escort, quick!" Pepper said, "Now!"
The co-pilot flipped a switch. "Escort, this is Captain Brayn. Hostiles on intercept vectors. Break off engagement and return to our wing immediately."
"We're on our way back," replied one of the fighter pilots.
The Venomians came into view and opened fire. The cabin shook and almost knocked Pepper off his feet. The pilot activated the transport's weak weapons system and attempted to return fire. The transport was slow and sluggish compared to the quick, Venomian interceptors. They continued taking fire.
"Shields are breached," reported the co-pilot, "Generator damaged."
"Come on, come on," the pilot said, trying to line up a shot.
The escorts returned along with the independent ship. "Hold on, sir," came the voice of one of the escorts, "engaging now."
The cabin shook again. The two ships swarmed around one of the Venomians until it retreated. A red light came on as the other came up behind the transport.
"He's got a lock!" the pilot shouted.
The independant ship flew in, lasers firing, almost ramming the Venomian. It spun out of control. The independant zeroed in and destroyed it.
"All clear," said the pilot.
Pepper activated the com and hailed the independent fighter. "Thanks for the help."
"You deserve more thanks than I do," was the reply, "I'm pretty banged up over here."
"We've lost shields. We'll never make it to our destination." Pepper checked their location on the nav computer. "But it looks like we're just close enough to get some help."
Mary watched the transport touch down in the Weatherlight's hangar. Another small fighter in poor condition followed. The transport's hatch opened and General Pepper came out followed by Wolf and Leon escorted by the guards.
"Welcome aboard the Weatherlight, General," Mary said, "It's gonna take some time for repairs."
"Thank you, Miss Francis. By the way, can we borrow your brig?"
"This is a neutral ship, General. Is that necessary?"
"I'm afraid so. They're in Cornerian custody, now."
"Hello there!" called another voice. Up walked a tall crocodile in his late 20's wearing a black flight jacket with a gray shirt and blue pants. As was normal for a croc, his body was long and his legs were short. He spoke with an odd, out-system accent. "Thanks, mates," he said to everyone, "For a minute out there, I thought I heard the fat lady singin'."
Mary lifted an eyebrow. "And you are?"
"Excuse me, ma'am. I'm Corey Lowenstack, at your service. You might say I'm not from around here. I wasn't findin' much work, and I heard there was some action in Lylat. I love action! So I said to myself, 'Maybe I can make a bit o' profit.' So here I am, and I find myself in the middle of a war. Maybe I wasn't quite prepared for this." He paused briefly. "Anyway, I can pay ya for the repairs."
Mary waved it away. "Forget it. I've got enough money."
"Hello!" Corey said, surprised, "You're a regular angel, I think! The galaxy needs more folks like you!"
"Yeah, right," Mary said. She couldn't help but smile a little at Corey's attitude, and from the looks of it, neither could General Pepper.
"General!" Fox called, walking up with Peppy and Slippy.
"Fox! I'm glad to see you're safe! I heard the assault was pretty bad. Where are the others?"
"Not all of them made it. Most of the survivors are here."
The General looked around. "I... don't see Falco."
"He's fine. Well, fine for Falco. He's with Katt."
Fox's eyes met with Wolf's. They looked at each other, but neither said anything.
Once again, Pepper broke the awkward silence. "Miss Francis, if you wouldn't mind, I'd also like to use your communications. I have to get some more transports here to pick up our pilots."
"Sure, General. This way." She led Pepper and the guards out of the hangar. Wolf bumped Fox with his shoulder as he passed.
"Hey!" Fox said in annoyance, but Wolf ignored it as he was led to the brig.
"Same old Wolf," Peppy mumbled.
After the General contacted Corneria, he called all available Cornerian solders for a meeting on the flight deck. Mary wasn't too keen about the General using the Weatherlight as if it were a Cornerian flagship. She and Draco stuck around to see what was going on. Fox McCloud and crew were also there, of course. And even Corey showed up, though he just seemed to be curious, and no one asked him to leave.
Pepper took off his hat briefly to scratch his head. He put it back and on and said in a loud, clear voice, "What I'm about to tell you is something you'll all find out about eventually. And it may be hard to believe, but it is the truth.
"Kerlruit's civilization exists because of a Cornerian experiment that began many generations ago." The room filled with quiet exclamations. "A group of convicts were put there to see if they would create their own government and regulate themselves. Corneria has been observing it ever since."
Mary's jaw dropped. It was all too much. She had lived on Kerlruit for a long time, and she couldn't believe that it was started that way.
Pepper continued. "Now, since Emperor Andrew has been able to get help in training his troops there, Corneria has decided to pull the plug and take it back."
"General!" Mary interrupted, "That's ridiculous!"
Pepper glanced at her with sympathy, but he continued. "We sent some diplomats to Kerlruit to handle the situation, but they never made it there. Apparently, there's a blockade of Venomian ships around the planet. They may have already struck a deal with Andrew. We're ordered to prepare a counter-strike. Some Cornerian transports will be here soon. Gather your belongings. We'll take care of your ships. That's all. Dismissed."
The Cornerian soldiers broke up, and Mary approached the General. Draco followed. "General--" she began, but Pepper stopped her.
"Miss Frances, I'm sorry. I have to follow orders."
"But Corneria has no right to claim Kerlruit as its own!"
"According to the President, it always belonged to Corneria."
"Can't you see this is wrong?"
"Miss Francis, I know how you feel, but I'm a Cornerian General, and I have to follow orders no matter how bureaucratic."
Fox came up behind Pepper and said, "She's right, General. You can't let this happen."
"I'm sorry. The best I can do is try to advise them otherwise."
Fox glanced back at Peppy.
"I know you're neutral, Miss Francis," Pepper said, "and we'll be off your ship as soon as possible."
Wolf and Leon were moping around the cell quietly. Wolf was gently tapping his head against the wall as if he meant to do it harder. Leon was slowly changing the shades of his skin to match things in the cell, like the wall and the cot sheets. It was like a little game he played sometimes when he was really bored. He had been watching Wolf for the last several minutes.
"You've been very quiet, Wolf," he said.
Wolf didn't answer.
"Are you all right?"
Wolf slammed his fist against the wall. He turned around and said, "Stupid Andrew! If he had rescued us, we wouldn't be here."
"You saw the battle as well as I did, Wolf. Modern ships can't withstand firepower like that."
"But he still left us there. He didn't even try a second attempt. Apparently, we must've been expendable."
"He might still rescue us yet."
"Well, I don't want it now. Not from him." Wolf sighed. "After all those missions we flew together. All those times we got him out of trouble. The one time we really need him, and this is how it goes."
Leon didn't say anything, but he nodded reluctantly.
"You know, Leon, Andrew never deserved to be on the team. He was an okay pilot but inexperienced and immature. He only flew with us because he was Andross' nephew. I don't even think he deserves to be emperor. Again, it's just heritage."
"He's matured a lot since then."
Wolf sighed again. "That's what everyone thinks, including Andrew, but I'm starting to suspect otherwise. He certainly didn't earn it. There are at least twenty others that served under Andross that would make better leaders than Andrew. No one will stand up to him. Cowards." He shook his head. "It's like Star Fox all over again. Remember? I'm sick of watching other people get free rides when people like us work, sweat and bleed only to end up being cast aside when it's convenient."
Wolf sat down on the cot and rubbed his forehead. They were both quiet for several seconds before Leon spoke up. "You have a point. Come to think of it, we haven't gotten any pay since Andrew became emperor. He seems to have overlooked the fact that he stopped working for us and we started working for him. But on the other hand, you have to give Andrew some credit. He knows how to handle the troops."
"That doesn't matter," Wolf said dejectedly, "We've made some mistakes, too. Remember back when it was just us, right before we met Pigma? We never would've put up with this! We've become too dependent on other people. Did you hear the way the General was talking to us earlier, as if we were old friends? We've gotten too soft."
Leon nodded. "I agree."
Wolf stood up with new confidence. "Let's promise never to make that mistake again, Leon. From here on out, we owe loyalty to no one!" He held out his hand.
Leon approached and took it. "To no one but ourselves," he said, then looking around added, "Now if only we could get out of this cage."
Andrew entered Granger's office with a look of satisfaction. Granger was less than happy at the situation.
"I think the defense has been going well," Andrew said, "Corneria's initial strike fleet wasn't very big. You've managed to keep your independence."
Granger nodded, but he seemed distracted.
"Something on your mind?"
"It's too close," Granger said reluctantly, "The battles are too close to the surface. They're damaging the land. And..."
"And?"
"It's disrupting the tournament. Many battles have been postponed and relocated, and some of the other governments are getting restless. I've been informed that they're a bit upset over our--" He paused looking for the right word. "--agreement."
"What does that matter? You're the president. If they respect the results of Mortal Kombat--as they should--they'll follow your leadership."
Granger looked as if he was going to say something, but he held back. Finally, he added, "Actually, I'm wondering if there are any alternatives."
"Alternatives for what? It's either us or Corneria."
"Well, maybe we should've at least talked with their diplomats."
Andrew rolled his eyes. "It's a little late for that now. Besides, you didn't seem too interested in talking to them at the time. You also told me you wanted nothing to do with Lylat."
"Well, yes, but... well... you're right. I warned them we'd defend ourselves. I just wish the battles weren't so close to the planet."
Andrew snapped his fingers. "You're absolutely right! If Corneria stays non-aggressive, I can afford to move the fleet deeper into space. I'll have to use a few more pilots, though. I'll get started right away." Andrew turned and left.
Granger sat in his office feeling uncertain of his decision. If he started peace talks, would they be able to come to a mutual agreement? Lylatian ownership while allowing Kerlruit to govern themselves through Mortal Kombat? No, it didn't seem likely, but he wasn't sure if the possibility of a planetary invasion was much better.
Mary was alone in a training room practicing strikes on a large punching bag. She alternated between kicks, punches, elbow strikes and knee thrusts. Each powerful blow sent the bag swinging back.
She could hardly believe what the General said about Kerlruit. To some, the Mortal Kombat championship might've seemed brutal, but it was very organized and everyone respected it. Whether or not criminals started it, it certainly wasn't inhumane.
What was inhumane was how it was being treated now by Andrew and Corneria. No one had a right to march in and claim it their own. It was bad enough that it be the target of brutal conquest, but it was even worse that it had to be dragged, kicking and screaming, into the middle of a conflict that had nothing to do with them.
Mary was severely frustrated by the situation. After living on Kerlruit for so long, she came to understand the system and respect the culture. What Corneria was trying to do to it was just plain wrong. It would ruin the entire planet.
As she thought about it, she began hitting the bag harder and harder. Sweat soaked the fur on her face. With a final explosion, she quickly drew her sword and slashed the bag in half. The bottom fell to the floor, and the stuffing spread out. She was heaving breaths, and her heart was pounding in her chest.
She then noticed someone standing in the doorway. It was Corey Lowenstack, and his eyes and mouth were wide open.
He put up his hands. "I'm sorry, ma'am. I didn't mean to disturb you--"
"No!" she said between breaths and gently putting her sword back into its holster. "No," she said again more gently, "I... just got a little carried away. Come in."
Corey entered and kicked around some of the stuffing on the floor. "Well, that was very impressive, I must say. Got a thing against punching bags, do you?"
Mary sat on a bench, too tired and distraught to smile. "No, but thanks for the compliment. I was just... letting off some steam."
"Upset about this Kerlruit business?"
"How did you guess?"
"Just by the way you acted in the hangar. I wasn't intentionally eavesdropping, but I heard what you said to General Pepper. Are you from Kerlruit?"
"No. I've just spent some time there. The whole 'Kerlruit is an experiment' thing kind of caught me off-guard. I know how the planet works and messing up its system won't help it."
"War never helps anything."
"But it's not just that. Kerlruit is a planet of warriors, and it replaced its own war with a tournament system that everyone abides by. If anyone prevents the tournament, they might destroy themselves."
"Hello! The plot thickens, I say! It sounds like you've got a clear view of the situation."
"I wish I did, but--" Her voice trailed and she shook her head. "I don't know," she muttered and sighed, wiping the sweat from her forehead. "So what about you? Mercenary? Bounty hunter?"
"You might say that. I'm really just freelance. Cargo runs, escort duty. I'll take just about whatever puts bread on the table."
"Where are you from?"
"Couldn't say, exactly. You might say I'm from all around. I've traveled so much I don't really keep track of my origin. I suppose I could ask my folks, but I don't get to talk with them much. If I had a home, you might say I'm far from it."
Mary nodded solomnly as she stared into space. "I know the feeling," she said. She meant it, too, remembering how she used to travel frequently to stay one step ahead of her old nemesis, Lighting, and taking assassination assignments to make sure her funds kept building up. No friends, no family, no home. She couldn't forget how lonely and depressing it was, and she caught herself feeling sorry for the young croc.
It surprised her at first, and she wondered why she felt that way. Things were better now, but she still had no home and no family. She felt detached from the memories. What made it different now?
The Cornerian transports arrived, and any Cornerian fighter ships that were still functioning were being prepped for departure. Any soldiers that were injured were being taken aboard the transports.
Mary stood in the hangar and watched, but her mind was lost in thought. A red claw gently landed on her shoulder.
"Mary," Draco said from behind her, "are you okay?"
"Yeah," she said, "Just... thinking."
"It's Kerlruit, isn't it?"
General Pepper approached from the mess of Cornerian personal. Fox and the team followed.
"I'd like to thank you once again, Miss Francis," he said, "I apologize for any inconvenience. I know you're not interested in money, so I'll have to think of some other way to pay you back."
"Don't worry about it."
"About Kerlruit, I'll do the best I can. It looks like Andrew's forces are moving further into space, but the defense is a bit thicker. They're forming a frontier of ships in front of the planet."
"So what are you going to do?"
"There's not much we can do except push back with more force. It's like trying to crack an egg using the ends instead of the sides. If only we could find a weak point and scatter them apart. Divide and conquer."
"And Kerlruit's stuck in the middle."
Pepper sighed. "I am sorry." He turned around to Fox and the others and said, "Ready to go?"
Fox hesitated. "General, I'm sorry, we're going to have to pull an ace on this one."
"What?"
"We've been thinking about what Mary said, and the team and I have decided not to work for Corneria this time. We are mercenaries after all."
Pepper seemed a little surprised at first, but the hint of a smile slowly appeared. "I understand, Fox."
A black panther walked up. "General," she said, "all transports are full and ready to go."
"All right, Commander Shaddoh, I'm on my way." Pepper nodded to everyone and headed back.
"Wait!" Mary called. Pepper stopped and turned around. "What about O'Donnell and Powalski?"
After a slight pause Pepper put his hand over his face and grumbled something under his breath. "Crud! I don't have time for this," he said and then paused for a moment. "Miss Francis, you've been more than tolerant, and I appreciate it--"
Mary held up her hand. "Don't say another word. They can stay."
Pepper said almost nothing but "thank you" until he got on his transport.
One by one, each craft lifted off and left the Weatherlight. Afterwards, all eyes fell on Mary who ignored them for the most part. She folded her arms and bit her lower lip.
Draco puffed a bit of smoke and said, "So, what's the plan, Miss 'Neutral?'"
Mary disregarded the sarcasm and said, "All this time I've tried to stay neutral. But I realized that I do have a home. I owe a lot to Kerlruit, and it's time I repay them."
Draco put his claw on Mary's shoulder again. "What took you so long?" he said with a smile.
Mary patted Draco on the back. "We need to pull our resources. I need every available pilot that's willing to help."
"I stand with you," Draco said.
"And so do we," Fox added. The other three nodded behind him.
"Count me in!" Corey said as he walked up.
Mary tilted her head. "You? Don't take this the wrong way, but why?"
"Well, I can see what's going on here, and I've got nowhere else to be at the moment. Besides, I told you I love action!"
"Then that makes seven of us. Now, here's the real challenge: how do we keep anyone from getting near the planet?"
There was silence for several moments. Finally, Draco spoke up. "Remember when Andrew pulled off Aquas? Why do you think he did that?"
Mary thought briefly. "Because there's nothing on Aquas. No strategic value."
"Maybe, but then why didn't he get Wolf and Leon?"
"That's a good question," Mary said thoughtfully, "Let's ask them."
Leon sighed restlessly. "I can't abide being caged up!"
"Get used to it," Wolf said dryly, "We'll probably be caged up for a long time."
The door to the brig opened, and in walked Mary followed by the last two people Wolf ever wanted to see.
"Fox and Draco! One nightmare after another! I hope you've got good reason for bringing these two fools in here."
"Be nice, O'Donnell," Mary said, "or I might change my mind about letting you out."
"What in Lylat are you talking about?"
"In short, General Pepper and all Cornerian personal have left. I'm willing to let you go under two conditions. One: there will be absolutely no confrontation between you two and these two." Mary looked back at Fox and Draco. "That goes for all of you. Understand?"
Wolf put his hands around the bars. "And the second condition?"
"You have to tell me why Andrew is staying away from Aquas. Why didn't he rescue you?"
"Because Andrew is a pathetic excuse for a teammate! And as an overlord, he's a sniveling coward! I hope Corneria uses him to polish the floors of the President's mansion!"
Mary's eyes narrowed. "Hmm. No wonder he left you there. But you guys have been together too long for him to just abandon you for no reason. What's going on?"
"A simple difference in technology. Majic had old weapons, Andrew had new armor. Not too hard to get around if Andrew had an ounce of sensibility."
"I don't understand," Mary said.
"I do," Draco said, "Majic's guns shoot physical shells. Generations ago, ship armor was strong enough to withstand it until laser charges became commonly used. They went through the armor like butter, so ships were outfitted with phase shield generators. As everyone stopped using bullets, ship armor was made lighter and cheaper."
"Hmm. So that's how it goes. Ironic."
Mary took a set of keys out of her pocket and unlocked the cell. Wolf and Leon walked out slowly, keeping their eyes on Fox and Draco.
"So, Miss Francis," Wolf said, "where do we get off?"
"Sorry, O'Donnell, no time for side trips. We're heading for Aquas. I have to talk to Maj."
"Well, we're certainly not getting off there!"
Majic was a bit reluctant to give up too much of his ammunition. It was a limited and precious commodity for him on Aquas, but Mary was able to convince him to let go of some turrets and enough bullets for one short battle.
One thing Majic didn't approve of was the accompaniment of Wolf and Leon.
"Take it from me, Mary," he said, "those two are not to be trusted! They'll turn on you in a hartbeat."
"I made a deal, and I'm sticking to it. Don't worry, Maj, I can handle them. In fact, they don't even seem to like Andrew anymore."
"I hope you don't believe that. It's Wolf and Leon, for crying out loud!"
From Aquas, the Weatherlight headed straight out-system for Kerlruit. Slippy went to work on outfitting the Arwings with the new old gun turrets, as well as Draco, Mary and Corey's ships. Draco and Corey helped him. Wolf and Leon didn't spend their time much differently than when they were locked up. They stood in the hangar watching the others.
Wolf took note of Corey's beat up ship. There were laser scorches on the side, dents, scratches, blurred paint, and several parts had obviously been replaced. It didn't even sit level on the landing gear. Corey was working under it.
Leon snickered quietly beside him.
"What?" Wolf asked.
"It occurs to me, Wolf, that Andrew probably thinks we're still on Aquas. Imagine if we were to suddenly show up on his doorstep."
Wolf chuckled and rubbed the back of his fingers under his chin. "You may be on to something, Leon. This is an excellent opportunity."
"What do you have in mind?"
Wolf smiled slyly. "Just a simple wake-up call."
Once in-system, getting past Andrew's frontier was no problem. To them, Mary was just a Kerlruit warrior going in for the tournament. She immediately went to see President Granger.
"Mary!" he said, standing up at his desk as soon as she walked into his office, "It's good to see you again!"
"It's good to see you too, sir, but we need to talk." She hesitated, not knowing how to start. "Sir... it's about Andrew."
Granger sighed. "I know. This has gotten out of hand. I think we'd have better chances negotiating with Corneria."
"I don't think they want to negotiate, sir. As far as they're concerned, they already own Kerlruit. They're going to defend it from Andrew whether you like it or not. You have to get rid of Andrew."
"I understand, Mary, but it's a bit more complicated than that. I've already told Andrew I want to cut off our relationship, but now he considers the system to be strategicly valuable. He's left the planet, but his fleet is still here. He's going to fight Corneria no matter what." He sat back down in his chair, wearily. His face seemed to age greatly. "Kerlruit is nothing but a prize to all of them."
"Sir, we have to take the system back. Kerlruit needs to establish itself as independant."
"With what? We have no space force. We don't stand a chance until they're on the ground, and by that time it'll be too late."
"I can keep them off the planet, sir. I've assembled a small team of ace pilots, and I can vouch personally for all but one of them. We've also modified our ships with weapons they can't defend against. We're in position to attack them from the inside out, and if we can just take them by surprise, we can cripple them enough to force them to leave the system."
Granger stared at her for a minute. He said, "Mary, you're asking me to take a terrible risk. You have to realize that if you don't succeed, they'll almost certainly retaliate with force."
"Please, sir. I'm not doing this for money. I'm doing it because I consider Kerlruit my home."
Granger looked into her eyes. Reluctantly, he nodded. "Okay."
Mary gathered everyone in the Weatherlight's hanger for the briefing. Wolf and Leon approached quickly.
"Miss Francis," Wolf said, "we want to fly also."
"What!" Mary said in surprise at the sudden request.
"Absolutely not!" Draco blurted, "Totally out of the question!"
"Why?" Mary asked with narrow eyes.
"Because we're pilots," Wolf said, "All we want is to fly. In exchange, I'll tell you some of Andrew's tactics."
"Don't listen, Mary, it's a trick. They can't be trusted! They're probably still working for him!"
"Mary," Fox added, "I have to agree with Draco on this. We won't fly with that rotten--"
"Hold it!" Mary shouted, "Sensors picked up a sizable Cornerian fleet moving in-system, and they'll be here in under two hours. We don't have time to stand here and argue, and..." she paused, "...and there are only seven of us. Any inside info will be useful, not to mention two more guns." She turned to Wolf and held her index finger to his face. "And only our ships have the real bullets. Don't forget that, O'Donnell. If you even graze us by accident, you're space dust."
"Fair enough," Wolf said in a low voice.
"Mary, this is a mistake," Draco continued, "Don't expect me to defend them."
"I'm not asking for wingmates," Wolf said steadily, "just a chance."
"Enough!" Mary shouted again, and she went straight into briefing details. Wolf added his information here and there. Since they were already behind the fleet, they could easily take out the command ships with little resistance. Then it was a matter of picking off the rest until they retreated. Considering Andrew's conservative battle tactics, it hopfully wouldn't take too long.
They launched immediatly. Fox and Draco seemed particularly upset about Wolf and Leon's accompaniment, but for the most part, they kept it to themselves.
The Star Fox team flew in formation. Draco and Corey were on Mary's wing. The large fleet slowly appeared on Mary's scanner, and the first of three command ships came into view. She checked the clock. Only one hour and 22 minutes before the Cornerian fleet arrived.
"Remember," she said into the com, "we have limited ammunition. Pick your shots. Use lasers if you're not sure. Steady."
They got closer. A couple of Venomian fighter wings broke off and turned around.
A voice came on Mary's com. "You've entered a combat zone. Identify yourselves immediately."
"Fox, Wolf," Mary said, "This is it. Hold them off while I take the command ship."
"You got it, Mary!" Fox responded, and the Arwings accelerated to full speed and fired on the Venomian wing.
A red alert sounded on the bridge of Andrew's ship.
"Andrew," said an officer, "we're under attack!"
Andrew stood up. The bridge was a large room surrounded by windows. "What the... It can't be Corneria..."
"No, sir. It appears to be some independant fighters and... Star Fox!"
"Star Fox? You can't be serious!"
"They've already destroyed two fighter wings."
Andrew was confused, but said, "Return fire. Chase them off!"
Mary and Draco were flying through a command ship's hull, firing on the core. The bullets penetrated as if there were no shields at all. For the physical shells, it was true.
Fox's voice came over the com. "Communication sattelite destroyed."
"We got the core. Ship disabled. Move on to the next one."
"Copy that."
"Where's Corey?" Draco asked as they flew out of the shaft. A wing of fighters lined up behind them.
"Don't worry, mates!" Corey said as his ship swooped in, "I got ya covered."
The bullets destroyed the wing in short order. Most of the pilots ejected.
"Thanks, Corey," Mary said. She checked her scanners and looked around out the windows. "Wait a minute. Where's O'Donnell?"
"Saw him headin' in the other direction. Like he had a plan of his own, it seemed."
"Mary!" Draco shouted, "You shouldn't have trusted them! He was trying to get back to Andrew."
Corey veered off. "I'll check it out. You fellas go on!"
"Careful, Corey," Mary said, hitting the boosters. She checked her clock again. One hour, four minutes left.
"Andrew," said a bridge officer, "we're losing ships fast."
"There are one-hundered-fifty of us and nine of them!" Andrew said angrily, "What's the problem?"
"I don't know, sir. But it is Star Fox."
Andrew stood near the large viewport watching the fight as it inched its way closer. "I'm not my uncle," he said to himself, "they can't beat me..." He stared for several minutes. "What's going on? Don't our ships have shields?"
"All fighter functions read normal, sir, but one of the command ships isn't responding."
"What is going on!" he shouted in frustraition, "I don't understand! Someone report!"
"Sir--"
"Stop calling me 'Sir!'"
"I'm sorry, Andrew. We're getting an incoming message."
"Then put it on."
"It's text, sir--Andrew."
"Text?" Andrew headed over to the monitor. He read the message:
You didn't come back to Aquas, so Aquas has come to you.
Andrew stared at the screen for a long time. "Is that... Hail them! I want to talk to them!"
"There's no response, sir."
He swore under his breath. "Blast it, Wolf, answer me!" he said to himself, then to the officer, "Keep trying."
Wolf hit the boosters away from Andrew's ship. "He'll figure it out sooner or later," he said to Leon through the com, "He's not that dim." A few more laser blasts chewed away at what was left of his shields. Leon pulled a loop and blasted the ship on Wolf's six. "Thanks, Leon. How's your status?"
"I'm holding together for now."
Several wings closed in on the two of them. They kept their speed high and corkscrewed through the mess as best they could.
"I sure miss my old ship now," Wolf said, firing a Nova Bomb.
Corey's ship flew in and scattered the group even more with the bullets. "You mates look like you could use a hand. What are you doing way over here?"
"Call it a special delivery."
"You fellas are in bad shape. I'll stay on your wing a bit."
"You have no reason to help us. Perhaps you'd better keep your distance."
"Nonsense! Where I come from, a fellow helps his mates out. And you look like you need help."
"So do you, according to my read-out."
There was a pause on Corey's end. "I'm almost out of bullets."
Wolf bit his lower lip and sighed. "All right. Maybe we'd better stick together if we hope to get out of this."
"Fair enough, mates. You watch my back and I'll watch yours."
Andrew continued to watch the battle. "How many?" he asked the bridge officer.
"We've lost almost a third of our ships," he replied.
"Any response from Wolf or Leon?"
"None."
"Then send a text message. Tell them I'm sorry." He clenched his fist for a while. "Pull back. Tell the fighters to return to formation. We're retreating from the system."
The battle cleared up and the fleet began moving away. Mary ordered the others back to the Weatherlight. She checked her clock again. 37 minutes left. By the time Corneria arrived, Andrew's frontier would be gone. Without anyone to fight, the Cornerian fleet would have no choice but to leave as well. There would be no immediate attack against Kerlruit, but they would definitely be back after regrouping.
Mary jumped out of her cockpit in the hanger. "We did it!" she said.
Fox and Falco high-fived as they walked over. Fox shook Mary's paw.
"Thanks, Fox," she said, "I..."
"Don't mention it!" Fox said.
She looked around the hangar. "Did any of you see Corey on the way back? Or Wolf and Leon?"
"The last I saw Corey was when he was going to check on Wolf and Leon," Draco said, "Anyone care to guess how that turned out?"
Just as he finished the sentence, Wolf's ship entered the hangar and landed. The cockpit opened and Wolf climbed out.
Mary approached. "Wolf, what the heck were you doing out there?"
Wolf pulled off his gloves. "This was more your fight than ours. Yes, we had a little personal business to take care of, but at no time did we do anything to betray your confidence--or what little you had in us to begin with."
"So where are Corey and Leon?"
"You're going to have to swing out and pick up Corey. He, unfortunately, had to eject. Leon is keeping an eye on him."
The Weatherlight headed out for the pick-up. When Corey was back on board, he explained what happened.
"Found Wolf and Leon getting all shot up," he said, "I helped 'em out a bit, but not without getting shot-up myself. All-in-all, I have to say any battle you can float away from isn't too bad!"
Afterwards, they returned to Kerlruit.
President Granger immediately ordered an award ceremony for all of them. It was held the next evening at a grand banquet hall that overlooked Flagport, one of Kerlruit's capital cities. Each of them received a medal of valor. After the ceremony, Mary spoke to Fox, Falco, Peppy and Slippy.
"Fox," she said, hesitating, "I wanted to tell you earlier that... I..."
"What is it?" Fox asked.
"Well, I appreciate your help. What I wanted to say was..." Mary took a deep breath. "Back when I was still on the run from Lightning, your father was the only one who ever tried to help me. You all helped me, and you didn't even know me. It's as close to having a family as I've ever been. Thanks for that."
Peppy and Slippy exchanged glances, and Falco raised an eye.
"The thanks belongs to my father," Fox said, "but we're glad you're our friend. Consider us family."
"...then Majic decked me, Korgan took out Leon, and we ended up in the brig," Wolf said to Corey as he and Leon recounted old stories. They had been talking for most of the evening. "Eventually, General Pepper picked us up. Then we ran into you, ended up on the Weatherlight, and I'm sure you remember the rest from there."
"Indeed, I do," Corey said, "Quite an adventure you two had. After what happened to Pigma, I'm surprised you had the restraint not to blow Draco out of space."
Wolf briefly glanced over in the dragon's direction. "It's not over yet, but it'll have to wait for another time."
"So you two are disassociating yourselves from Andrew? What are you going to do now?"
"We've got some extra money stashed away," Leon said, "We're going to buy some new ships and look for work."
"What about you?" Wolf asked.
Corey shrugged. "Same thing, I reckon." Corey began playing absently with the medal around his neck.
Wolf looked down at his own. It was the first medal he could remember earning that didn't come from Andross. Of course, he wasn't so sure he had actually earned it. The only reason he flew the mission was to tell off Andrew, and the only reason he got a medal for it was circumstantial. Looking back at Leon, he could tell the chameleon was thinking the same thing.
He had finally been rewarded for something he didn't think he deserved. The thought of it almost made him sick. It was now something he had in common with Andrew and Fox, but he was determined not to give in to it.
"Listen, mates," Corey said, "I wanted to thank you for helping me up there when I bailed out. I owe you one."
"Forget it, Corey," Wolf said, "We're not expecting to be paid. In fact, perhaps we owe you thanks for your help. We might've been the ones to eject, and I'm not so sure Miss Francis would've taken the time to come get us."
"All the same," Corey continued, "I hate to say I feel a bit lost. I've never been to the Kerlruit or Lylat systems before. I don't know anyone, I don't have a ship, and I have no place to go. It's not really unusual for me (except for needing a ship), but if you two, by chance, are looking for an extra team mate, well... I'd like to tag along for a while."
Wolf raised his eye and glanced back at Leon. Leon nodded. "Why not?" Wolf said shaking Corey's hand, "Welcome to Star Wolf."
Later on, Wolf respectfully tried to give his medal back to Granger, but the President stubbornly insisted that Wolf keep it.
Mary stood outside on the deck, looking at the city lights, especially the warm glow around the large battle arena. President Granger was with her. "Thanks again, Mary, for all your help," he said.
"At least Kerlruit's safe for now."
"They'll be back, of course. Corneria may not want to talk anymore, and their next invasion could finish us off."
Mary glanced over at him. "You're not giving up, are you?"
"Not at all! You've given me new confidence, Mary. We will stay independant, even if it's down to our last warrior." Granger sighed. "I hope it doesn't come to that, but we'll see this through to the finish. We must face the winds of war."
Mary smiled. "The winds are changing, sir." She looked back at the arena. "I have an idea, and I think we can finish this for good."