"Let my unit take care of Star Fox, my emperor," Sgt. Wolf addressed the mighty Andross over his communications system. "NO!" Wolf O'Donnel barged in on the channel. "Fox is mine. Your battalion was no better in Area 6 than any other. Let a real wolf handle this!" "Sergeant, your mission will be this. I want your unit to prepare for relocation. Mission specifics will be given to you, but the black hole is our objective," Andross calmed the argument with his commanding voice. "Also, every unit commander will be receiving copies of our critical data sets. We may have to resort to another plan if the young McCloud is successful." Sgt. Wolf bowed respectfully as the channel cleared. Secure spread-spectrum channels immediately broadcast vital information from Andross' databases to each unit commander's computers. Archival was important in a worst-case scenario. Wolf O'Donnel's last sentence bothered the sergeant. "What did he mean by a 'real' wolf? What am I?" Sgt. Wolf looked in the mirror. He was a young but well-respected leader in Andross' armed forces. Known for his superior training of new recruits, Sgt. Wolf held considerable prestige for someone in his position. Still, the sergeant did not know his own past. With Andross' emergency data archival underway, Sgt. Wolf decided to finally look for his own files--files he never had access to before. Not long afterwards, Sgt. Wolf's small unit broke off from the main fleets of Area 6. ---- The flashback ended as Sgt. Wolf and the entire Star Fox team were escorted to their prison. Peppy had alerted the entire team to JD's coordinates and flown the Great Fox to his rescue. Once Sgt. Wolf understood their intentions--and that even the great Wolf O'Donnel was against Andross--he didn't take much convincing to join in on the rescue operation. The uncharted world JD had crashed to seemed abandoned, but the decrepit base nearby was, in fact, quite active. Andross' troops were quick to capture everyone. The Lylatians were taken down a dark, musty prison wing, but the humans were taken down a more modern hallway to what appeared to be some kind of lab. "Hang in there, everyone. We'll get through this somehow," Fox whispered to anyone who could hear. "I've never seen creatures like those before," Sgt. Wolf whispered, though the guards didn't seem to care. "Where are they from?" "They're 'humans' from a planet called earth," Peppy replied softly as they reached the cell. Sgt. Wolf suddenly fell into despair. "Is THAT what I looked like?" Sgt. wolf saw the inquisitive looks from his cellmates and related his story. The file he had recovered told a sad tale. Sgt. Wolf had no memories of his past, but he had, in fact, been human. Several years earlier Andross had abducted him as an experimental specimen and turned him into a Lylatian wolf to better serve his purposes. Not knowing this, he was loyal to Andross and quickly rose to the rank of sergeant. Upon learning his true history he realized he could no longer return to earth in his new form. With hatred in his heart and no home to return to, he chose the life of a mercenary alongside his trusted crew. A space scavenger, Sgt. Wolf led the life of a wanderer. No past. No future. Only hatred for Andross and anyone else who might cross his path. Suddenly Andross' face filled every communications terminal in the compound. "Sgt. Wolf, I commend you! If you weren't a traitor I might promote you to general." Sgt. Wolf's heart burned with loathing at that statement. "Grrrr...what did I do for YOU, you miserable tyrant?" "Do you honestly think I wouldn't know your every move when you took your little ships? They were MY ships, after all. I've been tracking you since you left my service! Now you've even led me ot those young humans who dared call themselves 'Star Fox' members. What a joke! Still, they were a pain in my side. Do you recognize this base, ex-sergeant?" "Why should I? I've never been here before." "Ha, ha! Yes, you HAVE been here before. This is where I made you, sergeant! This is where you lost your pathetic 'humanity' and became something much more valuable to me. This is where the 'new recruits' will also join me. It's already beginning. Who knows? Maybe one day your former human comrades will defeat you, Fox? One of them might even rise up to lead a new Star Wolf team against YOU, Wolf O'Donnel! Hmm...two traitors. I really must learn to manipulate minds better..." Wolf O'Donnel eyed the screen carefuly as he growled lowly. "You're an insult to life itself, Andross. One day we'll squeeze it FROM you with our own paws!" Andross' laughter echoed as the monitors went blank. "We've got to get out of here and stop him, Fox!" Falco's fist pounded the dilapidated cell wall. "Wait, this cell is old. Look! So is the lock!" Peppy said. "What can we use to break it open, though?" Sgt. Wolf replied. "All I have is a spare plasma-capacitor with about ten charged rounds left. They took all of our blasters, though." "I know! Give me the capacitor," Slippy said. In an instant he shorted the capacitor terminals with the lock. The resulting plasma field-effect explosion took out the lock and set off alarms. Sgt. Wolf and the Star Fox team pushed through Andross' troops to reach the lab. "I only hope we're not too late," Sgt. Wolf said as they dashed into the lab. "If Andross has already brainwashed them, we may find mortal enemies instead of friends." One by one the tubes were opened. Adrenaline rushed through everyone as the humanoid figures stumbled out from the mists around them. Slowly the shadowy images became clear and terror struck Fox as he realized that indeed they WERE late. Staring back at them were various Lylatian forms, not humans. "NOT AGAIN!" Sgt. Wolf held his head in his paws. A tear slid unnoticed through his fur. "First me, now an entire squad of innocents! Is it my curse to put others through the same torture I went through?" Wolf O'Donnel rushed to Starfoxandwolf's side. "Are you okay, young friend?" "Yes, I'm fine, Wolf. I..." Starfoxandwolf realized he could see his own nose. "Don't worry, we'll get you out of here." ---- Where once joy had filled the halls of Great Fox, now only sorrow and tears remained. "Andross is an insane FOOL!" Falco shouted. Sgt. Wolf sighed. Fox stared silently at the stars as they all awaited Slippy's genetic analysis report. Wolf O'Donnel silently held an N64 controller in his paws wondering if the fun times he'd spent with the humans were now over. "Guess what?!" Peppy threw the door open. "We got there just in time. Slippy says their brain patterns are A-OK and that, unlike Sgt. Wolf, their original genetic structure is completely intact underneath the new patterns. With some work, in the future it may be possible for them to change back." "Let's go see them, then," Fox said. Everyone followed him to the infirmary. "Your name is truly fitting now, friend," Wolf spoke to Starfoxandwolf. "Hey, F.J., looks like we really CAN smile like foxes now!" Starfoxalpha gave a high-five despite his weariness. "What about our homes? What should we tell our families?" Ringshadow inquired in a worried tone. "Be grateful you still have a family to return home to--a family that loves you," Sgt. Wolf trailed off. "Andross stole that and my life from me." With that Sgt. Wolf headed towards the Great Fox's docking bay where he had parked his shuttle. "Where are you going? We could always use some help fighting Andross," Falco shouted after him. "Yes, and you are also the first friends I've ever had. We CAN work well together," Sgt. Wolf replied. "But I have other things to work out now. I have a new life to put together. I am a Lylatian now. A lone wolf. Don't worry, Star Fox, our paths are destined to cross again." Author: ROCKNYOSHI Subject: I.S. Two new Characters Posted: AUGUST 03, 1998 14:42 In the Prison Fox turns to a Weird Looking Reptile and asks "What did they do to you?" It says "They didn't get a chance, I'm A Yoshi, I naturally look like this, but it looks like they changed my friend here called Pseudohlus Blackwolf" Pointing to a being that looked a little like Wolf but was black. Pseudolus says" Rock'N Yoshi, I think we should escape now." RY "Yes, that's a good idea. Does anyone want to come with us?" Everyone says ya. They are running down the corridor and two laser blasts almost hit fox but two beams of light block them Fox asks them"what are they?" They both say "LIGHTSABERS" Then they escape. I.S.--Earthwar FJMCCLOUD 8-12-98 The team paused to reflect on their adventures. In the weeks since they met, the Nsiders and the Lylats had forged a close friendship and fought valiantly, hand-in-paw, together against Andross' growing forces. The planets of earth's solar system, once so distant to the humans, were suddenly familiar as the team scouted them for trouble. The Star Fox team routinely trained the Nsiders who in turn taught the Lylats about earth. Despite their numerous battles, however, the team could not locate and fight every ship in Andross' expanding armada. The day had begun so peacefully aboard the Great Fox. Everyone seemed calm after their recent ordeals. Radiation emissions from the asteroid belt quickly sounded the alarms, however. Andross' rock crushers were clearing a path for a vast battle invasion fleet. Attack carriers, blade barriers, insectors, and minions of every kind were en route to earth. "So it's finally begun," Sovan Jedi thought aloud as the team stared in shock at the screens in the briefing room. "I thought Andross had some large fleets in OUR system before," Falco replied. "I can't believe he'd have all of those just for your world!" "And we're the only ones who can take 'em down," Starfoxalpha spoke with sudden confidence. "That's right, team," Fox's unshakeable attitude filtered down to everyone. "Looks like we'll be seeing some fireworks tonight!" "My kind of party!" Wolf added as the team once again boarded the mighty space fighters. Earth's seige had finally escalated into an all-out war. --F.J. ----------------------- Okay, I know we haven't resolved anything from the last I.S. chapter, but I figured it's time Andross showed his true might.... So what happens next? Author: LUCKYYOSHI Subject: IS -- Alliance Forged Posted: AUGUST 12, 1998 21:01 It's been awhile, as I knew it would be, before I could get this out. In any case, it takes place directly after "Interim." "It's good to see you face to face again DaisyYoshi." Bree commented while shaking hands. "The feeling is mutual. It's funny how two months in deep space can feel like two years." The captain of the Nectaris smoothly replied. "You'll be glad to know that I received a transmission from the Imbrium." "The Imbrium? Isn't her crew on shore leave?" "The normal crew, yes, but LuckyYoshi has commandeered it so that she can help with the fight against Andross. She's on her way as we speak, and should probably arrive by tomorrow." "Then that is good news!" DaisyYoshi looked around her all of a sudden. "We should leave the hangar and speak where your senior crew can hear." She remarked. "What was I thinking? Of course we'll get out of here. Let's go to Ops." Bree then motioned for DaisyYoshi to follow as she showed the way. LuckyYoshi, former captain of the Procellarum, now acting captain of the Imbrium, sat in her chair restlessly. Patience was not one of her strong points, and she loathed long travel times - especially when she was leaping into a fray. She turned to the cat at Tactical. The feline interpreted her glance perfectly. "We'll be reaching Tranquilitatis by 1200 tomorrow." She smoothly spoke. LuckyYoshi nodded impatiently. She took a few calming breaths. Soon enough she would have her chance to pay Andross back for the damage done to her ship, very soon. She settled into her chair, determined to get comfortable. After all, it was going to be a while. Bree was hacking into Corneria's communication systems while DaisyYoshi watched. Both had come to the conclusion that they may as well learn as much about the situation as they could from General Pepper's transmissions before jumping into the fight. The silver fox vixen found the codes easy enough to crack, especially with the help of her artificial intelligence computer, a prototype that would soon be installed in all of Interstar's computer systems. Finally, she got where she wanted to be. She turned on both audio and visual and pushed her seat back so DaisyYoshi would have a better view. "Are you sure you want to join the others on the Great Fox NOW?" General Pepper was saying. The person on the other end, Fara Pheonix, answered quickly. "Positive General. Andross' forces are all out there, and there is nothing to be done here. Both Katt and I feel that we would be of better help where the real fighting is." "Very well, but how do you plan on getting there?" "On our ships of course." "Unescorted? Improbable! Andross' forces would pick you off as soon as they spotted you. I'll try and find an escort for you." "Fine, as long as we get there." Then the communication ended. Bree turned and looked at DaisyYoshi expectantly. "I see an opportunity." "As soon as LuckyYoshi gets here we'll patch in our own communication to General Pepper." DaisyYoshi agreed. LuckyYoshi sighed with relief when she saw Ganeymede in the distance. At last, she had gotten there. A recent transmission from Bree had said that not only was DaisyYoshi at Tranquilitatis, but an opportunity to formally ally themselves with Starfox and the Lylatians had been discovered. This was good news indeed. No more would she have to worry about that matter. "Captain, I'm sending a request to orbit the moon." The comm officer spoke up. "Good, and tell them I'll be down as soon as we're stable in it." "Yes, captain." As soon as the tactical officer announced that they were steady, she lept from her seat and practically raced down to the docking bay. She hopped into the waiting transport and headed down to the outpost below. When she hopped back out, she found both Bree and DaisyYoshi waiting for her, and was greeted warmly by them. "Now what was that opportunity you were talking about?" She demanded. "I'll explain on the way to Ops, come on." Bree answered, and the trio headed out. Once LuckyYoshi had been filled in on the situation, she saw it as a great idea. "Bree, you personally should take five of your best pilots to escort them. I'll lend some fighters from the Imbrium's armada to compensate for the loss." Bree nodded, "That's what I was thinking." "Since the Imbrium will be remaining in orbit here, I think that I'll go scout around earth and check out the situation there. I'll remain cloaked at all times of course." DaisyYoshi offered. LuckyYoshi smiled at her friend. "Andross won't stand a chance against us." "Not as long as we keep one step ahead of him." Bree said. Then they reached Ops. Bree sat down at the console and hacked into the comm for Corneria again, although this time it was much faster because she knew the codes. She immediately attempted to contact General Pepper directly instead of trying to go through some annoying secretary. "Who is this?" Pepper demanded as soon as he saw Bree's unfamiliar face. "My name is Bree VanIsle General, and I'm here to help." "How can you help?" "You need an escort for Fara Pheonix and Katt Monroe. I'm here to provide that escort, along with aid from my associate fleet, Interstar, in your battle against Andross." "How do you know-" "There is a lot I know General. You should make your codes harder to crack. In any case, can we reach an alliance or not?" "What would a non-alliance mean?" Suspicion etched in his voice. "It would mean that we would fight Andross seperately. However, a non-alliance would also mean that if your ships fired on us, we would defend ourselves." Pepper seemed to think the matter over. "All right then, you're hired as an escort, and the alliance papers can be made up later. What did you say the name of the fleet was?" "Interstar, General." "I'll write that down. In any case, how soon can you be here?" "Two standard days, General. Expect a group of six fighters in two days." "We'll be waiting." Then he cut off the transmission. Bree turned to the two captains behind her. "The alliance is set, and I need to get ready to leave." "Excellent!" DaisyYoshi and LuckyYoshi said as one. ~LuckyYoshi~ Author: KILLERTHUNDER Subject: IS-Through the Never Posted: AUGUST 14, 1998 21:01 Okay, go with this or don't, it's just an idea. ------------------------------------- "How can we defeat Andross when he has that much fire power?" Pepper said through the comm link. "I doubt we can." Falco said. "We can do it!" Fox replied to Falco's statement. "Yeah, we can." F.J. agreed. "But how?" Pepper reiterated. "We could go after them internally. However, physical battle seems out of the question." Peppy said in his wisdom. "Slippy, is there anyway to damage them heavily internally?" "Maybe. It depends on what we do to them. I don't know of anything we could use right now that would do much harm." Slippy responded. "If only we could go back to before he got most of this army together. We could do something to sabatoge." KillerThunder said, scared of the possibilities he saw in their future. He didn't predict failure, but he wasn't confident enough to say they would win. In his mind, any possibility could save them or hurt their chances. However, being a stark believer in the idea anything could happen, he didn't want to assume anything. "I wonder if a black hole could actually take people in the past as is told in sci-fi. Hell, if Star Fox exists, don't you think there could be a possibility." "Where is this black hole we are going to use?" Someone said, but no one but Slippy noticed. "How about the one we got here in. Do you think it would work Fox?" Slippy asked. "Maybe. Is it worth it?" Fox said. "Consider it and report what you will do to me soon." Pepper said. Author: KILLERTHUNDER Subject: IS-Dream On Posted: AUGUST 15, 1998 21:54 This takes place way back during training. --------------------------------------------- "C'mon, KillerT, pull it around." Fox said, encouraging him. "I've almost got it. These things are easier to control than they seem yet not as easy when you don't have a controller." KillerThunder commentted. The training was going well. Everyone picking up on the flying as if it were second nature. "Why don't you all go out into space and test your skills without us." Fox said. It was like a mother or father bird, nudging the young bird out of the nest so that it could go learn to fly on its own. Fox was encouraging the team to grow. "See ya later!" KillerThunder said, as he zoomed off into space. "Be careful, too!" Fox shouted. "Gotcha." was KillerThunder short, inaudible response. Space was empty, as it should be. He flew around, testing the planes limits, and his own. Others were in view of him, testing themselves and their skills in similar fashion. "What the...?" KillerThunder said, as an Arwing flew by. "Hey! Who are you to zoom by me and not saying anything?" In a familiar voice, the pilot responded "You know soon enough the rush I am in." "He sounds familiar." KillerThunder thought. "Who are you?" he asked. It was too late. The plane and pilot were gone. "Strange. He is going right at the area Andross is at. I wonder why." Suddenly his radio caught many transmissions at once of several people communicating. Each voice different, but familiar. Off in the distance, he say a hugh, white ship that resembled the Great Fox. "I'm delusional. I better get back and take a nap." With that KillerThunder went back. --------------------------------------------- "Huh...wha?..." KillerThunder said as he woke up. "What's wrong, KT?" Peppy said as he saw him awake. "Nothing. What are you doing?" "Just think about what we might do. Your idea of using the black hole might work, you know." "Yeah, yeah." KillerThunder yawned. "I'm going back to sleep. Talk to ya later." --------------------------------------------- NOTE: The second part of the story is present time. Author: KILLERTHUNDER Subject: IS-Testing 1,2,3 Posted: AUGUST 29, 1998 21:39 "Alright, Slip, you got this thing tracked?" KillerThunder asked. "Ready to go. I sure hope this works." Slippy responded. "If this works, you realize that we hold the key to a secret that could be very dangerous. We must make sure NO ONE gets a hold of the information we record." Pepper said over the comm link. "If Andross finds out, it will be extremely hazardous. You may have to finish him off once and for all, Fox." "We'll do our best." "Let's get it going!" Falco yelled in enthusiasm. --------------------------------------------- "It's approaching the Black Hole." ROB64 said. The ship was empty. Piloted by FJ from the Great Fox while everyone looked on, Slippy and KillerThunder check on coordinates and the tracking device as ROB64 mentioned what was happening. Everyone stood there, wondering if it would work. "Approaching, 15 meters." "10...5...2...1...it's in" "Alright, FJ, just pilot it through. You shouldn't need to force it." Slippy said. The tracker was monitoring the ship through the Black Hole, a feat that surprised KillerThunder. "The ship seems like it is being guided." FJ mentioned. "Just let it go where it wants." Slip said. The ship went around, almost like it was searching for an exit. Suddenly, a sucking force pushed it, as if through a wall, and the ship was in space again. "ROB64, confirm if you got it's signal on the radar a few minutes ago." "Confirmed. It was received a minute or two ago." "Hey Slip, it worked." Fox said from the docking bay. "The ship is here." "Yes, it was successful." KillerThunder and Slippy said in excitement. "So, how did that work?" Falco asked. "Well, it goes like this," KillerThunder started to explain, "if the ship went back only a few minutes, we should pick it up as it was leaving. ROB64 picked it up, and it was sent back to here by signal." "So you're saying that the piloted ship was flying towards the Black Hole as the transported one was coming back." Falco said. "Yep. Strange, huh." Slippy said. "Got me. I need some rest, my mind is overloaded now." Falco responded. Everyone just laughed.