A week passed, Wolf O'Donnell was almost back on his feet on Venom, and Mariko was recovered enough from her injuries to move around the New Atlantis. Three more convoys from the captured planets attempted to make it to Venom. Ariel and Boomer again tried to stop the convoys, it partially worked. The first one was able to self destruct, but on the second convoy Ariel and Boomer were able to jam the freighters on board computers and prevent the self destruct from activating. That convoy was forced to land and stripped bare, the supplies and weapons were then redistributed to a few of the prison camps throughout Lylat. Now armed and better fortified those camps were able to break free from Andross's control. Andross was not happy.
Mariko was on the bridge of the New Atlantis opening a channel to the Imperial System, hopefully her brother had gotten a hold of that ship for her. Just before he came on Mariko noticed a Wolven II zip by with Blackfire in hot pursuit. Boomer and Ariel were working on taking the third convoy down, but this time Andross had upped the stakes by asking the three healthy Star Wolf members to act as escorts. So Pigma, Andrew and Leon were trying their hardest to take Ariel and Boomer down. Unfortunately the New Atlantis tipped the scales in favor of Ariel and Boomer by opening fire on Star Wolf.
Andrew had just gotten blasted by Boomer's E-M Pulse and was running away back to Venom whimpering for his Uncle, leaving just Leon and Pigma to deal with Boomer and Ariel, while Delphi was keeping the freighters in place. Usagi was finally coming on screen. "Usagi here."
"Hi Usagi! Were you able to talk to Lord Kiyoshi?" asked Mariko as she overheard loud and irate swearing from Leon as Boomer scored a few more hits on his Wolven II. Usagi raised an eyebrow, at the noise. "Don't ask." stated Mariko.
"Yes I was, and yes he agreed to give you the prototype." he sighed, "Rhogen agreed to transport the ship to the port where we met, he'll be there in about two days."
"That shouldn't be a problem," chuckled Mari, "by then we should be through distributing the supplies on this convoy to people who need it." Usagi rolled his eyes.
"Just be careful. If you need anything else just call."
"No prob," replied Mariko, "Signing off." After the link was cut Mariko turned her full attention to the battle outside. Overall things were looking good for their side, "Delphi." stated Mariko, "Status on jamming the Venom Freighter auto destruct sequence?"
"Completed." stated the computer, "Ships are unable to activate auto destruct, can hold block indefinitely."
Mariko chuckled, "Have fun explaining this one Star Wolf."
Boomer was happily hammering away at Leon's WolvenII, "Man," she snickered into her com-link, "Star Wolf must be keeping those mechanics on Venom busy with the way you guys go through fighter jets. I mean it's been only a week since I totaled that last one you were in, and it was almost as good as new before now."
Leon snarled, this Beatrice Gray was almost as annoying as Falco. He was going to enjoy torturing her, if he ever got the chance that is. "Pigma!" he snapped, "I need some help here!"
Pigma's answer snapped back, "Love to if I could get Triton off my back."
"In your dreams and my nightmares Traitor!" hissed Ariel as she dropped a nova bomb on Pigma's ship. He was able to dodge the bomb, but the shockwave almost finished his ship. He quickly headed back to Venom.
"Oh Leon!" sang Mariko, "I'd leave if I were you. We have you outgunned and complete control over the freighters, your chances of salvaging this mission are slim and none, and slim just left town."
With several muffled curses Leon turned his WolvenII back to Venom. Ariel stated "I don't know about you guys, but I wouldn't call Pigma 'slim' in any sense of the word." All three women laughed as they forced the convoy to land and began to transfer the bulk of the supplies to various camps.
A few days later found the New Atlantis landed on a small port just outside Lylat System and on the very edge of the Imperial System. This was the port that Mariko found her brother at since she left home to become a Knight. It provided the perfect meeting place between Mariko and her brother, it was out of the reach of Andross and far enough away from any major Imperial bases to raise eyebrows.
Mariko, Boomer, and Ariel were walking through the port's bar and club section looking for Rhogen. "Who are we looking for again?" asked Ariel.
"A former Imperial Pirate named Rhogen. He's a big rhino, with a metal horn and is very hard to miss." stated Mariko. "He's still a pirate, but loyal to Lord Kiyoshi, we can trust him. If we can find him that is."
"Great." stated Boomer. She glanced over and a seedy tavern, and did a double take. "He wouldn't be with a rabbit with a scar over his left eye, would he?"
Mariko whipped around. "Oh no. That rabbit would be my brother." she muttered. As she spotted Rhogen tossed out the door of the tavern. Usagi ducked under a huge tiger's punch and used the sheath of his sword to hit him in the gut and knock him out. He then stalked out of the tavern and glared at Rhogen.
"Can we go anywhere without somebody trying to collect something from you!?!" he sputtered.
"No." stated Rhogen getting up. He then spotted the three women. "Usagi we seem to have an audience."
By then Mariko was making her way to her brother and Rhogen. "Mariko!" Usagi exclaimed, while giving her a hug.
"Hi Usagi." replied Mariko, "What are you doing here?"
"I wanted to make sure you were all right." he replied. She raised an eyebrow, he sighed, "Even though I know you can take care of yourself."
As they walked toward the hanger where the ships were stored, introductions were made. Ariel stared at Rhogen for a bit before snapping, "Now I remember where I've seen you before. You owe me for that shipment you lost!"
"Oh boy." he muttered, he then ran off with Ariel in hot pursuit. After they left Boomer looked at Usagi.
"Are you going to do something?"
"Not this time," chuckled Usagi, "Let's get that Prototype out and airborne, and if they haven't returned by then, maybe I'll do something."
As Usagi unloaded the Prototype, Boomer's jaw hit the floor, Mariko grinned. After circling the jet Boomer asked, "Was this thing built or was it poured?!?!"
"Built." stated Mariko, "Hard to believe, isn't it?" The jet was a matte black, and would be almost invisible in space, and it was all curves. It had the rough shape of a flying creature from some mythical tale, the body was a pointed oval shape and it's wings were set about two thirds of the way down the front of the ship, they then swept out and up around the ship ending about nine to ten feet from the top of the cockpit. Mariko hopped into the cockpit and rubbed her hands together.
"Wanna race back to the New Atlantis Boomer?" she asked.
Boomer was looking over the engine, "I don't think so." she stated, "Unless I've gone blind this thing could leave the Shockwave in the dust. Maybe even the Blackfire or an arwing too. I can't wait to see this thing in action." As she glanced up at Mariko in the cockpit she asked, "Are you sure you're ready to fly? I mean it's only been a few weeks since you escaped."
"I can fly." answered Mariko, "But I'm not ready for combat yet. Besides if you think I'm going to let anybody else near this jet, you must be crazy."
Boomer shook her head, while Usagi rolled his eyes. "The jet is yours indefinitely," he stated, "since training pilots would take too long the designers are re-working the whole design for our use." He pulled out a disk from his coat, "I presume you want the plans in case of repairs?" Boomer answered by snatching the disk from him.
"In case you have not figured it out Brother," stated Mariko, "Boomer there is our resident tech-head."
A funny look crossed Boomer's face, "These are in Standard I hope?" holding up the disk.
Usagi nodded, "Both Imperial and Standard, I figured that any repairs would not be made by Imperial mechanics." He looked around, "Since Rhogen has not made a reappearance, I better see what you friend is doing to him."
"We'll be back on our main ship waiting for Ariel." stated Mariko, warming up the engines.
A few hours later Ariel finally came back with the biggest grin on her face. "Do we really want to know what happened?" asked Boomer. Ariel shook her head.
"Lets go and see what other problems we can cause for Andross." she snickered.
As the New Atlantis headed back to Lylat Mariko asked , "Just one question."
"What?" replied Ariel.
"You did leave him alive? Didn't you?"
Back in Lylat a Venom Transport edged it's way to Zoness and a development facility where the new Wolven III's were almost complete. Since the takeover the progress was halted thinking that the newer ship would not be needed. Now with a new batch of rebels making mincemeat out of the Venom convoys the development was thrust into overdrive and almost complete.
Wolf O'Donnell was pacing in one of the rooms, he was asked by Andross to go to Zoness and report on how the Wolven III was progressing. This assignment, combined with all that had happened since Mariko's escape was enough to put him on edge. The first sniff of trouble came with Star Wolf's introduction to Vixen, the Rogue Knight Andross hired to counter Mariko.
The next hint of trouble was Andross's reaction to Mariko's escape and his part in it. There wasn't any, yet. Wolf's gut was screaming that something was going to happen and he wasn't going to like it. This little trip to Zoness had all the signs of a trap, he was the only member of Star Wolf going, Vixen was also aboard. Somehow he had been able to keep his distance from her, ever since his encounter with Mariko, he had learned the hard way not to trust a Knight, Rogue or not, for anything. He tried to see if he could fly solo in his Wolven II but his shoulder wouldn't allow it yet.
He decided to make his way to the bridge to see when they would get to Zoness. The sooner this was over the better. He was in one of the seldom used halls when he was slammed into a wall then through a door. His head cleared and he spotted a saber pointed at his nose. He laughed darkly. "Why am I not surprised?"
"Then you are actually smarter then you look." drawled Vixen, "You must have also reasoned that you will not be breathing much longer."
"Nail me with that thing and nobody will buy that it was Mariko instead of you who did it." sneered Wolf as he carefully got to his feet.
"True," muttered Vixen, "Andross did want me to frame Mariko for your death but that would have raised too many eyebrows." she paused, "Especially since I'll have to step into your shoes after your tragic death."
Wolf fumed, Andross finally did get sick of him, and the pink slip was in the form of a knife in the back. That didn't bug him, the fact he was going to replace him with a two-bit Rogue Knight caused him to see red. "Just get it over with Witch!" he snarled.
"If you were expecting a quick death O'Donnell you are mistaken." Vixen sighed, "Have you realized where you are?"
He looked around, he was in one of the ship's dump stations, where waste was ejected into space that couldn't be recycled or reused in some fashion. His eye grew wide, "I'm gonna love the way you are going explain how I got sucked out into space." he spat.
She rolled her eyes, "Oh please, I have an escaped Cornerian Soldier tied up in the next room, he will caught ejecting you into space, I will arrive just in time to make him pay for what he did but alas too late to save you. Congratulations O'Donnell your about to become a martyr."
The New Atlantis was gliding under cloak near Zoness after picking up Mariko's ship. Delphi notified Ariel about the Venom Transport nearby. Curious Ariel began a detailed scan of the ship to see what it was doing there. Boomer came aboard the bridge to join Ariel. She was holding a vid pad with the Imperial Prototype plans on it. Boomer hadn't been more that two feet from the plans since she got a hold of the disk. Noticing Ariel's concentration at last she asked, "What's up?"
"A Venom transport is nearby, but I can't figure out what's it's doing here." she replied, "I'm scanning it for any more clues."
Vixen fired one shot from her phaser at Wolf, since it was on high stun it knocked him out cold and hard. She smiled as she strolled outside the room as sealed it from the outside. She then pulled the dazed Cornerian Soldier from where she hid him, in his bewildered state it was easy to manipulate his mind enough to get him to operate the controls to the disposal system.
"What the heck?" snapped Ariel
"What?" asked Boomer, looking over her shoulder.
"The transport is preparing to do a waste dump, but from all calculations it left Venom only a few hours ago, no reason to do a dump yet. Delphi scan the materials being ejected." snapped Ariel
"You think they are trying to get rid of something?" asked Boomer.
"I'd bet on it." snapped Ariel.
On the transport Vixen smiled as Wolf O'Donnell was pulled from the ship. As soon as the doors closed behind him, a single swipe of her saber took care of the hapless soldier. She then waited for the troops to arrive, no doubt that they picked up the unauthorized usage of the system from the bridge. As she and Andross planned.
"Holy!" roared Ariel as she looked at the scan, "Somebody was in that room and is still alive! Delphi! Prepare transporter and get that person here now!!!" She then spun around and ran off the bridge.
As Boomer followed, "Transporter?" she asked.
"A bit of experimental tech I picked up while in Mino System, it can move people and equipment over a great distance in a few seconds. The one I have here can move only a few people at most, I'm hoping we can reach whoever that is out there in time. A body can survive only a minute or so out there without protection."
The pair soon reached a small room, Ariel made for the control panel and hit a few buttons, she sighed with relief. "Who ever it is we got them, the sequence should be complete in a moment."
On a small platform on one side of the room a soft light glimmered and a body formed. Ariel grabbed a air tank from a panel behind the console and hurried to the platform. Boomer was already there, she checked out the ragged uniform. "No badge or insignia." she muttered, "That's odd..."
Ariel rolled the person over the get some oxygen into him or her, chances are they needed it after the short trip in space. It was a male wolf, a patch over one eye, who had defiantly seen better days. As she placed the mask over his muzzle she noted that his other vitals were strong. This guy was defiantly a survivor. She looked up to see Boomer's shocked and wide eyed expression. "What?" asked Ariel.
Boomer sat on the floor because her legs no longer supported her, "I don't believe it." she muttered.
"What?" snapped Ariel, "Do you know who this guy is?"
"Oh yeah." replied Boomer, "That is Wolf O'Donnell, the last member and most likely, former leader, of Star Wolf."
"Oy." whispered Ariel, "We just rescued on of Lylat's greatest terrors?"
"Yeah." whispered Boomer
Several hours later, the New Atlantis beelined it away from the transport after Boomer identified Wolf. Mariko nearly had a heart attack when she found out. But to Ariel's surprise the only person who wanted to put him back where they found him was Boomer.
"Are you not the least bit curious to see why he was out there?" asked Ariel, by this point they had gotten Wolf to the medical bay.
"Maybe." muttered Boomer, "Blame my attitude on fighting him and his kind for the past few years."
Mariko was checking Wolf's vitals, "Only Wolf O'Donnell would survive that." Mariko shook her head. "I hate Wolf as much as you do Boomer, but I'm for seeing what happened before we do anything. Besides I can't wait to see his face when he finds out who saved him."
A groan from the bed got the three women's attention, "What is this guy made of?" remarked Ariel, "I'd didn't think he'd wake up until tomorrow at least."
"Typical O'Donnell" replied Mariko.
Wolf slowly came back to reality, the last thing he remembered was Vixen shooting him, his chest hurt something fierce and it hurt to breathe. He hurt too much to be dead, and he was defiantly not in any Venom medical area, the bed was a bit too soft. He clawed the mask over his muzzle off and began to take careful breaths.
"Welcome back." chuckled a female voice.
Wolf's eye widened as he took in the very attractive female rabbit standing next to the bed. "Where?" he gasped.
A wicked smile played across Ariel's face, "Welcome aboard the New Atlantis Mr. O'Donnell, I'm Ariel Triton, I believe you have heard of me at least."
"Oh no." he hissed, "Out of the frying pan..."
"And into the Fire." finished Mariko, "Nice to see you again Wolfie."
"AAARRRGGGG!!!!!!!" snarled Wolf as he tried to lunge at Mariko, he quickly fell back gasping. Ariel gave him back the air mask and he promptly took it. When he could speak again. He muttered, "So what are you going to do with me? Turning me over to the authorities is out since there is no authorities to give me to."
Boomer sighed, "Unfortunately he's got a point."
Ariel's grin got wider, "It's not a case of what we are going to do to you Wolf O'Donnell. It's what you can do for us."
Boomer's eyebrow shot up, "What?"
"Ditto." muttered Wolf.
Mariko grinned, and pointed to Wolf, "He owes us." Boomer nodded in understanding, and chuckled.
"Oh no." hissed Wolf, "No way this side of Venom am I going to work for you three. Forget it. Find some other idiot."
Ariel shrugged, "Okay, I'm a neat person. I like to put things back right where I found them..." she let the sentence hang as the meaning sunk into Wolf.
He fumed and scowled at the three women, "I would call your bluff but I have a sick feeling that it isn't a bluff with you three. What do you want?"
"Right now?" stated Ariel, "Nothing, your not much use in your current state, so rest up. I'll put you to work soon enough." She then strolled out the door. Boomer and Mariko followed stifling laughter at Wolf's face.
After they left Wolf alone he began to think. All of Venom thought he was dead, chances were that this crew would use the information he had to hit Andross hard. He was laying bets that most of it would not be changed since he was thought to be dead. A slow grin spread across he face, he'd show Andross for replacing him with a Knight! At least this set-up a few pluses that Star Wolf didn't have. A private main ship like the Great Fox and this team was allot easier on the eyes than Star Wolf. He'd cooperate for now.
"Do you think working with him is such a good idea?" asked Boomer as she Ariel and Mariko grabbed a bite to eat in the rec area.
"No." stated Ariel bluntly, "But we need info on Andross's workings and plans. He's the best shot we've got right now. Since you can see more that the rest of us Mari, what's your view?"
Mariko put down her glass and thought about it for a bit. "At the moment his main motivation for assisting us is revenge against Andross and whoever he ordered to kill him. Once that is done he might turn against us, or pick up the torch against Fox. If I recall his main motivation to join up with Andross was the chance to take Fox down for keeps. He'll help us, as long as there is something in it for him in the end, if not it could get sticky."
Boomer snorted, "Working for the devil you do know versus the devil you don't know."
"At least we have one plus on our side," remarked Ariel, "He knows if he crosses us he will pay for it and death should be the least of his worries. So if he's gonna turn he's gonna do it right cause he will not get a second chance."
"We just have to keep an eye on him." shrugged Mariko, "Between us and Delphi that shouldn't be a problem."
"Now that is settled," stated Ariel, "I'm gonna see how bad our guest's table manners are."
Ariel strolled into the medical bay with a dinner tray Wolf had managed to sit up in the bed. "Hungry?" she stated. He nodded.
Between mouthfuls he asked, "What's in it for you?"
"Pardon?" she asked.
After a few more swallows he continued, "I can see why Mariko and Gray are doing this, Mariko wants to free her squeeze Fox, and Gray want's to find her brother and maybe put Leon on a plate, but what's your angle on this?"
"I don't like Andross?" she replied
Wolf snorted, "I used to work for that manic, and I don't like him. You don't see me waging a one-person war against him. I have heard about you, and not just from Pigma, you are a mercenary through and though Triton. I doubt that you would do anything with out an angle for yourself, just like me. I just haven't figured out what you get out of all of this yet."
"Continue to cooperate Wolf and you may have the time to figure it out, for all you know I could be doing this out of the goodness of my heart. Later." Ariel stated as she walked out of the room.
Wolf smiled to himself as she left. He doubted that she was doing this out of the goodness of her heart. There was allot more to Ariel Triton then met the eye, this might be better than he thought.
On to Chapter Four
Back to Black Dolphins Rising Index