Wolf had been tailing Ariel through the inner most hallways of the base for the past hour. It wasn't hard to do, between the tracer he was using and the bodies of guards that were littered about the hallways he had a pretty good idea on where she had been. As to where she was going he had no clue.

"I have been at this base since the day I was hired by Andross and I have no clue that this passage even existed." Mused Wolf as he stepped over a few guards and shot a couple more that were still twitching. Another explosion caught his attention, as well as the direction it came from. A glance out the window confirmed Wolf's thought, StarWolf's private hanger was up in flames. Wolf allowed himself a sinister smile, "Well, well." He chucked, "I'd bet a month's pay that Pigma just tried to escape to save his flabby hide. Well it was nice knowing you Lard Butt, hope you save a spot in Hell for me!" Wolf glanced at his PADD and kept going Ariel hadn't even paused to investigate the source of the explosion. "What on Venom could you want this badly?" Growled Wolf to the blip on the screen as he took off to catch up with Ariel.

Ariel had been systematically cutting down any guard and every guard that got in her way. Carefully following the directions she had put in her PADD back on the New Atlantis she methodically made her way to the prize. Finally she was faced with a huge door made of iron and fitted with brass decoration and steel reinforcements. She then looked at the complex lock panel next to the door. She sighed, now for the really tough part. She reached into her equipment bag and began to pull out the tools that she would need to open the door.

By now Wolf had caught up with her and was looking at her from the shadows as she began to work on the lock. His eye became huge as he realized exactly what room she was trying to break into. "It couldn't be." Whispered Wolf, "She is insane, nobody, I mean nobody can break that lock. If I know Andross; and if that is his private treasure room he'd have the finest security that he could steal protecting it. No way could a two-bit mercenary like could Triton crack it."

Only ten minutes has passed, but it seemed like forever to Wolf as he watched Ariel break through the complex lock piece by piece and layer by layer of security. Not one alarm was sounded, nor one trap triggered, she used neither a code, nor a shortcut, or a bomb to get through the lock. What she did use were the tools that any expert thief used. Small manual tools that were preferred by the best, no chance they could or would break down or fail in a tight situation. Very odd tools indeed to be used by a mercenary soldier and pilot Wolf though silently.

Finally Ariel stood up with a triumphant smile and stated. "Open sesame." As if on command the huge door silently opened and swung into the sealed room, as Wolf assumed from the elaborate lock the doors were automated as they moved out of the way Ariel pulled her blaster out of it's holster and carefully entered the room. Wolf silently followed; though wasn't silent for long when he actually entered the room and saw what was inside.

Ariel spun around, pistol ready to fire when the explosion of swearing occurred behind her. She was tempted to fire anyway when she saw who it was and maybe shooting herself as well for not noticing him following her sooner, she hadn't been that careless in a very long time. "What the Hell are you doing here!?" Ariel snapped.

"Seeing what you were up to." Quipped Wolf back. He ignored her fury and glanced around the room with appreciation. "I knew that Andross had a personal stash of treasure, but this..." He threw his hand out around the room. "This is a blasted horde!"

The room was about twenty feet wide and twenty feet long with a ten foot ceiling and almost packed to the top with stacks and stacks of every kind of wealth imaginable. Gold, Silver, Platinum, every type of gemstone the pair knew about and a few that neither had ever heard of, some of the precious metals was in plain bars and coins, the rest was fashioned into sculptures, various sized statues and jewelry. Wolf snorted with disgust, "All that talk about Venom's lack of funds for the war, Hell with the stuff in this room Andross could have kept it going for years. Where did it all come from?"

"Not from the Lylat system if that's what you are thinking." Answered Ariel. She tossed a bag of coins at him. "Unless somebody has come up with a new currency I haven't heard of yet."

Wolf caught the bag with his free hand and looked inside. The coins were heavy and about the size of the old Cornerian Dollar coins, with one exception, these were solid gold and etched in a language Wolf had never seen before. The amount of money in this bag alone could keep a smart mercenary with a single ship well lined in the pockets for at least six to eight months. "Your right these are not from Lylat, when did Andross have time to raid other systems for this cash!"

"He's been doing it all along." Replied Ariel. "I've been plowing into Andross's teams of collectors and pirates for years. Stopped a few of the convoys when I could, Imperial System, Alter Systems, Mino System, and heaven only knows how many systems have been hit by that crazy ape. Only about ten percent of what's in this room is actually from Lylat, a good sized amount did go to takeover Lylat, but the best stuff wound up here, as well as Andross's most valued possessions. There's a passage way and elevator to his private wing over there." Ariel motioned to a far corner as she walked to the back of the room.

Wolf's jaw had hit the floor. "How in the hell do you know all of this?!"

"It's quite simple O'Donnell." Replied a sinister voice. "Miss Triton did her homework, and did it well, I expected no less from the greatest thief in Lylatian history."

Wolf spun about to fire at the all too familiar voice only to have his blaster blown out of his hands. "Andross." Growled Wolf not even acknowledging the agony in his injured hand.

Ariel by now had reached a large shadowed object toward the back of the room as she heard the blaster fire behind her. She sighed. "About time you showed up. I wondered how long it would take you to remember me. As well as figure out what I was after."

Andross smiled while keeping and eye on Wolf. Wolf was royally confused. "I think a trip down memory lane is in order first though." He motioned with his blaster to where Ariel's voice had come from, "Move it you traitorous lupine." Snapped Andross.

Wolf sneered as he carefully walked down the room. "You betrayed me first. What goes around comes around Andross."

At the end of the room Ariel was casually leaning against a platform with a large trunk or container of some type on top, her blaster was laying on the platform and it appeared that she was carrying no other weapons. The bag with the gear that Boomer Gray had given her before the raid begun was now lying empty at her feet. The only thing that kept Wolf from trying anything was a morbid curiosity. Lylat's Greatest Thief? Andross knew Ariel? Ariel knew Andross? What is going on and what is Ariel after! Thought Wolf as the rabbit and the ape glared at each other with unconcealed hatred.

"Would you like to explain your colorful history to O'Donnell here? Or may I have the honors?" Sneered Andross.

"Go ahead." Spat Ariel back, "I'll correct you as you go."

Andross smiled. "Always the little spitfire. It began about a year or two before the demise of James McCloud. There was a series of thefts, all of very valuable and very rare objects from all over the system, museums and private collections. The odd thing was that despite the massive media attention the robberies received no police investigation was ever organized."

"Wait a minute." Sputtered Wolf, "I remember that, I was in my early teens at that time, the police stated they couldn't investigate because no charges were ever filed. Therefore no crime was committed." He glanced at Ariel, "That was you? You committed those robberies?!"

Ariel gave no response, Andross continued. "Yes it was her, hence the title of Lylat's Greatest Thief, though no formal charges were ever filed against her, that didn't stop some of her victims from finding other forms of justice."

Ariel finally spoke. "A bounty was placed on my head, a very large one. Since there was still a sizeable amount due on the GreatFox at that time. James McCloud offered to bring me in, he was also the only one ever to catch me in the act, though it didn't go quite as he planned after he found me...

Five Years Ago...

Ariel swallowed carefully as she looked across the room, the solid gold statuette was sitting on a pillar on the far side of the room, she checked her watch, five seconds to go. She was dressed completely in black and she wore a set of oddly tinted goggles over her eyes. A soft beep alerted her that the pause she had programmed into the security systems several days ago had finally kicked in. For the next three minutes the system would be completely down, she better get moving.

One minute later she statuette in her hands, it was solid gold and about 7 inches high. It depicted an ancient cat goddess from the old MacBeth tribes, it was found in a tomb at a dig about 6 months ago. Ariel frowned as she thought of the trail it had taken since then. She checked her watch again, less than a minute before the security systems kicked on again better get out of here quickly.

Ariel was about halfway across the room toward the door when a laser blast almost hit her foot. She yelped in surprise. "Hold it!" Yelled a voice.

Ariel looked up in almost horror as she saw a male red fox enter the room pointing a blaster at her. He was dressed in a flight suit and jacket and was wearing a com-headset and a pair of sunglasses was pulled above his eyes. At the precise moment he was about to take another step a soft beep caught Ariel's attention, and the fox's as well.

"Don't move!" Snapped Ariel.

"Why?" came the reply.

"Because the blasted security system just came back on!" grumbled Ariel, "Infra-Red beams are now criss-crossing the whole room we break one of the beams."

"We are in trouble." Finished the fox. "And if we can't get out."

"We are still in trouble." Answered Ariel. "At least I came prepared." The goggles she wore allowed her to see the infrared beams around her and her would be captor. A good thief is prepared for the worst if they want to be the best. As she began to carefully make her way through the invisible maze she asked. "So which one are you?"

"I beg your pardon?" Came the reply.

Ariel sighed, "Let's just say you are the third mercenary and or bounty hunter I've found on my tail this week, and the only one to catch me in the act. Lucky you..."

"Yeah, lucky me." He grumbled.

"So, to repeat my question, who are you?" Finished Ariel. She was almost at the door.

He sighed, "James McCloud."

Ariel about lost her balance from shock. Joy... She thought. The Lylat System's Favorite Hero is on my butt now. Well at least I have some leverage on him; I may have a prayer of not winding up in a five by eight cell by the end of tonight. I hope.

James heard her almost slip up. He stifled a chuckle. "Looks like the StarFox Team's reputation precedes me again." He stated.

"Not funny." Came Ariel's reply, "Keep that up and I may leave you there for the night."

James winced. Ariel smirked, "Can't you just see the headlines?"

"Let me guess," Groaned James, "The price for getting me out of this mess is to let you get away free and clear with that statuette."

"Maybe." Replied Ariel as she finally reached the outside of the beam field, "Though the thought of picking up a paper tomorrow with the headline: LYLATIAN HERO FOUND TRAPPED AT ROBBERY SCENE, for my scrapbook is very tempting." Without telling him she pulled off one of the security control panels and began to crack into the system. "I gotta be honest McCloud, I thought you had too high of morals to work for criminals."

James sputtered. "Criminals? I was asked by the heads of about five museums you ripped off to bring you in because the cops couldn't do so!"

Ariel smiled, this was gonna be fun. "There is a very good reason why the cops can't bring me in. It's because the museums that hired you never filed any formal charges against me with the Police. Therefore the cops have no legal ground to investigate on. Do you know the reason why they never filed the charges McCloud?"

"No but you are going to tell me anyway." He sighed.

"Because every single piece I stole was already stolen." Stated Ariel. "Most were grabbed from digs all over Lylat, icons, historical pieces, and they were sold off to the highest bidder on the black market. The Art World is a nasty and dark place to do any kind of business in, 90% of the people in the art business are guilty of some crime. The pieces stolen are priceless to the true owners in cultural and religious value. Take this little statuette for example, it's a depiction of one of the goddesses worshiped by the old tribes on MacBeth. It was uncovered in a dig about six months ago, and the very people who told those tribes that they had only the highest respect for their culture stole countless pieces from that and other digs. My job? Get them back. For a small fee of course, I have to eat you know."

"If the people you took the pieces from pressed charges they knew that how they acquired the piece in the first place would be checked and come into question, so asking the cops to help is out." James shook his head. You learn something-new everyday, and this girl isn't what she seems... He thought to himself.

"You've got a minute before the security system comes back on. I'll see you around McCloud!" Replied Ariel as she shut down the system; the soft beep again alerted the two that the system was down. Ariel was already out of the room and heading for the door by the time James was able to get out. Ariel thought she was home free until she was grabbed by the scruff as she almost reached the door. She shrieked in rage and surprise as she came face to face with another rabbit. "Let me guess." She spat, "Peppy Hare also of StarFox fame?"

The rabbit in question just smiled as James jogged up, "Thanks Peppy, now the question is now what to do with her?"

Present:

"Well since they couldn't hand me over to anybody, James convinced me to go into another occupation." Finished Ariel. "That's when I got the BlackFire and became a mercenary pilot, I ran a few scout missions for StarFox until I could build my our reputation. About six months later I was approached by a certain Doctor asking me about James, StarFox and how to capture them..." Ariel's voice almost dripped with ice.

Wolf sputtered, "YOU! He," pointing to Andross, "asked you to betray McCloud BEFORE he asked Pigma?!"

Andross snarled, "I still don't understand why you turned my offer down, your reputation was worse than that stupid pig's was!"

"Maybe because I have some semblance of honor and I owed James my life? He could have easily turned me over that night he caught me, I would have been killed for what I did and what I knew. He didn't he took what info that I could give him and turned the people who hired him in, I ended up giving him my fee for returning the statuette to make up for the one he lost. So now I'm going back to my life as I thief one more time, and steal the Mighty Andross's most prized possession from him. It took me weeks to discover the exact location of this room as well and how to crack the door codes." Ariel finished her sentence by pointing to the large object behind her. "This Wolf is the body of James McCloud, General Pepper could never get it back after he was killed. At least six teams have died trying to recover it, and only an empty casket is in Corneria Memorial. As far as I know only Peppy and General Pepper know the truth while Andross has been gloating over the victory that James can never rest in peace. Well that ends tonight!"

Andross reared his head back in insane laughter, "You actually think I will let you just walk out of here with it? People call me insane!" It was Ariel's turn to grin.

"I'm not going to walk out with it, but it will disappear right before your eyes." Andross looked at the casket and saw for the first time several small devices that were attached to the sides of it. Wolf immediately figured out what they were. Tracing signals for the New Atlantis's transporter Ariel quickly hit her com-link, "Delphi! Now!"

Wolf was howling with laughter as he witnessed Andross's face as the familiar shimmer of the New Atlantis's transporter surrounded the casket as it vanished from view, though his laughter was cut short as Andross shot his shoulder. He crumpled to the floor.

"Wolf!" Ariel yelled as she was about to lunge to help him, though a few laser blasts directly in front of her feet soon cut her short. She pivoted and leapt behind the base where James's casket used to be.

"You little thief!" Roared Andross as he ran around the base to cut off her escape. "McCloud's death will seem merciful after what I will do to you!"

"Tell me another one." Muttered Ariel as she grabbed her blaster from where she had left it on the base, taking careful aim she aimed at Andross's own blaster and fired off a few quick shots.

If it was possible Andross became even madder as Ariel's shots rang true and the blaster exploded in his hand. Andross lunged quicker than Ariel could follow and soon had his hands around her neck. "Now you will pay for your insolence witch!!" His eyes were wild and insane as he began to squeeze.

"Let her go Andross!" Roared a voice, Wolf had gotten to his feet and was holding something. Andross paused on squeezing Ariel's neck but still kept his iron grip around it.

"Give me one reason why?" Replied Andross in an almost casual tone.

Wolf gave his former employer a sinister grin; "You really want to see Beatrice Gray's Good Bye Venom Gift?" Holding up a remote, "She must have packed some doozies around because she stated that you shouldn't be in the base when you hit the button..." He continued to grin.

Ariel was barely awake, she faintly heard Wolf's threat the remote must have fallen off her belt when she jumped over the base. She was able to give a faint smile as she saw the blood drain out of Andross's face. She could almost read his thoughts, it most likely had to do with 'He can't be that crazy!!!'

"If you hit that button you'll kill us all!" Roared Andross, "I know you O'Donnell, you value your hide too much to hit that button and die a heroic death!"

"Then you don't know me very well do you?" Sneered Wolf as his finger hit the button.

Andross dropped Ariel and ran for the private elevators in a vain attempt to escape. "Idiot." Sneered Wolf as he dragged Ariel under the base as far as he could. Before crawling under it himself. He then pulled the real remote from Ariel's belt. "I'm guessing you made this room bomb proof but not the rest of the base, at least from the inside, I just wanted you out there when the final bombs went off. Paybacks are hell Andross, and say hi to Pigma for me!" Cackled Wolf as he hit the switch.

Andross had almost made it to his private escape shuttle when the explosions began. The force alone was enough to knock him off of his feet. Several heavy panels from the floors above blocked the access to the shuttle thus preventing his escape. As his most powerful base crumbled around him he silently cursed, not the fact that he was going to die, but the fact that one of his own soldiers had done the deed and revenge would be beyond him. Those were his last thoughts as a piece of the concrete floor from a level above him struck him down.

The explosions rocked every corner of the base, in the treasure room Wolf gritted his teeth and closed his eye as the shaking jarred his injured shoulder. After ten minutes of shaking everything became deathly quiet. He carefully opened his eye and looked out. The room was thankfully in one piece. Some of the huge piles of treasure had fallen down but other than that, everything seemed to be in one piece. He finally checked Ariel who was beginning to hack and cough a bit.

"What happened?" She croaked.

"Andross is most likely dead and we are now the wealthiest pair of mercenaries in Lylat. Anything else you need to know" Began Wolf.

"Okay," muttered Ariel. "Other than that, where's Ape-Face? Was he in here when the bombs went off?"

"Nope, I tricked him into running out of here, hopefully he's now squished flatter than a bug." Smirked Wolf. "Now how fast can we get this stuff out of this room and on the New Atlantis?"

Ariel shook her head. "You are hopeless O'Donnell."

Wolf gave her a wicked leer, "And you're no better Triton."

Three Days Later...

Ariel stood at the McCloud Gravesite looking at the twin headstones of Vixy and James. "You're back where you belong now James." She whispered, "I only wish I had the resources to do it sooner. I'll find some way to tell Peppy, and maybe General Pepper, hopefully they can break the news to Fox on where you've really been all these years."

After she and Wolf had emptied the treasure room and left Venom they had dropped most of the horde at the base on the Jungle Planet; both had crashed into bed after that. In separate rooms to her surprise. Once recovered enough she made a beeline to Corneria in the New Atlantis under cloak, not to her surprise Wolf declined to come along, much to her surprise Corneria had been completely freed.

Through tapping into the communications Ariel was able to discover what had happened. It seemed like a mercenary pilot named Shade Monroe had led a one-jet war on the Slave Camps, and won. Whoever he was he had perfect timing, he began his raid about the same time they had attacked Venom and his raid ended by the time the GreatFox made it to Corneria. With Venom is shambles, almost completely broke, not to mention Andross's assumed death, looks like Lylat could breath easy for awhile.

Using the transporter on the New Atlantis and some fancy programming by Delphi, Ariel was able to switch the empty casket in the McCloud grave with the actual one that she had brought from Venom. This way the grave didn't appear to be disturbed, very few would know what she did for Lylat and James McCloud, even fewer would know the real reasons why. That was just the way she wanted it. After all she did have a bad reputation to maintain. Ariel sighed and walked away she could have sworn she heard James's laughter behind her. She spun around and saw nothing but the peaceful cemetery around her. She smirked and muttered. "You always knew the truth, didn't you James? I'm not as bad as I make the world think I am, more hero than villain, only you knew that on 90% of those robberies I didn't make a dime." As expected she received no answer. She shook her head and made her way out of the cemetery.

After she left a ghostly figure of a red fox wearing a flight suit and sunglasses appeared briefly over the McCloud grave, a mere echo of a voice whispered. "Thank you, old friend, someday you will get the rewards you deserve for all that you have done for others." The figure then shook its head in chagrin before vanishing again.

The End

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