Chapter VIII

Wolf rode in the rear seat of the Guardian Angel during the flight back to Alliance space. The flight was quiet and uneventful, as both Ashe and Wolf chose to catch up on some needed sleep. Wolf had told Ashe that he didn't have a ship of his own at the moment, and the priest didn't ask any more questions.

The two of them met up with the Great Fox in orbit around Katina. Wolf fidgeted uncomfortably in his seat as the Guardian Angel dropped out of hyperspace. In his pocket was a data disk containing all the Venomian tactical and strategic information he had been able to get his hands on.

"Have you ever been on the Great Fox?" asked Ashe.

Wolf shook his head. "Never. James said it wasn't a place for kids, or cadets."

"I think you'll like it," replied Ashe. "It's quite comfortable to live in. Very homey, in a juvenile way."

"You're pretty optimistic," commented Wolf dryly. "What makes you think I'll be welcomed back?"

"I just know."

It was Falco's turn to be on watch when the Guardian Angel returned to the Great Fox at the rendezvous point in Fortuna's orbit. He came down from the bridge to meet Ashe in the hangar once it had re-pressurized.

"Hey padre," said Falco as he stepped out of the sealed viewing area. "Was wonderin' where you'd run off toooAAHH Holy shit!" he shouted as he saw Wolf climbing out of the ship. A moment later and Falco had his blaster drawn.

Ashe quickly held up his hands. "No, Falco, it's okay! Wolf is with me. And watch your mouth!"

Falco kept his blaster out, resting his finger on the trigger guard. "Are you kiddin' me? What's he doin' here?"

Wolf sighed softly. "Nice to see you too, Lombardi. I just want to talk, alright?"

"It's safe, Falco," Ashe said. "I promise."

"Oh man," said Falco, "Fox is gonna freak!" He quickly opened the hangar airlock and pressed the intercom switch. "Hey guys, Ashe is back. Everyone, gather in the lounge. You are not gonna believe who he brought with him!"

After Wolf submitted to a brief search for weapons by Falco, the three of them rode together in the the elevator up to the habitation deck. "Damn, padre," commented Falco. "O'Donnell must have told you a whopper to get you to bring him here."

"It wasn't like that," replied Wolf. "Actually, it was more like the other way around."

"Huh?"

"Never mind."

The rest of the StarFox team was gathered in the lounge area, looking at the elevator door with anticipation. Falco and Ashe stepped out first, blocking the team's view of Wolf in the back of the elevator.

"Hey preacher, what's going on?" Fox asked irritably, looking skeptical.

"Fox," said Ashe, "There is someone I would like you to meet." He stepped aside, and Wolf walked forward into the room. Fox's jaw visibly dropped. Slippy's eyes bugged out even more than usual. Even Peppy looked surprised.

Wolf managed a sickly smile. "Um... Hi Fox. How's it going?"

Fox struggled to shake off his disbelief. "Whuh... what're you doing here, Wolf?"

"Well um... I was in the neighborhood, and I thought I might stop by and see how you were doing," replied Wolf with a smirk. From behind Wolf's back Falco mimed the motion of drawing his blaster, but Peppy looked at him and shook his head. Falco shrugged, and let his wings drop back down to his sides.

Shock faded to suspicion on Fox's face. "So, what's your deal, Wolf? Why're you really here?"

Wolf thrust his hands deep into his coat pockets. "I met up with Father Rhinehardt a couple of days ago, and he thought maybe we should talk. So here I am."

Fox shot Ashe an angry glare before turning his gaze to Peppy. "Well, let's at least give him a chance," the hare said. "He's gone to a lot of trouble to come here."

Fox grunted sourly. "Alright, I'm listening."

Two hours later, after both Fox and Wolf had told their respective stories of the night when Fox last saw his father, the tension had settled down. Fox had visibly relaxed, and seemed at least receptive to the idea that Wolf really wasn't his enemy. At some point Peppy got up to grab some re-heatable rations from the freezer and heated them up for the group.

"Wait a sec," Falco interrupted. "Just why were you hiding out in a bunker on Titania anyway, Wolf?"

"That's another long story," replied Wolf, looking down at the floor.

"We've already heard two long stories tonight," said Ashe. "One more won't matter too much."

"Yeah, I wanna know that too," added Fox.

Wolf sighed. "Alright, here goes..."

Twelve days before, Wolf was resting in his private quarters on Venom in the officer's barracks of the Imperial Navy. Andross' face filled the communication screen before him. The emperor did not look pleased.

"Sir," Wolf said to the emperor, "How can we keep up this pace? We're chasing them all over Fortuna and..."

"I'm not paying you to ask questions, O'Donnell," interrupted Andross. "I'm paying you to eliminate McCloud, and I might add you have failed me spectacularly."

Wolf flattened his ears in shame. "We will get them, sir. It's just a matter of time."

"Time? Time?" shouted Andross. "You should have captured them months ago!" Wolf shied back away from the monitor. There was no reasoning with Andross when he was angry, and the subject of StarFox was one that almost always made him angry. "I am tired of excuses, O'Donnell," continued the emperor. "I am not a patient ape. Now I have gone to a very great deal of trouble to set up this ambush at Serenity Base. Make no mistake about it, this is your last chance."

Andross cut off the communicator. Wolf sighed, pausing only to take a meal and shower before flying his Wolfen to Fortuna. He slept fitfully during the long flight.

The next day, StarFox arrived, as expected. Andross sprung his trap, sending out StarWolf and activating a bomb inside of the base. But Fox's piloting skills surprised them all, and the Venomian forces were forced into retreat again. Andross immediately recalled his elite forces back to Venom while the infantry on Fortuna regrouped.

Less than two hours after his return to Venom, Wolf was dragged from his quarters by Andross' royal guard. The guards escorted him down into the dungeons of the palace and chained him to the wall, his arms spread and facing the concrete. Normally Leon or one of the subordinate interrogators would be present, but Emperor Andross was there in person this time.

Andross locked the door to the interrogation room and nodded briefly to the guards. He rolled up the sleeves of his silk doublet while the two guards stripped Wolf of his shirt and placed a stick of rawhide into his muzzle. They stood clear as Andross hefted a bullwhip. The emperor stepped back, aimed, and cracked the whip at Wolf's unprotected back. A bloody line streaked across Wolf's back, and his muscles tensed against the pain. Wolf bit down on the strip of hide in his mouth to stifle his cries.

Despite the fact that Andross was nearing fifty years old, he swung the whip at Wolf with surprising ferocity and accuracy. Each time he cracked the whip, the leather dug in deep through Wolf's fur and into his skin, drawing more blood. Andross worked in a steady rhythm until Wolf's back was a criss-cross of red lines. He whipped Wolf's arms. He whipped Wolf's legs through his pants, shredding cloth and skin. He had his guard turn Wolf around in the manacles so he could whip Wolf's chest.

Wolf's recollection of his beating at the hands of his emperor was hazy. Some time around forty lashes the rawhide dropped from his mouth, and he howled out in pain each time the whip cut him. Blood loss weakened him as the night wore on. During brief periods he blacked out from the pain. By the time Andross was too tired to wield the whip to his satisfaction he had delivered an even one hundred lashes.

Falco almost spat out a beakful of soda. "A hundred lashes?" he shouted. The entire group looked horrified, save Fox who merely showed shocked disbelief.

"Show me," said Fox. Wolf lifted up the edge of his shirt. Thin dark lines could be seen wrapping around his torso.

Falco whistled softly. "Jesus."

"Language!" Ashe admonished him.

Fox's facial features softened, and he leaned back in his seat, looking up at Wolf with shame and sadness in his eyes. "I'm... sorry."

"Don't be," replied Wolf. "He would have done much worse to you."

"Anyway, please go on," Peppy said.

Wolf awoke sometime later lying down on a bed. He was in his own bed instead of the base hospital. His skin had been virtually shredded from Andross' beating. Movement was out of the question. Even breathing made his muscles ache. Someone was hovering above him and applying a cool antiseptic to the whip cuts. Wolf began to stir, groaning quietly in pain. "Ugh..."

"Hush, lie still," whispered Leon as he closed the worst of the cuts with a liquid bandage.

"Leon... finish me..." Wolf mumbled.

"No, Wolf."

"I'm in pain, Leon. Please, kill me..."

"I said no. You're going to live."

Wolf tried to sit up, but the effort was too much for him. He collpased back, wincing as he pulled at the cuts over his shoulders and back. With a sense of defeat, he lay still, starting to feel a gentle numbness from the medicine that Leon was applying to his torn body. The liquid bandages sealed the wounds shut, while also disinfecting them and helping them to close quicker with less scarring.

"This isn't right..." muttered Wolf.

"Andross does seem excessively cruel when it comes to matters of McCloud," said Leon.

"Not just that," Wolf replied. "All of this. We deserve better. We aren't respected. Other mercenaries are treated with respect."

"Mmm. I warned you about that when you asked to join my crew," commented Leon. He applied a painkiller patch to Wolf's forearm where his skin was still intact. Wolf began to feel drowsy.

"Not like this," Wolf whimpered as he closed his eyes. "Not like this..."

"Once I felt strong enough to move, I took a ship out of the base, abandoned it on Titania, and hid out in that defense shelter," Wolf said as he finished his story. "I didn't think anyone would look for me there, until Father Rhinehardt picked up the trail. Someone must have recognized me when I went into town to pick up supplies."

Although it was after midnight by the ship's chronometer, no one felt like sleeping. There were a few emply ration packages and water bottles on the lounge table, but there had been very little movement among the group.

"You were lucky it was Ashe and not a Venomian agent who found you first," said Peppy.

"I'm having a hard time believing all of this," said Falco. "So, why exactly did you decide to go with Ashe, Wolf?"

"He didn't," Ashe answered for him. "He didn't trust me. Given the circumstances, I don't blame him. So, I agreed to perform a service for him."

"What, he needed a baptism or somethin'?" Falco snickered. Peppy reached over and slugged him in the shoulder.

"No, not that," Ashe said, reaching into his back pocket. "I helped capture someone." He placed a piece of paper of the table. It was a proof of capture document for Pigma Dengar, authorizing a sizeable payment to the StarFox team from the government of Katina.

"No way!" Falco shouted.

"Wow!" exclaimed Slippy. "Look at all that money!"

"I don't believe it," Fox muttered. He had said very little for the last few hours.

"It's true," Wolf said. "Made the headlines, in case you guys don't watch the news."

"Yeah, we heard he got picked off... but we didn't know it was you, preacher," said Falco, looking very impressed. "Damn, you've got a bigger pair than I thought."

Ashe smirked and rolled his eyes good-naturedly. "Anyway, I think we're missing the big picture here," he said. "Fox, Wolf is not your enemy. You were friends once before, and I know you still are. You need to move on with your life. Acceptance is the last stage of grieving."

Wolf stood up slowly. "Fox..." he said deliberately, "I was wrong. I'm sorry. I acted the way I did out of fear. Fear of being condemned by the military. I only wish things hasn't gotten this bad before I came to my senses. And I want to be your friend again."

Fox stood up as well. The turmoil that had clouded his head for the last week was replaced by a gentle stillness, and his mind became clear. He waited a long time before he finally spoke.

"I missed you too, Wolf." He extended his hand. "I want to be your friend again."

Wolf smiled, and shook Fox's hand. Fox broke into a gentle smile, then he pulled Wolf close for a fierce hug for just a moment. Peppy smiled and stood up from his chair. "It's good to have you back with us, Wolf."

"Look, guys..." Falco said, sitting up in his seat. "I hate to break the happy mood, but I don't think General Pepper is going to be too thrilled about us harboring one of Lylat's top ten most wanted."

"I planned ahead for that," Ashe said as he began to clear the table. "Wolf helped himself to a few military secrets before he left Venomian space. Enough to make a plea bargain for a pardon."

Wolf smirked at him. "Actually, that was my idea."

"Well... nobody's perfect," the priest replied, looking a bit embarassed.

"We'll worry about that in the morning," said Peppy as he stretched. "I'm getting too old to stay up late every night like you kids. Wolf, you can stay with us, of course. It would be the safest place for you, since it would take a while to earn the trust of the people of Corneria."

"Of course," replied Wolf. "Thank you for your hospitality. It's more than I deserve."

Fox turned his head and looks at Ashe in the kitchenette. "There's still one piece of this puzzle left," he said. "It seems that you seem to hold all the answers, even though you barely know me."

"Oh," Ashe said, smiling at him. "Well, I'm very good with people. It's part of my job."

"But you have another job," Fox said darkly. "You're one of them. You're not Peppy's friend from the military, you're his friend from the Reed Institite. A psychic. A mind-raper."

Ashe's smile faded. He took his wallet out of his pocket, and showed them his psychic's license. "Guilty. I'm an empath. I read people's emotions. I can tell what they are feeling, no matter how hard they try to hide it."

Everyone turned to face the priest. Fox's hands curled briefly into fists at his side, and then relaxed.

"Fox... Peppy was my accomplice. With his telepathy working to pool our knowledge, we were able to bring out what you were really feeling inside," Ashe told him. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to deceive you, but it was the only way to help you. We never probed your thoughts, nor did we make you feel anything that wasn't genuine. I don't have that kind of power."

Fox's face softened a bit, and he nodded. "I understand. Now get off my ship."

"What!" shouted Wolf.

"Geez, ungrateful much?" Falco said.

"I may not have the authority to decide who works with me, but I do decide who stays on this boat. You broke the law using your power on me without my consent. I'm willing to overlook the legal consequences, but I don't want to see you here. Get the hell off my ship," Fox said again.

"You can't be serious, Fox!" protested Peppy. "What about me? I did the same to you. I read your thoughts."

"Yes, but I trust you," Fox said to the hare. "And I trust Wolf. I don't trust you, Rhinehardt. That has to be earned."

Ashe nodded his head slowly. "You're right. The ends don't justify the means. I'll be off the ship in an hour." He turned and walked up the steps to the crew's quarters.

Wolf just stood where he was, dumbfounded. "I... I couldn't tell. Could either of you?" Falco and Slippy shook their heads.

Fox turned around and stared directly at Peppy. "So, when were you planning on telling me? That this was all a big scam?"

Peppy sighed. "It's not easy, Fox. A lot of people don't trust rippers."

"Rippers?" asked Slippy.

"Our slang term for ourselves," Peppy explained. "We train at the Reed Institute for Psychic Research. R-I-P-R. Ripper. That way, when we talk about each other, people don't overhear the world 'psychic'."

"Or is it because you rip the thoughts out of people's head?" Fox said accusingly. "You don't need to read my mind to know that I feel betrayed."

"Fox!" Wolf shouted, grabbing Fox's shoulder and turning him around to face him. "You're like a son to Peppy! Him, Ashe, all of us... we just want you back! We want you to be better, and to get over this grief!"

Fox looked between Wolf and Peppy. His lower lip began to tremble. "I... I'm sorry... I've been such a selfish jerk..." He leaned his weight onto Peppy's shoulder, and the old hare hugged him comfortingly.

"It's okay, Fox. You just need to cry it all out. We all do." He kept his hand on Fox's shoulder, and began to walk with him down the hall to Fox's room. "Let's get you to bed." He looked over his shoulder at Falco and Slippy. "Do you two mind taking Fox's watch on the bridge tonight? He needs his rest."

"Of course," Slippy said.

"Yeah, no problem," added Falco.

"I can't believe you're going," Wolf said to Ashe as the priest loaded up his ship in the hangar.

"It's for the best," Ashe told him. "It's part of the healing process. If I stay I'll be a constant reminder to Fox of what happened. You can help him now, I can't. Remember, I used my gift on you as well."

"You did?" Wolf said, sounding shocked.

"Yes. I knew you didn't have the anger to shoot me."

"So... being psychic and all, you can find out a lot about people. I mean, Peppy and you, you could make anyone do anything between the two of you. You'd kick butt at poker."

Ashe smiled at Wolf ruefully as he finished loading his luggage into the back of his fighter. "We have to be subtle. The temptation is great. And it has gotten the better of some people. Remember, the Reed Institute used to be called the Reed-Oikonney Institute."

Wolf shivered. "I don't want to think how many times Andross has picked my brain."

"You're strong, Wolf," Ashe said. "You'll be fine with Fox. He'll take care of you. Or perhaps, it will be the other way around."

"Yeah... I wish I could say the same for everyone else. The whole system thinks I'm a pirate."

"Your appearance is memorable," Ashe mused. "I have an idea." He reached into the cockpit of his ship and picked up his sunglasses. "Let's see if we can't hide that famous eye patch of yours."

Ashe handed Wolf the sunglasses, and he put them on. "How do I look?" he asked.

"Better," Ashe said thoughtfully. "But I can still see the strap around your head." The priest searched around in his luggage, and came back up with a wide-rimmed fedora. "Try this on."

Wolf dutifully took the hat from him and put it on, adjusting it so the rim concealed his facial features. "I feel like Indiana Jones."

"You look fine," Ashe reassured him. "Maybe you'll start a new fashion trend." He swung himself into the seat. "Well... I had better go. You have my cell phone number if you need my help. If you ever feel like talking to the Lord, I'm at the church on Concord Street. I'm open late too."

"Thank you," Wolf said. "I just might. It's been too long."

Wolf walked back into the hangar's security enclosure. He watched through the window as the hangar bay doors opened. The Guardian Angel took off, flying away from the Great Fox until it became just another speck in the blackness of space.

Here ends the first act of the Redemption cycle.