By Dennis Rowarr (AKA: Andrew Norris) PROLOGUE The year is 3250, and the Aniverse is once again in a state of political and social turmoil. The Toad Wars have long since ended, following the defeat of the Toads by Mammalian forces, but a new power - the Heron Federation - was quick to conquer both sides whilst they were still weak. In the process, the crew of the Righteous Indignation were supposedly executed by Federation forces. The planet Genus is now the de facto capitol of the Mammalian sector of Federation space - a dystopian world controlled by a regime even more brutal than the Toad Empire. It is here where we take up the story... SCENE ONE A street, Capitol City, Genus, night Genus under the Heron Federation is a stark contrast to the Genus of the United Animals Coalition. All of the buildings are made of thick concrete and smeared in dirt and slime, with banners bearing a Nazi- style logo of the head of a Heron in profile. At street level, their are posters also bearing this logo which read: "UNITY IS STRENGTH" in large print. In a grimy street somewhere in the city, a series of running footsteps can be heard, and a young duck bearing some resemblance to DEADEYE DUCK (albeit with two eyes) is seen running down the street and stops, looking for somewhere to hide. DUCK: (to himself) Come on, Drake! Think! FIRST TROOPER: (off) He went down there! The DUCK notices a bulky-looking hover-truck parked at the end of the street, and luckily for him, the back of the truck is open. He leaps in, just as several STORK-TROOPERS round the corner and enter the street. They are burly, vicious STORKS wearing Prussian-blue body armour and are armed with bulky maser rifles. They are also wearing thick helmets with small flashlights built into the sides. FIRST TROOPER: We'll split up. I'll take one section and check these houses. (to others) Corporal, you take your men and search that truck. Move out! The STORK-TROOPERS split up, with some of them using their rifles to break into the buildings around them, whilst the others, led by their CORPORAL, move closer towards the truck. CORPORAL: (smiling sickly) Arm your weapons, men. I think we're about to get lucky. From out of nowhere, a frail, elderly RACCOON emerges from a nearby building, closing the doors of the truck and hopping into the cab. CORPORAL: (shouts) Hey! Stop in the name of the Federation! The RACCOON gives an icy scowl at the approaching STORK-TROOPERS, before giving them the finger and driving off. CORPORAL: He's clearly aiding and abetting a wanted terrorist, and must pay the price! Open fire! The hover-truck is suddenly hit by a barrage of maserfire, some of which narrowly avoids hitting the DUCK contained therein. A maser finally hits the RACCOON, who slumps dead against the wheel as the hover-truck veers out of control towards a muddy ditch. The truck upturns, spilling its cargo and the DUCK down the deep slope as the truck suddenly erupts into a huge fireball. Unaware that the DUCK has survived, the STORK-TROOPERS approach the smouldering wreckage. The CORPORAL notices the charred remains of the RACCOON'S name-tag stuck on the rim of a pot-hole in the road. He picks this up and takes it to his superior. CORPORAL: Sir... The FIRST TROOPER accepts it, and wipes off some of the excess soot. The name on the tag reads: "R. MACLEOD" FIRST TROOPER: (grins) Good work, men. Our objective may still be at large, but at least we've had one more asset liquidated. SCENE TWO The sewers, beneath Capitol City, Genus The DUCK is now semi-conscious, and clinging onto a surprisingly- buoyant crate from the truck. The current takes him down the sewers for a little way, until he reaches an area bathed in the warm glow of light. The crate stops at the side of a sewer, where the gaunt figure of a grey-furred RABBIT, wearing the tatty remains of orange overalls and a white mask that covers all but his right eye, hauls the DUCK onto a stone floor. DUCK: (mumbling) F...Father... The RABBIT presses down on the DUCK'S stomach, forcing him to spit up some water he had swallowed. The treatment works, and the DUCK regains consciousness. DUCK: (wearily) Where am I? RABBIT: (muffled through mask) You're safe. We're in the only place on Genus where the Herons cannot harm you. DUCK: And...who are you? RABBIT: Who I am isn't important, but I know who you are, Drake Duck. DRAKE: (unimpressed, crossing arms) OK, so you know my name, big deal. RABBIT: I know more than just your name, Drake. I know, for instance, what happened to your father... DRAKE'S eyes peel back slightly as haunted memories suddenly return to him. FLASHBACK SEQUENCE - Kanopis III, c.3240 DEADEYE DUCK, now slightly older, can be seen cradling an infant DRAKE in a pink towel. The infant DRAKE coos softly as DEADEYE plays with him. DEADEYE: (gently) Aww, you're me li'l lubber, ain't ya, Drake? You be gonna growin' up into a big, strong pirate like yer pappy, ain't ya? The door suddenly bursts open, and several STORK-TROOPERS burst into the room, all aiming their weapons at DEADEYE. SECOND TROOPER: Deadeye Duck, you're under arrest for crimes against the state. DEADEYE: (standing up) What? Are ye crazy, lads? SECOND TROOPER: No, Mr. Duck, we are not crazy. We are in control. He tears the infant DRAKE from DEADEYE'S arms, placing him back in his cot as the other STORK-TROOPERS lead the protesting DEADEYE away. DEADEYE: (shouting) Ye can't do this! You're all nuts in the head! You'll regret this one day! BACK IN THE SEWER... DRAKE sighs heavily whilst the RABBIT uses the crate as a seat. RABBIT: He's not dead, you know. DRAKE: What? RABBIT: The Heron Federation were so keen to assert their dominance over the Mammals that they sent out a false broadcast, claiming that the crew of the Righteous Indignation - your father included - were dead. DRAKE: (scoffs) You're crazy, old man! You've been living down here, too long! The RABBIT suddenly stands up and slaps DRAKE hard across the face. RABBIT: (coldly) Don't you dare joke, boy. I served under Captain LaFleur, so I know more about these sort of matters than you'll ever know! DRAKE: OK, if you insist you knew my father, prove it. The RABBIT silently complies, and rummages through some objects close to the walls, before returning with a battered, worn photograph. The photograph is of the members of the United Animals Coalition Fleet, including the crews of the Righteous Indignation, the Indefatigable and the Screaming Mimi. RABBIT: That was taken well over twenty years ago, before the Federation found me out. DRAKE: You mean... you're Harry Callan? HARRY: I was. The Herons tend to get a little... overzealous in their interrogations. The deformities I now suffer from those torture sessions I hide beneath this mask. I don't think even a freedom-fighter of your caliber could stomach it. DRAKE: (hands back photograph) OK, you've convinced me. What do you know about my father. HARRY: (pacing around) The Federation wanted everyone to think that the heroes of the Toad Wars were dead, but the truth was that they all escaped. They're currently in hiding on a world far beyond Federation control, waiting for others like you to join their movement against the Federation. DRAKE: Which world is it? HARRY: On Federation charts, it is called DP-011, but in the pre- Federation days, it was known as Aes. DRAKE: (firmly) Mr. Callan, I need your help. I've been fighting against the Herons all of my life because I thought my father dead, and if he's alive, then I want to see him. HARRY: I was hoping you'd say that, Drake. The movement requires more muscle than brains at the moment. But you must realise that the journey you are about to take is a dangerous one. There'll be many pitfalls, and only a handful out of the hundreds we make contact with ever make it out alive. DRAKE: Mr. Callan, I was hurling petrol bombs at ten. I'm sure I'll manage. HARRY nods, and pulls out a thin band of metal from his pocket. It is chrome in colour, and has a single button on one side. He hands this to DRAKE, who looks at it curiously. DRAKE: (puzzled) What's this? HARRY: A dispensable teleportation device. You slip it onto your wrist and press the button. But it can only be used once. DRAKE: (putitng on teleporter) What do you want me to use it for? HARRY: There is a small number of resistance fighters on Aldebaran looking for assistance. They're keen, but they don't know how to fly. They'll take you to their spaceport, and then you'll make your way to Aes together. Understand? DRAKE: Right. Well, here goes... He presses the button on the teleporter. Instantly, he is covered in a warm, pink aura that is accompanied by a soft humming. The aura dies away, and DRAKE is gone. SCENE THREE A corridor, somewhere in the Royal Complex, Aldebaran The journey has exhausted DRAKE, who is lying on the ground as the teleporter deposits him on Aldebaran. He slowly clambers to his feet, just in time to see a male ALDEBARAN wearing the uniform of a Stork- Trooper hovering over him, aiming a maser rifle at DRAKE. ALDEBARAN: (grinning evilly) Ah, Drake Duck, the so-called Liberator of Genus. Welcome to Aldebaran. Your execution will not take long... TO BE CONTINUED...