"Renegade" by Andrew Norris "Calling Bucky O' Hare, The Indifatigable has been attacked by an unidentified ship and is out of commission. Report to Sector 17 and investigate." SPACE Control boomed over the radio of the Righteous Indignation. "Roger, will investigate, Bucky O' Hare out." the voice of Bucky echoed, as a gloved hand scratched a mound of green fur in confusion. He turned to Jenny, whom was already setting course for Sector 17. She gave him a look that said 'I'm as confused as you are', before her green eyes scanned the depths of black void that surrounded the ship. Buckys' face clouded in confusion. The Indifatigable was just one of four ships in the Mammal Fleet, searching for the Screaming Mimi which had vanished several hours ago. If this were a Toad strategy, it sure was a strange one. If Mimi LeFleu was being held captive, they would've also captured the Indifatigable, rather than let it get away. So many puzzles and conundrums at the possibility gave Bucky a headache, until... "Say Bucky, whats' that?" Jenny pointed out of the cockpit window, at the strangest thing to have ever been seen by Mammals. Out in space, on a geostationary orbit on Rigel 2, lay a battle worn Mammalian Frigate, battered for and aft, with three decaying nozzles of a maser cannon sticking out of a cobwebbed armoury, with smoke pouring from the nozzles as though they'd been recently fired. Bucky had a feeling he'd seen this ship before, and decided to board her, that is if anyone was still alive in there. With the company of Jenny, Deadeye Duck and Secondary Gunner Natalie (See my friend Natalie Farrell about this character) The foursome set out in the Toad Croaker towards the oily titan. The wreck seemed so desolate, any radio contact would've been futile. The interior was no better, overgrown with probing fingers of rust and leaking oil. "Ah, this remind me of old shipwrecks me mateys used to loot." Deadeye whispered, waving his pistol through the air. It seemed a surprise to them all, that Oxygen read positive on board, so they could search without looking through their glass helmets. "This place gives me the creeps." Natalie shivered, Jenny nodded in agreement. "Yeah I know, she needs a paint job." came a voice from the bridge. The four watched as something came down to greet them. It was an ochre-haired rabbit, overall muscle, with two bulging green eyes surveying them. His clothes were in shreds, and probably the remains of an Admirals uniform. There was something about him that made Jennys' hair stand on end. Bucky stood there, his pink eyes wide in surprise, until he finally gasped "Jack Slicer, here at last." An evil smirk grew upon the brown hares' face. "Boy Bucky, you have altered in 7 years." he sneered. Before Jack could continue, Natalie butted in. "Woah, woah, woah! What goes on?" Bucky now poured out the story to his crew. Jack and Bucky were good friends when they were young, and Jack was another pupil of the Mentor. After Jack became the Admiral of the Coalitions' second Frigate, the Fearless, his crew disappeared, and somehow, battle tactics of the Coalition were being passed onto the Toad Empire. It was soon found out that Jack was a Toad Agent, and his crew had been handed over to KOMPLEX as prisoners of war, one of them was Mimi LeFleu, his former gunner. But somehow, Jack escaped from the Prison Planet, Conva, and escaped along with the Fearless. His ship and himself had never been seen since. "But why did you do it?" Jenny turned towards Jack. "Cos, sweet cakes, theres' more pay from the swamp than there is in the Coalition." came the answer. "Don't ever call me sweet cakes." "Fine, cutie then. Besides, I can't believe you hang around with that green wimp." He turned to Natalie, locking his eyes with her watery, blue eyes. "And you, why do you date that geek?" Jenny and Natalie could see that Deadeye and Bucky were about to explode. They both gave angry stares at Jack. "My B...er...Bucky is no green wimp!" Jenny hissed. "Yeah! And Deaadeyes' no geek either!" Natalie roared in agreement. Shouting did'nt help, and the four were knocked out cold by a stun ray, as the ochre villan began his evil machinations... When Bucky and Deadeye awoke, they were back aboard the Righteous Indignation, but Jenny and Natalie were missing. Blinky ran in circles, screeching "CALAMITY AND WOE! ENEMY VESSEL CAPTURED FIRST MATE JENNY AND SECONDARY GUNNER NATALIE! ENEMY VESSEL LANDING ON RIGEL 2, OH! CALAMITY AND WOE!" In an instant, Bucky raced towards the intercom, he could'n't stand the thought of his first mate being captured by some backstabber. "Bucky O' Hare calling Genus Control, Have spotted enemy ship , the Fearless on Rigel 2, my First Mate and Secondary Gunner have been captured, require urgent backup!" he roared as the Righteous Indignation sped towards the Jungles of Rigel 2. "Control here, we're sending Mammalian Rescue Ship XL6, ETA: 1 hour. Control out" On Genus, the Mammalian Rescue ship sped off into space. The rescue ship was formerly known as Fireball XL6, which was to be scrapped on Earth by the World Space Patrol after the XL6 pilot was accused of sabotaging the XL13. Commander Zero refused to believe the truth, but XL6 and her pilot escaped, and are now property of the United Animals Coalition. The XL6 pilot had greasy, brown hair, blanketing the glasses that hung on his cloudy greyish-blue eyes. His face was cratered with burst zits and blood-blisters. I hate to tell the reader this, but that ugly windbag happens to be me. Back on Rigel 2 meanwhile, Jenny and Natalie awoke in some kind of ruined temple, tied to seperate pillars with metal rope. "Say Jenny." came a whisper. On another pillar was Mimi LeFleu, also tied up. "Mimi, so Jack got you too, eh?" Jenny called back, rather fed up that she may have to put up with Mimi until Bucky got there. "Yeah, My ships' outside and Larrys' in the next room" Mimi called back. Natalie was going to ask Mimi something, but the sound of Jack entering the room took away her chance. "Like it?" Jack asked, his hands waving around the Temple, "Left by the indigenous natives of Rigel 2." he smiled sinisterly. "Stuff the Palace! Why are we here?!" Natalie bellowed, blowing locks of her brown hair from her face. "I need a fanclub, you're my candidates, except for Mimi here, who can take her sorry carcass back to KOMPLEX." he chuckled evilly. An explosion of firing retros wiped the smirk of his face. He watched from a crumbling arched window, as the Righteous Indignation and XL6 touched down alongside the Screaming Mimi and the Fearless. The crews disembarked and stampeded inside the temple. Bruiser and XL6s' Space Marine, Butch the Lion, literally threw themselves on Jack, while Deadeye tried to knock him out. If theres' one thing Deadeye hated, it was being called a geek. Bucky and Navigator Hannah (You guessed it, XL6s' navigator) went around untying everyone. Jack rose to his feet, knocking Butch, Bruiser and Deadeye to the ground. He gazed at Hannah, she too was an Alderbarren cat like Jenny. Her only differences were her sparkling sapphire eyes, and her golden blonde hair. "Ah, another beauty for my fanclub." he smirked, and slowly moved towards her. A stun ray stopped Jack in his path. Bucky blew the smoking nozzle of his ray gun, and frowned at Jacks' unconcious body. "Thats' for calling me a green wimp." Jack was soon loaded onto XL6, with Butch on guard outside. Jenny, Natalie and Mimi were given medical attention by Hannah, Blinky and Medical Android AMD-4. Bucky reported to base in advance, while Deadeye had a ball, firing ray guns across the Fearless' hull until she looked like swiss cheese. It wasn't long before XL6 and the Righteous Indignation were speeding towards Genus. Both Bucky and Myself were bored stiff, as Hannah and Jenny chattered on the radio. "So Jenny, glad to be back?" "You bet, If I had to put up with a creep like that, I'd lose the will to live, I'm happy with Bucky." "Careful Jenny, you may end up like me." "Whats' that hen Hannah? A navigator for a Hairless Baboon?" "No. Using your own spaceship if you wanna have a date!"