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Counter Earth Chronicles

Chapter 48: Bad Things Bad People Shouldn’t Be Allowed To Have

Day 131 continued

That evening when Lady Ursa got home, she was quite disturbed by what she and Sir Ram had seen that day at the Animalitia’s secret base. I kept pressing her for details, after much prodding she told me that the raid was supposed to be a surprise. Despite their discretion, the mercenaries were prepared for that and turned their hideout into a trap.

My warrior bear was more curious about my day as well especially the part where I ended up nearly dying in a confrontation with half of the Animilita. I told my she beast that I was helping Mara and Sir Ram on a secret project. It was a fluke that we ran across Chester Conner and Ricky Raccoon. She pressed me for details as well. I told her that it was a top secret project and l couldn’t talk about it. But it would be revealed in time.

(Now she knew how it feels.)

Thinking back, Sir Wolf’s stunning defeat was part of a dark week for the High Evolutionary’s enforcers- the knights of the empire. There were many memorials the next two days for members of Sir Wolf’s forces that had died during the failed raid.

With the exception of Lala who Sorren and I had met during the Mike Anger investigation, I didn’t know the rest of them. The afternoon we met the bison warrior, Sorren and I had just survived an ambush of our own and she teased me for being a house-pet which I took exception to. I didn’t know her well, but I did like her and she like the other members of Sir Wolf’s ‘wolf-pack’ would be missed.

The week and a half after that was very trying for all in the knight core. The rebels of the Liberate Counter Earth Now movement were attacking, injuring and killing beastials randomly all over the empire creating fear within the beastial populace and emboldening human dissidents. The Animalitia was no doubt selling their sonic weapon to the rebels. Despite the numerous attacks, no one was able to get a full recording of the sonic weapon.

The High Evolutionary was on the warpath as well- he wanted the rebels crushed and the Animalita extirpated- NOW. Any beastial in the knight core that was not performing to his expectations was in danger of being de-evolved and returned to the wild.

To say my mistress and the other knights were stressed out was a grievous understatement. Day after day my fierce ursine warrior felt the incredible pressure to punish the rebels, silence the dissidents and destroy the Animalitia.

Night after night I would have to shut her down using the relaxation techniques from the Aurora spa just so she could receive a decent eight hours of rest and to resume her duties the next day. I didn’t mind that however, I loved wearing her tail and massaging her hindquarters.

One summer morning a few days later...

Day 143

“Mistress are you ok?” I asked as I rubbed her back.

“Yes pet. Just under a heavy amount of stress.” My lady bear replied. “The master came down hard on all of us again yesterday. He wants results now or else.”

“Or else what?”

“You don’t want to know.” She said solemnly.

“So you and the other knights are under a hell of a lot of stress to get results immediately.” I said sympathetically.

My warrior bear nodded. These were dark times indeed and she and the other knights needed a win- badly.

“So how are you and the other knights proceeding?” I asked.

“You know I can’t discuss that pet. It is work behind the scenes just like that mysterious project Sir Ram and Mara have been working on that you can’t tell me about either.”

“Well, I know you and the other knights are doing your best; you will hunt down the wrong doers and punish them. For my part, I will make sure that during your off hours you completely forget about work.” I said finishing her back rub.

“Your turn pet.” Lady Ursa said as we got up and switched places.

I always loved her massages and the one she gave me that morning was no exception; she started at my neck and worked her way down- all the way down with those magic paws of hers.

“How is your neck?”

“Feeling great mistress. It has been almost two weeks, I am more than ready to jump back into sparing with you. If you think I am ready.”

“Good. I think I will slow down your training for now- take it step by step.” She said as her paws reached my butt.

Professor Love was also preoccupied that morning as well. She seemed to drift in and out during my lesson.

“Teach? Is everything ok?” I asked the otter lady.

“Yes, Alex. I am just been, been...”

“You mean you have been worried about that rebel group attacking beastials at random.”

My tutor nodded. “I am growing quite tired of looking over my shoulder and wondering if every human I encounter is part of that group.”

(That is a very interesting perspective.)

“You know Alex they issued another statement yesterday saying that there were to be more attacks until every beastial leaves the planet?”

“It is crazy professor. Don’t fret, my mistress- err Lady Ursa can’t tell me, but I know she and the other knights are actively hunting down members of this movement. Hopefully it will be dismantled very soon; it is just the latest in a long line of movements from dissidents.” I said trying to comfort the otter lady.

“Yes, yes you are right.” She said returning to my lesson. “However this is the worst that I have ever seen it.”

The rest of our morning and my day was fairly routine until the afternoon. Professor Love had already left for the day and I had just finished my homework when I received a call.

“Good afternoon test subject.” The goat lady said as her imaged appeared on the viewscreen.

“Mara! How is Castle Wundagore’s wickedly wicked and dastardly dastard product tester and developer?”

“Vengeful boy.” She sneered. “I have a mission for you. Are you interested?”

(Hmm... I haven’t gone on one of those in awhile.)

“That depends on what it is.” I said to Sir Ram’s main squeeze.

“Come see me.” Mara said ending the communication.

In the past, I would have been fearful of missions, any mission because they could go sideways at any time and prove quite dangerous. But today I was more curious than fearful. Probably due to the inside straight my family gave me recently.

So I left the lair and carefully made my way to the lab wing of Castle Wundagore. I found the goat lady in Room M at her workbench writing on a pad.

“Hi Mara!” I said entering. “So what is this mission you have for me?”

“Product development and product testing. I do the development you do the testing.”

“Of what?” I said looking at her curiously.

Mara walked to the pedestal where she had placed the remains of the prototype and covered it with a tarp two weeks ago after it was totaled in our encounter with Chester Conner and Ricky Raccoon.

“Of this!” The goat lady said removing the tarp to reveal the blue coupe.

“Damn, you rebuilt that quick.” I said.

“These are trying times boy- the master has been quite hard on the knight core. Anyone who fails to live up to his expectations will be de-evolved and returned back to the wild.”

“I have been too busy helping Rammy and the other knights with their missions to throughly test this.”

“Wow, that is a big responsibility.” I said.

“You won’t be alone.” She said as there was a chime on the door. “Ah yes, come in, come in!”

I turned my attention to the lab entrance as another beastial entered.

“Chemar!” I hadn’t seen that junior knight since my afternoon shadowing around Lord Tiger. If I recall that was his first week on the job. “What are you doing here?”

“I was ordered to report to this lab.” The nervous cheetah said.

“How have you been?” I asked walking up to him.

“Overworked, overstressed just like everyone else.”

“Well this afternoon you are going to take a break from that.” The goat lady said handing the junior knight her pad. “I am sending you on at top secret mission.”

“What type of mission?” The cheetah asked.

“Product testing.” Mara said pointing to the prototype.

“You want me to test drive a blue coupe?”

“Not exactly. What you are looking at is a top secret weapon masquerading as a blue coupe.” The goat lady said to the two of us. “This one has been redesigned and rebuilt from the remains of its predecessor. With all that has been happening lately I haven’t had the time to put the vehicle through its paces and properly test its systems. That is where you come in.”

Mara handed Chemar the pad she had been working on when I entered the lab.

“What is this?” He asked.

“Detailed step by step instructions of where to go and what to test on the prototype. Follow them to the letter. Make note of any failures and anomalies. Then report back here. Understood?”

Chemar and I nodded.

“Chemar you are the pilot and Alex here is your copilot. Now on your way!”

Chemar took the pad, sat down in the driver’s seat and read it for the next few minutes studying our mission parameters.

I thanked Mara for trusting us on this routine mission with this newly refined and rebuilt awesome, awesome weapon.

“Ready?” I asked noticing that the cheetah couldn’t get comfortable in the driver’s seat.

“These seats are quite uncomfortable for those of us with tails.”

“You must have missed that part.” I said. “You place your tail thorough the gap in the seat- I said showing him.

“Oh.”

“Better?”

“Yeah. Hey wait, what are all these buttons around the steering column?” The junior warrior asked me.

“Let’s see- that one activates the lights, this one the climate control, this one repels rain from the windshield. Chemar, how long has it been since you have driven a hover vehicle?”

“A while, I use my hover bike for just about everything- I am trying to remember... how do we start this thing?”

“First place your right paw right here. We have to be authorized to use it otherwise it won’t start.” I said as I placed my hand on the dashboard.

**Recognized Alex Winter house-pet.**

(Damn, Mara didn’t fix that.)

Chemar chuckled after hearing the computer verbally acknowledge my presence. He then followed my lead.

**Recognized Chemar Cheetah Knight of Wundagore- Junior Grade.**

The prototype powered on as the cheetah handed me the pad. I realized that Mara’s instructions were in Animalian. I guess I was going to put my language skills to use this afternoon.

“Ok let’s see step one. Engage prototype’s hover mode and proceed to lake.”

Chemar studied the lower monitor in the center stack looking through the various weapons menus before finding the vehicle mode menu. He selected hover-mode.

_**Hover-mode engaged.** _

The prototype lifted off of the pedestal as the front and rear wheels folded flat and the tail fin extended from the rear.

The skylight opened and we lifted off from the lab and traveled to Clear Lake not far from the castle.

“Hover mode check.” I said marking the pad.

“What is next?” The chetah asked me.

“When we arrive at the lake we have to test the hydrofoil mode.”

Within twenty minutes we arrived at and Chemar selected hydrofoil mode from the menu.

**Hydrofoil-mode engaged.**

The prototype announced as the pontoons lowered from the underside of the vehicle allowing us to travel on the lake.

“So what do you think so far?” I asked the junior knight as I scanned through the check list.

(Wow, Mara really did want us to put this vehicle through its paces.)

“Quite boring. I can’t believe I was selected for this routine of routine missions.” The cheetah said to me.

“Hey Chemar it may seem routine, but it is very important.” I started to say before we interrupted by an call.

“What is that?” Chemar said looking at the upper left monitor on the center stack.

“Uh we have an incoming call.” I said pressing the accept call button on that monitor.

“Afternoon Chemar, Alex.” It was Sanda the caracal.

“How goes the mission?” The watch-supervisor asked.

“Quite routine. Actually- why was I chosen for this? Not that I am ungrateful- but how

is this important?” The cheetah asked his friend. “Especially with all that has been going on?”

“Actually, I specifically recommended you for this assignment.” The caracal said to the cheetah.

“Sanda why? I thought we were buds?”

“That is why I recommended you for this.” The caracal said. “Do you know what you and Mr. Winter are riding in right now?”

“A cute blue coupe?” Chemar answered.

“No!” Sanda and I said in unison.

“What you are driving in and testing is one of the most powerful weapons in all the empire disguised as a cute blue coupe. Not many are aware of its existence.” Sanda said correcting his friend.

The cheetah looked at me then at Sanda again. “Really? How many?”

“Five. Sir Ram, and Mara- the prototype’s creators, Alex, you and myself. With all the recent events going on Sir Ram and Mara felt that there was a need for a vehicle with more fire power for instances when our hover bikes were out matched. So they designed a prototype. Alex and Mara tested the original two weeks ago and it went head to head against some mercenaries of the Animalitia and came up short. So Sir Ram and Mara built a new one on the remnants of its predecessor.”

“I see.” Chemar exclaimed.

“Alex, unlike the last prototype which had minimal armaments, this one is fully loaded.”

Chemar started getting nervous after hearing that. “What if we accidentally destroy something or kill someone while testing?”

“Relax, all you are performing is detailed analysis and testing of the prototype’s systems and weapons. Based on the findings Sir Ram and Mara will determine what steps to take next.”

(OH HELL YEAH!)

Hearing that I was really looking forward to this mission no matter how routine.

“Anyway. Enjoy your mission bud. Let me know how it turns out. If you do a good job, I just might recommend you for more.” Sanda said before ending the communication.

(Who says there isn’t any favoritism within the knight core?)

“So what is next?” Chemar asked me nervously.

“Weapons testing at a isolated predetermined location. Mara gave us a set of coordinates.”

Chemar retracted the hydrofoil-mode, reengaged the hover-mode and took us to what looked like a repurposed rock quarry several miles away that the knights used for weapons testing- completely isolated.

Carefully the cheetah landed the prototype in front of many mock targets- wooden signs, rocks and the like all with bulls eye symbols on them.

“Ok so we are here now what?” He asked me.

“Steps three and four on the check list. We test the holo-projector and the probe.”

“The what the what now?” The nervous cheetah said.

“You’ll see. Get out and stand in front of the vehicle.” I ordered the junior knight.

“Ah, Alex, we are friends? Right?” He asked me nervously.

I snickered as I pressed the third toggle switch on the weapons console. The co-pilot keyboard and monitor emerged from the glovebox. When it did, I then started typing furiously.

**Halo-projector Engaged.**

I copied Chemar’s image from where he stood and then projected it onto the prototype soon there were two cheetahs standing in the quarry.

“That is incredible!” He exclaimed.

“You think so? Watch this!” As I said that the image of the cheetah disappeared as did the blue coupe. “Invisible perfect for surveillance!”

“I am starting to see what Sanda was talking about.” The junior knight said to me.

“Wait there is more!” I said retracting the holo-projector and launching the probe.

**Surveillance Probe Engaged**

“What is that?”

“How we observe the enemy!” I said as I maneuvered the probe around him recording each and everything he said to me. “This has recording capability and I think I can even cloak it with the holo-projector. Alright Chemar time for steps five through twenty.” I said as I recalled the probe.

“Steps five through twenty?” The Cheetah asked me as he stepped back into the vehicle.

“Weapons testing.” I responded a with grin on my face. “We are going to select one of the prearranged targets out there and destroy it.”

“Ok I see the weapons menu on the bottom monitor. But exactly how do we engage the weapons?”

“With the weapons console below the monitor. Mara and Sir Ram placed it away from the rest of the instruments of the vehicle so it won’t accidentally be activated when it shouldn’t.”

“I see.” The junior knight said as I gave him the run down. “The weapons console is quite small three buttons and three toggle switches?”

“Yup that is all.” The three buttons open the side pods or the weapons tubes on the side of the vehicle the top one opens the left, the middle one opens the right and the bottom one opens the two together.”

Chemar pressed the bottom button. There was a whirring noise as both weapons tubes open and extended from the sides of the vehicle.

**Side-pods Engaged**

“What next?” The cheetah asked me.

“Select a weapon from the weapons menu. Let’s test the lasers.”

Chemar selected the lasers from the weapons menu

**Laser-system Engaged**

“Now you see the thumb pad on that spoke from the steering wheel? It controls the crosshairs you see on the windshield. Line that up with your target and then press either the left most toggle switch on the weapons console or the button next to the thumb pad. They both activate the selected weapon.”

Chemar pressed the toggle switch.

***BWOOSH!!!** *

Laser fire came from both the passenger side and the driver side of the vehicle striking a wooden target he selected cutting it in half.

“Amazing!!! What does the center toggle switch do?”

“I think it is a quick key for storing a weapon selection for immediate use. That was step five. Let’s run through the rest of the list.” I said to him.

And so we spent a good 30 minutes at the isolated quarry testing the prototype’s weapons. Each of the weapons we selected were confirmed verbally by the prototype.

Step six:

_**Machine Guns Engaged** _

_ **BANG-BANG-BANG-BANG!!** _

Step seven:

_**Tunnel Missiles Engaged** _

_ *BOOM!!* _

Step eight:

_**Tractor Missiles Engaged** _

_ **CHA-BOOM!!!** _

Step nine:

_**Grenade Launcher Engaged** _

_ **KABOOM!!** _

Step ten:

_**Tractor Hook Engaged** _

_ **THWOK!!!** _

Step eleven:

_**Smoke Screen Engaged** _

_ *WHOOSH!!* _

Step twelve:

_**Tracker Tracer Engaged** _

_ **THOK!!!** _

The prototype’s weapons fired without a hitch hitting the targets we selected. The offensive weapons destroying theirs completely.

“That seems to be about all of them.” I said to Chemar.

“Not exactly. There is one more.” He said pointing to the weapons menu.

“No friggin way!” I said when I saw it. “Mara listened to my suggestion!! Chemar select it! Select it! Select it!”

The junior knight did.

**_Flame thrower Engaged** _

_ ****WHOOSH!!!!!***** _

The wooden target in front of us was set ablaze.

(I love this blue coupe.)

“If I hadn’t seen it for myself I wouldn’t have believed it.” Chemar said to me. “What is next?”

“Steps fourteen through twenty. We do it again. But this time from the rear- whoa!!! They fixed that!!!! AWESOME!!!”

The junior knight looked at me confused.

“One of the problems we had with the first prototype was the fact that the vehicle couldn’t fire behind it. It looks like that oversight was fixed.”

So Chemar and I performed the same weapons test but from the rear of the prototype. To my surprise, the side pods could now fire in two directions- front and rear.

The weapons Mara and Sir Ram installed on the blue coupe were outstanding mostly- I still couldn’t figure out what the difference was between tractor missiles and tunneler missiles and why they installed a smoke screen system. With all of the offensive weaponry on this thing why would you ever need to run away?!

“That concludes the check of the weapons and systems with the exception of the deflector system. Step twenty.”

“How do we test that?” Chemar asked me.

“Get out from the vehicle, pick up your service weapon and fire at it. Just don’t aim at me in case it fails.”

Chemar stepped out of the vehicle, took position behind a few boulders and fired. Each time the laser discharged it bounced off of the blue coupe. He tried shooting from a variety of directions and angles.

“Passed.” He said sitting back down into the vehicle. “Looks like this thing is fully operational. Wait no. You have additional steps twenty one through twenty seven.”

“What the wha...?” I said as the cheetah looked at the pad.

“You have to over-ride the weapons console and see if you can operate the weapons from the copilot monitor and keyboard.”

(Nuts.)

Just then his communicator sounded off.

“Chemar here. Go ahead.” A picture of a lizard appeared.

“Hey Izzy!”

(Izzy?)

“Chemar! Oh you are with someone! Hey, I remember you- you’re Alex Winter. You were at the Sura concert!” The lizard responded.

“How’s it going Izzy?”

“Quite rough the last few days with the master coming down on everyone an all. Listen! I need a favor!”

“I am listening.” The junior knight said as I looked on.

“Commander Gator is running a sting in an old factory by the waterfront this afternoon. We are buying a supposed sonic weapon from a rebel group.”

“That sounds fairly routine.” I commented.

“Not exactly we are pretty sure the group bought it from the Animialita. The commander hopes that the Animaliata shows up to supervise the buy as well. If they do the commander wants to take them all down.”

“Wow, sounds like you are going to have your paws full.” Chemar commented.

“That is what worries me. After what happen to Sir Wolf and his forces in World Three, I concerned that we too could be walking into a ambush and our commander has too much bravado to ask for assistance from the other knights.”

“Right. The Animalitia seems to be two steps ahead of everyone else as of late.” The cheetah added.

“Well each group within the knight core has autonomy within their own territory and one group is not supposed to encroach on another’s missions or operations without permission. Are you saying that the Knights of Castle Warwick may be in over their heads?” I asked the lizard warrior.

“Yes.” He said solemnly.

“Izzy you are officially asking for our help?” Chemar said to his friend.

The junior knight from World Two nodded his head.

“Can you run additional surveillance and watch our backs? If the commander does get in over his head, it will be good to have other forces there in addition to ours.”

“I think we can honor your request. Give us the address and the time of your mission.” Chemar said.

“Chemar?” I said to the junior knight beside me.

“Why not? We can’t deny the request of a fellow knight and besides Mara wanted us to test the prototype right?”

So we quickly finished our testing; I was able to deploy all the vehicle’s weapons from the co-pilot monitor and keyboard. When we had concluded our testing that quarry was a complete mess. But it was so worth it.

Chemar and I made the hour trip to World Two. Fortunately we had just enough time to get on site before the mission was to start.

The old factory was on the city’s waterfront near the slums surrounded by wear-houses and other abandoned buildings that despite being abandoned were well maintained.

Chemar and I landed the prototype on the roof of a group of buildings overlooking the factory which did bear a resemblance to the wear-house Sorren I and I had been to in World Three. It was a mostly metal building with a row of windows on the front of it and on the roof which allowed light to reach into the inside.

Chemar then contacted his friend Izzy.

“Izzy we are on site.”

“Do you have us on surveillance?” The junior knight asked.

“Alex is setting everything up now.”

I deployed the probe using the copilot’s monitor and keyboard. Gently I maneuvered it to one of the windows on top of the roof of the wear-house and then angled its camera downward. I also decided to use the prototype’s holo projector to cloak the probe just in case. But with the projector cloaking the probe. The prototype was visible and exposed. Something Sir Ram and Mara probably didn’t account for.

“We are a go.” I said to the two junior knights.

“What do you see?” The lizard asked me.

“I see a lone human who appears to be about thirty years old in jeans, a black shirt and trench-coat in the middle of the room and I see you, your commander and about twelve others at the far end of the floor hiding in the shadows.”

“Thank goodness.”

“Izzy did you say something?” Gary ‘Jaws’ Gator asked his subordinate.

“Nothing sir. Just testing the communicators in case we need to call for additional support.”

“Well keep quiet we don’t want the target to know we are lurking in the shadows; they must think that it is only another rebel buying their equipment.”

And so ‘Jaws’ mission started. Chemar and I observed and waited. As did their operative the lone human waiting to be contacted by someone or something.

We waited and waited for something to happen- anything to happen. Ten minutes passed, then twenty, then thirty. Nothing was happening. I started to get bored.

“Soooo Chemar.”

“Yeah Alex?”

“What do you junior knights do to pass the time on boring missions?”

“Oh we talk amongst ourselves.” The cheetah said to me.

“Ok then tell me why did you decide to join the knights?” I asked him as we struggled to pass the time.

“That was sudden.”

“I am just curious. I have asked that of all the knights I have worked with in the past- Lady Vermin, Lady Ursa, Lord Tiger, Sir Ram.”

“You tell me how you wound up being a pet of a beastial warrior and I will tell you.” He said to me.

“Let me give you the condensed version.” I said choosing my words carefully.

And so I told the cheetah warrior and junior knight of Wundagore my story.

“I had a feeling there was more to you than just a being a collaborator.” Chemar said to me.

“Well please keep it to yourself. Like this vehicle only a select few and the senior knights know the story behind the story and I want to keep it that way.”

“Now junior knight what is your story?” I asked giving the cheetah my undivided attention.

“Well, about ten years ago my brother and I were kidnapped by some rebels and held hostage. They were disgruntled about the rise of beastials and the devaluation of humans as a result.”

“How old were you at the time?”

“I was thirteen and my brother was ten. What was weird was that our captors wanted a ransom they demanded that humans all humans receive equality or else we would be harmed.”

“Were you?”

“We were mistreated by our captors the five days we were their prisoners. On the fifth day we were rescued by Sir Wolf and the knights of Wundagore. That was before he became the commander of the Knights of Castle Sevren in World Three. I remember how heroic he looked as he freed us from our cages. I decided then and there that I wanted to be a knight too,”

“I see and the nervous anxiety you exhibit during stressful situations is probably a result of that experience.” I added.

“What nervous anxiety?!” The cheetah asked me perturbed.

“Wait, we have something!” I said motioning to the upper left monitor.

Gary Gator’s human operative was joined by nine scruffy looking rebels who entered at the far side of the room.

(Whoa, this is it!)

“Mr. Stone I presume?” The lead rebel asked.

“Yes and you are late, very late. Mr. East."

“Oh yes my group recently went public. You probably heard about the incident at the space museum in World Four. We need to watch our backs.” The lead rebel said.

“Yes, yes that weapon you used. Did you bring it?”

“We did. But it is going to cost you.”

“I have what you want.” Mr. Stone said handing the rebel a card.

The disheveled man scanned the card with some type of reader and looked at the display.

“Very nice Mr. Stone!” The rebel said as another man came forward with a case. “This is a sonic weapon, high pitched it disables all beastials in the immediate vicinity.”

“What else does it do?” Gary Gator’s operative asked.

“It creates piercing pain inside the brain. If the beastials are exposed for an extended period of time it can severely maim, injure and kill.” The rebel said. “It is the last one we have. So if you need anymore you will have to go to our supplier.” The rebel said to motioning to two more beings who entered the room.

“Who are they?” Mr. Stone asked.

“Our suppliers.”

“It is Chester and Ricky!” I growled at the display.

“Wait, wait, wait.” The operative said. “Something does not add up here. Why would the Liberate Counter Earth Now movement associate themselves with beastials? I thought you were trying to rid the planet of them?! Isn’t that going against your beliefs?”

The other rebels present and Chester Connor all chuckled.

“Yes, however our suppliers are not partial and they make the greatest weapons for sale to the highest bidder! What you just bought is just a sample.”

Mr. Stone held out his hand to receive the container holding the sonic weapon. As he was about to procure it the item:

“Chester!” The raccoon said to his colleague.

Chester pulled out a scanner and approached Mr. Stone.

“What is this? The operative asked.

“You can never be too careful the raccoon responded.”

“Ricky! There isn’t a tracking chip!” Chester said to the raccoon.

Hearing that Ricky looked at the rebel leader who had his subordinate stop the transaction before Mr. Stone could get the case.

“That means one of two things either his tracking chip has been deactivated like we did yours....”

Chester Conner shook his head no as the raccoon said that.

“Or he is an informant which means this is a set up!”

“Easy, easy!” Mr. Stone said his arms raised. “Hey can’t we work out a deal peacefully?”

“Not for treacherous bastards who kiss the dictator’s ass! So long Mr. Stone if that is your name!” The raccoon hissed.

Soon Gary Gator’s operative had weapons drawn on him as the deal went sideways.

“Chester Conner, Ricky Raccoon and you rebels paws up! It is over now...” Gary Gator said as his forces emerged from the shadows.

A firefight ensued between his knights, the Animalitia operatives and the rebels from the Liberate Counter Earth Now movement.

“Chemar!” I said as we watched the malay.

“Don't worry. I think the the knights are winning!” Chemar said to me.

It did look like they had the upper-paw until one of the rebel thugs activated the sonic weapon they were going to give to Mr. Stone.

“AIEEEEEEEE!!!!!”

Gary Gator and his forces collapsed on the floor of the factory retching and writing in pain as their enemies moved in for the slaughter.

“Alex! Alex my head! It feels like it is going to explode!” Chemar screamed.

“Hold on! I will be damned if there is going to be a slaughter today.” I grumbled.

The cheetah didn’t respond he was incapacitated as were the Knights of Warwick being fired upon by the rebels and the two mercenaries of the Animalitia.

I had to act fast otherwise this was going to be another loss for the knights. I pressed the third button on the weapons console.

**Side-pods Engaged**

Both side pods opened. I quickly made my selection from the weapons screen.

**Laser System Engaged**

I quickly mapped the image of the factory room from the probe back to the prototype, lined up the cross-hair on a probable target and took the shot.

**SHWAKK!!!**

I fired the prototype’s lasers which drilled through two windows of the factory and cut a support to a lighting structure on the ceiling which dropped it on the rebel using the sonic weapon. He was crushed on impact as was the sonic weapon.

“Better?”

“Much!” The cheetah warrior said to me.

We continued to watch Gary Gators forces recover and resume their assault on the floor of the factory injuring the remaining rebels. We also observed Chester Conner and Ricky Raccoon making a break for it once the two realized they would not win that afternoon.

“Looks like someone is cutting their losses.” Chemar said to me. “Should we intervene?”

“Lets. I owe that raccoon for nearly killing Mara and myself two weeks ago.” I said as I maneuvered the probe.

“What are you looking for?”

“A certain vehicle- a brown sedan.”

Soon we observed the two mercenaries fleeing toward said brown sedan:

Chemar and I listened with glee at the conversation we heard through the probe.

“Ricky, we need to be more selective of whom we do business with that rebel group weren't the sharpest knives in the drawer!”

“Less observation! More running!”

_“Triceraton, Guerrilla! The deal didn’t go quite as planned. We are cutting our losses.” _

As the two neared what they thought was their well hidden car. A certain blue coupe seemed to material out of thin air in front of them.

“Chemar!”

“Chester, Ricky this one is for you!” The cheetah sneered.

**Tractor Missiles Engaged**

_ ****WHOOSHH!!!!**** ****KABOOM!!!!**** _

The two mercenaries stared at the remains of the sedan as I pressed the PA button on in the weapons menu of the prototype.

**PA Engaged**

“Aw, Ricky was that your sedan?! I am so so sorry! It was ugly anyway!” I said goading him.

“Ricky Raccoon and Chester Conner of the Animalitia ....” The cheetah started to say before the raccoon started firing at us with his weapon. The laser blasts bounced off of the prototype as I checked the system status monitor, the deflector system was holding.

“They never learn!” The cheetah warrior said changing weapons.

**Laser System Engaged**

Chemar targeted the laser weapon Ricky had and fired slicing the weapon in half causing it to explode knocking the two flat on their butts.

**Machine Guns Engaged**

“As I was saying Ricky Raccoon and Chester Conner of the Animalita it is over and you are our prisoners! But feel free to try to resist we wouldn’t mind blowing you to kingdom come.” The junior knight next to me said gleefully as I recalled the probe. Shortly afterwards the other knights converged.

As they did. I made the prototype disappear via the holo projector.

“Not bad. I am starting to love this vehicle!” Chemar said to me as we started back toward World One.

We soon received a call from Izzy.

“What’s your status?!” Chemar asked his friend.

“We took a lot of casualties. Mr. Stone is injured but he will make it. By the way guys thanks for the assist. It looked quite bad for a while.”

“You’re welcome. What about the rebels?” I asked the lizard.

“See for yourself!”

We watched Gary Gator addressing the rebels the group caught on the factory floor.

“Well members of Liberate Counter Earth Now we are going to have a little chat and you are going to tell us everything you know and then some- NOW!”

“Outstanding!” Chemar and I said together.

“Oh and Izzy?”

“Yes Commander?” The lizard said lowering his communicator.

“I was wondering the rebel who was using that sound weapon, I noticed that he was crushed by that lighting structure on the ceiling but who brought it down? It wasn’t me or anyone else here.”

“Uh how do you know sir?”

“The angle the support line was cut and the broken windows on the ceiling.”

“I am not sure sir. Perhaps guardian angels?” The lizard said.

Chemar and I laughed as our communication was disrupted. We had been contacted by another party. The image of Triceraton appeared on the upper left monitor on the center stack.

“So it was you from the bank.” The dinosaur beastial said to me.

“So you two were in the factory as well. The Knights of Warwick just missed out on having the whole set!” I said to the mercenary.

“Well played boy. I am starting to regret not killing you that day in the bank.” He said to me. “This is not over.”

“I disagree. Two of your team are now the guests of the Knights of Warwick and you and Guerrilla Gorilla are on the run. I feel this is the beginning of the end.”

“We will have to agree to disagree. The beginning yes, of the end no.” The mercenary said ending the communication.

Chemar and I arrived back at Mara’s lab within the hour and got an earful from her and Sir Ram about our extracurricular activities.

“Your orders were to test the prototype’s systems and weapons not take it into battle.” The ram said annoyed.

“Sir Ram it wasn’t intentional we just came to the aid of our fellow knights who needed some assistance avoiding another massacre like the one that happened in World Three.” Chemar said trying to put the best spin on.

“Besides if we hadn’t assisted, I wouldn’t have obtained your present.” I said to the evil ram.

“Just what is that boy?”

“A recording of the sonic weapon. I caught it on the probe.”

“You did?!” Mara and Sir Ram said in unison.

“Yes. We successfully tested the prototype, recorded the sonic weapon and assisted in the capture of some rebels and mercenaries not a bad afternoon don’t you think?”

“Not bad at all- both of you.” The wicked goat lady said smiling.

(I think the both of them were impressed with the results.)

“So what is next for the prototype?” Chemar asked.

“We are going to look at the data, conduct more test and look at more data.” Sir Ram said. “We will add it to our arsenal when we are sure it is ready.”

“We will use you for further testing when we are ready. Rammy and I think you two make a great team.” Mara said.

“I think so.” I said turning to the nervous cheetah.

“I agree too.” He shot back.

*Fist Bump Engaged*

To Be Continued....

Looks like Mara and Sir Ram have out done themselves again and Alex made another friend (its about time).

Next Week:

It has been a long while, time for another historic reveal.