Bowser's office; Emerald enters.

"Excuse me sir, our new crewmembers have arrived from the Rover Academy annex in Melbourne."

"Send them in."

Six cano-sapiens walk in, come to attention and salute. Bowser salutes back. Bowser looks at a St Bernard at the end of the line. He gives Bowser a dirty look before staring straight ahead.

"Welcome aboard the U.S.S. Retriever. I am Captain Bowser. Give me your name and breed."

"Anika, Golden Retriever."

"Dusty, King Shepherd."

"Pandora, Bermese Mountain."

"Chinook, Klee Kai."

"Ivory, Samoyed."

"Butch, St. Bernard."

"Very good. Crewdog Butch, do you think you have what it takes to make it on this ship?"

"Yes sir!"

"Good. All of you, dismissed!"

They salute and file out of the room. Emerald walks up to Bowser.

"Why the interest in Crewdog Butch sir?"

Bowser sighs.

"He's my son. We've had a falling out for the past several years."

"What happened sir?"

"It's a long story, Emerald. And I do't feel like talking about it right now."

"Of course sir."

"Captain Bowser, Winston here. I've got Hunter on the line wanting to speak to you."

"Put him on."

Not only does Hunter come up on his monitor, but Bear and Striker.

"Well, I'm honored." says Bowser "What can I do for the creme of the crop of the Rover teams."

"Bowser, have you been following what's been going on in Europe right now?" says Hunter

"Europe? You mean those robots trying to take over?"

"They're not trying Captain, they have taken over." says Striker.

"Oh my. What's the status?"

"Most of Europe's been overrun by GONV Forces." says Bear "Russia has been taken as well. As has northern Africa and most of the Middle East. Allied forces are desperatly trying to hold the Suez canal and Gibraltar. We need your firepower to hold the Suez open. Only France, Spain, Portugal, Sicily and the U.K. are free at the moment."

"But we don't know for how long they'll stay that way." says Hunter.

Bowser presses a button on his desk.

"Mauser, set course for the Red Sea, battle speed."

"Aye sir."

"One more thing." says Striker "We've had reports that GONV drones have been building a dreadnaught around the clock in occupied Italy. We don't know if they're acurate or not, so keep your ears open on this."

"Will do."

****

Planning room. Bowser, Emerald, Santiago, Chucky, Firebird and Turbulence are here around a planning table.

"Allied Forces are holding on to the Suez Canal for the moment, but we don't know for how long." says Bowser.

"That could be a problem." says Firebird "We lose the Suez and Gibraltar, GONV Forces will own the Med Sea. They're coming in on the Suez in a pincer movement, we have to stop them."

"If we do the same from their rear, we can take them by surprise." says Santiago

"I can have all our jets airborne in an hour sir." says Turbulence.

"Good." says Bowser "Arm yourselves to the teeth and then get going when we're finished here."

"Aye sir."

"Chucky?"

"Reports of a GONV battleship being constructed is not an exageration sir. This thing is a juggernaught; it's nearing completion in occupied Italy and will probably begin bombardment of stubborn pockets of resistance any day now."

"What crew are they using?" says Emerald.

"Crew? This thing is completly automated. It's armed with some serious firepower that puts the Yamato Class battleships of World War II to shame."

"We'll need some high altitude planes to have a look at it." says Bowser.

"No problem." says Turbulence.

"All right then. Everyone but Emerald and Turbulence, dismissed for now."

Bowser turns to Turbulence as the others file out.

"I understand you have Butch checked out on a Fighter Rover."

"Yes sir. His piloting skills at the academy were excellent. Why, do you doubt him?"

"Not at all. I just want you to look after him for me."

"Of course sir."

"Dismissed."

Emerald looks at Bowser expectantly.

"Well?"

"You might as well know." Bowser sighs. "Butch blames me for his mother's death."

"What happened?"

"We were on a spy mission a few years back against Parvo. She was captured by Cano-Mutants. Me, Butch and a Strayer team went in to rescue her. In the confusion, we don't know how, but she had been mortally wounded. She died in his arms and he blames me for running away to get help instead of rescuing her."

"That was the right thing to do."

"I know, but he still blamed me. We parted ways about a month after that and I haven't heard from him until now."

"Why don't you go talk to him?"

"I'll try, but I don't think it'll do any good."

****

Hangar deck; crew are busy working on the planes for the coming mission. Butch's plane is on an elevator ready for takeoff. Bowser walks up to him. Butch salutes.

"At ease. I just wanted to say good luck to you."

"Yeah? Well thanks."

"Look, Butch, this has to stop! I wasn't respon---"

"Like hell you weren't! You left her to Parvo, and she died because you were scared to go after her!"

"I needed backup to get her out!"

"Do you tell that to yourself every night?"

"Butch--!"

An alarm for the elevator begins to go off.

"Excuse me captain, I have a mission to fly."

The elevator goes up leaving Bowser on the hangar deck. On the bridge, Bowser watches the planes leave. Emerald walks up.

"How'd it go sir?"

"Oh, 'bout the usual."

"Badly?"

Bowser nods.

"I don't know what else to do Emerald."

"More time is what he needs sir. He'll come around sometime."

Bowser smirks and looks at Emerald.

"You turning into the ship's counseler now?"

"No sir. Just something from experience."

"Well, anyway, we have a mission to think about. Bengal, status?"

"Our planes have just split into their two groups sir." says Bengal.

"So long, GONV Forces." says Mauser.

"Mutt Leader to all squadrons, engage!" reports Turbulence.

The bridge is filled with reports from the pilots getting kills.

"Bulls-eye baby! Didja see that sucker go up?"

"Nice shot Mutt Four!"

"Heavy fire at 3:00!"

"This is Red Dog Five, I've been hit several times! Engine one is out, my weapons systems are shot, I'm losing fuel! I'm headed back to base."

"Roger Red Dog Five, good luck!

"Red Dog Five?" says Emerald "That's Butch's designation."

"Winston, have Tailspin get ready for rescue operations." says Bowser

"Yes sir."

"Mutt Leader, this is Doghouse." says Bengal "Radar reports bogey's coming in from the northeast, a lot of them."

"Acknowledged Doghouse. All right everyone, GONV Forces are taken care of here, the ground forces will mop up. Bombers head back to base, fighters form up, we'll take these bogeys on."

"How many are there?" says Bowser

Bengel looks up from his screen.

"They're outnumbered sir."

"Launch all planes in reserve to help them. And tell Jocky to ready all missile tubes."

"Mayday! Mayday! This is Red Dog Five, fuel's gone. I'm bailing out over point zebra!"

"S***! Winston, tell Tailspin to get the rescue chopper ready and to wait for a passenger!"

"What passenger?"

"Me."

"What?!" says Emerald "Captain, your son has bailed out over enemy airpsace! That area will be crawling with GONV fighters!"

"Don't you think I know that?! I'm not leaving him out there! Your in command Emerald!"

Flight deck, Tailspin and Buzz are inside the rescue chopper, ready to go. Bowser runs across the tarmac in full gear and gets in.

"Take off!"

"Yes sir."

The chopper takes off from the deck as the ships compliment of bombers start to land. Back on the bridge Emerald watches the chopper go.

"Those bogey's are getting closer ma'am." says Bengal.

"Have our fighters engaged yet?"

"They're just about to."

"Jocky, if any enemy fighters get through I'm relying on you to take 'em down."

"Aye ma'am."

"Visual contact! Mutt Leader to Doghouse, we are engaging enemy fighters!

"Ma'am, our scout plane has returned from their mission." says Winston "Landing now."

"Good, have Firebird debrief them."

****

Open ocean. The rescue chopper is flying along looking for Butch. Above them a fierce dogfight rages.

"There!" says Buzz, pointing.

A cloud of dye in the water marks Butch's spot.

"Get me in close Tailspin, I'm going after him." says Bowser.

"Rescue One, this is Mutt Leader, hurry up down there! Your a sitting duck!"

"We're going as fast as we can!" says Tailspin as Bowser leaps out "How's it going on your end?"

We've lost three more fighters! These GONV drones are tough cookies!

In the water, Bowser leaps in and swims to Butch, hanging on to a life raft.

"Dad?! What are doing here!"

"Rescuing you, what does it look like?"

Bowser waves to Buzz who lowers a retrieval rope.

"Hang on son, we're going home."

"Sir, we have to go! says Tailspin.

"Up, up!" shouts Bowser.

"Aw crud! They've got a lock on us!"

A steady tone rings through their helmets....and suddenly dies. Bowser and Butch reach the chopper safely and watch as GONV fighters fall like rocks out of the sky into the ocean.

"Rescue one, this is Doghouse, come in." says Emerald

"Read you Doghouse." says Bowser "Not that I'm complaining but what just happened?"

"We just got a call from Mission Control. Some kind of orbital EMP satelite just fried nearly all of the GONV drones operating in current warzones. Just one problem, the Italian shipyard where the dreadnaught is being built was shielded. Allied Forces are going in to mop up but the battleship has just launched and is headed for the open sea."

"We're headed back now, give me a debriefing when I get there."

"Aye sir."

"That was crazy of you to do you know." says Butch

"I wasn't about to just sit back and leave you to those things. I made that mistake once with your mother."

"Oh, dad!"

Butch and Bowser hug.

"Thanks."

"No problem. Tailspin, let's go home."

"Aye sir."

The End