Bon Voyage

Retriever CIC.

"Here's the situation." says Sultan "The Stingray sank or damaged two enemy subs before being destroyed herself. Depth Charges dropped by sub hunter aircraft from this ship sank a third, and the Bartlesville sank a fourth before being damaged by a proximity torpedo and was forced to retire."

"All indications are that one of the subs is a construct of Alura's and it is a monster." says Rajah

"Deputy CAG reports that all planes are ready for deployment." says Raven

"Hotshots ready as well." says Taiko

"All right then" says Bengal "I want all aircraft sent up to deliver this cure, including the single seater personal planes. Captain Wilson's squadrons will back us up as our cure is delivered. Anything else?"

No one answers.

"Then let's do it to it."

*****

Alarm klaxons sound throughout the ship.

"Pilots dog your planes! General Quarters, general quarters, all paws dog your battlestations!

Both the hangar deck and flight deck are abuzz with controled chaos. Deck Paws ready planes for takeoff as other aircraft streak skyward. A crewdog circles his finger in the air as the plane in front of him revs his engine up. He salutes the pilot, the pilot salutes back and the crew dog drops to the deck, points forward and the jet is shot out into the air.

Captain Bengal and Taiko watch from the bridge railing as every squadron on board passes overhead in parade-like fashion; the squad commanders wiggling their wingtips as they pass. Bengal and Taiko salute as they pass over head then watch as the planes fly into the horizon.

Hotshot's missile room let's loose with a barrage of missiles headed for the north as the flight deck crew celebrate in their own way a succesful launch of all aircraft without any incidents.

In the skies over Malcoria, Moldova and western Ukraine, the missiles fired by the ship deploy and split off into six seperate missiles. Then they begin pouring out a gas over the area. On the ground, werewolves look up at the passing missiles and then grunt and groan in pain. They double over and then their fur begins to disappear. Soon everyone in the area is human once more and spontaneas celebration start.

*****

"Mutt Leader to Curs, drop zones in site. Prepare to fire at my command. Steady....launch!"

Four missiles from each plane streak off into the horizon. Sirius Squadron, Lycaon, Tiger, Red Dog and the others launch as well.

"It's working!" shouts a pilot.

"Mustang Leader to Doghouse, Turkey and Georgia are in the clear. That's all of 'em."

"Roger that, Mustang, head on home ya'll. The doggy treats are on us."

*****

Underneath the waters of the Black Sea, an enormous submarine flanked by a smaller one glides silently. The conning tower is black but the rest is painted blood red. On the bow is a painted snarling wolf's head, the torpedo tubes posing as the eyes and nostrils. On the bridge Alura clutches her head in pain. She is wearing a tight fitting leather jupsuit that shows off her very well rounded assets. The werewolf next to her notices her pain.

"My Queen, what is wrong?"

"My...children on shore are no more!"

Alura recovers and balls her paws into fists and growls.

"Bengal shall pay dearly for this! It is time to deal with him! And then I'll deal with those losers who call themselves the KH Military, the mongrels who call themselves Road Rovers, and anyone else who gets in my way!"

She whirls on the weapons console.

"Wipe that cruiser out of my ocean! May Hecate's Love Conquer All!!!"

They all howl in unison as the werewolf at the weapons console actives his weapons.

*****

Retriever bridge. Seamus is at the wheel, the Ruegger on the ships starboard side and a little ahead, the Fallujah is several miles away on the port side. The Fallujah suddenly blows up from multiple explosion and disappears.

"What--? Slick, did you see that?!"

"Bridge to CIC!"

"We saw it Slick! Alura's on her way, sound battlestations!"

As klaxons blare, the smaller submarine sufaces off the Ruegger and fires dozens of missiles into the air.

"Good Lord! They're headed for our planes!" says Patton "They're almost out of fuel!"

"Kestrel calling Captain Bengal, interceptors on their way!"

"Much obliged, Kestrel."

*****

"Mutt Leader to all craft, break formation and make for the nearest friendly field.

"We're almost out of fuel sir! All we've got left are gatling guns!"

"Then use them if the missiles get to close!"

All the planes break formation and scatter. Interceptor missiles hot on some of their tails.

"It's on me tight, I can't shake it!

I'm running on fumes here!

Bailing out!

Some one help me out here!

Hang on Mutt Nine, I'm coming in. And....there! Your clear.

Mayday, mayday, to any airfield that can hear us, we are low on fuel and need immediate emergency landing!"

*****

Ruegger bridge.

"What are they doing?" says Wiley.

The smaller sub is making a direct run at the Ruegger.

"It's gonna ram us!" shouts Clementine

"Hard to port!!!" shouts Denali

Ace turns the wheel frantically but its too late. The submarine rams the side of the Ruegger and the whole ship shudders from the hit. The whole bridge crew is nearly knocked off their feet.

Inside the ship, the sub has penetrated deep inside. Only a trickle of water manages to seep through as a hatch opens in the nose and werewolves stream out.

"Take them all! For the glory of Queen Alura!"

"Security report!" shouts Denali

"We're being boarded, sir! They're turning the crew into more werew--augh!!"

"Denali to all hands, arm yourselves!"

"Sir, it's Captain Bengal!" says Sammy.

"No time! Tell him our situation and that were taking them on!"

"Aye sir!"

The werewolves have reached the engine room. Gavin and his engineers have armed themselves and watch as werewolves knock the door in with brute strength and pour in.

"Come on you mutts, you wanna live forever?!!" shouts Gavin as he charges the oncoming werewolves.

*****

"Captain! Off the starboard beam!!"

Bengal and Taiko watch on a monitor in CIC as Alura's submarine surfaces.

"Parvo's dark heart!" someone mutters

"Merlin Leader to Doghouse, we're coming in to help!"

A flight of F-14's swoop in to take on the sub, but it suddenly launches multiple missiles and Merlin Flight scrambles out of the way. More missiles launch and head for the ship.

"All weapons online!" shouts Roscoe.

One by one the remaining gatling guns, the bow turret and the missile tubes are knocked out.

"Hotshot to CIC, we're out of action. A missile's cooking off!!"

"Get out Hotshot, hurry!" says Bengal

The ship shudders from an explosion deep inside as more missiles strike.

"Namib damage report!" shouts Taiko

"Gatling guns are gone, as is the bow turret! The missile room is slag and all our elevators are offline!"

"Sparkplug here, multiple fires on three decks, my crew is being run ragged!"

A monitor suddenly explodes in Rajah's face and he goes down in a shower of sparks.

"He's dead." says Sultan

"Bengal to bridge, get us out of here!"

"Damage control party seven here sir, the bridge is slagged! The bridge crew is dead!"

"We've lost most of our monitors!" says Sultan

"Radar and sonar are gone as well!" says Patton

"CIC, Alura's sub is on a direct course! She's gonna ram us!"

"Brace for impact!" shouts Bengal

The whole carrier shifts as if it was kicked! Everyone is knocked off their feet and debris rains down in CIC as more consoles go up. The lights also go out.

"Back-up power, hurry!" shouts Bengal

Emergency light click on

"Sir!"

T-Bone, Sadie and Delta are at the door to CIC.

"Alura's werewolves are boarding us!" says Delta "This ship is finished!"

"We're not finished yet!" says Bengal

"Someone help me here!"

Sultan is trying to get a support beam off a very dead Patton. Raven is slumped over another support beam and Taiko is sitting up in obvious pain.

"Taiko?"

"My legs. They're broken."

"We have to get out of here, sir!" says T-Bone.

Bengal goes to a wall comm.

"Axle, can you hear me?"

"We're in bad shape down here sir!"

"No problem, evacuate engineering except yourself and one engineer. I'm coming down."

"Aye sir."

"This is Captain Bengal to all paws, abandon ship! Repeat, all paws abandon ship! Sultan, get Taiko out of here. T-Bone, let's get to engineering."

*****

Alura walks out of a hatch in the submarine, embedded two decks deep in the ship. Her werewolves pour out of the hatch.

"Sieze the crew and change them as well!"

"My queen, Captain Bengal has ordered abandon ship."

"I have ears imbecile! Do not let them escape! Bring me Bengal, alive!"

"Yes, great queen!"

*****

Bengal, T-Bone, Sadie and Delta hurry down the maze of corridors that make up the Retriever. Crewdogs scramble to get up top and off the ship.

"Sir, look!" says Sadie.

Two werewolves have just rounded a corner and head for them.

"I'll hold them off!" says Sadie "You get going!"

"You heard her, move!" shouts Bengal

Sadie takes out a laser shotgun and begins shooting. The three of them keep going until they reach the doors to engineering.

"Axle its me, open up!"

Axle opens the door and they scramble in. He slams the door again and locks it.

"What's your plan, sir?"

"What do you think, mister?"

Axle blinks and gets to work.

"I'll need a trigger." says Bengal

"You'll have it." says Axle.

"When I said I wanted to join, this isn't what I had in mind." says Delta.

"My apologies Miss Delta, but I'm commited now."

Delta sighs.

"As am I."

*****

"My Queen, Bengal has locked himself in engineering."

"Excellent. Let's go."

Alura is escorted to the engineering door where a female werewolf in a shredded Pouncer uniform is shoving her shoulders into the door trying to knock it in. Alura motions to another and they both start pounding the door in. The door finally crashes in and Alura is the first to enter. She holds back her werewolves from storming engineering with wave. In front of her stands Bengal; T-Bone, Delta, Axle and his engineer are standing behind him.

"You are free to do with the others as you wish, but Bengal is mine." says Alura.

"You don't want to do that." says Bengal with a knowing smile.

"And why is that, fossil?"

"Because of this."

He produces a trigger and holds it up. A steady beep comes from it. Alura's eyes widen in alarm and looks up at the ships core. "Ready for Self-Destruct" blinks on a monitor over it.

"You wouldn't!"

Bengal just smiles and releases the trigger.

The Retriever goes up in huge explosion that takes Alura's submarine, the Ruegger and its submarine in a mushroom cloud of destruction.

The threat of Alura, Queen of the Werewolves, is gone.

*****

One year later, kings palace, Malcor City, Malcoria. Deceased King Alexander's eldest son, William, has been crowned the new king, his mother and younger brother looking on with pride. The Road Rovers and numerous other Rover teams, including the survivor of the Retriever's fleet are in attendance. King William steps up to a statue covered by a tarp and pulls it off. Next to the statue of the Maddogs, is Bengal. Wearing a naval dress uniform, saluting, and a small version of the Retriever at his feet. The crowd starts it applause.

King William steps up to podium when the applause dies down.

"Let us help to rebuild our country and make stronger than ever. And in so doing, let us honor the heroes who have sacrificed and risked their lives to protect us. My fellow countrymen, and honored guests, our nations most cherished heroes!"

King William sweeps his hand toward the row of statues lining the main avenue as the crowd erupts into applause again.

The Retriever is gone, but not forgotten.

The End