Star Wolf: A Space Opera Fantasy (Songs of Star & Winter Book 1)

by L. A. Frederick

  Awkward silence followed as the Night Badger continued to investigate the creature, grumbling all the while.

  ‘Night Badger?’ said the Winter Tiger.

  ‘Oh aye, that’s a Space Kraken all right but I’d w—’ he cut off, instead baring his teeth.

  ‘Yes?’ demanded the Winter Tiger. ‘Is there a problem?’

  Star Wolf caught, in the background, Blackfire and Hitback pacing closer to the Night Badger. The wily Badger knew they were there. A tilt of his head to and from the Tigers seemed to make his mind up.

  ‘No problem, it’s a Space Kraken.’ said the Night Badger. An odd shame plagued his downbeat voice.

  ‘Well, that settles it then, three cheers to the Winter Tiger and his ambush for eradicating such a dangerous threat from the galaxy. We can rest easy now and resume normal Council duties.’

  Cheers erupted from all around.

  Two Wolves were left, father and son, not cheering.

  ‘How did he kill the beast?’ asked Star Wolf, leaning into his father’s eye.

  His father turned and understood the insinuation. He clasped a hand on Star Wolf’s shoulder, rotating it left to right and back again; their code for well done. ‘May I offer the Wolves deepest congratulations Winter,’ roared Sun Wolf, his voiced pitched to halt the celebrations all around him. Most smiled, offering their congratulations but a few saw the words as false. ‘Might I ask how you managed to kill such a formidable opponent? I, for one, am beyond impressed and can only fathom an AWB being powerful enough to kill such an enormous creature.’ Stunned silence greeted the mention of the outlawed Atomic World Bombs. ‘But that can’t be the case can it. No one in the galaxy owns AWB’s anymore.’

  Sun’s defiance, against the mounting odds, filled Star Wolf’s heart with pride to the point of bursting.

  ‘A demonstration perhaps.’ The Winter Tiger was already walking out of shot as the guests stood in the centre of the giant screens still observing what they had just confirmed as a Space Kraken. Moments later a whooshing noise, started with a metallic crack, vaulted a harpoon from off-screen into the severed head, just below the right eye. The harpoon itself was three times the length of the five animals stood below.

  Another metallic crunching set off multiple charges, followed by faint pops deep within the Kraken’s skull.

  ‘Harpoons, armed with explosives and poison, quite simple when you think about it, Sun Wolf.’ The Winter Tiger moved right up close to the camera. ‘Now...any more questions?’

  None within the entire Council of Worlds dared to speak.

  And once more two Wolves were left to brew over their failures in the face of insurmountable proof.

  ‘Perhaps I was wrong?’ Sun Wolf turned to his son.

  For once Star Wolf had no answer.

  8. Ferox Canis

  Star Wolf thought he knew heat, his privileged upbringing granted him the warmth of wealth. A fact River had stopped pointing out to Star. He had terminated communications entirely, excluding those necessary for duty and Star couldn’t blame him.

  Hitting his friend still plagued his weary mind.

  He wanted a break from the relentless pursuit of a truth that might not even exist. Perhaps he was wrong about the Tigers. Perhaps they had used Darkchurch to destroy Earth and kill the Space Kraken and no more. Perhaps that lie was the extent of their crimes or even more likely, perhaps his father and the House of Wolves were mistaken about the footage they intercepted from Earth’s moon.

  And yet here he was, at the request of his father pursuing the fifth and final neighbouring planet of a destroyed world, the planet of the Dogs, Ferox Canis. A rogue, wild land where crossbreeding and mongrels ruled supreme. The Dogs had more variations than most planets and Star found himself in the company of some Wild Dogs out on the scorching open plains of the vast desert section of the planet.

  The fourth planet, the Aardvarks home, proved highly uneventful. The same uniform response, with the added point “but the Winter Tiger has caught the culprit”. The whole task was fizzling into a pathetic failure. No creature had even tried to kill him on the Aardvark world. I’m not even worth killing anymore.

  ‘We don’t care about other planets,’ said Counter, a gruff, scruffy haired Dog. Star Wolf remembered from a history lesson that Earth defined Counter’s variant of Dog as a Jack Russell, though the Earth breed roamed on four legs and void of their brain. Star Wolf couldn’t help but wonder if Counter had lost a chunk of his brain from a Mind Eraser machine at some point in his life, ‘what difference does it make to Dogs if a planet of filthy Mice has been destroyed.’

  ‘It doesn’t concern you that five planets have been destroyed in recent times?’ asked Star Wolf, going through the motions. The blazing sun had stripped him of almost all his formal uniform, wearing nothing but brown combat shorts he hadn’t felt more primal in a long time. The Dogs were even more primal, they didn’t bother with clothing, which given they walked around on hind legs made for some awkward...sights.

  The faintest of breezes wafted across the scorched dirt. A brief respite from easily the hottest planet Star Wolf had ever ventured in his twenty-odd years in the galaxy. Scanning the infinite, hazy horizon he couldn’t help but get hit by a pang of futility, one of his default negative emotions of late. What’s the point of all this?

  ‘We’re Wild Dogs,’ Counter replied, ‘look at me.’ Star Wolf turned to face the dirty white and orange-brown fur of the diminutive Dog, mercifully the fur was thick around his groin area and saved Star Wolf the sight of another creature’s genitalia. ‘What do you see?’

  Star Wolf didn’t answer for a while, unsure of the loaded question.

  ‘It’s not a trick,’ continued Counter in his raspy voice, as he scratched behind his floppy left ear, ‘I merely mean we genuinely don’t care about the troubles of the galaxy. We’re beyond simple, do you see us at Council meetings?’

  ‘No.’

  ‘And yet does our planet still exist?’

  ‘Yes’

  ‘See. We’re happy. Granted we’re an unruly bunch and we squabble but if you head to any other part of the planet you’ll find the same answers. Simplicity and peace, we are one crazy species I’ll grant you and spread all over the globe, but we don’t have aspirations. Aspirations are a dangerous thing in this galaxy.’

  ‘And who has more aspirations than the Tiger?’ asked a well-spoken brown furred Hound, who’d snuck up on them. Star Wolf hadn’t smelt him either, impressive.

  Counter turned, grimaced a little, before composing his muzzle into a half-smile. Though his lips wobbled a little over his top teeth, that weird trait all Dogs seemed to possess.

  ‘This is Bloodhound,’ said Counter. ‘As you can see he’s a little different to most on our planet.’

  Bloodhound’s rich-brown colour, with a few speckles of black around his eyes and cheeks, shimmered and looked freshly washed to Star. The curious Dog stood proudly in a uniform that suggested Navy to Star Wolf. Navy creatures were few and far between given that almost every single sea planet housed no creatures touched by the Universal Beacon. The depths of the galaxy’s oceans were beyond measure and in the majority unchartered. Navy vessels and their crews were intrepid explorers, brave animals that often went missing on alien worlds such as Pistris, the Shark planet or Polypus, the Octopus planet. Venturing onto planets where only mindless killers dwelt seemed insane, and yet oddly familiar to Star Wolf given his recent escapades.

  ‘A Navy animal?’ asked Star Wolf.

  ‘Indeed, and the founder of the Ferox Canis Navy.’

  ‘How old are you?’

  ‘I’m forty in a few months,’ responded Bloodhound in his proud bark of a voice.

  ‘How old is Ferox Canis’s Navy?’ asked Star Wolf, beginning to question the sanity of the wild Dog before him.

  ‘Five years.’

  ‘And how many boats do you have?’

  ‘One,’ said Bloodhound, pride beamed out of the word as his generous jowl
s flapped and sprayed flecks of white salvia.

  ‘And crew?’

  ‘One,’ said Bloodhound, no humour in his voice, he was the real deal or at least believed he was.

  ‘Let me get this straight, the Ferox Canis Navy consists of one boat and one crewmember?’ Star couldn’t concentrate amidst the blazing heat, ‘How is that even possible? Are you registered with The Council of Worlds?’ Star suspected not.

  ‘Of course he is,’ said Counter, his offence obvious, ‘you might want to show a little respect. He may be a one animal crew, but Bloodhound has racked up more miles and dives at sea than several larger planets with hundreds of Navy vessels.’

  ‘Is that true?’ said Star Wolf.

  Bloodhound smiled a big grin. More slobber formed at the corners of his mouth. He wiped a white handkerchief about his cheeks to remove the drool before returning it to his outer jacket pocket. On the pocket itself a row of medals, an impressive collection once Star Wolf paid attention. Though it was a struggle as he continued to swat away pesky bluebottle flies

  ‘I’ve done my fair share off-world, and Counter and the House of Dogs has been most kind in aiding my space jumps and funding repairs and supplies for The Seadog.’

  ‘The Seadog?’ asked Star Wolf.

  ‘The finest vessel in Ferox Canis’s short but illustrious nautical history.’

  The two Dogs before Star Wolf, one in Navy uniform and the other completely naked, were utterly bonkers. No wonder animals opt to stay on their homeworlds.

  ‘So you’re following in the footsteps of the Winter Tiger young Wolf?’ asked Bloodhound, his demeanour had turned serious.

  ‘I wouldn’t say that,’ said Star Wolf, shaking his upper body in a vain attempt to wick away some of the sweat from his thick fur. The call of the cold, of home, was strong. ‘I’m after answers. It would appear the entire galaxy was oblivious to five planets being destroyed and believe that the Winter Tiger and his,’ death squad, ‘Tigers have killed a Space Kraken— a creature that is rumoured to surface every ten thousand years and has never been captured or killed.’

  ‘It’s all very convenient isn’t it?’ agreed Bloodhound, his shiny black nose bobbing twice. He was the most confusing Dog Star Wolf could ever recall meeting; the two planets had always got on well enough due to the obvious similarities, but the Wolf could never fully abide the chaos of the Dogs. The Bloodhound’s cream-coloured trousers, on closer inspection, were worn and fraying in parts. His whole persona and outfit was of class and style mixed with the unruly ways of the Dog.

  ‘If it’s true then great,’ said Star Wolf.

  ‘But you don’t think it is,’ Bloodhound leaned in close, ‘and neither do I. Shall we go on a little adventure again?’

  Counter, a mute bystander now, sighed heavily. The sound of a Dog who’d heard the word adventure leave the eccentric sea Dog’s muzzle a thousand times before.

  ‘And where exactly did you have in mind?’ asked Star Wolf.

  ‘Why, the source of the problem of course.’ responded Bloodhound.

  ‘Which is?’

  ‘Tigris.’

  Counter yelped in fear.

  ‘You can’t be serious?’ Counter demanded. ‘No one is allowed on Tigris; you’ll be killed the moment you land.’

  ‘Who said anything about landing?’ A wicked grin spread across Bloodhound’s wild features. Star Wolf was warming to him by the second. All the talk of stealth and quests had got his blood pumping. Bloodhound, presumably using that infamous sniffing nose of his, was picking up on Star Wolf’s excitement.

  ‘Let’s head to Lupus first. Gather six of your best Wolves, in secrecy of course, then we will venture to Tigris. And do not worry my friend. The Seadog has a few tricks up her sleeve. All we need do is take a drop-ship to a secluded ocean and let the old girl do the rest.’

  Star Wolf couldn’t help but chuckle at the notion of referring to a five-year-old boat as an “old girl”.

  ‘The Tigers don’t monitor their oceans very well.’

  ‘And how do you know that?’ asked Counter.

  ‘Because I’ve been there twice in the past month.’ said Bloodhound, no trace of a lie in his proud words. This was a creature of honour. Star Wolf could tell and always prided himself on being a good judge of character.

  ‘Madness. What in Ferox Canis possessed you to go there?’ asked Counter, aghast at the revelations. The naked, wild Dog was at odds with his words of law and order. He was yet another example of the frantic nature of the Dogs, another species in the galaxy unworthy of rule or ascension in The Council of Worlds.

  ‘Because like my young Wolf friend here,’ Bloodhound said the word young without condescension or scorn, a refreshing change for Star Wolf, ‘I do not trust the Tigers. And let me tell you this the things I heard on that planet made my fur stand on edge, something vicious is brewing on that planet.’

  ‘If you don’t trust the Tigers then why didn’t you investigate further?’ asked Star Wolf, fearing Bloodhound might have been craven.

  ‘And leave The Seadog undogged? Are you mad?’

  The accusation of madness from a canine whose brain resembled a bag of rats

  seemed ironic to Star Wolf, he left the point unsaid.

  ‘Fair enough,’ said Star Wolf, ‘how about this. You get me to Tigris, undetected and I will discover the truth once and for all.’

  ‘You sir have yourself a deal,’ a stern expression fell over Bloodhound‘s vibrant features, ‘we’ll have to kill this one.’ He pointed a paw to Counter whose sharp eyes bulged.

  ‘What?’ said Star Wolf and Counter in unison.

  Bloodhound burst into laughter.

  ‘I’m kidding,’ the giggles left him, ‘but I’m deadly serious when I say this Counter,’ he grabbed the smaller Dog by the shoulders and pulled him close, too close, ‘if you tell a single Dog, or any other creature for that matter, what we’re about to do I swear by all the moons of Ferox Canis that I’ll hunt you down and feed you to a pack of feral, mindless Dogs out on the plains. Understand?’

  Counter nodded.

  ‘Excellent,’ said Bloodhound, releasing his grip on the cowardly Dog, ‘shall we prepare to leave by sunset Star Wolf?’

  ‘Why not,’ said Star Wolf, glad of a plan but weary it came from a mad Dog. I’ve got nothing better lined up.

  ‘To Tigris, and if we’re lucky we might catch that filthy Snow Tiger up to no good!’ said Bloodhound, whistling a bouncy tune as they strode back to the landing bay where the Wolf envoy awaited.

  9. Tigris

  Loading The Seadog onto a Dog spaceship called Boneyard took an age, long enough for Star Wolf to start questioning the wisdom of the plan. His gut churned over and over, perhaps on account of the lack of a good meal; what the Dogs classed as meat bordered on foul. Bloodhound had been specific with his instructions to the Dogs assisting him load the vessel onto what Star Wolf would learn on the journey was Bloodhound’s personal spaceship. It seemed the mad Dog was wealthy. A spaceship and a boat was a lavish inventory list on a planet on chaotic creatures.

  Star had the Wolves he wanted to accompany him on a stealth mission already within their envoy. Sky was the first name on the list, for two reasons, one she was one of if not the stealthiest Wolf Star had ever encountered, and two because she’d have ripped him limb from limb if he went without her.

  Second on the list, River, whether he wanted to come or not. Duty and pride would bind him to Star’s commands, for now. Third and fourth, Stone and Ash the duo were a good mix of experience and youthful energy. Plus, Ash was probably the greatest fighter in the House of Wolves. Star decided Ash should choose a fifth member suited to the task. His choice was Elm, a monstrous Wolf, who looked like he had a bit of Werewolf in him if the fables from millennia ago were to be believed. Elm’s hulking dark-brown frame towered over Star Wolf, who himself was taller than the rest of the fifty strong Wolf envoy.

  Convincing forty-odd Wolves to return to Lupus without him drew s
ome questioning looks, strength came from the pack and splitting it, leaving their ruler in waiting in the smaller group, didn’t sit well. It wasn’t the Wolf way, and though it pained them loyalty was another trait they honoured more than most planets and so they respected Star’s wishes. Part of him realised Ash’s selection of Elm aided many in their choice to return without Star.

  ‘Where are you going?’ asked a Wolf from within the ranks, stood in formation in the haphazard air hangar the Dogs classed as space base. The inside of the building was a mess. Discarded spacecraft parts were strewn in every direction. Oil and burnt rubber lingered on the air.

  ‘We are,’ said Star Wolf, cursing his stupidity at not having a lie prepared.

  ‘Staying here to discuss nautical matters with the Bloodhound. He’s got a few demonstrations for us that we may look to utilise within our own Navy,’ said Ash. Thank you.

  Star Wolf nodded; a gesture reciprocated by all before him as they departed to Lupenroad.

  ‘Once we’re finished Bloodhound has kindly offered to return us to Lupus. Travel safe and may Lunalupus guide you home safely.’

  The six remaining Wolves and Bloodhound stood in silence watching the Wolves do their final ground checks and embarking on the long journey home. Star Wolf could picture the gorgeous treelines and flowing serenity of the streams weaving through the lush grass beds of the forests. A pang for home hit him hard, and a glance to Sky’s downturned mouth showed she most likely felt the same. River, however, smirked at Star. He’s going to make me pay for that slap for a long time.

  Once Lupenroad’s thrusters blast the craft out of the atmosphere Bloodhound turned to face the six Wolves, ‘well who knew you Wolves could lie so well. I’m a little impressed, and a little scared I must admit. We’ll need all of that cunning of yours once on Tigris.’

  ‘We’re going to Tigris?’ River blanched with fear for a moment.