A Matter of Loyalty

by Jazzman

    "Ack!" screamed Ludwig von Koopa as the thruster fired and a flame 
ignited in the maintenance hatch, narrowly missing his hair, "Karma, 
turn it 
off!" There was a humming sound and the thruster deactivated. Ludwig 
slid out 
of the maintenance panel of his Doomship, KDS Amadeus, and sighed. "It 
would 
appear," he began wisely, "that the problem is not in the reverberating 
nitrocarbonizer, and that repolarizing that device was an unnecessary 
and 
harmful modification."

    "Gee," Karma barked "who'd-a guessed? Oh, that's right, I DID!"

    "Well, I thought it wise to investigate every possibility." Ludwig 
countered. "However, now I think we should consider reversing the 
Lodestone 
of the gravometric..."

    "Oh, for heaven's sake," Karma snapped and stormed up into the 
maintenance hatch. "Kooky, get your carcass up here!" she shouted after 
a 
moment.

    Ludwig sighed and climbed up the steel ladder into the maintenance 
hatch. 
When he got to the hatch he was greeted by a very disgruntled Karma 
holding a 
half-melted socket wrench.

    "I found this in your Jet drive," she explained.

    Before Ludwig could come up with a reply he was rescued by a 
high-pitched 
voice from the floor of the hangar.

    "Hey," shouted Lemmy, "are you through up there?"

    "Yeah," Karma yelled, "this idiot and me are through!"

    "Well," Lemmy replied, "King Dad needs to see both of you in his 
command 
room right away." Having delivered his message, Lemmy went about his 
ballriding.

    Karma and Ludwig looked at each other in disbelief. "Did he just 
say both 
of us?" Karma asked incredulously.

    "I believe so," Ludwig answered, shocked, "let's go investigate."

    "Right," Karma agreed, and the two hurried away to see what King 
Bowser 
wanted.

*****

    King Bowser Koopa paced the floor of his command room impatiently. 
Where 
are they, he thought, what's taking Lemmy so long to deliver a simple 
message?
 He stopped momentarily to look out his window into the Doomship hangar 
and 
saw two people running toward the elevator to where he was. One was a 
fairly 
tall koopa with wild blue hair that billowed behind his head as he ran, 
and 
the other, he thought with disgust, was a halfling: half purple-shelled 
koopa, half yoshi. Well, he thought, it's about time those two got 
here.

    "So," came a rich baritone voice from behind him, "what's swingin', 
daddy-o?"

    "Keep silent, Jazzman," Bowser snapped at Ludwig's twin, "you will 
be 
informed when your brother and his freak arrive."

    "Sheesh," Jazzman murmured, "ya haven't got to be such a square."

    At that moment the elevator door opened and Ludwig and Karma 
stepped into 
the command room.

    "There you are," Bowser barked, "sit down."

    Ludwig and Karma took their usual seats at Bowser's conference 
table. 
Ludwig sat at the end closest to Bowser's seat, Karma sat at the 
opposite 
end, right next to where Jazzman was sitting by chance.

    Bowser looked to see that they were all seated, then took his seat 
and 
began, "As you all three probably know, the Mushroom Kingdom has 
offered 
severe resistance to our advances. Without our vast military power we 
wouldn't stand a chance against the Mario brothers' defense." He paused 
to 
let that sink in while mumbling something about General Flutter, then 
continued, "which brings me to my point. The spearhead of our military 
is the 
Doomship fleet. However, we are getting to the point where there just 
aren't 
enough Doomships to be everywhere they are needed. With your ship, 
Ludwig, in 
the hangar for repairs and modifications, and mine," he sneered, "well, 
we 
all know what happened to my Doomship." 

    "Izzat the wreck off the coast of Yoshi's isle that fell outta the 
sky a 
few years back*?" Jazzman asked earnestly. Karma stifled a snicker at 
the 
look on Bowser's face.

    "Yes, Jazzman," Bowser growled menacingly, "now be quiet!"

    Jazzman jumped, surprised at the rebuke over what seemed like a 
simple 
question.

    "Anyway," Bowser continued, cooling off, "the obvious solution is 
to 
build more Doomships. However, the problem is that the law states only 
a 
member of the royal family may command a Doomship, and we're running 
low on 
members of the royal family. Clawdia could take one, but she doesn't 
want any 
part of the war. We can't seem to raise mine to the surface, and I'd 
lose a 
lot of face if I ordered a replacement built," Bowser paused, 
apparently 
reluctant to say what came next, "which leaves me with only one 
option:" he 
looked at Karma and Jazzman and continued, "you two."

    Karma and Jazzman were both taken aback by this. "Ya mean," Karma 
inquired, "you're actually starting to trust us?"

    "No," Bowser snapped back, "but I have no choice." He took a deep 
breath 
and was all-business again, "you have three days to prepare a design 
and 
submit it to Ludwig. After that you have two weeks-assuming it meets 
standards-to complete construction using whatever resources you need. 
The 
ships may be equipped with one power-up for emergency use only. Is that 
clear? Thank you, you are all dismissed."

    They all got up to leave, shocked at what they had just heard. "Not 
you 
Ludwig," Bowser called to his son. Ludwig turned, walked back into the 
command room and stood in front of Bowser. 

    "Yes, father," Ludwig said formally. 

    Bowser looked around to make sure no one was listening, and 
whispered, "I 
want you to be aware, son, that I will be watching your actions very 
closely."

    Ludwig furrowed his brow. "What do you mean?" he asked, puzzled.

    "I mean," Bowser growled, that every time I send you and your twin 
on a 
mission together you suddenly become prone to errors: errors that 
effect the 
outcome of the mission, such as," he took on a mockingly innocent tone 
of 
voice, "a malfunction in your targeting system. A malfunction, I might 
add," 
he roared, "that destroyed our entire invasion force enabling the 
survival of 
the Monstro Wing (or should I say Regiment now?), squandering our 
advantage 
of surprise and prompting Flutter to declare a full-scale war against 
us!"

    Ludwig forced a shocked look onto his face. "Are you implying," he 
asked 
innocently, "that I knowingly and willfully sabotaged my own vessel in 
an 
attempt to eradicate our own personnel and cause a crucial mission to 
fail?"

    Bowser narrowed his eyes until they were glowing yellow slits 
before 
answering, "I am implying that your explanation was very suspicious, 
and this 
kind of sabotage is Treason. Nor would it be the first time you have 
committed an act of Treason, and I will not let another incident go 
unnoticed. Is that clear, Baron?"

    "Perfectly clear, father." Ludwig answered neutrally.

    "Excellent. Dismissed." Bowser said curtly. Ludwig nodded his head 
once 
and walked out the door. Bowser was almost certain he heard Ludwig 
mumble 
"he's on to me" as he left the room.

*****

    The wind blew fiercely over the sky world. Clouds blew past and the 
deck 
of the KDS Crusher rocked from side to side as the ship swayed in the 
turbulent gusts. Just the way I like it, thought Roy Koopa watching 
from the 
bridge as one of the Rocky wrenches who served as his crew went 
tumbling over 
the side to his doom, It gets rid of the weak, and only the strong 
survive. 
Roy watched in anticipation as another Rocky tumbled from his post to 
the 
opposite side of the deck. Just before the mole-turtle reached the 
edge, 
however, he kicked off the railing and grabbed a solid pipe attached to 
the 
thruster system. Roy raised his eyebrows and nodded approvingly. Not 
bad, he 
thought, if only the rest were like that. He glowered behind his 
custom-made 
sunshades, unfortunately, they're not, and if we stay up here much 
longer I 
won't have much of a crew left.  "Prepare for landing," he called out 
over 
the deck ignoring the PA system. Instantly, crewmen began scurrying to 
their 
posts, eager to put the vessel back on solid ground. 

    "If you don't mind my asking, sir," came the basso-profundo voice 
of the 
Sledge Brother who was Roy's Commandant of Troops, "what are we doing 
up here 
on a day like this?"

    "That's a good question." Roy answered flatly, "Why are we here? 
Why are 
we here when the war is everywhere else. Even Ludwig's about to get 
sent on 
an attack run they say."

    "Well sir," the commandant spoke tentatively, "Ludwig's ship IS the 
best 
in the fleet. I mean, I'm sure you've heard stories of..."

    "Yeah, yeah, yeah," Roy rolled his eyes, "I've heard all about the 
almighty Flagship Amadeus and it's domination of the pipe maze. I've 
heard 
all about Kook's spectacular strategies, flyin' around up there in 
moves so 
showy that all the 'shrooms in Pipe Land knew a week in advance where 
he was 
gonna hit next. I've heard all about his daring, courageous attacks 
where all 
he did was waste tons of lead and brass blowin' away a bunch o' brush." 
Roy 
thought of the piranha plant infestation in Pipe Land and added, "And 
most of 
that brush was probably on our payroll! I mean, c'mon, let's face it: 
by the 
time Ludwig was through, there wasn't anything left to conquer. The 
'shrooms 
didn't surrender, they abandoned the place. It's not like a bunch of 
water 
and dead grass was any more useful to them then it is to us."

    "Well," the commandant replied uncertainly, "Lord Bowser seems to 
think 
that Ludwig was responsible for the success."

    "Of course 'e does," Roy clipped, "all Ludwig had to do was sling 
some 
techno-babble about everything that made his ship 'invincible', and 
Bowser 
was hooked."

    "We are approaching cloud-level." came the voice of the ship's 
helmsman, 
cutting Roy's tirade short. 

    "Brace for turbulence!" Roy bellowed over the noise of the ship, 
ignoring 
the PA system once again. "Helm," he said to the crewman at the control 
panel, "take 'er through." Roy braced himself for the nauseating yet 
exhilarating feeling of cloud descent. As the Crusher began its passage 
through the low, gray clouds Roy had a sudden epiphany. "What if," he 
half 
wondered out loud and half asked his Commandant, "we didn't wait for 
our 
orders?"

    The commandant's brow furrowed as he countered, "I'm not sure I 
follow 
you."

    Roy turned and looked in to the Commandant's eyes. Something about 
the 
look on roy's face said that the last question had been a rhetorical 
one, and 
Roy's mind was made up. "Prepare the supersonic engines," Roy 
commanded, 
confirming the Commandant's suspicions. "We're gonna follow Kooky 
whether he 
likes it or not."

***** 
    
    "Okay, Ludwig, one more time," Karma sighed as she looked across 
Ludwig's 
workbench at the plan for her new Doomship, "what if the thrusters were 
here, 
and this cannon was moved back in front of the cabin?" 

    Ludwig seemed lost in thought for a second. "That is better, but 
where 
will the rear weapons array go?"

    "Right where it is, you idiot!" Karma barked. "What difference does 
it 
make if there's a Bullet Bill cannon blocking the path through?"

    Ludwig raised one eyebrow. "That is a very tactically sound 
defense, 
however there is one flaw. You have to design the ship so intruders 
cannot 
board the ship but you still have a safe way through."

    Karma rolled her eyes. "Kooky," she groaned, "I'm only going to be 
going 
through the defense lines when the ship is docked, and the cannons will 
be 
off." she paused, waiting for Ludwig to find something wrong with that 
logic. 
Finally, she just leaned over onto the workbench sleepily and murmured, 
"Well, I think I'm done."

    "Yeah," Jazzman chimed in, "we've been sittin' here for twelve 
hours 
straight workin', daddy-o. I think..."

    "Twelve hours," Ludwig scolded, "and you have already become 
exhausted? I 
was occupied for three days in their entirety planing the layout of 
Amadeus." 
he sighed at the disinterested look on the faces of Karma and Jazzman, 
"But I 
suppose these plans are sufficient. I will send them to Father, and 
I'll have 
three divisions of troops assigned to constructing the vessels."

    "Swingin'," Jazzman said, getting up out of his seat and 
stretching, "hey 
Kooky, I've got just one more question. Why are we doin' this? I mean, 
What's 
Bowser's big rush to put us in the command seat?"

    Ludwig looked away. "I... I know why," he said under his breath, 
"but You 
wouldn't like it if I told you."

    "What was that?" inquired Karma.

    "I must report back to Father," Ludwig announced, dodging the 
subject, "I 
will have the builders at work by the end of the day." Ludwig then 
stepped 
out the door and quickly strode down the hall to Bowser's command room.

    In Ludwig's workroom, Karma and Jazzman looked at each other, 
confused. 
"What was that all about?" Karma wondered out loud.

*****

    Bowser looked up from the stack of papers in front of him as the 
door to 
his command room opened. "Ah, Ludwig," he greeted, "just who I needed 
to see. 
Are they ready?"

    Ludwig placed the two proposed schematics on Bowser's desk. "I 
think you 
will find these to be adequate. As you see..."

    Bowser waved the issue off. "Skip it, I trust your ability to 
decide if a 
Doomship is airworthy. Now, what we must discuss is this:... Uh, do sit 
down, 
Ludwig."

    Ludwig pulled a chair out from under Bowser's desk and sat across 
the 
desk from him.

    "I want you to take your ship," Bowser said with his hands clasped 
in 
front of him, "and lead those two on their first mission once their 
ships are 
built. Your target will be..."

    "Yoshi's Island," Ludwig interrupted with a sigh, "I overheard you 
and 
Kamek engaged in discussion over it."

    Bowser was taken aback. "W... well," he stammered, "I see. Then you 
already know that I'm going to be watching to see if you or either of 
them 
tries anything." He leaned across the desk toward Ludwig and snarled, 
"and If 
I see any of the three of you so much as breathing without direct 
orders, 
I'll have all three of you, and the crews of all three of your ships 
put to 
death. Is that clear, Baron?"

    Ludwig swallowed hard. "Perfectly clear, Father." He whispered.

    "Good," Bowser grinned, "now you are dismissed."

    Ludwig stood up to leave.

    "Oh, there is one more thing, Ludwig," Bowser said as an 
afterthought, "I 
would suggest you check your targeting system before you leave. I would 
hate 
for a systems malfunction to give me the 'false' impression that you 
were 
committing an act of rebellion."

    Ludwig paused, and strode out the door, leaving Bowser to his 
paperwork. 
Bowser was about to go back to reading failure reports from remote 
divisions 
when his intercom system beeped. "This'd better be important," he 
growled and 
picked up the mouthpiece. "If this is not a report of the unconditional 
surrender of Mushroom Kingdom I'm hanging up." He shouted as he lifted 
the 
mouthpiece.

    "S... sorry sir," came the voice of a very confused Troopa on the 
other 
end, "but the Crusher is requesting landing clearance."

    Bowser paused, wondering if he should check the intercom system for 
malfunctions. "Can you run that past me again?" he inquired.

*****
    "Whaddaya mean, 'refused'?" demanded Roy, "You mean they won't even 
let 
us land?"

    "The Hangarmaster is saying we don't have clearance to dock here," 
answered the communications Lieutenant, a yellow-shelled Troopa, "and 
that 
we're supposed to be on active duty in Sky World."

    "I know we are," snapped Roy, "but we..." he paused to think of a 
way to 
justify his presence, "We're here to pick up supplies and to," he 
paused, 
searching for a better excuse, "and to escort the Amadeus to its 
target. Tell 
them that."

    The Lieutenant nodded and picked up the headset-and-mouthpiece 
connected 
to the off-ship radio and repeated, "Hangar, this is Crusher,
We request clearance to land and take on supplies to escort Amadeus on 
its 
next mission." There was silence as he waited for a response. After a 
moment 
his eyes widened in shock, and his forehead wrinkled in confusion. 
"They 
say," he said uncertainly to Roy, "that the Amadeus already has two 
escort 
ships."

    "What?!" Roy screamed, causing the windows of the bridge to rattle, 
"Who? 
The other Doomships are all off on the Monstro/Koopa border. Who else 
could 
it be?"

    "Hangar," the Lieutenant asked slowly, "request clarification: who 
are 
the commanders of those two escort ships?" There was a long silence 
before 
the Lieutenant's jaw gaped open in what could have been either shock, 
horror, 
or disbelief. 

    "What is it? What is It?!" Roy rushed.

    "Th... the commanders... are..." 

    "Well, who?"

    "K... Karma and Jazzman."

    The bridge crew learned a new definition of the word 'silence' as 
not 
even a breath was drawn. Roy clenched his fists as he got over his 
initial 
shock, and narrowed his shaded eyes so tightly it seemed his eyes would 
pop. 
"Where are they going?" he demanded through gritted teeth.

    The Lieutenant picked up his receiver and asked the hangarmaster 
that 
question. "Yoshi's Island." He reported. "A... and..." he added 
quickly, 
"We... we're getting a signal from Lord Bowser: Priority one, 
audiovisual, 
and on a secure channel. He wants to speak directly to you, Prince."

    Roy's jaw hung open for a moment. "Uh, put 'im through to my 
cabin." He 
ordered as he ascended the short flight of steps to his private cabin.

    Bowser was already waiting impatiently upon Roy's viewscreen when 
he got 
there. "And just what do you think you're doing," he roared, "I thought 
you 
were defending the Sky World."

    "Defending it from what?" Roy shot back, "Nimbusae troops? I don't 
think 
so. Who would want the place?"

    "That's beside the point, and none of your concern. I am the 
strategist 
here, I will give the orders." Bowser said, ignoring Roy's complaint, 
"And I 
already have two ships to escort the Amadeus. At least I will in two 
weeks."

    "Two weeks?"

    "Yes,. That is how long it takes one of Ludwig's engineer 
battalions to 
construct a doomship, and he has one on each design." Bowser grinned, 
baring 
his deadly teeth. "Now as for you, I'm ordering you back to your post. 
You 
have 24 hours to gather whatever," he cleared his throat, "supplies... 
that 
you need, and get back to Sky World. Koopa Castle out!"
    
    Bowser vanished from the viewer, leaving Roy to stare at a blank 
screen. 
He stood dumbly for a while, doing just that, before sighing heavily 
and 
looking out his window at the burning torches atop the spires of Koopa 
Castle. It's a grand sight, he thought as he surveyed the flaming 
castle, 
towering above the surrounding fortresses and sub-fortresses defending 
it.

     Yeah, it's grand, he thought with resolve, and if Ludwig thinks 
I'm 
gonna let him or his pep-squad destroy it, he's got another thing 
comin'!

*****

    The Doomships were completed right on schedule, and in two weeks 
Bowser 
was sitting in his command room staring out into the hangar at the 
newly 
refurbished Amadeus and its escort vessels, Free Bird and Peacemaker. 
Not bad,
 he thought as he inspected the two new vessels from his perch, now we 
can 
have them in the air by the end of the day. He looked out his opposite 
window 
toward the front lines of the war against Flutter. And once I've 
eliminated 
those gluttonous vermin, he raged, I'll send them for YOU, old friend. 
He 
forced himself to remain calm, and looked back toward the hangar. It 
was then 
that there was a beep at the door. "Enter," Bowser commanded and Ludwig 
strode in. "Ah, Ludwig," Bowser greeted again, "I'm curious. Why 
haven't you 
informed your... erm... chief escorts that you will be launched today?"

    Ludwig looked at Bowser from the corner of his eye. "I... was not 
aware 
we were launching today."

    Bowser looked surprised. "Well, of course you are," he said dryly, 
"why 
wait when we can launch now and eliminate those pests and move on to 
Monstro?"

    "King Dad," Ludwig interposed, "why are we attacking Yoshi's 
Island? We 
could put the ships to much better use attacking Mushroom or Monstro 
defense 
positions."

    Bowser's head tilted sharply up to face Ludwig. "Because," he 
answered, 
"I want to see if those two pests you have brought into the castle are 
loyal 
to the troop. If so, they can move on to Monstro Town and earn their 
fame as 
the heroes who put down a rebellion and saved the Empire. If not..." he 
hesit
ated, "well, I have no time for disloyalists, especially not in my own 
home. 
Do you understand, son?"

    Yes, thought Ludwig sullenly, for the first time in my life I am 
beginning to understand. "Yes, Father," he answered compliantly. 

    "Good." Bowser said, as if the question had been, 'have you filled 
the 
magma pits today'. "Dismissed." Bowser looked back toward the stack of 
papers 
in front of him. He had almost finished reading a paragraph describing 
an 
insurrection taking place in the Island World when he heard the "woosh" 
of 
the doors of his command room opening and closing as Ludwig stepped 
out.

*****

    "Yoshi's Island?!" Karma screamed in horror, "You can't be 
serious!"

    "She's right, Daddy-o," Jazzman nodded, "There's no way we're gonna 
attack Yoshi's Isle and that's that, scatcat."

    Ludwig sighed. "Look," he said softly, "I understand that you two 
have 
emotional reasons not to want to go through with this mission, but the 
alternative is the immediate execution of ourselves and the crews of 
our ship
s."

    There was silence for a minute before Karma shrugged and muttered, 
"I 
never liked my crew anyway."

    Ludwig closed his eyes and mentally strangled Bowser. He did so not 
for 
forcing him to attack an island full of innocents, but for making him 
break 
the news of that attack to Karma and Jazzman. "If we do not carry out 
this 
attack," he said with a hint of an I'm-offering-you-an-alternative 
quality in 
his voice, "then Bowser will."

    "Oh," mocked Karma, "That makes all the difference in the world. We 
have 
a choice between killing our friends or letting Bowser do it for us."

    "No!" interrupted Ludwig, "You are not comprehending. If we go on 
this 
mission ourselves," he looked around to make sure no one was listening, 
"we 
can ... take steps to ensure that the mission is ... less than 
successful."

    Karma and Jazzman were speechless. To sabotage a mission that was 
doomed 
to fail anyway and write it off as an equipment failure was one thing, 
but 
what Ludwig was suggesting was blatant insurrection. There would be no 
way 
they could show their faces in the castle again if they were caught. 

    "Are you saying," Karma asked in disbelief, "that we're going to 
launch 
today en route to Yoshi's Isle, and never come back, As in, just 
leave?"

    "No." Ludwig replied, "I'm saying we will launch today, en route to 
Yoshi's Island and land at our destination to establish a treaty 
between 
ourselves and the Yoshis. Then, we will begin planning our resistance 
movement against Bowser."

    Jazzman grinned his one-toothed grin. "Now you're talkin' my 
language." 
He said excitedly.

    "There's just one thing," Karma interrupted, "what about our 
troops? 
They're loyal to Bowser. Won't they try to..."

    Ludwig held up a hand to silence her. "I have ensured that the crew 
compliments of all three ships consist only of troops more loyal to me 
than 
to Bowser."

    Karma's jaw dropped. "It sounds almost like you've been planning 
this!" 
she exclaimed.

    "Of right it should, since I have." Ludwig replied flatly.

    Karma and Jazzman looked at each other, then looked back.

    "So," continued Ludwig, "Are we all in agreement as to what must be 
done?" The vote was unanimous. "Very well then, let us depart." And 
with that 
the newest rebel group in the Koopa Empire stepped into the Doomship 
hangar 
to begin their first mission.

*****

    "Amadeus to hangar control," said Ludwig's Commandant over the 
radio 
system, "request clearance for departure."

    "Roger, Amadeus," the hangarmaster answered, "the sky is clear for 
your 
liftoff. Good luck."

    "Thank you, hangar control." The Commandant sighed and put down the 
headset. "Helm, disengage docking clamps and begin engine ignition."

    "Disengaging docking clamps," replied the helmsman as he carried 
out his 
orders, "starting engines."

    The Commandant  stepped toward Ludwig inconspicuously and 
whispered, 
"y'think this'll work?"

    Ludwig took a deep breath, making him look even larger and more 
intimidating standing next to the tiny Rocky Wrench. "I don't know," he 
replied, "but the alternative is to comply with Bowser. That, in my 
opinion, 
is not an option."

    The Commandant nodded. He opened his mouth to speak, but he was cut 
short 
by the voice of the ship's communication troopa. 

    "Sir," called the troopa to either Ludwig or the Commandant, "the 
sister 
ships have launched and we are clear of obstacles."

    "Excellent." Ludwig commented, "Helm, set course for Yoshi's 
Island, Mach 
6." He paused to look around at the capitol city before finishing. It 
would 
most likely be a long time before he returned. Finally, he swallowed 
hard and 
spoke the one word that would launch the most devastating rebel assault 
that 
the Koopa Kingdom had seen in decades: "Engage."

     "So, we're underway?" asked the Commandant nervously.

    Ludwig nodded. "Yes," he thought of a lie to reassure his 
Commandant, 
"and I have planned for every possible occurrence, so we should not 
fail."

    The Commandant merely sighed and muttered, "then why do I have such 
a bad 
feeling about this."

*****

    The Commandant of the Crusher looked up excitedly from his scanning 
screen. "Sir," he shouted jubilantly, "We've found them! Three 
ships-one of 
them Amadeus-on a heading for Yoshi's Island at Mach 6."

    Roy rapped his claws on the arm of his chair. "Plot a pursuit 
course," he 
ordered, "when Kooky makes a wrong move I want to know about it."

    The Commandant saluted and passed these orders on to the Helmsman. 

    "Oh, and Commandant," Roy added as an afterthought, "hang back at 
least 
20 kilometers. I don't want them to know we're following them, or they 
might 
not do anything."

    The Commandant nodded and continued relaying orders. Excellent, Roy 
thought to himself, now as soon as we get in communications range I'll 
send a 
transmission to Ludwig saying that... Yeah, saying that I have reason 
to 
believe those two THINGS are planning to foul up the mission. That'll 
give 
Ludwig a way out, there's no point in dragging him down with Karma and 
Jazzman. Then, he thought with a grin those two are as good as bagged! 
Roy 
laughed at the sheer simplicity of the plan. It was almost too easy. It 
was 
as if...

...As if they had planned for Crusher to be on them. 

    Roy dismissed the thought as rubbish. They couldn't have known. No, 
they 
were naive and trusting of their surroundings. Well, it would soon be 
their 
undoing.

*****

    "Baron," wavered the voice of a very confused Rocky Wrench 
Commandant as 
the Doomship squadron approached Yoshi's Island, "The Crusher is 
hailing us, 
and Roy says it's urgent."

    Ludwig clenched his fists and pounded the arm of his chair. 
Confound it, 
he thought savagely, so close and Roy has to befoul us with his 
presence. 
"Put him on the main viewer." Ludwig ordered irately. In seconds, Roy 
appeared on the viewer, clearly alarmed. Apparently, his message was as 
urgent as he said.

    "Kooky," Roy gasped, "You've got to turn back now. You need to 
return to 
the castle."

    Ludwig raised an eyebrow. "Might I ask why?" he inquired.

    "It's those two. They're traitors, Ludwig! They're going to try to 
link 
up with the Yoshis and start another war with King Dad."

    Ludwig tried unsuccessfully to hide the shock from his face. 

    How, he thought, could Roy have known about that?

*****

     Good, Roy thought at the look of horror on his elder brother's 
face, 
he's falling for it. Now to offer ... assistance.

    "It's you they're after first, Ludwig," he continued his series of 
lies, 
"it's you they want out of the way."

    Ludwig was clearly confused. "Come again," he said slowly.

    "Your ship is the most powerful," Roy explained, cringing at the 
admission, "they want to take you out using surprise and superior 
numbers so 
that you won't be able to fight them and the Yoshis off when they start 
making their move."

    Third base, thought Roy as he watched every emotion from confusion 
to 
fury flash across Ludwig's face, now if he''ll just listen to one more 
line...

    "I can help you, bro.," he offered, "They don't know I'm here. I 
could 
take them by surprise. Y'know, we take them out before they take us 
out. 
It'll work, and we'll have put down a rebellion." Roy waited for 
Ludwig's 
response with bated breath.

    Words cannot express Roy's shock when Ludwig shook his head and 
replied, 
"I'm sorry, brother, but I cannot let you get in our way. I will inform 
the 
other two that you have found us out and we will have to leave."

    Us, leave, Roy thought, it can't be. It was true? I thought I had 
made 
that story up! And Ludwig is with them? This is an outrage!

    Roy shook with fury as he began to make sense of Ludwig's words. 
"Well 
then," he rumbled, "Then I'll have to get rid of this uprising myself. 
Cut 
transmission."

*****

    Ludwig had barely enough time to realize that Roy had severed 
contact 
before the deck of the Amadeus rocked under the strain of a bombardment 
of 
cannonballs from the attacking vessel. "Return fire," he yelled over 
the 
alert klaxons, "drop to subsonic and prepare for close combat. Signal 
the 
squadron that..."

    Ludwig's words were cut off as the helm control station exploded, 
flinging sparks and flames around the bridge. As Ludwig struggled in 
vain to 
regain control he looked forward out the window to see a great mass of 
blue 
on the horizon before him. No, he corrected himself, below me! We're 
going to 
hit the water!

*****

    "What's happening?" Karma screamed over the noise of alert sirens 
and 
computerized warnings. 

    "Ma'am, the Amadeus is under attack," replied the burly Terra Cotta 
who 
served as Karma's Commandant. "The ship was attacked from the rear and 
it 
just went down."

    "Ludwig!" Karma screamed in horror, "On.. on viewer!"

    The viewscreen came on in time to display the nose of the Flagship 
striking the water, followed by the rest of the massive vessel. It took 
a 
moment before the ship surfaced again, revealing that the bridge had 
been 
struck by a cannonball, causing all control systems to go off-line.
As Karma wondered what had done this the side of the Free Bird was 
pummeled 
with cannonballs from Crusher, giving her the answer. "Return fire," 
she 
ordered.

    "We can't" informed her Commandant, "they just took out the weapons 
array." The Commandant looked at his flickering scanner reports and 
added, 
"And Peacemaker won't be much help either, she just lost her engines 
and 
she's going down."

    A brief glance out the forward window at the Crusher, turning 
around to 
make a run back at its target told Karma who their assailant was. 
"Roy," she 
muttered. Karma knew Roy and, she knew he was just the kind of person 
to do 
something like this, attacking his own allies. Of course, Karma 
reminded 
herself, we're not his allies anymore, but how could he have known 
that.


*****

    "There's just one more," declared Roy victoriously, "Let's take 'er 
out!"

    "Aye, sir," answered the Commandant. In seconds the ships myriads 
of 
cannons were bombarding Free Bird Once again. Roy grinned his bullying 
grin 
as he thought of Bowser's reaction.

    "I'm sure to take Ludwig's place as the successor," Roy murmured, 
"and 
then, as soon as I put Dad out of commission..." realizing he had said 
too 
much, Roy looked around to see if anybody had heard him. Fortunately, 
everybody was too occupied with the assault on the one vessel left that 
could 
have brought peace to the warring reptilian races. "Ahem... damage 
report:"

    "She's going down," reported the Commandant, " just watch the 
screen." 

    Rightly enough, Roy looked up at the viewscreen to see Karma's ship 
falling from the sky with its engines ablaze. Satisfied with his 
victory, Roy 
turned his mind to other battles. "Set course," he commanded pompously, 
"for 
Yoshi's Island."

*****

    All was confusion on the bridge of the KDS Free Bird. Somehow, Roy 
had 
ambushed the squadron, crippled the Amadeus, and now the Free Bird and 
Peacemaker were dead in the water with no way to move or lift off until 
the 
engines were repaired. Everyone's mind was occupied trying to figure 
out how 
to get out of the mess they were in. everyone, that is, except Karma. 

    Karma despaired as she watched Crusher streaking toward Yoshi's 
Island. 
It was over, she thought. In a few seconds Roy would open fire on the 
defenseless island, and It would all be over. Karma began to sob as she 
thought of all the old friends who were about to lose their lives 
senselessly. She longed to throw herself into ludwig's arms, but she 
couldn't. 
    
    Karma tried to fight back sobs as she thought of Ludwig. She didn't 
know 
if he was even alive. The bridge of Amadeus had taken a direct hit, 
Ludwig 
could easily have been killed by the explosion, or buried by debris, or 
any 
number of things. And now, she had no one left. She had already lost 
her 
parents, now she had lost her Met, and she would soon lose her home. 
Karma 
couldn't fight anymore. She buried her face in he hands and began to 
sob 
uncontrollably.

*****

    Jazzman stared intently out the forward window, hoping that 
somehow, 
Yoshi's Island would be miraculously saved from the wrath of the 
Crusher's 
crazed commander. There was no one between Roy and the Island now, and 
Roy 
was only a mile or two off the island. He was practically in firing 
range. 

    Jazzman's heart sank as he strained his eyes to see the main cannon 
of 
the Crusher extending. He despaired all the more when he thought of all 
the 
mighty vessel's remaining cannons that he couldn't see. This was it, he 
knew 
it. In a few short moments Yoshi's Island would be reduced to a flaming 
cinder. He couldn't watch, he just couldn't. He gritted his teeth and 
looked 
away. 
    
    "Just a few more seconds," he mourned, "just a few more seconds, 
just a 
few...."

    There was a growing roar, followed by the sizzle of burning air as 
an 
energy weapon discharged, and finally a deafening BOOM! Jazzman's knees 
gave 
way as the thought of so many dead friends forced its weight upon him 
like a 
thwomp had suddenly fallen onto his shoulders. Jazzman turned slowly 
back 
toward the forward window in time to see...
        
    ..."What?" he wondered aloud at the sight of Crusher, it's engines 
ablaze, spiraling headlong toward the wreck of Bowser's Doomship. Had 
it not 
been  for his bewilderment at the sight, Jazzman would have laughed at 
the 
irony, but as it happened he didn't even notice. Jazzman began to go 
over the 
events of the last few moments in his mind when realization slowly came 
over 
him. "of course," he whispered grinning, "it's gotta be him!"

*****
    
    One glistening, solid gold eye and its koopish counterpart peered 
out 
from behind their owner's cover in the bushes Yoshi's Island. "That," 
the 
owner rumbled, "was a Koopaaaa Dooooooomship. It would appearrrrrrrr 
that 
Bowserrrrrrrrrrrrrr is still onnnn the thrrronnnne, orr they would not 
attack 
an undefended Island. Therrrrrrre issssssssss noo honorrrrr in it."

    "You can't be sure that it's Bowser," corrected his companion, a 
tiny 
Blue Yoshi, "Remember that the Koopas have not always shared your sense 
of 
honor."

    The larger speaker clenched his fists. "That iss trrrrrue," he 
thundered, 
"and since that isss trrrrrrrue, I must see forrrrrr myself how things 
arrrrrrrrre on the mainland. I must seeeeeeee if my peopllllllllllle 
have 
turrrrrned theirrrrrrrr backs on Bowserrrrrrrrrrrr's pathetic ideals, 
orrrrrrrr if they arre still mindless sheep."

    The Yoshi looked up at his companion. "Then what will you do, 
Monstro, if 
they are still sheep as you say?"

    Monstro narrowed his one good eye. "Then if it happenssssss that 
they do 
rrrrrrrrremember Bowserrrrrrr and hiss waysssss..." a great gray arm 
reached 
out of the bushes, lifted a tree from its roots and shattered it in its 
mighty grip. "....then I will ensurrre that theeey 
rrrrrrrrememberrrrrrrrr 
meeee as welllllll."

*****

    It was almost a full day before the four Doomships had enough power 
to 
propel themselves through the water-at the orders of a most disgruntled 
Bowser-to a meeting location. When the ships had finally gathered, the 
four 
commanders assembled themselves in the conference room of the Amadeus.

    "Where is he?" muttered Roy, "Bowser should be here by now."

    "If it weren't for you and your brainless attack on our ships he 
wouldn't 
NEED to be here!" Karma rebuked.

    "And if it weren't for you and your little rebellion, Freak," Roy 
returned, "I wouldn'ta had ta shoot at ya! All I gotta do is tell 
Bowser the 
truth about what you were all fixing to do out here and he'll have all 
three 
of ya thrown in the magma pits." Roy grinned his toothy grin.

    Ludwig was perfectly calm as he responded, "and all I have to do is 
inform him that you fired on three doomships instead of attempting to 
capture 
them-standard procedure when an airship falls under rebel control-and 
he will 
do the same to you."

    Roy's grin faded, but before he could think of a reply the doors 
slid 
open and Bowser stormed in in a fiery rage. 

    "What I want to know, Roy," he snarled, "is exactly what happened 
out 
here. I sent three Doomships to attack an undefended Island, and FOUR 
turned 
up crippled off that island's shore! I want some answers here!"

    Roy's mind raced. He hadn't thought that Bowser would be angry at 
HIM for 
following the three ships. "I.... heard a.... a distress call from 
Amadeus. 
The squadron was under attack by..." he recalled the mysterious 
discharge 
that had crippled his own vessel, "a plasma cannon, and it came from 
Yoshi's 
Island."

    Bowser narrowed his eyes. "a plasma cannon," he questioned slowly, 
"where 
did the Yoshis get the kind of magic and technology that would 
require?!!!" 
he turned slowly toward Ludwig. "Baron, I want to hear your side of 
this 
story. What in Morton's name happened?"

    Ludwig afforded a quick glance at Roy, who looked back pleadingly. 
"He is 
correct," Ludwig lied, causing Karma and Jazzman's jaws to drop to the 
floor 
in shock, "We were assaulted by a plasma weapon of unknown origin, 
apparently 
fired from somewhere on Yoshi's Island. All three ships in the Squadron 
were 
crippled, and we relayed an emergency distress beacon.It was to our 
good 
fortune that Roy had the foresight to follow us here in case we 
required 
assistance, because had he not, no other ship could have come to our 
aid. 
Unfortunately, the Crusher was attacked upon its arrival by the same 
assailant that had ambushed us."

    Bowser stood still for a moment, as if trying to decide if he 
trusted his 
two sons more than his instincts. "If what you have said is true," he 
said 
after a moment, "then the Yoshis have gained considerable power."

    "Then maybe it would be a good idea to have them on our side, 
daddy-o," 
chimed in Jazzman, "I mean, we don't wanna fight against that!" 

    Bowser glared at Jazzman, but made no reply. "I'll be returning to 
base 
shortly," he explained, "When I get there I'll send four towships to 
take you 
back. I don't want four more vessels wrecked out here." As an 
afterthought, 
he added, "Or three sons marooned in enemy territory." With that he 
snapped 
his fingers and disappeared in a flash of fire.

    Roy stood, dumbfounded for a moment and stared at Ludwig. "Why," he 
asked, "why are you helping these two? What are they to you?"

    "Loyalty, dear brother," Ludwig responded tersely, "loyalty."

    Roy stood speechless for a moment, and turned to go back to his 
ship.

    "What I want to know, Ludwig," Karma asked a little angrily, "is 
why did 
you lie to protect that slimeball?"

    Ludwig looked back. "Had I told the truth, he would have been 
executed, 
but we all three would have as well. Would you rather have me lie to 
incriminate him?"

    "I'm sure he wouldn't hesitate to return THAT favor!" Karma 
answered.

    Ludwig merely shook his head calmly and said, "No, my dear, it is 
not 
that simple. As I told Roy, it was about loyalty. It all comes down to 
a 
matter of loyalty."

The End

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