The team's Arwings sailed over the surface of Gazarus. Looking over his sensors, seeing nothing so far, Fox checked the Arwings of his team mates before turning to the view in front of him. However, his thoughts were still retained on his team... and, right now, particularly Krystal. He started thinking about the memory of the time he had with her the last two nights ago.
Fox had been sitting on his bed, thinking about past events; about the destruction of his ship... about Peppy. Their missions had gotten more dangerous, and Fox was glad that Peppy was safely retired before it killed him. Still, he missed having him around, particularly his advice and fatherly presence. It was at that moment that Krystal walked into his room, wearing only a button-down shirt. Fox looked at the very beautiful vixen, taking in how lovely she was as she crouched down on the bed right behind him, placing her hands gently on his back.
"...Fox," Krystal said in her typical gentle British accent, "I'm sure he'll be fine."
Fox remembered that Krystal could sense the thoughts of others. She had extra sensory perception, as she was able to sense the emotions and subjects in the minds of others. However, she wasn't psychic, as she couldn't read minds or tell the future. Her ESP allowed her only to sense what others were thinking about and what they were feeling about it, but not how or why they were thinking it.
"...I know, Krystal," Fox stated, "It's just that... When I think about that, I know that he won't be around for too long after this."
"He's still in his sixties, Fox," Krystal stated, "I think he'll still be here for a little while."
"Hm... yeah, I guess you're right... But I'm also thinking about the others. What about them?"
"They're still here, Fox... We will help one another... like always."
"Yeah, I know."
"Besides... You still have me, Fox... like always."
Fox turned his face towards her, meeting her warm smile. "...That's good to know." Fox stated as Krystal kissed him. Their kissing grew even more tender and passionate as Fox slid Krystal's shirt off and they both laid down on the bed to engage in a night of passion.
While remembering that event two nights ago, Fox retained his focus back on his current situation, but still kept some of his thought on the vixen. Krystal had always loved Fox, having deep feelings for him since their first meeting. She was shy most of the time and didn't usually express her true feelings for him. However, she had started to do so more recently and Fox was starting to embrace it, letting go of his own nervousness around her.
The ships continued sailing over Gazarus' rocky surface, coming up to the area of the Gazarusian facility where the bio weapon was supposed to be. "All ships," Fox stated to his teammates over the com link, "Disperse and scout out... It should be around here somewhere." The team followed his orders, each ship checking out a different part of the area... and so far, nothing.
"Fox," Slippy stated, "I'm not seeing anything... But I'm getting an energy reading from the area."
"Can you tell me where it is?" Fox asked.
"Not specifically, but it's originating from the East."
As the ships started checking the Eastern sector of the area, they all noticed the energy reading on their sensors. Still, nothing showed, but Slippy looked at his sensor and the energy reading continued to get stronger. However, suddenly, a wave of unidentified contacts appeared on the screens. Fox looked up and saw numerous fighters approaching. ...They were Venomian in design.
"We got Venomian craft," Fox stated, "Approaching from the North East."
"That can't be what Pepper's talking about," Falco stated, "They hostile?"
Immediately, Falco was answered when the Venomian fighters started blasting some laser bolts at the team. Falco dodged a few bolts. "You betcha," Fox stated, "Let's take em' out."
The team dispersed and then each member engaged in a fight with the Venomian fighters. With his immense piloting skills, Falco was the first to nail some enemies, chasing a few fighters and, with some well placed shots, quickly taking them down. He then became chased by a couple more fighters, but he performed a loop and brought them in his view. Falco then fired some lasers and shot down the fighters.
"Ha!" Falco exclaimed, "Can do it in my sleep."
"Are these guys Venomian Army?" Slippy asked.
"Not likely," Fox answered, "They don't have Venomian markings, so these guys are likely rogue."
"This Veras is very likely involved." Krystal said.
Fox fired some lasers and shot down a few enemies and then swerved and shot a few more down. As Falco performed a few spins and shot another couple of fighters down, Krystal fired some lasers and shot down several enemy ships. Slippy shot down an enemy vessel, but found a fighter chasing after him. Slippy tried to swerve, but the enemy kept up the pursuit. However, before he could say anything, like a reflex, Fox came in and shot down his pursuer.
"Thanks, Fox." Slippy said as he flew back into the fight.
Krystal fired some lasers and shot a few enemies down. A couple others pursued her, but she swerved and spun to the right, allowing her to gun down both her former pursuers. Fox chased and shot down several fighters, but a few others came in at his left and attacked. Fox swerved his Arwing and fired some shots that gunned down the few enemy ships. The air battle was fierce, but not long, as there were not too many enemies involved. After some more fighting, all the enemy fighters were shot down.
"That's the last of em'." Fox stated.
"There has to be something else goin' on." Falco said, still suspicious.
"Slippy," Fox said, "Ya' still got a readout on the area?"
"I'm still gettin' a large energy reading from the East," Slippy said, "But it's not sayin' from where."
Suddenly, however, the ground below them shook and, immediately, a large creature burst out of the ground, a creature with the appearance of a mantis, with large scythe-like arms. The older team members remembered it as a Vulcain, the bio weapon they faced before on Solar.
"Oh shit!" Fox shouted in shock as he saw the creature before him, "Wha- what!? Is that a Vulcain?!"
"Vulcain?" Krystal asked.
"We faced it on Solar during the Lylat Wars," Falco answered to Krystal, "But I thought that was the only one."
"Apparently not," Fox said, "I guess this is what we're looking for."
"But Pepper said that it was reactivated," Falco stated, "But that was a living creature. How can it be reactivated... like its some sort of machine?"
"I sense it has a hive mind," Krystal said, "I think this one is a machine... being controlled."
Krystal seemed to be right. As Fox looked at the Vulcain, it had a very different appearance, looking more mechanical than beast, and with a few adjustments. Shortly after the Vulcain's appearance, its operator appeared on the screens in each Arwing, broadcasting his message. It was a Venomian lizard, dressed in a sweater and a leather jacket.
"Ah," The Venomian lizard spoke, "...So Pepper sends none other than Team Star Fox to come and play with me and my toy... I'm flattered."
"I assume you're Veras." Fox said to the Venomian on the screen.
"Very perceptive, McCloud," Veras stated, "Let's see how clever you are against my new project."
"We already took it down once, and we can do it again" Falco stated, "So you just wasted your time, Veras."
"We will see." Veras stated as the faded off the screen.
Fox turned to his team and spoke, "All its got is its arms. We can do this." As the Arwings flew closer to the Vulcain, suddenly, it thrust ed its arm out and laser beams shot out from its scythe. The team narrowly dodged the attack. "Shit," Fox said, "Looks like its got something new."
"Pepper's right," Slippy said, "That Veras really is a tricky guy." Suddenly, several guns appeared on the Vulcain's arms, firing a hail of laser fire at the team. The Arwings dodged the shots in several manoeuvres.
"So its got more guns," Falco stated, "Still the same thing as before. Let's take it out!" Fox made a run at it, firing several shots of laser at the Vulcain. His team mates did the same, firing more laser fire at the Vulcain's guns, taking several of them out, all the while dodging the enemy gun fire. The Vulcain retaliated by swiping at the team with its scythes and then firing powerful laser beams from them once they dodged the scythe attacks. Fox and his team made several more runs at the Vulcain, firing a hail of laser and taking out several guns. However, the creature was far from finished. It screeched loudly at the team in great anger and then, the mandibles on it revealed more guns, which fired numerous missiles at the team.
"Missiles!" Krystal said in concern.
"I see em'." Fox said as the team dodged and shot down the missiles. Furious at its failed attempt to bring down the flying pests, the Vulcain swiped violently at the Arwings and then fired a few laser beams. "Hit the arms and the mandibles" Fox stated. The team followed their leader's orders and fired some shots at the arms and mandibles. Despite firing more missiles and slicing attacks, they took damage. The Arwings managed to fly away, narrowly dodging another scythe attack.
"It's working." Slippy said.
However, the Vulcain started picking up boulders off the ground and hurling them at the Arwings. They still dodged the attack, but the Vulcain's guns also fired more laser, hitting Falco's ship. "Falco," Krystal said in concern, "Are you all right?"
"I've taken some light damage," Falco said, "Nothin' too bad though. I still got it."
"Be more careful, Falco" Fox said before speaking to Slippy, "Slippy, ya got a reading on any weakness?"
"Nothing so far, Fox," Slippy stated, "Must be shielded or something."
"Well keep hitting the mandibles," Fox said, "Maybe it'll show us."
The team fired several more shots at the mandibles, dodging the missiles until they destroyed one of the mandibles and damaging the other. The Vulcain kept up the attack and fired a beam of laser from its scythe, but Falco made a run and fired again, destroying the other mandible. Fox shot some more laser and damaged one of the arms before dodging another attack. Falco fired a charged shot and damaged the other arm. Krystal and Fox then dodged some more gunfire and made a strafing run together on one of the arms. After both fired a charged shot, the arms became destroyed. With most of its weapons destroyed or damaged, the team started feeling more confident. However, as Fox and Krystal pulled up, the Vulcain's other arm swiped away and hit Krystal's Arwing, damaging it.
"I'm hit." Krystal stated. She then heard Fox speaking to her, but she noticed that the communication line on her Arwing was damaged and only a few words got through to her. However, she then sensed something wrong with the Vulcain.
"Fox, I'm sensing something else behind its shielding." Krystal stated.
"Shield... where?" Fox asked. This was to be answered by the Vulcain itself, which opened its mouth, pulling back its shield inside the mouth and revealing an energy source.
The Vulcain then fired a massive beam of energy at the team. The team was very lucky to be able to dodge the attack, though it did clip Slippy's Arwing a little. Krystal watched as her teammates were being chased by the spraying laser. However, Krystal sensed at the spot in its mouth, the beam's energy source. That must be its weakness, the vixen thought as she tried to contact Fox.
"Fox," Krystal tried speaking over the com link, "I think I see its vulnerable point. I'll make a run at it."
Fox did indeed hear what she said and replied. If her com had been working well, she would have heard for her to stay back, but her com was damaged; what she heard Fox saying was, "*Static*-itive... Your Arwi-*Static*-Go in the-*Static*!" Krystal couldn't tell exactly what he was saying. She tried to sense his thoughts, but, at times, her perceptions got cloudy and this was one of those times, as it usually happened in times of deep stress, like when in intense combat. Still, she saw that her friends were in trouble... and she felt like she had to do something. After setting her Arwing in gear, Krystal sailed it right at the mouth of the Vulcain. She slid right past the beam of energy and aimed at the energy source in the mouth. After dodging the beam of energy, Krystal charged up her ship's cannons and fired, with a direct hit damaging the weak spot. Krystal felt relief as what she was doing was working, so she carefully fired a couple more charged shots at the weak spot until, suddenly, it burst. The Vulcain screeched as it felt itself losing its strength.
"Whoa!" Falco exclaimed, "Ya' think she got it?"
"Yeah," Fox said, "It's going down." The Vulcain started falling to the ground as its strength continued to fade. However, as it fell, it got a good glimpse at the flying pest that was responsible. As the Vulcain looked at Krystal's Arwing in anger, it raised its scythe and aimed it at her. As Krystal felt relief at being able to bring down the Vulcain, she suddenly sensed danger approaching at her side. As she looked to where the danger was originating, she saw a deadly beam of laser emitting from the scythe and coming right at her at a very sharp speed. Krystal attempted to swerve away, but her ship had still been damaged and it had started to move slower... She couldn't move in time.
Krystal watched as the beam got closer to her. She couldn't believe it, this was the end for her... But there was no alternative. Krystal shut her eyes and prepared to meet her demise with honour. As Krystal shut her eyes, however, she felt that the light's beam had somehow vanished, replaced by darkness. She wondered what had happened, so she reopened her eyes and saw the darkness to be a shadow... a shadow being protruded from another ship. Krystal looked up and saw that an Arwing had shot up right next to her at the exact moment the beam would hit, and as she looked at the Arwing's cockpit, she found Slippy... he was shielding her.
"Slippy!" Krystal said in despair as she watched his sacrifice. However, as she looked, she saw Slippy smiling at her, happy he could protect her... even if it cost him. Suddenly, the back of Slippy's ship was set ablaze as it was struck by the beam, just before the Vulcain gave out and fell to the ground, lifeless. Tears filled Krystal's eyes as she watched her friend fall down to the surface in a fireball... just before she saw it crash...
The team watched in dazed sadness. Falco was just shocked and saddened, unable to believe that Slippy was gone. Fox was in complete shock and, though silent, he was in total despair... His friend was... dead... gone. Tears streamed from Krystal's eyes as she saw her friend... her brother... disappear.