Lylat in Chaos (Star Fox/Warhammer 40K)
Chapter 2: New Beginnings
Private Laura Leona was nervous. Actually, the young Cornerian lion was terrified at the thought that she might make a fool of herself on her very first mission in front of her peers. Around the room, marines of the Cornerian Defense Fleet entertained themselves as they are transported to their destination. Some of them played cards while others arm-wrestled. But, most of the marines talked about their lives and ambitions.
Laura did not join into the conversation. Her life was composed of ill-fated events and failures, mainly because she had more beauty than brains. She was a cheerleader and gymnast for in high school, but she mostly got in due to her looks. She was expelled from high school due to her extraordinarily poor grades and her parents kicked her out of the house soon after. She tried to work as a model, but she was permanently barred from the industry after her first photographer used her swimsuit pictures for pornography. Finally, she joined the Cornerian Defense Fleet as a marine to escape the life of humiliation and wage-slavery as a lowly waitress at some sleazy restaurant or bar.
Before she could reflect more on her life, her squad's imposing sergeant stepped into the room.
"Alright troops, here is the situation," he said. His voice caused the room to go silent, indicating that the marines were giving him their full attention. "Several hours ago, our sensors found a large anomaly in orbit around Titania. Command wants to know what is it exactly and its origins, so it is our mission to investigate the anomaly and report any findings. Any questions?"
Laura was the first to speak up.
"Will there be any more squads joining us?"
"Negative," replied the sergeant. "Since there seems to be no hostile activity inside the anomaly, command thinks that a single squad of thirty marines would be sufficient. Any more questions?"
Laura opened her mouth.
"From anyone else besides Ms. Pretty Face here?"
There was a brief period of silence.
"No questions? Then get ready for the mission. We are arriving in twenty minutes."
Fox McCloud slept peacefully in the plush bed aboard his team's newest home, the Great Fox II. He reflected on the events that happened in the past few years in his dreams. Star Fox's excellence during the Aparoid Invasion not only earned the team a new dreadnought from Space Dynamics, but the Cornerian Defense Fleet also agreed to pay the cost of the new dreadnought and the mortgage of the old Great Fox, which was destroyed during the final hours of the Invasion.
As a result of their newfound fame, the demand for their skills skyrocketed as well as the number of consumers. Some of the new consumers are companies who wants Star Fox to safely escort cargo. Other consumers were the Cornerian Defense Fleet and other private interest groups. Most of their jobs either involve defending critical assists from pirates or wiping out the same, sometimes both at the same time. Speaking of which, pirates have gotten more brazen in the recent months, no thanks to abandoned Venomian military hardware on the black market and ships acquired from legitimate companies under false pretenses. All of this gave the pirates more power and confidence.
And last month, Star Fox decided to recruit Katt Monroe into the team, despite protests by Falco on the recruitment of his "girlfriend". The decision comes from three facts. First, Peppy finally made good on his promise to retire from piloting, leaving the team short one pilot for their missions. Second, the Great Fox II has more hanger ports than the first Great Fox, meaning they had spare room in for extra wingmen. And third, the pirates' recent increases in strength made missions difficult, even for Star Fox. Katt was happy as soon as she heard the news and arrived as soon she could. She now pilots Peppy's old Arwing, which was repainted pink to suit her tastes.
Before Fox can dream of anything else, a loud knocking on the door resounded across his bedroom.
"Fox!" called out Falco. "General Pepper is on the line. He wants to speak with you about another job for the Fleet!"
Fox groaned. Even though jobs were plentiful and pay was sufficient, the influx of jobs was overwhelming and nearly impossible to keep up. And he does want his beauty sleep.
"I'm coming," said Fox as he climbed out of the bed and walked towards the bridge. "I really should call a vacation soon, or else I might die from all of this stress."
A Cornerian Transport Shuttle attached itself firmly with one of the docking ports of the anomaly. Inside the shuttle were thirty well-armed marines of the Cornerian Defense Fleet. One of the marines was Private Laura Leona. The presence of her comrades have actually overpowered her individual fear of failure. She felt braver than any time in the past eighteen years of her life.
The doors of the shuttle slowly opened, and the cold emptiness greets them before the marines lit up their flashlights to banish the darkness. But, even with the warm light, the area still gave off an unsettling atmosphere, with a possibility of death around every corner.
"Move out and secure the anomaly!" yelled the sergeant.
The squad quickly obeyed and spread out across the area, flashlights on and guns raised. There was no danger so far, but the quietness of the entire area actually spooks the entire squad a bit.
"Woah," one of the marines spoke. "Despite that this place's a wreck, the interiors are much cleaner than I expected."
"Yeah," another marine spoke. "It is as if someone lives here to regularly keep this place clean."
Indeed, the interior of the wreck was relatively tidy. In fact, it was even tidier than some of the rooms the marines have on their ship. But, despite all of this, there were no signs of other people, living or dead, on the ship.
But then, there was a certain voice echoed across the shipwrecks and rock.
A gentle voice, which only Laura can only hear, strangely enough.
"Find us…"
