Ultraman, the Aparoid Invasion

Chapter 3

Wild Hog Chase, pt.1

As Steven sat in the infirmary on the medical bed, ROB was standing by a console going over the data that scrolled down the screen faster than any organic life-form could hope to match. The red vulpine had a dark shades over his eyes, to help dim the lights that were in the medical bay. Fox popped in, followed by Krystal to see how their friend was doing. Not long after Steven/Shodai was blinded by Pigma Dengar, the Ultra/vulpine was rushed to the med-bay for medical attention. "Well, Steven, what's the diagnosis?" Fox asked. Steven's ear twitched a bit, and he turned to face the pair. He removed the shades, and squinted slightly in the light, before opening them completely.

"Well, all things considered, I'm just fine." he replied.

"Really? After taking two flares in the face like that?" Krystal asked, seeing the green eyes again.

"My kind can heal faster than yours can, remember. This type of thing won't hinder me for long," Steven turned away, looking out of the viewport. "But apparently just enough to let Pigma get away…" he said, dismally.

"Don't worry about it, Steven. We'll find Pigma soon, and then we can end this crisis." Fox said. As both got ready to leave, Krystal hung back. Steven noticed this, and looked up.

"Something wrong?" he asked.

"I wanted to ask you something."

"What is it?"

"That message, that you sent to my home world. Did they get it?" Steven raised an eyebrow in puzzlement, while Krystal tried to recover the situation.

"I'm sorry. It's probably an inappropriate time, but I just wanted…"

"They said, that you should visit them sometime." Steven replied, cutting her off.

"Wh-what?" the vixen asked. Steven smiled.

"Your race, your family, wanted me to send a message back to you. They said that you should visit them sometime. I nearly forgot since the Aparoid business began." Krystal felt choked up from this, and Steven saw evidence of tears forming in her eyes. Then, something struck her.

"Cerinia, they didn't get…you know." she asked, fearful of the answer. Steven shook his head.

"No, the Aparoids have not been sighted in, or near Cerinia. However, once they started the out break, I asked a few close friends of mine to watch over the system until the whole thing blows over. Trust me, your race is in good hands." the vulpine assured her. He can see the relief visibly course through her when she heard this, and Steven's smile got wider. Steven got up, and Krystal embraced him tightly.

"Thank you, for everything." she said, looking up at him. Steven nodded, not losing his smile. Then, both figures walked out of the med-bay and to the command head of the Great Fox. When they entered the bridge, there was a picture of a decrepit looking station spinning lazily in space.

"Curse you, Pigma! Why'd you run to such a vile place?" Peppy almost shouted.

"What's going on?" Steven asked. All eyes were focused on him and Krystal as they joined the group.

"We tracked Pigma's signal, and it lead to Sargasso Station." Fox explained.

"Sargasso Station?" Steven asked.

"This place is supposed to be a hideout for all sorts of criminals." Slippy said, shuddering in fear.

"On top of that, this is also the home of…"

"Don't you idiots know? This is part of Lord O'Donnell's territory!" a voice said, cutting Fox off mid-sentence.

"Hey! Who let you in?" Falco asked. The image on the screen was replaced with one of a simian in a grey uniform with a red visor, arms folded across his chest. It was Fox who addressed him first.

"We're the Star Fox team. We're here for a hog named Pigma. We don't want trouble."

"We don't know about Pigma, or any other fool. But, now that we know you're Star Fox we're not gonna let you go, either!" the ruffian replied. "C'mon you lazy scum! Let's skin this fox and his whole crew! Get some more guys up here, let's go!" The Ruffian signed off, leaving the team in momentary silence. It was Slippy who broke that silence as he held his PAD up.

"I just got a message from my dad about the core memory that Pigma stole. He says that it might contain the location of the Aparoid homeworld!"

"We have to get that core back no matter what, then." Steven said.

"Gateway initiation detected. Enemy force increasing." ROB said in his monotone voice. The screen shifted to the view outside, where more than a dozen ships appeared between the Star Fox team, and Sargasso Station.

"So, he's got an army of his own, has he?" Peppy mused. "That's probably where Oikonny got his forces from in the first place."

"Then, why didn't we see Star Wolf with them?" Slippy asked.

"Maybe because he saw that it was a fool's errand." Fox replied.

"Star Wolf?" Steven asked.

"Our rivals." Fox replied.

"Think of them as the exact polar opposites of us." Falco added. "And their leader has a grudge against Fox."

"Really?" Steven asked, turning to Fox who shrugged in response. "Well, we have no time for a grudge match. If what Beltino said is at all true, then we have to find Pigma, and the core memory, with post haste."

"Do you not notice the enemy armada in front of you?" Falco pointed out, gesturing to the screen in front of them. Steven regarded it for a moment, then turned back to the avian.

"I can deal with them with my eyes closed." Steven replied. "Give me five minutes, and I'll have the armada wiped out, and the station turned to so much scrap."

"Even if we pound 'em, it'll be a war of attrition." Fox said.

"We have no time. We need to find the core memory now, before anymore lives are lost!" Steven argued.

"Right, but…"

"Just what do you idiots think you're doing?" a voice growled over the comms. Fox recognized it right away.

"Wolf…" On the screen, three ships flew out from behind the armada of battleships. They were red and silver, dagger-shaped and had four wings. These were the wolfen, the main fighters of the Star Wolf mercenary team. The lupine and his team flew around the Great Fox.

"You're on my turf now. Watch…your…step…Fox." the leader said, punctuating each word.

"We're just here for Pigma, okay? Just shut your traps and hand him over!" Fox said.

"Pigma? Don't know anything about Pigma. But I'm owed an apology, Fox, and I WILL have it!"

"That's it!" Falco shouted as he stormed out of the bridge.

"Where you going?" Steven asked.

"I'm going Wolf hunting, that's where!" he replied over his shoulder. He was joined by the rest of the team, save for Steven and Peppy. The four arwings shot out of the hangar not long after, and the space battle began. Even though the Star Wolf team was outnumbered four to three, they were able to hold their own. In fact, Slippy got downed within the first few minutes of fighting by Leon, the reptilian ace of the team. The crippled ship limped back to the Great Fox, while the rest continued the space war. Fox traded fire with Wolf, both juking and dodging eachother in a dance to the death. Falco was evading Leon, the avian barrel-rolling every few moments to deflect oncoming laser fire. However, it was Krystal who probably had the strangest encounter.

"Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Panther, and all who see my rose, meet death." Krystal rolled her eyes as she rolled her arwing out of the way of oncoming laser fire. "And what may your name be?" the feline asked.

"Krystal." the vixen replied curtly.

"Ah, the lovely Krystal. Words do you no justice. Here's to us." Panther let out a soft growl that seemed to border-line a purr that made Krystal let out an audible groan of derision. All the while, Panther pursued Krystal while she evaded him. "Slippery little fox, aren't we?" Panther purred. Just then, Krystal cut her engines, making Panther's wolfen shoot right past her. The feline looked back in time to see a nova bomb detonate behind him, tearing a wing and a half off.

"You don't know the half of it." Krystal replied.

"Well played, dear Krystal. But, this little game is far from over." All the while, Steven and Peppy watched the battle unfold from the Great Fox.

"I don't have time for this." Steven said as he stormed out of the bridge.

"Where are you going?" Peppy asked.

"I'm going to settle this, once and for all! We don't have time to be playing games like this." Steven replied. Peppy sighed as he turned his attention back to the view screen which showed the dogfight between Star Fox and Star Wolf. The battle ships were keeping their distance from the fighting, as if they were spectators watching a fight. In fact, all traffic seemed to grind to a dead halt since the two rival teams started fighting, not that either side seemed to notice, nor to care, for that matter. However, something was about to happen that will catch their undivided attention. It was Fox and Wolf who noticed it first, as their fighters abruptly lost power and were floating, dead in space.

"Hey, what just happened?" Fox said, trying to start his fighter back up, but no such luck.

"My wolfen! Why won't it start?" Wolf nearly shouted as his fighter also refused to come to life.

"Fox, what's happening? The arwings are just floating around." Peppy's voice sounded through the vulpine's head-set.

"What? You mean all four arwings out of action?" Fox asked in disbelief.

"You guys aren't the only ones." a voice growled over his head-set. "What have you done to our wolfen, Fox?" Wolf demanded.

"It's not me, Wolf. Something else is going on here!" Fox's head-set was alive with chatter as the pilots tried to get their fighters started up, but couldn't.

"Uhm, Fox?"

"Yeah, Peppy?"

"I think I might know what happened."

"What's up?"

"I did." Another voice said. Just then, Shodai floated in between the fighters, his red and silvery form in his fourty meter tall height.

"Steven." Fox said.

"We don't have time to waste on pathetic games. We are on urgent business, and we need to get back on track immediately!"

"Fox, who or what is that?" Wolf asked, looking at the red and silver being.

"A friend. He's right. Just hand over Pigma, and we'll go." Fox said.

"Pigma is no longer part of Star Wolf, and if he showed his filthy hide here, my men would've driven him out." Wolf replied.

"What?" Fox asked.

"Then, where did Pigma go?" Krystal asked.

"Ah, Lady Krystal, I cannot resist seeing you in such a bewildered state. I will show you where Pigma might have gone. But, you will owe me."

"What? Who's this idiot?" Falco asked.

"Quiet, bird." Panther growled.

"What was that?" Falco challenged.

"Forget him, just tell us where Pigma is, and I will give you something in return." Krystal agreed, though the idea turned her stomach.

"How can I resist? I believe the com record will point you to Fichina." Panther purred.

"Thank you." Krystal said.

"Remember; you owe me, and I will collect." Panther said.

'Just you try it, Panther,' Fox mentally noted. Krystal felt this through her telepathy, and decided to try to smooth his ruffled fur when they got back on the ship.

"You talk to much…" Wolf said.

"Alright, Steven, you can let us go now." Fox said. Shodai nodded, and with a wave of his hand the fighters started up again. Star Wolf formed up in front of Star Fox and Shodai. Wolf regarded the giant alien being for a moment, then turned to his team.

"Panther, Leon, let's go!" The wolfen flew past the group, and headed for parts unknown.

"Okay, team. Let's head back." The four fighters and one Ultra flew for the Great Fox. When the fighters landed, Krystal looked at Fox, who seemed to regard her for a moment before turning away and heading for the command bridge.

"Fox, wait, let me explain." she said, catching up to the vulpine.

"What is there to explain?" Fox asked. "You promised him something, and one day he will be here to collect." Fox stated plainly. However, Krystal knew what was behind the voice.

"It's not like that. I'd never do that to you, not with the way you feel about me." Fox whirled to face Krystal, who looked right at Fox in the eye. "I know what it is that you feel." she said. Fox only stared at her while she kept her gaze on him. She chuckled a bit before responding. "Did you forget that I'm a telepath, Fox? I can read your mind, and your emotions. And, I'd like to talk to you about it, about…us." she said before walking towards the command head. Fox followed her immediately after.