Chapter 3: Into the Killer Asteroid Field
As soon as the fighters landed and the air lock closed, each pilot jumped out from their ship and acknowledged ROB 64 as they filed down the halls of the Great Fox.
"Cool! A ROB!" Tyger grinned at seeing the android. "Does he pilot this whole ship?"
"That he does, young lady," Peppy stated. "He may be an older model, but our ROB works better than any of the newer models to date."
ROB 64 seemed to shrug as Fox clued him in on their new ship mates.
"Yes, I will have the two spare rooms ready right away," droned ROB 64.
"Good," Fox nodded. "Do you mind a quick version of the tour, Tyger?"
"Not at all." She purred.
Falco flinched at the feline habit and watched as Fox explained the various electronics stationed in the Recreation Room.
"Anything wrong, Falco?"
He sighed, seeing Chaos Fox standing next to him with a knowing stare.
"The kid just reminds me of a girl I knew," Falco groused, "that's all."
"Okay," Chaos Fox shrugged. "Then I guess you won't care if I tell you that I saw her not too long ago."
"Heh," Falco turned away and followed the team out of the Recreation Room as Fox continued showing Tyger around the Great Fox.
"… And this is our Armory where we store our weapons such as blasters, Gatling guns, and rocket launchers," Fox said, patting the door of the Armory. "We don't get to use them much since our missions have only been air combat so far."
"We also store a surplus of Supply Rings in here," Slippy piped in. "But we have to keep the Nova Bombs in a safer place so we don't get blown to bits if the Great Fox were attacked."
"Right." Tyger nodded. "Where are your rooms?"
"Right down that hallway," Peppy replied, pointing to the area with seven doors. "Those rooms act as both living quarters as well as a bedroom. Our rooms have just that, but the spare rooms that you and Chaos Fox get have a bathroom attached and act as guest rooms."
"I don't have to have a private bathroom." Chaos Fox grimaced. "I do fine with the bathrooms at the base."
"But you don't work with a team of boys all the time and have to share things with them." Peppy reasoned. "That's why you get your own bathroom. Case closed."
"Ever the doting father," Chaos Fox conceded.
"We better get to the control room for our next briefing," Fox sighed, "General Pepper's probably waiting for us."
"In person?" Tyger whispered, falling back to Chaos Fox.
"No, through the com-link," Chaos Fox corrected, "the general is still on Corneria handling city restoration and our defense at Sector Y."
Everyone grew silent when they met General Pepper waiting for them via a viewing screen lowered into the center of the control room.
"Impressive, Star Fox! Making your new team mates at home, I see." General Pepper chuckled, each of the group taking a seat with Fox sitting in the captain's chair.
"Yes, sir," Fox agreed. "It seems that Tyger feels right at home,"
"Wait 'til she sees her room." Peppy whispered to Chaos Fox.
"Good!" General Pepper boomed. "Now for the next part of your mission; our probes have picked up enemy activity within the Meteo planetoid system and it seems that Andross has built a planetoid crusher to clear a way through the belt for his invasion fleet." Fox's ears folded back at Andross' name, making General Pepper frown. "I understand your feelings about this, Fox, but you need to pay attention to your surroundings while in Meteo. Many a great pilot met their demise in the asteroids for having their mind dwell upon personal vendettas."
"Understood, sir," Fox conceded. "I won't let you down."
"Usually space travel is not recommended through Meteo, but it is imperative that you do so for this mission." General Pepper finished. "Good luck!"
The screen went blank and everyone let out a groan.
"Meteo," Tyger mewed. "Of all the places in the Lylat System…"
"The asteroids movements are usually predictable," Peppy noted, looking over the mission file ROB 64 handed to him. "But if any of those space rocks collide, it could send them careening off in wild directions."
"Therefore spelling trouble for us," Fox grimaced. "We can't have Tyger go through colliding asteroids! She's still just a cadet!"
"Which is why I will accompany and lead her through a safer patch of asteroids," Chaos Fox stepped in, patting Tyger on the shoulder. "That way she can learn to maneuver within a mostly controlled environment. If things get too hairy, we can always retreat back to Great Fox and let you handle things."
Peppy heaved a sigh of relief, warranting a smile from Chaos Fox.
"Sounds good to me," Fox said with a smile. "A little training in a real case scenario couldn't hurt." He then looked to Slippy, Peppy and Falco and concluded, "Okay, guys, let's head out."
Several hours pass as they reached the outskirts of the Meteo asteroid field. The Great Fox blazed forth, blasting the asteroids in its wake.
"Things are starting to heat up!" Slippy croaked, zipping about the remaining asteroids.
"Quit dinkin' around, Slip!" Peppy chided.
"Last thing we need is for one of us to get creamed by these space rocks." Falco rolled his eyes. "Hey, Chaos, you and the kid keepin' up?"
Chaos Fox only smiled, watching Tyger's Cornerian Fighter barrel roll with ease behind her own.
"I'm doing just fine, birdie!" Tyger purred.
"Great, a young version of Katt," Falco grumbled under his breath, "boy, am I a lucky guy."
"Okay everybody, we gotta go into the belt now." Fox barked. The team followed along, uninterrupted in their venture.
Peppy's ears drooped with concern at the silence of space around them, only glancing a few moments at a time to Tyger practicing maneuvers with Chaos Fox close by.
"Things just seem too quiet."
"Tell me about it," Fox breathed, "If they really had that planetoid crusher out here, they would have attacked by now."
Suddenly a glimmer of light shown among the asteroids ahead, Peppy boosted forward quietly to find a Venomian Fighter speed toward him. Blasting the enemy to pieces, Peppy hailed, "Watch it, boys! It's a trap!"
"Typical," Fox growled at the swarm of enemies surrounding them. "It seems these apes are getting smarter!"
"They haven't noticed us yet," Tyger mewed. "Chaos, what do we do?"
"You want to be a commander one day, don't you?" Chaos Fox inquired, seeing Tyger nod on the com-link screen. "What do you think we need to do?"
"Well, there are a couple of stragglers watching the battle," Tyger mused, playing the scenario out in her head. "Maybe if we take them out and locate the planetoid crusher, Star Fox will be able to finish this leg of the mission quicker." She then let out a groan. "But Slippy's the only one that can track the big bosses though."
"Not necessarily," Chaos Fox said. "Can you watch my back a moment, kid?"
"Can do," Tyger shot at several enemies. "Just be careful."
"I will," Chaos Fox let out a breath and narrowed her eyes. She tapped a button on the side of her flight helmet, forming a visor over her eyes. "Okay, where are you?" The asteroids faded from view within the visor's vision she focused on her target, an image of the planetoid crusher itself appearing behind a cluster of gigantic asteroids like a spot in an x-ray. "Bingo!" Her ears perked up as Tyger blasted a Venomian on her six.
"Chaos! That was close!" Tyger gasped. "I tried to hail you, but you didn't answer. Are you okay?"
"I'm fine," Chaos Fox replied. "Class time's over, Tyger, we gotta tell Fox I found their boss."
"Right!"
Back within the dog fight, Fox scoped out the battle and heaved a sigh of relief.
"Good, no one calling for help, yet." He grinned, blasting the foe before him. "How's everything on your end, Peppy?"
"We've got the Invaders pinned," Peppy stated. "And it seems that Tyger took out their buddies."
"Good to know." Fox said. A beeping sound rang in his ears and he grabbed at his helmet set. "Yes?"
"Fox, it's Tyger! Chaos said that she found the location of the planetoid crusher!"
"Great, all we have to do is take out this last Invader and we're all set!" Fox grinned again as Falco destroyed said enemy.
"Done!" Falco crowed. "Now, point me to that boss!"
"Just beyond those asteroids," Chaos Fox motioned to the chain of gigantic asteroids beyond a tunneled asteroid.
"And we have to go through them?" Tyger asked.
"We don't have time to go around them." Peppy said. "By the time we found a safe way through, that planetoid crusher will be half way to Corneria."
"Then we pass through them." Fox concluded.
They crept through the maze of asteroids, carefully boosting or breaking when the wayward space rocks floated by. Everyone only breathed a sigh of relief when they finally exited the asteroids to find the crusher in the distance.
"There it is!" Slippy gasped. "Wow, Chaos, I've gotta find out where you get your radar equipment!"
"Later, Slip," Chaos Fox chided. "We have to stop that crusher!"
"Any idea on how to defeat it?" Fox asked, blasting a pair of Killer Bee fighters as they boosted toward the enemy.
"Well, according to my records, its proper name is the Meteo Crusher." Chaos Fox explained. "It has a shield capable of absorbing laser fire and shoots it back at its attacker."
"Okay, that sucks," Falco groused. "That means we have to find a kink in its armor!"
"We will," Fox assured him. "All weapons have a weakness, this one's no different."
"Oh, really?" A sinister voice rang over the com-link. "I cannot allow you any further, vulpine!"
"You have to be kidding me," Fox groaned at the primate piloting the Meteo Crusher.
"I kid you not," the Venomian commander said with a chuckle. "You're battle will end here."
"Fox! The shield's moving!" Slippy croaked.
"Those yellow panels beneath it are the weak points." Peppy mused. "We have to take them out without getting shot back."
"Yeah, no pressure," Fox muttered to himself then commanded, "Let's do this!"
The team of pilots scattered as the Meteo Crusher began to fire missiles. Each member destroyed the tailing missiles and fired on the panels as they emerged from behind the shield. The Venomian commander could only smile as three of the panels exploded in succession.
"My, it seems that I've underestimated you." He said calmly.
Gotta wipe that smug look off his face! Fox thought, plastering the final panel with laser fire.
The Venomian commander heaved a sigh at the explosion that rocked the Crusher.
"It seems that I am no match for you boys," he continued in his demeanor. "I admit defeat. Do as you will."
This puzzled Fox.
"What?"
"Are you gonna listen to this monkey?" Falco questioned. "It's gotta be a trap!"
Fox's eyes widened and he executed a barrel roll as a laser from the Meteo Crusher rushed toward him.
"Thanks, Falco, I needed that." He complimented.
"Guess it's your turn to be thankful now," Falco chuckled.
The Venomian commander began to laugh, saying, "So, you Cornerians are not as stupid as you look!" The Meteo Crusher spun around, revealing a pair of laser cannons charging up.
"Scatter!" Peppy screamed as purple ring lasers shot out at them.
"Our shields just took a hit!" Slippy cried through blaring alarms. "A couple of more hits and we're goners!"
"Not if we take out the core first." Fox reasoned. He smiled when the lasers subsided. "Okay, FIRE!"
All six pilots pelted the Meteo Crusher's core with laser fire, causing massive explosions throughout the crusher.
"Wagh!" The Venomian commander slammed into the back of the control room. He scrambled back to his feet, roaring, "I can't believe I've lost to you scum!"
"Sorry to jet, but we're in a hurry!" Fox taunted before the crusher burst into a giant red fireball of energy. "Let's head back to Great Fox!"
Hours later, everyone sat within the control room, drained from the battle.
"I can't believe he tried to fake us out." Falco groaned with his head down on the table. "He must have thought he was dealing with kids." His head then shot up and seeing Tyger's bat ears fold down, quickly apologized, "No offense, Tyger! I didn't mean it that way!"
"Understood," Tyger yawned, both her arms and wings stretching out as she got out of her chair. "I need to head off to bed. Which room's mine again?"
"I'll show you!" Fox jumped up. He put his arm around Tyger and led her out of the control room into the hallway.
"He seems to still have energy to spare." Slippy croaked out.
"Good thing," Peppy winced, sitting back in his chair as he looked over the itinerary. "We have a long way to Venom. We'll need energy like that."
"Here you are, Tyger," Fox sighed, opening a door that read her name. "This is your room."
Tyger's eyes widened as she saw the inside of her new room. The room was simple enough with a desk, set of drawers and a bed with her family photograph on the nightstand, though the blankets shared a heart motif. She entered the room and saw her old text books from the academy sitting on the desk.
"My books…" Tyger gasped in awe as she examined the scrapes and minor burns on the book covers. "Of course they'd survive."
"Yeah, they do," Fox said. "I remember the summer after freshman year; Bill tried to torch one of his text books. We didn't know the publisher would make the pages flame retardant too."
Both the young pilots laughed at the tale and Tyger turned toward the bed to see a musical keyboard sitting neatly in the corner. Her eyes filled with tears and she pulled Fox into a hug.
"Thank you!" She softly cried. "I thought all my things were destroyed!"
"The restoration crew found everything surprisingly intact." Fox said through the teenager's sobbing. "Your personal effects were dug up and General Pepper arranged for them to be here on the Great Fox, with you."
Tyger began to breathe slowly and dried her tears.
"This definitely feels like home," she smiled, walking over to the keyboard and sat down. "Hope you guys don't mind a little mood music before bedtime."
"It'll be a change," Fox nodded, focused on the photograph of Tyger and her parents.
"I haven't seen them in six months," Tyger said, starting to play a soothing nocturne. "Last time I heard from my parents, they were stationed on Katina with the Husky and Bulldog squadrons."
Fox's eyes widened at the name, but he calmed down at the melody Tyger was playing.
"Who taught you to play like this?"
"My mom," Tyger replied, "I hope she and dad are okay."
"They will," Fox comforted her. "They have the best commander that ever flew the skies flying with them. Your parents will be fine."
"Thank you, Fox," Tyger smiled, "Good night."
"Good night," Fox exited her room, smiling as the light piano music filled the halls of the Great Fox.
Back on Corneria, General Pepper sat in the office converted bunker before a viewing screen. He picked up a lolly pop and to the female lupine silhouette questioned, "You are on Fichina, correct?"
"Yes, general, luckily I have the fur for this cold weather," the she wolf smirked in the shadows. "And our accord?"
"You get me information on what Andross' plans are after Fichina and I'll grant you amnesty for your crimes as a space pirate." General Pepper stated.
"I thought you had a secret agent?" The she wolf mused. "Where is she?"
"She is on an important mission at the moment; that is all I can tell you." General Pepper said. "Now, do we have a deal?"
"Of course, general," the she wolf flashed a predator's smile. "You can count on me."
The screen went dark and General Pepper let out a groan.
"I hope I'm doing the right thing," he growled rubbing his forehead. "Last time I trusted an O'Donnell, I lost my best friend!" General Pepper looked to the wanted poster on his desk showing the she wolf in question. "I pray you have better morals than your brother."
Author's Note: Things will start to heat up as Star Fox heads to Fichina and faces Star Wolf in Star Wolf's First Strike. Meteo was an interesting chapter to write as it was not in my original draft of the story and it's mainly flying through the asteroids to face the boss of the level. I hope it matches the previous chapters in flowing with the story. If there are any problems with the story, feel free to let me know so I can improve the chapter to the best of my ability. ^__^
~ChaosFoxFire