Part 14
"We need a gunner, so you're going to fly us out of there." Jack told Fara as he started toward the back of the shuttle.
"I can't fly this thing." Fara yelled at Jack.
"Put this in one of your ears." Jack handed her a small cone shaped device with an amber colored light at the tip and a spongy ring around the base.
"What does it do?"
"It's a neural interface, it connects your brain to the ship's computer. Just visualize the instruments and controls of a ship you are familiar with and the shuttle will duplicate them in a hologram. Move your hands and feet as you would when flying your own ship and the shuttle will respond. You don't need to learn how to fly this ship, it will learn how you want to control it."
"If you say so." Fara put the device in her ear and looked at the blank screen in front of her. As the ship powered up, the instruments slowly shifted until they matched those of an Airwing. Embedded in the armrests of the pilot's chair were glowing orange spheres with holograms of the Ariwing's control handles above them. Fara reached out and gripped the hologram as Jack had instructed, although she couldn't feel the handle, it mimicked her every motion.
"Where are you going?" Fara asked as Jack stepped away from the pilot's chair.
"I'll be running the guns." Jack told her. "I'm going to keep the drones away while you fly us out of here." Fara nodded and slowly pulled out of the hangar, the larger human ship was sluggish compared to an Airwing and it took her a minute to adjust. Suddenly, the windscreen lit up with brilliant red laser fire followed by several small explosions ahead of the ship, just barely visible in the dusty air.
"I've got drones incoming, get moving." Jack said into the intercom. "They'll cut us to pieces if they get close."
"I can't see where I'm going."
"The only direction you need to go is up. Give me 15000 meters as fast as you can, there's too many to shoot down. Do whatever you need to and keep some distance between us and the drones." Fara throttled the ship to maximum and pulled up, the ship lurched forward and began to climb. She could hear the laser turrets firing constantly and saw flashed of green light off to her side. She corkscrewed the ship and began weaving from left to right trying to keep the drones from getting a close. Some of the ship's instruments began flashing as the ship shook violently, finally the laser fire stopped and the orange haze slowly faded into dark open space, they made it. Fara rolled the ship in celebration.
"Nicely done." Jack said. "Just go easy on the aerobatics, we're missing a good portion of the right side compartment."
"But we made it out."
"We did." Jack told her. "But I left my stomach back there on the surface."
"I still can't believe you have motion sickness."
"When I signed up to be a CSU, they give me the option of an implant that improves reaction time, hand eye coordination, and enhances some of the senses. It has some side effects that vary from person to person, in my case, it was only motion sickness."
"Is it worth it?" Fara asked, looking over her shoulder at Jack.
"Every mission I go on is supposed to be my last. I take any advantage I can get to ensure it isn't. A sour stomach is a small price to pay."
"What do you mean every mission is supposed to be your last?"
"There's this myth that runs through the HSF that a CSU is an elite operative used to prevent large scale conflict. The truth is by the time one of us is sent on a mission the fleet's already mobilized and on their way. We aren't expected to return or succeed, but they send us in anyway, hoping we will. We're not a preventative measure, we're a last effort."
"You're expendable." Fara said, shaking her head. "The CDF would never treat its people like that. It must be terrible for you."
"It's hard to make friends knowing you could be dead tomorrow." Jack told her. "But this is what I signed up for and my career can only end one way. Retirement isn't an option."
"You can't just tell them you don't want to do this anymore?"
"No, there's only one way out." Jack said as he made a gun with his hand and put it to his head, mimicking the pull of the trigger. "After so many missions, high command gets the idea you're worth keeping around and stops sending you out with the odds stacked against you. Assignments like the one we are on now are a good example of the kind of work seasoned CSUs are given." Fara slouched down in her seat, saying nothing. She looked at the console infront of her.
"Fox. Falco, is anyone out there?" Fara said.
"We're here." Fox responded. "We were overwhelmed by the drones, we had to get away and draw some of them off."
"It was Fox's idea." Falco chimed in. "I would have stayed and fought them off."
"We are out and headed back to the ship." Fara said looking at Jack and shaking her head. "I'm ready to get back to Lylat." As Fara approached the Prospect with Fox and Falco close behind Jack stared quietly at the ship.
"Something wrong?" Fara asked.
"The ship's dark and one of the hangar doors is open." Jack said. "They won't respond to my calls."
"I hope Katt is alright. We shouldn't have left her alone with those people." Fara set the damaged shuttle down in the Prospect's open hangar. Jack had told Fox and Falco to stay outside and keep watch while he went in and restored power to the ship. Fara watched from inside the shuttle as Jack made his way over to a console in the hangar, after a few minutes the energy field that holds in the atmosphere came back online and he gave the signal for Fox and Falco to land.
"What happened?" Fox asked as they stepped into the tram.
"The ship's main reactor is offline." Jack told him. "She's running on backup power now, which kept life support up on the crew deck but cut everything else. It's going to take some time to get the reactor up and running again, until then, we are stuck here."
"We need to find Katt and the others." Falco said as the tram stopped. The group stepped out and walked toward the crew quarters. They stopped at the sight of Needra lying face down in the middle of the hall, a circular scorch mark marred the back of her head. Fox and Fara looked away as Jack kneeled down to check the body, Falco continued down the hall.
"She's dead." he said as he stood up. "Shot at close range with a laser. We need to find Katt."
"I'm here." Katt said in a soft voice as she peeked out from behind Falco and looked at Needra's body. "She was so sweet, why did they do that to her? She could have stayed here with us."
"Katt, what happened?" Jack asked.
"They couldn't take her, there wasn't room on the shuttle. So they killed her. Then the lights went out and it got quiet. I ran for my room as soon as I heard them shooting and locked the door. After the power went out they couldn't get it open."
"You're safe now." Falco said. "I'm here and..."
"No, she isn't. None of us are." Jack interrupted.
"Why? What's going on?" Fox asked.
"With the ship's reactor offline and the engines cold, it's being pulled down into the planet. We don't have enough power in the reserves to generate the kind of thrust needed to break out of the gravity well. The ship is going to crash."
"How long do we have?" Fox asked.
"How will we get back home?" Fara asked right after.
"You'll have to take your ships out and drift for a bit. I can use what's left of this ship's power to put out a distress call and beacon. One of our nearby ships will follow the beacon and come by to pick you up. You've got some time before impact, probably two hours or so. After that the ship will start to enter the atmosphere and be moving so fast you won't be able to undock safely."
"So we just leave and drift in space until someone picks us up?" Falco said. "What a stupid idea."
"Falco!" Fox yelled.
"He's right, but I'm not sure there's any other way. Someone needs to stay behind and make sure they get the signal of course. It's my ship, so it's me." Jack said, looking at Fox.
"Can you make one of those portals with the reactor offline?" Fox asked.
"Yes, but it won't get you anywhere, the reserve power isn't meant for that."
"How far could you go?"
"Probably three hundred thousand kilometers or so. If I turn everything, and I mean everything off I could probably get three hundred fifty thousand. The portal for a jump distance that short would be very unstable and I'd have no power to go through it or prevent it from collapsing."
"Could you use the planet to speed up the ship, open the portal, and let the ship drift through to the other side of the planet and out of it's gravity?"
"It's dangerous, but it could be done. We're orbiting the planet as the ship is being pulled down, I can't jump through the planet but I could jump far enough away from it that it's gravity wouldn't be an issue."
"It seems better than falling into the planet doesn't it?"
"I want everyone off the ship before I try though. If something goes wrong, I want to keep casualties to a minimum."
"What about her?" Katt asked, looking at Needra's body still lying on the floor.
"I'll wrap her up and jettison her before I make the jump." Jack said. "I'll be as respectful as I can be given the circumstances. You need to get off this ship so I can power everything down." Fox and the others made their way to the hangar and left the ship while Fara went to the hangar on the other side of the ship and took one of the ADFs. While they were leaving, Jack took Needra's body and wrapped it tightly in a bedsheet before placing it in one of the Prospect's jettison tubes. He said a few words and pulled the lever listening for the rush of air and the metallic clank of the hatch closing. He then put on a space suit and began shutting down the ship's life support as well as the red warning lights and buzzers that were now sounding as the ship rapidly approached the planet.
"I'm going to start the jump now, I'm out of time." Jack told the group. "If all goes well you should find me on the far side of the planet in about thirty seconds. I won't be able to communicate, so just dock with the ship and I'll close the doors and repressurize the hangar once you're inside. If things don't go well, it was a pleasure to work with you all."
"We'll see you on the other side of the portal Jack." Fox said as the darkened Prospect approached the portal. "Let's circle around the other side of the planet and see if Jack made it through, then we'll find a way to get out of here."
"I can't let you do that Star Fox." A familiar voice boomed in Fox's cockpit. "I'm afraid this is where you'll be staying."
"Wolf?" Fox said. "How'd you find us here."
"And more importantly, how did you get out here?" Falco asked.
"That's privileged information I'm afraid." Wolf said with a chuckle.
"Wolf?" Fara said, "Wolf O'Donnell of Star Wolf? The hero of Corneria out here? I'm glad to see you sir, we have a situation."
"A situation that just got worse." Leon piped in as the Star Wolf carrier approached Fox and the others. The ship was a modified Cornerian carrier with a battery of heavy laser cannons mounted on the upper part of the ship, and several smaller laser turrets at the front and rear. Fox turned and took off at full thrust as the carrier's weapons opened fire. The other's followed with the Airwings easily able to pull ahead of the carrier. The Star Wolf team launched from the carrier and pursued Fox and the others around the planet where Jack and the silently drifting Prospect were waiting.
"Get them as far away from that carrier as you can before engaging." Fox said. "We don't stand a chance against them if we have to dodge fire from that ship."
"Fox, why are we fighting them?" Fara asked. "Wolf's on our side now."
"No he's not." Falco yelled. "Didn't you see him start shooting?"
"Wolf's out for himself, just like he always was." Katt told her. "He showed up and started shooting, he's not here to help."
"I don't believe that." Fara said, turning her ship around. "He doesn't know what's going on, that's all."
"What are you doing Fara?" Fox yelled. The Star Wolf ships approached Fara and began circling.
"Dumb move girl. You should have listened to your friends." Wolf said as he targeted Fara's ship and began firing. Fox charged toward them, firing at Wolf's ship and forcing him to turn and fight back.
"Fara, are you alright?" Fox asked as he led Wolf away from her ship. Falco had gone after Leon while Katt chased Panther away from Fara and the rapidly approaching carrier.
"Yes, the shields on this human ship are amazing." Fara responded.
"You should see the weapons." Falco said.
"Target sighted, bring the carrier into range and let's get this over with." Wolf barked.
"I see it. Coming into range, ETA five minutes." A familiar voice responded.
"Miri?" Katt said.
"Hi Katt." Miri said in a cheery voice. "What do you think of my new friends?"
"I think you're in bad company lady." Falco told her.
"No worse than that blue tramp that was hanging around with you." Miri said. "It's a shame she couldn't come out here with us. She really wanted to see you all burn."
"I don't believe Krystal would do that." Fox said. "I know her better than that."
"Mmm, you don't know her like I know her." Panther told Fox, "She's as cold blooded and deceptive as she is beautiful."
"Cut the chatter and shoot them down." Wolf yelled at the others. "We're here on business, not to talk." The two groups continued their fight, with the outnumbered Star Wolf squadron never able to give chase for more than a few moments before being forced to evade another member of Star Fox, though Fox and company could not gain the advantage over Star Wolf's faster ships.
"I'm in range, opening fire." Miri said. The Star Wolf carrier charged it's heavy laser battery and fired at the Prospect, hitting the ship almost dead center and leaving a glowing hole in the hull. Gas and debris poured from the hole of the drifting ship as the carrier prepared to fire again.
"Direct hit." Miri screamed. "Firing." Again the carrier hit the Prospect with it's heavy laser, this time the shot burned completely through one of the hangar bay doors. Some of the Prospect's exterior lights flickered on as it's engines began to glow.
"Hit it again before it can get away." Wolf yelled. "Quit playing around and aim for something important this time."
"How am I supposed to know what's important?" Miri snapped back at Wolf.
"If it's glowing, it's important." Wolf Barked. "You told me you'd seen inside that ship and you knew where to hit it. If you lied to me you will be sorry."
"I've got it this time, don't worry." Miri responded. The carrier fired again and struck the Prospect with a bright blue flash. The ship's shield system had come online and barely prevented the shot from reaching the hull. Several of the Prospect's rail turrets turned toward the carrier and began to fire leaving bright blue and yellow streaks as the projectiles sped toward their target.
"Don't get between me and the carrier." Jack said. After a few salvos the projectiles from the Prospect began piercing the carrier's shields and hitting the hull with a bright white flash. The two ships continued to pound away at eachother while Fox and the others kept Star Wolf running. With his team locked in an endless fight with Fox and the others and the carrier badly damaged, Wolf finally gave in.
"Turn the carrier around and get away from that ship." he yelled. "Break off the attack, we're done here, call for the portal." A few moments later a jump portal opened and Star Wolf and their heavily damaged carrier retreated into it and disappeared.
"Looks like they're gone. I'll open one of the hangars, dock up if you want to." Jack said to the others.
"How bad is the damage?" Fox asked.
"The hull's breached in the tram tunnel just behind the forward hangar bay on the right side, that laser cannon hit her pretty hard and the forward part of the ship is completely inaccessible. There's a decent size hole in the upper door of the forward hangar bay on the right as well, not much damage inside though. I couldn't get the shields up in time to avoid taking a few hits. The good news is she's not in danger of falling apart in space."
"What's the bad news?" Falco asked.
"I had to use a device we keep for emergency reactor starts like this to refire the reactor but I burned most of the energy recharging the shield and weapon systems. The reactor can't reach a high enough temperature to self sustain. It's spitting out enough energy to keep the ship's systems online but power output will decrease as the reactor cools. We're stuck again with a slowly draining power core."
"What are we going to do now?" Katt asked.
"Dock up and I'll tell you." Jack told Katt. Fox and the others docked with the damaged ship and began making their way to the bridge to meet Jack. Fara pulled Fox to one side as Katt and Falco continued down the hall.
"Fox." Fara said.
"Yes." Fox replied.
"You really don't believe Krystal had anything to do with what happened?"
"No, I don't."
"Then you're a fool. Sooner or later you're going to have to accept that she's a rogue and can't be trusted. Hopefully before it gets you or someone around you hurt."
"Fara I..."
"No excuses Fox. I'm not naive enough to think you don't still have feelings for her. But it's getting dangerous. You need to make a decision, either keep chasing her or just accept what everyone else already knows. I'm not going to wait too much longer for you to figure it out."
"I know, but this is different. If Krystal was helping Wolf, why wasn't she there with them. We had them out numbered and she would have known that and told Wolf. He's not one to pick a fight when he's at a disadvantage."
"I'll be honest, I didn't expect Wolf to be like that. Not after what happened in the Anglar war, I thought he was a hero."
"He is, Star Wolf stopped the war and saved Lylat from the Anglars. But I knew Wolf before that and I know what he's really like. All he wanted to do was remove the bounty from his head, he doesn't care about anything but his own needs. The rest of Corneria might overlook his past, but I never will."
"I guess I feel the same way about Krystal." Fara said as the others came back from visiting Jack on the bridge.
"Fara, what happened to Krystal was my fault. I was the one who sent her away."
"Then maybe she needs you more than I do." Fara said as she started to walk away. "I guess it's something we both need to think about."
"Fara I..."
"Hey Fox." Falco interrupted. "Jack wants to see you." Fara turned and followed Katt down the hall with Falco right behind. Fox was done with that conversation anyway and Falco gave him a fast out. Fox went to the bridge to meet Jack, who was standing at one of the consoles looking over the damage to the ship.
"Nice work with Wolf." He said as Fox walked up behind him. "You really took the fight to them."
"I didn't expect them to show up out here. And Miri with them of all people."
"Yeah, didn't see that coming." Jack told Fox, shaking his head.
"Do you think Krystal was involved in the attack?"
"No, I think Miri stole the locator I gave Krystal and used it to track us here. What I don't know is how she got involved with Wolf."
"Or how Wolf managed to get out here."
"He is working for Interstellar Iridium, I'm sure they're the ones who jumped him out here. That carrier had Interstellar Iridium weapons mounted on it."
"I saw there was a report on Wolf in the datapad that woman left behind. How did you know those were their weapons on Wolf's carrier?" Fox asked.
"Over the years I've been shot at by enough of their weapons to know one when I see it. They didn't upgrade the ship's shields when they added the weapons, meaning they weren't planning on us being able to shoot back. Not with the Prospect's weapons anyway."
"What a mess." Fox said as he shook his head. "We're stuck out here with no way back, Wolf is working with another human faction, Miri's gone rogue and attacked us, and who knows what happened to Krystal."
"When we get back into Lylat we're going to have alot of work to do." Jack turned and walked toward Fox. "I can't have you or anyone on your team distracted, that's how lives are lost."
"I know. Fara isn't going to like it, but I need to go look for Krystal. I don't want her going down the wrong path again."
"That isn't for you to decide, she will make her own choices regardless. All we can do is deal with them."
"As soon as we get back, I'm going to look for her." Fox said as he started to walk out of the room. "You can help me, or not."
"I'll help you, you won't be able to find her without me." Jack said, "She's flying a human ship so her range is limited by her options for refueling. That means hiding out in Lylat isn't possible, she's probably at the Cerinian refugee colony on Alpha III. She had said something about going there when this is over." Jack looked out over the front of the ship and pointed into space.
"While you were docking with the ship I got a response to my distress call, they should be arriving any moment now."