Star Fox Beginnings

Chapter 13

The Child of Andross

"I've got you now you traitorous swine." Tom shouted while pointing his pistol at Pigma.

"What! You wouldn't harm an innocent unarmed man now, would you?" Pigma said. Tom walked closer to Pigma now, still pointing the gun.

"You are far from innocent Pigma. It's about time I end this once and for all." There was a shot and complete darkness for a split second.

Tom then started feeling a burning pain in his chest. Looking down, he noticed a burn mark going right through his heart. He turned around and saw Wolf pointing a gun, smoking from the shot he had just taken at Tom.

"No Tom. It's about time I ended YOU once and for all. This is for all the times you ruined my plans!"

Tom shouted out as Wolf pulled the trigger and fired another shot, blinding Tom.

Tom jerked awake, still shouting from the dream he had. Realizing that it wasn't real, he slumped back into the bed and played the dream again in his head. He had Pigma in his sights and all of a sudden Wolf comes in and kills Tom. Was this James trying to tell him not to exact his revenge on Pigma or was it just Tom's mind saying that revenge is wrong?

Realizing that he couldn't get back to sleep, Tom went down to the launch bay where Nebula was kept. She was almost fully repaired from the battle on Fichina, but still needed some diagnostics checked before he truly knew she could fly again. Picking up the tablet, Tom activated the systems scan. All the while, he continued to think about the dream. It tormented him, as if a termite was gnawing at his brain and wouldn't stop. Hearing footsteps coming down the hall, he turned to face the doorway and aimed his gun down the hallway, a fierce look of anger and vengeance in his eyes. A shocked Fox raised his hands.

"WHOA! Easy Tom. It's me!" he cried. Realizing this, Tom forcefully relaxed himself, holstering his gun. Tom then began to collapse, but Fox caught him just before he hit the floor.

"You okay?" Fox said concerned. Tom looked at Fox with a tired look.

"Sorry Fox. I couldn't get much sleep lately." Tom replied.

"What's been bothering you?" he said, setting Tom down on one of the crates. Tom started breathing a little slower now.

"I've been having dreams Fox. I've got Pigma at gunpoint and then Wolf shoots me." Tom explained.

"And how often have these dreams occurred?" Fox asked. Tom's face sank into a grimace.

"Since Fichina, Fox. I still can't shake the feeling that I could have ended it there." Anger was now building up inside Tom. Just then, the tablet rang, signaling the completion of the check. Tom picked up the tablet. The diagnostic read that Nebula was fully functional and was fly-worthy again. Tom put down the tablet and stood up, opening the hand-scanner.

"What are you doing?" Fox asked. The scanner glowed green, opening the cockpit.

"I'm going out flying around Fichina. I need to get my mind off of this and to blow off some steam." Tom responded, climbing the left wing. "Besides, I need to test her out." He gestured toward Nebula. Fox walked closer to Tom.

"At least let me fly with you." Fox said. Tom looked at Fox and gave a smile. He nodded his head, signaling for Fox to climb in.

After flying around Fichina for an hour or so, a call from Corneria HQ came in, forcing Tom and Fox to end their fun. Tom opened the commlink, showing General Pepper.

"Captain, I know it's a little early and I apologize for interrupting your flight test, but I need Star Fox's assistance. Your new orders are ready for you." Pepper barked.

Tom nodded his head, zooming back towards the Great Fox. After changing uniforms, Star Fox met on the Great Fox's bridge and awaited General Pepper's briefing. Within a few seconds, Pepper appeared on the screen.

"Star Fox, your new orders are to head to Combat Sector X and eliminate the Venomian force there. Reports indicate that Andross is working on some secret weapon there. We have sent in several squadrons of the Cornerian Fleet but have not heard from. them since."

"We'll check it out." Fox acknowledged.

"We're all over it." Tom chimed in. Tom then turned to ROB. "Set a course for Sector X."

"Right away, sir." ROB responded.

Within the first couple of days of the Lylat War, three major areas were designated as the fiercest combat zones of the system, where the most casualties of the war had been recorded by the Cornerian Fleet. Many space pirates had been engaged several times within these sectors, scrounging off of scrap floating around from many years of war. Each sector was named after the brightest constellation seen in that particular part of the system. Sector X, where the constellation Xenos can be seen, Sector Y, for the constellation Yggdris, and Sector Z, for the constellation Zeracus.

"Arriving at Sector X." ROB announced. The team had already scuttled the fighters.

"Looks like this is the place." Slippy said. Tom scanned the sector.

"Multiple Venomian signatures have been detected in this area. That weapon's gotta be here." Tom stated.

Fox opened fire upon a few patrol ships, destroying one of them completely.

"Let's take out that weapon, boys." Fox ordered.

"Let's have a little fun." Falco agreed.

Just then, Tom's scanners started going off.

"Multiple bandits closing in fast." He reported.

"Stay alert." Peppy urged.

Swarms of Venomian scorpion fighters began descending upon Star Fox. Fox, with his quick thinking, pointed his Arwing upwards and started shooting. Half of the fighters were destroyed instantly, leaving the rest of the group to mop up the rest of them. A couple of beatle frogs began spinning in, firing towards Slippy. Falco veered right and fired at it, but the beatle frog darted out of the way of the lasers.

"He's quick. Be careful." Peppy said, taking a couple hits to his shields from the beatle frogs.

Tom and Falco swooped in quick, firing a laser wall, boxing in the beatle frog and destroying it.

"Nice teamwork, Falco." Tom said pleased. Falco nodded and zipped off to find another target.

Tom then looked ahead. "Station panels ahead. We are almost at the weapons research facility."

Falco then chimed in. "Enemy group behind us."

Scorpion fighters began rushing forward, strafing over Star Fox. Falco, attempting to pick a few off, missed every shot he took.

"Man, they're fast." He said annoyed.

The scorpions U-turned and began firing toward Star Fox. Tom fired a smart bomb, eliminating the group.

Peppy checked his navigation point, which read 1000 meters from the base.

"We're gettin' close to the base." He said.

"Tighten formation." Tom said. As they continued on, the sensors picked up a mine field ahead.

"Quick, shoot the mines before they detonate a shockwave." Fox ordered.

Having been warned ahead of time, the mine field was easily eliminated. Auto-turret defense grids and turnip drones began firing on the group but were easily outmatched. Arriving at the base, all that they could see was destroyed pieces of the facility.

"Somebody beat us here. It's all gone!" Falco pointed out.

"This doesn't make any sense. The reports state that the fleet never got this far. Who could've destroyed this?" Tom wondered.

Up ahead, the panels were assembling themselves into a wall, blocking Star Fox's path. Just then, a giant robotic arm smashed through the defense, creating an opening.

"What the hell is that?!" Falco retorted, barely dodging the flying arm.

Peppy then zoomed forward, being tailed by five beetle frogs.

"They're on me. I'm getting careless!" Peppy shouted.

Fox responded to the cry with a charge blast, wiping out all of the enemy fighters.

"Thanks, Fox." Peppy said.

Traversing through more debris, the robotic arm continued to follow Star Fox. Tom wondered if something from the database would tell him what this thing was. Meanwhile, Fox had then moved to the interior of the station, along with Slippy.

"I'll attack from the outside." Peppy said.

"I'll follow your lead." Tom responded.

"Interceptor system dead ahead." Sllippy called out.

Fox and Slippy continued to move through the wreckage, destroying the turret defenses that attempted to block them. Though as Star Fox continued to eliminate the defenses, the objective was still nowhere in sight.

"Where is the secret weapon?" Peppy asked.

"Stay sharp guys. It should be dead ahead." Tom said, still focused on the mission.

Peppy, wanting to get a better look on the situation, zoomed forward.

"I'm going ahead. Back me up, Fox." Peppy called. Fox nodded his head in agreement.

Just then, the robot arm crashed through another piece of the panel, nearly missing Peppy.

"That was too close Peppy." Tom sighed.

Peppy, noticing the dangers that he was just in, pulled up and regrouped with the rest of the force. Tom checked the records of the base. "The weapon should be here." He questioned. Just then, a giant shadow cast itself over Nebula. Looking up, Tom's mouth became agape in awe of what he was seeing. Falco seemed to notice it too.

"What the hell? Fox, look behind you!" Falco cried.

Ahead, many scorpion fighters drifted powerlessly in space as a giant black robot jettisoned its way in front of Star Fox. Tom scanned the robot and found only a slim piece of writing from the journal.

"Spyborg. Secret Weapon Notes of Doctor Andross. The Spyborg is to be one of my greatest creations in the history of the Lylat System. This particular weapon is an artificial intelligence consisting of the main body and two detachable arms. The Spyborg is also equipped with walker legs, a significant upgrade from the Granga. Although it is not in full mass production, I believe that this particular Spyborg will be the queen of all of them and will follow her creator and father without question. That is, if she knows who he is."

"So this is the secret weapon." Fox said.

"This is gonna be one hell of a fight." Tom responded.

"Destroy. Destroy." Spyborg cried, reattaching her arms.

"Be ready. It's about to attack." Peppy warned them.

"I will terminate all enemies." Spyborg called out.

Slippy flew up to Spyborg. "Maybe we can make friends with her." Slippy suggested.

Spyborg swung its right arm at Slippy. "You are an enemy." It cried.

"Slippy! Get out of there!" Tom shouted.

Slippy veered off to the right at the last second. "Whoa! That was close!" Slippy breathed.

Spyborg continued to swat at the group as if they were annoying flies. Once or twice after each swat, Spyborg would taunt Star Fox into coming closer.

"Aim for the face. That should be its weak spot." Tom ordered.

"Where is the creator?!" Spyborg called out, firing off its arms towards the group.

"What's he saying?" Fox puzzled, easily dodging them.

"She's trying to find Andross. Quick guys, take its damn face off now!" Tom called hastily.

Star Fox continued to fire at the face until it was blown off. Spyborg began to power down, defeated. Immediately after however, Spyborg powered up again, waggling its finger at Star Fox.

"Huh? What?!" Fox exclaimed.

"The view is clear." Spyborg remarked, throwing a piece of panel at them. "Destroy. Destroy."

"Destroy what? He's crazy." Falco jabbed.

Spyborg was now flailing its arms around, attempting to hit something.

"Where is the enemy?" it cried.

"It doesn't even know what it's trying to destroy? We better finish it off quick." Tom said.
"Let me handle this." Slippy boasted, rushing forward.

"Slippy, get back here!" Peppy scolded.

"How's this for a weakling?" Slippy shouted firing at Spyborg.

Spyborg wound up and swatted at Slippy, damaging the hull and sending Slippy flying.

"FOX!" Slippy called flying towards a desolate planet.

"SLIPPY!" Fox cried.

"Damn! Now you've done it!" Tom shouted. "Fox, double bomb this prick." He called.

"you got it. FOR SLIPPY!" Fox cried firing a smart bomb. Tom also fired a smart bomb, screaming a war cry as he detonated the bomb, finishing off Spyborg.

"I must be complete!" Spyborg cried as it exploded.

With the battle over, Fox turned his attention to finding out where Slippy flew off to.

"ROB, can you confirm Slippy's location?" Fox said.

"Distress signal coming from Titania." ROB reported.

"Let's go save Slippy, team."

"I'm with you Fox. I'm not willing to lose another member." Tom said as he and the rest of Star Fox set a course for the ancient desert world of Titania.