The typhoon's hanger contained many fighter jets and aircraft that Heroes needed for their duties. Jets and helicopters were parked in specific spots. Service equipment was in ample supply to provide maintenance to the vehicles. The center of the hanger contained a taxiway running lengthwise with regards to the ship. The aircraft were parked on either side of the taxiway.
Eris was in the typhoon's hanger, working on her eagle interceptor jet, making sure it was tuned up and ready for combat. The aircraft's design resembled an eagle in flight, as the engineers took inspiration from themselves for the design. Eris looked between the weapon choices in front of her, debating switching out the eagle standard-issue chi blasters for more ubiquitous machine guns.
"Hey, wing girl!"
The eagle turned to see Laval walking up to her, always wearing his standard blue lion prince outfit, but he didn't have his golden armor on.
"Hey, fur boy!" Eris said, quickly adjusting some of her feathers, so she looked better in front of him.
"Say, why is the typhoon's hanger open on both ends?" Laval asked, looking from one end of the hanger bay to the other, noting both were open. Looking out one end, the lion could see the typhoon's bridge. Looking out the other end, he could see some artificial palm trees that lined the runway to provide some natural ambiance. Fortunately, they could be retracted in combat or for other reasons.
"It's so if a plane had to abort a landing, they can fly right through the hanger and turn around to try again."
"Oh, I wouldn't have thought of that."
As the lion drew closer, Eris hoped he could smell the perfume she had on. Judy had recommended it to her, hoping it didn't have adverse effects on evolved birds.
Laval didn't know what it was, but Eris definitely looked fantastic today. She also seemed to have a pleasant aroma, but he wasn't about to bring that up.
"Uh...Impressive." Laval said, pointing towards the silhouettes of Chinese jets tallied on the plane's skin near the cockpit.
"Oh, thanks. Do you do the same thing with your sword?"
"Nah, I've lost count by now. What are you working on?"
"Just tuning up my jet."
The eagle moved to a workbench nearby and put away some of the tools she had out.
"Trying to figure out if I should equip the machine guns or the chi blasters."
"Personally, I like chi based weaponry myself."
"Yeah, but bullets for the machine guns are easier to get ahold of. We'd need to travel back to Chima to get chi."
"We have plenty of chi for our weapons. How about you use the machine guns for one mission and see how it goes?"
"Alright, good thinking."
Eris picked up one of the machine guns, which was light enough for her to carry singlehandedly. It had to be light since it was going on an aircraft.
"Do you need help with that?" Laval asked as Eris walked over to her jet and slid the weapon into its emplacement on the aircraft.
"Get the other one, would you please?"
The lion picked up the other machine gun with ease and slid it into position, making sure to show off his strength in front of Eris. The eagle giggled and playfully tapped him with the wrench she had in her hand. After a bit of work, the machine guns were locked in place with bolts and screws so they wouldn't dislodge during flight.
"Alright," Eris said, wiping some sweat from her feathers, while Laval sat on a work table nearby. "All that's left to do is test it. Want to take it for a spin with me?"
"Sure!" The lion jumped up, and the pair climbed into the jet's cockpit.
Laval used their close proximity to lean in close and plant a gentle kiss on Eris's cheek, causing the eagle to blush.
"Let's see what this thing can do!"
Eris put the aircraft in hover mode and maneuvered out of the plane's storage space, lining up with the runway.
Without even leaving the hanger, Eris put the vehicle in flight mode and gunned the engines. The backblast was probably knocking over a few things in the hanger. The jet shot out of the hangar bay and lifted off into the sky.
Laval was honestly a little scared. Sometimes his eagle girlfriend's aerial acrobatics were a bit too adrenaline pumping for him.
"You ok sweetie?" Eris asked.
"Uh... yeah... sure."
Eris zipped past some clouds before the aircraft began circling around a vast cloud. Laval held on tight as Eris turned the jet directly at the cloud and gunned it. The vehicle pierced right through the cloud and coming out the other end.
The eagle pilot then directed the aircraft down towards the ground.
"Whoa! Whoa! Whoa!" Laval said as the marshland below got closer and closer. But Eris pulled up at the last second and glided over the water, the wings gently dipping into the calm surface of the water.
After a couple seconds of flying just above the waves, Eris pulled the jet up higher, slowed down, and started flying straight. Laval took a few deep breaths while Eris laughed.
"Too much for you?" She jested.
"I... I'm fine..."
After a few minutes, Laval's heart stopped beating out of his chest, and he calmed down.
"So, how does it handle?" The lion asked.
"Very good. I should find somewhere to test the machine guns. Maybe there's an abandoned field or unprotected land nearby."
The radio suddenly came to life, with a voice speaking through it.
"Hero vehicle, you are entering restricted airspace. Leave immediately."
"Affirmative," Eris said, "moving to comply."
The eagle turned the jet and headed in a different direction.
"What was that about?" Laval asked.
"We're near Cape Canaveral; we must have accidentally strayed into airspace cordoned off for rocket or aircraft launches."
"Cape Canaveral? Isn't that where Toothdee and Alex are today?"
"Yep, look out the window; you might see them far off in the distance."
The lion scanned the outside with his keen eyes, spotting some buildings and runways. But then his eyes noted a launchpad, upon which a rocket was set up and ready to go. The rocket had a shuttle attached, and onboard were Toothdee and Alex. They were accompanied by a dozen or more Air Force personnel. They were dressed in white armored space suits with attached thrusters and carried ARX 160 rifles with various attachments.
The shuttle's cargo compartment had been modified into a troop compartment, which was stable enough to allow soldiers to travel in, sitting in specially designed seats with safety harnesses.
"I'm surprised they were able to get a suit whipped up for you."
"They just used the tail portion from a suit designed for wolves. Though it's kind of tight."
"Well, at least your tail won't freeze or boil off."
"True, it's worth it."
"So, are we doing anything to the Chinese space station? Or are we just securing it?"
"Far as I'm aware, just securing it. It's become a threat to our efforts in the war."
"I know, I know. It's not every day you get to battle in space."
"Yep, there's Chinese armed forces up there. But we can take them." Toothdee said, playfully tapping Alex.
"They're no match for us."
The intercom activated, and one of the pilots informed the crew that they were about to launch. The countdown began.
"T minus 10... 9... 8... 7... 6..."
"Hang on tight," Toothdee said, gripping her safety harness.
"You don't have to tell me twice," Alex said.
The adrenaline was palpable as the countdown continued.
"5... 4... 3... 2... 1... main engine start, ignition, and liftoff!"
The vehicle shook and slowly began to move, leaving the ground and streaking up towards the heavens. A large plume of smoke trailed the rocket as it climbed higher and higher.
"Really gets the blood pumping." A cougar astronaut in the troop compartment said.
The flight was not incredibly long, and periodically the rocket detached some of its stages. The components would fall back to Earth for retrieval or would be burned up upon re-entry.
The shuttle was soon moving closer and closer towards the Chinese space station. The armed troops on board were almost certainly alerted to the approaching US forces.
"Approaching the Chinese space station." The intercom system said. "Prepare for battle."
The troops readied themselves, checking ammo and armor.
"Opening bay doors."
The shuttle cargo doors opened, with the white modules and blue solar panels of the Chinese space station clearly visible in front of the black background of space.
Once the bay doors were fully open, the troops disembarked their seats, grabbed their guns, and moved into battle. The Earth's blue and white surface was clearly visible, taking up an entire side of the visual field near the battle zone. The space shuttle also launched rather unsuspecting containers out into space.
"Engage thrusters! Behind the containers!" A gray wolf astronaut yelled, "they're bulletproof. Use them as cover. Some have ammo if you need it."
Two US astronauts were immediately gunned down by Chinese taikonauts. Their bodies went limp and floating in the vacuum of space. One astronaut was surrounded by the glass from where a bullet had gone through her helmet.
Alex and Toothdee advanced to one of the containers, followed by other astronauts. The two heroes took up firing positions and engaged, taking down a few taikonauts.
The astronauts advanced to the station proper, taking cover behind the numerous modules and components that made up the structure. Chinese forces continued to engage and continued to be gunned down as the US forces advanced. Bodies, equipment, and debris floated around the battle, leftover from the fierce fighting.
"Hostiles exiting the main hatches." A soldier said as hatches for mammals of all sizes opened on the station. More taikonauts emerged, weapons at the ready. Heroes approached the central command module, taking careful aim and firing at any hostiles they saw.
"Incoming!" Toothdee said. A mechanical construction arm used for assembling the station appeared and swung at the astronauts. The US forces quickly scattered to avoid the arm, but some were hit. Their helmets and suits ruptured, killing them. Some of the Chinese taikonauts were also hit and suffered the same fate. However, Alex and Toothdee were struck less violently, being sent flying through space directly above part of the station. Occasionally hitting the structure and tumbling along its surface.
The pair of heroes tried to steady themselves with their suit's thrusters as they bounced along an array of solar panels, debris, and wreckage surrounding the two. A few taikonauts continued to engage, bullets whizzing near the pair of heroes. Alex and Toothdee got their bearings and returned fire, hitting Chinese soldiers as they kept tumbling down the solar array. One hostile was crushed by debris from the station.
Once the enemy troops were down, Toothdee quickly stashed her rifle on her back and tried to grab hold of the station to stop herself. Her suit's thrusters weren't doing enough to slow her down. The young warrior's hands hit and bounced off multiple components on the station exterior. She hoped she could slow her velocity and stop before flying off the station and into the void. Eventually, Toothdee was able to grab onto a metal handle, instantly slowing herself to a stop. She reached up and grabbed Alex's hand as he flew overhead, preventing the human from going off into space.
"Oh shit," Toothdee said, as a large chunk of station debris moved towards them. If it hit them, they would be knocked off the station, or worse. Alex, still holding onto Toothdee with one hand, readied his rifle with his other hand. The captain opened fire and destroyed the chunk of debris, breaking it into harmless pieces.
Toothdee pulled Alex towards her, allowing him to grab hold of the station exterior, and the pair readied themselves.
"Thanks for that." The captain said, reloading his weapon.
"Don't mention it. Now let's try going at the central command module again."
The heroes let go of the station and began to once more maneuver through space with their thrusters. Wreckage from the battle surrounded the area, the pair moved through the various containers and debris, using them as cover. A few more Chinese soldiers appeared and engaged but were quickly eliminated by accurate gunfire.
During combat, bullets tore through nearby solar panels, sending small shards of the panels flying through the space around the battle.
Heroes moved towards a fuel module that contained a mixture of both fuel and oxygen, used for resupplying spacecraft.
"Hit that fuel line." Captain Boehm said.
Toothdee fired some rounds at the pipe on the station exterior, and it detonated. The blast scorched some Chinese soldiers nearby and sent others flying off into space. The heroes grabbed onto part of the station and continued to move towards the central command module.
"Watch out!" Alex yelled, taking cover as another mechanical construction arm swung overhead, hitting a taikonaut and breaking her helmet.
"Target the joints!" Toothdee said, aiming and opening fire. Alex engaged as well, using his thrusters to dodge the arm, which moved to attack again. Sparks flew, and the arm spasmed as it sustained damage. Alex and Toothdee backed away to avoid the wild swings of the arm, which convulsed and soon stopped moving entirely.
"I think it's down," Alex said.
"Then let's move up to that central module."
The two heroes advanced, and Alex provided cover. At the same time, Toothdee planted an explosive charge on the central module, next to a series of windows.
"That should still work up here, right?" Alex asked.
"Only one way to find out," Toothdee said, arming the charge before the 2 retreated back to a safe distance.
The charge detonated, blowing off part of the space station module, sending people and cargo out into the icy vacuum. Seizing the initiative, Alex and Toothdee leaped into the breach. The heroes shot a few Chinese mammals in space suits who had managed to grab hold of something to avoid being sucked out of the station. Toothdee grabbed a small, otter taikonaut and tossed him out through the breach, leaving him floating through the vacuum of space.
"Clear!" Alex said as the pair flipped up the tinted black visors on their helmets. "Let's advance into the station interior."
The pair moved through an interior airlock as the voice of a US astronaut came through the radio.
"Heroes, we are entering the station."
"Affirmative." Toothdee said, "we're already inside. Check your targets."
"Acknowledged Heroes."
The pair advanced further into the station, entering the next module. As they entered, 2 Chinese mammals jumped them, grabbing their guns and wrestling with the heroes. A tiger taikonaut grabbed Alex. The two spun around in the zero-gravity environment, wrestling each other to control Alex's rifle. The Heroes captain used his strength to push and aim the rifle's barrel at the tiger's head before pulling the trigger.
The hostile taikonaut flew backward and slammed against the station wall while Toothdee finished off the other mammal.
"Come on, we should be just about done," Alex said, moving to open a door on the opposite end of the room.
Heroes advanced, entering the next room, taking aim at some more Chinese soldiers. But before they could fire, an explosion went off near the Chinese, causing everyone and everything inside the room to be sucked out into the vacuum.
Alex held onto his rifle and covered his face as he crashed through a solar panel. He spun around and deliberately bumped into some soft looking cargo containers to slow himself. Eventually landing feet first on a large chunk of the station & stopping himself. Toothdee was thrown against a piece of debris, using her arms to cushion the blow. She readjusted herself and slowed down with her thrusters, landing right next to Alex.
"What was that?" Toothdee asked, pulling down her visor. But before the captain could answer, Toothdee pointed towards something nearby. Alex turned around and saw 2 red fox astronauts advancing on 3 taikonauts positioned on a piece of wreckage.
2 of the Chinese troopers engaged with rifles, one being human, the other being a panda. The third trooper, also human, readied a rocket launcher and fired. The projectile passed between the 2 US troopers. But, instead of going past them, it detonated, the explosion killing both US astronauts.
"Ok, that is going to be a problem," Toothdee said.
"I think that thing might have a detonation trigger on the launcher," Alex said, flipping down his visor. "Or maybe a proximity trigger."
"Makes sense. We're in space. The operator has to detonate the warhead somehow."
The pair surveyed the field of wreckage in front of them. Cargo containers, shards of solar panels, and parts of the station structure littered the area. Debris of all sizes floated in the vacuum, creating a haphazard landscape of random wreckage.
"I'll sneak around using the debris as cover and hit them from behind." Captain Boehm said. "You draw their fire."
"On it."
"And try not to get killed."
Toothdee engaged the Chinese soldiers, sticking to cover. The rocket trooper aimed and fired, but Toothdee shot the projectile and harmlessly detonated it while the object was traveling.
Alex carefully snuck behind a large part of the station's exterior skin. While the enemy troops were distracted, he moved between a large hole in the skin. He continued onwards towards a damaged solar array, using it to hide from enemy sight.
Toothdee took up position behind a cargo container and managed to take out the human trooper armed with a rifle with a careful shot. But her lack of movement while taking this shot allowed the rocket trooper to launch another projectile. Toothdee pushed against the container she was on and launched herself upwards. The rocket hit the box and blew it to pieces, but not the young warrior.
But Toothdee was now in an exposed position.
Luckily captain Boehm had just gotten behind the 2 remaining soldiers and maneuvered up behind them with his thrusters.
"Hello."
The captain sprayed the soldiers with gunfire, instantly taking down the rocket trooper. He finished off the last trooper, the panda, with a kick to the face, which broke the taikonaut's helmet.
"Heroes, be advised, the station is secure."
"Affirmative, we're here." Toothdee said, "It looks like we did it, Alex."
"Not bad for combat in a unique environment." Alex said, "We better get a medal for this."
