Chapter Nine: "The Many Trials of Bill Grey"
Bill was sure to turn the hot water nozzle over to full before he stepped into the shower at four that morning. His sleeping habits had rapidly changed at the start of the war, and of late he had only slept about five hours a night. Three days had passed since the Fortunan base had been wrenched from the grasp of Star Wolf, and shortly after Celestra had finally gotten ahold of him at his housse just south of the Katinan base. When he had learned that Reivin Frost, his arch-enemy of half his life, had attacked Celestra, his worry had only increased. The grey dog hadn't slept in about sixty hours, and he was starting to find it pointless to even try.
Something in his head nagged at him, telling him that sometime soon, Katina would be Andross's target. General Pepper had chosen to put his frontline base on Bill's home planet, so the assassin did his best to dismiss his fears. Even without his mind playing games with him, it was going to be a long day.
At six in the morning (Bill was lifting weights to pass the time), his G-Diffuser system started beeping and flashing the 'incoming transmission' signal. Curious, thinking Celestra was attempting to contact him again, Bill replaced a weight bar, wiped his face with a work rag, and said, "Accept transmission; this is Bill Grey, assassin."
The little screen flickered, and Bill was very surprised and pleased indeed to see the violet eyes of Captain Anilora.
"Gilraen!" he exclaimed, taking a seat and grinning at the man in charge of all forces on Katina. "How--?" Bill let his question die, though, as he further studied Anilora's face. The man was clearly distraught, even panicked.
"Bill, I'm terribly sorry to disturb you at such an early hour--"
"Not a problem, cap'n."
"--But I bring grave news. Lieutenant Rimmens of the KATI embassy informed me earlier this morning that a Venomian forefront squad is orbiting an area of space just above the frontline base."
Bill came forward in his chair, yanking a flight shirt on and fastening a flight vest over it. KATI stood for the Katinan Airspace Technological Institution; if some lieutenant from that embassy had spotted enemy craft, no one doubted him. "How many guys we lookin' at, Cap'n?"
Anilora rubbed his eyes, which were bloodshot and dry. "Rimmens' last count was thirty, but that was half an hour ago. Fo all we know, there could be more by now."
The assassin was lacing up his combat boots now, face grave. "Anythin' else I should know?"
"Yes, and this information leads us to believe that Andross will attack--and soon. Ten of KATI's cruisers have been pronounced missing in action. They were on their way home from the new Fortunan base, and every one of them disappeared from radar screens yesterday afternoon. That will cripple our forces considerably; all of those ships were listed first regiment."
Bill cursed; ten top-of-the-line cruisers gone, Andross on the way, and Anilora's entire first fleet on Corneria? What chance did Katina have so short-handed? The assassin drew a hand down his face and said, "Don't worry, Gilraen--I can be at the base in ten minutes if I have to. We'll win out against Andross, I promise ya that!" He meant to leave that as his parting note, but Anilora cut him short.
"I will meet you there in two hours, and the Great Fox is only forty-five minutes away."
The grey dog stopped dead in his tracks, blinked rapidly a few times, and said, "Sorry, but . . . are you bein' serious?"
Now Anilora did smile. "Quire serious, my friend. As soon as I heard of the missing cruisers, I departed Corneria with half of my fleet beside me, and Celestra, despite injuries, had little difficulty in swaying Fox's original course. Did you think she and I would be absent at your time of greatest need?" he finished playfully.
Bill shook his head. "Not for a second. And Gilraen--thanks."
"Don't thank me yet," replied the captain. "Thank me when we have driven Andross from our homeland! Gilraen Anilora, over and out."
Bill let the transmission die on its own as he rushed to his bedroom, ignoring his unmade bed and scooping up his utility belt. After ensuring that he had all the equipment he needed, the assassin sprinted outside, tossing his items into the passenger seat of his doorless, topless old black Jeep and revving the engine. He could see the highest tiers of the base from his house, and his red-brown eyes glittered with a new hope as he sped off toward it.
Gilraen. Celestra.
He couldn't think of a better pair of people to share Katina's judgement day with.
~~*~~
The citizens of Nexxus, Katina's largest city, raised their voices in a unified cheer of joy when the single green Arwing sped across the clear blue sky, leaving smoke lines from its exhaust in its wake.
Bill grinned to himself as he looked down at them all. This Arwing wasn't just any craft from some little fleet--it was Fury of Katina, the heart and soul of Lylat's fifth planet, the banner of Katina's wrath. All who stood below and watched its course lifted their hearts in hope, for the assassin Bill Grey piloted that craft and he had never let them down.
He didn't mean to let them down this day, either.
Bill led Fury of Katina over the KATI embassy next, and all hands below waved as he passed. He did several circuits of the complex, using his lasers on their lowest frequency to spell out a short message on the ground. When his message was complete, a few of the soldiers rushed out to read it.
It read WE WILL PREVAIL.
They glanced up, cheering even louder as Bill's Arwing faded into the distance.
He was laughing hysterically now, laughing at the hopelessness of the situation, laughing at the ironically blue sky, but most of all laughing because his greatest friends in all the galaxy were on their way and he wouldn't have to die alone.
When finally Bill made his way back to the base, he noticed that it was teeming with extra activity. The Katinan squadrons were all bustling about now, readying their flight gear and opening the Arwing hangars. As he flew low over the base he inscribed the message just outside of the hangars, inspiring his fellow pilots to work just a little bit faster. When he landed and unboarded amidst exuberant cheers he punched a fist in the air and began singing an old Katinan war song at the top of his lungs. Every single one of them took up the call; they chanted along so loudly that the light breeze carried their voice to the people of Nexxus, who also joined in. And as Bill stared around at them all, raising their arms and their hearts high with him, his fear melted away.
Off in the distance a low rumbling echoed across the sky, deep and soft but growing in volume. Gradually a few of them glanced upward in confusion, turning their heads, wondering what was causing such a tumult. Like a wave the Katinan squadron grew quiet, eyes raised in terror as Bill clambered up into his Jeep for a better view. The rumble grew louder all the time, and a few pilots even began easing nervously toward their Arwings.
At long last the sound reached an ear-splitting crescendo and Rage of Macbeth burst into view over the base. The Katinans burst out in joy to see the magnificent craft of Celestra Marquette, and their cheers grew as SpiritNova and MeteoRiot came racing after it, and then Nebulafire and Acid Rain. The five did a full lap around the base then returned with Great Fox gliding along behind them. The magnitude of the cries was twice as loud this time, and Bill found that he could not hold back the tears of joy in his eyes.
When the four mercenaries and their cruiser had landed and all had departed, Fox shook Bill's hand briskly. "Great to see you, Bill."
"Yeah, you too," Bill said with a grin. Glancing up to the sky he asked, "Isn't Celest coming down?"
Fox grinned widely and shook his head. "Nope. She says she wants you to join her."
Bill's eyes glittered in happiness and he sprinted off to his green spacecraft among more lines of the war song. In a matter of seconds he had taken off again, and the people of Katina raised their voices when finally Fury of Katina and Rage of Macbeth had joined again, circling one another for the first time in several months.
Falco failed to hide his reckless smile. Perhaps Celestra wasn't as bad as he had thought.
~~*~~
Celestra jumped out of her Arwing and sprinted at Bill, flinging herself into his outstretched arms and nearly knocking him flat. He burst into laughter, picking her up off of the ground and spinning her in his arms.
"I missed you so much!" she exclaimed when finally her feet were firmly on the ground.
Bill was still so shocked that she had come to his aid that he just nodded his head, unable to speak, and buried his face in her ponytail. Behind them, the Star Fox team shared a unified laugh.
"Didn't think we'd leaving you hangin', did you Grey?" Falco teased, slapping the assassin on the back with one wing.
"To tell ya the truth, I thought I'd be in this one without y'all," Bill admitted sheepishly. "I'm even more surprised Anilora's comin' home just to help out."
By that time, Slippy had finished running a diagnostic scan on the full two hundred spacecraft of the Katinan fleet that had been left under Bill's charge. "Only minor problems here and there, Bill, but nothing that can't be fixed. I'll get to work on them right away." With that, the technician led Peppy out of the room, on their way to tune-up the squadron.
"So the captain's going to make it?" Fox asked, clearly admiring Anilora's devotion to his homeland. "Very impressive. He's got to be running on empty by now; he's been going non-stop since the battle at Sector Y."
Bill nodded and gave a little sigh, running a hand down his face again. "If I could spare the guy this fight, I would. Even with his fleet, though, I'm worried we'll still be overrun."
"With Anilora's squad your numbers will be right around four hundred," Falco observed with a frown. "Do you really think Andross will hit you that hard?"
The male assassin nodded grimly. "I fear it'll come to that."
Celestra broke away from the conversation, crossing to a nearby window and gazing earnestly at the sky for any sign of Captain Anilora and his fleet. Not only would Katina sorely need his help this day, but she had to admit that she missed him. She knew how important the frontline base was to General Pepper and the Cornerian army, and she had a sinking feeling that Andross would want control of it just as badly.
Gradually Bill, Fox, and Falco's voices faded from her mind as she studied the cheery sky. Minutes slipped by more quickly as she zoned herself out of reality, and eventually her eyes glazed over and slid part-way closed.
A dark cloud appeared on the northern horizon, and in her subconscious Celestra deduced that a storm was on its way. Half an hour passed, Bill and Fox still laying out defensive strategies, and Celestra marveled at the speed of the approaching clouds. She had never seen a thunderstorm move so quickly.
Her head jerked up, and her eyes flew open with a jolt. The dark horizon was not a bulk of cloud, but a swarm of spacecraft, speeding toward the base like an enormous cyclone. Then, with a gasp of horror, Celestra recognized the model of the crafts: class-B Hybrid stealth.
The Venomian forefront squad was on the move.
"Bill!"
The assassin and the pair of mercenaries rushed to her side, crowding around the window and likewise staring out in sickened awe. Far below, an alarm on the base sounded, high and shrill, and within seconds Katinan pilots were spilling out of the doors, rushing to their Arwings. Bill and Fox sprinted away down the hall and out of the front doors, calling everyone together and organizing them into attack and defense groups.
Celestra slid one delicate hand into Falco's, and he tightened his grip on it without question. Very soon they would need the comfort.
~~*~~
Peppy and Fox led the first Katinan defensive manuever, forming a tight and formidable ring about the base and firing at any who came too close. The Hybrids numbered around one hundred, rewarding the Katinans with a two-to-one ration, and Celestra and Falco seized the odds, leading two teams of seventy-five each into the Venomian ranks and tearing them apart in minutes. When Slippy had finished prepping the rest of the Arwings he helped strengthen the defense with another thirty men, and within minutes the forefront squad had been demolished; Bill and his reinforcement squad still lurked, unseen, within a row of isolated bunkers, waiting for the opportune moment.
A group of one hundred and fifty Destroyers came next, evening the odds with their incredible armor and sheer size. Falco's squadron held their own through the first assault, but Celestra's scattered in fear and broke ranks before she could call them together. The female assassin took a dive at a group of ten Destroyers, loosing a bomb in their wake and blasting a sizeable hole in their lines. Regaining hope, the two squadrons joined together behind Falco and gave her an amazing amount of backup.
Upon the horizon a true storm was swelling; in the next half hour it had reached the battlefield, and it was then that the Katinan ranks suffered. Another line of Destroyers arrived, finally penetrating Falco and Celestra's groups and testing the defensive lines behind them. Still Bill did not unleash his reinforcements, knowing in his heart that the worst was still to come.
Falco was the first to notice the dark, circular shape melting through a small break in the clouds; he stared at it for the longest time, studying the shape and size, and when he recognized it he knew that their forces could not stand a chance.
"Mothership!" he shouted as loud as he could into the intership communicator. "Venomian mothership approaching!"
Every single Katinan pilot raised their eyes to the enormous craft hovering above them. They knew what it was--one of the same starships had attacked their planet twelve years before, with disastrous results.
Celestra brought her craft in line with the final line of Destroyers and let fly another bomb, which detonated and destroyed all of them. Her fleet returned to her, and she led them in pursuit of the mothership. "Falco! We're going to need some help up here!"
The avian U-turned and looked back at his troops. "Hey, are we gonna prevail, or what?"
He could not have chosen a better question to ask. The Katinans roared and rallied behind him and they surged forward as one livid swarm. It was a valiant effort, but the mothership had other plans. It opened up four underside hatches, and to the dismay of all, swarm upon swarm of Venomian fighters poured onto the battlefield. Falco's group caught the worst of it, getting decimated in half within seconds, and Celestra's group scattered yet again, targeted and killed one by one.
"Now!" Bill shrieked, voice full of emotion, and the reinforcements surged in, rescuing Celestra and Falco none too soon. The Katinans spurred themselves into new heights of anger, using the elation they felt upon seeing Fury of Katina enter the battle against the Venomians and beating them back. The rain poured down, pounding against windshields and obscuring everyone's vision; the lightnine blazed through the black sky, striking down Katinan and Venomian alike. Slippy became overrun by seven or eight of the enemy craft, and just as they fired on him Fox rolled in front and took the blows. His Arwing couldn't tke the entire barrage, though, and he went into an uncontrollable nosedive, ejecting at the very last moment and careening into the rain as his craft collided witht he muddy ground.
"SpiritNova has been shot down!" someone cried, and Celestra's eyes filled with angry tears. Over the intercom Falco screamed in denial; Bill lost his head and charged at the Venomians with reckless abandon. If his fleet hadn't followed him half-heartedly, he would have been killed as the next fleet of Venomians cascaded form the mothership's hatches.
The fierce battle raged as the storm intensified; in another fifteen minutes Slippy, too, was shot out of the sky. Bill, Celestra, and Falco all joined forces for one last charge, and to the dismay of all were beaten back mercilessly. The mothership advanced, and the Katinans knew the base was lost.
"Never lose heart!" a voice raged over the radio. "The day is not yet lost! We will prevail!" From a tiny break in the clouds came a single grey Arwing, glistening with the sun reflecting off its wet surface, and behind it billowed two hundred or more Katinan soldiers. Bringing up the rear was the cruiser Whitewater, and everyone gasped in disbelief, daring the believe that they had not imagined the sight.
"Gilraen!" Celestra shouted, wheeling her craft to face the procession. "Your captain has come! Band together behind Captain Anilora!"
Anilora took up the cry of "We will prevail!", and every man who could speak joined his strong voice. Celestra, Bill, and Falco flanked him, and the four led the greatest charge yet, struggling for every inch but slowly driving the Venomians back. When the hatches opened again Anilora was ready for the onslaught, breaking off from his comrades and concentrating every ounce of his laser fire into the open section nearest to him. The hatch couldn't hold the unbelievable pressure and it collapsed, lessening the flow of the seemingly endless force.
"It's the hatches!" Falco announced. "Celest! Bill! We've got to hit the other three when they open up again!"
Half of Anilora's fleet joined Peppy's thinning defenses, and the base was surrounded and safe again within minutes. When the hatches opened up again, the two assassins and the avian split off and took down all three of them. Anilora led his men on yet another mighty charge, and the Venomin forces finally began to fall into disarray.
The mothership stubbornly made its way forward, and all at once it seemed to be hovering directly over the Katinan base.
"What's happening?!" cried Celestra, fighting to keep control of her Arwing.
"The core!" Anilora called back, coming up to her side and hovering there, eyes wide. "They're going to destroy the base!"
A spindle core had dropped down from the center of the mothership, glowing with an eerie blue light. As they watched the light intensified until finally they realized that soon the enormous craft would be opening fire.
Falco sped toward the core at an amazing speed, detirmined to take it out before it assaulted the base, but a wave of enemy spacecraft swarmed up to meet him. With a cry he was driven back and eventually forced to retreat. All the while the mothership gathered its energy, now gleaming so brightly that it was blinding.
Far below, one last Arwing had other plans, and they did not include failure. With a mighty boost of his thrusters Bill Grey shot straight up, angling Fury of Katina vertical, in a perfect line with the tip of the core. He was tired, he decided; tired of hurting, tired of crying, tired of losing sleep at night over some evil tyrant who had not even showed his face to them.
Bill was tired of worrying about his homeland and his brave kin--he would make certain that they never felt pain again.
"Hey, Cap'n!" he called over the radio, and his eyes filled with white hot tears.
"What, Bill?!" cried Anilora.
The assassin smiled through his emotional agony. "You make sure that you take good care of Celestra, okay?" he whispered, letting the drops fall down his cheeks.
Across the battlefield, Celestra and Anilora looked up together. They could just make out the small green craft spiraling upward toward the core.
"Bill!!!" they cried together, but it was too late.
"We will prevail!" cried Bill, and he began firing upward into the dazzing blue core.
The explosion that ensued made the whole of Katina tremble, and every Katinan pilot was at a loss for words when the Venomian mothership crashed to the ground.
~~*~~
They all landed in a complete disarray along the charred battleground, evacuating their crafts and dancing around the mothership in jubilation. Katina was free again, and they had prevailed.
Celestra stumbled out of her Arwing and stared around at all the joyous faces, wondering how on Corneria they could be so happy. Their victory had been bought at far too great a price in her eyes. It was not worth Bill Grey's life.
Falco was the first to come upon her, and he was overwhelmed with pity. She stared into his dark eyes, needing support and comfort, but he found his beak glued together and could give none. Great tears streamed down her face, and without another word he went to her and wrapped her up tightly in his arms, surrounding her with his warm feathers and cooing softly through his own brimming tears. Celestra broke down, sobbing into his chest, quiet moans of despair rising into heart-wrenching wails long after Anilora, Peppy, and an injured Fox and Slippy had joined them.
Far off to one side, a minor soldier stumbled across a familiar green craft. His eyes wide, he sprinted off, calling for Captain Anilora. The word flitted about anxiously that Fury of Katina had been found, and the space pilots rushed as one mass to the fallen Arwing.
Celestra dropped right down to her knees in the rubble, blinking her tears away desperately and shifting the twisted metal away from the cockpit.
"Celest," Falco murmured. "Don't. It's no use. He's gone."
The avian was silenced a moment later when Anilora himself came forward, dropped to the assassin's side, and began aiding her in the fruitless task of digging.
It seemed to take hours as everyone looked on, knowing without a doubt that Bill was long gone. Celestra and Anilora seemed beyond any rational thought, though, and eventually that uncovered the poor grey dog's body.
Which was no longer smiling, but laughing weakly.
"Bill?" Celestra whispered, and to everyone's amazement, Bill opened his eyes wearily and smiled.
"Bill!" she cried, and she lifted up his battered body and cradled him in her arms, crying anew. "Slippy, please . . . tell me that he'll make it."
The mercenary limped forward and brought forth a medical detection device. A holographic display of Bill's body materialized, detailing every one of his injuries. "He's got several broken bones and he's lost some blood, but I think we can save him."
Anilora came forward and scooped the valiant Bill Grey up into his arms; the crowd parted, and they made for the nearest medical tent.
~~*~~
The stars shone brightly upon Katina that night, and all the soldiers and many inhabitants from Nexxus and KATI joined together and danced around the downed mothership, which was currently being used as the centerpiece for an enormous bonfire. Bill watched it all from the safety of a hospital tent, clutching hands with Celestra and Anilora. The Star Fox team filtered in and out, checking on Bill and enjoying the festivities.
"Well, you two," Bill said, still grinning widely. "We did it. We prevailed."
Anilora and Celestra smiled at one another and glanced as one to the bonfire. "Yes we did, Bill," Celestra whispered. "Yes we did."
Across the field several people began singing the chorus to a song rather shakily, undaunted when many of the passers-by stopped to laugh at their progress. With the aid of his captain and the female assassin Bill struggled to sit up, and when he had done so he silenced all of the ill-wishers by giving his voice to the singers, and then the voices rang out strong and true. Everyone within earshot picked up the song and added to the heartfelt sound, and the heavens trembled with emotion to hear the melody that cried not only for the victory of Katina, but for the whole of Lylat.
"We came in fear and we came in doubt
To meet our destiny,
The battle's won, we made it out
And one day we'll be free
The time has come to get up, rise
Through fire, wind, and hail,
The wrath of Venom fills our skies
But together we will prevail
Yes, the time has come to rise back up
And show we'll never fail,
Raise your voice, we've had enough
Katina will prevail."
Bill was sure to turn the hot water nozzle over to full before he stepped into the shower at four that morning. His sleeping habits had rapidly changed at the start of the war, and of late he had only slept about five hours a night. Three days had passed since the Fortunan base had been wrenched from the grasp of Star Wolf, and shortly after Celestra had finally gotten ahold of him at his housse just south of the Katinan base. When he had learned that Reivin Frost, his arch-enemy of half his life, had attacked Celestra, his worry had only increased. The grey dog hadn't slept in about sixty hours, and he was starting to find it pointless to even try.
Something in his head nagged at him, telling him that sometime soon, Katina would be Andross's target. General Pepper had chosen to put his frontline base on Bill's home planet, so the assassin did his best to dismiss his fears. Even without his mind playing games with him, it was going to be a long day.
At six in the morning (Bill was lifting weights to pass the time), his G-Diffuser system started beeping and flashing the 'incoming transmission' signal. Curious, thinking Celestra was attempting to contact him again, Bill replaced a weight bar, wiped his face with a work rag, and said, "Accept transmission; this is Bill Grey, assassin."
The little screen flickered, and Bill was very surprised and pleased indeed to see the violet eyes of Captain Anilora.
"Gilraen!" he exclaimed, taking a seat and grinning at the man in charge of all forces on Katina. "How--?" Bill let his question die, though, as he further studied Anilora's face. The man was clearly distraught, even panicked.
"Bill, I'm terribly sorry to disturb you at such an early hour--"
"Not a problem, cap'n."
"--But I bring grave news. Lieutenant Rimmens of the KATI embassy informed me earlier this morning that a Venomian forefront squad is orbiting an area of space just above the frontline base."
Bill came forward in his chair, yanking a flight shirt on and fastening a flight vest over it. KATI stood for the Katinan Airspace Technological Institution; if some lieutenant from that embassy had spotted enemy craft, no one doubted him. "How many guys we lookin' at, Cap'n?"
Anilora rubbed his eyes, which were bloodshot and dry. "Rimmens' last count was thirty, but that was half an hour ago. Fo all we know, there could be more by now."
The assassin was lacing up his combat boots now, face grave. "Anythin' else I should know?"
"Yes, and this information leads us to believe that Andross will attack--and soon. Ten of KATI's cruisers have been pronounced missing in action. They were on their way home from the new Fortunan base, and every one of them disappeared from radar screens yesterday afternoon. That will cripple our forces considerably; all of those ships were listed first regiment."
Bill cursed; ten top-of-the-line cruisers gone, Andross on the way, and Anilora's entire first fleet on Corneria? What chance did Katina have so short-handed? The assassin drew a hand down his face and said, "Don't worry, Gilraen--I can be at the base in ten minutes if I have to. We'll win out against Andross, I promise ya that!" He meant to leave that as his parting note, but Anilora cut him short.
"I will meet you there in two hours, and the Great Fox is only forty-five minutes away."
The grey dog stopped dead in his tracks, blinked rapidly a few times, and said, "Sorry, but . . . are you bein' serious?"
Now Anilora did smile. "Quire serious, my friend. As soon as I heard of the missing cruisers, I departed Corneria with half of my fleet beside me, and Celestra, despite injuries, had little difficulty in swaying Fox's original course. Did you think she and I would be absent at your time of greatest need?" he finished playfully.
Bill shook his head. "Not for a second. And Gilraen--thanks."
"Don't thank me yet," replied the captain. "Thank me when we have driven Andross from our homeland! Gilraen Anilora, over and out."
Bill let the transmission die on its own as he rushed to his bedroom, ignoring his unmade bed and scooping up his utility belt. After ensuring that he had all the equipment he needed, the assassin sprinted outside, tossing his items into the passenger seat of his doorless, topless old black Jeep and revving the engine. He could see the highest tiers of the base from his house, and his red-brown eyes glittered with a new hope as he sped off toward it.
Gilraen. Celestra.
He couldn't think of a better pair of people to share Katina's judgement day with.
~~*~~
The citizens of Nexxus, Katina's largest city, raised their voices in a unified cheer of joy when the single green Arwing sped across the clear blue sky, leaving smoke lines from its exhaust in its wake.
Bill grinned to himself as he looked down at them all. This Arwing wasn't just any craft from some little fleet--it was Fury of Katina, the heart and soul of Lylat's fifth planet, the banner of Katina's wrath. All who stood below and watched its course lifted their hearts in hope, for the assassin Bill Grey piloted that craft and he had never let them down.
He didn't mean to let them down this day, either.
Bill led Fury of Katina over the KATI embassy next, and all hands below waved as he passed. He did several circuits of the complex, using his lasers on their lowest frequency to spell out a short message on the ground. When his message was complete, a few of the soldiers rushed out to read it.
It read WE WILL PREVAIL.
They glanced up, cheering even louder as Bill's Arwing faded into the distance.
He was laughing hysterically now, laughing at the hopelessness of the situation, laughing at the ironically blue sky, but most of all laughing because his greatest friends in all the galaxy were on their way and he wouldn't have to die alone.
When finally Bill made his way back to the base, he noticed that it was teeming with extra activity. The Katinan squadrons were all bustling about now, readying their flight gear and opening the Arwing hangars. As he flew low over the base he inscribed the message just outside of the hangars, inspiring his fellow pilots to work just a little bit faster. When he landed and unboarded amidst exuberant cheers he punched a fist in the air and began singing an old Katinan war song at the top of his lungs. Every single one of them took up the call; they chanted along so loudly that the light breeze carried their voice to the people of Nexxus, who also joined in. And as Bill stared around at them all, raising their arms and their hearts high with him, his fear melted away.
Off in the distance a low rumbling echoed across the sky, deep and soft but growing in volume. Gradually a few of them glanced upward in confusion, turning their heads, wondering what was causing such a tumult. Like a wave the Katinan squadron grew quiet, eyes raised in terror as Bill clambered up into his Jeep for a better view. The rumble grew louder all the time, and a few pilots even began easing nervously toward their Arwings.
At long last the sound reached an ear-splitting crescendo and Rage of Macbeth burst into view over the base. The Katinans burst out in joy to see the magnificent craft of Celestra Marquette, and their cheers grew as SpiritNova and MeteoRiot came racing after it, and then Nebulafire and Acid Rain. The five did a full lap around the base then returned with Great Fox gliding along behind them. The magnitude of the cries was twice as loud this time, and Bill found that he could not hold back the tears of joy in his eyes.
When the four mercenaries and their cruiser had landed and all had departed, Fox shook Bill's hand briskly. "Great to see you, Bill."
"Yeah, you too," Bill said with a grin. Glancing up to the sky he asked, "Isn't Celest coming down?"
Fox grinned widely and shook his head. "Nope. She says she wants you to join her."
Bill's eyes glittered in happiness and he sprinted off to his green spacecraft among more lines of the war song. In a matter of seconds he had taken off again, and the people of Katina raised their voices when finally Fury of Katina and Rage of Macbeth had joined again, circling one another for the first time in several months.
Falco failed to hide his reckless smile. Perhaps Celestra wasn't as bad as he had thought.
~~*~~
Celestra jumped out of her Arwing and sprinted at Bill, flinging herself into his outstretched arms and nearly knocking him flat. He burst into laughter, picking her up off of the ground and spinning her in his arms.
"I missed you so much!" she exclaimed when finally her feet were firmly on the ground.
Bill was still so shocked that she had come to his aid that he just nodded his head, unable to speak, and buried his face in her ponytail. Behind them, the Star Fox team shared a unified laugh.
"Didn't think we'd leaving you hangin', did you Grey?" Falco teased, slapping the assassin on the back with one wing.
"To tell ya the truth, I thought I'd be in this one without y'all," Bill admitted sheepishly. "I'm even more surprised Anilora's comin' home just to help out."
By that time, Slippy had finished running a diagnostic scan on the full two hundred spacecraft of the Katinan fleet that had been left under Bill's charge. "Only minor problems here and there, Bill, but nothing that can't be fixed. I'll get to work on them right away." With that, the technician led Peppy out of the room, on their way to tune-up the squadron.
"So the captain's going to make it?" Fox asked, clearly admiring Anilora's devotion to his homeland. "Very impressive. He's got to be running on empty by now; he's been going non-stop since the battle at Sector Y."
Bill nodded and gave a little sigh, running a hand down his face again. "If I could spare the guy this fight, I would. Even with his fleet, though, I'm worried we'll still be overrun."
"With Anilora's squad your numbers will be right around four hundred," Falco observed with a frown. "Do you really think Andross will hit you that hard?"
The male assassin nodded grimly. "I fear it'll come to that."
Celestra broke away from the conversation, crossing to a nearby window and gazing earnestly at the sky for any sign of Captain Anilora and his fleet. Not only would Katina sorely need his help this day, but she had to admit that she missed him. She knew how important the frontline base was to General Pepper and the Cornerian army, and she had a sinking feeling that Andross would want control of it just as badly.
Gradually Bill, Fox, and Falco's voices faded from her mind as she studied the cheery sky. Minutes slipped by more quickly as she zoned herself out of reality, and eventually her eyes glazed over and slid part-way closed.
A dark cloud appeared on the northern horizon, and in her subconscious Celestra deduced that a storm was on its way. Half an hour passed, Bill and Fox still laying out defensive strategies, and Celestra marveled at the speed of the approaching clouds. She had never seen a thunderstorm move so quickly.
Her head jerked up, and her eyes flew open with a jolt. The dark horizon was not a bulk of cloud, but a swarm of spacecraft, speeding toward the base like an enormous cyclone. Then, with a gasp of horror, Celestra recognized the model of the crafts: class-B Hybrid stealth.
The Venomian forefront squad was on the move.
"Bill!"
The assassin and the pair of mercenaries rushed to her side, crowding around the window and likewise staring out in sickened awe. Far below, an alarm on the base sounded, high and shrill, and within seconds Katinan pilots were spilling out of the doors, rushing to their Arwings. Bill and Fox sprinted away down the hall and out of the front doors, calling everyone together and organizing them into attack and defense groups.
Celestra slid one delicate hand into Falco's, and he tightened his grip on it without question. Very soon they would need the comfort.
~~*~~
Peppy and Fox led the first Katinan defensive manuever, forming a tight and formidable ring about the base and firing at any who came too close. The Hybrids numbered around one hundred, rewarding the Katinans with a two-to-one ration, and Celestra and Falco seized the odds, leading two teams of seventy-five each into the Venomian ranks and tearing them apart in minutes. When Slippy had finished prepping the rest of the Arwings he helped strengthen the defense with another thirty men, and within minutes the forefront squad had been demolished; Bill and his reinforcement squad still lurked, unseen, within a row of isolated bunkers, waiting for the opportune moment.
A group of one hundred and fifty Destroyers came next, evening the odds with their incredible armor and sheer size. Falco's squadron held their own through the first assault, but Celestra's scattered in fear and broke ranks before she could call them together. The female assassin took a dive at a group of ten Destroyers, loosing a bomb in their wake and blasting a sizeable hole in their lines. Regaining hope, the two squadrons joined together behind Falco and gave her an amazing amount of backup.
Upon the horizon a true storm was swelling; in the next half hour it had reached the battlefield, and it was then that the Katinan ranks suffered. Another line of Destroyers arrived, finally penetrating Falco and Celestra's groups and testing the defensive lines behind them. Still Bill did not unleash his reinforcements, knowing in his heart that the worst was still to come.
Falco was the first to notice the dark, circular shape melting through a small break in the clouds; he stared at it for the longest time, studying the shape and size, and when he recognized it he knew that their forces could not stand a chance.
"Mothership!" he shouted as loud as he could into the intership communicator. "Venomian mothership approaching!"
Every single Katinan pilot raised their eyes to the enormous craft hovering above them. They knew what it was--one of the same starships had attacked their planet twelve years before, with disastrous results.
Celestra brought her craft in line with the final line of Destroyers and let fly another bomb, which detonated and destroyed all of them. Her fleet returned to her, and she led them in pursuit of the mothership. "Falco! We're going to need some help up here!"
The avian U-turned and looked back at his troops. "Hey, are we gonna prevail, or what?"
He could not have chosen a better question to ask. The Katinans roared and rallied behind him and they surged forward as one livid swarm. It was a valiant effort, but the mothership had other plans. It opened up four underside hatches, and to the dismay of all, swarm upon swarm of Venomian fighters poured onto the battlefield. Falco's group caught the worst of it, getting decimated in half within seconds, and Celestra's group scattered yet again, targeted and killed one by one.
"Now!" Bill shrieked, voice full of emotion, and the reinforcements surged in, rescuing Celestra and Falco none too soon. The Katinans spurred themselves into new heights of anger, using the elation they felt upon seeing Fury of Katina enter the battle against the Venomians and beating them back. The rain poured down, pounding against windshields and obscuring everyone's vision; the lightnine blazed through the black sky, striking down Katinan and Venomian alike. Slippy became overrun by seven or eight of the enemy craft, and just as they fired on him Fox rolled in front and took the blows. His Arwing couldn't tke the entire barrage, though, and he went into an uncontrollable nosedive, ejecting at the very last moment and careening into the rain as his craft collided witht he muddy ground.
"SpiritNova has been shot down!" someone cried, and Celestra's eyes filled with angry tears. Over the intercom Falco screamed in denial; Bill lost his head and charged at the Venomians with reckless abandon. If his fleet hadn't followed him half-heartedly, he would have been killed as the next fleet of Venomians cascaded form the mothership's hatches.
The fierce battle raged as the storm intensified; in another fifteen minutes Slippy, too, was shot out of the sky. Bill, Celestra, and Falco all joined forces for one last charge, and to the dismay of all were beaten back mercilessly. The mothership advanced, and the Katinans knew the base was lost.
"Never lose heart!" a voice raged over the radio. "The day is not yet lost! We will prevail!" From a tiny break in the clouds came a single grey Arwing, glistening with the sun reflecting off its wet surface, and behind it billowed two hundred or more Katinan soldiers. Bringing up the rear was the cruiser Whitewater, and everyone gasped in disbelief, daring the believe that they had not imagined the sight.
"Gilraen!" Celestra shouted, wheeling her craft to face the procession. "Your captain has come! Band together behind Captain Anilora!"
Anilora took up the cry of "We will prevail!", and every man who could speak joined his strong voice. Celestra, Bill, and Falco flanked him, and the four led the greatest charge yet, struggling for every inch but slowly driving the Venomians back. When the hatches opened again Anilora was ready for the onslaught, breaking off from his comrades and concentrating every ounce of his laser fire into the open section nearest to him. The hatch couldn't hold the unbelievable pressure and it collapsed, lessening the flow of the seemingly endless force.
"It's the hatches!" Falco announced. "Celest! Bill! We've got to hit the other three when they open up again!"
Half of Anilora's fleet joined Peppy's thinning defenses, and the base was surrounded and safe again within minutes. When the hatches opened up again, the two assassins and the avian split off and took down all three of them. Anilora led his men on yet another mighty charge, and the Venomin forces finally began to fall into disarray.
The mothership stubbornly made its way forward, and all at once it seemed to be hovering directly over the Katinan base.
"What's happening?!" cried Celestra, fighting to keep control of her Arwing.
"The core!" Anilora called back, coming up to her side and hovering there, eyes wide. "They're going to destroy the base!"
A spindle core had dropped down from the center of the mothership, glowing with an eerie blue light. As they watched the light intensified until finally they realized that soon the enormous craft would be opening fire.
Falco sped toward the core at an amazing speed, detirmined to take it out before it assaulted the base, but a wave of enemy spacecraft swarmed up to meet him. With a cry he was driven back and eventually forced to retreat. All the while the mothership gathered its energy, now gleaming so brightly that it was blinding.
Far below, one last Arwing had other plans, and they did not include failure. With a mighty boost of his thrusters Bill Grey shot straight up, angling Fury of Katina vertical, in a perfect line with the tip of the core. He was tired, he decided; tired of hurting, tired of crying, tired of losing sleep at night over some evil tyrant who had not even showed his face to them.
Bill was tired of worrying about his homeland and his brave kin--he would make certain that they never felt pain again.
"Hey, Cap'n!" he called over the radio, and his eyes filled with white hot tears.
"What, Bill?!" cried Anilora.
The assassin smiled through his emotional agony. "You make sure that you take good care of Celestra, okay?" he whispered, letting the drops fall down his cheeks.
Across the battlefield, Celestra and Anilora looked up together. They could just make out the small green craft spiraling upward toward the core.
"Bill!!!" they cried together, but it was too late.
"We will prevail!" cried Bill, and he began firing upward into the dazzing blue core.
The explosion that ensued made the whole of Katina tremble, and every Katinan pilot was at a loss for words when the Venomian mothership crashed to the ground.
~~*~~
They all landed in a complete disarray along the charred battleground, evacuating their crafts and dancing around the mothership in jubilation. Katina was free again, and they had prevailed.
Celestra stumbled out of her Arwing and stared around at all the joyous faces, wondering how on Corneria they could be so happy. Their victory had been bought at far too great a price in her eyes. It was not worth Bill Grey's life.
Falco was the first to come upon her, and he was overwhelmed with pity. She stared into his dark eyes, needing support and comfort, but he found his beak glued together and could give none. Great tears streamed down her face, and without another word he went to her and wrapped her up tightly in his arms, surrounding her with his warm feathers and cooing softly through his own brimming tears. Celestra broke down, sobbing into his chest, quiet moans of despair rising into heart-wrenching wails long after Anilora, Peppy, and an injured Fox and Slippy had joined them.
Far off to one side, a minor soldier stumbled across a familiar green craft. His eyes wide, he sprinted off, calling for Captain Anilora. The word flitted about anxiously that Fury of Katina had been found, and the space pilots rushed as one mass to the fallen Arwing.
Celestra dropped right down to her knees in the rubble, blinking her tears away desperately and shifting the twisted metal away from the cockpit.
"Celest," Falco murmured. "Don't. It's no use. He's gone."
The avian was silenced a moment later when Anilora himself came forward, dropped to the assassin's side, and began aiding her in the fruitless task of digging.
It seemed to take hours as everyone looked on, knowing without a doubt that Bill was long gone. Celestra and Anilora seemed beyond any rational thought, though, and eventually that uncovered the poor grey dog's body.
Which was no longer smiling, but laughing weakly.
"Bill?" Celestra whispered, and to everyone's amazement, Bill opened his eyes wearily and smiled.
"Bill!" she cried, and she lifted up his battered body and cradled him in her arms, crying anew. "Slippy, please . . . tell me that he'll make it."
The mercenary limped forward and brought forth a medical detection device. A holographic display of Bill's body materialized, detailing every one of his injuries. "He's got several broken bones and he's lost some blood, but I think we can save him."
Anilora came forward and scooped the valiant Bill Grey up into his arms; the crowd parted, and they made for the nearest medical tent.
~~*~~
The stars shone brightly upon Katina that night, and all the soldiers and many inhabitants from Nexxus and KATI joined together and danced around the downed mothership, which was currently being used as the centerpiece for an enormous bonfire. Bill watched it all from the safety of a hospital tent, clutching hands with Celestra and Anilora. The Star Fox team filtered in and out, checking on Bill and enjoying the festivities.
"Well, you two," Bill said, still grinning widely. "We did it. We prevailed."
Anilora and Celestra smiled at one another and glanced as one to the bonfire. "Yes we did, Bill," Celestra whispered. "Yes we did."
Across the field several people began singing the chorus to a song rather shakily, undaunted when many of the passers-by stopped to laugh at their progress. With the aid of his captain and the female assassin Bill struggled to sit up, and when he had done so he silenced all of the ill-wishers by giving his voice to the singers, and then the voices rang out strong and true. Everyone within earshot picked up the song and added to the heartfelt sound, and the heavens trembled with emotion to hear the melody that cried not only for the victory of Katina, but for the whole of Lylat.
"We came in fear and we came in doubt
To meet our destiny,
The battle's won, we made it out
And one day we'll be free
The time has come to get up, rise
Through fire, wind, and hail,
The wrath of Venom fills our skies
But together we will prevail
Yes, the time has come to rise back up
And show we'll never fail,
Raise your voice, we've had enough
Katina will prevail."