Disclaminer: The StarFox universe, Emperor Andross, Bill Grey, Fay Dawn, and many of the technologies used/described here are © Nintendo
Kazen Dornel, Gerard Hartford, Secillia Merrix, Alen Geale, Jelira Fovoham, General Redric and other custom made characters are property of Eric Luck I would be flattered if one were to use them in an art/writing piece, but I would appreciate notification beforehand. Thank you.
Due to somewhat disturbing content, this chapter is rated PG
Author's Note: In the game Starfox 64, one was capable of single-handedly obliterating entire fleets. For creative purposes, the weapons such as the Arwing and Landmaster have been severely reduced to a far more realistic level.
Because being able to rack up in excess of 200 kills in one mission makes for a good video game, but not a good novel.
A big thanks goes to various music soundtracks for providing ideas and inspiration for this piece, especially Skies of Arcadia. I may compile a list of tunes that go with different scenes someday. Thanks also goes to my friends who supported and provided feedback while this was in the works, and to the numerous StarFox fanfic writers already out there for also providing inspiration.
This story is only to be distributed under my permission only. Questions/comments/complaints? Hurl them to me at
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The Threshold of Strife
Chapter One - Innocence
By Eric Luck
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"We knew it was coming, all of us. But where, and when were the questions." - Lieutenant Kazen Dornel
Darkness permeated the room. Yet, amidst the blackness, shafts of dull, seemingly unnaturally yellowish light
pierced from otherwise unseen windows, illuminating the darkness. What few chairs could be seen in the scant light were strewn about the room in disarray. Amidst them were round, ceramic tables painted a dim blue, many having various food items lying about their surfaces in various states of consumption. The floor was flat and solid beneath the feet as they took cautious steps forward, the owner gazing about the empty scene. On the other side of the room was a long series of tables with glass panels sitting in front of them, their transparency providing view of what lay on the other side. Trays. Bins containing various food products in different amounts and levels of...decay. Yet, despite this no smell was present.
The cooking ware equipment was impossible to make out with the level of darkness in the room, but was probably in a state of disrepair/disuse.
"...An army cafeteria...but...what happened?" came the fleeting whisper of a thought.
The empty tables, chairs and upon clearer view, debris of ceiling paneling and infrastructure that littered parts of the room, gave only a silent witness. Perhaps the most disturbing of all, was the complete and total lack of sound. The nose told of a complete...nonexistence as well. Pieces of debris were pushed aside with a boot, but once more none of the predicted clanking of metal was heard.
"Where am I...? What is the meani-" more thoughts whispered through, until they were cut off.
A quick drop of red had flashed down and splattered upon the slender muzzle before him. Immediately ceasing all movement, a slightly nervous but ever curious hand reached up and touched the droplet, only to find more beginning to drip from the ceiling, spattering the furred hand with the mystery "
Morbid curiosity began to rise further, prompting him to very slowly tilt his head up towards the source...and saw.
A pair of icy, glazed eyes returned his gaze with an unblinking stare. Matted fur drooped about it's face, but the darkness prevented a comprehensive judgment of any specific detail about the unfortunate individual. Half of the form was embedded into the ceiling, the body and limbs themselves twisted and dislocated into a posture that no living thing could naturally take on. One arm however, dangled free, as though...reaching out to him, from which the now cool, vital fluid flowed.
"AAAAH!"
Almost impulsively, Kazen Dornel shot up from his previously peaceful sleep upright, tightly clenching the edges of the sheets, frantically scanning the dark room in a panic. He could feel his heart pounding against his ribcage, as though demanding to burst out and flee. Heavily panting, he came to the quick realization that there was indeed, no bloody corpse hanging above him.
"Just...a dream...a dream..." he quietly told himself, holding a furred hand to the side of his face.
The room around him was pitch black, save a trio of digits to the right of where he slept, which glowed '5:38' in a dark red color. The bed itself was uncomfortably warm from the stress of the nightmare.
"Rg...too early to report for duty, but too late to try to get any more sleep...I'd best get started anyway." he thought to himself, sleepily sliding his legs to the right side of his bed, taking his still half asleep form along with them.
Shoving the layers of comfortable fabric aside, he slowly got to his feet, using the nearby wall for support. He then noticed a number of tangles in the fur on his tail, adding to the discomfort, but that would need to wait until he had proper lighting. Running his hands along the wall for guidance, his fingers eventually found the series of broad switches and a wheel. Slowly turning the wheel, the room was gradually bathed in a gentle light from the ceiling light fixtures that thankfully didn't bother his eyes as much as a sudden flash of light would have. His quarters were basic, consisting of a bed covered in a dark blue blanket, a dresser upon which sat the digital clock, a shelf witholding a vast library of data disks, and desk. Upon the desk sat an elegantly sloping portable computer. It's surface consisted primarily of the keyboard and a small projector on the far end, from which the holographic display was generated. Beside the computer stood a tall cylindrical fiber optic lamp, the bottom mount was so smoothly sculpted of plastic, if it were the same color as the table it would very well look like an extension of the surface. The currently unpowered, grayish white cords were bundled to fit the tube shape, a battleship grey colored, downward slanted covering adorned the top. The sight of the laptop reminded him of some administrative information he still had yet to sort and send to his commanding officer, something he cursed himself for forgetting about the previous night...But first thing's first. Returning to his dresser and after sifting through various articles of clothing, he pulled out a pair of dark green bundles of clothing, their actual design as yet indistinguishable. Shuffling on his way, a pair of doors sat on the far corner of the room. Opening the nearest one, he stepped inside yet another dark room, which was quickly alleviated by another, deft flick of a nearby switch.
Inside was the bathroom, populated by the bare necessities, but lacking in eloquence, something that didn't at all bother Kazen. While all these accommodations were inferior to those back home, this was a military facility, so one had to get used to being without 'fancy' living as some of the more hard core individuals in his barracks referred to it. Plopping the set of clothing atop the sink counter, he studied himself in the mirror.
On the temperglass surface gazed back a lethargic canine face, adorned by a straight chocolate brown hair that hung just beyond cheek level, a few strands finding their way in front of his eyes and over his muzzle in his state of disarray. He was simply garbed in a white tank top and shorts, although parts of them were concealed by his flowing fur coat spilling over the hems. The coat itself was tri-colored, a tawny brown about his face, which was sectioned off by a hazel coloration, and interrupted again by a section of pure white just around his collarbone. All this betrayed his specific breed of Collie, and despite the fact he had a good portion of his coat trimmed, he'd sometimes find himself at odds with his fur, it getting bunched up under his clothes. Snatching up a comb that sat upon the soap bar indentation beside the sink, he quickly did a makeshift grooming session, straightening his hair and untangling the snarls in his tail with a tired mumble of slight frustration, drawing the majestic extremity into the light.
Content with the job, he held up the clothing he'd selected before him, taking first the top. It unfolded before him, revealing his Class A uniform, with the symbol for the Katina Defense Force's 15th Armored Division embroidered on the right collar. The right breast bore a nametag labeled 'Dornel' above a number of small, differently colored buttons that indicated his rank. The uniform itself was split in front; one half of the front was flat and folded beneath the right, which consisted of a number of smaller 'flaps' which held attachment buttons individually. Kazen smiled to himself, remembering the day he'd first received this after graduating from the Katina Military's Officer Academy. It had been one of the shining moments in his life so far, and despite it's sometimes tugging on his fur, he wore the colors with pride and servitude.
"Another dull day...oh well." Kazen mused to himself, starting to slide his arms through the pressed fabric sleeves.
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Deep within the long, stretching hallway of an ornately decorated Throne room, lined with light fixtures and large blood red banners bearing the Venomian Imperial signet draped along the ceiling, sat a glorious seat. Fashioned of stone and laced with gold and thick red cushioning, the arm rests sculpted into eagle talons on the end, the impressive throne was certainly a sight. But even more so was it's occupant. Upon it sat an aging ape, his years paid testament by stringy white hair about his face, and the collar length, shaggy beard, which draped over his clenched hands, supporting his wrinkled head. Garbed in red robes covering his slightly hunched form, the graying primate seemed a stark contrast to his surroundings. Emperor Andross gazed into space contemplatively, a wicked grin playing his lips.
"Soon..those fools shall know the meaning of fear! They'll pay...all of them! Mad they called me...insane, even...But...in little more than a year...I'll have Corneria in my hands, and Pepper groveling at my feet! I'll make them all plead for forgiveness just I bur-" Andross' crazed monologue was suddenly interrupted by a holographic image popping up from a projector on the left armrest.
Loosing a few low curses beneath his breath, he opened his half of the channel, expecting a report as it was. Eventually an image of the upper torso of an opossum femme materialized before him. Bearing a pale, white furred face and bits of dark fur gracing the fringes of her hairline. She had flowing black hair that draped over her blood red Venomian uniform, a pair of black buttons on her collar, and a focused, attentive demeanor.
"Major Jelira Fovoham reporting, your Imperial Majesty." she said, snapping to a salute.
"What is the meaning of this, major...?" Andross replied with a grumble in his voice.
"Well sir, General Redric is busy with his duties...he sent me in his stead to report that preparations for Operation Hydra are complete and await further orders." the major reported, unfazed by the slightly unruly Emperor.
"Ah, good..." Andross replied, for once a pleased smile appearing on his face. "Tell him permission to begin as planned is granted. I would also like a report on the status of defense outposts 23 through 30 from him. Oh, and remind your General that I would prefer he speak with me instead of sending his lackeys to do his dirty work." Andross commented at the end.
Restraining a look of distaste, Jelira simply bowed, and Andross closed the channel, dissipating the digital image.
As soon as the holographic channel shut off along with the face of Andross that was not unlike a rotting raisin, Jelira let out a deep breath she had held the entire conversation.
"...I wonder sometimes..." she muttered to herself, relaxing from that very tense moment.
It was always a momentous, proud moment for anyone in the Venomian Empire to speak with Emperor Andross, and not many were able to do so and be listened to. Some considered it a privilege.
Taking a seat on the single seat in the comm. center, taking a moment to cool off her tension before relaying the information.
"..sending his lackeys to do his dirty work...bah." she muttered to herself, mocking the ape's voice with irritation of her own.
Settling in the black slick armchair, the discontented opossum rested her muzzle upon her right hand, supporting her arm on that of the chair, gazing out the observation window across from her bed. The pane itself afforded a generous view of the scenery outside of the IVS (Imperial Venomian Ship) Mantis, which at the moment was largely taken up by the massive, grey and white luminescent orb that was Macbeth. One could make out the lines and shapes that formed continents, which due to industrialization had become a massive, urban sprawl in places. Scattered about, however, were large portions of unconquered land, set aside for basic environmental necessities. The possession of the planet by Venomian forces was a key element in their fueling of the war machine, the fruits of which were orbiting around the planet, like an impatient predator awaiting the proper moment to stalk it's prey...All varieties of warships drifted about, from the lighter, blockier hulks of the Harlock cruisers to the elegant shapes of the Zeram dreadnaughts, whose silhouettes bore a resemblance to naval vessels of old. The small, arrow-head shapes of Invader II's cruised in triangular formations about their parent ships like insects vigilantly guarding their home nest. Every time Jelira looked upon this show of military might, she couldn't help but feel a warm pulse of pride in her breast. But this was soon dissipated when the figure behind all of this returned to her mind, which forced her to turn away from the thick, transparent aluminum window.
"I didn't sign onto your army just because you declared my home on Macbeth your territory..." she continued to muse, thinking back to earlier, more enthusiastic days. "It's about time this operation is taking place.. Sitting around for months on end just collecting numbers isn't much of a 'glorious fight against oppression'. Hopefully I'll get a promotion after we win Katina for that overgrown chimp, so I'm not stuck doing all this bloody grunt work, and actually do something."
Resting her muzzle in her right hand in frustrated thought, she continued to ponder the past, feeling a twinge of nostalgia.
Just as Jelira was about to replay in her mind what brought her to this post, she forcibly brought herself to her feet to finish her task. Recalibrating her HoloVid, she redirected the channel from Andross' otherwise encoded channel with a bit of satisfaction, to her commander's. Taking a deep breath and making last minute checks on her uniform, and engaged it.
Shortly the image of a middle aged peregrine falcon garbed in a uniform similar to her own, but bore a trio of medals and a number of stars above his nametag, bearing the name Redric. At the moment he was bent over a console, busily working on some unseen task. Shortly after the transmission began he noticed Jelira's image beside his desk.
"Ah, good to see you major. Any word from the Emperor?" the General asked calmly, turning his attention to her.
At least somebody up there hasn't lost touch with those that are actually the reason they're where they are...
"Yes sir, Hydra is go."
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The scene of the officer's lounge was surprisingly faintly active, with a couple individuals already present in the room. A couple other officers, and a number of troops, an ocelot and iguana standing vigilant guard beside the door, greeting Kazen on his way inside. Both garbed in heavy armor and bearing weapons. The lounge itself was a spacious hexagonal chamber that extruded from Aldebaran base like a watchtower, providing a spectacular view of the natural scenery of Katina, further beyond the grounds. The base itself was some distance from the nearest city, being meant to deploy outer patrols. Steep mountains and valleys covered by grasses and shrubs here and there were commonplace, complimenting the auburn colored sky. Closer by was an intricate system of roads and garages in one large complex, dotted with observation towers and radar domes. The Lylatian sun had yet to emerge from the sky, although the horizon glowed with a reddish orange haze where it would soon present itself.
The lounge itself consisted of a variety of fluidly shaped tables and chairs, couches nearby the windows, and a variety of concession dispensaries, including a coffee brewer.
Approaching one of the tables, he came upon a lemur fellow sitting beside a table next to one of the ceiling height windows. Dressed in an identical uniform, of average bodily stature and short black hair matching the varied markings about his coat, he tiredly rested his face in his hands, and his long black and white banded tail lazily swept the floor below him. He gazed out at the scenery until the sounds of Kazen's footsteps approached.
"Morning, Kaze." he greeted, after turning his head to recognize his comrade, his words slightly distorted by a still half awake yawn.
"Fancy seeing you up, Hartford. Couldn't sleep either?" Kazen replied with a smirk, taking a seat next to his comrade.
"..you can kick the formal tone, Gerard is fine.." the drowsy lemur replied. "Well, we are on alert after all...Remember there's a war on...who knows what'll happen and when, or where for that matter. I half expect to see that mad ape Andross' gnarled fingers creeping across the sky."
"Ah, right...heh...maybe that's where that came from.. " Kazen murmured, thinking to himself what to grab for a quick breakfast.
"...? What do you mean?" Gerard asked curiously, raising an eyebrow amidst a section of black fur about his left eye that offset the white that comprised the rest of his face.
"..Oh, I had this really...odd nightmare. I guess I'm just paranoid, is all." Kazen explained, resting the heel of his right hand on his forehead, leaning over the hard plastic table.
"I see..." came the simple reply.
"I'll be right back...I need caffeine." Kazen told his friend, pushing his chair back and getting to his feet.
"Heh...I bet."
After meandering past other conversing patrons of the room, Kazen stood before the brewer, that had a holographic display listing a wide variety of bean flavors, creamers, concentration for different levels of 'strength' for a drink made precisely to one's taste. Bringing up a claw tip to the screen, he simply opted for plain, black coffee. Immediately, a styrofoam cup plopped down into view, followed by a low rumbling with the grinding process. After a minute or so, the tall cup was quickly full of steaming black fluid, which Kazen cautiously took in paw, and returned to his table.
"Ever since you stayed up all night cramming for finals back home, you've been addicted to that stuff." Gerard pointed out with a slightly furrowed brow. "It's good now and again but I don't run on it."
Kazen simply shrugged in reply, gently blowing on the surface, letting the steam waft up into his nostrils.
A moment of silence separated the two for a moment, and then the lemur looked back outside, and sneaking a quick glance at his wristwatch.
"We have patrol duty in a half hour, we'll have to report down there in ten...you know how those guys are sticklers for punctuality." Gerard explained, looking at Kazen in the corner of his eye, who was just taking a sip of his hot drink.
"Right, right." Kazen replied, swallowing a muzzleful of his coffee.
Just then, the sound of aircraft engines roaring overhead was heard, and everyone present automatically shifted their attention to the sky beyond the transparent aluminum windows. Just then, two groups of three 'Greenie' jet fighters cruised by, passing in front of the mountainside before banking around and back overhead.
"Well, it looks like someone's already out and about. Those air force boys sure don't slack off." Kazen commented after the small air show. With that, he took another gulp of the drink, enjoying the hot sensation it brought to his stomach.
"Well, I'm heading out to report..." Gerard stated, starting to get up, beckoning for Kazen to follow.
"I'm coming, don't worry..." Kazen replied with a hint of haste in his voice, draining the last dribbles of his drink, standing up and pushing the chair back as well. With that, the two of them departed the lounge, Kazen crumpling his now useless cup in his paw and discarding it in a recycle bin.
"All military patrol personnel, report to your respective sectors for debriefing, I repeat...All military patrol personnel, report to your respective sectors for debriefing" a patient feminine voice announced over the facility-wide PA.
The front doors of the briefing room swung open, unveiling both Kazen and Gerard, quickly making their way into the room, which as yet was just receiving other members of the 15th Armored division. The duo quickly took their seats at desks near the front row, nearby other members of their immediate operating squad.
Much of Kazen's view of the row was blocked out by the occupant seated beside him on his left. A black-tipped, curved, triangular fin stood out from the base of the neck and the head, over a foot long, was roughly the shape of a bullet. The bluish gray skin appeared to be smooth and lithe, but a closer look would reveal its rough, sandpaper-like texture. Thin, wavy lines of darkened color ran from the tip of the snout to down the back of the neck. One of the figure's eyes, set near the center of the sleek, elegant head, reflected Kazen's furred face within its empty, white void. The almost surreal design of the figures limbs, striking a close resemblance to the aquatic predators he had feared in his youth demanded the focus of his, and all other eyes in the room.
"Good morning, Kazen." a soft, yet confident sounding female voice greeted simply. The owner's gaze didn't shift from the object of her attention, seemingly already fully aware of their presence.
"Ah, good to see you, Secillia." Kazen replied pleasantly, turning to face his communications officer after sitting down..
"Yes, but I could smell you coming before you even saw the doors. So, it's good to...smell you, then? I'll tell you though, you're a field of lilacs compared to some of the other people around here." she joked, and Kazen could see her eye turning towards him beneath the milky covering that obscured their actual coloration.
Kazen quietly chuckled to himself upon her remark, having been used to similar comments about senses from the shark.
"Bright enough for you?" Kazen shot back, settling in his seat while Gerard listened on, waiting for the Sergeant to arrive and repeat the daily processes, whatever it may be.
".....shut up. How you people can stand such...eye searing light is beyond me." she replied with a hint of irritation.
With that, the white covering over her eyes slid back revealing her light bluish eyes which clenched shut shortly after the white membrane removed itself.
"Agh! I told you.. Is the sergeant blind or something? The light in here is more intense than Solar's." she complained, grasping the front of her face a moment then shaking her head about, the coverings sliding back into place.
Kazen shrugged, setting his console down on the desk before him and waiting patiently. Secillia returned to the task on the panel, whatever it may be.
While the trio waited for the rest of their squad to show up, Gerard curiously looked about his surroundings, eventually catching eye of Secillia's 'Deck' laptop display. Leaning in front of Kazen to get a better look at what she was doing.
"What're you looking at, Secillia?" he asked innocently.
"Oh, this? A current map of the situation in the system...Venom held space, and where defensive outposts have been reported to be from our spies. Here and here there's supposedly formations of capitol ship groups." the shark explained, pointing to two different spots on the screen. Upon closer inspection, however, all that Gerard saw was a swirl of colors and isometric shapes...
"...? What...is that? It looks like all a blur of colors to me...like one of those tie dye shirts." the befuddled lemur inquired, raising an eyebrow in confusion.
Initially Secillia wasn't sure what he was getting at, and then a realization dawned on her.
"Oh, that's right.. My kind picks up electrical signals better than we can see...so it's really just electrical pulses laced with information that I can read." she explained, turning to face her inquisitive team mate as she spoke.
"I see, complex, but impressive.." Gerard replied in slight awe.
"Yes, I know." Secillia chuckled, inadvertently baring a couple teeth in the process, slightly alarming him.
With that, the spooked lemur settled back into his seat.
As the trio patiently waited, the room began to gradually fill up with other personnel, who brought their gabbing with them. Personal agendas were explained, idle banter was exchanged, and various accomplishments were exemplified in a chaotic jumble of conversation.
Kazen rested his head upon his right palm, partially concealing his eye. Breathing a tired sigh, he did his best to push the distracting chaos from his mind. Eventually, much to his relief, the door on the far end of the meeting room swung open, revealing a tall, middle aged hyena, garbed in a uniform not unlike his own but bearing a trio of chevron shapes on his shoulder and a red beret sat upon his head, giving away his rank of captain. Short strands of black hair emerged from the fringes of his cap, complimenting the spots that began to appear at the base of his neck just above his collar. With a calm, authoritative air, he stepped before the now calming crowd, standing before a podium, a large screen display behind him that was powered down at the moment.
He was just about to give his superior his undivided attention, until Kazen noticed a discrepancy. The seat between him and Secillia was empty. Again.
"...I don't know what I'm going to do about him. He's lucky he can get a Landmaster from point a to b faster than most drivers...otherwise Captain Pendegrass here wouldn't have put up with him.." he thought to himself, doing his best to keep a stern attentive face on.
With that, the captain cleared his throat, preparing to speak.
"Alright, are all you blokes present and accounted for?" he asked with an obvious accent, scanning the room with his commanding gaze.
Just then, a faint creak of the double doors opening was heard, which grabbed the attention of all in the room, including the captain.
Between the crack of the doors poked a small, two toned muzzle of a dark brown color along the top, and a lighter shade along the sides and bottom, topped off by a diminutive, black nose. Eventually the rest of the face emerged, from which a pair of nervous brown eyes skimmed the area nervously, as though in fear of something. His head was graced with well kept blonde hair that fell just below his eyes in an even, long 'bowl' cut. The shape of his skull and coloration betrayed his species of ground squirrel, and was just about as timid.
"There he is...not quite so late this time." Kazen mused to himself, recognizing the face.
Slowly stepping through the doors and letting the nearest one shut as quietly as possible, the figure suddenly realized that all eyes were upon him. Eventually they looked away, except for the Captain before him.
"Well, Ensign Geale. To what do we owe the pleasure of this visit?" said the hyena officer, arms folded, a curious
look about his face.
"I er..um.." the nervous squirrel managed, stopping in his tracks from fear.
"Iurum? Never heard of that. What is that, anyway?" the Captain asked, his demeanor not shifting in the least.
Geale's right hand crept up the side of his head, scratching the fringes of his hairline in embarrassment.
"Have a seat, Ensign. At least this time you didn't miss anything important..." the Captain sighed, motioning towards his seat next to Kazen.
After a moment of hesitation, the timid fellow scurried to his seat, his arms curling into a very reserved posture.
"And lieutenant Dornel, I would advise you to help absolve this punctuality problem, so as to prevent further delays. Am I clear?" Captain Pendegrass stated, giving Kazen a concerned gaze.
"Absolutely, sir." Kazen replied with a dutiful nod.
"Now then." The Captain continued, placing his hands calmly on the podium and facing the rest of the assembly. With a push of a button on the podium, the map behind him came to life, depicting the topography of the local area of Katina, with a group of large blue squares with a bordered label reading 'Aldebaran Base' and a couple triangular shapes moving about the area in an arrowhead formation, with smaller, from this distance illegible lettering.
Probably those Greenies I saw fly by earlier...
"Today's duties will continue to consist of usual patrols of the perimeter. Vorren, your group will be responsible for sectors G-4 to H-9. Dornel, your squad will occupy I-5 to J-7." Pendegrass continued, pointing to the indicated areas with a clawed finger, first facing a tawny brown filly with similarly colored hair, who nodded in response, then Kazen.
"Dawn, Ferdinand, and the rest of you, you all will be flying air cover for them." he continued, facing up the row towards the upper right.
"No problem, sir!" came a cheery voice from that direction.
Turning his head to look, Kazen saw a younger, white furred poodle female, garbed in a white pilot's vest, with the pair of fastening shoulder straps in place, as though the wearer was anxious to be in the cockpit. Unlike other examples of her breed, her fur was not trimmed and puffed out in a ridiculous fashion, but allowed to flow naturally. The most notable feature of her, however, was the deep crimson bow adorned atop her head that gave her a blatantly effeminate look, yet complimented the rest of her coloration.
I wonder how she got THAT past regulations...
"Well, good to see enthusiasm on the job. Alright then, you all have your orders. Dismissed!" came the announcement, with a simple wave of the commanding officer's gloved hand.
With that, the entire room dissolved back into a chaos of intermittent discussions, and shuffling out of desks. Kazen himself laid back in his seat and stretched both arms out, loosing built up tension from the briefing session. Shortly, the group departed their desks and reconvened at the entrance of the Briefing room, evading the other personnel. Out of the corner of her eye, Secillia turned to the antsy ground squirrel and grinned, making sure to bare as many teeth as possible. Initially, he didn't react and the other two held their gloved paws over their mouths to conceal grins of mirth of the anticipated reaction.
Before long, the pearly whites could no longer evade his attention.
"AAAAHH!" came the startled exclamation. Almost immediately, the frightened squirrel leapt and clasped onto an unexpectant Kazen, who found both his arms clamped to his body.
"Uh...Alen..." he began. "Let...go. She's just messing with you, get a hold of yourself. And not me." Kazen continued with a sigh.
"Oh...er...s..sorry, sir..." the frightened fellow stammered, slowly letting go after realizing his position.
He still kept a nervous eye on Secillia's pearly whites, still plain for him to see. Eventually the humor of the joke began to fade and she resumed her normal posture, much to Alen's relief.
"Well, let's get moving, then." Gerard suggested, pushing open one of the doors.
Just as Kazen nodded in compliance and was about to depart with the group, an excited voice piped up.
"Hey, wait up you guys!"
All heads turned to the source of the voice, who came right up to Kazen. It was the white poodle girl again, her slightly curled ears trailing behind her. Coming to a quick stop, she clasped her gloved hands behind her back, looking enthusiastically from one member of the team to the next.
"Oh, hello there. Dawn, was it...?" Gerard asked with a friendly smile. She looked up towards him, her shorter stature betraying her youth.
"Oh, no. That's my last name." she explained, shaking her head. "You guys can call me Fay. I'll be your air cover for this mission..." she continued, settling down.
"Right, we just heard." Kazen reminded her in a patient voice.
"Oh, er..right. Sorry, I get a little scatterbrained when I'm excited. But don't worry, you can depend on me!" she proclaimed, beaming to him.
"Alright, nice to meet you Fay." I'm Dornel, Kazen Dornel. I'm the head of this little operation" Kazen explained with a touch of mirth at the end of his words.
"This is my friend, Gerard, the gunner." He continued, motioning towards the lemur, who nodded in acknowledgement.
"Alen, the driver. He's rather jumpy, but he comes through in the end."
Alen shyly waved to her, withdrawing a little.
"And here we have Secillia, she's the communications officer and your link between us. You'll hear from her in my place most often."
"Nice to meet you!" Fay greeted, extending a gloved paw up to the acquiescent shark.
"Charmed." Secillia replied, shaking her paw and smiling a bit, exposing a couple teeth. Fay seemed only more intrigued in her newfound compatriot.
"Wow...you're quite unusual! Don't see many of the aquatic sort around here..." Fay observed, still fixated on Secillia.
Secillia, confused by the unexpected attention, could only furrow her brow curiously in response. "Really? Ought to look around Katina City a bit more thoroughly.." she eventually replied.
"True...though, where are you from...? Aquas or Zoness..?"
"...Zoness." came the simple reply, the sharks mood dimming with the word.
"Oh...I'm sorry. I can't imagine something like that happening to my home. I'm sure we'll pry it from that monkey's fingers!" the bubbly poodle encouraged.
For once, a hint of a brightened smile curled the shark's lips.
"Pardon me, but we are on duty..." Kazen injected, standing before the opened door, keeping it open.
"Oh, right...sorry, sir. The hangar's on the way to the garage complex, so I'll go with you guys!" Fay added, stepping out the door.
"Oh, goody.." Gerard chuckled sarcastically under his breath.
Departing from the room and continuing down the way, the team passed through the maze of passageways, their destinations already well mapped in their memories. The hallways were populated with all kinds of people in various uniforms, going various directions to attend to agendas unknown. The halls themselves were constructed of layers of a mix of heavy steel and a ceramic compound, painted a soft white. Along the corners were the walls and ceiling met were long narrow glass covered light fixtures, currently off. The team kept together as they went, Fay continuing the conversation.
"So...what do you guys think?" Fay asked, looking up at the group from the right side.
"About...?" Kazen inquired, facing her direction.
"The mission."
"What about it...?" Secillia asked, confused by the topic.
"I mean, this is my first time working with a ground team, there's just so many new things going on, new people to meet, it's exhilarating!" Fay continued, the cheery smile on her face only outshone by the lylatian sun peering through the multitude of windows lining the walls. Even then, the blazing ball of plasma had competition.
Kazen looked upon her curiously with her statement, pondering this new information, a concerned look in his eye.
"Something wrong, sir...?" she asked, noting his expression.
"Oh, no...just thinking." he replied, slowly shaking his head.
"I see, alright."
-----------
The hallways within the IVS Mantis were quite different however. Painted a dull red with ovoid light fixtures directly along the ceiling, the interior was somewhat more functionally oriented. Activity was also much more precipitous, various commands/status reports being given over the shipwide intercom, it was the busiest Jelira had ever seen this vessel. Keeping her arms closely to her sides, the opossum hastily navigated the maze, noting the directional signs that pointed out locations of importance, such as the crew quarters, sickbay, etc. Although unprecedented administrative work with her superiors prevented her from taking her routine shower, she'd been summoned to the onboard planning room by Redric himself.
"Perhaps they have finally seen I'll be the deciding factor in this campaign...It's about time." she thought to herself with a satisfied smirk as she rounded the last necessary corner.
Before her stood a tall black door with the words 'Technical Briefing Room - Authorized Personnel Only' printed at eye level in white lettering, and a small keypad to the right of the door. Reciting the pass code number for this level of security in her mind, Jelira reached up and punched in the required numbers systematically, and upon a confirmed beep, the door lifted up a quarter inch, then with a whoosh of hydraulics slid to the right, revealing the room inside. After stepping through the doorway and hearing it shut and lock behind her, Jelira took in the scenery of the room. Immediately to her sides were a pair of armed guards standing attention, a featureless stare dominating the stout porcupine and more lithe raccoon's faces. They were garbed in sectioned green armor fitted to their respective body types, rifles at the ready. Jelira simply moved on, paying them no mind.
The Briefing room was a large square about 50 feet wide with numerous eye level interfaces lining the far wall across from the doorway where Jelira stood, each one with indiscernible displays and instruments. The middle of the room descended several feet, and in the center was a large holographic projector, generating a large representative image of the Lylat system, each individual planetoid making a slow orbit. The projector was surrounded by all manner of uniformed individuals, each standing attentively around the room, with the stately falcon form of General Redric standing beside it, waiting patiently. Jelira quickly stepped into an empty spot between a cougar sergeant, and a badger lieutenant, each unerringly fixated on their commander. After her presence was noted, the avian officer, graced each face around him with an analytical gaze.
"I trust everyone is present and accounted for?" he began. "Good. Now then. I am certain you all are aware of our impending assault, codenamed Operation Hydra. Emperor Andross has been impatiently awaiting a full display of our might to the Cornerians, and we now have the manpower to do this."
With that, the General punched a couple buttons on the holographic display with a clawed finger. A red square encompassed the image of Katina, blinked and zoomed in on the planet until it's image encompassed the entire display. Not far beyond it were a set of objects in all manner of shapes, some with cylinders attached perpendicular to one another, others vaguely resembled enlarged octagons, all standing between Katina and the projected location of Solar, as though standing guard.
"Here we have Katina defense stations KD 3 though 10, serving as frontline defense of Katina space. Now, the first stage of our assault will require us to break a sizeable hole through these defenses so that the Motherships can have safe passage through to make their landings. Marshal Allman, Fleet Admiral Devries, General Lonic, Commander Hargrave, you and your men are responsible for that task. Obviously, the quicker this can be accomplished the better. Perhaps striking from the side would be best, but I will leave the individual tactics up to you, I trust you to act wisely. If everything runs smoothly, I want you to continue covering our space forces in the event of an ambush. By that time, the resident air forces will have been mobilized and we will most likely have combat in the atmosphere. Admiral Wertil, Commandant Fasslon, your Carrier Motherships will be intermixed with the ground deployers, so as to make it difficult to prioritize targets. You'll be in charge of leading their fighter groups to act as air cover." The General ordered, facing each officer that he addressed as he spoke. "You will also be responsible for coordinating your individual commanders, but that is standard procedure as you are aware."
"Now, Major Fovoham, Corporal Nisune, Field Marshal Visner, and Lieutenant General Luche, you will be in charge of ground assault squads. Your task will be perhaps the most complicated." Redric began, pushing more buttons on the projector.
The image zoomed even closer into the planet, depicting the geography of the target world. The locations of cities, and supposed locations of various bases highlight in red, along with labels indicating either city name, or supposed purpose from air base, to refinery on it's surface. The entire map was placed onto a grid, the current quadrant of attention highlighted.
"Our spies have had some difficulty infiltrating Katina, and we have only supposed locations of key sites, which may or may not be there. Once we arrive, a preliminary scan of the surface to provide an update, if possible will be provided to everyone. Everyone on ground and air forces would do well to confirm the coordinates of these locations. Now...ground forces, your projected landing site will be...here." Redric continued, picking up a pointer stick and placing it not far from where the supposed location of a major air and ground deployment base was.
"We believe this may be an important hub of military activity and would greatly make light of our efforts planetside if it were to be overrun. I want Nisune and Luche's men to approach from the sides and draw their attention while Fovoham and Visner's forces make a beeline directly for the front door. Nisune and Luche will be stationed aboard Mothership VI-034, Fovoham and Visner on VI-042. You will encounter some patrols along the way, and potentially on-site defenses. The base will most likely be protected by a shield to prevent orbital bombardment. If at all possible, it would be highly recommended to find the source, and neutralize it. Then pull out from the area and give the Zeiram cruisers the go ahead. They'll take it from there." came the lengthy debriefing.
Redric was well known for giving detailed descriptions of his campaign ideas, which is sometimes lost on the less attentive officer. After pausing and looking about the room, he returned the projector to it's default state of displaying the system.
"Are there any questions? No? Good. We will be underway in 1 hour, report to your designated posts immediately. You will receive further instructions once we arrive. Dismissed."
With that, the attendees went to ease, and began filing out of the room. Jelira remained standing, however.
I'm glad they've elected me to take part in this, it took them long enough...Not that I'm complaining...quite excited, actually. But that must mean I'm capable for the task, and I'd best not fail it.
With a slow, relaxing breath, Jelira about faced, and followed her fellow officers out the door, her black boots echoing solitarily in the now empty room.
-------
At the same time, in the hallways of Aldebaran base, Fay and crew continued their trek through the facility, keeping faced forward amidst the crowd. The bustle in the corridors was now even greater as people made their way to their individual duties and assignments. Eventually the group came to a large crossroads, an open center of traffic with stairwells on either side. The whole intersection was large, about the size of a city block. The walls around it were comprised of almost sculpted steel and concrete walls painted a soft white, matching the rest of the building. The chamber was circular, with 4 equidistant, wide stairwells that followed the curved wall down. Arched hallways beneath each stairwell continued on their way. In the center of it was a map kiosk directing newcomers/visitors to the different sections. It all actually reminded her of a mall, oddly enough.
"Well, here's where I head off..." Fay began, stopping beside a railing and looking to her newfound comrades.
"Alright then, Fay. Nice talking with you." Kazen bid farewell, also stopping nearby her.
"We'll be seeing you out there, then, Fay. Good luck." Gerard added with a friendly smile to her.
"Oh, thank you! You too!" the merry poodle replied, and with a wave, turned about and began descending down the curved stairwell.
They're such nice people... Not like how some people feel like they have to repeat everything they tell me, like I wasn't paying attention...Hopefully Command will keep me with those guys.
The hangar's entryway was comprised of a multitude of entryways, for pilots, technicians and other personnel. After Fay passed through the intensive ID checkpoint, she found herself in a massive complex consisting of a tall spacious building of a single chamber. The entire place with filled with echoes of person to person chatter, along with the occasional powering up flight engine. The medium pitched roar of the fighter's engines coming to life, one disengaging from it's docking clamps, levitating up a couple feet. Then sped out one of the 3 arched entry/exit corridors, each as tall as the hangar's 4 stories. Sunlight was beginning to light the outside scenery, although it still retained a hint of twilight. The somewhat chilly air that filled the hangar told a very accurate testimony of that.
After drawing a long, drawn out breath of the air, Fay made her way down the walkway, looking over to the status panels that sat at the beginning of each boarding catwalk. Each one had a display of the designated pilot's name, serial number, followed by a complete diagnostic of the craft. Fay casually clasped her hands behind her back as she walked, skimming each panel for her name as she went.
Many of the jets were gone, having been taken out for auxiliary patrols, though a number still remained. Eventually Fay came to hers, and promptly walked along the catwalk, her fighter on the left side, waiting for her.
As Fay continued on her way, she gingerly placed her paw on the side of the hull, feeling the cold steel beneath her fingers. Yet she'd gotten a bit attached to the craft in her time using it since she was first permitted to fly one in her last year of the academy. Even now, she felt a slight compassion with the hardy craft. Eventually she came up to the cockpit, which had, raised above it, the protective transparisteel canopy that was divided into three sections, a flat frontal surface and two angular sides. It almost resembled a finely chiseled crystal. A single indentation was put in the side as a step for the pilot, identification numbers printed just above it.
However, much to her surprise, she wasn't the only one. On the right side was another pilot, conferring with a technician about something.
"..that'll do it. Thanks, I needed more leg room anyway." came part of the conversation. Ever inquisitive, Fay approached the two. It wasn't long before she recognized the form of the pilot, who had, judging by the voice, had her back to Fay.
"Hey, is that you, Saiuri...?" Fay asked, partly assuming the person's identity.
Upon hearing her name, the pilot turned to face her, and upon laying eyes upon her, her bemuzzled face grinned with pleasant recognition. It was a fairly tall and lanky saluki, garbed in a pilot suit not unlike Fay's. Fine black strands of hair blanketed the sides of her head, draping just to the level of her jaw, with a couple wisps draping to the bridge of her muzzle. Her matching ears emerged from beneath her hair and drooped a bit lower, starting to rest upon her shoulders. Their pendulous style closely resembled that of Fay's. Her forehead was graced with a black coloration that followed the curve of her temple and formed a small point between her eyes. The rest of her fur coat that was visible was a light tan color.
"Why, hello there Fay. Fancy meeting you here. How long has it been since the academy...?" she greeted, closing her left hand into a loose fist and resting it upon her hip.
"Years... So you've been stationed here too? Yay! " the exuberant poodle exclaimed, nearly bouncing with her proclamation.
The saluki only smirked in response. "You're always the one to make light of a situation. Even before going where our very lives are in danger you always have some manner of joyous air seconds before. In a way, I admire you for your naivety, Fay."
Fay held her palms up to her sides in an expounded shrug. "I guess that's just how I am...not gonna do much good moping about it, I say."
Saiuri slowly shook her head, with a slow sigh. "With this war on, that'll probably change..." she mumbled, mostly to herself.
"Hm..?" Fay asked, cocking her head to the side curiously. "What?"
"Oh, nothing. Anyway, sorry Feldon. Thanks, I'll deal with the rest myself." Saiuri apologized to the lynx engineer, who nodded understandingly. With a small bow to both ladies, he turned about and dismissed himself, to look for anywhere else to make himself useful.
"So, what's your gig today, Fay?" Saiuri asked, pulling out her flight helmet from it's resting spot on the seat, starting to pull it onto her head.
"Oh, I'm attached to a ground division, flying as air cover for them. The leading squad has some really nice people in it.." Fay explained, doing the same as her counterpart, beginning to fasten the attaching strap beneath her muzzle.
"That's nice...oh my." Saiuri replied, suddenly turning her attention slightly above and behind Fay.
"...? What is it?" she asked, looking behind her, wondering what it was catching her friend's attention.
"That fighter over there. Take a look."
After turning about to see what she was talking about, Fay also noticed it. On the side of the fighter to Fay's left was painted an image of an attractive collie woman, whose form was stretched out diagonally. Both legs were closed together, crossed at the ankles, and one arm was laid casually just beside her head, as though resting on some soft surface. The other was gently clasped around the midst of her volumous tail, drawing it up and draping it across her belly. She was garbed in little more than a black two piece swimsuit, tie strings dangling from her rather broad hips. Thick, chocolate brown hair flowed down over her shoulders and spread across an unseen surface, and gazed out at the viewer with an almost drowsy, endearing expression.
Saiuri let out a small sigh. "I don't know sometimes...whether or not men use us as objects like that. And displaying it for everyone to see."
"Well...I guess they do it to get some...feeling of confidence or, I've heard it described as a 'lady luck' kinda thing." Fay attempted to explain with a shrug, studying the image.
"Oh, they get a feeling out of it, I'm sure." Saiuri replied with a laugh out loud, and Fay giggled along with her.
"Well...guys will be guys, I guess." Fay added.
"I guess you're right. Although, just between you and me, I wouldn't mind being up on one of those, but only if I really liked the guy who was flying. I personally would rather not have myself displayed on any old scrub's jalopy." Saiuri explained, finally turning her attention back to her counterpart.
"I wouldn't mind being in that position altogether, myself." Fay replied. "With everyone admiring you like that...I'd love it. And the fact they'd pick me out of all the other models they have to choose from.."
Saiuri shrugged and slowly shook her head. "If that's what suits you..."
"Especially because...I sure don't look anything like her. I mean, look at me, I'm short, I don't have half the cup size I imagine she does, I don't have quite the hourglass figure she does." Fay explained, taking a quick self examination.
"Well, of course that is a painting, who's to say that's how the model looked?" Saiuri suggested, keeping her knuckles on her hip.
"That's true. Though...nah, it's probably just my imagination." Fay continued, shaking her head slightly with the last statement.
"What?"
"She kinda reminds me of the leader of the ground squad I'm escorting, he was a Collie too, and had similar fur patterns...heh, I'll have to ask him he has a sister." Fay went on, turning back to her friend.
"Now wouldn't that be embarrassing. Having a relative painted like that on people's ships." Saiuri added, remembering to fasten her helmet all the way.
"Very..." said Fay.
With that, the two friends clambered into their respective cockpits, settling into the restrictive seats.
"Well, see you in the air, Fay." Saiuri bid farewell, giving her comrade an informal two-finger salute just as the transparisteel cockpit began lowering into place.
Fay returned it, and punched a small yellowish button on the side of the cockpit labeled 'Canopy Control' causing hers began to do the same.
After fastening the array of seatbelts and activating her microphone attached to her compact helmet, Fay began the various start-up procedures. After requesting and receiving permission for takeoff from the control tower, the docking catwalk began retracting from them, giving both space to lift off. After punching another button, the wings began realigning, and locked into place with a resounding click.
On both sides in immediate reach of her hands were control levers that acted as basic maneuvering controls, each one holding a trigger for the wing mounted cannons, the primary one in the nose automatically followed suit by default. On the right stick, away from the main trigger button was a larger one. The nova bomb/homing missile trigger.
I've never used either before, of course I'm just a patrol craft, so I don't have any anyway.
At her feet were the throttle on the right, and retro engines on the left. Depending on the pressure applied, the more force put out on either application.
Just as Fay was reminding herself of where everything was, Saiuri's craft had just levitated and retracted it's landing gear, and accelerated out into the morning sun.
My turn...
With that, Fay disengaged the docking clamps, and gripped both control sticks. After taking a deep breath, she pushed straight down, and guided her Greenie up. She'd gotten used to this procedure, but still the sensation of being airborne gave her an indescribable thrill she couldn't help but relish for a couple more seconds. Then, following suit with her friend, sped forth down the archway.
The garage was much differently laid out compared to the hangar, each separate tank had it's own 'stall' along a long, stretching road that was accessible from two levels of catwalks, above and below. Two lines stretched out on both sides, forming a right angle. Directly in front of Kazen and crew, and in the apex of the angle, was a single, massive two story high arched corridor that led out into the sun baked Katinan sand. But between them and that stood a two story Control center for the technicians to report and manage supplies.
"Well, the old girl'll be in the usual place so...this way." Kazen said, recalling where their assigned vehicle was posted, and pointed down the left walkway.
Following their leader's direction, the rest continued along with him. Secillia kept her head straight ahead, focused entirely on the mission at hand. Alen was doing his best to regulate his breathing, the ever lingering thought that the dark, dull shapes of Invaders swarming like locusts overhead constantly plagued his subconscious. Gerard was looking casually about the scene, taking note of the other vehicles in place below them. Gerard noted a komodo dragon and badger could be seen sitting on the track mounts of their IFV, fixating the microphone equipment onto their heads and conversing between themselves.
Unlike the newer models, the old Landmasters had a fixed turret, and being smaller required fewer crewmen to operate. As the team continued on their trek, Gerard noted the various ones as they passed, and noted how diminutive a Landmaster seemed compared to the Monroe he saw earlier.
Eventually they came up to the beginning of the catwalk with the diagnostic interface sitting at arms reach, with the name 'Dornel' labeled on the top along with a status report on the vehicle, from it's serial number to it's class designation of, 'Lupus'.
"Finally..." Secillia injected, noting they'd journeyed almost to the end of the walk.
Leading his comrades down the stairwell, Kazen noted the familiar outline of the blue and grey painted vehicle.
"Alrighty, Alen, you first." Kazen ordered, stepping from the catwalk onto the top of the chassis, unlocking the generously sized hatch, and motioning for him to get in.
"R..right, right." the jittery ground squirrel complied, nervously stepping onto the titanium chassis and clambering atop the turret, and slipping inside the tank.
The interior of the Lupus tank was something to get used to, and like most tanks claustrophobia was a very undesirable trait. First were the firing mechanisms, then to the left of them, the chair were Kazen would sit. It was fixated on the back of the turret for ease of entry and exit for the other crewmen, and before it were display panels that provided him a clear view of the happenings around, and a small foldout command interface that would relay orders to his crew and communicate with other tanks around him. After getting below that, Alen came upon the firing control seat where Gerard would be, a pair of pedals that controlled turret rotation, a joystick at hands reach that withheld the actual trigger. He was also provided with a visual/infrared display of the scenery before him, for ease of aiming. Directly below and behind that seat was another, surrounded by communications panels and displays. Secillia's post, definitely. Then in front of Gerard's seat within the front of the chassis was Alen's seat. It also had visual and infrared holographic displays, although had a wider visual range than Gerards. After climbing over, then into his seat, Alen rested both his feet on the pedals, testing their responsiveness.
Good...glad they keep these nice and oiled...I'd hate for them to suddenly jam up in the middle of, something...
Alen tried his best to keep himself from becoming lost in the horrific thought of being unable to move quickly enough to avoid a fatal missile or other anti armor weapon, and snatched up his microphone headset and set the vaguely helmet like head protection piece in place. Just then, he heard the rustling of the others following him inside, first Secillia, who, after setting her tail in her lap so she could more easily fit into her spot, was followed by Gerard, then Kazen, who sealed the door.
The minute he did so, the internal lights activated, illuminating the interior.
"Alright, is everything ready, Alen?" Kazen's voice could be heard in his earphones, and vaguely in the background.
"Aye sir, everything's in order." he replied, setting his hands on the dual steering column.
"Roger that." came the simple response.
Then, Kazen remotely disengaged the securing clamps, the distant clicking sounds could be faintly heard outside. Alen then began the start up procedure, punching an array of memorized buttons. As the tank's engines came to life, a low rumbling sound could be heard slowly coming up into a steady, soft hum.
"Alright, Move out."
With a push upon the right pedal, the tank initially lurched forward from the sudden motion, then turned left towards the exit corridor near this far end of the garage.