Star Fox Alliance: Chapter 8
Hostile Takeover: Part 2
The team soared into the air, absolutely terrified at the sight in front of them. At least a thousand ships were above the city, all waiting for the team to join the fray.
"There are only around 50 air force ships left fighting." Peppy informed them over the comm. "Around 150 have been destroyed."
"Thanks Pep." Fox said. "We at least have some allies."
"Sons of…" Falco said. "Have you guys seen the streets?"
People were being beaten and killed down below them. The soldiers had no preference, as men, women and children were all among the dead and injured.
"I feel so useless…" Krystal choked.
"Let's take these guys down ASAP." Wolf's gravelly voice ordered over the comm.
Soon laser bursts were flying everywhere. Star Fox had taken down a lot, but they were being mobbed.
"Hey hotshot!" Krystal yelled over the comm.
"Here." Falco replied.
"I've spotted a communications station on the ground. It's near the backup electricity generator on the east coast. Cover me, I'm going for it."
Krystal dived through the multitude of ships, charging the Arwing's front laser cannon.
"Krystal!" Slippy yelled. "You got 20 or so guys on your tail! Pull up!"
"Almost there…" Krystal murmured through clenched teeth, trying to ignore the laser blasts erupting around the hull. She let the charge blast go and immediately pulled up, all the 20 ships following her. There was a terrific explosion behind her as the station exploded, buffeting her and the ships behind her.
"Krystal!" Fox yelled. "Return to the Great Fox!"
She ignored him, looking at her radar as Falco and Slippy took down the ships behind her one by one.
"Fox!" Beltino's voice yelled out over the comm. "The Great Fox has been boarded! We've initiated lockdown!"
"Fox!" Slippy yelled. There's around a minute 'til Krystal's shields give out!"
"Damn…" Fox sighed. This was what Francesca had talked about.
"In the next 48 hours, either the love of your life or your oldest friend will die."
A tear slid down Fox's cheekbone. There had to be a way out.
"Star Wolf!" Fox yelled over the comm. "Return to the Great Fox! They've been boarded, so expect a fight."
"Roger that." Wolf said. "Team, prepare to leave the battlefield." Wolf, Leon, Panther and Tinan boosted away in the direction of the Great Fox.
"Krystal." Fox said, allowing no emotion to take over his voice. "I'm on my way. Falco and Slippy, pull up close and take Krystal's damage intended for Krystal."
"But-" Slippy began.
"Trust me." Fox said, more of an order than a request.
They did as ordered, and pulled up directly behind Krystal, taking her laser blasts. Fox pulled up underneath her, but still about five meters behind her.
"Krystal, get out and jump." Fox said.
"Fox!" Beltino yelled from the Great Fox. "That's suicide and you know it!"
Fox pressed the release button for the cockpit on his own ship, and felt the wind whip around his face as he did. He pulled out the plasma cannon and jumped out onto the wing.
Krystal released the visor and jumped onto her wing. She walked up to the edge.
"It's a diving board. It's a diving board." She repeated under her breath. She looked at Fox one last time, and jumped.
They'd had a cutting laser on the blast door of the bridge for fifteen minutes. Beltino predicted that it would give out in approximately one hundred and twenty seconds.
"We may be two old men and a robot." Peppy began. "But I'm sure as hell not gonna sit here and die." He reached under the desk and produced two plasma cannons, passing one to Beltino.
"I remember making this model." Beltino said nonchalantly.
Star Wolf ran down the corridors, trying to get to the bridge in time. According to Beltino there was less than two minutes left before the door gave way.
They came to the main passageway.
"Tinan," Wolf began, "when we see them you and I take the right. Panther and Leon, take the left."
Panther and Wolf drew their swords and blasters, Leon and Tinan took gatling guns. They could see them now, with a giant cutting laser, trying to cut through the door. The worst part was they were almost there.
"Fire!" Wolf roared. A hail of laser fire rained down on the soldiers, killing a lot of them on the spot. One of them swung the cutting laser around on its pivot, and the team only just ducked in time. The laser cut through one of the main power cables, and the hallway went dark, illuminated by the blaster shots. Panther charged his blaster and blew up the cutting laser. Soon the blaster fire stopped, and the team waited for a minute.
"Charge your blasters," Wolf ordered, "they can be used like torches."
Within seconds the corridor was bathed in an eerie red glow. Dead bodies littered the ground. The remains of the laser smouldered. Scorch marks and dents littered the walls, and part of the ceiling had fallen through. There were small fires everywhere and the sprinkler system was working on overdrive.
"We'll have to do some major repairs," Tinan said, "it could take weeks."
Wolf didn't reply. "Peppy! ROB! Beltino! Stand back! Guys, fire the laser charges at the weak point."
Four read blasts flew at the door. There was a creaking noise, and a large part fell backwards into the bridge. Beltino, Peppy and ROB were standing with an array of weaponry.
"Thought you wouldn't get here in time." Peppy said as an explanation.
"Just a thought," Leon said, "what's the space front like?"
"Empty," Beltino said, looking at the scanners, "you would have thought they'd go for the orbital gate wouldn't you?"
"Oh God…" Tinan gasped.
"What?" Wolf growled.
"They're an army of Fox." She replied.
A pause. "What the hell are you talking about?" Leon asked.
"Wolf," she began, "if you and Fox were going to fight, where would he choose to fight, the ground or the air?"
"The ground. He's a born soldier more than a pilot."
"Exactly. These guys are the same. Look at their flying," she said, gesturing for everyone to look out of the bridge viewscreen, "it's shoddy. They're winning by numbers alone. Don't you think it's weird? If they were like Lombardi, we'd all be dead by now."
"So you're saying…what?" Panther asked.
"We need to take this fight to the ground. You guys have seen Fox in action on the ground before. He wiped out every grunt in Sargasso alone. Well, Slippy helped slightly, but you get my drift. We all have to play to our strengths to win this battle."
There was a pause.
"She's got a point." Wolf said, breaking the silence. "There's no point in having a mediocre flyer like Slippy in the air when his skill in a Landmaster is unrivalled. Look at Krystal, she may die in the next few minutes, but on the ground, she's a marksman like none I've ever seen… except Fox."
"Alert everyone." Beltino said. "Tell them to play to their strengths."
Star Wolf walked to the hangar.
"Panther, Leon." Wolf began. "Go ahead."
"I'm going on foot." Leon said.
"I'm taking a Landmaster." Panther added.
"I can see your plan." Wolf said. "It's good. Well thought. Get on with it."
The two walked off down the corridor. Wolf turned to face Tinan.
"What do you want to do?" Wolf asked.
"Right now," she said, looking into his eyes, "I want to kiss you."
The thought processes ran through Wolf's head. Unstable breeding, unstable hormones. The amount of stress the team had been through lately had to be channelled somewhere, and here it was, channelled at him.
"Perhaps later." He said, his voice barely a whisper.
She smiled. "Let's fight these freaks on foot."
All of your reviews are really appreciated! Thanks for all of them so far. At the end of the Hostile Takeover trilogy I'll be writing personal responses to reviews, so if you have any questions, ask in a review! R&R -cerberus