A big thanks to all the positive comments presented in the last chapter. Yes, Marble Didymus, terrorism is something that isn't touched upon much in most fics, but then again not many of them delt with the 'timeline' I'm following, either. Instead of a mercenary fight, this is all out war. And as the saying goes - "Each side thinks that their side is the good one." Or something like that, anyway.

To everybody else - short of a few quiet scenes here and there, this is all pretty much action from here on out.

PS: What's going on with this site's upload feature? I had to manually edit this chapter, line by line, as every said line that had a ? or ! in it was outright eaten. So, if you see a few funky sentences, that's why.


Chapter 38: The Final Assault

I can't believe this happened. Fay was right – there are people who want us dead for what we're doing. – Fara

We're going from the frying pan straight into the fire. But at least after today, Andross' ass will be ours. – Falco

Is this a sign of times to come? Always watching over our shoulders just because we decided to save the galaxy? – Fox

The remainder of the day passed uneventfully for the pilots as they tried their best to forget the events that transpired earlier. In the end, they realized that it was simply something that they'd have to accept for now. They just hoped that their lives wouldn't be affected for the rest of their days because of their decision to simply help.

That night the team held an informal party for themselves, to sit back and talk about their missions over the past few weeks. Served over a few drinks courtesy of the mess hall, their discussion even went as far back as their time on Papetoon, talking about some of the missions they went through. Afterwards, they spoke of the happier times of days gone past, the alcohol helping their now jovial moods.

In the end, Fox raised his drink in a toast. "To a better life for the system once we've gotten rid of Andross tomorrow."

"His ass is ours," said Falco as he took a swig. "To his death!" A small cheer went up around the lounge from that remark.

Peppy looked among his teammates, wishing he wasn't the one who had to put some common sense into this celebration. "While I wish I could say otherwise, you have to keep in mind that taking down Andross might not put an end to this war. Just delay it until another leader rises to power."

The avian shook his head. "Why must you always ruin our fun?"

"Lay off, Falco," butted in Fox. "He's got a point."

"Yeah, yeah."

Slippy watched the TV from his seat, reading the closed captioning info at the bottom of the screen as the volume was muted to avoid interruptions. "Take a look, everyone. The news has on the first relief shipment to Katina."

The team turned in their seats to see the broadcast. "Turn it up, Slip," said Fox.

"…from Katina Starport, where the first of many promised relief convoys has just docked, bringing supplies and needed goods to this war-ravaged planet." The camera panned and showed a large collection of citizens, quite a few carrying signs showing their thanks to the team. "As you can see, the populace is eternally grateful to the Starfox team for their efforts in restoring this world back to its former greatness."

He turned the volume back down. "That gives me such a warm feeling inside."

"It should, Slippy," said Fara. "You guys have done a damn good job so far bringing peace back to the system." She sighed. "I just wish I could have joined you."

Fox shook his head. "Don't say that. You're part of the team, and everybody knows that. Everybody."

"It…it's just so hard watching you all go out there and risk your lives, while I sit back and do nothing."

Peppy looked down into his mostly full cup as he swished the liquid around. "That's the problem with war, Fara. There are those whom have to go off to fight it, while there are those whom are forced to stay behind. As the saying goes – war is hell for everybody."

"That it is," said Fara quietly as she thought back to the day's events. "That it is."

Able to tell that his teammates were getting moody once more, Fox decided that it was time to end the evening's events. "All right, everyone, it's time to call it a night. We have a war to finish in the morning. See you at the usual time at Pepper's office."

The team said their goodnights and split off, each thinking of the morning that was rapidly approaching.


"Starfox team, as you no doubt know, this is it. This is the final battle."

As they'd been doing almost every morning now, the five pilots had assembled once more in the General's meeting room. In a surprising move, the canine was actually on time for once and waiting for the team with a cup of coffee in one paw. "So, as expected, today's goals will be slightly different than the ones you're used to seeing."

The monitor behind Pepper powered up has he continued. "First and foremost is a fuel issue. The Arwings simply don't carry enough fuel to get to and from Venom. Especially with the expected combat ahead."

"Fortunately, the solution is an easy one." The blank screen changed to an orbital view of Katina. "Behold, the planet Katina."

Fara sighed as she wistfully looked at the image. "Such a wonderful vacation spot. Sandy beaches as far as the eye can see, and—"

Pepper coughed. "Ms. Phoenix…"

She winced. "Sorry, sir."

"As I was saying, this is Katina. As the Arwings are incapable of being refueled in space, you'll have to make a landing somewhere. This planet happens to be the most logical place to do so, due to its relative proximity to Venom."

"I take it that was part of the relief convoy sent there yesterday" asked Fox. "We saw it on the news."

"You are correct."

Peppy took a sip of the coffee that the General had provided to the team as usual and thought of the events that transpired yesterday. "Are we going to have any defenses around us while we refuel"

"After yesterday's little incident—"

"Incident my ass," muttered Falco.

Pepper stared at the avian in discontent, but continued without interruption. "—I wouldn't dare risk you on what should be a friendly planet without protection. The Transport Horizon arrived at your landing zone a little over an hour ago. They'll provide the necessary cover if needed."

"What's our mission goal on Venom?" asked Fox, eager to get into battle.

With a touch of a button, the screen changed to what looked to be a live shot of Venom, its surface hidden from view by a covering of greenish-brown smog. "In addition to dropping a series of probes around the planet upon victory, your objectives are two-fold here, requiring you to divide and conquer."

"I don't like this already. Why?"

"I'll get to that in just a minute. This," the image behind him changed once more, "is a computer reproduction of what looks to be the main base. In an oddity however, there seems to be no ground entrance, only what looks to be an oversized launch bay on top. The first team's goal is to open that door by any means necessary, destroying Andross in the process."

Pepper quieted for a moment, drinking his coffee as he allowed the team to think over what he'd said. The screen switched to yet another computer-generated model as he continued. "However, there is one problem, bringing us to our second team. This base is protected by an immense energy shield, generated by this power station pictured behind me."

Fox looked confused. "So what's the problem then?"

"Destruction of that station is not an option."

"What?"

"As our scans show that this is the only source of power in what looks to be the capital of the planet, destroying that station would likely kill everybody there due to the planet's hostile atmosphere. We've detected multiple atmospheric generators giving life to the city."

"What are we supposed to do then?" asked Fox, trying to figure out their objective. If his guess was right, he didn't like where this was going one bit.

"As the second team, your goal is to land outside the station and disable the generator long enough for the first team to gain entrance. We've found the perfect—"

To say that the team found this plan to be an unacceptable one was an understatement. "You're nuts!" yelled Falco, first to speak his mind as usual. "After all they've done to us, all that they've destroyed, we can't get any revenge?"

Pepper's response was swift. "We do not commit genocide, mister."

"What about all the damn pilots we've blown up? What's that?"

"Those were warriors, my avian friend," said Peppy, displaying more of his wisdom. "Warriors are allowed to die in battle, to die for their cause. Not the innocent population. There's a difference."

Falco threw his paws into the air in disgust, noticing how quiet his leader was. "I can't believe you're going to agree to this, Fox! The only fucking advantage we have are the Arwings! Putting us on the ground is a bad idea!"

It took a few seconds, but the vulpine finally told everyone his thoughts. "While I see your point, Falco—"

"Thank you."

"—I also have to agree with what Peppy is saying. We aren't barbarians."

"Ass."

"Pepper, is there anything you want to add?"

The General had been sitting there the entire time, his eyes closed as he listened to the pilots argue. There wasn't much he could say that would have turned them civil, so he was waiting for them to quiet down. "I have a few things actually. First off, it'll be night during the attack, providing additional cover. Second, is that we've found a complex of some sort for you to land in right next to your goal, all of which is located on the outskirts of the city itself."

"On top of that, we have all the equipment necessary for quickly disabling that power plant. Get in, activate the devices, and run. Nothing to it at all." Pepper looked hopeful as he finished, knowing the plan was sound, albeit dangerous.

"Why can't you send in the Horizon, or some other military assault craft?" asked Fox.

"Too many anti-air defenses scattered throughout the city and beyond." The monitor showed what exactly he was talking about. "An Arwing could easily avoid them, but the slower and less agile transport craft we have access too wouldn't."

"Fuck," muttered Falco.

It was at this point that Fox realized what he'd have to do, something he'd done in the past during times of indecision. "Team, it's time for an executive decision. Yes or no with the plan as described."

Peppy was always the first at these decisions, a position he never really liked. "It's most definitely dangerous, don't get me wrong, but we've been through worse in our time on Papetoon. Yes."

"You already know my opinion," said Falco. "You want us to drop inside hostile territory, leaving our Arwings vulnerable, even if it is for only a few minutes, plant a few charges or something, and then get out of there? No way are we going to get through that shitfest without problems. No."

Slippy was quiet as usual as he thought everything through. "As much as I don't like this overall, I don't think that I could live with myself if we caused the deaths of that many people. Yes."

Falco cursed softly as he already knew what Fox's decision was going to be. But instead, the vulpine stayed quiet, waiting for someone else's thoughts. After a few moments, he realized that it wasn't coming. Looking over, he said, "Fara?"

"Huh?"

"Your turn."

She was about to say something about how she wasn't going with them, therefore her opinion shouldn't matter. But after noticing the seriousness in his eyes, she knew her opinion was wanted. "It's not a safe plan for anyone involved. However, I can't think of a better one at the moment, and Andross must go down. My vote is yes."

"You already know my vote in this matter," said Fox. "Andross' tyranny ends today, so the decision has passed." He listened to Falco grumble next to him, but he knew that he wouldn't complain any further. "Pepper, is there anything else you need from us"

He nodded. "Yes. I need to know your team selection so we can properly equip you."

Fox looked around the room as he had already made that choice. "Falco, Slippy, you're going after that power station. Peppy, I need your experience with me."

Now the avian was even more upset. "My place is—"

"Watching Slippy's back as both of you disable that power station. And that is final." Falco went silent upon hearing this as he knew that there was very little he could do to change Fox's mind. "Pepper, are we set to go? We have a mission to do."

The General looked over the pilots and wondered if it was the last time that he'd see them all. The mission had to be done and Andross had to be stopped. He hoped it wasn't going to cost him his pilots to do so. "You're done here. Good luck, Starfox team."

The pilots stood up, ready to get onward with their mission. They were momentarily stopped however, as Fara told them, "Everyone, please be careful. I want to see you get through this one. All of you. Watch yourselves."

"We will," said Fox, smiling at the attention as he took a good look at Fara, making sure he wouldn't forget her furred face. "I promise you that. See you when we get back." The vulpine suddenly had a flashback to his younger years, of a time when his father almost said the exact same line to him.

Unfortunately, that promise wasn't kept. He just hoped that could keep this one as he left for his Arwing.


It wasn't long before the Arwings came up on Katina, its massive green forests and dark blue seas clearly visible even from this distance. As they drew closer however, they could quickly tell that all was not what it seemed.

The once glorious forests had multiple swaths cut through them, making it look like someone had taken a giant fist and dug at the ground itself. The seas were no longer their vibrant color, the signs of pollution clearly evident. As they neared their landing zone, the destruction of the environment continued into the cities, once tall buildings reduced to mere shells of concrete and steel.

It was a horrible thing to see. In addition, the team knew that the living conditions had to be even worse.

"Wow." said Slippy quietly as the other pilots looked around, utterly stunned. "And I thought Papetoon looked bad."

"No kidding, Slip," said Fox. While the team had been here before, they hadn't had the time to simply look around at the general condition of the planet, as they'd been too busy fighting for their lives. "It just shows how good of a job we did defending out little desert home."

"Yeah."

Spotting their objective in the distance, he figured he might as well get this part of the mission started. "Transport Horizon, this is Fox McCloud. Requesting landing clearance."

The transport's commander was quick to respond, and it brought a smile to the vulpine's face as her image appeared on the screen. "McCloud, this is the Horizon. You're clear to land. Welcome back."

"Thanks. It's good to be back. Which reminds me… Horizon, with your permission, I'd like to land only a pair of Arwings at a time for refueling. It'll be slower but safer."

"Noted and understood. We are in a rather desolate area right now, but I understand your reasons. Send on down who you want, and we'll do the rest."

"Thanks. Fox out."


After finding out about the incident that the Starfox team had the previous day, Ayne had changed her landing plans and chose a place away from the nearest town. She had settled her transport in a small valley a few miles away, close enough that she could easily get anything if her crew needed it, but far enough to make it feel like they were in the middle of nowhere.

She watched the computer readouts that showed the Arwings approaching and switched her view to one out the cockpit window as they came into view. Unlike last time she had met the team, she was fully prepared for anything that might happen. Half of her troop compliment were scattered amongst the trees and small hills surrounding her craft, ensuring their protection.

Two of the Arwings broke off from the group and came to a landing close to the transport. Wasting no time, her soldiers ran out to usher the pilots back into the safety of the Horizon, while others stayed outside to refuel their craft.

Ayne took a good look at the newcomers, which were Falco and Slippy, and tried to determine what made them so special, tried to see why Pepper entrusted them with the most powerful craft Corneria had ever created. She had tried that when she encountered the team last time, but like before, no answer came to her. They seemed so normal, albeit battle-hardened.

Shrugging, she showed them around her ship and kept them occupied as their craft were refueled. Falco stayed quiet, his thoughts on the battle ahead, but Slippy was full of questions, seemingly enjoying the tour. She was more than happy to answer them, as it had been a long time since she had seen anyone as inquisitive as the toad was.

She was interrupted by a report over her headset, informing her that the Arwings were ready to launch once more. Not wanting to waste any further time, she lead the pilots back to their craft, her soldiers giving them the same escort back out.


At the same time, somebody else was watching over the Starfox team, but for an entirely different reason. And via a method not normally used by the general populace.

Through a sniper scope.

A female raccoon lay on the ground just shy of three-quarters of a mile away from the Horizon, her light red fur a dark contrast against the bushes she was underneath for cover. She watched the pilots disembark from their craft, one finger caressing the trigger of her weapon, and waited for the right moment to fire.

Falco and Slippy had come and gone from her sights, not giving her much of an opportunity to fire. But she was waiting for a much better target, the moment where she could take out the entire offensive of the Lylat system in a single shot.

She was waiting for Fox McCloud.


Noticing the approaching troops, Fox waited for them to arrive before he dropped the shields of the Arwing. He the popped open the cockpit and vaulted to the dirt below with one swift move. The four soldiers took up a tight formation around the vulpine as they quickly escorted him inside the Horizon. Meeting up with the lioness inside, he asked, "Expecting any problems, Ayne?"

The commander shook her head. "No. But after what happened last time, we can't be too careful."

Fox nodded and thought back to what had happened to them all last time they'd met on the battlefield. Being the target of sniper fire wasn't exactly the best thing for his health. "That's the truth. So, how goes the ground war for you and your soldiers?"

"Pretty good actually, McCloud. For the most part, once you and your team demolished the vehicle-based defenses on the worlds we've visited, any remaining hostiles simply didn't have much fight in them." She smiled. "I can't imagine why."

"Without advanced vehicle and air suppor,t" started Peppy, "your average soldier realizes just how unimportant he is in battle, and would rather give up than fight to the death."

The vulpine laughed, wondering just how his teammate continued to think up these crazy sayings of his. "Exactly. I think."

Ayne smiled, surprised to see the pair with such a different attitude than the others, especially with such a difficult mission staring at them. "How goes the war from your end?"

"As good as it can be," replied Fox.

"Thankfully, it's almost over," added Peppy. "As many others before me have said – war is hell."

"That it is, old friend. That it is."

The three remained quiet after that, the silence broken not too long afterward by Ayne's headset. "Your Arwings have been refueled. I'll await the good news of your victory from here."

"Thanks for the vote of confidence."

With that the pilots left, escorted just as closely as they were before. Halfway down the gangplank, Fox realized he had one more question on his mind. As Peppy continued on, he turned around and asked, "Ayne, do you know anything about Venom?"

She shook her head. "Other than the simple fact that I wouldn't send my troops to their deaths by going there myself, I have little to tell you."

He sighed. "Great."


"Perfect."

The raccoon had noticed how Fox had come to a complete stop, giving her a shot that she simply couldn't miss. Making sure of her aim, she exhaled and went through the motions that she had been through so many times before.

"Nice knowing you, McCloud."

She pulled the trigger.


Fox turned back around, suddenly feeling a cold shiver travel down his spine. As he did, a squawk echoed across the valley as one of the larger carrion birds native to the planet plummeted to the ground a couple hundred yards in front of him. In addition, he heard an unmistakable cling of metal striking metal on the transport behind him.

Not again.

He bolted towards his Arwing and scrambled in while yelling a warning for those around him. He then slammed the button to close the canopy and activated the defensive systems as Ayne's voice was heard through his headset. "We've already spotted the sniper and are dealing with her."

"Damn it, Ayne!" The fact that he'd been almost killed twice in two days while in supposed friendly territory wasn't sitting well with him. "Do you need our assistance"

"No, we have it well under control."

"Wait…she? Is this a native of Venom?"

"No."

Fox cursed mentally. This was the last thing he needed to hear. It didn't bode well at all as far as a relatively quiet future went, not to mention team morale. "Are you—"

"Yes, I'm sure. Get out there and save the galaxy. That's an order."

"Yes, ma'am."


The raccoon cursed as her perfect shot was accidentally intercepted by a damn bird, and then deflected just enough because of it to actually miss. She was about to cock another round into her rifle when she heard multiple demands from nearby for her to drop her weapon and freeze.

She opened her other eye and carefully pulled her face away from her scope. Surrounding her on three sides was a triad of soldiers, each with a weapon pointed her way.

"Get off the ground with your paws above your head!"

She sighed. Three armed guards was something she could take care of, but as she cautiously glanced around, she spotted more advancing soldiers. The odds were quickly becoming unbalanced against her.

And she needed to tell Andross of what was coming his way.

She got to her feet and raised her paws up as ordered, but not before swiping a flash grenade off of her chest. She waited just a moment for the trio to get a bit closer before she closed her eyes and dropped the device.

Even through her sealed eyes, she witnessed the bright flash. Blinking rapidly to recover her eyesight, she was pleased to see that the guards were stumbling about blindly under the effects of the grenade.

She leaned down and quickly recovered her sniper rifle before running towards safety. She thought that fate had simply fallen into her hands when the transport landed less than a mile from her hideout in the woods. She had such hopes that she could end the war with a single bullet.

Instead, due to a single bird, Fox McCloud was now one of the only people that she'd set her eyes on that had escaped her grasp. At least she had some information for Andross, information that he would hopefully find useful in defending Venom.


"Okay, guys, everybody wake up."

The planet Venom occupied most of their view as the Arwing's retros fired and brought the craft to a relative stop. Unlike the rest of the planets in the system that they had traveled to, this one was covered by a thick layer of what looked like greenish-brown smog, obscuring the ground below.

"Home, sweet home," said Falco sarcastically. "At least for some crazed ape and his cronies anyway."

"Cut the chatter," said Fox. "Does anybody see any sort of defenses out there?" A round of negatives reached his ears. "This doesn't make any sense."

"One's palace is always the most defended," said Peppy as he found another saying for the situation. "If they are obvious or not, there's always something out there for protection."

"Maybe we scared away his defenders," said Slippy.

"Or kicked all their asses in prior battles," suggested Falco.

"I highly doubt that" said the vulpine. Seeing their goal completely undefended worried him greatly. The fact that he couldn't see the planet's surface didn't help either, as he had no idea what lay beneath the smog. But he had a mission to do. "Guys, follow me. We're moving onward. Keep an eye out for anything."

The pilots advanced around to the dark side of the planet, guided by the objective information programmed into their computers. Much to their surprise, they continued to see absolutely no defenders, automated or otherwise, threatening their path. It was like the planet itself was uninhabited, offering no resistance at all.

A private message from one of his teammates interrupted his worried thoughts. "What's on your mind, Peppy?"

"I don't like this one bit. It's quiet. Too quiet."

"Same here." Fox looked around, still unable to believe that they hadn't seen a single hostile yet. "Any thoughts?"

"Something is terribly wrong. Considering that you'd somehow escaped death via yet another sniper bullet, I'd expect some kind of welcoming party out here."

"I know."

"Why didn't you inform the team about what happened?"

"It was the last thing they needed to hear as far as morale went." He sighed. "Then again, I was expecting some kind of fight out here, too. Keep watch."

"Understood."

With a soft tone, the computer indicated that they had arrived at their destination. Their next goal was to head straight towards the planet surface and finish their mission. As their engines powered down, the Arwings were left in total darkness, the planet itself blocking any source of light.

"It's time to win this war," said Fox quietly. "Let's go kick some—"

His inspirational speech was interrupted by a low warning tone from his computer, indicating that it had detected something massive approaching through the smog layer. As usual, Slippy was the first to decipher the long-range sensor readings. "Incoming battleship!"

"Just one?" laughed Falco. "Who's that ape kidding?"

"Himself if he thinks that's going to stop us. Full throttle—" Once again he was interrupted by the same tone.

Before he could say anything, he was stopped by it once more.

And then he heard it again.

"Three more battleships!" stated Slippy.

"I don't like this," said Peppy.

"No shit!" muttered Falco. "Looks like bonehead has an ace in the hole. We can still take them."

Fox looked over the hostile craft via his sensors. They had come to a halt as well, as if waiting for the Arwings to make the first move. His teammate was correct in his statement though, as he knew that they could take on the targets presented to them, even though it would leave them greatly weakened for the battle ahead.

He knew what he had to do. This war was going to end today.

Unfortunately, Andross wasn't willing to play along.

Their computers buzzed multiple times, announcing the arrival of even more defenders, eliciting a near-panicked comment from the normally calm Peppy. "By the Creator!"

"I count nine battleships!"

"Holy shit!" cursed Falco. "No damn way!"

The vulpine stared at his sensor readings, trying to comprehend the sheer amount of firepower that Andross had bearing down upon them. The ships blocked their path towards the planet, and even if he tried to go around them, they would still provide an insurmountable obstacle when they arrived at their mission goal.

As he continued looking at the information, every warning light his screen was capable of displaying suddenly lit up. Trying to make sense of the data, as at this range the computer wasn't exactly sure what it had detected, he asked, "What are we looking at, Slip?"

The pilots stared out into the darkness in front of them, trying to catch a better glimpse of what was approaching them. It almost looked like small pinpricks of light moving around slightly, as if they were homing in on them. But were they fighter craft or— "Missile lock!" hollered Slippy. "Incoming missiles! Lots of them!"

Falco started spouting obscenities at their situation as Fox quickly took command. "How many?"

"I can't tell! Once they get closer I will, but…there's a ton out there!"

Peppy was still the only one with a relatively cool head, even though he was practically staring death in the face. "What are your orders, Fox? We're behind you whatever you choose."

"Against—"

"Not now, Falco!" Fox looked around at his friends, his teammates, and then glanced at the blob of hostiles approaching them via radar. His team was nothing short of outstanding, that much he knew, but with everything stacked against them right now, would they get out alive? Would any of them escape almost certain death? Who would be sacrificed just to succeed?

His response was as swift as the hostiles approaching them. "Team, form up. We're getting the hell out of here." He swung his craft around, the other pilots wasting no time in following him. "Fire Nova Bombs at them when we get some speed."

Affirmatives reached his ears as his booster rumbled with its power, trying to stay ahead of the incoming warheads. According to the computer, it was a battle that they were not winning. "Those are missiles," confirmed Slippy, "and they're gaining!"

"I see that, Slip," said Fox, his fingers moving as fast as they could on the monitor. "I'm making a quick hop to lightspeed as soon as I can get the info plugged in. Keep us covered."

The team could now see the missiles as they grew closer, the glow of their engines giving away their location like a swarm of fireflies. Suddenly, the team broke out from behind Venom, the sunlight blinding them momentarily. Just as quickly, the warheads became visible as well, shocking the pilots as to the sheer number on their tails.

"You better hurry the hell up!" yelled Falco. "We aren't going to be here much longer!"

"I'm not as fast as Fara is when doing this manually!"

Now traveling at a high rate of speed, but still one far slower than the incoming ordinance, Falco cut his engine and spun around and let his momentum carry him forward. Taking aim at the lead set of missiles, he fired a Nova Bomb.

The weapon streaked through the darkness of space like an angel of light, its aim true. It struck the lead warhead head on, the missile and everything around it vanishing under the bright glare of the explosion. Before the effect subsided however, more missiles shot through the debris and continued their deadly advance towards the pilots.

Peppy and Slippy were about to twist around to do the same when they were stopped by Fox. "I got it! Hold on!"

Wasting no further time, the vulpine fired up the FTL drive for the team. The Arwings turned slightly and then vanished in a brief flash of light, the missiles behind them crossing their flight path just seconds later.