Disclaimer: See the Prologue

Chapter 3 – Fragments of Cerinia

Sitting in his observation deck in a comfy chair overlooking the pieces of what used to be known as Cerinia, Andrew Oikonny watched the fragments of space rock nearby his fleet. Ever since his near death experience at the hands of the Aparoids, he had pushed himself to near lengthy extremes to get back at Corneria and resume his would-be Blitzkrieg against the Lylat system.

And in the process…came across secret but deadly information on what floats amongst the fragments of Cerinia.

'I promise you, uncle,' he thought, determined, 'I'll make you proud. I'll fulfil your legacy and dreams of vengeance. Corneria will finally be crushed under Venom's boot.

Emperor, a voice came over his com, shaking him out of his thoughts.

Andrew groaned in annoyance and replied, "What is it?"

Sir, the other line begun, Cornerian ships are approaching Sector C and onto our position.

Andrew frowned. They must have known of the precious prize that could be found here amongst this miserable excuse for a pile of rock. There was no chance in hell they were going to take it away from him.

No chance.

"Let's give them a warm welcome, then," Andrew replied, smiling, "Intercept them and…render judgement."

Yes sir, Emperor.

Suddenly, a holographic image appeared before him. It was that of a monkey dressed in what appeared to be mining gear.

Sir, he cried, We've found it!

Andrew's eyes widened in delight.

"Then what are you waiting for?" he demanded, "Crack into it already."

We can't sir, the miner replied rather fearfully, We'll risk exposing the entity within it.

Andrew sighed, "Then build a safe entrance into that thing. FAST!

The miner almost had a jolt of fright, "Y..ye…yes sir."

The miner's image faded.

"Dumbasses!" Andrew cursed softly, "They don't realise the importance of the situation here. I'm sorry, uncle Andross."

Approaching the sector gradually were 4 Cornerian battlecruiser and 2 units of Cornerian-produced Fighters. The 2 elite units Husky and Bulldog under Commander Bill Grey. The husky himself sighed in his cockpit, his helmet visor up. He hasn't seen much action since the last 9 or so years and felt like he and his boys were going soft.

'We can handle these damn apes,' he thought, 'We always have.'

He then saw they were entering the sector, which really made Bill and the other pilots gasp in awe.

Whoa! came a voice over the coms.

Sir, a feminine voice addressed Bill, This place is beautiful.

The colour of the sector was a mix of radiant blue and purple, along with bright blue stars and nebulas.

"I envy those Cerinians," Bill muttered, smirking, "They get the lightshow of the universe."

Suddenly, dozens of tiny blips appeared on his radar. Bill eye's widened.

"Look out!" he cried, "We got bogeys!"

Venomian Strike Fighters beared down on the Cornerian craft.

"Break formation!" Bill ordered, "And pick your targets!"

They did so and in the process, begun dodging a barrage of laser fire. They then returned fire, already taking down 6 Venomian craft. Soon they were all dog-fighting in space, a mere mile from Cerinia. Bill instantly had two fighters on his tail, which he was barrel-rolling their shots off. He then did a spin, firing two lock-on missiles, blasting them into oblivion.

They knew we were coming, Commander! A pilot cried over the com.

No shit! another replied heated, ARGHHHHH!

A Cornerian fighter was downed in a blur of red lasers, destroying it.

"C'mon guys!" Bill cried, "We can take these bastards!"

The battlecruisers opened up with their turrets, blasting the Venomian ships out of space.

"How come they've only sent fighters?" Bill queried, "But not any of the heavy stuff?"

Then it hit him like thunder. Oikonny was just holding them off. Why else would he send only small ships and not his ever impressive cruisers.

"ALL SHIPS, PUSH FORWARD!" Bill ordered out loud, "NOW!"

Yes sir, Commander!

Right away, sir!

The Cornerian ships blasted their way through the Venomian fighters, which all burnt up and exploded in a hail of laser fire.

Soon, Cerinia was in sight…

'I've seen a lot of shitholes over the years,' Bill thought, 'This is the new number 1 of them all.'

The place was sad looking, with asteroids, broken pieces of the planet and wreckage of 13 years of ships foolish enough to pass through. This place was a death trap.

Commander, one of the Cornerian cruisers said over the com, Oikonny's command ship is in sight.

"Prepare to open fire!" Bill exclaimed, "On my…GAHH!"

Suddenly, lasers and missiles fire about from nowhere, destroying 6 of Bulldog unit. The next thing they all new Venomian cruisers decloaked around them.

Oh my God

SHIT!

OH FUCK!

The rather threatening looking cruisers had their weapons primed and charged, ready at any time to blow them all into the next life.

But Andrew decided to have some fun. He smiled from his bridge.

So, Cornerian flyboys," he begun, "Surprised to see me?"

"Of course not," Bill begun, rather humorously, "Bastards like you are hard to kill."

"Touchy," Andrew begun, "You really shouldn't have come here and disturbed my operations. This isn't just about me and Corneria, it's about…"

Suddenly the bridge area of one of the cruiser exploded from a precisely aimed bomb.

So shouldn't YOU! a female voice exclaimed over Andrew's com.

Andrew's eyes widened, 'Dear God, not them!'

Entering the system was the Great Fox, and flying out of it was 4 tight-knitted Arwings, piloted by no other than Fox, Falco, Krystal and Slippy.

"Hi again, 'Emperor' Andrew", Fox said, smirking, "Happy to see us?"

"Not this time!" Andrew cried, "All ships…OPEN FIRE!"

They flew toward the command ship in formation, only to break in order to dodge a barrage of lasers and missiles headed their way.

"Fox!" Bill cried, surprised to see him.

"Glad to see you too!" Fox replied, smiling.

Bill smiled back, lowering his visor, "C'mon boys! They ain't taking our glory this time!"

They all picked their targets and blazed through, with Fox and Krystal destroying another battlecruiser while Falco, Slippy and the other Cornerian Fighters took on the remaining Venomian Fighters.

Soon, they were all before Andrew's ship, and the bridge area.

"Turn and flee, sir?" a pilot asked, hands sweaty on the controls.

"We're not leaving this cesspool without that human piece of iron!" Andrew exclaimed, "DESTROY THEM!"

They ship begun firing what it had left at Star Fox, which they then begun firing back at the turrets. Fox took out four of them whilst the others made quick and short work of the rest, making the command ship completely defenceless.

"Ohhhhhhhhh shit," Andrew said softly.

Falco chuckled, "Well this is a first. A really powerful behemoth-class starship slash weapons platform…without it's weapons."

Fox smiled at Falco's chime. But Slippy then broke the generally good mood…

"I wouldn't say that," Slippy said, "I'm detecting some kind of energy signature emitting from it's hull."

Fox's smile faltered, "Can you identify it?"

Slippy checked his terminal, eyes widened, "No I can't."

"Excuse me?" Falco said.

Ports within the command ship begun to open in several places, where neon coloured energy begun to sprout from it.

"What is that?" Falco cried.

"We're about to find out!" Fox said.

Krystal suddenly felt short of breath as something within her mind snapped. Suddenly, she remembered the image of her father and some of the last words he said to her.

Beware the power of The Warp, my daughter, he said, It taints those it touches.

Krystal's eyes widened. The Warp? The dark source of ultimate power her race has always feared has returned? This can't be right.

'It can't be…" Krystal thought.

Suddenly, a massive blast of dark energy fired from the ship…

"EVASIVE MANUEVERS!" Bill cried.

The blast vaporised the tip of Bill's Fighter as he barrel-rolled out of the way. The blast then his the nearest Cornerian cruiser, rendering it into space dust.

"AH CRAP!" Falco cried, "WHAT THE HECK WAS THAT?"

Fox gritted his teeth. This must be another one of Andross' god-forsaken Megaweapons. He flew straight for the ship, priming a bomb.

"I don't know what else you've got in your hull!" Fox exclaimed at Andrew, "But you will not use it again!"

He launched his bomb into one of the ports, where instantly the back of the ship was blown up, releasing deadly energy into space.

Andrew was both stunned and infuriated.

"WHAT!" Andrew cried, "THAT'S NOT POSSIBLE!"

"Sir!" the chief pilot cried, "We have to get out of here. We're not going to last."

Andrew's face was that of pure anger. They've beaten him again, and they promised him he was invincible with this weapon.

But he saw sense in the pilot's words.

"Get us out of here," Andrew said calmly.

"Right away, sir!"

The ship then slowly turned around, and away from the Cornerian craft.

"He's getting away!" Falco growled.

"After him!" Fox ordered.

Suddenly, the ship entered hyperspace and blasted it's way out of the sector, sending a massive shockwave which sent all other ships reeling.

"Whoa!" Krystal cried, gripping her controls and trying to keep her ship level.

Soon, all the ships recovered themselves and set about recuperating.

"What was that all about?" Falco queried.

"I don't know," Peppy said from the bridge of the Great Fox, "But I've been scanning the entire sector and have picked up a medium-sized signal that appears to be a ship."

"Identify it yet?" Fox asked.

"The computer doesn't recognise it," Peppy said, "But I'll continue to scan over it."

"I'm detecting Venomian activity around the target," ROB cut in, "It appears to be a mining crew,"

Fox wiped his forehead, "Guess we'll just round them up and see what they're doing."

"Good idea," Bill said in his drifting ship, "I'm completely out of action here."

"Alright," Fox said, smirking, "You sit tight."

The Arwing flew towards the fragments of the planet. All this time, Fox has noticed Krystal's quietness in this situation.

"Krystal?"

He disturbed her from her thoughts.

"Yes, Fox?"

"Are you alright? I'm noticing your piloting is off."

Krystal sighed, "Sorry Fox. It's just been so long since I've come here."

"Understood," Fox said, then suggested, "Maybe you should sit this one out. I'll keep you updated on what we've found."

Krystal nodded, "Alright. Good idea."

She turned around and headed back for the Great Fox.