Disclaimer: See the Prologue

Chapter 16 – The Green Horde

Krystal's alarms screamed bloody murder as the rocket homed in on her. Her breathing hastened as she gripped her controls and put herself into a spin, desperately trying to lose the projectile.

Hold on! Fox yelled over her com.

Fox quickly performed a somersault and was behind Krystal and her rocket. He charged up his laser, locked onto the rocket and fired, effectively destroying it.

Darn, Slippy's voice came over Krystal's com, That was a near thing.

You all right, Krys? Fox asked.

"I'm fine," Krystal responded, wiping the sweat off her forehead.

Heads up! Peppy exclaimed over all their coms, I'm picking up hundreds of targets below you. Unidentified.

"Where?" Fox asked, "I can't see anything."

At that moment, hiding in one of the bombed-out buildings and holding his high-calibre machine-gun, a helmet-wearing, shadowed entity aimed his deadly weapon up at the circling Arwings.

He then smiled evilly and opened his mouth…

"WAAAGH!"

Suddenly, a barrage of machine-gun fire hit the Arwings, coming from the windows, and crevices of the buildings.

"GOD#$#MIT! Falco cried, his ship vibrating from being hit by lead.

With the enemy's bullets tearing holes in his Arwing, Fox sudenly cried, "Pull out! NOW!"

A bullet then tore into the Arwing's plasma engine, where Fox found himself going down amidst the hail of gunfire.

"FOX!" Krystal screamed, seeing him go down.

C'MON KRYSTAL, SLIP! Falco exclaimed loudly, WE GOTTA HAUL OUT OF HERE OR WE'RE GOING DOWN AS WELL!

Barrel-rolling to avoid the tracer bullets, still coming from the windows of the structures, they ascended into the clouds, simultaneously as Fox hit the ground, luckily not exploding on impact and luckily not hitting his head on his dashboard.

F…Fox? Krystal said, Come in? Are you alright?"

Fox let out a cough, before reaching forward for his communicator.

"Yeah," Fox replied, smiling painfully, "Never better."

Hang tight, Fox! Falco exclaimed, We're comin' for you. Just hang tight!

"No!" Fox said, adding an exclamation of his own, "They're probably waiting for you too to make another run. Head back to the ship and wait for Pepper to show up."

On board the Great Fox, Jacques and Peppy listened on to just what happened.

"Not again," Pepper moaned, hand over his face, "Something's gone wrong once again."

"What has happened?" Jacques asked, "What is going on?"

I'll tell ya what's going on! Falco exclaimed, Fox's Arwing has just been filled with lead and it now a sitting duck. That's what's going on!

'Lead?' Jacques thought, 'Doesn't he mean bullets?'

Keep…away from the base, Fox ordered, Just until Pepper arrives with his cohorts.

We're going to risk it, Fox, Krystal said firmly, We'll make a quick sweep and bomb out the structures. That'll give you some time to make a break for it.

Jacques mind clicked, before reaching for Peppy's com.

"Falco, Krystal," he begun, "Do as Fox says. Just keep on circling around the whole base."

What the hell are you gonna do? Falco demanded.

The Marine frowned, determinately.

"I am going down there and forcing this enemy out of their holes."

Peppy's eyes widened in shock, watching him strap on his Osmolic gill, before fastening on his helmet. Krystal, Slippy and Falco were also somewhat speechless.

How are you going to do that? Krystal asked.

Jacques smirked from behind his helmet as he gripped his boltgun firmly in his metal hands.

"By Orbital Drop," Jacques replied.

He then ran out of the bridge, leaving a flabbergasted Peppy sitting behind his terminal.

'That's boy's really go too much honour and determination in him, 'Peppy sighed in his head, 'Still, that's what this team needs.'

Despite the bleak situation they are all in, he smiled slightly, only to falter when ROB's voice cut in.

"Signals approaching Fox's downed Arwing," he reported, "Unknown lifeforms detected on surface."

"God," Peppy said, "He's surrounded."

Fox, sitting in the cockpit of his downed Arwing, quickly reached into his glove box and pulled out his rapid-firing blaster. He then kicked the shattered canopy open.

He jumped out, finding he had crashed amongst a pile-up of Cornerian tanks and vehicles, all wrecked and totalled. His hand instinctively tightened on the trigger, gripping the handle firmly.

His heightened senses as a fox would really be useful as he was surrounded, before whoever razed this outpost and butchered it's personnel, as Fox could see bullet-riddled and sliced Cornerian carcasses on the asphalt, their blood staining it.

'Here we go,' he thought, taking his first step away from the Arwing.

He heard a rustle come from behind him, coming from behind a wrecked tank, followed by the sound of a sword being unsheathed. Fox's eyes rolled back, preparing for the inevitable strike…

He then heard a blood-curdling battle-cry…

"WAAAGH!"

…. before something leapt from behind the other side of the tank, sword in hand. Fox quickly rolled sideways, avoiding his attacker's blow and fired his blaster.

The blast hit the attacker's helmet, which was absorbed. The antagonist himself was coloured green, with yellow eyes, with what appeared to be a large mouthguard on.

Overall, it was nothing the vulpine had ever seen before. He aimed his blaster at the creature, who got up and stared down at him, glaring.

"Move and you're dead!" Fox exclaimed.

The green warrior, with his beady eyes, smirked and spoke in a language and tone of voice which would make anyone cringe upon listening.

"Ya furry f#$#er," he begun, tightening the grip on his curved blade, "I'll be clamin' yer skull fer me pointy stik. Den de'll all know I'm da' meanest Ork dere on dis crap galaxy!"

Quickly deciphering what the creature just said, Fox replied while glaring, "You can try."

Still smiling, the creature cried, "GET IM', BOYZ!"

Suddenly, Fox was jumped by several other creatures, all brandishing axes. Fox yelled out as he was pushed onto the ground. He quickly got up and punched the nearest alien in the face, causing him to stagger. The vulpine then grabbed the axe out of the alien's hand and delivered a jump kick to his chest, downing him.

"SKIN DA FURRY!" the lead alien cried.

Armed with his axe, Fox swung forward, instantly striking through the neck of the nearest alien. The leader dove at him, which he swung his rusty bladed.

Fox grabbed his blaster from the ground as he locked his blade with the creature's. He then aimed at his chest and fired.

"Ya cheatin' fox boy!' the alien cursed weakly as he fell backwards onto the ground.

The other aliens cried out and charged at the vulpine, who dodged each of their blows and swung away with his own axe, splattering blood all over the place.

Back on the Great Fox, Jacques was walking towards the hangar. He knew what he had to do.

'Emperor be with us,' he thought.

Jacques, Slippy said over his helmet communicator, What are you doing?

As he stepped onto the hanger, Jacques replied, "I'm going to prepare for Orbital Strike."

Slippy was suddenly alarmed as he sat in his Arwing.

"Come again?"

I am going to ready the drop pod to land on the planet's surface, Jacques responded, I am going to assist Fox against whatever enemy has landed on the planet.

"Er…alright," Slippy responded.

Jacques tore the covers off the pod and saw the door leading into garbage disposal. He put his hands firmly on the pod and begun to push it slowly across the hangar.

Don't tell me you're pushing it towards Disposal? Slippy interrupted him.

"Do you have any other suggestions?" Jacques replied.

Slippy had no answer to that. He knew he should have moved it to Disposal himself earlier.

Back on the surface of the planet, Fox panted heavily, trying to catch his breath back. He held his blood-soaked axe in one hand, his blaster in the other. The bodies of the creatures who had foolishly stood against him now laid before him, dead.

His communicator rang…

FOX! Krystal's exclamation came over the com, RUN! THOSE THINGS ARE COMING OUT!

Sure enough, more of creatures were piling out of the building, brandishing swords, axes, crude machineguns and rocket-launchers.

"Ok boyz!" the largest of them cried out, "First ta chop up da furry gitz getz to keep is' ead'!"

They begun to converge on Fox who turned begun to run for it down the street. He felt the bullets whiz past his ear and hitting the ground next to him.

We're coming in, Fox, Falco said, Keep your head down!

The two Arwings broke the circle they were flying in, which was around the base, and made their run towards it.

Fox dove for cover as Falco, Krystal and Slippy begun firing their lasers at the green horde, who quickly pointed their weapons at the Arwings.

"Let em' ave' it!" the leader cried out.

They all fired their high-calibre machine-guns up at the ships, the bullets denting their hulls. Falco fired off a bomb, which sent creatures and limbs flying.

"Take cover ya' gitz!" the leader ordered, "Na, wait. On second thought…"

He grabbed a rocket launcher.

"BLOW DEM' OUTTA DA SKYS!"

The creatures suddenly stood their ground and continued firing at the Arwings. The leader fired off a rocket and hit Falco, blowing a wing off.

"Dammit!" Falco cursed.

The trio of Arwings ascended back into the sky. Krystal's Arwing was badly shot up as well, the canopy cracked but luckily wasn't full of holes. Slippy's was no better.

'These'll be a bitch to fix up,' Slippy thought, which was at most inappropriate of moments.

Fox saw the Arwings ascend back into the air, amidst machine-gun and rocket fire.

"Get clear you guys!" Fox ordered, "I'll be fine until Pepper gets here."

Bullshit! Falco cried, You're not gonna last another 5 minutes down there.

We have to do something, Krystal said, emotion in her voice.

Jacques said he was coming down here, Slippy said, Using the drop pod.

So stay alive for another couple of minutes, Peppy added.

Fox was understandably surprised.

'Now the guy's feeling suicidal,' he thought, 'Does he really think he's invincible?'

Meanwhile on board the Great Fox, Jacques had finally gotten the pod into garbage disposal. Jacques pushed the button, the door opening for him. He climbed in and strapped himself.

Peppy watched from the security camera of garbage disposal. He shook his head sadly, as if expecting something to go wrong.

I am secured, Jacques notified Peppy through the coms.

Peppy swallowed softly and gazed upon the Garbage controls.

"Ok," Peppy replied, nerves affecting his voice some, "Just hold on…and pray."

I am praying, Jacques replied.

Peppy hesitated for a few seconds, before pushing DISPOSE.

"Godspeed, Space Marine," the hare said to himself.

Jacques was lurched forward as the pod hurtled down the chute as the floor opened up. He closed his eyes, feeling the light from the video screen in front of him shine on his face. As he drifted into his thoughts…

"Cerinia."

…he felt he was reliving the landing on Cerinia for the first time. It was in the heat of the civil war between it's people, and the Ultramarines were dropping down from the heavens to put an end to it.

It was funny, as the somewhat primitive race of furries thought of them as Angles coming to bring peace.

Which the Space Marines did, their presence alone stopped the fighting between these aliens, which were the only ones the Imperium ever trusted.

And which Jacques wanted to know why.

'I guess I won't be finding the answers today,' he thought, 'At least I can live with that.'

Jacques? Peppy's image graced the video screen, Are you…? Oh thank God…

The Marine looked at the ear closely.

"You can tell Slippy his reconstruction of the drop pod is a complete success," Jacques remarked, "What is my status?"

You've just entered the atmosphere, Peppy answered, At the speed you're going you'll land in the base and near Fox's position in…15 seconds.

"Alright," Jacques could only say, trying not to drift back into his thoughts.

Meanwhile on the surface, Fox was getting tired from running, when suddenly he felt lead tear through his shoulder…

"ARGHH!"

…which he fell promptly to the ground. As he tried to get up, he felt a kick to the ribs send him flying and landing against a bench.

"GAHHH!"

He saw the largest of the creatures walk up to him, smiling and holding his smoking gun.

"He he he," the creature sniggered, "Guess I'll be claimin' ye ead' fer me pike, eh furry?"

Fox glared as the creatures, which were in the dozens, surrounded him. The leader touched the nape of Fox's neck with his axe, before raising it above his head.

"DIE FURRY!" the leader cried.

"Ey'?" one of the smaller creatures cried, "Wha' is dat?"

He pointed up in the sky, seeing what appeared to be a flaming hunk of metal descending upon them. Falco, Slippy and Krystal could see it.

"God," Krystal cried, "Is that Jacques?"

He's burning up! Slippy moaned, He won't make it.

Suddenly, they heard his voice…

That is not true.

Their eyes all widened in happiness. Falco was somewhat relieved to hear of Jacque's safety.

"Give em' hell, Marine!" Slippy cheered him on.

Fox saw the pod hurtling towards him from the sky. The creature's attention was now drawn to it and it made it's descent.

'Shock and awe,' Fox thought, 'Works for me.'

He quickly got up and ran. The creatures suddenly realised what they were doing.

"LOOK OUT!" the leader cried.

Too late, the burning pod landed directly on top of him, sending other aliens flying in all different directions, their weapons also flying everywhere. The force of the landing also sent Fox off his feet.

"Damn," he cursed.

The door to the pod was kicked open and out leapt Jacques, brandishing his boltgun and his Power Sword. The creatures were all somewhat shocked to see him.

"Itz a Marine-boy!" one of them cried out.

Determination crossed Jacques' face as he gripped his weapons.

"Orks!" he responded, "You should never have returned to Lylat."

Sounding off his own battlecry, he threw himself against the Orks, his sword charged with deadly energy, ready to be stained red…

"FEAR THE EMPEROR'S MIGHT!"