Disclaimer: See the Prologue

Chapter 17 – Return of Gorgutz

Knocking over several of the aliens known as Orks by just flinging himself towards them, Jacques quickly gripped his sword and delivered a mighty swing of his power sword, sending more xenos flying.

"BACK YOU PAWNS OF DISORDER!" Jacques cried, "CRAWL BACK TO YOUR MASTERS!"

"KILL EM'!" the next biggest Ork cried, "KILL DA HUMIE!"

Watching in awe as Jacques took on dozens of Orks at once, Fox swallowed his pain and a possible broken rib and grabbed his axe, throwing himself back into the fray. He leapt forward, swinging his blade and knocking several Orks over.

"Fox!" Jacques exclaimed, "You were suppose to have escaped."

Fox smirked, "Not while you have all the fun!"

The Marine smiled as they moved back to back with each other, blades raised and surrounded by blood-lusting, warmongering Orks.

"FER F#$#'S SAKE!" the next leading Ork cried, "BLAS' THEM!"

They all pulled out there machine-guns, only to be quickly run through by Jacques sword, before being finished off by Fox's axe. One Ork swung his axe, which connected with Jacques shoulder plating, which only managed to scratch it; Jacques responded by decapitating the greenskin with a single swing of his sword.

"Oh my God," Slippy said softly, managing the see the carnage from the cockpit of his Arwing as they flew above the green horde.

Don't just fly there, Peppy cried over the com, Help them.

Already on it! Falco exclaimed.

The Arwing swooped down one last time and begun opening up with their laser cannons, blowing away several Orks in one strike, which circled Fox and Jacques, who were still playing swordsman with the aliens.

Jacques most of all, sending Orks flying alǎ Sauron with his Power Sword. He was mesmerised in his killing of the Orks, him finally seeing the looks on his enemy's face as he drove his blade into him.

"RUN AWAY!" the lead Ork cried, "WE DEN FIGHT ANOTHER' DAY!"

The Orks then took the hint and begun to break, running away the vulpine and the human, and being picked off from the air by the avian, the frog and the vixen.

Unamused at the Orks sudden cowardice, Jacques gripped his boltgun and begun chasing them, gun blazing.

"GET BACK HERE AND FIGHT ME, YOU COWARDS!" Jacques cried, angry.

"No!" Fox exclaimed, "Jacques!"

He caught up to the Marine and pulled on his shoulder, stopping him. He looked back questioningly at Fox, whose face was that of sympathy.

"Let them go," Fox said softly, "We'll fight them another time."

Jacques shook his head, "I cannot. They are the scourge of the universe."

"Maybe," Fox said, "But we've got to plan this whole thing out."

"But…"

Fox looked at him deeply, which caused Jacques to slowly nod and lowered his gun.

"Another time," Jacques agreed.

He sheathed his sword and looked up at the sky, seeing the Arwings flying around in a circle.

Hey, they're running away! Falco exclaimed, Shall we go and blast their green asses?

Fox turned to his communicator and replied, smiling painfully, "I think we should head back to the ship. No more heroics for today."

Awwww, Slippy sighed, We were just getting started.

Jacques looked at where the Orks should be running, only to find that they were gone, in an instant.

'Odd,' he thought, 'They disappeared quickly.'

He then thought of Fox.

'Why did you stop me from pursuing them?' he thought again, 'What were you trying to achieve?'

10 minutes later they were all back up at the Star Fox, which had where Slippy was busy bandaging Fox's rib in the infirmary.

"Ah," Fox moaned, "That's smart."

"Oh get over it," Slippy replied, "It could be worse. The Greenies could have shattered your whole ribcage or they could have shot the Great Fox down when it hovered above the base just to pick you and Jacques up."

"That makes me feel a whole lot better," Fox unexpectedly retorted, "Besides…what were those things?"

"Jacques can tell us," Slippy replied, "He's sitting on the bridge with Krystal."

Fox couldn't help but be slightly alarmed.

"What about Falco and Peppy?" he asked.

"Falco's lying on his bed listening to those god-awful tunes of his," Slippy explained, "And Peppy's in the Archives."

Fox nodded, "Right."

He then sat up, looked at his bandaged self in the mirror, put his green shirt and vest back on and left the infirmary; all to a puzzled Slippy.

'What was that all about?' Slippy wondered, 'Me saying Jacques and Krystal sitting on the bridge together?'

His eyes then widened at that thought. He shuddered.

'Come on, Fox,' he thought, disturbed, 'Not in a million years.'

On the bridge, Krystal stared out at MacBeth, trying to comprehend that they have returned. Jacques was leaning against the wall as always, still adorned in his armour.

"So they're back, aren't they?" Krystal asked the Marine, head unturning.

"Yes, Krystal," Jacques replied, "Something is amiss here."

He stepped forward towards her.

"Why have they returned?" Krystal asked, voice cracking, "What do want with this system? They already got their bloodlust out of Cerinia. What more do they want?"

"An Ork's thirst for war is never quenched," Jacques explained, "And they know that, unfortunately."

Krystal turned around to face Jacques, who was standing before her.

"Can we stop them?" Krystal asked him.

Jacques sighed, "I do not know. It depends on who you ask."

"What do you think?" Krystal asked again, smiling slightly.

Jacques looked out in space as he replied, "Perhaps. If we are strong enough and well-equipped."

Krystal reached over and put a hand on his plated shoulder, where he instantly turned to her, questioningly. He noticed she was still smiling at him, so he returned it.

They found each other staring into one another's eyes; Jacques into her emerald blue and Krystal into his luscious green. The tender moment came to an end when Fox stepped onto the bridge, seeing the Cerinian and the human.

They quickly turned to him.

"Fox," Krystal begun, "Where's Peppy and Falco? They should be here."

"My thoughts exactly," Fox said, stepping onto the bridge.

It was also at the moment that Peppy and Falco stepped onto the bridge, followed by Slippy.

"Sorry I disappeared, you guys," Peppy said, "There were a few things I had to check up on."

"What he was saying," Falco explained himself in 4 words.

They all turned to Jacques, where he instantly knew what to say.

"What we were just fighting were Orks," Jacques explained, "Also known as Greenskins. They live for only one thing…and that is war."

'Knew he was going to say something like that,' Falco thought.

"They must have chosen Lylat and MacBeth for their next WAAAGH!" Jacques continued, "And I must say they've dealt a lot more damage in a short time than I expected."

"WAAAGH?" Slippy said, "Don't you mean 'War?'

Jacques looked sternly at the frog, "Ork spelling is by far the most inferior in the whole universe, if you must know."

"Oh," Slippy replied.

Fox rubbed his forehead gently, trying to vent his rare frustration.

"This is great," Fox begun sarcastically, "Instead of a the weak, surviving forces of Venom we have a entire race of axe-wielding maniacs from the other side of the universe moving in on us. Pepper's forces are going to get eaten alive down there."

"That may not be so," Jacques explained, "An Ork WAAGH! is usually orchestrated by a Warboss, the biggest and the strongest of the clan. If we kill the Warboss, than his forces spirit will be broken and will be a lot easier to destroy."

"What makes up their spirit?" Peppy asked.

Jacques and Krystal eyed one another, before Jacques explained further, "The carnage of battle. They thrive on the blood of their enemies. Where there is a world to invade and masses of opposition to kill, they will be there."

"I see," Fox said, "Well, here are our options…"

They all turned to him.

"We can either wait her for Cornerian support, and let the Orks cut them down," Fox said, "Or we could dive back in and weaken their resolve, which is by taking out their Warboss."

"Tough decision," Falco agreed humorously.

Suddenly, the lights on the bridge went out.

"Hey!" Falco exclaimed, "The power's out!"

"That can't be," Slippy said, unsure, "I just checked the power cells."

The only light came from the stars outside the window. Once again, Krystal felt dread envelop her as she moved her hand around and felt out Fox's hand.

The vulpine felt the vixen grab his plan. He suppressed a blush…

"Now what's happening?" Peppy exclaimed.

"WARNING!" ROB blurted out, "UNKNOWN ENERGY PATTERN HAS HIT THE GREAT FOX!"

His report was proven when the Great Fox begun to vibrate, before shaking violently, sending everyone almost off their feet.

"OH CRAP!" Falco cried.

The Great Fox begun to slowly be pulled towards MacBeth's atmosphere.

"I think we're caught in a tractor beam!" Slippy exclaimed, "A planet-based tractor beam!"

"That cannot be true," Jacques said, "Orks don't have that kind of technology."

Suddenly, the lights went back on, and the holographic-communicator turned on.

"What…?"

The ugly image of an Ork appeared on the communicator. Only that it had a large, grey mouthguard, what appeared to be a mechanical device over it's left eye and wires coming out it's neck.

"Oiright!" it begun, "Listen up ya furry faggots, specially' ya humie," the Ork begun, "We're takin' over ya flyin' scrap heap and ya' skullz are gonna be added ta me ponti' stick. Dat's right, ya all gonna' die!"

"Who are f#$# are you suppose to be?" Falco asked, angrily.

"Da name's Gorgutz, the ead' hunter of the Orks. Da biggis', meanis' Warboss of all da boyz. I'm movin' in on dis' miserable lil' patch an' killin' anyone who getz in me way."

"Gorgutz?" Jacques said, getting up from the floor, "I know you."

"Do ya really, humie?" the Ork Warboss known as Gorgutz asked, smiling.

"Yes," Jacques replied glaring, "You were said to have led the biggest Ork WAAAGH! on the planet Lorn V…"

He then smirked.

"…only to be put down by the combined efforts of the Imperial Guard and the Eldar."

Gorgutz laughed and counted, "At lest' dem Imperial-boyz didn't get dere' Titan and da Eldar turned da dust when it exploded. At lest I got ta bring home some eads'."

The Ork then glared menacingly.

"An' yer ead' will do jus' fine, along wit all da other furry buggers in dis here galaxy."

"You can try," Fox said, glaring.

The Great Fox was soon pulled through the atmosphere, until the grey surface was once again seen, along with…

"Scanners have picked up a massive enemy encampment on the planet's surface." ROB informed them all.

"No shit!" Falco exclaimed, seeing it for himself through the window.

Situated on the flat land and surrounded by a equally massive wooden wall and peppered with hundreds of Ork WAAGH banners, the Ork encampment was teaming with thousands of Orks, along with their shabbily built vehicles including Wartrucks, Wartraks and Tanks.

And in the centre of the camp was what appeared to be a massive gun emplacement…the tractor beam.

Slippy shook his head softly, "We are so dead."

"Roger that," Falco nodded, pupils diluted in shock.

Suddenly, the window was cracked as thousands of rounds of ammunition pelted the Great Fox.

"Damn!" Fox cried, "On the floor!"

Bullets tore through the window and begun tearing up everything on the bridge, shattering computers and consoles. Everyone drop to the ground, a few bullets ricocheting of Jacques armour.

"Damn xenos!" Jacques cursed before dropping onto the floor.

Bullets tore into ROB.

"DANGER! DANGER!" ROB cried, "SUSTAINING EXTERNAL DAMAGE!"

"ROB!" Slippy cried, distressfully, "GET DOWN NOW!"

ROB then suddenly received a slug to the forehead, blowing out the back of his head. He then toppled over.

"SYSTEM Shutdownnnnn…" ROB's last words were, before shutting off like a computer.

Slippy's eyes were wide in absolute devastation. He felt tears cloud his eyes, seeing his closest companion 'die' before his eyes.

'ROB!' he thought, 'Please God, no!'

"NOW WHAT DO WE DO?" Krystal cried out loud.

"TO THE HANGAR!" Fox ordered out loud, "BUT STAY LOW!"

Meanwhile on the ground, the Orks all laughed and cried out loud triumphantly as they fired their bullet-piercing rounds at the downing Great Fox. The Warboss Gorgutz getting the biggest kick out of it.

"Dat's right, boyz!" he laughed, "Bring dem' furries down an' loot dat junk heap! Dat'll please dat red-arsed ape."

"But Boss," a mega-armoured Nob turned to him, "What do we do' if we kill' dat humie? Da red-arse said not ta kill da Marine-Boy."

"Bah!" Gorgutz cried, "We'll delive' him what's left of dat humie in'a box, without da ead'."

"Aw yeah!" the Nob said, smiling, "Ya' so smart!"

"Of course I am, ya git!" the Warboss retorted, "I'm Gorgutz, da future ruler of da Lylat. And nobodi' gonna stop us!"