I must have uploaded a draft of this chapter, seeing how crappy it really was.
Well, here's the proper version…
Chapter 20 – Battle Plans
The chamber was silent when they all heard the alert, and in an instant dread caste down on the Cornerian personnel present. Except Star Fox, who was too occupied in the safety and presence of one of their own.
"Venomian Fighters?" Liebowitz said curiously, lowering his hands, "Pepper said nothing about those apes and scalies being here."
"Apparently they are," Jacques said, "Your intelligence must have been misplaced."
"Did I ask for you opi…?" Liebowitz shot at the Marine, before suddenly being interrupted by the sound of another alarm.
WARNING. INCOMING MISSILE LAUNCH DETECTED.
"Oh crap," Falco groaned.
About a dozen Venomian-produced strike fighters converged on the cruiser, which begun to open fire with green laser. The fighters loaded up their missiles and targeted the side of the cruiser, not bothering to dodge the defensive fire, which was picking them off one by one.
When they got close enough, they fired…dozens of medium-sized which suddenly broke into hundreds of smaller projectiles.
The personnel on the bride were understandably panicked…
"Stingers!" the main pilot cried, "Brace for impact!"
As the strike fighters clumsily pulled up to avoid ploughing into the ship, the missiles hit, sending shockwaves through the interior of the cruiser and everyone off their feet.
"This is insane!" Liebowitz exclaimed, "How'd they sneak under our radar?"
"It beats me, colonel," Fox replied, still holding his rifle, "But if you were to release the Space Marine, allow us to get to our ships and to overall stop acting like assholes…"
Krystal smiled slightly at that last word, being directed at the people who hurt her friend.
"…we could take care of these ships and wherever they've come from."
Liebowitz looked at Fox, before eyeing Jacques and Krystal, who was still looking at him with contempt, her gun still trained on him whilst putting her hand up Jacques' chest plate. He frowned slightly.
"Alright," he said gruffly, "Get to your ships."
Liebowitz then turned to a couple of guards, before nudging his head towards a couple of guards. They nodded and stepped before Jacques, where one produced a silvery key and unlocking his energy bindings, where the second he was free he felt out the back of his head.
'Feels…wet,' he thought, alarmed, feeling the wetness at the back of his skull, which begun to stain his brown hair.
He then glimpsed at his own armoured hand, sticky with his own blood. The pain then got to him and it begun affecting his eyes, as he hand begun to blur in front of him. He fell to his knees.
"Jacques!" Krystal cried, getting down on her own knees and placing her hands on his shoulders, "Godd#$# it, no!"
Jacques head was bowed and his eyes were slightly glazed. He had never been struck over the head this badly before, and his instincts were telling him to open up one of Liebowitz's veins and let him bleed out onto the floor of this old, primitive ship.
But he knew better, and besides he started to feel…dizzy.
'By the Emperor,' he thought, 'I hope my brain is not damaged.'
"Krystal? Jacques?" Fox begun, seeing that Jacques had fallen to his knees once again, as well as Krystal.
'Aw, no,' Falco thought, seeing the both of them together.
The vixen looked up at Fox, Falco and Slippy.
"Go!" she cried, "We'll be fine here."
Fox nodded, and he turned to the avian and the frog.
"Let's go, guys," Fox said.
"Right behind you," Slippy said.
They ran out of the chamber, where Peppy quickly walked up to Jacques and Krystal. The old hare looked down at the Cerinian and the human, before glaring straight at Liebowitz.
"Why did you do that?" Peppy asked, angry, "He meant you no harm. You always were the rash one, Liebowitz!"
The grey avian looked at Peppy, shocked at that hare reminiscing on his past, before looking down at Krystal, as she tried to comfort a semi-conscious Jacques. Guilt begun to well up inside of him, seeing how he struck the only 'good' human there."
"Er…" he begun.
Krystal looked up Liebowitz, disturbed and frowning, just as Jacques passed out while still on his knees, the blood dripping down the side of his head, collecting in his left ear and into a small puddle on the floor.
"I'll…have him moved to medical," Liebowitz said softly, "Have him bandaged up."
Still glaring, Krystal nodded, fighting the impulse to knock him down and rip his head off.
The Venomian fighters steered away from the craft, where they slowly turned around and headed straight back for it, loading up more missiles. Inside each of the fighters, the pilots all smiled devilishly, their fingers hovering over the trigger.
The Arwings flew out of the hangar doors, intending to face the Venomian foes.
Hey you guys, Falco begun over the vulpine's com, Where'd in the hell did these jerks come from?
"I don't know," Fox replied, "And I'm not really concerned with Oikonny at the moment. Lets just kill these bastards and get back to Peppy, Krystal and…Jacques."
He was a bit hesitant when the said that name…the name of the one who risked his life and the back part of his skull in saving their hides. Fox couldn't help but feel unworthy of a Space Marine's sacrifice.
Slippy was the one to bring him back to reality…
Yeah, the frog said, I don't think we should have left them alone back there.
'Don't remind me, Slip,' Fox thought, annoyed and disturbed, 'For the love of God, don't remind me.'
The Arwings flew straight towards the dozen or so strike fighters, who suddenly fired off another wave of missiles. Falco smirked and readied are bomb, which he then fired and destroyed all the missiles at once, causing a massive explosion.
"Pull up!" Fox yelled.
The Arwings did so, while the fighters flew straight into the explosion, which consumed them.
"Holy crap," Falco cried, "They just all flew into that big ball of fire. Have they even heard of 'Flight School?' "
From what just happened, Slippy begun, No they haven't.
As they steered away from the explosion, Fox couldn't help but think about this little occurrence. Those fighters had plenty of time to evade the explosion, but they continued to fly straight for it until it vaporised him.
'Odd,' he thought.
He then shook his head.
'Damn it,' he thought wearily, 'Nothing makes sense any more.'
He then brushed away the moisture collecting on his headfur, before Falco voiced boomed over the communicator.
You still with us, Fox.
"Yeah?"
"Then put your hands back on the controls!"
Fox's eyes widened as he realised he was flying straight towards the ground; he quickly pulled up, sighing loudly.
Jeez laweez, Falco cried, You gave me a scare for second there, McCloud!
Is everything all right? Slippy asked.
Fox looked glum as he replied, "No you guys, everything isn't alright. Let's just get back to the ship and make sure they haven't slit Jacques' throat."
Slippy was understandably nervous upon hearing that.
'God…that was unsettling,' he thought, once again feeling nervousness wash over him.
All this time that Slippy had stood by Fox and the other guys during these events, he had felt like he was just a spectator, and a spectator always catches every second that transpires. And to the green frog, every second was a dreaded one, and the feelings of not lifting a finger to help.
Quite frankly, Slippy thought of the possibilities of a career change…
'Wonder if dad could use an extra hand,' he thought, thinking about his father, Beltino Toad.
The explosion soon cleared outside the cruiser, where the Venomian fighters that flew into it never came back out, ending their inexperienced pilots' lives.
Except one fighter, which the force of the explosion had blown away, and landed on the grey surface of the planet. It's pilot was still trying to kick the canopy open.
"Tupid' piece o' redarse junk!" the pilot cursed, before finally kicking the canopy off and jumping out.
He then kicked the side of the crashed fighter and spat on it.
"Lousy piece o' furry crap!" he again cursed.
Clawing his way out of haze of painkillers and other forms of alien medication, Jacques soon found himself back in reality, lying on a table in what appeared to be the infirmary, judging from it being white.
He moved his hand to the back of his head, surprised to find it was bandaged.
'They beat me,' he thought, 'Then they heal me. It figures.'
He then sat up on the table and rubbed the back of his skull.
"I wouldn't do that if I were you," a familiar voice sounded off from the doorway, "Might become irritant."
They turned to see Fox standing there, crossing his arms.
"You've got a few stitches under those bandages," Fox pointed out, "Liebowitz must have been really frustrated."
"I noticed that," Jacques replied.
Fox stepped into the room, "Yeah. But still, you've got to be there on Falconia to understand what the colonel went through."
Jacques nodded, then asked, "Where is Krystal?"
"She's fine," Fox said, "Don't worry. Liebowitz was only joking when he said those things."
Jacques glared at the vulpine, which made Fox back some.
"I hope so," Jacques said.
Suddenly a couple of guards walked into the room, the same ones who 'woke' Jacques up. They were understandably nervous, being around an unshackled Space Marine.
Mack cleared his throat nervously, before saying, "Colonel Liebowitz entering."
He stepped aside and aloud Liebowitz to step into the room. From his eyes, you could tell he was nervous, being in the presence of someone he pistol-whipped, who turns out to be your most valued ally.
"Fox McCloud," he begun, "I…trust you found those Venomians easy to deal with."
"Yeah!" Fox replied, "No thanks to you, or your fly-boys."
Liebowitz nodded, "I deserved that. Anyway…"
He paused, noticing their cold eyes staring straight at him.
"…we've detected a massive concentration of alien activity near the other side of the planet. Obviously we didn't get them all after all."
'Obviously,' Fox thought.
"We're planning another assault against them and we want you to lead the charge," Liebowitz explained, "But first…"
He turned to Jacques.
"…we want you to…tell us what these things are."
Jacques smirked, "As long as you do not try to kill me."
Liebowitz smiled nervously, "Guess you really are on our side…"
"And it took you almost breaking my skull to realise that?" Jacques suddenly fired off, heated.
Liebowitz's eyes widened, before noding softy and replying, "Yes."
Jacques looked at Liebowitz, still angry at the fact these Cornerians should know he was on their side. Always on their side.
He then unexpectedly stretched his hand forward towards the colonel. Fox was surprised at this gesture, as was Liebowitz.
"Jacques?" Fox said, questioningly.
Liebowitz looked at Jacques, before focussing down on his palm. This is probably a first since those grey, hellish events 10 years ago that a singular Space Marine is offering to reconcile with him for destroying his home planet, even though he wasn't probably the want to do it.
Liebowitz nodded and accepted his hand, before they shook.
'Hey,' he thought, 'This isn't too bad…'
He was proven wrong when suddenly he felt Jacques almost crush his hand.
"Ow ow ow ARGH!" Liebowitz cried.
Fox could only smirk and think, 'I'm gonna allow this.'
Jacques then pulled hand, brought face up to his, where the avian could see first hand how disturbed and angry he was.
The guard, however, didn't do anything but watch.
"You should be lucky, avian," Jacques said menacingly, "If this was another human being, you would all be dead by now. So consider yourself fortunate."
Liebowitz nodded painfully, "Yes…yes I do."
Jacques let go and the grey avian was sending stepping back against the counter. He looked at his hand. Luckily his it wasn't broken or crushed. He then suddenly turned and walked out the room, leaving the two guards standing there.
They found themselves unmoving, sweat rolling down the side of their heads, even more so when they found Jacques staring at them.
The Marine cleared his throat, and they quickly ran out, leaving the human and the vulpine sitting in the infirmary. Fox then turned to Jacques.
"You just had to do that, didn't you?" Fox asked, smiling slightly.
Jacques nodded, "I was making a point. And I think he understood."
"Definitely."
5 minutes later Jacques and Fox were walking the hallway down through the ship towards the Command Centre, not caring of the stares the Cornerian personnel shot at them.
"How do you think Liebowitz and his goons are going to react when you tell them of the Orks?" Fox asked, still walking.
"I do not care of how they react," Jacques could only reply, his head unturning, "They must know of the green horde and what they could do to this system."
Fox nodded, "Fair enough."
The both of them stepped through the door into operations, where they found Falco, Peppy, Slippy, Krystal and a whole heap of a Cornerian officers waiting for them, sitting at a rather large table…
"Pepper?" Fox begun, surprised.
…and the general himself through a hologram projector on the centre of the table.
McCloud, Mortensen, Pepper begun, seeing the both of them enter, How good of you to join u all.
"Likewise, sir," Jacques repied.
Pepper looked closely at them, I see Krystal's report was true to it's word. You have my most sincere apologies. Liebowitz has been relieved of his command and will not be joining us for this briefing.
Fox and Jacques took their seats at the table, "Understood, general."
Krystal smiled, seeing that Jacques was once again up and about. It faltered when Fox noticed her. He then flashed a smile of his own, and Krystal suddenly returned it.
All right, Pepper begun, You will not be needed to explain what this new opposition is, if that is what you feel you need to do. I've just received some new intel from a classified source.
"I…see," Jacques said, relieved that they've just saved some precious time.
The situation has now gone critical, Pepper explained seriously, Sensors on Kantina detect a massive concentration of Orks on the other side of the planet, entrenched inside an abandoned Venomian base. They appear to be raiding the base for the obsolete technology found there.
"Figures," Falco said, "We blow up most of their weapons and they decide to jack some more."
Thanks for that, Lombardi, Pepper commented, As we suspect the Warboss managed to escape Liebowitz's bombardment and has regrouped with these Orks. I am authorising both a aerial and a ground assault on this location…here.
An image of the Ork/Venomian base was shown, displaying several ground and air defence emplacements, situated around what appeared to be a large castle-like structure.
"Another fortress?" Slippy asked.
The officers then began mumbling amongst themselves, before Pepper cut them all off.
Fox, Pepper continued, You are in command of all fighter squadrons present on this rock. You will deal with the ground defence while…
Pepper eyed Jacques.
…Mortensen will head up the ground attack. Is that a problem?
Everyone noticed Jacques' almost concerned face. Jacques shook his head softly.
"No general," Jacques replied, "Just the fact that I have just been given my first command."
Well get used to it, Pepper said, We need all the good leaders we can get. And knowing that the Imperium has some of the greatest commanders in the universe, you'll first pick.
Jacques smiled, "Thank you general."
This meeting is now over, Pepper said, And this operation is to commence right away. Good luck to you all and godspeed, as the survival of Lylat depends on the destruction of these invaders. Pepper out
His image disappeared and the lights were switched on. Silence overtook the room as all eyes fixated on Fox and Jacques.
The both of them shifted eyes towards one another, before Fox broke the silence.
"You heard the general, we got a war to win! Let's move out!"