"You wanna fight the power? You need the power to fight!" – The O.C. Supertones, One Voice
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Chapter 5, Side Mission
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Macbeth Western Front (Cornerian Zone)
"Jim, those Arwings get any closer, we're all going to be a different color here." Rayn said.
"What do you suggest oh wise one?" Jim asked.
"Get me a long range, explosive weapon and I might be able to take them down."
"Like a rocket launcher?"
"That'll do." Rayn said.
"Give me a minute, what can you do until then?"
"Find a turret or an anti-air missile launcher. Until then, not much." Rayn continued to scan the skies for more air craft. He saw that there were only four of the original Arwing squadron still heading their way.
"Jewel, c'mere." Jim said.
Jewel grabbed her visor and went to where her brother was and said, "Yes, cap'n?"
"Look, we have two KIAs. That leaves you, Rayn, me, Kave, and Cody. I'll take Cody over to that Cornie camp over there." Jim pointed toward the north. Jewel looked through her zoom goggles toward where Jim was pointing and saw a small barracks and a few more buildings surrounded by a bon fire. There was a turret in the front of the camp on a smaller road that led to the bigger road that the 43rd Commando division was currently on, "We'll rain hell on the camp, grab a rocket launcher, and get the rut out."
"What do we do, Captain?" Jewel said.
"Stay here and see if you can keep those Arwings busy any way possible."
"Won't that be hard? Without proper equipment?"
"This isn't High Command," Jim said, "we don't have time to plan for every nut and bolt we're going to need for every second of every minute. We're the commandos. Improvise!"
Jim motioned for Cody to follow him northward.
Cody followed immediately holding his assault rifle close. He looked scared.
"You ok, Cody?" Jim said putting his arm on his shoulder.
"I-I'm ok, sir."
"Listen, we're commandos. We're the best the 'Fedracy's got. And if we're the best, and you crap out on me now, I don't want to know what the guys on the front are like. Got it?"
"We're the best, sir."
"Look, Bentley and Jars, they was good men. But good men die in war. That's the sad part."
Cody swallowed and then checked his ammo counter, "I'm ready." He said.
"Good man." Jim led the way to the Cornerian camp.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------The Great Fox-B
It was half an hour before the crew of the Great Fox was back in control of their own ship. Michelle took the deepest breath of her life once the Fox was back behind Confederate lines and still under their control.
General Pepper's head popped up on the holoscreen, "General Pepper here."
"General Pepper." Michelle said, "We missed you."
"That was quite the maneuvering back there."
"With the Visorak? It was nothing."
"Your ship was blown out of control. Are you sure about that?"
"Nothing the StarFox team couldn't handle."
"Well, the Cornerian armada is preparing to assault Confederate space. They're amassing hundreds of ships on the other end of the quadrant."
"Listen, we'd do a lot better if we could drop this load somewhere. We've got 400 soldiers in our belly here. Causin' a belly ache for the Fox."
"All right, drop them off on East Command. I'd like to have every available ship ready for the upcoming assault."
"Sir, are you sure it's wise? Lining up our ships like a bunch of militia from the Enlightenment Era?"
"The Cornerians aren't going to give us enough lee-way to create a better plan."
"All right, we'll drop off these soldiers at the surface."
"Meet back with you in an hour." General Pepper's head disappeared.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Macbeth Western Front (Cornerian Zone)
The 107th Cornerian Special Forces Unit moved silently across the Macbethan plains. Commander Unaria had led his team completely hidden from his own units so as not to be conspicuous if the Commandos should spot him. He had called in for air support to scout out the area. If they saw the commandos, they would shoot. The Confederates would have no choice but to fire back.
Hopefully, that would give away their position completely.
Then again, one never hoped for anything in war.
"Commander." One of the units said, "Heat signature. Unidentified. No Cornerian tags."
"Non-friendly then."
"Affirmative."
"Heading?"
"Regulars base camp. 0233 degrees west of this position."
"Confederates."
"Show no mercy."
Jim told Cody to be completely silent. Hand signals only. So far, Cody had passed with flying colors. Jim looked across the gap between him and his subordinate and made a signal pointing to his gun and then made a motion with his finger signaling a trigger.
Cody nodded to show that he understood.
Jim straightened his hand and moved it from his mouth, out and down.
Cody nodded again.
Jim looked over the barrier he was hiding behind and looked at the camp. There was a tripod gun at the front of the camp, to the right of Jim's position. There was an unused LRV towards the back of the camp just sitting there. Six tents formed a circle. A more sturdy barracks was next to the LRV.
Twelve Cornerian soldiers were sitting around a camp fire waiting for something in a pot over the fire to cook. Their weapons were close by.
Jim looked over at Cody. He waved him past towards the tripod gun. Cody moved backwards silently. The night covered his movements.
Once Cody stopped moving, he looked back at Jim and gave him a thumbs-up sign. Jim nodded and moved his assault rifle over the top of the barrier. He pointed it toward the Cornerians sitting around the fire. Cody pointed his weapon at the soldier manning the tripod gun.
Jim counted with his fingers toward Cody, 1… 2… 3!
He pulled the trigger and 12.5 mm wide pieces of lead exploded from his weapon and sprayed like a water hose towards the enemy. Two of the soldiers were dead before they heard the first sound of fire.
Jim didn't look over at Cody. He just trusted that since heavy bolts of ammunition weren't being shot at him, that Cody had killed the Cornie.
Several seconds passed when some of the Cornerians finally got their heads together and realized they were being attacked. They grabbed their weapons and started to fire at Jim, too late for half of them.
Jim saw Cody in the corner of his eye stand up and start firing a continuous stream of bullets at the Cornerians.
"Cody!" Jim yelled.
He was drawing their fire away from Jim. Jim took this instant to throw one of his grenades at the Cornerians. In one blinding flash of light, the remaining five Cornerians were thrown to the ground and killed by one of Jim's bullets.
Jim and Cody regrouped at the Cornerian camp.
"Don't EVER do that again!" he said.
"I was drawing their fire. I figured you'd have an easier time-"
"I can handle myself. Thank you very much, I appreciate the effort, but right now is not the time for heroics."
"I'm sorry, Captain. Won't happen again."
"Better not." Jim said.
Jim ran to the back of the camp and grabbed two Cornerian bodies. He stripped them of ammunition and grenades and replenished his supply. He and Cody put all of the bodies back in the tents so as not to look conspicuous. He went into the barracks and found the blast door locked.
"Gorramit." He said.
"Here." Cody threw Jim a ring of keys he must have found hanging from the Commanding Officer's belt.
Jim caught the keys and quickly used each till he found the right one. Jim went into the barracks and found it stocked with high-powered explosives and enough weapons to arm another whole army.
"Hm… must be some kind of supply depot." Jim said.
He spotted a homing launcher instantaneously. Jim grabbed the launcher, found it empty and loaded it with three rockets. He grabbed a spare supply and then headed out the door.
"Rayn, how's everything?"
"We've been hiding from the Arwings. So far so good." He said.
"That's not exactly exciting news, but I guess it's good."
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------The Great Fox-B
ROB maneuvered the Great Fox to the surface of planet Macbeth and then landed it on the ground with pinpoint precision. Which was a good thing because anything less would have been a mistake on Falcin's part for not updating the android in the last two weeks. This would have caused some extreme tension between Captain McCloud and the programmer/mechanic because Michelle didn't exactly like a faulty robot.
Michelle preferred space rather than the groundside where you were slave to gravity, but at the same time relieved that you didn't have to depend on machines for air, mobility, and the gravity that was- at times- useful as much as Michelle hated to admit.
"Luke, how's things down there?" she said through the COM link.
"Just unloading the troops. Expect to be back in orbit in less than fifteen minutes."
"Copy." Michelle turned to Amber, "Check the war report."
Amber turned a video feed of a Confederate reporter reporting from the front lines of the Eastern Front.
"…Cornerian lines have been pushing back the Confederate infantry as far back as the Neime River and show no interest of slowing their advance. Of course, Confederate High Command is questioning whether the use to put all of their force on the Eastern Front is as wise as putting their forces on the Western Front. It's a debate that has split High Command."
Michelle waved it off. Amber obeyed.
This war had become more than a job. To her it had truly become a cause: a piece of her heart that truly shone for the good of the Lylat System. To fight against annihilation was one thing. To fight against tyranny was another.
StarFox had fought against total control and the fear that Andross would put into the hearts of people. Then again against the destruction of the Lylat System. And then one more time against total annihilation from the Aparoid Hordes.
They were StarFox II, with a new cause: Freedom.
Soon, the Great Fox was back where she belonged- in space. Kiara had rejoined the team on board.
"Kiara, what're you doing here?" Amber expected her to be helping the groundside campaign.
"It's getting hot up there. You guys are gonna need some close protection once things get hotter."
"Let's hope it doesn't come to that."
ROB turned the Fox around and before them laid the no-ship zone between the Cornerian ships and the Confederate ones. Trails of smoke, beams of light, explosions and dirigibles flooded the area to make a dangerous battlefield.
Michelle stared at the sight in horror.
"I don't think it can get any hotter." Max said.
"ROB," Michelle ordered, "get us back to Confederate lines. Pronto!"
"Roger roger." ROB started to maneuver the Fox back towards the Confederacy's brown cigar shaped vessels. Two Cornerian Enterprises followed them unseen from the scopes of Confederate ships.
"Warning… warning. Two Cornerian Enterprise Cruisers in pursuit.
Max checked the rear view of the Fox, "Why aren't they firing." He redirected the feed to Michelle.
"I don't know. Maybe they're trying to get through the Confederate lines without finding too much resistance."
"They use us as a shield." Amber said.
Michelle opened a COM link to Kiara and Luke, "Guys, get out there and help out."
"Michelle, what can two fighters do against two cruisers?" Kiara asked.
"I don't know, but that Arwing is modified and I'm assuming Luke's Wolfen is better than common ones."
"It's a hell of a lot better. Just follow me Kiara. Cover me, I'll take care of the Cornerians."
Michelle heard the sound of two star fighters exploding out of the hangar bay.