Chapter 9: The storm
Rhys donned his helmet and climbed into the cockpit of his bomber he saw Falco and Slippy climb into their Ar-Wings. He steeled himself for the battle ahead he prepared for certain death. The battle fleet dropped out of warp over the aparoid home world and there was nothing there except debris, "What the hell is going here?" Rhys called out
Falco shook his head looking out his viewport he'd taken off already so had Rhys, Slippy wasn't far behind, "I don't know Rhys the entire aparoid fleet can't just vanish like this." Falco let two and two go together, "Raynor! Set a course for home NOW! The aparoids are gonna attack it."
Raynor sat in bewilderment he wasn't gonna question Falco at this time, "Dyson you heard the man get us the hell out of here now."
Dyson nodded and turned the fleet around and headed for Corneria, one advantage the Cornerians had over the aparoids was their hyper drive was far superior to theirs.
Falco landed on the Magnificent Slippy and Rhys followed behind him, the fleet began powering their engines and set course for Corneria knowing that all hell awaited them…
Krystal and Titan stood aboard the bridge of the flagship in warp drive every moment aching on them a desperate gamble to gain victory against Corneria. The aparoid warriors were tense and worried as worried as their mentally lacking species could be. And alas the aparoid fleet dropped out of warp and the blue Corneria sat out in front of them nothing sitting in the space above it not even an automated weapons platform stood in their path. Krystal gave the order to deploy all landing groups against the planet.
Thousands of aparoids began their descent to the surface of Corneria and thousands more followed behind them, and thousands of fighters flew with them. As they broke the atmosphere the fighters began slaughtering all in their path murdering innocents and destroying buildings and all that resisted. Titan let a smile take his face pleased at the destruction before him his great plan was succeeding soon Corneria would be theirs.
Fox sat in the holding cell hearing the sounds of war below him he knew what was happening he searched desperately for something around him he could use to kill or at least break free of his guards the only things standing between him and freedom. He found nothing but desperate times called for desperate measures he clenched his fists and attacked the aparoid guard there was only one the others had been called to battle. He threw a hard punch to the lower vertebra and a kick to its leg. The insect-like monster howled in pain and retaliated with a swipe of its claws Fox evaded. He ripped a chuck of the chitin plating on the hide of the creature off.
He took this chunk it was luckily pointed on one end he drove it into the spine of the monster driving it in deep and twisting it hard, blue blood squirted out of the monster and it fell dead releasing a weak squeal. Fox let a sigh of release adrenaline was rushing through his body his heart was pounding insanely. He used the carved piece if hide he had to cut out the aparoid's energy cannon, he grasped the maw like cannon and ran down the corridor of the aparoid vessel there were few guards remaining. There were more casualties than anticipated by aparoids and therefore more fighters were needed to win.
Fox made it to the bridge of the ship cannon in hand and the blade in the other he spied Krystal and someone else on the bridge he hadn't seen before but he knew that must've been the person responsible for all this. There was no one guarding them Fox felt his hand tightening grip on the cannon he aimed it at the unknown figure's head he squeezed the cannon and a shot rang out on the bridge.
The shot hit its mark right smack in the back of the head of the figure; he was unfazed and lazily turned around he laughed at Fox, "So this is all you have to use against me, the weapon of one of my servants?" He paused "Ha! You are pathetic." He raised out his hand and Fox felt a gushing wind hit him in his stomach hard like a brick had been thrown at him. It knocked him off of his feet, Fox looked up at the being who had done this to him.
"I will kill you before you take Corneria." Fox growled, Titan remained unfazed looking down at Fox who was seething with rage he smiled at him.
"You will die." Titan said coldly holding his hand out energy swarming around it, when the ship rocked to it's side everyone fell to the ground. Titan looked out the of the viewport of his ship and saw the Cornerian fleet appearing in the midst of his, the Cornerian ships began firing at an amazing rate he lost several cruisers in the opening broadside. "What is going on?" Titan began issuing telepathic orders to his forces Return to your ships and attack the Cornerian fleet.
"Still think I'm gonna die?" Fox scoffed, he jumped up and thrust the jagged piece of aparoid hide into the neck of Titan and twisted it harshly. "How's this feel?" Fox threw a kick into Titan's knee.
Titan winced but threw his hand up quickly and yanked Fox off of his neck and threw him across the room, he pulled the piece of hide out of his neck, "It feels slightly ticklish." Titan replied
Fox hit the wall hard and felt his ribs cracking and his flesh bruising, he staggered to his feet blood dripping from his forehead, he held his ribs and stared down Titan. Fox spied the cannon lying on the floor of the bridge; he dove for it and grasped it quickly. He squeezed off four rounds all directed at Titan's now almost healed wound, even though the wound healed Fox felt confident he learned that his foe could be hurt and if he could be hurt he could be killed. The rounds hit Titan and the wound became bigger and the flesh looked charred blood began trickling slowly from it. Fox fired dozens more rounds at Titan who sat there smiling as each bolt hit him in the neck. "Is that all you've got Mcloud?" Titan mocked
"I don't know is it?" Fox jumped up, he ignored the searing pain from his ribs that were hurting terribly. He looked around the bridge looking for something to win this fight he saw Krystal, "Krystal, please help me..." Fox pleaded, while keeping a sharp eye on Titan.
Krystal chuckled mockingly, "Please…I will not save you, only you can save yourself now, just join us become perfection. But I know you will not you are most resilient to anything you find wrong…So alas you will most likely die…" Krystal responded.
Fox's facial expression changed from that of a fighting look, to one of a desperate warrior he realized he had two choices join them or die. He though that maybe he could resist their control and kill them when their backs were turned. But he knew better, Krystal knew better and he was left with one choice go down fighting. He would try one last time to reason his way out of the situation, "Look we all know no one is getting off of this ship alive! The entire Cornerian fleet is pounding away at yours what do you think will happen when they're done with your cruisers? Your ship is next we can both leave here alive, Krystal help me kill him and we can leave I can help you become what you were and rid your body and mind of the foul infestation that has overcome you."
Krystal shook her head, "You don't understand it do you Fox? I don't want to be normal again I don't want to help you and we will not die this day."
Titan smiled, "You see pathetical one? You are doomed and we are not, the Cornerian fleet has no knowledge of my existence or of my servant's we will crush your fleet before it comes anywhere near my ship."
Krystal glared at Titan behind his back, Servant? We shall who is the servant, I am your equal. Well not anymore… Krystal dashed forward a blade extended from her hand it glowed bright with sparkling energy; she stabbed Titan strait through the heart twisting and pulsing energy through his body. Fox stared into the increasingly lifeless eyes of the malevolent Titan, blood began pouring from his eyes, mouth and nose Titan fell dead and Krystal stood over him, "Who's the servant now?" Krystal remarked mockingly, she turned her head to Fox who was standing several feet away. "Do not think I have done this for you…Your death will be swift…But first you may watch everything you hold dear is destroyed." Krystal walked off the bridge and doors hissed behind her and locked aparoids crawled down from hatchers on the ceiling and stood over Fox menacingly.
Fox sat looking out the viewport of the bridge watching the ensuing melee fighters and battleships exploding Corneria was winning it seemed the Balistner was destroying aparoid cruisers one after another. Fox knew though deep inside something was about to go terribly wrong as he heard the airlock open and saw Krystal step out into space. He saw her hand stretched out energy swarming around her palm a dark black cloud began to form it began pulsing with blue waves, then it all burst forward in one massive beam tearing through space and time and strait into the Balistner in moments it ceased to be. Fox went pale, he saw as Krystal's rampage continued.
Krystal stretched her hand out again and the energy began swirling once more however it looked different now it pulsed more frequently than it had before it began to pull in what looked like fighters to her grip. It was three Ar-wings all bearing the markings of the star fox team, Fox looked on horror struck as Krystal pulled his friends into some kind of a vortex. Suddenly they stopped moving closer to Krystal they were suspended still Krystal landed on the airlock doors the Ar-wings still suspended their cockpits began to open slowly and three people were pulled out of them each encased in an energy field. Krystal pulled them into the airlock and on to the ship, Fox heard the doors behind him open he turned quickly.
Krystal walked onto the bridge, Falco, Slippy and Rhys all being suspended in midair behind her all unconscious, "Let them go Krystal now! Or I will kill you where you stand!" Fox growled seething with an indescribable fury he felt his blood heating almost and his fists harden adrenaline pumped faster and faster.
"Now how do you plan to do that? You saw what I did Mcloud your fleet will fail and you will watch your friends die." Krystal let her captives down and they fell out in front of Fox still unconscious. Fox's mind began to race with thoughts of vengeance against Krystal the woman he'd loved was gone now all that remained was a homicidal beast who sought only to destroy freedom and everything else she could find. He lashed out at her throwing his fist into her face as hard as he could surprisingly he felt her skin give to his punch, Krystal stood shocked that she could be hurt by this puny creature.
"You're getting weaker…This should be fun." Fox kicked her in the stomach during her surprise he picked up the piece of aparoid hide that Titan had knocked form his hand it landed near where he was. He took it and drove it into Krystal's chest blood began pouring from the wound.
Krystal gasped in pain and fell to her knees, she focused herself and gathered energy from the aparoids standing around Fox and healed herself, "I will kill you Fox, I didn't want to do this…" Krystal extended the wings that had folded tightly below her shoulders, the same black field that she generated before destroying the Balistner it began to engulf Fox and the bridge.
Falco began to wake up his eyes slowly opening he looked up and saw the outline of what looked like Fox he called out, "Fox is that you?" He had no answer, finally his eyes adjusted to the low light level onboard the aparoid ship he saw Krystal standing with a black energy starting to overtake Fox. He acted purely on instinct and dove into Krystal bringing her down to the ground he didn't recognize her, he slammed his fist into the abomination's face. He quickly backed off and stood up beside Fox he had looked better. "What the hell is going on?" Falco asked overtaken by adrenaline.
"I don't know anymore…" Fox replied, "I was flying my Ar-wing into the aparoid fleet I killed several fighters. Then I was in the prison cell aboard this ship then I learned that Krystal was still alive only she'd been turned into that abomination!" fox pointed to Krystal who looked unconscious.
Falco nearly fell to the ground, "Wait you mean that is….Krystal?"
Fox found himself choked he couldn't bare it all anymore, "Yeah." He paused, "Let's finish this hand me your blaster." Fox asked
Falco didn't give it to him, "You're not going to kill her are you? We've saved aparoid victims before."
"Damnit Falco she's not an ordinary infection victim, she destroyed the Balistner with her hand! And dragged your Ar-wing in the middle of combat into this ship! So give me the damn blaster!" Fox shouted
Falco shook his head in disbelief, "It doesn't mean we can't save her! Fox you loved her once! Think man! Do you want to kill your own wife because you have no hope left?"
Fox turned his head away from Falco and stared at Krystal, "If you loved her you would understand…Would you let someone you loved live under the control of the aparoids? She would rather be dead than live like this and you know it!"
"It doesn't matter anymore what anyone wants Fox, right now is the time to make a decision and we have to make it soon if we keep her alive we can bring down the aparoid fleet and stop this madness. Otherwise everyone who's died in this war will have died in vain." Falco replied
Fox breathed heavily his fists clenched his heart racing and he knew Falco was right a tear left his eye and his heart slowed down his blood cooled. "So be it…"
Krystal opened her eyes and lunged herself at Falco throwing her fist into his face slamming him to the ground, she kicked Fox in the knee bringing him to the ground and she extended blades from her hands again she drove one into Fox's leg and the other into his shoulder electricity began flowing through both. Fox began convulse, Falco regained himself and pulled out his blaster and fired several rounds into Krystal they harmlessly bounced off of her he then threw himself onto her and began pounding his fist into her head beating furiously harder and harder.
Krystal kicked Falco off of her and pulled the blades out of Fox, she turned and threw Fox at Falco Fox was bleeding from most areas of his body several bones were now broken and he passed out upon hitting Falco. Falco reeling from the blow of Fox's head to his stood up managed to fire several more blaster rounds at Krystal's head they did nothing.
Capt. Raynor ducked as shards of metal passed over his head, the battle with the aparoids wasn't going well, he looked out the viewport on the bridge battleships we strewn all over the orbit of Corneria. "Dyson target all guns on aparoid flagship we may never get another shot like this one!"
Dyson without thinking set all guns to fire on the aparoid flagship all the gun batteries began roaring and plasma began pouring out from the cannons each round piercing the hull of the vessel damaging it more and more. Raynor commanded all remaining ships of his fleet in the immediate area to bombard the flagship, chunks of it began breaking off and fires started on most decks. The aparoid ship exploded and everything onboard there was nothing left, "Captain I'm detecting strange energy readings from the aparoid ship! They're similar to those generated by the energy wave that destroyed the Balistner."
"Dyson fire all guns on the energy source now! Instruct all other available ships to commence firing on that energy field as well!" Raynor searched the debris field with his eyes looking for anything, "There! I see something!" Raynor cried
Dyson looked up in time to see an expanding energy field it was black like all the other ones, the combine firepower of the entire fleet could not stop it. It stopped expanding and descended down to the surface of Corneria. The end was near…