Beltenio Warp Gate Station

Planetary Station Orbit / Cornaria / Lylat System

1316 Hours

"Looks like it's going to be a quiet shift after all." Falco commented as he glanced down at his scanner. "We've just been sitting out here for hours Fox, and nothing's happened."

"That's about to change Falco," Slippy announced, "My dad just told me that they're about to replace the gate's focusing lens. That means they have to expose the station's core. The perfect chance to launch a surprise attack."

"Slippy's right." Fox agreed, "If there was an opportune moment to destroy the station this is it, keep you heads on a swivel and check your scanners."

Krystal silently nodded, before closing her eyes and reaching out with her telepathic abilities. Her telepathic talents had made her a powerful addition to the team, allowing her to learn the skills needed to pilot the Arwing in a matter of days instead of years. It was also useful in detecting hidden enemies, they had means to hide from scanners and the naked eye, but were unable to hide their thought patterns from her. A fact that had saved her and the other pilots from ambushes several times.

That was when she felt new thought patterns, Smug, cunning, and egotistical. And no it wasn't Falco, he might still act like a cocky hot shot, but had actually mellowed out since she met him. This was someone else.

"Fox! I'm sensing someone close by to our front. Can you see anything?" Krystal reported as she opened her eyes and looked in the direction of where the thought patterns originated.

Fox replied with a volley of Blaster fire, the green laser bolts sped off until they impacted a Venomarian Stealth fighter, dropping it's cloak.

"Good work Krystal!" Fox congratulated, "All units guarding the Warp Station! Enemy stealth fighters engaged on the port side, watch out for missiles!"

"Enemy fighters are attacking the Starboard side too! We're being flanked!" Another pilot franticly reported over the sound of blaster fire as the area around the station erupted into chaos.

The first wave were the stealth fighters, then the fighters, both drone and piloted, and finally larger ships warping into the security perimeter and opening fire.

"I got a clean window on four battleships! Cover me Slippy." Falco requested as he banked towards the enemy ships, blasters firing at the engines.

"Working on it!" Slippy reported as he rolled away from incoming fire, watching as four enemy fighters appeared in his rear view mirror. "But I got some unwanted company, give me a second to get rid of them!"

The ace pilot pulled up a little before engaging the brakes, letting all four enemies chasing him pass underneath him before shooting them all down. He wasn't going to have an entire flight on his tail this time.

"Watch it! Copperheads just warped in. They're heading for the station!" Another pilot warned as three squadrons of Cornerian fighters broke off to intercept the missiles and their fighter escort.

"Falco, bank right and make a run for the missile. Krystal you attack from above, I'll take the last one." Fox coordinated his team as the Arwings began to fire on the Copperheads. The Remanent were really throwing everything short of the kitchen sink into this attack, but if they succeeded, the rewards would be more than worth it.

Falco made the first move, diving in from the right he began firing a powerful volley of laser fire, detonating the Copperhead's war head out of range of the station. The bird grinned until laser bolts impacted on his wing and nose, alerting him to the fighters behind him.

"Oh, Buzz off." Falco sneered as he rolled and banked to evade the incoming fire, but his pursuers refused to lose him, eventually landing some solid hits on his Arwing. It wasn't until a pink and white fighter downed the trailers that Falco was clear.

"Katt?!" Falco exclaimed forgetting that they weren't on the same channel. "Okay, that's embarrassing."

Krystal shook her head to avoid the snarky comment she was about to make as pulled the trigger, the missile filling her gunsights. Running out of room she engaged the brakes, bringing the Arwing to a complete stop to avoid over shooting the missile, as her lasers began to chew threw the outer armor.

Fox's warning was too late, Krystal was so focused on her missile she was oblivious to the debris hurling in her direction until it entered the corner of her eye. Without time to respond she could only watch as the wreckage impacted her Arwing, destroying her starboard G diffusers and wing, sending her drifting helplessly and out cold.

"Station's hit! The Station is Hit! Reactor is overloading!" Someone yelled over the radio as part of the station began to crackle and surge with energy.

"Quick bypass the safety protocols! Open the gate! We need to use up that energy or the Reactor will meltdown and cover half of the planet with nuclear fallout!" Beltino frantically ordered over the radio," Someone get down there and engage the emergency regulators!"

"Sir! What should be the gate exit coordinates!" Someone asked.

"I don't care! We need to use up that energy NOW!" Beltino ordered.

The battle outside continued as the station began to create the Warp Gate, Normally the gate had a calm almost water like appearance like a still pond. But when the energy is so unstable it turns into a storming whirlpool, a bottomless vortex releasing bolts of energy that disintegrated entire squadrons.

The Remanent took it as their cue to cut their losses and run, to them this station was about to blow. But the engineers onboard the station were not so quick to give up, Alarms blared and red warning flashed everywhere, energy crackling across the consoles, destroying controls in a shower of sparks.

And worse, a half destroyed Arwing was being drawn in by the violent vortex. But just when it looked like the Arwing would have been destroyed the vortex ceased and resumed it's normal appearance. The Gate was stable and safe, the station was saved. Almost everyone gave a sigh of relief as the disaster was averted despite the lawless scum's best efforts. Almost everyone, except Fox who watched his team mate in a damaged ship, drift through the Warp Gate to who knows where.

He had to save her. . .

National Forest

USA / Earth / Sol system

2113 Hours

Kyle was coming home from work at the museum when he saw something penetrate the Atmosphere, and kept falling. He pulled over and got out to watch the meteor plummet, landing somewhere in the forest up ahead.

"Looked like it hit near Grave Lake," Kyle thought outloud. "Guess I better make sure it doesn't start a forest fire or something. That would be bad given the heatwave right now." Kyle reasoned as he restarted his truck and made a turn onto a dirt road.

When he finally made it to Grave Lake, and his headlights showed the crashed object Kyle was stunned for a minute. Whatever fell through the atmosphere and landed in the lake wasn't natural, it seemed familiar but from where? At the moment all he could recall is that they were manned.

And that meant someone was in the middle of Grave Lake, he had to act fast.

Leaving the truck idling for light, he ran over to some bushes by the shore and pulled out an aluminum boat with a small engine and a winch connected to a nearby tree. It took a little persuasion to get the engine working, but Kyle was able to get the boat next to the crashed whatever.

The moment he saw the red winged fox painted on the side, Kyle froze. It was an Arwing. Half of his mind simply just said "What the Heck?" The other said "No greater prize, than saving Lives." In the end he went with the instinct of helping those in need, climbing on top of the starfighter looking for an emergency cockpit release, surely whatever requirements were necessary for building these things an emergency override was one of them?

He finally found it, unmarked, but was able to use it since the canopy opened with the typical hiss, revealing the anthropomorphic pilot inside. Again he wanted step back and stare, but he kept up his rescue despite his hesitation. He reached in and grabbed her by the shoulders, picking her up and out of the cockpit noting to himself that there was a cut on her arm before laying her down in the boat before taking another look in the cockpit.

Kyle heard a massive bubble pop on the lake's surface before the entire Arwing shifted and began to slowly sink, it was called Grave Lake for a good reason. Regaining his balance, Kyle reached into the Cockpit quick, and grabbed the first loose thing he could: Krystal's staff.

Deciding he had gambled enough, Kyle tossed the golden weapon into the boat and jumped in after it, immediately beginning the winch. The winch pulled the boat far enough away from the sinking Arwing, and straight to the shore.

Next Kyle went back to his truck and grabbed his hiking backpack, opening it and pulling out his first aid kit. He might not be an expert in anthro fox anatomy but he was certain he was qualified enough to clean and dress the wound on her arm. Guess those two different first aid courses and EMT training really paid off.

Once the cut was dressed and taken care of, Kyle glanced at the rapidly sinking Arwing, it would be buried under the lake's quicksand like floor in less than an hour, leaving no evidence it ever happened.

Sighing he picked up Krystal's body and put her in his truck's passenger seat before throwing his backpack and her staff in the back seat. Taking another quick glance at the Arwing, only seeing the tip of the wing sticking out before shifting into reverse.

"This is going to be oh so fun," Kyle sarcastically sighed as he drove for home, every now and again glancing at the unconscious fox next to him.

What next? Mr. Monkey head and hands is going to show up? Here's hoping. . .

Chapter was longer then I anticipated so I won't go into detail on OCs, I'll do it when it's time, not before.