Through Unheard Eyes
Author's Note: This story is being written at the same time as Defiance for a reason- not to give me a wider base to write on through blocks, but to reintroduce the characters of Defiance, who are the same as they are here. This takes place during the main timeline, during the Aparoid War. The pre-upgrade CSS Verity is the focal point of the story, with Captain Alanaldo, Kelmar, Revi, Gary, Lionel, and the rest of the otter crew. This is a story of the war beyond the war that Star Fox fought, the war that caused the destruction of Corneria, Katina, and Sauria.
Enough of that, there are some various fights on other planets to expand the war a bit. And with that, it's to the Verity, and to the unheard chapter of the war.
Chapter 1 Stormy Skies
"Captain, the admiral is signaling to begin the attack." said an otter, watching the tabletop closely. This was actually a screen that displayed a strategic map, and the blue dot at the front of the line was very clearly moving forwards, at the same time flashing red to indicate a communication. A second otter tapped this and listened to the customary pep speech before he turned to the helm.
"Merriam, take us out at three-quarters speed." The ship shook briefly as it accelerated forwards. "Revi?"
"All systems are online." asserted the otter. Captain Alanaldo nodded. He turned to the main viewscreen, watching the lead ship intently. There was a flash of white.
"Open fire!" he rapped out. The long banks of weapon cells fired bluish-white plasma streams out into space. The first salvo missed, as well as the second. The third rained against one enemy cruiser's shields to no effect. The fourth salvo brought about the destruction of the cruiser in a flash of light and a 'silent boom,' warship slang for the shockwave produced by an exploding ship. The ship trembled, and then rode the wave, bucking up and slicing through. Revi turned back to his console.
"Shields are at 98 percent. All systems are still online."
"We haven't even been hit yet." remarked Kelmar dryly. "Makes my life easier." Alanaldo saw the distant flashes of Oikonny's guns, and also saw the streaks of red fire coming at them. Striding to the helm, he seized it and turned the ship hard over, rolling in place to avoid two of these laser beams.
"Then hope your luck holds," Alanaldo remarked to the mechanic, Kelmar. "I don't want to be hit either." The ship then shook as a red beam struck it. The ship continued on as Revi called out the shield factor- holding steady at 89 percent.
The battle raged on, casualties mounting on both sides from injury and death. Yet the Cornerians had no lost a single ship, and the enemy lines were wavering. It was then that Fleet Admiral Griper made his order.
"All ships- battle formation 'V!' Break through the center!" The ships spiraled up into a complex formation, and then jetted ahead as a single body. Cruiser after cruiser blew up under the furious onslaught until a padre of stealth ships dropped into sight with a barrage of missiles that slowed the advance.
The Verity had been narrowly missed twice and hit once, the ship bucking as it was hit. Still, she kept her place in line and fired all the while. The advance then began to break apart with the second volley, and exchanges about the surprising strength of the counterattack were exchanged until an electrifying report shot through every ship.
"Detecting a warp signature outside the combat zone." Silence as a portal opened and a great ship cruised out slowly. "Great Fox? Command! It's the Star Fox team!"
There was a brief lull in the fighting where not a shot was fired. Every sailor watched the Great Fox intently. Then came the moment that was anticipated and dreaded by the opposing sides- four sleek ships were fired from the dreadnought, a purple trail marking the passage of each one. Then they swooped into combat formation and all hell opened up.
Nimbly making their way through fire, Star Fox closed on Oikonny's fleet, ignoring the ships too large for their weapons and engaging those that were prey. No ship that came under the foursome's lasers survived. One Arwing was chased by a triad ship with the distinctive three Gravity Blades, but the lead ship took it out with a well placed volley. The Arwings jinked and darted between the cannon fire until they closed upon the enemy flagship. Every man expected a great explosion- it was not forthcoming. Many small silent booms wracked their ships as stealth fighters and their missile payloads detonated, but the great explosion did not come. The flagship escaped into the Fourtunan atmosphere. The rest of Oikonny's fleet scattered, leaderless. There was disappointment until a new signal came from the admiral- that for a general chase. The Cornerians broke formation and scattered in every direction, hot-blooded and eager to dispatch the remaining ships.
The Verity's chase had taken her to the orbit of Katina, and there she opened up with her streaming cannons. The heavy cruiser before it turned for its final fight, but before it had time to so much as fire a shot, one stream nailed the hull plating about its reactor, piercing shields and armor to ignite the reactants within. The ship vaporized almost instantly with little debris left. Alanaldo turned to thank his men when Gary frowned and pointed at the screen behind him. The captain turned and looked at the screen, until he found what Gary was looking at. Lionel enlarged it on the screen.
It was an inky black cloud of smoke, spreading across the location where Katina Base Three was located. The ship shook suddenly and Lionel glanced at his screen quickly. "Shields are dropping near the engines. Whatever is causing it is coming from Katina."
"Get us out of here." ordered Alanaldo quickly, and the ship heeled over in a banking turn, but not before the light indicating an SOS signal turned on with a green glow. The ship turned to Corneria and disappeared into the void, leaving the smoke to spread over Katina.