Through Unheard Eyes

Author's Note: Yeah, this story kind of ended up on a hiatus. Sorry, guys, just a bit hard for me to spread my focus over four stories. Still, I can try and wrap up some of them and proceed with my flagship project, Black Skies. And I know it's a bit short, just bear with me.
Chapter 2 Intercept Course
"Captain Alanaldo," said General Pepper in a warm tone. "Very good to see you."

"You as well, General," replied the captain in kind. "I assume you received our transmission?" At this, the old hound sighed.

"Yes, and a distress call besides that. However, we have more pressing concerns. The Lylat Network just went down, and I want to know why. I've dispatched Star Fox to investigate Katina, and my son, Therald to check the relays for the network. Until I get a report from him, our communications are permanently out."

"That is intriguing, sir," said Alanaldo, a hint of impatience coloring his voice. "However-"

"You," interrupted Pepper with practiced ease, "will be spearheading a counterattack on Fortuna." When Alanaldo's mouth flew open in shock, Pepper raised his hands. "This isn't a suicide mission or anything close to it. We believe that we have found a laser frequency from last time that will allow you to deal significant damage to the enemy."

"...when will we launch?" asked Alanaldo, regaining his composure. Pepper's reply floored him once more.

"Five hours."

"Five hours? To refit even two ships? That's absolutely impossible!"

"You are quite right. I have assigned you one-quarter of the fleet, and such a refit would take time we do not have. Instead, we have upgraded the weapons on four ships, not including your own. Keep these four close to you at all times. Surely, one like yourself will be able to put them to use."

Alanaldo was proud of this assignment, but he asked a question that was now burning at him. "Sir, I am a captain. I don't have the rank to command a squadron, let alone a quarter of the fleet."

Pepper merely raised an eyebrow. "You are being given a temporary command. Our other commanders are currently away on various other assignments, and your ship performed well at the last battle. That was a hard chase. Good luck...commodore."

"Rubbish!" said Revi. "Five effective ships against those monsters? They took out a fleet, for heaven's sake!"

"I know," said Alanaldo simply. "I'm not asking you to believe in this mission. Let's just go and see what we can smash."

"Sir, with all due respect, Revi has a point," said Lionel. "The other ships will only be an encumbrance. We'll have to protect them all from the enemy. I saw the reports from that last engagement seventeen years ago- they ripped through our shields. They didn't batter them down, they just shot right through!"

"That was seventeen years ago, I might remind you," said Kelmar. "The captain has a point. As long as we keep the other ships behind us and in a loose web, we can use long-distance fire to hold them at bay. Our weapons go further than theirs, in any case."

Revi lowered a stern glare at his brother. "I might remind you," he rumbled, "that I am the tactical officer, and you are the chief engineer!"

"And who would know our capabilities better?" shot back Kelmar, his lower chin jutting out. The two almost went to blows before the Verity shot forward under Alanaldo's touch, bringing both of them to their senses and their stations. And as loathe as he was to admit it, Alanaldo rather liked the sight of the other ships falling in behind him.

That optimism was gone when they neared Fortuna. Alanaldo had not liked admirals and generals much- they seemed to be so hesitant and unreliable. A captain had control over his ship, he'd reasoned, and he alone. But now, standing at the head of the formation and viewing the swarms of Aparoids around Fortuna, he was fast revising his opinion. Even more brave than the common serviceman, who's job was to lay his life down on the line for his country, was the admiral, who had to stay at the front of the charge, to lead when all was lost, to fight to the last alone. He swallowed nervously- a report from Revi brought him back from his thoughts.

"Sir, the fleet is formed up and our weapons are charged."

Alanaldo looked back at the main viewscreen, watching as the computer began picking out targets. Other cursers began to show up as the others chose their own choice shots. He nodded once. "Fire."

The Verity immediately heeled over as a series of streaming cells on the stern port canon array shorted out and exploded, sending shattered crystals and hull plating spinning off into the night. It was a highly undignified show, considering every other ship had opened up fire without event. Embarrassed, Kelmar quickly shuffled around for some time before he announced the Verity was ready to fire. Alanaldo did so, his yellow beams standing out against the sprays of blue and white.

At first, the Cornerians were doing most of the firing, shooting unopposed unto Fortuna's virgin surface. While many beams dissipated on the way through the atmosphere, a large portion still pierced through to rain down upon the great trees and canyons, carving great rifts and holes into the soil and trees, sparking fires and sending up great plumes of steam. There were several larger detonations from below that were originally assumed to be aparoids, succumbing to the intense laser fire. However, scans quickly revealed it was the remains of Andrew's base, itself falling to the waves of aparoids. With the last credible pocket of resistance finished, the machine-bugs turned their attention skyward and advanced as one.

"Sir, they're coming up now!" announced Revi.

"This is Commodore Alanaldo. All ships firing type one streaming cannons, train all arrays on a single target. All ships firing type two streaming cannons, target each array individually. Fire!"

The effect took some time in showing, but when it did, it was quite dramatic. While the aparoids shrugged off blows from even fully-trained array systems, the new plasma cannons caused them to simply disappear in a blaze of crystalline light. Gary was finding it quite beautiful, despite his reservations about fighting. This all vanished again when the lead aparoid struggled into range and fired a strange, almost liquid-like yellow beam of plasma at one of the modified ships. The blast grated against the shields briefly, then the finely-tuned defensive matrix broke apart. Almost instantly, the beam lanced through the hull plating and shot through to the other side. The stricken vessel immediately slurred out of formation, trailing huge clouds of plasma and broken plating. Smoke and fire poured from the gaping breaches on both side, and the cruiser struggled to get away for repairs when a second aparoid took a shot. The ship broke apart, its power core going critical seconds later. There was a massive flash of white light and an intense shockwave that jarred the fleet badly. Immediately reacting to the situation at hand, Revi trained the streaming arrays on the two aparoids and laced them to pieces.

Then another modified ship came apart, this one simply blown to pieces. Alanaldo scarcely had time to order the hull polarized when they came under attack, the eerie yellow light flooding onto the bridge. The shield matrix collapsed, and everyone braced for the coming explosion. That was never forthcoming, however. Kelmar quickly switched the viewscreen to an external camera, which showed massive ripples of energy rippling across the hull plating, the charged armor repelling the plasma. He looked at Alanaldo in amazement and delight before an incessant whine came up. An energy overload. Revi didn't bother to wait for Alanaldo's order, shunting the excess power to the weapons. This massive surge broke past the regulators that would normally fire the weapons only on command. Massive showers of sparks flew across broken circuits awaiting the command to fire. The targeting systems were just barely operational when the cells opened up, emitting beams of plasma too intense to look at. Every ship in the fleet stopped firing to witness the awe-inspiring scene. These powerful beams simply ripped apart the aparoids. Alanaldo and Revi were working together to make the most of this unexpected power source, turning the ship and the barely-operational targeting system to inflict horrible carnage on the enemy. The crystalline explosions of the aparoids seemed to fill the blackness for miles. Then, finally, the beams began to flicker and died out. The ones that hit Fortuna refracted upon entering the atmosphere, and the damage dispersal was great, but not catastrophic. Then, rumbles ran through the ships as relays blew out everywhere. Almost every streaming cell on the ship blew out simultaneously, and when the explosions stopped, only two arrays were functional, each with only several cells that were barely clinging to life. Alanaldo fired one of these dubious arrays, and it shot a weak beam that intensified briefly before it too overloaded. Kelmar disappeared almost immediately, taking advantage of the apparent lull in the battle.

"Captain," he said sometime later on a personal communicator. "I'm in the engine room, sir. If we want to do anything, do it slowly! I don't think our power relays can take much more than...well, anything. We're done here."

Still it had come at a fairly good time. The remaining two ships with the upgraded weaponry soon managed to break apart the other aparoids with help from the fleet, but when the battle was over and the foe was in full retreat, the picture was grim. Out of about fifty ships, eight had been destroyed, including two of the valuable type two carrying ships, and eighteen more were in need of serious repairs. Two, like the Verity, were in critical condition, and most of the other ships had come out with light battle damage. It was a long haul back to Corneria- but it was a triumphant one.