Ch14 Trail of Blood
Kew city 19.8 ABY Imperial Forward Operations Base then next day.
After three days of fighting the Imperial Army has quelled the last pockets of resistance on Kew and Papetoon. The planets were under full Imperial control. They were ready to move on. Inside the FOB comm room General Fett updates DeGuale on his progress.
"Admiral DeGuale, I have successfully taken Kew and Papetoon, and have established a garrison. Casulties were minor, I'm ready to move into Lylats cental territories sir."
"Good work Jadex. Begin your assault we ever your ready."
"Yes sir. I may need additional troops though. My scouts have informed me that nearly a third of the Cornerian Navy has stationed intself around Macbeth. Just to be the safe side, do you have any extra forces you could spare sir?"
"Well right now most of our forces are split up combating the Republic, but I might be able to get you an additional ten ships."
"That will do sir. How is the Republic campaign going Sir?"
"For the most part rather well. Our forces have taken the wookie world Alaris Prime, and we restablished our mining facilites on Jabiim. However some group of X-wings have been causing alot problems for us."
"The same ones that hit Kuat sir?"
"I believe so Jadex."
"If there is nothing more you need from sir, I'll move my forces this evening sir."
"Good, keep me updated. Show them the true meaning of war. DeGuale out"
Jadex thens leaves the comm room to inform his XO of their current obejectives.
"Commander Dellis." Jadex says
"Yes sir?"
"Prepare your forces to move to Macbeth. Keep a sufficent amount of troops here and at Papetoon, and have the rest of our forces ready to moblize for Macbeth by evening, get moving."
"With pleasure sir."
Cornerian orbiatl docks nine hours later.
The repairs on GreatFox were coming along nicely now that they had a maintenance team onboard. Their expecting the ship to be fully operation in a matter of weeks.
"Hey Katt." Krystal asks
"Whats up Krys?"
"Hows the repairs to my new fighter coming, With this new enemy I would kinda like to use it on the?"
"Well Krys since Slippy used scavenged part to build it plus never finishing it in the first place, it might be awhile before its ready."
"I see."
"So where's Fox at. I could use his help."
"You Katt I'm sure, I'll ask Bill he may know." Krystal walks across the hanger and finds Bill working on his Arwing.
"Whats up Krystal?" Bill asks.
"Have you seen Fox at all today, Katt needs his help."
"Yeah Fox has been in on the bridge all day studying those combat tapes."
"Thanks Bill." She then walks out of the hanger to the bridge.
Inside the bridge Fox quietly watches the battle footage. He's been watching the footage since early this morning. This new enemy ingtrigues him. This new enemy makes the venomain army look like a group of protestors. Many questions went through his mind as he watched, who are they, where are they from, why are they here, do they have more forces in other places in the galaxy, and will we be able to stop them. As Fox continued to watch he felt a familiar touch on his shoulder.
"Hey Krys whats up."
She leans in and kisses him on the cheek.
"Katt is looking for you agian. Bill said you been watching these tapes all day Fox."
"Yeah I have been, I want to know my enemy. I'm facsinated by them yet rather concerned at the same time. Their hardware and equipment is amazing. I've never seen such machines before. I can tell their troops are very well trained, probably better than most of our troops. Andross's army and the Aparoids are nothing compared to these guys. I'm not going to lie, I'm alittle worried about this one."
Krystal then hugs him."Were going to make it through this Fox you'll."
"I hope so."
As the two started to walk out, Fox's PDA goes off.
"This is Fox go ahead."
"Fox this Peppy we have a situation, report to my office in thrity minutes. Hurry."
"Roger that Fox out."
"Fox what dou you think is happening?"
"Nothing good I'm sure. Lets get the others and head to hanger."
Cornerian High Command thirty five minutes later.
Fox and his team rush to the Generals office. Fox tying to catch his breath approaches Peppy.
"We got here as soon as could General, whats going on sir?"
"We got word from the Pleiades class blattle cruiser Nommad, that there task force has been attacked just outside Titania. It looks like their heading for Macbeth."
"Any casualties sir?"
"Two Valkyries and about fifteen fighter were destroyed in the attack, the rest of fleet managed to get to Macbeth."
"Did are forces manage to do anything to them?"
"Very little I'm afraid. In a brave attempt Major Fay flew up and destroyed one of the globes on an enemy battlships bridge, she was shot down shorty after. I'm sorry."
There was breif moment of silence. Katt especially took the loss rather hard.
"How long before they reach Macbeth sir?"
"Their traveling at sublight speed so two mabey three hours, can you get there in time Fox?"
"Well GreatFox is still not quite ready for combat, if you can get us on another vessel we should be get there in no time."
"Thats doable I'm sending the elemets of the CDF fleet to reinforce Macbeth, so I'll assign you to the task force flagship the Pleiades Tropic Thunder. The Tropic Thunder is in orbit right now, you'll be able to get to her easily. Keep in close contact with me, and be careful."
The team salutes the general and hurries out and heads to the hanger. As they got to the hanger Katt was alittle hesitant to board. Fox notices and walks up to her see if she's alright.
"You alright Katt, if this is about Fay, I understand, we all feel bad for her?"
"I'll be fine Fox, we need get going."
"Ok Katt." He then boards his Arwing and flies off with others.
Cornerian starfleet in orbit of Macbeth two hours later.
Inside the armada flagship Templar they patiently wait for the Imperials to arrive.
"Admiral we have incoming." The Templar's Captain yells.
"Just in time, signal the fleet, general quarters, scramble all fighters. Alert our forces down at the surface to prepare for ground assualt."
"Aye sir."
"When are our reinforcments going arrive Captain?"
"They should be here within a half hour sir."
"Lets just hope we last until then."
The Admiral peers outside towards his opponets just as they get into visual range.
Barley in range the Imperial fleet begins to fire their heavy batteries at the Cornerians. The Imperials quickly close in on the Cornerian fleet. The Cornerian fleet moves into formation fires back at their enemy.
Inside the Devastator II
On the bridge of the Devastator Jadex studies the Cornerian fleet, when Commander Dellis approaches.
"General we are in attack range now sir."
"Good split up their fleet to make a clear path for the assault ships. Then begin landing your troops Commander. Send every combat ready troop we have down there."
"Yes sir."
The Imperial fleet batters the Cornerian battle group. The Devastators heavy guns broadside a Valkyrie, and quickly destroys it. The Devastator then fires a volley of torpedos at a Cornerian Assault Carrier, blowing a large hole on the side of its thin hull.
Cornerian fighter pilots didn't know what to make of the swarms of Tie fighters. Their numbers are seemingly endless. They were grossly out gunned and numbered. Several were shot down shortly into the battle. TIE Bombers set their sights on Cornerian battle cruisers and carriers, damaging several with their missiles.
"General Fett we have scanners indicate that a taskforce of twelve Cornerian ships have came out hyperspace."
"Very well Commander more prey for us to kill."
"Indeed sir."
On board the Tropic Thunder Fox and his team rush to their fighters. As the five board their craft Fox gives the go ahead to launch. The team and the Tropic Thunders compliment of fighters all screech out hanger into the heart of the battle.
"This Fox, all craft report."
"Falco here, Lets just do this."
"Krystal here I'm ready."
"Bill here, I'm ready to rock."
"Katt here, Its pay back time."
"Ok team lets give them Hell."
As the team soar towards the fleet a nest of Tie fighters engulf the group of reinforcments.
"My God their everywhere." Krystal says
"Theirs gotta be damn near a thousand of them." Bill points out.
Katt breaks formation and chases down a the first Tie fighter she could see.
"This is for Fay you PIECE OF SHIT." Out of rage she blasts the Tie fighter. Little did she relise that two of its wingmen slipped in behind her.
"Katt you picked two up watch it." warned Krystal.
"Hange tight Katt I'm on the way."Fox then hits his boosters and moves towards Katt. Once he gets his sights on them he fires his cannons and kills both of them.
"You all right Katt?"
"I'm fine, thanks Fox."
The battle rages on, as the team flies towards the enemy fleet they see a Pleiades battle cruiser and another Valkyrie get destroyed by a pair of Stardestroyers. The Cornerian defense line was breaking rather fast. Falco then takes his Skyclaw and dives down and blasts a pair of bombers. Fox and Krystal each launch a nova bomb at a Stardestroyer. The blast did a fair amount of damage to its hull.
"Man do those things have alot of armor! Its still moving forward."
"I know Fox, all the ships we fought in the past wouldn't have survived that."
Bill then flies over the hull of another Stardestroyer and launches a bomb at heavy guns. The blast destoys three out the four heavy batteries.
"How do stop these things. I mean they just won't give." Bill said.
"I don't know Bill. These guys are somthing else." With that said Fox slips behind a trio of Tie Interceptors and blasts them.
Inside the Devastator II.
"General the Acclamators are in position for ground assault."
"Good postion nearbye Stardestroyers to protect the assault ships. Deploy all ground forces immediatlty. See to it personnelly Commander."
"Yes sir."
Outside thousands of gunships and dropship depart the assault ships and head down to the surface. Cornerian pilots did what they could slow them down, but with their sheer numbers, they couldn't do much to stop the invasion. Fox managed to shoot down two gunships and a dropship, and Katt made a brave move by launching a bomb inside the hanger of an Acclamator. The bomb killed many Imperials inside, however their attempts to slow them down were futile, there was just too many of them.
Back on the Devastator Jadex watches with pride as his troops head down to the surface of Macbeth. As He watches is interupted by the deck officer.
"Sir we are almost in range of the enemies flagship."
"Execellent, Captain signal the ISD Vengence and Death Scythe, and have them escort us while we attack their flageship.
"It shall be done sir."
The three battleships then push ahead of the fleet to attack the Templar. The Templar had already taken sufficent damage from Imperial bombers. The Imperial ships then began to broadside the Templar. It damage it was taking was immense.
Starfox was doing all they could to stop the Imperials. Each of them have shot down nearly a dozen Tie fighters and several landing craft. The Empire's numbers seemed endless. The Cornerian battle group so far has lost thirty percent of it's fleet.
"Fox whats the plan, how are we going to stop them?" Bill asks.
"I think all we can realy do is try stop their ground troops from landing. Keep attacking their dropships."
Falco then sweeps around fires his cannons at a Sentinel, and blows it in half."Only more for me to bring down."
As the team continues to attack the landing force they get hailed by the Tropic Thunder.
"This is Captain Mathers of the Tropic Thunder. The Templar has been destroyed. By order of General Hare all ships are to retreat. I repeat General Retreat. Captain McCloud do you copy."
"This Fox go ahead."
"General Hare has ordered you and your team to head down the Macbeth Command Center. They will need your help down their. The fleet has to fall back we have taken to much damage to press on. I'm sorry."
"I understand. Arlight team you heard them lets head down to the surface."
The team then dives down through the atmosphere, shooting at any enemy landers they see. As they get down to about a thousand feet above ground level they are able to see the endless hords of Imperial ground vehicls pushing accross the dry landscape. The team then dives down and straffs them. Many Imperial troops were killed by the cannon fire. They found that the massive AT-ATs armor won't give to their aircrafts cannons.
"Whoa our guns didn't even scratch those things" Falco said.
As the team moves in for another run an AT-AA gets a lock on them and starts fires off flak at them. Fox catches a glimps at the flak burts.
"FLAK PULL UP,PULL UP." He yells. As the begins to ascend a flak burst shears through Krystals G-Diffuser and pierces her canopy. A small peice of shrapnel hits her in the side her chest.
"AHHH FOX I'M HIT!" She cries out.
"KRYSTAL, Are you alright!?"
"I took some shrapnel, I'm bleeding pretty badley." It was hard for her talk.
"Ok, Krys relax and don't speak. Put on your mask and put pressure on the wound. Try to stay awake. It won't take us long to get to the base."
"Ok Fox."
The team waist not time and rush to the base. The flight was around fifteen minutes at maximum speed. When they finally reach the Command center the team quickly lands. Krystal nearly blacked out. Her landing was rather hard, but managed not to crash. After Fox lands he immediately sprints over towards Krystal Arwing. When he gets to her she was unconscious. As he pulls her he notices that she has lost alot of blood.
"MEDIC!" He yells.
Author notes: Ya Starfox is finally in the game. Things are only getting more exciting. So how was that? More twists soon to come. Stay tunned. Thanks for reading and reviewing.