Hello Readers, Writers and Blessed Lunatics; I am back.
Please forgive the late nature of this chapter. Writer's block and a holiday season that was not conducive to writing have been on me like white on rice. But, I finally go it done.
I unfortunately will not have a lot of writing time over the next month. I am on leave between duty stations and my focus will be on my family before I go overseas. I'll write when I can and I will see you all when I do.
Standby for post chapter notes.
CH 2: Falcon's Lament
"Falcon VII, Lima Charlie, Over."
"Falcon VIII, Lima Charlie, Over."
'Another day, another patrol." Fox thought to himself as he once again gripped the control stick of his fighter. 'You would think we'd get tired of the same route every time.'
"Falcon squadron, Lead has you Lima Charlie. Keep those heads on a swivel, boys. Lead, Out."
Fox silently adhered to the Lieutenant's command, once again watching the endless void in front of him. It had only been three days since their last patrol and to say things had improved would have been a mild understatement.
The first thing Fox had noticed after the encounter in the ship bay was the way the Lieutenant addressed the squadron. He had become a lot more involved in the everyday goings on in the ship. Fox had been present for no fewer than four different conversations that the officer had started on a whim. He had even been responsible for a short class on extreme-G maneuvers and how they affect a pilot.
Fox snickered to himself as he recalled Kevin's face as the young shrew took in the class like a sponge.
The second thing he noticed was the lack of nasty chores for him to do. Rather, the lack of nasty chores for him to do alone. The squad still had to help around the ship, but when the NCOs came with an unpleasant job, they came to the squad, not just to Fox. Not that the jobs were any better, but at least they didn't take as long.
The third and more recent change was the way Privates Gern, Fleet and Specialist Pearing had been treating him. Granted, the sudden change was probably caused by the NCO's change in attitude towards him. He could even have said that the lack of sabotage was due to the fact that he wasn't the only one doing the nasty jobs, but Fox knew that didn't explain everything that had happened in the three days leading up to this patrol.
The first of the soldiers to approach Fox had been Fleet. The little weasel came up to Fox with the most pathetic look on his face the vulpine had ever seen. Even now, two days later, Fox couldn't hold back another snicker when he visualized it. Fleet had never used a mop like the ones the Redfine had and was at a complete loss for how to use the spongy device. Fox knew he would do a lot of things as a mercenary, but teaching someone how to use a mop was not something he expected.
Specialist Pearing, the older of the young soldiers, had withdrawn from Fox completely; apparently not having anything to say to the vulpine now that berating him wasn't necessary. Fox tried to get into the badger's shell the previous day, asking him questions as the squad ate lunch. While he had laughed at the jokes and shook his head at several offhanded comments, he didn't say anything and never bothered to insert his own comments into the conversation. Fox concluded that he was just a loner. He would either let them in or he wouldn't; Fox wasn't going to press for one or the other. If Pearing wanted to be on his own, Fox couldn't stop him.
The last soldier, Private Gern, had been the hardest to get to. The leopard still didn't seem to like him and for two days, Fox let the cat stew in his attitude. He would have been content to leave it at that, but the feline soldier continued to prod at him from afar. It was subtle; a nudged shoulder here and there or an extra step that forced Fox to put more effort into whatever he was doing. It was the type of stuff that would make you question whether there was actually a problem. But Fox could tell; it was there and it was intentional. Finally, feeling that the tension was unnecessary and foolish, Fox followed the predator to the gym the previous morning and confronted him.
00000
"Gern, you and I need to talk!"
Fox entered the gym from the only door in the room. He was dressed in a pair of black running pants and a black sleeveless shirt, his standard fare for the gym. Gern had chosen similar attire, dressed in an off-white wife beater and green and yellow sweats. The jungle cat was standing in front of a heavy bag still holding the boxers tape he had picked up when he entered. He didn't turn and acknowledge Fox, but he also didn't move to wrap his hands. He just stood there with his shoulders square, his head high and his chest out.
Fox was going to repeat his statement when the cat growled at him.
"What makes you think I have anything to say to you, McCloud?"
Fox narrowed his eyes at the man. He knew the jungle cat was baiting him. He knew that this is what the soldier wanted; an altercation, something to force the tension to become something more palpable. He wanted a fight. Why? Fox didn't really care.
"If you don't have anything to say than why the attitude? Don't think I haven't noticed all the bullshit you've been throwing at me the last few days. You have a problem with me. That much is obvious and I am sick and tired of it. So…what are we going to do about it?"
Now the feline turned, glaring as he met Fox's eyes.
"There's nothing TO do about it, McCloud! I don't respect you because you're an honorless dog who thinks he's actually worth two shits! I have a problem with you, because I have a problem with all your kind. I've never met a merc I'd trust to watch my back, and so far, I doubt I ever will. You think you're like us, that you're just like the trained soldiers on this ship, but you're not. You're just pretenders; fake soldiers. There's no place for you in the military and until you find someone who can prove otherwise, that is all you will ever be to me: dead weight!"
Gern turned back to the heavy bag then, finally starting to wrap his hands as he prepared to pummel the swinging sack. Fox didn't move, unsure of what to make of his comrades rant. He had heard all about the dissention between mercs and career soldiers from his Father, but this was the first time he had seen it himself. He didn't agree with it. The idea that a group of people are better just because of their choice of employment was absurd. It always boils down to skill, training and experience. Without those three things, no soldier or mercenary can last on the battlefield; and who was Gern to tell him he was useless because of his choices. After all, he had gone to the same academy that 70% of all Cornerian fighter pilots had gone to. His training was just as good as Gern's; probably better.
Suddenly, Fox got an idea. Gern had asked for someone to prove him wrong.
Said leopard was squaring off for the first time against his bag. The tape he used was sitting under his tail as the appendage swayed with his own movement. Fox merely walked forward and retrieved it, interrupting the feline's first punch as he spoke.
"Alright, Gern. You want someone to prove you wrong, than I will do my best."
When the cat turned, his initial confusion was quickly replaced by understanding as he watched Fox wrap his left hand while walking into the center of the gym's matted area. The understanding was replaced by a knowing grin as Gern turned around to face the fox.
"Really? You really want to tangle with me?!"
The fox starred back at the cat.
"If what you say is true and there is no place for me here, than there is no way I can take you in a fight. Right?"
Fox started to wrap his right hand now that his left was done. Gern shook his head and looked at the wall, a small laugh escaping his lips.
"Huh! Well, at least I get to put my fist in that cocky muzzle of yours."
Abandoning the heavy bag, Gern followed Fox onto the mat as the vulpine finished his right hand and unceremoniously tossed the unused tape off the mat. The leopard stalked across the padded surface, muscles tense as he never took his eyes off of Fox. Fox took this moment to start stretching his arms and shoulders, raising his hands completely over his head to loosen his joints. Gern's smile became a smirk as he watched the vulpine.
"Should I call the medics now? Or should we make this a set contest?"
Fox dropped his arms down before bringing his right arm across his chest and holding it there. He looked away from Gern then, pondering the other's question. As he switched his arms, he replied.
"We'll make it a set contest. First person to knock the other down with blows wins. Not throws or trips, just blows."
Gern's smile only widened at this; a hint of the hatred he seemed to feel towards Fox apparent in his reflective eyes.
"Alright. Knock down. I'm going to warn you, McCloud, I won't pull my punches."
Fox just smiled back at the feline, although with none of the other's contempt. He wasn't in this to prove himself better than Gern or to put him in his place; He was just looking to resolve this little issue the two of them had. He didn't see any other way. If he did, that's what he would be doing.
Gern squared off to Fox, raising his fists to rest on either side of his chin. He kept his elbows down next to his sides and his chin tucked to his chest. His upper arms and shoulders flexed as he settled down into a wide stance, his left foot barely forward of his right.
Fox mirrored his opponent, but kept his hands higher on his face. His stance was narrower, with his legs about shoulder width apart and his left foot considerably forward of his right. He kept his chest turned away from his feline opponent.
That was how they stood for almost a full minute. Neither moved forward and nor did they retreat. Fox knew what he was doing. He had been training and fighting all his life. He would let Gern make the first move.
He didn't have to wait much longer. Gern started to shuffle forward, taking quick, purposeful movements. He wasn't trying to surprise Fox. He was just keeping control of the situation. After closing the gap between the two, Gern threw a quick left. Fox deflected the week blow without even moving his arms.
Gern stepped left then, and threw two more quick lefts, these with a little more power. Fox mirrored the leopard's movement and braced for the blows. They both struck his arms again, not having enough force to break through his guard. Still, Fox was starting to see a hint of the feline soldier's style. He wouldn't be able to block the cat for long.
Gern didn't let up. He began to advance, throwing increasingly more powerful strikes at Fox. Before long, he was putting every ounce of muscle he had into his brutal attacks, intent on taking out the vulpine's defenses and crushing him into the floor.
Fox only blocked two more of the oncoming blows before he began dodging. Fox was very light on his feet and thanks to the amount of time and effort required for the leopard's somewhat awkward attacks, he saw them coming long before they came. Eight strikes later and Gern had missed them all.
This fact was not lost on the feline as he attempted to put more speed behind his next hit. While the punch did travel faster, it also had more momentum; momentum that the cat couldn't stop as quickly as he started.
Fox took the chance for some offense. When the quicker attack became evident he bent his knees and dropped his center of gravity. As the punch sailed over his head, he stepped left and flanked Gern's body. Once he stabilized his position, he stood up a little, twisted his trunk and left foot and brought a swift left hook to the cat's right side. Gern had reached the end of his failed bludgeoning and tried to counterattack with a hammer fist aimed for the right side of Fox's face. However, after the solid body blow, Fox ducked again, planted his right foot and pushed off his left. He spun completely around while staying under the lethal arm meant for his face. Gern recovered as fast as he could, but as he came around to face Fox again, Fox moved his right foot out and around. This twisted his body toward Gern and after he tucked his hand against his chest, Fox brought his left elbow arcing across his body to impact squarely with Gern's approaching jaw.
The cat could do nothing but flinch as the leverage of the elbow strike forced him to turn back the way he had come. He stumbled to a stop as his hand instinctually went to his jaw and he glared with disbelief at the vulpine in front of him. Fox was back in his stance, dancing back and forth between his feet. Reluctantly, the leopard squared off again, still not sure what had just happened. He came forward again, slower and more cautious now.
Fox had expected…No, he had counted on this. The leopard wasn't acting now. He was reacting; overthinking his actions based on his opponents. This was often a good strategy, but Gern wasn't strategizing or being offensive. He was second guessing himself. This gave Fox an advantage.
With the distance between them once again diminished, Gern started striking again. He was using slower, more controlled attacks against the lightning quick vulpine, trying to lead the fox's movements. He wasn't doing a good job predicting these actions, though. Fox still dodged the calculated motions with well controlled agility, never overdoing his movements.
'What the fuck! Where did he get to be so fast?!" Gern was at a loss as he pulled back slightly, trying to figure out a new way to attack the fox.
Fox saw his opponent pause, so he pressed the advantage again. He pushed in a couple of feet, throwing a quick left at the leopard's face. The cat moved to block, but the hit never landed. Instead, Fox connected with a precise right cross to Gern's cheek, having opened a clear path with his false jab. Fox kept moving as he ducked low, cocked his trunk left and loaded his left arm for what would likely be a powerful hook to the ribs.
Gern saw it coming and dropped his right elbow as the vulpine's attack began. It would have been a good deflection, but the hook also never landed. Instead, it just stopped and Fox moved forward; his body weight and leverage driving his right fist into Gern's wide open gut. As the cat lost his breath and began to double forward, Fox rose again and finally connected a left hook with Gern's jaw. The leopard started to retreat after the blow, trying to put some distance between him and his opponent…But Fox wasn't done.
Squaring off again, Fox stepped forward. With trained movements, he balanced his weight on his left foot, using his arms to maintain his posture. Then, using his hips and his stationary foot to pivot his whole body, he brought his right knee from around his back and drove it into Gern's left side. The impact drove the defending arm into his side, almost completely negating it's presence for defense. As the cat reeled from the blow, Fox brought his right leg down, shifting his stance so that his right foot was in front of his left. Lining up, he brought his left knee up and forward using a combination of body weight, leverage and forward motion to thrust the boney joint into Gern's waiting chest.
The force of the knee thrust forced Gern to stumble and nearly fall over. He clutched at his chest, rubbing the sore spot where the blow had struck. He felt pain all over from the quick succession of attacks and couldn't help but stare in wonder at the man who had done it. Fox was still standing down against the leopard, subtly shifting his weight and maintaining his ready form. The jungle cat took another few seconds to recover his composure before he took his own position for the third time.
They both moved at the same time, closing the distance between them in the blink of an eye. Gern attacked with confidence again, realizing that his lack of it had aided his previous failure. He was striking with fervor as well, using his aggression to try and contain the mercenary. It was working. The leopard's rapid, pressing attack had put Fox on the defensive and had led to several blows that had done their job despite Fox's defense. What Fox needed was room to maneuver.
Seeing an opportunity to make some, Fox rushed in to Gern's chest, allowing a fierce cross from the cat to slightly catch his face. Fox's arms were still in front of him, held up to deflect blows. Using his tucked position, he pushed against Gern's chest with all his strength and weight. Gern was not a light man, but the force of the attack caught him off guard. He back peddled quickly regaining his stolen balance before he fell over.
Fox now had all the space he needed. When his target was almost standing, he leapt forward. As he sailed toward Gern, he threw out his left arm. It connected, the jump adding to the force of the blow. After he landed, he followed the jab with two more in quick succession. He next threw a right cross, knocking the soldier's head away from the blow. Gern was still off balance and had no way to recover before Fox continued. He threw his body into a left hook that connected with the other side of Gern's face. He allowed the motion to pull him around, his feet dancing across the mat to maintain his balance and motion. The movement allowed him to bring his right elbow smashing into almost the same spot the previous hook had hit.
Gern barely moved to the combo. He just staggered in place, completely dazed. This was Fox's chance to end it. He pushed forward with all the force he could muster. His first step was with his right foot to the mat. His second step landed on Gern's chest, which became the focal point of all Fox's weight. Using his planted left foot, Fox pushed off of the man's chest and brought his right foot arching into the leopard's chin while also pushing himself backwards. Gern fell back as Fox finished his flying kick in a flip, stabilized by his tail, which landed him in a crouch almost on all fours. He was staring at the mat when Gern's back met the floor. There, the feline squirmed slightly and groaned.
Fox slowly rose and walked up to his prone comrade. Gern was breathing hard and staring at the ceiling, his gaze regaining its focus as he watched the florescent lights above. Slowly, he shifted his gaze to Fox as said vulpine came to a stop just in front of him. Fox raised his eyebrows in question.
"So… Are we good?"
His voice was accompanied by his hand as he held it out for the Private to take. Gern's breathing had slowed as his shocked and awed expression took in the sight of the man he had offended, then insulted and finally been beaten by. But, he apparently saw no reason to hold a grudge. He took the offered hand and Fox raised the humbled leopard to his feet. They stood like that for a moment, not releasing the other's hand.
"Yeah… We're good…"
The response was accompanied by a quick shake of the pair's joined hands.
00000
That had been yesterday morning and since then Fox had had only pleasant run-ins with the soldier. They had even had a conversation. Private Jullian Gern had more right to be a proud man than Fox McCloud did. He came from a military family, every man and most women back four generations had served to some degree or another. His father was still serving as a senior enlisted advisor to one of the Command Council and his older brother was the weapons officer on board a Cornerian Destroyer: the White Heron.
Of course this family history of honorable service is what also led to Jullian's distasteful attitude towards mercs. A mercenary team had once betrayed one of his Uncles to his untimely death. Fox didn't blame the cat for it. Such an incident would leave a sour taste in anyone's mouth. Still, he was glad that he had managed to confront the problem between them. Despite the violent manner of that confrontation, Fox had managed to make peace.
Now, with nothing but stars, darkness and his wingmen around, he smiled. Sure, this still wasn't his ideal situation, but he wasn't really upset about it anymore. He had the trust of the most distrustful soldier in the group, he had made a good impression with everyone else, he had at least one friend and he was growing to truly respect his commanding officer.
Fox stole a glance at his scanners before returning his gaze to the eternal night. Regardless of his intentions for the future, he was content for the first time since he graduated the academy. He could honestly say that he would not be bothered if this assignment lasted another three months.
Fox started and gasped. Had he really just admitted that? In three days, had he actually come to accept this place in his life? Up until now, his time on the Redfine had been described by words like unpleasant, useless, and hell. Now he was okay with it?
Fox smiled to himself again. It was funny how fast things change. Then again, maybe things hadn't changed all that much; maybe the problem was himself. Perhaps the problem was just that he had the wrong perspective about the whole thing. He wouldn't admit it to anyone, but he hadn't been happy with this turn of events from the beginning. Was he happy that General Pepper had created this incredible opportunity? Yes, but it still was not where he wanted to be. And he had let that fact tarnish his outlook. He had let himself be sour.
'What would Peppy have said about all this?' He pondered to himself.
If there was one thing that Fox always took heart in, it was how calm and collected his 'Uncle' always seemed. Peppy Hare was his father's oldest friend and had been there for Fox as much as James had been. He was also a wealth of confidence and helpful advice. Years of serving in conflict and hardship had given him experience; experience that he happily imparted to others.
And Fox knew exactly what the old hare would tell him. He'd tell Fox to not let things he couldn't change effect his mood. He would say that we always have a choice in how we react to what the universe throws at us. The only question is whether we choose to accept it and make the best of it or let it get under our skin and turn us against ourselves.
'Is that what I did? Did I turn against myself? My reactiveness certainly didn't help-'
Fox's thoughts were interrupted by his comm system.
"Lead to Falcon III."
"Falcon III here, go ahead, Lead."
"Break formation and close with the oncoming asteroids. Take Falcons VII and VIII with you and conduct a detailed scan of the field. Get all the details you can on composition, scope of the field and be mindful of any anomalies. I want to know everything there is to know. Do you copy?"
Fox shook his head and smiled in spite of his rolling eyes. He suspected that this was coming after the Lieutenant's recent change in attitude. He wasn't going to make a big deal out of it though. The Lieutenant wasn't going to admit he was wrong… and Fox felt it might be disrespectful to try and press the issue.
"Roger, Lead, I copy. Full sensor sweep of the field. Falcon VII, Falcon VIII, break off with me. Form a wedge formation on my six. Deviate course 50 degrees to port and come up parallel to the asteroid field at 500 meters distance. Maintain patrol speed for now. We'll catch up later."
The fighter to the left and just behind the head of their wedge formation banked gently left; the NCO following his own instructions. Fox copied the action as he keyed his response to the senior wingman.
"Roger Falcon III. Breaking off."
Kevin came across the net two seconds later.
"Roger Falcon III. Wedge formation on your six."
The three ships came together in a wide triangle; Fox on the left, Kevin on the right and both behind the NCO. In the distance in front of him, Fox could just start to make out the first few massive rocks that made up the cloud that he had so intently studied over the last three months. He hoped, as he had many times before, that his concerns were unfounded.
"Approaching target." Falcon III's voice filled his headset again. "Banking into parallel course in three… two… one… Bank!"
The green and black fighters made a wide turn, maintaining their triangular formation as they adjusted their course away from the approaching cluster of rocks. Fox took a few long seconds to survey his target. He had yet to be this close to the field and he wasn't sure how he felt about being so. He was now able to pick up a lot of details that were not apparent before. Many of the asteroids were in fact quite large; large enough that they could crush his fighter if he was unfortunate enough to crash into one. This fact did not change the lack of movement in the field. Fox was certain that they were moving, he was just sure that they weren't going to come flying out of the field at him with no warning.
"Falcon VII, I want you to start scanning the whole field. You're looking for the scope of the field and whether there is anything keeping the field in place other than local gravitational forces. Falcon VIII, I want your scans to focus on the asteroids themselves. I want detailed information on composition, average mass and what the average velocity is. Understood!?"
Both junior pilots replied with their understanding and began to focus on their specific tasks.
Fox narrowed his sensors toward the field. It had been awhile since he had calibrated a focused scan, so it took him a few seconds to get the system directed where he wanted it. He wasn't having a lot of luck.
"Falcon III, Falcon VII. I'm having trouble getting the sensors to focus on the asteroids. My heads up display says it is set right but I'm not getting a reading on the field."
"Copy, Falcon VII. Reset your sensors. The BIT test should correct any calibration issues. Send word when it's done."
"Roger, Falcon III."
Fox reached over his head and flipped a pair of switches. When he hit the second, his sensors faded out, only to have a stream of power-up checks take its place on his screen a second later. Fox returned his attention to the field on his left as he waited for the Built In Test to run its course.
"Falcon III, Falcon VIII. I seem to be having the same issue as Falcon VII. My heads up says the sensors are narrowed right, but I am not getting any information from the field. It's like…"
"Like what, Falcon VIII."
"…Like the field isn't even there."
Fox narrowed his eyes at the field that was very clearly resting beyond his port wing. If he had been standing and not wearing a helmet, his tail would have twitched in annoyance and his ears would have lowered against his head. There didn't seem to be a reason for the sensors to be acting like this. Something about this did not feel right.
"Standby you two. Falcon Leader this is Falcon III, someone may be jamming us!"
"Negative, Falcon III!" Kevin's response was rushed, interrupting the Lieutenant's response. "I may be new at flying patrol, but I know this kind of tech, Sir. Anything powerful and focused enough to jam our sensors like this would also affect our communications…"
Fox had to agree with his friend. Anytime he had been jammed in flight training there was at least a great amount of static on his comms; and their comms were clear.
"Also, my sensors are still registering our ships, as well as the rest of the squadron. If we were being jammed our sensors wouldn't even be functioning… not properly, at least."
At that moment, Fox's sensors finished their BIT test and his screen once again showed the immediate area around his ship. Sure enough, just as Kevin had said, he clearly saw their three ships still in wedge formation. Further up and to the screen's right were the other five members of Falcon Squadron in diamond formation.
"Falcon III, my sensors just came back up. I'm still not seeing the field and can confirm what Falcon VIII just said. I can see our ships and the rest of the squadron. We aren't being jammed."
"Acknowledged. Falcon Leader, did you copy that?"
"Roger Falcon III. Keep at it for now. There doesn't seem to be any immediate threat. Just keep me posted and don't let your guard down."
Fox didn't clearly hear what else was said. His attention was being split between his semi-functioning sensors and the asteroid field that was starting to unnerve him worse than before. The way he saw it, if the sensors were working properly and there was no technology interfering with their scans, then the only thing that could be causing this was the field itself. Something about these asteroids was interfering with their equipment; but what? He had never heard of anything like this staying off sensors. What could cause this?
"Contact!" Kevin's excited voice rung through the comms again. "It looks like one of the asteroids separated from the field and is showing on my sensors. It's about two clicks ahead and four hundred and fifty meters below us. I'll start the composition scans."
Fox was about to start his own scan but a strong feeling in his gut grabbed his attention. Just as suddenly, his hair started to stand on end. He knew this combination well. As far back as he could remember, his father had told him the same phrase over and over again. It was sort of the McCloud family motto.
'Never give up! Trust your instincts!'
Right now, Fox's instincts were screaming at him in warning. Something was very wrong.
"Composition coming up. It's ten meters across at its widest and has a mass of about five and a half thousand kilograms. It's made up of… hold on."
Kevin's pause made Fox's heart skip a beat.
"It's composed of tritium, silver, titanium and pl… Plastic!" A trilling alert sounded across the comms. "I'm detecting life signs!"
No sooner had Kevin made this announcement, than a loud, blaring alarm rang through the comm channel.
"It's a SHIP!"
Fox was still trying to understand how they had not realized it was a ship sooner when Falcon III performed a barrel roll and pulled up. He started pulling away from Fox but was only about fifty meters above him when an explosion flashed across the left underside of his fuselage, followed closely by a second that ripped through the right. The explosions tore apart his left wing and caused his G-diffuser's propulsion systems to cut off. Fox watched in stunned silence as he caught sight of a small streak of light coming at the crippled ship at high speeds. A missile. Time slowed down to a crawl for Fox as the weapon impacted Falcon III amidships and detonated a split second before the fighter exploded in a brilliant display of light and shrapnel.
Watching the destruction of one of his team mates made something in Fox snap. He was no longer concerned with the error in judgment they had all just made. He wasn't worried about why the asteroids were practically invisible. Suddenly, he was focused. Suddenly, he needed to act.
"We're under fire! Falcon VIII, Increase speed! Evasive action!"
Having given the command, Fox forced his accelerator completely forward. His ship shot ahead like a bullet. Fox banked left and right to make his ship less of a target. A quick glance at his sensors showed that Kevin was just behind him, mirroring his evasiveness. That glance also showed that the blip that was once a neutral blue object had now been registered as an enemy ship. It was coming up quick and Fox only had a second to react. He turned the nose of his fighter right and up, causing the ship to go into a corkscrew roll. As Fox's canopy inverted, it gave him a perfect view of the ship that had just destroyed Falcon III.
It was short and had a roughly semicircle shape. Several sets of short wings jutted out with even spacing around the whole ship and the cockpit rested plainly on the top-center of the craft. Fox couldn't see any lasers, but he did see a large number of open ports. He had seen this class of ship before.
Fox let his ships motion bring him back to level and upright just as his headset started screaming at him.
"What is going on back there? Falcon III, respond!"
"Falcon Leader, this is Falcon VII. Falcon III is gone. We were ambushed! One-"
Fox's sensors interrupted him with a trilling alarm. Looking back to the monitor, Fox could see the reason. Seven more red dots had exited the asteroids and joined with the fighter he had just passed. Sometimes he hated being right.
"Correction, Falcon Leader. Eight ships have appeared from the asteroid field. At least one of them is a Venomian Komodo-Class Missile Fighter. The rest are moving too fast, so they probably are something different. Falcon VIII and I are at maximum thrust, have initiated evasive maneuvers and are bearing down on your position. Your orders?"
Fox continued to shift his fighter as he waited for his commander's response. When it finally came, he let out a breath he didn't know he had been holding.
"Falcon Squadron, reverse course! Maintain diamond formation until contact with the enemy. Increase speed and prepare for combat. Falcons VII and VIII, join the formation when you reach our position. Heads up, McCloud. We're about to see if you are your father's son!"
"Acknowledged, Falcon Leader."
Fox thought about smirking at his leader's comments, but he honestly didn't have the heart for it right now. He had been through countless simulators and practice sorties, but this would be his first real engagement. Realizing this made the situation somehow different and that difference was beginning to affect him. He wasn't reacting the way he expected. His palms were starting to sweat heavily and his breathing was trying to come out in gasps. Even as Fox began actively controlling it, his breaths still shook and staggered. He had never been so nervous in his life.
"Contact with the formation in five seconds. Preparing to merge."
Kevin's voice reminded Fox where he was and snapped his attention back to his canopy. Up ahead, the rest of the squadron was advancing on them at high speed.
"Confirmed. Initiate U-turn in 5…4…3…2…1…Mark!"
As the other five members of the squadron came within a hundred meters of the pair, both pilots kicked in their boost engines and pulled up hard. The fighters ascended quickly, their noses tipping up and then completely back. Now level with the rest of the squadron, Fox and Kevin boosted again and turned on their center axis. Their U-turns put them barely fifteen meters back from the formation and they quickly fell in position on the outside corners.
"Falcons VII and VIII in formation. Bringing weapons online."
Fox only had a few seconds to refocus before they would be right back where he and Kevin had been not two minutes before. He wasn't ready for this and he knew it. He only had one thing he could do.
'Trust your instincts.'
"Contact in six seconds! Okay boys, this is it! Let's rock and roll!"
The next few seconds were a blur to Fox as he turned his fighter down and barrel rolled. Everywhere he looked in his wide canopy as his fighter spun was motion and color mixed with light as his shields triggered at deflection strength. When his spin ended, Fox pulled up again and leaned his ship in as tight a right turn as he could manage. He didn't get very far before red lasers lanced across his path. He looked up to see one of the enemy fighters barreling toward him. Fox didn't think, he just reacted. He leveled out and stopped his turn just as more lasers flashed across the space that was his path just a second before. His enemy momentarily kept tracking his prior course and missed by the dogfighting equivalent of a mile. Fox didn't wait for the pilot to re-acquire him. The brief look he got at this ship told him that it was a mass produced Macbeth T-3 Starfighter. The craft was a favorite among pirates and raiders since it was cheap, reliable and easily accessible; but it did have several disadvantages.
Fox waited just long enough to allow the pirate to adjust course and follow him before he kicked in his brakes and rapidly pulled up. The T-3 followed the movement, but was not maneuverable enough to follow Fox through his Vector's full loop. When Fox finished the vertical 360, he kept his nose up as the T-3 continued to ascend. The action placed the pirate right in the vulpine's sights…
But Fox didn't fire immediately. Just as this was his first real sortie, this would be his first real kill. He had always wondered how it would feel; to control whether someone's life continues or ends. He would openly admit that he had once dreaded this moment, but that was not the case now. Now, he acknowledged one simple fact. This man had tried to kill him and if he didn't fire now, he would try to do it again. Kill, or be killed. Fox's target had leveled off and was attempting to maneuver away from him when he pulled the trigger.
With trained and practiced accuracy, Fox's single laser cannon cut through the vacuum between him and the pirate and tore into the smaller craft's shields. Despite his continued evasion, the ship continued to be hit by the junior McCloud's near perfect aim. Within four seconds the ship's shields were gone. Fox's next shot blew pieces off the right side of the hull and the next after that cut straight into the ship's center and impacted its core. The Starfighter erupted in a brief and strangely beautiful array of red and orange before vanishing into a cloud of spinning debris.
He had done it! Fox McCloud had just scored his first kill.
"This is Falcon IV, I need assistance!" The unusually panicked voice of SPC Pearing rang through Fox's headset. "That missile fighter is locking onto me and I'm being chased by one of the faster ones. I can't get out of range!"
Fox scanned his sensor screen, trying to find his wing mate. He was close, but not close enough.
"This is Falcon II, I'm on your tail's tail, Falcon IV. I'll have him in a second. Can someone get to that missile fighter?"
Fox was the next closest.
"This is Falcon VII. I'm on route, just keep evading!"
As Fox turned his nose back into the fray, he tried to match his sensor readings with what he was seeing out his canopy. He wasn't close enough yet to accurately make out his target, but brief flashes of Vector laser fire told him right where Falcon's II and IV were. Knowing where they were would help him find the flying tank that was threatening Pearing. Luckily for all of them, the Komodo-class fighter was never designed with speed in mind. They were incredibly slow. The problem was that they were heavily armored and usually packed enough fire power to kill off a Destroyer.
There! The glare from Falcon II's kill illuminated Fox's bulky target just enough to offset it from their starry backdrop. Fox adjusted course to intercept, but his heart dropped when he heard the comms come to life again.
"It's got a lock on me! It's got a lock!"
Pearing was screaming, the terror he was feeling easily discernable over the headsets. Hearing that terror drove Fox into desperation. He wasn't going to make it in time. With that thought ringing in his head, Fox opened fire on the ship, hoping to score a lucky shot and throw off its aim. About half his shots were making contact with the ship and it was visibly rocking, but it was still properly tracking its intended target when four brilliant flashes lit up the forward ports and materialized as homing missiles shortly after.
"Falcon IV, evasive action! Missiles inbound!"
Fox managed to yell as he continued to fire on the fighter. He couldn't do anything more to help Pearing, but he'd be damned if this thing was going to fire on another Falcon. His finger pressed his trigger with increased fervor as he continued to bear down on the nearly immobile craft. However, even with his incredible rate of fire, Fox wasn't doing the damage needed to destroy the ship. He needed something more powerful. Thinking over his options, Fox banked hard to his right and jammed his boost, putting as much space between him and the pirate as possible. He had an option, but it would leave him vulnerable until he took the shot. When his boost cut out, he reversed his turn, cutting as hard left as he could. As he turned, he pulled his trigger and held it.
A blaring alarm blasted through his cockpit, telling him that he had just become the missile craft's next target. He was running out of time. His turn came to an end as the ship came into sight again and Fox placed his now red crosshairs over the pirate. It only took two seconds for the red to shift from his crosshairs and become an outline on the fighter, but no sooner had that happened then the shifting lock alarm became a single even tone. They had locked onto each other. Fox only had one thing he could do. He pulled the trigger.
His torpedo shot off the tip of his nose far slower than any laser would have traveled, but thankfully much faster than a missile. The torpedo hit the ship head on just as the first flash of a launch lit the front of the fighter. That flash turned into a burst that joined in the blast of the torpedo and as Fox broke off to the right, he could briefly see more blasts rake across the front of the ship. Less than a second after Fox passed the tank, it exploded with a shockwave that hit Fox like a hammer. Luckily the wave hit the back of his ship and didn't send him tumbling out of control.
"This is Falcon VII, Komodo fighter destroyed!"
"Thanks Fox. I owe you one."
Fox paused as he processed the voice he just heard.
"Pearing! You're okay?!"
The comm was silent for a second as Falcon IV came up beside Fox.
"Falcon II… He crossed over my flight path. He… took the missiles for me… He's gone."
As his terror had been thick earlier, so Pearing's sorrow was now. Fox wished he could share in the feeling. He was filled with too much adrenaline. He knew he was more or less numb to it now. What worried him in that moment was that when this was all over, he knew the pain of their losses would be unavoidable.
"Falcon Leader, I've got the last fighter in my sights. He'll be dust in seconds."
"Roger Falcon V, Falcon squadron, regroup at-"
Fox never heard the next part, because in that moment, his lock alarm went off again.
"Shit!"
He pulled up and barrel rolled left, hoping the rapid change of course would throw off the lock. It didn't seem to work.
"Falcon Leader, new contacts!" It was Pearing speaking. "Eight more ships coming out of the field, bearing down fast on our position."
Fox was not concerned with what followed. Not when his ship was about to be blown out of the sky. What he knew of this tracking system so far was that it hadn't failed yet to blow two ships away. That fact was not making finding a solution to his current problem any easier.
"Their coming to fast! I can't sh-"
Fox was vaguely aware of someone speaking, but was too focused on his own problem to really hear it. He couldn't outrun the missiles and he couldn't evade them without something to take its place; and he wasn't willing to let another Falcon take the hit for him. He was out of options and desperation was starting to wash through him in waves. The only thing he could do was try and stay ahead of them until they exhausted their fuel supply. Chances of that succeeding were slim to none.
The trilling alarm became a solid tone and Fox knew he was out of time.
"Fox, move your tail!" It was Gern. "You've got missiles coming up fast!"
Fox had only seconds until he was scattered into a field of debr- Wait! Field! The asteroids! Fox banked hard to port and hit his boost. He was now charging straight at the field in his last desperate attempt to survive this attack. The asteroids couldn't assume the lock like Falcon II had, but they could get in the way.
"McCloud, what the hell are you doing?!"
Fox's boost cut off a hundred meters from the field. He was still traveling very fast and he wasn't sure if he could maneuver enough to avoid being crushed. He set his sights on a medium sized asteroid as he entered the field, hoping beyond hope that this would work. He had just entered the field when his proximity alarm took the place of the lock alarm. It was now or never. He pulled up.
His fighter groaned as it changed course and Fox lost all hope. His bank was too slow. He had been traveling too fast. There was no way the missiles would lose tracking on him now. He had failed.
"Fox!"
Kevin's voice cut straight to Fox's heart as he waited for the explosion that would end his life. It came a second later. A blinding flash spread through the field… And Fox saw it. He stared out into the field, confusion griping his mind as the shockwave from the missiles detonation hit the back of his ship. The blast forced his ship off course and nearly into a cluster of smaller rocks. With some effort, Fox leveled out and began to dodge the asteroids that now surrounded him.
'I'm alive! But how the hell!"
"He's gone Falcon VIII. Continue evasion."
"Falcon Leader, this is Falcon VII. I'm alright!"
"Wha- McCloud how the hell did you get out of THAT?!"
That was a good question. Fox couldn't really answer it himself. He had come to the field hoping to out maneuver the missiles and force them to destroy the asteroids instead of him. But his last maneuver should have put him in perfect position to be destroyed and yet, here he was. At a loss, Fox stole a glance across his control panel, his eyes finally resting on his non-functioning sensors.
'The sensors!'
"Standby Lead."
Fox had a theory, but he had to have proof. He triggered his weapons system and began charging a torpedo. When his crosshairs turned red, Fox made an effort to lock onto one of the asteroids. Unlike missile tracking, his torpedo would lock on to anything solid… or at least it should have. Fox tracked several small rocks before his heads-up display flashed a simple error message: E331. His ships target lock was not functioning in the asteroid field.
"Lead this is Falcon VII. The missiles didn't hit me because they lost tracking the second they entered the asteroids. The field is preventing my torpedoes from acquiring a lock. Target lock will not function in the asteroids!"
He was headed toward another asteroid as he finished his report. Instead of turning away though, Fox shot off his torpedo. Despite the lack of tracking, the ball of energy did its job well, blowing the large rock into a multitude of smaller rocks. Fox performed a slow roll as he entered the cluster, missing most of the larger pieces in the process.
"Falcon squadron, adjust course. Follow Falcon VII's lead and enter the asteroids. Tighten up your cheeks, boys! Things are about to get hairy."
"Lead, are you nuts!" It was Gern. "If we enter that field, we have a million more things trying to kill us!"
"Easy, Jullian!" Fox tried to calm his uneasy wing mate. "Our Vectors are more maneuverable than their T-3's and Komodos. In tight quarters like this, we have the advantage. And their target lock won't function, which means the Komodos have to fire line of sight."
"But Fox, our target lock won't function either!" Kevin's voice was higher in pitch than usual, betraying his fear.
"It's a lot easier to fire a torpedo VFR than it is to fire a missile. In here, the advantage is all ours!"
"Cut the chatter! You heard the order. Falcons V, VI and VIII, into the rocks, NOW!"
Fox blanked for a moment as he noticed the exclusion of Falcon IV. Where was Pearing? Then he remembered. Someone's sentence had been cut off while his alarm was blaring. Pearing must have… Fox didn't have time to finish his thought. In that second his proximity alarm went off again. He cut hard left, turning his change of course into a barrel role.
Several small energy bolts bounced off his shields as the rest passed harmlessly by. Expecting more to follow, Fox reversed his turn, tilting his Vector on its center axis to increase the speed of the turn. As he continued to stay out of his enemy's line of sight, Fox noticed how much easier the asteroids were actually making it. As he dipped and dodged around the space rocks, he consistently put them in his opponent's way. The rocks had taken more damage from the plasma auto cannon than Fox's ship had.
"Fox, I'm coming up even with you on your left. If you didn't know, we both have one of the Arrowhead Interceptors chasing us and the one piloting yours is no amateur."
'Arrowheads!'
Fox had heard about the experimental fighter that had recently seen a lot of attention in the press. The fighters were designed by Space Dynamics and were supposed to be the fastest single pilot ship ever built.
'How the hell did these guys get them!?'
Thoomp, thoomp, THOOMP
Fox's thoughts were interrupted by several small impacts with his shields. His tail was starting to track him better, which probably meant that he was closer than he had been.
"Maybe he's too close."
Fox smarted off into space as he leveled out and gripped his breaks. An old academy friend of his had once shown him a great way to get out of the way of an enemy fighter that was a little too close. In the words of Bill Grey, you just "let him pass you."
Fox triggered his brake system and forced his fighter to a near complete stop. It only took a second for the overly fast fighter behind him to pass and switch their positions. With the threat behind him gone, Fox released his brakes and gave chase to the triangular fighter; wasting no time in firing on the pirate. Unfortunately, as Kevin had pointed out earlier, this was a veteran pilot. He was using the asteroids just as Fox had done; weaving in and out of the rocks and making Fox's laser fire consistently miss. Fox knew that eventually the ship would out run him and be able to get behind him again. He needed to deal with him now.
Up ahead of the Interceptor, Fox saw a medium sized asteroid and got an idea. He readied a torpedo and didn't even wait for his crosshairs to turn before he launched it. The ball of light sailed right over the Arrowhead and detonated on the asteroid instead. The ship was still traveling too fast but tried to pull up anyway. The action did little to stop the fighter from being pummeled with dozens of rocks as the asteroid pieces began shooting away from the main body with much greater force than the original had. The impacts forced the ship to slow down and caused a great amount of damage to the minimal shielding before Fox, still chasing it down, fired another torpedo into the fray.
The torpedo found its target and blew the Interceptor and most of the rocks around it to dust. Fox cut through the same area, dodging the last of the shrapnel before barrel rolling left and looking for Kevin.
"Arrowhead destroyed. Kevin, I'm coming to help you out. Where are you?"
"Don't worry about it, Fox. Arrowhead two destroyed. That was a neat trick you pulled with your brakes, Fox. It worked like a charm."
Fox smiled as Kevin's ship came careening around an asteroid and leveled out right in front of him.
"You like that, huh? My buddy Bill taught me that one."
"This is Falcon V, I've taken down the two Komodos. We're free and clear of the missiles."
"Acknowledged V, Lead copies. With the Interceptors down and my three kills we should only have one more from this group. Falcon VI, report."
Fox continued to fly under and behind Kevin. He couldn't see Fleet through the field and briefly wondered how they were all going to get out of these asteroids when the battle was over.
"Lead, this is Falcon VI. I've shot down the last fighter, but we have a new problem. I'm currently flying under a pair of frigates. They're maintaining a stable position in a mostly clear section of the field and— Wait, one of them is launching another fighter!"
"VI this is Lead, where is your position?"
"I don't know. I've lost track of… oh my god! It's an Arwing!"
Fox flinched as several explosions came through the channel. The sounds matched a near equal number of bright flashes that could be seen ahead of his and Kevin's ships.
"Lead, we have a visual on laser fire dead ahead. We're moving in. Hang on Fleet, we're coming to help."
Fox and Kevin boosted ahead in unison, maintaining their linear formation as they weaved through the field. It took them only a few seconds to reach a wide open patch of space within the field. Here, there were very few asteroids compared to what they had been dealing with so far and the two pilots could see for hundreds of meters without interruption: which is how they both picked out the speeding frame of a fighter as it pulled up over a cloud of debris.
"Fleet!" Kevin yelled.
"Kevin, pull up!"
Fox's warning didn't make it to the shrew before green bolts of light flew past the pair of pilots. The Arwing was flying straight at them, its twin lasers firing at max speed. Fox turned down toward the fighter in response and began to return fire. He became the Arwing's primary target as he closed the distance between them. The shrinking space was filled with green as they exchanged laser blasts. Fox moved his feet as quickly as possible, alternating between left and right barrel rolls to keep from being hit. There was less than twenty meters between the ships when both broke off from each other. Fox broke left and began to climb, going for a higher position from which to attack.
"Fox, are you alright?"
"I'm okay, VIII. Just keep moving and don't lose track of –"
"Damn it, Fox, he's on my tail."
Fox growled at the turn of events. He had engaged in his little game of chicken to keep the Arwing away from Kevin. Now it seemed he had just shown the fighter its next target.
"Keep evading, Kevin. I'm coming!"
The voice belonged to Gern, who kept his word as he shot across Fox's field of vision and tore straight at Kevin, who was coming towards the pair.
"Kevin, Dive!"
This time, Fox's warning was heard and the younger shrew responded perfectly. His Vector turned almost straight down and was barely out of the way when their feline friend opened fire, scoring four solid hits on the Arwing.
Said ship passed under Gern as the Leopard hooped and hollered across the comm. Fox smiled at the cat's antics as he banked hard, hoping to catch the Arwing off guard from the side. It would have worked, but as he turned, Fox watched the powerful fighter perform a U-turn and boost after his departing wingman.
"Jullian, heads up! He's coming back your way!"
"What!?"
Gern's exclamation was followed by a string of expletives and the sound of laser fire against shields. Fox knew the Vectors couldn't take many hits from the Arwing's overpowered weapons. He surged forward into his own U-turn and said the only thing that came to mind.
"Gern, do a barrel roll! I'm coming!"
"I'm working on it!" The leopard's voice was more stressed then Fox had ever heard it. "He's timing his shots to hit after I stop spinning. The only reason he hasn't shot me down yet is that I keep moving out of his way."
Fox could now see the pair clearly as they streaked back toward the bulk of the field. Gern was right, the Arwing's pilot was being very specific with his shots; timing them so that they would impact when the less maneuverable Vector ended its barrel roll. But Fox saw something that Gern didn't. The pilot seemed to be missing on purpose. He was not showing any of the accuracy he had displayed earlier in the fight. Then Fox saw something else; Gern was heading back into the field.
"Jullian, pull up! Get back in the gap! He's driving you back into the field! That Arwing is more than forty percent more maneuverable than our Vectors. If you go back into there, he'll out maneuver you in a heartbeat!"
"Don't worry, Fox. Even an Arwing isn't perfect. I've got an idea."
With that assurance, Gern disappeared into the field, followed by the Arwing two seconds later. Fox was about to start swearing at the reckless cat when someone interrupted his thoughts.
"Falcon V, this is Lead. Listen to McCloud! Don't go back in there! Bring him into the gap! In here our numbers will be our strength. In here, we have the advantage!"
Turning on his port wing, Fox followed the edge of the gap and waited for a response from his friend. From this position, he could see the green flashes blazing through the field as the two ships danced around the asteroids.
"Alright, Alright! I'll lead him back." KERTHUM! "Damn! Fox, now would be a good time to say I told you so!"
"I'll say it when we're back at the Redfine. Right now, just stay alive."
Fox continued to skirt the edge of the field, following the laser fire as it continued to broadcast the pair's position.
"Oh, no you don't!"
Jullian's voice betrayed extreme irritation. This fight was wearing on him.
"Falcon V, where are you? You should have been back in the gap by now! What's the hold up?"
"He's been keeping on me too tight, Lead! But he's not following anymore. I hit my brakes and he almost passed me. Right now we're wing to wing and headed back for the gap."
Fox felt his gut tense up again upon hearing this. Everything about this Arwing's pilot said that he didn't do anything without a reason. So if he wanted to get back on Gern's tail, he would. To Fox, this meant only one thing; he wanted to be next to Gern.
"Gern, watch out. If he's not trying to tail you again he might be planning something unexpected. Don't let your guard down!"
"It's alright, Fox. I'm almost there! Let's take this bast- Oh SHIT!"
Fox was still against the edge of the field when the Arwing came blasting into the open two hundred meters ahead of his nose.
"Damn, that was- AAHHHH!"
Jullian's words were cut off when a bright red flash burst from around the edges of an asteroid on the perimeter of the gap. The flash framed the rock in red as Fox passed it, making the display look very similar to a solar eclipse on Corneria. Fox was once again struck by how beautiful an explosion could look before he realized what had to have caused the deceitful beauty.
"Gern…"
Fox doubted his whisper was even heard by his fellow pilots; what few there were left. He didn't really care. For the first time in what felt like an eternity, he was feeling the weight of this battle settle into his chest. Gern…Fleet…Pearing…more than half of his squadron: Gone. They had been scattered across space like dust in a swift breeze, never to be seen again. And for what? What were they fighting for? This was not an enemy of Lylat, bent on conquest and death. This wasn't even a fight to protect something important from theft or destruction. This was a fight for survival against a foe with neither borders nor flags. No land, no people; just death. His friends had died for nothing but the vain ambition of lawless men. Knowing this, Fox shed a single tear; a testament to the pain that now held his chest. The pain of loss and of knowing that loss was pointless. But there was not just pain within his chest. There was anger: a deep, passionate, roiling anger. His friends were dead! Someone had to pay!
"Falcon VII, Falcon VIII!"
Fox barely registered Falcon Leader as his voice, sounding unsure and panicked for the first time since Fox had known him, came across their net.
"This is a direct order. Retreat! I say again, Retreat! Set a course of two hundred and seventy degrees using the Frigates as the north point of the gap and head into the field with all speed. Get out of this death trap and back to our patrol area. From there, head to the Redfine. We're getting out of here while we still can."
Fox couldn't contain his anger anymore.
"Why! So that this fighter can gun us down one by one as we run in terror? Hell no!"
"McCloud, we are outmatched and outgunned! There is nothing else we can do!"
"That is not the way I see it, Sir! If we run, we die just like the rest of the squadron. If we fight back, use our advantage in firepower, at least we have a chance to walk out of this alive." Fox paused, tilting his fighter away from the perimeter and into the open space within the field. His eyes searched the field as he continued. "What do you want to do? Run and die or stand and fight?"
Fox knew that what he was saying was outright insubordination and he would pay for it later, but just then his searching eyes finally rested on what he was looking for. The Arwing had performed a wide turn in the center of the field and was now making straight for Fox. Not that it really mattered to him. The way he saw it, the target was coming to him.
"Falcon VIII, back into the field. Alright, McCloud, we'll see if your way ends differently. For this to work, one of us has to have a visual on him at all times. Spread wide across the field and cover each other's tails. When you have a shot, take it. It's us or him, boys. Let's make this bastard pay!"
The only response Fox gave to the order was to pull his trigger and once again trade fire with the Arwing. As before, Fox continually barrel rolled as he bore down on his opponent, landing several solid blows before he broke off. He began to climb again, but this time he had another goal in mind.
'Come on, I know you'll do it. Come on!'
As he predicted, the Arwing rose into a U-turn a few short seconds after breaking off from Fox. Fox kept climbing until he was sure the ship was tracking him. Then, he leveled out and hit his boost. The Arwing reacted in kind and began firing when both ships stopped accelerating. What the Arwing didn't do was account for the other two pilots that were coming at the pair from the front on either side.
Kevin and Lt. Arden had turned back into the gap from the far side and with the Arwing's attention on Fox, opened fire. Fox pulled up as his companion's lasers lit up the void and hit the pirate head on. After five hard impacts, the Arwing dived, removing itself from the lines of fire. Kevin and Arden split away from their attacks and initiated wide turns back toward Fox.
"Who's got eyes on him?" Lt Arden yelled across the comms.
Fox was several hundred meters above them by now and after Kevin didn't respond, he did.
"Standby."
Fox leveled out of his ascension and turned his Vector on its center axis. Now inverted, he scanned 'up', trying to lock onto their prey again. It didn't take long.
"I've got him! He's about three hundred meters below you, traveling on roughly the same vector as he was before he dived. I've got a good angle of attack. I'm going to hit him from above."
"Acknowledged. We'll go for his flanks."
With his comrades now aware of his plan, Fox twisted his fighter over again and turned his nose almost straight down. He quickly regained his visual on the Arwing and began following its course. The distance between the two fighters decreased very quickly and Fox had very little time to act. Adjusting for his own speed and the speed of his target, Fox aimed and fired, pulling his nose up as he did. Most of the lasers met their mark as the Vector leveled out right behind the Arwing. The pirate, now aware that he had been acquired again, veered hard right. Fox tried to follow, but his turn was not near as fast. He would have lost the ship if another had not intervened.
"Oh, no you don't!"
Kevin's voice was followed by a stream of laser blasts streaking into the top of the turning fighter. The first two impacted shields, but the next three hit metal and parts. They tore into the Arwing, ripping apart the right wing and puncturing the reactor. Now crippled, the Arwing stopped its hard turn and instead leveled out, unintentionally leaning left without the stability of the right wing and leaving a trail of glowing fuel in its wake.
"Fox, that's it! He's not going anywhere. Finish him off!"
Fox saw that Kevin was right, of course. They had just beaten the Arwing and could now bring this fight to an appropriate end. But as Fox took in the space ahead of his ship, he also saw that the pirate was headed back toward the field. That field was as sure to claim the pilot as his own lasers would.
And why shouldn't he let the outlaw die in there? Wouldn't it serve the lawless man right if he had to see his death coming? It would be just; to let the man's life continue for a few more minutes as he waited for the inevitable to come. It would be right… wouldn't it?
Revenge
The word floated across the edges of Fox's mind like a whisper. Is that what he was considering? Was he really thinking about causing someone pain to make himself feel better? Before this battle, he had never killed anyone. Was he already accepting that doing so, regardless of the reason or manner, was okay?
Or mercy
Another whispered thought and one that struck Fox harder than the first. How could he even be thinking like this?! He was a McCloud! Not some cruel, scarred mercenary. He was raised to be better than that. To know the difference between what must be done and what must not be done… And casting judgment on his foe like this was not something he could do.
"Fox, what are you waiting for?"
He wouldn't make this man suffer.
"Mercy."
With no chance of missing, Fox unleashed a flurry of laser fire and pulled off. His shots all came home on the devastated fighter and it erupted in a brilliant glow within the center of the gap. Fox continued to bank as he watched the explosion dissipate and reflected on his brief internal struggle.
'No man deserves to suffer. Even evil ones.'
Fox sighed to himself. He knew this wouldn't be the first moral challenge that waited for him in his probably violent future. He also knew that this time, he had made the right choice.
Well done
Were it not for his helmet, Fox's ears would have been straight up. He could have sworn that he had actually heard someone speak… and not from across the net. The voice had sounded like it was right next to him. And the voice had been female.
"What the-"
"McCloud, Dean! Evade!"
Fox instantly reacted to his commanders order, barrel rolling right as a trio of red lasers flew past him.
'Damn it! Will this never end?!'
"Heads up, you two. The Frigates launched another fifteen fighters while you were taking out that Arwing. I tried to keep'em off of your tail, but they've done a real number on me! I can't shake them."
"Hold tight, Sir!" Was it Fox's imagination or did Kevin's voice sound deeper than usual? "We'll take care of 'em together. I'm almost to you, just-"
"Negative, VIII. There are too many. I'll cover you, just get the hell out of here. NOW!"
Fox was about to object to the Lieutenant, but a new screen popped up on his heads up display and the data it showed caught his attention immediately.
"Sir, you can't!"
"Don't tell me what I can't do, McCloud! Just get out of here. Go!"
Fox didn't hesitate again.
"Kevin, reverse course. Make for the field."
"No, Fox. The Lieutenant needs our help. We can't abandon him!"
"We can't help him, Kevin. He's started a meltdown in his reactor! It's building up energy and will explode any second! We have to go!"
Kevin didn't respond. Fox figured he wouldn't. There was nothing more to be said. Fox rode his boost as much as possible, tearing toward the asteroids with wild abandon.
"Fox." It was Lt. Arden. "Don't waste this chance… and never forget-"
The space behind Fox lit up with a brilliance that rivaled Solar. Everything ahead of him reflected the intensity of the explosion that had just claimed Falcon Leader and, hopefully, the rest of the fighters.
"Fox…"
"I know, Kevin… He's gone."
Fox's grip on the flight stick tightened as the shockwave from the meltdown pelted his ship from behind. He still wasn't sure how to handle all of this. In a way, it felt surreal; almost like nothing had really happened. Fox imagined it would feel like this until his mind had a chance to catch up with the circumstances. But he wouldn't have that chance until this was all over and done with. They still had to get out of these rocks and back to the Redfine. What would happen then?
BRREEEEEEE
Fox reacted to the proximity alarm, dodging around an asteroid that he had intended to go under. A stream of plasma bolts followed his change in course but stopped abruptly as another explosion rocked the asteroid field. Fox was at a loss to explain what had just happened, but Kevin quickly filled in the blanks.
"Fox, one of those Arrowheads just tried to take you out. It ran into the asteroid you just dodged!"
"Damn it. There are still fighters left?!"
"Yes… There are now seven of us left…"
In another context, Fox would have been shocked by the new voice, but right now he didn't think anything could surprise him. Kevin did not have this problem.
"Wha-. Who is this? How are you on this channel?"
"Who I am is no consequence to you, Cornerian. What I am about to do, is. You may have been lucky thus far, but I will see to it that you do not leave these asteroids alive. You will pay for how many of my comrades have died today. Prepare to join your friends."
BOOM! My first cliffhanger!
I originally had this chapter planned to end later in the story, but at 12,000 words and counting, I decided to re-plan ch 3 a little and get this out sooner.
Big thank you to K.S. Reynard for Beta reading this for me. I don't think there was any real reason to seek him out other then my own lack of confidence, but it is ALWAYS good to have a second opinion.
So what did you think? Read, Review, Repeat! I love hearing what you all are thinking and there are a number of things in this chapter that I think will cause a buzz.
Also, My poll asking who should win in a Nintendo/Mortal Kombat crossover is still up and I still plan on writing that one, if for no other reason than to submit our beloved characters to gruesome and vivid deaths. Who should win? and will earth survive?
Stay Frosty!