When we last left our heroes they chased off an alien attack force but the president was injured protecting Henry from a stowaway. What will they do without their leader? Let's find out!

Chapter 21: Defenders of Liberty

"Another group of hostiles is gathering near the main gate." Kathrine warned.

"And the ship still isn't ready?" Henry asked.

"Afraid not. The crew needs more time." The helmsmen responded.

"How's Mr. Lincoln?" Tom asked the tactical officer.

"He's still unconscious."

"Tiger Lily and I did all we could. It will take time before he recovers." Marth said.

"What can we do?" Tiger Lily asked.

"Dammit!" Henry growled. "We need his leadership!"

"Or perhaps we need to pick a new leader?" Tin man suggested.

"What about Lion?" Scarecrow asked. "His courage will see us through this!"

"Me? Madness!" Lion said. "Califia's the better choice!"

"Not I. I am a warrior born. What about our otherworldly comrades? Didn't they lead armies before?"

"Yes, but they were nothing like this." Lucina said.

"She's right. This world is still foreign to us." Ike added.

After watching everyone turn to others John sighed. "Do I gotta be the one to say it?"

Everyone turned to him waiting to hear what he had to say.

The man grinned.

"Henry's the man for the job. It's obvious."

There was a minute of silence after everyone heard him.

"Hey, don't I get a say in this?" The captain objected.

Everyone turned to him.

"Our dashing young hero?" Fox asked.

"He one good choice." Queequeg smiled.

"The only sane option, really." Randolph added.

"Come on now, Henry! You'll be great!" Tom smiled.

"If anyone can do it I'm sure you can." Kathrine told him.

"They're right Henry. You're a good friend and an inspiration to us all and have always done whatever you could for the team….just as Chrom would." Robin smiled. "He would agree on this if he were here right now."

"It wasn't just the president who helped us get this far." Marth added. "You were always there to lead us on the battlefield. We are more than confident to trust our lives in your hands!"

"You underestimate your value." Milton smiled. "I believe you have great potential as a leader. Perhaps the president did what he did because he knew this to be true."

"Enemy forces are trying to break into the base!" Kathrine warned.

John turned to Henry. "Orders, captain?"

Henry closed his eyes and sighed.

"All right…"

Everyone turned to him.

"They'll be coming after the Liberty. Keep them away from our ship!"

"Yes, sir!" The team cheered.

Out of a hole in the gate a giant turtle monster with four heads and a dome on its back slowly moved into the base. Prowlers and Shrikes moving ahead of it.

"Here they come!" Henry yelled.

Kathrine called the team on the wireless.

"That big one—we're picking up the presence of explosive compounds…They're trying to blow up the Liberty!"

"You heard the lady! We need to keep that thing at bay until the ship is ready for liftoff!" Henry told the team. "Lion and Tin man, Use those Steam Cannons on the bomber! Robin, attack it with your magic, John and Califia, aim at it as well! Professor, Lucina and Ike, the four of us will cover them! Fox take the Shrikes! Tom and Scarecrow take the underground tunnels! Marth you lead the others and aim for the Prowlers! Let's move!"

"Yes, sir!"

Lion and Tin Man ran to the upper deck and maned the cannons.

"Let us begin!" Marth said to his group as he unsheathe his Falchion.

The team charged at the Prowlers and picked them off one at a time.

Tiger Lily shoot one in the head. Another one tried to ambush her but exploded upon contact with Queequeg's penguin.

Marth slashed through another with his sword. A Shrike noticed them and prepared to attack.

Boom

"Ha, ha! The Fox strikes again!" Fox said as she continued to shoot down the flying aliens.

Boom

Scarecrow fired a pumpkin stunner down the tunnels and reviled three dazed Lurkers.

"Let's get em!" Tom yelled.

The two of them shoot the monsters dead.

Lion and Tin man shoot the abomination repeatedly along with Robin john and Califia but they were only slowing the monster down as it approached.

"It's too strong!" Robin said.

"Keep shooting! We just need to buy the others some time!" Ike told him as he cut down another Prowler with Urvan.

More of them climbed to the upper deck but couldn't get past Lucina or were distracted by Randolph's lure.

Henry shoot at a Prowler and then looked at the Abomination.

The monster was halfway through the hall and getting closer and closer.

Henry looked right behind him were the path lead to the room where the Liberty was.

"Kathrine is the ship ready yet?"

"Not quite."

Henry turned back to the monster.

The captain noticed purple lights coming from the cracks in its dome….

"I've got in idea! See those cracks in its dome? Focus all you're fire power on it!"

The team fired at the dome and soon destroyed the shell protecting a giant purple weak point.

"That must be the weak spot! Fire at it!" Henry ordered.

The Abomination to a step forward and triggered multiple explosions under it.

"We got him!" Scarecrow said giving Tom a high five.

"It's weakened! This is our chance!" Robin said.

The team shot at the weak point and the monster stopped in its tracks.

"Ignis!"

Robin raised his sword above his head and a bolt of lightning struck the weak point from above.

"Kathrine the monster is slowing down. Is the ship ready yet?" Henry asked.

"Repairs are almost complete. Preparing for takeoff now."

Suddenly the Abomination lifted its heads up and they all shoot out fire balls into the air that descended towards the team.

"Watch out!" Marth warned.

"Lion, Tin man, get away from there!" Lucina yelled.

The two jumped out of the cannons just before they were blown to pieces.

"Lucina, look out!"

Robin ran to her and tackled her to the ground moving them away just in time to avoid another fireball.

"Oh, boy!" Tom yelled as he and Scarecrow ran back into the underground tunnels to avoid the attack.

Marth and his team ran under a catwalk to shield themselves.

"Hit the deck!" Henry yelled.

He and the others dove into the ground as the fire balls landed near them.

The Abomination marched forward.

Henry got up as the monster went passed him.

"Dammit!" he growled as he hurried on ahead of it.

"Hey!" Lion yelled getting up.

"It's almost at the Liberty!" Tiger Lily yelled.

"And to make matters worse I'm out of steam!" John said.

"So am I!" Califia said.

"Me too!" Fox added.

"Robin are you alright!?" Lucina panicked.

Robin was exhausted from the attack he poured most of his energy into. He barely had enough strength to help Lucina avoid the Abomination attack.

"I….should have….planned better…." The tactician panted.

"Now what!?" Tom asked.

"Follow that thing!" John yelled.

Lucina and Ike helped robin to his feet and the team chased the monster as it went into the next room.

"Where's Henry?" Tin Man asked looking around.

"No idea!" Queequeg told him.

"Look!" Lion said pointing ahead.

Henry was standing right in front of the Liberty as the monster approached him.

"Henry, look out!" John yelled.

Henry said nothing and pulled a mechanical eagle out.

"We….Are the defenders of Liberty!" he yelled as the wings extended.

He threw it at the Abominations dome as it caused it to burst.

The alien roared in pain as it collapsed. Soon it turned to ice and shattered into a million tiny pieces.

"You did it!" Marth smiled.

"Incredible!" Kathrin said.

"That's our leader!" Lion cheered.

"More aliens are approaching!" Fox warned.

"Quickly! To the ship!" Henry yelled.

As soon as everyone was aboard Henry told the helmsman to cast of.

"Take off in three…two…one…"

As the ship ascended more Prowlers appeared and fired at it.

"Activate the Megaboilers! Now!"

The Liberty hurried out of the Boiler Room and flew off into the distance.

On top of a cliff a certain star shaped alien watched as it flew away.

"Whew! That was a close one!" Tom said.

"Captain Fleming…"

Henry turned to the tactical officer.

"The ship still isn't prepped for the cold."

"Do what you can, Ensign." Henry said.

"Captain."

Henry turned to Kathrine.

"Engineering reports that A.B.E.'s drill is not operational."

"What?!"

"Without the drill, we have no way to get through the ice to the enemy base." Califia said.

"The drill was never even completed." Randolph said. "We will have to finish it."

"After we've come this far…." Ike growled.

"What would Lincoln do?" Tiger Lily asked.

"We need one safe harbor to make repairs." Queequeg said.

"Is there a place that the aliens haven't taken yet?" Marth asked.

"Not one that we can get to before them." The tactical officer told him.

"And even if we could get the drill working the president is the only one that can operate A.B.E." Milton added.

"What do we do now?" Lucina asked.

"An' don't forget about the biggest question!"

Everyone turned to Tom.

"When are we gonna eat?"

John sighed and turned to Henry.

"Whaddaya think, Henry? Any ideas?"

"I'm thinking. I'm thinking…."

Suddenly a bright green light appeared in the middle of them briefing room.

"Aliens!" John yelled bringing out Bear Grenade.

"Hold your fire!" Lion told him. "That's no alien!"

The light faded to reveal a young girl with red hair in braids a white t shirt, blue shorts and silver shoes.

"Dorothy!?" Lion, Scarecrow and Tin man said looking at the girl.

"You know this person?" Ike asked them.

"You have to come with me!" the girl said. "There's no time to waste!"

"With you? Where?" Henry asked.

"To the only place left for you…Oz!"

Who is this mysterious child? What is this Oz? Did anyone make it this far in the game and not expect the wizard of Oz despite recruiting a talking lion a living scarecrow and a man made of metal? Find out all this (I did and I face palmed myself and sighed in disappointment as soon as Dorothy mentioned Oz.) and more next time!