Just when you thought I was gone forever... After 5 months, I finally put up a new chapter. Why have I been gone? The usual: college, lack of interest in writing, college, writer's block, college homework, and did I mention college?
As for the chapter, well... let's just say that I'm not very good with writing action scenes, so writing an action scene in space was much harder. I may go back and edit this chapter at some point, but for now, enjoy!
When the Great Fox II neared Corneria's orbit, the team was able to spot the invading fleet from a distance. Once they intercepted the Komodo's path, Fox, Falco, Slippy, and Krystal quickly ran to the launching platform and hopped in their Arwings. Once the cockpits were closed, they checked their G-Diffuser systems.
"Alright, is everyone ready?" Fox asked the team once the communication channel was live.
"I'm good to go!" Slippy replied.
"Everything looks fine on my end." Falco said.
"Mine too." Krystal answered.
Fox gave ROB the okay to release the lift locks.
"Don't forget, these invaders aren't from the Lylat System, so their tactics might be different than what you're used to." Peppy advised the team as they were about to take off. "Be prepared for anything."
"Let's go!" Fox gripped the Arwing's controllers. "Initiating takeoff in three… two… one!"
The four pilots were launched into space.
...
As soon as the team arrived at the space battleground, they immediately sprung into action. They started targeting the Komodo's basic fighter crafts, since the heavier spacecraft was farther up ahead. Even though the Komodo forces were high in numbers, they weren't necessarily high in skill. Fox noted how easy it was to shoot them down. Krystal had managed to fire at a starfighter's wing, causing it to crash into another starfighter. Everything seemed to be going fine for the first few minutes, nothing too substantial, until Fox heard Slippy's voice through the communicator.
"Fox! I've got some enemies on my tail!"
"What, already?" Fox said, with a hint of annoyance.
Falco joined in. "Sheesh, how did you manage to get chased by these guys?"
"Come on, it's not my fault they pick on me."
"Didn't Peppy tell us to be prepared for anything?" Fox sighed. "Just hold on until I can find you."
It wasn't long until he found Slippy, who was being tailed by two Komodo starfighters. Firing some lasers at the starfighters, Fox made quick work of them.
"Whew! Thanks! Let me tell you, it is NOT fun being chased around all the time." Slippy said. Fox just shook his head, slightly amused at his friend's comment.
...
Back at the Great Fox II, Peppy heaved a sigh of relief once Fox took down the enemies chasing Slippy. "Can't he be more careful?" he said to himself. "Slippy hasn't even been in the battle for five minutes and he already gets tailed!"
"To be exact, four minutes, 38 seconds, 157 nanoseconds." ROB 64 confirmed.
"I think that's a new record."
...
"General Cobra sir! Enemy reinforcements have entered the area. One dreadnought battle cruiser and four starfighters. I think they might be mercenaries."
"How do you know they're with the Cornerian army?"
"Because they've just destroyed six of our best starfighers. Actually, only one of the mercenaries did that. But they look really tough. It won't be easy to take them down!"
General Cobra stroked his chin. "Hmmm…"
...
"Looks like the Komodos are bringing out more battleships." Fox pointed out.
"Now things are getting interesting!" Falco said excitedly.
"Just don't let your guard down, any of you." Peppy warned. "Fox and Krystal, you two go left. Falco and Slippy, take the right."
They each flew off in their designated directions. Falco barrel rolled toward a heavy siege ship, firing a barrage of lasers at its sentry cannons, effectively hindering it from attacking them. Slippy did the same thing on the opposite side, although without the same fancy flying skills that Falco had. However, that still left the main cannons, which Falco was already heading toward with Slippy following behind.
"Look out, Falco!" Slippy shouted when he noticed the avain's Arwing was directly in front of the cannons. "I think the ship's about to—"
But just before the battleship could fire at Falco, he swiftly dodged the giant laser beam.
"…Oh." Slippy said bluntly.
"What are you worried about, froggy? I know what I'm doing." Falco started firing at the main cannons, but his attacks kept bouncing off the spacecraft.
"I don't think a normal laser is going to take out those cannons." Slippy said. "They're protected by a shield."
As Krystal focused on one of the larger battleships like the one Falco and Slippy were trying to take down, she managed to pinpoint its weak spot. "I see it… just above that ship's wing, the area around there is a blind spot. It's extremely vulnerable."
"If you can launch a bomb near that spot, it might cause the entire ship's system to fail." Peppy noted.
Fox flew his Arwing toward the battleship, dodging the lasers shot at him. "It's worth a shot." Locking on to the suggested area, Fox fired a Smart Bomb at the ship, where it managed to get attached to the weak point. Then, immediately flying away, Fox detonated the bomb. At first, it looked to the Komodos that he was retreating, but after a couple seconds, there was a massive explosion that made the whole battleship fall apart, starting with the wing.
"Hey, it worked!" Slippy cheered.
"Good job at finding the ship's weak point, Krystal." Fox said to her. "I didn't know your telepathy could do that."
"It can't." Krystal admitted. "I was just able to tell that the shields didn't have that area protected. That, and I may have read the thoughts of one of the ship's engineers. They know everything about how it works and where its weak points are."
...
"General Cobra!" A soldier dashed inside, with a look of panic across his face. "The reinforcements that just arrived, they've destroyed one of our heavy siege cruisers!"
"I hope you have a good explanation for this, Cobra." A deep, rough voice behind the general said. "I'm not going to watch some ragtag team of mercenaries obliterate my entire fleet!"
"Quiet." Cobra said calmly. "I know what I'm doing."
...
"Yo Fox, I think they caught on to our plans." Falco said as he tried to fire at the blind spot of the large battleship. "Every time Slippy and I try to aim at the spot Krystal suggested, their sentry guns start shooting at us!"
"Yeah, I've noticed." Fox replied.
"And it looks like the sentry machines are protected by stronger shields." Krystal added. "Even if we try to destroy it first, it won't do us any good."
"Hey, I've got an idea." Slippy said as he scanned the siege cruiser. "Whenever the battleship fires its main cannons, the shields protecting it go down for a little bit, leaving an opening. If you can get a bomb in there just before it fires, it'll destroy the cannons! And maybe even the whole battleship!"
"I don't know, that sounds awfully dangerous…" Peppy objected.
"Heh, no problem." Falco said, flying toward the ship's primary cannon.
"Falco, the last time you tried a stunt like that, you almost got blown up." Fox warned the ace pilot as he shot down some more Komodo starfighters.
"Yeah, except now I know to use a bomb this time."
"Just don't blame me if that cannon fries your Arwing, or blasts you all the way to Venom."
Falco zeroed in on the main cannon. "The only ones who are gonna end up in Venom are these lizard freaks."
"Get ready, it's about to fire." Slippy said when he saw that shields were down.
At the front of the battleship, Falco launched a Smart Bomb inside the cannon. Instead of sticking around, Falco flew off once the bomb was in place. The cannon started to glow a bright red, preparing to fire. But before it could shoot a giant energy beam straight at the Great Fox, the bomb went off and the cannon exploded, falling off the siege cruiser. Then there was a second blast, followed by a third, and soon the ship was nothing more than pieces of floating metal scrap in space.
"There goes another enemy ship." Falco boasted.
Fox nodded in approval. "Well, I guess if anyone's got the guts to pull that off, it's gonna be you, Falco."
"You know it!"
"Sheesh, show-off." Slippy good-naturedly teased. "And I was the one who came up with the idea." He said to himself.
...
"Sir, they've just brought down another heavy siege cruiser!" the soldier said to Cobra. "All our forces are dropping like flies! If this keeps up, we might have to pull back and recuperate!"
"Then there's no need to retreat, because it looks like these are our biggest threats." General Cobra smirked. "I think it's time we brought out our secret weapon."
"W-wait, you don't mean…?" the soldier stuttered.
"Are the forces in Sector U positioned?" Cobra asked the soldier.
"I… I think so, sir."
"Good! We'll have the remaining troops cease fire and return to base." General Cobra eye's glinted with amusement as he watched the Star Fox team. "Enjoy these precious few moments you have in the Lylat System… because they'll be your last."
...
Back in the space battleground, the team was surprised to notice that the Komodo forces had suddenly ceased fire and were flying back to their mothership.
"We did it! The ships are retreating!" Slippy gleefully shouted.
"Ha! That was almost too easy!"
Krystal's ears twitched. "But… something doesn't feel right. Are they really retreating?"
"Be very careful," Peppy warned the team, "the Komodos might be up to something."
Soon, the Komodo forces had rallied back behind their mothership, leaving the rest of the battleground empty with just the Star Fox team.
"So, this is the legendary Star Fox team…" General Cobra said in their communications channel. "I must admit, for a ragtag team of mercenaries, you are quite skillful. I was expecting our invasion to be much… easier."
"Easy for us, you mean." Falco retorted. "You call this an invasion? I could probably take down this entire fleet myself!"
"Hmm, yes. I'm sure you could… this is all just a walk in the park for you, isn't it?"
"Enough fooling around! Are you going to surrender?" Fox demanded.
"Surrender?" General Cobra shrugged, slowly shaking his head. "Why would I do that? You've hardly dealt a blow to my forces. No, I think I'll keep going while my chances are still high."
"This doesn't make any sense…" Krystal said. "Why aren't they doing anything?"
"One thing I will mention… is that you're all much more foolish than I expected you to be!" Cobra sneered as he pulled a lever, sending out 3 small probes.
Krystal's eyes widened. "No! He tricked us!" she gasped.
The probes circled around each other, gradually getting faster. Soon, an electrical charge formed in the center, revealing a large portal that started to drag the Star Fox team in.
"It's a wormhole generator!" Slippy panicked. "It's going to pull us in!"
"Quick! Get away from it as soon as possible!" Fox told the team. They all turned their Arwings around and tried to escape the wormhole's pull, using any maneuver possible. However, the wormhole was stronger and soon the Arwings were slowly being dragged inside. Not even the Great Fox II could withstand its powerful force, and it too started to succumb to the wormhole generator.
"Don't give up! Just keep fighting back!" Peppy said as he and the rest of the team struggled to escape.
"Say goodbye to the Lylat System, Star Fox!" Cobra taunted when the team was almost to the portal. "You won't be coming back!"
"Fox!" Slippy stammered. He was the closest to the portal. "Our Arwings… they can't resist this much force! We're gonna get sucked inside!"
"No we're not!" Fox said determinedly. "Just hold on!"
"I-I can't... I think I might—AAAAUUUGH!" Slippy was pulled through and his communication suddenly ceased.
"NO! Slippy!" Fox shouted.
"That two-faced snake!" Falco grimaced. "He's gonna pay for what he did…!" Soon he met the same demise as Slippy, leaving Fox, Krystal, and Peppy.
"Fox, I'm so sorry!" Krystal said dejectedly. "I should have known he would trick us. I should have noticed it sooner!"
"It's not your fault, Krystal!" he said to her. They both resisted for as long as they could, but it didn't last, as Krystal spiraled in the wormhole, followed by Fox shortly afterward.
"You'll never get away with this…" Peppy said to Cobra just before the Great Fox II was dragged inside the portal.
"And just who's going to stop me?" General Cobra jeered. "The Legendary Pilot? It's quite a shame he's not here to help you. Without him, you don't put up much of a fight." He increased the wormhole generator's power, and soon the powerful assault carrier was gone along with the rest of Star Fox. Cobra could hear the team's shouts of distress through the communication's channel as they spun erratically through the portal until there was silence. He assumed they had lost consciousness… or worse.
Satisfied, the General chuckled as he cut off Star Fox's transmission. "Now that they're out of the way, nothing will be able to resist us!"
"And you're certain that using that weapon against those mercenaries will be worth it?" came the gruff voice again.
"Of course it will, Damon." Cobra smirked. "I have no doubt."
...
Back at the Cornerian Army's Headquarters, General Pepper met with his highest ranked members and the Research Director to discuss plans regarding the invasion.
"This… is not good." Pepper lamented. "I was hoping the Star Fox team would be able to hold them off. But not even they could stop them."
Beltino Toad adjusted his glasses. "Well, we do have the planet's defense shield, which just got built not too long ago. It should be able to protect us for now while we call for more reinforcements."
General Pepper pounded the table. "Absolutely not! It hasn't been tested yet. It could fail to defend the planet, or worse, it could destroy part of Corneria! The Aparoids have already done enough damage already. We can't take the risk!"
"…But it's the only chance we have at holding them off." A feminine voice said. "At least until the Star Fox team is able to return."
"It can't be…" General Pepper looked up to see a blue jay standing before him, with a serious expression on her face. "It's you… Starla Cordivo!"
"Hello, General Pepper." Starla said. "It's been a while."
"Seven years, if we're being specific." Beltino clarified.
She nodded. "Right, but we're not here to talk about me." Starla turned her attention to General Pepper. "Star Fox… they're still alive. The Komodos just used a wormhole generator to send them away, so it's possible they can make their way back here. General Cobra wouldn't pull out any bigger weapons until he gets closer to Corneria."
"And you know what these weapons are?" Pepper asked.
"I know some of them." She answered. "My husband managed to collect nearly all the information on the Komodo's plans: their ships, weapons, and battle strategies. The only question is how do we destroy some of the more dangerous weapons."
"Are you saying that you don't know?"
Starla shook her head. "I only know what they are and what some of them do. William had devised plans to take out the weapons and he stored them on a device. All the data about the Komodo Forces were kept on that device. But only he knew how to access the data."
"I'm sure it's nothing that I can't handle." Beltino said. "Do you know where the device is?"
"Unfortunately," she sighed, "William always kept the plans with him. And since he's lost in space… it's probably lost too."
"This is quite the predicament." General Pepper mused. "Very well, I'll allow the defense shield to be used, but the citizens in that area will have to be evacuated in case something goes wrong. Meanwhile, Starla, I want you to tell me everything you know about the situation at hand. Any information you have will be a great help to us."
Starla nodded. "I'll be happy to assist in any way I can."
"Excellent. By the way, do you have any idea where the Star Fox team could possibly be?" he asked.
"That… I don't know for sure." She said admittedly. "But, if I had to guess… they're probably somewhere in the Dimitri System."
Well, I hope the next chapter is better than this. I'm a bit better at writing ground action scenes, and that's a hint for what will happen next chapter, which hopefully will be posted in less than 5 months!