Note: This is it, everyone, the final battle! However, this is not the final chapter of the story, as there are two coming after this. Despite that, I hope that all of you have enjoyed the story, especially since I had made so many changes to Star Fox Adventures and Star Fox Assault while writing this. I just tried to make the events of those games work in my timeline, hence is why they aren't the same as the original versions. Plenty of people have done that in their rewrites. Before we move on, I have something to say to four reviewers.
Big Bossk Man 92: We definitely are, because of how much the invasion has escalated. As for Fox, he decided to work with what he could. It ultimately wasn't a good idea for him to fight on the ground, even if Aparoids were sending their young to attack anyone on the street. He's only lucky that his teammates and Star Wolf were there. I hope that you're ready for what happens in the chapter.
Toolazytologin: Or is he?
UltimateCCC: The time has come to wipe out the Aparoids once and for all! Katt hasn't made her appearance in the Aparoid invasion, so she could be anywhere. For all we know, she could've been fighting the space parasites by her lonesome. It isn't the best idea, but she has to defend the Lylat System too. If our heroes encounter her is unknown. But, if the pink cat sees them, she'll probably have a lot to say to Falco.
The White Wolf named Alex: It's okay, man, you're allowed to take your time with the story. Considering how Star Fox is ready to go after the Aparoids and defeat them for good, they're going to need all the help they can get. Stay tuned for what happens in the chapter.
Now that I've said that, it's time for chapter twenty-four.
Chapter 24: Taking the Fight to the Aparoids
Ever since the battle on Corneria, Star Fox had been looking for a way to find the Aparoid Homeworld. General Pepper said that using the Memory Core could have helped with that, but it was possible that it could have gotten destroyed during Corneria's invasion. As such, Peppy was told to look for anyone who was still alive on Corneria, assuming the Aparoids hadn't destroyed all sentient life. The hare almost wanted to get Krystal to give him a hand, but he figured that she wanted a break after the mission. He was alone in looking for contact, but he did not care. For now, Star Fox's main priority was getting to the Aparoid Homeworld and destroying every last Aparoid.
After managing to find someone, Peppy called everyone down into the communications hub. They waited for the call to load, even though they were eager to destroy more of the Aparoids. After a few seconds, Star Fox was greeted by Beltino, who looked unscathed. How he managed to live through the Aparoid invasion of Corneria was something that the team would have wanted an answer to, but they wanted to prevent more casualties.
"This is Beltino." Beltino spoke. "We did it, team. We've found the location of the Homeworld!"
"Great news, Beltino." Fox spoke. "Forward the information to us and we'll start the invasion!"
"Wait!" The toad said. "You can't go yet!"
"Listen, Dad!" Slippy spoke. "We're going and you can't stop us!"
"Yes, I know that, Slippy." The older amphibian said. "But if you go as is, you'll get killed. Take the self-destruct program."
"What?" The younger amphibian asked. "Self-destruct program?"
"I've discovered that the Aparoids are vulnerable to apoptosis." He said.
"Apoptosis, huh?" The Aquatian asked. "You mean they contain cells that are created for the purpose of self-destruction?"
"Right! And I'm making a program to set off a chain reaction in those cells. If you fire the program into the Queen, all Aparoids will self-destruct!"
"That's incredible!" Fox said. "We can take those bastards out with one blow!"
All of a sudden, ROB entered the room.
"A huge Aparoid force has warped in." He beeped. "They are targeting an Orbital Gate."
"They aren't gonna make our trip to their Homeworld an easy one." Peppy said.
"If you can't get to their homeworld, the program is useless." Beltino said. "You must protect the gate until the program is complete!"
"Understood!" Fox said, cracking his knuckles. "We won't let the gate fail!"
"It's time for the Aparoids to get what was coming to them!" Falco said.
"They're going to REGRET coming to the Lylat System!" Peppy said.
"As long as the gate stays up, we won't stop until the Queen is dealt with!" Slippy yelled, craving the battle that was about to happen.
"It's time we paid them back for wrecking everything!" Fara spoke.
"Those jerks won't know what hit them!" Fay laughed, having a chipper tone despite the gravity of the situation.
"Yeah, I've always hated bugs!" Miyu said. "At least they're evil this time!"
"Let's do it!" Krystal said.
Out in space, an Orbital Gate floated in front of the Great Fox. Out from the ship came Star Fox, Fara, Fay, and Miyu. The mercenaries were quick to fly out, intent on getting to the Aparoid Homeworld as fast as they could. No matter what happened, they were not going to let the Aparoids terrorize the organisms they hadn't assimilated or killed for much longer. Even if it killed them, they were going to put an end to the Queen, once and for all!
"Listen up, everyone!" Fox spoke. "Do whatever it takes to protect the gate!"
Splitting up, Star Fox decided to kill the Aparoids that were threatening the Orbital Gate. They did whatever it could, from firing normal shots to using charged shots. As for the Nova Bombs, they put them aside for the moment. If they got overwhelmed, then the mercenaries would blow their aggressors out of existence with their bombs. As long as they didn't hit the Orbital Gate with their weaponry, then they were fine. The only thing that mattered was blasting the monsters to bits and managing to make it through the Gate.
"We gotta protect that gate!" Peppy shouted. "It's up to us, guys!"
"Got it!" Fox said.
With no time to spare, Star Fox flew around the Orbital Gate, blasting any Aparoid that came their way. Fox was being chased by some, but he managed to do a somersault and destroy them. After that, the orange tod flew after any Aparoid he saw, destroying them with little hesitation. It was as if he had been following the "advice" Wolf had given him on Corneria. However, he did not prioritize what he was told over his teammates, as he helped whoever was being chased by the space parasites. The vulpine used charged shots, not willing to leave a single Aparoid alive.
Falco was initially struggling with the Aparoids, as for every one he killed, a few more chased after him. The space parasites seemed to have improved in some aspects, as they were unwilling to leave their enemies alone. As far as Falco was concerned, that was going to be their downfall. Once several Aparoids surrounded him, the pheasant unleashed a Nova Bomb. When it exploded, the monsters were destroyed. Luckily, no damage was done to the Orbital Gate.
Now that he was fighting against the Aparoids again, Slippy was willing to wipe out the ones that dared to attack the Orbital Gate and his teammates. Tricking a few into colliding with each other, the toad then fired, destroying each of them. After that, he flew around, taking down any Aparoid he saw. The moment one began to chase him, the Aquatian did a somersault and fired at it, annihilating it with little effort. When that happened, a few more of the space parasites dived towards him. Although it seemed like they would have destroyed his Arwing, Slippy used a charged shot to kill his attackers.
From all his years of flying with Star Fox and the CDF, Peppy had been through multiple battles. None of them compared to dealing with space parasites like the Aparoids. He did not underestimate the monsters, knowing that they were far more dangerous than any other threat he had faced before. The hare fired at every Aparoid he saw, showing no hesitation or mercy. Even if they overwhelmed him, he was not going to let them destroy the Orbital Gate. After every battle with the evil parasites, after everything the Lylat System had been put through, it was time for the Aparoids to get a taste of everything they had done.
Several Aparoids surrounded Fara, trying to either shoot her down or assimilate her Arwing. However, the fennec was not going to let them defeat her. She immediately fired back at the evil space bugs, making sure that not a single one stood in her way. They kept coming, but that was not a problem for the Papetoonian. Rather, her eyes burned with determination, desiring to keep the Aparoids from harming the Lylat System for much longer. Unleashing a Nova Bomb that destroyed more of them, Fara kept on flying through space, doing whatever she could to help.
Fay flew around the Orbital Gate, playing the role of lookout. Every time an Aparoid flew towards her, she blew it into oblivion. The spaniel made sure that none harmed the Orbital Gate, as it was the only way for Star Fox to get to the Aparoid Homeworld. Without it, the team would be unable to stop the Queen from sending her spawn to the Lylat System. It was something that they were unwilling to let happen, even if it killed them. There had been enough destruction and despair, and it had to stop.
With Aparoids coming at her from every direction, Miyu had to destroy them before they could destroy her. She fired at each one that came towards her, using normal shots and charged shots. The lynx even assisted her former teammates on a few kills, sometimes saving them from being blown out of flight. As far as she was concerned, she needed all the help she could get. The Lylat System needed to be saved, and it was going to be. If it killed her, Miyu wanted to make sure that the Aparoid Queen died screaming.
Krystal was absolutely quick when it came to killing the Aparoids she saw. Her eyes narrowed as she thought about how much destruction and death they had caused. The cobalt vixen hoped that her team would be able to get to the Aparoid Homeworld and kill the Queen before she could destroy anything else. Having lost Cerinia, Krystal did not wish for anyone to lose their home planet, even if she could have hers back. Ever since she had saved Sauria with the team, the Cerinian knew that each planet needed protecting, from Corneria to Zoness. Hell, not even Venom deserved to be destroyed by the Aparoids.
"You guys are doing good!" A CDF soldier said. "Take those Aparoids down!"
"What do you think we've been doing?" Falco spoke.
Despite their best efforts, Star Fox found themselves facing off against more Aparoids. They had shown no mercy on the new ones, not even letting them spawn more. However, the space parasites still surrounded the team, even as they continued to destroy them. Even with their combined teamwork, the mercenaries could not keep the Aparoids from coming for much longer. All it would take is one slip up, then the evil bugs would gain an advantage. Star Fox could not let that happen, even if they had to keep on protecting the Orbital Gate.
"Alright, soldiers," a voice shouted, "let's give Star Fox a hand!"
Looking behind him, Fox saw that Captain Armstrong had arrived with Bill and Art. As glad as he was to see them, the orange tod kept quiet and continued to fight the Aparoids. He flew around, destroying each of the space parasites that he saw. The rest of the team had been doing alright, but he worried that they would get overwhelmed. Hopefully, Captain Armstrong, Bill, and Art were able to get some kills, so that Star Fox wasn't taken down. The team had been killing Aparoids since they had shown up, sure, but that didn't mean that they could kill every last one before reaching the Queen.
"Hold out for a little while longer, everyone!" Beltino's voice came out of the communicators.
Upon hearing that, Star Fox hoped that the Orbital Gate would be activated sooner. Even with former teammates and CDF soldiers by their side, the team could not keep the Aparoids at bay for much longer. They just kept on coming, not even letting up or letting their enemies catch their breath. It would've taken a miracle to destroy all of these before the Orbital Gate's activation. As much as they wanted to use explosives, Star Fox knew that it would only stop the Aparoids for a short period of time. They couldn't fight for much longer, even if the Lylat System really needed it.
"Isn't the program finished yet, Dad?" Slippy asked.
All of a sudden, Star Fox heard an alarm blaring. It was coming from the Great Fox, meaning that ROB had seen something out in space. Whatever it was, it had triggered Krystal's telepathy, giving her a slight migraine. Despite the alarm, Star Fox continued fighting, even as the Aparoids stopped pouring out of everywhere. They eventually stopped when a majority of the Aparoids were gone, with the remaining ones holding still. Something was coming, and it was likely something the space parasites bowed to.
"WARNING!" ROB screamed. "WARNING! Warp signature detected!"
A portion of space began to transform, as of reality itself were being altered. A red hive pattern appeared, being the warp signature ROB had spoken about. Star Fox stopped flying, knowing that it wasn't anything good. Krystal's telepathy surged, having picked up whatever was coming towards her team. Everyone braced themselves, as they were about to fight something else. Whatever it was, they wanted to be ready to take it down.
"What's that?!" Peppy cried.
"Giant Aparoid approaching!" ROB beeped. "Inbound missile!"
True to ROB's words, the hive pattern dissipated, revealing a missile coming towards Star Fox, their allies, and the Orbital Gate. It had a greenish glow on it, showing that it was Aparoid-infected. However, it wasn't a structure that the space parasites had infected. Rather, it was a creation of their own.
"A missile?!" Peppy asked.
"Did you all hear that?!" Fox spoke. "Bring down that missile!"
"Listen, everyone!" Krystal said. "Don't waste a single shot! Something that gigantic will take out more than just the gate!"
With that in mind, Star Fox raced to stop the Aparoid missile before it could hit the Orbital Gate. It was not hard, but something told them that it wasn't the only missile. Sure enough, more hive patterns appeared in space. As the Aparoids floated around, more of their missiles appeared. Clearly, they weren't holding back any punches. Now that their enemies were getting closer to entering their Homeworld, the space parasites were done playing around.
"New missiles detected!" ROB beeped. "They are approaching the gate!"
Star Fox and their allies spilt up, targeting the individual Aparoid missiles that had shown up. However, for every missile destroyed, a new one showed up. Even if they gave it all they got, the mercenaries and the soldiers couldn't destroy them all. There were no reinforcements they could call in, largely due to the Aparoids forcing everyone in the Lylat System to evacuate and stay hidden. For now, Star Fox, their former teammates, and the three CDF soldiers were the galaxy's only defense. If not for them, then it would have been destroyed sooner.
"Warning!" ROB spoke. "Warning! Multiple missiles detected!"
More Aparoid missiles appeared in space, much faster than before.
"Oh, come on!" Miyu shouted.
"What?" Fox spoke. "They're everywhere! There's too many of them!"
"Don't start sounding like a coward now, Fox!" A familiar voice spoke. "Leave this missile to us!"
Star Wolf flew towards the Aparoid missiles, taking some of them down. The team split up, with them going in different directions. Wolf was in Fox's perimeter, flying right beside him. Leon flew near the others, but seemed intent on killing the Aparoids. Panther flew near the Orbital Gate, which was where Krystal and Fara were at. The space pirates had seemingly come of their own volition, but Krystal could sense they came for another reason.
"Are you all beak and no bite, birdbrain?" Leon taunted, flying near Falco.
"Great, it's the lizard-boy, Leon." The pheasant said, secretly hoping to shoot down his rival.
"Missile down!" Wolf spoke, having shot one down on his own. "That was too easy!"
"I've got to stop dazzling everyone with my aerial moves." Panther spoke, having destroyed several Aparoids and a missile.
"Alright, why did you guys REALLY come?" Falco asked, annoyed. "Is it because you want to take credit for saving the Lylat System?"
"Your girlfriend came to us." Leon groaned, rolling his eyes.
All of a sudden, a pink ship flew down and began firing at the Aparoids. The pilot aimed a charged shot at a missile, which split it in half. This allowed Slippy to finish it off. It didn't take long for everyone to see who the pilot was. She was an old acquaintance of Falco's and someone they had encountered during the war against Venom. Her name was Katt Monroe, and her ship was The Cat's Paw.
"Hello there, hon!" Katt spoke.
"Katt?" Falco asked. "You went to Star Wolf?"
"I'll explain later!" The pink cat said. "Let's just destroy these freaks!"
With four extra pilots, Star Fox and the CDF soldiers knew that this mission would be over sooner. Wolf was flying around, destroying Aparoid missiles without any hesitation. He had to tag team with Fox and Slippy on some of them, but Peppy was also there to lend a hand. As he destroyed missiles, the one-eyed lupine took down stray Aparoids as well. While he would have just let any threat to the galaxy go, as long as it didn't concern him, he wasn't willing to let the space parasites prosper. If they were not destroyed for good, then the Lylat System would be destroyed, and every living thing would be killed or assimilated.
Now that he was near Falco, Leon was willing to shoot him down. However, knowing how dire the situation was, the chameleon instead targeted the Aparoids and their missiles. While he couldn't torture the space parasites, he felt satisfied with killing everyone he saw. Of course, the Venomian wasn't interested in saving the Lylat System, even if his life depended on it. Rather, he just wanted to kill how much Aparoids he could. To Leon, they were just bugs, which made them easy to wipe out of existence.
As his teammates showed how merciless they could be, Panther was much more calculating. He destroyed each missile that floated by, even though he had to steal the kills from the others. The black jungle cat even tricked some Aparoids into following him, then did a somersault to make them collide with each other. When it didn't kill the space parasites, it fell to Krystal or Fara to kill them. However, that didn't mean that Panther was able to kill them as quick as he saw them. While he simply wanted to be near the female pilots, he was willing to save the Lylat System from the Aparoids.
Katt was near Fay and Miyu, helping them destroy each Aparoid that came near them. While she wanted to be near Falco, she could see that he was preoccupied. The pink cat was not going to let the Aparoids take over the Lylat System, nor was she going to let them assimilate her. Launching a Nova Bomb, she told her allies to fly away as fast as they could. Once the bomb exploded, it took out three Aparoid missiles, as well as several stray Aparoids. After that, Katt made sure to help whoever she could, even if it were to be at the cost of her life.
Under Captain Steven Armstrong's direction, Bill and Art were told to give an extra helping hand to Star Fox and Star Wolf. However, as the two teams slaughtered the space parasites and destroyed missiles, they had shown that they could handle it. That didn't stop Bill from shooting down the occasional Aparoid, while Art flew around and shot several at a time. Steve was intent on calling in for reinforcements, but he wound up not doing so. Given how much damage the Aparoids had caused, it was likely that no one was going to come out and fight. Steve wanted to call them cowards, but he knew that it wouldn't be necessary.
As they continued to fight the Aparoid forces, Star Fox, Star Wolf, and their allies felt as though something was coming. However, they knew that they had to keep fighting. An Aparoid missile was starting to approach the Orbital Gate, so Fox went to destroy it, knowing that everyone else was preoccupied. He fired both normal shots and charged shots, not willing to let the infected weapon destroy the chance everyone had at taking the fight to the Aparoid Queen. If it killed him, the orange tod was going to get his teammates and their allies to the Aparoids' home planet. It was the only way to finally put an end to the nightmare everyone was going through.
All of a sudden, another red hive pattern appeared in space. It soon parted, revealing another missile. Unlike the other missiles that the Aparoids had sent, this one was much larger, and parts of it looked like jagged rocks. This one was going to be much harder to destroy than the others.
"Another missile detected!" ROB surged.
"That looks bigger than a missile!" Falco spoke.
"Yikes!" Slippy said. "This one's even bigger than before!"
"Analysis complete." ROB beeped. "Missile is composite of multiple parts!"
"Everyone, let's take it down!" Peppy shouted. "Don't let even one part get through!"
"And leave the enemies around the Gate to me and my boys, Fox!" Wolf said. "The CDF soldiers will be with us!"
"Do your best, everyone!" Beltino's voice came out of the communicators.
Star Fox and their former teammates separated from Star Wolf and the CDF soldiers, who went to attack the stray Aparoids. After that, they went after the missile, intent on destroying it as fast as possible. Fox and Falco decided to focus on the first segment of the missile, aiming for the weak points. Trying to destroy it was much harder than it looked, given how it was larger than the others, and had better armor. However, that did not stop them from firing at it repeatedly. With all their firepower combined, Fox and Falco destroyed the first segment of the missile.
"What the?" Peppy spoke. "It's accelerating!"
"Hold up!" Panther spoke. "You aren't as good as I heard!"
"Quiet, Rose Boy, or we'll shoot you down!" Miyu threatened.
Peppy, Slippy, and Fara focused on the next section of the missile, using charged shots to attack its weak point. Fara even launched a Nova Bomb to do additional damage. As it grew less powerful, the missile section of the Aparoid Missile started to detach. While it meant that Star Fox was growing closer to defeating their enemy, it also meant that they shouldn't stop attacking it.
"It accelerates as it loses parts!" Peppy warned. "Watch out!"
Now that they were facing the last section of the Aparoid Missile, Fay, Miyu, and Krystal did not hesitate to fire at it. They used both regular shots and charged shots, wanting to destroy it as quickly as they could. As they attacked it, the missile's armor was wearing down, showing that it was getting closer to destruction. Miyu launched a charged shot, which nearly knocked it out of orbit. Fay fire a few normal shots at the weak point, which was giving it some more damage. Krystal was the one to defeat the Aparoid Missile, releasing a charged shot that destroyed its final section.
"Missile destruction confirmed!" Fox spoke.
"Well done!" Beltino's voice came out of the communicator. "We've just finished the self-destruct program, too!"
"Way to go, Dad!" Slippy said.
"Now all we have to do is gift wrap it for the Aparoid Queen!" The older Aquatian said.
"Guess it's time to head for their homeworld, huh?" Fox asked.
Upon entering the Great Fox again, Star Fox awaited the activation of the Orbital Gate. Star Wolf was invited to witness it, but they declined. Katt, Steve, Bill, and Art were near the Great Fox, along with a few other CDF soldiers. With all the Aparoids wiped out, everyone was ready to head to the Aparoid Homeworld. They knew that it was going to be risky, but they had no other choice. If they didn't end the menace where it began, then there would be no way to stop it for good.
Suddenly, the Orbital Gate activated. Everyone waited for it to open a wormhole to the Aparoid Homeworld. No one was intent on flying towards it before it activated, so it was safe. They all just waited for the wormhole to open, which would finally allow them to take the fight to the enemy.
"Zypher Ring now expanding." Beltino spoke. "Main re-block disengaged. All blocks, orbits confirmed. No anomalies detected. Commencing energy exposure."
Three green lasers fired towards each other, triggering the opening of the wormhole.
"Expanding Gate lens." Beltino said.
All of a sudden, the energy of the lasers surged, causing it to unleash a blinding light. Everyone closed their eyes, knowing that it was a bad idea to look directly at a bright light. Once the light had dissipated, Star Fox, the CDF soldiers, and Katt saw a holographic light in the middle of the Orbital Gate. This meant only one thing: the wormhole to the Aparoid Homeworld had been opened.
"Gate creation successful." Beltino said.
The Great Fox began to fly towards the Orbital Gate, with Star Fox intent on getting to the Aparoid Homeworld as fast as possible. As for the CDF soldiers and Katt, they stayed close, knowing that the mercenaries would need all the help they could get. They didn't doubt that the team could handle it, but it was always a great idea to have reinforcements. If not, then there would be no one left to combat the Aparoids. Not even Star Wolf would be able to handle it on their own.
"Well, it's almost time." Beltino spoke.
"Opening fleet-wide transmission channel." ROB beeped, allowing Beltino's message to get to everyone.
"Attention, fleet of Corneria!" The toad croaked. "We in command have done all we can. From here on out, we're entrusting everything to you! So please, do your best. But, try to come back alive."
"Okay, Pop." Slippy said, fearing the worst.
"Link the Gate!" The older Aquatian said. "Target: the Aparoid Homeworld!"
The Orbital Gate had far more power behind it now, making the wormhole to the Aparoid Homeworld stronger.
"Okay!" Fox spoke. "Is everyone ready? Star Fox! Move out!"
The Great Fox flew closer to the Orbital Gate, followed by their allies. No matter what happened, Star Fox was not going to let the Aparoids win. After everything that had happened, the space parasites needed to pay. Even if they died, the mercenaries wanted to make sure that none of the evil cybernetic bugs were left alive. The Queen was their priority, but they wanted to kill any extra enemies before they got to her. As they got closer to the wormhole, and eventually entered it, Star Fox braced themselves, knowing that there was going to be a devastating battle ahead of them.
In a distant part of the galaxy, a wormhole opened up. Out of it came the Great Fox, followed by Katt and the CDF fleet. As soon as they were out of it, Star Fox found themselves looking at an indigo planet floating in the stars. The planet looked more like a moon, given how desolate and barren it looked from a distance. However, no one let their eyes deceive them. It was not as dead as it seemed, and there was no reason to assume that it was.
"Coordinates of Aparoid System confirmed and stored and memory." ROB said.
"This is it?" Fox asked.
"It's lovely," Krystal said, "but it's teeming full of monsters!"
"Wait!" Peppy spoke. "It's size and mass are disproportionate!"
"What does that mean?!" Slippy asked.
"Are you saying we're not even close to victory?" Falco asked.
"Not quite!" Peppy said.
Inside the Great Fox, Star Fox was looking at the Aparoid Homeworld.
"Look there!" Peppy spoke, pointing at a glowing spot on the planet. "That must be where the Aparoids came from. Maybe we could use it to enter the planet interior."
"But after the Aparoids come out," Slippy spoke, "it looks like some sort of shield goes up!"
"Multiple shield generators detected!" ROB beeped. "Displaying now!"
All of a sudden, the screen showed several shield generators, which happened to trigger every time the Aparoids left their home planet.
"If the past is any indication," Fox spoke, "there'll be hatchers along with those shield generators, huh?"
"Even if we could move forward, that's as far as we'd get." Peppy said. "It'll be dangerous, but we've got to demolish all of the generators and turn off that shield!"
With that in mind, Fox had Falco, Slippy, Krystal, Fara, Fay, and Miyu accompany him on the surface of the Aparoid Homeworld. Peppy stayed behind in the Great Fox, deciding to do damage control for now. The CDF was above the planet, flying around in case any Aparoids were floating by. With their help, Star Fox hoped that the mission would be easy. All they had to do was destroy the shield generators that were blocking them.
"Let's invade this enemy Homeworld already!" Falco said.
"To drop the shields, we must hit all the hatchers." Krystal said.
"That shouldn't be too hard, right?" Miyu asked.
"Hit 'em before they solidify defensive positions!" Peppy's voice came out of the communicators.
"Slippy and I will take over clearing the skies!" Falco said, running to his Arwing.
"I can take care of business when the time comes!" Slippy said.
"This is do-or-die time." Fara said.
"And I'm counting on every one of you!" Peppy's voice came through the communicators again.
With no time to spare, Fox went to look for one of the shield generators, while Fara, Fay, Miyu, and Krystal went to look for the others. He traveled through the surface of the Aparoid Homeworld, killing any Aparoids that came his way. As he ran through, the orange tod eventually came across something that was surrounded by Hatchers, presumably being one of the shield generators. Taking out his blaster, he killed each of the space parasites. However, the Papetoonian could not do any damage to what they were near.
"What?!" Fox cried. "I'm not doing any damage!"
"It may be that it's protected by a barrier generator." Peppy said. "There must be barrier generators nearby.
Seeing three structures that were near the shield generator, Fox assumed that they were the barrier generators Peppy had told him about. Using his blaster, the orange tod destroyed them. After that, he was able to fire at the shield generator, which disabled it. This allowed him to move on.
"Destruction of Hatcher confirmed!" ROB beeped.
"You did it!" Peppy said. "Now move on to the next target."
Upon walking out of the area, Fox ran to an area that he assumed would be the next shield generator. Like the other one, it was surrounded by Aparoid Hatchers. Fox opened fire on them with his blaster, but nothing seemed to work. It was apparent that using a blaster wasn't an option at that point.
"Your blaster's not working on that enemy!" Peppy said. "I'm getting updates on the battle progress in the different areas. I don't think I'm going to say I put up a good fight."
Deciding to use a different weapon, Fox took out a plasma gun. He hoped that it would be powerful enough to kill all the Aparoids that stood in his way. Firing it, the orange tod watched as a plasma blast killed some of the space parasites. Not willing to give up, he continued to fire, destroying more of his enemies and running through the area. Once they were all dead, the Papetoonian moved on, using whatever he could to disable the shield generator, which was on the ceiling. When he got it disabled, he was able to move on.
"Second shield generator disabled!" ROB beeped.
"We've lost 20% of the fleet." Peppy said. "We've got no choice but to retreat."
"Dammit, the Aparoids aren't showing any mercy!" Fox said.
"Listen up, everyone!" The hare said. "We gotta breach this. We gotta!"
"We can't tell how anything's going from here!" Falco's voice came out of the communicator. "You're not getting any help on this one, Fox, you're on your own!"
"Not exactly." Fox said.
Meanwhile, Krystal was leading Fara through a corridor, looking for the shield generator. With Aparoids standing in their way, the search was difficult. Even though she had her telepathy on, Krystal kept being stalled by the space parasites. Some were doing whatever they could to keep the cobalt vixen and the fennec from reaching the shield generator. Neither one of them were willing to give up, especially since they were aware of the risks of letting the Aparoids win. All it took was one slip up, then they would be gone.
"This base is so complicated!" Fara said.
"If you fall from here, you're done for." Fox's voice came out of the communicators. "Be careful, Fara and Krystal!"
"Oh, sure Fox, make it more stressful." Krystal said.
As they continued to move through the Aparoid Homeworld, Fara and Krystal came across a shield generator, which was surrounded by Aparoid Hatchers and barrier generators. The two agreed to handle different parts of the area. With her blaster out, Fara was intent on taking down the barrier generators. As for Krystal, she focused on the Aparoid Hatchers, using both her staff and her blaster. Once the Hatchers were dead and the barrier generators were destroyed, Krystal fired her staff at the shield generator, disabling it. When that was out of the way, Fara decided to message Fox.
"We've disabled a generator!" Fara spoke into her communicator.
"Look for the next one!" Fox's voice came out of the communicator. "If you need help, let me know!"
Moving out of the area, Fara and Krystal then went to look for the next shield generator. They agreed that, if they needed a hand, then they would contact Fox. Of course, Fay and Miyu were also on the surface of the Aparoid Homeworld. Chances were, the two vixens would have ran into them before Fox. Nonetheless, the Papetoonian and the Cerinian were intent on getting the mission done as fast as possible. If it was the last thing Star Fox did, the Aparoids would be wiped out for good.
Running through the Aparoid Homeworld, Fay and Miyu killed any Aparoid they saw. They traveled through each corridor and went down each slope, but had no luck in finding the shield generator. Fay was hoping their luck would change, as they needed to find it as fast as possible. Miyu wanted to be as optimistic as her friend, but she couldn't. It just seemed like they would reach a dead end at any moment. Of course, they could have been proven wrong at any moment.
After another minute of running and killing Aparoids, Miyu found a room where a spot on the floor was surrounded by three structures. She had Fay come into the room, knowing that she would need an extra hand. The two began to attack the structures, attempting to disable them. If not for what Peppy said, the spaniel and the lynx would have assumed that it was merely a structure and not the shield generator. As Aparoid Hatchers were in the area as well, the two had to kill them before they stopped their plans. Once the space parasites were dead and the shield generator was disabled, Fay and Miyu were ready to get out of the area.
"Fox, we've disabled one of the generators!" Miyu spoke into her communicator.
"And there's two more to go!" Fox responded. "Try to get another one, if you can!"
"On it!" Fay and Miyu chorused as they ran to find another shield generator.
Upon finding a new area with a shield generator, Fara had Krystal attack the barrier generators while she fought off the Aparoids. However, the Hatchers just kept coming, as if the deaths of their allies had alerted them. Fara continued firing at her enemies, but they started to overwhelm her. Krystal fired at one, just as she had finished destroying the barrier generators.
"No, Krystal, save yourself!" Fara cried.
"I'm not leaving you behind!" Krystal said, firing her staff at several Hatchers.
With her staff in her hands, Krystal briefly stopped firing in order to disable the shield generator. More Aparoid Hatchers came into the room, intent on killing their enemies. Fara and Krystal weren't going down without a fight, so they gave it all that they had. Even as the space parasites continued to pour into the area, the two vixens were not stopping until they made sure that no Aparoid was left standing. With her telepathy on, Krystal could tell that someone was about to enter the room. However, it wasn't Fox, but rather Fay and Miyu.
"Hey girls, need some help?!" Fay shouted.
"Just get over here!" Fara said.
Joining in on the battle, Fay and Miyu helped Fara and Krystal clear a path out of the area. As they killed Aparoid Hatchers, the four were intent on finding the final shield generator and making it to the Aparoid Queen. Of course, that was if they were able to get out of the area and back to their Arwings. The Homeworld was very large, and it would have taken a while before they reached where the Great Fox was sitting at. Krystal's telepathy was on, so it would help the four make their way back to the ship. However, they had to be careful, as there were still Aparoids roaming around the planet.
"How far are we?" Fara asked.
"We're getting closer to the Great Fox!" Krystal said. "We should watch out for Fox, though!"
"Why?" Miyu asked.
"Because he's the leader, obviously!" The cobalt vixen said. "Also, he's coming towards us!"
All of a sudden, a LandMaster burst through the walls, much to the relief of the four. Like Krystal said, Fox had been coming towards them, albeit not on foot. The orange tod opened the hood, then looked at his teammate and their allies. He smiled, knowing that they were alright. However, he knew that there was only one shield generator left to take care of. While he was aware that Fara, Fay, Miyu, and Krystal were capable of, the vulpine didn't want any of them to get killed.
"Head to your Arwings, ladies!" Fox said. "I'll handle the last shield generator!"
"Sure you don't need any help?" Fara asked.
"You can't just go alone, Fox!" Krystal said.
"I'll be fine!" The orange tod said. "I've handled plenty of stuff on my own! Now, get in your ships! I'm sure that Falco and Slippy need your help!"
As Fara, Fay, Miyu, and Krystal ran off to get in their ships, Fox took the LandMaster through the Aparoid Homeworld. While he wanted to have them help him, the orange tod figured that he would be able to disable the final shield generator. With his ship, he was able to get there faster. Once he arrived at the final stop, the Papetoonian saw that an army of Aparoid Hatchers standing between him and the shield generator. Not only that, but the barrier generators were directly in front of it. However, this did not bother Fox, as he was ready to take on whatever came his way.
"This is it!" He said to himself.
Flying around the Aparoid Homeworld, Falco and Slippy killed any Aparoids that were floating nearby. A small amount of the Cornerian Fleet had been killed, but Steve, Bill, and Art were still around. Katt was even helping them take down any additional threats, ignoring the fact that she could die if she got careless. However, they were soon joined by four additional Arwings, one of whom was black. Realizing who they were, Falco and Slippy were glad to see them. After all, they needed all the help they could get.
"Lombardi, we can't keep this up!" Steve said.
"Well, once we get all the shield generators down, we'll be able to get to the Queen!" Falco said.
As Fara, Fay, Miyu, and Krystal joined in on taking out Aparoids that were floating around outside, Falco found himself listening to a conversation between Fox and Peppy. From what he could tell, nearly all of the shield generators had been taken down. There was one left, and it needed to be destroyed for the shield to finally go down. Once it was gone, Star Fox and their allies would be able to get to the Aparoid Queen.
"Peppy, where is the final shield generator?" Fox spoke. "I can't find it anywhere!"
"It's underneath the base!" Peppy spoke. "Take that thing out with your Arwing! Get to it, Fox!"
Deciding to beat Fox to it, Falco led everyone to the shield generator that was underneath the base of the Aparoid Homeworld. However, Steve, Bill, and Art became surrounded by Aparoids. They told everyone to press on, claiming that they needed to get to the Queen as fast as possible. Knowing that it was true, Star Fox found themselves at the final shield generator. Before they could fire at the barrier generators and the Aparoid Hatchers, Fox met up with them, flying in his Arwing. He was ready to finally get rid of the menace for good.
"Handle the barrier generators, while I get the Aparoids and the shield, guys!" Fox said.
With no time to spare, Star Fox fired at the barrier generators. Fox fired a charged shot at the Hatchers, destroying them all in an instant. Once the barrier was down, he was able to shut down the shield. With all of the shield barriers deactivated, Star Fox was now able to enter where the Queen was at.
"All targets down!" Fox said.
With the entrance to the Aparoid Queen's tunnel open, Star Fox flew up to the Great Fox. At this point, they all had to go in there together. There was no turning back, as the Aparoids would have won if they weren't dealt with for good. Fox was intent on getting down there and finally putting an end to the menace. His teammates shared the same feeling, only with different levels of confidence. They were also bloodthirsty, wanting no Aparoid to stand in their way.
"Be ready for anything and everything!" Fox said. "Strap in, buckle down, and hit the planet!"
"Hang on, Fox!" Slippy said. "Something's weird! Energy readings keep getting stronger!"
"You've got to be kidding!" Falco shouted. "What?!"
"What's going on?" Fara asked.
"The energy's forming a shield!" Slippy cried. "Laser fire's gonna be useless!"
"Dammit!" Fox shouted, angry that the team's efforts had been for nothing.
"Out of the way, everybody!" Peppy shouted.
The Great Fox was floating above the tunnel's entrance, getting closer and closer. It was clear that Peppy had something in mind. Krystal didn't need her telepathy to know what the hare was about to do. The others had a gut feeling on what was about to happen, and they were intent on stopping it.
"Peppy!?" Fay cried.
"Extreme impairment!" ROB beeped. "Main hull will not survive more damage!"
"Who cares?!" Peppy shouted. "Divert all energy to the main guns! FIRE!"
The Great Fox sped into the cave, before it could form a new shield.
"Damage capacity exceeded!" The robot said.
"Too bad." The hare said. "We're goin' out in style!"
"Peppy, you can't die!" Fox's voice came out of the communicator.
"Back off!" The Zonessian screamed, not wanting anyone to get hurt. "All of you!"
"Peppy!" The orange tod said. "You mustn't ..."
"Yes." The lepus said. "This is my duty. And now you must fulfill your duty as well, Fox."
"Peppy!" Krystal screamed, sounding both anguished and enraged.
"Don't do it, Peppy!" Slippy said, being on the verge of tears.
"What are you doing?!" Falco shouted. "Crazy old fool!"
Star Fox flew after the Great Fox, knowing that Peppy would die if no one could save him.
"What are all of you doing?!" Peppy shouted, crashing into the new shield. "Go! Get out of here!!!"
With Peppy marked for death, everyone wanted to mourn him. Slippy and Fay started crying, while everyone else did their best to keep their composure. Krystal felt like crying herself, but she was angrier at the Aparoids, knowing that Peppy had to sacrifice himself to help the team get to the Queen. Fox wanted to grieve, but he knew that there was no time. If Star Fox did not go after the Queen, then the universe would still be in danger.
"Enough!" Fox spoke. "Peppy's opened a road for us! We've got to move on, without him! So come on! COME ON!!!"
Getting themselves together, Star Fox and their allies went into the entrance of the tunnel. For Peppy and everyone else the Aparoid Queen had endangered with her spawn, the team was intent on making her suffer. Fox in particular wanted to blast her into pieces. As for Krystal and Falco, they were intent on not letting the monster take the easy way out. Fara, Fay, Miyu, and Katt simply wanted the mission to be over, no matter what happened. Everyone was dead silent, anger, sadness, and a desire for revenge flowing through their veins.
Flying down the tunnel, Star Fox and their allies were intent on getting to the Aparoid Queen as fast as possible. As they did so, Krystal sensed Star Wolf following them. She felt angry at the fact that none of them had traveled through the Orbital Gate with everyone in the first place. If they had, Peppy, as well as several members of the Cornerian Fleet, would still be alive. Fox detected the space pirates on his scanner, though he was intent on giving them a piece of his mind. Even if he wanted to take down the Aparoids, the orange tod wanted to tell off the rival team for not traveling with his.
"Falco." Fox said, sounding as calm as he could. "We've got some uninvited guests."
"What?!" Falco shouted. "Oh, it's Star Wolf!"
"I'm surprised you f-!" Leon started taunting the team, until he was hit by an attack from Falco.
"BE QUIET!!!" Slippy screamed in anger. "WE'VE JUST LOST PEPPY, YOU JERKS!!!"
"You have some NERVE insulting us," Falco shouted, "when no one on your team bothered to join us through the Orbital Gate!"
"Bunch of goddamn cowards!" Miyu snapped.
"Peppy would still be alive if ANY of you EVEN bothered to come with us in the first place!" Fara said.
"Don't worry, Krystal!" Panther said. "I'll protect you from here on out!"
"I can take care of myself, thank you very much!" Krystal shouted, venom in her voice.
"Might have been a better idea not to speak there, Panther." Miyu said.
"So, you managed to survive?" Wolf asked, hoping to ease tension.
"Just barely." Fox said. "Would've helped if you came through the Gate with us."
"Let's do this!" The one-eyed lupine said.
"Right!" The orange tod said. "But, if you ever insult me or my teammates again, we'll make sure you never fight us again!"
Knowing that they were too far into the tunnel, Star Fox, their allies, and Star Wolf continued on. If it killed any of them, they were going to kill the Aparoid Queen. After everything that had happened, this had to end. The Aparoids had to be dealt with permanently. If not, then the universe would have been in danger, more so than before. That was something that couldn't happen, not even for a moment.
"We gotta do whatever it takes to reach the Queen!" Fox said.
"For Peppy and everyone else," Krystal spoke, "we've got to finish this! The Queen will suffer for EVERYTHING she's done!"
"You think we're just gonna sit here and watch you work?" Wolf asked, firing at several Aparoids.
"Well, just go on and do the best you can." Leon said, thinking that Star Fox couldn't find the Aparoid Queen.
"Says the team who didn't even bother to go through the Gate in the first place!" Falco spat.
Flying deeper into the tunnel, Star Fox opened fire on every Aparoid they saw. A majority of the evil space parasites were floating around, though some were on the walls of the tunnel. No matter where they were, not a single one was going to escape the team's sights. Star Wolf occasionally fired at the monsters, though they chose to let their rivals handle some of the hard work. They had no choice but to work together, considering how big the threat was. If they didn't, then they would all die.
"The enemy attacks are building!" Fox warned. "Watch out, Wolf!"
"Keep your advice to yourself and your eyes up front, pup!" Wolf said.
"I'd like to see you again once this is all done." Panther said, flying near Krystal.
"If we lose here, you'll never have the chance, you fool!" Krystal said.
"Obstacles dead ahead!" Fox shouted. "Watch out, everyone!"
True to Fox's word, the tunnel started to change, lifting up roadblocks. Following him, everyone dodged the obstacles, firing them for good measure. As they did so, Star Fox and Star Wolf knew that they were getting closer to the Aparoid Queen. Once they were there, they would be able to finish off the threat for good. The nightmare would be over, and the universe would be safe. Of course, there would be no replacing the damages or bringing back anyone who died during the invasion.
"You're gonna block us?!" Falco shouted at his surroundings. "Is that it?!"
"These attacks are intense." Fox said. "Shows how far we've come."
"These scum are proving to be quite a handful." Wolf said.
As they flew through the tunnel, Fox could see that Star Wolf was starting to get overwhelmed. While the space pirates were fierce fighters, it was clear that the Aparoids doubled their efforts, as several more were released. Star Fox wanted to help them, but they knew that their efforts wouldn't amount to much. All it would take was one slip up, then it would all be over. Reaching the Aparoid Queen was much more important.
With more Aparoids surrounding them, Star Wolf knew that they wouldn't make it for much longer. The space parasites just kept coming, and they would not leave anyone alone. As much as they wanted to steal the glory of saving the Lylat System for themselves, the space pirates did not want to let the Aparoids win in the end. There was only one option left: let Star Fox make it to the Queen and destroy her.
"Looks like we're getting closer to the grand finale, hon." Panther said, trying to charm Krystal one more time.
"We'll distract 'em!" Wolf shouted. "You guys take out the Queen! Leon! Panther! Let's go!"
Flying ahead of their rivals, Star Wolf began to battle more of the incoming Aparoids. While they wouldn't be able to fight Star Fox one more time, at least they would have died getting them to the Queen. Soon, the space pirates found themselves being chased by the evil monsters. However, they did not show any fear, choosing to keep the space parasites distracted.
"C'mon, you stinking bugs!" Wolf shouted in defiance. "Catch us if you can!"
"Wolf!" Fox screamed.
"Look at that guy." Falco said. "He really thinks he's the man."
"Fox, we've got to keep moving!" Krystal said.
"It's time to confront the Queen!" Slippy said.
"We've got to kill that monster before she destroys everything!" Fara shouted.
"There's nothing else that we can do!" Fay said.
"Let's kill that evil bitch!" Miyu yelled.
"Alright, let's move!" Fox said.
Knowing that he wouldn't be able to help Star Wolf, Fox lead his team and their allies through the tunnel. They increased speed, going deeper into the core of the Aparoid Homeworld. Once they reached the core, the mercenaries saw something strange in the middle. It was a silver creature with yellow lights near the top. There was no doubt as to what it was, for it was the only thing in the core. It was the source of all Aparoids, and it needed to be killed.
"That must be ..." Falco said.
"It's the Queen." Krystal spoke, her telepathy having picked up her brainwaves.
"What an ugly bug!" Fay said.
All of a sudden, the Aparoid Queen started to pulsate. While that happened, a familiar voice came from her.
"Fox." Pigma's voice was heard.
"Huh?!" Fox was shocked.
"Fox, don't be a fool." The deceased swine's voice spoke again. "Stop all this nonsense."
"Pigma!" The orange tod shouted.
"You swine!" Falco cried. "But you're supposed to be dead!"
"He is!" Fara said. "I think the Queen's just trying to break us mentally, coward that she is!"
"Star Fox team." General Pepper's voice was next. "Accept defeat."
"General Pepper?!" Slippy angrily spoke. "How DARE that monster use his voice?!"
"Give in." Peppy's voice spoke. "This is not sacrifice. This is evolution."
"No!" Krystal screamed furiously. "She's using Peppy's voice, too! Stop! Stop it, you bitch!!!"
Star Fox fired at the Aparoid Queen, intent on silencing the menace once and for all. They were all angry at her for daring to use the voice of the deceased to try and get them over to her side. Not a single ounce of mercy came from the mercenaries, because they knew the monster deserved none of it. However, she still had a few tricks up her sleeve, and she wasn't going to let them defeat her that easily. Her body pulsates again, releasing another voice. This time, it was someone who Fox had mourned for quite some time.
"Fox." The voice of James McCloud spoke.
"Dad!?" Fox asked.
"That's enough." The deceased tod's voice echoed. "There's no need for you to be hurt anymore. Let us live as one."
"Fox!" Falco shouted. "Don't let it fool you! You know your father is -!"
"I know!" Fox snapped. "My father! My father would never tell me to give up!!"
"Neither would Peppy, Queen!" Krystal shouted.
"Oh, I get it!" Slippy said. "The Queen is using information from all the things she absorbed!"
"Fara already figured that out, idiot!" Miyu shouted.
"Fox, there's no need to fight anymore." James' voice was heard again.
"Let us live together." General Pepper's voice spoke. "Together!"
"Live as one." Pigma's voice spoke.
Don't hesitate! Wolf's advice echoed in Fox's head. When the time comes, just act!
"ENOUGH!!!!" Fox snapped. "No matter what voices you use, we're never going to join you! We're going to make you pay for everything you have done! Everyone! Let's give the Queen her present!"
Star Fox flew towards the Queen, intent on killing her as fast as possible. However, her body started to shift and move around. While the Aparoid stayed in one place, the top of her body moved. She was not going to let the beings who invaded her planet defeat her.
"Fox, look at the Queen!" Krystal spoke. "We can't get a self-destruct program through that armor!"
"Rats!" Slippy shouted in anger. "Stupid armor!"
"What's wrong?" Falco said. "If something's in the way, we just blast it!"
"But we need to get through her armor first, hon!" Katt said.
"Okay, first things first." Fox said. "Destroy that armor!"
"Blast the red section, everyone!" Krystal said.
Focusing their attacks on the Aparoid Queen's armor, Star Fox was intent on destroying it. Fox focused on the front of the armor, doing whatever he could to break it. Like Krystal said, the orange tod chipped a piece of the armor and aimed at the red section underneath. It managed to hit the Aparoid Queen, though nothing much seemed to hurt her. Falco gave his teammate an extra hand, intent on getting the mission done as fast as possible. Of course, the Queen wasn't going to let them beat her.
"Don't be-!" The Queen tried to use General Pepper's voice again, only to get cut off.
"Shut up already!" Slippy shouted.
As they were next to fire at the next red section, Slippy fired at it with Fara's help. While the others were using normal shots, they made sure to use charged shots as well. No matter what, the Queen was not getting away with her actions. As he continued to fire, Slippy saw the Aparoid move again. Fara fired at her with him, having no time to let it defeat her and her teammates. That didn't stop their enemy from attempting to persuade them again.
"All of you." Peppy's voice was used. "Join us. It's your only salvation."
"You killed Peppy, so don't BOTHER using his voice!" Krystal yelled. "There is NO salvation under you! Only enslavement, you twat!"
As they fired at the Queen, Fay and Miyu showed no mercy. Fay even launched a Nova Bomb, signaling for her friends to get back. The blast managed to chip away the Aparoid's armor, allowing the spaniel and the lynx to get to the red section. Unlike Slippy and Fara, they primarily used charged shots. Each blast harmed the red section, though the Queen didn't show any pain. She moved again, using another voice in the process.
"You're f-!" Pigma's voice came up, getting cut off before continuing. "Get smart and surrender."
"Hah!" Falco said. "You think we'd be fooled by stupid impersonations?"
"You're the fool, Aparoid Queen!" Krystal shouted in defiance. "If you think we aren't smart, then think again, you stupid -!"
"Let's save the gloating for later, hon!" Katt said.
As it was their turn now, Krystal and Katt had chipped away a majority of the armor. This allowed them to fire at the red section. However, the Queen moved again, even as she took damage from their firepower. She used another voice, intent on getting Fox on her side. The monster hoped that he would be under her thrall.
"Don't be fooled!" Krystal said.
"Give us a hand here, hon!" Katt shouted.
"No matter what you do," Peppy's voice spoke, "you cannot win, Fox."
"We'll see about that, Queen!" Fox roared.
With everyone by his side, Fox fired at the Aparoid Queen's red section. Like before, no one showed any mercy, wanting the source of the space parasites to pay for her actions. As they fired, they felt as though something else was about to happen. However, they weren't letting the Queen's manipulations get to them. They were going to get the self-destruct program on her, one way or another.
"If you waste this chance," Pigma's voice spoke, "then you're -!"
"Now, Fox!" Falco shouted. "Fire that program in there!"
Seeing his opportunity, Fox aimed at the center of the Aparoid Queen's armor. He was intent on activating the self-destruct program, a sentiment that he shared with everyone else. There was nothing else to do, and it was the only chance they had. With the Queen exposed, the mercenaries were ready to defeat her.
"Take this!!!!" Fox screamed.
Upon being fired, the self-destruct program was shot into where the red section was. It exploded, causing the Aparoid Queen to shake and jump. She was then engulfed in a white light, being bright enough to blind everyone. They closed their eyes, not wanting to lose their vision. Once the light dissipated, however, a section of the Queen's body was still standing, with her armor gone. It was hard to tell if she was alive or not.
"Is it working?" Fox asked.
"I'm not sure, but-!" Slippy tried to speak.
"Something's wrong, Fox!" Krystal said.
The section of the Aparoid Queen started to move. The tunnel violently shook, making it unclear whether it was the Queen moving, or the self-destruct program working. Given Krystal's tone of voice, it was clearly the former. The final battle had not yet been won. It had only just begun.
"All for us!" A voice came out of the Queen. "All things in the universe will be ours!"
"What?!" Fox spoke.
"You've got to be kidding me!" Miyu shouted.
"The self-destruct program didn't work?!" Fara cried.
"All for us!" The Aparoid Queen spoke again. "Everything in this universe exists for us! Bow before us! Submit to us!"
"What?!" Falco shouted.
"We'll never submit to you!" Krystal shouted.
"Is the self-destruct program working?!" Fay asked.
"It should be working, but I think the Queen's suppressing it!" Slippy cried.
The Aparoid Queen sank into where she had been sitting, clearly intent on escaping her enemies. She was not going to let them beat her, not like this. With the self-destruct program inside of her, the monster had no choice but to run. Star Fox couldn't let her escape, they just couldn't.
"This is bad!" Slippy screamed. "If she escapes now, she'll create an antibody!"
"Fox!" Falco said.
"Fox!" The toad cried.
"Fox!" Fara said.
"Fox!" Fay said.
"Fox!" Miyu said.
"Fox, she needs to PAY!" Krystal said.
"We've got to defeat this thing and execute that program!" Fox said. "This is it! The final battle!"
"That's what I was getting at!" The cobalt vixen said.
With no options left, Star Fox immediately raced after the Aparoid Queen. They could not let her escape, nor could they keep out of their sight. If it was the last thing they did, the self-destruct program would be activated. After everything that had happened, the Aparoids needed to be gotten rid of for good. The Queen would pay for everything she had caused, even if she was a tough opponent. Letting her go was out of the question.
Going down the new tunnel that the Aparoid Queen had made, Star Fox was intent on keeping her from making a break for it. They were going to blast her up oblivion before that could happen. With the self-destruct program inside of her, the team and their allies just needed to damage the monster long enough for it to work. If it didn't, then all would be lost.
"Look out, everyone!" Falco warned. "That thing looks really steamed!"
"It has a weak point, we just need to find it!" Krystal said. "Watch the Queen's reactions!"
Firing at certain areas on the Aparoid Queen, Star Fox saw her shoot out tentacles. Dodging them, they continued to fire. However, the monster's front area opened up, revealing a snake-like head underneath. It fired at everyone, trying to take them down. With their dodging, the Queen failed to knock someone out of the air. Star Fox and their allies fired at the snake-like area on her body, causing her damage.
"It has something up its sleeve!" Krystal shouted.
"I'll get close and blast 'em!" Falco yelled. "Cover me, Fox!"
Going near a flashing area on the Queen's snake-like appendage, Fox and Falco began to fire at it. Luckily, it happened to be another weak spot. However, the Aparoid shot mines at them, not willing to be defeated so easily. Fox was able to shoot them out of the sky, allowing Falco to fire at the monster. When enough damage was done, the appendage retreated back into the Queen, with her front side closing. However, Star Fox knew that it wasn't over.
"Don't hesitate!" Krystal said, sounding somewhat thrilled. "The Queen's afraid of us!"
Continuing to fire at the Queen, Star Fox saw her bring out her snake-like organ again. Fay and Miyu fired at it, while the others took down the mines. The spaniel and the lynx were dead-set on making the Aparoid Queen pay for her life, so they hit the weak spot of her appendage. Knowing that they would need an extra hand, Krystal flew to them, hitting the monster's weak spot.
"Watch my back, Fox!" The cobalt vixen said.
Firing at the Aparoid Queen, Fox was careful enough to not hit any of his teammates. With their firepower combined, Fox, Fay, Miyu, and Krystal did more damage to the monster. Eventually, she retreated the organ back into her body, exposing her front side again. This did not stop Star Fox from firing at the areas that would allow them to face the snake-like organ again. Even if defeating the Queen didn't bring any casualties back, at least they would have stopped her for good.
"We've come too far to be beaten now!" Slippy shouted.
Once the Queen's front opened again, Star Fox attacked it together, not showing any mercy. They were all so angry at the Aparoid, they used normal shots and charged shots. Fara even threw a Nova Bomb, and it was enough to cause the snake-like organ to explode off the monster. However, she was not done for. In fact, the Aparoid Queen took the form of a ship and started to speed away from everyone. That didn't mean she was going to leave, though.
"Fox!" Krystal said. "Let's finish it!"
"Here we come, you evil space hag!" Fox screamed.
Chasing after the Queen, Star Fox used everything they had, from their normal shots to their Nova Bombs. While doing so, they could hear frightened sounds coming from the Aparoid. However, she was using her own voice instead of impersonating someone else's. This meant that what Krystal said was true: the monster was afraid of the team. She was now experiencing what the victims of her spawn had experienced. It wouldn't have done her any good, as her life was about to come to an end.
With one more round fired, the Aparoid Queen exploded. She fell down the tunnel, being consumed by the blast. The monster let out a scream, knowing that she would be unable to survive. Star Fox watched as it happened, hoping that it would be enough to finally end the nightmare they had been through.
"That's the end of the Queen!" Fox said.
All of a sudden, the tunnel started to shake. Pieces of it began to fall off, and down the hole where the Aparoid Queen had fallen. This meant that the self-destruct program had been activated. With that in mind, Star Fox and their allies began to race out of the tunnel, not wanting to be consumed in the blast that would destroy the Aparoid Homeworld. They flew at maximum velocity, not caring that they would run out of fuel. All that mattered was making it out alive.
"So the whole thing was just one big entity?" Falco said.
"She tried to bypass evolution by stealing souls," Krystal spoke, "but you have to be born with one!"
Continuing to fly out of the tunnel, Star Fox, Fara, Fay, Miyu, and Katt left the Aparoid Homeworld. They were right on time, as the planet exploded as soon as they were off its atmosphere. The Aparoids were gone, and the nightmare was finally over. With the threat neutralized, they were all ready to go through the Orbital Gate and head back to the Lylat System. Once they got back, they would take a vacation. All they needed to do was maneuver past the wreckage around them.
"We did it, Fox!" Slippy shouted.
"I can't believe it!" Falco spoke. "I'm still breathing!"
"Serves that oversized tick right!" Miyu said.
While everyone was ready to celebrate, Krystal let out a sniffle. She wanted to feel happy that the Aparoids were finally gone, the fact that so many had died to help Star Fox fight the monsters negated that feeling. The cobalt vixen didn't feel as sad as she did when she witnessed Cerinia explode, but it was almost to that point. What was the point in celebrating when so much had happened?
"But so many casualties." Krystal spoke.
"That includes Peppy." Slippy said, feeling melancholic.
"Hell, and even Star Wolf." Falco said.
"Not to mention the Cornerian Fleet." Katt said.
"So many noble sacrifices." Krystal said, sounding on the verge of tears.
All of a sudden, Krystal's telepathy was triggered by something. There was something near Star Fox and their allies. Slippy caught on what the cobalt vixen was sensing, and he saw several familiar ships flying nearby. From there, the grieving was about to turn into celebrating. The toad let out a gasp, with Krystal smiling at him. They hoped that they weren't the only ones who saw it.
"Slippy!" Fox spoke. "What is it?"
A light was shown in the distance, and it looked familiar. Krystal knew what it was, but decided to let Fox get a look at it himself. Not only him, but the rest of the team. After all, it would be rather rude of the cobalt vixen to spoil the surprise.
"What's that?" Fox asked.
"Hey, could that be?" Falco asked.
"No, it couldn't!" Fay said, not believing her eyes.
"Hey!" A familiar voice spoke. "You're all okay! That was hairy. I promise, I'll find a place where we can relax!"
It was Peppy, and he was flying the Great Fox towards his teammates, old and new. Everyone was excited to see him, including Falco. They were all eager to speak to the hare again, though they also wanted to scold him for scaring them. Fox was subdued, though on the inside, he was excited. He was the first to speak to the Zonessian.
"What's up, Peppy?" Fox asked.
"Fox, uh, tell me it ain't so, buddy!" Falco said. "You knew about this?"
"So THAT'S why you were so calm!" Slippy shouted. "You sneaky dog!"
"Actually, I sensed him with my telepathy, then notified Fox." Krystal said.
"Pepper is alright as well?" Fara asked.
"Yeah, it's possible." Fay said.
"And Star Wolf, too." Miyu spoke.
Knowing that everything was going to be alright again, Fox had his teammates and their allies enter the Great Fox, which looked brand new. With the Aparoids finally gone, they were finally able to head back home. They had a feeling that Star Wolf and the Cornerian Fleet had gone back already, but they didn't mind. As far as they were concerned, there would not be another universal threat for the time being. Peppy had ROB steer the Great Fox towards the Orbital Gate, intent on getting home as fast as possible. After all, it was all over.
"Everyone." Fox said. "My friends, thank you."
Note: You probably thought that this was the last chapter, did you? However, there are actually two left. This might be the longest chapter that I have ever written, but it was worth it. The final battle had been won, the Aparoids are vanquished for good, and Peppy is promising to have his young friends relax. Stay tuned for the next two chapters. I hope you like them!