Chapter 5:
A blaring alarm ripped Isaac and Carver from their sleep. Each grabbed their respective weapons and charged from their rooms. Miyu, who was standing on the opposite wall, let out a startled yelp when they burst into the hall.
"What are you two doing!?" she yelled. Both turned to her.
"We heard an alarm," Carver replied, "What's goin' on?"
"Oh...uh, I was just testing the bailout alarm," Miyu replied sheepishly, "Probably should've warned you guys first."
"Yeah, probably," Isaac muttered, shrinking when he noticed her eyes moving up and down his body, making him realize his state of undress.
He turned and quickly walked back inside him room. Carver sighed and shook his head before returning to his room. Miyu stood by the wall, staring at their room doors. She shrugged after a few seconds and continued her checks, all the while thinking of Isaac. Despite his age, he was quite the looker.
In his room, Isaac tossed his plasma cutter onto his bed and grabbed a fresh change of clothes from his closet. He dressed in one of his new shirts and pants before leaving his room and walking towards the mess hall. When he arrived, he could hear the clattering of pans and loud voices. He pushed the door open slightly and peeked inside.
"What the hell did you do!?" came Fara's voice from the kitchen.
"It was an accident!" Falco's voice shouted in reply.
Curious, Isaac stepped inside and headed for the kitchen. Rounding the corner, he was met with the sight of pots and pans scattered all over the floor. A cart that was meant to hold them was laying on its side. Fara was stacking frying pans next to it while Falco grabbed some nearby pots.
"Hi guys," he said, Fara's ears perking up when she heard his voice.
"Hey Isaac," she said.
"You guys need help?" he asked.
"Sure," Fara replied, "Could you help me with the cart?"
Isaac nodded and met her by the cart. They both raised it off the floor and back on its wheels. Isaac was surprised by how heavy it was, the weight not matching its size. Fara set her stack of frying pans on the bottom shelf.
"Thanks, Isaac," Fara said.
"No problem," Isaac replied. She checked her watch, a frown appearing on her muzzle.
"Shit, I'm gonna be late," she muttered.
"Late for what?" Isaac asked.
"I've gotta report to work," Fara replied, "I'm a tech rep at my father's company."
"Nice," Isaac said, "What's his company?"
"Pheonix Industries. It's the CDF's ship contractor," Fara replied, "I'll see if I can give you and Carver a tour one day."
"That'd be great," Isaac said. Fara smiled and left the kitchen, leaving him alone with Falco.
The blue avian was standing at the counter nearby, pouring himself some coffee. He offered Isaac a cup, who eagerly took it. He took a drink, welcoming the caffeine into his veins. He really needed this, as his sleep, while not as bad as the night before, was still plagued with nightmares. He left the kitchen and sat at a table in the dining area, slowly drinking his coffee. Falco emerged from the kitchen, carrying his coffee cup and a box of emergency rations.
"I'm heading to the bridge if you want to join," he said.
"Sure," Isaac said, "Lead the way."
Falco led him out of the mess hall and down another hallway to an elevator. He pressed the call button, the doors opening right away, and they stepped inside. The elevator took them up to another short hallway with a large door at the end. Falco pulled a keycard out of his pocket and placed it against a scanner on the wall. It emitted a loud beep and the bridge door opened.
Isaac was almost blinded by the sun shining through the bridge's glazing. He covered his eyes with his hand, waiting for them to adjust. Once his vision returned, he looked over the bridge. He and Falco were standing on a raised platform at the back, a set of stairs on their left. The bridge itself was rather large, the forward section lined with consoles. What looked like a robot was manning the center console, thick wires from its body were connected to it. Fox was sitting in the captain's chair in the center of the room, Peppy standing beside him. Falco walked down the stairs towards them, Isaac following behind. Peppy and Fox turned their heads when they heard them approach.
"Mornin', gentlemen," Peppy greeted.
"Mornin' Pep, Fox," Falco greeted in return, placing the rations in a nearby storage container.
"You didn't bring me coffee?" Fox asked.
"We're fresh out," Falco replied with a smirk. Fox cocked an eye.
"Sure," he said, typing on a holoscreen on his right. Isaac huffed in amusement and looked towards the robot.
It was a bronze-colored machine, looking quite primitive if he could be honest. He followed the thick wires that came from its back to the consoles the were plugged into. Their screens had lines of data flowing across them, Isaac couldn't make anything out from where he was standing. He also noticed the robot's fingers were rapidly tapping a keyboard.
"That's ROB," Peppy said, getting Isaac's attention, "He helps run the ship."
"Okay," he said.
"Did you have robots in your world?" Peppy asked.
"We had autonomous vehicles, machinery, and A.I.s," Isaac replied, "Didn't really have humanoid robots."
"That's interesting," Peppy said, "Why was that?"
"Guess we didn't need 'em" Isaac replied with a shrug. Peppy hummed in response before turning his attention back to Fox.
Isaac turned around when he heard a beep from behind him. The bridge door opened and Kyrstal walked inside, wearing a dark blue flight suit. She smiled at Isaac when she saw him. He gave a small smile and wave in return. She strolled down the stairs, joining the others at the captain's chair.
"Hey Krystal," Fox greeted.
"Fox," she greeted with a bow, "How's the bridge?"
"There's a problem with navigation," Fox replied, "ROB's working on it now, everything else is fine."
"That's good," Krystal said, "I just finished checking the emergency equipment, Fay and Slippy are in the engine room now."
"How are they doing?" Fox asked.
"I haven't checked in with them yet," she replied.
"Okay," Fox said, "Can you and Falco run down there and see if they need help?"
"Sure," Krystal replied, "Come on, Falco." She turned to leave the bridge, Falco reluctantly following her.
Once they were gone, Fox and Peppy returned their attention to the display on Fox's chair, looking over the ship's status. Isaac stepped away from them and sat himself on a lounge seat nearby, staring out the wind screen of the bridge. He looked up at the clock on a screen above the glazing. The time read 7:38 a.m., meaning they were behind schedule. He saw Peppy glance at the clock, letting out a grunt of frustration. Isaac stood from his chair and walked over to him.
"Anything I can help with?" he asked. Peppy thought for a moment.
"You said you were an engineer, right?" he asked.
"Yeah, ship system specialist," Isaac replied.
"Alright, uh, catch up with Falco and Krystal," Peppy said, "See what you can do in the engine room."
"Okay," Isaac said, heading to the bridge door.
Fox unlocked and opened the door for him, and he took the elevator down to the crew quarters. He walked past the mess hall, checking the directory for the engine room. He heard a door open down the hall and saw Carver leave from his room, dressed in his suit.
"Clarke," he greeted.
"Hey Carver," Isaac greeted in return.
"Where're you goin'?" he asked.
"I'm heading to the engine room, Peppy wants me to help with some checks," Isaac replied.
"Alright, I'll tag along," Carver said.
The two of them headed down the hall towards the elevator. Once inside, Isaac pressed the button labeled 'Engine Room' and they descended to the floor. The doors opened seconds later, ad they both stepped into another long hallway. They passed Slippy's workshop, reminding Isaac he needed to check if his suit was ready.
A small cargo lift at the end of the hall led down to the engine room. Isaac and Carver rode it down a floor to the room. In front of them was a large reactor, the lights on its surface brightly lit. Slippy, Fay, and Krystal were gathered around a large console in front of the reactor, Falco was standing off to the side, playing on his communicator. Isaac and Carver made their way to them, Krystal's ears twitching when she heard their footsteps. She turned and greeted them with a smile.
"Hey you two," she said. Fay and Slippy turned from the console, Slippy giving a small wave to them. Fay smiled at them, her tail wagging furiously when she saw Carver.
"Hi John!" she said happily.
"Hi Fay," Carver said, a little more reserved.
"What brings you two here," she asked.
"Peppy sent me to help you guys out," Isaac replied, "And Carver tagged along."
"Well, we were trouble shooting a problem with the ship's backup generator, but we think we fixed it," Slippy said.
"How's the navigation problem going?" Krystal asked.
"It was still in work when I left," Isaac replied.
"Okay," Krystal said, "Have you two seen Miyu by chance?"
"We did when she blasted an alarm in ears," Carver replied, "But haven't seen her since."
"What was she doing?" Isaac asked.
"She was testing the alarm systems," Krystal replied.
"And not saying anything beforehand," Carver grumbled.
"Yeah, she's an odd one," Krystal said, "Anyway, I haven't seen her since then."
"I'll send her a message," Falco chimed in, typing on his communicator.
"In the meantime, we should head to the bridge," Slippy said, "We're already behind schedule."
"And Miyu's already there," Falco said, reading his communicator.
"Everything's good here?" Isaac asked.
"For the most part," Slippy replied, "A few minor discrepancies, but we can fly with them. Oh, before I forget, your suit's ready."
"Oh, perfect! I was actually gonna ask you about that," Isaac said.
"We'll stop by my workshop on the way," Slippy said as they walked to the cargo lift.
Taking the lift back to the upper floor, Isaac followed Slippy to his shop while the others continued towards the elevator. Slippy opened his shop's door and flicked on the lights. Isaac followed him to the suit kiosk, the display on the side showing his suit was complete.
"Ever used one of these before?" Slippy asked.
"I have," Isaac replied, "I didn't say this last night, but it's almost exactly like the ones we have."
"Really?" Slippy asked with wide eyes.
"Uh...yeah," Isaac replied.
"Huh. Maybe we're not so different after all," Slippy said to himself. He pressed a red button on the side and the kiosk door opened.
"Go ahead and step inside," he said.
Isaac slowly moved inside, turning himself around and leaning back against the machinery inside. Slippy held a thumb up, Isaac returning it to signal he was ready. Slippy activated the start sequence and Isaac felt himself being pulled further into the machine, metal clamps locking his limbs in place. The door closed and blinding white light illuminated the inside, forcing him to keep his eyes shut. Isaac could feel the mechanical arms behind him pulling a thick material over his body and the smaller ones in front of him installing armored plates.
After a few more seconds, the blinding light extinguished, and the kiosk door opened. The arms released then released Isaac. He stumbled slightly as he dropped to the floor. He straightened himself up, rolling his shoulders to loosen his muscles. He looked over his suit, finding it in perfect condition. Pressing a pad on his right wrist opened the holoprojector, releasing the folded metal components that formed his helmet. Slippy stared at him, his eyes wide and mouth agape.
"Wow!" he said, "That's so cool!"
"It sure is," Isaac said, his voice slightly muffled by his helmet.
"Yeah, wish we had suits like this," Slippy said, "Alright, let's head to the bridge."
He and Slippy left his shop and took the elevator back up to the crew quarters, arriving at the bridge a few minutes later. Slippy used his keycard to unlock and open the door. They stepped inside, finding the others waiting for them. The others looked Isaac up and down, fascinated by his suit. Well, except Carver, who merely facepalmed.
"An Engineer Suit? Really?" he asked.
"Yeah," Isaac deadpanned. Carver chuckled in response.
"Alright...is everyone ready?" Fox asked, typing on his display.
"Looks like it," Falco replied.
"Okay, Slippy, Fay, systems check," Fox commanded.
Slippy hopped across the bridge to console at the front, rapidly typing on the keyboard below it. Fay sat down at another small console to his right. After a minute, he turned from his station.
"All systems green, Fox," he said.
"Roger that," Fox replied, "ROB, fire up the engines."
"Beginning engine start sequence," ROB said.
A low hum filled the bridge, a vibration felt in the floor. Fox hooked up his seatbelt, the others taking any open chair. Isaac looked over the bridge, seeing Peppy had finally left for the control tower.
"Engines started," ROB said after a few minutes, "Parameters normal."
"Great!" he said, pressing button on his display, "This is Captain Fox McCloud of the Great Fox, requesting permission to launch." A few seconds passed before the ship's radio crackled to life.
"Great Fox, this is Fort Garret departure, standby on launch, you have traffic above you. We'll call when you're clear," the controller said.
"Copy, standing by," Fox replied through the radio, "Slippy, start warming up the hyperdrive."
"Warming the hyperdrive," he said.
"Keep an eye on the temps," Fox said. Slippy gave him a thumbs up in response. The controller come over the radio a moment later.
"Great Fox, you are clear to launch, west heading 250, stop at Harlen Lake for orbital ascent," the controller said, "Good luck."
"Copy, clear to launch, head west at 250 for Harlen Lake," Fox said repeating the controller's clearance, "Release the clamps, please."
"Releasing the clamps," the controller said.
A thud was heard as the clamps holding the ship in port were unlocked and opened. A message appeared on Fox's display, telling him the clamps had all released. The ship then slowly rose from the ground, the display reading five hundred feet of altitude.
"ROB, take us west heading 250," Fox said.
"West heading 250," ROB repeated in his robotic monotone.
The Great Fox slowly turned towards the west before moving forward, leaving the port behind. The ship climbed higher as it went, passing over the outskirts if the city. Small shuttles were seen weaving in between the city's skyscrapers as they passed. The urban settlement soon gave way to a large, dry lakebed. Scorch marks in the dirt suggested this was a commonly used area for launches.
"ROB, power up the engines and take us up," Fox said.
"Powering engines," he replied.
A deep rumble spread the ship, the nose angling up towards the sky. A few seconds later, everyone felt themselves pushed back in their seats, the ship rocketing upwards. The deep, blue sky was soon replaced by the blackness of space. In the distance ahead of them, several large platforms could be seen.
"What are those?" Carver asked, pointing at the platforms.
"Orbital Defense Platforms," Falco replied, "They were built after the war to repel a future Venomian attack."
"And that ring there?" Isaac asked, pointing to a giant ring-shaped structure just beyond the platforms.
"That's the Orbital Gate," Fox replied, "It allowed us to travel between planets much quicker than just using our slip space drives. It was damaged during the Aparoid War and is still undergoing repairs."
"So, the trip to Fortuna's gonna take a while?" Carver asked.
"It should only take fourteen hours," Fox replied.
"Fun," Carver said.
"Hey, we've had some trips take weeks," Falco said. "Fourteen hours isn't that bad." The ship slowly moved past the platforms and Orbital Gate, stopping just outside of them.
"ROB, engage the hyperdrive," Fox said.
"Engaging hyperdrive," ROB repeated, typing commands into his keyboard.
Another low rumble was heard in the bridge. The ship began to accelerate, the distant stars beginning to blur. The ship then suddenly launched forward, a pale blue glow engulfing the view outside of the windows. A count down appeared on a screen above the windows, counting down from fourteen hours.
"Alright guys, we have fourteen hours till we arrive at Fortuna," Fox announced, "Please use this time to prep your Arwings, make sure your weapon systems are ready for any resistance." Yes sirs come from Falco, Krystal, and Miyu, and they left the bridge for the hanger.
"Slippy and Fay, help ROB keep an eye on the ship," Fox continued, "We don't want a repeat of last time."
"What happened last time," Isaac asked.
"Uh...some technical difficulties," Fox replied, "Nothing to worry yourself over."
"Alright," Isaac said with a shrug.
"Well, we'll have a briefing an hour before we arrive, so feel free to relax for now," Fox said.
Isaac gave a nod and joined Slippy at the front of the bridge, Carver, with nothing else to do, followed behind. Isaac sat down in an empty chair next to Sippy. He asked him to give him a quick rundown of the Great Fox. Of course, Slippy loved nothing more than talking about tech stuff, so he happily began to talk about all the systems of the Great Fox down to the smallest detail. Isaac listened with great interest, a part of him missing the simpler times of just fixing things without the fear of getting torn apart by some monstrosity.
Carver, bless his soul, tried to listen, but all the words flew over his head. He turned and began to leave the bridge. Fay noticed him leaving and she hopped from her chair to join him. He gave her a soft smile when he saw her at his side. Fay opened the bridge door for them, and they headed towards the elevator, taking it back to the crew quarters.
"Hey, Fay," Carver said as they left the elevator.
"Yes, John?" she questioned.
"Do you guys have a gym here?" he asked.
"We do," Fay replied, "It's on the other side of the mess hall. I'll show you."
She led him through the mess hall to a set of double doors on the opposite side of the room. They entered a small hallway lined with more doors. Most were storage rooms, however, the last door on the left led to a fairly large gym. There were several racks of weights, dumbbells, and a couple of treadmills on the far wall. A roping machine and an elliptical were to their left. Some of the machines showed signs of pretty extensive use. However, the treadmills looked brand new.
"Wow," Carver said, "This is nice."
"Yeah," Fay said, "There's not much to do in space, so this really helps pass the time."
"Yup, I know something about that," Carver said.
He stepped further into the room, looking over the wight rack. Fay headed towards the locker room nearby. Carver stripped off his suit, wearing only in his undershorts and t shirt. Keeping his boots on, he placed some weights on the bar and laid down on the bench. He wrapped his fingers around the bar, loosening his shoulders.
The door to the locker room opened and Fay emerged back into the gym. Carver looked her way and was stunned by her appearance. She was dressed in a pair of tight shorts and a sports bra, both complementing her shapely figure. Carver thought she looked like Damara before, but this really drove that home. He looked up to her face, seeing she was beet red. He realized then he was staring. He cleared his throat and awkwardly mumbled an apology. Fay accepted it and walked to a treadmill. Carver took a deep breath to clear his mind and lifted the bar from the rack.
Back on the bridge, Isaac had just finished his talk with Slippy. The team still had eleven hours till they arrived at Fortuna, so he decided to explore the ship. He returned to the crew quarters, walking through the halls. He glanced at each door he passed, reading the tag on their centers. He passed by a couple of storage rooms and each of the crew member's bedrooms, stopping outside of his room.
He looked over his suit and saw it didn't have his stasis and kenesis module on his left arm. He entered his room and grabbed his snow suit. He spent at least an hour removing the modules from it and installing them on his new suit. He left his room right as Falco, Miyu, and Krystal returned from the hangar. Falco gave a small wave and headed to his room while Krystal and Miyu approached Isaac.
"Hey," Isaac said in greeting.
"Hey," Miyu said back, "Whatcha up to?"
"I was installing some modules on my suit," Isaac replied.
"Cool," Miyu said, "We just got done loading Smart Bombs onto our Arwings."
"Smart Bombs, huh? Expecting heavy resistance?" Isaac asked.
"You never know," Miyu replied, "Better safe than sorry."
"Gotcha," Isaac said.
"So..." Miyu began, thinking of something to say, "Wanna hang out with us?"
"Uh, sure," Isaac replied.
"Great!" she said, "Follow me."
Isaac followed behind Miyu and Krystal as she led them to her room. She opened the door and they went inside. Miyu's room was rather messy, with clothes and a blanket on the floor. Stacks of what looked like comic books were stacked against the wall by the bed. Posters of action movies and rock bands were on every wall.
"Sorry about the mess," Miyu said, "I don't have company very often."
"It's fine," Isaac said, "My dorm in college was worse."
"So was mine," Miyu said, sitting on the edge of her bed.
She patted a space beside her, looking at him expectantly. Isaac sat down beside her, Krystal sitting on his opposite side. Miyu grabbed the remote for her T.V. and turned it on. She flipped through the channels before stopping on some reality show. She set the remote down next to her and rested her head on Isaac's shoulder, Krystal doing the same. He was a little uncomfortable with them cuddling him, but he pushed that feeling aside. As much as it hurt, he knew he couldn't hold onto Ellie forever, especially without knowing her fate. Or if he and Carver could even return to their universe. Or if the hallucinations of Nicole decide to rear their ugly faces.
He felt something soft and wet touch his cheek. He turned his head, seeing Krystal brush her nose against his face. She looked into his eyes, her expression asking if he was okay. He gave her a soft smile and began to gently stroke her ears. She leaned her head into his touch, soft purrs coming from her throat. Isaac felt something soft on his left, he looked over and saw Miyu pressing her face against his cheek, staring into his eyes. He knew what she wanted. He began stroking her ears as well. Like Krystal, she purred softly at the feeling, moving her head closer to him.
Miyu was starting to grow on him. He remembered upon first meeting her, he was off put by her up front personality. But now that he's with her in a more intimate environment, he found that she was quite pleasant to be around, as was Krystal. She was more reserved than Miyu, but it was clear to Isaac she had feelings for him. That intrigued him, seeing as they had only known each other for a little over two days.
Isaac felt both of them wrap their arms around him, pushing him back into the mattress. Krystal and Miyu rubbed their cheeks against his, purring all the while. They climbed fully onto the bed, pulling him up with them. They laid down on either side, practically laying on top of him. Isaac moved his arms down, wrapping them around their shoulders.
The three of them laid there together, the outside world gone from their minds. Isaac, while unsure of this at first, relaxed into their touch. Being close to their chests allowed him to hear their purring even more. The deep rumble relaxed his muscles, made his eyelids heavy. He pulled them in, and they shuffled closer to him. Soon, their combined warmth willed them to sleep.
Hours later, a loud beeping stirred them from their slumber. Miyu groaned, untangling herself from Isaac and curling up in a ball. Krystal sat up, looking around the room for the source of the beeping. She felt fingers tapping her arm. She turned and saw Isaac pointing down at her communicator. She grabbed it from her belt, seeing it was Fox calling her. She pressed the screen to accept his call.
"Hey Fox," Krystal greeted with a yawn.
"Hey Krystal," he said, "I was calling to tell you we're one hour out from Fortuna. I want everyone to gather on the bridge for the pre-attack briefing."
"Alright, we'll be there in a few minutes," Krystal said, sliding off the bed.
"Can you find Miyu and Falco before you come up?" Fox asked, "I can't reach them."
"Miyu's with me, as is Isaac," Krystal replied, "I can see if I can find Falco."
"Great!" Fox said, "Slippy, Fay, and John are all here already, so all we need is Falco. As usual." Krystal chuckled.
"Don't worry, I'll find him," she assured him.
"Good luck," Fox said, ending the call.
Krystal clipped her communicator back on her belt. Isaac had now climbed off the bed and was lightly shaking Miyu, trying to wake her up. She let out a groan and pushed his had away. He turned to Krystal, his eyes questioning what he should do. Krystal held up one finger before walking towards the bed. She grabbed the blanket, carefully rolled Miyu inside of it, and pushed her off the bed. She landed on the floor with a thud.
"I'm up! I'm up!" she said, unfurling herself from the blanket.
"Glad you could join us," Krystal said with a laugh. Miyu rolled her eyes as she stood to her feet.
"So, what's up?" she asked.
"We're almost at Fortuna," Krystal replied, "Fox wants us on the bridge."
"Okay," Miyu said, popping her back, "Let's go."
"You and Isaac can go on ahead, I have to look for Falco," Krystal said.
"Will you be alright by yourself?" Isaac asked.
"I'll be fine," Krystal replied, "I have an idea where he might be."
"Call us if you need help," Miyu said as she opened her door, "Come on Isaac." He followed her out of the room, Krystal leaving behind them and heading the opposite way down the hall.
The two arrived at the bridge a short time later. Fox was still sitting in the captain's chair, making Isaac wonder if he sat there the whole time. Slippy, Fay, and Carver were sitting in the lounge area, talking amongst themselves. Slippy was the first to spot them. He raised his arm and waved them over. Miyu and Isaac walked to them, sitting on a couple open chairs.
"Hey guys," Slippy greeted.
"Heya Slip," Miyu greeted in return, "You guys been waiting long?"
"Not really," Fay replied, "Fox called us up thirty minutes ago." Miyu nodded in response.
"What did you do during the trip?" she asked.
"Me and Slippy were going over the ship's systems with Isaac," Fay replied, "Then me and John went to the gym."
"There's a gym?" Isaac questioned.
"Yeah, it's behind the mess hall," Miyu replied.
"I'll show you later, Clarke," Carver said.
"Anyway, what else did you get up to?" Miyu asked. Before Fay could answer, the door to the bridge opened and Krystal and Falco walked inside. They joined the others in the lounge area.
"Alright good, we're all here," Fox said, "Let's get started. ROB, activate the Holo Projector."
"Activating Holo Projector," ROB said.
A small tile on the floor lowered slightly and retracted under another tile. What resembled a small pyramid rose in its place. A thin, blue light illuminated from the tip before the holographic image of a planet surrounded by a few moons appeared. Fox hopped out of his chair and positioned himself next to the image.
"So, here's what we know," he began, " Venomian patrols were spotted and here." He pointed to two moons near the north pole of the planet.
"Scans by CDF patrols suggests a structure has been built inside this moon here." He continued, directed their attention one of the moons that was furthest from the planet.
"Is that accurate?" Slippy asked.
"Yes," Fox replied, "It's unknown what the purpose of the structure is, but Command doesn't wanna wait to find out, which brings me to our plan of attack." A model of the Great Fox appeared at the upper corner of the image.
"ROB will stop the ship in this area, keeping us out of radar range from the Vemonian patrol," Fox explained, "Falco, Krystal, and Miyu will launch their Arwings, keeping a twenty-mile distance in front of us."
"You don't want us closer to the moon?" Falco asked.
"I don't want to risk you guys being spotted," Fox replied, "I'll have ROB do a long-range scan first, then we'll move in."
"Alright," Falco said.
"Okay, so, we've got thirty-five minutes until we arrive," Fox said, "So let's start prepping the Arwings for launch. Slippy, I need you up front to prep the weapon systems, and Fay, start prepping the shuttle."
Falco, Krystal, and Miyu left for the hangar, Fay following behind them. Slippy sat at a console next to ROB. Isaac and Carver shared a glance, wondering if they should do something. After a moment, Isaac spoke up.
"Anything we can do, Fox?" he asked.
"Um...," Fox thought for a moment, "Arm up and, uh, you guys can help Fay prep the shuttle. When we investigate the structure, I would like you guys with us."
"Okay, we can do that," Isaac said, him and Carver leaving the bridge after.
They headed to their rooms to grab their weapons before continuing to the hangar. Arriving inside, they walked through the interior, looking for the shuttle. On the catwalk above, they could hear Falco, Krystal, and Miyu prepping their Arwings. A noise to the right caught Isaac and Carver's attention. A large door on the wall opened, revealing a shuttle.
Painted in the same blue and white as the Arwings, the shuttle was rather large, close in size to that of the Unitologist Dropship. The design almost resembled the Kellion, albeit with two engines and an aft cargo ramp. The Star Fox logo was stenciled on the side behind the cockpit. The crew door below it was open, Fay seen standing just inside. Isaac and Carver walked towards her.
"Hey Fay," Isaac greeted once they arrived. She turned around, giving them a smile.
"Hey guys. Whatcha need?" she asked.
"Need any help with the shuttle?" Carver asked.
"Uh, yeah," she replied, "Can you set up the cockpit, Isaac? All you need to do is run a diagnostic on the system."
"Sure," Isaac replied, stepping inside the cockpit.
"John, can you help me with the emergency equipment?" she asked.
"Alright," Carver replied.
He and Fay dug through the various compartments, inventorying the fire extinguishers, emergency oxygen, rations and space suits. Isaac meanwhile scrolled through the shuttles systems, finding them in the green. A few minutes later, Fox's voice come over the intercom, announcing they were leaving slip space. He then ordered the Arwings to prepare for launch.
On the catwalk above, Falco, Krystal, and Miyu climbed inside their Arwings. They ran a final system's check before starting their engines, the catapult slowly moving them forward. A door at the end of the catapult opened, the Arwings disappearing inside, the door closing behind them. Now in the launch tunnel, the door at the far end opened, revealing the blackness of space. The three of them powered up their engines, readying them for launch.
"Fox, we are in position and are ready for deployment," Falco said through his radio.
"Copy that, Falco," Fox replied, "You guys are cleared to launch."
"Roger, launching now," Falco said, powering his engines and launching down the tunnel.
"Hey! Wait for us, bird boy!" Miyu shouted as she pushed her throttle forward.
"Stop taking so long!" Falco snapped back.
"Enough!" Krystal said, departing the Great Fox.
The three of them stopped their Arwings about twenty miles from the Great Fox, waiting for further orders. They powered down their engines to hide their signatures, though they kept their weapons systems primed in case they were spotted.
Back on the Great Fox's bridge, Fox ordered ROB to begin the long-range scan. On the display above the bridge's glazing, a display of the moon appeared. The scan revealed at least thirty Venomian fighters and several troop transports. Behind the second moon were a couple of frigates. Fox rose a brow when he saw those. Nothing in the report mentioned frigates. They would have to rethink their strategy.
"Guys, got some bad news here," he said.
"What's up?" Miyu asked.
"Venom's got a couple frigates hiding behind the second moon," Fox replied.
"Holy shit! You serious?" Falco angrily questioned.
"Unfortunately," Fox replied.
"How did the CDF not pick them up?" Krystal asked.
"Not sure." Fox replied, "But they're our problem now."
"Great," Falco grumbled.
"We'll handle the frigates," Fox said, "There's around thirty fighters at the first moon protecting the structure. You think you guys can handle them?"
"Of course!" Miyu replied, "Venom never learns."
"Just don't do anything reckless," Fox said, rubbing his temples.
"Don't worry, I can control myself," Miyu countered, sounding annoyed.
"Whatever," he sighed, "We'll be moving in from the far side of the second moon. I recommend you guys do the same from the opposite side of the first moon. This way, we can surround them."
"Copy that, Fox," Falco said, "We're moving in."
"Okay, ROB, take us to these coordinates," Fox said, typing in a position on the eastern hemisphere of the second moon.
"Moving to coordinates," ROB said.
"Slippy, how are the weapons systems?" Fox asked.
"Weapons systems are in the green," he replied. Fox gave him a nod. Then, a call appeared on his communicator. He pressed the screen to accept the call.
"Fox," Fay's voice began, "The shuttle's prepped and ready to go."
"Good," Fox said, "We're about engage the Venomian forces. You guys can come to the bridge to enjoy the show."
"Gotcha," Fay replied, "We're on our way."
Fox ended the call and returned his attention to the glazing. They were nearing the moon now, its rocky surface taking up most of the view. ROB carefully steered the ship around the moon's equator, heading towards its eastern hemisphere.
"Slippy, activate the shields," Fox commanded as they moved into their ambush position.
"Activating shields," Slippy said, typing on his keyboard. At the same time, the bridge door opened and Fay, Isaac, and Carver walked inside.
"Right on time," Fox said, "We're about to begin our attack. Strap yourselves in."
They walked to the lounge area and sat down in the chairs, securing their seatbelts. Outside the glazing, the moon was now only taking up half the view. In the distance, a couple large ships could be seen. The ships were facing the moon's surface, their starboard sides facing the Great Fox. On the screen above the glazing, two red triangles appeared in the center of the ships.
"Targets locked, Fox," Slippy announced.
"Copy, standby," Fox said, "Falco, you guys in position?"
"We're in position," Falco replied.
"Alright, move in on my mark," Fox said.
On the screen, an odd shimmer began to appear around the frigates. It took Fox a moment to figure out what it was, but he did, his eyes widened in shock. The ships were powering up their shields. Knowing that this Great Fox's laser cannons weren't as strong as the first one lost to the Aparoids, he knew they needed to strike first.
"Slippy!" he shouted, "Fire the cannons now!"
"Firing!" Slippy shouted in reply.
A rumble was felt through the ship as the cannons fired. Through the bridge glazing, two large, green laser beams shot from the underside of the ship. They struck the frigates less than a second later. The first ship was blown completely in half, the second one suffered heavy hull damage, but was still operational. It turned its nose towards the Great Fox, a pair of missiles launching from it.
"Shit!" Fox yelled, "ROB, evasive action!"
"Taking evasive action," he said, moving the ship out of the missile's path.
"Launch flares!" Fox commanded, seeing the missiles steering towards them.
"Launching flares," ROB responded. Several bright flares appeared in front of them, the missiles adjusting the course to follow them.
"Falco! You guys are clear to engage!" Fox said through his radio.
"Copy that, Fox," Falco said in reply, "Engaging now."
He, Krystal, and Miyu launched forward, their laser cannons raining hot plasma on the Venomian fighters. At least ten were destroyed before they realized they were under attack. The remaining fighters regrouped and sped towards them. Falco pushed his Arwing straight up, travelling a few miles before he pushed the nose back down. He armed a smart bomb and launched it into the group of fighters that were pursing him. Two of them spotted the bomb and broke formation, the remaining three were hit, disappearing in a bright flash.
Krystal jolted in seat as several lasers from a fighter found their mark. The shield low alarm blared inside the cockpit. She rolled her Arwing to the left, trying to lose her pursuer. A missile warning appeared on her display. She cursed and deployed some flares. The missile broke off its path and followed the flares. She breathed a sigh of relief, which was short lived when another missile warning appeared. Before she could deploy more flares, a fighter appeared in front of her, shooting its red lasers at her Arwing. Her shields had only partially recharged and were drained quickly, allowing the lasers to scorch the fuselage. She returned fire, the weaker shields of the Venomian fighter shattering almost immediately, the ship bursting into flames seconds later. Krystal began to relax slightly, until she remembered the missile.
Before she could react, the missile detonated a few hundred feet behind her. The hot shrapnel struck her Arwing, depleting its shields and damaging the left engine. Numerous warnings appeared on her instrument displays. She shut down the failed engine and activated its fire suppression. At the same time, the Venomian fighter flew past her, traveling a quarter mile before turning around and heading straight towards her. Before the fighter could finish her off, another Arwing sped past her, firing its lasers. The fighter disappeared in a ball of flames.
"I got your back, Krystal!" Miyu said over her radio.
"Thanks Miyu!" Krystal replied, her hands trembling.
"You good, Krys? Miyu asked.
"Not really, no," Krystal replied, "I almost died!"
"And it looks like you took some damage too," Miyu said.
"Yeah, my left engine's out," Krystal said, rolling her eyes.
"Alright, stick close to me," Miyu said.
"If you two are done, I could use some help mopping up the rest of these assholes," Falco's annoyed voice cut in.
"We're on our way bird boy," Miyu responded.
She and Krystal raced to his position, Kystal lagging slightly behind. The Venomian fighters had thinned significantly, with only a third of their force remaining. Falco was currently chasing a couple fighters down. One of them was heavily damaged, the other escorting it back to the moon. Falco quickly caught up to them, releasing a barrage of green lasers upon them. Both exploded seconds later. The remaining fighters began returning to the moon. Krystal and Miyu stopped their Arwings beside Falco's, observing the fighters as they retreated.
"Fox," Falco began, "The fighters are retreating to the structure. Should we pursue?"
"Standby Falco!" Fox's strained voice replied.
Back on the Great Fox, things were not going well. Though they evaded the first pair of missiles fired by the frigate, they couldn't avoid the second. The first missile of the pair, an EMP, depleted their shields. The second missile struck the side of the ship, severing one of the wings and damaging the main power generator. Fox had sent Fay and Isaac down to see if they could fix it. Slippy managed to use the laser cannons to stop a third pair of missiles, but the explosion cracked the bridge's glazing.
Carver's hands were gripping his chair tightly. The experience was giving him flashbacks to Eudora and the minefield above Tau Volantis. He hoped this would end differently. On screen, eight smaller ships could be seen leaving the frigate's hanger. Blue flames came from their engines before they turned and sped towards the Great Fox.
"Fox," Carver said, "We got ships incoming." Fox glanced at the screen, his eyes widening.
"God Damnit! They're sending boarding ships!" he exclaimed. He called out to Slippy.
"Slip! Target the frigate with the torpedoes!" he said.
"What about the boarders?" he questioned. Fox turned to Carver, who gave him a nod.
"Me and Carver will take care of'em," he replied.
Carver stood from his chair and grabbed his pulse rifle. Fox grabbed his blaster from behind his chair. As they ran to the door, a dull thud was heard through the room. On screen, three long torpedoes appeared from under the ship. One torpedo happened to strike some of the boarding ships, destroying half of them. The other two struck the frigate seconds later. A bright flash distorted the video feed for a moment, but when it returned, the frigate was nowhere to be seen. At the same time, the remaining boarding ships reached them. Fox and Carver left the bridge, Fox locking down the door once it closed. They ran to the elevator, taking it down to the crew quarters. The moment they left the elevator, a breach alarm sounded through the ship. They quickened their pace towards the second elevator.
"Do you know how they'll get in?" Carver asked.
"The hanger would be the easiest," Fox replied, "We'll start there."
When they reached the elevator, a beep came from Fox's communicator. He unclipped it from his belt and checked the screen, seeing Fay was calling him. He realized then he hadn't notified them of what was happening. He accepted the call, Fay's frantic voice greeting him.
"Fox!" she said, "What's happening!?"
"We're being boarded!" Fox replied, "Lockdown your area and get somewhere safe."
"Copy. We'll hold out in the generator room," Fay said, ending the call.
Fox reclipped the communicator back on his belt before he and Carver entered the elevator. They pushed the button for the hangar and readied their weapons as they descended. The doors opened seconds later, revealing a surprised Venomian. The gorilla stared at them with wide eyes, his grip on his rifle tightening. Before he could raise it, Fox and Carver unloaded their weapons into him.
Hot plasma and 5.5mm slugs impacted his body, sending him to the floor in a heap. Fox and Carver moved to the side as the remaining Venomians returned fire. The red plasma from their weapons melted the back wall of the elevator, filling the car with smoke. Carver activated his suit's helmet, while Fox donned a small rebreather from his belt. The temperature in the car quickly rose, so much so that they could fell it through their suits.
The barrage of plasma ended after thirty seconds, the hangar going deathly quiet. Moments later, the footsteps of the Venomians could be heard. Fox held up three fingers, waiting for the Venomians to get closer. Tense seconds passed before Fox lowered a finger, followed by another. Carver was white knuckled on his pulse rifle, waiting for the signal. The Venomians stopped outside the elevator and Fox lowered his last finger.
He and Carver leaped from cover and rained hell upon them. Five fell to the floor, their bodies covered in holes and burns. The remaining Vemonians scattered as Fox and Carver fled the elevator, firing their weapons at the fleeing boarders. They dove behind cover when they returned fire. Carver peeked out from around storage crate, seeing a group of Venomians running towards the elevator.
"Fox!" he shouted, "The elevator!"
Fox glanced from his cover, seeing the Venomians. He grabbed his communicator and with typed in a code. A red X appeared in the display above the elevator and the doors closed. The leader of the group, a crocodile, slammed his body against the doors, letting out a shout of anger. He turned and charged towards Fox, the rest of his group following behind.
Fox raised his blaster and fired at them, killing one before the crocodile slammed into him. He picked Fox up and slammed him into the floor, knocking his blaster from his hands and the rebreather from his face. Carver leaned from cover and killed a couple of the Venomians that were keeping him pinned. He aimed his rifle at the crocodile when he heard someone running towards him. Knowing he couldn't turn in time, he reached down and grabbed his knife. He thrust his arm towards the sound, feeling the blade impact flesh. A large mass slammed into him and sent him to the floor. The body of another gorilla landed on top of him, pinning him down and sending his pulse rifle a few feet away. Carver struggled to free himself, looking again to Fox.
He was now standing, but the sway to his body revealed he wouldn't be for long. The crocodile was cracking his knuckles, preparing for a fight. Carver forced an arm free from under the gorilla and reached for his pulse rifle. The rifle was just out of his grasp, his fingers unable to grab it. He looked back over to Fox, who was now sporting a bloody nose, being held by his shirt collar, his feet dangling a couple inches from the floor. The crocodile reached for his belt and drew a large knife. A sinister smile appeared on his snout, and he drew his arm back, preparing to plunge the knife into Fox's chest, the other soldiers standing nearby cheering him on.
A surge of panic flowed through Carver. He quickly opened his RIG, searching for something he could use. Near the bottom, he saw an SMG he took from Isaac after he killed Norton. He selected the gun from his inventory, and it materialized his hand less than a second later. He aimed it at the crocodile's head, right as he thrust his arm forward. Carver pulled the trigger; the .45 caliber round sped from the muzzle and struck the crocodile in the head.
A spray of blood appeared where the bullet struck him, his body twisting from the force. The knife sliced through Fox's coat and made a deep cut in his side as he fell. Fox landed hard on the floor, clutching his side. The remaining Venomians were stunned at what happened. Carver used this and fired upon them. The next three rounds struck a baboon in the back, killing him instantly. A spider monkey fell moments later, which finally pulled the Venomians from their stupor. They turned and began shooting at Carver.
Red plasma hit the floor and the gorilla's body, sending sparks and burnt flesh through the air. Carver rolled the body to cover himself. At the same time, Fox stood from the floor. He grabbed the crocodile's knife and snuck up on an unsuspecting Venomian. He plunged the knife into his back, grabbing his rifle as he fell. He began shooting the rest of the boarders, taking some pressure away from Carver. Feeling the status shift, the remaining Venomians began a retreat. A group of six formed a firing line, while the remaining eight ran towards a door on the other side of the hangar.
Fox and Carver continued shooting, dropping two more Venomians before they were forced into cover. Reaching the door, the Venomians forced it open and ran inside. Fox fired several more bolts, killing one boarder. He let out a growl, squeezing the rifle in anger. He heard grunting behind him, turning to see Carver still trapped under the gorilla's body.
"A little help here!" he said.
"I'm comin'" Fox said, walking over while trying to ignore the pain in his side. He knelt down next to the body, helping Carver push it off. He then grabbed his hand and helped him to his feet.
"Thanks," Carver said, brushing himself off, "You okay?"
"I'm good," Fox replied, wincing as he jabbed a syringe into his side. He dropped the empty syringe onto the floor.
"Hey, uh, where's that door lead?" Carver asked, looking the way the Venomians fled.
"It leads to some storage areas, and the generator room," Fox replied.
"Damnit! We have to warn Isaac and Fay," Carver said.
"I'll call them," Fox said, "But we need to go after the Venomians." He went to take a step forward, but immediately fell to his knees. Carver caught him before he could fall to the floor.
"I gotcha," he said, helping Fox to his feet.
"Thanks," he said, "The painkiller's kicking in." Carver sighed and led Fox over to some crates nearby and slowly lowered him to the floor.
"What are doing?" he asked.
"You can't fight while you're like this," Carver replied, "I'll take care of the boarders."
"I can't let you go alone," Fox said.
"Don't worry, I've been through worse," Carver reassured. He handed Fox his SMG and grabbed his pulse rifle.
"Think you can hold down the fort?" he asked.
"Yeah," Fox replied, "Good luck."
Carver gave a nod and headed towards the door. He leaned up against the frame and took a peek inside. The hallway beyond was devoid of life and filled with an eerie silence. Carver stepped into the hall, his rifle at the ready. HIs muscles were tense, itching for a fight. It was time to finish this.
Back on the bridge, Slippy was glued to his monitor, watching the hangar battle through the security cameras. He gripped his arm rests tightly when he saw Carver knocked to the floor. He almost went into full panic when Fox was nearly killed by the crocodile. He relaxed slightly when Carver drew another gun and killed several Venomians, allowing him and Fox to regroup. Now, he watched the Venomians move through the lower levels of the ship. He was able to close several of the doors to the various rooms, but he lacked the codes to lock the doors completely, only Fox could.
Denied access to these rooms, the Venomians continued toward the generator room, where Isaac and Fay were hunkered down. Slippy hoped that Fay remembered the SIP room on the far side. They'd have a better chance of staying safe in there. Aside from that, there wasn't much Slippy could do. He saw Carver earlier, following the Venomians, but he didn't know if he could take them all on himself. The radio beeped and Slippy switched the screen. There, he saw Falco was trying to call the bridge. Slippy patched him through.
"Falco, you got Slip," he said.
"Slippy! What's happening?" he asked, "We can't get ahold of Fox!"
"We destroyed both frigates," Slippy replied, "We took some damaged, and the second frigate sent boarding ships before it was destroyed."
"Shit! How bad is it?" Falco asked.
"I hit half of them with a torpedo," Slippy replied, "But four made to the ship. Three are docked, the fourth is sitting idle in front of us."
"And the boarders?" Falco asked.
"Fox and Carver were fighting them," Slippy replied, "There's thirteen left, heading to the generator room. Carver's pursing them now. Fox is wounded and holding down the hangar."
"What about Fay and Isaac?" Miyu asked.
"They're hiding in the generator room," Slippy replied.
"You said the Venomians were headed there!" Krystal said, worry present in her voice.
"That tears it! We're coming back!" Miyu said.
"What about the fighters?" Slippy questioned.
"They retreated into the structure," Falco replied, "I'll arm the proximity sensors on couple smart bombs. That should keep them off us."
"Copy that, Falco," Slippy said.
With that, Krystal and Miyu turned the Arwings and sped back to the Great Fox. Falco armed his last four smart bombs and launched the a few miles away. He also launched one of Slippy's radar trackers, hopefully that give them an early warning if the fighters returned. Spinning his Arwing, he pushed his throttles forward and raced to catch up with Krystal and Miyu.
The two of them slowed their Arwings a few hundred meters away from the Great Fox. From their position, they could see three boarding ships attached to the hangar door, and the fourth ship floating nearby. Miyu and Krystal charged their laser cannons and fired upon the ship. Krystal aimed towards the cockpit while Miyu targeted the engines. The ship turned to them in an attempt to fight back, but it was quickly overwhelmed. The engines exploded in seconds, taking half of the ship with them. The cockpit glazing melted and sucked the pilot out into space. The charred ship slowly drifted away from the Great Fox. Red lasers flew past them, the other ships seeking retribution for their fallen friend.
Krystal and Miyu scattered to avoid their fire. At the same time, Falco arrived and returned fire on the ships. The cockpit of one ship was blown apart, the other two had their glazing's scorched. Krystal and Miyu regrouped and joined their lasers with Falco's. The glazing on both ships shattered and their cannon went silent.
"Slippy. The boarding ships are out of commission," Falco said.
"Copy that, Falco. I'll open the tunnel for you guys," he said.
The tunnel doors above the hangar opened and Falco, Krystal, and Miyu flew towards it. They slowly guided their Arwings down the tunnel and back to the catapult. They rotated their Arwings 360 degrees before carefully landing on their respective catapults. Once locked in, the door behind them opened and they were pulled back in the hangar and docked at their landing pads. A loud clunk was heard as the locks engaged, securing them in place.
The canopy to each Arwing opened with a hiss. The three of them jumped out and landed on the pads. Falco and Miyu pulled their blasters from their holsters and ran towards the lift for the hangar floor. Krystal extended her staff as she followed behind them. The moment they reached the lift, the sound of blaster met their ears.
"Damn it!" Falco exclaimed, press the call button for the hangar floor, "We need to hurry!"
When the lift reached the hangar floor, they ran towards the sound of the battle, seeing Fox stumbling toward a door on the far side. Falco stopped by his side, keeping him from falling over.
"Fox! What're you doing!?" he asked.
"I can't stay here," Fox replied, "I have to help them!"
"Not like this," Miyu said as she and Krystal joined them. Fox growled in frustration.
"We got this, Fox," Falco, patting his shoulder. Fox sighed and allowed Falco to rest him against the wall.
"Give 'em hell," he said.
"Will do," Falco replied before he, Miyu, and Krystal ran to the door and into the hall towards the generator room.
Fay and Isaac hid themselves behind a storage cabinet. As soon as they got the call about the boarders, they locked the door, killed the lights, and moved some stuff around for cover. Now they waited. Isaac sat tinkering with his plasma cutter while Fay tightly gripped her blaster. The air in the room was tense, and both were anticipating things to go south.
Earlier, the sounds of a battle were heard further in the ship. There was the sharp crack of blaster fire, and the unmistakable sound of a pulse rifle. The blaster fire had continued for several minutes with only a brief pause, before everything went silent again. This made Isaac and Fay even more nervous, which got worse when Fox told them the boarders were headed their way.
Isaac got up from the floor and quietly moved towards the door, his cutter in hand. He pressed his ear against the door, listening for anyone approaching. After about five minutes, he heard the sound of footsteps. He slowly moved back to the cabinet where Fay was hiding.
"Someone's coming," he whispered, "Get ready." They sunk lower behind the cabinet, their weapons primed. Moments later, the footsteps stopped outside the door.
"Finally!" a male voice said from the other side, "Here's the fuckin' generator."
"Just shut up and get that door open," another male voice said. Tapping was heard beside the door, followed by a loud beep.
"Damn it! It's locked!" the second voice said.
"Calvin! You got that laser cutter?" a third asked.
"Yeah, I got it," Calvin replied.
"Calvin, cut the door," the first voice commanded.
"With pleasure," Calvin said.
"The rest of you, watch the hall," the first voice said.
Fay and Isaac could hear shuffling outside the door, followed by a loud pop and a hissing sound. An orange glow appeared near the bottom of the door. The glow slowly travelled up the door, a trail of smoke following it. The glow reached the top of the door, then made its way down the other side, the smoke beginning to fill the room. Isaac and Fay tensed their muscles, preparing for a fight.
The glow stopped at the bottom of the door and the hissing stopped. After a few seconds of tense silence, a chunk of the door fell into the room, several flashlight beams cutting through the smoke.
"You two, check it out," a voice commanded.
Two dark figures then entered inside, silhouetted from the light in the hall. Isaac peeked around the cabinet. The figures were scanning the opposite side of the room, completely oblivious to them. He switched his cutter to his left hand and carefully aimed it at one of the figures. The figure turned their side to him, giving him an angle. He fired a bolt of plasma at their arms, severing both at the elbow. The figure let out a cry of pain and surprise. He rotated the front of the cutter 90 degrees and fired a second time, severing their head.
"Fuck you!" the second figure shouted, sending plasma his way. Isaac ducked behind the cabinet, feeling the metal up.
"What the hell's goin' on in there!?" another voice shouted.
"Just get in here!" the remaining shouted in reply. Footsteps quickly charged into the room.
"Fay! Swap me!" Isaac whispered before he and Fay traded places.
More plasma struck the cabinet, the metal starting to melt. A couple sets of steps approached the cabinet from its right. Isaac crouched down and slide partially from cover. He aimed for the nearest person and fired, the bolt cutting the legs from under him. He fell screaming to the floor. The two following him dover for cover. Isaac slid back behind the metal cabinet.
"We have to move!" he said.
"How? There's too many!" Fay said.
"I'll distract them," Isaac replied, jumping out of cover.
He fired his remaining bolts, giving them an opening. Fay dove from behind the cabinet, shooting at the Vemonians as she ran. She managed to kill one before they turned their fire on her. Isaac reloaded his cutter and killed another Venomian. Two others burst from cover and charge him. He fired a bolt and struck one, a chimp, in the chest. The other, a canine, fired a red laser beam.
Isaac dodged the beam and hid behind a storage crate. The canine jumped on top of the crate. Isaac grabbed his leg and pulled him down, the two fighting on the floor. Fay, meanwhile, hurled a stolen grenade at group of four. They dove out of the way, but the explosion killed one of them. Blaster fire could now be heard in the hallway, along with the lower drone of another weapon.
Isaac and the canine continued wresting on the floor. Despite his age, Isaac had plenty of stamina and was able to overpower the canine. He lifted him off the floor and slammed him into the wall. The canine slumped to the floor. Isaac grabbed his cutter in time to see two more Venomians charging him. He fired three bolts of plasma into one of them, bisecting them at the waist. The second one, a Komodo Dragon, grabbed him and lifted him from the floor. The Komodo Dragon laid Isaac upon his shoulder and ran towards a shelf.
Pain exploded through Isaac's body as he was slammed into the shelf, sending it and the two of them to the floor. He swung his cutter and struck the Komodo in the face, knocking him off. Before he could stand, the Komodo recovered and punched him in the head. Isaac's helmet flew across the room as he fell. The ceiling spun above him, and his ears rang. That guy hit like a truck. He tried to stand, but a force hit him in the chest, and he was sent back down.
He struggled in the Komodo's grasp, trying to free himself. He managed to move hie left arm enough to activate his kenesis. Pulling a toolbox to him, he grasped the handle and hit the Komodo on the back. He grunted in pain before grabbing his arm and pinned it down. He then extended his claws, drew his arm back. Isaac's eyes widen, he knew he couldn't stop this. The Komodo smiled and moved his arm.
A bright flash blinded Isaac temporarily and the weight disappeared from his chest. He tried to sit up but was knocked back down. He felt a pair of arms wrap around him, followed by another, then felt something soft brush against his cheeks. When his vision returned, he saw he was being hugged by Miyu and Krystal. He reached up and scratched them behind their ears. They purred softly before meeting his gaze.
"You okay?" Krystal asked as she and Miyu helped him to his feet.
"I'm good," he replied.
She smiled and wrapped him another hug, Miyu joining her. Isaac hugged them back, looking over them room. With the lights now on, he could see that all the Venomians were dead, their bodies littering the floor. Some of them were still smoldering from the blaster fire they received. Falco was checking the bodies for signs of life. Carver was nearby, comforting Fay. The poor canine had her face buried in his chest, and Isaac could tell by the movement of her shoulders she was crying. Miyu and Krystal had released their hug and were looking their way, a concerned expression on their faces.
"Is she gonna be okay?" Isaac asked.
"Fay's never been in combat before," Miyu replied, "But she's a tough girl."
"If you love birds are done, maybe you could give a hand here," Falco said, rolling a dead Venomian onto his back.
"We're coming, Falco," Krystal said, sounding mildly irritated.
"So don't jealous of us," Miyu chimed in. Falco stopped what he was doing and looked her in the face.
"Jealous?" he questioned, "Jealous of what?"
"Of us," Krystal replied, draping an arm over Isaac's shoulder, Miyu doing the same. Falco cocked an eye at them.
"Romance for freakin' nerds," he grumbled, "Just help me search the bodies. Find anything that can tell us what their plans are."
Miyu rolled her eyes as the three of them went to join Falco. Before they got far, they heard a groan from behind them. They turned and saw the canine, now seen to be a coyote, stirring awake. They walked over to him. The coyote shook his head and reached for his laser. The moment he touched it, Isaac pinned the rifle to the floor with his boot. The coyote looked up at him, fear filling his body. He then noticed Krystal and Miyu standing next to him, Falco walking towards them, blaster in hand, and Fay and Carver watching from across the room. Another quick glance revealed everyone else was dead.
"Oh shit," he muttered. He returned his eyes to Isaac.
"What the hell are you?" he asked, looking him up and down.
"Just someone from out of town," Isaac replied, "Based on your weapon here, I assume you're Calvin?"
"Yeah, uh," Calvin began, "Hey look, I was just following ord-"
"Save it, asshole!" Falco said, "What's Venom planning here?"
"I don't know," Calvin replied.
"Yes you do!" Falco snapped, "Tell us about the damn structure!"
"I don't know what it's for, okay?" Calvin said, "They've been building it for months. Then this CDF patrol spotted it, and we figured they'd send you. So they sent us here to protect it." Falco rubbed his chin for moment.
"What do you wanna do with him?" Isaac asked.
Falco opened his mouth to speak but was interrupted by a sound at the door. They turned and saw Fox stumbling in. He seemed more stable than he was earlier, but he was still struggling to walk. Carver and Fay gently grabbed his arms and walked him over.
"Status?" he asked Falco.
"All boarders have been eliminated," he replied, "Except for this guy." Fox looked down at Calvin.
"There's no time for an interrogation now," he said, "Falco, you and Miyu take him to the brig. We'll deal with him later."
"Alright," Falco said, "Get up Calvin." He slowly stood up with his hands raised. Falco and Miyu stepped behind him and each took an arm.
"When you two are done, meet us in the bridge," Fox said. They gave him a nod and walked Calvin from the room.
"Everyone else, head to the bridge," Fox said, "We need to regroup, rearm, and brief a plan for the structure."
Gathering their weapons, they followed Fox from the room and back to the hangar. Once inside, they headed straight for the elevator, taking back to the crew quarters before continuing to the bridge. They waited outside the door for a moment while Fox unlocked it for them. They entered the bridge and gathered by the captain's chair, waiting for Falco and Miyu.
The two of them arrived ten minutes later. Once they sat down, Fox brought up a hologram of the structure and began telling them his plan of attack. Everyone listened intensely, eager to defeat Venom. To Star Fox, this was just another routine mission. However, they were unaware that what they'd find inside the structure, would change Lylat forever.
Author's Note: Sorry for the delay. This chapter turned out to be much longer than I thought. At over 11,200 thousand words, this is now the longest chapter of the story. Please enjoy! Constructive criticism welcome.