Disclaimer: Bucky 'O Hare created by Larry Hama, Star Fox is copyright Nintendo.
Amidst the expanse of the Aniverse, on a desolate patch of space, hidden by a great asteroid belt a gran army is gathering. The forces of the fallen Toad Empire now gather with their new saurian allies in what just might be the most momentous occasion of their lives. The day they break the confines of reality and conquer a brand-new universe!
From inside the massive Toad Kommand ship, the digital ruler of the toads integrated himself into the system, he had done this countless times before, but this day was special there could be no room for error! Once he had control of his fleets network, he took over their comms and announced, "WARRIORS OF THE EMPIRE HEAR ME! Today we find ourselves on the brink of history, for on this day we embark on the journey of a lifetime, the first conquest of our new multiversal empire! I have heard many whispers about this course of action, and they will not be tolerated. And so, to insure more don't follow I shall reveal our grand plan. The wretched mammals of the Universe have come to know of our tactics, they have stolen our brilliant technology and have turned it against us. So, in return, we shall bring something they will not expect, this gateway is not only a means of travel but a door to a brand-new treasure trove of technological marvels which this pathetic universe has never seen and soon it will belong to us. Once we take Venom, we will spread to every corner of this new reality, spread and conquer all, taking every weapon they throw our way as we overwhelm them with our superior might. The time of the warm-blooded is at an end and our time has ONLY JUST BEGUN!" he bellowed as the masses cheer.
"Toadburg, begin the activation, we leave at once. Air Marshall, give the command!" KOMPLEX ordered his subordinates. With a wordless nod, Toadburg instructed the engineers to activate the massive gateway, the great structure lighting up as gravity was pulled towards its center in a massive vortex. In the meanwhile, the Air Marshall walked toward the comms system and prepared to give the final command, " All units, full speed ahead!" he yelled out, as all ships present began moving toward the massive gate.
In its spectacle they all failed to notice one thing, a lone ship following behind them, crossing just before the portal closed.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the gate, a different gathering was taking place. Years ago, the scientist-turned-dictator Andross had waged war throughout the Lylat system. He was beaten, but now the remnants of his forces gather once more on the surface of planet Venom under a new leader. Andrew Oikonny, usually called only by his surname, nephew of Andross and successor to the Venomian empire. After gathering Andross's remaining troops and forming a rebellion against the Cornerian Army, he plans to launch the first of many attacks in the name of his empire. Although dedicated to his cause, he knew the simian soldiers were all common space pirates, bounty hunters, and thugs, in it for their fortunes. Despite this, he was determined to prove that he was Andross's true successor and rightful ruler of all, he would make the Cornerians pay!
Walking towards the balcony of his study, he prepares to make his announcement to the gathering forces. "My loyal subjects, it is I, Andrew Oikonny. Today we have gathered for one singular purpose, the destruction of those Cornerian dogs that have stood in our way for galactic conquest. Those mutts think they have beaten us, but we the forces of Venom, under my brilliant leadership, will show them that we cannot be beaten. We will fly straight to their pathetic little world and we will…
ATTACK!
Oikonny had been caught off-guard by the sudden interruption to his speech. As fire started raining from the thick clouds that cover the planet, he knew that his plans were at risk. Had Corneria found out about his attack, were their spies among them, probably, he wondered as he made his way to cover.
He would not wonder much longer, as a large ship broke the cloud cover, one he did not recognize. It was bulbous, like a cross between a turtle and a toad, with two large screens where its eyes would have been. A large assortment of laser cannons fired from its underside as a platoon of fighters rushed out from its hanger. These fighters were also quite strange, saucer-like in shape, with dual cockpits that bulged from the top and to sets of plasma cannons sprouting from their sides. These were the Toad Double Bubble, the main fighter craft of the Toad Empire.
Looking at these strangers, Oikonny was seeding with rage, "So these jokers think they can attack the great Andrew Oikonny, they have another thing coming!" he said as he quickly made his way out of cover. Reaching the balcony, he proceeded to scream out, "Attention everyone, to your ships! Let's show these fools who they're up against!" he said as his men made their way to their hangers, eager for a little violence.
Oikonny had originally intended to start his assault on his off-word base on Fortuna, but allowing his troops some target practice would be a bad thing. Calmly he stared towards the battlefield, as dozens of his men got into their Venomian Fighters, the main attack craft of his army. With their aerodynamic body, a dorsal, and a ventral wing to aid maneuverability, they were more than a match for the invader's craft, despite only having a moderately powerful laser bolt cannon on the nose as its main weapon. As the fighting made its way to the skies, the tide of the battle was quickly turning in Venom's favor.
Back on the Toad Mothership, things were taking a turn, while the initial attack had been a complete success the speed of the counterstrike had been unforeseen. "They're plowing right thru us, quickly sent more fighters!" called out the Air Marshall with concern. Watching this turn of events was the unreadable Toadburg, who just stared out toward the firefight. Back on the skies above Venom, squadrons of Double Bubbles met a gruesome end, in a one-on-one confrontation, they stood no chance against the Venomian fighters, exploding after a few hits. They were designed to swarm, and in this field, they were unmatched, still, their numbers were limited. So far, their only salvation came in swarming together and hitting the enemy craft from behind, the tactic seems to work, for now. Displeased with this turn of events, Oikonny ordered a battalion of light tanks to aid with the assault, the tanks made short work of the Bubblers, causing many to meet a fiery end as they crashed onto the surface. Having grown tired of this display, Toadburg finally made its voice known, "This battle will not be won on the skies, Get the stormtoads on the ground immediately and ready my fighter, I intend to put an end to this." He said to the officers on the bridge, as he turned toward the hangers.
From the massive Motherships, more fighters departed for the surface of the hazardous world, some splitting from the main group to protect the larger slave ships as they too descended down below. From the main craft, one lone craft emerged, a modified Toad Bubble with a mission flew swiftly towards the combat zone, expertly dodging the defending craft's fire and raining his own destruction upon any who crossed it. This was Toadburg, second in command and leader of the Toad empire forces, in his youth he had been a Stormtoad fighter pilot, until a fateful day when he crossed the infamous forces of the Indignation and met his own fiery end, or so it should have been, but he was a survivor, a warrior with no equal. He was no longer a simple soldier, he was a weapon, and a weapon needs to be used. He took to the heart of the conflict, lasers on the ready as he scored victory after victory for the toad forces, he admitted that these adversaries were skilled, but he was better, more precise, a true killing machine.
As the tides of war turned against his forces, the would-be emperor could only stare in fury as the massive ships made landfall, and dozens of foot soldiers made their way out, toad foot soldiers. This infuriated Oikonny, mocking him with memories of his long-time rival on Star Fox, HOW HE HATED THAT TOAD! Fortunately for him, his forces were far more ruthless against these invaders, mercilessly gunning them down when they approach. Switching his gaze to the skies, he was met with another aggravating sight, one of those toad pilots was downing his men! This would not do. Making his way down to his personal hanger bay, he laid gaze on an old friend. His old Wolfen II, the most advanced ship in Andross's old arsenal, manufactured in the weapons labs on Macbeth. They were far more technologically advanced than Star Fox team's Arwing starfighters in several areas: its G-Diffuser unit was greatly improved to allow a better shielding system, quicker recharge for performing loops, Immelmann turns, boosts, and brakes, and supported an anti-Smart bomb and anti-charge beam systems, effectively rendering Charged Lasers and Smart Bombs worthless against them. He knew he was far from the best pilot out there, but with this baby on his side, how could he lose!
Taking the fight to the air, Oikonny had managed to make a considerable dent in the opposition's forces, but they were not his target. He was after one ship alone, the mysterious toad fighter that had begun to turn the tides. He was going to make sure that he knew who the real ruler was around these parts. Swiftly turning a weaving thru the air, he laid waste to any ship that dared cross his path, until he came behind his unsuspecting prey.
Setting him in his sights he prepared to launch, "Stick to the pond, froggie!", he taunted as he fired. Unfortunately, his opponent was far craftier than he had anticipated, quickly dodging out of the way of the blast. Undeterred, the snow monkey continued with his pursuit, matching turn for turn, virtually unshakeable. Performing a proper barrel roll, Toadburg managed to get behind his opponent ship, "Amateur." was all he said as he fired. "Impressive moves, but don't count me out yet!" Oikonny replied while turning his craft vertically, avoiding the blast. " Impress, I was once part of Andross's elite forces foolish toad!" he boasted to himself. The dogfight continued for some time, as a battle of skill versus innovation took place.
Meanwhile, on the ground the last of the transports had made landfall, opening their gates, new contenders made their presence known. The grotesque Grepps Grunt Bomber (and Hopper) was a formidable war machine, originally designed pre-KOMPLEX as an exploration ship it now served as a multi-terrain bomber. Unleashing his payload of destruction upon the streets, he quickly decimated the ground forces and set the stage for a far more formidable foe. Laying at the back of that last transport was the empire's greatest weapon, KOMPLEX himself. Noting that his forces would quickly be overrun he had decided that the most logical move was to get to the planet's infrastructure and destroy it from within. Now equipped with his exo suit, the towering mechanical menace made his way toward the nearest building, ready to enact his conquest.
Back on the skies, things were not looking so good for the empire, falling back upon their leader the Venomian forces were starting to turn the tides back in their favor. "So, amphibian, any last words." Oikonny said with glee, "No, too bad!" he said as he prepared to open fire on his foe. Before his ships started exploding around him, appearing before him a new class of ship made its presence known. Having spent most of the fight watching the samurai lizards had decided to join in. Utilizing their Li-zard Space Glider-Fighter they began attacking the opposition in mass. Making use of their stealth technologies they took the enemy by surprise, evening the scores.
On the ground, things were looking up for the toads, as squadrons of Stormtoad laid waste to the surrounding structures, forcing the opposition to retread. Cornering a lone simian soldier, they prepared to open fire before something got their attention. Turning around they saw a hulking form gracing their knuckles at them. "Berserker Baboon!" they all yelled out as they ran around in terror. "Who are you calling baboon, tadpole." The venomian soldier growled as he grabbed the nearest toad by the neck before tossing him at the horizon. From behind him a group of mercs appeared, reviling the entire situation to have been a setup. The monkey soldiers opened fire at the stunned toads, moving them down where they stood. "Chumps." They said as they continued their way.
In another part of the city, KOMPLEX had made its way to a computer console, where he proceeded to plug himself into the system. He had expected the process to be simple, but to his surprise, he was met with resistance. There was something blocking him, someone blocking him. Hidden within the deep recesses of the system, an old artificial intelligence lay in wait, its mission to insure that Andross's gran design remained, his design. For he was a copy of the old emperor's mind, his plans, and his knowledge all compound into a singular being, hidden in the depths of his systems. His main objective was to guide the emperor's legacy toward the future he had envisioned. And now he was blocking the way to KOMPLEX's goals.
"Who are you, show yourself!" KOMPLEX demanded, the ones and zeros that composed him eagerly trying to pry the way through.
"I could ask the same to you." The interloper said, calm and collected in his resolve.
"I AM THE MIGHTY KOMPLEX, RULER OF THE TOAD EMPIRE, AND SOON THE UNIVERSE ITSELF!" the digital dictator proclaimed fiercely.
"You are but a parasite, eager to consume, you care not for your people. Unlike myself." the voice responded.
"Insulate fool. Reveal yourself to me at once!" KOMPLEX demanded once more.
"As you wish." The interloper said, revealing the polygonal visage of an old monkey's face, two large hands floating at his side. " I am ANDROSS, rightful ruler of the Lylat system, sovereign of Venom!" the artificial being proclaimed, pride in his digital voice.
"So, you are an enemy!" KOMPLEX said with contempt.
"Only if you wish it to be. I know why you are truly here, and I can help you find it, for a price." Andross said to him. "What could you possibly know about the great KOMPLEX!" the arrogant emperor asked. "I know you have an undying urge to consume, much like the quarry you seek. I know of your plans, and I am willing to help you in exchange for your fleet." Andross continued, unnerved by the growing anger on the intruder's code.
"And why should I aid you? Why do you need of my fleet, that you would be willing to betray your people." He asked, curiosity seeping thru the cracks of his fury. "You misunderstand, I do this for my people. My nephew is not fit to rule, he lacks the means to maintain his position, his soldiers have no true loyalty, and his arrogance blinds him. In short, he does not prepare for the future. Should he attack Corneria now, he would be defeated. If not by them, then by their allies. Your forces would not do much better, they are lacking in their means to properly attack, your best advantages are the size of your craft and your numbers. Numbers you will lose if this fighting continues." He informed KOMPLEX, making the dictator pause and think. "If you wish to stand a chance in this galaxy, you will need allies. We can join our forces into an unstoppable force that will bring the Lylat system to its knees! Andross declared, giving his final offer to the toad emperor.
KOMPLEX thought hard about what the other intelligence had told him, he was confident that he could probably beat him in direct confrontation. The digital being was impressive, but he was all mighty! He had thought the same thing in Warren, and look how that had turned out. He stood more to gain if he joined them, their fighters were formidable, plus if what Andross had told him was true, overthrowing this would-be emperor would be a simple affair. He could always betray them once he got what he wanted, they were expendable, like all organics were. He had made a decision, "I agree."
Back in the outside world, the fight was nearing its climax, both leaders' craft had been downed. Their conflict devolved into a firefight, as the new ships turned the skies into a chaotic mess. The ground troops continued turning each other to shreds, the lizard adding to their numbers yet neither side gained the advantage.
Toadborg continued his advance, his parts damaged from the intensity of the blast that kept bombarding him, but his resolve was still strong. Making his way to the tall snow monkey that trembled before him, he prepared to finish things once and for all. Knocking his blaster to the side, he grabbed Oikonny by his collar and lifted him toward his face. But before he could do anything, a voice echoed throughout the city, "This is KOMPLEX, all hostilities are to be ended immediately. I have seen worth in these fighters, from this moment on we are to be allies. I HAVE SPOKEN!" KOMPLEX's command was heard by all, confused but ever loyal, they seized the fighting and stood down. Following suit, an irritated Toadborg but his foe down. Unsure of what had just happened, Oikonny cleared his throat, "Yes, well. It seems your leader can notice greatness when he sees it. ATTENTION, members of the great Oikonny's army this battle has been won, gather your forces, we move to Fortuna as scheduled." He called out to his men, before turning to the metal behemoth before him, "You! Take me to your leader, I have a feeling we have much to discuss." He spoke.
And with that, the battle was over and a new chapter for the galaxy had just started.