With the Bolse Defense Outpost destroyed, all that stood between Team Star Fox, the Cornerian armada, and Venom itself was the aerial defense field in Sector 6. With the battle being against an entire defensive armada of fighters, stations, and other unknown defenses, the Ar-Wing team would have to be backed up with the Great Fox and its weaponry. This didn't sit entirely well with everyone.
"I get that we need the Great Fox's firepower to deal with the capital ships in the inner air space," Fox allowed grimly, "but I don't like bringing Sunset any closer to Andross and his forces than we have to...and with Wolf and his team already going after the Great Fox at Bolse, this feels too close."
"Agreed," Krystal confirmed worriedly. "I'm just glad Wolf seems to think I'm the source of Slippy's new developments. With any luck, Andross will think the same and won't go after her."
"That's not much in the way of luck today even if that is the case," Falco pointed out. "You'll be aboard the Great Fox with Sunset. Same danger either way, and Andross wouldn't think twice about using Sunset to get to you if he thinks you're the source."
"That would not end well," Peppy murmured thoughtfully.
"Talk about an understatement," Slippy pointed out ruefully. "Venom's atmosphere is filled with an unknown energy reaction...which the Great Fox's scanners are picking up as somewhat magical in nature, though not the same type as Sunset and Krystal use. I don't know what would happen if we took the Great Fox or Sunset into the atmosphere, but it's something we definitely shouldn't try!"
"So we won't," Fox stated firmly. "We take out Sector 6, and then the Wings go in without backup. And...hope for the best."
With the plan decided - if somewhat uncertainly - the group made their way into Venom airspace. The Great Fox's secondary weapons were just as powerful as its old primary weapons had been, blasting through the larger fortifications at a distance as the Ar-Wings flew ahead, taking out the smaller ships and the mine fields. The Great Fox focused on taking down the capital ships as they moved deeper, though refraining from using any of the larger firepower to avoid drawing attention from Venom.
Krystal had her hands full keeping Sunset from trying to assist in the battle, holding the filly tight in her lap as she struggled and wailed. There may not have been anywhere else for her, but in the midst of a battle of this scale obviously wasn't the right place for her. Thankfully, the Great Fox was still far from being fully infused with magical energy, making it easy for Rob to simply redirect Sunset's angry magical flailing into the ship's circuitry.
When the missiles started coming up from the surface, all four Ar-Wings focused on taking them down before they could get too close, with some backup from the Great Fox's smaller guns. The surplus of materials Slippy was able to produce with Sunset's magical energy had enabled adding even more weaponry onto the Great Fox to back up the fighters, and now was the best time to deploy it.
As they got closer, Andross himself came on the comms. "Ah, the son of James McCloud," the ancient ape observed dryly, his voice urbane and composed. "You've made some changes to those tin cans since what he flew...and you're using a most interesting energy source, one I've investigated in the past. But I never found anything of this potency in my explorations. Wolf may be on the wrong track, but I know that no mere Cerinian had this level of output. So the question remains...where did you find it? And how did you learn to weaponize it so fast?" He chuckled darkly. "I can see in your faces I've struck a nerve. You don't want to tell me. In that case, I'll enjoy showing you that even at this level you are no match for me...and taking those tin cans apart piece by piece to find your secrets, even if I must continue to taking you apart piece by piece..." His wicked laughter echoed louder. "And then...I'll make those fools pay for doubting me. The answers to my research are in your hands, and I will claim them..."
As the communication cut off, Falco cut in. "Rob, get the Great Fox out of range now!" he ordered firmly.
"But-"Krystal interrupted.
"Do it, Rob!" Fox and Peppy ordered simultaneously.
"Withdraw to Solaar orbit!" Slippy ordered firmly. "We'll signal when we're ready for pickup!"
"Orders confirmed," Rob replied as the Great Fox turned to leave Venom air space.
"DAAADYYY!" Sunset wailed as the ship moved out of communication range.
"So that's it," Slippy murmured over the comms as they moved in further towards Venom. "Andross was researching bio-weaponry as a way of weaponizing magical energy on a scale that simply didn't exist before, which we've unwittingly managed to do. Whatever happens, we can't be captured here."
"Then we won't," Falco declared firmly. "We'll tear everything here inside out, including Andross!"
Fox remained silent as the others discussed what they had to do, remaining silent even as the last defense of Venom's air space - a massive bio-metal sphere armed to the teeth that seemed to phase into reality at the last possible defense point - engaged the group. As they opened fire and eventually destroyed it, Fox was left with only one question.
Krystal was from so far beyond the Lylat system that she didn't even know what a handshake was, and yet her people had been space capable. So how under the Twin Stars had Andross learned of Cerinia? As part of his 'research'? But why? And when?
As Fox led the charge into Venom's atmosphere, he knew that question would haunt him. It was only a theory - more a hypothesis, really - but he couldn't shake the feeling, given what Krystal had told him, that Andross had something to do with the destruction of Cerinia.
Oh how close you are to being right fox
Did you just set up Starfox Adventures?
I can imagine the readers are certainly feeling full of Venom for Andross right about now.
8367370
More like UNYIELDING RAGE
8367346
I think he did.
oh man i hope there will be a party for there victory
8367474
I have a feeling it ain't over yet.
They'll have to report Sunset to General Pepper eventually.
8367532
and then they can have the party?
8367566
I'm not the writer, but I think that all depends on General Pepper's reaction to Sunset.
8367567
aww oaky
8367532
You mean report that Fox adopted a little girl as his daughter? Why in Lylat would General Pepper ever concern himself with the personal family matters.
8367664
Seriously?!
It's the part about the girl having magical powers that Andross wants! Powers that, if manipulated by the wrong people, could give Andross the edge he needs to conquer the Lylat System!
In short, there is a chance General Pepper could think that Sunset is too dangerous to live the life of a normal civilian and instead be taken from Team Star Fox and placed under constant guard like a mage in the Circle towers from Dragon Age!
8367383
I have a schematic for a ship, basically a couple-dozen torpedo launchers flanked by a quartet of railguns linked to the bow of a large cargo ship holding enough ammo for approximately half an hour of continuous fire, but I need help putting it together.
Oh dear... with Sunset in what appears to me to be a panicked rage and the Great Fox being en route to orbit Solaar, I'm almost afraid of what's coming next. Especially if Sunset winds up going Jean Grey on us. I imagine the Lylat System will soon learn new meaning behind the phrase "with the fury of a thousand suns".
8367669
You're making the assumption that anyone on Team Starfox is going to tell General Pepper about Sunset Shimmer. Team Starfox is a team of mercenaries. While heroic, they do not work for free. And while they do report to General Pepper, since he hired Team Starfox, the only reports they absolutely need to tell him about with regards to the mission. The Mission is stop the Andross's Empire invasion fleet, and kill the floating monkey head.
Does General Pepper need to know about Sunset Shimmer's magical abilities? No, he does not. That is information outside of the scope of the mission. More to the point, since she is Fox's adopted daughter, she is a part of Team Starfox. Going one step further beyond that, she magically appeared on the Great Fox, and NOT a Cornerian Army installation. He quite literally has no jurisdiction, and more importantly no authority to remove Sunset Shimmer from Fox McCloud's care.
Team Starfox literally has no reason to tell General Pepper anything about Sunset.
8367929
I'm not talking about reporting to Pepper as per military duty or Sunset's adoption. I was never talking about her adoption at all! I'm talking about her magic being discovered with the General fearing that she may become a super-weapon under Andross' control.
Eventually, Sunset's powers are going to get noticed, whether it is by a witness or an energy reading. Logic dictates that if such an anomaly occurs, it will be worth investigating. The lylat system has technology to read anomalies like that. Regardless of origin. Remember Sauria? It has magic and slippy was able to use his scanners to monitor said magical Energies.
Long story short, whether or not team Star Fox informs The General, Sunset's Powers will be noticed by the Cornerian military.
It is common sense.
8367929
Correction: she appeared out of a magical mirror on Corneria just outside a civilian population center.
I honestly expected this story to be more descriptive especially in the fights. The added drama and bickering among the team is a nice touch, but it would make it more enjoyable and longer lasting, even if we who played the game already knows what's been going on. It's also helpful for other fans who didn't get a chance to play it at least understand the story line of the game.
8367985
And I guarantee if/when that happens either one of two things is going to happen:
1) General Pepper ignores it and buries since it is quite literally none of his business. After saving the Lylat system—and supposedly killing Andross—he has every reason to trust them. Plus he's not a fan of pointless suicide missions.
2) The Cornerian military will cease to exist should they try to remove Sunset Shimmer from her family. This is especially true since Team Starfox is five ships quite literally saving the Lylat system, saving what remains of the Cornerian military, and winning a war which was all but lost for Corneria.
8368333
If any 'authority' decided to stick its nose into Sunset's situation, said authority wouldn't be military.
8368341
Thank you, Tats. That was the point I was trying to make. :)
8367370
I would boo the bad pun, normally, but this one is so apt I will let it slide.
Whoa, didn't see this one coming.
A random thought, but I wonder if you'd somehow manage to find a way for Andross to sound the way he did in Adventure, with that Jamaican accent
8367370 8368388
I can count at least 238 of them
This does make Andross' actions on Sauria make sense.
Methinks when Crystal and Andross meet face to face she will blast away at him in a magic version of the Kamehameha.
That ape is going to pay in pain beyond anything he knew before. Now what happened to Krystal's world is even more clear why. I hated Andross before, but now I HATE him.
Meanwhile across the multi-verse. Doctor Doom, Megatron, and a few other villains shivered with one thought. "Someone is mad and it scares me that it's not aimed at me."
8370107
Well that would certainly cut Adventures short...
That's just a theory. A Fox Theory!
8375784
Thanks for watching!
8375784
Yes it is.