StarFox Fan Fiction ❯ Star Fox Recruits ❯ A sight for Sore eyes ( Chapter 10 )

CHAPTER TEN

 

General-Tobor had bee busy for the past few days perfecting his latest design for a brand new machine. “Hmm, mm, mm… Excellent, everything is going according to plan.” He sniggered, “With this machine, the Star-Fox team won't know what hit them…”

 

His chain of thoughts was suddenly interrupted when Andross appeared on a computer-monitor, “You mean you still haven't taken down those annoying pests yet?” he growled fiercely.

 

Tobor nearly bursted his bolts in surprise… “Oh, uh… regrettably no my lord.” he said, “But I am in the presence of ensure that, that will be done.” He motioned Andross' attention to his newest creation, and while Andross was unconvinced at first, after seeing a computer-simulation. “Very, Tobor… you may proceed. Just don't fail me again, or else!” and he signed off.

 

Tobor sighed irritably, but prepared his latest weapon for launching. “Hmm, mm, mm… careful Star-Fox team.”

 

Meanwhile…

 

Soaring through Sector-X one day, my siblings I just couldn't stop staring outside. It was so beautiful, all the colorful nebulas mixing in with the stars. “I think I'm in love with this place…” Erin said.

 

“Ah, you like it now…” Fox said, “Just wait… you don't know what this place is really capable of or what it consists of.”

 

Donny and I however were amazed that the Lylat-system had such remarkable nebulas, especially Sector-X. “Heh…! X-Team explores Sector-X. Wonder if anyone will buy it…” Donny said.

 

Our mission today was to explore a disturbance in Sector-X by General Pepper's orders…

 

The forces of Corneria, for many years had been attempting to expand their bases of operation further out into the system. This way, Corneria itself would no longer be the only place that provided defense against attacks, and ships wouldn't have to go so far to be refueled or serviced…

 

Sector-X would have made an ideal place to set up stations and ports, but lately there had been reports of an odd number of casualties. Construction was put on hold due to the fact that a strange force was tearing the buildings apart, and scaring the workers making it difficult for them to progress. Their ships were also attacked, but whatever it was that did this was never seen or found…

 

It was our mission today to assist with the work projects and, above all, find the cause of the disturbance and put it out of action. A mission I was looking forward too, because it meant we would get to work in space and actually build things. “I always wanted to build things in space.” I said, “It sure will be a change of pace rather than sitting around and waiting for the next machine to attack.”

 

A lot of the others agreed with me, but we all kept in mind that the very reason we were called to the work-zone was because we were looking for something unusual, whether it was a machine or not.

 

Still, it was safe to know we'd be under the watchful eye one of Corneria's finest foremen of space buildings, Major. Iggy Guana.

 

My siblings and I already reached the point that meant that the Major was an Iguana. Still, if was all that Fox said he was we had nothing worry about, “Except maybe if he loses his temper in frustration…” Falco reminded us.

 

It was true that Major. Guana was one to lose his temper, but only due to frustration when work is delayed. We were all told to keep our wits about us as we docked the Great-Fox, near the bay at the construction-zone, and then the Arwings were launched to dock at the office set-ups.

 

We were all escorted to the head office… “Major. Guana I presume.”

 

The man, or Iguana gazed up from his blue prints, “Fox, you old son of a space gun.” He said as he shook Fox's hand. “Great to see you again, and Falco and Krystal too…” Then his eyes fell upon me and my siblings, “Well, I see we have newcomers.”

 

After proper introductions and reviews of our files, the major was grateful to know that he would have “Experts” working with him on the project…

 

“Oh I wouldn't call us experts, Major.” I told him. “This will be in fact our very first time at this sort of business.”

 

The Major was aware of this as well, but he had faith in us. “If Fox believe in you all, then I'm sure that I myself can believe in you just as much.” He said to us, “So… if it's not too much trouble…”

 

Erin cracked her knuckles, “Dang-it, while were young.”

 

“Oh, yeah I'm up for this…” added Donny.

 

Realizing how much they wanted to get to work, as well as I myself wanted to I turned to the Major, “Congratulations Major. Guana… you just hired The X-Team.”

 

With that settled… it was time to head out…

 

Donny, Erin, and Falco hopped into their assigned vehicles, while Fox, Krystal, and I donned specially-fitted suits to help with the outer tasks. “Ouch… this suit pinches!” I complained as moved around with it on.

 

Fox and Krystal sighed; they knew this was going to happen, but they assured me it wouldn't pinch as much when we got outside. “The weightlessness will make it lighter, and less likely to pinch as much.”

 

“Less likely…?” I asked as I put n the helmet, “It's a start…”

 

Once step outside, and I almost forgot how to shut my eyes. “Wow…!” so many wonderful sights I saw. For one moment I was wondering if this was all a dream… “If it is… please don't' wake me up.” I joked when I realized that it was real again.

 

Fox and Krystal sniggered, and then it was time. Slippy, Peppy and ROB continued to monitor things from the Great-Fox. “Nothing's going to get through here without us watching…” Slippy said.

 

“When you say that, it's when I worry the most…” Falco said over the transmission.

 

Slippy frowned in annoyance. “Does he ever have anything nice to say?”

 

“I heard that…!”

 

“Look sharp you guys, we got work to do.” Peppy said

 

…

 

Erin, Donny, and Falco were in vehicles that greatly resembled the same types on construction-machines on Earth, only they were designed as spaceships. Grip-lifters, dumping-vehicles… Donny was glad he got to man “The Crusher.” Which lived up to its name like it would on Earth… crushed and mashed all the extra, unneeded bits of material down to dust that could be recycled for more practical uses. “Oh, yeah man… just like on Terminator-2! Crush that wood!”

 

Erin shook her head while softly sniggering as she maneuvered her ship carefully to place solid beams into place, while Falco used his machine's special lasers to weld them into place.

 

Fox, Krystal, and I were busy with the smaller tasks that were too big for the ships to do. I felt like I was in Auto-shop in high-school again. I also noticed Fox was helping Krystal out an awful lot, and she was really thankful to him for it.

 

As much as I wanted to poke some more fun at him, I decided to continue on with my work, while at the same time keeping an eye out for anything suspicions.

 

…

 

Peppy and Slippy couldn't detect anything on the Great-Fox's radar, but Suddenly ROB began to twitch. “What's the matter ROB?” Slippy asked.

 

“My sensors are detecting an unfamiliar energy source closing in on the surrounding area. Coordinates unknown...”

 

Peppy and Slippy couldn't understand that. Their radar's showed nothing on tracking, and they couldn't see anything unusual out there. “You sure you're sensors have been fixed?” Peppy asked. “There's nothing out there…”

 

…

 

Outside, Fox, Krystal and I were still working on the interiors of the new base, while the others were still in their vehicles doing the heavy work… when suddenly. POW! A stream of laser-beams shot at us on the interior-area, “Look out!” Fox cried as he tackled Krystal out of the line of fire, and I used my thrusters to escape. “Hey, watch it Falco!”

 

Flaco was confused, “What are you talking about?”

 

Now it was my turn to feel confused. “I didn't get it… didn't you just fire your lasers at us?”

 

As much Falco thought how funny and tempting that would be, he admitted that he didn't do it, but Donny reported that he saw those lasers just come out of nowhere, and then… Erin began to grunt and groan as it looked as though her ship was struggling. “Hey! Let go…!”

 

What struck us as odd was, there was nothing even near her, yet it looked as though her ship was being held-up by something. “Uh, Erin… what's the matter?” asked Donny.

 

Erin, through her grunts, and growls answered, “Something's…UGH! Something's got a-hold of my ship. It's trying to… MMM! Yank the beams out of my… grip!”

 

All of us exchanged looks of confusion, and then Fox pulled out his blaster from his belt. “Time to see what this is all about…” and he fired at the area in front of Erin's vehicle.

 

POW! Something indeed got hit, and then came into our views. “What is that…?” I asked.

 

Peppy and Slippy immediately scanned the machine before it had a chance to retaliate. “All set with the check…” Peppy said.

 

Name: Space-Shift.

 

Weapon: Laser.

 

Special ability: Camouflage!

 

We all immediately began to realize that this was obviously the source of what was causing all the trouble around the construction-zone, and that we had to knock it out of commission. “Hey… where did it go?” cried Erin.

 

We all looked around. And judging that we couldn't see it told us that it shifted again. “Spread out…” I suggested as I headed back to my Arwing, “It hast to be around here somewhere.”

 

As everyone looked around, they couldn't suddenly see the construction being blasted at or just fall apart as if something had crashed into it hard. “I think I got it…” Erin said as she steered her ship forward trying to wham it, as it didn't have lasers, but she ended up missing the machine entirely and crashing through a wall. “Opps…”

 

“Nice going Erin…” Falco mocked. “I just fixed that!”

 

We all tried our radar scanners but none of us were able to detect where it was anywhere. “It must have a special surface…” Slippy warned us, “A surface that deflects all means of outside detection.”

 

“Well that won't help us…” Krystal pointed out, “There must be someway of locating where it is.”

 

Major. Guana was already losing his cool as three levels had suffered maximum damage. “My beautiful creation, RUINED AGAIN!” he cried. “Fox… you must stop that thing!”

 

That was easier said than done. Without any means of detection, Space-Shift was hard to find. It moved around so quickly when it attacked the buildings, even though it gave itself away by doing so, “It keeps moving…” I shouted. “Every time we try to get it in our sights, it goes off somewhere else.”

 

Then things went from bad to worse as Space-Shift began to attack us as well; damaging our ships, shooting me in the Arwing, and hitting the Great-Fox. “Slippy… turn on the plasma-shields!” Peppy ordered.

 

The shields were activated and would protect the ship from most attacks for a while, but it still didn't solve the problem of how to stop the Space-Shift.

 

The suddenly Fox had an idea. He aimed his blaster carefully. “Fox… what are you doing?” Krystal asked. “Trust me…” Fox simply said. He waited until Space-Shift gave away its position and then fired…

 

BAM! Space-shift was hit, and while a simple shot as that didn't give him any damage, it did however temporarily disarm his camouflage-system, exposing him completely. “Mykan, there it is. Get him!” Fox cried.

 

“I'm on it…” I said as I steered my Arwing into position. “Oh, no you don't! You're not getting away from me.” I fired my lasers and hit Space-Shift multiple times, but that's when it began to retaliate by firing back at me. I got hit a few times and was shaken badly in my cockpit, “Whoa! Ah!”

 

I was alright, but I had lost sight of Space-Shift. “Oh, no…! It shifted again.”

 

We all looked around for it, and we could it whenever it attacked the construction-site, but this time it was sneakier than ever; being cautious not to let itself get shot at this time. So it moved a lot faster than ever, making it more difficult to expose and attack.

 

“Somehow, we have to find a way to keep that thing from being able to hide itself…” Donny thought, and then he had an idea. “Hey, Erin, come here…!” he motioned, and he explained his plan to her.

 

“Not bad… it might just do the trick.”

 

At once, she began to load up the scraps of debris into the crushed and Donny melted them all down. Then he signaled for the rest of us to try and lead Space-Shift over towards him. “Do ask questions, just do it!”

 

Krystal and Fox whipped out their staffs and used the rocket-thrusts to maneuver into place. They called to the Space-Shift, wherever it was and mocked it. “Come and get us… if you can!”

 

It began to follow them, and they could tell where it was by the path of destruction it caused as it moved in closer. Fox and Krystal stayed right where they were, just below the crusher's ejection tube…

 

The waited for the right moment, and then, “NOW…!” They quickly rocketed out of the way, which gave Donny the signal to dump the hot-stuff onto Space-Shift, completely coating it in hot-goop, exposing where it was.

 

“GET IT…!” I shouted, and we all began to open fire, or smash objects into it, anything that all to damage Space-Shift. Finally, it began to spark, and explode. “That's it! You got it!” cried Peppy.

 

KAPOW!

 

It was blasted to bits…!

 

We all cheered for joy, but easily the happiest one was Major Guana. Finally construction could be reopened with no more difficulties. He was so happy, that he actually had a tear to shed…

 

…

 

While Tobor however was blowing his circuits in anger, “I can't believe it!” he thundered. “Ooh… just you wait Star-Fox. I'll get you yet!”

 

…

 

Andross who had been observing the whole incident was also very angry. “And just you wait until you report back to be, Tobor!” he growled. “I'll destroy that blasted Star-Fox team… EVEN IF IT TAKES A MELLENIUM…!”

 

Meanwhile…

 

Major. Guana had received word from General Pepper on Corneria that the project was already approved of, and even as they spoke the equipment was well on its way with a whole new band of workers as well.

 

“Fox, I have to hand it to you…” he just had to say, “Without your help, my dreams would all be crushed. How can I ever thank you enough?”

 

Fox chuckled, “Well, I don't think we really need the thanks. It's all in the days work. Too bad we can't stay to help out anymore.”

 

Major. Guana understood completely. We all had the rest of the system to protect, “Who knows where Andross will strike next?” I pointed out.

 

“Well, wherever that may be… we'll be ready for him.” said Falco.

 

We bid our final farewells and then headed back to the Great-Fox which was ready to take us out of Sector-X. Another mission was successfully accomplished.