Songs used
(Institute: Bullet Proof Skin
Starfox: Godspeed Mix
(Note, part of the ignition sequence is a direct use of the Godspeed opening...)
Starfox: Smash Brother Brawl Corneria
- Composite Effects for the breakout sequence:
http://www.sheezyart.com/view/1776546/
"UUUUGHHH!!!" Fox snarled as she paced through the test hanger for probably the hundreth time. "This is boring!"
"You need to be patient," EDI responded from nearby in his resonating arteficial tone. "Reinforcements are inbound and will be on site in approximately twenty minutes."
"Twenty?" Fox looked at the aircraft. "They got to the other side of the planet in THIRTY! Cranagan's just a few thousand miles away. Why LONGER?"
"It is too short a distance for the Deep Sky to rise to a proper sub-orbital flight path," EDI reasoned. "As such, they would overshoot the island and take just as long to come around for a return. Also, they must deploy mages before they enter the combat area, or risk intercept."
"We've been stuck in here for THREE HOURS," she continued to rant. "I'm bored, this is annoying... I have to PEE! Just, what exactly is going on anyway?"
"I am unsure of the current situation," EDI resonated. "The communications arrays were knocked out during the initial attack, the primary Abenobashi Air Defense Net and the link to MIDSATs A, B, and C are also down."
Fox threw her hands in the air as she spun away from the drone. "Some good you are!" After a few seconds she began to pace again, pausing only for a second as the front hanger door banged once more as the Sektor 21 lackies tried their best to bust the high security steel open.
"Would you like to do something about it then?" EDI asked. Fox paused, looking at the drone curiously.
"What?"
"The networks are down," he repeated. "However, it may be possible to do something about that."
"Like what?" she asked.
There was silence...
After a second, Fox started to turn away, but suddenly, a small hologram projector in EDI's cockpit flickered to life.
"ACCESSING... " came the resonating tone once more. "DEVICE DIRECT COMMUNICATIONS DATA NET..."
[EDI... MADCAP]
Fox watched as the display began to flicker rapidly with ones and zeroes.
[EDI ACCESS CONFIRMATION, CONSTRUCT NETWORK]
[INTERNAL NETWORK INFRASTRUCTURE]
[ACCESS GRID, RANGE 15 KM]
[SIGNAL BOUNCE, DEVICE CALL... ACCESS]
[SIGNAL RETURN, TRCRTE]
[SIGNAL: KEY]
[KEY, GRID ACCESS]
[ACCEPTED]
[LINK ESTABLISHED, ACCESS LOCAL GRID]
[RANGE, 30 M]
[CHERRY, ACCESS PARAMETER 'MISO SOUP']
[ACCECPTED]
[SIGNAL BOUNCE, DEVICE CALL... ACCESS]
[SIGNAL RETURN, TRCRTE]
[SIGNAL: RAISING HEART]
[ACCESS LOCAL NET: ... ...]
[CONFIRMED]
[LOCAL NET: RAISING HEART > DEEP SKY]
[ACCESS: DEEP SKY, LOCAL NET]
[SIGNAL CONNECT, MIDSAT B]
[ACCESS GRANTED]
[NETWORK ESTABLISHED, INTEGRATING]
[EDI = KEY = CHERRY = RAISING HEART = DEEPSKY = MIDSAT B = MIDCHILDA DEFENSE NET]
[CONNECTION ESTABLISHED]
[ESTABLISHING SERVER LINK]
[COMPLETE]
"I have integrated all networkable devices within range and established a battlenet," EDI finished. Fox blinked a few times. "You did what?"
"I improvised," came the curt response. "A concept Crash had been utilizing during the field test two days ago. Would you like a situational report?"
"Ye... yeah."
Without hesitation. EDI's holoprojector flickered and displayed McGreggor Archipelligo.
"The attack came rapidly in two waves," he began. "The first strike came internally as Sabatage when transport magic of unknown origins was detected near TICTOCC's surface facility. Shortly after that, the communicatiosn net went down, and a wide field AMF went up. Six minutes later, the second wave struck the Air base. Several air wings of modified gadget drone mechanisms established superiority over the airfield and shot any aircraft in the open, and used AMF projectors to disable airborne mages. All air wings are currently trapped in their hangers as we are. Surface facilities went into lockdown immediately, following the General's procedures."
The hologram flitted over to the D complex. "Twenty minutes later, more drones came in from the southwest, and more enemy units made it in through transport magics and have taken the disposal complex. According to visual scans by MIDSAT B-"
The image flicked to realtime photos of the McGreggor Archipelligo, showing clusters of people around buildings Fox recognized from the air....
"-I would say it is highly probable that they are after the materials kept within the mass weapon storage bunkers, and all other objectives are secondary, thus why they have not performed more destructive means of disabling the base."
"We can't let them have what's in those bunkers!" Fox blurted out. "There's no telling what kind of damage they could do if they got away with all of that!"
"At their rate of work, they will be able to make off with more then thirty percent of the materials in the disposal bunker site, and will have managed to get ten percent of materials from the test facility bunker by the time reinforcements arrive."
Fox pounded the wall once.
"And we're just going to stand here and do nothing!" she shouted.
"That would be up to you," EDI continued. Fox looked at the drone confused.
"Explain you!"
"Successful launch of air-based counter attack would hamper their efforts greatly," he stated. "Full scale air intervention until reinforcements arrive would cost them in combat materials and manpower more than the value of the weapons they could gather from the storage bunkers."
"But you just said," Fox began, and took a deep breath. "All the air wing forces at the air base are stuck on the ground and unable to launch."
"Affirmative," EDI responded. "All Abenobashi Airforce Base aircraft and airborne mages for the McGreggor Archipelligo are currently trapped on the ground."
"Then what good will an airstrike do us?"
"The enemy has established an aireal blockade over the airforce base, and dedicated nearly all its airborne drone units to flying heavy cover," Edi paused. "If a strike were to come from outside their CAP, the resulting breach of activity would allow for air force deployment."
Fox froze.
"Wait, you mean..." she turned, looking at Edi, then her head drifted to her 'birthday gift.'
"You are currently the only ranking officer capable of taking an aircraft out at this time," EDI continued. "Whatever your decision, is my orders."
"There's no way," Fox began. "I haven't flown that yet..."
"You are a test pilot."
"I know, but I haven't even been taught how to START the thing..."
There was a pause, then EDI responded.
"Is that the only real objection?"
"I really don't know how to start it yet," Fox stated. "Martin was supposed to run me through it when Roland and Crash got back."
"Then there is no problem," EDI responded. "I have have downloaded all pertinent specifications to the FS-107 Arwing Strike Fighter design from Cooper's database, and have already determined the starting procedure."
Fox couldn't help it. Every time she looked at the arrowhead shaped aircraft frame, she imagined the berserk AI from the movie, but this AI's reasoning was more sound. It seemed like it had thought of everything... but.
"But how do we get out of there, there's got to be a bunch of guys on the other side of that door, and I don't think they'll wait around while you talk me through startup procedures"
"I have a plan."
Four words, yet somehow, such a simple response from the AI seemed to inspire more optimism than she felt. Despite all the berrating on Crash for being a coward, she felt powerless trapped in here. And it did scare her. But EDI's warm tone had kept her calm. With another glance at the door, she finally shook off the feelings and turned her ever confident glare back to the fighter.
"Then let's do this."
"Affirmative," EDI responded. "Please board your craft and seal the cockpit."
Fox dashed over to her triangular fighter, grabbing a boarding ladder as she went.
"I will provide cover during the start procedure," the AI continued as she crawled into the cockpit. "The controls are simple enough and logically placed for anyone familliar with the standard aircraft layout."
Fox nodded as she absentmindedly found the cockpit canopy hatch lever right where it belonged, shutting it and sealing herself into the fighter while snatching up the helmet that was conveniently laying across the console.
"Now how about some music?" Edi asked.
-CLICK!-
"- stuck inside this lonely room again."
Fox froze as loud rock music blaired over the climbing whine of EDI's MISSCRAMJETS...
That song... was he? He couldn't be... IRONY???
"You're paranoid!"
Just outside the door, two men paused from their work, trying to bust the master lock on the main hanger door security latch as they heard the sound eccho straight through the metal.
"See vultures circling!"
"What the hell is going on in there?" one of them asked.
Fox watched as EDI rolled to alignment with the door, and his lower weapons bay snapped open, deploying his buster device.
"Firing lock cancelled, all safeties removed," the drone resonated. "Full power..."
The tip of the device flashed as an orb came to life. After a few seconds of gathering energy it seemed to compress in on itself, then expended and flared. There was a loud crack as it fired a beam of energy right at the hanger door.
The two men on the other side instantly burst into flames before they even knew what hit them. Several Type I modified gadgets exploded as the entire area around the door became an inferno. Further back, the shockwave picked men right off their feet and threw them as far as thirty meters,, some being crushed by drones that were likewise caught in the blast, others faring only slightly better as they hit the ground amidst a rain of flaming shraptnel, screaming in pain, some on fire as flammable materials on their person reached flashpoint. Every Sektor 21 agent on the C Complex island stopped whatever they were doing as a ball of fire rose into the sky.
Amidst the instantly created chaos, through a gaping hole in what was once the test hanger's heavy security doors, the MADCAP slowely floated into view on its VTOL thrusters, music still blairing at full volume.
"BURN BABY! BURRRN! STRUNG OUT ON A WIRE!"
After clearing the jagged entrance he had blown in the doors, EDI switched to the main thrusters with a loud crack and a roar, accellerating hard past the scrap metal and pulling back hard to climb into the sky.
Fox gaped at the burning ring that was the door, and the debris beyond. Okay, EDI had a little more punch than anyone had let on, but HOLY SHIT THAT WAS AWESOME! And just like the movie... Cooper's sense of humor rubbed off quite a bit on all his creations.
"Area clear for the moment," EDI suddenly resonated clearly over her headset. "Prepare for startup procedure."
"Roger," Fox stated, looking down at the controls. The layout seemed a little too simple for the fighter.
"First," EDI began. "Locate the master console, it has solid state switches."
Fox looked around, then found it, noting small labels on the buttons and switches there.
"Got it."
"Follow this procedure..." he continued. "Internal power to enabled."
Fox flipped the large red switch, there was a beep and a hum around her.
"Enabled."
"External Power to disabled,"
Fox hit the button next to it. There was a thump as a cord connecting the fighter to the test hanger wall came free.
"Disabled."
"Primary Weapons To Enabled"
Fox flipped the next switch, there was a beep and the light turned green.
"Enabled."
"Secondary weapons to Enabled and primed."
The light turned yellow as she flipped the switch only half way.
"Primed."
"Astrogation Systems to Enabled."
About four switches had to be flipped, but a satisfying green light blinked in front of her as she did so.
"Enabled."
"Life Support to Enabled."
"Enabled."
"Deflector Shields to Enabled and Primed."
This thing has DEFLECTOR SHIELDS?!
"PRIMED"
Somewhere below and behind, something started to whine.
"Targetting systems to Enabled."
With the flick of a switch, the scanner lobes on each side lit up.
"Enabled."
"Alpha Interface to Enabled."
Fox pressed a button, and suddenly, the console lit up with more advanced holographic touch screens. That explained the overly simple console...
"Enabled."
"Beta Interface to Primed."
"Primed"
"Twin Lasers to Enabled."
Fox found the controls on the holoconsole, and quickly tapped arming commands. The screen highlighted the spaceframe and showed green indicators for the lasers.
"Onboard AI to Primed."
"Primed."
"Starflight Motion Enabled."
After several beeps, the system indicated that inertial damping systems were online.
"Enabled."
"All wing modes to primed."
Fox flipped a lever, the wings on each side swung out wide and locked into place.
"Primed."
"All Systems Go."
Fox looked across her console, all green lights.
"Aknowledged, All systems are go. Arwing is primed, and ready."
During the momentary silence, Fox tapped a few buttons and changed her configuration slightly, she was interrupted by a new, and seemingly familliar voice.
[ORDER OF THE SETUP WAS ACCEPTED]
Fox blinked, that sounded just like the Device Nanoha had. Cooper, sly dog.
"Main Engine Activation any time you're ready," EDI resonated. Fox looked down at the blinking green button in front of her. She pressed it, getting a brief beep from the console.
[MAIN SYSTEM: START UP]
The generator onboard started to whine as the engine warmed up.
Outside in the wreckage, those not outright killed in the blast from EDI's departure were just starting to pick themselves up, a few of them sporting nasty wounds. They all looked up at the hole in the hanger as a new sound started to eminate from the black depths.
[DRIVE IGNITION]
The main engine came online with a hiss, filling the cockpit with a low resonating thrum as the Arwing picked itself off its landing gear and retracted them. Fox angled herself towards the door.
Outside, the suddenly loud thrumming of the sub-orbital drive instantly made all the Sektor 21 agents who could still move turn and run, even as more devices moved to reinforce their position.
Fox looked down at the console as the last engine lights turned green.
[STANDBY... READY!]
"You may find the engine to have a lot of power," EDI advised. Fox simply grinned dangerously, and shoved her throttle control all the way forward.
Fox was unprepared for what happened next. The Arwing responded by hurling itself out of the hanger as if shot out of a cannon, breaking supersonic before it was ten meters into the open. Out of reflex, with so many building suddenly hurtling at her, she yanked back on the stick and shot into the sky.
If Fox had been unprepared, those on the ground couldn't even come close. The sonic boom from the starfighter's passing hurled the nearest enemies right off their feet, and the airburst from the flaring sub-orbital drive exaggerated the results, smashing the reinforcing drones easily.
Fox had the pressence of mind to pull the throttle back gently as she shot above the first layer of clouds around six-thousand feet up before leveling the fighter off.
"Holy," she gasped as the horizon returned to its normal upright position. "You weren't kidding!"
"The Arwing is essentially built as a frame around one of the spare sub-orbital drives the Deep Sky uses," EDI resonated. "For all intents and purposes, the fighter is ninty percent miniature TSAB cruiser engine, and carry roughly sixty times more thrust power than myself."
Fox nodded, spotting EDI drifting in from altitude to form up on her wing as they shot northwards.
"Which means I can out-fly and out climb everything those drones have to offer."
"Affirmative," EDI resonated, seemingly sounding pleased.
"Then let's go get them," Fox grinned a devil's grin. Come in HER house would they?
"Turn and engage on vector 101.25," she ordered, suddenly becoming serious. "We'll hit them at full speed and break their formations up. That should buy Mouse Squadron enough time to get airborne."
"Affirmative," EDI responded. At the same moment, Fox rolled on her side and yanked back hard, breaking off her original course and bolting for Abenobashi Airforce Base, EDI replicated the movement with equal snap.
"Mess with the B.E.S.T." she began.
"Die like the rest," EDI responded.
Twin sonic booms thumped over the ocean.
EDIT: Just like the movie!...