WARNING:  This story has been written and posted free of charge
solely for entertainment purposes.  Fox McCloud Jr, Falco
Lombardi, Peppy Hare, Slippy Toad, Venom, Corneria, Fara Phoenix,
General Pepper, Andross, and all other principle characters and
places created by Nintendo are copyright (C) 1993 Nintendo of
America Inc.  Used without permission.

     Star Fox is copyright (C) 1993 Nintendo of America Inc. 
Used without permission.  All characters and places created by
me, Theodore P. Perrotti, are copyright (C) 1995 Theodore P.
Perrotti. (However, feel free to use all of this story's
characters, events, and places as you wish as long as you abide
by the conditions described in the next paragraph.)

     This story may be redistributed, stored, or archived in any
way just so long as it is unaltered, this entire disclaimer
remains with it, and such action is taken free of charge.  In
short: DON'T SELL OR ALTER THIS STORY!  Also, please give me
credit if you use any of my creations.

     Parts of this story were based on characters, places, and
events in both the Star Fox video game and the Star Fox comic
which appeared in Nintendo Power.

     You may also notice a "Star Trek" influence in this story. 
This is no coincidence.  Specifically, this story has been
influenced by the original series episode "Mirror-Mirror", the
Next Generation two-parter "The Best of Both Worlds", and the
Next Generation novel "Dark Mirror".

     I welcome your comments.  Please e-mail them to me at
author@galaxycorp.com.
_________________________________________________________________


     Chapter 11: Discovery

     Fox silently followed the Doctor to his office.  Nary a word had been spoken on the entire
ship since the news of the base's fate had gotten around.  Of course, there would be much talk
about it for years to come, once the shock had worn off.  Who would be around to do the talking
was still in doubt, however.  
     They entered the sick bay, and Fox immediately sat on the examination table.  "Seems like
I've spent a lot of time in these sick bays lately,"  Fox joked, trying to lighten the mood some, "By
the way, I never got your name."
     "I'm Jeb Olsen,"  the doctor replied, examining him, "And you, Capt. McCloud, have to
learn to take better care of your body.  I'm amazed that you can move at all, let alone pilot a space
fighter."
     "It's amazing what one can do when one's life's on the line,"  Fox replied, "Believe me, I'm
feeling it in spades now that the action's stopped for the time being.  But, I suppose I've had it easy
compared to the people who died on McNally and Guilford.  Well, will I live?"
     "Yes, but you're going to need some rest.  Which means, among other things, no flying or
strenuous labor for at least a week,"  Dr. Olsen warned, "I mean that.  You've suffered head
traumas.  Under stress, you could suddenly become dizzy or pass out without warning."
     "I've handled stress pretty well so far,"  replied Fox.
     "So far you've been lucky,"  Dr. Olsen corrected, "And luck has a way of running out
when you least expect."
     Fox couldn't help but smile at the similarity between this scene and the one he had had
earlier with Dr. Coles, who, to the best of Fox's knowledge, was now busily treating wounded on
Venom.
     Fox returned his attention to the squat man who was now dressing an arm wound Fox had
suffered during his crash landing.  As if on cue, the Doctor resumed talking.  "You have a family?" 
he asked bluntly.
     Seeing as how they might all die soon anyway, Fox saw no reason not to reveal that much
about his personal life.  "I have a wife on Corneria.  She's a SpaceForce pilot, too.  Lately, I've
been thinking a lot about how little time we've had together, what with our careers and all.  I wish I
could call her, just to let her know I'm OK.  As far as she knows, I died with the others on
McNally.  But with that jamming device out there, we might not be able to contact Corneria until
we arrive there.  And, by that time, we'll probably have our paws full trying to stop the Alternates. 
What about you?"
     "Pardon?"
     "Do you have a family?"  Fox asked.
     "I used to,"  he began, suddenly speaking in hushed tones, "A wife and a son, but that was
long ago."
     "What happened?"
     "I was, quite against my will, serving Andross during the Venom war.  His telekinetic
amplifier had taken over the minds of myself and my family.  I was his chief chemical engineer,
because of my knowledge of the effects of certain chemicals on the body.  My wife and child were
working in the hangars when the attack on the base started.  You knocked out the TK amplifier,
freeing me of his control.  Suddenly, I realized that the place was coming down around me.  I
started for the hangar, but a woman grabbed my arm and told me that the hangars had already
been destroyed, and that she had been the only survivor.  I fell to my knees, but she pulled me up
and carried me out.  Funny though, she was not from Venom, she was Cornerian, and I had never
seen her before in my life."
     "What happened after she had pulled you from the base?"  Fox asked.
     "She took me to a ship.  One of yours, I believe.  Then, she left and I never saw her
again."
     THE ENTIRE BASE WAS NEVER SUPPOSED TO GO UP, JUST THE CORE
BRAIN.  BUT, ANDROSS BOOBY-TRAPPED IT TO EXPLODE.  HE COULD HAVE
BLOWN THE WHOLE PLANET UP, AS WELL AS US, ALL FOR SOME SMALL
MEASURE OF REVENGE AGAINST THE SPACEFORCE.  Fox thought.
     All Fox could say was, "I'm sorry."
     "Don't be.  Andross was at fault, no one else.  I realize that now."
     "What's that in your pocket?"  Dr. Olsen asked.  He was looking at something sticking out
of the now-torn pocket of Fox's uniform shirt.
     "This,"  Fox said, pulling out a beaten-up photo, "is what helps keep me going on long
assignments away from the base."  He handed the photo to Dr. Olsen.  "That's my wife, Fara. 
This was taken the day before our wedding."
     "She's beaut...Wait!...That's her!...That's the woman that saved me!"  the Doctor said,
almost shouting.
     "Well, she was part of my team that day, and helped in the evacuation afterward,"  Fox
conceded, "It could have been her."
     Then the Doctor frowned.  "No...It couldn't have been her," he sighed, "You see, the
woman who rescued me was wearing a dress, not a flight uniform."
     "Are you sure?"  Fox asked, intrigued.
     "Positive,"  Dr. Olsen said, and handed the photo back to Fox, "But your wife sure does
look like her." 
     Fox was about to ask him another question when an announcement came over the Doctor's
hand-comm.  "Olsen here,"  the Doctor said into the device.  It was Capt. Gillespi.  "Doctor,
prepare to receive more wounded.  We've located what we believe to be either the Gallant or the
Aries crashed on the far side of the planet.  There are faint life signs.  They should start coming
your way in about thirty minutes."
     "Understood.  Olsen out."  He and Fox stared at each other in surprise.  With a look,
Doctor Olsen made it clear that Fox was to stay in sick bay, then left to make preparations for the
upcoming evacuation.  Fox decided to comply this time, as he had hardly slept since the ordeal
began and felt exhausted.
     Knowing that there would probably be many wounded coming through there soon, Fox got
up from the examination table and moved toward the nearest unoccupied bed.  No sooner had his
head hit the pillow than he was fast asleep.
     Several arwings and shuttles streaked across the dark-red Macbeth "sky", the area between
its inner and outer surfaces.  The shuttles were to be used for the evacuation, while the arwings
were their protective escort.  
     There appeared to be no enemies around, but Lt. Banar had long since learned that
appearances could be deceiving, especially in such an environment as Macbeth's.  Because of the
hilly nature of its inner surface, there were many places that a shuttle's sensors couldn't see. 
nightview was needed to ferret out hiding enemy ships.
     Banar then heard the voice of his squad leader crackle over the ship's comm.  "I've sighted
the wreck,"  the leader said, "It's the Gallant alright, about 2 km ahead.  The transponder's weak,
but I can still id it."
     Within a few seconds, it was within visual range.  The huge ship was lying on its side, more
than half buried in the ground.    "That must have been one crazy landing!"  Banar
commented.  It looked sorely out of place, a mound of metal stuck in the middle of barren, rocky
land.  The shuttles quickly landed so that the crews and medical personnel could inspect the
wreckage in search of ways in.  Meanwhile, the arwings circled around the area, ever vigilant.      A shuttle pilot quickly walked along the underside of the enormous ship, trying to find a
way in.  He shook his head in frustration, as the ship extended for almost a kilometer ahead of
him, and the rocky ground made for very slow going.  That same ground was too rocky even for
the evacuation equipment normally used by the SpaceForce.  Each person was thus assigned an
area to search.
     Then, he saw something ahead of him.  It appeared to be a seam in the ship's hull.  He
knelt down and brushed some dirt away from it with his paw.  "Commander!"  he called to the
officer in charge of the evacuation, "I've found something I think you should see!"
     The Commander, a tall, slender Titanian, jogged over to him.  "What is it?"  he asked.
     "This,"  the pilot said, pointing to the seam, "It looks like the corner of a docking bay door. 
If we can reach it, it may be our way in."
     "Hmm.  We'd have to remove a lot of dirt and rock to get at the door,"  the Commander
pointed out, "Then there's the matter of opening it."
     "Could we get the Gallant crew to open it for us?"  the pilot asked. 
     The Commander shook his head.  "Unfortunately, we can't talk to them,"  the Commander
said, "Our comm systems may have been restored, but all attempts to communicate with them thus
far have failed, and sensor sweeps have shown their comm systems to be severely damaged."
     "What about blasting it open?"  suggested the pilot, "Have the Cambridge or the Galvan
fire a wide, continuous beam on this area, angled so as to tunnel through this ground and the door. 
It all should only take a few seconds."
     The Commander pointed up toward the ship's enormous engines.  "Problem is, the door's
very close to the fuel tanks.  The beam would have to be very wide and intense to break through. 
This planet's atmosphere makes aiming precisely difficult.  If their aim's off by even a meter, the
laser could punch through one of the tanks and blow us all sky-high.  Besides, in this ship's
condition, I'm not sure it could withstand the hit."
     "I'd suggest doing it with the arwings, but they can't hover.  Hit-and-Run is more their
style,"  admitted the pilot.
     Suddenly, the ground began to shake violently underneath them.  "What the?"  said the
pilot, struggling to keep his balance.  The Commander snatched his hand-comm from his belt.
     "Kyle to Cambridge.  What's happening?  It feels like a quake down here!"
     "We're picking up rapidly increasing instability in the planet's core,"  came the response, "It
was probably caused by damage due to the same weapon that destroyed the base.  I estimate that
the entire core will blow in less than a half-hour."
     "In that case, there's something we've got to do..."
     After a few minutes, the tremor subsided.  Commander Kyle and the others were now
standing several meters from the Gallant.  All arwings had been ordered back to the ships so that a
quick escape could be made.  "I hope the ship didn't sink too much during that tremor,"  the pilot
said, standing next to 
Cmdr. Kyle, "You know, Commander, I wonder if the Aries survived as well.  Of course, even if
it did, there's no way we'd be able to get to it before the place goes up.  I'm just glad this planet has
no indigenous life."
     Kyle said nothing, but just stood silently, preparing himself for swift action.  
     The Cambridge hovered overhead.  Then a wide blue beam shot down from its underside
and pierced the ground in front of the Gallant.  Smoke rose and the smell of burnt metal was
detected by all.  
     The moment the beam was broken off, the rescue personnel sprang into action.  Some
quickly climbed down into the hole and into the ship, while others remained behind to prepare the
shuttles for launch.  
     Commander Kyle ran quickly along the floor, or rather, the wall.  He unclipped a portable
lamp from his belt and shined it around the dark room.  The life-support systems were no longer
functioning, so he was uncertain how many survivors would be found.  In order to preserve their
own health, the rescuers had to wear breathing masks.  The newly-drilled hole in the ship would,
no doubt, provide some fresh air to replace the stale, suffocating air now present, but that would
take time, and time was something they just didn't have.
     A voice came over Kyle's hand-comm.  "Commander, we've found three survivors up here
on the bridge.  We're moving them out now."
     "Alright,"  Kyle said, "I want you out of here in ten minutes.  These tremors are getting to
be too much to handle.  Kyle out."
     As if on cue, another tremor began.  Kyle stumbled forward and fell through an open door. 
His head smashed into the wall and everything went dark.  
     Several minutes later, the rescuers were about to be forced to return to the battleships with
the survivors they had found.  How many were still in there they did not know, but the tremors
were rapidly getting more severe and were coming more often.  The Gallant had sunk so far that
barely six feet of the hole remained above ground.  
     As they worked, an arwing appeared in the distance.  "What the?"  said one of the shuttle
pilots, "I thought all the arwings had been called back!"
     The ship settled down for a landing about twenty feet away, and the cockpit opened.  Lt.
Banar jumped out of the ship and ran towards them.
     "Is Cmdr. Kyle around?"  Banar asked the shuttle pilot.  
     "No, he entered the ship to help in the search,"  the pilot replied, "What are you doing
here?  I thought you guys were called back!"
     "We were,"  Banar explained, "I overheard the bridge try to contact the Commander. 
There was no answer.  They then contacted one of you people to see if anything had happened,
but he didn't know, either.  They then traced his comm signal.  He was still in the ship, level 4!"
     "And they sent you here to get him?"  the pilot asked incredulously, "Why didn't they just
tell us?  We'd have brought him back ourselves!"  
     "Actually, I came on my own.  They didn't feel they could risk staying any longer. 
Besides, you have to get those survivors out of here,"  replied Banar,  "And I owe him a favor, for
turning my life around."
     "This place will blow any minute now!"  the pilot pointed out, "The ships are probably
going to take off the moment we're back on board!  If you're still down here..."
     "I know," Banar replied, "But I won't leave him here!"
     The pilot nodded.  "All right.  But we'll probably be back in the hangar in about five
minutes.  Good luck!  Here's one of the lamps we've been using to see our way around in there. 
Clip it to your belt so you'll have both hands free.  Oh, and you'll need this mask.  The air in
there's as stale as month-old bread!"
     Banar wasted no time.  He immediately put the mask on, turned, and ran toward the ship. 
GOOD THING I OVERHEARD EXACTLY WHERE HE WAS.  I JUST HOPE HE'S STILL
THERE!
     He saw the hole in the side of the ship and ran through.  Everything in the room had been
strewn about.  He felt very strange standing on a wall.  The remains of several ships were smashed
against the wall, apparently having crashed into it when the Gallant went down.  ENGINEERING
ROOM.  THE COMMANDER WAS TWO LEVELS BELOW, OR SHOULD I SAY, BEHIND
THIS.  THERE SHOULD BE A LADDER JUST OUTSIDE THAT DOOR.  
     He quickly made his way to the inner door of the 
Main Docking Bay, which had been pried open by the rescuers before him.  He climbed through
and saw the ladder. 
     It was off to his left.  He took hold of it and crawled across to level 4.  He came out into a
dark corridor with two large doors at the end to his left.  
     The ship's power was out, so there was only one way to open that door:  Blast it!  He drew
his sidearm, aimed, and fired.  His aim was true.  The bolt struck the doors, disintegrating them in
a brilliant flash of light.
     GOT TO MOVE FASTER!  THE NEXT TREMOR COULD START AT ANY TIME
NOW! 
     As he walked through the doorway, his light shone on several tables bolted to the floor,
suspended in the air.  MUST BE THEIR RECREATION AREA.
     Then, he heard a groan coming from near a doorway on the other side of the room. 
"Commander Kyle!"  he called.  Another groan was the only answer he got, but it was enough.
     He ran forward, but stopped when the ground began shaking.  He grabbed onto a nearby
table.  The ship was shaking very violently now.  
     Then, a creaking sound met his ears.  He glanced up and then leapt forward, just as one of
the tables came crashing down behind him!
     He turned over and looked back, then breathed a sigh of relief.  Just then, a dark form fell
onto him from above.  He gasped in horror at the two lifeless eyes and bloody face, given a
ghostly appearance by the beam of his light, that now stared him straight in the face.  He quickly
grabbed hold of the corpse and hurled it with all his strength.  It flew clear across the entrance and
slid down the corridor before finally coming to rest near the ladder Banar had used.
     The tremor stopped.  Banar took one deep breath to calm himself, then continued onward. 
As he passed through the door, he noticed Cmdr. Kyle lying in the hall ahead.  
     The Commander's head was bleeding heavily and he was unconscious, so Banar tore off a
piece of his flight jacket and used it as a tourniquet.  Cmdr. Kyle's breathing mask had been
broken, so he replaced it with his own.  He then hefted the Commander up in his arms and started
back toward his ship.  
     He ran back to the ladder as fast as he could, as he knew that the surface could blow at any
time now.  Soon, he was facing the hole to the outside again.  That last tremor had caused the ship
to sink even deeper into the ground.  The hole was now less than a foot high.  
     Banar put the Commander down gently and lay low to the ground.  His arwing was now in
sight, but the shuttles were gone.  GOT TO GET MOVING BEFORE THE BATTLESHIPS
LEAVE, IF THEY HAVEN'T ALREADY!  
     He slowly pushed the Commander's body through the hole, then started to crawl out
himself.  Suddenly, another tremor began, this one far worse than any that had proceeded it. 
Banar moved quickly, but not quickly enough.  He bellowed in pain as the Gallant sunk down
three more feet, crushing his right leg in the process!
     Banar desperately tried to free his leg, but to no avail.  He began to feel weak as the blood
drained from his leg.
     Cmdr. Kyle, stirred by Banar's screams of agony, sat up and attempted to pull Banar's leg
free, also without success.  
     "Hang on!"  Kyle yelled, and started shoveling the dirt from underneath Banar's leg with
his hands.  "Keep trying to pull your leg free!"  he said.  
     Banar did so.  But, as he did, the Gallant sank deeper and deeper, starting to pull him in
with it.  Finally, using one last surge of strength, he yanked himself loose.  There was one last
burst of agony, then total darkness.
     Kyle realized that Banar had lost consciousness.  He tried to pick Banar up to carry him to
the arwing, but couldn't do so in his own weakened condition.  So, he was forced to drag the
Lieutenant out of the pit and over to the ship.  Once at the arwing, he summoned all his strength to
lift the lizard up into the arwing and set him down behind the pilot's seat.
     He then climbed in.  It had been some time since he had last piloted a ship, and he had
never flown an arwing.  He removed the breathing mask and studied the control panel carefully
until he found the "start engine" button.  He pushed it, and the arwing's engine roared to life,
propelling the ship forward.  Meanwhile, the ground below them began to give way.
     One piece at a time,  it all came back to him.  His training took control of his actions.  He
pulled back on the joystick, and the arwing rose gracefully into the sky.  
     He steered directly for the hole in the outer surface.  
     Below, lava jets began popping up out of the ground and the Gallant quickly sank below
the surface.  One jet was preceded by a large explosion and nearly hit the arwing!
     As he flew, Kyle noticed a small object come into radar range and vanish, presumably
having been destroyed by a lava jet.    THE SIGNAL BLOCKER!  THE SHIPS HAVE BEEN
LOOKING FOR THAT THING, BUT IT MUST HAVE BEEN CLOAKED OR
SOMETHING.  WELL, IT'S NOT CLOAKED NOW!  Kyle activated the arwing's
communicator.  "Battleship Cambridge!  This Cmdr. Kyle.  Do you read?"  Nothing.  "I repeat. 
This is Cmdr. Kyle.  Do you read?"
     "Commander!"  it was Capt. Gillespi, "Where are you, we were about to leave!  This
planet's going to blow any second!"
     "I'm just passing through the hole now!  Coordinates 7-3-7!"  Kyle replied.
     "You're flying?"  the Captain said, surprised.
     "Yes, Sir.  I have flown a few ships in my day,"  Kyle replied wryly.  
     "Come to coordinates 852 and match speeds with the Cambridge,"  Gillespi said, "I don't
think any more attempts at high-speed landings would be advisable."
     "Yeah, Capt. McCloud couldn't do it, and he's a lot less rusty than I am!"  Kyle admitted,
"Proceeding to coordinates 852 now!"  
     He then came about and took up position next to the Cambridge, putting the battleship
between himself and Macbeth.
     "Accelerate to 750 mph!"  Capt. Gillespi told his helmsman, then asked, "Cmdr., did you
copy that?"
     "Yes, Sir,"  he replied, "My speed's now 750 mph and holding.  I hope I can set down
soon, I've got a wounded man in here."
     "Are we out of the atmosphere yet?"  Gillespi asked.   Navigation replied, "No."
     "Captain, it's happening"  said Ops.
     Gillespi activated his hand-comm.  "All hands brace for impact!"
     On the viewscreen, Macbeth became a brilliant ball of fire and the shock wave slammed
into the ship.  The Captain and most of the bridge crew were jolted off their feet.  But, they were
still alive.
     Everyone stared silently at the viewscreen, which now showed only a dark void where
Macbeth once had been.  
     "Shields?"  Gillespi asked, breaking the silence.
     "Shields are down.  Casualties all over the ship."  Tactical reported.
     "Weapons?"
     "Nova launchers and laser cannons are still functional.  Galvan reports same."
     "At least we survived,"  Ops offered, "If we survived that, then maybe our other ships can
survive a hit from those torpedoes of theirs."
     "Unfortunately,"  Capt. Gillespi replied, "McNally was also built to withstand a large
planetary explosion.  And it did not survive their Supernova."
     He then turned to the Comm officer.  Knowing what to do, the officer re-contacted Cmdr.
Kyle.  "Are you all right, Commander?"  Capt. Gillespi asked.
     "I've got a few bumps and bruises, but other than that, I'm all right."
     "Good," replied Gillespi, "We're opening the docking bay doors for you now."
     He then turned to the comm officer.  "Scramble medical teams."  And then, reactivating
his hand-comm, he said, 
"Engineer Peters, get those shields back up as fast as you can.  I don't want to have to go into
battle without them."
     "Yes, Sir.  I'll have them up and running again in an hour,"  Peters replied.
     With that, the Captain de-activated his hand-comm and headed for the lift door.  "I'm
going to sick bay to talk with 
Capt. McCloud and our new arrival, Capt. Reynolds.  Perhaps they can give us some more insight
into who we're dealing with and how to defeat them.  Activate nightview and head for Corneria at
maximum velocity."  As he left, the next-in-command took his place in the command chair.
     Cmdr. Kyle brought the arwing in for a gentle 50-mph landing.  He then quickly got out
and started to pick up 
Lt. Banar again, when his strength left him all at once.  He fell into the hands of Dr. Olsen, who
had been waiting below.
     "Looks to me like you had two wounded men in there, Cmdr."
     Fox, who had long since been awaken by all the commotion, now was sitting up in his bed,
itching to help out somehow.
     "Capt. McCloud, I presume,"  said a voice to his right, "I'm Capt. Reynolds, formerly of
the battleship Gallant.  I've been looking for you McNally people for several days now.  You're
one hard man to find."  
     Fox could see that even the slightest motions were painful for the Captain, and felt a little
guilty about his seeing the Captain making him feel better about his own condition.
     Capt. Gillespi entered the room and immediately headed for the two officers.  "Capt.
Reynolds, I'm Capt. Gillespi,"  he said, holding out his paw.  Capt. Reynolds merely looked up at
him and said, "You'll excuse me, Captain, for not shaking paws.  But, at the moment, I'd prefer to
restrict myself to only the most essential movements."
     Capt. Gillespi nodded.  "Of course,"  he said, "Well, 
Capt. McCloud and I have already met, so I'll get right down to business.  Captain..."
     "Yes?"  Fox and Captain Reynolds replied simultaneously.  Capt. Gillespi blushed. 
"Sorry,"  he apologized, "But I'm not used to having so many Captains under one roof."
     He then began again.  "Captain Reynolds, could you tell us exactly what happened after
the...  What did you call their torpedoes again, Capt. McCloud?"
     "Supernovas, Captain,"  Fox replied.
     "Yes, Supernovas,"  Gillespi said, then turned his attention back to Reynolds, "Captain,
exactly what happened after the Supernova exploded?  Your ship and the Aries just seemed to
vanish from our scopes."
     "Well,"  Reynolds began, "Both the Gallant and the Aries had serious hull damage.  The
Aries' engines were non-functional and their shields were completely down.  We moved between
them and the blind zone, hoping to protect them from enemy fire with what little shield power we
had left until help arrived.  One of the hits we took knocked out our receiver.  We knew that the
Aries would not be able to survive a Supernova hit, so we stayed in front of them in hopes that we
could.  
     Fortunately, we didn't have to.  Capt. McCloud detonated the Supernova early.  Still, our
ship's navigational system was badly damaged by the force of the explosion.  The engines fired 
full-blast and sent us out of control toward Macbeth.  Somehow, we managed to fly right through
the hole to the inner surface.  We were then able to gain good enough control of the ship to skid it
to a halt on its side instead of doing a nosedive into the planet's inner crust.  Many of us died, but
at least some of us survived, thanks to you people.  Sadly, those aboard the Aries were not as
fortunate."
     "What happened to the Aries?"  Fox asked, even though he had already guessed the
answer.
     "Their ship was too badly damaged from the attack.  The explosion destroyed it utterly."
     There was a moment of silence among the three of them.      Finally, it was broken by
Capt. Gillespi.  "That would certainly explain what we saw.  One moment, your two ships were in
view, as was Capt. McCloud pursuing the Supernova.  Then, the Supernova blast blinded our
sensors momentarily.  And when they returned to normal function, you had disappeared
completely."
     "Now,"  Gillespi said, changing the subject, "We estimate that the Alternates' first two ships
will be within firing range of Corneria in approximately fifty minutes.  The fastest we can get there
is ninety minutes.  We sent three other battleships ahead to keep tabs on the Alternates.  Those
ships should be about thirty minutes ahead of us.  If either of you has any suggestions..."
     "What's the status of our weapons and shields?"  Reynolds asked.
     "The weapons are still functional, but the shields are totally down,"  Gillespi supplied, "The
Galvan has reported a similar condition.  We need to find some weak spot of the Alternates to
exploit."
     "Back at McNally,"  Fox began, "The battleships quickly headed into the zone after two of
our arwings had collided near one of them.  At almost the same instant as the explosion, I saw the
energy-absorption field flicker momentarily.  Then, during my escape from captivity, I found one
of their engineers cowering under a table.  The table had all kinds of paperwork on it, as if I had
just walked in on a meeting of the Engineering staff."
     "A meeting?  During an escape?"  Capt. Gillespi said incredulously, "Did anyone know
your whereabouts?"
     "The security guards knew I was on that level, and the whole ship must have heard the
alarm when I escaped."
     "It must have been something of extreme importance for it not to have been postponed
until you were caught,"  Gillespi said, frowning.  He then asked, "Were you able to find out what
they were working on?"
     "No, the guards were closing in too fast,"  said Fox, "But, I would guess that they were
trying to find ways to beef up the absorption field.  It proved vulnerable and Andross got nervous."
     ANDROSS' COUNTERPART?  SO, HE'S IN CHARGE!  I SHOULD HAVE
GUESSED! thought both Captains.
     "Well, we can't go around crashing our own ships into each other.  That's for sure," 
Reynolds commented.
     "Maybe not, but we can do something even more powerful,"  Fox suggested.
     "Like what?"  Gillespi wondered.
     "Hit each ship with a single, highly intense laser beam generated by Corneria.  I mean, all
the power they can muster," Fox explained, "And if that doesn't crack their shell, then we keep
hitting them with waves of nova bombs from Corneria and every ship we've got until they either
surrender or are destroyed."
     "Whoa, Captain!"  said Gillespi, "You're talking at least fifty nova bombs all going off
almost simultaneously!  I'm sure it will penetrate their fields, but it will also destroy everything, and
I do mean everything, else within at least a 
forty-thousand kilometer radius without shockwaves!  Remember, those Supernovas they're
carrying would probably also detonate!We would destroy the Federation in our effort to save it!" 
     "We would have to draw them away from the base first," Fox conceded, "That's why I'm
only recommending it as a backup plan.  In order for it to work, the nova bombs will all have to be
detonated simultaneously, so that they act as one large bomb.  Otherwise, their fields may be able
to handle the energy.  Believe me when I tell you, I want to save the Federation every bit as much
as you do.  My wife is on Corneria.  But, while I'd greatly prefer less destructive ways of ending
this threat, I think that there may come a time when we find we have no other choice but to do
this."
     Put that way, Gillespi couldn't argue with it.  He couldn't even say that the thought hadn't
occurred to him once or twice as well.
     "So what these two plans boil down to is this:  hitting their energy fields with a large
amount of power to overload them.  To give them too much energy to absorb too quickly," 
Gillespi summarized.  Fox nodded in agreement.
     "You know,"  Reynolds said, addressing Fox, "At least one of those Alternate Battleships
seemed to really have it in for you.  Military strategy dictates that you go after the most dangerous
enemy vessels first.  With all due respect to your piloting skills, Captain, they all should have been
firing on us, not you."
     "Andross isn't very military-minded when it comes to myself,"  Fox explained, "He and I
hate each other's guts, and I had just humiliated him.  So, he was out for blood.  My blood."
     "Perhaps we'll be able to find a way to use that fact to our advantage,"  Reynolds
suggested.  He then quickly added, "Not by making you a target, of course, Captain McCloud."
     If Fox had been bothered by Reynolds' suggestion, he gave no sign of it.  Instead, he
merely looked from Capt. Reynolds to 
Capt. Gillespi and said, "We have our Andross imprisoned on Corneria.  If the other Andross
succeeds, he'll die right along with us."
     "So, he might be willing to advise us in hopes of saving his own skin,"  Reynolds
continued.
     "Right,"  Fox replied, "And who better to anticipate Andross' moves than Andross
himself?"
     "Hmm.  I don't envy anyone the task of talking with that giant hairball..."  Gillespi said,
being interrupted by an incoming message on his hand-comm.
     He held up one finger in a signal for Fox and Capt. Reynolds to wait one moment, then
started talking into the unit.     "Gillespi here.  What is it?"
     "Capt.  McCloud from Corneria is on optic radio.  She wishes to speak with you.  She says
it's urgent."
     "Capt. McCloud on Corneria?"  Gillespi mouthed to Fox.
     "My wife,"  Fox mouthed back.
     Capt. Gillespi nodded, then returned to his conversation.  "All right, but how did Corneria
get through to us?"  he asked.
     "The interference device must have been destroyed when Macbeth went up,"  the voice on
the other end answered.
     "Probably,"  Gillespi agreed, "All right, put her through to me on this unit."
     The next voice they heard was one that Fox had not heard in what seemed an eternity. 
"Capt...n,"  Fara's voice crackled from the great void of space.  Fox just leaned back and listened
as Fara's infinitely soothing voice informed them of their plans and of the proximity of the lead
Alternate ship to the base.  It was a mere forty-five minutes away from Corneria now.
     Gillespi then began to fill her in on their discussion and Guilford's destruction.  Then, Fox
detected worry in Fara's voice, and desperately wanted to talk to her, to let her know that he was
alright.
     However, he also knew that time was short, and he had a sneaking suspicion that he would
lose all sense of time if he were to start talking to her.  That, alas, would have to wait.
     Gillespi must have sensed Fox's desire, for just prior to breaking the connection, he told
Fara, "Your husband has just told me that he believes our Andross may be willing to advise us in
the upcoming battle in order to save himself."
     He then called Engineering.  "Engineer Peters, this is 
Capt. Gillespi speaking.  I'm on my way to Engineering now.  I'll want a full report on the status of
the shields when I arrive.  Also, there's a new piece of strategy you should know about.  Gillespi
out."  He remained just long enough to tell Fox, "I have a wife, too,"  and then left.
     "You know,"  said Reynolds, "Our Andross made a lot of innocent people serve him
against their will, so how do we know that the other Andross isn't doing the same thing?"
     "We don't,"  Fox admitted, "which is a fact that I'm none too crazy about."
     Ten minutes passed.  Fox looked over at the bed opposite his.  Its occupant was Lt. Banar,
who seemed fascinated by the intricacies of the sick bay ceiling.  
     Feeling strong again, Fox got up out of his bed to pay a visit.  As he did, he noticed that the
lump in Banar's blanket made by his right leg was considerably shorter than that made by his left. 
He looked away momentarily, then walked over to Banar.
     "Hi,"  he said, standing next to the bed, "I just heard not too long ago that a certain
Commander owes you his life."
     "Only partly,"  Banar corrected, "It was he who had to save my life after I had passed out."
     He sighed, then pointed to the stub where his right leg used to be, and said, "They say I
may need an artificial leg if I ever want to walk or fly again."
     "I wouldn't worry, a lot of people have had similar operations, including me,"  Fox said,
touching his own artificial foot for proof, "My real foot was axed off by a rather nasty individual
some time ago."
     "Well, after seeing that landing of yours, I'm not sure if I should feel encouraged by that
story,"  Banar joked.  They both grinned and chuckled.  But then, Banar's face turned serious.
     "Listen, Captain.  I know how much your ship must have meant to you, but, seeing as how
I'm laid up and all, I'd like you to fly my ship when we reach Corneria,"  he said.
     "I'd be honored,"  Fox replied somberly.
     "And use it to kick their sorry hides all the way back to their own dimension!"  Banar
exclaimed.
     "Deal!"  Fox said, and shook on it.
     Fox rose, and turned to head for the docking bay.  A hand grabbed his shoulder from
behind.  Fox stopped but did not turn.  "You know I can't let you go,"  said Dr. Olsen, "You
haven't yet fully recovered from your injuries."
     "Listen, Doc,"  Fox replied, without even turning around, "Our backs are against the wall. 
If we lose this one, there will be no more SpaceForce, no more Federation, no more us.  If I don't
go out there and we lose, what good will that extra recovery time have done then?"
     Dr. Olsen said nothing, and simply walked away.  Fox then proceeded to the docking bay. 
WHERE I BELONG.