Helaman Squadron: The Cornerian Human

[DededeCloneChris]

Nice chapter.

[starfoxherosj]

Chapter 12: Jumped at the Gate

   The next morning, Richard and his flight headed up to the bridge.  Knowing he wouldn't have time to eat breakfast, he made himself a quick PB&J half, slipped his dad's goggles over his forehead and ran to the bridge with it in his mouth.  Most of the time, people were given granola bars to hold them off during early morning missions, but he needed something more substantial.
   The operation set up the day before was going along as planned.  There was no sign that the enemy was about to attack.  Everyone knew that it would happen soon, and that they had to hurry.  Warping was not a process to rush, however and it took some time to achieve.  Everything had to go right or the whole operation would never happen.
   Fox sat down in the Commander's chair with his arms folded.  It had been a long road yesterday, and he knew that he and his crew were lucky to be alive.  No one was luckier then Richard.  This had been a tough mission for Fox and his flight group, who've had at least twelve years of experience.  The same mission was Richard's first.  The boy had spent hours in the simulators since he was seven, and at nine, had actually flown an Arwing (How he got himself into so much trouble that day Fox would never know.) but yesterday was his first time in an actual combat zone.  Fox smiled.  Ricky would have been proud.
   Richard had just walked into the room, sandwich in mouth.  He was followed closely by Moroni.  Everyone else was there already; he had been the last person to arrive as usual.  Blue looked at him and grinned.  "What took you?" He said, "You spill jelly on your shirt?"
   "Ha ha, you should become a comedian." Richard replied sarcastically, pulling off a bite of his sandwich and waving the rest at Blue.
   "This isn't time to be fighting you two, so stop it!" Red shouted.  Immediately, Richard and Blue stopped arguing and remained quiet. 
Richard took a seat next to Katlyn, despite the teasing he got from Blue afterwards.  He wanted to say something in return, but he reclined from commenting.  What Peppy said the day before caught him off guard, and Blue was not about to let him forget it.  True, he did have feelings for Katlyn, but he wasn't her boyfriend, at least not yet.  After all, his father would have been very upset if he asked her out on a date at this point.  Then Blue really went over the edge with a nasty comment.  That did it.  Richard couldn't hold it in anymore.
"Funny all this teasing me, and whenever you get flak, you get all red in the face." He said making sure to exaggerate the word 'red.'  The whole room went silent, and Blue stared at Richard with a look of disbelief.
After about ten long seconds, Slippy laughed, "He got you there, Blue!"
"Okay everyone, let's get this operation started." Fox interrupted, "Great Fox to Gate, how much time is left until we are ready?"
"T-minus five minutes." One of the Orbital Gate technicians replied.
Just then, a laser volley flew overhead across the deck of the Great Fox.  "ROB! What happened?" Fox shouted, "Give me a status report!"
"Sony Warships have opened fire on the fleet." ROB reported.  "No ship has been damaged, all batteries missed."
"They must have been firing off a warning shot." Moroni replied, "If they were aiming at us, we would have sustained casualties."
"We are receiving a message from the Sony Capital Ship." ROB said.
"Put it through." Fox ordered.
The bridge was lit up even more so by the hologram.  The hologram was of the commander of the Sony fleet.  Richard had seen pictures of the commander, and he had heard his name (He forgot it, though) and knew of his fury.
"Commander Fox McCloud, order your fleet to surrender to our forces." The commander said, "We have you outnumbered and outgunned.  Those laser blasts were warning shots.  If you continue, you will be destroyed"
Fox smiled, hand on his chin.  "Well, if it isn't Admiral Cloud Strife." He said, "If you are asking us to give up, you better forget it.  The Star Fox team doesn't surrender!"
"And neither does Helaman Flight!" Richard shouted.
Cloud smiled for a second, than laughed uncontrollably.  "Do you really think that you are Helaman Flight?" He chuckled, "Well, I can't blame you.  You seem just as stupid as Ricky Stryker!"
"Don't you dare say anything bad about him!"
"Then what do you want me to say, boy?" Cloud said, "Who are you anyway?"
"Allow me to introduce you to young Richard Stryker Jr." Fox smiled, "Named for his father."
Cloud nearly choked.  This was the son if Ricky Stryker?  It didn't matter, he would be dead within the hour.  His face went back to his normal, almost dead expression.  "All ships move to battle positions." He said, "You chose death, McCloud."

Miles away, a Microsoft base was listening in on the conversation between the two Commanders.  The intelligence officer played over the last thing Fox had said.  "Get Master Chief in here immediately."
Master Chief walked into the room as tall and looming as the officer had always known him.  "What is it, officer?"  Master Chief said.
"I thought you would like to listen to this, sir."
The officer played back the whole conversation for Master Chief.  He felt the smile underneath the helmet that hid Master Chief's face.  "Named for his father, eh?" Master Chief chuckled, "This war just got a lot more interesting."  He looked at the still picture of this boy and smiled. "Let's hope you survive to meet me, boy."

[starfoxherosj]

Don't expect me to be on too much these next couple weeks, I need to do stuff for school.
Chapter 13: Buying Time

   Fox had to make a choice.  He could take the enemy head on, which would result in a high casualty rate, or he could wait for the gate to open up, which would put him at a strategic advantage if he moved through, that was if the Great Fox could hold up to the enemy assault.  He pondered, trembling at what the consequences of his actions might be.  Then he came to a hard decision, one that He regretted having to make, but knew it was necessary.
   He chose to send out Helaman Flight.
   "Hero, I want you and your group to try to draw away the enemy's fire while the gate loads up." He told Richard, "Then I will lead our attack group to Sector Y and start up a new front."
   Richard was stunned.  "You actually expect us to fight off a group of that size alone?" He asked, "We will get annihilated!"
   "Richard..." Fox said, putting his hand on the boy's shoulder, "You have your father's gift. You have a knack for flying an Arwing."
   Katlyn walked over to Richard and looked at him right in the eye.  "Richard, there are many people who will trust you and listen to you." She said, "One thing's for sure, if all else goes wrong, I will stand by you."
   "But you don't have a fighter..." Richard replied.
   "That's okay," Krystal said, "Katlyn can use one of my spare Cloudrunners."
   "You know something Little Ricky?" Jim started, "I have been all across the galaxy and I have flown with many people, but I came back because I heard my buddy was joining the ranks of Star Fox, and I knew I would enjoy flying with you."
   "Thanks guys." Richard said, wiping a tear from his eyes.  "You are all really great, thank you."  He looked up.  He wasn't going to cry any more.  "Helaman Flight, Let's get out there!"
   
   Helaman Flight shot out of the Great Fox only five minutes later.  "Moroni, What's the situation?"  Richard asked.
   "It's not very good..." Moroni replied, "It appears that the seven of us are flying right into a large enemy strike force."
   "Frankly, I have been in worse situations." Jim replied.
   "Yes, but let's be safe, shall we?" Richard replied, "Stryker to Great Fox, I request some missile cover from you guys."
   "Permission granted." Fox replied, "I will only be able to send one missile because I want to save the rest for a counterattack."
   "Fine by me." Richard smiled, "You're the boss, I'll take whatever you can give me."
   A missile came streaking by Helaman Squadron about a moment later and took out half of the enemy force.  By now, the defense fleet had launched their fighters, outnumbering the Sony force three to one.  The survivors of the missile attack started to fall back to defend their own warships.
   The Cornerian warships and fighters gave chase with Helaman Squadron leading the charge.  Richard was able to get behind a Sony fighter and opened fire, taking out that fighter and the one in front of it.  Then, he looked to his starboard side and witnessed the destruction of a Cornerian warship.
   They had fallen right into a trap
   Four Keyblade-Class Warships, The Oathkeeper, The Oblivion, The Kingdom Key and the Fenrir, all appeared out of nowhere and started launching volley after volley at the Cornerian force.  One by one, the Cornerian ships were destroyed.  The intercom was filled with the terrified screams of the men and women whose fighters exploded.  Richard witnessed one fighter that dodged fire from the Kingdom Key, just to wind up as a hood ornament on the ship.  He knew that he had to do something.
   Richard analyzed the enemy ships' position.  The Oathkeeper and Oblivion were side-by-side, with the Kingdom Key and Fenrir above and below them respectively, facing opposite each other and with their sides to the Cornerian Fleet.  Richard then got an idea.  "Jim, I'm putting you in charge until I get back."  He said as he pulled out of the squadron.
   "Gotcha!" Jim replied, "Just try to not get yourself killed!"
   "I don't plan on it."

   Commander Cloud, (who was on the Fenrir) watched as a single Arwing had buzzed the bridge of his ship.  He was terrified at the fact that a fighter had breached the blockade and the fact that it was an Arwing, one of the most well-designed fighters in the universe.  A group of four Arwings have been known to decimate entire fleets.  "All available fighters, attack that Arwing!"
   A whole wing of Sony fighters maneuvered to intercept.  "This is Firaga Leader!"  A pilot said, "I have a lock on the enemy fighter and-AAAAAAAAAAHHHH!"
A bright sphere of white light filled the air and all the fighters had disappeared.  When the light died down, the Arwing was still intact.
   "Sir," one of the bridge crew said, "Firaga Wing has been completely wiped out."
   "I-Impossible!" Cloud stuttered, "Oathkeeper and Oblivion, open fire on the Arwing!"

   Katlyn knew exactly where Richard was when the bomb went off.  She was terrified; Richard had charged the enemy warships, alone!  "Richard, please!" She shouted, "Don't do it! You'll get yourself killed!"
   "Katlyn, I've already got this figured out."  Richard replied, "I'll come back."
   "I-I'm coming in to cover you!"
   "Negative." Jim replied, "There's one thing about Little Ricky that you should know about him after your years of knowing him."
   "What is that?"
   "He can get out of any situation, no matter how crazy it is!"

   Richard passed between the Oathkeeper and Oblivion at full throttle.  The two ships started by firing anti-air rounds at him.  When that didn't work, they fired missiles, and then volleys that could take down much larger ships.  Problem was that Richard's fighter was too small and to fast for a sufficient lock-on and the two ships were hitting each other!
   Richard heard a small explosion coming from behind and realized that an unlucky Sony fighter had snuck in behind him and had been caught by one of the rounds from the Sony ships.  He looked up and saw the Kingdom Key disengage, for whatever reason.  Then he watched the Fenrir, realizing that it was alone, begin to retreat, and then get caught by a missile coming from the direction of Sector Y that almost took Richard out in the process.
   It was the Great Fox.
   Richard was relieved.  He thought for a moment that he would not be coming back.  "Everyone return to base." He said, "I think that we deserve a good-"
   Suddenly, a Sony fighter came whizzing by him. Richard watched it roll into a left bank as it came around for another pass.  This was not a regular Sony fighter, though.  It was more heavily armored, and included missile clusters.  "Arwing Pilot, Surrender now and your death will be quick." The pilot said, "You have caused me enough trouble as it is."
   "Richard!" Katlyn radioed in, "Are you alright?"
   "Yeah, I'm fine Katlyn." Richard replied, "I guess we haven't cleared out all the suckers, though." He looked at the enemy fighter.  "Just who are you anyway!?"
   "I am Commander Strife." The pilot said, "Leader of the Fleet you just wiped out."
   "Wait...I know you!" Richard replied, "You are the dude that called my dad an idiot!"  Richard was frustrated.  He had just destroyed this guy's fleet, and now this guy has the guts to tell him to surrender!  "I really don't think you are in the position to tell me to surrender now, are you?"
   Cloud was furious, "Very well, prepare to suffer!" He shouted, maneuvering to get around Hero.  Hero turned into him in response, and the two went into a spiral.
   Red's voice came over the radio.  "Hey, Hero!" She shouted, "If you are still alive, we are on our way right now!"
   "Could you hurry?" Richard replied, "I can use all the help I can get!  I am engaged by the enemy Commander!"
   "Hero, can you please repeat that?" Fox radioed in, "Did you just say that you are engaged to Commander Strife?"
   "Yes!  More then that, I've ticked him off!"
   "Stryker, I order you to disengage!"
   "I wish I could, Fox!"
   Suddenly, someone had locked on to Cloud.  "That's quite enough, pal." A female voice said, "If you just disengage now, no-one will get hurt."
   "Darn," Cloud growled, "I'll have to wait until later to kill this...boy."  He disengaged, feeling rotten on the inside.
   Richard moved in for the kill, but was called off by the mysterious pilot.  "Just let him be." The pilot said, "There's no point in continuing this fight."
   Just then, Katlyn pulled up alongside the two fighters.  "Oh, thank goodness you are all right Richard!" She exclaimed, "For a moment, I thought you were killed!"   
   "Nice to see you again, Kate." The mysterious pilot said, "You remember me, don't you?"
   "Of course!" Katlyn replied, "How are you, Samantha?"

[starfoxherosj]

Chapter 14: Destination: Katina

   On Richard's orders, Helaman Squadron landed on the Great Fox.  There were no more open docks in the main hangar for Samantha's Fighter, so she had to land in the secondary hanger where most of the Arwing armaments are.  Frankly, she wouldn't have it any other way.
   Jim walked over to Richard's Arwing just as the canopy opened up.  "That was a pretty gutsy move you pulled out there, Rick!" He said, "Even I wouldn't pull off a stunt like that!"
   "I kinda' find that hard to believe, Jim." Richard laughed as he climbed down the ladder onto the deck, "Trust me, I know you too well."
   Jim's eyes were averted.  "Excuse me for a sec, will you Rick?" He said, heading past Richard and towards the secondary hangar.
   Richard looked to see what Jim was looking at, and saw Samantha exiting the secondary hangar.  He put his hands behind his head and scoffed, "I should've known..."
Although Katlyn was a very modest lady, her friend wasn't.  She was an attractive blonde and she knew it.  Unlike Katlyn's slightly baggy uniform, Samantha's outfit was a little too tight.  She wore a white shirt with straps and a pair of short shorts (Hardly military issue, Richard thought) and to top it all off, she wore a red and white baseball cap similar to the one Slippy wore.
She was also human.
When Richard got a closer look at Samantha's fighter, he realized that it was a Cornerian Fighter with Bulldog insignias that had obviously been tinkered with.  It also had black and white stripes painted on the wings and a personal insignia, a picture depicting the silhouette of the late President Sonic that brought back memories for Tails.  Both of which had been throwbacks to aviation history similar to Jim's Sharkmouth nose decal.
   Jim jogged over to Samantha, driving his hand through his hair one time.  "Hey there!" He shouted, trying to sound cool, "My name is Jim Fokker, ace pilot of Helaman Squadron, What's your name?" He gave Samantha a wink.
   "Sorry Flyboy!" Samantha replied shrewdly, "pilots don't last too long around here, that's why I don't date."
   Jim turned around in disgust only to find Richard standing right behind him.  Richard whistled, spinning his hand towards the ground with the index finger pointing down.  Then he opened his hand and raised it up quickly, making an explosion noise.  "Yeah, yeah, Ricky, give it a rest." Jim growled, "It's bad enough that I can't get a girl, but it irks me even more that you can."
   "W-W-What do you mean?" Richard replied, sweating bullets.
   That was when Katlyn came up behind him and tapped him on the shoulder.  He About-faced, screaming in the process.  "Uh...Hi Katlyn!" Richard said, blushing, "I didn't see you there, you scared me!"
   "Sorry Richard..." Katlyn replied, "A-Are you okay?"
   "I'm fine!"
   Then, Samantha came over to the group.  "So, You are Richard 'Hero' Stryker" She said, looking Richard over twice, "My, you picked a cute one Katie."
   "What? W-We're not dating!  A-at least n-not yet!" Richard and Katlyn said simultaneously, both blushing.

Later, they were once again on the bridge. "You guys did a great job on your mission" Fox   said, "I couldn't be prouder You guys were-"
"Excuse me Commander McCloud.  Mind if I interrupt?" Samantha said.
"No. Go right ahead"
"Thank you." Samantha stood up and looked around.  "I came here on behalf of Commander Bill Grey, who is stationed on Katina.  As you may or may not know, Microsoft is attacking the planet."
"Why didn't you send us a message?"  Richard interrupted rather harshly, "We could have been there a lot sooner, and a lot more lives would've been saved!"
"They have cut off all long-range communications and radar; we had to send a lone fighter through the attack ourselves." Samantha replied, "Anyway, The enemy is utilizing BattleMechs, Mostly Light and Medium classes, but there are some Heavy ones too."  She put a large screen of Planet Katina up.  "This is what we are facing at the moment."
A picture of a large fighter group and pictures of various BattleMechs came up on the screen.
"So," Blue said, "Shouldn't a Cornerian base be able to take down a threat like this?"
"Not without Radar." She replied, "We are completely blind to the enemy's attacks."  She looked at the screen, "In fact, the Radar isn't the worst of our problems."
A picture of a Spaceship came up.  "What is that?" Richard asked.
"It's a prototype spaceship that Microsoft has developed.  It has increased firepower and even more Hangars then anything we have.  Needless to say, it is terror on a grand scale."
"So, let me guess." Blue sighed, "We need to go to Katina and blow the snot out of this ship."
"No, the number one priority is to force the enemy to retreat," Samantha replied, "If you can destroy the ship, you should.  Otherwise, just push them back." She looked around the room, and then to Fox.  She started crying.  "Will you please help us sir?"
"Once you said that Bill Grey needed my help, I decided to go there." Fox said, "We are already en-route."
"Thank you." Samantha said.
"Okay, team, I want you to get some R&R." Fox replied, "We will arrive tomorrow."

[HYRULESEAS]

Nicly done! ;D

[starfoxherosj]

I guess I can now say that this series is now in loving memory of Gordon B. Hinckley...
Chapter 15: The Golden Knight

   Katlyn found herself tied up on the top of a castle.  She was wearing very fancy clothes, similar to those worn by princesses.  Standing to her right was a man in a dark cloak.  At this point it was obvious to her that
   The man in the dark cloak spoke.  "Golden Knight, wherever you are, you had better come for a final showdown with me, the Wizard of Darkness, or else, you can say farewell to your dear princess."
   Katlyn didn't understand any of this.  The Golden Knight?  The Wizard of Darkness?  What was this all about?  Many questions ran through her mind that she didn't bother asking.
   Suddenly, she saw a shine in the distance.  It was a knight in golden armor riding on a powerful horse, sword and shield unsheathed.  The horse jumped to the top of the castle and the Golden Knight dismounted.
   "Ah, the Legendary Golden Knight comes to save his maiden." The Wizard said, "But all for not.  Guards!  Kill him immediately!"
   Two heavily armored guards came running in to slay the Golden Knight.  With two swings of his swords, the Golden Knight cut off the tips of their spears and fell the two soldiers.
   "Bah, I will kill you myself if I have to!" The Wizard said.  He started levitating.  A huge fireball flew at the Golden Knight.  The Golden Knight brought up his shield to defend himself, but it disintegrated when the fireball hit it.  The Golden Knight then leaped up into the air, and came down with his fist onto the evil Wizard.  The Wizard created a fog of smoke when he hit the ground, and jumped at the Knight with a long sword.  With one fell swoop, the Golden Knight knocked the sword out of the Wizard's hands and then ran his own sword through the Wizard's chest.
   "No!  How...can...you..." The Wizard never finished what he was going to say.  He died mid-sentence.
   The Golden Knight ran over to Katlyn and spoke for the first time since he got here.  "Don't worry, Katlyn.  You're safe with me." He said.
   "How do you..." Katlyn started.  Just then they both heard a loud roar coming from behind.  Katlyn screamed in terror as a gigantic dragon passed overhead and swooped up the Golden Knight.
   "Hide!" The Golden Knight hollered.  Katlyn thought there was something familiar about the Golden Knight.  There was something underneath that helmet visor...
   The Golden Knight struggled to get out of the Dragon's clutches.  Katlyn watched in horror as the Dragon flew straight up and dropped the Golden Knight from high up.  Then she saw the horse glow.  Suddenly, wings appeared on the horse's back and it flew away to save its master.  The horse caught the Knight in mid-air and the Golden Knight turned the horse around to face his foe.
   But the Dragon was right in front of him.
   The Dragon shot flame from its mouth to try to scorch the Golden Knight, but the Golden Knight had dodged it, flipped over onto the dragon and stabbed it with his sword.  He pulled his sword out of the beast and jumped back onto his winged horse moments before the Dragon went into its death dive.
   He flew over to the castle once again, hopping off the horse.  "Everything is okay now, Katlyn." He said.
   "How do you know my name?" Katlyn asked, finishing her sentence from before.
   "Trust me." The Golden Knight said, raising his visor, "I've known you for a long time." Katlyn stared into the eyes of Richard...

[starfoxherosj]

I guess I can now say that this series is now in loving memory of Gordon B. Hinckley...
Chapter 15: The Golden Knight

   Katlyn found herself tied up on the top of a castle.  She was wearing very fancy clothes, similar to those worn by princesses.  Standing to her right was a man in a dark cloak.  At this point it was obvious to her that
   The man in the dark cloak spoke.  "Golden Knight, wherever you are, you had better come for a final showdown with me, the Wizard of Darkness, or else, you can say farewell to your dear princess."
   Katlyn didn't understand any of this.  The Golden Knight?  The Wizard of Darkness?  What was this all about?  Many questions ran through her mind that she didn't bother asking.
   Suddenly, she saw a shine in the distance.  It was a knight in golden armor riding on a powerful horse, sword and shield unsheathed.  The horse jumped to the top of the castle and the Golden Knight dismounted.
   "Ah, the Legendary Golden Knight comes to save his maiden." The Wizard said, "But all for not.  Guards!  Kill him immediately!"
   Two heavily armored guards came running in to slay the Golden Knight.  With two swings of his swords, the Golden Knight cut off the tips of their spears and fell the two soldiers.
   "Bah, I will kill you myself if I have to!" The Wizard said.  He started levitating.  A huge fireball flew at the Golden Knight.  The Golden Knight brought up his shield to defend himself, but it disintegrated when the fireball hit it.  The Golden Knight then leaped up into the air, and came down with his fist onto the evil Wizard.  The Wizard created a fog of smoke when he hit the ground, and jumped at the Knight with a long sword.  With one fell swoop, the Golden Knight knocked the sword out of the Wizard's hands and then ran his own sword through the Wizard's chest.
   "No!  How...can...you..." The Wizard never finished what he was going to say.  He died mid-sentence.
   The Golden Knight ran over to Katlyn and spoke for the first time since he got here.  "Don't worry, Katlyn.  You're safe with me." He said.
   "How do you..." Katlyn started.  Just then they both heard a loud roar coming from behind.  Katlyn screamed in terror as a gigantic dragon passed overhead and swooped up the Golden Knight.
   "Hide!" The Golden Knight hollered.  Katlyn thought there was something familiar about the Golden Knight.  There was something underneath that helmet visor...
   The Golden Knight struggled to get out of the Dragon's clutches.  Katlyn watched in horror as the Dragon flew straight up and dropped the Golden Knight from high up.  Then she saw the horse glow.  Suddenly, wings appeared on the horse's back and it flew away to save its master.  The horse caught the Knight in mid-air and the Golden Knight turned the horse around to face his foe.
   But the Dragon was right in front of him.
   The Dragon shot flame from its mouth to try to scorch the Golden Knight, but the Golden Knight had dodged it, flipped over onto the dragon and stabbed it with his sword.  He pulled his sword out of the beast and jumped back onto his winged horse moments before the Dragon went into its death dive.
   He flew over to the castle once again, hopping off the horse.  "Everything is okay now, Katlyn." He said.
   "How do you know my name?" Katlyn asked, finishing her sentence from before.
   "Trust me." The Golden Knight said, raising his visor, "I've known you for a long time." Katlyn stared into the eyes of Richard...

Crud...I have to learn to proof read these!  I cut off at part of a sentence!  Also, this is a dream sequence, so I'm not changing subjects here.

[HYRULESEAS]

I figured that it was a dream. :P

[DededeCloneChris]

I guess I can now say that this series is now in loving memory of Gordon B. Hinckley...
Chapter 15: The Golden Knight

   Katlyn found herself tied up on the top of a castle.  She was wearing very fancy clothes, similar to those worn by princesses.  Standing to her right was a man in a dark cloak.  At this point it was obvious to her that
   The man in the dark cloak spoke.  “Golden Knight, wherever you are, you had better come for a final showdown with me, the Wizard of Darkness, or else, you can say farewell to your dear princess.”
   Katlyn didn’t understand any of this.  The Golden Knight?  The Wizard of Darkness?  What was this all about?  Many questions ran through her mind that she didn’t bother asking.
   Suddenly, she saw a shine in the distance.  It was a knight in golden armor riding on a powerful horse, sword and shield unsheathed.  The horse jumped to the top of the castle and the Golden Knight dismounted.
   “Ah, the Legendary Golden Knight comes to save his maiden.” The Wizard said, “But all for not.  Guards!  Kill him immediately!”
   Two heavily armored guards came running in to slay the Golden Knight.  With two swings of his swords, the Golden Knight cut off the tips of their spears and fell the two soldiers.
   “Bah, I will kill you myself if I have to!” The Wizard said.  He started levitating.  A huge fireball flew at the Golden Knight.  The Golden Knight brought up his shield to defend himself, but it disintegrated when the fireball hit it.  The Golden Knight then leaped up into the air, and came down with his fist onto the evil Wizard.  The Wizard created a fog of smoke when he hit the ground, and jumped at the Knight with a long sword.  With one fell swoop, the Golden Knight knocked the sword out of the Wizard’s hands and then ran his own sword through the Wizard’s chest.
   “No!  How…can…you…” The Wizard never finished what he was going to say.  He died mid-sentence.
   The Golden Knight ran over to Katlyn and spoke for the first time since he got here.  “Don’t worry, Katlyn.  You’re safe with me.” He said.
   “How do you…” Katlyn started.  Just then they both heard a loud roar coming from behind.  Katlyn screamed in terror as a gigantic dragon passed overhead and swooped up the Golden Knight.
   “Hide!” The Golden Knight hollered.  Katlyn thought there was something familiar about the Golden Knight.  There was something underneath that helmet visor…
   The Golden Knight struggled to get out of the Dragon’s clutches.  Katlyn watched in horror as the Dragon flew straight up and dropped the Golden Knight from high up.  Then she saw the horse glow.  Suddenly, wings appeared on the horse’s back and it flew away to save its master.  The horse caught the Knight in mid-air and the Golden Knight turned the horse around to face his foe.
   But the Dragon was right in front of him.
   The Dragon shot flame from its mouth to try to scorch the Golden Knight, but the Golden Knight had dodged it, flipped over onto the dragon and stabbed it with his sword.  He pulled his sword out of the beast and jumped back onto his winged horse moments before the Dragon went into its death dive.
   He flew over to the castle once again, hopping off the horse.  “Everything is okay now, Katlyn.” He said.
   “How do you know my name?” Katlyn asked, finishing her sentence from before.
   “Trust me.” The Golden Knight said, raising his visor, “I’ve known you for a long time.” Katlyn stared into the eyes of Richard…

Crud...I have to learn to proof read these!  I cut off at part of a sentence!  Also, this is a dream sequence, so I'm not changing subjects here.

That IS random.

[starfoxherosj]

You guys might get a kick out of the opening of this chapter
Chapter 16: Touchdown on Katina

   Blue had walked into Richard's room. "Man," he said, "Why do I have to wake up the kid?"  He walked over to Richard's bed and started nudging him. 
   Richard was sleeping very lazily.  He was on his stomach, legs spread out.  His right arm was hanging off the side of the bed, and he was drooling.  His covers weren't even on correctly!
   "Hey!  Kid!  Wake up!" Blue said, nudging Richard again.
   Just then Slippy walked in with a bucket of water.  "This is how you do it, Blue." He said.  Blue backed up to give Slippy some room.  "Hey Junior! Wake up!"
   "No Slippy..." Richard moaned, "Go away..."
   "We are here!  It's time to head out!"
   "Just...let me sleep..."
   "Okay, you asked for it..."

   Fox and the others were on the bridge.  Red was a little annoyed, "What's taking those two so long?" she yelled, "They should be back with Hero right now!"
   "Just wait a second..." Falco said, "Three...two...one..."
   Just then, they heard a voice coming from down the hall.  "JEEZ SLIPPY!!! DID YOU HAVE TO DO THAT!?!"   
   "There's your answer, m'am."

   A couple minutes later, Richard, Slippy and Blue walked onto the bridge.  Richard was dripping with water and shivering.  "H-h-hello e-e-everyone" He stuttered before sneezing.
   "Man..." Blue said, "The last time I saw Richard stutter like this, he was talking to Katlyn."
   "SHUT IT BLUE!!!"
   Jim laughed.  "Incredible!" He shouted, "Does Slippy still have to wake you up with that bucket?"
   "Okay everyone, enough!" Fox shouted, "We are entering Katina Airspace, does everyone know what to do?"
   "Yes we do!" Richard said, "All we have to do is go in, blow the snot out of some Microsoft goons and then we kick them off the planet!"
   "It won't be that easy, Rick." Samantha replied, "Remember, The enemy ship is more powerful then anything the Cornerian Army can dish out."
   "Yes, but we ain't the Cornerian Army!" Richard smiled.
   "You are quite sure of yourself, you know that kid?" Samantha laughed, "I wonder how you survived this long."
   "That's quite enough, you two!" Fox shouted, "I don't want to hear any more bickering until we touchdown!"

   They set down on the planet's surface about an hour later.  They were a few miles from Samantha's airbase.  Fox was surprised that there had been no Microsoft fighters to greet them.  Something was wrong here, but he couldn't figure out what...
   Then ROB looked at him. "Sir, long range scanners and communications are jammed.  I will try to re-establish."
   "Thanks ROB," Fox said, "Everyone be prepared, Microsoft could strike at any-"
   Suddenly, the ship shook violently.  Fox, Richard, Samantha and Jim were quick to grab hold of something.  Katlyn lost her balance, and started to fall over when Richard grabbed her wrist.  The bridge was in chaos.
   "ROB!  Status report!" Fox shouted.
   "Enemy aircraft coming from the left." ROB replied.
   "Get us closer to the base ROB!"
   
   The Great Fox comes low over some mountains to get to the Cornerian base on Katina.  They all somewhat expected that there would be a large battle ensuing over the base.  No-one thought it would be as big as it was.  Microsoft forces were all over the place.  The Cornerian forces were definitely outnumbered.  Tails was the most horrified.  It was a lot like the battle of Mobius a couple of days back.
   "Okay," Fox said, calmly, "This is worse than I thought." He looked at the monitor and pounded his fists on the controls.  Then, he turned around, "I want all of you to scramble.  I don't know what we're up against, but this base is going to need all the help it can get."

[starfoxherosj]

Chapter 17:  Preview of a Storm

   Richard climbed into his Arwing.  By now, Fox and his group were already airborne, and now it was Helaman Squadron's turn.  Once the team formed up on deck, they were shot into battle.  Shortly after, they were engaged by a squadron of Microsoft fighters.  "Okay, boys and girls, let's get this show on the road!" Richard shouted as he maneuvered to attack an enemy fighter.  He got the enemy fighter in his sights and fired a laser burst.  No sooner did the fighter explode then he heard a cry for help from Red.
   "This guy's got me dead to rights!  I can't shake him!" she screamed, "If someone can spare the time, help me!"
   "Red!" Blue shouted, "I'm on my way!"  He turned away from the target he was about to nail to assist his friend.  He maneuvered around behind the foe and opened fire, shattering the fighter's left wing and sending it screaming down into the ground.  "He's off your tail now, are you okay?"
   "Yes, I'm fine." Red said, calmly.  Her voice quickly shot back to a panic.  "Blue, look out!  You've picked one up!"
   "Darn it!" Blue shouted, "That's the one I almost blasted!"
   "Blue! Eject now!" Red shouted.  Then she heard an explosion from behind her.  She looked back, expecting to see Blue falling from the sky screaming.  She saw that Blue was alright, and it was the fighter behind him that was destroyed.  She then saw Hero pulled up next to Blue.
   "Guys," Hero laughed, "You're too cute sometimes."
   "I could say the same about you and Katlyn." Blue replied, "Thanks anyway, kid."

   The team wrapped up the rest of the fighters without any more hassle.  "Helaman Squadron, this is Fox.  Form up with my group and head for the base ASAP." The Captain stated, "It looks like we may have our work cut out for us."
   "Gotcha, Fox." Richard replied, "C'mon team!  Don't let them wait for us!"
   "You've got to show more respect, Richard!  You're talking to your captain!" Samantha teased, "Loser!"
   "Ma'am, I can almost call this man 'daddy'" Richard replied, "Besides, Star Fox is a mercenary team, we don't exactly need formality."

   The two squadrons formed up and headed for the base.  A Cornerian Fighter formed up with the group.  "Hey there, Fox! What's up!"  The pilot said.
   "How are you doing Bill?" Fox replied, grinning.
   Richard cut into the conversation.  "Hey!  How are you doing Uncle Bill?"
   Bill smiled. "Hey!" He shouted, "Rick!  How's it going, little man?"
   "I'm fine!" Richard replied, "Frankly, I don't know if you guys are doing some event, but I will make sure that there will be fireworks and a light show!"
   "That's the spirit!" Bill cheered, "You are a lot like your old man!"
   "Aren't you being a little rude, Stryker?"  Samantha said, "Let the commanders talk, moron."
   "Naw, it's alright, Sammie." Bill replied, "There was nothing to brief you guys on that you don't already know." The captain smiled, "Besides, Ricky here is my bud!"
   "Apologies, sir." Samantha said, "By the way, is my flight in the air?"
   "Sorry, Lieutenant, your flight never got off the runway."
   "That's impossible!"
   Bill sighed, "That's the way of it." He said, "For now, you will be on Richard's wing."
   "Yes sir..." Samantha replied. She looked at Richard. "Okay, loser.  You may be my Commanding Officer, but I'm not going to enjoy it!"
   "Just grow up Sammie!" Katlyn sighed, "You always act this way..."
   Just then, the team got a transmission from one of the pilots under Bill's command.  "Commander Gray! I have visual conformation of the enemy ship!" The pilot said, "Do I have permission to engage?"
   "Green light!" Bill replied, "I want all aircraft attacking that thing!  Move it, people!"
   "You heard him, team!" Fox shouted, "Everyone break off and engage that ship!"
   "Gotcha Fox!" Richard shouted, "Okay, Helaman Squadron, let's get this thing!"

[starfoxherosj]

Chapter 18: Into the Beast

   Helaman Squadron flew off towards the enemy ship.  The ship was the biggest war machine Richard had ever seen.  It had three main hangars.  Two of them arched off of the sides and came up front.  The other one was right in the center and was accessible by one big door in the front.  The Bridge was at the back, suspended by a large pillar of guns and armor.  The whole thing was covered with AA.  There was very little chance any of the fighters would come out of this in one piece.
   â€œOk, guys,” Richard said, firing up the afterburner “Let’s blow this thing to pieces!”
   â€œDon’t just rush in there and just attack that thing, idiot!” Samantha replied, “That thing is brimming with Flak!  There is no way we can penetrate the defenses with a frontal attack!”
   â€œShe’s right, Richard…” Katlyn stated, “We have to take out some of the fighter cover first.”
   â€œYou two have a very valid point…” Richard said, kind of ticked, “Okay, then…Let’s attack those fighters!”
   They flew towards a dogfight in progress.  The whole group was horrified at the number of casualties.  Samantha was shocked as she watched a childhood friend get blasted to bits.  For payback, she blew the wing off the plane that killed the person.  Afterwards, she dove after it and showed no mercy.
   Richard was fairing very well.  He was flying circles around the sluggish Microsoft fighters.  One time, he flew so close to an enemy fighter that he just missed scraping his right wing on the canopy of his opponent. 
   Jim was very surprised at his skill.  He would later write: “Ricky was on a roll!  At one point, he opened fire on one enemy fighter, destroyed it and then knocked the one in front of it into a downward spiral.  I swear, if every pilot in the Nintendo Air Force were that good, no, HALF as good, we would have won the war in a week!”
   Then Richard heard Katlyn panicking.  “Richard!  Help me!  Please!” she screamed.  Richard pulled in behind the enemy fighter, then got waved off by Samantha.
   â€œI think it’s cute how you want to protect little Kate, but why don’t you go and let me handle this.” Samantha said, “Don’t worry, she will be safe!”
   â€œIt’s okay Richard, I flew with her in the academy!” Katlyn said, “I know I can trust her, after all, she has saved you before!”
   â€œOkay, I’m off.” Richard replied, “See you later girls!”  He shot off past Katlyn.  Immediately, the Microsoft fighters peeled off and went for his Arwing.
   â€œLooks like your boyfriend just pulled those guys off you Katlyn!” Samantha laughed, “Let me tell you, he’s funny!”
   She didn’t notice that there was one fighter right behind her.
   The fighter opened fire, shaking her up.  “Darn!  I’ve picked one up!” Samantha shouted, “Can you help me out Katlyn?”
   â€œI am on it!”  Katlyn said, already looping in behind the enemy fighter.  She came in behind it and let off about ten laser blasts, blowing the enemy plane to pieces.  Then, she noticed something shocking
   â€œThanks a lot Kate!” Samantha shouted, “I really owe you one!”
   There was no response.
   â€œKatlyn? You okay?”
   â€œSamantha, I want you to eject.”
   â€œWhat?”
   â€œYour engine’s on fire! Get out of there now!”
   â€œDang!  I’ve been hit!” Samantha shouted, “I’m turning off the engine…No response!  I’m ejecting!”  She fired off the escape pod a few seconds before her plane exploded.  “Look what they did to my baby!”

   Elsewhere, Fox was fairing even better then Richard had been a minute earlier.  One time, he even hit the wing of one of the enemy fighters just right so that it went into another enemy fighter.  Then he noticed Richard.  He was dodging lasers from the fighters behind him and missiles from ’Mechs below.  He seemed to be flying with a set target.  Then he realized what Richard was doing.
   He was heading to the enemy ship.
   â€œRichard, this is Fox!” Fox shouted, “Fall back!  You can’t take that thing on by yourself!”
   â€œDon’t worry Fox!” Richard replied, in his usual confident voice, “When have I ever let you down?”
   â€œIt’s not that I don’t trust you.” Fox stated, “Actually, I trust you fully.”  His voice got to that of a little grieving.  “It’s just…You’ve become a son to me, to the whole team!  We don’t want you to go throwing your life away!”
   â€œOkay, I’m pulling out…” Richard replied.
   But it was too late to pull out.
   A laser hit Richard’s fighter, sending it into a spin.  “Darn!  I’m hit!” Richard shouted, “This is bad!”
   â€œLike we didn’t know that already!” Blue replied.
   â€œThis is no joke, Blue!”
   â€œRichard, disengage!  That’s an order!  I Repeat!  Disengage!” Fox shouted.
   â€œToo late for that, Fox!” Richard replied, “It looks like I’m going in!”
   â€œHero’s in trouble Blue!” Red shouted, “We have to go help him!”
   â€œNo, Red.” Blue sighed, “The kid’s on his own…”
   Moments later, Richard made one last, desperate attempt to save himself.  He got control of the Arwing and flew directly towards an open hangar in the Microsoft ship.  He had barely made it in when he heard Katlyn’s worried voice.  He couldn’t quite make out what she was saying, but he lost radio communication shortly after.
   He was all alone from here on in.