Square Wars: The Shinra Strikes Back Chapter 2
Giants, Asteroids, and Lunarians, Oh My!
By WarChild
Elsewhere in the universe a fleet of Shinra starships hovered in space. ISFs
flew between them. All except one were Mana Fortresses. One was a Super Mana
Fortress, known as the Black Omen. The Dark Knight was in the Black Omen,
looking out at his fleet of starships. Behind him were a bunch of personnel
who were tracking the probes the Shinra has scattered throughout the universe.
Rufus Shinra and his father were over looking them.
"Son, we sent over a million probes throughout the universe. And not one
report yet." Rufus' father spoke to him.
"Jeez, dad. I think with a million probes we would get something." Suddenly
an operator started acting excited.
"I got something! I got something." All the operators started to surround
him. Rufus and his father tried to push their way in.
"Everybody get out of the way. I have to see this." Rufus ordered. Soon the
other operators went back to their post. "See dad? We have something." Rufus
shows a picture of a base in a crater surround by snow.
"Rufus, my boy. That thing could be anything. I don't think that the rebels
would..."
The Dark Knight joined them and interrupts. "These photos show that the rebels
and Darkheart are hiding on the planet Icicle."
"Dark Knight, be rational. Anybody could build a base on that planet..."
"The rebels are there and that's final! Rufus, set course for the Icicle
planet." the dark warrior ordered.
In the rebel base everybody is scurrying around, due to the news that the
Shinra has found them. They had to quickly piece together an evacuation plan.
Aeris is quickly briefing a bunch of pilots, and Cid is rushing around trying
to fix the Highwind. It seemed Tank number 8 kept on exploding on him. While
Cid didn't have much luck, Aeris was more successful.
"We are going to open up the shield temporary just to send an transport with
a two fighter escort. A mako cannon will be used to keep the Shinra starships
out of the way." was her quick briefing.
"It'll be so hard to get all this medical equipment out." Holzoff looked
at all the equipment in the infirmary. Cecil was suiting up in his pilot's
suit.
"Pack the restore materia and those elixirs and potions first. Then pack
the more complex stuff. Cecil then headed out to Cid and Umaro and waved
them good luck.
"Take care Cid, Umaro. Hey, where Red XIII?"
"He's in the ship. We're still trying to fix it." Cid walks towards the door.
"Hey Red! Check those oxygen tanks!"
In the control center Sabin walks up to his brother Edgar with a report.
"Edgar, there's a bunch of Mana Fortresses approaching." he said.
"Keep the shields up, until the transports are ready." Edgar ordered.
"Hey, Robo, don't get yourself blasted this time." Cait Sith warned. Robo
was again going to be loaded on Cecil's Epoch.
"Don't worry. The ship should instantly have an Mbarrier on it." replied
Robo.
Outside the base was bustling with activity. Small cannons appeared from
under the snow, surrounding the entire crater that the base was in. Troopers
rushed around armed with bazooka and lasers.
Overhead the planet was a fleet of Mana Fortresses. In the Dark Knight's
chambers of his ship Thanatos approached the warrior. Thanatos waited till
the Dark Knight spoke.
"What do you want?"
"Sir, we just came out of hyperspace. We detected a planetary shield surround
the crater. Rufus' father insisted on a surprise attack." was Thanatos' answer.
"That man is very stupid in everything. Prepare your men for a ground assault."
The Dark Knight then turned to his video wall. Rufus and his father appeared
on the wall. Rufus' father begins to speak.
"Dark Knight, the fleet left hyperspace and we are going to..."
The evil warrior cut him short. "Sorry Mr. Shinra. DOOM!" The fat man dropped
dead. Rufus looked at his now dead father. "Rufus, you're now in charge in
your father's places. Now, prepare to land the ships, and spread the rest
of the fleet. No rebels get past!" he commanded.
"As you wish, my Lord." Rufus replied, feeling relieved. The video wall was
now blank.
Inside the base everybody was cheering, for a transport with two escort
starfighters just recently escaped the grasp of the Shinra. Cecil smiled
as he jumped into his hovercraft, with Vicks next to him.
"Hey, Cecil! How you're feeling?" Vicks asked.
"Fine, thank you. How about you?"
"I feel like takin' on the whole Shinra!" The hovercraft flew out as others
joined it. The pilots were to do ground patrol until all transports escaped.
A large rumbling was heard. Cecil thought it was an earthquake, but he was
proven wrong when he saw them.
Robots. Giant robots. Robots that were based on the Proud Clod and the Giant
of Bab-il. Cecil lead in his squad of hovercraft against them, but the armor
was too strong. Those giant robots kept blasting away at the hovercrafts
and the small defense that surrounded the crater.
In the base there were many tremors. As the robots continued on, so did the
tremors. Aeris and Edgar were still in the control room.
"We got to maintain the shield till everyone gets out." Aeris told Edgar.
Cid enters the room.
"This base is gonna crumble under us! You gotta leave now." Aeris changed
her mind.
"Get everyone out now. Evacuate the premises!" she ordered Edgar.
"You got it, baby." Aeris then gave Edgar another slap.
Cait Sith, who just came in, asked, "What's going on?" Everybody just rushed
off to the exits. "Hey, wait for me!"
Outside the tactics has changed. Instead of trying to destroy the giant walkers, they were trying to immobilize them. Cecil called out to this fellow wingman. "Everybody, you have a harpoon equipped. It should cause Stop or Paralysis on your opponent." Cecil moved in to do it himself, but he was shot down. He survived the blast, but Vicks didn't. He got out just in time as a Giant of Bab-il crushed the hovercraft. He pulled out his Alexander materia. "Okay, big boy. Time to pick on someone your own size." He summoned Alexander. The robot came up through the ground and fired its laser. Its giant opponent fell down. Cecil then turn to see that his plan to tied up other robots worked. But it was only done a few times. He then saw that everybody was retreating. Most of the defense cannons had been destroyed. A few Proud Clods used its big cannon to blow up the shield surrounding the crater.
As Cid escorted Aeris to her transport, a huge icicle fell between them and
the exit, a result of the destruction of the shield.
"Blast!" Cid cursed, as he got out his PHS. "It's Highwind. An icicle got
off the escape route. I'm gonna get the princess out of here."
"Where are we going?" the Aeris asked.
"To the Highwind." Cid replied, as he grabbed Aeris hand and headed towards
the hanger. Cait Sith caught them just in time to turn around. Meanwhile
on the other side of the base, the Dark Knight, surround by SOLDIERs, stormed
in.
In the Highwind, Cid was frustrated. "@#%#@%@! Why doesn't this ship work
now? Why, why, WHY?" A bunch of SOLDIERs surrounded the ship. "Oh, well.
At least its defense systems work." The SOLDIERs were blasted away. "Someone
get this ship to work!" In a fit, he hits the control panel. The ship started
up. "Thank you!" He got the ship to fly out of the crater, just as the Dark
Knight entered the hanger. He raises his fist.
"I want that ship captured!" he roared. A SOLDIER came by the warrior.
"At least you said that line in the right story." he remarked. The evil warrior
responded by killing the SOLDIER off.
"Shut up." he muttered.
Outside Cecil hobbled to his Epoch. He saw the Highwind get off the planet,
so he thought he should be going too. Robo was getting pretty anxious in
leaving the place. "Cecil, would you hurry up? I'm getting nervous." Cecil
finally got into the Epoch and it lifted off into space.
"Finally. I thought we would never leave this place. May I set the coordinates?"
Robo asked for permission.
"No, I'll set the coordinates?" Cecil personally worked on the control panel.
Robo took note of the destination.
"That's not the rendezvous point!"
"Of course not. But I was told to meet someone here."
Meanwhile the Highwind was constantly chased by ISFs and Mana Fortresses.
Many laser blast surrounded the ship. Its occupants got more nervous with
every hit. Aeris, in a desperate mood, asked Cid to allow her to fly the
ship.
"Why do you want to fly this ship? $%*$%! Let me get this thing into hyperspace."
was Cid's response. He and Umaro fiddled with the controls. He set the engines
to hyperspace and... "What the? #$^#$^ What's wrong with this #$%#$^#$^ piece
of junk? Why we aren't in hyperspace?" Cait Sith walked in the cockpit.
"I guess I should have told you this, but... THE FLIGHT CRYSTAL'S SHATTERED!"
Cid was now angry.
"Why didn't you tell me that, you @#$%@#%?" Cid was about to blow his top
on Cait Sith, but Aeris prevented him.
"Cid, be nice. It could just have shattered on us. Why don't you let me fly
the ship and you replace the crystal?"
Cid thought about for a moment, only to be interrupted by laser blasts. "Okay.
Why don't you fly in an asteroid field while you're at it?"
"Huh? Why do you want her to fly into the asteroid field?" Cait Sith asked.
Cid left his chair and allowed Aeris in it.
"Because, the script called for that!" replied both of them. Cid was about
to walk out of the cockpit when Aeris called for him.
"Cid, the asteroid field isn't close enough. Do something about it!" Geez,
this princess wants everything, he thought, as he walked through the hallway.
He came upon a nervous Red XIII pacing. He walked up to the creature.
"Hey, Red, make yourself useful and use that limit break now. Aeris gave
you that limit break in our last adventure. You should use it."
"Oh, alright." muttered the creature. "Cosmo Memory!" With that the pursuing
enemy fighters were burnt to a crisp. Aeris then whined.
"You guys are no fun. You took the fun out of the asteroid chase!"
"Don't look at me! You asked me to do my limit break which upset Cecil that
he didn't do the shooting game." Cid defended himself. Red XIII came into
the cockpit room.
"Guys, can't we be all friends and head to the asteroid with the giant hole
in it?" Everybody turned to Red XIII.
"Don't you dare ruin the story for everybody." they said together.
Cecil finally landed on the Lunarian moon. He got out of his ship and looked
at the area. All he could he was rock. Nothing but rock and rock structures.
So he decided to set up tent. Robo got out and took out the power generator.
As Robo recharged, Cecil pondered on why he came here.
"You know, Robo, it is kind of a creepy place."
"You would know that. You been here before." Robo remarked.
"Well, that's true. This place makes me wonder. I feel that I..."
"Feel like what?" a voice interrupted. Cecil and Robo armed themselves and
faced in the direction of the voice. In front of them was a old man wearing
a light blue cloak. He had a cane and a full-grown beard.
"Please put away your weapon. I will not hurt you. I just wonder, what are
you here for?" the old man pleaded. Cecil now realized why he's supposed
to be here.
"Sir, I'm looking for someone. A great warrior. This is the Lunarian moon
right?" The old man seemed to understand Cecil.
"You speak of FuSoYa. The Great FuSoYa. So, you seek to be a Mana Knight
do you? I'll lead him to you to his house." My, am I in luck, Cecil thought.
"Robo, stay with the ship, and keep an eye on camp." he ordered. Then he
proceeded to follow the old man.
.