Colonel says, "Foxfire.... wake up... "

Colonel says, "Foxfire.. it is time."

Foxfire's ear twitches as she hears her name being called. She groans and begins to sit up, it taking her a moment to remember where she is.

Colonel says, "We have picked up Hunter units closing on the spaceport."

Foxfire pushes her fur back out of her eyes. "Let me guess...the same ones at the POW camp, am I right?"

Colonel says, "It appears to Zero's and X's units, along with support from the other Hunter divisions."

Foxfire sighs as she gets to her feet, snagging her borrowed helmet and sword. "What's their ETA? And how long before the colony ship can launch?"

Colonel says, "About 45 minutes till we can lift off. The Hunter drop ships will be here in 5."

Colonel says, "We are getting the last of our people to the ship. We must hold the line for as long as we can."

Foxfire says "So that means we have to hold them off for forty minutes, huh?" She snaps armor back into place. "I've done worse..."

X says "Zero, what do you think Repliforce is doing at the space port?"

A radio message comes in to Colonel from Phoebus, "Ready to hold them off...and I'll make sure that even if they get past me, they'll be in no position to attack you... That I vow."...Phoebus positions his men defensively...flying in the air in front in the Hawk Ride armor.

Zero hehs "Packing...which we can't let them do...else the UN is gonna declare /us/ maverick!"

X says "I know, I'm getting sick of the UN treating us like slaves!"

Foxfire sighs, "And I'm sure the UN still doesn't care about what we have to say..."

Colonel radios back "Phoebus, I will be joining those units holding the line. I shall see you in the fray."

Colonel says, "Let's move."

Colonel heads out to the tarmac around the colony.

Foxfire follows alongside the Colonel, stopping only to get her magical sword and strap it to her back. "For luck," she explains.

Colonel says, "I know... and may Heaven help us all... I don't think any of those holding the line will make it."

Phoebus says softly, "...Father...Brother...I will kill your murderers.", his squad starts moving forward to intercept...

Zero shrugs. "Well...no time like the present...let's go bash some sense into Colonel's brain..."

X says "ETA 2 Min, Hunters, get ready to drop. We got to keep the colony from lifting off."

Foxfire says "We have to make it. Or at the very least, the ship has to make it." Her expression becomes one of grim resolution. "Gods willing, we'll see Iris again."

Phoebus continues forward... "Get ready to fire... with luck we'll be able to critically damage some of them before they get close..."

Zero nods "My group's already there...waiting for my signal."

X says "DROP NOW!!!"

X leaps out of the Drop ship to the starport below, his boot jets slowing the decent.

Foxfire takes up her position near Colonel, snapping down the helmet's visor. She murmurs, "Zeus, I hope you're watching over your daughter today..." Her beam saber thrums to life.

Phoebus doesn't wait... The squad opens fire at the drop ship while Phoebus...fires missiles at X, "Take that, murderer!", he shouts as he fires...Finally he'll get to destroy the evil...

Colonel says over there radio to the RF troops , "We know what we must do. The line will be drawn here. This far and No farther. Let not a Hunter get to the colony!"

Zero leaps out of the dropship...just falling...letting the wind rush through his hair.

X is caught off guard by a missile. Fragments of armor go off in all directions as he brings about his X-buster to counter attack the ride armor.

Zero lands on the first ride armor, and impales the pilot.

Colonel says over the Hunter com. "You know we can't let you stop this. We will be free no matter the cost."

Fire Fox eeps in her ride armor (pretty much the same as Phoebus's except not as nifty) "Hey! you killed Liz!! Then.. how about this!!", she shouts as she attempts to ram into Zero. "HEE! Come on lets dance!"...Phoebus... stays back....reloading his missiles... he won't have a chance to dodge if he moves in close.

Foxfire waits for the Hunters to come to her...she'll not let them pass, but neither is she eager to spill blood.

Zero sees the blood...and loses it. He leaps onto Fire fox's armor...and tries to impale it just the same way he did the last.

X keeps up a barrage of fire at the brave Repliforcer, muttering "I'm sorry..."

Foxfire comms over both frequencies, "Don't you understand? All we want is to be seen as humanity's equals!"

Phoebus gets conked right in the chest of the ride armor...he was still too close..."Ergh...no....Is ... Is that it?", he says as he fires more missiles at X, "Keep the line held! We just need time!...", Fire Fox eeps as she sees Zero coming at her.. she whaps a button on the hawk and leaps back out of it... using her jets to propel her backwards...and then...the ride armor explodes.

Colonel rips into a mass of Hunter Gumbies like the wrath of a god.

Zero leaps through the flames, virtually unscathed, after Fire Fox...the red demon cometh

Foxfire has no more time for talk as the Hunters close in...she parries and dodges, getting in blows where she can. She aims to disable, not to kill. She also watches the Colonel's back, keeping any from sneaking up from behind.

X hopes the pilot of the ride armor will be sane and fall back.

The colony begins to rumble as the time remaining reaches 20 minutes.

Colonel says, "NOVAAAAAA STRIKEEEEEEE!"

Fire Fox eeps, "You wouldn't want to hurt an innocent little reploid like me now would you?...guess that's a yes...", she continues flying backwards, except now launching small fireballs at Zero....

As for Phoebus... is he sane? yes... but why should he fall back? He's trying to keep them away... He continues firing missiles at X, "I'll never forgive you!"

Foxfire continues to hold her own, though her opponents have left their marks. Amazingly her modified armor, though ancient, is still holding together.

Colonel rips right though a Hunter ride armor cleaving it in half.

X keeps his optics open for that ride armor pilot as he makes for the colony.

Zero goes straight for Firefox, eyes wide...but not seeing. Not seeing anything but blood.

X keeps firing at the Hunter, muttering, "Fall back, dammit, fall back!"

Foxfire calls to the Colonel during a brief lull in the fighting, "You all right?"

Colonel says, "Yes.. these Hunters are fighting like more than their lives depend on it... Do you think the UN has threatened them???"

Another ride Armor..piloted by a guy by the name of Archer... stops in front of X, "You will not advance, Hunter. I apologize for your death.", he says as he fires some plasma bursts at X. And then Phoebus comes up behind X.. "don't run away!"...he shouts as he rams at X's back...

Fire Fox suddenly says, "...oh...um....EEEK! HELP ME!"... she dash jets away from Zero and another ride armor, piloted by a snake guy that looks sort of like Ssethal, intercepts in a Kangaroo like Mech and tries to punch Zero with a spiked fist.

Zero jumps on top of the fist, and slices it from the ride armor.

X gets sandwiched.

Foxfire says "I don't know...this is insane..." The rest of her thought is cut off as more Hunters swarm towards them. Her shield deflects the worst of the plasma blasts, countering with her own weapon when they draw close enough.

Colonel says over the open com again, "Keep it up, We need only hold them a little longer!!!"

The ride armor Archer is in continues firing.. Phoebus tries to regain control, being knocked off balance from that...

The snake's ride armor's arm gets easily chopped off...but it brings its other arm at Zero.

X staggers and is not looking too good. "I have no choice but to fight you... if we did not we would be labeled Mavericks....!"

Foxfire comms over the Hunter channel "Please, listen to us! We don't want to fight you, but we cannot let you stop us!"

Zero ducks...and tries to impale the pilot through the suit.

X mutters something as the refers close with him. "GAMMA CRUSH!!!!!!!!!!!!" X suddenly lets rip a tidal wave of energy to a 20 meter diameter around him.

Phoebus says, "...Yeah?...So you murdered my family because you were too scared to get dirty?... Repliforce...is...a..family...", he says coldly... Archer says, "I don't hate you..but we each have our duty in life..."

Fire Fox meeps and suddenly...a stray Hunter bolt hits her and she..vanishes?...into thin air...

Foxfire comms "Does a desire for freedom make us Mavericks?" She twists out of the way of one shot, deflects another, then forcibly removes the blasters from their wielders.

X is now making a beak for the control bunker at the spaceport. He says over the Hunter tac net "Any units that can from up with me do so, I'm taking out the control bunker!!"

Foxfire glances back...and does a double take. "They're heading for the bunker!"

Colonel says, "All units defend the colony and the control bunker!!!"

Zero isn't focusing on attacking anything specific, he's just bashing stuff at this point.

X dashes towards the bunker at top speed.

Foxfire comms to the Colonel "We have to fall back...head for the bunker, I'll cover you!"

Mac, seeing the armor tailing X, lets rip a streams of shots from his macbuster and by chance hits a ammo bin and it cooks off. The Ride armor explodes, with no sign of the pilot..

Colonel says, "Understood."

Colonel makes his way though the tides of the battle, homing in on the bunker.

Foxfire steps further into the fray, keeping as many Hunters as she can from following him.

X is running at top speed towards the bunker.

Zero is running around beating stuff up...

Colonel receives a transmission - ETA to lift off: 10 min.

Foxfire is somewhere on the battlefield, slowly falling back towards the bunker. Using her beam saber as a giant carving knife, she slices across the support beams of one of the access tunnels. . o ( That should hold them off for a few minutes... )

Mac shields himself as the power armor in front of him brings down the tunnel. Mac transmits over the com "Zero..X the RFers just caved in the access tunnel! Take another route!"

Foxfire doesn't have the luxury of dash boots, so she makes her way through the tunnel at a dead run.

X transmits a affirmative.

Zero doesn't transmit...he's not in right now, leave a message *BEEP*

Colonel transmits over the RF tac net "All units, begin falling back! ETA 5 min to lift off."

Foxfire transmits an affirmative. She reaches the other end of the tunnel, immediately looking for any Hunters who might have made it this far...

X keeps moving towards the bunker, knowing there is RFer on his tail.

She sees a blue blur moving up a head.

Foxfire curses softly in Elvish and runs to catch up with him. She transfers her beam saber to her off hand and draws her magicked blade. A moment later, she sends it tumbling end over end towards the blur...

Zero follows the smell of blood...through the way around the tunnel...to the control tower...

Foxfire comms "We have Hunters inside the line. Repeat, Hunters inside the line!"

X does not even see the blade coming as it impales him through the back. X staggers and falls, mechfluids flowing like blood.

Foxfire dashes to catch up, amazed that she actually connected...then gasps in horror as she realizes who it was she hit. "X! Gods! X! I'm sorry!"

Zero runs in after him...and sees the blood on the ground...but this is X, his friend...So he doesn't kill him. He moves right to Fox...

The Surviving Gumbies make their way to the final fall back points.

Zero looks at Fox...kneeling over X. He doesn't say a word...just points his sword.

Foxfire reactivates her beam saber. "I'm sorry...I'm sorry that it has to be this way. If only you remembered...maybe one day, you will remember, and understand why I'm doing this..."

Zero cocks his head to the side, and swings at Foxfire, eyes glowing.

A timer on the wall reads ETA 4 min.

Foxfire parries the blow, countering with a swing at his sword arm. . o ( And so the defender becomes the attacker, and the attacker the defender. )

Zero moves it back rapidly, and uses the momentum for a roundhouse kick.

Foxfire drops, his leg swinging over her head as she attacks his other knee.

Zero jumps, and comes down on Fox with the ice lance from above.

Foxfire rolls out of the way, setting herself up for a spring attack once he lands.

Foxfire comms frantically, "Colonel! Launch now! Get out of here!"

Colonel says, "Foxfire, report!! Get to the Drop ship! The colony takes off in 1 minute!!"

Colonel gives the signal to the surviving Repliforce troops to fall back.

Foxfire comms "Wait for one minute. Then go."

Colonel says, "Understood..."

Mac comms "X come in...sir, dammit respond..."

Zero stands there...maybe he's calculating...

Foxfire remains in a half-croutched defensive position, panting. It's as if she's waiting for Zero to make his next move.

X weakly grasps at the sword in his back.

Zero doesn't move...

Foxfire . o ( Forgive me, my friend...) She springs at him, putting the momentum behind her blade...

Zero is impaled...slammed into the wall with the force of the blade...he almost looks happy.

Colonel says, "ALL Units, the battle is won, withdraw to your drop ships!!"

Foxfire flips her faceplate up. "Zero...? Zero?" Her voice becomes frantic. "Gods no..."

X ain't looking too good either.

Foxfire's eyes go wide, then squinch tight. "No...it's not supposed to be like this..." She slams her fist into the wall next to Zero's head. "No!"

Colonel's voice crackles over the com "Foxfire, reply, we are holding our last drop ship. You have 2 minutes."

Foxfire's transmission comes back garbled...it also picks up the reverb from the repeated pounding the wall is taking from her gaunleted fists.

Colonel says, "Foxfire, are you all right?"

X bleeds mechfluid.

Foxfire comms "Z-zero...I'm sorry...so so sorry..." She gently lowers her once and future friend to the ground.

Foxfire begins to regain some composure. "Zeus guard you both..." With as much care as she can, she pulls her blades from the bodies of the world's greatest Hunters and half runs, half stumbles for the waiting transport.

X twitches and manages to grasp his homing beacon and activates it...

Colonel says, "Move!!! come on!!!"

Foxfire makes it to the awaiting drop ship with a whole half-second to spare. She dashes up the gangplank as it begins to close and collapses on the deck.

Colonel helps Foxfire into the ship.

Colonel says, "We made it... Foxfire...we are in your debt..."

Foxfire is all but dead weight in the Colonel's arms. She says in a hoarse whisper, "No...you're not..."

Colonel says, "What is wrong??"

Foxfire says "Z-zero...X...gods...th-they..."

Colonel says, "What about them? I know they were in the battle..."

Foxfire hangs her head, unable to meet his eyes.

Colonel looks a little puzzled.

Foxfire's words trip over themselves, her voice trembling as much as her arms. "I hope...I hope they'll forgive me...I didn't mean to..."

Colonel says, "Did what?"

Foxfire says "Th...they won't...be coming after us..."

Colonel says, "You were able to talk some sense into them?"

Foxfire fumbles for her helmet latch, but her hands are shaking too much to undo it. "N-no...couldn't make them listen...couldn't...I...I couldn't...Zero..."

Colonel says, "You killed them??"

Foxfire gives a small nod, her face knotted with grief and pain...if she were capable of tears, they would be streaming down her cheeks.

Colonel says, "I don't... know what to say... all I know is Iris is going to take this hard...."

Foxfire goes limp, as if all the fight drained out of her with her admission.

Colonel says, "It is war, you did what you had to do... I do not know what else to say to you..."

Foxfire says in a harsh whisper, "Damn the war...damn me...Zero...saved my life so many times...and I repay him with death..."

Colonel says, "What.. how do you know them?"

Foxfire begins to lose it again. "I'm so sorry...I never meant it to..."

Colonel says, "Foxfire... I am lost I don't understand what you are saying."

Foxfire cries plaintively, "Zero, why couldn't you remember me?"

Colonel gets a o_O? look on his face.

Yep, it looks like the vulpine's lost her grip.

Colonel says, "Medic.. I think we need to sedate Foxfire..."

Foxfire is too exhausted, mentally and physically, to put up much resistance.

Colonel says, "Go on... let it out." (Remembers hearing this can help humans and guesses Foxfire is close enough to them..so well)

Foxfire sheds no tears, though her grief is evident on her face. She holds on weakly to the Colonel, mumbling something he can't quite make out.

One of the medics makes his way to the Colonel. "Sorry, sir, we don't have much in the way of human medicine on board..." He holds up a hypospray. "But this should do the trick."

A voice enters Foxfire's mind, "How could you Fox, they were your friends?'

Colonel says, "Do so."

Foxfire mumbles, "I didn't mean to...he..he just /stood/ there..."

Colonel says, "She is really torn up... civil wars are the messiest kind..."

The medic nods, giving the poor organic a sympathetic look. He takes off her helmet, administering the sedative.

Foxfire mumbles one last "sorry..." and collapses into unconsciousness.

Colonel says, "On a brighter note.. let us go home..."