This is a short story based on the resilience for one's cause no matter what side of the war one's on.

Corneria, Six days before the Lylat Wars: The group had been trekking through the wilderness for three weeks now.  Although the going was tough the creatures persevered and enjoyed the sights.  However, this day was different.  The group awoke to a large crash and as they emerged from their tents they saw a huge ship resting on part of the mountain they had been climbing.  The group immediately made tracks for it and were at the ship after a three-hour trek.  The group looked as the ship sparked and fizzed.  Behind the ship was a gigantic impact trail.

"What should we do?" asked the youngest of the group Sammy.

"Well, this ship is of an unknown design but I guess it's from the CDF," said the ret. sheriff John.

"I think I see an access port on the side," said Pacific Communication specialist Jeanette.  They and the rest of the group advanced to the door and stood outside of it.  The group got together and as one forced it open.  They entered into a dark hallway and walked down it.

"These are some odd structural designs," said John.  The group continued on and emerged into a galley full of dead creatures.  The medic Greg took the pulses of all of them just to make sure.

"I guess they didn't survive the crash," he said.

"Shouldn't the military be coming for this ship?  I don't want to be arrested for trespassing on military property," said Sammy.

"Don't worry about it.  We've only the best intention for the occupants of this ship and they can't arrest us for kindness," said Jeanette.  The group trudged on through the galley and towards a service elevator.  The group forced open the doors and looked to see the elevator nowhere in sight.

"I'm assuming we climb to the top," said John.  Through a lot of huffing and puffing the group managed to climb to the top level of the ship.  Forcing the doors open they entered the bridge and saw more dead crewmen.  In the center of the bridge was a chair with a hawk in it that was evidently the captain.  Greg walked over to take his pulse.

"I can't believe it!  He's alive.  Here, help me get him down," Greg said.  Sammy helped set the captain down onto the slanting floor as Greg got some anesthetic ready.  The hawk coughed up some blood.

"Must complete the mission," said the hawk groggily.  The hawk started to get up until Sammy restrained him.  Greg quickly pumped the bird full of morphine and the bird promptly passed out.  Greg ran a scanner over him and began to interpret the readings.

"He's fine except for some malnutrition.  Unfortunately his right arm is broken.  I can't fix it with my current supplies and I don't want to try to locate the medical facilities on board this ship," said Greg.  John and Jeanette were tinkering with a couple of the station located in the back with a squid professor named Zoidberg.

"Well, as best as I can tell is that main engineering is about fifteen floors beneath us.  According to scans our 'friend' over there is the only one left alive.  I want to take Zoidberg and attempt to bring some more juice into this baby.  If we're lucky maybe we can get enough power to send off a distress call.  At the very least I want to get enough to heat and seal off this ship because not everything in the forest below is friendly and it gets very cold on this mountain at night," said John.

"I'd better go with you," said game hunter Robert.  Robert held up a large hunting rifle and cocked it.

"No, it'd be better if you stayed with the majority of the group.  I have a small blaster for any 'unexpected' events," said John.  Together he and Zoidberg departed down the elevator shaft.

"All right, roll call," said Robert.  Everyone groaned when they heard that.

"It's necessary.  Okay, Jeanette is here.  I'm here, Sammy's here, Zoidberg and John are here.  Greg is here.  Sam and Eric are here and Jeremy is here.  Okay, that's everyone," said Robert.

"Guess it's time to break out the rations," grumbled Jeremy.  The black sea otter reached into his pouch and tossed everyone a pack.

"I don't want to hear any complaining for more food," said Jeremy.  Greg was still looking over his patient.

"What's up?" asked Sam a nurse.

"Our patient here survived one hell of a crash.  He's got a mild concussion but he's alive.  I just can't seem to account for most of the deaths on this ship.  If our captain survived, why didn't anyone else?  Oh well, I guess we'll know when he awakes," said Greg.  Greg snapped the scanner closed and put it back into his pocket.

Engineering: "Great, more dead bodies," said Zoidberg.  Zoidberg and John managed to push their way to the main reactor core and look it over.  A strange device was attached to the side of it.

"I wonder what that is," said John.  Zoidberg scanned it and shrugged.

"Beats me.  I don't think it has a purpose," said Zoidberg.  John started activating several of the consoles.

"Here we go.  Reactor controls.  Activate," said John.  A noise was heard and the reactor core activated.  All of the computers monitors re-activated and some of the lights came back on.  Zoidberg stepped over to a ship's diagnostic board.

"This ship is operating at 98% capacity.  The engines are slightly damaged but not inoperable.  The remaining fuel cells will get this ship to at least Corneria City.  Everything looks fine," said Zoidberg.

"See if you can find a background on this ship.  Something doesn't feel right," said John.

"I don't see any markings are identification tags.  Wait, here's a video log entry.  I'll play it," said Zoidberg.  Instantly a screen came to life in a shower of sparks and showed a heavily damaged engineering section.  An officer walked in front of the camera.

"The war didn't go as well as expected.  Our officers and people are being hunted down and captured.  We've all been tortured and we've stolen this ship in order to survive.  We're stilling being hunted by thestaticforces and our time here is limited.  We've stolen this ship for it's time traveling capabilities and we're going to attempt time travel.  Our only hope is that the future can be changed for allstatic.  I wish us luck as we travel into the past," said the creature obviously the chief mechanic.  The whole screen burst into static and turned dark as a date was shown.

"This is three years into the future," said John wide eyed.

"We'd better get back to the rest of the group," said Zoidberg.

"Hold it.  Night is coming up.  Let me seal the hull," said John.  Several hisses were heard as the doors to the outside opened and closed.

"Heating unit activated.  Bringing temperature up to comfortable levels," said the computer.  John and Zoidberg headed for the elevator and emerged to see an incredible sight.  The captain of the ship had a blaster out and was pointing it at the group.  When he saw John and Zoidberg in the lift he pointed the blaster at them.

"Die scum!" he yelled.  Before he could pull the trigger Robert tackled him to the ground.  The bird resisted but then gave way as it passed out.

"Sorry about that John.  The bird just suddenly woke up and started pointing a blaster at us.  It's very strange," said Robert.  Zoidberg shook his head.

"Not as strange as to what we've learned.  Our captain here is from the future along with the rest of the crew.  I don't know about the transit over, but I'm guessing most of this people died in the travel to the past," said Zoidberg.

"I guess that explains the strange logo on the computer screens," said Sammy.  On each of the screens it showed a monkey looking solemnly at them.

"He looks familiar but I don't know where," said John.  The screens immediately flickered to readouts of different ship systems.

"Must have been a start up thing," said Eric.

"Jeanette, try and access the comm.," said John.  Jeanette walked over to a station and started pressing buttons.  She walked back a moment later.

"The transmitter has been crushed underneath the ship.  I can't send out anything," she said.

"Do you thing the CDF will have responded now?" asked Jeremy.

"I don't think so.  I think this ship materialized close to the ground and crashed into the ground.  I think that by crashing underneath the CDF radar it hasn't been detected.  So no," responded John.  The captain groaned and sat up.

"What's going on?" he asked.  Robert held up the business end of his blaster rifle.

"You nearly killed us that's what," said Robert.  Sammy pushed the rifle down.

"That won't solve anything," he said.

"I apologize.  How did you get on this ship?  Where am I?" asked the bird.

"You're on Corneria.  This ship crashed onto the side of Elmer's Mt.  My group and I were hiking up it when we discovered your ship," said John.

"So you're not with the CDF?" asked the bird.

"No.  Why?" asked John.

"Only because the CDF would probably cannibalize this ship and use the information for nefarious purposes," said the bird.

"Let me guess.  You're afraid your future technology will fall into the wrong hands right?" asked Robert.  The bird looked at him.

"How did you know I was from the future," demanded the bird.

"We discovered a video log from your chief engineer and we know why you're here.  You're here to stop the invasion of Corneria by outside forces," said Zoidberg.

"That's absolutely right.  Now you know why the CDF must never find this ship.  If you could help me restore this ship's systems, I'd be very grateful.  I need this ship working in six days because that's when the enemy forces arrive," said the bird.

"We'll help out any way we can Mr.," began John.

"Just call me Hawk," said the bird.

"Okay Mr. Hawk. Let us help out," said Sammy.  The group worked hard for the next three days.  However one day Robert stopped John.

"John something's wrong here," he said.

"What?" John asked.

"We seem to only be focusing on the engines.  Don't you think it's odd that we aren't working on the weapons?  The weirdest part is that when you attempt to access any date after three days from now, it reads access denied.  You'd think this ship would be a little more forthcoming with information.  Despite the hospitality we've shown our captain, he's hiding something from us.  The rest of us are going to confront him about it.  Are you in?" asked Robert.

"I hope it's nothing.  I'm in," said John.  The two of them met up with the rest of the group on the bridge.

"What's this?" asked Hawk.

"Why won't this ship tell us what happened during the invasion of Corneria.  Who are you defending Corneria from?  And why aren't we fixing the weapon systems?" asked Robert.  Hawk laughed.

"Put simply, I'm not defending Corneria from anything.  As soon as this ship is fixed I'm going to ram it directly down the throat of Corneria City," said Hawk.

"Why?" asked Sammy.

"Because Venom and Andross must prevail," said Hawk.

"That's who that monkey was.  He was the insane lunatic who was banished to Venom after creating a horrific bio-weapon.  Odd that I don't remember anything about the weapon, but that's the story," said John.

"You Cornerian's are so evil.  You can't begin to understand just how deadly your ideals are.  The Venomian's have so much more to offer," said Hawk.

"We offer freedom and the chance to do what's right," said John.

"Wrong!  You're not helping anyone.  You're repressing people.  A larger percentage of creatures have died under Cornerian rule lately than throughout all of history.  Your 'so called freedom' is what is killing your people.  Hammer knew this and Andross knows this and is going to stop it.  We traveled into the past to give him the chance to succeed and I'm definitely going to make sure that happens.  Now get off my ship!" yelled Hawk.

"How can you believe that?  We've shown you immense hospitality," said Jeanette.

"Yeah, and now you know what I'm about to do and are stopping me.  Where's your 'hospitality' now?  I'm going to destroy Corneria City.  That's my choice.  I've lived in your system and it's a terrible.  Even after I was captured along with my ship I was treated like filth and scum by your legal system.  Everyone despised me and my crewmen have escaped their fate by dying.  I have been and will forever be a Venomian.  Your ways will never change me.  Never!  Now get off my ship!" yelled Hawk.

"Never!" yelled Robert.  Robert leapt at him, but Hawk pulled out his blaster and shot him.

"Need I encourage you further?" asked Hawk.  The group evacuated the ship but right before the door closed shutting them out, John jumped inside.

"John!" yelled Sammy.  They were pushed back by heavy wind gusts as the ship took off headed for Corneria City.  John made his way to the bridge and faced Hawk.

"I can't let you succeed," he said.

"Too bad.  I've won.  There's Corneria City now," said Hawk.  Indeed a couple of buildings could be seen over a nearby rise.

"I'll stop you or die trying!" yelled John.  Hawk pulled out his blaster and shot John.  The blast went through him and hit the flight controls.  The ship lurched forward and slammed into the ground exploding.

Elmer Mt.: The group watched the large explosion in the background.

"I guess that means John succeeded," said Sammy.

"I can't believe he was so committed behind his ideals," said Eric.

"They both were.  Each of them truly believed in what they were fighting for and they both perished because of it.  Oh well, we've got three days until graveness and I recommend we finish climbing this mountain," Greg.  The group gathered their supplies and continued climbing and life went on.