Jet Force Gemini

jfgbridge_SIDE "There goes another one," sighed Juno as one more dot on the splintered and blackened on-screen galaxy map flickered and turned red.

Vela turned her back in disgust. "How much longer are they going to wait?" she demanded angrily, stomping back across the ravaged ship's bridge to her co-pilot's seat. Lupus barked his agreement.

"Beats me," Juno muttered, shaking his head. "At this rate Mizar's going to be knocking on their door before they've made a decision."

The twins were fast losing count of the urgent reports they'd made to the ruling federation since the seeds of this whole affair were sown, first warning of the growing threat, then demanding that a stronger force be sent in to deal with Mizar as the scope of his intentions became clear, and finally pleading for backup as the hostilities expanded to include their own fleet.

But still the federation had refused to commit. Just another petty tyrant, they kept saying. Don't worry about it. Stay out of his way, let him have a few of those minor stars just over the boarders of his territory, and he'll be satisfied...

But of course that wasn't happening. Savage attacks of the Jet Force patrol ships had left the squadron crippled, with only a single ship--that of Juno, Vela and Lupus--escaping by the skin of its teeth.

Less than a week ago the entire force had been intact; now, it was space debris. And with their hyperdrive unit damaged beyond repair, there was no way for these three survivors to escape the field and report first-hand back to base. They were trapped in a war zone that was expanding by the day.

And during the systematic destruction of the Jet Force fleet, another long-standing treaty had been breached; Mizar had invaded Goldwood, home world of the peace-loving Tribals, and taken almost the entire colony into slavery. The prospect was a particularly sour one to Juno and his fellow fighters - the Tribals were valued allies, and it was a source of guilt and shame to Jet Force that they hadn't been there to help in their hour of need.

Vela rose suddenly from her seat breaking Juno's reverie, and he knew what was coming next. "We have to do it now." And even as she spoke Juno realized that he'd also made his own, long overdue decision. He nodded, expression grim. Who were they trying to fool? Their other options had long since expired - this was the only path left open for them, one that would permanently make or break their chances of a return to Earth.

"I know," he agreed solemnly. "We're a sitting target, and we're not going to last another day if we-"

Juno found himself cut off in mid-sentence as, without warning, the floor beneath them shuddered from the force of a furious blast down in the bowls of the ship--which also gave the emergency sirens a jolt into bleated action.

"Hey what now?!" yelled Vela, wheeling to face the main monitor as it threw up an abrupt, horrifying image of Drone raiders pouring from a large ship docked at the devastated cargo bay doors. The three of them stared in grim horror.

"Well this more or less settles it," muttered Juno, setting his jaw. "You two get going, and I'll join you down on Goldwood when I've secured the ship."
"Not a chance!" spluttered Vela. "What if you-"

But Juno was already steering her out into the corridor and the ever-closer echo's of the Drone's scuttling footfalls. "Vela there's no time!" he hissed. "If Mizar takes the ship, we're all trapped and the Tribals lose the only chance they have. Now take Lupus and get out of here! I'll be with you soon enough," he promised, placing his hands on her shoulders before spinning on his heel and diving headlong into the mouth of danger, pistol armed and glowing in the gloom.

So that's that, Vela thought to herself, watching him go. Well... I guess he's right, as usual.

She took a deep breath, nodded once, pulled her familiar firearm from its holster then turned and sprinted alongside Lupus in the direction of the teleport bay--and the death-or-glory crusade that lay beyond...

Juno

With aspirations to be part of a crack Jet Force team since the day he and Vela's parents fell victim to the murderous space pirates, Juno has become a well-liked and respected fighter of the Gemini squadron. Thoughtful and deliberate, Juno fights to keep humanity's part of the galaxy free from evil.

Specialty:

Advanced heavy armor enables Juno to tread through molten surfaces and fire.

View Juno's Symbol

Vela

Juno's twin sister Vela, naturally shares his passion and dedication to their cause, but she often relies on her temper to get her out of dire situations. Always the feisty one, she follows the Jet Force dream both through a fierce sense of righteous justice and a determination to prove the equality of the fairer sex in the skeptical military world.

Specialty:

Advanced aquatic lung enhancements enable Vela to breathe underwater or any other liquid for an indefinite amount of time.

View Vela's Symbol

Lupus

Each Jet Force squadron mascot comes cybernetically enhanced to hold their own as efficient fighting units should the need arise. Tough, unshakable, and totally loyal, Lupus is a long-time companion of Juno and Vela and a vital member of their Jet Force Gemini team.

Specialty:

Advanced quadruped thrusters enable Lupus to hover for a limited amount of time.

View Lupus' Symbol

Floyd

floydprof The relentless brutality of Mizar's ambition is even beginning to take its toll on his own forces. While the Drones are created subservient, other functions have their dissenters: in particular, the AI of the elite Airborne Squadrons improves with every new batch, to the point where some of the most recent versions are actually beginning to question the morality of their tasks. Floyd is among this number, and the only one who decided to listen to his AI. Unfortunately for him, he's about to find out the price of disloyalty to Mizar.

Specialty:

Can fly through special restricted areas.

King Jeff

The leader of the Tribal race on Goldwood for some time now, and very popular with his subjects, living amongst them and serving as a day-to-day shaman and advisor as well as King. Tribal rulers are traditionally chosen from those rare few born with unusual powers, and Jeff is no exception. Nevertheless, when it comes to fending off a full-scale Drone assault, even a fearless King on his home turf is at a severe disadvantage...

Tribals

Peaceful and simple, the Tribals are a quiet bear-like race that choose to mix nature with their technology. Unfortunately, their mundane and simple lifestyle is coming to a swift end as day after day they are brutally enslaved by Mizar.

Magnus

As the leading ambassador from the Union, Magnus spends most of his time on his appointed turf of Goldwood, The Jet Force team will probably find him roaming in the oddest places. He chooses to move swiftly, and stay ahead of the enemy to provide Jet Force with vital information.

Midge

Magnus' fellow companion and ambassador, the excitable Midge seems to be the one always getting into trouble, as he is more of a free-roaming negotiator. Jet Force should find him to be a useful contact during the latest mission.

The Amazing Mining Mole Brothers

Fishface, Fernando and Farmer, a trio of wheeler-dealing brothers well-known throughout the galaxy for their various business ventures as "The Amazing Mining Mole Brothers." They'll dabble in anything that has the potential to pay well; at the moment they're into the lucrative gemini mining business, though Mizar's hoarding of Tribals is crippling their workforce.

Diamond Geezer

Mizar placed this dull-witted mercenary droid at various points to recharge his drones, but it will sell health and ammo to just about anyone, even Jet Force.

Soldier Drone

The lowest ranking drones, Soldier Drones are fairly weak and armed with slow firing weapons. What they lack in firepower, they make up for in numbers and foot speed.

Sniper Drone

Generally spotted perched atop high ledges or in trees, Sniper Drones are extremely accurate at long range. They remain immobile most of the time, and can be picked off with Pistol shots.

Ninja Drone

When you spot one of these brownish drones running around, destroy it immeadiately. At the first sight of any foe, Ninja Drones are instructed to terminate all Tribals in the area.

Cyclops Drone

Slow-moving and inaccurate early on, these airborn sentries attack in groups. Look skyward as soon as the whine from their antigrav engines is heard, and shoot them.

Arachno-Drone

Arachno-Drones appear quickly and are fairly effective shooters at close range. Watch for them to appear out of gullies, or the hallowed tress that line the floor of Goldwood.

Stinger Drone

These ruthless machines generally appear in great numbers and hover while letting out a deadly field of cannon fire. Wipe them out with conentrated bursts of the Machine Gun.

Stealth Drone

A lethal type of aerial machine that if not delt with quickly will run down gemini shielding in seconds. They usually emerge in very large numbers and each machine is capable of very rapid fire.

Armor Drone

These drones pack serious heat, and unless extreme and careful strafing isn't executed, their missile fire will prevail. The recharge time for their missiles provides an opportunity to return fire.

Stag Drone

Although they are nasty, Stag Drones are not armed with anything more powerful than a Machine Gun. Their heavy armor may make them slow, but it takes many shots to bring them down, thus aim for the head to bring them down faster.

Barricade Drone

Well-protected with their shields, Barricade Drones can effectively deflect weaponfire unless you engage them while circling around them. Shuriken however, have the ability to cut through their shields, and ultimately them.

Rhino Drone

Their color initially may make them mistaken for Zombie Drones, but the Rhino Drones are just garden--or swamp--variety drones. They're quick and tend to use an attack and run tactic.

Zombie Drone

Products of King Jeff's magic, mutated drones are impervious to bullets, but Tri-Rocket, Plasma, Homing Missle, and Sniper Rifle blasts will exterminate the zombified pests.

Zombie Stag Drone

The primary advantage with Zombie Stag Drones is the fact that they plod along very slowly. This leaves time to carefully retreat and aim weapons.

Octo-Drone

These flying squid-like robots usually rise up in threes. They're slow to fire but their lasers are extremely powerful, so try to ground them before they have a chance to attack. Use the Machine Gun or Tri-Rockets for maximum efficiency.

Hornet Drone

Programmed to believe in strength in numbers, Hornet Drones attack in great swarms. They hover erratically, so spray they area with Machine Gun fire until they are all gone.

Dragon Drone

The Dragon Drones spring up from the ground and hover as they fire at intruders. If they keep bouncing up and down, try to target them at the apexes of their flights.

Deflector Drone

More vulnerable than Barricade Drones, Deflector Drones can easily be neutralized, especially when they lift there heads about their deflectors.

Cyborg Drone

Cyborg Drones are among the nastiest enemies around. Ignore the metal hooks fused onto the robotic halves of their bodies and concentrate instead on avoiding the destructive rockets that they launch.

Renegade Drone

Renegade Drones are a rare sight. Since they resemble Stag Drones with one tusk cut off, it should be no surprise that they pack similar heat. Avoid their Machine Gun bursts and blast them with heavy artillery.

Infantry Weevil

This hulking bug has only one thing on its mind--destroy foes with its goliath firepower. It takes a lot of damage so it is best to save serious ammo for this giant.

Rotor Drone

These aerial sentries propel themselves high into the air then pour laser fire on intruders as they slowly float down on a single propeller. Shoot them as they descend.

Sentry Stag Drone

These enormous drones are basically Stag Drones that have received a promotion. Along with the inevitable social benefits, their status elevation offers them a second machine gun.

Weevil Troopers

Commited to protecting their post, the Weevil Troopers aboard the Spawnship don't roam around the area; instead, they remain stationary while emptying powerful rounds.

Coward Drone

These drones often surrender at the first sign of danger. They frequently yield a Red Gem if they are destroyed.

Cockroach

These scuttling insects cover ground in an eyeblink, and their thick carapaces make them somewhat difficult to kill. They also tend to consume other fallen drones or any Fish Food that may be dropped.

Goldwood

The forest world, once the home of King Jeff and the Tribals. The vast green hills and sprawling crystal clear deltas have now been savagely occupied by Mizar's forces, leaving the planet in enemy hands.

S.S. Anubis

An aging ex-warship that used to be the flagship of Mizar's fleet. It has since been converted to a cargo vessel, and presumably abandoned. Mizar now however seems to have other plans for the craft.

Tawfret

It was the last remaining Tribal colony, a world of beauty that may have even surpassed Goldwood. Now however, through a nasty twist of fate and misuse of power it has been transformed into a bog wasteland.

Mizar's Palace

Set deep in the heart of one the most inhospitable desert planets, Mizar's Palace is where the dark tyrant himself resides. This heavily guarded fortress is no small achievement, consisting of vast pyramid structures and seemingly endless chasms.

Sekhmet

The flagship of Mizar's enormous fleet, complete with unimaginable firepower, shielding, and speed. This craft is certainly worthy of its title, and is even rumored to be the ship that destroyed most of the JFG fleet.

Cerulean

An odd planet that for some undetermined reason, is covered in a fine blue sand. Mizar seems to use it as a small outpost, and other than that, the only form of civilization comes from the large amount different creatures that inhabit the world.

Ichor

The very core of Mizar's military is based on this barren planet. The planet is a cold wet wasteland that is almost completely covered by the tyrant's military base.

Spawnship

This dark and sinister craft is used for two things, making drones and deploying them in innumerable quantities. It will often travel alone, but has been noted to fly with the rest of the fleet in order to carry out the invasion phase.

Rith Essa

This was actually once considered a top tourist attraction, but it's awe inspiring sunsets, steep cliffs, and abundant foliage fell into Mizar's hands, as it is a very good planet for gemini mining.

Eschebone

A very recent planet, still in its developmental stages. Eschebone is an extremely hot and vile world covered in magma and many geothermal vents. It is home to very large insect creatures, and many of them are hostile.

Walkway

A planet named after its most prominent structure, a large walkway. This planet was abandoned some time ago, its inhabitants, and the purpose of their structures is unknown.

Water Ruin

A lone dwarf planet that contains all but a memory of a civilization that must have existed some millennia ago. It appears that their ancient world was wiped out by a cataclysmic flood, and even today it still holds its secrets.

Gem Quarry

Gem Quarry is the only habitable moon among three that orbit Goldwood. Deep within its soil, there are immense deposits of gemini ore, and luckily the Tribals have claimed it, but not without Mizar's jealous greed.

Space Station

A relatively small, but very mysterious space station that seems to be abandoned. The design of this station almost seems to be human, but it is still unknown. It appears as if it was recently in a battle, and therefore badly damaged.

Asteroid

Never before has mankind faced such a grave threat, Mizar has commandeered a very large asteroid that would no doubt destroy Earth. He has gathered what remains of his troops, and prepares for the final battle, and the destruction of the human race, even if that means his death.

Earth

A planet of many climates that is inhabited primarily by humans, which is now in dire need. Mizar's asteroid threatens to destroy Earth, and ultimately the human race. (Though players cannot access this planet, it is still seen in the ending cinematic sequence).

Pistol

Standard Jet Force weapon. It has limited ammunition in a way; when the ammo runs out, the pistol fires an auxiliary bullet that is not as powerful as its standard shots. The weapon fires fully automatic for seven shots, after which it will charge up for another burst, or can be fired semi-automatically which is very slow. Because it has a limited auto-aiming function, it works well for on-the-fly precision, such as during a boss battle or when the character must shoot quickly and then hide.

Machine Gun

Bombards the target with a steady stream of bullets that aren't very accurate but make up for in speed. Because of the sheer amount of shots fired per second, it's perfect for large groups of unarmored or flying enemies. Juno wields a machine gun in the opening scene but discards it when making a run for his escape pod.

Plasma Shotgun

An energy weapon that can be charged up for a more powerful blast. However, it takes a while to charge up. Strangely, the Shotgun doesn't work like a shotgun at all; it fires two spheres of energy side by side, while real shotguns send out a single burst of smaller projectiles in a wide and messy spray.

Tri-Rocket Launcher

A powerful, if inaccurate, weapon that fires three rockets at once. One shot with the Tri-Rocket launcher will kill anything short of a boss. However, Jet Force Gemini allows friendly fire; the player can receive damage from rockets that impact too close. The weapon comes with rapid fire.

Flamethrower

Gas-fueled flamethrower that burns its targets. This weapon also has a low range, as well as going through fuel quickly. It should be noted that targets on fire can do damage to the player, if they touch their character, but can also set their allies aflame. It's really only effective against the Zombie drones on Tawfret, who die instantly from the flames, and possibly shielded drones and termites. For some reason, the lanterns carried by some Tribals are counted as flamethrower ammunition.

Homing Missile Launcher

A missile launcher that can lock on a target and fires a homing missile that seeks out that target. However, the player must lock on to the target first. It can also be used without its lock-on function, but the missiles will fly straight and won't home.

Sniper Rifle

Long-range rifle with a scope, with good accuracy but low firing rate. Each single shot is more powerful than the Plasma Shotgun, and the scope allows long-distance sniping.

Shocker

An electroshock gun under field testing. Fires an electric bolt at a target. It has a low range, and is overall impractical. Mostly used for amusement purposes against single drones and Mizar's many other enemies.

Grenades

These grenades bounce after being thrown, and can detonate right away if it contacts a target. Can also be used to hit targets underwater.

Flares

While not a weapon, flares are useful to illuminate dark areas.

Shuriken

A throwing star and also the only weapon whose ammo can be retrieved after use. The Shuriken auto-aims on a selected target, slicing through the air and precisely decapitating the enemy in a single stroke (although the zombie troops will not die). The star will then skitter across the ground and come to rest or embed itself in a nearby wall or other vertical surface. Sometimes, it will actually fly back to the thrower, but only if it doesn't hit a wall along the way. Shurikens stuck too high to be retrieved can be shot to bounce them off.

Remote Mines

Remote mines can be placed and then detonated from afar when an enemy of choice approaches or when the player remote-detonates it. If the detonation button is pushed while the mine is midair, it will explode as soon as it lands.

Cluster Bombs

When it strikes the ground, cluster bombs blow up once and split into three smaller bombs that parachute to the ground in a triangle and explode. A very wide range of sheer destruction for a single thrown weapon.

Proximity/Timed Mines

Similar to the remote mines, except anyone can trigger it by walking past -- even the person who placed it -- and it can't be remote-detonated. The first person that walks within range takes the hit. These can be useful when an enemy is walking back and forth in a pattern. If the fire button is held down, the proximity mine will also double as a timed mine. The longer the fire button is held, the longer the fuse, to a maximum of ten seconds.

Fish Food

It doesn't serve a purpose other than to feed the fish on Goldwood. It does have a neat effect, though; the fish really do rise to the surface to eat it. On a side note, it can be useful for distracting cockroaches.