Chapter One: A New Beginning

"I win again, Fox!" Krystal smiled.

Fox threw his controller onto the ground. He lost, again. "No way! Do-over!"

"Nuh-uh!" she said, joyfully. "That's three times in a row. You owe me a date at whatever restaurant I choose! Remember?"

"But that place is too expensive!"

"Doesn't matter!"

Fox had never lost in a game of "Star Dogs" before, that is, until Krystal started to play.

"Oh, how the mighty have fallen!" Slippy Toad walked into the room, a wrench in one hand, and a red tool-box in the other.

"Oh, shut up, Slippy!" Fox said, turning off his new "Omega Nintendo 2000" console, which took him months to save up for.

"What's up, Slippy?" Krystal asked, noticing the tools he was carrying.

"Nothin' really…" he answered. "Just have to tune-up ROB, and repair your Arwing." he gave an evil glare to Fox.

"Heh heh…" Fox laughed nervously, rubbing the back of his head.

The other day when they went on a cruise to test out the new G-Diffuser System Outputs, they had noticed a silver lining of metal on a nearby asteroid, which happened to be an explosive. Fox and Slippy had both known that. Slippy just walked off, muttering something that sounded like "you crazy freak." Fox and Krystal laughed.

"Well, whaddya want to do, Fox?" Krystal asked.

"I dunno…" Fox couldn't think of anything he wanted to do. "How about you?"

Krystal moved closer to him, wrapping her arm around his chest, relaxing her head on his shoulder. "Well…I was thinking we could go to the Red Lyonheart in Corneria for dinner, and have a nice walk on the beach…just the two of us."

Fox smiled. Although he wasn't too thrilled about having to pay four times as much for a meal you would normally get at the "Galactic Stop-N-Go," he loved to do things with Krystal, and would always put her needs before any of his. "That sounds…"

Peppy Hareand Falco Lombardiwalked into the room, laughing about something. Fox and Krystal quickly jumped off of each other. They remembered their pact; never to put their relationship first, and then their job. But Falco had always known how they felt about each other, and it was only a matter of time.

"Wh-what's so funny guys?" Fox asked, nervously.

"We were just talking about 'bout the time when you lost your Blaster, Fox." Peppy answered, still chuckling.

Fox remembered. Right after the incident on Sauria, or Dinosaur Planet, he had misplace his Blaster, finding it later in the microwave with a burger. "Very funny…" he muttered.

Falco threw himself onto the old recliner, pulling up the footrest, and grabbing a magazine with a jet and a girl on it. Peppy sat down at his desk in the back of the room, pulled up his laptop-computer, and began frantically coding something. Krystal looked at Fox, and gave him a "let's go" look. Fox nodded, and stood up. They were just about to leave when a hologram of the General Pepper of the Cornerian Army and Fleet popped up on the giant plasma-screen television set where Fox and Krystal were just playing their game.

"Good day, team Star Fox." he said, smiling.

Fox sighed. Just when we were about to leave…just my luck…

Peppy turned away from his desk, and Falco looked up. "Whazzup, General?" he asked, coolly.

"Nothing much, Mr. Lombardi."

Falco laughed. "Call me Falco, general."

"What's going on, General?" Peppy asked. "Do you need our help with something?"

General Pepper never contacted them unless there was some kind of emergency.

"There has been some kind of disturbance on the colony of Sector X."

"What kind of disturbance?" Fox asked, folding his arms.

"We're not sure." Pepper answered. "We've lost all contact from their head-quarters, and the last message we received from them stated that their data for a new weapon had suddenly disappeared. Possibly stolen."

"So we have to find out who sent the distress signal, and possibly the stolen data?" Falco asked, leaning forward on his chair.

"Precisely." answered Pepper.

This is just typical. We're pulled out of our vacation time to find little Billy's missing building block. Fox rolled his eyes. Just typical…

"Would it happen to be the blueprints for the new stealth bombers?" Peppy asked, leaning back in his seat.

"Why, yes, yes it is." Pepper answered. "How do you know about it?"

"I was asked to help with the development on that weapon, but I refused." he smiled. "Told 'em I was already working on another project."

Fox knew that wasn't entirely untrue. Peppy had been working on new types of wings and engines the Arwings and LandMaster Tanks could use.

"When was the last transmission?" Krystal asked.

"About three days ago." Pepper frowned. "We sent three squadrons to check it out, but they never…returned…"

Falco stood up. "Sounds interestin,' General." he looked over at Fox, then back at Pepper's hologram. "How much we talkin' here?"

Fox smiled. Haven't changed a bit, bird-boy…

"About 1,500,000 spdollars. But that's if you can find the data as well."

Fox grinned. $1,500,000 is pretty good for finding the lost remote in the couch.

"Fox?" everybody turned to look at their leader.

Fox stood their for a moment, pondering. "Alright then, General." he looked at Pepper. "We'll take your offer, and find out what's going on behind these disappearances."

Pepper smiled. "I knew I could count on you, Star Fox."

Fox smiled. "Ah, it's no problem…"

"What time do you recommend we set off, then?" Krystal asked, folding her legs.

"As soon as you can." Pepper asked. "I'll need a full report about the troops we sent as soon as possible."

"So…that means we'll take off in about five minutes then…" Falco grinned.

Fox laughed. He and Falco both loved to start a mission as fast as they could. They loved the thrill of excitement. "I'm with you, feather-face."

"Good." Pepper grinned. "Now, get prepped and go!"

The entire team smiled when they heard those words. The start of a brand new mission, no-the start of a brand new chapter in their life; especially for Fox and Falco. They looked at each other, nodded, and took off running to the Docking Bay. Peppy and Krystal laughed.

"Boys!" she laughed. "Wait for me!" She began to chase them down the very long run-way.

Peppy and Pepper chuckled a bit.

"You've still got it, general." he grinned.

"Heh heh…yes, yes I do."

They saluted each other, then Peppy headed for the main control room.

"See you on the front, General."

The echoing of footsteps could be heard down the runway of the Great Fox. Three very close friends running down the long trail; but they know that there was something, someone missing.

"Come on, Slip!" Fox shouted as the three of them entered the Arwing Hangar.

Slippy stood up, appearing from behind the farthest Arwing, or Fox's Arwing. "Just finished repairing, Fox!" he set his wrench into his toolbox, and wiped the sweat , grease, and oil from his face.

"Great timing!" Fox jumped into the cockpit of his Arwing.

Slippy watched as Krystal and Falco boarded their own Arwings. "Where you goin', guys?"

"To Sector X, bud!" Falco answered, starting up his G-Diffuser system. "And you're coming with us!"

Krystal smiled. "C'mon, Slippy!"

Slippy sighed. Without questioning them, he hopped into his Arwing.

"I'll explain on the way there, Slippy!" Fox transmitted to their Arwings. "Star Fox team, move out!"

And one by one, the ships flew out into the quiet, vast reaches of space, with Fox following behind them.