Disclaimer: I don't own Star Fox or any of the associated planets etc bla bla bla bla bla but I would appreciate it if you wouldn't steal any of the original characters but you'd have to be just a little stupid to want to do that...

THE BEHEMOTH: Falco's story

Every hero has a little help along the way, the story of those helpers tends to be pushed aside, but this is one story the Lylat Federation can't afford to ignore...

Days after the events of Dinosaur Planet the Star Fox team encounter a new enemy, a massive vessel of untold power. Now it seems the Behemoth's secrets lie with Falco and a strike mission gone horribly, horribly wrong...

Scales said the war was just beginning. He was right.

This is Falco's story...

Prologue

"As soon as you speak to someone you run the risk of being betrayed. If you become involved you risk getting hurt. If you love anyone... they might not love you back."

"Get off my ship!"

"Yes sir"

Fox launched himself at Falco, hitting him hard in the stomach. Falco crumpled.

"You shouldn't have done that" he managed to grunt.

"What you gunna do about it?" Fox asked.

Falco stood up, pulled his hand into a fist and before Fox could comprehend what was happening struck him surprisingly hard in the centre of his head. Fox staggered back, more stunned than anything.

"I'm not going to let you get away with it this time" Falco stood up and backed up a bit. "I have before, but not now, now I don't have anything to lose" Fox launched himself forward again, bringing Falco down. Falco kicked him in the chest. Fox recoiled for a moment, then drew back his fist and slammed it into Falco's beak. He was stunned when it started to bleed so suddenly. Falco kicked up into Fox's face, Fox felt one of his teeth go through his lip. His anger irrupted as Falco fell back cradling his beak.

"Fox-" he started to say

"Peppy's not here to save you this time" Fox growled before hitting Falco again. Falco tried to fight back but Fox, older and stronger held him almost completely immobile. Fox continued to punch him, although his fury began to dissipate. Falco finally landed another strike on the side of his head.

"Stop both of you!" Peppy shouted taking hold of Fox's shoulder and pulling them apart. "I though you two were more grown up than this! Rooms march!" Peppy pointed angrily. Fox walked away and Falco got shakily to his feet. Peppy's enraged expression didn't change. Falco walked slowly past him.

He'd been packing his bag for a long time. This was the final straw. He had to get away. Finally he made up his mind as he watched his blood drip into the sink.

Peppy was fuming, he couldn't go to speak to either of them, he was afraid of what he might say. He had to give himself some time to calm down.

Peppy walked into Fox's room. He was laid on his back on his bed bouncing a ball of one of his walls.

"I want you to apologise to Falco, Fox" Peppy said angrily.

"You always take his side!"

"I'm not taking anyone's side"

"He started it" Fox bounced the ball off the wall again.

"I don't care who started it" Peppy said warningly "Common room 5 minutes" with that Peppy walked out of Fox's room, preparing to go through much the same thing with Falco. He was fuming still, it had been a while since he had had to referee one of their fights, he had thought they'd grown out of it.

Peppy was surprised by the unusual disorder in Falco's room. His clothes were strewn about over the floor. Peppy looked around the room. Falco was not in his bed or sat at the computer table by the door. Peppy crossed the room quickly and knocked on the bathroom door. There was no answer.

"Falco answer me or I'll come in anyway"

Still no answer. Peppy was getting very angry by now, but a small part of him started to feel worried too. Peppy pushed the door. It slid open.

"Falco..." The room was empty. Peppy looked round. Aside from a large quantity of blood splattered round the sink there was no evidence of Falco's presence. Part of Peppy panicked.

"Falco?!" He shouted running out into the main part of his room. Peppy gazed around it in a new light. The photo frames by his bed were empty, his cupboard doors gaped open as though they had been raided in a hurry, and a few other things were missing.

"Locate Falco Lombardi!" he screamed at the computer.

"Bio signature not found" the computer answered calmly. Peppy swallowed hard, he could hardly bare to ask the next question.

"Locate Arwing 3?"

"Arwing 3 is not onboard Great Fox or on long range sensors..."

Part 1:

STAR FOX

"Different time, different planet..."

"Hey McCloud, different time, different planet and you still need Falco's help... It's good to see ya buddy" Falco tried to keep up his usual sarcasm, but it was all a charade now, times had changed. Falco released the bomb on Andross before he could strike Fox's struggling Arwing again. Fox didn't have time to respond. Andross was at it again. He barrel rolled just in time. Falco circled around and hit him again... Just like before... He shook himself. He couldn't afford to lose it now or Andross would be free to rein havoc, and it really would be his mess.

The head exploded. Falco and Fox fled at top speed. Falco's adapted Arwing easily outmatched Fox's. He pulled away as they approached the ship. He had to leave... but now Fox had seen him, there was no way he could keep his secret any longer, Fox was sure to mention it... Falco spotted the shuttle coming up from the planet... surely Krystal wouldn't give him away, she owed him that much. Falco frowned, Fox had already docked... he couldn't hide anymore; besides, he would be safe, back with his friends...

Falco docked without a problem, the ship still recognised him as an ally. He walked to the common room where the team were. The door opened. It was so good to be home... The team of just three turned to look at him. He entered halfway through their conversation.

"And I can't wait to get back with the Star Fox team" That was very true, more so than they could know "Hey Fox, you don't mind me hangin' with you again do ya?" Fox frowned. For a terrible moment Falco though he was going to order him off his ship... again. Then after what felt like an eternity he smiled

"Sure thing Falco, it's great to have you back!"

"The Star Fox team is back together!" Slippy cried. Falco nodded. When none of the rest were looking Falco caught his eye and put his hand over his beak. Slippy looked disappointed and pleaded with his eyes. Falco shook his head and tapped his hand on his beak again. Slippy shook his head and looked away. Peppy watched Falco, there was something odd about him but he couldn't put his finger on it. He was just relieved to have him home again.

Next thing Krystal turned up. Falco was relieved; it took the team's attention away from him. Krystal frowned when she saw him, but then completely ignored him. They went through all the formal introductions, once Fox had gotten over himself. To Falco's continued relief Krystal treated him like a complete stranger. Fox and the team were far more interested in her, which allowed him to sink into a chair and go mostly unnoticed; he was just part of the furniture again. Krystal told her story to the team, Falco didn't listen; he knew it already. He just scanned the conversation to make sure his name didn't come up. Fox seemed hugely attracted to the female Canite, it was a shame that it would probably come to nothing.

Darkness. The stench of blood and days of dirt, vomit, acidic, hung in the air, stung at his throat. Silence. No more could he hear their groans, probably for the best. Footsteps, coming closer, the sound he'd learnt to dread. Light. It hurt his eyes, voices, laughter, calling his name...

"Ah! Get off me!"

Fox jumped back. Falco's flailing hands made contact with his arm. Falco flinched, a familiar pain searing through his fused fingers.

"Whoa..." Fox mumbled rubbing his arm. Falco hadn't hit him hard. Falco was reminded that he wasn't at his best either.

"Sorry Fox..." Falco mumbled doing his best to keep his voice level.

"I told you to let him sleep" Peppy said smiling. It was good to have them back together again, where he could keep an eye on them both. Something had changed about Falco but he still couldn't tell what it was.

"I woke you to ask if you wanted anything to eat" Falco looked up and nodded. He'd barely managed to eat anything over the last couple of days. Before that it had been all he could do to scrape a living.

"Yeah I'm starving" Falco answered. Peppy finally put his finger on it. Falco was thinner than he remembered, bordering on scrawny.

"Makes a change" Fox laughed sarcastically. Falco just shrugged. Now that definitely wasn't right Peppy thought, no cynical remark? No counter attack? Just a shrug?! There was, without doubt, something very wrong with him. Peppy sighed and got up to help Slippy in the kitchen, leaving Falco, Krystal and Fox together in the corner of the common room. Then Fox asked the dreaded question.

"So Falco, where you been all this time?" Falco froze and fought back the taste of vomit in his mouth. It was all he could do to keep his face composed. His breathing quickened. His stomach churned. Krystal looked at him.

"N-nowhere special" He finally managed to stammer. "just... chasin' ghosts" Fox frowned at his cryptic remark but realised he probably wasn't going to get anymore out of him. He turned back to Krystal and started to talk to her about something. Falco ignored them and concentrated on trying to get his pulse to return to normal. He could have told him the truth but...

The five of them ate round their table. Falco sat between Slippy and Peppy, with Fox and Krystal on the other side. Falco felt better than he had for ages with them. He almost choked when Peppy spoke to him.

"What happened to your fingers?"

The hammer came down. Falco screamed with a voice he didn't think he had left. People said you got to a certain point after which you couldn't feel any more pain. Falco knew they were wrong. The hammer fell again onto his right ring finger, smashing it to pieces...

"Faalcoo??" Fox called. Falco snapped back

"Huh?"

"Peppy asked what happened to your fingers."

"Oh err I was fixing my ship and one of the parts started to move... they got sucked in" he'd been lying a lot recently. Falco wasn't exactly sure why he couldn't bring himself to tell the truth... he guessed it hurt too much.

"Ugh..." Slippy groaned

"How come you can't move them?"

"When they healed the bones just fused like this"

"Why didn't you go to hospital, they'd have made sure they healed right" Peppy said

"I wasn't near a hospital at the time..." Falco said grimly... "That's true" he mumbled in his mind.

"You should let someone look at them"

"The joints are fused. I doubt there will be anything they can do" Falco said icily. Peppy decided to let the subject drop, for now at least. Falco remained silent throughout the rest of the meal.

The team had the usual post-mission celebrations. By the time they finally went to bed Fox was very tipsy along with Krystal. Falco couldn't blame him, he must have been shaken by seeing Andross again. Falco wondered to himself if he would ever really be gone. Falco had almost never touched alcohol himself, his father had been far from giggly when he was drunk, and tonight there were lots of things he could say that he would regret. He preferred to watch the others from the safety of a chair at the side of the room.

Falco's mind was drifting away when Fox came over and sat by his side.

"Hey Falco aren't you going to join us? Any excuse for a party normally"

Falco couldn't suppress a yawn. "Nah" he shook his head.

"Alright, your loss Feathers..." Fox paused thoughtfully "Hey Falco... thanks, I owe you one"

One? Fox owed him far more than just one...

"Don't mention it Furball"

Later the team joined Falco in the set of chairs dotted about the common room. They played cards for a while, until Fox started to sulk having been beaten by Slippy twice.

"Hey Fox it's a good job your piloting skills are better than you are at cards!" Slippy cried. Fox gave him a dark look. Falco won the next three rounds much to everyone's surprise.

"Sure you're not cheating Falco?"

"Me, cheat... Would I do a thing like that?"

Falco noticed Krystal giving him a dirty look. He ignored her.

Finally they all went to bed several hours later. It had been fortunate that Fox hadn't been putting money on the cards, he would have been completely broke. In the end Peppy had wiped the floor with the rest of them. They all walked to their rooms together, Fox took Krystal to one of the guest rooms and Slippy went to his leaving Falco and Peppy alone together. Falco paused outside a familiar door. He turned to look at Peppy helplessly. He seemed to read what was on his mind.

"You've only been gone six weeks, your room's still where you left it"

Falco was relieved and then shocked

"Only six weeks..." he managed to say. It felt more like an eternity.

"Yes..." Peppy said quietly

Falco bid him a quiet goodnight and staggered into his room.

"Six weeks too long..." Peppy mumbled to himself as he walked to his room next-door.

Falco was startled when he came into his room, his clothes that he had left on the floor in his hurry to leave had been folded and put away and the blood had been washed from his sink; apart from that everything was how he had left it. Falco sat down on his bed, the whole experience feeling a little unreal. He'd imagined coming home so many times actually being back seemed too good to be true. He paused looking at his bedside table. One of his photo albums was laid open on it. The picture the page was open on showed him when he was much younger sat on Peppy's shoulders smiling and waving at the camera with one hand and holding onto Peppy's ear with the other. Falco looked at the photo more closely, Peppy looked really happy in it too. Suddenly he was consumed with guilt, the pain he must have caused when he just ran out. It had been one of the biggest mistakes he'd ever made... a mistake that had cost lives...

His team, so young, full of life; one even younger than he was. Little Salty, he'd always been so happy; he always smiled when he saw Falco. He reminded him of Slippy. They would have been a match for one another if he had been given the chance to live...

Falco brushed tears from his face. Of all his team he was the last person who deserved to survive. Why had it been him? Why had he been the one that got out?... Falco looked back at the photo of him and Peppy. He reached out his crippled hand to touch it, then with his fingers inches away he snatched them back and looked away out of his window into space.

Falco looked up at the sound of a soft knock at his door.

"Come in" he said quietly. Peppy opened the door and came inside. He was stunned when he saw Falco's bare arms as he sat on the side of his bed. He hid expression quickly; fortunately Falco didn't appear to notice.

"I just realised that with Krystal and everything I never welcomed you back" Peppy said gently sitting by his side on the bed. Falco smiled but couldn't find anything to say. Peppy touched his scarred arm, Falco flinched for a moment then relaxed, it had been so long since he'd felt a friendly touch.

"What happened? Your arms your hand..."

"I had it rough the last little while" he said -"that's the understatement of my life" Falco thought.

"Looks like you had it really rough" Peppy said slowly. Falco couldn't bring himself to talk; he'd survived by not thinking about it.

"I missed you Peppy..." Falco finally managed to stammer.

"We all missed you little one"

"I wish I'd never left..." Falco couldn't bring himself to say anymore, he forced back tears and again the taste of vomit. He couldn't cry in front of Peppy, not now, and especially not for that reason. Peppy put his arm round his shoulder and squeezed briefly.

"You're home now. You know where I am if you need me" Peppy stood up. Falco looked up through blurred vision and nodded. "Just in case you feel like talking" With that Peppy walked quietly out of the room.

Falco watched him go. Slowly he walked to his bathroom. As he ran a bath he stared at his reflection in the mirror. The face that looked back at him was different to how he remembered, he wasn't sure how, but he had changed. It had been along time since he'd seen his reflection properly. Other times he'd been shocked when he saw it in streams or puddles of blood, he'd watched part of himself melt away in snatched glimpses of his face. What he'd lost he would never get back.

Thoughtfully Peppy returned to his room. Falco had changed, the look in his eyes seemed so different now somehow, yet, oddly familiar... He sighed to himself. It was good to have him home. He would talk about what had happened in his own time, he couldn't force him.

Falco sat in the warm water. A proper, hot bath, something he hadn't had for a very long time. The dirt, a mixture of black and red came out of his feathers, the stains cold rivers couldn't remove. He scratched mildly at his arms, the itchy scars of healing wounds. The warmth soothed his aching body and for the first time in moths, just for a moment, nowhere hurt.

He curled up in bed, it was warm and safe. He had to keep telling himself that, the part of him that had been awake for four weeks wouldn't relax; it kept searching the room for monsters...

"It's dark. That's good; I've come to fear the light. It doesn't hurt, providing I don't move. I must have passed out. I didn't want to wake up. But they won't let me go. The others, they escaped long ago. At least, I can't hear them anymore. I can't hear anything except the soft rasp of my breathing, the sound I wish would cease. It will soon... I won't survive this much longer..."

Falco picked himself up from the floor by his bed. He walked unsteadily into his bathroom rubbing at his ribcage. Sometimes it still hurt to breathe. He lent over his sink and tried to wash the sweat and tears from his face. Blue feathers fell down and stuck in the plughole. Falco wondered mildly if he was loosing his mind. Maybe he'd already lost it. He checked briefly one of the scars on the top of his head, he was grateful for being covered in feathers. He returned slowly to his bed, hoping for, but not expecting better dreams.

Falco looked down the scope of the sniper rifle. He only had time for one shot, yet he had three targets. He crossed the row with the scope; he could see all three of his team mates faces', the terror in their eyes. He couldn't bring himself to save one and not the others. He was too late; the guards executed all three in one go.

He was on the floor again, crying this time. It seemed he'd grown accustomed to the ground; a bed was unusual, even the carpet felt too soft. Falco tried his best to smother the tears but they just kept coming, his sobs hurt every fibre of his weak body. He wished Peppy was there with him. In all that time before he'd cried out for him and sometimes his mother, never his father. Now that Peppy was so close, he couldn't bring himself to call him, he knew he would come if he did but part of him was afraid. Afraid that what he would say would hurt him...

Next morning they all sat around in the common room, Fox talking to Krystal who was finally fully clothed, Slippy fiddling with one of his inventions, Peppy reading a long and boring looking book. Falco sat staring out of the window his eyes feeling heavy. After the night before he'd been growing afraid to sleep. He was sliding away when a bleeping stirred him, an incoming message. Fox stood up.

"It's General Pepper" he told them. Falco's heart missed a beat. He leapt to his feet and started to run for the door.

"Good morning Star Fox tea- Falco!!" General Pepper locked his eyes on Falco who stopped mid-stride and turned to face the screen. Caught.

"General" He answered harshly.

"You look like you've seen a ghost sir" Fox commented. Pepper and Falco's eyes were still locked. Pepper dragged them away to look at Fox.

"Fox I thought you said Falco had left your team?" Falco's scowl deepened.

"He rejoined us after the battle against Andross-" Fox began to answer

"You can speak to me sir" Falco said venomously. The whole team starred at him.

"Falco-" Peppy started to say.

"I'm glad to see you're safe" General Pepper said slowly

"Yeah right, betraying, old, bastard!" Falco said angrily before swearing at him with a hand gesture and leaving the room. There was a stunned pause then Pepper decided he'd better say something.

"Fox, I will not have a member of your team speaking to me like that!" he said more shakily than he would have liked.

"... Err sorry General" Fox stammered, completely stunned. Falco may as well have punched him in the face.

"I'll make sure he doesn't do that again" Peppy said angrily.

"Good... Come to Corneria Fox, the usual welcome awaits you. Bring Falco too; I'd like to have a word with him"

At that the general cut the comm. Fox looked at Peppy, still stunned.

"What was all that about?"

"I don't know but I'm going to find out"

"Go easy on him Peppy!" Slippy cried. His secret beginning to worry him all the more.

Falco's door was locked. Peppy overrode it and stormed into his room. Falco was laid on his back staring up at the bland ceiling, his expression empty.

"What the hell was that?" Peppy asked angrily. Falco didn't respond. "You do not speak to the Cornerian Minister of Defence like that! At least not while you wear that uniform!" Falco still didn't respond. Peppy came over to the bed. "Answer me!"

Falco continued to stare at the ceiling. "Come on you seemed to have a lot to say for yourself then, what about now?"

"Go away" Falco said bluntly, his expression unchanged.

"How dare you speak to me like that?" Peppy asked moving closer, barely keeping in control of his anger. Falco closed his eyes and spoke.

"Go on hit me, everyone else does. I don't care anymore." Peppy missed a stride.

"H-hit you? I've never done anything like that..."

Falco opened his eyes again and continued to stare at the ceiling. Peppy began to feel his discipline session was going wrong.

"Believe me; nothing you can do will make any difference to how I feel about him"

"Why- why did you say that Falco?" Peppy asked, hurt.

"Please go away" Falco said with desperation in his voice

"No. Why did you say that?"

"It doesn't matter" Falco closed his eyes again.

"I'm asking you"

"Go away. Don't get involved in something you don't understand" the venom returned to Falco's voice.

"Do not speak to me like that. I don't know what you did while you weren't with us but it doesn't give you the right to backchat me or anyone else"

"Sorry" Falco's voice was flat. It made Peppy angry.

"I don't want to see you for a while Falco and I don't think Fox will either. You stay here until you've gotten your mouth under control."

Peppy left the room.

Falco lay on the bed burning. He was furious like he'd never been before. He was angrier at Pepper than he'd ever been angry at anyone in his life. He was just angry, before he would have though he would have wanted to hurt Pepper, but now he was just angry. He'd seen too much hurt, he'd seen enough hurt to last a lifetime. He was sad too that he'd upset Peppy, he didn't want Peppy to be mad with him... tears started to trickle down his face. If anyone would understand it was him.

"I'm sorry Peppy..." he said into the quiet of his room.

Peppy slumped into a chair in the common room.

"What's wrong Pep'?" Fox asked

"Nothing" He lied. Peppy was hurt and stunned by Falco's words. The idea that he could think that he would do that to him hurt him deeply. He didn't understand what had happened to Falco. He could feel Krystal, Fox and Slippy all looking at him. He decided he should put it to the back of his mind and try to seem casual, he was thinking too much again.

"Is Falco ok?" Slippy asked. Peppy looked up, for a moment his anger returned

"Yes"

"Good" Slippy mumbled a little uneasily.

Sometime later Krystal stood up.

"Excuse me a moment" She walked out of the room towards the crew quarters. Peppy looked to Fox who shrugged.

Peppy hadn't locked Falco's door so Krystal let herself in. Falco was still staring blankly at the ceiling

"What do you want?" He asked coldly without looking up.

"To talk to you"

"Why? Come to gloat?"

"You need to get up and get on with it." She said. Falco sat up suddenly.

"How can you even say that? You cannot comprehend what I went through. You've never even been near that kind of situation!" he shouted.

"No. but you also know I've been at this longer than you-"

"So what? What did you get-trade disputes, civil uprisings?"

"Maybe but I never got anyone killed"

"Fuck you!" Falco screamed standing up.

"I work alone. I don't bring anyone else into it"

"Bullshit-what was that with the Krazoa then? You left me to tidy up your mess. If I hadn't helped you, you would have been dead and half the system along with you!"

"All you did was finish what McCloud couldn't handle"

"Fox was left to do your job! If you'd done it right he wouldn't have had to get involved! You work alone... bullshit, as soon as things got tough you were calling out with everything you had! "Help, help I'm dying" What the fuck did you think I was doing in the Behemoth? Having a holiday? No-one came to help us..."

"We don't expect help-"

"Then why were you calling out to Fox and me?"

"You were in the area"

"I came to help the CloudRunner. You were a little detail I could have done without. I didn't need to share my strength with you; I didn't exactly have much to go around. You nearly let Andross rip the system apart again!"

"Believe what you want. We'll see who lives longer" Krystal scoffed

"You'll only live longer by keeping your pretty little muzzle away from anything serious! You've found your answers so get lost. And Krystal, if you have no intention of staying with Fox let him know. The last thing he needs is you playing with him, he doesn't disserve it."

"So I heard."

"The best thing you can do is fuck the hell off and leave me and my team alone. Now get out of my room."

Falco locked the door behind her. Despite his anger she was right, he had gotten them killed. His anger paled to the familiar, gnawing pain in his chest of grief and guilt... everything had gone so very, very wrong...

Sometime later Falco ventured out of his room. He walked quietly down the corridors hoping to avoid everyone. The gun on his hip stopped him feeling quite as vulnerable, next time he'd go down fighting.

The holographic targets flashed up. Falco drew his blaster and shot them. His aim had improved since the last time he'd been here. The computer bleeped as he smashed Fox's record. He narrowly spun round in time to shoot one of the attack bots coming from behind him. His senses were more in tune than they had been, they had to be. Falco had almost doubled Fox's previous record before he was overwhelmed by attack bots and one finally dropped him with a mild electric shock.

"Training session over" the computer said calmly. Falco lay on the floor where he had fallen, panting hard, familiar pains started to return and with them memories...

Falco lay writhing on the floor, a dark shadow across his body. The heavy foot made contact with his chest again before finally walking out of the room and locking the door behind it.

He blinked and stood up slowly. He felt better having blown off some steam, but now without the anger he seemed to feel nothing, nothing at all. He was emotionally numb, but the pain in his limbs more than made up for that. He turned the safety on his gun back on and walked slowly out of the room.

He didn't see where he was walking; he didn't hear footsteps approaching him from behind. A small voice called his name

"Falco?" He turned.

Something flashed across his field of vision. A young, grey brown rabbit face looked up at him curiously.

"Salty?..." Falco heard himself say.

"Who's that?" There was a flash again and Falco found himself looking at Slippy's concerned face. The knives drove through his chest. How he remained standing at that moment he never understood. Slippy's face was scared. Falco forced a smile but he obviously didn't buy it.

"I'm gunna call Peppy..."

"No!"

"Would you stop it with the secrecy thing Falco you're scaring me!"

"I'm sorry Slip" Falco said slowly.

"Please tell us what happened..."

"No..."

"It wont be a secret forever Falco!"

"It will if you keep your big mouth shut!" Falco said violently. The look in his eyes sent a chill down Slippy's spine; Falco had never looked at him like that before. With that Falco was gone down the corridor before he got over the shock and could give chase. Slippy stood stunned as he listened to the sound of his retreating feet. If he had to keep quiet much longer he would explode.

Falco had to get back to his room before he lost it or before he ran into anyone else. He couldn't allow that to happen again, he had to ensure he could keep his emotions in check. He ran into his room and closed the door behind him, he lent on it panting as he fought the ongoing battle with his memory. His mind. Finally once he was calmer he managed to write a short note:

Go away, sleeping.

And stick it to the outside of his door. If he managed to sleep he didn't want to be woken by one of them, if he left a message on the computer there was a risk they would miss it. That done he curled up in bed. "I must have passed out. I didn't want to wake up. But they won't let me go." Falco's thoughts betrayed him. He found himself again wishing for the empty darkness of unconsciousness, if not death. He turned over and hoped to sleep.

It was raining. The sky was grey, the ground was grey; the world seemed to have lost its colour. People clad in black plodded along slowly behind a light coffin. It was Silver's funeral. The coffin was pointless, a futile gesture. Her body never left the Behemoth, or at least what was left of it when they were finished with her. There were lots of fresh graves, but not nearly enough mourners to go around. The world was silent except for the drawling speech of the priest, trying to remember a girl he never knew. He got paid at the end of the day; she was just one more...

Falco opened his eyes. Only a few moments had passed. He fought back a tide of nausea. The pain was still there, worse than any amount of physical violence could ever inflict. He sighed, it was a slight improvement, he wasn't on the floor this time. Maybe it would ease, given time...

The moments ticked by, they seemed to stretch out into hours. Peppy had once told him that in times of trouble a second can stretch to an eternity. Falco understood what he meant. He lay staring at the ceiling, finally he decided he was loosing his mind. The pain it seemed would just keep eating away at him until there was nothing left but a shell, a crippled body. Before the idea would have frightened him, now it seemed he didn't have the strength left to be afraid.

Tyson flew on the other side of the shuttle. A huge shadow followed them, then the fighters started to attack. Falco was suddenly out of escort position, Tyson called out for help, the shuttle was being overwhelmed. Falco watched it explode then Tyson's ship was destroyed too. Suddenly Falco was floating in an empty area of space, the quiet bleep of the homing beacon roused him. Great Fox was near by. But Falco knew he could never ever go home...

This was ridiculous. Falco dragged himself up, he was exhausted, but he couldn't sleep without the nightmares. Sooner or later he would surely collapse from fatigue. He walked to the common room slowly, thinking to himself. A hard blow to the head would put him out... or there were lots of sedatives in the infirmary, but he'd probably need Peppy's help with that. There was cyanide in the armoury. He pushed that thought away. He wasn't that desperate again yet. When he entered the common room he was relieved to see Krystal and Fox were absent. Peppy looked up briefly when he entered then ignored him. He sank into a chair next to him. Slippy spoke.

"You weren't asleep for long" Falco noticed Peppy tune in on the conversation.

"I can't sleep in the middle of the day" That was partially true, he couldn't sleep at all.

"Oh really, never stopped you before" Slippy said. Falco just shrugged and suppressed a yawn. There was silence for a few moments then Slippy tried again "You made some modifications to your Arwing... will you show me how they work" Salty's legacy passed on to Slippy, how appropriate... Falco shook himself from his thoughts

"Yes, but not now, another time ok Slip, I promise"

"Alright..."

"Don't touch until I'm there to show you ok?"

"I know better than to play with something I don't understand." That made both Falco and Peppy laugh. Slippy looked up "That's the first time I've seen you laugh since you came home Falco" It was nice to see Peppy laugh too...

"Careful Slip, psychology's supposed to be Peppy's area, he could get jealous"

Peppy looked up and frowned at that but decided to keep quiet. Falco was smiling, Slippy had a point.

There was silence for a long time. The quiet seemed to drill into Falco's mind. Finally he touched Slippy's shoulder.

"Fancy a run on the flight simulator, I haven't beaten you up for a while"

"Alright" Slippy said. Peppy was about to speak but he realised he wasn't invited.

Slippy followed Falco until they reached a junction in the corridor. Slippy stopped but Falco carried on walking.

"Err Falco the flight sim's this way" Falco looked back over his shoulder.

"We're not going to the flight simulator. Slippy I haven't been away that long, I still know my way around our ship"

"Oh... so where are we going?" Falco looked blank for a moment then smiled.

"You'll see" he grinned mischievously, Slippy noticed a little of the old Falco sparkle in his eyes. He walked off again.

It took a while for Slippy to realise where Falco was taking him, it had been so long since he'd been there. By the time Falco slipped into a gap in one of the walls he knew where they were going and wasn't surprised.

"Still fit Slip?" A voice asked from behind one of the walls.

"Yes" Slippy said as he squeezed through the gap. Falco floated a few feet away. The space they were in had been an accident in Great Fox's design. There was a gap between where some of the bulkheads and floors attached to the inner hull, leaving a large void several decks high between the end of the corridors and the hull. The G-diffuser didn't work on those sections, which was what allowed Falco to float. He grinned at Slippy in the sparse light.

"Do you remember when we found this place?" he asked pulling himself upwards.

"Yeah, hide and seek wasn't it?"

"Mm... Fox would never have found us if we hadn't said anything" Falco found what he was looking for. Light flooded the space from strategically placed light bulbs. "Cool, the lights still work"

"Course they do, I fitted them" Slippy said happily.

"First time for everything I suppose" Falco laughed.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

Falco chuckled to himself and pulled against the hull to get to the top. He put his hand into a space between two rafters and pulled something out.

"I wondered what I did with this..." He tossed something to Slippy where he floated a few feet below. Slippy was surprised to see one of his prized tools.

"I know where to look next time I loose something..." Slippy said slowly.

"Hey not guilty, I didn't steal your belt" Falco said holding up his hands.

"Oh I found it"

"Where?"

"...my cupboard... under a coat"

Falco laughed and turned back to the rafters. Slippy floated up beside him and looked into the space.

"You sure you're not a magpie?" he asked. Falco grinned.

"You can't tell me you don't have a stockpile somewhere"

"Well..." Slippy started to say "Hey that's mine too!" reaching into the rafters and pulling out a ball.

"I helped everyone out when I nicked that, you were gunna kill us with that thing!"

Slippy looked hurt for a moment but then smiled and put the ball in his pocket.

"What else you got in there?"

"This and that... and some gunk I think used to be a banana"

"Eww..."

"Yeah perhaps best not to look... I'll put Fox and Peppy's stuff back gradually."

"What you got of Peppy's in there?" Slippy asked shocked.

"Stuff I borrowed and forgot to give back... I thought he would be angry if he realised I had had them for so long..." Falco put his hand back into the space and pulled out the rest of the things and let them float in front of him. "Ugh banana gunk" he rubbed his hand on his trousers.

"Hey what's this?" Slippy asked plucking a chain out of the air. Falco came over to him to look. He took the chain out of his hand.

"Granddad's dog-tag... he wasn't wearing it the day he died..." Falco looked down sadly. Slippy got the impression he'd put his foot in it. Falco wondered where his strike team's were.

"Sorry dude" Slippy said gently. Falco snapped out of it, he'd been happy, he was going to hang onto it for as long as possible. He remembered suddenly he wasn't wearing his. He put his grandfathers round his neck.

"That's ok... What else we got here...?" Falco pushed gently at the floating pile. "Oh... I forgot I even had that" he said suddenly.

"What?"

"This!" Falco pulled the trigger of a water-pistol into Slippy's face and pushed down away from him laughing. "Fox's is in there somewhere, I bet you can't catch me!"

Falco felt something wet hit his back. "Guess I loose" he said before over dramatising rolling over onto his back. He let his water pistol float away. He somersaulted so that he was hanging upside down. Facing Slippy.

"Err Slip..." Falco began slowly. He watched a scrap of paper with one of his drawings on it drift past. "I brought you here to say sorry" Slippy paused as he was about to shoot a piece of old Cornerian currency.

"What for?"

"This morning. I shouldn't have spoken to you like that. I'm sorry I'm asking you to keep it a secret. Once we get to Corneria it will probably all come out anyway, I'd appreciate it if we could just keep it between you and me until then ok?"

"If you promise I can tell them when we get to Corneria."

"Tell away, I'm going to need all the help I can get when we get there"

"Why?"

Falco was quiet for a long time. He closed his eyes for so long Slippy wondered if he'd fallen asleep. "You'll understand when we get there... Slippy... don't let me see General Pepper on my own..."

"Why not? I can't come into his office if he wants you by yourself..." Slippy tried to ignore the look in his eyes when he said it

"Never mind..." Falco plucked a piece of paper out of the air in front of him. He turned it over so that he looked at the writing. He read it. "Hey listen to this Slip' "Great Fox is soo big, I got lost again today. I was so imbarresed, Peppy sent Fox to lok for me. He was relly meen wen he found me. I fink I was somewere neer the hidroponiks bay. All these coradors lok the same! Fox shudn't be so nasty, hes bean on this ship 2 years longer than me. It's too big for me to get ust to in a week..." My spelling was terrible" Falco commented handing Slippy the piece of paper.

"It still is" He said scanning the page.

"Mean" Falco said pulling a hurt face. Slippy looked up and smiled.

"How old were you when you wrote this?"

"About eight" Falco answered pulling another piece of floating paper towards him. "Just after I joined the team" he examined the paper, a drawing of an Arwing. He let it go again and watched Slippy bob around the space.

"Fancy that run on the flight sim. now Slip? I for one could use the practise"

Slippy turned to look at Falco, it struck him as very hard to take him seriously while he continued to float upside down.

"Alright" he finally said.

"Zoness?... Of all places Falco why here? I thought you hated this shithole"

As the two Arwings glided along side by side Falco considered Slippy's words. He wasn't sure why his hand had come to rest over Zoness as he selected a planet for their flight run.

"I'm not sure..." Falco looked round the simulated cockpit "Right Slip stay sharp, its just you and me remember Fox and Peppy have backed out"

"Ok..." Slippy answered a little confused. The computer could simulate their presence.

"Here we go!" Falco cried as the firsts of the enemy ships began to attack. Falco led the way. He ploughed his way through several ships before one got a lock on him. Slippy crossed his bow as a hail of fire rained down on him. He barrel rolled and swerved away.

"Enemy base on scanners" Slippy reported in. The computer ensured the missions were different each time.

"Alright Slippy, standard attack runs, lets wipe 'em out!"

He pulled his ship round and finally managed to take out the ship that had been trailing him since the run began. The fighters seemed to back off then.

"Alright Slip' hit the deck, we'll go in low and fast, they won't know what's hit them!"

"Right Falco" Slippy flew at Falco's wing, meters above Zoness' polluted waters.

"Whoa watch out!" Falco cried and pulled away. Slippy wasn't quick enough. A hail of fire hit him from a submarine just surfaced.

"Ahhh!!" he cried. Falco watched his shields drain. He came round after him.

"Why don't you pick on someone your own size?" Falco asked angrily as he dropped three bombs on the sub. Crippled it left Slippy alone. A final shot finished it off.

"Phew, thanks Falco I owe you one"

"Ah who's counting?... Home in on the base"

"5000 metres and falling" Slippy told him.

"I have a visual"

"I envy your eyes sometimes!" Slippy cried.

"Pull up for bombing runs, you concentrate on the buildings, I'll deal with the defences and air units"

"Roger"

Falco and Slippy separated. Falco sought out the anti-aircraft guns and destroyed them on the floating base. "East side's clear Slip, concentrate there for now"

He didn't respond but the sounds of large explosions told Falco he was doing his job. Suddenly alarms started to scream. A whole squadron of fighters pounded Falco with fire. He took some of them but was overwhelmed and driven towards the bile yellow sea. He barely managed to pull out in time. His shields well into the red.

"Slippy you're gunna have company!!" Falco shouted as he fought to regain control of his struggling ship. Sense told him to back out, but he couldn't leave Slippy alone. He turned to home in on his position.

"A little help here Falco!" Slippy cried. Falco closed in. A hail of fire blew up Slippy's pursuers. "Cutting it a little close aren't we buddy??"

"Hey I had my own problems!!" Falco now found himself faced with a sickeningly familiar decision. He was still regretting the last one he'd made. Still he had to decide. Slippy's shields were really low.

"Slippy, drop the lasts of you bombs and retreat"

"I though you'd never say" Slippy dropped the lasts of his bombs as did Falco and they ploughed away from the damaged, but surviving base.

The simulator shut down. Slippy got out of the one by Falco's side and found him leaning on the control panel with his head in his hands.

"I screwed up Slippy!" He cried.

"Why?"

"The base was still intact!"

"But we both got out alive. Some of those missions are impossible, Falco you know that! Some of them are about knowing when you're beaten. We were overwhelmed, there was no way we could do all that with two ships. You had to decide to withdraw and you did, that's what that mission was testing, any longer and there wouldn't have been anyone left to retreat!"

Falco didn't answer. The memory of the last command decision he'd made came sickeningly back. But Slippy had a point. The circumstances were different. This time he'd done what was right.

"Yeah I suppose Slip'"

"Lets see the computer evaluation!"

Slippy walked over to the central computer panel and pulled up their flight evaluations.

"Hey Falco 74 targets, that's good! And a 10 point bonus for the sub. Aw I only got 53."

Falco wondered sadly how many people he'd killed in the last six weeks. He came to look over Slippy's shoulder and drew up the command evaluation.

"See 86, that's good Falco, even Fox and Peppy don't get that much normally and they outrank you."

Falco read the report briefly. He'd lost points for allowing both of their shields to enter the red before withdrawing and for not sticking close enough to Slippy when providing air cover. Mistakes he found he could live with as the systems praised his other decisions.

"See Falco, you got it right." Slippy said gently.

Falco smiled at him "you wanna go again?"

"Maybe we should ask Peppy and Fox, Krystal might even join us"

"Krystal can't fly combat vessels" Falco said bitterly. He only noticed a few seconds later the mistake he'd made.

"How'd you know that?" Slippy asked.

"Oh she told me" Falco covered quickly.

"Well maybe she can watch, I've missed flying with all four of us together."

"So have I... Alright Slip' lets go ask. It'll be fun provided neither of them bite my head of."

"Peppy's mouth's not that big" Slippy chuckled

"Thanks Slip' real reassuring"

They entered the common room. Peppy was still there, again absorbed in one of his books. Fox and Krystal were still absent.

"Hey Pep' where's Fox?" Slippy asked

"Off with Krystal" Peppy said without looking up.

Slippy flashed Falco a wry smile but was shocked by his expression.

"You really don't like her do you?" Slippy asked

"No." Falco said forcefully "She'll only hurt him" he sighed sitting down.

Slippy looked at him briefly but he offered no more reasons for his opinion.

"Will you come for a flight in the simulator with us later Peppy?" Slippy asked

"I thought that was where you were"

"yeah, but we wanted to fly all together again, like we used to" Slippy said

Peppy paused. The worry and heartache of the last six weeks resurfacing.

"Alright, but you'll have to wait until Fox comes back" Slippy nodded.

Fox returned to the common room a little later. Alone. His face glum.

"Where's Krystal?" Peppy asked.

"Gone" Fox said sadly

"Where?"

"Dunno, she said she never hangs around in one place for long, thanked us for out hospitality and then just left"

Falco breathed a silent sigh of relief.

"Never mind Foxy" Peppy said gently.

"Yeah buddy, you're better off without her" Falco said as kindly as he could. Fox looked at him, his expression unreadable. "Don't worry, we still love you" Falco added smiling.

"Speak for yourself Falco!" Slippy said.

Falco gave him a dirty look as Fox sank into a chair.

"You want a run on the simulator Foxy? Like the old days" Falco asked

"Yeah please Fox" Slippy pleaded. Fox looked round and realised there was no real way he was going to get out of it.

"oh alright"

The four of them walked the corridors together. Slippy and Peppy in front Falco next and Fox trailing thoughtfully behind. Falco dropped back to talk to him.

"Cheer up, there's plenty more foxes in the forest"

Fox looked at him briefly and smiled.

"Why didn't you like her?" he asked

"We had words." That was another understatement "And frankly, though it pains me to say it, you can do better" Falco smiled despite the memories, the pains welling up in him. Fox grinned.

"That's a first coming from you" Fox laughed. Falco shrugged and followed him into he simulator room.

"I dunno Tyson's kinda cute" Silver giggled

"You'd like Fox then, I'll introduce you when this is over" Falco said. The image suddenly started to bleed away. Silver's fine features twisted.

"Silver..." Falco said out loud

"No, I said red or green" Fox smiled and shook his head "Slippy?"

"Green!" Slippy said.

Falco shook his head and watched Fox toss a coin.

"Ok Slip' you're with me" he said before climbing into one of the simulators. Falco gathered they had decided on a two-on-two match. He climbed into another of the units.

"where we goin' again?" Falco asked

"haven't decided yet" Fox answered. "fancy anywhere in particular?"

"Anywhere but sector X" Falco heard himself say.

"What about Katina?" Peppy asked

"Nah too open" Fox commented "...What about Myrin, lots of mountains, caves and stuff for cover."

"North, south or equatorial" Slippy asked.

"North, snow should make life more interesting, 300 mile arena. Everyone ok with that?"

"Yep" everyone said.

The team had only ever flown over Myrin once, it was uninhabited except for a small outpost, they had been employed on search and rescue hunting for a downed shuttle. In the end Peppy had found it buried in a snowdrift. By the time they found it half the crew were dead, but they managed to save 5 from the elements. The ones they had rescued had been grateful, which was what made the job worthwhile.

The screen flicked into life. Snow bombarded the cabin, high wind speeds made going in a straight line difficult. Falco noted Peppy's Arwing a little ahead of him, but without the scanners he would barely know he was there. The visibility was so bad Falco could only just see the front of the ship.

"heck Pep' I can barely see my nose!" Falco commented, hoping to break the silence that had been between them since the morning.

"Come on" Peppy said pulling away to the left. Falco followed him.

Fox and Slippy flew along on the other side of the arena

"Any ideas Slip?" Fox asked

"nope..."

"Well lets use this snow to our advantage, I can't see jack shit out here. Lets try to separate them and bring them down one by one."

"Like wolves in a flock of sheep?"

"Yep, split them then concentrate your fire on Peppy, until Falco finds us again then hit the deck and loose them in the white"

"Ok Fox, go in low and fast and they might miss us on scanners"

"Righty ho!"

Falco could only see Peppy by the light of his engine. He tried again

"Peppy..."

"keep your eyes open"

"Peppy- Fox and Slippy comin' from below!" Falco shouted.

Before they knew what was happening Fox shot up between them forcing them to split in separate directions. Falco pulled up and away to the right in doing so lost sight of him completely. The scanner told him that Fox and Slippy were chasing Peppy, not letting him get a shot in, keeping him running. Falco knew the game they were playing, he'd done it himself. He cut all but the important systems and allowed his Arwing to drop like a stone.

"Fox, Falco's gone of radar!"

"Stay sharp Slip"

Falco switched everything he had on at once, his Arwing lit up lit a Christmas tree.

"Cruel game to play Fox" He said angrily as he bombarded them with fire. Peppy trailing smoke was an easy target. Falco cut in, in front of them and swerved about barrel rolling, covering Peppy's tail. Slippy and Fox backed off.

"Phew thanks Falco" Peppy said.

"No problem" Falco answered "Hey how about we do a little ambushing of our own? There's a cave coming up big enough for one of us to sit in"

"What'd you have in mind?"

"Fancy playing bait again?..."

"Hey Fox, I've got Peppy on my scanners. I can't see Falco though. He's up ahead crossing over a mountain range, really slow, do you think Falco left him behind?"

"I doubt it, but whatever they're planning Peppy's as good as down anyway. We can finish him. Come on!"

Fox and Slippy flew up behind Peppy. They didn't fire immediately, to their cost. Fox's alarms started to scream, someone had a lock on him. Then a bomb slammed into to his side. Coupled with the wind he was knocked down and away from Peppy. Before Slippy knew what was happening he was under fire from both Arwings. Seconds before they could finish him Fox was back. He shot Falco forcing him to leave Slippy alone and dive into the white mist. Fox and Slippy could now bear down on Peppy again. Falco turned his Arwing back, against the wind. He couldn't get there quick enough. Fox took him.

"Arrh!"

"Peppy!!" Falco screamed. -A shadow hunted him. Friendly voices screamed out in agony. Falco was powerless to help them. He wanted revenge.

A silver and purple arrow emerged form the snowstorm. Fox was vaporised by a bomb before he knew what hit him. Falco's wing came through the canopy of Slippy's cockpit. Peppy heard him scream from outside. Falco rampaged on, anger burning from some recess in the depths of his soul.

The simulator shut down. Falco blinked as light flooded the compartment. It was all just a game.

"That's one hell scary way of killing me Falco!" Slippy screamed. Falco jumped and nearly fell out the other side of the simulator.

"Interesting method, if a little insane!" Fox cried.

"I- I" Falco stammered.

"You alright?" Peppy asked suddenly concerned. Falco continued to move his mouth without saying anything. He hadn't felt like that since they had shown him Salty's body. The pain...

"Peppy..." Falco finally managed to say out loud. Peppy was standing closer to him now, leaning into the simulator. Only Peppy saw the tears running down his face. Falco looked up at him, his eyes scared. Then he blinked and a mask seemed to drop over his face. Erasing what went before. He peered past Peppy to Fox and Slippy.

"We won didn't we?" he asked.

"Well..."

"You wanna go again?" Falco asked, anything to escape Peppy's gaze.

"Nah, it's getting late. We haven't had tea yet"

"Fox do you ever think about anything but food?"

"Hey I've been living off dinosaur food for the last few weeks, give me junk food any day!"

Falco could sympathise there.

"It's your night to cook Falco"

"And mine" Peppy said quickly

"Come on then. I'm hungry" Fox said happily.

Fox and Slippy chattered about where they went wrong as they walked along. Peppy walked close to Falco's side but said nothing. Only once they were in the kitchen at the back of the common room did he speak.

"Are you alright?" Falco bent to find a frying pan in one of the cupboards. He answered without looking at Peppy.

"Yes" he couldn't look him in the eye and lie to him. He wanted to say "I'm far from alright" but couldn't bring himself to. Peppy paused looking in the fridge for inspiration.

"You wouldn't use a move like that outside of the simulator would you? A little more to the right and you would have been dead too"

Falco found the pan but didn't stand up "I have used it before"

"I don't remember that" Peppy said.

"You wouldn't, you were sectors away" Falco said only to himself and the cupboard. When he finally did stand up he just shrugged and put the frying pan on the heat. It had been a while since he'd cooked with a proper oven. He used to like to cook. Peppy chopped the stuff up for the omelette much to Falco's relief. He still had problems with holding the knife with only three usable fingers. Falco found the plates and beat the eggs.

Falco wasn't hungry. He chased the same piece of egg around the plate for what felt like hours. They sat around the table, not much had changed here since before Falco had left, but no-matter how hard he tried he couldn't slip back into his usual role in the team. The media liked to see him as the "arrogant Avion", he'd never been like that, but now he seemed to take things more seriously than he used to. Life seemed fragile, cruel and terribly short. He'd been bled of his arrogance in a stinking cell.

Fox and Slippy went to bed not much later. Fox's injury's thought he never complained were draining him. Falco noted he walked with a limp. Slippy the youngest always went to bed earlier. Falco would have liked nothing more than to sleep, but now he was terrified of the nightmares sleep would always bring.

When Peppy finally left the common room some hours later Falco followed him.

"You're like a lost sheep tonight Falco" Peppy said as they walked to their rooms.

"I just didn't feel like sleeping or sitting there on my own"

Peppy paused for a moment, then carried on. He thought to himself how wrong he'd been. He had thought that when Falco came back the worry would go away. So far it hadn't.

"Goodnight Peppy" Falco said in a voice that seemed quieter than he remembered.

"Goodnight little one" Peppy watched his door close "I used to understand you Falco. I don't anymore, how much can someone change in six weeks?"

He walked off thoughtfully, maybe he would be better once he got into the swing of things again.

Falco got changed slowly. If he moved too quickly in an odd direction he could tear one of his wounds. They didn't bother him as much as they had but they still hurt. As he pulled off his shirt he heard something metallic rattle. He looked down, his granddad's dog-tag. Falco turned and rummaged through the few things he'd brought back. Finally he found what he was looking for. The silver slate the army used for identifying bodies, his dog-tag. He let his eyes fall on it.

Lombardi, Falco

Avion

0795868

He pulled Falco up by the tag. If he hadn't been held by the guards he would have struggled, as it was he was helpless. He was forced to stare at that ugly face.

"Lombardi eh? That's a familiar name isn't it?"

The other man grunted in response.

"We're gunna have lots of fun with you Star Fox, and once we're bored maybe we'll sell you to Venom, we'd get a good price for you"

"Bast-" one of the guards struck Falco on the beak before he could finish speaking.

"Shame you didn't bring your little friends with you, that Peppy's already been conditioned for us, but there's still lots of spirit to break"

Falco launched himself forward filled with rage, the guard held him away.

"I'll kill you!!" Falco screamed

"Insolent little shit, we'll soon knock that out of you" he waved his hand and one of the guards struck him on the back of the head with the butt of his gun. He fell forwards. But that was just the beginning...

Falco staggered. His fist clenched tightly around the dog-tag, even without it they would have recognised him. He put both his grandfather's and his own onto the chain and put it round his neck. He wore them for comfort, to remember all those he'd lost. If he died in the Arwing there would be no body to identify.

Falco was exhausted, he felt as though he hadn't slept properly for weeks. His body and mind were drained. He crawled into bed and wished desperately he would sleep. He felt he would do just about anything for one undisturbed night. He drifted away quicker than he was expecting...

The shuttle glided forward, Silver at the controls. Falco looked round at the nervous faces, at least, everyone except Tyson, who pretended not to be afraid. Lupus checked his gun for what felt like the hundredth time. Salty rested his hand one of the Arwing's noses. Falco sat beside Silver at the controls of the shuttle ready to lend a hand if necessary. Blaze checked the bomb components were firmly in his bag. The mood was low and nervous, the tension of the team seemed to crackle in the air.

He groaned in his sleep, rolled over and fell into a deep dark emptiness.

All too soon the darkness lifted. A blue glow filled Falco's senses.

"How many lives have you taken? You did not even always believe in the causes you were fighting for. How can you say you're any better than Andross. You are a mercenary are you not? You get paid for spilling as much blood as possible. We are peace spirits, we give life. How can you ask us to refuse to give this one a second chance? Would you not ask us to do the same for the ones you love? Would the families of the ones whose blood you shed not ask us to bring them back?"

Salty, Silver and the others flashed across his mind, their faces more vivid, intensified by the spirit's power.

"You even carry the blood of friends?"

"No, no I did what I thought was right. I tried to save them!"

"How also can we grant the request of someone who did not consider his own life sacred?"

Images flooded across Falco's mind, his own thoughts echoed around the blue expanse "I didn't want to wake up". His head was being held under the water again. "Hold me under, please end this!"

Falco landed several feet from his bed. His head making contact with the floor with a hard thud. He struggled to breathe. He rolled onto his back clutching at his throat. Finally he screamed out.

"Help me!"

But no help came. No help would. The last chance of help had gone out when they brought in Blaze's body. Falco knew that but refused to accept it. He thought of Peppy, home... Falco was aware he was in his room. He'd escaped. Trying to hold on to the lasts of his sanity he crawled back into his bed and pulled the covers over his head.

"all wings report to the bridge"

Falco sat up wondering what was going on. There were no alarms so it wasn't urgent, they weren't under attack. His clock showed that it was very early morning, he still had several hours left to pretend to sleep. Pulling on a dressing gown he was grateful.

He walked slowly to the bridge. Fox looked up when he entered.

"Morning" he said grimly and turned back to a display panel. Falco came to look over his shoulder.

"What's up?"

"Pepper called, we've got a mission"

"Where?" Peppy asked coming into the room. Falco and Fox both jumped. "Sorry" Peppy mumbled.

"Wait till Slippy gets here"

There was silence for a time. Falco felt Fox and Peppy looking at him as though expecting him to say something. It was too early in the morning for him to oblige. After a few seconds more Peppy said it for him.

"You'd better call him again Fox, Slippy'll sleep through anything" Peppy turned to Falco and nudged him in the back "This could be an interesting day. Falco's left his sarcasm in bed!" Falco tried to give him an evil look but it came out more like a yawn. Maybe he was more tired than he realised.

"Slippy, report to the bridge" Fox said again.

Falco couldn't suppress another very large yawn. He hoped he would be awake enough to avoid flying into something. He sank into a chair by Fox's side. He looked at the screen he was studying briefly. He noted a busy streetscape before his eyes closed again.

Fox and Peppy looked grimly at the screen. There were lots of buildings packed tightly together. Lots of cover for enemy targets.

"We'll have to watch where we're shooting" Peppy said

"Yeah, should be ok though"

Falco stood in the middle of a city, in a body not his own. He watched himself fly his Arwing over the tops of the buildings. Something red fell from the ship. Then all the world exploded.

Slippy entered the room. Fox looked to Peppy.

"Wake him" Fox said

Peppy shook Falco's arm. Falco opened his eyes. Peppy was shocked by the terror on his face. Again the mask dropped and his face went back to a normal grin.

"Sorry, must've dropped off. This is far to early for me"

"I agree" Slippy said yawning "What's up Fox"

Fox flicked the controls so the main display showed the street map and began his briefing.

"This is Saxoni, a medium sized city in the southern hemisphere of Butani. The city is centralised around this Federation military base. Early this morning local time a group of rebels stormed the base and captured certain parts of it. Suffice to say they made off with several tanks, antiaircraft guns and armoured vehicles. They took what they stole into the city. So far they haven't fired on any civilian buildings but it's only a matter of time. The government is in talks with the leader. So far no hostages in the base have been harmed. That however is not our concern. The planet has very limited air support. The nearest units cannot be brought in for several hours. Our job is to clear up the captured vehicles, before they can be removed or used for other means. We clear the way for allied commandos who will recapture the base." Fox paused "Any questions"

"How many targets we looking at?" Peppy asked.

"About 9 tanks with antiaircraft capabilities, and 13 scud launchers. The armoured vehicles are mostly heavy munitions trucks so you can leave them to the ground troops. They would like to get them back if possible." Fox smiled.

"Walk in the park then?" Slippy asked.

"Exactly" Fox said

"Yeah that's much the problem, one wrong move and you hit one of the buildings" Falco said looking at the street map and the position of the tanks. The team stared at him. After a long pause Fox spoke up.

"Don't worry, it's only like when we flew through Corneria and countless other places. Easy peasy, as long as you don't get trigger-happy. Any other questions?"

Each shook their heads in turn.

"Right then, we arrive in 30 minutes. Everyone in the docking bay in 20."

They all went back to their rooms. Falco couldn't get rid of the uneasy felling in the bottom of his stomach. This would be his first combat flight for a long time, since... He wished the circumstances were different as he pulled on his traditional flight gear.

Fox was leaning against his Arwing when Falco entered the docking bay. He nodded in greeting as Falco went over to his Arwing. He ran his eyes over it briefly, checking it for any obvious damage. Nothing serious. In the battle with Andross he'd been mostly unscathed. It needed some new armour in places and a wash but nothing that would stop it flying. Falco couldn't check the modified parts with Fox in the bay. He'd have to trust Salty's work. He wouldn't need them anyway. He glanced at Fox's ship. Someone or the repair bots had fixed it since the battle. All the Arwings looked good, shiny. Falco's looked a little different to the rest; the modifications changing its appearance in places.

"You know it won't fly itself, no matter how hard you look at it" Fox said coming over. "Or if it can that'll be one hell of an autopilot!"

Falco grinned at him "nope you're still stuck with plain old me"

"Shame" Fox said jokingly, shaking his head "What did you do to it?"

"A friend of mine updated it a bit"... "A friend I lost" Falco thought sadly

"With what?"

"Stronger shields, cannons... and a few other tricks" Falco managed to grin

Fox turned to him and was about to speak when Peppy and Slippy appeared.

"Ready you two?" he asked

"yup" Slippy said, Peppy just nodded.

"We should come into orbit of the planet in a few minutes. Slippy do the pre-flight checks"

He nodded and tottered off to check each Arwing over in turn. As he ran his hand along Fox's ship's hull a mechanical voice spoke

"Great Fox is now in orbit around Butani"

"Right guys lets go!" Fox shouted moving towards his ship. Falco climbed the side and sank into the familiar cockpit. His hands moved without thinking over the controls, it was just one more mission, just like all the ones before he told himself. The cockpit closed. The engine roared into life and lifted off the deck. Fox and Peppy boosted away Falco followed and then Slippy came out last, they'd done it a million times...

"So why am I so scared?" Falco asked himself.

The team moved into their usual positions. Peppy had to think twice about his position in the formation. He'd been flying in Falco's place for the last few missions. Flight missions seemed to have lost their appeal over the last months. Falco had been their best pilot, and even Fox knew it. Dinosaur Planet had been well timed...

"All wings report" Fox began the usual routine.

"Peppy standing by"

"Slippy ready"

Falco had always been third, third in command. He sighed sadly and answered last.

"Lets get this over and done with Fox"

"Star Fox team move out!" Fox hadn't been able to say that without a heavy heart for a long time. The four of them dove towards the planet...

The tank was sat in the middle of civilian territory, Falco had a lock but he couldn't bring himself to squeeze the trigger. What if he missed? His Arwing shot over the target.

"What's up Falco?" Peppy asked as he destroyed his target.

"Couldn't get a lock" Falco lied.

"Go round and try again" Fox ordered. Falco turned the Arwing back towards the tank, barrel rolling to deflect the anti-aircraft fire. It stopped suddenly as Slippy fired. The sick feeling in his heart was there again, chewing away at his soul. He turned round one of the skyscrapers coming in for a second approach. The tank was just sat there, vulnerable, easy, he'd hit more difficult targets before even without the computer. He had a lock, the computer clicked down the range. He was aware Fox was trailing his attack run. He had to fire; he went to pull the trigger... Salty's bloodied face flashed across his mind. His fingers wouldn't move. He shot over the target again. He heard Fox drop one of his bombs on it, cleanly. Falco was suddenly sure he was going to be sick.

"What the hell was that Falco?!!" Fox asked angrily

"Mechanical failure bomb wouldn't release, I'm gunna have to back out!" Falco said without thinking. He cut the comm. and fled for Great Fox.

"Regroup and prepare for the strike on the central base" Fox said as he watched Falco's ship speed up away from the planet's surface. They moved into formation, Peppy moving forward again to Falco's spot on his left wing. They sped onwards towards the base. The fight was easy, a few well aimed shots and all the enemy occupied vehicles were destroyed, then they only had to provide air cover while the commando's recaptured the base.

Falco only just made it to the docking bay bathroom. He was sick, sick like he'd been before, only this time there was no blood. The pain was just as bad though, like knives being driven through his soul.

Salty laughed keenly as Falco tried his best with the complicated systems. He turned his smoke covered face to scowl good-heartedly at him. He reached forward and showed him the correct way to do it... just like Slippy. There was a flash and Falco was staring at his broken body laid out on the dirty floor, they hadn't even spared him. Falco wanted to hold him but his hands were tied and the guard held him up on his painful feet.

Falco sat leaning against the wall. He wondered if it would ever go away, if he would ever be able to sleep without seeing his face covered in blood. He knew where the team kept the cyanide pills... Then he heard the docking bay doors rumble open. He staggered slowly out of the bathroom to his ship; he had to look as though he was fixing something. He tossed his vomit splattered jacket behind a box of supplies as Fox's Arwing broke the atmospheric barrier. Hiding sickness and injury had become second nature recently. He grabbed one of Slippy's tools and crawled under the ship. He lay on the cool floor listening to all three ships dock. Then he heard footsteps coming towards him.

"Falco" Fox said sternly. Falco crawled out from under the ship. "Check the systems Slippy" Fox ordered.

"I'll fix it" Falco said frightened

"No, I want Slippy to do it"

"But-"

"Slippy's the mechanic. You come with me" Fox said sternly before walking off with Peppy. Falco paused to speak to Slippy.

"Don't touch any of the new systems"

"Move it Falco!" Fox shouted. He dropped his head and trotted after him. Slippy watched him go; he had a feeling he wasn't going to find anything wrong with the ship.

Fox led Falco into one of the side rooms off the docking bay.

"Sit" Fox said. Falco did so willingly, his legs feeling weak. Peppy stood quietly in one corner watching him intently.

"Tell me again why you backed out"

"Mechanical failure"

"Of the bomb release?"

"Yes"

"And you thought that that alone meant you had to back out?"

"Yes"

"You could have provided air cover and done laser runs" Fox said. Falco shrugged, lasers were even less accurate.

"Answer me when I speak to you"

"Yes sir" Falco said slowly.

"Damn it Falco your attitude is really starting to piss me off!" Falco looked up but said nothing. "You had no right to back out!" Falco again shrugged. "And your little outburst with General Pepper was far from appropriate"

"You have no idea" Falco said bitterly.

"Oh really?" Falco just stared at him, almost as though he didn't see him. "Answer me damn it!" Falco shook his head. Peppy remembered suddenly something he'd been told to watch out for in fighter pilots and army commandos. He pushed the thought away. It couldn't be surely... Fox and Falco starred at one another for a while until Slippy broke in.

"Err-Fox I couldn't find anything wrong with any of Falco's systems..." Fox turned on Falco, who flinched away a little.

"Explain that?"

"I can't" Falco said sadly. Fox's face contorted with anger.

"I am relieving you of active duty, until your attitude improves and until you can give me an adequate reason as to why you pulled out and why you lied to me." Fox said forcefully. Falco looked down. He was relieved, he sighed deeply. Fox walked out of the room. Slippy had evidently been listening to the conversation.

"Sorry Falco" he said quietly and cut the comm.

"Falco why did you do that?" Peppy asked gently coming to his side. Falco sighed.

"It was that or make a very large mess in my ship" Peppy frowned at him.

"If it was a medical emergency why didn't you say so?" Falco shrugged and put his head down on his arms on the table in front of him.

"I still could have fired the bomb..."

"So why didn't you?"

Falco's face contorted in pain, he buried it in his arms "I lost my nerve. I couldn't bring myself to fire that bomb in civilian territory... in case I missed. I don't want more innocent lives accounted to my name"

"What do you mean?" Falco didn't answer, Peppy decided to continue with what he understood "you wouldn't have missed, the computer almost never misses"

"But what if it had?" Peppy didn't have an answer for that. "I was going to ask you to relieve me of duty anyway; I'm more of a liability than anything else right now..."

Peppy put a gentle hand on his shoulder "why?"

"I..." he couldn't answer. Slowly he got to his feet and walked to his room; though Peppy stayed close by his side all the way he said nothing. Peppy didn't want to leave Falco but he didn't want to pry either. Falco went into his room alone.

Peppy walked off down the corridor nervously, if anything Falco had been a little overconfident before, now... Peppy wondered what he had meant by "other lives" he wished he knew what had happened to Falco. An idea played around in his mind, but he refused to believe it, it was to horrific to even comprehend.

Peppy walked into the common room. Fox was sat at the table with his head in his hands. He looked round when Peppy approached. He frowned at him.

"You ok?" Fox asked. Peppy sat down without answering. Falco's words went round and round in his mind

"Peppy? You ok?" Fox asked again. Peppy looked up.

"Yes" he sighed. Fox turned back to stare at the table.

"Did I do the right thing?"

"Yes"

Fox seemed relieved by Peppy's answer.

"I haven't had a real conversation with him since he came back" Fox said sadly

"The only times I've spoken to him he's left me more confused and worried than anything"

"Why?"

"After you left he told me he lost his nerve-"

"Falco, no way!"

"Yes, he said he didn't want anymore innocent lives accounted to his name..."

"What does that mean?"

"No idea... and I think when he finished in the simulator last night he was crying."

"Crying... why?"

"I don't know. I think today was more of a medical thing than mechanical. He told me he was going to be sick... which I can believe"

"...Peppy have you seen his arms?"

Peppy looked up

"The scars?"

"Yeah. Peppy I've been beating SharpClaw up for the last two weeks and I don't look like that... the marks, they're too regular to be accidental... You don't think he could have been doing it to himself?"

"I don't know..." Peppy ignored the voice in the back of his mind growing more urgent and insistent, the faint sound of screaming, the scars on his own arms, he would almost rather Falco was self-harming than that. Anything but that...

"I don't like him like this... Has he told you anything about what happened while he was away?" Fox asked

"No"

"Do you think something happened...?"

"Something must have... there's no way he just floated around in a single Arwing for six weeks"

"Something bad I mean..."

"I hope not but every time I try to find out what happened I just seem to make things worse."

"Do you think he would talk to me?"

"I doubt it"

Fox shrugged "Show willing... What do you think will happen when General Pepper gets his hands on him?"

"Formal reprimand, or something"

"Why do you think he reacted like that?"

"I dread to think..."

Then each faded to silence and their own thoughts.

When Falco hadn't reappeared from his room by the late evening Peppy started to get worried. He understood him not wanting to see Fox but still, he hadn't come out for lunch or anything else. Peppy couldn't stand it anymore, the tension onboard was starting to get to him, he couldn't forget what had happened the last time Fox and Falco had fought, he'd been keeping an eye on the docking bay. Finally he found himself knocking on his door.

"Yes?" A small voice answered.

"Can I come in?"

"Hang on." Falco pushed the picture into the back of his photo album. "Alright"

Peppy opened the door and walked inside. Falco looked awful, sat in almost complete darkness.

"Lights..." Peppy mumbled. Falco blinked hard a couple of times. "Don't you want some tea?" Peppy asked

"I'm not hungry" He said in that same small voice. Peppy came closer.

"How come?"

"I'm just not... I still don't feel well after this morning"

"Oh alrigh-" Peppy's wandering eyes spotted something "Falco why have you got a gun by your bed?!" Falco turned and picked up the black weapon. He eyed it forlornly then tossed it into the corner of the room. Peppy ducked.

"Happy now?"

Peppy was again left speechless. "What's wrong Falco?" Peppy asked "We're all worried about you."

His eyes glazed over for a moment then he looked up and smiled.

"I don't mean to worry you, honest"

"If you told us what was wrong, we could help, then we wouldn't have to worry"

"Unless you have a time machine there isn't much you can do"

"not got one of those, just a listening ear and friendly advise. That's always worked before" Peppy touched one of his ears as he sat by his side "Bunny ears were always good for listening"

Falco smiled fleetingly.

"Its been a very long few months. It feels like an eternity's gone by since I left here"

"Six weeks is a long time to be on your own..."

"I wasn't alone, that's much the problem"

"Girl troubles?" Peppy asked hopefully.

"I wish" Falco scoffed.

"Did you fall in with the wrong sort of crowd then?"

"Depends who you consider the wrong crowd to be" Falco said touching the place on his chest where the two sets of dog-tags rested. Both marked with the emblem of the Cornerian Army...

"Well..." Peppy started trying to find something to say that wouldn't offend Falco. He'd run with what many would consider to be the wrong crowds before. They had been the only thing that had kept him alive.

"Sorry about before Peppy... the other day..."

Peppy smiled and hugged him briefly "That's ok, no harm done" Falco looked up.

"You know that was the first thing you ever said to me... When we met. After I was sat in your Arwing, and you shouted at me to get out."

"I remember..."

"That seems like so long ago, the four of us have been through so much since then"

"yes..." Peppy said grinning.

"Zoness was always the worst... the smell...ugh. The ships brought it in... the docking bay stank for weeks"

"And we had to repaint the Arwings."

"I know, took me forever to get mine right again. Do you know that stuff dissolved the tips of the wings and I had to have a new canopy fitted"

"Well you did take a bit of a dunking"

"Yeah, Slippy was pissed"

Peppy decided to let that one go "Poor thing, having to fix the ships after that"

Falco smiled and nodded "he had to wear one of those contamination suits didn't he?"

"Yeah, a least until the Arwings had had several washes and the bay atmosphere was purged"

"Good job they paid us well" Falco had meant to sound sarcastic, but when he spoke it sounded more bitter than anything else. Peppy remained silent for a long while. Then finally he decided he wasn't going to get anything more out of Falco.

"Goodnight Falco, sweet dreams" Falco remained staring at the floor.

"And you Peppy" he finally managed to say. Peppy walked towards the door, but paused to pick up Falco's gun before leaving the room, taking it with him.

Peppy thoughtfully wandered the corridors, fumbling with Falco's gun as he walked. He had never allowed them to carry side arms onboard Great Fox. They had no reason to, the only ones who could get onboard were team members, and they could trust one another surely. He tried to convince himself that Falco had simply forgotten to take it off after the mission that morning, but Falco had never been careless. Peppy couldn't shake the feeling that there was something more sinister going on.

Falco settled for another restless night, he'd almost stopped feeling tired, even that took too much effort. He didn't expect to sleep, but he had nothing better to do than try. It was almost as though the nightly ritual of trying to sleep was more force of habit than anything else.

Falco's Arwing glided along quietly. He could hear his own voice but wasn't aware he was talking.

"This isn't over yet. I never finished what I was sent to do. I failed my mission and thousands could die because of that. I made a huge mess of things. The pain will never go away... I wont live long enough to forget."

The noise of explosions shattered the silence and rattled the Arwing. The massive square bulk of a ship pulled over the top of Falco, bombarding him with fire. Alarms started to scream, a fireball welled up from the nose but never hit.

Falco yelped. He was laid on the floor his wrist bent under him. He struggled to move. He tested it carefully, he hadn't broken it again. Falco considered giving up on sleeping, but as he sat on the floor his head started to droop.

"What you doing down there Fal-" Falco jumped, the shock on his face surprised Slippy "Were you asleep?" he asked

"ugh... I don't know... Slippy what time is it?" Falco asked groggily.

"Early." Slippy approached and helped Falco to his feet "Fox and Peppy said not to tell you, but we've got another mission"

"So what Slip, you know I'm not coming"

"We're moving to meet the Fleet now..."

"The Fleet?!" Falco asked snapping awake, the terror of past battles resurfacing, some of them battles never fought.

"Yes... we haven't got much information yet. Pepper is going to give us the details in about half an hour..."

Slippy watched as Falco began to move around the room quickly, he started to pull on a top.

"Falco your back!" Slippy cried suddenly.

Falco looked over his shoulder "You should probably ignore that" he said, hastily pulling the shirt on over his head.

"But... what happened?" He asked anxiously

"Nothing"

"Yeah right. Falco this has gone too far now, I'm telling Peppy!"

Falco turned to face him, towering head and shoulders above "No, you're not" Again he seemed to catch up with himself and check himself, sighing he spoke "At least wait until after the mission..."

"Thought you weren't coming"

Falco pulled the long sleeves of the shirt down his arms "If the fleet's been called in something big must be going down. I can't afford not to be out there"

"Do you think Fox will agree?"

"Frankly I don't care-Slippy do you mind" Slippy turned round while Falco changed his trousers.

"Fox wont be very happy if you just decide to fly today"

"I'm not letting any of you go out there into some mass battle without me to watch your backs"

Slippy was startled. Falco's words lacked the overconfidence he usually associated with such comments. It was almost as though he was afraid.

"You're not leaving me here to bang my head against the wall while you face heaven knows what- You three aren't leaving me here alone if you get blown to bits. Come on." Falco moved towards the door, Slippy followed trying to make sense of his words.

Fox and Peppy looked up gravely when they entered the room.

"Where do you think your going?" Fox asked irritably

"I'm coming with you"

"I relieved you of duty, so far you haven't given me any reason to change that."

Falco dropped his head and sighed deeply "I lost my nerve ok... civilian casualties... out here... no civilians. And I'm sorry for what I said to General Pepper. It wont happen again"

"Falco I-"

Falco's head snapped up to look Fox in the eye "If you don't let me fly at your wing Fox, I'll fly as a lone wolf at the back of the fleet. I'm not staying here to watch you three get blown to pieces. But if its what you want it, after the attack is over I wont come back here"

"I never said that" Fox said sadly. He looked over Falco's shoulder at Peppy who shrugged.

"Alright Falco, but no more stupid stunts"

Falco nodded grimly. The daggers tickling at his heart, the thought of loosing one of them...

Pepper hailed them.

"Star Fox team... The fleet will rendezvous with your position in a moment, you are flying with 100 fighters drawn from various units in the army. Fox you're in charge, the fleet will report to you. Standard squad formations will be set up under you. I'm afraid we don't have much information. Scans have picked up a lot of unusual signals and activity in this area for the last couple of days, communications received no response, which has led us to believe they may be hostile. We're sending you and the fleet to check it out. Be aware Fox, there could be an enemy base in there somewhere, we aren't sure what you're going up against. Squadron leaders are being briefed simultaneously. Good luck and take care Star Fox."

"Right General" Fox said in his usual optimistic tone. Falco and the General made eye contact for a moment, Falco looked at him sadly. Then turned away.

"Watch yourselves out there" Pepper said. Falco paused, then walked away.

The team boarded their Arwings as the firsts of the fleet began to surround Great Fox. The Star Fox team moved into their standard diamond formation as the numbers of other vessels increased around them.

"all wings report in" Fox said

"All systems go" Peppy said

"Slippy here, ready for action"

"Falco standing by" Last to answer again.

"Green group, ready and accounted for" A new voice said

"Red leader here, we're ready"

"Blue group standing by"

"Sigma squadron go!" An all too eager young voice said.

"Fleet accounted for, lets move out" Fox said accelerating away from Great Fox followed by wing after wing of fighters. Flying with the fleet had always made Falco nervous...

"In combat you always follow you're leader, you do what they say, even if they're wrong"

The fleet flew on in their standard formations, squads spread out widely in v shapes. Fox was beginning to think they were on a wild goose chase when his scanners picked something up. All the team's scanners started to bleep at once. Then they saw a dark mass blocking out the stars. Falco felt as though a cannon ball had hit him in the chest. The lasts of his sanity and security seemed to crumble around him. That particular black bulk was familiar...

"Oh crap... it's the Behemoth! No...No Fox tell the fleet to withdraw!"

"What? Falco what's the matter?"

"Retreat! Retreat! Tell them to back off before they die!" Falco's voice sounded hysterical.

"What? Falco don't be stupid."

"Fox listen to me; you're leading them to their deaths. Please Fox for once in your life listen to me! Just this once, please!" Falco pleaded

"Shut the fuck up Falco, that's an order!"

Despite his better judgment Falco remained at Fox's side. Inside he began to scream again. His fear increased to blind terror at the ship's dark bulk grew closer and closer. It was happening again. Only this time he knew how impossible the odds really were. The fleet were on a suicide mission, with Star Fox at the lead. The Federation had sold them out... Again.

The Behemoth opened its bay doors and the armada of vessels poured out. Falco heard Fox swear quietly over the radio.

"Engage targets, repeat engage targets"

The fleet broke and engaged the ships. Vessels attempted to strike the Behemoth but were cut down in their droves. Fox watched the fleet status monitor. They were dropping fast. Within 30 seconds 100 fighters were 80. Slippy's shields were draining as were the rest's, the only one who's seemed to hold were Falco's, sticking close to Peppy's wing.

Falco found that if he stuck close to Peppy he could keep his emotions in check, barely. Peppy was too busy fighting to ask. Falco worked to shield him, if he had a purpose he could keep going. Finally Slippy spoke.

"I'm coming close to the threshold Fox" Falco looked down at the team status readout. Slippy's damage was nearly in the red. Fox was nearly there too and Peppy was halfway through the yellow. Falco peeled off to find Slippy. As he crossed through the swarms of enemy ships and flew under the Behemoths shadow the memories started to come back. He reached Slippy only just in time, they threatened to overwhelm him. Falco began shadowing Slippy as he had for Peppy and thankfully the memories subsided.

The fleet was down to 52. Fox had to make a decision. He hated running from a fight but they were outnumbered and outgunned.

"Retreat all vessels retreat."

The fleet didn't take long to start to respond. They turned tail and started to back off. Then the Behemoth truly showed its power. It started firing its big guns, destroying the fighters with one shot. They were being massacred. Someone needed to distract the Behemoth and Falco knew he was the only one who could.

Falco's Arwing faded, and disappeared.

"What the?... Falco where are you?"

"Fox get the fleet the hell out of here. Return to fall back positions!"

Seconds later a row of bombs detonated in front to the massive ship's bow.

"Now Fox! Don't hang around to think about it! Its too late for that now. Get your furry tail our of here!"

The vessel, shaken, fired aimlessly as though searching for a target, its guns ignoring the fleeing fleet.

"Retreat, all craft retreat" Fox cried. The lasts of the fleet fled as fast as their ships could go.

Falco watched the team get further and further away. He drove his ship back along the Behemoth's bow dropping the lasts of his bombs. He couldn't believe he was back, doing this, again. The cloak was holding. One of the lasers caught him, without shields it took the tip of his wing clean off.

"Shit time to get out of here!" he told himself. The cloak started to fail. The severed metal of his wing glided away from the ship and became visible. The guns locked on and destroyed it. A voice came over the radio

"I'm not finished with you yet Lombardi!" It screamed. Blind terror took him with the sound of that voice. He pushed down the thrust and closed his eyes.

Fox glided by Great Fox along with the puny remainders of the fleet. The team were more shocked than anything else, finally their leader spoke up.

"... I don't know what was more scary... that thing... or that Falco was right" He tried to lighten he mood.

"Don't even joke Fox" Peppy said his voice barely more than a whisper "Falco's not coming back this time" He switched off his comm.

Fox starred silently at the stars and whispered the words spoken at his father's funeral. "'A shining stars gone out... my friend stopped flying today'... So long buddy."

Falco came within sight of the fleet, the cloak still on. He grew angry when he saw them. He used the radio to talk to all of them.

"What are you lot all doing together? Do you wanna be sitting ducks? The Behemoth will eat you alive! It'll cut you to pieces! Split up, go home to your bases!"

There were frightened mumbles over the radio. Then the fleet dispersed quickly. "Idiots the lot of them" Falco mumbled over the comm. as he dropped the cloak.

"Falco you're alive!" Came Slippy's voice

"Well what did you think I was, a ghost?" He asked flying past them and straight into Great Fox's docking bay.

Fox and Peppy couldn't believe it.

When he docked he shouted at the repair bots.

"Fix that wing" the rest he mumbled "I want to be the hell out of here as soon as possible." He went quickly to his room, trembling.

He shoved things in the bag, his most treasured possessions, photos, his diary with six weeks missing from it, a spare jacket. He couldn't bear to look round his room, this time it really would be the last time he saw it. He walked quickly to the armoury.

Falco put another gun in the top of the bag. He added as many clips as he could fit. Then a few grenades and plastic explosives, just to be sure. He paused when he heard footsteps behind him. Peppy's.

"Peppy, tell Fox it was never anything personal, and tell the CloudRunner, thanks" Falco said without turning round. He shouldered the heavy bag.

"The CloudRunner..." He paused and followed Falco with his eyes "Falco where are you going?"

"I'm leaving Peppy." He turned to face him, pain in his eyes "I asked Fox to do something... and he refused. Lots of people died today, that many didn't have to. I came back because I thought you were my friends. I can't stay with a team that doesn't trust me. Goodbye Peppy."

Falco went to go out the door. Peppy felt as though his heart would break.

"I can't let you leave with that much weaponry..."

Fox spoke to General Pepper.

"Is Falco on Great Fox?"

"Huh? Yes..." Fox struggled to understand why the general had asked that, of all things.

"Whatever happens Fox don't let him leave"

"Why would he want to do that-"

"Full security lock down, armoury!" Peppy's voice came over the comm. Fox looked up.

"Gotta go General"

"You shouldn't have done that" Falco said sadly. He knelt by the sealed door. He pulled a knife from his bag "now we have to do this the hard way" he unscrewed the panel and took it off. Peppy watched his team mate, the boy he'd raised. The boy he thought he understood. He thought he'd lost him, when he came back he thought he'd found him again, now he wasn't so sure.

"What's going on Falcs?" He persisted

He didn't answer. Falco put his hand into the panel and groped about for something. He pulled out a string of wires and fingered through them until he found the right one. He cut it and the door opened.

"Where'd you learn to do that?" Peppy asked. Again he didn't answer. When Falco stood up he was alarmed and dismayed to see Fox and Slippy blocking his way. Both holding guns at the ready.

"What's the matter Peppy?" Fox asked

"Who opened the door?" Slippy asked.

Falco went to run.

"Stop him!" Peppy shouted. Falco felt him point the gun at him. He froze. "Drop the bag" He did so. This was no different to before. It didn't matter who held the gun, as long as it was pointed at him.

"What's going on?" Fox asked, confused as always.

"Back in here Falco" Peppy ordered, the voice that had wished him sweet dreams. He raised his hands and walked back into the armoury. His head low. He had always thought he would be safe, if he got back to them. Peppy took the gun from Falco's hip and put both down and signalled for Fox and Slippy to do the same.

"Right, now that's over, what's wrong? Fox not listening to you is no reason to run off... again"

"Falco how did you know?" Fox asked.

"I-" Falco trembled

"What are you so afraid of? What is it about that ship that scares you so much?" Peppy asked, afraid he was entering dangerous territory.

"Why did General Pepper tell me not to let you leave?" Fox asked

Slippy remained ominously silent.

Falco crumbled. He couldn't fight anymore; he'd been fighting for too long. He relinquished, it was a relief.

"I - I've been inside that monster..." Falco sighed. The team stared at him. Peppy watched him sway and saw the look in his eyes. Terribly familiar... It all made brutal sense. He couldn't deny it anymore. Peppy was filled with rage. It disappeared as he moved forward. He barely caught Falco as he crumbled to the ground. "Though I lost my squad mates and was captured for it" Peppy holding him in his arms could feel him shaking, the rage returned.

"We'll get the bastards who did this to you. I promise" He growled, anger filling his soul.

Fox stared confused. Peppy seemed to know something he didn't. Falco seemed to have something major wrong with him, something only Peppy understood. He was crying now, crying like he had never seen him cry before. He dropped something. Fox got to his knees in front of them and picked it up. Falco's wings, the red brooch insignia of the winged fox. He stared at it. Peppy was saying something gently into Falco's ear and rocking him slowly, he was crying to. It sounded like a lullaby he was singing. Fox felt sick, he didn't understand, but he had a feeling he was beginning to. Peppy looked up and made eye contact with Fox. His expression sent a wave of cold fear through him. Peppy's usually calm eyes were filled with rage.

"Help me" he said flatly.

Between them they took Falco back to his room. As they walked painfully slowly as Falco seemed barely able to stand he heard him mumbling to himself

"Don't send me back...."

Once they arrived at his room Peppy turned to Slippy and Fox.

"Leave us. Fox talk to the General, see what you can find out. Then talk to the CloudRunner"

"The CloudRunner?"

"Yes, it seems Falco's been a busy boy"

Peppy took him inside. Fox turned to Slippy looking confused.

"The CloudRunner?"

"He he..." Slippy laughed nervously and looked away sheepishly.

"Slippy. Do you know something I don't?"

"Uh..."

Peppy sat Falco on the side of his bed and knelt in front of him. He had made sure the lights were on nearly to their maximum. He took Falco's hands in his.

"I don't know exactly what they did to you, or why, but you have to be strong. Find something you believe in and hold onto it, don't let go of that, don't allow yourself to get lost, or even I wont be able to bring you back"

"Peppy they...they..." Falco trailed off shaking

"I know... you must hold on to whatever it was that gave you the strength to survive, the courage to get away. You have to tell me what happened. When I was sat where you are now the best thing I did was telling my friends, it took me a long time to find the courage, but once I did things started to get better..."

"Slippy tell me what you know!" Fox shouted helplessly

"But I swore to secrecy, Falco will kill me if I- oops"

"Falco's not fit to kill anything right now" Fox sighed "If you want to help him you have to tell me what you know. What connects him and the CloudRunner?"

"...

Slippy turned to the bleeping on the radar. It looked almost as though a ship was entering the planet's atmosphere, but when he scanned there was no ship. Slippy was intrigued. Fox was hung up in the Volcano Force Point temple and wouldn't be coming back for a while so he felt it was safe to move Great Fox to investigate.

Falco had been monitoring Great Fox's movements. As he had anticipated Slippy had spotted him. He pushed the ship into the landing bay. A CloudRunner sat listening to the noise of the Arwing and tried to look in the right direction.

"Falco to CloudRunner, I'm here"

"Right Falco. Bring in your ship in to dock"

He had to get this timed right; he had to talk to Slippy before he spotted him. As soon as he dropped the cloak he would be discovered. Great Fox would be in range by now of the biosensors. Simultaneously he dropped the cloak and sent a message to Great Fox.

All the sensors started bleeping at once. Slippy logged an Arwing, one of theirs, highly modified, an Avion bio signature that could only belong to one person and an incoming message.

"Slippy. I know you can hear me. Respond"

"Falco??!! Where've you been hiding? We were beginning to give up on you!"

The sound of his voice, familiar... comforting, Falco wanted to go home, not be here. He sighed "Nice to know you have so much faith in me. Its good to hear your voice Slip'"

"Are you coming aboard, are you going to help Fox, is that why you're on the planet?"

"No. I'm not coming aboard Slippy"

"Why not? Peppy misses you, so do I and Fox won't admit he does. Wait and I'll call them; you can talk to them too-"

"No! Slippy you can't tell them I'm here!"

"Why?"

"That doesn't matter. I just don't want them to know. You have to keep my secret Slippy. Once I'm finished I'll be gone and they never have to know I was here."

"But...but Peppy he's-"

"Please Slippy promise me. It's really important that no-one finds out I'm here"

"Why?"

"It just is!"

"Alright Falco, I promise. But I'm going to be watching you, if you get into trouble I'm gunna tell them."

"Trouble's what I'm here for Slip' don't tell them. No-matter what happens"

"But... what if... what are you doing down there?"

"Sorting out one of the CloudRunner's... Little problems..."

Slippy looked up.

"I didn't find out much more than that. From what I gathered he spent some time in their fortress and then left just before you arrived. A CloudRunner flew him up a tower on one of the mountains and left him there. From his bio readings I guessed he entered some sort of fight but the readings were all screwed up, at one point there were so many life forces I couldn't pick his out, another time he seemed to be being attacked in an otherwise empty room..."

"You let all this happen and you didn't tell me? I outrank him. You kept this secret?"

"Yes. You didn't ask and Falco seemed to be getting on alright on his own, the few times I spoke to him. He asked for some new blaster armour and some plastic explosives, among other things. I made excuses and airdropped them to him. I'm sorry Fox. I couldn't say no. He used the explosives to blow up the tower once he was finished in it. A CloudRunner brought him back to the fortress. You were long gone by then. He stayed there for a while. Next time I picked him up he was in Krazoa Palace... you passed within a few feet of him at one point. I had hoped that he would reveal himself to you, but obviously he didn't. He stayed there for ages. He seemed to be doing something to Krystal... her life signs got stronger for a while and the spirits started to dispel... then it seemed to go wrong. Her bio signature got weak again and the Krazoa returned. Then Falco's heart stopped."

Fox stared. Slippy continued. "I'm not really sure what happened. I was about to call Peppy and go down to him when it started again."

Falco woke up. The cold rain pored down onto his face. He was wet all over. He turned his head to look up at the Krazoa. They still circled Krystal, but she was alive at least. He hoped he had bought her the time she needed. The Krazoa hadn't believed his story about Andross. The pain was not his own so it was less vivid, the Krazoa didn't understand. Still they had agreed to keep Krystal alive until they were reunited; it was not just her fate that hung in the balance anymore. The fate of the Federation, Fox and Falco himself now hung with them. Falco blinked and rolled over onto his back at the bleeping on his arm.

"Falco what the hell just happened... you were dead!" Slippy's concerned voice chattered over the comm.

"Really? I was dead?" Falco asked intrigued.

"Well, your heart stopped"

"Cool!" Falco answered trying to sound casual. It wouldn't be the first time. He shivered in the rain. Krystal shivered too. Falco watched her. The Krazoa it seemed were worth their word. Now he just had to concentrate on staying alive until she was released, if he perished they would die together.

"Falco... What did you do? Krystal... her heart... it's beating with yours"

"Shit Slippy you're too clever for your own good!"

"At that point he cut me off. He fled from the palace assisted by a CloudRunner. He hung low then; the only contact I got from him was when he wanted reports on how you were doing. He just told me to tell you to hurry up... As you took longer and longer he got more urgent his and Krystal's signals started to get weaker. Then finally you got the last spirit and Krystal was released. Then their bio signals separated and as you know Andross was revived and you flew after him. I think he must have been watching the battle. He just appeared on my sensors as he flew in to drop a bomb on Andross' fat head. You know how it went from there. Between you, you defeated Andross and Dinosaur Planet got back together." Slippy paused "Falco had always maintained that he would leave after whatever he had been doing was finished. I suppose he lost his nerve... either that or its not finished yet"

Fox looked thoughtful. "I had a feeling all the time there was someone helping me. The lock on my prison cell was fried. I only had to kick it to get out... Then in CloudRunner fortress and Krazoa palace... there were lots of times when I got the impression someone had beaten me to it. Most of the SharpClaw had been disbanded, and I'm sure I saw bodies I wasn't responsible for. Hell I think I even heard him swearing in Krazoa palace. I just assumed it was luck and my imagination... Oh Slippy why didn't you tell me?"

"I think Falco had his reasons not to want to be found... What did the General say to you?"

"Oh man... if he was on the Behemoth... do you think the Federation are looking for him?"

"You said yourself Pepper looked like he'd seen a ghost when he saw Falco... Falco didn't look too pleased about being noticed either..."

"Falco's right, you are too clever for your own good"

"It was obvious there was something more between them last time they spoke"

"Come on lets talk to the General. Find out what we can... and Slippy let me do the talking..."

"Ok Fox"

General Pepper answered the message almost immediately.

"Fox how dare you cut me off?"

"Sorry General, we had a small, blue crisis to deal with"

"I'd say we have a fairly major crisis going on Fox"

"Yeah I'd say that too" Fox said angrily.

"Is Falco still with you?" Fox eyed Slippy briefly

"Yes"

"Bring him and his ship to Corneria immediately"

"I'm not sure how willing he will be to do that sir"

"We are at war Fox, what he wants is not important"

"...Why do you want him?"

"That's none of your business Fox, just bring him in"

Fox slammed his hand down on the desk making Slippy jump.

"Falco is a member of my team, that makes it my business!"

"Falco is wanted by Federation Command, as our allies it is your duty to bring him in"

"If I'm an ally tell me why you want him."

"That information is classified"

"Bullshit-shall I ask him his side of the story?"

Pepper's expression was unreadable.

"I'm coming out to you Fox. You'd better be on your way here when I meet you"

The comm. cut off suddenly.

"Argh!!" Fox growled in frustration.

"What do we do now?" Slippy asked

"I don't know" Fox sighed "put in a heading for Corneria I suppose"

Fox was drawn back to the armoury as he and Slippy wandered the ship. Falco's bag still sat on the floor just outside the entrance. Four guns sat on the table in the room. Everything was exactly how they had left it. Looking around the room Fox felt as though it had all been some horrible nightmare, but now he knew it wasn't one he was going to wake up from. Fox picked up Falco's bag. Slippy bent down beside the door.

"Someone knew what they were doing" he said as Fox walked past.

"Huh?" Fox asked putting the bag on the table.

"He cut straight through the emergency release mechanism..." Slippy stood up thoughtfully and came to Fox's side "Nice trick. I didn't teach him that"

Fox opened the bag.

"Whoa! Anyone would think he was going to fight a war all by himself!"

"Maybe he was" Slippy said quietly. Fox looked back at him but said nothing. He started to put the things back on the shelves where they belonged. Once several guns had been removed Fox got down to Falco's personal belongings. He questioned whether he should go any further, but he wanted to ensure there was nothing else dangerous in the bag before he gave it back, or anything that would give any answers.

On top of a jacket were several photo albums and a diary. Fox pulled that out with more interest.

"Hey look at this" Fox said to Slippy who was standing by his side looking at one of the photo albums.

"He didn't take it with him" Slippy said simply as he flicked through the pages.

"How do you know that?" Fox asked

"Peppy told me. He was trying to find out where he'd gone"

"No luck I gather"

"Nope"

Still Fox flicked the pages. The last entry was the day before he left. He put it down and picked up the other photo album, the one Slippy wasn't looking at. He flicked through it, most of the photos were of the team, a few of Falco's family and friends. Then one that had been pushed into one of the back pages without being stuck in caught his eye. He pulled it out. It was of a group of people Fox didn't recognise, except for Falco standing in the middle.

"Hey Slippy, do you recognise any of these"

Slippy peered over Fox's shoulder. He looked at the faces, he didn't recognise any of them. Then something in the background caught his eye.

"No, but I know the symbol on that ship." He pointed to the tip of the wing of a grey-brown shuttle in the background.

"The Cornerian Army?... Pepper does have something to do with this."

"More than we realised"

Fox looked at the picture intently, but it gave up no more secrets. Without a story to go with it, it was fairly meaningless.

"It's recent..." Slippy mused "he would have his hand in his pocket wouldn't he... if he didn't we might be able to work out how recent. But we haven't been near Corneria for months..."

Fox put the picture down on the table. "we'll ask Peppy. He might be able to tell us who they are"

Fox turned back to Falco's bag, he froze when his fingers closed around a small, cool, glass capsule. Shaking he pulled it out. He starred at the cyanide pill in his hand. He hurt in ways he didn't know were possible. He had felt something else nestled in Falco's jacket, he pulled it out. A toy Arwing rested in his other hand, Fox had given it to him on the day they met. The two things had such contrast. The toy seemed so innocent...

"Agghh I'll get those fucking bastards" he threw the cyanide pill at the opposite wall. The glass case smashed. Slippy placed his hand on his back. Fox ignored him and turned back to the little Arwing. He couldn't believe Falco had kept it after all this time, and that out of all the things he could have taken this was one of the things he chose. "...I'll rip their rotten hearts out..."

"Peppy... they killed them. All of them."

Peppy decided it was best just to listen.

"There were six of us... and I let them all die... once they were finished they brought their bodies in so I could see them. That was a horror reserved just for me. I... don't think I have the words... for the things they... did... to us" He shook as the memories flashed across his mind, his voice breaking. "if I'm going to tell this story... I only want to have to do it once... I want Fox and Pepper to hear it too"

"General Pepper?"

Falco nodded.

"I want to talk to Fox"

"Alright... you will tell us what happened wont you"

Falco fought the urge to be sick "Yes. A few hours longer until we get to Corneria isn't going to make any difference. It's a very long story."

"Alright little one..."

Falco stood up. Peppy moved to his side.

"Its been a very hard few months. I'm tired...." Falco sighed more to himself than Peppy. Peppy wondered what he was tired of.

Fox sat solemnly in his favourite chair on the bridge, Slippy by his side. The world seemed to have turned upside down in the last few moments. Yet lots of strange events seemed to fit suddenly into place. Falco's unusual behaviour at least had been explained. He looked down again at the toy Arwing resting in his hand. He fingered it gently, as though it was a last fragile connection to their more innocent past. Why did this have to happen? He asked himself. First Peppy now Falco. There were lots of people in the universe who could be unimaginably cruel Fox realised. Things were no better now than they had been 10 years ago, when his father had lacked the strength Falco had found. That was just like Falco, he always had been stubborn. Fox smiled briefly to himself as images of a very young Falco refusing to do his homework crossed his mind. But that was a long time ago...

Slippy and Fox both jumped when Falco and Peppy entered the room. They turned to look at them. Falco looked as though he had died on the Behemoth. Peppy didn't look much better. Fox couldn't find anything to say.

"Are we heading for Corneria?" Falco asked in barely more than a whisper.

"Yes... General Pepper's coming out to meet us..."

"oh good..." Falco fell into a chair. Every fibre of his body seemed to hurt again, it felt as though the lasts of the fight had gone out of him. "If I don't say this now I'm afraid I never will... I'm sorry... for everything... for running out and disappearing... for screwing up the mission yesterday... for all the things I said, and all the things I should have said but didn't and... everything else. For the things you don't realise I did and all the things I never said sorry for before" he paused for a long time. "Fox, I'm sorry about Krystal"

"huh?" was the only intelligible thing he found to say.

"You'll understand. I wanted to say it before so hopefully... well you understand when I tell you"

"When are you going to tell us what happened?" Fox asked

"Soon"

"Can I do some of the telling?" Slippy asked "well I sort of did anyway..."

Falco looked up and smiled "Well we're nearly to Corneria. Fox... I hate Dinosaur food too"

He yawned and looked away. Peppy jaw dropped then he turned to frown at Slippy.

"Later" Fox mouthed at him.

Mercifully Falco fell asleep shortly afterwards, which allowed the three of them to compare notes.

"Fox did you call the General?"

"Yes..."

"Find anything out?"

"Not really, but we did find this"

Fox handed Peppy the photograph and pointed out the marking on the shuttle's wing.

"Do you know who they are?" Fox asked. Peppy stared at the photo.

"Six..." was all he managed to say "He said there were six of them, and they all died, except him"

Fox and Slippy stared in disbelief.

"I assume they were Falco's strike team, doing whatever it was they were doing on the Behemoth..."

"Dead... all of them?" Slippy mumbled. The picture suddenly seemed more evil and dark than it had before.

"Yes..." Peppy said grimly. He pushed the photo away. "Find anything else out"

"Err... I have a confession to make" Slippy said slowly.

"What?" Peppy asked.

"Falco was on Dinosaur Planet when we were..."

Peppy looked mad for a moment then it faded to sadness.

"You knew where he was and you didn't tell me?"

Slippy backed away behind Fox a little.

"He didn't tell me either" Fox said gently edging in front of Slippy, trying his best to calm Peppy.

"I would have honest, but he begged me not to say anything. I couldn't betray his trust, and I was afraid if I told he would disappear again. At least I could keep an eye on him like that"

Slippy proceeded to tell Peppy the same thing as he had told Fox. Once he was finished Peppy spoke up.

"I can't believe you didn't tell me..."

"Falco disappeared before, I had no reason to believe he couldn't just do it again if we pissed him off. I didn't want to risk it. I was going to tell you when things got really rough but Falco pulled himself out the other side and didn't give me any real reason to break my promise."

"He must have gone there after the Behemoth..." Fox mumbled

"What were his bio-readings like when you first made contact Slippy?"

"Err... I don't remember, I wasn't looking at them. They can't have been too unstable, else the computer would have alerted me... I wish I'd realised. I'm sorry Peppy... I'd never have let him continue if I had known what had happened..."

It was darker than he knew it was possible to be, all except for the occasional flash of light in the distance. The wind was blowing fiercely, cold, he shivered. The stars were absent. Then the wind stopped and a familiar smell returned, blood, vomit and dirt. He was trapped. They were coming for him, dragging something heavy along the floor. The door swung open casting light on him where he cowered in the corner. They laughed. In the light Falco could see a familiar body. Fox. His muzzle smashed in, his ears cut off the top of his head. Bone sticking out of his bare arms. His legs burnt free of fur from the knee down. His tail missing. His eyes no longer in their sockets.

"Fox!!" Falco screamed.

The three of them jumped and turned to look at him. Falco sat staring blankly around the room. Peppy was up and by his side in seconds.

"Falco wake up!" he shouted.

Falco never had been able to refuse that voice. He snapped aware again. He looked at Peppy briefly before burring his head in his chest and sobbing. Peppy looked round from where he held Falco.

"Fox is here Falco, safe. So am I and Slippy, you're safe too. On Great Fox. Home"

Falco didn't move or make a sound. Fox and Slippy came over, Fox looked helplessly to Peppy, unsure what to say. Peppy shrugged weakly. Then Fox thought of something.

"Hey Falco, I found this in your bag, I thought you'd want it back so I brought it with me"

Falco looked up. Fox held out the toy Arwing. Falco looked at it for a moment then took it out of his hand.

"You know of all the things I left behind this was one of the things I wanted most" he said quietly. "Silly really" he sniffed.

"Didn't I give that to you Fox?" Peppy asked.

"Yeah, I gave it to Falco the day we met"

"oh I remember that"

"...I used to dream I was home on Great Fox and we were just...well just all together..."

"We are now" Fox said gently.

"But how long will it last? How long will it be before the Behemoth takes one of you away from me?" He asked pitifully

"We wont let that happen" Peppy said

"That's what I said, but I didn't bring anyone home, and I left the Behemoth in one piece."

A moment's uncomfortable silence was broken by a bleeping alarm.

"General Pepper is here" Fox said quietly

"Falco, are you up for this?" Peppy asked

"Yes..."

"Fox go down and meet him"

"I'll come too" Falco said standing up.

They watched the small Cornerian shuttle come in to dock. A few fighters pealed away and took up flanking positions around Great Fox.

"He gets fighter escorts" Falco mumbled bitterly

"Huh?" Peppy asked gently.

"Never mind" Falco looked back to where the shuttle was touching down heavily on the landing surface, its engines roaring. It seemed so familiar, yet still very wrong. Silver should still be flying shuttles like that... not... wherever her body had ended up. Salty should still be toying with his inventions and sharing his ideas with Slippy, they could have been friends... The shuttle's engine noise receded. The door on the side opened, the same as the one Falco and his team had walked through before the nightmare began. A familiar figure, a tall Canite bulldog walked out and came over to where the four of them stood close together. Falco slumped on Peppy's arm when he approached.

"Falco I know its hard for you to believe but it is good to see you're safe"

For a moment Falco's heart burned then his eyes filled with tears.

"Look at me" he held out his arms "I'm the only one that's left. Why'd they have to die?"

"I'm sorry Falco. There was nothing I could do; the Angels were pulled at the last moment. I did everything I could"

"We watched your access code go through the bomb. You betrayed those kids. You betrayed me. A few fighters would have been all it would have taken. You could even have asked Fox. They died in ways you can't even imagine. You wasted the only chance we're likely to get against the Behemoth!"

"Command said Angel flight was too risky, we would loose too many pilots, they said to just detonate the bomb when your time was up."

"That's why you sent kids... Me... you knew no-one would miss us. That's sick. I can't believe even you could sink that low. You sent us on a suicide mission!"

"Falco it wasn't like that-"

"I don't want to hear it! If you wanted a suicide bomber you should have sent me alone." Falco's voice was hysterical. Fox felt suddenly very sick.

"Don't talk like that Falco, look around you, in this room there are four friends who would miss you"

"I only see three friends"

"I don't expect you to forgive me" Pepper sighed "But the Behemoth has to be stopped, we need your help"

Falco staggered back against Peppy "What? You want me to go back?"

"Yes, lead another strike team, this time you'll have the full support of the Army, it won't be a secret anymore"

"You and your damn Federation secrets! One of your secrets got me thrown out of the army, another soiled the name of James McCloud when you told the people Andross was gone and now destroyed the life of one of my kids!" Slippy turned to Peppy and frowned. "What next?" Peppy asked

"Falco..." Fox stammered "I-I went through your bag... the cyanide... were you gunna use it?"

Peppy's heart filled with rage. Had he not been holding Falco up he was sure he would have hit Pepper at that moment.

"Get away from my family" Peppy snarled.

"Peppy come on now-"

"I thought we were friends... you knew how worried I was, you didn't even tell me he was with you. If you knew he was captured you're supposed to tell the guardians. That's me Pepper"

"The Behemoth was top secret..." Pepper realised the mistake he'd made as soon as he spoke. Peppy turned to Fox and Slippy.

"Fox please take Falco to the common room and stay with him ok?" Fox nodded "Pepper and I are going to have a little chat" Peppy watched Fox and Slippy lead Falco out of the docking bay. He dropped his head and breathed deeply. "Punching the Cornerian Minister of Defence in the face isn't going to get me anywhere... no matter how good it would make me feel. Just answer this ok?... when I called you and asked you if you'd heard from him and you said no..."

"He was down the corridor training to fight on the Behemoth" Pepper said sadly.

"Would it have done your secrets that much harm to put an old man's mind at rest?"

"Probably not. Peppy you're not old, I'm older than you"

"I feel very old today..." Peppy sighed "we both held Fox in our arms when he was born. We watched him grow up, when James couldn't anymore. You stood with us at his funeral... I asked you to take care of them if something should happen to me... was sending him on a suicide mission and not telling me part of that... Or did I do something to make you hate me so much that you would strike me where it hurts the most?"

"No Peppy... I've never hated you, or one of them for a moment of my life. It wasn't a suicide mission, at least not to begin with. Falco asked me if he could go, he also asked me not to tell you where he was. He didn't want you to worry. I didn't want to let him go but he persuaded me, he was one of the best people for the job."

"I didn't realise he'd asked you to make him part of the strike team"

"Part of it? - Peppy Falco led it. He was one of the first to bring us pictures and scans of the Behemoth, he ran into it a few hours after he left you..."

"Really, I didn't know, he hasn't told me anything much so far"

"He was in the right place, at the right time, or the wrong place, depending how you see it, a few hours longer and he would probably have never even seen it, at least until today. If he hadn't been there we would have lost even more. We didn't know it was the Behemoth. If we had we would never have sent the fleet in, or Star Fox. I admired his courage in the battle."

Peppy thought of something "Did you sent him to help the CloudRunner"

"The CloudRunner? No, up until I saw him after you beat Andross I thought he was dead"

"Oh"

"What was he doing with the CloudRunner?"

"Not a clue, anymore than Slippy's bio readings anyway..."

"How much trouble can that boy get into in six weeks?" Pepper asked. Peppy smiled sadly and rubbed his eyes. Pepper came over and put his arm round his shoulder.

"I'm sorry Peppy, I was going to tell you after Fox had finished on Dinosaur Planet... you can understand the shock I got when I saw him" Pepper paused "I guessed he was the only one that got out alive. They were good kids..."

"I should have seen it... I didn't because I wouldn't let myself... What kind of guardian am I if I missed what was happening to him? I of all people should have realised what was going on! It was staring me in the face! Begging me to see it!" Peppy said angrily "But I let him down... like I always do..."

"I'm sure Falco doesn't see it like that. You were too close, you know what it's like, you didn't want to think about that happening to Falco... in case your thoughts would somehow make it true"

"It was ten years ago... I still have nightmares... I can still hear James screaming"

"I wasn't there, but so can I. Every night after we lost contact with Falco's team I had nightmares, not only about them but about what I would say to you and how you would react... I was attending another funeral and standing by your sides. Part of me wishes you would punch me in the face."

Peppy smiled "I'm not going to oblige today. Come on I left Fox to take care of him... that's never a good thing" Peppy smiled sarcastically.

"Falco told me what happened when he ran out"

"Really, I never found out what they were arguing about. I was too worried to bother to ask. Poor Fox... I blamed him to begin with, I shouldn't have but..."

"Ah its easily done. I'm sure Fox wont hold it against you"

Peppy shrugged and led Pepper to the common room.

Falco, Fox and Slippy were sitting around in the common room. They all seemed grateful for their arrival. Pepper and Peppy came in and sat down. There was silence for a moment until Falco sighed heavily, shook himself and spoke.

"Peppy told me that if I tell you what happened the pain will go away... right now I'm willing to try anything... Besides you need to know what happened. I think the situation may be more serious than we realised... please bare with me... my memory for certain things is not what it was..."

Falco looked round helplessly at the team, feeling suddenly very alone. He took a deep breath and then began his tale...