Prologue
"INCOMING MESSAGE FROM GENERAL PEPPER," the robot said as he relayed the message from the screen below him, "PRIORITY ONE."
The message cut into voice and began to play in their headsets.
"We need your help, Starfox," the grizzled veteran said with a twinge of worry and hesitation at the same time, "Andross has declared war. He's invaded the Lylat System and is trying to take over Corneria…" He paused for a moment, trying to collect himself, before he continued.
"… Our army alone can't do the job…" the General managed to say, obviously distraught at the fact, "Hurry, Starfox!"
By all means they were. They had been running down the corridor from the flight lounge to the hangar bays since Pepper had finished but his second sentence. They knew the drill… But they didn't know the circumstances. Or at least they didn't understand the scope yet.
One by one, they leapt into the cockpits of their ever versatile Arwing fighters, closing the hatches the moment they got seated and turning on the G-Diffuser systems while strapping in at the same time.
The engines of the four Arwings sputtered to life, the pitch of their whines increasing as the power continued to flow through. Blue ion engines flickered to life, the size of their exhaust increasing with the sound until in a split second the fighters were released from their docking clamps, giving the engines free reign in the vacuum and hurtling the Arwings out of the hangar at impeccable speeds.
One after the other, the fighters soared away from their base ship, forming up into a diamond pattern once they had cleared the area. It was only then, out in open space, that they could see what had been unfolding these past few hours.
The blue planet spun before them, miles and miles away from their base ship. At this distance it looked almost peaceful… Except for the explosive blooms that were littering sections of the surface below, their blasts bright enough to negate cloud cover and make them clearly visible from such a large distance.
He sat in the lead fighter, eying the explosions from afar worriedly.
"We're going in," he said over the squadron channel, affirming their action.
This was war.
This was real.
This was Starfox.
