A certain reverberation of a high pitched whine broke through the silence of the lounge as a claw tip was drug around the rim of a glass. A blue fox looked down into the glass, staring at whatever was left, some colored liquid, and mostly ice. She glanced up at the micro flat TV that hung off a bracket off the wall of the bar. She let out a deep sigh, and fluttered away a tear before it could roll down her fur and drip into her glass.

Krystal. A blue fox. A Cerinian. This meant she had no home. Her home was destroyed a long time ago. She had once been a member of the prestigious Starfox group. Years ago, Fox McCloud had rescued her atop a palace on Dinosaur planet. Once she had proven herself worthy of the team, she was given a spot. A lot has happened since then though. Things have changed a lot. Fox has been presumed dead for an entire year, and the system was in confusion.

"Freshen your drink ma'am?"

Krystal was caught by surprise. She shot her head up, staring at the greyhound bar tender for a moment before answering. "Oh, yeah. Sure. That'd be great."

The hound poured the drink almost right under her nose, then slid it back slightly so it was once again right under her. She had been watching some kind of sports game that was often played, before the TV went silent. She turned her glance upwards toward the TV. It was suddenly covered with coloured bars, screaming a high pitch whine. Words scrolled across the bottom of the screen. "Standby for a Special Report."

The vixen suddenly took attention to the television. The message repeated itself for a few moments before it flickered once, and it returned to the news show. It was once again a pink feline, the same one that had been working there for years.

She spoke affirming. "Good evening. We interrupt your regular programming bringing you this special report. We're now going live to the Cornerian Military Complex for an emergency announcement."

The cameras flipped from the news room toward a podium within the complex. In the corner of the screen there was a small box that read "Live Feed".

The vixen listened as a middle aged feline in a grey coat of fur cleared his voice lightly and began to speak. "It has come to my attention that there is an unknown presence within the Lylat System. Many of you already know of the disappearances of ten Cornerian Ships within the Lylat System..."

Krystal took a sip of her drink and snuffed. "Pftt…disappearances."

XXxxXX

The blood covered vulpine slowly crawled out of the blazing fire that used to be his makeshift shelter, and into the small river, flowing down the mountainside. His body drifted down the slow flow of the water, smashing against boulders in the midst of the flowing river. On his back the once soot covered fox could see the through the tree branches reaching over the ever so slowly moving river to see a dark sky, topped off with bright stars and a rather large glowing moon. He was reminded of the last night he was on Sauria…with the blue vixen. But he soon remembered what happened to him and the team when she joined StarWolf. Fox' mind became filled with confusion, anger, and suffering. The fox quickly grew tired and fell asleep…

All he could see was black. But then a white figure appeared in front of him.

"Alekai!?" he questioned.

"I told you I'd be back someday to help you…" he said reminding him of the promise the pure white fox made him as his soul drifted towards the rainclouds above after he sacrificed himself to save McCloud and Krystal. "…And today is that day my friend."
"But why today?" Fox asked
"I've been watching you Fox. What hardships you've faced after the war ended. What happened between you and Krystal and that decision was the one that decided your death."
"But I'm alive!"
"Are you now?" Alekai stepped back and pointed to the ground.

It was what was happening to fox's body at the moment. The lifeless body was lying on top of a boulder at the bottom of an above waterfall.

"What happened to my body?"
"Broken back, broken left arm and leg and broken collar bone." Alekai answered.
"Can you put me back in my body?"
"No."
Then how are you going to help me?"
"You will have to come up with a name for yourself. Nobody will know anything at all about you. You will return as a stowaway on a cargo ship from Katina to Corneria. You will look almost the same as your former self, just different markings and a change of colour."
"Alright."
"You will still have your mind. And your reflexes will be heightened substantially."
"Okay."
"It's a brand new life. A new adventure; a fresh start. This is what you need."
"Okay Alekai."
"Go see Yuri in the west town square, he will be sitting on the edge of the fountain. Tell him that I sent you. He'll give you what you need."
"Alright."
"Then find her…for she is the key…"

Everything faded to black.