Somewhere in deep space lies a group of planets rarely seen by any human. A large group of planets inhabited purely by chameleons, cats, wolves, dogs, foxes, even apes. The unique aspect is not the fact that the animals all inhabit the planets--no, the amazing thing is in the animals themselves.

Long since classified as anthromorphs, these animals resemble humans only in stature and movement and in cultures. They often resemble humans in modesty and ethics as well. Otherwise, they look precisely like their animal counterpart; fur, large ears, muzzle, etc. Many people find this attractive, many others find it repulsive.

But regardless of their looks, they are very much like humans with respect to morals, standards, ethics, and religions. Even differences remain. And, because differences remain, so do conflict.

The eastern point of the system is a planet known as Venom. Its atmosphere is composed of green and brown vapors, the makeup of which makes the planet uninhabitable by all but the most desperate.

The opposite edge houses Corneria, a planet named after it's primary city. It is this planet that many call home. It is this planet that this story originates from.

ICorneria City, Corneria – Lylat System/I

He could see it from his skyscraper room—ships invading the atmosphere, big and small. At first they were little more than fireballs, but seconds later the flames cleared and revealed the ships that they concealed. He'd seen this sight before, many years ago. When he was about 20 years old, he had battled and defeated Andross before. Or so he thought. Here, now at age 28, he had to face this once again.

Fox McCloud grabbed his communications unit—he never left it behind—and immediately radioed to the Great Fox's commander: Peppy Hare.

"Peppy, we've got a problem."

"We're already in orbit around Corneria, Fox. Get into your Arwing and get up here. You won't do much good if you're grounded."
"I won't do any good dead either, Pep."

"You'll be dead if you stay, Fox. You can't do anything from a vacationing room!"

"Alright, alright, I'm on my way."

"Peppy out." Fox sighed and rushed down to the lower levels of the skyscraper, running right down the circular stairwell and shoving civilians to the side. In a little over a minute, he reached the landing pad where his Arwing sat. It only took a second before laser fire started raining into the landing pads and walkways that sat several hundred feet above the ground.

Explosions rang out, shaking the ground under his feet. Screams echoed as many men, women, and children spilled off of the walkways to their untimely deaths below. Some victims were vaporized where they stood. Fox cursed under his breath as he regained his footing and charged towards his Arwing. He took a running leap and landed on the wing of his craft, then scurried into the cockpit and initiated the takeoff sequence.

More laser fire riddled the walkways, killing more civilians and breaking the walkway itself. The landing pad began tumbling below and the Arwing, which had not finished starting the engines, began tumbling downward as well.

"Oh, shit!" cried Fox as he scrambled to start the engines. A hundred feet swiftly became tens before the engines kicked in. He yanked the nose upward just eight feet from the ground and began dodging laser fire as best he could. "Peppy, I'm gonna need help getting out of here!"

"I'm working on that Fox! I'm sending Falco and Katt to cover you!"

Fox rolled his eyes—those two rarely got along the way it was. "Roger that!" Two Venomian fighters were closing rapidly now, laser fire raining upon his shields. He pulled a swift loop, throwing the other two off guard. One pulled hard right, the other attempted to follow through with a loop of it's own. Fox pulled the trigger the second the latter one was in his sights, spraying metal debris onto Corneria. The second one completed a 360-degree turn and now had Fox in its crosshairs.

"Fox, watch your six," yelled Falco as Fox heard his shield warning go off.

"Shit, my shields are dropping fast!" Fox slammed one handle forward, the other backward to execute a barrel roll, deflecting enemy fire for a short time. A slight drawback to this would be short-term disorientation, which Fox soon realized was against his better judgment.

Katt was now directly above the minor conflict. Above her, flying entirely unnoticed, were seven more fighters. Falco began an approach from the right of the battle as Fox dodged some enemy fire and took even more.

"Fox," yelled Peppy, "just get out of there! It's not worth the risk!"

Fox grunted loudly. "All right, team, disengage immediately and return to the Great Fox!"

"Roger," replied Katt and Falco at once. They all pulled upward, Falco eliminating the Venomian fighter tailing Fox, and began their ascent into the upper atmosphere. Then they finally spotted the hundreds upon hundreds of enemy fighters swarming into the atmosphere.

"This is far from good…" Fox said quietly as he braced himself. "Go right through! Go right through them all!" Laser fire began slamming into each of their shields. Fox's shields, which had little chance to regenerate, collapsed easily. "Dammit," he cried as laser fire pelted his wings and nose. "I'm taking too much damage!"

"Fox! Hang in there!" Falco's yells didn't do much for the integrity of the craft itself.

"FOX!" screamed Katt as Fox's right wing shook loose and exploded almost immediately after.

"Shit, my gyro is damaged!" Any pilot knows that there is a gyro inside the craft, often used for balance purposes. If the gyro ever spun and connected with the casing, it would explode violently. The end results are rather obvious.

More laser fire smashed into Fox's vulnerable craft. The nose of his craft buckled suddenly and exploded, leaving what was left of the craft—cockpit, right wing, and engines—to submit to gravity and fall to Corneria.

"JUST GET OUT OF HERE!!" Fox screamed as loud as he could, hoping his commlink was still effective. "GET TO THE GREAT FOX!!" Seconds later, his craft met cold hard ground.

IGohoth City, Gamma Nine – Gamma System/I

Kevin Peale was pacing alongside his half-mile-long Destroyer, the IInterceptor/I, angrily. Seconds earlier he had a female member of his crew try to force herself onto him in a rather provocative manner. As a man of incredibly high integrity and standards, he found this insulting, revolting, and downright unsettling. He played back the scenario several times, trying to see if there was a way he could have avoided it.

There wasn't, he concluded, as he also concluded that what he told her was not stern enough. "If you ever try that again, I'll have you permanently disbanded from the UNS with enough bad marks that you can't get a decent job at Mickydees!"

The UNS, formerly known as the UNE, was the result of a needed name change due to massive growth. What had originally been named the United Navy of Earth had expanded to so many solar systems that they had chosen their home system as the new primary name: the United Navy of Sol. Another name change was supposed to take effect within the year, changing the name to the United Federation of Peace.

Kevin found the upcoming name change to be very appropriate. The entirety of the human race, excluding pirates, had become closer than ever. There was no more inward conflict, only the need to suppress ever-growing threats of pirates and hostile species of alien.

One species, the anthromorphs, had chosen to live beside the humans as well. This integration had increased the military power and prowess by an immense amount, making the UNS a force to be reckoned with.

Of course, the integration of 'Anthro' species with the humans coupled with the Anthro's likeness to humans resulted in many interracial families. However, few resulting children had superior reflexes but shorter lifespans. This birth defect/advantage combination was a rare occurrence, but one very possible. Nevertheless, the UNS was growing ever stronger.

And Kevin Peale, with a record for being fiercely loyal to the UNS and to anything relating to peace efforts and an even more obvious reputation for being modest, honest, moral, and trustworthy, was slowly climbing the ranks of this awesome force.

The only thing that was really stopping him was his short temper when it came to issues of modesty and morality. More than once he's screamed and yelled at senior officers because of their lack of modesty or because they 'pushed rank'. The female soldier that had tried to force herself onto him was a junior, so no one else would hear about it but her friends.

Either way, here he was pacing the dock alongside his Destroyer. He had things to do, and getting those minor things out of the way would surely keep his mind off of the problem long enough for him to calm down.

He glanced at his PDA that contained a list of things he needed to get done. First on the list was the refueling of his Destroyer. Superfusion required energy, and a chamber alone couldn't fuel energy that powerful. A special compound, simply called SFFuel, contained all the atoms necessary to itrigger/i the reaction necessary, while the rest of the reaction was controlled by the chamber.

He began the short trek to the fueling station to order the fuel he needed. The bill came to slightly more than he had originally expected, but the deal went smoothly nonetheless. After that he needed replacement personnel. Some of his Engineers became sick and requested to be moved while they were treated. But the more depressing bit was that he also needed to replace soldiers.

Six of the nineteen soldiers that had died in a recent broadsides attempt by some stray pirates were his closest friends. He often found this to be the toughest part of his entire job. And this wasn't the first time that he'd lost good friends because of a stray attack or misfired cannon.

He willed himself to complete the personnel transfers quickly. He was able to fight the tears that usually poured.

On his way to the docks his PDA began beeping. He tapped the new mail icon and opened the message. He shook his head slowly as he read his newest tasking order. He checked only a few key areas; namely, the destination field, success rate, and accompanying vessels. No allies for this mission was the first red flag. The second was the fifteen percent rate. The third was unexplored territory, and it was Ipurposely/I left unexplored due to the excessive amount of spatial anomalies there. Apparently, someone wanted him dead. Granted, even he thought it was harsh to think that. Maybe there was a shift in the chain of command? He wasted no time getting back on his ship and heading to his quarters.

"Something's wrong," he announced to the air. Within seconds, a male figure dressed in a Fleet Admiral's uniform appeared to his left.

"Care to explain," asked the figure. It looked real enough to touch, but any attempt would be met with disappointment.

"Look at this!" Kevin threw the PDA onto the table. The figure strolled over, authority leaking all over the place, and took a glance at the screen. He didn't try to pick it up—it would not work if he tried.

"Hm," said the figure quietly. "It seems there may have been a mistake."

"Ya think?!"

"Do you want me to answer that, or would you rather I reply with my own biting sarcasm." It was the AI's classic question-that-is-actually-a-statement.

"Christ, you sound just like him," said Kevin, changing the subject.

"I was designed after him," replied the AI matter-of-factly.

"Yes, but to sound Iexactly/I like Ken, that's something."

"Granted that the technology of recording actual brain waves was only developed about one year ago, I see your point," answered the AI sarcastically once again.

"Tell me, Ken, was your base really that good?"

"I fail to see what you mean, Kev."

"The stories, Ken, the stories. All of them. From the Spec Ins right down to his death in the famous Campaign of Spirits. Was it all…real?"

"Very much so, Kevin. Surprised?"

"C'mon, you can't expect me to believe it all!"

"What strikes you as fantastic?"

"First off, he went from Captain to Fleet Admiral. Right to Fleet Admiral for God's sake! That doesn't happen!"

"But it did."

"Please, let me finish." Ken nodded assent. "He went right to fleet Admiral. He was there to see the end of the Bianites. He ran into a spatial anomaly that threw him to—what—another planet? Another Itime/I?! Then, no one knows how, but he gets back and begins the Campaign of Spirits! There was absolutely INO/I way in Hell or Heaven that he could have known about the pirates there! Add that to the fact that even though his new ship was blown to pieces, there were records of his destroying the IFrewsadet/I!"

The IFrewsadet/I was the last enemy ship that was destroyed defending the last of the pirate legion, the Spirits. "Ken, I can't believe that your counterpart did all of that. It's just too…"

"Amazing," asserted Ken with a subtle smile.

"Yes." Kevin rubbed his temples. "Yes, that'd be the word."

"I do have a correction."

"Go ahead. I'm used to those."

"Ken did not witness the end. He Iwas/I the end. Of the Bianites, I mean."

"Ah, I forgot that bit."

"Fair enough." Kevin sighed after Ken's reply.

"Back on track—"

"I think there is a mistake because no Commander would send his own ship into unexplored territory without backup. It's not practical." Ken almost laughed as he finished as millions of calculations simulated thinking about Kevin's possible reply to Ken's swift answer to the unasked question.

"God, you're good."

"IGod/I is good, I'm just a program," said Ken with a laugh. "A program with a sense of humor."

"Sucks, eh?"

"Hardly," said Ken with a wink. "May I ask who sent this tasking order?"

"Of course you may." Ken waited a second before suddenly laughing.

"I see your game. Alright: Who sent the tasking order?"

"Let me check." Kevin picked up the PDA and looked at the 'From' line. He stopped suddenly.

"I see you've noticed."

"Ken, why bother asking what you know," asked Kevin, incredulous.

"Would you have noticed on your own?"

"Eventually, yes, but—"

"But eventually may have well been too late."

"Son of a…Ken, what is going on here," Kevin asked much quieter.

"I can honestly say for once, my dear friend, that I don't know." Kevin never liked hearing Ken say that.

"And what's that mean for me?"

"They are logged, you know this."

"And?"

"If you choose to deny this mission, you can be court-martialed." Ken ended the sentence with almost no emotion, but it was there in his eyes. The algorithms in Ken's programming that allowed emotion had perceived Kevin as a close friend. Indeed, if Ken were real Kevin would be quite close.

"Jesus Christ…can you—"

"I've already begun an investigation into the matter, Kev. Hang tight, alright? No stupid choices."

"You know me."

"That's why I added the last line."

"Fair enough."

"Seriously, Kev, think everything through. There is a way through this mess, but it won't be easy at all."

"Ken?"

"Present."

"Do you know what is out there," asked Kevin as he turned to look through a viewport.

"Kevin, I wish I could say that I did." Another wince on Kevin's part. "I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault, Ken. I would rather not go in blind though."

"Now you're sounding like my counterpart."

"That makes me awesome, right?" Ken laughed loudly before answering.

"No, don't forget that while Ken was basically a hero, he was hated by a lot of people in the higher echelon."

"They couldn't do anything to him though."

"They tried."

"And failed." Kevin was starting to get heated again, but calmed himself down slightly. "Those damned Spirit pirates finished him off."

"His death was quick, I assure you."

"But that doesn't change the fact that he's dead. I would have liked to meet him."

"You have," Ken said with a nod. Kevin chuckled and offered a salute.

"Fair enough, Sir."

On the desk sat the opened tasking order, still displaying the top of the message. In the 'From' field was found nothing.

IDestroyer /I'Interceptor'I, Outer Orbit of Gamma Nine, Gamma System/I

"Captain Davis," said Kevin into his comm. unit, "I need to speak with you." A holo winked on in front of his pilot's seat displaying the old Captain.

"Go ahead, Captain." The Captain's voice was quite deep.

"I've got a problem you may be interested in."

"Spill it." Captain Davis had a subtle smile on him. It almost never left his face.

"Well, I just got new tasking orders to head to that wonderful spot where those anomalies are."

"Sounds like a vacation."

"Really."

"Go on."

"Well, it appears that it was sent by no one at all, and I have to go in with no backup." Davis' smile dropped instantly.

"Whoa whoa, stop right there boy. No one sent it?"

"I got the tasking order, but there was nothing in the 'sent' field."

"That poses an interesting problem, wouldn't you say so?"

"It's recorded and I can't do a damn thing besides follow 'orders'."

"Maybe one of your officers forgot to put their name in. You know how they are."

"Probably true."

"But as for going in undefended, I can't do crap about that. Orders are orders. I mean, look at me!"

"I know, guarding the outer rim."

"It's no picnic here, and it's a wonder that you caught me during a break!" Kevin laughed.

"Yea, I see what you mean."

"You just go do your job, okay?"

"Hey, Captain Davis?"

"Present and agitated."

"Permission to speak freely." Davis chuckled slightly.

"Permission granted."

"I love ya, Dad. Stay safe out there, ya hear me?"

"I will, Kevin. You know it." With that, the holo winked out.

"And remember Mom," said Kevin quietly, holding the keepsake around his neck.