SECOND CHANCES

A Star Fox Fan Fiction

Written by Frostclaw

Chapter I

New Beginnings

"You never know
how strong you are
until strong
is the only choice you have."

"What is your problem, Lombardi?" Wolf O'Donnell exclaimed with frustration. He was staring down both Falco and Slippy near the entrance to a local bar called Arrow's. The interior was warm and inviting and filled with patrons having a good time. No one seemed to notice Wolf and Falco standing toe-to-toe and in the middle of a heated argument. Wolf was trying to find a watering hole in which to unwind. The former pirate was now a member of Star Fox after helping prevent an invasion on Venom and expressing a desire to change his life around. Despite this and his recent pardon for his past crimes, there were plenty who did not trust him. Among his critics was his fellow teammate Falco Lombardi.

The Star Fox team were taking a break after their ship and mobile headquarters, the Great Fox, was destroyed in the conflict on Venom. Thanks to their efforts in stopping the invasion the team received more than fair compensation for the damages and losses incurred and the Cornerian Army was providing them room in one of the barracks until they could find a new ship. They all wanted to take the time to enjoy their success and the good publicity.

Falco Lombardi, however, was not in a happy or relaxed mood. He couldn't understand why anyone would want to be a pirate. Wolf's history - working with Andross, trying to shoot down Star Fox - all left Falco jaded towards him. His casual and arrogant attitude towards everything made it even worse. Even if Wolf had played a big part in the victory over Venom Falco couldn't bring himself to think of him as anything more than a villain. Falco trusted Fox's judgment, but this time he just couldn't wrap his head around his friend's decision. Worse yet, it only made Falco think about how Pigma had betrayed James. The thought of seeing Fox betrayed and possibly killed by someone like Wolf kept Falco's stomach in knots.

Slippy and Falco were out for a few drinks and hoping for an evening to unwind. Slippy was always easygoing and optimistic and took no issue with Wolf's presence on the team. He felt that eventually Falco would warm up to him as well. The two of them had claimed table near the front of the bar where they could still feel the fresh air from outdoors flowing in. They had enjoyed a few drinks and things were going well up until Wolf showed up. After that, everything went downhill.

"Guys, please don't do this!" begged Slippy as he tried to get between them.

"You know damned well what my problem is!" shouted an inebriated Falco. "You think you can just walk in here and have us forget about everything you've done?"

Any filters Falco might have had was long since drowned in alcohol. He wasn't holding anything back.

"Look man," said Wolf, "I'm trying to put all of that behind me. You should too."

"Put it behind me? That's a hell of a lot easier said than done." said Falco, "How can you possibly expect anyone to trust a scoundrel like you?"

Wolf's ear twitched. He tensed up for a moment as if ready to leap, but then took a step back and started to turn away.

"I don't have time to listen to some arrogant blowhard." stated Wolf.

Falco wound back and struck Wolf with a blow to the face. Wolf looked surprised. The friendly chatter of nearby patrons turned to murmurs and stares.

"Feel better?" asked Wolf with an intense look on his face, "Because I'm willing to give you that one for free."

"Look you son of a-" started Falco. Wolf's ear flicked again. Slippy grabbed Falco by the arm and tried to take him out of the bar. Falco freed himself from Slippy's grasp and turned back towards Wolf.

"You don't want to get into a fight with me, pal." said Wolf.

"I'm not your 'pal' - and stop playing games with us. You're literally a wolf in sheep's clothing." continued Falco. "I don't know how you convinced Fox to allow you to join the team. I'm betting it's only a matter of time before you sell us out."

Wolf's ear twitched again. His nostrils flared.

"You can think whatever you want about me but I'll tell ya right now Fox asked me to join Star Fox and not the other way around." snarled Wolf, bearing his teeth.

"That doesn't change anything." growled Falco.

"Fine. I'm not about to concern myself with the opinions of a second-rate pilot," said Wolf dismissively while trying to disengage from the conversation. He turned his back to Falco and Slippy but Falco grabbed him by the shoulder and landed a sharp left hook. The blow connected with Wolf's one good eye. Wolf tensed up and his fur stood on end. He had lost patience.

"Alright," said Wolf, wiping the blood from his brow, "I guess we're doing this." He cracked his knuckles and got ready for a fight. Just as Falco was about to let into him, Slippy shoved his friend hard into the table. The table toppled with a loud crash. The music and lively chatter stopped and group had the bar's full attention.

"Falco, what the hell?" demanded Slippy as he stared down at his friend. Using force was the last thing he wanted to do but shoving Falco was the only way he could think to break up the fight.

Falco had never seen Slippy so angry yet he was too proud to admit he had overstepped his bounds.

"Toad, take your friend home." scoffed Wolf, "He's drunk." He waved his hand to dismiss them. Slippy carted his friend outside and said nothing.

Wolf watched them leave and then wandered over to the bar rubbing the side of his face. He compared a couple of the stools to find the one most comfortable - a corner stool with a clear view of the rest of the bar and far from other patrons. He took a seat and looked up at the bartender. "Whiskey," he requested.

"I'm sorry, but I'm going to have to ask you to leave." said the bartender.

Wolf looked up, visibly put out.

"Too many patrons here have fought in the Lylat Wars or in Sector Z and too many patrons know your history." said the bartender. "I'm sorry, I know you're with Star Fox now but you bring back too many bad memories. I'd rather not risk anyone getting hurt."

Wolf glanced around the bar. It was all but silent. Nearly every person in the room was looking at him. Slight murmurs were all that could be heard. Any sense of joy had been drained from the establishment and replaced with unease.

"Fine." he relented.

He got up from his stool and marched towards the exit. Eyes followed him the entire way. He turned at doorway and faced the crowd. He raised a hand and flipped his middle finger to the patrons before finally leaving in a huff.

Once out of the bar, he decide to go for a walk through the nearby park to clear his head. He tried to calm himself down as best he could and stopped to sit on a bench near a pond. He took several deep breaths and then paused. The sky was beautiful and the moon's reflection could be seen on the water. It was peaceful – a stark contrast with how he felt. Wolf's mind was filled with conflicting thoughts and feelings. The more he thought about it, the more frequently those thoughts turned to anger.

"What was I thinking?" said Wolf to no one in particular. "Why the hell did I join Star Fox?"

"Because Fox asked." came a voice from behind him. Wolf looked back at the brown furred canine standing only a few feet away. It wasn't anyone he recognized. The fellow was of average height, average build and maybe a few years younger than Wolf. He was wearing aviator glasses despite the time of day. More importantly, he gave a friendly smile and handed Wolf a flask. "It's whiskey," he said, "and I'm sorry for what happened back there."

Wolf took the flask without question, opened it and took a sip. It was definitely whiskey. He took another swig as he watched the stranger sit on the bench beside him.

"Fox offered me a job when I needed one," said Wolf, "what business is it of yours anyway?"

"The name is Bill," the stranger said, "Bill Grey. I've been friends with Fox for years. You know, the guy never asked me once to join the Star Fox team. He knew I would have thrown away my career at the drop of a hat if he had asked and I guess he thought I was meant for bigger things."

Wolf raised an eyebrow. "Good for you?" he said derisively. He recognized the name though. Bill Gray was with the Cornerian Army and had helped the Star Fox team when they recently fought Andrew Oikonney. He didn't know much else.

"Don't let them get to you." Bill said.

"Who, the guys back at the bar?" said Wolf, pointing in the direction of the tavern, "I could have taken every last one of them if they had tried anything."

Bill sighed. "Fox has placed a lot of trust in you, you know."

"I don't know why." said Wolf. He took the cool flask and pressed it against his eye. Falco had hit him harder than he had expected and the last thing he needed was for his one good eye to swell shut.

"If he trusts you, then I trust you. If you keep your nose clean, everyone else will warm up to you too." said Bill, "Just give it time."

"Why do you care?" scoffed Wolf.

"Star Wolf is responsible for the death of one of my men during a mission in Sector Z years ago. Your team also made things plenty difficult for us during the Lylat Wars." said Bill in thought.

Wolf said nothing.

"I have always believed that people – most people – are good. They make bad decisions on occasion or they are put in situations where they think the bad choices are the only choices they can make to survive." said Bill, "Some of those people might even start off with promising lives ahead of them until something tragic takes everything they hold dear. Makes it hard to care after that."

Wolf felt his heart sink. He took a large drink from the flask. The path that had turned him to piracy was certainly a series of terrible events. Still, he found Bill's views ridiculously naïve. Sargasso had once been full of men and women who were rotten to the core.

"You were a promising Academy Cadet I hear." noted Bill. "Then things changed. You lost your family and then you got falsely accused of treason."

Wolf remained silent.

"You deserve a second chance." said Bill, getting up from the bench. "You're getting it. From Fox. From me. From those who feel someone like you still has some good in them. Fox sees something in you. I don't know what that thing is, but if you put the effort in maybe we can all find out."

Bill gave a warm smile. Something about him reminded Wolf of his interactions with Fox. They both seemed genuine. Still, Wolf found it hard to trust anyone who approached him with a smile.

"Whatever, man. It's a job when I needed one the most. That's all that matters."

"Hey, if that's what it takes," said Bill as he walked away, "and you can keep the flask."

"Thanks." said Wolf. He wasn't sure what he found more annoying. People distrusted his every action despite his intention or people who thought he was on some righteous path to redemption. Still, he certainly found the welcoming gesture more to his liking than cold stares and drunken confrontation.

#

The next morning, Falco found himself with a massive headache which seemed to be getting worse by the moment. He was sitting down and trying to massage his throbbing temples while he looked up at a visibly angry Fox McCloud. Fox had called Falco into his office as soon as he had heard about the incident at the bar and it was clear that he was not impressed by what had happened.

"Falco, what the hell?" asked Fox, his ears tucked back and his fur on end. He had every right to raise his voice but didn't. Instead, he let a tone of disappointment take over the conversation. To Falco, it made the whole ordeal even worse.

"Look, I'm sorry. I had a few drinks and I let Wolf get the better of me."

"No, you didn't." replied Fox, "From what Slippy tells me, you had a few drinks and then you tried to get the better of Wolf."

"Fox, I don't trust the guy. He's a bad egg and his reputation will tarnish the team." noted Falco.

"Give the guy a chance, Falco! Deep down he's not a bad guy." pleaded Fox.

Falco looked at Fox with an expression of disbelief. "You have an awfully selective memory of late, Fox. We both know he's done some terrible things. Just the things that you and I know of should land him in prison for a good long time."

"Yeah, I know." said Fox. "Wolf has made some bad decisions. He'll tell you that himself. He was cleared of the treason charge. He's saved my life and he's saved Corneria. He's trying. He's doing more than just trying. He deserves a second chance."

"Would you have given Pigma a second chance?" asked Falco. It was a low blow. Pigma had betrayed the original Star Fox team to the enemy and had gotten Fox's father captured, tortured and killed as a result.

"Don't you dare bring that up again!" demanded Fox.

"That's not an answer, Fox. You and I both know that Pigma could never be trusted. What makes you think Wolf is any different?"

"General Hare is giving us a tour of the new ship today." said Fox, deflecting the question. "He's invited the whole Star Fox team up to see it – Wolf included. I'm asking you – begging you – to put aside your differences for now. We'll finish this discussion later."

"Fox," started Falco, "we're friends. I'm worried about you."

"We'll finish this discussion later," Fox repeated.

Falco couldn't bare having Fox disappointed in him. It wasn't his intention to get Fox upset and he didn't want to risk their friendship over his opinion of Wolf. He simply nodded. He began to leave the room but then stopped at the door.

"Look Fox," he said. He noticed Fox furrow his brow and he knew he had to chose his words very carefully, "I promise I'll keep it civil for the tour."

"Good."

#

Slippy stopped by the barracks in a small convertible hovercraft to pick up Wolf and Falco but only found Wolf. The new member of Star Fox was sitting outside nursing both a mild hangover and a black eye. Nevertheless he seemed unperturbed by the previous night's ordeal. Slippy gave a friendly wave to catch his attention. Wolf stood up and headed over to join him. Slippy had noticed that Wolf was wearing his new Star Fox uniform. It was a dark charcoal gray and fairly muted compared to the brighter traditional Star Fox uniforms. The jacket had some length to it and Wolf kept the collar popped up. Even in the team's uniform Wolf still managed to look intimidating. Slippy gulped. He wasn't sure what Wolf's mood would be and any attempts he had made to befriend his new teammate always seemed to irritate him instead.

"Hey Wolf," stuttered Slippy, "I'm here to pick you up! We're heading up to see the new ship!"

Wolf nodded and got into the hovercraft. He had a stern look on his face – a look that had seemed almost permanently etched on him. It made it difficult for Slippy to read him.

"I'm sorry about last night." conceded Slippy. He felt guilty even though he wasn't the one who started the scuffle.

Wolf snorted but said nothing. Slippy tried to find some way to fill the awkward silence.

"The ship is really nice!" exclaimed Slippy. "I was up to see it earlier. It's an older ship but it's so much nicer than the last Great Fox. Even better than the first one we had!"

Slippy was genuinely excited. He was fond of the original Great Fox that was destroyed during the Anglar Blitz. They could never afford a proper replacement after its destruction and the second ship to hold the name was much older and far less impressive. Still, the new one – the third Great Fox – was much like the original. He had been involved in some of the upgrades that had been done to the ship in the past few weeks and was keen to show them off to the rest of the team. Wolf, however, seemed uninterested.

"So... what did you used to do before you joined Star Fox?" asked Slippy, refusing to simply sit in silence.

Wolf looked at him with a somewhat annoyed expression.

"Right." stuttered Slippy. He knew the answer to that question and he knew it was a question Wolf wouldn't want to go into detail about.

Wolf let out a sigh. "Thanks for dragging Falco out of the bar last night."

Hearing Wolf speak caught Slippy off guard to the point that he nearly lost control of the vehicle. He finally got Wolf to say something. It hadn't been the first time they had talked, but getting Wolf to say much of anything was a challenge and today seemed like it was going to be particularly difficult.

"You're welcome?" said Slippy. He exhaled. "Look, Wolf, Falco can be a jerk. I know it. But he's a good guy."

"On the inside?" Wolf asked in a sarcastic tone.

"Yeah!" exclaimed Slippy.

"If he punches me again, I'm gonna put him in traction."

Slippy gulped. He was honestly surprised that wasn't exactly what took place the night before. Falco was in way over his head and he was pretty sure Wolf would have beaten him to a pulp.

"Don't let him get to you." said Slippy.

"Ha!" said Wolf, finally cracking slight smile. "Toad, I have had way more obnoxious people try to get to me."

"And?" asked Slippy.

Wolf ran his finger across his throat and made a face. Slippy gasped. Wolf laughed at his reaction.

"Don't worry, man. If anything, Lombardi just makes me want to do everything I can to prove him wrong."

"That's the spirit!" said Slippy excitedly.

"Where's Fox?" Wolf asked with a somewhat eager tone.

"Fox went to meet with General Hare and the two of them are signing some paperwork for the transfer of ownership of the new Great Fox. They'll meet us at the shuttle," said Slippy, "I can't wait until everyone sees the Great Fox. It's amazing!"

"So you keep saying."

"This one is another Dreadnaught-Class cruiser like the original ship we had. It's got some great updates and modifications made to it. We're going to give it a quick test today and then we can start moving in!" said Slippy excitedly. "It will be our new home!"

Something about having a home visibly lifted Wolf's spirits. Slippy was still convinced Wolf really might actually make a good addition to the team once everyone warmed up to him. If only he could make Falco see that.

Slippy pulled the hover-car up to the shuttle launch pad and he and Wolf hopped out. Peppy, Fox and Falco were already waiting by the shuttle and having a casual conversation. Falco seemed visibly perturbed at Wolf's arrival but said nothing. Peppy and Fox gave him a welcome.

"The new uniform looks good on you!" noted Peppy as he patted Wolf on the shoulder.

"I'm surprised you even wore it today," said Fox, "I thought you were only going to wear it for formal events?"

Wolf shrugged. "New ship seemed like a big deal to you guys."

Fox smiled and lead the team to the shuttle. He sat in the pilot seat and Falco climbed in beside him. Slippy, Wolf and Peppy each took spots in the rear passenger seats. The shuttle lifted off smoothly and made it a steady ascent. Slippy was almost vibrating with excitement. Peppy had grabbed a seat next to Wolf with the intention of using the opportunity to catch up with the newest Star Fox team member. As a General, Peppy was kept fairly busy and he hadn't had as much time as he would have liked to speak to Wolf. He trusted Fox's judgment yet he still had his reservations. He felt confident that giving Wolf a second chance was the right thing to do but he wanted to get to know more about the former pirate and he had more than a few nagging doubts. The hum of the shuttle's engines kept their conversation private.

"How are you making out with all of this, son?" said Peppy in a low voice, "I can't imagine it has been easy."

Wolf gave Peppy a look of suspicion. "I'm fine, General." he replied.

"Who would have thought that one day you would join Star Fox," said Peppy, "Did you know that back in the day, James McCloud had considered you as a possible candidate for the original Star Fox team?"

Wolf raised an eyebrow. He had met Fox's father when he was at the Academy on Corneria. James had taught him a few tricks during some of his visits to the training ground. He was also one of the few people who stood up for him when he was wrongfully charged with treason. The charge had stuck and Wolf fled Corneria and eventually became a pirate. He had always wondered what would have happened if things had worked out differently. After leaving Corneria he took his anger and frustration out on James and eventually Fox. The thought that James had considered him as a candidate for the original Star Fox team came as a surprise.

"James wanted an additional member for the team and you were doing so well in the Academy," noted Peppy, "He was crushed when you were charged with treason. He couldn't believe that you would do such a thing. Then you left and joined a group of pirates. It was difficult."

"I was still a kid," said Wolf, "I was angry and upset. I had lost my mother and then the whole treason charge came about. The army really put the screws to me. I figured James was just looking to bring me back to Corneria so they could finish locking me away. I didn't know he thought that much of me."

"And yet here we are." said Peppy. "Fox has extended an olive branch and you've accepted it. Maybe it was meant to be. If you had joined us when James had intended, you might have died along with him..."

Peppy trailed off. The death of James was a painful memory for him.

"Yeah, maybe it was meant to be this way, old man."

"I know this will not be without challenges." said Peppy, "but I always though it best to take the route of rehabilitation whenever possible."

Wolf wasn't impressed with the term. He wasn't some prisoner being rehabilitated.

"Peppy," said Wolf, "you were double-crossed by someone that you had trusted far more than you trust me. What makes you think I won't just stab these guys in the back if I get the chance?"

"You won't... but if you ever did, I would put every bit of my influence as General of the Cornerian Army into hunting you down and seeing you locked away forever."

Wolf knew that Peppy was not joking.

"Guys! Look!" exclaimed Slippy, pointing out of the window.

Peppy and Wolf both looked out at the ship floating off in the distance. It was the new Great Fox. The ship was a large cruiser very much like the original Great Fox though somewhat larger and sleeker. The exterior had several of the ships original marks blacked out and the final touches to the ship would not be completed for a few weeks. Regardless, the ship was functional and ready for a test run as it sat docked in a large orbital shipyard. It wasn't new and showed signs of use but it was still impressive.

"Peppy," asked Fox with both wonder and curiosity, "how much did this cost?"

"Not as much as you might think." noted Peppy, "We had mothballed a few of these cruisers and they weren't going anywhere anytime soon. The least Corneria could do for all the team has done."

The small shuttle entered the hangar bay, passing through the atmospheric shielding and landing safely inside. The hangar doors closed and the team exited the shuttle. There was already a Landmaster tank loaded into the hagnar along with Slippy's Arwing starfighter. Only a few other basic supplies had been brought on-board. The interior felt massive and was polished and dust free. Everything seemed to echo in the nearly empty hangar. Some care had been taken in refurbishing the ship and unlike the exterior, the interior looked brand new.

"I could get used to this." said Wolf. It was a far deal nicer than what he had been accustomed to most of his life.

"Let's check out the bridge." stated Falco.

Everyone followed without a second thought. The rest of the interior of the Great Fox was pristine to the point of being somewhat sterile. Each member of the original team immediately gravitated towards their old stations aboard the bridge. ROB, the old ship's robotic pilot, was already onboard and rolling about dutifully.

"So, what do you think?" asked Peppy.

"It's great." said Fox in awe.

"It's better than great!" exclaimed Slippy, "This is the best ship we've ever had!"

Even Falco was shaken from his mood by how nice the new ship was. It brought back old memories of when the team had first started out.

"Wanna take it for a spin?" asked Slippy, "Got something I wanna show ya!"

Fox nodded in excitement and the crew took their seats. Peppy offered Wolf a seat near the sensor systems.

"Take it out!" said Fox with a grin on his face.

Falco's fingers danced across the controls as he fired up the ship's engines and took it out of the docking bay. Mechanical clunks were heard as docking clamps released. The ship lurched slightly before sliding out of the hangar under its own power. The engines hummed and the various consoles and sensors danced with activity. Everything seemed to be working smoothly.

"Ready for warp system test." noted Slippy through the comms to engineers at the shipyard. He turned back to Fox. "I managed to upgrade the engines. We took what we learned from Dash's Point-to-Point Warp Drive and tried applying it to the Great Fox. It should give us the ability to travel between planets at a near instantaneous speed – much faster than the old warp drive. Shall we give it a go?"

Fox nodded. He was ready to see what the ship could do. Slippy rubbed his hands together eagerly and then started turning up switches on his control panel.

"Plotting in a course for Zoness. ROB, fire up the Point-to-Point Drive!" stated Slippy.

"Affirmative." replied ROB in a monotone voice. Four small rods extended from the front of the ship. Electricity arched out.

"Let's go!" exclaimed slippy as he pulled a lever forward. The electricity from the rods leaped across the bow and seemed to tear a hole in space not far from the front of the ship. Within moments the entire ship was thrust forward. There was a momentary feeling of unease as the ship seemed to both accelerate and stay stationary at the same time. Just as the ship jumped one of the four rods wobbled and snapped with a colorful crackle of electricity and the entire ship lurched. The gravitational stabilizers weren't able to respond quickly enough and the crew found themselves being tossed about. The ship dropped from warp almost instantly. Everyone tried to regain their bearings as warning lights cascaded across the bridge.

"Alright, Slippy. What happened?" asked Fox.

"We lost a gate projector." noted Slippy as he picked himself up off of the ground, "The warp gate collapsed immediately on entry. That... shouldn't have happened. Guess one of the engineers didn't double check their work."

Fox looked out into space and sighed. "So, where did we end up?"

Wolf scanned over the readouts trying to make sense of it all. Peppy leaned over his shoulder and looked over the various monitors and pointed out where their galactic coordinates had been displayed.

"Galactic positioning systems have us pretty much exactly where we started." noted Peppy, "We haven't moved."

"So, where's Corneria?" asked Fox as he approached the view screen. "There's nothing out there."

"We haven't moved... but everything else has." noted Peppy, pulling up a map of the Lylat system. "The planets have moved relative to our position."

"How does that happen?" asked Fox.

"Well..." started Slippy, "it's entirely possible that we've been thrown forward in time a bit. The warp gates take us through a form of subspace. It's not inconceivable that our brief time in subspace was much longer in, you know, Cornerian time."

"We leapt forward in time? How does that even happen?" asked Fox.

Slippy fiddled with the console. "I'm trying to get a lock back on the Lylat Galactic Data System so we can get the Great Fox resynchronized but it's having some issues with the ship's updated systems. It will take me a few minutes."

"In the mean time, let's get back to Corneria." said Fox, a little annoyed. He had hoped for a trouble free first flight. Instead he now wondered how long it would take to fix the ship had and how far forward in time they had jumped.

Everyone waited nervously for more answers as the ship limped back to Corneria. Technical issues were abound as ship communications failed and any attempts to access Corneria's various data networks proved unsuccessful. When Slippy finally found the answer, none were too happy to hear it.

"Guys, I was wrong about us jumping forward in time." said Slippy nervously.

"Okay, so what happened then?" asked Falco.

"I couldn't get the ship's system synched up with the Lylat Galactic Data System." said Slippy looking pale, "I thought it was because the ship's systems were still a bit buggy but that wasn't it."

"What was it?" asked Fox.

"Well, our systems were too new." said Slippy, "like, really new comparatively."

"Slippy, get to the point please." stated Peppy.

"I couldn't connect to the system because the Lylat Galactic Data Systems are using protocols that are decades out of date." stated Slippy. He flipped up the digital calendar on the view screen and pointed at the date.

Slipppy pointed at the year and stuttered nervously. "We've been thrown 20 years into the past!"