Geez… What a headache… I thought as I slowly came to. My body was heavy and my arm and head were throbbing in pain. I took my time sitting up.

"Easy now," said a hare from beside me. "You've been through a lot."

The hare checked my vitals. I was having a hard time remembering what had happened to me…

"You're awfully calm," he said suddenly. "Are you alright? Do you hurt anywhere?"

I nodded. "I have a splitting headache. And my arm…"

He went to work getting some pain meds in me.

I looked around the room. It looked like a hospital room all except for the feeling that we were moving. "Where am I?"

"You're aboard the Great Fox," he said as he moved to a chair beside my bed. "We found you captured on Titania with our friend Slippy. We couldn't leave you behind."

That name… I shook it off thinking it was just a coincidence.

I smiled. "Believe me, I appreciate the save."

"May I ask how you got there?"

"Wolf O'Donnell," I snarled out. "He and his lackeys found me and shot me down. The bastard…" A realization hit me. "My fighter! Please tell me it's not completely destroyed!"

"It's okay," the hare assured me. "Your fighter is being repaired as we speak. Everything is fine. And you are perfectly safe with us." He got up from the chair and went to an intercom by the door. "Fox, she's up when you're ready to see her."

"I'm on my way," said another voice over the com.

The hare came back to me. "My name is Peppy, by the way."

I stiffened. I knew him but he didn't seem to recognize me.

"I'm Skye Kell."

He froze at the sound of my name and stared at me for a moment.

"You're… Are you…" He couldn't seem to get his words out. "Your father," He finally got out.

I wasn't sure what he was trying to say, but I tried to answer him. "My father's name is James McCloud. I am his only daughter. I also have a brother named-"

"Fox," he finished for me.

Just then, someone walked in. Coming into the room was none other than my older brother. He was the spitting image of my father. At least, what I remember of him…

Fox eyed me thoughtfully then came up to me. "How are you feeling?"

"Fine, thank you. I'm just glad that I'm alive."

"I'm happy to hear it." He turned to Peppy. "We're going to need you soon, Peppy. We'll be coming up on the next planet in a little while."

Peppy nodded to him. He turned his attention back to me. "As for you, you are welcome to roam the Great Fox as you please."

"Thanks," I replied simply.

He left the room after that.

I was a little disappointed. "He didn't know me…?"

Peppy shook his head. "I think he did. He just didn't want to say anything." He moved to help me out of the bed. "Well, you heard him. Stretch your legs for a bit while we're gone. ROB pilots the ship for us so you have nothing to worry about."

I followed him out to the bridge of the ship. Fox, a bird, a toad, as well as the robot called ROB were all there. The toad hopped up as soon as he saw me.

"You're awake! Thank goodness you're not hurt!" He came up to me and shook my hand. "My name's Slippy. What's yours?"

I smiled at him. "I'm Skye. It's nice to meet you." I glanced over to the bird sitting down. He looked at me for a moment then "hmphed" and turned away.

"Don't mind him," Slippy said. "That's Falco."

"It's time to go, team," Fox said. "Let's move out. Skye, I'm sorry but-"

"Don't worry about me," I interrupted. "I'll man the fort while you guys are fighting evil."

Fox smiled and nodded at me then went off to the docking bay. Slippy, Falco and Peppy were close behind him. After they had gone off to do their thing, I went to see the damage done to my ship. They had already started trying to repair it but, I decided to save them the trouble and repair the rest myself.

A little bit later, the team came back. I was still making repairs under my ship when someone tapped my foot.

"Yo," they said. "Need any help?"

"I… I think I'm okay," I grunted out.

"That doesn't sound too promising. Are you sure you're-"

As he was saying that, I managed to smash my finger. I let out a yelp. As soon as I did, they pulled me out from underneath my ship and put me on my feet. Come to find out, it was Falco who was talking to me. He took my hand and looked at my finger.

"It doesn't look too bad," he said. "You have to be more careful."

"I'm surprised," I said harshly. "Considering how you acted toward me earlier, I didn't think you liked me very much."

He froze at that then his look turned sour. "Well excuse me for showing a little bit of concern."

I took my hand away from him. "Don't bother. I don't need what sympathy you have to offer. Thanks anyway."

I turned away from him and went back to work on my ship. He got frustrated when I stopped paying attention to him and he let me be. I worked on my ship a little more. When I decided it was time for a break, I went back to the bridge to meet up with Star Fox.

"Skye, how bad was your ship?" Peppy asked me.

"It wasn't too damaged. A few dents in the side but it will survive." I looked outside to see where we were. I was shocked to see how close we were to Venom. "Where are you all going anyway?"

"We're going to face Andross," Fox said without looking at me.

"Really? Saving the galaxy are we?" I asked jokingly.

When he didn't answer me, I knew he wasn't kidding.

"But that's suicide," I protested. "I know that it would be one less menace in the galaxy but still…"

"Oh, is Miss Independent all worried over little ol' us?" Falco teased.

I shot him a dirty look. "Not over you, bird. You just irritate me."

I heard Slippy start to chuckle in his seat. Peppy tried his best to hold back a laugh but it was quite obvious that he wanted to. Fox just smiled. Falco turned on me quickly.

"Who the hell do you think you are?" Falco said heatedly. "We saved your happy ass from that thing that had you on Titania and you have the nerve to-"

"That's enough Falco," Fox intervened. "You two just met and you're already at each other's throats."

"Yes," I concurred. "Amazing isn't it? Who knew that someone so infuriating could be in existence?"

I walked away at that. What a jerk… How could one person make me so angry?

I went back to my ship to finish the repairs. As soon as I was done, Fox had gone on the com to ask me to come to the bridge. I went without question and saw where we were.

"You guys are taking out Venom's defense outpost?" I asked.

"Yes. And I wanted to know if you'll come with us," Fox said.

The team was surprised. I could hardly believe he was asking me to come with them.

"You mean it?" I asked.

He nodded. "Your ship is repaired, isn't it?"

"Absolutely."

"Then it's settled. You're coming on this mission with us."

"Hold on a second," Falco objected. "She hasn't been with us for one day and you're asking her to go on a mission with us. Who is to say that she's even a good pilot?"

My anger flared at that comment. "Oh believe me bird, I could take you down faster than you could see who was shooting at you. My fighter is top of the line, much like your arwings. Don't think that just because I'm a woman, automatically makes me defenseless."

He shrugged. "I don't remember ever mentioning the fact that you're a woman. But if you want to go that far…"

"Enough you two!" Peppy bellowed. "Now is not the time to be arguing. We need to get to Andross and the only way to do that is to take down that defense post. Put aside your differences until this mission is over. Do I make myself clear?"

Falco and I exchanged glances. I nodded to Peppy.

"Tell me where you want me."