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A/N: Hey all you FK fans, I'm sorry it's been a long time since I updated the original FK, but this is a redux that has needed to happen. A friend of mine read over a few chapters as well as those who reviewed in the past let me know the issues I was making but it really only hit home recently. With EA wrapping up, I plan to overhaul Fox's Kurse and give it the proper treatment it deserves. I know it seems like I'm promising a lot of reduxes, but then again, I am a complete amateur writer and with all the blunders in FK I made, I really want to get this story right for everyone to enjoy. There will be changes and large amounts of alterations. So it's not the exact same story as it was before. There will be familiar elements and certain locations but as you will see in this chapter. I've changed things quite a bit. So, read, review, and enjoy. I hope those of you who have stayed with FK will enjoy this new iteration more than the original.
Thank you all and have fun! Star Fox is property of Nintendo.
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Chapter 1
Drifter
Cigarette smoke, dim lights; quiet music; those were the things that greeted Fox as he walked through the door of No Man's Land Bar. A dingy place on a backwater world far from the hustle and bustle of "civilized" society. It was here Fox came to hide away from the system and swarming pests that had made his life a small personal hell. Fox's garb was not an unusual sight on Papetoon; he wore a tight-fitting skinsuit that held a self-contained water system for extended travel, a filtered mask that covered his snout and face to prevent sand from getting in. Within the helmet, itself were advanced optical sensors that allowed Fox to peer through the sandstorm as well as a regulator for the suit's internal temperature for cold nights and hot days. Truly a masterwork of Papetoonian ingenuity.
Outside, the sound of shrill wind and crashing lightning was ceaseless. It was likely that the maelstrom would last longer than the night. Fox's tail was lifeless and limp with eyes bloodshot from the lack of a good night's rest. The incessant events that plagued him were growing tiresome and threatened to break Fox if he couldn't put a stop to them.
With a mind buzzing more than thinking; Fox found a comfortable seat to the side of the room to quiet it with a drink. The booth was out of the way and with a clear sight on the front door and like much of the bar; toted wood that was faded and cracked. The place obviously having seen better days, yet Fox did not care. For now, the bar was his refuge.
The Auburn vulpine sat quietly in his seat as he contemplated his predicament before letting out an exhaustive sigh. Fox's tail thumped lightly against the pleather fabric as for the first time that day, he finally got to breathe and let his fur down. Afterward, Fox undid the latch that held the helmet in place and placed it upon the table with a gentle rustle of the articles fabric. Fox tilted his head over the back and arms lay across the cushions on either side as he tried to catch his breath and soothe the thoughts that were running at full speed.
It had happened again. Fox thought he would be safe on his homeworld as the planet was so far out on the fringes of the system; almost no one but miners, traders, and prospectors came out to the arid world. Well, them and the various riff-raff. Though they rarely caused trouble. Papetoon was a more controlled Macbeth. No Mafias, no rampant gang warfare. The Papetoonians made it clear to all outsiders, that it was their world. They had defied Andross and thrown his forces off the planet without the aid of Corneria which had sent a message loud and clear to everyone about their tenacity.
Upon his arrival, Fox's people were more than happy to welcome home their personal hero and after explaining his situation; the Papetoonian government issued him a new identity: Social ID number, a small apartment, new name; the works. They even went as far to offer him cosmetic surgery so he could blend in better, but Fox turned it down. He had deemed it unnecessary as the usual survival gear for Papetoonians did more than enough to conceal people's appearances. Or so he thought.
Fox shook his head several times in agitation. He wasn't there to dwell on that, he had come to the bar to drink and forget. A waitress came by a scant moment later; she was dressed in a long pair of jeans with a v-neck t-shirt that ran down far enough just to show off the ample wells of her chest. To Fox's increased agitation, the woman recognized him and she just so happened to be the same species as his on again, off again ex. A sandy brown furred Fennec, large ears and all, wide hips, thick lush thighs. She was just his type…
The vixen's hips sashayed exaggeratedly as she came to his table and locked eyes with her pretty little amber hues.
"Hey there flyboy, what can I get you." She purred sultrily to Fox; every bit of her body was displaying exactly what she really wanted. A chance with the famous Fox McCloud, no doubt to gloat to her girlfriends that she got in bed with the legend himself. Her ears were perked with interest, the way her button nose twitched and how her whiskers were upturned in curiosity. The thick signature vulpine tail just swaying with excitement at the possibilities. However, Fox returned no such indicators hoping that she would get the hint.
Fox grimaced at the thought of being used as a status symbol once again; but remembering his manners, the todd kept it civil.
"Papetoonian Whisky." He replied with as calm a voice he could muster. The vixen nodded and he caught sight of her name tag as she left. Naomi.
Either that's her "Work" name, or someone was rather vindictive to their kid.
The autumn red vulpine waited for his drink; to his surprise, the booze was swiftly delivered and Naomi bent over just far enough where should Fox want to, he could see right down into the heavy swells of her breasts.
Fox, of course, gave her nothing as he wanted none of it. Already burned out and adrift at the idea of any kind of companionship.
"Can I get you anything else hotshot?"
Fox snorted at the nickname and the way she extended that words as if to imply he hadn't caught wind of her desires.
All the subtlety of a Venomian Battlecruiser.
"Some space." He replied sharply.
The vixen frowned as she was rebuffed, but he was a customer. Her hopes dashed and in a huff, turned about and walked off towards the main bar.
About time I got a little peace.
Drink after drink passed Fox's lips and as the burning liquid ran down his throat only to splash in his stomach where the warmth began to spread. His mind became hazy and with it, the mental barriers between memories and his consciousness broke down. Thoughts that he would rather have remained buried began to slowly file into his mind that went all the way back to where his woes began.
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Downtown Corneria City was a bustling metropolis before the wars, and after the wars, it only seemed to get busier. Between the refugees and resources that came in, it made Corneria grow at a near exponential rate, something that the government often had trouble keeping up with. It had been a bright day as he recalled. The sun was high in the sky and it's rays brilliantly bathing the entire city with its warmth. Falco, Slippy, and Peppy were with him. Falco off to his right, Slippy on his left and Peppy right behind them. Shops and corner store peddlers all tried to get the famous Star Fox team to come into their shop and spend well-earned money; along with no doubt boosting the shop's prestige with the presence of Lylats greatest mercenary team. The truth of the matter was, Falco dragged them downtown for his favorite street corner snack: Beef hot dogs. Apparently, the owner had survived the attack and set up shop once more, now stronger than ever with the Government subsidies pretty much paying for everything. Or more accurately, Phoenix Corp covering the government costs.
Things had been a bit rough on the team, jobs were becoming scarce and with the overhead for the Great Fox, as well as constantly having to upgrade and manage the team's finances; if something big didn't come through they would be broke in a few months. It was about a quarter of the way to their destination where things began to get sketchy.
Falco's feathers atop his head raised while his eyes honed in on something only he could see.
"Hey! I saw Katt!" Falco exclaimed. "Sorry guys, I gotta go!"
Fox blinked as the avian bolted off in search of Her Pinkness.
"Huh, didn't think Katt liked coming around Corneria… "Too Stuffy," Fox said with a scratch of his head.
"Eh, it's Falco, he's always after some ass, especially Katts." Peppy chuckled quietly.
"Ain't that the truth, so. What now?" Fox inquired as he turned to his other two teammates.
"Well, I need to swing by the docks and pick up a few shipments. I got a message earlier today that the hyper laser coils are ready! Weeks in advance no less! I can't wait to get them back to the ship and install them!" It was, of course, Slippy, their engineer and gearhead.
"Alright, well, guess I'll see you later Slip," Fox said with a chuckle. The frog bounced his head once and proceeded to run as fast as he could towards the docks district on those stubby legs.
"And you old timer?"
Peppy chuckled "I did want to check in on Vivian as a surprise if you don't mind that is Fox."
Who was he to deny his adoptive father spending time with his wife? "Sure thing Pep, go right ahead. I'll just wander around here for a bit. Also, check the work boards and see if anything new has come in."
"Boy, you need to go see Fara, seriously. All you do is work! I'm sure she's wondering where her dashing hero is." Peppy said with a cheeky smile.
Fox shook his head. "Work first, pleasure later Pep." Anything to get the old man off his case about his love life… or rather his stagnant one.
"Yeah, yeah, just like your father." Peppy teased before turning about and heading off towards the uptown district.
With his friends out of sight, Fox's shoulders slumped in a depressed fashion and leaned against a nearby brick wall and placed his palm over his face.
Keeping this act up is proving to be tiresome. They don't understand just how bad things are… better that way, if I can just find us a good job… maybe if I go talk to Fara…
That was an idea he'd rather not do, the idea of begging his "Girlfriend" for work did not sit well with Fox's pride, nor did he want to give Fara the satisfaction.
Let's just check the bounty boards and see what we can find.
With a deep breath, Fox stood and shook himself and put on his trademark smile and calm demeanor. The one that so many of the paparazzi loved snapping photos of.
As his head lifted he swore for a split second he caught sight of something… blue like the sky and white like fresh snow. Not like a car or anything, but a fur pattern in the crowd before him. Dye jobs weren't uncommon, but for whatever reason, it stood out to him more than anything else. What followed was an ice cold chill that raced up his spine; it was the same sensation he experienced when his instincts warned him of imminent danger. Yet he saw no apparent threat, but that did not let Fox ease his guard. Sometimes threats came from directions he didn't expect. His eyes wandered the crowd and once again he caught a hint of blue with white as it flitted in and out of the throng.
Losing my mind, I'm seeing things.
The todd continued down the street to CDF HQ. It's where they held all the bounties and jobs for Mercenaries in the system. All one had to do was walk up, provide ID and the PIN for their mercenary license, and then press the job they wanted and just like that, it was theirs. At least for Fox, it was like that, his reputation alone would allow for immediate acceptance of any high-risk jobs.
It was about halfway there when he passed by a dumpster that a sharp tingle within the back of his mind; like someone had tried to smash him upside the head with a blunt instrument. The movement disoriented and made Fox roll out of sheer fight or flight response as if he were ducking some unseen blow. When the maneuver finished, Fox was propped up on his right knee and left foot flat on the ground with his blaster drawn at where he thought the source came from. Yet there was nothing. With an arched brow Fox scanned his surroundings, and when his eyes took in the empty alley, he deemed it safe and returned to the path that went towards the CDF HQ building not but a block away.
Yet Fox was unaware of a hunter's confused stare that followed him from the roof of a nearby building.
The CDF HQ in Fox's eyes was a giant figurative cock waving contest. It was tall, imposing, and tried to speak of authority. While it did serve as command and control for Corneria's military, its other function was less than conducive to defense. It was where all the armchair admirals and generals jerked each other off and threw around various acronyms and told the press how amazing their armed forces were. Corneria had been a joke militarily, the Lylat Wars had proven that one easily. He and his team had been the ones to save the system while thousands of Cornerians and their various allies died across who knew how many battlefields trying to stem the tide of Andross's madness. All the brass did was sign the paycheck at the end of the war. However, changes had been making their ways through the ranks along with technology. The unsavory act of using Androssian tech was a hotly debated topic. The problem was, the powers that be didn't see it that way, and while the people protested and talked, it ultimately led nowhere. On top of all that, new up and coming officers had learned the harsh lessons of war and were open to more... questionable lines of thinking than their predecessors. Double that with a politicial party that had exploded in popularity during the war, it was a recipe for disaster and Fox saw it coming from a mile away.
Rumors were plentiful and had been for years. Slowly but surely, Fox had been watching the greatest hope for Lylat become rotten from the inside out, including his own lover. Fox wanted to do something but ultimately found himself powerless and so, he continued life as usual. With a sigh, Fox made his way forwards to the giant edifice to Corneria's growing military industrial complex which these days, doubled as a political headquarters. Of which he did not approve, nor would his father.
The parade ground was pretty typical military fan fair, the globe with three stars and the red arch blazed across signifying Corneria and its allies in their federation. That very flag stood atop a large flagpole along with the ages-old Cornerian insignia from when the planet unified centuries ago. A singular globe with a dog's ferocious head superimposed in front of it with a knife between its jowls… Fox always wondered why they never changed it. For it hearkened back to the early days when Corneria was less than friendly to its neighbors and colonies.
It concerned him little though, his task was to find work for him and his team that paid well. The building proper was easy to get into with the scanner atop the door reading him easily and allowing him through with a hiss of an airlock cycling. Seconds later, he was in the lobby and a flash of his badge allowed him to head towards the mercenary wing where the work board waited for him.
What he found was not promising. Fox scrunched his eyes in agitation as he gazed over the board from top to bottom in an attempt to find anything that was well over two-hundred thousand credits. Anything less would not serve their needs.
Unfortunately, such jobs were becoming ever more scarce, with space becoming more secure every day and Cornerias military actually taking some lessons learned from the war; mercs weren't needed as much. A feeling of dejection settled into Fox, and with it in mind, he decided to make his way up to Peppers office and have a chat, see if the old hound had anything for him.
A sudden jump in memory had Fox traveling down that very same alley, only this time with a defeated and very agitated look on his features.
Fox had not noticed the hunter before, nor did he now. The only warning Fox got was that internal alarm and the whistling of fabric on the wind which pushed him into a combat stance and once more rolled along the ground until he was in the same stance as before. Only his vision this time was greeted by a slam and crumbling of asphalt with dust and debris being thrown high into the air.
The situation was not a good one, if he was under attack, he had two options, backward and forwards. One would take him to HQ, but that would mean getting past his assailant; the other would take him into a civilian populated area…Neither one had a great appeal.
The dust was taking an awfully long time to settle and before he could even squeeze a shot off a fully armored assailant was in his face swinging a stun baton that crackled with an arc of electrical energy. The baton hummed threateningly as they swung it back and forth trying to land a hit that would disable him. Of course, Fox wasn't a renowned hero for nothing; his reflexes allowed him to nimbly dodge his attacker with each swing. The issue being on the defensive and their movement were taking them towards civilians.
Fox remembered clearly his attacker even in his drunken state back in reality; how lithe and agile they were. The movements were almost fluid with how they blended together… almost like a dance. Were it not for the threat to his life it would have, and still be almost enchanting.
Back in No Man's Land, the door was thrown open and a decent sized crowd of similarly clothed individuals came in and began taking various seats around the bar, masks were removed and drinks were ordered. Fox was at his fifth… or was it sixth whiskey at that stage, possibly eight? He'd lost count.
Where was I? Oh right, the crazy bounty hunter.
The fight had gone on for only a short bit before the hunter disengaged and vanished as they had never existed in the first place.
It was not the last time he would encounter his pursuer.
Fox's head lay on the tarnished table with quite a few empty shot glasses, binging with Falco had given him a cast iron liver and stomach. The Auburn todd was pleasantly drunk and more than happy to forget things for a while. All his thoughts were a jumble, but somewhere in the back of his head, that damned… no, it wasn't cold this time… it was warm, almost pleasant and welcoming. Fox shook his head as he grumbled to himself until a very familiar foreign accent graced his ears though someone muffled by the same mask he had worn earlier.
"Perhaps you should not think of bars until you're out of my reach, Fox."
Fuck.
"Ah damnit… can't we take a day off? Just this once? Let me have some quiet for one day." Fox muttered as he ordered another whiskey which was hastily delivered by the off-put Fennec from earlier, staring at his company with no small amount of jealousy as she noticed the feminine curves and ample chest that accompanied them. Whoever it was, they were a vulpine judging from the tail length that was also covered.
Fox didn't even make eye contact with the newcomer but spoke to them like an old rival.
The females rebuttal was one laced with a modicum of seriousness, but a small tinge of mirth lay beneath it. As if she were amused at the heroic Fox's current condition. "'Fraid not Fox, you know this is my job. Now, are we going to dance again; or are you just going to give up given your… current inebriation."
Fox's voice oozed anger at his happy hour being disturbed and looked up to Naomi. "Triple espresso shot… none of that watered down shit either." He muttered and looked up at the similarly garbed individual.
"You want anything?"
There was a distinct pause and Fox swore he caught the faintest hint of a laugh or giggle.
"I'll take a coffee I suppose. Black, no sugar."
Fox smirked at the corners of his mouth. "Something something, black like your heart."
"Hardly black, you almost got a good look at it back on Sauria."
Sauria…
Fox was not left with much time to think as the stranger took a seat, the female in question eyed him as her mask came away and revealed her foreign features. The first noticeable aspect was her long hair that cascaded down her shoulders almost like a waterfall, her blue triangular ears perked atop her head indicated a vulpine species. White tufts of fur lined the insides and as the mask fell away it revealed her facial features which toted the same fur on the insides of her ears that faded away to blue. Every time he saw her face; her fur looked plush, soft; inviting. Fox had a hard time denying that she was quite possibly the most beautiful female he had ever seen… that or it was his dick talking. He never was quite sure. However, one thing he was sure of was how gorgeous those stark Aquamarine eyes of her were, brilliant intense pools filled with emotions Fox was all too familiar with during the wars. A blazing hatred in them for someone who had wronged her; the thirst for all-out bloodshed and revenge; a stoic controlled being who simultaneously was a broken soul. An epic contradiction, something Fox had personal experience with.
Everyone in the room knew immediately who and what she was: Cerinian.
Fox's ears easily picked up mutterings and whispers of fear and worry of what she could do. Papetoon wasn't that unwelcoming to outsiders; if anything, they were more tolerant than Corneria by a mile. But even Papetoonians were wary of Cerinians and their strange ethereal ways and rumored powers.
Two mugs of what could pass for coffee from the dingy bar were placed before the pair. The vixen turned about and left in a huff as the cerulean vulpine smirked.
"Blew her off did you?"
Fox snorted. "Do I look like some sort of man-slut?"
His company rolled her shoulders in a rough shrug. "Dunno, a man like you could have any woman he wanted."
Fox snorted as he downed the hot coffee as quickly as he could so the caffeine would at least alleviate him of his inebriation.
"Yea, well… I'm not like that."
"Perhaps I had you pegged wrong Fox." Replied his azure companion.
"Yea maybe… so, how do you want to do this? Blasters? Hand to hand?" Fox was not in the mood for another fight, but he' be damned if he just gave up and placed himself in the vixens keeping. Their talk wasn't even subtle.
"How about neither?" Came another voice as several of the individuals who came in earlier stood up and soon more joined them. Each of them brandishing rather savage looking blasters.
"Oh for fuck sakes…" Fox uttered.
His companion did not even hesitate as she saw Fox rise and his blaster came from within its holster. She kicked the table over before he even thought about it and provided cover for them both as the vixen drew her own pistols, though they were not blasters. Instead, they were old slug throwers, semi-automatics in an old caliber that was rarely if ever seen in Lylat. Their blued metal shone softly in the dim light which was followed the distinct sound of two crashing akimbo shots echoed off the walls and tore through the air hitting one of the would-be bounty hunters square in his chest plate; penetrating through the armor and the soft innards behind it. The male in question fell over with a thud before his cohorts.
Fox and the Cerinian ducked down behind the tables as blaster fire erupted and pinged off the shielded metal.
To her shock, Fox was grinning. "Hah! The Barkeep put blaster resistant coating on em! Smart!"
"You seem to be enjoying this Fox!" The vixen shot back.
"For once we're not trying to kill each other!" He replied and stood up to take two shots that even on his worst day could make blindfolded. Sadly, the armor of his opponents absorbed most of the impact but did enough to make them seek cover.
"You should really use one of my guns Fox, your Lylatian armor doesn't stand up against them!"
"Slugthrowers are incredibly barbaric!" The todd said with a grin.
The vixen rolled her eyes as she uttered words in a foreign tongue that Fox could not understand. Ruhruhas m0 ujj! Tumdot xoutjkhedw Lylatians! Clearly, she was exasperated by his words and the situation.
"In common please!" Fox retorted.
"I said you're a headstrong idiot!"
"What else is new!" The todd shouted as he squeezed off several shots over the table. "Damnit! That's some good armor, whoever these guys are; they're well equipped."
"Offers still on the table."
Fox let a wide grin cover his features before he sat back down as more blaster bolts pinged off the table. "Nah, I got this… when in doubt, just up the ante."
The azure vixen shook her head as she closed her eyes and tuned into the surroundings around her. She picked out the enemies one by one; their auras showing their hostile intent and easily perceived even through walls and furniture. There were still seven of them left, not counting the one she took down on the opening salvo.
Four of their assailants were clustered together behind a large booth and firing their blasters over it to keep herself and Fox pinned while three more were pushing up in a delta formation trying to put pressure on them.
Smart, these aren't your normal guns for hire. Though those four need a lesson on spacing.
"Fox, do you have a grenade?"
"Eh? No, I got something just as good though."
The vixen opened her eyes with a curiosity as to just what Fox was going to do.
"Cover me!"
The vixen did so without hesitation. She sensed Fox's intent to go for the clustered group, apparently, he had caught sight of them with his keen eyes. With a mighty bellow of her people's language the vixen came up and around and fired off six rounds. The brilliant muzzle flash filled the low light bar as did the crash of powder discharge. Two rounds each for the three flankers which fell over in a heap one after another; and just according to plan, she drew the groups fire. Their weapons, however, proved to be ineffective as she crouched low and spread her arms out. A powerful sea-green shield surrounded her while chanting in that strange alien language of hers. Green, blue, and red bolts bounced or were totally absorbed into the shield.
With the four men distracted and three more down, Fox took the opportunity to overcharge his blaster pistol and crested the lip on the table. The heavy barrel glowed with a menacing bright emerald hue as Fox aimed and ever so gingerly squeezed the trigger to discharge the shot.
A brilliant sphere flew forward from the barrel and before the four men could scramble it smacked the centermost one in the chest and overloaded his armor in an overwhelming sphere of energy. The male died instantly from the impact and the others swiftly suffered the same fate as the blast spread out and caught all four in a singular explosion that destroyed their cover, and flash fried each of them instantly.
Just as quickly as the battle began, it was over. Eight dead bounty hunters now lay in various positions around the bar with the mysterious alien vixen and The Hero of Lylat triumphant.
Fox bore a pleased smile at their work, his head lifted up to turn and gaze at the vixen only to be greeted with a heavy metal end of a staff that cracked him in the stomach followed by a blow to the head that knocked him unconscious and down to the floor like a sack of bricks.
The cerulean vixen stared down at her prey with a cold harsh gaze as her chest heaved with the exhilaration of a battle fought and won.
"Finally got you." She muttered and cuffed the todd before her right paw grabbed Fox by his scruff and slipped the mask on to protect him from the elements outside. She then proceeded to press a button on her wrist to call in her ship which landed outside seconds later. The Cerinian dragged Fox out of the bar and tossed him aboard bound and trussed up like a festive meal. The ships engines roared over the storm as the small craft took off at supercruise in scant seconds before breaching atmosphere in record time. Those powerful blue engines faded from view on the surface as the ship dove into the black glittering seas of open space.