Chapter 1

A New war to fight

Presidential Palace, Corneria. Five years after Aparoid Incident

The President's face flashed on screen. "Hello my fellow Cornerians. Today I am given an opportunty to shed light on the situation arising around the Cerinian ship found this week."

Admiral Peppy Hare stood behind the cameraman. In the last week, a ship, identified to be one of Cerinian descent, had been found near Katina, the battleground of the last war. General Pepper himself had gone out there with the entire fleet to assess it. Krystal, the only Cerinian ever to escape the planet's ruthless destruction, had also gone out. Not to mention Pepper's granddaughter Fay Collie, trusted squadron commander Bill Grey and Peppy's own daughter, AI tech, Lucy Hare.

The fleet had arrived. Counter-strike teams blasted their way inside.

And found something.

One survivor.

A Cerinian.

A vixen.

Interrogation of her, revealed that the Venomian Remnant had turned into an Empire, and had chased her ship across the galaxy to Katina. Peppy feared what this could mean. Corneria had dumped thousands of troops onto Katina when the Aparoids had attacked. Their fleet was relatively unharmed, but could it stop the heavy onlsaught of the whole Venom fleet?

But a bigger problem: Noone had heard any news from Team Star Fox in all these years. Star Wolf was still on Corneria. Chang and Nebula had signed on as PMCs. But Peppy's go-to guys were missing. And noone knew what was going on.

"Thank you for your time, my fellow Cornerians. One thing is for cetrain. If the Venomian Empire crosses the Katina embargo line, they will have declared war on Corneria and all her colonies. And we will have no choice, but to retaliate with a full nuclear strike."

X

X

C.S.S. Wilsonheath, in orbit around Katina

Krystal sat across from the other blue vixen. Two Cornerian marines stood to her side. Fay Collie stood behind her. The vixen was wearing a very traditional blue dress. It had a hood that covered her face.

She spoke.

"You are not one of them. Not one of these, 'Cornerians', yet you fight for them. Why?"

Krystal swallowed as memories she had pushed down deep resurfaced. "I was once a young vixen looking for answers. A Cornerian brought me back with him. I made a lot of friends. BUt enough about me. You. I need to know about you."

"Tell these swine to go. And I will tell you everything, my dear."

Fay growled slightly. Krystal held up a hand and twirled it. The marines and Fay walked out.

The other Cerinian threw back the hood. She had flowing, long blue hair, in contrary to Krystal's cropped, just-over-military-regs style. A band with a single blue diamond in the center was around her forehead. Thick, black marks framed each eye. Her face was terribly scarred.

"I've known you were one of us since I saw you strolling the hallways of this Krazoa-forsaken ship."

Krystal sat up. "Us? You mean, there's more survivors?"

"One other my dear. His name is Randorn. He is a Krazoa priest. He once led our people. Before the Great Scorching."

"Great Scorching?"

"Yes. Many believe the planet was vaporized. But it is not so. A great ray of heat blasted the planet. Millions died, but," the vixen lifted her and looked Krystal in the eye, "you can help restart our race."

Krystal's heart started to pound. "W-what's your name, ma'am."

"My name is Falyf. I am a disciple of the Krazoa order."

Krystal pressed a button and the marines reentered. "Thank you. I'll consider your offer. Please let these gentlemen take you to your cell."

Falyf stood as the marines put cuffs on her. "Don't think too long on it. Now is our age, my dear. Our time...to rule!"

Krystal nodded and left the room.

The Bridge of the C.S.S. Wilsonheath

General Daniel Pepper stood in the classic soldier's at ease position. This, he had publicly announced, was to be his last mission. Then, command of the entier Cornerian Military (CDF, MEF, Fleet, Pilot Corps) would be turned over to Admiral Peppy Hare.

Pepper turned to face the creator of the footsteps he heard. Krystal handed him a recording chip. "Thank you Flight Lieutenant."

Krystal stood next to him. "You know, if the Venomians do cross the Embargo Line, you should let Fay go out. She's a great pilot and would do pretty good in a dog-fight. No pun intended, sir."

Pepper smirked. "I'll consider it. She would do fairly well, with you and Bill to look after her."

"With all due respect, it'll just be me, sir. Bill has Genocide Squadron, remember?"

Pepper forwned. "Ah...yes."

"Sir!" A Navy tech looked up from a view screen. "Venomian craft and lots of 'em!"

Pepper looked out the window and saw the enemy fleet appraching the Embargo Line. "Looks like you'll get your wish Krystal. Scramble the fighters!"

"Yes sir!" The tech snapped a salute and pressed the alarm button.

Pepper and the rest of the bridge crew put on flak vests and helmets. The general lowered his blast shield. "Sound General Quarters."

"General Quarters, sir!"

Fighter Bay

Bill Grey lept into his AL4 Bottlenose fighter, Marauder. He watched Fay Collie and Rilkey Grizz board their JMU-05 Gunship. "Hey! Who gave you two rookies clearance to fly?"

Fay lowered her goggles. "General Pepper." The ramp hissed shut behind her.

Bill looked at Krystal getting into her AL5. "Look after 'em, Krys."

"Already ordered to."

Bill looked at the second-in-command of his squadron, Flight Lieutenant Second Class Cassey Pinscher. She smirked thorugh her scarred face. Muscles rippled underneath her flight suit. "Anyone ever tell you you're over-protective?"

"Anyone tell you you look like a dude?"

"Love you too, honey."

"Yep." Bill fired up his fighter. "Genocide Sqaudron, sound off."

"Berserker, ready." Cassey.

"Assassin, ready."

"Hellspawn, ready."

"Murderer, ready."

"Terrorist, ready."

"Spectre, ready."

"Fury, ready."

"Slaughterer, ready."

"And, Marauder, ready." Bill put on his flight helmet. "Launching all ships in four..."

"...3..."

"...2..."

"...One! Go! Go! Go!"

All the ships in the bay shot out and joined fighters and gunships from the other cruisers. Fay barked in joy. She looked at her gunner, Rilkey Grizz. "Ready?"

"Yep." The bear turned on all their weapon systems. "She's all set for action."

Pepper watched his fighters move to three kilometers off the line. The Venomian ship in front, an Assault Carrier, continued. The Venomians released their fighters and drones.

Polansky stood next to Pepper. "Sir, enemy ships still looking to cross the Embargo Line. God help them if they do."

Pepper nodded at the grim situation. "God help us all."

X

X

Presidential Palace

Richard Rider stood up in front of the meeting. "The Aparoid threat is gone. Ladies and gentlemen, I believe the galaxy of Lylat is clean."

A delegate frowned. "Katina is fucked over. Cerinia is gone. We're on the verge of a war and strapped for cash. If this clean, then I would hate to see your version of dirty."

Peppy Hare stood as his phone rang. "Hello?"

"Peppy, it's started."

The admiral was shocked. "They crossed the Embargo Line?"

"In about five seconds they will. And we'll be at war."

Peppy swore. "Are your troops all set?"

"Every fighter we've got is out there. Polansky just sent a warning signal."

"Let us hope they heed it."

"Nope. Just got a response. They will continue and warn us to get out of their way."

"What needs to happen?"

"We need to get Wolf and his boys scrambled and upstairs now. And we need to contact Fox."

"Nobody knows where he is."

"Just contact him."

"Right."

"Oh, and, uh, it happened."

Peppy turned off the phone and threw it on the table. "Mr. President, we're at war."

The delegate, Johnson, smiled. "Care to rephrase your statement, Mr. Rider?"

X

X

Colony G, Fichina

Fox J. McCloud Jr sipped from his coffee. Life on Fichina was rough. But he much prefered this life than one susceptable to failure. Faded with the rest fo his team to a life of peace.

With a new member of the group, too. Fara Phoenix, an old friend of Fox's and an accomplished pilot, had moved to Fichina prior to the Aparoid invasion. He immediately sought her out, hoping his old pal would fill the gap Krystal had left in his life.

Miyu Lynx looked up from her desk. "New call on the holophone."

"Patch it through." Fox sat up in his recliner. He was startled as Peppy Hare's face appeared.

"Peppy?"

The old hare smiled. "Fox, we need you again."

"Peppy, I'm done with that life. I failed."

"Fox, we all fail. I wanted to save Katina too. Noone could've done better than you."

"I'm not coming back. What, now you need someone to protect the President?"

"No, more like fight off an entire Venomian assault."

Fox's eyebrows raised. "Venomian Remnant?"

"It's an empire now."

"Who leads it?"

"That's also a problem. But not our worst. We found a Cerinian battlecruiser, you know, Krystal's people?"

Fox nodded. "Krystal, how is she?"

"Fine, just fine. But we found a survivor. A real Cerinian vixen survivor."

"Krystal wasn't real enough for you?"

"Jesus, Fox, drop the issue of Krystal!" Peppy wiped sweat from his brow. "The thing is, Corneria can't stop Venom on it's own. We need you again, Fox. Can you be that go-to guy for us again?"

Fox sat back. There was an awful amount of things to consider. He didn't want to fail again...

"Can do it again, Fox?"

Fox stood up. "Yes Peppy, I can."

He watched Falco come in the door. "Prepare the Great Fox."

The pheasant grumbled. "I just went out there."

Fox turned off the holophone and opened his closet door. Inside, was an outfit. The silver jacket with the olive drab jumpsuit beneath. A leather belt with the symbol of the fabled team on a silver buckle. He lifted it from the hook and blew the dust off the jacket.

Fox stepped into the cold. The Great Fox was in front of the house. He stepped up the ramp, which closed behind him. He took the elevator to the bridge. The rest of the team was already dressed and at their stations. Falco. smiled at him. "Light speed, captain?"

Fox sat down in his bridge chair. "No Falco. Corneria needs us. Prepare for: Ludicrous Speed!"

The reactor fired up. The various speed generators charged.

And the ship shot away into the darkness of space.

X

X

Cafe de Amarillo, Presidential City, Corneria

The football game on the cafe tv was dissolved as a picture of the President appeared. "Hello my fellow Cornerians."

"As you know, the Cerinian ship was found by our fleet. It was sucessfully contained by our forces and the lone survivor was asissted off the construct. But this morning, we were told that the Venomian Empire has been coming closer to us."

The President rose form his desk and removed his glasses. "It pains me to admit, my fellow Cornerians, that we are at war with the Venomian Empire."

A surprised gasp arose from the group of civilians. A fox sat in a booth, staring at the table. He wore a blue cloak over black armor with it's hood up. A gray muzzle portruded from under the hood.

"Where's the fleet?"

An orange fox in sunglasses and a trench coat tapped a finger on the table. "Near Katina. Don't worry. I said I'd get you there and I will."

The hooded fox stood and slammed his fist into the table. "You better not be playing me McCloud! If you are, I swear, you'll never want to see space again!"

The fox in sunglasses smiled. "Just get me my money, and I'll get you your friend."

The hooded one sat back down and nodded.

Suspense! Suspense! Suspense!