Based on the StarFox comic written by Benimaru Itoh for Nintendo Power magazine, with some elements of StarFox64.
- ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS -
I wrote my first StarFox fan fiction back in the late 90's, a 100 page novella called Mind Games that closely followed the story continuity established in classic StarFox novellas, Till Death Do Us Part and Illiria's Curse, written under the penname, Vixy Reinard. I consider "Vixy" to be my first inspiration into the world of StarFox fan fiction, and her two tales still move me to this day. Indeed, I have leaned heavily on those same stories when developing the concept of A Hero's Redemption, a story considerably deeper than my previous endeavors. Some of the characters "Vixy" established are set to make reappearances here in Hero, but I caution that she asks anyone who uses her characters first receives her permission before hand.
I'd also like to give a shout out to fellow writer Kit-Karamac. I recently discovered that he is one and the same as a writer I met back when I first wrote fan fiction, an author who also leans heavily on the continuity Vixy established. His story, Nothing Passed Tomorrow, is well worth a read, though unfortunately incomplete at this time, 2 years removed from its last update.
I dedicate this tale to Vixy and Kit.
- O N E -
A blast of icy air sliced into General Pepper as the turbolift door swished open, sending an involuntary shudder through his husky frame. Golden rays of sunshine from massive dome-shaped skylights high overhead splashed into the lift, stinging his eyes. He pushed his dark shades up higher on his muzzle and strode out into the launch bay.
After a quick sweep of the massive, metallic chamber and the dozens of rows of starfighters within, Pepper located the sleek, powerful vessel he sought. Beneath the nose of the fighter, a grinning Beltino Toad, the stocky amphiboid considered to be among the best engineers in all of Lylat, tipped the bill of his red cap with the forefinger of one hand and displayed a thumbs up to the general with the other when he spotted the hefty hound across the launch bay.
A crowd of mechanics and engineers still flocked around the fighter, running various diagnoses, but Beltino, the chief designer and principle engineer on the project, seemed more than satisfied with his latest creation. He brushed his fingertips against the smooth titanium plating as he slipped away. Pepper knew the schematics inside out, and had seen more than a hundred simulations over the past two weeks, each as impressive as the next. All that didn't matter right now, though. Simulations were just simulations, and true combat had no substitute. And besides, he hadn't exactly come to hand out a passing grade.
Even if Beltino was the best in the business.
Pepper had promised to give the engineer every chance to see his vision touch the stars. After all, it was Beltino Toad who had put James McCloud and the StarFox squadron in the sky, a decade ago.
The amphiboid engineer was already chattering excitedly as they came face to face, halfway between the turbolift and his Arwing. "I've got the go-ahead from all department heads, General," Beltino announced proudly, thumping his chest with a thumb. "The Arwing is set to fly."
Pepper cringed. He hated being the bearer of bad news. He likely had become a source of frustration for Beltino ever since Command had granted the funds to start his project. "That deduction is based entirely on ground inspections, Beltino. I'm more interested in practical results than test scores."
"Yes, of course," Beltino conceded, his voice suddenly flat and cheerless. A scowl darkened the amphiboid's features. "And I am eagerly awaiting your approval as well." He clasped his webbed fingers behind his back and gazed up to his Arwing. The sleek, silver and white starfighter gleamed brilliantly in the well-lit hangar, a truly beautiful vessel, if based only on appearance. Pepper watched Beltino's eyes as they skimmed the length of the metallic surface; this was his baby, his dream, his life… at least it had been over the past two years. He seemed to be considering his words. Not the words themselves, Pepper knew, but rather whether or not he should say them at all. "These are highly sophisticated craft, and you're afraid that poor statistical performances in early simulations might indicate a design flaw and not pilot error, as most reports conclude."
"Yes," Pepper replied with a slow nod. "There is that."
They both knew it wasn't true. The reason Star Force couldn't afford to greenlight the Arwing project was all too clear to both men. The general was frosted over the situation every bit as much as the engineer. He wasn't a skeptic himself, but just like Star Force, Pepper was hesitant to agree to a project that might draw the ire of the Venomese Empire, considering the current state of Corneria's fighting force.
"What about Lieutenant Ventura?"
The general considered. "He hasn't been cleared to run simulations, let alone flight tests." He scratched his chin, staring up to the Arwing. Pepper had never seen a ship to match. There was no doubt the Arwings could give Star Force a significant boost on the warfront, but an entire complement of advanced starfighters would do little good without a team to pilot them. Feeling every bit as low as he sometimes imagined Star Force to be, Pepper allowed his shoulders to slump with a sigh. "I'm sorry, Beltino. I can't give you permission to proceed on this project."
"But General!"
Pepper held up his hand. "It's nothing to do with your Arwing, Beltino. You know that. The fleet is thin on pilots and thinner still on pilots that I can lend to this project. Star Force isn't convinced, given the sophistication of your fighters, that the pilots we do have can make a difference anyway." His frown deepened. "I must admit, I'm not sure I disagree."
"Command also says there isn't an enemy to fight right now, as I recall." That was indeed bullshit—that much was a certainty, to say the least—but since Star Force and the Empire had agreed to a cease-fire weeks ago, the truth could be twisted however Command saw fit. Beltino sighed, and the gusto that had greeted Pepper a moment before faded with the truth of things. Both men were equally frustrated. "The Academy hasn't put them out like they used to, I guess. It's been a long time since a class has been regarded as a success for Star Force."
Pepper grunted. "A success these days is having a class at the graduation ceremony at all." They both knew the reason behind the poor growth of Star Force over the past five years. Neither would so much as put words to the truth, however, for fear they would be relieved of their duties. "I want to see your fighter in the air, Beltino. I mean that. But I simply don't have the pilots you need to get underway."
They both knew the cease-fire was merely a ploy by Andross, Emperor of Venom, to save his main force from fighting a war of two fronts between Corneria and her sister planet, Katina, the two strongest forces in the Lylat System left to stand against the Empire.
One day, in the not too distant future, Pepper knew the war would turn back to his homeworld, and then, it would be only a matter of time before Emperor Andross laid claim to all of Lylat for himself.
He didn't suppose there would be any stopping the Empire now. That opportunity had gone by the wayside years ago.
"I'm sorry, Beltino."
"So am I, old friend." The engineer stared up at his Arwing, the most advanced starfighter in the Lylat System, doomed now to collect dust in some dark corner of the launch bay until the day Star Force finally realized they had no choice but to add it to their arsenal for the fight against the Empire.
Or worse: until the Empire discovered it for themselves.
Pepper knew Andross would hold no reservations in adding the fighter to his own arsenal. And then, he would use it to crush whatever resistance remained.
- - - - -
A rush of pure adrenaline slammed through Fara as she felt an entire existence spinning like mad inside her head. Laser bolts sliced through the swirling starfield before her, and occasionally another fighter crossed her path as well. She would yank the control stick this way and that, desperate to keep out of the line of fire. The fighter pitched this way and that, but somehow her flight remained semi-smooth, as if in compensation for her erratic course through space.
Inevitably, she saw Corneria, a marble-sized blue sphere, off in the distance. Where a moment before she had been on the verge of panic, the sight of her homeworld made Fara buckle down. She banked hard to the port side, blasting a bogey into a ball of plasma fire before it burst into sparks and shrapnel. Another unfortunate flea spun into her line-of-sight as Fara barrel rolled past her previous engagement. She made quick work of the second bogey, and with a whoop located a third flea in her field of vision. He quickly joined his dead comrades.
"Wow!" Fara crowed as she darted through a tight space filled with both friendly craft and bogeys, turning a sharp angle in order to skirt the outer edge of the battle. Every move shook her to the core, every sensation stirred violently within her. Fara was stunned: an entire battle was unfolding before her eyes.
"This is unreal!"
A mechanical voice droned in her ear as a flea buzzed her starboard wing. "I'm reading a spike in your heart rate, Corporal."
Fara laughed out loud as she spun past an enemy fighter and blasted her fourth unsuspecting prey to stardust in the blink of an eye. "You're kidding, right?" she yelped as she tore through the remnants of the flea that had cut into her path only a moment before. "All right! Who's next?"
The monotonous voice returned; Fara rolled her eyes. "Corporal, you are exceeding recommended anxiety levels."
"Remind me to kick that damn robot when this is all over," Fara grumbled.
"Hey, this is supposed to be a team effort," another voice snapped in her ear, this one warm and passionate, though just as annoying as the robotic drone. "Fara, get your butt back into formation!"
Fara's cockpit lit up as an enemy fighter swooped in behind her, hitting her with a volley of laser fire. She took minimal damage, but more than she anticipated. "Dammit Bill! I'm a bit busy over here!"
Cutting her thrusters, she dipped down and let her pursuer race by. She ignited the thrusters a second later, slipping in on the bogey's six.
Just as she was about to unleash a volley of lasers, her cockpit lit up again, and this time the flea in her path and the starfield beyond faded to black. The lights that lit the console before her also deactivated, and the simulator became non-responsive. "Damn!" Fara tore off her VR visor and tossed it down onto the console. "Son of a bitch!" she growled.
"Hey, I resemble that remark," Bill Grey grumbled as he lifted his own visor from his eyes and peered about to the half-dozen simulators that filled the room. The powerfully built husky stretched to his full height, cracking his knuckles, and then hopped down from his own simulator. "Fara… what the hell got into you?"
"We were doing it, Bill! You can't set a record without taking a few risks!"
"A record?!" Bill laughed out loud and threw his arms up in frustration. "Fara, it's a team exercise! You have to stay in formation!"
"The goal is to crack Bonecrusher's defenses. We were doing it!"
"You were doing it," Bill conceded. "At the cost of the entire squadron. Fara, you're the last line of defense on the starboard side. If you break off to do your own thing, the whole flank is vulnerable. The Empire isn't interested in some crackpot pilot. Bonecrusher would make short work of a lone Arwing. Hold rank and we might be able to break their defenses as a team, but as individuals… we're screwed. No one can make a decisive run against a warship like that. Not alone."
Fara rolled her eyes. She pulled off her life-support unit and dropped it beside the simulator before trudging off toward the exit.
"Fara, listen to me!"
"I'm not interested in a lecture, Bill."
"Fara…" He was right behind her, and she knew he expected more than that. He was the ranking officer, after all, though Fara doubted he would consider pulling rank on her. She chose to ignore him. When a powerful arm snatched her shoulder, it surprised her. Bill spun her around to meet his glower. He seldom wore such a serious expression, but in this case, he apparently deemed it important. "Listen to me, Fara. You're a good pilot. Damn good. But you'll never be more than a test pilot with that attitude."
"What?!" Fara wrenched her arm away from him. She'd already clenched a fist and was about to take aim, but held back… for whatever reason. "You can't be serious! I'm the best pilot in the fleet."
"Says you," Bill retorted. "Come on, Fara. There's a reason you're a test pilot. You may be good, but you're also reckless, you don't listen to orders, and more often than not, the rewards of the risks you take don't negate the costs. Star Force doesn't like erratic pilots, and you, Fara, are the cream of the crop when it comes to erratic."
Fara drew a deep breath, considered throwing the punch she was about to throw a moment before, but decided to hear him out.
"You have potential. That's why I've been working with you the past few weeks. But there's a problem. Star Force is looking for results, not potential. Getting your team annihilated for the sake of an unachievable goal is just stupid." He shook his head and rolled his eyes. Fara wanted to punch his brains out. "You aren't a stupid girl, Fara. You just don't think things through."
She unclenched her fists and tore open the front of her flight suit. "Hey flyboy, don't you put the blame on me when you can't keep up." She stuck her finger in his face, eyes flashing with anger. "I don't care how many missions you've led. I've worked my butt off to get this project off the ground, same as you and the rest of the damn fleet."
"Really?" Bill folded his arms over his chest. "Yet the council keeps you out of the sky. Imagine that."
"The council keeps anyone out of the sky that might make a difference against the Empire. If you hadn't noticed, they've done everything imaginable but surrender to keep Star Force grounded and the Empire happy. You ever think of that? Our leaders are a bunch of pansies afraid that Andross might lower the boom on Corneria in retaliation to an upwind frog fart."
"Fara…"
"Is that supposed to be some sort of interspecies slur?"
Both vixen and canine turned abruptly in the direction of the new voice, a squat frog standing in the entrance of the room. He wore a long, white lab coat and heavy black goggles that covered most of his forehead. They were pushed back away from his eyes at the moment. Fara swallowed. It was Beltino Toad, the man who had written the simulation that she and Bill had just been running. This was the man who had promised that Corneria could regain its former glory as a governmental power in the Lylat System, and that his Arwings could help make that happen. Fara straightened as the engineer started across the room, his dark eyes shifting to the simulator cockpit she had been using to hone her skills.
Fara had long admired the engineer who had put three previous starfighters in the sky, not to mention the first artificial gravity compliant, lightdrive-powered starships in the Lylat System. The advances he had made over the past quarter century were mind-boggling. And, on a personal note, they had literally put her father's company on the map.
Beltino stopped before the two pilots, resting a palm against the outer shell of a simulator cockpit for a long moment before glancing once more to the two pilots before him. Fara wanted to crawl into a hole and die.
"I… I'm sorry sir," she mumbled, averting her eyes.
He flashed a coy smile. "For what?"
"I shouldn't have said that."
With a grunt, Beltino rolled his eyes. "Corporal, no. Don't apologize. What you say is true. Star Force put nearly a century into becoming a superpower throughout Lylat… but all that has been essentially wiped away over the course of half a decade due to the futility of the council." Fara was about to interrupt, but Beltino held a hand up to keep her silent. He wasn't finished. "Frog fart. Funny, really. Perhaps an unfortunate choice of words, but you meant well."
Fara still wanted to crawl to a hole. Her father held Beltino Toad in the highest regard. She felt a fool, and for someone who had always prided herself in her cunning nature, there was no worse a feeling. She clenched her eyes shut, fighting back a frustrated curse. "I gotta go," she uttered finally, and brushed past the engineer on her way to the door. She saw his smile as she swept past, but he didn't try to stop her. She slipped out into the hall, but felt far from alleviated.
As she practically raced down the crowded corridor, Fara peeled the top of her flight suit from her shoulders.
She felt so alone. Her father had warned her she would.
Though she would never admit he was right.
- - - - -
"The decision is final, General. It's time to put the Arwing project on ice," Director Reginald Cusak said, and though General Pepper had expected as much, the words still stung. Beltino Toad was a dear friend doing what he felt best for his nation, his world, but the Cornerian Council, the head of the Cornerian government, that both funded and ruled Star Force, saw fit to do things differently. Cusak himself was the head of Star Force Command. He and his cronies thought perhaps if they showed no aggression toward the Venomese Empire that Emperor Andross would have no reason to show aggression toward Corneria. Utter bullshit, of course, but the council didn't see it that way, and for the time being, Pepper had to concede that the council was law.
He would have to sit tight and operate Star Force as best he saw fit, and perhaps one day that might mean more than it did now. With the way the world turned these days, and Pepper's command under the scrupulous watch of Director Cusak, there was no choice but to hope against hope that the strategy of the empire worked to Corneria's benefit, though he had seen too many times how quickly the Imperial forces swarmed over a world, like buzzards to a kill. It would take precious little time for Katina to fall. Soon enough Andross would set his sights on the true prize. The cease-fire would come to an abrupt and violent end, and then, like all the other worlds snared in the Emperor's iron fist, Corneria, too, would fall. The truth was inevitable, given the present state of affairs.
"Yes. I understand, Director."
And he did, to an extent, but it was still an irrational strategy, one that would lead only to an end of a civilization. The Cornerian Republic would fall, and what remained would be in the hands of a new, system-wide Lylat Empire, ruled from an obscure, if vast and impenetrable, fortress on the far side of Venom. Pepper was not looking forward to the day the world stopped turning.
"Then we have a mutual understanding," Cusak said grimly.
By his tone, Pepper knew it was not merely an acknowledgement, but a direct order. They both knew they were at odds in their opinions of how the situation should be handled, but in order to maintain his post in Star Force, it would be Pepper who would have to bend to the will of the council, and not the other way around. Being a general to these pansies, he had to bite the bullet more often than not.
"It's your duty to discuss the matter with Beltino Toad."
"And what is it you want me to tell him, Director?"
Cusak gave a curt nod. "Just this: though progress has most certainly been made over the past two years, the council has decided that the cost of the Arwing project has exceeded the yield. We cannot in good conscience continue to fund this project with the Emperor watching our every move. We simply cannot afford a war at this time or any other."
"No, of course not." Chickenshit, Pepper added in silent contemplation. "And is there anything else, Director?"
"No, General, that will be all."
Pepper reached out to switch off the comm, and Cusak's face winked off the monitor. Then, interlocking his beefy fingers, the hound leaned back in his chair and stared off into space.
This was ridiculous, but he knew it was a chore he had to do.
Even at the cost of his people.