Chapter 1

There was a long silence, and then a shout from General Pepper's office. He was yelling at someone, infuriated at whoever it was, and that was obvious in the way he yelled, "You're not getting off without consequence this time, Professor! I've heard many reports about secret biological weapon projects and whatnot, using government money to fuel your own advancements, and not caring what your fellow R&D workers think! I've let those slide quite smoothly, but this! This is going too far! The murder of your best friend's wife! That shall not go unpunished, and so I, as the head of the Cornerian military and government, do hereby banish you to the planet Venom, for life!"

The one he was talking to, a primate in a lab-coat that quite effectively displayed his role, was left speechless for a while, before finally saying, "W-what?! Venom?! You can't banish me! I am Andross, your best R&D specialist!"

General Pepper scoffed angrily, and said to Andross, "I can't banish you? Well, how about this! You were given specific orders to leave Vixy McCloud alone, to let her live her life with her love and family! Guess what, you tried to interfere anyway, and you can clearly see the results! I don't care if you think I can banish you or not, because the point of the matter is, I just did! Your dismissed, Andross, and don't ever let me catch you on this planet, or any other besides your new home, ever again!"

Andross simply pocketed his paws in response, and stomped angrily out the door. However, he peeked back inside shortly, and yelled in an enraged tone, "Just you wait, Pepper! You, and this whole planet, will rue the day they kicked this monkey out!"

General Pepper had already sat back down to resume his paperwork, and he simply waved him away, and said "If you say so. You don't even have an army, and we have the best mercenaries money can buy as dear friends. You can try to top that, but you'll fail miserably, I'll tell you right now."

Andross scoffed, and exited the building. Everyone he crossed paths with gave him an angry glare, all except James McCloud, who sat on a bench outside his home and wouldn't even acknowledge his being there. Andross growled in an infuriated manner, and went to his spacecraft, hastily making his way out of the atmosphere and into the depths of space. He looked back at the beautiful blue planet that was Corneria, and said, "I shall have my revenge yet, Pepper!" He then made his way slowly to Venom, dreading his arrival.

5 years later

James and his dear friend Peppy were out to lunch, just enjoying each other's conversation. During their meal, James felt really down. In fact, as soon as they arrived, he insisted that they go somewhere else. It was the very same diner where he had been on his first date with Vixy, and it held so many now haunting memories. Peppy patted his friend's shoulder at one time during their meal, and when James acknowledged him, he said, "Listen, James. I know, you'll never be able to fully forget Vixy, but-" Suddenly, the city alarm sounded loudly. Peppy yelled to no one in particular, "What in blazes!"

James had perked up all of a sudden, and said, "Let's go, Peppy!"

Peppy nodded, and they went outside. Luckily they hadn't ordered anything, so there was no bill. As they got outside, Pepper's voice sounded over the city-wide communications system, saying "Attention Corneria! Our astronomers have detected some strange activity in the airspace around, and on the surface of Venom! We need someone to go and investigate, and they need to be combat ready, in case it's Andross, which it probably is! If possible, I request that team Star Fox take on the task!"

Peppy and James looked to each other and nodded, and then Pigma Dengar, the other member of Star Fox, arrived on the scene, running to his teammates. When he stopped in front of them, he nodded, and the other two nodded back. They then went to their Arwings, and took to the skies, shortly afterwards breaching the atmosphere, heading toward Venom. As they approached, they noticed some kind of large structure with astral construction equipment around it. James said to Peppy and Pigma, "It looks like it was Andross. That structure is being made out of mineral compounds found only in Venom's crust and acidic oceans. No doubt it's some kind of security device."

Pigma then said upon closer observation, "It's a satellite being made with an atmospheric magnetizer. It's designed to magnetize the almost non-existant atmosphere around the satellite enough to keep spacecraft from entering the stronger atmosphere of Venom. We should probably go around. No telling what other kinds of things are in there. Besides, I know for a fact that there was a mine on Venom some time ago that was never properly closed up. If Andross was smart, which I know he can be, he would use that mine as a hideout to have easy access to the mineral-rich ores in the mines. No doubt he has done that, and conveniently for us, that satellite is being built almost on the other side of the planet from the entrance to this mine."

Peppy shook his head, and said "I don't know. It just doesn't sound like something we should rush into head on."

James then yelled, "Well, we'd better think of something fast, or more people may very well suffer at the paws of that maniac!"

Pigma agreed, and though reluctant, Peppy did as well. With it decided, the team circled around Venom, Pigma as the temporary leader, until they were almost directly above the mine entrance. Pigma nodded, and his teammates returned the gesture, and they breached the atmosphere, going full speed toward the surface. Sure enough, there was a silo right below them. The team nodded to one another, and they approached the silo cautiously. The hatch in the top opened upon their approach, and then headed inside one by one. After making their way through the maze of tunnels, swerving right and left to make their way through it, they emerged on the other side. When they came out, they were in an endless green void, and out of the shadows of the void, Andross showed himself, though he wasn't really himself. He was a head and hands. The hands each had a flashing square on them, and James could only wonder what happened. Andross laughed, and said, "I've been waiting for you, James McCloud! You've fallen right into my trap!"

James gasped, and from the index finger on his right paw, Andross shot a multitude of beams that circled and ensnared James and Peppy's ships. Pigma was left alone, and James asked Andross, "Why are you letting him go?! He's with us!"

Andross chuckled, and said, "What better executioner then he, your teammate? You've served me well, and as such I shall see that you get the promised reward."

Peppy gasped at what Andross said, and turned to face Pigma's Arwing, yelling, "You traitor!"

Pigma simply laughed, and then said, "Now, now! You're in no position to be yelling like that, are you? Just accept your fate! It'll be much easier on you!"

Peppy growled, and began struggling with his control panel, but nothing would budge. Pigma bore a wide, maniacal grin as he pressed the fire button on his control panel. A laser was released toward James's ship, and as it hit the hull, the ship exploded. The laser had apparently recieved a large upgrade, and as the pieces of James's ship scattered everywhere, Peppy's eyes welled up with tears. He screamed, "Pigma! I'll kill you!"

Pigma just laughed, and said to Peppy, "Just try it! I dare you!"

He then aimed his ship's laser a Peppy's ship, but at the last second, after Pigma fired the laser, something got through to the ship's mainframe, and the ship moved just enough for the laser to skim the underside of the hull, instead hitting Andross's left eye. Andross screamed in pure agony, and the energu cage holding Peppy's ship was dispelled. The arwing wobbled a bit a full control was restored, and Pigma gasped in shock and fear. He put his ship in full throttle, and evacuated from Venom, with Peppy in close pursuit, shooting at Pigma rapidly, but only getting a few hits. As Pigma exited, one of Peppy's lasers chipped a wing on the traitor's ship, and it wobbled a bit as it tried to stabilize. Once it did, Pigma continued his retreat, and Peppy sighed, wondering how he would ever explain this to James' son, recently orphaned. "What am I going to do now?"

He disregarded that thought temporarily, realizing that the energy cage had been slowly draining his ship's shields, and if he had remained trapped for much longer, he would have been gone as well. He hastily headed home, not wanting to be ambushed with his fighter in the state it was. He said to himself on the was back to Corneria, "That must have been how a single laser destroyed James's Arwing."

He soon breached the Cornerian atmosphere, and reported what had happened to General Pepper.

10 years later

Fox McCloud, leader of the newly reformed Star Fox team got word from General Pepper about Andross's forces invading Corneria. Himself, his mentor Peppy Hare, his best friend Slippy Toad, and another friend and sort of rival Falco Lombardi, all of who formed team Star Fox, were quick to act in response. Thus, the legacy of McCloud would continue...

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Chapter 1 of this new story, completed.