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Chapter I
Reignition

Doctor Andross was exiled to Venom nine years ago; he was a genius, the kind that is respected, yet feared. His dangerous experiments were the reason he was feared and it was because of these experiments he was exiled to the desolate planet in the first place. After five years in solitude, his anger and hatred for the Lylat System sparked a short, yet bloody war between his own personal army and the Cornerian Military. However, the war ended when he was killed. He was ultimately defeated by Fox McCloud and his mercenary team, Star Fox. This thrust the Lylat System into an age of peace and prosperity.

Since that day, the Star Fox Team has traveled the system doing all sorts of odd jobs that they paying man asks, from collecting bounties to fighting alongside the Cornerian Army during wartimes. If the team gets paid, they'll do the job, and they'll do it right the first time. However, since the demise of Andross, mercenary work has been getting harder and harder to find, and no work means no money, and no money means things start falling apart.

Fox McCloud, age twenty-two, is the Star Fox Team leader, and son of founder James McCloud, who died at the hands of Andross four years ago. Fox had always looked exactly like his father: his fur was orange, with the exception of his muzzle, which was white, as was the stripe that ran from his forehead, between his ears and down to the back of his neck. His bright green eyes, however, were inherited by his late mother, whom Fox had never truly known, since she died when he was only two years old. His face held a somewhat nervous expression on this day as he sat on the bridge of the Great Fox, concentrating on the central computer, hoping that it would spring to life and give the team something to do. He wore blue jeans, a black tee-shirt and a blue, button-up shirt, which was left unbuttoned.

Falco Lombardi, age twenty-three, is the Star Fox Team ace pilot, though he would rather be considered the team's badass. His self-involved, uncooperative attitude repeatedly got him in arguments with Fox, but perhaps he was just looking for something to kill the boredom. His history before joining the team had always been a mystery to his teammates, though Fox believed he was part of a renegade group of bandits; Falco rarely talked about his past. He was leaning back in his chair, his legs kicked up on a table he had pulled out for just that purpose. Blue feathers covered his body, except for two red patches around his closed eyes. His yellow beak was open as he snored. He wore a white shirt, a half-buttoned red shirt, and blue jeans.

Slippy Toad, age twenty-two, is the Star Fox Team mechanic. His piloting skills are not the greatest, but if something needs fixing, Slippy Toad can get the job done faster than anyone else. However, things around the Great Fox seemed to be breaking faster than he can repair them, so he usually has his hands full of work. His smooth green skin was offset only by the white patch on his lower jaw. His big blue eyes, which bulged out of the top of his head, watched the shade of his blue jumpsuit. He sat in the corner of the bridge, focusing on his repairs; the jukebox on the bridge was malfunctioning again. Fox bought it with the money from the Venomian Wars; he figured the team deserved a bit of a leisure item.

Peppy Hare, age forty-five, is the Star Fox Team advisor. After he fought in the Venomian Wars, he decided to retire from flying; he now spends mission time on the Great Fox providing tactical advice and battle information. His grey fur countered the white patch over his mouth and nose, which ran up between his ears and down the back of his neck. He wore a pair of khaki pants held up by suspenders, which ran up over his green plaid shirt. A pair or reading glasses rested on his nose and covered his brown eyes. He was usually found collecting data from the ship's status screens on the bridge.

Falco shook himself awake, and looked around; nothing exciting was happening. He stood up and began walking for the door. Fox broke his concentration on the central computer and looked up at Falco and shouted, "Where ya goin' Falco?" But Falco continued without saying a word; he walked out the door. Several minutes later, he re-emerged from the door carrying two small, rectangular boxes, one green, and the other orange. His other hand held a small, one-foot long cord. He began walking straight for Fox and tossed the green box at him, which he caught.

"You want another whippin', eh Falco?" Fox said with a grin on his face.

Falco, still silent, pulled up a chair next to Fox's and sat down. He held the orange box in front of him. A small screen took up the whole top half, while four buttons and a small pad shaped like a cross took up the lower half. Along the top of the box was a small switch.

Falco flipped the switch and the screen lit up and displayed the words, 'Space Boy Video Game System.' Slippy Toad himself had designed and constructed the system from the ground up. Falco attached one end of the cable to a small slot on the side of his system; Fox attached the other to his and flipped the switch on the green system.

Fox watched his screen as it displayed the title of the game, 'Star Wing.' He began a multiplayer match against Falco. Fox and Falco concentrated on the game for a solid ten minutes as they controlled Arwings that flew around and shot at each other. In the end, one ship shot down the other, but it was the green system that displayed the words, 'YOU WIN.'

"Hell yeah!" Fox jumped out of his chair and shouted, "I told you I would wipe the floor with you!"

Falco shouted back, "Hold on! Wait a sec, Fox; that was just a practice round!"

"No, I don't think so. You just got OWNED!" Fox continued to celebrate his skill at piloting a virtual Arwing by jumping around and performing several pelvic thrusts at the air.

"Shut the hell up, Fox. You know that I would shoot your ass down in a real Arwing."

"Yeah, you wish Falco; I've been flying those things since before I was in the academy!"

"What!? You can't even begin to measure up to my sk--"

Falco was cut off by the sound of the central computer ringing. The holographic projector kicked on and displayed the words, 'INCOMING TRANSMISSION' in bright yellow words for the first time in weeks. Everyone on the bridge stopped what they were doing and turned their attention to the computer, that is, everyone except Falco who was had gotten up from his chair and walked over to the window. The computer screen on the far wall kicked on to show nothing but static. "What the hell is this?" Fox asked, "A prank or something? How did we even get a connection like this way out here in the middle of friggin' nowhere anyway?"

Peppy responded, examining the computers, "I don't know Fox, maybe it's legit. It says here the transmission is coming from Titania; it's not too far away from here."

A voice was fighting through the static, a female voice, "Fal…Falc….do you read me? Falco?" His eyes widened at the mention of his name; Falco recognized the voice all too well, but he kept his attention on the window, looking at star far out in the distance. Titania was barely visible.

"Falco?" Fox said inquisitively to no one in particular. "Who would be calling for Falco?"

The screen continued to show nothing but static, but the message continued to fight the through, "Someone, anyone, please help! We're…chased. We won't be able to…much longer. Please…can hear me, send…" The message cut off there.

The bridge lay silent for a moment, wondering how to respond to the transmission, if at all. Falco, still focused on the window began to nod his head, and made a decision. "Fox," he shouted, turning around and marching towards the bridge door, "I'm going on vacation," and without another word, he walked out.

Fox stood at the computer, staring at the bridge door, completely dumbfounded by what had just happened. He eventually spoke up, "…What the hell!?"

Slippy had his head buried in the computer, "Fox," he said with a touch of worry in his voice, "Falco's Arwing just launched out of the hangar; he's headed for Titania."

"I don't like this, Fox." Peppy said, "Falco never had a spotless record; I think he's up to something."

Slippy interjected, "I don't think so, Peppy. I mean, that message sounded pretty legit to me."

"It doesn't matter either way," Fox said, his voice booming, "We're going to Titania."

"What!?" Peppy was surprised to hear Fox's decision. "Fox, you can't be serious."

Fox replied, "I know about Falco's history, and yes, he might be up to something; we ought to figure out what it is, and stop, or help, him if we need to." Fox walked off the bridge saying, "I'll be in my room getting ready."

Peppy stayed at the computer and simply shook his head, "I know we need work, but that just doesn't change the fact that I don't like this…not one bit."

Slippy reassured, "Maybe it's not a problem at all; maybe he just wanted to check it out."

"No, I don't think so; he left too quickly. He's gotta be up to something." Peppy began for the door, "I'll be in my room getting ready too, I guess we'll be landing soon."

"Right, I'll be here then," Slippy said as Peppy walked out of the bridge, "…doing the only thing I do well anymore; fixing things."