Chronicles of the Demons
Corneria, fourth planet of the Lylat System. The evil Andross once turned this thriving system into a wasteland of near extinction. General Pepper of the Cornerian Army was successful in exiling this maniacal scientist to the barren deserted planet Venom.
The transport landed on top of the main headquarters and opened up, revealing two guards who in another part of the galaxy would be anthropomorphic dogs dragging an ape in a dirtied lab coat into the building, through the empty and hall and into a large circular dark room with a single light shining down in the center of the room. The guards dumped on the floor under the light and walked out of the room, shutting the door. His hands were bound behind his back and his feet were chained to heavily restrict his movement. He looked up with eyes showing intelligence, madness, and rage as another light turned on, revealing a dog in a high ranking uniform.
"Pepper." The ape spat in defiance.
"Andross, I should have known it would come down to this. You of course know the reason you're here." General Pepper marched forward, standing in front of the ape.
"I presume it has something to do with the new look Corneria City is now sporting." Andross smirked. "Really, the colors just go so well with the makeover."
Pepper narrowed his eyes. "You don't bother to deny it?"
"I fail to see the point in denying it. After all it was the very same project you foolishly ordered me to terminate." Andross said.
"Foolishly?" Pepper's eyes blazed with anger and rage. "Do you have any idea how much you have done? How many people you killed?!"
"Do you expect me to feel something? Neither you or those peons are worth anything from me, General." Andross spat Pepper's title.
Pepper grabbed Andross by the collar, lifting the disgraced scientist to his feet, their faces mere inches apart. "You truly are a monster. I'd shoot right here and now…But that would be too easy." Pepper dropped Andross back onto the floor. "You don't deserve a quick painless death."
"Oh?" Andross chuckled, looked up at Pepper with a grin. "Planning to make spectacle out of it, General? A grand public event?"
"You wish." Pepper stepped back. "By the end of this day no one will see you or suffer from your mad schemes again. You will be remembered by no one, mourned by no one, and you will live the rest of your life in agony." Pepper pointed at Andross. "From this day forward you are exiled from Corneria. You will live out the rest of your life on the planet…Venom!"
Andross's eyes widened in shock. Venom? The toxic planet? Pepper was sending him there?
"Take him away! I can't stand him being on my planet a second longer!" Pepper said as the guards came back in and grabbed Andross roughly, dragging him out of the room.
"THIS ISN'T OVER PEPPER! I WILL HAVE MY REVENGE ON YOU AND THAT DAMN MCCLOUD! I WILL TURN THIS PLANET INTO A COMPLETE WASTELAND AND YOU WILL BOW TO ME! YOU….WILL…BOW!"
Pepper watched as Andross was taken away, feeling deep inside that the monster was not lying. However Andross did not deserve a trial and he did not deserve a clean death. He would die a horrible death on Venom if there was any mercy in the universe.
Xxx
Exile.
The fate reserved for only the worst criminals in the Lylat System but to be exiled to Venom? Andross could only seethe in hate as he dumped off the ship that took off, leaving him on the barren planet to die.
They would not get away with this.
He vowed vengeance.
He would destroy the Lylat System and rebuild it in his image.
He would be the new ruler.
The Emperor of Lylat.
The Emperor of the Universe.
Of course that was easier said than done but he would find a way. He wandered the dead planet for three straight days before collapsing onto the ground, only hate and rage fueling him to keep him alive. But hate could only motivate him to do so much before he died from starvation, dehydration, and inhaling the toxic air.
'This isn't over Pepper. I will have my revenge. I will…Have…Revenge…' Andross finally blacked out, leaving the conscious world.
But it was not his time to leave the living world.
Xxx
When he awoke he did not see the clouded sky that almost always blocked the sun, the coal black ground nor did he breathe in the polluted air of the planet. He awoke on something soft and looked around, finding himself in a room made of stone.
"You are awake."
Looking to his left he saw a lizard looking at him, wearing a rusty tunic. "Where am I?"
"Our village." The lizard answered. "A hunting party found you and brought you back here to be healed. You are in need of nourishment to regain your strength. I will see that you receive food and liquid."
Andross did not thank him as he returned with food and water. His scientific mind was racing, trying to explain a civilization could endure on the planet Venom. Perhaps a colony established by Lylatian separatists who opposed the Cornerian Loyalists.
Once he finished he looked to the lizard. "Show me the village."
The village was primitive and yet the lizards and monkeys that lived here showed an impressive intellect, building a city that was impressive on a planet like Venom. Even more so they showed themselves to be highly adaptable but not very sophisticated. After a few weeks of learning about them Andross discovered the Temple of the Lost Tribe, a legend Andross believed had been made up by explorers looking to find wealth and glory through pathetic stories. The temple was even guarded by a large ape like construct that was too advanced to be created by the primitive population that lived near the temple.
Andross convinced the population that was able to control the machine, the Golemech into letting him enter the temple and discover its secrets.
The secrets would serve him well in the future as he learned about the ancient race that one lived on Venom that was a colony established by them and aside from their technology was a single message.
The Whole Must Be As One.
Xxx
Five years later, General Pepper detected strange activity coming from Venom. James McCloud, Pigma Dengar, and Peppy Hare of the Star Fox team were sent to investigate.
"General Pepper, StarFox is requesting to speak with you."
"Send them in."
The door opened and in walked the three members of the best mercanery team in the Lylat System: James McCloud, Pigma Dengar, and Peppy Hare.
"You asked for us, General?" James asked, getting straight to the point.
"Yes, James. For a few months now our outer patrol has been reporting strange activity coming from Venom." Pepper answered.
"Venom?" Peppy asked.
"Yes, Venom." Pepper nodded, knowing why everyone was suddenly on edge.
Five years ago the mad scientist Andross had been exiled to Venom for his crimes and the entire system hope that he had died on the planet's surface.
"What kind of activity?" James asked.
"For the past months our outposts have been robbed of weapons, equipment, medical supplies, and even locked down mutagens that had been locked down." Pepper explained grimly. "I need you to go to Venom and find out what's going on. If Andross is still alive and is continuing his experiments he must be stopped."
"You can count us, Pepper." James nodded, knowing how serious the situation was.
James and his son, Fox was as much victims of Andross's madness that had killed over thousands of people, including Vixy who was James's wife and Fox's mother.
Xxx
Upon their arrival, Pigma betrayed the team and James and Peppy were captured by Andross. Peppy barely escaped Venom and returned home to tell James's son, Fox about his father's father.
James awoke to the feel to being thrown onto the floor and slowly opened his eyes. Before blacking out he remembered arriving on Venom and they were instantly attacked by hundreds of fighters that swarmed them. They fought their way through the swarms but then…
Pigma shot at them and knocked his Arwing out of the sky when he saved Peppy from being the one who was shot down.
"James McCloud."
He heard the voice that was so familiar but at the same time it was resembled no voice he had ever heard before. It was dark, full of hate, and it sounded impossible that any mortal could use such a voice. Looking up he saw a pair of red eyes, glowing in the darkness of the dark room with dark purple walls, bordering on black, coming from the giant chair.
"It has been a long time." The man-creature-thing said, sounding amused. "Five years, four months, eighty seven days, four hours, and thirty six minutes to be exact."
"Andross…" James stood up shakily. "Is that you?"
"Why of course, old friend. You would not believe what I have found during my time here. Who would think…" Andross stood up and James could see that Andross easily towered over him now, showing muscles that were bulging against the skin. "That on such a dead planet one would find his destiny?"
"What have you done?" James whispered.
"This planet…There was so much more to it. A planet where a great tribe once flourished, traveling the stars and the bringing the light of civilization to all they found. Offering the hand of friendship and knowledge…Only to be betrayed." Andross chuckled. "They are gone, remembered only…as Demons of Darkness. And yet there knowledge remains, worshiped by the civilization that lives here, remembering them as gods who could walk to the mere edges of the universe with but a mere step. The knowledge left here…Has proved beneficial to me. And now I stand ready, to bring the light of civilization to Lylat…And then the galaxy."
"It won't happen. Pepper will stop you!" James denied.
"He will try. But I will show him…Just as I will show you why it is folly…To defy the Emperor of the galaxy!" Andross laughed as he held up a hand that glowed dark purple…
There was flash of dark light…
And then nothing.
Xxx
A few years had passed, Andross has again invaded the Lylat System. General Pepper has turned to a new Starfox team, headed by Fox McCloud to save Corneria and free the Lylat System, once again.
Through the depths of space a massive white ship, shaped like a fox with four large wings in an x-pattern.
On the bridge a robot at the main control perked up and activated the interior speakers. "Message from General Pepper. Priority One."
General Pepper's face appeared on the screen. "We need your help, Starfox! Andross has declared war! He's invaded the Lylat system and is trying to take over Corneria! Our army alone can't do the job! Hurry Star Fox!"
The alarm klaxons sounded and through the halls of the ship ran the four members of the team towards the hangar bay.
Slippy Toad.
Peppy Hare.
Falco Lombardi.
And Fox McCloud.
They boarded their Arwings and one by one they took off, all of them ready to defend their homeworld against the former scientist turned demon emperor of darkness.