x-x-x-x

Chapter 1

The sound of heavy combat boots filled the air with their thump on the marble flooring of Cornerias Parliament house. The halls were empty save for five individuals as they made their way deep towards the floor of where Conerian politicians once met to settle matters of state. Now however, the halls were silent as no press were allowed in, nor was there a single messenger, just four souls marching in formation with a fifth in the center under heavy guard. Each soldier carried with them a small pulse laser carbine that was held across their chest while marching lock step in motion with each other. The troopers were garbed in full urban camouflage carapace armor, entire bodies concealed so as to not give away their identities. Their helmets purposefully left with enough space and vague shape so as to prevent their species from being discerned.

The fifth individual was none other than Fox McCloud. The tod was clad in his usual attire, red ascot, green shirt and pants with grey boots and a white open jacket. Step by step they approached the hall until finally they rounded a corner and came before two massive oaken doors, both large portals parted of their own accord as the group moved forward.

There wasn't much that surprised Fox anymore, but he expected another court hearing and for shouting to fill the once hallowed halls of law once more. But instead, there were only three individuals compared to the wall to wall hearings he'd dealt with over the past couple of weeks. Of those present he only recognized two people immediately, and the third he had never seen before. All three souls sat behind a well polished mahogany desk with stacks of papers lain out in front.

To the right was General John Pepper, clad in his red officers uniform, cap and all. The former leader of the now defunct CDF sat with his paws steepled and looking haggard. The old warhound had seen better days, but each time Fox saw him the dog just seemed to degrade further and further. The generals blue eyes lacked their authority of command he once exuded upon the field, his overall demeanor was one of anxiety and defeat. Though his ears were always sort of floppy, they now looked fit to fall flat to the floor and with his long droopy face; the once proud leader of the CDF looked broken. To Fox, it was a sad sight.

Off to the Generals right was a man he had seen time and time again, both someone Fox respected and understood better than he liked to admit; but also an individual he would like to see removed.

Lord Admiral Abrecan of the Cerinian Remnant Flotilla, supreme commander of the fleet that now stood as Cornerias only shield against the dregs of Lylat. The male was much like himself, a vulpine. The differences were that he was covered in midnight blue fur from head to toe with blazing royal purple hues that stared out from his skull as the two locked gazes. Broad of shoulder and commanding in presence, he was the exact opposite of the beaten down dog to his left. Whenever Fox and the admiral met; it always became a test of will between them. Both males stared at one another in a contest to see who would back down first. To each of their credit neither vulpine blinked in any of their meetings. The officer was bedecked in a two piece uniform, much like his fur but a lighter shade of blue with gold trimmings that ran from his belt line in a gentle outward going diagonal slant before coming to a corner and arching inwards to a single focal point that ended at his neck cuff. That very same neck had two brilliant flawless sapphires pinned to it, denoting his status. On either shoulder were two black boards with five golden stars and a singular focal point that displayed a distinctly vulpine shaped head with a sword being gripped in its jaws. The second part of his uniform was a simple pair of azure pants paired with black boots that were cuffed at the top.

The third and final individual of which he had never seen at one of these meetings, was a vixen. Blue of fur around the head but with white over the main parts of her face and the most fierce aquamarine glare Fox had ever seen. Long shoulder length hair that was done up professionally to keep appearances but bore a long silver streak from above her forehead and seemed to run all the way to the back. She was not as built as her counterpart but bore an athletic build which was nudging towards a matronly shape that no doubt came on naturally from age. Her uniform was similar to that of the Admirals, but the major difference was a red cuff on her sleeves above two white bands and a three silver wavy bars on her neck cuff. A Colonel.

The admiral stood as the guards parted in a formation that would give them staggered lines of fire should Fox try anything.

"Welcome back Captain McCloud, please, have a seat." The admirals voice was rich with his foreign accent, a trademark among Cerinians; but his was born of high society and upbringing. Fox didn't really care for it all that much. In his mind he was staring at an enemy, one that had taken his adoptive homeworld and usurped power.

"You know I never was officially part of the Cornerian Military, so drop the rank." He groused.

"Of course, I merely use the title since you commanded a wing of fighters and a dreadnought. My Apologies."

Why does he always have to be so damn polite. Everyone else always yells and shouts at me from these damned meetings yet he's always civil.

Fox was suddenly grateful he had learned how to keep them barred out of his mind. Few people could as it took exceptionally strong will to keep a Cerinian out, even more so if they really wanted in your head. By focusing his thoughts and patterns into a wall esque structure, he could keep the Cerinians at bay for some time. It was a mentally taxing exercise that took its toll after lengthy periods.

The tod grunted in reply and made it clear he was less than enthused about being in the hot seat once again.

Abrecan did not enjoy the mass hearings they tried to hold on Fox, the political bureaucrats were trying to find every Lylatian that had ties to the old government and throw them under the proverbial bus. Fox had links to Pepper and close ones at that, so of course the vengeance hungry idiots sought any connection they could find.

It was an unjust and shameful display of Cerinian understanding, or rather, a lack thereof. It made his life hell as he desperately tried to keep the peace between Cerinian and Cornerian. While easy most of the time, whenever one of the political class opened their mouth it forced the security portion into damage control.

Which is why we need him… Referring to the tod across from himself. With Fox on our side, people might calm down a bit, the Hero of Lylat trying to keep the peace and keep everyone safe just as he did before would give us breathing space. I just have to undo a few months of damage inflicted by the politicians. I should have done this sooner, because from the way he's looking at me… this is not going to be easy.

"Fo-"

"So what is it this time? Did I eat a baby? Kill orphans? Butcher an entire system I never set foot in?" Came the sarcastic tone from the perturbed vulpine.

The absurdity made Abrecan want to burst into laughter, mostly because some of those things were what the idiots tried to charge him with. After a calming mantra chanted within his mind the leader of Cerinias fleet and security forces settled back into his role.

"No, no, Fox. Nothing of that nature, this is a much different meeting from the rest; to be honest, I should have done this sooner."

A raised eyebrow was the response, ears cupped forward and whiskers twitching.

"Explain." Spoke Fox, his tone curt and to the point.

"The three of us, and only the three of us, not counting your escort; are here to discuss a matter of mutual benefit. One that I think you will find palatable, and one I hope that you will accept given the circumstances." Abrecan did not let desperation slip into his voice, but an observant man would notice the small ticks within his ears or whiskers. Not everything was as it seemed.

"Mutual benefit?" Fox sneered. "You come into my system, destroy what's left of the Cornerian Fle-"

"Who need I remind you shot first… Captain." Rebutted the admiral.

The tod winced at that, that much was true. Some chicken shit gunnery officer had gotten jumpy and caused the mess they were in. What could have been a mutual relationship between two peoples that were victimized by Andross turned into a clusterfuck of epic proportions.

"As much as I really hate the truth of that… Alright, let's hear it."

"Colonel Sylvara. If you would?"

"Thank you, Sir." Came the vixens reply. A smart looking device opened up into a panel with a holo-keyboard before her. The small item projected a hologram over it in the shape of a globe and it was plainly obvious what planet they were looking at due to the continental structure.

"Captain McCloud, we have brought you here because Corneria as it has for the past few years, faces destruction; not from any enemy without or within, but from something far more insidious and slow. Starvation."

Numbers began to pop up and almost all the sectors that were highlighted by the map were black in color, almost like dried blood. There was only one sector that stood out and it was a faint yellow. "These sectors I am highlighting are the main agricultural hubs from Corneria post war… I take it you have noticed the colorations yes?"

The tod nodded, he wasn't sure of the color coding they were using, but he reasoned he was soon to find out.

"Black, means useless, their output is below one percent, if any output at all. Red, is nearly useless, not even breaking ten percent. The faint yellow sector is less than twenty-five percent, and with the agricultural areas barely outputting anything from the thorough bombardment Andross gave this world… you can see where this is going."

Fox didn't like those numbers, not at all. The tod having crunched his fair share when having to pay for Star Fox's expenses, he had learned quickly how to do percentiles and the like. The orange vulpine knew things were bad, but had been slowly improving over the last year, or so the government had said. Fox's face scrunched together as the numbers and what Pepper had been telling everyone didn't add up. Fox's acute mind was working over the data presented and it led him only to one conclusion; something stank.

"The lack of output and rate of consumption here on Corneria… Pepper, sir, you told the populace and me that things were slowly improving on the food front. If these numbers are real, Corneria will starve in less than a year."

In response to Fox's observation the dog shifted uncomfortably in his seat. "I… yes, well… we may have embellished things slightly to keep the peace, we needed the population to have hope so they didn't riot or-"

"Or find out the truth for themselves," interrupted Abrecan. "This is no time for politics or gentle lies Pepper." The tod said scornfully and returned his attention to Fox. "I will be honest with you Fox, your people and mine both face doom. But, this is the greatest chance either of us have at surviving this mess. We plan to resume the raids that were discontinued due to the lack of a real fleet. Which is where you come in."

The orange vulpine gently rolled his palm, gesturing for the admiral to continue.

"We have a job offer for you, a contract. You take up flying again, for Cerinia and Corneria and protecting our ships, stations and outposts where you can. Performing raids deeper into the system than anyone else has before. There are old military bases and outposts we saw that appeared to be unspoiled as we came through."

"Which means materials and possibly food stores."

"Precisely." It was Sylvara who spoke up this time. "It will buy us precious time to get crops growing again, repair the soil from Andross's use of chemical and biological agents."

"Why me though, you have an entire fleet and squadrons at your command."

Abrecan gripped the chair lightly, the next words to pass his lips were clearly loathed.

"We don't have enough manpower to do both, raids to Katina, Fortuna and Fichina are fine, anything deeper and we risk over extension and using up too many supplies."

"Then what makes you think I could do it with a single dreadnought that need I remind you Admiral Abrecan, is in disrepair and I would have to see if my team would be willing to do this job. Assuming I even accept, I'm damn good, but I can't do anything if I don't have my mobile base or my team backing me up."

"We've already thought of that." Replied the cobalt vixen. "Miss Fara Phoenix is convinced you will accept the job and has taken up total refit and repairs on a massive… I think you call it an I.O.U. From us of course, not you. Both the Great Fox and your vehicles are being repaired as we speak."

The orange vulpine frowned. "That's an awful big assumption considering you've occupied Corneria and you're trusting the only arms producer left who has a mass assembly line."

"Indeed it is, which is why we're prepared to sweeten the deal with one caveat, mostly something that will appease the bureaucrats so they don't blow a gasket and think you're running around "Unsupervised." Finger quotes and all and even with a disdainful childish voice. It had long been obvious to everyone that the political arm of the Cerinian government and their Military did not get along. What had spurred that division was a mystery they weren't exactly forthcoming about.

"I don't like the sound of this…"

"And I am sure you will like it even less, or you just might, depends on your viewpoint really. That being said, you will have full autonomy just as you did before, the contract is there to ensure you will be paid as we Cerinians honor our deals in full. It's also there to make sure you don't stick a knife in our back, not that we think you would, but again, it's there to keep the politicians happy."

"And the caveat?"

"We will be placing one of our own on your team, a skilled pilot and potent psionic. My own daughter in fact, so, as I think the slang is, I have some "skin" in the game."

"And we just went from zero to nepotism in seconds."

"What you call Nepotism, we call making sure the job gets done. If that's nepotism, then sure. I put her up for this because she's one of our best, and to be honest, you would not want one of the political class choosing the liaison. They would likely give you some snitch of a weasel who would tell on you for everything little thing you did that wasn't approved by them. Which creates headaches and mounds of paperwork."

Both Fox and Abrecan winced at the mere thought of paperwork, finding it immensely distasteful.

Fox ran his left palm over the mop of cream colored fur atop his head and looked to the General, seeking any kind of encouragement, some sort of direction or advice. Fox couldn't see it or smell it, but his instincts told him something was wrong, there was something just beneath the surface eating at Pepper.

But what?

However, Fox's pondering was interrupted when Pepper seemed to realize he was part of the conversation.

"Personally, Fox, and I know this is to my own detriment but I would say no, if I were you."

To further Fox's surprise, neither vulpine lashed out at Pepper nor did they chastise him, if anything the looks on their faces said they expected as much.

"The reason why I say that Fox, is because no matter which way you slice it, they're conquerors, either by accident or on purpose doesn't matter. They've saved Corneria for a time with the food and materials they've brought with them, but when things start getting better people will start wanting control back from an alien power. You'll have to decide which side you're on when the time comes."

Abrecan snorted derisively at that. "That's rich, coming from you General."

The dog shifted his to his right and gazed at the vulpine through narrow slits. "It's the truth." He stated firmly.

"Amazing how you suddenly find the truth when it comes to Fox, except about what became of his homeworld or his own father."

It was in that moment the room fell into such a state of silence, that a pin could be heard dropping a mile away if one fell.

Fox looked to Abrecan and wanted to yell at the man who dared to bring up both his fallen homeworld and deceased father. What stopped him though was Peppers face, the dogs eyes went wide as if some sort of ghost had come to haunt him. Whatever had been eating at the canine had finally come to the surface.

"T-That's classified information!" Pepper stuttered.

"The cry of a tyrant." Abrecan growled as he turned to Fox, the irony not lost on his choice of words.

"If the good of Lylat will not convince you, then perhaps you would like to know how far the corruption in your own government ran before we arrived Fox. But be warned, once this door is opened, it cannot be closed."

Fox McCloud wanted to say it was a bluff, something to garner sympathy. However, it was Peppers reactions that were fueling his curiosity. The fact that the General was trying to hide something from him made Fox wary. He knew the need for government secrets and classified documents; but his reaction over Papetoon? Fox could feel it in his gut that there was something big here, something that Pepper wanted to remain buried.

Both azure vulpines saw the look upon Fox's features and nodded their heads to one another. Sylvara gently picked up a stack of papers laid out before her and brought them around to Fox, the vixen laid them out in front of him but there was one at the very top of the pile that stood out.

His rich hues trailed over the header at the thickest pile that read out:

Wildfire Procedures: Papetoon Campaign

The title alone made Fox shove the paper away; he'd heard rumors in the past that Corneria had such documents and operations in case of situations just like Papetoon. He chose not to believe them and in his ignorance may have very well damned millions of souls under Cornerias jurisdiction. The weight of such a thought came crashing down upon his shoulders and caused his gazed to turn to Pepper in desperation.

"Tell me you didn't. Tell me that this is just all a ruse Pepper, they're trying to get me to turn my back on Corneria and you."

Pepper hung his head in shame, his paws gripping the mahogany table firmly, claws gently scraping against it. He could not bring himself to look Fox in the face. "I had to," Came the hollow whisper of a defeated soldier.

"The plague was out of control, containment was breached, there was no hope of wrangling it back in and the risk to the rest of the system was too great. It was that or unleash that abomination on everyone else… we glassed Papetoon so that the rest of the system would not be infected."

"Bullshit!" Fox shouted and bolted up, sending the chair flying backwards and clattering to the floor. All four guards drew their carbines, ready to fire if he tried anything. "Don't lie to me Pepper, we would never do something like that! We're better than that! All our technology and-"

"Didn't count for anything… we fooled ourselves, we believed that we were superior to Andross due to our morals, when the plague ripped through Papetoon, our beliefs didn't mean a damn thing Fox. It took everyone, rich and poor, sick or healthy, the young, and the old. It turned them into monsters that went after their friends and families. We couldn't let it spread."

Fox's world was crashing around him, everything he fought for; the things that Corneria sacrificed millions of lives for!

"What about the colonies?! You said they were lost to Venom!"

"We abandoned them because we couldn't hold them, not enough resources or manpower. We left them to fend for themselves so we could save Corneria."

Fox's teeth were bared as his breathing became heavy, head held low as he pressed his palms flat to the table before his head whipped up with eyes in a clear frenzy.

"You son of a bitch!" He bellowed forth. "We sacrificed millions of lives to stop Andross, the meat grinder that the war became wore on for almost a full decade! And you're telling me it was still all for nothing? My home?!" Then it all clicked together, what Abrecan had said; And what happened to his father.

"He was on Papetoon wasn't he Pepper…?"

No answer.

"Wasn't he?!" Fox demanded once more.

As Pepper didn't want to answer judging from how much he was cowering into his chair and trying to appear small, Abrecan took it upon himself.

"Unfortunately Fox, your father was on Papetoon, we poured over documents and various reports to confirm it after we found out some of the less than friendly projects and operations Corneria had undertaken. At the time of Wildfire being declared, the entire planet was subject to precision orbital bombardment, population centers, medical facilities, even known underground complexes were hit with high powered energy lances. They left nothing standing."

Fox felt the wind behind his indignation fall flat. "Everything I fought for… everyone that died for Corneria and the other planets. All for nothing." He muttered. "Papetoon was destroyed by our own government and you bastards framed it up like Venom did it! To garner more support for the war effort. I remember the damn holonet broadcast."

Abrecan and Sylvara both watched on as Fox's mind began to crumble; his defenses weakened and had they desired to influence him, it would have been a cinch. However, manipulating him and delivering him a purpose would suffice.

I hate this, Sylvara, to manipulate such a resolute warrior.

I know Lord Abrecan, but what other choice do we have? His mind was closed to us before, now, he is questioning everything which gives both Cerinians and Cornerians a chance to survive. It's a long shot, but I have faith."

Gods forgive me…

Abrecan stood up and looked to his guards, gesturing for them to stand down who hesitantly obeyed.

"Fox, it wasn't all for nothing, you still have a chance, here and now to make a difference where it matters most. Yes, everything has gone seven shades of shit and sideways. Due to the lack of competent leadership, your system… our home, now stands on the precipice of death. So many other systems that Andross touched did not get this chance. If you are willing, together, we may just survive this ordeal and both our people can prosper once again. I am asking… nay, I am pleading with you Fox, take up your wings again and fly not just for us, but for Corneria and all the citizens in Lylat who still yet live. There is a future for everyone but that window is closing, will you let it slip by when you could make all the difference?"

The words seemed to resonate within the Lylatian vulpine, he looked down, body shaking with rage before he went docile. The tod slowed his breathing into a gentle rhythm only to stand up and stared Abrecan dead in the eye. His eyes full of resolution and determination, there was power in the young man and his purple eyed counterpart could see it.

"You have your pilot, but any of this bullshit from you, and I will blast your fleet straight to hell before you can even blink, and that's a promise, not a threat. Don't make me regret this choice."

The powerful nature of the tods voice was clear, he would not tolerate wholesale genocide or treachery. It made Abercan have a very sudden second thought, only to be quashed by the need for survival. "Very well, we will have the paperwork signed and readied for you. Sylvara will send the dossier on your liaison over to your personal net address so you can review and make yourself ready."

"What's her name?"

"My daughters name is Krystal, Captain McCloud, and once you have spoken with Miss Phoenix and your team, I will see to it that an appointment is made for you two to meet and hopefully come to an agreement. But be warned, she can be just as bull headed as you." The vixen said with a smirk.

"Great, just what I need, another Falco." Fox said with a roll of his eyes and sighed. So much had been revealed and unloaded on him in the span of less than an hour. It was a lot to process in such a short time.

"Go and rest Fox, it's clear your mind is taxed from all this, not to mention the emotional roller coaster you must be on right now. Rest, eat, and then start fresh tomorrow. There's work to be done by all of us if we're going to survive."

"I guess… for what it's worth, thank you for telling me the truth about my father, I swallowed the government bullshit for years, I just didn't expect the truth to come about like this." He muttered dejectedly.

"It's a shame such a thing had to come to light like this, Fox. But I think you have a better understanding of what you're fighting for now, not the government, not the Cerinians, but the people."

Fox couldn't disagree with that, in his heart that's all he ever fought for; so no other child would ever have to grow up without their parents, or a loved one losing a family member to the horrors of war and madness. He took a deep breath and with one final look to Pepper before he departed. The guards did not escort him this time as he was a free man, the tod and his team had been under house arrest for months. They had been keeping a close eye on him and the team since the exchange of power, no flights, no missions; just sitting on his ass and waiting for when they came for him.

All in all, despite the horrors that had been revealed there was a silver lining. He would get to fly again, and what's more, he'd get to help protect and feed Corneria in the process. Fox wasn't an idiot though, the tod knew he was being manipulated, they didn't reveal that kind of information out of the kindness of their heart… and he'd fallen into it. Mentally he chastised himself for falling for such a blatant ruse, but at the same time his mind kept coming back to all the innocents who died during the war. Even if the Cerinians were a greater evil compared to Cornerias older government… they did face a common foe in starving to death. Like it or not, there wasn't much of a choice in front of him and while his decision had been rash and at the height of his emotional anger, there had been rationality behind it.

I can make a difference… we can make a difference, but life is going to be hell for everyone for the next few years, and man; the team is gonna flip a lid when they find out this Krystal girl is being pushed on our team for political reasons, even more so that I accepted.

It was during his reverie that Fox realized he had arrived street side and was heading towards home. He lived in a small apartment complex in what remained of the downtown area, nothing too great; a small affordance by the Cerinians for the team to rest and await their ultimate fate. As he was the leader; the final decision lay with him.

Explaining it to them is going to cause some shouting, that's for sure. Maybe making a nice big dinner for everyone will help smooth things over slightly. It'll eat into my rations for this month for sure, but with us flying again I can salvage more.

Overhead the skies were grim and overshadowed the fallen city with a portent of rain. Such a thing in the past would have been bothersome, but in the current age rain was a godsend for the people of the city without fresh water and those who were outside the city desperately trying to grow crops from poor soil.

C'mon, give us rain, we need it.

For now, his silent plea went unanswered during the long slow walk back to the apartment where his team awaited. The responsibility he shouldered now coupled with how some of his team would no doubt react weighed greatly upon him. Each step fell like lead, both Cornerians and Cerinians passed by him, but it was the Cerinians who would look him in the eye, they could see his troubles and they knew who he was. He had fought against them and yet no malice was laid bare. Just curiosity, a wonder of what his future held and where his loyalties would ultimately come to lie. For each of them were soldiers, survivors, scroungers; their homeworld destroyed by Andross while Corneria languished on its deathbed.

It was his fellow Cornerians that pained him the most; how they would look upon him with a mixture a hatred and fear, he had failed them in the defense of the system when it really mattered. Fox couldn't find it in himself to blame them as so many of them were broken spirits. They had fought for so long and desperately; sons and fathers, daughters and mothers all sacrificed to the war machine to bring an end to Andross's machinations. Only to push themselves to the utter breaking point and unable to resist an external threat from beyond Lylat's borders. There were some who hailed the Cerinians as saviors, for with them they had brought much needed food, medical supplies and various machines along with technology that may very well save the croplands of Corneria and allow her to prosper once more. It would take time however.

Time that was not on their side.

For thirty long minutes, Fox trudged his way through the streets of Cornerias once proud capitol city; ruined buildings and large craters dotted the landscape, some bore deep into the earth and fell into abyssal darkness. These were surrounded by signs to stay away from the edges so no one fell in. Once proud skyscrapers now lay in ruins shattered and broken upon the ground or collapsed in on themselves from the weight of air strikes and orbital bombardment. All of it was a silent reminder of just how close to death they all were. Even with victory they had not escaped the specter that clenched the sword which threatened to cut off Cornerias head.

It was not long before Fox stood in front of the main door to the apartment complex and slipped his keycard through the slot to let himself through. There were a distinct lack of guards this time around, probably because they got the message Star Fox was in business again and sanctioned.

Small Miracles.

In he went and headed directly for the elevator, the small box ascended through the metal tube and took him up to his floor. It was a simple building, brick and mortar, one of the few structures that remained intact after the strikes and reconstruction efforts. With a single chime he arrived at the top floor and turned left, the foxes own two feet carried him down the hall to his home. The others were stationed all around on the top floor, but they'd know he was home soon enough. A twist of the key and knob, and he was in.

Now all there was to do was wait; and that's precisely what he did as he sat on his black recliner. It would only be a matter of time before his team arrived. The silence only broken by the sound of thunder as rain began to fall and patter off the glass windows in long wet streaks.