Flying a space fighter was rather easy. Learning to fight in it was a whole new dilemma. I gently pushed the joystick in front of me to the left and the cockpit moved to the left with me. The screen in front of me showed me that the animated arwing I was controlling did the same.
"Good. Now, push the joystick to the right and the arwing will go right." The voice in the intercom said, pleased with my progress. So far, I had only learned how to take off and land. Now I was learning how to fly properly along with shooting the lasers. I turned the joystick to the right and the animated arwing did the same, the blue neon buildings going past me at an almost lazy speed. The trainer the Star Fox team had, a male raccoon wearing a green hat that I was told the name of but... I shook my head and stared forward, the virtual arwing I was piloting going through another silver ring.
"Good, Miss Medley. Now, make a sharp turn left." The raccoon said. I did as he asked and made the sharp left turn, flinching slightly on how quickly the machine responded. I heard a pleased murmur on the intercom, and without needing instruction I made a sharp turn right around another corner earning me more praise from the kind raccoon that Peppy had asked to train me.
"Very good Miss Medley! You could make a pilot yet! Now, to shoot your lasers you have to press the buttons on top of the joystick's handles. Try practicing on these holograms. Don't worry these ones can't strike back so shoot at them in your leisure." The Raccoon said. I nodded.
"Ok. Thank you, Mr..." I racked my brain, trying to remember what his name was. The raccoon chuckled.
"Tanuki Tanaka. I prefer the name you gave me when we first met. First time anyone's ever called me Mr. Raccoon! I thought it was cute. Anyway, try firing your lasers now." He said. I nodded, repeating his name in my mind as much as possible as I pressed the button and fired the lasers. My aim was way off, however, and I missed each and every target. It was dishearting to see them all fly by me undamaged.
"Don't worry, Miss Medley. Keep trying." He encouraged. It made me feel a little better so I kept trying until after ten minutes I finally hit my first target. I smiled as it went down in virtual flames.
"Good! You are doing really well!" Tanuki Tanaka said. I nodded my head and kept my eyes glued to the screen.
"All right, now for a slightly more difficult maneuverer. Let's try a Summersault. To perform this you need to..." I listened intently as he told me how to perform the technique and then did my best to perform it only crash the arwing. Tanuki Tanaka gave me some encouragement and restarted the training program so I could retry. We kept at it, but each and every time I failed and couldn't pull off the technique correctly. Finally, Tanuki Tanaka shut off the program.
"We'll take a break for lunch and then continue after, all right?" He said over the intercom. I nodded my head, but I did feel bad about not being able to complete the technique. I flipped the switch to open the cockpit and a hand was extended to me as I stepped out, Tanuki Tanaka's smiling face greeting me.
"You did very well for a beginner! Honest!" He said when he saw my downcast expression. I nodded my head, but I didn't honestly feel like I did all that good.
"Good for a beginner? Please! At least the newest trainees in the army could hit more than one target during their first flight simulation! It's taken her nearly a week to learn how to properly fly without crashing and even then we still have to keep retelling her how to do it!" Falco said. My moral plummeted as I looked up and saw the blue pheasant man standing in the training room. Fox barked something at him in irritation will Peppy walked up to me, patting my arm gently.
"Want to know a secret, Gigi? Falco wasn't all that good his first week in training either. I remember how he accidently flew INTO one of the enemies during one of his first exercises!" Peppy said, chuckling along with Tanuki Tanaka. Falco looked completely embarrassed and started to yell something at us but everyone's laughing drowned him out and I couldn't hear what he was yelling. It was funny to think of Falco as a novice pilot like me, but it was good to know that everyone needed to start somewhere.
"No one starts as a master, Falco, you know that. She is doing well for being a complete novice but it will take time for her to become a pilot. Just let her work at her own pace." Mr. Raccoon said in my defense. I smiled at the raccoon and looked over at Peppy. His age was showing in his gray fur and the way he was slightly slouching, making his ears droop slightly but even now he had the flames of life in his eyes showing that he wasn't down for the count just yet. He looked up at me and smiled his eyes kind and fatherly. Sometimes, in the last week and the points of it that I could remember, it felt like he had taken me on as his daughter.
"Let's go eat. Its lunch time and we are closing in on our destination so we have to debrief the battle plans." Peppy said, taking my hand gently in his as they led me from the training hangar. To get from the training hangar into the meeting room where we'd also be eating you had to walk through a walkway that overlooked the hangar that contained the arwings. It was wide and spacious, more so than I had really thought possible with the insignia of Team Star Fox painted on the walls. I vaguely remember Peppy mentioning that it was Fox's father that had bought this large vessel that contained their arwings. As we walked over I glanced down, being able to see all the crafts they owned. Four arwings, along with another black space fighter that I had ridden in, a tank, and I could also see a submarine hung up in the distance. Peppy led me gently through the pathway and into a hallway, following Fox, Falco, and….. The toad…. Toad, into a round room with a large table in the center. A robot was placing some freshly made food on it, steam rising and the smell making my mouth water. I took a seat next to Peppy with Fox taking his other side. We helped ourselves to food; Toad reminding me his name was Slippy, before Peppy got down to debriefing about their current mission.
"General Pepper has asked for our help in dealing with Andross, who has declared war on Corneria. It looks as though Andross has already mostly succeeded, but this shouldn't be too much of a problem so long as we take the appropriate measures. Gigi will stay on the Great Fox with R.O.B. while the four of us head out in our arwings to deal with Andross's army that has already invaded Corneria. General Pepper has sent us these files on some of the most damaged areas and the planets that need the most help at this current time." Peppy said, handing out the folders. I didn't get one, but I still listened as he talked. I sort of hoped I'd remember it later, but I am pretty sure I won't. From there Peppy went on to a possible course through the Lylat system and where they should head first. Fox and Falco argued about one path but it was settled by Peppy rather quickly. Slippy made a few suggestions and comments here and there, but otherwise listened like me with an eagerness in his eyes that made me believe this was his first real combat mission. I was a little jealous.
Afterword the gang dispersed, Falco and Slippy going off on their own with R.O.B returning to the control room.
"Are you going to continue training?" Fox asked me when we exited the room. Peppy walked behind us, still reviewing some data. I nodded my head.
"I don't want to be a dead weight, but trying to learn to pilot an arwing seems to be the only thing I can do." I said. It was sad, but the truth. He patted my shoulder, giving me a smile.
"Don't worry too much about that. Our job is to help others." Fox said. I nodded my head, but I still didn't feel any better.
"I'll learn to pilot one of the arwings. I know I am having trouble remembering things, even now, but I WILL learn how to pilot them." I said with determination. Fox smiled at me, and it made me feel a little better.
"Well, with such determination I'm sure you'll be a master pilot in no time!" He said, patting me on the head. I huffed, balling up my hands and pumping them in the air twice to get myself psyched up for another couple of hours of flight simulation for an arwing. When Fox turned away I checked the sleeve of my long shirt that I had gotten from Fox. Keeping an eye on Fox so he wouldn't notice, I made a quick glance at my wrist to make sure the notes I had taken during practice were still there. Hopefully with this little cheat sheet I wouldn't forget the controls at least. Before Fox turned back to me I made sure my sleeve was back in order and my arm at my side.
Fox led me back to the training room where Mr. Raccoon was prepping for another training session. Fox patted my shoulder, giving it a comforting squeeze.
"No one becomes an ace pilot over night. These are just simulations, so just breathe and take your time. When you panic or get stressed you mess up. Remember: keep your mind clear. That is key." Fox advised. I nodded my head, happy for the advice even though I was sure I had heard it before, although I can't remember. Fox gave me a thumbs up as I walked over to Mr. Raccoon to get set up in the special trainer craft.
"Ready for some more training?" Mr. Raccoon said cheerily. I smiled and nodded my head.
"Yeah! I've been reviewing the controls in my head, so hopefully I wont forget them again this time!" I said, pumping my fist in the air excitedly. Mr. Raccoon gave me a pleasant smile and helped me into the training craft, reviewing the straps and buckles I needed to know to make sure I was securely in. He pointed to my main strap and the large red button in the center of the x that the straps formed.
"This is the release switch for the buckles. It is hard to press down even in the real machines since you only really need to press it when you are getting out of the cockpit, but it is a good thing to remember. When you eject, avoid pressing the red button. You need to stay securely in your seat when you eject and the mechanisms in the chair itself will take care of the rest, all right?" He asked.
"Don't press the red button unless I am getting out of the arwing in a safe location! Got it!" I said cheerily. Mr. Raccoon smiled and nodded his head.
"Good, then we can get start-…. Ms. Medley, what is that on your wrist?" He asked suddenly. My heart suddenly ran cold when I noticed that my shirt sleeve had slid up my arm and revealed my 'cheat sheet'. I smiled sheepishly and held it out for him to see.
"Don't be mad. I just didn't want to forget again." I said. Mr. Raccoon held my hand gently and looked over the notes I had taken. He sighed and then released my hand, letting me put it back on the joystick of the practice arwing.
"They are good notes, but make sure to review them later. I wont do anything this time, but please don't do this again. You wont get the luxary of a 'cheat sheet' in the middle of combat, I can promise you that." He said. I nodded, feeling down. I didn't want to upset him.
"Do you think they would actually send me into battle?" I asked. The idea was a bit thrilling, but also terrifying. I could actually be killed then! Mr. Raccoon shook his head, giving me this amused smile as if he was talking to a child.
"Nah, I don't think they would. To inexperienced a pilot, even if you trained for months. I was assured by Peppy that this was just for your own protection. Never know when we might have to evacuate the Great Fox in deep space, so it was the best idea to make sure you could pilot your own arwing so you could get to safety." He explained. I nodded my head in understand. It did make sense, since we were heading for an area filled with armies that were going to try and shoot us down.
"This ship, the… err…"
"Great Fox?"
"Yes, the Great Fox. It's strong, isn't it? We wont have to worry about being shot down easily right?" I asked. Mr. Raccoon laughed, patting my shoulder reassuringly.
"Nothing to worry about that! The Great Fox has excellent defenses and it would take more than some simple arwings to take it down or even scratch its hull at that." He said. I smiled, reassured. He patted my back and took a step back from the cockpit of the practice arwing and closed the top, giving me a thumbs up. It wasn't long after that that I heard him in the speakers, telling me I can start once I felt confident. I pressed the nessisary buttons, hearing the hum as the machine started and the screen flickered to show me the test screens and finally I grabbed hold of the joystick and gave it a gentle push forward.
That training session had gone better than my previous one. I was able to knock out five enemies that time and I hadn't damaged the fake arwing except for when I tried another summersault that failed. Mr. Raccoon was overjoyed and said it meant I was making progress and so we kept at it until Peppy came to fetch us for dinner.
By then I had full mastery of the basic controls and I was able to knock out ten of the forty enemies in the course. Peppy was pleased by it, and I was ready to tell that bird guy about my progress.
"So whay, ten enemies out of forty. You'd still be shot down in a real fight! How bout hand to hand combat? I bet you've never fought once in your life." The bird-man sneered at me. My eyes narrowed at him as I poked my food with my fork. The conversations at the table stopped and there was an akward silence that permiated the air for a moment.
"Birdman, you honestly don't look like you'd hold up in a fight either. Would your bones heal if they broke? I know birds have a honeycomb like skeleton to help with flight on my planet and that makes it nearly impossible for them to recover from broken bones. Is the same true for you? It would certainly explain why you look like you wouldn't be able to take a punch." I said in a flat tone. All noise stopped for a moment but I kept staring at my plate, taking a bite and chewing it before swallowing and repeating the process until Birdman finally spoke up.
"Falco. My name is FALCO." He said, his tone even and controlled. I could still hear the seething rage behind it, however. I chewed another bite of food and swallowed.
"Birdman suits you." I replied. I heard him set down his own utensils and finally I looked up at everyone. Peppy was looking at the both of us calmly, Fox was smirking at me, the frog was looking worried, and Birdman was glaring at me.
"Wanna take me on and see if Im as weak as you seem to think." He asked, his voice strained. I blinked at him, giving him a once over.
"Not scared I'd break your wing?" I asked, smirking myself. Peppy placed a hand on my shoulder that made me look at him. Peppy shook his head.
"Falco, leave her alone. Gigi, please don't get into a brawl with Falco. It wont do anyone any good." He said, looking me straight in the eye. I nodded my head in understanding and went back to eating, as did everyone else. Every now and then I would look up and see Falco glaring at me, however. After dinner Peppy walked me to my room.
"Falco can be prickly, yes, but we are about to go into battle. You are a bright and pleasant girl to be around so I would appreciate it if you didn't antagonize Falco again." He said as we walked. I opened my mouth to protest but decided against it, instead twirling a piece of of my curly brown hair with a finger. Peppy looked over at me and smiled.
"You are pouting like a child that just got scolded." He laughed. I smiled and left my hair alone.
"I sort of feel like one. Mr. Raccoon, Fox, you. You are all so nice to me, but sometimes it feels like you are all treating me like a fragile doll. Or like a child that needs to be led by the hand. I don't mind it! I understand your position, but…. It sometimes feels…." I trailed off, trying to explain myself but found I was at a loss of words. Peppy held my hand gently, rubing his fingers over the back of my hand in a soothing fashion.
"We don't mean to treat you like that. We know little of your race, what you are capable of. If you get severely harmed or sick we have little knowledge of how to really help you aside from the notes we gathered at that base and some guesswork from the fact that your people are so closely related to primates. I know we treat you like you are fragile and weak, but that is only because we have no way of treating you if something goes wrong until you can remember more about yourself." He said. I nodded my head. I had the feeling it would be the same for me if they had landed into my care back on Earth.
"Is that why you only give me basic stuff to eat?"
"Yes. It is all we know you can eat from the reasurch notes. Also, we are a tad low on funding until this war is over and we get paid." He said. I smiled before a thought hit me.
"Low on… funding…? How low?" I asked. Peppy sighed.
"To low. We don't really have to worry to much, we have pleanty of money right now, but when there isn't work we don't get money. It can be hard, paying off the Great Fox, the mantinence on all our vehicles, and even food pricing when there isn't work to be found." He explained. We stopped at the door to my room.
"Is fighting the only work you have? Can't you do something else?" I asked. Peppy nodded his head though he was frowning.
"I am sure all of us could find other work, but we are mostly trained as mercenaries. It is almost the only life some of us have known and it can be a hard life to give up. Personally, I know I wont keep up with those youngsters for much longer. I am certain I will retire soon. Perhaps I will join Corneria's armies one day? For now, I am still training Fox to be a proper leader for the team." He said, clicking the button so my door would open. I smiled and nodded my head.
"You really are like a dad." I said, hugging him lightly. Peppy hugged me back, smiling as well.
"So it seems. Have a good night, Gigi. We will be reaching Corneria by morning." He said. I nodded and said good night. My room was still bare of any real personality, having only simple furnashings and no posters or pictures or color aside from the absent of all colors, white, but I didn't mind that. I plopped down on my bed and looked over at the desk they had provided me with. There were a few notebooks on top of it, only one being in use, along with a cup filled with mechanical pencils and pens. I was encouraged to write things down to help me remember more. I got up and sat in the chair at the desk, seeing my reflection staring back at me from the mirror that was hanging on the wall before me. The same green eyes that still looked hallow and sunken from the drugs I had been experimented on, same freckles that seemed like they had just been slpattered all over my cheeks and nose. The same way my curly hair tried its hardest to cover my eyes, only to be thwarted when I tied it back in a small and thin ponytail that curled as well.
I opened a notebook and took out a pen, writing and rewriting everything I had learned that day about piloting an arwing and anything else I could recall that was important, such as names. The frog's name still eluded me, but I was starting to solidify that the birdman's name was Falco.
I also wrote down the names I remembered of the other humans that had been taken with me. Nick, Mark, Vince, Clarissa, Lisa. I remembered their names, but nothing more at this point. Still, I was holding onto the belief that I would see them again. That perhaps we would return to Earth.
Earth.
I could remember bits and pieces of my life back then. The animals, a few relatives, the reserve. I remember something strange to. Vague images of a furry like the Star Fox crew, but I couldn't piece together the exact furry or when I met them. It was odd. I could vaguely remember a friend of mine that called me Medley but only that they were male and that many used to confuse him for a girl. I tried to remember his name, but I couldn't quite grasp it. A best friend, family, my old life. I couldn't really grasp much of it, and what I could I wrote down in the journals so I could review it later. So far, the only real thing I could honestly remember were small tidbits of information about animals. Sometimes things about friends.
Vaguely I remember a war on my planet, but I couldn't really remember the details of that. Figuring it was important I wrote it down in my notebook. Yawning, I closed the notebook and placed the pencil back into the cup. I got up and switched off the lights. It wasn't completely dark in the room. A soft blue light illuminated it enough for me to see, but it was dark enough that I could sleep. I laid down on the bed, thinking of what I could remember, what has happened, and about what might happen in the future.
I just hope I can find the truth of it all.
But for now, I wanna sleep.
I wonder if Birdman has discovered that I put glue in his sheets yet?
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You can tell when she's forgotten someone's name pretty easily, cant you XD
The raccon guy IS a character in the game, actually. In training mode he tells you how to play. I decided to name him Tanuki Tanaka, but Gigi just calls him Mr. Raccoon. I figure he is a trainer/engineer to Star Fox.
I tried to make this chapter as long as possible. Hope you guys like it!
First planet is Corneria and that will be in the next chapter. I'll let you know at the end of that chapter which area is next. Remember tho: this fanfic wont nessisarily follow game mechanics (since I plan to have Bill and Kat both appear)
Tell me what you think! Also, if there is anything in particular you want to see let me know! Next chapter I will make sure that Gigi interacts with Slippy.
I figure that Falco was a complete A-hole when he was younger tho XD (and mellows oout with age) Gigi's memory problem will also start to get better after this, so she wont forget things quite so easily.