A/N: Sorry this chapter took so long! Most returning readers will notice this has changed, stay calm.

I OWN NOTHING!!! Except the plot.

Chapter 5: Clear Skies

2 months have passed since the alleyway incident. It was now December, on a Friday, the final day before Winter break. We join our pair Fox McCloud and Krystal in the final class of the day before Winter break...

The gym was full of anxious students, awaiting the class to be over so they could leave for the break. The teacher finally finished taking attendance, and shouted. "LISTEN UP!" The whole gym got quiet immediately following his harsh tone. The words still lingered in the rafters of the gym. "Since today is the last day of school before our extended weekend, me and the flight instructor decided that we will have a simulated air combat match. Afterwards you will receive your first dog tags, stating your name, ID, and current rank..."

Fox was psyched. Finally! He thought. I can come home and show my dad that I am officially in the military! Even if it is just a lousy cadet rank. The teacher continued on, "...after receiving your tags, you will be given your report card, and your current standing among other pilots in each class. But enough of this, get your belongings and lets move to the simulator room!"

Everyone got up from the gym floor, most of them didn't even bring their bags with them, and the teacher had locked the locker rooms to prevent anyone from changing. This was to avoid people wasting time changing and then re-changing back into their regular clothing. Fox was wearing a thick white jacket leaving it unzipped, with a green colored Underlay coldgear long sleeve. He had on his green pants, as they were perfect for all weather, same for his shoes, but he didn't wear his scarf. Krystal was wearing a blue hoodey that matched her skin tone of blue. Under it, if she ever decided to take it off, had a white long sleeve that read on the front in red; 'Bearcats', a popular soccer team on Corneria. She retained her gray pants and her white shoes also.

Fox got up from the floor before Krystal, and Fox held his left hand out to assist her up. Krystal smiled as she took the hand. Fox had 2 reasons for doing this, to help out the girl he liked, and to keep his left bicep in use, despite what the doctors told him, he needed to retain the muscle.

Krystal was on her feet, and they began walking, she looked at Fox, "thank you for helping me up."

Fox smiled at her, "it was no trouble at all, although you are kinda heavy..."

Krystal looked at him slightly irritated, "what is that supposed to mean Fox? Are you insinuating that I am fat?"

Fox laughed and patted her on the back. "I was only kidding, I wouldn't dare call you fat. Especially to the only person that has ever actually managed to keep up with me on the obstacle course, everyone else generally falls behind."

She gave him a friendly hug. Fox interpreted this as a silent way of saying 'thanks for taking that back'. She pulled out of the hug and looked at him, "you know, I bet I could take you down in a dog fight. Up their, being fat has nothing to do with skill."

Fox looked at her with and with a questioning, yet playful, look on his face, "you really think you could take down the son of James McCloud?" She laughed at him, "I don't get it, what's so funny?"

"Just because you are the son of a famous mercenary pilot, doesn't mean you are the reincarnation of him. I know for a fact I can own you in a dog fight."

Fox smiled playfully, "we'll just see about that Krystal, I bet 20 credits I will take you down."

Krystal thought for a moment, "20 credits, and a meal at wherever the winner chooses, loser pays all." She looked at Fox waiting for him to say yes, "is the son of James McCloud to weak to take down a pilot such as myself?"

Fox ponders for a second, I don't see why not, I can easily win. "Deal, loser pays 20 credits and a meal wherever the victor chooses."

They continued their idle chit chat all the way to the simulator room, where they meet up with Bill Grey, who was wearing a red jacket, that looked rather thin, under it he had a navy blue soccer jersey with the number '24' in white on the front. He was part of the schools soccer team, as he demonstrated extreme agility and great footwork, he played forward and scored numerous winning goals. He wore jeans that were worn out from numerous falls during muddy pick up games, falling down, and being in the washer so many times. He wore a pair of black M.A.G indoor soccer cleat's for his shoes (for anyone who does not play indoor, indoor cleats do not have studs, feel free to google what they look like.)

"Hellooo, Fox buddy!" Bill walked toward them casually, most likely hiding something, "how's it goin'?"

"It's going good, you Bi-" Bill wrapped his arm around Fox's throat, causing him to gag slightly, "careful Bill!" Bill released him from his grip. "Jesus Christ, they only give you one neck for a reason."

Bill laughed, "I have yet to see the reason why they only gave us one neck," He shrugged, "maybe just so people can look as good as me." Fox rolled his eyes at this statement, Bill noticed Fox roll his eyes. "Come on! You know you wish you looked as good as I do." Bill flexed his biceps.

Fox responded sarcastically, "yeah, I wish I could attract the ladies like you could Bill, seeing as you have so MANY adoring fans."

The flight instructor yelled to the crowd of students, "OK! It is my my class versus the gym class, find a simulator and get inside. Ejection is enabled, and if you wish to keep flying, you will have to use it when you get shot down." Everyone started rushing towards a simulator, it was rare to have massive scale battles such as these.

Fox was disappointed, Man, now I'll never get those 20 credits... Krystal read his mind and said, "20 credits to the one who gets the most kills."

Fox looked at Krystal and smiled at the idea, "Your on Krystal, just so you know, I'll still win." Fox jumped into an SF-14 simulator canopy, and it closed around him.

"System online. Connected to battlefield '01340'. Situation: Air Combat training. Please select spawn point." The robotic voice was female and monotoned. Fox selected his spawn point, on the Lion-class carrier. "Spawn point confirmed. Respawns remaining: Infinite if ejected. Initializing view screen. Confirmed, view screen activated. All flight systems, check. You are cleared to launch. Good luck, Cadet McCloud." Fox grabbed the throttle, and put it 100%, and he launched off of the deck of the carrier.

It was amazing.

The flight itself was enjoyable, with the G-diffuser working, he could do much more than he could in the standard commercial aircraft that civilians rode in. Plus, the HUD, by far the most advanced material created.

The HUD is the main part of the ship, without it, a pilot in a space battle is practically screwed. The canopy of the SF-14 is complex, it is made of a material called 'clear steel', a relatively new invention to the army, not as sturdy as actual steel, but stronger than bullet proof glass, it could withstand most laser fire, only exception is capital ship lasers. Along with its added protection to the pilot, it also allowed for a more reliable targeting system. This targeting system, known as Assisted Computer Targeting, or ACT (A/N: No, not the test) for short. The clear steal canopy has the ability to put a square around a specified object. A yellow box for escort targets, a blue box for allied ships specifically designated by the pilot, red box's for enemies that pose an immediate threat, or is the closest enemy to the fighter. It also labels incoming missiles with a green 'X'. The ACT uses radar signatures that emit from every fighter to confirm speed, heading, and distance. When that radar signature is gone, the target is presumed destroyed, and the box that was marking it, is removed. It tracks missiles using the heat signature from the exhaust, and it only tracks missiles that are heading for the ship. The pilot wears a helmet (like the one Bill has on in Star Fox 64 (Lylat Wars)) that gives him specific information on the fighter, and even has an arrow that shows where it is based on where the fighter is going, which is a green arrow, and where the pilot is looking, which is a blue arrow. The computer also adds a purple diamond, which shows if you shot at the diamond, you will have a 90% of hitting it if it continues on its current course and does not slow down or turn.

However, due to the fact of the complexity of this targeting system, a new A.I had to be introduced. The A.I is highly intelligent, and operates as the REO, the programmers even gave the A.I the ability to develop a personality that is based off of the pilot. The A.I eventually got as far to even become a real REO, with the look of an actual person under a flight suit that could run, walk and shoot like anyone else, and best of all, you couldn't tell if it was a robot or a human for how well it did on the ground. And if the pilot ever ejected, the A.I's goal was to ensure the real pilot made it to safety. Which in turn, means it ejected with the pilot. Although it is directly hooked in with the main computer system, when the pilot ejects, the 'seat' that the 'REO' is sitting on detaches from the main computer, and the A.I begins its subroutines of getting the real pilot home. This also saved money of making a new A.I for every fighter, and nearly all pilots become attached to their REO, which greatly improves the pilots reliability, as they can trust their A.I partner. Some pilots have even cried over losing their A.I partner after ejection. The

(A/N: Pretty clever stuff huh? And the reason they don't make A.I fighter pilots is because it costs to much money to make a robot like that, and the technology for it is just to big for a fighter to carry.)

To bad the simulators couldn't fully make the REO A.I. Since this was a one time thing, the A.I remained the same, and never truly became what it was programmed to be. When I get my ship, I am definitely nicknaming my A.I Marcus. Fox thought, as his HUD popped up showing a red square, and his ship had warning sound go off, and a green X approached his ship. Fox yanked back on the flight stick, releasing a few flares and chaffs, hoping to lose the missile. Success, the missile ran around the air and poofed into smoke in the distance. Fox veered his craft back towards the enemy fighter, the pilot of which realized his missile missed, was now on the run.

Like hell he'd let him get away.

He gave chase to the enemy fighter, also an SF-14. The ship was weaving back and forth, slowing down increasingly fast, Fox then began a scissors maneuver to essentially slow himself down, finally the pilot didn't have enough speed to turn without stalling, giving Fox the perfect opportunity for a finishing strike. The pilot flew straight, kicking full afterburners to get enough speed to move out of the way. Fox came down on the poor guy, guns blazing. The shots blew out the engines, causing the whole fighter to explode, the pilot didn't even have to time to eject.

Well, if it's going to be this easy, I will have those credits in my hands in no time. Fox thought menacingly, as his ship removed the red box, and targeted another enemy fighter. Fox turned towards it, and gave chase to the unsuspecting pilot...