"So this chapter mentions money, and for the life of me I can't remember what monetary units are used on the paycheck you get at the end of 64. When I was skimming through someone else's fanfic, I noticed he or she called the money 'credits', and I really liked that idea.

"Thank you, whoever wrote that!"

- B McC

Star Fox : Re-Genesis

Chapter 6 – Departure

"What do you mean, 'deal'?" Fox shouted.

By now, nobody was pointing a gun at anybody else's face. Fox had pulled Falco into the repair shop's office to discuss – loudly discuss – Wolf's proposition. Leon was leaning against Mr. G's wrecked hovercar, visibly bored out of his mind. The two newest additions to the Star Wolf crew were inspecting the cluttered garage ("Kind of a crummy place for a hideout, ain't it?" "Urr." "Ha! Those numbskulls put this engine in all wrong!" "Hermf."). And Wolf turned the disc he was delivering over and over again in his hand, staring intently at the motorcycle in the corner.

"Don'tcha get it? If they wanted ta kill us they'd've done it when they walked in!"

"It's freakin' Star Wolf! And they know about the Great Fox, now! They're probably just waiting for us to bring it out so they can steal it."

"The only person who can drive that thing is ROB, and the only people ROB takes commands from are you 'n Peppy. Ain't that how yer dad set it up?"

Fox leaned against a wall and groaned. It didn't really make sense. Wolf wasn't the kind of person to ask for help… but he wasn't the kind of person to harm somebody through such indirect means, either.

"And another thing," Falco continued, casting a wary eye out the window to where Leon stood, "I've fought Lizard-boy enough times to know him like the back of my hand. He managed to sneak up behind me for the first time just a few minutes ago… and he would've killed me right then unless Wolf had told him not to. They really need our help.'

"…Maybe," Fox conceded. He closed his eyes and tried to remember what it felt like to fly an Arwing. "It sure would be nice to get outta here, wouldn't it?"

"Especially since there's money involved. No way in hell am I gonna be able to fix that car by tonight."

Fox smirked. "All right… just stay on your toes around them, okay?"

…

"Never would've imagined there was a place like this under that dingy little shop," Wolf said as he walked down a brightly-lit corridor.

"This whole repair-shop setup was one of Dad's old hideouts," explained Fox. He had agreed to lead Wolf down to where the Great Fox was being kept, so long as Falco and ROB came with them and the rest of Star Wolf stayed on the surface. "In case Star Fox ever needed to act against the military, he kept a few safe havens scattered throughout the Outer Rim..."

"On planets outside of the Cornerian Alliance. Not a bad idea," Wolf finished. The conversation ended when they came to a large set of doors, securely fastened and equipped with a DNA lock.

"All right," Falco began, "now we need to hear some details. Just what is th-"

"This mission is nothing more than a simple delivery," Wolf interrupted. "An old acquaintance of mine designs propulsion systems. The kind you see in most race-ships. But he's a paranoid SOB; he needs to send these blueprints," Wolf held up the disc, "to the only manufacturer in Lylat that he trusts, and the only delivery service in Lylat that he trusts…"

"Is Star Wolf," Fox concluded. "That doesn't explain the one-week deadline."

"…You don't understand how crazy this guy is." Wolf pointed out a small white dot on the otherwise entirely black disc. "This right here is a sort of time bomb. Only he and his manufacturer buddy know how to turn it off. In one week, this entire disc will be erased, just in case we screw up and let anyone else get ahold of it."

"And how much money are we talkin'?" Falco interjected, clearly interested only in that aspect of the deal.

Wolf grinned. "This guy is one hell of a designer. We're talking just over 2 million credits."

"That's what I'm talkin' about!" shouted Falco.

Fox was not quite as excited. Was this really the kind of job Star Wolf took up when they weren't on Andross's payroll? But as strong as his doubts were, all he could think about was how long it had been since his feet had left the ground. A faint feeling deep in his gut urged him to take the job. Trust your instincts, eh?

"All right. We'll take off in three hours."

Fox placed his hand onto a scanner, and a series of green As, Ts, Gs and Cs flashed across a nearby screen.

DNA sequence confirmed. Welcome back, Fox.

Good to be back, thought Fox. With several thundering clanks, the doors slowly began to separate. Behind them was an enormous room…

And inside lay the Great Fox.