Chapter 53: Rematch

"Alert: We are now entering the Cornerian space territory."

Falco acknowledged ROB's announcement with the briefest nod across the bridge. Right now, he had a soda in his cup holder, a good webcomic on his phone, and one of Katt's rock albums playing low in the background. He didn't want to budge from this state of nirvana for even a second. After finally getting back into some proper mercenary work, he deserved to laze around until they touched down onto solid ground.

Corneria and Novellon were well on their way to building another rocket for Fox and Andross. Relations went so smoothly this time that they didn't need Star Fox's involvement anymore. This gave Falco and the team the chance to return to what they donned their flight suits for: hunting outlaws and kicking their asses.

Today, they just wrapped up a contract to destroy a rogue MacBethic satellite floating around Fichina, specifically near regions where valuable Cornerian assets laid. Since sovereignty on the frozen world was a political minefield, Corneria might have risked an interplanetary incident if they acted themselves. Hiring privateers, like Star Fox, to destroy it instead wouldn't cause nearly as much of a scandal. If they got caught, Falco would, at worst, have to apologise to MacBeth and pay for the damages. The reward they'd get from Corneria would cover most of the loss. But if MacBeth never found the culprit, it was easy money with no real consequences. It was also a chance to flip the bird at those greedy megacorporations. Served them right for slipping back into their shady pre-war habits and spying on their trade partners.

'I reckon I should take Katt out somewhere nice tonight,' Falco considered. 'This has been a pretty good day so far.'

Meanwhile, Katt sat across the room talking into her headset. Falco could hear her negotiating a potential new contract. He found that she could charm almost anybody into paying extra for the most famous mercenary team's services. So, Falco left her in charge of dealing with their clients. Katt took to the job like a fish into water. And everyone on Star Fox reaped the benefits.

"Thank you, Mister Inu. Captain Lombardi and I will call you back on Thursday… Yes… Yes, thank you. Sayonara." Katt then ripped off her headphones. She pumped a fist. "I just got us the Four Worlds contract!"

Falco looked up from his phone. "How much for?"

"$35,000 for the week."

Falco whistled. That was a great deal for a simple security job. Then again, the Four Worlds Trade Conference was a major event, and their client was one of the biggest economic names from Corneria. All they'd need to do was guard a few executives while they met with other companies from Zoness, MacBeth, and Aquas. Free food, hotel expenses paid, and a possible new return client with a fat wallet if all went smoothly.

"Nice one," Falco raised his thumb. "At the rate these jobs are coming in, we'll probably pay off the Great Fox's loan by next year."

Katt grinned. "That'll be a lovely surprise for Fox when we get him back."

Falco agreed, albeit with a weight in his chest. "Too bad he's giving up freelancing. We reach one of his big life goals, and he's not even going to stick around long enough to enjoy it."

Nodding, Katt's smile fell. "Yeah… It's his choice though…" Falco sighed.

Learning that Fox had no interest in returning to Star Fox hit like a kick to the gut. Yet Falco couldn't blame the guy. After all, his last mission got him stranded on a developing world for nearly four whole years. Between that and Fox's plans with his blue missus, retiring into a safe civilian life just made sense. Still, Falco would have liked to fly side by side with Fox into battle again just once more like old times.

He purged those unpleasant thoughts and stretched his arms behind his head. "Welp! His loss then."

Katt stared at him sullenly for a time. When she opened her mouth, she didn't get the chance to speak her mind. "Alert: Urgent transmission incoming from the vessel, CASD Romulus," ROB declared.

CASD? That meant a Cornerian Army starship. "Patch it through," Falco ordered, putting away his phone. So much for a relaxing trip home.

"This is Captain Fay Spaniel of the CASD Romulus. Can anyone here me?"

"Fay?" Falco responded. Promoted to captain? He thought he would have heard about that at some point sooner. "This is Falco Lombardi onboard the Great Fox. What's your emergency?"

"Falco? Oh, thank goodness. Glad to hear a friendly voice," Fay sighed in relief. "Our ship is escorting a supply convoy enroute to Fichina. However, we were attacked by Star Wolf midway through the Meteo field."

Falco's crest flared. "Star Wolf?"

"Meteo?" Katt exclaimed. That was quite close by.

"Is anyone from your crew injured?" Falco then checked. "What's happened to the convoy?"

"Our fighters took a beating, but no injuries. And the convoy is unharmed. We drove off Wolf O'Donnell and his gang before they could have their way. However, I've got the feeling that they'll try again at any moment."

"Have the army sent backup yet?" Falco asked.

"I've called HQ for reinforcements. Unfortunately, it's going to take a while because our mission's not high priority."

Precisely why Falco hated the way the military did things. Too much bureaucracy leading to stupid decisions. He rolled his eyes. "Alright, we'll come over to help. ROB, head for the Romulus's coordinates at max speed."

"Acknowledged." In moments, Falco felt the entire ship slowly turn starboard.

"Thanks, Falco. I appreciate it," Fay said.

"Don't mention it. But captain now? What happened to Bill and Miyu? You're usually with them, aren't you?"

Fay laughed. "I guess Bill didn't tell you yet. He got promoted to Commander last month. I'm acting in his old job until the brass chooses his replacement. Fingers crossed it's me."

"Nice, girl," Katt cheered. "Wish you luck."

"Thank you. As for Miyu, she's on vacation right now. So, it's pretty much me and the rest of the crew without them. Don't tell anyone, but I'm kinda nervous about how long we can hold out if O'Donnell gets serious."

Falco pounded a fist into his palm. "Don't worry, Fay. We've got your back. We've also got a bone to pick with Wolf anyway after the last time we fought."

"Glad to hear it, Falco. How far away are you guys?"

"ETA is 32 minutes," ROB answered on Falco's behalf.

Katt bit her lip. "Is that really the fastest we can go?"

"Affirmative."

"Can't be helped," Falco grumbled.

"That's fine. We can change our course to meet you somewhere in the middle," Fay said. "Until then, we'll do our best to hold out."

Looking at the star charts, Falco noted both ships' locations. The Great Fox was flying around the Meteo asteroid field to avoid the hassle of navigating it. For their own reasons however, the Romulus's crew had chosen to go through it instead. Fay soon sent over enough information about their speed and direction for ROB to pinpoint the best place to intersect. It would cut their travel time by 10 minutes. Not long after they figured that out, the bridge's door opened wide.

"Hey, Falco? I noticed that we just changed direction," Dash walked in. "What's up?"

In place of an answer, Falco reached for the intercom. "Falco to all flight crew. Report to the hangar immediately and prepare for combat."

Dash's eyes widened. "Combat? Against who?"

"Star Wolf," Falco stated firmly. Dash's jaw set. Although he long-since came into his own as a pilot, Falco didn't fault Dash for becoming nervous. Star Wolf was in a whole other league, and this would be Dash's first time fighting them.

Lucy's too, now that Falco thought about it. 'Better give her and Peppy some fair warning.'

Katt strode past Dash, grabbing hold of his shoulder. "Come on. I'll tell you on the way."

Before going down himself, Falco decided to gain some more intel. "How many fighters did Star Wolf hit you with?"

"Just four," Fay replied. "I know it doesn't sound like much, but those guys are tough. We only have a dozen fighters ourselves, and half of them are still fresh from the Academy."

"I'm amazed that you beat them back once already," Falco couldn't help exclaiming.

"It wasn't easy. That's why I'm anxious about Star Wolf coming back."

"What kind of ships were they flying? Are they still the old Wolfens?"

"Same as in the intel reports."

Good. That meant no surprises from fancy, new toys. "Did Wolf try to communicate with you?"

"Nope. Just came in and started shooting. But it wasn't hard to guess that they were after our cargo."

"And that is?"

"Mostly food and fuel. We're just making a routine drop-off for the Climate Control Centre." A commotion raised from Fay's end. It sounded like alarms and urgent shouting. "Shit! Star Wolf's shown up again. I really need to go help defend the convoy."

Falco muttered his own curse. "Just hold on, Fay. We'll be there soon." Unfortunately, Fay cut the connection without telling whether she heard him. Cursing again, Falco charged through the Great Fox for the hangar. There, he found the team assembled, readying their starfighters.

Peppy noticed Falco enter first. "Katt's briefed us on the situation. Wolf sure picked a fine time to cause trouble for us."

"He's causing Fay's crew a lot of trouble right now," Falco replied. "They're attacking the Romulus again."

Katt's fur stood on end. "Should we fly on ahead to help out?"

"Bad idea," Slippy answered. "Our fighters are low on fuel right now, and we don't have much time to recharge their cells. We're going to need every second here to make sure none of us lose power mid-fight."

As much as the desire to race off and act burned inside Falco, he agreed with Slippy. Their safety came first. "Fay's team can hold out until we get there."

Next to her Sky Bunny, Lucy wrung her wrists. "I hope they'll be alright."

So did Falco. He glanced over to Peppy. "Will you be joining us in the field?"

Peppy's expression darkened. "You'd have to throw me in the brig to stop me."

His attitude made Falco chuckle. Good to know he was ready for another crack at Star Wolf. Falco simply hoped that things didn't turn as far south as their last encounter had. With that in mind, Falco switched on his wrist comm.

"Vixy, where are you at?"

"Heading to the bridge," she answered. "I'll keep an eye on the situation with ROB."

"Are you gonna call the army for help again without asking me this time?" Falco teased.

"That depends on whether you're going to let Peppy get shot into another asteroid." Her tone cracked like a whip. Falco flinched. He supposed he deserved that. "Please, all of you be careful out there."

"We'll be fine, Vixy," Peppy assured. "There'll be nothing to worry about."

"I certainly hope not."

Falco and Peppy shared a downtrodden look. There was absolutely no getting an inch with that woman.

The team spent their remaining time inside their cockpits. Falco ran checks over everything, most of which came up green. Fuel supply was above 50 percent. Not great, but enough for a dogfight. Using the Arwings to speed up their search for that satellite earlier bit them in the ass now. Couldn't be helped, Falco figured.

"ROB, how far are we from the Romulus?"

"Approximately 515 kilometres."

Practically there in terms of how fast a starfighter can fly. "Alright, then. We're going to launch from here. All units, report."

"Arwing-P: All systems are good," Peppy declared.

"Arwing-K: Ready when you are," Katt followed.

"Arwing-S: Green lights all around."

"Arwing-D: Good to go."

"Sky Bunny: All set."

Like a reflex, Falco's body tightened and loosened in all the places it needed to. "Arwing-F: Ready for launch. All units, deploy now!"

His Arwing shot down the launch rail first. The others followed close behind one after the other. They turned sharply around the Great Fox, overtaking her towards the asteroid field visible ahead. Falco let his nav system guide him. He hoped that they didn't arrive too late.

"You know, we've really got to do something about the ship names," Slippy remarked. "I mean, we go through each of the Arwings in turn; but then we get to Sky Bunny, and it really messes with the trend."

"Well, I didn't ask to be the only one without an Arwing," Lucy pouted.

"I'm not saying you should have one. I'm just saying that the naming system needs more work. Like, why don't we all just call Arwings something original? I'm thinking of naming mine something like… the Bullfrog."

"Trying to sound manlier, Slippy?" Katt teased. "You're right though. 'Arwing' starts to sound stale when you're around them all the time. Now I want to name my baby the Catspaw II."

"I'd like to do that too, but Monkey Arrow II is kind of a mouthful," Dash complained.

"What about something better than 'Arrow?'" Katt suggested. "How about Monkey Javelin?"

Dash made an unconvinced noise. "Maybe something else."

"Well, if we're picking out names, then I'll go with Marching Hare," Peppy said.

"I like that one," Lucy remarked.

"Maybe save that for a pleasure cruiser, Peppy," Slippy advised. "I'm planning to give your Arwing to Lucy as soon as you retire."

"You better pull that tongue out of your cheek, boy," Peppy huffed.

"So, I am getting an Arwing?"

"Uh, guys? Remember how we're trying to stop Star Wolf from robbing Fay's team?" Falco admonished. That being said, the name, Sky Claw, popped suddenly into his head. Oh yeah. That was sticking.

A frigate-class star vessel then came into view. It looked like Cornerian Army design. Definitely the CASD Romulus. Fresh marks from battle peppered her hull. No breaches as far as Falco could see, but the metal did look warped from laser heat.

"Falco Lombardi to the Romulus. Can you read me?"

Tense seconds preceded their response. "Falco? It's Fay. Thank God you finally showed up!"

"What's your status?"

"The Romulus is fine, mostly. But our shield generators are out of juice, and we lost a few fighters."

Falco caught sight of starfighter fragments drifting just beyond the Romulus. His blood dropped a few degrees. "How many casualties?"

"Three dead. Two ships returned to the hangar with heavy damage." Fay's voice became tight as the soldier within kept her emotions in check. Falco felt for her.

"Where's Star Wolf?"

"Gone again. They took off into the asteroid field just before you got here."

Were the circumstances better, Falco would have laughed. Damned cowards. Happy to take on Star Fox or the army when either wasn't at their best, but not both together. "Focus on your people, Fay. We'll track down Wolf's gang and finish them off for you."

"You guys are lifesavers, Falco," Fay said, cracking just a little.

Falco eyed the asteroids drifting along the Romulus's port side. If he wondered which direction Star Wolf took off in, straight ahead would've been the fastest route to cover. "Alright. Star Fox, follow my lead. Great Fox, keep an eye on radar and monitor all comm frequencies. If you pick up anything out of the ordinary, you let me know."

"Copy that, Falco," Vixy responded.

Hitting the boosters, Falco made a beeline for the sea of tumbling rocks. Somewhere out there was Wolf O'Donnell skulking around. Flashbacks from their last fight raced through Falco's mind. A bitter defeat that nearly cost them Peppy's life. Falco envisioned his friend's Arwing slamming into any one of the asteroids in front of him. His knuckles whitened around the yoke. Not again. Not this time.

The more recent memory of the destroyed Cornerian starfighters came back to haunt Falco. That fear and dread he felt long ago for Peppy gave Falco a taste of what Fay and her crew were probably going through right now. This wasn't just about getting back at Star Wolf anymore. They had to do something for the sake of the soldiers killed. They needed to make sure that Wolf didn't take any more lives today.

"Should we split up and cover a wider area?" Dash broke the silence.

"Not against these guys," Falco replied. "Star Wolf are way more dangerous than your run-of-the-mill pirates. If we get separated, they'll pick us off one by one."

"Star Wolf work as a team almost as well as we do," Peppy agreed. "Our best chance is to stay together and watch each other's backs."

"The key difference is that those guys don't play by any rules," Katt added with a sneer.

"Wolf and Leon are the main threats, but don't let your guards down around the other two," Falco cautioned. "Pigma will say whatever shit he feels like to get you angry. And that Panther guy hid a lot of his true skills during our last fight." He hoped that Peppy, most of all, would heed his warning. "Keep your eyes open and your wits sharp. We'll take Star Wolf down as a team."

Falco scoured the space in front of him. He couldn't spot the red hull of a Wolfen anywhere amongst the debris. "I've got nothing on visuals. Vixy, do you see anything?"

"I'm picking up four heat signatures further into the asteroid belt."

"That's probably them."

"I'll send the rough coordinates to your nav systems."

"Thanks, Doc. All units, switch to infrared. We're not giving Wolf the chance to turn around and get the jump on us."

At the flick of a button, Falco's visor shifted into a world of deep purple. Vixy's data pointed him towards a cluster of orange blips flying towards one side. Didn't look like Star Wolf was running for home yet. Time to change that.

"Alright, guys. Here's the game plan…"

Not everyone felt thrilled about it. Falco conceded that the idea wasn't perfect. However, no one's challenge lasted long, and they all understood their roles. Just as well, because they were closing in on Star Wolf fast. It looked like Wolf noticed someone on their tail, for their Wolfens started flying straight for them.

Soon, all that stood between their groups was a large asteroid. A wicked idea struck Falco. "Let's see how you like this for a reunion."

Pressing a button, he launched a smart bomb. It detonated upon impact with the giant rock, sending its shattered parts scattering about. Falco chuckled as four starfighters careened through the wreckage. Sparks and shields flashed where stone scraped across wings and underbellies. Falco could almost see Star Wolf's shock through their canopies as they passed.

"Nice shot, bluebird!" Katt laughed.

Falco puffed his chest. "Thanks, babe." An open channel crackled alive on his radio.

"Lombardi!" Leon screamed. "You motherfucker!"

A pity that hadn't taken at least one of them out. "Hey, Leon. What's new?" Falco smirked.

"A damned, blue pest just blew up a meteor in our faces. That's what's new!" Wolf snarled. "First, you meddle with our business! And now this! You've really pissed me off this time, Star Fox."

"Consider it payback for last time," Falco sneered back. "And for the three pilots you just killed."

"People die every day, especially in this line of work. You shouldn't get so hung up over a few soldiers. But if you want to be sent home in a box as well, then we're more than happy to help with that."

"Bring it, Wolfy." Targeting Wolf's ship, Falco fired his first laser. It missed as Wolf swerved, but it issued his signal to the rest of the team.

Straight away, Slippy shot at Leon. Several hits sank into his shields before Leon veered out of the way. "Damn it! You've got some nerve, frog!"

Slippy fired again. "Got a problem?" he mocked. "Come do something about it."

Leon, understandably, snarled like a mad raptor. "You'll regret those words!" He flew straight after Slippy, who sped off towards cover. While Leon was focused on him though, Dash struck his side with two more laser bursts.

"No scope!" Dash taunted.

"Damn you! That was a cheap shot!"

"Got a problem? Come do something about it," Dash laughed before tailing after Slippy. Falco felt sure that Leon was foaming at the mouth as he gave chase.

'That's step one taken care of.'

After trading blows with Wolf briefly, Falco watched Katt pursue Panther's ship. "Hey, hotshot. Remember me?"

"Miss Katt, how lovely it is to see you again in such fine health. It saddens me that will not last, unfortunately."

"We'll see about that. I've got plenty of reasons to put you in the hospital instead." Katt then opened fire, though Panther evaded every shot.

"My, my. What vulgar words from such a beautiful lady," he purred.

Their two ships disappeared behind a screen of rocks. Falco hoped that Katt had better luck against Panther this time around. His thoughts were then interrupted though when Wolf found his way behind him. Falco dodged incoming shots, cursing as one glanced the tip of his wing. He made an Immelmann turn over Wolf's head and saw Peppy and Lucy chase after the other remaining Wolfen.

"Hey there, Peppy!" Pigma chortled. "You're looking better. Ready for another beatdown?"

"You're not getting away from me this time, Pigma!"

Listening to the swine cackle over the radio ground Falco's nerves. "Try to keep up!"

Wolf was back on Falco's tail, so he didn't get to see where the other three took off to. That didn't matter though. The plan was in effect. All Falco had to do was focus on Wolf for now and trust his teammates to handle things on their end.

In all his life, Slippy never denied the fact that a lot of things scared him. Venomian soldiers; killer robots; Andross's bioweapons; blackholes; haunted houses; clowns. Slippy even remembered giving predator species like Fox's a wide berth until he rescued him during their schooldays. It now seemed silly believing that Fox ever wanted to eat him at the time.

However, what terrified Slippy most right now was being chased through an asteroid field by a psychotic chameleon shooting at him like there was no tomorrow. There certainly wouldn't be a tomorrow, Slippy told himself, if he didn't keep moving. Why the hell did Falco think this was a good idea?!

"Here's the game plan. First, Slippy is going to grab Leon's attention and lure him away from his team."

"WHAT?!"

"You and Dash work together to take Leon down. If that's too much for you, just keep him distracted until the rest of us can back you up."

"I'm sorry. Maybe I wasn't clear. You want me to do WHAT with Leon?!"

"You just have to take a few pot-shots and taunt him a little. He'll come straight at you."

"And you seriously think I can fight someone like Leon?" Slippy exclaimed in utter disbelief. "He'll kill me in 10 seconds flat!"

"He won't kill you that quickly," Falco assured, which Slippy absolutely did not feel. "Leon's a cold-blooded murderer, but he's a sadist on top of that. He'll want to torment you for a little while before he finishes you off."

"Oh, wow! I feel SO much better now!" Slippy rolled his eyes.

"Relax, Slippy. That's why I'm sending Dash with you. I'm sure you guys can take Leon down if you put your heads together. He's not going to expect you guys to be much of a threat." Positively overflowing with faith, wasn't Falco?

"It'll be okay, Slippy," Dash then offered. "You look out for me, and I'll look out for you. That Leon guy isn't going to get either of us."

Slippy didn't know what it was exactly that brought him around. Maybe it was because he and Dash were both geeks who kept up with the others by relying on their brains alone. If Dash wasn't worried, Slippy reckoned he didn't need to worry either. That enabled him to take that first shot to upset Leon.

Only now, Slippy regretted that decision. Leon kept screaming horrifying threats, and Slippy couldn't shake him from his tail. He couldn't see Dash anymore either. Where was he? Why did Slippy have to separate himself from the team?

He tried a somersault. However, even with the Arwing II's superior specs, Leon followed without missing a beat. Slippy then engaged his G-diffusers to slow his ship to a halt. Leon sped past him for a second but then pulled off the tightest Immelmann turn Slippy ever saw. Slippy looked into Leon's eyes and thought he was done for. A charged burst from a laser struck Leon first though, forcing him to veer away.

"Are you holding up okay, Slip?"

Slippy thanked God as Dash flew past. "I am now," he sighed. "Thanks, pal."

"Anytime."

The reprieve didn't last though. Leon turned back around with guns blazing. "You little pests are really making me mad now!" Dash and Slippy scattered.

"Slippy, go around the other way and lay low somewhere," Dash said through a private line. "I've got an idea."

Maybe he was a bad friend for feeling relieved that Leon wasn't chasing him anymore. However, Slippy made up for it by quickly getting his nerves under control. "Will you be okay?" he asked.

"While he was going after you, I hacked into his comms and planted a bug. Leon's going to have a hard time hitting anything with his tracking system now screwed up."

A laugh broke from Slippy. "Nice! Can you maybe just shut his starfighter down instead? Or even just his weapons?"

"The Wolfen's systems aren't all interconnected, so I can't do either of those things. And there's nothing to stop Leon from aiming manually. We're going to have to keep fighting to beat him."

"Worth a shot," Slippy huffed. "At least our chances are better with Leon hobbled a bit." He soon found a nice, large asteroid to duck behind. "Okay. I'm in position. Now what?"

"Great. I'm heading over now. Keep an eye on my location and charge your lasers when I get close. Leon will be right behind me."

Now Slippy understood. "Then I give him a surprise he'll never forget."

"Exactly." However, an alarm suddenly flared from Dash's end. He yelped loudly. "Damn it! This guy's a really good shot." Slippy's HUD showed Dash's shield capacity drop below half.

"Heads up, Slip! We're coming in hot!"

Slippy began charging his weapon. His eye followed the blip following Dash on radar. "Ready when you are."

Seconds later, two ships shot past Slippy. His tracking system kicked in. Friend-or-Foe coding ignored Dash's Arwing and instead snapped onto Leon. Slippy fired. Leon attempted to spin away, but he couldn't move fast enough to avoid the green blast smashing into his shields.

"DAMN IT!" Leon shrieked. His Wolfen shook and swerved as he wrestled to regain control.

Slippy whooped. "Bullseye! Nice teamwork, Dash!"

"Great shot, Slippy," Dash praised. "Now, let's show this jerk what two little pests can do."

This latest little win gave Slippy the confidence he needed to grip his yoke with a smile. Leon was no longer the indominable hunter in this battle. They could fight back. And they would. And they'd win. Because Slippy wasn't going to let some Star Wolf goon scare him anymore.

"Let's kick his ass, Dash!"

Pigma never let up with his insufferable laughter as he dodged out of incoming fire. Peppy's jaw clenched. His right ear twitched repeatedly, threatening to flop into his line of sight. The yoke's leather grip bit into Peppy's fingers with every taunt Pigma threw. Peppy wanted nothing more than to unleash the white-hot fury burning inside his gut. However, Falco's instructions rang clear in his head.

"Peppy, I know you want to go after Pigma. You can go ahead, but I need you to be careful. Make sure his teammates don't catch you in your blind spot again."

The memory of colliding sidelong into an asteroid returned fresh in Peppy's mind. "I will. I don't plan on making the same mistake twice."

"Good," Falco said, matter-of-factly. "Lucy, go with Peppy and watch his back."

Alarm filled Peppy's chest. "Copy that," Lucy answered.

"Now hold on just a minute, Falco!"

"Peppy, Lucy is giving you backup. No arguments. I'd rather have you both in the same fight than on other sides of the battlefield, worrying about each other."

Put like that, Peppy understood the logic. "I just don't want that swine anywhere near her." If Pigma ever hurt Lucy…

"Then don't give him a chance to try anything," Falco replied.

"I'll be fine, Papa," Lucy cut in. "We'll take care of Pigma together. For Uncle James."

James… Yes. Peppy supposed that Lucy had as much of a stake in this fight as he had. "Alright then, sweetheart," he smiled. "Let's do this."

Lucy appeared along Peppy's side. Her Sky Bunny's missiles launched after Pigma, only for him to deflect them with his G-diffusers. Peppy prepared to shoot as well, but something dark plumed out from the back of Pigma's Wolfen. A smokescreen in space?! Peppy and Lucy both veered away from it. Flying through that inside an asteroid field would be perilous.

Peppy searched for where Pigma ran off. Then alarms rang, warning him that he was being tagged. Cursing, Peppy took evasive action. Pigma used that damned smokescreen to get behind him!

"Now it's my turn to be 'it,'" Pigma snickered.

Lasers flared from his Wolfen. Peppy steered quickly away, only taking a few hits to his shields. Sadly, his choice of direction put Peppy into more trouble. Smaller asteroids clustered all around. They wouldn't allow him much room to manoeuvre.

"Shit," Peppy grumbled. He started blasting to clear as much of the path as he could. All the while, Pigma had him in his sights like a fish in a barrel.

"Too bad, Peppy. Looks like you lose again." Peppy's heart seized in his chest. Then in his rear-view, he saw something explode behind Pigma. "Son of a…!"

"Leave my papa alone!" Lucy snarled.

Out of missiles, she bombarded Pigma with continuous lasers. He had nowhere to go with the debris surrounding him. Blast after blast tore away at the Wolfen's shields. Eventually, Pigma became desperate enough to spin through the tunnel's wall to freedom. His G-diffusers couldn't brush the asteroids away completely, but the stunt inflected less damage than weathering Lucy's onslaught. This all gave Peppy enough time to break down the rocks in front of him and steer into open space.

"Damn it!" Pigna slammed a fist against his dashboard. All disdainful simpering became lost. "Papa, huh? What's this, Peppy? Bring Your Kid to Work Day?" His Wolfen reappeared flying parallel to Peppy. "Fine! I can make this a family deal."

The Sky Bunny closed in between their two ships. "Are you okay, Papa?"

Pride in his heart outweighed Peppy's shame. "Better now thanks to you, Lucy. Great work back there."

"My pleasure," she replied merrily. She carried herself so confidently now. "Come on. Let's keep up the pressure."

Peppy's smile only grew. "Right behind you."

Falco rolled just in time to dodge a smart bomb. He watched the red, button-shaped device sail past his canopy, missing his Arwing by a foot, before flying off into an asteroid and detonating. Falco maintained the roll. The gravitational field deflected any shrapnel, though the prolonged spin made Falco dizzy. Thankfully, he lucked out with a large asteroid passing between him and Wolf's ship. It gave Falco a few seconds to shake his head clear.

He glanced at his fuel gauge. Its supply hovered around 36 percent. As soon as it hit 20, the Arwing's autopilot would kick in to return Falco to the Great Fox before his shields and life support failed. Weapons would go offline to conserve power, and there was a decent chance that Star Wolf would take advantage of that. Falco needed to wrap this up fast.

After taking a winding route, Falco found himself behind Wolf. He aimed carefully. Wasting shots would drain his battery faster. Some landed. Others didn't. Falco concentrated harder, trying to predict what Wolf's next move would be.

"Falco, on your right!"

He glanced sideways. Katt's ship sped towards him. Falco dived out of the way to avoid collision. He then watched her fly past overhead. Panther followed seconds later. "Thanks for the warning."

"Better hurry up with your end of the plan," Katt replied. "I don't know how much longer I can keep dodging this guy."

"And last but not least: Katt, I want you to deal with Panther," Falco instructed. He could almost hear the leather creaking under Katt's grip.

"Gladly! I can't wait to thrash the bastard."

"I'm sure you can, babe. But I've got another idea, and I've got a feeling you'll enjoy it."

"Oh? And what would that be?" Katt asked, standoffish yet intrigued.

"Just a little bit more, kitty," Falco said as she and Panther disappeared from his sight. "I'm bringing Wolf around now."

"Start by keeping Panther busy. Chase him. Lure him. Flirt with him. Do whatever you have to do to keep his attention on you. Just stay to close to where I'll be."

Falco carved a wide arc through the field. He swerved around cover to evade Wolf's shots, though he didn't make any real effort to lose him. After 30 seconds, Falco saw Katt again dead ahead. He charged his lasers. So did she. They hurtled straight towards each other.

"Now!" Falco called.

Katt immediately dipped beneath him. Falco's targeting system locked onto Panther directly behind her. He released his charged shot. Panther flew toward it too fast for him to dodge. It slammed into his Wolfen's nose, dispersing in bright, green sparks. Falco quickly veered away.

At the same time, Katt unleashed her shot upon Wolf. He tried to evade. She struck his underside. Wolf then sped towards Panther, barely avoiding a full-frontal collision. Panther's wing smashed into Wolf's shield, shorting it out. With its own already fallen from Falco's attack, the wing shattered upon impact.

"Once I've got Wolf chasing me, I'll circle around and meet you head on. We'll then switch partners at the last second and hit them both with our best shots."

Falco pulled up on the yoke. His Arwing rose into a large Immelmann turn. Through his canopy, he saw Katt do the same from the opposite side. They veered out from their ascent, diving at an angle after the Wolfens. Their Arwings crossed in the middle before they opened fire on their staggered opponents. From the Great Fox's bridge, Vixy would later recount how their paths vaguely traced the shape of a heart. Falco would then vehemently deny that ever being his intention; not that Slippy or Dash would ever choose to believe him.

"Shit!" Wolf snapped. "Panther! What's your status?!"

"My shields are down, and you just took my fucking wing off!" Panther snarled back. His suave tongue burned away in a flash of rage. He sped away from Falco as fast as he could, knowing that any further damage could scuttle him in an instant.

"Damn it!" Wolf growled. "Leon! Pigma! Where are you?!"

Leon screamed furiously. "Impossible! Why can't I shake these weaklings?!" He emerged from the distant field with Dash and Slippy hounding after him. Their lasers cut off his escape, wearing Leon down until his Wolfen shook as it flew.

"Could use some help over here," Pigma whimpered. Peppy and Lucy were still on his tail. Pigma dodged a shot from Lucy, but one from Peppy slammed into his afterburners. Flames exploded like a flower blooming. Both wings hung limply as though by their last bolts.

"No! No! My ship! I can't control it!" Pigma kept flying straight. A massive asteroid floated into his path. Collision became inevitable.

"Oh no! No-no-no! No, please! Wolf! Help me!" he panicked. "Leon! Panther!" His Wolfen chewed through the distance.

"No-no-no! Not like this! Not like this! Not like…!"

Falco closed his eyes. He couldn't help it. Some part of him didn't want to witness the impact. A final scream cut short as the air inside Pigma's cockpit drained out in a vacuum. When Falco looked again, Pigma's ship was no more. Fragments of steel and stone intermingled around a crater smashed into the asteroid's side. The Wolfen's cockpit was breached. No chance of survival.

"Goodbye, Pigma…" Peppy said solemnly.

Three Wolfens flew towards the wreckage. None of them had been fast enough to prevent what transpired. "Damn! He's done for," Panther exclaimed. "Wolf? What now?"

All ships drifted with bated breaths, waiting to see whether the fighting would continue or not. "It's no good," Wolf sighed decisively. "Fall back now." Neither Leon nor Panther argued. They fled after Wolf as soon as he turned his ship away.

"Should we go after them?" Slippy asked.

Finishing Star Wolf off while they were on the ropes would've been the most prudent call. However, Falco checked his fuel supply. It sat at 28 percent capacity. Shields at 41 percent. His teammates' diagnostics weren't much better.

"No. Let them go. Neither of us are in much shape to keep going." Falco heard no protests. "All units, return to the Great Fox."

As he engaged the autopilot, giving him a chance to rest, Falco saw a call hail him on his comms. A private channel. Cautiously, he answered. Wolf's grim face appeared on the monitor.

"Not bad, Lombardi," he said. "I'll admit. You got us good this time."

"Odd to congratulate us after we took out one of your men," Falco narrowed his gaze.

Wolf scoffed. The stone-cold stare never left his eye. "I told you before. People die all the time in this business. Today was just Pigma's turn. No use in getting emotional about it."

Falco huffed in distaste. "How pragmatic of you."

Wolf's frown deepened. "Don't let this victory get to your head. Next time we meet, it'll be a different story."

Curiously, Falco chuckled. "Dream on, Wolf. Doesn't matter what you do or how many guys you bring with you, no one's ever going to get the best of Star Fox again."

A smirk pulled across Wolf's muzzle. "We'll see about that." Then he was gone.

Falco looked into the blackened screen and saw a spark burning in his eyes. There was no way to tell what Star Wolf might do next. However, Wolf's words excited Falco. Whatever came their way, he knew that Star Fox would be ready to tackle it head-on.

"So, that's it. Star Wolf ran off and won't be bothering you again. You can rest easy now, Fay."

A sigh of relief carried over the comm line. "Thanks, Falco. You really saved the day for us. I'll make sure that the army pays you back for the trouble."

"Don't worry about it right now," Falco said easily. "Just be careful on your way to Fichina."

"Will do. You take care, as well. And again, thanks a million."

The call with the CASD Romulus ended with Falco feeling a sweet spot amongst all the bitterness. Nothing could have been done about the pilots who lost their lives today, but he could rest easier knowing that they stopped Star Wolf from taking any more. Falco stepped out of the bridge with his head high. He did good today. The whole team did. They should do something to commemorate this. Something tasteful. His teammates deserved it.

While brainstorming, Falco wandered down to his cabin. He picked up some fresh clothes and a towel, then made his way towards the showers. The changing room was in use though. Falco found Peppy seated on a bench, dressed in fresh, casual clothes. The old hare stared at the orange flight suit draped in his hands. Odd of him, Falco thought.

"Uh… Hey, Pep."

Peppy blinked away from the cloth. Surprise perked his ears. "Oh, Falco! Sorry, I didn't hear you come in."

Falco shrugged and tossed his shirt and jeans to one side. "Meh. Don't worry about it." He studied Peppy from head to toe. "Freshened up already?"

Peppy nodded. "Needed a moment alone with my thoughts. A shower usually helps with that." He turned back to the suit again. Falco's brow rose.

"Something on your mind?"

A sigh fled Peppy. "I'm trying to think how long it's been. Fourteen? Fifteen years since James died? Ever since, I wanted Pigma to pay for betraying us. It wasn't just about my pain though. It was about more than that. He hurt Fox and Vixy and destroyed their family. He also destroyed our team and our trust."

Falco sat down, sensing that above all else, Peppy needed an ear to listen. "Now that Pigma's gone… I feel like that's it. It's over. It's done. There's not a whole lot left for me to do now."

"What are you getting at, Peppy?" Falco asked, worrying a little.

Sighing again, Peppy lowered the flight suit. He stared off at the ceiling, pondering in silence for a while. "I think this is it for me, Falco. Time for me to hang it up and retire. For good now."

"Oh…" Falco couldn't say more than that. He stumbled to think how he should respond. Should he be happy? Saddened? Should he try to talk Peppy out of it or let him do as he pleased?

"What will you do then?" Falco settled on.

"Don't get me wrong. I'm not leaving the team just yet," Peppy assured softly. "I'll stay long enough for us to get Fox back safely. But… this mission today is going to be my last. I don't feel the need to fly out into the field anymore."

Falco clamped his beak. He hung his head towards his boots. This was… not easy to hear… But it was better than Peppy walking from the Great Fox out of the blue. Falco understood at least. Peppy did his time. More than any of them. He had the right to live out his twilight years however he wanted. "We'll be sad to lose you."

Peppy smiled. "Thank you." He looked back to the fabric in his hands. "I've had a good run. It was a pleasure spending all these years alongside you youngsters. I'll miss being here."

"Have you told Lucy yet?"

"No. But I will shortly. And Vixy. I'm sure she'll be happy about this more than anyone else."

Falco nodded. "We can break the news to the rest of the team later. I was thinking we should all go somewhere together after we landed. This gives us a better reason than I originally had."

"I'd like that," Peppy agreed. They sat together, chewing on their own thoughts for a time. Eventually, Peppy chuckled. "I remember when Fox knocked on my front door to tell me he found us a new team. Slippy, I pretty much expected to be part of it. But then he introduced me to you, and I worried what Fox was thinking."

"Hey! I wasn't that bad," Falco frowned.

Peppy gave him a crooked look that thought otherwise. "I distinctly recall your first words being: 'Hey, Fox. Are we seriously teaming up with this geezer?' You then said other things along the lines of cataracts and whether I could climb into a starfighter without breaking a hip. That was all within the first two minutes we met."

Tensing, Falco swiftly looked away. Maybe some of that sounded familiar. "Yeah… Well… You managed to hold together this long well enough."

Laughter soothed and taunted Falco both at once. "I used to think you boys were the cockiest, most rambunctious little brats I ever had to put up with. Wasn't sure whether I was mentoring you lot or just babysitting."

Falco raised a brow. "And now?"

Peppy smirked. "You're still a bunch of brats, but you've all grown in leaps and bounds since then. I'm proud of how far each and every one of you has come over the years. You especially, Falco."

Taken aback, Falco shifted uncomfortably. "For crying out loud, Pep. Don't just get all mushy all of a sudden. Especially in a men's changeroom, for Ducker's sake!"

"I meant what I said," Peppy said, shaking his head and smiling. "You've really come into your own as captain. I know that the team will be good hands after I'm gone."

Turning back to face the old hare, Falco saw how genuine he was. It… filled in an ugly patch that had been left gaping inside his chest for a long time. "Thanks, Peppy."

Peppy clapped Falco's shoulder. He then stood up, groaning as he straightened his knees. "Welp! I'll leave you alone to wash up. After all, you smell like a skunk with bowel issues."

Falco's beak hung open as Peppy walked over to the door. He huffed irritably. "How about I fetch your walking stick and smack you over the head with it, Old Timer?" Peppy only laughed him off.

With the room to himself, Falco chuckled softly and carried his things to an open shower stall. He tried not to dwell too much on the sorrow taking root in his stomach. Falco would miss butting heads with Peppy. As stuffy as the rabbit could be, he could give as good as he got in a banter. Falco supposed it was a good thing that Peppy wasn't leaving straight away. The Great Fox would be a starkly different place without him.