Pigma was right. Peppy had cut it too close, and he cursed him, cursed himself, as his hands shook, trying to keep his ship level, avoiding enemy fire, returning fire, when he could, but there were more ships than he'd been expecting. Just tried to make a run for it. Could tell by the look of them they weren't built for long range flying, but boy were they loaded with ammunition.

Took a really bad hit on his left wing, and when he was able to spare a glance, he realized he had no left wing. Not anymore. And there was more smoke coming out of places it had no business being, bells and whistles going off warning him, but this time there was no rest stop, no where he could land and wait for help.

If he didn't get out of here now, he was never going to, and he had the bleak thought that maybe he should have just stayed with Jim. At least he wouldn't have the guilt of leaving him behind, if the outcome was going to be the same. If they were both going to die today. Would have been spared the guilt of having failed to get away too. That Jim's sacrifice was possibly going to be in vain.

Had a little bit of luck on his side, when his first assessment of the enemy's ships turned out to be true. They only followed him so far. Now it was just him and his beat up Arwing. Didn't know if she could make the distance in the condition she was in, but he had no choice. He was going to find out. Tried getting a message through to Pepper in the meantime, but his long range radio was bust too. Still had the short range, but that wasn't worth much at the moment.

Had to push the oncoming grief out of the way. Couldn't afford it now. Needed to think. He may not have been as intuitive of a flyer as Jim, or as cunning as Pigma, wasn't even the most brilliant of engineers, but what he was good at was coming up with a fix on the fly. All his years of tinkering had paid off, he knew this ship well, even if she was in distress, she was still flying – he was in distress, and he was still flying too – and he used what he knew about her design to keep it that way, kept compensating for the wing, took the speed down to something he thought she could handle. Just needed her to get them in range of Corneria.

Yep, was just her and him out here, hobbling home in a formation of one. Could look behind him and see Lylat, shining on his back, uncomfortably close, wanted to see her farther away and hoped that he would.

Felt like he was in a tunnel actually. Could see his Lou smiling at the far end, where he was trying to go. Could see Fox up there too. Saw his family's farm, in full summer bloom.

But he felt the darkness of that tunnel, the darkness of space and the terrible things he had left behind threaten to engulf him: Pigma's betrayal; Jim tied up with a gun to his head; not knowing what was going to happen to him; not even knowing what was going to happen to himself; would he die in the tunnel too?

Took this mission for an old friend, only to get betrayed by another, and felt furious with them both. Pepper should have sent the military for something like this. Andross had a whole army out there. No doubt got some space pirates to help him out with supplies. Maybe the same space pirates that had attacked the scientific convoy on the way to Fichina.

Only reason Peppy got away was he doubted Andross had been expecting any trouble. And why would he, had a man on the inside to set everything up for him and tell him everything he would have needed to know.

How long had Pigma been planning this? When they'd been stuck on Eremi? Before? Took he and Jim out for their last supper that night at the casinos?

And to learn Andross was the one who killed Vickie? For what? He'd killed that beautiful woman for what? And he'd been gunning for Jim this whole time, swinging a knife over his head until he finally got what he wanted.

Looked up, saw a photo he'd pinned up in the ship on his instrument panel. Saw her in the dim blue light of it. Was Viv, pregnant at the time, they'd both been pretty pleased with themselves, feeling their oats. Viv had been a bit more reserved, kind of like Jim, actually, Peppy was usually the one doing most of the talking, but she'd given him a rare look that day, couldn't quite call it seductive, wasn't even sexy exactly, but it was proud, just screamed to him: we did this; we made this, and he felt her now, telling him to pull himself together, just like he'd had to do after she'd died, that he wasn't done being a father yet, don't go reneging on our deal.

Felt Vickie there too, saying she needed him to get back, get to Fox, just keep going, that he was going to make it.

Felt Jim too, felt his hand over his, where he was struggling with the ship's controls, holding him steady.

Wanted to believe that. So wanted to believe that.

Gave a prayer of his own, to his ship.

"Come on girl, get me home."

Except he wasn't entirely sure where home was anymore.

Slowly, painfully, torturously, Corneria came into sight.

Peppy'd never been so heartbroken to see her, but also had never thought she'd looked more beautiful.

Sent that SOS, and was greeted and led in by an escort from the Cornerian Air Force.

Managed to land his ship himself. She'd held out after all. Gotten him all the way back.

Stood on the runway looking at her, looked like that trip had taken all the life out of her, that she was dying here on the tarmac.

The other pilots gathered around, silent at first, making their own assessments. The state of her almost commanded silence, until one spoke.

"That ship gave you all she had."

Seemed to open some flood gate, 'cause now the others were nodding their agreement, clapping him on the shoulder, congratulating him on the flight, thanking him for his service, and telling him it was an honor to fly him home.