The three foxes had awakened by at least 9am and were going about their daily routines. Randorn and Krystal were awake and had been chatting with one another.

"Trust me, dad, this is for your own good." Krystal had been heard saying to her father.

"Fair enough, but I don't want to be a burden on some strangers." Randorn had resposnded.

Fox overheard and spoke up. "Don't worry; it's no problem. Besides, I think you will get along well with my teammates. Now, I am going to see about some breakfast." With that, Fox grabbed so fruits and energy bars from his bag, while the Cerinians had some other Saurian fruit, Randorn kept stashed. After eating breakfast, Fox contacted Peppy.

"Fox to Peppy, do you read me?" The vulpine asked over the comms. He was met with some audible snoring in response.

"Peppy, are you there?" Fox asked again, louder. The sound of a few things being knocked off a table came from the other end as if Peppy was scrambling awake. After a moment, Peppy finally responded.

"I am here; what can I do for you, Fox?"

"Think I might need you down on the planet for something," Fox stated.

"Whatever for?"

"Where do I even begin? Krystal and I returned the Spellstone and another Krazoa Spirit, but long story short, we ended up meeting her father."

There was an audible silence for a moment. "Okay, I wasn't expecting that. I assumed he might be dead with her planet."

"The short of it is, he is injured, and while he has stabilized his wounds, he needs a proper check-up. I need you to come down and retrieve him, then examine his wounds on board the Great Fox. I feel you are best suited for this, seeing as you have the most medical experience on the team. Don't worry; he's a kind fellow; you two will get along well."

"Alright, I am always happy to help. But how do I get him back to the ship?"

"Use the transporter to retrieve my modified Arwing and use it. I will send you coordinates to his location. Anything else you need?"

"Nope, that's all I need to hear. Peppy out." The hare said, has he hung up and got ready.

Fox then turned back to the Cerinians. "Alright, guess we should be heading out. Tricky and Kyte are probably waiting for us. You ready, Krystal?"

Krystal nodded and grabbed her staff. As she walked out, she gave one final glance at her father and spoke. "Don't worry, dad, someone will be here soon to retrieve you. Just stay put, please."

The old fox gave a grin. "I promise, I will behave myself." He said playfully. Krystal smiled at this while Fox chuckled. It was clear the Cerinian Family

After this, Fox and Krystal got ready to return to the Thorntail Hollow, using the warp to get back to Krazoa Palace. From here, they would find another warp back to the Warpstone.


The morning sun had woken the dinosaurs of Thorntail Hollow. A pair of royal dinosaurs had already awakened within the elder's cave, while the queen was just beginning to awaken. Each of the Thorntails had awoken by now and were going about their daily lives.

Kyte and Tricky had run outside of the cave, eager to find breakfast and play some more. Tricky went for a stash of Grubtubs he had hidden behind a bush while Kyte fluttered to some of the nearest Dumbledang Pod trees. After about a minute, she had made it to one such tree. Perching up on a branch, she pulled out one of the pods from a weak branch and began eating it up in the tree.

After a few minutes, however, she felt something shake the tree, a bit fiercely. As the shaking became more violent, she lost her perch and fell out of the tree but caught herself mid-air and stuck the landing. Looking at the base of th tree, she was surprised to see a Cloudrunner using his tail to hit the tree. He must have wandered in from behind, as Kyte did not see him while she put all of her focus into enjoying one of the Dumbledang pods.

"Thanks for that." She replied, unamused at being knocked out of a tree. She then glanced closer at the Cloudrunner before gasping when she realized who he was.

"Uncle Kree?"

"Kyte!"

Kree immediately knelt down to check on her, his niece. "Thank the Krazoa; you are alright." He said before the fact he just knocked his niece out of a tree sank in. "Uh, sorry about knocking you out of there."

Kyte just hugged him in response. "It's fine, though the mother will not be too amused when she hears of it." The princess added mischievously.

"I am not going to hear the end of this." Kree mused as he embraced his niece.

After a bit, he realized something. "Kyte, what are you doing here alone? And where is Krystal?" Kree asked, confused at finding Kyte the way that he did.

Kyte glanced around, nervous and unsure how to explain it all. "Well, you see-"but before she could start, a set of approaching footsteps caught the Cloudrunner's attention. They both glanced over to see the young Earthwalker prince padding over to them. He didn't get too close to the adult Cloudrunner, however.

"Uh, hi." Tricky stammered. "Kyte, who is this?" He asked, puzzled.

Kyte stepped forward. "This is my uncle, Captain Kree." She said, introducing Kree to her new friend. Kree was unsure of what to make of this. He didn't exactly hate Earthwalkers, but he felt distrust for them. And yet, he recognized this Earthwalker as the crown prince. He knew it would be wrong to address him in a hostile fashion. And he never enjoyed the thought of intimidating children. He opted for a neutral response.

"Greetings, young Earthwalker. Rest assured, I mean you no harm." Kree tried to reassure the young Earthwalker.

"Oh uh, t-that's good." Tricky stammered, unsure how to address the Cloudrunner. "S-so, you are Kyte's uncle? Its good to meet you, I guess. My name is Tricky." Tricky stammered more.

Kree understood the awkwardness of the situation. "Look, I understand its weird to meet a high-ranking member of a rival tribe like this. " Hearing this, Kyte figured she should speak up.

"Tricky is a friend of mine; he and I were about to play tag." Kyte began, too which Kree was caught off guard.

"The Earthwalker and Cloudrunner heirs, being friends?! I must say, I was not expecting to hear such a thing." Kree said before correcting himself. "B-but that's good to make new friends, Kyte." He added, trying to save face. He did not want to bring up the ramifications this would have for the royal families of each tribe. Not yet.

Upon noticing the Cloudrunner, the awkwardness of the situation skyrocketed. Before anything else could be said, another pair of footsteps, this time heavier, sounded from nearby. Soon after, Queen Thera arrived into view, a stern look on her face.

"Queen Thera…" Kree began.

Thera glared at the Cloudrunner before her. "Captain Kree. It's been a while. I certainly was not expecting to see you here in the hollow." Thera said a bit cautiously. While it was clear she did not have the prejudice most Earthwalkers had towards Cloudrunners; there was undoubtedly some bitterness between her and Kree, likely related to tribe relations. Being the diplomat that she was, though, she would choose her words carefully. Bardon had already spoken to her about allying with the Cloudrunners. She had considered the idea and knew insulting one of their leaders would be of no use to her.

"I take it you are not here for trouble?' Thera questioned.

"Of course not. I just came here to retrieve my niece and her assigned guardian. Then I will be on my way." He said, not wanting to reveal anything else. He had nothing personal against Queen Thera, but her husband's racism he would not tolerate. His hostile attitude towards the queen resulted from the things her husband had said about the Cloudrunners, and some of the threats he had made.

Kyte then took a moment to speak. Fluttering between the two, she hovered in mid-air to draw their attention. "OK, let's just take it easy here." She said, setting herself down on the ground between the two, catching gazes from each. "Uncle, she is not our enemy. She had been nothing but nice to me since we arrived here. She even let me stay with her and Tricky while Krystal was away."

Kree was bemused. "Really?"

Tricky then chimed in. "Yeah, Kyte even helped save me at Ice Mountain. She aided my mother too." He added, which further fueled the captain's confusion. Thera then spoke up.

"Don't throw so much at him at once, children." She said, to which the two kids looked embarrassed. She then spoke on.

"You see, your outworlder friend, Krystal, and your niece here came to me some days ago. I promised them help if they could rescue my son from the Sharpclaw. With the aid of another outworlder, they did. They even helped me when I was ill. Watching Kyte was the least I could do in return." Thera explained, knowing this would help defuse the situation.

Kree was surprised a bit. Kyte was always known for her kindness, but she put aside her tribe's grudges to do the right thing. Not only that, but Krystal had a hand in all this too. Kyte had demonstrated a kind of maturity and fairness some of her adult peers would not have ever thought to do. And Krystal was already becoming something of a liaison for the two tribes.

And besides, helping their queen could be a major step in mending the relationship between Earthwalkers and Cloudrunner; and a way to convince them to lend aid in the war effort, if it came to it. But this was hardly the only thing Kree could think of right now.

"I see. Well, I am glad they could help you, Thera. I do not wish the loss of a child onto any parent. And… thanks for watching over Kyte." He added hesitantly. Thera nodded in response.

"But, what of Krystal and this other outworlder? Where are they?"

Thera spoke again. "Nothing to fear in telling you, I suppose. You see, they have been working to save the planet. Your niece and my son have accompanied them to Dark Ice mines, where they retrieved and returned a Spell Stone. Now, the mines have returned to the Snowhorn Wastes. Not only that, but the group had even managed to retrieve a second Krazoa Spirit."

"That's wonderful news. Maybe there is hope against Scales. But where are they now, exactly?"

"They returned to Krazoa Palace late last night but said they might now return until sometime this morning," Thera explained, keeping Randorn's presence a secret. She knew Albada wished his presence a secret from the Cloudrunners but felt Krystal should be the one to tell them if she saw fit to. It was her father, after all.

Kree thought for a moment. "I see. This turn of events is fortunate." He then turned to his niece and then to Tricky. "Kyte, can you and Tricky give us a moment; I wish to speak more to the queen about certain matters. If that is OK, Queen Thera?" He asked, to which Thera nodded. The two children ran off to go play elsewhere, leaving the adults alone.

"I will get straight to the point: our tribes could benefit from combined efforts. This has been a losing war for both our tribes; I heard what happened at the Wall City. Know that I am sorry to hear that. I fear my home may have suffered a similar fate by this point." Kree begun. He knew he was not the ruler of the tribe, but he held much authority; at times like this, he had to make hard calls. And if teaming up with Earthwalkers meant saving his home, then he would do it. They would have a motive to do the same, anyway.

"I am sorry to hear that. But, before we go on, I must know: what happened to Saffali? Why is she not here to speak to me about this?" Thera inquired, finding it strange that a high-ranking member of the tribe would be here alone.

Kree sighed, knowing lying would do him no good if he wished to ally. "My forces and I ambushed a Sharpclaw convoy transporting a Spellstone. But they ambushed us with some new weapons of theirs and captured most of my scouts and our queen. We got the Spellstone back to our fortress, but I suspect the Sharpclaw have invaded by now. Saffali is currently in custody at Cape Claw." He finished. At this, Thera's expression briefly grew sympathetic, but she kept a stoic look as if trying to mask her thoughts.

"I see." She muttered before going silent for a moment. It appeared she was trying to consider her choice of words. After a few moments, she spoke again. "I am sorry to hear that. Though she and I have never seen eye to eye, I would not wish being the prisoner of the Sharpclaw on anyone. I have experienced their cruelty firsthand." Thera said, gesturing to the scars and bruises left on her hide after being attacked.

Kree shuddered a bit. "My apologizes that you had to go through that."

"I understand the pain of her experiences as of late. I heard of Kyte's capture. I lost my son to the Sharpclaw over a week prior, before Krystal and her friends saved him as well." Thera began, to which Kree listened intently. "My point is, I believe now is the time to set our tribe's differences aside and focus on our common enemy. Both as a leader and a mother, I share your family and tribe's pain." The queen went on.

Kree nodded in agreement. These negotiations were going better than expected. He would just have to get Saffali on board with them, which he was sure he could.

"But I will warn you: I am in no position to aid in Queen Saffali's rescue. As I am sure you have heard, the Walled City has been overrun; and is in orbit. "My forces are spread thin; any scouts or soldiers I had present are out on business. And I cannot risk going myself; I am currently the only one holding the scattered forces together. The best I can do is send Fox and Krystal when they get back." Thera finished.

"But what about your son? Isn't he already on this little adventure of theirs?"

"He is acting as a guide for them. I have shown him much of the planet, and he is under the protection of two fierce warriors. With his smarts and the protection of his guardians, he will be alright. It's not like I am sending him out into open war here. He never engages in combat, personally." Thera retorted. "Besides, weren't you concerned about your princess being on their journey when you dumped her on them?" She jested.

Kree grew embarrassed. "Uh, that wasn't exactly by choice; it's more because we had nowhere to send her at the time. Again, she had Krystal and Fox, and it's not like she is defenseless. She can evade the Sharplcaw just fine."

Thera shrugged. "Fair enough. Now, make yourself comfortable for a bit; I don't know when the outworlders will return. I suggest you speak with the Thorntail elder when you get a chance. Though this territory is under my domain, we respect the Thorntail's way of life. Anything that goes on here is his business as much as mine." Thera said before heading off.

Kree compiled and headed for another part of the hollow, to gather some food. He would recognize the elder when he saw him.

Approaching another Dumbledang tree, seeing as Kyte and Tricky made off the previous fruit, he shook it with his tail, half expecting Kyte to fall out of it again. To his relief, no such thing occurred; instead, the fruits fell out and he helped himself to it. Though Cloudrunners often ate bugs, these fruits were still a valued taste throughout the Cloudrunner tribe. Kree perched himself down, finally taking a moment to rest. It had been the first time he had properly relaxed in over a week by this point; in his positions, there was never any shortage of fires to put out. Doubly so now, after his princess and, later on, his queen had been captured, and his home lost. He glanced over to his side and made a note of Kyte and Tricky playing.

"Such innocence, despite their mature qualities. To be able to put all your worries aside and enjoy the peace. I wish I had more of a chance to do so."

"Enjoying our hollow, captain?" An elderly sounded from behind him. Kree was briefly surprised, for he glanced up and noticed the Thorntail elder, Bardon, standing in front of him.

"Greetings, elder. It is an honor to speak to you." Kree addressed him formally.

The elder merely chuckled a bit in response before speaking. "You can drop the formalities, captain. Just call me Bardon. I saw you speak with the queen a bit earlier. She informed me of your discussion. Glad to see your kinds on the same page."

'I see." Kree wasn't too surprised to hear this. He said in a neutral tone. "If I may ask, has your tribe seen many Sharpclaw around lately?"

Bardon thought for a moment. "No" He said simply, as Kree shifted the subject.

"So, if I may ask, could some members of my tribe maybe-"

"Any tribe in need is always welcome here." Elder Bardon said, answering the question before the Cloudrunner could even finish it.

Kree bowed in respect. "Thank you."

"Think nothing of it. Now, I believe you may have some other matters to attend to." Bardon said, gesturing behind the Cloudrunner. When Kree turned, he gasped in surprise.

Krystal and Fox were walking towards him, heading away from where the Warpstone sat. Behind himself, Kree heard yells of joy from Kyte and Tricky and heard the sound of eager wings and feet rushing over to the duo.

"How unfortunate I have to drop this kind of news at a time like this." Was all Kree could think, knowing he would have to report the failed ambush and capture of the queen.


The two vulpines had been greeted by their young wards as if they had been gone for years. Kyte hugged Krystal with her wings, and Tricky nuzzled Fox's legs. Fox was embarrassed but appreciated the gesture.

"You're back!" Kyte had proclaimed.

"Yes, of course. I told you we would be." Krystal replied.

"You guys act like we were gone for a long time. It was only a night." Fox said.

"But we missed you." Tricky replied.

The gesture touched Fox, but Krystal spoke first. "We missed you guys too."

"So, tell us: was your father there?" Kyte inquired, eager to know what had happened.

"Yes, he was."

"So, what did you guys do when you met?" Tricky asked, wanting to know how the reunion went down.

"Let us just say we had a good reunion. He is currently healing right now, courtesy of some of Fox's friends. Maybe you can meet him later." The blue vixen finished, wanting to avoid mention of the heavier subjects from earlier."

"I see." That was all Kyte said in response.

Just then, the two foxes noticed a larger Cloudrunner approaching them. Kyte and Krystal glanced at him, with Krystal walking up to greet him. It was clear to Fox they had met before.

"Kree, it is good to see you again." Krystal had said, glad to see her friend was OK.

"I can say the same about you, Krystal. I caught up with Kyte and the prince earlier. But I see you have a new friend there?" Kree said, noticing Fox.

Fox then introduced himself. "My name is Fox McCloud." He began before Kree spoke up.

"Yes, I am aware. The queen told me about your's and Krystal's quest. Great work so far, I might add. But where are my manners? My name is Kree. I am the captain of the Cloudrunenr royal guard and Kyte's uncle."

"They told me a bit about you. All good things, of course." Fox said a tad humorously.

Kree chuckled a bit before his expression fell. "Look, I am sorry to ask so soon after we just met up again, Krystal, but I need you and your friend's help." He began, catching the eyes of the quartet.

"Did something happen to mother? Where are she and the rest of the tribe, anyway?" Kyte asked, realizing he had not explained what he was doing here without her.

"I am sorry, Kyte, but your mother's been captured." Kree began. "Our ambush failed, and we have reason to worry the fortress is now overrun." Kyte, and Krystal's expressions fell. Fox was saddened to hear such a thing. Even Tricky was off-put by this, knowing how it felt to hear such news.

"NO!" Was all Kyte could say, with panic setting in. Kree knew he should just skip the details and get to the chase.

"B-but I know where she is. My soldiers and I tracked her to Cape Claw. I just need your help to free her while the other soldiers free my captured troops. With your help, we can free her and take back Cloudrunner Fortress." Kree finished, hoping to alleviate the princess' mood or provide some kind of comfort. He was uncertain how he could have done this any better.

Krystal picked up Kyte and began to try and comfort her. "Don't worry; she will be fine." She said, caressing the young Cloudrunner's crest. Kree glanced over, trying to figure out how to reassure the young girl. Before he could do anything,

Fox stepped forward and spoke.

"Don't worry; we will have her free in no time. Just take us to this Cape Claw, and we will see it through." He said, wanting to do his part to comfort the girl. He never was too good with emotional support, but he knew actions often spoke louder than words.

"Of course, we can go at once if you all are ready."

Fox glanced at his friends and was met with nods of approval.

Fox spoke up. "Everyone, take just a few minutes to gather your bearings or anything you need. Then we set out. No way are we letting those bastards get away with this.

At that, everyone dispersed for a few minutes. The foxes put back on their old outfits, with Krystal retrieving her Cerinian clothing and Fox putting back on his flight suit and other jacket. Krystal kept her Star Fox jacket on, though. She had taken a liking to it; and privately felt just a tad more part of this mission of Fox's as a result, though she knew it was her quest just as much as Fox's.

"Though maybe there is a bit more to it than that." She had thought for a fleeting moment before brushing it aside. Those feelings would have to come up later when time permitted it.

Tricky had informed his mother that he was going with them to Cape Claw. She permitted him to go, of course, having sent him on this quest, to begin with and knowing she could trust Krystal and Fox, as well as Kyte, to watch him. Though she had some animosity towards Kree, he had seemed a decent fellow from what she could tell, and she doubted he would ever harm the young prince.

After a few minutes more of gathering some more food, the team converged at Kree.

"Wait, how are we going to get Tricky there?" Fox said, realizing the Earthwalker would not work too well on the back of a Cloudrunner. "Should we walk there?"

Kree, and Kyte, both shook their heads. "It's faster to fly. The sooner we get there, the sooner we can get mother out of the hands of those monsters." Kyte spoke up. She glanced at her uncle, who had an idea formed in his mind.

"Look, I have a solution, but I don't think you will like it." Kree began, with Tricky realizing what he might mean.

"Tricky should be light enough for me to carry in my talons. But I can't say the experience won't be more than a little scary for him." Kree said, looking at the nervous Earthwalker.

Fox and Krystal shrugged. "Fair enough," Fox said, looking at Tricky.

Krystal stepped forward to comfort the young Earthwalker. " Don't worry, you will be fine. Right, Kree?"

Kree nodded. "Don't worry; I have an iron grip; I will never drop you."

Tricky sighed and admitted defeat. "O-ok, but I am not going to enjoy this." He said, giving up.

The vulpines mounted the larger Cloudrunner's back while the younger princess took to the air beside them. Kree began to hover a bit and picked up Tricky in his talons, keeping his talons around the prince's center mass. Tricky began to freak out as they lifted into the air.

"AHHHH!"

"Hang on, everyone," Kree said, as everyone, especially Tricky, braced themselves for the flight to the cape. Kree began to soar high into the air, with his niece following behind him.


(Meanwhile)

Peppy had finally set the modified Arwing down at the coordinates Fox requested. It had been quite a process, teleporting the Arwing back to the hanger, prepping for launch, and then navigating through the rain to reach this hidden temple. Yet, it was no problem for the experienced pilot. When he came into view of the temple, he was in awe. The stonework of the structure before him impressed the old hare, but he was more focused on his task at hand.

After taking a moment to make sure the cockpit would be ready for his passenger, he hopped out of the modified Arwing and walked through the entrance on the other side of the balcony. It only took a few minutes of wandering before he came found Randorn's chambers. He found the old fox waiting patiently on a bench. When he saw the hare, he waved him over and greeted him.

"Greetings, my name is Randorn. I take it you are Fox's teammate?" The wizard asked politely

Peppy nodded. "That would be correct. Name's Peppy Hare, a pleasure to meet you, sir."

Peppy said in a gentlemanly fashion.

"No need for the sir. And it's a pleasure to meet you Mr Hare."

"Please, just call me Peppy."

"So I take it you are my lift out of here?" Randorn asked. Peppy nodded in response.

"Then, by all means, lead the way. No point in sitting around."

And with that, Peppy led Randorn back into the Arwing Randorn was impressed by the craft. He had seen spacecraft in his time, but very few fighters like the Arwing.

"Nice ship. Haven't seen one like it before." Randorn said.

"Yeah, it was top of the line during the Lylat Wars, but its seen better days. At this rate, we are lucky it is still able to fly." Peppy said, noting some of the rust gnawing at the hull. Randorn did not seem to bother by it. "Still, it's a good ship. We will be trying to fix her up, along with our others, after this mission." Peppy said.

"I see. Though, I find it interesting g a fighter craft like this would have two seats." Randorn said, going off his prior knowledge of fighter craft

"Yeah, Fox and Krystal needed a new seat when Krystal joined the mission. It normally seats only one person. I had to borrow this from them for a bit." Peppy responded as he and Randorn got into the cockpit. Peppy had to help the older fox in, seeing as he was still in rough shape. After they were buckled in, they started the launch sequence.

After a bit, the aged wizard and mercenary had breached the planet's orbit and were coming up on the Great Fox. Randorn starred at the massive ship in awe, despite its rough exterior. Though he had seen many strange and impressive things in his long life, it was a rare occasion for him to have ever left his homeworld. As such, he had seldom seen a capital ship like this before.

"Guess you never get too old to experience new things."

After a moment, they had arrived in the hanger on the back of the ship. After landing the fighter, the old duo got hopped out. Peppy looked at Randorn, who seemed to be in awe at the ship, but composed himself.

"Alright, just come with me. I will guide you to the infirmary." Peppy ordered, to which Randorn complied. As they entered the hallways through the hanger door, Peppy could not help but scoff at the poor condition of it all. The once sleek hallways had grown dusty, and rust set into many of the metallic walls and sealing. Most of the ship looked weathered and worn, and the hallways were no exception. When they arrived in the infirmary, things were a little better. Though the equipment was in fine shape and the room was tidy enough, all the equipment still looked worn and in need of service.

"Random, I must apologize about the poor shape of our ship. Things… have been slow the past few years." Peppy said as he had the wizard sit down in a chair and began to ready the x-ray and other needed equipment.

"There is no need to apologize, Peppy. I am not one to judge one's home, especially when I am a guest." Randorn said politely.

"Still feels embarrassing someone as to see us like this," Peppy said as he brought the x-ray device. Random knew the routine and remained still as Peppy did his tests. After a few minutes, he had all the results down.

"OK, seems like you had a few recent wounds, but they were stabilized," Peppy noted when looking over the results.

"Thanks to my magic, though that's about the most I could do with it."

Peppy barely looked phased to hear something like that, after what they had seen on the mission and of his daughter. "Alright, well, there is still a few stabbing wounds leftover, though it seems the attacker missed anything vital. Beyond that, a few bruises here and there. Luckily, I still have a few stim packs lying around." Peppy said, digging something out of the drawer.

"Looks state of the art," Randorn said at some of the vials and equipment available to the team. It was clear that they still had decent equipment, despite the wear and tear.

"The latest in Cornerian medical developments. It can help close and heal wounds faster. Just inject it in your body, and it will take effect over the next day or so." Peppy said, handing the vial to the aged fox.

The Cerianian looked it over for a moment before he injected the needle into his side. It stung just a tad, but he had dealt with far worse pain before.

"Now what?"

"Let it take its course. It should help heal any other major wounds of yours. Beyond that, I would say you should be fine. I would normally bandage your wounds, but you seem to have stabilized them already. Now, come with me to the bridge; it would be good to get to know you a bit. If you want to, of course."

"It would be my pleasure," Randorn said, getting up and then following the old hare down the hallway to the bridge. When they arrived at the bridge, Slippy and Rob glanced over. The grey fox was not really shocked to see an android operating in the team's employ; he had heard of such working robots. Slippy, on the other hand, got up and padded over to greet the guest.

"Greetings. Peppy mentioned you would be joining us. I'm Slippy Toad, the team's mechanic. That over there is our ship's robot, ROB64." He said, gesturing to the android, as well as offering his hand in greetings.

Randorn shook the toad's hand firmly. "Pleasure to meet you; I am Randorn, scholar and wizard of Cerinia."

"It's good to meet you. I am sorry, but I am making a few repairs to the ship's systems. We will have to speak more later when I have more time. For now, I think Peppy might be the one to speak to." Slippy excused himself, going back to his business.

Randorn took no offense; they were a busy team after all. He glanced around and saw Peppy signal for him over by a pair of chairs. The old fox padded over and sat down parrel to the old hare. Peppy had a kettle on the table in front of them, with two cups.

"Tea?" The hare offered.

"Glady," Randorn said, taking a cup.

"If you don't mind, I had a few questions to ask you." Peppy began, to which Randorn nodded.

"How are you holding up with everything? Fox told me about your reunion. I don't mean to pry, of course. Just want to make sure everything is good."

"It's alright. In fact, maybe it would be good to discuss with someone." Randorn stated, unoffended. "I am alright; after processing my thoughts and speaking to my daughter. I just worry about her adventure on the planet. Don't get me wrong: I know she is strong, but as a father, I still worry." Randorn said.

"I know the feeling. I feel the same way about Fox running around down there. I know he is strong and has dealt with far worse, but he can be a bit hot-headed at times. In fact, I could say the same about my own daughter, Lucy. " Peppy said with a chuckle.

"You will have to tell me more about her later. As for Fox, I got that impression of him from what he told me. I could sense some of his thoughts; he is headstrong, to be certain. But I feel as though he will be just fine." The old fox said. "Doubly so, with my daughter to guide him."

Peppy laughed. "Yeah. I haven't spoken to her yet, but I am impressed by how Krystal handles herself. Fox told me plenty. Quite the strong daughter you've got there."

Randron laughed. "Thanks; she is just like her mother. The two of them will be fine. Though I will say, they might find themselves closer together than they realize." Randorn added to Peppy's confusion.

"I know Fox has eyes for Krystal. I read his thoughts and recent memories when he approached me at first; I didn't want to risk anything." Randorn laughed, to which Peppy grew embarrassed.

"It's OK. I think he is a decent fellow. You can speak about it." Randorn assured the hare.

"Honestly, I thought the same thing when he first told me about Krystal. Fox has been drifting around for years without aim, and its been a long time since he has had any interest in love." Peppy said, briefly thinking about Fox's romance with Fara Phoenix during their young adulthood. The two had a good run but separated when Fara went her own way with Aerospace Dynamics a few years before the Lylat Wars. She had even been part of the Star Fox team for a time, briefly rejoining to aid during the Lylat Wars. But she had left again about a year after, as the tension between her and Fox was a too awkward to take after a while.

"Rest assured, Fox knows to treat a lady well. He won't mistreat Krystal. And, if things work pan out that way, a relationship could be good for him." Peppy assured the wizard, who laughed again.

"I believe you, but it's for them to decide if they are interested in one another. Not two old men shipping them over tea." Randorn said, which caused a laugh from both of the aged men. The two would talk for a while longer, both about their experiences and anything else that Randorn knew that was relevant to the mission. He had already informed Fox of much of what he might need to know, but his explanations yielded little new information regarding the Sharpclaw, as Randorn had little insight into them.

Regardless, Peppy was still eager to hear it.


It had been a few hours since the group had left the hollow. The ride over had mostly been uneventful, save for the prince's panicked screams. Fox, on the other hand, was unfazed by the experience, having flown craft for years. Riding on a flying lizard was hardly the most outlandish thing he had done.

The group had passed the time by telling Kree about the rest of their adventure. Kyte in particular, was ecstatic to impart the details of their quest to her uncle. Despite the stakes of the mission, part of the young girl still considered it an epic adventure, minus a certain few parts, of course.

"And that's pretty much it." She said, finishing her explanations.

"I see," Kree said, having been listening to his niece for the past hour. He was glad to see she had been kept safe, despite a few incidents, and was experiencing and seeing new things around the home planet, as she could learn much from her experiences. Yet another part of him was still a bit concerned at how her mother might react when hearing of the more daunting parts of her adventures. Saffali had always been a bit overprotective of her children.

"I am glad to see you are enjoying this adventure, Kyte. It's good to see it doesn't wear you down."

"Yeah, it's a bit daunting, but with Krystal and my new friends with me, I never feel overwhelmed." She said, gesturing to the foxes and the prince dangling from his talons.

'Speaking of friends, how are you hanging, Trick?" Kyte asked, checking on her friend.

"Still nervous for my life, thanks," Tricky said sarcastically. Fox and Krystal laughed; they knew Tricky would be OK; Kree had a firm grip, and he had been through worse than this anyways.

"Well, luckily for you, I think we are almost to our destination," Kree said, noticing the tropic scenery they were coming upon. Fox took out his high-def binoculars and looked ahead. The lush forests and they had been passing through had begun to give way to beautiful rivers. Ahead of them, he could see coastal geographical features were becoming more apparent. Soon after,Kree began searching for a place to set down.

"Aren't we landing a bit early, Uncle?" Kyte asked.

"The Sharpclaw have a presence in the area. I don't want to alert them to our arrival. We should go the rest of the way on foot." He said he landed on a dirt path caught between a few crevices in the nearby rock formations. Based on the geographical features, Fox suspected they would be entering a cove soon.

Each of the groups dismounted while Tricky was set down first. The little Earthwalker began 'hugging' the ground as best he could. "Oh, sweet ground. How I missed you." The child said melodramatically.

Krystal laughed while Fox chuckled a bit and rolled his eyes. "Come now, Tricky. It can't have been that bad?"

In response, the vulpine was met with a glare. "You try being dangled for a few hours at a high altitude by a bird," Tricky said defensively. "I think I prefer the cramped space on your ship to that."

Kree laughed. "My apologies; perhaps I will carry you by the tail next time." He jested.

"No thanks. In fact, I think I will just walk the rest of the way if we have to do this again." Tricky shot back.

Fox stepped forward and pointed to the path, refocusing the group's attention on the mission. "OK, we had our fun, but let's go find your queen."

Kree nodded. Fox took the lead and followed the path a bit further before entering a passage in a rocky wall. Inside, there were carved stone walls and a passage large enough for even an Earthwalker to walk through, with lit torches on the side of it.

"I see the Lightfoot's stonework is nothing to scoff at," Kree muttered.

The group proceeded through the stone passage for a bit. After a few minutes, the group could make out sunlight coming out of the exit. As they walked out of it, they were greeted with a lush cove.

Cape Claw was breath-taking;y beautiful. They found themselves within a large cove. High cliffs enclosed the large area, with sandy patches running along the bottom of them. Palm trees adorned the beaches, as well as a few boulders. In the center of this cove, crystal clear water was visible. Further ahead on the horizon, the nearby sea was visible, stretching out from miles on end, just past the rocky sides of the cove. The cove seemed to stretch for at least a few miles on end, with a large opening to the sea clear far along the back.

Of note was a wooden bridge that stretched along the middle of the cove. Nearby, a very large, long-necked dinosaur was standing in the middle of the cove, with the water barely covering his waistline.

The path the group was on was situated on top of a cliff, with an incline that ran down to the beaches of the cove. The vulpines and younger dinosaurs had to take it all in for a moment.

"It's beautiful," Tricky said, mesmerized by what he was seeing.

"Yeah, I wouldn't mind a vacation here some time," Fox said.

"Same here." Krystal agreed, in awe at the natural beauty before her.

"And I thought our fortress was a jewel," Kyte said before catching herself. "But what about mother? You said she would be here, uncle." Kyte said, turning to Kree.

"Indeed. Take a look down there." He said, gesturing to a Sharpclaw encampment, further along, the shoreline, on the other side of the cove. It looked as if it was built into the cliff. A cannon was sticking out on one side, though it lacked any operator at the moment. It looked as if they had begun constructing some scaffolding, as there was another cave at the top of the base. Besides that, there was a watchtower of sorts. This looked to be a scout outpost.

"OK, but are you sure the queen is there?" Fox asked.

"The informant told us what part of the cove she would be in. He mentioned her custody there was temporary, maybe to avoid risking her using her powers in case of a breakout. Though, I suspect the obscurity of this location might be the point; they would expect us to raid their more secure strongholds with everything we've got."

"Sounds pretty foolish of them to risk a high-value target like that, despite those points you made," Krystal commented.

"Oh, it is. Their tactician must be an idiot." Kree agreed. After this, the group began to follow the incline they were on down to the sandy shores. Knowing the cannon did not have the ranch to reach them from across the shore, they preceded calmly. As they got closer, Krystal finally took note of the large dinosaur grazing around in the middle.

"What's that?" She asked.

Kree was the one to answer. "You mean the Hightop? He must live here." Kree mentioned, watching the Hightop graze around, seemingly looking for something in the middle of the cove.

"What's he doing?" The vixen asked.

"Don't know. It hardly matters; let's just get across." He said, gesturing towards the bridge.

"Come to think of it; I could just carry you all acro-"

"NO!" Tricky soundly shouted. "Can we please just walk? I don't want to be carried again."

Fox rolled his eyes. It would only take a moment with Kree's flight, but the young Earthwalker was clearly uncomfortable with how they got here. They might as well throw him a bone.

"Fine, just for you, we will walk the whole way across the bridge," Fox said, rubbing the Earthwalker's head in a slightly rough but playful manner. Tricky laughed a bit and nuzzled him in response.

Kyte and Krystal shrugged. "Sure, why not? What are friends for, after all?" Krystal said.

Kree just rolled his eyes. "Have it your way." Though, it was not lost on him that they were going the extra mile just to make their young friend comfortable. It was a nice gesture.

With that, the group walked forward through the sands, towards the entrance to the bridge, which was wide enough for the Cloudrunner to fit on. They walked on the bridge for a few minutes before they noticed another Sharpclaw standing guard. Behind him, there was a square segment of the bridge, with two other wooden catwalks that lead to different parts of the cove.

The adults in the group glared as they approached him, expecting trouble. He seemed like another mercenary type, judging by his ornate armor and staff. It was becoming clear to the two foxes that these "Bribeclaws," as they were called, must be making bank off of their employment to Scales. It would seem that they were much more intelligent than most of the lower-ranked grunts but were more interested in carving out their own wealth and paths instead of the sole motivation of furthering a tyrant's delusions of grandeur. Fox was the one to approach him, keep his hand near his sword, as it was the more practical weapon for a potential melee fight; plus, his blaster would not be of much use against the metallic armor this Sharpclaw wore. The alloy it was made of seemed resent towards energy weapons or blasts, from what Randorn had said.

"Halt! Who goes there?" The guard, another large blue Sharplcaw in gilded armor, said to the group.

Fox stepped forward as Kree shielded the children in case of trouble. "Let us through," Fox demanded, not in any kind of mood to deal with the mercenary Sharpclaw.

"Or what? The guard sneered.

"You will be sorry," Fox said as he and Krystal drew their weapons.

"Don't want any trouble. How about a deal instead? I will step aside and can give you some valuable information. For the right price." He said in a smug tone that got on the group's nerves.

Krystal was fed up with the Sharpclaw's antics. She was not willing to pay whatever price this idiot came up with and opted to read his mind. The Sharpclaw did not have much of note, only recent memories of being ordered to guard the bridge, as well as the knowledge that only a few other Sharplcaw were on shift right now. Mostly just grunts who were sleeping on the job.

"Better than nothing, I guess. At least the outpost won't be much trouble."

"So, will you do the smart thing and pay up? Or do you need a lesson in chivalry?" The guard asked in a haughty tone. He had a smug look on his face as if he thought he could handle the group by himself.

"Thanks, but we will pass. Both literally and figuratively." Krystal said as she disarmed the haughty guard of his staff in a swift strike and then kicked him off the bridge. He felt a few feet into the water below. The group merely glanced away after that, not finding the haughty guard worth the attention, as well as knowing there was nothing he could do to impede them now. He had been an idiot to let his guard down like that, so close to his enemies.

Kyte, Kree, and Tricky laughed at the sight of the Sharpclaw's humiliation, as did Fox.

"Thanks, I thought he would never shut up," Fox said, amused.

"He was getting on my nerves," Krystal said, a smirk forming on her muzzle.

"Yeah, barely a few seconds of listening to the guy, and his smug aura was already getting to me," Kree added. The group proceeded as they had been before the guard.

Making to the outpost, Fox was on the alert for guards. Krystal, however, could sense a few brain lengths nearby. She knew what to do.

"I sense them inside. Fox, come with me. Kree, stay here with the children. We will be fast." Doing as she said, Fox followed her in while the captain stayed with the royal duo outside. The vulpines entered the cave intertest and investigated the cannon. Inside, they found a few Sharpclaw grunts waiting for them.

The fight barely lasted 30 seconds, as the smaller grunts were no match for the much more experienced mercenary and Cerinian. Both grunts were disarmed and killed quickly.

"That should take care of that cannon. Serves these idiots right for sleeping on the job." Fox stated.

"Yes, but I sense there are more elsewhere on in the outpost. Come on."

At this, the two foxes navigated towards the outpost's wooden platforms and climbed up. Ahead of them, up near the cliff, there was another entrance. Krystal could sense the Sharpclaw nearby. "Be careful. I know they are there, but I can't help but feel somethings off…." The vixen stated. Approaching the entrance with caution, they found a hallway carved into the cliff face, with two doors; one wooden door appeared to be locked, while the stone door in front of them seemed to open with a lever. Fox gestured towards the stone door after he tried the second one. Krystal could not seem to pinpoint where the other Sharpclaws were.

"Well, guess we will see what's inside." The todd stated as he pulled the lever. What they found inside made them both gasp.

The two vulpines quickly ran towards the women. Ahead of them was a female Cloudrunner, chained to the wall and gagged. Without hesitation, Fox ripped the gag off of her.

"Miss, are you Ok?" Fox asked, concerned.

"WATCH THE DOOR!" The female yelled suddenly. In an instant, Krystal glanced over towards the door, where two Sharpclaws had appeared in the entrance.

"Nice knowing ya!" One said as he pulled the lever, closing the door. Following this, the room began to fill up with gas, coming from a few vents on the walls.

"It's a trap!" Fox yelled in a panic. "Krystal, we need to cover the vents," Fox shouted, frantically thinking of a way to cover them.

"I'll deal with this; you try to get the door open," Krystal shouted to Fox, as she began to try and freeze the vents with her staff. Fox, meanwhile, had pulled out his blater and began shooting away at the door. Though it made a few dents, the old stone door held up. He did notice it was beginning to crack in a few places, though. At this, he doubled his rate of fire.

Krystal, meanwhile, had begun freezing the vents. Coughing as the toxin contained to flow into the room, she managed to freeze up at least one of them.

"Hurry!" The female Cloudrunner shouted.

"Trying our best!" Fox responded as he kept up his pressure on breaking open the door. The toxin was slowly setting in as he tried desperately to cover his breath. Krystal, on the other hand, had begun freezing the other vents, using her staff's ice magic. It required a concentrated effort to freeze solid. As the air grew worse, she froze the second to last vent.

"Almost… there." She muttered as she moved to the last vent. By this point, everyone in the room had begun to succumb to the toxin. Fox and the Cloudrunner had fallen down by this point. Krystal was on her last legs, but she still pressed on. Everything was riding on her now.

"Don't… fail… now," She muttered as she tried desperately to keep her concentration.

Finally, after several tense seconds, the last vent was frozen solid, and the gas had stopped. Everyone in the room gasped for air.

Taking a deep breath, Fox stood back up and rushed to Krystal.

"Are you OK?" He asked the vixen. After resting for a few seconds, she regained her bearings. "Yeah, but I think the lady still needs our help.' She said, gesturing to the CLoudrnner, who was still gasping for air.

They rushed over there and begun the process of breaking her chain. Krystal froze it while Fox hacked at it with his sword. After a few seconds, the chain was broken, and the Cloudrunner was free. After a second, the women spoke.

"Thank you both for-wait, Krystal! You're OK!" She suddenly gasped, recognizing the vixen.

"Queen Saffali!" She said as she knelt down to aid the queen. In the heat of the moment, Krystal had not recognized the regal figure, especially without her robes or crown.

Fox knelt down to make sure the queen was okay, but was confused. "Wait, queen? Hold up: you're Kyte's mother." Fox realized.

Saffali then spoke. "Indeed I am. Thank you for releasing me, but is my daughter okay? Where is she?" Saffali inquired, her motherly instinct kicking in.

"She is with us, waiting outside the outpost. Come on; we will take you to her." Fox said. He then glanced at the door. "After we get out of here, that is."

"Leave it to me." The vixen said as the queen got up and followed. Krystal charged up an attack with her staff and whacked the stone door with her magically charged attack, which blew the door to pieces on impact. Fox's progress on the door hadn't been for anything. The group was just relieved that the trap left for them was done.

Their relief would not last long, however. A scream sounded from outside.

"The others!" Fox said in a panic.

With this, the group rushed outside, trying to reach their friends as fast as possible.

Authors Note: I decided to end this chapter here. This one was going to go all the way to Cloudrunnrer Fortress, but I realized the pacing was off. I figured it better to save the dialogue and reunion for the next chapter for the pacing, as mentioned earlier.

Another thing I will add is, I realize it's taking me a bit longer to write and edit these chapters than previously. School keeps me busy, and it takes a long time to write each of these chapters. I might consider shortening some of them going forward to edit and publish them faster.

Rest assured; I will not skip out on any details or rush this; some chapters just might not get as far into the story and its events as others.

But know that I intend to work on this story until the end. I am having a lot of fun writing it. I already have a good part of the next chapter written.

Until next time.