Chapter Seven: The Bargain – Reformation
"Well, what do you think, General?" Amber asked, looking over at the canine.
The cheetah had returned to her commander's office, along with the veteran Peppy Hare and the general himself. The trio was currently discussing the new arrivals, and what exactly should be done with them. A set of files lay on the desk between them: the results of the tests they had just administered.
"You know what I think," General Pepper replied, sitting at his desk. He fingered the test results that lay before him nervously, his eyes locked on the cheetah's face. "Those three had excellent marks on their tests. I really believe that they would be a great assistance to us. However…" His gaze flicked over to Peppy, who was sitting beside Amber with his arms folded across his chest. "From what you reported about them earlier, Peppy, I'm not all that certain that we could convince them to join the military."
"I don't think that Fox would be all that hard to convince," Peppy reminded him, a frown coming over his face as he added, "However, as for his two friends… Falco doesn't seem all as interested in the service as she is in flying an Arwing against Andross, and Slippy, while he would probably follow Fox anywhere he goes, would have a difficult time dealing with the stresses of serving under another's command."
"Yes, Rabbi can be quite difficult to follow," Amber agreed. Seeing Peppy's expression, she quickly amended, "Oh, I'm not saying that she's not a good leader, it's just that…"
"It's okay, Amber," Peppy interrupted, shaking his head. "I understand where you're coming from. I know that she can be…difficult. It's nice to be reminded of that sometimes."
"I would try to assign Fox as the leader of the squad," General Pepper said, "but if I did that, everyone would assume that he had gotten the position because of his father…"
He raised up his hands to show his helplessness, and the three sighed and looked downcast. Amber shook her head.
"Part of it is definitely because of his father," she muttered under her breath.
Unfortunately, it had apparently not been soft enough, as Peppy instantly shot her a cold look, his reddish eyes narrowing slightly in disgust.
"Don't insinuate that he isn't earning it," he muttered, fingering some of the papers showing the young vulpine's results.
"I didn't say that," Amber returned coolly, matching the veteran's glare. "But you do have to admit that there is a certain allure of having a McCloud leading a reborn Starfox team. It would make a fine symbol of new hope for Corneria…"
"Not if he couldn't fly worth a damn," shot back Peppy. Keeping his voice carefully controlled, he went on, "It's obvious from his results that the boy has a lot of talent. And from what I've seen, he is fully capable of leading a team. All one needs to do is look at how he's kept his friends alive and safe when they were on their own for so long…"
"Yes… He's very used to leading his friends," Amber agreed, though something in her tone indicated that it wasn't on the same level that Peppy intended. "But those are his friends, after all. What about a team of pilots who are used to following a very different leader – one who wouldn't be too pleased with being replaced."
"…Rabbi…"
"Yes, Rabbi," echoed Amber, eyes narrowing into slits. "You know very well how she would perceive being replaced by McCloud, Peppy. No matter what explanation we gave her, she'd be certain it was merely because of the weight of his father's name. She could very well instill this same belief in the populace if she wished. If that happened… if the public thought that a slip of a boy with no real experience was leading what may be our last chance to stop Andross by virtue of a last name alone…"
"………"
Satisfied that her message had gotten across, Amber leaned back in her seat and wearily rubbed two fingers against her aching forehead. The cheetah hated arguing like this, but such matters had to be considered. No matter how much they needed pilots willing to fly the Arwings…
"Perhaps…perhaps there is a way that they could both be leaders," Peppy said at length. General Pepper and Amber looked over at the rabbit, and he asked, "Do you remember how I told you that Fox mentioned that he didn't want to drag his friends into military service?" When they both nodded, he continued, "Well, I was thinking about the current team that we have, and I remembered that Miss Monroe said something similar back when we were trying to recruit her. She wanted to fight against Andross, but wasn't all that thrilled by the idea of becoming an 'army grunt,' as she called it. So…"
"You think we should offer Fox and his friends the same deal?" Amber asked, her bronze eyes lighting up. The general sat up, a slow smile spreading across his muzzle as he looked at the rabbit.
"Bingo," Peppy replied, grinning. "We offer them free room and board, supply them with a few Arwings and maintenance, say we'll pay them a fixed amount for every Venomian ship they shoot down, and there you have it –a solution to our little problem. They get to fight without feeling tied down, and the alliance gains three new allies in our battle."
"Brilliant!" Amber exclaimed, and the cheetah actually started clapping. Peppy seemed to be awfully proud of his idea, and the rabbit leaned back in his chair, grinning.
"It sounds nice in theory, Peppy," General Pepper spoke up, "but there might be one small problem with it." Both Amber and Peppy stared at him, and the canine sighed as he asked, "How do you think Rabbi will react to this?"
The cheetah and the rabbit exchanged glances.
* * *
Rabbi Hare marched up the hallway, the heels of her metallic boots clicking a sharp, staccato rhythm against the hard floor. Whatever the general has summoned me for must be important, she told herself as she made her way to his office, considering the way he sounded over the private com-link. Does he have a new mission for me? Or…
Rabbi grimaced as she realized the far more likely cause. Those silly kids that Peppy brought in yesterday, the same three that he keeps insisting will make good pilots. I bet the general wants to inform me that they've been assigned to my unit. Well, he can just forget it! I don't care how lucky that bird was during her test; those three will never make decent pilots! I'm having enough trouble with that bratty child Sable to deal with them!
The rabbit's frown grew deeper as she thought of the ferret, and her tight march became more of a stomp as she continued down the hallways, making her way toward General Pepper's office. Sable was a child in her eyes, and would always be nothing more than a child. Never mind that the girl was seventeen, more like seventeen and two-thirds to be a bit more precise; never mind that she was an extremely talented Arwing pilot with great reflexes and an eagerness to help fight; never mind that she had been skilled enough to blow Rabbi herself out of the sky during her test much in the same way that the bird had. She was still an immature child; a little whelp with a boyish build and a bubbly personality that grated on Rabbi's last nerve, and in the rabbit's mind that de-regulated the ferret to the status of snot-nosed brat.
Rabbi's mind was still whirling with dark thoughts about Sable and the trio of little upstarts when she reached the general's door, and it took all of her self-restraint and discipline as an officer and commander to keep from banging on the door with her clenched fist. Instead, she knocked demurely on the metal surface, and waited for it to slide open.
The first detail that she noticed was that Peppy was there. Rabbi immediately made a point of ignoring him, and the elder rabbit sighed to himself and looked anywhere but in her direction. She saluted General Pepper, eyes locked on him. Amber saluted Rabbi stiffly; the cheetah apparently not all too thrilled by having to give her such formality. Not paying any attention to her either, Rabbi instead looked at General Pepper, trying to read his expression.
She could see it in his eyes. They are going to make those three pilots! Rabbi stewed silently, although she managed not to let her outrage show on the outside. She forced a smile and said through clenched teeth, "You wanted to see me, sir?"
"Yes…Rabbi, do you remember the three that we tested earlier today?"
Oh God, here it comes. "Yes General," she said, keeping her voice even.
"Well, I was discussing their results with Peppy and Amber, and we believe that they would be a great asset in our fight against Andross."
Yeah, right. "Will you be assigning them to my team, then?" Don't scream until later, don't scream until later…
"Well…not exactly…"
General Pepper shifted slightly in his seat, wondering why this girl sometimes could make him so uncomfortable. He certainly had her attention now, at any rate; her pink eyes were suddenly locked onto his face, as if searching for something.
"We believe that they would be more comfortable working as a sort of mercenary team," Peppy informed her, unable to meet his daughter's piercing gaze. "I'm certain that you remember the contract we entered with Miss Monroe to have her join your team… Well, we think it would be best if we had a similar agreement with Fox and his two friends. I believe that it would be a better way to gain their services, instead of trying to force them into becoming part of the military."
"Is that right…" Rabbi mused.
"Of course, they would be a completely separate unit from your own," Amber informed her. "Mister McCloud would command his two friends, while you would continue to lead your own team. Would that be satisfactory with you?"
Rabbi said nothing at first, her pink eyes narrowed into thoughtful slits. At length she said, "Yes…but you should make certain that there is someone a little more experienced with them. High scores in the simulation don't necessarily mean that they'll be able to fight immediately. Someone should be with them, someone who has at least a little bit of experience who can show them the ropes and help them along."
"Do you think that Katt should be assigned to their team?" General Pepper asked.
However, the female rabbit shook her head violently. She fixed the canine with her cold stare, and he found himself fighting the urge to shrink back in his seat as he noted the icy smirk that tugged at the corners of Rabbi's lips.
"No…I have the perfect candidate in mind…"
* * *
"Yes! My level went up!" Sable cheered as a triumphant melody played on her television's speakers.
She pumped her arms in the air, whooping as she quickly saved her game to a new file. Picking up the controller again, she was about to start the next level when a sharp rapping on her door caused her head to turn.
"Good thing I just saved," she commented as she switched off her video game system.
The ferret attempted to pick her way through the clutter on her floor, but ended up yelping as her toe collided painfully with something hard hidden beneath a bedsheet. She stumbled to one side, and her shoulder banged into her desk, causing the mountain of papers piled there to start collapsing.
"Oh no, hold on, hold on," she stammered, hastily trying to push the papers back into place.
The rapping echoed through the room again, and she gave up on that, letting the mountain cascade to the floor as she hopped over to the door. Nudging her feet into her metal boots, she yanked open the door and shouted, "What?"
"Uh…General Pepper wishes to see you in his office," a very startled looking lupine told her.
As Sable yelped and slammed the door shut in his face, the wolf could hear her crashing around inside as she rushed to make herself presentable. After a few moments, the door was flung roughly open again and the ferret burst out, running in the direction of the canine commander's office. The lupine cadet shook his head and grinned as the door automatically slid shut on its own. Sable may hold a higher rank than he did, but she still apparently had the same fear of General Pepper's wrath that many cadets like the wolf possessed. Laughing to himself, the lupine walked back to his own bunker.
* * *
"So why did you to bring me here, Miss…"
"My name's Fara Phoenix," Fara told the vulpine, a slight smile on her face. "This restaurant happens to have a fantastic reputation. All of my girlfriends say that the food here is terrific. I thought I'd treat you to a meal, since you're new here and all."
"Really? That's really nice of you," Fox said, his eyes lighting up. Suddenly he frowned, and he asked, "But shouldn't we have brought the others with us too?"
"No, Katt told me that she'd already made plans with Falco for the rest of the day, and Sable said that she's going to take Slippy to one of her favorite pizza places later. It's all taken care of."
"Oh. Okay…" Fox said, letting Fara lead him to a table next to a window.
He stared out of the window, admiring the view, and Fara sat across from him. It took a few moments, but Fox eventually realized that the vixen was gazing at him, and he felt his cheeks redden slightly.
"What? What's wrong?" he inquired.
"Oh, nothing," Fara replied, her soft green eyes shining as she giggled.
Fox stared at the vixen, not certain just what to think. He had absolutely no clue as to why this girl was acting so strange…Still, he couldn't help but notice the way that the sunlight that streamed through the window made her fur glow with an almost golden tint.
"Now you're the one staring," she whispered softly, verdant eyes twinkling with laughter. Fox flushed even redder and hastily looked down at the table.
"Why…why hasn't anyone come to take our order yet or something?" he stammered.
"Sometimes this place is so busy, that it takes a long time," Fara replied. She leaned forward, resting her chin in her cupped paws as she added softly, "But I don't mind waiting. Do you?"
"Uhh…" Fox was beginning to wonder if his face would ever return to its normal shade. Fara gazed deeply into his eyes, her own still sparkling merrily.
"Sometimes things take a long time. And sometimes they can happen in an instant. Things like making a new friend…finding what you've been looking for…and even falling in love. Do you think that it's possible to meet somebody special just like that?"
Fox stared at Fara, his eyes wide. He opened his mouth to reply…
And an announcement blared over Fara's com-link.
"Fara? It's Katt. General Pepper just contacted me and said that he needs Fox and his friends in his office ASAP. Get your tail over here!"
"Perfect timing, Katt," Fara muttered under her breath. Getting to her feet, she smiled apologetically at Fox and said, "Looks like I'll have to try this again later. I'll take you to the general's office."
She took the vulpine's paw and led him out of the restaurant, struggling not to show her disappointment. Fox followed her in a sort of stupor, trying to figure out just what she had meant by 'trying this again later.'
* * *
Katt and Falco were the first ones to arrive, oddly enough. The feline was not particularly happy about the fact that she'd had to postpone her all-afternoon shopping spree with her friend; the avian was secretly thanking the powers above for granting her a reprieve from the endless walking from store to store. General Pepper, Amber, Peppy, and Rabbi were all still in the office, and the cheetah motioned for the two new arrivals to take a seat while they waited for the others.
A few moments after Bill arrived with Slippy, Sable all but burst into the room, panting hard as she sprinted in. Between gasping for air, the ferret nervously glanced toward the stunned general and asked if she was late. Smiling slightly, the canine quickly assured her that she was on time, and the girl sighed with relief as she flung herself into a chair. Rabbi rolled her eyes in disgust, although she made certain that no one was paying any attention to her before she did.
Fara finally brought Fox into the office, still steaming a little bit about being interrupted. As the two vulpines found seats, General Pepper exchanged glances with Peppy and Amber, then got to his feet. The canine cleared his throat, and everyone in the room looked at him.
"Ahem, well now, I'm certain that you all have at least some idea of why I called all of you here," he started, scanning the faces before him. "As you all know, we tested three promising new pilots earlier today, and I got the results a few hours ago."
He paused for a moment, then said, "Fox, Falco, Slippy, I'm very pleased to announce that all of you got exceptionally high marks."
Slippy and Fox sighed with relief, while Falco just nodded expectantly, not looking the least bit surprised by the statement.
"Now, I have been informed that you three are not particularly taken with the idea of joining the military, but would still like to help in the fight against Andross. Therefore, I have a bit of a proposition for you three."
Nervously, Fox watched the general's face, hoping to figure out what he was getting to. The canine took a deep breath, then said, "Fox McCloud. Would you and your companions be willing to allow the Cornerian Alliance to hire you as mercenaries?"
"What?" Fox asked, stunned.
"We're offering you the chance to pilot your own little team against Andross, without having to join up with our military," the canine commander continued. "Miss Monroe can tell you more about the deal, since she signed up under one herself; however, to summarize it, we will give you free room and board, your own Arwings, and all the basic maintenance and other essentials that you need. In addition, we will pay you sixty-four bits for each Venomian ship that you destroy. It's really a very good deal both ways; you get to fight against Andross without feeling tied to the military, and we gain three new allies in our war effort."
"Well…I…" Fox started to stammer.
"We do have one other slight stipulation, however," Rabbi interrupted, getting to her feet. All eyes turned to her, and she said, "We feel that it would be wise if we assigned an experienced pilot to your team. Once they join up with you, we will consider them to be a mercenary as well, and treat them as such. Their presence on the team would be intended merely to help you less experienced pilots early on. Do you understand this?"
Falco's eyes narrowed slightly at the female rabbit's words, picking up on the underlying insults in her speech. However, the blue falcon did not comment, instead settling on fixing Rabbi with a cold glare as she waited to hear who would be assigned to their team.
"Yes…I guess so…" Fox said. His gaze flickered over to Bill as he asked, "Who do you have in mind?"
Rabbi actually smiled slightly, and she looked straight at her intended choice and said, "I believe that the best choice would be Miss Sable Lightfoot."
The ferret gasped and nearly tumbled out of her seat. All eyes swung to stare at her, and Sable glanced around at everybody, her bright blue eyes widened into orbs as she squeaked, "Me?"
"It does make sense, when you think about it," Rabbi went on, her cold pink eyes fixed on the ferret. "You are the newest member of the current Arwing team, and the one who is most likely to adjust well to being on a different team. You will be able to adapt to being under Mister McCloud's command faster than the others would be. Do you not feel that you are capable of this change?"
Sable snapped her mouth shut, and her blue eyes glittered as she shot a nasty look in the female rabbit's direction. The look didn't last long, however, and she quickly nodded her head as she replied, "I feel that I am very capable of adjusting to this change. In fact, I really look forward to it, commander."
Rabbi didn't miss the implication in the last word, but she ignored it. As if she cared what this boy-child thought about her.
General Pepper coughed, gaining everyone's attention. The canine looked over at where Fox was sitting as he said, "Well, I'm glad to see that you're willing, Lightfoot, but we haven't got a confirmation yet. Mister McCloud, are you interested in our offer?"
"I…" Fox's voice trailed off awkwardly and he glanced at the others gathered in the room. All eyes were focused on him and his friends. "It's…not entirely my decision…"
"Well, I, for one, am willing to take it," Falco interrupted, and all eyes turned to where the avian was leaning against the wall. She raised her head, and everyone could see how her blue-green eyes glittered intensely as she said, "It's not the best you can offer, but it still sounds fair enough to me. I'm more than willing to take down Andross, by myself if I have to, and your offer interests me. I'll accept it."
"Falco…all right then, I trust your judgement," Fox decided aloud. Looking over at Slippy, he asked, "If you don't feel like accepting it, Slippy…"
"H-h-hey, where you two go, I go," Slippy replied, smiling a lopsided smile. He hoped he sounded braver than he felt.
"Then I guess it's settled," Fox said, getting to his feet. Glancing over at General Pepper, he took a deep breath and said, "General, we accept your offer."
The canine commander nodded, a rare grin spreading over his face. Sable let out a whoop of excitement, and she glanced around at the others, beaming. Katt grinned and slapped the ferret a high-five. Bill walked over and shook Fox's hand, tipping his sunglasses at a disinterested Falco.
"I hope this isn't a decision you regret later," Peppy said under his breath, watching the joyful conversations from a corner. He smiled, but he couldn't help remembering a scene similar to this one, back when he, Pigma, and James had first formed the Starfox team…
* * *
"Here's the new uniform that the General had made for you, Fox," Bill said as he tossed a tightly folded bundle over to where his friend was sitting on the couch. When the vulpine failed to respond, the canine frowned and called, "Yo, Foxy, Corneria calling Foxy, come in Foxy."
"Hmm?" Fox looked up, a little startled. His expression immediately became contrite, and he mumbled, "Sorry…"
"Thinking about what happened at the meeting?" Bill asked, leaning against the side of the couch and crossing his arms. His dark sapphire eyes searched the vulpine's face, and after a moment, he smiled and said, "I'm right, aren't I?"
"Yeah…" Fox admitted slowly, raising his gaze to look out the window. The late afternoon sun shone into the room, and Fox watched it slowly sink in the sky as he sighed, "I can't believe that I'm really going through with this."
"Why?"
Bill tilted back his customary sunglasses, watching his friend's expression closely. The vulpine sighed, shrugging his shoulders slightly, and glanced over at the canine.
"I don't know. It just seems…strange, you know? Like this is all some sort of dream." Fox gazed out at the late afternoon sky, his eyes wavering as they drunk in the sight. "I just…well, I mean…I'm going to be a real Arwing pilot…just like him, you know?"
Bill didn't have to ask who Fox meant; he knew who the vulpine was talking about.
"I wonder if I'll be as good a leader as he was," Fox mused, more to himself than to his friend. "I wonder how well I'll be able to perform…out there in real life, when everything's on the line…I wonder if I'll ever see Andross face to face…"
His voice trailed off, and Bill had to strain to catch what he whispered next: "I wonder if I'll let everyone down."
"…Foxy." Bill sighed the nickname, and Fox glanced over at him.
The vulpine had a strange, sad smile on his face, and his soft, mint green eyes wavered as he hastily changed the subject.
"So…I guess I'm in charge of your little sister now, huh?" he stammered. "So tell me…just what have I gotten myself into? What's she like?"
Bill smiled suddenly, and his eyes danced as he replied, "Well, the bad news is, she's just as energetic most of the time as she was during your tests." He grinned as the vulpine groaned, then added, "But she's really a good pilot, honest. And I'm not just saying that because she's my adopted sister, either."
Fox's expression must have betrayed his skepticism, because Bill frowned for a moment and said, "I'm serious Fox. She really is a great pilot. You know that test you took earlier today? Well, when she took it, she was paired up with Rabbi, just like Falco was. Rabbi's a really great pilot, that's why she's in command of our Arwing unit, but Sable managed to completely blow her out of the sky. It just took her a few shots…" Bill cocked his paw like a pistol, "…blammo. Rabbi went down like a Venomian."
Now Fox was staring up at Bill, his eyes wide. Bill nodded solemnly, then grinned again as he added, "Rabbi was really ticked off after that. I don't think she ever got over getting shot down by a rookie like that. But…Sable's really good. Don't be fooled by her childishness: she's a good pilot, and she likes to fight. Any Venmie she gets in her sights is as good as gone."
"Is that so…" Fox said, staring over at the canine, who grinned back at him. The vulpine looked clearly troubled by his words, so Bill hastily scrambled to reassure him.
"Don't worry about it, Foxy," he said. "Sable may be hyper at times, but she's really loyal, and she'll follow orders. At least from you," he added under his breath, making certain that the vulpine wouldn't hear the last part.
Fox picked up the bundle of clothing and unwrapped it, his eyes widening in surprise as he lifted out a flight jacket, staring at the almost silvery shade of the fabric. Glancing over at Bill, he breathed, "This looks like…"
"That was Peppy's idea," Bill explained, seeing the confusion on Fox's face. "He thought that you might feel a little more comfortable with this change if the uniforms were deliberately made to look similar to the ones he and your father wore when they were on the Starfox team. Was he wrong?"
"No…no, it's fine," Fox said, rubbing one paw over the shining jacket. "Tell him…I said thank you."
"No problem," Bill replied, "Although I bet he'd rather hear it straight from you." He got to his feet and added, "Anyway, the general said that I need to help you gather your things. He's going to move you into some more permanent quarters tonight."
* * *
"Let me see, let me see!" Katt prodded, hovering over Falco's shoulder as the avian opened the package she had received from Amber earlier. The feline exclaimed in delight as Falco lifted out a gleaming flight jacket. "Wow, that looks great! It almost makes me wish that I had to wear a uniform! Although…I guess this wouldn't really be a uniform, since you're not in the military."
"I don't think they'd give their soldiers anything quite like this," Falco commented calmly.
Still, her blue-green eyes flashed with a sort of energy, and Katt could tell that her friend was excited by everything that was happening. The avian refolded the jacket and placed it beside her, looking through what else the package contained.
"So Katt, are you disappointed that you're not going to be on the same team as me?" the avian asked.
"Yes and no," Katt sighed. "I'm sorry that we won't be on the same team, of course, but on the other hand, it's best for Sable that she get as far away from Rabbi's command as possible."
"Oh?" Falco paused and glanced over at the pink feline. "Why is that?"
Katt sighed, and Falco felt herself tense slightly as she noticed how quiet the feline had suddenly become. She got the distinct feeling that she was about to hear something bad.
"Tell me," she prompted, her voice becoming gentle.
"Okay, look," Katt began, her eyes suddenly serious, "I'm going to be frank here. Rabbi and Sable do not get along. Not in the slightest. Ever since the ferret joined a few months ago, they've been fighting almost constantly. It's always the same thing: Sable did something too fast, she was too slow, she acted on her own, she sat back and let something happen. Nothing the girl does is ever good enough for Rabbi, so she's always on the poor kid's case."
"Really?" Falco asked, arching an eyebrow as she glanced over at Katt. The feline nodded.
"Of course, Sable's never been too thrilled with Rabbi, either," she added. "She accuses her of being heartless…of not really giving a damn about anyone or anything. She really blew up yesterday, after Peppy was captured and Rabbi instructed everyone to turn back instead of pursuing the carrier that kidnapped him. She followed orders, but was not happy about it, and Rabbi got an earful after they landed. I swear, you could hear those two from anywhere in the entire base."
Katt slammed a fist into her other paw, grimacing as she added, "I just wish that I'd been able to go with them when the alert was given. It took me off guard, and I wasn't able to get to my Arwing in time to help them out. By the time I got to the hanger, it was too late: Peppy had already been kidnapped, and Rabbi and Sable were at each other's throats. I wish…if I had gone with them, Sable and I would have been able to go after those Venmies and save Peppy!"
"And then Fox, Slippy and I would still be at our own little hideout and not here," Falco interjected mildly. Katt stared at the avian with wide eyes, then burst out laughing.
"You're right, you're right," she said with a smile. "I guess I should be happy things worked out the way they did, huh? It could have been a lot worse…anyway, we should get going. I have to help you get packed so you can move into your new room."
* * *
"What? You're really going to become an Arwing pilot?" Beltino exclaimed, staring at his son with wide eyes.
Slippy shifted nervously under his father's intense gaze, hugging the bundle of clothes he had gotten from the cheetah to his chest. He nodded, shakily, unwilling to look directly at his father for some strange reason that he couldn't quite name.
"Umm…y-y-yeah, t-t-that's r-r-right," he finally managed to stammer a response, his voice shaking more than usual.
He raised his gaze a little, the quickly looked back down at the floor when he saw the expression on his father's face. It was one of total confusion, of fear…and what almost looked like…outrage?
"Hmm…I'm not sure if I approve of this…" Beltino mused, his eyes narrowing as a frown creased his face. "I would prefer having you by my side on my team, just so I could keep an eye on you… I don't like the idea of you going out where you could get hurt, Slippy."
Slippy nodded mutely, tears springing to his eyes. He wasn't certain how to respond to what he was being told, so he kept quiet.
"Well, I suppose it's okay," Beltino sighed at length, shrugging to indicate his helplessness. "It's your life, and I won't try to stop you from doing what you want to do with it. Only…try and be careful," he added, placing his heavy hands on Slippy's shoulders. The younger toad sniffled and gazed up into his father's face as he continued, "Slippy…you're the only family I have left. If anything happens to you…please promise me that you'll be careful."
"I w-w-will, D-D-Dad," Slippy managed to choke out, then he slowly pulled away from Beltino's unresisting arms and turned to start packing what few possessions he had brought from the cave. A torrent of emotions tore at his heart, and he tried not to glance in his father's direction as he got ready to go.
* * *
Sable tore through her closet, sending clothing flying in the general direction of the suitcase she had hauled out onto her bed. The ferret's heart pounded wildly, and phrases from the meeting she had just come from still echoed in her disbelieving mind.
"I believe that the best choice would be Miss Sable Lightfoot."
"Me?"
Sable kind of wished that she'd been able to come up with something a bit more confident-sounding than that, but the announcement had taken her completely off guard. Still, as surprised as she had been when she heard the news, at the same time it had sent a thrill through her. Finally, she wouldn't have to put up with Rabbi anymore; at the very least, she wouldn't have to take orders from her, even if their teams did end up fighting side by side. Things were definitely looking up…
To top things off, she was going to be on the new Starfox team…the Starfox team! She couldn't believe it. Like every other citizen of Corneria, not to mention the entire Lylat System, she knew all the tales of the original squadron's bravery. The names of the three members were etched permanently into her memory: Peppy Hare, Pigma Dengar, and James McCloud…
And I'm going to be on the same team as his son! I'm going to be working with HIS SON!
To be fair, she was no stranger with working with the offspring of greatness. Although… she really hoped that her experiences with Rabbi were not a reflection of what was coming. She didn't think that would be the case; from what she had seen of the vulpine, he and Rabbi were about as different as…well, as foxes and rabbits. Only the stereotypical qualities associated with both races appeared to be reversed in this case…
"Oh, whatever," Sable sighed, stuffing a few last things into her already bulging suitcase.
She pushed it shut, and had to strain to keep it closed as she fumbled with the latch. Whoever designed these things definitely did not have the consumer in mind, she decided as the top threatened to pop open and whack her in the chin. Finally, she managed to flip the lock closed, and as she slumped down with a sigh of relief, her gaze flicked over to the package Amber had handed her earlier.
"…That's right…they wanted us to show up wearing whatever's in these, right?" she murmured, snatching the package up and ripping it open.
For a moment, she gawked at the uniform inside, her already huge blue eyes widening slightly. A shaky smile pulled at the side of her mouth, then became a lopsided grin as she whispered, "Ooh…this is cool…this is so COOL!"
Quickly, she changed her clothes, and turned to admire herself in the mirror. Normally, she wasn't one to fuss over her looks, but this was a special occasion. She eagerly studied herself, adjusted the goggles still perched on her forehead, then grinned, giggled, and winked at her reflection, sticking her tongue out slightly.
"I look great," she decided happily, then she happened to glance over at the digital clock on her dresser. The grin on her face faded rapidly, replaced by a look of pure horror, and she shrieked in a tone that could have been heard through the entire base, "OH FREAK, I'M GONNA BE LATE!"
She bolted for the door, nearly plowing directly through it in her haste to leave. A few seconds passed, then she suddenly dashed back into the room, yanked her suitcase off of her bed, and darted out again. The rest of her things she left behind for now: she would be able to move it later after finding out exactly where her new quarters would be…
* * *
Fox nervously tugged on the collar of his new jacket as he glanced at the wall clock, torn between impatience with his friends and a strange hope that they would take their time, at least long enough for him to adjust to what was happening. The unusual thing was, they weren't even late: he and Bill had arrived early, and now both were standing at the appointed meeting place and waiting for the others to hurry up and arrive. The canine was currently at one of the soda machines, studying the selection.
"Hey Foxy, you want anything?" he called back.
When the vulpine didn't answer, he shrugged and inserted a few credits, making his choice with the press of a button. The machine clunked loudly as a bottle tumbled out, and Fox jerked a little at the sudden noise. However, Bill did not notice this, and he strode back to his friend's side, leaned against the wall, and tipped back his head as he took a long swig from his drink.
"Don't act so nervous, Foxy," he said, tipping back his sunglasses a little and winking at his friend. "If you act nervous, it'll just make everyone else nervous too. Try to chill, okay?"
Fox smiled crookedly and nodded, then suddenly whirled around as Sable came crashing into the room at top speed. The ferret was all but tripping over her own two feet, and finally lost her grip on her heavy suitcase, which naturally happened to land on Bill's foot. The canine suppressed a yelp of pain and managed to grin at his adopted sister, who sweated when she noticed just where her luggage had landed.
"So-sorry," she blurted, hastily lifting it off of her brother's toes. Turning to Fox, her cheeks flushed bright red for a moment, then she gave him a lopsided grin, stuck out the tip of her tongue teasingly, and winking, saying, "Oops, my bad. This isn't exactly the type of first impression I meant to make on my new commander."
Bill laughed aloud at that, despite the pain in his foot, and Sable's smile grew wider. She looked around, decided that she wasn't late after all, and with a sigh of utter relief flopped down on a bench beside Fox. The vulpine gave her an interested look out of the corner of his eye; he didn't want to outright stare at her, but he wanted to get a better look at one of the pilots he would be commanding.
In many ways, her outfit looked similar to his; the metallic silver of her flight jacket standing out against the solid color of her shirt and pants. However, the sleeves of her jacket looked puffier and more rounded than his, while her shirt was the same bright sky blue shade of her eyes and the goggles shoved up on her forehead. Her boots were lower cut, too, looking a bit more like sneakers than his did. As he watched, she flipped a few stray locks of dark chocolate fur away from her eyes, which looked all the wider because of the mask-like pattern that surrounded them. According to the briefing he had got, she was seventeen, but she looked years younger at that moment.
The door opened again, more slowly this time, and all three occupants of the room looked up in unison as Slippy walked inside. His uniform resembled Fox's and Sable's, but the sleeves were much longer on his jacket, almost longer than his arms, and his shirt was a much darker blue, like navy blue. He looked vaguely troubled about something, and Fox opened his mouth to say something, only for it to fall open when Falco walked in.
"Wow, Falco, you look great in that shade of red," Bill offered at once, straightening up his back and smiling directly at the avian, who ignored his words. Folding her wings over the scarlet fabric on her chest, letting the long, shimmering silver sleeves of her flight jacket crinkle slightly, the blue falcon glanced around with one delicate eyebrow arched.
"So where's the general?" she asked, sounding more than a little impatient to get started.
The doors slid open, and all eyes turned at once to it as General Pepper strode in, Peppy and Amber following behind him as usual. The canine smiled as he looked at the assembled, eyes twinkling slightly as if at some inner amusement.
"Oh, good, so you all made it here," he commented, and Falco arched an eyebrow at this.
"Is there any reason for us not to have?" she asked, narrowing her piercing gaze at the commander. The general stared at her, then quickly coughed into one cupped paw and shook his head.
"No, no reason," he said, appearing to avoid looking her straight in the eyes.
Falco cocked her eyebrow a little more at this, but remained silent. After a moment, General Pepper seemed to recover, and he scanned the small team assembled before him.
"Well, then, if you feel you are all ready then, I will show you to your new quarters," he said, smiling again.
As he turned away, motioning for the others to follow, Peppy glanced back at them and noticed that the four members of the new Starfox team looked more than a little confused by what was happening. The rabbit smirked at some secret known only to him and a few others, although soon these young pilots would know it as well…
"I'm sure you'll like your new quarters," he murmured under his breath, smiling slightly. "After all, not everyone gets something like this at your age…and named after you, yet…"
"Did you say something, Peppy?" Sable asked, popping up beside the rabbit. He gave her a wide-eyed stare and jumped back, startled by her sudden appearance.
"N-N-NOTHING! NOTHING AT ALL!" he blurted, face flushing. Sable just looked at him and blinked her wide blue eyes a few times, completely confused. Laughing nervously, Peppy slowly backed out of the room and dashed after General Pepper and Amber, leaving the younger pilots to stare after him.
"…What was that all about?" Fox asked, glancing over at Bill as if he expected to canine to explain Peppy's odd behavior. Bill just shrugged slightly and sweatdropped.
"Sable just has that effect on some people," he muttered.
"I HEARD THAT!"