The future of Corneria rested in the hands of a young man far younger than the majority of pilots in the Air Command. Thing about that was, the general had absolutely no control over this young Arwing pilot, nor the ones chosen to join his cause. Actually, Slippy Toad wasn't all that much a risk, but Falco Lombardi was so gung-ho that he'd practically blow away an entire planet if too many bombs were in his possession at once. And was a sure thing the team would sooner or later meet up with the renegade Katt Monroe, who would surely lead them right into traps if they weren't careful. Then was that Phoenix billionaire, a giant in special weaponry with a daughter who also held a great passion for flying yet rumored to have an even greater fondness of Fox McCloud.
Less than a week away from the team's first mission, General Pepper called in the last—but certainly not the least—member of Star Fox.
"Fox is the leader but you're the one in charge, Peppy. I happen to know the evil emperor's more than ready to destroy that young man and anyone who's too close to him. That's why I'm making it your job to watch him. And as much as I hate doing this, try keeping him focused on the missions...and away from Miss Fara Phoenix. Understand?"
No questions asked, Peppy gave the assurance that nothing would go wrong on his watch. Fox had been like a son to him and he wasn't about to let the likes of Andross take that away.
"I'm afraid it won't be so easy." The general reiterated.
"Don't worry," Peppy proclaimed. "By the time I'm finished whippin' that boy into shape he won't think twice about Miss Fara. As a matter of fact, I can tell you right now that his main and only objective is taking Andross down for good. Until that happens, his mind will be on nothing else."
General Pepper never said it, but it wasn't Fox McCloud's mind they had to worry about.
Lylat: Level 6
The marshlands and vast forests at Kelm made it nearly impossible to spot the camouflaged starship and it was fairly easy getting to the laboratory after Slippy marked a path to the obscure entrance by aligning branches on the ground along the foliage. Falco had been there before, so he was familiar with his landing point and made sure to they wouldn't have far to go with their limited supply of oxygen for Fox, thirty minutes more was all they needed. Rita and Fara entered through the main doors within the last few seconds, and joined Slippy as he started the fresh intravenous and started oxygen immediately.
"He'll make it....he has to. There's no way we're lettin' him die."
"What happens when they find us?"
"They won't. Not before we get him back to good health anyway. 'Til then, let me handle it. And no outside phone calls, got that, ladies?"
...Strange how he could hear them but not open his eyes. What he wanted more than anything was not to hear the sound of quiet weeping and feel a warm hand grasp his.
Voices carried somewhere nearby. Finally, the hint of mild light went away, then again, blackness, and suddenly came a vivid memory...
The World Is My G-Diffuser
"...Fox! I know you can hear me! Acknowledge! This'll be your neck pal if you don't turn back...Peppy's orders! ...Fox!—"
Not one of them knew his abilities, his feelings of rage, his moments of despair. If they didn't understand by now that he'd tried fighting back all the emotions but failed, they would never get it. He punched the mute control, putting an end to the unwanted noise inside the cockpit, then made a quick boost, leaving Falco in the streaming white wake. He then increased altitude and headed on a course toward the outer perimeter of Area Six. Knowing well enough he would become a sitting duck for the long-range missiles and special weapons, he prepared his shield for heavy combat, making sure to engage full power through the G-diffuser and made a quick visual check of the control panel. But strangely, the enemy never came as he approached and scanned the area in a desperate search for any sign of the missing transport. Sure was quiet out there—too quiet, he could almost hear the smooth drawl in Peppy's voice warning him of an unseen danger. Next, he circled his Arwing several times around the area, expecting gangs of cruisers to blast him with their splintering lasers or perhaps this time Star Wolf would appear over the horizon just in time for another infernal dogfight, and then battleships would unleash a flurry of missiles that would narrowly graze the hull as he deflected them. Fox had no doubts. His trusty instincts told him something was out there, perhaps not showing itself but certainly observing his every move, and so he dropped altitude before running a more thorough check of the spinning fortresses with a fine-toothed comb, locking onto any unidentifiable item with the photo-sensors and scrolling each one hoping to find a match with the transport's identification tags.
Ten passes. Not a scrap in sight. He then turned toward the ruinous planet of Venom and supplied max power to the thrusters to get passed the satellite bases quickly, successfully maneuvered his sleek ship carefully around stray enemy minefields then opened the wings after getting through safely. Just beyond the next satellite, a hard chill grazed his spine and he realized nothing was out there. Not a sign.
One more pass and then an incoming call came over the com, abruptly breaking his concentration. But without time for second thoughts, Fox answered.
"Ah....Fox McCloud...again,"
The voice of Andross came through loud and clear. Yeah, he anticipated this, since Andross was a master of reinvention and now the first genius to uncover secrets of the afterlife.
"I've been expecting you,"
The villain sounded like his same old self.
"It must feel awful to keep losing the ones you love,"
Fox angrily whacked the com with a fist then adjusted his headset, bringing the microphone to his mouth.
"Don't you dare touch her, Andross!" he yelled and increased his air speed another fifty knots, bearing down on Venom like a shark closing in on its prey.
"Too late for that, young McCloud,"
His heart dashed inside his chest, and he couldn't loosen his tight grip on the throttle or remove his concentration from the ruinous planet ahead.
"She will become my most prized experiment yet,"
Fox slammed the panel with the palm of his hand. "I'll kill you first!"
"Hehehe," taunted Andross. "You've already tried that, young man. Doesn't work. Plus, I have plans for you as well."
At that moment beams of bright lights dashed across the sky and broke in different directions, and one of the streaks hit the hull of the Arwing with a powerful surge that took Fox by quite a surprise. Apparently the surge had been so powerful that it knocked out the radar, and the G-diffuser indicator flashed red and which meant it took significant damage. Next came warnings of incoming enemies but he had no visual on them, and strangely enough something started hitting him. Whatever it was spun the ship on its side although both wings were intact, then something appeared from the dark sky, a grayish matter started out about the size of a space mine but then changed rapidly into a cyclone that grew to massive proportions right in front of his eyes. With a quick reflex, he bore down on the brake then tried his damnedest to get enough power through the G-diffuser so he could barrel-roll and dodge the swirling winds, but the all the ship did was turned further on his side then it whipped around with its tail suddenly at the wind. He boosted once. No effect. The spiraling air pulled the ship backwards into it, then sucked it into the core.
Fox now had no control of the Arwing. Not only that but the fact that it was going backward gave him a feeling of total helplessness, and all of sudden every instrument on the control panel fell black and now in dire straits he pressed the com and shouted, "Mayday! Mayday! Great Fox! Mayday!"
Nothing.
The windstorm narrowed and tore off the wings as it spun faster. The ship then shook violently in the loud roar of the funnel's depths, seemingly close to disintegration, and he closed his eyes, gritted his teeth, madly wiped the sweat from his brow and tried to anything he could to maneuver out of this even if it wasn't working. His eyes were starkly open as the force increased, and he knew he would surely be crushed upon impact if anything got in the way. His ship plummeted with breathtaking speed as the instruments crackled and popped in the darkness, his body lunged at the restraints gripping tightly across his chest and shoulders, but hell no, his life wasn't going to end this way. Then another flash of lightning broke across the hull, reminding him that the outcome was completely out of his control this time. Andross had him, just like his dad, his mom...
...Fara, I'll be here for you, always. I'll protect you. I'll never let him get his hands on you....
Andross had even made him a liar.
The Arwing couldn't withstand the pressure any longer, and Fox saw nothing but total darkness—the same as his father must have seen in that black hole—then came a piercing yell from his lungs. After that, the implosion.
(continued)