No, I haven't forgotten about the readers out there. The holiday hasn't made it easy to keep up with this, unfortunately.
And to those that asked - the characters from the SF64 universe don't make an appearance in this fic, as this was written long before that game came out.
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Chapter 16: Nothing is Ever Easy
In all my years of working with Fox, I don't think I've ever seen a mission of his go as planned. At least since the war started anyway. - Peppy


While having a varied family tree behind him, Fox McCloud never knew anyone who mined asteroids for a living. So flying through an asteroid was a completely new experience for him. Fortunately for him, not only did he have some flight training inside confined spaces thanks to Gary's instruction, but as a pilot, he never had problems being claustrophobic.
He flew through the asteroid as fast as he dared, his single light up front the only source of brightness in the pitch-black confines of rock. The light reflected oddly off the rocky walls, almost as if there was something hiding where his light didn't reach. Every so often his light caught some exposed minerals, reflecting his beam in a colorful array around his rocky confines.
His computer quietly chirped to itself, the only indication that there was some kind of activity going on around him short of the rocky walls moving past his cockpit. He had set it to map the route he took to wherever he was going, hoping that he would be able to consult it incase he had to get out of there in a hurry. Fortunately so far, there had basically been only a single route to follow. He just hoped it was the right one.
Fox sat back his seat, his mind beginning to wander. Shaking his head, he quickly brought himself back to the present, knowing that a single mistake on his part would just about guarantee his doom inside the rocky confines as he knew that he wouldn't be able to get a signal out to his team. The communication silence was unnerving however, and he yearned for some kind of noise short of the plasma engine roaring softly beneath him and his computer making its occasional beep.
He began to wonder if this cave went through the asteroid completely, and if it did, just how long the tunnel was. Just then, a different sound emanated from his computer, indicating that it had detected something other than the rock around him. He rounded one final turn, somewhat impressed at what he saw.
It was the backside of the weapons platform. And it was still in the early stages of construction.
With a smile on his face, Fox opened fire with his Arwing's twin blasters, creating scorch marks and holes all along the superstructure. Only a few laser turrets responded to his attack, making him pleased with his choice in travel routes. He continued his assault as Falco noticed his presence. "Nice to see our honorable leader again. What took you so long?"
"You try flying through what I did quickly. How goes things?"
"Not too well considering we're attacking a stationary target. I'd hate to see this thing in motion."
"Agreed." Fox dove away from the platform, going back for another pass. "I don't see any weak points on this thing. How about you?"
"Slippy's looked, but has had no luck."
"Okay. Keep me informed. I'll continue my assault from—" Fox's latest pass was back over some areas of the hull he had shot through previously. One set of blaster shots struck something inside the platform that he couldn't see, causing some kind of explosion. A burst of flame erupted out from the hole he created, missing his Arwing by mere feet. "Whoops."
Falco came closer to their target, looking at the damage they had caused. "Klutz. The guns have stopped though."
Slippy meanwhile was looking over the data his sensors were reporting to him. With a shock, he realized what was going to happen shortly. "Everyone, get out of there! That thing is going to blow!"
Falco cursed as he pulled his Arwing into a u-turn, his boosters glowing as he quickly put distance between the platform and himself. Fox on the other hand had a moment's indecision as to if he should return through the asteroid or if he should push his luck and hope that the craft didn't explode before he could fly past it. He quickly made up his mind to just stick with open space and hope that his Arwing was as fast as he thought it was.
With the throttle fully forward, the vulpine hurtled through space, maneuvering slightly to dodge the smaller rocks floating by. Alarms sounded from his computer as it detected the imminent explosion from behind him. With a blinding flash a few seconds later, the weapons platform detonated, throwing debris everywhere. "Watch your six, Fox!" said Peppy suddenly as the other pilots moved themselves behind some larger rocks for safety.
"I've noticed," he replied as he swerved to avoid a piece of the superstructure as it flew by. He watched as it slowly tumbled in space, its advance coming to an abrupt halt as it hit an asteroid twice its size.
"That mess is why I'd prefer using the Nova Bombs," muttered Falco. "No remains to worry about."
"Funny."
"Thanks, I try."
Fox rolled his eyes and sighed, bringing his Arwing behind the asteroid where the rest of his team was. "Well, it looks like we're all here, so unless anyone has any objections I say we move on towards our next target."
"Nothing I can think of," said Peppy. "See anything interesting out there, Slippy?"
"I'm detecting no power signatures in the general area. There's a lot of debris, but it looks like we're clear to go."
"Goodie, now to find more things to shoot at," commented the now bored avian.
Fox moved his Arwing away from the rock they were using for cover, the rest of the team following after a moment. "Space combat isn't all fun and games, Falco, and you know it."
"Yeah, lots of boring travel time from place to place."
Fox decided to just ignore his teammate for the moment as they continued on their flight out of the asteroid field. "Guys, forward over your sensor data to my Arwing if you would. I have a report I need to think up."
"Good idea," said Peppy. "You know, I just realized something. The sector where we're going to next was the source of the unidentified craft, right?"
"Yeah."
"So considering that nobody knew about what we just destroyed here, what could we face at our next destination, other than something even bigger?"
With expert skill, Fox continued to weave his way out of the asteroid field as he debated on his teammate's question. "Great. I see your point. But ultimately, what choice do we have other than facing the unknown?"
"None at all," grumbled Falco.
"Exactly. It's one of the joys of exploring the universe. Don't worry about it until you stumble upon it. Anyway, let's keep it down for a bit as I need to figure out what to say to the base once we're able to chat with them again."
The crew quieted down as they continued their journey out of the area to their next mission.


Back on Corneria, General Pepper was pacing around the command center, anxiously awaiting any information from the Starfox team. As expected, they had vanished off their sensors not long after they entered the asteroid belt some time ago. "Any luck yet?"
Gary sighed, having answered this question far too many times already this morning. "As I've told you before, Pepper, I'll let you know the moment I see them."
With a muted swish the door to the room opened, admitting Fara who paused to look around the room before continuing. Noticing the restless look on the General's face, she walked over to Gary instead. "What's up with Pepper?" she whispered.
"He's just worried about the team," he whispered back. "He just doesn't understand that missions like this take time and that the probes aren't perfect."
"Well, I have some good news for him. Hopefully that will adjust his attitude slightly."
"Let's hope so. He's driving me up a wall with his constant pestering."
Fara walked over to the General, who was currently trying to keep himself occupied by looking out one of the many windows bordering the room. "You have a moment, Pepper?"
The General turned around, paws clasped behind his back. "I'm free for the time being, Fara. What do you need?"
"I'm just passing along some good news to you. The engineers and I think the problems with the Nova Bombs are fixed. We just need to install our new ideas and test them out."
Pepper smiled, looking pleased for the first time this afternoon. "That's wonderful news. Who thought of the solution?"
"Oddly enough, Fox did. We just made it practical."
"Good job. I just hope it works."
"As do we, Pepper." She paused for a moment before continuing. "I have a question for you if you don't mind."
"Go right ahead."
Fara's question was never asked as Gary interrupted them both. "Pepper, sorry to intrude, but the Starfox team is on the line."
"Excellent." The General turned to look at Fara as he walked over to take the call. "Sorry, but duty calls."
"No problem. Mind if I listen in?"
"Sure."
The pair walked over to Gary's station, the cheetah indicating that Pepper could talk at any time. "Starfox team, this is General Pepper. What's your status?"
Fara smiled as Fox's upbeat voice came over the com. "The first part of our mission is fully accomplished. It's a doozy though."
"That's putting it nicely," interrupted Falco.
"Falco… Anyway, we caught Andross in the middle of building some kind of weapons platform."
The eyes of the threesome rose in shock. "That's most interesting. Care to explain, Junior?"
"Kinda hard to clarify from here, so instead I'm sending your way a bunch of scans from our computers. It'll make far more sense than having me try to describe the thing."
The three shifted their gaze to the computer terminal in front of them, watching as the platform appeared as a detailed rotating three-dimensional view. "Wow," said Fara excitedly. "Gary, mind if you throw that thing up on the main screen? This is very interesting."
The cheetah nodded, knowing that her thoughts had been beneficial before. "Sure." Fara moved to the front of the room, picking up a small remote in one paw and using it to manipulate the image as she approached.
Fox came back on the line. "So, have you figured out what's next?"
"No idea," said Gary. "However, I'm worried that since we didn't spot in advance what you just took out, whatever we detected at your next destination is even bigger."
"That's just what I wanted to hear," muttered Falco.
Slippy ignored the avian as he spoke his mind. "Gary, were those energy readings we detected back at the base earlier? If so, is their any kind of correlation between the two?"
"You know, I didn't think about that. Let me look into it."
Pepper came back into the conversation. "Junior, how did the Arwings hold up out there?"
"We had a few close calls, but nothing we couldn't handle. I'm concerned over the Arwing's shield strength. It doesn't take much before they threaten to collapse. They regenerate quickly enough, but in a sustained firefight…"
"I know," said Fara as she held a spare headset over one ear. "Unfortunately, due to technology limitations, sacrifices had to be made. The Arwings were designed to be quick and nimble, not to take a ton of punishment." She glanced over the screen in front of her before continuing. "You know, that weapons platform you guys blew up was a rather interesting design."
Falco put in his opinion once more. "Yeah, all firepower and no maneuverability."
"That's not what I mean."
Gary indicated that he had something to say, so Fara let him continue. "I've finished my analysis. You're not going to like this, but Slippy's assumption seems to be correct. It looks like you'll be facing another craft like the one you just destroyed."
"Well that just made my day," complained Falco, interrupting once more.
The rest of the team was quiet for a moment before Fox's voice was heard again. He was privately making sure that the avian wouldn't continue with his snide comments. "Sorry. Do you have any idea if that platform will be operational however?"
"No, I don't," replied Gary. "Personally, I'm guessing yes."
"Lovely." He sighed. "Fara, did you have something to say about our prior target?"
"Yeah. Based on the information provided, I'm sending you a simulation on what I expect you to face had that platform been completed. Basically, it's a cross shaped design, each end of that cross holding a bank of five laser turrets, with another bank on the reverse side. Each side also has a single missile launcher attached to the end of it."
"Interesting. Any weak points?"
"Maybe. Since I'm not looking at a completed design, I can only speculate. Based on how easily you destroyed the one under construction, I'm guessing there is a weakness in how the missiles are stored internally. Blow up a missile, and the entire section goes up in flames."
"Easy enough."
"It's not quite that simple though."
"Why am I not surprised?"
Fara laughed. "Because that kind of luck seems to follow you around. Anyway, between the multi-phasic shielding and double-layered armor, neither of which was completed on the craft you just fought, you won't be doing any kind of damage right off. I'd recommend a Nova Bomb to start, but we all know that is a suicidal move."
"Which is right up my alley according to my teammates."
"Fox, you know the Arwing's hull wouldn't hold up for two seconds under that kind of firepower."
The vulpine sighed, tired of being reminded. "I know. What about bringing in the Arwings for their upgrade before continuing?"
Pepper interrupted with his thoughts. "While a good idea, Andross knows you're already coming if I had to make a guess, so delaying your confrontation would not be recommended."
"We wouldn't be able to have them ready for combat for a good twelve hours anyway," chimed in Fara. "This isn't exactly a patch job."
"Well, that idea is out. Any other suggestions?"
"Nothing other than concentrate your firepower on wherever the missiles are stored and hope for the best."
"Noted. We'll be at Sector X shortly, so we're signing off for now. Catch you all when we get another clear transmission out."
"Good hunting out there," said Pepper.
"Thanks. Fox out." With that the communication ended, leaving those in the command center hopeful for another successful resolution.


Over on Venom, Andross sat back in his chair in his command center, looking over a datapad that he held in one paw. The small screen held progress reports from everywhere in the system, detailing construction times, goods acquired from planets, and other small things requiring his attention. Putting down the pad onto his lap for a moment, he looked around, letting his gaze wander from one gray wall to another.
His free moment away from his work ended as a light flashed on his console in front of him. He clenched his fists in anger, but quickly calmed himself, closing his eyes until he brought his breathing to a normal level. Picking up the headset nearby he accepted the call. "Andross here."
"Emperor, sir, this is control. I have some…bad news. Sector 328 has fallen to the enemy."
Andross' anger quickly came back. "What!?"
"Two pilots have just contacted me, sir, saying that they saw the Starfox team attack the Annihilator as it was under construction. It put up a valiant fight, but in the end they were overwhelmed and destroyed."
The ape clenched his fists, but having nothing to break nearby he just sat there and let his anger build. "Damn it! Do they have any idea where they are going next?"
The lizard quickly grew nervous as he knew that his leader's unbridled rage was something to avoid. "No, sir, I don't. Based on proximity alone, however, they have three possible objectives – return home, attack the desert planet of Papetoon, or attack sector 297, also known as Sector X."
Andross grumbled under his breath, trying to assemble his thoughts. "Is the Devastator online and ready for combat?"
"At last report, yes, sir."
"Tell them to expect McCloud and his flunkies."
"Their orders?"
"To annihilate them."
"Yes, sir. Unless you have anything else to say—"
"No."
"Yes, sir. Over and out."


The three in the command center over at Corneria sat and watched as the four Arwings faded from view of their spy satellites. "And now we wait," said Gary, breaking the near silence of the room.
Fara figured that now was as good of a time to ask her question from before. "Pepper, do you have a minute to answer a question?"
"Of course. Your inquiry from earlier?"
She nodded. "What's the deal between Fox and Andross? And why do you keep calling him Junior?"
"You haven't heard the story before, Fara?"
"Sorry, I try to stay out of people's personal lives unless it involves me directly."
"To each their own." He shrugged, starting his tale. "Anyway, Fox McCloud Sr., or James McCloud, as he was more commonly called, was the finest pilot on Corneria back in his day. Not too long after Fox Jr. was born, his mother tragically died. James hoped that his son would follow in his paw prints."
He frowned slightly, thinking back over Fox's history. "Junior was at the top of his class. He could fly circles around a flea, endure days of gravity training, and recite the Cornerian constitution backwards, among other things. James was justly proud."
Fara smiled. "Funny."
"No, I'm serious. Not too long afterwards, he met a rowdy kid with enough street savvy to fill an encyclopedia. His name was Falco. He wanted to fly and Junior showed him the way. He cleaned up his act and entered the Academy, earning his wings."
"So that's where Falco came from. And why he seems so out of place at times."
Pepper nodded, holding back a laugh. Out of place was an understatement as far as he was concerned. "Anyway, in those days, Andross was a scientist, head of the Academy. He was brilliant but unstable, building and researching such wonders as Hyperlight drives, antigravity machines, and androids."
He paced around the room, remembering exact events from a few years ago. "When Andross developed the Gravity Bomb, the predecessor to the Nova Bombs, Fox Sr. volunteered to deliver it to one of the local asteroid belts for testing. He went out alone, not knowing the risks that Andross had built into the bomb."
The canine paused, closing his eyes in brief remembrance. "At critical velocity, the bomb detonated according to Andross' design. James, his ship, and half the asteroid belt were sucked into what we call the black hole."
Fara looked on in shock as Pepper continued. "Andross was obviously a mad ape! He was exiled to the ends of the universe, but he managed to return to the Lylat system and build his base on Venom, using the local population to create his army."
"As Andross' power grew on Venom, Junior protested. But the leaders of Corneria were terrified of Andross, and Junior and his friends were considered dangerous radicals. The four of them were exiled off Corneria and forced to live as outlaws on Papetoon."
"Why didn't you help Fox?" she asked.
"I was just a Sergeant then. I didn't have the power to do anything about it…" His head dropped, clearly upset at his inability to do anything at the time.
"Interesting." She paused, debating on what to ask next. Her astonishment from the story still weighed heavily on her mind as she continued. "If you don't mind me asking, what happened to Fox's mother? You also never explained the whole Junior thing either."
"Well, I've been around James for a very long time, and I've seen his son grow up right in front of my eyes. I used to call him Junior way back when, and I guess I continue to do so now out of habit. As for his mother…" Pepper trailed off, thinking back to the day in question, a deep frown appearing on his face.
Fara grew curious to the sudden silence. "Something wrong?"
The canine looked her straight in the eyes and lowered his voice. "What I'm about to tell you is for your ears only. I'm guessing Junior knows already, but this isn't exactly public knowledge." She nodded. "Two words – car bomb."
Her eyes opened wide with shock. "What?"
"A few years after Junior's birth, Vixy, his mother, decided to go out for some reason or another. She got in the family hovercar, started it up, and then it spontaneously exploded. The official records have it listed as an accident, but—"
"That's terrible!"
Pepper looked solemn. "Yes, yes it was. James…he was never the same afterwards. Fortunately, he still had his son to look after, or else I fear what might have happened."
"Who did it? I mean, who planted the bomb?"
"Honestly, I really don't know. I have my suspicions, but the definite answer was never found."
Fara shook her head. "Poor Fox. He's had such a harsh life so far."
"Fortunately he had a wonderful father. He's also doing what the McCloud line loves doing best – flying."
With nothing else to ask, she stood up and stretched, thinking over what was said. She'd never thought about what might had happened had she grown up without her parents. It must have been horrible for Fox, being there all alone. "Thanks again, Pepper. I really should double check the preparations of the Arwing upgrades. Let me know when they're coming back, okay?"
"I will." With a wave she left the command center, her tail swishing lazily as the door closed behind her.