Between the lines is a new sub-series here meant to examine what goes on in-between the major events of the games. I like quiet moments of character development, so I'm going to do it here.


Between the Lines I: Fortune and Change

Shortly after the Saurian Crisis...

Fox awoke in the middle of night cycle. The ambient hum of the Great Fox greeted him as he sat up in bed and understood he couldn't sleep. This was one of those nights. Thankfully he knew exactly what to do.

Getting out of bed, Fox dressed in sweats and a sweatshirt, stretched, and left his quarters. He stepped lightly through the crew deck, found the elevator and pushed the button for the observation deck. The elevator began to move, and Fox leaned against the wall. He had a lot on his mind tonight.

When the lift reached the observation deck Fox walked into the lounge area and beheld the room's set piece-a wide and wrapping window that gave the viewer a look into the firmament. Fox could see stars and nebulas of all sorts, stretching off into the great infinity. Endless space was an excellent backdrop for introspection. So Fox walked up to the window, crossed his arms, and began to think.

The changes brought to the team recently gave Fox whiplash. The Saurian Crisis netted in a sizable reward that gave immense financial relief to the team. Falco was back. The Great Fox could finally be repaired, and Fox could invest in the next model of Arwing due out from Space Dynamics. Finally, there was their new passenger, Krystal, who's tale of her planet gave new insight into Andross's depravity. Not to be deterred by a loss in Lylat, the madman committed planetary genocide and sought immortality. Fox killed him again for his troubles.

Fox frowned. That whole period of financial distress was awful. But now it was all behind him. Now he had the future to think about. What would the next stage of Star Fox looked like?

...he wished his father were here. Fox sighed. Even after all these years, he still returned to that thought every so often.

"Fox?" said a soft voice.

He didn't even hear the lift open, so deep he was in his own thoughts. He turned and saw Krystal walking into the lounge room, looking at hum curiously.

"Couldn't sleep?" said Fox.

"No," said the vixen. "I have a lot on my wind."

"This is a good place for that," said Fox. "The view helps."

Krystal walked up beside him and stared out the window. Fox could see the gears moving in her head.

"It almost seems like too much," said Krystal.

"What does?" said Fox.

"My change in fortune," she said. "Her I am, traveling to another planet with a band of mercenaries when merely weeks ago I was traveling space alone, looking for answers. Then I found them. The man who destroyed my planet and scattered my people is dead. While I hoped for the closure I have now, I..." and here she moved a paw to her bosom. "I never thought it would come."

Fox nodded. Quite similar to his own predicament, in a way.

"Honestly I'm floored by it," she said. "Now the biggest question on my mind is-"

"What next?" said Fox.

Krystal turned to him in surprise. He held her gaze for a moment before looking back out to space.

"When I destroyed Andross the first time I felt the same way," he began. "I got my revenge, Star Fox became a legend, and I could finally grieve for my father in peace. But after all the parties and parades I found myself right where you are right now—asking myself, what next?"

Krystal looked at him attentively.

"Life happened," said Fox. "Work dried up for a time. Falco ended up leaving the team over a fight, and I had to sell some Arwings to keep the team afloat even as the Great Fox started to go into disrepair. Sometimes the team felt like too much trouble and I felt like retiring then and there. I couldn't handle it all."

Fox paused. He could feel Krystal's searching gaze.

"But," said Fox, "I know I didn't want that really. I like helping people. I like the adventure. And I had faith that Falco would come back eventually; for all the headaches he causes he's a good man with his heart in the right place. The only thing I could do," and he looked at Krystal, "is take it all one day at a time."

Silence settled between the two.

"It really is all we can do, sometimes," said Fox, looking away. "You'll figure it out though. You're strong."

"Really?" said Krystal.

"Yeah," said Fox. "Anyone who can go through what you've been through and not be in despair or dead is made of strong stuff." He gave her a smile. "Leading people makes you see people as they are, and not as you wish they would be. That means when you see someone strong, they really are that strong."

Krystal looked at her footpaws, a little smile on her lips and a blush on her cheeks.

"Thank you, Fox," she said. "I needed to hear that."

"You're welcome," said Fox.

A comfortable silence settled between the two of them. Fox was surprised. Usually, he needed to be alone in order to comfortably introspect, but the vixen's presence was comforting. He wasn't bothered at all.

He glanced at her for a moment and wondered.