AN: Thank you to everyone who showed interest in the story and reviews thus far, It's been a pleasure writing this for the fandom. This chapter delves more heavily into the Star Fox worldbuilding, as the approaching war with Venom draws closer. As always, please feel free to offer your suggestions, comments, death threats. Stay safe out there.
Hangover Tour
0900 Hours, Winter 5th, 1994 (Local Time) Corneria City, McCloud Household
They were sitting at the McCloud kitchen table.
Eyes struggling to crack open, bad breath, and disheveled fur and hair. The gang looked exactly like hungover teenagers might, though a menagerie of species to liven up the scene.
Logan yawned, clutching his mug of insta-caf protectively as Miyu finished off her second cup next to him. The lynx was bundled up in a blanket and scowling as if morning's arrival was a personal insult. Her tall ears twitched erratically, and her amber fur spotted with black was sticking up at weird angles.
Falco reclined with his feet on the kitchen counter, wearing his omni shades to block out the sun. Katt had apparently decided to allow him to live through the night.
Fox went through the motions of brewing more insta-caf, while commanding the stove and a sizzling skillet of eggs, hashbrowns, and whatever-bacon-substitute whose name Logan had given up trying to remember. Slippy stood with him chattering in good spirits as he contributed slices of buttered toast for the gang.
Fara and Wolf sat together at the end of the table. The pair might have been wrapped up in a coy game of 'maybe they're together, maybe not' but no one could deny they looked content.
Waking up with headaches and bad breath all around, those that could still move busied themselves tidying up what was left of last night's party before collapsing at the breakfast table. A quiet radio broadcast played over the subdued morning ritual.
"So," Katt chimed in with her head on Falco's shoulder, "that was fun."
A chorus of groans circled the table.
"I don't know what the heck I ate last night, but whatever it was came up green," Falco groused as he rubbed sleep from his eyes.
"Oh yeah! Whose number was written on my face?" Slippy asked nervously.
"Sabrina, Slip." Fox chimed in, "You remember her from Fay's Science class?"
"Oh yeah...Oh...oh..." The amphibian blushed and busied himself buttering toast slices.
"I was pretty proud of that beer can wall I made..." Fara whispered to the lupine at her elbow.
"My head's killing me," Miyu growled, "I don't even want to think about food right now...ugh."
"Greasy breakfast is a time honored hangover cure," Logan mumbled next to her, "You'll feel better in no time."
"Meat and hot sauce," Wolf rumbled, the rasp in his throat pronounced, "I'll eat it raw, I don't care."
"Tough guy..." Fara quipped, and the lupine gave her a tired grin.
Katt meanwhile found the scene very interesting.
"Aww that's cute. I figured you two had something going on..."
She rounded on the resident human and his lynx housemate.
"...but you two? Gimme the details alien boy!"
Logan sighed, smiling though as Miyu rested her head on his shoulder still scowling.
"That's classified."
"Bullshit!"
He pulled the napkin she threw at him off his head with a laugh.
"I honestly never saw it coming. Being around all of you looking so different from me, I just figured I'd be some weirdo who'd head back to my system eventually."
There was some measure of buried insecurity there, as he ran his thumb over the back of Miyu's furred paw.
"I don't think you'll ever know how much it meant to me to find a place among you guys..."
The lynx on Logan's shoulder playfully jabbed a digit into his cheek.
"You are such a friggin sappy dweeb."
The gang chimed in with their own humor. There's only so much profound commentary teenagers can take before quippy one-liners start getting thrown about.
"I dunno what I expected aliens to be like," Fox chuckled, "But of course you had to pull a Captain Kirk."
"What can I say? Cornerian girls are something else..." He shrugged
"Amen," the boys all raised their coffee mugs together. The girls made a show of rolling their eyes at the display of masculine camaraderie.
"Grub's ready," McCloud turned around with two loaded skillets and the gang made quick work of doling out plates and forks. Soon everyone was sitting together at the table or perched on the countertop, shoveling down greasy eggs and bacon with toast and hashbrowns. Fresh insta-caf was passed around, and the clink of cutlery filled the air.
"What's the plan today?" Slippy asked with his mouth trailing toast crumbs.
"We could swing by the food courts if you guys want to take it easy," Fara suggested with a sip of her mug.
"Don't lie girl, you're thinking about the new smoothie joint that opened up," Katt replied. The fennec's innocent expression was laughably insincere.
"Hey, I watch my figure as much as the next vixen, but those Cosmic Coladas are out of this world."
There was an electronic trill, and Fox pulled out his comm. A grin wrapped its way across his muzzle and he addressed the group.
"I got a heck of a surprise for you all. 'Specially you Logan."
He chomped on his egg toast as all eyes turned to the young vulpine.
"My dad just docked the Great Fox in port, and he said we can come check it out while they're running maintenance."
The news livened up the tired teenagers. Getting to set foot on an actual dreadnought was a pretty wild experience. Even Logan had only had limited exposure on UNSC warships up to destroyer tonnage, so a Lylat equivalent would be fascinating.
"That's pretty cool, head out after this?" Falco had brightened up immensely, downing his coffee with a swig.
"Sheesh little man, you're like a kid..." Katt teased him. The avian shrugged.
"Hey, cutting edge starships are as cool as it gets, kitten."
More tussling between the blue and pink couple. Plates clinked and the group tidied up the McCloud kitchen before they vacated the scene of their house party.
The Cornerian City Intergalactic Spaceport was the largest travel and commerce hub on the planet.
In some respects like a human starport, it was divided into zones reserved for various services. The commercial section was by far the largest, with spaceliners and private craft that taxied in and out of docking ports with carefully monitored efficiency due to the air traffic controllers. A steady stream of outgoing travelers and incoming residents was almost always in motion, amid the colorful fusalages of the space shuttles. Baggage claim, customs, parking and even gift shops filled the central hub with enough color to rival a shopping mall.
The commercial section was much more drab, dominated by the massive transport crates color coded and numbered by their shuttle tugs. Huge craft that looked like a cross between a pelican dropship and an oil tanker were lined up as they offloaded their cargo and took on new manifests. Escorting the more sensitive cargo transports were often private security forces or mercenaries that parked at the outlying edges of the port near the space elevator.
Finally, there was the military section of the CCIS. Even with the multitude of Cornerian army bases dotting the planet, there was occasionally a need to dock a vessel near the civilian hub. In one such hanger, the Great Fox stood berthed.
A graceful neck that arched to the command and control center, jutting out from a unique quad-wing design surrounding the central bulk of the dreadnought. Heavy armor plating boasted little carbon scoring on its beige exterior, hinting at the craft's young age. It seemed unusual boasting the dreadnought classification, until one observed the dual heavy Tannhauser & Belmont H9 laser cannons mounted up front, which were usually reserved for capital ships several times the vessel's tonnage.
Logan shuddered to think of the reactor drain those things demanded.
A lower hangar bay was visible, large enough to accommodate a squadron of fighter craft. To the rear, the vessel sported a trio of NTD-FX9 plasma engines, manufactured by Space Dynamics. Working in tandem with the Hydrogen based reactor, the engines could push the ship to considerable speeds that would put a destroyer to shame.
Logan mused briefly if the reactor was similar enough to accept a Shaw-Fujikawa slipspace drive. The similarity between Lylat's hyperspace technology and human slipspace travel was still being debated.
Regardless, the dreadnought was an impressive vessel, crowned by the Star Fox team logo proudly emblazoned on the sides: A winged red vulpine charging into battle.
The gang pulled up to the landing bay in Falco's car, along with Fay who had been dropped off by Bill earlier that day. Piling out they saw a familiar face waving them over from a mass of shipping crates and engine parts.
"Hey kits, glad you could make it." James McCloud was in his element. The veteran mercenary signed off on repair orders as CCIS technicians hurried about their duties. The familiar aviator shades, worn pilot jacket, and heavy blaster on his hip illustrated the iconic look that freelancers the galaxy over wore with pride.
"Replace the exhaust manifold on the number three engine," He said as an aside to a nearby foreman, "Send the invoice to my Gov account, but make sure it's running in tandem with the other two. That's the priority."
"Aye, sir."
Folding up his holopad, the elder McCloud walked up to embrace his son, ruffling his hair to only mild consternation from Fox.
"I hear you kits had a hell of a shindig last night." A knowing look pierced the reflective black shades.
"No sweat McCloud, your pad's clean as a whistle." Falco gestured with his wingtips to emphasize his point. The older vulpine cracked a grin and nodded.
"Well, hopefully Vixy doesn't need to find out."
James thumbed over his shoulder at his ship. The crew entry was from a standard airlock access tube that interfaced with docking port access gates, located just above the main guns of the ship. Further down the hangar bay was open between the massive hydraulic landing gear the vessel currently had deployed. Sparks showered from the exterior of the ship like fireflies as repairs were underway.
"We're taking care of some routine maintenance between missions, so I thought you kits might appreciate taking a look around the old girl."
He clapped a hand on Fox's shoulder, smiling at his son with warmth.
"After all, this will all be yours one day."
Fox put his hands on his hips, eyeing the dreadnought with a practiced eye.
"If we ever pay off that 80 year loan, dad."
The older vulpine barked a laugh.
"Yeah, true enough. The bills never seem to end."
James waved the kids by as a hover trolly loaded with provisions began to lurch closer, "Go on ahead and look around, Fox can give you the grand tour."
The group called out their thanks as they filtered by, excitement on their faces. Lupine, Avian, Vulpine, Amphibian and Feline...they were certainly a wild bunch.
James put his hand lightly on Logan's shoulder as he went by at the rear of the group. The man's expression was serious, recalling the events that followed the attempted bombing at his house.
"You okay, kit?"
Logan stared back, that tired look that so many other soldiers held. Someone who had seen death, and dealt it as well.
Yet, this time there was a hint of life in his alien eyes, that hadn't been there before.
"I will be." His eyes drifted to the lynx girl, and James smiled knowingly.
"They're lucky to have you. You put yourself on the line for us, and I'll never forget that, kit."
A flash of sunlight across the aviator shades.
"Those without strong wills can easily be turned to evil."
Pigma's betrayal. The stirrings of war.
"I don't know what the future might bring, but with people like you, I think our worlds can learn to live together."
The older fox stared off into the horizon.
"Maybe someday mercs like us won't be needed anymore. Wouldn't that be something?"
He pat the human teen reassuringly.
"Join your friends. And Logan...thanks."
The human boy gave a casual two fingered salute.
"Anytime."
Passing through the entry airlock, the lighting switched from red to fluorescent white as the gang entered the ship with Fox's entry code. Normally the airlock would cycle through decontamination as a precaution, but the process could be disabled when entering a friendly port and time was at a premium. The metal plates underfoot brought back memories of UNSC warships for Logan.
A narrow hallway greeted them, lined with flared bulkheads to provide cover with which to repel borders from. Pneumatic doors along the hall led to individual crew quarters. Each of the rooms held a bunk, desk, and compact shower/restroom unit with one of those ceiling fans meant to air dry thick Cornerian fur. At the far end of the hallway, was the turbolift.
"Hey, there's a bunch of empty cabins here!" Fay was almost bouncing in place from excitement, the white collie tossing her fluffy locks over her shoulder as she took a peek inside one of the spare rooms.
"My father wanted to plan ahead when he took the massive loan to pay for this ship," Fox explained, "He figured the team would grow one day, so they built in more cabins than just his 3 pilot team would need."
"Katt! Come on, you can't just go snooping in their quarters!" Fara yanked her incorrigible pink friend back from the rooms James and Peppy used.
"Aww, what's the matter? Afraid we'll find their dirty mags?"
"EWW!"
Along with jeffries tubes with which to reach other decks in the event of power failure, the turbolift was the main method by which crew accessed other levels of the ship.
Above the crew quarters was the lounge and the mess hall.
"Hey," Wolf perked up at the decently stocked starship grade kitchen, "This is a lot more ritzy than a cruiser's galley."
Logan nodded, examining the grill and the refrigeration hatches, carefully secured in the event of zero-g or turbulence. "Keep it well stocked and you'd eat pretty well for starship fare. Beats nutrient paste any day."
Slippy elbowed the human, "You promise to cook up that chili you made before and I'll tune up any laser rifle you want, Lo!"
Fox glared from where he had wiped down a stain from the mess table, "You ever make him chili on this ship Logan, and I'm throwing you both out the airlock."
The human teen patted the dejected frog's back.
"Sorry Slip, captain's orders."
"Aww nuts..."
The crew lounge was really something else. Most starships had some sort of rec center simply to deal with the reality of space travel and the risk of outright mutiny after hundreds of days of boredom; but as a mercenary outfit the Star Fox team could outfit theirs however they wanted, regulations be damned.
Couches were bolted in a circle around a viewscreen with a stereo system underneath, and with a section of carpeting on the floor. A Papetoon-mahogany pool table was bolted to the side, the Cornerian equivalent of the human sport evidently had two colors of balls and some strange system of scoring. Some kind of older jukebox was illuminated in the corner, featuring music that was evidently from James and Peppy's generation. A cozy little bar was made from the same Papetoon hardwood, ringed by padded stools and a selection of glasses and liquor bottles mag-locked and padded in the event of bumpy rides. A port window shone through with the outside view of the brilliant Cornerian skyline, what would otherwise be a lovely view of the galaxy outside the ship.
"Nooo way," Miyu shook her head at the sight of the bar, "I don't even want to think about a drink right now."
"Dang, they've got Eladard's 18year reserve here," Falco's beak sagged open, "That bottle costs like a year's salary."
"You deliver pizza, little man," Katt teased him, "A year's salary isn't all that much."
The avian scowled, "Yeah yeah, laugh it up."
The pink feline tickled his plumage, "Aww. I'd still like ya even if you were unemployed hun."
The others pretended not to witness the cute moment between the two.
At the top level of the turbolift, there was the hall leading to the Command and Control center of the Great Fox, and the rear cargo bay in the opposite direction.
Walking down the CIC hallway, the group found themselves in the bridge. The higher level had stations for LADAR, scanning equipment and topography that Peppy often stationed, as well as controls for the ship's point defense systems and navigation. There was a holo-projector table from which briefings could be conducted in 3 dimensions, and incoming hails could be viewed with video feed and/or audio.
"Ohhhh wicked! This sensor suite is just like the one I saw on the CSS Intrepid!" Fay squealed as she poked her fluffy head all around the state-of-the-art station, "I bet it could navigate the asteroid belt no problem!"
"Aren't the odds of successfully navigating an asteroid field 720:1?" Fara asked with an arched eyebrow.
Fay's eyes glinted as she gave a reckless grin and a thumbs up, "Never tell me the odds!"
Below the raised operations stations was the central fixture of the captain's chair, from which James McCloud would oversee operation of the vessel and have an unobstructed view of the main viewport. In an emergency, main functions could be delegated through the captain's terminal.
The forward tactical station was currently occupied.
WELCOME FOX, GREAT FOX SYSTEMS ARE CURRENTLY UNDER MAINTENANCE.
The synthesized voice of the ship AI and robotic repair droid ROB64 was a curious throwback to the early days of space exploration in Lylat. James evidently had a thing for tried-and-true technology, even if the voiceprint was eccentric.
"Sounds great, Rob," Fox nodded, "Is the launch deck busy?"
LAUNCH DECK IS UNNOCCUPIED, REPAIR IS CURRENTLY RESTRICTED TO MAIN ENGINES ONLY.
"Sweet, thanks Rob!" McCloud led the gang back down the hallway they'd come.
AFFIRMATIVE.
The rear cargo bay was where the Great Fox took on supplies and parts without compromising the launch deck below. Crates were strapped down with labels in everything from food to hydrogen fuel cells. To the side was a hydraulic elevator powerful enough to lift and lower a starfighter.
"Here we are guys," Fox said as he hit the control, eliciting an alarm as the cargo elevator platform began to lower, "this is the real treat right here."
They descended into the lower level of the ship, red light flashing overhead. At last, the flight deck came into view.
Four white and blue starfighters lay cradled in the launch bay harnesses, platforms leading up from the engineering bay. There was something otherworldly about the streamlined designs, almost thrumming with potential.
The SFX-01 Arwing.
A space superiority starfighter built by Space Dynamics Co., Ltd. Utilizing advanced state-of-the-art NTD-FX1 plasma engines paired to the revolutionary new G-diffuser system which employed gravity diffusion to shield the craft against enemy fire and mitigate the tremendous g-forces of atmospheric flight. A pair of Tannhauser & Belmont H2 laser cannons could be overclocked to fire even in the ultraviolet blue range, and a SMART bomb launcher that gave the craft enough firepower to rival a frontline cruiser in a pinch. The four craft parked there in the Great Fox hangar were prototypes commissioned to the Star Fox team for combat testing. A good thing too; the cost of the fighters alone would have eclipsed that of the dreadnought.
"Woah..."
"Damn..."
"You can say that again..."
The group shook off their starstruck expressions and rushed up to take a closer look.
Logan could honestly say the fighter was leagues better than anything the UNSC ever fielded. From Longsword interceptors to the declassified Sabre program, Humanity just did not have the acumen yet to produce such a well armed, agile and sleek starfighter like this one.
If ONI ever heard about this they'd piss themselves with jealousy.
As he rest his hand on the cool alloy of the wing, he looked over at his friends chattering excitedly as they explored the other craft.
The war would have gone very differently if we had this kind of technology to level the playing field. How many worlds were glassed because our ships were hopelessly outgunned by the Covenant?
What kind of difference could a handful make in this coming war?
Miyu sidled up next to him and elbowed him gently.
"Hey, you alright, Lo?"
Logan stared quietly at the fuselage of the Arwing.
"..."
"I've been through war, Miyu. It's the worst kind of fear you can imagine, watching people die in ways that make you sick."
"..."
"I don't want you to understand. I wish I could keep you all safe and far away from all of this, but it's like trying to hold back a speeding tank. War is coming again and we're all walking right into it..."
"..."
"I just want you to know...I'll fight to the death for you. For my brother, for Abby, for all of us in this ragtag gang."
He turned to face her with years etched into his eyes far beyond what a teenager should have seen, and a worn gentle smile.
"...Because I want a future with you."
The lynx girl bit her lip an looked away, straining as she willed the threat of tears away. She jabbed him in the stomach lightly, and then clutched at his jacket.
"You dweeb."
Miyu pressed her muzzle into his collar, breathing in his scent, as he ran his hands through her short hair and down her back soothingly.
"You...you stupid..."
Her fist thumped his chest, and she glared into his eyes, held close.
"You're not allowed to die. You hear me? I'm keeping you and that's final."
Logan Jones smiled, and kissed her back just as fiercely when she tipped her muzzle towards him, there in the synthetic lights of the launch bay hangar.
Unnoticed in Logan's room back home, a screen illuminated briefly.
United Nations Space Command Priority Transmission
09852H-93
Encryption Code: Red
Public Key: file/King-Under-The-Mountain/
From: Fleet Admiral Lord Terrance Hood, Chief of Naval Operations, UNSC Marathon/ (UNSC Service Number: 07960-48392-TH)
To: /fwd/Jones, Logan (Civilian Identification Number: 10141-026-SRB4694)
Subject: MARTIAL LAW
Classification: RESTRICTED (BGX Directive)
/start file/
As of 04:37 GMT the Office of Naval Intelligence is hereby suspended under charges of TREASON, pending investigation. All ONI assets are hereby ordered to surrender themselves to the nearest UNSC port-of-entry. Any ONI assets encountered by UNSC personnel are to be considered ARMED and DANGEROUS. Lethal force is authorized in their apprehension.
Press Briefing is scheduled for 14:00 GMT, concerning the deliberate destruction of the CCS Vigilant by ONI personnel and the murder of UNSC escort craft.
Due to the logistical situation thereof, all UNSC assets are ordered to evacuate Lylat System under protocol for CIVIL WAR. Civilians are required to evacuate to nearest UNSC presence in system: Battlegroup ATREIDIES via Cornerian Orbital Gate BT-X.
Addendum: Standing orders for Op Helms Deep are hereby revoked, ODST elements are hereby reassigned to Cornerian Orbital Gate BT-X.