ONE

'Think of it Mr. McCloud…'

The vulpes (the fox) stood in the hangar of the rundown assault carrier, somberly observing a complete view of the red planet from the bay's entry; with a young and eager Snow Monkey just ahead of him also gazing at the jagged rock.

"Green!" The primate continued, "Nothing but green forests, jungles, and meadows; water flowing like veins through it all to its plentiful, crystal-clear oceans! We could wash away the blood of my grandfather's past, and paint a new picture on an empty canvass! Star Fox would become heroes unlike any that's ever lived!"

The vulpes looked upon the simian with hesitancy, searching for the right words to explain his dismay in the primates' thinking.

Having not yet turned attention to the vulpes, the simian's smile only grew bigger as he preached on; motioning at the planet as if he were sketching his plans on its very surface. "In a matter of years, more terra-formers could be built; placed all across Venom's surface. The toxin will become a myth, for both land and sea! Cities will rise, civilization will thrive, and we'd have bounced back from the wars stronger than ever!"

The monkey's dreams and determination brought the vulpes to the bridge of the same ship, helplessly watching a spaceborne device erupt into a vast blue wave of flashing bolts that tore across the evolved celestial body's face; ripping through every advanced technological structure, machine, and breathing occupant, burning every inch of the arisen lush flora, and igniting the entire departing weaponized silver fleet bearing a gold, ornamented sphere crest.

Familiar words haunted his ears as the sight flared mercilessly in his eyes, 'Sometimes… the galaxy isn't saved by heroes…'

The vulpes' eyelids closed with his constricting heart, whilst the rest of his body curled into a convulsing mass. Second by second his torment heightened, blood boiling in every vein as darkness swallowed the mass horrors.

He snapped awake, his tensing limbs still pressing into his core. Immersed in reality, they fell lifeless on his uneven mattress as time became still; every passing second empty as the silence, disturbed only by the faint expansion and deflation of his chest around his slowing heart.

Steadily, his faded hazel irises perceived the frayed fabric on which he lay, then rose just enough to stare straight ahead at the cold, rusted walls that surrounded him; indifferent towards the expressive decor he'd filled them with. With his awareness regained, the pupils within his despondent expression began to waiver; threatening the inevitable return of the raging fire still kindling within him.

Not a hair on his coat so much as twitched at a knock that sounded at his door, responding only with a quiet sigh of annoyance. He allowed a moment to pass before he raised his head, cutting off a second knock as he projected, "Hold on…" His ears tuned in to the technologic music pulsing mildly from his modest speaker set, softly grunting as he denied his muscles their plea to remain idle. His senses heightened as the bare pads on his feet met the brisk, rigid floor beneath his bed; sending a chill shooting through his body to his unaffected expression. He stood and focused on the soothing device, his ears serenely turning as they took in just a little more of its soul heightening beat before voicing, "Pause." and all fell quiet. He stared at it a moment longer, his ears sinking a bit with his gaze. "Come in."

Instantly the door clicked and slid open, and out of the corner of his eye he saw the hare; leaning against his door frame and allowing her head to hang casually in. The vulpes lifted his head to meet her eyes, catching the urgency sparking behind them that her body language was failing to hide. Nevertheless she continued watching him tenderly, as if the only thing on her mind was his wellbeing. His jaw clenched subtly at the attempt before releasing to ask, "Yes?"

She breathed a quiet, sorrowful sigh at his frustration; holding firm to her caring demeanor as she lowered her ears further and dropped her gaze below his. "My father has a mission for us…"

The vulpes' vision sharpened as every muscle within him tensed; his skin heating under his standing fur. Her continued silence did nothing to ease his irritation, waiting her out for the rest of her message.

Her glistening eyes rose to meet his again, barely fazed by his vexed stare. "You need to hear this one."

His jaw clenched tighter with his fists following suit, but he lowered his gaze and exhaled in surrender. "Fine." He muttered, drawing his eyes to the wall. "I'll be right up…" He'd wanted to keep still for a moment, his mind racing behind his anxious stare.

"We still need you." Her voice formed, its tone tender yet firm.

He closed his eyes, his shoulders sinking with his fleeting breath. His heart jumped as she was suddenly beside him, planting a warm kiss on his furred cheek, and stroking the other with the thumb of her hand.

"And there will never come a day that we won't."

"Lucy." He breathed flatly.

"I know." She followed up instantly, brushing his cheek once more before turning and walking toward his door.

His eyelids remained tensed shut as he heard her pause at his doorway, feeling her look back at him.

"I just don't care." She added, her roguish voice as good as a wink before her footsteps carried her away.

He'd hardly chuckled internally, keeping his heart restrained as his eyelids relaxed open; shame breaking his hardened expression.

Unsure of how much time had passed before he noticed his entire body now hung limp, he groaned softly as he let his rump fall back upon his bed, grabbing a pair of black socks from his small metal cabinet and sluggishly slipping them on before sliding each foot into his red plated boots.

….

The vulpes tried to keep his walk through the halls at a steady, controlled pace, but his step only hastened with his crawling skin and hardening expression as his eyes diverted to every burnt out light that made the steel passages dimmer, every rusted and missing panel that bled the empty cold, and all the fried, frayed wiring that hung freely from its openings and warping cracks like sprouting weeds. He unzipped his jacket as he strode, staying his hand just before the break to allow his internal heat to breathe. Climbing a set of stairs he came to unhindered, his fur stood straight again along his spine as he reached the top.

One by one, he met every pair of sympathetically concerned eyes that locked on him; Slippy, Amanda, Lucy, even R.O.B's blank, rusty expression seemed to radiate the emotion. His eyes intentionally darted past the blue hologram in the center to Falco, whoes tricky expression didn't show any of the former's; he could only read focused intrigue from the falcon.

Then the hologram spoke. "There you are Fox! You'd better watch yourself boy, soon enough you'll be moving slower than me!"

Fox's entire body locked, the aged rabbit's playful words bringing the burning itch to return under his fur; yet he held his tongue as he finally met the gaze of the digital silhouette that was the decorated General Peppy Hare; a bare sphere crest still easily visible on his dress uniform's shoulders and left breast. "Been awhile old hare," He answered, doing his damndest to suppress a hostile tone and bitter expression. "Life as a General still treating you fair?"

"No time for chit-chat Fox, I have an urgent matter that demands attention and could really use your help!"

"And I'm oh so curious on why this matter needed my attention…" He asked with sharp sarcasm, blissfully letting out immense rage with each word as he glanced over at Lucy, whom undetteredly returned his glance with a stubborn one of her own as she swiftly rolled her finger in circles, telling him to keep listening.

"Our Cornerian forces on Macbeth sent out their usual weekly convoy to go circle planet Venom's diameter and ensure no activity was taking place." The hare paused to bury his forehead in one of his hands. "Five minutes ago... the convoy was attacked as it came around to the far side of the planet. The force was immensely numerous and quickly overwhelmed them. We've dispatched reinforcements but I'm afraid that they won't make it in time. The convoy needs back up now!"

Fox had hung his head half way through the message, shaking it towards the end and lifting his hateful, smirking expression to Falco. "We're close; arent we?"

Expecting a rebuttal equally as bitter, Fox's smirk lowered when the falcon's manner barely budged; if anything, understanding leaked out as he went to shrug, but Peppy had already piped up.

"Precisely!" The hare exclaimed. "You're less than five minutes from the planet, our forces won't arrive for another ten to fifteen. I've already sent you the convoy's exact location. Please Fox, their lives are in jeopardy!"

Fox hung his head again, then fiercely looked up at Falco and the rest of his team. "You all wasted time." He kept his stare locked where he could see Slippy, Lucy, and Amanda within his peripheral vision. "This should have changed nothing. I still don't want any part in any of these decisions." His eyes darted back to Falco. "So am I hopping in an Arwing, or going back to my den?!"

"Star Wolf is coming." Falco voiced firmly, yet his tone was still unaggressive. Nevertheless, the statement silenced the entire room.

Fox's ear twitched, his jaw tightening as his eyes turned from a flash of sorrowful distress to merciless wrath. Steadily, he righted his posture, standing straight and stiff as a board before craning his neck toward Peppy. "Give us the room."

Silence remained. Unwilling to take his eyes off the slowly guilt ridden hare, he could only sense his teammates despondent reactions. Suddenly he felt a feathered hand softly placed on his shoulder. The gesture managed to steal his attention as he looked at the bird.

"They are paying. Not much, all things considered; but a damn good installment on what's due… I hope you'll catch up." With a firm, reassuring grip, he started walking, and Fox could hear the rest of the footsteps hesitantly following suit.

"Lucy…" Peppy called hoarsely. "Do be careful my dear, it scares me enough watching you fly out into the danger zone; I couldn't stand losing you to it..."

Lucy turned and acknowledged her father. "Don't worry papa, this rabbit's got speed; they won't even see her coming!" She boasted, letting her voice leak the hint of adventure within her. Fox could feel her reassuring stare fall on him, but his eyes remained forward.

Silence slowly reclaimed its hold as Lucy's footsteps quickened down the stairs and ran off into the distance. The entire bridge fell still, the lights and whirs of the computer systems and Peppy's hologram doing little to disturb it; even R.O.B had respected Fox's request by noiselessly powering down.

"Fox… please I-"

"I didn't think you'd ever do it…" Fox cut in, his words hollow, head still turned toward where Falco had been. "I thought for sure my wise ol' mentor would know better."

"...Fox… if there's anything that myself, and your father has taught you, it should be putting aside your differences and selflessly doing what needs to be done for the greater good."

"And look where that's gotten us." Fox's teeth grit between his words. "Branded cowards. And now, you come and ask us to fight with the very team that took our place, took-" Fox had raised his hand as if to cut through the air, but agony stayed his entire arm as he winced; unable to finish his statement.

"...I know... and yes maybe this wasn't my best decision… Nevertheless, as General of the Cornerian army I needed to make a call; I will reiterate how great a number of fighters attacked our convoy! I was afraid they would be too great for even you to handle, and I didn't want to put you or your team in any more danger than I had too."

As the hare talked, the vulpes' grin had slowly returned with the hushed chuckle that bore it. "Here I was thinking you were the fool." He finally turned his sharp, jeering gaze to his old friend. "Life as a General really has treated you well..."

As sincerely apologetic as Peppy had appeared to be, a fire lit in Fox's eyes as he watched impatience enter the hare's expression. "Fox, once this is over I promise you can crucify me as you wish, but soldiers are dying. We need every asset we can ge-"

"I, don't, CARE!" Fox barked, teeth bared as he nearly lunged at the hologram. "This is the Cornerian government's problem, your problem, not mine! I'm done throwing away everything I have for a society that's tossed me for wolves!" Sweat bled from his pores into a film that coated his entire body underneath his coat. He stood shaking, his eyes burning into Peppy's lowered head as he waited for the hare's response.

"...Do… Do you hear yourself Fox?" He breathed, sounding completely distraught. "What would your father think? He raised you to never give up-"

"And to trust, my, instincts." His smirk returned, only now it expressed a more menacing image. "Mention my father one more time, you spineless deserter." As soon as Fox had said it, he could see he'd said enough.

The hare's coat stood stiff, his eyes wide, pupils dilated, and nose still; his gaze now travelling through Fox.

The vulpine rested his hands on the table as regret began to weigh on him. His head lowered, eyes screwed shut, and his frame tightened again from his internal struggle. When his eyelids opened, his eyes were wavering and moist as sorrow bled into the rest of his face. His lips moved to cut the silence that had slowed the seconds, but the instant cease of the humming background told him Peppy was gone.

Fox felt trapped in limbo as his own emotions fell into shock, but rage's snare maintained its hold as his fingers curled into fists, and his upper frame yanked an arm back to bring it snapping down onto the surface; the bang reverberating throughout the room. "Damn it, Peppy!" He hollered, grief cracking through the fury that lined his outburst. More exhausted than he'd already been, his muscles ached to sink into the ground and he indulged them; turning himself around as he slumped to the floor and rested his back against the steel cylinder. His breath was shallow as his eyes were clouded by his thoughts; his limbs falling still as the bridge.

Time had become a blur to him, and he wasn't sure how much had passed once his ears twitched at the sound of footsteps marching back up the stairs. He looked over to see Slippy ascending them, taking an assertive, ready stance at the top as he gave Fox a resolute glare.

"Alright, you said your piece; now let's go." Slippy stated, his tone sharp as his look.

Fox exhaled a weak laugh, and looked back down at the space between his feet. "I'm sorry Slippy…" The moisture in his eyes glistened. "I can't…"

"You made us a deal." He began walking towards Fox with a commanding stride. "We call the shots, and you tag along."

Fox couldn't hold back a humored smirk as he went to respond, but Slippy cut him off.

"I know Star Wolf is there… I know she will be with them… but you can't run from it forever; you know this."

Fox's smirk slowly fell, his hardened gaze fracturing.

"Your paths will cross again one day, as they have many times, and you'll have to face them; and we need you now."

The vulpines' eyes closed, and a relenting sigh escaped his nostrils.

"We need you." Slippy repeated, now standing at Fox's feet. "Not Star Wolf, not Corneria; Star Fox. Us."

Fox opened his broken eyes and looked up at his childhood friend.

The toad outstretched a warm green hand. "Will you help us?"

Fox held the toad's sincere gaze, hesitating in vein before his own hand swung up to grasp the other's.

…..

Slow as Slippy could be, the two of them had dashed down to the hanger, side by side, in less than a minute, finding four of the five spacecraft already humming and vibrating the ground.

Slippy instantly lit up as he found that his Arwing was one of them; its blue glow emanating from each of its G-diffusers. "Awww baby, you didn't have to!"

Fox couldn't see or hear Amanda inside her Tadpole, but he could tell Slippy had from his headset as the toad's smile beamed brighter whilst he dashed towards his fighter. The sight brought Fox to connect his own headset to the team's comm channel, catching Falco in mid ridicule.

"-upcakes and sweat over the oven together… Ay Fox! Welcome to the fray, you kiss and make up with Peppy better than these two by chance? We's about to leave withoutcha…

Fox inhaled to respond, but Amanda's smooth, southern, and lethally calm voice beat him to it.

"Excuse me you perverted parrot? How bout you keep your unfaithful mind and morals out of something you could never understand? Mkay hun?"

"You tell him my beautiful water lily!" Slippy chimed in proudly.

"You always knew how to back me up honey." Amanda responded warmly.

"Just spare us the pleasantry of you two's love fest and let's get this show on the road." Falco grouched as he finished his pre-flight checks from the cockpit of his Sky Claw. He then closed the transparent hatch of his cockpit and the Arwing levitated off the floor, rotating towards the hanger's large opening that displayed a blue force field separating the oxygen inside the Great Fox II from the vacant, starry space, and bolted through it faster than the animal eye could blink.

Fox slowly shook his head in both amusement and annoyance at the avian's exit as the percussion wave from the Sky Claw's engines knocked back his fur and ears, along with several other loose parts, tools, and other items throughout the hanger. Slippy grabbed Fox's attention next by almost ramming into his Arwing with the Bullfrog; clumsily leading it from its resting place out into the infinite beyond, nearly bumping into the remaining starfighters on his way out with the added "Pardon me, sorry, coming through." at each close call.

Amanda more gracefully followed suit, commenting with a giggle, "Maybe skip the wine over our cupcakes tonight sweetie…"

Fox chuckled lightheartedly as he climbed up into his Arwing and landed in the padded seat of his starcraft, sealing his cockpit window and starting his own checks.

"I'm glad you're here Fox." Lucy's voice was warm and giddy through the coms, bringing Fox's eyes to her Sky Bunny as she lifted it off the ground and set off to join the rest out in the stars, her face radiating with excitement.

Suddenly, he watched three unknown fighters appear above the Great Fox and pursue her, blasting her fighter instantly, bringing it to light up in a ploom of fiery shrapnel.

Fox cringed out of the hallucination, his heart already pounding from its horror. He grit his teeth in frustration as he growled softly. "It doesn't matter…"

"Coming Fox?"

Fox was woke from his thoughts by Slippy's voice, looking up to see that everyone else had flown out of the hanger. "Yeah, on my way out…" He answered as he quickly grabbed the levers on each of his seat's arms and increased power to the four on-board engines built onto its wings. The tranquil sensation of floating overcame Fox as he lifted off the hanger floor. He gently pulled back on his thruster lever and sent the Arwing effortlessly forward till it brought him outside the Great Fox II; where he was instantly surrounded by an armada of stars that lit up the dark vastness of space. A femininely soft and sweet voice echoed in his ears; its tone bearing the grave sorrow her aching heart could not hide.

They were all I had when I'd lost everything else…

Fox began to shrink under the condemning gaze of his audience. Stop it… He thought, shaking himself out of it and scanning the area for his crew. His eyepiece's HUD located them a few kilometers up ahead; and the combat a few thousand kilometers ahead of them.

Peppy had spoken accurately: the attack force was not a small group of renegades on a suicide mission to kill a few Cornerians in revenge for what had been done to their planet; this was meant to overwhelm and destroy the convoy. The whole scene looked as fierce as the Lylat Wars that started it all.

Deep within the lasers, plasma, and rocket fire that flew in every direction, the erratically erupting swarm of unidentified, diverse starfighters, and pieces of what had originally been more of said spacecraft drifting all over the battlefield was the well equipped, multi-frigate convoy; their updated silver hulls glistening like stars. Even at his distance, Fox could tell the large ships had already sustained life threatening damage and spent just about every resource they were armed with. "So what in hell is it this time…" He grumbled solemnly, noticing that whoever the opposing force was presented no frigates, battleships, or carriers of their own. All he saw around the Cornerian battleships was the enormous flurry of individual fighter jets slowly diminishing what remained of the convoy.

"You gonna join us up here cap'?"

Fox shuddered, recognizing Falco's voice through his comms. "Why do you still call me that…" He groaned with frustration, quickly putting his thrusters to full capacity to catch up. Upon reaching them, his HUD showed they all had about nine seconds until they would enter the chaos.

"What's the plan Falco?" Lucy asked, her voice still matching her facial expression that Fox had observed back in the hanger.

"Blast our way to the battle cruisers, form a perimeter, and push outwards. That'll give us some space to attract what's left of the Cornerian fighters; maybe even the Star Wolf team."

"What happens when our plan conflicts with theirs?" Fox interjected, his indifferent tone covering the spike of fear that had just injected his heart.

"You n' Wolf can snarl over it; party's here!"

Fox's intestines clenched as the whole team immediately fell silent and switched their focus to being combat ready as they sped right into the carnage; stepping out of the dark and straight into bursting light and chaos.

The whole team began dodging obstacles and firing at enemy fighters. Fox's HUD lit up with information as he worked, his eyes narrowing as he studied the data it displayed. The feeling of stupidity accompanied his confusion as he discovered in the middle of the battle his attacker's identities. One by one Fox locked onto every hostile fighter that went to pass him, igniting them using his dual hyper laser cannons before they could even acknowledge the Arwing.

"I don' know whether to feel thrilled," Falco commented as he zoomed overhead Fox, quickly gaining on a couple of Dragon fighters and successfully nailing both dead center, one right after the other. "Or horrified over this nostalgia!" He proceeded to descend into the hoard below, lighting up every varying 'A' adorned fighter within his reach.

Fox swiftly rolled his fighter out of the way of laser fire from an oncoming Killer Bee, then managed to cross it again before it passed; delivering a death blow to the craft with a charged blast from his laser cannons. "So, Falco, what else did I cut you and Peppy off from informing me?" Fox asked.

Falco's voice burst into the comms. "How about a little help for the bird with a parasite latched to him!"

Fox looked over to see the Sky Claw rising with a biomechanic insect over half the size of the starfighter itself that had successfully grabbed onto the engine; struggling to hang on through Falco's violent rolls and lurching maneuvers. "There's Aparoids too...?!" He blurted in a shout that trailed off.

Lucy was on Falco's left, weaving through blasts, scrap, and starcrafts as she struggled to get a lock on the biomech bug in the Sky Claw's feathers. "Oh for the love of… Do a barrel role!"

Fox shuddered at her outburst while Falco generated the Sky Claw's electromagnetic shields through a prolonged, fervent role; knocking the flesh and steel bug loose just before the Sky Bunny hammered it with blasts until it was shredded into scrap.

"You could'a suggested that sooner!" Falco griped as he reoriented his fighter.

"Awww, the poor ace pilot Falco Lombardi: should've known." Lucy carelessly shrugged inside her Sky Bunny as she pulled away towards her next targets.

"Yeah, you're right! Serves me for expectin' help from a teammate!"

Amanda broke into the argument. "Ya'll need to lock your traps!" She flew her Tadpole between a Cornerian fighter and three pursuing Triangle fighters plus an Aparoid; interrupting their flight path. "Girl can't think with all that chatter!"

The four hostiles split away from each other as Amanda whipped the Tadpole around and began taking them out one by one before they had a chance to gain their bearings.

Slippy had been keeping tabs on her actions and swooped around to flank the rest with his plasma cannon. "You mess with one Toad, you mess with them both!"

Amanda smirked and slightly shook her head, keeping her eyes trained her targets. "But I attacked them baby."

Slippy was caught by his own tongue. "Yeah, w-well… they… obviously h-had plans to fire back! And I won't let that happen!" He finished proudly as he blasted the final Triangle fighter and aligned the Bullfrog alongside the Tadpole.

Amanda blushed with an amused smile. "I can always count on you honey." She answered affectionately as she increased her speed to stay with him and avoid getting blasted by the countless occupants of the surrounding battlefield.

The conversation had drawn Fox like a magnet, his eyes wincing as he fought to stay focused. He tuned them out and slowed his Arwing's speed to help another Cornerian fighter that was being chased down by an Androssian and an Aparoid; directing his HUD to scan the starcraft in an attempt to deduct more from his historic foe's haunting survivors. It confirmed the living biotech of the Aparoid, and every detail of the Dragon fighter matched what they'd faced before. Fox's eyes hardened in frustration that what it couldn't make out was the cockpit's occupant.

"Fox!" Falco's voice brought Fox back to reality. "Watch your tail, you've got three Venom fighters behind you and they've got a lock!"

Fox pushed down on his controls, ducking just in time to avoid a group of plasma blasts that whizzed overhead. He then began to survey the surrounding warzone through his HUD and get a grip on what was happening. Damn it Fox! He scolded himself.

Slippy's voice came over Fox's headset. "We're closing in on the Cornerian frigates; we made it!"

Fox searched past all the fighters, lasers, and plasma blasts that tore by every side of him through the scrap filled sector of space, acknowledging their sudden proximity to the glistening, silver behemoths they were all after.

Falco quickly took command. "Alright guys, start formin' that perimeter and gettin' us some wing room! R.O.B., ya read me?"

"YOUR VOICE IS COMING IN CLEAR. HOW MAY I BE OF ASSISTANCE?"

"I need you to use the Great Fox's firepower to keep our ingress route thinned out; you know... case we need to egress it..."

Fox threw his Arwing into an Aileron Roll to deflect a flurry of laser fire that was sent his way by a Venomian space fighter and another Dragon fighter; driving his starcraft down so as to pass underneath his assaulters.

"Slippy, Amanda; help R.O.B out by doing the same thing with your own fighters. Lucy, Fox, help me clear that perimeter."

Right after Falco finished giving his order, a new voice came over the comm link.

"Quite the commander there, aren't you; Star Fowl. I can't believe I'm saying this, but I actually miss the pup over your squawking."

Fox recognized it instantly; he knew that gruff growl anywhere. "Wolf."