SIX

General Peppy stood in holographic form, projected to scale on the floor of Admiral Shepherd's glistening white, gold trimmed Bridge.

Admiral Shepherd stood straight and strong in front of him, having just finished reporting their current situation; including the pilots missing in action, and the treachery of the rest of Star Wolf.

"How could things have gone so wrong this quickly?" Peppy said, burning with grief. "My daughter… Lucy, is she at least alright?"

Shepherd spoke positively, trying to lift the general's spirits. "Miss Hare is just fine, sir. We are currently holding our position and keeping a keen eye on the planet; looking for any signs of further aggression, and the return of McCloud of Star Fox and Chief Warrant Officer Krystal of the Star Wolf faction."

Relief flashed across Peppy's face after hearing of Lucy's good health. "How did they wind up down there again?" The general asked, struggling to come to grips with his other losses.

"I was told he was pursuing Chief Krystal, who'd been shot down in battle by another of the Star Wolf faction."

"Ohhh, what have I done…" Peppy sighed, burying his face in his hands. "I brought the two of them back together, I put them in this jeopardy, and now I might have lost them both…"

The Admiral's eyes hinted surprise. She had heard her fill of stories about the exalted Star Fox team, as well as General Peppy's history with them, but this was the first time she had ever witnessed an actual emotional connection between the two. "They aren't confirmed KIA yet sir. Until we see proof, they will remain MIA."

Peppy seemed to perk up at hearing that. "Quite right… no need to put them in their graves yet. Your battleships are on the way; you've done an extraordinary job of suppressing this threat. Keep it up admiral."

Shepherd beamed with pride. "Thank you, sir. You have an ETA on the arrival of my pair of reinforcements?"

"Ten minutes Admiral."

"Let's hope they don't get caught up in an ambush like we did." The admiral grunted.

"They'll be taking the same route as you, so unless you left any behind?"

Shepherd cracked a smile. "I always clean my plate, sir."

"Very good. Continue updating us on the situation, this is General Hare signing off."

"Until then." Shepherd answered with a well performed salute.

Peppy returned the gesture with one equally practiced, then disappeared as the hologram projector cut the transmission.

Falco, Lucy, and Amanda continued to fly around the once lit battlefield that now remained a dead junkyard among the stars above Venom.

"So… I'm joinin' Slip' back at the Great Fox." Falco piped up. "Either a you ladies with me?"

Lucy instantly offered rebuke. "How could you even think of relaxing at a time like this?! Fox is still down there! Don't you even care?!"

Riled as they were, Falco forced his nerves to stay cool. "Hey I tried to show concern for ol Fox, but all I got told was to shut up!" Falco caught himself, calmed himself, and then continued. "So until he show's his fu-uzzy face, I'm gonna chill back at the ship; maybe even have a beer with Slip'."

"That's the last thing I'm in the mood for right now Falco! R.O.B. and I are still finishing up repairs!" Slippy stated, stressed as ever.

"Your loss. Lucy, Amanda, let me know when the fearless leader shows up." He jeered.

Back on the battleship, Admiral Shepherd had been silently listening to yet another quarrel between the glorious Star Fox team. These are the ones who saved this universe countless times eh? She chuckled to herself. She was about to interject again and order the bird to stay right where he was, due to the chance of another attack that could occur any second; but her right-hand lieutenant spoke before she could.

"Ma'am, our radar is picking up something. Two objects are emerging from the planet and headed straight towards us."

"Get those identified ASAP." Shepherd ordered.

Amanda butted in. "No need, Admiral, we recognize those ships anywhere!"

Excitement found its way back into Lucy's voice. "It's Fox! A-aaand Krystal!"

Shepherd smiled. "Well, well; looks like he pulled it off after all."

Lucy could hardly contain herself. "Fox! Are you okay?! What happened?! How are you?!"

The two fighters continued to head full speed towards the surviving fleet.

The edges of Lucy's smile slowly began to withdraw. "Fox?" She asked again, her expression transforming to one that matched her rising uneasy state.

The pilots of the incoming Arwings remained silent, Krystal's Arwing held its pace while Fox's seemed to increase its speed.

Even Falco had turned back to observe the turn of events. "Talk to us, Fox." He ordered, feeling the same unease as Lucy. "Krystal?"

Finally, the Arwings drew near to the battleships. Krystal's fighter peeled away from Fox's and began to circle around the entire area, while Fox's held its course and began heading away from the group.

Neither Lucy nor Falco gave warning to their immediate takeoff after the rabbiting fighter, as if in a race to see who could catch up to it first. Amanda was tempted to follow, but her eyes traced back to Krystal's fighter when she heard it give its first transmission.

"This is Chief Warrant Officer Krystal of Star Wolf faction, requesting permission to land in the starboard dock of cruiser charlie-eighteen; my Cloud Runner is in desperate need of repairs."

Amanda decided to stay behind and see how this played out. She didn't like how calm Krystal sounded.

…...

"Fox! Please answer us!" Lucy begged, panicking over her leader's silence. Her Sky Bunny was quickly falling behind Falco's Sky Claw. "Falco, can you see him in there?! Is he okay?!

"It's Fox alright, but you don't want to know what he looks like right now…" Falco answered, his voice leaking concern for the first time that Lucy could ever remember.

"What kind of answer is that?!" Lucy freaked, "Is he alive?!"

"He's alive, and fully conscious. He just looks as if he's been through hell and back." Guess Venom ol' do that to ya… Then it hit Falco. "Ya know, you'd better remember this next time I'm asking for stuff!"

"You really want to go into this now?!" Lucy furiously yelled.

"All I'm saying is for you to remember it!" Falco answered, positioning his Sky Claw above and to the port side of the Arwing. Suddenly he swooped down towards the fighter, aiming to strike its wing with his own.

"What are you doing Falco?! You could've just killed him!"

Falco swept to the starboard side of Fox's spacecraft from underneath it. "You gotta have more faith in these Arwings, they can take all kinds of punishment; even the first models…" He added, his voice trailing off as if the last comment was more to himself.

"That aside, how is this helping?!"

"You know how Fox can get hyper-focused, he's on a mission. I'm just trying to get his attention."

Falco had hoped that it worked when the Arwing began to fly upwards and circle around to the rear of Lucy and him. "Fox, can you hear me bud? You gotta start removing your head from the stars!"

There came an answer, but it wasn't one Falco was expecting. As he watched Fox position himself behind the two of them, the Arwing's blasters lit up and sent laser bolts headed straight towards Falco's Sky Claw. Falco rolled his fighter away from Lucy, attempting to stay clear of the continuous light storm that followed. "Looks like it worked a little too well!"

Lucy couldn't believe her eyes. Her body locked up as she sat and frightfully watched. "Fox, what're you doing?!"

Falco drove his fighter downwards then spun upwards to his port side. "Lucy, care to help a fella out?!"

Lucy was still struggling to accept the scenario. "What do you expect me to do?! Shoot him?!"

"It's gonna be him or me!" Falco shouted, then he thought about what he just said. "Why do I get the feeling I'm not going to like the answer to that statement…"

Lucy was flooded with guilt. But why does it have to be YOU Fox?! You trained me, made me family, gave me my greater place in the galaxy! Please don't make me end it like this…

Falco grunted in anger as Fox's fire finally raked the outer wing of his Sky Claw, deciding that was enough. "Alright Fox, you asked for it!" Falco drove his fighter downwards and performed a summersault-spin maneuver, ending right where he wanted; headed straight up towards the bottom of Fox's arwing. "I'll try not to make this hurt... too much!" Falco squeezed the triggers on his control wheel, and let loose on Fox.

Fox's Arwing pulled to his right to dodge the assault, though a few of the Sky Claw's lasers still contacted it's belly; the shields keeping it from being a lethal blow. Falco stayed on him as close as he could until the Arwing flipped back in a flash; leaving the Sky Claw to zip by right under it. Following through the flip, Fox was back behind Falco and began blasting away at his fighter.

Damn! Falco thought harshly. He had hoped to deplete Fox's shields, then circle back around for a wounding blow to one of the Arwing's wings; but all he had succeeded in doing was pissing off Fox even further.

Fortunately, the Sky Claw had the speed advantage over all Fox's Arwings. Falco put distance between the two of them, then perform a sudden drift; planting himself face to face with Fox. My turn.

All throughout the skirmish, Lucy still remained at a distance; unable to convince herself to take action. She watched in fear for both pilot's lives as they entered the famous joust, dancing around each other's shots whilst trying to hit each other. Lucy knew she was between a rock and a hard place. If I sit back and do nothing, either Fox or Falco is going to get the winning blow. If I intervene and try to disorientate Fox, I could kill him! But not doing so could get Falco killed, or allow HIM to kill Fox!

"Agh!" She cried, grabbing both her ears and tugging them down along the sides of her face. "Why is this happening?!"

"Alright Lucy," Falco cut in, "I've got a cheap bluff that will hurt me as much as it'll hurt him; so stop worryin' about the fur ball, and listen up!"

…...

Thankful that the two Star Fox members had entered their joust, allowing her to catch up, Lucy circled around the duel and parked herself about four hundred meters from them. Two hundred meters in, two hundred meters out. I'll have to book it once it's launched, but it's the only chance I have to save them both! She laid her petite fingers on the joystick button that would launch the bomb, setting it to have a four second delay on the detonation. That should be enough time to ignite at the halfway point. She looked up at the stars and sent out another prayer. You've protected me, now please… protect them. She pressed the button.

The last thing Fox could remember was a white light going off to the side of him; completely filling his vision. Krystal… can't… let her die…

"I will always love you Fox, even if you never loved me."' Her soft, innocent voice trembled.

The darkness was suddenly flooded with the image of when he first saw her; unwinding the Vulpes instantly.

But I did love you… He replied from his own shaken mind. He reached out towards her, wishing to experience the nerves she ignited within him. To feel the warmth and love for her when watching her own nervousness, and the connection they both felt when they'd bring each other comfort.

A sparkle announced itself from her fascinating eyes, and Fox was instantly taken by her entrancing wonder of life. Suddenly he witnessed her sitting on the wing of his starcraft, wearing the blue bodysuit the team had first acquired for her, staring past the hanger opening that led into space; looking out upon the innumerable amount of stars. Her excitement upon returning to the white burning rocks, and being able to fly among them every day, was just as genuine as the day she first saw them; she took every opportunity to be as close to them as she could.

"They were all I had when I'd lost everything else…" She told Fox as he climbed onto the wing and sat about a meter from her side. Her voice was so still, soft, and sweet; yet in her tone, Fox heard the grave sorrow that her aching heart could not hide.

"It's hard…" She said as she gazed beyond the stars; into her own thoughts. "I feel so different from everyone else. My people all displayed vibrant fur and skin colors and patterns; we wore them proudly! Now… I feel cornered by every stare I get walking down the street."

Fox frantically searched for words to boost her confidence without creating an uncomfortable tension. It's because you're so freaking beautiful, they hate you for it! Wait, shut up Fox! She can read your thoughts! He searched her expression for any changes, and found some relief that she seemed oblivious. He finally decided to settle for, "You shouldn't. Your people sound incredible! Any judgmental glare you get is just jealousy."

Krystal's eyes lit up a little at his comment, meeting his as she continued. "I thought so. We all also had our own psychic abilities, some could even develop multiple talents. I've only ever known telepathy, but I think I've gotten pretty good at it." She said, looking away as she bit her lip and started moving her shoulders in a wave like motion.

Fox swallowed. That's what scares me…

That instant, Krystal looked at him curiously.

His heart stopped.

"Do you think I'm good at it?"

His heart resumed at its heightened pace as he fought the dryness in his throat. "You've… certainly always been accurate with any enemy intelligence you've collected, and if it weren't for you contacting me, I never would have found you." He finished with an awkward smile.

Krystal's excitement grew a little. "And I'm glad you found me, I think I've really found a home with you guys;" She grabbed her own upper arm before adding shyly, "As long as you're okay with me being here…"

Fox nearly turned red from nerves. "I-" He stopped himself, clearing his tightening throat as an excuse. "We're happy to have you, as long as you'll stay?"

Krystal smiled and looked down at her dangling feet. "I shall." Then the smile slowly faded.

Fox's warm embarrassment was replaced with concern. "What's wrong Krystal?"

Krystal swallowed, taking a few moments before she answered. "I'll just… always miss them… I'll never be able to forget their last moment."

He involuntarily fought the urge to place his hand on her shoulder. "What happened to them?"

Krystal took a slow, deep breath and opened her mouth as if to answer, but nothing came. Her mournful expression strained as her eyes became moist. "I...I was only fourteen..." She managed to get out, weakly. "The lizards invaded our planet and used our home for its resources. It didn't take long before most of its woodlands were completely flattened by their great machines and replaced by cold, fire and poisonous smoke spitting structures… They even carved and blasted into the ground beneath; turning it all from its green, living garden to a merciless land of vacant dirt and broken stone…"

Scornful as the crime was to him, Fox heard only growing sorrow in her tone; sorrow that began to fuel his own rage and pull his perspective from the dream. You did this to her. Fox now saw a weeping, juvenile Krystal curled up and concealed behind mounds of cargo within a cold, dark, Venomian cargo cruiser while her parents lay lifeless on their ravaged forest grounds outside the vessel; their corpses riddled with seared holes. To them.

Fox felt the dark entity that he addressed surrounding him, threatening him, filling his head with the memory of his own parent's grave fate. To us.

Fox merely felt himself give a grim smirk. You think this brings me fear? His mind clouded with dark and murderous wrath. He stepped into the floating black haze in a display of rebellion, enwrapped in shadows as he listened to the words pour from his mouth. "You will not keep me from her, nothing will."

'They will.' Came its answer.

The dark haze faded, and Fox found himself lying on a cold, metal surface in a hanger; looking up into the faces of a pink rabbit, a green frog, and a blue falcon.

….

Lucy, Slippy, and Falco watched vigilantly as the fox they had just removed from the vintage model Arwing and laid on the Great Fox II hanger floor began to wake.

"He's coming to!" Slippy stated excitedly.

"Fox?" Lucy asked tenderly, placing her hand on his shoulder.

Her outreach was instantly rejected when Fox smacked it away, jumped to his feet, and took up a fighting stance, facing his three captors.

Falco saw it coming the split-second Fox opened his eyes; noticing his pupils were completely dilated. He only wished he had enough time to warn Lucy and Slippy, who had looks of pure horror and confusion on their faces; which only worsened with their leader's aggressive stance. "Something's extremely wrong with you if you still don't recognize us." Falco said, agitated.

Slippy began to approach Fox. "Fox, its Slippy… Don't you remem-"

"Stay back!" Fox ordered, causing Slippy to jump away as Fox tensed for an attack.

Lucy's mind was thrown into a world of chaos as she beheld her terrified leader. She had never seen him, let alone another being, in such condition. Dried blood covered just about every portion of his matted fur and ravaged clothing. Claw marks drug across the top of his head and another set pierced through his tactical vest at the chest. His headset was gone, and his face held a handful of cuts and bruises on both sides distinctive enough to be seen through his fur. Lucy marveled at how he was still alive. On top of everything, he was acting as if they all were nothing but a threat to him.

The mental weight of it all broke her. Ten minutes ago, Fox had attacked Falco, and just now he appeared ready to do the same to Slippy. Lucy couldn't take it anymore; the Fox she knew had to come back. A tear left her eye as she marched up to him and went to slap him. "Why won't you talk to us?!"

"Lucy, don't!" Falco yelled as he went to stop her.

Fox caught Lucy's striking hand and kept hold of it as he turned away from her, then pulled on her arm until she flipped her over his shoulders and was slammed onto the ground in front of him. He drew his blaster and went to aim it at his offender, but was knocked to the ground by a stun blast from Falco's blaster. His limbs curled involuntarily to his chest, gasping for breath as he lost all control of his muscles to spasms.

"Falco, let's just calm down here!" Slippy nervously pleaded, stepping between him and Fox. "He's stunned, alright?! Lucy's safe. I'm sure he was only protecting himself!"

"Protect himself my tail feathers!" Falco hollered.

Fox's body began to tense enough to shake violently, and the sound of strained, muffled sobbing began to radiate from his grounded muzzle. "I CAN'T LET HIM TAKE HER!"

Slippy froze and slowly gazed over at him.

Falco pushed past Slippy and charged over to Fox, thrusting his knee down beside Fox's head and grasping the Vulpes' vest collar; placing doward pressure on Fox's shoulders as he brought his pistol back on target. "I want to know what the fuck's goin' on." Falco sternly ordered.

Fox opened his mouth and fought for words, but his jaw continued to tremble as the tears rolled from his eyes. "I'm sorry…"

Falco remained still as stone.

Fox's head fought to look around at his entire team, resting his watery green irises on Lucy; who'd only pushed her upper body off the ground to observe in shocked silence. "I… I'm so sorry…" He whispered, steadily returning his face toward the ground as if to conceal himself from them all.

Falco still appeared unmoved. "What happened, on Venom?"

Fox stared deep into the scuffed metal floor. "We were captured…"

Falco furrowed his feathered brow. "By whom?"

Fox shut his eyes in a pained manner. "Bowman." He whispered.

Lucy gave a slight gasp whilst Slippy removed his ball cap and threw it on the ground.

"He survived?!" The toad questioned.

"How'd you two escape?" Falco interjected, glancing at the original Arwing as he tried to move the conversation along. After today's events, nothing surprised him anymore.

"We didn't." Fox said.

"Then how the hell did the two of you manage to fly off that planet?!"

"We didn't." Fox repeated. "She's still there…"

"Nerf shit! I watched her follow you in her Cloud Runner, she broke away from you as you flew on ahead!"

Fox faught Falco's grip on his collar to shift his stare up at the falcon, the Vulpes' face now portraying grave sincerity. "She's not in the cockpit."

Falco was taken back a bit. "Then who is?"

"It doesn't matter… There's no stopping him…"

Falco threw his hands up in the air with frustration. "Excellent!" He looked over at Slippy. "Slip, go let Shepherd know she's got a possible disguised threat in th-" Before he could finish, he felt two hands grab his jacket collar and drive his body backward until it slammed against a large, wide, multi-shelved tool box on the hanger floor.

Fox held Falco in place while he barked out, "You will not stop him! Not as long as he still has her!"

Falco was beginning to prove himself wrong that nothing else today could surprise him, Fox's sudden offense actually struck a bolt of fear through him; rarely had Fox ever displayed such brute force. "So she's a hostage, there's ways around this Fox! But first we have to prevent-"

"THERE IS NO PREVENTING! Bowman made it VERY clear to me that if his plan falls through, they're going to kill him!"

"I fail to see where this is a bad thing?!"

Fox leaned in closer. "He'll take Krystal with him."

"Then we kill him first! Or we get the Cornerian Special Forces to sneak in and rescue her! They've done stuff like that many times! There are options Fox!"

Fox drew his broken blade and put it right to Falco's lower beak. "I, won't, risk it." He growled.

The action didn't even phase Falco, he'd had enough. He shoved Fox off of him, ignoring the jagged blade's fierce scrape along his beak. "So you're telling me that we're supposed to bow down and give the galaxy to this guy?! That no matter what we do, he's gonna kill Krystal?! We're not standing-by again Fox!" The Falcon spat, shoving a finger in Fox's face. "I understand the risk, but you have to compare one life versus trillions! He's probably just going to kill her anyway, and you along with her! That ever cross your mind?!"

"He's not going to just kill her." Fox suddenly voiced a deranged chuckle as he slowly shook his head. "That's the best part. He's just going to shred her limbs." He continued his light laughter. "One by one."

Bewilderment twinged across Falco's face.

Tears resumed rolling down Fox's fur as he continued his demented chuckling, his eyes fearfully widening as he appeared to relive the ghastly moment. "He-he shattered one right in front of me… just took the revolver, and… and sent a bullet right into her shoulder; straight down her arm."

Lucy clasped her hand over her mouth, a tear now rolled from her eye at hearing the horrid act.

Fox's laughing returned to unhindered sobbing as he dropped his knife and fell to the ground, propped up on his knees and elbows; his voice broken and distorted through his weeping. "If… if he gets even the… smallest hint that the military knows of his plans… If he even suspects that… I'm trying to find a way to save her other than… what he's told me to do… she will suffer; she will suffer worse than anything imaginable." Fox looked up at Falco through his saltine fluid soaked eyes. "He will make her, and me alongside her, beg him to just kill her…"

Falco was rendered speechless. Bowman was alive, and now he had Fox in his hands like a puppet; by a means that not even a nightmare could do justice. The falcon brought his feathered hands to smooth the rising feathers on his scalp as his beak released, "So… what does he want ya to do?"

"I hardly even know…" Fox whispered. "I'm supposed to go to Katina and meet up with someone who'll guide me to a case of valuable equipment that Dash wouldn't even describe to me, steal it, and report back to him. By now, I've only got..." Fox took a moment to look at a black watch that Falco had never seen before, a watch that had a set time ticking away on its digital screen. "Four hours, thirty-nine minutes until it's over for me, and it begins for her…"

This just keeps getting better. Falco mused, taking a moment to think the whole situation over as he brought his hands to his hips. "Katina huh? Robbing the place is going to be no small task. You're gonna need help."

Fox looked back up at Falco.

Falco raised his voice. "R.O.B., get Amanda back and set course for Katina; and make it a real snappy trip."

R.O.B. responded over the comm line. "COURSE CHARTED. CONTACTING AMANDA."

Falco returned audience to Fox and knelt down beside him. "What was the last thing you ate?"

Fox paused for a moment, his eyes lowering as if to search his memory. "MRE." He answered.

"Dear Lylat…" Falco mumbled, wiping his face with his feathered hand. "Slip', get him something real to eat."

"I'll whip up something quick!" Slip exclaimed as he charged off on his newfound mission.

"I'm not sure if I even can eat right now…" Fox uttered.

"Too bad. If you're gonna steal from the capital Cornerian military base in this system, you're going to put something more in your stomach than freakin' sludge" Falco looked Fox over. "Plus, you're going to take a shower and get into some new clothes, because you are a freakin' mess!"

R.O.B.'s voice came over the Great Fox's intercom. "DISTRESS CALL FROM AMANDA."

Next came Amanda's voice. "Guys, are you all deaf?! I've been trying to hail you forever! Cruiser Charlie-Eighteen has been infiltrated! I don't know who was in the Cloud Runner, but it wasn't Krystal!"

Falco looked at Fox, his expression questioning the Vulpes' commitment.

No words were needed for Fox's response. The decision was made.

Falco clenched his beak. "Amanda, stand down. Return to the Great Fox."

"Excuse me?! Did I not make myself clear?! Animals are dying in there!"

"Amanda, don't argue with this one. Just get back here."

"I want an explanation, feathers!"

That's new. Falco thought with a raise of his eyebrows. "You're not getting one. Get back here or we ship off without you. R.O.B., cut the line."

"COMM LINE TERMINATED."

Throughout the conversation's end, Falco never broke his locked-in stare with Fox; and neither had the Vulpes.