Prologue
It was sixteen years ago when the tides of battle turned in favor of the Anglar Empire. Though there is no official story to how it happened, it is said that a weapon beyond reckoning was used on both Cornerian and Anglar forces. The mercenary team that was known to be Starfox was unfortunately in unspeakable chaos, and one by one they fell. To this day, no one knows who fired that shot, despite the claims from Anglar Authorities. General Peppy did his best to defend what remained of Corneria, however, it was too late for only the four pilots of legend together had the potential to hold them back. Only a few days after being conquered, Peppy was publicly executed to signify the beginning of our impoverished and indentured lives as economic slaves.
I was barely a year old when Corneria had gone to hell. As I grew up, my mother did everything she could in order to raise me since all possessions were taken once we were under Anglar rule. No matter if it was stealing, bribery, or selling herself out, she had to hide her own shame in order for the both of us to get by. Derek was the name she said my father probably wanted me to have, though she barely knew the man. All she can recall of him is that he was a wondrous and broken man. Strangely enough, I don't resent him but neither do I hold any love for him. He was simply a man who happened to come across my mother, with me being the result. Because of his absence, I take my mother's last name, "Reynolds". There was no other name I was willing to accept, even if I knew my father's last name.
By the time I was seven, my mother fell ill. Since then, I had to rely on my uncle Randy to provide for us. He was a good thief, and to me the best there had ever been. Uncle knew where to go in order to be undetected, and how to escape a bad situation quickly and cleanly. Randy even taught me how to traverse buildings and rooftops quickly. Once I was twelve, I became his partner in crime. The both of us would sneak to the elite and aristocratic districts where no Cornerian was allowed to set foot. We would bring back the finest of wares, and trade them in for meals that could last for days on end. The days when I stole by my uncle's side were unforgettable, and I cherish them with all my heart. It was only until we did a heist that was both necessary and far out of reach from success.
My mother was laying on her bed almost like a corpse, and could barely move. Fortunately enough, my uncle found where the cure for my mother's illness. It was our only shot, so both of us took our chances. We snuck through the pipelines to the aristocratic district, where all basic necessities were given away at no price. As the both of us went from building to building, we found the hospital that lay in that region. Hallway after hallway, we searched until we found the storage room containing the cure. The point that everything began to fall apart was when I underestimated the security measures the faculty took. As soon as I tapped the cure even a little bit, however, I discovered there were pressure sensors for every item on their respected shelf. The alarms blared, forcing us to run without a thought.
The rest of what I can recall is a blur. As soon as we exited the building on the rooftops, Anglar soldiers were surrounding the building and were on their way to do anything they could to stop us. Eventually, we had to go down to the alleyways, since aerocopters were being sent to shoot us down. Running after running, we were growing tired but we had no choice but to continue running. Once we got to the gutter we came from, Randy pushed me in with the cure in my hand since there was no time. As I waited for my uncle, thinking there was going to be another grand escape, I heard footsteps of what sounded like an entire assault team heading towards my location. But it didn't take me long to realize that it wasn't me they were looking for.
A soldier yelled, "Put your hands where we can see them, kid! You had not only illegally trespassed borders but as well stole property that doesn't belong to Cornerians such as yourself!" Moments passed and not a single word had been spoken. I kept on hoping that Randy would pull another of his escape stunts just as he did before, but deep down, I knew there was no other way. Even if he were to turn himself in, it would only delay the inevitable.
Randy took a deep breath and exhaled, in which he finally spoke, "Always thought it would end this way", only to be gunfire heard from all corners. There was no time to experience grief, since if I were to cry I would end the same as my uncle. Thus, I took the opportunity to go down the pipelines back to the Cornerian slum. I was fast, even falling over into the sewage as I slipped. Once I made it back to my mother, the relief I felt was flooded me. Upon her sight, I landed on her chest for I wanted nothing else but to sob in her comfort. It was then that I felt her stone-cold body, and saw she was laying still with expressionless eyes staring upwards. Only then was my grief bit into me harder than any knife out there, and my sadness overrun with a shock I could not quite describe. I don't know how long I sat there wide-eyed with my mind a hundred miles away, as the cure sat in my hand. All I could manage to think of was whatever fate had next for me. Would I be a slave forced to work every ounce of myself? Would I be a soldier only meant to be fodder? Or would I simply starve on the streets? These were the only three options that were presented to me, for I knew that being a thief would only draw more trouble.
