A/N: Since this update is rather short this time, I've decided to upload it sooner than intended. Yeah, this update is uncharacteristically short, being the shortest chapter since the first chapter of FC, but you'd be horribly mistaken if you assumed a short update isn't important. This is probably the most important update yet, and I'd love to hear from each and every one of you how this one turned out, guest or not.

So, that being said, I really don't have much to say, so please, tell me what you think of this one. I know it's short, but I'd LOVE to hear from you on this particular chapter, especially because of what happens in it. Taking this quote from a buddy of mine, "Feedback saves lives!"

Take care fellas!


The wolf will cry sheep as they take him away,
We plot in our sleep but follow orders all day
The rhythm is for you but the song is for me,
The meaning might be secret but the melody is free

Meat, predators eat meat
Predators eat meat
Let all my big dreams sink in
No one to enjoy it with
Oblivious… stay oblivious
Why can you not be more like me?
Hiding in a nearby tree

* The Voidz – Where No Eagles Fly *


General Pepper's Flagship

"What's this about, Green?" Pepper asked angrily as the collie's holographic body came into view on his machine.

"Sir, there's something not right about this war," Danny explained while continuously scratching the back of his neck.

"The only thing wrong is that you are turning against Corneria," Pepper snapped. "And you of all my officers. It had to be you of all the people that could have started a rebellion."

"He didn't start this," Wolf interjected as he stepped into the view of the holograph machine. Pepper growled softly as he recognized the lupine on the screen, then suddenly started chuckling.

"I should have known," Pepper muttered, shaking his head. "The original traitor himself. How does it feel, O'Donnell? Turning against your family, and forcing your friends to do the same to try and prove this fairy-tale story you keep telling us over and over again?"

"It's not a fake story," Danny interrupted. "It's truth. All of it is truth, and I'm sorry sir, but you've been wrong all of this time."

Pepper grunted and rubbed at his face. "Would I be wrong in saying that millions of innocent civilians being slaughtered for no reason deserves a just punishment for the perpetrators?"

"They don't deserve a punishment," Wolf replied. "They deserve justification, not whatever the hell you call these false accusations just to get revenge on them. They didn't do anything wrong, Pepper; when are you going to get that through your thick skull?"

The bloodhound growled again, then turned to one of the bridge attendants. "Tell Destroyer 1 to get weapons trained on that frigate. They want a battle? I'll sure as hell give them one."

"I wouldn't advise that, Pepper," Wolf taunted. "You don't realize who's on this ship, do you?"

"Yeah, a bunch of traitors and–"

"Fox," the lupine butted in with a smirk. "I'd suggest you keep your trigger-happy soldiers away from this ship, unless you want to cause more problems for James. If you think he's upset now, he'll be livid if you destroy this cruiser with his only kit on it."

Pepper lowered his head and his voice. "Son of a bitch, he's smart," he muttered, then revealed his irate eyes to the hologram. "What's stopping me from sending troops into your vessel and having them execute you and any of your accomplices that have been trying to undermine the integrity of the CDF?"

"You don't want that blood on your hands," Wolf answered matter-of-factly. "You do that, and you start a civil war. Do you really want to deal with a civil war on top of an intergalactic one? Do you want to have even more of your soldiers die in such a brutal and heartless way?"

"Dammit, you are starting this civil war, O'Donnell!"

"This is not my fucking fault you can't accept the truth!"

"ENOUGH!" another voice barked, then soon thereafter the bloodhound noticed a familiar silver dreadnaught warship slip alongside his flagship. After the Great Fox slowed to a hovering stop near the bloodhound's flagship, James' holographic frame came into view alongside Wolf's and Danny's frames. Fox nearly gasped at the sight of his father pop up on the machine on his end, but honestly didn't look too overjoyed in seeing him either.

"James?" Pepper called out in shock.

"The fuck are you doing old man?" Wolf snapped sourly, curling his eyebrows downward. "Shouldn't you be in the mental asylum right now?"

"Wolf, I… I need to talk to you," James announced.

"You've done enough talking," Wolf interrupted.

"Wolf, please, I made a mistake," James announced shakily, but the lupine was back on his verbal assault.

"No shit you made a mistake!" Wolf barked, curling his eyebrows down. "You made too many mistakes! You ruined your sons' lives, and not only that but you slept with another woman! How can you even live with yourself?"

James whimpered slightly, then threw his paws up in the air in defeat as if he was surrendering to arrest. "Wolf, I fucked up, alright? I'll admit it right now, I royally messed up. I screwed myself up to the point where I can't fix myself, or fix anything I screwed up in the process."

"You're god damn right you did!" Wolf butted in angrily.

"I did this," he continued, folding his paws near his midsection. "I caused the hell. I messed up."

"We get it James, you messed up, but what the fuck happened?" Wolf interrupted. "What got into you?"

"Everything," James admitted. "I… I let my emotions talk too much. I was sick, and I needed help, but I pushed everyone away that tried to help. I let my emotions surface too much towards everyone… including you. I mean… Damn I beat the shit out of you because I was upset. That's not what a father should do to his son."

"I thought you disowned me," the lupine deadpanned.

"If I could take back what I said to you, I'd do it in a heartbeat," James replied frankly. "Wolf, I… I'm so sorry. I did this to you. I ruined your life, and I got you in trouble with the law. As your father, I was supposed to keep you away from that life. I failed too much."

"James…" Wolf called out under his breath, tilting his ears back. Fox had about the same expression, but still restrained from making an appearance. He still didn't believe his father's change, and why would he with all of the crazy things he did?

"Honestly Wolf, I…" James started, failing to make eye contact out of shame. "I don't even know how to say I'm sorry to you. I tried to kill you for fuck's sake. I can't explain how terrible I acted over this week. I really can't."

"What snapped you out of it?" Wolf asked, surprisingly with no noticeable hostility towards the vulpine. James lowered his head momentarily, then started chuckling faintly.

"I saw her," he spoke breathily, almost as if he had lost his mind – which he essentially did. "I saw Vixy. When I was locked up… I had an apparition of her. I saw her alive for the first time since that terrible day."

James started letting tears flow from his eyes. "She… she helped me. She made me understand the awful things I had done. She understood what I was going through, but she still wanted me to fix everything. All of the things I messed up because of my stupid mistakes."

James curled his lips into his muzzle as he spoke in a heavily broken voice. "Pain makes people do crazy things, and not in their right mind… …Wolf, I sincerely apologize for how I treated you. I don't blame you in the slightest for hating me, but just know that I don't hate you… I love you with my whole heart. If Fox is in there too, tell him I love him just as much. You two are family, and I… I neglected my family. I realized I neglected my family, and… I felt lonely… …I slept with Ashley because I was sick and lonely, but just a few hours ago I finally realized what I was doing to my family… It… It was wrong, and I don't even know where to begin to apologize to you directly."

The vulpine choked back a sob and grinned faintly. "You guys are all I have anymore, and Vixy herself helped me realize that. I need to stop letting the pain speak, and let my heart do all the talking."

Wolf's eyes were wide open when James finally stopped speaking. He shook his head slightly and responded in a tone that reflected his disbelief about James' abrupt turnaround. "James… just when I thought you were gone… you do this. I… I can't forgive you for what you did yet, but… Damn I'm proud of you for admitting that. James– Dad… Are you really back?"

James chuckled and smiled truthfully for the first time in a long time. "This is the real me. Not that crazy, inconsolable asshole that wanted to kill everyone just to ease my pain. Like I said Wolf… pain makes people do crazy things, and not in their right mind. I was sick for a long time, and I wasn't in my right mind for the entire duration of this war, up until now."

James cleared his throat and started at the holographic lupine. "I understand your reasoning for not forgiving me, but… You wanted to tell me something a long while ago, but I was too stupid to not pay an ounce of attention. I promise, I won't interfere. Tell me everything you know, and everything that I was too stubborn to listen to."

Wolf dried his eyes with his sleeve as he gave a subtle glance off screen. "Actually, dad, I don't need to say anything. All I need to do is show you the things we've discovered, and Pepper, you may want to listen to this too."

"Please," Danny added. "This'll be really important."

Wolf disappeared off screen for a few seconds, then came back with a small laptop computer perched in his arms. "Sharp's group found this computer when they found a place to stay after their transport was shot down. It has a journal from one of the human satellite's engineers, and it basically says they had no idea what happened. They launched the satellite for research under a "First Contact" program, then right before it was supposed to establish orbit with Corneria it malfunctioned."

James' muzzle dropped. "Damn… Wolf, you were right this whole time?"

"You can't be serious," Pepper blurted out in disbelief. Wolf slightly bared his teeth and shut the laptop harshly.

"You don't believe me?" he barked sourly. "You take a look at the journal! You read how sorry they are that they did this to us! It says right here, they didn't want a fight. They didn't intend for that satellite to malfunction. If you still don't believe me, then go talk to the little human girl Sharp found who said her daddy didn't mean for the satellite that was built to research us to turn into a god damn kinetic kill vehicle!"

Pepper and James both gasped at the exposition of the human child. "Sharp found a human kid?" James asked.

The husky in question suddenly popped into the hologram. "That little girl is adorable," he announced with a grin. "And that's coming from someone that just nearly died because of the humans. Her innocence was honestly heartbreaking. Christina took her in because we accidently killed her parents because of your command to bomb these cities, Pepper. She'll never see her parents again, and it's all your fault. Some general you are."

"Alright Sharpie, take five," Wolf pleaded, practically pushing him out of the view of the hologram machine. "He's not wrong though, Pep. You can't even put an estimate on how many innocent people you gave the command for all of your troops to slaughter. You're saying the humans are heartless, but at least they have the heart to admit their faults."

Pepper growled softly. "And how would you explain their counter-attacks? We've already lost two Destroyers, and about a thousand well-trained soldiers with them."

"They were defending themselves," Kyle suddenly butted in. "My team and I were shot down because they were defending themselves. They only attacked our bomber because we just obliterated one of their cities. It's no different than what you first did. You thought they bombed us, and you wanted to pay them back."

"Same with us," Sharp added. "We attacked, and they retaliated. We started the war, and we won't make it out if you continue sending us to the slaughterhouse."

"The humans won't pose any more of a threat than the Venomians, and we wiped the floor with them years ago," Pepper retorted.

"The Venomians don't have nukes," Kyle remarked. "That's what destroyed Destroyer five. They launched nukes, and on their home soil at that. That's not a strategic battle plan, that's desperation."

"Reeves' is right," James surprisingly added. "We would never launch nukes. Guaranteed the humans are smart enough to not launch nukes on their home soil, but we're pushing them to that extreme. The humans are resulting to desperation, and… I wish I could've been in my right state of mind to realize this sooner."

"I'm not pinning the blame on anyone," Wolf stated. "But we're in a whole hell of a lot of trouble if we keep this up. The nukes will just keep flying, and pretty soon we're gonna be on the losing end of the war."

"What are you implying?" Pepper asked.

"We need to leave," Wolf answered. "Pack up what we have left and leave, immediately. This war isn't gonna solve anything, and in all honesty it's making this situation worse. You're just putting more blood on your paws, Pepper. I'm sorry if it's coming off as a shock to you, but you're just gonna keep making this situation worse before it gets any better."

"I'm siding with Wolf here, Pepper," James announced. "I'm sorry if my emotions influenced your decision about retaliation at first, but I was horribly mistaken. I influenced your decision before, and I hope I can do the same now. Please."

Pepper lowered his head and let a long breath of air through his nose. "The humans… they… didn't attack? This was an accident? The whole time?"

"The whole time," Wolf echoed. "I know, it's a shock to believe it at first, but it's true. There's too much evidence here to still think it was a deliberate attack."

"The little human girl sealed the deal for me," Sharp remarked. "Honestly Pep, she's adorable. If she said it was an accident, then I believe it one hundred percent. She wouldn't lie, especially to us."

"And that's what Nathan kept saying," Fox suddenly piped up awkwardly. "He wouldn't lie either. He thought of me as a good friend, and I did to him too. He was trying to help us realize that it was an accident, but… dad…"

"I know Fox," James broke in, tilting his ears back. "It was stupid of me to do that. He was your friend, and I killed him because I didn't like him. I'm… Fox I'm so sorry I did that. I'm sorry I'm such a terrible father."

"You're fine, James," Wolf interrupted. "In your state of mind, I was amazed you still cared for Fox that much. I would've thought you would try to exact revenge on the humans, regardless of who was killed or not."

"I don't know what I would do if Fox was killed or taken away from me forever," James admitted. "I was worried sick when Nathan took him, and that was probably the start of my mental deterioration. Again, I was hurt, and I couldn't think straight. All I wanted to do was kill whoever kidnapped him, and… well… we know how that ended. I would've thought Fox would have been happy that I saved him, but… Fox, when you snapped at me… I think that started my road to recovery. You don't know how terrible I felt when you did that."

"Dad, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to–" Fox started but was cut off by the larger vulpine.

"Don't be," James assured with a smile. "If anything, I'm glad you snapped at me. It helped me realize that what I was doing was ruining my relationship with my family. You're my son Fox, and I should have listened to you. Wolf, you are my son, and I wanted nothing to do with you for the longest time."

"So I could tell," Wolf chuckled in an attempt to lighten the mood. James slightly laughed along, then after wiping tears from his eyes he directed his conversation to the bloodhound general.

"And, Pepper, I… I can't tell you how sorry I am. I really can't. I changed you from the general everyone loved and could side with, to someone who almost caused a civil war. I take the blame for everything because all I wanted to do was get revenge for Vixy, but… she showed me there isn't any need for it."

"There isn't," Pepper affirmed. "James, after you, Wolf, and everyone else showed me all of this information, I really can't keep ordering attacks on the humans. I need to call everyone and tell them to stand down."

"The war is over?" Wolf asked impulsively, blatantly obvious that you could hear the enthusiasm in his voice.

"Yes, this war is over," Pepper nodded. "Wolf… Please forgive me for what I put you and your family through. I feel terrible for allowing this to happen to you."

"I understand," Wolf replied. "I'm just glad you came to your senses before anyone else was killed."

"I let too many die though," Pepper added. "I lost two whole Destroyers, each with almost four hundred on board. I… I sent them to get slaughtered."

"Pepper, pain makes you do crazy things," James started, then grinned. "And not in your right mind. I'm not pinning the blame of our lost soldiers on you, but like I said, I caused this. I made you get the revenge mentality, and I can't explain how sorry I am for it."

"I forgive you James," Pepper said with a slight grin. "I understand how you felt. I'm glad you talked me back into my senses. I'll call all of our troops together right now and tell them to–"

"Sir," one of Pepper's flagship's attendants suddenly spoke up in a shaky and uncertain voice. "Something's wrong here."

"What is it?" Pepper asked, glancing over at the screen the controller was staring at.

"It's really strange," he continued, poking at one of his screens. "For whatever reason, there's…" he trailed off as the screen sent him into complete confusion.

"What?" Pepper repeated impatiently. The controller squinted at his screen with his maw slightly ajar as he analyzed his the holographic screen.

"We're reporting an unusually high energy source originating from the surface of the planet not too far away from our current location."