Corneria City was in chaos. Katt's message to the HR & Co. personnel had spread throughout the city, and everywhere citizens scrambled to leave. Some flew out in their own ships, while others bought rides or even tried to steal their own shuttles. Imperial forces flooded into the city, doing their best to quell the turmoil, but it was no use. Riots and even small-scale battles had begun to break out between enraged citizens and shock troops, and the city streets were clogged with stalled hovercars, swarming people, and wrecked vehicles.

But Katt, Krystal, and Slippy could take no time to try and help aid the people in battle. They had their own problems to deal with.

"Come on, we're almost there!" shouted Katt, leading Krystal and Slippy down the corridor towards the docking platform where the Eagle's Eye was kept. When they reached the door, Katt flipped open a small control box on the wall and punched in the access code to the dock. But the door wouldn't budge.

"What's the matter?" cried Krystal over the wailing of sirens throughout the building.

"The password's changed, I can't get through!" exclaimed Katt in dismay.

Slippy blinked, struck with an idea. "ROB! Plug yourself into the computer terminal right there, tell the mainframe to unlock the door!" he cried.

"As you wish. Turn around, please," ROB said monotonously. Slippy turned and backed towards the small computer terminal connected to the door, and ROB extended an arm so that he could plug his fingers into the small socket.

Suddenly Slippy gasped and raised his blaster rifle, firing down the corridor as a shock trooper appeared at the other end. Katt and Krystal noticed as well and hunched down, popping off shots at their enemies, guarding ROB while he completed his work.

Slippy suddenly yelped and jerked away from the computer terminal, and ROB let out a strangled groan.

"Oh... that was a power socket, not a computer terminal," the android croaked. "I am sorry if I gave you a shock, Slippy. In fairness, it did hurt me as much as it hurt you..."

"Just open the door!" Slippy snapped, backing against the wall again.

Katt flinched as a laser beam blasted a chunk out of the wall mere feet away from her. "You'd better get that open quick, there's more of these troops coming!" she shouted. She leveled her blaster with another troop and shot him in the stomach, frying his internal organs.

ROB stopped momentarily. "Hmm... Slippy, the computer says something very interesting about the hyperspeed jets on the Eagle," he said slowly.

"I don't care right now, get us out of here!" Slippy screeched.

"As you wish," said ROB. The door snapped open suddenly, and the three heroes backed out onto the docking platform, still raining blaster fire down onto their foes.

"Let's go, come on!" Krystal shouted, hurrying towards the extended entry ramp of the freighter. She stalled and covered Slippy as he headed inside to fire up the ship, then dashed up the ramp as well. Katt stayed behind, covering the Eagle as it prepared for takeoff.

Inside, Slippy carelessly tossed ROB and the knapsack to the floor, rushing into the cockpit of Falco's former ship. He jumped into the pilot's seat and began flipping every switch he could find on the control board, powering the freighter up.

"Um, what about me?" asked ROB from where he lay at the entrance of the cockpit.

"Just stay there for a minute, I'll work on you if we get out of here," Slippy said.

"Is she ready?" asked Krystal as she entered the cockpit. The Cerinian vixen peered out the cockpit windscreen to see that the shock troops were slowly but steadily beginning to advance towards the ship. Katt couldn't hold them off for much longer.

"Almost," said Slippy slowly, tapping the control board impatiently as a charging meter began slowly filling. "Wait for it... yes! We're done!" cried Slippy in exhilaration as the charging meter on the control board filled completely.

Krystal rushed back out to the entry ramp and leaned outside. "Katt! Come on!" she shouted.

Katt glanced at Krystal, fired a few more wild shots at the shock troopers, then dashed up the entry ramp. Krystal sealed it shut and both of them hurried into the cockpit of the Eagle.

"Go, get us out of here!" shouted Katt to Slippy.

Slippy was none too eager to comply, and immediately lifted the bulky freighter off of the docking platform. The laser blasts of the shock troopers glanced harmlessly off the shields and armor of the ship as it rose into the air and took off, shooting up into the sky. Mere seconds later, three Venomian starfighters lifted off from their own docking platforms and pealed off in pursuit of the Eagle's Eye.

***

Fox slowly and cautiously made his way from the docking platform into the corridor leading into the building. The bleached white walls and floors were starkly contrasted against the shadowy, cramped maintenance corridors and steaming carbon freezing chamber where Fox had battled Cain before. The lighter color seemed empowering, filling Fox with a renewed sense of vigor. With light on his side, he could win. He would win.

Click.

The lights shimmered briefly, flickered, and then went out altogether. Fox was once again plunged into thick, suppressing darkness. He shivered. Control your fear. Fear leads anger, anger leads to hate, hate leads to evil, he told himself. Alagrin's words. Alagrin's training would save him.

A shadow moved in the gloom. Cain lunged out of a side corridor, slashing at Fox's neck savagely. Fox ducked, barely saving himself. He activated his own sword and raised it in defense, but it was no use. Cain was attacking with a new fury, his blade slamming down on Fox like a scintillating jackhammer. Sparks rained down on both warriors as their energy weapons sliced into the metal walls, sending surges of power through wires running through the corridor. The lights flickered ominously as though they were brief flashes of lightning in a thundering rainstorm. The two warriors backed out of the corridor and onto the docking bay, locked in mortal combat.

Fox and Cain's swords locked together once more, straining to push each other backwards. Then Cain hurled all his weight against Fox, toppling him over as easily as if he were a rag doll.

"You are beaten. It's useless to resist. Don't let yourself die like that fool Peppy," Cain snarled, flicking his sword out in front of Fox's face.

The mention of Peppy's name sent another surge of rage through Fox. He batted Cain's blade out of the way and rolled to his feet, refusing to stop fighting now. Their swords blurred on the docking platform even faster than before and Fox was able to ward off Cain's assault with a new rush of adrenaline, but still he was forced back against the railing.

Fox parried, ducked, feigned a thrust at Cain's chest, then swung his blade with all his might at the dark lord's shoulder. The beam of the sword bit deep, searing through Cain's armor and into flesh. The evil lieutenant roared in pain, staggering backwards. Cornered, Fox vaulted over the railing and edged backwards on a weather vane jutting out from the docking bay. Cain recovered from his wound quickly, slashing at Fox's neck. Fox ducked and the blade shore through half of the tall weather vane. The howling winds surged, catching the piece of metal and carrying it high into the air. Fox glanced at it briefly and Cain saw his opening, slashing downwards and cutting Fox's dueling hand from his wrist.

The stench of his own searing flesh, bone, and hair filled Fox's nostrils and he screamed in agony, squeezing the stump of his wrist under his armpit as though it would stop the pain. Fox slumped against the weather vane, cornered, exhausted, and defeated.

The shrieking winds died down, and Cain deactivated his energy sword and moved to the edge of the railing. There was nowhere else for Fox to go.

"You cannot escape," rumbled Cain, "don't force me to kill you."

Fox gasped in anguish and inched backwards, coming to the extreme edge of the beam supporting the weather vane. Below him, the turmoil in Corneria City had peaked. There was the glow of a bonfire in the streets, fueled by the bodies of dead shock troops and imperial propaganda posters citizens had torn from walls.

"You don't yet realize your importance, Fox. How powerful you really are. I'm giving you this one chance to join me, to complete your training. With our combined power, we can rule this system together!" declared Cain.

"I'll never join you!" Fox shouted feebly.

"You can't begin to imagine the power you can have. I couldn't imagine either," Cain hissed from beneath his helmet. "What has your own path brought you? Nothing but trouble. No answers, no victory, just the pain of losing your friends to battle. Peppy never even told you what really happened to your father."

Fox, his body trembling, got to his feet and edged around the weather vane to put more distance between him and his enemy. "He told me all I needed to know. He told me you killed him," Fox spat.

Cain chuckled softly. "No, Fox," he said. "I am James McCloud. I am your father."

The shock was so great that Fox almost forgot to hold on to the weather vane. He stared at Cain open-mouthed, refusing to believe it. Cain, his enemy, his tormentor... his father.

"No," Fox said slowly, shaking his head. "You– you're lying. That's not true. That's impossible!"

"It's the truth Fox. You know it, and I know it," replied Cain calmly.

And he did know it. He could feel the truth in his enemy's words. He was the son of Cain, Andross's dark lieutenant. A feeling of utter hopelessness overcame him, shutting out every other emotion. The fear of losing his friends, the pain of his severed hand, and the exhaustion of the battle.

"No! No, no, no!" Fox screamed, squeezing his eyes shut and turning away. He didn't want to believe it. He couldn't.

"We can defeat Andross. We can overthrow him, and rule over this system as father and son. Please, Fox. Join me," Cain said almost pleadingly, extending a hand out to Fox as if to help him.

Fox stared at the hand. Take it. All he had to do was take it, and he would live. But Fox didn't know if he even wanted to live. Not after a revelation like this. He looked down at the streets below, his heart fluttering. Then he looked back up at Cain.

"Come with me, son. It's the only way you'll survive," said Cain.

A new emotion washed over Fox. Not fear, not disbelief, but calm. Cool and soothing.

"Never," he said, smiling. Then he stepped off the weather vane and began plummeting to the streets below.

Cain stood at the railing for a few moments, watching Fox fall. The winds picked up once more and carried the wounded rebel through the air, guiding him towards the HR & Co. building. Then Fox landed with a dull thud against a slanted outer wall of the building and began sliding downwards, groping for anything to stop his descent. Cain stepped away from the railing and disappeared into the building.

Fox scrabbled wildly at the wall, trying to find anything to slow or stop of slide towards the edge of the building. But the slick windows and polished steel had no handholds for Fox to grip, and he slid right on down the sloping wall. Finally, at the very edge of the building where the steep incline dropped sharply into a vertical wall, Fox's left hand snatched out and caught hold of something. It was nothing more than a gutter to keep rainwater from pouring down to the other docking bays below.

Fox flailed and squirmed wildly, trying his best to climb back up onto the building for leverage. He managed to lift one of his legs up onto the gutter, but a piece of the metal trough cracked and broke away from the building, spiraling towards the streets.

Fox finally gave up, breathing heavily and gripping onto the gutter for dear life. He closed his eyes, despair washing over him yet again. "Peppy," he whispered, "why didn't you tell me?"

His grip began slipping. He couldn't hold on for much longer. He opened his eyes and looked up towards the sky. "Peppy, please," he begged, as though the spirit of Peppy would materialize and save him. But Peppy wouldn't appear. This is your fight then, Fox. If you face Cain, you'll have to go it alone. I won't be able to help you, Peppy had said.

His breathing labored, Fox closed his eyes and tried to reach out to Krystal, wherever she was. Even if she couldn't save him, he would be content with speaking to her one more time before he died.

"Krystal," he said aloud. "Krystal, please. Hear me..."

***

The Eagle's Eye swerved as the Venomian starfighters continued their assault, raining blaster fire down upon the freighter furiously. The empire no longer wished to capture them. They just wanted to kill them before they could escape.

Slippy had handed the controls over to Katt so that he could work on ROB. So far he had locked in the android's head, arms, and one of his legs.

"So, as I was saying about the computer mainframe before, the Eagle–" began ROB.

"Just be quiet until I fix this, alright?" scowled Slippy.

Krystal sat in silence in the copilot's seat, frowning. She had been thinking of Fox, almost oblivious to the explosions and rocking of the ship about her. Where was he? Had he fallen into Cain's trap?

"Krystal..."

The voice echoed into the cockpit as though from far away. Krystal sat rigid in her seat, suddenly sharp and attentive. Nobody else had heard the voice.

"Please, help me..."

"Fox," Krystal gasped. And suddenly she saw it, a mental image of Fox McCloud dangling helplessly from the edge of the HR & Co. building, flailing in the piercing winds. Krystal turned to Katt quickly. "We have to go back," she said.

Katt and Slippy gaped at her. "What?" the cried in unison.

"I know where Fox is, he's in trouble! Please, we have to turn the ship around!" Krystal begged Katt.

"Are you insane? There's three fighters right behind us!" Katt cried.

"Just do it," scowled Krystal.

Katt gritted her teeth. "Alright, fine," she muttered under her breath. She looped the Eagle around and shot past the pursuing fighters, taking them by surprise.

"Just get closer to the east side of the building," said Krystal, leaning forward in her seat. The freighter slowed considerably, drifting past the sloping wall. "There! There he is!" Krystal said, pointing to the tiny, dangling figure hanging from the gutter.

Katt eased the Eagle under him, and not a moment too soon. The gutter finally broke under the strain, and Fox began tumbling through the air, his limbs flailing for anything to grab hold of.

Thump.

He landed roughly on the hull of the Eagle, and Krystal hurried out of her seat to retrieve him. She rushed into the small recreational room of the Eagle and flipped a switch on the wall, opening up the top hatch of the ship. Krystal stepped on a small lift in the center of the room, letting it carry her up to the hull of the ship. Once outside she leaned over and grabbed hold of Fox's arm, trying to drag him in.

Another laser exploded near the freighter, nearly knocking Fox off the hull. But Krystal held tight to him and dragged the beaten warrior in, helping him down into the recreational room and closing the top hatch behind her.

"I've got him!" Krystal shouted into a small intercom on the wall.

"Good! There's a few medical supplies up in here, bring him to the cockpit!" Katt called back.

"Are you alright, Fox?" Krystal asked, helping her friend limp through the corridors back to the cockpit. He looked terrible, with his clothes torn, his wrist bloody and burned, and his right eye swollen shut from when a wrench had clobbered him in the face.

Fox only managed a weak nod.

Krystal sat him down in one of the passenger seats in the cockpit and retrieved him a bag of healing fluid from one of the storage compartments in the walls.

"Krystal, start putting in the coordinates to your rebel rendezvous point," Katt said. She had banked away from the city and was beginning to fly off into the starry night sky. In less than two minutes, they had broken free of Corneria's atmosphere and were hurtling into space with the Venomian starfighters pursuing them.

Krystal hurried over to the control board. She began checking the hyperspeed coordinates, changing them to guide the ship to the rebel fleet.

Katt banked the Eagle to the right to avoid a full-on blast of energy, but the laser beam was still caught in the invisible deflector shield netting around the freighter. "We won't be able to hold out much longer," she muttered. "All set with those coordinates to the rendezvous point, Krystal?"

"Almost," Krystal said, tapping a few more commands into the computer. Then she shouted, "Yes, hit it!" and quickly sat back in the copilot's seat to avoid being blown into the far wall when they jumped into slipspace.

Katt threw the switch and the Eagle rumbled powerfully. Then the rumble cut out abruptly, and nothing more happened. Katt blinked.

"What happened? I thought you said your people fixed it!" Krystal cried.

"They... they did! What happened?" Katt blinked, utterly confused.

"As I was about to tell Slippy before, the computer mainframe told me that the empire deactivated the hyperspeed jets on the ship. We won't be going anywhere until they're re-activated," ROB said from where he sat on the floor.

"Oh, great!" Slippy cried, picking up the wrench he had been using to fix ROB and hurrying to the back of the ship.

"Wait! I think I can help!" ROB cried, awkwardly climbing to his feet and hopping after Slippy on his single leg.

"He won't let us get away," murmured Fox quietly, depressed and in pain. "He won't let me get away."

Outside the cockpit, a Venomian battleship was beginning to approach them, ready to drag them into the hangar in its tractor beam. Fox already knew that Cain was aboard the ship.

"Fox," hissed his voice in Fox's ears. "It's your fate. Join me."

Fox shook his head slowly, still holding the open packet of healing fluid against his wrist. "He'll capture us sooner or later," he said. Then he spoke no more.

Katt tried to turn and avoid the giant ship, but every way she went, it moved to cut her off. If they moved forwards, they would be captured. If they turned back, the fighters would destroy them. They had nowhere to go.

In the back of the ship, ROB stood over Slippy as the toad frantically scrabbled through the ends of wires, looking for the one that the empire had disconnected.

"You aren't–"

"Leave me be, ROB!"

"I could–"

"Shut up!"

ROB, exasperated, finally hopped over to a metal panel on the wall. He gripped it and pulled it away, revealing dozens of multicolored wires and a flashing red lightbulb. ROB reached into the wires, pushing past them until he felt a larger, disconnected tube. He picked it up and plugged it back into its proper place, and the flashing red light began blinking green. Then he was hurled off his feet as the Eagle unexpectedly leaped into slipspace.

The stars outside the cockpit streaked together until the Eagle seemed to be flying through a pulsating tunnel of greenish-white energy. The freighter shot off spectacularly, abandoning Corneria, the city, and the empire behind.

They had escaped.

Aboard the bridge of the Venomian battleship, a sharp intake of breath hissed through Cain's helmet. The captain flinched, expecting the worst. Then Cain turned on one heel and stalked away, his hands folded behind his back.

***

Vast, bulky, and shimmering in the light from Solar. It wasn't much, but to every member of the Cornerian Rebellion, it brought a sense of relief and safety. The giant Cornerian medical starship dwarfed all others in the rebel fleet, and appeared to be a giant hive with tiny Arwing bees buzzing about it frantically. The Eagle's Eye was fixed to the bottom of the ship via a docking tube, with Katt Monroe and Slippy Toad sitting in both the pilot's and copilot's seats, respectively.

"We're ready for takeoff, Fox," Katt said into the radio attached to the control panel.

It crackled with static before Fox answered, "Good luck, Katt."

"What about me?" Slippy scowled indignantly.

Fox laughed. "You too, Slippy. Don't hurt yourselves out there," he said.

"Will do. When we find Emmett Eelardo and that Wolf guy, we'll contact you," said Katt.

Inside a room in the medical starship, Fox nodded and raised a handheld radio to his mouth. "Right. I'll meet you at the rendezvous at Katina," he said.

"Sure thing. Don't worry, hon, we'll find Falco," Katt grinned.

"I'll wait for your signal, Slippy," said Fox.

"Yessir," chuckled Slippy.

Fox grinned. "Take care, guys," he said, then lowered the radio and set it at his beside table. Then he glanced at a medical android standing at his side, putting the finishing touches on Fox's new, mechanical right hand. The work was remarkable. The robot had taken careful measures to replicate Fox's fur color and cover the hand with synthetic hair and flesh to hide the prosthetic appendage, and it felt almost as though it were his own.

The android put the finishing touches on the wires in the wrist, then closed the hand and gently turned it over. Then it lowered one of its metal limbs and gently prodded each of Fox's fingers with a small needle. The robotic nerves implemented in the hand worked astoundingly well, and Fox could genuinely feel the stinging sensation of the needle pressing against his new hand.

The medical android nodded and tottered away, realizing its work was done. Fox clenched his new hand into a fist, then looked over at the other side of his bed, at Krystal at ROB.

Krystal smiled at him. Over the past few days, he had healed greatly in both mind and body, and became filled with a new resolution and calm. Fox seemed reborn.

Fox slipped out of the bed and took Krystal by the hand, walking over to the wide window in the room. A new bond seemed to have formed between them. They seemed to be one and the same, sensing each others feelings as clearly as they could see the stars beyond the window. Krystal was thinking about Falco, worrying about what had happened and what was going to happen. Fox was thinking about his uncertain and newly complicated future. But together, they knew that they could face any obstacle ahead of them.

Fox, Krystal, and ROB watched in silence as the Eagle's Eye detached from the docking tube below the medical starship, made a turn, and soared off into space. There was a flash of light and the Eagle leaped into hyperspeed, joining the winking stars in the endless field of space.

THE END

***

Author's Note: Well, I'd just like to thank everyone for reading, and for reviewing, if you did. Your support was and is greatly appreciated. Well, see you next story. I hope.