Chapter Three: Home Sweet Home

Fox stood in the control room, staring through the vast window into space. You'd think it'd be boring—watching star after star, each one barely brighter than the next. Not to Fox. To him, living in space was possibly the second best decision he ever made; the first being becoming a pilot. His backyard was the final frontier, every room had a view, and each morning there was a different sunrise to watch. Fox took a deep breath and let it out slowly as a small smile crept across his face. His flying house had always been his home.

But now, with two intruders aboard, he and his team had to return to Corneria. He didn't mind though. In a few days they'd be up in the black sky once again. That's what he hoped, at least. In the back of his mind he could tell another mission was on the way, but he pushed the thought away for now. All he wanted to worry about was landing safely.

His ears perked up as a door slid open behind him. Falco's footsteps echoed as he entered the room.

"How close are we?" He asked.

Fox shrugged. "Won't be long now."

Falco joined Fox as the window. "Well I'll tell you one thing: I am not going to miss floating through this vacuum."

Fox chuckled. "You never seemed to mind it before."

"That's when something was happening," Falco answered, "But all this idle drifting makes me nauseous."

"Everything makes you nauseous."

"Scotch doesn't make me nauseous."

"A lot of it will," Fox laughed.

"Well I'm sick of purified water and powdered milk."

Fox nodded in agreement. "Yeah, we all could use a night out."

"I have an idea," Falco piped up, "How about you take a turn as wingman and help me score some chicks."

Fox sighed and rubbed the back of his head. "Actually Falco I was thinking—"

Falco interrupted him. "See what I did there… with wingman? It's funny 'cause I'm usually your wingman."

"Hilarious. But I kinda wanted to—"

Falco held up his hands. "Don't worry, we'll make sure you don't leave empty handed."

"Falco!" Fox basically yelled, "I'm not going to hook up with a random girl at a bar. I just… What would you think if I…"

Falco nodded. When Fox didn't continue he made circles with his arms, encouraging him. "Come on. You can talk to me."

Fox exhaled. "I want to ask Krystal to dinner when we get there."

Falco smiled and crossed his arms. "Oooooooooooooooh…"

Fox rolled his eyes. "Don't…"

Falco ignored him. "You liiiiiike her…"

"Falco I said—"

"Foxie has a cruuuush…"

"Are you done?"

"Yeah I'm done."

"Good." The two turned their attention back to the view.

A short silence passed before Falco spoke up again. "About time."

(Surveillance Room)

Slippy and Krystal sat at the desk. Krystal occasionally glanced at the screens while Slippy spun around in the swivel chair.

"Are…you…excited?" Slippy asked, saying each word when he spun passed Krystal.

Krystal giggled at the frog. "The last time I saw Corneria it was infested with Aparoids."

"Don't worry," Slippy said, "They clean up really well."

Krystal looked up at the screen that showed the Apprehension Center. "Who do you think they are?" She asked, closely watching the two gorillas.

Slippy stopped spinning and scooted up next to her. He shrugged. "Most of the primate population comes from Venom. But Andross, Oikonny, and their followers were apes, not gorillas, so we can't just jump to conclusions."

Fox's voice came on the intercom. "We'll be entering Cornerian atmosphere in less than an hour."

"I guess we'll find out soon," Krystal said.

(Main Control Room)

Peppy entered the room. "I cannot wait to sleep in a nice wood framed bed. I tell ya, shallow metal beds do not help an aging hare."

Falco stretched his arms up over his head. "You might be onto something, gramps."

"Alright let's not start talking hotels until we figure out what the general wants us to do," Fox said, "If these guys were after us it may lead to something."

"Comfort or not, it would be nice to see some action again," Falco agreed.

Finally, the Great Fox passed through the Orbital Gate and descended into the blue sky of Corneria City. The ship landed in the military base where it would be kept while the team was in the city. As soon as the door lowered to the ground, the five members emerged.

Slippy squinted and looked up at the sky. "I can't remember it ever being this sunny."

Falco nodded in agreement, slipping on his sunglasses. "It's usually raining."

"Stand up straight," Peppy ordered, "The general's coming."

"Welcome home, team Star Fox," General Pepper saluted them. At the same time, four soldiers walked briskly onto the ship.

"General," Fox greeted him, also with a salute.

"I'm glad to see you made it safely," Pepper continued, "The convicts will be taken in for questioning."

As if on cue, the soldiers exited the ship, two on each gorilla. One locked eyes with Fox as he passed, but Fox quickly averted his attention back to the general.

"We would appreciate it if you would contact us as soon as you discover their motives," Fox said.

"Actually," Peppy cut in, "I was hoping I could stay and help. The general and I have some catching up to do."

Pepper nodded and smiled. "Of course," he said, "In the meantime, we have arranged a stay for you in the Star Hotel."

"Thank you, General," Fox answered. "We'll be on our way."

Slippy watched the buildings pass by as he and Falco's cab followed the other through the streets of Corneria. Although he was happy to be back in the city, he knew that they'd have to start another mission soon, which meant more flying… and more risks to take.

"Jeez Louise," Falco sighed, interrupting Slippy from his thoughts, "You'd think the General would hook us up with better rides."

"He's already paying for our hotel rooms," Slippy replied.

Falco folded his arms behind his head. "And then Fox has the nerve to stick me in the cab with you."

"And what makes you think I'm enjoying this?"

"No one asked for your opinion."

Slippy rolled his eyes and looked back out the window.

(Fox's Cab)

"Slippy was right," Krystal said, breaking the silence, "The city does clean up nicely."

Fox looked out her window and nodded in agreement. "They've had lots of practice."

After a few more moments of silence, Fox spoke up again. "You know," he said, clearing his throat, "There's this great restaurant—it's actually not that far from the hotel. Maybe I could show you around the city and we could get something to eat."

Krystal smiled. "Sounds like fun."

(Falco and Slippy's cab)

"I'm getting car sick," Falco said, "Are we there yet?"

"We'll get there when we get there," Slippy said, aggravated with Falco's constant complaining.

Falco sighed exasperatedly.

"Oh oh!" Slippy cried, sitting up suddenly, "We're here!"

The cab pulled up to the curb right behind the other one. Falco and Slippy stepped out of the cab and looked up at the hotel.

Falco whistled. "Shit."

The hotel must have been 10 stories high, at least. The entrance was framed by two arches and each room past the 3rd floor had large glass windows and a balcony.

"Nice huh?" Fox said, joining Falco and Slippy, "And how much you want to bet the general gave us the penthouse?"

"Dibs on the king-sized bed!" Falco yelled.

After the team had checked in, unpacked, and argued over the king-sized bed (which was eventually given to Peppy due to the fact that he wasn't present), Krystal and Fox left for dinner, and Falco begrudgingly took Slippy to the bar with him.

The sunny day had faded into a soft orange as Fox and Krystal strolled down the streets. Fox was pointing out old buildings he used to pass when he was younger and telling the stories that came with them. Krystal listened happily, enjoying the quality time that she'd been wanting for so long.

Falco, on the other hand, wasn't as content as the other two. He didn't hate Slippy—not even close. But with a temper as short as his, Falco was easily set off by the frog's consistent chatter.

The two were seated at the bar; Falco had his chair turned away from the counter, his elbow resting behind him and his drink in the other hand. He passively listened to Slippy as he talked about some kind of machinery. Or was it physics? He couldn't remember.

"But if you ask an analyst, they'll tell you that pressure is increased by—"

"I'm gunna stop you right there, Slip," Falco said. He took another sip of his drink before continuing. "Is this what you do for fun?"

"What do you mean?" Slippy inquired.

"This," Falco answered with a nod of his head, "Go to bars, order water, and then droll on about science?"

Slippy looked down, embarrassed. "If I have a lot of alcohol I'll get dehydrated. I need more water than you do…"

"That's some grade A bull shit," Falco said, "Hey bartender, how about a beer for my friend here."

Slippy rolled his eyes. "I can't drink that, Falco."

"Come on, man, live a little." After no response from Slippy, he tried again. "Don't look now, but that girl's checking you out."

Slippy started to turn.

"I told you not to look!" Falco said, stopping him, "Jeez Louise... you're really not good at this, are you?"

"Whatever, Falco," Slippy said, getting up to leave.

Falco caught his arm. "Hey, come on, Slip, I'm sorry." Slippy sat back down. "You want me to help you?"

"With what?"

"Manning up," Falco answered simply.

Slippy chuckled. "Manning up?" He repeated.

Falco replied by punching him in the arm.

"Ow!" Slippy exclaimed, "What the… God, Falco, that hurt!"

"No it didn't," Falco said, "It felt great."

"What?" Slippy asked again, tears welling up in his eyes.

"You're a war hero, for God's sake. Repeat after me: It felt great."

Slippy just stared at him like he was crazy.

"I didn't hit you that hard," Falco said defensively, "Now say it."

"…It felt great."

"Fucking great."

"Falco, I'm not—"

"Say it."

Slippy sighed. "F…Fucking great."

"Pain is good for you, Slip," Falco said, taking another sip, "What doesn't kill you makes you stronger."

Slippy just sighed again. He picked up his beer and took a sip.

(Cornerian Military Base)

Peppy and the general sat in two swivel chairs facing a vast window. Behind the window was a white room with a bright lamp. Beneath the lamp was a table where one of the criminals who had attempted to invade the Great Fox sat. The two old veterans watched as the detective, a black cat, interrogated him.

"You guys don't have robots to do this for you nowadays?" Peppy asked.

Pepper laughed. "We wouldn't want to lose the personal aspect of this business."

Just then, the detective opened the door slightly and stuck his head out. "Sir," he said, "He wants to talk to you."

General Pepper stood up.

"Excuse me, General," the detective stopped him, "I was talking to him." He pointed to Peppy.

Surprised, Peppy looked to the general, who sat back down and motioned for him to proceed. Peppy took a deep breath and approached the detective. "Peppy Hare," He introduced himself.

"Detective Joe Brudack," the cat replied, shaking Peppy's hand. "Come with me." He then led Peppy into the room where the gorilla sat. This was the first time Peppy really got a good look at the criminal. His skin was a dark charcoal with fur matted all over it. A long scar ran down from the side of his jaw down his neck, and he had a scowl to match his angry eyes.

"You wanted to speak to me?" Peppy asked, taking a seat at the table. Brudack stood a few feet behind him with his arms crossed.

"Do you know why?" The gorilla replied.

Peppy folded his hands in front of him. "Why would I come in if I did?"

The gorilla slammed his palms down on the table and leaned in toward Peppy. "Listen close because this may be the only explanation you get before we take down your team and the rest of this place. You damn Cornerians and your mercenaries are done pushing everyone else around—especially you. The Star Fox team is seen as heroes, icons even. But I know what you really are. Puppets, pawns… nothing more than little toys tied to the fingers of people like him." The gorilla pointed at the mirror, obviously knowing that the general was on the other side. "You killed the last heir to Emperor Andross, and destroyed the last of his creations."

Peppy had also stood up to face the gorilla. "Oikonny?" He asked, "That was years ago. And what creations? Who sent you?"

The gorilla leaned back and laughed. "You know very well 'what creations.' You destroyed the last of them right after you murdered Oikonny."

Brudack joined Peppy at the table. "You couldn't possibly mean…"

"There's more of us," the gorilla interrupted him, "They're in the city, in Cornerian atmosphere, maybe on their way to a bar not far from a certain hotel…"

Peppy's eyes narrowed. He grabbed the gorilla by his shirt and jerked him forward. "What the hell do you know?" He yelled.

The gorilla began to laugh. Brudack pulled Peppy back. "I've got it from here," he said, "Call your team."

Peppy nodded and stepped out of the room.

(Krystal and Fox)

"I'm serious," Fox laughed, "It was the only time I'd ever seen Falco cry."

Krystal took a deep breath to stop herself from laughing. "You guys have the greatest stories. I could listen to them all night."

"You basically have," Fox chuckled, "Why don't you tell me something I don't know about you."

Krystal looked out at the view and thought. The two were sitting on a bench, facing the ocean that bordered the city.

"There isn't much that you don't already know."

Fox looked at her for a moment before looking towards the ocean.

Krystal broke the silence. "I… I like spending time with you, Fox."

Fox smiled. "Krystal I—"

Suddenly Fox's communicator began to buzz, interrupting him. Fox picked it up and Peppy's face appeared on the screen. "What is it, Peppy? We're a little busy."

"How far are you from the hotel?" He asked frantically.

"Pretty far. Why what's up?"

"We've been compromised," Peppy said, "I don't know how, or who's behind it. But they know where we're staying and…" he took a breath, "they know where Falco and Slippy are."

Krystal had already run to the street and hailed a cab, with Fox not far behind. "We're on our way," he said and disconnected.

Fox and Krystal slid into the cab and quickly shut the doors. "Take us down to Main Street," he ordered, "And make it quick."

"I'll call them," Krystal said.

(Falco and Slippy)

"Hello?" Falco answered, picking up his communicator. "No… nothing weird here. Why are you calling me anyway? Shouldn't you get back to your date? … He ended it early. No, don't even try to make excuses. I'll give him shit for it later, Krystal, don't you worry." He hung up without listening to her response, then turned to Slippy. "Now where were we?"

"Blonde rabbit, ten o'clock," Slippy said motioning towards a tall girl who had just walked by.

Falco glanced up. "Solid seven. How about… that poodle a few seats down."

Slippy shrugged. "Four… Five maybe. Not really my type."

Falco laughed. "Not slimy enough for you?"

Slippy chuckled. "Shut up. Oh oh! Grey cat, just walked in."

Falco looked up; his smile quickly vanished. "Shit," he muttered, turning his face to Slippy to avoid being seen, "Don't look!"

Slippy obeyed and looked away. "What in the world, Falco?" He whispered.

Falco glanced up, seeing if the coast was clear. "That's Katt."

Slippy looked surprised. "Katt Monroe?" He asked, "She looks different."

"Yeah, well she was pink the last time you saw her."

"Right…"

Falco tossed some money on the counter and stood up. He grabbed Slippy by the arm and proceeded out the door. Once they were safely outside, they began to walk back to the hotel. It was dark outside now, the only light coming from the street lamps. Falco was silent. His hands were shoved in the pockets of his coat, and he stared straight ahead as they walked.

Slippy spoke up. "You alright?"

"Yeah, Slip," he nodded, "I'm fine. Hey listen, don't tell the others we saw her, okay?"

"Okay, Falco, but I—"

Just then, an alligator in a black trench coat approached the two of them. "Excuse me," he said, "Could you tell me the time?"

"Sure," Falco said and looked at his watch, "Its… quarter after nine."

"Right on time," the alligator answered. "I need you to do one more thing for me." He pulled a gun out of his coat and pointed it at them. "Put your hands where I can see them."

(Peppy)

Peppy was pacing outside the interrogation room. "I should really go find them—"

General Peppy stood up and stopped him. "We've alerted the local police to keep an eye out."

"I just have a bad feeling about this," Peppy sighed.

Brudack came out of the room just then and shut the door tight behind him. "That's all the information we're going to get out of him," he announced. He turned to Peppy. "Did you contact your team? I'd like to see what they think about all this."

"I haven't heard back from them," Peppy said. "What do you mean 'all this'?"

The detective sighed. "It seems yet another rebel force from Venom is emerging. This one, however, has their sights set specifically at Star Fox, at least for now."

The general held up his hands. "We can't be positive on one source. Brudack, I want you to see if the stories from the other detainee match up. Have officers help you bring him in."

Brudack nodded and left the room, followed by two other officials.

"But why would an entire rebellion focus on just five people?" Peppy asked.

"I fear this might be something much bigger than what Brudack concluded," General Pepper said. "What do you think he meant by creations?"

Suddenly the door swung open revealing Brudack and two officers. "He's gone," Brudack said.

"What?" Peppy and Pepper exclaimed simultaneously.

"I don't know when it happened, sir," one of the officers said, "His cell is empty… there isn't any trace of how he did it."

(Fox and Krystal)

Fox looked at his watch. 9:00.

"They're alright for now," Krystal said, "He didn't give me any time to explain."

"Figures," Fox rolled his eyes. "Excuse me," he said to the cabbie, "How far do you think we are from the Star Hotel?"

The cabbie, an old white dog, thought for a moment and looked down at his watch. "I'd say about 10 minutes."

"Look out!" Krystal shouted.

The distracted driver looked up in time to swerve away from a pedestrian standing in the middle of the road. The figure approached the stopped car, and the cabbie rolled down the window.

"Christ," the dog said, "you can't just stand in the middle of the street like that. I shoulda been paying attention though."

"Get out of the car," the figure commanded.

Fox spoke up from the back seat. "We don't want any trouble."

He pulled out a gun. "GET OUT OF THE CAR."

"What the hell?" Fox yelled, quickly getting out and slamming the door. Krystal opened the door to follow him, but as soon as she looked over she immediately recognized the stranger. He was a large brown gorilla, one of the two that had earlier been in their ship.

"Fox!" Krystal said urgently, "Get back in the car."

As soon as she said that, Fox took a closer look at the figure in the darkness. Before he had a chance to react, a bullet shot past him, hitting the roof of the car. He wasted no time turning around and diving back into the cab. Another bullet hit the car door as soon as it shut. "DRIVE!" Fox told the cabbie. The wheels of the cab squealed as it sped down the road.

"We need to help the others," Krystal said. She turned to the driver. "We'll pay you one hundred credits for every red light you run."

(Falco and Slippy)

Both Falco and Slippy had their hands in the air while the alligator pointed his blaster at them. "Here's what I want you to do," he told them, "We're gunna calmly walk behind the building and wait for my boss to pick us up."

Falco glanced behind him to see the alley that led to the empty parking lot. "Who's your boss? I only ask cause I hate awkward introductions. Don't you think it'd be better to get those out of the way?"

The alligator swiftly pulled his knee into Falco's stomach. Falco cried out and bent over. Slippy flinched but kept his hands in the air.

"S-sorry, sorry you're right," he wheezed out, "Lead the way."

The alligator directed them towards the alleyway and forced them to walk towards it. Once they were inside, Falco glanced down at Slippy and gave him small smile. Slippy smiled back.

In one smooth movement, Falco slid his foot backwards and ducked. His boot connected with the tip of his opponent's shoe, and his head barely missed a swing from the alligator's arm. As the alligator stumbled forward, Falco grabbed his wrist which held the gun with both of his hands, redirecting the shots toward the ground. He brought his elbow up, nailing the alligator in the face before turning around and kneeing him in the gut.

Now holding the gun, Falco pointed it at the downed alligator.

"Falco!" Slippy cried, pointing to the street. A pair of headlights grew brighter as it quickly approached them.

"Shit," Falco said. He lifted the alligator to his feet and kept the blaster to his chest. "When's your boss coming?" He demanded.

The frightened alligator held up his hands. "He wasn't supposed to be here for another twenty minutes, I swear!"

"Wait a minute…" Slippy said, "Falco, it's a cab!"

The cab stopped in the parking lot, and out from it came Fox and Krystal.

"Are you guys alright?" Krystal asked.

Falco smiled. He turned to the alligator. "How would you like to meet my boss?"

(Cornerian Military Base)

The whole Star Fox team was gathered outside the interrogation room. The alligator was behind the glass this time, with Detective Brudack inside interrogating him.

"I want answers," Fox said to the general.

"Believe me, Fox, we're working on it," Pepper answered, "Let's just be glad you're all okay."

"Yeah, no thanks to you," Falco said, "You've got thousands of soldiers stacked up, and they can't even manage to stop one guy from escaping?"

"Falco…" Peppy said in an attempt to stop him.

"And where were you?" Falco demanded from Peppy, "You knew all about this hours ago! But you just settled with a little assurance that the police were on it."

"Dammit, Falco, what could I have done? I tried warning you, but you're too stubborn to listen to anyone!"

"Well maybe if you had—"

"That's enough!" Fox shouted, "General Pepper, with all do respect, what the hell is going on?"

No one had noticed that the detective had entered the room. He leaned casually against the wall, twirling his hat between his fingers. "I believe I can be of assistance."