Star Fox: The Last Chance

Noble Actual

The Krazoa Palace was on Sauria was as wet as Krystal remembered it to be; with constant rain pouring on it. She was here for a reason; find out from the Krazoa Spirits how to reach the planet Fox was on.

"Child of Cerinia, you should not have come back. Your actions have broken the Warrior of Peace." A powerful voice said as she saw the Krazoa Spirits surround her.

"Please! I regret everything I've done!" Krystal pleaded in Sauria's native language. "If I don't find him, he will die! Please! He helped save this planet twice! Help me save him!"

"Then your betrayal is complete." Was all the Spirits said before they vanished into the air. She fell to her knees and cried; her tears mixing with the rain. She didn't know how long she sat there in the rain; her blue flight suit soaking her to the bone as she kept Fox's scarf sheltered by her body to keep his scent from getting washed off.

"FINE! I will prevent his fall without your help!" She shouted in Lylat into the air where the Spirits had been. After she wiped away her tears, she turned and hopped into her CloudRunner and flew to Thorntail Hollow. If there was one place she would be welcomed enough to get help; it was Thorntail Hollow.

The Walled City was home of the EarthWalkers; lead by King Tricky...the same dinosaur that Fox helped during his adventure when he used her staff and freed her from the prison Andross held her in. If the Spirits told them of her actions, they would not help her. CloudRunner Fortress was also out for the same reason. Fox saved their Queen and her babies. They owed Fox more than her; she only got one of them to help investigate Krazoa Palace and then immediate got captured. Even when both Fox and Krystal worked on land to drive back the Apparoids, their debt to Fox outweighed their to her.

The same could be said for SnowHorn Wastes. She had never met that tribe, and Fox freed their leader and freed the tribe from imprisonment. ThornTails, on the other hand, were a mellow species. They just lived unassuming lives and generally stayed out of conflict. She landed and immediately went to work collecting Scarabs; their currency. She had to get enough just in case she had to bribe some of the inhabitants for information about Fox.

Falco, Peppy, Slippy, Amanda, and Katt were up in the Great Fox II working on scanning Lylat from their orbit around Sauria for any fluctuations. Meanwhile, Fara was using her position as a member in the Corneria Flight Academy to talk to members of the Cornerian Government. She had the Star Fox team in a long term "mission" looking for the MIA Fox McCloud-Hero of Lylat. Fay and Miyu were using the Apparoid War Arwings to take missions around Lylat for Corneria; keeping an ear out for any information on possible sightings of Fox.

General Pepper had recovered enough from his illness to take over for Peppy Hare while he personally helped on this mission. Pepper did owe Fox a lot for taking down Andross...multiple times now...as well as dealing with the Apparoids and Anglars. He could come out of retirement enough to let his replacement find the Hero of Lylat.

Those were the only people Star Fox allowed communication to. Falco had, in front of her, blocked the communication frequencies Star Wolf used after he asked her what they were. It was an act of spite; preventing her from calling the team she "joined" to get help...and she wouldn't have it any other way. If she heard Panther's voice again, it would be too soon. Panther's lust-fueled thoughts helped flame her anger that she used to spite Fox, as they sickened her. She was just a trophy; and she could sense she wouldn't be his only trophy. Panther often-at the drop of a hat-"fell in love"...it was just who he was; a playboy disguised as a romantic. She didn't know how many children Panther had that didn't know their father.

Fox on the other hand...

" I like the name Marcus." Fox had told her one day as they were cuddling, "Dad told me that if mom hadn't been killed by that Car bomb, that would have been my brother's name. That day...I lost both my mother and brother...the investigation team found out my mom was pregnant the day she was killed." She gently stroked the fur between his ears and whispered soothing promises into his ears as Krystal felt his emotions plummet into grief and sorrow. "I'd like my son to be named Marcus...in honor of the brother I never got to meet."

"What about Fox Jr.?" Krystal teased, smiling as his ears twitched in embarrassment as his tail stiffened and his face heated up. He was just so cute when he was flustered!

"Fox can be his middle name." Fox finally said, "My middle name is the same name as my dad; James."

"Marcus Fox McCloud. It has a ring to it." Krystal said.

Fox had been very hopeful of having a family one day. He had always been flustered easily by women when he was outside of his "mission mindset". For a period of his life, he had dedicated himself to avenging his family's death by Andross's hands. Any female he met during this period of his life; such as Fay, Miyu, and Fara, had become surrogate "sisters" to him. Then...he just drifted after Andross was defeated. Once the clean up jobs dried up...he could finally focus on potentially on settling down. Then he got his mission to Sauria...and saved her.

She was the only woman who could make him flustered, even in his "mission mindset". Krystal mused to herself with a sad grin at those happy memories she may never get to reenact again. She then stumbled with a loud yelp as she barely caught herself from falling into a well within the ThornTail Shop; the 20 Scarabs she collected falling down into the abyss.

"Note to self; never reminisce of better times while walking." Krystal said to herself. As she climbed out, a golden stone with the image of the warp stone was shot out of the well and landed at her feet. With an embarrassed grin to the Shopkeeper, she picked up the strange stone and quickly moved out of the building and to the warp stone.

The gigantic, sentient rock creature stared at her with a piercing gaze before it dropped to the stone she carried. "Ah, so you got a Warp Maze Token." It said in it's booming, accented voice, lifting itself enough to show a stairway under it leading into a tunnel. "Go, those tokens carry messages one needs to hear." With a quick "Thank you", she darted down the tunnel, stumbling a few times until she dropped into a maze. She twisted and turned, letting her senses guide her around dead ends and obstacles until she came to a well matching the one she nearly fell into.

"Where is Fox?" She said, dropping the token into the well. For a few seconds, nothing happened, before she heard the voice of her mother whisper in her ear.

"You are meant to be together. It was your destiny. Together as one, you will bring peace." Krystal's ears twitched as she took in this message. Taking out the engagement ring from a pouch she attached to her flight suit, she stared at it, seeing herself in a white dress as Fox stood across from her in a tuxedo. She shook her head and was teleported out of the maze after putting the ring back into her pouch.

"Yo, miss Pain in the Tail, come in." Falco's voice came through her communicator.

"I'm here." Krystal said, accepting the name Falco called her. She knew he wouldn't call her by name or his old nickname until Fox was back.

"Just got some information here. There was an old signal of a Warp Gate activation within the Warp Zone wormhole. That had to be Fox." Falco said. Krystal's eyes nearly brimmed with tears, "He may have died though." Falco whispered, "Non capital ships can't take the strain."

"He's alive." Krystal said, "He has to be..."

B312 saw the small outpost getting closer and closer. Two UH-144 Falcons were flying overhead, on either side of the Warthog he was in. Both of these Falcons were modified to have their rear transport hatch turrets removed. The Warthog skidded to a stop behind another modified Falcon close to the building and Spartan B312 jumped out and walked forward, touching one of the Tail Fins as a Spartan with his helmet off, revealing a faint tattoo of a clenched fist holding arrows on the left side of his head, loaded a sniper rifle. Even without being in the building, he could hear the voice of Commander Holland.

"Contact with Visegrad Relay was lost last night." The unnamed Spartan watched Fox walk closer to the building with a sharp eye. "All signals flat-lined at twenty-six hundred hours. I responded with Trooper fire teams which have since been declared MIA."

"And now you're sending us." A firm voice in blue Mljolnir Mark V armor with a COMMANDO class helmet and left shoulder pad said.

"The Office of Naval Intelligence believes deployment of a Spartan team is a gross misallocation of valuable resources...I disagree." B312 heard as he stepped into the building, watching a Spartan in gray and red armor sharped a Kukiri knife on the titanium plating of his right arm; a toothless skull carved into the visor of his EVA helmet. He moved to step forward, but was blocked by a gray robotic arm belonging to a woman with tanned skin and short, dark hair and a scar going down the left side of her head from her hairline to her left eyebrow.

"Commander?" She said with an accent of some kind, making the figure in blue armor turn around and a gigantic-easily seven foot figure in yellowish armor that had been designed for explosive disposal with a GRENADIER helmet by his side and GRNADIER shoulder plates and knee plates. A scar went down the right side of his face; going through his right eye-yet it didn't impair his vision. Stubble of a beard and mustache went across the giant's face as he stared at B312.

"So that's our new number Six." The giant said with a deep rumbling voice.

"Kat." The man in the EVA helmet said with a rough voice, "You read his file?"

"Only the parts that weren't covered in black ink." The only woman in the building replied; revealing her name to be Kat. Her right arm was obviously a replacement to having lost her real one in battle. B312 said nothing about the casual mention of his file; he had worked personally with the Office of Naval Intelligence since he became a Spartan; four years ago. His missions were top secret and of very sensitive nature-but occasionally he was "rented" to other sections; such as the Spartan Headhunter Division. That last mission with said "Headhunters" was how he got his Hyper Lethal danger vector.

The "commander" of the Spartan team turned back to the screen where Commander Holland was talking.

"Anyone claim responsibility, sir?" He asked.

"ONI thinks it might be the local insurrection." This made B312 eager; making Insurrection groups "disappear" was his specialty. "Five months ago, they pulled a similar job on Harmony-hit a relay to take out our eyes and ears and then stole two freighters from dry-dock. That cannot happen here. Reach is too damn important. I want that Relay back on-line Noble One."

"Sir. Consider it done." Noble one said as the others who had taken their helmets off put them back on.

"Then I'll see you on the other side. Holland out." With that, the transmission feed ended.

"Lieutenant." Noble One said sharply while he held his COMMANDO helmet under his arm.

"Commander, Sir." B312 greeted back.

"I'm Carter, Noble Team's leader." Carter said, "That's Kat, Noble Two, Emile and Jorge Four and Five." He pointed out the Spartans as he talked about them. "You're riding with me Noble Six." With that, Carter moved to the exit as he put his helmet on and B312 moved to follow him. Once they were outside the building, Emile, Kat, and Jorge got into the same Falcon as Carter spoke to him once more.

"Not gonna lie to you, Lieutenant. You're stepping into some shoes the rest of the squad would rather leave unfilled. Me, I'm just happy to have Noble back up to full strength." Carter and Fox got into the Falcon where the sniper he saw earlier was waiting in a seat. "Just one thing..." Carter said, motioning for the Falcon with the other half of Noble to launch. "I've seen your file, even the parts the ONI sensors didn't want me to see, Lieutenant McCloud. I'm glad to have your skill set...but we're a team. That lone-wolf stuff stays behind. Clear?"

"Got it, sir." Fox said, glad his helmet prevented his frustrated gaze from being seen. He felt better when working alone; he couldn't get hurt by others. As the Falcon took off into the air, he heard the sniper speak up in an accented voice.

"Welcome to Reach."

B312 just sat in silence as he reflected on the four years of his Spartan lifestyle. Love...humans made songs about its power, but also had at least as many about Love hurting them. Fox once cherished Love; his friends...Krystal...

Fox McCloud had been weak.

Thanks to...her...he now knew better. Love was a liability; an obstacle. It caused irrational decisions and affected humanity's fight for survival. Once, he thought he could be loved again. Back on a quick vacation granted by the Office of Naval Intelligence after a tough mission to a vacation planet Sigma 6; as some marines put it; "Nothing but beaches and college girls". Once humans got past the fact he was an alien, he had a couple girls gushing over him-how "cute" he looked, slipping their numbers into his pockets. He later saw them drunk and doing the same kind of flirting to other guys. In their place, he saw Krystal.

He promptly went to a nearby resort, tossed the numbers into a fireplace, and ended his vacation early.

ONI loved how he was so "dedicated" to serving, so they also accepted his major request that would help them hide his existence from others; they erased his name. Fox McCloud ceased to exists; and Lieutenant Spartan B312 came into existence to replace him. Hardening his own heart served him well; once he came across an Insurrectionist with the same eye color as...her...

And B312 had no trouble stabbing his knife into her throat and dumping her body into an ocean.

The Galaxy never cared for Fox McCloud; it only took from him what it needed. Now, all that pain had rebuilt him. The life of Fox McCloud was over; giving birth to Spartan B312.

"Lieutenant, are you there?" Kat said, breaking him from his thoughts.

"Sorry, lost in thought." B312.

"Was it about your...past?" Carter asked, and B312 quickly turned to look at him, "I told you I read what the ONI censors didn't want me too; the entire team did."

B312 said nothing, just glancing out at the other Falcon.

"Don't worry 'bout that Bitch." Emile said, skull engraved helmet looking at him; "I owe you after that Headhunter job."

"So it was you!" B312 said, "I thought you looked familiar."

"Yeah, it was me." Emile said with a small chuckle, "You're part of this rag-tag, fucked up family now."

There was a few more minutes of silence as the Falcons flew around a mountain.

"Listen up, Noble Team." Carter said, bringing everyone's attention to him, "We're looking at a downed relay outpost fifty clicks from Visegrad. We're gonna introduce ourselves to whoever took it out, and then Kat's gonna get it back online."

"Just get me under the hood, Commander." Kat said.

"Sir" Jorge asked, "Why would rebels want to cut off Reach from the rest of the colonies?"

"You get a chance, maybe you can ask 'em, Jorge." Carter replied. After a few seconds, Kat spoke up.

"Commander, we just lost our signal with HQ." She said.

"Backup channels?" Carter asked as Kat looked over a data-pad.

"Searching...Nada. Can't say what's jamming us." Kat replied.

"You heard her, dead zone confirmed." Carter said, "Command will not be keeping us company this trip."

"I'm lonely already." Emile sassed. After arriving near a farm, B312 looked outside as Carter gave directions to the pilot and told them to stay focused. A marker appeared on his visor marking the spot the distress signal was coming from.

"Could be the missing troopers." Carter said. The Falcons landed outside the farm. "Jun I want your eyes in the sky."

"Sir." The sniper next to B312 said in agreement.

"Let's go, Six." Carter said, as he and Fox leaped out of the Falcon with Emile, Kat, and Jorge jumping out of the other one. They quickly moved down the hill, nothing showing up on the motion sensors as he arrived to a cluster of buildings with the burning remains of a M12 LRV Warthog and the beacon coming from under the rubble. Human blood had been splattered across the ground.

Yet, for all the destruction, there wasn't a single bullet casing or explosive residue in the area. Something wasn't adding up...and Fox suddenly had a suspicion that it wasn't the Rebels that took out the relay outpost...but something far, far worse.