Disclaimer: Bucky 'O Hare created by Larry Hama, Star Fox is copyright Nintendo.

After the stressful events that were the Katina mission, the crew of the Great Fox and their Aniverse friends enjoy a well-deserved moment of levity, before they deal with the aftermath of the mission.

As they all land within the Great Fox's hanger bay confines, the team wastes no time on a little bit of light teasing. Jumping out of their Arwings, Falco broke the silence, walking over to Deade-Eye and the Toad Croaker. "You did OK, Duck. I'll have to rethink my opinion of you. You too Bucky, nice flying out there!" he said with a grin as he walked out of the hangar.

Nodding at him, Bucky then turns around as he hears Slippy talk, "Thanks, Fox. Now I've got to overhaul that whole freakin' Landmaster. What did you do to that thing, anyway?" he said sarcastically, with some slight exasperation.

"Well, Slip-up, you outta know me by now. I've just got my own way with machines, I guess." Fox said with a grin. Slippy rolled his eyes and walked towards Bucky with a smile, "Hey Bucky, thanks for the assist, is there anything I can do for you!" he asked earnestly.

Returning the smile, Bucky merely answered, "No problem, Slippy, it's my duty to help people in need, especially if they're flying with me. Besides, it looks like you are going to have your plate full for quite a while.", he mentions as he points at the Landmaster.

Looking back at it, Slippy grins before responding, "Don't worry about that, I'm used to it by now. This isn't our first rodeo; I'll have it fixed in no time!" before he too leaves the hanger.

"Hey," Fox said as he approached him and stood beside him with an arm on his shoulder. "Glad you made it!" he said with a nod, Krystal walking towards them with a smile.

"You too, Fox," he replied with a genuine smile. "Good to hear!" Fox responded before he began heading towards the door, his expression changed to one of serious content, something was clearly bothering him!

"Come on. Let's head up to the bridge. I'm sure Peppy's waiting for us to show up." Fox said as he marched towards the bridge. Watching him leave, Bucky turned towards Krystal with concern.

"Is he al right?" Bucky asked her with worry. Krystal sighed before saying, "He'll be alright, things just got a little more personal for him." she explained calmly.

Nodding attentively, he asked, "Does it have to do with this Pigma fellow." Krystal nodded, saying, "I don't know all the details, and it really isn't my story to tell, but he was responsible for killing his father." she explained. Bucky could understand instantly, he had lost loved ones before, he could relate to the pain his new friend was clearly experiencing.

Still, he made it a point to speak with him later, going on such an important mission in such a state could be extremely dangerous. "Thank you for that, Krystal! I'll speak with Fox later, now come on, they're probably waiting for us!" he said as he sprinted towards the door.

"All right. Sounds good to me." She said as she walked towards the bridge after him.

Later, as everyone gathered on the bridge, Fox decided to speak, "Well Peppy, what's the word on Pigma?" he asked his old friend. Peppy went to respond, a troubled look in his eye, " Well, his radar contact led us somewhere before it disappeared, but…" he began.

"But what?" Fox asked curiously. "He disappeared at the Sargasso region of the system," Peppy said glumly. At that, everyone on Team Star Fox instantly turned towards Peppy, their blood running cold.

Confused and worried at this reaction Bucky asked, "Fox…What's the Sargasso region?" Looking straight at him, Fox responded, "It's a secluded area of the system that we like to venture away from. Heavily fortified, and it's a hideaway for all the criminals of the galaxy." He said seriously.

"Oh. Sounds like fun." Dead-Eye commented, earning a grin from Fox. Bucky was more subdued in his reaction, it sounded somewhat like Sludge, except far more dangerous. He worried what the Toads might do if they found this area, and more so at what lowlife might do with the core Pigma stole from them.

"We should be cautious with our approach then!" he finally said to the others. "I agree!" Peppy said, before muttering several curses under his breath, deeply angered at what had happened.

"You should all get some rest. We'll be in the Sargasso region by about noon tomorrow." Peppy said as he turned his chair back to his console, typing on the keyboard searching for up-to-date information on the region.

Back on the Great Fox, Fox McCloud is sitting on his bed with an old picture in his hands. He smiled at it warmly, the memories resurfacing as he stared at the aged glass.

A soft knocking brought him out of his memories as he quickly replied, "Who is it?" To his surprise, Bucky's voice responded, "Fox, it's me, Bucky! May I come in!" he asked from the other side of the doors. "Yeah, of course!" Fox said as he opened the door and let his new friend inside.

Standing in front of him, Bucky spoke calmly, "Hey Fox, I need to talk to you about the mission." he said. Switching to business mode, Fox's face turned serious before responding, "Yes, of course! What did you need to know?" Matching his gaze, Bucky continued, "Me and my team wish to continue helping you, but I need to make sure we can work together without external compromise." he said suddenly. Caught slightly off guard, Fox asked, "What do you mean?"

Taking a breath, Bucky just went ahead and said, "I couldn't help but notice that this mission seems to be affecting you greatly. I understand that this is something personal, I know it's not my business, and I don't mean to intrude, but I need to be assured that you can keep a level mind when we are down there!" taking a break to breathe in, he continued, "So, do you want to talk about it!".

Fox was a bit shocked at the statement, but he knew he didn't mean any ill, so with a calming smile he asked, "How much do you know?"

"Not much, only that it has something to do with Pigma, and the loss of a loved one!" Bucky answered with sympathy. "Very observant captain, do I suppose it was only a matter of time before this came up," Fox said, slowly gesturing to a spot next to him, asking his friend to sit down.

He gave him the picture that was in his hand, letting him see the image of a younger Fox, accompanied by who he could assume was his dad. "James McCloud, my father, leader of the original Star Fox team. He, Peppy, and Pigma were some of the best pilots in the galaxy. Pigma was supposedly a very cunning pilot, never missing a trick, but he was greedy. After the former chief scientist Andross was sentenced to permanent exile on the distant planet Venom, the Star Fox team was hired by General Pepper to investigate reports of strange biotechnology activity coming from the planet. Upon their arrival, Pigma's greed was exposed when Andross bribed him with the promise of riches, which caused him to commit treason against Corneria by betraying his team to Andross, delivering them into a deadly trap from which there was seemingly no escape. Only Peppy managed to escape, my father was never seen again. I only found out later, back when I was still in the academy, I could hardly believe it." Fox said with a sniff, trying to keep it together, "I've crossed paths with him before, but he always gets away!" he concluded harshly, with slight anger in his voice.

Centering himself once more, he looks into Bucky's eyes before saying, "But I have never let that distract me from my mission. I understand your concern, but like I said, I've done this before. You can count on me, I guarantee you! Once we head down there, the mission comes first!" he reassured his fellow leader.

Satisfied with his response, Bucky placed a hand on Fox's shoulder and said, "I'm sorry you had to go through that! I know what it's like to lose someone or something you love, and I know what it's like to carry that grudge with you. When we are down there, you have my full support!" he tells him before he leaves the room. Stopping near the door, he looks back and says, "Fox. This time, we'll get him! No matter what!" he tells him with a grin before finally leaving. Staring at the door for a while, Fox lets a small smile, glad to know he could count on his new friends and glad that he understood.

Waking amongst the halls of the Great Fox, Bucky's mind reviewed the information he had been given. He had not been lying when he said he understood what Fox was going true. He had lost his home to the toads, but he had also lost most of his family long before that! Only his aunt and cousin remained his closest family, his only family. But he knows that personal stakes like these were dangerous, he would trust in Fox's judgment, but if he ever seemed to weaver, he would take over operations. He had to; this operation was far more dangerous than anything they had encountered before! If only a few aparoids could cause this sort of damage, what would an entire army do? He had gotten his team into this mess; he would make sure they got through it!

Speaking of with, this was why he was currently heading towards the bay, their constant sidetracking had delayed their arrival at Corneria, and as such their access to new parts for their ships. He wanted to see if there had been any progress, especially now that they were engaging in active conflict. He also needed to talk to his crew, especially Willy. His youngest crewmate had often been on his mind, especially as the gravity of the satiation became clearer. He had to speak with them as soon as possible!

And as if the universe was listening, a familiar face crossed his patch. "First mate Jenny! What are you doing here!" he asks as he nearly bumps straight into his first officer. "Looking for you, actually!" she says, quickly composing herself. "I wish to join you on this upcoming mission!" she says with great resolve. Bucky looks at her sternly, deep in thought before finally saying, "I see. Any reason why?" he asks her expectantly. "I simply wish to be of more use. You and Dead-Eye have already joined our new friends on their missions, I wish to do so as well. Besides, there is little for me to do here!" she explains, true to her words yet keeping something hidden.

Something that Bucky picked up on, "Is that all?" he says skeptically, raising his brow. "Jenny, we have known each other for a long time now, why do you really want to go?" he finally asks her sincerely. With a defeated smile, Jenny complied, a part of her happy that her captain and friend knew her so well. "Very well, I sense trouble approaching, I don't know why, but something big is coming, it's calling me. I fear that our friend might be in danger if I am not there to help," she said honestly as she looked straight at him. "You probably don't believe me?" she said, remembering how little she had told him of her abilities.

"And why would I not?!" he responded suddenly with a smile, "You are one of the most trustworthy people I have ever met, if you say you need to be there, I believe you," he told her sincerely. "That being said, it is not my call to make, this is still Star Fox's mission, and unless the ship is repaired, we are limited in the amount of people we can send." He informed her frankly as he placed a hand on her shoulder. Giving him a nod, she responded, "I shall ask one of them instead, and do not worry, I took the liberty to learn the operating system of the Arwings, I can fly them if need be." She told him with a grin as she ran off to find someone else, Bucky had a feeling he knew who. But that didn't matter now, he still had a job to do.

Finally reaching the hanger bay, he quickly surveyed the area, looking for a certain glasses-wearing boy genius. He finally spotted him, unsurprisingly, luring around Slippy as he repaired the Landmaster. Somehow, he knew his young friend would miss the opportunity to see how such a machine would work. He already showed a remarkable talent for working with technology, that as far as he was aware, was completely alien to the human boy. Smiling at himself, Bucky quickly made their way towards them, careful not to disturb the other engineers working about the place.

Willy was in awe as he witnessed the inner workings of the Landmaster, he could hardly believe the sophisticated yet hardy systems that now laid before him. He listened attentively as Slippy explained the various functions of the tank, detailing how its inside worked much to his content. He had become fast friends with Star Fox's resident engineer, a surprise considering his past experience with toads. But Slippy proved to be very different from his Aniverse counterparts, his cheerful and eager demeanor a good match for Willy's own. The two had spent long hours discussing the inner workings of their respected vessels, he even gave the toad a few new ideas when fixing the Landmaster. Not to mention that he had been instrumental in finding a way to combine their two technologies to work almost seamlessly!

Something that would clearly help them in repairing the ships once they arrived at Corneria. He was a bit disappointed that they would not be arriving for some time, but he had come to understand this sort of thing during his time abort the Indignation. He had spent most of his time trying to fix the ship, still a work in progress, unfortunately, or helping Peppy on the bridge. It was exciting to be in a place like this, he had been on ships before, but not like this! The Great Fox was one of the most impressive works of art the young boy had seen in his entire life! Plus, he was curious to learn more about this dimension, mostly how it affected the passage of time. He had to admit that he was worried about his parents, he had been gone for quite some time. He just hoped that they would be too worried yet! Maybe he was just gone for a few minutes back home, one never knew with alternate dimensions!

Returning to the real world, he could see Bucky eagerly making his way towards them. "Hey Bucky, haven't seen you in a while! I was just helping Slippy with some repairs!" he told him happily, readjusting his glasses slightly. "He has been a really good help!" Slippy told him from beneath the Landmaster. "That's great to hear Slippy! Do you mind if I borrow him for a minute?" Bucky said with a grin, fully knowing what the answer would be. "Course Bucky, what do you need!" Willy said excitedly.

Walking some way further, Bucky asked him, "So, how are repairs going on the old girl!" as he gestured towards the Indignation. "It's nearly complete, we just need to replace a few pieces. The others are hoping to rendezvous with Commander Dogstar in the hope of getting some spare pieces, but I think I can manage to replace some of the damaged pieces by replacing them with some tech from the Great Fox by circumventing some of the systems to seamlessly work with the foreign pieces! Me and Slippy had been talking about it since he started working down here!" he told him excitedly, nearly jumping from excitement as he continued rambling.

Bucky just stared at him with a proud smile, sometimes it was hard to believe that he was still just a kid. But he was just a kid, which is why he needed to tell him. "And what about the Photon Accelerator, is that fixed?" he asked some hesitation in his voice.

"Yeah! It's nearly complete, I just need to recalibrate some things!" he said, a hint of smugness in his tone. "That's good to hear. Listen Willy, once you get that thing working, I want you to open a doorway back to your place!" he told authoritatively, looking at him straight to the face as he said it.

"Yeah, that's probably a good idea! I should probably resupply before heading back here!" Willy said thoughtfully, "I should probably make sure my parents are alright as well!" he added, failing to notice the now stern look on Bucky's face. "That's not what I mean Willy! Once you get back there, I want you to shut down your accelerator and stay there!" said Bucky in a more commanding voice.

"WHAT! Why! You guys still need me here! I can help you out here, I'm just as much part of the crew as anybody else!" Willy cried out indignantly. "I know that Willy! This has nothing to do with your value on the team!" Bucky tried to explain before being cut off. "Then what IS it about!" Willy demanded! "YOU'RE JUST A KID WILLY! No matter your intelligence, you are just a kid! The battlefield is no place for you! I had had my reservations about it for a while, but I put them aside because I saw how capable you were. But this is so much more than what we're used to! We barely made it out there, and we are trained soldiers Willy! I can't live with myself if you get hurt out there!" Bucky cried out before falling to his news. After a brief pause, he added," Besides, you said it yourself, your parents must be worried! It has been days since we got here! They probably think you've been kidnapped! Please, just stay out of this one, I promised we'll let you know if something happens!" Bucky said with an almost pleading voice, clearly mentally exhausted from the day's events.

Willy just stared at him, unsure of how to respond. He wanted to argue but could see nothing wrong with Bucky's reasoning. He had seen the damage, seen the fighting, even if he remained aboard the Fox, it was no guarantee that he would be safe. As much as he wanted to deny it, Bucky was right. "Fine, once I finish the repairs I'll leave," he said defeatedly.

Sadly, looking up at him Bucky said, "It's for the better." Before he turned left towards his quarters, this had been a very tiring day.

Turning back towards his work, Willy was left with his thoughts, "I wonder who they'll get to replace me. The last time was a disaster!" he said to himself, thinking of a certain purple sleazasaur they knew. "I wonder what he is up to now." He thought before being consumed by his work.

Far away, aboard a Venomian ship, Al Negator stared down at the massive space station among the asteroids. The Sargasso Space Zone, an illegal hideout located somewhere in the Meteo Asteroid Belt and home to countless gangs of thugs and criminals.

"Well, ain't that a sight for sore eyes! Mighty fine place you got that down there, boys!" he calls out to the simian next to him. The visor-wearing monkey just grinned smugly before replying, "Ain't that the truth! The one place in the galaxy where guys like us can roam free. No law enforcement anywhere near the system! The only thing you got to worry about is the boss!" he explained as the ship descended!

"The boss?" Al asked his companion as they disembarked from the ship. " Lord O'Donnell! He and his gang took over some years ago, in this place, their word is the only law. You want to make a name for yourself, you impress him!" the ruffian told him, knowing full well why he had come with them.

"Is that so?" Al muttered, contemplating what he had learned. Al was a lizard of many talents, being an expert in laser weaponry, electrical equipment, and technology! Any one of those skills would be more than enough to impress anyone. But he wanted more, he was the number one mercenary back in the Aniverse, and he wouldn't settle for anything less now! If this "Lord O'Donnell" was as influential as they claimed, then he wouldn't settle for merely earning his approval. He would earn a place at his table, either as equals or above him. Al is a very deadly adversary, and everyone is going to learn not to cross him!

"So, where can I meet this boss?" he questioned his companion, who only flashed him a grin. "We're going straight towards him! No one makes it into this station without his knowing, be ready!" he told him while the two traveled among the busy streets and shady corridors that surrounded the place. Wishing to pass the time, Al decided to strike up a conversation with his guide, he was here to make contacts! "Tell me, if this boss of yours is so important, then why were you doing in Oikonny's army? Surely he would be competition for him?" he asked, curious as to what his response would be. "Hah! Hardly, Oikonny was an old friend of the boss, and not one he felt threatened with! Heck He kicked him from his gang!" he told him with a laugh. "As for why I was there? What can I say, the whinny guy paid good!" he finished with a grin. Al returned his laugh, "Money speaks louder than any words I'm I right! Preddy much the same reason I tolerate those toads, they paid me well!" he told him. Intrigued to learn more from the newcomer, the monkey asked, "So, you demand a hefty price? Must be real good at your job!" he asked him, a brow raised behind his visor. Al just responded pridefully with, "My services are expensive, partly because of my skill and partly because of my reputation. I always demand payment half up front and half upon finishing the task, as insurance and a testament to my skill. That way they know I'll get the job done, and if they don't pay up, well let's just say you don't want to know!" he assured him with a flash of his jaw.

Backing away slightly, the ruffian led him towards a large structure in front of them. Going inside, Al was met with the sight of a large bar, and the glaring gazes of the other patrons. Shifting his straps to show off his guns, Al proceeded to take a seat at the counter. "Bartender, give me your heaviest drink!" he barked out as his companion lightly sat beside him. After a moment of glaring, the old gruff ape behind the counter gave him his drink. A pitcher filled to the brim with bubbling golden liquor. The monkey beside him reached out to pay for it, before Al stopped him saying, "I got this one." with a slight smile as his eyes glanced towards his side.

Following his gaze, the ruffian saw a large, lumbering baboon approaching them. Sitting down at the other side of him, he glared at the sleazesasaur before speaking. "Never seen someone like you before, you new around here!" he spoke in a hostile tone. Al ignored him, choosing to focus on his drink. "You got some pretty scales, be ashamed if something happened to them!" the brute said again, his tone now threatening. Al just kept downing his drink, the brute losing more of his patience with each passing gulp. "You deft pretty boy! Answer me!" he yelled out as he unholstered his gun.

Unfortunately for him, Al was done with his drink. Socking him on the side with the mug, he expertly sent the oaf tumbling to the floor before graving an arm and forcefully pinning him to his back. He then crouched down on top of him to show him his teeth, the whole exchange taking less than a minute. Reaching down his pants he takes the burly ape's credits and one of his weapons for good measure, before telling him, "I've dealt with bigger apes before!" he then proceeded to toss some of the credits towards the counter, keeping the rest for himself.

Having successfully gotten the attention of the bar, he decided to finally introduce himself, "Al Negator, mercenary and master spy at your service!" he said with a slight bow. "Is that so?" called a voice from a group at the very center of the bar. The mystery voice rose to his feet and walked closer to Al. Stepping from the shadows, he could see his form was not simian like the others, but lupine. "Well, if that is the case, then I believe I have some business with you!" the gray wolf told him, his bearing eyes locked on his.

"And who might you be, sir?" Al asked the canid, holding his gaze undeterred. "Lord!" the wolf states with a smirk, "Lord Wolf O'Donnell!" he cries as the rest of his group surrounds him.

"You in my house now, Al! Got to say, I'm impressed!" he says, grin in mouth, as the room appears to darken.

Author's Note:

Hey guys, sorry for the delay! I had some connection problems, so I tried to publish this as soon as I could. We got a little more background from our leads in this chapter, and some conflict between Willy and Bucky. I know many won't like this turn of events in the story, but don't worry I have a plan. Speaking of story, with the exception of differences caused by the crew of the Indignation and near the end, this will follow the story of Star Fox: Assault. So keep that in mind!

Thanks for your patience and I hope you enjoy!