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

Fox knew that the only thing that was keeping him going, beside the adrenaline, was the thought of what would happen if he didn't. He wasn't doing this for himself, and he was so badly beaten that he shouldn't have gone on to go after that last transfer device, but he did anyway.

Fox walked down the hallway, not seeing any more troop movement as Dead-Eye and Jenny walked a few feet in behind and to the right of him, weapons pointed ahead. Fox stopped at a corner and his ears went back to full alert. He could hear the hums of the turrets just around the wall as he held up his hand to signal them to stop.

"Got any grenades?" he said as he looked back at Dead-Eye. He nodded his head with a grin, and solely exposed one from his gear pack on his back. He tossed it to Fox, and was impressed when he caught it without looking.

Fox pointed to the ground, signifying for them to take cover, and pressed the 'arm' button. He tossed it around the corner and heard yells of surprise as he dove to the ground and covered his head.

As soon as the explosion had dissipated before either Fox or Dead-Eye could even get up, Jenny was out in the open with her AR at her hip, blazing away at the stragglers. Krystal slung her AR to her back and turned around to help Fox up.

He smiled with respect as he took his AR in one hand and took her hand in the other as he got up and re-shouldered his rifle. He was glad she had come on this mission; she had proven herself to be a formidable ally and friend.

The group stopped at a huge double door, almost twice their height, and stood before them. Jenny looked at her radar and said, "This is our target here." as she faced the others. Nodding in acknowledgment, Fox adjusted the AR in his right hand while approaching the control panel, he was about to press the button to open the door before Jenny stopped him.

"Not yet," she said as Fox's finger stopped just a few inches from the button, he turned around and cocked a brow. Walking close to him, Jenny whispered, "Fox, there's a lot of 'em in there…" she hesitated slightly before continuing, "I can hear their thought. They're waiting for us in there, and I don't know if we can take them. You're not exactly in top shape either." she told him sincerely.

Fox nodded and was about to speak when she started talking into her comm, "Slippy, Jenny here. I got Fox and Dead-Eye out. He's really beaten up and we need your help up here. Find us on radar and meet us up here." she said through the coms.

"Affirmative. I'll be there as soon as I can." Slippy responded. Ending the call Jenny turned to Fox, "Come on, you should rest until he gets here." she tells him. Fox nods and gently sits on the ground, away from the door, he is very tired and could use the rest, especially now that the adrenaline has worn off.

Jenny looked over to him and smiled, she was glad that she had made it in time. She took a gamble telling him about her abilities, though he seemed not to react. She wondered if it was because he already worked with a telepath, or if perhaps Krystal told him about it. She didn't think she would do something like that, she had come to thrust the blue vixen. Right now, she was just glad she had kept her promise and got him to safety.

"Are you sure we gotta wait for that toad to get here!" Dead-Eye asked all of a sudden. "That toad has a name and happens to be my best friend!" Fox responds slowly from his resting spot, a hint of annoyance in his voice.

Not wanting to escalate something, Jenny intervenes, "Slippy is an invaluable ally to us and has shown us nothing but kindness in our stay despite being a toad. I understand your unease, but it is clear to me that he has nothing in common with our enemies and is there to be trusted. I consider him a friend, and I hope you can do the same too, Dead-Eye." She tells him in a calm and professional tone, not wanting to sound impartial.

"We'll see, the boy is gonna have to prove himself before I turn my eye off him." The ex-pirate says steadfastly, making his stance clear. "Well, proving himself is what Slip-up does best! You'll see, it takes some time, but he'll show you his worth!" Fox responded smugly, letting a small laugh at the mention of his friend's nickname.

Jenny just rolled her eyes, she had more pressing matters to attend to. Her weapon was almost out of ammo, and while she could always use her psychic blast, she was uncertain if she should do it. She trusted her teammates, but the rules of the sisterhood were sacred to her, plus they still took quite a bit out of her. She found another AR on the ground, she decided to pick it up and hold it in her left hand. She figured she could handle two, one on each hand if it came to it.

Slippy came up from below not long after, "Where's Fox!" he asked immediately. "He's sitting down over there. We decided to rest up before tackling the last transfer device in there," she said, pointing towards the door. "He's about thirty yards behind me. He needs your help more than I do," she said before Slippy could inspect her scratches. Slippy nodded and walked back to where Fox was lying and returned some minutes later, placing a roll of gauze tape back into one of the pockets in his yellow jumpsuit.

"He'll be ok. Just a bit shaky, but he should be fine." He told him happily, glad that his friend was alright. Jenny nodded and wiped some sweat off her brow as Slippy looked quizzically at the door.

"So, we're…going in there?" he asked as he pointed his AR at the door. Jenny simply nodded and smiled at him. Slippy gulped noticeably before saying, "Ok…I guess I'm ready.", causing Jenny to grin at his thoughts of worry. "You'll be fine. Just cover me, Slippy." She said as Slippy walked over to the button that opened the door. Jenny walked to the opposite side of the door, then with a nod Slippy pressed the button.

The door slid open and one of the soldiers cocked a brow since he didn't see anyone outside. He slowly walked outside of the room and was met with a laser blast from Slippy's sidearm. Jenny jumped right where he had been standing and blazed away at the troops with both ARs at her hips before they had a chance to return fire. She got all of them, but the ARs didn't work on the missile robot inside.

"That's new!" she exclaimed in surprise and frustration as she dove for cover behind the wall. Slippy held the trigger on his blaster, and to everyone's surprise, it held the energy back as it charged. Slippy grinned as he watched the gauge rise to full power, "Check this out." he said with a smug grin.

He walked into the line of sight of the robot and fired the blaster just as it was preparing to launch a wave of missiles at him, the blast of the pistol nearly knocking him off his feet as the robot was enveloped in a huge explosion.

"Blow me down! Well done, laddie." Dead-Eye exclaimed impressed. "Told ya!" Fox said before he walked into the room and destroyed the transfer device. He rushed back saying, "We've got to get out of here before more of them show up!" as he reached the others.

Running behind him, Jenny noticed him wincing and asked, "You sure you're, ok?" slight worry clear in her voice. "Yeah, just some bruises, I'll be fine. Now come one, we must get out of here." Fox told her as they made their way out of the facility.

Taking the lead, Dead-Eye took one of her ARs and made sure there weren't any stragglers as Jenny made her way to the bottom of the facility. They reached the hanger, Jenny helping Fox climb into his cockpit, before climbing on her own.

Dead-Eye followed next, jumping towards his craft and struggling with his helmet, as the croaker wasn't covered. "Darn it! I wished them fancy ships of yours was a double seater or something!" he said as he finally got situated in the cockpit. "Yeah…me too," Slippy said as he jumped onto his ship.

With time of the essence, Jenny took the lead hitting the startup and pointing the nose outside of the hideout, then pushing up the throttle with all her might. She flew next to Fox, ensuring his safety as they flew back home.

Meanwhile, aboard the Great Fox's hanger bay Willy and Bruiser are putting the finishing touches on the photon accelerator, parts of which were graciously donated by the Screaming Mimi.

"That should do it!" Bruiser said with a grunt as he put the finishing piece in place. "Yeah, just need to run some diagnostics and I'll be good to go," Willy answered, halfheartedly looking into a tablet that Slippy had loaned him. He sighed as he put it to the side, earning a look of concern from his burly companion.

"Hey, little bud! Is everything alright?" asks Bruiser as he goes to sit next to him. "Huh! Oh…yeah. I'm fine, just thinking is all!" he says hesitantly. Bruiser wasn't so convinced, so he kept looking at him worriedly.

After a few minutes, Willy asked, "Are you ever worried about the missions, about how dangerous they can be, how you could lose someone or leave people you love behind?" It was so sudden that Bruiser was caught completely off guard. But after he recovered, he saw how serious Willy looked, how doubtful he was.

Now, Bruiser wasn't the genius his brother was, but he was honest, and he could tell that was what Willy needed the most right now. "Well, of course! I'm always afraid the next mission might be my last, everybody is! The thought of losing someone I love is one of the first things I think about before a fight. Of losing those you love the most…" He trails off, thinking of his lost brother Bruce, "But that is also the reason why I always give it my all! It's what drives me to be a worrier, and to always do my best! So, no matter what, I know it wasn't in vain."

"And what about your family, your friends, the people you leave behind? You ever worry about them?" Willy asks, still down. "Sure! I'm always thinking of Mama, and the guys, and Bruce. Why you ask?" he asks curiously.

"Just wondering. Does it ever become too much?" he responds, looking up to him. 'Yeah, sometimes. But it's what we sign up for, so others don't have too." Bruiser responds sincerely. "This isn't an easy job; you must be brave to do what we do. And always remember the sacrifice we do for our loved ones." He finishes, thinking of his lost brother.

Smiling at him gratefully, Willy asks "Thinking of Bruce?". Turning to him, he responds, "Yeah, I know he's out there, trying to get home. Someday I'll see him again! And you'll finally have a chance to hang out with him!" Bruiser says with a wide smile, hitting him in the back.

Willy returns the grin before something catches his attention. "Hey, I think Bucky and others are back!" he says as he points to the far side of the hanger, where the sound of landing craft can be heard.

"Come one, we should welcome them back!" Willy said, back to his usual self, before running towards the landing Arwings. Bruiser followed him with a laugh, happy to have helped his little buddy.

Bucky sighs in relief, as he removes his goggles and hops out of his ship. "Good job out there, those guys sure put up a fight!" he says with relief. "Don't get too comfortable, we need to get back out there as soon as we refuel," Falco says exhausted, but with a grin of his own. "Oh, I'm well aware. I just hope Jenny is faring better than us!" he said walking away before noticing their friend walking towards them.

Greeting them, Willy and Bruiser call out, "Hey guys, over here!" they said excitedly. "How was the mission? Did you CRUSH those ruffians!" Bruiser asked when they reunited. "Those guys give primates a bad name!" he adds jokingly with a hardy laugh.

Returning the laugh, Falco is the one to respond," Hah, you said it big guy! But don't you worry, those guys were nothing for an ace pilot like myself! And Bucky here didn't do so bad either!" he says boldly, momentarily gesturing to Bucky. The hare in question not really paying attention, as he was currently focused on Willy.

The boy genius hadn't said a word, just looking at him with a sad grin, clearly in just as deep a thought as he was. But eventually, he had to return to the conversation, "Uhh. Right! No match for use, though they were rather persistent. It's why we're heading back as soon as Jenny gets back to us!" he quickly said to them in a reassuring tone.

"Speaking of her, has she come back yet?" he asks the two earnestly. Willy and Bruiser just stare at each other before replying, "No, we thought she was with you? Did something happen?" they asked, both confused and worried.

"You didn't hear. Fox got captured and she offered to get him back! Leaving the rest of those bozzos for us to deal with!" Falco replied slight annoyance in his voice. "She left for the station a while ago, has she not made it back?" Bucky informed them, worried that she wasn't back yet.

"No, we were busy fixing the Indignation, but I'm sure she's fine!" Willy says confidently, though secretly worried for his friend. "Yeah, you're probably right! Guess we'll just have to wait and see." Bucky says, hoping for the best.

Suddenly alarms began to ring, looking towards the outside they could see four objects approaching, one faster than the others. "Guys, what's that!" Bruiser asked nervously. With worry I their faces, the others shout out, "GET OUT OF THE WAY!" as they begin to put distance between them and the approaching ship.

The incoming ship just barely managed to steady itself before entering the hanger bay, though the landing was anything but smooth. The others arrived shortly after, Jenny, in particular, jumping right out of her cockpit and rushing towards the first craft. "Incoming! Hurt pilot!" she yelled as she passed the others by, quickly climbing up the other Arwing and pulling the pilot off.

It was Fox, despite holding up for some time his injuries had caught up to him. He had momentarily lost control of the craft and was currently reeling in from the pain of his bruises, still, he remained his usual confident self. "I'm all right! I'm all right, just give me a moment.

Ignoring his pleas, Jenny held him up, helping him walk away from his ship. As she carried Fox to the medical bay, still struggling, she met up with Peppy on the way, "Oh my…" was all he could say in shock.

"Yeah, he's been beat up pretty bad," Jenny said as she entered the medical lab. "I'll call ROB down here immediately!" Peppy said as he quickly walked out. "Could you get Krystal as well, I bet she must be worried sick!" Jenny cried out to the hare before he could get far. "Will do my dear!' Peppy cried back as he quickly disappeared into the ship.

A few moments later, a worried Krystal rushed into the room followed by ROB. "What is the nature of the emergency," ROB asked in his usual monotone voice, while Krystal stood by Fox's side. "Why don't you look for yourself?" Jenny said to him, in a tired tone.

"Moderate…" ROB said as he walked over to Fox. "Minor abrasions, multiple bruising, blood loss…" ROB began as he analyzed Fox's damage aloud and recorded it in his memory. "The damage is minimal. Recement rest to replenish lost blood. Other wounds have already been sterilized." He delivered his diagnosis, much to the relief of both Krystal and Jenny. Leaving to tend to her ship, Jenny left Krystal to watch over Fox.

When Fox finally woke up, he was in his quarters lying down in a tank top, his jacket nowhere to be found, being greeted by Krystal's face over him. "Hey, handsome." She said with a smile as she rubbed his forehead with a damp cloth. She leaned down for a kiss, and he returned it with a gentle stroke at the back of her head before pulling away.

"What happened… I don't remember much after I left the hideout," he asked concerned. "Well, that is a very interesting story!" said a new voice from the doorway. "Jenny?" Fox said with a cocked brow. "Jenny here saved you, you almost collapsed on the way back here! Jenny had to practically drag you to the medical room." Krystal told him, giving a grateful smile to Jenny.

"Well, in that case, I guess I owe you my thanks, First Mate Jenny!" Fox said with a salute. "It was nothing! I just did what any teammate would in that situation!" she said modestly.

"Yes, but you also came to rescue me, traversed an enemy base on your own, and helped take out the final transfer device!" he told her with a grin. "Heck, I saw you wielding two assault rifles in each hand, those things aren't exactly BB guns!" he said in astonishment.

"Guess I don't know my own strength," Jenny says with a giggle. "Well, regardless, you're always welcome to fly with me!" he says with a laugh. "You clearly proved yourself! Happy to have you on board!" Fox says, his arm outstretched. Jenny looked down at him for some time, before shaking his hand with a smile.

"Thank you, Fox!" she says with gratitude, happy to have been of use. "I knew you could do it! Thank you for bringing him back!" Krystal said, gratitude also in her voice, as she rushed to hug her. Returning the hug, Jenny smiles happy that she could help her friend.

Flinching his side, Fox lets out a small groan, "That Al guy sure packs a punch though. Remind me to return the favor the next time we meet him!" he says with a cocky grin. "Hehe, sure thing! But I'll have to warn you there'll be a line!" she responds jokingly with a giggle. "Oh, I bet there'll be!" Krystal adds angrily, before the three of them share a laugh, enjoying the moment of levity.

Suddenly the ship's VAX chimed in, "Attention pilots! Head back down to the hanger bay, we got incoming fighters inbound!" Peppy's voice says urgently. "Well, duty calls!" Fox said as he got up, warily standing and walking towards the door. "No, Fox. Stay here. We can take care of them." Krystal said as she rushed in front of him.

"Please! Promise me, Fox, that you'll stay here. Trust me, we can handle it!" Krystal said desperately. "I agree, you are in no condition to go on active duty!" Jenny added assertively. Fox feels flattered, but his mind has been made, "I'm afraid I can't do that. If any of you are down there takin' fire, then I'm gonna be down there with you, no matter what condition I'm in. It's my job." he said with a grin, staring into Krystal's clear blue eyes.

He tried to look away, but he couldn't as he waited for her to respond, before she kissed him and said, "Just as stubborn as ever, Fox McCloud," with a grin on her face.

"You know it!" he responded with a knowing smirk. "Jenny, that invitation is still open if you want." He says as he got dressed in his flight outfit. "It would be my honor!" she says with a smile before turning to Krystal. "Don't worry, I'll make sure he doesn't get in trouble!" as she followed him towards the hanger. "Good luck!" Krystal yells from behind, rolling her eyes with a smile as she watches them go.

Fox climbed into his Arwing, while Jenny got into Krystal's own. "You ready?" Fox asked over the comm as Jenny strapped herself in. "Always." she said as she hit the startup and accelerated out of the hangar, following Fox as they joined the others on the battlefield.

"Damn!" Falco said as laser fire nearly scorched his arwing. "I'm not liking our odds here, Falco!" Bucky says through the comms as he narrowly avoids more laser fire. "WHERE'S OUR BACKUP!" Falco cries out in anger.

"Right here," Jenny said as she punched the throttle to full and hit the hyper lasers, completely obliterating an enemy fighter. "Well done, Jenny!" Fox said as he joined in on the firefight.

She was going to respond before a new voice came through the coms, "You fools! What're you idiots up to now?!" the voice called out through all channels. "Boss! You're here!" one of the ruffians cries out in surprise.

Recognizing the voice, Fox is the first to call out, "That you, Wolf?" he says curiously as he gets one of the Wolfens in his line of sight. "You're on my turf now! Watch...your... step... Fox!" Wolf warns threateningly, careful to emphasize every single word.

"He, he! I think I'll torment you a bit before I cook you!" said Leon Powalski, the group's chameleon specialist in assassination, and the only member other than Wolf himself who had been on the team since its beginning.

But before Wolf could comment, a new voice chimed in, "Allow me to introduce myself. I am Panther Calroso! And all who see my rose meet death!" he says with a growl. "Oh, give me a break!" Fox thought with a roll of his eyes before he contacted Wolf.

"We're just here for Pigma, OK? Shut your traps and hand him over!" Fox said at the edge of his patience. "Pigma? Don't know anything about Pigma... But there is one thing... I'm owed an apology, and I WILL have it!" Wolf said arrogantly.

"We didn't come here to fight, Wolf!" Fox stated rapidly, wanting to avoid a confrontation. "That's easy to say after all you've done... Enough small talk! Let's settle this, Fox!" O'Donnell said with finality, rearing his guns to fire.

"It's unavoidable. Repel the enemy with your Arwings." Peppy announces through the comms, with no other choice Fox prepares to fight. "Slippy! You and Dead-Eye are in charge of controlling the hideout!" he orders resolutely. "Understood! Leave it to us, Fox!" "Aye, Aye, Captain!" they said as they made their way towards the hideout. With that taken care of, Fox shoots his lasers at the Wolfen, hitting it a few times, but not doing any visible damage.

"I'm not doin' any damage! What's the trick to these things!" Fox said as he continued to hit the Wolfen with a volley of laser fire, still doing no visible damage. "Lock on, Fox!" came Peppy's voice over the comm. Locking on to Panther's Wolfen he fired, disabling its engine systems on the ship. "How could this be?! I-I've been…" Panther cried out as he frantically tried to restart his Wolfen and get the systems back online but failed.

"I found a weak spot! Lock on to their engines to disable them. Don't hurt them. Remember, we need to find out where Pigma is!" Fox called out to the others, as Wolf came on his tail. He was having one heck of a time trying to dodge Wolf's lasers, considering that Wolf was at least 10 years older than Fox, and just as good, if not better than he was, but Fox had something else up his sleeve.

Fox threw his Arwing into a loop and came out with Wolf right in front of him. "Just like old times, O'Donnell." Fox said as he got a lock on Wolf's ship but missed. "Don't mess with me, Fox!" Wolf said enraged.

Meanwhile, Falco was having his own set of problems as his Arwing shook violently as one of his wings was sheared off by a laser from Leon Powalski's Wolfen. He cursed under his breath as he struggled to regain control of his Arwing, which was heading for the Sargasso hideout.

"Come on…come on…" he thought as he pulled up on the flight stick as hard as he could. The Arwing continued its same heading, Falco pushed the stick downwards as he threw it into a reverse U-turn, steering him away from the hideout as he regained control.

"You Ok, Falco?" Bucky asked as he made his way beside him. "Never better." He said confidently as he tried to get Leon back on his sights. "These guys sure pack a punch! Guessing you have some history?" Bucky asked as he continued dodging fire. "Yeah, Star Wolf! They're a group of mercenaries led by Wolf O'Donnell. They originally worked for Andross, but now work on their own. They are kind of our rivals, making a living by dabbling in illegal activities such as larceny and smuggling, gaining fearsome reputations, and having massive bounties placed on their heads because of their work." Falco explained as they tried to get a lock on.

"Seem like real pieces of work!" Jenny comments through the comms, before wincing as she notices a few laser blasts fly dangerously close to her Arwing. She did a barrel and threw her Arwing into a loop, bringing the Wolfen back into her sights.

"Hrmph. That's no way to treat a lady. Eat this!" she said as she locked on and fired, hitting the sweet spot, and disabling the Wolfen. "No, it cannot be… I've been beaten again!" Panther's voice came over the comm.

"Huh, should have stayed down!" Fox commented smugly before he let a charged blast towards Wolf's Wolfen, knocking the engine out cold.

"I got Leon!" Falco said over the comm, as he let loose a charged shot straight at him. "No! Who do you think I am?!" Leon cried out in outrage. "What was that!" Falco asks sarcastically, a wide grin on his face.

"That's enough for now, Fox," Wolf said begrudgingly. "C'mon, Wolf! Enough of this! Just hand over Pigma already!" Fox demanded, tired of the fighting. "Pigma's no longer part of Star Wolf. If he'd shown his filthy hide here, my men would have driven him out." Wolf informs him in a serious manner.

"But... Then where did Pigma go?" Jenny asked nobody in particular. Panther whistled over the comm saying, "Ah… And who is this lovely beauty. Words do you no justice. I am Panther Caroso. Here's to us." he said, purring in delight.

"What? Who's this idiot?" Falco said in disbelief, Bucky agreeing with his sentiment. "Quiet, bird," Panther answered viciously. "What was that?!" Falco replied, his finger quivering nervously over the launcher, locked onto Panther's ship.

"Forget him. Look, just tell us where Pigma is!" Jenny responded immediately, defusing the situation. "How can I resist this beauty? I believe the com record will point you toward Fichina..." Panther answered smoothly, much to everyone's chagrin.

"You talk too much... Panther! Leon! Let's go! Remember this Fox, Star Wolf will take you down one day!" Wolf said as he hit his warp drive and got out of there.

"Whew. Glad they're gone. That was some reunion, huh?" Fox said jokingly as he saw them fly away. "I'll say!" Falco agrees. "That Panther guy was way out of his league!" Bucky states with a laugh.

"Good thing I'm not into pompous sociopaths then!" Jenny says with a giggle. Falco let out a quiet laugh over the comm before the others joined in earnest. "Alright, settle down everyone." Fox says as he wipes a tear from his eye, "Let's get out of here. Fichina's a good day's journey from here. It's on the other side of the system, and who knows what Pigma is up to." Fox said.

A chorus of 'copies came from the rest of the team as Slippy's Arwing joined them. A beep sounded on Fox's HUD, signifying that Slippy's comm system had just come online.

"The hideout is under control. No sign of Al Negator anywhere! Dead-Eye decided to stay behind to check for clues, says he'll meet us back on the ship. Did I miss anything here?" he asked in earnest. Fox rolled his eyes in good nature before replying, "Nothing, Slippy…nothing at all."

"Ok." Slippy says pleased, "Let's get out of here. I'll be happy if I don't see those faces again."

"Sounds good to me!" Jenny said as Fox punched up the throttle and headed back to the Great Fox.

Author's Notes:

Happy Holidays everyone! Hope you all are having a nice time with your families. I myself will be taking a short break for writing through the holidays. However, I didn't want to leave my faithful readers waiting, so I decided to finish this mission and make the proper debut of Star Wolf! As you can see, I have given Jenny a bigger role, but not to worry Krystal will still have her part in the story. I'm not keeping her on the sidelines forever. The next chapter will probably be some downtime, catching on with the other players of the story before we begin with the next mission. I know some have been wondering how the other members of the Aniverse are adapting to the new universe, and I promised to show you all in time. I have something special planned with the toads that I can't wait to show, but that's for another time.

In the meantime, leave a comment, and have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! See you next time!