Star Fox

                      by Theodore P. Perrotti
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WARNING:  This story has been written and posted free of charge
solely for entertainment purposes.  Star Fox, Fox McCloud Jr, Falco Lombardi, Peppy Hare,
Slippy Toad, Venom, Corneria, Fara Phoenix, General Pepper, Andross, and all other principle
characters, places, and other indica created by Nintendo are TM and copyright (C) 1993 Nintendo
of America Inc. Used without permission.

     Vessic and all other characters, places, and other indica  created by me, Theodore P. Perrotti,
are copyright (C) 1996 Theodore P. Perrotti. (However, feel free to use all of this story's
characters, events, and places as you wish as long as you abide by the conditions described in the
next paragraph.)

     This story may be redistributed, stored, or archived in any
way just so long as it is unaltered, this entire disclaimer
remains with it, and such action is taken free of charge.  In
short: DON'T SELL OR ALTER THIS STORY!  Also, please ask my
permission before using any of my creations (any characters or
events I've created) and give me credit.

     Parts of this story were based on characters, places, and
events in both the Star Fox video game and the Star Fox comic
which appeared in Nintendo Power.

     This story has also been influenced by the "Star Trek: The
Next Generation" episode "The Defector", as well as the movie
"Star Wars" and the TV series "Babylon 5".

     Those of you who are familiar with the comic and the
backstory established in the game's instruction booklet will
probably notice that, in some places, my version deviates from
the "cannon" version presented by those sources.  I tried to keep
the basic story intact, and made only changes that I felt would
result in a better story.  You can think of this story as an
alternate version of the events that led up to the attack on
Venom.  I hope you enjoy the fruits of my labor.

WARNING:  Recommended for mature readers only.  Contains some
adult subject matter.  (Seriously, this story is darker than its
predecessor, Star Fox: Armageddon)

     I welcome your comments.  Please e-mail them to me at
author@galaxycorp.com.
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     Chapter 17: Dirty Jobs

     Papetoon: 7 years later

     Papetoon was a harsh land, even more so than Macbeth at its worst.  A series of famines,
plagues, and other disasters had greatly reduced its native population, and left those that remained
to live in squalor.  Andross had seized the planet two years before and sought to enslave its
people
in spite of their rather weak condition.
     Many had been taken to Andross' "camps" to build a new base of operations there.  Many
were taken, but almost none ever returned.  The people of Papetoon had learned what other
worlds were still learning: that death would have been preferable to life under Andross' rule.
     For some, there was another option.  You see, Papetoon was near the edge of the Lylat
system and all sorts of smugglers, thieves, and other scoundrels had set up shop there.  They
provided people with all sorts of essentials: food, clothing, or even news from other worlds
(which
had officially been denied them by order of Andross).  Some even smuggled those desperate to
avoid slavery to sympathetic parties on other planets-all for a price, of course.  If one were unable
to pay off a debt to such a person, one often paid with one's life.
     The Lizards knew of the smugglers, but felt little desire to stop them, for they themselves
often relied on such beings for technology and information.  There were some groups, however,
that were unlike the others.  Fox McCloud, Peppy Hare, Falco Lombardi, and Slippy Toad (whom
they had found shortly after their arrival on Papetoon) had been raiding the Lizards' transport
ships
for years, robbing them of their ill-gotten booty with enough skill and frequency to earn each of
the four an extremely high price on his head.
     Unlike many of the other smugglers, Fox and company kept only what they needed to
survive, giving the rest to the people gratis.  They even helped a few people get off the planet, but
that was soon put to an end by the other smugglers who saw Fox taking away potential
customers. 
You see, the only thing Fox, Peppy, Slippy, and Falco asked was to be left alone.
     One morning, while the others were still asleep, Peppy took the opportunity to do his
morning meditation in silence.  The others would soon be up, so he got right to it.
     With that done, he left to accomplish his first task of the day-going to a nearby village and
picking up any new requests for assistance.  The four of them each took turns making the daily
trip, each time going incognito so as to avoid recognition.
     Despite knowing of their pasts, the people of Papetoon generally looked upon them as
heros.
     Of course, Falco would have liked to get more out of their efforts than just notoriety.
     Later that day, Fox and Falco stood talking in the small, 
well-hidden cave that served as their base of operations as well as their 'den'.  Slippy was also in
the cave, resting.
     "We'll never get rich this way, Fox!" Falco blurted.  "All these Venom ships ever carry are
supplies.  If we hook up with some of the guys in town, we'll be able to get into some of the real
action!"
     "If we become involved with them, the only thing we'll get is a knife in our backs," Fox
shot back.  "There've already been several attempts on our lives by some of those guys,
remember?"  Then, the look in Fox's eyes took on an even greater intensity. "Besides, this isn't
about money."  Fox then turned and looked out the mouth of the cave and continued, "It's about
what's happening out there.  It's about hurting Andross any way we can!"
     Peppy cautiously made his way toward the center of town.  If, that is, the group of
ramshackle buildings before him could really be called a town.  Mostly, it was a group of
temporary encampments bunched together.  The people of Papetoon were constantly on the
move,
hoping to keep one step ahead of the Lizards.
     To disguise himself, Peppy wore a large black cloak that covered most of his body. 
Underneath the cloak were Peppy's large ears, which allowed him to hear far better than most
beings.
     Suddenly, Peppy stopped and listened.  In the distance, he could hear faint voices.  They
were very quiet and, therefore, hard to understand.  Peppy started forward again, still listening
intently.  Now, he could hear loud cries for help.  These cries were answered in a language Peppy
couldn't really understand but could recognize.  The Lizards were back to collect more workers.
     Peppy's first impulse was to hop to the aid of those being taken.  However, his logical side
told him that by doing so he'd only be placing himself at risk.  And he had a job to do.  So, he
proceeded to the usual drop point behind one of the few permanent structures in town.  There, he
found two small disks wrapped up in a piece of paper behind a trash can.  He quickly snatched up
the disks and placed them in the pocket of the shirt he wore underneath the cloak.
     As Peppy turned and started back home, he thought about how loud the voices seemed
now, as if someone were standing next to him, shouting into his ear.  Then, he noticed a
commotion on the other side of another building.  He walked over toward the building and found
cover.  Indeed, there were Lizards there.  Several of them, plus two of their Caldrian Eel allies. 
Peppy saw them herding people into transports and his instincts told him to leave immediately. 
But, he could not comply, so riveted by these events was he.
     Then, one of the Lizards came across a very troublesome Papetoon resident.  The
Papetoonian tried to wrestle a blaster from one of the guards.  The guard easily overpowered the
man and brought the weapon under the man's chin, dealing him a crushing blow.  The man's neck
snapped back violently as he sailed backwards a good ten feet before coming to rest in a lifeless
heap.  Blood dripped from his mouth as one of the other Lizards bent over him.  After a quick
examination of the victim, the Lizard yelled at the guard.  "Nog te sadras il! (You weren't
supposed
to kill him!)"  Then, he left the body lying on the ground and returned to his duty.
     As he headed back toward the den, Peppy kept thinking of those cries for help.  And, he
kept thinking about the man lying on the ground, dead.  Rationally, Peppy knew that he probably
wouldn't have been able to help the person, and probably would have gotten himself captured or
killed had he tried.  Indeed, there were probably at least half a dozen armed Lizards there, each of
which had the strength to snap his neck like a dry twig.  Still, his emotional side kept telling him
that he had refused to help another just to save his own hide.  NO, Peppy said to that emotional
side.  I CAN HELP THEM MORE THIS WAY.
     Slippy slowly removed the covers that had kept him warm and sat up.  He, being
somewhat more of a late-riser than the others, had just woken up after they had raided one of
Andross' supply ships late the night before, scoring Slippy's blanket among other things.
     Still half asleep, Slippy stumbled into the main area where Fox and Falco were.  Only, now
their emotions had cooled, and they were talking peacefully with each other.  Fox watched the
groggy amphibioid walk around the room, trying to wake himself fully.  "Now there's a sight that
would scare anyone," Fox commented, noting Slippy's disheveled appearance.  Slippy simply
looked at Fox, mumbled something, then went on about his business.
     At that moment, Peppy entered.  "Morning," he said to the three of them.  Putting aside all
distracting thoughts, he concentrated on the object of his trip.  "We've got more messages," he
said, showing the others the two disks.
     "Well, let's see what they have to say," Fox said, taking the disks and inserting one of them
into a disk reader that he had "borrowed" during one of their early raids.  The others gathered
around as he activated the power supply that Slippy had rigged for the reader.  Soon, a voice that
they had all heard before started telling them of yet another equipment shipment that was due to
arrive on Papetoon in just a few hours.  Normally the reader provided a holographic picture of the
sender as well as their voice, but their contact, wanting to keep his identity secret, had blocked
that
feature.
     The cargo he described ranged from high-tech transmission equipment down to low-tech
emergency supplies.  ANDROSS SURE HAS BEEN SHIPPING A LOT OF EQUIPMENT
HERE LATELY, ALMOST NIGHTLY.  THAT BASE LOOKED ALMOST COMPLETE THE
LAST TIME WE HIT IT, Fox thought, YET, THE WAY HE'S SHIPPING STUFF IN, YOU'D
THINK THE CONSTRUCTION HAD JUST BEGUN.  I'D SURE LIKE A LOOK AT SOME
OF THAT HIGH-TECH EQUIPMENT THAT SHIP'S CARRYING.
     Soon, the quartet was hard at work on a plan to relieve the ship of the emergency supplies
and to get a look at that equipment it was carrying, and destroy it.  The second message would
just
have to wait awhile.
     The ship was to stop for a pick-up in a nearby valley, then continue on to Andross'
Papetoon base.
     An hour or so later, the group set out for the valley.  The valley served as a pick-up point
for Andross.  The cargo was left behind by Andross' contacts, who preferred to do business
anonymously.  Slaves then loaded the cargo onto shuttles for transport up to the main ship.
     In order to get aboard that ship undetected, Fox, Falco, and Slippy planned to disguise
themselves as "cargo" by crawling into a storage container that they had constructed using stolen
parts from earlier raids.  Peppy, dressed like one of the Lizard's slaves would then load them onto
one of the shuttles.  They could only hope the plan would work.
     The four of them rode rovers as close to the valley as they could without the Lizards
hearing them, then continued on foot from there.  Upon arrival at their destination, Fox
approached Peppy and said, "Give us about 20 minutes, then bring the rovers to the ship's main
docking bay.  If we're not back five minutes after that, get out of there."
     Peppy nodded, "I will.  The three of you just be careful: you'll be in the heart of the lion's
den."
     Falco and Slippy eased their way into the storage container.  Fox then removed the red
cape he had been wearing and placed it in a storage compartment on his land rover (as it might
get
caught on something or be lost during the raid), and likewise got into the container.  After
wishing
them luck, Peppy closed the lid.  He made sure to leave it slightly ajar so that the others would be
able to open it.
     "Comfortable?" Fox asked, trying to lighten the mood a little.
     "Oh yeah, great!" Falco replied facetiously, feeling the box beginning to move.  "But I
think we should go first class next time.  Coach is for the birds!"
     "I j-just hope w-we don't get stuck in h-here," Slippy chimed in.  "Th-this is w-worse than
one of tho-those tiny
R-Ragalian rovers."
     The trio ceased the discussion of the travel arrangements when Peppy warned them that
they were almost to the ship.  Peppy took them down to the loading area through a tunnel that
had
been dug by some unknown party long ago.  It was inconspicuous enough to escape detection by
the Lizards and allowed Peppy to enter the loading area where he wouldn't be noticed by the
Lizards: right in the middle of the loading activity.
     Peppy exited the tunnel through a small cave in the side of the valley, and proceeded to
head for the nearest shuttle, carefully watching and listening for any signs of trouble.  If he
were to be caught, he'd be at a distinct disadvantage: his opponent would most likely be armed
while he would not.  While in this disguise, he had nowhere to conceal a firearm. 
     But, it seemed that luck was on his side that day.  The Lizards paid little attention to him as
he pushed the container toward the shuttle.  The container's weight was supported by a small
hover
unit that he and the others had attached to its bottom, so Peppy was able to get the container to
the
shuttle fairly quickly.
     Inside the container, Fox, Falco, and Slippy were quietly listening for the sounds that
would tell them that the container had been loaded onto the shuttle.
     "Degas! (Halt!)" yelled a voice from behind Peppy.  Not understanding the Lizard's words,
Peppy stopped and turned to look at the source of the voice.  The Lizard came forward and
immediately started to study the container carefully.
     Peppy waited anxiously while the Lizard finished his inspection.  Every piece of cargo had
to be inspected before it was brought on board a Venom ship.  If the cargo passed inspection, a
message was then encoded and displayed on a small display unit on the side of the container. 
Peppy guessed that that message was what the Lizard was now checking for.  Once again, the
messages provided them by their contact were being put to the acid test.  So far, they had proven
reliable.  But, still...
      Peppy felt a great deal of relief when the Lizard ended his inspection and waved Peppy
on, apparently satisfied that the cargo had been inspected.  SO FAR, SO GOOD, thought Peppy
as he pushed the container into the shuttle.  He then headed back toward the crowd of slaves as if
to pick up another load to carry, but instead disappeared quickly and quietly into the cave.
     Fox and the others heard the shuttle's engines start, and braced themselves against the
sudden acceleration they would soon experience.  No one had said a word since Peppy's warning
earlier, not even Falco.  There was a deadly seriousness about the three of them as they prepared
to embark on a mission that could get them killed or thrown into one of Andross' prison camps
for
the rest of their lives if they were caught.
     Fox looked down at his left foot, an artificial foot.  A couple years before, Fox had been
captured on a mission such as this and had been sent to one of those camps, and his real left foot
had been chopped off by a guard at that camp as punishment for helping other prisoners to
escape. 
They had then left him to die.  The only reason he was still alive was that his friends were able to
find him and get him out in time.
     After rescuing him, Peppy, Falco, and Slippy had brought him back to the only place they
could: Papetoon.  There, a local doctor then secretly created this artificial foot for Fox out of
gratitude.  The foot was crude, Fox mused, as Papetoon didn't have much in the way of medical
technology, but it did come in handy on occasion.  Seeing it always reminded them of what could
happen to them if they were careless on a mission.
     Eventually, the shuttle touched down inside the cargo ship, and the storage container was
placed in a large storage room adjacent to the main docking bay.  They had timed this raid so that
they would arrive when almost all the cargo had already been loaded, so there would be relatively
little traffic in and out of the storage area.
     Fox reached up and pushed the lid so he could peer out.  "Is the coast clear?" Falco asked
impatiently, "I hate being boxed up like this!"
     Fox frowned and reported, "We're going to need some hi-tech help on this one.  There's a
security camera looking right down at us.  We'll be seen the moment we try to get out of here." 
He then turned to Slippy, "You know what to do."
     "P-piece of c-cake," Slippy replied, pulling out a small, black box he had designed for just
this sort of job.  After a few minutes of tinkering with the controls, Slippy grinned.
"Th-there, now all th-the cameras w-will see is the s-same thing th-they've b-been seeing for
th-the
last f-five minutes, over and over a-again."
     Quietly, Fox got up out of the container and set the cover aside.  Slippy and Falco soon
followed.  Falco, who was to act as a lookout, walked over to the side of the door connecting the
storage area to the main docking bay.  The door was now closed, and he kept one eye on it and
the
other eye on the door's control panel so he'd know if someone tried to open it.  They would have
liked to lock it, but that could be detected by the Lizards, alerting them to suspicious activity.
     Slippy set about finding the boxes of emergency supplies, the designations of which he'd
learned to recognize.  He quickly cut open the containers and removed an assortment of supplies,
which he then placed into a sack that he had brought along to hold his booty.  He would have
liked
to take it all, but he only took as much as he could run with.  Peppy had been able to get them in
there, but they might have to fight their way out.
     Meanwhile, Fox searched around for any boxes that might contain some of the
aforementioned equipment.  He, like the others, couldn't understand spoken Venom well, but he
had learned to read several key phrases, such as the designations used on their shipping
containers. 
He saw several boxes of antenna equipment, transformers, variable-resistance coils, and other
electronic gadgetry.  He wasn't sure what to make of it, so he motioned for Slippy to come over
and have a look.
     Slippy quietly set his sack down and walked quickly over to Fox's location.  "What is it?"
he whispered.
     "This combination of equipment," Fox whispered back.  "Isn't it exactly what would be in a
power amplifier?"
     "E-except for th-the antennae, y-yes!  And, j-judging by
th-the amount of equipment h-here, I'd s-say it's a b-big one."
     "How big?"
     "I-I'm not s-sure."
     Fox started looking at the containers again, and noticed something familiar about them.  A
couple of them bore the SpaceForce symbol!  Fox took hold of one such container and pulled it
toward him, making sure to pick it up off the floor so as not to make any noise.  Slippy, likewise
looked at the curious item.
     Fox read the side of the box, which was also SpaceForce property.  "Navigational array
core, F.S. Clairborne."
     "F.S.-Federation Ship.  This is part of one of our ships."  Fox queried.  He looked around
and saw several other large containers, each of which also bore the Spaceforce symbol, buried
under what Fox recognized as Venom scrawl.  "I've seen stolen Spaceforce gear on Andross'
ships
before, but never as much of it as in these last few raids!  I'll say this much for Andross-He's
thrifty."
     He then looked up at Slippy and asked "How much time do we have left 'till we have to
meet up with Peppy?"
     Slippy glanced at his chronometer.  "A-about fifteen
m-minutes," he replied.
     Fox thought for a moment, then took out some small explosives he had been carrying. 
"That thing's too heavy to carry with us, so we'll have to leave it here," Fox reasoned.  "Jot down
whatever information you can find on it, serial numbers, shipping dates, anything.  Then get the
supplies you collected and be ready to leave in five minutes.  I'm going to plant the explosives
now."  Slippy nodded and took out a pad he kept handy.
     Fox looked to Falco to see if anyone was coming.  No one was.  Fox showed Falco one of
the explosives so that he would know what Fox was about to do.  Once the timers were set, there
was no way to stop the countdown, so Fox wanted to be sure the coast was clear before he
started
that countdown.  Satisfied that no one was coming, Fox started placing the charges where they
were unlikely to be seen and would destroy all the cargo.  As Fox worked, Slippy finished taking
down the information and placed
the container back where it had been before.  He then returned to where his sack lay.
     After placing the last charge, Fox wired them all to a single timer so that they would all go
off virtually simultaneously.  Before setting that timer, he once again looked up at Falco.  Still, no
one was coming.  So, he took a deep breath, then set the timer for ten minutes.  TEN MINUTES
UNTIL THIS ENTIRE ROOM, AND PERHAPS THE BAY, TOO, GOES UP IN FLAMES,
Fox thought to himself as he started the timer.
     He was about to tell the others it was time to go when his communicator crackled to life.  It
was Falco.  "Don't start the timer yet," he warned.  "Someone's opening the door."
     "I wish you'd said that about five seconds earlier!"  Fox replied.  He then turned around
and saw Falco and Slippy taking cover.
     "What do you mean?"  Falco asked.  Then, it dawned on him.  "Oh, $*&*$$*!!!"
     "You got that right!" Fox replied as he ducked behind some large containers.  "The
countdown's started and there's no way we can stop it.  If we cut the wires going to the timer, all
the explosives will detonate instantly.  We'll have to take cover and hope they leave quickly."
     "And if they don't?"  Falco asked.  
     "Then, we'll try to sneak out," Fox replied.  Then, Fox took out his blaster and said, "If that
doesn't work, we'll have to try a louder escape plan."
     The door slid open, and in stepped four slaves carrying a large box.  They were
accompanied by four Lizards.  They started toward where Fox lay hiding, trying not to make a
sound.
     As Falco lay in hiding, he actually found himself hoping there would be trouble.  He
craved the action.
     Suddenly, one of the slaves faltered and fell to the ground. The other slaves tried
desperately to keep the box from falling, but it was too heavy.  The box was about to crush the
fallen man when, suddenly one of the Lizards ran forward, caught the box with one hand, and
pushed the fallen man with the other!  Not wanting any more accidents to happen, the Lizard
chose to set the box down in a spot closer to where they were, and even helped the slaves get it
there.
     There were now eight minutes left to escape.  Fox knew that they might not get out in time
if the guards noticed them, so he motioned for Falco and Slippy to try to sneak out the door. 
Keeping low to the ground, Fox moved away from where the Lizards stood, staying close
to the piles of storage containers so as not to be seen.  Soon all three of them were making their
way toward the door to the main docking bay, all the time perfectly aware that time was not on
their side.  If all went well, they'd be able to exit the bay the next time the bay door was opened to
let in a shuttle.  From past experience, Fox expected another shuttle in just a minute or two.  If all
went well.
     Soon, Falco and Slippy were out the door.  They took cover behind a control panel while
they awaited Fox's appearance.  Then, another Lizard showed up and headed right for the storage
area!
     "We-We've got to t-tell F-Fox about this g-guy,"  Slippy whispered to Falco anxiously.
     "How?!  If we contact Fox on his communicator, the Lizards may overhear!  You know
the big burst of static that comes over these things when they're first activated!  And we certainly
can't yell to him!  We'll just have to hope he sees the guy."
     Looking back at the Lizards to make sure they hadn't noticed anything, Fox left the safety
of his cover and headed toward the door.  Now standing straight up, Fox finally reached the
doorway.       But then, he noticed the smell.  Another Lizard was coming.  So, Fox quickly and
quietly ducked back into his hiding place behind a crate.
     From his place of concealment, Fox watched as the Lizard passed through the
doorway-and stopped.  He then began saying something to the other Lizards.
     Fox waited as long as he could, but the Lizard didn't budge.  The next shuttle would be
there any time now.  Fox looked out from behind the crate, and saw that none of the Lizards were
looking in his direction, though they were still conversing.  He decided to make his move.
     Keeping low, Fox made his way toward the doorway as quickly and quietly as possible. 
But, just as he reached the door, one of the Lizards turned his head.  "Atteke te! (Behind you!)"
he
yelled to the Lizard in front of the door.  With lightening-fast reflexes, the Lizard spun around to
face Fox.
     A hand came right at Fox's head.  Instinctively, Fox tried to duck the blow, but was
unsuccessful.  The fist caught him on the side of his head, sending him sprawling.  Then, he hit the
ground and his blaster skittered across the floor.  On the floor, he saw blood, his blood.
     The Lizard moved in for the kill, but Fox was too dazed to notice.  Falco, now standing by
the Lizard, drew his blaster and fired, but only managed to hit the creature's arm.  It wheeled
around to face Falco, and Falco fired again, this time hitting it right in its chest.  "Come on.  Die
you #^@^@!!#!" Falco yelled.  Then, the Lizard fell to the ground, dead.  Falco shrugged as if to
say, "Well, what do you know?" just before Slippy hit him with a flying tackle as a bolt of blaster
energy streaked by.
     Falco was upset that Slippy had interfered, and was about to tell him so when more
blasterfire rang out, diverting his attention from his bruised pride.
     As Fox's head cleared, Falco grabbed him and yanked him through the doorway while
returning fire on the Lizards.
     Slippy headed over to the bay door's control panel.  What he saw confirmed his fears. 
"F-Fox.  I-If I'm r-reading this panel r-right.  It l-looks like the L-Lizards have l-locked out these
c-controls to keep the d-door shut."
     "It didn't take them long to figure out what's going on here...  Did it." Fox commented. 
"They've probably grounded all their shuttles too, then."  He thought for a moment, then spoke
again.  "Falco, lock the door to the hallway.  We're going to try to seal them off!  And Slippy, get
that door open any way you can!"
     Peppy's voice crackled over Fox's hand-comm.  "Fox, you'd better get out of there fast! 
The ship has started to climb, probably to keep you from being able to jump out.  I'll try to stay
with you as long as I can, but these land rovers can't go very far off the ground!"
     "Understood," Fox replied, "Fox out."
     Fox then moved toward the controls for the door to the storage area, hoping he still knew
how to close and lock one of those things.  He had already started working when he remembered
two things: the bomb and the slaves.  If he locked the door (and then destroyed the controls, so it
couldn't be unlocked), they would certainly be killed when the bomb went off.  But, if he didn't
lock it, they all might be killed by that same explosion.  After a second or two, he made his
choice.
     Suddenly, the door control panel in front of him exploded in a stream of sparks and light. 
Fox reeled from it.  It had been destroyed by blasterfire from the other side.
     The Lizards were almost to the doorway when Fox noticed a gun lying on the ground near
the doorway.  THE LIZARD THAT ATTACKED ME MUST HAVE DROPPED IT, he
realized.  He then quickly got down low to the ground and sprang toward it.  He reached out and
grabbed it with his paw as his momentum carried him by.  A couple shots streaked by him as he
flew across the doorway, finally landing behind the wall on the other side.  He wasted no time in
aiming the gun at the Lizards and firing, then ducking behind the wall when they returned fire. 
"How's that door coming?!" he yelled to Slippy.  "Those explosives are going to go off any
second
now."
     "We-we're going to h-have to b-blow the d-door!"
     "With what?" Fox asked.  "I used all the explosives back there.  And even if I hadn't, all of
them put together wouldn't even be able to dent it!"  Then, he looked behind him and saw several
Venom fighter ships in the bay with them, and a smile came to his face.  Fox looked back to
Slippy, and Slippy understood.
     Then Falco chimed in, "This door's locked!  But, I heard some Lizards coming, and all
they need to open the door is the right passcode!"
     "Then destroy the control panel!" Fox commanded.  "After all, it worked for them!"  Then
he softened his voice and added, "By the way, thanks."  Then, with one paw, he took hold of his
hand-comm.  He kept firing the blaster with his other paw.  "Peppy," he said, "stay well back from
the bay door.  We're going to have to blow it."
     "Understood.  I hope you do it soon so we can get out of here!  Things are getting pretty
hot out here!  Peppy out."  Right after that, Fox heard Falco blow the controls.
     Fox looked back into the storage area and fired again on the Lizards, who had taken cover
behind the storage containers.  Fox could tell that at least two of them were working their way
toward the door.  He could see the other two holding the slaves at bay.
     Fox then yelled (in the native language of Papetoon) to those slaves, "Get out of there! 
There are bombs in there that are going to go off any second!"
     As Fox expected, the slaves made a beeline for the door.  In order to aid in their escape,
Fox took aim at their guards and fired several times.  He was about to turn his attention back to
the
other two Lizards when a blaster shot rang out at them from the other side of the doorway.  Fox
hadn't the time to look over and see who it was, but he guessed it was Falco.
     "I thought you could use a hand," Falco said, crouching on the other side of the doorway. 
"Sorry we couldn't tell you about that Lizard in the doorway, but we couldn't risk being
overheard...  Slippy's in one of the fighters now, trying to figure out how to get it to fire."
     Slippy sat in the pilot's seat of the Venom fighter, quickly trying to figure out its controls. 
The ship's cannon was already pointed at the bay door, so all he had to do was to find the "fire"
button.  He saw a few buttons marked with words he thought might mean "fire", but pressing
them
did nothing.
     "Ahh!" Falco yelled, pulling his hand back.  A bolt of blaster energy had grazed it.  "How
come the good guys never get hit in the movies, but we do?"
     "They have better agents," Fox replied.  Then, he turned and yelled to Slippy, "Any time,
Slippy!"
     Slippy tried another possibility, but succeeded only in activating the ship's communicator. 
"Ce es? (What is it?)," responded a voice in a rather irritated tone.
     "S-sorry, wrong b-button," Slippy returned, deactivating the communicator.  He tried one
more possibility, and this time, he hit pay dirt.  A powerful blast lashed out from the cannon and
blew the door to pieces, blazing their path to freedom.  Slippy then practically jumped right from
the ship to the newly-made hole.  "C-come on!" he yelled.
     Just then, the first of the slaves reached Fox and Falco.  Fox then quickly told him to hold
on to Slippy.
     Slippy looked down at Peppy and the other three land-rovers about ten-feet below.  In one
hand, he clutched the supply bag, and in the other, he felt the flesh of the man hanging on to him. 
Below Peppy was at least a fifty-foot drop.  He felt the arms of the slave wrap tightly around his
chest.  
"Y-you r-ready?"
     "As I'll ever be!"
     "Th-then h-hang on!"  Slippy yelled, taking careful aim then jumping out into the air. 
Before he knew it, they were landing on his rover with a "Thud!".  Slippy then said a few words
about how that landing felt, but the sounds of fighting drowned out his voice.  He noticed that his
land rover was struggling to maintain its present altitude, so he dropped down a little lower as
soon
as Peppy released control of it to him.  From below them, some guards were trying to fire on
them, but they were hopelessly out of range.
     Soon thereafter, Falco jumped with the second slave down onto his rover.  He was even
more expressive than Slippy had been.
     That left only Fox and the other two slaves on the ship.  "I want you to grab onto me when
we jump," he said to one of the slaves.  Then, to the other, he said, "And I want you to grab onto
him-tight."  Then, to both of them, he said, "Ok, now.  Let's go."  They quickly got up and ran
toward the hole.  As they prepared to jump, an explosion sounded behind them.
     Fox jumped out into the air just as a group of Lizards poured into the bay through what
was left of the locked door.  Fox landed on his rover, but his weight and that of his passengers
caused the rover to tip backwards.  Fox grabbed onto the steering bars and tried to pull them back
up onto the rover.  However, the three of them were just too heavy for him to lift alone.  Falco,
seeing that Fox was in trouble, moved in and grabbed onto Fox's paw.
     Then, as if they didn't have enough problems already, a blaster shot whizzed by Falco's
arm.  Fox looked up and saw the guards standing by the hole in the ship, and said something
under
his breath while Peppy and Slippy returned fire.  Finally, Falco  succeeded in pulling Fox and the
others up.  "That's two you owe me," he commented.
     Once he and the two slaves were completely on the rover again, Fox took one look at the
ground way down below them, and let out a sigh of relief.
     They then dropped down to ground level and sped away as fast as their rovers would carry
them.  As soon as they were far enough away from the lizards, Fox told Peppy to take one of the
slaves he had jumped with.
     Back in the bay, the Lizards stopped firing on them and tried to call the pilots to their ships,
but were silenced by the explosion from the storage area.  Thus are the ways of war-a cold, harsh
thing.
     Chapter 18: A Second Chance

     The four friends sped along Papetoon's surface, along with those they had rescued.  They
had had little trouble escaping from the scene of the explosion, as the Lizards were too busy
reeling from the blast to give them any serious pursuit.
     The group was very quiet as it approached the outskirts of town, where they stopped to
discharge both passengers and cargo.  After the Paptoonians had disembarked, Fox turned to the
one who had ridden with him and asked soberly.  "Can you get home from here?"
     The man looked him directly in the eye and replied, "I believe so."  He paused for a
moment, then continued, "It's been almost two years since I was taken.  I just hope that my
family's
still where they were back then."
     Fox wasn't sure what to say to that, so he said simply, "The four of you are going to need
supplies.  He then got up and walked toward Slippy.  He reached down into the supply sack,
which Slippy had put on the ground.  From it he removed supplies enough for the four of them to
survive for several days.  "Take these...and be careful," Fox told the group.  "The rest of these
supplies will be given to others that need them."
     The man took his share of the supplies, looked to Fox, Falco, Peppy, and Slippy, and said,
"Thank you...for everything."  He then turned and left.  Fox's face brightened a little.
     Soon, all the Papetoonian's had departed, and it was time to distribute the supplies to the
townspeople.  One or two of them usually left some of the goods by each dwelling (They really
couldn't be called houses, as they were merely loosely assembled compilations of sticks, branches,
and whatever other materials were available at the time).  They knew that many of the
Papetoonians were desperate for the supplies, and might riot if they were distributed to a large
crowd.  Fox and Falco would be making the trip this time.
     Of course, they had to go incognito.  So, Fox and Falco both donned cloaks similar to the
one Peppy had worn earlier.  Before putting on his cloak, Fox reached down into his rover and
retrieved his cape.  It had been his father's before he died, and since then, Fox had worn it
whenever possible as a reminder of his dad.  "Let's go," he said to Falco once the two of them
were ready.  "Peppy, Slippy, we'll see you back at the den."
     On the way into town, many thoughts and feelings raced through Fox's mind.  He never
knew how to feel about these raids.  At first, he felt joy at having hurt Andross.  But then, it was
not Andross that they were fighting, but the Lizards.  Up until their involvement in the first attack
on Macbeth, Fox had only been vaguely aware of the Lizards' existence.  Now, they seemed an
enigma to him.  He'd seen them take a life one minute, then save one the next.
     Killing those Lizards during the raid brought Fox no great joy, but they left him with no
choice.  It was kill or be killed, and he and his friends just had to succeed, for the people's sake.
     He and Falco completed their task quickly, then returned to the den with their fair share of
the supplies.  It had been a long day, and he and Falco were both tired, so they unloaded the
supplies and got ready for a short rest.  However, they were to soon learn of something else that
required their immediate attention.
     Peppy approached them and said, "Slippy and I decided to view the second message while
you were in town...I think you both should see this."  Behind Peppy, Fox could see Slippy sitting
pensively.  THIS MUST BE SOMETHING BIG IF IT'S GOT HIM THAT... INTERESTED. 
"OK," he said.
     Falco, Peppy, and Slippy gathered in front of the viewer while Fox inserted the small disk
into it.  Fox then stepped back toward the other three.  A few seconds later, an image appeared
before them and began to speak.
     "Fox McCloud, I'm General Pepper.  I'm the Commanding Officer of the SpaceForce base
on Corneria."
     PEPPER?  NOW WHERE HAVE I HEARD THAT NAME BEFORE?  thought Fox to
himself.  His question was soon answered by the message.
     "I don't know if you remember me, but we used to serve on Corneria together.  Of course,
I was only a sergeant at the time."
     At that moment, Fox remembered who he was.
     "The reason I'm contacting you is because the SpaceForce, because Corneria, needs your
services and those of your friends once again.  As you probably know, Corneria is one of the few
Federation planets that hasn't yet been taken over by Andross.  Well, we've received word from a
reliable source that Andross intends to change that soon.  Even now he is preparing his forces to
launch a full-scale assault on Corneria in a matter of weeks.  Our only hope of defeating him is
with a counter-strike on his base on Venom.  However, Andross has established an extensive
sensor network along the border.  It would tell him we're coming long before we'd be able to get
anywhere near Venom.  However, we believe that it would be possible to bypass the sensor by
travelling to Venom by going through the black hole.  We know that the other end of the black
hole is only a short distance from Venom.  However, the hole's diameter is too small to let any of
our ships much larger than a fighter pass through safely.  So, the 'Force has decided to launch a
surprise attack by a group of small fighters.
     A new fighter, the SFX Arwing, has been developed especially for this mission.  It is much
faster, more maneuverable, and powerful than the M-class fighters ever were.  So much so, in
fact, that we've had little success in acclimating our pilots to it in time for the strike.  You and
your
friends were known to be among the finest fighter pilots in the SpaceForce, and many know of all
the good you have done the people of Papetoon.  That is why I'm asking the four of you to fly this
mission.
     As compensation, I've been authorized to offer nothing less than 1000 units, along with a
full pardon, and reinstatement in the SpaceForce at a rank commensurate with your experience
both on the 'Force and on Papetoon.  In addition, all traces of your conviction will be erased from
your military and civilian records.  All upon completion of your mission, of course.  I realize that
you'd be risking execution by reentering Federation space, but I can't afford to wait long for your
answer.  I'll need it no later than two days from the time you receive this message.  I'll then give
you further instructions."  The general then paused and said, "I appeal to your sense of loyalty,
gentlemen.  Don't turn your backs on your people in their most desperate hour.  They have finally
learned that you were right about Andross.  Pepper out."  With that, the image vanished.
     "Corneria's the main SpaceForce stronghold," Peppy commented.  "If he takes that, he'll be
unstoppable."
     "Well, what'll it be, guys?" Fox asked.  "I'm for taking the job, but this is something we've
all got to decide."
     "It was the SpaceForce that exiled us here!" Falco exclaimed.  "Why should we be doing
them any favors?"
     "Because it's our job, that's why," Peppy chimed in.  "Besides, not everyone in the
SpaceForce was involved in our conviction.  We all have friends and other loved ones in the
Federation who could be in danger from Andross if he isn't stopped now."
     "D-don't you w-want to be f-free again?" Slippy asked.  "He said we'll be pardoned if we
fly this mission."
     "If we survive this mission you mean," Falco replied.  "What if these arwings don't carry
enough fuel to get us back to Corneria after we attack Venom.  What're we going to do then? 
Spend the night?  Assuming, of course, that we make it through the dogfight!  Besides, if we
leave
this planet, we could all be executed by the SpaceForce!"
     "Not once we're pardoned," Fox said, looking Falco straight in the eyes.  THE BASTARD
KILLED MY PARENTS!  NOW, I'M GOING TO KILL HIM!
     "I just don't know about this," Falco replied.  And so it went for the next couple of days,
with each of them debating whether or not to go on the mission.
     Peppy could understand Falco's reluctance.  He, too, had felt angry at the SpaceForce for a
long time after the trial.  However, he had always been taught through his religion that anger was
futile and wrong, and had since forgiven those involved.
     Falco looked around the cave that he and his friends now called home.  The sights caused a
mixture of emotions in him, from fond remembrance of their comradery to the anger he felt every
time he was reminded of the injustice that had brought them there.  Still, now they had an
opportunity to return to a normal life, a thought which Falco did find appealing.  And Peppy was
right, there were those on Corneria and elsewhere that he cared about.  Then again, he couldn't
help thinking how callously the 'Force had disposed of them for no good reason that he could see.
     Falco remained unsure whether to go on the mission or not.  As he thought about things,
he was given to wandering about the den.  During one of these roving sessions, he happened to
see
Fox in his room.  Fox was holding a picture of his parents, the only picture he had of his mother. 
He stared at the picture long and hard, not noticing Falco standing by the doorway.  His face was
a
mixture of longing, and long-suppressed anger.  He then sighed, and placed the picture back on its
shelf, face-down.  Quietly, Falco turned and walked away, unnoticed.  
     Slippy, for his part, just wanted to get back to a normal life.  Here, he had to live with a
price on his head and with the knowledge that any day now, Andross might finally get his paws on
him.  None of them ever spoke of the danger.  In fact, they often joked about the prices on their
heads.  Still, they all knew that the danger was there, hanging over them.
     Besides... Andross had to be stopped right then and there.
     Slippy then thought of Darla, as he had done often ever since his banishment.  The last
thing he had heard, she had been living on Titania, which had recently fallen under Andross'
control.  He wasn't even sure if she was still alive.
     Finally, the time came for them to get back to Pepper.  But even as Fox was preparing to
record their message to him, he was unsure of what it would say.  He too had been experiencing
mixed emotions since Pepper's message.  Hearing from Pepper had brought back to the forefront
memories that had long lay dormant-memories which were not pleasant.  Still, he didn't want to
live out his life as an outlaw.
     If they went, it would be dangerous.  Even if they were to survive the mission, what was to
stop the 'Force from 
double-crossing them afterwards?  Pepper may have been sincere, but Fox's faith in the
Federation's top brass had been severely shaken ever since their arrest.
     In their years on Papetoon, the four had left the planet before.  However, they had done so
only when absolutely necessary.  The last time they had left, it had been to rescue him.
     Peppy and Slippy seemed to want to go, but Falco was still a big question mark.  Just then,
Falco walked in.  Fox looked at him quizzically.  "Well, let's do it," Falco told him.  "I never could
resist a chance for some action."
     After making sure that Peppy and Slippy did, in fact, agree, Fox recorded the message to
Pepper that they would accept the mission (on the condition that they be allowed to personally
inspect the ships before the mission, just in case...), and then personally brought it to the drop site
in town.
     Several days later, another message came from Pepper, this one expressing his gratitude for
accepting the mission and providing them with instructions.
     In one week, they were to report to Station Mckinley, which was where the arwings were
being kept.  In order to keep their mission a secret, they would have to pose as prisoners being
kept
in the base's cells.  It seemed the SpaceForce was having some security problems, and Pepper
didn't want the wrong people finding out about the Star Fox team's involvement with the mission,
lest an "accident" befall the team.  Once they were at Mckinley, they were to await further
instructions.
     In addition to the message, schematics and mechanical drawings of the arwing were
provided so as allow them to familiarize themselves somewhat with the ship's design before
leaving
Papetoon.
     It would not be an easy undertaking.  In addition to having to prepare to fly ships that they
had never even seen before, they also had to arrange discreet passage to Mckinley.   Fortunately,
Fox knew of several individuals who would be more than happy to provide them with
the needed passage-for a price.  And so he left the others studying the schematics while he took
care of the travel arrangements.
     And make the arrangements he did.  For some of the more
high-tech supplies they had picked up on their raids, as well as a quarter of the 1000 units they
were to be paid, Fox managed to arrange passage for the four of them on a smuggler's shuttle. 
The shuttle would then rendezvous with a Federation cargo ship, where they would be "taken into
custody" and taken to Mckinley.