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 22: The Contact

     Later that night, Fox was sitting on one of the cots, counting the beams that ran across the
ceiling (and doing everything else that he could think of to avoid going insane with boredom),
when Falco spoke up.
     "I hope that contact of ours shows themselves soon.  I'm going crazy in here."
     "Y-you s-seemed to like it at the Ac-cademy," Slippy kidded.
     "What!  What're you talking about, Slipster?" Falco demanded, almost but not quite
yelling.
     "Come on, Falco!  You remember!" Fox teased, smiling.  "You were in the brig so often,
we gave you a 'Home Sweet Home' sign to hang in it!"
     "Humph!" Falco retorted, but then let out a slight chuckle.
     Then, that chuckle faded.  Falco turned towards the others and said soberly, "Seriously,
though-the whole idea of sitting here and awaiting execution...even under these conditions...  It
gives me the creeps!  I mean, what if this contact doesn't show?  Do any of you really trust the
SpaceForce after what they did to us?"
     Fox, Peppy, and Slippy simply looked at each other and said nothing.
     Then, the moment of silence was broken by a soft voice that seemed to come out of
nowhere.  "Fox McCloud?" the voice asked.
     Fox looked around with a puzzled look on his face.  He looked at the others, but they just
shrugged.  "Fox McCloud?" the voice repeated.
     Finally, Fox found it-a tiny transmitter that someone had hidden underneath the pillow on
his cot.  The contact gave the recognition code Fox had been instructed to wait for, and Fox gave
the countersign.  "Who am I talking to?" Fox asked quietly, so as not to be overheard by the
guards.
     "I can't tell you who I am just yet," the voice replied.  "If you were to act in an unusual
manner toward me, someone might get suspicious.  However, I think we should get to know each
other before preparing for the mission.  Plus, I have some instructions for all of you.  Are Falco
Lombardi, Peppy Hare, and Slippy Toad listening?"
     "They are," Fox replied.
     "Good.  Then let's get started."
     Fox guessed that the transmitter had been placed in their cell by one of the guards during
the "inspection" earlier that day.  Fox could tell that their contact's voice was being altered
somehow.
     Also, starting the day after tomorrow, they were to be taken from the cell for
"interrogation" at least once a day, supposedly to find out (before their execution, which had been
curiously delayed) what sensitive information they might have come across in their dealings on
Papetoon.  At that time, they would be secretly led to where the arwings were being kept.  Their
contact would be there waiting in their ship, so as not to be seen by them (Their contact's ship's
transponder signal had been altered, and all other identifying marks were, at present, absent from
the ship).  They were not to look into the cockpit, as the canopy was (of course) transparent.
     Then, they would take to their own arwings and be lead into a special testing area where
the base personnel were under standing orders not to scan for ship activity (The arwings were
classified).  There, they would train on these new ships.  After that, they would return and be
taken back to the cell before their contact left their ship.
     Two days later, Fox and the others were led from their cells for interrogation.  Fox decided
to bring the transmitter with him...just in case.  He was confident that he would be able to hide
such a small object from the guards without much trouble.
     Quickly and quietly, a couple guards led them to a bay.  One of the guards walked up to a
control panel near the bay's entrance, and started punching buttons.  Fox noted that the door
seemed much larger and sturdier than the average docking bay door.  SOMEONE MUST
REALLY WANT TO KEEP INTRUDERS OUT OF HERE!
     Slowly, the large door began to creep upward as Fox and the others looked on.  Finally,
the door was high enough to afford them their first real look at their new ships.
     Five arwings stood majestically before them.  "Cool!" whispered Slippy.  Fox looked to the
others and said, "C'mon.  Let's check'm out!"
     Each pilot went to inspect his own ship, as they were identified by the (fake-given to them
by Pepper on Papetoon) names on their sides.  Fox saw the rank "Captain" written in large black
letters on his ship, and thought.  CAPTAIN, HUH?  I LIKE THE SOUND OF THAT! 
Meanwhile, Falco seemed to have taken a liking to the shape of his arwing's nose.
     While Slippy started testing the construction of his arwing, Peppy peered underneath his at
the new wing-mounted twin blasters.
     After about a minute of this inspecting, Fox pulled a boarding ladder over to his ship and
climbed in.  He then told the others to do the same.
     After Fox and the others were each settled into their ships, Fox heard their contact's voice
once again.  This time, it was coming from behind him.
     "Welcome aboard the SFX Arwing-the SpaceForce's most advanced fighter to date.  These
five advanced prototypes are thus far the only arwings in existence," the voice stated.  "Behind
your seat, you'll find your flight suit and helmet.  The helmet contains a transmitter which I'm
using to communicate with each of you now.  Please put the gear on while I point out some of the
ships' features.  I apologize, but you will have to change in the cockpit.  We don't want to keep you
out of sight of the others for any longer than necessary, lest they get suspicious."
     GREAT, thought Falco, THIS COCKPIT'S SMALLER THAN MY CLOSET AT THE
ACADEMY!  I WISH I HAD FOX'S ABILITY TO SEE IN THE DARK!  THERE'S JUST NO
LIGHT IN HERE TO SEE WHAT I'M DOING!  So, he
opened the canopy to allow himself to work in the light.
     All the while, their contact (who apparently was in the one dark arwing) explained the
ship's controls.  "Just below the joystick and to your right is a button marked 'engage engine'.  As
the name implies, this button activates the single-rocket engine that propels the ship.  Just to the
right of that button are two buttons marked "boost" and "retro".  Pressing "boost" will cause the
ship to accelerate rapidly for a few seconds, then return to normal speed.  "retro" will slow your
ship down rapidly in an emergency.  The engine will require several seconds to recharge before
either of these buttons can be used a second time.  Now, at the top of the joystick is the firing
button.  If you hold it down for a couple of seconds, you'll get a short burst of rapid fire.  Just how
rapid that fire is will depend on what type of blaster you're using.
     The arwing has two types of blasters.  The first, the conventional nose-mounted single
blaster, is activated by moving the switch on the back of the joystick to its utmost position. 
Moving the switch to the middle position activates the arwing's 
wing-mounted twin blasters.  These blasters each have about the same power as the nose blaster,
but they fire in unison with each other.  They don't have quite the range of the nose blaster and
they take slightly longer to recharge between shots than the nose blaster, but they really pack a
wallop!  Finally, moving the switch to its lowest position activates the twin blasters' photon mode. 
Each blast in photon mode is about four times as powerful as a blast in the normal twin blaster
mode.  But this setting requires twice as long to recharge as do the normal twin blasters, and gives
a slightly reduced range.
     Also, the twin blasters are electrically-balanced.  So, if one of them isn't working, neither
of them will work.  You'll be left with just the nose blaster.  So, watch your wings.  Finally, the
arwings have another new feature.  Just to the left of the joystick is a red button marked 'FTL
drive'.  Pushing it will give you 2 seconds of travel at 1.5c."
     "I remember that from the specs we were shown on Papetoon,
but the thought of it still blows my mind!" Fox exclaimed, tapping the button with his left paw. 
"Engineers have been trying to implement FTL travel for decades!"
     "Well, they've succeeded.  However, that button's not to be used casually.  You can't make
any course changes while travelling that fast, so you need to make sure you have a long clear path
before you use it.  Also, FTL travel's very 
fuel-inefficient at this point.  Using it for the aforementioned 2 seconds can eat up about 75% of
your fuel capacity.  It's a real gas-guzzler."
     After a few more minutes of explanation about the arwings' major controls, take-off time
finally came.  This was a time long in coming for Fox.  He had not been in the cockpit of a fighter
since before the banishment, and he had missed the feeling dearly-the feeling of absolute freedom
as one flew amongst the stars, and the terrifying thrill of staring death in the face during battle. 
Rovers just didn't cut it in his eyes.
     At first, Fox was afraid that all those years on the ground had made him lose his touch. 
But, once the training exercises had begun in earnest, his instincts kicked in and the ship felt like an
extension of him.
     "For now," the contact said, "we'll just worry about getting a feel for the ships.  Once that's
taken care of, we'll engage in combat with other pilots."
     After spending some time practicing basic maneuvers and staying in formation, their
contact had one more exercise for them to complete before calling it a day.
     "In a few seconds we'll be reaching an obstacle course.  Your ships' computers have been
pre-programmed with a flight path that will lead you through 7 sensor rings.  Every time you either
miss one of those rings or deviate from the flight path, your shields will register a collision.  Five
collisions and you're dead.  You each have 30 seconds to complete the course.  Your ships'
chronometers have been programmed to count down those 30 seconds, starting after you've passed
through the first ring and ending after you've passed through the last.  You will each follow each
other through, highest rank first, as indicated on your ships.  The distance between each of your
ships must stay within the 100-200 Km range.  If it deviates from that range, both ships involved
are eliminated.  Do you understand?"
     "Understood, Ma'am, Sir, or whatever," Fox replied.
     "Yeah.  I got it.  But what's this test got to do with our mission?" Falco replied.
     "Just do as they say, Falco," Fox cut in.
     "R-Ready," Slippy answered.
     "I understand," Peppy replied, speeding up to put himself behind Fox.  Then, Slippy fell in
behind Peppy and Falco fell in behind Slippy.
     "Good.  We'll enter the course in approximately ten seconds.  Follow me in, and good
luck."
     As their ship took position in front of Fox, he focused his mind on the test at paw.  Falco
may not have realized it, but this course sounded to Fox like a simulation of a rather twisty
approach to something.
     Then, the ship ahead of him entered the course.  The clock was ticking.  He took one quick
glance at the first leg of the pre-programmed course, and went in after it.  He saw the first ring and
passed through it effortlessly.  He looked at his ship's chronometer to see how much time he had
left, so he would know how to pace himself.  If he were to have to speed up or slow down
suddenly, he might go off the path or mess up his teammates' timing.  28 SECONDS TO GO.
     Likewise, Falco was intent on succeeding in clearing the course, if only because he
despised failing.  Many seconds after Fox had begun the test, Falco passed through the second
ring, only to find that he had to pull hard left immediately afterward to even have a chance to make
the next one. 
     A warning tone told him that he had veered off-course.  "Damn!" he said to the others
while leaning to the side to get his ship to turn more.  "This is almost as bad as some of the roads
back home!"
     "It's a real twister, alright!" Fox agreed.
     The same tone told Falco that he'd missed the ring.  Not wanting to miss the next one,
Falco began his turn even as he muttered something under his breath.
     Soon, Fox was almost finished with the course.  He had only one more ring to pass
through, and about 8 seconds left in which to do it.  He saw the ship in front of him, but couldn't
see any ring, and couldn't find one on the flight path.  He checked the ship's sensors.  Nothing. 
And yet, the clock was still counting down.  He looked around, but there was still no sign of the
last ring.  Then, it dawned on him why.  "Everyone, listen!  The seventh ring is masked somehow. 
After you pass the through the sixth, just follow the ship in front of you." 
     Finally, Fox saw the ship ahead of him pass through the final ring, and followed its lead. 
Then, he was through.  So, he circled around to get out of the way of the others as they passed
through.
     Only once Falco had completed the course did Fox glance down at his ship's display, and
smiled from one side of his face to the other.  1 COLLISION IN 28 SECONDS, NOT BAD!
     "The base computers have just relayed the results to me," their contact informed them. 
"Very impressive...all of you."
     "You ought to see us when we're really challenged," Fox replied.  "Hiding that last ring was
pretty devious, though."
     "We just wanted to see how you were at thinking on your feet, and...how much you were
willing to trust me," they replied.  "Now, it's time to land.  Follow me in."
     "Yes, ma'am!  OR WHATEVER GENDER YOU ARE,"  Fox answered.  "By the
way...when will we actually get to meet you face-to-face?  It's a lot easier to get to know a person
than an electronically disguised voice."
     "Soon."
     As the days passed, Fox and the others became more and more adept at handling the
arwings.  While they weren't training or being tested, they mostly tried to put all that was
happening to them in proper perspective.
     "Have any of you guys wondered just why Pepper wants us to fly this mission?"  Falco
asked the others as they sat in their cell.  "I mean, we're good, but none of us have been in a
fighter for seven years!  Pepper must have some fresher pilots who can fly the mission!?  Why go
outside the 'Force?"
     "What's your point, Falco?" Fox asked flatly.
     "I think he's sending us on a suicide run so he doesn't have to send his own men!  I think
we're cannon fodder to him!" Falco replied.
     "We can't stay mad at the SpaceForce forever, Falco."
     "Why not?  You're still as angry as ever at Andross."
     "The SpaceForce didn't kill my parents, that's why!"
     "No matter what they may have done to us in the past," Peppy contributed, "they need our
help now-to turn them away would make us the traitors they thought us to be.  We may turn out to
be 'cannon fodder' as you say, but we can't just sit back while Andross crushes our homes."
     Then, they heard footsteps coming.  Two guards approached the cell.  One of the guards
looked at the ID bands that Fox and the others wore, and checked the numbers on them against a
list he held.  "All of you get up and keep your paws in full view."
     As Fox got up, he noticed that these were not the guards that had been escorting them to
the hangar.  Using the same guards time after time could seem suspicious, he supposed.  BUT
TWO GUARDS FOR THE FOUR OF US?  THAT CAN'T BE RIGHT!
     The guard saw Falco, Peppy, and Slippy move toward the front of the cell and motioned
for them to get back.  "No, not you three...just you, McCloud.  You're coming with us."
     Chapter 23: First Contact

     Fox looked around nervously as the guards led him down the hallway.  He recognized the
route they were taking as that which the other guards had used to get him and the others to the
docking bay, but he still didn't like the change in pattern.
     Finally, they reached the vicinity of the docking bay.  But, instead of going into the docking
bay, they entered a small office.  Fox looked at the door and saw the word "Interrogation" on it.
     Then, a feminine voice told the guards, "Leave him with me, and wait at the end of the
hall."
     "Do you want one of us to stand guard outside the door, Ma'am?" one of them asked.
     "That won't be necessary.  I don't think that there'll be any problems, will there, Mr.
McCloud?"
     Fox looked at Fara, and thought she was the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen!  He began
to feel very...excited.  But then, he realized that she looked a lot like...his mother!
     "Mr. McCloud?"
     "No...no problem," Fox replied sheepishly.
     After that, the guards left, and Fara introduced herself.  "I'm Lt. Fara Phoenix...I'm your
contact."
     Fox let out a slow breath, but still felt somewhat uncomfortable.  "You could have told us
that's what this was about.  We didn't know what was going on."
     "I'm sorry about that, but we had to use some new guards, or it would have begun to look
suspicious.  And, you had to seem surprised."
     "Well...it worked."
     "Anyway, I thought that meeting on a one-on-one basis would allow for more meaningful
communication, and you seem to be the group's unofficial leader," Fara explained.  "So, I thought
I'd meet with you first."
     "So...do you trust us?" Fox asked candidly.
     "Excuse me?"
     "You must know why we were banished," Fox replied.  "Every one does.  So, why don't
we start with that."
     "I know you were convicted of treason.  But, I also know that I don't always believe what
judges and lawyers say, especially in a high-profile trial like yours.  Do I trust you...no.  But I don't
distrust you, either.  Trust or distrust is earned by personal experience."
     "Fair enough.  You're being honest with me, so I'll be honest with you," Fox replied,
unconsciously tapping his foot.  "I'm not completely sure I trust the SpaceForce, either."
     "Why, might I ask?" Fara asked calmly, herself trying to keep from tapping her seat.
     Fox stopped tapping his foot and answered, "Because, neither I nor my friends ever
betrayed them."
     As Fara and Fox talked, they could each feel tension between them.  They didn't know
what to make of each other, or even whether to trust each other.  Trust, they hoped, would come
with time.  Eventually, the time came for Fox to return to the cell.  Fara, not wanting to tip the
others off, told him to tell them nothing of who was calling them, or why.
     Falco looked up as the two guards returned Fox to the cell.  "Well?" he mouthed to Fox.
     Fox, however, had other things on his mind.  He simply sat down with a thoughtful look on
his face, wordlessly staring into nothingness.  Falco looked at him curiously, and was about to
speak when he was interrupted.
     "Alright, Lombardi.  It's your turn."
     Several days later, Gen. Dok, the tall Avian Commander of the station, found himself
starting another long shift in Command Central.  The Federation had lost so much territory to the
Lizards that Mckinley, which had once been in the middle of Federation territory, was now located
very close to the front lines.  After the loss of Guilford, Mckinley was the next largest and
well-equipped SpaceForce base to Corneria.
     Because of their proximity to the Lizards' border, they now had the responsibility of
monitoring Lizard activity along that border.  "Has there been any change in the Lizards'
deployment?"
     "No, Sir."
     Three of Andross' battleships had been spotted just on the other side of the
SpaceForce-Lizard border, but had done nothing for several hours.  That they were still there was
a fact that Dok didn't like.
     "And what of our three ships patrolling our side of the border in this area?" Dok asked.
     "They report no change."
     "Keep sweeping the border with the long-range scanners."
     About 30 minutes later, the comm officer reported, "Sir, they report that they're under
attack by Andross' ships!  Their shields are almost down and they've suffered heavy damage!"
     "Damn!" Dok cursed.  HOW DO THEIR BATTLESHIPS GET SO MUCH POWER
OUT OF THEIR WEAPONS?  "If we were to scramble, say, half of our fighter squadrons now,
would they be able to get to the border patrols in time to help?"
     "Perhaps, Sir.  I'm not certain," Tactical admitted.
     "Scramble the fighters!" Dok ordered.  I JUST HOPE I'M NOT MAKING A BIG
MISTAKE!
     "Aye, Sir.  Fighter teams red through grey, scramble and proceed to coordinates 5-8-9!  All
other teams, stand by!"
     Seconds after the last of the fighters had launched, the Tactical officer reported, "General,
I'm picking up several 
M-class fighters headed this way from the border!"
     "Are there any Lizard ships in pursuit?" Dok asked.
     "There appear to be two squadrons of Lizard fighters pursuing them.  The M-class fighters'
shields are down, and they're severely damaged."
     "How close're the M-classes?"
     "They and their pursuers will be in weapons range in 30 seconds."
     "Advise the fighters to head for our base.  Activate our defenses, and raise the shields as
soon as the ships are inside," Dok commanded.
     "Understood, Sir.  Activating defence systems."
     Several seconds later, the ship entered weapons range.
     "Battlestations!" Dok commanded.  Then, he turned to the communications officer and
said, "Tell the squad leader to bring his team about, so we'll have a clear shot at the bogeys."    "Prepare to fire as soon as you have a clear shot," he then ordered to Tactical.
     "Aye, Sir...Targets in sight.  Firing now."
     A shot from one of the base's main cannons sped out into space, destroying one of the
Venom fighters.  "One target destroyed!...General, the other fighters are breaking off their attack!"
     "I guess they don't want to be next," commented another officer.
     Ignoring the comment, Tactical reported "Dropping shields."
     Seconds later, the last of the M-classes was within the shield radius.  "Reactivate shields
JUST IN CASE."
     "Aye, Sir.  Shields reactivated."
     "Tell the fighters to land in docking bay four."
     "Sir, two of the border patrol ships have been destroyed.  They managed to destroy one of
the Lizards' ships, but the other two are headed this way!"
     "Sir, the M-class fighters have gone off course, and are heading directly for our main and
backup shield generators!"
     A look of horror came over Dok's face. "Launch our remaining fighters!  We must..."
     "It's too late, Sir!" Tactical reported.  "The generators have been destroyed!"  I DON'T
UNDERSTAND!  THEIR TRANSPONDER CODES WERE CORRECT, AND THEY EVEN
SPOKE CORNERIAN FLUENTLY!  THE PILOT HE SPOKE TO HAD EVEN LOOKED
CORNERIAN ON HIS SMALL VIEWSCREEN!
     Several seconds later, Tactical reported again.  "Sir, the Venom ships are now within
weapons range."  Just then, Dok squeezed a button on a small transmitter he'd concealed inside his
uniform.
     "They're targeting our cannons."  Several more shots hit the base.  "The cannons have
been destroyed.  They're now holding position and ceasing fire!  Wait, they're launching several
troop transports!" Tactical informed the General.
     "Begin evacuation of the base, and launch the remaining 
M-classes as cover!" Dok ordered.
     "Aye, Sir.  Sir, the Calare, the surviving border ship, has caught up to the Venom ships,
and is engaging one of the them again.  The other is preparing to fire on us!"
     Dok started over toward the self-destruct panel.  But, his journey was cut short when a
nova bomb, fired by one of the traitorous M-classes that had taken out the shields, struck the
station and took out Command Central, and about 1/4 of the rest of the base!
     Back in their cell, Fox and the others knew something was very wrong.  They could hear
several firefights outside the detention area, and there had been several loud messages over the
base's comm system in the last few minutes.
     "We've got to get out of here, now!" Fox remarked, as he and the others tried to find a way
out of the cell.  Then, he started looking toward the hallway, and sniffed.  "Wait-someone's
coming!"  Then, he let out a sigh of relief and said, "It's a fox."
     "A vixen, actually!"  Fara noted, as she quickly ran to their cell and deactivated its force
field.
     "About time!" Fox commented.  "What's going on out there?!  It sounds like Andross's
sacking the place!"
     "That's because Andross is sacking the place!" Fara exclaimed.  "Follow me!  We have to
get to docking bay three!"
     "What happened?" Fox asked Fara, as the five of them quickly ran out into the hallway. 
Fox could hear sounds of gunfire all around them, and SpaceForce officers wearing battle gear
were rushing about.
     "The Lizards managed to breech our shields," Fara replied.
     "How'd they manage that?"  Peppy asked.
     "I'm not sure," Fara replied.  "I can't raise any one from Command Central, or the
second-in-command.  The Lizards have started sending in boarding parties to secure the base,
which means we have to leave!"
     Just then, a group of Lizards came around a corner.  As quickly as one of the Lizards saw
them did Fara blast him with her gun.
     "Remind me never to get you ticked off at me," Fox commented as they took cover in a
couple nearby doorways.
     "Just remember this the next time you're tempted to call me 'whatever'!" Fara retorted.
     "Yes, Ma'am," Fox returned.
     "Better.  Now, follow me."  Fara then reached up and punched some of the buttons by the
door.  "We're gonna' have to take a detour."
     Meanwhile, a group of Lizards approached what was left of Command Central.  "It looks
like the place has been totally destroyed, Sir," said one of the troopers into his comm unit.
     "Well, at least they weren't able to activate the 
self-destruct this time.  Has the base been secured yet?" his commander replied while en route to
Command Central.
     "No, Sir.  Our troops are still encountering resistance.  We've managed to tap into the
base's security system and are using it to track the Enemy's movements."
     "I guess this is what they call 'taking the high road'," Falco remarked.  The five of them
were bent over, running across a catwalk over a large, open area.
     "Forgive me for asking, but are you sure this is a way to docking bay 3?" Fox asked Fara
sternly.
     "Yes, I'm sure.  Those other Lizards cut off the route we've been using, and this is the most
direct alternate route I know of.  There should be a lift about 30 feet ahead."  Then, she added, "I
think we've lost the group that was chasing us, but the sooner we get out of here, the better."
     "A-at least i-it's not another t-tunnel," Slippy remarked.
     "Andas!  (There!)"
     A shot streaked up towards Fara and just missed her chest.  "Here we go again!" she
yelled.  "Keep going!"
     As Fara continued forward, another shot missed her.  But, this shot struck a large pipe over
her head.  A powerful jet of gas pounded Fara on the head, knocking her unconscious.  As she
fell, the gun fell from her paw, landing on the catwalk below her.
     Fox saw Fara falling before him, and quickly grabbed her, thus preventing her from hitting
her head on the railing.
"Lt...Fara!" Fox yelled while tapping her shoulder gently, and was answered with a groan.  It
wasn't much of a response, but it was enough to tell him that she was at least partially conscious.
     He turned to the others and commanded, "Keep going!  I'll be right behind you!"
     While the others complied, Fox reached down underneath Fara's legs and used his other
arm to support her head and neck so he could carry her.
     Then, he heard something.  Something was wrong-someone was coming.  He lifted her up
and tried to move her as quickly as he could.  Then, he caught a glimpse of someone in front of
him-a Lizard.  A shot sprang out from Fara's gun, which Fox now held underneath her, and struck
the Lizard.  He then quickly moved around the gas jet, and ran to the other side of the catwalk. 
He could see the others waiting anxiously by the lift and watching him closely as he ran towards
them.
     Soon, the other Lizards arrived on the scene and pursued the group.  However, Fox and
the others were able to make it to the lift and close the doors.
     Fox held Fara close to him while Peppy programmed the lift to take them down to the next
level, where he believed the bay to be.  As Fox held Fara, he could feel her beginning to stir.  She
was coming to.  "How do you feel?" he asked gently as he looked into her eyes.
     "Like...like something really big hit me,"  Fara replied.  Then, as she became more lucid,
she realized who was holding her, and tensed up a bit.
     "Th-thanks..." she said, now strong enough to pull away and stand on her own.  "You
know, you could have just left me there.  That probably would've been the most logical thing to
do."
     "Probably," Fox answered flatly.  As the lift slowed its descent, then finally stopped, Fara
noticed that Fox was now holding her gun.  She started to say something, but then changed her
mind and simply waited for the lift door to open.
     When it did open, she stepped out and said, "The bay should be just around that corner." 
Then, she turned to Fox and asked, "Care to lead the way?"
     "Don't mind if I do," Fox replied, stepping out of the lift.  "By the way, are there any other
lifts in this area?"
     "No," Fara replied, a little puzzled.
     Once the others were out of the lift, Fox reached in and programmed the lift to go back up. 
As the door closed, Fox set the gun to maximum power and told the others to stand back.
     "What're you doing?" Fara asked.
     "Making sure no one can follow us."
     Peppy motioned for Fara to come over by him.  Fox had that look in his eyes-a look that
usually only meant one thing.
     There was no time to pry the door open.  As Fox heard the lift whir up to the next level, he
took aim with the gun and fired twice.  That left a hole in the door about the size of a basketball. 
He quickly glanced up through the hole, put the gun through it, and aimed directly upward.  After several shots, the whirring stopped.
     "There," Fox said, pulling his paw out of the hole.  "Let's go."
     "I can tell working with you's going to be most...interesting, Fox McCloud," Fara
remarked.
     Within seconds, the five of them were standing in front of the bay door.  Fara quickly
stepped over to the door control panel to key in her access code.  The panel looked like it may
have been damaged, and Fara could see blaster burns on the walls.  She could only hope that the
door would open.  It didn't.
     "Sir, there's no sign of them!  They must've taken one of the lifts," a Lizard said into his
hand-comm.  "Also, I think some of them were Fox McCloud and his gang.  One of our men was
shot by a Cornerian fox.  Just before he died, he said that he thought it might have been
McCloud."
     The Lizard Commander frowned.  MCCLOUD!  EMPEROR ANDROSS'S
WANTED THAT PIRATE AND HIS CREW DEAD FOR YEARS!  THEY MUST NOT
ESCAPE!  He then turned to one of his officers and ordered, "If anyone sees McCloud or any of
his gang, they are to shoot to kill."
     "Do you see anything on sensors near their last known position?" he then asked the Lizard
who'd tapped into the station's security systems.
     "I'm picking up motion near one of the docking bays.  It's almost directly below their last
known position.  It appears to be a group of 5 or 6."
     "Why hasn't that area been secured?  If there are any ships in that bay carrying nova
bombs, they might try to detonate them!" he asked one of his officers.
     "We've tried, but station security was able to drive our forces away."
     "Then we'll just have to get there the same way they did!"
     "We've tried that too, Sir," said the trooper over his 
hand-comm.  "But, the lift seems to be...inoperative.  They must've started the lift back up after
they'd ridden it down, and  then blasted the propulsion system.  The lift's stuck between levels."
     "Are there any other lifts in the area?" he asked his officer.
     "No, Sir."  Then, the officer returned his attention to the sensor display.  "Sir, it looks like
our troops have finally broken through Security in that area.  They're on their way to the docking
bay."
     Slippy, who had a knack for fixing things, was working furiously on the door, trying to
open it.  Fox, meanwhile, was patrolling the area.  He saw several dead bodies scattered about the
hallway, and got an idea.
     He, Falco, Peppy, and Fara grabbed hold of them and stacked them in a pile in front of the
bay door.  They meant no disrespect to the dead (not even to the Lizards among those dead), but
there was precious little else they could use for cover, should more Lizards arrive.  Slippy looked
over as Fara and his friends completed the pile (there was no more 'building material' in sight) and
was filled with a sense of dread.
     As Fox peered over the morbid shield, Peppy spoke quickly and quietly to him.  "Fox, I
hear someone coming...Lizards!  Many Lizards!"
     Without turning, Fox asked, "Slippy, how's it coming?"
     "I've a-almost g-got it!"
     Seconds later, the first Lizards arrived and spotted Fox and the others.  Fox ducked down
as a shot missed his head and struck the wall.  "Too late!" Fox yelled.  "Slippy, can you get down
any farther and still see what you're doing?"  He took aim and blasted a Lizard.
     "N-no!"  Slippy replied.  "B-but...w-wait!  I-I got it!"  The big door started to lift ever so
slowly-too slowly, as far as the five of them were concerned.
     "As soon as the door's opened wide enough, I want all four of you in that bay and in your
ships!" Fox commanded.
     Suddenly, the door stopped, then started rising again.  "What's wrong with the door?!"
Falco asked.
     "Th-the control s-system's destabilized.  I'm g-going to 
h-have to stay h-here and j-jerry-rig the controls to hold the 
d-door o-open, or i-it m-might f-fall closed.  Th-then, we'll 
n-never get it open!"
     Soon, the door was opened about four feet.  "Falco, Peppy, Fara...get in there!  I'll cover
you!" Fox commanded.
     Fox then fired several shots at the advancing Lizards and glanced over to see Falco, Peppy,
and Fara ducking down and  running toward their arwings.  Once they were through, Fox told
Slippy, "Now, Slippy!  Get in there!  I'll cover you!"
     "B-but I g-gotta' keep the d-door o-open!"
     "I said 'Go!'."  This time, Fox caught a glimpse of Slippy taking his hands from the wall
and complying.  Then, the door started to close-but slowly.  I'M SURE GLAD YOU WERE
WRONG THIS TIME, SLIPSTER!  Fox thought as he moved towards the door, making sure to
keep himself low and the Lizards in his sites.
     Seconds later, a Lizard ducked under the door, which was now about halfway closed.  Fox
nailed him, but the Lizard fell, and his gun went off, striking the wall behind the door's control
panel.  As the wall sparked, the door came to a complete halt.
     "Damn!" Fox yelled.  Then, a shot rang out, missing Fox and hitting Slippy's arwing. 
Instantly, Fox took aim and returned fire, striking the Lizard dead.  Out of the corner of his eye,
Fox could see Slippy scamper up toward his cockpit.
     Then, the shots stopped coming.  "H-hurry F-Fox!" yelled Slippy, getting into his cockpit. 
"Th-they'll be in h-here again a-any s-second now!"
     Fox started toward his arwing.  He only took his eyes off the door for a second as he
glanced to determine his ship's location.  But, that was enough.
     "Watch out, Fox!" Falco yelled from his cockpit.  Fox turned toward the door, and a blast
struck his gun, knocking it from his paws.  It skittered across the floor, stopping several feet from
him.
     "F-Fox!" Slippy exclaimed.  His view was partially blocked by the side of his ship, so he
stood back up in the cockpit to get a better view of the situation.  Then, he got an idea how to help
his friend.
     Suddenly, the Lizard turned away from Fox and aimed his gun.  Fox quickly dove for his
own weapon, grabbed it, aimed, and fired.  Fox's aim was true.  As the Lizard fired, Fox's shot
struck him in the head.
     Then, Fox heard a sickening scream.  He looked over and saw Slippy fall to the floor of
the bay.  "Slippy!" Fox yelled as he ran toward his friend.
     "Oh $((^_^&_^+^!" yelled Falco, throwing open his canopy.   "Stay in the ship!" Fox
yelled after having heard him.  "Stay in the $(%)%)++^!!! ship!"
     When Fox reached Slippy, he was relieved to see that Slippy was still breathing, though he
had a large gunshot wound in his chest.  He looked up at Fox and said, "I was t-trying to 
f-fire...t-to distract h-him.  H-he was i-in front of m-my 
sh-ship.  G-Guess I w-wasn't as f-fast as I th-thought I w-was!  
I-It all happened so f-fast!"
     Fox choked out, "You're gonna' be OK."  He then pulled Slippy toward the nearest
arwing-Slippy's.  At this point, Slippy was all he could think of.
     Fox noticed that there was no boarding ladder next to Slippy's ship.  So, he put Slippy's
body down on the ground, grabbed one, and put it into place.  As Fox struggled to get Slippy and
himself up the ladder, more Lizards poured into the bay, guns blazing.
     Just as Fox laid Slippy down behind the pilot's seat, a shot from one of the Lizards' guns
struck his paw.  Fortunately, it was not the paw Fox had the gun in.  He winced in pain, and then
drew his gun and returned fire.  Finally, Fox sat down in the pilot's seat and quickly pulled the
canopy closed.
     He then activated the shields and fired up the engines.  "Prepare for take-off!" he
commanded, quickly donning the flight helmet.  As the Lizards fired, the four arwings slowly
turned and built up speed for takeoff.  Within seconds, the ships sped out of the bay and away
from the besieged station.
     Suddenly, Fara broke off from the rest of the group and headed back toward the bay.
     "Where're you going?" Fox demanded.
     "We can't leave the fifth arwing there for the Lizards to get their hands on.  They may find
some of the arwing specs and designs on file.  But at least we can see to it that they don't have a
working model to study," Fara replied.  "Set your course to 7-5-4 until you're out of their sensor
range, and then head for Corneria.  I'll catch up with you later."
     "You sure you're up to it?" Fox asked.
     "Yes!  I'm fine!" Fara snapped.
     "Well, you're not going back without a wingman," Fox told 
her, ignoring the defensive reaction.  "Peppy, stay with her...Falco, let's get out of here."
     Fara made a mental note to discuss the leadership situation with Fox-but that could wait.
     There were several Lizards in the docking bay when two arwings were spotted heading
toward the bay.  One of the ships opened fire from a distance, destroying the one remaining
arwing in the bay, sending debris flying everywhere.  Then, the two ships turned and sped away.
     Once Fox and Falco were far enough from the Lizards that Fox felt they wouldn't come
after them, he told Falco to keep an eye open for Fara and Peppy, then set his ship on autopilot.
     With that done, Fox turned to tend to Slippy.  "You still with me, Slippy?" Fox asked,
gently touching Slippy's shoulder.  In response, Slippy nodded weakly.  Fox had no bandages, so
he tore a piece out of the shirt from the flight uniform that he hadn't had a chance to put on, and
applied it to Slippy's wound.  Fox knew that, ideally, Slippy should be lying down flat, so that Fox
could better care for him.  He shouldn't be scrunched up behind the pilot's seat like he was.  Fox
cursed the cramped nature of the arwing's cockpit as he tried to examine Slippy.
     Only once he was sure that he could do no more right then and there did Fox return his
attention to flying the ship.  But even then, he racked his brain to find something, anything to say. 
Before disengaging the autopilot, Fox decided to adjust the flight helmet (which had been adjusted
for Slippy) and put on the flight uniform.  "You must have one big head, Slippy! There...that's
better."
     As Fox tried to keep the conversation going, he reached for (what was left of) the flight
uniform and put it on-not an easy task in the arwing's tight cockpit.  Once that was done, Fox
realized that he was sitting on his tail.  So, he reached down and pulled it out from underneath
him, then stuck it through the "tail hole" in the seat.
     Finally, Fox disengaged the autopilot and took back manual control of the ship.
     A minute or two later, Fox spotted Fara and Peppy as they approached him and Falco. 
Then, Falco's voice crackled over the speaker in Fox's helmet.  "Here come Peppy and Lt.
Phoenix," he said.  Then, in a worried tone, Falco asked, "How's Slippy?"  
     "He's hanging in there," Fox replied.  "I've bandaged his wound, and he's conscious. 
But-he needs medical help asap.  I've been just talking...hoping to keep him awake.  But...I'm
running out of things to say.  I hope you or Peppy can think of something to say, or I might have
to start singing.  And that might kill him!"
     And so went their trip to Corneria.  Fox's, Falco's, and Peppy's thoughts were focused on
their wounded friend and Slippy's thoughts were focused on survival.  When they were but a short
distance from Corneria, Fara contacted Gen. Pepper and arranged for a medical team to meet
them in the docking bay.