Star Fox: Re-Genesis

[Blaise McCloud]

Hey!  My name's Blaise, and I've been a fan since 64.  But I've been severely disappointed since Adventures.

This isn't a parody.  This isn't a slash-fic.  This is my re-imagining of the series, taking only the events of the SNES and N64 games as canon.  There are no dinosaurs, no psychic powers, no hordes of alien bugs.  And no Krystal.

Since I'm just testing this idea out right now, I would greatly appreciate any criticism.  I already have the next few chapters done and enough ideas to form a series.  I hope it's as fun to read as it was to write!

Long live the 1990s!

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Star Fox : Re-Genesis

Pilot Chapter – Clash Above Titan

“Bravo Squad is being pushed back!”

“This is Alpha Squad!  Some kind of weapon just emerged from the flagship.”

“Six of them broke through the barrier!  They’ve entered the upper atmosphere!”

“It looks like a… No, an ion cannon that size wouldn’t be stable.”

“Echo here.  We’re taking too much fire.  Requesting backup!”

“ION CANNON CONFIRMED!  Alpha Squad, evacu-“

A bright flash of blue erupted near one of Titan’s moons, but only the sound of static reached General Pepper’s ears.  He stared solemnly at the radar projection as the blue dots representing Alpha Squad blinked out of existence.  Strangely enough, nearly the same number of red dots vanished with them; the cannon’s malfunction carved a perfect sphere out of the battlefield.

“Activate debris shields.”

A force field enveloped the Cornerian Command ship just before the remnants of several dozen fighter ships could reach the hull.

“Charlie Squad, head to Echo’s position immediately.”

“Roger that, General.”

None of it made sense.  In the year that had passed since Andross failed to conquer the Lylat System, the madman’s rebel forces had never joined together like this.  They were rebels, warriors without a cause, whose cleanup was barely a nuisance to the Cornerian Army.  But just last week the remaining divisions of this ragtag army began converging on a single spot…

“Have the surface scans revealed anything yet?”

“No sir.  The weather seems to be causing too much interference.  We still don’t know what they’re after.”

Why Titan?  The entire planet was barren, save for a handful of military-sponsored research stations.  Something had to be hidden down there.  Something important enough to revive a dead man’s army.  Maybe something that could even revive a –“

“General!  This is bad!”  The scream from the lower deck of the command station forcefully derailed Pepper’s train of thought.  He directed his gaze toward the main viewing screen, which was showing a live feed from the outer rim of the battlefield.  Three red streaks were skillfully dodging debris and heading toward the hole left by the ion cannon.

“Dammit!  What are THEY doing here?!”  They were supposed to have died during the Battle of Venom…  They crashed onto the surface of a planet literally made of poison…  But there they were, breaking straight through the heart of the skirmish.

“Well, that’s hardly an appropriate greeting, General,” replied a smooth voice from the open channel.

“We’re here for payback!” screeched a second voice.

“Shut up, you two,” growled the third.  Pepper’s ears perked suddenly.  There was no doubting it: Star Wolf was alive.

“Don’t mind us, Corneria,” continued Wolf O’Donnell in a calmer voice, heavy with sarcasm.  “As long as you don’t interfere –”

The trio let loose a flurry of lasers into a formation of Cornerian fighters, obliterating them before they had a chance to counter.

“we’ll just find what we’re after and be on our way.”

One Wolfen cut off from the group and sped toward a large satellite.  Shit, thought Pepper, that’s the shield generator Alpha was guarding!  If that gets taken out, Andross’s forces could head straight for the surface!

“Can’t let you do that, Star Wolf.”

Suddenly a green beam crashed into the Wolfen, shattering one of its four wings.  Pepper’s eyes widened in shock… but then he let out a soft chuckle.  “Took ya long enough,” he barked into a radio.  “My hands are a bit full, can you handle these guys?”

Four small ships rocketed toward the fray, and a giant, instantly-recognizable silhouette followed behind them.  Fox McCloud took his thumb off the trigger button and grabbed the accelerator.

“Sure thing.  Star Fox… Let’s go!”

[Guest FoXXX]

I'll read this in a little bit

Welcome to SF:O

[Asper Sarnoff]

Nice to see an oldschool fanfiction for a change. This is shaping up to be some pretty interesting writing. Keep it up!

Also, welcome to SF-O. I did the same thing as you when I first came here, barging inn and advertising my fanfiction. Make sure to pop by the introduction thread. :wink:

[Blaise McCloud]

Nice to see an oldschool fanfiction for a change. This is shaping up to be some pretty interesting writing. Keep it up!

Also, welcome to SF-O. I did the same thing as you when I first came here, barging inn and advertising my fanfiction. Make sure to pop by the introduction thread.

Yeah, sorry for barging.  I'm exploring the site a bit more now.

Anywho, thanks for reading!  The old school is definitely the best school.  I'm a few revisions away from having another chapter ready, if anyone's interested.

[Guest FoXXX]

Yeah, sorry for barging.  I'm exploring the site a bit more now.

Anywho, thanks for reading!  The old school is definitely the best school.  I'm a few revisions away from having another chapter ready, if anyone's interested.

You got that right

[Blaise McCloud]

Eh...  First chapter isn't enough.  I guess if I'm looking for critiques, I should post a bit more.

This chapter develops characters who are not General Pepper!  Lemme know what'cha think.

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Star Fox: Re-Genesis

Chapter 2 – Showdown

“Star Fox, eh?” quipped Leon Powalski, a manic chameleon rumored to have joined Star Wolf just so he could be paid to murder.  “I think I’m going to enjoy this.”

“The frog’s mine!” yelled Andrew Oikonny, a nephew to the infamous Andross – and living proof that intelligence is not genetic.  “You know what Venom smells like?!”

“You know what YOU smell like?” retorted Falco Lombardi.  He ran one hand over his head to smooth out some feathers, used one hand to keep the accelerator locked at maximum, and kept his Arwing’s control yoke steady with his right foot.  “I’ll take this one, Slip.  Lizard boy’s old news.”

“I dunno about that…” croaked Slippy Toad.  He let one hand off the controls just briefly enough to wipe some sweat off his forehead and readjust his cap – titling his Arwing 45 degrees in the process.  “I don’t know any of this guy’s moves and - ”

“I’ll cover ya, Slippy,” chuckled Peppy Hare.  “And Falco, knock off the stupid stunts!”  The oldest member of the team sent a very father-like glare toward Falco, who muttered something about an “old-timer” and took proper hold of the controls.

Just three of them… unless the fourth is hiding out somewhere.  No, that’s not his style…  Despite his focused appearance, Fox McCloud was completely lost in thought.  Was Pigma really…?

An all-too familiar voice came over Fox’s radio and brought him back to the battle:  “Long time, no see, pup.  Hate to break it to ya, but since I’m still alive our last match was a draw.”

Wolf could barely keep the excitement out of his voice.  So that was Star Fox that clipped his wing?  A match with a couple dozen Cornerian units was all right, but a match with the one man he could ever consider an equal – well, not equal, but good enough – was sure to get the adrenaline pumping.  “Hey, Commander, you’ll have to take care of the satellite yourselves.  My team’s heading to the surface.”  The compact Wolfen would have a much easier time breaking through the barrier than Andross’s massive gunships.

“We had a deal you -!”  Wolf cut off the transmission and steered his ship straight toward Titan.

“Leon!  Andrew!  We’re going on ahead!”

The three Wolfen blasted through the Cornerian shield and disappeared into the atmosphere.  All four Arwings followed closely behind.

“Fox, we won’t be able to communicate with you once you enter Titan!  For now, focus on stopping Star Wolf at all costs!”  General Pepper’s voice had grown noticeably more hopeful.

“Yes sir!”  Fox’s Arwing began to rattle as it dove through the dense gases.

“And be on the lookout for any… ng that may… krchkx … dross…”

“Signal lost.  The radar’s a bit shaky, but Star Wolf is definitely straight ahead.”  Slippy’s voice carried a noticeable amount of panic.  His last visit to Titan had been… memorable.

“I can see the surface!” shouted Falco.  Sure enough, the dense fog broke to reveal the wide canyons and vast stretches of blood-red sand that characterized the face of Titan.  “Bogies at 12 o’clock!”

The Wolfen split up.  One leveled off several hundred feet from the surface and shook clumsily in the rough winds; “I got ‘im,” said Falco, correctly identifying the pilot.  The second Wolfen took cover inside of a sandstorm; Peppy and Slippy gave chase.

Of course, thought Fox.  Of course he would pick the canyon.  He chased after the last Wolfen, which had decided to brave the rocky pillars and treacherous winds of a wide crack in the earth.  Unable to lock onto his opponent from above, Fox flew in after him.

…

Fox yanked the yoke to the right, just barely dodging a pile of rocks Wolf had shot down from the canyon’s lip.  “You’re almost getting good at this, pup,” smirked Wolf.  Fox ignored the comment and fired a charged laser, which Wolf easily dodged.  The “pup” cussed to himself as he wove through even more rocks.

That Wolfen is missing a wing…  He shouldn’t have this much control over his ship.  The thoughts ran furiously through Fox’s head.  How was he this far behind?  Didn’t he win the last fight?

“Heh, looks like the fun is over.”  If Wolf hadn’t spoken out, Fox would have crashed right into the end of the canyon.  He pulled the Arwing up and just barely cleared the edge of the crack.

“The fun’s just beginning, Wolf.  How about we settle this?”

Wolf did not reply.  He didn’t even notice Fox had said anything.  Because right in front of Wolf was a massive temple, just like the ones he had seen on Venom.

And all around him were hundreds of alien ships.

[X-Gamer]

Wow. Great job, keep it up! 

[Blaise McCloud]

Wow. Great job, keep it up! 

Thanks!  Hopefully I can keep it up.  We'll see how much time I can devote to this...

[rainfyre66]

Hey, this is great! There aren't too many old school SF style fanfics, especially sans Krystal, around anymore, so this is a refreshing change of pace, and it's well-written too. I hope you get the time to keep this going, I'm excited for more.

[Blaise McCloud]

Hey!  Thanks for all the support, everyone!  Just so you know, I'm now also a member of FanFiction.net, so you can see the chapters there, too.  But I'm not leaving StarFox-Online: it's too awesome.

[Blaise McCloud]

“Interesting anecdote:  Calvin from Bill Watterson’s Calvin and Hobbes (best comic ever) wrote the words “Hey Jet Pilots! Do a Barrel Roll!” in the snow in one of the strips published quite a few years before Star Fox 64 was released.

“I mention this because the barrel roll returns in this chapter, in all of its glory.

“Also because I love Calvin and Hobbes and am definitely going to involve a tiger character in SFRG at some point.”

- B McC

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Chapter 3 – High CARD Wins

Fox’s jaw dropped.  As he rose out of the canyon, his field of vision was obscured by hundreds of fighters.  But they definitely were not Cornerian… and he had never seen Andross use this kind before…

Each ship was composed of a single black sphere, about half the size of Fox’s Arwing.  Orbiting each sphere were several propulsion devices and what Fox thought were laser-blasters.

Yeah, definitely blasters!  Fox double-tapped a button on the back of the yoke, instantly sending his ship into a barrel roll as dozens of lasers streaked toward him.  The Arwing’s most innovative feature – an electromagnetic field generated by the ship’s rapid rotation – easily deflected the attacks.  Wolf, in the meantime, fired several shots at the nearest ship, only to learn they were quite well-shielded.  Still, he could dodge their attacks fairly easily.  Not everyone was so lucky…

“Slippy’s hit!”

“Dammit Slippy!”

“Shut up, Falco!  What the hell are these things?”

“Peppy!  Are… you guys… all right?”  Fox had to ask in between dodges.

“Hell no!” replied Falco – who is not at all Peppy – “Stupid monkey led me straight into these things.  It was some kind of trap!”

“I’m just as trapped as you are, stupid bird!” shot back Andrew, also surrounded by strange black spheres.  As far as Fox could tell, Leon was in the same position.

“Wolf, what is this?” demanded Fox.  The spheres were amazingly agile, and they could shoot in any direction.  Despite Fox’s best efforts, he had taken several hits.

This might be what they hired us to find, thought Wolf.  “How the $&!% am I supposed to know?” he replied.  Several lasers hit his right flank simultaneously, leaving him with only one wing on each side.

More black spheres flew out of the temple.

“I can’t take any more!”

They swarmed both teams, nearly blocking out all light.

“My G-Diffuser just busted!”

Just as quickly as the light vanished, it reappeared in the form of deadly plasma blasts.

“Pull out!  Pull out!”

Fox’s head banged against the controls… when his vision returned, he saw one of the spheres aiming a blaster right at him.

And then it was blown away by a strange purple beam.

Targets identified.  Eliminate the defense droids, Priority 1.  Eliminate Team Star Wolf, Priority 2.  Defend Team Star Fox, Priority *Th-xgxz* Zero.

More purple blasts.  Hundreds of them, aimed precisely at the cores of the black speres, easily penetrating their shields.  Soon the cloud surrounding Fox was dissipated, and he could see the other members of his team were safe.

Countless white ships, each bearing the Cornerian insignia, had come to their aid.  They had even attached themselves to the Arwings and were guiding them to the surface.  But they were only a quarter of the size of the standard Cornerian ship… much too small to carry a pilot.

“Commander McCloud, this is Lieutenant Ford of the Cornerian Army Research Division.”

Fox saw his reflection in the window of his cockpit and noticed his head was bleeding.

“We are escorting you to safety.”

And his reflection was blurry… and spinning… and getting darker…

[X-Gamer]

My jaw is wide open man. Great work.  :D

[Guest Julius Quasar]

“Interesting anecdote:  Calvin from Bill Watterson’s Calvin and Hobbes (best comic ever) wrote the words “Hey Jet Pilots! Do a Barrel Roll!” in the snow in one of the strips published quite a few years before Star Fox 64 was released.

“I mention this because the barrel roll returns in this chapter, in all of its glory.

“Also because I love Calvin and Hobbes and am definitely going to involve a tiger character in SFRG at some point.”

- B McC

-------------------------------------

I love Calvin and Hobbes. 

Great story, by the way! :yes:

[Blaise McCloud]

Dude, thanks.  That's the reaction for which I was aiming, so it's great to hear that. 

Chapter 4 is pretty much ready, so it should be on here by the end of the week.  5 & 6 are in the revision stage, meaning I can't finish them until I decide exactly where the plot is headed. 

And I might write 7 tonight, 'cuz I don't feel like doing homework on Ash Wednesday...

[Blaise McCloud]

I love Calvin and Hobbes. 

Great story, by the way!

Thanks!  I started reading "Back in Action", by the way, and I really like it so far.

And, yes, Calvin and Hobbes are awesome!.

[Blaise McCloud]

"This one's got more plot development than action.  Let me know if you don't like that, and I'll try to liven the next few chapters up.

"Enjoy!"

- B McC

-----------------------------------

Chapter 4 – Aftermath

Two years have passed since Star Fox’s crushing defeat at the second Battle of Titan.  Despite the team’s failure to destroy the secret weapon – known only as ORB – that Andross’s forces were attempting to reclaim, the Artificial Intelligence Unit led by Colonel Ford (then Lieutenant Colonel Ford) was able to clean up the mess and lead Corneria to victory.

Of the three remaining members of Star Wolf, only Andrew Oikonny, nephew to Andross himself, was captured.  He is currently being held in a maximum-security site on the campus of the Cornerian Army HQ.

Wolf O’Donnell and Leon Powalski have not been seen since, and remain two of the Army’s most wanted criminals.

Due to several factors – mainly their humiliating defeat and their incompetence compared to AI Units – the Star Fox team disbanded a month after the incident.

Peppy Hare, a close friend of General Pepper and an ex-officer in the Army, returned to the military as a Major General.  He commanded the troops that took down the last of Andross’s forces in Sector Z and currently serves on the Generals’ Council.

Slippy Toad returned to his home planet of Aquas to pursue a career in R&D.  As of now, he is employed in the Aquas Weapon and Vehicle Utilization Lab.  His position or duties, however, are classified.

As for the remaining members of the team, the bold Fox McCloud and the hot-headed Falco Lombardi, neither has been seen in nearly twenty months.  Some rumors say they have fled Lylat altogether.  Others claim the two have joined O’Donnell and Powalski as members of Star Wolf.  Still others maintain the two have become agents in a top-secret division of the Cornerian Army.

But the question still remains, where are the no-

“Turn that damn thing off!”

Fox hurled a wrench at the television set as he came into the garage.  Every week, it was the same stupid report…

“Did you even hear me?  Why is the TV on if you’re not even watching it?”

“You say som’thin’?”  Falco pulled his head out of the hood of a decrepit hovercar.  Grease and oil covered his hands and clothes.  Headphones covered his ears.  “Oh, look!  We’re on TV!”  Unable to hear the narrator’s condescending tone, Falco naturally assumed he was being praised.

“Yeah, yeah.”  Fox switched off the set.  “Are you finished yet?  That customer is going to be here any minute.”

“Or right now,” said Falco, looking over Fox’s shoulder.  Fox spun around to see two rats – presumably one male, one female, each about half his height – walking into the repair shop, squeaking rapidly in a foreign language.

“Mr. and Mrs. G, how are you?  You car is…” He glanced quickly at Falco, who shrugged, “…going to take a bit longer to fix.”

“Itz fixt!?” squawked Mr. G (at least the first letter in his name looked like a G…).

“No, no, no, sorry.  We need a bit more time.  If you could come by this afternoon, -”

BANG!

“Evening,” coughed Falco.

Fox made no attempt to correct himself.  The couple was already screaming at him in words he had no hope of understanding.  To his ears’ relief and wallet’s woe, they suddenly turned and stormed out of the garage, shouting a word Fox had heard often enough to know was an insult.

“There goes this month’s energy bill…” sighed Falco.  “You think they’re coming back, or should I even bother fixin’ this?”

Ignoring him entirely, Fox walked up to an old motorcycle in the corner and pretended to inspect the engine.  This was not where he wanted to be.  He shouldn’t be fixing ships on Lylat’s Outer Rim.  He shouldn’t be chained to the ground like this.  He shouldn’t –

“You really shouldn’t treat yer customers like that.”

Instinctively, Fox grabbed the blaster from his holster and spun around to face the door.  His eyes widened as a familiar eye-patch-wearing face walked toward him.

“But then again… you don’t belong here in the first place, do you?”

[Asper Sarnoff]

Really good writing you've got there Blaise. I certainly can't find much to put my finger on.

Keep it up.

[Guest Julius Quasar]

Nice!

Thanks!  I started reading "Back in Action", by the way, and I really like it so far.

And, yes, Calvin and Hobbes are awesome!.

Thanks!  I'm glad you like it.

[rainfyre66]

So far, so good Blaise. I really like it, and I'm not just saying that. A mixture of a good plot and good action make the best stories, in my opinion anyway, so don't worry too much if a chapter isn't completely action-driven (you do both types well, from what I've seen so far.)  :)

[Blaise McCloud]

Really good writing you've got there Blaise. I certainly can't find much to put my finger on.

Keep it up.

So far, so good Blaise. I really like it, and I'm not just saying that. A mixture of a good plot and good action make the best stories, in my opinion anyway, so don't worry too much if a chapter isn't completely action-driven (you do both types well, from what I've seen so far.) 

Thanks for the feedback and support!

Does anyone know if it's possible to change the title of this thread?  It still says "Pilot Chapter", and I managed to get pretty far beyond that point.

Also, at least the next two chapters will be online in about two hours.  Nothing at all was happening on campus yesterday, so I managed to get a ton of writing done.

[Blaise McCloud]

“New character time!  There are only a few new characters that I really need, so your opinions could decide who stays and goes.  Still, I think future chapters will develop the two new additions in this chapter quite well.

“And Col. Ford has to be a permanent character.”

- B McC

------------------------------

Star Fox : Re-Genesis

Chapter 5 – A Proposition

“What the hell are you doing here?”

“I could ask you the same question.”

Fox kept his blaster pointed straight at Wolf, who was looking back at him unfazed.

“You weren’t meant to fix these things; you were meant to fly them.”

“And shoot down scum like you.  Yeah, I know.”

“I didn’t come here to fight.”

“He’s lyin’ Fox,” interrupted Falco, also pointing a gun at Wolf’s head.  “Let’s just take ‘im down.  We got numbers on our side.”

“Are you so sure about that, bird-brain?”  Seemingly out of nowhere, Leon appeared beside Falco.  The bird-brain spun around and aimed at the chameleon instead.

“You know Leon already.”  Despite being one trigger-pull away from death, Wolf kept his tone incredibly casual.  “This fella’s name is Pat.”  Wolf pointed his thumb over his shoulder, where a 7-foot tall grizzly bear had just walked up.  Pat grunted and stared coldly down at Fox, who gulped audibly.

“3-on-2,” grinned Leon.

“3-on-4,” corrected Falco, gesturing upward.  On a catwalk above stood a rather flimsy-looking robot, visibly rusted in many areas.  Despite its appearance, the bot had no trouble holding and aiming a very large gatling-style gun at the bear.  “ROB counts as two people.  Ain’t that right, ROB?”

“Awaiting orders.  Should I shoooooerrrrr…”  ROB 64 suddenly collapsed onto the catwalk, revealing a very small-statured weasel behind him.

“4-on-2,” the weasel quipped, tossing a small metal cube up and down.  “This guy’s fuel cell pops out pretty easy.”

Wolf continued the introductions: “And this guy-”

“The name’s Wally!” shouted Wally as he jumped down into the middle of the standoff.  He pointed a finger at Fox’s face:  “Don’t you forget it!”

Fox briefly considered whether the weasel’s miniature size, high-pitched voice, or childish name was more ridiculous.

“Wally!  Leon!” Wolf barked.  “Get back here.”  The interruption seemed to affect Wolf’s mood; he turned back to Fox.  “I’ll just cut to the chase.  I’m here about a job.”

“So there’s a bounty on our heads!” shouted Falco.

“The job isn’t to kill you,” growled back Wolf, visibly annoyed.  He pulled a disc-shaped object, roughly 3 inches in diameter, out of his pocket.  “I’m delivering this.”

“So I’m a repairman and you’re a delivery boy,” Fox pointed out.  “That doesn’t explain why you’re still here.”

“I’m delivering this clear to the next corner of the Outer Rim,” Wolf half-shouted, desperate to finish a sentence.  “And it needs to get there in a week.  I need a faster ship… and that’s where you come in.”

Fox lowered his blaster slightly.  He could guess the rest of Wolf’s story.  “I sold the Great Fox a long time ago.  We needed the money to get this place started.”

For the first time that Fox had ever heard, Wolf actually laughed.  Then he pointed at the motorcycle Fox had been using for cover.

“You expect me to believe that you sold your father’s gunship, but kept his bike?”

Fox raised the blaster again.  “How do you know about this bike?” he demanded.

“Lucky guess,” Wolf replied matter-of-factly.  “Now where’s the Great Fox?  This disc may not look like much, but my client is willing to pay a fortune for it.  And like you said:  You need the money.”

This didn’t feel right.  How many times had Fox fought with this man?  How many times had they sworn to shoot each other out of the sky?  And now this?  Fox opened his mouth to speak –

“We get 50%,” shouted Falco.

“40,” shot back Wolf, “plus money for fuel.”

“Deal!” Falco declared.

Fox let his mouth hang open out of bewilderment.

[Blaise McCloud]

“So this chapter mentions money, and for the life of me I can’t remember what monetary units are used on the paycheck you get at the end of 64.  When I was skimming through someone else’s fanfic, I noticed he or she called the money ‘credits’, and I really liked that idea.

“Thank you, whoever wrote that!”

- B McC

------------------------

Star Fox : Re-Genesis

Chapter 6 – Departure

“What do you mean, ‘deal’?” Fox shouted.

By now, nobody was pointing a gun at anybody else’s face.  Fox had pulled Falco into the repair shop’s office to discuss – loudly discuss – Wolf’s proposition.  Leon was leaning against Mr. G’s wrecked hovercar, visibly bored out of his mind.  The two newest additions to the Star Wolf crew were inspecting the cluttered garage (“Kind of a crummy place for a hideout, ain’t it?” “Urr.” “Ha!  Those numbskulls put this engine in all wrong!” “Hermf.”).  And Wolf turned the disc he was delivering over and over again in his hand, staring intently at the motorcycle in the corner.

“Don’tcha get it?  If they wanted ta kill us they’d’ve done it when they walked in!”

“It’s freakin’ Star Wolf!  And they know about the Great Fox, now!  They’re probably just waiting for us to bring it out so they can steal it.”

“The only person who can drive that thing is ROB, and the only people ROB takes commands from are you ‘n Peppy.  Ain’t that how yer dad set it up?”

Fox leaned against a wall and groaned.  It didn’t really make sense.  Wolf wasn’t the kind of person to ask for help… but he wasn’t the kind of person to harm somebody through such indirect means, either.

“And another thing,” Falco continued, casting a wary eye out the window to where Leon stood, “I’ve fought Lizard-boy enough times to know him like the back of my hand.  He managed to sneak up behind me for the first time just a few minutes ago… and he would’ve killed me right then unless Wolf had told him not to.  They really need our help.’

“…Maybe,” Fox conceded.  He closed his eyes and tried to remember what it felt like to fly an Arwing.  “It sure would be nice to get outta here, wouldn’t it?”

“Especially since there’s money involved.  No way in hell am I gonna be able to fix that car by tonight.”

Fox smirked.  “All right… just stay on your toes around them, okay?”

…

“Never would’ve imagined there was a place like this under that dingy little shop,” Wolf said as he walked down a brightly-lit corridor.

“This whole repair-shop setup was one of Dad’s old hideouts,” explained Fox.  He had agreed to lead Wolf down to where the Great Fox was being kept, so long as Falco and ROB came with them and the rest of Star Wolf stayed on the surface.  “In case Star Fox ever needed to act against the military, he kept a few safe havens scattered throughout the Outer Rim...”

“On planets outside of the Cornerian Alliance.  Not a bad idea,” Wolf finished.  The conversation ended when they came to a large set of doors, securely fastened and equipped with a DNA lock.

“All right,” Falco began, “now we need to hear some details.  Just what is th-”

“This mission is nothing more than a simple delivery,” Wolf interrupted.  “An old acquaintance of mine designs propulsion systems.  The kind you see in most race-ships.  But he’s a paranoid SOB; he needs to send these blueprints,” Wolf held up the disc, “to the only manufacturer in Lylat that he trusts, and the only delivery service in Lylat that he trusts…”

“Is Star Wolf,” Fox concluded.  “That doesn’t explain the one-week deadline.”

“…You don’t understand how crazy this guy is.”  Wolf pointed out a small white dot on the otherwise entirely black disc.  “This right here is a sort of time bomb.  Only he and his manufacturer buddy know how to turn it off.  In one week, this entire disc will be erased, just in case we screw up and let anyone else get ahold of it.”

“And how much money are we talkin’?” Falco interjected, clearly interested only in that aspect of the deal.

Wolf grinned.  “This guy is one hell of a designer.  We’re talking just over 2 million credits.”

“That’s what I’m talkin’ about!” shouted Falco.

Fox was not quite as excited.  Was this really the kind of job Star Wolf took up when they weren’t on Andross’s payroll?  But as strong as his doubts were, all he could think about was how long it had been since his feet had left the ground.  A faint feeling deep in his gut urged him to take the job.  Trust your instincts, eh?

“All right.  We’ll take off in three hours.”

Fox placed his hand onto a scanner, and a series of green As, Ts, Gs and Cs flashed across a nearby screen.

DNA sequence confirmed.  Welcome back, Fox.

Good to be back, thought Fox.  With several thundering clanks, the doors slowly began to separate.  Behind them was an enormous room…

And inside lay the Great Fox.

[Guest Julius Quasar]

All Right! great job!

[Blaise McCloud]

“I’ll be the first to admit that this chapter isn’t that exciting, so I’ll post Chapter 8 at the same time.  Until you get to that one, please enjoy my awkward reference to the 16-bit Arwing design.”

- B McC

----------------------------------------

Star Fox : Re-Genesis

Chapter 7 – Sayonara Sekai

“Yer kidding me.”

“Afraid not.  This is it.”

“These are relics!  Artifacts!”

“Well they fly.  And their G-Diffusers work… most of the time.”

Falco was back on the surface and staring at three of the oldest ships he had ever seen.  Two of them were original Katina Air-Force fighters, the model that revolutionized space combat by introducing the G-Diffuser… fifty years ago.  The third was a massive Cornerian “Flying Tank”, an at least thirty year-old fighter whose infamously complicated controls  meant it required two pilots.

“These things couldn’t win a fight against a mail-ship!” Falco shouted.

“Look, did you expect me to keep the Wolfen?” demanded Wolf, quite annoyed that the bird wouldn’t stop shouting into his ears.  “If you want, I could also hand out signed copies of my ‘Wanted’ poster to everyone I meet.  And it’s not like yours are much better.”  Wolf pointed to where a pair of rather blocky-looking ships sat twenty meters away.

“Those are completely different,” defended Falco.  “Yeah, we had to sell off our newer models, but those are two of the original Arwings.  They’re not old: they’re classics.”

“Oh, yeah.  Triangles sure are classic, no arguing against that.”

Falco opened his beak to protest, but was interrupted when Fox walked towards him.

“ROB just finished running diagnostics.  The Great Fox has seen better days, but it can make the trip in time.  It’ll be coming to the surface any minute now.  We’re lucky that Dad left us enough fuel…”

“So we’ll be leaving soon?”

“HOLY CR-!”  Falco nearly fell over in surprise.  The air behind him laughed darkly, then slowly took the form of Leon, who was obviously very pleased with himself.

“Stealth camouflage,” he explained when Falco tried to glare a hole through him.

“It doesn’t cover your scent,” Fox pointed out, completely composed, “and we can leave as soon as we get the ships loaded.”

“All right!  Wolf, I’ll show you where you can dock your clunkers,” joked Falco.

Wolf pointed to the Arwings once again: “Triangles!”

Simultaneously, Fox and Falco shouted back, “Classics!”

The argument ended with an earthquake, as a huge chunk of earth in the distance began sliding away.  Amid a cacophony of mechanical clunks and clatters, the Great Fox slowly rose out of the ground.

…

“Are all the ships secured?”

“Yep!  Just got the last one in.  Y’know I was lookin’ at that Arwing and-”

“Cabin pressure steady?  Fuel cells started?”

“Confirmed.  Fusion core is operating at normal capacity.”

“-if I just moved the retro-rockets around I could fit another few blasters into th-”

“AND THE ROCKETS,” Fox continued, trying in vain to keep Wally’s voice out of his head.

“Rockets are almost ready,” Falco reported.  “Just another minute.”

“- ‘cuz I mean they’d never expect the laser to fire sideways and they’d be all like-“

“FOR THE LOVE OF-”

“WALLY!” roared Wolf.

“Yeesh, I get it, I get it.”  Wally hopped off the table where he had stood to be at Fox’s eye level.  “C’mon, Pat.  We can tell when we ain’t wanted, can’t we?”

“Urmf.”  The two walked out of the Great Fox’s Command Center.

“So, good help is hard to come by these days?” Fox asked Wolf, massaging his temples.

“Heh!  Well, all the best pilots are quitting.  No sense competing with robots…  But those two make a pretty good team, and Wally’s mechanical skills are-”

“You let them join because they had their own ship, right?”

“… Yeah, something like that.”

“The main rocket’s preparation is complete.  Great Fox is ready for takeoff.”

Fox pushed a button labeled “intercom”: “Okay, ROB, whenever you’re ready, let ‘er rip.”  He and the rest of the crew began securing themselves for takeoff.

“Take off in 5… 4…”

Not exactly how I thought I’d be heading back to space, thought Fox as he fastened himself into the Commander’s seat.

“3… 2…”

But as long as I keep an eye on those guys, it should be fine.  He glanced at where Wolf was sitting.  Was he seeing things?  Or did Wolf actually look… anxious?

“1… 0…”

The engines let out a bellow that echoed for miles, and the rockets ignited with a blinding white flash.  The Great Fox fought furiously against the planet’s gravity, finally lifting an inch off the ground.  Then a foot.  Then several feet.

And with a final triumphant roar, it soared into the sky.

[Blaise McCloud]

“If you’re a fan of FullMetal Alchemist and sports cars, you’ll enjoy this part of my naming process:

“Colonel Mustang ---- Ford Mustang ---- Colonel Ford.

“His name also reminds me of Brave New World…  Anyway, we’re getting to the ‘good’ stuff.  Lots of new characters are introduced in this chapter, including my favorite character of SFRG.”

- B McC

------------------------------------

Star Fox : Re-Genesis

Chapter 8 – Miles B. Ford

Four Cornerian Days later, at a Military Base on Macbeth

Two men walked briskly down a long corridor.  The first was a badger, roughly five and a half feet tall, who was staring down at the ground and mumbling to himself, as though rehearsing a speech.  Following at his heels was a German Shepherd, standing a few inches over six feet; his eyes were focused straight ahead, his shoulders were held proudly back, and he kept each stride at nearly half its natural length so that he did not pass the man in front of him.

Both were dressed in the usual attire of Cornerian Army officers, save one detail: added to each man’s uniform was a silver badge on his lapel with the word “CARD” written across it in bold, golden letters.

At the end of the hallway was a door labeled “Conference Room MB-8” that sat below a quietly-humming security camera.  When they reached the door, the men stopped and saluted the camera.

“Colonel Miles Brock Ford, Assistant Director of the Cornerian Army Research Division,” spoke the badger.

“Major Horand von Grafrath, Head of Security at CARD,” added his companion.

“Voice signatures verified,” replied the camera.  The door slid open to reveal a large, circular room.  A table at the center took up most of the floor space, and it was surrounded by several chairs, but the CARD officers were the only two men present.

Ford sat down and looked up at a complicated machine that took up half of the ceiling.  “We’re ready,” he said.  “Begin the conference.”

After a series of whirs, buzzes, and clicks, the machine revealed nine holographic projectors, each aimed at one of the vacant chairs.  Within seconds the two men were joined by the slightly-transluscent images of nine other high-ranking officers.

The image directly across from Ford – an old hound with golden-brown fur – spoke first: “Welcome, Colonel.  The Council has agreed to meet with you, but let us keep this brief.”

Ford focused his dark eyes on one of the empty chairs.  “Thank you, General Pepper,” he replied.  “May I ask where Lt. General Davis is tonight?”

“That ol’ windbag?” laughed a hologram to Ford’s right.  The young coyote in the image was smiling broadly, and he spoke with a heavy drawl.  Unfastening the top button of his uniform, he continued, “Davis is much too important to bother with lil’ matters like this ‘un.”

“What Major  General O’Brien means,” growled an Alaskan Malamute to Pepper’s right, as she glared at the coyote, “is that General Davis declined to attend.”

“Well, shoot, Dolly.  You don’t have to get all uppity abou-”

“You will refer to me as Lieutenant General Griffin!”

“ANYWAY,” half-shouted a mouse immediately to Ford’s left.  His shrill voice was perfect for interrupting irrelevant conversations.  “Ninety percent of the Council is present.  That is more than enough to proceed.  Now, Colonel Ford,” the mouse paused as he put on a pair of reading glasses and opened a small notebook, “you are applying for the position of Director of the Cornerian Army Research Division, correct?”

“Just say ‘CARD’, General Jerry,” yawned O’Brien, slouching over in his chair.

Ford answered before another argument could break out:  “That is correct, sir.  As you know, former Director Johnson passed away due to a heart attack last month, and the Council has yet to replace him.  As the most experienced of the Assistant Directors, as well as a loyal member of the Cornerian Army itself, I would like to nominate myself for the position.”

A lion – whose aging mane had more silver than gold – immediately replied, “I second the nomination.  Ford’s work with the AIU has revolutionized warfare.  None deserve this position more than he.”

“It certainly makes sense,” agreed Dolly Griffin.

“Fine by me,” announced a rather tall hawk to her right.

O’Brien was clearly asleep.

Ford struggled to keep himself from grinning.  Even without Davis’s help…

“I oppose the nomination.”  Ford shot a surprised glance at the source of the voice.  A quiet hatred boiled within him when he realized who the speaker had been.  Peppy Hare looked Ford straight in the eye and continued, “The Director of CARD has never been a military officer.  It has been our philosophy for years that the position belongs to a civilian scientist, to somebody whose focus lies in research, not warfare.” 

“Major General Hare is right,” said Pepper, “while CARD is sponsored by the Army, it is not supposed to be controlled by it.  Especially during such peaceful times as these.”  The general glanced at his watch and continued, “I would like to wrap this up.  All for the nomination?”

The lion’s hand went straight up.  The mouse’s hand went up halfway before he noticed what little support the motion had, at which point he rescinded his vote.

“Opposed?”

Six other generals, including Pepper, raised their hands.  The mouse chose not to vote; O’Brien snorted loudly in his sleep.

“I’m sorry, Colonel,” continued Pepper, “but the Council has decided against your nomination.”

“…Understood.  Thank you for your time.”  Ford saluted the images as they blinked away.  A vein in his forehead pulsed rapidly as he clenched his teeth.  Von Grafrath, who had stood silently behind his superior officer the entire time, finally spoke up:

“Shall we proceed with Plan B?”

Ford glared hatefully at the chair where Peppy’s image had been mere seconds ago.  “It would appear we have no choice…

“Find Fox McCloud.”