Star Crossed [an old and terrible Star Fox fanfic]

C13 - On The Hunt, Down After You

The next stop for team Star Fox was not a planet. This was an order that initially confused McCloud, as he sat in the video call with the Sergeant.

"And what the heck is that supposed to mean?" Fox asked, raising an eyebrow.

"You are to go to Lylat star, and check on the solar panel satellites there, to ensure their safety and security," Grey detailed.

"The damn solar panels? God! Making us do chores?" Fox facepalmed as he asked. "Isn't this something you could tell your defense team to do?"

"This is something out of our reach, Fox," General Pepper piped up. "You and your team are going to have to do this before getting to Venom, to ensure our victory."

"Ugh, fine. Mission accepted," Fox grunted, turning his receiver's screen off. His tail swished to and fro, as he fumed for a few seconds. This was one of the reasons he didn't want to completely integrate Star Fox into Corneria's military. He was the captain, he gave the orders. And here he was, taking them from the higher-up. What was the difference, even? With this on his mind, he went to the Great Fox's control panel.

"Team," he said, with a scoff, "we're doing the General's chores."

"Checking on the solar panels around the star?" Miyu groaned, rolling her eyes.

"They should have some sort of firmware to do that," Slippy observed, twiddling his thumbs.

"From how I know him, Pepper's very stubborn about having things checked by people, especially himself," Peppy chuckled. "Almost like he's got some sort of OCD."

"I'd be arrested if that sort of comparison came outta MY mouth," Falco half-joked.

Fox sighed. "Hey, Falco?"

"Yeah, Fox?" the blue bird of prey replied.

"I should really talk to Pepper about getting rid of that whole thing. The whole species thing. For you, if not in general. I've— I've always been, a little deep down, afraid of fighting for Corneria," Fox confessed. "That we're the guys propagating this sort of thing."

Falco blinked. "Well... gee."

"And me, too?" Slippy piped up.

"Definitely, Slip, you too," Fox assured.

"Just keep in mind, Fox, that Andross is interested in sheer anarchy, and domination of it," Peppy made sure to lay down. "That's what we're fighting against, his poisonous blend of anarchic tyranny."

"But at the orders of a dictator," Fox groaned. "I didn't want him wrapped up in any of this, and here he is, barking orders at what my dad wanted to be an independent mercenary team."

"You can't be saying Star Wolf is right, though," Miyu stood as she inquired, "would you?"

"I—" Fox stammered, then suddenly stopped. His mind, at the mention of Star Wolf, went to its leader. He was a talented, hardworking fighter... and he looked especially handsome in that uniform. He'd never be able to regard Star Fox as an ally. Just as Star Fox was loyal to the Cornerians, Star Wolf was loyal to Venom, to the growing Androssian Empire. It was exactly the sort of two-sided nightmare he tried to avert. So he may as well would start rolling with it, and getting anything else out of the way after Andross was defeated... if he could even manage that.

"Well?" Falco blinked, rubbing his girlfriend feline's shoulder.

"I don't know," Fox simply said. "I'll answer that when all this is over, one way or the other. But for now, we're Star Fox, and nothing is gonna change that."