Star Crossed [an old and terrible Star Fox fanfic]

C17 - Killing High

The seat at the vulpine captain's table was empty, as Star Fox, minus the Fox, met in the battle's aftermath. The atmosphere in the Great Fox was dead silent, to no fault of the team's own; A team without a captain would usually fall into disarray or an immediate disbandment, so this dreadful silence was the rarer, more organized option.

The most imminent problem at hand could only be avoided for so long, though, and the silence was broken by a proposition to solve it:

"I nominate Peppy to be our acting captain in this event," Falco spoke. "He's the oldest of us, and one of the most reliable."

"Seconded," Slippy nodded as he expressed.

"Same here," Miyu looked to the older hare as she further agreed.

Peppy Hare looked at his team... Fox's team, of course, but he was evidently in charge of it now. It was a burden that broke his heart. He looked, with a soft smile to his crew... then set his head on the table, and sobbed softly.

"Peppy? Hey..." Falco stammered.

"I p-promised James I'd watch over his son. That was my duty. It was my duty, and I failed," the rabbit heaved, lifting his face.

"Peppy, Fox isn't necessarily dead yet," Miyu warily said. "Remember, Andross would want to make some sort of show of it. We haven't heard anything yet."

"That's a good point, but... who knows whether or not they've done it already," Peppy asked, "and just decide to announce it when most convenient?"

"I don't think that means we should give up, though," Falco shook his head.

"We still have the mission to carry out, to save the system from Andross's clutches," Slippy ribbited hopefully.

"...You're right, all of you," Peppy sighed. "We should make reaching Venom our priority now, though, especially with the heightened possibility that Fox is there. Regardless, we do need to carry out our purpose. And we should tell the General our intentions, too."

With that, Peppy stood, and went to the control center. With his button pressings being as lamenting and heavy as his heart, he dialed Supreme General Pepper, and stood at ready, with the rest of his team.

"Star Fox," the bloodhound sighed. "I received your transmission after the combat on Macbeth. I congratulate you on your liberation of most of the planet's workforce, but... Fox has unfortunately been captured, his whereabouts yet unknown to Corneria's intelligence."

"I see," Peppy nodded.

"We can only assume he lies somewhere in Andross's empire," Sergeant Grey piped up. "Our military is considering the possibility of him being on a prison freighter, in our efforts to defeat and search any we come across. What you must consider is Bolse."

"Bolse?" Miyu repeated the name.

"Bolse is Andross's state-of-the-art defense satellite, immediately outside of Venom," the General explained. "It's your next immediate target, and one you should prepare yourselves extremely for. There's good news, though. We've managed to give you a full map of the station, based on details from an insider and records of stolen components."

"Thank you, Sergeant," Falco smiled.

Bill only frowned in reply, in disbelief that some feathered fiend was on the team destined to save the galaxy. "Sure," he made his passive reply. "In any case, we entrust you to assure Corneria's prosperity the system over. If you fail... the future will be much murkier, to say the least."

"Make great haste, Star Fox," General Pepper chimed in at the last second, "and godspeed."

As the transmission cut, Falco sighed disappointedly.