A/N: If you find anything wrong - spelling or whatnot, PM me and I'll fix it. I'm so busy with people over at my house today, I've not gotten the time to red pen-whip the printed version. I'll remove this short note later, when I spruce it up - if I can't find anything wrong with it, I'll still come back later and remove this short note. Because all of my reviews for chapter 30 have asked for a sequel, I'm using this prologue to get things ready for the first chapter of the sequel. YES, I'll get to SPY COOPER, but right now I'm on a StarFox kick. Expect me to start on this sequel and kick out a chapter or two pretty soon. I've also got to do more work on Reflections of Fox McCloud!

THANK YOU GUYS FOR READING! I appreciate you taking your time on my story - your reviews and feedback have been both flattering and humbling. YAY! My first story to break THREE HUNDRED THOUSAND WORDS in length! And, at 31 actual chapters, it's also the longest there, too. It's got the most alerts, the most feedback reviews, the longest chapter (30) I've written so far... and it's about to break the most hits (Right now, Reflections of the Future has 25 thousand, but this story is almost at 18 thousand now and I know a lot of people only start on fully completed stories... so it should pick up more hits (plus the people who wish to re-read all the way through it from the beginning) so... I have a feeling it may break 25k at SOME point.) THANK YOU!

-Ken

EPILOGUE

Two very quiet months later…

Marcus McCloud. His name was written out in elegant calligraphy across the top of the parchment. He lifted his eyes from the fancy scroll and gazed upon the front doors of the newly converted Cornerian Flight Academy. The building acted as a trade school before the capital city was bombed a few months ago. Now, recently purchased by the Cornerian Government, the renovated school lay out was designed to handle the massive influx of young pilots. With political tension in the air concerning Venom, thousands of teenagers were signing up for various military branches.

McCloud turned his head towards Crimson and grinned. "You're going to be the oldest Freshman in your class, Red. You know what that means."

"I sure do," replied O'Donnell with an equally devious grin. "I'm going to be up to my shoulders in tail. I heard there were so many recruits signing up that they had to combine some dorms into co-ed groupings. I hope I'm lucky enough to get a chick as my roommate."

"Why?"

Crimson shrugged. "Women are usually neater than guys and you know how I am… I'm OCD about organizing my stuff… It would be nice if it was a really hot chick."

"Heck, I'm probably going to be the oldest Senior, too." Marcus shrugged. "That's irony… I was the youngest Freshman when I signed up. I started on my thirteenth birthday – they only made the exception because I aced my aptitude test and mental congruency test."

"Congruency, huh?" Red stuffed his paws into his pockets. "In other words, you had to take a test to make sure you'd be mentally compatible with everyone else?"

"Yup. Oh, and in case you were wondering, Fara turned down that offer to be a flight instructor here. Instead, she accepted the temporary position of covert ops trainer for Bill."

"Why is it temporary?" Crimson started down the marble steps, heading towards the main building up ahead. Marcus followed.

"Because, Red… first of all, she's flying for StarFox when we reemerge from the academy. Second of all, she's not military property anymore. This means they're hiring her on a short-term civilian contract until people are trained… then one of the graduates will take over. I'm not going to see her very much until I've graduated." McCloud arrived at the door first and opened it for his friend. The two walked into the large lobby where contractors were hanging the original CFA sign from cables. Part of the sign was faded and the edges looked as though it withstood intense heat.

Marcus shuttered, remembering when the bomb exploded in the capital city. "That thing was nearly at ground zero, Red. I'm amazed they even salvaged the signs, plaques and banners from the old academy grounds."

"That's not all… look," said O'Donnell, pointing at another scaffolding across the room. "Holy crap, man. That's got to be weird for you, huh?" Crimson half-smirked at his friend then face-faulted in realization and said, "Man, you didn't read the school's newsletter from yesterday. "

"No, it should have been enough that I attended the open-house ceremony. I didn't care what was on the dumb letter." McCloud's eyes fell upon the large M-Class fighter being re-erected at the other end of the massive lobby. He glanced back at Red with his right eyebrow cocked then began a quick walk towards the fighter. He glanced back at Red again, from across the lobby then stopped in front of the scaffold frame. His jaw dropped. After a moment, Red's paw found his shoulder. Marcus tilted his head in confusion. "I was there for three years – I never saw this at the old academy building back in the capital city."

"I read that the thing was purchased by a private collector. It was returned to the school two years ago…" Crimson shook his head then added, "They said, in the newsletter, they're going to be putting it up today and asked for donations to keep it in good condition. Dude, if you don't like it, tell them to take it down or something."

Marcus shook his head slowly. "No, it's not my place. My father made all those records in that thing – it's only fair they have it up. I just don't want to feel like I'm flying against him while I'm here. I mean, couldn't they have just hung up a jersey or his uniform? Why does it have to be the ship he trained in?"

Crimson shrugged then patted his friend's shoulder. "I saw the name on the brass plate from all the way across the lobby, man."

"You've got pilot's eyes," replied Marcus. "Better than mine. And here they say good eyes ran in the McCloud family."

"Yeah, and only one eye ran in mine…" O'Donnell smirked and folded his arms. "Maybe we're somehow related – stop beating yourself up. Anyhow, I'm going to go and see who my new roommate is. And, so you know, you're not the only one flying against records and ghosts, here. My sister earned the highest academic standing in her first year, and came in second for longest in the gravity machine… right beneath your old man. No one has come close to either him or her. I'll call you later tonight – we'll go party or something. That's what you're supposed to do when you're in school, right?"

"…Yeah, sure." Marcus lifted his right paw and closed it into a fist. He waited for Crimson, who pounded his knuckles against McCloud's. The young vulpine dropped his paw to his side and stood there for a moment. His eyes remained on the fighter for several minutes.

Meanwhile, Crimson headed down the hallway towards the dorms. He stopped in front of an elevator and pressed the button then took it up to the third floor. The hybrid wolf drew out his itinerary and double checked the room number. "Three November." He walked all the way down to the fourteenth door – labeled '3N' – then pulled the cardkey from the backside of his sheet. He rubbed the adhesive off the back of the card then slid it into the slot and opened the door.

He stepped into the room and noted a pink duffle bag on the floor in the hallway. Red shut the door and peered into the first bedroom. It was threadbare save for a very plain bunk against the far wall. He continued down the hallway a bit further, passed a bathroom and peered into the second bedroom. In the reflection of a wall mirror, sitting on its side against the far end, he saw the backside of an incredibly attractive rabbit. The shapely rear, sporting a delicately fluffed cotton tail, jutted from a closet. He could barely make out the details in the mirror. From what he could tell, she was kneeling down and arranging her shoes in an obsessively perfect way. She lined them beneath the flawlessly organized clothes, which hung from their hooks in color coordinated fashion. An array of accessories hung from pegs on the closet door, displayed by color, size and luster.

He thrust his fist into the air then jerked it down. Not only did she have an amazing figure, she appeared to be a neat-freak like himself. He licked his paw and ran his fingers back through his thick garnet hair. After a moment to tidy his collar he rapped his knuckles against the doorframe and cleared his throat.

"Oh, you must be the new roommate," said the woman, half muffled from where she stood in the rather deep closet. "Some other guy just left here a minute ago – he worked for the academy. He made me sign a waiver declaring they had my permission to pair me with a male roommate." She paused then stood up, putting a box on a shelf above the hanging clothes. "Don't mind me… I'm just particular about where I place everything." She stepped back from the closet and faced the wall, fluffing her bangs with a quick brush of her fingers.

Crimson stepped in the room, taking one last fleeting glance at her shapely backside then lifted his eyes to shoulder-height. He didn't want to be caught staring… She turned about to face him and his eyes locked with hers. Then, the same way Marcus's jaw dropped down in the lobby, O'Donnell's muzzle nearly hit the floor. He blinked twice then simply blurted the word, "Sugar!"

The rabbit smiled brightly, recognizing him from the seedy little strip bar on the station above Venom. "You were friends with that pilot boy – my, my… what a small galaxy. I heard you guys never caught Andrew Oikonny but you sure gave that guy a run for his money. How've you been?"

Crimson broke into soft laughter, face-palming from the irony. "Great…I've been great. We whipped that guy's tail and put his main force into the Aquas Ocean… so you're flying? What happened to dancing?"

Sugar approached him. Her busty complexion drew his attention with every bouncy step. "Venom's military closed that outpost and turned it into a military fueling station. They shot the place up and I vowed to join the Air Guard and show them a piece of my mind. And what brings a made-mercenary to the academy, mister…?"

He quickly lifted his gaze again and offered a paw to her. The two shook and he said, "Crimson O'Donnell… but you can call me Red. McCloud – you knew him as Star but he changed it to Marcus – has one year left." He paused then chuckled a bit in realization that he didn't answer her question. "I never had the opportunity to do this stuff in the first place because I was living on the streets for a few years. Damn you're freakin' hotter than the last time we saw you." His eyes grew wide as saucers and he lifted his paws into the air defensively. "I mean, I… That didn't come out right, I didn't mean to…"

"Thanks!" She reached her left paw up and patted the side of his face. "I'm glad I got an attractive, honest roommate!" She paused then the corner of her muzzle tugged into a sly grin. "And yes, if you must know…" She winked, her grin broadening further. "They're real." Then, for effect, she waggled her brows at him, walked out into the hall and retrieved her pink duffle.

Crimson, speechless, pushed his entire right fist into his muzzle and bit down on his knuckles. He crossed his eyes, feeling as though he may have made a fool of himself, regardless of her smile and boisterous reply. The incredulous half-lupine tensed up, so as not to make a bigger ass of himself from excitement. He breathed through his nose to relax his swirling head … as well as everything south of his shoulders.

The rabbit groaned as her head swirled with confusion. After a moment, the short-lived vertigo faded and she opened her eyes, looking up at ROB. Lucy Hare sat up in the bed and swiveled her head from left to right. "Holy cow, where is everyone?" She lifted her left paw and glanced at her watch then furrowed her brow. "No, this date can't be right." Her husky voice caused her to scrunch her nose. The tonal quality of her voice sounded awful from lack of use.

ROB's face illuminated and, quite suddenly, he reanimated from his sleep mode. "Lucy! You're awake!" Much to her surprise, he wrapped his metallic arms around her and hugged her to his robotic torso.

"Goodness ROB! Well hello to you, too!" Lucy's voice crackled from lack of use. She coughed then asked, "Was I really out for two months or is my watch wrong?" She cleared her throat then licked at her dry lips. "Can you be a dear and get me some water?" For a moment, ROB remained unresponsive. She wiggled against his chest and asked, "ROB, please… the water?"

The robotic droid released her and leaned back, offering a dry, almost nervous sounding digitized chuckle. "Oh, right… water – sure thing!" He moved to a sink and filled a plastic cup while reaching his other arm to a panel on the wall and pressed a button. "Vivian, your mother has recovered." He released the panel and turned back to Lucy with the cup and approached her bed.

In the background, Vivian's voice replied over the box. "I'll be there as soon as I can!"

Lucy took the cup and drank from it until the water was gone. She sighed then asked, "Do we have footage of what happened upon our return?"

"Yes, of course." ROB pulled a small box off of his chest and held it extended in his hand. A small screen illuminated, starting at where the whole team was sprawled out on the floor.

Lucy wrinkled her nose distastefully and asked, "Why are we all lying like that with our arms and legs fully extended?"

ROB simply said, "Tonic labyrinthine reflexes from the gravitational stress on the otholitic organs. The gravitational force brought about the hyperactive contraction of limb extensor…" He stopped at a gesture made by Lucy.

"I teach astrophysics, not biology or medical science. Okay, so the gravity did that to our bodies by making our brains act a certain way. I gather that much from what you said… can you forward to the part where someone comes along and finds us?"

The monitor fluttered for a moment then returned to normal speed, showing a group of young kids and Falco stepping onto the bridge. Vivian ran over to Lucy's body on the screen then collapsed protectively over the elder rabbit. Lucy watched her motionless body on the screen, her head lolling back in her daughter's arms.

"Oh the poor dear, why is she crying so?" To Lucy's question, ROB offered a sigh. She tilted her head at him and asked, "What?"

"Vivian dreads telling you that Peppy passed away in his sleep a few years ago. She's afraid of your reaction."

Lucy closed her eyes and lowered her head in reverence. "Oh, Poppa." She felt a metal hand touch her shoulder and leaned into it. She placed her other paw atop of his cool steel hand and sighed.

"I'm sorry to be the one to break that news to you – it wasn't my place to…"

"…ROB, stop. I appreciate it – death is just a bit touchy of a subject for me," she explained. "After Vivian's daddy passed, I moved back in with Poppa because I hated the feeling of being alone. That's all we women ever really need… companionship. At least I do."

ROB placed his other arm around her waist and, without thinking further into the matter, she hugged him and wept softly in mourning. Several moments passed before she sat back up in the bed and wiped her eyes. "Thanks, I appreciate your understanding. Death is something people have to face; I'm almost envious that you don't have to ponder your mortality."

"My first owner died," said ROB. For a time, I thought his son was dead. Then, one day, Peppy showed up while GreatFox was sitting on Sauria. He sat down and tinkered with some of my programs and we spoke. Years ago, he programmed me to be especially protective of you, after his wife, Mrs. Vivian Hare, died from illness. When he came here, he took Fox's headset and some small trinkets and told me to stay with the ship until he could get the chance to send Star McCloud – who changed his name earlier this year – to pick up the pieces of the wreckage. When I finally saw Star, I learned Peppy passed. Perhaps it was Peppy's protective program, but I experienced hardware malfunction shortly after Peppy told me that you might have been killed by the gravity bomb. After he left, I shut down from neural stimulus overload. It took Star plugging me into a charger to hot-boot my main systems – a self diagnostic repaired the system crash."

Lucy rubbed her eyes and blinked at him. "Are you saying you fainted when you heard that the StarFox team was assumed KIA status?"

ROB looked away. "Ahem… I've experienced something similar to what you might call 'heartbreak' at the news of said 'death', but only yours. So, please, there is no need to be envious of me for anything."

Hare gently put her arms around him again and said, "That's very sweet of you. I appreciate it, ROB. I'm not sure how it's possible but thank you. You've always looked out for me, haven't you? Like the time on Corneria when fighting against the Anglars… it was just you and me – I got the missiles and you took care of the enemy. You've always been sweet to me."

ROB froze for a moment then eased one metallic arm around her and gently patted her back. "I, uh… Rrrr… I'd do anything for you, Lucy. I …I mean, …It's just that…"

"Like I said, you're sweet to me."

The door at the other end of the sickbay opened and young Vivian, named so after her deceased grandmother, stepped through the door. "Mom!" She hurried across the floor. ROB released Lucy, who turned and opened her arms to her daughter. The two hugged in silence.

After a moment, Lucy said, "ROB knew you were worried about how I would take the news about Poppa… he made it easier on you by telling me… How was his funeral?"

"There was two funerals. A memorial wake for the public and the actual burial service for the family and close friends. Marcus and Bill were there…" She paused then licked her lips and corrected herself. "Marcus is Star McCloud's new name. Bill, of course, being Bill Grey. He's the temporary General of the fleet right now, but it's looking as though it might be permanent because Corneria's made such positive strides in the recovery since the attack that the public and the Prime Minister have become very fond of him and…" Vivian stopped speaking. Her eyes met those of her mother and she smiled. "I'm rambling – I'm just excited that you're awake… you've been out for nine weeks. Everyone was worried. You were the only one who didn't wake up and… doctors were saying it might be forever."

"Was I on a respirator?"

Vivian shook her head and said, "You had full brain functionality. It was as if you were just sleeping. They even monitored your brain – they could tell you were dreaming. But you were completely unresponsive to touch and light. Your eyes didn't dilate, which really confused doctors."

"Weird." She rocked her daughter back and forth then said, "My, you've grown up so much and…" Lucy blinked and eased back, cocking her head. "Is something moving in your pocket?"

Vivian reached a paw into her overalls, pulled out a tiny little ball of fluff and said, "I found him on Fichina. I call him nibbles because, as small as he is, he's nothing but fuzz and teeth." She held the little creature up in her palm for her mother to inspect it. "Isn't he adorable?"

Lucy offered her daughter a giggle and said, "He's so cute." She leaned forward and whispered into Vivian's ear. "How long has ROB hovered over me while I was out?"

Vivian glanced over her mother's shoulder then in a hushed tone, replied into her mother's long ear-stalk. "The entire nine weeks. Marcus hasn't been able to get him to pilot GreatFox, he refused to leave your side. He even constructed some additions to a charging station here in the sickbay so he didn't have to leave your bedside to plug in. It was kinda' weird."

Lucy leaned back and patted ROB's half-hollow chest. "He was being sweet. Not many men'll do that for ya'. I'm going to go and take a shower… I really need one." She ran her paws along her sides and beneath her legs then smiled. "Whoever rolled me over while I was out… I want to thank you. I'm glad I didn't wake up with bedsores." She stepped out of bed and winced. "Boy… muscles are tight." She reached a paw out to Vivian. "Maybe a bath instead of a shower… need to soak these old bones."

Vivian smirked at her mother. "Old bones, huh? If I look half as good as you in just ten years, I'll be a happy woman and my future husband will be a happy man." She put her arm around her mother's waist and pulled Lucy's right arm around her shoulder, guiding her back to the quarters. She looked back at ROB and smiled. "Thanks… I'll take it from here… Don't worry, you can hover around her again later… Just don't wear out your welcome to her. I know you get a little obsessive over her."

ROB folded his metal fingers together and lowered his chin just a bit. "…Sorry."

Lucy grinned impishly and said, "ROB, come by in two hours and visit me in my quarters. I'll need to stretch my body and do a light work out to get my tone and body strength back. You can help me do that… and maybe I'll think of a proper way to thank you for being my guardian angel the entire time." The two women left sickbay.

ROB waited until they were gone then collapsed back against his charging station, looked up at the ceiling and said, "Why do I always act this way around her? Rrrar, she invited me to her room, though! …What is wrong with me? I'd better run a self diagnostic first, just in case."

Feminine laughter filled the air. Carey Granton placed her paw affectionately on Bliss' face then leaned back in her chair, looking up through the bubble glass. "I wish I could see the look on Bowman's face when he finds out."

Bliss turned to her girlfriend and smirked. "He deserves it. I decided that when he drugged me and threw me in that cell a few weeks ago. Oh, I've been waiting to get my revenge on him, believe me. And that's not all… I found out who his Anglar buddy's contact was."

Carey tilted her head. The svelte vixen shoved her short recently-dyed chestnut hair into waves then glanced in the reflection of a nearby screen. "Zizan."

Bliss gawked. "You knew?"

"Sure did, honey. Dash is in league with that loser, too. Wasn't he the same guy who worked for the Anglar Emperor? I mean, that guy was supposed to be dead. Yeah, I found out when Dash asked me to look at his precious shipment; he got a call from the guy on his personal communicator when I was within earshot. That ore is the real deal, though."

Bliss grumbled to herself then pulled something out of her jacket and tossed the object on the dashboard. "I can't believe you stole my thunder… yeah, he's working with Zizan, too. But that trifling hoe, Kursed, is the real deal, too. Maybe we should have stayed in league with him to keep an eye on him."

"We can always turn around and tell him we really went on a patrol – left the base together so we could get freaky in a transporter ship. I doubt he'd be any wiser."

"Oh, no, he'd believe us," replied Bliss. "He's an idiot. But, do you really want to work with him now that he's getting buddy-buddy with Andrew Oikonny?" She stared at the object on the dashboard then, all at once, she grinned. "Besides, he's not going anywhere anytime soon."

Carey sat up and looked at the object on the dashboard. "Is that some sort of engine part?"

"It's… a present for daddy." Bliss smiled sweetly. "You know that asteroid they have in orbit above Macbeth?"

"No… wait," Granton leaned back in her seat again then rubbed the bottom of her chin. "You mean that mostly hollow one? I thought they were trying to mine it for more ore, before they got hold of your father's supply?"

"No," said Bliss with a frown. "They were trying to turn that thing into a corebase with a natural granite and iron wall to act as a shielding barrier. No one even knows it exists save for us and that idiot Zizan who is heading up the operation. But Zizan is doing something else for Dash, too… I'm not sure what it is, but it's going to be big. Either way, that part belongs to Bowman's plasma engines. It's something akin to a fuse and is in very limited supply because of Venom's economic state… they can't even mine it there… it comes from natural deposits on Titania. And those engines don't run without that thing."

Carey squealed. "You conniving … circuitous deviant!" She slid out of the chair and snatched the part off of the dashboard then looked it over. "Think you can have this shaved down and set into a ring?" She held it to the light then looked it over again with a grin. "I like how this thing looks… it'd make a great ring." She tossed the jewel-like crystalline fuse into the air then caught it in her palm. "Shiny. I suppose it's unprofessional for a woman with a PhD in theoretical physics to say 'shiny', but when you're dating the most Machiavellian, two-timing, underhanded master of subterfuge in all of Lylat…"

O'Donnell chortled. "Flattery will get you everywhere… and no, I told you… it's a gift for daddy. He'll most likely sell it back to Dash for a ridiculous amount of money."

Carey sat down on her cushioned chair on her hip and put her elbow against the backrest, leaning up. "And what makes you think Dash will pay so much?"

Bliss snorted in muffled laughter. "Because his ship is stranded in the middle of Lylat with no way to get anywhere… my father will come along and sell it to him, on the spot… and he'll need it. Call it a convenience fee." She rubbed her chin then stretched, ending on a yawn. "It's been eight weeks as of today. Their original plan was to lay low and wait for the team on Macbeth to finish boring out that asteroid. Today was the day they're supposed to come out of hiding and go see the progress. Any time now, they'll find out their engines won't fire up… They're in for quite a surprise. So, no, I don't think we should go back. I mean, it has been two months."

Carey turned her head back to her girlfriend and chuckled. "So that's why you pulled this thing out today… Because today is the day they're going to finally need it?"

"Like daddy said, it's all about business. Daddy will stop by and sell him what he needs for an outrageous price." Bliss trailed off and glanced at a blinking light on a nearby terminal. "Oh, speak of the devil."

"Your father?"

Dash shook his head. "No, look." She pressed a button on a panel and Dash Bowman's exasperated face filled the view screen. "It's been two months. What do you want? Isn't it obvious – I terminated our business contract because I don't share your sentiment for scientific necromancy on dead bitches, I don't care to make nuclear bombs," she said, pronouncing the word as, 'new clear.' "Furthermore, your Anglar associates annoyed me… those things smell, man."

Bowman gritted his teeth. "First of all, ask your little girlfriend… it's pronounced 'nuclear'," he said, wording it as, 'new cue ler'. He took a deep breath so as not to shout and then said, "My ship is beginning to fall into a degraded orbit. You wouldn't happen to know anything about why my main fuse is missing, would you?"

Bliss gawked, thrusting her fists against her hips. "Are you calling me a thief? If it's a stupid plasma engine part, why don't you buy one from my father, you idiot?"

"We ripped him off – why would I call him?" Dash quirked a brow having fallen for her ruse. "I'm not interested in telling him that my ship is a sitting duck, so he can come and exact revenge."

Bliss rolled her eyes and said, "He's a business man. And just because you can't run away doesn't mean you're defenseless. He'll charge a convenience fee for bringing the part to you, but he won't shoot at you… especially when this could be quite lucrative to him."

"The part we need is far too difficult to acquire. This is not your average style plasma drive. The fuse we need is only found on Titania and it has to be mined, cleaned then cut a certain way."

O'Donnell took on a dull stare, glaring at the screen. "He also possessed a rare ore up until two months ago. He happens to have plenty of rare things lying around. Why? Because they're worth money, you simpleton. Do you want me to call him for you?"

Dash glared at her in return for a moment then said, "At first, I was sure you sabotaged our engine core… but now that I think about it, you don't know a damn thing about engines, do you? Your girlfriend is the smart one… you're just the sassy big-breasted bimbo who gets by in life with her looks and a gun under her pillow."

Bliss's eyes dropped to the engine part on the dashboard, just out of Bowman's direct line of sight. She shrugged then nodded matter-of-factly. "Damn, you've got me figured out. I made a pretty good body guard for you, though. And yes, Carey does all the brainy stuff for me. But I'm not insulted by your…" She paused for a moment then tilted her head and said, "…trite banter. Your diatribe doesn't affect me, nor does the rest of your meandering prattle. My ship flies – yours is vulnerable, oh venerable Dash Bowman. However, a lucrative commission is in order – I'll have my father bring you a part for the right amount." Bliss slid out of her chair and bowed before the camera. "I live to assuage thy Lordship. That I might placate thee is to circumvent admonishment and eschew thy great wrath!" She melodramatically bowed before the screen.

"Just get me the god-forsaken part, Bliss. Name your price – I don't care what it takes, so long as you hurry." He closed the channel.

Bliss turned to Carey and snorted. "I should march right onto his bridge, drag him to the nearest observation deck and defenestrate his funky no-tailed ass." She crossed her ankles then curtsied. "How was my performance?"

Carey applauded with a giggle. "Riveting! Let's go stop by Sargasso and sell this thing to your father, with the promise that he can make a three hundred percent markup."

Bliss grinned brightly. "Yes, sell it to my father… with a bonus gift of giving him an immediate buyer… now you're getting the whole idea of this business thing. Nice touch, sweetie."

Carey grinned. "I hang around you… and by the way, Bliss, I've never seen you bring out such a large string of vocabulary words… I just wanted to tell you that hearing you talk like that really turned me on."

Bliss reached for a button, drawing the shades down over the plexi-bubble to their transporter. The interior illumination dimmed and she grinned deviously. "Rower…"

"This court finds you not guilty." The judge wrapped the gavel against a wood base. Theodore stood up, turned to his lawyer and shook the man's paw, and then turned to his parents and hugged them. The judge stood up and continued his speech. "Due to the fact that you attempted to help a mercenary group fight against the bio weapon, and due to the evidence suggesting you were not in league with Venom… as well as the evidence that you had no idea about Dash Bowman's true intentions, this court cannot condemn you on circumstantial evidence. Let the records show that Theodore Toad did not help or in any-way aid in Dash Bowman's construction of the bomb used on Corneria's capital city. Mister Toad, your name is cleared – you've been cleared by a Cornerian Jury of your peers. Congratulations."

Theodore turned back to the judge and said, "Thank you, your honor!" He turned his head, looking back to the far end of the courtroom. "Mom, dad, there are going to be a lot of reporters out there. I wish the team could have come, though."

Slippy patted his son's shoulder and said, "Vivian raced back to GreatFox… she said Lucy woke up. Marcus and Crimson started classes today… Fara and Falco are setting up something for General Grey. Are you still going to fly for StarFox after Marcus graduates?"

Theodore chuckled. "Are you kidding? Meeting up with the pilots of StarFox is the only thing Dash actually did right. Okay, I've never been at the center of attention like this before. Hell, I reckon I'm ready to go and be a complete ham." He leaned towards his mother and kissed the side of her face. "Thanks for the support, you guys."

Amanda handed him his favorite wide-brimmed hat. "You did a fantastic job, sweetheart. Now, go out there and tell all those journalists that you and the rest of StarFox are going to clean up the metaphorical town. And while you're at it, make a personal message to Dash… tell'em you're coming for him soon. Remember to smile, look confident and…" She paused, licked her palm then rubbed the side of his cheek.

"…Mom!" He waved his hand at her and said, "Will you stop mothering me for a minute!" He took his favorite hat then grinned at her. "Geeze." He put it on his head and asked, "How do I look?"

Slippy grinned and fixed his son's collar. "You always were way more socially confident than me. I'm proud of you. Go get'em, bud."

Marcus closed the door to his dorm and tossed his backpack on the floor. He made his way to the bed at the other side of the open, square room and collapsed on the bed with a sigh. The plastic wrap covering the bed creaked beneath him. He lay on his side, looking around the room in silence.

A desk with an internet jack was at the opposite end. On the wall across from the door a kitchenette stretched five feet. In the far left corner, in front of the bed, the wall extended forward for a side-by-side closet and a bathroom. The door was wide open and he could see into the small room. "Great… a standup shower stall."

The entrance door opened wide, startling him. Fara Phoenix stood in the doorway with a grin. "Yeah, but at least Seniors get their own bathrooms." She stepped in and shut the door behind herself then tilted her head. "I can't help but notice your expression… did I surprise you?" She looked confused.

Marcus stared at her for a moment then slid off the bed and approached her. The two embraced. "I guess better hearing can still be more powerful than telepathy. I couldn't have snuck up on you unless you were listening to music or something."

"I admit," she reached a paw up and touched his nose. "I'm shocked – I thought you'd have sensed me a mile away."

"I'm emotionally drained," he returned. His eyes lowered to her furry fingertip at the end of his muzzle. A smile found its way to his maw. "Came to recharge me, huh?"

"Something like that," said the sly vixen with a playfully coy look painted on her feminine visage. "I see your dyed fur has faded but I'll admit - I really like your summer-coat. The grayish-blue tint is very becoming. You can't even see the star on your face anymore. So... what's got you worn?"

"Most of these people here are teenagers," Marcus began. He took a deep breath then sighed, mostly in content due to her proximity. "Emotional adolescents, some of whom acted excessively odd because they recognize me from televised newscasts a few months ago. All the silent judging and whispering and snickering and teenage whiney …drama. It takes a few days to build up mental and emotional fortitude to this crap – I was exhausted the whole first week of my freshman year."

"No wonder you didn't sense me. It sounds like you shut down… like holding your breath if you're in a spice factory or tuning out an annoying background noise when working on the flight deck."

Marcus nodded then brought his paws to his face and rubbed his eyes. "Exactly. How are you, sweetheart?"

A grin returned to Fara's muzzle, tugging at the right corner of her mouth. "You've been consistent for the last three or four weeks with the pet names. You're so much more affectionate than anyone else I've ever dated – I really appreciate that." She reached her paws down to his hips. "And I bought you something you might need for school."

"A million credits?" He offered a lopsided grin. In reply, Fara wiggled her fingertips into his waist, tickling him without warning. Marcus gasped and jerked his body away, "No, wait – stop!"

"Wrong answer – guess again, fly boy." She followed him, working her fingers against the side of his abs to keep him from being able to concentrate enough to sense the answer. "A million credits wouldn't help you in school, anyhow."

"A…" he wiggled away from her, trying to retreat to the bed, but she grasped one of his belt loops to keep him from getting away. Marcus clinched his teeth and drew in a sharp breath of air then began writhing again. "…Gravity vest for the trials!"

She chuckled and shook her head, not letting him get away. "Nope. I'm more practical than that – good flying negates the need for high-G test flying."

"I give!" he said, trying to catch another breath of air. "Tickle torture is banned on Corneria!"

"It takes hours of tickling," Fara mused, continuing, "…Before your lungs would collapse from tickling. Besides, it's not torture unless you're strapped down to a table. Keep guessing, babe."

Marcus wiggled away from her finger. Once his belt loop slipped away from her reach, he moved towards the desk and sat down in the rolling chair backwards, with the backrest between them. "I don't know! There's a lot of things and I can't read you right now. I doubt it would be workout gear, because we have a gym and physical training. I can't see it being a flight simulator because we have those in the lounge… I give up!"

Fara brought her left paw around to the satchel on her right hip. "It fits in here."

"Dinner?" He grinned, knowing his answer was wrong.

Phoenix broke into soft, silvery peels of delicate laughter and pulled the flap up, approaching the desk. To her amusement, Marcus rolled away in the chair. She paused, grinned over her shoulder at him, then removed a laptop computer and placed it on the desk. She reached back into her bag, withdrew a power cord and placed it on the desk besides the notebook then a small red box with a clear front. Inside, a brand name webcam sat suspended inside the plastic packaging.

Fara turned back to him and waggled her eyebrows. "A practical gift, Marcus. It'll help you through school and help me stay in contact with you. Finally, I got one more thing for you… also practical, but in a different sense."

She walked back to the door, opened it and stepped into the hallway then picked a box up from the floor and carried it in. She held it so that he could see the wording on the front. She grinned in response to seeing his eyes widen.

"A television?" Marcus laughed in spite of himself. "You're the freakin' best girlfriend ever." He approached her and took the box from her paws, somewhat surprised by the weight. "This is awfully heavy for," he paused and glanced down at the box between them. "…For thirty-two inches."

He placed the box on the desk next to the laptop and opened the top of the box using his index claw. His eyes flitted to the lay of the tape, noting that it had been repackaged then lifted the cardboard flap. He stood on his tiptoes to peer down into the top of the box from where it sat on the desk. His eyes widened again.

Fara couldn't help but giggle, seeing his response. "I tricked you."

Marcus grew excited and quickly turned the box on its side then withdrew the flat device, which fit perfectly inside of the television's box. He carefully brought the contraption to the floor and pulled the shrink wrap away. "I… can't believe you got me… these are expensive, Fara!"

"…It's still practical in a sense."

"You… are wonderful." He took a cord from the back of the vertical black unit and plugged it into the wall then stood up and moved back. A light on the front of the box flickered three times then a tiny black nozzle-like device lifted from the top. The emitter opened like a blooming flower and, quite suddenly, a holographic newsfeed filled the air above the device.

"Oh my," Fara brought her paw to her lips and said, "Look at that… talk about irony."

A second later, the built in audio speaker came to life and a news reporter's voice filled the room. "...And Theodore Toad was all smiles, making jokes and pleasant conversation with the journalists outside of the courthouse today. He spoke of the future for StarFox and even left a potent message of warning for Dash Bowman… Venom, if you're listening," the voice paused, and Theodore's voice picked up without delay.

"…We're coming for you soon. You can't keep pushing Corneria around. I've flown alongside of Vivian and Marcus. They're amazing. Falco Lombardi, myself and our two friends have your name and your number, Bowman. My advice to you is to lay low until the day you retire – not that you'll take it." The holographic frog lifted a wide-brimmed hat up and placed it upon his head. His orange skin glistened from the lighting from the surrounding reporters. "Because StarFox doesn't give a hill-of-beans about your new alliance with Andrew Oikonny. That's just another good reason to come for you."

The holographic image changed to the anchor at her desk again. "And there you have it. Theodore Toad leaves no doubts in the minds of Lylat… StarFox is back in business and they're here to stay."

Marcus turned to Fara and grinned then moved from the rolling chair to the bed and sat down. He patted the plastic-coated mattress besides him and she sat down besides him. "There you have it, Fara Phoenix. StarFox is back in business and here to stay."

The fennec grinned and turned to face him directly. "Have you seen the baby lately?"

"I saw him ten days ago – we've agreed on every second weekend of the month." He shrugged then added, "She's really taken to that guy – the hybrid reptile-avian."

Fara quirked a single brow at him. "You son of a gun…" She shoved Marcus over. He leaned up on his elbow and returned an incredulous grin. She cocked her head to the left and said, "He's the guy you worked with on Aquas the day we attacked Venom's forces, am I right?"

"Yes, I take it he's one of your covert operations people?"

She folded her arms. "Your telepathy tell you all that?"

Marcus shook his head and laughed. "I arranged it. He gave me this whole, 'Men do this because it's not a woman's place to worry about it. Women do that, so men can take care of them in such-and-such a sense,' attitude and I wanted him to get…" The fox paused and lifted his right paw, rotating his wrist in a cylindrical motion, looking for the right word.

"…Humbled?" Fara rolled her eyes then threw her paws into the air. "He has the most potential of anyone I've worked with – even other trained agents before I was in stasis. But he frustrates me because I would never let a man teach what I'm doing who wouldn't give female recruits a fair shake."

He sat up on the bed and blinked at his girlfriend. "I sense there's a bit of tension in the air between the two of you."

"Marcus," she put her paw on his knee and sighed. "I couldn't get him to properly defend himself against another female trainee. He wouldn't raise a paw to her. I told him he would be dead if she was a Venom assassin but he still didn't move a muscle in the sparring ring. He wasn't being fair to her, because she's training to be a good agent and if he doesn't take her seriously, she won't learn."

"What happened?"

The vixen ran her fingers back through her recently-trimmed shoulder-length hair. "I stepped into the ring to try and push him into defending himself. He refused to do anything more than block a few jabs, so…" She stopped and sighed. Fara looked at the floor and shrugged. "I ordered him to explain himself and he gave me that gender-role line of crap and said neither myself nor the female recruit belonged in such a program." She cut her head towards the exit door and folded her paws in her lap. "I cold-cocked Violet's boyfriend… if she finds out, there's most likely going to be drama between you and her again."

Sensing all the details behind Fara's story, Marcus widened his eyes. "You knocked him flat out? How'd he react when he woke up?"

Phoenix crossed her eyes and laid her ears flat. She clinched her paws into fists, keeping them together on her lap. "I'll let you know. He was out since last night at quarter of midnight. Had I known he was Violet's new beau, I'd have put the fist in his gut instead. Dammit, Marcus. Your joke wasn't funny."

McCloud blinked then placed his paw on her forearm. "First of all, yes it was funny. Seriously. All you did is help him out. So he's not awake yet?"

Fara shook her head and said, "I got a text message while I was shopping for you… he's awake. In fact, he's fine. The nurse practitioner is a friend of mine. She said he's polite, respectful and responsive. She also said he slept through the night like a baby on antihistamine. When he woke up, he refused to tell her if his eye was sore but she did a vision test – he checks out just fine."

"When did he wake up, exactly? I'm just curious."

She shrugged a bit and said, "Eleven in the morning. But it makes sense – I gave it some thought; he woke up on a biological schedule. It was five in the morning where he was stationed on Katina. She said he woke up and was immediately awake and alert. …Good qualities for an agent who needs to rest while in the field. There's no time to be groggy if you wake up in the midst of danger." She flipped her communicator open in her paw and glanced at the small screen then put it away. "She also said he slept with his eyes wide open until exactly eleven o'clock."

"Well, at least he treats Violet nice."

"I doubt I'll be able to break him of his habit concerning women, but because he has the most potential, I need for him to see women as equals to men in some regards. …At least military women. Maybe I can change his perception so that he treats civilians one way and military another. …Just got to erase that damn gender line."

"Am I allowed to ask if he's getting paid better in this new program?"

Fara shook her head. "It's classified. Then again, you have no idea how much he made before now, either… so, at the very least, I can tell you he's making about six times more. In fact, his eyes widened when he saw his contract before signing. He'll be a good financial provider if that's what you're worried about."

"After seeing his fighting style, is he any good?" Marcus stood up from the bed and stretched then walked over to the holo-vision and turned it off so he could concentrate on his conversation with her.

"He's exceptional. So is the female recruit I put him against. She's nowhere near his caliber so I wanted her to learn… needless to say, he holds back against all other opponents. The thing is, he doesn't even fight the females. It's going to get him killed. All it will take is a woman to come up and knock him out then plug him with holes – any recruit who refuses to defend his own life from another opponent just because of their gender… potential or not… is on a suicide mission every time he goes into the field."

Marcus ran his fingers over his face and groaned. "Then I guess it's a good thing I sent him your way. If anyone can fix his idiotic attitude, you can."

Fara grinned and shook her head. "I see you're still amused… you're proud of yourself, aren't you?"

He nodded with a grin and re-approached her. "I sure am."

"Did you arrange this for me or for his benefit?"

"A little of both."

"You arse." She waited until he was close enough to the bed that she could reach him without standing up. She took his shirt in her fingers and pulled him close then slid her paws up to his collar and pulled him down into a kiss. "This is why we have to keep our relationship out of the public limelight for the time being. They would pull him out of the program and call it a conflict of interest. He wouldn't be allowed back in until I was no longer the instructor. My thoughts are that I would make him the next instructor if he gets his act together."

Marcus grinned against her lips. "At least his actions towards women are for different reasons than someone like Panther Caruso."

"Oh, I agree with that. He's the opposite of a womanizer. Treating women differently from men is where he and Panther's similarities end. If anything, he would be highly offended at the way Caruso ogles and womanizes the female gender."

"Needless to say, I dislike Panther because that asshole allegedly dated my mother."

Fara nodded. "He did – I read about it before I even met you. Now – let's change the subject. I don't want to talk about Panther, Asper or anyone else right now."

"Then what do you want to talk about?"

She gave another tug at his shirt, pulling him down onto the mattress adjacent to her. "Us." She leaned forward again and covered his lips with her own in a delicious kiss.

The late afternoon sunlight filtered in through the kitchen window. A gentle breeze rushed in through the screen, pushing the short curtains out until one draped over the sink handle. On the other side of the windblown, translucent, colorful fabric was a wooden window box filled with colorfully complimenting flowers. Their fragrant aroma wafted through the cabin.

In the background, the gentle susurration of rhythmic waves crashed against the cliffside far below. The charming cabin overlooked the Cornerian Sea, which sparkled like diamonds in the orange-tinted skyline. Clouds floated by in a lazy fashion, while the distant sound of crashing surf joined in harmonious chorus to songbirds and cicadas. The serenity lasted for several more moments before a sharp screech filled the sky.

At the edge of the tranquil horizon, far off in the valley, a glimmer of a metallic object raced along a dirt road. A cloud of dust grew behind the object as it raced towards the coast at a high rate of speed.

On the porch, besides his wife, Fox McCloud eased up in a wooden rocking chair. His tail flitted listlessly through a high-back tail hole designed to keep the rocker's tail tip from falling beneath the chair's bowed tracks.

"Sense anything?" he asked.

"Oh my," she said with a grin. "It's William Grey and Jackson Pepper."

Fox quirked a brow. "Bill and Jack? Damn, it's been years since I've seen John Pepper's kid. Can you tell what they want from this distance?"

Krystal shook her head slowly. "I wonder how they found us. We've not even told Marcus our new Address yet."

Fox fidgeted for a moment. "…'Marcus'. It's still weird to me. But I'm honestly pleased that Falco helped convince his girl to change the baby's name. James Star McCloud… It makes me smile. I can't believe I'm a grandfather already. I don't really feel old."

"You're still fifty-four, Fox. I'm the young one." She grinned then turned her attention back to the hover-car in the distance. "They're getting rather close now. Don't forget, love – you are retired."

Fox cracked a smile. "Yeah, yeah… I know."

Krystal placed a paw atop of his and grinned. He closed his fingertips about her cerulean-furred paw and her grin broadened into a smile. "You've been so sweet to me since we moved here. If you ever stop, I'll beat you with my staff."

"Oh, you tease," he told her in a dry tone of voice then chuckled a bit. "Don't make me return the favor, young lady."

Krystal gave his paw a playful squeeze. "Promises, promises Mister McCloud." She offered her mate a saucy wink then cut her gaze back to the approaching black sedan. "Oh bother… what an A-Typical thing for the military to drive. It's certainly not a personal vehicle."

"Which leads me to believe it's not a personal trip," Fox mused in a thoughtful tone. "Don't worry – we're retired. I promise."

She leaned over and kissed the side of his face. "You're good to me."

The sedan eased off the dirt path and into the grass then came to a stop. It lowered to the ground slowly and both doors opened. Jack Pepper and Bill Grey stepped from either side of the car wearing military uniforms. They both took a moment to tug on their dress jackets and adjust the lay of the decorations then approached the front porch. "Good morning, Fox… Krystal."

"Morning, Bill?" Fox grinned at his school-hood friend.

Grey nodded. "It is where we're coming from." He lifted his left paw and glanced at a wrist watch then nodded firmly. "Six in the morning, GCT."

"I haven't gone by General Capital Time since I moved here. What brings you guys by? No doubt it's a pleasant and personal visit, since I've retired. I mean, after all bud… My kid is old enough to take jobs so I sit on my laurels and occasionally play with grandkids now."

The other guy, a lean, broad shouldered hound approached the porch. "That didn't stop Peppy from running all over Lylat until he was in his late seventies."

Fox nodded, unable to deny the fact. "Very true. But he did it to keep his mind busy after his wife passed. I feel bad that you guys drove all the way out here only for me to reject your offer."

Bill frowned. "You've not even heard it yet."

"No need." McCloud crossed his ankles to accentuate the look of feeling comfortable.

"At least hear us out," said Pepper. "It's not your usual job – there won't be any explosions or gun slinging. It's just a nice, easy relaxing mission with all expenses paid."

"Please, Fox…" Bill tilted his head, "Dude, we've come all this way – just hear us out."

"I'm Fox McCloud – man of this household and I've already put my foot down but I won't deny you from talking about whatever you came to say, bud."

Grey approached the two chairs on the porch and handed a file up to Fox. McCloud grinned and dismissively passed the file to Krystal then leaned forward so that he was almost face to face with Bill. "Listen, 'General', I promised her that I'm done gallivanting all over the known and unknown universe. I won't do it for profit, I won't do it for fun, I won't even do it for a quick thrill. You might drive out of here and say, 'Oh man, Fox McCloud is whipped!' You might even say, 'That guy is out to pasture. What a boring old coot.' But as far as I'm concerned, I'm happy sitting on my tail with my wife. I run this roost and that's my final answer."

Krystal gasped and lifted her head from the folder. "We'll do it, General! It says we'll start on the first of next month… That should give us plenty of time to get into shape. We'll see you in thirty days at the Interplanetary Spaceport, sir. Thank you for this opportunity!" She reached forward and passed the file down to Jack Pepper.

Fox blinked twice and turned to his wife with a slack jaw. "We will?"

Krystal nodded firmly and stood up from her rocking chair. "You'd better bet your tightly-toned rump we will!" She cut her head back to Bill and asked, "We can start sooner if you like."

Again, McCloud blinked at his spouse. "We can?"

Bill blinked in unison to Fox and incredulously mimicked his school-hood friend in shock. "You can?"

"The sooner the better," she replied. "I had no idea you needed our help doing that."

Bill nodded emphatically. "Not only will Corneria appreciate your efforts, Sauria will thank you as well. I'll be in contact with you both as soon as I have all the details on the operation. Here's my business card. Call us tomorrow morning with all of your contact information and I'll let you know how this will play out."

Pepper reached forward and shook Krystal's paw. "Thank you, Mrs. McCloud! This means the world to us!"

"It would be our pleasure, boys. We'll be in contact – until then!" She waved to the two military officers as they got back into the sedan. It lifted from the grass, turned about and headed back down the dirt path… after a moment, she sensed Fox's shock was still strong so she turned to face him with a half-canted head and cocked eyebrow. "What? They're going to send us to Sauria on an ocean liner in order to act as tourists… then we're going to… Oh geeze, you'll see – you should have read the file instead of just passing it off. C'mon inside and I'll tell you all about it… but there's no way we could turn this down… it's just too important."

Fox just reached a paw back and rubbed his neck, unable to do anything but gawk at her.

Marcus McCloud narrowed his gaze. He couldn't see anything through the canopy. The M-Class fighter growled beneath him, going from transonic to supersonic speed. The vapor cone covering the entire rear section of the plane made the rear-mounted cockpit design an annoyance. "Dammit, the Arwings never have this problem," he muttered into the radio.

A serious-toned reply came over his headset. "That's because they transcend the speed barrier so quickly, the shock-collar singularity must only last for an instant." After a second, they added, "It's particularly humid today – fly by your instruments."

"I can fly at the speed of sound without having this problem," replied Marcus. He lowered his eyes to the gauges on the dash.

A female voice came over the radio patch. "That's because the Arwing's plasma engine changes the temperature of the air in a field around the body. It also has an energy field – the shields… the dew point is mute because there is no humidity inside the shield – the N-wave compression causes the condensation cloud outside of the shield, thereby causing the cloud far enough from the aircraft that it doesn't restrict forward view."

Another male voice joined into the channel. "You know, there's something really hot about intelligent women… I'm not going to lie."

"Thank you, Jack!"

McCloud took a deep breath then sighed. "I heard the M-Class is being retired soon for a fighter with a forward-design cockpit. It's supposed to be like the ones the Military is using."

The serious voice returned over the channel. "Yes, but not for another month or two. Also, the cockpit is in front of the wings, but the way it's designed, the cockpit is actually located at the fulcrum of the fuselage. Its shields will keep it from experiencing atmospheric shock-collars. Regardless, I have everyone in formation at this speed to prove a point. Sometimes, you must fly blind. That is when you rely on your instruments and your instincts. I'm using the M-Class' design flaw against you to make my point clear."

The female's voice returned to the channel. "Also, the older Arwings – the earliest model – had the cockpit nestled between large vertical V-shaped wings, which caused the cloud to happen in a way that still gave the pilot full visibility when flying without their shields. Everyone, I'm picking up the Red Team on the scope."

The instructor cleared his throat. "Remember, we're not engaging them until day after tomorrow. They're up here doing lessons, too. Leave them be."

Jack's voice returned to the channel. "At the very least, we should drop in speed and watch them to see what we can learn. If we watch their flying style, which could give us an edge in combat when we engage them"

The female classmate said, "Good idea, J.T., we could go back and study the footage later on."

"May we, sir?" asked McCloud.

"You're the current Wing Commander," replied the Instructor. "I'll give you leeway to make that call on your own. We'll resume the instrument-flying lesson in fifteen minutes. You're clear to carry on with the low-velocity observation patrol."

"Acknowledge," replied Marcus. "Okay guys, let's not cross the line – the no-fly-zone is only a squiggly line on the map the size of campus. We'll head out towards them then double back. We'll make two passes then return to our lesson plans. Here we go…"

Meanwhile…

Inside the academy command center, several officers were conversing on the progress of the seniors currently in flight. A lynx settled down besides one of the Instructors and patted his shoulder. "Who are your three pilots, Bernard?"

Lt. Colonel Bernard Thompson looked up at the woman and blinked at her. "My goodness, it's been almost my entire career since I've last seen you, Miss Lynx." He cut his gaze to the sensor board and pointed to the lead dot in a delta formation. "That's Marcus McCloud." He lowered his finger to the blip on the rear right. "On his starboard is Jack Thunder." The canine drew his finger up to the rear-port of the lead dot and said, "That's Tess Spaniel. She's the brainchild of the group."

"Funny, isn't it? Fay's daughter being so freakin' smart like that? Who would have known she'd be a prodigy."

Thompson nodded. "The only person younger than her to join the academy was McCloud during his first tour. He was a freshman and going to classes, about two days before his thirteenth birthday. That's an academy record." He cast a grin at the woman. "And what gives you the right to call me by my first name, Miyu?"

"I see you've not forgotten mine, Lieutenant Colonel Bernard Lee Thompson." She reached her paw out and fluffed his headfur with a grin. His floppy ears bounced about leaving her to grin at him.

"Don't ruin the career of your best friend's daughter. She's worked hard to get where she's at – a senior in the flight academy at just seventeen years old. She has high marks and, like Mister Thunder, has a very high academic standing… they're both looking at becoming a class valedictorian."

"Fox McCloud's kid isn't a straight-A student?" Miyu raised her brows and folded her arms. After a moment she shrugged and played with the man's hair again.

"Will you stop it? You're in your fifties, Lynx. Stop acting like you're still a teenager."

Miyu blew him a kiss. "I never grew up, old man. You were a great instructor though. Those kids should be honored to have you as their teacher."

"I also trained McCloud's father, Slippy Toad and Wolf O'Donnell. You and O'Donnell had fantastic potential and yet neither of you took anything serious. So, two made use of my training… while two didn't. How should they be honored to have a teacher who has a fifty-percent success rate for student-military turnover ratio? What brings you in here, anyhow?"

"I wanted to check up on Fay's kid," she said, adding, "And I wanted to follow up on a rumor. I heard McCloud was dating someone I wanted to catch up with… I figured he would know how to contact her, so I'm waiting here until they land. Is that a crime?"

"It's a free planet," replied Bernard. "And I read that the rumors of that kid dating Fara Phoenix are just that – rumors! Don't go starting drama in my house, young lady."

Miyu preened. "It's nice to be called that again after so long. Damn you're old, Thompson." She gazed back at the screen. "Just the same, I wanted to catch up with Fara – we were fast friends back in the day. I read about her re-awakening. I saw a magazine article about a month or two ago. I'm still in the reserves, you know."

The older canine, in surprisingly good shape for the age of sixty-eight, turned to her and glowered. "Yes, a Lieutenant who collects a check and occasionally flies on the weekends. I'm aware." He sighed then said, "Go wait by the airfield if you want to talk to them after they land… I'm busy up here, Miss Lynx."

Miyu put her paws on her hips. "Lieutenant Lynx," she corrected. "The difference in our rank is just a formality – I've logged three times as many flight hours as you." She smirked at the way he somewhat flaunted the metal symbol on his collar. She wrinkled her nose and said, "I bet you stay up late nights just polishing it, don't you?"

Bernard cut his gaze to her and offered a pleasant smile. "No, I have Lieutenants who do that for me. You're dismissed." He turned back to the screen displaying the status of his pilots and folded his paws in his lap.

The Lynx walked out of the room and down the stairs to the doors leading to the airfield. "He always was too damn serious about life," she muttered to herself. "Fox McCloud's kid," she continued in a low tone. "How strange is that?" She pushed the exit door open and stepped outside. "What is it with McCloud men and that rich fennec…" She glanced at her wrist watch then frowned. "I hate being a military messenger girl – I sure hope he knows how to contact Phoenix – you'd think a covert operations instructor would answer her personal communicator when a superior calls her. Why in the world would they send me to serve her with mission orders?" She continued to argue with herself over the ambient noise of landing fighter jets from various classes.

Zizan knelt before Dash Bowman gracefully sweeping his right arm across his torso to honor his new leader. "I'm surprised to see you here, my liege. What brings you?"

Bowman pushed his fingertips together, palms apart, making the image of a spade between his joined hands. A dignified red cloak draped from his left shoulder brushed the back of his ankles as he walked. "There will be a modification to the engine systems of my largest order."

"The corebase, sir? The fleet is two-thirds ready, it's the corebase that will take the longest to complete. Would you like a tour?"

Dash shook his head. "I have agents on Sauria. They're preparing to steal the spell stones from the Forcepoint Temple. I would prefer to use them as a power supply for the base upon completion."

"Very well," replied the Anglar with a firm nod. "But we'll need at least one to design a containment unit for them. How many are there?"

"Four." He folded his hands behind his back, beneath the velvet robe. "For now, I want you to design a backup reactor that will be run off of the radioactive metals we've obtained from Sargasso. I know grandfather had books detailing the study of this atom-splitting power so I'll bring together a science team from Eladard to teach a group of technicians how to run such a reactor. However, I would prefer to keep this special ore for use in making a weapon. I'd rather use these stones to power the base."

"There are only four stones, Emperor Bowman?"

Dash grinned a bit. "These four stones are powerful enough to keep the planet from breaking apart. Their immeasurable energy comes from an ancient technology made by the first sentient beings to populate Lylat. I wish to harness and study these stones but as it stands, all research done on them thus far has shown that their power supply is limitless. A never ending power supply will ensure that the shield generators for this base will never waver. Think of the possibilities."

"Who did you send to Sauria? Please, sir, tell me you had enough sense not to send that bungling idiot."

Dash's grin broadened. "No, Andrew is at a conference in Shrey Lek – the surface-world's capital. How many workers are under your employ at this moment?"

Zizan lifted his head, watching Dash walk by. "Seven thousand workers, a thousand mechanics and seven hundred engineers head my task force."

Bowman stopped in front of the Anglar and gestured to the man with an up-nod. "Eighty-seven hundred people isn't enough. Elevate the workforce to ten thousand strong. I'll sell small quantities of this precious radioactive ore on the black market and use the profits to strengthen Venom's economy – you have my permission to raise the pay grade of every worker. We'll offset this by changing the tax brackets on profitable businesses across the surface world of Venom. I don't want a half-assed fleet, Zizan."

"The dangerous metal is worth that much?" The amphibious being rose to his feet and folded his arms across his chest.

"That idiot O'Donnell had no idea what he was sitting on." Dash offered a relaxed shrug of his shoulders then brought his hands back together, almost as if in prayer. "He was the single wealthiest man in Lylat and never knew it. I now own this ore – all of it. Give everyone a thirty-five percent raise. Offer more benefits, give them long week hours but guarantee them to have weekends off. They'll be happy to feel as though the economy is no longer in dire straights. Let them know it was the kindness and wealth of Dash Bowman that brought not only food to their tables but a taste of the good life for their families."

"They'll be far more loyal to you than to your cousin, sir."

Bowman patted Zizan's shoulder. "Exactly. I'll began a propaganda campaign to the youth of this planet… we'll begin my lowering the prices on luxury goods and reminding them of all the sanctions and tariffs placed on them by the rest of Lylat. I want them to take expensive wine for granted. That way, when they feel their new-found wealth is threatened, they'll stand behind me and rise up against not only Lylat, but against Andrew. I have no qualms about purchasing their loyalty to me."

Zizan replied with a nod of understanding. He listened to Dash's short speech then said, "I wish you luck on your operation on planet Sauria. Are you sure you wouldn't like a tour of your battle fleet before you depart?"

"That won't be necessary. I have a new General who will take charge of this situation. I came to introduce you to her. I demand you give her the same loyalty as you've given me, Zizan. She will be very demanding – see to it that all of her demands are met and all of her expectations are exceeded."

"Her, my liege?"

Dash lifted a finger, gesturing for a moment of pause then walked out of the office. He spoke in a hushed tone to a hooded figure in the doorway. "Remember," he told her, "I need you back in your regeneration chamber each night. This is very different than the reptile army you commanded, but they'll be every bit as loyal or I'll deal a swift punishment. Do not carry out your own admonishment without first contacting me on the matter." They whispered to one another for a moment more than he opened the door for her. He turned back to Zizan and, in a commanding tone, said, "This is my business partner. Remember to carry out her every order as if I was giving them to you."

"Yes, my liege!" Zizan lowered to one knee and brought his arm across his chest again. Without a further word, Bowman left the office and closed the door behind himself.

The hooded woman gestured with her paw for the Anglar to stand. "I wish a tour of this battle fleet, as well as the construction grounds, ship yards and dry dock hangers."

"As the lady wishes." He stood once more, towering over her petite form. "By what name shall I call her majesty?"

"I could easily grow quite fond of Empress. Mm, I also like Mistress. However, if a name and a face would make things easier on you…" She lifted a long-sleeved arm. The cuff slid back to her forearm, revealing a dainty blue-furred paw. She brought her silver-lacquered nails together around the stitching of the hood then drew it back from her face.

The elegant and aristocratic features of a well-groomed vixen were offset by the intensity of her intelligent emerald eyes. "You may call me Kursed." A lock of her sapphire bangs slipped from her forehead, partially obscuring her right eye. A charming, regal smile joined the coquettish expression on her visage. "So long as you follow my orders, my cold-blooded servant, I assure we will get along just fine."

"Thank you for your confidence in me, Empress Kursed." He swept his arm out then panned it to the left. "The door behind me leads to an elevator. That will take us down to the factory beneath the bedrock. I'll give you this tour personally."

She approached him and stood before him in silence. She lifted her head then lowered it as if inspecting him physical appearance but, instead, took the time to probe his mind. She scanned his inner thoughts and deepest secrets to learn of his reasons for loyalty to the original Anglar emperor and, now, to Bowman. A smile tugged at the corner of her muzzle, learning of what would make him fiercely loyal to her in the future and patted his cheek. "I have a feeling you and I will get along just fine – I am what you might call a 'good judge of character' and… I do believe we'll be working side by side more often." She sensed his next thought as to wanting to know 'when' and, before he could ask, said, "…All in due time."

She looked him over once more and sighed in content. All it would take to eventually obtain his complete loyalty to her was to bestow him power. If she could have Zizan work directly for her, she would gain the full support of the entire Anglar population. Next, she would make Venom belong to her, along with the SharpClaw of Sauria… then it would be like before in her Lylat. For now, she only had to bide her time and remain Bowman and Oikonny's ally.

Zizan moved to the door and opened it for her. She stepped through and they walked down the hall to the elevator. "I see you have little respect for Andrew Oikonny."

"Yes, mistress – he's failed the Anglar forces when he was under their employ in the past. He's failed Venom in an attempt to lead them to glory against Corneria. He even failed as a pawn when simply piloting a fighter in the first Lylat War. He's useless."

She drew her hood back over her head and smiled inwardly. This was going to be easier than she initially thought. "Very true – a true leader has to be strong and successful. I'm glad we're in agreement over him. Now, enough of that – onto the tour. Show me this corebase first."

"As you wish, Empress."

Kursed turned to face him in the elevator. The hood covering most of her face still allowed for a hint of pearly white fangs to flash in the recessed lighting. Her Cheshire smile haunted him deep down in his chest. She brought her paws together behind her back. "You'll do, Zizan. You'll do nicely."

A/N: HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME! I finished the story! Yeah, the first 18 reviews came quick… Everyone has asked for a sequel so far… so yeah, it's going to happen. So, I took the opportunity to make the epilogue hint at all the stuff that's going to happen in the sequel. We already see that Kursed has her own agenda and an ulterior motive. We see that the Cornerian Intelligence noticed Venom agents milling around Sauria… We also see that Krystal wants to take Fox on vacation to make sure the planet where they met won't turn into a pile of rocks like in the other universe…

Marcus is learning, Bliss is chilling, Crimson is panting and Kursed is plotting. To recap, Falco is taking it slow with Katt, after six years apart, while Bill is thrust head-long out of retirement and back into the military. Now HERE is something interesting… Lucy's bio in SF: Command says, "Peppy's only daughter…" That says to me that he also has a few sons, but she's the only daughter… Will Vivian's uncles make an appearance in the sequel? I've not decided yet but I'll give it some thought.

I've had so much fun writing this. I really enjoyed building Marcus. It's difficult to write something about someone who comes from my head, only to find out that Nintendo has a picture of him in the latest StarFox game for the DS. Now he's burrying his past as best as he can in order to make him more canon and, at the same time, keep him the way I've built him, without turning him into something new or different all together. YOU GUYS are the reason I've written everything. For 18 immediate reviews to say something nice about chapter 30 in just a few short days... I'm just wowed. I think the person I need to thank the MOST, though... is Distructor. You know you've probably read PHOENIX FROM THE ASHES... without him, I'd have been in a lot of trouble. FOR ALL OF MY LATEST STORIES, at that.

Destructor, thank you man. You're MY hero!

Ladies and gentleman, boys and girls, children of all ages… space cadets, I REALLY APPRECIATE ALL OF YOU.

THIS STORY IS FINISHED! After a million years, too!

YAY!

THANK YOU ALL for reading! I appreciate you taking your time to view my story, and… for those of you who were nice enough to leave reviews and personal feedback on how this story made you feel… you guys humble me! You have my gratitude!

THANK YOU!

-Kit Karamak

May First, 2008