Hello Star Fox fans! I can't thank you enough for reading my story. It has been quite the adventure to write about, and I'm very pleased with all the reviews you guys left me. From the bottom of my heart, I thank you all. The story is finally come to a close, and I leave you the final chapter. Leave a review if you'd like, and as always; enjoy the chapter!

30. New Beginning

~There was a large crowd of people gathered outside the Cornerian capital building. There was a whole crew of cameramen and reporters awaiting the final report of the Black Suns from Peppy. Peppy was inside the capital building rereading a set of papers he had in his hands. He folded them and placed them into his pocket. "Transportation…" Peppy said to a nearby officer.

"The car is waiting for you outside to take you to the memorial." The officer responded.

"Attendance…?"

"The Star Fox team is already there waiting for you sir. The funeral services are also waiting for you, and the memorial is complete."

"Do me a favor corporal…"

"Sir?"

"Get rid of the damn press. I don't want to deal with them for now. Tell them to go to the memorial. I'll give my statement there."

"Understood."

The officer stepped outside and told the press to meet the general at the memorial. After a brief minute, the press boarded their respective cars and drove to the park. When the last car left the street, a black caravan approached the street. Peppy stepped outside and walked towards a black limousine and entered the back seat. "To the memorial." Peppy said as he entered the limousine.

"Yes sir." the driver responded.

The caravan took off and the cars drove towards Capital Park, the location where Axios took his walks when he was on Corneria, and the location where Corvo confronted him. After several minutes of driving, the caravan arrived at Capital Park and was instantly surrounded by the press. People with cameras continued to take photos of the caravan, and after a brief moment; Peppy stepped out of his limousine. The camera men and the new reporters approached Peppy and started to question him about the Black Suns. "Attention everyone…" Peppy said as he raised his hands in the air. "I will give my statement at the memorial service and say nothing more. Please be respectful as there are many people attending this service without their loved ones."

His words sank into every reporter that approached him, and the press slowly back away allowing Peppy to continue to walk into the park. Peppy walked into the middle of the park where there was a large stage set up for him. There were dozens upon dozens of rows of chairs all filled with officers and family members dressed in black. As Peppy approached the stage, everyone in their seats stood from their chairs.

Peppy walked up onto the stage and noticed the Star Fox team sitting in the first row. They were all dressed in black as well (minus the white sling that Falco had around his neck). Peppy arrived at the podium and placed his papers on top of it. He then adjusted his glasses and a spoke to the public. There was an amplifier on top of the podium that gave Peppy's voice more volume much like the conventional microphone. "Good evening everybody." Peppy said. "You may all take your seats."

As everyone sat down, Peppy took a deep breath and continued on with his statement. "Approximately six weeks ago," Peppy said, "a terrorist organization known as the Black Suns launched an attack on the 7th Anchorage Fleet, and destroyed the fleet entirely. You all already know this story. You know about how they attacked several colonies across Lylat and inflicted nothing but terror into the hearts of the inhabitants."

"As of 1400 hours three days ago, an operation was launched to attack the Black Suns at their core. This operation was dubbed Clean Sweep, and as of 2200 hours three days ago, the operation was a success. The Black Suns were hunted down and eliminated, and their base of operations was completely destroyed."

Peppy paused as the crowd started to applause his last words. "However…" he continued. "That victory did not come without cost. With no sacrifice, there can be no victory. I have brought you all here today so that we can mourn together. Today, we are here to remember the many lives that journeyed into the darkness, and did not return. Today, I share with you the marker that will forever serve as our memorial to this horrid conflict. Today, I share with you the Black Suns memorial."

Pappy pointed to a large white marble ring within the center of the pond. It stood roughly seven feet tall and had a fifteen foot radius. The ring was decorated with black engravings with all the names of the soldiers who died during the Black Suns conflict. However, there were a few names that stood out in larger letters compared to the rest. To Peppy and the Star Fox Team, there were only two names that pained them to see on the memorial. But to Fox and Krystal personally, there was only one. "My self and other military leaders have dubbed the recent events as the Black Suns Conflict." Peppy said. "My we remember the sacrifices that were made to bring this conflict to an end."

After a brief moment, there was a group of soldiers who lined up next to the pond. They all stood in attention and were following the orders of their sergeant. After a few moments, the soldiers took their rifles and pointed them towards the sky. They fired seven shots into the air while the rest of the military saluted the memorial. As for the Star Fox team, they simply stood in silence. All they could think about was losing Axios, and it pained them as they continued to think about it.

After a few hours, the service was closed and the people were dismissed. Peppy returned to the Cornerian capital building with the rest of the military diplomats, and the press had got their share of news. The day slowly passed as the team was simply tending to themselves within the Great Fox. Falco, Slippy, Amanda, and Katt were all in the medical room tending to Falco's injuries. Falco was sitting on the edge of a medical bed while Slippy was examining x-rays of Falco's shoulders. "Well," Slippy said as he examined the x-rays, "that robot got you pretty good. Your shoulder blades were sliced up and fractured."

"Great…" Falco sarcastically said. "Oh this is just perfect…"

"At least you're alive…" Katt cheerfully said.

"Yea but I can hardly fly."

"Well, on the bright side you're going to make a full recovery." Slippy said. "It'll take several weeks but you'll be fine."

"You hear that Falco?" Amanda jokingly asked. "Only several weeks."

"Yea, weeks…" Falco angrily said.

The team chuckled a bit and they all left the medical room. After he left the room, Falco stopped and looked out a nearby window and saw that night time had fallen on the Cornerian city. Falco took a deep breath and continued to stare out into the view. He was completely unaware however that Katt was walking up right behind him. Katt took this moment to slide her hands underneath Falco's arms and she embraced him. "Hey there." Katt softly said.

Falco took a deep breath and smiled. Whether he wanted to admit it or not, it felt good to have Katt holding him the way she was. "Hey there pussy cat." Falco responded with a pleasant smile upon his face.

"What are you doing here all by your lonesome?" Katt asked.

"I don't know. I'm just enjoying the view."

"Enjoying the view huh…? You're starting to sound like Axios."

Katt's words stirred some feelings in Falco. He took another deep breath and remembered that Axios did spend most of his time in the observation rooms. He remembered a conversation he had with Axios that brought back some joyful memories.

Falco walked into the starboard observation room to get some down time away from the team. To his surprise, he noticed Axios standing next to the window and looking out into the emptiness of space. Axios turned and smiled at Falco. "Uh… hey there." Falco curiously said. "You're in here a lot aren't you…?"

"I like the view." Axios responded as he turned to face the emptiness of space.

"But there really isn't much to see isn't there? I mean, it's just space."

Axios took a deep breath and smiled. He waved Falco to come to the window and Falco did. "There's more to it if you just take the time to think." Axios said.

"What do you mean?" Falco asked.

"Look more closely. There is more than just the emptiness of space. If you just take some time to relax and think about what you may find out there, you find joy in wondering what else is waiting for us out there. It's the emptiness of space that is filled with new opportunities."

Falco didn't think too much of it at the time. But standing next to that window and looking out over the Cornerian landscape brought back those memories. Falco was thinking about all the people out there whose lives were saved because of the team's efforts. As he continued to think, he realized that Axios was right. He was at peace with himself knowing that there is plenty of opportunity out there in the world, and he even thought about the opportunities that were waiting for him. "You know…" Falco said. "I don't say this often, but I actually miss the guy."

Katt came up to Falco's side and noticed that Falco's facial expression turned sad. Katt brought her face close to give Falco a kiss on his check. Falco's face flushed red at what had just happened, but he lowered his head and smiled. Katt gently leaned her head on Falco's shoulder and Falco gently leaned his head on top of Katt's. The couple simply stood next to the window looking out over the Cornerian landscape.

Within the hangar of the Great Fox, Slippy and Amanda were relaxing on the observation deck of the hangar. They were looking out into the hangar and noticed that the hangar was missing one ship. Slippy was saddened with Axios's death, and he could only think about the joy he had rebuilding the Nightshade and repainting it with the star Fox colors.

He was sitting in a chair looking out into the hangar, and his eyes were focused on the empty space next to the Arwing II. Amanda walked up next to Slippy and placed her hand on his shoulder. "Sweet heart…" Amanda said.

"It just doesn't feel right…" Slippy depressingly said. "He flew with us and protected us like we were his family. It just doesn't feel right to have him gone."

Amanda pulled up a chair and sat next to Slippy. She wrapped her arms around Slippy's neck and brought her face next to his. Slippy gently held on to Amanda's arms and embraced her. "I miss him too you know." Amanda said. "He helped you save me back on Fichina, and he continued to help us out all the way to the end."

"I know…" Slippy softly responded. "I just never got to say good bye."

"Don't you remember what he told us about that?"

Slippy quickly remembered a meeting Amanda and him had with Axios one night within the hangar of the Great Fox. The two of them walked into the hangar and found Axios lying down on top of the cockpit of the Nightshade. They were both a bit surprised to see him there. "Axios?" Slippy asked.

"What are you doing down here?" Amanda asked.

Axios rolled over to notice Slippy and Amanda approaching him. "Oh, I'm just killing time." Axios responded. "Just thinking."

"Mind if we join you?"

"Not at all."

Slippy and Amanda both pulled up chairs next to the Nightshade and they conversed with Axios. "What's on your mind big guy?" Slippy asked.

Axios let loose a laugh and rolled back onto his back. "You my therapist now?" Axios asked as he crossed his arms behind his head.

"No." Amanda responded. "Just feel like talking, that's all."

"Fair enough. I was just thinking about my parents."

"What about them?" Slippy asked.

"I never got to say good bye to them. I just realized that."

Slippy and Amanda were both silent. They felt sympathy towards Axios. However Axios's facial expression turned from sadness to joy. "Hey," Axios said, "don't feel sympathy for me. Friends and family never say good bye."

Slippy and Amanda felt their spirits rise when Axios said those words. "They may not be around anymore…" Axios said. "But they never really leave you. They're watching you, and they'll always find a way show you that."

"That's pretty optimistic of you." Amanda commented.

"Don't you ever feel sad about what happened to them though?" Slippy asked.

Axios actually let out a small laugh at Slippy and Amanda's questions. "Sad?" Axios said in a joyful tone. "Well sometimes. But they never said good bye, which means someday I'll see them again. It's just something I always keep in mind. If they don't say good bye, it means you have to see them at least one more time before you move on."

His words would forever be remembered in the back of Slippy and Amada's mind; even when Slippy and Amanda were within the hangar once more. "He never said good bye." Amanda said.

"Guess that means he isn't really gone after all." Slippy cheerfully said. "Thanks Amanda."

Amanda gave Slippy a kiss on the cheek. "No problem sweet heart." Amanda replied.

While the two simply sat in the observation room, they watched ROB conduct maintenance on the fighters. They were enjoying their time together, and they simply decided to be alone. Despite the majority of the team relaxing in the Great Fox, Fox and Krystal were walking about Capital Park. The full moon illuminated the night clearly, and Fox and Krystal were walking with each other holding hands. As they walked, they eventually came upon the Black Suns memorial. There were lights coming from the pond that shined on the surface of the memorial and it illuminated the names that were engraved. "The night is beautiful…" Krystal commented. "And the memorial looks beautiful under this light."

"It does." Fox responded. "Looks almost as beautiful as something I know…"

Upon saying his words, Fox gently brought his arm around Krystal's shoulder and gave her a smile. Krystal blushed at his flirtatious comment and simply embraced him. The two sat on a bench and simply gazed upon the memorial. However their attention was focused on one particular name. Fox was disheartened when he saw "Axios Faxton" written on the memorial. It only brought sadness to him, along with Krystal. "Fox…" Krystal softly said. "Did Peppy find anything?"

"The drones that were sent to Venom found no sign of him…" Fox depressingly responded. "Their scanners found no trace of the Nightshade's energy trail, and there was nothing left of the base either."

"I see…"

Fox held Krystal close to him and the two got snug next to each other on the park bench. "It's over though…" Fox said as he held Krystal. "We did it."

"Thank goodness…" Krystal responded. "Maybe now we can have a bit of peace in Lylat."

"And more time to ourselves."

After a brief moment, Krystal noticed something in Fox. She realized that Fox was actually becoming tense, and that he was getting more and more nervous. She was confused as to why Fox was having the sudden change in emotion. However, she realized that Fox was thinking deeply about something. But she didn't know what. "Krystal…" Fox said as he sat up straight. "There's something I want to say."

"Ok?" Krystal asked.

"You and I have been through hard times, but we've also shared so many good times as well. Despite everything that has happened in my life, I know there is one thing I absolutely cannot live without."

Fox slowly stood from the bench and Krystal did the same. Fox took her hands and stared deeply into her eyes. "Krystal," Fox said, "words cannot describe how much you mean to me, and after collecting my thoughts over and over, I've come to the decision."

Krystal was in complete shock when Fox got on one knee. He reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a small case. Fox opened it and Krystal saw the most beautiful diamond ring she had ever seen. She placed her hands over her mouth and a tear was brewing in her eyes. "Krystal…" Fox said. "Will you marry me?"

Krystal was collapsing inside as she was overwhelmed with joy and excitement. Tears of joy started to come down her cheek and she instantly made up her mind. "Yes!" Krystal joyfully said. "Yes! Yes I will!"

Fox took the ring out of the case and placed it around her finger. After Krystal took a moment to look at it on her finger, she wrapped her arms around Fox's neck and the two shared a kiss. It was the most wonderful moment the two had ever had in their lives, and they held each other so close. After a brief moment, they gently drew their faces away from each other and smiled. "I love you…" Krystal softly said.

"I love you too…" Fox softly responded.

The couple was about to give each other another kiss, but Krystal froze in her place. She gently placed a finger on Fox's lip and she looked to the side at the memorial. Fox looked to the side but he saw nothing. "Krysta-"

"Wait…" Krystal said.

After a brief moment, she saw it. She held Fox close and pointed out what she was looking at. "Take a look." Krystal said.

Fox looked at the memorial and noticed a black, hooded figure standing on top of it. Fox was confused at first until he realized where the figure was standing. The figure was standing over Axios's name on the memorial, and Fox quickly made the connection. The couple noticed that the figure tossed something at them. Fox reached out and caught a small black PDA out of the air. The two looked at the PDA and unlocked it. They saw a message within the home screen and the two of them smiled. "Congratulations." the PDA said.

Fox and Krystal looked back at the memorial and noticed that the figure was gone. However, Fox felt the PDA vibrate within his hand, and there was another message appearing on the home screen. "I'm sure your kid is going to look just as beautiful as the mother."

Fox and Krystal chuckled at that last message and lowered the PDA. He and Krystal both looked into the night sky and saw a black ship fly within the moon light. The ship darted into the Cornerian orbit and disappeared from visibility.

With the Black Suns finished, there was peace in Lylat. The Star Fox team had done what they do best and they saved Lylat from a great danger once more. The team could move on with their lives, and the system could enjoy its time of peace. The war was won, and the Black Suns Conflict has concluded. It marked a new beginning for all the citizens of Lylat, and a new beginning for the future of the Star Fox team.