Part Four: The War

"Well, Col, time to crack the knuckles and get down to business." Said the
President. "We're officially hiring you on."
"Nice of you to tell us." I replied.
"Col." Muttered one of my teammates. "Don't be rude to him."
Mr. President heard. "I was wondering. I've seen a turn about in the team
Col. Quite the battle, that was. Impressive in fact. Even Terrill says
hire you guys."
"Terrill liking us? That's a first. What's the first move?"
"We need you to help our fighters out in Sector Y. They're having a tough
time pushing the Venomians back. The Venomians have some sort of new
vehicles, and it's playing hell with our fighters."
"Roger that. Oh, and Mr. President?"
"Yes Col?"
"Permission to speak freely sir."
"Granted."
"All due respect, but you're coming to us. Show some respect, a'right?
Commander McCloud, or address the entire team. Who's going to respect an
18 year old named Col, no rank?"
He laughed. "You win, Commander McCloud."
"Damn I hope so. Radio clear." I turned off the link.
"You have guts." Noted John.
"He came to us, not the other way around. We're mercenaries, remember? He
pays, we fight. We deserve SOME respect, I think! At least, we deserve
ranks." I looked at Carrie.
She already had the Great Fox moving toward Sector Y.
I started for my fighter, buckling my helmet in place on handed. The
others came with almost automatically. We were beginning to perform as a
group now. I nodded mentally to myself.
We launched as soon as we arrived at Sector Y. 
Six large, strange looking fighters rose to meet us. A line of cruisers
sat in the background, mostly Venomian. The Cornerian cruisers sat behind
us or even with us. They didn't make any move to help us.
The new fighters moved fast. REALLY FAST. A few flew literal rings around
us while we got our berrings and began firing back.
"Uh....no damage. They're mirrored for a reason." Said Alan.
I swore angrily and flew forward, locking onto the leading fighter.
"Oh no you don't." The lead fighter rolled, and my lock broke.
"Wha?!" I sputtered. How had he managed to break a lock on? That wasn't
possible! The lock on is supposed to shoot a fighter no matter how the
fighter moves! "So who are you guys?"
"Star Strike." Said the one which had managed to break my gun lock. "And
you're Star Fox. Still using the same planes?" He snickered, and his plane
inched closer.
I let out a volley of shots that removed a pair of hyper lasers from his
wings, then dove at him. I had to change direction mid-dive, because the
leader of Star Strike moved smoothly aside.
I flipped so I was upside-down and flew above him, trying to get a look
into the cockpit of my enemy.
"What the hell are you doing, you crazy vixen?!" Demanded the pilot,
craning his neck up at me. An albino coyote!
We looked at each other for a moment, then I flipped and charged one of
his cruisers.
"Don't think so." The albino cut me off without a second thought.
I dodged around him, taking some of the surface guns out.
"WHAT ARE WE PAYING YOU FOR, ROGUE?!" Demanded a deep, angry voice.
"Sorry sir." The albino-Rogue?-replied quickly, and turned his guns at me.
I rolled, reflecting the shots, and shot back. The rest of Star Fox and
Star Strike had been eyeing each other, trying to intimidate each other,
and now my boys charged their opponents with battle cries.
My computer clicked to itself, trying to drag up indentifications for the
enemy pilots. It found nothing. I was too busy fighting to care.
"DAMN IT!" Bellowed Taylor suddenly.
"What's up?" I asked instantly, sparing a glance toward his laser-scorched
fighter. Taylor yelling is strange in itself.
"They just won't fall! It's taking too long to damage them!" His eyes were
large and mostly white.
"Get the chicken!" Yelled Rogue, and his group dived for Taylor.
"Not today." We shoved them back.
"REGROUP!" I yelled.
Star Fox pulled out of battle and gathered under the protective guns of
the Great Fox, which efficiently kept Star Strike back. Even Star Strike
wasn't crazy enough to brave high-impact ion cannons.
"You all right Taylor?" I asked.
"Yeah....I just had a scare that's all. Snapped."
"You up to fight?"
"Yes ma'am! I'm not going to let them scare me again, Col!"
"Good." I nodded once. "We need a plan of sorts guys. Their planes are too
armored, and we just can't hack away at them for a week."
"Right." John glanced at the six Star Strike fighters, just out of range
of the Great Fox's guns. "Any thoughts?"
"Hey Col, why not take out a cruiser again? Scare'em?"
"No." I dismissed. "I have to get passed Star Strike first, and when I
come out I'll be highly damaged and an easy target." I considered, for the
space of five seconds. "Alan, any thoughts?"
"Butt armor seems like the weak point." He replied absently. "We'd have to
come in behind them."
"John?"
"No problem, if they're distracted enough."
"Gentlemen, let's get that cruiser." I said, diving out of the small safe
spot. Taylor, Aaron, and Alan followed. John slipped out of formation and
behind the Great Fox.
Star Strike saw us dive for their mother ship, and didn't take kindly to
it. They rallied and all pointed their forward guns at us.
I braced myself as a rain of laser-bolts hit my plane. I kept moving
around, trying to keep Star Strike occupied. I didn't like the idea of
being a target, and trusting my newest team member to save our skins, but
didn't have a choice.
A flash of a Smart Bomb going off, and surprised cries from Star Strike.
Aaron shot, and Rogue took damage. His shield was gone, mirroring gone on
his armor. Now Star Strike was equal to us in armor.
They still fought like rabid creatures though, shooting at the Great Fox
whenever possible, lunging at us with flashing lasers, sometimes hitting
each other.
I realized we were fighting our own, separate little battle. Not far away
from us the cruisers had met again, fighters had met again. I hardly
spared a glance toward the fight. I was focused on removing Star Strike
from the war, perminately.
In the end, Venom pulled out, Star Strike going with. They had lost one
fighter.



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Well whaddya think?" Alan asked, kicking back on the bridge.
"Fighting style kinda reminds me of Sliver at the Academy." Remarked
Aaron.
"Sliver? The trainer's assistant?" I slowly nodded. "Now that I think
about it, yeah. She's had a small private class for the last decade, it's
a wonder why they just don't make her a trainer."
"Because she teaches a different style. The other trainers wouldn't like
it much." Said Aaron with a yawn. "So maybe our adverseries were trained
by Sliver?"
"Well if not all of them, Rogue certainly. Charming call sign by the way.
Do you know he's albino?" I remarked.
"He's an albino?" John raised both eyebrows.
"Yep, an albino coyote."
"Oh....I remember seeing him in a the hallways and around campus. Always
with a little group of friends. They were sort of a gang." Said Taylor.
I recalled seeing a small group of lupines standing in the courtyard,
looking like they were looking for trouble. I also remembered the War
Birds, an avian squad with an attitude, fighting the lupines and getting
beat up badly for the first time. "I remember."
I didn't like this much. I was fighting someone who had trained at the
same place I had. We had the same trainers, same tactics. It would be
tough to fight Star Strike, even if we knew they had a weak point.
"They fight dirty." Taylor commented.
"All's fair in love and war." I replied, sitting back.
During the next battles, we helped the Cornerians push Venom farther and
farther back.
"I don't like this. They're giving too easily, much to easily." I
commented, rubbing my temples.
"And that's a bad thing?" Alan snorted.
"Maybe. This whole part of the war might be a distraction. Something else
might be going on."
"How do you know?"
"Gut feeling. Hard to explain. I just know." I replied absently. "Carrie,
anything odd?"
"A LOT of continued cargo shippings from Venom to Titania and back." She
replied, bringing up pictures. "What do you think?"
"Something's going on. Can't be anything good either. Titania's rich in a
lot of minerals, lot of ore. If Venom is strip mining a dangerous planet
like Titania, something big is going down."
Bravo, Colleen.
I shook my head to clear the fog. "What do you say we go take a closer
look?"
"I'm for it." Said Aaron. "I mean, if there's something going on, we don't
want it to bite us in the backside later on, if you catch what I'm trying
to say."
"Us too." Said John. The other three boys nodded.
"Carrie, set course for Titania, but don't get to close. Oh, and if the
President calls, tell him we're checking something out and will be back."
"Yes, ma'am!" The Great Fox turned and started heading for Titania. "Are
we in a hurry?"
"Nah, you can be a little leasurely, and let us catch an hour or two of
sleep. We need it."
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 "Fox!"
"Slippy!" I could do nothing as I watched my copilot spin out and
disappear from sight.
I had to force myself to turn back to the task at hand--beating the robot.
It was stubborn at first, but I was pissed and nothing was going to stop
me.
"I must be...complete..." The robot exploded, and I got out of the way.
"ROB, do you have Slippy's location?" Just hang on, buddy, we're coming
for ya.
"Distress signal coming from Titania." Replied the robot.
"Slippy can be such a headache." Grumbled Falco.....

"Ach!" I woke up with a gasp, breathing hard. "Okay, all right, what is
someone trying to tell me?!" I growled under my breath, sitting up and
rubbing my temples. "This is really odd. What is someone trying to say,
huh?! That I'm the new version of Fox McCloud? Okay I accept that, I
accepted all the duties, everything....why the hell am I seeing these
weird flashbacks?!"
"You okay Col?" Carrie asked via the terminal in my room.
"Yeah...I'm okay. Just had a really odd dream, that's all."
"Okay."
Obviously I wasn't going to be able to sleep. I drug myself out of bed,
pulled on a clean uniform, and wandered the ship.
Odd thing is, there were a few doors, mostly storage rooms, that could not
be opened. I've tried picking locks, everything I can, but they just won't
open. Carrie had told me that they were electronically sealed, and code
protected. She couldn't open them either. But as I walked down the hall,
one of the doors hung open. I walked in warily, looking around.
A triple-deck keyboard sat covered up, and a guitar sat on top, uncovered.
It looked brand new, no trace of dust. The strings looked a bit worn from
use, but that was the only thing that showed it was older then a day. It
was jet black, and had a name written in silver on the side.
Fox McCloud
I sat down on the floor and groaned. "What is someone trying to tell me,
huh?!" I groaned again.
"So this is the little lady that took over my position?"
I looked up, and shook my head slowly. "Okay, so first I'm having
flashbacks, now I'm seeing ghosts." I don't feel good...
Fox McCloud looked back at me with a raised eyebrow. "Well you have guts.
First person who hasn't screamed."
"Oh really?" I said weakly. "So I'm different. So what?"
"Ah, my family line is always different, though I'm wondering how exactly
YOU are descended from me!"
"Why?"
He smiled to himself and shook his head. "Nah. You remind me of my wife,
really. Look like her too. Strange indeed." He walked over the the guitar
and plucked a few of the strings absently. "Can I ask you a few
questions?"
I still didn't feel good... "Sure but I need to know some things. I mean,
how can I see you, hear you?"
Fox laughed. "It isn't on your part, it's on my part. A ghost is seen by
the people he wants to be seen by. In fact, I've been on the Great Fox for
a while. Just because I'm dead doensn't mean I'm gone."
"Oh." I squeaked, then realized something. "Are you the one who welcomed
me to....here? This ship, this position?"
"Yes indeed." He sat down on an amp, pulled the guitar into a playing
position, and strummed a few chords absently.
"Did you know?"
He had been watching his hands, but now looked at me. Intense blue eyes.
Like mine were now. "Not really. But I had a theory that you just might
take the reins and take your destiny."
"Why do I love this job so much?"
He smiled. "It's your bloodline. We're warriors, we McClouds are."
"Well, THAT I agree with."
"We've got so much in common, you and I, but are separated by time
and...you're three Generations after me or so? Oh well. Hell with it. I
like that you're collecting the descendents by the way. Charlie's still
laughing about that."
"Charlie?" I wondered.
"General Charles Reginald Pepper."
I laughed. "What a name."
"Could be worse." Grunted a low, smooth voice. "Mine's Falco Viceroy
Lombardi the Third."
"Hey Falco." Said Fox, nodding once, plucking a theme absently.
I looked around, and finally made out the mostly see-through avian leaning
on the wall. "Quite a regal name for a street kid."
Falco grinned, fading the rest of the way into view. "My thoughts
exactly." He looked at his fellow ghost. "I like your descendent already,
Sly. Where are the others?"
"Sleeping." Fox replied, fingers still working on the theme even if he was
listening to us. The theme fit Falco...in fact... He glaced up at me and
smiled easily. "I wrote themes for all of my copilots. I see you've
figured this one out."
"Just a comment, but it's strange how different attitudes are. Slippy's
descendent Alan acts like Falco on a bad day." I grinned at the avian.
"Ouch, that bad?" Falco asked.
"Worse. Alan smokes, is foul mouthed, full of attitude, and tends to be a
know it all and rude. On the other hand, Taylor Lombardi, another of my
copilots, is so serene I think he's tranked sometimes."
"Weird."
"Aaron seems to be an almost perfect copy of your friend Bill, if a bit
more modern, and John is a professional-smooth, calm, and does his job."
"Sounds like Wolf to me." Fox commented, switching themes.
I felt like I was in a dream. "I really can't believe this is happening."
"I don't blame you." He replied. "So you're enjoying your job?"
"With a passion! I used to be really depressed....but haven't been since
the moment I first flew an arwing."
"Hmm? Amazing. Seems we were both born into it."
"Why not my mom?"
"Good question. Near as I can guess, your mom inheirited a lot from my
son's wife...instead of the McCloud branch. Then everything came out in
you. Well don't look at me, I'm not a geneticist." He put the guitar down.
"I've been watching, true. I like that you and my son get along so well!
Speaking of which, where is he anyway?"
I closed my eyes and turned my face away.
"Oh Jesus, something's happened." Fox sounded worried.
"He's got terminal cancer, Fox. He's in a hospital."
Fox remained silent.
"Poor bugger." Said Falco quietly. "Nice kid."
"Not a kid anymore." I replied.
"True..."
"Let's not talk about this okay?!" Fox suddenly exploded.
"Okay." Said Falco and I in a duet. I swallowed.
"Sorry Fox." Falco said.
"Yeah, sorry." I agreed, quietly.
"We all have our time. I may work with some high rankers but I can't say
who dies when, but DAMN IT!" Fox exploded, eyes shut as he shook his head.
"I wish...that this wasn't coming now."
Falco sat down next to his friend and patted Fox's shoulder. "I know how
you feel."
"Yeah I know." Fox replied.
I slapped myself.
"Ouch, why'd you do that?" Falco asked me.
"Making sure I'm awake." I replied dryly.
"Oh."
"So why the hell do I keep seeing the war YOU fought in from YOUR
standpoint?" I looked at Fox.
"I didn't do anything, honest. I can't do that."
"Then why the hell is this happening to me?!"
"Racial memory? What you expect me to know everything?" He shook his head.
Falco laughed.
"Col, who are you...oh, my god." Taylor came in and gawked at the two
ghosts. "Wha...what..."
"You scream, I slap you. Meet Fox McCloud and your great-grandfather Falco
Lombardi." I told him.
He looked at the two ghosts. They looked back at him, smiling.
Taylor fainted.
Falco started laughing again, and Fox joined in.
"It's not funny." I said.
They continued laughing.
I slowly started grinning. "Yeah. It is funny."
"Damn right!" Falco grinned, and stood up, stretching. "Lovely time, but
we have to report back, Fox."
"Yes I know." Fox also stood up. "Good luck on upcoming battles."
"Thanks."

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Did that really happen?" Taylor asked. He sat on the bridge, looking
stunned. The others had just heard his story. "I mean I'm sure of what I
saw. You introduced us for crying out loud."
"Don't look at me." I said, absently plucking guitar strings. I don't know
how to play, really, except for the very, very basics. Oh well, can't keep
me from playing for the hell of it.
"Incoming com call, public line." Said Carrie. "It's for you Col."
"I'll take it in the den." I went down to the den and turned the radio on.
"Yes?"
"Colleen! Glad to see you're alive and well."
I wasn't so happy. It was Jordan, my ex. "Hello, Jordan. What do you
want?"
"Just wanted to check on you baby."
"I'm not a baby. I'm a full-grown woman."
"Oo!" He half-laughed. "You're eighteen and saying that?"
"Yes I am." I growled.
He got a better look at me-at the uniform with side arm, my straight
posture, my proud head carriage. "You've changed."
"How so?"
"You just have." He was staring.
"Col? We just got the get-go...oops, should I have waited?" Taylor walked
in, pausing upon seeing the radio on.
"Nah that's okay. I have to go Jordan. Don't call me back. I'm different
now. I'm not the person you remembered."
"Wait!" He cried. "What's going on?"
"I'm going to war." I replied, and turned off the radio. "Well, let's go
Taylor."
"So who the hell was that?" He asked as the group walked to the docking
bay.
"Pain in the rear ex-boyfriend who's trying to wedge his way back into my
life." I said bluntly. "He told me I wasn't cut out to be a soldier, that
I wouldn't survive a week. He's big on the male superiority thing. I
dumped him on the spot."
"Understandably so." Said Alan. "If he keeps bothering you I can have him
beat up."
I grinned. "Nah, don't bother. I can deal with him."
"Sure you can, sure you can." He agreed, grinning.
The alarms blared. "ATTACKS FROM THE PORT AND STARBOARD SIDES."
I swore, and we sprinted to our fighters.
The attackers were a pair of heavy duty robots, trying to play
crack-the-wishbone with the Great Fox. One had a wing on the port side,
another had a wing on the starboard side, and both were pulling.
John and I attacked one, the other three went after the other. It was
generally accepted that John and I worked as a team when we worked with
the buddy system, because we worked so well together.
The robots laughed and backed off from our cruiser, which had been
beginning to complain about the stretching. Once they had us away from our
cruiser, they attacked us, clawing at us with dangerous looking hands and
shooting at us with shoulder-mounted weapons.
The first one, the one John and I had teamed up against, wasn't piloted
very well. That was it's undoing. It was the weaker of the two.
Just as I turned to fly toward the second robot, I saw it hit Taylor's
plane.
"COL!" Taylor shreiked in fear, plane spinning out. I could tell he was
trying vainly to get control, but it didn't work. "I've got no control!"
"TAYLOR!" I shouted.
Taylor pummelled through Titania's atmosphere, and radio contact was cut
off.
I turned back to the robot feeling only fury.
The robot grabbed for me.
I flew sideways and shot at its back as it passed, leaning on the trigger
as hard as possible, trying to get rid of the robot in a short time. I
knew I had to find Taylor.
What had Carrie said when I wasn't paying much attention?
Oh god.
Star Strike's base was on Titania. If they got hold of Taylor...I gritted
my teeth and concentrated at the task at hand.
"AAAA!" The pilot yelled as his craft blew up.
"Carrie!" I half shouted. "Any damage to the Great Fox?"
Pause. "No. Only some strained girders, and that isn't very serious."
"Good. Do you have Taylor's location?"
"Yes." She made a swallowing noise. "Star Strike got him when he crashed.
His plane's ruined."
I started growling, and flew back into the docking bay. "Is the shuttle
flyable Alan?"
"Yeah but it has no weapons." He replied.
"Escort me down." I picked up a sleep dart gun and entered the shuttle. I
had no desire whatsoever to kill Star Strike. I knew, however, that I
needed to save Taylor. He was counting on us to come get him.
The shuttle was for picking up crashed copilots. Most of the body was
medstation and a few bunks, besides the cockpit and a hallway going
outside around the medroom. I went into the cockpit and flew the shuttle
out of the bay.
My team mates escorted me down. Venomian defensive fighters cut at them,
but no Star Strike.
The base was a low-set, stone building. From what I could see, all pilots
were in the air. I landed the shuttle, grabbed the dart gun and a silenced
handgun, and entered the base.
"We don't have long Col." Aaron told me. "I think more planes from another
base will arrive soon."
"How long?"
"Five minutes, ten at the most, and I don't know how long we can keep that
shuttle whole."
"Roger that. Out in five minutes."
No one was in my way. The base was nearly deserted. I ran the base,
slowing down when I heard creul laughter and a panicked voice I recognized
as Taylor.
"NO! You don't have to hurt me!" Taylor screeched. The panic in his voice
made the fur on the back on my neck stand up on end.
"Boss says we do. We're to interrogate you and execute you!" Said a voice
simply.
"I don't like this." Said Rogue simply.
"What's not to like?" Asked the first enemy voice.
I stepped in and darted everyone in the room, except Rogue. His hands shot
up above his head.
"COL! OH, THANK GOD!" My copilot stood in a small bared cell, temple
bleeding and breathing harshly.
"You crazy vixen." He said softly. "You insane woman. No one would dare
take the risk of setting foot on an enemy base alone."
"I just did." I snarled, eyes narrowing.
He stared at me. The look in his eyes was all too familiar. It was the
look in my eyes when I had been depressed a few years ago. That suicidal
look. Rogue didn't care if I killed him.
Right then, I didn't care either, frankly. Taylor was my copilot and
friend and NO ONE LIKE ROGUE'S GROUP was going to take him from me.
"Unlock my copilot." I continued snarling.
Rogue did so, opening the cell. "We haven't touched him. All injuries were
sustained in his crash."
"Thanks for telling me." I shot the last dart off, tanquilizing him.
"What type of gun is that?" Taylor asked, crossing the room to give me a
joyful hug.
I shifted uncomfortably, not expecting that. "Trank gun. We gotta go, we
don't have much time."
"Check."
We came out of the base, and an aerial battle was still going.
"Col, can you hear me?" Carrie asked.
"Yes." I replied, watching the enemy planes carefully and studying the
distance to my shuttle.
"I gotta back off to the Cornerian line, or close to it. Venomian cruisers
just arrived."
"You're just full of good news today." I growled. "We have to run for it
Taylor."
"Right boss."
"NOW!"
Taylor and I sprinted for the shuttle. I sensed one of the Venomian
fighters detatch from the fight and charge us, shoot its hyperlasers at
us.
I reacted immeadiatly. I shoved Taylor down and lunged, taking all the
hits for him...and screamed in indescribable pain.
The intense bolts of energy charred my fur off immeadiatly where they hit.
I felt my skin burn and flame lick at my uniform, blisters rise, blood
start pouring down my side. I hit the ground and rolled, screeching when
the dirt hit the wound and the fires went off. The agony which spread
through my torso and one of my legs almost put me under.
"Colleen..." Something tried to help me up.
"No, no...Fox, go away...go back to heaven...let me be...let me do this
myself." I gasped.
The ghost saluted and disappeared.
I lurched to my feet, hauled Taylor to his feet, and ran to the shuttle,
Taylor in tow. "Strap in, fly boy, we are leaving right now." I said
sharply to him as I ran to the cockpit of the shuttle.
He closed the hatch and retreated to the medroom.
I lifted the shuttle and shot for the upper atmosphere. Seeing the
Venomian crusiers move to intercept me, I touched my radio head set.
"Flank me." I barked.
"Yes ma'am!" The other fighters fell in ranks alongside me.
"Let me lead, Col?" Asked John.
"Go ahead." I replied. "I'm in no shape to."
"Come on!" John's plane dove forward, followed by the others. They tore a
ragged hole through the Venomian lines for me to come through, then went
behind me to make sure no one came from behind.
"We'll take it from here." A division of Lylatian fighters arrived. "Good
job Star Fox."
"Thank you." I said simply, swallowing. "Let's get back to the Great Fox,
boys."
I hit autopilot and stumbled to the medroom. "You okay Taylor?"
"A bump on the head and a fractured rib...oh Jesus, Colleen!" He dropped
the bottle of asprin he was holding and stared at me.
I looked down at myself almost absently. The pain had stopped because of
shock, and I had stopped paying attention to my wounds.
Third degree burns spread from my upper right thigh to my left shoulder.
My uniform was bloodied, charred, and dirty from hitting the ground and
rolling. My skin was severely burned and blistered, the wounds full of
dirt, blood trickling down my skin. I stared at myself in surprise. "I
didn't realize I was so hurt."
"We have to get that dirt out. Sit down on the examination table." 
I did so, and watched him pull out a painkiller in a syringe.
"I don't know how you kept from passing out." He commented.
I watched the painkiller a la injection go inside me. I couldn't feel
anything currently, so what was the point anyway? "I don't know either." I
confessed.
"Grit your teeth a moment." He pulled my stained shirt away from the
burns.
I let out a yelp as cold air hit the wound. "Thanks a lot, Taylor."
"I know what I'm doing, sort of." He admitted meekly. "And what I do know
is that your shirt isn't doing much good."
"Professional you ain't. You're blushing." I replied, grumbling as he
started cleaning the burns.
"Um."
"Anyone there?" Alan asked. "What's going on?"
"Col's really hurt." Taylor replied.
Alarmed exclamations.
"I'll survive." I said roughly.
"Ignore the macho psycho, gentlemen." Taylor said calmly. "Col here has a
huge third degree burn across her torso from hyperlasers."
I yelped as the antiseptic got in the wound, and pulled out one of his
primer feathers.
"Owtch!" Taylor protested. "Look, I'm aware that I'm a blacksmith when it
comes to tending wounds, but be reasonably coroperative, okay?"
"I'm in enough pain already." I replied in an annoyed voice.
He worried over me for most of the trip. He was obviously not a doctor,
but had had field training and also kept up a running discussion with the
medical program on the ship.
I didn't react the whole time, stunned that something like this had
happened to me. I knew I was just a normal person, but...you didn't hear
about Star Fox getting injured!
There's a first time for everything, I guess.
When we landed, he told me to go to the Great Fox's sick bay immeadiatly
and have the medrobot tend me. I told him to go to hell and there was no
way IN hell I was sitting out of any fighting.
However, four insistant males is a little much to deny. I ended up in sick
bay in a violent debate with the medrobot.
When I returned to my room, the wounds had been cleaned the rest of the
way and professionally bandaged. Painkillers eased my life, to my relief.
I pulled on a clean uniform and went to the bridge for debriefing.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Welcome to Venom, gentlemen." I told my squad as we flew toward a huge,
heavily armored line of Venomian cruisers.
Taylor glanced over at my plane. His fighter had been replaced temporarily
with an antimatter plane, much to his disgust, but his fighter was ruined
and we couldn't get a replacement arwing at the snap of our fingers. "We
have to force our way through all of that?"
"Yes indeed. Better pray we're as hot as everyone thinks we are gentlemen.
There are a dozen super destroyers, five destroyers, and two light
frigates to destroy or neutralize, plus the fighters. Then it's on to
Venom itself."
"Lead the way, Col." Said John.
"Thanks." I paused. "I've got a really wacky idea guys. Just stay in
formation and humor me." And with that, I yanked my controls upward, and
passed OVER the Venomians by about a quarter mile. That was the last thing
they would expect: an attack from above. "Going down." And with that, I
killed my engines and did a gravity drop, hoping it would work in space.
It did. The gravity from nearby Venom was enough. My plane fell, faster
and faster, and my team mates double-taked then did the same.
"God, just let us live through this." I whispered, said a small prayer
directed toward any sort of lord, and brought my engines back up as I fell
in between two Venomian cruisers.
The engines fired to life with a roar, as if angry with the Venomians.
They couldn't fire on us without firing on themselves.We had the upper
hand.
Realizing this, my team mates whooped, leaning on their triggers, bombs
going off and taking out squad after squad of fighters.
"WHERE IS STAR STRIKE?!" Thundered a deep, angry voice over the radio
signal the Venomians used.
"We've lost contact to them, sir. We don't know what happened."
I whooped, and dove to destroy one of the crusiers. "Cover me, I'm going
in."
"Right Col."
"I'm coming with ya this time." John dove into the engine service tube
after me. "Jeez!" He cried when his shield started ticking down.
"Scariest environment to fly in I can think of." I remarked, sent a bomb
into the engine's core, and both of us high-tailed it out of there as the
antimatter core collapsed and a raging inferno chased us.
We exploded into space. It had been easier that time. It kept getting more
familiar, moves and strategy more familiar.
"So THAT'S how it's done!" John laughed. "I'm going after the one on our
port side."
"Sure, but watch your six. I've got the guns." I dove and took out a long
line of guns in one pass, then went out into space, preparing to U-turn
and head back in.
"COL LOOK OUT!" Cried Taylor at me.
I knew that an enemy fighter was coming at me. I didn't feel. I didn't
think. I acted. I flipped, came in right above it, and focusing all
shielding to the belly of my plane, gravity dropped right on top of the
enemy fighter.
It exploded under my fighter on impact. My ship spun once, then I got it
back under control and pulled out of battle. I was missing a wing and was
at half shield. Not bad.
"YEE-HAW!" Cried Aaron when he saw John race out of the Venomian cruiser.
The cruiser blew up and listed to one side, fighters barely escaping from
the inferno.
"Shot down in a blaze of glory, take me now to know the truth." Sang a
low, familiar enemy voice. "I'm going down in a blaze of glory.." He
sounded tired, and resigned. He was going to give up his life if it would
mean we wouldn't get to Venom.
"ROGUE?!" I hollered when I saw Star Strike dive into battle, stunned.
They should still be out! They shouldn't be awake yet!
He didn't answer. He charged me with unleashed fury. I simply side stepped
and chased after him.
It wasn't business anymore for Rogue. It had become personal, I didn't
know why. He growled continually, directed at me.
"Lord, I've gotta ask a favor, and I hope you understand. I've lived life
to the fullest, let this boy die like a man...staring down a bullet LET ME
MAKE MY FINAL STAND!" He growled softly.
"Oh great, you're suicidal? That's why you act like you could die in
battle and no one would care?" I said, avoiding his laser shots and going
after another cruiser.
No reply.
"Col, what are you talking about?" Taylor asked, flying beside me for a
moment, helping to take out the external guns.
"Rogue is suicidal." I replied.
"No. I am not." Rogue snarled.
"Ya are so."
"I am not."
"Shut up the both of you, you sound like first graders!" Snapped Alan.
"I second that." Said the Star Strike member currently chasing Alan.
I laughed, bitterly. "Being suicidal is no laughing matter. Depression is
no laughing matter. I used to be both. Thank god those days are over. Who
gives a care if I'm injured? I don't. I'm HAPPY. Is that why you hate me
Rogue? Do I have everything you can never have?"
The laser shots toward me that were poorly aimed (considering a guy who
could snipe with his plane) were a good enough answer.
"You don't have to hate me for it, dammit."
Beerroop. His radio turned off.
I ignored him the rest of the battle. I had rattled him so bad that he
wasn't dangerous anyway. I helped finish off two more crusiers, and let my
team mates take down a number of the rest. Star Strike wasn't a problem
anymore. I had defanged the leader, and they wouldn't fight without their
leader.
The Venomians put up a real scrap though. They fought with all they had,
but we had found the fatal weakness in their cruisers.
I was glad I didn't have to think about fighting. My mind was pondering
poor Rogue...
Time out. POOR Rogue?! Who the hell am I to think that? He's a mercilless
killer, someone that should be shot at, not pitied, right?
Wrong. So wrong.
Think of Wolf O'Donnel, Col, I told myself carefully. Poor Rouge is just
another version of Wolf O'Donnel. Poor guy! I wonder how the Venomian army
TREATS their soldiers! Probably not half as good as Cornerians treat
theirs, special services or not.
"Well, let's head for repairs, and then head for Venom." Said John. "They
started out with a dozen super destroyers, five destroyers, and two light
frigates, plus the fighters, right?"
"Right." I said as we headed back for the Great Fox.
"Well, what they have now is seven super destroyers, four destroyers, no
light frigates, and about 2/3 the fighters they started with." He said
slowly. "Eight cruisers, Col. We took care of eight cruisers in a half an
hour."
"You guys could pretty much do this without me." I remarked.
"No we couldn't." He said sharply.
"Don't even THINK that Col!" Cried Aaron.
"We'd be monkey food without you in the lead." Said Alan.
"No way in hell we'd get by without you." Said Taylor.
I smiled at the sudden, loud comments from my team mates. "Thanks guys."
"We wouldn't be here without you Col, and even if we had been, we'd be
dead without you in the lead, understand?" Said Alan.
I struggled not to blush. "Without you guys I don't have best friends,
team mates, or much else." I replied simply.
"Us? Nah."
I rolled my eyes. "That's the god's honest truth so don't deny it."

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
We spent an hour in repairs, then launched again. The fleet, realizing
that they were badly beat without Star Strike--and badly beat
anyway--stayed out of our way, sulking in an orbit a long ways from the
Great Fox.
"Looks like this is almost over." Said John in a weird voice as we went
through the Venomian atmosphere.
"What's wrong? You okay over there?" I asked.
"Yeah...Col. Am I on the team for good or aren't I?"
"Are you KIDDING?!" I near exploded...and so did my radio from the sudden
volume increase. "You were the damn glue which held this team together in
the beginning. You're the damn glue that holds it together now,
understand? You're our friend, you're on the team, and that's for good,
got it?"
He burst out laughing, in fact his plane started flying less steadily
because of his shuddering hands. "Thanks Col."
"No problem. Let's go in. Remember, we don't know what to expect." I said.
"Be on your toes."
"Roger that." Four voices acgnoledged.
I flew straight up, U-turned, and headed straight for the ground, pulling
up at the last second. The ground was dusty, covered with an odd sort of
multishaded green and brown grass. It grew to great heights, to the point
it could swallow my fighter. I flew low, my team mates coming in easily
behind me, two in either side in a V pattern, me on point.
We passed over a small town, where people ran out and watched us pass
over.
"What..? Civilians?" Said John. "Oh, that's right, there is a good deal of
civilization here now isn't there?"
"Right. We'll be entering the capital city any moment. Brace yourselves.
I'm picking up some HEAVY artilery." Said Aaron.
"Copy that." I said. "Okay boys, no shooting the civilians. If it isn't
marked with Venomian Air Force or Venomian Army, I don't want to see your
shots going toward it okay?"
"Aye aye, cap'n." Said Alan, in a sarcastic voice.
"Smartass."
"Don't I know it."
I rolled my eyes. "There's the city."
Surprised swearing. "MY GOD! It's beautiful!" Exclaimed Aaron.
Indeed it was. It was a large, sprawling metropolis, as gorgeous and
majesic as Corneria City. Jets landed and took off at an airport, cars
filled the roads.
"Rush hour." I said, blinking. I didn't want to fight here.
"You'd never guess that it was under military rule." Said a rough voice
over the radio.
"Hello again Rogue." I said, shaking my head.
"Ground-to-air missle launcher to our port side." Said Taylor. "It hasn't
got lock yet."
"Why are you doing this?" Rogue asked me.
"For the better of the system of course. Preserve the union." I said. "No
one likes that Venom broke off again."
Static for a moment. "Yeah I know."
"How about yourself?"
"I don't know." He replied in a dull, blank voice.
BEEP BEEP BEEP!
I dodged missles and shot them out as they passed by me. "Take the
altitude up, boys. Let's get out of here without damaging ourselves or
anything else." I pulled up until I was a good three hundred feet above
the city, and wasn't dodging sky scrapers.
"Waddya mean you don't know?" Demanded Alan.
"I just don't know." Rogue replied in the same voice. "The money had
something to do with it...and the fact that I could die an honorable death
instead of murdering myself..."
"So Col was right huh?" Said Taylor sympathetically.
Static for a while, then. "Yeah. She was."
We took the altitude down again, buzzing fields. The guess was that the
main enemy base was where the Dictator was. We were to take that out, said
the President. I was personally loosing the inclanation to do this, but I
would finish the mission.
"Where are you now?" I asked.
"My base, the barracks. Maybe you can help me figure something out."
"I can try."
"I've got a nine millimeter pipe in my hand right now, loaded." He said,
voice depressed and dull. "But watching you...and hearing about the fact
that you beat the same problem I have and killed it...how did you do that,
McCloud?"
Oh, Jesus Christ.
Static rose again.
"He's got a gun?!?" Said Taylor in alarm.
"Oh god, he's gonna shoot himself." Said Alan, with a groan.
I had no idea what to do. I sat back slowly, and closed my eyes for a
moment. Rogue needed some severe help, but I was about to go into battle.
How could I help him? He needed someone to give him a severe heart to
heart, wake him up.
Who else would do that but me? I wondered. No psychologist would dare go
near him because of the fact that he was a Venomian. His copilots probably
couldn't help him, probably didn't give a care if he died. He had failed
them.
"So, McCloud?" Rogue asked when the static stopped.
"Rogue, I.." I said slowly. "I'll come talk to you as soon as I can, face
to face."
"That isn't fast enough." Was the mumbled reply, which trailed off. I
heard a soft click in the background.
"No, no, no, no, no." I said, panicked. "No no no. Don't do it. Don't you
dare! There's a lot to live for."
"Like what?" He wanted to know. "I have nothing now. Nothing. No friends,
my family doesn't care about me. I dishonored my team, and they don't give
a damn about me. Even an honorable death has been denied me."
"Life's a bitch sometimes, I'll give you that." I replied. "But nothing is
so bad that it won't pass eventually.
Rogue, the reason I'm even here is because of my grandpa, Fox McCloud's
son. My grandpa is dying of cancer, and his last request was for me to
start the Star Fox team up again." I watched the base grow in my view
ports. "I've carried it out, and I've never felt better. It was my destiny
to fly an arwing, I feel. Do you beleive it's your destiny to die by your
own hands?"
No reply, but the radio stayed on, and there was no gunshot, no soft sound
of a silenced gun.
"I'll be there as soon as I can all right?" I told him softly.
"No promises. You may not be in time to keep me alive. I don't care
anymore, McCloud." Came the mumbled reply after a moment.
A wave of Venomian fighters came at us in a desperate last stand to keep
their Emperor alive. I avoided them, shot at them when needed, and gunned
my engines. I just wanted to get this over with as soon as possible. My
team mates seemed to agree, fighting only when nescessary.
The base itself was set low into the ground, and was a rather handsome
group of brick buildings and spacious hangers. Even as I came closer, I
saw pilots running to their fighters, saw them taking off.
"See that shuttle lifting?" Said Taylor. "Bet that's their Emperor,
running."
"Roger that." I went forward towards the shuttle, trying to keep my mind
blank.
This man who I had been sent to kill was evil in my mind. He took over his
planet and inflicted military rule.
But at the same time, he stopped the gang wars and street violence I had
heard about years earlier and distributed the wealth more evenly. He made
sure that more became educated.
And I was supposed to kill him.
Now wonder Rogue was so confused and depressed! The governments-both mine
and his-had become so corrupt that there was no real definition of
justice. My grandpa had requested that I take over the team not so I could
beat Venom, so that I could bring the system back together and establish
justice.
It was not my destiny to kill the Venomian Emperor, a man named Thomas
Walker. It was my destiny to bring the Lylat system back together for
good.
"Cease fire!" I suddenly cried to my team mates.
They did, amongst confusion.
"Venomian Emperor Walker, can you hear me?" I asked.
"Yes, I can." His voice was low, pleasent. The shuttle turned and hovered,
'looking' at my fighter. "What do you want Star Fox? Haven't you done
enough?" He asked in a bitter voice.
"NO." I said. "I'm not going to kill you, Walker. You have done nothing to
me. I'm not here to slaughter you and your people. I'm here to bring the
system back together."
"I'll be god-damned!" Walker said, grinning. "Finally, someone with sense!
I didn't inflict military rule to control my planet, damn it. That was the
only way to get the violence under control. Lylat pissed me off because
they ridiculed me and refused to help. And this planet was ready to fight
again, so I went with it."
I watched the radio controls, and got the impression that most of the
system was listening to us. "I know it, I know it." I said. "I was wrong
to fight and kill so many of your soldiers, and I admit it. Now what do we
do, though?"
"We need to have a serious meeting between Lylat, Venom, and Earth." Said
President Vincent. "Hello Walker, long time no see."
"Hi Vincent." Was the reply. "So can we call a truce?"
"That we can."
I was grinning from ear to ear. "Further orders sir?" I asked Vincent.
"Not right now. You're dismissed, and I'll wire the money to your
account."
I was still grinning. "Yes sir!"


"Rouge!" I shouted, running into the abandoned base. The rest of Star
Strike had returned to Venom and appologised to
everyone in general. Rouge hadn't been among them.
"Here." The albino appeared in a doorway, regarding me with tired,
depressed eyes. "The rest of the team left for unknown
reasons."
"You haven't heard? A truce has been called. Our leaders are negociating a
perminant peace and alliance."
He blinked once slowly, ears perking up just a little. "Indeed? Amazing.
And you arranged this?"
"Well I helped. Got them off on the right foot." I noticed he had a gun in
one hand. "Ahem." I held a hand out.
He stepped forward and handed me the gun without protesting.
"A little less depressed?"
"I'm not sure." He admitted.
"That's okay."
"So what happens to me now?"
"Come on, lets go up to the Great Fox. This place gives me the creeps." I
said.
We walked out to the shuttle.
"Why are you limping?" He asked.
"Hyper laser burns." I said bluntly.
"Must have hurt like hell." He replied, smiling a little.
"Yes actually." I replied, going up the ramp.
He stood in the doorway of the cockpit, watching me fly. He smiled just a
little.
"Where are you from?" He asked.
"Corneria City."
"Mmm, I've heard good things about that city."
"What about you?"
"Ryla. It's a little farming town on Venom. Nice people. I joined the air
force a few years ago."
"How old are you anyway? I'm eighteen."
"ONLY eighteen? Damn, thought you were older. I'm twenty five."
"Strap in, I'm hitting the boosters."
"Then how can you hear me over the engine noise?"
I threw him a radio headset. "I'm on channel seven."
"Oh, thanks." He went back into the main ship, and after a moment came
onto the radio. "I'm strapped in."
"Good." I hit the thrust.
"Sheesh, quite an accelleration thrust this thing has." He remarked. "So
what happens now?"
"Well, how are you feeling?"
"Having some trouble coming up with a reason to stay alive." He admitted.
"My team might be able to fix that." I mused.
"No grudges?" Rouge sounded stunned. That hum of depression in his voice
was pushed back some.
"None. What I did was wrong, I know it. I should have thought before I
killed so many Venom soldiers." I sighed softly to
myself, then shrugged.
"So you have any plans?"
"Yeah, I have some family to visit, and I want to give you a tour of
Corneria City, and take you to visit Vatlen on Katina."
"Vatlen? What's Vatlen?"
"It's a resort city. Amazing place. Rouge, if any location can convince
you there is something to live for, it's Vatlen. I went there
when I was 15."
"I can't believe you want to help me."
"You're a fellow pilot aren't you? And it scares me that you have the same
problem as I did not long ago." I confessed.
"Hell I'll gladly let you incorperate me into your plans."
"Good." Said Taylor. "We're going to Vatlen?!"
"Yes, my treat."
Whoops echoed through the radio.
"VACATION TIME!" Whooped Alan.
"But first we need to pick up Taylor's new plane and I need to visit
someone." I added.
"Fine with us."

I walked into the hospital. Rouge followed me. My team had designated him
as 'my problem.' Oh well, I didn't mind.
I went up to my grandpa's room. "Wait here okay?" I asked Rouge in the
hallway outside the room.
"Okay." He agreed.
I went in. "Hi grandpa."
"Hi Col." Came the weak reply from the hospital bed. Tired but joyful eyes
regarded me. He was on oxygen now, and a heart
rate machine chirped quietly to itself with each heartbeat. I knew he was
fighting for life, and was loosing.
Swallowing back tears, I pulled a chair up and sat down, taking one of his
hands.
"Your mom told me about what happened on Venom. Wonderful job, Colleen.
You've done us all proud."
"Thanks." I smiled, feeling the tears come anyway.
"Hey, hey." He blinked. "All must die Col. That's something you should
know now. I'm dying happy, and that alone eases my
pain."
"Still it's hard." I managed to reply. "Hard on those still alive."
"Yes I know." He was quiet a moment. "Have you ever seen a ghost?"
I laughed to myself. "Yes. Two. Haunting the Great Fox."
He started laughing, joyful barks of noise. The heart monitor started
chirping more often. "The reason I ask," he said when he
was able to talk. "Is because it just so happens I had a talk with my dad.
He said he admires you, admires you a lot."
"Considering the source, that's a compliment." I grinned.
"Yes indeed."
"Oh, hold out your hand."
He did, and I gave his father's Medal of Honor back to him. He looked at
me, stunned. "I won't be needing that anymore." I
told him softly. "Thanks for giving me the bravery to do something."
"You're very welcome." He smiled. "So where do you go now?"
"I have a fellow pilot who formerly fought for Venom who needs a tour of
this city, then I'm heading for Vatlen."
"Vatlen? Lucky. With I could come."
"You're always with me...as well as your dad!"
He laughed again. "Take care, Col."
"You too, grandpa." I stood up and left, smiling.
"For someone who's loosing a relative, you don't sound to sad, even if
you're crying." Noted Rouge absently.
I grinned. "That's the way the McCloud family is I guess. As my grandpa
said, all must die."
My headset radio crackled. "Col, Rouge, ya there?" Taylor asked.
"We're here." Rouge replied.
"I have my new arwing, and as soon as you arrive, we're ready to rock."
"Copy that." I said. "Let's go, fly boy."
"So all this political junk is going on, and we're going on vacation?"
Rouge asked.
"Something like that, yes. You see, our contract ended, therefore our
service for the Lylat Military has temporarily ended. They
want us on again, they have to pay us."

I spent the whole trip to Vatlen in a healing hibernation. I was sick of
wearing bandages and missing a lot of fur, so sleeping the
trip away was just fine and dandy to me. It let the medrobots work on
putting me back together without knowing it.
"We've arrived Col." Aaron's voice came fuzzily to my ears from outside
the medpod.
"Mmph?" I opened my eyes, regarding Aaron through the window. "Yeah yeah.
Out in a minute. Meet you in the docking bay
okay?"
"Right." He left.
"Computer open this damn thing." I grumbled, looking down at my side. I
was a little sore, but my fur had grown back in and
my skin was healed perfectly.
"Right." It opened, and I got out, stretching before quickly getting into
casual clothing. I hate hospital gowns, but the computers
would be amused trying to fix me through my uniform.
When I came into the docking bay, my team mates double taked, not used to
seeing me in a skirt, tank top, sandals, and with
my hair down. "What?" I asked. "Well let's go."
Five fighters followed me down. Three arwings, one Wolfen3 Diamondback,
and one antimatter plane (now flown by Rouge).
All of the pilots wore something to the effect of casual clothing. No need
to wear uniform on vacation, after all.
I led them down to Vatlen's main airport. "Star Fox requesting permission
to land."
"You are cleared to land on runway one-five." Replied a girl's voice.
"Enjoy your stay in Vatlen Paradise."
"Roger that control tower." I grinned.
"Vatlen Paradise?" Alan wondered.
"That's what they call it yeah." I answered.
We landed and pulled into a hanger, and were met by a limo. "Star Fox!
It's an honor to have you here!" Said a man who
looked like a polititian.
"Hello Mayor Flemming." I said, shaking his hand. "It's an honor to be
here."
"We have hotel rooms ready for you at the Regence Suites, as well as cars
ready."
"Thank you sir."
"If you'll come with me, I will take you to the Regence now."
"Thanks again."
He went to the limo.
"You seriously went all out, didn't ya Col?" Said Taylor, crossing his
arms across his chest and raising an eyebrow at me.
"We're celebrities now, gentlemen. Get used to it. Come on."
"First time riding a limo." Commented Rouge, settling down into one of the
seats. "I imagine you're used to it, eh Col?"
I started laughing. "First time for me too, or did you think I was a
celebrity beforehand?"
"I feel really weird wearing jeans and riding in a limo. I feel like I
need a suit or a tux." Said John.
"We know how you feel." Said Alan. "At least Taylor dressed up a little."
"What?" Taylor asked. He was wearing khakies and a polo shirt.
I rolled my eyes.
The Regence Suites is a large, swanky hotel. I had stayed there the last
time I had come to Vatlen, but it still stunned me just
how upscale it was. Not only that, everyone was purely friendly to us.
Mayor Flemming showed us to our rooms, and making sure we were satisfied,
gave us our keys and showed us to hotel's
garage, where our cars were waiting.
"I really don't beleive this." Said John in a stunned voice. The cars
waiting were Terran BMWs.
"Damn, Mayor, why are you treating us like royalty?" I asked.
He smiled. "Well it isn't every day your team comes here, Miss McCloud.
The only thing is that I wasn't aware that six of you
were coming, so I only had five cars be here."
"We'll manage, I assure you." I hurried to say.
"Good." He handed us the keys. "If you need help finding anything, ask the
cars. The computers know where everything is in
this city."
"Thanks again, Mayor." I managed. The rest of my group agreed.
"No problem, I assure you." He warmly shook our hands, then left,
whistling happily. I started laughing. "Don't wreck it okay?
It isn't yours for good, just for when we're here."
"Okay, still fine with me. So, where should we go?"
"I don't know about you guys, but I've got some friends to visit at the
local Ice Sports Arena." I replied. "Rouge, I'm afraid
you're going to have to hitch a ride with one of us."
"Fine with me." He agreed. He was stunned by the recent going-ons, but
took it all in stride.
"Who are your friends?" Aaron asked me.
"A pair of girls who are figure skaters. I've known them since I was here
last." I told him lightly. "I doubt you know them, unless
you watched the last Ice Wars."
"Col." Alan cleared his throat. "Think about it. Girls in short dresses
with low cut tops..."
I sat on the hood of one of the cars and laughed.
"Which ones do you know?" John asked curiously.
"Dallas McCormic and Sarra Jonas." I grinned at the looks on their faces.
"Yeah, the ones which won for planetary Ice Wars
and placed well for the system-wide Ice Wars."
"I don't suppose we could tag along?"
"Yeah, sure."

The ice rink was outside. Don't ask me how it's done, outdoor ice rink in
75 degree weather.
I thumped the boards with one hand. "DALLAS! SARRA!" I hollered toward the
center of the ice.
"COL!" The two stopped mid-practice and flew over the ice, braking right
in front of my group. "Glad you're back!" Said
Dallas, smiling. She's a gazelle, taller then me by several inches.
"Hi Dallas, Sarra, how's pickings?"
"Pretty good. Got some cash to throw around, live pretty good." Said
Sarra, crossing her arms. She's a cheetah. "Heard about
everything recently. YOU leader of Star Fox?! We were quite surprised, but
hey, we're happy for ya. I assume the guys
hovering in the background are your copilots."
"Yeah, and an extra we picked up elsewhere. Guys, I'd like you to meet
Dallas McCormic and Sarra Jonas, figure skaters
extrodinaire. Ladies, I'd like you to meet Taylor Lombardi, Aaron Grey,
Alan Toad, Johnatan O'Donnel, and Rouge."
Hands were shook and greetings were said. My copilots seemed more then
happy to be introduced to a pair of rather pretty,
rather famous girls. Dallas and Sarra seemed happy to meet my group.
After talking for a while, some of the boys wandered off to watch the
hockey game going on in the other ice rink. Taylor was
the only one who stayed behind to talk to us girls. He seemed more then a
little lovestruck by Dallas...not that it's MY business,
but I did notice.
I left to rent a pair of ice skates, and when I came back, Taylor and
Dallas were sitting in the stands, talking. I rolled my eyes
and joined Sarra on the ice.
"So how's life being stuck on a cruiser full of boys?" She asked me,
pacing me as I skated.
"Pretty good. They're used to me, I'm used to them. They're my buddies, my
copilots are."
"Rouge isn't a copilot, is he?"
"No, he's a Venomian pilot we ended up with. He's tagging along with us so
we can prove that the IS something to live for.
He's suicidal, you see."
"Oh." She squeaked, embaressed she even brought it up.
"That's okay. I figure what with the truce and all, might be best to help
him out. No one else would...hold on a sec." I added
when my radio buzzed.
"McCloud?"
"Hi Mr. President."
"Where are you guys anyway?"
"Vatlen. We don't have an intrest in politics, sir."
He laughed. "Well, just so you know. We've finalized a truce with Venom,
and we lifted the embargo that was there for nearly
a century. Open trade with start soon. Venom's back in the union."
"That's a good thing sir." I replied.
"Have fun, Vincent or I will keep you updated."
"Thanks sir."
"Roger and out."
"Clear." I looked back to Sarra.
"What was that all about?" She wanted to know.
"Everything just got finalized with Venom. Looks like I won't have much to
do for a while."
"Well hey, you can take a vacation unbothered."
I smiled. "True. True."
It was a peaceful week, not much happening. I spent most of my time on the
beach or at the ice rink. Rouge and Alan hit the
bars and casinos. Aaron went sight-seeing. Taylor spent some time with
Dallas, apparently they had started dating (I didn't ask,
I have a little more class then that).
Then I was called back to Corneria City....for a funeral.

The presentation shots at my grandpa's funeral cut through the cold, clear
air. While it was summer on Katina, it was the start of
winter at Corneria City.
I watched silently as the coffin was lowered into the ground. The folded
flag was presented to my mom, whose eyes looked red and bloodshot.
"Who would have guessed I'd be attending my own funeral?" Said a voice I
recognized.
Glancing to one side, I saw my grandpa standing in the crowd of living
mourners, wearing jeans and a T-shirt. He had that
ageless look that ghosts have. Beside him, his father stood.
"I know the feeling, son, I attended my own funeral as well." Said Fox
dryly. "Strange huh, knowing you're dead?"
"Yeah it is...." Seeing me looking at him, he smiled at me, and elbowed
his dad. "Hey look who dragged herself from her resort
hotel to be here."
Fox grinned at me, then shrugged. "Cie la vie, huh Col?"
Cie la vie. I nodded very slightly.
 
After the funeral, I went to the hill overlooking the new grave and sat
down. The two ghosts appeared next to me, my grandpa almost loosing his
balance.
"I am going to get the hang of teleportation if it kills me." He growled
to himself.
"Too late." I said to him simply.
He chortled. "You're probably right." He plopped down next to me. "So
how's life, as it is?"
"Could be better, could be worse. Vacation has been a blast. Taylor has a
girlfriend, the rest are sightseeing or at casinos etc.
I told them about your funeral, they didn't think they belonged...though
all really liked you."
"Thanks for the update."
"We better go, or the saint working the gates will yell at me for making
you late, son." Said Fox, rolling his eyes.
"Oh? Right." My grandpa ruffled my fur and disappeared after his father.
I started silently crying to myself.
Even if they are ghosts, the loss of a family member is painful, after
all.

"Feels good to be home." Said Alan cheerfully as we descended through
Corneria's atmosphere.
"For you maybe." Grumbled Taylor.
"Taylor's got a girlfriend, Taylor's got a girlfriend...." Taunted Alan.
"Shut up."
"Okay, enough you two. Try to remember that we're professional pilots and
not first graders eh?" I said.
"We'll try Col."
I rolled my eyes and landed at the base. The Great Fox lowered her old
self into the launch cradle, Carrie sighing and relaxing.
"This old ship does need a rest." She remarked. "Cold dry weather is
easier to take then warm humid weather."
"Still, coming from upper-70's degree weather to lower-40's degree
weather...brrr, I'm glad my warm clothes are only a short
drive away." Said Aaron.
"So I'm staying at the academy?" Asked Rouge.
"Yep, everything arranged."
"Thanks."
"No problem."
I climbed out of my plane.
"Hey Col, want to come with us for a drink?" John asked.
A drink with the guys. I grinned. "Sure."
The base's bar, called 'The Rocket' was a place that had been around for
quite a while. 150 years in fact, and had been made
over several times and updated whenever needed.
My group sat at the bar with our assorted drinks, talking easily. Before I
had been aware of my legacy, I wouldn't have been
caught dead out drinking with a bunch of boys. Now who gave a care?
"All I have to say is bless the government for having contracts and loaded
wallets." Said Alan. "Cheers."
We clanked glasses.
"My god! Colleen, baby, is that you?" Said a WAY too familiar voice.
"Oh boy, here we go." Said Taylor, grinning.
I turned around on the bar stool and leaned on the bar, half-empty glass
in hand, regarding my ex coolly. "Hello Jordan. Yes
indeed it's me. What are you doing here?"
"Out with a few guy friends of mine." He gestured to five guys sitting at
a table, watching us. "What are you doing here?"
"The same. Out with my team."
"You've got to be kidding me." He shook his head.
"What?" I asked, knocking back the rest of my drink.
"Most girls wouldn't be doing what you are."
"I'm not most girls. I'm a McCloud. We're different."
"Well I'm aware that your great-grandfather was a war horse, but why do
you have to act like a female incarnate of him?"
"Oo." Said Alan. "Watch out, guy, don't piss our commander off. She don't
take kindly to being insulted."
"And who are you to talk? One of her so-called team members?"
"Yes indeed."
"So you take orders...from a GIRL?!" Jordan sounded incredulous. His
buddies snickered.
"I begin to see why you dumped the guy." Said Rouge dryly to me.
"Yeah, don't I know it?" I replied. "Go to hell, Jordan." Then I turned
around on the bar stool and went back to talking to my
friends. "God-damn chauvanistic pig." I snarled under my breath. My team
mates all rose eyebrows. In the last days of our
vacation, we had adopted Rouge into our group-even if we still don't know
his real name.
"Hey, I'm talking to you, girl." Said Jordan in an angry voice.
I ignored him.
"I said, I'm talking to you." He set a hand on my shoulder and spun me
around.
My refilled drink dumped down my front. I swore angrily, loudly, and
repeatedly.
Jordan casually slapped me. "Colleen, I'm going to say this once. A lady's
place is in the home. They shouldn't be part of the
military. And they shouldn't be using language fit for a sailor." He said
in a low, angry voice.
I looked at him. "Why are you persisting at this?" I snarled at him.
My team mates sat back and waited for the show to start.
"Because I believe that once a man chooses a woman, he has control over
her."
"Wake up call." Said Taylor. "Slavery ended four centuries ago, maybe a
lot longer. You can't 'own' a person."
"Oh can't I? Stay out of this."
"Okay, it's your life."
I stood up, and set my hands on my hips. "So you own my rights now huh?"
"Yes, something like that."
"Fight you for them."
Laughter from a number of men.
"I'm dead serious." I said in a pissed off voice.
"I don't fight girls, but I don't loose either. Clear the dance floor,
ladies and gentlemen, cat fight about to start." He cat called.
We both went to the dance floor and started circling each other. I was
snarling under my breath, hands up in a fighting position.
"Come on, lets dance." I snarled.
I fought like a guy would instead of like a girl, meaning fists. Jordan
looked stunned when a right hook caught him square in the
jaw.
Five minutes later he was sitting on the floor, with a bloody nose and a
black eye. He stared up at me in shock.
"I'm a McCloud. I do as I damn well please, understand?" I said seriously,
arms crossed. "I'm a warrior, understand?! Get out
of my life, Jordan. I have another life now, period. Leave. Now."
He scrambled up and sprinted out.
My team laughed, cheered, and applauded me.
I grinned and bowed to them.

In the year that followed, the system steadied out. Venom and the rest of
Lylat soon established perminanent treaties and Lylat
lifted the century-long embargo.
Rouge became a team member eventually. His real first name WAS
Rouge...Rouge Taylor. Cool name huh?
As for the ghosts of the former Star Fox team...I never saw them again. I
knew that they were there sometimes, watching, but
after a while, even that feeling disappeared completely.
Star Fox didn't have much to do for a while after that, but if we are ever
needed again, we would always be there. Always.

For peace, justice, and to defend against anyone who would take liberty
from our people.

Colleen McCloud
Star Fox Team