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Epilogue Rise of the Anglar Empire

Sargasso, Bolse Defense Sector, One Month Later ...

Krystal stepped off of her Cloudrunner , leaving it parked at the furthest corner of the Sargasso flight hanger. She passed the Wolfen Mark3 she'd been using when flying with Wolf O'Donnell's group.

She walked by two reptiles, ex-imperial pilots for 'Emperor' Andross, now working as mercenary muscle, and pirating for Star Wolf.

They immediately recognized Krystal but kept their eyes forward. One of them saidto the other, "I can't get this stupid Cornerian holiday song out of my head."

The other replied, "Which one? There are many. They are obsessed with this time of year, and they have too many songs about it."

The first said, "I think it was called Frosty? Something like that." He snuck a look at Krystal in passing, and said, "Actually, I think the words went, 'Star Fox, they blow, man!' Heh."

The second lizard laughed and replied,_ "Ah, yes, that song! My favorite line was, '..._The Venom children laugh and play, then they tell Bill Grey ... that Husky and Bulldog DROOL,'" he sang, mentioning Krystal's CAG's old squadrons, based out of Katina.

Krystal smirked. She stopped and turned to the two reptiles. "Ah! I know that song, also!"

"Oh, do you?" asked the second lizard.

Krystal cut her gaze between the two. "Yes, I've heard it. I think the next verse goes, 'There must have been some magic in that old Arwing they flew around, for when they pressed the Z-and-R, it began to spin around! Oh, Star Fox, they're old, man, yet they could kill you _fast. But they're not as good without their vix, and their team-lead is an _ass!' ...Something like that, right?" She continued to walk, passing the lizards who didn't know what to say.

Krystal cut her gaze up, spotting Wolf on the catwalk above the hanger.

The lupine chortled to himself, shook his head, and walked away, humming the tune to 'Frosty the Snowman' to himself.

She sensed him reciting her version of the lyrics, so as to memorize them.

She made her way to an elevator labeled 'control center - auth. personnel only.'

The elevator stopped on level three, and Wolf boarded the lift.

They smirked at one another.

"You liked that, huh?"

Wolf nodded. "Better than your cooking." The elevator began to rise above Sargasso's heart.

Krystal scoffed. "I'm a mercenary and a military officer, not a chef."

"Women belong in the kitchen," Wolf retorted, just to see how she'd respond.

"The only men that believe a woman's place is in the kitchen is the kind of man that doesn't know what to do with a woman in the bedroom." She paused for effect, then added, "What kind of man are you, Wolf?"

He snickered to himself. "You're not bad, kid. Not bad at all."

"And you're smarter than you let on," Krystal replied. She folded her paws behind her back.

He scoffed with a grunt. "You calling me a nerd, kid?"

"Yes, actually." A smile tugged at the corner of her muzzle.

"How you figure that?"

"Because you've hired a telepath." She reached forward and brushed his gear vest open, then she touched a fingertip to a book hidden inside. "You were just reading a book about the mathematical calculations of flight ... or some such."

"Yeah, whatever." He brushed her paw away. "Knowing this crap helps me design better ships," Wolf replied. "I don't have the Doc around anymore, so if I want to upgrade the Wolfen, I've got to do it myself."

"Slippy Toad once told me that Lylat has been flying for over two centuries, but only _just_began to truly understand the principals of lift."

Wolf shrugged. He gazed off the side of the platform, watching the people on the hanger deck, far below. "Kid, Lylat didn't really understand how lift works until scientists understood the goddamn bumble bee."

Krystal tilted her head. "The insects that make honey?"

"Yup. Those freaky little things shouldn't be able to fly, but they do."

"So, but studying the honeybee, Lylat came to understand atmospheric flight principals?"

"Well, yeah. I mean, shit, once scientists sat down and studied all the aspects, they figured out how to make a wingless ship, like your Cloudrunner, McCloud's Arwing, and my Wolfen, stay aloft in atmospheric conditions. Can't dogfight without lift. Better ships mean better dogfights. Knowing how the shit works means building the best damn ships."

"So, all it took was a group of 'nerds' who were obsessed with insects, aviation, and math, hmm?"

Wolf nodded. "Yup."

"I'm surprised to learn that you have a respect for knowledge, Wolf. You initially seemed the jock-type to me."

"Andross was a huge goddamn nerd, and he could've manhandled me with one goddamn hand."

"Well, yes, he's an ape. I've been picked up and tossed by him, once. It wasn't pleasant. Certainly, it the quickest way to travel clear across the Krazoa Palace. Still, I confess, I'm surprised to find out that you hold such respect for wisdom."

Wolf reached up and adjusted the silver metallic strap, which held his high-tech eyepatch in place. "You religious, kid?"

"I..."

"It's a simple question. Yes or no?"

"I used to be. I believed in the gods and goddesses. But they abandoned Cerinia in its final hour. Now? I don't like to talk about my pantheon."

Wolf reached up and stroked at some growing chin fluff beneath his muzzle. "You know, one of the old Lylat gods ripped his own goddamn eyeball out."

"On purpose?"

"Yeah, kid. On purpose."

"Why would anyone voluntarily do that?"

Wolf shook his head with a shrug. "Depends which theologist you ask. But most agree that he did it because he offered the eye in trade for knowledge of all things. He traded the eye for the right to drink from a well or knowledge. I'm sure it was a metaphor or some shit, but I've always found the concept badass."

"What kept the average person from drinking from the well? And to whom did he trade his eye?"

"There was a guardian that protected the well and drank from it every day. But the guardian didn't have the motivation to do very much with all that knowledge ... except to use it to protect the well. This guardian even knew how to survive death itself. After being beheaded, the guardian lived on, without a body, able to advise those he deemed worthy on issues of state, war, and all that shit."

"Bloody hell," she muttered under her breath.

"Yeah, I know, kid. Freaky, sure, but here I am. I have one eye, I'm out here in the ass-end of space, protecting a wormhole that leads fuck-knows-where, because Lylat might not be ready to handle the knowledge of whatever's on the other end. And, hey, let's face it ... I'm pretty goddamn smart at times. Not smart enough to back the wrong dictator, though."

"The wrong dictator?"

Wolf watched as the platform passed above the highest public-accessible deck. "Yeah, kid. The Lylat Wars ... or as I call it, the tale of two dictators."

"Oh, so Pepper was a dictator?"

"In his own way," said Wolf. "Corneria pretends to be a utopia, but they won't even allow people to be hyper-successful capitalists. They also prohibit rowdy types and ban us from their entire goddamn planet. They imprison some criminals and banish the rest."

"Corneria banishes people for being too successful or too rowdy? What of Grippy Toad and Zerda Phoenix?"

Wolf scoffed. "They dump their money back into the bullshit-tocracy. They can stay. Meanwhile, you remember your ex? Yeah, he got deported from Corneria, once. Before saving it the first time."

Krystal folded her arms across her chest, just beneath the swell of her bust. "Go on."

"See, Vixy McCloud gave birth to Fox on Papetoon during a goddamn vacation. Because Fox wasn't born in an embassy, Pepper was able to deport him from Corneria when the war against Andross was starting to heat up. Why? Because Fox wanted to protest how things were being handled. That's it. Nothing more. He opened his big yap. That's it."

"Seriously?"

"Seriously," Wolf replied with a firm nod. "But I was born on Corneria. So was Andross. Both of us had our civil rights violated with Pepper's bullshit ex-patria law, which was his brainchild. The planet's prime minister simply went along with it."

"So, what was Andross like as the leader of Venom?"

"The lizards loved him. The simians loved him. They thought Andross was benevolent, kind, and all that crap. He was the 'General Pepper' of Venom."

"Oh." Krystal frowned. "I thought Andross brainwashed the lizards to fight for him?"

Wolf laughed and shook his head. "That's just Cornerian propaganda, kid. That crap was never proven, but Corneria swore by it anyhow. I sure-as-shit never saw any evidence to anyone being brainwashed."

Krystal rubbed her chin in thought. "Wow. That really paints a different picture of Corneria than I'm used to hearing."

Wolf snorted in amusement. "Socialism looks great on paper until the goddamn tanks roll out, then it becomes something called communism."

"But Andross was a fascist."

Wolf shrugged, staring down at the heart of his space station, far, far below. "Yeah, I know Andross was a fascist. Pepper was the socialist, ya goof."

"And you're saying that as different as the two men were, they were both the same in many ways?"

"That's exactly what I'm saying," said Wolf with a firm nod. "The thing I liked about Andross was that he let things slide, y'know, if it didn't hurt anyone else. He granted more personal freedoms than Pepper did. Not quite Libertarian, but he didn't illegalize smoking like Pepper did. Andross didn't 'eminent domain' anyone's land in the name of protecting Corneria. Andross, on the other hand, didn't give a shit if I carried a concealed weapon around the planet, just so long as I didn't shoot any citizens. Get it, now?"

"Oh." Krystal frowned. "How did Pepper and Andross rule their roost, so to speak? What made them different, politically speaking?"

Wolf shrugged his shoulders, causing his shoulder pads to shift. "The lizards happily gave what they could to fund Andross. Meanwhile, Pepper and his PM, that dumbass lion - I forget his name - they taxed Corneria to death to fund a war nobody wanted. Andross came to liberate Corneria and exact revenge on Pepper, but he failed."

"I thought Andross was brilliant."

Wolf snorted in amusement. "Well, yeah, no shit. But he was a goddamn scientist, not a war tactician. Ah, whatever. That shit doesn't matter, now. It's in the past."

"Wolf, are you seriously defending Andross' attack on all the planets of Lylat that stood between Venom and Corneria?"

Wolf chuckled in a snide sort of way. "Okay, yeah, sure, the power was going to Andross' head. It was changing him. Making him a complete asshole. If he'd won, he'd have been an asshole dictator for the first year or two, but then he would have chilled out. Trust me. I knew the guy pretty well. He would have chilled out, eventually. But when it came to General Pepper? That guy was already swollen in the skull from power. He didn't do a very good protecting Corneria from threats, though. Pepper just wanted to be adored. God knows what'll happen when he takes office next month. Hopefully nothing. We'll see. As it stands, Pepper already declared open season on piracy throughout Lylat in open-space areas, unowned by other planets."

"I've never sensed any grim intentions from General Pepper before."

"That's because he really thinks he's trying to do the right thing. But he's going about it the wrong way, just like Andross did. One is far left with control issues, the other was far right with control issues. Both are wrong. But, hey, whatever. Pepper's gonna have even _more_control now that he's just been elected the new Prime Minister, with Peppy Hare as his new General."

"I've enjoyed a good working relationship on Corneria thusfar."

Wolf shrugged with a scoff. "That's changing, soon, too. My info guy says Bill Gray is being tapped to start carrying the WMD football for the administration starting in four months. But, someone near the top of the admistration has it out for him. Whichever the case, promotion or demotion, even your CAG will be gone, soon. Everything you know will be changing. Man, for being telepathic, you sure as hell don't know what's going on in your 'house,' kid."

Krystal frowned in silence.

It was suddenly difficult being in such a small place with such an overly opinionated man.

Neither spoke further.

The elevator doors opened.

Krystal stepped in front of Wolf and walked onto the control room deck first. She saw Panther and Leon waiting.

Wolf moved over to the holo-chart on a glass divider at the center of the control center. He waved a paw. The gesture started a preloaded presentation, by bringing up Venom's image on the glass panel. "Okay, you three. I paid serious money for this information ... we're the first to have it. So, listen up: There's a new leader taking the power vacuum on Venom. But it's not what you might think. It's happening under the ocean."

Panther blinked. "The lizards are building a base under the ocean? It's an acidic mess. Nothing can survive under the Venom waters."

Wolf shrugged. "Apparently, Andross created a race of frickin' fish people to fight his wars, but never got around to drafting them into the war with Corneria."

Leon asked, "What do we know about these creatures so far, Wolf?"

O'Donnell said, "They're smarter and more dangerous than the lizards. They're calling themselves the Anglar Empire, and they're building a goddamn fleet of ships. They're going to be launching an assault on ... you guessed it ... Corneria."

Leon groaned.

Panther shook his head.

Krystal sighed through clenched teeth. "Why is it always Corneria?"

"They're the rich planet," said Wolf. "So, we've got to play this carefully. This is Star Wolf's chance. If we can save Corneria from these idiots, we can get exonerated, clear our name, and operate legally. We'll be the heroes this time."

Krystal asked, "What if Corneria's military takes them down?"

Wolf shook his head. "Apparently, these fishy-fucks are no joke. My source has intel into their operation. Even Star Wolf isn't in any kind of position to fight them yet. We need to lay low or we'll be steamrolled. We need to study our prey, find a weakness, and then we'll strike. If Star Fox taught us anything, it's that we can't fight off all their forces. We can't push them back. All we can do is lay low, then hit at the heart of these freaks, and shut them down in one decisive strike."

Leon grimaced. "Speaking of Star Fox, we'll have to act before McCloud beats us to it. If he becomes a hero again, well ... that doesn't help us."

Wolf nodded. "Yeah, that's why I spent money on this intel. We're the only ones who know to start preparing." He cut his gaze to Krystal. "You don't have a paper trail to bring to Corneria, so telling them would only expose you for moonlighting with felons."

Krystal lifted her paws. "Don't question my loyalty."

Wolf feigned a smile. "Good." He waved at the glass panel, changing the image to show something other than Venom. "Look, you three, it's going to take all four of us to pull off a win against a big-ass secret race with hundreds of ships."

Panther grimaced. "How impossible are these odds of winning, Wolf?"

"It's grim," Wolf admitted. "And it might even take teaming up with Star Fox, again, and then leading them off course. Whatever it takes, right? Star Wolf is going to be the goddamn heroes next time around. And we have to keep this information close. No one can know."

"Agreed," said Krystal.

Panther and Leon both responded in agreeance, off-time from one another.

"Good," said Wolf. "Let's review what I've learned so far..."

An image of William Gray showed up on the glass panel. "My informant says that Bill is the rising star of the Cornerian military right now. Someone up at the top of the military, beneath Peppy Hare, wants to disgrace Gray. Not sure why, but it has something to do with the Anglar plan to manhandle Corneria. Word has it that Gray is gonna be busted down to Major."

Krystal brought her paws to her muzzle but didn't say anything. She swallowed and wondered how soon this would all take place.

X

X

At that moment, On Corneria ...

William Grey's muzzle dropped open in shock. "You're going to what?"

Peppy Hare paced in the empty Combat Information Center. "Bill, this comes from way_above _me. I don't even know what's going on, but the new Secretary of the Army and the Secretary of the Space Corps have come together on the matter of the Air Guard, and they have reason to demote you to Major."

"What the hell for?" Bill threw his paws up in the air. "I have done nothing but get results! The Pirating problem is nearly non-existent, now!"

"And, yet, Star Wolf continues to operate."

"They're in the Bolse Defense sector, practically in Venom airspace! Venom is currently at the furthest end from Corneria right now. It'll be another several months before their orbit brings them close enough to consider, but when that happens, Macbeth, Fortuna, Fichina, and Titania will be between us and them. They're not even interfering with Cornerian operations - they haven't in ages. Since before the Aparoid Assault. We have to prioritize on what is within reach, because we have a budget."

Peppy ran his paws up over his head, pushing his ears back. "Ironic, that's the same defense I gave the new Army secretary, but I'm told he had something else, too."

Bill exhaled. "Like what?"

Peppy frowned. "They were looking for a new CAG to replace you when bumping you up, so they were vetting you while vetting a new CAG. And, when that happened, they saw that you were running an operation off the books. This is the first time I'm hearing about this ... is it's true?"

"Yeah, Peppy. It's true. We don't have the budget to handle everything at once. I was letting select pilots moonlight as mercenaries so long as their work involved handling pirating or anything involving the remnants of Andrew Oikonny's old fleet."

Peppy tugged on his ears and dropped his paws at his sides. "Oh, Bill..."

"What? We're not paying them to handle these issues. I'm simply turning a blind eye to those that are. It's the only way we can afford to get a handle on it all. Like I said, I've been getting results. And, when I have to, I encourage these pilots to focus on certain sectors by carefully saying certain things in front of them. I nudge them in the right direction - trouble spots and soforth."

"Our pilots sign a nondisclosure agreement; they won't fight for anyone but Corneria. That's the agreement. Not while they represent us, not while we're paying for their training."

"They're not using our equipment on their side-jobs, Peppy. Like I said, we're under the constraints of a budget, and some of these pilots need the extra money, because we don't pay them enough."

"This is why you're going to be demoted to Major instead of promoted to a two-star General. And I really tried to argue with the new Secretary on your behalf, Bill. I told him that we could simply start enforcing this new post-Pepper rule."

"Yeah, and?"

Peppy sighed. "This new Army Secretary ... he's nothing like Michelle."

Bill sighed. "Yeah, I get that. Ted Zalinski or something, right?"

"Yes. Secretary Zalinski is the complete opposite from Michelle Baker. She wanted the military to have a citizen-friendly face that would make people feel like they could trust our military not to strike down others - 'defense first.' That was her slogan of sorts."

"Yeah, I remember her."

Peppy continued. "She was continuing in a long line of secretaries of the army that believed in defense. But this new guy, Zalinski, feels that the best defense is a good offense. He wants to divert budget money to weapons that would make our Army focus on threats at the edge of Lylat and beyond, like the next Aparoid threat, or whatever else is out there."

"What made Pepper go with this new guy, anyhow?"

Peppy shrugged. "I feel like John is being strong-armed to put Zalinski into place. Not sure why, but he won't talk to me about it. So ... I might be wrong."

"God, Peppy, okay, back to my career. I'm kind of freaking out, here. What does all this stuff have to do with me getting demoted?"

"You turned a blind eye to letting our pilots put themselves in additional danger. Corneria is the one who is responsible for these kids going out there and opening fire on an enemy. If a pirate is killed, but then it turns out that pirate was just an unarmed scrapper, looking for metals to sell ... guess who is responsible for that pilot's actions?"

"A pilot acting on their own accord is responsible for themselves alone, Peppy."

"Bill, it still hurts our military reputation if one of our pilots does something that winds up in the news. That leads to less budget. It leads to scathing media stories. Sure, it didn't happen, but the more you turn a blind eye to things, the sooner it will happen. The new administration feels that scrappers have a right to strip those old floating junk yards."

"No one should get their paws on military ordinance, FTL engines, or any other kinds of..."

"I'm not making the rules, Bill! My job is to make sure you're enforcing them!" Peppy sighed and turned to face the CIC holo-map of Lylat. He put his paws on the siding of the map emitter unit and leaned over it with a sigh. "I explained that the last administration was lax on the mercenary rule, but the new one says that it was still a rule - no mercenary units unless they are paid for by Corneria, and no Cornerian pilot shall operate outside of their work duties."

"Well, just because I knew we had dozens of pilots doing it, it doesn't mean I sanctioned it or condoned it. I just turned a blind eye. Can't they keep me where I'm at, or knock me down to Lieutenant-Colonel again?"

Peppy shook his head. "Had I known about it, Bill, I would have lost my commission as General. They're really serious about this."

"God. Major. I haven't been a Major in years."

"Yeah. I know. What's worse is you're being transferred back to Katina."

Bill sighed. "I'm just two years from paying off my mortgage, and now I have to sell my goddamn house?"

Peppy frowned. "I ... also need a list of anyone who has been moonlighting as a mercenary."

Bill shrugged. "I'm already getting demoted. Isn't that enough?"

"Do you know names or not?"

"A blind eye means I'm not micromanaging these kids. I'm only micromanaging our fleet and fighters."

Peppy shook his head with a soft groan. "Okay, so you have no idea who is running jobs outside of their commission as officers?"

"Peppy, even if I knew, I wouldn't tell you, because you'd have to report it. But ... I really don't know. I only suspect that a handful of fighter jocks are doing it. A few of the grunts we use as boarding parties ... it keeps their skills sharp. If you want to know so bad, run your own investigation."

Peppy grinned a bit. "That's what the Secretary said. You know what I told Zalinski? Heh, I told him an investigation wasn't in the budget."

Bill laughed softly. "Seriously?"

"Of course. Hey, I'm on your side, here. The only reason they want to demote you is because they were vetting you and the CAG that would take your place. So, they feel like, stumbling onto this is a potential PR nightmare. They're acting like they're embarrassed."

Bill sighed with a shake of his head. "Can we mitigate the press release about this?"

"I'll see what I can do," said Peppy. "Anyway, the new CAG will be telling the pilots that there will be no more moonlighting work. They have to wait until after their military contract expires to do that sort of stuff. Furthermore, it will be heavily enforced."

"How the hell do they expect to micromanage a fleet of pilots on their off hours?"

Peppy shrugged. "They can't. They can only punish anyone they catch doing it. But you? They discovered that you were willingly turning a blind eye, Bill. That's why they're making an example out of you."

Bill shook his head, and ran his paws up over his headfur, pulling against it. "God ... dammit. I loved this job. The only way I would willingly leave it is to be promoted above it."

Peppy frowned again. "Bill, I have been in the reserves for my entire mercenary career with Star Fox. Under these new rules, I wouldn't even be here. But if I want to stay, I have to play by the rules of my superiors. The only reason it was okay for me, being in the reserves, is because I stopped flying for Star Fox ages ago. I just sat on the bridge of Great Fox with my feet up. To be honest, I'm not even sure why I got a pass - maybe because losing the fleet General would attract too much negative press? Maybe because, as prime minister, John Pepper has the final say? I really don't know."

"You seriously can't fight this, Peppy?"

"I did. They brought up the fact I sat on Great Fox while I was in the reserves."

"I can't believe they threatened to find another General."

"Then who would watch your back?" Peppy frowned. "So, I told them I would toe the company line with every fiber of my being."

Bill grimaced. "But, I mean, c'mon ... Major. Seriously? Major."

"How much longer is left on your current contract?"

Bill pulled his paws down, over his ears, over his face, and rubbed his tired eyes. "Uh, three years. Why?"

"Look, you were DP 1st class Commander of Huskey and Bulldog squadron back in your days on Katina, right?"

"Yeah."

"I could see to it that we could give you command again. Major is still above DP 1st class, and..."

"Unless there's another war going on, Katina is a dead-end job with no future, no promotions, nothing. Even if there was a war, I'd be planetary defense. I'm a strategist, Peppy. I loved running my squadrons, but this isn't the Lylat Wars; we can't pretend that's going anywhere, you know?"

"Then what are you going to do for the next three years?"

"My job, then I'm going to retire."

Peppy gawked. "Seriously? Retire?"

"I was about to become the youngest two-star General in history. Now it won't happen for several decades. I'm turning thirty this upcoming year, Peppy. I still have my entire life ahead of me, and there's a lot of things I could do. But I'm not going to sit there and make less money and have the entire ladder still ahead of me, while I'm getting the same amount of responsibility..."

"Bill, with all due respect, managing two large squadrons is much less work than being the Commander, Air Group Wings commander."

"Can't you just make me the deputy CAG?"

Peppy shook his head, then nodded somewhat. "Not on Corneria. They want you to be the deputy CAG on Katina. But the job entails having your own squadrons, and you will report to the new CAG on Corneria. Katina doesn't have its own military, remember? We're their military. So, you report to the Cornerian Wings CAG."

"I know we're they're military. I was about to be the youngest General in the fleet. I know a few things."

"I get that you're angry, but don't take it out on me. Anyway, as I was saying, technically, you will be a deputy CAG. You'll fly the head missions involving Katina pilots. But only in defense of that planet."

Bill sighed through his teeth. "This is a hot mess. I was the Super CAG for nearly two years. Knocking me down by several ranks is ... it's really unfair."

"I know. Look, how is Krystal doing?"

Bill sighed again. "Fine."

"C'mon, Bill. Don't be upset with me. I'm trying to watch over you, but that means toeing the company line. And I look at Krystal as a stepfather, you know? How's she doing?"

Bill looked away. "She's an icy pilot. I won't be able to keep an eye on her, now. If left unchecked, she'll go from 'having the best kill score' to becoming a pilot that loses touch with..." Bill trailed off.

"Go on. I'm listening."

"Maybe you should talk to her, General Hare. She's dating a member of Star Wolf. Don't know who. Don't care, it's not my business. But she's there an awful lot. And, before you ask, no, that is not the reason I left Star Wolf alone. I don't care for those idiots. Good pilots don't have my respect just because they're good pilots. They're still dicks. But she's dating one of them, and the new CAG won't have any right to tell her she's not allowed out there in her personal ship. They're outlaws, sure, but they're in neutral airspace."

"The new CAG will pass her up for promotion to Major, because they won't want her to have information that could damage operations, at least not if she's dating Star Wolf members."

Bill shook his head. "Look, I know Fox would be really upset if he found out she was dating Wolf O'Donnell, so keep it to yourself."

Peppy eyed Bill. "What makes you think she's dating Wolf?"

"Because she dates leaders. She's no idiot. She puts herself close to the top authority. It's why she dated Fox. Her and I went to dinner and a movie a few times, too. I know, I know what you're going to say, just spare me the speech. We never got undressed. I'm the goddamn CAG, and it was inappropriate. But, that's my point - she dates authority. She's probably attracted to power, subconsciously."

Peppy looked up at the ceiling. "It's ... possible she's dating Wolf, but not necessarily the case."

"She sure as hell isn't dating Leon, especially after butting heads with reptiles on Sauria. Okay, whatever, she's dating a Star Wolf Pilot, I just don't know who. Keep it to yourself. For her sake."

"The new CAG will see that she's heading out to Bolse Sector, and they won't promote her beyond where she's at, Bill. It's that simple. If you know where your pilots are going, then you also know who is moonlighting as a mercenary."

"General Hare, sir, I do not know who is, or who is not ... moonlighting as a mercenary, sir."

Peppy smiled. He gave Bill a firm pat on the shoulder. "Good man. I like your loyalty. And, because you asked, I will keep Krystal's dating life private. I won't tell Fox. You're right, it would hurt him."

"I know it would. Did you know we met one another before the academy?"

Peppy blinked. "What? I thought you guys met at the academy."

Bill shook his head. "I did, too. Then I got my paws on an elementary school yearbook. We knew each other up until Vixy Reynard-McCloud died. Then, Fox and James moved. The year after that, my parents moved to Katina. I wound up getting bunked with him at the academy, and we didn't recognize each other. We just ... became friends. Years later, we realized we knew each other when we were little. He's a good guy, and I've thought about flying with him one day, but ... he's got to ask me, again."

"I doubt he'll ask you. He doesn't want to bring anyone into his problems. Falco is talking about leaving Star Fox again. Slippy was offered a job for Cornerian tech R&D. Star Fox is virtually over."

Bill frowned. "End of an era."

"You're telling me," Peppy murmured softly. "Have you ever asked Krystal about the person she's dating, or ... that she's even actually dating someone from Star Wolf?"

Bill shook his head. "When she comes back from time on Sargasso, she smells like roses and a fresh shower. So, her Star Wolf boyfriend gives her flowers."

Peppy turned away from Bill. Roses. That confirmed the rabbit's suspicions. He sighed softly and nodded. He'd heard that Wolf was dating a vixen, but he was told that she was red-furred and possibly a distant cousin of Fox McCloud. Whatever drama Star Wolf was embroiled in, they had, in fact, stayed away from Corneria and all Cornerian operations. He turned back to Bill and said, "Star Wolf hasn't given _any _pilots trouble?"

"No, General. Not in years. I had one report that they took down pirates that were giving our pilots trouble ... about two years ago. They left the area before more Cornerian reinforcements could arrive, but they kept our pilot alive, and then left quickly. Anyway, if you want to ask Krystal, feel free. Can I appeal this decision about my demotion?"

"No. It's not going to be a public court martial. They don't want to do that to your career. As far as anyone else knows, you're going to be transferred to Katina and be the lead ranking officer of the Cornerian forces over Katina."

"This is ridiculous."

"I know."

"I guess I should start packing."

Peppy nodded. "I'm sorry, Bill. I fought tooth and nail."

"Well, thanks."

"They were going to knock you down to Captain. But I told them your experience would really keep Katina safe, considering it's a front line between Corneria and Venom. After much deliberating, it was agreed that you would become the deputy CAG, operating all the Katina squadrons. Bulldog and Husky will be restored to their original sizes, with almost fifty pilots between the two groups."

Bill shrugged. "Am I dismissed, sir?"

Peppy sighed with a nod. "Stay safe. Thanks for keeping an eye on Krystal as long as you were able."

"Yeah. I mean ... yes, sir." Bill turned for the door. "I have a lot of packing to do, sir. So, if there's nothing else?"

Peppy nodded with a frown. "You're dismissed, Major Grey."

Bill walked out of the Combat Information Center but stopped in the doorway. "I hear the CIC is lonely without having people you trust to run it for you, General. Choose wisely. I hope this new CAG has your back and doesn't just ... want your job. The last CAG, before me, was a goddamn politician, and wanted nothing more than to run things. He became an Aparoid and personally attacked John Pepper. Right where you're standing, actually."

Peppy blinked at Bill. He looked down at the deck plates where he was standing.

Bill added, "The CAG infected Pepper. Gave him the goddamn virus right there, right where you're standing. The old man was lucky that the doctors were able to operate on him before it was too late. They slowed the infection rate until Star Fox and Star Wolf were able to destroy those bastards. Shame that Pepper had to retire from hands-on military matters. He would have had the political clout to stand up to the new Secretary. Damn shame he won't fix this as the Prime Minister."

"Bill..."

"I didn't vote for him. So, I don't have any right to ask for any special favors."

"Bill, no one voted on him, because no one ran against him."

"I rest my case. Look, I'm going to go. Let me know if John comes to his senses, or if you come to yours." Bill stepped the rest of the way through the door arch, and the door behind him with a swish and a thump.

Silence.

Peppy sighed. "Yeah," he whispered. "You're probably right. Good Goddess Lylat, I swear, being in charge is complicated."

X

X

Meanwhile, Venom ...

*The Emperor of the Anglar Empire * snickered softly. "Our new 'plant,' as the Cornerians call it, has successfully become the Secretary of the Army on Corneria. Secretary Zalinski has made some personnel changes that will affect the defense of Corneria. Zazan, you will be meeting with him and the other Secretaries, as part of a handoff of Venom's military to Cornerian control. You'll kill all five secretaries by destroying the meeting site and escaping. After that, you'll have a much easier time taking over Corneria. By now, all the changes Zalinski has made are already in effect."

Zazan's image wavered on the screen, briefly, before coming sharp and clear again. "When does the meeting take place?"

"Tomorrow. Everything is in place. You arrive and shake hands. Then, you step onto a platform that will beam you up to your ship, which will be cloaked in orbit above Corneria."

"I thought Zalinski is working for us?"

"No, he is a patriot. Just a misguided one. I simply funded his bid for Secretary with the new Prime Minister. I funded him because of his political views. He is still loyal to Corneria, but his first order of business was to shake up the military leadership. Corneria is the only world where the secretaries have to be elected into their cabinet seats."

"I see," said Zazan.

The emperor continued. "After Zalinski was elected into place, he got to work quickly, and as expected, he cracked down on the Army's use of mercenary teams, and he cracked down on members who allowed the pilots to act as mercenaries. That caused a large shakeup of Corneria's military leadership. I was hoping the current general was going to be implicated, but he managed to dodge the investigation. Clever rabbit."

"Will he be at the meeting?"

"I do not know his itinerary; Zalinski has no way of seeing the General's schedule, even though the General answers to Zalinski. But Zalinski managed to have quite an impression on the other secretaries, by explaining that his changes are the will of the people who voted him into his cabinet position."

Zazan nodded, listening.

"The rest of the leadership in the Army, and in two other branches, were either demoted or forced to retire. So, when you kill the five branch secretaries, it will throw Corneria's military into chaos. Their defense budget was just moved to offensive programs, but it hasn't yet been spent or, as they call it, 'earmarked,' so Corneria will not be prepared for an immediate attack. The very next morning, when I contact you, Zazan, you will begin the attack of Corneria. Our forces will overpower them quickly."

"An excellent strategy, Emperor."

"I know. I will contact you again, Zazan. For now, prepare for your meeting, and have an explosive constructed. Beam it in on the platform, beam yourself up to your ship, and detonate it."

"I will not fail you, Emperor."

"Very good, Zazan. I will contact you again soon, to let you know when it's time to begin the invasion." The Emperor ended the video call from his end, and a devious smile spread across his face.

Silence.

The Emperor turned to his remaining Venom Generals in his employ. "With the frog having left Star Fox due to my contacts offering him a job in Research and Development, the Star Fox team is barely operational. The bird removed himself out of boredom. The girl joined Star Fox's rival mercenary group. Now is the time for action. This will be an easy and decisive victory over Corneria. The rest of Lylat will follow shortly thereafter."

THE END

_ _

_Story to be continued in STAR FOX COMMAND for the DS, released in 2006. It's also now available on the Wii-U Virtual Store. The story picks up in REFLECTIONS OF REGRET, which is about two-thirds of the way finished. _

_Thanks for reading, y'all! _

_Kit Karamak February 20, 2020. _