That night, Fox's dreams were haunted by the shrill cries of aparoids as they plagued through the streets of Corneria City. He stood in the center of the city, helpless as the home he knew and loved was torn to pieces by enormous swarms of the alien insects. Towers burned, roads were broken, and black smoke filled the sky while a battle raged on. Cornerian pilots on the ground and in the sky fought desperately to repel the endless onslaught of invaders.

Fox noticed that the rest of his team was there as well, some flying in Arwings and others aiding the Cornerian soldiers on foot. Falco's ship soared just above his head and wind rushed past him as he flew by, ruffling his fur. A swarm of spider-like insects with four legs crawled their way up the ramp leading to the top of the platform Fox was standing on, and he recognized them immediately as aparoid crawlers. They each had one single turquoise eye and two small pincers below it, snapping furiously as they neared him.

Reaching into his holster on his right hip, Fox realized that he didn't have his blaster and began to panic. Before he could retreat, a large green beam of energy pulsed through the air and struck one of the aparoids, destroying the entire swarm at once. He traced the beam back to its source and found that it came from a Landmaster piloted by Slippy. The blue and grey tank was similar in design to the Arwing, rolling along the ground on four treaded wheels with a long barrel at its top. Fox thanked his toad friend with a brief nod and scanned the clearing for someplace where he could make his combat skills useful.

At the bottom of the four ramps surrounding the platform, a multitude of aparoid hatchers clung to the ground, glowing green as they spawned more aparoid crawlers. Their dark, hexagonal caskets were surrounded by honeycombed energy fields, destroyable only with gunfire. The aparoids must be spawning from the hatchers, Fox thought as he wondered where he misplaced his blaster. He raced to the bottom of the ramp to search for another weapon when he heard a cry in distress.

Following the road ahead of him, he soon realized that the voice was Krystal's. She wielded her staff and held her position firmly while she fought with the fox pilot responsible for Bryan Grey's death. He stood tall with a laser sword in each hand, his eyes still unreadable behind the visor covering them.

"Help me, Fox!" Krystal called. Though he ran as fast as he could, Fox couldn't seem to reach her. "Fox!" She called again, extending one hand out to him. He reached with his arm as far as he could, but still could not touch her fingertips. "Fox!" The vixen's voice rang in his head a third time before everything went black and he found himself awake in his bed inside The Great Fox. He rose to a sitting position and shook his head, still echoing with the sound of his friend in danger.

"Fox?" The familiar voice sounded from across the room. Krystal was really there with him, standing in the middle of his doorway with a concerned expression on her face, still wearing her Star Fox uniform. Though the pilots slept, they still wore their combat and piloting gear sometimes in the event that an emergency rose during the night. "I read your brain patterns from across the hall... Are you alright? I sensed that you were having a nightmare," the vixen spoke with worry for her friend.

"Oh, um... I'm alright," Fox sighed, unwilling to admit that the aparoids had disturbed his thoughts as much as they did.

Krystal obviously didn't buy the lie, as her expression turned cross. "You know that I am a telepath; you can't hide your thoughts and fears from me." She placed her hands on her hips, awaiting an explanation.

"I guess it's the aparoids bothering me," Fox admitted. "We now know that Oikonny was aware of the aparoid attacks on Fortuna and possibly the entire aparoid invasion, but that doesn't change anything, does it? We defeated the Queen and the homeworld was destroyed without a trace of the vile creatures remaining." He wasn't sure if he was asking a question or trying to convince himself that the aparoids were no longer a threat.

Krystal relaxed her figure and walked into the room, taking a seat beside him on his bed. She paused for a moment, as if she was searching for an answer herself. "You had a dream about them, didn't you?" She probed. Without waiting for an answer, she continued, "I'm positive we destroyed them all. It seems that our newfound information is irrelevant to our current war with Oikonny, but then why do I doubt it in my heart? I was awake to read your thoughts because mine too were tormented with the fear of something more."

Fox slowly reached his hand toward hers and intertwined her fingers between his, fortunate that what happened in his dream did not follow him to the real world. She said nothing, but looked into his eyes and smiled at the gesture. He felt as if he could stare into her beautiful sapphire gaze for a lifetime until she lowered her head and breathed a deep sigh. "Whatever comes next, I fear that it will be much larger than anything we have faced before. If our new enemy has been plotting since the first attack on Fortuna, who knows what he's capable of."

"From the video clip, it sounded as if he tried to control the aparoids... but that would have been impossible, right?" Again, Fox wondered if even he knew the answer to his question. "They were without souls, seeking only the assimilation of all life forms and technology into their ranks. How could anyone contain a force bent on only their own will?"

"I'm not sure," the young vixen replied. "But whatever happens, we will face it together," she declared with a sudden boost in confidence.

Fox nodded in agreement, warmed by his friend's assurance. Suddenly, a light from the outside hallway flicked on and brightness crept into his bedroom. He and Krystal stood up together and left the room, curious as to what was going on outside. Fox peered around the corner and found that Katt and Lucy were at the ships controls, whispering to each other while pointing at images on the main computer monitor. Lucy punched in several commands and the images on the screen changed, displaying terrain as if they were scanning the surface of a planet.

"What do you two think you are doing?" Fox interrogated lightly. "Aren't you supposed to be sleeping? We all need to keep up our strength for Oikonny's threats."

Krystal nodded beside him, clearly knowing the effects of exhaustion firsthand.

"Do you have any idea how difficult it is to sleep out here in these uncomfortable chairs while you are in there snoring in your beds? Why don't you give it a try," Katt suggested. "Let me sleep in your bed next time you have me on board and you can sleep out here."

Fox knew that she wasn't speaking so harshly out of anger; all six pilots were anxious after finding out that the aparoid invasion was planned. The pink-furred cat was simply worried and stressed. "Trust me, I have spent many nights thinking and researching until I have fallen asleep out here," he replied coolly. "I promise next time we will plan for more suitable accommodations for guests... With that aside, what are you doing?"

Lucy turned from the controls in a more serious tone. "I spent the last several hours scanning the Lylat System for a trace of Oikonny's movements. I wanted to be one step ahead this time..." She paused and lowered her head as if deep in thought. Returning her gaze to Fox, she continued, "I tracked a lone Wolfen to planet Venom. It settled somewhere in isolation, appearing to be alone in the middle of nowhere. I think Oikonny is up to something suspicious."

"Venom..." Krystal murmured. "What could he possibly be doing there? The natives of Venom broke their allegiance to Andross after he was defeated nearly ten years ago." She shot a warning glance at Fox and he acknowledged it by locking eyes with her.

Fox approached the computer monitor and studied it briefly in silence. Peppy's daughter was correct; a single Wolfen appeared to be stranded among a barren wasteland of cliffs and chasms, far from any of the populated Venomian cities. A scan of the surrounding area revealed that several Venomian ships had landed nearby, making mere coincidence seem unlikely.

"Looks to me like they're having a secret meeting." Fox recognized Falco's voice and turned around to see him standing in the entryway, accompanied by a groggy-eyed toad. Falco studied the screen from afar, squinting to distinguish fine details in the distance while Slippy rubbed his eyes and stretched his stubby arms in a yawn.

"Do you think we should alert the Cornerian Army?" The mechanic asked, still half asleep.

"I'm not sure," Krystal was the first to answer. "This is too repetitive; we fly in with the whole Cornerian armada, Oikonny sees us coming from a mile away, and then he escapes. Surely we should try a different approach?"

Fox hesitated before he could contribute. A direct attack on Venom was not only predictable, but dangerous. An assault against the native lizards of the planet could break their truce with Corneria, forcing them to side with Oikonny. If they haven't already, he thought. "What about a more stealthy approach? If the six of us go without the assistance of the Cornerian Army, we will gain the element of surprise. We could use the Orbital Gate to transport us just outside Venom and fly in undetected."

"I like your plan, but it could backfire," Falco warned. "If things get ugly, we'll have no backup. Even if we can take the Orbital Gate back here, this is all up to us."

Krystal narrowed her eyes in determination. "I think that it's worth the risk. Oikonny has been ahead of us every step of the way; it's time that we take the fight to him."

"I'm in," Fox immediately backed her up. "This is our chance to capture Oikonny while he is isolated and finally put an end to this conflict." He was almost surprised at his own lack of hesitation, but he felt confident in his team and time was running short. They couldn't afford to sit around and wait for Oikonny and his allies to make the next move.

"So are we," Falco winked and nudged Slippy to keep him from dozing off. "Aren't we, buddy?"

The sleepy mechanic didn't sound quite as enthusiastic as his copilot. "Yea, sure... Who wouldn't love to visit one of the most hazardous and treacherous planets in the Lylat System?"

Katt and Lucy seemed eager to agree, proud of their significant find. "Alright then, it's settled," Katt purred. "Let's get down to our ships before Oikonny gets away!" She led the charge as the team filed out of the control room, but Fox stayed behind, typing commands into his ship's computer to contact Beltino Toad. He backed away from the monitor, waiting for Beltino to appear when he realized that he wasn't alone. He felt watchful eyes burning through his fur behind him and glanced over his shoulder, catching a glimpse of blue fur and purple clothing.

"This mission will be more dangerous that it seems," Krystal's ominous voice broke the silence. "Oikonny appears to be alone, but he is not to be trusted." Fox felt as if there was something she was not telling him, but held the question from her. Instead, he focused his thoughts on Beltino as he appeared on the main computer screen, startled by the sudden call.

"Fox, Krystal. What can I do for you? Is this about the hidden archives?"

"No, but this is about something just as important... And top secret," Fox added with a hint of caution. "Six of us are about to fly to the gate and we need you to transport us to planet Venom."

"Venom!" The research director exclaimed, almost forgetting to keep his voice low. "Why would you ever wish to return to that desolate place?"

"Oikonny is there. We are going to capture him, without the help of the Cornerian Army," Krystal spoke up. Fox knew that she was just as intent on keeping this knowledge secret as he was. At this point, they would rather fly alone than risk the success of the mission by involving Corneria. If anyone else found out that they were leaving, Corneria would send in reinforcements and the Venomians would interpret the invasion as an act of war.

Beltino twitched his moustache and pushed his glasses up, obviously hesitant to allow Fox and his team to attempt something so dangerous. "I have always trusted you to do the right thing, Fox," he began. For a moment, the lead pilot of the Star Fox team thought the toad would deny them access and alert the Cornerian military. Before he could open his mouth to protest, Beltino continued, "So proceed with extreme caution. Don't take any risks, and please, all of you come back alive."

"Thank you," Fox nodded with gratitude. "We won't let you down." The image of Slippy's father vanished and the screen returned to the image of Oikonny's Wolfen on Venom. Turning to Krystal, he signaled to lead the way as they departed for the hangar bay on the first floor. They stepped into the elevator in silence and descended to the lowest level, picking up the pace and breaking into a run as they headed for their Arwings. "Hopefully we can slip by unnoticed and take Oikonny by surprise," Fox commented.

"That's the plan," Krystal affirmed as she raced beside him, matching him step for step. "From here on in, it's do or die time. Let's go!"

* * *

Streams of green energy pulsed from the Orbital Gate's extensions as Fox hovered in space beside his friends, preparing to make the journey to Venom. Fox, Falco, Slippy, and Krystal flew in Arwings while Katt and Lucy joined them in their custom spacecrafts. The glimmering green beams of the Orbital Gate intersected at a distance, creating a solid portal that the Star Fox team would use to make the transportation. Fox engaged his ship's thrusters as the portal became active, waiting to give the command to take off.

"Be careful out there, team," Beltino warned from inside the research center. "If for any reason you should not return, I'll have to alert the Cornerian military so they can come to your rescue."

"Like that would ever happen," Falco retorted. "Come on, guys, let's get a move on!"

Fox wished he was as confident as his friend, but his dreams haunted him and filled his mind with despair and doubt. How does our new knowledge change anything? The aparoid invasion is over; we defeated them, and there's no way that they can play a part in our war against Oikonny, is there? Shrugging the thought aside, he attempted to clear his mind in order to focus on his current objective. "Alright, team. Prepare for takeoff. Krystal, could you lead the way? Your telepathic abilities should lead us straight to Oikonny."

"Roger that," the vixen confirmed and took the lead as the six ships flew toward the warp gate. "I input the coordinates we found inside The Great Fox, so we should end up close enough that I can sense him while still landing far enough away to avoid being detected."

Landing was something Fox hadn't thought about yet; the acidic fumes surrounding planet Venom made it nearly uninhabitable except for the reptilian species that thrived there. If Oikonny had landed on the planet's surface, it must have been possible for him to breathe there. Maybe the Venomians had managed to make renovations, allowing for other species to survive on their home planet.

One by one, the six ships flew through the green portal, disappearing from space outside planet Corneria. Fox was the last to make the transportation, and in seconds he found himself soaring through the dark skies of Venom. Of all the planets orbiting the Lylat sun, this was the furthest away and received little of its light, making it feel desolate and inhospitable. Fox and his allies flew in silence, led by Krystal, until she began to descend. They passed over a large rift, stretching downward into a dark abyss of nothingness and landed just beyond it, where the ground sloped downward into a wide canyon filled with crevices and craters.

"The air here is breathable, according to my scanners," Slippy croaked. "The Venomians must have improved the conditions of this planet slightly in the last decade."

Fox remembered the planet well from his last 'visit.' Ten years ago, at the height of the old Lylat Wars, Fox and his team chased Andross across the galaxy, destroying any and all obstacles he threw at them on their way to his new homeworld. The mad uncle of Andrew Oikonny was once an intelligent and powerful Cornerian scientist, until his hunger for power corrupted him enough to put innocent lives and his home planet in danger. Exiled to Venom to die, the ape performed numerous life-threatening experiments on himself so that he could survive on the hostile planet, destroying his body and poisoning his soul. He was defeated at the hands of the Star Fox team, but his will to dominate the galaxy lived on through his nephew, Oikonny.

After following his teammates to their landing point, Fox unstrapped himself and ejected from his ship, meeting his companions on the rough, dry ground. The acrid, green fumes engulfing the planet's atmosphere seemed to have vanished over the past ten years, a sign that the Venomian lizards had achieved some success in stabilizing it.

"Oikonny is nearby," Krystal warned as she gathered the others to her. "I sense that he is underground, below the planet's surface... and he is not alone. I can read the thought patterns of many Venomians as well. He must be having some kind of secret meeting with them."

"That's not good," Fox muttered. "He might be trying to convince them to aid in his cause. We have to reach them and stop their meeting as soon as possible. Krystal, lead the way. We're right behind you."

The vixen nodded and drew her blaster from her hip, pacing through the canyon cautiously while Fox took the rear. He retrieved his blaster as well and held it close to his chest, traveling like a thief in the night as he scanned the surrounding area for a tunnel leading downward. In the distance, several Venomian fighters rested beside what must have been Oikonny's Wolfen, alerting the Star Fox team that they must be close.

"I don't like this..." Slippy trembled near the middle of the group.

Fox was not entirely confident about their situation either. It was one thing to be safe at home, claiming to sneak in behind enemy lines but it was something else entirely to actually go through with it. Normally it wouldn't have been a problem, but with no backup, he felt vulnerable and exposed among the barren landscape. "Neither do I," he admitted to his friends, "but this is the only way to ensure that Oikonny doesn't escape."

"Everyone, be quiet," Krystal whispered from up ahead. "I think I found something."

Fox abandoned his position at the back and made his way to stand beside her. She was gazing down into a wide tunnel that sloped downward into the planet itself, illuminated by the light of a glowing lantern at its entrance. It appeared that the steps descending into the darkness were rough and uneven, as if made naturally rather than by the hands of the Venomian natives. Fox shuddered at the thought of going any further into enemy territory, wondering if it might be a trap. One wrong move in the darkness could be their last.

"I sense Oikonny down there, I am positive of it," Krystal reassured him, taking the lead as she began to pick her way among the dark footholds. "Keep your guard up, everyone. These tunnels could be a maze of never ending pathways; once we find and capture Oikonny, we need to get out of here and make for our ships. Don't shoot to kill him unless absolutely necessary. He might still be withholding important information from us."

Fox followed her into the depths with one hand on his blaster and one hand running along the side of the tunnel for support. When the ground leveled out, a series of glowing lamps protruded from the walls, providing a dim light bright enough to navigate with. Fox followed Krystal silently, tailed by Lucy as they wandered on, fortunate that the tunnel did not diverge into separate pathways.

After what seemed like an eternity of aimless pacing, Fox thought that he spotted a fork in the trail just ahead of them. Krystal stopped abruptly and he almost crashed into her, pressing against her back for support as he fumbled forward. She nearly collapsed against his weight and held herself upright as Lucy collided with him, causing a chain reaction that passed through the entire party.

"Hey, watch it!" Falco called from the back. "You can't just stop in the middle of nowhere like that, I can barely see past my beak in here!"

"The path splits in two," Krystal pointed out as she studied the obstacle, unsure of which direction to choose. She tilted her head back and forth, studying the two passageways hesitantly.

Fox crept up beside her and gazed down each trail, unable to identify anything beyond the first several lanterns lighting them. "Can you not sense which way he is?" He asked the telepath.

"I'm not entirely sure," she whispered, "Oikonny's brain patterns are not clear enough for me to determine which route to take. We might need to split into two groups and check both pathways..."

"Split up? In the middle of this dark tunnel? Count me out!" Slippy panicked and bolted in the opposite direction, toward the entrance.

Falco reached behind and grabbed his friend by the collar and yanked him back to join the others, giving him a look of pure annoyance. "Calm down, will ya? If anything happens, we can just meet back up here. Why don't I go with Krystal and Katt, while you and Lucy go with Fox?"

The leader of the Star Fox team wavered from supporting the idea, but what other choice did they have? He only wished that he and Krystal could be part of the same squad. If anything were to happen to her, I don't know what I would do, the familiar thought entered his head and he tried his hardest to force it away.

"Fox, it's ok," a familiar warm hand took hold of his. Krystal nodded to him encouragingly and backed away to join Falco and Katt. "You promised you would stop trying to protect me, remember? Lead the others, they need you most. If you locate Oikonny, contact any one of us. We will head straight back and meet you here."

He thought on it for another moment and finally agreed with her. "Hmmm, alright," he murmured. "Please be careful..."

Without another word, the she-fox vanished into the tunnel on the right, followed closely by Falco and Katt. Part of him hated to watch her go on without him, but he knew that he had to lead Lucy and Slippy to investigate the tunnel on the left. "Let's move," he called while motioning for his friends to follow. He took the first step down his pathway and continued onward, guided by the light of the lanterns lining the walls.

Again, Fox lost track of how long he crept along in silence until the tunnel widened out ahead of him, followed by a sharp left turn. A shadow lined the floor, lengthened by the positioning of another lantern just behind the figure. It must have been a Venomian guard based on its shape and size; from what Fox could tell, it stood as tall as he did with the long, pointed tail and nose of a lizard. He came to a halt and signaled for his friends to do the same as he paced forward and poked his head around the corner.

His observations served him well; in his brief glance, he discovered that there were two Venomian guards standing watch around the corner, facing an open balcony that overlooked a small room carved out of stone. In the distance, voices echoed from the chamber up over the balcony. If Fox wanted to take out the guards, he would have to do it in a way that made little to no sound.

Turning to face Lucy and Slippy, he told them of his plan. "There are two guards around the corner," he whispered. "I am going to take them out quietly, and then you two come in and cover me in case anyone hears."

They both nodded quickly without saying a word, drawing their blasters and bracing themselves to jump to his aid.

Fox took a deep breath and visualized his swift attacks on the guards. He sheathed his blaster, knowing that any gunfire would cause a commotion, and rounded the corner. The nearer of the two lizards noticed him immediately, but had no time to react or call for help. Fox spun and slammed his arm into the Venomian's throat, silencing him, and then smacked the back of his head against the wall behind him. He turned to face the second guard, but to his surprise, the lizard was already on the floor, unconscious. Above the dazed enemy stood three pilots that Fox never expected to see on Venom; Wolf, Leon, and Panther.

From around the corner, Lucy and Slippy darted out into the hallway, weapons drawn until they realized that Fox wasn't surrounded by enemy gunners. They appeared to be as surprised as he was at the reunion of Star Fox and Star Wolf under such unlikely circumstances.

"Wolf... What are you doing here?" Fox inquired.

"The same thing you are, pup," the tall gray-furred wolf answered with a look over the balcony. Fox peered over the edge into the small chamber below, lit by bright lanterns glowing from the ceiling. Oikonny was seated at an enormous stone table, carved perhaps from the tunnel itself. Almost a dozen Venomians surrounded him, talking secretively in voices that were almost inaudible from where Fox stood.

"You tracked him all the way from Fichina?" He asked while all six pilots crouched and leaned toward the open balcony so they could watch and listen to their common enemy.

Wolf positioned himself beside his rival and glared at Oikonny, as if it pained him to listen patiently for the opportune moment to strike. "He made several stops along the way, but we finally caught him where he is vulnerable; alone and helpless in the dark."

"So, do we have your allegiance or not?" Oikonny asked with a questioning glance around the table. The Venomians appeared to be in debate, each one hesitant to speak for the whole group. Finally, after a moment of silence, the lizard across the table spoke up.

"We are currently at peace with the Cornerians," he debated. "Why should we break a decade's ceasefire and strike against a military far stronger than ours? Andross' remaining forces are low in number and weak."

A mischievous grin formed on the ape's face, as if he was withholding information from the others at the table. "Our armies are stronger in number than ever before, and Corneria's are weaker due to the recent aparoid invasion. Surely he has informed you of this... He also claims that he wields the most powerful force in the galaxy."

Another lizard at the table grunted. "Hmph, so he says. Why will he not reveal himself and show us this great weapon? Why are we here, listening to you, when he is the one we should be discussing this with?"

"He's on the planet with us, although he is rather... busy..." Before the Venomians could ask the leader of Andross' forces to explain, a knock sounded at a wooden door behind the table at the end of the meeting room. Another Venomian guard appeared as the door opened, exhausted and out of breath as he stood in the doorway leaning against the wall for support.

"Intruders must have slipped in through the back door," he panted between breaths. "We captured three of them, but I think there might be more of them lurking about the base."

The lizard at the head of the table across from Oikonny stood up with a jolt. "Well go on and find them!" He demanded.

"Oh no," Fox whispered. "Krystal, Falco, and Katt must have been caught," he alerted Wolf as he pulled a grenade from his belt. "We have to make a move before any harm comes to them! Now is our only chance to strike before Oikonny gets away again!" He charged the grenade for only a second before tossing it over the balcony, where it hit the floor and began rolling unnoticed toward the center of the room, underneath the black stone table.

"Think about our offer," Oikonny suggested as he stood to make his way for the door. Before he even left his place at the table, the hidden grenade exploded in a flash of light, cracking the table into dozens of fragments and shooting them across the room. Lizards and rock fragments were thrown through the air and against the walls as Fox leaped from his hiding place and down into the fray. He raced through the debris with only one target on his mind: Oikonny.

As a lizard hauled himself to his feet in front of him, Fox leaped off a large piece of stone and threw a punch to his face. When he landed, another enemy drew his blaster to shoot him in the back, but he reached behind and grabbed the gun in his hands, slamming it into the stomach of his attacker and kicking him against the wall. There were no longer any lizards between him and Oikonny, who had backed himself into a corner, cowering feebly with his arms raised over his head. Fox paced toward him furiously, grasping his collar in his hands and lifting him into the air.

"Where are Krystal and the others?" He interrogated, shaking his arms violently to intimidate his foe. No answer came, and Fox grew impatient. He slammed Oikonny's head against the back wall, knocking him unconscious as his body went limp. He turned to face his allies, who had pinned down the remaining Venomians and forced them into surrender. Wolf pointed his gun to the head of the lizard who had reported the intrusion, down on his knees with his hands in the air.

Keeping his hold on Oikonny, Fox drew his blaster and raised it so that the Venomian was staring down its barrel. "Where are the other intruders? Where will you take them?" He barked, desperate to find Krystal. He knew that it had been a mistake to separate and split into pairs!

The lizard coughed, lowering his head in defeat. "I... I don't know..." he stuttered, traumatized by the explosion and sudden ambush by the Star Fox and Star Wolf teams. "By the time we found them, they had already been knocked out and taken by a foreigner."

Fox narrowed his eyes, expecting a more detailed explanation.

"He was a fox with dark fur and a visor covering his eyes, wielding two laser swords. I swear, I don't know the guy...He mentioned something about taking them to a ship, above the surface. If you go now, you might be able to make it in time," he trembled, hoping that his clarification was satisfactory.

Fox lowered his blaster and signaled to the others. "We need to trace our steps back to where we entered; it's a long way but it's the only choice we have to save Krystal, Falco, and Katt." He turned to face the balcony, preparing to activate his jetpack, when Wolf interrupted him.

"I think we took a much shorter route than you did; follow us quickly and don't fall behind." The leader of the Star Wolf team grabbed Oikonny in his muscular arms and jet-packed over the balcony, followed closely by Leon and Panther. Fox led Lucy and Slippy as they scaled the balcony and raced from the debris stricken room, through a hallway perpendicular to the entrance they had initially taken.

"We'd better make it in time," Panther growled in a deep, angry voice. "If anything happens to Krystal I won't be able to live with myself..."

Fox followed behind him in silence, darting through a series of twists and turns, realizing that this tunnel was much more complicated than the last. If only she was yours to protect, he thought, disturbed by the panther's interest. I hope Wolf knows where he is going. We are running out of time! Finally, a bright light filtered through, meaning that they had reached the end of the dark tunnel.

Suddenly they emerged into the faint light where an unfamiliar black ship could be seen in the distance. Its thin frame was surrounded by spider-like fins and round engines, bursting with flames as they came to life. Fox could do nothing as the cruiser lifted itself off the ground and disappeared with a burst of speed, throwing wind and dust in its wake. His Arwing was still resting where he left it near the outskirts, and even if Wolf could make it to his ship in time there was no chasing it. The enemy would be miles away before he could even start his engines.

"No!" Fox collapsed to his knees as tears formed in his eyes, forcing them back in the presence of Star Wolf. His three friends were now in enemy hands, helpless to face whatever the mysterious fox had planned for them. His copilots, his friends; even his beloved Krystal. I have no idea where they will take you, he thought as he wiped a tear from his eye and sniffled. Fox, you were a fool for ever letting her leave your sight. You were not strong enough... In that moment, all of his worst fears had come to life. He was not there for his comrades and they had paid the price for it.

"Fox, come on you stupid dog, pull yourself together!" The furious voice of Wolf disturbed him from his thoughts. "We don't know where he is taking your friends, but we have one of theirs; maybe he will know where to find them."

The miserable fox hauled himself to his feet, numb to his surroundings except for the ape that he had managed to capture in exchange for his loss. With Wolf's words, a new hope surged through him. Oikonny must know where this guy is hiding. If we can make him talk, we should be able to find our friends. I just hope that we're not too late...