Fox McCloud leaned back and stretched in his spinning chair in the control room of The Great Fox. He was surrounded by his companions, some familiar and some new, who had taken seating positions nearby to discuss what had recently happened at the ceremony on Corneria. Fox felt that they needed some time to debrief and determine what the next course of action would be.

"So what's all of this about Oikonny?" Katt was the first to speak up, her pink tail curling toward Falco. The pink-furred cat had chosen to sit near her old friend, still unfamiliar with many of the other members gathered. She was not involved in the aparoid invasion and knew little about the affairs of Corneria. Fox guessed that she spent most of her time solo or flying with different gangs from time to time.

"Andrew Oikonny, Andross' nephew, was supposedly killed over a year ago." Fox explained how they had cornered him on the planet Fortuna, where he had been shot down by an aparoid moth. The Star Fox team was convinced that he was dead, but they were wrong. There had now been two confirmed sightings of their ape enemy.

Katt nodded slowly while Lucy, who had positioned herself between Falco and Fox, added, "Peppy told me about Oikonny's death shortly after your Fortuna mission. The majority of the planet was swarming with aparoids for quite some time... I was relieved to think that the wars with Andross' army would finally end. Who knows how long it will take to catch him again?"

"We need to think of some plan of attack," Falco suggested. "What do we know about that crazed chimp? Do we have any leads?"

Unfortunately, not much was known about Oikonny's sudden appearances. Fox was still concerned with the events leading up to the return of his enemy. "How is it possible that Oikonny is alive at all? We watched his ship explode after the aparoid moth attack. We had to evacuate the planet immediately, it was completely overrun. Somehow, he must have survived the explosion, or abandoned his ship while..."

"While what, Fox?" Falco interrupted him when he paused. "Do you think this has something to do with the aparoid attack?"

"I'm not sure." The leader of the Star Fox team found it strange that aparoids had attacked Oikonny just in their moment of victory. It was as if they were trying to take him out for them. But why? "He might have abandoned ship while we were distracted by the aparoid's appearance, or while we were combatting it," Fox finally confessed.

"That's crazy," Lucy argued. "The aparoids destroyed his ship. Surely they wouldn't have done it with the purpose of covering his escape? Surely they would have attacked him once they realized he was still alive."

Fox wished that Slippy and Krystal, the other two witnesses to Oikonny's "death," were with them now. Krystal was still missing, and Slippy was in the hangar bay repairing Fox's damaged Arwing. "You're probably right," he sighed. "There just has to be something that we all missed..."

Katt frowned. "Why are you all so focused on what happened in the past? Oikonny is alive here and now. What are his motives? Why did he attack you at the ceremony?" She questioned. Fox was hardly surprised by her direct, blunt approach.

We don't really know much," Falco spoke directly to her. "One day he shows up on Zoness, and the next he attacks us on Corneria. From what Krystal said, he made it seem like he wanted to be seen. He sure made an appearance at the ceremony."

Fox spun in his chair one full rotation and faced the others again. He was no longer leaning back, but had hunched forward in thought. He flew in on a Wolfen. He might be allied with Star Wolf, as he was before... But he was removed from the team, and I doubt that Wolf has the kind heart to welcome him back with open arms. "Something about Oikonny's appearance flying in a Wolfen is strange. I find it hard to believe that he is a part of Star Wolf again. It's not like Wolf to take someone back."

"Yea, but I wouldn't trust Wolf and his team as far as I could throw 'em!" Falco insulted. "Besides, where have they been since we defeated the Aparoid Queen?" Raising another point entirely, he asked, "Do we even know if they made it out alive?"

The room was silent, as if Falco had suddenly hit a nerve. "What happened?" Katt questioned, breaking the awkward silence. Again, she was not involved with Corneria's defense against the aparoids and knew nothing of the disappearance of Wolf's team.

This time Falco brought her up to speed; he didn't mind taking the time to explain things to his old friend. Surely they would have some catching up to do once the debate over Oikonny was settled. "Before we could take on the Aparoid Queen, a swarm of aparoid spinners trapped us and blocked our entry. Aparoid spinners have three long arms that spin around their circular bodies, and are very difficult to destroy. Their armor is thick, and they are armed with powerful plasma torpedo launchers."

"Anyway," the bird continued, shuddering as he described the insect-like spinners, "An enormous swarm of 'em stopped our seven ships from proceeding any further. Wolf and his team lured the pack away so we could engage the Queen, but they were outnumbered at least ten to one. We never saw them again, and we barely escaped in time as the entire aparoid homeworld exploded."

"We are not sure if they survived, but who knows? Maybe Oikonny is not the only one who can survive an aparoid attack," Fox continued. "Krystal has telepathic abilities, and can sense the thought patterns of others. She has more than once told me that she has sensed traces of Wolf and his team, but we still can't be entirely sure." Fox again cast his thoughts to the beautiful young vixen. He still had no idea where the she-fox had gone, or when she would be back. Deep down, he knew he missed her with a passion beyond mere friendship.

"Where is she?" Lucy's question caught Fox off guard and he almost fell out of his chair.

"Oh, um..." He stalled, attempting to come up with the right words to say to explain her sudden disappearance. Should I tell the truth? Lucy and Katt will think I am an idiot if they find out she left after our fight. But what else are you going to tell them, he countered himself. "She left," was all that spilled out of his mouth.

Lucy and Katt exchanged puzzled looks as if waiting for a further explanation.

"Krystal said that she had something else important to do. I don't know exactly where she went, or when she will be back," Fox added more firmly, trying to distance himself from the subject altogether.

This answer still failed to satisfy the female pilots, but to Fox's relief, they did not probe any deeper. Then an idea formed inside Fox's mind. "I want to go look for Wolf and his team," he announced. "Maybe they have answers that will help lead us to Oikonny."

Everyone seemed surprised at his sudden change of pace. "Are you sure that's a good idea, Fox?" Falco questioned. "The scum could be hiding anywhere! Even if we do find them, do you think they might turn on us?"

"It seems like a waste of time to send five pilots on a wild chase after someone we don't even know is alive," Katt pointed out.

"Exactly the reason why I'm going alone," Fox retorted. "You guys can stay here and keep in touch with the Cornerian Army. If anything happens, it's up to you to respond."

"Always gotta' be the hero, right Foxy?" Falco's words sounded harsh, but there was a gleam of sly approval in his eyes that Fox recognized instantly. He knew that Falco trusted him to know what he was doing. "Just don't get yourself killed out there, alright? If you need anything, you know where to find us."

That was Falco's version of "good luck, and take care." Immediately Fox left his chair and began toward the hallway leading to the elevator that would take him down to the hangar bay. "I won't be long," he called over his shoulder. Hopefully Wolf won't attack a lone pilot, Fox thought; he was armed with only his blaster and jetpack in the event of ineffective negotiations. He was almost to the elevator when he heard heeled footsteps racing to catch up with him. When they stopped just behind him, he spun around to find an irritated pink rabbit eyeing him carefully.

"You know you still have some explaining to do," Lucy whispered so that the others couldn't hear her. "You rejected me from the Star Fox team years ago and you never gave me a reasonable explanation as to why."

I knew I would have to answer for that, having her here on my ship... Fox tried his best not to roll his eyes and sigh, but then suddenly felt more compassion for Peppy's daughter. Maybe I do owe her a more proper explanation, he thought.

Before he could begin, Lucy pressed on. "I know you are still hurting inside from what happened to James, but that does not mean that you have to take it out on me!"

This was a sharp sting for Fox. It was true that he had only denied Lucy from the team because her father Peppy was already a member, but she did not have to use what happened to his father as leverage.

Years ago, before Fox led the Star Fox team, his father James was the lead pilot. He had been betrayed by his wingman, Pigma Dengar, into the hands of Andross and killed on planet Venom. Peppy, who had been part of the team at the time, barely survived his own imprisonment and managed to return to Corneria. Of course Fox led the team afterward and took his revenge on Andross, but he would never forget the death of his father. He only wanted to keep Lucy from the team so that she would not have to witness her own father's death and share his fate. If something went wrong and Peppy was killed, he would never have been able to forgive himself.

"I know what I did was wrong," Fox sighed. "Now that Peppy is retired, we will have to see about changing that. For now, stay with the rest of the team. Once this war is over and Oikonny is dealt with, maybe you can be a part of the team like you've always wanted."

Immediately Lucy's expression changed and she rushed forward to wrap her arms around Fox. He felt very awkward and began to glow red in the face until she finally let go of him. Before he could even say anything, she took off and joined the others in the control room again, calling, "Thanks Fox!" over her shoulder.

"Well, I guess that settles that problem for now," Fox turned and headed for the elevator. As he descended toward Slippy and the hangar full of ships, something inside him wished that it was Krystal who had thrown her arms around him instead. Then a darker thought formed in his mind. Maybe he was not only on his way to find Star Wolf, but also on his way to meeting Krystal. I hope she didn't leave me and run to Wolf and his team... hopefully whatever matter she is attending to doesn't involve them.

* * *

Fox knew of only one place to search for Star Wolf. A year ago, before the height of the aparoid attacks, Wolf and his team were hiding in the Sargasso Space Zone between the planets Corneria and Fichina. They had taken refuge in a hideout with a number of notorious bandits and thugs, and the Star Fox team had discovered them by accident while searching for Pigma. Fox shuddered at the thought of the scum who had betrayed his father into the hands of Andross.

Unfortunately, Pigma was not there at the time. But Star Wolf, after some... persuading... helped the Star Fox team pick up his trail. After the aparoids were destroyed, the Cornerian military was meant to keep a close eye on the Sargasso Hideout, but the task was complicated and dangerous. The Sargasso area was located inside the Meteo asteroid belt, a largely unexplored and perilous chain of debris that was once the fifth planet of the Lylat System. Tracking would have been difficult, if not impossible, for the Cornerians. It was a brave act for even Fox to travel through, but he was determined to contact Star Wolf with the hope of learning more about Oikonny's survival.

Fox entered the asteroid field at a moderate speed, relaxing his ship's engines as he maneuvered around large rocky obstacles. A giant asteroid almost slammed into him as he rolled sideways to avoid it. There seemed to be no end to the massive sea of debris. Asteroids continued to hurl themselves toward Fox's ship, and he almost got caught between several of them multiple times. He had to quickly activate his ship's boosters to avoid being smashed to bits.

Finally, the Sargasso Hideout came into view. The base itself was an enormous ship, hovering deep within the asteroid belt. Several rocket boosters protruded from its underside, and two extensions stretched out from its red topside like arms. Fox immediately located a small, light blue barrier that acted as an entryway for ships and flew his Arwing through it.

"I wonder if anyone is even here," Fox mumbled to himself as he entered the hideout and landed along a runway that indented into lowest floor. The base was much quieter than it had been when he first landed there a year ago, and it was no longer swarming with space thugs and ruffians. Now, its tiled metallic floors were void of any movement or sounds and Fox thought that he might have been all alone. He didn't want to risk calling for Wolf and his team, but decided to take a more stealthy approach. The fox was unsure if he was alone or not and wanted his presence to go unnoticed in the event that someone else besides Star Wolf was hiding there.

Hopping out of his Arwing, Fox looked for a ramp that would take him to the second floor. His plan was to search for the elevator that led to the top level of the hideout. The top floor would provide the most security for Wolf and his team and would make him harder to locate for any enemies that might pass through. The nearest ramp was at the other end of the open space, and Fox drew his blaster from his hip as he darted for it.

When he reached the ramp, he pressed his back against the wall and listened for any sounds of movement. There was still nothing except the sound of his boots clanking against metal, so Fox continued upward. The ramp led to a small platform, leading again to another longer ramp. The pilot pressed onward, keeping close to the dark wall of the base so that he could stay out of sight as long as possible. Something made him feel uncomfortable, as if eyes were watching him from above.

As he rose to the top of the second ramp, he gazed across the base and spotted the brightly glowing elevator, moving up and down between the three lower levels of the base. He had nearly reached his destination, but could not approach it directly. There were no other pathways connecting the opposite corners of the base, except for a walkway that wrapped all the way around the walls.

Fox continued on, passing onto the walkway that jutted out from the side of the hideout with green glass walls revealing the depths of space surrounding him. He paused for a moment, watching the meteors and asteroids float through the vacuum outside. I hope Wolf and his team are here, he thought as he raced onward toward the elevator. And I hope Krystal is not with them... In the darkest corners of his mind, he feared that his beloved vixen might have left him after their fight and joined Star Wolf. Panther Caroso, their newest member, did have an obvious attraction to her.

Stop it, Fox. Concentrate on the mission. Forcing the painful thought from his mind, he reached the elevator and halted. It glowed blue as it neared, and Fox took a step onto it as it rose upward from the third level of the base. The hidden fourth level of the base was in an area separate from the rest. It was nothing but a series of four long hallways that connected to form a square, with a single room located somewhere among them. Fox held his blaster to his chest as he stepped off the rising elevator and darted toward a corner that he could hide behind.

Silently, he peered around the corner and noticed that no enemies were in sight. Readying himself to take off, the fox sprinted down the hallway and to the next corner. Again, there were no enemies lurking about, but this time he noticed the doorway leading to the single room at the top of the base. The path was clear, and Fox slowly crept from his hiding place to the open door. This was it; either he would find that he was alone in the hideout, or he would find Star Wolf, or worse, he would find another gang entirely taking possession of the area.

Just when Fox had let his guard down, a white gloved arm appeared from around the corner and caught him by surprise. He was hit in the face and he fell to the ground, dropping his blaster out of reach. A purple-booted foot came crashing down toward him, but he grabbed it and twisted, forcing his attacker away.

Quickly Fox leapt to his feet to meet the assailant and realized that he was outnumbered two to one. Another pair of gloved arms reached around from behind him and began squeezing at his throat. Fox couldn't escape the death grip until he thrust his elbow backward into the stomach of his enemy.

The arms that held Fox loosened their grip and he spun away. His first attacker was behind him, aiming another punch for his face, but he was faster. He caught the clenched fist before it struck him and hurled the pilot away, into the body of his ally. Just when Fox picked for his blaster and raised it to his enemies, he heard a clicking sound behind him.

Someone was standing behind him with a blaster raised to his head. "What are you doing here?" A deep, angered voice growled.

Fox raised his hands above his head and looked more closely at the two that had jumped him. They had hidden their faces until now, but he realized that they were none other than Panther Caroso and Leon Powalski, members of Star Wolf. The fourth pilot in the room behind Fox must have been Wolf O'Donnel, their leader.

"Well, look who decided to drop by," Leon grinned. The green lizard's yellow eyes narrowed into slits as his tongue flashed out of his mouth. He wore a dark space suit with spines protruding down his back, and his tail curled in a spiral behind him.

"It must be the great Fox McCloud," Panther taunted. He was a dark furred cat, wearing a blue and silver space suit with a metallic chest plate and boots. He was the foe who had tried to crush Fox underfoot, and he was thankful to have avoided the attack. The panther's yellow eyes flashed to Leon, and then to Wolf, who was still standing behind Fox.

"He must want us to thank him for saving the day, I suppose," Wolf followed Panther's lead, adding to the mockery. The dark figure paced around Fox and positioned himself beside his allies, who were standing at the entrance of the small room to block his escape. He glared with one eye, while the other was covered with a small blue visor that extended over the top of his head. Wolf O'Donnel was a tower of a rival, bigger and stronger than Fox himself. The wolf wore a dark space suit similar to Leon's with sleek black boots. His fur was mostly grey, except for a white streak that rose between his pointed ears.

Fox lowered his blaster and fastened it at his hip in an effort to show that he came in peace. "Wolf, I need to talk to you. Something strange has happened on Corneria." He was glad not to have seen Krystal with them, and suddenly felt very ashamed of himself. Why would you ever doubt her loyalty? You were foolish to ever think she was with them, Fox. She will come back to you, just give her time, he thought to himself.

"Are you sure you just want to talk? Last time you intruded here you made a mess of the place. Not to mention the stolen Wolfen." Wolf kept his blaster raised, ignoring the act of peacemaking.

"Wait, what stolen Wolfen?" Fox asked. He knew nothing of a stolen ship, but wondered if it was possible that Oikonny's Wolfen was the one that was taken.

"Hmph, I'm sure he knows, but just won't tell us." Leon grinned.

"Silence!" Wolf barked. His sharp tone immediately took into effect, causing Leon and Panther to remain still. "When we returned here after escaping the aparoid homeworld, we found that our spare Wolfen was missing... Oh, by the way, you never said that you were glad to see that we made it out alive. Well it's nice to see you, too," Wolf added sarcastically without waiting for a response. Somehow, he always had a way of making everything about him and his team. Fox was honestly glad to see that Star Wolf had escaped and was curious to find out how but didn't question them about it. He was more interested in the news of the missing Wolfen.

"It's strange that you should bring that up, because that's what I wanted to talk to you about. I was attacked by a Wolfen on Corneria recently." He refrained from mentioning the ceremony because he didn't want Wolf to know that he was excluded from it. He tried to speak as tactfully as possible to avoid any unwanted aggression from his rivals. "It was flown by a very unexpected pilot."

He paused, looking for a reaction from Wolf and his team. They gave nothing away, so he continued. "It was flown by Andrew Oikonny. We've had two confirmed sightings of him so far, and he's causing problems for Corneria by commanding Andross' rebel armies. He made sure to let us know that it was him when he attacked, as if he deliberately wants the attention."

Wolf's smug look suddenly changed. He seemed more confused than anything. "Oikonny? That scum was destroyed by the aparoids!"

"That's what we all thought too. But here he is now, flying your ship," Fox accused, hoping to provoke his rival enough to tell the truth.

"We're not affiliated with him in any way! You know that I forced him to leave the team years ago," Wolf growled. "If this is some attempt by Corneria to blame Star Wolf, we will not stand for it! I would never let that weakling join us after already being exiled!"

"This is not about Corneria. I came alone to ask you about it," Fox replied calmly. "I wanted to see whose side you were on. Now that I've heard about your stolen ship, I have reason to believe you are not with Oikonny."

"Sides? Who said anything about sides?" Wolf began pacing around Fox as if to threaten him. "We came back to Sargasso to avoid this conflict. We risked our lives with you in the fight against the aparoids, but what recognition or reward did we receive? Absolutely nothing! Yes, we know all about your little ceremony on Corneria. Did anyone happen to mention our names? Did anyone show any gratitude for the pilots who might have died to save them?"

Fox began to worry. He feared that Wolf might become enraged and turn on him. A strange relationship existed between their two mercenary teams; they had become allies in the battle against the aparoids, but at the same time they were the worst of rivals and would shoot each other out of the sky without a moment's hesitation.

"I wanted you to be acknowledged at the ceremony, but Peppy wouldn't have it. He thought that it was best not to involve you and stir up any commotion among the Cornerians. I tried to talk him out of it, but I'm not the Cornerian General." Fox paused, unwilling but forced to add, "The Cornerians have reason to believe that you three are behind Oikonny's attack on the city. Venomian bombers assaulted the city, led by a lone Wolfen."

Wolf and his team exchanged furious looks. "That is an insult! An outrage!" The lead pilot barked. "We did nothing but help those fools when they were attacked by the aparoids. Why would we send Oikonny to bomb them afterward?"

Fox knew that what Wolf said made sense. He doubted that Oikonny was allied with Star Wolf, and hoped that he could believe the claims about the missing Wolfen. "I believe you, but I can't persuade the whole of Corneria to believe the word of a few pilots. We need to track Oikonny down so that we can shut down his army and clear your name."

"Leave the tracking to us," Panther purred at the thought of being able to hunt his enemy down. "We'll be on his trail, you can count on that." Fox was almost surprised at his sudden change of heart, but all of the Star Wolf team would surely want to reclaim their stolen Wolfen at the very least.

Leon flashed his tongue again and narrowed his eyes. "But you must know, this doesn't make us friends or allies. We may have a common enemy once again, but don't let that get you cocky."

"That's right, Fox." Wolf advanced toward, but the fox did not back down. "I think it's time for you to leave." He signaled to his allies, "Leon, Panther, escort him out."

Before they could move, Fox objected. "I can see myself out, thank you." Without another word, he pushed past the two guarding the door and left the room. He began to head for the elevator that he had taken up to the fourth floor, reflecting on what he had learned through his conversation with Wolf and his team.

Wolf claims to not be allied with Oikonny, and even thinks that he stole his Wolfen. The lead pilot of the Star Fox team stepped onto the glowing blue elevator and descended toward the first level of the Sargasso Hideout. This is good news for Star Wolf's innocence in the attack, but it will be hard to convince the Cornerians with just their words. We need to capture and defeat Oikonny before more harm comes to the Lylat System.

Again, Fox felt eyes watching him from above as he reached the bottom floor. Looking upward through the glass walls that separated the first three levels from the upper hallway, he thought he caught a glimpse of Wolf before he vanished from sight. He was glad that the Star Wolf team had survived the attack on the aparoid homeworld, and wondered how they managed to escape the dozens of enemies that had pursued them. Wolf and his team would make for strong allies in the future if needed, assuming they would help him in his fight against Andross' armies.

When Fox reached his Arwing, he climbed into it and started its engines. Suddenly, his mind was filled with questions. If Oikonny is not with Wolf, how did he manage to steal one of his ships? When? Why? Is he alone in leading Andross' armies, or is he working with another team of pilots? The task ahead seemed more daunting and full of mystery than it had ever felt before. After his confrontation with Star Wolf, Fox felt as if he had more unanswered questions than he had arrived with in the first place.