I - And When the Day Breaks
The Great Fox loomed through the coldest and farthest reaches of the eternal vacuum that expanded infinitely in any given direction. Small fragments as well as large chunks of terrestrial matter floated aimlessly through the empty black sea. This matter would occasionally draw near the massive metal ship only to either bounce off harmlessly or be avoided all together.
From the bridge window that expanded across the nose of the vessel, an inconceivable amount of stars laid untouched by the cosmic will of the universe. The sight was breathtaking, but as always, the outer reaches of space were to be respected for what they were, a dangerous, active expansiveness very capable of making novice travelers disappear into its void forever.
The eyes of the ship’s captain did not turn away from the window for a single moment. His sharp canine wits were trained at every object that ventured near his vessel. The Great fox’s collision detectors automatically shifted the spacecraft out of the way of larger masses of terrestrial debris, so the need for such constant vigilance was not necessary, and yet years of space-borne skirmishes and battles had taught the captain to look passed the immediate, and into what may lie ahead.
It was a long while before his gaze was broken as he turned back to his seat in the center of the bridge. The bridge itself held an impressive cache of electronics ranging from navigation to ship maintenance to the primary and auxiliary defense systems. The vessel was also equipped with instruments to be used at varying altitudes. Sonar devices could be used to quickly map terrain when near the surface of a planet, but was utterly useless in space where the sound waves lacked a medium by which to travel. When moving through the vacuum of space, a field of particles could be projected from the ship. Upon moving into the field, an object’s size, speed, and trajectory could be determined based on the disturbances of the particles. From there, the automated systems onboard could identify it as either space debris or another vessel. Should it simply be a chuck of rock, the scanner would determine if it was large enough to cause damage upon impact with the hull, where it would then be avoided or ignored entirely. If the intruding mass was a ship, however, the particles would cling to it, allowing it to be tracked and monitored whilst in the field, and if necessary, dispatch by the colossal energy cannons mounted on the lower front portion of the Great Fox.
The system was relatively effective, but it did suffer from drawbacks. As of now, the maximum effective range was only 30 miles and extending the range any further resulted in a siphoning in the ship’s power. Pirate groups had, in some cases, been successful in building technology that repelled the collision of the particles with the ship, disguising it as an asteroid. More than once had the captain’s ship had been attacked by what had first only been “a piece of rock.”
As the commander of the vessel looked down at the terminals near his chair, he stared at his reflection bouncing off of the pristine surface. He didn’t look very much like the hero the Lylat System had made him out to be. His orange fur was matted in places and hadn’t been brushed, traces of sleep still rested in the corners of his eyes, and as he got comfortable in his favorite chair, his vigilance gave way to nothing more than an early morning listless yawn.
“ROB, estimate time to the Zoness orbital fueling station.”
“Zoness fueling station e.t.a. one hour and 45 minutes.”
The orange furred hero groaned lazily and rubbed the remaining sleep from his eyes while the robot he had spoken to continued his busy work at the consoles. ROB, despite being synthetic and incapable of displaying emotion, was a valued and well loved member of the crew. His insight and cold hard statistics had proved to be life-saving on numerous occasions, something that couldn’t be overlooked when every other bandit in the system was out to cleave your head from your shoulders and collect what would no doubt be a handsome reward.
“Fox, your morning coffee has been prepared,” the robot stated in a monotone voice. Fox happily accepted the cup and took a quick sip of the morning kickstarter. He relished in delight and within a few seconds, the entire beverage was gone, save for the few drops that had missed his mouth and instead meandered their way down his muzzle.
“You know, for someone who doesn’t drink any liquids at all, you make a mean cup of coffee,” he stated as he wiped the remnants from his lips.
“Practice,” came the robot’s quick reply.
The vulpine set his cup in one of the many holders and made his way off of the bridge. He sluggishly maneuvered through the white halls until he came across his own personal quarters. As he moved closer to the door, it opened automatically and granted him access to the room within. He was just about to enter when a familiar pitter patter on the sleek floors stopped him.
“Oh morning Fox! Up already?” the green toad asked while scratching his back and yawning simultaneously.
“Aw Slippy no, you’re gonna make me-” but it was too late. The infectious yawn spread to the fox, causing him to take in a large gulp of air. Once his head came back down, he looked over at Slippy, who only gave a cheesy smile in return.
“Yeah, I’m up.”
“Alright, well I’m gonna head to the bridge and start preparing for the refueling. The others should be awake soon. I’ll meet you down there!” he called as he waddled his way to the bridge. Slippy was an odd fellow and no doubt the goofiest of the group, but there was no better mechanic in all of Lylat than him. A close childhood friend of Fox’s and a master of the wrench, he could keep the Great Fox going with chewing gum and tape if necessary. His technical prowess was only matched by that of his father, Beltino, who developed an apoptosis based program that brought about the end to the Aparoid Invasion several years ago.
Fox stepped through his dimly lit room and opened the door leading to his personal bathroom. It wasn’t necessarily luxurious, but it served its purpose, which was enough for him. He stepped out of his nightclothes and cranked the nozzle of the shower over to the second hottest setting. With some minor adjustments, he was feeling the bliss of a piping hot shower within minutes. He doused his head in shampoo and scrubbed away whatever grime had accumulated there. He repeated the process with his fur, and made sure that he paid extra attention to his tail, as it always seemed to find a way to pick up unwanted dirt.
“All members please report to the bridge. A transmission from General Pepper has been received.”
Renewed by his warm shower, Fox leaped out of the bathroom and quickly dressed himself in appropriate attire. He left his room with haste and jogged through the hallways until he came to the bridge door. When he entered, he could see that the other three members of his team had already arrived.
“Well well Foxy, late to your own party?” came a cooled voice from across the room.
“Sorry, had to freshen up first. You should do the same,” replied Fox as he feigned a look of disgust.
“Ah later, I wanna see what the big cheese wants first.”
“Perhaps he’s going to talk about my retirement benefits,” said an old hare through an aged but genuine laugh.
“Not if Falco beats you to it. Bird-brain over there has to be pushing seventy,” Fox smirked.
“Whatever man! Peppy is like three-times as old as the sun!”
“I’m 52.”
“Do you see the dust falling off of his beard? Fox, quick! Get a broom!” The pheasant threw his head back and laughed while Peppy simply shook his head and sighed.
Peppy Hare was by far the most experienced of the crew having served with Fox’s father and one traitorous Pigma Dengar. After retiring from active flight duty, he remained on the Great Fox and served as an advisor to the team, but recently, he had been considering leaving the Great Fox entirely and taking up a position on the Cornerian Advisory Defense Commission back on Corneria. It had been an honor to have him on the team, and it would surely be difficult when he finally decided to take his leave.
Falco on the other hand had no intention of depriving himself of the trill of deep space voyage. While the off days bored him to no end, his quick maneuvers behind the controls of an Arwing had secured his position as the team’s ace pilot. With a cocky attitude and the skills to back it up, few fighters who went toe to toe with Falco in space or in the air came back in one piece.
“Alright boys, settle down. I do believe the general is waiting on us,” rang out the only feminine voice on the entire ship.
“Alright, you heard the lady. Best looks everyone. Krystal, would you mind connecting us through?”
“Of course.”
The newest addition to the team was undoubtedly the most beautiful. With flowing blue fur native of her mysterious home planet of Cerinia, she possessed abilities beyond that of the technology available to the Star Fox team and most of Lylat in general. With telepathic powers, she could sense the presence and thoughts of nearby beings if she focused hard enough. Weak willed opponents were at the greatest danger of falling into her web of thoughts. Her telepathy could evolve into empathic manipulation, allowing her to control the emotions felt by another. This ability, however, was still in its adolescent stages of development and was susceptible to backfire if the opponent in question was anything above basic-brained. She had been inducted into the team after her rescue from Sauria following the defense of the planet from the dreaded banished scientist, Andross.
The connection feed buzzed momentarily before the three dimensional holographic image of an aged war dog appeared. The general had seen countless victories and losses and it all remained imprinted on his face. His status was displayed for all to see as his uniform was decorated with numerous pins and ribbons of triumph and victory. He had been dutifully serving his homeworld for 35 years, and many believed that he would continue to do so until his dying day.
“General Pepper, I’m glad to see you.”
“Likewise Fox, what has it been, six months?”
“Seven,” the vulpine corrected lightheartedly. “Far too long to go without talking to a good friend.”
“Agreed. I assume the rest of the team is doing well? Peppy you old hare, how are you holding up?” the general teased.
“With all due respect general, you’re closer to a retirement home than I am,” Peppy chuckled. “It’s good to see you again.”
“Yes, well while it is a pleasure to see all of you, I’m afraid I’m going to have to cut further chatter short. There is a matter that I would like to discuss with you.”
“Name it Sir.”
The old hound nodded and his image was soon replaced with that of a map displaying a system that Fox was unable to identify. Something seemed slightly off, but before he could further analyze it, Pepper spoke up once again.
“Before you is the Meeza 581 D System. It consists of seven total planets, two of which are believed to be in the habitable zone, as well as an asteroid belt.”
“So were going on a colonizing mission?” Falco piped in.
The general shook his head. “No, rather, an investigative mission. There is an extremely unique anomaly here that deems further study.” The map switched to an overhead view, which in the same instant, had confirmed Fox’s suspicions.
“It’s not heliocentric.”
“Correct Fox. In this particular cluster, the star, Alpha Meeza, as well as one lunar satellite, revolves around the first of the two planets that fall into the shifting habitable zone, defying all laws of physics. The star’s gravitational pull is estimated to be 28 times that of the planet’s, so by all accounts the planets should travel in relatively elliptical orbits around the star, and yet this is still happening.”
“Incredible,” Slippy let out in awe.
“Star Fox,” the general started, his voice dropping into a serious and hortative tone, “The Cornerian Defense Force would like for you to travel to the system and visit that planet that the star is revolving around. We fear that there may be some remnants of Andross’s army attempting to manipulate celestial bodies. I don’t believe I need to tell you the consequences for life in this system should they learn to move the position of Lylat and Solar.”
“Understood Pepper, we’ll be refueling at the Zoness station within the hour. Afterword, we’ll make a jump to Meeza and check out this…freaky star problem.”
The hound dog nodded, but his face still remained ever serious. “Remember Fox, we’ve never experienced anything like this before. You will need to time your entry with great care. Too early or too late, and you may very well be batted by Alpha Meeza before you can even approach the planet. I wish the best for you Star Fox, and good luck.”
With that the transmission shut down, leaving an empty space where the display of holograms once stood. Fox turned back to team and smiled.
“Alright team, look alive. We’re approaching Zoness and we’ll be jumping soon. If you’re going to eat breakfast, now would be the time to do it.”
Falco and Slippy did not hesitate in trampling one another in a mad rush for the kitchen. Peppy simply shook his head, sighed, and began operating the navigational equipment to prepare for the voyage to Meeza 581 D. Only one member of the team stood in their original position. She seemed lost in thought, transfixed by the air in front of her.
“Krystal, is everything alright?” Fox asked as he placed a reassuring hand on Krystal’s shoulder. She placed her hand on top of his before turning to face him. She no longer looked transfixed, she looked distraught.
“Fox, that asteroid belt in the Meeza system. I- I believe those the remains of Cerinia.”
“W-what? How can you be sure?”
“I’m not,” she sighed. “The essence, it seems so familiar. I can’t be certain, not now, but Fox, if we get the chance, I would like to look into it. To know for certain.”
“Of course,” he gave a gentle nod. “Now, why don’t you go get some breakfast before Slippy and Falco leave you hungry,” he smiled.
“I think I might do just that.”
“Sister, does something trouble you? Thou have been silent for nearly one full day. We are concerned for thee.”
The regal white princess rose from her position on the balcony where she had spent a majority of her afternoon. Her prismatic and vibrantly beautiful mane flowed in a way that resisted even the wind itself. Her coat reflected the remaining rays of sunlight until it vanished from sight completely. The sky stood bare, ready for her sister to bring up her own cosmic entity.
“Yes Luna, I’m quite alright,” she smiled. “A day spent in thought is not one wasted. I believe we all should take a day every once in a while to listen rather than speak.” She took her sister into a tight embrace, one that was quickly returned. “I should leave you to your duties. If you are in need of anything, you need only ask.”
“Of course dear sister. May the night bring you dreams of peace while you sleep.”
As her sibling retreated back to the castle for her night’s rest, Luna used her magic to reveal what she personally believed to be the most beautiful object in the sky. Little by little the silver sliver gradually expanded into a full luminescent circle. She took a moment to bask in the faded moonlight before reluctantly returning to the inside of the castle to take her place on the Throne of the Night.
Stats
Page generated in 0.025 seconds
Total duration
918 users online
505,854 hits today, 2,280,440 yesterday
FIMFiction
My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic Fanfiction
Designed and coded by knighty & Xaquseg - © 2011-2024
Follow & Support Us
Support us
SubStar
Chat!
Discord
Follow us
Twitter
MLP: Friendship is Magic® - © 2024 Hasbro Inc.®
Fimfiction is in no way affiliated with or endorsed by Hasbro Inc.®
Required:
Hello Regidar...
if this turns out to be the prequel to star-fox command on the DS I'm flipping tables
DO A BARREL ROLE
Oh goodness... another story for me to be a crazy fan of
I'm a Starfox nut... if I had a single thing that I loved more than the lore and weirdness behind that franchise, I can't think of it off the top of my head (yeah, even ponies). This is gonna get a massive watch and track and favorite!
By the way the writing is pretty well done so far, I'm certainly impressed. My only two problems that I found were relatively small ones:
Foxes aren't canine, not even in the same species category: Vulpes Vulpes is the red fox, so things like this annoy me
they only annoy me because I'm a furry though and I get it all the time... Sorry for nitpicking!
Also this, I believe you mean doused, not dowsed. Dowsing is like with a dowsing rod: looking for underground supplies of water with a stick.
Otherwise keep it up! Fantastic job.
1705955 In all honest, I'd like to think Star Fox Command never existed
.
STAIR FAX.
1706012 Vulpes Vulpes of the family Canidae. Same species as dogs, different tribe. They are canines.
1706201 That's just a cladistic technicality though
Canidae is divided into Canini and Vulpini, foxes and "true dogs". Call me old fashioned but I don't like lumping them together like that. Either way on a technical basis you're right and the technical use of the description is technically accurate, so I'll drop it, just gonna say while I've still got my soap box out (that thing's heavy!)
1706033
Same here...
Edit: This is SO faved and followed!
So everyone agrees that we should throw Command in the discontinuty barrel? Good. Now we just have to wait for Star Fox U.
In all seriousness, this looks epic! Definitely following this one!
The romance tag always makes me nervous, especially in crossover context. Not gonna pass this over just for that, but it's gonna go on read later, since it's 6AM.
Star Fox+Ponies
me happy
and I once had this kind of idea but never got to it.
1706596 at romance, even though some, like sonic, would give a crossover possiblity, i think he ment a relationship between fox and krystal, which is canonical
Please continue.
Need MOAR.
I realize that in a game license is taken for the sake of playability vis a vis scale, but 3 miles is really really short in space.
I still have no idea why Nintendo seems to think he's a pheasant. Pheasants are chubby game birds. Poor Falco would probably be mortified to be compared to one. It'd be like calling a pony a horse, if horses all looked like Pearl from Blade.
I'm not sure I'd call it banished. Luna was banished. Andross violently exploded. Twice.
1706392
Even if you ran with Command in continuity, you'd still have to throw out 2/3 of it because it's multiple choice.
Mmmkay.
This is curious and you now have my attention.
I suppose the FB does show a few gems once in awhile, yeah?
~Skeeter The Lurker
FINALLY someone realizes that Star Fox hasn't gotten anywhere near enough attention for the past decade!
Huh. no errors that saw then suddenly general pepper makes two blunders.
it was moved and experience, respectively.
basically move the d from "moved" to "experience" making moved move, and experience experienced.
Theres a youtube video... of a star fox tune on youtube where the advertisement should have been... okay then, my phone is psychic.