“Ok everyone lets go.” Fox said over the intercom as the small squadron of ships left the outpost to return to the Great Fox.
“How long will it take to get back?” Katt asked Fox over the com-link.
“Not long.” Fox spoke.
“Don’t worry Katt. I’m sure that he’ll be fine.“ Krystal spoke reassuringly to her.
“How are your men captain?” Fox asked the carrier.
“We’re all fine here Starfox. Just want to get to busting some heads.”
“Don’t worry Captain you will soon.”
Just then a warning light flashed on Fox’s dashboard.
“Great, Just what we don’t need.” Fox whined.
“What’s wrong?” Katt asked.
“An asteroid storm alert.” Was the reply.




Falco stopped at a T junction to catch his breath as he turned round to see if Flyer was following him. Seeing an empty corridor, Falco decided not to rest on his laurels and keep moving. He turned a corner and saw an open lift. Not caring if was a trap, Falco made for it. Getting inside he took his time to scan the buttons but they luxury soon disappeared when he heard the footsteps of Flyer making their way rather rapidly down the corridor toward him. Hitting any old button, the lift doors closed and started down as Falco scowled at Flyer from the closing doors as he rounded the corner. Falco was getting tired of running and he was getting angry that his father was tormenting him so. The lift arrived at it’s designated floor and Falco stepped out. The corridor spun violently and he felt his back impact a wall, the cold metal on his bare back.
“You know son, You can pry those doors open really easily.”
“Get off me.” Falco snarled and fought back
“Don’t struggle son. You don’t want to do that.”
Falco got a hand up and he shoved Flyers face away trying to force him to let him go. But Flyer tightened his grip on Falco’s arm, digging his fingers into his exposed flesh making Falco wince in pain. Then Flyer twisted his arm forcing him to the floor and withdrew his electro-cosh. Quickly flicking it to extend it, as Falco struggled to escape Flyers grip, knowing that his end was coming. Then Flyer just froze, with the cosh raised above his head, shocked look on his face as he stared at Falco. He let go of Falcos arm, the hand contorted into a claw.
“Run, My son run.”
Falco didn’t need to be told twice and sped off down the corridor, looking for a place to hide. Falco made a mental note to never try that again, but what puzzled him was why did his father let him go when he was so close to finishing him off. Falco decided to not think about it at this point in time and look for a safe place to hide away in and he quickly ducked into the nearest room. His heart sank when he saw where he had ended up. Food storage. He had no time to exit as he heard his father arguing outside the in the corridor. He quickly hid behind one of the many distribution machines that dotted the room. There was bang as something impacted the door and then it opened as Flyer stepped in rubbing his forehead.
“I’m sorry Son. I had to take care of business. Now where’d you go?”
He scanned the box and machine filled room looking for Falco. He advanced slowly, checking under the conveyers and by the main units. As he did so Falco conceived a desperate plan. He waited until his father was inspecting under one of the conveyers opposite his machine when he struck, shoving his dad onto the conveyer he quickly placed a box on his back and ran to the machine to slam the manual start button. It roared to life as the conveyer started to move. Falco moved back and placed another box on Flyer, holding it on him until he was near the opening to the machine. All the time Flyer struggled and told Falco to let him go. As he got near the opening to the machine, Falco abandoned the box and took off out the door. Flyer managed to tip the box off him and he turned to see what the loud mechanical noise was. The scream that  reached Falcos ears and chilled him. He stopped and  slowly turned, feeling guilty about what he had done. He may have been a nut job but he was still his father. Falco was torn about wherever to go back or to continue on. The decision was made for him.
“SON!”
Falco turned and decided the best thing to do would be to go down to the hanger, jump in his Arwing and jet off. Flyer couldn’t get off the Great Fox and he would be trapped then he  would return at a later time when it was all calm again. Wanting to get to the hanger as quickly as possible, he shoved open a door leading to some emergency stairs and descended them, to the hanger.



Fox lead the way around the asteroid storm through a long detour that put them close to Solar. The asteroid storm usually wouldn’t have bothered Fox but he couldn’t risk the troop carrier and so had to take the long route around. Katt had been fretting over Falco, Slippy was still laughing at Sweet beak but Krystal was silent.
“Won’t be long now, The storm is subsiding it seems.” The captain radioed through.
“I hope so captain, I hope so.”
Just then Katt flew next to Fox’s ship and a message came through on the com-link.
“Fox, when we get to the Great Fox what’s going to happen?”
“First of all we’ll let the soldiers on first and we’ll bring up the rear.”
“Ok, but will I be able to see Falco? I’m so worried.” Katt spoke.
“No problem. Just stick with us and you’ll be fine.” Krystal replied. “I’ll just call and tell ROB we’ll be there shortly.” There was a long silence.
“What’s wrong Krystal?”
“I can’t seem to raise communication with ROB.” She replied.
“Solars’ heat must be messing with the com’s. Just give it a while. We won’t be long.” Fox told her.
In the cockpit, Krystal nodded in acceptance. Fox tried to contact the Great Fox but all he got was a crackly, hissy static. Usually ROB picked up but this was completely different. ROB had never been out of contact with the squad before and that made Fox a little uneasy. He slowly increased his speed. He wanted to get back to the Great Fox as quickly as possible.



Falco ran down the stairs as fast as he could, knowing that every step brought him closer to freedom. He stopped partway down to catch his breath, glancing back up the stairs through the stairwell. It didn’t look like he was being followed which made him worry more. If his father wasn’t following him then where was he? Hopefully still tangled up with that distribution machine. He yelled at himself to move down he remaining stairs into the hanger. He kicked the door open and made a beeline for his Arwing that sat against in the docking bay, awaiting it’s owner. Falco jumped right on in and set up the preparations to leave. He was finally getting out of here, or he would but his dashboard lit up red showing that there was a problem with the engine.
“No, please no.” Falco whined as he clambered out his cockpit. He was so close. Falco hoped it was only a minor problem so then he could be away. As he rounded the other side of the Arwing, he lifted off the engine cover and stared opened mouthed at the devastation inside. The whole engine had been totalled. Wires had been pulled out and the fuel line had been cut. Just then something grabbed him by the scruff of his neck. Jumping up and twisting away from his attacker he left what remained of his vest top behind in his attackers hand. Collapsing on his backside as he over balanced he saw Flyer glaring at him. His right arm was bloody and his right trouser leg was ripped and wounded where the distribution machine had chewed it. Flyer must‘ve been hiding on top of Falcos Arwing, and Falco, in his haste, hadn‘t seen him.
“Ok Falco. Playtimes over. It’s time to really play now.” Flyer uttered through gritted teeth, throwing away the rag that used to be Falcos vest top. Scuttling like a double jointed crab, Falco knew he had to get away as his father really meant business now. Scrambling to his feet as his father shakily approached him, Falco ran for one of the cargo bays.
“You can’t get away Falco. You need to finish this. I won’t let you go until you end this.”
Sliding in through the door Falco took off among the boxes, where he found a quiet spot to gather his thoughts and his breath. He had to think of another method of escape as his Arwing was totalled and would not fly. All he could do was await the return of Fox and the security team, but would he even last that long?  Just then he heard his father enter as the door slid to one side and he heard laboured breathing and a limping walk.
“Where are you? Don’t you want to finish this?” Flyer yelled as he surveyed the room. It was packed with packing crates of various sizes, and shapes. Flyer knew he had to find a way of finding Falco without him knowing where he was. Then he caught sight of a catwalk. Following it back he found a pair of steps not too far away. He let out a smile as he headed toward them. Falco wanted to get as far away from Flyer as he could. If he was scary when he was calm who knows what he would do now he was angry. Falco tried his best to slip around the boxes but each corner looked like the previous one and soon Falco was lost. Watching him from the catwalk above, Flyer smiled as his son went first one way then another, like a rat in a maze. He waited till he came close before dropping onto a pile of packing crates.
“Over here.” he whispered knowing that Falco in his panicked state would investigate.
Falco was deciding which way to go when he heard something. It sounded like a whisper but he couldn’t be to certain. As he approached the area where the he thought he heard the whisper he saw a red fluid dripping down the packing crates, guessing that one of the crates seals must be leaking he crept closer. As he got closer a crazy eyed Flyer dropped in front of him and tried to grab him, succeeding only in scratching Falcos chest. At this sudden attack Falco turned and ran, clutching his chest. He didn’t know where he was running to but along as he got away from this crazy man. Soon he found the wall, yes the wall. If he followed the wall it would lead him back to the hanger. So he chose one direction and followed it, praying that he would get out of his place and soon. Soon he came to a door. Pressing the open button he squeezed through and ran along a catwalk that lead down a small flight of steps that ended in another door, only this one a bit rougher. Opening it, Falco burst out onto a catwalk to be confronted with a huge machine, gently humming to itself. The smell of burning ions reached his noise and the air tingled his lungs when he breathed in. It was then that his heart sank. He was in the engine room.



“I see the Great Fox. All ships, full thrusters.” Fox called over the intercom. All he was concerned about was to get back and find out what had happened. He feared the worst and wiped the sweat from his brow.
“Captain when we dock I want your men out and looking for Flyer ASAP.” Fox radioed into the carrier.
“Roger sir.” The captain replied.
“Krystal. Is Falco ok?” Fox asked.
Krystal quickly reached out and the answer was instantaneous.
“He’s fine but he’s scared out of his mind. I’m not how long he’ll be fine for though.” Was the reply.
“Ok everyone. Slippy, I want you on the life form scanner, Krystal I want you to find out Flyer and Falco.” Fox ordered.
Both Slippy and Krystal acknowledged there orders.
“Hold on Falco. We’re almost there.”


The rhythmic thudding of the main processor filled the room as Falco stared, disbelieved, at the mound of metal in front of him. He couldn’t believe where he had ended up. A clatter followed by a curse behind him brought him back to his senses as he saw Flyer picking himself up off the catwalk floor after he had fallen down the stairs. Flaco made for a set of stairs that lead down and away from his father. The whole room was a mess of catwalks, ladders, stairs and control panels. Falco kept an eye on Flyer as he moved on a catwalk above him. Falco realized that going down to a lower level was a bad idea. All the doors leading away were a level above him. Falco tried running to ladders or stairs, thinking that because of his bad leg, Flyer would lag behind. But Flyer, despite having a wounded leg, still kept up with him. Falco had just about given up when he noticed a door not more then ten metres away. Knowing it was his only hope he made a run for it, With Flyer in hot pursuit. Dashing through the door he found himself over looking the fusion reactor. Cursing, he realized that this was as far as he could go. Just then he heard a grating sound and the heavy door behind him opened. Nervously, Falco looked over his shoulder to see the bloodied, battered and haggard look of Flyer. Without thinking, Flaco flew down the nearest set of stairs, and followed the catwalk, his only thought was to get away. Dodging round piles of metal and cables he rounded a corner but it ended right above the reactor. Falco looked around to see if there was anyway to escape. He slammed the railing and turned around, stepping over some cable when he stopped. Flyer stood at the far end of the catwalk, his electro-cosh extended and buzzing with a sheen of electricity.
“Well son this is where it all ends. One of us won’t be walking away from this.“
Falco backed up as Flyer started to take a few slow steps toward him. Falco kept his eyes lodged on his fathers face and the extended electro-cosh in his hand. Just then Falcos feet got tangled in some industrial cable and he fell to the catwalk with a resounding crash. Flyer, seeing this, then bore down on Falco, covering the ground between them rapidly. Falco watched as his father approached with no time to get back to his feet. Looking off to one side, he noticed some broken steel shafts. Reaching out for one, he took one in hand and raised it to ward Flyer off. Just then Falco felt an impact and sound like lettuce being cut with a saw. He slowly turned his head forward to find, to his horror that Flyer had run right onto the broken end of the pole spearing him. The cosh clattering to the floor, a look of surprise on his face as the pole went in through his left side of his chest and out through his back through his jacket. Flyer coughed and brought up blood. Falco didn’t mean to impale him, he just wanted something to ward him off. But what frightened Falco was his father was smiling.
“Well Son. I guess you win.” Flyer put both hands on the pole and pulled himself further along the shaft, wincing in pain as he did so.
“You’ve gotten a lot better since I last saw you.” Flyer pulled himself further down the pole. Blood now stared to drip down the pole and onto Falcos hands.
“Your probably wondering why I did what I did?” Falco wanted his father to stop but he pulled himself closer. He was now halfway down the pole.
“I’ll tell you why son. I wanted you to stop me.”
Falco just stared as he watched this form slowly pull itself down a bloodstained pole. He was puzzled by what his father was saying.
“I couldn’t do it. I didn’t have the courage to pull the trigger, or take that one step to end it all. I regret what I did to your mother.”
He came closer. Falco was frozen in place.
“So I decided the best way would be for you to finish it. To lay all your ghosts to rest at once so to speak.”
Flyer placed both his hands on the catwalk and pulled himself as far down as he could.
“I just wanted to see you one last time son. And to say sorry. For everything.”
He placed one arm around Falcos neck and the other round his shoulders. Falco had removed his hands from the pole and put them on his fathers side to push him off but he hesitated. Then with the last of his strength, Flyer rested his head on Falcos shoulder in a last fatherly embrace.
“Thank you Falco. Thank you.”
Falco just lay completely still afraid of what might happen. All he could do was wait until Fox and the others found him.




Fox and the carrier docked with the Great Fox and the soldiers moved to find Flyer. As soon as the carrier docked the soldiers poured out in full battle gear and took up positions around the hanger. The star fox team arrived and quickly disembarked. Slippy wasted no time in pulling out his bio tracker and Krystal scanned the surrounding area for Falco and Flyer.
“I hope we’re not too late.” Fox commented.
“Fox, I found Falco.” As soon as Krystal said this, Fox was at here side. Katt stood by, listening.
“Yes? How is he?” Fox asked anxiously.
“He’s fine but he’s had the shock of his life.”
“And Flyer?”
“Flyers with him but his brain waves are very weak” Krystal commented.
“Fox I got something.” Slippy reported.
“Where?” Fox asked.
“The fusion reactor.”
The soldiers burst into the main reactor room and skirted round the cluttered catwalks. Then they saw Falco, pinned to the floor with his fathers body on top of him, A two metre piece of blood stained pipe sticking out of Flyers back. One of the soldiers ordered a med-evac as the Starfox team appeared. They were kept back while the security teams medic, carefully pulled an unconscious Flyer off of Falco. As soon as they were let through, Katt ran up to Falco, dropping to her knees and wrapping her arms round him. The effect was instantaneous. Falco sought solace in Katts arms as he curled up next to her, tears in his eyes, shaking.
“It’s ok Falco, your safe now, your safe.” Katt soothed as the others knelt next to him to check if he was ok. The soldiers took the body of Flyer away while the team took Falco to their own med bay for treatment for shock.

Falco was woken about two weeks later when he felt someone stroking his chest. Opening his eyes he saw Flyer kneeling next to him. He opened he beak but Flyer clamped it shut.
“Ssshhh. I’m not here to hurt you Son. I just came to say goodbye. I’m gonna let you go now ok?” Flyer whispered
Flyer slowly let go of Falcos beak. Falco was puzzled.
“Goodbye?”
“Yeah, I just wanted to see you one last time. I’ll be going away and I don’t know when I’ll be back.”
“How did you get away?” Falco whispered back.
“Well, once I was well enough. I snuck out the hospital and borrowed a ship on extended lone. I made sure to stock up on EMP mines. No need to worry. Once I go, the mine will be disabled. I also took some meds as well, so there’s no talk of voices anymore. Seeing you again my son is better then any amount of money I need.” Flyer got up and turned to leave. Casting one last look back, he turned back and walked away, wiping a tear from his eye.
Flyer was busy getting ready to leave when he heard a voice echo across the hanger.
“Hey dad.” Flyer looked up to see Falco standing in the open doorway, wearing a pair of boxers.
“You need to get some sleep son. Don’t worry I’ll be gone soon.”
“Will you be ok?” Falco asked.
Flyer was silent. For a moment as he straightened back up. He wanted to make this as painless as possible.
“Yeah I’ll be fine son. Just a little strapped but nothing to worry yourself about.”
Falco stood there for a moment before he stepped forward and reached behind his boxers, taking some creds out of the waistband and placing them in the breast pocket of Flyers jacket.
“Something to get ya back on your feet. And I’m crazy saying this but….” Falco paused, wondering if he was doing the right thing and if he was even sane saying it.
“I forgive you dad. I know you have problems and I want to believe that you’ll get yourself sorted. I really want to believe that.”
This stunned Flyer as he never expected this.
Flyer raised a hand and rested it on Falcos face to get one last look at his son.
“Thank you son. I know I don’t deserve your forgiveness but that means a lot to me. And I must thank you for stopping me when you did. The truth of the matter was that I was tired. Tired of the voices in my head. I just wanted to live a normal life again, but I just couldn’t do what was needed. I deluded myself that only you could stop me. It was only as I lay dying that I realized I had the power to stop myself. I just didn’t know it at the time.”
Falco tried to put on a brave face but soon his emotions got the best of him. He wrapped his arms around Flyer and gently cried into his shoulder. Flyer stroked Falcos head feathers and gently soothed him.
“Dad, please don’t go. Stay please. I don’t want you to go.”
“It’s ok, Son. I’ll always be with you. I just need some time to get my head straight. I’ll be back for you.”
“You could stay at Fortuna or Titania. Or better yet, you could stay at a small rental in Corneria. Or you could stay here, I’ll have a word with Fox and-”
“No Son. I’ll cause more trouble if I stayed here. I have to go.”
“No. I won’t let you go, I won’t let you go. Dad you can’t.” Falco yelled into his fathers shoulder.
Flyer just gently raised his hand and stroked Falcos head, soothing him in his own special way that only a father knew how.
“What will I do without you dad? I want to stay with you, please don’t leave me.”
Flyer let some tears drop from his eyes. He loved his son more then his own life and leaving was the hardest part he could do.
“I‘m sorry son but I have to.” Flyer answered, his voice breaking.
“Please stay a little longer please dad.”
“Ok. For you son, I will.”
They both stood in the hanger for what seemed like an eternity, but soon came the time when Flyer pulled away, Falcos hands running over his jacket.
“Don’t be sad son. I’ll be back someday.”
He gave his son a kiss on the forehead.
“Keep your chin up and remember. You’re my son, always have, always will be and I’m proud of you.”
He let his hand linger on Falcos before he parted and stepped inside his ship. Falco watched as his father waved from the cockpit. Falco waved as the ship took off into the inky blackness, with Falco wishing his father safe journey and to return safely. Wiping his tears away he turned and went back to his quarters.