Star Fox: Travesty of Doubt

By: Pogiforce-14

Author's Notes: This is my first Star Fox fan fiction in a long time, and it will hopefully be the first one I complete. While my other fan fictions were mostly action based with a romantic development between Fox and Krystal, here I am going to focus solely on that relationship through personal trauma for Fox. I hope this will be an interesting read for everyone. Fox McCloud, Krystal, Star Fox, and all related trademarks are copyright and sole property of Nintendo. I claim no rights nor ownership in whole or in part of any of these characters, events, items, or places.

Chapter 1: After the Storm

It was a sunny day on Corneria. The sapphire blue sky was devoid of clouds, the sunlight reflecting off the crystalline waters. A small island covered in lush green grass seemed all the greener under the brilliant light of the Cornerian sun. Fox McCloud looked at all this from the window of a Special Ops class Transport Ship as it prepared to land on the island, and he observed the old steel building on the island's zenith with melancholy. He found a cruel irony in how the beautiful weather masked the horrors of the past week and of the demolished capital of Corneria no more than ten miles away on shore. He couldn't see that bleak horizon from his window. He didn't want to see it.

Fox felt a slight jolt as the transporter touched down, and straighten out his flaming orange fur as the room decompressed for disembarking. He stood slowly and pulled his duffel bag from the overhead storage. Stepping out of the Transport, Fox squinted into the sunlight as his feet settled into the grass.

"It's been a really long time." Fox looked over to the speaker to see his wingman and best friend Falco Lombardi standing beside him, looking up at the peak of the old base. Falco's beak turned up into a half-hearted grin and he scratched the back of his head, ruffling some of his navy blue feathers. "Who ever thought we'd end up back here, eh?" he said, turning his grin towards his best friend. Fox shrugged his shoulders.

"Well no one ever thought the Great Fox would be destroyed either." A higher pitched voice retorted. A short, green amphibian walked between Fox and Falco and continued forward towards the building, pulling a cart laden with boxes behind him.

"Whaddya got there, Slippy?" Falco asked the amphibian curiously. The team mechanic stopped the cart and readjusted his bright red hat upon his brow as he turned to face his friends.

"Basic needs. Food, clothing, materials." Slippy said offhandedly. "I doubt this place will be in tip top shape after leaving it just sitting for eight years. The last two there, though," he said, motioning to two boxes slightly larger than the others, "are ROB's parts. He was pretty badly damaged after the Great Fox exploded, and I felt there was a risk he could have a complete meltdown if I had left him operational. So I'm going to try to fix him up while we settle in."

"Will you be able to fix him?" A voice filled with concern asked. Fox turned towards the speaker and his heart skipped a beat upon seeing a beautiful vixen with pale blue fur standing next to him. She was Krystal, the team telepath and the newest member. And right now her eyes showed as much concern as her voice did. Slippy shrugged.

"I should be able to, though how long it depends. If the base has been untouched all this time, then I should find all the parts I need in the workshop. But the Star Fox team was pretty popular even back then, and if we've had any burglars while we've been away, I may be missing some parts and have to place in an order. Which could take a while, especially with the condition Corneria City is in right now." Slippy frowned, glancing off towards the city remains off on the horizon.

"Do what you can." Fox said quietly. This had been the first thing Fox had said in some time and Krystal noticed this, turning her concern towards the team captain.

"Are you okay, Fox?" she asked tenderly.

"Yeah, buddy." Falco interjected. "You've hardly said a word since reentry." Fox's shoulder slouched, his head hanging.

"I'm just really tired." Fox muttered, his exhaustion apparent in his eyes.

"Yeah…" Falco nodded in understanding, his voice becoming somber. "This last week has been really hard on all of us." Krystal eyed their captain curiously. Maybe it was her sixth sense, but Krystal felt that somehow this last war had taken a greater toll on Fox than anyone realized.

"Maybe we should hurry up and get inside then." Krystal spoke up, alleviating some of the tension in the air. "I think we'll all feel better once we've settled in. Besides, we promised Peppy we'd visit him in the Hospital tomorrow." Fox nodded halfheartedly as if distracted, and walked heavily towards the broad front door. Slippy began tugging at the cart, barely able to get it to move.

"Hey, Falco! Give me a hand will ya?" The frog grunted.

"Sorry pal." The avian responded, grinning mischievously as he took a few steps back towards the Transporter. "Gotta pay the transporter pilot for giving us a ride."

"But what about me!" Slippy protested, even as Falco disappeared back inside the Transporter.

"I'll help." Krystal offered, moving behind the cart and bracing herself against it.

"Thanks, Krystal." Slippy said appreciatively. Slippy began to pull as Krystal pushed, and the cart began to steadily roll towards the front door of the building. Krystal looked over the tops of the boxes at Fox standing there waiting for them by the door. He acted so nonchalant, leaning against the wall, but she could tell something was wrong with him. His eyes seem to show that his mind was somewhere else, and it was somewhere that troubled him greatly. She resolved herself to find out what.

Author's Notes: So this ends the first Chapter of Star Fox: Travesty of Doubt. It's a bit short, but this is to just introduce you to the story. Please rate and review. Serious feedback and constructive criticism are greatly appreciated. Let me know if you'd like me to continue the story, or to stop while I'm ahead. Again, Star Fox and all related copyrights are property of Nintendo and I claim no rights nor ownership to any of the character, events, places, or objects portrayed in this story.