Author's Note: My apologies for the long break between Reunion and this post. For some reason I got stuck on one chapter and couldn't make anything run. Then, thankfully, my husband gave me some inspiration on where to go with this, and off I went with it! Warning, this will be a long one, as I'm trying to fix my error with The First McCloud, namely rushing through it. I just started writing and went until the story said to stop. I hope everyone enjoys it.

Disclaimer: Star Fox Team, Corneria, and anything akin to the Star Fox games aren't mine. Skye is mine, as I made him up. And just for this chapter, I don't own Soul Caliber II or anything relating to it.

Chapter 1: Boredom

Corneria. A planet of civilization, order, and courage, it has withstood repeated assaults from foes such as Andross and the Apariods, mostly thanks to one small group called Star Fox. This heroism has brought the Star Fox team quite a bit of fame (as well as a comfortable sum of credits in their bank account as of late) but has come with a price. While a certain blue avian might say the loss of some of his privacy to adoring fans a heavy price, the heaviest by far is the sacrifice of the Great Fox, the Star Fox team's mother ship and home in the stars, to conquer the Apariod queen. This has, subsequently, left the entire team land bound on Corneria, a fate any pilot will tell you is almost as bad as it gets.

And Fox McCloud, leader of the team, is a pilot through and through.

"I'm so bored it's driving me crazy!" Fox said for about the fifteenth time that day (and it wasn't even nine yet!) as he paced in the living room of the team's apartment.

"Is he always this bad/" a white male fox, Skye McCloud, whispered to Krystal, the blue vixen and only female member of the team. Despite the fact that Skye was Fox's older brother, they'd only recently found each other, so his younger's mannerisms were still new. Krystal giggled softly.

"Sometimes worse," she replied. Fox spun on his heel to face them.

"I heard that!" They only laughed.

"You need to calm down, Fox," commented Falco, the aforementioned blue avian, as he played Soul Caliber II against Slippy Toad.

"You telling me to calm down?"

"We've got enough credits to last a while, especially if we're careful."

"It's not that." Fox dropped onto the couch next to Krystal. "I just hate being stuck on the ground."

"We all do, Fox," Slippy consoled. "But there's nothing we can do about it. Even in our Arwings, it's not like we could go anywhere without a place to dock. So just re - arg!" Falco had taken advantage of Slippy's diverted attention to utterly annihilate him. “No fair!”

“All’s fair in laser tag and fighting games.” That got a laugh, even from Fox. Slippy suddenly smiled rather wickedly at Falco.

“I know what will cheer you up, Fox.”

“What?”

“Beat up Falco for me.”

Fwoomp! Whap! Whap!

“Hey! Knock it off, Fox!” Falco ducked his head protectively as everyone laughed.

“Done, Slippy.”

“I meant on the game, Fox, not with a pillow, hehehe.” Fox took the controller and selected a character.

“You always choose Link,” Krystal teased.

“That’s ‘cuz he’s the best.” It seemed Fox was right, because his Link decimated Falco’s Raphael. “Hey! I do feel better!” Skye grinned.

“My turn, Falco.” They traded places, and this time Raphael wasn’t so easy to take down.

In the middle of the second round, the phone rang. Krystal answered.

“Hello?... Hi, Peppy... General Pepper wants to meet with us?... Okay. We’ll meet you there.” She hung up the phone. “Peppy just got a call from General Pepper. He wants to meet with all of us. Something about a reward for defeating the Apariods.”

“A bonus? I’m there!” Falco hopped up, just as Raphael rapi-stabbed Link, dropping him.

“Okay, done.” They headed out.