Chapter 1 - Vacation Destination

Once again I don't own Star Fox or any of its characters. The only character I own is Col. Matthew Daldrich. All others are owned by Nintendo and Rare.

Conflicts and Aftermath

Chapter one
        
        BEEEEP! BEEEEP! BEEEEP! BEEEEP! The annoying noise filled the semi-dark room and Fox Mc Cloud gave a start as he awoke.
        "Aww," groaned Fox shaking his head groggily and looking around. He stared at the clock in dismay. "What the hell, six thirty! I didn't set the alarm." Fox slapped the alarm clock in annoyance and flopped back into bed with a longing sigh.

        "Ah, ah, ah Fox!" said a voice in his head. "I set the alarm and you are getting up. Now get down here and help me with breakfast."
        
        Fox growled in annoyance and pulled the pillow up around his head. "Krystal that's not fair I'm supposed to be on vacation remember.
        
        "Up Fox!" Krystal said in his mind with a note of amusement in her voice. "Don't make me come up there."

        Fox growled again but grudgingly slid out of bed. Swaying unsteadily he made his way to the bedroom's bathroom.
        
        Krystal was smiling to herself as she worked in the kitchen. The rain from the night before had subsided and feeble, milky sunlight filtered in warming the apartments small kitchen. Krystal opened the window and let in the cool spring air wash over her. Behind her Slippy sat at the large round table eating a bowl of cereal and reading the comics in the paper.

        Krystal turned at the sound of shuffling footsteps and stifled a laugh. A very unkempt and groggy looking Fox was shuffling down the hallway into the kitchen. "Fox. What in the world are you doing. I though you were getting dressed."

        Fox grunted and rubbed his eyes with the back of his hands. "Coffee, black. Now."

        Krystal turned to the counter shaking her head and smiling. It was definitely obvious Fox was not a morning person. The team had lived together for quite a while now, but this was the first time she had attempted to get Fox up before he wanted to be up. He usually wasn't seen up and around until much later in the morning. Krystal made a mental note to wake him up early more often just to see his comical appearance.

        Fox wandered over to the Counter behind Krystal yawning and trying to get the sleep out of his eyes. Ignoring the mug Krystal held out to him Fox seized the coffee pot and shuffled to the table. Krystal stared at Fox in surprise and then laughed. She took a sip of the coffee she had intended for Fox and turned to finish the breakfast. "A little tire are we Fox?" she mused as she flipped a pan of bacon. Fox grunted incoherently and took a giant gulp from the coffee pot.
        
        
        Slippy looked up as Fox plopped down in a seat across from him and rested his head on the table with a tired groan. "Fox!? What the hell happened to you. Since when are you up this early?"

        Fox groaned and without raising his head, pointed a finger at Krystal. "Ask her." he mumbled.

        Slippy turned to Krystal with a look of amusement. "How did you get him up this early. He usually isn't up til at least eleven."

        Krystal smiled as she tipped a large helping of eggs onto a plate. "Oh, you just have to know how to persuade him. Besides we are supposed to be planning for our vacation today."

        Slippy looked over at Fox and grinned. "Fox on vacation? Now that is a interesting concept." Slippy folded his paper and stared at fox who was now downing the pot of coffee. "I would wait awhile before you planned anything with him. He doesn't look like he would even remembers his own name right now."

        Fox growled across the table and threw a salt shaker at him. Slippy ducked as the shaker flew past. "Whoa, Not very friendly in the morning is he." Slippy teased.

        Krystal strolled over to the table carrying a couple of plates and set one in front of Fox and sat down with the other. "Fox, just because its early doesn't mean you can be rude." she said as she picked the salt shaker off the floor and salted her eggs.

        "Remind me again. why do I have to get up this early? I just went to bed five hours ago. As far as I'm concerned six thirty only exists once per day and this ain't it" Fox snapped.

        Slippy couldn't resist. "Wow. He can still add this early in the morning. You are doing great Fox."

        Fox turned to Slippy with a threatening stare. "Watch it frog boy! It may be early but I can still hurt you."

        Krystal cocked a brow at Fox. "Fox, that's not very nice. He just finds it amusing how bad you look. Have you looked in a mirror yet. You look like you got stuck in a dryer."

        Fox scowled, "Thanks a lot!"

        "No problem." Smiled Krystal as she took a gulp of her coffee.

        Fox scowled down at his eggs and for a moment and then began to shovel them down. In between bites he mumbled. "So, you got me up now what?"

        "Well. Now we get to decide where we are going for your vacation."

        "You woke me up for that. Couldn't we have done that later...when I'm awake." Fox grumbled taking another long gulp of coffee from the pot.

        "Why do it later when we can do it now and catch a transport this afternoon."

        Slippy about slipped off his chair. "Your actually getting Fox on a public transport!? Wow Krystal you really are persuasive."

        Krystal smiled at him. "Like I said I have my ways." Slippy stared at her in awe. Krystal turned back to Fox. "So, any ideas as to where you want to go?"

        Fox drained the coffee pot. "Absolutely no idea." Fox said shaking the empty coffee pot upside down as if hoping it wasn't really empty. He stood and walked over to the counter and started to make another pot. "I really don't care where we go, as long as it ain't cold."

        Krystal sighed in mock exasperation and put her interlocked fingers up to her face. "You really do like to make things difficult don't you."

        "Yeah, but only for those that wake me up early." Chided Fox with a mischievous grin. "Besides it was your idea to go on a vacation. Why don't you decide" Fox taking a more civil approach this time poured the coffee into a mug and leaned against the counter sipping it.

        "Fine. You want me to choose. I'll choose, but I don't want to hear any complaints about my ideas." Krystal said cooly over her shoulder.

        "Hey, fine by me. Less I have to decide on." Fox said back just as cooly

        Krystal stirred her coffee absently as she thought. "Well, You've already said no place cold. So.....Where can we go."

        "Well, if I'm going to go anywhere, I want it to be somewhere I haven't been before." Fox walked over to the sink and rinsed out his mug. "I hate repeats."

        Krystal turned and scowled at fox. "Well that eliminates half the planets in the Lylat System and outer rim."

        "Hey, there are still a few places I haven't been to." Fox knew he was being difficult, and he was enjoying every minuet of it. She deserved it for waking him up so early.

        "All right since you know which planets you've already been to. It is back to you to choose." Krystal said smugly. She watched as Fox realized that his stubbornness had dumped the responsibility back to him.

        Fox's face darkened as he thought. Well, I can think of a few planets that I haven't been to. All be it that most of them are uninhabited and freezing."

        Slippy who had been watching the two with mild interest spoke up. "Hey Fox, How about Despin, Doesn't that Colonel friend of yours live there. You've never been there."

        Both Krystal and Fox jumped having forgot that the toad was present. "What are you on about now?" Krystal asked a hint of curiosity in his voice."

        "He's talking about Col. Matthew Daldrich, I was in the academy with him." Fox walked back to the table and sat down again. "I helped him through flight class. Man was that guy a lousy pilot. He nearly flew an arwing through General Peppers office window in our third year, couldn't figure out how to turn off the auto pilot." Fox chuckled as he reminisced. "I haven't seen that guy since we left academy. I wouldn't mind seeing him again. Plus he still owes me a few favors." Fox turned to Slippy who was watching him happily. "Thanks Slip. I think you just solved our problem." Turning to Krystal with a grin Fox said, "Krystal, I guess we're going to Despin."

        Fox sprang to his feet nearly knocking over his chair. "I'm going to go get ready to go. This vacation thing is actually kind of exciting."

        Krystal just smiled and shook her head, "Fox you are one in a million you know that," but Fox was already down the hall and didn't hear her.

        Slippy who was looking pleased with himself looked over at Krystal. "I haven't seen Fox this excited since the last blaster upgrade came out."

        Krystal studied the toad for a minuet. "He really needs to get out more. By the way Slippy, thanks. I was getting really frustrated playing his games."

        Slippy's smile broadened, "No problem. I hope you guys have a great time. You need some time alone with each other." Slippy said slyly.

        Krystal nearly choked on the mouthful of coffee she had been drinking. "Slippy...What is that supposed to mean!" Krystal felt herself blush she knew exactly what the toad was implicating.

        "Oh, Nothing. Never mind. You two just have a good time." Slippy said with a wink.

        "Aren't you coming with us?" Krystal asked
        
        "Aww. No. I have other plans for this week. I got a.....Friend I am supposed to be meeting...She and I are....Going out"

        Krystal raised an eyebrow in interest. "Oh really. Got yourself a girlfriend have you Slip?"
Krystal asked in a teasing voice. This time it was the toads turn to blush.

        "We really haven't....Well she...Amanda is." Slippy spluttered and fumbling over his words.

        Krystal laughed. "Easy Slippy, I was only teasing you. I hope you and...Amanda was it...have a great time this week." Krystal laid a hand on the toads shoulder.        

        Slippy looked at her a moment. "Thanks Krystal. Do me a favor though. Don't tell Fox or Falco about this. I would never hear the end of it."

        Krystal laughed again. "You have my word Slip. Not a word." With this she turned and walked out of the kitchen. She made her way upstairs towards Fox's room. She generally tried to avoid this room if at all possible. It was usually a mess as Fox was a lousy house keeper. As she entered the room she found Fox scrounging around in a pile of clothes on the floor. "What are you doing Fox?" she asked watching as Fox pulled out a crumpled shirt and examined it.

        "What does it look like I'm doing." Fox asked looking at her as though she had asked the stupidest question in the world. "I'm packing. In case I've forgotten that is generally what you do when you are planning on going on a trip isn't it."

        Krystal looked appalled. "Your not actually going to pack and ware that are you?"

        Fox looked at the shirt puzzled. "Why not? Is there something wrong with it?"
        
        Krystal looked at Fox with a stunned look on her face. "Wrong with it. It's been on the floor for only God knows how long. It's probably filthy!" She said wrinkling up her nose in disgust.

        Fox looked down at the shirt and then at the pile he had pulled it from. "No, its not dirty this is the clean pile. Anyway, why don't you let me pack. You can get the transport reservations in order." With this he once again started rummaging around in the "Clean" pile.

        Krystal shook her head and turned to leave. As she left she muttered to herself. "Men, they're such slobs. Honestly!

        Fox looked up after Krystal. He thought he heard her say something as she left. "Ah, oh well." thought Fox as he continued to pack. "I really hope Matthew still remembers me, otherwise this is going to be one awkward reunion." Fox lay down on his stomach and began to search under his bed for things he might need. "Man, If I hadn't left the academy when my dad went missing I would probably be a Colonial by now too. Now there's a scary thought." Fox grinned to himself at the idea of himself a lap dog to the military. "No, this life suits me just fine no ties that I didn't make and I can't break." Fox stood and began to fumble around in the nightstand by his bed. He opened the top drawer out of habit and looked down to see his blaster lying there. He looked at it for a moment and reached for it and then withdrew his hand. "Ahh....You promised nothing to do with work Fox." He scolded himself. "You don't need to bring it along. You are going to a planet safely under Lylatin Control. " his hand hovered over the drawer for a moment and with difficulty he forced himself to close it.

        A few minuets later Fox struggled into the Kitchen Where Krystal was just hanging up the phone. "So, are we all set?" Fox asked dropping his suitcases onto the kitchen table. Causing Slippy who had returned to his paper to jump and look around. "Sorry, Slip." Fox appologised to the toad. "So, what going on are we ready to go?"

        Krystal turned to face Fox. "Yep! Two first class tickets to Despin. All the better is the fact that I made a call to General Pepper and He has agreed to front all the costs on the trip. He agrees that we need a vacation."

        "Wow!" croacked Slippy. "The General is actually going to pay for your trip that's cool. I wish he would pay for all mine.

        Fox groaned ignoring the toad, "You told the General. Great now he has something to hold over my head next time he wants something." Fox sighed, "Well at least we won't go broke on this trip."

        Krystal chose to ignore the two and continue on as if she hadn't been interrupted. "Our Transport leaves in two hours from the old Main Station. Upon our arrival on Despin we will be met by an escort that will take us to the Colonels palace."

        "Whoa, Whoa, whoa, Say again. Palace? Wow I new he was well off, but I didn't now that well off."

        "Well it seems he has really made an impression on the inhabitants of the planet. He has been made the unofficial ruler of that planet." Krystal grinned at the stunned look on Fox's face.

        "When you pick friends Fox, you really pick 'em don't you." Interjected the toad in awe
        
        Fox mouthed wordlessly for a moment, and with a shake of his head said. "Wow, Yeah, I guess I do. So, Matthew knows we're coming then?"

        "Yes, the General called him up and made the arrangements. General Pepper say the Colonial was thrilled that his old friend would be coming for a visit. Now if you don't mind I am going to go pack now."

        Fox still looking as if in a daze said, "Alright then, I'll see you in about an hour."

        Krystal laughed, "Unlike you I don't have to hunt down everything I own to pack it. I'll be ready in fifteen minuets. Why don't you call a cab that way it's here when I get done." With a swish of her tail she ran off upstairs to pack.

        Slippy Turned back to Fox and laughed. "She's got you wraped around her finger Fox!"
        
        Fox still in his daze turned to the phone and dialed the cab company. "Hello, yeah, I need a cab to the Main Station."

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