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An hour later or so, James got up from the med bay and decided to walk around the place. He was hoping really to learn more about what the ship was, that maybe there was some clue in it about where he was more fully. Also because he was very bored, sitting in a medical bay where he was starting to count how many sharp things were in it. He began wandering aimlessly throughout the ship, which he soon realised was not as large as some ships he had seen. It seemed even smaller than the Space Pirates' ship, perhaps because there was less crew, of which he had seen only 4 of on the bridge. He heard the hum of an engine turn louder at one point, realising that would lead to engineering. Eventually, he reached the main core of the ship, a large reactor of some sort whirring and humming to itself with a pulsating blue that seemed to try and burn his eyes. He couldn't even get a clear look at its robust form from the pulsating light. He looked away from it sharply, and saw Slippy bending down at a conduit. The raptor greeted him politely, surprising the mechanic.

"Um...hey?" "WOAH, uhh...sorry but...you're not supposed to be here." "Oh, sorry but I...well, I got restless, I was just curious about where I was and all. If you want, I'll go back to the med bay." "Well um...long as you don't touch anything, you can ask me anything you want. Always good to talk to new people!" "Well sure, if I won't be in the way." James stood against the door politely and asked his first question, wanting to keep himself distracted from his inner confusion. "So, you're all mercenaries then? Any good business been happening?" "Well, just the war with Andross, always some planet's getting invaded and we go in to take out his forces." "Andross?" "Yeah...wow, you must be from REAL far away to have never heard of HIM!" "Haha, well you know in a way I am so, who's Andross?" "He's this mad scientist who used to work in Corneria, but he got a bit too crazy and was exiled to Venom. So he spent his time recruiting and building an army to take over the entire system." "...wow. That's...insane." James' eyes could only widen in surprise, he never heard of anyone being so textbook megalomaniacal. "Yeah, we know. We ALL know, he just totalled Corneria, but we came in and stopped it. Then we had to help out in Sector Y against his forces and protect the Cornerian ones." "So...you're mercenaries, that means you work for money right? Does that mean, if Andross paid you more than the Cornerians you'd join him instead?" "Oh no! We got priorities! Sure we do it for money...sometimes. But mostly we wanna keep the Lylat System free, that's why Star Fox was made even!" "Well, that's great to hear. So, did you four just get together and make a team? I mean how did you get this thing, was it one of yours or...?" "Well you should ask Peppy about that, he was one of the original Star Fox team." "Peppy?" "You know, the hare on the bridge." "Ohhh yeah...didn't get his name. Okay I will. Well...I guess I have to ask, did you join later?" "Well...there was this original team with Peppy, Fox's dad and another guy, but they broke up real fast, bad business, I dunno much about it. Go ask Peppy if yer that curious." "Alright then. Well I won't bother ya anymore." "That's okay!" Slippy looked up with a boyish smile, "I like talking to new people! Keeps the mind a bit fresher, yanno?" "Hehe, sure. Well thanks Slippy!" The raptor walked off to try and find the bridge where he last saw the hare named Peppy, now curious of this mercenary team's history.

Retracing his steps back to the med bay, he headed for the bridge on the path where he was led by Slippy before, being cautious to look as inconspicuous as possible. He soon reached it, and asked gingerly: "Um...hello?" "Ah! Hello there!" The hare was the only one on the bridge. No fox ears peering over the seat, no brash bundle of blue feathers on the right, a perfect time. "You needin' something, young 'un?" "Oh, well...I was kinda wanting to ask you something, sir..." James wrung his clawfingers together as he was certain he was about to ask a question that would be sensitive. "I was talking to Slippy a bit, and I asked him about...how Star Fox got made. And that you were in the original one? I was curious what happened, but if it's bad of me to ask it's okay I'll leave-" "Oh no no, it's fine now James." The older hare shifted his position in the chair in front of the navigational computer. James tried to guess his age, thinking he was at least middle-aged. "First I should tell ya my name's Peppy, no need to call me sir." "Uhm...sure about that? I think I should somehow, what with you having a captain and all." "Well if you want. Now whaddaya wanna know?" "Well...how did you guys make up a team?" "Ohhhh lemme thinkit now...yes it started around the time Andross was getting outta control...you know who Andross is right?" "Slippy told me." "Ah yes...well I knew Fox's dad for a long time, we were best friends. Hell I'm practically Fox's godfather or even uncle now the fact we were so close. We had another guy in our group too called Pigma but I don' wanna remember him." "Why? If you don't mind me asking." "He..." A heavy sigh came from the hare's lips. "He betrayed us, like the worst kind of mercenary. Went over to Andross, greedy pig, threw me and McCloud to Andross. I barely survived but...at least I was the only one who survived." "Oh...god I'm sorry to hear that." Feeling he should offer some physical show of sympathy, he patted Peppy on the shoulder comfortingly. "You're a brave great veteran sir. I'm sorry for asking, I didn't mean to bring up bad memories." "I'm over it now. Even Fox is, all it does make our mission more determined to take down Andross and all his forces. Thanks for thinkin' 'bout an old coot like me, James." "No problem...sir."

The raptor smiled and walked off with one piece of information sated in his mind, heading back to the med bay. It was the first time he had met someone who was an actual war veteran. He felt humbled by the fact he had never been in a war, never fought for a country or a group of people other than his home and the street gangs. And he knew very well that that was quite a different thing altogether. Upon arriving to the now familiar clinical-looking bed, he saw Falco, standing and waiting with a tall cocky stride, marked by the aggressive red rings around his eyes. His stiff wing-like hands which while clearly feathered, seemed strong and flexible to even become fists as solid as any paw or hand. "Wondered where you went," he replied bluntly, "I was gonna call you AWOL." "Alright look, I respect your right to be suspicious, and I'm sorry for wandering around a bit." "A bit? Look pal, I dunno if you just fell out of a black hole and I don't care, cuz if you hadn't noticed while choking in space, we're in the middle of a war, so I can't just go around babysitting some space junk and I'm not sure if I can trust ya yet." "Hey, I'm sorry alright? I was just curious about the people who saved my head from exploding in space and turning into actual space junk. If you can't trust me that's fine. You're not the only one to act weird to me." "Huh? Whatcha mean?" Falco crossed his arms, his stance demanding explanation. "Your captain. He acted a bit odd when he met me." "....wow, you're either a real dumbass or you really aren't from here." "What?!" James turned towards the falcon with the face of indignacy. "Well, I know I'm not stupid, so what's this about?" "I mean come ON, even Andross' lowest grunts know this. James, that's yer name, right?" "Yeah, what's that got to do with it?" "Ugh! Yeah, you aren't from here definitely. James was his dad's name, and his dad got killed fighting Andross, you get it now?!" The realisation hit him like a punch to the liver, giving him a cold shudder through his body, surprised and saddened. Even though James wasn't an unusual name, especially among those of Scottish descent, he wasn't sure if it was a common name in the Lylat system, so maybe not. Surely Fox wouldn't act so odd meeting every single person called James in this galaxy, would he? "Oh...well...okay...um...thanks for clearing that up." "Whatever, I gotta get back to the bridge. Don't wander off so easily or I might think you're a spy and just shoot ya. I gotta watch my back in this kinda job you got that?"

James nodded, understanding fully the logic of this despite the aggressive behaviour Falco showed to him. But now it was getting to him, the ignorance he showed, the attitude of the bird and the tension of waiting and waiting for so long made him begin to turn against himself. The chaos of Zebes had kept his mind off, always having somewhere to go. But trapped on a ship in one room, he began arguing to himself, and the realisation that he was far far away from home began to sink in. "And you think I'm just some sort of street punk? I mean sure you can fly a big-ass ship, but let's see how well you do on a motorcycle, I'd fuck you up on one! ...what the fuck's happening to me? Why can't I get home...I miss my bike...that fucking Triumph may have started it all but goddamnit...and Sarah! Ohhhh...f-fuck Sarah, what did you do?! Please be okay...please..." He began to think of home for the first time since ending up in unknown lands. His eyes started to moisten at the slow realisation he could well be far away from the only person he loved.

He also realised that his sudden black out to end up on Zebes had the Army trying to raid his home before that. Did Sarah make it? Was she kidnapped? Was she dead? He remembered the screams she made, painful ones, they must have been brutal to her. James began to weep, clutching himself into a foetal position at the horrible ideas that smeared his mind. "Sarah...please...please be okay...WHY AM I HERE!?!? WHY!?!? AM I IN ANOTHER FUCKING GALAXY!?!?!" He started banging his fists into the bed he laid on, letting his pain unload. Confused, disoriented, frustrated. "WHERE THE HELL AM I?! WHERE'S MY HOME!?!? WHERE THE FUCK IS EARTH!?!!? I WANT TO GO HOME! I CAN'T BE HERE, I NEED TO FUCKING GET HOME!" He couldn't bear it anymore, howling with fury at how he ended here, strange blackouts dragging him to other worlds that could not be anywhere on Earth. At that moment Falco appeared in the doorway looking quite pissed off. "HEY, shut the fuck up in there!" "FUCK YOU, I WANNA GO HOME!" "YOU get yourself home, I'm not babysitting yer scaly ass when we dump it on Katina!" "SO WHAT!? The only friend I ever had is back home, she might be dead for saving me from a fucking army of fascist pricks who probably fucked her dead because I fucking black out and end up IN ANOTHER PLANET AND THEN IN A GODDAMN SPACE SHIP and I don't know WHY and it's all my fault she's DEAD!" He kept banging his fists into the bed like a child in a tantrum. Falco merely pressed a few buttons on the door to close it with a transparent shield, in case the hitch-hiker turned violent. "Listen, I dunno what you are or where you come from, but you better be grateful for the fact we were around to drag your ass onboard instead of leaving you to die!" "I'm grateful goddammit, I'm just having a little shock right now thank you!" "Well I don't think yer friend would like the sight of you screaming like a stupid kid, pissing off the only four people in all the Lylat System who actually give a damn about ya!" James let himself calm down after feeling like a jackass, a heavy sigh coming from him as he nodded and laid down again, feeling ashamed. "...s-s-sorry." "There, that's better. Now, you be a good boy for us until we get to Katina alright? Go sleep or something." "Alright...uh...thanks man." "Also, you don't explode in space. You just suffocate and freeze. Dumbass." The blue falcon walked off, leaving the raptor to rest again and try to keep his mind off of the people at home, focusing on the here and now. He already got lucky surviving those space pirates. Now he had to deal with this place and its ongoing war with some mad doctor called Andross.

Eventually the Great Fox was hovering above the planet Katina. As they came within range, a voice on the intercom spoke: "This is Commander Bill Grey of Katina Base, identify yourself." "Hey Bill! It's Fox here, you don't recognise my ship now?" "FOX! Hey man how's it going?! Sorry dude, can't be too careful though, even with that dump of scrap you call a ship." "At least I got a cooler helmet than you right? Listen, we got a refugee we picked up, got dumped out in space and he needs to rest somewhere while we're patrolling, you mind?" "Sure he's not with Andross' army?" "Probably from Sauria, but he says he isn't. And I agree, too up-to-date and the language isn't the same. But he's definitely not from Andross." "Alright we'll take him in for ya, we'll prep a landing zone." The Great Fox descended slowly onto Katina as they neared a structure, resembling a Ziggurat with runways going into it. Several odd-looking ships patrolled the mustard-grey skies with green wingtips like beacons of justice. Soon they saw a large ring of flashing lights, on a metal pad attached to the strange pyramid-like building. Landing safely, Fox and Falco escorted James out of their ship to the base. Before reaching it however, Fox said:

"Now listen, we can't explain to everyone where you came from, so for now, just stick with the story that you got dumped out of a ship, we found you in a pod and you need some rest, alright? Don't go mentioning that Zebes or human or whatever unless you wanna look suspicious, got it?" "Alright...so you'll just head back into the skies after you drop me off right?" "Totally," snarked Falco, "can't wait to dump yer scaly butt on this planet so ya don't shed any scales on our ship." "Falco..." Fox reprimanded him. "What? The kid's younger than you, I bet you moulted everytime you blinked, Fox." "And that blue feather I found in the shower last month-" "I WAS PREENING, OKAY!?"' The two stopped talking as they were greeted by two canine guards of Katina. They wore green helmets with a yellow stripe in the middle, showing their pride of the base and their duty. "This the refugee?" "Yep," nodded McCloud, "he's all yours. He won't be any trouble, right James?" "Uhm, no sir, I just wanna be safe somewhere, please." The submissive act wasn't entirely new to the raptor but he normally didn't put it on for strangers in normal situations. Then again, this wasn't normal either. "Alright Mr. James. Come with us, we'll file out a form for ya." "Thanks...well uh...bye then." And with that awkward goodbye, he left Fox and Falco, wondering about the mercenary crew. The place he had been dropped off at was inlaid with black and dusty yellow motifs, as well as green, reflecting their army colour and the base colour. He was a little confused as to why this mesh of colours, before he was brought up to the desk and given a form to sign his name, gender, species, planet of origin, and purpose for visiting. He had problems with the last two. "Uhhhh I can't....actually remember where I came from." "Amnesia?" Said the clerk, the raptor nodding shamefully. "Just put in 'unknown' and we'll sort it out." "Thanks. Uh...purpose for visiting?" "Well what is it?" "Well it's not exactly a purpose but I'm a refugee, Starfox picked me up in space and put me here to be looked after." "Then just put in 'refugee'. Anything more we need to find out, we can just ask you." With a nod, he filled the form out fully. The clerk asked to have a picture taken of him for security reasons to which James agreed, standing in a squared-off section to do so. A rather complex beast of a camera, like a hybrid between a medical interface and an ancient box camera, scanned him for a picture, which was then rescanned like a laminated photograph onto the form. Soon he was accompanied further into Katina base to civilian sleeping quarters. Several people slept here, none of which wore the military fatigues of the soldiers. "You can sleep here, all you gotta do is do what we tell you and don't start trouble, is that clear?" "Crystal clear, sirs." He didn't like being bossed around like this, but considering the fact it could be worse like with the space pirates of before, he decided to count his blessings and collapsed onto an unoccupied-looking bed. He sighed as he tried to let his mind unwind from the many questions it was demanding, especially after his outburst on the Great Fox, which he was starting to regret.