After escaping planet Venom, the Star Fox and Star Wolf teams fled using the Orbital Gate's teleportation system. Aside from Fox's emergency contact to Beltino, who brought them all back home, everything was silent except the occasional stir of Oikonny, kept prisoner with Fox. Six ships departed from the Orbital Gate and six ships returned home, though Krystal, Falco, and Katt were replaced by the Star Wolf team. Two Arwings, the Cat's Paw, and Oikonny's Wolfen were left behind on Venom, but no pilot was willing to go back and retrieve them yet. They were all fortunate enough to escape the planet with their lives and didn't want to run the risk of stirring more trouble with the Venomian natives.

Fox sighed as he approached Corneria's atmosphere, leading the remains of his team with Star Wolf following closely behind. He desperately wished that he could have searched for Krystal and his friends, but the enemy could have taken them anywhere in the Lylat System. The only thing left to do was fly back to Corneria so that whenever the enemy's whereabouts were discovered, the Star Fox team could respond. As soon as he heard the call, Fox would abandon anything to come to the aid of his missing allies. It felt like betrayal to leave them behind in enemy hands.

"Team Star Fox, the Cornerian military demands your presence at a meeting," Fox recalled the transmission he had received from General Peppy nearly an hour ago. "Meet with us at the Cornerian Defense Force headquarters as soon as possible," the hare commanded. He failed to mention exactly why this meeting was necessary and spoke in an unusually harsh tone that Fox did not expect from his mentor and friend. The need for the meeting must have been important enough to have the pilots meet in person, rather than speaking over a wireless communication.

I'm sure it has something to do with the bombing of the Lunastone Hotel, Fox thought as he adjusted his ship's gravitational diffusor systems to transition from space to Corneria's atmosphere. As if Corneria wasn't already at odds with us for trusting Star Wolf. It felt as if the lead pilot of the Star Fox team was not only losing Krystal, Falco, and Katt, but Peppy as well. "Can things possibly get any worse?" He mumbled to himself, soaring straight through a cloud without even bothering to avoid it.

"What was that, Fox?" Lucy asked through her ship's communicators. She spoke softly with concern, knowing how deeply he was hurting at his loss.

"It's nothing," he murmured, hoping that no one would have heard his question. Finally the waters of Corneria could be seen below, glistening in the bright sunlight as the six ships cast shadows upon the gently rippling tides. Fox descended until the wings of his ship nearly touched the water's edge, surprised when a new voice sounded from his communicator.

"This is the Cornerian Defense Force. Identify yourselves before receiving permission to land." The image of the dog's face appeared on a small monitor inside Fox's cockpit, a dark-furred bulldog wearing a Cornerian space helmet.

What are they doing, identifying pilots before they land now? "I am Fox McCloud, of the Star Fox team," he answered, wondering if recent events had caused the Cornerian military to become so paranoid. "I am tailed by Lucy Hare and Slippy Toad, along with Star Wolf. We have been summoned by General Peppy to meet with-"

"Star Wolf was not included for the summons," the lieutenant growled, barring his teeth. "This is a Cornerian affair, leave them out of this."

Fox could not contain his discontent any longer. The tension between Corneria and the two mercenary teams was more than he could bear. "If you so much as point your guns at Wolf and his team, I will personally ensure that you no longer serve the Cornerian Defense Force ever again. They will be landing with us, do I make myself clear?"

The bulldog held his ground, unfazed by the sudden aggression as he turned away, whispering to someone off screen. After a moment of debate, he returned his attention to Fox and barked, "So be it. All six ships have clearance to land, but be careful how you speak to authority. You may have once flown with the General, but that does not give you command over the Cornerian military."

Before he could say any more, Fox pressed a button on his control panel and the screen went black, forcing their communications to come to a close.

"Well, it looks like someone rubbed your fur the wrong way," Wolf growled as the tall buildings of Corneria's capital came into view on the horizon. Fox made no comment as he approached the city, almost questioning his decision to stick up for his rival at his rude remark. Glancing to both sides, he realized that their six ships were flanked by Cornerian fighters, as if they felt it necessary to escort them to the mainland.

Lucy detected them as well. "This feels so strange," she murmured. "Growing up here as a child, I cannot remember a time when the military acted so distrustful. Not even in the days of the old Lylat Wars, when Andross was at his largest. This city used to make me feel so safe, but I don't know what to think anymore..."

Fox agreed with her, knowing Corneria from his youthful years at the flight academy. The new leader of Andross' forces has surely succeeded in creating distrust between us. Why else would Oikonny fly in a Wolfen? While we fight amongst ourselves, the enemy is plotting to destroy us all. Hopefully, with the ape's capture, the Star Wolf team could clear their names with Corneria and the two could unite to face their common enemy as they did during the aparoid invasion.

The fox shook his thoughts away as he landed his Arwing in the grassy outskirts of Corneria City, unstrapping himself as the ship's cockpit opened. He leaped to the ground with Oikonny, joined by Lucy and Slippy as they gathered with Wolf, Leon, and Panther. Immediately the Cornerian pilots surrounded them with their blasters drawn, clearly unaware that the former leader of Andross' rebel forces would be joining them.

"What is he doing here?" The bulldog lieutenant growled. "First you show up with Star Wolf, then Oikonny? Whose side are you on?"

"You moron, can't you see that we captured him?" Wolf barked back, gripping his former teammate by the arm and hauling him into the center of the group. "He is a traitor and a coward; we would never side with him again."

The Cornerians began walking toward the city and Fox followed, gesturing for his friends to do the same. They paced onward in silence as they weaved through empty streets, normally bustling with activity.

"Where is everybody?" Slippy croaked from the back with an ill-favored look.

One of the dog soldiers turned to face him, expression unreadable through the visor that covered his eyes. "The streets have been evacuated and the civilians are seeking shelter in the caves spread throughout the nearby lands. The city is no longer deemed safe after the recent attacks. A year ago the aparoids assaulted our homeland; then Oikonny ambushed us at the awards ceremony. After the bombing of the Lunastone Hotel, the General finally called it quits. He refused to put the lives of our citizens in danger by keeping them here."

The toad's only reaction was a deep-throated gulp. Though it would seem that the war was finally over with the capture of Oikonny, Fox knew that it would not be so. Andross' rebel forces followed a new leader, one far more powerful and cunning. It was wise of Peppy to evacuate the island, but the danger would surely spread throughout the entire planet if the enemy was not defeated.

Reaching the center of the city, the Cornerian pilots led the way to the base of an enormous silver skyscraper, casting a lengthy shadow across the ground as it towered above the other buildings. Fox recognized it as the Cornerian Defense Force headquarters, the building that housed all the pilots belonging to the planet's national guard and local police forces. The bulldog at the head of the group paused as the doors slid open and stood aside while the others entered, following behind them as the doors slid shut.

Inside, the lobby floor was lit with bright lights and Cornerian soldiers paced across the room, going about their assignments. They appeared to be unaware of the arrival of Fox and his companions, until several pilots noticed that Oikonny had entered the building. They stopped in their tracks and stared, unsure how to react until the bulldog lieutenant spoke up. In a raised voice, he barked, "Go about your business, the prisoner will be taken to the General!" Once he was sure that the Cornerians' interests had been satisfied, he turned to address Fox and his team. "General Peppy is waiting for you on the fifth floor," he pointed to an elevator along the wall.

Fox said nothing but nodded and led the way, pressing a circular blue button to open the elevator doors. He stepped inside first and suddenly realized that he was being squished into the corner, pressed against the warm fur of Lucy and Wolf. He felt hot under his space suit with nervousness, but tried not to let it show in front of his rival, who stood tall with a cold stare in his eye. "It would probably be best if you let me do the talking," Fox advised. "Let's try not to make a mess of things here." In a lower voice, he whispered, "If we can get Oikonny to confess to stealing your Wolfen, we should be able to clear your names. If we're lucky, he will be able to tell us where the enemy is keeping Krystal, Falco, and Katt."

Wolf slowly nodded in agreement, surprisingly willing to take orders. "Alright, we will do it your way, pup. But if you can't make him talk, I will."

As the elevator came to a stop and its doors opened, the seven pilots filed out one by one. With each departure, Fox was allowed more room to breathe until at last he left the crammed space, following behind Wolf as Lucy led the way. A wide hallway stretched out on both sides from the elevator, and Lucy chose the path to the right. She must know this building better than I do, Fox supposed. He rarely visited the Cornerian Defense Force himself, operating mostly from within The Great Fox. Lucy must have gone to visit her father several times since he became the Cornerian General, replacing General Pepper after the aparoid attacks.

The group entered through a doorway and into a small conference room with bare white walls and a computer monitor in the back. Peppy was expecting them, seated at the head of a long table, accompanied by two Cornerian soldiers wearing identical military dress. All three rose at the newcomers' entrance, saluting them with baffled expressions.

"Well, look who we have here," Peppy remarked, surprised but pleased at the sight of Andrew Oikonny and the Star Wolf team standing before him. "It seems as if you managed to capture them on your own," he addressed Star Fox. "Take a seat while they are taken to the interrogation room-"

A growl erupted from Wolf. "We aren't going anywhere! Leon, Panther, and I are only here because we helped to bring Oikonny in! We're not your prisoners!"

Fox shot a subtle nod towards Peppy, signaling that Wolf was telling the truth. The last thing he wanted was conflict between Star Wolf and the Cornerian Military at a time like this.

"Very well, we will listen to what you have to say before passing judgment," Peppy replied calmly as he motioned for his soldiers to escort Oikonny from the room. "Take him away."

Fox opened his mouth to protest, but then hesitated. The last time he had trusted a Cornerian soldier alone, it almost led to his own death. "Why don't you accompany him, Lucy?" Fox suggested, flashing a warning glance at the young hare. The daughter of the Cornerian General would make a harder target if any treachery were to take place behind their backs.

The young hare nodded in reply, clearly understanding his motives, and led the way as Oikonny and the two Cornerian soldiers left the room behind her.

The remaining five pilots took seats around the rectangular table, spacing themselves out between chairs as Peppy began his questioning. "Before I ask about Oikonny's capture, I must first address the subject of this meeting." With a glance around the room, he must have been curious about the absence of Krystal and Falco. Fox dared not to mention their capture until the time was right; it weighed heavily like an anchor in his heart, and he knew that Peppy would be disappointed with him.

"I have summoned you here because of the recent destruction of the Lunastone Hotel. Venomian soldiers were found at the bombsite, making this undoubtedly the second of Oikonny's attacks on our home planet in recent days." The old rabbit paused, scanning the room as he adjusted the spectacles on his twitching nose. "Though Beltino tells me that you were not involved in the attack, I have a feeling that he might be mistaken... What more do you know that you are not telling us?"

Slippy glanced at his leader anxiously, looking to him for an answer. The three members of Star Wolf did not stir, uninvolved in this matter. Fox knew that it was up to him to reply. "It's true that we know more about the attack than we led you believe," he replied, choosing his words carefully. "I was not personally involved, but Lucy and Krystal were there at the scene. The attack was not conducted by Oikonny, but by the true leader of Andross' forces."

"What do you mean?" Peppy asked, leaning forward in anticipation with his elbows resting on the table. "What evidence do you have of this? The Cornerian Army knows nothing of another leader."

Fox paused, unsure where to begin. Was now really the right time to reveal the secret investigation of Oikonny's return and the truth behind Bryan Grey's death? "It began when we started investigating Oikonny's survival after the aparoid attack on Fortuna. Krystal and I flew to the Orbital Gate to speak with Beltino when we realized that Corneria's aparoid data had been locked down, inaccessible to even the research director himself. Soon after this discovery, we were told by a Cornerian pilot that the rest of the team needed us on Katina. We found, however, that this was not the case. We were led into an ambush by one of our own, nearly killed by an unknown pilot commanding Androssian troops."

"Not this again," the old hare interrupted. "Are you trying to tell me that one of our soldiers betrayed you to the enemy? That is impossible!" He shouted in outrage. "Why have none of my soldiers seen this new enemy then?"

"Please listen, Peppy," Slippy croaked from his seat. "There's more that you need to know."

Fox nodded. "After the ambush, we spread out to search the nearby planets for the Cornerian who deceived us. But it was Lucy and Krystal who found him, taking refuge in the Lunastone Hotel. We tried to reach him, only seeking answers to our questions but the enemy found him first. This new leader knew he was there and bombed the building; Krystal and the pilot, Bryan, barely escaped with their lives. Before we could get any information from him, he was shot through the chest. His dying words were that the pilot who killed him was one of us." He paused so that his news could sink into Peppy's mind. "We believe that there is someone on the inside, reading our moves and feeding us misguided information. Only a Cornerian could have possibly locked down the aparoid files... What else explains Corneria's consistent lack of information?"

"What lack of information?" The Cornerian General inquired.

This time it was Slippy who spoke. "First they lied about us being on Katina. When we tracked Oikonny to Fichina, your soldiers claimed that we controlled the Climate Control Center, but they were wrong again; the enemy was waiting for us there with reinforcements allowing for Oikonny's escape. What's worse is the weapons system aboard the Orbital Gate! How long has that been there without our knowledge?"

The room suddenly fell silent as Peppy and the three members of the Star Wolf team digested the information they were presented with. Fox detected a worried glance from Slippy and he too hoped that the others would listen. It was a bold claim that the enemy was inside Corneria's infrastructure, but it made sense with the knowledge that was available. Only a Cornerian could have manipulated the aparoid files aboard the Orbital Gate.

"I'm not sure what to make of this," the general shook his head doubtfully. "If there is another leader to Andross' rebel forces, then the war will surely not be over with Oikonny's arrest." He glared at Fox through his glasses, addressing him personally. "It seems as if you have been working diligently behind our backs; is that how you captured Oikonny without us knowing?"

Fox couldn't bear to keep eye contact with his mentor, lowering his head in shame. I guess there is only one way to find our friends, and that includes admitting that we lost them... "We tracked the ape to planet Venom, where we found him meeting with the natives. Falco, Krystal, and Katt split up from the rest of us when we lost him in the tunnels. That was when we found Wolf and his team and captured Oikonny together. The others..." He breathed, forcing each word as if a knife was being held at his throat, "they were captured somewhere in the tunnels of Venom. The new leader of Andross' forces escaped in his ship, taking our friends with him..."

Peppy hopped from his chair, anger burning in his eyes. "Why did you feel it necessary to engage Oikonny without alerting the Cornerian Army first? Did you have any idea that he could have been laying a trap for you? We could have helped; your arrogance cost you the safety of your friends..."

"Don't you think I already aware of that?" Fox rose to his feet and slammed his fist on the table. He was unwilling to listen to Peppy lecture him about his actions when he already felt so devastated with himself. "We couldn't trust the Cornerian Army to let Oikonny escape again! It was my responsibility to protect my friends and I failed them!" When he finally comprehended the strength of his outburst, he collapsed into his chair again with a sigh. "I let Krystal down... I let them all down..."

"We have Oikonny still," Wolf reminded them, speaking up for the first time at the meeting. "He should know where your friends are located, given the right persuasion," he growled.

"Well get to it then!" Peppy ordered. "Find out everything he has to tell us! Your interference on Venom could have quite possibly ruined a decade's peace we had established with them since the downfall of Andross. We should consider ourselves lucky if they don't show up on our doorstep declaring war with our planet!"

"I'll deal with Oikonny," Fox declared as he rose from his seat and made for the door, followed by Slippy, Wolf, Leon, and Panther. He led the way down the hallway, past the elevator and through the next corridor, where he found Lucy and the two Cornerian pilots outside the interrogation room. Through a one-way glass wall, Fox could see him sitting at a small desk, anticipating his questioning.

Fox approached the door and thanked Lucy for accompanying the Cornerian soldiers this far when he suddenly felt watchful eyes burning into his fur. Panther glared at him as he leaned beside the entryway, growling as he passed by. "Do not be mistaken that you are the only one here who cares for Krystal's safety," he murmured in a voice inaudible to the others. "If she was with me, she would never have been captured in the first place."

Fox said nothing in reply but stopped in his tracks, standing just before the door as it slid open in front of him. I don't have time to deal with this... The only thing that matters is finding Krystal and making sure that she and the others are safe. Without giving his rival pilot a response, he stepped into the next room, alone with Oikonny as the door slid shut behind him.

"You spoke of someone on Venom, another leader of your army. He was there with us when we captured you..." Fox began as he took a seat across from his defeated prisoner. "He now holds three of my friends captive. Do you know where they can be found?"

The black-hearted ape did not respond. He sat with his head lowered, staring at the ground without saying a word.

"Well?" Fox interrogated, using a more firm voice. "Where are they?" Still, silence persisted. Frustrated, he stood up and reached across the table, grabbing his enemy by the collar and raising him to stare face to face with him. "Answer me!" He growled, throwing Oikonny back into his chair.

"He promised me power..." whispered the nephew of Andross. "Command over all of the galaxy's armies... But in the end, it was all a lie."

"What do you mean? Explain yourself!"

Oikonny raised his eyes to stare into Fox's. "I know absolutely nothing of his plans, nor where he is hiding. I never needed to. All he told me is that a war is coming; he claims to unleash a force so powerful that it wipes out Corneria's defenses unchallenged."

"How can you know nothing of his whereabouts? You're lying!" As Fox spoke, he came to a sudden realization. Oikonny was never meant to be the leader of his own forces. He was just another pawn to be disposed of like Bryan. The only reason the enemy allowed him to be captured was because he didn't care what happened to him. Oikonny knew so little information that it didn't matter if he fell into enemy hands. But what about the aparoid invasion and the stolen Wolfen?

"I have seen the footage of Fortuna, a year ago when the aparoid moths attacked. You sounded like you knew they were coming. Is this true? Did you also steal a Wolfen from your former comrades during the aparoid invasion?" Searching desperately for a response, Fox was dismayed when no answer came. He turned and headed for the door, deciding that he had grown tired of wasting his time when a voice sounded from behind.

"You're right on both accounts," Oikonny murmured, breathing a defeated sigh.

Fox spun around, surprised to receive an answer.

"Everything was planned from the moment you thought I was killed on Fortuna," the ape continued. "He orchestrated everything, including the hiring of Pigma to slow you down. That was when I flew to the Sargasso Hideout to steal the Wolfen...The aparoids then attacked Sauria, luring you away while the Cornerian Defense Force was decimated." He paused, anger suddenly taking hold of him. "If you ever feel like you are in control, think again. Everything has happened according to his plan! Unfortunately, even I cannot say when and where he will strike next; this guy is careful, and he always covers his tracks."

These words confirmed all of Fox's darkest fears. Not only was the coming of the aparoids expected; it was planned. As he left the interrogation room, he couldn't help but tremble in fear of the knowledge he had been able to obtain from the seemingly useless ape. Even worse was the fact that the location of Krystal, Falco, and Katt still remained hidden. Fox stepped into the hallway among the presence of the other five pilots, filled with shock at what they had just heard.

Peppy must have followed them from the conference room; he stood beside his daughter with confusion clouding his gaze. "What is all of this about the aparoid invasion being planned?" He asked, still unaware of what the Star Fox team uncovered with the recovery of the aparoid files. Fox forgot that he still hadn't been able to describe exactly what they found in their investigation. Wolf, Leon, and Panther seemed confused as well; they all needed brought up to speed immediately.

One of the Cornerian soldiers standing guard received an alert on his wrist communicator and disappeared, rounding the corner toward the elevator. Before anyone could ask where he was going he reappeared, followed by three familiar faces that Fox only hoped to see again so soon.

"Krystal! Falco! Katt! You're back!" Fox nearly shouted and raced to meet them.

Krystal pushed past the others and met him half way, wrapping her arms around him in an embrace and breathing a sigh of relief. "Fox, it's never been so good to see you. I need to tell you something," she said when she backed away. "It was my fault that we were captured on Venom."

Puzzled, Fox greeted Falco and Katt as they joined the rest of the Star Fox team with welcoming words. "What are you talking about?" He replied. "It was my fault for ever letting us split up."

"No... I lied to you in the tunnels when I said that I couldn't sense which way to go... I sensed that our new enemy was the other way, so I suggested splitting up. I thought the three of us could confront him while you three took out Oikonny, but I was wrong. It was a foolish mistake that put Falco and Katt's lives at stake along with my own," she apologized with a glance toward the two allies she had been abducted with. "But we escaped, and have important news to share with you all."

Lucy joined the crowd with a smile on her face, glad to see her friends had returned. "That doesn't matter, what's done is done. All that matters is that you three are safe, and we captured Oikonny."

"I sensed his presence here with you," Krystal affirmed, "and I know that he was telling the truth about everything he said."

"Alright, alright, now that we've played meet and greet, can someone tell us what is going on with the aparoids?" Leon complained irritably.

"Let's discuss this in the conference room," Peppy suggested, leading the way past the elevator as Fox walked alongside Krystal. He thought he could hear a low grumble from Panther, but chose to ignore it. I wonder what Krystal, Falco, and Katt were able to find out. Knowing that she was reading his thoughts, he cast an unspoken question toward the vixen. Were you taken to the enemy's hideout? Did you see him?

Krystal turned her head and nodded. "We fought before the three of us were able to escape; Falco and I are somewhat beaten up, but we will be fine."

Fox stood beside the doorway, allowing her to go first, and followed her inside. He took a seat beside Falco and Lucy, while Krystal walked toward the computer monitor at the end of the room. "Glad to have you back, Falco," he acknowledged his feathered friend.

"Miss me already?" Falco teased. "Krystal knows more than we do, so we're letting her speak for us just to make things easier."

Katt took a seat beside him and nodded. "Now that everyone is seated," she meowed, "listen to what we found out while we were captured."

Krystal stood alone at the head of the table, eyeing the members Star Fox, Star Wolf, and Peppy. She closed her eyes and meditated as if deep in thought for a moment, opening them again to address those gathered around her. "Falco, Katt, and I were captured in the tunnels of Venom as you probably already know. We were taken to a research station outside the Lylat System, and barely managed to escape with our lives. We recognized our coordinates immediately once we escaped aboard a Venomian battleship and beamed a message to Beltino for transport back to Corneria. Of course, landing was incredibly difficult with the increase in security..." Krystal paused, giving Peppy a sarcastic look.

"Anyway," she began pacing, "our coordinates were so familiar because we have been there before! We were just outside an asteroid belt that was once a planet; the aparoid homeworld to be precise. The enemy has been studying them in great detail, with the exceptional interest in aparoid hatchers. Finally, I'm starting to make sense of everything..."

"What exactly is that supposed to mean?" Peppy asked. "I still don't see why the sudden interest in aparoids has risen. What do they have to do with Oikonny?"

"Everything," the vixen answered. "The aparoid invasion was planned for the very purpose of what is about to come. It all started when we cornered Oikonny on Fortuna. Just when we had the leader of Andross' army backed in a corner, one aparoid moth came down, distracting us from returning to Oikonny's ship. Once we were committed to the aparoids, the rest of the army followed to ensure that we forgot all about him while he spent his time increasing the strength of his rebel forces. This takes us to Pigma Dengar; hired by the enemy to distract us, Star Wolf included. While we were all chasing him, Oikonny had the time to steal a Wolfen from the Sargasso Hideout."

"The aparoids attacked us several times following Oikonny's escape," Krystal continued her monologue, "first attacking Sauria to divert our attention and then striking Corneria, hoping to conquer the planet while we were away. Of course we defeated them and took the fight to the aparoid homeworld, but outright defeat was not the enemy's main purpose..."

Fox was curious as to what the vixen meant. If the enemy brought the aparoids to invade Lylat, why not aim for destruction or control of Corneria? What else could the new leader of Andross' army be after?

"Don't worry, I was getting to that," Krystal read his thought telepathically. "The enemy's plan was two-fold; if the aparoids were victorious, it all would have ended there. But he had a backup plan in case they were not successful; while we were busy fighting them, the enemy has been researching. My observations while captive revealed that they have learned how to create aparoid hatchers, which will spawn aparoids indefinitely and create an army that cannot be stopped."

Wolf leaned back in his chair, clearly skeptical of this claim. "Creating aparoid hatchers? Is that even possible?"

"Unfortunately, yes," a new voice sounded from the doorway as Beltino Toad strode in, letting the door slide shut behind him. "Though the insects were destroyed along with their home planet, their remains are much harder to eliminate. The asteroids that once made up the planet's surface surely contain large concentrations of their DNA... Thank you for the invitation by the way, Krystal," he croaked with a wink and a nod in her direction.

The vixen replied with a small wink before continuing her thought. "Not only did the aparoid invasion buy the enemy time to research, but also the time necessary to rebuild Andross' forces. That's why they appear to be much more formidable than a year ago. This explains the aparoid invasion, but not the strange events that have occurred more recently. Why would the enemy have Oikonny steal a Wolfen and let him lead his forces from within it?"

Silence followed, telling Fox that no one had an answer to her question. But deep down, he thought he knew why. "To create distrust and tension among us," he answered. "Look at us; we have never been so unwilling to trust and listen to each other. The enemy has been manipulating us against each other since he revealed Oikonny's survival. Corneria's army was weakened physically by the aparoids, but that's not enough to ensure a victory; the enemy wants us to be divided, where we are at our weakest. He wants us to spend so much time and energy fighting with each other that we cannot prepare for his next move."

"Exactly," Krystal agreed. "The attack at the Awards Ceremony, the ambush on Katina, and the confusion on Fichina are evidence of this. Though you were successful in capturing Oikonny on Venom, it doesn't even matter to his superior. The ape was simply a pawn, a face for us to focus our attention on until he was no longer needed. As Falco, Katt and I escaped from the research station, I sensed our adversary's thoughts telepathically; he is readying his troops for battle. I fear that they will launch an assault on Corneria City very soon."

The vixen paused for a moment to catch her breath, eyeing her friends and companions warily with a grave expression on her face. Summing up her entire speech, she concluded, "Corneria must be ready for imminent war."