Star Fox: Eclipse

Epilogue

We thought that the rise of the aparoids one year ago was a coincidence; that they appeared out of nowhere while we were fighting a battle on Fortuna. Never have we been so wrong. I had suspicions that the attacks on Sauria and Corneria were linked, but would never have guessed that the purpose was only to weaken us for what came the year following. The aparoid invasion was an eclipse, a dark shroud to cover over the terrible threat rising from our vengeful enemy. The Omega Aparoid, still unknown to us except as the commander of Andross' forces, tested us to our very limits with his final assault on our home planet. His army was stronger than any Corneria had ever seen before, combining the military strength of the Venomian army with the corrupting power of the aparoids.

But somehow, we managed to overcome. I'm still not sure if it was because I found out the enemy's plan beforehand, if it was because of some miracle that the Katina and Fortuna reinforcements arrived in time, or some combination of the two. If any one of us failed, the war would not have been a victory... That is not to say that we escaped without suffering many casualties. Of the pilots serving the Cornerian military and Defense Force, only half of them survived the battle. Buildings burn with dark smoke, roads lay destroyed, and we all must recover from our wounds... but we will endure. Corneria always does; they will rebuild just as they did before, until their city is once again the crown jewel of the Lylat System.

As for the pilots of the Star Fox and Star Wolf teams, of course we went our separate ways. Star Wolf was recognized this time for their efforts in saving the city; their names were cleared, no longer to be viewed as criminals until they decide to break that streak. Fox, Falco, Slippy, and I were paid for our work throughout the entire struggle with Oikonny, though it was not of much concern to us. Like Fox said before the war, this mission was not about money; it was about defending our home. We fought against Andross' army because they were our enemies, endangering our lives and threatening our allies.

With the knowledge that their leader once served under Andross, we searched the Cornerian archives for a trace of his name and background information, but none could be found. Surely, he must have deleted all important information on himself before leaving Corneria. Now I know what Bryan meant, when he said "he is one of us..." The fox leading Andross' armies was once a Cornerian himself, he was one of us, and that was how he was able to manipulate us so easily. Now that he is gone, the Cornerian military and government should become trustworthy once again. It will take time to mend the wounds left on both sides, but Corneria will soon be what it once was before its corruption.

Though he's been defeated, something about our nameless foe continues to resonate within me... Not only with the words that he said, but how he acted. He never fully explained what he meant about his suspicions when I was captured, and during our final battle he mentioned the destruction of my home planet, Cerinia. Did he discover this through the Cornerian databases, or did he know more about me than he led me to believe? I haven't thought about home since Fox rescued me on planet Sauria... I promised myself that I would leave the past behind me once I became a member of Star Fox, but something inside me feels awakened. Why here, why now, after so many years being free from the thoughts that torment my heart and mind? This feels like something I will struggle with for some time to come...

After the war, we still had amends to make with Bill... In the aftermath of the battle, the bulldog revealed that Bryan was truly his younger cousin. Fox explained his involvement in the ambush on Katina and the concealment of the aparoid files, apologizing that we did not reach him in time. Though we failed to save his life, Bill did not blame us for the loss. He was always good friends with Fox, and knew that we did all that we could for his young relative.