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M** ission Four: "CDF or Cornerian Defense Force"**

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CDF Headquarters - heart of the Cornerian Defense Force - was a magnificent, solid, massive, white marbled, military building located in the northern reaches of the Cornerian city. There were many things in the sunlight that shined around the said headquarters; many fountains spraying jets of clear, dancing water into the air, honored graveyards all of which held the bodies of fallen champions of the universe, prototype solar panels collecting the sun's energy along with much more.

Out of all of the things that caught the attention of everyone who ever visited CDF's home base, mind, was that which had stood for the past few centuries since the start of the space run as well as had survived the chaos of the Aparoid Invasion; the statue of the wolf hero, "Lokien Mi'gard", the first Cornerian who had established a colony on Katina. Since then, the colony - his colony - in question had become the wealthy, mining city that was known today as "Lokienall" and supplied Corneria with 15% of its overall minerals/ores.

Again, even though having visited the CDF main base many times in the past, no one in the Star Fox squad could help but admire the grandeur of the military's well-kept headquarters as they stepped out of their parked limo, passed through the security measures and then traversed towards the front entrance. Fox, being the kind of leader-like character Lokien had once been, couldn't keep from taking out a coin as well as flipping it off of his thumb into the fountain where the wolf hero's regal statue - space helmet under his arm, standing straight at attention, looking heavenward in a stern salute - stood in the midst of the biggest water spraying fountain of them all.

After her big brother of a best friend, Krystal flipped her own respectful coin into the military hero's fountain where a plaque on the base of the statue read clearly:"All donations will be directed towards Corneria's Needy Children and Elders. Thank you for contributing and know that Lokien Mi'gard, the first ever conqueror of those planets beyond the stars, would be proud of your actions."

Where most visiting people were alone impressed with the cleanliness as well as gloriousness of the outside of CDF HQ, they were then blown completely away by the shining halls, walls, floors and everything inside of the organized, bustling foundation. Even now, after having witnessed the regal yet firm grandness of the military home base of Corneria, Krystal could not help but gasp at how everything indoors was so shiny in the afternoon sunlight. Fay was the same and when both of the girls noticed each other looking around with mouths gaping open, they quickly got a hold of themselves along with giggled.

"Still as impressive as ever." Peppy said to himself, nodding his head sagely. He'd been here many a time with fox's father, James, and some things had been different about Corneria's militant headquarters then. Nevertheless, despite the slight changes in appearance, the building around the old hare was still an awesome sight to behold. "Wouldn't you agree, Fox?"

"I always agree with you, Pep. No need to ask." The leader of Star Fox replied with a nod, feeling awed by his surroundings, "How many times have we been in here? Dozens? And yet, every time I take a step in here, I feel my hair stand on end. I'm always shocked at how professional this place is."

"It should be professional. Being the heart and mind of the Cornerian military, you know." Miyu put in her own two cents, walking long with her hands on her hips and her acute eyes always roaming, "Heck, if our team's reputation didn't keep this place safe, Fox, the look of this place alone would make any Venom attacker think twice. I admit that this area looks regal but damn... that's only to cover up the security. Look at all of the guards around us."

Indeed, in every open place, with rifles in hand, cladded in the best combat armor available to this generation of troopers, there were trained CDF guards on patrol. Honestly, there wasn't an open dozen feet of floor without a trio of soldiers standing by, constantly scanning the environment firmly.

Truly, maybe this place looked beautiful but at the same time, it was a freaking powder keg with a man standing by with the flame... to set off hell if needed.

"Militaries are something like flowers, Miyu, my dear." Peppy chuckled, smiling gently. What an odd way to describe an army. Compare CDF's forces to a flower? "They look impressive enough until you mess with them. It is then that you notice their thorns for the first if not the last time."

"Are we like that?" Slippy questioned, looking humored, "Is Star Fox like a flower of some kind?"

"If we are, we have plenty of thorns to show." Falco put in, encouragingly grinning at the toad engineer, "What with all of our talents combined, we've done the impossible again and again. Heck, we may not even be a rose, bud. We're more of a thorn bush that nothin' can pass through - aw, shit!"

"Language, Falco, language." Peppy lectured, shaking his head, "Honestly, what are we going to do with you? Why have you cussed in such a respectable - Ah, wait, that's why."

The girl at the front desk, believe it or not, was the wolfess from last year who had thrown her mocha coffee in Falco's face when he hadn't hear her tell him to back off for the third time. Before Star Fox had arrived to see her, the she-wolf - a pretty damsel of maybe twenty-seven with the blackest fur, grayest eyes and smoothest tail, dressed in an all-crimson formal outfit - had been speaking cheerily with a well groomed, brown-white painted stallion. It was as Fox stepped up to the front desk that the wolfess had to cut off her animated gossip with the horse.

"Hmf, not into birds, eh?" Falco grumbled to himself in the background, hiding his face in his hands as the wolfess glanced at everybody who had arrived at her desk, "More the horse type, jerk? Besides, this place is supposed to be professional. What are you doing flirting with Mr. Handsome there when you're supposed to be greeting guests - Ow!" Krystal elbowed the rude avian in the ribs to keep him quiet as Fox got around to getting them on their way to meet with General Pepper.

"Hello, uh, I didn't mean to interrupt anything but I'm Fox McCloud, miss." The Star Fox leader admitted rather modestly. Maybe he was the commander of the greatest mercenary team known in Lylat. Still, like any good leader, rather than be snobbish, he'd always been humble about it. And for that, his team respected if not loved him. "My squad, Star Fox, we're here to see General Pepper as requested."

"Star Fox, was it? Aw, hey, yeah, my bad!" The she-wolf exclaimed, focusing onto the moment at hand as she rapidly began keying in things into her computer before her, "Forgive me, Mr. McCloud. I was just a little distracted. I'll get General Pepper for you right now."

"No need to hassle yourself, miss. I understand why you were distracted. When you're so busy all of the time, you've gotta treasure the moments where you've got a chance at getting to know a handsome stud like this guy here, right?" Fox played along cheerily, easing the wolf girl's tension as he bumped fists with the chuckling if not grateful stallion, "Seriously, don't worry your pretty little head. Er, and it's not Mr. McCloud. It's just Fox. No reason for being formal. Never was my style."

"Of course, Mr. McCloud, sir - Ah, I mean Fox, sir."

"No. There's need for the sir or anything. Just Fox will do-"

"Yes, General Pepper, sir, Star Fox has arrived at the front desk. Shall I send them your way?" The wolfess wondered into her mike set next, looking at something on her computer and not at all hearing Fox who rolled his eyes at the stallion who did the same.

"Women." The stallion's eyes said, "All business, little else."

"Sometimes that's the case. Sometimes not." Fox's eyes said back, "Oh well. What can you do?"

"Everything is all set, Mr. McCLoud, sir - I mean, Fox, sir - I mean, uh, um..." The wolfess rambled, brushing her ebony hair out of her eyes with a huff, "Fox, your meeting with General Pepper is prepared on floor 37 in his office. He will see you now."

"Thank you very much, miss." The leader of Star Fox thanked, his team making their way towards the nearest elevator in the meantime, "Not only for setting us up for the meeting but for dropping the formalities about my name."

It was as Fox joined Krystal's side that the wolfess along with stallion got back around to chatting happily again. As they just began to converse flirtatiously, Miyu abruptly leaned over the desk, leered at the she-wolf and purred delightedly, "Have fun you two. You kids try not to get into too much trouble during your little dirty game here." And with that said, with the wolf girl blushing profusely, with the stallion returning Miyu's next wink, all of Star Fox entered the private, clear glass elevator made ready for them.

As the elevator climbed up off of the floor, there was nothing to be seen but the inside of the building for a time. Then, with a flash of white concrete, the scenery changed from looking indoors to looking outdoors as the elevator had climbed up high enough to be outside now. In gentle amazement, with smiles on their faces at seeing the sight outside, being dozens of feet in the air and climbing still, the members of Star Fox watched the front courtyard of CDF's main base they'd walked through earlier shrink below them.

"Up, up, up we go. Where we stop, nobody knows." Slippy mused, smiling happily.

"Actually, we do know where we're stopping, Slip. We're going to the 37th floor of hq." Fox laughed, rubbing his best friend's head fondly, "Once there, we'll finally have our answers as to why we've been so secretly called here today."

"About freakin' time." Falco stated simply, a grimace on his beaked face and his eyes narrowed in impatience, "Seriously."