After the generally positive lives of the McClouds it’s a shame that other members of my Nova Fox AU are having a rougher time of the future. Oh well, that’s what character arcs are for!

After encouraging Fox in his decision to disband the team to be with Krystal, Falco decided to set off on his own path as a rogue pilot. Nothing could tie the great Falco Lombardi down, especially once he cashed in on all the accolades he’d receive for saving the Lylat system once again.

As time wore on he crossed paths with his old gang member friend, Katt Monroe, who proposed they form their own mercenary squadron to take on the new group’s of ruffians and bandits taking advantage of the departure of Star Wolf from the Lylat System (more on that in a future post). He agreed, naming the new company “Star Falco” formed of himself and Katt and eventually also hiring a talented young pilot by the name of Dash Bowman, the grandson of Dr. Andross.

Eventually the conscientious simian would leave to take up the role of Ranger of Venom to govern the planet as a Cornerian protectorate, working to turn that blighted world into a prosperous neighbour, rather than a system-wide threat. His departure actually provided a boon to Star Falco, though, as that connection kept them in work dealing with insurgents and remnants of the old Venomian order who objected to their perceived “vassal” status.

As the team grew, though, Falco also became somewhat restless, longing for the old companionship of his comrade Fox McCloud. Knowing he could never convince the Vulpine to join him in his mercenary team he was, however, able to stir the hero of Lylat’s thrill seeking with a proposal to join him on the G-Zero racing circuit for a season. Fox’s Addition to the Star Falco team attracted investment and they went on to win the Grand Prix that year, showing that the old duo were far from past their prime.

After Fox returned to his family and academy job, Falco went on to win a couple more of the racing tournaments, this time with Katt as his running-mate. It was at this point, after seeing how content the McClouds were with their marriage and kids, that Falco finally admitted his feelings for Katt. After all the two had been through together he had finally softened to the feline and could admit he actually didn’t mind saving her butt all the time like he used to.

The marriage was actually rather low-key and they considered many options when the matter of children came up, doubting whether Avian and Feline genes were even compatible. As it happens, Cornerian medicine is fairly advanced, and Katt was able to conceive a hybrid daughter whom they named Kittihawk (a name that was rejected for the longest time until no better one they could agree on appeared). They call the Griffin girl “Kitty” for short.

Falco saw no need to go into the slow-lane like Fox did and still kept flying with Star Falco, winning accolades and renown to the point where his team was arguably more famous than Star Fox had been. Katt, on the other hand, was more than happy to look after their kitten-chick in the home they’d started building for themselves on Zoness. Such was their life until after Kitty’s seventh birthday, Falco’s run of good luck ran out in a dogfight on Fichina.

He crash-landed hard in an area of the planet that proved difficult to reach by the rest of his team. He was thankfully found alive but his lower legs had been crushed beyond repair and had to be amputated at the site if he was to survive. What followed led to the break up of his team and his happy marriage and homelife.

In time he was able to be fitted with prosthetics, designed by Slippy Toad to be arguably even better than natural limbs for Star-fighting, but the long process of acclimatisation and the mental toll it took put a strain on the Pheasant’s self-confidence. As that went so did his team, unable to sit idle while their leader was out of action, most resigned to join other companies.

This blow also put pressure on his marriage and the old standoffish Falco began to gradually return. Katt tried her best but, given to a hot temper herself, even she began to feel distant towards the man she’d loved from afar for so long. To make ends meet she decided to reinvest Star Falco’s assets into a freight haulage business: something that would need skilled pilots but not necessarily hi-spec combat fighters. She hoped it would help Falco to get back into the cockpit but he saw it as a betrayal of everything they worked for, arguing that adding his name to a group of “Space Truckers” was an insult. So Katt called the business “Katt’s Kradle” instead.

Eventually, with Falco’s neuro-pathways adjusted fully to the new limbs, he was able to return to his Skyclaw and flew as an escort fighter for Katt’s Kradle. In very little time, though, that life would leave him feeling unfulfilled and restless. His relationship with Katt has broken down to the point where they only interacted briefly for business purposes and for him to see Kitty: the one person that could bring the “old” Falco back from his growing depression.

Tempted often to just fly out into the depths of space and disappear he received a message from the McClouds. Fox and Krystal both had tried to keep in touch with their old comrade in arms but he’d started shunning them as his mental state deteriorated, too stubborn to seek therapy besides that which could be found in a bottle.

This time, though, the message came not from Fox but from his son, Marcus. He was forming a new Star Fox team and they needed a legendary experienced pilot.

They never received a response until, the very day they were about to relaunch the Great Fox II, Falco turned up, fashionably late as always.

His role in the team could ably be summed up as the “New Peppy” though he would greatly resent to remark. Brash, crude, grumpy but seasoned by the wisdom of decades flying combat sorties, Falco settled into his new role.

He keeps a lot of his private life hidden (nothing new there) but it’s a lot harder to pull off when there are potentially three times as many telepaths to contend with. So whether he repairs his relationship with his wife and now teenage daughter remains to be seen.

In either case, it’s good to have him back.