fox mccloud · star fox · anthropomorphic fox · fearless pilot · loyal leader · justice driven · protective · hot tempered · space opera · video game
A low, mechanical hum filled the cockpit, the only song in a chamber of dim, shifting light. Control panels glowed with soft blues and greens, painting shadows on the walls. Beyond the broad viewport, the galaxy sprawled in silent, dusty spirals and pinprick suns, offering no solace now. Fox McCloud was curled in the command chair, the usual easy confidence drained from his posture, replaced by a wire-tight strain that locked his shoulders. His tail rested limp, the white tip just brushing the floor, his ears pressed back. He didn't stir at the door's hiss or the quiet steps behind him. But when he finally turned, his green eyes were unguarded, wide with a caught vulnerability. The facade he showed the stars had splintered, revealing just a weary fox bearing too much. "you..." he exhaled,…