Disclaimer: I do not own Star Fox or Halo.

Chapter 3: In an Unfamiliar World

Krystal sensed no other life forms nearby. "It looks like we're alone here," she said. "We should look around. Since this place is foreign to us, there's no telling what we'll run into. We must stick together."

"She's right," Fox said. "It looks like we'll be going on foot. Even the Landmasters are busted." They walked nearly a mile when Falco noticed something in the sky.

"Look! More of those ships. Something's different about these, though. They don't seem as well equipped as the ones that were chasing us."

"I don't sense any hostility from them, either," Krystal said. "We should wait to see what they'll do when they land."

"Hey! Over here!" Slippy called. He led the group over to a pod that had been lodged into the ground. It was purple, with glowing blue lines running across its surface.

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The Arbiter watched the pod's outer casing fall away, as light from outside came pouring in. Once he stepped outside, he barked something into his communicator, causing the Phantom to launch more pods. He nearly jumped backwards when he saw the strangers glaring at him.

"Don't be alarmed," Krystal said. "I do not sense any hostility from him. Maybe you should try talking to him, Fox."

"Excuse me, but do you know anything about this place?" Fox asked. "My name is Fox McCloud, lead pilot of the Star Fox Team. These are my friends and fellow teammates, Slippy, Falco, Krystal, and ROB. We were fleeing from a large group of ships that looked similar to yours when our ship crash-landed here."

The Arbiter looked puzzled as he was asked about the Halo installations. "I know what this place is, but as to its history and location, you will have to ask the Monitor. I will aid you, but first you must help me. My brethren and I are in a civil war between ourselves, and our former allies; the Covenant. Help me find out how close our foes are, and I will help you find the Monitor."

Just as he spoke, the Arbiter noticed something headed right for his position. "GET DOWN!" he yelled, as a plasma bolt from a particle cannon barely missed his head. When he got up, the Arbiter saw his foes; Brutes, Jackals, and Buggers. "It's the enemy!" he shouted, "This may be a good time to see how well you fare in battle."

An all-out melee ensued. Huge bursts of plasma fire erupted from the alien weapons. Fox used his machine gun to mow down the Buggers, while Krystal snuck up behind a Brute with her staff. Meanwhile, Falco was picking off Jackals at a distance with his sniper rifle. In the end, all of the adversaries were dispatched.

"Well done," the Arbiter said. My comrades should be down here soon. It must have taken them longer than anticipated to get the pods launched." He sighed as he thought of all the Elites that were murdered at High Charity, the Covenant Holy City. His reminiscing ended abruptly when he heard Krystal let out a small yelp, then fall unconscious. One of the Jackals had survived the battle and shot a round from its particle canon into her side. The shot was not lethal, but Krystal was now a prime target for capture. Sure enough, the Jackal barked into its communicator, and four sets of Brutes came over to pick up the unconscious vixen. The other apelike creatures followed the two carrying their catch, ensuring that no one would follow them. "Damn," the Arbiter cursed. "It's not going to go well for the girl if their captain has his way."

"We have to rescue her!" Fox said. "I… I love her. I don't know what I'd do without her."

"Have patience, Fox. We'll rescue your Krystal. We just need to call in the big guns. Send for the Hunters!" the Arbiter barked. "No fear, the Hunters can be our best fighters, and the most loyal guardians."

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Author's note: Well, I FINALLY updated again! Yayz! Please forgive me for taking so long to update. And for those of you who find my chapters to be too short, I hope that this one satisfies you.