Star Fox: Lost Colony

Fox shut the door to his car with a satisfying slam, then slipped on his aviators and took a look around. Phoenix Corp's new headquarters was impressive. A single skyscraper surrounded by a ring of gardens, recreation buildings, and testing facilities, all within a kilometer of one of Corneria City's pristine beaches.

Taking a breath of the fresh air, tinged with a slight hint of hot asphalt, Fox strode towards the main entrance to the building. He craned his neck to get a glance at the top of the building, where he spotted a two seat, VTOL transport perched on a landing pad jutting out from the top floor. He had a feeling he knew who that belonged to. Fara Phoenix would never let herself get stuck in traffic, especially if all she had to do to avoid it was fly right over it.

A stairway led up from the walkway to the tower entrance. Fox climbed the stairs two at a time, and studiously ignored the glances of recognition that came his way from the flow of people entering and exiting. At least here he could be confident he wouldn't be stormed or stalked by hordes of girlish admirers or boyish hero worshipers asking for autographs, selfies, or, god knew, propositioning him in front of the paparazzi.

When he entered the building he was hit by a blast of cool, air conditioned atmosphere. His boots clicked on the marble floor, which had the Phoenix Corp logo on it, the mythical bird flying into a field of stars, flames cascading down its wings. Fox had commented once that the sight of a flying ball of flame might not be the ideal corporate image for a company that built planes and spaceships. It had gotten him a dirty look from Fara Phoenix, the head of the company, and no further comment. Not that Fara has to say anything. She always could kill with a look.

He stepped up to the reception desk, the line clearing before him. He tried not to grimace at the special treatment. It happened everywhere. Everywhere except, irritatingly, the grocery store. Fox had long since given up fighting it, except when military personnel were in the same line. "Hi," Fox said, smiling at the receptionist. He was a tiger with a slight frame and youthful appearance. "I'm here to see Fara."

The tiger didn't look up. "You're cutting in line, sir."

Fox frowned and stepped away. He motioned for the person behind him to take his place. The female avian shook her head and said, "Reggie. Take a look at who you're talking to."

"Huh?" The tiger, Reggie, looked up, then nearly fell out of his chair. "Mr. McCloud! I'm so sorry."

This time Fox did blush. Everyone within earshot was looking at them now. "It's fine. I'll go to the back of the line."

"No. No I can check you in," Reggie protested.

"Seriously, if you have a rule about line cutting..." Fox went on.

Reggie was about to say something else when a familiar, throaty, female voice carried clear across the first floor. "McCloud!"

All eyes turned in that direction, and Fox spotted a diminutive fennec jogging over to him. When she reached him she said, "McCloud, there a reason you're arguing with my receptionist?"

"No." Fox shook his head. "Hi Fara. Can I see you now?"

"Sure." Fara shrugged and cocked her head in the direction of a private elevator. Fox followed her. "You're early."

"I know."

"Why?" Fara stepped into the elevator and hit the button for the top floor. There was no sense of motion as the car started moving, benefit of an integrated e-diffuser. The lift had a lot of floors to cover, and it covered them at speed.

"I don't know. I had the free time, thought I'd get here and read a magazine." Fox smiled. "Good to see you."

"Right." Fara cocked an eyebrow at him. "I figured you and Krystal would be busy."

"Busy?" Fox shook his head. "With?"

"Each other," Fara replied.

"Ah." Fox blushed a bit, then shook his head once more. "Nah, she's out with Katt and her sister right now."

"Aww. Shame. Bonny and I always enjoy a little afternoon delight." Fara chuckled.

"That why you were on the bottom floor?"

"No. I had a meeting," Fara said. The elevator came to a stop and she stepped out. Fox followed her, entering directly into her office on the top floor. A massive, wrap around window offered a panoramic view of the ocean, Corneria City, and the green hills and mountains that surrounded it.

"On the bottom floor?" Fox took the seat in front of her desk that she motioned him to, glancing around at the sumptuous, overstuffed leather furniture, fully stocked wet bar, and king sized bed that didn't even begin to fill out the plushly carpeted space. "Do you live here?"

"It wasn't an important meeting. Bagel vendors." Fara took a seat behind her desk. Her chair was low backed, probably to keep her from look any smaller than she was. The only person she could claim to have height on was Fay Spaniel, and that was only thanks to her ears.

"You sit in on meetings with bagel vendors?" Fox leaned back in his chair. "Must be some bagels."

"Hey, only the best." Fara motioned to the bed and the wet bar. "And to answer your other question, I do live here sometimes. Projects can be intense, and sometimes it helps to have some of the creature comforts around. For naps and a drink and all that."

"I'm sure Bonny appreciates it," Fox said, referring to her husband, Boniface Whitefur, a posh, rich, Grantham Isles Brahmin Fara had met at college. He'd been a brand new Navy ensign, and, according to Fara, she'd fallen in love with him the moment she saw the way he wore the uniform.

"Oh, he lives here too sometimes." Fara smirked. "Quite a distraction but, then, sometimes that's what you need."

"I can imagine." Fox let the two of them sit in a companionable silence for a moment. He and Fara had known each other a long time, and silence had ceased to be something they actively avoided. Besides, he could tell she was thinking about her husband, and with him being a captain with his own command, he knew that thoughts of him were precious, since his physical presence could sometimes be sparse.

With a wistful sigh Fara returned to the present. Fox sat up a bit straighter, sensing that the reason she'd asked him here was ready to be discussed. "Have you heard of Anshar?"

"Anshar?" Fox quirked an eyebrow. The name rang a bell. "It's one of Titania's moons. Didn't we have a research colony there, before the war?"

"We did," Fara confirmed.

"And, if I recall, we lost contact with them at some point." Fox had a feeling he knew where this meeting was going.

"Also true. One of dozens of colonies in Lylat to go dark. Our system may be full of habitable bodies, but other than Corneria, they're all still the wilds." Fara took a breath and looked considerate. "No one ever bothered to look in on them."

"No one?" That surprised Fox. If a colony went dark, Corneria usually sent a scout ship to check in on them. Everyone had seen the images of ghost towns and overgrown ruins. There'd been many a movie and book written about the phenomenon. It had never stopped people from moving out. Fox knew that, deep down, everyone felt an urge to walk on other worlds, and danger and mystery were part of the allure.

"The war broke out pretty soon after it happened. That shunted it down the priority list," Fara explained. "Then, after five years of hostilities, it's safe to say the government forgot about it."

"So, what's changed?" Fox asked, his curiosity piqued.

"This." Fara tapped a control on her desk. A pinging noise emanated from her desk speakers. Slow, steady, and regular. Fara muted it, then brought up a hologram of Anshar. A point on one of the southern continents started to flash. "Yesterday, Phoenix Corp probes picked up that signal coming from the region where our colony was placed. Enlil."

A holographic image of Anshar, one of Titania's three habitable moons, popped up. A point on one of the southern continents started flashing. Fox sat up straighter in his chair. "What did the signal say?"

"Nothing specific. It's more just a beacon, and it died shortly after we picked it up. My guys think it's probably an emergency signal of some sort. Maybe a computer system that's trying to get attention." Fara set her chin on her hands and stared at the hologram for a moment. "It's a bit of mystery."

"Do we know what the colony was sent there for? Mining? Agriculture?"

"Neither. It was a scientific expedition, at least according to the data I could find." Fara sighed, her frown deepening. "I couldn't find very much though. It was chartered by the Curzon Institute, which used to look for life beyond Lylat. Signs of interstellar civilization. They went under not long after the colony disappeared." Fara brought up a data screen with the readout on the Curzon Institute.

"This says they were privately funded," Fox noted. "Any idea who the benefactor was?"

"Nope. But he was based on Macbeth," Fara told him. "Probably an industrialist. And, given how many of them Andross had executed when he took over..."

Fox nodded. Andross's reign on Macbeth had been long and violent. It had been one of the first worlds to fall. The colonists there had been suffering a cruel and bitter existence under the corporations that had sponsored the settlement of the harsh, volcanic world. Andross had decided to endear himself to the locals by executing every corporate suit and owner he could find on the planet. After that he'd put his military in control, and proceeded to rule with an iron fist, squashing any dissent, and enslaving entire segments of the population. By the time the colonists, who had welcomed Andross and his forces as liberators, realized their mistake, it was too late to do anything about it. "Yeah, I doubt we'll hear from him again. So, what do you want from me?"

Fara gave him a quick smile. "I want to go get a look at this place. And I'll pay good money for you to do it."

"How good?" Fox asked, leaning forward and resting an arm on her desk.

Fara pulled a notepad from her a drawer in her desk, wrote down a number in black marker, and then slid it over to him. Fox picked it up, glanced at it, stared at it, shook his head, and then said, "Bullshit you'll pay me this much."

"I'm serious." Fara didn't skip a beat. "And here's why."

"Uh oh." Fox groaned. "There's always a catch with you."

Fara grinned, her tail swishing behind her. "Don't worry. It's not so bad."

"Really?"

"Really."

"Alright. What is it?" Fox braced himself, confident she'd throw him a curveball.

Fara grinned, and he could hear her tail wagging behind her. "I'm coming with you."

The sun felt heavenly against Krystal's fur. Warm and soft, with a gentle, intermittent breeze coming off the rolling blue waves of Corneria's largest ocean. She watched the sky through her sunglasses, tracking the comings and goings of ships and suborbital planes from the Corneria City spaceport. Corneria sometimes felt like a bit of a paradox to her. It was by far the busiest world she had ever been to, and yet, at the same time, it was one of the most peaceful. She always felt safe when she was on the surface, and when she saw it from orbit it was a relief to know that there was one place that, despite everything it had been subjected to, still held to its peaceful ideals.

Not that she was in much of a mood to think about philosophy at the moment. She had more pressing concerns. "Do you have any idea where Katt is?" she asked, glancing at the blood red vixen lying next to her.

"She should have been here ten minutes ago," Fiora, Krystal's older sister, replied. She propped herself up on her elbows and took a look around, shielding her eyes from the sun with a hand.

"She's always late." Krystal sighed. Katt Monroe, officially an independent contractor providing technical support for the Star Fox team, but unofficially one of its newest members, lived her life surrounded by phones, computers, and other pieces of technology, all of which could tell time. And yet, despite that, Krystal couldn't recall the feline ever being on time to, well, anything. And she'd known her awhile now.

"There she is!" Fiora pointed to a spot further down the beach. Krystal turned her head in that direction and shook her head. There was Katt Monroe, in a bikini, chatting up the lifeguard, while holding the cooler full of iced beverages the two sisters had been waiting for. "Why is she chatting up the lifeguard?"

"Because she's Katt." Krystal stood up. "I'll go get her."

"Try. But the cooler has priority," Fiora replied. Krystal glanced back at her sister and arched an eyebrow. "What? You know Katt. If she wants to flirt, she's going to flirt."

Krystal sighed and nodded, then started walking. Her hair fluttered as the breeze caught it. She'd grown it out a little longer since she and Fox had mated, a traditional practice among Cerinians. It reached just past her shoulders now. She wasn't sure if she wanted to let it get any longer. It was already starting to be a hassle when she had to wear her semi-powered combat armor. Long hair and helmets didn't mix. Even Katt, who enjoyed her long, flowing, platinum blonde locks, had to put it in a bun when she wore the armor.

Approaching Katt from behind Krystal reached out and tapped the pink feline on the shoulder. Katt turned and said, "Oh! Hi Krys. What's up?"

"Fiora and I were wondering where the drinks are?" Krystal looked pointedly at the cooler that Katt was holding in one hand. Krystal got the feeling the lifeguard, a cheetah, was particularly fascinated at how the feline had been holding it up without any sign of strain for their entire conversation.

"Right here." Katt hefted the cooler. "Why?"

"Were you planning to bring them over?"

"In a minute. My friend here was just telling me about his workout routine," Katt said. "He's quite the bench presser."

Krystal picked up on something in Katt's eyes then. A silent plea to drag her away. Ah. That made more sense. "Huh. Well, I'm sure Falco Lombardi would have a thing or two to give him tips on. You could always tell him, when you get home tonight."

The cheetah blanched, then said, "I better get back to work."

"No problem." Krystal smiled and cocked her head towards where she and Fiora had set up their towels and umbrella.

Once they were out of earshot Katt squeezed Krystal's arm and said, "Thank you."

"You could have just told him who you were and that you were spoken for," Krystal said, dodging a couple of children as they ran by with buckets full of sand.

"Honestly? I didn't want to tell him who I was," Katt replied.

"Why?"

"Old habits." Katt frowned. "I worked on my own a lot, and when Falco and I were in the Hot Rodders, we were always on the run. Telling people my name isn't really my thing, if I can get away with it."

"Mm. I understand." Krystal patted her friend on the back. Katt had lived a hard life. She'd loved and lost more than once. And she'd been on the bad side of the law on more than one occasion. She'd learned to make allowances for her more peculiar habits. And besides, what were friends for, if not to save each other from muscle heads looking for a quick score?

"Hi Fiora. Sorry, I got held up," Katt said, setting the cooler down and cracking it open. She pulled out a soda can and took a long drink from it. "Mmm. Sweet and fizzy. My favorite."

Fiora and Krystal reached in and each pulled out one of their own. Krystal was about to pop the lid and enjoy herself when she saw her wrist comm, which was lying on her towel, start to flash. "Bloody hell."

Katt's purse began to glow from the inside, and Fiora reached for her own wrist comm. Taking a look, Fiora frowned, then said, "Back to the Great Fox. Looks like we have employment."

With a sigh Krystal tossed her soda back into the cooler, shut the lid, and said, "I'll drive."

Fara jogged down the halls of the Great Fox, breathing steadily as she moved. It was about eight in the morning, Corneria City time, and, as always, she needed stretch her legs. Normally that meant a lap or two around her neighborhood, or in one of the gardens at Phoenix Corp headquarters, but whatever the case, it would never be on a treadmill. Fara wanted to move, and she wanted to go somewhere. If you were going to run in place, you might as well not run at all, in her opinion.

Turning a corner Fara hopped onto the emergency ladder next to the turbolift and started climbing. It was a fun little addition to her workout, and gave her arms a little more to do. Her feet made contact with the next deck and she was off again. She kept track of her surroundings. The Great Fox was one fine piece of ship. She could see her father's design fingerprints all over it. The brightly lit corridors and gray deck plating. The streamlined, efficient design. Beauty in function, though she detected a bit of the flair that her mother always added. That made her smile. Her mother, Celia, had always been the one to tell her father, Argus, to liven things up a little. Argus's basic designs tended to be boxy and functional. Her mother had spearheaded the more angular, pointed, designs of the latest generation of Space Dynamics craft.

Fara and her mother shared similar tastes in ship design. The Arwing models currently in use by the Star Fox team, with their quad G-diffusers, long, blade thin wings, and spearhead style fuselage, were very much a design gift to her mother. When the older fennec had seen them, Fara remembered her embrace as Celia fennec whispered to her, "Two hundred credits says you're father tries to hide a grimace."

The exterior of the refitted Great Fox had also been shaped according to Fara's preferences. Fox had had some input, but, ultimately, he'd been willing to leave the details up to her. Gone were the long, cumbersome, engine columns, replaced with three engine nozzles on a flat, even aft section. The bridge module had been replaced with a hardened command center, surrounded by a massive, transparent aluminum observation deck. She'd also replaced the grey hull plating with polished chromium, infused with energy resistant polymers that would refract laser fire, and let plasma splash right off. A more elegant solution to hull protection, as opposed to the original Great Fox's two and a half meters of armor plating. Fara had gotten it down to one meter, while simultaneously improving damage absorption. The Great Fox wasn't invincible, but she could take a hell of a beating. When her father had seen it, he'd smiled, kissed her on the forehead, and said, "Thou hath surpassed me." Then he'd groused about her having more advanced technology to work with than he had had ten years ago.

Fara ascended three more decks and found herself on the training level. She passed a door marked "Battle Games Simulator" and another labeled as "Flight Simulator" before stopping at one with the word "Gymnasium" on it. She tapped the door control and stepped in. Her fennec ears picked up the sound of flesh hitting flesh, followed by a crash onto a mat. She walked over to the sparring area and grinned when she saw Fox and Krystal. Fox had Krystal down, and was holding her arms above her head. She held back a laugh as Fox moved into kiss her, but she couldn't restrain herself when Krystal took his momentary distraction, wrapped her legs around him, and flipped him over. Both foxes turned towards the sound of giggles, and Fox blushed like mad when he saw her. "Would you two like to be alone?"

Krystal grinned and waved her over. She hopped to her feet and helped Fox up. "Nope. Just sparring." Then, tail wagging behind her, she smacked Fox on the rear hard enough that the tod stumbled forward, caught unprepared.

Fox turned on her and wrapped her in his arms, then smacked her rear even harder. Krystal yipped and put her arms around his neck, rubbing noses with him. "Naughty vixen," he whispered. He probably thought she couldn't hear him, but Fara's ears heard all. For once she decided not to embarrass him. "What are you doing up so early?" he asked.

"I always get up this early," Fara replied. "I like an early morning jog. Then I go home and take a nap."

"That's usually what we do, too," Krystal said, moving to Fox's side and putting her arm around his waist, Fox's went around her shoulders. "Although more often than not nap time doesn't involve all that much sleeping."

Fox blushed again and grinned a little sheepishly. Fara cackled and answered, "Bonny and I are the same when he's home. Better be careful though. Don't want Foxy boy here knocking you up too soon."

"Really Fara?" Fox groaned, a pained expression on his face.

"What? I'm saying you're a stud. Isn't that a compliment?" Fara said, a shit eating grin plastered on her face. There were very few women who could get away with calling Fox something like that, and she could count the number of them on exactly one hand.

Krystal laughed and rubbed a hand on his chest. "Yes. Virile, studly, Foxy-Woxy. Don't worry, I'm going to have all his babies."

"Can we please never talk about this again?" Fox said. Krystal narrowed her eyes at him. "Okay, you and I can, but not Fara."

"Fair enough." Krystal looked over at Fara and said, "Wanna spar?"

"Sure." Fara smiled and took the gloves Krystal handed her. She slipped them on and said, "So, how does this usually...GOOOO!" Krystal came right at her, a left hook flying at her out of nowhere. Fara dipped her head and dodged, throwing out a wild punch aimed somewhere in the vicinity of Krystal's stomach. The blue vixen rolled with it, letting Fara's arm pass by her, and then over extend. Before the fennec knew what was happening Krystal had her wrist in one hand, and the other on her throat. Fara's feet left the deck, and her back slammed onto the mat. Krystal looked down at her, her teeth bared, and said, "He's mine."

For a moment Fara knew real fear. Then she heard Fox laughing, and saw the way Krystal's bared teeth were trying not to be a smile. Shaking her head Fara cursed and said, "Believe me, I know. Bonny is more than enough for me."

Krystal hauled her to her feet, slapped her on the back, and said, "Once more?"

Fara grinned, ready this time, and eager for revenge. "You're on."

Katt's boots made contact with the firm ground of Anshar, kicking up a tiny cloud of wet dust. She glanced down at her feet, taking a look at the bottom of the boot of her semi-powered combat (SPC) armor. It was caked with yellow dirt from the moon's pumice like surface. A light rain pattered against her visor, and her heads up display told her the temperature was around ninety-two degrees, with a humidity level that made her happy her armor was climate controlled. "Why would anyone want to live here?" Katt muttered. On her back, Pinky, secure in his slot, booped his agreement. In the distance she could see a mountain range, the peaks of which were covered by heavy rain clouds.

Her radio crackled, and Fara said, "Not many people do. There's never been a permanent colony on Anshar. The atmosphere is breathable, but the climate and ground aren't conducive to agriculture. And, well, it's expensive to colonize out this far."

"I sure as hell wouldn't spend my money on it," Katt said. She looked ahead of her. A low ridge blocked her view of the colony. Star Fox had deployed in three teams, coming in from three different directions. Fox, Krystal, and Fara would come in from the north, Fiora, her mate Decius, and Slippy, from the east, and Katt from the south. She worked alone. It was a condition in which she thrived, and Fox was smart enough to realize that. Falco was in his Arwing, and when she started to climb the ridge she saw his fighter make a low pass.

"Falco here, colony looks quiet. But there's a lot of interior space, and the weather is messing up my scanners." Falco sounded irritated. "Not sure how much help I'm gonna be up here."

"Just keep on overwatch Falco," Fox's voice replied. "Hopefully we won't need you."

Katt smirked. That probably stung. Falco didn't like not being needed. Oh well, she'd console him later. She reached the top of the ridge and looked down over the colony. The buildings were of surprisingly high quality. She'd been expecting prefab shelters and a few laboratory structures. Instead she saw what appeared to be a small apartment block, along with a library, and a building with a flickering holosign that said "Observatory". "Fara, you sure this wasn't gonna be a permanent colony? They look nice and settled here."

"As far as I know. Maybe they were planning on being here awhile?" Katt could hear the shrug in her voice.

"I'm seeing a building marked as an observatory. You know, this seems like a crappy place for stargazing," Katt pointed out. She stepped off the ridge and slid down, using her right hand as a rudder, her left resting on one of her two sidearms. She didn't like this place. Something was off.

"Take a closer look." Slippy's voice on the comm this time. "I'm seeing the same building. It's got a massive set of antennas. I think it's connected to something. Maybe up on the mountains?"

"Some of those peaks are pretty high," Fiora jumped in. "Could be it."

Katt craned her neck to get a look at the antenna Slippy was talking about. She frowned. Those antennas looked powerful enough to send out interplanetary signals. At least, they would have been, Katt saw evidence of damage to one of them, though it was too far up for her to tell if it was recent. "No. Satellites. Those antennas are too large for anything else. That's probably where the signal came from, too. I can see some damage from down here. Probably why the signal died."

"So, where are the satellites?" Krystal asked. "We didn't detect any in orbit."

"Maybe there's something inside that'll tell us that." Katt glanced at her tracker, taking note of the other teams locations. "I'm closest. I'll get in there and see if I can access the logs."

"Copy that," Fox said. "Watch yourself. I got a bad feeling about this place."

"Same."

Katt moved forward, sticking to the shadows where she could. She activated her motion tracker, keeping an eye on it as she approached the largest observatory building. She climbed the stairs and stopped at the door. Solid metal automatic. No way to see inside. "Entering the structure now."

When she approached the door nothing happened. She tried waving her hands around for a motion sensor. Nothing. She pulled. Then pushed. "Dammit."

"Problem?" Decius's voice.

"Kinda wishing I had your telekinesis right now," Katt muttered. "Wait one." She brought her leg up and kicked with the full power of her not inconsiderable thigh muscles, enhanced by her SPC armor. The door, made of about half an inch of metal, bent inwards, the hinges screaming in protest. Katt grunted and kicked again. Then once more. The door fell inward with a massive clang and clatter.

Fzzt! Fzzt! Fzzt!

"Fuck!" Katt dove out of the way of three incoming laser beams. Pinky screeched and detached from her, moving to hover over her shoulder, his sensors flashing as he fed detailed data to her HUD. "Contact!" Katt pulled both her sidearms out and pressed her back against the wall. "Motion tracker ineffective."

"You sure they weren't standing still?" Falco's voice.

"You know how sensitive these things are? They can feel you breathing." Katt rolled her eyes. "Stay off the line unless you have something useful to say." She could practically feel Falco biting back a snarky come back. "Pinky, why can't I detect them?"

Pinky beeped a response, informing her that they were using some sort of cloaking system to mask their movements and vital signs. Pinky then added that, now that he knew what they were dealing with, he could scan for the energy signatures and display targeting information for her.

"Thanks little guy," Katt said. "Transfer your info to the other teams. Can their armor do it on its own?" Pinky bobbed in the air, his physical sign of affirmation/happiness. "Good." Katt peeked out from behind cover, and Katt saw Pinky's projected target outlines on her visor. She took a breath then broke cover and opened fire. Her plasma bolts brought down two, then she slammed back into cover on the other side of the door. She heard the bodies fall, and Pinky used his scanners to give her an image of the room without her needing to break cover. The two bodies looked simian, and they were wearing cloaks and breath masks, with distinctive symbology on them. A circle with a line through it. "Scavengers." Katt groaned. Just what they needed. "Anyone see a ship?"

"Falco here. Got something useful to say."

Three seconds went by, and finally Katt hissed, "Permission to speak, smartass."

"Found their ship. About two kilometers out. Want me to waste it?"

"Negative," Fox replied. "Not necessary."

"I beg to differ," Katt bit out, another laser beam flashed past her right side from the remaining survivor. "Titanian Scavengers are territorial as hell. If they think we're violating their territory, which we are, and they have someone back there, they're gonna call in reinforcements."

Fox was silent for a moment, then replied, "See if you can hit the antenna system, Falco."

"No problem. I can see it. Maser system. I'll melt the dish."

"Understood."

Katt held back a sigh. Ever the hero, Foxy-boy. She didn't hold it against him. Honestly, she respected it. Even if, sometimes, she felt that it got in the way of the best tactical judgement. The laser fire, which had been constant throughout the exchange, stopped, and Katt took the opportunity it presented. She whirled and opened up, catching the Scavenger in the middle of a cooldown cycle. He fell, three smoking holes in his chest, and one right between the eyes. "Clear."

Pinky toodled and flew inside, trilling happily at being out of the rain. Katt followed him in and took a look around. The lobby was small, with a single reception desk, tile floors, and a stairway leading up to a second level.

"This is Decius, we've reached the library. Slippy says he's picking up power emanations consistent with at least one active archive CPU. We're going to head in and try to download it."

"Understood," Fox said. "My team and I are heading for Katt and the observatory."

Footsteps heralded the arrival of Fox and his team. Katt turned around and motioned to the three Scavengers. "Sorry about the mess."

Fox grunted. "Efficient."

"I am to please. The Scavengers must have been the ones who damaged the antennas." Pinky's tracker started flashing. "What is it Pinky?" Text scrolled across her visor, Pinky informed her that he'd found a relay access room, but the door was locked. "Coming. Pinky found the relay room."

Fox motioned for everyone to follow. Fara walked next to her, wearing tan and silver SPC armor. Katt cocked an eyebrow and said, "I never thought I'd see you in an outfit like that."

"After what happened last year, I decided I needed some bigger teeth," Fara told her. The fennec had a blaster rifle in her hands. Katt thought it looked good on her.

"Yeah." Katt nodded. "A lot of people feel that way."

After a short walk down the corridor off the staircase they found Pinky, hovering in front of a set of double doors, with a computer access terminal on the wall next to them. Pinky gave Katt a report on what he'd seen, and Katt frowned. "Radial A encryption," Katt said to the group.

"Really?" Fara shook her head. "They were serious about keeping people out."

"Can you crack it?" Krystal asked.

Katt smiled behind her visor, then cracked her knuckles. "Not a problem. Gimme a few minutes though."

Katt set to work, Pinky hovering by her shoulder, checking her math as she went along. Having her little quadcopter robot around was a big help. Maybe it wasn't fair to say that she worked alone, when Pinky almost always came along for the ride. When she'd built him he'd been more a tool than anything else. A smart, bubbly one, that matched her personality and color scheme, but a tool nonetheless. Now, years later, as his programming had gotten more advanced, and his experiences had continued to build on themselves, he'd developed an emergent personality as a happy, and sometimes snarky, little companion, who cared about her more than most breathing lifeforms. Even if, she had to remind herself from time to time, that was because she'd programmed him that way.

Katt's comm crackled in her ear. "Decius to Fox, we have trouble."

"Fox here, what's going on?" Fox turned his back and pressed a finger to the side of his helmet.

"Scavengers. They've got us pinned down."

Katt could hear laser fire behind Decius's words, even as the Cerinian fox maintained a cool and even voice. She straightened up and glanced behind her.

"Fiora took a hit, we could use some help," Decius continued.

"They winged me, I'm fine," Fiora broke in, her voice strained. "He's just worrying."

"That's my job, love," Decius answered. Katt smirked. It was a helluva job, worrying about Fiora. The blood red vixen had a knack for trouble, and she loved a good fight.

"Copy that, we're on our way," Fox said. "Hold your position." Fox turned to Katt and Fara. "You two stay here, try and access this place's logs and find out what happened. And keep your heads down."

"Will do," Katt said, then turned back to the computer terminal. She was almost through. Fox and Krystal's footsteps beat a retreating march behind her, and Katt tried not to wonder how many more Scavengers might be lurking in the lost colony. Pinky blatted at her when she almost put a decimal in the wrong place. "Sorry, sorry, I'm focusing." She adjusted the decimal, and then smiled as the computer terminal flashed the words "Access Granted."

"Nice work," Fara said, patting Katt on the shoulder.

"Thanks." Katt smiled, then activated her headlamps as they walked inside. Control consoles were strewn about, and Katt's smile died when she saw that most of them had been either ripped out by Scavengers, or shot up. "Great."

Fara looked around in confusion. "The door was locked. How did they get in here?"

"They probably unlocked it, then cycled the encryption when they left," Katt said, gravitating towards one of the only intact control surfaces. She pressed her fingers to it, and the touch screen activated. "Scavengers don't like to share. And if there was more stuff they wanted to haul out of here, they'd have sealed it behind them."

"And the blaster scoring?" Fara asked, checking corners and continuing to sound suspicious.

Katt sighed. "That I'm not too sure about. Probably just a pissing match over territory. There are a lot of different Scavenger gangs. It's not crazy to think they might have fought over this place."

"Yeah. I guess that makes sense," Fara said, then she parked her rear on a desk and tapped her fingers on the surface.

"Don't break it," Katt joked.

"Break what?"

Katt started another hacking routine through her armor, bypassing the terminal's password protected security systems. "The table."

"Oh shut up." Fara rolled her eyes. "Do you think Fiora's okay?"

Katt laughed. "Are you kidding? That vixen could live through a getting hit by a dump truck in the middle of a nitroglycerin plant. She'll be fine."

Fara nodded, then went to watch the door. Katt lost herself in the data. There wasn't much. She frowned. Odd. "It's corrupted."

"What?" Fara's boots clicked as she walked over.

"It's corrupted...all of it. Almost all of it, at least. There's some stuff still accessible. A few personal logs...a personnel list, and a supply manifest. That's it though." Katt shook her head. "Any data they might have had on satellites, areas they were monitoring, pictures, readings, anything relating to scientific experimentation, is gone." Katt stood up and turned to Fara.

"What could have done that?"

"A hundred different things," Katt replied, her displeasure evident. "Especially with Scavengers poking around."

"What is it?"

Katt shrugged. "I don't know. Just... I'm finding it odd that some files are fine, and others aren't. Why are the personnel manifests uncorrupted, and even most of the personal logs, but anything to do with the actual research is gone?" She glacned at Pinky, then at the console. "I mean, it isn't impossible for that to happen but, it is weird. Is it just me?"

"No." Fara shook her head. "But keep in mind, these computers have been sitting alone, with no maintenance, on a world prone to rainstorms and monsoon weather for more than ten years. There were bound to be problems with the data."

"Yeah." Katt nodded, putting any doubts aside. Fara had the reasonable explanation. There was no need to get into crazy conspiracy theories. "I think I've watched one too many colonial disappearance movies."

"Trust me, I know the feeling." Fara shivered. "Place gives me the creeps. Can you reconstruct any of the data?"

"Not here." Katt shook her head. "But the hard drive will still have the information on it, albeit jumbled. With better facilities you might be able to reconstruct it."

"Let's find it then."

Krystal ran beside Fox, heading straight into danger. In moments like these she felt more alive that at almost any other time. She could think of only one other thing in her life that made her feel as alive as this did, as primal and as in tune with her instincts, and that was something she would only ever share with Fox.

It was a short run down the street, and Krystal could see the library. Light flashed behind broken windows, and she could hear the distinctive fzzt noise of beam weapons. She and Fox took the steps leading up to the building two at a time, then took cover on opposite sides of the entrance. Krystal's visor picked up eight targets, the outlines blurring as they moved behind their cloaked systems. "Eight targets," she said. "See them?"

"Affirmative." Fox looked across the open space at her. "We'll have them in a crossfire. Try not to hit your sister."

Krystal nodded, picked her targets, and highlighted them in red on the battlenet. Then, on the count of three, she and Fox charged into the room, blasters firing. She hit two in the back, then her third target whirled around and took a wild shot at her. It went wide, and Krystal slid behind the cover of an overturned reading table. Another three bodies collapsed, and she heard the sickening crunch of bones breaking as Fox hit one of them full on with his armored fist.

Aiming from behind cover, Krystal squeezed off a pair of shots, both of which hit the floor, missing her target by inches. The Scavenger yelped, and there was the sound of pounding footsteps, then scrabbling limbs. Krystal stood up and saw the three remaining Scavengers climb through a set of broken windows, then run off down the street, heading out of the colony.

"Clear," Fox said.

"Should we go after them?" Krystal asked.

"No. Let 'em go." Fox shook his head.

Behind him, Fiora, Decius, and Slippy stood up from behind a bookcase that had been lain on its side. Fiora was clutching her shoulder. Krystal went over to her and pushed her hand away. She saw the sickly yellow color of biofoam administered by her suit systems to bandage the wound until it could receive proper treatment. "You alright?" she asked.

"I'm fine." Fiora winced as she tried to move her arm.

Krystal frowned and laid her palm against it, then whispered a healing incantation. Fiora's face relaxed as Krystal's palm glowed. It wouldn't actually heal the wound, but it would numb it, and get her body's autonomic healing functions a bit of a kick in the pants. "Thanks sis."

"No problem." Krystal smiled.

Fox turned to Slippy. "Did you manage to find anything?"

Slippy shook his head. "The datacores were all corrupted. Anything they might have cataloged is gone. I pulled the hard drives though. Fara's people might be able to reconstruct some of it."

"Dammit," Fox muttered. "Figures. Lost colonies have bad records. Never have I understood how true that is until now."

Falco's voice crackled over the comm. "Hey guys, we got incoming."

"How bad?" Fox put his finger to his ear. A habit she'd noticed he had when he wore his armor, even though it did nothing to help the signal. She thought it looked cute, though she didn't want to tell him. It would only make him self-conscious.

"Bad. Scavengers. I'm seeing skiffs, fighters, even a couple gunships. And they're gonna be all over you in ten minutes. Musta sent out a signal before I hit the dish."

Fox swore. "We kicked the hornet's nest, looks like. Katt, Fara, did you hear that?"

"Affirmative." Katt's voice. "I retrieved their hard drives here. We sprinting this?"

"We are." Fox nodded. "Race you home."

"You're on."

Krystal smiled, put her blaster rifle on her back with the maglocks, and took off after Fox, sprinting for the Arwings, and safety.

Two days had passed since the mission to the Anshar colony. Fox lay in bed with Krystal, the night skyline of Corneria City giving the room a soft glow, as a breeze off the ocean rustled the drapes. Outside, on the balcony, Fox could see the hot tub they'd been relaxing in earlier. On Krystal's nightstand was a half empty bottle of red wine, and two glasses. A saxophone solo vinyl Fox had privately recorded ages ago spun on his dad's old record player. It made his heart swell with joy when Krystal would sit and listen to them, and swoon or make him get up and slow dance with her. It had been years since he'd picked up the instrument his father had given him, but when she'd found out about it, and then begged him to play, it hadn't taken long before he was addicted once again. He'd do anything to see that glorious, loving, look in her eyes, even dress up and play gooby solos for her in a sport coat and sunglasses.

The final song came to an end, and Fox reached over to take the needle off the record. Krystal sighed, her expression blissful. "So sexy."

Fox laughed and ran his finger down her spine, smiling as she stretched her legs and looked at him, her beautiful, bare body, resting on top of the covers, her fur glistening as she air dried. For a moment, memories just made of her stepping into the hot tub, nude, and then cuddling up to him, rose to the surface of his mind. "Thanks."

"Mmmm. I still can't believe how much she paid us," Krystal muttered, her head resting on her pillow.

Fox chuckled. "It was an easy mission. But Fara loves her mysteries. And besides, I think she needed to get out of that office."

Krystal laughed, her toes curling as Fox rubbed her lower back, his claws tracing the tattoo above her tail. Unlike the rest of her tattoos, that one wasn't tribal. She'd gotten it there to, in her own words, simply drive her parents mad. "If I had her life, I'd pay good money to go on a mission like that." She rolled over, and Fox's breath hitched as he caught sight of the swell of her chest. "Hey, Foxy-Woxy, my eyes are up here."

The male vulpine blushed and adjusted his viewpoint. He smiled at her. "Sorry. You're just so gorgeous."

"Thank you," Krystal replied, reaching out to tug on the white tuft of fur between his pecs. "And you're handsome."

Fox, head resting in one hand, reached out with his other and moved a bit of hair that had fallen over one of her eyes. "I wonder what she'll find."

"Fara?"

"Mmm."

"Probably nothing." Krystal frowned. "Then again, you never know what might come of reconstructed data."

"Maybe it was nudey pictures," Fox joked. "You know, someone got caught, and the horror of it caused a societal collapse."

"Sounds like you're describing a personal experience," Krystal said, a teasing glint in her eye.

"Maybe." Krystal grinned, and Fox returned it full force. They were silent for a moment, then Krystal said, "You know, I feel like I don't thank you enough for what you did for me." Fox cocked his head, curious. "Not just rescuing me. For giving me a place on the team." She met his eyes. "There's only one thing in my life that brings me as much satisfaction as fighting alongside you."

Fox smiled and took one of her hands in his. He stroked his thumb over her knuckles. "And that is?"

Krystal closed the last bit of distance between them, and pressed her lips, soft and sweet, against his. When she pulled back there was fire in her eyes, a burning, boiling, passion that she and Fox shared for each other. "Let me show you."

Their lips met again, and after that, there was no more conversation until the morning.

A/N: Woooo! I had a lot of fun with this one, so I'm gonna take the opportunity to write an author's note that at least one of you will read.

First off, in FurFur trivia, this Star Fox roster: Fox, Krystal, Falco, Katt, Fiora, Decius, and Slippy, sans Slippy, is actually the cast I used when I first started writing. Why sans Slippy? Because I was fifteen and I hated Slippy.

Katt's skills as a hacker, as well as her adorable quadcopter robot Pinky, come from Groundis, who introduced this take on Katt in his three shot short story "Katt Got Your Tongue." Go read it, it's phenomenal! I took a few liberties in moving her in a direction that fit better with the role I had envisioned for her in this and future stories, for instance having her keep her killer piloting skills.

Full credit to Sanitarium for the idea that Fox plays that sexy sax. I've been waiting for the opportunity to use that in a fic, and I'm super glad I managed to fit it in here at the end.

Also, if you're curious where the SPC armor came from, go look up jecbrush's Star Fox fan art. The armor he draws them in is right where the idea came from. The name is a nod to "Semi-powered Infiltration" armor from the Halo series.

And, finally, if you enjoyed this, expect more in this vein. I spent most of last year writing The First Generation, and now that it's winding down, I'm gonna be returning to my roots for awhile. I've got a couple of stories planned/in the works already with this cast of characters. Once the final chapter of TFG goes up, expect the next story to be a lot of good Fox/Krystal.

I hope you enjoyed, and don't forget to drop a review. Murry Christmas or Happy Holidays or Happy Festivus or whatever else!

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