Your… Power?

" … please, by any means, don't take this in the wrong direction. I ask that you try and understand where it is we are coming from."

I sat in a cold, metal seat in front of a very solid metal table inside of a rather silver, metal room- all sides metal with no detail in between. On one wall was a one way window pane and a speaker just below it- looking at myself but really to the other person just behind it. In each corner were cameras, spying on me and my every move and word, covering every single angle of the small room. Just beside the window panel was a door concealed and made to look like the wall it was attached to, hiding in plain sight. The air was bitter cold and the seat terribly uncomfortable- I at least understand what criminals go through just before being put in the slammer for their crimes.

I raised an eyebrow, "Kind of hard to, considering you dragged my ass here against my will…" I scolded as I sat forward, looking at the window pane, I sensed the speaker had cautious intentions and didn't want to be revealed, "And for the record" I said with a sarcastic chuckle, "you aren't hidden, not even in the slightest bit."

He sighed, "Before I continue, I must warn you of this- whatever is said in here, whatever subject matter is brought up, whatever names are revealed… it doesn't leave this room, this facility, this planet, this system, this galaxy. Are we clear?"

From what I could get from my current situation, I was being interrogated for reasons unknown by some super top secret organization that General Pepper himself probably has no idea exists. With no other choice, however, I nodded sarcastically, "Absolutely, because I'm always off galaxy in Andromeda or in Solana or Bogon, Mr. Kalen. Now, can we please get this over with? I don't even know why the hell I'm here..." I wasn't happy.

The voice sighed once more in defeat after hearing me call his name, "It has come to our… understanding... that you were given knowledge of an ancient civilization known as the Cerninians. This was passed on to you by the only known Cerinian in the galaxy, one Krystal McCloud."

Almost 4 years of having telepathy and I was just now being asked this? I nodded once more, "Boy are you guys late… but yes, this is correct, I was indirectly granted access to parts of my brain that allowed for telepathic abilities and the sort to be mastered through conventional means."

"She forced you?" The voice asked.

I chuckled, "Now you're putting words in my mouth?" I shook my head, "No… Prometheus, you know, the big bad alien that wanted to destroy Lylat and harvest its resources? The guy you, the big secret organization, should have copious amounts of documentation on? After he took over my body, I was left in my subconscious to watch as he simply used me for his overall goal. After I successfully overpowered his own essence, I regained control of myself and banished him from my body. Inadvertently, as I said before, a little bit of his knowledge stayed behind, this included unlocking my own brain to telepathy. You know, him needing to use my brain for his telepathy meant he needed to unlock it, so to speak." I explained, "But then again, you should know all of this…"

"Right..." The voice simply said as he rustled through some papers through the microphone, "This brings us to our next point. The knowledge that Mrs. McCloud passed on to you and the Council's Training you had received to control it, what does it extend to? What limits are there?"

I raised an eyebrow, I felt that they were trying to lean towards me passing it on to them for military purposes, "If you're wondering about what I can do with my telepathy and if I can pass it on, you're out of luck. For one, I am not as strong as you may think I am, and two, the knowledge isn't something anyone can simply take and use."

"Okay, well then what can you do?"

I sat back in my chair and sighed, "Well…" I jogged my mind, "if you are simply dying to know… I am capable of sensing another essence nearby, picking up on brain activity, reading emotions and intentions, control my very essence as a physical entity, and even weaponize my telepathy in the form of mental pain… that's all-"

"Stop" The voice said abruptly, "What do you mean by physical? I understood the weaponizing, it's straight forward, but physical?"

I sighed at the thought of a history lesson, I wasn't even wanting to be here in the first place, now I have to teach these people about something they should know of, "Cerinians were incredibly strong users of their magic. The magic was basically their own life force, so the stronger they were, the more potent their magic was, only further strengthened by their use in tandem with their technology." I took a deep breath, "By physical means, I am literally able to focus my own magic, or life force, into a physical entity, from then on it can be utilized in ways developed by the user."

"And you can do this?" The voice asked.

I shook my head, "Hardly, this ability is much like one civilization technology versus and completely different species technology- one can be more advanced in certain ways, but lacking in others that the aliens can do. Krystal can use her physical ability to heal wounds, whereas I cannot because I never ventured to advance it like hers. You seem to think that the Council Teachings are some god like super power, it's not. What I can do is at the greatest limit that the teachings offer."

"In essence, what are the teachings?"

"Oh for the love of god…" I groaned, "How much do you not know?" I paused and sighed, "Krystal's parents were among the strongest Cerinians. They were heads of the Council of Cerinia, which had other stronger Cerinians. At one point in time, not long before the planet was destroyed, they had decided to put together all they knew, what their strengths would allow, and made the Council Teachings- only someone who has tremendous strength would be able to control all of what it offered, able to take all of these foreign ideas and learn to manipulate their life force with their telepathy. Krystal was passed it by her father before she was sent off as a means of saving her, even though she cannot utilize it, and it has since been passed to me, which I am using it to its fullest extent. What I said I can do is exactly and only what I can do."

"Hmm" the voice simply pondered, rustling through more papers through the microphone.

I sat forward in my seat once more, letting out a deep sigh, "Like I said, this isn't some super power… it's just nature…". I could feel that the man on the other side of the panel was thinking. Another essence was with him, someone of higher stature and rank in this organization- possibly his direct overseer.

I was getting tired of this. I never supported anything secretive and actually hoped that when I first arrived in Lylat it would be a thing of the past. Of course, nothing is ever without secret- there will always be secrets be it for the best or for the worst.

The door slowly slid open, revealing a tall and burly tigrine with brown and black fur. He was wearing a blue and white uniform with medals on his left breast and had a patch on his arm, signifying that he was a Lieutenant. He smiled and gave a slight nod, "We appreciate the cooperation, Mr. Michelson. Please understand that this was only to determine your possible threat to security."

Me? A threat? After all I had done with the rest of Star Fox; keeping Lylat safe when all was thought to be lost, and I'm seen as a threat to security? A sudden burst of anger shot through my veins. I raised an eyebrow and got up from my seat walking right up to the tigrine and staring him down, "A threat, huh? For your information, even if I was some type of threat, you wouldn't be able to touch me… literally…" I paused, still staring down the tigrine with a disgusting look mere inches from his face, "Are we done? I would hate to leave so abruptly…" I snarled sarcastically, now even more pissed about the security comment.

The tigrine nodded once, not breaking his neutral expression on his face,"Yes… you're free to go now."

"Neither Krystal nor I better be bothered by this bullshit again" I growled before I brushed passed the Lieutenant and headed back the way I had come into the facility. "Believe me, even if you get someone else, like Fox, I'll know."

The emotions were strong. I was incredibly furious and terribly enraged at the comment he made about my status to this no name organization and even more so about why I brought there forcefully. I felt them as strong in the Lieutenant, he wasn't too happy about how the interrogation went, possibly because I didn't reveal the teachings to them.

Whatever the hell these guys wanted, I sensed they wanted no part in what I even had- as if they really only called me in to see if I was some threat to them.

No matter the reason, I wasn't going to let this bother me any further- it's done for and I won't be seeing them again...

To Be Continued…

IM NOT DEAD! :D

You probably already can guess this, but this served as a type of resolution to what Kevin is in terms of his telepathy abilities and what telepathy is in the Starfox universe.

Is Kevin a god? No, he's just really good with his telepathy. Like Kevin said in the chapter- his telepathy compared to Krystal's is like two completely different species' technologies; some can be more advanced in ways the other is not and vice versa! (Hence why Krystal can use her's to heal whilst Kevin cannot).

Is telepathy magic? Yeah, Cerinians utilized the magic essence and furthered it with their own tech (just look at Krystal staff and then look at Sauria as a whole).

SO… this chapter doesn't give insight as to what the theme of the book is, but I CAN say that it is a returning theme. I tried it once before but it didn't catch on the first time. I feel I can do it now, so we're going to try again.

It will serve as canon for the Crossed Paths universe, taking place a mere year after A Past Threat.

What about Bloodlust? That's a spinoff that another reader and I are working on. Yeah it has Kevin Michelson and the crew, but it's still a spinoff.

ANYWAY! SEE YOU ALL NEXT CHAPTER!