Star Fox: Epsilon
Chapter 2: Storm After Storm
As always, Falco swanked about saving our guts, I just ignored him as I sat down in the back part of his new ship along with my wife, we are kind of accustomed to his cockiness, but it never stops to be annoying. "I didn't hear a thank you, McCloud."He knows it pisses me of when he says that, I don't know why I keep answering to that, though.
"Thanks bud, I appreciate your help."I just said so to keep his mouth shut for a moment, then I saw Krystal looking at the data drive she was holding. "So, we got it; this virus could destroy Epsilon from its core."She didn't answer me immediately, so I could see she wasn't well, specially after what she had told me back in the cargo ship.
"Yeah, let's hope that pirate doesn't find out his backup ship was hacked." Her gaze was away from everything; it worried me for sure.
"Backup ship?" Falco couldn't be considered an expert in pirating; they were not his type of missions.
I looked at Krystal again to see if she wanted to illustrate Falco with an answer, but it's possible that she didn't even hear him, so I replied instead. "You know, pirates need safe places to store their stuff like maps, weapons, treasures, what better choice than an old, outdated ship wandering in the middle of nowhere?"
Falco nodded like if he already didn't care. "Great."Sometimes he is interested in something and then all of a sudden he just forgets everything about it. "So, when will we attack?"
I was ready to end the reign of terror of those Epsilon guys; we needed the virus to destroy their communication systems, with that done, there couldn't be anything they could do against us and the fleet of the cornerian army. "I'll call Peppy to confirm when we are heading to Dirartar, tentatively in tomorrow's afternoon."
"I can't wait to end with those traitors." Falco really hated Epsilon, not exactly for what it represented, but because one of his cousins was part of the organization back when it worked for Corneria as an elite, secret group of mercenaries, he still couldn't get over with knowing one member of his family had abandoned every thing the Lombardi believed in.
"I need to ask Peppy the details about the mission, but in general terms we will infiltrate Epsilon's base in Dirartar and send them the virus, this ship has encryption system, Falco?" Peppy had told me Epsilon had great security barriers protecting their base, so I needed to know if Falco's new acquisition had the necessary to succeed.
Falco chuckled and took the opportunity to presume about his ship. "Are you kidding me?! This beauty has everything, cannons, receivers, holograms, and of course, one of the most advanced encryption systems in Lylat."
"Good." I got an idea of why Falco used that ship more than his arwing, I must give him the reason in that, that ship was really a beauty, I don't know how he managed to afford it, maybe a juicy bounty he had obtained.
Later, we arrived to Corneria in nighttime; Falco landed his ship over the roof of the tower where our apartment was and then we got off it. "You two can still thank me the right way, maybe some drinks when the mission is done."
He is always looking for an excuse to drink, not that I blame him, I mean, our job can be exhausting some times, it would be great to chill once in a while. "We'll see then bud, you better rest, tomorrow will be a long day."
"I don't promise anything, but yeah I'll see you in the morning." Falco waved his hand at us and got inside his ship, leaving after a boost.
That same night, I went to bed after I had taken a shower, but I knew I wouldn't be able to sleep well, there was a lot of stuff inside of my mind. Krystal joined me a few minutes later. "Good night." She turned off the lamp from her side, and I felt like if she had gone to another room, but of course she was there.
I also turned off my lamp. "Good night." I laid facing the window, I glanced at the buildings of Corneria and the ships flying off the port to try to get my mind lost on that, but I could only think about my wife, it was the first time in years I was feeling a distance between us, it scared me more than anything I had experienced before, in life or in combat. I couldn't stand to feel that way, so I turned around to see her, that at least made me feel confident that she was indeed at my side. I moved closer to her and hugged her slowly, then she took my hand, she was still awake. "Fox."
"Yeah." I knew what was coming, again with the simple life stuff, but I was willing to hear her, I wanted to resolve that matter already.
"Who am I, in your life?" I thought the answer was quite simple.
"Well, you are my wife, Krystal." But there was unsurprisingly more with her question.
"Think more, Fox, I need to know." She confused me at first, but then I just said what my heart truly wanted to say.
"You are my salvation." I just let that out, but neither did I know what that meant, to be honest.
"Salvation?"It was something hard to explain, but for her, I was willing to do anything.
"You know, I had always lived with the idea that, piloting ships and firing guns was everything, for many years I felt I had reached the top, that there was nothing more beyond that, until the day I knew you, there I realized that I was just living at the bottom, that there was so much more to see and discover, and I knew, in an instant, that I wanted to live all of that at your side." I put my hand on her shoulder and moved her a little bit, to try to see her face. She then turned completely around, and we ended gazing directly into each other's eyes. "You saved me from myself, Krystal, you appeared like an oasis in the desert that my life was, you give me life, Krystal, I have no life without you." I saw a tear forming in the corner of her eye, then she leaned closer to me and started to kiss me, after about a minute, she got her muzzle away from mine and just kept glancing at me, then she turned her back and didn't say a word. I felt confused and afraid, unsettled, by her seemingly emotionless actions, I perceived doubt on her, and doubt had never been something easy for me to deal with.