C h a p t e r 2
The suite was nicer than an overnight birth but Star still ensured to take a coach-style suite. The living room area had a sofa bed and the sectioned off room had a standard-size bedroom set. The coffee table out near the sofa bed had two duffle bags set atop of the wooden surface. Gear was laid out on the floor, categorized and paired by someone who obviously preferred organization when it came to gear. Sitting amongst these objects, Crimson O'Donnell was making a written list.
"You know, only amateurs need a list," Crimson said aloud, repeating something his father once told him. "You know, pup, if you learned how to organize your gear each time you obtained an item, you wouldn't have to do an inventory of your gear," he continued, disdainfully repeating his father's words, spoken almost three years ago. "It takes a sharp mind to run the professional circuit; you're just a kid, even for your age," the half-breed muttered, working up his emotions to harden himself against the possibility of future armed confrontation. It was his way of psyching himself up for something that might lead to a gun battle.
Star stepped into the living room with a bath towel over his shoulders. Azure headfur was fluffy, standing straight up. He had come from the shower only moments prior but listened to O'Donnell's grousing from around the corner. Finally, he came to stand in front of his friend and the gear on the floor. "He wasn't open minded enough to understand that some people have a different style or technique for how they operate. Don't let his words get to you," McCloud finally told the fiery-headed Lupine.
"I could stand 'pup' and 'chump' but you know," Crimson glanced up at Star for a moment, lowering his eyes back to his handwritten list. "I hated 'carrot top', 'red-headed stepchild' and whenever he said, 'pathetic'. That really irked the hell out of me." The half breed wolf-fox finished writing down several more items then folded the page in half and tucked it into his front shirt pocket. He placed the writing utensil into his other shirt pocket and flopped back on the floor, laying on his back and staring up at the ceiling. "My father was the only man who wanted to be a dad and yet, didn't have a clue on how to go about it at times. You don't treat a ten year old like that."
"Didn't he treat you like that all the way up until you ran away?" Star inquired, tossing the towel on his shoulders across a nearby ottoman.
"Yup," Came Crimson's soft reply as his attention wavered between Star and the stucco ceiling above him. "From ten years old until a week before my seventeenth birthday. The only thing he did for me was to give me five thousand credits the day I announced that I was going to leave. And you know what I did with that, don't you?"
"Yeah," McCloud conceded with a shrug. "You put it in a bank and refused to spend it just because you didn't want his help because of the way he acted."
"This is our first real mission, Mac," Crimson grumbled in a tone of defeat. "I took a thousand of it before we boarded the transporter, just incase we needed gear from one of the Federation colonies on Sauria… emergency only, of course."
"Glad to see you're not as bull-headed about things as your old man was," Star said in an appreciative manner. "It may come in handy and I really thought we were going to struggle foolishly with five grand just sitting in the bank. A real Mercenary knows when to use the resources available to him and he knows when to accept help to ensure a successful mission. It's good to know you're going to be open-minded about that money by putting the team first."
"C'mon, man," Crimson muttered. "You know me… I'm a team player because I refuse to be anything like my old man. That is, at least if I can help it."
"Too true," Star replied, picking up one of the hand blasters on the floor. "How did you get all this gear into your carry-on bag without being stopped at security?"
"I didn't," Crimson replied with a smirk. His eyes lifted to his vulpine friend once more and his expression melted into a grin. "I got it from the hold without getting caught."
"Why, I didn't know you were a master of stealth, Red." McCloud reached for a shirt and pulled it over his muzzle, tugging the shirt down over his body. "Either this ship has really crappy security or you're far more clever than I thought."
"Crimson shook his head with a slight chuckle then said, "You were in the shower. I went down and put the bags in the ventilation then ran a cafeteria trey with a packing create up the duct-work rails. I walked back out of the storage bay, passed the security guard and then picked up my gear further down the hallway, where it was safe to do so."
"Getting a little obsessive compulsive with your need to have gear stored a certain way and inventoried?" Star asked.
"Eh, one day we'll have our own ship," O'Donnell murmured, placing another weapon into the bottom of the backpack. "Then we can have our own technique for this sort of stuff; for now, this is what works and will keep us alive on Sauria. Excited? Nervous?"
"Nah," Star replied, shaking his head with a slight shrug. "But I think I'm going to take a nap. You know me, even when I'm energetic about accomplishing something like this, I can just lay back, close my eyes and fall asleep. Well," Star paused with an awkward sort of smirk, "Unless of course I close my eyes to unwanted images."
"Whatever works for you, right? What was your favorite thing to do as a kid besides fly?" Crimson asked.
The vulpine gave it a moment of thought then replied, "Probably learning how to fix things in the hanger bay with Slippy. I found it pretty fascinating; what can I say?"
O'Donnell gave a shrug, turning back to the gear on the floor. "All right, think of that as you fall asleep. Anyway, go do you thing… I'm going to finish up, here. I'm too keyed up to sleep. I don't know how you do it, but since you can, you probably should." To O'Donnell's statement, Star could only shrug, heading for the bedroom.
"Yeah, I didn't sleep for crap last night," McCloud finally conceded. "I'm out, g'night."
"Yup, later." Crimson's reply was relaxed and simple. The door shut and he was alone to finish labeling his gear, packing and strapping it into each of two backpacks a certain way. "Don't mind me," He continued, speaking aloud to himself, "I'll just continue to play 'Tetris' with our backpacks until I'm satisfied."
Star collapsed onto the bed, draping his left arm across his forehead. Taking Crimson's advice, he tried to push the rest of the world away and recalled a randomized time when he was doing something Mechanical with Slippy Toad a few years in the past. The images took place and his eyes began to flutter rapidly as the young pilot entered REM sleep. Before long, he gripped his left paw shut then his right paw, tossing his head listlessly from left to right.
He recalled a time when they had just finished basic construction on an attack bike. The motorcycle was hovering about two thirds of a meter above the ground. It had been loaded down with untested blaster cannons and a small-stock missile cache. The turret on the front would fire a missile and only 5 small rockets would be stored on the bike at any given time.
Slippy grabbed one end and Star lifted the other, both standing on top of a Land Master tank. They were sliding the stylish looking assault bike onto wall-mounted pegs above the Land Master Tank which sat adjacent to the wall, with chains holding it secure. The chains and tethers were used on all equipment incase of emergency, but as a safety precaution, Slippy and the rest of the StarFox team knew to keep their gear well stowed.
Star headed for the corrugated stairs and ascended to the catwalk, looking over the railing and asking "So did you need any help with the Arwings? You know I'd love to take one out today," he said, looking down on Slippy, out on the flight deck, far below.
The frog shrugged apologetically. "Actually, Amanda wants me to meet her over on the Carrier. We're supposed to go over Theodore's report card, sign it, and scan it back to Corneria by the end of the day." Suddenly, the ship rocked beneath their feet, shaking hard. Almost immediately, the artificial gravity began to shift. The Land Master tank on the facing wall hung from the bulkhead so that the wall it was tethered to acted as a ceiling. The tank teetered, keeping the chains taut. Slippy slid down the flight deck, hooking his electro-mag wrench into the heavy duty landing net in the center of the bay.
Star, up on the catwalk, gripped the left rail in his paw, suddenly suspended in mid air. He reached up and captured the rail with his right paw then glanced from port to starboard and back, checking to make sure the Land Master was still secured. For now, it was holding and Slippy was safe, all things considered. Young McCloud pulled his body upwards in a chin-up, nosing a button on his wristband communicator.
"What in the hell just happened?" he shouted, hailing the bridge.
Peppy's voice came over the communicator in reply, "Something just uncloaked off the port side! We don't even know what it is, yet!" In the background, McCloud could make out the distorted voice of his father shouting out orders. "Your dad wants to get pilots into their fighters and you need to get up to the bridge, where you're safe! Hurry… Peppy out!"
The frog clung to his wrench which was now tangled in the net. The ship shuttered again and the sound of metal screeching against metal could be heard from beneath the floor. The artificial gravity suddenly ceased to exist and Star McCloud found himself to be completely weightless as the ship rolled, without control. Star put his feet up against the railing he was hanging from, positioning his heels against the catwalk then pushed off of it.
The world floated about him and as he flew through the void, the ship slowly spiraled about, as if he was floating through a slowly spinning barrel. His position closed in on Slippy, grasping the toad by the wrist. "I got you," Star said.
"And who has got you?" Slippy replied, still holding onto the mag-wrench which was caught up in the landing safety-net in the deck. "Did I hear your communicator correctly? We're under attack by something that uncloaked off the left side?"
"Yeah, it seems that way," Star said. "Open the hanger bay doors and put the force field up, I want to see what's out there."
Slippy shook his head in defeat, reaching for the remote on his belt. "I guess so, but if the power goes out like our gravity, your parents would kill me for letting you get blown into space." The left door slid open but, without warning, the right door took a blaster shot from a plasma cannon on the outside of the ship. The left one continued sliding until it was all the way open, but the right one was now damaged. The force field was clear and allowed Slippy and Star to look out into the void. The ship continued its slow roll.
The top of a large machine could be seen, coming into view. It lifted like the setting sun, from the way the GreatFox was rolling. Star and Slippy couldn't help but widen their eyes. McCloud's stomach dropped. The machine was massive and life-like, with peppered gray hair strewn about the massive forehead.
"Andross…" Slippy narrowed his gaze. If he had eyebrows, he would have surly furrowed them disdainfully. "I'm going to distract him by launching an Arwing, Star. Get Falco's ship ready then get to the bridge. Hurry!" In the distance, behind Andross' enormous ear, the second GreatFox ship, the team's attack carrier used during the Anglar War, glinted in the light of Solar. Smoke poured out of the dual flight decks and its running lights weren't lit. It looked as though Andross had already delt it a crushing blow. The frog tightened his jaw, filled with resolve. He knew his wife was on that carrier and he wasn't about to let Oikonny finish it off.
"You're going to go up against that thing alone?" Star shouted incredulously.
"No, I'm going to distract it away from GreatFox and let him think I'm Fox. It'll buy them time before he destroys both GreatFox ships! All of our extra ships are on the Carrier but I think he's realized that all the pilots are here, on the c-c-Cruiser." Slippy shouted. Star simply blinked. He was rather impressed by the Engineer's show of bravery, never having seen Slippy volunteer for something so courageous before. Finally, the kit nodded and moved down towards the other end of the safety net.
Star unattached the net from one end of the deck then jumped upwards, trying to pull the long net towards the Arwing launch machine. Clinging to the net's end in his left paw, he floated through the air until he came to the guard rail next to the closest Arwing, clutching it firmly in his right paw. He held tight with all of his endurance while Slippy used the net like a ladder, climbing towards the Arwings.
The high-tension landing net was beginning to slip from the fox's fingers, pulling from his left paw. He was straining in an attempt to keep hold so that Slippy could get to his Arwing as quickly as possible. Once the frog was clear of the net, he clamored over his Arwing and pulled himself into the cockpit. Star put his feet up on the now-vertical catwalk and pushed upwards, floating towards Falco's Arwing.
It would only take a moment to prepare the fighter. The young McCloud, sixteen years old, moved himself into the cockpit and booted the computer, rerouting most of the power grid so that Lombardi would have stronger shields and forward mounted weapons. To the side, Slippy's fighter catapulted forwards. Star glanced up from the dashboard of the avian's Arwing… how he longed to follow Slippy into combat, but he knew that Falco's piloting was necessary to their survival from this sneak attack.
Slippy's fighter tilted to the side, only just escaping through the left door that was open. He executed a barrel roll, narrowly avoiding the malfunctioning right side door that was now damaged. Falco Lombardi erupted through the double doors behind the Arwings. Star pulled himself from the pilot seat, climbing down one side of the vehicle, just as Falco acrobatically somersaulted into the cockpit. He'd practiced it a hundred times and now it was instinct. "Get up to the bridge, your father is waiting for you!" Lombardi said, pulling the canopy shut.
Star dropped from the Arwing and skittered away from the fighter, able to feel the heat pouring off the exhaust port, where a proton buildup was amassing. Suddenly, the Arwing was ejected forward. Falco rolled to the left and slipped through the port-side open deck door, passing through the force field, and quickly disappearing. Star sat up, getting to his feet.
He rubbed his eyes for a moment then climbed up into his mother and father's fighters. He booted the system for each one, then headed back through the double doors that Falco had just come from, making a mad dash up the hallway. Young McCloud quickly headed for the bridge, only to be joined by his mother from an intersecting corridor, now running side by side through the hallway. "I had Slippy open the hanger bay doors but they took a plasma shot, causing the right door to become damaged!"
"It's a good thing you had him do it, then!" Krystal replied while panting softly as the two sprinted up the hallway. "I sense the intention was to keep us from launching at all… I think Andross wanted to disable us before we could counter attack!"
"How did you know it was Andross?" Star shouted over the ambient noise of the sudden alarm system that seemed to join the conversation.
"I'll never forget feeling such incredible hatred as when I last stood in front of that beast!" she replied just as the two of them reached the doors to the bridge. The deck entrance slid apart and they came to a halt in the GreatFox command center. Fox turned to them and clinched his fists tightly.
"Dad, it's Andross!" Star quickly began.
"I know, he just hailed us, demanding our surrender. I'm going out next, then your mother." The middle aged pilot turned to his wife and said, "Krystal, get him and Peppy to the escape pods, the GreatFox Cruiser isn't going to make it." Then he turned back to his son with a frown. "Head to the Katina and we'll rendezvous with you later. Don't worry, we still have GreatFox Carrier," Fox told them. "Hurry. We only lost gravity because he hit our reactor. I have to jettison the engine core in a moment; it's going critical. This ship will be a sitting duck, running on back-up fusion power. No time for personal belongings, just go."
Star frowned, turning to Krystal. She looked forlorn for a moment, but knew she had to get back to business. She led Star towards the door, heading for the escape pods. "Meet us there, Peppy," she told the Hare, who stood on the bridge. His mustache was fairly long, these days, covering those pearly buck-teeth. Peppy Hare gave a nod then turned back to Fox.
"I've got it Fox; I'm having ROB prep your ship, now. Get down to the hanger and go," Peppy ordered, turning to the controls. "I'll be down in a moment," added the aging hair, to Krystal and Star. She nodded, ushering the boy out of the bridge.
The teenaged kit glanced over his shoulder as he was ushered from the bridge, seeing a picture of Andross on the main view screen. The decrepit old ape had a scowling visage of what could only be described as… evil. Missiles were launched from the palms of his massive, floating hands. They slammed into the side of the now-defenseless GreatFox II dreadnaught cruiser, causing the lights to flicker.
A computer warning chirped in the background, its monotone demands were for evacuation of all crew members. The ship shook again, trembling beneath their feet. Star couldn't bear it anymore… he'd just lived through this scene the night before and it was happening again, playing out like some sort of déjà vu.
"Star! Wake up soldier!" shouted someone from behind. The Escape pods were to the left and his mother stopped in front of one. He placed his padded palm against his thigh, feeling for the rectangular object in his pocket.
"I hate that name," Star replied, knowing that was the next line to come, having memorized this scene as if it was a play and he was an actor. Krystal turned to him and frowned.
"Wake up soldier!" she barked at him, causing Star to blink rapidly… she wasn't supposed to say that, was she? He couldn't recall, but it didn't feel right. She repeated it again, but it wasn't her voice that came from her throat…. No, it sounded more like…
...Crimson O'Donnell shook Star by his shoulders, "Wake up, Soldier! You're having a nightmare! Get up, dammit!"
Star's eyes fluttered open and everything sort of slid into focus. The darkened room still had enough light in it for him to make out his surroundings with that natural vulpine vision. Crimson backed away from the bed and headed for the door without a word. The younger McCloud raised his voice, breaking the silence before his friend could depart. "I saw both GreatFox ships, the cruiser and the carrier, under attack. I could smell the smoke billowing through the corridors... Thanks. I didn't want to see that happen all over again."
"Yeah, yeah," O'Donnell replied, shrugging off the appreciation with a dismissive wave of his paw. The lupine pulled the door open and shut it behind himself. After a moment, Star noticed the faint aura of light above and below the door, a light which outlined the frame, had become dark. He would have to start trying a new way to sleep. This time, he tried to think about something simple to keep his mind entertained. It started with the simplistic, three dimensional shape of a random letter from the alphabet. From there, morning came in no time at all.
From the cosmos, Sauria had a purple hue to it due to chemicals in its atmosphere. The transporter ship sank into the stratosphere of Sauria within just minutes Star could see its surface from the windows; the ground began to enlarge and take on detail. The lush jungle region populated the mass below as the ship sank from the skyline and into port at a bustling outpost town. It was one of many small Cornerian colonies and this one happened to be called The Walled City.
At the center of town was an impressive temple, constructed like a pyramid. Surrounding the structure was what looked like a large moat, at least from the sky. Smaller buildings, one crafted from orangish-red blocks and the other from darker bluish blocks, were on two corners, across from one another, diagonally. The colony was a sharp looking city with buildings, none of which were taller than 10 stories, surrounding the moat on all sides. A brick wall surrounded the general area with more buildings on the outside and occasional roadways that passed over the brick wall. Further out, there was a patch of what seemed to be an industrial complex and beyond that was infinite jungle as far as Star's eyes could see.
The transporter sank from the sky, coming to a landing pad just beyond the northern wall. A bustling airport was against the backside of a small but busy seaport that sat on the edge of a tributary. That body of water led further out to a bay that stretched into the distance, away from the jungle. McCloud turned away from the window and gave a nod to O'Donnell.
"You put the gear back into the storage bay, right?" the vulpine asked.
Crimson nodded, half rolling his eyes. "Yeah, man. It's not one of our carry on bags, it won't be a carry off bag. No one is getting into any trouble for walking around a public transporter ship with weapons today. Relax." The two left their suite and headed for the exit.
Once they descended the boarding ramp, the two young mercenaries began to follow signed labeled "Secure Cargo Release". It was further down, passed the normal baggage claim area. There was a small office next to a guarded conveyer belt. Star and Crimson stepped into the office and took a few moments to identify and register their weapons. Their bounty-hunter license had to be shown and photocopied and assumption-of-liability forms had to be filled out.
Finally, the two backpacks were turned over after each one was quickly checked over by a security guard. The boys strapped the gear to their backs and left the office, only for Star to immediately bump into a middle-aged female fennec, coming through the doorway. The two seemed to knock one another to the ground, leaving Crimson to help his friend up then turning to the female fennec and helping her to her feet.
"Sorry about that lady," the lupine chuckled softly, "My friend has this strange optical disease where he becomes incredibly blind the minute he's outside of a cockpit."
The woman, dressed in a comfortable looking leotard over a contrasting colored pair of sweatpants offered a smile. "It's no problem, I have the same trouble at times," she mused, brushing herself off. "You boys look like you're ready to go camping for a week in the Jungles of Sauria." She looked old enough to drink, and perhaps older than the both of them but she carried herself as if she were already middle aged.
"However long it takes," McCloud replied. The woman approached him and offered her paw. The two shook and Star frowned. He could sense that she seemed to recognize him, even though the two had never met in their lives. Her eyes occasionally flitted to his hair and birthmark, only to return to his muzzle structure and the build of his facial features.
"You seem so familiar," she finally said, then noted, "But I'd have remembered the blue star around your right eye and I'm usually pretty good about remembering a face."
"It's my first time to Sauria, actually," Star lied. It was actually his second trip but the first one was when he was a small boy. Regardless, he didn't really remember any of the colonies being so large. He released her paw and offered a soft smile. She was an attractive woman but in all consideration, Star received mixed signals from her. Her thought patterns suggested she could be in her late forties, possibly even early fifties. Regardless, she looked younger than thirty.
"Yeah? Well maybe I'll see you around," she replied, reaching to pat the side of Star's muzzle before heading into the security checkpoint office.
"I think she likes you," Crimson snickered playfully, heading in the direction of the nearest exit sign.
"It feels like I know her, somehow." McCloud continued behind him until the two found their way outside of the airport terminal. They passed through one last security checkpoint before they were out on the street, where busy looking people were hailing busy looking taxi cabs.
A leopard said, "Don't drink the water," to them in passing. As the feline continued on her way, she glanced over her shoulder and added, "I mean it, boys. It's poison." It was assumable that she had mistaken the mercenaries for hikers, having had backpacks hanging from their shoulders. Still, it got Star to wondering. He couldn't sense anything but absolute truth pouring from her words and before he could really ask a question about it, she was already on her way into the Airport from which they'd just come. There they stood, on the street, ambient noise all around them.
From here, they could see the large brick wall that surrounded the inner section of The Walled City. Cornerians seemed to walk about the area, half-mingled with upstanding dinosaurs. Occasionally, a four legged creature would rumble by and yet all present forms of life seemed to be holding conversations with one another.
The animals of Corneria seemed to be wearing devices on their arms or hips or built into their walkman headsets that acted as translators to allow for communication with the Saurian counterparts. To Star's complete amusement, a Light-Foot raptor scurried by in a business suit with a tie holding a briefcase in his clawed fingertips. He chattered in Saurian over a cellular telephone in passing.
"Man, Cornerian colonies really did a number of change to Sauria," McCloud muttered. On a nearby street corner, a badger sat high atop the head of a brontosaur, with a megaphone, calling for Cornerians to respect the original Saurian way of life and for the dinosaurs to return to their natural habitats. No one seemed to pay the pair any mind.
Upstanding lizards, members of the SharpClaw clan would occasionally pass through the area. It appeared that they embraced the Cornerian way of life, with clothes and modernized gadgets, far more than any other dinosaur in the immediate area. A tortoise approached Star and Crimson, announcing, "Please donate to the charity for the sons and daughters of the Great Invasion. Your donation will go to the children of the survivors of the Aparoid attack on Sauria, which happened nearly two decades ago. Surly you two strapping young fellows can afford a few credits or scarabs."
"Scarabs?" Crimson asked, blinking rapidly.
"Of course, we accept Cornerian Credits just the same, my fine, young sir!" the turtle replied.
Star placed his paw on the Turtle's shelled shoulder and said, "Look, we're on a really tight budget. If you see us come back through this way with really wide grins, hit us up for money then, okay?" With but a nod, the tortoise turned and left them alone, heading to the next set of people to come from the airport's main exit. McCloud glanced back to his friend and added, "I could sense that guy was a huge fraud. Seems there are quite a few here that try to prey on the unknowing. I guess it's that way with any tourist vacation area. So what's your assessment of Sauria?"
"Now this place seems modern enough that they should have a National Guard unit capable of finding the serial killer," Crimson thought to himself out loud. Star nodded in agreement and the two began to walk down the sidewalk, heading south towards the jungle region. Their short stroll took them to the edge of town where they happened across a pair of coatimundis and an Earth-Walker triceratops.
One of the animals, having spotted the vulpine and red-headed lupine, quickly approached the boys. "You two, wearing the backpacks, are you heading into the jungle, perhaps?"
"Yeah, what of it?" Wolf's son asked, folding his arms.
"Well, don't you need a jungle guide? I'm Cody and I represent a third of the Saurian Jungle Adventure Team of Travel-Sauria LLC. For a few credits a day, we can provide a tour of the jungle, anywhere you'd like to go in the entire region." The other animal stayed quiet, as did the triceratops. "This is my mute-companion, Andy and our Earth Walker friend is our agency's means for transportation throughout the dangerous and often-exciting landscape beyond the Walled City colony! So how about it, guys? Normal rates are 250 credits a night, plus a 50 credit danger fee, but your first night will only be 100 credits, plus the danger fee, for a total of 150 credits, only half the regular price!"
The coatimundi, Cody, was a quick talker and spoke with a smooth, enunciated, yet friendly tone. Star and Crimson exchanged glances and McCloud could sense that Red had no intention on making the decision here. Star glanced back to the trio and offered a slight smile. "I heard that the ruins of a dreadnaught class starship crashed in the jungle about six years ago. Do you know where it's located?"
"Oh, you don't want to see that old thing, my friend!" Cody said in his all-too-happy announcer voice.
"And why not?" Star inquired in reply.
"Because it's dangerous and furthermore…" The animal paused then he lowered his volume and, in a cheesy attempt at a spooky voice, he added, "There's a serial killer rumored to be stalking those parts. But!" His normally cheerful tone suddenly returned, continuing, "Have no fear, our mute friend Andy, here, has exceptional hearing and the ability to see. He'll be our eyes and ears against any dangers that might present themselves in the wild! Our Earth Walker friend here will provide security on our little tour… so how about it, guys?"
The vulpine pilot shook his head, trying not to grow frustrated. "We're bounty hunters. Mercenaries hired to bring that serial killer to justice. Just point us in the direction of the crash site and we'll be more than pleased to give you something for your troubles," Star told them.
"Well, for a mere 350 credits, we'll take you out there, into that dangerous part of the jungle and drop you off. How's that sound?" Cody claimed in an excited yet annoying voice.
"I like how the price went up 50 credits," Crimson cut in, narrowing his eyes, "And you're doing less work. No tour, just acting as a ferry from destination A to destination B. You do less work and make more money? That's pretty clever."
The Coatimundi smiled brightly in reply to O'Donnell. "But you're also asking us to take you into a part of the jungle where a known killer travels quite often. Some even wonder if he's making use of that crash site as his shelter because it's half way between two colonies that he seems to like terrorizing. Since it's a dangerous area not normally intended for our tour travel, we're happy to raise the price only by such a small increment!" Cody said with his annoying, fast-talking voice.
McCloud lifted his paws. "Enough, we'll pay you the 350 credits, just get us there. How far is the trip?" Star asked.
Cody held a paw out. "Just an hour and a half by Earth Walker. We do, however, require a full payment up front. We'll drop you off in a clearing known as Thorntail Hollow, at the edge of the crash site. From there, we'll head back here."
"Fine; deal," McCloud replied, fishing money from his zippered pocket and handing over 350 credits. The two coatimundis climbed into wooden saddle-bag pouches on either side of the Earth Walker, motioning to a rope ladder hanging off the back side of the large dinosaur. Star and Crimson again exchanged glances before climbing up onto the triceratops' back. Almost immediately, the dinosaur began to head across the street, going off the road and onto a dusty trail that led into the forested area at the edge of town.
"I don't know if anyone has told you," Cody began, "But you need to avoid the water, here. Buy it imported. The water of Sauria is pretty toxic in this hemisphere."
Crimson O'Donnell quirked a brow, gazing down at the guide who sat in his little wooden side-car. "I thought this was the most untainted planet in Lylat," the lupine said, not exactly asking a question but certainly seeking an answer.
"It was and still is in many parts of the planet but ever since that killer showed up," Cody said with a shrug, trailing off for a moment. He finally glanced up at the two mercenaries and continued. "Well you know, gentlemen. He shows up, people start dying; the water turns to sludge and every time a science team comes to investigate the water, they die. So people capable of doing whatever it takes to change the water back to fresh… they avoid this place."
Crimson asked, "What exactly is wrong with the water, other than it being poison?" The lupine had recalled what the passing leopard said, as the two team members came out of the airport. Now he was rather curious.
The coatimundi shrugged slightly, then replied, "No one knows; it could be a simple problem or it could require a complex solution. It's just… sludge. You can't drink it and to try would prove quite fatal. It's a… slow-flowing… ooze. Somehow the plants and trees manage to get enough water out of the sludge that it doesn't even hurt them. I guess the sludge it too thick to absorb through the root of any vegetation. One thing is for sure: it is a smart way to try and hurt the colonies but not the planet. No one even knows who this guy is."
"How many times have you heard of someone coming out and trying to stop him?" This time the question came from Star McCloud, who kept his eyes forward and his ears open.
"I've personally guided three and given directions to about five," Cody said. "I try not to get involved and I've never been asked to go as far as Thorntail Hollow, that's just insane. I had to ask for more money, I hope you understand. And let me also add, if this guy shows up and we're in the area…? Your rates will increase, so you'd better hope we drop you off and leave without incident because we really don't wanna stick around and find out who this creep really is."
"Is that so," Crimson muttered under his breath. "And if you were standing there when we kick his ass, you'd want part of the reward money, wouldn't ya?"
"I'd just want double the fee to have taken you out there. Seven hundred credits and we'd leave you be." Cody gave a bit of a smile. Little did the 'tourists' know that seven hundred credits was akin to half a million dollars on Sauria. They were already making a huge profit, considering the Saurian exchange rate but two guys from the other side of Lylat would never know about their money-making operation being first-time tourists to the area.
It didn't matter. It was too late and the boys were off, heading towards the GreatFox II crash site. At this rate, they'd make it in time to draw shelter by mid afternoon. Crimson adjusted his wristwatch to satellite time, which changed the chronometer from an early morning hour to about half-passed noon.
The group made it in fairly good time, arriving at the edge of the hollow, ten minutes faster than originally guesstimated. The sun was shining down on the clearing, which consisted of a lake passing through the center of the area and a surrounding rock face. At one end, there was a hill with a crumbling brick wall against the side of what used to be a small waterfall. On the other end was a sort of temple door built into the side of a hill. There was a cave in one facing wall and what looked like an over-sized wishing well made of stones.
The trees seemed to flourish but the river appeared just as foretold... nearly-solid ooze. It was only slightly waterier than jell-o. "Where's the crash?" Star asked. "I'll tip you if you can show me where the wreckage is, I've not come all this way for nothing."
"Sure, I guess. How much are we talking here?" Cody asked the question, played his part of a businessman.
"An additional twenty-five?" Star couldn't help but answer the question with a question, naively making it less of an offer and more of an inquiry reply.
"Thirty. There are three of us here, we eat too." Cody smiled inwardly. Star simply agreed and the deed was done. The triceratops carried them out into the hollow, heading towards the path that led in the general direction of Moon Mountain Pass. At the edge of the pass, just as the dirt was changing from brown to blue, the earthly corridor opened back up once more. A massive dreadnaught-class hull jutted from the ground, half overgrown with moss, ivy and strange pinkish slime-like plants that were rather popular in the Moon Mountain area.
Oddly, the ship seemed to be mostly intact. "What a solid girl," Star murmured softly. "She didn't break up in space; she held it together in the atmosphere and even retained her hull upon impact. That's incredible."
"Well, only the top layer of ground is solid in Moon Mountain Pass," Cody said. "A few inches beneath the crust there is a soft jelly-like layer. It's like this thing landed on a crusty pillow or a sponge with a moist center. Had it landed anywhere else on the planet, it would have shattered into a million pieces upon collision."
"I'm surprised," McCloud mused, thoughtfully. "You know a lot for a con-artist tour guide who goes out of his way to rip off everyone you think is naïve. I knew you knew of the crash site or I wouldn't have bothered asking you. But the fact that you knew about the geography and the little things about a dangerous area like Moon Mountain Pass, or whatever you said it was called… well; let's just say I'm pretty impressed. You guys can go now, you've been a huge help," Star told them, sliding down the back of the Triceratops, over the tail.
Crimson followed suit then gawked at Star who pulled out fifty credits and handed it over to the guide. "That tip is because you had honest information about the area. If you guys ran an honest business, you'd stay busy enough to make more money in the long run. But it's your business and not my place to tell you how to run it. Now get lost before you become a target. Oh," Star paused, turning to face Andy for a moment then looking back at Cody with a slight grin. "Your friend isn't really mute. He just fakes it to add to the sympathy factor as part of your money making scheme. But you already know this."
Cody gawked and Andy's eyes widened with an ersatz expression of confusion, although the silent animal did a far better job of acting as though he really was a mute. Even Crimson nearly second guessed Star's assessment based on Andy's reactions but O'Donnell knew his friend's mother was a telepath. McCloud offered a smile, handing over the money, then shooed them with a paw. "Go on, now. Before you two get 'assassinated'." Cody gently nudged the Earth Walker, who turned about and headed back towards the colony.
"That was pretty cool," Crimson said once the tour guides were out of earshot. "But why did you give them even more money?"
Star offered a shrug, his eyes never leaving the sight of the GreatFox II crash site. "…Because I was impressed, Red. I sensed that the quiet one used to be a field expert on the land and layout of different terrains. Whatever Cody spouts during tours comes from knowledge garnished by his silent friend. They make quite a living by lying to callow tourists and over-charging the gullible; the ones who've never been to Sauria before. But whatever… they'll go out of their way to help us again if we overpay more than they overcharge."
The half-breed wolf lifted his paws, gesturing for his friend to stop explaining. "Remember, McCloud. Bottom line is more than enough. Anyhow," Crimson reached back into his pack and pulled out a mid-size blaster pistol. "Let's scout the wreckage then we'll set up camp. You sense anything out there?"
"Not even another dinosaur. This place is freakin' deserted," Star assessed. "I can't believe this ship is still in one piece. I don't care how soft the ground is under the surface… It came down through the atmosphere in a ball of fire at an incredible speed. I'm really impressed."
"Yeah, let's go see what's left on the inside," O'Donnell grumbled as the two headed for the towering cruiser that sat upon its belly on the border between Thorntail Hollow and Moon Mountain Pass. The two of them climbed up a tree and from there, they climbed out onto one of the main guns. Carefully walking along the only gun barrel that wasn't broken off, they stopped at the edge, looking up at the hanger bay.
One door was open; the other was buckled from taking damage and looked as though it wouldn't open ever again. The scorch mark on the malfunctioning door was very light, from occasional rain over the last six years. The dark markings had faded to a light gray stain. McCloud held his paws out at hip height, cupping one paw beneath the other. Crimson nodded in acknowledgement.
The lupine put his right foot into Star's padded palm. McCloud boosted his friend upwards, who put his left foot onto the fox's shoulder, then grabbed a hold of the edge of the flight deck above. Star's paws came beneath Crimson's feet, pushing him upwards until O'Donnell was able to pull himself up inside the bay. The red headed wolf scooted about then un-shouldered his backpack.
He leaned off the edge of the deck, holding the backpack down, clutching one strap firmly in his paws. Star leapt up, snatching the other shoulder strap and Crimson tightened his grip in preparation. Now his friend hung precariously above the ground, three stories from the dusty blue surface. Star climbed upwards, grabbing Crimson by the wrist. The lupine used his free paw to snatch Star by the belt, pulling his friend up, over the lip of the flight deck.
"You know, the first GreatFox had its flight deck beneath the damn guns and hold!" Star grumbled, struggling up with the help of his friend. Once the two tumbled over the lip and onto the deck, they lay there on their backs, panting in a moment of repose.
"Oh yeah? So why'd they have it at the bottom on the first one?" Crimson asked, propping himself up onto one elbow.
McCloud thought for a moment then recalled, "They used to flood the flight deck by sitting the ship on a deep water surface, then launch a one-man attack sub from the deck. That took place well over ten years before I was born. As you can see, the new ship had its hold at the bottom, guns above it and the flight deck above that."
"They must have known we'd be climbing up the front of it one day," Crimson groused. "They wanted to make it a challenge for me to pull you up, knowing I wasn't going to pack climbing rope."
"You know, the last time I was on this flight deck, Andross was on the other side of those doors," Star muttered in a sullen worded statement. "I never thought I would see this deck again. I wonder if this ship is salvageable."
"Sure. A six million credit refit will guarantee that it's ready for space again," The lupine snapped. "And if you could secure a measly ten million, you could get a brand new one without the mind numbingly awful nightmares that are baked into the bulkheads of this dinosaur… pardon the pun," Crimson added at the end, hooking a thumb towards the outside as if gesturing to the population of dinosaurs that roamed the rest of the planet.
Star paused, wondering if he should bring up his future family fortune but instead, considered skirting the subject. Finally, he just blurted it all out. "Well my father's inheritance left me about eight and a half million, I'm just not allowed to claim it until I'm twenty-five... for insurance purposes. Something to do with the way their financial advisor gets to allocate small increments until I'm supposedly old enough not to blow it all at once. Pretty lame, huh?"
"You're joking right?" Crimson shifted his weight, now resting on both of his elbows. "You're worth eight and a half million credits in just a few years?"
Star reached up, running his fingers through his hair, laying there on his back. "It'll buy a ship but it won't buy much else. Unless we can sell this for scrap, back on Katina. Then we'll use the combined money to get our team a new GreatFox."
"Ugh, let's call it something else," O'Donnell muttered. "The GreatFox number Three? One, the name is obviously cursed. Two, wasn't it named after your pop, by your grandfather or something?"
"Yeah, as a matter of fact, it was. Not that I ever met the man but he named it for his son," Star replied with a shrug. "At any rate, let's explore this thing and look around for gear. We've got to secure the thing before we can use it to camp out. Plus, I want to see if the fusion reactor will power it up… it would really suck to live in this thing without any lights."
Crimson grinned a bit. "Then we find this killer, collect our loot and set up shop with a new franchise loan. We'll put all the other Mercenaries out of business and make our fathers jealous over our fame and riches."
"I think we'll need more pilots," Star replied, sitting up. "No one will take us seriously if it's just two people trying to get hard jobs done. Did you pack flashlights?"
"What about Violet? And yeah, they're in the backpacks. Let's break'em out." Crimson snatched his backpack off the floor, retightening the straps from having used it to pull Star up onto the deck. "Just think… if the hanger was at the bottom of this ship, it would be half-way buried in the dirt. We might have had to dig to get in and we didn't bring any shovels."
"Well aren't you an optimist," Star sneered, coming to his feet and placing his paws on his hips. "All right, Red… Let's see what's left of this ship then get started. As far as Violet Monroe, let's not talk about her, right now. I'm not her 'Sugar' or her 'Tiger' anymore and would rather not talk about Falco Lombardi's daughter, right now."
"Rawr," Crimson chuckled. "Well, aren't you an emotional Ex-Boyfriend? She's still a good pilot."
"Yeah," McCloud agreed, "But she's still a bitch who manages to fool my telepathy by loving me, then stomping my guts out with her childish trickery. If I wanted 'Trickery101' back in my life, I'd have called her already. Look, we have a lot ahead of us. Let's get to work, Red."
A/N: Okay… wow. What a week. First I had this chapter get EATEN and turned into corrupted data by a computer blitz at work, which saved over my flash card, ruining the chapter. I had to go through hell to get bits and pieces of the uncorrupted parts recovered but still lost a good amount.
Then, on Friday, I got laid off. Well, at least I'll have more time to write, right?
This upcoming Thursday, April 6th, is my first wedding Anniversary.
My band is currently in the Recording Studio. It's going to cost 2,000 dollars to finish everything we wish to accomplish. If anyone wants to donate for a guaranteed mention in the Demo CD's linier notes, contact me and I'll give you my account address XD
Honestly, I'll let you guys rock the tip jar if you want… I'll write more, probably do short stories for donators and let you hear a clip of the finished product before anyone else lol. At any rate, I'm off to finish Chapter 19 and 20 on Sly Cooper's LAMENT OF CARMELITA, since that's nearly finished. Once that story is done, I'm going to put a ton of time into finishing Similar Paths Taken and The Curse since they're both just a few short chapters from conclusion. I'm also half way through writing updates for Nothing Passed Tomorrow and Reflections Of Peppy, which is a sort of… for-fun story that I enjoy doing on my downtime. This story WILL BE UPDATED fairly often. I won't forget about it. It's something I've wanted to do and have a lot of people that have DEMANDED to see it. THANK YOU for your demands, it makes me feel good to write this!
Until the next update!