x-x-x-x
Chapter 2
The gentle rhythm of smooth jazz flowed about the walls of Fox's apartment as he stood over his stove and eyed the freshly made gumbo swirling within the steel pot. Dark amber liquid spun as the tod stirred the dinner he was making for the team which more than enough to feed them and keep some left over. The only issue was that the gumbo lacked an actual ingredient, well, a real ingredient. Meat. What he had in there was a poor synthetic protein imitation chock full of nutrients. Needless to say; the flavor was less than palatable; and thus Fox's meal was laden with spices and other aromatic herbs that would in his hope override the disgusting lie. Thus far the scents that came from the pot tantalized his nostrils and made Fox salivate lightly. It was true; he was going to bribe his team with food. It had worked on them more than once, but in this case he needed them on board. The stakes were as high as they were during the war; possibly even more so as they were on borrowed time.
His rations had certainly taken a hit as perishables and dehydrated vegetables along with who knows what else were thrown together. It was one of his mother's old recipes from the family cookbook, and Fox stuck to it like the word of god; as much as he could anyways.
Several more stirs went past and then the stew was left to sit. With the main course well on its way, Fox set about preparing some of the thick crusty loaf he had purchased with his ration card a few days ago. He sliced it bit by bit so as to make it easy to eat and Fox had little doubt there would be a few jokes about Falco being part pigeon that evening.
The thought of the team joking and laughing once again made Fox smile, one he desperately needed as the day had gone from overcast to outright showers and storms, a godsend for the farmers, but mildly depressing for those who loved the sun.
I did ask for it though, so, careful what you wish for I guess.
With the bread sliced and gumbo on, Fox set about putting together two tables that would comfortably sit seven people. Each seat was set accordingly to their height and gait so as to not knock any elbows. Cups, silverware and bowls were laid out neatly and just as he set the last plate; there came a firm triple knock upon the wooden door that caused Fox's ears to perk and swivel to the entryway. No doubt it was probably Falco and Katt as they were usually the first ones to show up these days and often followed by Miyu.
Still, it didn't matter much to Fox who got there first as he approached the door and opened it. There in his white flight jacket with blue panels on the elbows, red shirt and pants along with the same boots Fox wore was Falco Lombardi. They were similar enough in uniform with plenty to differentiate between the two. On his arm was the lover of all things pink and his steady lover; Katt Monroe. She wore a simple violet t-shirt with the name of some band he never heard of while a chain dangled off the side of her blue jeans.
Both the avian and feline smiled at Fox in genuine delight as they both moved in without a word and wrapped their fearless leader and friend in a tight hug. A few seconds would pass before they parted their embrace and just before he was to close the door, Miyu placed her spotted paw on the frame.
Out of all the team, Miyu looked the worst and yet simultaneously the best. Her brilliant blue eyes had a look of resolute determination in an otherwise tired soul.
Fox hated that so much; that someone as young as Miyu was that haggard and run ragged. Regardless, Fox embraced her just the same and held onto the Lynx as warmly as he could, to which she responded by putting her head into the crook of his neck while holding onto him with all her might.
From an outsiders point of view it would seem like a couple were having a heart to heart moment, gentle and intimate, but the reality was that Miyu had become incredibly close to the team especially after the wars. The events that had led them all to being so close had changed Miyu almost overnight. She had basically become team mom; always checking on their gear and ensuring the Arwings or Land Master were ready to go alongside their personal combat gear.
After a moment the two parted and made their way inside and the door closed with a click followed by the turning of a lock. All four gathered around the table at their respective seats and sat in silence as each member turned their eyes to the three empty chairs that were always laid out without a second thought. One by one they let their gaze rest there for a solemn moment of silence before turning to their counterparts with a warm but sorrowful smile. All of them were glad to be alive, yet the loss they felt was still very real.
Fox was glad that some things didn't change when Falco was the first to break the monotonous silence.
"So, how bad is it Fox?"
"Huh?" Fox turned his head to the blue bird with curiosity.
"C'mon Fox, we all know you don't go all out like this unless it's something big, good or bad," replied Falco, his voice full of self assurance.
All eyes were on him. Though Fox was not a religious man, he swore he could just see out of the periphery three sets of eyes, a pair of blue, red, and brown. Fox closed his emerald hues and took a deep breath before he turned his attention to Miyu, Katt, and finally Falco.
"I suppose it is obvious? I always did make these meals before something crazy huh?"
From Falco's side Katt bore a warm smile upon her white furred snout as she tried to ease the tension that sat upon the air. "Yea, kind of a ritual now that I think about it, but c'mon Fox, talk to us hon." She encouraged in that sweet Eledarian accent. For such a harsh world, it was an accent that was cheerful yet subtle and could go into areas of anger Fox hoped he never had to explore with his own harsh Papetoonian.
"Well, I suppose there's good news and of course bad news. The good never comes without a downside. So, I'll start with the good, The Cerinians are going to let us fly again."
Everyone was visibly taken aback by that. It was the sheer fact that they had seemed so concentrated on pinning Fox and every Lylatian with ties to old Corneria to the wall; that flying again just seemed like an outright impossibility.
"No shit?" Falco uttered. "What's the catch?"
Dammit… Not like I can put it off…
"Well, there's two catches, one, we'll be under contract. So no freelancing this time. Though we will have autonomy to operate as we see fit. No rules or regulations to bind us down."
"Sweet, I'm okay with that!" Falco said cheerfully as he forgot that the other boot was about to fall.
"I have to ask what bird brain here forgot the moment you said we get to fly; what's the bad news?" Katt enquired.
"Well…"
x-x-x-x
"You did what?!" Bellowed the voice of High Chancellor Rowena. Her sharp voice reverberated and echoed throughout the officers galley aboard HMS Ceria's Light.
Admiral Abrecan ate quietly as the ringing in his ears from the shrill yell of his civilian counterpart vibrated against his ear drums in an especially annoying way. The white haired and snowy blue striped vixen glared at him with her intense arctic eyes. The woman wore a flowing sea blue robe that covered the aging vixens body from the neck down. It was a simple affair, far from the opulent garments heads of office would have worn in normal times, something that the admiralty always had distaste for.
The salad he indulged in was quite delicious, filled with fruits and vegetables grown in the ships Hydroponics Bay with soil straight from the homeworld. While enough to keep his ship supplied, it was not nearly enough to feed the fleet or Corneria as a whole but they did contribute what they could to the planet below.
"I said, I granted Fox McCloud and his team operational status again. Perhaps you should visit the medical deck and get your ears checked." It was stated in such a calm fashion as he gingerly dabbed his snout to wipe away a smudge of dressing that clung to his fur. All the while casually reviewing operational reports that belonged to various sectors of operation.
"And you didn't think this important to bring up to the council?! He's under investigation!"
"An investigation that in every single instance the evidence has been found wanting; this has been a wild Keln chase from the very start Lady Rowena. His services will be put to use elsewhere and monitored by one of our best."
"You mean, -your- best." Spat the vixen accusingly.
To say that Lord Abrecan was tired of the tone in which Chancellor Rowena used was an understatement. With a soft clatter he placed his silverware down and closed the reports for the moment. Only to look up from the small device and let his eyes convey their severity to the vixen. They were not eyes of a diplomat, but of someone who was quite frankly tired of her presence.
"Matters of security and safety are the militaries purview as stated in my final orders from the Queen of Cerinia. Her majesty, god's rest her soul, who in an act of self sacrifice opted to stay behind with those who could not cross the stars with us. The Civil arm of our society, I.E. your jurisdiction, is to preserve our culture, our way of life and law. If you wish to file a formal complaint, please go down to the personnel deck, file form 32-B#45: In triplicate. And I shall review it accordingly. Until as such a time that paperwork is filed Lady Rowena, I do not care what the council thinks of my actions. I have an entire fleet and world under my protection, and I will perform that duty to my utmost ability to preserve life where I can as per Her Graces orders. Fox McCloud is an asset, as is his team, and they shall be treated as an asset until we can ascertain their trustworthiness."
The Chancellor bared her fang in response. Rowena could not directly act against Abrecan as he had done nothing wrong, but gears had already begun turning in her head.
"Mark my words, that boy and his vagabonds cannot be trusted, they will turn on you and destroy everything that you are trying to create."
"Hence why we have Krystal of The Cardinal Sun as the liaison, she is sharp, gifted in the psionic arts and damn good at hand to hand combat. Which is only furthered by her already impressive flight record. I have little doubt she could disarm Fox's team with little effort… or disable them. Though Fox himself on the other paw, is another matter."
"Then why send her alone?" demanded Rowena.
"Because if I tried to put more of our personnel aboard his ship, he would rebel and outright refuse. One person raises suspicion, an entire squad means they're being guarded against. I am promoting goodwill and an act of faith in letting them have as much freedom as they do, I hope it will be returned in kind. As for why I did not consult you, this falls under my jurisdiction, not yours, and that is that. I do not need to justify myself to you."
"The Archon-"
"Will side with me, Fox is a security matter, not a judicial, nor civic issue; certainly not a religious one either. He is a soldier and this is his only home. I have every confidence he will do all that he can to save lives just as he did in the past. Now, if you'll do me the kindness of leaving, you're disturbing my calm and preventing me from getting through these reports."
Rowena was hardly pleased at being told politely to fornicate with herself, but she could do little. The Admiral was right on every instance and had covered his bases. She had no jurisdiction over Fox and his team.
But damned if I won't keep an eye on them.
She knew just who to see for such a thing.
x-x-x-x
"Fox, What the hell man?!"
The very same vulpines response was to sit there and idly eat his gumbo as Falco ranted and raved like a lunatic.
"They're using you and us Fox! It's all political and you fell right into it ya idiot!"
Katt and Miyu had been silent for most of the birds bombastic diatribe. How they were just puppets and being used by the Cerinian Authority. Both females shrugged it off as Falco always did have a thing for drama and knew how to take it one step further.
"Holy shit, they got him controlled! Someone dove into that head of his and messed with him."
"Falco, I think we would notice if Fox were mind controlled… can Cerinians even do that?" Her pinkness muttered.
"Totally! Look how many people they have under their sway! No, they got to him!"
It was about that time Fox had enough of being talked about like he wasn't there.
"Falco, what would you have done in my position? They gave me the evidence, showed me that Corneria is slowly starving to death. Numbers and all."
"Did you ask for copies?" Katt butted in.
"No, but I should have, that way you could have taken a look at them. In hindsight… there was a lot going on."
Falco's feathers were obviously ruffled and scoffed at the lack of evidence. "The Fox I know would have-"
"The Fox you know is alive and well but having to think differently. I did the best with what I had, which isn't very much to begin with. Our alternatives were not that great."
"And what makes you say that?" The pink feline intoned as she nibbled at a slice of bread.
"Think about it, we're too dangerous to let loose, but we're also too valuable and well known. They kill us and there would be plenty of Cornerians in open revolt and it would just make matters worse. So, their only option left would be locking us up in some prison so no one could find us. Or, they put us to use and let us fly."
All three of his teammates looked at each other with not a word spoken. Each of them nodded as they silently agreed that what Fox had said. It certainly did make some sense.
"And if they lock us up, that's more resources spent and manpower stretched thin to keep us under lock and key so we don't cause trouble or someone rescues us." Miyu added as she saw the logic in his thoughts.
"Precisely, they need us. At least with this choice we have a chance at making a difference. There's still plenty of bases and colonies out there that haven't been raided yet. There's probably pirates like Wolfs gang and other groups we can trade with."
"Whoa! Okay, now I know you're nuts Fox, trading? With Wolf?!"
"I'm deadly seriously Falco, we don't have many options and things are only going to get worse if we don't start bringing supplies back. If that means I have to bite the bullet and deal with Star Wolf's bullshit, so be it…" Fox didn't like that prospect, not in the slightest. The look of incredulity from his friends told him they didn't believe it either. But with how the situation was developing, it required different tactics and strategy. This was a different type of war; one without traditional bad guys.
Theirs was an unseen foe, one that consumed slowly and crept up on you until you could do nothing but waste away.
"Peppy wouldn't support this and you know it Fox."
If what Falco said got to Fox, he didn't show it. Instead, he dove deeper into his bowl of soup until it was all gone and dragged his head up to look at the bird with firm eyes of a commander, not a friend.
"Don't bring the dead into this, Falco. Let him rest."
It was a point of contention with Fox and both felines knew it as their eyes locked across the table. Though Falco was making valid points, he walked a very thin line. Fox had taken Peppy's death the hardest and to use him in such a manner was not an intelligent decision.
"Falco, I suggest you let that point go hon."
"Oh, what? You're taking his side now Pink?"
"Not taking anyone's side at the moment, but you should at least let the dead rest. Don't bring old wounds into this." She replied, placing a palm on her right arm and kneading it slowly as if to emphasize her point to Falco.
The bird winced as the point was made, the red around his eyes softened and his feathers slowly laid flat. "Alright, alright… yeah, dick move on my part." He muttered. "I just can't believe we'd be flying for the very people who took over."
Their leader understood all too well why, after everything they had been through with the friends and family they'd lost along the way. It smacked hard of irony and left a somewhat hollow feeling combined with a sense of being powerless. However, Fox would not let that detract from his goals.
"If anyone wants to leave, you're welcome to. I won't hold it against anyone. I don't like this anymore than you do, but Lylat needs to survive, Corneria needs to survive. We can't let Peppy, Slippy, or Fays sacrifices go in vein. All of us fought hard to defeat Andross and I'll be damned if I let Lylat go without a fight. I won't force any of you to join me, but the offer is there. If you want out? Now's the time."
Miyu's eyes traveled between all three of her family that remained, watching Falco fly off the handle like that, Fox maintaining his cool demeanor like he was upon a battlefield and Katt caught in the middle. They were still fractured and old wounds were festering under the skin; that much she saw. The teams flaws were apparent and upon seeing such helped the lynx come to a decision. She would stand by Fox regardless of where they went, if there were any good people left in Lylat. He was it.
Her voice when she spoke was unflinching in its dedication. "I'm with you Fox, all the way, if we have to work for those damned blueberries, that's fine. So long as they don't hurt anymore of us and they give what we bring back to both sides. We're all in this together, like it or not."
Falco let out of one his signature harrumphs and crossed his wings. "So, when do we meet the girl?"
"We don't, I do." Fox replied. "I'm going to interview her myself after I let the Cerinian High Command know we're all onboard, that is, if we're all in."
Falco shook his head in exasperation. "I can't believe us, stuck working for the invaders and being forced to take on one of their own. Buncha bullshit; but yea, I'm in, no matter how much this stinks." Uttered the bird. "Least I get to fly again."
Katt nodded in agreement with her big bird and leaned over to peck him on the beak. "Where you go, I go. I'm not going to let you out of my sight for five minutes, who knows how much trouble you'd get in then. Not to mention that it'll be good to fly."
The todds heart swelled as he had all three of their support, even if it was begrudgingly. He was glad to know that what remained of his loved ones would be at his side during one of his most trying times. For he was alone, not in the sense of no family or a lack of friends; but he had no one to turn to for advice. He had relied so much on Peppy's sage words previously, but now? It was just him in the commander's seat with no number two to give him words of encouragement or guidance.
That wasn't to say he couldn't turn to Miyu or Katt for emotional support, they gave that in spades and Falco was an excellent source of morale support, but the deep emotions and thoughts he held within were firmly locked away and no available path to express them. Despite all that, Fox was glad to know that they were with him. It made dealing with the tragedy of Cornerias surrender and other emotional wounds easier to cope with.
The very fate of Lylat once again was going to hinge on his decisions and the ramifications that would come thereafter. To top all this off, he now had an unknown to deal with. This Krystal woman, Fox had no idea what to expect: Could she be trusted when the chips were down? What would her military profile detail? What would she look like?
The answers would come about soon enough, but first, he had to meet with Fara.
x-x-x-x
Phoenix Industries Corporate Headquarters
Downtown Corneria City
12:43 PM The Following Day.
Phoenix Industries was still the most prestigious company a young Cornerian could ever hope to work for. They had withstood the test of war and came out as the sole arms and goods manufacturer on the planet. In better times they had more competition, such as the now defunct Space Dynamics. That was in the past as now they had the monopoly her father always wanted; just not on desirable terms. They stood as a testament to the will and resilience Cornerian industry had in face of worst case scenarios. But the bitter truth of the matter was, it was lies.
Fara Phoenix sighed in disgust at the blatant propaganda the old government had tried to use for her company. The attempt to paint the Phoenix name as some indestructible juggernaut to keep people hopeful that the singular corporation that survived the war intact was their saving grace. That she and her legion of workers would stop Corneria from falling entirely. It was far from the truth as they weren't agriculturally oriented. They were arms and pharmaceutical manufacturers, their primary source of contracts were military and mostly Star Fox related. Of course with the war over and the Cerinians in charge, they had to gear themselves to a more flexible portfolio.
The blue vulpines had her assembly lines producing equipment that was completely alien in design that according to them; would allow for the Corneria's complete restoration of it's soil. Which begged the question though, if that were the case why didn't they use it on their homeworld? It was something she wanted to ask, but the chances of a political faux paus was very high and she did not want to anger the only political entity that had shown outright hostility to her and the company.
Which is ironic considering they need my services and production lines. At least the military arm has been far more polite, not sure how much better that is. But, I'd rather be friends with the people who have the big guns than the aggressive political machine.
Still, business was going well and it would take time to finish production on these machines. The complex devices were powered by a source of energy they had never seen before. The Cerinians tried to explain it to her; something about powering their ships with what their engineers had named a Psi Reactor. That their will power could literally be saved up and used over the course of years. It all sounded way too mystical for her liking. They likely thought her stupid and would not give her the proper details about the reactors they used. Then again, they did stomp on the Cornerian Fleet and stopped Star Fox where Andross had failed.
Granted, we were weaker than at peak military capacity, but still, there maybe something to their strange ways.
The Fennec mused quietly to herself as she was well on her way up to the office at the top floor when her communicator emitted a sharp ping. Only one person could be calling her this early in the afternoon and so soon after her lunch break.
"Olivia? What is it?"
"Mr. McCloud is here to see you for your twelve-forty five meeting."
Fara's ears immediately pricked up as she scrambled. "Send him in." I'll be up momentarily," Fara uttered as she entered her private elevator that was reserved for management. The vixen dusted herself and adjusted her black business attire, she was the typical suit with a skirt that just skimmed the tops of her knees, high heels and all. Professional, prompt and damn if she didn't look good. Fara held a great deal of pride about her appearance and the heads that turned, male and female alike. The soft velvet carpet beneath her muffled the steps of her heels as she approached two medium sized doors made of a fine wood with a name she could not for the life of her pronounce. Needless to say; it was expensive and added to the air of opulence the Phoenix family was known for.
The door sensed Fara's presence and unlocked with both doors swinging wide as she made her way inside. Her stride was confident, powerful, for she was a woman on top of the world even in the darkest days. People lived and died by her orders, employees and civilian alike. Inside lay finely polished and honed marble floors which echoed with each step of her heels. The walls were spaced out just enough to make an echo fill the air; it was a mild intimidation tactic she used. Make the person walk some distance to her desk and show off her wealth and let them understand just who they were dealing with.
Along the walls was real wood paneling much like her doors which closed behind her, upon those same immaculate surfaces, artwork of various Phoenix Family members and photos from past heads of the corporation lined it along with busts and other such things one might have to show pride in their lineage.
Her steps echoed off the flooring until she arrived at her desk and promptly sat down in her comfortable chair. Across from her was the savior of Lylat and celebrated hero of many. Fara couldn't deny the gentle flutter in her heart as many a female had when they met him in person; but she quickly doused that with a cold dose of reality that they were no longer together.
Our lives were just too different.
Still, that did not prevent Fara from being happy to see Fox. The tod smiled to her and though it was thinly veiled by just how exhausted he was; it was genuine. With how things were progressing, and the likelihood he was having to do more than a heavy share of work communicating with the Cerinians. It was no real wonder he was looking like death warmed over.
"Hey Ears." Fox said with that dogged voice of his.
Fara snorted at her old pet name from the team. "That's Miss Fara Phoenix." She shot back with a grin, knowing full well she wasn't serious and Fox just shrugged it off with a playful roll of his shoulders. He never was one for formalities.
"I can only imagine the reason why you've come here, and I'm sure it's not to try and rekindle our relationship."
"Mmm, I'm afraid not. I don't want to take another Nova Bomb of emotions to the face."
Fara winced at the remark. Her tail flicked in a morose manner while her snout turned downwards. "Y'know, you don't have to remind me…"
Fox scratched back of his head and looked to the ceiling in regret. "I'm sorry, still a bit raw over that. It was a joke in poor taste."
Fara gazed at him before her features softened; his apology was genuine if a bit sharp. "It's fine, I know it wasn't the cleanest breakup."
Fox shook his head. "Let's just forget it was ever brought up yeah? We've got work to do."
"Agreed, but nothing says we can't have a bit of small talk before we begin. How have you been?" The fennec asked only to watch as Fox stirred uncomfortably in his seat, his reluctance indicated there was something deeply troubling him and if she knew him as she thought she did; then Fox wouldn't be forthcoming until he was ready.
"I see. Never mind then Fox, shall we head down to the hangar?" The vixen concluded and stood up, gesturing to the front door of her office and towards the elevator that had brought her up.
Fox tilted his head with pricked ears and followed the vixen to her VIP elevator. The door opened and closed as a pad inside welcomed the vixen in it's eerie foreign accent that reminded him of certain blue vulpines. Fara swiped her red keycard and tapped a three button code on a pad that flipped out of the wall. The elevator descended at speeds Fox was quite used to until it came to a halt and then to his amazement began going horizontal.
"So, what did Admiral Abrecan tell you about what we were doing down here?"
"Down where?" Fox blinked in confusion.
"Ah! Right, I forgot, we don't tell everyone about where we're going. It's an ancient submarine pen near the coast of Corneria city. We bought it years ago when my father ran the company. Reinforced and heavily armored, damn near undetectable from orbit. It's where we've been keeping the Great Fox."
"Jeez, haven't seen anyone use submarines until the Blue Marine back on Aquas."
"You'd be surprised, the CDF had ideas for mobile planetary defense platforms in the form of submersibles with anti-orbital missile and gun platforms that could move consistently."
"Sounds impractical and slow, and if someone finds them via radar from on high, they're sitting ducks."
"Exactly why my father scrapped the idea. Too many counters and factors for an effective counter strike weapon."
"Gotcha, well, Abrecan didn't tell me squat, just said you were repairing and refitting the Arwings, the Landmasters, and The Great Fox herself."
"Well, at least he didn't leave you completely in the dark."
The elevator briefly burst into the open from an underground passage and before them was the coast line and off in the distance the skeletal remains of Corneria city could be seen.
"Holy shit, how fast is this thing going? And why aren't we paste?"
"If I remember my calculations, we're doing almost super cruise speed, and thanks to the G-diffusers built into the elevator, we won't feel a thing."
"That's one expensive elevator." He muttered and looked off towards the city as his tail fell limp and snout turned downwards. The tods strong arms crossed over his chest while a melancholic sigh came forth from his lips.
The Fennec watched as the handsome vulpines features fell. She knew Fox took the defeat of Corneria and it's surrender harshly. "Fox… don't take it too hard on yourself, even you can't always win. We have to make the best of the situation."
"Yeah… yeah. I know, just a lot of things on my mind." He muttered as the capsule disappeared back underground. "So, you said something about being left in the dark?"
"Indeed, we gave the Great Fox a complete overhaul and redesign. You'll see her in a bit."
"Wait what?! What did you do to my fathers ship!?"
"Nothing that it didn't need." She replied to the panicked Fox.
The elevator began to wind down as its acceleration slowed yet Fox couldn't feel a thing and the sound of hydraulics hissed as a dull thud filled the cabin as that same plucky voice announced that they had arrived. Fara stepped out of the tube with Fox in tow as two very heavily armed and armored Phoenix Shock Troops greeted them. Both soldiers were garbed similarly to the soldiers who had escorted him back at the courthouse.
"Afternoon Ma'am."
"Good afternoon, Bruce." She replied calmly and flashed her badge to the guard.
"So, have the Cerinians figured out you still have your own personal army?" ,said Fox
Fara waved a paw dismissively. "More of a company really, but they're security details. They could fight a war if I needed them to, but with those Psionics and Cerinian Training, I doubt my troops would make as much a dent without orbital or air support."
"Don't tempt me."
Fara whirled on her feet and poked him right on the nose. "Don't. Just don't, we're already struggling as it is, and we don't need you flying off the handle in a quest for revenge again. Not this time. Andross is one thing, but as loathe as I am to say it, the Cerinians intentions are good. They're just as scared as we are about being wiped out. I know their civic division has been harsh on you; but the military are decent folks. I have some here helping with R&D."
"How's Beltino taking that?"
Fara flinched for a moment and then sighed. "Not well at first, but he's gotten better about it. Poor guys still busted up about Slippy."
"Can't blame him, it was a heavy blow to everyone and not just logistically either." Fox muttered quietly.
"You did your best Fox, it's why Beltino is so enthusiastic about this Great Fox redesign. C'mon, I'll show her to you."
"Yea, people keep telling me that." He grunted. Fox was tired of people telling him he did his best. Every time someone told him that it was like a stab in the heart as his best hadn't been good enough.
The narrow corridor led into the old base that had long since been refitted. A long winding maze led deep into the hillside until finally it opened up into a massive opening with a yawning mouth that opened up into the sea outside. Hundreds of workers climbed over scaffolding as their plasma torches and various other tools of engineering sparked and spattered. There before him, was the Great Fox, or rather; what used to be the Great Fox. Fox gripped the protective railing and leaned over it as he took in the new shape.
"The hell, you didn't just redesign her, you literally broke her down and rebuilt the whole thing… in a few months?!"
Fara smirked quietly with pride at the impromptu praise and surprise. "Never underestimate what Phoenix Industries can do when we have the resources and manpower. We had to scrap a lot projects and salvage what we could to make this happen."
From on high Fox's eyes wandered over the newly designed ship; gone was the design of his father. It had been replaced with a sleeker far more practical design.
The upper half of the hull was completely shaved off in and sloped backwards in an attempt to save on materials and offer more space for weaponry. On the aft of the hull was a well armored control and observation deck that appeared as a small steeply sloped rectangle with various arrays atop. This was vastly opposed to the old Great Fox's design where the bridge was out in the open and vulnerable at the forefront.
Amidships and just before the bridge were three staggered twin mount gun batteries with full rotation available, meaning they could fire in any direction but down or backwards. He had seen such guns before and while they were not heavy beam cannons like some of the larger Cornerian ships used to carry; they substituted with sheer volume rather than one single big shot which would then need to recharge.
"Those are some big guns."
"Yes they are, Phoenix Industries Mark Two Plasma Projectors, experimental but Beltino worked overtime to make sure they were safe and fully functional. Seriously, that toad is going to break my resource chain with how hard he works."
"Plasma Projectors? I've heard of cannons and batteries…"
The vixen smiled broadly. "Beltino managed to shrink down down the beam tech on the old battleships in the Cornerian fleet. While it sacrifices firepower, it makes up for it in recharge time and frequency of shots. Meaning; for everyone one shot a Cornerian ship could take, you get a grand total of six or even more with a well trained gunnery crew."
"Or one really good ROB unit."
"Or that, yes."
Fox perked his ears as he watched carefully and let his eyes wander to the side and keel of the ship.
"No gun batteries below?"
With the question in the air Fara shook her head with that ever present smile. "Nope! Because of one very specific piece of experimental technology. Take a close look around the belt of the ship."
Fox eyed it curiously as the outer hull seemed to have a singular contiguous strip that ran all along. He personally couldn't see what's inside of it but it made his head tilt before turning his head to Fara. "What is that?"
"A brand new weapon that we were working on for the Navy. It's a Plasma Array."
"Array?"
"Yes, rather than traditional gun barrels like the ones up top, you have one large magnetic strip that feeds into a singular coherent beam of energy in three-hundred and sixty degree firing arcs."
That was a rather interesting prospect to Fox "Okay, what's the downside?"
"Remember what I said about Experimental? Yours is the first ship that will be equipped with this technology. It has a large power requirement and limited range compared to turrets; but we're hoping with the data you collect if and when you use this thing out in Lylat, we can overcome these limitations."
"Lemme guess… Beltino?"
"Beltino. He said it would save on energy requirements rather than powering a whole other weapons battery on the keel. But; he said to use it only when you need precision fire and make sure to power off the main gun before firing it. Also, those aren't the only weapons. If I can direct your eyes to the panels and then the bow section."
"Wait, the three twin mount turrets aren't the main battery?"
"Part of it!"
Fox's head tilted before gazing down at the aforementioned panels as for the first time he did indeed notice a series of panels running alongside the port side in packs of six.
"Missile Racks."
"Yes! Your ship will be armed with the latest Mark Nine Missile Racks, fast, deadly, and good against both small and medium size vessels and a sizeable deterrent against strike fighters. Of course, that's mixed with your point defenses."
Many of these things were what the previous Great Fox had been lacking during the wars; that, and proper shield tech.
"So, this thing is a warship and not a Battle Carrier… what about a hangar?"
"We'll get to that in a moment, promise. First I want to show you the final weapons on this bad boy."
Fox smirked at Fara's excitement. She always got this way when she explained her work or showed off the accomplishments of her employees. The sandy vixen was always proud of how devoted and competent her company was. From the highest ranked accountant; all the way down to her floor workers. She boasted unparalleled appreciation to her employees and her borderline arousal when it came to weapons always made it comedic to watch. He once swore that the woman got hot and bothered more over weaponry than she ever did with him.
"Now, We did manage to keep one of the large beam canons and we put it right in the center of the ship. Because sometimes you do need forward facing firepower, it's more a capital ship killer should you encounter anything particularly nasty. And that's not all, three Nova Bomb launchers if you need to clear a path."
Fox blinked while his eyes went wide. "Sweet Creator Fara; do you know how expensive this thing is going to be to run? That's on top of the Arwings and The Land Masters. My overhead is going to be huge!"
"No larger than your head already."
Fox blinked and then opened his mouth to respond before closing it and shaking his head with a small mirthful chuckle. "Damnit Fara."
"Admit it, you miss me from time to time."
"I do, but then I remember how it all went." He fired back. "But seriously, the hell do you think I'm going to be doing out there?"
"I have no idea; and that's why I want you to have the best gear. We're depending on you and Star Fox to save us once again. I'll be damned if I lose anymore friends because you lacked the proper equipment. Slippy would still be here if the CDF had listened to me and provided you the tools you needed."
Fox wished she hadn't brought that up; but it was the honest to creators truth. Fox did not want to think about that event in particular and so he quickly refocused his attention on Fara. "I still appreciate what you did on that front. Just wish the equipment would have gotten there sooner."
Fara's smile turned into a forlorn one as her paw gently reached over to place it overtop of Fox's. "It wasn't your fault. Slippy and the team did everything right, but it just wasn't enough. With this ship at your disposal. That won't happen again. You have my word and the reputation of the Phoenix name riding on it. I failed you once, I won't fail you again."
Fox let his eyes linger on Fara for a few short seconds before letting those tired eyes drift towards the work of beauty before him. The vessel was a swift, sleek beast of war. Armor plating, missiles, a main forward facing gun and nova bomb launchers, three twin mounted guns that could pump out more shots than the old Cornerian cannons. This wasn't the battle carrier his father purchased. It was a new ship from the mind of Phara Phoenix and Beltino Toad coupled with a sort of alien influence. Most Cornerian ships tended to be rather box like; sort of how Venomian ships were. Large geometric shapes as opposed to something so clean and polished. If he didn't know any better; the ship was inspired by Cerinian design. The alien Cerinians took the phrase "Art of War" quite literally. Their ships were often functional yet beautiful to gaze upon. Even their more utilitarian ships were miles ahead in the aesthetics department and still deadly to boot. Of course, there was one bit of the ship he had to know about.
"And the Hangar?"
"Armored and protected within the hull itself. No more exposed launch bay that's just aching to get blown straight to kingdom come. In front of the forwardmost gun turret there's an elongated piece of metal that slides back to open a hatch and allow your Arwings to fly out at max speeds while keeping you protected. It still is a bottle neck but it'll be damned hard to attack as you launch with those main guns and point defenses raising hell."
He had to hand it to her, when Fara went all out; it showed. The ship was a veritable flying fortress with enough guns to slug it out with one of Andross's heaviest capital ships.
"And there's one final touch, courtesy of our Cerinian benefactors."
"Rather ominous wording there."
"Really no other word for it." replied Fara. "But, they were kind enough to give us one of their shields to slap on her."
The tods eyes nearly leapt from his skull. "No shit!?"
"Not shitting you at all Fox." She said with a laugh at his response. "The engines are Cerinian as well, much faster than our own. I will say this, their ships are pretty but their main reliance is on speed, firepower and those shields. A real holy trinity. They can't take a hit worth a damn but those shields are a bitch to blast through.
"And what about this monstrosity then?"
"Oh she's got the whole kit n kaboodle. Armor, Speed, and Guns for days topped off with those shields? She's a real beast of a ship, probably the most expensive vessel ever designed by Lylatian hands, other than that stupid super dreadnought Andross designed and then failed to properly support." The vixen giggled uncontrollably at the mentioned dreadnought, the very same one Fox had brought down in conjunction with the Cornerian fleet. Fara was always tickled by Andross's idiotic designs, more often than not the weapons were great for instilling terror, but that's all they were good for. At least until a good pilot came along to circumnavigate it and exploit their weaknesses; which resulted in a ship turned to molten slag.
"I guess they really are serious about this whole thing then, I just wish I knew what their angle was."
The vixen empathized with a nod of her head. "As far as I can tell, the military is all about surviving and making sure we all don't starve to death. The politicians on the other hand…"
"Are total ass holes." The tod uttered.
"I was going to say rude. But that works to. As for their angle, I have not a single idea. Anyways, enough standing around up here, let's head down to meet with Beltino. He'll give you the rundown on everything far better than I can. We'll find him on the bridge more than likely."
The tods fingers tenderly tapped on the metal and shook his head. "Afraid I can't, not today at least. I gotta go talk with the Cerinians about stocks and supplies for the ship when she's ready. You've got the ammo covered but they have the rations and such. I gotta make sure the team is properly fed or we're not getting a damn thing done."
"Are you sure? I think it would do good for Beltino to see you again." Fara's eyes did carry some measure of hope in them, but sadly it was due to be ashed.
With a forlorn shake of his head Fox turned to the Fennec."To be honest, I'm not ready to see him. I need a bit more time before that."
Fara understood why he was so apprehensive; even after two years it still affected Fox on an intensely deep level. The Toads had been close to the McClouds for an age just as the Hares were; and with Peppy gone, Fox had no one to confide in. Falco and Katt couldn't keep secrets between each other to save their lives; and she still wasn't sure about that Miyu girl.
"Alright, well, I need to go talk with him. Just use this card and my code to get back to the surface. You take care of yourself; alright?"
With a nod and faint smile upon his lips, Fox gave her a salute and made his way back to the elevator.
It was true that Fox did not feel he could face Beltino so soon; it had been almost three years and yet it felt like yesterday. The tod shivered as he remembered flying past the Great Fox just as the bridge decompressed, the SOS signal and the coms going dark as Slippy desperately tried to keep the ship combat effective rather than worry about his own safety. The thought of floating lifeless in space was not something a pilot or anyone liked to envision. Slippy had died a hero, but then there was the root of the problem. Slippy, much like Peppy and Fay; had all died under his command in various circumstances.
It wasn't made better by the fact Fox did not know how to deal with it other than bury it way down as far as he could and ignore them until they surfaced in moments like this. Emotions would run wild, fear and anger combined with sorrow would work their way into his head until he beat his own thoughts into submission. It worked for a time; but in the end, Fox knew he would have to get help one way or another. For now, he had a meeting to plan and resources to acquire.
