Chapter 7
Krystal lay in the living area trying to find ways of passing the time. The two of them had been travelling for around three hours. She had sprawled out on a couch in the living area playing some generic fps game on the TV. Fox sat in the cockpit looking over the instruments of which there were many. Computers on board small ships like his made a reputation for getting over processed so a pilot was always needed at the controls. He kept his eyes locked on the various dials and screens occasionally looking up at the space in front of him to make sure he nothing big was in his way. All of this took a toll on him though. His eyes would start to droop if he didn't focus on keeping them up along with the other thirty things he had to monitor.
Fox knew if he didn't get caffeine of some kind in his system he might fall asleep and crash the ship. He got out of the cockpit once he flew into an area he felt safe in for a couple moments. He opened the door leading to the living area finding Krystal on the couch. She moved her head in his direction as he walked to a small kitchen area opposite side to Krystal. "I need coffee." Fox said bluntly. He reached into his cabinet to grab a thermos and a coffee maker. Moments later his coffee was brewed and he started to walk back to the cockpit. Then an idea came to Fox who looked over at Krystal on the couch. "Hey Krystal."
"Yes,Fox."
"Do you want to stay with Star Fox after we get the Great Fox? If you do then you'll need to learn how to fly spacecraft. We can start now if you're bored."
"Wait you want me to learn how to fly now. Fox I still don't even have a driver's licence or even know what any of the buttons do."
"Then that's a great place to start." Fox opened the door to the cockpit as Krystal got off the couch. "Why did you never get a licence?"
"I never had money for a car so I never bothered to get one. Do I need one to get a pilot's license?"
"Well they do like to know you can drive something that goes in four directions before you command something that goes in every direction." Krystal didn't laugh but smiled at him. "Since we're here I'll show you some of the ships controls." She followed Fox into the cockpit and was greeted by an astounding amount of blinking lights and flashing screens. "I guess we'll start with the basics of this." He sat down in the left chair and gestured for Krystal to sit in the right one. "Umm… where should I start." He said looking around the very cramped room. "I'll start here. Everything above the window applies to the cabin and air flow. Everything else applies the flight and comms."
He went on for awhile just explaining things on the panels and screens of the ship. Krystal for the most part understood most of what he said. She listened attentively to everything he said about flying. She knew that few Cornerians and no Cerinian ever got the chance go learn how to fly one of these ships. Yet due to who she knew, she would soon be flying ships through space.
1000 Titania (Two hours later)
The pair arrived on Titania a moment ago and Fox rolled out some vehicle from the back of the transport. The vehicle, called the stryker, could best be described as a shorter yet longer 4 seater jeep with a beefier hood. No doors, no windows and a heavy duty roll cage made this vehicle built for places with no roads. A circle was cut into the top center area for a possible machine gun emplacement. All the features also made it illegal to be on Cornerian streets so it only got out when a mission called for it. He also grabbed a weapon Krystal hadn't seen before. Fox called the ballistic weapon an M6. It had a basic assault rifle look to it with plenty of equipment on its rails. Krystal still had the railgun DMR Fox gave her for target practice. She hoped it was as good in the field as it was on the range.
The roads on Titania were a mix of sandstone and asphalt, most of which started to erode. Granted the suspension of the stryker made any bump or pothole feel like nothing. Krystal held onto the top rail and the bottom of her seat as even on roads made of sand Fox drove at his, 'cars need to be faster than light,' speed. Every turn felt that much scarier when just a harness kept her from falling out onto the road. Thankfully for Krystal the embassy project was only fifteen minutes from the star port.
The building was behind a twelve foot high brick wall. From what could be seen the embassy had a Spanish style architecture like a lot of other buildings on Titania. Fox pulled up to a gate that had to be manually pulled away to let him in. In side the wall were three tents and a makeshift motor pool they drove into. The motor pool had a school bus and another stryker like vehicles. Various construction equipment lay scattered around the site. Both of them stepped out of the Stryker and grabbed their gear. A duffel bag and each other's' respective rifle. Fox started to walk towards the tents followed by Krystal.
Fox saw a tall male deer walk out of the center tent. The deer looked at the two foxes coming toward him. "I see you found someone new. Is being blue the only qualification you look for in your operators?" Said the deer.
"Har har Legion. What's our situation like out here so far?"
"A usual patrol mission with me and my three operators. This place is going up quick. Yesterday it was just a hole so they'll probably be done in a few more days. Our job is the walk the perimeter and report suspicious activity. We made a list of who goes on patrol at what time. Come by the center tent for your times." Legion walked into the tent left of the center. Fox went into the center. A table, a corkboard and a set of file cabinets were the only things inside. Fox walked to the corkboard to see when he was up.
"Alright you and me have night shift so if you want to sleep now would the best time." Fox said. "I guess that's it for here. Hey let me show you what five star living looks like in a warzo-" The tent flap opened up with a beagle in a red military uniform stepping in. Legion cane in after him. Fox instantly stood up straight and saluted the beagle.
"At ease. I'm sure your soldier can find her own way to your quarters. We have some matters to discuss concerning the surrounding area."
"Colonel Roth sir, I wasn't aware you would be with us on this mission."
"Why not? I'm in charge of CDF forces on this planet. As such you were contracted by them, you fall under my command. Now I came across some things you may want to know about in this area but, only Legion and you have clearances high enough to hear it." He ended that by looking over at Krystal.
"I understand. I'll be going." Krystal said. She walked outside and to the tent on the right. This tent was even simpler than the center. The only thing inside were two cots on opposite sides. Krystal set her duffle bag on the nearest cot and sat down on it. She wondered what was going on that she couldn't be in the same room. Luckily she wouldn't have to wonder forever. She focused on her powers to get into Fox's mind.
"-ti establishment group has made a name for itself rallying peaceful protests on the capital of Titania. So far they have done nothing violent but we have reason to believe that may change. The leader of this group has met with a tiger who recently was released from prison for planning a bank robbery. It wouldn't be that far of a stretch to plan an invasion of this embassy." Krystal could hear Fox's thoughts almost immediately discredit what he just said. "Be on high alert gentlemen. I have to be going now. I'm needed elsewhere until this embassy is complete."
Colonel Roth walked out the tent leaving the two mercenaries inside. "You think he has a layer of aluminum foil under his hat?" Fox asked.
"No he'd be too scared it would catch on fire if he stepped in front of a microwave dish." Said Legion.
"So should we be on alert at all because of this?"
"Let's say we took these guard jobs seriously. We maybe put in like twenty five percent effort. Up it to twenty five point one and I think we're safe." Fox laughed. "As for the bank robber, who wouldn't want to hear a first hand bank robbery story."
"You planning a heist?" Fox asked. Krystal however couldn't keep concentrating on what Fox saw as her phone started to vibrate. It was the Queen. She swiped the green call symbol and the Queens face came up. She appeared to be walking around the neighborhood that she and most of the Cerinans called their new home. One of the royal guards accompanied her.
"Krystal, I've tried reaching you a few times. Why haven't you picked up?" Krystal evaded her so she would have to tell her about the whole gun for hire thing. "And why are you dressed like you're trying to blend in with a mountaintop?" Now she couldn't wiggle out of telling her.
"So I found a job. That guy who offered me that vacation also offered me a job. I'm making really good money-"
"By killing. Krystal you are not a warrior remember. This isn't some continuation of your training. We don't have to fight in this new world Krystal. Our race may be down but we can survive without stooping down to this level." The Queen struck a nerve in Krystal.
"I'm not stooping to ANY level. These jobs pay very well. If I do enough of these missions than I can probably get you and some others out of that ghetto you live in." The Queen looked steamed at this point. She opened her mouth to say something but couldn't come up with anything. The Queen let out a sigh.
"I can see I can't dissuade you on this. Promise me you'll be careful, I can't stand to lose more of my family." The zipper of the tent opened up to reveal Fox entering. Krystal was spoke in her native tongue so Fox eavesdropping wasn't an issue to her.
"I promise." Krystal said holding up her hand. The Queen hung up on her end so Krystal just pocketed her phone. She looked at Fox who tried to avoid eye contact with her as the call happened. He lay on his cot looking up at the tent ceiling. "Family matters." She said.
"It sounded heated at the end there." Fox said.
"Yeah, I guess I never told them about me being a mercenary." Fox Huffed.
"That might be a big deal. Also, don't sell yourself short. You're a contractor, not a Mercenary. It means the same thing but sounds nicer." Krystal laughed. "We should probably get some sleep. We're going be on our feet walking in a square for eight hours." The two did talk for a small while longer but fell asleep after a few more minutes. Over the next few days Krystal got to know the other contractors.
Ghost was a black furred wolf armed with a bullpup assault-style rifle. He had been actually very nice to Krystal when ever they met. Tacos, a golden tabby, patrolled right before Fox and Krystal with Ace a female grey coyote. Both carried blaster weapons everywhere they went. They were almost in sync in everything they did. The conversations they all had were entertaining and helped pass the time. It was easy for day patrols because you could pop in at center tent where meals were prepared. It made Fox and Krystal wish they got some day work instead of sleeping through it for nighttime.
Night patrols were always quiet. Sometimes a loud car would pass or maybe you would hear police sirens in the distance. After six nights of patrolling, both found themselves looking for anything to pass the time. This night was no different. "So how well do you know Legion?" Krystal asked.
"Not at all, Legions not even his real name. In this work we never exchange names. We work on code names instead." Fox explained. Both of them walked together on the inside of the perimeter. The entire base was lit up so the guards could see any intruders.
"Wait I've heard the others call you by your name."
"What are you-," Krystal could see in his eyes that gears in his mind started turning. "Oh, I don't think I ever told my real name is James Junior. Fox is a name I've had since the academy. More people seem to call me Fox than James though. I really couldn't care less." Two cars could be heard driving past the base at speed. The cars had become a nearly regular occurrence yet no one wanted to call the authorities. They would just watch and bet on who would win if the patrol got too boring and no one was awake they could talk too.
"So what's my name then?"
"You're just operator for now. Until you do something interesting. Then you get a either a badass name or an embarrassing one. It all depends on what you do that's memorable. Ghost got his name after getting inside of a terrorist held bunker. He grabbed a hard drive with the terrorists names on it without a single one knowing. Just don't be like Tacos. First week on the job he ate nothing but tacos and now he's stuck with that name." A car drove past the base quickly. They were rounding the corner for probably the hundredth time that night. The gate was ahead of them and they could hear the cars even louder from this side. "You think they might be compensating for someth-" At that calm moment hell broke loose. A truck rammed the gate busting it open and nearly tipped the truck over. A machine gun had been hurry rigged on the top and begun firing randomly. Fox took action and aimed for the gunner. Krystal saw him do this and aimed for the driver. Two shots came from their end followed by silence.
Fox held his rifle at the ready and slowly walked toward the truck. Krystal stayed behind him keeping her rifle aimed at the gate. They could hear more footsteps running toward the gate. With each step came the clanking noise of ammo belts and vests. Fox held up his hand in a signal to stop. He extended it out towards the embassy making sure Krystal saw. The two of them ram in a beeline to the embassy door. The construction crew left at night in the bus so only the other contractors were here.
Fox jumped in a windowless hole at the front of the building. He peeked out the top waiting to see the enemy in the busted gate. Krystal ran jumped into the same room Fox was in and almost got shot. Fox quickly put his barrel back downrange at the gate looking for any movement. "What the fuck is happening out there?" Legions voice came over the radios. Fox picked up his radio while keeping one hand on the trigger.
"A technical just rammed the gate and we can hear multiple contacts outside the perimeter. I suggest someone call the cops." Fox said. He looked calm even while in a situation he had no control over. Krystal tried her best to control her breathing but almost dying took a toll. She managed to copy Fox in looking at the gate shakingly with her rifle.
"I'll call 'em. Keep the hostiles at the gate. My operators are on the way." Fox saw a foot step in the gateway only to retract as Fox shot at it. He missed but sent those on the other side a message. He waited for his reinforcement to arrive and took potshots at the gate so the people on the other side knew they were there. Krystal watched the other side of the gate but found it difficult because of the truck still being in the way. She looked through her scope watching. Krystal jumped every time Fox shot his rifle. The flashes lit up the room as Fox shot bursts at the gate wall.
The enemy never put a hair in view of Fox's constant fire. Krystal shot at the wall whenever Fox had to reload and vise versa. No more than a second would ever pass between the two rifles trained on the wall. All of a sudden footsteps were heard running inside the embassy. "Movement in the embassy." Fox said into his radio. Fox aimed at the door expecting to be ambushed at any moment.
"Don't Shoot! Don't Shoot! It's us." He heard Ghost's deep voice come over his radio. Krystal was reloading in cover when a spray of bullets came right overhead. In the moment she ducked to reload some of the terrorists ran into the walls and took cover behind the truck.
"Take positions at windows and concentrate fire at the gate. Keep them at bay until the cops show up." Fox said commandingly into his radio. The sound of many guns exchanging fire drowned out every other sound. The only way Fox and Krystal knew each other still lived was by movement. Krystal would take pauses from fighting and just stayed in a crouched position behind the embassy wall. Fox saw this and couldn't blame her. This was something no could have seen happening on a first week. Probably not on any week honestly. Fox just kept firing.
"Fox this is Legion. Cops are sending a swat team. ETA five minutes." Fox felt relief that this ordeal would be over after a few more minutes. He saw one of the gunman at the truck firing sideways. Not at the embassy or the road but into the compound where no one was. The answer to what he had been shooting at came quickly as the power to the whole compound went out. He shot the generator. In the dark the gunmen easily move into the embassy without anyone knowing. Fox laid down fire to the truck like ammo wasn't a concern. That plan came to bite him when the dreaded click rang. Fox took cover and reached for a new mag inside his vest. Then his hopes dropped as he realized he used it already. Krystal got out of cover to shoot once more. In a rare moment of silence. Fox heard the distinctive racking noise of the heavy machine gun.
Fox tackled Krystal to the ground and laid over her protectively. "Fox what are you doing?" The machine gun spat loudly at the two foxes. The gun tore into the freshly laid bricks. Nothing could be heard over the crumbling room and the giant gun. Fox stay still laying over her. After what felt like hours but may have only been five seconds the shooting stopped. All of it stopped. The foxes looked out to see flashing blue and red lights outside the wall. Swat arrived and the gunmen surrendered.
"Everyone alright? Legion company sound off." Legions voice said through the radio. Fox looked at Krystal.
"This is Tacos, I'm alright." Krystal moved her muzzle against Fox's. The two locked their lips together.
"This is Ace, I'm alive." Fox moved his arms behind her back. Krystal moved one hand to his chest and the other to his cheek.
"This is Ghost, I'm a little shaken up but I'll live." Fox couldn't bring himself to break this kiss even if the world depended on it. The same could be said for Krystal.
"Star Fox company, what is your status?" Fox heard this and decided to ignore it. He focused on the blue vixen that almost died along with him. "Fox come in." Krystal moved her hands to undo his vest. "Fox please come in." Fox grabbed her hands as they were half way down his vest.
"Not here." He said to Krystal. "This is Star Fox company, were both fine." Fox radioed back. He stood up and rezipped his vest. His picked his rifle off the ground and walked to the front of the embassy. He placed an empty mag in the gun to give the impression that he was still dangerous. Cops in riot gear stormed the compound to arrest the attackers. Fox slung the rifle on his arm and let it dangle between his right arm and body. He put his hands up so he wouldn't be mistaken for one of the gunmen. Krystal did everything Fox did so she could blend in.
Legion company were coming out of the embassy moments later. The six of them walked forward toward the cops to show that they weren't threats. They paid attention to the cops trying to get recognition. One officer walked up to them. "Are you guys the security detail?" They all nodded. "'Kay once these guys are in custody I'll come around and get a statement from each of you." The officer walked away.
"Well how was your first gunfight?" Legion asked. Krystal laughed half heartedly.
"It's making think about a career change." Now most of the company laughed. Talking resumed between the contractors. Krystal saw one the gunmen lined up kneeling on the sidewalk. He wasn't looking at the prison van or at the operators. He looked in a dark corner of the compound. Krystal decided to enter his mind.
'Come on Gerry. They aren't expecting it. Light 'em up." Krystal was sent into a quiet panic. She used her powers to look for this other person. A faint brainwave came from about thirty feet away. If she focused on it longer it wouldn't be so faint but now she couldn't afford to wait any longer. She raised her railgun and fired. The rifle made its soft zoom noise and scream could be heard in the darkness. Everyone looked to the direction of the scream and then at Krystal. One of the officers shined a flashlight in the direction of the scream to find a lynx holding his leg with a assault rifle tossed by his side.
Some officers went over to pick him up. The company looked at Krystal. "Holy shit, how did you know he was there?" Ghost asked. Krystal didn't know how to answer. She just said the first thing that came to her head.
"Instincts. Something felt off." She replied.
"Are your instincts psychic?" Ghost suggested.
"She's got a killer curse." Tacos said. Legion held up his hand.
"What did you just say?" Legion asked Tacos.
"I said she's cursed." Legion snapped his fingers and pointed at Krystal.
"That's your operator handle." He said "Welcome to the galaxies weirdest family Kursed."
A/N: Chapter 7 done. Thank you guys for 1000 views. I didn't realize this earlier but this is the longest story I've written (Not that it was hard to beat) on this sight.
I'm going to try and get the next chapter of Moving on out by Saturday or Sunday of this week. Leave a comment or a follow if you think I'm doing good on this story so far.
Until next time LONEW0LF signing out.
