Vixy felt guilty about leaving Krystal outside. She knew that Krystal could get lonely or taken by someone for the reward money, but she wanted to know exactly what happened.
"Fox?"
"What is it mom?"
"What happened at the end of the war, at the end of that mission?"
Fox was shocked by the question. He never expected to be asked that question, especially by his mother. As much as he hated having to relive that horrible day, he knew he had to answer the question. She was his mother, so telling her might give him some closure.
"The war. The mission. In all of my life, there had never been a more painful day for me.
I remember it like it was yesterday. My wife and I were on a mission to destroy an enemy base's anti-aircraft systems so that Falco could bomb it. We knew that a woman called 'Kursed' had been hired to aid us. Though nobody else could see through her disguise at the time, my wife and I knew that she was Krystal.
My wife didn't like Krystal. She didn't like many people, but she hated Krystal the most. My wife wasn't exactly the nicest person. I was going to divorce her after the war.
Anyway, as I was demolishing another missile-battery, I overheard my wife's threats. I knew just how serious she was. My wife could get pretty sadistic during battle. I decided not to confront her just yet, lest she get angry or desperate and kill Krystal.
After we had destroyed the last of the missiles and radar, we made a dash for our ships before the enemy could mount an effective counter-attack. When we were about halfway there, the enemy began firing artillery at us. We separated during the attack. My wife and Krystal went one way and I went the other. After the artillery stopped, I tried to find them.
I soon spotted them about a few hundred yards away. Looking through my binoculars, I could see that my wife had a gun pointed at Krystal. I quickly pulled out my rifle and fired two shots into her body. I then ran over to help Krystal. I was shocked to find that my wife had already fired shots directly into Krystal's arms and legs. Lifting her up, I carried Krystal to my arwing, ignoring my wife's corpse.
By the time we had reached the nearest hospital, Krystal's arms and legs had already become dangerously infected. Amputation was the only solution.
My biggest regret was not shooting my wife sooner. I still haven't told Krystal yet."
"Why not tell her now? She thought you still loved your previous wife and felt guilty about her death."
"I guess I owe it to her. I'll do it."
Fox left to find Krystal. He eventually found her outside.
"I heard."
Fox stopped dead in his tracks.
"I heard everything. I thought you loved her, which is why I kept quiet about it. With nothing else to live for, I only wanted to make you happy. I always felt like you were a part of me, the only part that still had any hope, any meaning. If I had known how you truly felt, I would have killed her the moment she lowered her gun in the hall."
"Krystal. I…"
"I was so filled with guilt. I thought it was my fault she died. I thought that if I hadn't come, she wouldn't have gotten shot."
"Listen to me."
"I truly believed that I should have been the one that died that day, that I should have taken those bullets. But to hear that I had been wrong about you and her makes me feel so stupid."
"You're not stupid."
"I'm a telepath. I should have known better. I should have sensed it. If I'm not stupid, then I guess I'm blind."
"You're not stupid. You were just blinded by love. You wanted to make everyone happy. You only wanted to do what you thought was the right thing to do, even if it would have cost you your life. Your only problem is that you refused to see just how much everyone needed you. You didn't realize how much you meant to me.
When I thought I would never see you again, I couldn't sleep. But now that we're together, now that I can hug and protect you and never have to worry about you, I feel like I can truly live instead of merely existing. Not only that, but you're going to give me a son. You! There's no one in all of Lylat, in all of the universe, that I would rather start a family with than you."
Krystal couldn't believe it. He knew all this time and he still loved her. If she still had arms and legs, she would have gotten up and hugged him. Fox hugged her, which was the next best thing.
"Fox?"
"Yes, Krystal?"
"Why didn't you tell me before?"
"I guess I was trying to move on. My marriage to her weren't exactly the best years of my life. I should have told you, but I just wanted those years to have never happened. I wanted that marriage to have just been a bad dream. But that doesn't matter now. I'm married to the woman of my dreams and will soon get the kit I always wanted.
Come on. Let's go watch some TV."
Fox carried Krystal inside and gently lowered her onto the couch before sitting down next to her. He turned on the TV. A program about celebrities had just started a few minutes ago.
"And then they reunited one last time before the singer's death last week."
The host's voice got on Fox's nerves. The host continued with the next story.
"In other news, the bounty on former Star Fox pilot Krystal's head grew by another thirty thousand Credits yesterday."
Fox could not believe it. They're increasing the bounty?
"Krystal is wanted for her involvement with Star Wolf and for the murder of Fox's Mccloud's wife, whose name was never released to the public."
Murder? Fox could understand Star Wolf, but murder? She was killed in enemy territory by two rifle rounds.
"This just in. Krystal was spotted in Corneria City last year. We're going to display the photographic evidence."
Photos? They were photos of Fox and Krystal in their apartment. Fox was glad he and Krystal moved.
"Here, we see Fox and Krystal together, eating what appears to be some form of pasta. This photo was taken months ago, so let's hope she hasn't killed Fox yet. Lylat police are searching the entire system for Krystal, focusing on Corneria and Sauria."
"Damn it!"
Fox didn't mean to shout so close to Krystal, but he couldn't help it. He had worked so hard to salvage their relationship and to keep her safe. He had never felt so helpless. It would only be a matter of time, days at most, before they searched the house. Maybe there was hope. Fox still owned an experimental stealth arwing that Slippy had designed years ago. It was pretty large, designed to carry cargo or personnel without sacrificing too much maneuverability or speed. They could load it up with supplies and leave the system.
But where would they go? Kew wouldn't be too far. The once-polluted planet was now one of the cleanest inhabitable planets in the galaxy. There were other inhabitable planets further out.
Maybe they wouldn't have to move again. Maybe he could hide or disguise her. He could dye her fur and blame her missing limbs on a car accident or birth defect. He would also change her name. He knew she would play along. She may have attempted suicide many times before, but she was pregnant now. She wouldn't dare deprive him of a son. They would keep up the charade until the manhunt for her ended.
Fox didn't know what to do. He knew that if they found her, they'd arrest and possibly execute her. He could testify, taking full credit for the murder, but they'd still imprison her for life for her involvement with Star Wolf. Fox knew he couldn't live without her. She was his life. If they executed her, he'd probably blow his brains out.
Fox knew they were coming. He knew that they would find her if he didn't act. If they hid, the authorities might find Krystal. If they ran, they'd be chased no matter how good Slippy's stealth technology was. Fox knew about the authorities. They were infamous for catching their prey no matter how high the death count was. They'd burn the house down if they knew Krystal was in there.
Vixy walked into the room and sat down next to Fox.
"You saw the news too?"
"Yes mom. I don't know what to do. If they suspect she's here, they'd likely burn the house down to either kill her or force her out. If we try to run, they'd chase us until out supplies ran out. I almost lost her forever before. I don't think I could handle that again.
"I think I may have the solution."
Fox looked at his mother, waiting desperately for the solution to their problem. He knew that whatever it was might not work but he'd try anything.
"You ever heard of the Wanderers?"
Fox was curious.
"They're aliens from light-years away. Over the millennia, they've traveled the galaxy spreading wisdom and fighting their many enemies. They're always looking for new members. There's a rumor going around that there's a small group of them on Sauria, somewhere near the Krazoa Palace where you rescued Krystal. If you can find them and join, they'll protect Krystal. Their technology is supposed to be superior to Corneria's. Why don't you go? If you stay here, they'll find her."
Fox knew Vixy was right. Staying here would endanger Krystal. He had to find this group of Wanderers on Sauria. One question bothered him.
How would his mother know about the aliens? She hardly ever left the house. How could she possibly know about the aliens? If they were real, wouldn't Corneria know about them? With all the police/military patrols and traffic in Lylat, surely someone would have seen something.
And if they did manage to sneak into Lylatian space, how would Vixy know so much about them? What if she's wrong? What if they're hostile or helping Corneria with the search for Krystal? Should Fox really risk it?
Not yet. It would be impossible to leave Corneria without being seen. He'd have a better chance of successfully hiding Krystal somewhere, disguising her, or convincing the courts to spare her the death penalty or life imprisonment. He might be able to pull off that last one, providing Krystal didn't commit any crimes while on their team. He might be able to pass that act of treason off as a secret mission to monitor them.
But how would he explain trying so hard to hide her? He could explain that she doesn't like the spotlight. Would they buy it? Probably not, but it was better than just sitting back while she faces the firing squad. And if the excuses should prove to be inadequate, he still had his modified arwing. While its military was formidable, Corneria was always vulnerable. He could break her out of prison. It would probably get him killed but it was better to die together than to live alone. And if they both survive, they could leave the system and start a new life on a distant planet or station.
There was also Star Wolf. They may have tried many times to kill him over the years, but he was sure that they'd let him and Krystal stay with them. But what could he do in return? They wouldn't tolerate dead weight. He could probably do maintenance or janitorial duty. It would be dirty, but it would also give him plenty of time with Krystal.
But that was a last resort. Leaving the system altogether would be preferable. He still didn't know where they would go. Kew sounded nice, but it was too obvious. Corneria would probably send bounty hunters after them and Kew would probably be the first place they'd look.
Fox decided to do some research. Onboard his arwing was a small computer. While it was primarily used to check and adjust various systems, it also had Internet access. He decided to do a little research.
Leaving the house, Fox walked to his hidden arwing. Once onboard, he wasted no time accessing the Internet. For hours, Fox searched for any promising leads. Then he found something.
Planet 142A, codenamed "Cursed". It was supposedly once a primitive paradise of a planet where an advanced race lived in harmony with nature for millennia. The race was nearly wiped out, the few survivors packing up and leaving, when a toxic meteor struck, quickly spreading its poison all over the planet. A second race soon settled on the planet and started mining the poison when they discovered that it made a better fuel than the fuel they were using at the time. A third race chased off the second and cleaned up the poison. A fourth race, or possibly survivors from the first one, now lives on the planet. They are supposedly trying to emulate the first race's way of life.
The information came from many travelers that came in contact with Corneria over the years. A Cornerian team was sent to the planet and confirmed the information and found the planet to be very suitable for colonization. Corneria rejected the colonization idea on the basis that the planet was too far away. It was several hundred light years out of the way and offered nothing outside of basic natural resources. Of all the planets Fox could choose, this one was clearly the best one. A few weeks of warping through space and they'd be home free.
What would Fox tell his friends? Would he tell them? Could he tell them? They were his friends, sure, but could they be trusted? What if they wanted to come with him? After series of wars and other crises, Lylat wasn't exactly in the best shape. Prices and unemployment were both very high and the police forces were short on manpower. Slippy was living in another system with Amanda, but Falco, Katt, and Bill all had crippling debt and weren't exactly friends with the local corrupt officials. They could come with him, but what if they chose not too? Would they tell the officials where he and Krystal were staying? It was worth a shot. The planet was supposed to be littered with ruins and abandoned buildings. It would be easy to hide there.
Fox quickly sent e-mails to Falco, Katt, and Bill. He didn't tell them everything; just that he wanted to talk to them in private at the house tomorrow and that they should tell no one. With that out of they way, Fox turned off the computer and went back inside.
He sat down next to his mother and Krystal, who were both watching TV, and told them.
"I think I've found a place where we can hide if things get any worse here."
"Where's that, Fox?" Krystal asked.
"Planet 142A. I know it's pretty far away, but that's the point. It's supposed to be one of the safest places within a thousand light-years."
Krystal and Vixy didn't know what to say at first. The planet was so far away, but things were getting dangerous on Corneria. It was worth a shot. After a few minutes, Krystal had her answer.
"I'll do it."
"Great." Fox told her "We can start packing tomorrow; food and other necessities first. Anything we can't bring, we leave here. I hear Lucy's been looking for a new place where she and her new husband can live off the millions she made during the war. We can leave the place to her with everything we couldn't fit into the arwing."
Krystal and Vixy nodded.
The following morning, Bill, Falco, and Katt arrived. Fox quickly opened the door and let them in. After a little small chat, Falco asked about the e-mail.
"So, what's so important that we all had to come here?"
After a small sigh, Fox answered.
"As you all know, Krystal's currently the most wanted person in all of Lylat. Her charges include a murder she didn't commit. While she might get life in prison if caught, she'd most likely get the death penalty. With all the searches going on, she can't hide anywhere in the system.
Krystal, my mother, and I are going to move somewhere far from Corneria's control. I'm not going to tell you where yet, only that you should pack enough supplies to last at least 2 weeks, preferably a month.
Would any of you like to come? I know you all have serious problems here and this could be your chance to leave all those problems behind and get a fresh start. What do you say?"
"I'm in." Falco answered "Anything to keep those loan sharks from beating me pipes and bats again."
"If Falco's going, I'm going." Replied Katt "Things would get lonely here without you guys and I don't want to suffer here if Falco's out partying on some distant planet."
"I'm in too." Bill told them "The girl scouts are getting more and more aggressive. Yesterday, they pointed a gun at me and threatened to blow my brains out if I didn't buy a box of cookies."
"Great." Said Fox "We should get packing. We leave tomorrow morning."
