ATTACK ON MΞMORY Chapter 10: 2 — All Signs Point to–, a star fox fanfic

[] Arc 2 []

Separating Bad Courtesy

Chapter 10

All Signs Point to a Cold Dark Winter Wasteland

A/N: I apologize for such a long wait. Needed to take care of the end of the semester and the projects that entailed. With that out of the way, I hope to have more consistent updates, now that we're onto the second arc. Thanks for being so patient, now it's time for the reward. :)

-Sheppard

Fox had never gone from waking up snuggling with a vixen to rushing to the CDF Headquarters in such a record-breaking time. Yet—to discount that a bit—apparently today was a day of breaking records. He couldn't remember the last time he had gotten dressed in less than a minute, but he managed to break that record too. Another broken record was Remi, repeating the same question and complain over and over while Fox sped through city streets, luckily not forgetting to turn his lights on so he wouldn't get pulled over.

"Fox," Remi whined for the umpteenth time. Only then did he notice his Cerinian passenger swimming in one of his Cornerian University hooded sweatshirts that looked seven sizes too big for her. "You still haven't answered my question."

"Peppy said he got a message when he got to HQ this morning," Fox explained, still regaining his breath from hustling out the door. "It was from a Fichinian outpost commander. Apparently all the message had was an SOS."

All Remi did was narrow her eyes.

"I know, I'm confused too," Fox said, finally pulling into the parking lot for HQ. He could see his monster of a warship sitting comfortably on the tarmac way off in the distance, but could also see fleets of freighter trucks heading back and forth, presumably from his ship. "Excuse me?" he instinctively said, pulling into his parking space. "What are they doing?"

"I don't know if this is the right time to bring this up," Remi began. "But this hoodie is all I have on."

Fox blasted his forehead on the top of his steering wheel. "Just the hoodie?"

"Wanna see for your—"

"No, I believe you, I believe you," Fox hastily answered when the vixen tugged on the collar. She giggled and jumped out of his truck, tail wagging in her wake.

"So are we gonna go see your ship?"

"I'm gonna find out what they're doing to her," he almost growled, then shifted his concern to the vixen. "Are you fine in just that?"

"I've been caught in less."

Fox paused for all of a second before sighing, "This story is gonna be the death of me," as he exited his vehicle. Remi happily followed him, barely concerned with her concerning lack of attire.

"Oh hey, look!"

Fox stopped for a moment to see what the vixen was excited about. A cherry red motorbike just passed through the gated security checkpoint and slowly crept towards the two vulpines. Falco shot them a smirk as he rolled to a stop right next to Fox's SUV. While he did that, Fox's attention directed towards Krystal, who just pulled her helmet off and hopped off the bike.

"Goodness that is just too fun," she laughed, setting the helmet on his seat.

"And to think you were scared of 'er on the first ride," the avian laughed back.

"Well yeah; but you're such a good driver!" Krystal exclaimed.

"Eh, I don't wanna pat myself on the back," Falco chuckled.

"I think you should," smiled Krystal.

Remi winked at the bird as he stepped closer. "Is there room on that bike for another rider?"

"You'll 'ave ta fight Krystal," Falco replied honestly. Remi jokingly gave the older vixen a death glare, to which she just laughed away.

"I see you two got the message too?" Fox interrupted.

"Got it this mornin'," answered Falco. "Didn't get shit for answers though. You know anythin', Foxy?"

"Not much more than you," the tod replied.

Falco shrugged. "Ain't gonna get nothin' if we're standin' 'ere. S'go find the old man and see what he knows."

"I don't think he'll know much more either," Fox reminded, the other three following him towards the tarmac. "I just wanna know what they're doing to my ship."

"Looks like they're loadin' 'er up for a supply run," Falco observed. "Great Fox is partly a cargo ship."

"I'm confused as to why," Fox mused. "The message they sent us did say we're going out to Fichina. Maybe it's a supply run out there?"

"Why'd they contact us for a supply run?" Falco questioned. "There's gotta be more that they ain't tellin' us."

"Let's just find—"

"Ay look; Beltino," Falco pointed at the squat figure nestled in between a few towering officials. When it was just him and one other, the team of four wandered over to him. When Falco called him out, the older frog was shocked at first, but quickly warmed up to the familiar faces.

"Hi Beltino," Fox politely started. "What brings you out here?"

"Oh, yes, hello," the frog smiled widely. "It's great to see you! It's been quite some time, quite some time indeed."

The imposing canine standing beside the elder frog turned around and scowled. "Who are these pip-squeaks?" the Alsatian growled in a tone that Fox didn't even know could get that low and growly.

"Oh, yes, I do apologize," Beltino stammered. "Lieutenant, this is the Star Fox crew. Fox, this is Lieutenant Weslyian Yeager. He's standing in for General Hare while he sorts out pressing matters, yes."

"You're telling me your name is Fox?" the massive hybrid didn't crack a grin. "That almost makes me laugh."

Fox held out a paw to introduce himself properly, but the hybrid Wes just stared; burning holes through the outstretched arm until he begrudgingly retracted it.

"Erm, well," Beltino began. "As you are already aware, you and your team will be travelling to Fichina to investigate the distress calls we received early this morning. Since we are unsure of the status of our outposts—we have little to work with all things considered, yes—we are loading your vessel with supplies to distribute to the locals. We also are commissioning a few helping hands to accompany you; some doctors, workers, and extra protection should the circumstances become dire."

Wes snatched the clipboard out of Beltino's hands and squinted at the writing on the pages. "The nerds in the back calculated how much your ship—that's obviously compensating for something—can hold while maintaining the fastest possible travel time. We don't wanna waste fuel and resources to make a supply run out there, so you'll havta suffice."

"She really can't hold that much," Fox commented.

"The grunts said that about my ex-girlfriend," muttered Wes.

Fox blinked, while Remi giggled to herself.

"And I've picked my teeth with twigs bigger than you," he snapped at Remi. "Your fake laugh ain't phasing me. Listen, twerps; the fighters you store in that ship could break if I looked at 'em the wrong way, and it wasted a lot of our guys' time takin' 'em out and puttin' them into storage. I'll make General Hare take that time outta your checks as wasted assets."

"Look who's talkin'," chirped Falco.

Wes took exception to this comment. "Oh, believe me, bitch, we're gonna keep your shit nice and goddamn tidy for the wasted time it forced on us. Not like you're unfamiliar with forcing shit on other people."

Falco merely laughed. "Your rankin' don't mean shit. Badmouthin' me s'only gonna make your life harder, believe me."

"Guys, guys," Krystal interjected. "The rating."

"Fuck the rating," Wes sneered. "I broke the goddamn censor once; and you better bet your virginity that I can break it fifty times over."

Krystal blinked. "My huh?"

"Too bad people're numb to swearin' so it won't make any difference," spat Falco. "Though the second ya show dick everyone will lose their minds."

"Oh don't mind if I—"

"Anyway," it was Fox's turn to interject. "Lieutenant, can you please make sure that our ships aren't damaged? There's a lot of money that goes into repairs and—"

Wes threw the clipboard behind him in frustration. "You think I can go make that happen? Want me to just drop all the shit I have to oversee to make sure your bastard ships don't get a single goddamn scratch?"

"Well in our contract—"

"Bitch, what contract?" Wes snarled. "I got a contract too; it keeps me from shoving my foot so far up your ass that you can taste the shit I had to step in to get my rank."

Krystal awkwardly added in a, "Sir?"

"Don't fuckin' talk to me," he demanded. "For baby-making's sake, boy; I'm only in charge of four or five things around here right now and two of 'em are each middle finger!" he emphasized his point by showcasing his favorite gesture to the auburn vulpine.

"I think we should just get ready," Fox rolled his eyes, gently tugging the two vixens away from Wes with one arm, while holding Falco back with the other. Beltino followed, still eager to talk.

"That aside, we took the liberty to add a few pieces to your arsenal, yes," the elder frog explained. "My son perfected a vest that you all should wear. It's filled with a liquid compound that emits heat when struck with cold wind. Fichina is the perfect setting to use them, and it will keep your team safe."

"Great," Fox nodded. "I appreciate it."

"Though, we were advised not to upgrade any weaponry. In fact, we left them off of the docket for loading."

"Why's that?" asked the tod. "Do they not think we'll need them? Because I'd beg to differ in all honesty."

Beltino's name was called from across the tarmac. "Ah, yes, well, good luck to your team. We trust you."

Fox sighed as Beltino """ran""" off. Though, his sigh was cut off when Fara's arm snuck out of the shadows of the cargo hold and slipped around his neck. She laughed as she held him in a pretend chokehold, ruffling the hair atop his head in the process. The trio of blue onlookers merely walked away without a word, disappearing into the halls of the warship.

"You're lucky I didn't break anything when you did that," Fox chuckled back.

"Oh please, you'd never hurt a hair on me," she said with assurance, releasing her grip only to plant a kiss. "How was last night? Feel better?"

Fox swallowed. "Much. I needed it too; it's almost as if it lit a fire under me, I guess."

Fara caught the subtle snicker he let loose and added a, "What?"

"It's fine," Fox dismissed it. "Bad puns; I'll stop before it gets heated— er, out of control, rather."

"Well, okay," Fara smiled. "I'm just glad to hear you're feeling better."

"Did they fill you in?" asked Fox, quick to change the subject.

"I know as much as you do," Fara replied.

"So not much."

The fennec shook her head.

"Well if there's one thing Star Fox is good at, it's improvised comedic incompetence that somehow gets the job done."

Fara giggled. "Is that your new slogan?"

"Nah, but it should be."

She laughed again as she followed Fox into the dreadnaught. It wouldn't be long before Fichina was in their sights.

It is obvious, no?

I'm afraid not.

Foolish. You have already lost, so it is not worth my time repeating.

If you're so confident, then just get rid of me already.

My dear, you fear death more than you fear me. Erasing you will only remove the thing you fear most.

You liar.

Such a strong label could not be farther removed from the truth.

Prove me wrong, then.

Gladly. You see, the world you and your ancestors have called home is falling apart, crumbling by the day. The gods who provided this world have forgotten that an infinite entity such as life cannot survive on a finite vessel. Resources are not unlimited like life is. The god's teachings and scriptures told us not to fear; as life will survive for eternity. Yet, life cannot and will not survive without resources; resources that have been depleted to the point of deterioration. The gods are the liars, my dear.

You sapped up the resources. You stole the planet's energy.

We were given dominion and authority over anything below us, my dear. Stealing would imply the gods did not say such a thing. Did you forget this?

That shouldn't mean you can just take everything for yourself and leave nothing left.

If I were taking everything for myself, I would not bother with the Paladins and Alphas, nor waste my time with you. I would simply erase what I consider irredeemable and lost, then build my new infinite vessel without anyone beside me. That is selfishness. You should be thankful that I even consider a rebellious face such as yours important.

Why?

Ah, now I have your attention.

Not hardly. Just talk.

Awfully arrogant coming from someone I could end in a heartbeat.

Do it.

I feel the quiver in your voice, young one. You fear my power and authority, and instead of accepting it, you rebel and cover your ears to spare yourself from hearing the truth. The truth I seek is contrary to the truth you have learned by those I seek to eradicate from history. This is exactly the reason why I believe this vessel is in ruins. Truth that conflicts with your outdated beliefs is the venom that cloaks my blade. Dare I ask you again?

Ask me what?

Do not play dumb with me. Will you accept this truth and accompany me, or will you rot in rebellious selfishness? Only one answer will let you avoid that which you fear most.

…

Your lack of an answer speaks volumes. Very well. Yet, I still see a spark of promise in you. I wish not to terminate such a young life when it is clouded with doubt and false truths. Your clan can and will murder those undeserving of death; a damming incitement of this world. If you fear death so much, Remilia… I have the power to grant you and those you love eternal life and happiness, on a new world of my vision. I beg of you to step aside and let this world be reborn.

…

I cannot lose another one.

…

Remi's eyes unceremoniously snapped open. The empty void of black in her cabin greeted her for all of a few minutes until the room gradually lightened up to her awaking senses. She wasn't afraid; her heartrate stayed normal and her mind didn't spike. Still, bolting awake so suddenly and so effectively made it hard for her to fall back asleep. They were still quite a way's away from Fichina, so to kill time, Remi slipped out of her sheets and crept out of the room, careful not to wake up anyone else still soundly asleep.

The dimly lit hallways of the Great Fox were straightforward. Dual halls spanned the length of the warship, with rooms lining either side of each until they met up with one another to lead to the bridge. This was the uppermost floor; the warship had two more floors with just as many rooms for each, aside from the bottom floor that was cut in half for storage and the hangar bay. Remi gathered all this information by herself, since she passed time by literally making laps of each of the Great Fox's floors. She must've woken up at a good time, since she didn't encounter anyone over the few hours she spent wandering.

After a while she started to shiver. The cold floors started to numb her feet, and the vacuum of space didn't allow for much heat to stay circulated within the halls. Still, the laps around Fox's warship helped ease a lot of her worries despite most of them staying ever present. The Cerinian in her wouldn't rest. More accurately, the Cerinian in her wouldn't let her rest. Not now. Her mind stayed perpetually active, thinking of every possible scenario that could have a statistical chance at occurring under her watch.

The dream she had… she didn't know that memory existed. As much as she wanted to think that was false—just another attempt by her fractured mind to instill another layer of worry within her soul—she had just as much reason to accept it as a floating memory: incomplete but reliable. The motives of this person she talked to were consistent, the reasonings given were viable, and the emotion—or lack thereof—mirrored that of someone she knew. Someone she definitely knew but couldn't connect to fully. The memory was faded beyond total comprehension, so the voice of that person was skewed and unfamiliar. Yet, that person did show vulnerability, as little as there was to base off of.

Still, the voice proved one of her lingering dispositions true. She hated to admit she was afraid of death and what would follow her after her inevitable demise, but the tangible uncertainty enveloping death like a sickly aura gave her anxiety no matter how much she assured herself otherwise. Being so close to death so many times already only proved to tease her with unproven conceptions and the enticing reward of truth about the scary subject. Fear crippled her true disposition so that her answer to the person in her dreams was marred with false confidence.

How did this person know? It's not like someone can go up to anyone and determine their deepest fear within seconds, so obviously this person must've had some history with her before. This is another moment where her fragmented mind made her sick. Not knowing something that—to anyone else—may seem completely and totally obvious made her even more anxious than before. If there was one thing she feared alongside the void of death, it was uncertainty. The uncertainty of death was her one true nightmare indeed, yet anything that seemed varied or unsolvable made the vixen want to chew off fingers. Maybe her own, maybe others'.

There was one thing that had remained constant, however. This new world this person spoke of… it mirrored the same sermon spoken by Karyu. It mirrored sentiment from Alphas she encountered in past memories. This person she spoke with in this faded memory was on their side, at least from what she could deduce from what little material she could work with. This new world they spoke of, a sort of recreation of the birth of the universe, a restart on life itself, whatever they wanted to call it… it couldn't be possible. No, that's the gods' work. This was just fear-mongering, a way to get people to surrender for fear of certain death. It couldn't be possible.

Being a Cerinian meant she was well-versed in the psychology of her mind, even with pieces broken and rewired. She had to be, especially with how fractured her mind was. Being scared into submission wasn't out of the question, nor was her own mind attempting to do the same to cope with the confusion—an attempt to quell the dissonance between thought and reality. The time she spent on Corneria after Cerinia's implosion was full of such thoughts. It was a sort of defragmentation of shattered thoughts and desires, put together with a taste of reality.

Dissonance, especially to that magnitude, is a very powerful influencer that can bend and warp truth in subvert, unconscious ways. It's the same feeling that tricks people into doing undesirable things for a perceived greater good. Remi knew better. In fact, she trained herself to know better—to ignore the desire to bend reality. She settled for not knowing the answer for years, and with the reemergence of the Cerinian's plans, reawakening her years of suppressing that desire needed time to de-rust.

She knew she was powerful. She knew she had abilities that Cornerians couldn't comprehend. Hell, she had abilities that the Paladins would kill for… if they haven't already. Being dormant for years under the cover of secrecy and fear let those abilities sleep and recharge. Waking them up may be harder than she'd care to admit, but the mere thought of having such a reserve of power did weaken the grasp of fear over her mind. Much like her mind, her abilities needed time to blossom. Time that forced her to wander the Great Fox until people began to wake up.

With a newfound headache, Remi returned to her room to find her temporary roommates gone. She settled back into bed and actually managed to calm her whirring mind enough to fall back asleep for a while.

Fox made it down into the hangar just in time to catch the large hatch opening up to the Fichinian world. A blast of frozen artic air filled the hangar bay, dusting everything in sight with powdery snow that drifted as winds engulfed the opening. Fox nuzzled into his protective thermal gear and stepped down to the base of the hangar. A few Fichinian workers quickly stepped inside and started to work with Fox's extra crew to unload the supplies. Not wasting a moment, Fox stepped out of the "comfort" of his hangar and stood atop the ramp leading down onto snow-covered tarmac.

A bleak, deep gray sky enveloped the small town, with the only light coming from windows and streetlights dotting the settlement. A large barracks-like building sat off to Fox's left, with half of the windows either boarded up or black. The other half of town had a few houses and warehouses, but they all seemed abandoned and covered with excess snow. The only distinct path led from Fox's ship to the barracks area. Snow covered the rough terrain for as far as the eye could see, which wasn't much in hindsight. Snow blew in all directions, buffeting anything or anyone it touched with unrelenting malice. The faint outline of mountains could be seen off in the distance.

"There isn't much to see, eh?" said a feminine voice. Fox looked over to see a heavily bundled figure standing off to the side of the hangar bays ramp. He couldn't make out any of her features, other than her voice. Everything else was covered, protected from the hostile elements.

"Reminds me of back home, only less sand. And don't even get me started on sand." Fox joked. Even with as dire as the situation was, the female cracked a giggle.

"You get used to the snow after a while," she remarked, holding out a gloved hand. "I'm Captain Rhen; joint base leader here."

"Fox McCloud," the vulpine answered, returning the gesture.

"Ah, you're Fox," the captain laughed. "I couldn't tell under the gear. As much as I'd love to talk more, it'll have to wait until we get inside, okay? Tell your team to meet me in the shelter; supper will start once the supplies we need are unpacked. I'll give you all info then."

"Will do," Fox answered, retreating back into his ship. He made his way around the fleet of workers unloading his ship to make it back to the team's common area, where most were still putting on their gear. Pulling back his goggles and facemask, Fox announced that they'd be able to eat soon, which was met with a collective cry of approval.

Remi was the first to approach him. She looked a bit odd; having everything about her covered up as if she was about to inspect a nuclear waste facility. The white thermal jacket enveloped her slender frame and added a thick turning radius in exchange for limitless warmth. Heavy boots, insulated pants, a thick hat strapped under her chin, and aviator goggles completed the unflattering but highly practical suit. Still, despite the weight of it, she moved as efficiently and carefully as before, providing enough assurance that—whatever they were needed to do—Remi still appeared to be at the top of her game.

"Anything?" Fox asked, knowing well enough not to explain.

She simply replied, "Yes."

Fox blinked. "A Cerinian?"

"A strong one," Remi nodded. "Probably an Alpha."

"Oh goody," he breathed.

"I'm not scared," the vixen stated. "You're gonna make this fight a lot easier."

"I wouldn't be so sure," murmured Fox.

"I would," Remi winked. "I'd even go as far as saying we're on fire with you being like you are now."

"Hey, I'm the only one that's allowed to make fire puns," Fox grunted. "Besides, they're getting annoying already."

"Would you say they're—" Remi stifled a laugh as Fox's eyes narrowed. "They're firing you up?"

"Remi—"

"Oops, did I put you out too soon?"

Fox just glared disapprovingly.

"You seem a bit heated."

"I will dunk your head in the snow," deadpanned Fox.

"Aw, come on Fox; no need to extinguish the fun."

Fara's ears intercepted Fox's discontent, prompting the fennec to step in.

"Oh look, the fireman is here," Remi said without skipping a beat.

Fara's open mouth produced no words for a moment as she cocked her head. "Fireman?"

"I know what I said."

Fara scoffed. "I'm not gonna fight you. I just wanna make sure that there won't be any issues going forward. Meaning I don't want to see you pestering Foxy. Got it?"

"Hey, it's just jest," Remi shrugged. "No hard feelings."

"Just don't get under our skin," Fara warned. "Believe me, Fox is just as much a hot-head as me, so if something irritates us—"

"Fire pun!" Remi shouted, bellowing a hearty laugh before skipping off and out into the halls.

Fara slowly turned her head to Fox. "I feel like I missed something important."

"Must not be important enough," Fox shrugged off. "Anyway, guys, Captain Rhen is gonna give us all details inside over dinner. Let's get packed up and move, alright?"

The team did as they were instructed and left the dreadnaught after a few moments. They followed the natives along the only traversable path that led to the large structure on the left. A set of metal doors barred them from the inside, seemingly frozen shut to the point where even looking at them could get you stuck to them.

The forearm of one of the Fichinians locked with a receptor along the right side of the doors, and after a few seconds, the metal doors split down the middle and slowly peeled into the walls. Taking that as their initiative, the Star Fox team stepped inside.

The heavy doors clasped shut, kicking up a thin layer of powdery snow as the two doors collided. The powder soon disappeared into nothing as comforting warmth soon surged through the other set of metal doors acting as a sort of airlock. The team pulled back their goggled and facemasks as they stepped into the atrium of the barracks building.

Two wings sprouted from the nearly empty great room, both allowing long hallways to extend outward and curl back, seemingly to reconnect and create a perimeter around the giant mess hall in the center. Two staircases flanked the opening to the mess hall, linking up with a balcony that served as a second floor to the hallways. Everything was made from dark finished wood, covered by rugs and carpeting that resembled that of a colonial hotel. Maybe this building was a hotel repurposed for military housing when the Aparoids broke out years ago.

Captain Rhen removed the helmet over her head, unleashing a tidal wave of silver locks that she flung backwards, catching the lights above to appear as if her hair had ignited upon revelation. She craned her head around to flip her hair more, revealing the face of a white arctic wolf, ears and face showing a marginable bit of deep gray. Eyes pale blue to the point of almost being gray stared back at Fox and co, immediately conveying a sense of earnest trust and care. She smiled at the crew as she tucked her helmet under her arm.

Fox's stare was interrupted by a jab to the kidney by Falco, a slap to the back of the head by Fara, and a kick behind the knee by Remi. The flurry of attacks made Fox falter and almost fall into Captain Rhen, if it wasn't for a new face jumping out of the shadows and clasping the scruff on Fox's neck, pulling him back before colliding.

"Easy," the wolfess chuckled. "Fox, this is Six; an operator in my task force." With that, the giant of a timber wolf released Fox and almost sent him stumbling into his team. "And please, call me Skae. Captain of Task Force Eleven. My team and I will be your partners for this assignment."

The mostly dark gray timber wolf at Skae's side wore a face mask with an insignia of two long canine teeth over his muzzle. The only thing distinguishing this massive lupine were two hazel eyes glaring at the vulpine. Before things got too awkward, two more masked individuals entered from the left hallway and stood by Skae's side; a white-feathered avian and an arctic vulpine. Similar black gear covered the two operators, including the insignia on the facemask. Neither said a word.

"Five, Seven; Star Fox is here."

The trio of operators merely nodded.

Skae pulled out a ring of keys from her pocket and tossed them at Fox. "Sorry to keep throwing you guys around, but we've got a tight schedule we need to keep to. Why don't you get your team settled in for now before supper? Room 156 on the right is open for you. Surely a few of you can double up for the night." Skae spun around and slipped into the giant mess hall, with her three teammates closely following.

Fox looked over his shoulder to his team, shrugged, and did what he was advised to do until dinnertime rolled around.

The mess hall was already swarming with people when Fox and his team returned. Though, the vulpine immediately took note of the kinds of people filling the lines of cafeteria tables. Not counting the crew he brought with him on the Great Fox, he could count how many able-bodied men there were on two hands. The rest were women, older folk, and children ranging from early teens to damn near newborns. It almost looked like a big charter ship had sunk and these people were all they could fit on the lifeboats.

Prepackaged and dehydrated food that he grew up loving (obvious sarcasm) """filled""" his tray as he and his team walked through the line. Remi took exception to the contents on her tray and tried to argue with the cooks, until a perturbed Falco pulled her away by the ear.

Before that debacle, Fox found his way over to an isolated table where Skae and her team were eating. He sat across from Skae, immediately feeling a bit self-conscious with the three stone-faced operators staring back at him, seemingly examining his soul for any and all wrongdoings he had ever done in his natural-born life.

"Now's the time you can relax," Skae smiled at him, life showing from her tail.

"Easier said than done," he murmured, referencing the indifferent glares directed his way.

"They're protective," she explained, nudging the giant timber wolf. "Even more so after what happened days ago."

"What happened?" asked Fox.

Skae set her silverware down. "All of our stationed guards here aside from maybe a dozen or so disappeared overnight. We don't know why, but we're lucky we weren't any of them. It gives us a chance."

"Do you know why they disappeared?"

"Hard telling," Skae admitted. "Only thing I know is that they're still alive, and I don't know if that's a good or bad thing."

Fox looked over his shoulder to see Remi still squabbling with the cook behind the counter. "Remi—the young blue vixen I brought with me—told me she could feel something in the area. She's a Cerinian; a race of—"

"We know," interrupted the timber wolf Six. "They're here. Stole our men."

Skae nodded slowly. "That's where I was going to go. Fox, we're almost certain that the guards we had were brainwashed and stolen from us. They're still alive, and we traced their radios out to the Geothermal Power Plant. A day after they disappeared, we lost contact with the Power Plant."

Fox's ears fell. Before he could reply, Remi stomped over and slammed her tray down next to Fox. The operators across from them merely glared back.

"Little prick doesn't know who he's dealing with," grumbled the Cerinian. "Doesn't care about the food I need. That's—"

"Enough," grunted Six.

"Remi?" Skae seemingly asked her for confirmation.

"Yes," the vixen nodded as the rest of Star Fox took seats in Fox's line.

Skae smiled at her. "It's assuring knowing we have a Cerinian on our side."

"Two, actually," Krystal piped in. Every head at the table turned down to see her. Skae breathed a sigh of relief.

"As much as it relieves me you two are here," Skae started, brushing silvery hair behind her shoulders. "It's not going to be any easier. The fact that dozens of our best soldiers fell to these Cerinians makes us prepare for the worst. We won't write off you two as a certain win, as much as I would like to."

"I don't expect you to," Fox added in. "But we'll try to make it easy for everyone here. Can you fill us in on what you know?"

"Gladly," Skae nodded. "Two nights ago is when almost everyone disappeared. A snowstorm blew in the next morning so we didn't go searching. When the Power Plant went unresponsive; we sent a distress signal to Corneria asking for aid before we lost connection; since we didn't know what was happening at the time."

"How did you know there were Cerinians here?" asked Remi.

"Call it hunter's intuition," Skae shrugged. "An informed hunch. We heard about what happened in Naval Bay before we were cut off. If there's people out there that can try to lift an entire city into the sky, surely they can control people's minds too."

"Mind control?" Krystal inquired.

"It's not impossible," Remi reminded her.

"No, I know that," she replied, turning her attention to Skae. "But if the Cerinian here wanted total control, you four wouldn't be here, you know?"

Fox nodded. "She's right. And if Remi is right too, which I'd be stupid to doubt her now, you're right about a Cerinian being here. But… if the Cerinian is planning something big, don't you think he or she wouldn't take any chances and abduct you four regardless of how much you fought?"

Skae simply shrugged. "Must've not needed us."

Falco hummed to himself. "I'm not buyin' that."

"Sorry for playing devil's advocate," continued Fox, "But if they don't need you, why don't they just wipe this place out? It'll only give them more to worry about."

Skae shook her head. "If I knew, Fox, I'd tell you. I don't have all the answers. Hell, I can't even tell if any of my assumptions are true. The one thing I know is that there's someone at the Power Plant that doesn't belong, and if we wait too long, that Power Plant will be destroyed, and nobody here will live to tell the story."

Fox nodded in understanding. "So what's the plan of attack, Skae?"

The wolf intertwined her hands. "We go out and fight back."

"I coulda told ya that," Falco flung his winds up.

"My operators and I can do a lot together, but we needed you," Skae continued. "Listen; the Power Plant is built on the north pole to get the most electromagnetic energy it possibly can. That power is distributed to the outposts all around Fichina. The Cerinians must want that power for something, and I don't care what for, just so long as we don't let them have it."

"Tomorrow we begin," the avian operator Five responded. "Daylight marks mission start."

Skae nodded in confirmation. "Get as much rest as you can tonight, okay? We need everyone at 100%; the road to the Power Plant isn't easy, and with most of our resources gone, we'll have to walk it. It'll be a good day journey in numbing cold, but it's not the end of the world. Cuddle up close tonight because you won't be warm for a while."

Fara needed no more explanation, opting to scoot closer to Fox and nuzzle into the fold of his arm. Krystal merely did the same to Falco on the other side, subtly hoping Fox would see it.

"Fox, when you're done here, I'd like to have a talk in private, okay?" Skae asked. Falco couldn't hold his chuckle to himself. "It's nothing bad, just talking tactics."

"Tactics," Falco echoed unconvincingly.

"She must already know you're not the most tactically inclined," teased Fox.

"Tactics're outdated," commented the avian.

"I'd like to hear you say that tomorrow when we're staring death in the face," Skae remarked.

"You must not know what I've done to get where I am now," Falco explained confidently.

"Out here, credentials don't mean a thing," she answered. "Instincts and intelligence do, and as much as you want to tell me otherwise, you need to prove to me that you have both to spare tomorrow."

Falco quickly glanced over to Krystal, returned his focus, and nodded. "Don't worry about me."

"I can't lose another one," Remi repeated softly, shivering as the words left her mouth. "That's the last thing I heard before I woke up."

Krystal just looked on in silence, not necessarily confused, but more intrigued than anything. The young vixen's gently shaking frame rose more alarms than what she spoke, so she peeled the covers off her bed and draped them across Remi's shoulders. Remi tucked inside them in reply.

"The voice… sounded familiar," she explained, sitting back down on the bed. "I felt like I… I knew him… or her… I couldn't tell."

"This person thought you were important," Krystal breathed. "Why?"

"Krystal, almost everyone I knew thought I was important," she explained. "I'm not the same as you or anyone else. This person knew I had something… But I don't think anyone knew aside from me."

"That doesn't make any sense," Krystal shook her head. "How did that person know then?"

"That's what I want to figure out," sighed Remi. "I swear on my life I never told anyone."

"Are you sure you… maybe didn't forget?" Krystal suggested timidly. "I mean, your memory—"

"I wouldn't forget something so important."

"I never said you would. Maybe you didn't have a choice."

Remi huffed in frustration. "Listen, by choice or not, something that important to my safety and wellbeing wouldn't be lost. I never said anything to anyone."

"But what if you're wrong?"

Remi just glared at her.

"I'm not trying to be mean or badger you," Krystal emphasized. "I just want to figure out the truth before something goes horribly wrong. I want to help."

"I don't suppose you think I'm stupid for letting something so important slip my mind?"

"I never said that. Remi, I don't know how your mind works. The only one that would know for sure is you. That being said, you told me the day we met that you've forgotten much of Cerinia. You couldn't tell me much about it. Wouldn't that be important too?"

Remi paused for a moment. "It's different."

"Different how?" the elder Cerinian's jaw hung. "Remi, Cerinia is a part of you. It's a part of me. We don't forget these things willingly. This is important to us and you know it."

The other vixen didn't reply.

"Maybe you did tell someone, and that memory is gone," Krystal spoke gently, trying to ease the tangible conflicted aura Remi basked in. "I don't fault you for it, much like I don't fault either of us for not remembering our homes, our families… Forgetting something so important to us might be out of our control."

Krystal sighed and cupped Remi's paw in her own. "Maybe it will come back to you; who knows? Right now, we can't dwell on a past we don't know anything about. We can only work to erase that past completely."

Remi looked down. "I hate not knowing more than anything."

Krystal tried to crack a warm grin to cheer her up. "Well, that's why we're here." Even with that, she could still feel Remi's hesitance. She didn't want to discount it and think about it for later, and she couldn't blame her for it. Something that confusing and that pressing can't be suppressed so easily. Krystal still did her best to calm Remi's nerves as the rest of the team filed into their room.

Fox returned with a page out of a notebook that he set on the room's only desk. "How do you guys feel about walking fifteen miles in a snowstorm?"

"I'd rather hold a knife to my eye and sneeze," deadpanned Remi.

"Well good, because we're not doing that. How about riding up fourteen miles and walking one?"

"Change the knife to a plastic fork."

"And how about new weapons?"

"Plastic spoon."

"What can I do to get you not to sneeze?"

"Well there's some good allergy medicine I always get—"

Fox cut her off with a palm to his own face. "Anyway… Skae told me that the Power Plant that we're going to has sensors that will trip of any of their vehicles come within a mile of the station. Luckily it's only a mile; could be worse."

"So what're we doin' there?" Falco asked, claiming one of the beds as his territory.

"We have good reason to believe the mind control theories," Fox explained. "Because of that, they're prepared to fight back against anyone there that might fight us. According to her, their soldiers are considered lost. Basically, we go in and clear house; take that place back before anything happens to it."

"And what do you mean by new weapons?" asked a concernedly overly-curious Remi.

"Skae told me that the Power Plant is close to the Geothermal Climate Control Center. That center uses the magnetic field of Fichina to alter the climate. That filed doesn't react well to the charged energy our usual weapons use, so it's back to the good ol kinetics; powder and bullets."

"Now I see why Beltino left it off the docket," Falco hummed to himself.

"They have enough to go around, but we'll sort everything out tomorrow. Right now it's curfew, and they told me it gets cold when curfew starts."

Fara took that as incentive to huddle up to Fox as they took the bottom bunk opposite to Falco. Remi tried her best to sneak in with them, but was ultimately sent up to the top bunk above them. Krystal turned off the lights and was just about to scale the ladder to get above Falco when he poked at her arm.

"Grab the blanket up there."

Krystal cocked an ear. "Why?"

"I've got an idea if you're okay with it."

"Okay with what?"

"Do you want to be cold up there or warm down 'ere?"

The vixen didn't think twice, opting to snicker when she started to pull the blanket down with her. "Smooth."

"I wasn't intendin' to be," he chuckled. "Just thought it'd be a smart idea, ya know?"

"You can play it off all you want," she shot back, tossing the blanket at him. "I know how you are."

"Listen, if there was somethin' between us, I'd've said it already," Falco honestly replied, keeping his voice down. "I just don't want ya to be cold up there 'cuz ol' Big Ears stole who you really should be keepin' warm with."

Krystal's playful banter diminished. "Oh," she breathed. "I'm sorry, I—"

"Ay, you ain't got nothin' to be sorry for, blueness," he interrupted. "Now hurry up, I ain't the only one that needs to warm up."

Krystal let a tiny grin slip. "Well… I guess I should say thank you," she awkwardly sat on the edge of his bed before a wing grabbed her by the waist and pulled her in, opting to skip the "toes-in-the-water" part and go straight to dunking her head in the pool.

"You're welcome," he laughed to himself, "Hope y'ain't shy."

Krystal's blushing face didn't answer him as much as she wanted to fight back. Even so, she came to the quick realization that it was indeed significantly warmer down here. As awkward as it was, she had to admit it was pretty nice. Falco's soft, warm arms snaked around her, tenderly holding her close to keep the warmth strong and lively. His gentle breathing and slow heartbeat kept her calm given the circumstances.

She hated how much she enjoyed this.