A/N: Sorry, for all of you who expected crazy wild action or romance in this chapter, I took a break from that so that I could tie up some loose ends before going forward. This chapter is dialogue heavy. Romance and Action returns full-force in the next update, "Chapter 17: A Call to Arms" and I plan to work on it asap! In fact, I'm already knee deep in it. See, I wanted to get into some of the Venom technology vs. Human technology battlefield scenes before cranking out the last 3 chapters to complete my Sly Cooper trilogy. Okay, now to answer some storyline questions and perhaps make some new ones, too. I want to explore Andross' desire to attack. I wanted to explore the capture of a Venom Pilot and Krystal's ability to interrogate by using telepathy and psychology… and one of my favorite sub-plot introductions… DARPA's reasons for trying to get closer to Star Fox technology. If you don't know who DARPA is, it stands for the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, the darling of the Department of Defense and the Pentagon. They've been around since 1958, around the time Sputnik became a big deal, if I remember correctly. Finally, I want to explore what Slippy can learn about human imagination because it's going to affect the way the story ends, most likely. Okay, that's about it! Let's see what happens!
Chapter -16-
"The Calm Before The Storm"
Andross narrowed his gaze, watching his ships on the grainy video feed. Repeatedly, the words 'Low Reception!' flashed across the bottom of the view screen. On occasion, the image was reduced to a snowy burst of static. The lead fighter of the group was a reptile named Caiman. He called to his second team for emergency maneuvers then followed with a formation code. His fighters regrouped and came about to change their priority. They were beyond Andross' ability to guide their actions, leaving the entire battle up to the lizard pilot whose voice he could barely understand over the network.
"…Bravo team! Escort ship… priority! …Last thing you do! Hold that line, brother - we're not running away unless I'm dead!" The audio was as bad as the video. The lead ship came around, facing the escort planes again. Lasers charged then discharged in an attempt to strike down the target. Rather suddenly, another Venom fighter streaked across the screen, overcome by flames. It disappeared from view again.
"…Have new… this weapon is their only… Try and change the frequency of your shields with a modulation repeater! Is that possible – do any of you know how to change…?"
Andross folded his hands behind his back. "Hmm… Clever pilot; I thought he was an idiot but perhaps I was only partially correct." He walked away from the screen and sat down at a desk. Oikonny touched a panel of buttons at the edge of the desk and a computer terminal raised from it. He opened a communication to a mandrill elsewhere on base. "General Blalock, ready the troops. We're going to try a new tactic that seems to work on the Earth defenses… they have the ability to manually change their laser attack method, running through multiple frequencies until they find something that naturally damages our shield energy output. I want you to get a science team on the task of creating a frequency modulator that loops and auto repeats, changing frequency every tenth of a second; do this for ALL ships. If they cannot penetrate our shields, we'll march right over them. Next, I want you to ready the troops. It seems that Star Fox has taken down our subspace communication buoys and it's probable that they have discovered our mining operations. Now that they've found our stealth survey team on Earth, they may be preparing an offensive or otherwise preemptive strike plan."
"Shouldn't we draw StarFox out here to our turf and ambush them? Then we can walk right over the human planet anyway we see fit."
Andross narrowed his gaze at the General's image on the screen. "Blalock, you imbecile, I coaxed StarFox into fighting me on my turf in the past. They destroyed my home and the Imperial Empire of Venom; the planet's economy was crippled, do you remember? They're the reason your family couldn't afford to give you gifts during your youth, you idiot.
"Now, my sources tell me that they're shy of one fighter… the one that your son managed to shoot down… You're lucky he managed to eject. He's one of my best current aces. I digress… My sources also tell me that McCloud's main ship is underground, receiving repairs. With them at a disadvantage, we must seize the opportunity to fight. Now is our best chance. We launch the attack in seventy-two Standard Lylat Hours. I understand that Corneria has an almost identical rotation schedule to this world, Earth. Exterminate everything as though this planet was Corneria. I want you to pick a large, easy target to penetrate their defenses. The target is your choice. Prepare everything in advance so that there is only one trip; I do not want your advance initially detected. Send a small first wave, however. I want to test them before I crush them. Tank units, some infantry units, a fair amount of superior air fighters and escorts for them… I want cruisers in the area to resupply the front line. In seventy-two hours, we'll depart from the base. In approximately ninety-six hours, I would like to begin the attack against their world. Do you understand?"
The mandrill nodded, saluted, then nodded in respect to his leader. "Aye, Doctor Andross! We'll be ready and awaiting your command in record time should you wish to attack sooner. Until then, my liege!" The screen darkened.
Andross lifted his gaze back to the large screen at the front of the room. Only a handful of fighters remained. He closed his hands into fists. "These Arwings are fine machines. Perhaps it's time to finally get my hands on one to expose their flaws and study their strengths." He folded his hands, growing quiet.
Four days remaining before 'the attack'…
"Finally!" announced Revlon with a boisterous tone. She followed the Space Kite II class ship as it spun like a gyroscope, dropping altitude. The ship struck the water and skipped off the waves. Its spinning motion changed direction each time it bounced. After the fourth, he splashed into the ocean. She zipped by it then pulled up, heading back into the fray. "Okay, four left! These things really take a beating!"
Another Interceptor III streaked through the sky, unloading on the second Learjet. Its high output blaster cannons caused a bright flash against the shield bubble surrounding the jet. Revlon changed heading, chasing after the attacker. "It's a good thing Mister Beltino was able to come up with some sort of short-term shield generator! It's a shame the bubble isn't large enough to protect part of the wings or the nosecone." She then asked, "How're you holding up, Wing Commander?"
Wild Bill chuckled. "I'm getting tired. My stomach is getting upset from all these damn dives and climbs. I'm flyin' my ass off to stay alive 'cause I'm out of missiles. Extended fuel tanks be damned – I'd take additional in-flight refueling stops any day of the week!"
"Aw," she teased. "Is that complaining I hear? I still have two missiles – F2 and F3."
"F2 AND F3? You sunk my battleship," Tailhook declared. "Oh, and I still have all of my missiles! See that? And I've taken down three fighters! It's all about skill, ladies and gentleman."
"Luck," replied Doomsday. "You had two dumb enemy pilots follow you to the big drink because they were too stupid to realize the design of their fighter prohibited a smooth pull up in this atmosphere." A pause, then Doom said, "Okay, mine is down. Now it's official… there are four left."
Revlon grinned. "I figured you'd get'em. It was just a matter of time."
Doomsday chuckled dryly. "Indeed – like Revlon said, everyone… four left. Wait! What are they doing?"
Miyu's voice came over their audio patch. "Caiman, you pansy! Get your scaly butt back here and finish this fight!"
The lizard's visual displayed on her holo-bar "Caiman is my brother! He's not nearly as successful as me and now, thanks to this fight, I'm rightfully in charge of this squadron! He who fights and runs away, lives to kill you tomorrow! You just be glad that Star Wolf isn't here, else we'd have already taken this stupid planet by now… but it won't matter; Earth is doomed anyhow!"
The lynx gritted her teeth and went after the four fighters that ascended into the stratosphere. "Star Wolf is a trio of outlaws that don't even associate with your type anymore!" She added the boost, gaining on them. "Get back here; I'll destroy you all, myself!"
"Miyu!" Fox McCloud's voice was firm over the line. "Let him run. We'll monitor his progress on the Spitzer Space Telescope. You guys were amazing and there were no casualties. I'm very proud of you all – please continue on to Pearl Harbor, your next navigational waypoint. Believe me, I want to take out every target too, Miyu… but if they're going to run away… it's for the best. I don't want you drawn into a trap and having anything happen. If you're led away… you never know if Gambit and the rest of the Navy pilots are going to come under attack, so please stay with them."
Miyu sighed, hearing Fox repeat himself in various ways, attempting to get through to her. Finally, she fired off a single blaster shot then broke pursuit. "Yeah, yeah… heading back to the escort. I know, I know… it's the single most important rule in escorting… don't stray from the damn thing… but Beltino has a shield generator built from… who knows what… bubblegum and office supplies? They should be fine."
"No use chancing it," said Fox. "Stay with the escort, please. My childhood friend is aboard one of those planes, Miyu. Okay, again, everyone did a fantastic job! You'll all be taking turns refueling very soon. Next stop is an archipelago named Hawaii. It's United States territory. I'll hope for friendly skies – Fox out." The transmission ended.
"So," said Wild Bill. "Hawaii. It's funny but in all the times I've been to Pearl Harbor, I've never once stayed the night there unless it was on a ship. There are two military resorts there – Bellows Air Station in Waimanalo, and Hale Koa Hotel in Honolulu. I'm thinking we should shack up at the Hale Koa; it's the closest to Pearl City."
"Where are we landing?" asked Tailhook. "Hickam or is there a carrier for us? Where are the Arwings landing, for that matter?"
Wild Bill came over the line. "They're not. They're making the long haul to Wyoming tonight. I understand those ships can fly themselves with autopilot systems active. There are reserve pilots on the Learjets to make the second leg of the trip. Miyu and Gambit can relax and engage their autopilot functions."
"Long trip," said Doom, quietly. "Especially since you can't exceed four hundred thirty miles per hour. You're all going to be exhausted."
"Oui, but we are grown men, my friend." Gambit shifted his weight, leaning back into the seat. "It is of no consequence, mon ami – we are sharp pilots and ready for long hours at salary pay! I have Miyu's conversation to keep me on my toes. Also, Tailhook, listen to the CAG next time they're explaining the mission, goofy boy. You're not landing at Hickam. That is an Air Force Base. You are a Navy Pilot, oui? It is a simple deduction – you'll fly to the Navy Base, n'est-ce pas? And you all stay the night! Consider yourselves lucky! I would love to walk the beaches of Hawaii; swim in the clear waters of the small coves. However, it would matter not for any of you… not a single one of you will be staying at a Military Resort."
"Why not?" asked Revlon.
"Because, mademoiselle, none of us exist. We have no name, no military ID card, no rank, and no way to verify our identification! There will most likely be a ship a few miles from the island; you'll land there and be quarantined from the crew as a classified group so that you do not have the chance to create drama! You'll have Enlisted rack bunks to sleep on, followed by a poor night's sleep. You'll be awakened at an odd hour in the middle of the next night and told to fly home, weary eyed, non? C'est la vie."
Bill frowned. "The Cajun swamp snake makes a point, y'all. Just because the aliens are public, that doesn't mean squat. The government won't want us followed back to the Ford. They won't want the media to track us or for us to talk to anyone about our classified mission. They would want to keep us separate from everyone else, even for our own safety. Besides, we can't prove we're military pilots so we have to stay where we're told and do as we're ordered until we return to the Ford."
"Guys, like Gambit said, if you'd paid attention during the briefing, you'd know all of this already. Not to mention, we'll be watched closely so we don't sneak off the ship like Gambit and Miyu, heh."
"I reckon I was doing my best," Bill replied with a chuckle. "A'ite, we're actually in for a long, quiet ride. We're far enough out that the Coast Guard can probably listen in on our communications. Let's cut the chatter for now, boys and girls. We're going to refuel. Revlon, you go first with the first Learjet. Then Doom'll go in unison to the second Learjet. Finally, Tailhook and I will go. The Arwings will take up a protective formation in echelon on either side of the KC-135; Navy pilots refuel under the port wing pod, Tailhook and both Learjets will refuel beneath the starboard wing pod. Arwings, stay beneath the stratotanker, out of sight."
Gambit grinned a bit and said, "Tailhook, the KC-135 flies out of Hickam Air Force Base, 154th Wing. Did you want to stay there, tonight, mon ami? Perhaps you can compare notes for thrust vectoring, since they fly the Raptor out of that base. Don't worry, though, your F-35 can take the F-15 Strike Eagle some of their plebes still fly."
Tailhook remained silent. After a moment, Bill chuckled. "They're retiring that thing later this year. Okay – radio silence."
Three a.m.
Dust swirled up around the Arwings as they connected with the surface pad above 'The Ranch'. A quarter acre of land began to descend into the ground, including the dirt and grass. After a moment, the large elevator stopped. Laid out before the two fighters was an underground bunker. Two large trucks backed up to the Arwings and a small team of men worked diligently to elevate the two fighters using special equipment. They were moved onto a flat bed truck and driven forward. Behind them, the elevator lifted back to its original position. The trucks drove down a metallic ramp then turned right. In a matter of minutes, the Great Fox Dreadnought ship came into view, bathed in floodlights. A hole on the hull was covered with mesh and was bathed in additional, brighter lighting.
In the front of the ship, a ramp was extended down to the deck. The trucks stopped about a hundred feet from the ramp. The drivers got out and retrieved rolling staircases. The small team worked like a well-oiled machine quickly bringing the stairs up against the side of the Arwings. Miyu opened her canopy, followed by Gambit. He descended the stairs then approached Miyu, placing a hand at the small of her back, despite odd looks from the small company of workers.
She up-nodded to the large ship. "I guess you'll be meeting ROB/NUS64; it would be easier to just call him Rob. That science team will be staying in our old quarters in The Ranch and working with Slippy and Beltino to patch up this ship, rebuild an Arwing and modify our weapon's system. From what I've overheard, each one of those scientists are getting paid more money than they could ever spend. I'm thinking this is the most help we've ever received from anyone before. I'm curious about what the weapon will be like and how it'll help us against Andross."
"Dunno, ma chère, but I'm curious as to what tomorrow will be like in Washington DC. I've never met the President before, after all. So what's ROB like and why wasn't he on the carrier with us?"
"Because he's just a robot pilot for Great Fox. However, he has a very sarcastic personality at times. He's nothing to worry about." She led him up the ramp and into the Great Fox's flight deck. There were Land Master tanks lined on the wall. Parts and pieces collected from Krystal's Arwing, including the original ejection pod and control systems sat on display.
"Not much left," he murmured, shaking his head at the labeled pieces that were set up in a grid all around the largest part – the cockpit section. Jules glanced back at her and asked, "How does a robot have any sort of personality?"
She shrugged. "I don't know – he just does. It's not completely uncommon for our androids to display some sort of personality traits in Lylat. It's not a popular practice, but I've even heard of people using robots as replacements for sexual…" She paused, seeing his hands go up.
"Say no more, ma chatte – I've just pictured 'Gigolo Joe' from the Steven Spielberg movie, A.I.; it was a disturbing mental image, I assure you. I can only wonder what type of animal Jude Law would be on your home world." He waved his hands and shook his head. "Never mind… I know you've not seen the movie. Perhaps sometime in the future, non? For now, I'm tired of being cooped up in that cockpit for so many hours on end. It's nice to stretch my legs – show me your ship, s'il vous plait."
Miyu nodded to his words and grinned. "As taboo as you think it is for some people to be attracted to robots, it's equally taboo for you and I to be attracted to one another." She stopped abruptly, blinked and canted her head a bit. She sniffed at the air and frowned. "What in the…?" The lynx turned about then walked across the flight deck. At the far end was a small grayish brown creature with black stripes. It had black fur masking its face and, in its tiny little lithe-fingered paws, it held a piece of metal probably belonging in the pile from Krystal's Arwing remains. It stood up on its hind legs and its tiny nose twitched, sniffing. It dropped the shiny metal object and scampered towards the exit, down the ramp and across the metallic base deck. She turned to Gambit, eyes wide with confusion and exclaimed, "What was that?!"
He shrugged as though unsurprised. "Chaoui." He paused then nodded with a chuckle; the human pilot rolled his right hand, looking for the proper English word. He then snapped his fingers and said, "A sly raccoon, chère. They're clever little rascals and," he knelt down, picking up the shiny metal object. "Have no compunction about stealing things. The shinier, the better." He placed the small computer component into her palm and grinned. "Tiny lil' thing; hardly th' size une piaster." He stuffed his hands into his pockets but looked weary. "I dun' wanna go to bed with stiff legs, although I do want fais do-do. Do you, chère? Alors pas."
"You're obviously tired, because your dialect is getting thicker, Jules."
He chuckled and shook his head with a slight shrug. "Mo chagren, ma chère. Yes, I'm tired. Quo' faire? Because we jus' flew a long-damn-way. A'right, then…" He drew out his left hand and made a sweeping motion away from the ramp leading out of the Great Fox flight deck. "Allons! I'll follow you, amour." His left hand moved to the small of her back and they crossed to the other end of the deck. Miyu deposited the small dollar-bill sized computer piece back with the rest of the parts then they headed towards a hallway leading into the main body of Great Fox.
"I wonder how that little animal got in here?"
"Th' raccoon? That's what they do, chère, it makes no sense en colère or to question such provocation; those things get in undetected even in a secure government installation such as this. Is that cause for alarm? Alors pas – of course not! Now. Lead the way – I look forward to seein' how yaw'll live and how different it is from how we live. It makes me feel like I know ya' more." He smiled at her and she smiled back.
Shortly before dawn, Washington DC…
John Fitzgerald folded his hands. The Eisenhower Executive Office Building was quiet at this hour. The senator had the distinctive trait of being one of few Washington Senators to have this job. The man leaned back in his chair, staring at the scientist with a frown. "I've worked in this building for a while, son. I've recently changed my outlook on life – I went from running things on the inside to running things on the outside. You might say this is my transitional period. I'm a senator who reports to work here in this grand old mansion because of what I do for the president. It's as complicated to understand as your little explanation. I can't be expected to follow this stuff without a background in your field. Let's start with the basics, shall we?"
The thirty-two year old science engineer, a leading quantum physicist, from California, was now looking uncomfortable and jetlagged. "Okay," said the man to Fitzgerald, lifting his hands up to gesture and use body language to help emphasize his points. "Typical lasers travel at one hundred eighty-six thousand miles per second. You see them on earth because the beam of light refracts off of dust particles, or whatever happens to be in the air. But the laser we're talking about firing into space would not be seen. However, getting the power source up there to fire this thing from a satellite… you're asking us to shoot something incredibly powerful at incoming enemies from a satellite grid around the globe."
"Why not build one on the moon? Then you could put a power source wherever you need it, since it has to be so big."
The scientist snapped his fingers. "That's theoretically possible but if the moon isn't in the right place at the right time, it wouldn't protect us properly. Using satellites is difficult because those things would shatter from low-power return fire."
John ran a hand through his hair. "So why are the aliens shooting laser bolts at one another with ease? What kind of power supplies are they using?"
"It's different," replied the science officer. "They're not shooting lasers. They're shooting globs of plasma-like energy. The way a bit of water, in micro-gravity environments, turns into spheres… their energy globs take a shape but remain lit and bright from the energy within the glob. It moves forward and, without an atmosphere, continues to move forward with nothing to change its course or shape. They're not shooting lasers. Even the aliens have called them 'blasters'. It's a different technology all together."
"What's our best course of defense, Star Fox aside, as it stands?" asked John.
"Well, Mister Fitzgerald, the Navy has the most powerful rail guns in existence. If the shielding systems of the enemy are designed to absorb the raw power of an energy attack then they'll also provide resistance to a kinetic energy attack… but that won't stop the kinetic round all together, either. Conventional means of attacking enemy targets isn't out of the question."
"How versed are you with the alien technology?"
"I'm not versed – I simply understand the theory of its use. If I may, Mister F., why am I here?"
"You're going to Wyoming to join the Research and Development team. I want you to study it and understand it then bring it back to DARPA for the United States to use. Just imagine if Star Fox was killed in action? Who would we have to defend humanity? Earth has to stand up for itself and this is simply a means to prepare for a Plan B situation."
"So you want me to work as a covert…?"
"No," John said with a shake of his head. "You'll work with them but they will not realize that you're there to study the alien technology in order to bring it back to us. I'm not asking you to take their currently existing gear – I'm asking you to learn how to build your own blasters and shields from scratch. Each one of those scientists was carefully investigated by a telepath to ensure that they wouldn't, in a sense, steal the technology. Your job it to work with them, help them and do what it takes to save Earth – however, your job is also to understand it, be able to reverse engineer it… and be able to replicate it affordably and make it run stable in any environment. Soldiers do not need laser guns that blow up in their hands."
"Again, sir, with all due respect… the hand guns used by the Star Fox team aliens do not consist of laser technology. That's why they're not walking around with fusion power packs the size of a cell phone. That would be impossible to create with our current technology anyhow. They shoot some sort of plasma-like energy wad. Due to the barrel shape, it appears to be a bolt of bright light and the energy is phased in a way we don't yet understand… but it's not a laser. Also, the energy discharge they fire does not travel at one hundred eighty-six thousand miles per second. It's different technology, sir."
"Needless to say, I've got you in and you've not been interviewed by the telepathic team member – she's out in the Pacific somewhere. I'm going to take you to Regean National myself. You fly out to Wyoming now – your flight leaves in two hours. Humanity needs this technology in order to move on to the next stage. What if Star Fox defeats this… Andross character… and they leave… but a few years later, another alien visitor comes through? Who'll protect us from that threat? We can only count on ourselves at that point. Now that we know aliens exist, we have to learn how to fend for ourselves incase of an emergency situation in the future. Do what I'm paying you to do. I expect results in a very short time."
"Yes, sir, Mister Fitzgerald." He left the office and was escorted out by a night guard. Meanwhile, John Fitzgerald went for his coat, his car keys and the flight itinerary he'd secured for his 'inside man' in order to get the scientist out to Wyoming…
Slippy Toad rubbed his eyes, heading into The Ranch. One of his new collogues, Theodore Rancor Junior, was explaining the effectiveness of an Antimatter Bomb. "One gram," said Ted Rancor, "would product one hundred eighty terajoules of energy. That's forty-three kilotons of TNT, about three times more than the bomb dropped on Hiroshima, Japan back in the mid forties. It could also power an entire city for an extensive amount of time."
"And how would you contain it, let alone produce it," asked Slippy, recalling to himself that he'd read about the attack on Japan at some point during his four month stay on Earth. "Because with that much energy, just having a few grams would be enough to send Andross anywhere we wanted. Why doesn't Earth have that sort of technology yet?"
"The particle accelerators necessary to create antimatter are nowhere near the efficiency and cost effectiveness to produce such a thing. Several picograms costs over twenty million; to make one full gram, it could cost one hundred quadrillion dollars and take two billion years to produce. We'll need newer, more technologically advanced equipment to produce a single gram in such a short amount of time."
Toad nodded. "But how would you contain it before launching it?"
"An electromagnetic field would contain the antimatter until it was put where it was needed. We would shut down the electromagnetic field from a distance and set off the bomb by detonating it with matter. Figuring out how to create Antimatter in so much quantity in such a short time is a little beyond our ability – the math involved in figuring out that sort of thing… let's just say it's beyond the ability of most. I was actually hoping your kind would have a different approach to the situation. I know how to contain it – I don't know how to collect a gram."
"T-totally understand," replied the frog. "But I'm afraid we don't have a particle collector powerful enough to extract a gram of Antimatter, Ted."
"The reason I brought it up is because I think you do have the means to collect it." Theodore grinned somewhat. "When you guys came here through that wormhole, the one that was artificially created on your side of the galaxy, you'd have to pass through a lot of soup. That is to say, you'd have to slip beneath linear time and space to arrive at your destination in such a short amount of time. The electromagnetic field that protects your ship from beneath the universe is the same theory in which I propose to contain antimatter – however it may be possible to somehow create an electromagnetic net just beyond the reach of your shields using another shield generator that's designed to have a hyper focused shielding zone just beyond the tip of your cruiser's wings. Then, as you go through the wormhole, you can collect antimatter on your way through. If done correctly, a great deal can be captured, contained and released when the time is right to destroy something as large as that corebase."
Toad brought a hand beneath his mouth, rubbing against his broad, chubby jawline. "You know, that's theoretically possible. But our ship cannot go through a wormhole on a whim. We need to enter a gate opened and maintained by a gate station. When we defeated the Aparoid homeworld, we were stuck on their side for quite some time – a few days. Corneria's battle fleet came through the gate with us and the Aparoids destroyed eighty percent of them in a short time. But the remaining twenty percent were partially comprised of science vessels tasked with getting everyone home. They set up a temporary one-use-gate system and everyone hurried through."
"What happened after that?" asked the human scientist as the two walked side by side through the underground bunker.
"A lot, actually. In the end, StarFox bought two ships. One was a used dreadnought style cruiser, which is now here with us on Earth. It was gutted and refitted completely for our needs but the team that put it back together did a less-than-sterling job. The other ship was ordered brand new and is going to take about a year and a half to build f-f-from scratch. However, no one in Lylat has heard from us in almost five months. They probably think we're dead."
"That's awkward," murmured Theodore. "Corneria didn't even send reinforcements to help or to otherwise ensure you guys are okay?"
Slippy shrugged then brought a hand up to touch the side of his head to adjust the translator in his ear. "Save for Fay and Miyu, Star Fox is a mercenary team. So far as Corneria knows, they have two MIA pilots and have no choice but to stay their course in a matter of speaking. I'm kinda' glad my dad is here with me. I wouldn't want him to worry or th-th-think his only son is dead, y'know?" Slippy sighed. "I'm sure the General regrets having hired us. He was a very, very close friend of Fox's father. He's probably worried about Fox, as the only surviving son of his deceased friend. I mean, you know, the Peppers and the McClouds were friends – both families knew each other for a long time. It's complicated."
"How are you guys planning to get home?"
"There are two ways," said Toad. "One, my father and I construct a gate. The problem is, if we leave it in Earth's care, that could turn into drama later. No offense."
"None taken – the other way home is…?"
The amphibian lifted both hands as they rounded a corner together, nearing the sleeping quarters, recently refitted and expanded to accommodate the science team personnel. "The other way is… we gather some resources and make a lot of fuel cells. Then we max out our engines and… we'll be back to Lylat in nearly three months. Right around ten and-a-half weeks. The problem with that is, if we don't destroy Andross' core base, we have to take it and his remaining soldiers with us. And then keeping Andross prisoner the whole time would be another list of challenges. If we're somehow lucky enough to destroy him, I doubt we'd be able to take down ALL of his forces… so whatever pilots survived the destruction of the corebase would have to land their fighter on the GreatFox and stay as a prisoner for the whole ride home… or if we can salvage enough of the core base to use as a jail… oh I don't know. L-l-l-let's just see what happens, r-r-right?"
Fox McCloud paced in front of the cell bars. Behind him, Krystal sat quietly in her chair, staring through her mate at the round cylindrical metal poles of the jail. Neither spoke. On Fox's next pass back, he ran his paw over the collection of bars, creating a soft, rhythmic cadence of sound. He paused abruptly, turned to the bars and closed his paws around them tightly and shouted, "I'm READY to TALK!"
Caiman slinked back against the concrete wall, adjacent to the tiny bunk jutting out of the bulkhead to his right. "Andross would rather that I give my life than to tell you anything at all."
Krystal said, "And yet, as the last ship to be shot down, you ejected – I do believe that you wanted to live… Caiman was it? Despite your intent to honorably die for your leader, some part of you had to make the decision to reach for the ejection switch."
The vulpine pilot tilted his head, furrowing his brows at the lizard as if confused. "But Andross is going home in a body bag and you're going home as a prisoner of war to be set free on Venom upon our return. So how the hell does giving your life for your crappy leader do anything for you? Why do you feel like you owe him anything? Caiman, do you remember Area-6?"
"Of course I do," he muttered.
A smile touched McCloud's muzzle. "You were a Wing Commander at the edge of the sector, as far away from Venom as possible. We cooked all your buddies but only 'disabled' your ship. I could have blown you out of the stars."
"You weren't concerned with me; you had bigger fish to fry. So you missed my ship and moved on – you trying to say you spared my life? How do you figure, McCloud? I survived by chance – by providence, not because you spared me like some merciful valiant hero! Heck, I'm surprised you remembered that moment so clearly. That was… a decade ago."
"It was," said McCloud with a nod. "I conferred with ROB back at our base. He has the incident recorded on his files. I searched his databanks to see if your name was in it… surprise. He reminded me of the whole thing. Besides, it was Falco that opened fire on your squadron – not me. But that's neither here nor there; I want answers as to what Andross is doing in this system."
"Lylat is far too organized," said the lizard. "The alliance of federation planets makes outright attack very difficult. Venom against… oh, let's see… Corneria, Katina, Fichina, Fortuna, Sauria, Papetoon, Aquas, Zoness… not possible. Titania is empty, Macbeth is hollow and covered with unionized workers who would put up quite a fight in this day and age… then they'd receive help from the federation of Lylat. I'm thinking we have no chance against so many worlds. So Andross enlisted a group of warriors and we came here. Once Andross is successful in toppling Earth, he'd revive his nephew and have a proper training ground with which to teach the heir to the throne of the Venom Empire. Once Andrew was properly instructed on how to fight… and how to lead… and how to do… anything more than mope… well… you figure it out."
Krystal shook her head. "He'd use Earth as slave labor then incorporate their numbers into his ranks by giving them technology and teaching them that they're on the same side… and convincing them the way he manipulated the reptiles of Venom and the way he nearly manipulated the SharpClaws of Sauria into joining him. Then, he and his new 'allies' would come back to Lylat in the future… and wage war against it with several billion newly recruited human soldiers." She stood up with a wince and turned to Fox. "Doctor Andross has many layers. It's sad because he wanted to be more than just a dictator but…"
Fox sneered at the notion that Andross could be anything else. He finished her sentence. "…But in the end, that's all he ever amounted to… a crappy dictator. A lunatic murderous madman. He's insane and I'll take him down myself."
Krystal grew quiet out of respect for her mate. "Very well."
The vulpine pilot glared at Caiman. "I bet you didn't realize that Krystal was telepathic, did you? I also bet you didn't know that we already found out that you guys have been getting help from humans. She got pretty close one time when you guys were escorting one back to Earth. We know more about your operation than you think. And, once again, Andross is going to get his ass handed to him." Fox walked away from the brig and left the detention area.
The little blue vixen shook her head with her eyes shut. "You have to understand that we've been quite cooped up for the last several months. We're tired; we want to end this situation and go home. Surely you must have something at home, on Venom, that you miss dearly, Caiman."
He stood up but stayed away from the bars. "You know that Andross is trying to help things on Venom? I could tell you knew something… why didn't you tell your boyfriend that Andross does have many good intentions? Is Fox McCloud afraid of the truth?"
She frowned, glancing at the floor. "He's not ready to hear it just yet. It's a painful subject for Fox. I respect and love him very deeply and, so, I do not wish to throw that sort of thing into Fox's face. Besides… in the end, Andross never followed through with his word to restore Venom. I only know that he'd made such promises because I've been near enough to him to learn of it in the past. Venom is still an industrial wasteland and the remains of a post apocalyptic, dying civilization stricken with poverty and disease. He did nothing to help in the end."
Caiman approached the bars reluctantly and glanced about furtively. "We're not under surveillance, are we?"
"No. It's just us," she assured him.
The lizard licked his lips. "I got back into Andross' good graces by volunteering to run a mission to Titania not too long ago. My job was to properly hide an underground lab located beneath those barren wastelands. It was the test stage for an object of immense power capable of restoring Venom. Andross never got to test it on Titania as he'd intended to do… so it was hidden there. I only know because I was supposed to leave no trace of his research at the lab. He personally hid the device. But I was curious about the research and looked through the lab computers before vaporizing the facility as per his orders… He wanted Venom to become more beautiful and green and perfect than Corneria, because Cornerians didn't deserve to have such a world of heaven. It was to help the people of Venom AND to bring the egotistical Cornerians down a peg or two."
"Again, he didn't make due on his promises, now did he?"
"I read the research," grumbled Caiman. "I know it exists and I think it will work. However, Andross was pushed into desperate measures. He had to flee for a while… and Andrew, thinking his uncle was dead, took over Venom's remaining forces. Upon Andross' return, he rescued his nephew from the smoldering wreckage on Fortuna, absconded to Venom and organized a group of warriors in secrecy. Andrew was delivered to a science outpost on Fichina because of his injuries. They transferred him to a science team operating on the Gate Station, where we would need to pick him up before leaving Lylat. At any rate, Andross took us to the edge of the Meteo asteroid belt where he had a hidden corebase set up to look like an asteroid. It was fully stocked with ships and weapons and supplies. We cloaked it, brought it to the Area-6 sector and came here. When we return to Lylat, you can be sure that he'll rescue Venom and restore its ecology system."
"Why wouldn't he have done that before coming to Earth?"
"Because!" announced Caiman. "If he did that then left, Corneria would try and take the credit without Addross not around to dispute it! They would try to convince the reptilian people that THEY are the ones who saved Venom! Then they would try to make Venom their allies! It just isn't meant to be. Don't you know anything about how Venom became the way it did?"
"I'm from another system; I'm not aware of the history, Caiman."
He sighed and nodded, slumping onto the bunk. "Titania was a planet full of furred people, just like Corneria. We were at war – the planets are very close to one another. They wiped one another out. The lizards of Venom were strong enough, due to our cold-blooded bodies, to endure the destruction of our home planet's environmental balance. All that remained was skeletons of our once powerful cities. Meanwhile, we managed to wipe Titania off the map – leaving endless miles of DUST. Fortunately for its people, they managed to escape their planet. The air is breathable now… but for quite some time, you couldn't even take a breath there without dying from something nasty. The inhabitants migrated to Katina and Corneria. Didn't Fox ever tell you about his first girlfriend, Fara Phoenix? Her ancestors were from Titania… Fennecs… desert foxes. There were certainly more than just foxes on Titania but… that doesn't matter. Corneria's modern population is soiled with the blood of Venom's ancient foes. And, so, you see… many of Corneria and Katina's ancestors came from the world we once saw as our mortal enemies. Nothing has changed – Lizards still hate furres. However, we're willing to accept help from those who defect, like Wolf O'Donnell, because when they see our side of things… they're only too happy to help."
"And what of the mandrills and apes that help Venom and Andross?"
"Their species didn't originate from Titania – they were never our enemies to begin with. Mostly vulpine, canine and feline types came from Titania and they intermingled with other vulpine, canine and feline peoples living on Corneria and Katina at the time of this ancient war. In the end, Corneria and Katina owe its modern technology prowess to the defeated Titanians who fled their wasteland of a planet after we leveled it. In honesty, neither side truly won – we successfully wiped one another out. As I said before… we were a persistent race. Meanwhile, Titanians decided to stay as far from Venom as possible. In order to maintain peace, they opted to do away with major forms of technology... but after a few generations, it came back to full use again. So, the way my race sees it... Cornerians are dangerous again.
"We survived the ruin of Venom. However, without knowledge and an infrastructure, we were reduced to a very simple race, starting from scratch so far as technology was concerned. But our soil was no longer fertile. Millions starved over the next two hundred years. Meanwhile, on Corneria, the Titania survivors refused to explain to the current civilization how quantum mechanics worked or how to build space ships right away. Those people enjoyed a gradual technology renascence that re-evolved back into its modern state. No one starved. No one struggled, there. No… Corneria enjoyed their peace with only minor stints between localized nations for a short time. It wasn't until Andross was exiled from that worthless planet…"
"Go on," she said in a soft tone. "Please, I wish to understand."
"When Andross was exiled, he was picked up by a gang of thugs named Wolf O'Donnell and Leon Powalski. Leon was raised on Katina but descended from Venom – his family was living on Titania during the initial migration. Perhaps they were house slaves, or maybe they were defectors – I wouldn't know. Either way, he's a reptile so he's okay by me. Those two picked up Doctor Andross and he bartered with them. Having been exiled, he was criminal scum, like those two. They brought him to Venom because Corneria had no interest in being allies with the likes of poverty-stricken lizards… again, proof of that contemptible Cornerian ego. Once Andross was here, he was smart enough to make his way down into the underground sections of the ancient war ruins. There, he found libraries and impressive proof that our race was once a proud planet of warriors.
"Our species was supreme and he built a translator to learn our old written language. He then learned the technological ways of our ancestors and rebuilt the civilization in a short time. He resurrected our economy and gave us lives, homes for each family… and he gave us a purpose. He didn't manipulate us into fighting Lylat… no, he gave us the means with which to fight against Lylat and we thanked him by making him our leader. And the device on Titania exists. Trust me, it's there somewhere. It would blow your silly boyfriend's mind to know that Doctor Andross was also a scientist who wanted to help make life better for millions upon millions of people. Fox McCloud could never handle that truth – it's too much for his tiny little egotistical Cornerian head."
Krystal folded her paws, placing them into her lap. "So you trust me because I'm not from Corneria?" She tilted her head and frowned. "How sad it is that you're so… racist."
"Doctor Andross was extreme. He was very aggressive in his pursuit of perfection because he was one man, alone, fighting to make a better system. The bio-weapon on Lylat's central star? That was a test to see if he could create a life form to draw the energy of the sun and provide a way to harvest that energy to create unlimited power for Venom. The being was alive, all right… however Andross wasn't able to find a way to work with it when war broke out… so he had to abandon his research with it… and it became violent and angry and alone… and, of course, Star Fox destroyed it before they could even learn anything about it. He created life, they killed it. Cornerians are nothing more than educated savages. However…" Caiman trailed off, fidgeting with a frown.
She wheeled herself closer to the bars. "Go on… your emotions are growing too cloudy to read the rest from your mind. What happened?"
"Later research indicated that the life form was spending fuel from within the star to sustain itself… like placing an overweight person in an auditorium full of their favorite food. It would take a long time, but eventually they would consume everything until there was nothing left. From what I understand, Doctor Andross recreated this experiment a second time only to come to that horrific conclusion… So yes, in the end… Star Fox saved Lylat by destroying the life form on the central star. But it's still sad that they didn't research it first… they saw it was alive and rushed to kill it without asking questions, which is a true show of their character." Caiman blinked, seeing the blank expression on Krystal's face. He then asked, "What?"
She blinked back to reality. "I was… just… thinking. Adding up pieces to the puzzle is more like it. Years ago, Andross wound up on Cerinia and my people helped him. He was gravely injured and promised us an exchange – our help to save his life from his mortal wounds… and in return, he would help us solve our energy crisis by providing us with an unlimited supply of energy from the heart of our system."
Caiman continued to fidget. "What happened?"
"I was on an exploratory sabbatical when a global emergency was announced. Andross fled Cerinia and I changed course to pursue him. Meanwhile, scientists from my world rushed towards the sun to try and save it because it was growing into an enormous red giant. But, all at once, it shrank and went supernova. Cerinia was doomed. All that's left of our star is a tiny black ball… a rotted husk. I never knew what happened but I chased Andross' warp signature wake until I arrived in the Lylat System. I lost the trail but was distracted by a distress beacon. I spent a few weeks on Sauria, helping the locals; they were under attack by a tyrant named Scales. Shortly after crossing paths with that maniac, I was shocked to bump into Andross… albeit a gravely injured Andross, far worse off than when he first showed up on Cerinia."
Caiman knew nothing of Andross' whereabouts after the Lylat Wars. "Did you confront him?"
"Actually, he captured me. He ambushed me and shoved me into a reverse polarity tractor beam that knocked me into a forcefield. From there, I was transferred into a machine he used to draw life force energy from my body, slowly draining me in order to sustain himself. He did this so that he could heal more quickly. In retrospect, I believe that what he did to Cerinia was not intentional… however, it's difficult to swallow."
"You… forgive him?" asked Caiman.
"He was trying to help our race. By the time they realized that his mistake was a lethal one, my people probably tried to banish him. But everything was too late. The damage was done and beyond repair. I don't know how many survivors are in existence but… so far as I know… my race is doomed. But… blaming Andross and hating him does nothing to bring back my world and my family. It's a sad tragedy at best. How do you know the device on Titania won't destroy Venom the way he destroyed Cerinia?"
Caiman swallowed. "Because… it has nothing to do with the sun. It's a self-powered device that reverts atmospheric conditions by causing a chemical reaction that will purify the toxic air and waters of that planet. Every great artist has many failures before they create a masterpiece. So if you're able to forgive Andross for the accidental death of possible billions… then why can't Fox McCloud forgive him for the death of two people? You see? Your race is far more mature than any Cornerian… why waste your time with them?"
"Against by better professional judgment, I've chosen to fall in love with Fox." She shook her head slowly. "He's a good man. Also, he was a small child when his mother was taken from him. All he had left was his father… and his father died on Venom. It was war. My situation was caused from an accident. Perhaps, in the future, I will look into your claims of this miracle device on Titania. For now, though, it's beyond my time, place or grasp. And I refuse to bring this up to Fox because Andross' atrocities are still fresh to him. Why did you tell me this, Caiman?"
"You're telepathic anyhow. Besides, I wanted to prove that Doctor Andross isn't as 'evil' as Star Fox would like everyone to believe. He just has an aggressive and misunderstood way of doing things to better himself, his science and the people that his science would affect the most."
She nodded slowly. "I understand. Can you tell me what nation your human ally is from?"
"I don't know squat about Earth. All I know is that he's from the planet and we need translators to talk to him. Also, Andross will go out of his way to spare his people and its nation when he overruns Earth. Trust me, it's for their own good. He's doing them a huge favor."
"Hardly," she snorted. "Enjoy your cell, Caiman. Thank you for your honesty. In the future, I'll take your words into consideration and do what I'm able to enlist help to find that device. If Andross isn't able to use it to save Venom, I'll consider a way to have it used for your people. Agreed? But know that I'll have someone look at it first to make sure that it won't destroy Venom by accident. One too many times has Andross' erroneous experiments gone awry."
"Ask for the help of Wolf and Leon and whoever else they now work with. They would help you find it."
Krystal paused to remember Star Wolf and their newer third member, Panther. "Perhaps… but it might be better if I simply ask my true friends for help. Star Fox is more than capable. I think you judge them because you misunderstand them, as much as they misunderstand you." She slowly turned the wheeling chair away from the brig. "A human Marine will be in after I leave. They'll keep an eye on you so do not misbehave. They'll feed you and treat you fairly. They have a convention standard – a set of rules that they abide by to ensure fairness to prisoners. I expect no different in treatment towards you." She wheeled away from him. "Thank you for the conversation. I learned a great deal of things and…" she paused at the doorway. "I feel as though I'm able to put some of my own personal questions to rest. I appreciate you taking the time to speak with me." She left the room. Moments later, a marine entered the room, shut the door and sat down at a desk not far from Caiman's cell.
A/N: Okay, maybe just oooone more. Next up, Chapter 17: "A Call to Arms" which I intended to put as part of this chapter. However, I kinda' had fun with the dialogues. This was the "slow, boring, learning chapter." It happens in every story at some point.
SO! What did we learn in this chapter? Well, for starters, Andross just ordered the attack on Earth to begin in 4 days. Next, we learned that the Pentagon's golden child, DARPA, is going to be inserting a scientist that was never scanned by Krystal, so that they can study the alien technology because they feel it's in their best interest for self preservation as a race.
After that, we learned that Slippy was given an idea on a way to take down the Core Base. Will he be able to implement it later in the story?
Finally, we learned where Krystal got her information about the device on Titania that she talks about in StarFox Command, the DS Game. We also learn why she defends Andross and, out of anger, accuses Fox of only hating Andross because Andross allegedly killed James McCloud personally. At the very least, he's allegedly to blame for the direct involvement in the death of James McCloud. Boy Krystal sure was bitter during that game, wasn't she?!
Okay, so here's your long, boring, "Tie up loose ends by throwing too much information at you" chapter. I'll make it up to you by giving you two great things in the next update! One, more romance! Gambit and Miyu, as well as Fox and Krystal snuggly time. AND, of course, I'll begin the ALL OUT WAR between Venom and Earth! It's about time for that, huh? Long overdue, right? Or, as Andross says, hitting the enemy with a preemptive strike before they can preemptively strike against him! The clock is ticking!