Slippy glumly kicked his heels against the cement floor of his cell in the basement of the HR & Co. building, wondering what was going to happen next. His eyes and skin pained him from the torture he had endured from two imperial shock troops. They had pinned his eyes open, making him unable to blink until his eyeballs were red, puckered, and stinging. They had also cruelly burned him with the hot barrels of their blasters, trying to force him to relinquish the location of the rebel fleet. But he had told them nothing– Slippy was stouter and tougher than he looked.
Krystal and Falco had been taken as well. He could hear loud yelps of pain from Falco coming from down the corridor. Krystal remained silent, but Slippy didn't doubt that she was going through just as much pain as Falco. Slippy had been relatively unimportant– he'd been left with two cruel and sadistic guards, not taken to a different room for torture.
Slippy looked up as the cell door slid open and a shock troop staggered in, carrying a metal box full of electronic parts.
"To keep you busy," the troop grunted, dropping the box on the floor and leaving.
Curious, Slippy got up from where he sat on his cot and cautiously made his way over to the box. He blinked and reached inside, pulling out the head of ROB, which seemed to have been blown off his body, along with his other limbs. His outer armor was scorched and blackened by blaster fire, but remained intact. The android had been built to resist battle to a certain extent.
Sighing sadly, Slippy dragged the box over to the cot, sat down, and fished ROB's torso out of the box as well. There were only a few measly wrenches and a screwdriver, but Slippy could fix ROB at least a little bit. He plugged ROB's head into his neck socket and tightened the screws with one of the wrenches. The head was a bit wobbly, but its wires and power couplings were connected properly. Hoping for the best, Slippy put down the wrench and flipped ROB back on.
"Ohnosirthatisnotnecessaryyoucanputyourweaponaway– ugmph..." ROB's high pitched squeals died down into a small croak, and his flashing optical sensors lost their red glow.
"ROB?" Slippy asked. He shook ROB slightly, and his head tilted back into place.
"NO!" ROB shrieked loudly. "Shock troops! On Corneria! I have to tell the others– oh no, I have been shot!" the android cried fearfully.
"ROB, calm down! It's Slippy!" Slippy exclaimed, turning ROB's torso around so that he and the android were facing each other.
"Oh... thank the stars for that. Where are Captain Lombardi and Mistress Krystal?" asked ROB.
Slippy frowned. "That Katt girl betrayed us to the empire. We're down in the cellar of that building she's in, Falco and Krystal are being interrogated, and you're... well, you're in pretty bad shape," he said.
"Bad shape?" asked ROB. His head tilted downward to look at his body, and he let out a startled cry. "My legs! My arms! Wait a minute– you put my head on backwards!" he exclaimed.
Slippy noticed that it was true: he had accidentally turned ROB's head to that it was facing his back. Well, it would have to do for now. "Hold still, I'll try to fix you up," the toad said, picking up one of ROB's arms and trying to secure it in his left shoulder socket. He was rewarded for his efforts with a sharp jolt of electricity from ROB's wires. "Oops. Guess I'll have to shut you down if I want to fix you," Slippy said, reaching for the switch on ROB's back, or, in its current position, his front.
"Wait, I don't want to be– oompgh..." ROB's voice died down once again as Slippy shut him down once more. The toad was about to continue his work when the cell door screeched open once more, and both Falco and Krystal were dragged inside, looking exhausted and in pain.
The two shock troops carrying them tossed them roughly to the floor, then left the room, sneering at the two rebels.
Krystal, faring slightly better than Falco, slowly got to her feet and made her way unsteadily to Falco. "Did you tell them anything?" she asked, frowning at the bird.
Falco just shook his head, appearing too weak for words.
Slippy abandoned his work on ROB to help Krystal pull Falco to his feet and drag him over to the cot. They laid him carefully on the rough cloth and Slippy fetched a rag from the metal supply box ROB's limbs were in, giving it to Falco for the bleeding cut on his forehead.
"Some safe haven this turned out to be," Krystal mused grimly, looking around their dark cell.
"Sorry, guys," Falco croaked, pressing the rag to his forehead.
"We don't blame you, Falco. None of us knew this would have happened," said Krystal, patting her friend on the arm reassuringly.
"Uh, hey," Slippy said, trying to be optimistic, "at least we got ROB back. See? I mean, he's a bit worse for the wear, but I think I can fix him up." He pointed at the box of scraps in the box.
Krystal grimaced. "ROB. I'm sorry," she said sadly, looking at the box.
"Hey, he's not dead yet. All I need to do is plug him back in, repair his outer plating, and maybe some of his fried components, and... maybe some more things," Slippy trailed off.
The trio was startled as the cell door opened yet again. Katt and her two bodyguards entered, the feline looking guilty and ill-tempered.
Katt frowned at Falco. "Look," she began unsteadily.
"I don't think we need any more of your help. Just leave us," Krystal snapped, glaring at the cat.
Katt flinched as though she'd been stung by a particularly large Katinan wasp. "Cain has agreed to turn you and Slippy over to me. You'll have to stay on Corneria, but at least you'll be safe," she said to Krystal.
"We don't want any of your hospitality, thanks," scowled Slippy angrily.
"And what about Falco? What happens to him?" asked Krystal vehemently.
"He'll be handed over to Wolf O'Donnell, who'll take him to Emmett Eelardo and his gang on Katina. Eelardo has a price on Falco's head. Don't worry, he'll be safe," Katt said, but almost seemed to be trying to reassure herself.
"No I won't. Cain wants us all dead. He isn't the type of guy that spares your life just for licking his shoes," laughed Falco grimly.
"He doesn't want you at all, he's after some kid. McCloud, or something, I think that was his name. He's using you as bait!" Katt said.
Krystal's eyes widened. "Fox?" she gasped.
"An Arwing just entered the system, the empire thinks it's him," said Katt slowly, looking ashamed of herself for complying with Cain's wishes.
Falco began chuckling. Despite his grogginess, he tossed away the bloodstained rag and got to his feet. "Well, Katt, it looks like you fooled us pretty good," he said, staggering towards her. Then he angrily spat, "My 'friend'!" and lunged for her, his arms outstretched.
Krystal leaped to her feet to intervene, but Katt's guards had pounced on Falco before even Katt knew what was happening.
"Stop it, let him go!" Katt exclaimed to her guards, who had knocked Falco to the floor and were kicking him savagely in the ribs. Krystal knelt down next to Falco, trying to keep him from slipping into unconsciousness.
"I've done everything I could to help you!" Katt said, shaking her head sadly. "I have my own problems with the empire to deal with. I'm sorry I couldn't do more."
Falco choked out a small groan that could have been a grim chortle. "Yeah," he said, wiping blood from his beak. "You're really heroic. Thanks for your help, Katt."
Katt turned on her heel and stalked out of the room, angrily dismissing her guards when they were outside. She found Cain waiting for her.
"Your facilities are crude, but adequate. They should be able to properly freeze Captain Lombardi for his journey to Katina," the dark lord rumbled.
"Facilities?" asked Katt, confused.
"Your carbon-freezing chambers for transporting biodegradable materials across the Lylat System," explained Cain. "It is how our bounty hunter friend Mr. O'Donnell will be taking Lombardi back to Emmett Eelardo."
Katt was horrified. "Lord Cain," she said in a shaky voice, "it's never been tested on a living person before. You put him there and he could die."
"Lombardi is the test subject. He is wanted dead or alive. If he survives, we will use the chamber to capture McCloud," said Cain. He brushed past her and lumbered down the hall, disappearing into an elevator.
Katt gritted her teeth. "This deal keeps getting worse," she muttered to herself.
***
Less than a half-hour later, Falco, Krystal, and Slippy were dragged into a dark, sweltering room filled with pipes, chemical tanks, and steam being released from grates in the floor. A large, circular pit was in the center of the room with a hydraulic platform resting in it and a large crane above it. Orange-red lighting strips running across the ceiling and beneath the floor, illuminated the room with a hellish glow.
"Turn around, please, I cannot see!" blared ROB as three shock troops dragged Slippy, Krystal, and Falco over to Cain, Katt, and Wolf, who were waiting in the room. The android (or at least his torso and head) had been reactivated and slung across Slippy's back in a large knapsack, along with his other limbs. It was only fitting that he, too, could say goodbye to Falco one last time.
Falco, who had been stripped down to a white shirt and brown trousers, glanced at Katt questioningly.
"They're freezing you in carbonite to bring you back to Katina," Katt replied out of the corner of her mouth. "They say you should survive."
Falco scowled, but said nothing.
"I made contact with Eelardo. The rules have changed, Lord Cain: he's wanted as a trophy. He's worth nothing to me dead," whispered Wolf to Cain sourly.
Cain hardly seemed to notice the bounty hunter. "We will pay you for any problems that occur in the freezing process," he said. Then he turned to two of the shock troopers in the room and said, "Put him in."
The troops grabbed Falco roughly by the shoulders and walked him forward, waiting as the hydraulic platform in the center of the pit was raised. Then they turned him around and shoved him forward so that he was standing on the platform, facing Slippy, Krystal, and Katt.
The mouse workers in the room squealed and scrambled about, hurrying to computers, positioning equipment, and locking down steam pipes. Then one of them threw a large switch on the wall.
The hydraulics hissed. The platform began lowering.
"Goodbye, Falco," Krystal said, almost too quietly for him to hear. He just nodded towards her and flashed her the same cocky grin that he'd always shown. He didn't have to say anything. The message was clear: I'm fine. You're fine. Everything's going to be okay.
"Bye," Slippy choked out. His eyes were beginning to brim with tears.
"Seeya, frog boy," Falco said at his old friend. The platform was so low that only his neck and head were visible now. In seconds, it would all be over. Falco looked at Katt.
She was fighting back tears as she watched her old friend go to what could very well be hid death. And it was her fault, she realized. She'd betrayed him. "I'm sorry, Falco," she managed to say, her voice cracking.
Falco nodded slowly. "It's alright," he said. Then a column of steam shot up from the freezing pit, obscuring Falco from everyone's view.
Cain gazed down at the scene, his helmet visor flashing in the red lighting. The steam swirled and danced through the air, eventually dissipating. Then the large crane hovering over the pit descended, clamped down on the black object, and pulled it out.
It was a large, black block of what looked to Krystal like graphite. She couldn't see every feature of it, but could make out a familiar outline jutting out of the material.
Two mouse workers squeaked in affirmation, strode forward, and tilted the block of carbonite forward.
It crashed to the grated floor with a resonating bang, and Krystal could finally see the image frozen into the block of material. Falco, coated in black metal, frozen, a look of complete anguish on his face and his hands raised over his face defensively.
"I can't see, what happened?" cried ROB, thrashing frantically in the knapsack Slippy had slung over his shoulders.
The two mice that had tipped the frozen Falco over clamped a metal frame around the block of carbonite, examined the heart and brain activity readings it read on two digital screens, then nodded at Katt.
"He's all yours. Alive and well," gloated Cain, turning to Wolf.
Wolf grinned. "Much obliged," he said, watching as the two mice loaded Falco onto a hovercart.
Cain turned to Katt. "Ms. Monroe, have Mistress Krystal and the toad taken to my ship immediately. They will be taken to Venom for processing," he said.
"What?" Krystal and Slippy cried, furious.
Katt was outraged as well. "That was never part of our agreement!" she protested.
"Do it, before my own men do. The empire will be setting up a garrison in your building as well. Don't worry, your company is in safe hands," Cain said smoothly.
"You never... you lied to me!" Katt cried.
"Take them away," Cain ordered the shock troops in the room. They nodded and grabbed hold of Krystal and Slippy, dragging them out of the room and into the corridor.
Katt stood glowering at Cain for a moment, then followed the troops. But as she left, she unclipped a small radio from her belt and murmured a few words into it. Then she hooked it back into her belt and headed out the door, hurrying to catch up to the shock troops and the heroes.
"Lord Cain, an Arwing has landed on the building. We believe it to be Commander McCloud," said an officer, approaching Cain.
"Good, good. Direct him to this room, make sure he's kept alive until he reaches here. I'll be waiting for him," Cain said, his voice dripping with anticipation. The dark lord watched as the mice and Wolf carted Falco out the door, following the troops, heroes, and Katt. "So close," he murmured to himself. Then he spun on his heel and began preparations for when Fox would arrive in the chamber.