Chapter 11

Audience

The transport vessel touched down on a landing pad jutting from the tallest skyscraper in the city with an audible thunk. Krystal unstrapped herself and stood up. Stopping in front of the hatch Krystal held out a hand to keep Fox from exiting. He looked at her curiously.

"Before we go out there," she said, "I think there are one or two things I should tell you."

"Ok. Shoot." Fox replied, looking at her intently.

"I must do all the talking. They speak an older dialect of Cerinian they've learned to help them trade with us. However you should not speak unless spoken to. And you must remain behind me at all times. Do you think you can do that?" Krystal explained to him.

"Yeah. I think so. But, why?" Fox looked confused by her instructions.

"We don't know much about the Kathari, but one thing we do know is that they're matriarchal. Women have all the power. I should be surprised if we see any males in the Queen's presence, and having you here is likely to raise a few eyebrows, and possibly bare a few fangs." Krystal said. "So, whatever you do, stick with me."

Fox nodded, though he still looked confused. "And uh, what do the males do in this society?"

Krystal smirked and tickled the bottom of his muzzle."They help make the babies. Now come on, their Queen is waiting."

Fox's eyes widened and he followed her out. Waiting for them on the landing platform was a female Kathari, she nodded as Krystal approached. "You are Krystal Zonoc?" She asked, speaking in the same older dialect the pilot spoke in.

"Yes I am." Krystal replied, trying not to stare at the woman's most distinctive feature, that being the two large, saber like teeth that protruded from her muzzle. She wore a long, flowing robe that hid her form, though with the exception of her teeth the woman looked mostly feline, with golden fur and yellow eyes.

"And who is this male?" The woman asked, her eyes running over Fox with a gaze that managed to be both interested and aloof at the same time.

"He is my companion." Krystal answered. Fox, to his credit, seemed to be doing a good job of looking as deferential as possible. He also managed not to stare.

"You have done well for yourself in that regard, he looks to be of fine stock." The Kathari said, nodding approvingly.

Krystal tried not to blush and simply replied, "Thank you." She knew to them it was a compliment, though she felt relieved that Fox wouldn't be able to understand what he was being called. Though, in all honesty, she found the thought of what his reaction would likely be just a tiny bit funny. I think it might be a good thing he doesn't speak the language.

"I am Astra, her most honored majesty's Grand Vizier. I will take you to her, there is much to discuss."

"May my companion join us?" Krystal asked, waving a hand at Fox.

Astra nodded. "Ordinarily I would say no, but things today are not ordinary. So long as he remains silent unless spoken to he may." With that Astra turned and led them inside.

Krystal and Fox found themselves being taken down a long corridor with a single doorway at the end of it. Tapestries of what Krystal assumed to be the Queen's ancestors fluttered gently in the light coming through the windows and skylights. Krystal looked at the tapestries with a strange sense of wonder. Each of the figures were woven into the red fabric with gold thread, and, as would be expected, all of them were female. How many people can say they've seen even this much of the Kathari Moon? Not even the tribal leaders who negotiated the peace treaty between us got to set foot in the palace.

Krystal wondered briefly if she should feel honored that the Kathari were showing her this much, or if maybe, just maybe, she should be afraid of what it might mean.

Astra came to a stop outside of the doorway at the end of the hall where four warriors, all females, stood guard, two on either side of the entrance. The guards wore form fitting body suits that Krystal noted were made of a blast resistant weave. They were flattering to the form, but effective in their function. She took note of the style, she rather liked it. All four were also armed with force pikes that would deliver a deadly shock to anyone caught by the tip, and blasters hung by their sides. At a snap of Astra's fingers the guards pushed the massive doors open and the two vulpines began to follow the Kathari inside. As soon as Fox moved to follow however the guards crossed their force pikes and denied him entrance, a low, warning growl emanating from their throats.

Krystal whipped around and bared her fangs. "You said he would be allowed to stay with me."

"I did. Guards..."

"Astra."

A voice floated from the end of the room. Soft in volume but iron in tone, it carried easily. Astra froze and then turned to look towards the throne at the end of the room. "My Queen?"

"What is this male doing here?"

"He is her companion." Astra explained, glancing between the two vulpines and the Queen. "I said he would be allowed to follow her."

"Very well. Guards, allow him through."

Instantly the pikes were uncrossed and Fox stepped into the throne room. He smiled at Krystal reassuringly as she turned to look at the source of the voice. At the end of the room sat a Kathari female. She sat on a large, glittering throne that rested on top of a platform hovering just above the ground. Krystal couldn't help but notice the other woman's beauty, she wore the same clothing as the guards, though a cape flowed off of her shoulders, and, unlike the guards whose hair was cut short, the Queen's black locks tumbled down her back and over her bust. The fact that she wore armor struck Krystal as just a bit odd. Perhaps it meant something? "You are Krystal Zonoc?" The Queen asked.

"I am." Krystal nodded.

"And this male? He is your chosen companion?"

"Yes. He is." Krystal affirmed, looking back and smiling at Fox briefly.

"Approach me. Both of you."

Krystal walked forward, motioning for Fox to follow her. Fox did so while making certain to remain just a few steps behind her. Krystal stopped when she reached the foot of the throne. She remained silent, guessing that the Queen would not enjoy being preempted.

"Your world, does it still burn where it was struck?" The Queen looked down at her, her voice maintaining the same soft, yet steely inflection.

"No. There were no fires left by the time we reached it, there was nothing left to burn." Krystal responded, clamping down on the emotions that remembering the blast site brought up. She knew she would never forget the images of the desolation that had greeted her on her arrival at the impact site.

"This attack, you say it came from our moon?"

"Yes." Krystal looked the Queen in the eye, attempting to gauge the other woman's reaction. She managed to learn very little, the Queen's face remained impassive.

"I am sorry."

"Thank you, Queen." Krystal answered, doing her best to be diplomatic. She could sense Fox's growing impatience in the back of her mind. She couldn't blame him, he didn't know what was being said, and she knew he wanted to get on with their mission. So did she, but she also knew that the Queen would not have summoned them if she didn't have a very good reason, and Krystal held out a bit of hope that it might be something to their benefit.

"This base, you say it is in our northern polar region?"

"Yes." Krystal confirmed. Get on with it. The Queen certainly seemed to be taking her time with what she wanted.

"At one point we thought of beginning a mining operation there. There are rich energy sources beneath the northern ice sheet. It is those projects, abandoned years ago, that I believe allowed these kansii, these outworlders, to build unnoticed." The Queen explained.

"Why were the projects abandoned?" Krystal inquired.

"There were...accidents. Several people important to the project were killed, I elected to end the project before more people suffered."

"I see." Krystal said. She had a feeling the people who had suffered those accidents had been somehow involved in helping cover up the secret base's construction. "What is it you want from me?"

The Queen's formerly impassive visage cracked for just the shortest of moments. Her muzzle curled upward in a smile, and Krystal couldn't help but find the showing of teeth by such an obvious predator a bit unsettling. "I wish to help you. This attack on your people is the act of barbarians. I would help you to stamp them out, as a show of good faith to your people."

"I should tell you, I have been banished by my people. I am no longer one with them."

The Queen's smile darkened and seemed to Krystal to turn truly predatory. "In that case I would help you. But I shall want something in exchange."

A cold feeling of dread stabbed at Krystal's heart. "What?"

"A favor. You will owe me."

"That doesn't sound so bad." Krystal replied, trying to appear as strong as possible. She refused to be intimidated by this woman.

"Then it is done. My warriors will assist you in ending this menace, and in return you will owe me. Take heed though Krystal, though I may not collect immediately, I always do."

"What do you mean there is a delay?"

Sandra Carson did her best not to blanch at the growl coming from Adalius's throat. The wolf had always been intimidating, especially when he seemed to be in a bad mood, but of late he had been growing worse. Sandra wondered if he was growing impatient because their mission was coming to a close. He certainly didn't act like the same nearly emotionless, consistently impassive commander he had for most of their time here. "I'm afraid we have run into trouble increasing yields while keeping the same basic design for the warhead delivery system. The current design that we have been manufacturing since we finished work on the prototypes is unable to maintain containment with the amount of anti-matter needed for the higher yields."

"I see." Adalius replied, crossing his arms. "And how long will it take you to fix this issue?"

"Several weeks I should think." Sandra replied.

Adalius's growl got louder, more intense. "You have two weeks doctor. I am losing patience for these delays. Either make the higher yield warheads ready to deploy, or I will find a replacement for you who can."

With that he left the lab, smacking the door release button before stepping out into the corridor. Sandra breathed an immediate sigh of relief. As the air left her lungs she curled over her desk, letting her head rest in her hands. Two weeks. She had bought herself two weeks. But she knew she couldn't keep delaying. Adalius was losing patience, really losing patience. She'd done everything they needed. Even if she didn't perfect a high yield version of the weapon herself, she knew she'd made enough progress that anyone qualified in her specialty would be able to pick up where she left off. And besides, they'd already produced a significant quantity of the lower yield warheads. The only reason Adalius didn't simply use those was because he wanted to test the higher yield versions. I bought the people down there two weeks. But I haven't a clue how to use it. All I've done is delay the inevitable for them. And if he gets impatient enough he can just use the lower yield weapons he already has, and he knows it. So what have I accomplished, really?

Sandra screamed, sweeping her arms across her desk and sending papers, notebooks, tablets, and other equipment crashing to the floor. Two weeks. What could anyone do with two weeks? Why did she even bother to delay anymore? It didn't matter how much time she bought these people, they were dead. Dead, dead, dead. Every one of them. She didn't even have the option of killing herself. They didn't need her anymore. Keeping her alive seemed more a misguided courtesy than anything else at this point. They kept her alive just so she could have the satisfaction of finishing what she started. Finishing years worth of work that amounted to nothing but a lengthy preparation for mass murder.

Getting out of her chair she began to collect up all the things that had fallen to the floor, doing her best not to wet her notes as she felt the tears falling from her eyes. She had to do something. She would do something. But what?

Adalius stalked down the corridors of the hidden base. But it didn't feel like a base anymore. It felt like a prison. A cold, icy prison that he couldn't escape from. What kept him here? A sense of honor, of duty, of obedience. He stayed because he had been ordered to. He killed because he had been ordered to. He was the perfect soldier, obedient. He didn't question his orders, and if he did he didn't question them for long. But is that right? Is it really being a good soldier if you only do what you're told? The little creeping doubt made its way back into his mind. He hated that doubt. Hated it. Doubt did nothing but get a person killed in the heat of battle. Doubt could lose battles. Could lose wars. He didn't allow himself to doubt his actions. As a commander he could ill afford that level of indecisiveness. But it kept making itself known to him. Kept ambushing him in private moments. The mission seemed changed, the reality of it had sunk in, and it made him doubt himself.

A growl escaped his throat as he looked down the corridor. How many times had he walked down this corridor? Too many times. He missed home. Yes, he missed Macbeth. He missed seeing the smokestacks of the factories. He missed seeing the grey, rocky mountains. He missed coming home and seeing his father.

Dad. Adalius made a sharp left, he had to get to his quarters. No, not his quarters. Anna's. Even as he walked thoughts of his father appeared in his mind's eye. Adalius remembered the way his father would come home, grimy, smelly, and exhausted from a day of labor in the mines, and yet would still smile at him the moment he caught sight of him. The way his father would hug and kiss him before taking a shower. The way he would come back and read to him, help him with his homework. All the silly, mundane little things that parents did for their children. He remembered them all, every minute of time with his father was burned into his memory. Adalius never wanted to forget him.

Another left down the corridor. Anna's door was within sight. But as he walked, his pace quickening, the last memory came to him. They'd been on the base for three years when Anna brought him a datapad with a transmission from the Lylat system. Her ears had been down, she didn't want to meet his gaze. He remembered looking down at the datapad and reading the words there. Dad. I'm so sorry. I should have been there. I should have been there for you. And maybe then you would still be here for me.

He reached Anna's doorway and smacked the door chime button. A moment later the door opened and the she-wolf looked at him. The beginnings of her smile died instantly when she saw him. "Come in."

She stepped aside and Adalius entered. The door slid shut behind him. "Adalius? What's wrong?" Anna asked softly.

The male wolf stood silent for a moment, doing his best to breathe normally. His fists were balled up at his sides. "Another delay."

"Oh."

He turned on her. "Oh? Is that all you can say?" He snapped.

She didn't meet his gaze, her ears tipped back. "What do you want me to say?"

Adalius paused and growled. Not at her, but at himself. He hadn't come here to take out his anger and frustration on her. He'd come here to be with the only person left in his life that he didn't have to keep up a pretense around. He didn't have to be a commander when they were alone together. All he had to be was himself. There was only one other person that he'd been able to do that around. Only one. "I'm sorry I just...I can't stand it here! I want to leave. I want...All I want now is to kill these damned Cerinians so I can go home! I hate them! If it weren't for them my dad never would have..." Adalius trailed off, trying not to choke on the lump in his throat.

"I know." Anna said, stepping closer. "What do you need?"

Sitting down on the edge of her bed Adalius said two words that he knew no one would believe. No one but Anna and his father had, or ever would hear him say them. He said, "Hold me."

Anna nodded and sat down next to him, putting her arms around him as he put his head against her shoulders and cried. Dad. I should have been there. If it weren't for these damned Cerinians I would have been there! Why did you have to die? Why?

Sandra braced herself on her desk as the room shook. Alarms started blaring, forcing her to pin her ears against her head. They found us. She thought. Relief coursed through her. An hour after her meeting with Adalius and now someone had found them. The Cornerians, the Cerinians, whoever it was she didn't care. Someone, someone who didn't like them, had found them! She would have jumped for joy if not for a sudden, disturbing realization. They're going to want to kill me. A cold ball of fear settled in her stomach. She was the murderer responsible for what had happened on Cerinia, it didn't matter if she'd only provided the gun and then let someone else pull the trigger. If they were under attack by those people she wouldn't be surprised if they killed her the moment they knew who she was. Then another thought entered her mind. What will Adalius do?

A new alarm began blaring a few moments later. The evacuation alarm. She realized.

"All non-combat personnel and ship's crew report to the Ra-tem immediately. Security fire teams will hold off the enemy for as long as possible. Say again, all non-combat personnel and ship's crew report to the Ra-tem immediately."

The door to her lab slid open and Anna, Adalius's tactical officer, burst in with a pair of heavily armed guards. "Doctor, we're here to escort you to the Ra-tem. Your warheads are being secured and the commander wants you on board on the double."

Sandra nodded, grabbing her datapad and following the she-wolf out. "What are we going to do?"

Anna looked at her curiously before saying, "I thought it would be obvious. Eight of your current warheads rolled out of production today. We're going to use them. I should congratulate you doctor, the efficiency of your production staff has sealed Cerinia's fate. Well done."

"I-thank you." Sandra said. No. No no no no no. I have to do something. As they made their way towards the launch bay a plan began forming in Sandra's head. A desperate, suicidal plan, but one that might be her only hope.

A/N: Your email does not deceive you, this is indeed a double update, I wanted to get this story done and posted. So, what are you waiting for? Go find out how it ends!