Fox replaced his booster pack in the refueling station in the foreward docking bay of the Great Fox III next to an identical device also being replaced. The paws that manuevered it into the port were a familiar shape with slim fingers and deep blue fur. Krystal looked out of place in a white blouse and blue jeans in a military setting. She made herself as small as possible, an easy task in the massive hangar.
"Fox..." Krystal's voice permiated the air. "Thank you."
"For what?"
"Coming back for me." the little blue vixen crossed one leg behind the other and looked at her feet.
"You were my first choice." Fox looked his ex in the eye, her piercing blue eye...
"How? There are so many other choices... Bill, Katt, a pilot from the navy, but you came for me... Why?"
It was Fox's turn to look at his feet. "It just seemed right. Bill is an excellent pilot, but he's busy with his squadron. Katt only dropped by for fun and Falco, and now he's gone." He cleared his throat. "I already have Peppy and Slippy, but neither of them specialize in piloting. Slippy's a better mechanic than fighter and Peppy..." Fox's voice caught after saying his surrogate father's name. "Peppy's getting old. He want's to ignore his age but he's getting slower."
"Fox, I understand. You're feeling alone, but I can sense I drag up bad memories." Krystal started to walk to the ladder to the catwalk but was stopped by a tense orange paw. She looked over her shoulder and found a stern face looking strait at her.
"Krystal, I forced my team away. I almost destroyed my fathers legacy over a selfish desire, to keep you safe. I know you can defend yourself, and I shouldn't have pushed you away. Now Falco is dead, and I know it's my fault... I'm not going to make the same mistake again! This I vow until the day I die!" the little blue vixen was taken back for a second. Fox had never been this foreward with her, not during the Aparoid war, not ever.
"I... I never knew you felt that way..."
"Lets not dwell on it. We need to get to the bridge, we'll stop by your quarters so you can get into uniform."
"O... ok"
...
Fox walked through the doors to the spacious bridge and quickly made his way to the command level. His boots resenated on the cold steel floor and echoed off the blast grade walls. He wagged his tail a bit even though he was used to being in the vastly superior bridge. The vulpine sat in his black leather chair and sank into the cusioning a bit and started to tap on his control console.
"Fox, where's Krystal?" Slippy piped up. "The internal sensors show she's onboard."
"In her quarters, she'll show up when she's ready." Fox focused on the console and tried to ignore the blue vixen in his mind's eye. "Sensors are also showing a .06 phase varience in the portable gate generator.
"That's in tolerence." Fox and Slippy continued to swap techno-talk while Peppy worked on correcting all the issues that were being brought up until the doors swished open.
A ghostly silence fell over the bridge and a slim figure walked slowly and seductively to the middle of the science level. The three present crew members stood at attention at the sight of the fouth. The figure opened her lips and her smoothe accent rippled through the vulpine's ear.
"Krystal, reporting for duty... Sir." she slung the last word playfully at her commanding officer who examined her new uniform. It was mostly the same except for two modifications. A diamond was cut out of the belly of the leather that reached from the bottom of her ribs to just over her belt and a leather short skirt over her leggings.
"Welcome to the bridge, Krystal. Take your station at the helm. As for you two," the vulpine looked at the two other members. "Slippy, take the engineering station. Peppy, you've got operations, I'll take tactical." the members all departed for their assigned stations and sounded off one by one.
"Engines and thrusters, online." Sounded Slippy.
Peppy was next "Ships systems at 100%"
Krystal unlocked the helm. "Awaiting further orders."
"Tactical systems online. Krystal, lay in a course to Katina. We're going to rendevous with the main Cornerian fleet. Break orbit and activate the gate.
"Yes, sir."
"Krystal..." she looked up. The voice returned. "We're back..."
Authors Note: Yes! Yes! It is indeed me! I'm back, now and I know that I've taken way too long for this short of a chapter. But, hear me out, my computer couldn't save text documents and after it finally did, I lost the first draft of the chapter so I hope this does the trick. either way, Ill be back soon. Have fun in school! imma signin off.