A/N: So thank you everyone for pointing out stuff in your previous reviews. And we'll try to make this chapter longer than the last one, but we aren't promising anything. As usual, we co-own the plot with lines22 and all Star Fox related characters belong to Nintendo. We'd like to thank Chocovi for beta reading this for us. We'd also like to thank Mewone, bryan mccloud, Smarty and the Geek, Mike Prower the Fox, and twilight dragon god for their reviews
Sword: I'll be back in a bit. All this Star Fox talk makes me want to wait for the 3ds version!
That doesn't come out for months.
Sword:...So?I'll take Pen with me!
Pen: What?
Chapter 14- The Lesser of Two Evils
The training had been more intense than Fox had imagined. Due to the late time that they began, he only had a small taste of it, sparring with each of the masters so they could determine exactly how much he knew. Needless to say, he had been humbled before them completely. But the one who represented the ways of Tludic- who called himself Poil- had congratulated him on what he did know, saying that he lasted longer than most others did.
That little lift left a smile on his face as he left, seeking out and finding the Star Fox team, who he accompanied to the evening meal. They had already gathered all their necessities from the Arwings, which they had hidden cleverly nearby the forest in case Star Wolf was flying around.
As they walked, they also answered Fox's questions about what they had been up to ever since they were forced to retreat after their battle over the planet while he sent the information of the native language to their navis so they could understand them better. After refueling and repairing the ship, the team had come back as quickly as they could, first scanning the planet's atmosphere for any possible ships and then the planet itself. It had taken a few days, but after much tracking, they had eventually found Fox's Arwing and the message he had recorded.
However, they had also picked up frequencies from Andross' forces, causing Peppy to suggest they move more cautiously around that area and eavesdrop on them. By listening in to the frequencies, which were changed every day to prevent such spying, they discovered that the young vulpine had hit the trail, leaving the big city they had picked up and headed away from it as far as possible. On the way, they had radioed General Pepper, informing him of the situation and requesting any assistance available. But the general could spare no troops, effectively leaving them on their own in this predicament.
Before they resumed their search, they had retrieved Fox's Arwing, giving Slippy ample time to work on it while the others searched. Yet the mechanic had not fully repaired it, but assured Fox he would when they had some free time. Again, they scanned the planet for another couple of days before finding this village and one other. After confirming that the locals were far behind on technology and that one of them had mentioned Fox by name, James and Slippy had landed on the planet heading for the village. The villages had not been as friendly as they assumed, capturing James and Slippy, whose loud mouth gave away Falco and Peppy. "Or," as Fox interjected in the story, "maybe they saw your big ego, Falco." The bird ignored him. The natives had used the navi on James' wrist to get in touch with the other two, who had translated it on their end. The natives demanded that the others come or they would kill their hostages.
They were left with little choice, which is how all four of them had ended up in the position Fox had found them in. They had landed and hidden the Great Fox before surrendering themselves. Slippy was quick to chime in, thanking Fox for pulling them out of that jam. "Who knows what would've happened!"
"It was better than sittin' around all day, watching little lights blink every few minutes," Falco retorted. "I'd rather be captured and have something be going on than just keep hearing a computer say 'Nothing detected'." He had apparently had enough time to perfect his imitation of ROB during that span of searching.
"That's all behind us now. We're together again," Peppy said.
"Yeah," James agreed, patting his son's shoulder.
When they arrived at the dining hall, both of the tables were abuzz with today's events. Half were pointing out Fox and exaggerating his abilities or what he had faced. The others had already spread rumors about the newcomers and their "flying birds that could destroy a city". It all made for a good laugh for the Star Fox team, who edged around the crowd room to take seats near the head, where the elders were inviting them to once again.
Already waiting for them were Krystal and Nirtana, who Fox introduced once again to the team. He noticed that Nirtana seemed visibly shaken and wondered what had happened. Falco, on the other hand, noticed nothing of the sort and was quick to lay on his boastful charm. "Falco. Ace pilot," he grinned as he presented himself rather than let Fox do it for him.
The princess said it was nice to meet all of them before the entire hall was hushed by the elders. The Sihra was there once again, next to Ryusa, who stood up and looked out amongst the sea of curious faces. She began by welcoming the newcomers and thanking them for volunteering to assist them in their struggle against Andross' forces. Next, she congratulated Fox on completing his trials and announced that Yehhwu had indeed chosen him to be their savior.
But her pleasant smile at this good news dissolved into an ominous frown to introduce the next bit of information she had to share. With Krystal's help, Nirtana had informed them of what had occurred in the city since Fox and Krystal's departure and it was not pretty. She skipped the details on the oppression and violence that Oikonny was imposing on the citizens- which Olletho allowed since he was preoccupied with finding Krystal and Fox- and stuck to the facts: that Star Wolf was aiding them with about thirty strong pilots at least in their own planes and that Oikonny controlled some soldiers in the city who could help them by holding their families hostage in an unknown location and threatening to execute them if for any disobedience. Not to mention that Andross would soon arrive and take over everything there. There were rumors of a small resistance that was only losing ground and troops. But even with their help, Ryusa believed that they were in no position to assault the city.
"With its impenetrable walls and those flying machines, which we can neither reach nor harm with our powers before they would destroy us, we have no hope. We must stay here and wait for a message from Yehhwu," she finished.
There was a loud commotion following the announcement. Some were shocked, having believed that they would liberate the city now that they had a decent sized army of their own. Others approved of Ryusa's decision, saying that it would be suicide if they had gone.
Fox was one of the more vocal opponents and he stood up, finally gaining everyone's attention by trying to speak over them. "What if we were to match their technology and numbers?" he suggested quite loudly.
That calmed everyone down and they sat back, turning all their eyes to him. Peppy could see that Fox had the inkling of a plan in his mind. He urged the young vulpine to continue with a nod, as did the elders who exchanged confused glances with each other. "What do you mean?" Ryusa queried.
He pulled out Falco's blaster from the avian's holster and lifted it high in the air for all to see. A light seemed to dawn in the Sihra's eyes, as if she knew where he was going with this. Everyone else was still in the dark. "Who else on this planet owns such weapons?"
"That would be the Gnarsh," Krystal answered before her own eyes widened. "You do not mean-"
"Yes," Fox nodded. "What if we were to ally with the Gnarsh? They have technology like this you said," he reminded Krystal. "And they probably have a lot of troops as well."
If the volume after Ryusa's decision was loud, then this one was thunderous. Many shouts and insults at their sworn enemy were hurled in his direction while a small group of vocal supporters backed up the idea. Both the princesses and the elders were shocked by the suggestion, the older ones questioning the sanity of an individual who would propose any idea. And the instigator of the uproar sat down next to his team, who were out of their element and wondering who and what the Gnarsh were. To which Fox merely replied that he would tell them later.
It took longer the second time to regain control of the hall, but everyone eventually quieted down. As soon as they did, the elders all gave a unanimous disapproval to his plan. "We would never ally ourselves with those barbaric murderers," they stated, to which many others, including Krystal and her sister nodded in agreement. "They have destroyed and butchered countless villages and would never help us anyway."
"What other choice do we have?" Fox countered. "Olletho could be on us at any moment. And whatever the Gnarsh have done, Andross will be worse. We know him. He has conquered and destroyed planets! If we don't act, that could happen to Cerinia as well!"
A general murmur swam through the crowd as they all exchanged worried and unsure looks with one another. Some stared at the elders for their guidance, but they were just as indecisive. That is until Ryusa declared that they would hold a meeting after the dinner to discuss it, giving Fox a glimmer of hope.
"Sounds like they don't like these Gnarsh guys," Falco whispered. "I hope ya know what you're doing."
Two horrible sounds were joined together in the dark, lonely cell where Slim sat, staring at the dirty bricks. One was the rusty squeaking of the hinges on the door, which he had grown accustomed to when he delivered food. But now noticed and shirked at it every time, for it only meant someone new was coming in to verbally or physically abuse him in some fashion.
The other was a string of hisses that one could only assume were triumphant guffaws. In front of the despondent prisoner stood one of his captors, Leon. "Wakey, wakey," he called the larger one out of his stupor by kicking his body lightly. "Got your food here."
He dropped the tray onto the ground, the violent clatter knocking some bits off. "It's not as high quality as yours, but I'm sure you won't care." He watched gleefully as Slim started to eat the food off the tray, but frowned when he noticed the vulpine was merely nibbling at it. "Not hungry enough? I could just take it and come back later. Or are your standards too high? We'll change that you useless as-"
"As much as I hate to interrupt your verbal abuse," someone oinked behind the lizard, "Oikonny needs to see us. Something about Andross calling again." Pigma walked up to the tray, scooped up some of the slop that had been served, and chowed down on it momentarily before spitting it back up all over the tray. "Oops. Sorry about that," he sneered.
Slim glanced up at them half-heartedly before hanging his head once more, still nibbling at the food. Once they were bored and had left, he let his hunger pangs overtake him, directing his mouth toward each bit of food, whether on the floor or tray, or whether it had already been chewed or not. And somewhere, in the back of his frenzied and animalistic state of mind, he hoped that Rupiel had been fed too and was still holding on.
It did not take long for Oikonny to explain the grievous situation that had him shaken up. His uncle had just called to inform them that the Great Fox had headed for Cerinia and should have already arrived. And since Star Wolf or anyone else had not picked them up, it meant they had given them the slip and were already on the planet.
"Which leads me to believe they must have taken refuge somewhere. Any ideas where that could be?" he turned around, addressing the prince, whom he had included in this meeting. "Is there any place they might be hiding?"
Olletho stroked his chin in thought for a few moments before responding. "Unless they wanted to take their chances with the Gnarsh or the jungles, the only other places would be the Outlying Tribes." After seeing their puzzled faces, he quickly explained who they were and why they had separated from the Cerinians in the city.
"The princesses may have also fled there," Wolf pointed out.
Neither the prince nor Oikonny had considered that. Though the simian was quick to jump on the opportunity to volunteer himself, the others, and a few mercenaries to fly over there and check it out. He reasoned that they could look for Krystal and any of the others and be back soon, to which Olletho had him promise not to harm anyone out there. "We've already had enough bloodshed and they are still our people. I want them treated the same way as the citizens here. However, you may make an exception for Fox and his team. But I would prefer to have him here alive so I can deal with him."
"With pleasure," Oikonny said, bowing low and exiting the room with Star Wolf. They headed outside to their Wolfens, rounding up a few stray men along the way.
"Kill anyone who resists," Oikonny informed them, causing the mercenaries to smile a bit too widely. "If the prince wants them treated the same way as the people here, then that's what we'll do."
Fox debated long into the night with the elders, with many of the villagers staying up to listen in on what the final decision would be. The Star Fox team chose to back up their teammate, detailing and explaining how impossible it would be to defeat Andross and his forces without extra help. The elders stubbornly refused at first, but as the night waned, they began to come around. No one was sure whether it was out of finally being convinced or throwing in the towel so they could rest.
The whole time, the princesses had stayed on the sidelines, both of them agreeing with the two sides. They detested the Gnarsh as much as the elders, but could not deny that Oikonny and his troops had proved very strong already. Maybe they would require outside help that used similar technology.
They managed to persuade Ryusa and two of the others to grant them leave to find the Gnarsh and at least try. Deciding that Fox, Falco, Slippy, and Krystal should go, they gave them as much information as they had on their enemies, only knowing that they were in the north and near battle-scarred lands where nothing grew. When asked why they had never been there by Slippy, Ryusa replied that "We are their boogeymen. They fear our 'odd' ways and we fear their ruthless nature. It works out for both parties."
James and Peppy had volunteered to stay behind in case of trouble. Slippy had elected to do the same, but Falco had pointed out that the mechanic was the only one proficient enough with the navis to help them translate the Gnarsh language in a timely manner. Fox agreed, not wanting to have to be carried to their home in the same manner the Cerinians had done. Nirtana was also confined to the city, being deemed by Krystal and the elders as not yet recovering all of her strength.
After gathering enough supplies and weapons to last them the day's journey- as well as the teachers showing Fox a few techniques he could practice-, they left bright and early, hoping to reach them that evening. Peppy had also supplied Krystal with a navi of her own for translating the Gnarsh language, rather than having to pick out pieces and guess at it like most of her people had done over the years. He also reminded the team that they would be out of radio contact, as the navis did not have as large a communication range as their Arwings or the Great Fox.
Slippy led the way, having brought a scanner that they hoped might pick up any life forms and help them find their destination, while reminding each of them that they would be out of radio contact with the others after a few hours. Falco also stayed nearby, not only so he could check the device every few minutes and release an irritated sigh when he saw nothing, but so he could cheekily grin back at Fox and signal to him to chat up Krystal while he had the chance.
The purple vulpine looked at her and noticed she was deep in thought. He did not want to disturb her, so he turned his head forward again. Although she must have noticed, for her concentration broke and she stared at him. "Yes?"
"Oh, nothing," he answered, not sure what to say. "Just wondering what you're thinking about. Er, not to pry," he quickly covered. "What I mean is, uh- how you doing? Holding up?" He wanted to slap himself and, from Falco's curt glare, he could tell the avian wanted to do the same.
"Fine," she replied. "I will be better after this trip is over and we can go back to the village."
"You guys really hate the Gnarsh, huh?" He waited as she merely nodded and continued. "Would you mind telling me more about it? All you've said is that they came and a war broke out between your people."
Krystal glanced at him, then up ahead where Slippy was still trying to detect anything. She decided it would pass the time and indulged the interested vulpine, starting from the very beginning. She also made a special mention that this was all she had gleaned from history books and from stories handed down by the aged citizens of Cerinia.
When they still had one monarch ruling over them instead of two, the Gnarsh had appeared suddenly out of nowhere. Some claim that they fell from the sky, much like Fox had while others believed them to be evil incarnations of spirits who had, from the dawn of time, plotted and attempted to overthrow Duatlique so they could rule. Whatever the case, they had struck first without any provocation. In fact, the Cerinians had only tried to greet them and ask where they were from when they lashed out. The small scout team that had been sent ahead were slaughtered, save for one who came back home. He crawled in, having suffered a few bullets wounds and had been gored by some sharp instrument. He uttered one word before dying. That word was Gnarsh.
Naturally, they retaliated for this uncalled for attack, prompting the Cerinians in the city and the Outlying Tribes to unite. And since then, both sides had been at constant war with one another. Neither had tried to call a truce, for whenever one went near the opposite side, they were sure to be killed.
Once she finished, Fox believed he had a better grasp on what exactly they were in for. He began to wonder if this was the right course of action. His mind was steeled though and determined when he remembered that Andross, Oikonny, and Olletho had to be taken down though. If that meant risking a meeting with the Cerinians' sworn enemy, then so be it.
It did not appear as if he had to worry about that anytime soon though, as Slippy had still not located one single life form in their vicinity. They walked along in silence for a few minutes afterwards before Krystal posed a question of her own. "What is this Andross like? You speak of him as if he were Oscurean himself, out to destroy all of Yehhwu's creations."
"In a way, he is," Fox responded, guessing at the supposed role of this Oscurean. "He desires only power and has killed many people to obtain it. And with his scientific background, he has been able to create horrible machines and build bases faster than we can demolish them. He is a threat to the entire galaxy, perhaps the universe."
That piece of doomsay left a heavy silence in the air for a few moments before Krystal turned the discussion in another direction. "I know it is a little late to ask this, but do you have anyone waiting for you at home?"
"No," he assured her. "The only people from home that are important to me are the team and General Pepper and a few friends as well." He thought he sensed a bit of relief lift off her shoulders. Perhaps he was gaining psychic powers as well.
The rest of the time they chatted about little things, delving into each other's lives and becoming more acquainted with one another. Up ahead, Falco could only continue to grin as he saw the connection strengthening between them. The avian was also alert to silence Slippy if the frog talked too loud and reminded the vulpines that they were not alone, which happened quite often.
It was well past sunset when they finally approached charred ground that smelled suspiciously of laser fire. Fox pulled out the spare blaster he had been given as Falco did the same with his own. Krystal retrieved her staff, extending it from it's compact, pencil length to normal size and pointed it in front of her. Slippy fumbled with the scanner, picking up on their tension and becoming nervous himself.
"What's the scanner say?" Fox hissed, causing the amphibian to spin around and search for anything in their area.
After a few moments, he shook his head. "Nothing. Nothing is showing up."
That still did not put them at ease. The scent that overwhelmed the place was still fresh. Perhaps they had been out here earlier practicing with their guns. Whatever the case, they knew they were close. Not a single sign of green vegetation was found. Further in, the land only became more cracked and blacker than the night. It was as if they were standing on the source of all darkness itself.
Judging by the technology he had seen of this unknown race, Fox would not put it past them to be cloaked and in hiding. He also would not be surprised if the ground they stood on was laced with mines or other booby traps. He asked Slippy if they could find any of that with the scanner, to which the frog replied that he could adjust it to find anything in the ground. But as for anybody out there, the scanner was too weak to penetrate a cloaking veil.
They allowed him a few minutes to tweak the setting and he gestured to them when he was done. They huddled closer to him as Slippy led the way once more. But, according to him, there did not appear to be anything to worry about. "There are no traps of any kind Fox near here," he said in a low voice. "I think you're just-"
Suddenly, several figures sprang from out of the deep darkness around them. They could not see any features save for the large guns they held in their hands and pointed at the group. "Not worrying enough," Slippy corrected himself as one barrel was pointed at his forehead.
Fox stood in front of Krystal, raising his hands high while Falco was looking for any opportunity to gain an upper hand and possibly shoot their captors. But they left no weakness in sight and simply pushed the group along, further into the darkness and grunting orders at them. It could only be the Gnarsh, and their suspicions were confirmed when Krystal telepathically told them it was. One relieved them of their guns and staffs, stuffing them into a sack they he carried.
Thankfully, they had surreptitiously set their navis to begin translating this new language. The Gnarsh had not noticed so far. They could only hope it would stay that way.
Up ahead, Oikonny and the others had located their target. On the vestiges of a forest lay one of the villages they were searching for. In fact, they had taken to circling it while the simian declared their demands for Krystal and Nirtana, promising the spare everyone else if they let them go and handed over any of the fugitives they were pursuing. He had been answered by blaster fire, greatly shocking him at first until he realized that Star Fox was on the planet and at least one must be down there. Following that were several various missiles of elements that nearly took him out.
"Fine! Have it your way!" Oikonny ended the outside communication and radioed the other Wolfens. "Level the place! Show them who runs this planet!"
The two other mercenaries who had been brought along were only too happy to comply with that order. They dove in, scaring the villagers into hiding with laser shots while Star Wolf focused on putting as many holes into the huts as possible.
It was complete carnage, but none of the attackers seemed to mind. At least until one of the mercenaries shot into a crowd of people, killing a few and burning several others. That was when Wolf halted in mid-air and launched into a fit against them. "Hey, be careful with your aim! We were told not to kill the villagers! And we don't harm innocents, got it? We're here to kill Star Fox and only Star Fox."
There was silence on the other end for a few moments before Oikonny butted in with his own reply. "What does it matter? Andross will rule here soon anyway, so these insignificant vermin will die sooner or later anyway. Besides, my uncle is paying you good money. Just do your job by whatever means."
Wolf wanted to refuse to do so, but on an open line like this- and not knowing the rest of his team's opinion on the subject- he stayed quiet for now, lest he be betrayed and shot down for money. He continued to attack the village structures and watched as Oikonny led the two hired hands to drive the locals into a tight-knit circle.
Once he felt that they had demonstrated enough of their power, Oikonny landed, but commanded the others to keep flying and train their sights on the villagers in case things got out of hand. He approached the frightened group, smiling broadly at them and reveling in their fear of him. Though he did notice that a few of the older vulpines looked more furious than afraid, leading him to guess that they must be some sort of leaders for this tribe.
"Greetings," he dipped his body insincerely and rose back up. "I am Oikonny, nephew to the great and mighty Andross. Where may we find Princess Krystal and Princess Nirtana?"
No one answered him, causing the simian to shrug and pull out his blaster. "I won't ask again," he said testily, pointing the weapon at several people before letting it stop on a young teenager. "Where are they?"
"They're not here!" someone in the middle shouted. Oikonny turned away from the frightened vulpine, who ducked into the crowd, and aimed his weapon away, searching for the source of the person who answered. He did not have to look long, for they made their way to the front of the group. And the simian was quite surprised, not to mention pleased, that before him stood the leader of Star Fox, complete with his flight jacket and sporting his charismatic sunglasses still.
"Such a shame," Oikonny chuckled. He pressed the barrel of his gun against James' temple. "How about the rest of Star Fox?"
"They went with them," he lied. "Out into the desert."
"All alone?" The monkey gazed out at the empty wasteland that James was staring at. "What for?" The vulpine refused to answer. "It doesn't matter. Probably just went to find some more help from tribes like this, eh?" He nodded at the cowering villagers. "Won't make any difference if they find anyone or not. We'll just wipe them out too. Or maybe the desert or those so-called Gnarsh will do it for us."
His captive refused to comment. "Doesn't matter. I'm sure Andross will be happy to see you behind bars again. And this time, you won't escape." With that assurance, he butted James on the back of his head, knocking him out before radioing the mercenaries to come help him.
"What should we do with the villagers?" one of them asked.
Oikonny looked over at the herd of vulpines. "Leave them. I think we've proved we're not to be trifled with. After all, what can they do against our might? I do believe they should witness my uncle takeover of their pathetic planet. Besides, they may still be useful later on as slaves in Andross' empire."
He shut off his communicator and saluted the villagers. "Enjoy your freedom for now! Soon, you will come to know of Andross' might!" He laughed maniacally as he headed back for his Wolfen to call Olletho while the mercenaries landed to transport James. And in the air, the rest of Star Wolf kept the villagers from trying any daring rescue by keeping their weapons trained on the ground around them.
Olletho hated the stench of the dungeon. Of course it emanated from the prisoners and their lack of any hygiene. Since they were only given meager amounts of food and nothing else, he could blame no one, but himself. That still did not mean that he liked coming down here. He had just received word that Krystal was nowhere to be found. He decided that another approach was in order.
Down in the prison, away from all the rest, was a particular person whom he had made a special effort to keep confined. He passed both Rupiel and Slim on the way, staring down his nose at the two pathetic masses, before reaching his intended cell. He pulled out a key and unlocked it, the old, rusty key threatening to snap off in the lock at any moment.
Pushing open the heavy door that was devoid of even a window like the others, he stepped inside, allowing only a little light to shine upon his prisoner. Said person looked up, realized who had come to visit her, and turned away as much as she could, though the chain clamped onto her ankle did not allow much movement. Her starved body was not helping either.
"Hello, Queen Kiahuacochil. Or should I say ex-Queen," he sneered. He had not allowed anyone to lay a hand on her for fear of possible reprisal from the population or Krystal. But he had taken measures to ensure that she was too weak to use telepathy or anything else to let people know she was trapped here, much less escape. He honestly did not want to hurt her, but she had let in Fox. In a way, she had caused all of this. Now he was paying for it, as was Krystal, who was possibly in danger somewhere.
"What do you want?" she said weakly, trying not to look at him.
"Krystal and absolute power," he answered playfully, attempting to lighten the mood. "But mostly the first. She is missing and possibly in danger. We have yet to find her."
"And you want my help locating her?"
"Precisely. I will move you to better quarters," he offered, giving her dirty conditions a once over, "with plenty of food and anything else you need. All you have to do is try to reach her. Tell her to come home."
She did not even pause to consider it before whispering, "So she will be pressed into marriage with you and forced to stay here? No."
"What are you talking about? Are you daft? She was going to marry me anyway!" he shouted in her face. "And you were fine with it!"
"That was before she found love."
His face scrunched into itself as his ears flattened on top of his head. That was one thing he had been denying and still refused to listen to…which is why he was quick to leave, vowing that he would find her and eliminate Fox from the equation. He slammed the door, leaving her in complete darkness once more as he punched the wall, wanting to convince himself that the tears welling up in his eyes were due to the pain in his hand rather than his heart.
Fox was beginning to grow weary of entering every new territory as a prisoner, escorted by armed guards, troops, or whatever lived there. But that was wiped away by his shock at the home base of the Gnarsh. The rumors and speculations that they were from another world must be true, given where they lived.
There was no grand city surrounded by imposing walls that dared invaders to attack. Nor was it even so simple as huts that allowed a more open line with nature. No, the Gnarsh were more practical. Sticking up, with its nose in the ground, was a large aircraft. Its dimensions spanned more than that of the Great Fox, yet it had years of disrepair attributed to it. Holes revealed the underlying skeleton mesh while the wings and engines were bent at odd angles or completely broken off. In fact, the only thing that seemed to still be intact and working fine were the turrets mounted on the sides, which swiveled in their direction as they approached, carefully following the lead Gnarsh who guided them through a maze of hidden traps.
When they reached a door on the side, Fox noticed a camera above zoom in on them. A piggish voice grunted, "Identify yourself."
The lead one's speech was still a little indecipherable, as their navis had not translated all of it yet, but he gave his name and said he was delivering prisoners that their leader would want to meet. The lens of the camera faced Fox and the others each before righting itself. The door slid up, letting in a small amount of charred sand.
They were shoved inside quickly before it shut on them again. Now they could see even less, though Fox guessed it was similar to most other ships he had seen. If he had to guess, he would peg them as having entered a cargo bay of some sort. It was quite large, but felt empty at the moment. The only light came from some red emergency bulbs highlighting the doors and the small lights attached to the soldiers' guns, which they turned on and shined at the group.
"This way," the leader bellowed, heading for one of the eery red others shuffled along, shoved at times by the butt of rifles, to which Falco nearly started a brawl over. The corridor they walked through was a little slippery and angled down, leading them closer to the nose of the ship.
At last, they arrived at the control room up front. There were long forgotten monitoring stations and steering wheels covered up by sand that poured in through the broken windows. Whatever was not buried was coated in dust or home to some foreign creature. The lead Gnarsh led them through, heading to a wall on the right that was scorched just like the land outside.
He gave it three sharp raps followed by two intermittent ones. The wall slid away to allow another figure to step out. The two huddled in whispers for a moment before waving over their comrades. Again, the group was forced into another long hallway that lay behind the hidden door, filing in one by one. This time, it was hollowed out of the sand and underlying rocks. And it had a gradual descent that twisted and turned for a good while.
When they hit rock bottom and the path leveled out, Fox was once again taken aback by his new surroundings. For once again, he found himself in a city he had not expected. It was dank and somewhat dark, but lit up enough that he could see that the Gnarsh had taken rocks, sand, and anything else they could dig out of the planet, and built homes with them. They appeared more practical than what the Cerinians had and were lined with defensive measurement, like rocks sharpened into spearheads along windowsills or nets over doorways that were ready to catch intruders, as he saw for himself. Other than that, they were modestly tall and varied from weapons dealers and other merchants to storied apartment-like buildings. There was not much room down there and they needed to use every inch possible.
Due to the light in the area, the vulpine could now properly see their captors. It was not a pretty sight. They did bear a resemblance to Pigma, but were more foreboding and larger. And that was before he noticed they were all a sickly to faded green color. They were covered in warts and had large bottom teeth erupting from their jowls that rose up and met horns coming out the side of their noses. Rather than possessing multiple layers of fat and skin like Star Wolf's team member did, this race was built more heavily with muscle in addition to rotund bellies and faces. And almost all of them were armed to the teeth, dressed from head to toe in battle gear and holstering guns of all kinds. Some even brandished melee weapons, like clubs and large hammers.
Krystal took the liberty of telling them, through telepathy, that the Gnarsh valued honor and battle prowess among anything else, not to mention being extremely proud of their race and those two values. And while she found them savage monsters, she did relent that they would not do anything to sully those pillars of their culture. Fox took it to mean that as long as they were respectful and did not lie about their intentions, there should be no problem. It still did not mean he was not on edge for any sudden change or unexpected circumstance to crop up.
He did not have much of a chance to gawk at the underground city though. Pretty soon, they had reached the tallest building there and were pushed inside. A few wooden doors later and there were face to face with the largest Gnarsh Fox had seen yet. He sat back in a captain's chair, spinning himself back and forth between the four outsiders brought before him. The one who had been leading the way the whole time was whispering into the seated one's ear, who stroked the stray hairs on his chin in silence. All around the room were other guards, barely illuminated by bulbs connected by wires running along the stone walls. A small, blood red carpet was laid at the chair's edge while a console of unknown function was built into the far wall, displaying all sorts of screens and numbers.
After his soldier was done, he turned to Fox and Krystal and gave a thumbs down. Fox knew that could not be a good sign. He was right, for several hands snatched up Krystal and himself, pulling them out of the room and back into the hallway. "Wait! Wait! I need to speak with you!"
The soldiers dropped him, their eyes widening in surprise. When Fox looked up, he noticed that the one in the chair was equally astonished. "A Cerinian who speaks our language?" he rumbled lowly in his throat.
The purple vulpine picked himself up, offering a brief explanation. Slippy helped him translate it, as his navi had deciphered the language faster than the others. "I'm not a Cerinian. This just happened while I've been here." He waved to his whole body before giving a curt bow. "My name is Fox McCloud. And we have come to ask you for your assistance. My team," he pointed them out, "and Princess Krystal of the Cerinians." He nodded at her, noticing that she was still being held by a couple of guards.
The old, battle-scarred man looked between them for a moment, shutting his eyes so that a large gash that ran down his left side looked as if it were a replacement eye. Suddenly, he burst into uproarious, slapping his knee and pounding the arm of his chair. "Oh this is rich!" he declared in between snorts and fits of guffaws. "You mean to tell me that after all the Cerinians have done, they expect us to help them with a problem?"
"This is a matter of great importance!" Krystal spoke up. "If you would just listen and aid us, we-"
"I'll do nothing of the sort," the Gnarsh interrupted, cutting off his own laughter. "I'd rather see you all put out of your misery! It's no less than you deserve after you attacked us first and started all this!"
"We attacked?" Now Krystal was kicking at the men still holding her. "You attacked us! We sent emissaries to greet you and you murdered them!"
"Lies! We came peacefully, but you came with spears, ready to kill us! You killed our people first!"
"How can you understand us?" the old man asked. "We pride ourselves on knowing our enemy. How else can one defeat someone that they know nothing about?" he explained briefly. "It is one of our battle tenets. We have studied their language for years and try to teach at least a few phrases to everyone we can. But how can you speak ours as well as you do?"
Slippy showed off his navi and informed them of how it had translated their speech for them. "Though it does contain some root words to our own."
"That makes sense. We do come from this galaxy. Perhaps even near you. Many years ago, we crash landed here and have been unable to leave. We might've been able to repair our ship and go home much sooner if not for these filthy, haughty dogs attacking us!" he shot at Krystal.
"Why you inbred, barbaric-"
"Hold it!" Fox interjected loudly, stepping between them, putting up a hand in Krystal's direction to silently plead with her to hold back any more insults or accusations. Before she could protest mentally, he reminded her that they needed the help. He turned to the Gnarsh and continued. "I don't know what happened between your people, but the threat of Andross is not confined to just this planet. He'll destroy the whole galaxy if no one stops him."
"Andross?" the old man stroked his beard once more. "We have picked up communications mentioning an Andross. Usually in hushed whispers that one uses while looking over their shoulder. More recently, we have been detecting a large influx of ships roaming the planet's atmosphere."
Seizing the chance, now that he appeared interested in the subject, Fox divulged all information to him. How the ships were Andross' hired guns and more would soon be here. He also re-told what had become of the Cerinians' city and how this incoming army would need a combined might to take it out.
Once he finished, he waited impatiently for the Gnarsh leader to speak. When he did, he was relieved to hear that they would consider it. "However," the old Gnarsh raised his stubby finger, "only if you are willing to prove that we should help you." He could see the confusion on their faces and cleared his throat. "Those who are weak deserve no help, unless they offer something useful in return. And since you come bearing nothing of the sort, you must prove your strength. For all I know, you could be exceptionally weak as could this Andross and we wouldn't need your help at all. So show us how strong the Cerinians and you outsiders are."
"We could help you repair your ship! Or give you energy to raise it!" Slippy said, ticking off suggestions on his fingers. "Or transport you-"
"And how long would that take?" Fox cut him off. "We need their help now. So whatever you want us to do, just name it. Let's just get it over with as soon as possible."
The Gnarsh leader nodded to the one that had taken their weapons, who dropped the bag and opened it. He lifted his large girth out of the chair, showing how much he stood out among his people by his size and strands of white hair on his chin. He waddled over toward the sack, reaching inside and pulling out a blaster. "You say you come in peace, but you bring weapons," he mused, causing the group to glance warily at each other. "Very fine weapons at that. I think I'm beginning to like you, Fox McCloud and team," the Gnarsh leader grinned, showing just how many teeth he had lost over the years. "As such, the challenger may have whatever weapon of their heart desires. Now who will step up to the challenge?"
Without a moment of thought on his part, Fox volunteered. Figuring he had already danced with the devil enough times to qualify as a permanent dance partner, he was ready to risk his life yet again to protect everyone else. He thought about picking up his trusty blaster as he strode over to the weapons, sure in its capabilities. But since he was not sure of any rules that would come into play, or where they would be fighting, he decided laser blasts may not be the best idea. So he picked up his staff instead.
This earned him curious looks by the Gnarsh, particularly the leader, who questioned why he would choose that. "I thought you said you were not a Cerinian."
"He is not a Cerinian," Krystal explained, looking at the vulpine. "He is special." She paused before the last word, smiling gently at him as he did to her.
"I was planning on having you fight Lor'tare, one of our strongest warriors," the leader said, pointing at the one who had led them to the city. "But if you are really as special as to wield Cerinian weapons with none of their blood in you, then I want to have the honor of fighting such an interesting opponent."
"Very well," Fox agreed. "What time?"
"In an hour," the leader replied. "You shall have the rare opportunity of facing Kah'ret Ular, champion of the Gnarsh!" Kah'ret turned to Slippy and walked over to him. Before the frog could shirk too far away, he asked, "Did you create that device?" He pointed at the navi. When Slippy nodded, he continued, "Do you know anything about engines or ships?"
"Only about everything you can imagine," Falco muttered.
"Then maybe you could assist some of my mechanics. We have reached a dilemma with our repairs to our main vessel. Not that we've had much of a chance to repair her so much as fortify her defenses. But the sooner this problem is resolved, then the sooner we can leave."
"Sure!" Slippy replied, excited about the chance to study something other than standard aircraft that he saw on a day to day basis.
"We will be watching you though," he warned. "We'll send for you when the battle begins. Until then," he waved over one of his men and instructed him to lead beaming mechanic to the source of the problem.
After Slippy left, the others were allowed to roam free for the next hour as well. Kah'ret said he would summon them as well when it was time for the battle. This left Fox with both Krystal and Faclo questioning his actions in there. Falco was wondering whether it was wise to let the frog go off on his own. "After all, he's not exactly a fighter," he reasoned. To which the vulpine had replied that anything that helped them get in the Gnarsh's good graces was worth it. Not to mention that the Gnarsh did not want to be there, something the Cerinians could say they agreed with their enemy on.
"So why not help them out with that? Besides, Slippy seemed more than willing to go."
Krystal was much more worried about the fight. From the way she detailed it, the Gnarsh were extremely brutal. They were exceptional fighters, rivaling the Cerinians and possibly better than them. While the Gnarsh may not have been the best tacticians or had the grace of supernatural powers like the Cerinians did, there was no doubt that in a head-on fight with one, the challenger was most likely destined to lose. That was why most of her people choose to attack in a surreptitious manner or lay traps for them instead.
"And there is the matter of their pride. This battle will not be like the one with Olletho. They will fight to the death or until you surrender, in which case they may just decide to kill us," she finished.
Before Fox could inquire if there was any "good" news, Falco spoke up with his own thoughts, "Who's to say that they may even help us? If you hurt their pride, maybe they'll just refuse and off us anyway."
"No, I do not think so," Krystal said, shaking his head. "They are proud, but also honorable. But a loss may dishonor them to the point of feeling they cannot help or choosing to wallow in shame. Or it may cause a coup, causing them to think Kah'ret is weak. In that case, they may try to choose a new leader and that will take too much time. Though this is all speculation. I am unsure of how they will act."
So now, he had to contend with not only winning and saving their skins, but he had to avoid wounding the pride of Kah'ret as well. He gazed upwards while his two companions continued to offer worrying advice and pondered on what his father would do in this situation.
A/N: Another one down! Let us know what you think!
Sword: C'mon Pen! We have to get down there!
Pen: I said no!
Sword: *ties him to the hood of a car* To the store!
Pen: Aggggggggggggggghhhhhhhhhhhh!
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