A/N: I'm going to take a little break from this story and finish The Curse. I won't be gone terribly long. This will allow me to attack this new Reflections of Marcus enemy the proper way. The Curse, Reflections of Regret, Detente and Reflections of StarFox have been waiting for my return. I have so much work to do!


Chapter -28-
"Marcus and Fara"

"Mayhaps it is time to fall back and formulate a game plan." Panther Caruso removed the white gloves from his paws, folded them and put them into a pocket on his flight suit. He reached behind himself and unfastened it then shrugged off the torso plate. "There are certainly more than one of these things out there," said the feline, unable to take his eyes off of the black alien fighter sitting silently on the flight deck. "When I said an invasion force, I meant it. They put the Aparoids to shame. In the humble opinion of this cat, Lylat's past trials against Andross, the Aparoids as well as the Anglars… they were all merely a test of this system's character by comparison to what we'll be facing when this invasion force shows itself again."

Fara and Marcus exchanged glances then turned back towards Caruso. Fara lowered her ears and said, "We've only seen one ship. Where did you see this fleet?"

"It was more of a scouting force, approximately twelve large ships and fifteen fighters, including this one," he explained with a nod towards the fighter. "We should recall your amphibian friend and his father… and have them rip out the cloaking device and study it… perhaps even replicate it so we know what we're up against. Panther was barely victorious in battle, downing this thing. One cannot even CALL it a ship! It bled! The fighter… it bled. And internal sensors didn't register it as an enemy fighter… it displayed as an organic creature with metal plating."

Marcus brought his paw up to his forehead. "Okay, okay… we'll figure it out soon enough. There's so much going on right now it's hard to think. We've got Venom drama, we've got a reptile fleet that is on our side against Venom but they're so racist that they don't even want anything to do with us. We've got freaky aliens showing up and we have a half-breed Krazoan woman dictator. Does that about cover all the basics?"

Fara offered her mate a lame grin. "And we have an exhausted Venom population, a wounded Cornerian population and a group of young mercenaries trying to fix everyone's problems before the elderly mercenaries can figure out what's going on. Maybe Panther is right. We should step back and look at everything to see if we can't focus on the bigger picture."

"See? She agrees with Panther, youngling."

"Youngling?" Marcus furrowed his brows, not bothering to glance back at Caruso. "I should ship your tail over to my father's vessel but I don't want you anywhere near my mother. Maybe I'll send you back to Corneria instead… how's that sound?"

"Panther is not a prisoner," snorted the large black-furred feline. "Your impudence is rather…"

"Shut up." Marcus turned back to Fara and shrugged. "So, if there was some way to contact Darius or have another vision of the Oracle… that would be my first option. For now, I think we'll regroup and go watch some Holo-Vision together… just you and me under the covers. What'dya say to that?"

"Perfect." Fara rubbed the side of her nose with her paw then cut her eyes towards Caruso. "Make yourself useful. The soap and wax are in a locker on the port side bulkhead. Get to work."

Panther snorted. "Panther shall find himself some guest quarters."

Marcus and Fara started walking off the flight deck together. "I'll have ROB recall everyone for the night. Then we'll go and pick up Theodore so he and Vivian can start working on this alien ship." His communicator chirped in his pocket. Marcus withdrew the device and flipped open the lid then read a notification tag on the screen. "Hmm, looks like we'll have to rendezvous with my father. Slippy sent me a message; he thinks he fixed the dampener add-on for my staff. He seems confident that it will fix the heating and power consumption issue from before. It'll be safer to use, now."

"Good, that makes me feel better about you using that thing." Fara slid her paw into McCloud's back pocket as they walked together. "I'm finally starting to get used to the peripatetic lifestyle of a StarFox mercenary. It won't be easy on the baby, though." The doors slid shut behind them with a thump.

Out on the flight deck, Panther Caruso folded his arms. "So… the daughter of Zerda Phoenix shall become a mother soon. Interesting." He stared at the doors leading out of the flight deck for another moment then glanced back at the locker on the portside bulkhead. "Wash and wax their fighters… how presumptuous of her to make such a suggestion. Hmm, I wonder how Father Fox would react to this news."

A voice came from above. "Dude, don't be a dick and go around starting drama like that. Seriously."

Panther glanced up and smirked at Crimson O'Donnell on a catwalk. "I see the acoustics in this flight deck are quite good for listening in on quiet conversations."

Red lifted his paw and pointed up. "It's the multiple small dome-shaped sections in the ceiling. It's meant to dampen the sound of the main guns firing above us, while deflecting sound back down into the flight deck. It's angled so that when a fighter blasts off, the sound is deflected straight back to the deck instead of back towards the flight crew at the back of the room."

"Mm, the lesson is unnecessary. Panther does not wish to build a venue stage here on the flight deck. Were you trying to change the subject?"

"Look, old man, Krystal McCloud is telepathic. So I'm sure Fox already knows. The fact you plan on bringing it up to him is lame. It's your way of trying to start drama. No wonder Marcus' mother dumped you twice. Oh, and speaking of Marcus… he's a pretty keen businessman. We saved your tail and now we're providing transportation until your fighter is flight-worthy. Expect to receive a bill. Or! You can help out around here. Start by going to that locker on the portside bulkhead. And don't forget to use two coats of wax. I'll call my father to come and pick you up. Oh, and stay away from my sister. She can't stand you." Crimson casually strolled off the catwalk with a smirk and entered a maintenance junction labeled "Engineering."

Caruso ground his teeth together and glanced back at the locker across the way with, 'Cleaning supplies' stenciled across the front. "Ignorant children," he groused.


x-

Marcus gestured for Fara to enter their quarters first. He followed her in and turned on the lights. "Look, hon, there's something I've wanted to give you and we've been busy… lot of things going on and all that. But…" he stuffed his paw into his pocket and used his finger to dig the ring out of his wallet. "I'm not really good with words. I'm not really the kind of guy who goes out and buys a card or hires a poet to write something for me… I would rather show you something than to tell you something, you know?"

Fara turned about, paws on her hips, with a sly grin. "Okay, McCloud. What's going on in that boyish head of yours? This isn't about the pregnancy is it? I don't really need anything beyond a good foot rub." She paused then the grin returned to her svelte muzzle. "Although you could say, 'Big, Dumb and Foxy reporting for booty!' and salute me. But… I suppose just a foot rub would be sufficient."

He couldn't help but chuckle. "Yeah, you know you can count on me for that." He withdrew his paw from his pocket, keeping the ring between his thumb and his palm. "No, I didn't go out and get you something for the pregnancy." He approached her until they were rather close to one another. "I'm honored that you wear the necklace I gave you. The stone in it is from Cerinia, a world I've never even seen before, yet it's apart of me. And now it's apart of you. A little piece of Cerinia is growing inside of you. One day that necklace will become a family heirloom to be passed on but that's no reason you shouldn't be able to have a piece of Cerinia… a piece of me… for yourself to have and to hold for the rest of your life, right? And that's sorta what I'm trying to say here – something for us that is symbolic and signifies our desire to have and to hold one another.

"Fara, when I first met you, I was a boy by comparison. I couldn't rub two credits together, I couldn't afford fighters or repairs to this ship… and you came along and helped me. You got into a fist fight with some junkyard dogs just to get parts that would get my ship off the ground soon enough that we could get moving without delay. You've always been there to make sure I succeed and, thanks to you, I feel like I'm successful. They always say behind every great man is a greater woman and, I mean… I really want you to be the woman behind me. Does that make sense?"

Fara slid her paws around his waist and pulled him forward until they were pressed together, chest to chest. She lifted her head and whispered into his ear. "Yes."

Overcome with emotion, Marcus struggled to sense the meaning behind what he thought she might have been alluding to. "Yes?"

"Is that a ring behind your back, or are you just happy to see me?" She paused for dramatic effect then added, "I said yes. Now let's see it – not to sound greedy but, c'mon… it is an engagement ring, isn't it?" She spoke calm and slow as if wording her thoughts carefully, "I'm a woman, so, obviously, I'm dying to see it."

Marcus smiled brightly and felt confident now that he was back in control of the situation. Despite the emotional block he set for himself, he could plainly sense the excitement she bottled. She wanted desperately to see what her engagement ring would look like. Her heart was racing and she was practically sweating despite the outward appearance of calm. He brought his paws from behind his back and snatched her left paw, keeping close to her so that she couldn't look down. "Let me ask the question anyhow. This is the fun part, after all." He kept his paws overtop of her left then lowered to one knee. "Fara Marie Phoenix, will you accept my hand in marriage?"

She nodded quietly, licked her lips then in an almost shy, dulcet tone, she said, "Yes." The sudden coyness of her voice was sexy and submissive to his masculine ego.

He took her left paw in his left paw then took the ring in his right and turned it over so that the jewel mount was facing upwards. Carefully, he eased the symbolic article of his affection up to her first knuckle then he pulled her paw to his lips and kissed where the ring rested on her paw. "Nothing would make me happier than to be your husband. You'll make the most beautiful bride in Lylat and I can't wait to see you in a wedding dress."

Phoenix reached down, took his shirt collar and tugged. He stood and she threw her arms around his neck and pressed her lips against his in a kiss of gratification and love. Marcus slid his arms around her waist and lifted her up then pivoted on his heel. They spun about the living room area of his quarters together. Her feet knocked over a potted plant by the wall, spilling soil on the floor. Together they dropped to the sofa with her half-splayed across his lap, her legs out across the couch.

She looked up into his eyes and in the most feminine voice she could offer, she said, "Tell me you love me. Tell me how you love me as much as I love you."

"I love you," he said. "I love you and I adore you. I've never felt this way about anyone before. When I heard about feelings like this in a book, I thought the writer was simply overdramatizing romance for the sake of the female readers… but now I know what it truly feels like to experience love like this."

They held one another on the sofa. "Marcus, does your culture have some sort of tradition where the bride and groom share their thoughts and minds with one another or something?"

"Actually, no," he replied. "There's no need for a telepathic bonding because both sides are already able to read each other's thoughts… but if you want to start our own tradition, I would love to share everything with you so that you know my true feelings and so you're able to sense my every thought. It's a very personal thing… but I would be honored to share myself with you like that."

"I want to know you that intimately. I want to experience everything. I always imagined that telepathic people might somehow have some sort of bonding or sharing of the minds or something. I know… my imagination running wild… but if you're willing to try it… I think it would be amazing."

"Did you want to do it now? Is that okay with you?" he asked. He saw her nod and smiled at the vixen. Marcus placed his paws on either side of her head. "Now cup my head with your paws in the same way." He waited until her paws were in the right position then he closed his eyes, prompting her to close her own.

Silence filled the room. Marcus began to focus on relaxing. He thought a single word. 'Fara?'

Her throat fluttered from the action of swallowing. She heard his voice in her mind and thought the words, 'I heard you; can you hear me?'

'Yes, love. Now relax yourself completely. You'll see images and if you're completely relaxed, you'll understand them the way I do… you'll see them for the first time but already know their meaning. But you have to stay as relaxed as you can or they'll just be meaningless images.'

'I understand,' she thought in reply. She cleared her mind and felt a sensation of wonder as images filled her mind. Every image that she experienced had an unspoken meaning behind it, as though she lived it. Silence filled the room.


x-

Panther Caruso looked up from the soapy water bucket. The cargo bay doors began to open. The environmental containment field fluttered with illumination from the change in pressure against one side of the flat beam. Lights flashed on the far end of the flight deck.

A shuttle passed through the field and settled down adjacently to the freshly waxed Arwings. The feline perked, seeing a blue figure in the cockpit. The rear hatch door opened, creating a ramp to the deck. Slippy Toad and Krystal McCloud disembarked together.

McCloud tilted her head and approached Caruso. "Well, well… if it isn't The Ex. Still hanging around, are you?"

"I've crossed the path of a new race while on Sauria. These creatures are an interesting sort to say the least." He motioned to the black fighter behind the Arwings. "What brings you both here?"

Slippy Toad adjusted his ball cap. "I'm installing an upgrade on Marcus' staff," said the frog.

"I'm here to visit my son," replied Krystal, adding, "What are you doing here?"

"With my fighter damaged, I was offered passage to the next sector. Rumor has it that Lylat may be faced with a new threat. These creatures come from The Great Void if ROB translated the data from their ship's computer correctly."

"That's just silly," said Slippy. "Nobody comes from The Void. If there was a planet or any sort of life sustaining system in that expanse, then it wouldn't be much of a void, now would it?"

Krystal brought a paw to her chin. "Scientists said there's nothing out there except Theta Radiation. Unless these aliens figured out how to cloak an entire star system, Slippy is correct when he says your theory is just silly. Two hundred light years of pitch black nothingness, Panther. Some say that there's some sort of dampening field that naturally occurs out there… that's why all Cornerian probes disappear when sent into that region – they lose power."

"Krystal," Slippy said with a frown. "That's just a rumor. There's no evidence to support a naturally occurring 'dampening field' and, uh, furthermore, there's nothing out there to cause such a thing. It's just empty. No star systems, no planets… no forces of gravity. Just nothing. Empty space for two hundred light years."

Panther glanced at Krystal then back at Slippy. "Then why does Corneria keep losing exploration probes in that region?"

Slippy laughed, placing his hand on the backside of his head. "Well, that seems obvious if you think about it. With no stars to chart, a probe – which has a limited navigational system – is unable to chart a return course. So it simply gets lost. With no natural gravity, nothing can fall into a natural orbit… so sending out subspace buoys is also a waste of time. There's no way to keep track of their location and there's no way to anchor them in place, so you can't set up a reliable network. Every sailor's worst nightmare. You would need a high-power astrometric lab with unrealistically powerful sensors to determine your location in order to properly chart a course through that thing. So! Where's Marcus? I have the upgrade ready for his staff!"

"He's in his quarters with his fiancée. Have either of you seen a ship like the one we've found?"

Krystal and Slippy walked by the feline, between two Arwings and came before the sleek black fighter. Toad folded his arms. "Looks menacing. What's the team doing with it?"

Caruso shrugged. "I assume they will turn it over to Cornerian authorities to study it. But these ships are quite numerous. I saw a great deal of these ships. More than a simple squadron. They cloaked themselves in a way that made it impossible to track. I couldn't even detect a power signature in the vicinity. If they do come from The Void, they'll be difficult to attack."

Krystal frowned. "He's right, Slippy. We would be lost and unable to go on an offensive if a situation developed similar to the Anglar invasion. StarFox wouldn't be able to mount an assault unless we found a way to track them." She glanced back at Panther and told him, "If this new alien ship really does come from The Void, then it has a way to navigate that region of space. By studying the navigational computer and the sensor system, we'll adapt if we need to go out there."

A fourth voice joined the conversation. "It's looking like a possibility." Vivian approached Krystal and hugged her then Slippy. "Crimson just had a conversation with Bill Grey and I heard both sides – I was there for the whole thing. Bill wants to know if we can dismantle the alien ship's Slipstream propulsion engines and rebuild them for use with the GreatFox. Theodore and I think that the engines cause the ship to go out of phase with normal space, allowing it to travel in the umbra layer between normal space and theoretical subspace. In laymen's terms, if you had a vehicle that traveled on a planet's surface and a vehicle that traveled through the planet's core, then we're talking about a vehicle that is specifically designed to travel through a planet's mantle. But because we have no way to verify such things, we don't know if there is a mantle layer just yet. It's all theoretical."

"This is a little over my head," Panther murmured.

Slippy waved his hand from left to right in a strange pattern. "Let's say a piece of string represents linear space. What looks like a straight line to us may actually be a piece of string, which goes up, down, spirals about and swirls all over the place between point A and point B. A slipstream drive would theoretically take a ship from point A to point B, the front of the string to the end of the string, by folding space. Then we could travel a straight line and circumvent the winding road of string that we call 'Linear Space.' Does that make sense?"

"Oddly it does," replied the feline. "But theory isn't reality until it's proven. We have no idea if that sort of thing is true or not."

Slippy shrugged and turned to Krystal. "I don't think he understands."

Before Krystal could reply, Panther ground his teeth together and said, "If you removed all the water on a planet and walked the sea bed, it would take a great amount of time because you'd be crossing mountains and chasms. But we simply sail a boat on level water and cross the ocean. It's the same theory – I get it. Don't insult my intelligence. What you're talking about is linear space and a theory that has never been proven. Scientists have large imaginations. Some say that the layer beneath linear space is fluidic. Some say it's a void, some say it's energy, some say it's made of layers like the membrane of a cell but on a larger level. Has any of that nonsense been proven? No. The closest we've come has been through the construction of Beltino Toad's jumpgates. It's akin to building a catapult to sail over a river instead of building a bridge to cross the river in a conventional manner. I'm simply saying I'm not exactly sure that Slipstream and Transdimensional jump drives are in the realm of possibility. I agree that faster-than-light travel exists, but I am not quite so sure about circumventing linear space all together. What I do know is that I've seen a lot of these alien ships. And I know cloaking technology is realistic. So it stands to reason that if this ship did come from The Void, maybe the rest of the race has developed the means to cloak their system by erecting a barrier that obfuscates them from being seen. Until there's a way to measure gravity out there, we'll never know. If there is a dampening field, we won't be able to measure any such thing conventionally."

Slippy and Krystal glanced at one another. Krystal frowned apologetically. "He's a good fighter pilot and he's got sharp eyes but he's a bit of a windbag. He likes to hear the sound of his own voice. Let's go speak to my son, shall we?"

As the two walked off the flight deck, Panther could overhear Slippy's reply to Krystal McCloud. "I'm actually halfway impressed. At least he's smart enough to grasp the concept of The Void. I really didn't even expect that much. I think he was trying to sound intelligent because he somehow wants to try and impress you."

"As if," she murmured. The doors shut behind the couple. Panther turned about and kicked the bucket of soapy water. It splashed across the deck with a cacophony of noise.


x-

Slippy placed the staff back on the coffee table and looked up at Krystal. "W-w-well, it's finished. Marcus and Fara still busy?"

Krystal glanced towards the bedroom door and nodded. "He is. They're sharing an intimate moment. Something I did with his father but he's being a great deal more… shall we say… open. He's letting her see everything without reservation. His relationship with Violet, the passing of Peppy… everything. I was a great deal more reserved with Fox. I didn't want to worry him with my past relationships, the loss of Cerinia… I didn't want him to experience a guilt trip by allowing him to relive my hurt after our break up. So I withheld a great deal of things from him for the sake of hastening the repair of our relationship. I'm glad Marcus is so openminded."

"Well, he's your son, Krystal. And you're very openminded, after all."

"Indeed he is," she replied with a nod. "But to have intimate comprehension of Fara's relationship with Fox, to learn of her classified life as a tactical stealth operative… to see ways she has snapped the necks of enemies and…" Krystal trailed off and turned back towards Slippy. "A girl has to have some secrets. I know that sounds strange coming from me because I grew up in a culture where that sort of thing was impossible but I've adapted to life here. And Fara has lived here all along. So has Marcus. For them to be so open and so sharing and so trusting and open minded. It's very impressive. I'm proud of them."

"You don't think they'll come out of that joining with daggers in their eyes for one another, do you?"

Krystal pondered Slippy's question for a moment then frowned. "I can't imagine it will be easy at first. The natural thing for them both would be to struggle with all they've learned. But if they're mature and if their love is true… they'll get over it and have a better understanding of one another in the end."

"I remember feeling awkward when I learned that Amanda used to be popular with guys back in college. I only had one girlfriend before I met her so I struggled with jealousy and I constantly q-q-questioned myself – was I good enough for her? Did I make her happy? But she helped my self-esteem by telling me that I was the most genuine person she's ever dated. She told me that I learned better than her past lovers. That many of them did things their way and she wasn't able to enjoy things… but with me I listened to her suggestions and in the end I was able to better please her than anyone else. So… I got over it. By the time I proposed to her I was a far more confident person than I had been in my past."

"I noticed," said Krystal with a grin. "When I met up with the team during the Anglar occupation, I immediately noticed that you were no longer a boy – that you had become a man. I remember thinking that I wished Fox could have grown up the same way. But he eventually did, and we've been happy ever since."

The amphibian picked at his shirt. "Whatever happened on top the Krazoa palace that day?"

She smiled at the frog's apprehensive body language. "You're not prying, I really don't mind that you're asking, Slippy. So… you're talking about the day he got his memories back, right?" (A/N: Reflections of Regret) She offered a mysterious smile. "He grew up. We've been happy ever since. Don't get me wrong – we weren't without our occasional arguments but… with passionate people, anger can become just as heated as intimacy. And we've always ended our epic differences of opinion amicably in the end."

"I never thought you guys would argue. I mean, you're telepathic, Krystal. You can see his side of things, so you should be able to defuse things diplomatically."

She grinned with a hint of embarrassment on her maw. "I was stubborn, Slippy. Of course I would sense his side of things, but if I opposed his idea on something, I would tell him so. Sometimes I was downright unfair – he would think something but keep the sentiment to himself… and I would pick a fight because I didn't like the thought. So then he would argue, and I would go off on him full force. Then we would shout at one another. Then we would agree to disagree and have passionate make-up sessions. Sometimes, I think we would start arguments with one another just to have the makeup moments because we programmed ourselves. And what can I say? The makeup sessions were always really good."

"Oh my." Slippy rubbed his face. "If I were warm blooded, I'd probably be blushing right now."

"Sorry, I know a young lady is classy and reserves her words but… I'm a grandmother now, Slippy. I guess I don't hold things back in my older age. Speaking of my grandchild, have you seen little James lately? His summer coat colors are coming in; it's so cute."

"You're awfully wound up and chatty today. You weren't like this on the shuttle, earlier."

A delighted laugh spilled from her lips. "Oh, Slippy, I know… I think I'm drawing from the positive energy in the next room. So I'm in a silly, energetic mood. You know?"

"S-sure, I understand. Hey, now that the staff upgrade is finished, I'm going to head up to the bridge. I understand that Theodore just got back and I want to see him."

"I suppose the prudent thing to do would be to go with you since Marcus is busy but…" She dropped onto a sofa. "He's telling me, now, that he'll only be another moment and to wait up. So… I'll catch up with you, okay? Besides, Theodore really needs to talk to you."

"He does?"

"Well, I sense that he does, so… yes. Something about technology and non-Imperial lizards. See you soon." She watched Slippy head out of the living room then she folded her paws and closed her eyes. "Where in Lylat did you learn how to treat a lady like that? Fara's certainly a lucky girl." Another grin found her maw. "Certainly not your father, he was always too reserved to wear his heart on his sleeve by the time you were born. …Oh aren't you just a Casanova. You're even better than Panther… well, yes, I know it's because you're sincere with what you say to her." Krystal brought a paw to her lips, not having meant to hold her end of the telepathic dialogue aloud. After a moment of silence she chuckled with a slight shake of the head.

The bedroom door opened and Marcus emerged with Fara behind him. "Hey, mom," he said in a casual air.

"Well, well… long time no see, Miss McCloud," said Fara with a grin. "Is your team ready to throw in the towel yet?"

"No, kids… we're not about to capitulate… although I'm curious about that black fighter on the flight deck. We've not seen anything like that. What's going on and why is Panther here?"

"He needed a ride, ma." Marcus reached for Fara's left paw and brought her to the sofa then lifted his fiancée's forearm. "No rush in telling dad; I might tell him myself but… I wanted you to be the first to know it's official."

Krystal leaned forward and examined the ring with an effeminate reaction of bringing her right paw to her bosom. "Oh, Marcus… is that a Cerinian jewel?" She glanced at her son with a proud grin then cut her gaze to Fara. "Well it's close enough for me… welcome to the family, daughter-to-be."

Fara leaned forward and the two women embraced. "It really means a lot to have your blessing. To have your support."

Krystal perked then relinquished the hug and moved around the coffee table to get closer. She lowered to one knee and placed the side of her face against Fara's belly. The fennec paused, not sure of what to expect at first. Krystal remained still, face against the other vixen's belly. The azure-furred vixen moved back to the sofa and clasped her paws together. "Have you told her yet, Marcus?"

He tilted his head. "Wait… you can already tell the gender? I can't do that, how can you sense that?"

Krystal, still in a playful mood, moved towards Fara again, sniffed at the air, licked her index finger and held it up, and then nodded decisively. "Yes, I'm sure. Do you want to know?"

"Oh, well I mean…"

Fara reached over and used her paw to quiet Marcus. "I'd love to know."

"It's a boy." Krystal sensed Fara's initial reaction faster than Marcus and smiled in unison to Phoenix. "Exactly what you wanted, hmm? Well, I'm glad I was able to give you good news."

Marcus rubbed his forehead. "Seriously, though. You licked your finger, sniffed my fiancée and listened to her belly… and you know it's a boy?" He tried probing his mother's mind but couldn't figure out the secret. "Could our people really do that sort of thing?"

Krystal glanced at her son, blocked his access to her thoughts and leaned forward again. She whispered in Fara's ear and both women erupted in a fit of giggles. She stood up, Fara joined her and the two hugged. "I can't stay long, you two. But it was an absolute joy to be the first to know about your engagement. Let me know when you finally decide on a date. I'll go find Slippy." She turned to her son and hugged him then said, "If you need help with those new aliens… please. Please don't get in over your head. You have a family to protect, now. Remember that."

"I will, I will." He embraced his mother and they kissed. "Give dad my love. When you think he's in the most receptive mood, let me know and I'll call him, or… if you decide it might be better coming from you, then have him call me after you tell him. Also, say hey to Falco."

"I will, sweetheart. I love you."

"I love you, too." They shared another kiss then embraced.

Krystal drew back then hugged Fara and kissed her the way she would have kissed a daughter. She whispered into the younger female's ear again, and then she winked at the fennec. Both chuckled in a knowing way then Krystal left the room.

Marcus folded his arms and turned to his betrothed. "Okay, she told you the secret and you were both highly amused. Spill the beans. What was the secret? I mean, she licked her finger, sniffed the air and listened to your belly. The baby is a grain of rice… there's no brain, there's no telepathic bonding yet. What gives?"

The lithe vixen snickered softly. "Oh, god it's killing you because you can read minds but she still managed to trick you. It's really killing you, isn't it?"

"It's not a trick; I sense that she really does know the gender. How can she be so sure?"

Fara cupped his face in her palms. "She had a visit from the Oracle. Since I'm the spoiler queen, I want to know everything about my future children. So your mother told me. The first will be a boy, the second will be a girl."

Marcus rubbed his eyes then placed his paws on Fara's hips. "We're going to have a couple, huh? Did she tell you anything else about the kids?"

"Just that I would name our son and you would name our daughter. Nothing more." Fara's ears lowered. "Why?"

Marcus swallowed and chuckled, waving his paw in a semi-dismissing way. "Oh, nothing. I was just curious if they would become fighter pilots and all that stuff."

A smirk touched upon the vixen's features. "No, there's something else. I can see it on your face."

"You can? No, I really was just curious if she told you anything else." His thoughts briefly turned to his first dream-state meeting with the Oracle. He recalled her warning that one of his three children would die in combat to save the lives of the others. He took a deep breath then forced a smile. "I was just curious if mom told you anything else, that's all. No biggie."

Fara shook her head. "Not even their names. It'll be much easier to shop for them, now. But you're still preoccupied with something. What's on your mind? You really wanted to know something about your mother's information… what is it?"

"If I tell you, I need you to keep a cool head about this, okay?"

The vixen furrowed her brows. "You're being awfully enigmatic. Out with it."

"Promise me."

Fara took his paws firmly into her own. "I'll remain composed. Tell me what's on your mind."

He swallowed then sighed. "The Oracle told me that I would defeat some sort of evil foe. She told me that the foe would remain dormant for a while and then our children would finish what I started and end it for good. However, one of my future children would have to sacrifice their life to save their siblings. And it's always bothered me. I try not to think about it but… my heart truly aches at the thought of outliving one of my kids. I'm just… it's really hard for me to know that. I was wondering if mom might have learned which one so…"

"No. And Marcus… I already knew that. I had a telepathic bonding with your mother once, remember? So yes, I knew. But don't you remember temporal mechanics class at the academy? It was a half-semester course but you had to take it in order to graduate."

"You're talking about paradoxes?"

She nodded. "Now that we've learned about the future, we have the ability to change the outcome. Maybe that's why the Oracle told you about that… so that you could help them. So you could better prepare them, so you could do whatever it takes to ensure that they can triumph without one of them being forced to sacrifice themselves in such a way. Now that she told you, it's almost guaranteed not to happen."

"You're awfully sure of yourself… that's really comforting. Y'know, some things did come true, though. She told my parents that I would be named 'Star' at birth. And I was."

"And you changed your name, despite what was written in the stars for you. Think about it, hon. She told your parents that you'd be named Star. But now you're named Marcus. By telling them, certain elements have changed, allowing for change to occur."

"Between a mom that can train them to be the best and a dad that provides them with telepathy, I'm confident our children will be undefeatable."

"Especially if all three work together."

"You're okay with them growing up with James?"

Fara offered a dull glare. "Of course I am, Marcus! James is a part of you and I love you. He's adorable. He's smart. He's innocent. He's a wonderful little boy."

Marcus sighed again, this time with a smile. "You don't know how relieved I am to hear you say that and mean it. I really, really appreciate how open minded and understanding you are, sweetheart."

"C'mon, let's go and tell the crew our good news."


x-

"Congratulations!" Vivian hugged Fara. Slippy and Theodore took turns shaking Marcus' paw. Vivian turned to Marcus and hugged him. "I'm really happy for you two, Mark. You guys make such a cute couple. Congratulations to you both."

"Does your mother know yet?" asked Slippy.

"She was the first one I told," he replied with a firm nod. "She's on the bridge with Crimson right now. They're having a talk about his father. I think he needed to have a heart to heart with someone and she was available. And, uh…" He put two fingers to his left temple for effect. "Let's see, Bliss and Panther are inside the alien fighter, trying to figure out how it flies but they had to cut into organic tissue so… apparently there's a big mess on the flight deck."

"Great," Fara said. "Well I hope they clean it up, heh." She smoothed her shirt then added, "And don't worry, Crimson already knows most of the details, gang. He knew about the ring before I did." She stuck her tongue out at Marcus then said, "Those boys have a bromance going on, I swear." Her words garnished amused reactions from Vivian and Theodore.

Slippy shook his head with a chuckle. "Hey, Fox and I were best friends the same way. Everyone thought Fox and Falco were the inseparable buddies but the real truth is that Fox and I were best friends. Fox and Falco had a competition thing… a rivalry thing. They were like siblings. They argued all the time. But Fox and I always listened to the same music, went to monster truck rallies together, went fishing together, went out drinking together… we never argued. When he decided to go out and fight the Anglars alone, who came to his aid? Me. We had to hunt down Falco in the Asteroid belt… And he was late! But I'm the one who came to his aid. Right from the start. And that's the kind of friendship that Crimson and Marcus have."

Vivian glanced at Theodore then back at Slippy and back to Theodore once more. "Wow. You almost grew up with two dads – apparently Mister McCloud had a bromance, too. Geeze. Like father, like son."

Fara snorted with laughter. "No, no, Slippy had a bromance with Fox. Fox had a bromance with Falco, Falco had a bromance with himself. I stole Marcus from Crimson, so he ran off and joined the Academy."

A voice came from the other end of the briefing room. "Then I ran off and joined the military. So… you stole Mark from me, huh? There's a good reason for that… you have something I don't… something guys crave."

Fara made a silly face towards the hybrid wolf. "You're so crass. Yes, I have boobs. I'm such a seductress. I stole your boyfriend." She grinned and put her paws on her hips. "But at least you were a good sport about it."

"Yeah, yeah. I can't compete; you're prettier than me," said Red with a grin. His eyes zeroed in on Fara's left paw. "Ah, finally! Congratulations, Fara. It's about time he popped the question, geeze."

"There's more."

"I know," replied O'Donnell. "He told me."

Fara huffed with faux indignation then turned to the rest of the pilots. "Well, anyway… Marcus and I will be having a baby." Before she could say another word, everyone jumped, startled by Vivian's squeal of excitement. Fara blinked twice then cleared her throat. "Uh, well, yeah… I feel the same way. Uhm, so we're looking forward to the challenge of pregnancy. I appreciate all of you providing such a family-like atmosphere. We need to figure out what's going on in this system so we can win the day as soon as possible. In a few months, I'll need to go on hiatus, then you'll be stuck with Falco as your team vet."

"And I'll be going soon, too," said Crimson. "So let's kick some ass before I have to go back to school. That'll be one hell of a team, though… Theodore, Vivian, Marcus and Falco…"

Fara grinned again. "Three great pilots and an egotistical loose cannon offering advice. So, like I said, let's hurry up and save Lylat from whatever we can before that happens." She paused then said, "You know… this really changes things. I may not go back to teach on Corneria. I can't really decide. Maybe I'll take over the board at Phoenix Industries and help you guys remain stocked with gear and fighters. It's an exciting time for Phoenix and Arspace."

Marcus placed his paw at the small of her back. "Well, that merger is your baby, after all. You started it last year. I'd understand if you wanted to nurture your baby to maturity."

She took his paw from her back and guided it to her belly. "No… this is my baby. Our baby." She smiled brightly. "Our baby. I like the sound of that. I'll be honest, I wasn't ready to rush into parenthood but… now that it's happened I think I'm really ready to embrace it."

Crimson ribbed Marcus. "Yeah… Fara, you weren't ready to rush into parenthood. But Marcus, here, didn't learn the first time around. Protection? What's that?"

Fara turned to Crimson and returned her paws to her hips. "Actually, we both used protection."

Crimson quirked his brows. "Wait, so this whole thing happened by accident?"

Marcus shook his head. "The baby isn't an accident, dude. This baby was meant to be. Nothing short of abstinence would have mattered… This baby is fated in the stars, Red."

"Okay, okay Mark. I didn't mean to suggest the baby is an accident; I meant the situation. Not planning for the pregnancy." He put his paws up defensively. "I'm waiting a few years to even think about the possibility of maybe wanting kids one day in the future. I'm not gunna' rush."

Fara ribbed her fiancé's friend. "Why? Don't want your kid to fly on the same team as our kids?"

"Well when you put it like that," Crimson said then froze. "Hey, wait… kids? Plural?"

Marcus shrugged. "Why stop at one? Maybe we'll have twenty-five. It's up to Fara. But we theorize that at least two of our kids will fly. Anyway… I have a bottle of champagne set aside just for something as important as this. Well, this announcement was pretty important so I think it calls for a toast."

Slippy stuffed his hand into his pants pocket and withdrew a flip-phone style communicator. He brought it to his ear and said, "Yes?" After a brief pause, he said, "Oh… well, that sounds important. We're on our way right away." He flipped the unit shut and stuffed it back into his pocket. "I hate to go so suddenly but your dad thinks he found the warship transporting the top General in the Venom army and he wants to move on it before it gets too close to Venom airspace." He shook Marcus' hand and left the room to find Krystal.

"That was anti-climatic," said Fara with a chuckle. "Well we'll toast to the old team getting a win, us taking the next step in our relationship and our future wins to save Lylat. That is the bet here, right? Who can save Lylat first, yes?"

"Yeah, that's it in a nutshell."

The PA came to life with ROB's voice. "Attention StarFox crew, report to the bridge immediately." Everyone looked at one another then left the briefing room. The pilots filed onto the bridge one after the other until everyone was present. ROB pointed at the main viewscreen and said, "You'll want to see this news footage. One second, I'm going to rewind it and transfer it up to the big screen."

Seconds later an image showed up on the large monitor with diagonal lines going through it. ROB un-paused the footage and everyone watched in silence as the news footage began to play. A simian reporter held a microphone and in the background, a building was burning on the top several floors. "As you can see behind me, Venom has come under attack! As many of you now know, many apes and marmosets have been rounded up by the Venom forces, now working for the woman named Anezka Vacek. However, something recently entered Venom airspace and opened fire on random non-military targets. At first we thought it might be fellow primates but new information has just come to our attention – see for yourselves from this recently acquired footage."

The visual changed to a shaky amateur video reel. Several black scythe-like fighters streaked by and opened fire on a tall building in the background. Everyone on the bridge gawked at the screen, some of them blinking while others stood there with wide eyes. Panther Caruso walked onto the bridge and glanced at the view screen. "Hmm… is this live? They're attacking Venom?"

ROB said, "This footage is about seven minutes old. Venom has already started moving their brass and political leaders. As it stands, Fox McCloud's team has targeted the vessel with Venom's five-star Army general. It appears they'll be engaging that vessel quite soon."

"Do you know where?" asked Panther.

"No, but I can plot a trajectory of the Venom vessels' path. Stand by."

Marcus ran his paws back through his hair. "Well, Venom might fall by today which means it's no longer a threat to Lylat. This could become quite problematic. Anezka deserves whatever happens to her with the way she's acting but… Venom's citizens don't deserve this crap. They're getting crapped on over and over."

"Perhaps we should pull back and start preparing for something bigger," said Fara. "Let's see how this situation with Venom plays out instead of rushing into trouble."

"Trajectory projected," ROB announced to the group. "They're passing through Sargasso, and will ultimately convene at MacBeth."

"Neat," Marcus grumbled.

Panther sighed. "I should check on the boss. I will take Bliss with me, she'll undoubtedly worry about her father."

"Don't talk for me like I'm not standing in the room," snapped the girl. She huffed with a measure of indignation then sighed. "Marcus… This douche-nozzle is right. I need to make sure my folks are okay. Wolfpack Alpha pilots are there, too. I know I said I'd help your team but… I'll catch up with you, okay?"

Crimson hugged his sister in silence. No one spoke. Finally, she turned and Panther followed her off the bridge. Fara and Marcus looked at one another then returned their attention to Crimson, Theodore and Vivian. McCloud cleared his throat and said, "Okay, she's a hell of a pilot but we'll be okay. Yes, we're still in competition with our folks but we need to choose our battles wisely. Theodore, what's the word on those lizards out in Sector Y?"

Toad took off his hat and frowned. "They're sitting tight. I convinced them to stay put for a while. Now that Venom is under attack, I don't know if they'll rush to the planet's aid or wait to see if this new threat will weaken the military presence first. It's anyone's guess at this point, reckon."

"Understood. Vivian, what's our status on supplies?"

The rabbit pushed her ear-stalks back from her face. "We're ready for anything. Where do you want to go?"

Marcus pressed his paws together and brought his fingers to his lips in thought. "I want to be close enough to Venom that we can watch the news yet stay out of trouble. Let's move towards Titania and orbit the planet. That's one of the nearest planets in the orbital track right?"

"Currently, yes," said ROB.

"Okay. We need to study these new enemy fighters and determine their maneuverability and analyze their weaknesses. We need to design something to beat their shields and armor. We need to design a defense against their weapons."

Fara placed a paw on her mate's shoulder. "We should scan it and learn what we can as quickly as we can and invite Corneria to meet us at Titania and give them the fighter. Their scientists would benefit from dissecting that thing. Then Bill will help us by feeding us intel."

"I agree with Fara," said Crimson. "Corneria has the resources to study that thing. We have connections with Bill Grey so anything they learn… we benefit from."

"Okay, I'll contact them and have them meet us over Titania to make delivery. In the mean time, Theodore and Vivian… your job is to study this thing inside and out and record every inch with what you learn from scanners and recording devices."

ROB turned back to the helm controls. "I'll get us underway. Krystal and Slippy's shuttle has disappeared through a jumpgate. Panther and Bliss are now beyond sensor range."

"Okay, Ted, Vivian… get to work." Marcus settled into a chair on the bridge. "Make it quick. Everyone else, get some rest. We're now on heightened alert status."


x-

Seven hours later

The GreatFox shook hard. A paw went to Marcus' shoulder, giving him a stern shake then the warm blankets were drawn back. "C'mon, flyboy. We're under attack."

Marcus sat up with a start. "What? By whom?"

"Those alien things contacted us. They want their ship back and they're willing to fight to get it back. Crimson just spent several minutes trying to talk to them from the bridge – you didn't hear him call us over the PA just now?"

Marcus slipped out of bed and rubbed his face, reaching for a hoodie. "No, I didn't. He talked to them? Last time we crossed their path, the translator didn't work with them."

"ROB apparently adjusted it. C'mon. The last shot was a warning across our starboard bow. He said it's getting serious." Fara pulled on a pair of pants, fastened them and headed for the door.

Marcus fastened his jeans and stepped into his boots without even bothering to look for socks. He hurried up the hall. The doors opened to the bridge and he glanced from Crimson and ROB to the black creature on the screen. "I'm Marcus McCloud, skipper and lead pilot of this vessel and its team. We don't have any desire to fight you – we're enemies of the leader on Venom and it's apparent that you're attacking Venom… we're on the same team, here."

The alien creature appeared void of having a face. "It's true we seek to glimpse the motherless beast of Krazoa but you have things of ours in the now."

"Clarify?" Marcus decided to play this game in order to stall for time. He wanted to try and scan the man telepathically but it was difficult from this range.

"Down on the sphere, you found our ship in the trunks. You would be sharp to fathom our craving for that ship; we demand it in the soonafter."

"Slow down, why do you need that ship when you have so many?"

"You seek to stall? You do not have the trembles in rebuttal to our tellings of your way-after? You would be sharp to keep your top down and your glimpses wide, lest we nullify you in the now. We will drill your pilots on how to achieve the gloried way-after, lest you return our ship in the soonafter. The one you found on the sphere in the trunks."

"We can return it to you. Why do you want it so badly?"

"We crave it; it has tellings about the nemesis. It will suffice us to nullify you but if you fathom our clash with the nemesis then you would fathom our tellings for the crave we have for our ship's return."

"This nemesis... are you speaking of the Krazoa woman on Venom?"

"She is the beast, our nemesis, who flamed our plantings in the before. She may be grey but she is sharp and sturdy. Her rages would nullify you without a second thought. Her hunger for destruction, it is savory to her; you cannot fathom the nemesis. You would be sharp to heed my tellings."

Crimson whispered to Marcus from behind. "What in the hell are they saying?"

McCloud horizontally swished his paw at hip level and whispered, "One sec." He cleared his throat and said, "I, uh, crave to fathom your, ah... your tellings and your reasons for rage of the Nemesis. Drill me on these tellings; it doesn't suffice me to simply glimpse the beast nullified. I wish to fathom your clash with the nemesis... please."

The onyx alien paused then said, "Well greeted, but there is no time to drill you in the ways of the beast. She will nullify you the way her kind flamed our plantings and our daughter's daughters. We have had a great time in the before to drill, to cluster and to fathom this clash. It is in the now. You will comply or you will be nullified."

"You speak this gibberish?" asked Crimson.

Marcus frowned. "They don't use grammatical syntax the way we do, and they have a different concept of words synonymous for ones we prefer to use... but it's not all that different, Red. They said they want us to give back their ship because it has information on Anezka. They said her people were responsible for burning their crops, destroying their homes and ancestors. I asked them to teach us to understand their anger with the Krazoa. They said there's no time."

Fara frowned. "What is it they want? The ship from the sphere in the trunks? What exactly do they mean? They want the ship we found on the planet, in the forest?"

"Exactly!" Marcus afforded her with a brilliant smile. "You catch on quick." He turned back to the screen and said, "We wish to, uh, fathom the tellings of your ship. Can you drill us in such things? We crave to fathom the nemesis. Perhaps we can aid in your clash."

"You will be nullified if you do not return to us our ship before the new light. You have only to glimpse the glare behind the sphere to fathom another clash – one you would be sharp to avoid. The ship. In the now!"

Marcus turned back to his crew. "They, uh... they want their ship before Solar peeks from behind Sauria. That gives us... how much time, ROB?"

"Less than twenty minutes," replied the robot. "These beings have a fierce naval force pouring into the system. Another six ships are approaching."

The fox ground his teeth together and turned back to the viewer. "How the hell do we know you won't attack us the moment we return that ship? We're not enemies, after all."

"You will return it or fathom to be nullified in the now!" exclaimed the creature. "I have you in my glimpses. You have until the soon-after to comply or suffer our rages. We will nullify you and feast on your savory tops."

Fara blinked. "Did he just say what I thought he said?"

Marcus nodded to her then confirmed to Crimson, "Yeah, they totally just threatened to eat our brains. That's a little over-dramatic. We have a few minutes to make a decision, but not enough time to look at the reconnaissance data on their ship's computer. I need a minute to weigh our options, here."

"Well," Fara mused thoughtfully, "You'd better hurry."

"Yeah," said Red with a frown. "They seem impatient, for sure."


x-

A/N: Howdy! Thanks for reading and I'm sorry it took so long! I was pretty preoccupied this December. I'm glad you're still reading this story! :D

-Kit