Alright! Another chapter of Star Fox Annihilation up! Dang I'm surprised I've made it this far. I thought I'd quit this story months ago. Freaking happy to see it still going strong and getting the next arc moving. It wouldn't be possible without your support so "thank you" to everyone who's favorited, followed, and reviewed the story and me.
This chapter has a major scene in it from the game idea: Diana vs. Fox. Just in case you've forgotten, Star Fox Annihilation is based on a Star Fox video game idea I had by the same name. In the game, Diana and Fox spare to earn Diana and Torygg's support, with the player playing as Fox. It was supposed to be one of the hardest melee fights in the game, even harder than the fight with General Scales. Diana may be slightly lacking in strength compared to General Scales (not by much) but she's much faster and agile, and her attacks are more precise making them harder to block and dodge. The fight is timed, 60 seconds, and determines the status of Diana and Torygg with 3 possible results: 1) getting knocked out before time expires results in Diana and Torygg deeming Fox unworthy of their help, they'll leave and won't be seen in the game against; 2) lasting the entire fight (60 seconds) results in Diana and Torygg respecting Fox and joining Star Fox 3) defeating Diana unlocks her as a romance option (making her the hardest to romance in the game). The chapter/story follows this and you'll see which one is the canon option.
I know that in this chapter Diana may seem to be a little OP, maybe even a Mary Sue, though that's not the case when you take 2 things into consideration: 1) Sharpscales are naturally incredibly strong, even without training they have amazing strength and their thick scales provide protection against minor attacks in melee combat, so they can naturally take a lot of damage 2) they are trained extensively to not only dish out tons of damage but also to take as much as they can dish out, the brutal training makes them very talented warriors with the knowledge and skill to avoid taking serious damage from blows that hit.
I hope you guys paid attention to the previous couple chapters as Cara and Felicity, who haven't appeared in a bit, are finally being mentioned again.
Hope you enjoy the chapter.
Chapter 15: New Team Members
Great Fox bridge"Hey, Daria, what are you up to?" Daria heard Miyu shout from behind her.
Daria turned around to see Miyu and Fay entering the bridge, both smiling brightly. They seemed to be in a good mood after yesterday's attack on the Venom embassy; probably glad to finally have time to relax. She knew they hadn't been doing much since their job was done while her task has been quite troublesome with constant briefings and meetings. It was nice to see a couple of friendly faces.
"Not much, just contemplating ways to remove my former CO's spine." Daria answered with a devise smile.
"The same CO who's been trying to get you into his bed?" Miyu asked.
"Yep, some guys just don't comprehend that not every beautiful woman will sleep with him. Though his recent stunt took it way to far."
"What did he do?"
Daria held up her discharge papers for Fay and Miyu to see. Almost immediately she saw Fay let out a stunned gasp while Miyu seemed to boil with rage.
"Oh, you got honorably discharged . . . right after a major operation?" Fay asked.
Daria shrugged her shoulders as if it meant nothing to hide her frustration. "Yeah, turns out that was one of the consequences of the operation getting approved."
"What do you mean?"
"Well, long story short, my CO managed to put in enough word during the talks that his Tier1 unit wouldn't assist in the operator unless I was discharged afterwards."
"WHAT HELL, is that some kind of cruel joke?" Miyu shouted.
"Nope, it's not a joke. As of an hour ago I am no longer a Tier1 operator, I'm just a civilian."
"That's seriously messed up. You got to be furious about this." Fay softly growled.
"No, I'm not angry that it happened, I was looking forward to getting out. What pisses me off is that my CO went behind my back to do it."
"You're CO?" Fay asked.
"Yeah, he's been trying to get me off the squad ever since I refused to sleep with him."
"Seriously, when did that happen?" Miyu angrily shouted.
"A few months ago during our unit's retreat on Fortuna. He thought that since we were relaxing on the beach, and no one else was around, didn't help that it was a nude beach; he'd try to talk me into mating with him. It was tempting seeing what he . . . "possessed" but I turned him down. Since then he's been looking for ways to get me discharged."
"You're CO sounds like he was a major a-hole." Fay responded.
"He was, even before trying to bed me. Can't say I'm sorry to be away from him but it ticks me off that he was able to convince the generals to discharge me so the embassy operation could commence."
"That sounds a little fishy to me." Miyu stated, crossing her arms under her ample breasts.
"It's supposed to; he brought up me disobeying his direct orders in an earlier operation, the one where I met Diana and Torygg." Daria replied with a huff. "Apparently that was enough to convince them that I should be honorably discharged."
Miyu angrily growled. "What are you going to do about that?"
"Nothing, I've wanted to be discharged for a while so I'm seeing this as an opportunity." Daria said with a slight smile. "So, why are you two still here, shouldn't you be heading back to your stations."
Fay and Miyu looked at each other for a moment before Fay responded. "That'd be difficult to do since neither of us are no longer part of the Cornerian military."
"Really, you guys just got discharged too?"
"Yes, during the Saurian Crisis we talked about leaving the military. We have been in for nearly a decade and it was that time where we decide whether to leave or stay in. We agreed it was time to leave and pursue our own dreams."
"A lot of it had to do with the military constantly throwing us into dangerous operations and hardly getting paid." Miyu added.
"Huh, can't say I blame you guys at all." Daria replied with a smile. "So, what are you two going to do now?"
"Well, we're thinking of becoming a mercenary recon team, though we don't have the money or the reputation to do it." Fay answered.
"So, we were planning on talk to Fox to see if he'll let us be a part of Star Fox temporarily, just till we got enough money and equipment to go on our own." Miyu added.
Daria suddenly started laughing causing Miyu and Fay to look at her as if she was crazy. "What a coincidence, I was planning on asking Fox the same thing."
"You really think Fox will allow you to be a part of Star Fox?" Miyu asked with a lot of sarcasm.
"Of course, once he finds out my situation he'll agree. I know mom's been talking to him about it and from her last call she seemed to think he was nearly convinced." Daria answered getting a surprised look from Fay and Miyu. "For you two, well I'd honestly be surprised if he didn't let you stay for a while."
"You really think so?" Fay asked sounding quite a bit unsure.
"Of course, he likes you two. After everything you've done with him recently he has to let you join. We just need to find him and ask wherever he is."
"Last I saw he was leading Diana and Torygg on a tour of the Great Fox with Krystal and Vixy tagging along." Miyu replied.
"Hm, then I guess we try and find him, no better time than now to ask him."
Daria lead Fay and Miyu out of the bridge and through a search of the Great Fox. After nearly thirty minutes of continuous walking they spot Fox in the workout room talking to Diana and Torygg with Krystal and Vixy nearby. Diana and Torygg looked like kids in a candy shop following Fox around the Great Fox. Daria could understand why, they grew up in an impoverished village thanks to Andross, to them the Great Fox probably seemed it very advanced, even though it still needed repairs.
"Hey bro, you done with the tour yet?" Daria shouted at Fox, getting his, Diana, and Torygg's attention.
"Just finished, sis. This is the last stop on the tour." Fox called back.
"Good cause we got something we need to talk to you about." Miyu said as she, Daria, and Fay approached Fox, Krystal, Vixy, Diana and Torygg.
"Can it wait for a minute I was discussing things with Diana and Torygg?"
Daria shrugged as Vixy jumped into her arms. "Fine by us."
Daria quickly glanced at Krystal who gave him a reassuring but also slightly concerned smile. She knew the blue vixen was reading their minds, no doubt picking up on their decision to join Star Fox. The half-smile, half laugh on her face was evident of that. Daria nodded at Krystal to signify she knew her mind was being read. Krystal gave a slight shrug then they all turned their attention towards Fox, Diana, and Torygg.
"So, Diana, Torygg, what do you think of the Great Fox?" Fox asked.
"I must say the Great Fox is even more amazing than the stories paint it out to be." Diana answered.
"It could use some repairs but I agree it's a very nice ship." Torygg added.
"We're working on getting it repaired after the payment we received from the Saurian Crisis, so it'll be ready soon." Fox replied.
"Depends on how good the people fixing it are." Krystal said then looked at Diana and Torygg. "I got to ask you two the obvious question. So, what are you two going to do now?"
Torygg and Diana looked at each other for a moment before Torygg replied. "Originally, our plan was to go back home once the Venom embassy was taken out. Without a way to get off this planet there's nothing we could do about the other Venomians out there. So, going back home was what we had in mind."
"I'm sensing a but coming." Daria said.
"Yes ma'am all that changed once we learned about the records they had stored at the embassy and after you guys arrived. Now, there's an opportunity for us beyond going back to our crap home."
"What my brother is trying to say is we'd like to assist Star Fox in the upcoming battles against the Venomians." Diana replied.
Daria chuckled to herself. Seems like everyone is trying to join Star Fox.
Fox chuckled, as did Daria and Miyu. "For some reason I am not surprised. You seem pretty certain that there's going to be lots of upcoming action against the Venom resistance."
"Of course, after all that information Daria's team recovered even Corneria can't sit on their asses. There's action coming and we want a part of it." Torygg said with a loud voice.
"Hm, you are right, there is going to be a lot of fighting in the near future and I can see why you two want a part of it. The only problem is you don't have a way off the planet so you want to be a part of Star Fox to fix that problem, right?"
"That's the best of it, though I think we'd be more allies of Star Fox, traveling with you guys. I'm pretty sure there's a law about Cornerian mercenary teams not being able to take on Venom born members, which we both are. That's why I think allies would be better."
"He's not wrong Fox." Daria spoke up, getting Fox's attention. "Due to a bunch of bull crap laws written after the Lylat Wars Torygg and Diana are forbidden from joining Star Fox. However, there is nothing about being allies with them or letting them travel with you."
"Hm, you got a point." Fox responded in a low voice before looking back at Torygg. "I think we can work something out for the time being, you two just have to behave and follow my rules."
"I think we can do that, assuming you prove yourself worthy of our help." Torygg responded, causing Daria to look at him confused.
"Huh, what do you mean by that, Torygg?" Daria asked.
"I mean anyone who leads the Sharpscale, even though officially you wouldn't be leading us, must prove themselves to not only be a good leader but also a powerful warriors. Sharpscales only follow worthy leaders, after they've proved themselves capable of leading."
"Uh, okay, and just how do I prove myself as a warrior, I thought I already did that in the embassy assault?" Fox asked seeming to get and hide his nervousness.
"You've proven yourself a capable leader and tactician; there is no doubt about that. But unless you have proven yourself as a fighter then by our traditions we cannot follow you." Diana replied letting out a sigh. "Basically, you have to fight one of us . . . me."
"You can't be serious? Fox shouted as everyone else gasped except Daria who laughed. "What happens if I refuse to accept the challenge?"
"Then, I'm afraid we have to leave. By our traditions we cannot follow you if you don't prove yourself." Diana crossed her arms and glared at him. "So, do you accept the challenge or not? If it makes you feel better I'll use a handicap, I won't use my tail, which should make it fair."
Daria put her hand over her mouth to conceal her laughing. She had suspicions that Diana and Torygg would recommend something drastic but not a fight. The thought of little Fox fighting a beast like Diana was something she just didn't think he'd agree to. The size and strength difference between them was significant with Diana looking like a giant compared to Fox. On top of that he considered himself to be a gentleman, making it hard for Daria to see him agreeing to fight her.
Much to Daria's surprise Fox grinned and approached Diana. "Alright, I accept the challenge."
X
Why the hell am I doing this? Fox thought as he stepped into the training room finding, Fay, Miyu, Daria, Peppy, Slippy, Falco, Krystal, and Vixy waiting for him.
Word about Diana's challenge had gotten out amongst the Great Fox quicker than he expected. He thought only a couple would witness it, not everyone onboard. Then again, he wasn't surprised either, especially not to see Daria and Miyu so ecstatic. Krystal and Peppy both looked very worried about him; they had every reason to be, while Vixy just seemed happy to be there. Fox couldn't tell if she knew what was about to happen though she hardly seemed to care. The others appeared to be a mix of nervous and excited about the challenge, making it hard for him to tell if they wanted to see him get his butt kicked or not.
Krystal stepped forward enough so Fox could hear her. "Please be careful, Fox, I don't think Diana will take it easy on you."
"I know, that's not helping my confidence."
Fox remained calm on the outside though on the inside he was nearly shaking. After seeing what Diana was capable of at the embassy he'd be a fool not to be nervous. If anything he was afraid she'd go too far and snap him to pieces, wouldn't take much considering her strength. As nervous as he was Fox knew he had to put up the tough guy front not just for the others but for Diana and Torygg. If they saw him nervous they'd probably just walk out, deeming him unworthy of their support. He was determined to push down that fear as much as possible, even if he nearly passed out.
Out of the corner of his eye Fox saw Daria nearly cheering at him. "Daria, why am I not surprised you're here?"
"You make it sound like I'm excited to see you get your butt kicked." Daria sarcastically replied.
"I would be surprised if you weren't. Though you seem to be certain Diana will beat me."
"It's pretty much a guarantee, though don't worry, I think she'll hold back enough so you don't look too deformed for Krystal."
"Then why don't you stand in for him?" Krystal growled from behind Daria.
"Because I'm not stupid and she challenged Fox, not me. I'm all for a good fight but this is one I'd prefer just to watch."
Fox was about to reply when he heard the door on the other side of the room open. He turned around and nearly froze at the sight of Diana and Torygg entering the room. It was the first time he'd seen them without their armor and it quite a show. They were far more muscular than he imagined, looking almost like professional bodybuilders. He guessed it was just natural of the Sharpscales, though most of it was probably due to their extreme training. Both wore workout cloths, though nothing too tight to restrict movement or make them uncomfortable.
However, it was Diana who got Fox's undivided attention instantly, considering she was wearing a sports bra that brought her natural . . . bust size. He immediately found himself staring at her, more specifically at her breasts that the black sports bra didn't seem to cover comfortably, if anything it looked a little tight on her large melons, which he guessed were easily the size of Krystal's head; he guessed at least in the EE range. Her large stature no doubt played a role to how big her chest was but even considering that she was big. To make things worse the black sweat pants she wore drew attention to her lower half as well. Diana's rear certainly wasn't as fine as Fara's but it was still pretty nice to look at. Seeing her walk towards him made it even harder for him to restrain his gaze, he had to mentally stop himself from looking at the wrong areas in front of Krystal and Vixy.
WOW, she looks absolutely amazing. Fox thought as Diana approached him, mostly focusing on her bouncing breasts that her sport bra seemed to barely hold together. Oh boy, not sure what's going to infuriate Krystal more, the thought I just had or me starring at Diana's magnificent breasts.
Fox shook his head quickly to get the thoughts out of his mind as Diana approached him. He quickly brought his gaze and mind up from the gutter to look at her face. Through his peripheral vision he could see Krystal staring even more intently than he was, and he saw the same thing from Daria, which didn't surprise him as he knew she was bisexual. Seeing Krystal stunned eased his concern, giving him hope that she was too distracted by Diana to read his mind.
Diana stopped just in front of Fox and looked down at him. "You ready for this Fox?"
Fox shrugged as best he could. "As ready as I'm gonna be I guessing."
"You sure, you don't look ready?"
"I think he's nervous about fighting a woman." Miyu called out from the sideline, Fox was aware she was lying and knew he was distracted by Diana's body. "He's a gentleman in a strange way, he doesn't like to hit women."
"He also realized he probably can't beat a beast of a woman like you." Daria added with quite a bit of sarcasm to Diana.
"Hm, you know what Daria, you do have a point, there's quite a difference between us." Diana replied, seeming to think did a moment. "You knew what, given the size and strength difference between us, I'll give you a handicap. I will not use my tail in this fight, just my hands and feet."
"You sure about that, doesn't seek fair to me?"
"Trust my sister, it is more than fair. Our tails are the strongest limbs we have, capable of breaking bones and sending even large opponents flying with ease." Torygg replied before Diana could, get a glare from him. "So, at least it'll be slightly equal for you."
Fox sighed. "Alright, if that's what you want."
"Good, then let's get started." Diana replied with an eager smile that disturbed Fox.
Fox nodded then he and Diana walked towards the center of the sparing mat, taking positions a short distance apart. He took an agile and defensive stance as she took an offensive looking stance, giving him the impression she was going to fight aggressively.
"Fox, are you ready?" Daria shouted.
Fox reluctantly nodded, swallowing the fear he felt standing in front of Diana. Even though he knew the woman was using a handicap he couldn't shake the feeling that she was still going to be a tough opponent to face. At least he'll have the big speed advantage over her, most of the larger reptiles weren't fast, just really strong. As long as he avoided her blows he should be fine.
Daria stepped between them, acting like the referee, and turned towards Diana. "You ready girl?"
"Oh yeah, I'm ready." Diana replied in a deep, almost scary voice.
"Alright then." Daria said as she rose up her left arm. "Ready, FIGHT!"
Diana suddenly rushed forward at blinding speed at Fox as soon as Daria signaled the fight to start. Fox barely caught her movement in time to see her throw a hook at his head to duck under it. The blow came so close that he could feel the force coming from her fist as it passed over her head. But that's when he noticed her knee screaming towards him and he realized she had tricked him into ducking to make him an easier target for a stronger attack. Knowing he couldn't absorb or divert the blow he quickly rolled to the right, barely avoiding her knee destroying his head. As soon as Fox recovered from the roll he saw Diana already moving towards him to attempt a tackle. Using all the strength in his legs he propelled himself to the side avoiding her charge by inches. However, he had little time to recover as she quickly stopped herself and turned towards him, once again resuming her attack.
Holy crap, how fast is she? Fox thought as he barely dodged another strike. She might not be quite as strong as General Scales but she's definitely faster and her strikes are more precise. What's scary is she's most likely holding back her strength and skills, otherwise I'd probably be dead by now."
Knowing he couldn't remain on the defense forever Fox decided to switch to offense as Diana threw a punch aimed at his head. He ducked just in time to avoid getting his skull crushed only to throw a strike of his own at her stomach. His fist connected to her stomach but seemed to have little effect, if anything it felt like he had just punched a metal wall. Diana hardly reacted to his strike other than bending down to absorb the blow. She quickly responded with an upward strike aimed at Fox's chest. In his position and the distance between them there was no time to dodge so he raised his arm up to take the hit. Her fist collided into his forearm with such force that he was throw backwards. Incredible pain shot through his forearm causing him to think it was broken. Trying his best to ignore the pain he recovered quickly landing quickly in a defensive stance.
Damn she's relentless and built like a tank. It's as if she's designed to absorb damage. A weaker person would be gasping for breath after that punch. Fox thought as he saw Diana ready herself for another charge. I may have to target her head, though getting a blow up that high will be difficult. No doubt she can handle head blows to so I'm gonna have to be precise.
Diana rushed at Fox again but he was ready for her. Waiting for her to strike, he held his ground till she was nearly on top of him where she threw an uppercut. He jumped right before the blow would've made contact and spun to his right, using the momentum to throw a powerful spinning kick, his heel connecting with her head. The blow threw Diana off balance and almost to the ground but she caught herself before she fell. At first thought the blow was effective till he landed and saw her smile at him.
Dang it, I missed her temple. She would be staggering at the very least if my aim had been accurate.
Diana took advantage of Fox's stunned moment to launch an attack of her own. She launched her first at him, aiming at his stomach. It was too late for him to reply as her fist connected with his side. Thankfully, the blow hit below his ribs or at least one would've easily broke. He went flying through the air and landed on the ground with a loud thud. The landing would've knocked the air out of him if there was any left after Diana's blow. Gasping for breath Fox tried his best to recover knowing Diana would be at him again if he didn't recover quickly.
Okay, striking her didn't work, I should've known that. Might need a visit to the ER after that blow. Fox thought as he stood up. If I can't hold out by striking, I definitely can't evade effectively after that blow, I may have to resort to something else.
Fox lowered his body as Diana smiled back at him. She seemed to be impressed that he was still fighting though that hardly stopped her from fighting. He was certain she knew he was damaged and was probably looking to exploit it. Almost expectedly, Diana rushed at him again though slower than previous times. She opened her arms appearing to grab him only for him to lunge at her and duck under her grasp putting himself behind her. Before Diana could recover Fox jumped on her back and wrapped his arms around her neck and right shoulder, doing his best to restrain her. Pulling back on her arm as hard as he could seemed to do little beyond keep her in his grasp, even though he heard a loud pop when he pulled. His grasp on her neck seemed to have little effect as well as she fought back to get him off. Diana spun around and tried to grab Fox to pry him off but his grip remained strong despite her incredible strength. Everything became a blur as he held on for dear life, knowing it was kind of true. Every second of her struggles weakened his grip to where he feared if it failed, knowing if it did he'd wouldn't her the strength to fight her off.
"Time, one minute is up." Daria shouted.
Fox immediately let go of Diana only to immediately regret it out of fear hoping she wouldn't attack him. He watched nervously as she rubbed her shoulder seeming to be in pain, which was really the only damage he did to her, he doubted any of his blows did much to her. On the other hand his body ached heavily from the blows he received from her, she packed considerable strength in her blows and each one no doubt left a bruise.
Krystal and Vixy rushed to his side and comforted him. Krystal had to restrain Vixy from jumping into his arms so she didn't hurt him. He was glad she saw his pain otherwise Vixy jumping at him would've seriously hurt.
Diana turned around and looked at Fox, rubbing her shoulder. "You did better than I predicted. What would you say Torygg?"
Torygg mumbled for a moment as he seemed to plan out his words. "He lasted a minute with you without any major injuries, even with your tail handicap, that's quite impressive. He may be small but he's quick and agile. There was also a fighting spirit burning that prevented him from giving up. I can't say that I'm not impressed."
"I got a feeling there's a but in there." Miyu added.
"There is." Daria replied, getting everyone's attention. "Fox needs to work on his strength to make his moves effective against larger opponents like Diana and General Scales. While his grappling moves and strikes are effective against average opponents he just doesn't possess the strength to properly do damage. He also lacked precision in his strikes which dampened the blows. His kick to the head is the perfect example. While it would've most likely knocked out a weaker opponent, because it missed her temple the damage was significantly less than what it could've been. If it had connected to her temple then she would've, at the very least, been significantly stunned, opening her up for a finishing blow."
Diana looked at Daria impressed. "Hard to imagine she's the younger sibling with that kind of knowledge."
"That's my sister for ya, she's crazy smart and talented in melee and CQC combat. Though she does have a point, I do need to work on my strength and precision. Still we can address that later." Fox replied with a slight smile before looking at Diana and Torygg seriously. "So, will you two stay on the team for the time being?"
Diana and Torygg looked at each other for a moment before Diana stepped forward and said with a smile. "Fox McCloud, it'd be an honor to fight alongside you."
Space Dynamic's office
Uh, what a day. Fara mumbled to herself as she typed away at her computer. Is there ever going to be a day when Star Fox doesn't make it a little bit harder for me?
Fara sighed loudly as she scanned through the records the military sent her on the Venom embassy raid. Colonel Patrenksi sent her nearly all the records they found at the embassy, it was a lot more than she predicted. It took the entire Space Dynamics records division hours to comb through it all. What they found was astonishing to say the least, the data showed locations of more than a dozen Venom resistance bases located throughout the Lylat System. They found records of troop movements, spy networks, plans for future attacks, even blackmail and mercenary funds. With the data recovered they could finally end the Venom resistance that's been plaguing the system ever since the Lylat Wars ended. What creeped out Fara more than anything was what Fox discovered deep in the embassy basement alongside the two Sharpscale warriors he told her about earlier. He knew what it was immediately and she figured it out once he filled her in; a black hole bomb, the exact same design Andross used nearly two decades ago against James. Just hearing about it terrified Fara, knowing that the Venomians not only had one but were planning to use it. She was just glad it was now in Space Dynamics hands, the only problem was deciding what to do with it, at the moment she was planning on destroying it so the technology wouldn't be misused.
A sudden knock on Fara's door got her attention. She looked up to see a horned, feminine figure through the glass. Given the time she was a little suspicious of who it was, hardly anyone was at the office other than her, security, and a few others.
"Who is it?" Fara called out.
"It's Mrs. Pol, I have a report from one of our recon units that you need to see."
"Alright, come on in."
The door opened and a small antelope stepped into Fara's office. She almost ran to her desk carrying a data disc, setting it down before her. Fara was caught a little off guard by her actions, normally she was so calm, and whatever data she had must be important.
"Ah, Mrs. Pol, nice to see you again." Fara said with a smile as she sat up in her chair, trying to calm her down. "How is your husband doing after his surgery?"
"He's doing fine, slowly recovering. The doctors said he'll be fully healed in a couple months."
"Glad to hear it." Fara replied as she shifted in her seat. "So, is there something you wish to discuss with me?"
"Uh, yes ma'am, it's our recon team 14, researching anomalies by the space around Fichina. They had a rather . . . interesting occurrence a couple hours ago."
"Hm, what happened?"
"Well . . . according to the report they were getting ready for bed when they intercepted a distress call from a nearby ship. They investigated to discover it was a Venomian shuttle, the type the Venom insurgents use."
Fara looked at Mrs. Pol shocked and intrigued. "Huh, a scout team picking up an Venom shuttle blasting a distress signal, sounds suspicious to me. I would've expected it to be a trap."
"That's what they thought to, though for some reason they decided to investigate. Our recon teams are armed, you made that a requirement, but even they were cautious.
"Smart, never can be too cautious when Venomians are involved. So, what did they find?"
"That's one of the many shocking things about this. Once they connected to the shuttle they found only two people inside, a female panther and a little hybrid child. The woman identified herself as Cara Caruso and the child is her daughter."
"Huh, Cara Caruso, yeah that name sounds familiar. If I remember correctly there was a major news story a few years back of her disappearance over Fichina. She also didn't have a kid at the time, or was even married. Even more confusing, you said the child was a hybrid?"
"Yes ma'am, the child, Cara named her Felicity, appears to be a panther and Fox hybrid. According to the report Felicity's age suggests she was conceived after she disappeared over Fichina, which means her father is either still down there or dead."
"That's . . . strange to say the least. Though we can address that issue later. Did she say what happened to her on Fichina.
Mrs. Pol replied as she looked back at her notes. "According to her report her ship was brought down by a severe storm onto the South Pole where she's been surviving all this time till her recent escape and recovery. Since the scout team picked her up she's been demanding to speak to you, saying it's quite urgent."
"That sounds like it'll be quite a story, hopefully they're both fine. Though why would she demand to speak to me?"
"Well, she's been making these quite . . . bold claims that I think you would be very interested in."
"Uh, what kind of claims is she making?"
Mrs. Pol looked down at the pad she was carrying for a moment before responding, seeming to find an answer. "Hm, I'll start off with the least surprising. She claimed that the Venomian army have built a secret research facility on the South Pole of Fichina where she's been stuck. Cara didn't mention much as she wasn't a hundred percent certain of what they were doing."
Fara looked down at her desk and thought for a moment before replying. "Hm, a Venom base on the South Pole of Fichina, hard to imagination but also believable. I don't remember anything about a Venom base in the records Colonel Patrenksi sent me from the embassy assault, must be top secret even to them. It's definitely something we should look into."
"I definitely agree, though that's not as shocking as who she said was at the base at the time of her escape."
"I got a feeling I'm not going to like her claim."
"No, you certainly will not. According to the report, Cara stated that she saw Andross herself."
Fara gasped. "Ho . . . how is that even possible? How many times do we have to kill that ape before he stays dead? Cara's making a VERY bold claim, hopefully she has proof."
"The report didn't say if she did or not. I think she's waiting till she speaks to you."
"Then we need to get her here as soon as possible. Have the scout team return with Cara and her daughter as quickly as possible."
"Of course Miss Phoenix." Mrs. Pol exclaimed and turned around to leave only to stop in her tracks and turn back towards Fara. "There is one more thing, Miss Phoenix. Given your connection to the McCloud family I think it's one you really need to hear."
Fara looked at Mrs. Pol greatly intrigued. "I'm almost afraid to ask but what is it?"
"Uh, I don't know how to say it so I'll just come out and state it." Mrs. Pol replied, taking a deep breath. "According to Cara, not only is your ex brother-in-law Todd McCloud alive but he is still on Fichina watching over the Venom facility, making sure Andross doesn't escape. On top of that she claimed that Todd is her daughter's father."
Fara's jaw dropped and her body seemed to stiffen to the point she could hardly move. If it wasn't for her fur Mrs. Pol would've seen how pale she had become at the mention of Todd. For the first time in years, Fara found herself unable to speak, only able to mutter incoherent words causing Mrs. Pol to look at her worriedly.
"Th . . . this is . . . this is unbelievable." Fara stuttered once she managed to regain a little composure. "Mrs. Pol, bring Cara, her daughter, and the everything on the subject you can gather to me as quickly as you can. Let no one else see the data she has. I need to see this for myself."
"At once Miss Phoenix."
X
Great Fox playroom
"Where is that little fur ball?" Fox said softly as he walked quickly down the hallway. "It's past her nap time."
A loud sigh escaped Fox's mouth as he walked into the kitchen to find it empty and no Vixy. That was the fifth room he checked and didn't find her, of hardly anyone. She wasn't in the hangar with Miyu, Slippy, and Falco who were working on their fighters. He checked the bridge where he found Fay and Peppy watching the monitors but no Vixy. In the weight room he saw Torygg working with Daria and Krystal on grappling techniques but Vixy wasn't among them. He was starting to get frustrated and a little nervous not finding Vixy.
Fox was still a little shaken from Daria, Fay, and Miyu's announcement of them being discharged from the military. Fay and Miyu's announcement didn't surprise him at all, he knew they were thinking of leaving the military anyway. It was Daria's announcement that caught him off guard, especially since she just walked right up to him and said it. It took a moment for it to register in his mind but once it did she followed up with the three of them joining Star Fox. Fox nearly blurted out "NO" but realized he didn't have much of a choice in the matter. So he reluctantly agreed, for the time being. As soon as he said yes they left to claim their rooms leaving him both happy and nervous.
Star Fox was getting a little big with so many members, and no current contract to work on. Though with the data from the Venom embassy passed on to the proper authorities he knew that was about to change. All he had to do was wait and soon they'd be swimming in jobs attacking no longer hidden Venom bases. He decided to use that time to spend with Vixy, though he was having a tough time finding her.
She must be in the rec room, probably watching that silly kids show. Fox thought as he turned around from the kitchen and walked quickly towards the rec room.
After a few minutes Fox reached the rec room and moved to open the door when he heard Vixy's voice nearly shouting. "That's incredible Diana, what happened next?"
Fox paused when he heard Vixy's voice. Wait, is Vixy in the rec room with Diana? What are they doing in there?
Fox pushed the door open enough to peek through to see Vixy seated cross-legged on the couch looking excitedly at Diana who was smiling playfully down at her. For the first time in weeks he was seeing Vixy actually calmed down and paying attention to someone telling a story, something he thought was impossible. To his surprise Vixy actually looked entertained by what Diana was saying.
"And then Alexander Sharpscale, with his tribe finally reunited, set out to bring peace to all of the Venom tribes, a task that many thought to be impossible." Diana exclaimed to an excited looking Vixy. "One by one the other tribes united with him as they began to see the peace he wanted, though many resisted but not did long. Unfortunately, he died of old age before his dream came and it devastated everyone. However, his death brought all the tribes together and not even a year later full peace was finally achieved on Venom between all the tribes."
Huh, Diana's telling Vixy the legend of Alexander Sharpscale, the warrior who somehow managed to end the tribal wars of Venomians that had lasted centuries. Fox thought as he leaned against the wall so he could hear better.
"That's an amazing story, Diana. Is he really your ancestor?" Vixy excitedly exclaimed.
Diana nodded. "He is, we Sharpscales are quite proud of her heritage, though we live in constant concern that we can't live up to them."
"From what aunt Daria told me you do, she said you were a beast on the battlefield, whatever that means."
"Aw, thanks little cutie. You sure you're only four?"
"Yes ma'am, but Miyu said I act older than my age."
Diana smirked as she patted Vixy on the head. "Well, you certainly do, there's a bright future ahead of you."
Is this really the same Diana as who yesterday I saw charging into the Venom embassy and earlier today was kicking my butt? Fox thought as he watched Diana and Vixy through the door.
After everything that happened with Diana he was having a hard time comprehending what he was seeing. She was absolutely beast on the battlefield just like Daria said and outside of it often seen shy and distant. They've had a few conversations after their fight but she didn't give much away, appearing to be nervous talking to him, especially when Krystal was around. Seeing her currently with Vixy was a shock to say the least. He didn't think she had a sensitive side but there it was happening right in front of him. Diana seemed to be enjoying herself with Vixy, the little kit had that effect on people, and seeing it warmed Fox's heart, making him smile. He couldn't help but find it a little attractive, seeing a woman be so good and kind of his daughter. It seemed to bring out Diana's hidden beauty, that deep down she was sensitive and kind, despite her natural aggression.
The fight with Diana came vividly back into his mind, but instead of focusing on his fear of getting pounded Fox found himself visualizing Diana. He'd been too busy trying to avoid her blows to focus on her, more specifically on her body. It was then he realized how gorgeous she really was and how fine of a figure she had. She had even better curves than Krystal, especially in her chest area. He suddenly remembered how much she had been bouncing in her sports bra during the fight; quite a lot. If he hadn't been focused on avoiding her strikes he realized would've been hypnotized by her massive breasts bouncing around like crazy. He'd heard rumors that Sharpscale women were busty but never thought they'd be like Diana, even though he considered it more of a genetic thing since her species were naturally quite tall and muscular. The more Fox thought about the fight the more he found himself envisioning her in his bed "wrestling" with him. He had similar thoughts about Krystal but the ones with her were more passionate and gentle while with Diana it was rough and dominating.
Suddenly, Fox was snapped back to reality by the sound of Vixy's laughter combined with Diana's from the rec room. Wait a minute, what the heck am I thinking? Did I really just think of Diana like that? I must be losing my mind.
Fox shook his head as he stepped away from the door. He knew he shouldn't be thinking about Diana like that, especially with a telepath on board. If Krystal picked up on those thoughts he suspected she'd probably blast his manhood off. If Fara found out she'd probably shoot him out the airlock. Besides, he hardly knew Diana, to be thinking about her in such a sexual way after they just met barely a day ago was just wrong. However, he'd be lying if he admitted he didn't think she wasn't special, in an attractive but strong kind of way, he did have a thing for strong women and Diana was the epitome of that. At the very least he should be friendly with her, for the time being, maybe he'll see how a friendship with her will play out, though he doubted it'd end up with them shaking the bed.
Fox sighed as he pushed the thoughts of Diana out of his mind and turned around to head for the kitchen only to see Peppy fast approaching him. Despite his age and health the old hare could still move surprisingly fast. As he approached Fox noticed the concerned look on Peppy's face, causing him to become concerned, it was never a good sign when Peppy was worried about something.
"Peppy, is something wrong?" Fox asked.
"At the moment, no, there is no trouble out there. I was just coming to tell you that Fara just called."
"Really . . . well, what does she want?"
"She didn't say, she wants to speak to you directly." Peppy replied.
"Alright, you have her call waiting for me?"
"That's not what I meant by directly."
Fox looked at Peppy confused. "Then, what do you mean?"
"That she's on her way here to discuss something of vital importance with all of us. She said it was something we needed to hear in person, especially you and Daria."
A shiver ran down Fox's spine at the mention of Fara visiting. He knew it would happen at some point but was still dreading it, especially after their hologram conversation in the briefing room after the Saurian Crisis. On top of that he couldn't help but be concerned of what Fara would think when she met Diana and Krystal, surely that wouldn't go well.
"Uh, thanks Peppy, did she say when she'll be here?" Fox stuttered.
"A few hours at the most. So if I were you I'd get prepared for her visit."
"I'll get right on it, thanks Peppy."
"You're welcome Fox." Peppy replied than turned to leave.
Fox let out a big sigh as he watched Peppy walk away. If Fara is calling us together she must've found something important in the data we sent her. Whatever it is it can't be good.
To be continued.
So, Daria, Fay, and Miyu all got released from the Cornerian military and are now a part of Star Fox, talk about a tough break for Fox. On top of that he had a very tough fight to get Diana and Torygg on the team temporarily, though it caused a lot of bruises. We now know what Fox thinks of Diana, will that go anywhere and what will Krystal think, even worse how will Fara react when she finds out. Finally, now that Cara and Felicity are safe what will happen? How will Fox and company react discovering that Todd is not only still alive but will soon meet his daughter and mate? Even more important, what will happen when everyone finds out Andross is still alive?
Please leave a review. I honestly want to know what you think of the story and how I can improve it.
Hope that you are enjoying the story so far. The next chapter will be uploaded as soon as possible.
This is John Storm signing off. Star Frosty ya'll.