Author's Note: Not a majorly exciting chapter. And it's kinda short. But the next scene will involve a lot of action from Fox, Krystal, and Company… In this scene, we learn that Marcus isn't interested in all-out war unless it's the last resort. Guess he got that from his maternal grandparents, huh?
Chapter -31-
The Politician
The GreatFox Dreadnaught…
Marcus paced the bridge. He glanced over at Fara, Theodore, and Vivian, then he looked back at the holographic projector at the front of the bridge, which depicted his father, ROB, and blurry individuals in the background. "So, I see you've got ROB flying your ship. Uh, can I go out on a limb real quick with a hunch?"
Fox sighed over the line. His voice was robust and powerful over the speakers that filled the bridge. His holographic form faced Marcus directly. "Listen, kiddo. Don't be upset with ROB."
"Oh, I'm not. My hunch is that … Ted couldn't fix whatever was wrong with ROB because there was nothing wrong with ROB. That about right?"
ROB piped up over the line. "Don't be upset, Marcus. You're in a contest with the original StarFox. I'm part of the original StarFox. Every fight. Ever battle. Every war. Every threat. Every near-death situation. I was there for all of it. And, if I'm going to be doomed, I might as well be doomed with Lucy Hare."
Marcus cut his gaze to Vivian, noting that she was quick to scrunch her nose. He looked back at the holographic depiction of ROB and Fox McCloud. "Okay, well, uh … who am I to keep true love apart, right?"
ROB nodded his boxy metallic head. "I knew you'd understand. I'm protecting her from Panther Caruso. Although, to be honest, he seems extremely distracted with Miyu Lynx. Fox did tell you that he's added Katt and Miyu to the roster, along with StarWolf right? I wasn't sure if your rules stated two groups can be added, or two pilots can be added."
Marcus chuckled. "Dad's been in contact with me, ROB. Good looking out as a referee, but I promise, he played by the rules. He added Katt and Miyu together, and he added Star Wolf. Those are his two lifelines. So, his team is locked now."
ROB sighed. "Does that mean I can't join?"
Marcus nearly laughed. "You were never mine to take."
"Thank you, thank you, thank you. I really appreciate that."
Marcus grinned at the hologram, adding, "But you're mine to inherit. Don't forget that."
"I won't. I've got work to do. Take care, Marcus. See you again whenever you inherit me."
"Maybe sooner than you think," said the junior McCloud.
"I win either way, unless someone decides to scrap me, or I die in a fiery explosion." ROB left the view of the holo-lens, and his image faded away.
Fox met the gaze of his son. His holographic image was sharp, the colors were vivid. Maybe just a little bit oversaturated. He crossed his arms over his chest. "Well, my team is all locked up, now. Aren't you going to get help wherever you can get it from?"
"Dad, you're leaving the grand prize wide open. I could strike Venom tomorrow. Today. Right now, if I wanted. What's going on?"
"That crazy Krazoan lady is pulling the time-honored move of using Venom to attack Corneria, outright. Bill and Fay have gone-to-ground, and they're laying low. The Anglars have built enough war ships to make a net over each major city on Corneria. They're threatening total planetary annihilation. Now, the rest of my crew are happy to save the day and show your team how it's done. And … if you want in on this fight, we can call off the competition at any time. But that means you'll have to go where I send you, and fight who I tell you."
Marcus shook his head. "I'm sure Panther has already told you about the Locust creatures. They look like giant insects with raptor feet. They're here to take away our prize, and, from what I can gather, they want more than Anezka Vacek."
"Go on, kiddo."
Marcus frowned. "They want Lylat's resources. Fossil Fuels, Rare-earth Elements, precious dense metals, radioactive metals, water…"
"What attracted them to Lylat? Do you know?"
"It has something to do with Anezka. They butted heads with the Krazoa before, and when she woke up, they came for her."
Fox grimaced. "All right, wonderful," he said in a sarcastic tone. "So, if they kill her, who wins the competition?"
Marcus shrugged. "We add up the points and see who has the best score, so to speak."
Fox nodded in agreement. "If you approach Corneria, just a heads up … it's surrounded by a stealth minefield. Be safe, all right? We're going to do some errands on the way to Corneria so that Venom doesn't expect us. We're going to make our way to Corneria through a backdoor strike."
"How, dad? Any way you approach the planet will be seen."
"We're going to give Venom a blackeye, and when they blink, we'll make a hard run for the planet. It won't matter if their capital ships can see us coming. All that matters is … they won't be able to get word to Venom until it's too late. So, you plan on handling these Locust things?"
Marcus nodded firmly. "Trying to use a little diplomacy, first. If they give us trouble, I'll handle them … without ramming them out of the sky like Panther Caruso. Anyway, give mom my love."
Panther sneered over the speakers, just beyond Fox, where the holo-lens couldn't see him.
Marcus heard Panther's voice in the background.
Caruso quipped, "Tell that insufferable little Prince that I said he can…"
Krystal cleared her throat. "That is my son you're about to threaten."
Marcus glanced at Fara with a grin of amusement, but he kept quiet.
Panther muttered over the speakers. "But, Krystal, he is a whiny little…"
Krystal interrupted the feline, and said, "Apparently, Panther, I am capable of killing everyone and destroying entire planetary systems when I get angry. Don't … insult my son. I get angry when people insult my son. And you wouldn't like me when I'm angry."
Fox cringed at his wife's joke.
Marcus rubbed the back of his head. "Geeze, ma. Too soon."
Krystal stepped into the holo-lens, so that her image appeared on the bridge in front of Marcus and his team. "Hey, honey. Sorry. I'm surrounded by some of the snarkiest people in Lylat. We're all on the bridge together. I guess I'm somehow channeling that energy. Sorry."
Marcus put up both of his paws. "It's fine. I just … didn't expect that from you." He clapped his palms together and rubbed them furiously. "Okay! Well, you guys be safe! ROB, you take care of Lucy. Everyone sounds paired up over there. Try not to let Wolf and Leon rock the love boat so that it capsizes. Unless, of course, they have each other."
Wolf snarled. "Your child has a mouth on him, pup," he said to Fox from somewhere behind Fox and Krystal.
Krystal grinned at her son. "You've insulted your best friend's daddy, sweetheart."
Crimson entered the bridge from the far end, and stopped when he saw the holographic image of Fox and Krystal. "Hey! The other team!"
Tricky followed Crimson onto the bridge, got down on his front legs, in a puppy-play position, and announced, "Bad guys!" followed by a laugh.
Fox face-faulted with a groan. "Ha … ha … Very funny, Tricky. Just remember who gave you that StarFox necklace."
Tricky scoffed. "I also remember who actually treats me like a StarFox member. And it ain't you."
Fox rolled his eyes. "Shouldn't you be home running your planet?"
"Uh, duh, Hope Skye is running things for me."
Fox furrowed his brows a bit. "Who is Hope Skye?"
Tricky scoffed. "I thought we were besties, Fox, but it's like you don't even know me."
"Uh, hello? I was in another dimension for years. Duh back at you."
"You've been home long enough you should know a few things about me by now." Tricky rolled his eyes at the hologram. "So, you know, nice try."
Marcus grinned at his father, and said, "That's Tricky's girl, pop. What? You didn't know he had a queen?"
"Not … really, no."
Marcus's grin broadened. "All of Sauria is behind King Tricky's adventure with us, because we saved Sauria last year. And, now, he's helping us to save Lylat from multiple threats. To them, the king of Sauria is off fighting to keep his kingdom safe. To the dinosaurs, there is no nobler cause. Especially to the Earthwalkers."
Fox shook his head and shrugged at his son. "All right, if you say so. Look, we're going below the radar for a while. If you don't hear from us, don't get all worried. We have all the best pilots, here. And don't approach Corneria, else Venom will send those ships the order to release their ordinance and destroy all the major cities. All right?"
"Of course," said Marcus. "We'll avoid Corneria until you give the all-clear. You have my word. Good luck. Oh, and hey … don't let them destroy the academy." Marcus stole a glance back at his best friend, then looked at his father's hologram with a wry grin. "Crimson still has a class or two to finish when the dust settles."
Red rolled his eyes. "Ha…"
Fox waved. "Stay safe, StarFox Junior."
Krystal blew a kiss at her son. "Love you!"
Marcus waved back. "Love ya, too, mom. Stay safe, pops."
Fox grinned a bit. He cut his gaze to Tricky and said, "You keep my son alive. I'm trusting you, Tricky, as an honorary member of StarFox. I mean it." His image faded away.
Silence.
Tricky blinked. "That's … the first time he's treated me like a member of the team. Wow." Then, as an afterthought, he added, "Your dad is kinda bossy as a team leader, huh?"
Marcus grinned. "Don't let him get into your head, King Tricky. We're going to retire them, and they're going to live in a cottage by the sea, overlooking Cape Claw. They'll be Saurian peasants. They'll be your subjects."
Tricky laughed at the mental imagery. "Nice! My peasant subjects. I'll be sure to tax them if they're not nice to me."
Fara snickered in amusement.
Tricky looked back at Fara. "That's what it's called, right? Taxing? I've been reading how Cornerian life works."
Fara nodded with a soft chuckle. "Yes, Tricky. But don't over-tax, or you'll have a coup on your hand. Er … feet."
"Just enough to buy a new ball, and maybe to fix up some things around the kingdom. Nothing crazy. After all, I know Fox's team is rich. They can afford it."
Fara pursed her lips to keep from laughing.
Marcus rubbed his paws together. "Okay, team. My dad's group is leaving Venom wide open. We need a way to go imperial hunting. I want to talk to the anti-imperial reptiles that kidnapped Ted, and, maybe, see if we could work out some sort of truce. There's gotta be some sort of alliance here. They don't want Anezka or the Locusts seizing Venom. They don't want Dash or Andrew running Venom. I'm happy to help put them into power."
Crimson asked, "What if we stage a coup? Put them into power underground, and help them make attacks on Imperial Venom's leadership, to show them that Anezka can't lead. Strength is only so important."
Fara rubbed her chin thoughtfully. "I like where you're going, Crimson, but they don't have enough political clout yet. They don't have a following. They're just a bunch of guys on a ship, with lofty goals, hiding out. They need funding. They need backing."
Marcus turned to Fara and snapped his fingers. He lifted his paws, defensively, and looked at Vivian. "Nope, wait … sorry. Your idea. I'm not going to steal it."
Vivian stood up from her spot at the helm. "Thank you, Marcus. All right, well, you guys were talking about helping Venom to become an interplanetary ally if everything is done right. Fara, here, is the CEO of the largest non-pharmaceutical conglomerate in Lylat. What if we vet these lizards, then Fara puts them through some sort of grooming classes with Cornerian leadership, and then her company backs them for a globalized Venom, touting them to be the leaders of a free and democratic Venom. Wouldn't that work?"
Fara rubbed her chin again. "That's ingenious, Viv. A mercenary team playing illuminati with the planetary leaders of Lylat. Sounds like a cheesy conspiracy novel."
Theodore piped up. "If it was an action-adventure novel with sci-fi space battles, and just a little political intrigue and conspiracy … then I'd read it."
Vivian grinned. "I prefer thrillers and murder mystery."
Marcus shrugged. "Non-fiction historical pieces, myself."
Fara chuckled with a shake of her head. "Well, since everyone decided to overshare. What about you, Red?"
"Biographies about mercenaries who take the team name from their parents. That's my thing."
Marcus smirked at his best friend. "You really want to read a story about your sister? That's kind of weird."
Crimson scoffed. "Funny. Not. Okay!"
Vivian turned to Fara. "All joking aside, can you do that?"
Fara nodded. "I knew what you're trying to say. Space Dynamics and Phoenix Travel Enterprises back Venom's new founding fathers. We lobby other Lylat world leaders into accepting them, and we push for Corneria to drop sanctions against Venom if the Venomese elect to stand behind the new leadership."
Vivian nodded and pet the lump in her chest pocket. "Exactly!"
Red cleared his throat. "Okay, I follow what you two are saying, now. So, in the meantime, StarMarcus is going to fight on behalf of these chuckleheads that kidnapped Ted? We're going to be their hired guns?"
"Only on paper," said Marcus, smirking at his friend for making a joke about the team name. "We have to talk to them, and we have to work out some details in our talks with the bug dudes, too."
Fara nodded with a frown. "Ah, yes. The 'bug dudes.' A race so powerful that they'll destroy everything like some sort of prophesied doomsday event. Maybe they could destroy Anezka for us, and then we talk them into claiming they did it for these Venom nationalists."
Marcus shook his head. "I want to lock her back up. She's a doomsday weapon. Do not break glass unless of extreme emergency. Like, if Kew attacked Lylat, or if the bugs overran us and won. Then we could let her back out. That sort of thing. I want to put her back into her bottle for now."
Silence.
Marcus frowned. "My mom's doppelgänger let her out, so I feel responsible. I want to put her back into her box. Simple as that. If it's possible. If we have to destroy her, then that's what we'll have to do. But our Alpha Plan should involve sparing her life. You know?"
Fara looked around the bridge. "Everyone agree?"
No one disagreed.
Fara turned back to Marcus. "All right. Save the last Krazoan. Maybe hug her. I mean, don't get me wrong, babe. Like, if you can use your telepathy to get inside of her head, and if you can fix her mommy and daddy issues … then, hey, I'm all about it. But, let's face so,e facts, here…"
Fara trailed off and looked around, seeing that she had everyone's attention. She shrugged and continued. "…She's a scary Krazoan woman with a dog tail and ears. I need Lylat to be safe and ready for when our baby comes at the beginning of next year. So, we gotta do whatever it takes to have things smooth and peaceful before I go into labor. Actually, let's try and get the situation settled before my third trimester."
Crimson said, "You guys should get married before he's born."
Marcus nodded firmly. Then he did a double take at Red. "How'd you know the baby is a he?"
Crimson shrugged. "Sorry, sorry. I know gender-assuming is a big deal for some, but … I just said 'he' without giving it any thought. So, you're really having a boy?"
"Probably," said Fara. "All right, everyone. We're getting off track. We're still waiting to see if those bugs give us the information we asked for. While we wait, let's pull in those anti-imperialist reptiles and see if we can't get a good read on them. We might want to tell them how big this is, and what's at stake. Then, we can decide what direction to take things."
Marcus nodded. "I agree. Ted, you've got rapport with them, and they dislike mammals. Why don't you call them?"
Theodore gave a double thumbs-up. "You got it, boss." He pivoted about, coming to face the bridge controls. "One meet 'n greet, comin' up!" He saved his work session on the computer terminal and stretched.
Fara turned to Marcus. "You're not really thinking about going straight for the gold medal while your dad's team is trying to save people's lives over Corneria, are you? I mean, hitting two fronts at the same time is one thing, but it would be fair to reach out to him, and make it honorable by deciding to go with the score-based system. He's putting families and homes first."
Marcus grinned. "As enticing as it sounds to win right away, the truth is … I wouldn't be able to go after Anezka if I was the only StarFox team in town. I'd be going to Corneria, just like they're doing. But, if we were the only StarFox team in town, I'd still consider going after the gold, just to shut down the military over Venom. Hold their planet hostage until they pull out of Corneria, the same way they're doing to us. Just the same, let's hope no one here has any illusion of thinking that she sent her entire military force to Corneria. Trust me, she's going to be well protected. And if we start a fight there, and she finds out someone is starting a fight on Corneria, she'd simply radio to them to wipe Corneria off the star charts. So, no, my plan is not to wage an offensive against Venom. I can't let the Locusts do it, either, else Corneria will be attacked under the assumption that it's StarFox. So. I need to find a way to draw Anezka out. Find out what she knows about these bugs, and then … then I can decide how to proceed. I can see if she's afraid of them, or if she wants to withdraw from Corneria to protect herself from them. I doubt it would be that easy, but I can always work around her reaction."
Fara eyed Marcus.
"What?" A pause, then, "Sorry, I rambled, huh?"
"I get it. You're working out how to proceed in your head, and I asked you to let me in on what you're thinking, well, pretty much while you were mulling it over. But … would you really tell your enemy that you're about to start an alliance with their other enemy?"
Marcus nodded firmly. "Of course. That's just politics. If your nation is under attack from another nation, you threaten your enemy to form an alliance with their other enemy as an attempt to find a peaceful solution. But if peace isn't an option, then, well, yeah. War it is. But we'll cross that bridge when we come to it."
Fara rubbed her chin. A sly smile spread across the vixen's petite maw. "Politics, huh? You planning to become the a minister one day?"
"Eh, maybe when I retire from being a mercenary." Marcus grinned again. "You wanna be my co-ruler? Deputy Prime Minister, Vice President, or … whatever we're using by the time I'm ready for that sort of thing? Or would you rather be my chief advisor?"
Fara laughed softly. "Well, you know what they say. Behind every great man is the woman who got him there."
"Exactly," Marcus said with a firm nod. "Heck, it even applies with this team. You got me here, no doubt about that. Now, I have to hold up my end of the bargain and do great things to make you proud."
Vivian murmured, "Aww," without realizing she'd said it out loud. She quickly brought a paw to her muzzle. "Oops. Heh."
Theodore turned his station's seat around, so it was facing the middle of the bridge. "I'd say, 'get a room, guys,' but it's your bridge, Marcus. Heh. Be right back, gang." Theodore shook his head at the two foxes, grinned, and walked into the Ready Room to call the anti-imperialists.
Crimson waved at his best friend and the two girls. "I'm going to go in there with Ted and show solidarity for mammal and amphibian kind, but I won't say anything. And, Mac, the political maneuver is the right play. Just remember that mercenaries don't get paid for peace unless it's to do an escort mission. And everyone hates escort missions." He headed into the Ready Room.
Vivian shrugged. "He's a cute kid. A little bland when it comes to conversation, but I think that's just part of his adorable charm."
Marcus grinned at the rabbit. "Who, Red? Yeah, his bland conversating might be a symptom of having just got dumped by some-bunny not too long ago. A dancer named Sugar, who wanted to join the academy. She wants to focus on her career, not on her love life."
Fara eyed Marcus. "Don't say 'just got dumped,' the wording is unfit for the likes of a leader. Also, it's conversing, hon. Not 'conversating.' And…" She furrowed one brow and arched her other. "…Are you trying to play matchmaker?"
Vivian pointed at herself and cut her gaze back to Marcus. "Oh, wait, you think I would be a good pairing with a fighter jock? I come from a family of military scholars and nerds. Besides, let's face it, pred-prey relationships almost never work. Life isn't some sort of kid's movie, where the rabbit girl and the fox boy somehow become a great pair."
Marcus shrugged in reply. "You have more in common than the movie you're talking about. You're not a cop and he's not a street hustler. Plus he's half-wolf, and you are way more open-minded about common laws; the movie rabbit was a hardass about citations. Oh! And he looks terrible in green floral print shirts."
Vivan rolled her eyes with a slight grin. "Jeeze."
"Anyhow, all I meant was, y'know, I'm just saying he's not racist against rabbits because he used to date one."
"All the more reason it wouldn't work. By now, he already knows that rabbit women are crazier than hell in relationship situations." Vivian grinned a bit more. "We're too needy, and we're typically too sure of ourselves … except for those of us who are too sweet for the cruelty of life, like my mom. But that's basically the two types of lapine female, right there, in a nutshell."
Marcus tilted his head and perked his ears but didn't say anything.
Vivian continued. "And, let's face it, I'm a mechanic, honey. Not a dancer. I'm toned in all the wrong places from lifting heavy parts and fitting them together. She's tone in different ways from dancing. Very different body styles, and very different mindsets."
Marcus rubbed his chin, eyeing Vivian. "So, then, why are you even considering it right now?"
"God, telepaths suck." Vivian huffed with indignation.
Fara was quick to come to bat for her fellow female compatriot. "Marcus, she may or may not be thinking about it, but that doesn't necessarily mean she's actively considering Crimson for relationship status. She's just giving it a moment of thought because a woman has to consider every option with every possible suiter in this day and age."
Marcus frowned.
Vivian nodded to Fara's explanation, and added, "Guys throw themselves at us. Online, offline, in bars, at the mall … and when we meet a guy that doesn't come off as desperate or creepy, we have to at least take a moment to size up the guys that don't set off any alarms. Not necessarily for ourselves, but maybe for a friend. Crimson is a good guy, a good pilot, and he takes care of his appearance. He's a decent listener. But … he's also … a fighter jock. And those kinda guys concern me. This is why Katt and Falco are married but living apart. I dunno..."
Fara cut back in. "Plus, he's on the outs with his family, and, worst of all, comes from the kind of family that won't make for a good babysitter."
Marcus turned from Fara and faced Vivian again. "So, just have coffee and hang out. You don't have to size him up for being a family man."
Fara smirked. "Most girls have their wedding planned before they're ten. At least to some degree. No-strings coffee is always a doorway that may-or-may-not lead to greater things. That has to be considered when accepting coffee, knowing the guy will likely want to hang out again if the coffee date goes well."
Marcus rubbed the scruffy fur of his chin, then guided his paw back, toward his throat. "Why didn't we go through any of these steps, Fara?"
"Because, honey. We bonded in battle and strengthened our bonds by surviving other impossible odds."
Vivian smirked. "That, Marcus, and you met all the other requirements Fara had when looking at a potential mate. Good family bonds, for example. Plus you're the ultimate empathetic man. You come from good genetic stock, oh, and you're both foxes, so … that's always a big checkmark to have."
Marcus chuckled. He shrugged a bit and said, "Not sure if Fara and I are fated or if our love is free-will, but either way, she's the one. For me, I mean. We're going to knock this whole 'family thing' out of the park, no doubt about it."
Fara grinned at Vivian.
Vivian grinned back at Fara. They nodded at each other in silence.
Marcus turned back to Vivian. "If I came off as trying to pair up my best friend with you, I'm sorry. I guess I was matchmaking without realizing it. It's just, he deserves a woman of your caliber, you know?"
"That's sweet, thank you." Vivian stole another grin at Fara.
Marcus chuckled. "You don't have to have coffee with him, especially not to placate me. I just wanted to see two of my friends happy, because both of you are truly good people, and both of you deserve to be happy. It doesn't have to be with one another."
Vivian shrugged. "Coffee won't hurt anything. It's harmless."
A moment later, the door to the bridge opened and Crimson came out of the ready room, alone.
Vivian stood up and approached the wolf-fox hybrid and smiled in a gentle-natured way. "Hey."
Crimson nodded with an unassuming smile. "Hey! What's up?"
"C'mon, cowboy. Let's go get coffee."
"What, for the bridge crew?"
She stared at him for a moment, then shook her head. "No, just us."
"Oh!" Crimson ran his fingers up through the fiery tussled locks of his hair. "That would be awesome, actually." He turned to the lift and touched a button on the wall. The doors opened. He put his palm over the elevator doors and held it open for her.
Vivian glanced at Fara, shrugged with a hidden smile, and crossed the bridge. She stepped onto the lift. "Thanks, Red."
"You know, an espresso is just the thing this day needs." He glanced back at Fara and Marcus. "You guys want me to bring you something whenever we're done?"
Marcus opened his muzzle to say yes, but sensed Fara was telling him 'no.' He cleared his throat and said, "Nah. I'm in the mood for an energy drink; I have one in the mini fridge in the ready room. Thanks, though."
"You got it." Crimson stepped into the lift, and the doors slid shut.
Alone at last.
Marcus turned to Fara. "It was nice that he was trying to be thoughtful for everyone else."
Fara grinned. "Yeah. I guess. A girl wants to feel like the only one in the world when she's with a guy."
"Actually, I sensed that she liked that he was trying to be thoughtful."
Fara nodded with a grin of amusement. "Fair enough. You're the telepath. She was looking at his positive attributes, then. Maybe she's been eyeing him more than I realized. No wonder you tried to hook them up – you sensed she was attracted to him, but has been keeping it to herself."
"Yeah, everyone seems to think she and Ted were getting close, but those two are not attracted to the other at all. Actually, I think it was Ted that apparently told her Crimson was just a fighter jock."
Ted stood in the doorway to the ready room with a grin. "Yup. Cause she needs to feel love. Nibbles is just a pet, and she gotta lotta love waitin' to be given. But she needed to hear he's a bad boy with good habits, else she'd've never had any interest in him. How'd you finally get her to take the plunge?"
Fara exploded with laughter. "Wait, you were playing matchmaker for those two?"
Marcus brought his palm to his face. "I was telepathically tricked into carrying out your plan? Really?"
"Ayup. Those two'd make a great couple," said Theodore with a firm nod. "I know that girl better than she knows herself. She wants what seems unobtainable, because it's a challenge. She don't know it about herself, but it's the truth. So, I told'er he's 'just a fighter jock.' Then I was gonna make him sound obtainably possible later on, after the seed of curiosity been planted and started to sprout later on. I take it you did that part for me, then, huh? You made'im sound obtainable."
Fara smirked and shook her head. "It's like I'm on a ship with a team full of women. What changed since my generation? Anyhow, the word is obtainable. You shouldn't turn that into an adverb, Teddy."
"I just did, Fara. I'd say, 'so sue me,' but you cin prolly afford a lawyer that'd win. Heh."
Fara shook her head with a chuckle. "Man, I could totally go for coffee right about now, but … I'd rather those two use the break room and have some privacy."
Everyone grinned.
Marcus pointed at the ready room. "How about an energy drink?"
"Not as romantic as coffee, but I accept." She sauntered across the bridge and made her way into the ready room. "C'mon, my dear predator."
Marcus glanced at Ted and shrugged. "Apparently predator-prey relationships are things girls think about? Who knew."
"Really?" Ted shook his head with a soft chuckle. "For real, though? In this day and age? How quaint. Anywho, the lizards'll meet with us. They cin be here in six hours."
"Till then."
"Ayup. Till then. I'mma skip on the caffeine. I've got a date with my new ship I'm buildin' out of some parts. I'mma call it The Battletoad, heh. See ya, Mac." Theodore headed for the lift.
Marcus stepped into the ready room. Sensing Fara's intentions and her pregnancy hormones, he locked the doors, dimmed the lights, and lifted his shirt over his head, then approached the fennec.
She sat on the ready room desk at the center of the room, with an energy drink aluminum can wedged provocatively in her low-cut V-neck blouse. "Hey there … predator."
