Here we are, another chapter of Star Fox Annihilation, quite surprising it's still going strong. Heck, I'm just glad to be working on something and I've enjoyed working on this. Thankfully, this chapter is shorter than the last one.
This chapter continues on the side questline of assisting Katt, which was one of the biggest in the video game idea I had for this story before I began writing it. Thankfully it's not going to be a long deviation from the main storyline, only a couple chapters.
Just an FYI, the scene between Torygg, Diana, and Daria was added at the last minute so I apologize if it's not good. I don't feel like I captured Daria's character very well, making her look easy when really she's not, she's really just a tease. I need to work on writing out her character.
This chapter also introduces a new enemy for the story, and sets up a major plot point as well. So please, hang on through the next couple chapters.
Hope you enjoy the chapter.
Chapter 21: Friends in Needs
Foundry Plant Apartments, Macbeth
"Are you sure this is the place, Falco, seems like a long way to go for such a request?" Fox asked as he walked behind Falco up the stairs.
Falco nodded. "I'm sure of it. This is where Katt said to meet her."
"Judging from your history of remembering things, or lack of, I have a hard time believing that."
"Hey, when I'm serious about something I got a very good memory."
Fox shook his head and muttered to himself. "I'll believe that when I see it."
Fox reluctantly followed Falco up the stairs to the next floor. The stairs were so rusted he thought they'd break under his weight and he'd fall through. They matched the rest of the hotel almost perfectly. It reminded Fox of the desolate hotels on the edge of Corneria city Fara told him years ago that it's rumored where high ranking businessmen brings prostitutes and mistresses for one night stands, but somehow worst. Why Katt had chosen that location for them to meet up was beyond him.
Even though it had only been a few minutes since he and Falco landed in the parking lot Fox was starting to get nervous. To avoid suspicion they took the shuttle Krystal used to board the Great Fox after the Saurian Crisis due to its deteriorating condition; no one would believe a member of Star Fox would be flying it. They parked as close to the hotel and hoofed it the rest of the way which, thankfully, was a short distance. He and Falco also wore hoodies, with their faces covered, so no one would recognize them. So far it had worked; no one had bothered them as they made their way to the location Katt had given them.
It was where Katt had told them to meet her that made Fox nervous. The part of Macbeth they were walking through had a reputation for its high crime rate, dirty streets, and deteriorating buildings. From what Fox was seeing the rumors were not only all true but worse. Just by walking up the hotel steps Fox could see an armed street gang messing around and in an alley a drug deal taking place, while not far away from that there was a coyote soliciting a prostitute. Fox chalked it up to having grown up on Papetoon and Corneria for the reason he felt uneasy being there while Falco hardly seemed bothered by it. Since Falco had been grown up on the streets of Fortuna Fox guessed that's how he was used to it.
Despite his uneasiness, Fox stayed behind Falco who seemed to be narrowing down the location Katt had given them. He just wanted to find Katt and get away from the area as soon as possible. The best way he could think to do that was to follow Falco who somehow seemed to know where he was, despite having a history of getting lost easily just about everywhere else.
"407, this is it." Falco stated.
Fox stopped behind Falco to immediately question his friend's judgement. The room Falco stood before appeared to have no sign of being occupied from what he could see. No lights were on that he could tell from glancing at the window that had the curtain pulled down and using his big ears he heard nothing inside. He couldn't even hear the shuffling of feet inside.
Falco, begin his usual confident self, softly knocked on the door. He did it so quietly that Fox doubted anyone inside could've heard it. At first, no one answered confirming Fox's suspicions. When Falco knocked a second time, slightly louder, Fox was beginning to turn and walk away.
"Who is it?" A familiar feminine voice softly called out from inside, causing Fox to freeze in place.
"Katt, it's me and Fox." Falco replied in a low tone.
The door swiftly opened with such speed that Fox was taken back at first. Much to his surprise, Katt's head poked out of the doorway and glared at him and Falco before quickly glancing around them as if she was making sure the area was clear. Her behavior was certainly suspicious and to Fox seemed out of character for her. She seemed to be quite spooked over something and it made Fox uneasy.
"About time you two showed up." Katt growled.
"What do you expect, the instructions weren't exactly clear." Falco replied with a chuckle.
"Then I guess I'll have to dumb them down even more next time. Now please, get in here for someone sees you."
Fox reluctantly followed Falco into the room. Inside he was surprised by the extent Katt was going to so she would remain undetected. Even though it was only one room, with a bathroom in the back, somehow Katt had found the space to set up jamming and spy equipment, some of which Fox had d only seen Special Forces use. She had even placed blockers on the curtains to prevent any light from coming in or getting out, and so no one could look inside. On the far wall he spotted what looked like a planning board he'd seen Tier1 teams, including Daria when she served with them, when they were planning quick assaults on enemy positions. Fox couldn't help but feel uncomfortable walking into the room.
"So, what's the problem Katt?" Fox asked after he shut the door behind them.
Katt turned and starred at Fox. "Just straight to the point huh. No, hello how are you doing?"
"Isn't that how you always are?"
"He's got a point Katt." Falco added with a smirk. "Though he does have a reason, I've never seen you put this much effort into anything beyond fighting Andross or our bedroom activities."
"Hey, do you have to talk about that stuff, I'm right here." Fox exclaimed.
"Meh, old habit." Falco shrugged than turned to Katt looking serious for once. "We know you have a friend in trouble Katt. Just tell us what happened and who it is?"
"And please don't start with the old "it's a long story" cliché."
Katt sighed as she looked back and forth between Fox and Falco. "Don't worry, I wasn't going to anyway. Best way I can think to start it is to ask if either of you remember my friend Kool from the Hot Rodders?"
"Uh, yeah, I think so. Was he the guy who assisted us with Colonel Shears?" Fox asked.
"I think so, Fox." Falco replied then turned to Katt. "Weren't the two of you dating?"
"At the time we were but that didn't last long after that though we remained friends, occasionally doing jobs together when we needed help." Katt answered. "Unfortunately, about a year ago he suffered a bad accident not far from here and due to medical bills he was stuck here."
"What happened to him?" Fox asked.
"To my understanding, he was testing a new rudder for his fighter when he had a malfunction and crashed, breaking both legs in the process. The hospital managed to fix him but he didn't know that hospital he went to overcharges and is set up in a way where insurance won't cover much of anything."
"What, how is that possible?" Fox exclaimed.
"Because the hospital works for the local mob that has the local government bought. It's a scam they use to make a fortune." Katt replied with a sigh. "Basically, the hospital charges such a large bill that the person cannot pay, causing them to get desperate, where a loan shark comes in and offers money to pay for it. The person then ends up owing the mob who makes sure they pay them back WITH interest."
Falco growled. "That's despicable."
"I know, and Kool ended up being one of them. He couldn't pay them back and . . . well, Mr. Stallone doesn't accept that."
Fox's jaw dropped. "Mr. Stallone, that's who your friend owes money to?"
Katt nodded. "Yes, and right now he has Kool in a nearby warehouse to force him and those he knows to make the payments. Which is why I asked you two here, to help me free him."
Fox stared blankly at Katt once she finished speaking. He'd heard similar stories about people who had gotten affiliated with the mob but never witnessed them. Like many others he considered them to be nothing more than wives tales, particularly on Corneria where crime was low. Though he had to remind himself that on other planets, especially Macbeth, organized crime and was still rampant. Still, hearing it from Katt was a shock.
"Okay, that's one heck of a story Katt." Fox blurted out.
"Yeah, if it didn't come from my old friend I wouldn't have believed it either. But, I assure you, it's all true. So you can see why I'm asking for your help." Katt relied.
"I can see that, though your friend is pretty stupid to be in that situation." Falcon added. "I thought Kool was smarter than that."
"So did I when I met him." Fox added then turned to Katt. "That doesn't change the fact that he's in a no-win scenario. No matter how you look at it your friend's situation is pretty grim."
"I know he's screwed but that's why I asked you guys here, to help me get him out." Katt exclaimed. "I know that with your help we stand a much better chance of not only saving Kool but also riding Macbeth of one of its most dangerous crime bosses."
If Fox hadn't seen Katt's request coming it would've shocked him significantly, but having his suspicions confirmed was enough to make him tense up. Going on against the mob, even though he led Star Fox, was still a horrifying thing to contemplate given the power and influence they wielded. It was even worse for him knowing how powerful the mob boss was Katt wanted them to go against. He'd heard stories of how ruthless Mr. Stallone was, if they were true than going against them was nearly suicide, unless they succeeded in taking him out to. Knowing the low possibility of that made Fox very hesitant.
"You do realize you're asking us to rescue your friend from one of Macbeth's biggest mafia bosses right? Such a task will be no small feat." Fox sternly asked.
"Of course, you know I'm not some stupid bimbo." Katt shouted. "I know the odds of success and that I can't do it alone. That's why I'm asking for your help."
Fox felt a hand on his back and looked over his shoulder to see Falco glaring down at him. The look on the bird's face was one he never imagined he'd ever see, one of concern for someone other than himself. He knew that Falco cared about Katt, but didn't realize it went beyond having her as his occasional bedmate.
"Come on Fox, she needs our help. Plus, if we help her she'll owe us big time." Falco pleaded.
Fox smiled as he looked back and forth between Falco and Katt. Though going against the mob was the last thing he wanted to do, the two of them playing at his heart strings was enough to make him come to a decision. He mentally cursed at himself knowing he had fallen right into Falco and Katt's trap but he found himself caring little that he had.
"Alright, but to do this we're going to need a lot more fire power to pull this off." Fox sighed only to quickly smile. "Thankfully we got people on the team just for this occasion."
Rec room, Great Fox
Todd smiled from his spot on the couch at the spectacle taking place before him. Nearly ten yards away Cara and Lucy were attempting to play with Vixy and Felicity as they wrestled with each other. Despite the age difference, Vixy and Felicity seemed to have the energy to outlast Cara and Lucy who were both already panting heavily. Todd couldn't help but laugh from his place as Felicity seemed to dominate Vixy one moment only for it suddenly to flip and the roles were reversed. The two of them had been at it for several minutes with Cara and Lucy doing their best to keep them from hurting each other.
Even though Vixy and Felicity were just play wrestling, despite teeth occasionally being flared, it was still a sight to watch the two of them go at each other; at least for Todd it was as he saw a deeper perspective than just two children playing. To him, he could clearly see how much Felicity had adjusted since their escape from Fichina. She was not far away from feral at the time and yet such a short time being around Vixy had made clear significant progress for her. Felicity was already to the point where she knew not to use her teeth or claws when playing with Vixy, though she hadn't quite learned that with adults yet. At least when she was around Vixy she was aggressive, which was pretty often. Todd noticed it quickly and had talked to Fara and Fox a while ago for them to be together as much as possible, which so far seemed to work.
What made the moment even better for Todd was having Cara and Lucy involved. Though he didn't have much feelings for Lucy beyond seeing her as a friend he was still glad to have her. It was Cara his attention was on, and she was still just as beautiful as the night he met her, even more so since the night they accidentally conceived Felicity. She had changed so much since he first met her, particularly since she nearly shot him the first time they met and it took what felt like forever for her to open up to him, even longer for them to mate. Watching her play with Felicity and Vixy at the moment Todd knew he still loved her and looked forward to the day they were married.
How can something so simple be so cute? Todd thought as he stretched out.
Todd was snapped out his chain of thought by the sound of someone making a quiet, attention getting cough to his right. He turned his head to see Miyu standing beside the couch looking down at him. She was smiling down at him with an expression that practically screamed mischievous. What got his attention was the outfit she was wearing. She had on black, short shorts that only went a couple inches past her thighs, giving him a good view of her nicely shaped rear and toned legs. Miyu wore a red tank top that was slightly short in length, allowing him to see some of her toned abs, and was quite a bit open on the chest area, making a perfect view to see Miyu's slightly above average bosom. If Todd remembered correctly, and his memory was near perfect, that was the outfit Miyu wore the night they lost their virginities to each other. Somehow, she's as still able to wear it, though the tank top was certainly tighter, especially around her chest, indicating her boobs had gotten bigger, resulting in Todd getting a significant view of her bountiful cleavage.
"Todd, you mind if I sit here?" Miyu asked.
Todd shrugged. "Sure, you can sit wherever you want."
Miyu nodded as she plopped down on the couch near Todd with a cushion length between them. What followed was a long silence between the two as they watched Cara and Lucy play with Vixy and Felicity. He occasionally glanced at Miyu and it quickly became obvious that she had some ulterior motives for sitting beside him. That was clear the moment Miyu asked if she could seat next to him; there were so many other places she had to sit that asking to sit on the couch near him raised suspicion. It didn't help that she didn't say a word, seeming to gather her thoughts and carefully chose her words before opening her mouth.
"So, Todd, how are things with you and Cara?" Miyu asked, breaking the silence between them.
"Pretty good, it's just taking some time to adjust back to civilization after being away from it for so long."
"Glad to hear it." Miyu replied, though Todd suspected she didn't fully mean it. "I imagine that's going to take some time."
"Definitely, though with the two of us together I think the adjustment period will be much shorter. Unfortunately, it's Felicity I'm worried about."
"Hm, you're worried that because she has never been in civilization, that she was born and spent her entire life in the frozen wastelands of Fichina, that getting her to adjust will be extremely difficult, if possible?" Miyu asked, catching Todd a little off guard.
"Uh, yeah, that's my biggest concern right now. It's something that really bothers both of us. But, thankfully we have a lot of help around here. That's been a huge blessing."
"I bet it has. She seems to be making great progress. Having Vixy to play with, as long as someone's watching, appears to be the biggest help."
"It has been, those two have gotten along better than I ever imagined they would." Todd replied with a smile.
"That's very encouraging, hopefully it continues in the right direction. I'd still be happy to help any way I can."
"Thanks, that means a lot to me."
"You're welcome." Miyu smiled, going a silent for a moment before a serious expression forms on her face. "I'm curious, does Cara know about us, what we used to do?"
"Of course, I tell Cara everything. I keep no secrets from her." Todd softly growled.
"Oh, I'm actually a little surprised that'd you told her. You must really love Cara to tell her that."
Todd smiled as he looked at Cara playing with Vixy and Felicity. "Yes, I'm deeply in love with her. She and Felicity are all I care about and I would do anything to keep them safe and happy."
Miyu smiled slightly. "You said something similar to me when we were dating."
"Yeah, I remember saying that . . . and that our relationship ended as well." Todd replied with a sigh. "I hate to be mean but that's just how things are. Our relationship was fun but it had to end for reasons we can't discuss near my mate and daughter." Todd glared at Miyu seriously. "So, I'd prefer not to talk about what we had near them and for you to drop it."
Miyu raised her hands signaling defeat. "Alright, I won't bring it up again in front of them." Miyu lowered her hands and smiled at Todd. "So, are the two of you going to get married?"
Todd looked at Miyu with a slightly shocked expression. "Uh yes, that's the plan."
"Really, does she know?"
"Of course, one night after I brought back the dinner I hunted I took Cara by the hand and told her that when we escape I'll marry her. She broke into tears and said yes. Though once she stopped crying she told me she was pregnant. I was so shocked I nearly passed out."
Miyu let out a small gasp. "Wait, you proposed to Cara BEFORE you knew she was pregnant?"
"Yeah, you make sound like I'm only with her because she's the mother of my child."
"Oh no, that's not the case. I know you're not that kind of guy. The whole thing is just shocking to me."
"Judging from your reaction and expression I'd say there's another emotion involved besides shocking." Todd replied softly. "Why are you so questioning about Cara and me, Miyu? Don't you have a boyfriend of your own? I know you've dated others besides me."
Miyu shifted her position to where she was almost on top of Todd. He could feel her shoulders pressing against him as he tried to lean back with little success. It quickly became awkward when her face was inches away from his. With her position Todd knew all he had to do was slightly look down and he'd have a pleasant view down Miyu's shirt. It took everything he had to resist the urge to look down.
"Isn't it obvious Todd?" Miyu asked, batting her eyes at Todd. "Because I haven't met a male like you."
Todd suddenly felt something on his pelvis that nearly caused him to jump. He looked down to see Miyu had placed her right hand on his hip, close to his groin causing his heart to start racing.
Oh crap, this is almost exactly like the night the two of us lost our virginities together. Todd thought as he looked back up at Miyu.
Miyu smiled devilishly at Todd, her expression told him all he needed to know of her intentions and feeling towards him. If it had been a few years ago he would've followed his instincts right there and pounced on the Lynx. But, with his daughter and mate within his gaze that instinct was almost nonexistent, he felt almost nothing from Miyu's action, except one emotion that was bubbling towards the surface. If anything, he owed Cara and Felicity being in his view, otherwise his instincts may have won.
Todd let out a loud sigh as he grabbed Miyu's hand. "Miyu . . . I must ask you to remove your hand from my groin before my mate sees you."
Miyu's expression quickly turned to shock and fear as Todd pulled her hand away from his pelvis. As much as he knew it needed to be done it still hurt him deep down to see his former girlfriend and lover in such a state. He didn't mean to frighten her and it led to him wanting to comfort her but he resisted the desire to. Instead he just stared at her as he let go of her hand.
Todd looked at Miyu with what comforting eyes he could muster. Sorry Miyu, the times we had together were indeed quite fun. But, I have a mate now that I love and am going to marry. I cannot be yours too so you'll just have to find someone else."
Miyu looked down at the floor seemingly ashamed of her actions. "I'm sorry Todd, I didn't mean to upset you."
Todd sighed as he laid a hand on her shoulder. "It's okay, just please don't do it again, especially in the presence of Cara and Felicity."
Miyu reluctantly. "Okay, I promise I won't do it in front of them again."
Miyu stood up slowly, Todd noticing a tear that she tried to hide. She quickly turned and left the room leaving Todd to contemplate on his own. As much as Todd tried to hide it hurt him to see her in such a state. Even though he knew he needed to be rough with her so she'd understand it still went against his gentleman nature. He just hoped that she finally understood his heart belonged to Cara.
Oh man, I didn't want to make her cry. Now I feel like crap. At least it can't get any more awkward. Todd thought as he looked back towards Cara, Felicity, and Vixy.
What Todd saw when he looked back at his mate, daughter, and niece, sent shivers down his spine. Starring right into his eyes was Cara with a new unreadable expression. He instantly knew she had seen the whole situation and that was enough to make him nervous. It wasn't clear if she was mad at him or not but he was certain she knew what had happened. It wasn't till she let out a slight smile that he relaxed slightly but still remained nervous of how she'd respond knowing that Miyu had made her move. At least she saw him turn her down though that didn't seem too improve the situation much.
Oh crap, I got a feeling a whole can of worms is about to be unleashed.
X
Training room, Great Fox
"Stand still Torygg so I can knock you into next week." Diana shouted as she threw a wild hook from her right at her brother's head.
Much to Diana's surprise Torygg easily dodged her strike with a quick step back, leaving herself wide open. Torygg took advantage of his sister's overextended attack and lunged forward with quick rib shot that had speed behind it but no real power. The blow connected to her stomach causing her to double over, if there had been power behind it she would've been gasping for breath, leaving her head open that she quickly raised her arm to block. However, Torygg launched a strike with the opposite hand he usually struck with in that situation and playfully slapped Diana's cheek. Before she could respond he jumped out of range with a big, playful smile.
"Nah, if you want to hit me you're going to have to work for it." Torygg jeered at Diana.
Diana roared with anger in her head, not wanting Torygg to see that she was getting furious. For the past five minutes Torygg had been dodging and playfully striking Diana in a manner that told her not only was he not taking the sparring match seriously but he was also playing with her. He hadn't done such a thing in years, the last time he did it didn't end well for him when she caught him. The sparring match certainly didn't start out that way when Diana asked him to practice with her. In Sharpscale terms, practice meant a nearly full scale fight till one of them had clearly one with very few rules. As usual Torygg was cautious when the fight started, knowing his sister's aggressive nature and abilities, but after a minute or so he changed once he seemed to begin noticing there was something different about Diana.
Diana couldn't explain it but the more the fight went on the more she became aware of not only how slow and cumbersome she was fighting but also how unfocused she seemed to be. Every move she launched at Torygg felt as if there was no conviction behind it making it easy for him to avoid everything with little effort. It had gotten to the point where Diana was not only getting frustrated but also concerned, making her question every move she made.
What the heck is wrong with me, I've never been this slow and tensed up in sparring. Diana thought as she stood her ground. Man I'm glad no one but us is around to see this.
Diana growled softly as Torygg stuck his tongue out at her, even though she knew it was only to rile her up. She'd rarely seen her brother so cocky, especially when he was sparing her. It was enough to get Diana to rush forward with a strike aimed at Torygg center mass. He jumped to the right side just as she got close but that was exactly what she wanted, and in the direct she expected. His action put him right in the spot where she could easily launch a powerful strike and catch him off guard. She pulled back her feint and launched a powerful hook from her right as Torygg tried to regain his footing, making him an easy target.
"Ha, I got you this time." Diana roared as she threw the hook aimed at Torygg's jaw.
Much to Diana's surprise, Torygg's face displayed so sign of fear as her fist closed in on his face. Normally he was scarred crapless whenever her fist was screaming towards his face but in at instance he not only want afraid but seemed certain of his victory. It was enough to make Diana hesitant about continuing with the strike but she knew it was too late.
"No, I got you." Torygg shouted.
It was then Diana noticed Torygg's footing by quickly glancing down to see that he has positioned his stance in such a way that he was at the advantage and had lured her in. Before she could pull back he reacted and grabbed a hold of her outstretched arm and with a quick but forceful turn of us hips began throwing Diana off balance. The next thing Diana knew she was in the air and being thrown over Torygg's shoulder with ease, the momentum of her strike had given him all the energy he needed to follow through. She tightened her back for the inevitable impact but it does little to soften the blow as she was slammed into the ground with a loud thud that echoed throughout the training room. The impact was so powerful that Diana found the wind leaving her body and intense pain throbbing throughout her entire body, almost causing her to black out. As much as she hated to admit it, she knew that Torygg had won, for the first time in what seemed out like forever.
"Ow." Was all Diana could say as she looked up at her brother.
Instead of a smile of victory, which Diana was expecting to see, she saw Torygg frowning down at her. She figured he'd be happy to have finally won but for some reason he didn't seem to be. Instead he stared down at her with a concern look that made her suspicious and want to question him, once the air came back into her lungs.
Torygg kneeled down beside Diana with a confused look. "Diana, what's troubling you? It's clear you're not angry, that actually makes you stronger."
Diana looked up at her brother expecting to see a sarcastic grin but quickly saw that he was serious. From his expression she could see that he clearly was worried about her, something that she rarely saw from him outside of combat. Her situation must've been really bothering him to be serious in such a manner.
Diana sighed loudly as she rolled over onto her knees. "I don't know, something just feels off lately."
"Off how?"
"Best way I can think to describe is it feels like I'm having trouble concentrating on the fight. Usually I can rely on my instincts to guide me but not right now. It's like my instincts are telling me that something is wrong and I need to focus on it. I just can't figure out what it is."
Torygg remained for a moment, appearing to ponder on Diana's words. It almost made her laugh to see her brother thinking so intently over something. Normally, he didn't think about their next fight so to see him out so much effort into trying to figure out her problem was heartwarming.
"Huh, I'm not sure what could be bothering you so much that it'd make you bad at fighting. That just doesn't happen to Sharpscales."
"Maybe I'm just sick and it's just now noticeable." Diana said once she was fully standing.
"That's not likely your problem." A strong, feminine voice called out to them. "I think you're problem is more of a . . . romance problem."
Diana and Torygg turned in the direction of the voice to see Daria standing at the edge of the mats smiling at them. How long she had been standing there was unknown but it was clear from her expansion she had been there long enough to know that something was wrong with Diana. What was even more surprising than the vixen's sudden appearance was how she was dressed. Instead of her normal relaxing/training cloths she was dressed in black cargo pants and tank top and wearing her combat vest and body armor with her plasma pistol strapped to her hip. She was just missing her laser rifle and combat helmet and she would've been ready to jump into combat. Just seeing her dressed like that was enough to make Daria's romance problem statement slip from Diana's mind.
"Daria, why are you here dressed like you're about to go into combat?" Torygg asked as he turned towards her.
"Because WE are."
"We are, what's going on?"
"Well, to sum it up Fox needs our assistance in a quick assignment." Daria answered.
"Oh, what does Fox need?" Diana enthusiastically spoke up.
"Uh, you sound a little too excited Diana?"
"What can I say, I'm getting bored around here doing nothing but waiting for Andross to make a move. I need to shoot something soon or I'll go crazy."
"Then this is your chance." Daria grinned. "From what I was told, Fox needs our assistance in helping a friend of Falco's."
"Really, that's it?" Torygg exclaimed.
"Yep, I don't know the details other than Fox needs everyone who specializes in ground combat to assist on the matter. So that means you two."
"Ah, that won't be a problem." Torygg replied. "Do you know who the friend is?"
Daria nodded. "Yes, it's Katt Monroe. From what I heard it's a friend of hers who needs our help."
"Huh, I've heard of her but don't know anything beyond that she's a famous mercenary." Torygg replied.
"Hardly matters to me." Diana added. "Any chance to get out of here and shoot something is good to me. So I'm definitely in."
Torygg sighed. "Then I guess I'm in too."
"Good, with you two this should be a lot easier." Daria said with a smirk. "We're to head for the hangar, Todd is waiting for us there."
Diana and Torygg followed Daria out of the gym and into the hallway. As they walked down the hallway Diana noticed her brother occasionally glance down at Daria's rear which was swaying back and forth in an almost strutting manner. Neither surprised her in the slightest, definitely not Torygg's glances as he had a weakness for nice butts. With Daria she was starting to see how much a tease she was, which lately she seemed to be teasing Torygg quite a bit. Diana was starting to get suspicious of the two even though she had no evidence beyond Daria seeming to constantly tease Torygg. At least for Torygg's sake he was a quick enough to turn his gaze away from Daria's rear every time Diana glanced his way, though that only reinforced her suspicions. She kept her mouth shut on the matter though, she'd prefer not to make the moment uncomfortable.
As they continued to walk Daria's words early slipped into Diana's mind. What the little vixen by "romance problems" was beyond her. To Diana that could mean anything as she was aware she was not the best when it came to romance. To her knowledge Daria wasn't aware of how she felt about Fox, no one was as she had told no one, not even Torygg. So, to hear Daria mention romance problems was starting to eat at her curiosity to the point that she had to know what she meant.
"Hey Daria, what did you mean by romance problem?" Diana asked as she walked close behind Daria.
Daria glanced over her shoulder at Diana. "Isn't it obvious? I'm referring to you and Fox the other day in the rec room when I was playing Mario Kart with Vixy and Felicity."
Diana froze in her tracks upon hearing Daria's response. She had told no one, other than casually mentioning it to Torygg, what happened between her and Fox on the red room couch. It was not a moment she was proud of as she let her romantically shy nature take control and force a guy she thought she liked into a friend zone. To hear Daria mention it so casually nearly set Diana into a panic.
"Ho - how do you know about that?" Diana stuttered.
Daria pointed at her ears. "I got great hearing and the two of you weren't exactly being quiet."
"Ah, I suppose I shouldn't be surprised, though I thought you were distracted by the game?"
"Not really, I can multitask. In that case I overheard everything between you and Fox."
"That's . . . kind of horrifying to think about." Diana nervously replied. "You don't think I made the right choice you?"
"Oh no, not if you want to be happy and focused. You should've done anything besides friend zoning Fox. Heck, even flat out rejecting him would've been better as at least then you'd have closure." Daria stated then looked toward Torygg. "Has your sister always been shy when it comes to romance?"
"Oh yeah, she is absolutely hopeless when a guy shows her the slightest attention." Torygg happily replied.
"Hey, I'm right here." Diana shouted.
"I know, that's why I'm saying it." Torygg stated to Diana before turning to Daria. "My sister has always been shy when it comes to men, let alone the concept of mating. Despite my efforts to find her a partner, and man have I tried."
"Really, you've been trying to set your sister up?" Daria responded.
"Oh big time, with terrible results. Heck, once I took her to a nightclub with the intent of finding her a fling."
"Torygg, you took me there to find a guy to take my virginity." Diana growled.
"Which still failed miserably." Torygg shot back. "You see, everything was going fine at first. Diana seemed to be coming out of her shell on the dance floor and was evening grinding with a rather handsome monitor lizard after the first hour. I was confident it'd end well so I went to find my own fling and worked hard on a voluptuous avian. But that all changed when Diana sent the guy flying clear across the dance floor and ran out of the club."
"That's because the jerk decided to grab my breast without permission. I had to send him flying."
"Hm, that's actually pretty impressive, and not surprising." Daria replied with a big smile. "You did good."
"Oh I know, sending that jerk flying was so satisfying. Though Torygg was mad cause it ruined his chance with that avian slut."
Torygg shrugged. "Meh, it was worth it to see him go flying. But since then Diana won't go with me any anywhere besides into battle. That's made finding her a boyfriend difficult."
"Well, you have to ask Diana a question when it comes to that." Daria said then turned to Diana. "Do you want a boyfriend?"
Diana looked at Daria shocked for a moment before replying while uncomfortably rubbing the back of her head. "Uh, well, yes I do . . . eventually. Oh who am I kidding I'd love to have a boyfriend."
Daria nodded the turned to Torygg. "There you go, that's your answer."
"Yes, but it's not the solution." Torygg replied then seemed to get an idea in his head. "What about you, Daria? You strike me as the type of girl who dates around a lot."
Diana slapped Torygg's shoulder pretty hard. "Torygg, did you really have to ask that?"
"Nah, it's fine Diana." Daria replied before Torygg could answer. "He's not the first to ask that question and I really don't mind answering it."
Diana looked at Daria in disbelief. "Seriously?"
"Yeah, it's no big deal." Daria responded then looked over her shoulder at Torygg. "This may come at a surprise for you but my love life is pretty strict and short. I know it's hard to believe given how I tease and dress."
"Uh, yeah it is." Diana exclaimed. "In the training room you practically just wear short shorts and a sports bra. Even when dressing normally you leave a lot of cleavage visible."
"That's because I like to tease, to show the men around me something that they'll never get."
"Huh, that's pretty twisted."
"It is but it works very well." Daria said with a smirk. "But still, my list of previous lovers is pretty short, as it's something I take very seriously. My previous romances were almost all very intense and nearly ended in marriage."
"Why didn't it if they were so good?"
"Because it didn't feel right, like we were meant for each other. So each romance I've been in has ended sadly."
"Sorry to hear that." Torygg said. "Though I bet each guy was really lucky to have you."
Daria grinned devilishly. "I happen to like both men . . . and women."
Out of the corner of her eye Diana saw Torygg with a satisfied and lustful look that caused her to shake her head in frustration. It didn't surprise her to see that Torygg was enjoying what he saw watching Daria walk ahead of them. She knew all about his weakness for women, especially strong women, to which Daria certainly was. It was hardly the first time Diana had seen Torygg eyeing Daria, just not as intently as he currently was.
Torygg let out a satisfied growl as he leaned close to Diana and whispered. "The way this vixen struts I'd say she's my type of girl. I'd love to spend a night rocking the bed with her."
"Unless you play you cards right that will only happen in your mind." Daria replied before Diana could smack Torygg.
Torygg's jaw dropped causing Diana to chuckle. "How did you . . .?"
Daria pointed at her ears. "Great hearing, remember."
Diana fought back a laugh watching her brother panic. Torygg was a master when it came to women, so it was rare to see one fluster him. For that woman to be Daria, who was much smaller than him, that made it even funnier to Diana.
"Ah, sorry you heard that." Torygg stated.
Daria looked over her shoulder. "It's fine, I hear that and worse all the time. Only difference this time is I'm hearing it from a real man, not some self-conceited d-bag." A devious smile formed on Daria's face as she seemed to look Torygg. "And quite a big, strong one at that, who, if he plays his plays his cards right, may have his dream fulfilled."
"Uh, what are you saying?"
"Isn't it obvious that I'm looking for a potential mate? What I'm saying is if you make the right choice than you and I will . . ."
"Okay, can we please get back to me and stop talking about what you'd two done the each other?" Diana shouted, getting both Daria and Torygg's attention. "You two can talk about what you'd do in the bedroom when I'm not around, but for now can we please focus on something else?"
Diana's sudden outburst was enough to get Daria and Torygg to stop in their tracks and turn towards her. The tone in her voice was clearly full of anger to tell them she had enough of their conversation. The expression, which was mostly her bearing her teeth to them, told them everything they needed to know. It certainly worked to get them to stop and focus on her.
"Sorry Diana, I guess we just got carried away. If it helps I would just date your brother, not jump into bed with him. I'm not the kind of girl that just jumps into bed with a man." Daria said with a slight frown. "We'll try not to speak about that stuff around you again."
"Yeah, it won't happen again sis." Torygg added.
"Good, I will not be warning you two again."
"I would expect any less coming from you." Daria shrugged. "Besides, we need to address how to fix your romance problem."
Diana clenched her fists as she looked down at the smug Daria. The urge to smack the grin off the much smaller vixen rose with every passing second, despite knowing that Daria was just trying to help her. It took a moment for Diana to reel in her anger enough to speak to the vixen, mostly out of curiosity to hear what she would say.
"Fine, just tell me what the all-knowing Daria thinks I should do." Diana growled.
Daria smirked. "My advice would be to . . . well, just try and not be shy around my brother. At least try and flirt with him. And don't get angry if he stares at those magnificent fun bags of yours for too long."
Diana glared at Daria. "Seriously, that's your advice?"
"Yeah, your problem is obvious, you're WAY to shy. You'll never get a mate if you push them away the way you did my brother."
"I didn't push Fox away!"
"Uh, yes, you did, that's the best word I can think of for it." Daria replied. "That's why my advice is to work on swallowing your fear of romance. As well as try to be outgoing with Fox. You have to remember, my brother is often oblivious, and the only way you're going to get his attention is if you do something drastic."
"Uh, you make it sound so easy."
"It's not, trust me, I know from experience from my previous two boyfriends, which is exactly how many I've had so far."
"Gee, thanks, I'll be sure to take your advice to heart." Diana sarcastically replied as the hangar door came into view. "Assuming we make it through whatever Fox has planned for us."
As they entered the hangar Diana spotted Todd seated by the transport shuttle looking down at the floor. He looked up at them as they entered, appearing to have been waiting on them for quite a while, and starting to get annoyed by it. To Diana, he seemed ready for combat, dressed in black combat clothing and a plasma pistol strapped to his hip.
Todd shook his head as he got up from his spot. "Finally, I was starting to think you three weren't going to show up."
Bridge, Zordon Command Battlecruiser
Admiral Victor Flax stood at the edge of the bridge's deck looking out at the vastness of space before him. Through the large, glass window Victor had a clear view of the large sun that his home world Zordo orbited. He could see the surface of Zordo below though he barely glanced at its decaying surface. Instead, he turned his gaze to the stars, away from his home world to look at the stars in front of him. A younger Victor would've felt overwhelmed at the seemingly never ending vastness of space before him, but not anymore after everything he'd seen and experienced. The only thing that impressed him in his old age was military might, something that he possessed quite a bit of.
Victor glanced over his shoulder at the bustling of activity behind him. The battlecruiser's bridge was filled with high ranking officers giving orders and technicans working the computers and scanners. Those that weren't at computers or barking orders were running information or going about their menial duties in a clear professional manner. Everyone was busy in some fashion and brought a smile to his face to see those under him so dedicated to their mission. In all his years of service he'd never seen such well-oiled cohesion the a particular task. It made him feel honored to be leading such dedication on the objective they've been tasked with.
Looking to his left and right Victor couldn't help but smile at the view of a multitude of Zordon battlecruisers that flew beside his ship. On both sides of his command battlecruiser were dozens of Zordon war vessels. They were a mix of different battle classes ranging from carrier, to battle cruiser, and to destroyer. The light from the nearby sun glistened off their armor and guns given each ship an enlightened glow, even though they were all painted black. From what he could see, Victor knew there was a vast multitude he couldn't see from his position on the bridge, each ship appeared to be ready for battle, almost as if the ships themselves were itching to open fire on something. To Victor, it was a prideful moment to know that they were under his command.
Ah, such a beautiful sight of destruction on its path to conquer perfection. Victor thought as he looked around at his fleet.
"Uh, sir." A voice behind Victor chirped, snapping him out of his trance.
Victor turned around to see a young officer standing behind him at attention. The officer looked to be quite young, most likely just graduated from the academy three years ago at best. He seemed to be quite nervous being in the presence of the legendary Admiral Victor Flax from the way he looked up at him. Victor just looked down at him
"Yes, Lieutenant, what is it?" Victor asked in a sympathetic tone to ease the young officer's mood.
"Sir, I came to inform you that the fleet is fully massed and ready." The officer spoke.
"Really, already? We've never had a fleet muster so quickly."
"That's because the men are determined to finally conquer our enemy after so many centuries of repeated failure. Plus, quite a few came to follow the famous Admiral Flax into battle. That is an opportunity most of the men would not pass up."
"Well, I'm honored to be the reason they mustered." Victor couldn't help but smile. "So, do we have the numbers of our forces?"
"Yes sir, we just finished a calculation of all our forces under your command for this invasion." The officer answered then looked down at the data pad. "As of right now we have twenty battle carriers, thirty-five battlecruisers including this one, twenty-seven destroyers, five hundred aerial fighters, two hundred-and-thirty-three drop ships, and a hundred-and-seventeen tanks. As far as troops go we have an estimated one-hundred-thousand-two-hundred-and-forty."
"Oh my, if I remember correctly this is the largest fleet we've ever mustered against our enemy."
"It is, Admiral, by quite a significant amount."
A dark smiled formed on Victor's face. "Good, then pass the order along that Admiral Flax gives to order for the fleet to launch."
"Right away, Admiral." The officer shouted, gave Victor a salute, and then took off running to pass along the order.
Victor smiled as he turned back around and looked out at the vastness of space before them. The enthusiasm of the young officer brightened his mood significantly, as did hearing the numbers he had under his command. If half of the men under his command were as enthusiastic as the young officer he knew there nothing to worry about. He was certain they would succeed where their ancestors had failed to do.
Victor chuckled as he looked out to the stars. "Look out Cerinia, your day of destruction is fast approaching."
To be continued.
So, Fox and Falco have something to do while waiting for news about Andross, though it may get complicated, knowing Katt that's almost guaranteed. Meanwhile Miyu is openly flirting with Todd though that seems to be getting her nowhere. Outside the Lylat system a big threat is on its way to Cerina. What does this mean for Star Fox?
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. I do apologize for this chapter being so long, hopefully the rest will not as long as this one.
This is John Storm signing off. Star Frosty ya'll.