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Star Fox: First Contact
Chapter 8: Duty and Honour
Miyu's plan had gone as far as bringing Efi to the bridge. What she'd do after that, she hadn't quite thought out, even as she'd led Efi through the corridors of the ship. All she knew was that she had to do something. Anything. She had to convince Fox to let Efi go, and had to convince Whinnyham to do the same. Arriving at the bridge door however, she hesitated. She could hear muffled words coming from the other side. She paused at the door.
"Miyu?" Efi whispered.
She remained silent, and pressed her ear against the door. Efi got the hint, and allowed her to listen.
"...early...soon..."
She could just about hear Fox's voice.
"I'll deploy a shuttle in five mikes. Have the alien ready in the launch bay by the time I arrive."
And she could hear Whinnyham's as well, booming out over the bridge's sound system.
"...ger. Star Fox out."
Miyu grit her teeth. Five minutes. Five minutes to convince Fox, and convince Whinnyham. She prepped her blaster, and made sure it was set to kill. Hopefully, she wouldn't have to pull the trigger. But a show of commitment to the team...hopefully that would be enough.
She looked at Efi and nodded. The girl did likewise. Taking a breath, Miyu pressed the entry button and walked in, pointing her pistol forward.
"Whinnyham isn't taking her."
No-one said anything. Not Slippy, not Peppy, not Falco, not Fay, not Fox. They just stood there. Staring at her. As if barely aware that she was pointing a gun at their flight leader. Bizarrely, the only one who spoke was ROB.
"Analysis - pilot Miyu has her pistol set to kill."
Fox chuckled - he was leaning against the holo-table, his head low, his tail swishing. "Put the gun down Miyu. We all know you're not going to fire."
"I dunno. Are we?" Falco murmured.
His eyes were narrow. His foot was tapping. He was on edge. Heck, everyone was. Question was, could she push them over it? And would it be for better or for worse?
"Fine," Miyu whispered. She deactivated the blaster, removed its power pack, and tossed both of them forward. The blaster and its energy unit skidded across the floor, coming to rest at Fox's feet. "Chances are by the time this is done, there won't be a place for me on this ship. Heck, you may as well put me on that shuttle as well. But in the five minutes we've got until it launches, just let me speak."
Fay gave a nervous laugh. "Hey, come on Miyu. I know you shot the alien, but-"
"Efi," the girl said. She glared at Fay. "I have a name. Use it."
Fay gave an embarrassed look, before continuing. "But that isn't a reason to throw your life away."
Miyu looked at Fay. "This is a life?" she asked. "Our lives, our morals, for a paycheck?"
"It's what you signed up for," Falco murmured.
"No. I didn't." She looked at Falco, then Slippy, then Peppy, then finally, Fox, who was still refusing to meet her gaze. "And it's not what any of you signed up for either. Your four fought Andross even before getting your Arwings. You turned the tide of an entire war. You're the reason I quit the Army because I wanted to fly with you. So..." She took a breath. "So just let me know I wasn't wrong, okay? Because if the last few years have been a lie, then at least let me know it."
No-one said anything. Not as Fox sighed. Not as he looked at Miyu. Not as he began to speak.
"I talked to Whinnyham," he said. "I told her that Efi wasn't necessary. That she's just a girl. That she posed no harm. But she wouldn't listen. And Pepper's been cut out of the loop, so I can't contact him. So that leaves us with no choice."
"No way," said Slippy. He waddled up to Fox. "No way. We can run."
"The Epona would chase us down in an instant."
"Then the warp drive!"
Fox laughed bitterly. "To go where?" he asked. "Where in the Lylat system can the CDF not find us eventually?"
Slippy remained silent.
"And the drive isn't even charged," Fox added. Can you get it working in four minutes Slippy? I know you're good, but are you that good?"
Slippy went to say something. His big frog mouth hung open, as if ready to slurp up sand-fly soup. But no words came out. Miyu winced. She almost wished Fox would yell at her. That way, she could yell back at him. But instead, he was doing something worse. Laying out the facts. And the facts of life were that they couldn't run. And even if they did, even if by some miracle the warp drive took them away from here, where would they go? Certainly not anywhere near Cornerian territory. There were some Cornerians who eked a living on the fringes of the system, hiding out in asteroids and engaging in space piracy, but what kind of life was that? Certainly not one she wished to lead herself. And while there was Venom...she fought a shudder. Being taken into Area 15 was still a better option than that wasteland these days.
"Fox, permission to speak freely?" Peppy asked.
Fox sighed. "Granted."
"This sucks."
Fox chuckled. "It does."
Miyu's stomach churned. Not even Peppy had words of wisdom for the team right now. She watched in desperation as Fox walked over to Efi. He sighed, and lowered his gaze. Unable to meet her own.
"I'm sorry," he said. "But we can't run. I don't want this to happen. But I can't trade in six lives for one."
Efi sniffed. "I know," she whispered.
Miyu began to speak. "Efi..."
"I know." She looked at the lynx. "Needs of the many, right? When the Wardens attacked, we did the same thing."
Fox, his head low, walked back to the holo-table.
"Whinnyham isn't a Warden," Miyu said. "We can reason with her."
"Miyu, what do you think Fox has tried to do the last five minutes?" Fay asked.
Miyu glared at her. "I dunno pumpkin, you tell me."
Fay looked taken aback. "I only meant to say that...that I…that he...that we..."
Miyu scowled at her. The team was still on edge. The shuttle would be launching in three minutes time. If she could just find a way to...
Oh.
There was a way. It had been in front of her eyes the whole time. In front of everyone's. Only no-one had voiced it. And why would they, considering how insane it was. But then...
But Efi was leaning against the bridge wall, holding herself tight. Looking downward. She was brave, Miyu reflected. As brave as anyone she'd ever met. But bravery wasn't the absence of fear, it was the confrontation of it. Efi couldn't do anything right now. But she could. Or at least guide the path.
"So," Fox said. He was back to leaning over the holo-table. "If there's nothing else to discuss, then-"
"Fox, we can't run, can we?" Miyu asked.
Fox shook his head.
"Then we fight."
No-one said anything. Every living being on the bridge was staring at her. Even ROB seemed taken aback.
"We fight," Miyu repeated. "We get Whinnyham to back off."
For a moment, no-one said anything. Everyone stood there. Staring. Right until Falco whistled and began to speak.
"Yeah, okay," he said. "Six of us against a Cornerian supercarrier. Right. That can't go sideways at all."
"What, you scared Falco?" Miyu asked. "What happened to our resident daredevil? Who dares? Who wins?"
Falco grunted. "I take dares. But when I can win them. I don't do suicide runs."
Peppy stepped forward, his eyes heavy. "Falco's right," he said. "That's a Cornerian supercarrier. That thing can carry entire fighter squadrons, and is equipped with laser batteries. There's no way we could fight through all of that."
"And even if we did," said Fay. "We'd be killing Cornerians. Our own people."
Miyu looked at Slippy. "Can't you...hack it? Better our chances?"
Slippy shook his head. "Can't work magic Miyu."
"But..." Miyu struggled to find her words. "But we..."
"Miyu."
It was Efi who spoke. It was Efi who gave her a sad smile.
"It's okay," she said. "You...all of you...I can't ask you to die for me."
"But-"
"It's okay," Efi said. "You got me off that ship. And it's not like they're going to kill me, right?"
Probably not, Miyu reflected. But a life in confinement, being poked and prodded at, was the next best thing. The-
The next best thing. Miyu's eyes shone. "The next best thing," she whispered.
"Miyu?"
"The next best thing," she repeated. She walked up to Fox. "We don't have to beat them," she said. "All we have to do is rattle the saber."
"What?"
"Rattle the saber. It's an old term that dates back to…look, never mind. Point is, we're Star Fox. We're the best pilots in Lylat. We tell Whinnyham she can take the Equinox and the flight recorder, but not Efi. We get her to back off."
Fox frowned. "That's a hard sell."
Miyu stepped back. "Your call, boss. But you better make a call soon, because that shuttle will be launching in two minutes time. And I need to know whether I should be one it or not."
Fox gave her a look. A similar look to what every person on the bridge was giving her. The only exceptions were ROB (whose red visor and metal face were bereft of emotion) and Efi, who was looking at her with something she hadn't seen for awhile. Hope.
All the more so when Fox began fiddling with the holo-projector. When the image of Whinnyham appeared back on it.
"Mister McCloud," she said - her lips were pursed as if she were sucking a lemon. "That eager to talk to me again? I was just about to give the shuttle the go-ahead."
"Well, called you just in time then," said Fox.
Whinnyham raised an eyebrow.
"Admiral Whinnyham, here's the deal. You can take the ship. You can take the flight recorder. But you can't have Efi."
"Who?"
"The alien."
Whinnyham snorted. "Goodness me, does it have a name? Tell me, are we going to start naming Venomians now?"
Slippy looked at Peppy. "Don't the lizards have names?"
Peppy patted the frog on the shoulder.
"That's the deal," Fox said. "I can take a pay cut, if you're putting a price on Efi's head. But you-"
"Mister McCloud, you're well on your way to seeing a big fat sum of nothing," Whinnyham snapped. "If you want any credits deposited in your account, you're going to end this charade, and open your hanger to my shuttle."
Fox frowned and looked at Efi. Miyu could tell what he wanted. And looking at Efi, she could tell that their alien did as well.
"You have an entire ship full of dead aliens," Fox murmured. "Can't you-"
"Mister McCloud, I want you to listen carefully. In seventy-six seconds' time, a shuttle is going to exit the Epona. It is going to enter the Great Fox. You will have the alien and the flight recorder on the deck, and will turn over both to my marines. If these conditions are not granted, then at the very best, your paycheck is going to be missing a zero. At worst..." Whinnyham gave her a smile. "Well, use your imagination."
Fox glanced at Efi, before looking back at Whinnyham. "I need some time to bring my crew around."
"Mister McCloud..."
"Five minutes. You want this to go smoothly? Let me play peacemaker."
No-one spoke. Not on the Great Fox. Not on the Epona. Everyone was holding their breath, as if in vacuum. Only here, sound could break it.
"Five minutes," Whinnyham whispered. "Not a second more."
The hologram disappeared and silence returned. Even with her ears, Miyu could barely make out the constant hum of the ship. Silence. Light on the bridge. Darkness outside.
"So what's the call?"
This time, it was Falco who broke the silence. In spite of everything, Miyu smiled grimly. Usually, Falco could try to call the shots. But now, he was deferring to Fox. They all were. They might have been a team of mercenaries, but there was still a chain of command. And given the look on Fox's face, the burden of one as well.
"Miyu's right about one thing," Fox murmured. "We're better than this." He looked at Efi. "I'd like to think a lot of us are. But Whinnyham's given her ultimatum."
The girl lowered her head. "I know," she whispered, before looking up at Fox. "It's okay." She looked at Miyu. "You got me off that ship. You've done enough."
"No. We haven't."
Miyu wished it was she who'd said those words. But Fox had beaten her to it.
"We can rattle the saber," Fox said. "We can fight. Whinnyham may not care about basic decency, but I believe there's people on that ship who do."
"And what if they don't?" Falco murmured.
"Then we die in naivete."
Die. The word hung over the bridge like a poisonous cloud.
"So this is what I'm going to do," said Fox. "I'm going to get in my Arwing. I'm going to show Whinnyham that I'm not backing down. I'm going to do what I should have done from the start, and tell her to stuff it. And if she deploys fighters, tell the same to them."
"Fox..." Fay began.
"It's my decision. And it's yours. This...this is volunteers only. So anyone who wants to volunteer...step up."
Miyu looked at Efi. The look in the girl's eyes was a mix of awe, fear, gratitude, and humility. It was all she needed to get her to stand beside Fox.
Volunteers only, Miyu reflected. Irisus help me.
Or, as the case was, Slippy, who waddled up to join Fox. "I'm in," he said. "May not do much, but I'm in."
Fox gave Slippy a smile. But it quivered as a fourth pilot stepped up to the plate.
"Peppy?" Fox asked. "You sure you want to-"
"Fox, I've looked out for you since day one. I told you what your dad told me - that there's a difference between doing the easy thing, and the right thing." He smiled, and put a hand on Fox's shoulder. "This is the right thing."
Fox put a hand on Peppy's shoulder and nodded, before the hare joined them in the line. Four pilots, looking at the last two. Fay and Falco. The former stood in place, looking terrified. The latter had walked across the bridge to the window, looking out over the gloom.
"Fay?" Miyu whispered.
Fay shook her head. "I can't."
"Fay..."
"I…I can't, okay?" she whispered. "I…look, that's a supercarrier. We go out there, we fight, we die. Not even we're that good. And I've got family on Corneria. I..." Her lip quivered. "I'm sorry..."
Fox nodded. "It's okay," he said.
Miyu could tell that Fox meant it. She, however...she couldn't say how she felt. Fay had family. She had more family than the rest of the Star Fox Team combined, and what happened today would be no secret. Life could get unpleasant for them very quickly, if Whinnyham wanted it. But still, she'd dared to hope that Fay would follow her. This one time. This last time...
"What about you Falco?" Fox asked. "Ready for a last hurrah?"
Falco said nothing. He just stood there, staring.
"Falco?" Miyu asked.
The buzzard sighed. "Volunteers only. You know that's a phrase that dates back centuries, right? It's practical shorthand for suicide mission."
Miyu didn't dispute it. She'd served in the Army. Her training had included military history.
"That's a supercarrier out there," Falco said. "By my estimate, it can hold up to sixty fighters. And these are Cornerian-made, not the last gen fighters the Venomians threw at us en masse like something out of a rail shooter. So even if I join this suicide squadron, we'll be outnumbered ten to one. And unless we strike paydirt and Whinnyham doesn't call our bluff, we'd somehow have to fight our way through all of that, and then take on a supercarrier which is equipped with laser batteries, shields, and a crew of thousands." He snorted. "Like I said, I don't do..." He trailed off, and looked at the crew. Then at Efi. Then the crew again. Then, after a sigh, murmured, "fine."
He walked over. Slippy began to speak. "Always knew you were a-"
"Not a word, frog boy." Falco looked at Fox. "Come on, let's face it. You wouldn't stand a chance without me out there."
Fox folded his arms.
"Besides, who wants to live forever, right?"
Miyu could think of a few people. Efi, for starters. Fay, for another. The latter of which was looking extremely awkward, but not so awkward that she could overcome her fear. And the former who began to speak.
"Guys, this is..." Tears welled up in her eyes. "Thank you."
"We get out of this, thank us then." Fox looked at ROB. "ROB, condition red."
"Affirmative." ROB walked over to the holo table. His hands pressed against the holo-table, and the forefinger of each of his hands jacked into its port. The lightning turned a shade of red on the bridge, as it would across the rest of the ship.
"Action stations. Action stations. Condition red is set. All pilots scramble."
It was automated. It was unnecessary. But it meant that all Fox had to do was give his team a nod, before they ran off the bridge towards the hangers. Miyu hesitated, as she looked at Fay. For a moment, their eyes made contact. But only for a moment, as Fay bit her lip, shook her head, and walked off towards the edge of the bridge. Towards the steelglass. Looking at the stars, rather than at her fellow Cornerian.
She couldn't hate Fay. She couldn't even call her a coward. But she'd dared to hope that...She shook her head, and began to run.
"Miyu."
She stopped, however, as she felt Fox's hand on her shoulder. She turned around and looked at him.
"Just so you know, you may have gotten us all killed." He looked at Efi. "All for an alien we haven't even known a day."
The words, or rather the truth behind them, cut through Miyu like a dagger.
"But it's the right thing to do," Fox said. "So…thanks."
"Thanks?"
"For reminding me of that." Fox reached into his pocket and pulled something out. "This is yours, I believe."
Miyu couldn't help but smile as she took it in her hands. The insignia of a red fox. The one she had given up earlier.
"Consider yourself ungrounded."
Miyu looked at Fox and smiled.
Maybe she'd doomed them all. Maybe this was all for nothing. Maybe Whinnyham would plough through them and take Efi like it was nothing.
But it didn't matter.
This was the right thing.
And she was a pilot again.