X

Mission No. 44

Cerinia
Altaira Valley

The Needle of the Past Reaches Far

X

Clouds hung over the valley that day, masking the sun. No drops of rain yet, but the blanket could burst at any moment. It was common weather for Altaira, but today the sky seemed darker; more oppressive. And Krystal's mood mirrored it.

The young vixen sat with a group of her sisters in the yard beside a tailor's hut. While not practicing in the Matron's Hall with the other Kaitaki, nor busy with chores in her home, she occupied herself with classes around the village, learning the basics of different trades. Farmers taught her to plant vegetables in garden patches and sew fields in the farmlands outside the forest; cooks trained her to bake bread and prepare other dishes; and artists helped her capture the likeness of beautiful scenes on reed canvasses, using specially-made dyes. When she described her numerous activities to Fox, he said she was "making up for lost time". She had to agree; there was so much she wanted to learn, yet it felt like there wasn't enough time in the world to experience everything the valley had to offer.

Today she had joined a group of students to learn embroidery. Each of the Cerinians sat on a stump or block of wood before the porch of the tailor shop, where the owner lead the lesson, demonstrating different techniques. The girls around Krystal were busy sewing designs into their work; the newest students like herself practiced on simple scraps of cloth, while other women brought beautiful kimonos they had been working on at home. She liked admiring all the patterns they stitched into the sleeves and shoulders: everything from the cherry blossoms found throughout the valley to cattails, colorful insects, and star-shaped patterns reminding her of the sky on a clear night. She was excited to work on her own design…

…But a shadow had passed over her mind that day.

What normally was a fun occasion – a chance to meet and bond with new sisters – had become filled with worry. Many things had come to weigh on Krystal's mind, but she wasn't alone; the other Cerinians shared the same feelings of unease.

For her part, Krystal couldn't forget the image she'd seen of Sister Āni earlier that morning. The other Kaitaki had carried her to the infirmary last night after something attacked her. Krystal visited her room that day, surprised to see Āni lying there, unconscious, with numerous bandages wrapping her head, torso, and limbs. She barely recognized her elder anymore, though there wasn't much left of her to see. It wasn't only a miracle she'd survived the attack; it was a miracle the doctors had kept her alive so long afterwards. They had to bring specialists in from the Matron's Hall to treat her with their powers. But the image that stayed with her the most were the deep red stains discoloring Āni's pure white bandages. She hadn't seen that much blood since she escaped Venom…

Krystal tried to concentrate on her instructor's words, but such a task felt impossible. While her fingers worked instinctively, her mind was left to wander.

Two women behind her whispered to each other as they worked, and try as she might Krystal couldn't help but focus on their conversation. A particular name had caught her ears, and from there she was hooked.

"Did you hear what happened to Sister Āni?"

"She's one of the Kaitaki, isn't she? I heard some buzz around the village, but don't know the details."

"It was horrible. Something attacked her last night while she and another warrior were on watch duty. They were outside the valley by the river entrance when it happened. The younger girl made it out unscathed. If not for her running back to the village, Āni may have died."

"Oh dear, I hadn't heard about the other girl. At least she was unharmed. But what happened to Āni?"

"Hard to say; even the Kaumatau don't know for certain. I heard she was torn by a pair of monstrous claws, but the young apprentice who survived said they were invisible."

"Invisible? That's ridiculous! You're pulling my tail."

"Am not! She was there to see it happen, and it very nearly got her as well."

"Please, this sounds just like a ghost story, and I don't want you trying to scare me while I'm sewing."

"Seriously, ask any of the elders; I guarantee they'll be tight-lipped about it. You'll know they're hiding something!"

"I-it's nothing to be fretful about, is it? The Kaitaki will deal with it, right?"

"How can they when they don't even know what did it?"

"Well, what do you think it is?"

"Me? I suppose it could be anything, really. Maybe it's another Cerinian – one that's gone mad and lost control of their powers. You remember what happened on the outskirts a few years back? When we felt the ground shaking and heard the roaring, even from here?"

"I'd rather not remember…"

"Well, it could be one of them again. Or maybe they're completely sane, but filled with evil. But perhaps it isn't Cerinian at all; maybe it's something we don't even understand yet. Some invisible force or shadow; a malevolent will with no body."

"Brrrr! It gives me chills just thinking about it. What could've caused it?"

"Who knows. All I can say is, odd things have started happening around the valley since those new two new ones showed up; that Cerinian and her rāgata friend. They say neither of them are even from this planet; they come from a place beyond. I wouldn't be surprised if they lead something here-"

"Shhh! She's sitting right there! Don't be rude; she might hear!"

But it was too late; Krystal had overheard their entire conversation. She wanted to lash out at them, correcting their misconceptions and defending herself and Fox. Her being behind the attack was impossible. She had been nowhere near Āni when it happened – Fox had stayed with her that night and could prove it. It was so absurd and improbable; utterly ridiculous to suggest such a thing. Yet…a part of her believed everything the woman had said. Somehow, she couldn't shake the feeling that she herself had caused it.

That first day when they arrived in the valley, Krystal remembered attacking Āni, knocking her unconscious. It was to protect herself and Fox, of course, but she still vividly recalled the fury she felt at the time. Her anger had gotten the better of her.

Then, that night when the attack happened, she remembered waking from a horrible dream. She'd lashed out at the phantoms she'd seen in her nightmare, slashing through trees and stones with unfettered, telekinetic force. The result had been deep claw marks – just like the wounds left in Sister Āni.

…Maybe the nightmare she'd had that night hadn't been a dream at all, but…a distortion of reality. Maybe she had actually caused it. What if, in her anger, she had reached out and-

"Ouch!"

Krystal jumped in her seat, snapping out of her spiraling thoughts. She looked over, seeing one of the girls close to her gingerly nursing her finger. She could make out a bright red bead forming on the tip – before she popped it in her mouth and sucked on it.

"What's wrong?"

"I stuck myself! And I was being so careful, too! I feel clumsy…"

Krystal looked down in her lap where her own embroidery work sat: a scarf she was making for Fox, to replace the one he'd given her, and she'd in turn given away to the other Cerinian in the lab. A needle sat in her hand, attached to colorful thread. It…shook. Her whole paw trembled, causing the thin silver line to flash in the daylight. All around her, her sisters held the slivers with steady hands, sewing them in and out of their garments. One worked on an azure blue gown – a color which matched her own fur. She could see the needle stabbing in and out, in and out…in and out of her.

Involuntarily, she felt pinprick after pinprick as the needles' ghosts jabbed her. Dropping her own device, she grabbed the crook of her arm, trying to prevent the pain in her scars from flaring up again. Yet she couldn't stop it.

She swayed in place on the tree stump, feeling dizzy. Sweat beaded on her forehead. Her breaths were short and shallow as she struggled to get oxygen into her lungs. Her stomach felt sick and queasy, like she might vomit in front of her sisters at any moment. She wanted to get out of here; she had to stop, but she felt frozen. She couldn't move, only sit and stare at nothing as the needles sewed visions of the past over her eyes.

Krystal didn't want to go back, but her mind wasn't hers to control. It rebelled…because he controlled it. Even months after his death, he still had so much power over her. All she could do was watch as he took her back for more.

"To think Vixy sacrificed herself for you, a mere science experiment. Without you, she'd still be with me. You doomed her to die…"

The guilt pinned her to the table like nails.

"I should never have brought you into this world. Just look at you…"

His hate-filled eyes skewered like spikes.

"You're so weak; incapable of anything. You're worthless."

His words sliced like razors.

"Now my only recompense is the knowledge you may lead me back to her one day…But until then, I can at least console myself with your suffering."

The needles sank into her like teeth; he tore out a mouthful of revenge.

"You can end this, you know – anytime you want."

Krystal fought back, trying to wriggle free. But her arms and legs were strapped down, leaving her no escape. Even if she could break out, she was too physically weak to push the machine off herself.

"Ah-ah-ah, that won't work. Your body is nothing…but your mind is everything. Use your thoughts; destroy the machine, and you can be free."

But she hated using her mind. She hated giving him what he wanted. So she lay there and let the machine have its way, suffering until Andross gave up for the day.

"If it hurts, do something about it. Prove you even have one paltry iota of worth."

He spun his silken words like spider webs, trapping her into the outcome he wanted. He left her little choice, yet still she resisted. She held back, clenched her eyes shut, and grit her teeth – anything to keep from having to use her power. But how long could she last? Day by day he worked on her, repeating the process, increasing the intensity, and prolonging her suffering. He pushed her further and further, seeing just how far he could bend her until she broke. Each time the urge to strike out at Andross grew more powerful. She felt a hatred broiling inside her every day, increasing in pressure till finally-

"…Krystal?"

Snapped back to the present, she looked up. The darkness of the lab had disappeared. She found Māra standing over her, concern in her face. Her friend stooped down, still holding her garment in one hand…and her sewing needle in the other.

Krystal buried her head in her hands and screamed.

X

THWACK

Fox brought the axe down on a column of wood, cleaving it in two. The halves split apart, falling away to either side of the stump with a satisfying thud.

Fox exhaled, straightening up and wiping the sweat from his brow. He'd made a sizable pile of firewood for Itoro's stove that day, and was proud of his work. As for the old man, he was stooped over his garden, watering the sprouting vegetables in their neat little rows with fatherly care. It seemed like a waste to Fox; as he stared off over the forest where the village lay, the sky was cloudy and grey. What use was watering the plants when it looked like it would rain at any-

A bright flash of light flared in the direction of the village. For an instant it lit the underside of the clouds and the nearby treetops in blinding light. Odd; he hadn't seen an actual bolt strike.

All the same, a peel of thunder deafened Fox's ears for a moment, and he flinched; it felt as if an earthquake had shaken the valley beneath his feet. It rattled him to the very core, yet the aftershock wasn't merely physical: an intense feeling of fear and rage washed over his mind, like someone in distress. Even Itoro stumbled and nearly fell in his garden, dropping his watering pitcher and leaning against the side of his house.

That was when Fox realized it wasn't just lightning.

Krystal…

In an instant he dropped the axe and took off running, not even bothering to put his tunic back on his shoulders.

"Fox, wait! Where are you going?!" Itoro called to his mind.

But Fox didn't answer. He leaned into a full sprint, accelerating down the hill and onto the road, running off towards the forest and the village within.

He only hoped he wasn't too late…

X

Atop the peaks of the mountains surrounding the valley, a pair of Cerinians sat together. Here the air was thin, and the cold wind from the building storm bit the skin beneath their fur. Regardless, they felt nothing of their surroundings. They sat in meditation, fulfilling one purpose: guarding the thoughts of those inside the valley from filtering into the dangerous wastes beyond. To this end they turned their minds into mirrors, perfectly reflecting the thought waves of those beneath the mountains through a technique called phase-canceling. In this way, they could mute the thoughts of their sisters before they escaped the valley, leaving nothing for hunters outside to pick up on, and thus letting the valley avoid detection.

Any normal day the Kaitaki could handle the large volume of murmuring thoughts from the villagers below, but today was different. A dark cloud had settled over the minds of those in the valley, and not just from the storm. The warriors shifted uncomfortably, set on edge. It had been tenser than usual; they could sense a force building up. Ever since Sister Āni was attacked, they'd felt an evil presence somewhere in the village below; a hate-filled malice waiting to bubble over. Yet no one could put their fingers on it. It seemed everywhere, and ever-present. Its loathing grew and grew, till finally it reached a crescendo.

A wave of overpowering emotions assaulted their minds, raw and visceral. It overwhelmed them, proving too much to reflect and cancel out. It struck at the same instant a quake shook the very foundation of the mountain upon which they sat. Rudely pulled from their meditation, they fell from their seats, sprawling on the mountain peak.

"What…what was that?" one breathed to the other.

"I haven't felt an outburst this powerful in ten years. Not since…" The Cerinian's eyes widened in realization. She helped her fellow Kaitaki regain her seat. "You stay here and continue guarding the valley's thoughts. I'll see what the trouble is."

X

19's eyes flashed open, but were only greeted by the darkness of her isolation pod. She sat up, lukewarm water running off her wet fur.

Krystal?

X

An ear-splitting CRACK shook the yard, and the ground trembled beneath her seat. Surprised, Krystal peeked out, only to be horrified by what she saw: wooden seats overturned, piles of cloth torn through, and bodies lying in piles, displaced by dozens of feet. They lay in crumpled heaps, some pierced by shards of wood that splintered off from the burst. Most seemed to recover and shake it off…but not Māra. When Krystal's eyes picked her out among all the wreckage, she was lying slumped against the wall, head tilted forward and eyes unmoving. The longer she stared in horror, the more she noticed a dark red stain soaking her head. She watched as bright ruby drops began to drip down her hair, staining her dress.

"M-Māra?!"

"Back! Get back!" one of the Kaitaki urged. She spread her arms out, forcing the other women to a safe distance, while a fellow warrior attending the lesson pulled wounded Cerinians off the lawn.

What were they so scared of?

When Krystal looked down at her feet, she noticed something strange. The grass around her sandals was dying, right before her eyes. The blades turned golden, then ashen brown, shriveling and decaying to lifeless chaff. The bright flowers wilted, drained of their color. Butterflies fell dead, and crawling insects wiggled up from the dirt, writhing and contorting at her feet till they moved no more.

"Wh-what's happening?!" Krystal whimpered.

Hana, her other friend, managed to squeeze past the Kaitaki and dashed over the wreckage to Krystal.

"Are you alright?!" she asked. But when she reached out to lay a hand on Krystal's shoulder, she cried aloud. Krystal looked down at the girl's paw and froze. All the lively color drained from her pelt in an instant, till it was naught but grey and white. The fur began falling out in tufts, revealing skin that darkened and grew wrinkles the longer it touched her shoulder.

Hana cried out in pain, finally withdrawing her hand. She stared at the appendage in horror; it was now not much more than a mangy, shriveled claw – unrecognizable as the youthful limb it used to be. Gawking at Krystal, Hana began backing up. She tripped over another seat and fell, reaching out to catch her fall – but her ruined hand loudly snapped beneath her, like dried wood. Crying, she scampered away, back behind the safety of the Kaitaki.

"WHAT'S HAPPENING?!" Krystal screamed. "Someone, anyone tell me – please!"

"K-Krystal!" called another of her housemates, Marika. The girl broke free of the gathering crowd and approached her, but this time it was Krystal's turn to stumble back.

"STAY AWAY!" she cried. She'd seen what had become of Māra and Hana; she didn't want her other friend to suffer a similar fate.

Krystal's head swiveled as she looked around. A circle of villagers formed around her, but at a safe distance, with any Kaitaki on hand standing protectively between them. Her sisters all stared at her, bearing terrified expressions. Most were confused, shocked, or fearful; others seemed enraged. She saw it in their eyes; she heard it in their racing thoughts.

While luckily her powers had saved her sisters from the bell tower a few days before, those same powers betrayed them today. No longer were the women awed by her abilities; they feared them, and they feared her. She was a freak, an alien, a threat to the valley. She should never have been allowed to stay here in the first place.

Eventually the frenzied crowd parted, and Mother Namah herself stepped out, along with two illustriously-robed Kaumatua elders. Namah halted upon seeing Krystal all by herself in the center of the circle, her eyes widening – but she forced herself to approach. When she reached the halfway point between Krystal and the crowd, she stopped. Even her fellow Kaumatua dared not follow her this far.

Krystal's anxiety grew. She had wanted Namah to come all the way to her side; to put her hand on her shoulder and tell her everything would be okay; that this moment would pass, but she didn't. Though brave enough to approach closer than the rest, even she maintained her distance.

Krystal knew it all along. They really did think she was a monster.

"Krystal, you must contain yourself," Namah ordered, mustering a firm voice in spite of it all. "Take hold of your Curse! Deny its power over you!"

"I can't!" She looked down at her opened hands, which trembled before her. She couldn't believe what she'd done. "I already hurt Māra and Hana, and I nearly killed Āni last night! It was me! It was me…"

"Forget what happened! Focus on what you can do now, to keep it from getting worse. Remember our teachings! Empty your mind, forget your past, don't dwell on the things that pain you."

"I tried," she sniffed. "They won't let me forget! I can't stop this. I can't stop myself from hurting you, or killing everything around me! Please Mother, tell me what's happening! What's wrong with me?!"

Namah fell silent for a moment, watching her tears begin to fall. "Krystal, like all of us, you were cursed. But you bear a burden heavier than any of ours. It should never have been given to you. I had hoped by training you and taking you into the Kaitaki we could mitigate the Curse. I believed there was hope for you. But…I failed. I failed you."

Krystal held her head in her hands and shook it. "I don't understand, I love you all! I don't want to hurt you – I don't want any of this!"

"I'm sorry Krystal, but…you do. If the force within you lashes out at others, it isn't because you don't want it to. In some way, you do want this to happen, even if you don't think you do, or don't want to admit it. Deep down, you have something in you that wants to destroy. Maybe it hates us specifically. Maybe we just happened to be the closest thing at the time, so your anger took itself out on us. Whatever the case may be, you are a danger to this valley.

"I've seen this before, in other Cerinians. The hatred you carry inside is leaking out. It manifests as a powerful force that roams the shadows where none can see it – none but you. It is a creature you yourself birthed, in response to your past suffering. As long as you harbor feelings of pain and hatred inside you, it will always follow you around, a threat to anyone who comes close."

Krystal clasped her hands and pleaded with Namah. "What do I do?! I don't want to hurt you or anyone else!"

Tears looked like they were about to spring to the Matron's eyes. But the lines of her face hardened, and she clenched her fists.

"Krystal, before it takes you over completely, and before you hurt anyone else…you must leave the valley."

Those words broke the young vixen. She released a sob, having feared the outcome from the start. But now there was nothing else to do. She looked around, searching the faces of the onlookers through tear-blurred eyes. She'd failed Namah, the leader of the village, and let down all the Kaitaki. She'd hurt all of her closest friends: Māra, Hana, even Āni. She'd nearly killed Fox the previous night. There was nothing and no one for her here anymore. If she stayed, she'd destroy everything she loved.

The longer their stand-off dragged on, the more humiliated and pathetic she felt. So she stood tall, sniffing back her tears.

"I'll do it. I'll go far away from here, and never put any of you in danger again. I didn't deserve this home here, yet you gave it to me anyway. I'm glad you put your faith in me, but…" She swallowed. "You never should have trusted me."

She turned to leave, but Namah raised her voice behind her.

"Krystal!"

The vixen paused, but didn't look back. She couldn't bear to face them again after already turning her back; she planned for it to be the last time she saw them.

"Remember my training out there. You still have a life to live, and many years to learn how to fight the Curse. All of us have a monster in us; don't ever let it become who you are."

Krystal stood in place for a moment, her shoulders shaking.

Finally she took a step.

You're doing this for Fox…

Another step.

For Māra and Hana, Namah and Āni…

She walked faster and faster till she was running full-tilt through the forest surrounding the village. She had to get away; she had to leave it all behind, and not hurt anyone else.

You're doing this to save them all.

X

Fox raced down the central street winding through the village. He'd sprinted all the way from Itoro's house and was already out of breath – he dared not stop and rest along the way.

Before him he saw a large crowd of Cerinians all facing towards something and muttering amongst themselves. Fearing the worst, he shoved his way through the women. When they realized who he was they parted of their own accord – some stumbling over each other to get out of the way.

When Fox broke through their ranks he slowed to a halt, panting.

"Krystal?!" he called, looking around.

As Fox's gut wrenched itself in knots, he surveyed the wreckage in the yard of what looked to be a tailor's shop. Clothing, wooden seats, soil, and even Cerinians had been scattered around the site, as if a tornado had carved a path through, or an explosion had launched them in every direction. Some of the women sniffed and tended their wounds, while young children wailed in distress. But Krystal was nowhere in sight.

"Where is she?!" Fox demanded. Then in Cerinian he managed to stutter out, "Kwa ko Krystal?!"

Most of the women only looked at him with fear in their eyes, though others showed signs of pity. Some glanced up the road towards the other end of the village. Ultimately, it was Namah who finally answered him.

"Krystal is gone," she said in Lylatian. She stepped up to Fox, flanked by two elders. "She left the valley. You only missed her by a few minutes."

"What do you mean, she 'left'? You forced her to go! You exiled her!"

She looked at him sternly. "After what happened here, I had no choice. Everything you see before you, Fox, she did with one outburst. I asked Krystal to leave, and she agreed. She thought it was the best decision as well; she didn't want to hurt anyone else in the valley."

Snarling, Fox shoved his finger in her face. "Why didn't you stop her? She can't survive out there alone, and she needs someone to teach her control! You should've tried harder to keep her here. It's almost like, like…you wanted this!"

The elders behind Namah moved to get between her and Fox, but the Matron held them back. "Fox, from the moment Krystal revealed her powers, I had my doubts she'd be able to contain herself. Yet I still tried to help her, no matter the danger to myself. You know I care for her as if she were my own daughter. It breaks my heart to tell her to leave, but as I lamented earlier, I can't sacrifice the rest of my family for one person, no matter how much I love them."

Fox clenched his fists; he knew she was right in looking out for the safety of the village, but he still felt the urge to drive his fist into her stoic face. Yet, the longer he glared into her unmoving eyes, the more he picked up on slight cues slipping through her expressionless mask. Krystal's leaving did pain her, even if she hid her emotions from the todd.

Sighing, Fox unclenched his fists and turned away. He began running off towards the mountain pass, but Namah called after him.

"Wait! Where are you going, young one?"

He paused and looked over his shoulder. "To follow her – where else would I go? This valley is nothing to me without Krystal. My home isn't here; it's with her. She means everything to me."

"And you mean everything to her!" Namah said, raising her voice.

"Don't you think I know that? That's why I have to be with her now."

"No! That's exactly why you have to stay away."

"What are you even saying? I don't have time for-"

"Krystal didn't only leave to protect us – she left to protect you. Fox, you need to avoid her. You need to stay safe – if not with us, then somewhere else – but not with her. If you chase after her now, she'll end up killing you. You will not survive. See?"

Fox followed where Namah pointed. Four villagers were lifting up another Cerinian who Fox recognized as Krystal's friend, Māra. They placed her on a stretcher, allowing Fox to get a better look at her as they passed with her body. Her head hung limply, at an awkward angle; as if her neck was broken. Blood flowed from a crack in her skull, staining her facial fur red.

Fox swallowed a lump in his throat, finally grasping the gravity of the situation. In her current state, Krystal had lashed out and done that to her. Namah's point was clear: she could do the same to him if given the chance.

Now Fox hesitated. He remembered how Krystal had nearly taken his head off that night they slept beneath the trees. Even if the act of hurting him was the last thing she wanted in the world, he knew she couldn't control herself. If he wanted to live, he had to stay here, settling into a village of aliens that might never accept him as one of their own, and abandon the girl he'd come to love; the one he'd given up everything to save.

Quickly he decided the prospect of death didn't matter. His life meant nothing to himself, just as it did during the war. Yet if he followed Krystal now, and she killed him, she'd never forgive herself. His life had value because she valued it; he couldn't just throw himself away when she cared so much for him. But…

At that moment Fox happened to notice a scrap of cloth on the grass. He wouldn't have picked it out from all the rest if it weren't for how different it looked. The bright red cloth stood out among the other scraps of clothing littering the yard, all of which were softer pastels. Stooping, he picked it up and examined it.

It was a bright red bandana, made from the village's finest silk. Someone had been sewing a white-and-blue ship design on it…

His fist tightened around the garment. It shook in his hand as his teeth clenched.

Then, without another thought, he took off running.

X

Grunting, Bill drove his fists into the vinyl covering the punching bag. They sank in with satisfying thumps, sometimes jarring his knuckles when he hit too hard. He imagined the bag as a variety of enemies – most of whom were bloodthirsty, monstrous Cerinians. His fist connected with snapping jaws and pupilless sets of eyes, while others were more recognizable. A punch into Ariki's smug face, wiping his superior grin clear off it. A jab into his ill-fated mate's stomach, causing her to double-over right as she was gloating over Bill's fallen men. With a vicious swing, he struck Fox right across the…across the…

He hesitated, shocked at what he'd just imagined. For a second he'd pictured one of the Cerinians morphing into Fox; it had his same green eyes and familiar facial structure, but with distinctly bluish, alien fur.

How had it come to this?

During their time at the Academy Fox had been his best friend. He'd had others, like Miyu and Fay, but no one like Fox. Something about the todd always frustrated him: his general attitude towards his studies, the lectures they attended, and their tedious homework. He rejected it all, often skipping classes or turning up without any of his work done. He regularly flunked tests and floundered in class, but whenever it came time to practice in a sim or in a real cockpit, Fox somehow outperformed them all. He didn't care about studying theory or following the rules, as if he just felt what was right. Bill hated that about Fox; the fact he could succeed at anything he tried without doing the same tireless work Bill did. Yet all the same, he admired Fox for the same reasons: his natural, instinctive talent. At first he mistook his rebellion for apathy, but in reality Fox was just as ambitious and driven as Bill.

Sometimes, however, he took that rebellious streak too far.

There had been times when their friendship was tested in the past: when Fox rejected the Academy altogether and dropped out, when they disagreed over the defense of Katina, and when they argued over the invasion of Venom. No matter their differences or how often they butted heads, in the end it always seemed to work out for the best – until now.

Fox had done something Bill couldn't forgive. Making his own path as a mercenary was one thing. So too was defying orders he didn't agree with. But there was a line somewhere; a line between going your own way and becoming an enemy, and Fox had finally crossed it. In a way, Bill felt vindicated. All those years he secretly viewed Fox as a delinquent. And now he proved it.

Every minute they drew closer – he could feel it. He couldn't wait to fight Fox. To punch some sense into him. To repay him for the ridiculous chase he'd lead him on for the past month. If Fox hadn't gone off and kidnapped that Cerinian, Bill wouldn't be here, humiliated, his men wouldn't be dead, and Miyu and 19 wouldn't be wounded. He was to blame for all this.

But a part of him dreaded the moment. He wanted to feel like beating Fox's face in, but…he didn't. He couldn't even picture himself doing it. So he paused, staring blankly at the punching bag as doubt filled his mind.

"Well, I'd hate to be that bag of yours."

With a start the canine straightened up and turned around. "Dr. Makepeace!" He cursed himself; he'd acted as if Pepper had walked into the room.

The vixen strode into the gym, carrying her ever-present tablet and observing him through her glasses. "You don't fantasize about that being me, I hope?"

Bill shifted awkwardly between his feet. "Er, no…why would I?"

"Come now. I do hold a certain amount of authority over you. It's normal for subordinates to feel aggression towards their superiors. But beyond that, I risked your life to kill Ariki, and I suspect you resent me for my involvement in the Cerinia project."

19, Bill realized she meant. "No, I don't resent you," he hurried to say. "I respect all my superiors, no matter the circumstance. I made the decision to risk my own life against Ariki, and I realize the Cerinia project is necessary. I don't harbor hatred for those choosing who to save and who to sacrifice. I don't envy them, either. I know what it's like. Often, they're sacrificing just as much."

Pivoting, he returned to punching the bag in front of him – but he could feel Makepeace's intruding gaze falling on his back.

"Practicing for the fight ahead?" she asked.

"Mhm," he grunted. "Want to be prepared."

The doctor watched him for another minute. "You know, you wouldn't stand a chance in a physical fight with a Cerinian. At least, not one like 28."

"I know. But, if it came down to it, I'd like to give myself every little advantage I can. If I lacked even a hair's breadth of strength needed in a crucial moment, I'd never forgive myself for not training – I wouldn't be around to forgive myself."

"Well, I admire your determination."

"Every day brings us closer to Fox and #28," Bill continued. "At least, if this mysterious 'Sibyl' is to be believed."

"I assure you, their information will prove accurate."

Bill paused, rubbing his knuckles. "Look, I followed your orders and searched to the east of the ruined city, even though I don't know what Sibyl even is. Is it some all-knowing supercomputer? A psychic you consult that gyps you out of money? Or just a random soothsayer you pulled off the street?"

"Sibyl is #39."

"Oh…" He raised his eyebrows. "And they can…sense things like that? Even across lightyears of distance?"

Makepeace looked away. "That's one way of putting it, though they are not tuned to 28's wavelength specifically like 19 is. 39 does not choose what she hears."

"But how can you know their information is accurate?" Bill pressed. "Have they ever-"

A voice over the comm interrupted him: Lieutenant Baines was hailing them from the bridge.

"Captain Grey, Dr. Makepeace: Cerinian 19 has located 28. We narrowed their position to a valley on the far side of the desert. We could be there within fifteen minutes. Shall we pursue?"

A shiver ran up Bill's spine; those were the words he'd been waiting to hear for a month. He turned to look at Makepeace. Both of their glances simply said, 'this is it'.

Bill stepped over to the comm unit on the wall, but the doctor rushed over and pressed it before he could. "Yes – but proceed slowly. We need to run scans for geography, lifeforms, and tech they might possess, then formulate a plan. When we come within fifty miles of the valley, stop."

"Yes, Doctor," Baines answered.

Makepeace released the button, turning to Bill. "Well Captain, we must formulate our attack plan – and descend.

"Today we reclaim Cerinian 28."