Part 2: The Planet That Lost Its Name
When they were a day from Venom, Fox thought it best to check on the Arwings. He walked past their dormitory area and towards the back of the ship. After taking the elevator down to the hanger, he walked past the various docked Arwings. Five sat there in total—four Mark IIs and a single Mark I, leftover from the team's first generation.
The Mark I was dated but still held a distinct reverence about its old hull. It was nimbler and sleek in build with older cannons and less storage for bombs. James had designed them himself, with the help of Slippy's father, Beltino Toad.
The Mark IIs were their current planes—tipped with yellow at the wings and thicker, built sturdy for the thick of warfare. Slippy had made edits to the original Mark I, but the basis of their structure was found in James's old notes. The improved cannons and controls made the Mark Is seem terribly archaic but that was just how technology was. Constantly evolving, constantly improving. He wondered how many times they would improve their Arwings over the next decade.
Fox thought about taking his for a brief flight, but he decided against it; his vision was blurred from exhaustion and something about cruising the abyss of space held no appeal to him at the moment. Instead, he cast a glance towards Peppy's old Mark I, remembering the sight of his dad inside of it.
I fought your war. It was all I could do to stay sane. But now it's done. And I can't help but wonder if I never wanted it to be done. What happens after we go to Venom? What happens if we don't find you?
He wondered if it was a ghost of grief that was dragging him back to that hellish planet. Aspects of adventure and camaraderie had given the mercenary life allure. Rigorous training on Papetoon had made his father's loss seem distant at times. Everything had become a process, listed in steps that Peppy had guided him through. Step one—become stronger, become better. Step two—when the time came, protect his homeworld. Step three… Step three… It was something he had known would happen with due time but it was still a void as vast as space itself. Whatever it was began on Venom and wherever it would take him, Fox did not know.
"Fox," Slippy said, announcing his arrival and breaking Fox's inner conversation.
"Hey Slip," Fox said, breaking his gaze from the countless stars outside.
"Wanna help me tune some of the equipment on the Arwings?" Slippy asked him.
"Sure."
He sat in the cockpit as the toad made his adjustments to the engines and targeting system. Fox watched the lights beam up… then fade back down into darkness with every poke and prod that Slippy made. Even though he had attended the same academy as his friend, his specialization had been space warfare, not engineering. The vulpine watched him with mild interest as he worked, lost in the engineering jargon he was spouting off, but occasionally nodding and giving his friend a soft smile.
He really has come a long way since we were kids.
They spent the rest of their time tinkering with the Arwings. Slippy mentioned he had sent a few rough drafts of Mark III's to be looked over by his father, along with laser upgrades to the current models. Some of it was theorized, he explained sheepishly, and wasn't entirely sure Space Dynamics technology could pull it off just yet. He had Fox convert the Arwing into its Walker form, and jotted down some notes before he declared their experiment completed.
"So, all of the calibration should be in order in case we decide to upgrade while we're in Corneria," Slippy rubbed his chin. "And if we get more money, I'd like to try having different types of Arwings."
"Slippy, we have five Arwings, a sub, a military tank, a gyrocopter, a hover-military tank… thing…" Fox sighed but glanced at the piece of paper the toad proudly held up.
"I call them the Interceptor-Class Arwing and the Defense-Class Arwing," Slippy said with a sunny grin. He gestured to the smaller, sleeker build. "This one would be faster than our current ones, built with twin laser cannons."
"Huh…" Fox blinked.
"And this one…" Slippy pointed to the thicker one, "Is bigger, bulkier, so it could take more damage even though it's slower. Some of our Arwings got scraped up when we went inside those Androssian carriers. I was thinking sturdier could be better."
"Hm, well I like our current models just fine, but maybe having specialized Arwings wouldn't be such a bad idea… but we'll have to wait and see how much cash we draw in from missions," Fox said with a shrug as they departed the hanger. "It could take a few years before we have enough for new ships. That's not exactly a cheap project to fund."
"Fine by me! I bet we'll get a lot of calls in no time," Slippy beamed. "And then we can have all the shiny Arwings we want."
"Yeah, well have fun getting help tinkering with all of them," Fox retorted with a snicker.
"Easy! I'll just ask Falco to," Slippy said nonchalantly.
"Ha! Good luck with that!" Fox laughed.
The rest of the day passed without incident and the next morning, Fox awoke to the alarm that Venom was in sight. After rushing through his morning routine, he made it the bridge in time to see Peppy cast a wistful look at the swirling, sickly green planet. The hare sipped from his mug, sanguine eyes unblinking. He took note of Fox quickly, mustering up a weak smile that the vulpine saw right through instantly. But Fox said nothing about it. This was going to be a harrowing experience for all of them.
As the Great Fox journeyed closer to Venom, the team began to assemble in the bridge. The cursed planet drew closer and closer, a glaring lime green eye in the darkness of space. There was something about it that made Fox's skin crawl. It was as if the universe had specifically designed that infernal place to be a living hell. The way its gas-made tendrils drifted around its body were too lifelike for his liking. He turned away, trying to distract himself with some leftovers that Slippy had brought in from their kitchen.
"My dad used to tell me stories about Venom when I was a tadpole," Slippy began, munching on some cold pepperoni pizza. "About the colonies that tried to set up there and what happened to them. The old tale goes that most of them died instantly when they landed on Venom. Fell down on the spot and croaked. Gives me the creeps!"
"It's just a ghost story," Falco waved his hand.
"There's proof of it happening, but I don't think the Cornerian government likes to admit it's real," Slippy shook his head. "Bad look, I guess, trying to colonize a planet and your first settlers drop dead."
"Yeah, well, let's just make sure we're not next," Falco said. "I guess these Cornerians gotta have something set up for safety. I'd rather not get sent back home in a body bag."
"I'm sure they do, Falco," Peppy replied reassuringly.
"There's old legends about Venom, you know," Slippy said as he peered out at the eerie planet. "That it had a name long ago but now no one remembers it. That it used to be a bustling, beautiful planet just like Corneria but now it's just a wasteland."
"What could've happened to it that made it like that, huh?" Falco asked.
"No one knows. Climate change, maybe?" Slippy shook his head. "A natural disaster? All we can do is guess."
When they began to enter communication range, Fox parked himself in the pilot's chair. Their radar showed a myriad of ships around the planet—flagged as Cornerian and non-Cornerian. The Cerinians had to be the other party here, Fox mused. Both had established clusters of battleships into the planet's orbit, locked in a silent stare down. Within a few minutes, the first message came through and Fox recognized the ID number coming in as a Cornerian ID.
"Cornerian Battleship Titan requesting identification from unmarked vehicle. Unmarked vehicle, state your name and purpose. Failure to respond in five clicks will result in termination," came a gruff voice over the intercom. A video buzzed to life and Fox could see the brusque voice belonged to a haughty looking boxer. Fox switched on his camera, streaming his face in the pilot's chair to the Titan's communications.
"Great Fox responding. This is Fox McCloud of the Star Fox Team. We have clearance to land at the coordinates I am sending your way. Clearance granted by General Pepper," Fox said firmly.
"Star Fox?" the boxer asked, blinking in surprise. "Well, why didn't ya say so earlier? Proceed to coordinates. You'll land at the Northern Cornerian Army Outpost."
"Roger that," Fox replied and soon their communications ended.
The descent to Venom was relatively smooth. Biasing their trajectory near the Cornerian ships gave Fox an inkling of security that the Cerinians would not bother them. Not now at least. As they entered the cursed planet's atmosphere, the lime green fog surrounding it began to shift and fade. Fox watched the eerie landscape come into view—miles upon miles of stone to their east, a few jagged mountains beyond that. In the western distance there was a forest hued in an ill shade of dull green, the boughs of the massive, ancient trees tangled and shadowed. Directly below appeared to be a city. A large crescent akin to that of Area 3's colony jutted up from the midst of the metropolis, which was crafted distinctly in jarring white and black colors. Fox knew at once this had to have been an old colony. He could not determine how else they had built such a large city otherwise.
Their radio crackled to life. "Tower control to Great Fox. You have been cleared for landing. For safety purposes, do not leave your ship until the sanitation hatch has been attached to your side door."
"Roger that," said Fox.
The coordinates that General Pepper had given them fed the Great Fox to a spaceport jutting off of the large crescent's base. As soon as the Great Fox had landed, Fox watched as an automated tunnel extended to a side door. It clicked on and the team made their way to the door in question. A few machines were blowing in some semi-transparent white gas into the tunnel, decontaminating it and purging the toxins from the air.
"This is so we don't die when we leave," Slippy said to Falco reassuringly. The avian cringed and shook his head.
When they were cleared to exit, Fox opened the door and began down the tunnel. The air was a crisp cold, a vent blowing down on them as they walked. Fox was inwardly thankful he had brought his jacket and nestled his chin into his crimson scarf. The tunnel was fortunately not too long and before long, they were passing through the door into the interior. The next room was small, meant clearly as a waiting area for the tunnel to attach and detach. It was the next room that was stunning, a large hallway that resembled that of an airport on Corneria City.
A few soldiers bustled about, transporting various items about on speeders made for quick indoor travel. A few of them waved at the Star Fox team in passing but they seemed to be too preoccupied with their tasks to help point the mercenaries in the right direction.
Pepper said someone would be here to help us. Officer Thomas Howl…
That sounded like a Cornerian name all right. But that did not do much to differentiate him from the Cornerians busily rushing about the long corridor. And so, Fox decided it would be best to wait. He stretched and adjusted the tails of his scarf, taking note of Slippy looking out a small glass panel that displayed the colony's interior.
"Wow!" Slippy began excitedly. "This is just like a regular space colony! But… on a planet!"
"Incredible," Peppy murmured. "That something like this could even exist on Venom…"
A whirring noise soon caught their attention and in the distance of the long, stretching hallway, Fox could see a speeder of some sort coming their direction. It was larger than the others they had seen, meant for transporting people rather than cargo. A pilot was steering it, donned in a plain blue Cornerian Army uniform with a few golden decorations upon the breast. The speeder's gears whirred louder and louder until it came to a steady halt in front of the Star Fox team. The pilot, a light silver husky with large brown eyes, dismounted the vehicle.
"Cornerian Lieutenant Officer Thomas Howl, at your service," the husky said with a firm salute. "We are excited to have you here, Star Fox! General Pepper informed us of your mission here on Venom. I can show you around our base of operations, if you would like."
"Officer Howl, it's nice to meet you," Fox said and the vulpine and canine shook hands. "As much as I'd like to look around, I'm afraid we're more concerned about getting our hands on a teleportation device. I guess you guys must have scoped this entire city by now. Did you find out?"
"Unfortunately if there is a teleportation device here, we have not been made aware of it," Howl replied then gestured to the speeder. "Climb in. I think all of us should fit. It'll get us to our intelligence station faster."
"Got it," Fox said and they all crammed into the speeder.
Once they were all seated, Peppy reminded them to fasten their seatbelts. Fox could have sworn he saw the husky mask a chuckle at the old hare's nagging. Falco shook his head sighed as Peppy made sure his seatbelt was fastened appropriately. And then they were off through the repurposed colony. Howl pressed the speeder to a leisurely pace. The lights on the wall flashed by. Fox's eyes wandered about, looking for telltale signs of wear and tear… but there was none. It was truly as though this colony had simply sunken into the earth on its side and had been repurposed for the Venomians. No unmarred walls. No signs of destruction from an impact. He was not sure how it was possible.
Howl began to appraise them of the situation as they rode along the corridor.
"As the General has no doubt informed you, we are currently working through negotiations with the Cerinians. The Rha'ko Xou have sent an envoy headed by one of their Sages. He seems to have a fascination with the technology used by Andross to open the portals. General Pepper seems to think they want to use them for… some purpose. But I disagree. I don't think the Cerinians have any ulterior motive. Not for this. The Wizard—ahh, sorry, that's what my men have taken to calling him- seems mostly concerned with making sure the technology isn't found."
Wizard. That sounded archaic and a bit silly. Fox was certain the moniker had not been given out of politeness.
"Can't say I blame him. That kind of technology was powerful enough to almost take down Corneria," Fox pointed out.
"I have been around the Cerinians long enough to realize that they are not a bad people," Howl continued. "But they are opinionated and do not like our presence here. The Wizard keeps telling our envoys that the Cornerians have no business meddling in these affairs. Strange, sometimes I think they forget who wiped out Andross's forces here. But their concerns are stemmed from something… oh, how to put it… metaphysical?"
"Metaphysical?" Falco piped up from behind. "The hell does that mean?"
"It's the newer term for what we know as "magic", Falco," Slippy said. "Cerinians and planets in the Outreach… they don't use fuel like we do. They use a different type of energy. Metaphysical energy! It's how they power their societies!"
"So I get Venom is technically part of the Outreach but what's the metaphysical stuff gotta do with this?" Falco asked.
"The Cerinians have adopted a different belief system than the kinds that exist in the central region of the Lylat System," Howl said. "I can't describe it but… they don't attribute the toxin in the air to the planet's atmosphere simply containing natural toxins. They believe the energy from the planet's core is… tainted, somehow. A different perspective, I suppose. But this tainted energy has them concerned. As well as the technology Andross was developing."
"Is it true the Wizard is Randorn?" Peppy asked Howl. "I used to know him. A long time ago."
"Yes," Howl replied. "He has… not been entirely cooperative. But I would not say he's been hostile. But maybe it's better that you see the situation for yourself. The nearest Cerinian camp is just outside of Venom City. And… yes, that's what this place is called, believe it or not. That's what the prisoners have told us, at least."
"Prisoners?" Falco asked.
"None are left here, we sent them all to Corneria," Howl answered. "But yes, we had some prisoners before you arrived. Mostly ex-Cornerian, ex-Katinan, ex-Macbethian. Traitors one and all. The lizards fled into the jungle."
The end of the hall was soon upon them, with a sign informing them that they were about to cross out of the docks and into the city proper. They passed through a series of gates and then the final doors opened. The colony city sat nestled within the crescent's bend, newer and fresher looking than the buildings outside. Its buildings were structured with dark metal in a way that reminded Fox of Macbethian cities, complete with the signature neon lights. The protective glass dome still stood strong, the Venomian sky blazing overhead. Fox felt as though he were trapped in a terrarium as he craned his head back to look skyward.
They rode through some of the city streets, Fox marveling at the buildings around them and the sky overhead. He had only been to a few space colonies in his lifetime and they always made him filled with wonder. This Venomian replica was no different and there was something strangely beautiful about the way the sun looked on the other side of the glass.
After a few blocks, their destination was in sight. Howl dismounted the speeder and stepped out, then ahead, at what Fox assumed to be the intelligence station. It was a simple structure, devoid of walls and erected in a fashion similar to a tent. Metal poles made up its four corners with a slanted metallic ceiling overhead. Underneath its shade was a large series of tables, computers, and other bits of technology. A very rudimentary set up, Fox thought, but it seemed effective for what they were trying to do.
"This place is wild," Falco said. "Wouldn't have ever expected those Venomians to have a place like this."
"The colony seems to be for those who cannot tolerate the toxic air. The old city, built by the Cornerians decades ago, still barely stands outside," Howl said, gesturing to the remnants of buildings that sat rooted to the crescent's side. "The newer city seems to have been constructed with the help of outside forces. Macbethian, we think."
"Traitors, then?" Falco asked and Howl nodded solemnly.
"They likely demolished the old city that sat in this colony and repurposed what they could for the new city," Howl said. "Follow me. I want to show you guys exactly what you're up against."
They made their way towards the station, which Fox could easily see was bustling with Cornerian Army soldiers. Some of them were huddled around the computers. Others were rushing about doing their tasks. There was a distinct lack of guards, the vulpine noticed as he glanced about. Were they not expecting any resistance here anymore? Even from the Venomians?
They must have come in, blasters blazing. This city is silent. There's no one here but Cornerians now…
Howl directed them over to a large table, which brimmed to life with a hologram of Venom's surface at the touch of a few buttons. The husky fiddled with some settings, zooming in close on an image of Venom City and the surrounding wildlands. He hit a button and a few red dots began to appear across the map.
"Each of these dots represents a location that we believe to be a base of operations for Andross," Howl said to them. "Each of these areas contain old ruins that date Pre-Corneria. Our archaeologists have been referring to them as "Cornerus ruins", after the race that once inhabited Corneria in… well, eons past. They bear structural similarities to ruins found on Corneria and other places in the Lylat System. But they are older. Much older. Belonging even to a different age."
"Alemians, Officer, the word you are looking for is Alemians," piped up a nasally voice from behind the team and Fox looked back in time to see a mousey looking, orange-furred Corgi walk up, adjusting his circular spectacles. He cut a goofy figure, short-statured with a pinstripe suit and a crooked maroon bowtie at his nape. Disdainfully, he glanced at Officer Howl.
"Really. Why hire a historian if you're not going to listen to his lectures every once in a while?" the Corgi remarked snootily.
"Oh for the love of…" Peppy began, rubbing his forehead. "Not this guy."
"Peppy Hare! Good to see you again. I trust that you have been doing well, hm? Not killing anyone's specimens, I trust?" the Corgi sniffed disdainfully.
"Do you two… know each other?" Slippy blinked.
"Dr. Pembroke, very glad you could join us," Howl said with virtually no enthusiasm. "We brought in a few… consultants on how to move forward with excavating what the Venomians left behind. A spacecraft specialist and a historian namely. Dr. Pembroke has been our chief resource for dealing with the ruins and everything about them."
"Yes, yes, I know," Dr. Pembroke huffed. "And yes, I do know Peppy. General Pepper hired him to, and very specifically may I add, assist me in researching alive Goras on Titania oh… a decade or so ago, I would imagine. With that James fellow, who unhelpfully went and got himself killed later on I hear, and that awful hog that cackled the entire time like a madman. Anywho, they proceeded to slay my research subject. And I was quite cross with them. My entire thesis was ruined."
"Your research specimen tried to eat Pigma. Twice," Peppy said flatly. "And my only regret was that I didn't let it."
"Oh, so we're in agreement then? You shouldn't have killed King Gora-Gora?" Dr. Pembroke asked with a tinge of excitement in his voice.
"I didn't say that," Peppy started.
"Enough!" Howl exclaimed. "Dr. Pembroke, if you could let me finish explaining to the Star Fox team the importance of these locations…"
"Oh certainly. So long as you do not misidentify them again," Dr. Pembroke retorted.
"Right," the husky sighed. "These ruins are ancient, belonging to a race that existed long ago. Despite time and the elements, however, most of these ruins are… well, in fairly decent shape, really. They are also equipped with defenses left behind by both the Alemians and Andross. Though our expeditions into a few of them have offered little in terms of rewards, we do think a few of the bigger sites may contain secret entrances to subterranean bases. But unfortunately all of these places are presently occupied by the Rha'ko Xou."
"And that's where we come in," Fox spoke up. "Do you know where Randorn is? I may be able to get through to him and let us look around."
"Here," Howl said, pointing to one of the nearby red dots. "This set of ruins in particular. Erm… Doctor, care to tell us what the location is called?"
"That old place?" Dr. Pembroke remarked. "Cimroh-Ja ata Quan. The Sleeping Place of the Gods."
"Not ominous at all," Falco stated uneasily.
"It's supposedly quite the peaceful place. If only I could get to see it myself…" Dr. Pembroke said then sighed dramatically.
"Yes, yes, I'm sure you will soon enough," Howl shook his head. "Anyways, to make it there, you will need two things—a vehicle and oxygen masks. We can provide both, if you want."
"I'd rather approach in our Arwings, if that's okay with you guys," Fox shook his head. "Randorn will recognize them. He'll lower his defenses and let us land."
"If that makes the job easier, then I don't see why not," Howl nodded. "There's a station the next block over that will give you the oxygen masks. I can escort you there if you'd like."
"No need. Just point us in the right direction. I'm sure you're busy here," Fox said earnestly.
"Ha! You'd be right about that," Howl said, scratching the back of his neck. "Truth be told, Venom's proven to be so complex that I doubt we'll uncover everything hidden here for… years, really."
"Good luck to you then," Fox nodded. "We'll be back as soon as we can. Hopefully with good news."
"We could use some of that around here," Howl chortled.
The Star Fox team was off soon after that, walking in the direction that Howl gave them. As they left, Fox felt eyes trailing after them and he nestled his chin a bit further into his crimson scarf. Being famous had its perks but boy did it have its downsides. He did not like being stared at or noticed in this way. Not even by the Cornerian soldiers. The vulpine hastened his pace, shoving his hands into his pockets.
"I don't know about you guys but creeping around some old ruins sounds like a recipe for disaster," Falco said uncertainly as they walked.
"I thought you didn't believe in ghosts," Slippy teased.
"I never said that," Falco huffed.
"You know, when you get to be around my age, you would think that you'd have a solid opinion on something. But even I don't know if I believe in ghosts," Peppy remarked, voice airy and a tad absent-minded. "I do know one thing; if there are ghosts in the Lylat System, they'd all be here. I can feel it in my bones."
An eerie statement but Fox found himself soon in agreement. The next station they found themselves at was clearly a station meant to help soldiers combat the natural dangers of Venom. A stoic looking dog with ringlets of white fur began to show them how to equip their oxygen masks, explaining how the masks filtered out the toxic particles and made the air breathable. There was no oxygen tank they had to equip and for that, Fox was glad. A simple mask slipped on and fastened over their faces and the Star Fox team was cleared to return back to the Great Fox to depart for Cimroh-Ja ata Quan.
But by the time the soldiers had figured out how to get Falco's oxygen mask on, Slippy had begun striking up a conversation with one of the archaeologists at the station. Falco stood idly by, occasionally giving Slippy's conversation a nod to indicate he was possibly listening but Fox did not buy that for a second. The vulpine sighed and leaned against the wall of a nearby building, fighting the urge to fiddle with his oxygen mask. Peppy walked up to him, masked up and with a pair of sanguine eyes that burned with a mixture of emotions.
"You know the last time we were here, we had to stay in our Arwings," Peppy said. "They didn't have tech like this."
"Amazing how fast things progress," Fox remarked.
"Amazing and scary sometimes. If you'd told me back when I was young that we'd have colonies on Venom—even if they weren't Cornerian-based—I'd have never believed you," Peppy replied, tossing about a thoughtful look across the city. "They say this planet's cursed. That it's so old that it lost its name. We called it Eden once. A long time ago, when we were first trying to settle it. And then nearly everyone died. And that's why we call it Venom. Do you think we'll still call it Venom years from now?"
"Who knows," Fox said with a shrug, musing over Peppy's nostalgic musings.
The hare shifted and then he admitted, "I'd like for it to have a different name. It's a cruel, ugly place. But if Jim's here… Even if it's just what's left of him…"
Fox's stomach twisted into a knot.
"… It'd be better for him to have died somewhere with a nicer name, I think," Peppy finished and the two fell silent.
"Fox!?" a voice exclaimed from just outside the vulpine's peripherals. He turned to see its source and when he did, he could not stop his jaw from dropping.
"F-Fara!?" Fox asked incredulously.
The fennec stood before him in her Cornerian test pilot suit—blue and darker blue, with her name on a golden badge at her chest. She was equipped with a holster and thick belt, which was did contain a blaster. An oxygen mask was slipped over her muzzle but it did not block out the sheer surprise in her vivid green eyes.
"W-what are you doing here?!" they both asked at once. Fara jerked her head back in surprise.
"I'm acting as a consultant, on behalf of General Pepper," Fara said, her large ears pricking forward. "With all the Venomian tech and ships left behind, the General wanted me to look and see what we could bring back and make of use for the CDF."
"The spacecraft specialist. That's you," Fox realized.
"Yep!" Fara replied cheerily. "I meant to tell you the other night but I guess that slipped my mind. I've been here for a few days now picking through the Venomian spacecrafts. I'm actually impressed; they had quite the arsenal stored here."
"I… I just can't believe you're here," Fox admitted. "I thought…"
That you'd never leave Corneria. The high society. The party lifestyle. Everything you love is there.
"Well, it's not exactly my idea of a vacation," the fennec giggled. "But it's nice getting to go out for once. And we've uncovered a bunch of neat stuff already. Say… why is Star Fox here? I thought you guys had finished up your business here when the fight with Andross went down."
"N-not… quite," Fox said apprehensively. "It's complicated, I guess. I'd like to tell you about it but…"
I'm chasing shadows and ghosts and I don't want you to worry about me.
"Well, I'm all ears," Fara responded with a toothy grin.
"Oh go on, Fox, she's your girlfriend," Peppy said, elbowing Fox's back. "She oughta know why you're here."
"Hm?" Fara asked, the smile dropping from her face slightly.
"I haven't… told you about Venom, I guess…" Fox began, scratching the back of his head.
"About Venom?" she blinked.
"Look, when I was fighting Andross, I wasn't alone, okay?" Fox said. "It's hard to explain but… There was someone else there. Someone who helped me. An Arwing."
"An… Arwing?" Fara asked. "I don't understand. Didn't your team go with you?"
"N-no…" Fox stammered.
"They let you go in alone!?" Fara exclaimed in shock.
"W-well I told them…" Fox began.
"You told them to stay behind!?" Fara demanded.
"Look, I… I wasn't thinking clearly I guess!" Fox said with a hissing breath slipping from his mouth. He massaged his forehead, very much aware of how Peppy was scooting away from their conversation out of fear of the crossfire. "But I know what I saw. And I'm here to determine what that was."
"Didn't Pigma steal one of your Arwings?" Fara asked. "You're sure it wasn't that Arwing?"
"I'm sure," Fox insisted. "There's no way Pigma would've helped. After we fought Star Wolf, they ran. Pigma never came back and there's no way you'd miss that guy on the comms."
"True, I suppose…" Fara said with concern in her tone. "So if it's not Pigma, then who…?"
"That's the thing. I don't know," Fox answered. "There was a voice over the comms. A voice that sounded like my dad."
"Fox…" Fara said quietly, her voice hushed in surprise. She reached out for him, grabbing the sides of his upper arms and bearing her green eyes into his. Did she think he was crazy? He feared she might.
"I know; I sound like a lunatic but I've gotta look for that ship. I've gotta try," Fox said as he lowered his gaze. "We're heading to one of the old ruins, where the Cerinians are. Randorn's here. He may be able to let us look around, see if Andross left any teleporters that can take me to where his base used to be. Where I saw that Arwing."
"Randorn…" Fara mused then nodded. "Okay. But you have to let me come with you."
"What? F-Fara, it's going to be dangerous… probably," Fox began.
"Oh hush. I won't hear any protesting from you," Fara shook her head. "What kind of girlfriend would I be if I let you do this alone? And besides… we've been apart so long because of the war. I want to be with you."
That last sentence warmed his chest slightly. He smiled at her, a fleeting and bitter thing. That look in her eyes. There was nothing he could do to deter her, was there? Once Fara Phoenix had made up her mind then her course was charted. Fox sighed but in a way that made his heart feel less burdened. Maybe spending time with her would do some good. Even if it was on this desolate, nightmarish planet…
"Do you have a ship here?" Fox asked and the fennec laughed.
"You're joking with me, flyboy. The General let me borrow one of his new prototypes. You uh… may find that it's a bit inspired by something familiar," Fara said with a cheeky wink. "I have it docked and ready to go at a moment's notice. When are you heading out?"
"As soon as Slippy is done chatting up the archaeologists," Fox answered, glancing over at where the toad was still happily chatting away and looking over some photos with one of the Cornerian officers.
"Oh, so probably tomorrow then!" Fara replied jokingly with an elbow nudge and Fox chuckled slightly.
But as their conversation trailed off, the quiet was enough to let pensive thoughts flood into the vulpine's mind. Fara was here. Randorn was here. And now the Star Fox team was here. All for their own reasons. He thought back to his father's funeral, back to those grim days of shock and despair. Strange how their paths all led here. But how could they not? Andross had been the center of their lives for so long. And they had orbited around him and his dark deeds. Tethered to grief. Trying to figure out the next step forward. Hoping for the day in which the war and atrocities could end. And now that day had come. But Fox mused over the people they were now. They had fought so that everything could be safe. So that everything could go back to normal. But what even was normal now?
His gaze skirted to Fara for a moment. In the wake of the Lylat Wars, who even were they when they were together anymore? Maybe that would become more clear soon. Maybe all of his doubts would be cleared away. He just needed clarity. He just needed closure.