Chapter 7
Though she was clearly not ready to handle something of the sort in her own mind; Skye could only see confidence and strength when she looked at Fox. Oddly, before leaving the ship so that its initial lift off could take place, Krystal stepped up behind the young canine, before she felt something fall over her forehead. Surprised at first, Skye reached for whatever had come to rest on her head, only to find that the golden diadem the blue vixen always wore was now resting a lovely red jewel at the center of her forehead...
"This is a very special object where I am from Skye," She smiled, "the jewel will protect your mind from any invading thoughts or powers. Keep it close, and it will keep your mind clear. Understand?"
Somehow managing to keep her composure Skye simply looked back over her shoulder in time to have Krystal gently hug her about the shoulders, "Be careful Skye, I look forward to hearing all about this when you return."
After a short time, the canine looked out to see that Fox and Krystal had made it clear of the launch area, and with a light nod Skye sat back in her seat. Though she was uncertain how the Great Fox looked inside, the Grand Fox was lavishly designed with comfort and utility in mind. The entire front of the bridge was nothing but one large viewing screen, which acted as both a main window and a holo-screen when necessary. Two semi-circular panels of control terminals stretched from the window to either side of the half dome shaped room. The command seat placed at each terminal designed to not only swivel on command but, to slide along the floor to keep a person completely able to use the entire console easily. On the arm rests of her own seat rested two small orbs, it was a strange steering mechanism but, it was one that she had recently learned to use in her flight classes and now she was aware of why...
Several button presses and Skye could feel the entire ship hum to life; it was nothing like the roaring burst of power that came from older ships. Instead all she felt of the engines was a pleasant vibration work up from the floor into her feet and through her body before all went quiet again. The ship was more than advanced, it was at the very peak of modern technology, much of which she'd have to talk Artimus into showing her. To her surprise, as the newly titled Captain readied the ship, a streak of light caused her to look beyond the window before her. It seemed as if the entire hanger itself was splitting apart, and soon the sky was open to her. The thrust from the ship's engine caused Skye to be forced back into her seat. She's never felt the kind of energy being displaced but, the exhilaration caused her to cry out loud as the ship shot into the stratosphere in mere seconds...
"THIS IS FUCKING AWESOME!" In the moment, it took her to yell out Skye found that the ship came to a rest high over her home, "strange, why didn't the reflux kick on?"
Suddenly a familiar toad's voice echoed through the ship via the PA system, "Sorry, my bad," Art chuckled, "I was inspecting the engines and may have accidentally shut down a few systems. They're online now though. Is everyone okay?"
"I'm good." Gryfith called.
"Me too." Tilly's voice followed.
There was a short pause, "My ass hurts but, I think I'm okay too."
Skye took a moment to look things over before chuckling nervously, "Um...Art. Can I see you on the bridge? I've got a little problem here."
In what seemed like only a few minutes the short thick toad was standing nearby, "What can I do for ya Captain?"
Skye giggled a bit inwardly at the title, "Okay no more of that," She said, "doesn't sound right. Just Skye..." She said looking away, "...and I sort of don't remember how to initialize FLT travel."
"Complicated process," Art nodded as he took a seat at the left side terminal of the room, "first of all this is that terminal. Your main job is to give out the orders and fly the ship. This is my terminal, I'm sure that if I'm busy at the time you call Gryfith can handle the task."
"Oh..." Skye chuckled wiping her forehead, "...good to know. If that's the case though, set a course for Hades in the Stygian system and let's get this party started. As for me, after a take-off like that I think I need as shower. And not for the reason you may think."
Artimus sat upright for a moment, "Well that's a bizarre notion."
Skye slowly made her way down the halls which were like her dorm back at the Academy, bland. A dull gray impact resistant material gave the walls a peculiar yet, professional looking finish, unlike some of the older ships of the Grand Fox's size, where the walls were mostly composed of thick tubing meant for the wires and lines through which most of the ship's systems were ran smoothly. Along the corner of an intersection in the halls she managed to read a small sign pointing to the right which read "Captain's Quarters" it was a short distance from the bridge itself. However, as she found the door to her quarters she found it peculiar that it was not only electrical, it seemed to have no I.D scanner whatsoever, just a short, half-cirlce of red in front of it. It wasn't tech she was used to but at the same time it wasn't something that took a rocket scientist to figure out.
Stepping onto the red panel caused it to suddenly light up which allowed the door to slid into the walls with an almost nonexistent sound of the door's hydraulic system activating. Skye's jaw instantly fell to her knees; the interior was lavishly decorated like an apartment would have been. A queen-sized canopy bed rested against the far wall with thick red fabric hanging from it's posts, all the privacy in sleep anyone could ever want, one tug of a cord and the small curtains would close the bed off even to the rest of the room. Several small sections in the far wall across from the bed, where her personal bathroom rested, were clearly to store her clothing. Of course, any normal dresser or wardrobe would have been pointless, as they'd leave clothing and such scattered all about the place in the right conditions. Her things had already been moved to the room, she wasn't sure how but, it was nice to know that someone decided to make things a little simpler. Casting off a layer of clothing at a time she took her time as she finally managed to inspect her private bathroom. Like the rest of her room it was rather nice, large, and perfectly suited for her. The shower, closed in completely around her and hand several places inside where one could sit; she was pleasantly surprised to see that the entire ceiling of the shower was indeed the shower nozzle, as water began to rain down over her producing a wonderful steam as the waters reached a perfect temperature...
"Oh god," She sighed as she sat back, "I could sit like this for days. Art how long is this gonna take?"
It took a moment before the PA system responded, "About twelve hours, Hades is fairly far from here."
"Well then put us on autopilot," She replied, "I'm gonna try to take a nap," She yawned, "I got shit for sleep last night."
"No problem," The toad's voice replied, "I'll wake you up when we get there."
Wearing nothing more than a clean set of undergarments after a long and much needed shower. Skye stretched her back before throwing herself to her new bed. She couldn't believe how soft the thing was, most mattresses were too stiff for her, some were too soft but, most of the time, they hindered her sleeping somehow. However, this mattress seemed to adjust itself to suit her body, it dispersed her body heat, there was almost no need for the wonderfully smooth, silk sheets that she pulled over herself. Within minutes of laying down, the young canine was sleeping soundly. It was a deep, dreamless sleep, one that she'd needed sorely for the last few days and finally had...
A loud blast from the PA system suddenly pulled Skye from her heavy sleep; she woke fully refreshed. It was a sleep unlike any she recalled ever having. If she'd have been in a coma chances are she would have welcomed the chance to stay in it, however, a familiar voice echoed through the PA system...
"Good morning late sleepers," Gryfith's voice echoed into her room, "because I was the only one awake so early. We are currently serving what appears to be some sort of mush that was once pancake batter, with a side of what I was hoping would be scrambled eggs but, I'm not that sure what to call it now, and is on the side with a lovely crisp of what would have been bacon but, now resembles a burnt piece of black Cedar. However, the coffee is … not bad Bon Apatite."
There was only a short pause before Art's voice cut in, "I really would suggest that this food not be taken internally. Gryph, what the hell is this?"
Gryfith's voice came back with a chuckle, "Not sure … I think it used to be oatmeal but, I wouldn't take bets on it."
"Dear god," Art shouted, "can anyone on this ship cook?"
Skye sighed with a laugh, "Why not leave this to the two females on board. Tilly, are you up?"
"I am now..." Tilly's voice called back over the PA.
Skye sighed again as she began to get dressed, "Good meet me in the galley before bird boy decides to kill us all with his fine culinary skills."
"HEY!" Gryph shouted, "I can cook …" He paused for a moment before clearing a spoon of its food, " … ugh. Okay maybe I can't."
"You girls might wanna hurry," Art pointed out, "we'll be there pretty soon."
It took Skye little time to get dressed; a dark orange tank top with a pair of black pants which matched her boots well enough. Of course, like always she kept Wolf's knife strapped to her thigh where she dictated it belonged, even though she knew almost nothing about properly handling a blade in combat. On her trip toward the galley, which was located one deck down, she found herself meeting with Tilly. The Lynx was dressed in what would have been considered a standard tee shirt, if not for the large missing section displaying a good deal of cleavage. Skye often wondered who it was the Lynx was attempting to impress, but, it was clear enough by her upbeat attitude that she intended to impress absolutely nobody, she was simply a very happy person. In fact, from the very first day she'd met Tilly, the Hadian had always had a smile on her face, accept for the few times she'd seen the cat angry, which usually resulted in someone suffering the same treatment that Gryfith had in the docking bay...
"So, stupid question but..." Skye chuckled, "...if you're a lynx what's with the long fluffy tail?"
Tilly chuckled pushing her gently, unfortunately gently to a Hadian meant into a wall by standard definition, "Oh I am sorry..." The cat sighed helping Skye to her feet, "...I have a difficult time with my own strength; but, in lieu of your question, it is because my father is a leopard, or at least that is what mother always told me. When your entire race is composed of non-monogamous females it tends to lead to a lot of bastards like me. Most Hadians have never seen their fathers."
Skye grimaced, "That's sorta rough, isn't it?"
Tilly shook her head, "No, mother did not love father. Hadians very rarely mate with the same male twice. To most of us mating is just a means of reproduction," She said before turning her head slightly to the much shorter canine, "or for it's …... recreational values."
"Your entire race has a serious libido problem, don't they?" Skye said with a serious look.
Tilly looked back to her quite seriously herself, "Yep."
Their serious expression vanished as the two of them burst into laughter, Skye patted the feline's back while catching her breath, "Have I ever mentioned how much I like you Tilly?"
"No," Tilly replied, "this is the most we have ever spoken to one another."
Skye sighed wiping a tear from her eye, "Well then we'll have to remember to talk like this a lot more often. Okay?"
The large Lynx nodded happily, "I will admit. When we first met, I had pictured you as one of those females that believes itself to be a male."
"Please tell me you don't mean a dyke." Skye replied.
Tilly nodded pointing to Skye, "Yes that's the word in the Academy," She replied, "but, you are simply a very assertive female. You are like Mrs. McCloud. Smart and pretty, but very strong and demanding. I like that in you Skye. You are not like most other females...you are very fun."
Skye chuckled inwardly, "Well, thanks ..." She replied gently elbowing the cat's thigh, "... and for your sake I'm gonna let that dyke comment slide."
It wasn't until now that Skye realized they'd both come to a stop, and looked to several wide-eyed males seated at three individual tables...
"Who's a what now?" Gryfith asked in a bit of a stupor.
Skye simply smiled, "You're a dick. Any other questions?"
Art and Lamont looked to one another, "Can either of you cook. Cuz this looks like it was found in a dump."
Skye recoiled pulling away from the plate the cheetah print fox held out, "WHAT THE HELL IS THAT?!"
Lamont shook his head before cocking his head at the plate, "Not sure. Looks like a log of crap, two ruptured eyeballs, and ..." He paused, "... I dunno, a vomit patty?"
Skye and Tilly both made their way to the kitchen area, which the captain found to be much larger than she'd expected. The whole room even; the massive windows that covered the outside wall were no doubt made of the same blast proof material as the ones on the bridge. Several small round tables rested in set locations, mostly with booths around them, showed that the room was fit to seat eleven, if not a few more. It took little time for the two females to have a fit meal sitting in front of all of them. The short meal however was of course short lived as Skye waved a hand to the other causing them all to meet at the table where she sat...
"Now that nobody's hungry," She said, "I was going over a bit more intell last night. These slave guys set down in the same city on Hades every other month. Luckily the fact that we know why they keep going there is on our side."
Gryfith shrugged his shoulders, "Why do they keep showing up there then?"
Skye shook her head, "Are you that dense?" She said holding a hand out toward Tilly, "look at her. They all look like this. Given there are some differences Tilly is about what your average Hadian looks like. On a slightly different note, they also have this little … nymphomania problem in their race."
Tilly sighed with a nod, "Yes, it is a sort of defensive mechanism in my people. There are no males ever born on Hades to my kind. Other Hadian males are used for breeding from other cities."
Artimus chuckled, "Their actual promiscuity is a cause of an elation to a particular lobe of the brain causing their sex drive to be radically more active than any other species. They're a marvel in the scientific world too. You see they are the only known race of strictly female people within the Accord or even on record for that matter. They are naturally strong, often can be extremely intelligent, and most seem to show the same pleasantly upbeat sense as Tilly here. In total, it would not be difficult to reprogram a Hadian into a slave at all if it were for the right things."
Gryfith sighed, "So the brothels then?"
"What are you talking about?" Skye asked.
"Oh I guess it's time for the captain to not know something huh?" Gryfith chuckled causing a few of the others to chuckle lightly, "see … that S.O.B mom makes me call dad, once told me about this place on Rittera. They call the entire town "The Brothels" see back during the Lylat Wars, turned out there was a civil war in Dan'jas. Nobody knows who started it or why it was being fought but, the result was some sort of legalized prostitution bull shit allowing the brothels to legally operate so long as it wasn't against anyone's free will."
"If it's not against the person's will?" Skye asked scratching her chin, "you may be thinking these abductions have something to do with some sort of mind control ring?"
Gryfith shrugged his shoulders, "Just figured that this all seemed a little too convenient for Rittera. More than eighty percent of Dan'jas's gross economy is a result of the brothels itself. That whole area is a fucking gold mine. It's like a casino with less gambling and more getting laid."
Tilly sighed, "I am worried that these horrible people may be near my home town."
"Why's that?" Lamont asked.
"My sisters Milly and Lilly are both there. So is my mother..." Tilly replied.
Skye suddenly sighed as she looked to the window, "We'll be there soon so I'll make the rest of this quick. Tilly and I are going to the surface with Lamont, we're going to hi-jack the drop ship that's there to pick up any females. Gryf, you're gonna keep to the air we need eyes in the sky just in case something goes wrong or in the case that we might need you."
Gryfith nodded, "Sounds fair enough, but, how you three getting in there?"
Skye smiled, "We've got two females that could come off as innocent," She said resting her arm on Tilly's shoulder, "say maybe we're lost in the jungles or something around where the ship goes down."
"Well there is a slight problem," Art pointed out, "Hadian culture omits the use of a covered torso. A female's breasts are a symbol of her place in society, hence they are most often posted on display to her fellow Hadians."
Tilly nodded, "It has always been believed that larger breasts attract more males. A Hadian's ability to attract a mate is considered very important to keeping Hades populated."
Skye sighed, "If you, for some reason, believe that I've got a problem with not wearing a shirt, you've got another thing coming. I'd go without one right now if the three of you weren't here." He said looking to the three males.
Gryfith chuckled, "Hey, don't let us ruin your day."
"You've got a better chance of seeing the underside of my shoe." Skye replied, "for now we need to just get down there and get this done. I'm not sure what Mister McCloud has in mind for this team but, I am sort of anxious to find out."
"Same here," Art replied before everyone took notice of a slight jarring of the ship, "Well that's our cue to get started. We're here."
Skye nodded, "I have some ideas that I need to go over with Tilly, you all get ready yourselves. I don't wanna know what it's like to be stuck on Rittera like that. Come on Tilly."
The two females of the group stood up and slowly made their way out of the room headed for the docking bay. Little was it known to the others that their plans were already well in motion. It was clear to Skye that she was not the most attractive thing on two legs, but, at the very same time she did fit the usual profile of the abductions that were going around. To most girls her age such a thing would have been a definite no fly zone. Not only was there a danger for her life, but, there was a chance of becoming nothing more than another sex crazed harlot working in some lowlife brothel on Rittera. However, this was something that she simply couldn't afford to give in on. Fox McCloud had treated her like family from the moment she'd met him, he gave her a life, and even gave her a view into the identity that she had never even known was there. The greatest fear in her mind and heart, was not being able to complete what seemed like so simple a task for him in return...
The flight to the surface of Hades was something for Skye that seemed to come from her own dreams. Far in the distance she could see Gryphith in a nearly identical Arwing to the two seaters that her and Tilly piloted. Even as the flames of re-entry rushed over the nose of the small ship, she still had difficulty believing that it was all happening. As the ship broke past the atmosphere and tore into the clouds that Skye finally found that she could see the surface of the world. The tropical forests of Hades stretched as far as the eye could see and far in the distance, she could make out a small break in the trees that seemed to slowly grow much more massive upon their descent. The city needed to be left far from their landing zone, as it would have been rather terrible indeed were her and Tilly to be discovered by the crewmen of the Vinna Colletta anywhere near an Arwing. Luckily Tilly could point out a small area where they could touch down. It was a small glade, a clearing created by a hollow patch where the trees had either died or had never grown. The two of course cast off the necessary clothing after landing before Skye reached for her communicator...
"How's everything looking up there Gryf?" She asked.
There was a short pause, "Not great. This overcast is making it hard to see what's going on. Maybe they won't show up, though right?"
The communicator suddenly shifted to Art's voice, "Don't count on it. Routines in criminal behavior are rarely broken."
"Lamont how are things looking on your end?" Skye asked.
"Well," Lamont's voice responded, "at the moment I've got a signal from some sort of ship but, it doesn't make any sense. If I'm reading this right, the Colletta is here but, not here."
Skye took a moment to examine her surroundings before she simply closed off the link and headed into the thick woods with Tilly. Luckily enough for the two of them, Hades, despite its name was not known for any large predators living in the forests; instead it was more the environmental dangers of Hades that plagued the planet's surface. Sulfer mines and noxious gasses, quicksand, sinkholes, at most times it was suggested that visitors never leave the cities in fear of having a missing person's report filed with the Accord, which had happened far too often. Tilly however seemed to recognize the area and kept at a steady pace through the forestry, keeping a hand hold on Skye to make certain the young canine did not fall behind. It became almost instantly clear to Skye that the large feline sensed something was amiss; her ears constantly twitched in all directions, her breathing was erratic, and worst of all she was sweating profusely. The cat's panic was clearly made real however, as Skye suddenly felt her muscles all tense up at once. Her voice failed as the unbearable spasm that shot through her body cause her to fall from Tilly's grip.
Laying there in the leaves and dirt Skye could only look on as her vision slowly faded; the spasm in her muscles had given away to a severe burning all over her body. She couldn't move, and worse yet as she looked to Tilly, whom turned back once she'd noticed that her hand was no longer connected to Skye's that a small blue light contacted her right shoulder, causing the large feline to whip her arm about. How she'd seen the stranger standing there was beyond Skye's understand but, his body left the ground before meeting with a large tree before two more of the blue lights hit the cat dragging her quivering form to the ground. It was yet a bit more time before Skye could make out several pairs of feet nearby...
"Wow this one looks like she might be a little young." A muffled nearly inaudible voice said.
The chuckles from the others seemed as though they were all in slow motion, "What's the difference still has bigger tits than your female? Besides we're not the judges here...he is."
There was a brief pause, "Fair enough. C'mon guys..." One of them said, "you take that little one. You two help me move this damned Hadian. God damn this cat's fucking heavy..."
As she looked about finding that she could see the blurred image of one of her captors, Skye groaned a bit only to cause them to stop, "Whoa," The strange male said laying her on her back, "this one's still half awake."
"Not for long."
The last heard phrase was followed by another mind numbing shock which caused the canine to finally black completely out. The strange images that swam through her mind as she rested that unwanted, unexpected sleep were incomprehensible. Strange symbols that seemed to resemble ancient writing in the shape of a massive spiral, broken at four major points; a peculiar figure stood at the epicenter of the strange symbol spouting something that she could not hear while holding his arms out as if waiting for the sky to swallow him up. Amongst the other images that flashed through her head, a large gray wolf broke through brush and small trees while cradling something his his rather large arms before he finally stopped for a moment to look the child in the eyes...
"Everything's gonna be okay Skye..."
"DAD!"
Skye shot upright only to reach to her left side which had been burned by some sort of stun gun. As the light once again found its way to her luminous green eyes, the young canine managed to pull herself upright. The strange room was only large enough for one person to take five or so steps in any direction; each wall was padded with the same thick, impact resistant paneling as most larger ships housed to better simulate actual walls. The strange bed she rested on was bizarrely comfortable even though it was no more than a large folding panel hanging from the wall. A small toilet rested in the far corner, completely in the open for all to see, and worse yet as she looked to herself, she found she wore nothing at all, spare a strange collar with a little black box attached...
"This isn't how I saw this plan panning out," She said to herself realizing that the slight hum she heard was not only the result of the plasma barrier which acted to keep her inside the tiny room, but also from the small box on her neck, "Tilly!? You there?!" She called.
"Skye?" The feline's voice traveled as if from a short distance down a small hallway, "you are finally awake. They had to shock you several times, when they brought you aboard you started kicking and clawing at them like a wild animal."
Skye shook her head, "I don't remember anything after that second tazer hit me. Are we on the Vinna Colletta?"
"I believe so..." Tilly responded, "...we are also definitely not alone."
"Oh you gotta be fucking kidding me!" A very male voice shot from the opposite direction down the hall, "I hope you witless mother fuckers know who you're fucking with!"
Skye shook her head, "Hey! Why not just shut the fuck up!? I'm trying to think over here!"
It was only a matter of minutes before the bitter silence was again broken by the sight of a strange looking fellow stepped in front of her cell before he paused and began looking about. His white furred fist clenched a black collar. The pale white fur about his thick body was offset by a strange pattern of black crescent markings along his arms and shoulders. His long silver hair reached down just beyond his broad shoulders and unlike any wolf she'd seen before as he turned to face her, his features were clearly more toward that of a fox. As his intense hazel eyes locked onto her the young female adverted her eyes away from his nude body...
"You're the one with the mouth?" He asked taking a step toward her cell.
Realizing the voice was the same as the person who'd been yelling Skye looked at him in shocked awe, "These are plasma screens how the hell did you get out of your cell?"
The strange wolf stepped forward before jamming his arm into the stream of blue light. His face contorted into a grimace of pain as the electricity surged through his body before finally a spark shot from the edges of the doorway. Skye simply stared at him, "If you fight half as well as you complain, I think I'd like you to have you along..." He said before turning away and looking further down the hall, "...you with her Hadian?"
"Yes," Skye replied as she stepped out of the cell, "she is with me. Her name is Tilly, I'm Skye."
Repeating his earlier performance which released the large cat the wolf turned his neck from side to side for a moment, "Dax."
Skye laughed, "Dax? That it?"
The wolf cut a near evil look to her, "Got a problem with that?"
"No no..." She replied, "...I've just never heard such a short name."
The strange wolf seemed to scope out the area, "Where I'm from all names are short. Either of you see where they took our things?"
"I saw them take all our things through that door," Tilly replied looking to a large electric door across the room, "after that I have no idea."
Dax sighed, "Fair enough. You two stay here I'll be right back."
It was after he was well out of sight that Skye looked to Tilly, "Can we really trust this guy?"
Tilly sighed, "He is a Draxxian. They are brutish but, trustworthy enough."
"Doesn't seem much like a brute to me." Skye said.
"Didn't you notice, Draxxian's do not feel pain," Tilly replied, "that is how he shorted out the barriers without too much harm to himself. Popular belief is that they cannot feel anything."
"That does explain a lot," Skye turned when she noticed something was still off, "where the hell did he say he was going again?"
As if on cue the wolf emerged from the door at the far end of the hall wearing what appeared to be some form of guard's body armor. As he stepped out in front of the two of them he tossed something to them, "You could pass off easily enough," He said to Skye, "just make sure that armor keeps those covered..." He said gesturing to her breasts, "...you on the other hand. Hadians are a bit more difficult to disguise...so we're not going to."
Tilly sighed as the strange male handed her a pair of shackles, "I see...so I'm to be the slave then?"
Dax shrugged his shoulders, "You could always stay here. I'm sure these guys will all show you a wonderful time."
Tilly shook her head as she clasped the shackles about her wrists, "I will take my chances."
Skye was amazed at how easily she managed to disguise herself as a male, surprised...and a bit disgusted. No male aboard the ship even so much as gave her a second glance, however, they all did seem to pay quite a bit of attention to the massive Lynx they traveled with. Of course, she understood their staring, where she a male she was certain she'd have the same reaction to such a female body, but, in her cause only one real male ever looked at her like a female, and that was Marcus. How he'd managed to look beyond her rather male attitude was beyond her understanding but, at the same time her thoughts of Marcus made her smile behind the black visor of the helmet she wore. She wondered how he was doing now, even what he was doing.
Finding some way of distracting her own thoughts to the matter at hand, Skye took notice that the ship's size was clearly what kept it from every docking with any planet other than the one of it's origin. At one point the three of them passed a deck map that was still laying on a screen someone had recently activated. The ship looked as though it was twice the length of a standard Dreadnought and nearly housed twice the number of decks. It wasn't clear to Skye where exactly they were but, if anything was proven it was that they were somewhere on the third deck. It wasn't until they passed a small group of individuals that Skye lifted a small object up to her face as they continued to walk...
"Did you really just pick that guy's pockets?" Dax asked.
Skye shrugged her shoulders as she punched a set of keys into the small communicator, "Maybe," She replied, "you won't have so many complaints once I get the rest of my team in here."
After a few moments, the canine held the communicator up to her ear, "Gryfith? Gryf? Shit," She sighed throwing the device to the ground, "I think they have some sort of scrambler in effect. Must be a safety measure in case someone breaks out and tries to call for help."
Tilly nodded, "That would make sense," She said lowering her head and looking to the floor in silence as several others passed them by, "but, we can still escape with proof of the captives."
Skye nodded with an unseen smile beneath her helmet, "You're right. Let's get those photos then we can get the hell outta here this place gives me the creeps. What about you Dax? You know where these guys are keeping the captives?"
The wolf nodded gingerly, "Yeah, we were just in holding cells. After so long in there they would have separated us and moved us to the other cells near the docking bay. Follow me."
Shrugging of her strange feeling Skye followed Dax while pressing Tilly on like a prisoner. Along the way she could see nothing unusual about the entire area, though some things did bother her. Everything was just so simple; there was no such thing as a simple Spec Ops mission. Following Dax the canine slowly stepped up beside Tilly before tapping her with her elbow. She kept her eyes on the wolf ahead of them before looking to her large friend and lightly tilting her head to direct them down the nearest hall...
"What are we doing what about Dax?" Tilly asked as they began to run.
Skye shook her head, "Screw him that fucker was setting us up."
"How could you tell?" Tilly added.
"Just trust me," Skye replied, "something was off about that guy. He's way too comfortable with this place, on top of that...what fucking moron puts a holding area next to a docking bay? None of it makes any sense. If I read that display correctly there's an unmarked section of the ship down this hall. I think that's where we really wanna go."
There were no soldiers between them and the area that Skye pointed out; even the slightly denser feline that ran alongside her could see that something was very wrong with that was happening. They picked up speed until the young canine finally stopped near a large metal door that she seemed to be certain was the room where the captives were being held. However, a rush into the large room showed that Skye was only half right, the room was full of holding cells of some kind but she was uncertain to what they held as the lights in this room was completely dark. It wasn't until Skye realized she'd made a major mistake. As the lights to the room blinded them both for a minor moment Skye blinked to regain her sight only to see that the room was clearly a set up. All about the room were armed soldiers of some kind standing by; across the room from her stood a single pair of animals however, each dressed quite uniquely.
Clearly male and female, the male of the two wore a strange sort of black suit outfitted with small black plates of body armor. A flowing red cape draped over his shoulders hid his large arms from view while his face was covered by a peculiar looking black visor helmet that came to a slight point...
"Hello ladies..." He said with a slight nod of his head.
Skye couldn't believe her eyes, "Siath? That's not possible."
Siath Black was often considered a petty fiend, his strange habit of attempting to look like some sort of superhero set him apart from other villains. However, a short bout as a thief managed to land him and all his cronies in prison, and he himself dead by none other than the retiring hand of Fox McCloud...
"Yes," Siath replied, "McCloud's little assault did manage to convince many that I was dead but...what better cover is there? If I am dead, I cannot be held accountable for the crimes."
With a subtle glance to his side the red dressed female smiled, nothing but the white of her muzzle and the black of her nose showed beneath the helmet that covered her head and eyes. The strange female carried a rather attractive body, though it was clearly and equally muscular. A short tuft of hair dangled to her shoulders from beneath the helmet as well but, it was the plate that ran over her knuckles that caught Skye's attention more than anything else. This female was a fighter, and most likely a good one...
"Sapphire..." Siath chuckled, "...don't kill them love. Just show them how difficult escape really is."
The female smiled brightly, "Of course love. The tall one is worth her weight in gold. The short one however, perhaps we can keep her for ourselves."
Siath patted the disguised female's back, "Anything for you gorgeous."
With a devious smile Sapphire shot forward; the speed had caught Skye so far off her guard that she did not even manage to catch a glimpse of the attack that caused her to double over in pain. Skye attempted to mount a counter-offensive but, in the instant that it took her to throw a single punch she could feel a flurry of pulverizing strikes pound a rhythm along her side and back before the strange looking female finally swung a kick that went wide over the canine's head as she ducked the strike. In an odd response to the knee that drove into Sapphire's gut, the female reached out managing to grip the feisty canine by the breasts before pulling her in close. The painfully powerful grip the armored female used as she squeezed the canine's sensitive mounds caused Skye to cry out as she fell to her knees. Skye locked a tight grip on Sapphire's wrists, however, there was nothing that she could do she'd never imagined that her own female body could work against her the way it was at the moment...
"They're not just there for fun dear," Sapphire smiled, "they can cause a lot of pain if you use them correctly."
Grimacing in both pain and frustration, Skye suddenly lurched out, her fist connecting soundly with her opponent's own breast. The instant strike caused Sapphire to reel back, it was clear that the punch had hurt a lot more than she'd expected it to. Slightly stunned, Siath's little female could do little as Skye's first kick landed against her right knee. The impact of which caused her to fall from her feet to one side before Skye dropped to her back placing both feet squarely into Sapphire's chest. Sliding onto her back at Siath's feet she smiled up at him...
"She is a very fast learner."
Siath chuckled with a light nod, "I can see," He replied, "however, it's time to stop playing," He said looking to a time piece on his wrist, "we are nearly late for the new admissions."
Kicking off her back and shoulders, Sapphire swung herself back onto her feet and just as if the fight had never managed to be any more than a game, she shot back across the short expanse. This time, however, she was met with a stiff kick from Skye which was met with an awkward feeling punch that caused the leg to instantly go numb. A swift punch from Skye was met with the exact same response causing the arm to fall lifeless to her side. Several more strikes of the same kind rapped across her chest and down her other arm finally causing the canine to fall to her back, unable to move or speak. Despite all of this however, she found that her one still moveable leg was useful to continually kick at the incredible fighter. It only took Sapphire to remove her helmet for Skye's leg to stop moving...
"Hello luv," Krystal chuckled, "you did far better than I had given you credit. Those kicks are going to bruise."
"Wh-what..." Skye struggled with every syllable, "...what...the...fuck?"
Krystal looked to where Fox stood wearing Siath's armor, "She can still talk..." He nodded, "...when you hit me with the Kiss I was down for hours," He sighed, "Dax...well played. What about the others?"
Dax sighed as he stepped out beside Fox, "We sort of scared the shit out of Tasser...he did some damage before we had to tranq him. He's in the Chamber 16 right now. Gryfith on the other hand is dead in the water. He did some pretty good damage for someone who's weapon systems were completely offline. Our only real problem was managing to break into that room that Art locked himself up in. He was heavily armed but, in the end I think he recognized me and figured it all out he's a little too smart for his own good. What about her?"
Fox and Dax both looked to Skye, "Don't worry about it. Skye is...well special. She'll recover. The Kiss can have a pretty nasty effect, but, she's already retaining some motor functions," Fox replied moving to Skye's side, "listen. I know you can hear me; don't worry about the paralysis, it'll wear off and then Krystal and I will explain everything. You did good. Better than I had hoped," He said looking at Tilly, "Tilly, do us all a favor and carry her out to the room Krystal has set aside for you. You'll find your clothes there. Krystal will show you the way."
Tilly picked up the still confused and paralyzed canine before following Krystal out of the room, "You're really going to leave all of this to her?" Dax asked with a sigh as he stepped up to Fox's side.
Fox shook his head, "No. Her father did. I'm just the middle man, come on kid you need to get back into uniform. This is gonna take some time to explain once she's a little more aware of what's going on."
Not fully aware of how well she'd take the news, Fox was certain that it was time for Skye to learn the truth about everything. Everything that had been set into motion so long ago was finally going to prove that it was all worth the effort. His chief concern was that there was simply so little time left. So, little time, and yet there was so much they all had to learn...
