Person of Interest: Chapter II
On the morning of departure, Fox was up before sunrise. He planned to use the extra time to meditate and collect his thoughts, and review all the mission information. Once the coffee was ready, he sat in his chair by the fire and opened the HoloChip again.
He had already studied the information pertaining to Krystal. Whatever else he was to learn, he would learn it through meeting her, and her mother. The more important information that needed reviewing was the intel on Cerinia's political situation. It was complicated, and politics was never Fox's strong suit; he always tried to keep the team above the political matters of Lylat. To cover this weakness, he wanted to be thorough in his understanding of the setting he was walking into.
Cerinia was currently split into four major factions. Two were in the mainstream, and the other two were on the fringe. Officially the planet had no parliamentary system or representational system; rather, since the death of the Queen, the planet was led by a Council that sprang up shortly after the Lylat War ended, and grew stronger during and after the Aperoid attack. The council was filled with city, village, and political elders from the parties, and decisions were made within this body. Apparently relations between the two main parties—which made up most of the council—were cordial enough that that this system got along fine, without any official founding documents or framework to contain it. The shared trauma of the Lylat War, and the annihilation that almost came with it, made the Cerinian's more focused on their survival and relations with the wider universe, rather than on any factional advantages or tit-for-tat.
The first of these factions, and one of the major parties, was the Order of the Blue Horizon. This was Lapis's faction, and it stood in opposition to the isolationist doctrine of the past. A safe Cerinia was a Cerinia that joined paws with the wider Lylat world, this order stressed. They believed in free trade, diplomacy and ambassadorship with Lylat. They believed in military buildup, but not to the extent of being capable of planetary intervention. Rather, they wanted a military capable of defending Cerinia and participating in wider military partnerships. They had the backing of Cerinian nobility—Lapis herself had personal connections—and thus they enjoyed popularity within noble circles, as well as outside them. They had support within the military as well, though to less of an extant compared to the other major faction.
This other faction was the Order of the Readied Fist. This was the group that took up the banner of Cerinia's isolationist past. However, even they were tempered by the war; they believed in the idea of opening Cerinia up to Lylat, but less so compared to the Blue Horizon. They believed in limited ambassadorship and diplomacy, a cautious approach to relations with Lylat, and a broad military buildup. They weren't against military partnerships, but they did believe in a large enough military force that could stand on its own without the aid of foreign assistance. They were even in favor of unilateral intervention into another planet's affairs if said affairs presented a threat to the Mother Planet. Better to crush it immediately than give it time to grow. Just like the Blue Horizons, they also had noble backing, and also enjoyed wide outside popularity.
All this info was enough to give Fox a furrowed brow. There was plenty of political nuance to unpack here, and Fox was plenty happy that his job in the middle of all of this was just a bodyguard.
The other two factions were less complicated, and more radical. The first—The Order of The Fortress—believed in the stark isolationism of the past, and in fact saw the carnage of the Lylat War as an example of why Cerinia must close its doors, lock them even tighter, and build up enough military strength to punish anyone who ever rattled those doors ever again. They were xenophobic too, and likely saw any relations with any other people or planet as undesirable, not to mention distasteful. The other faction was the Order of the Expanse. This faction ditched isolationism all together, but in a more nefarious way. Expanse followers believed that Cerinia's people—thanks to their gifts—had the ability to bring lasting galactic peace to Lylat. It wasn't cooperation they wanted, but complete control of all affairs through military power and the "wisdom" of their leadership. Only Cerinian's had the ability to rule Lylat, they claimed.
It was this last faction that made Fox's neckfur stand on end. He'd heard this song and dance before, and destroyed the lead dancer himself, so to speak.
Sadly, any more information on these factions was scarce. They kept their cards close to their chest. Whenever he got a chance, Fox planned to ask questions about them.
His communicator beeped. Fox answered it.
"I figured you were up," said Pepper.
"I'm surprised you are," said Fox.
"Old habits die hard," said Pepper. The old hound yawned. "Even in retirement I'm still using the habits drilled into me from training years ago. Are you all packed?"
"Yeah," said Fox. "I did all my packing last night."
"Good. I'm sending the coordinates of my ship to you. We'll keep the hanger warmed up for you," said Pepper. The call ended.
Fox eyed his duffel bag. In it were the essentials for warm and cold weather, toiletries, extra blaster cartridges, a blaster rifle to supplement his blaster, and various other essentials. The one thing he did not pack was his old flight jacket, which was folded by his bed. A reminder from an ended era, and a team that was gone.
"I don't need any reminders with me," Fox grumbled. He shouldered his duffel bag and walked outside.
It was right when Fox finished stowing his bag aboard the Arwing that a figure approached over the snow fields, dimly lit by the dawn. It was Prince Tricky, and upon seeing Fox he barreled forward and stopped before the vulpine.
"I'm so sorry," he said, gasping for air. "I know you said not to tell anyone you were here, and then I went and-"
"It's fine, Tricky," said Fox. "It was just an old friend, and he needs me for something."
"A broken promise is still a broken promise," Tricky said morosely. He sighed, and looked back up at Fox. "You aren't going back to Corneria, are you?"
"No. I'm going to Cerinia," said Fox.
"Oh. Never heard of it," said Tricky. "Well, we Saurians don't know much about other planets, for that matter. Is it safe?"
"So I'm told," said Fox. "I don't know for sure, though."
"Then I'm ordering you to take care of yourself," Tricky blurted out.
Fox looked at him, surprised.
"You've lived here long enough for me consider you a subject," said Tricky. "So, I'm ordering you to be careful. Your prince demands it." Tricky had a determined look on his face, but he was clearly trying not to cry. "And we're bros, right? So I'm supposed to worry about you."
Fox just stared. A powerful wave of melancholy rushed over him, and he felt the beginnings of tears in his eyes. He wiped them. He put on a small smile—the only sort of smile he could manage these days—and patted Tricky on the head.
"I'll be fine," he said. "Don't worry, kid."
Tricky sniffled. "Too bad," he said. "I'm worrying anyway."
The trip to Pepper's ship was smooth. The Arwing still handled beautifully, but being back in a cockpit brought back bitter memories for Fox. Most fresh in his mind was the lonely return trip back to the Great Fox II after watching that news report with Falco in a bar on Corneria. That was the final straw, back then. He could still remember Falco's whitehot fury and his own numbness.
He shook his head. No need getting stuck in such memories now.
He docked the Arwing in the small hanger. Pepper was there, waiting for him, and he smiled when Fox climbed out of the cockpit and made his way toward him.
"Is this a private ship?" Fox asked.
"A gift from military friends, after my retirement. I always did want to travel," said Pepper. "It's good to see the Arwing is in fine fettle. And thank you, again, for accepting the job."
Fox nodded. The two of them began walking toward the bridge.
"How long of a trip are we looking at?" said Fox.
"Not long," said Pepper. "Starting from Sauria makes the going easier. We'll be there before you know it."
They arrived at the bridge. The ambient sound of the ship's system and displays gave Fox a kind of nostalgia for the Great Fox. That was the thing, when he first ran away to Sauria. Being stationary for a long period of time didn't feel right. He just had to become to numb to it, which took an effort.
On a navigation display, manned by a crewmate, Fox saw their course. They were going to Cerinia, but not to the planet itself, it seemed.
"We're stopping at one of Cerinia's orbital defense platforms," said Pepper. "There, you'll meet Lapis, and she will escort us to the planet. She wanted to meet you as soon as possible."
"And I want to meet her," said Fox. "I have questions to ask."
"She figured as much and wanted to meet you quickly for your benefit as well."
"Really?"
"The impression she got when I told her about you was of someone who liked to have all the information in front of them as much as possible. She was dead-on."
She is, thought Fox, and was appreciative of it. "What's she like?" he asked.
"Vivacious," said Pepper. He smiled. "She's quite a go-getter. She's very eager to meet you."
Fox frowned. He hoped she wasn't a pawful.
"Well," said Fox. "Nothing left to do but wait. Do you have a place for a nap?"
"One of the guest bedrooms is prepared," said Pepper. "Here. One of the crewman will show you the way."
Thankfully it didn't take long to get to his room. The crewman left, and Fox shut the door behind room. It was a small room with a bed, dresser, desk, and closet. Fox tossed his duffel bag onto the bed and sat down on the bed himself, staring at the opposite wall.
Here he was, on a new mission for the first time in months. The first since the Blitz. And a solo operation at that. Fox hated to admit it, but he was nervous. Would this work out? Could he do it alone? Responsibility felt foreign after weeks of caring for himself and no one else. The fact that he was to be on a foreign planet just opening itself up to the world again made this all the more complicated. But it also made this exciting.
Fox sighed and rubbed his brow. Too late to turn back now, he thought. He needed rest, before this mental quagmire got worse than it already was.
"Mr. McCloud?"
A voice from outside his door. Fox opened his eyes. It felt like no time passed at all.
"Mr. McCloud? The boss wanted me to tell you we've arrived at Cerinia."
Fox sat up in bed. "Got it," he said. "Tell him I'll be right there."
After stretching, washing his face, dressing, and a quick breakfast bar Fox left his room and walked to the bridge. As soon as he entered the room, the sight greeting him from the viewport made him stop in his tracks.
"It's something, isn't it?" said Pepper, who stood nearby, staring at the same sight.
Cerinia. The planet was large, and it was covered by large regions of jungle, tropical blue seas, islands and archipelagos, and three major continents. It was a planet he'd never seen before, and the enormity of that hit him finally. For the first time in he couldn't tell how long, he was on a journey that would take him to new territory.
But there was something else that caught his eye. Infront of them, in an orbit around the planet, was a station Pepper was pointing at.
"That," he said, "is the Ocularis."
It was a stunning piece of military architecture. It was shaped like a shield, with the convex side facing away from the planet, raised as if to defend it from any threat. At the center of the shield was the ornate design of an eye, peering out into the void of space and directly into their ship. Perhaps it was the way the eye was designed, but Fox didn't feel threatened or even perturbed. It felt like he was being regarded carefully.
"The name comes from that eye symbol," said Pepper. "Lapis told me this was the first orbital station built after the Lylat War. It was named after the eye symbol, and the whole design of the station invokes a shield through which Cerinia can gaze at the wider universe." He smiled. "I find it a beautiful idea."
"It's certainly striking," said Fox. "We'll be landing their first, then?"
"Yes," said Pepper. "That will be our first step. Lapis will meet us here."
The comm system beeped. A voice, speaking in a language Fox never heard before, spoke a few words.
Fox raised an eyebrow at Pepper. The old hound just grinned.
"This is Pepper, of Corneria," he said in Lylatian Common. "I've brought Lady Lapis's guest."
A pause.
"Copy that," said a feminine voice, "Sending route to the hanger by private quarters. Sorry for the language mix-up. You will be greeted when you arrive." The comm crackled off.
"They can speak Common?" said Fox, surprised.
"Some can. Much education initiatives to learn language and culture outside of Cerinia were brought about after the war. Most folks on the station and in leadership, Lapis tells me, can speak the language pretty well. Apparently Cerinian's have a knack for it," said Pepper.
They used their personal craft—Fox's Arwing and Pepper's smaller ship—to follow the coordinates provided to the upper right sector of the shield. As docking procedures went on, Fox wondered where he stood in the history of foreigners coming this close to Cerinian soil. It made him more nervous and excited.
As he and Pepper disembarked—Pepper's driver stayed in the cockpit—Fox got his first encounter with Cerinian architecture from the inside. Instead of the sleek and functional design of the Cornerian military, the hanger was ornately designed with a mixture of deep gold and blue. There were curves and few hard edges, and the design reminded Fox almost of a temple. It was elegant and unexpected. Fox was impressed.
Then he saw the four figures approaching him and Pepper.
They were all vixens, all with striking fur colors. Two were shades of blue, one a deep blue black, and the other a violet. It wasn't just the color that gave Fox pause. First it was their stature. All of them were taller than Fox and Pepper by varying degrees. The vixen walking in front of the party—the violet one—looked to be a full head taller than Fox. Their shortest—one of the blue ones—was probably an inch or two taller than him. The second thing was their attire and markings. They all wore what looked to be a gold, metal breastplate with a leather or some other material covering their stomachs, with shoulder pauldrons and a loincloth. This armor was ornately designed, but looked hardy up close. Fox wagered it was built for speed and maneuverability. They all wore bracelets, and each had a circlet around their foreheads, with the head vixen having a sapphire jewel in hers. Their tails—very fluffy even by vulpine standards—were in intervals wrapped with a sort of bracelet. Each of them had markings along their arms, and—Fox tried not to stare too much—their thighs. Finally, there was the weapon they carried. Each of them carried a staff, with a jewel inlaid at the tip. The lead Vixens armor, even discounting the different circlet, had enough differences to show she was the leader of this band. Her breast plate displayed an image or a warrior vixen.
This lead vixen stared at the two of them as she and her party stopped before them, while the other three looked on curiously. They looked more at Fox than at Pepper.
These, Fox gathered, were the first Cerinian's he would see.
"You must be the two Offworlders Lady Lapis is expecting, correct?" said the vixen. She had an accent with her common Fox never heard before.
"Yes," said Pepper. "I am Pepper, and this is Fox McCloud."
The lead vixen looked him over. Her expression did not change, but Fox did catch a brief glint in her eye.
"I see," she said. "Come along then. The Lady will see you shortly.
The group of vixens lead them out of the hanger and down a series of corridors. Along the way they passed other Cerinians—mostly vixens, and what males Fox could see were generally shorter than the vixens, either by a little or a lot, and they had a variety of colored pelts—and all of them looked at him and Pepper with curiosity and surprise. Thankfully Fox didn't notice too much suspicion.
Fox also got a good look at the dress of the Cerinians not related to military. Some wore robes, others only a loincloth, with a brassiere for the vixens. For jewelry they wore armlets, circlets, necklaces, tail bracelets and more. They passed by more vixens too dressed as guards, an even some males dressed in the same way, though the vixens outnumbered them.
It was the attire of the vixens that gave Fox pause. It was because he hadn't seen a vixen—or any woman—in months, and because the dress was so brazen compared to what he was used to. It was a lot of shown fur, to be sure. Fox had to stop himself from staring. One vixen saw his eyes right as he looked away, and Fox heard a soft giggle as they passed.
This was going to take some getting used to.
The vixens led them to a door at the side of a corridor. The lead vixen gestured to it with her staff.
"You will wait in here," she said. "Lady Lapis will be with you shortly."
Fox and Pepper entered. A lavishly decorated sitting room greeted them, with comfy chairs and a fine view of space from a wide window. It gave Fox comfort that they were being treated graciously; so far the locals viewed them as just a curious sight. The two of them sat down, and were just about to talk when the door opened again.
A vixen entered. She wore a dress of sorts, a brassiere for a top with a long skirt for a bottom, both colored blue and gold. Her head fur—a deep blue—was long and worn in a ponytail, with her bangs covering her right eye slightly. Her pelt was a deep blue, with white at the belly. She looked to be about half a head taller than himself, Fox noticed. She walked—sashayed, really—into the room, and Fox couldn't help but notice her…assets. She was quite stunning.
Her eyes were mirthful and relieved, and she walked over to Pepper first and pulled him out of his chair and into a hug.
"Pepper, darling!" she said. "Finally we meet in person. It is absolutely lovely to have you."
"It is good to meet you too, Lapis," said Pepper fondly. "In person, at last. And as you can see, I brought my guest with me."
Lapis turned her attention to Fox. She walked closer and looked him over, a focused look in her eye. She was obviously sizing him up. Fox stood from his chair, and politely nodded, smiling a little, hoping that it looked genuine. It was a long time since he'd exchanged pleasantries. He hoped he was doing a good job. He could feel himself blushing a little, though.
"It is a pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Lapis," said Fox.
Lapis kept staring. Then she put a paw to cheek. "My, Pepper, You did not tell me that Mr. McCloud was so…well…"
Fox stiffened. Not even a few minutes into the first meeting and he was already a disappointment? He tried to think of where he went wrong. Could there be some cultural rule or subtlety he violated? What-
His thoughts were derailed when he felt arms around his neck. He was pulled into a strong hug, nestled against something soft and perfumed.
"So adorable!" said Lapis. "Goodness, Pepper, are all Cornerian men this precious?"
Then he was let go. Pepper was chuckling, and Fox had to use willpower to stop himself from going beet red when he realized where he'd been hug to.
"Well," said the old hound, "Whatever doubts I had about first impressions are now gone. I would say you like him?"
"Quite so," said Lapis. She looked down at him—Fox had fallen back into his chair—and smiled and winked at him. She patted him on his cheek. "Sorry for the sudden hug, dear, but I do have a weakness for cute things. I am Lapis, Mr. McCloud, and it is a pleasure to finally meet you."
Fox blinked. His brain was trying to form a sentence, and considering the previous moments that was a tough thing to ask. So he settled on a word instead.
"Likewise," he said.
Vivacious, indeed.
Water was brought in, and the three of them sat down to talk. Lapis asked about their trip, and they responded that it was easy. She was leaning forward in her chair was they answered, clearly eager and happy even to talk pleasantries.
"Pepper told me you were the absolute best person for the job," said Lapis. "He was adamant about that. I'm happy to see that you accepted the job, if only so I can meet someone Pepper regards so highly."
"Thank you," said Fox, feeling bashful. Praise felt weird after all his solitude.
"I suppose you must have all sorts of questions," said Lapis. "I would love to answer them however I can."
"Thank you," said Fox. "Really, right now, I have questions about those two other factions from the file, the Fortress and Expanse." He frowned. "Relations with the other major faction are cordial, as you described it, so I'm worried about these other elements."
"Ah, those two," said Lapis, scowling. "As much as I would love to give you everything about those two troublemakers—and I would unhesitatingly—what I put in that file is all that I know."
"Really?" said Fox.
Lapis lowered her ears. "Yes, and infuriatingly so, darling. They have little noble backing or any official channels behind them. They are secretive in their dealings, and rarely show up to Council. Me and the head of the Readied Fist—the Lady Emerald, and I'm sure you'll meet her later—don't even know their leaders, but we have seen representatives show up only to either sit quietly and glower at everyone or talk and decree everyone except them to be fools and traitors to the mother planet." She rubbed her brow. "All very annoying, darling, as you may gather."
"So they're on the fringe, infuriatingly opaque, and aren't willing to cooperate with others outside their circle, and think they know better," said Pepper. He snorted. "I don't know whether you will be comforted or annoyed to know, Lapis, that radical factions in Corneria behave similarly."
"Well, some things don't change across planets I suppose," said Lapis. "They are two groups to be worried about, and any information I do find I will bring to you, Mr. McCloud."
Fox nodded. "Thank you. Another questions, about logistics. How long will you need me?"
"Indefinitely," said Lapis. She smiled apologetically. "It will be some time. My daughter's safety is of the utmost importance, and I want you close."
Fox considered this. He couldn't think of any obligations that would make that impossible. Not like he was needed anywhere else. "I can do that," he said.
"Oh, splendid," she said, putting her paws together. "Thank the Goddesses."
One more question was on his mind. "And…what is your daughter like? In person?" he said.
Lapis's smile turned bright. "Oh, she's a sweetie, darling. Very eager to learn and curious about the world outside Cerinia. I expect she'll ask questions about Corneria."
"When will I meet her?"
Lapis giggled into her paw. "Eager, aren't we?"
Fox felt another blush at his cheeks. "Um, well…ah, I mean, I'd like to get first impressions done-"
"Oh, I'm sorry sweetie, just teasing," said Lapis. She smiled warmly at him, and Fox could tell she meant it. "She's here on the Ocularis, exploring the station. She does like a good walk. Now, if you don't mind, Mr. McCloud, I'd like to ask you some questions myself."
He expected this. "Ask away," said Fox.
"Pepper told me something I must confirm, and I'm sorry to lead off with such a strong question," she said. "Is it true that you killed Andross?"
Fox's expression hardened. "Yes," he said. "I did."
Lapis just stared at Fox, then sighed in relief and sunk back into her chair. "Thank goodness," she said. "It feels good to confirm that monster is dead. On behalf of all Cerinia, thank you. He took so much from us, you understand?"
"Yes," said Fox, a faraway look in his eye. "I do."
Lapis was shocked by his tone. She looked at him for a moment, her eyes narrowing slightly in what looked like thought. Then a curious thing happened. Her expression softened, and her eyes widened a bit. She put a paw to her bosom.
"Is something wrong?" said Fox.
"Oh? No, I…you seemed sad, darling, just then."
Fox blinked. Was he that transparent?
Lapis cleared her throat. "Another question, then. You might know already that Cerinian's have…certain abilities. Pepper likely told you. Does that bother you?"
That was unexpected. After the surprise wore off, Fox considered it. He groped at an answer in his head, until he finally formed one together.
"Bother isn't the right word," said Fox. "Um…I'm certainly wondering what those abilities are. As long as those abilities aren't dangerous to me or invasive, that's fine. I'm a bit of private person…more so than usual, right now."
Lapis smiled at him. It was a warm, genuine smile, and Fox detected an honest fondness in her look. It made him blush a little more.
"An honest answer," she said. She giggled into her paw. "You'll do nicely, Fox McCloud. I'm entirely satisfied."
"Now, you might be wondering what those abilities are," said Lapis. "I will explain them, soon, once you meet Krystal. I can assure you that no harm will come to you through them, from me or those close to me. This is a matter that's exceptionally private to Cerinian culture, and I'd like you to meet my daughter first and come to your own conclusions first, to make sure you're absolutely in on the assignment. This is one thing I must be sure about, you understand?"
"I do," said Fox. He was happy she was being so frank with him. And, if he was being completely honest, her warm nature felt nice. He felt the beginnings of a small smile tug at his muzzle. "I'm sure this will all work out."
Lapis looked at him for a moment longer, then nodded to herself and stood from her chair. "One more thing, dear."
Before Fox could say anything, Lapis crossed the distance between them and pulled Fox into another hug to her bosom. Fox froze just like last time, until he caught up with how warm and soft it felt.
"You really are too adorable for your own good, Mr. McCloud." After holding him for a moment she pulled away and smiled at him. "Yes, you'll do. You'll do exceptionally."
Fox left the room shortly after the hug, with Lapis and Pepper wanting to catch up amongst themselves. Fox offered to give them privacy while he did his own walking around the station; Lapis told him of an observation deck close by, and Fox followed her directions as he walked through the halls and corridors of the Ocularis. He passed by more Cerinians, who either looked at him curiously or talked amongst themselves, probably about him. None of their glances looked dirty and their tones weren't harsh. Fox guessed, just like the Cerinians he saw before, they were all astounded at seeing an Offworlder. Still, Lapis had told him to simply cite her name if anyone gave him trouble. Her name had weight, she assured.
He also thought of Lapis. That first meeting went well. He was surprised by her welcoming nature, and her kindness. It had been a long time since he'd been held like that.
When he reached the observation deck, he was greeted with a large room dominated by a wide window at the far end, that gave the viewer a tremendous view of Cerinia. There was a small garden in the room too, with colorful flowers and small trees Fox never saw before. The décor of the room was, just like the hanger, different from any architecture he saw on any station before this. All the newness of the room, coupled with the amazing view, only highlighted how different this mission was going to be for him. It got him excited.
"Oh? Hello."
A pleasant voice from his left. Fox heard no one enter. He must've been deep in his thoughts. He turned.
His nose touched another's, and his vision was filled with two blue-green eyes. Gentleness and friendliness. Those was the first things he saw in those eyes. They were also familiar.
Fox stepped back, startled, and saw the vixen standing before him.
"Ah, sorry," she said. "I didn't mean to sneak up on you. You're the one my mother talked about, aren't you?" The vixen smiled, put a paw to her bosom, and bowed slightly. "I'm Krystal. What's your name?"