Alone with my enemy

by Winter

This is the completed version of the main story in my alone series. Again Much grasias to Jaguar Janks for allowing me to Use his charicter Jennifer McCloud. And If you haven't read the rest of the Alone series, do so.

Alone with my enemy

By Edward "Winter" Weldon

The darkness clears; I see a ship, a cruiser ploughing across the stars like some great
sea Leviathan that stalks the oceans on Aquas. I know this dream now. My memories
are returning. I recognise the ship, its sleek shark like lines would seem threatening to
most, but to me, they seem…comforting, like the ship was my home.

Then the dream turns to a nightmare once again. The fighters scream out of the night,
laser cannons blazing. The cruiser is caught by surprise, its shields down. The laser
blasts tear into its hull, explosions rip through her and I howl silently. The shark-like
star ship rolls and pitches as she burns. The fire guts her and the fighters peel off.

Suddenly I am right next to one of the fighters. I can see the pilot and my hatred flares
like a nebula igniting into a new star. A young fox in his mid twenties with deep red
fur, hiding his eyes behind a pair of dark sunglasses. On his chest the nametag reads:
McCloud.

My hatred and rage can't be contained any more. I draw a deep breath and howl. I
howl like a wolf possessed, I howl so hard that the oxygen mask clamped to my
muzzle cannot hold it. My howl pushes off the edges of the mask and floats away as a
column of bubbles in the fluid that I am floating in. My eyes snap open and I look out
of the tank. The dull ache in my head is still pounding.

The vixen has gone. At last, until now I had simply been biding my time, regaining
my strength and awaiting an opportunity to escape. At first I didn't know why but I
knew that I had to escape this ship and that I was in danger. But then the dreams
started. Then I realised that they weren't dreams, but memories.

I may not know who I am, but I know who he is. I who that young fox is now. And
now I know why I hate him…




I know Fox said not to go near that guy but my curiosity just got the better of me. Fara
says his name is Reece or some thing. She also said that he was cute too. I walk into
the infirmary, making sure that there's no one around. The last thing I want right now
is a lecture from Fox.

Suddenly a hand grabs me by the muzzle from behind and I feel a blade against my
throat. A voice snarls, "Don't scream," in a cold tone. He lets me turn my head just to
enough to see him.

Its Reece, his fur is all spiked up from having spun his coat to rid itself of excess fluid
from the recuperation tank, wearing a doctor's coat and the pair of black fatigues Fara
had left him in case he woke up. He has a wild, feral look in his eyes. He's about my
height with lean, handsome features, pale ice blue eyes, dark grey fur and a white
stripe running up between his eyes.




Damn it, a hostage is going to complicate things but killing her would cause even
more problems than letting her go. But then with just my dagger as my only weapon
this may be my only way off this ship. I look into her eyes. She's not afraid of me.
That's good, a panicking hostage is just more trouble than its worth. My father taught
me that.

This vixen I haven't seen before. She's a couple of years younger than me and very
pretty with blond hair, green eyes, a slim almost scrawny frame and light sandy
coloured fur. She wears a blue jacket with matching fatigues, a white crop top and a
pair of light hiking boots. Something else about her seems familiar too, like that fox I
saw earlier. But I still don't recognise her.

"Alright, you're going to help me get out of here," I growl with my teeth bared.
"Reece, I'm not your enemy. We're here to help you," She replies. An even deeper
growl rises in my throat. "Wrong, I know who you are and believe me, I am not going
to allow you to use me against my father," I snarl back. Then I notice movement
behind me.



Suddenly Reece throws me to one side. Some one shouts out from across the room. I
see Falco standing in the doorway. Falco's hand darts for the blaster at his side But
Reece moves much faster. Flipping the dagger over in his hand, Reece throws it
crossways. The blade flashes as it flies spinning through the air and slams into Falco's
chest. The force of the impact punches him off his feet with the dagger bearing itself
right up to the hilt and a full inch protruding from his back. I scream out loud as Falco
falls to the deck, not moving. As swift as he had thrown the knife, Reece turns and
lashes out with a kick and my world goes black…



Jesus.F.Christ and his sister Christina! This is going from bad to worse. If somebody
didn't hear that bloody falcon shouting then they will have defiantly heard the vixen
scream. I run over and check the falcon's pulse. He's still alive, bleeding all over the
deck, but alive. For now at least. I pull my knife out of his chest and wipe the blood
off on my fatigues. Placing the dagger back in its sheath and strapping it onto my
thigh, I relieve the unconscious falcon of his sidearm. Fully charged, well, that will
give me at least a fighting chance in a firefight.

So what now? The flight deck is out of the question. My ship was completely trashed
and they're ships will have security lockouts no doubt. Hmmm, maybe if the ship is
still in orbit around the ocean planet I saw when I was drifting, I could make it in an
escape pod. I haul the vixen onto my shoulder. She has a bruise above her right eye
now from where I kicked her, knocking her out cold. Then I hear footsteps sprinting
my way.

I run out into the corridor with the vixen draped over one shoulder and the falcon's
gun held in my free hand. The footsteps are closer now. A middle aged rabbit and a
frog in a red baseball cap round the corner. Instantly I raise my captured blaster pistol
and fire two shots in their general direction. Both of them throw themselves into cover
behind the corner. I wasn't trying to hit them. Just slow them down. I don't have time
for fire fight. There maybe more than just the usual Star Fox team aboard. If I get
bogged down in one place for too long I'm dead.

Before the Rabbit and frog can recover, I'm sprinting down the corridor towards
where I assume the lifeboats are stowed. I remember studying Great Fox with my
father, looking for weak points. I know roughly where the escape pod launch tubes are
on the hull, but I'm not familiar with the ship's internal layout. Sprinting past a lift I
can see that I am on deck three. Good, I'm on the right deck at least. But that seems to
be as far as my luck holds. Intruder alarms blare and the computer announces that it
has just activated a system wide lock down. I guess I am going to need a hostage after
all.

The vixen slung over my shoulder is slowing me down, but I need her. With the
system lockdowns in place I'll need her palm print to access the escape pod launch
bay. Besides if I make it out of this she may prove useful. I'm sure the Star Fox team
would pay well for one of their own.

Yes, I'm nearing the life pods. But then the blast doors ahead start to descend.
Adrenaline surges through my body and I run faster than I ever thought possible. The
vixen's weight seems to disappear but its not quite fast enough. Just before the thick,
vacuum proof doors slam shut I hurl the vixen and myself bodily under the bulkheads,
just making it through with my tail and all four limbs attached.

I stand up and dust myself down. Suddenly the pain in my head explodes like a nova
bomb and I fall to my knees and clamp my hands to my temples. My eyes are screwed
shut and my jaws open wide in a silent scream of agony. But somehow I keep from
blacking out. The pain is much worse this time than when I was drifting.

The pain subsides and my vision clears. I see the escape pods ahead. The beautiful
vixen is still lying there on the deck unconscious. I haul her up onto my shoulder and
press her hand to the sensor plate on the wall by one of the lifeboats. The life pods
aboard Great Fox are essentially armoured capsules with manoeuvring thrusters that
are programmed to home in on the nearest inhabitable planet. The occupant has
minimal flight control, enough to be able to select your impact sight, but not enough
to make a perfect landing.

As the airlock hissed open, at the other end of the hall the blast doors started to open.
Hurriedly I lay the vixen on one of the re-entry couches and strap her in. She'd been
so helpful thus far it was only fair that she should make it down with me in one piece.
I then strap myself in. The blast doors open just as I am closing up the life pod hatch.
The rabbit and frog that I had shot at earlier sprint towards me in vain as the airlock
seals. I simply give them I wide, toothy grin and salute them as the pod shoots away.




As I wake up, I can feel cool but dry sand under my fingers. In the distance I hear the
rumble of thunder and the wind wailing. I open my eyes I look around to see the
inside of a cave. From where I am laying I can see the cave entrance. Its day but it is
dark, lightning flashes and the foliage outside is flailing in a powerful wind.

"Good morning, I was afraid I may have hit you a bit too hard," A voice calls from
behind. My head whirls round to see Reece sat on top of a large rock at the back of
the cave. In the semi-darkness of the cave, his eyes shine with an almost supernatural
light. The twin lights set in the sockets of his handsome lupine features make me
shiver for a moment.

"You…you killed Falco," I stammer angrily. Reece just shakes his head and says,
"No, he's alive, or at least he was when I left him." His tone was calm, as if he was
just a passer by who I had just asked the time.

"In case you haven't guessed," He continued," We're on Zoness, on one of the islands
in the southwestern hemisphere. We should be safe here for now," He stated.

"Safe?" I laughed. "You just wait a while because my brother, Fox will find me
soon," I growled. My former compassion towards Reece had now been replaced with
anger.

"Well I have given that some thought," He replied calmly," I figure that your
colleagues might be able to track our trajectory to within three hundred miles. Now
that's a pretty big area in itself, but with that storm out there, orbital scans are going to
be useless and an air search will be impossible until the storm dies down. Also I
recoded the life pod's impact beacon to a secret frequency used by only the Star Wolf
team. By the time your friends get here I will be long gone," He explained in the same
calm tone.

"So you're with Star Wolf. And what makes you think Wolf is looking for you or
even cares that you're missing?" I ask derisively. Instantly Reece's clam expression
turns to a low threatening snarl.

"Despite what you may think, my father knows how to keep his word. Unlike that
back-stabbing, betraying bastard McCloud," He growled aggressively, his ears were
flattened against his head and his teeth were bared.

I was taken back for a moment, both by his threatening posture and by his statement.
"What…what do you mean?" I asked, confused but still angry.

Still snarling, Reece stood up and threw off the white lab coat he had been wearing.
Although lean, Reece was still well muscled. The corded tissues on his torso
stretched, displaying the livid burn scars that tracked his upper body.

"I was only seven years old when these were inflicted on me. My father may be a
mercenary, but even mercenaries have standards and even mercenaries have families.
We were passing through the Lylat system. My father contacted McCloud and cut a
deal with him that so long as we didn't start trouble we would be granted safe passage
through the system. Instead, as soon as we entered Cornerian space, we were attacked.
My father and I were scarred, but the attack killed my mother and unborn sister," He
snarled, the rage in his voice was almost tangible.

"But he…he would never…" I stammered but Reece just cut me off.

"Ah yes, the great and noble James McCloud would never attack unprovoked, he only
fights to defend those who can not protect them selves," He snapped sarcastically.
"He burned me and took my father's eye, but the physical pain was nothing compared
to watching my mother die in front of me," He continued, the hate and rage in his
voice was even more intense this time.

Reece then turned and walked out of the cave into the howling tempest outside
leaving the white lab coat where it lay on the ground. He then turned and looked at me
with those cool, pale blue eyes.

All of a sudden, the rage and malice had gone. Instead of the seething cauldron of hate
that had shown me his scars, was the charming young man who had calmly explained
my situation.

"Game will be pretty sparse with this storm blowing, so don't expect a banquet. This
island's only three miles square, give or take a few hundred yards, so running would
be pointless. There are some flares in the bag, so you may want to start a fire," He
said pointing to a black survival pack at the back of the cave where he had been
sitting.

And with that he disappeared into the boiling, storm-thrashed jungle his dark grey
summer coat blending into the shadowy forest around him. For several minutes I sat,
too dumbstruck to move. He was Wolf's son and my father scarred him.




I crouch low, my dagger already drawn. Even over the roaring wind I can hear it.
From the tracks I'd guess my prey is a grox, a sort large semi-aquatic reptile with a
shell on its back. I know it's there, just ahead of me, but does it know I'm here?

I certainly hope not. Judging by the size of these tracks, it's probably a large bull
male. One swipe with his talons and he could take my head clean off. But then,
hunting defenceless prey has always seemed distasteful to me.

With the storm blowing I'm pretty sure he can't smell me, but perhaps he can hear
me. My senses are sharp, sharper than anyone else I know, but one can never be too
careful when tracking something that has a four hundred pound weight advantage of
sheer muscle. I have to wait for the right moment. Just like my escape, I have to wait
for the opportunity.

This is the part of hunting that my father says he likes the most. The anticipation,
when you're heart pounds and your blood sings. That is when you know you are alive.
Or at least that's what he says. I personally thought you knew you were alive if you
were still breathing.

Hold on, there's a clearing ahead. Keeping silent I creep forward, keeping low.
Peering from the undergrowth I can see him now. Just as I thought it's a grox, a
seriously big one too. I figure he must be twelve feet long from head to tail, with
powerful hind legs that allow him to run up-right, fast enough to keep up with a man
at full sprint. His long spiked tail sways slightly as he is stooped down to drink from a
pool.

Across from me a tree breaks as the trunk gives out under the constant assault from
the wind. It falls into the pool, making a huge splash, but the grox doesn't even flinch.
He knows that he's the biggest, most dangerous predator on the island and no one
would challenge him. Even in nature, arrogance is my ally.

I pick my spot. There, just between the base of his neck and the top of the shell,
between the spine and jugular vein. I guess I was wrong, he should provide meat for
days. Dropping down and crouching on all fours, I get ready to make my move. A
swift spring onto his back before he can react and I can take him.

Then just as I spring out of cover, the pain in my head erupts again. Why now? Why
now for god's sake? My vision blurs and I fall to the ground again, unable to move
from the sheer pain.

Maybe thirty seconds have passed but to me they feel like three hours. My vision
starts to clear and I can stand again. I open my eyes and I see a large pair of scaly,
clawed feet. I look up slowly and find myself staring a very large and VERY angry
grox in the face. He bares his massive fangs and his stinking, hot breath blows on my
face. "Oh crap," I say out loud to myself as the huge reptile growls and prepares to
disembowel me where I stand.

Time seems to slow as its massive fore legs swing towards me, the talons on them
glistening wetly. Then the impact comes. I'm thrown for at least twenty feet before I
slam into a tree. I can taste my blood in my mouth and my whole body hurts. Well
that means I'm alive, for a little longer at least. I thought HE was arrogant. Well that
was MY mistake. One I doubt I'm going to get to make again.

I try to force myself to stand, but my muscles don't respond. The grox stomps over
and crouches down, snarling into my face. Well I guess this is how it ends. Eaten by
my own dinner. At least I'll go out with some irony. Then the grox just stops, he
snorts a couple of times, turns and disappears into the forest. I sniff myself a couple of
times, surely I don't smell that bad.

Then I smell something else. A sort of sweet, floral smell, like…perfume? It must
have rubbed off on me when I was carrying that vixen. The grox must of smelt it and
thought it was a much more appealing meal. Finally able to stand (shakily at first
though) I dust myself off and laugh to myself under my breath. Saved by Channel,
another of those great ironies that seem to crop up through out my life.

Then another thought occurs. Her perfume rubbed off on me and the grox could smell
it, if the perfume rubbed off me and left a trail back to the cave…"OH HOLY SHIT
ON A STICK."




Well just a Reece said I found a pack of flares in the survival pack he brought out of
the escape pod with him. I arrange them in a circle with the burning ends on the inside
and ignite them. Covering them with some dry brushwood I found round the cave
entrance, the bundle soon catches alight, illuminating the cave around me.

What the hell am I doing here? I just check out one cute guy and here I am as a
hostage, playing Girl Scout while the son of my brother's worst enemy is out waltzing
around, half naked in the woods. For god's sake I'm a hacker, I should be adding to
my reputation as the queen of cyberspace, not waiting for some psychopathic, knife-
wielding wolf to come back.

But he does have a point. I may be a hacker, but you don't hang around with the Star
Fox team and not learn a thing or two. For one thing he's right, with that storm
blowing up there, orbital and air searches are going to be pointless. And if I did run
where would I go, this is an island after all.

And besides, I sense something about him. There's a lot of his father in him, that's
obvious. But there's something else there, something that makes me think that despite
his hatred for my father, despite the anger, that…

I hear something. I spin round to see a massive hulking figure at the entrance to the
cave. The huge armoured reptile is down on all fours, slowly stalking towards me,
making a low growling sound.

I look round me and look for a weapon, any weapon. I grab one of the flares from the
fire and brandish it at the hulking creature. Instead of backing off it rears up and
bellows at me. Standing on its hind legs it blocks out the light form the outside and
continues to approach.

Suddenly there is a loud howl from behind the big reptile. The creature turns and I can
see Reece stood behind it. He is standing in a low, threatening posture with his fur
raised and his teeth bared. His tail whips from side to side and he snarls loudly. In one
hand he holds his dagger, in the other the gun he took from Falco.

The big lizard turns towards him and takes up an equally aggressive stance, hissing
and lashing its tail. Then it charges, far faster than any thing that big has a right to
move. Reece raises the gun to fire, but the thing moves much faster that anything that
big has a right to move. It smashes into him like an oversized football player and the
gun tumbles from Reece's grasp.

Pinning Reece down the big reptile raises one of its front legs to finish him. Thinking
quickly, I hurl the flare at it. The flare hits the thing in the back of the head and it
screeches in pain as it turns and starts stomping towards me. "Great so I made him
mad now what?" I say out loud to myself.

The creature gets a few feet and then Reece sprints up and springs onto its back.
Screaming wildly he reaches right back and stabs his dagger into the side of the
reptile's neck with a his force. Again the creature screeches in pain, but then it just
throws Reece off its back like a duffle bag, throwing him several feet with his dagger
left sticking out of the side of its neck. The lizard reaches him just as he stands up and
repays the wound to its neck by slashing Reece across the chest with its massive
talons.

Reece howls out in pain and drops to his knees, clutching at the bloody slashes across
his chest. The big reptile looms over him and prepares to take his head off. I scream
out and then I see it, the gun lying in the dirt where Reece had dropped it. I snatch it
up and take aim.

My first blaster shot goes wide but it gets the lizard to turn round. My next two shots
hit dead on, hitting in the chest just below the neck. I fire four more times, hitting
squarely with each shot. The stricken reptile staggers back with each hit. One final
shot to the head and it falls backwards, shaking the ground as it hits the dirt.

I then drop the blaster and run over to where Reece is lying face down on the ground.
Blood soaks his front and seeps down staining the white fur on his chest as I turn him
over. His breathing is erratic, but his eyes are open. A smile crosses his face. "So, how
do you like your grox steak? Rare, medium or well done?" He laughs weakly. Then he
passes out and I scream his name at him.




My head hurts and it is painful to breath. For a moment I think I must be back in the
cockpit of my ship, still drifting, still waiting to die and that the young vixen, my
escape and even my fight with that grox must have been a dream.

But no, it's too warm in here. I'm lying down on my back with my head propped up
on something soft. I open my eyes and I see her face, looking down on me. My head
is lying in her lap and the lab coat I was wearing earlier is draped over me like a
blanket. She smiles at me…in relief? Why? It confuses me for a moment or two. She
could have simply left me to die. But she stayed and tended my injuries.
Perhaps…perhaps there's something…

"Well done," She says suddenly.

"Huh?" I reply, even more confused.

"You asked me how I like my steak. I like it well done with a bit of garlic butter,"
She answers. I nod in comprehension and laugh slightly. Worst mistake I ever made.
The pain in my ribs tears through my body like liquid fire and I double up, gritting my
teeth.

"Whoever said that laughter is the best medicine, should be introduced the business
end of an ion cannon," I growl as the pain subsides.

"Well I don't think he would have intended for you to try and take on whatever that
thing was," The vixen replies, tauntingly.

"Oh, so you'd rather I just let him bite your head off, is that it?" I cut back,
sarcastically.

"Well no, I mean I'm grateful for the rescue, but…couldn't you have done it in a way
in which you don't almost get yourself killed?" She replies. I see her point; this is the
third time I have come close to being killed in as many days.

"Point taken, so how bad is it?" I ask, a little more appreciative this time. She then
draws back the coat covering me and I can see the bandages wrapped around my
torso. The fur around the edges of the wrappings is still stained red with blood.

"Well I only have some basic first aid training, but the good news is I think you'll be
okay with some rest. The bad news is I think this may scar, but then what's another
set of scars?" She explains to me. Then I notice something.

"Are you…blushing?" I ask, trying hard not to laugh again. Almost instantly she does
start blushing. "A couple of hour ago we were having a full blown screaming match
and now you're practically swooning," I say, taking a taunting tone myself.

"I am not swooning!" She shouts. "I just haven't…" she trails off to a mumble.

"What? You just haven't what?" I ask in a persistent but light tone.

"I just haven't been with a guy before, ok," She blurts out. At that point, my ears
stood strait up and my eyes flew wide open out of sheer surprise.

"Well, that is a shock," I reply, the surprise in my voice was obvious.

"Why? What is that meant to mean?" She shouted, baring her teeth slightly. I raised
my hands in mock defence and replied "Simply that I'd of thought that a pretty young
women like you would have had men falling at your feet," in a civil tone.

Almost instantly she started blushing again. "You really think I'm pretty?" She asked
bashfully. I simply smiled and said, "I'm sure that there is an entire religion devoted
to your worship. Hail our heavenly vixen; hail our goddess…um, what is your name
any way?" I asked. In all this time I hadn't even asked her what her name was.

She just smiled back and answered, "I'm Jennifer McCloud, but most of my friends
just call me Jen."

"Well Jennifer McCloud, Reece O'Donnell," I reply, holding out one hand to her.
Smiling she accepts my hand and shakes it. I wince slightly as I find out that my
shoulder is injured too.

"Is there any part of my body that works right now?" I growl, slightly frustrated, as
the headache I'd been enduring since I'd been drifting still hadn't gone away.

"Well, you're mouth seems to be working just fine," Jennifer chipped in, grinning
slightly.

I just narrowed my eyes at her and said, "You're enjoying this aren't you," smirking
back at her. Immediately her ears flicked up. "What do you mean?" She asked,
confused and a little indignant.

"Oh come on, you and a handsome young wolf, just the right age for you, lying
injured at your mercy, all alone on a desert island, hundreds of mile away from
anywhere. I mean the idea is appealing, but I'm just not into that kind of thing," I
replied, still smirking.

She didn't reply this time, her eyes just bulged and her face went a deep crimson.
Whether it was from embarrassment or anger I couldn't tell. A moment later I got my
answer…I think. Her bright red face suddenly exploded into a volley of about a
thousand words, all-trying to get said at the same time. And not too many of those
words were too complimentary. I was just pinned there by the sudden hurricane/tirade
and I just though back to what my father had told me on my sixteenth birthday: Never
make fun of a vixen, particularly where sex was involved. Right now I think I know
why.



I can't believe he said that. I was just so angry that I blasted off at him about every
thing I could think of. When I ran out of things to say I just stormed out. I just had to
have some time on my own for a while.

The storm has died down a little now. The wind is still blowing but it isn't gale force
any more and the sky is still boiling with thunder and lightning. I'd guess that an air
search is still off the cards but surface ships could probably operate now.

Even in the darkness of the storm I can see the sun setting, the bright golden orb of the
Lylat star dipping into the sea down by the horizon. I wander from the tree line onto a
beach. The rough sea roars as it pounds onto the sand and whispers as it washes back.
I find a large rock, worn away into a chair shape by the sea. I just sit back and watch
the sky rumble for a while.

Just who does he think he is? I mean, okay he's handsome and he did save my life,
well we kind of saved each other. But to suggest that him and me could…I mean he's
Wolf's son. Talk about awkward. But then, why not? He's him, not his father. Why
couldn't a McCloud and an O'Donnell?

"I'm sorry," A voice says from behind. I don't need to turn to know that it's Reece. I
don't look at him. I can't, he might see what I'm thinking in my eyes. "How did you
find me?" I ask, masking my surprise.

"There were some pain killers in the med-kit. I shot myself full of trichlorazine so I
could walk and then I followed you're trail. You know, you may want to wear less
perfume in the future," He replies, his tone careful and measured. I smile slightly but I
still don't turn to face him.

"What are you apologizing for? I though I was your hostage," I say in an equally
measured tone.

"Maybe a year ago you would be, but the war is over. I think that applies to
mercenaries too," He stated.

"And to a member of the Star Fox team? The ones who killed your mother?" I ask
with my gaze dropping down to the sand, desperate to avoid looking at him. Instead
he walked around in front of me and I found myself staring at a pair of bare lupine
feet.

"James McCloud killed my mother, he lead the attack and he was the one who
betrayed my family. He's the one with whom it was personal, Fox McCloud it was
business. For my father at least," He said, I was taken with how this time he could
mention my father with out boiling over. Instead his tone is calm and sincere.

Then he knelt down and lifted my chin. His powerful, pale blue eyes met with mine
and I saw something I hadn't expected at all. A single glistening tear ran down the
side of his face. "Why are you crying?" I asked softly.

A smile crossed his face "Because, I think this just became personal," He said. And
then Reece O'Donnell and I kissed for the first time. My mind screamed at me, saying
over and over: He's my brother's enemy, you only just met him. But another part
speaks as well: He is not his father and it doesn't matter. Despite both voices, I know
this is right. A part of me deep down inside, some deep hole in my soul that I didn't
even know was there until now, suddenly feels complete.




I didn't think this was really possible. I only learned her name ten minutes ago but…I
love her. The daughter of my mother's killer and I love her. I don't understand how
but…is it really necessary to understand?




I look into his eyes again. I see myself reflected in them. We both have the same look
on our faces. He's just as surprised as me. Our kiss ends and we both share the same
smile. Then something happens to him. The serine expression on Reece's face turns to
a grimace of pain, then of agony as he falls to the ground, clamping his hands to his
temples.

"What's wrong?" I yell as I kneel down next to him. "I…I don't…know," He
manages to force out between gritted teeth. A vein throbs in his forehead and I can see
the pain in his eyes. "Worse this time…worse than before…in the ship," He says, the
strain of speaking is clear. And I feel helpless. But through it all I stay calm.




It feels like my head is exploding. The pain is so intense that it overrides my senses.
I'm blind and I can't feel my body any more. But I can hear her. I can hear her voice
calling me, but I can't make it out. No, wait, its not Jennifer's voice. Another voice,
like an angel. A trickle of warmth runs down the side of my muzzle. I…I think my
nose must be bleeding.

Then I can see something…a light. Dim at first, then brighter. And for a moment I can
see her. A wolf, white fur, hair as dark as coal, pale blue eyes like mine. My god she's
beautiful. She's…the one calling me. I…I know her now. "Mother?" The word slips
from my mouth without my lips even moving…



My mind reels. I have only just realized that I love him and now he's dying. I think
that he is still conscious and his eyes are still open, but his eyes stare sightlessly and
he mumbles deliriously. His beautiful blue eyes are red with burst capillaries and
blood is trickling from his nose.

Kneeling next to him with the med-kit, I fumble with the med-scanner. Franticly
passing the device over his body, it runs test, after scan on him. After several eternal
seconds, it tells me what's wrong with Reece and how to save him.




The light fades, as does the pain. I fall back into the darkness and then the darkness
melts away to reveal the world around me. Jennifer is kneeling above me again, a
smile of relief on her face but the terror in her eyes is clear. I can't move my body; the
strength to do so just isn't there. I try to speak, but Jennifer cuts me off before I even
say a word.

"Don't try to move, it may trigger another attack. You have a brain haemorrhage,
causing a massive increase of pressure inside your skull. The blood being pumped to
your brain was crushing it like a passenger on a commuter train at rush hour," She
says, trying hard to hide the fear in her voice.

"Any idea what caused it?" I groan. my vocal chords feel stretched out and tuneless.
"No, you tell me," She replies slightly angrily. She then thrust the scanner readout at
me. "This kind of pressure doesn't just build up over a few minutes, even if you do
have trichlorazine in your system to speed up the process. This has happened before
hasn't it? Why didn't you tell me?" She shouts, half in anger and half in fear.

"You're right, it has happened before. Twice in fact, once aboard Great Fox and once
again just before my fight with the grox. I think it must have been caused by my
exposure to the low pressure conditions when I was drifting," I replied. "Then why
didn't you tell me?" She asked again.

"The blunt truth, I didn't trust you at the time. You were a member of Star Fox, my
father's enemies. The war may be over for him, but is it over for you're brother?" I
answered bluntly.

In her eyes, I could see she knew what I was getting at. "That falcon I wounded, he
didn't even try to negotiate. I doubt the thought ever crossed his mind. He simply
went for his gun and would have killed me if I hadn't hit him first," I said just as
bluntly.

She then just stared into my eyes, her own bright jade green shining softly like the sun
on the surface of a pool. "And now?" She asked, a smile crossing he face.

Then the pain started to thump in my head again, not seriously, but enough to remind
me of my condition. "And now, I'm dying. But at least I know now how my father
felt, both times," I answered, trying hard to return her smile.

"You are not going to die, I won't let you. I've made sure of that," She said, desperate
to hide her fear. Fear of losing someone she just met. But I know how she feels.
Because again I am scared of the darkness, of what awaits me. But not of losing my
way like before. I am afraid of losing her, of never seeing her again after finally
learning what love is, for the first time in my life. Until now, my life had been one of
violence and hate. For the first time, I've found something truly worth living for,
some one worth living for.



I watch over him and pray, pray that help arrives soon. I've never felt this feeling
before in my whole life. I thought I knew what love was, love for my brother, for my
friends. But this, this is something I never could have imagined. It's a feeling that
wells up from my chest and radiates out in waves. And it's always stronger when I
look into his eyes.

I don't know why fate chose him for me to fall in love with, why fate chose an enemy
to fall in love with me. I always thought that love at first sight was just something
made up, a weak plot device in sappy romance stories. But our romance it seems is to
be recorded as a tragedy. He's right he is dying. All I can do is keep him comfortable
and hope that someone comes.

I don't tell him that I hacked the escape pod's computer and re-coded the distress
beacon. I can't help him, but maybe Fara can. She knows about medicine, maybe she
can save him, she has to.

Time slows; minutes pass like hours and hours like days. How long have we been
here on this island, probably only a day at the most, but it feels like years all the same.
All I hear now is the howling of the storm and his stuttering breath. I can see now the
supreme effort with which he is forcing his eyes open, fighting to stay alive. But I'm
afraid that it's a fight that he can't win, not with out help.

Then the wind stops. The howling storm has finally passed. And a smile crosses
Reace's face. His lips move, repeating the same sentence over and over, whispering
under his breath "Quarr-jett ulaniss somtaw tiirshak."

The words mean nothing to me, but I recognise them. Ancient Cornerian, I only know
a few words in it, but Peppy knows it. Then he stops. The words are replaced with a
spasm of pain that rocks his body, and then…he just lies still.

"Reace…Reace," I shout, oh God don't let him be dead. To my relief, his eyes open
and he looks at me. "The storm has passed?" He asks, fighting through the pain. I
simply nod. "Then help me, I want to see the stars one last time," He finishes,
mustering all the dignity of the noblest Cornerian knight.

"But how, I can't carry you on my own," I reply, holding back my tears. "Then help
me to my feet. If it's my time, I want to go out on my own two feet," He answered.



I don't know how, but I manage to keep my legs under me. I can't feel them any
more, but some how I manage to stay standing. Jennifer helps me, supporting on one
side.

Indeed the storm has passed; the night air is still warm though. It is so quiet, no wind,
no insects, not even the sea. There is only silence. But no, there is one sound. That of
Jennifer's breathing, broken with her fight to hold back her tears.

We reach one of the beaches, one I recognise, but I still don't hear the sea. Up ahead I
can see the escape pod we landed in, still half buried in the sand. The spherical
capsule's heatproof titanium hull is scorched black from re-entry and yet it still
glitters in the moonlight, like a giant black pearl.

Carefully she lays me down with my back against the side of the pod. I look up and I
see the stars, twinkling above me like a hundred thousand diamonds on a great pall of
velvet. Further towards the horizon I can see Zoness's two moons rising. Finally I
look at Jennifer. A single tear runs down her cheek. With my remaining strength I
brush my hand across her face, wiping the tear away and say," Thank you, for what
you did for me. I am ready now…I have seen the stars."

"I don't want to lose you, not so soon," She sobbed. "You won't. I promise you, one
way or another we will be together," I replied. Then I reached into the thigh pocket of
my fatigues and retrieved a small gold coin, engraved with the image of a flaming
sword on one side and an angel on the other. Gently placing it in her hand I closed her
fingers around the precious object.

"Take this, so that what ever happens, you'll have something to remember this night,"
I said softly. And then she put her arms around me and we kissed again, maybe for the
last time.

Then the silence was broken…



Above us two jets screamed past, both of which I recognised. The Arwing and the
Wolfen-2 came out of the sky at full burn, touching down at almost the same time
some distance away. The Arwing landed closer, within sight of me and Reace. The
canopy opened and Fox vaulted out of the cockpit, blaster pistol already in hand.

"Jennifer! Are you okay?" Fox shouted as he sprinted up. "I'm fine Fox, but Reace
needs help, if we don't get him medical attention soon he'll die," I replied, both
relieved and anxious at the same time.

"Help him? We helped him once before and he almost killed Falco," Fox said
incredulously. Falco, damn it I'd forgotten about him. "How is he?" I asked
cautiously. "He's fine, the knife missed his major organs, but an inch to the left and it
would have punctured his heart," Fox replied.

Suddenly a voice from behind bellowed," Get away from my son McCloud." Fox
wheeled to face Wolf, who held an assault rifle raised and aimed. "Great, I can bag
me two O'Donnels today," Fox snarled, with his teeth bared and his ears flattened
against his head. "What a coincidence, I was just thinking that I could bag me two
McClouds," Wolf returned, just as threatening.

"No," Reace shouted as loud as his lungs would allow. "No one is killing anyone else
today. Dad, you said your self, the war is over. We're not a Venomian squadron
anymore," He continued, keeping a measured tone.

"And he saved my life Fox, I owe him for that," I said, trying hard to emulate Reace's
confidence. Time seemed to slow again. For then longest seconds, it seemed that Fox
and Wolf would start shooting. Then after what seemed an eternity, both of them
lowered their guns.

Wolf walked over to me and Reace. Kneeling down he supported Reace under the arm
and helped him over to his waiting fighter. "Reace is right, there won't be any killing
TODAY. For now, just let me take my boy home," He said, the menace in his voice
fading.

As wolf place Reace in the back seat of his cockpit, I ran up and said, "Reace won't
live more than a few hours without medical help. We can treat him on Great Fox. If
you take Reace now he may not make it," I said, desperately hoping that he wouldn't
sense the emotion in my voice.

"I have a soft-sleep system in my ship. It'll keep him alive till I can reach an auto-doc.
You need not concern yourself," He said, almost condescendingly. He then leapt up
into his seat and looked at Fox for a moment, his one good eye boring into him. "Next
time McCloud, next time," He said as the canopy of his fighter dropped.

Within moments, the Wolfen-2 was airborne and sped away into the night. A few
minutes later, Fox and I are airborne as well and on our way back to Great Fox. I look
down out the canopy and I can see the island shrinking below us. Soon I can see the
stars up ahead as we leave the atmosphere.

My mind whirls with the events of the past twenty-four hours. Their scope, their
impact on my life… I can't stop thinking about him. No doubt Fox will rant on at me
about this for days, for disobeying his orders and going down to the med-bay to see
Reace. But now, when I think about it, I'm glad I did.

Looking down at the coin in my hand, I turn and look out across the star field. I know
he's out there. I know he'll live and I know I'll see him again. Because like he
promised: One way or another, we will be together…


The End