ㅤ

Mission No. 64

Cerinia
Altaira Valley

"The Needle of the Past Reaches Far"

ㅤ⦲ㅤ

Clouds hung over the valley, masking the sun. It was common weather for Altaira, but today the sky seemed darker: more oppressive—and Krystal's mood mirrored it.

The young vixen sat with a group of her sisters in the yard beside a tailor's hut. When not learning from the other Kaitaki, nor busy with chores in her home, she occupied herself with classes around the village, learning the basics of different trades. Farmers taught her to plant vegetables in garden patches and sew fields outside the forest; cooks trained her to bake bread and prepare other dishes; and artists helped her capture beautiful scenes on reed canvasses with specially-made paints and dyes.

When she described her numerous activities to Fox he seemed happy, saying she was "making up for lost time." She had to agree; there was so much she wanted to learn, yet it felt like there wasn't enough time in the world to experience everything the valley had to offer.

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

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

For her part, Krystal couldn't forget the image she'd seen of Sister Āni earlier that morning. Krystal visited her room in the infirmary, surprised to find Āni lying there unconscious and covered in bandages. She barely recognized her elder anymore—though there wasn't much left of her to see. It wasn't only a miracle she'd survived the attack; it was a miracle the doctors had kept her alive for so long afterwards, even with their mastery of healing powers. But the image that stayed with her the most was the deep red stains discoloring Āni's pure white bandages. She hadn't seen that much blood in one place since she escaped Venom…

Part of her resented Āni for how hard she drove her as a student, and thought it served her right—but another part of her felt horrified at those thoughts. Did Āni really deserve all that?

Krystal tried to concentrate on her instructor's words, but such a task felt impossible. While her fingers worked instinctively, her mind was left to wander. Two women behind her whispered as they stitched, and try as she might, Krystal couldn't help but eavesdrop on their conversation. A particular name had caught her ears, and from that moment she was hooked.

"Did you hear what happened to Sister Āni?" one said.

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

"It was horrible. Something attacked her last night while she and another warrior were on watch duty. They were outside the valley by the river entrance when it happened. The younger girl escaped mostly unscathed; if not for her calling the others, Āni may have died!"

"Oh dear, I hadn't heard about that other girl! But what happened to Āni?"

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

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

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

"Please, that sounds like some silly ghost story, and I don't want you trying to scare me while I'm sewing."

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

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

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

"Well, what do you think it is?"

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

"I'd rather not remember…"

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

"Brrrr! It gives me chills just thinking about it. But if it's just a force, what could've caused it?"

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

"Shhh! She's sitting right there! Don't be rude!"

But it was too late; Krystal had overheard their entire conversation. The things they suggested were so absurd and improbable: utterly ridiculous! Yes, she'd attacked Āni on the day the Cerinians captured her, but she only knocked her out to protect Fox! And there was that horrible dream she'd had last night, after which she'd lashed out, but she had been nowhere near Āni when it happened!

She wanted to bark at them; to correct their misconceptions and defend herself and Fox. But if she did, she'd just make a scene in front of everyone. She folded her ears and kept her head down, trying not to pick out all the glances the Cerinians cast her way, the whispered mentions of her name, and the echoes of their suspicious thoughts.

ㅤ⦲ㅤ

Namah watched as a healer bent over Sister Āni's hospital bed. The doctor's brow furrowed, concentrating as she focused on different areas of the victim's body. Āni's bandages lay unwrapped from her torso and head, baring her ruined face, mangled chest, and torn stomach. She'd stayed up with the healers all night as they tirelessly worked to seal her wounds. They'd expertly sewn the scars slashed across Āni's body closed, and—though not visible from without—her veins and organs had been reconnected as well. Besides the thread and bandages, the healers didn't even need medical tools; they simply used the precise, limitless fingers of their minds.

After the doctor confirmed Āni's wounds were still sealed, she replaced the bandages with clean ones and rose to her feet. She pursed her lips at the abbess, then nodded.

As the healer backed away, Namah anxiously knelt beside the wounded Kaitaki, taking her hand and brushing her paw through her hair. '…Āni?'

The warrior's eyes flickered open tiredly, all but robbed of their usual sternness. She grimaced at the pain coursing through her body, despite the amount of soothing herbs she'd been given. "Namah? Where…?"

"Shhh," the abbess whispered, combing her hair above her forehead bandages. 'There's no need to speak. You're in the infirmary, and the healers think you're going to make it. But please, sister, what happened last night?'

Āni wet her lips, staring off into space. For a time she remained silent, her bloodied chest slowly rising and falling beneath her bandages.

'…I was checking the post of a young student on guard duty. There was a… a presence on the far side of the shore. We couldn't see it.'

Namah laced her fingers with Āni's, raising her hand. 'What was it? Was it a rogue? A device of the Cornerians?'

She shook her head weakly. 'I… I don't know. It-it crossed the river, and I went flying, and the next thing I knew, it was on… on me!'

The vixen winced and convulsed at the memory, reaching for her shredded chest.

Namah clutched her hand tighter. 'Āni, Āni you must tell me what it was! Did it have thoughts? Did you sense for them?'

Āni licked her lips again, panting. Her eyes drifted past Namah, staring up at the ceiling. 'I-I did. I looked into its thoughts…'

'And? What did you see?'

The warrior's eyes went wide, and she nearly sat upright then and there in spite of her wounds. Her grip constricted around Namah's hand, squeezing her fingers tighter than the abbess had. "I saw… I saw within it… her! It was hatred and malice, and it was her!"

"Who?! Who, Āni?!" Namah pleaded.

ㅤ⦲ㅤ

A print formed in the grass behind the students, bending the blades and breaking their little green backs.

"Ouch!"

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

"What's wrong?" someone asked.

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

Krystal looked down in her lap where her own embroidery work sat: a bandana she was making for Fox to replace the one he'd given her, and she'd in turn given away to 19 in the lab. A needle sat clenched in her hand, attached to colorful thread. It… shook. Her whole paw trembled, causing the thin silver line to flash in the daylight. All around her, her sisters held theirs with steady hands, sewing them in and out of their garments. One worked on an azure blue gown—a color which matched her own fur. She could see the needle stabbing in and out, in and out… in and out of her.

Dropping her own instrument, she grabbed the crook of her arm, trying to prevent the pain in her scars from flaring up again. She felt pinprick after pinprick from the ghosts of needles past, exacerbated by the suspicious whispers and thoughts of the other Cerinians as they pricked into her ears.

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

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

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

The guilt pinned her to the table like nails.

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

His hate-filled eyes skewered like spikes.

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

His words sliced like razors.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"…Krystal?"

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

Krystal buried her head in her hands and screamed.

ㅤ⦲ㅤ

THWACK

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

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

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

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

That was when Fox realized it wasn't just lightning. Heart pounding, he dropped the axe and took off running, not even bothering to put his tunic back on his shoulders.

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

But Fox didn't answer. He leaned into a full sprint, accelerating down the hill and onto the road to the village.

He only hoped he wasn't too late.

ㅤ⦲ㅤ

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

28?!

ㅤ⦲ㅤ

An ear-splitting CRACK shook the yard, and the ground trembled beneath Krystal's seat. Surprised, she peeked between her fingers, only to be horrified by what she saw.

Everywhere she looked she found wooden seats overturned, piles of cloth torn through, and bodies lying in piles, displaced by dozens of feet. They lay in crumpled heaps, some pierced by shards of wood that splintered off from the burst. Most seemed to recover and shake it off… but where was Māra?

When Krystal's eyes picked her out among all the wreckage, she was lying slumped against the wall, head tilted forward and eyes unmoving. The longer she stared in shock, the more she noticed a dark red stain soaking her head. She watched as bright ruby drops began to drip down her hair, staining her dress.

"M-Māra?!"

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

What were they so scared of?!

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

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

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

Hana screamed and withdrew her hand. She stared at the appendage in horror; it wasn't much more than a mangy, shriveled claw now—unrecognizable as the youthful limb it used to be. Gawking at Krystal, she scrambled backwards. She tripped over another seat and fell, reaching out to catch her fall—but her ruined hand loudly snapped beneath her like dried wood. Crying, she scampered away, back behind the safety of the Kaitaki.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Krystal's anxiety grew. She had wanted Namah to come all the way to her side; to put her hand on her shoulder and tell her everything would be okay: that this moment would pass… but she didn't. Even she maintained her distance.

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

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

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

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

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

Namah fell silent for a moment, watching the girl's tears begin to fall.

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

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

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

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

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

Tears looked like they were about to spring to the matron's eyes. But the lines of her face hardened, and she clenched her fists. "Krystal, before it takes you over completely, and before you hurt anyone else… you must leave the valley."

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

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

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

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

"Krystal!"

The vixen paused, but didn't look her way. She couldn't look back.

"Remember my training out there. You still have a life to live, and many years to learn how to fight the Curse. Don't let your monster become who you are."

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

Finally she took a step.

You're doing this for Fox…

Another step.

For Māra and Hana, Namah and even Āni…

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

You're doing this to save them ALL.

ㅤ⦲ㅤ

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

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

When Fox broke through their ranks he slowed to a halt, panting. "Krystal?!" he called, looking around.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Sighing, Fox unclenched his fists and turned away. He set off running towards the mountain pass, but Namah called after him. "Wait! Where do you think you're going, young one?!"

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

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

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

"No, that's exactly why you have to stay away."

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Without another thought he took off running.

ㅤ⦲ㅤ

"Alright Baines, what did you find?"

Bill and his three lieutenants gathered around the bright holodeck, the lights in the bridge dimming once again. Baines swept his hand across the holographic table, spreading out an album of digital photos. "These are the initial results from the surveillance satellites. The clouds over the valley are thick, but with adaptive optics we were able to peer through them."

"What are we up against?"

"An agrarian society of Cerinians, as the doctor predicted. They have a village of a couple hundred structures in the forest, the largest of which appears to be a meeting hall up on a hill, and farmlands in the plains outside."

Bill glanced over the photos, marveling at the ornate wood buildings. The purple and pink flowering trees were likewise beautiful, but their outward appearance concealed the dangers lying beneath. "How many Cerinians?"

"One, maybe two thousand," the beagle officer replied.

Bill whistled, his worry echoed in Miyu's gasp and Fay's whispered curse. "That's… a problem."

"According to Dr. Makepeace, only a small percentage will have dangerous powers, else their society couldn't function. I'm sorry the doctor couldn't be here, but she's with 19 at the moment—something important."

Bill scratched his chin, noting the lack of 19's sensory deprivation pod on the bridge. Using his other hand, he swiped through a number of top-down photos of the strange-furred villagers. "Well, maybe we can track 28 via satellite and wait till she goes off by herself; that way we'd avoid the brunt of their force, and a small strike team could get in and out without them noticing. Did you get visual confirmation on 28?"

"As a matter of fact, yes."

"Show me."

Baines swept over another digital photo, which oriented itself to face Bill. The canine released a breath, and his two curious lieutenants quickly huddled around to see. The photo was grainy, discolored, and from an awkward overhead angle, but the facial recognition software confirmed it:

There was Cerinian 28, lying on the bank of a creek beneath a strange, colored blanket… with her head lying on the chest of a gold-furred vulpine.

"Fox," Fay gasped.

Bill fell silent, unable to tear his eyes off the couple. He wasn't sure what state he'd expected to find them in; perhaps a pair of slaves to more powerful Cerinians, if Ariki and Hime and 28's troubled thoughts were anything to go by. He certainly hadn't expected to find Fox and his kidnapped subject lying peacefully together like… this.

Miyu's cheeks flushed slightly. "Oh… are they…?"

Fay's eyes narrowed, and she crossed her arms. "I don't believe it. He ran off to have a little honeymoon with her, while the rest of Lylat is left to suffer. I know he was a mercenary, but still, I wanted to believe he did it out of care for others. He… he was my hero. Now though…" She slammed her fists on the holodeck. "How fucking selfish…"

Bill swallowed, feeling a lump form in his throat. For the moment he tuned out his lieutenants' exchanges, instead focusing on the image of the Cerinian and Lylatian resting together in bliss. The photo was so grainy and distorted that, if he blurred his eyes, he could pretend as if the two of them were—

"It's merely hostage syndrome."

The captain snapped back to the present, looking over his shoulder to see Dr. Makepeace had entered the bridge. The doctor strode into the room, joining his side at the table and staring at the photo. "I overheard your lieutenants arguing about the targets. It would indeed appear McCloud and the test-subject have fallen for each other—but it's not unnatural, nor unexpected."

"But… he kidnapped her!" Bill sputtered.

"As I said, it's hostage syndrome. It is not unheard of for a captive to develop feelings for their captor, given the right set of circumstances."

The canine wet his lips anxiously. "Then, do you think they have… genuine love for each other?"

"It is only an infatuation, and not known to be a healthy one. 28 was in a vulnerable position when McCloud broke her out of the labs, and he took advantage of her naivete naivete to run off with her. She had no other choice but to love her captor; it's not like she had anyone else the way he isolated her."

"Then, what do you think about Fox? Could his love at least be real?"

She pursed her lips, shaking her head. "Likewise, the boy's love is really just pity, and taking her into his care makes him feel good about himself. He thinks he can do a good deed by freeing her from the labs and giving her a normal life—but his motivations are selfish. He only sees her as a tool to find out more about his mother, since Dr. Reinard was involved in the project."

Bill's shoulders deflated; a sinking feeling in his chest.

"No, I'm afraid no such relationship between a captive and her captor is ever healthy, nor genuine—but our targets' relationship is unimportant…" She looked at Bill, speaking urgently now. "We have to make our move today."

The canine balked at the revelation. "Doctor?"

"You heard me. The attack happens now, or likely not at all."

He blew air through his nostrils. "You more than anyone knows we can't just rush in there like that! We still need time to study their society, probe their weaknesses—wait for 28 to go off by herself!"

Makepeace wrung her hands. "I know, Captain! Believe me, this isn't my first choice either—but we have no other option. I just spoke with 19; she's been surveilling 28's thought waves. Something is very, very wrong with that girl. Her anguished thoughts are increasing in intensity, and late last night they completely boiled over."

Miyu shook her head, still looking at the photo. "But she seems so peaceful. How can that be?"

"28 has never had an outburst this horrible since she's been in my care. Andross drove many of his Cerinian experiments to psychosis; they often lost complete control of their powers due to his torment. Now, 28 is rapidly losing control of hers; she's deteriorating. If we do not capture and sedate her by tonight, she may repeat 19's bloody rampage—only her potential for death and destruction is far, far greater. We must recapture her now, before she annihilates herself in her madness."

"But… but we can't rush in now; it's too dangerous!"

She shot him a stern look. "Grey, I'm sure you have some idea of what failure means. If the Cerinia project fails, if it is not incorporated into the recovery effort, then billions around the system will be doomed to squalor, and Andross's wounds will remain permanent. We must capture her."

"I know, but—"

"I'm also thinking of you, Captain." She drew closer to Bill and lowered her voice. "This is your last chance to prove yourself. The secret recovery project involving 28 and the Cerinians has been put on hold far too long. If we don't reclaim 28, it will be forced to move on without her. The Justice will be recalled and given a new crew, and you will have failed Pepper for the third time." She grasped his wrist tightly. "Ultimately, the choice is up to you. Do we try to reclaim 28 by tonight… or do we return to Lylat empty-handed?"

Bill gulped, once again feeling the immense burden of being a captain weighing down on his shoulders. If he returned now, the mission would be deemed a failure; the entire month and all the resources they lent him, wasted. He would let Pepper down once again, not to mention the suffering people of Lylat. But on the other hand, the lives of his men were on the line, and rushing into the valley would put them at risk…

"What do you three think?" he asked, opening the discussion up to his officers.

Miyu, Fay, and Baines each exchanged glances—though the latter was the first to speak. "Whatever your orders, Captain, I will follow them. The Justice goes where you command."

Miyu shook her head slowly, looking down at the flickering photo of 28 and Fox. "I… I think we should just leave them."

"Why?"

She blinked, looking up at him. "Because they're so… because it's too dangerous. We don't know enough, and we don't have a plan. If we barely survived two Cerinians"—she lay a hand on her wounded side beneath her uniform—"how much harder will it be to take on two thousand?"

Fay was likewise focused on the picture of them together—but she was glaring. "At this point, I don't even care if we're too late for 28. I just want to make Fox pay."

Bill nodded slowly, inclined to agree. "Doctor?"

Her fingers clenched the edge of the holodeck, knuckles turning white as they trembled. "I've spent years studying the Cerinia project. I'm not prepared to let it all go to waste. If we fail now, historians will ask for thousands of years in the future, how much would history have changed if we succeeded? If there even is a future…"

"Do you think we can do it? Do you think it's possible?"

She nodded. "I'm sure we can decide on a suitable plan. If you knew 28's true potential to save Lylat, you wouldn't hesitate, either. I'd lay down my life for it."

Bill sucked in a slow breath, building up the necessary courage to make his decision.

"Very well then. We were tasked with a mission, and I think we should carry it out. The hopes of everyone in Lylat are resting on our shoulders.

"By nightfall, we will have Fox—and Cerinian 28."