Chapter Two: "Aboard Great Fox"
Luck was with Celestra Marquette that long, destructive night. Only that selective, elusive force could have caused her to hit the autopilot button while flying generally southwest.
It was many hours before the broken young girl awoke again, this time very alone and slightly confused as to where she was. It wasn't long, though, before her eyes widened in sheer shock of the heavenly bodies around her.
Out her left window, she could clearly see the red-glowing inferno that was Solar, a radical nebula with temperatures well into the thousands in degrees. Just visible out her right window, the aquatic surface of Aquas Ocean could be seen, a beautiful planet that housed rare water species and was the eighth and last in the Lylat system. Virtually straight ahead, Celestra could make out the dangerous area called Sector Y, a highly treacherous combar zone, one of three in the galaxy.
The first by-product of her unconsciousness that Celestra dealt with was her immediate location; although her flight was generally correct, the Arwing was angled too far west and would not likely reach Corneria. Next, Celestra booted up the G-Diffuser system, sending out a distress signal. "This is the Arwing Legacy, requesting an audience with General Aronius Pepper. Er . . . this is pretty important, I think."
For another hour or so, Celestra struggled with the shifty reception of her transmitter, begging for any contact from anyone in authority on Corneria. Finally, the connection held, and Celestra was relieved to hear: "Legacy, this is Peppy Hare of the mercenary unit Star Fox. State your name and location for tracing purposes."
The lost girl paused. Star Fox was a highly regarded group of mercenaries that was closely affiliated with the general and hailed up and down the Lylat system. Celestra suddenly felt very insignificant indeed. "My name is Celestra Marquette. I'm . . . ah . . . just southwest of Aquas Ocean."
A lengthy paused followed, then she heard, "You're just a kid! What do you want with General Pepper?"
Celestra burst into hysterical tears. "Please!" she begged. "My parents are dead, and my planet's been attacked!"
Peppy's glare of suspicion turned to an alarmed concern. "Where are you from?"
"Macbeth."
Another pause, this one more tense. "How many survivors?"
Celestra struggled to firm her jaw and steady her voice. "Sir, I can't be sure, but I think . . . just me."
Peppy's heart skipped several beats. Andross had only just broken free of Venom, and already in the span of just five days he had successfully infiltrated Macbeth! Looking at the young girl, barely older than seven or eight, Peppy came to understand the gravity of her situation. She should have been dead, anyone else surely would be, yet here she was, sublimating her uncharted terror for some personal, unknown reason.
Peppy found that he admired the child.
"The Legacy is liscensed in the name of Jarius Marquette, a former Cornerian first-class private," Peppy continued, studying the data on a small computer screen near him. "You are his daughter, I daresay?"
"His only child, sir," the young girl began again, wondering where this inquiry was headed and desperately needing some comfort. "My name's Celestra."
The wise hare nodded his assent; all the pieces fell nicely into place. He vaguely remembered serving with Jarius Marquette, as valiant a man as Peppy had ever had the pleasure of meeting, so it only made sense that Jarius would spare his only child's life in exchange for his own. Seeing the newly apprehensive expression surfacing on the refugee's face, Peppy quickly added, "General Pepper's command ship, Great Fox, is en route to Katina from Sector Y as we speak. I will have him alter our course; if he refuses, I will board my Arwing as soon as I may and come get you myself. Keep moving generally south from your current position; we should be at your co-ordinates within the hour."
Celestra was overwhelmed by the pilot's unbridled passion for her situation. "Er . . . what did you say your name was again?"
"Peppy Hare. Great Fox, over and out."
Quite suddenly, the transmission had been terminated. Celestra was utterly alone again, in a vast area of space she had only heard tales about, but never had she felt so secure. Peppy Hare was an amazing pilot, hailed up and down the Lylat system as a member of the famous mercenary unit Star Fox. The renegade group traversed the galaxy as they pleased, dealing blows to supporters of Andross, but they were often hired to serve as personal warriors of General Pepper's army. Her father had told her a tale upon his return from Sector X combat zone a couple of years ago, in which General Pepper and his army had been in dire straits after a Venomian ambush. Just as things were turning ill for the goodly forces, three magnificent pilots had intervened, undoubtedly the members of Star Fox, and the battle had miraculously turned in Pepper's favor. Upon the arrival of Peppy Hare, Pigma Dengar, and the valiant James McCloud, the battle had been won and the Venomians driven back.
As she passed into a more contented sleep than the first, Celestra was convinced that no matter who arrived first, she was definitely in capable, caring hands.
~~*~~
Upon hearing Peppy's heartfelt tale of the last Macbethian native, General Pepper immediately steered Great Fox in the direction of the Arwing Legacy, which seemed to have been once again put into autopilot mode. Although Peppy had great faith in the speed of Pepper's signature command craft, he simply could not chance the girls' capture after such an emotional journey and an exhausting ordeal. So it was that the Arwing Nebulafire, Peppy's official mercenary vessel, first came upon the barely adrift spectacle of the Legacy.
Peppy couldn't believe what he was seeing, and his mind reeled with possibilities. What kind of force, what supreme, all-powerful being, could have brought Celestra all this way in such a depleted state?
No time to think about that, Peppy reminded himself scoldingly. With that, the detirmined pilot electrically latched the Legacy to the rear of Nebulafire and sped away, as easily as possible so as not to disturb his troubled cargo.
In perhaps an hour, Peppy had docked the pair of spacecraft in the main hangar of Great Fox, drawing more than a couple curious glances as he traversed the walkways carrying a dark-haired northerner. The wise hare understood the girls' medical condition; she was beyond exhaustion and sported many bruises as a result of her two days' worth of jostling through unknown territories, so therefore he concluded that General Pepper would have to wait. What the young Marquette needed most now was rest, recovery, and the truth of the situation in Lylat.
Celestra slept for several hours in the safety of Great Fox's hospital wing, under Peppy Hare's wary, watchful eye. Watching her serene face all the while, it occured to Peppy that this poor child had seen more destruction in half a week than several in the Cornerian army could hope to witness in a month. The turmoil of Macbeth tormented gentle Peppy--already two planets had fallen to Andross (Katina had been usurped the day before), and he had lost his closest friend.
How much more crisis could the Lylat system withstand?
Peppy shook the foolish notion from his mind. If he was correct in assuming--and, after being part of a mercenary group for half his life, he trusted his intuition--the worst of Lylat's troubles still seemed far off.
It was later in the evening when Celestra's beautiful eyes peeped open; Peppy missed nothing, however subtle. She stared quietly at the ceiling--contemplating the previous disturbing events, her savior supposed--until she realized she was not alone in the room. Before she could truly begin to panic (this one did not need to feel any more fear!), Peppy stood unthreateningly and held up his hands, crossing to stand beside her cot and smiling disarmingly. They shared a silent, calculative moment then; each was contemplating the status and motives of the other, and for more than a fleeting instant, each wondered under what higher design had they been placed so suddenly in one anothers' lives.
"You're Peppy Hare," she stated bluntly, managing a slight, impressed grin at her superior. "My daddy met you once--he said Star Fox are the most talented mercenaries in all of Lylat."
Were, Peppy thought in lament, but did not yet offer that bit of knowledge. Instead, he smiled approvingly and nodded. "Yes; yes I am. And you're Celestra, the daughter of Jarius Marquette, the only known survivor of the Macbeth disaster."
Celestra's face appeared crestfallen at the mention of her accosted planet, and Peppy inwardly berated himself severly for not being more sensitive. He stood swiftly and bowed low in apology, muttering, "Do forgive me, Miss Marquette. You must, however, show me your courage again, as I reveal to you the truth.
"First and foremost, Andross has escaped his imprisonment on Venom."
Celestra nodded. Her father had told her as much.
"Secondly, Star Fox was there when that occured."
This time, Celestra was quite taken aback. If Star Fox had witnessed the uprising of Andross, why hadn't they stopped him, or at least given him a considerable amount of trouble? "So where are James and Pigma?" she questioned instead. "Are they here on the ship, too?"
Peppy's eyes flashed menacingly, uncontrollably, then his shoulders slumped in guilt and he lowered his gaze. "No, young one; I wish it were that easy."
Celestra frowned; Peppy cleared his throat.
"Two weeks ago, General Pepper gave my mercenary unit the task of secretly infiltrating Venom; our assignment, to discern the source of activity swelling on its surface.
"Upon our arrival, Pigma Dengar betrayed James McCloud and I to Andross himself; I suspect he lives still, in the service of that most evil tyrant."
The dark-haired girl gasped in utmost shock, clapping her graceful hands over her lips to stifle the sound. Peppy was perfectly astounded by the gravity, the emotion, of the child's response. She was caught up in a myriad of danger the likes of which she couldn't possibly fathom, and yet her heart was in the situation, even the finer points of which she didn't understand. Peppy Hare was truly touched.
"James and I were mercilessly tortured for four long days, until James gave his last ounce of strength and courage to aid in my escape.
"I crash-landed on Zoness a day later, where I was fortunate enough to get in touch with General Pepper. In a week I was back on the Great Fox, bringing with me the news that Star Fox had been torn asunder.
"James McCloud was murdered by Andross."
This time Celestra did not utter any sounds of surprise or protest; halfway through Peppy's tale her eyes had misted considerably and now she was indeed crying, great pearly tears rolling from her icy blue eyes to wet her ivory cheeks. The hare regretted very much the retelling--and the pain it caused on both ends--but so great was his respect for the girlt that he felt she deserved the whole truth of the situation. Peppy caved in as Celestra cried softly, even letting a few tears of his own slip by without a word of weakness. After a few minutes, though, he cleared his throat and continued.
"Star Fox is no more, you see, but one day soon General Pepper will find a few new mercenaries--myself included, of course--and we'll begin our organization anew, to the downfall of Andross."
Celestra nodded bravely, and Peppy smiled when he realized that she didn't doubt his claims. The pair lapsed into contemplative silence then, pondering all that had transpired and the courses they would likely take. Only when the girl's stomach growled did she re-engage Peppy in conversation.
"Mr. Hare--"
"Peppy," the Arwing veteran insisted.
"Peppy," Celestra began again, a slight smile breaking her lips like a few silver rays of sunlight in wintertime. "Sorry, sir, but I haven't eaten since I left home, and--"
Peppy nearly slapped himself in the face for such an obvious lapse in manners and hospitality. "Oh, do accept my apologies!" he exclaimed, bowing low again. "Say no more. I'll run and get you something to eat, not to worry! In the meantime--" Peppy glanced to the end of the hospital wing, to one of the many homeless refugees from Katina. "--Why don't you go introduce yourself to my young friend, Bill?" With a warm, comforting smile her way, Peppy walked out, purpose and resolve in his light steps.
At the prompting of her savior, Celestra shifted in her bedsheets and peered around the white curtain shielding her. Sitting on the edge of an identical cot was a young boy, a gray dog no more than two years her senior. He was poised on the edge of the cot, staring forlornly at the tiled floor beneath him and aimlessly wringing his fingers together.
Stretching her legs out in front of her to test their strength, Celestra swung herself easily out of the cot and padded cautiously across the hospital wing to the distressed boy. Even as she slowed, a mere five feet in front of him, he made no moves to acknowledge her presence, showed no signs he even noticed her at all.
"Excuse me," Celestra began uncertainly. "Er . . . you okay?"
The boy glanced up in surprise, and the young girl from Macbeth was thoroughly taken aback by his eyes; deep pools of rich mahogany that, under more joyous circumstances, would undoubtedly shine with their own private inner sparkle.
"Ah," he responded uneasily, and his voice was rough with the rich foreign accent of exotic Katina. "Not really, I reckon, if it's all the same to you." With that vague, monotonous answer, his listless gaze returned to the floor.
Celestra held out her right hand in proper greeting. "I'm Celestra Marquette, just arrived from Macbeth." As an afterthought, she added glumly, "If Macbeth is even there anymore."
"Bill Grey," the boy returned with little interest in Celestra. "One of only eight refugees that escaped the Venomian mothership encircling Katina. And yeah, your planet's still there; Peppy gave me the details."
"What happened on Katina?" the girl began inquisitively, taking advantage of the boy's disinterest.
Bill raised his eyes, carefully studying the intense gaze of the child standing firmly before him. Peppy had shrewdly given Bill the shortened version of Celestra's run out of Macbethian air space, in which she had disposed of at least twenty Venomians. Intently scrutinizing the pale fire of her icy blue eyes, Bill found that she was obviously younger than he, but he could not deny the respect he had for the girls' heroic efforts. He needed strength to pour out such a traumatizing tale, and curiously enough, he found it in the steely, confident gaze. Drawing a rather helpless breath, Bill closed his eyes and retold his story.
"My dad and me heard what went down on Macbeth, and we were kinda restless, you know, wondering what was gonna go down next, so we started prepping my dad's old Arwing. During the night I was kinda dozin' off when my dad started yellin' for me to pack some essentials, and when I asked why, he said a Venomian mothership was en route to Katina with an ETA of six or seven minutes.
"So I run around like a banshee, grabbin' my stuff, and my dad fires up the Arwing right in out backyard. I run out of the house just before it gets liquidated by a Venomian forefront squad. Lasers are comin' at us like acid rain, and my dad shoves me outta the way, takin' at least six in the chest. He--" Bill looked up, eyes brimming with guilt. "--He died before he hit the ground.
"So what am I s'posed to do but take the Arwing and get outta there? Figure dad didn't give his life away to see me surrender to Andross! I blazed through Katinan air space, blastin' Venomians when I can, and I hooked up with some veterans out of Pepper's army. We came here; we couldn't think of any other place to go."
Celestra stared, obviously shocked. "How old are you?"
"Nine and one half. You?"
"I'm only seven."
An abrupt and uncomfortable silence fell over the medical ward, in which Celestra sat precariously on the edge of Bill's cot, relaxing only when he scooted to the side to make room for her. After allowing herself a few minutes' time to compose herself (and inconspicuously brush away a tear or two), Celestra rewarded Bill with a full recounting of her escape from Macbeth and her journey to Great Fox. Comfortably shielded by the shadows of the doorway, Peppy Hare smiled at the simple innocence of it all. He had not missed a single word, and the kids' meals were still piping hot.
"So what are you gonna do when you get outta here?" Bill pressed. He seemed much more at ease now that his retelling was complete.
"I really don't know," admitted Celestra. "I haven't thought about it. Do you have any plans?"
"Sure do," Bill beamed. "I'm gonna be an assassin."
Celestra stared. "A what?"
"An assassin. It's a person who gets hired and paid to track down certain people and kill them. Pepper could use a good assassing working against Andross."
Celestra's eyes were wide. It was difficult for her to fathom what she believed to be such a grisly, unorthodox profession.
"You could be one too, y'know," Bill continued, slinging an arm about her shoulders. "You've already got the skill."
If Celestra's eyes opened any wider, they would simply roll out of their sockets. Peppy chose that time to make his presence known, and the children ate their meals in a tense silence. Afterward, not a word was spoken of Andross, the seemingly inevitable war, or a career as an assassin.
Peppy didn't know if he should be pleased or disappointed by that.
Luck was with Celestra Marquette that long, destructive night. Only that selective, elusive force could have caused her to hit the autopilot button while flying generally southwest.
It was many hours before the broken young girl awoke again, this time very alone and slightly confused as to where she was. It wasn't long, though, before her eyes widened in sheer shock of the heavenly bodies around her.
Out her left window, she could clearly see the red-glowing inferno that was Solar, a radical nebula with temperatures well into the thousands in degrees. Just visible out her right window, the aquatic surface of Aquas Ocean could be seen, a beautiful planet that housed rare water species and was the eighth and last in the Lylat system. Virtually straight ahead, Celestra could make out the dangerous area called Sector Y, a highly treacherous combar zone, one of three in the galaxy.
The first by-product of her unconsciousness that Celestra dealt with was her immediate location; although her flight was generally correct, the Arwing was angled too far west and would not likely reach Corneria. Next, Celestra booted up the G-Diffuser system, sending out a distress signal. "This is the Arwing Legacy, requesting an audience with General Aronius Pepper. Er . . . this is pretty important, I think."
For another hour or so, Celestra struggled with the shifty reception of her transmitter, begging for any contact from anyone in authority on Corneria. Finally, the connection held, and Celestra was relieved to hear: "Legacy, this is Peppy Hare of the mercenary unit Star Fox. State your name and location for tracing purposes."
The lost girl paused. Star Fox was a highly regarded group of mercenaries that was closely affiliated with the general and hailed up and down the Lylat system. Celestra suddenly felt very insignificant indeed. "My name is Celestra Marquette. I'm . . . ah . . . just southwest of Aquas Ocean."
A lengthy paused followed, then she heard, "You're just a kid! What do you want with General Pepper?"
Celestra burst into hysterical tears. "Please!" she begged. "My parents are dead, and my planet's been attacked!"
Peppy's glare of suspicion turned to an alarmed concern. "Where are you from?"
"Macbeth."
Another pause, this one more tense. "How many survivors?"
Celestra struggled to firm her jaw and steady her voice. "Sir, I can't be sure, but I think . . . just me."
Peppy's heart skipped several beats. Andross had only just broken free of Venom, and already in the span of just five days he had successfully infiltrated Macbeth! Looking at the young girl, barely older than seven or eight, Peppy came to understand the gravity of her situation. She should have been dead, anyone else surely would be, yet here she was, sublimating her uncharted terror for some personal, unknown reason.
Peppy found that he admired the child.
"The Legacy is liscensed in the name of Jarius Marquette, a former Cornerian first-class private," Peppy continued, studying the data on a small computer screen near him. "You are his daughter, I daresay?"
"His only child, sir," the young girl began again, wondering where this inquiry was headed and desperately needing some comfort. "My name's Celestra."
The wise hare nodded his assent; all the pieces fell nicely into place. He vaguely remembered serving with Jarius Marquette, as valiant a man as Peppy had ever had the pleasure of meeting, so it only made sense that Jarius would spare his only child's life in exchange for his own. Seeing the newly apprehensive expression surfacing on the refugee's face, Peppy quickly added, "General Pepper's command ship, Great Fox, is en route to Katina from Sector Y as we speak. I will have him alter our course; if he refuses, I will board my Arwing as soon as I may and come get you myself. Keep moving generally south from your current position; we should be at your co-ordinates within the hour."
Celestra was overwhelmed by the pilot's unbridled passion for her situation. "Er . . . what did you say your name was again?"
"Peppy Hare. Great Fox, over and out."
Quite suddenly, the transmission had been terminated. Celestra was utterly alone again, in a vast area of space she had only heard tales about, but never had she felt so secure. Peppy Hare was an amazing pilot, hailed up and down the Lylat system as a member of the famous mercenary unit Star Fox. The renegade group traversed the galaxy as they pleased, dealing blows to supporters of Andross, but they were often hired to serve as personal warriors of General Pepper's army. Her father had told her a tale upon his return from Sector X combat zone a couple of years ago, in which General Pepper and his army had been in dire straits after a Venomian ambush. Just as things were turning ill for the goodly forces, three magnificent pilots had intervened, undoubtedly the members of Star Fox, and the battle had miraculously turned in Pepper's favor. Upon the arrival of Peppy Hare, Pigma Dengar, and the valiant James McCloud, the battle had been won and the Venomians driven back.
As she passed into a more contented sleep than the first, Celestra was convinced that no matter who arrived first, she was definitely in capable, caring hands.
~~*~~
Upon hearing Peppy's heartfelt tale of the last Macbethian native, General Pepper immediately steered Great Fox in the direction of the Arwing Legacy, which seemed to have been once again put into autopilot mode. Although Peppy had great faith in the speed of Pepper's signature command craft, he simply could not chance the girls' capture after such an emotional journey and an exhausting ordeal. So it was that the Arwing Nebulafire, Peppy's official mercenary vessel, first came upon the barely adrift spectacle of the Legacy.
Peppy couldn't believe what he was seeing, and his mind reeled with possibilities. What kind of force, what supreme, all-powerful being, could have brought Celestra all this way in such a depleted state?
No time to think about that, Peppy reminded himself scoldingly. With that, the detirmined pilot electrically latched the Legacy to the rear of Nebulafire and sped away, as easily as possible so as not to disturb his troubled cargo.
In perhaps an hour, Peppy had docked the pair of spacecraft in the main hangar of Great Fox, drawing more than a couple curious glances as he traversed the walkways carrying a dark-haired northerner. The wise hare understood the girls' medical condition; she was beyond exhaustion and sported many bruises as a result of her two days' worth of jostling through unknown territories, so therefore he concluded that General Pepper would have to wait. What the young Marquette needed most now was rest, recovery, and the truth of the situation in Lylat.
Celestra slept for several hours in the safety of Great Fox's hospital wing, under Peppy Hare's wary, watchful eye. Watching her serene face all the while, it occured to Peppy that this poor child had seen more destruction in half a week than several in the Cornerian army could hope to witness in a month. The turmoil of Macbeth tormented gentle Peppy--already two planets had fallen to Andross (Katina had been usurped the day before), and he had lost his closest friend.
How much more crisis could the Lylat system withstand?
Peppy shook the foolish notion from his mind. If he was correct in assuming--and, after being part of a mercenary group for half his life, he trusted his intuition--the worst of Lylat's troubles still seemed far off.
It was later in the evening when Celestra's beautiful eyes peeped open; Peppy missed nothing, however subtle. She stared quietly at the ceiling--contemplating the previous disturbing events, her savior supposed--until she realized she was not alone in the room. Before she could truly begin to panic (this one did not need to feel any more fear!), Peppy stood unthreateningly and held up his hands, crossing to stand beside her cot and smiling disarmingly. They shared a silent, calculative moment then; each was contemplating the status and motives of the other, and for more than a fleeting instant, each wondered under what higher design had they been placed so suddenly in one anothers' lives.
"You're Peppy Hare," she stated bluntly, managing a slight, impressed grin at her superior. "My daddy met you once--he said Star Fox are the most talented mercenaries in all of Lylat."
Were, Peppy thought in lament, but did not yet offer that bit of knowledge. Instead, he smiled approvingly and nodded. "Yes; yes I am. And you're Celestra, the daughter of Jarius Marquette, the only known survivor of the Macbeth disaster."
Celestra's face appeared crestfallen at the mention of her accosted planet, and Peppy inwardly berated himself severly for not being more sensitive. He stood swiftly and bowed low in apology, muttering, "Do forgive me, Miss Marquette. You must, however, show me your courage again, as I reveal to you the truth.
"First and foremost, Andross has escaped his imprisonment on Venom."
Celestra nodded. Her father had told her as much.
"Secondly, Star Fox was there when that occured."
This time, Celestra was quite taken aback. If Star Fox had witnessed the uprising of Andross, why hadn't they stopped him, or at least given him a considerable amount of trouble? "So where are James and Pigma?" she questioned instead. "Are they here on the ship, too?"
Peppy's eyes flashed menacingly, uncontrollably, then his shoulders slumped in guilt and he lowered his gaze. "No, young one; I wish it were that easy."
Celestra frowned; Peppy cleared his throat.
"Two weeks ago, General Pepper gave my mercenary unit the task of secretly infiltrating Venom; our assignment, to discern the source of activity swelling on its surface.
"Upon our arrival, Pigma Dengar betrayed James McCloud and I to Andross himself; I suspect he lives still, in the service of that most evil tyrant."
The dark-haired girl gasped in utmost shock, clapping her graceful hands over her lips to stifle the sound. Peppy was perfectly astounded by the gravity, the emotion, of the child's response. She was caught up in a myriad of danger the likes of which she couldn't possibly fathom, and yet her heart was in the situation, even the finer points of which she didn't understand. Peppy Hare was truly touched.
"James and I were mercilessly tortured for four long days, until James gave his last ounce of strength and courage to aid in my escape.
"I crash-landed on Zoness a day later, where I was fortunate enough to get in touch with General Pepper. In a week I was back on the Great Fox, bringing with me the news that Star Fox had been torn asunder.
"James McCloud was murdered by Andross."
This time Celestra did not utter any sounds of surprise or protest; halfway through Peppy's tale her eyes had misted considerably and now she was indeed crying, great pearly tears rolling from her icy blue eyes to wet her ivory cheeks. The hare regretted very much the retelling--and the pain it caused on both ends--but so great was his respect for the girlt that he felt she deserved the whole truth of the situation. Peppy caved in as Celestra cried softly, even letting a few tears of his own slip by without a word of weakness. After a few minutes, though, he cleared his throat and continued.
"Star Fox is no more, you see, but one day soon General Pepper will find a few new mercenaries--myself included, of course--and we'll begin our organization anew, to the downfall of Andross."
Celestra nodded bravely, and Peppy smiled when he realized that she didn't doubt his claims. The pair lapsed into contemplative silence then, pondering all that had transpired and the courses they would likely take. Only when the girl's stomach growled did she re-engage Peppy in conversation.
"Mr. Hare--"
"Peppy," the Arwing veteran insisted.
"Peppy," Celestra began again, a slight smile breaking her lips like a few silver rays of sunlight in wintertime. "Sorry, sir, but I haven't eaten since I left home, and--"
Peppy nearly slapped himself in the face for such an obvious lapse in manners and hospitality. "Oh, do accept my apologies!" he exclaimed, bowing low again. "Say no more. I'll run and get you something to eat, not to worry! In the meantime--" Peppy glanced to the end of the hospital wing, to one of the many homeless refugees from Katina. "--Why don't you go introduce yourself to my young friend, Bill?" With a warm, comforting smile her way, Peppy walked out, purpose and resolve in his light steps.
At the prompting of her savior, Celestra shifted in her bedsheets and peered around the white curtain shielding her. Sitting on the edge of an identical cot was a young boy, a gray dog no more than two years her senior. He was poised on the edge of the cot, staring forlornly at the tiled floor beneath him and aimlessly wringing his fingers together.
Stretching her legs out in front of her to test their strength, Celestra swung herself easily out of the cot and padded cautiously across the hospital wing to the distressed boy. Even as she slowed, a mere five feet in front of him, he made no moves to acknowledge her presence, showed no signs he even noticed her at all.
"Excuse me," Celestra began uncertainly. "Er . . . you okay?"
The boy glanced up in surprise, and the young girl from Macbeth was thoroughly taken aback by his eyes; deep pools of rich mahogany that, under more joyous circumstances, would undoubtedly shine with their own private inner sparkle.
"Ah," he responded uneasily, and his voice was rough with the rich foreign accent of exotic Katina. "Not really, I reckon, if it's all the same to you." With that vague, monotonous answer, his listless gaze returned to the floor.
Celestra held out her right hand in proper greeting. "I'm Celestra Marquette, just arrived from Macbeth." As an afterthought, she added glumly, "If Macbeth is even there anymore."
"Bill Grey," the boy returned with little interest in Celestra. "One of only eight refugees that escaped the Venomian mothership encircling Katina. And yeah, your planet's still there; Peppy gave me the details."
"What happened on Katina?" the girl began inquisitively, taking advantage of the boy's disinterest.
Bill raised his eyes, carefully studying the intense gaze of the child standing firmly before him. Peppy had shrewdly given Bill the shortened version of Celestra's run out of Macbethian air space, in which she had disposed of at least twenty Venomians. Intently scrutinizing the pale fire of her icy blue eyes, Bill found that she was obviously younger than he, but he could not deny the respect he had for the girls' heroic efforts. He needed strength to pour out such a traumatizing tale, and curiously enough, he found it in the steely, confident gaze. Drawing a rather helpless breath, Bill closed his eyes and retold his story.
"My dad and me heard what went down on Macbeth, and we were kinda restless, you know, wondering what was gonna go down next, so we started prepping my dad's old Arwing. During the night I was kinda dozin' off when my dad started yellin' for me to pack some essentials, and when I asked why, he said a Venomian mothership was en route to Katina with an ETA of six or seven minutes.
"So I run around like a banshee, grabbin' my stuff, and my dad fires up the Arwing right in out backyard. I run out of the house just before it gets liquidated by a Venomian forefront squad. Lasers are comin' at us like acid rain, and my dad shoves me outta the way, takin' at least six in the chest. He--" Bill looked up, eyes brimming with guilt. "--He died before he hit the ground.
"So what am I s'posed to do but take the Arwing and get outta there? Figure dad didn't give his life away to see me surrender to Andross! I blazed through Katinan air space, blastin' Venomians when I can, and I hooked up with some veterans out of Pepper's army. We came here; we couldn't think of any other place to go."
Celestra stared, obviously shocked. "How old are you?"
"Nine and one half. You?"
"I'm only seven."
An abrupt and uncomfortable silence fell over the medical ward, in which Celestra sat precariously on the edge of Bill's cot, relaxing only when he scooted to the side to make room for her. After allowing herself a few minutes' time to compose herself (and inconspicuously brush away a tear or two), Celestra rewarded Bill with a full recounting of her escape from Macbeth and her journey to Great Fox. Comfortably shielded by the shadows of the doorway, Peppy Hare smiled at the simple innocence of it all. He had not missed a single word, and the kids' meals were still piping hot.
"So what are you gonna do when you get outta here?" Bill pressed. He seemed much more at ease now that his retelling was complete.
"I really don't know," admitted Celestra. "I haven't thought about it. Do you have any plans?"
"Sure do," Bill beamed. "I'm gonna be an assassin."
Celestra stared. "A what?"
"An assassin. It's a person who gets hired and paid to track down certain people and kill them. Pepper could use a good assassing working against Andross."
Celestra's eyes were wide. It was difficult for her to fathom what she believed to be such a grisly, unorthodox profession.
"You could be one too, y'know," Bill continued, slinging an arm about her shoulders. "You've already got the skill."
If Celestra's eyes opened any wider, they would simply roll out of their sockets. Peppy chose that time to make his presence known, and the children ate their meals in a tense silence. Afterward, not a word was spoken of Andross, the seemingly inevitable war, or a career as an assassin.
Peppy didn't know if he should be pleased or disappointed by that.