A Dragon's Tale
Evil Rising
Author's Note: Before I begin, I'm going to vent some suppressed anger. Now I know that Krystal died in Fatal Intent; but please, STOP WRITING ME A REVIEW TELLING ME THAT SHE DID! Ok, that's better. Just a warning, someone else is back too. And one more thing, I might raise the rating to M.
The dark figure walked out of the room that held Katt and he smiled, the Hierarchs would never know about his secret kitten.
Yes, they had escaped. No, more importantly, he had escaped when they thought he had died. The dragon flexed his paw and he walked over to the elevator on his new, redesigned frigate, the Maru. The elevator slid down and Treylon thought about Katt; he had found her on the retreat from Dragonis 3 and she had been easy to capture. He had taken her in and she had resisted, but not for long.
He had a thing for felines. Maybe it was their fur, eyes, body, he didn't know. Katt was special to him and he would keep her hidden from the rest of the crew and the other dragons.
Her long yellow hair, pink fur, blue eyes, oh there were many reasons to elaborate on Katt.
The elevator slowed to a stop and the doors opened to the docking bay; a shuttle was waiting for him and he walked up to it.
"Sir, the Hierarchs are waiting for you." Treylon merely nodded and he stepped onto the shuttle. It shot into space and around the giant contingent of ships that had escaped.
Treylon walked off his shuttle and two heavily armed dragons walked up to him.
"Sir, we'll escort you to the Hierarchs." They walked on either side of him and the trio strode down the hall. Treylon felt powerful after being called to meet with the four leaders of his depleted race.
They came to some large doors and the escorts opened them as Treylon walked through.
"Treylon, you made it."
"Yes O Holy Ones I have. What is it that you wish for your servant to do?"
"You're performance at the last skirmish was sub-par. We feel that…" The dragon stopped and Treylon felt the room tense up. "We will not punish you. The Admiral, who unfortunately lost his life, demoted you back to Capitan from Lieutenant and we feel that is punishment enough. But I am adding that you be taken off the offensive strike that we are planning."
"Yes sir." Treylon felt his heart sink and he lowered his head.
"Now leave us." Treylon turned around and he left the dragons.
Katt Monroe heard Treylon come back into his quarters but her door sis not open.
"Katt…" She heard and fear gripped her. "Katt…." The door to her 'cell' opened and she shrank back against the corner as far as her bonds would allow. "I'm very disappointed Katt. And you know what happens when I get disappointed." He stood over her and she saw his claws come out of his paws. Treylon squatted down next to Katt and he ran the claws up her leg.
"Get away from me!" She screamed and she lashed out with her paw. Treylon caught it and he slashed her fur on her ankle. She held back a scream and blood began falling on the floor.
"C'mon, scream, no one can hear you, no one will rescue you." Treylon pinned her to the floor and he licked the side of her muzzle. Katt felt his claws move around her throat and she started to cry as fear gripped her heart. "Don't be scared Katt, I'm not going to rape you." Treylon said and he rose to his feet. Katt was shaking and Treylon bent down again. "You are beautiful Katt." She continued crying and Treylon stroked her arm. "My Katt…"
Fox sat at the kitchen table and he set down his drink. The Great Fox was silent but Fox couldn't sleep; he sighed and took another pull. Fox was mulling over what to do next when he heard a pattering of footsteps approaching the kitchen.
"Fox, what are you doing up?" Krystal asked.
"I guess I could ask you the same question." She sat down next to him and she laid her head on his shoulder. "So what time is it?"
"About midnight, Cornerian time." Fox took Krystal's paw and he kissed the top of her head.
"Well, I guess I should hit my room." Fox rose up and Krystal walked with him to the door.
"Fox, do you mind if I come in?" Krystal asked.
"Well, not if you don't." Fox looped his arms around her and they locked muzzles as Fox opened his door and they walked in. Fox closed the door and they sat on his bed. "So are you sure you want to do this?"
"Fox, if I didn't I wouldn't have asked to come in." She said softly and Krystal kissed him again.
Fox awoke the next day to the sound of his alarm clock; he slammed his paw on it and it died. Fox cracked open his eyes and it read 7:30.
Ahh, I have to get to bed earlier. He rolled over and then the past night's events came back to him; Krystal was sleeping soundly and a small smile crept onto his muzzle. He stroked her head and she stirred.
"Hey Fox."
"Did you have a good time last night?" Krystal adopted a sly smile and she kissed him again.
"Oh course I did. Do you think we'll get that kit?"
"I don't know, we may have to try again tonight for assurance." Krystal laughed and Fox slid off the bed; he put on his clothes and he walked over to the door.
Someone knocked on it.
"Fox," It was Peppy.
"Yeah what's up old timer?"
"Can I come in for a moment?"
"Uh," Fox looked back but Krystal had vanished. He saw the closet door closing and Peppy tried to open the door.
"Is something wrong?"
"No," Fox said and he opened the door. The hare moved his eyes around the room without moving his head and he sat down.
"Fox I have some bad news."
"And that would be?" Fox gestured for more and Peppy sighed.
"The dragon fleet is back. We didn't get all of them at Dragonis 3."
"What!" Fox exclaimed and he put his head in his paws. "Why won't they die?" Fox said and he sat down on the bed.
"Also there have been reports that they have begun a counterattack on Cerinia; there isn't much hope for the planet Fox. We've used up all our resources and General Pepper is scrambling to organize more troops."
"So what can we do?"
"Right now, go back to Corneria, regroup and then hopefully in a few days there will be enough fighters for an assault. Hopefully the final one."
"Does Sorin know about this?"
"Yes, I have already informed him. But I want to tell Krystal but I haven't been able to find her anywhere on the ship, do you have any idea?"
"No." Fox answered quickly but Peppy saw right through him.
"Fox, you know where she is." He said and a surprised look flashed onto his face. "You two didn't-"
"Peppy, do you mind?" The old hare started to laugh and he sighed.
"This isn't the best time for a kit Fox. We are in the middle of a war."
"Well, I didn't know that the dragons had reassembled; that would have been helpful last night." Fox said it before he thought and Peppy laughed again. "Ok, you've told me your news now get out of here." The old hare left the room laughing and Fox heard a soft crying sound. Fox walked over to the closet and he eased the door open; Krystal was curled into a ball and sobs racked her body. Fox picked her up and she clung to him as he walked back to the bed.
"My home planet is under attack again." She said between sobs and Fox held her tighter.
"Krystal, I'd take this all away if I could. Here, let's get you some clothes."
Katt pulled at her bonds and they broke with a snap; hope rose in her and she rubbed her chafed wrists. She stood up and slowly eased the door open to her cell, Treylon was not around and she crept out into the hallway. She needed to find some dark clothes for her pink fur would give her away like black on snow. She walked over into his room and he was not there; but there was some spare armor lying on the bed. She slipped into it and even though it was too big, it shrank down to fit her form. Katt was taken aback and he slipped on the gloves, they changed shape and she now had to find something that would hide her. Being a foot shorter than all the dragons would make her an object of suspicion. Katt looked around the room and she saw something on Treylon's desk; it was a small circular object that had three red dots on it. She picked it up and the dots lit up; nothing seemed to occur however.
The door to Treylon's room opened and Katt whipped around; Treylon walked in and he looked right at her.
"There you are." He said and Katt took a step back. Treylon walked right past her and he retrieved a PDA that was lying on his bed. He walked out of the room and Katt was puzzled, what was the object in her paw? She pocketed the device and Katt also picked up blaster from his desk, it was a bit big for her paw but she slid it into the hip holster and the feline tip-pawed out of the room. She came out into a long hallway and the elevator door was open, she walked into it and the doors closed.
Treylon was still in the elevator! She suppressed a yelp of surprise and Katt backed up against a wall. He began to talk to himself.
"Those Hierarchs, they have gotten over their heads in this one. Our fleet has been decimated and we have taken over Cerinia again. Those pitiful vulpines, so weak." He was silent for a bit and then spoke up again. "Heh, when I get back, Ms. Monroe will say that she loves me, especially when I threaten to kill her and then actually do."
He's lost his mind. Katt thought and Treylon spoke again.
"Well, maybe that would be too harsh. I think I'll keep her around for the entertainment value." The doors opened and Katt felt fortune smile on her; they had come to the docking bay. Treylon walked out into the bay but Katt had her own agenda and she looked around for her craft; there it was. The pink ship sat by itself in the corner of the Maru and only Treylon knew what had happened to the pilot. Katt walked over to it and she ran up the ramp; there was only one problem, how was she going to get out without being seen?
The answer came in the form of all the fighters in the docking bay leaving. She couldn't believe her luck and after all the fighters left the docking bay, Katt started up her ship. It came to life and she took the controls; it taxied out of the bay and it slipped without being noticed into space. She cut the engines to low burn and input the coordinates to Corneria.
Just a side note: I know that some readers never got to see the last chapter of Fatal Intent, so here it is.
Fatal Intent
Fatal Intent
The hatch popped on Fox's craft and he yawned as the warm Cerinian sun shone on his muzzle. Fox had spent the night sleeping in his craft and he jumped out of it; a group of Cerinians walked toward him and he saw Tara walking with them.
They had met after the dragons had been destroyed and he saw something in her that reminded him of Krystal. He couldn't place his paw on it but something was familiar.
"Fox, you are in debt to Cerinia for your actions to save this planet. If you hadn't called in the Katinian Fleet and taken down the Citadel we would still be fighting this war." The other Cerinians nodded and Fox looked toward the sky; he saw a group of Katinians fly over them and he looked at Tara.
"I'm just glad to see Cerinia is free from the dragon rule, that's all." Tara nodded to the other foxes and they marched off.
"Fox, what are you going to do now?"
"Well, I really don't know." He looked into her eyes and she smiled at him. "Tara, I should be going now." He turned to go but she laid a paw on his shoulder.
"Fox," He stopped and turned around. "I have nothing left here. Please, I have a ship docked back there," She paused and Fox raised an eyebrow. "I think. I don't know if it's been destroyed but could you come with me to check it out?" Fox nodded and they walked down an alley. Fox looked out of the corner of his eye and he looked over the Cerinian vixen.
No, I can't go through with this and lose her. He held out his paw and they stopped.
"Tara, I can't do this. I,"
"What Fox?"
"I already lost a Cerinian to the dragons and she was deeply close to my heart. I rescued her from a drug lord here but I still…I could not save her in the end." Fox said as he lowered his head. "I can't do it."
A laser bolt slammed into the wall to his left and Fox saw a dark figure standing at the end of the alley, a blaster raised.
"Fox, we meet again at last." Wolf O'Donnell said as a smile crept onto his face. He eyed Tara and he pointed the blaster at her when she reached for her Overwatch. "Don't touch that." She froze and Wolf turned it back to Fox. "Nice vixen; I bet she'll be much better than Krystal." Fox visibly restrained himself and Wolf laughed.
"What do you want from me Wolf?"
"I want some revenge for this." He pointed at his eye and Fox felt Tara move behind him. "When Andross killed your father, he robbed from me a chance for revenge. I plan to use that now." Wolf replied and Fox felt Tara slip a blaster into the back of his pants, in between his belt. "Hey, let me see you." She moved to Fox's left and Wolf took a step forward. "So what is your name?"
"Tara."
"Well Tara, I guess you already know me and Fox here." He eyed her figure and she placed a paw behind her. Wolf turned to Fox and he powered up the blaster to 'kill'. "Fox, it's been fun but I'm going to have to kill you now."
Tara whipped the knife out and she threw it at Wolf; it slammed into his arm and he screamed as the blaster fell from his paw. Tara slung the Overwatch off her back and she pointed it at him. Fox drew out the blaster from his back and Wolf clutched his arm.
"No Wolf, I will not die today." Fox said and Wolf yanked the blade out of his arm.
"You bitch, look what you've done!" With a lighting move he threw the blade but Fox was quick, he fired off a round and it deflected the knife off into the air. Another round fired off and it slammed into his shoulder. "Fox…" He fell to his knees, a pained look on his muzzle.
"That's for Krystal." Fox whispered and Wolf hit the ground on all fours, Fox walked over to him and he rested the barrel of the pistol to Wolf's head. "I should kill you now; after all the suffering you put her through you deserve to die." Wolf looked up at him and Fox kicked him in the stomach. He flew on his back and Fox kept the pistol out.
"Fox, I didn't mean to do it, I, I, I just did though."
"You lying sack of shit, what do you mean you didn't mean to do it? You fucking raped her Wolf; I don't want to hear anymore shit from you." Fox raised the blaster but he stopped; the rivals locked gazes and Fox saw Wolf blaze pure hatred at him.
"Fox, your father died too quick."
"Wolf, we could never put this behind us can we?"
"No," He said and Wolf stood up, his wound leaked red liquid and he placed a paw over it. "I can never replace the wound your father inflicted on me."
"Wolf, I don't want to shoot you; why can't we just be friends?" His statement was purely an honest one and Wolf spit on the ground.
"Bullshit, I know you would love to put a bullet in my head. I can see through you Fox McCloud and I see that you would love to kill me." Wolf's statement rang true and Fox could not deny the facts.
"I would but it is not what I do." Wolf burst out laughing and Tara looked at him.
"That's…that's a good one McCloud. You're a mercenary for Christ's sake! You kill animals all the time." Wolf finished and they stood there.
"Wolf, I don't want to do this but we can either be friends or be enemies; if we are I will shoot you now."
"Fox, let me have it; I've led a life that makes me cringe and you could end all that now." Fox looked into his eye and he saw that Wolf was not lying. He pulled the trigger and Wolf screamed as a round passed through his other shoulder, stripping him of the use of his arms. Fox felt an otherworldly presence grip him and he pulled the trigger again, this time Wolf fell to his knees as blood exploded from his leg.
He was becoming a dragon. Fox's eyes blazed with fire and Wolf screamed as a round passed through his left ear. Wolf fell to the ground and blood mixed with the gravel as Wolf howled in agony.
He was becoming a dragon; hate had consumed him and the dark side of Fox was showing. He shot Wolf again in the right foot and Tara placed a paw on his shoulder.
"Fox, this is needless pain! Why are you doing this?"
"Because I have to." He said quietly and Fox squatted down next to the lupine. He placed the gun to his forehead and Wolf looked up at him; the lupine was in agonizing pain and his eyes cried a silent plea to end it all.
But, somehow he couldn't. Fox could not pull the trigger to end Wolf's life; something was waging a war inside him and it had conquered the dragon. Fox took Wolf's paw and he helped him up.
"Tara, give me a paw here." Fox ducked under Wolf's arm and they carried him to the makeshift hospital a hundred yards away. "Hey, I got a wounded on here!" Fox yelled as a doctor rushed over to them.
"Place him on the table here." Wolf yelped as he was laid on the table and the doctor called over his assistants.
"Fox, why didn't you kill him?" Tara asked as her craft lifted off Cerinia. Fox's was in the small docking bay and he looked at her from the co-pilot's chair.
"Something inside me told me that it would have drastic consequences if I did." The ship passed through the atmosphere and Fox pressed a button on his worn Comm; a holographic picture of Krystal came up. She was smiling and the backdrop was the Silver Streak; he had taken the picture when they had first came to Cerinia and she was wearing her quite although skimpy, nice fitting outfit and he suppressed the wave of sadness that rose up.
"Is that her?"
"Yeah, Krystal." Tara was not at all dressed like Krystal and she had on long pants, shirt, bandanna around her neck, boots, and a small earring in her left ear. "I miss her so much."
"How did she die?" It was an innocent question but Fox bristled.
"I'd rather not talk about it." He answered sharply.
"I'm sorry if I angered you Fox." She said after a while in silence and he nodded.
"It's not your fault Tara; if I never met her in the first place, she would have never died."
"Don't blame yourself Fox; it only makes it worse. I lost my dear friend Grey but I'm not being hard on myself about his loss." Fox was silent and he shut off his Comm.
"I was going to marry her and we were going to have a kit, Tara." Fox said and he silently cried as Tara stopped the ship. She laid a paw on his shoulder and he took it in his own.
"Fox, what can I say to make you feel better?"
"You can't say anything that will make this hurt go away Tara. I'm sorry but I'm just going to have to live with this." He released her paw and he cried into his as Tara put her arms around him. Fox felt her lay her head on his shoulder and he gave in; he looped his arms around her and she rubbed the back of his head.
"Just let it out Fox, I'll always be here for you." He raised his fur matted muzzle and they locked eyes.
"Will you?"
General Pepper slowly came awake and he groaned as something held his paws tight. He eased his eyes open and bright light was shining down on him; he looked around and dragon faces looked down on him.
"So this is the leader of Corneria?" A voice asked.
"Yes, that is him." Pepper thought he recognized the second voice.
"Ok, take him away." The sound of footsteps faded away and Pepper saw another face emerge to look down at him.
"What should we do with him O Hierarch?"
"Have him executed and bring me the new Admiral of our fleet." Pepper saw a long laser sword was raised over him.
"For the glory of Dragonis 3 and for the glory of the Hierarchs." The blade came down and blood spattered the altar.
Tara opened her eyes and the darkness enveloped her as she slid off the bed; Fox was not disturbed and she slid into her clothes as she walked out of the room.
I'll get to him eventually. Tara thought as she sat down at the Comm. Her claws ran over the lit console and she brought up the ship's personal log. She typed in her password and the screen switched to a blank page with the date on top.
Log entry number 2546
Date 01.31.2355
Log Type: X-45c4rK368
I have picked up a rogue mercenary today; his name Fox McCloud. He seems to like me and I have tried without success to have him open up to me. He will not be able to resist after a few days. I have learned that he's already experienced and his vixen has been claimed by the dragons.
Through his actions, Cerinia and Corneria have been saved and I am left with a sense of what to do next. I suspect that I will eventually have to desert but until then, I will make use of what resources are given to me.
Tara entered the log and she brought up the main screen; she tapped the mail icon and she cycled through the self-created menus. A message popped up and she read it intently.
A message to all members: A meeting will be held in the Bunker and we have important business to discuss. I fear that the dragons are planning a counterattack and we must protect ourselves.
Tara shut off the Comm and she rolled the sleeve up on her left arm; she gently rubbed a tattoo of a sickle covering a pistol.
The battle was over but the war had just begun.
"And you say that you can lead our fleet to victory?" The two Hierarchs that were meeting with the Admiral looked at each other and the Admiral nodded.
"Yes, I know I'll be able to rebuild and retake Lylat."
"We must be careful since the last Admiral severely disappointed us. What do you think brother?" The other Hierarch was thinking and he sighed.
"Will you uphold the Dragonic Code and obey without question?"
"I will O Hierarch." He fell to his knees and the dragon nodded.
"He will do."