Zavis gripped the hilt of the knife harder as he heard footsteps echo down the hall. As a fox rounded the corner Zavis knocked his gun away and threw himself on the fur. As the two struggled Zavis slipped behind the fox and pressed his knife against his windpipe.
"Where is she," he muttered in the guard's ear.
"I don't know what you're talking about," the fox squeaked out as he wriggled to try to free himself.
"Wrong answer," Zavis said softly as he tightened his grip and let the knife slip underneath the fox's fur drawing a small stain of red, "now where is she."
The fox began to sweat bullets as he took a small gulp of air and strained his neck away from the blade before answering, "she's three levels down, in the questioning room, p-please don't kill me"!
"Can you tell me anything else," Zavis asked?
"No I don't know anything else."
"Then you are no use to me," Zavis breathed with a icy cold voice.
"No please I have a family you just can't…" the guard choked on his words as the knife severed his throat. Zavis let the limp body fall before he wiped his hand and blade on the guards uniform. As Zavis policed the body a radio crackled to life.
"112 what's your status"?
Zavis grabbed the radio and responded, "This is 112 no sign of the intruder here, continue will continue to work my way up over."
"Roger that that human won't get near that bitch until its too late."
Zavis shut the radio off as laughter cracked over it, they will pay he though every last on of them. Zavis continued on his way through the halls. As he peaked around a corner he saw two guards by an elevator. Got to take em out he thought. Zavis slipped a knife in each hand as he threw himself around the corner. Both guard reacted immediately and started to raise their guns. Zavis wiped his arms toward them and smiled as he watched each blade plant itself into a throat and a blossom of crimson sprout. He rushed down the hall and jumped into the elevator and began the slow decent down. I'm almost there Rosy just hold on a little longer. Zavis hid to one side of the elevator as it gave a slight lurch as it stopped. Zavis drew a pistol and knife as the doors parted. One soldier leaned into the opening and took the knife in the forehead. As the body fell forward Zavis leapt out and grabbed the corpse and used it as a shied as laser fire erupted from all corners of the room. Zavis flipped the pistol left and right with shot after shot into the mass of laser fire. After a moment only silence greeted his ears. He let the charred body slump to the ground as he scanned the room. Bodies littered the place smoking slightly from burns. Zavis strained his ears for a moment until he heard a low moan emanate from the left. As he dashed to the source of the sound a body stirred and fired off a quick shot at him. Zavis spun and launched a knife toward the source as a burn scored his left arm. The shooter took the knife in the head and toppled back. Zavis continued to follow the low moan until he found its source. Tears welled up in his eyes as he saw Rosy with several cuts and burns covering her. As Zavis knelt and cradled the wounded feline Rosy opened her eyes.
"I knew you would come Zavis," she said weakly, "sorry for putting you through all this trouble."
"Rosy it not your fault if I had been there to protect you."
Rosy raised a paw and silenced Zavis with a shake of her head, "there was nothing you could have done, I'm just glad I got to see you one last time." Rosy gave Zavis a small smile before her eyes closed. Zavis hugged and rocked her gently as tears began to stream down his face. "Please don't die," he muttered as a knot in his chest began to tighten, "please not again." As Rosy's body grew cold Zavis felt it begin to fade away, he clung to it even tighter as a white light flashed behind him.
"Zavis," Krystal said as she immerged from the light, "Zavis you have to come with me."
Zavis dropped Rosy body as it completely faded from sight as he choked out, "why should I? You're just here to lead me to where I can see her die again, or maybe to see her raped, or even see her ripped limb from limb, or some other horrible nightmare that I might cause here to go THROUGH"! Zavis finished with a shout as he stood up and turned to face her.
Krystal took a step back as Zavis glared at her. She had never seen eyes that held so much hate and anger, nor had she seen eyes that held so much sorrow. "Zavis I know you fear the pain you might cause her but you have to let go of that fear. Only then can you help save the system."
"What good is it to save the system if all that I can bring her is pain," Zavis screamed, "I have always know that's all I could ever bring her and yet I have stayed near her. I'm nothing but a selfish fool." Zavis dropped his head before he spoke again, "even if I save the system I can never be with her, if that is my fate so be it," Zavis snapped his head up and with tears flowing down his face, "I'll save this light forsaken system and then I'll disappear once and for all, that's the only way to keep her safe."
"Oh Zavis," Krystal said softly as she walked toward him, "I'm so sorry." Krystal placed her arms around him and they both vanished in a flash of light.
Wolf and Jr. shielded their eyes as a bright light flashed a short distance away from them as Krystal and Zavis walked out of it.
"So the human finally makes it out," Jr. sneered as the Krystal and Zavis walked over to them.
"Interesting form you took Jr., looks like it could be my twin," Zavis said softly. Jr. averted his eyes.
"So Zavis what do we do now," Wolf asked softly?
"We continue to aid Fox and the others. We'll give Fox the planes that we figured out and let him convince his superiors that it's the best course of action. Then he help with the final attack on Pepper."
"Very well then human," Jr. muttered.
"Just one thing," Zavis said as he rounded toward Krystal, "you're using that aparoid to magnify your powers correct." Krystal gave a quick nod "How many aparoids could you destroy at Peppers base safely"?
"About a third of them with out risking the aparoid taking over me."
"And you're aware enough to do that if I tell you to." Krystal gave another nod "Then put us back in control of our body we've got work to do." A black light flashed around all of them and they faded away.
Krystal's eyes shut as Zavis leapt up from the bed. Zavis took a moment to clear his head before he rushed to the ship's cockpit. When he reached the cockpit his fingers flew over the console.
Fox sat and waited as a jet-black crow stood rubbing his eyes. "If what you say is true Fox then we are in deep trouble."
"Everything I've said is true Admiral Crowe. If you don't move your fleet now then the aparoids will begin to mobilize across the system," Fox said in a strained voice.
"Admiral Grey what is your take on this," Crowe muttered.
"Fox has never stirred me wrong before so I think we need to move now," Bill said with a small bark.
"Very well then I will give the tacticians a copy of the relevant data so they can begin to organize…" Crowe was cut off as his COM crackled to life.
"Grand Admiral, you have a message up most urgency."
"Corporal did I not give you orders to hold all messages until this meeting was over," Crowe said with his voice rising?
"Yes sir but the message had an alpha designated priority."
"I see, on screen then." Crowe turned toward the main vid-screen as it hummed to life. He gave a small frown as the screen stayed a deep black. "Corporal what is the meaning of this," he raged.
"Sorry Admiral but I will only be giving you audio for the moment."
"Who are you," Crowe snapped.
"Zavis, but that's not important, I'm sending you an uplink of all the combat data I have simulated and the best possible plan of attack against Corneria. You should be receiving it now." Crowe walked over to his data pad and quickly scanned the data.
"You have to be kidding me. This is the best plan you could come up with," Crowe said with a sneer.
"Have your strategist look at the relative data this is the best course of action," Zavis muttered.
"Even if this is the only course of action I will not sacrifice the lives of our fleet like this."
"Admiral what are the cost if you don't follow this plan." Crowe just stared at he screen. "The soldiers know their duty and are willing to pay the price. What your asking of them is a small price compared to the survival of the system." Crowe looked around the room at Fox and Bill only to see them nod in agreement with Zavis.
"Very well," Crowe said slowly, "Who will be part of the knife"?
"Myself along with Fox and his team and any special ops troops that you trust," Zavis said softly.
"Very well McCloud get your team ready for departure. Grey choose a fur you trust to lead the first wave." Fox and Bill stood up and saluted before they left he room. Crowe kill the transmission as he sank back into his chair muttering, "heaven help us all."
Alex wrinkled his forehead as he once again read his orders. He could not believe the Intelligence officer could concoct such a risky plan and even worse he was to lead the first wave. Alex scratched his head once again as his computer gave a chime.
"What is it," he snapped.
"Calm down Alex it's not like I'm an aparoid or something."
"Admiral Grey please forgive my lapse of protocol," Alex said quickly as he stood and saluted the computer.
"Alex I order you to forget protocol right now," Bill said roughly over the com.
"Yes sir…I mean understood Admiral…I mean Bill," Alex managed after a moment. "B-bill why did you pick me for this," he said after a moment.
"Because I trust you Alex, you were one of the finest captains in the academy."
"That was only is simulations sir…I mean gaaah," Alex said in frustration.
"Doesn't matter it's your duty so you will do it," Bill said with a snap.
"Understood," Alex said softly.
"Alex I am sorry for doing this to you but it has to be done, just do me this one favor."
"What is that Bill," Alex asked.
"Keep your self and your furs alive, that's an order."
"Yes sir," Alex said as he saluted.
Fox waited with the others in their ship as Zavis paced back and forth. "It's taking way to long to get this going we've given the aparoid another hour to dig in and fortify themselves."
"Zavis chill the operation will begin after Crowe address the fleet. Which should be any time now." Fox said as the communications hub sprang to life and a voice boomed over it.
"Attention fleet this is Grand Admiral Crowe. As you all know the aparoids have taken over Corneria and it's our job to take it back. You all know your duty and I expect you to carry it out to the best of your ability. First wave move into position and prepare to jump, second wave jump engines on stand-by, give wave one five minutes then follow. You have your orders now do your duty move out."
"Admiral the Zones capital ship is hailing us," a fox said as Crow ended his speech.
"On screen," He squawked.
"Admiral we are having difficulties with our engines, we cannot jump with the rest of the fleet but we will follow as soon as we can," a large shark said calmly.
"Understood," Crowe said with a twinge of regret the ship had substantial firepower that the fleet could ill afford to loss right now.
"The Venom Admiral has several officer on board our ship at the moment and they will be staying with us while the fleet jumps if that is acceptable," the shark said with a smile.
"Of course," Crowe couldn't understand why that was important as he shut the transmission off as the fist wave flashed and disappeared into slipspace.
The sharked walled down the round hallways of his ship as he neared the diplomat receiving area. As he entered he saw two Venom senior officers flanking a small fennec fox. "So doctor I trust my friends have told you of our plans." The fox nodded vigorously. "Good so what is your decision, Dr. Hyman"?
"I would be most honored to aide you in anyway possible and with the help of your Venom allies bioengineers and my expertise in aparoid energy storage and collection methods I am sure we can have your project GateKeeper up and running in no time." The shark gave a wide grin.
Fox watched as the fist and second wave entered slipspace. "One minute until jump," the ships computer voice said calmly. Zavis walked up beside him and muttered; "Now it's time for the final act." And all Fox could do was nod in agreement.