Disclaimer: See the Prologue
Chapter 13 – Insanity
War journal of Jacques Mortensen, formally of the Ultramarines 2nd Company, now of the Lylatian mercenary company Star Fox. Imperial date, 41st Millennium.
It has being 3 months now and I have more or less adapted to my new life among these aliens, which I now have come to respect; especially Princess Krystal, who was entrusted to my care so many years ago, after Cerinia's unfortunate demise. Fox McCloud is an excellent leader and if he was born a human, he would have made an excellent Brother-Captain of the Adeptus Astartes.
Ever since the day I arrived on Cerinia those 13 years ago and assigned to protect Krystal, I have always wondered why we were sent to that planet of xenos. Even though I, unlike others of my kind, respect other species of life, I contemplate the true reason why we sent to protect a xenos' homeworld, other than the simple reason of our biology's being similar, thus making humans and Cerinian more or less the same. There has to be better reason why we sent to guard a planet of xenos. It is unlike the Lords of Terra or even the Emperor himself to assign us such a questionable post.
I can no longer sense any more taint in this system, which means we had eradicated what little Chaos was here in the first place. What would those 2 daemons had wanted with the Lylat System? Chaos had already wiped out the only race that could ever oppose them, what else would they need of this rather small galaxy?
I feel as if I can confirm that Chaos is gone from this system, but I cannot shake the feeling that the events of last month were only the beginning of something…unsettling. With McCloud's friend and former colleague Wing Commander Bill Grey committed to an insane asylum possibly due to fighting Oikonny's Warp-infused weaponry and with the secretive activities of the Venomians including cloning. I swear that as long as I live I will continue to face those who seek to destroy life.
May the Emperor understand why I've chosen this path as a mercenary and may he protect all those that I shall now hold dear. Especially Princess Krystal.
Especially her, Cerinia's last daughter.
In the blackness of the void, the Great Fox sailed elegantly through the cold vacuum of space. It's destination: Corneria, 4th planet of the Lylat System, and the centre of Lylat's military strength.
On board the Great Fox, all were fast asleep. The vulpine Fox McCloud, leader of the Star Fox team; the vixen known as Krystal, the last of her race; the avian Falco Lombardi, the team's top pilot and overall wise-cracker; the frog Slippy Toad, technical wizard; and the old rabbit Peppy Hare, the eldest member of the team…
…and the newest addition to the team Jacques Mortensen, a human and Space Marine of the aggressive Imperium of Man, the largest empire amongst the stars.
It had been 3 months since the events of Sector C and Cython IV. Things have once again become quiet for the mercenaries, since General Pepper's forces have once again taken the fight to Andrew Oikonny's now dwindling forces, raking up victory after victory after victory. Once in a while they would be assigned a rather large job where they would soften up an enemy force and let the army finish them off.
Jacques enjoyed every minute he could of swinging his chainsword in a Venomian's thick skull and fill their bodies with bolts. Fighting alongside xenos in destroying xenos was always one of his biggest traits.
It has also being 3 months since Krystal starting have more of her nightmares…
"ARGHHHHHHHH!"
Jacque's eyes shot open upon hearing that loud wail.
"Krystal?" he exclaimed.
After checking to see if his pants are on, he reached under his pillow and pulled out a laspistol, a laser-firing handgun used by the Imperial Guard. He then ran to his door through the darkness and it opened, where he…
"OOOFFF!"
…ploughed into Fox, who fell on the cold ground.
"Damn it, Jacques," Fox cried, "Watch it. You can see in the dark, but we can't."
"Apologies Fox," Jacques said, "Krystal is in trouble."
"I heard that!" Fox exclaimed, "Move!"
They ran down the hall and outside Krystal's room, where the door was closed. Fox opened it and the both of them stormed in.
"Krys?"
The Cerinian sat on her bed, hands to her face and crying, tears drizzling down her face.
Fox sighed, he and Jacques standing in the doorway.
"Put your gun down, Jacques. False alarm," he said, almost annoyed.
Krystal looked up at the vulpine and the human. She smiled embarrassingly, thanking God she was wearing a nightie.
"Sorry you guys," Krystal spoke, "It's those damn dreams again."
"For the 15th time, Krystal," Jacques said, having kept count of the many a time he was woken up.
Peppy and Slippy made themselves known from behind him, dressed in their nightclothes, Slippy with wearing a humorous nightcap.
"Hey you guys," Slippy begun loudly, "What's wrong?"
"Nightmares, Slip," Fox said, "Back to bed."
Fox smiled at Krystal, before closing her door, leaving her to herself.
The vixen lied back on her bed, breathing a sight of relief. She knew the boys would there for her, but not every time she woke up screaming from her Cerinia induced nightmares. She knew it was becoming too much for them and if one night she was to scream for a really good reason other than nightmares…
'No,' she thought sternly, 'That can't happen. Not aboard the Great Fox.'
It didn't take long for Krystal to nod back to sleep, whilst the others stood outside her door, Jacques' ear to it.
"She is asleep," Jacques said, relieved.
"This is standing to become serious," Peppy said, "I haven't decent for half-a-month now."
"Same here," Slippy added, yawning to prove his point.
"I know, you guys," Fox sighed again, shoulder against the wall, "But if we went through what Krystal went through, we'd be waking up every couple of nights as well."
"Dreams are supposed to pass in time. But for Krystal, they stay with her," Jacque said, "And knowing how traumatic one can be in witnessing their planet's own destruction…"
He paused, seeing he was once again overwhelming everyone else with his vast vocabulary.
"…it disturbs the mind permanently."
"I understood all that," Fox said, rubbing his forehead.
"Maybe we should try getting her treatment," Peppy suggested, "Maybe psychological assessment. It might help a bit."
"We'll discuss it tomorrow, you guys," Fox said, "God I'm tired. Night'."
"Night'," everyone else replied as they all headed back to their respective rooms.
Falco, who was still in bed, had his pillow pulled over his head.
"And I was having the nicest dream," he grumbled, more then annoyed at being woken up again.
He closed his tightly, trying to recapture the dream involving him and his fond childhood memories of where he used to live.
Fox was thinking as to what Peppy said, about psychological help for Krystal as he climbed back into bed. It reminded him of someone who could really use it right about now.
Bill Grey.
Wing Commander Bill Grey had survived the battle of Sector C, the only survivor of his squadron's destruction at the hand's of an incredibly powerful and ungodly enemy. He was found drifting through space in his wingless fighter ship.
This enemy had also struck him insane. When a Cornerian rescue cruiser found him, he was mumbling incoherent gibberish about unnatural things and was cutting his arms and legs with his combat knife. He went far as to tear his own ear off.
Fox shuddered, having seen him sit in his padded cell in a crazy house, strapped into a straitjacket, stiches over where his left ear used to be.
'What happened to you out there?' he thought, not expecting to fall back asleep right away.
Sitting cross-legged in his cell, strapped into his jacket, Bill slept soundly, dark thoughts running though his corrupted mind.
Watching him through the camera in the room, General Pepper stared at the hapless creature within those tight walls, glumly.
"Our best fighter pilot and flight leader has been reduced to an unstable, garbling wreck," Pepper said, before turning to Dr. Phillips next to him, "And you can't pinpoint what is the cause?"
The grey fox of a psychiatrist almost jumped at Pepper's heated words.
"Well…well sure to be honest with you general, this is unlike we've ever seen before," he begun, nervously.
"What you mean 'unlike you've haven't seen before?'" Pepper exclaimed, "You deal with loonies every day."
"Yes…yes," Phillip replied, straightening his glasses, "But usually we pinpoint what is the cause of the trauma. But in this case…"
He looked over at the screen at Bill, as did Pepper.
"…we don't know what is the cause."
Pepper rubbed his forehead, venting his frustration. Whatever Bill had fought at Sector C in Star Fox's absence must have been so terrifying it defied reason itself. That is what Pepper thought.
"We can say, however," Phillips said, "That it is what Grey saw."
"No doubt," Pepper said, about to subject himself to hearing what Bill had to say in his disturbed sleep again.
The doc pushed down on AUDIO and they could hear Bill clearly, almost disturbingly.
Seen it. I've seen it, they heard him say, Have you seen it. I have. So brutal. So horrible.
Pepper's eyes sank upon hearing his top wing commander talk insanely.
'Oikonny,' he thought angrily, 'You son of a bitch. What godless instrument of war have you concocted now? Venom should have fallen with Andross, but you just had to keep his barbaric, unethical inventions alive.'
Bill's eyes then opened suddenly.
"He's awake," Phillips said, before checking his watch, "And it should begin right about…now."
Pepper watched as another part of Bill insanity begun to hit him. The husky stood up and begun walking in circles in his cell.
"They're coming! They're coming!" he exclaimed over and over, "They are coming! They are coming!"
He then begun walking into the wall, as if trying to break through. He begun hitting his head against the wall.
"LET ME OUT!" he cried, "THEY'RE COMING!"
He then fell on his back and wiggled, as if trying to break out of his jacket. Pepper turned away from the screen.
"Audio off," he ordered, "Listening to him another second will kill me. Godd#$# it."
He saw Fox standing in the doorway, a sad look on his face. Pepper sighed upon seeing the vulpine.
"I know what you're thinking," Pepper said, "It has to be what the Space Marine said about Chaos and The Warp. But I'm sure there are other reasons."
"I hope so, general," Fox said, "Jacques had mentioned those two thing could destroy Lylat, but he says he can't sense any of those here."
"Let's hope it stays that way," Pepper said, "And his senses are up to date."
The general stepped past him and out the door. Fox walked up to the screen, joining Dr. Phillips. He watched as Bill laid around on the padded floor of his padded 4 by 4 cell.
"Can't you do anything for him, Doc?" Fox asked, eyes filled with slight emotion.
"We've currently got him on several programs and medications," Phillips said, "But I assure you…the drugs are safe."
"I hope so," Fox said glaring, "So long as you don't resort to lobotomising him."
Phillips chuckled slightly, "Of course not. Never."
They then turned back to the screen, where at the instant Fox shook himself out of his thoughts.
The vulpine, having thought about the events of yesterday, was still lying on his bed, on top of his covers, where he was looking straight up at the ceiling, as if it was to cave in on him at any given time. He thought the same of the walls around him: That they would move in on him at first opportunity.
Spending most of one's existence in space can affect how one thinks. Fox suddenly shook his head.
'NO!' he thought firmly, 'Do not let it consume you. It is your life; you're used to it. How should it affect you now? For God's sake…'
He glared, gripping the sheets.
'…it's only affecting Bill, not you,' he thought darkly, 'Or anyone on board this ship.'
That was what everyone was feeling aboard the Great Fox, ever since the fight with the twin daemons. They had all felt slightly on edge towards everything and everyone in Lylat.
Except Jacques, who was sitting on the carpet in his room, sharpening his sword carefully and delicately; he didn't feel like going back to sleep and besides, Space Marines can go on forever without the need to rest.
He frowned, before sheathing his blade.
'Whatever tomorrow will bring,' he thought, determined, 'I will be there to face it. Me and alongside my brothers.'
He closed his eyes, letting the darkness of his room and mind envelope him, as if getting in focus for his next major battle.
Which he hoped would be soon. He needed to stain his blade with the blood of his enemy: The ones who dare threaten his new friends.
Especially her…Krystal.