Disclaimer: See the Prologue
Chapter 29 – Amongst One's Kind Again
"Aw great," Falco cried, "We're definitely screwed now! What are we gonna do?"
"Falco!" Fox exclaimed, "Calm down. Maybe we can talk our way through this."
"But if what Jacques says is true," Krystal said, "That they would kill us all on first sight; then we've got to defend ourselves."
"Krystal's right," Peppy said, "Unlike him, the humans will pull the triggers of their boltguns first before they listen to what they deem 'aliens' or 'xenos.'"
A cloud of uncertainty came down upon the members of Star Fox, and on Beltino Toad, who was dreading what is to come the most.
"I've heard that they experiments on you if they decide to take you alive," Beltino remarked, "Just for their sick, sadistic purposes. That they prolong suffering until they decide to check you out in the most horrible way imaginable."
Everyone's eye widened upon hearing all that, which was not unlike Beltino at all.
Falco nodded his head, "Well I'm convinced we'd rather die fighting."
He then pulled out his blaster and lowered the hammer.
"I'm ready to take them on."
Fox rolled his eyes, as he pulled out his blaster, "Same here. There's no way I'm letting them destroy this team."
Krystal reached for the blaster dangling from her belt, arming herself as well, "Me too."
She then thought about what she was doing, and this really didn't sit too well with her.
'They're not like Jacques,' she thought, 'He's the only good human. The rest are all scum.'
Meanwhile, Jacques felt his eyes opened slowly, feeling the heat from the burning terminal console upon his face, which felt like it was on fire. He felt a warm liquid across his forehead, which he assumed was his blood, and his vision was all hazed.
As he tried to get up, a blue flash followed by a tone of voice and words that he thought he'd never hear again stopped him from moving.
"Deep strike successful. We're on board the xenos craft, we're…HEY!"
He saw a powered-armoured figure standing above him, before crouching down looking over his face. His helmet was of a different shape, more like a beak.
"We've found our brother," he called out, "He's injured badly."
Three more Space Marines stood by, gripping their boltguns; one of which was not wearing a helmet, rather a large headpiece that fitted on the back of his head and a voice piece.
"This is 2nd Squad to Control," the sergeant begun into his com, "We have a injured brother who requires immediate medical attention."
Roger that, brother, the human on the other line said, We will be boarding the ship soon. Please stay with our brother until we arrive.
"Yes, brother," the sergeant said, "Over and out."
He clicked off, before turning to the Marine who was over Jacques.
"Roland, you stay here with him…"
He cocked his boltgun.
"…we're handle the xenos scum."
Jacques opened his mouth to say something…
"Don't talk, brother," the Space Marine known as Roland said reassuringly, "Everything is going to be fine."
"D…don't…kill them," Jacques managed to say.
The sergeant heard that as he turned to leave.
"What did he say?" the sergeant asked Roland.
"He said not to kill 'them,'" he replied, "Assuming he means the aliens."
The sergeant looked at the other two Marines, before shrugging and running off, along with his escort. It was then that Jacques passed out again.
'Emperor,' his last thought rang out, 'Please spare their lives.'
On the bridge, everyone looked at what just happened over the surveillance, and was none too happy about it.
"The…they…they just teleported on board!" Slippy exclaimed hesitantly.
"And they're heading straight for the bridge," Falco growled, turning to the door, which was closed and sealed tight.
Suddenly, something tapped on the door from the other side. It was the Marine coming for them.
"Unless they've got explosives," Fox said, "There's no way they are going to bust through there."
"Eh…excuse me?" Beltino begun.
"What?"
The elder frog pointed at the window, where they all could see 2 strike cruisers moving in front of the the Great Fox. They then started to feel vibration from under their feet.
"What the hell is that?" Falco exclaimed, "It's shaking the entire ship."
The battle barges were sandwiching the Great Fox from both sides while the strike cruisers established a perimeter around the fleet, effectively making sure that Star Fox was completely immobilised. Peppy checked his terminal, and confirmed this dire fact.
"We're surrounded," Peppy cried.
"Now what do we do?" Slippy queried, looking at Fox.
All eyes turned to the vulpine, which had worried look on his face. He knew that this was his fault, if he hadn't overloaded the damn engines so much they would gotten away.
"I…"
He was interrupted when they heard something impact with the sides of the Great Fox, which almost knocked them off their feets. They then heard sounds that were reminiscent of drills.
"What are they doing?" Falco asked softly.
"Sound like…they're cutting through the ship," Krystal said.
"That can't be good," Beltino said.
Suddenly, they heard clanking sounds from within the ceiling, which made them focus their views up. Fox then smelt something…weird.
"What's that smell?" Krystal said, having the same gifts of smell and perception as Fox.
Suddenly, Peppy felt his throat burn…
"ACKKK!" he gasped.
"Peppy?" Fox said, turning towards the hare, "PEPPY!"
He fell from his terminal onto the ground, gripping his throat.
"Throat's…burning…Peppy gasped.
Suddenly, Beltino and Slippy felt like they couldn't breath at all.
"ACKK!"
"AWKK!"
"SHIT!" Falco cried, "Those bastards are gassing us…"
He couldn't finish, as he felt himself fall to the floor, his lungs straining to get oxygen in. The avian gasped, his throat burning so much it was making him cough him flem.
Fox looked up, seeing that the gas was coming from the vent in the side of the room. He then saw Krystal fall to the ground, the panic in her eyes…
"Fox…" she choked out.
He then felt collapsed to the ground, right next to her…
"Krys…"
…where he blacked out, sending him to the realm where there is no pain nor thought. Only complete darkness, which Fox felt himself falling through.
It didn't feel like a few seconds later when…
"ON YOUR FEET, XENOS!"
…Fox returned to the light; where he opened his eyes, and he saw a heavily armoured humanoid standing above him, holding a boltgun in his hand.
"Jacques?" Fox said weakly.
The human then frowned, "That's not my name."
The Marine then kicked Fox in the side of the ribs, effectively sending him sprawling the floor of the bridge. He groaned in pain, feeling a Space Marine's kick for the first time.
"Harsh," he heard another human speak, who was standing behind the Marine who woke him up.
"Wiseass fox-boy deserves worse; mistaking my name for our wounded brother."
Fox lifted himself up from his feet, where he instantly saw 5 boltguns aiming squarely at his head.
"Hands up, Cornerian," a Space Marine sergeant cried, "Or we'll blast them off."
Fox did as he was told, putting his hands up above his head.
"Please," Fox begun, "I don't…"
"Silence," the sergeant ordered, "You will speak when you are spoken too."
A Marine walked up behind him and shoved him forward, where he felt like his back almost snapped in half.
"March forward!"
Fox did so, where he stepped through the doorway out of the bridge and into the main hallway, where he saw more Space Marine humans walking about, armed with examining doors and scouring the place. They stopped only to glare at the vulpine that wasp practically being shoved forward.
"Where's my…" Fox said.
"Your fellow aliens?" the sergeant asked, then answered, "Already on board, awaiting judgement for what you've done to our brother."
"What?" Fox cried, "But we…"
He then felt a kick to the backside, sending him onto the ground, where he instantly felt an armoured foot against his throat. He looked up at the frowned visage of the sergeant.
"You Cornerians beg us for help and what do you do?" the sergeant said, "You capture one of our own and you subject him to near fatal bodily harm. We of the Ultramarines can't allow that."
He then retracted his foot.
"Now get up and continue walking."
Meanwhile on board one of the battleship, Jacques cool liquid across his whole body, where he noticed he was out of his armour. He opened his eyes…and almost panicked at where he was: Inside what appeared to be a large rejuvenating chamber. An oxygen mask was across his face.
He looked out of the glass to see several Apothecary Marines standing outside his chamber, in what appeared to be the infirmary.
"He is awake," he heard one of them say, "Jacques Jeàn Mortensen."
One of them checked a terminal computer screen…
"He appears to not have contracted any Lylatian diseases. He is not suffering any malnutrition, is fit, and strengthened practically up to Space Marine norm. The burns on the side of his face we can repair easily."
The other Apothecaries joined in the conversation…
"I'm more worried about the stitches we found on the back of his head. It would seem that his captor struck him across the forehead. Still scanning for brain trauma…none detected."
"Amazing. He's gifted with the powers usually associated with a Psyker. How come he's a Battle-Brother, and not a Librarian?"
"We can ask him once he recovers."
Jacques lifted his hand up to the side of his face, where it stung to touch.
"Not to quickly, Brother. By the time you reawaken, the burns will have all but healed."
The Apothecary pushed a button, Jacques felt the water grew warmer, and that it slowly made him drift soundly back to nod.
When he woke up again, he found himself staring into a bright light, with several Apothecaries staring down at him, one of which was holding surgical equipment.
"Deformities have been repaired. But the gash across his head will never full heal. Ah…he's woken up again."
Jacques had to say something…
"Where…am…I?"
He heard a familiar voice, which was deep but assuring.
"You're safe now, Jacques. You should recover from the treatments quickly."
"Lord Macragge?" an Apothecary said, surprised, "We had no idea you would join us."
"How soon can he return to serving the Emperor?"
"Soon enough my lord."
Meanwhile…
"IN THERE, XENOS!"
Fox felt a kick to the backside, which send him hurtling into a holding cell, where he heard the door lock behind him. Through his journey of the Imperial battleship to the brig, he had never seen such architecture in his whole life. It had a sort of intergalactic, medieval, Gothic feel to it.
"Ow!" Fox moaned, rubbing his ass, feeling that the Marine's foot was imprinted on it.
He then thought about the more important things: Like where the hell was the rest of his crew?
"Fox!" Krystal exclaimed.
"Krystal?" Fox begun questioningly, "Where are you?"
"Right next to you?"
Fox looked up from the floor to find that Krystal was in a cell right next to his, with bars in between them. He got up and walked over to it, grasping her hands in his.
"Are you alright?" Fox asked.
Krystal nodded, "I think so."
"Where's the others?"
"Right behind ya, buddy," Falco voice was heard behind him.
Fox spun around to see Falco in a cell on the other side. And he was leaning against the metal wall, arms crossed and looking rather angry.
"You alright?" Fox asked.
Falco turned his head his way, "No, I am not alright, Fox. We're been held captive by humans."
"Yeah," Slippy's voice was heard, "The human race has us prisoner."
"Slippy? Peppy? Beltino?" Fox said, seeing that the frogs and the rabbit were held in separate cell just across from his, "You guys ok?"
Peppy nodded, "For now, anyway."
"Did you see where they took Jacques?" Fox asked.
Beltino shook his head, "No. He was missing from the airlock control when they dragged us here into this ancient-looking ship."
"Hush, Lylatians," they heard another voice join in.
They saw a Space Marine stepped down the corridor between the cells, his helmet off, revealing he was dark-skinned and in his late 30s.
"Hey, up yours humie," Falco growled.
"Falco!" Fox exclaimed.
"Yes," the Marine said, "You better keep him quiet, unless you want us to cut out his tongue."
Falco suddenly clamped his mouth shut, before saying quickly; "I'll be good."
"I must say when we were putting him in his cell, there was a lot more cursing we'd like to hear during peacetime," the Marine remarked.
Fox chuckled nervously, "Uh…yeah."
"Listen," the Marine spoke, "It's not looking good for either of you. Lord Macragge is blowing his top off. It seems you bashed around one of his favourite Initiates and he's arranging to have you 'interrogated.'"
"We didn't bash him around. We saved him," Slippy cried, "He'll speak for us."
The Marine queered his eyebrows, "What?"
"He is a veteran of the Cerinia Conflict," Krystal said, "He was assigned to protect me, the Crown Princess of Cerinia."
"We know who you are," the Marine said, "And the Cerinian race is no longer one of the Imperium's priorities."
"Huh?" Krystal said, surprised to hear that.
"Look," Fox said, "Just ask Jacques about us and he'll tell you all everything."
The Marine smiled slightly, "Today's your lucky day then. Mortensen almost recovered from his injuries which I hope you didn't inflict, rather it was when the electrical system near the airlock exploded in his face."
"We know that," Fox nodded.
The Marine nodded and turned to walk away, only stopping to say one more thing.
"Oh, by the way," the Marine, "My name's Roland."
"Fox McCloud, leader of the Star Fox team."
Meanwhile a few floors up and in the infirmary, Jacques was lying down on a flat metal counter, with nothing on. His power armour lying on a nearby table and the lights shining on his face slowly bringing him back to the land of the living.
He opened his eyes abruptly, sitting up on the counter, noticing he was hooked up to several different medical apparatuses. He disconnected himself from them and stood up on the cold, steel floor. He didn't mind the cold, that his only thoughts were that of the safety of his friends.
As he stepped up to the table and reached forward towards his power armour, he saw himself in the mirror. His eyes widened, before stepping up to and examining his forehead.
'By the Emperor,' he thought, 'That is deep.'
A large scar was evident on his forehead, which was a definite five-pointer. He traced a hand over it, it being still slightly painful.
The door into the infirmary opened, where two Marines and an Apothecary stepped through.
"Brother Mortensen?" one of the Marine begun.
Jacques nodded, "Yes. I am he."
"Lord Macragge wants to debrief you," the Marine said, "We know that you are the only confirmed member of the 2nd Company."
"Hold on for a moment," the Apothecary said, taking out a medical apparatus.
They weren't concerned about Jacques' state of undress, especially the Apothecary as he scanned Jacques over with his device, much to his chagrin. Afterwards…
"You have recovered completely," he said, "And to my own surprise, very quickly."
Jacques nodded, "May I please don my power armour?"
The Marine nodded, "Of course."
They then turned their backs and stepped outside, leaving Jacques be. He then suddenly rushed to put his armour on, wanting to make sure of his Krystal's safety.
Afterwards, he stepped outside. He was then led through the ship, taking in sights, which he thought he would never see again: The interior of an Imperial battleship, with fellow humans walking through the corridors and hallway, going about their business.
And he was getting his fair share of stares and whispers, which he overheard…
"…2nd Company?"
"He survived Cerinia."
"…in Lylat for thirteen years?"
"True servant of the Emperor."
Soon he was before some very large door, which slowly opened, revealing a very large chamber reminiscent of when he was confronted by Colonel Liebotwiz, a survivor of the Exterminatus of Falconia.
He stepped through the doors, which closed behind him. He found that he was alone in the large chamber, alone with what sat on his large throne on the other side of the chamber.
"Approach, Brother Mortensen."
He slowly walked forward, hearing the sounds of his own footsteps touch marble, knowing all too well whom this fellow human was.
Marneus Augustus Calgar, Chapter Master of the Ultramarines. He was equipped in his large Terminator armour as he sat on his throne.
"Lord Macragge," Jacques greeted, getting on one knee and bowing his head.
"Please, brother," Calgar begun, "Only he must be bowed to."
Jacques got up and said almost sheepishly, "Of course. I am just that overjoyed to be amongst my own kind once again."
Calgar smiled, "Yes. It is good to see that you have survived all those long years after Cerina. We had thought that the 2nd Company was all but destroyed during the Cerinia Conflict, where they gave their lives for a bunch of undeserving xenos…"
Jacques mind snapped at those words. He instantly felt anger well up inside him.
"…but seeing as you have survived, it is not too much of a concern now."
"My lord," Jacques said, "I…understand that you have several aliens in custody that were taken captive around my time of recovery."
Calgur nodded, "I do. They will be punished severely for daring to capture one of the Emperor's highest servants."
Jacques shook his head softly, "No."
"What was that?"
"Do not harm them," Jacques said, "They saved my life."
"What?" Calgur almost boomed out, almost ready to get up from his throne, "How?"
"Allow me to explain everything," Jacques said, "And you will know that there is much at stake here."
The large human sat back on his throne, gradually relaxing himself from his almost burst of anger.
"Alright then, Brother Mortensen," he said, "Humour me."