Disclaimer: See the Prologue
Chapter 39 – Hard Goodbyes
Back in the material world, the Space Marines' smoking guns were still trained on the gate, surprised that no more daemons and other warp-spawned monstrosities were coming through from the Eye of Terror. Calgar lowered his fists; his heavy bolters still red hot from firing non-stop.
"My lord!" a sergeant cried, "We can't stay here for much longer. The Warp energies from the gate are tearing the planet apart from the inside."
Calgar nodded grimly, "Prepare to move out, then. I do not plan to die on this doomed rock!"
Fox, Falco, Slippy and Fara watched the gate grimly, almost giving up hope.
'I'm so sorry, Krys,' Fox thought, distressed immensely and full of shame, 'I should have jumped in after you."
Suddenly, the ground begun to shake and the gate itself began to distort. The Marines were brought back to attention, readying their weapons
"Stand firm, Brothers. Prepare to repel daemons," Calgar cried out, "Send them back to where they came from. Send them back to HELL!"
Instead of more daemons and emerging amidst an explosion of blue and red energy, was Krystal hanging on to Jacques, who gripped the staff and were propelling them using the soul blaster. They knocked over several Marines before landing at the feet of Calgar.
The chapter-master stared down at them, where Krystal smiled awkwardly at him.
"We're back," Krystal said, firmly.
Calgar smiled, "You surprise me in more ways than one, Your Highness."
Jacques coughed slightly, before also looking up.
"Oikonny?" Calgar said.
"He is history, my lord," Jacques said, "He is now a permanent resident within the Eye of Terror."
"And so will this planet in a few minutes," Fara cried.
"Yeah," Falco cried, "This planet's gonna blow!"
Fox nodded grimly, "Let's not waste time getting off this rock!"
"Agreed," Calgar said, before yelling out, "Brothers! Let us depart this cursed world!"
At his words, the roof of the temple begun to collapse, where Star Fox and the Ultramarines begun to hustle toward the exit, avoiding the piece of large stone that fell from above. The gate begun to distort further until it exploded in a mass of Chaos-infused power.
"FASTER! MUST MOVE FASTER!" Falco cried, his armour creaking as he ran.
They all ran out of the temple, where the ground was shaking violently. The Thunderhawk transports, flying amidst the thunder and lightning of the crimson scorched sky, landed outside the hangar.
COME ON, BROTHERS! the transport's communications all blared, MAKE HASTE! THIS PLANET IS ABOUT TO BECOME DUST!
They all ran up the large automated ramps leading outside the canyon, where the transports waited for them. They begun to board it amidst continued gunfire from the cultists, where the Marines holding them off begun to retreat to the safety and exodus of the Thunderhawks.
As Star Fox stepped onto one of the transports along with Calgar…
"What about those people?" Slippy cried, "We can't leave them here!"
"No choice!" Fox exclaimed, "Let's go!"
To proof his point, a laser bolt struck Fox's shoulder, knocking him down; he shrugged if off and stepped into the transport, where the ram slowly begun to rise. Marine slowly stepped backwards towards the transports as they continued to fire at the cultists, who were still screaming and ranting.
"DIE LOYALIST PIGS!" one of them cried out.
One unamused Marine fired off a rocket, which sent about dozen flying. He felt a pat on his shoulder by another Marine.
"Let's go!" he cried.
The Marine nodded and they ran on board the nearest transport. In all, the ten 6 Thunderhawks carrying about one hundred and thirty five Space Marine including Star Fox lifted and begun to ascend into the air, amidst laser gunfire from the cultists.
Fox looked out the window of the slightly cramped transport, as they flew into the air and saw the Papetoon was dying. Cracks in the earth begun to form, with both molten lava and chaotic energies emerging out, consuming the cultists and sending them all screaming to hell.
Cover your ears back there, one of the pilots in the cockpit of the Thunderhawk advised, Once this planet blow, it's going to be loud.
"Way ahead of ya'," Falco replied, before covering his ears.
The Thunderhawks flew into the stormy clouds, which clashed all around them.
"We're flying in the middle of a storm!" Slippy exclaimed, "Can we make it?"
"We have gone through so much not to survive now!" Jacques cried, "We are going to make it!"
Krystal looked at Jacques and how grim he looked. She guessed right away why he was like that: It was what the Blood God Khorne himself told him and her. About the truth behind Cerinia and why the Imperium had an interest in it.
She couldn't help but feel slightly mad herself. Also she couldn't help but place her hand over one of Jacques, who in turn looked at her questioningly. She smiled warmly at her friend…
"It's alright," she said, "You aren't like the Lords of Terra."
Jacques studied her for a moment, before returning the smile, which quickly faltered when something struck the side of the ship.
HOLD ON! WE'RE BREAKING THROUGH THE ATMOSPHERE!
All the transports miraculously blasted out of the atmosphere and into the blackness of space and towards the fleet. Calgar turned to his com…
"Pull the fleet away from the planet," the chapter-master ordered, "This planet is not going to last."
Papetoon begun to glow with crimson energy, which begun to consume it's vegetation and it's seas, before the surface itself begun to crack.
"This is going to be loud," Slippy said, turning away from the window.
Almost a light year away, a small fleet of Cornerian starships was on it's way towards the planet, where General Pepper's own flagship was in the lead…and could see the planet's imminent destruction from where he was.
And he was angry.
"Damn you, Macragge," he said softly, "Damn you to hell!"
Sir, his communications rang, We're picking up energy readings off the scale on Papetoon. It's tearing the planet apart I…
A bright light shone from where the planet was as Papetoon exploded in a mix of fire and energy, where Pepper covered his eyes and the shockwaves reached the Cornerians.
The Imperial fleet however was blown away from the planet.
"ARGHHHHH!" Fox cried, closing his eyes as he gripped his seat, trying not to be thrown around the ship as it was blown away from the blast.
The pilots of the Thunderhawks all gripped their controls as they were spinning away from the explosion of the planet.
The battle-barges and the cruisers began to set themselves straight after been thrown away from the explosion, as did the Thunderhawks.
"You can open your eyes now, Fox," Falco said, smiling, "We're still alive."
"Yeah, these ships are durable," Fara said.
Calgar wasted no time in making the news good.
"Brothers!" he cried out joyfully, "WE HAVE ONCE AGAIN TRIUMPHED OVER CHAOS!"
A massive cheer rang out among the Space Marines, also from those on the other transports upon hearing Calgar's words. Falco and Fara also cheered, swept up in the moment, where Fox, Krystal, Slippy and even Jacques were silent and glum.
'Lylat has once again lost another world,' Jacques thought, 'Populace of Papetoon, we have failed you. Forgive us.'
Amidst the cheering, Calgar noticed the glum looks over most of Star Fox.
"You should be proud, McCloud," Calgar said, "You killed a Bloodthirster…"
"Which used to be my friend!" Fox exclaimed.
"Mortensen, you saved Holy Terra from destruction."
"At the expense of an entire world," Jacques said eyes downcast; "We are no better than the Chaos we just defeated."
"I do not follow you," Calgar said.
Krystal glared and got up before Calgar, "We just destroyed an entire planet and killed five-thousand innocent people."
She sniffed, almost on the brink of breaking down.
"We're little more than murderers. Every one of us."
Calgar frowned, "You consider yourselves murderers? I've overseen the deaths of millions of people, some thousand were innocent themselves, including the destruction of Falconia and Evergreen."
Fara triumphant smile dropped upon hearing that.
"You've done far more good than bad today," Calgar argued, "You stopped the taint of Chaos spreading through Lylat and possibly the universe and prevented the destruction of Terra, stopping the Imperium from destroying this system in retaliation. Even though at the cost of an entire small world and it's relatively small populace. You have thrown yourselves into the Eye of Terror itself and stopped this system's most evil individual. You have all done a outstanding job here."
Fox looked at Calgar carefully, listening to every word.
"You may have been 'the cause' of the deaths of all those 'innocent' Chaos-ridden Cornerians, but I have been the cause of so many more deaths which currently tally in the millions. And now…"
The chapter-master sighed and surprisingly lowered his head in slight-regret.
"…I have to live with that."
Fox's eyes softened towards Lord Macragge. He did have feelings after all; those who were of humanity had feelings after all.
"You understand that, don't you Princess Krystal?" Calgar asked.
Krystal was silent for a moment, before nodding reluctantly, "I do, Lord Macragge."
No more words were exchanged between anyone as the Thunderhawks docked back at the battle-barges.
Meanwhile at the Cornerian fleet…
"Battle-stations," Pepper ordered from the bridge of his command ship, "Prepare to engage the Imperial fleet."
He frowned as he saw them on the main screen.
"They will not get away with this!"
As Star Fox and the Marines stepped off their Thunderhawk onto the battle-barge's hangar…
Attention. Cornerian fleet approaching out position. Weapons are armed.
"Those weapons are meant for us," Calgar said, "Typically, Pepper believes that we destroyed Papetoon, not the Forces of Chaos."
"And there is no point in talking our way out of this," Jacques said.
"What do you mean?" Fox asked, "Just let me talk to Pepper and we'll straighten this out."
"There is no time," Calgar said, "We of the Imperium must leave immediately. It will be wise if you mercenaries leave right now and we will never speak of this alliance ever again."
Falco snorted, "Fine then. We'll let you run off back to your hole on the other side of the universe then."
Krystal sighed, "You'll right, Calgar. We will go."
Fox looked back at the team, then nodded, "Alright. Thanks for everything."
Calgar nodded, "Don't mention it…ever. And you can keep the armour and weapons."
As Fox and the others turned to leave…they noticed Jacques still standing, and walking toward Calgar's side.
Fox looked surprised, "Jacques?"
"I am staying here."
Their eyes widened.
"What?" Krystal queried.
"I am staying here with my brothers," Jacques announced, "It will be safer for you if I was not around when Pepper comes."
"But…but…what do you mean?" Krystal asked.
Jacques exhaled painfully, also slightly distressed; "I know Pepper's thoughts. He will believe that the Imperium is responsible for Papetoon's destruction and will think that you have defected towards them and aided in it's destruction. If I were to stay with you, he will accuse you of harbouring the enemy."
"You mean you want to leave the team?" Fox asked, eyes wide.
Jacques nodded, "I am sorry, Fox..."
He looked over towards Calgar and the Marines, who were watching what was going on between Jacques and these furries.
"…my people call to me."
Slippy's face was also that of sadness; Falco looked slightly glum at the fact that the guy he was just starting to like was going to leave just like that; as for Fara…she didn't think much of the subject.
But for Krystal, the tears flowed freely now. She stepped forward toward Jacques and took his hands in hers.
"What about your…vow to me?" she asked, "For you to protect me?"
Jacques smiled slightly; "You have shown me that you can protect yourself far more than I ever can. And you have Fox to defend you if you are unable to. You must understand this."
Krystal nodded, "I do…but I'm going to miss you."
Still smiling, he replied, "I will miss you as well, Krystal. I'll never forget you."
"Me neither," Krystal replied, smiling slightly.
They then hugged; the Space Marine and the Cerinian. For those all watching, it was a tender, emotional sight; even to Calgar and the Space Marines, where the chapter-master crossed his arms uncomfortably.
Jacques closed his eyes and savoured his embracement of the only person he holds dear to his twin hearts. Krystal rested her head on his armoured chest and breathed softly. She had never felt this close to him before, even as he was about to leave.
"I love you," Krystal whispered softly, "Brother."
"Sister," Jacques replied in kind, also softly.
They reluctantly let go, where their hands held for a moment before letting go forever, where Krystal stepped back towards Fox.
Cornerian starships approaching, the PA announced.
"We better go," Fox said, taking Krystal's hand, "Goodbye, Imperium."
"Farewell, Star Fox," Jacques replied, smiling, "I will never forget what you have done for me."
Fox nodded and smiled, where they all ran towards the hangar's exit. Jacques watched them leave, where he then looked down at his hand, surprised at what he just saw:
It was Krystal's necklace. She must have put it in his palm during their last embrace. He felt the impulse to run after them and give it back, before he saw what it was symbolic for. He then closed his palm over it.
Calgar stepped up to him and patted him on the back.
"You've done the right thing, Mortensen," he said reassuringly and with a friendly smile, "When we return to Macragge, you will be given the highest of honours as a veteran."
Jacques looked over at the chapter-master, "Thank you, Lord Calgar."
Star Fox was accounted for back on the Great Fox, where they all stepped onto the bridge, greeted by both Peppy and Beltino, who were surprised to see Fox, Slippy, Krystal and Falco in power armour, and even Fara herself.
"Son," the older frog cried happily, running up and embracing his son, "You're alive."
"Er…thanks dad," Slippy replied.
Peppy noticed that a certain someone was missing, "Where's Jacques?"
Fox glum face answered that, as well as him indicating a sobbing Krystal, who had a hand to her face and crying into it, and also she was missing her prized necklace.
Peppy nodded, "I see. Is that want he wanted?"
"Yep," Slippy replied, eyes downcast into his armour, "He believed it was for all our sakes."
They heard the sounding of machinations as the battle-barges detached from the Great Fox, and the fleet which encircled them begun to move away, as Star Fox could see from the main window. Krystal walked up to it, placing her hand on the window, shedding a tear for a loved one that was going away…maybe forever.
"Goodbye, Jacques," she said softly, smiling, "Thank you for so much."
They all watched as the fleet moved away from the Great Fox, picking up speed to avoid the overzealous cannons of the Cornerians. They could feel that Jacques was watching them, which he was.
He held Krystal's necklace in his hand as he watched the Great Fox from the observation deck, where he sighed.
"Farewell, Your Highness," he said, "Krystal."
The ships then vibrated as they entered warp-space and blasting away into the deep void of space, leaving the Great Fox drifting alone by itself, along with it's crew.
And almost approaching the Great Fox was the Cornerian fleet…and a very angry General Pepper.
He cursed out loud, "NO! They can't get away with this!"
But they had…even though they weren't directly responsible for Papetoon's demise.
And it would take Pepper some time to realise, and to accept that.