Chapter 24: Space Age

Nearly a week passed since Krystal's promotion. Fox could still remember the party that her clan threw like it had all happened the previous night. Everyone there went wild in celebration. Apparently, having three master lythans in one family was a significant honour to the Cerinians.

As a guest, Fox watched the merriment and listened as Krystal's relatives all regaled her achievements. They applauded her grit and boasted about the family's natural talent. However, Fox didn't need others to tell him how extraordinary Krystal was. Basked in praise and self-fulfilment, she glowed that night. Her hair had been braided with precious stones for the ceremony, and her joyful eyes glistened in the torchlight. Krystal was so radiant, Fox found it near impossible to look away. The happiness he felt for her warmed him more than any flame.

After that, Krystal's schedule became hectic thanks to her new duties. Fox barely got to see her at all since, even when he stopped by the shrine while on patrol. Krystal spoke with him for but a mere 30 seconds before she was called off for some other matter. Dejected, Fox left without seeing her again. He hoped that things would settle down enough for them to spend time together once more.

They had originally planned to go hunting on what should have been Krystal's day off. Unfortunately, that all changed with her promotion. Since Fox didn't care enough to make the trip on his own and had nothing better to do, he went to pay Andross a visit instead. It had been a while since Fox heard any updates from the ape. He wondered if Andross had learned anything from the Arethan's Tear yet.

No Thene stood at the entrance like an old, domestic hound on her owner's front porch. Fox knocked on the door. "Enter," he heard Andross call. A flash of surprise lit the man's face as Fox walked in. "Ah, McCloud. This is unexpected."

"Hey, Doc," Fox said casually. "Thought I'd check in to see how the plan for getting us home is coming along."

"Your timing is impeccable," Andross replied. "I've studied the arethanite that we found and have come to a few conclusions."

He directed Fox to a glass ball in the centre of the room. It looked like one of those devices that science museums used to demonstrate how electricity worked. Slippy had a smaller version in his stateroom as a knick-knack. Andross showed Fox how the tendrils of purple lightning coiled inside the globe when he hovered the pink stone beside it. Fox didn't have a head for science like his mother, but he could tell that whatever he was seeing was bad news for their escape plan.

"This is our enemy at work," Andross said as he pulled the stone away. The electric currents returned to normal.

'Watching you play with lab toys is me seeing my enemy at work,' Fox resisted the urge to say. "So, that's how our ships got fried?" he replied instead.

"Correct. I have tested a few methods to dampen the arethanite's effects. However, even magic can only shield an electric current to a minor degree. It's not enough for us to reliably protect ourselves if we try to fly through the planet's dust layer."

Fox bristled. "So, after all the work we put into finding that stupid rock, we're still screwed at square one?"

"Not necessarily." Andross put the stone away and retrieved a sheet of paper from his desk. "I've learned that the arethanite's radiation is actually an unusual type of mana. I suspect that it originates from Cerinia's moons, which are just as hazardous to starships as the planet itself. Whether that's the case or not, the radiation affects electricity in more extreme ways than most kinds of mana found here on the surface."

Fox's head started to spin. "You're losing me, Doc. Give me the simple reason why this is important."

Andross made a grimace but quickly relaxed it. "Now that I understand why electrical equipment doesn't work around arethanite, I've determined that there's no way for us to leave Cerinia on a conventional starship. However, we might still be able to escape the planet without relying on any electricity whatsoever."

"That sounds impossible and extremely dangerous." Fox crossed his arms. "What do you have in mind?"

"The first spaceships ever built didn't use fusion reactors or G-Diffusers. Instead, astronauts flew in rockets powered by combustion engines." Andross showed Fox a sketch that he drew of a cone-shaped ship standing on its afterburners. "These ships were designed to launch vertically from the surface. Since they're fuelled through chemical reactions, the arethanite layer won't be able to cripple the engines."

Fox remembered learning about this both in high school and at the Academy. "Do you know how to build one of these?"

Andross scoffed. "Please! I've designed fully automated superweapons and warp gates that could tear holes in space-time. This is child's play in comparison."

"And this thing can fly without working equipment?"

"We will need to operate the rocket manually while we pass through the arethanite layer, but we would be able to run life-support and radio systems once we've cleared it. I won't lie. There'll be serious risks involved. Many of them could be catastrophic if something goes wrong. But fortunately, we have a skilled pilot among us."

"I'm flattered by your confidence," Fox said drily. He looked over the diagrams and turned the plan over in his mind. So far, it was sounder than anything else they could come up with. "Okay. This could work. How long would it take to build this thing?"

"Ten years."

"You're fucking joking!" Fox's eyes bulged from their sockets. Andross, however, remained stoic.

"That's an optimistic estimate. I haven't taken into account how long it will take to manufacture all of the individual parts. Cerinia is short on factories with automated assembly lines. We also lack the skills, tools, and manpower required to build the rocket to acceptable quality. If we cut any corners in this plan, we risk death when the rocket breaks apart on us mid-flight."

"Fuck!" Fox turned away from Andross. He tore his fingers through his hair. Ten years! It could be ten years before he might see his mother and friends again! "Is there any way to do this faster?"

Andross touched his knuckle to his chin. "Perhaps if we had help from outside Cerinia. However, that's unlikely to happen unless we can communicate with other planets."

It felt like with every answer Andross provided, a new problem stacked itself on top of the pile. Fox's ears drooped. "And how can we do that?"

"Similar to the rocket idea, we could try launching a distress beacon into orbit. A smaller, unmanned rocket would be quicker and easier to construct. The challenge would be ensuring that the electronics turn on after it passes through the atmosphere."

Fox rubbed his muzzle. He didn't like that plan much better than the original one. "What are our other options?"

"Aside from cutting our losses? We pray for a miracle."

"Can't you maybe build a warp gate that'll take us straight to Corneria?"

Andross sighed, as though he considered the idea himself but held no faith in it. "Even if we had the rare radioactive isotopes needed for one, I'd never be able to calibrate the gate to send us to a safe destination. Have you ever played darts with a moving target that's lightyears away from you whilst blindfolded? Because that's the level of complexity we'd be dealing with. I don't even want to imagine what sort of interference the arethanite layer might cause on top of that."

Fox's hopes plummeted to rock bottom. "So, it's the rocket or bust?"

"Essentially."

Fox sighed. There truly was nothing for it. "Where do we start?"

"There's a lot that we need to do, so we will need a sufficiently large workforce to help us with it," Andross replied. "I will speak with the chief and try to strike an arrangement with him. If we're lucky, we can start working before spring."

Spring… That was still six months away. In Cerinian time. And that was just to start making the parts for the rocket. Fox could feel the clock ticking away on his life. What was he going to do if it took as long to get home as Andross predicted? Would anything in the Lylat System still be the way that it was when they finally got there? Who would still be there waiting for Fox to come home? The longer that Fox thought about it, the more depressed he became.

"Alright," he said. "If there's anything I can do to help, just call." Fox didn't care that he practically handed Andross a blank cheque to his life. If anything could get him home in the least amount of time, he'd take it in earnest.

Fox left the laboratory without another word. Head hung low, ears flat, and tail dragging limp behind him, he walked the long way to his house. Once he got there, Fox trudged up to his room and dropped onto the bed. He curled up into himself and remained there long after the sun had set. All the while, his thoughts sank into a dark, sticky mire that he could scarcely move through.

Planet MacBeth long stood as the heart of Lylat's industrial sphere. Rich in all manner of geological resources, the planet attracted millions of souls looking to strike it rich. Some took their pursuit for wealth to the extreme, sadly. Greedy CEOs tried to seize power through every means that they could. Amid countless hostile takeovers and other underhanded business schemes, MacBeth was thrown into commercial turmoil. That set the perfect stage for Andross to invade and conquer the planet's factories for his army's war machines.

Since the war's end, MacBeth recovered slowly like every other planet affected. A new consortium was established with stricter regulations and a dedicated police force to keep corporations in check. Although the reforms were welcomed as essential, there were unfortunately holes in the new system's safety nets. MacBeth was still peppered with organised crime, unscrupulous small-time business exploits, as well as Venomian outposts that were, to this day, very much active.

A hundred kilometres from one such outpost, Cornerian soldiers set up camp under the shelter of a large rock formation. Heads turned to the sky as five starships descended to land. Since the vessels weren't standard issue for the Cornerian Army, they stood out among the line of sleek, white fighters.

Dash opened his canopy and immediately felt the dry, sweltering MacBethic heat. He fell in line behind Falco and their teammates. A few soldiers saluted as they passed. Many did not. Dash took that to mean that Star Fox's reputation with the military wasn't what it used to be. Swapping Fox McCloud for two newbies didn't help in that regard.

Three officers approached them. A male bulldog walked front and centre. The pair behind him were both women: a sharp-eyed lynx on the left, and a tall poodle wearing a pink bow on the right. The bulldog hailed them with a casual wave. "Falco! You brought the whole gang! How are you doing, buddy?"

Falco took his hand, snickering as he shook it. "Not bad, Bill. Long time, no see. Miyu, Fay, good to see you both too."

"About time you showed up," the lynx smirked. "Fay's been gushing about you guys for the last three hours."

"I have not!" the poodle, who Dash supposed was Fay, blushed crossly. "All I said was that I wanted to meet the new team."

"And find out if the newbies were cute," Miyu teased.

Bill waved his hand between them before Fay could shoot back. "Alright, you two. Knock it off."

Falco shrugged and gestured behind him. "Well, here they are. I'm sure you all remember Katt. And the monkey is Dash. Don't get any ideas, Fay. He's too young for you."

Dash blushed horribly at the suggestion. Judging by Fay's sudden splutter, he wasn't the only one mortified. While Miyu calmed her down, Bill sighed heavily and shook his head at Falco. "I guess that I should say thanks for coming out here to help us," he said.

Officially, this was the Cornerian Army's mission. It seemed that Bill had no idea that Star Fox were the ones who requested their help in the first place. "No worries," Falco said, revealing nothing to him. "I'm more than ready to knock some Venomian heads together."

"You and me both," Bill chuckled. His expression quickly became sombre. "Sure wish that Fox was here too. How's it going with finding him?"

The general mood came down at once. "We're getting there," Peppy answered. "I feel that we're on our way to a breakthrough."

"Glad to hear that," Miyu said.

Fay nodded. "We're all still worried about him. I hope Fox is okay."

"So do we," Slippy replied. "Personally, I'm hoping that the base we're hitting has something we can use to track Fox down."

"One can dream," Bill said, drawing everyone's attention as Katt reprimanded Slippy with a swift swat on the shoulder. "If there's anything we can do to help, let us know. Fay, Miyu, and I have been putting part of our pay towards your Foundation for the last year."

"I'm sure Lucy's grateful for that," Peppy smiled. "I know that we are."

"Eh, it's the least we can do for an old friend." Bill then glanced over to the command tent and frowned. "Sorry, but I'm gonna have to now be that guy and put catching up on hold. Come on over and we'll start the briefing."

Within a few minutes, all the soldiers assembled outside the tent. Bill stood beside a holographic projection of the enemy base. "Alright, everyone. Listen up. We've learned that there's an old Venomian R&D facility 100 clicks north of our current position. The place is still occupied by forces leftover from Venom's army, who are now calling themselves the Androssian Empire." A derisive noise buzzed over the crowd. Miyu ordered the makers to be quiet.

"Our objective is to raid the facility and capture the insurgents inside," Bill continued. "We're expecting most of the people inside to be scientists and engineers, so we'll be going in with blasters set to stun. However, don't relax just yet. There's sure to be soldiers defending the base too."

Various red markers then appeared over the display. Bill pointed to each in turn. "Bulldog and Husky Squads will approach the facility from the east and south. The Star Fox squadron is here to assist us and will take out the defence turrets from the west. Once we're clear, Husky and Star Fox will breach the interior while Bulldog secures the perimeter to prevent escape."

The longer Bill talked, the less that Dash became able to pay attention. He was preoccupied in trying to keep from shaking in plain sight. The Cornerian Army had their mission and Star Fox had their own. However, Dash had another agenda that went against the others. His ruse within the Empire became a double-edged sword. Like a good, little spy, Dash was forced to report the planned attack on the Empire's base straight to Oikonny. If he didn't, Dash would have aroused suspicion.

He hoped that would have been the end of it, but Oikonny called Dash back with other ideas. "We've deployed reinforcements, and the scientists will transfer their research to us before they evacuate," he said. "However, they might not get time to wipe the system before the Cornerians attack. If they get into the facility, I'll need you to ensure our data doesn't fall into their hands, Dash."

"It's going to be hard to do anything and keep my cover with the Cornerians swarming the place," Dash replied as he tried to conceal his worry.

"Then look for a way to get yourself alone," Oikonny growled. That was the end of the conversation.

So, that placed Dash into the predicament he was currently in. Preventing the Cornerians from seizing the base's research data wouldn't be much of a moral issue, since he could steal it from Fortuna later anyway. But if Dash got caught here, he might end up in serious trouble with the military. At the moment, only General Pepper and a few others knew what he was doing within the Empire. If Oikonny's spies found out the truth through the Cornerians, then Dash's goose was cooked.

"Lastly, I'll say this," Bill stated loud enough to wake Dash from his thoughts. "We have reason to believe that the Androssians already know we're on to them. They'll likely send reinforcements, so time is against us. We need to move fast and hit hard. Now get to your ships and move out."

"Sir! Yes, Sir!" the soldiers chanted.

Peppy once said that soldiers often felt their most nervous in the hours leading up to battle. That all changed as soon as the action started, since there was no longer time to worry. Dash hoped it worked that way for him as he and the team flew towards the base. At least he wasn't completely alone for this mission.

Dash eyed the starfighters that his teammates flew in. Space Dynamics provided Star Fox with their new Arwing II models last week. An air assault was the ideal first combat test for the fighters. Dash was the only one still with his old ship. Although he was a little envious, he knew that it was better this way. The team could not risk Oikonny's army getting their hands on the Arwing II designs. That could spell disaster for the whole Lylat System. Dash was too fond of his Monkey Arrow to trade it in anyway.

If Oikonny asked, Dash could pretend that not receiving his own Arwing II was another axe for him to grind against Star Fox. Dash would also tell him that only Space Dynamics had the starfighter schematics; and their contract with Star Fox gave full control over maintenance to the manufacturer. Even Slippy wouldn't be permitted to do more than surface repairs. Hopefully, that would keep Oikonny from expecting Dash to steal the designs for him.

"I've got visual on the base," Falco called in. "All ships check in."

"This is Peppy. All systems are go."

"Katt here. Feeling fine."

"I've got green lights on everything," Slippy reported. "Man, these new Arwings are sweet!"

Dash swallowed before responding. "This is Dash. No problems so far."

"Alright, team," Falco then said, sounding satisfied. "Looks like the Androssians are mobilising. Shoot down their defences but watch where you aim. No sense in bringing the whole place down on itself yet."

"I'm analysing the perimeter and marking all targets," Slippy advised.

After a short wait, Slippy transferred the information to everyone's onboard computers. Positional data blinked across Dash's eyepiece. It highlighted laser turrets, surface-to-air missile launchers, as well as the locations of enemy drones and starfighters. "Good work, Slippy," Peppy praised.

"Not as tight as other Venomian bases we've hit in the past," Falco remarked. "Okay! Star Fox, fire at will!"

The skies above the base erupted in a shower of laser bursts. Dash shot at the missile launchers, rolling sharply to avoid returning fire. He didn't bother with faking. It was tough enough acting like he was on both sides in person. Missing his shots on purpose would just embarrass his team in front of Captain Bill's squads. Plus, Dash didn't trust that Oikonny's mercenaries got the memo that he was their ally. So long as he didn't deliberately shoot at people, that pompous blowhard shouldn't care too much.

Androssian reinforcements arrived over the mountain. Falco, Katt, and Peppy helped the Cornerian pilots fend them off. Meanwhile, Dash and Slippy continued to chip away at the ground defences. "This kind of reminds me of when we blew up that Bolse satellite during the war," Slippy mentioned. "Glad that Star Wolf isn't around this time. Makes this a lot easier." Dash agreed.

Between the three squads, they quickly wore down the Androssians' strength enough for the raiding teams to land. Dash parked his ship next to Falco and Slippy's. Katt and Peppy would remain in the air to deal with any new reinforcements. "Ground team is moving in," Falco advised over Star Fox's private channel. "Everyone, remember your roles for this mission."

Dash and the others joined with the Cornerian troops as they blasted the front gate down. Androssian mercenaries opened fire from inside in an instant. Falco pulled Dash out of the way as the Cornerians defended with riot shields. More shot back at the Androssians. High-powered blaster bursts shorted out their energy shields and inflicted minor wounds. Lower energy stun shots sent the defenders convulsing into unconsciousness.

Bill approached the front line. He spoke into his wrist comm. "Our team's going in, Miyu."

"Copy that," she called back. "We've secured the south side and are ready to proceed when you are."

"Great to hear. How are things from your end, Fay?"

"All good up here," Fay replied. "We'll keep the skies clear until you're done. Watch yourselves in there."

"Same to you." Bill exchanged a look with Falco. Both captains led their teams into the building.

The first room was a grease-stained garage. None of the trucks in there were armoured or carried any weapons. It looked more like the vehicles only served as transport. Dash knew that the Empire's funds were tight, but he didn't realise how bad it was until he saw this. The headquarters on Fortuna were far better resourced in comparison.

Bill ordered a few soldiers to defend the garage so no one could drive off. Beyond there, Dash followed the march down dirty corridors with faulty lighting. Soldiers kicked down doors, swept rooms, and commanded Androssians to surrender where they found them. Gunshots echoed through the halls. Smoke and flash grenades went off. Agonised screams and profane shouts roared all around.

Terror and adrenaline supercharged Dash's nerves. He kept his pistol pointed forwards. His finger twitched over the trigger. With every fork in the path, their allies split off to cover more ground. Dash felt more exposed the deeper they went in. He envied Falco and Slippy's calm composures.

'I should be outside in my ship,' he fretted. 'Not dealing with this crap that Oikonny's got me doing.'

Three guards appeared in front. Dash and the others ducked behind walls as bullets flew past. Months' worth of training steeled Dash enough to line his pistol with a warty toad. He sank three shots into the guy's shield before it fizzled out. Falco did the same with both the crocodile and orangutan. Slippy finished them off with a stun round to each chest. Three-to-zero in Star Fox's favour. A relieved grin stretched Dash's lips. He felt a little more confident with how things were playing out.

Falco stepped over the bodies and kicked down a door behind them. "Freeze! Don't move!" he shouted. A lone chimp in a t-shirt stood in front of a computer console. His arms shot straight over his head; face plastered with fear. Falco directed him to move into the far corner. He tied the chimp's wrists together and told him to stay put.

"Have a look at what this guy was doing, Slippy," Falco ordered. "And Dash, make yourself useful and find out what he knows. I don't care what you have to do to make him talk."

Dash flinched under Falco's sharp tone, though not as terribly as the chimp. He reminded himself not to take it personally. They didn't know if the base had cameras and microphones directly transmitting to the Androssians' headquarters. To be safe, Falco played the persona that Dash had painted of him: the bully-made-leader who constantly belittled Oikonny's poor, younger cousin. Dash knew it was just an act, though he'd appreciate it if Falco toned it down a notch. It felt like the Sector X incident all over again.

Slippy quickly worked his way through the computer console while Falco guarded the door. Dash approached the chimp trying to squeeze himself further into the corner. He stared at Dash in terror. Judging by his lack of armour or weapons, this man was probably just a scientist. An enemy raid was not what he was prepared to deal with.

Dash knelt to meet the chimp's eye. He offered a gentle smile in the hopes of soothing him. "It's okay," he whispered. Dash made a show of glancing over his shoulder to make sure that Falco and Slippy weren't listening. "My name is Dash. General Oikonny sent me to make sure that the Cornerians don't get your research." The chimp's tremors began to steady. "What's your name?"

"D-D-Danny," he stammered. "Danny Newman." His eyes were still as wide as saucers. "Can you help me get out of here?"

Appearing remorseful, Dash shook his head. "I can't break my cover with Star Fox and the Cornerians." Danny became disappointed and twice as scared again. "But what I can do is stop them from hurting our allies. Now, have you transferred everything on your systems to headquarters?"

Danny nodded. "I just finished sending the last of our data, but I haven't yet scrubbed the system. I was just about to do that when you guys busted in."

Dash followed Danny's gaze towards Slippy. "Won't be able to stop the toad without raising suspicion," he mumbled. He looked back at Danny. "Is there another way to wipe out the system?"

Another nod. "The guards planted explosives in the server room. If those go off, all the local records will be destroyed. But they weren't supposed to go off until we sent everything out. I don't know if they'll still work."

"I can check for you. Where's the server room? How do I detonate the bombs?"

"Right from the door. Second turn to the left. Through the door marked 'Server Room.' I don't know how the bombs work though. I reckon someone is standing guard with a trigger or something."

"That's alright. I'll figure it out." Dash gave another smile and clapped Danny on the shoulder. "You've done good. I'll be sure to tell the General about you."

All that Danny returned was another meek nod. Dash rose and imagined the chimp's face changing to dread as he walked over to whisper in Falco's ear. "They've got explosives rigged in the server room."

Falco didn't take his eyes off the hallway. "Could they take out the whole building?" he murmured.

"No idea. The guy back there doesn't know much about them."

"Haven't heard any big kabooms since we got here, so safe to say they haven't gone off yet."

"Oikonny's going to expect me to make sure they do," Dash dropped his voice even lower.

Falco grumbled softly as he thought for a moment. "Do what you think you need to do. Slippy should be able to copy a good chunk from those servers before they go. Just be smart out there."

"What should I do if our guys are diffusing the bombs?"

Falco pondered that briefly as well. "Send them our way. Tell them I need backup to hold this position."

Dash bit his lip. "Is it really okay to lie to our allies like that?"

"Missions like you're on are messy as hell, but we've got to do what we need to make them work. Don't worry about what happens after. I'll deal with whatever shit Bill throws our way if something goes wrong."

That… suddenly made Dash feel a lot better. He stared at Falco as though he was talking to a completely different person. "Thanks, Falco."

"Don't mention it," Falco's eye lit up with a smirk. "Now get your ass over to those servers."

Dash was about to respond when he heard footsteps approaching, and not friendly ones. "Think we've got company."

Falco readied his blaster. "I'll cover you. Keep your head low and run fast."

They didn't wait on the count of three or anything like that. As soon as Falco told him to run, Dash ran. He stepped out into the hall and saw four Androssian mercs charging down it. Falco reached out and greeted them with a shower of plasma bursts. The mercenaries quickly ducked for cover. Dash used that opportunity to throw a smoke grenade behind him. He then bolted in the other direction as fast as he could. Shots fired all around him. Dash couldn't tell which direction they came from or where they were going. All that he knew was that, so far, none had hit him yet. He sought relative safety beyond the second left turn.

Not stopping for a single second, Dash found the server room already open. Three Cornerian soldiers pointed their guns to the door instantly. Dash raised both hands. Thankfully, the soldiers recognised the winged fox embroidered over his left breast. They returned their weapons to the bodies on the floor. Dash counted three gorillas. Two were dead with plasma wounds on their chests. The third knelt in the centre of the room. The injuries on his right shoulder were bound in bloody bandages. His arms were zip-tied behind his back.

"My team is pinned just around the corner!" Dash exclaimed. "They need backup!"

One of the soldiers pointed to a device stuck to one of the towering servers. "Can't help you. These rebel bastards have rigged this room to blow. We need to defend it while we wait for a specialist to disarm the bombs."

"Are they rigged with a timer?" Dash asked urgently.

Another soldier shook her head. "Doesn't look like it. They probably detonate remotely. We won't know for certain until the specialist takes a gander."

Dash waved wildly down the path he came from. "Well, my teammates are in trouble now! If we don't help them, they'll both die along with the scientist we've captured." Conflict and uncertainty tinged the glances that the soldiers threw each other.

"All I've got left on me is a third of a clip and a few grenades. I can't do much to help Falco and Slippy by myself." Dash pointed to the bound gorilla. "But I can watch over this guy for you and keep anybody else out for a few minutes."

The third soldier looked towards the first. "Sir?"

Their senior officer frowned carefully. "It'll be just for a few minutes. We'll come back as soon as reinforcements arrive." He stared at Dash. "You're sure you can hold the line here?"

"Definitely." Dash stood tall.

The senior nodded to his subordinates. "Alright. Let's move. The sooner we go, the sooner we get back." He and the other two soldiers then marched out of the room. Dash became left alone with the glowering captive and the smell of death and computer exhaust.

The gorilla snarled as Dash stepped closer. "Think yourself a big man just because I'm tied up? Give me three seconds. I'll break out and snap your scrawny neck."

Manners certainly weren't aplenty in the Empire, Dash reflected. He made an effort to appear friendly. "Relax. General Oikonny sent me. I'm here to make sure that the bombs go off."

The gorilla glared suspiciously at the crest on Dash's chest. "If that's true, then what the hell are you doing working for those assholes in Star Fox?"

"I'm working as a spy," Dash frowned back. "Why else do you think those Cornerian idiots listened to me?"

His insult went a long way to convince the gorilla. He bobbed his head thoughtfully. "If you really were sent by Oikonny, then tell me where his headquarters are."

"On Fortuna, in the Mudura Mountain Range. It's not like he can set up shop on Venom these days."

"Alright. I'll take you at your word." The gorilla jabbed his chin downwards. "Underneath my vest. I wedged something in there. Pull it out for me."

Dash shoved his fingers between the gorilla's chest and his body armour. He felt something long and slender and teased it out. The object was the shape of a cigarette lighter. "Those Cornerians took the first detonator from us. That's the backup. Like my old man always said: always carry a spare. Now put it in my hand."

Unsure if he should but feeling the pressing need to pull through his mission, Dash slowly placed the device into the gorilla's palm. Soon after, he heard a sharp beep from all five explosives planted across the room. Dash looked down and saw the gorilla's thumb pressed against the detonator's trigger. "What are you doing!" he exclaimed.

"There ain't no way in hell I'm spending the rest of my life in some Cornerian prison," the gorilla glared. "Since there's no way to run, I'm going out on my own terms. You've got until the count of three to get your ass out before I blow this room sky high."

Dash panicked. "That's crazy!"

"One!"

"Don't do this!" He needed to stop this! But setting the bombs off was his objective! Dash realised that if he tried to pry the detonator from the gorilla's hand, the bombs would explode anyway!

"Two!"

"Shit!" Dash couldn't wait. He ran for the door. His life came before everything else.

"Three…"

A second beep hit Dash's ears. Several more quickly followed. Dash then heard the blast. Heat and pressure threw him forwards. He landed into the opposing wall. Fortunately, Dash only flew a couple of feet. His body struck concrete hard. Pain assaulted both sides of his body, mainly in his head, torso, and arms. But he was alive and conscious enough to feel it. Dash's vision swam. His ears rang. He could smell something burning. It felt like Dash's mind and body divorced from each other, leaving him in a strange limbo of numbness and agony.

Shapes and shouts came from far away. Dash stared as someone wearing a helmet crouched over him. Something blue with a big, yellow nose also appeared. They said something to Dash, but he couldn't make out their words clearly. All he heard were disjointed sounds like "medic," "serve," and "shock."

Dash's body protested as he craned his neck. Through the haze, he could see orange and grey from the room he had just been in. His thoughts drifted to someone he believed he had seen in there. However, in its current state, his mind was a colander trying to hold water. It soon decided on its own that enough was enough. What remained of Dash's senses fled him entirely as he succumbed to darkness.

Light flickered slowly into being. It brought along new aches and pains. Dash became dimly aware of steady beeps and other noises hurting his eardrums. He groaned low. The sound barely rose above his breath.

"Dash?"

Who was talking and why did they have to be so loud? Dash squinted towards the source. He discovered a pink, slender shape next to him. As his vision began to clear, Dash watched Katt stand to call over the intercom. "Peppy! Get down here! Dash is waking up."

She sat back down onto her chair. Dash's throat felt dry as he licked his lips and swallowed. "Katt?"

Katt smiled softly and held his limp hand. "Hey, buddy. How are you feeling?"

"Sore…" was all Dash could manage to say. Katt's expression fell.

"Yeah… Figured as much." She squeezed his fingers tighter, leaning her forehead closer to them. "God… Don't you ever scare us like that again. You hear me?" Dash imagined that he heard her voice break a little.

Before he could string together an answer, the door behind Katt hissed open. The whole crew walked into the room. Everyone wore worried faces. Peppy approached Dash first. "Good to see you awake, son. How are you holding up?"

Dash gave him the same answer that he gave Katt. "Where am I?" he then asked.

"In the med bay, back on the Great Fox," Peppy told him. "We're taking you to a hospital."

"Corneria?" Dash slurred.

"No. We're still on MacBeth," Falco replied. "I'm sceptic about the healthcare here, but we didn't know if we'd have time to make the journey home. You were in a really bad way when we found you."

"Right…" Dash's head hurt. He pulled a heavy arm up to brush the thick bandages he found wrapped around his skull. Why was that? "Oh, right… The bombs went off…"

"What happened?" Vixy asked. He was surprised by the deep concern in her voice.

Dash knotted his brows together, trying to recall. "That scientist told me to blow up the server room… I told the soldiers in there to go help Falco… And then… I gave the prisoner the spare detonator." Clearer memories came forward. Dash began to tremble along with his words. "He… He-he… He…"

Peppy cut him off with a gentle palm on Dash's knee. "It's okay, son. We know enough from that point onwards. The soldiers found the trigger in the body's hand. As far as the Army knows, he was hiding a second one, waiting for the chance to use it. No one's blaming you for what happened."

"I don't get it…" Dash shook his head. "He just… pressed the button. Didn't even care that he'd… he'd…" Again, his voice couldn't bear to speak further.

"People do reckless shit when their back is up against the wall. That's not on you, kid," Falco said softly, folding his arms as he turned his beak away. "Fuck… I never should have let you go off on your own like that."

"Hey…" Slippy consoled, speaking for the first time since he arrived. "It's okay. Dash is going to pull through, so don't beat yourself up." If Falco took any comfort from his friend, he didn't show it.

Peppy didn't take his eyes off Dash's. "Are you okay?"

Was he okay? How the hell was he supposed to answer that?! Nothing felt okay! Inside or out! "I don't know…" Dash mumbled weakly. Tears blurred his vision. Katt squeezed his hand ever tighter. He gripped her fingers back.

"What happened to the mission?" Dash then asked. God, he hoped that it didn't all fall apart because everyone was worried about him.

Falco sighed. "Well… We took control of the base. Managed to capture… most… of the rebels inside. Also got some of their data before the system blew up."

Okay. That was… sort of good to hear. "What about the tech we were looking for?" Dash croaked.

"The Glass Noodle?" Vixy clarified. Dash nodded. That name sounded especially silly from her lips.

"That's probably the best part!" Slippy exclaimed, suddenly excited. "We actually found it! The base had entire reels of the stuff! And! We also found everything we need to make more of it!"

"Turns out the Empire planned to sell the cables for their war chest," Falco remarked.

Dash started to feel lighter, and not because of his injuries. "So, that means…"

"We've got what we need to start looking for Fox," Vixy said, smiling.

"We just need a satellite to hook the Glass Noodle up to and make a few modifications. Then we'll be good to go," Slippy added.

"That's great." Dash managed to smile. "I can give you a hand with…"

"No," Peppy interrupted firmly. "You're going straight to the hospital so that a doctor can check you over. Then you're going to rest until you've recovered 100 percent, and not a second sooner." His expression faltering, he then spoke softer. "I'm also going to book you in for psychiatric counselling. You've gone through things today that you shouldn't have. We need to make sure that we pick up on any long-term effects on your health early."

Dash immediately wanted to say that he was fine. However, feeling the pain all over his body, and what he felt creeping inside his brain, Dash felt it better to simply go along with Peppy. He had been in this line of work for much longer than Dash had. So, Dash knew he should trust Peppy's judgement on this. And honestly, his grandfather's descent into madness 20 years ago always made Dash anxious about his own state of mind.

"Attention," ROB called over the intercom. "Air Ambulance WIIU2016 is approaching and has requested permission to dock."

"Let them in, ROB," Peppy answered. He stood up slowly. "Better head over to greet them. Katt, are you all set to go with Dash?"

Katt nodded. "I'll keep you guys updated until you meet us there."

Peppy thanked her and turned to Vixy. "Could you please fetch Dash's things for me?" She smiled agreement before quickly leaving the room. Peppy soon followed her.

"I'm going to start looking through that data we pulled," Slippy said. "Chin up, Dash. Hope you feel better soon."

"Thanks," Dash mumbled as Slippy left as well.

It was then just him, Katt, and Falco remaining. Katt's tail swayed as she stared at Falco with a careful expression. Looking the other way, Falco shoved his hands into his pockets. "See you soon, kid. Take it easy."

Slowly, he walked towards the door. Falco stopped just short of it. "Hey, Dash…? You did a good job today. Just wanted to let you know." He, too, then disappeared.

Unable to process the last few seconds, Dash turned to Katt. She wore a spreading smile on her lips. "How are you feeling now?"

Dash thought about it for a moment. "Tired."

"Then close your eyes and get some rest. I'll be right with you the whole time. Okay?"

"Okay?" His eyelids felt heavy. Dash gave in and let them close. He still felt Katt's fingers around his own. Without realising it, Dash drifted back into sleep. His last thoughts were of how lucky he was to have friends who cared so much about him.