Chapter 25: Secrets Unravelling

Wood cracked under the axe's blade. The sharp, sudden sound shattered the calm throughout the yard. On either side of the heavy wedge, two halves of a log scattered over the ground. Fox tossed both into a wheelbarrow. He then placed a fresh piece of wood onto the chopping block. He lifted the axe once more and split the log almost cleanly down the middle.

His arms burned from the strain over the past hour. Fox would have called it a day by that point, but rainclouds were creeping across the sky. He turned to the last length of lumber lying across his backyard and cut it into equal, shorter pieces. After another series of strikes, he finally had the lot in their desired size and shape.

Fox stretched the ache out of his muscles and rolled it from his joints. He could feel the itch over his roughened palms and fingers. Although he had never been a stranger to manual labour, the callouses on his pads had grown thicker over the last year than ever before in his life. The unpolished axe handle, in particular, wasn't gentle on them.

Grabbing hold of the wheelbarrow, Fox carted its load to the shed against his house's back wall. There, the firewood would stay dry until needed. And he would certainly need it and more. Despite chopping up a good quantity, Fox had more work ahead of him to prepare for winter. He dumped the wood next to the one other thing that would help keep him warm over the long, bitter months: the hot water boiler connected to his new bathroom.

Fox spared no expense to make his home as comfortable as possible. With the house already in his ownership and no need to worry about bank loans or the like, there was little else that he needed to save money for. So, as soon as the city dug out the sewer channels through his neighbourhood, Fox paid to have water lines hooked up to his house. At long last, he had an indoor bathtub, a working toilet, and a proper kitchen sink. All he needed was a washing machine and life could have been perfect.

Taking a small bundle of the firewood, Fox carried it inside the house. He cleaned out the fireplace and laid the new logs down. Once the sun drew close to setting, Fox then spread kindling over the wood. He took a metal rod from the stand beside the mantle. On its end gleamed a small, red crystal. Fox jammed it hard against the logs. The gemstone flashed. Magical sparks erupted from it. They caught on the kindling, giving birth to small, flickering embers that warmed Fox's face. He stoked them for a few minutes until the flames grew.

Fox remembered a time long ago when his parents took him on a family holiday. They spent the week living in a cabin in the woods. It was his father's idea. To get them all more in tune with nature. Everything there was like from another era. The place didn't have internet service, and the stove and shower were both connected to gas tanks. Even the lights all used old incandescent bulbs. Still, it was a good week to look back on.

Fox most fondly remembered the tiny, metal fireplace. He'd watch his father set it up each night and tend to the flames. They'd dance brilliantly behind the glass hatch. Fox stared at them for ages until his mother called him for dinner. Now here he was living that life day after day. Not much other than him and Mother Nature. The only electricity that ran in Fox's house came from the basic wind farm that Andross built outside of Kezamat, which Fox used to power his boiler.

His ears pricked when his front door knocked. Fox opened it to find Krystal outside. His mood lifted in an instant as she met his gaze with a bright smile. "Hey," he grinned.

"Hey," she greeted. In her arms, Krystal carried a stack of thick blankets. "I brought these over for you. I know how cold you get during winter."

Fox accepted them from her. "Thank you. I was going to buy some later in the week, but now I don't have to." He stepped out from the doorway. "Would you like to come inside?"

Krystal brushed through with a sway in her tail. "I'd love to."

Feeling the heat in the room, Krystal removed the cloak from her shoulders. She sat down in front of the fire while Fox found a place to store the blankets. He offered her tea and hung a kettle over the flames to boil. They each talked about their day until steam hissed from its spout. Fox then handed Krystal a cup brewed with kivir grass, her favourite herb. She took a tentative sip and closed her eyes, sighing in contentment.

"Wonderful," she murmured. "Just what I needed right now."

Fox grinned. "Glad to hear it."

Krystal's eyes drifted up above the fire. "Those are new," she remarked. Fox looked towards the sheets of parchment framed on top of the mantle. Each displayed a portrait of someone who was close to his heart but far from his reach.

"Yeah," he said wistfully. "I've been thinking about my friends back home a lot lately. Thought that maybe drawing pictures of them would help. I'm not much of an artist though." Fox chuckled as he studied his shoddy handiwork. Peppy's head looked far too large, and one of Falco's wings was thicker than his torso.

"There's a painter I know of who lives in the south side of the city," Krystal replied. "They're able to take someone's memories and recreate the image perfectly on a canvas. Maybe they could help you."

Fox scratched his chin thoughtfully. "That's not a bad idea." He tried to imagine what the portraits would look like if made with a defter hand.

"Fox? Is something bothering you?" Krystal's anxious words surprised him. In her expression, he found concern. "Your mood is gloomy."

"Is it?" Fox turned his sight inward and felt the ill pits gurgling in his chest and mind. He vented their black fumes through a heavy sigh. "It's been so long since I've seen them. Mom… Dad… Peppy… Lucy… Falco and Slippy… ROB too. And everyone else. I really miss them."

Krystal's fingers curled around his. "I understand." She squeezed his hand gently. "Would you tell me more about them?"

Every so often, Krystal took an interest in Fox's life before they met. It eased his homesickness to talk about it with her. Right now, that was the exact thing that Fox felt he needed. He tightened his hold on her hand in answer.

"Before you showed up tonight, I was thinking about how living here reminds me of this holiday I took with my parents. They were always busy with work, so we didn't get to do stuff like that very often. This one time, Dad got the bright idea to take us far away from technology for a while. Think I now understand what he was getting at. I spent a lot of my time playing games online with my friends, and Mom always had a tablet in front of her at home. It became pretty easy to forget about the world around you when you're staring at a screen all day."

"That I don't think I'll ever understand," Krystal snickered playfully. Fox grinned in good humour.

"Makes me wish we cherished the time that we had together more. After Dad passed away, Peppy kind of filled the void for a while. He and Lucy were as good as family to us. Whenever Mom went away for a conference, I'd spend the weekend at Peppy's house watching TV marathons. Lucy and I would come up with ways to convince her parents to let Slippy stay over too." Fox chuckled. "Those were the best days."

Krystal smiled. "That sounds like it was a lot of fun."

"It was. The three of us were friends ever since. Shame we didn't all go to the Academy together. Peppy didn't like the idea of Lucy racing off to become a fighter pilot. Said it was too dangerous. They argued about it for a while. Eventually, Peppy talked Lucy into going to university first. That's like a school for people to learn more than their basic education; kind of like your lythan training," Fox paused to explain. "I think Peppy was just trying to stall for time though. He probably thought that Lucy would find something else she'd rather do instead.

"And did she?"

"Not as Peppy hoped she would. Lucy chose to study astrophysics, which actually would have helped her as a pilot in space. No matter what, she wouldn't give up on her dream. Lucy really admired Peppy. And after we became the Heroes of the Lylat Wars, she only wanted to follow in his footsteps more."

Fox sighed sadly once again. "But before she could finally do something about it, her mom got sick. Aunt Vivian went in and out of hospital for months. The doctors couldn't fix what was wrong with her. She kept getting worse until, finally, that was it. She passed away. I think a bit of Peppy died with her. It really messed Lucy up as well."

"And you," Krystal interrupted. "I can feel your hurt as you talk about it. You cared about Vivian too."

Fox nodded. "Yeah. Like I said: they were as good as family." An old shame came to haunt him. "It was hard being around Lucy for a while afterwards. It reminded me too much about what happened to my dad, so I kept my distance. At the time, I made myself believe that she just wanted space like I did." But he had been wrong. So stupidly, selfishly wrong.

"Peppy threw himself into our work to cope with the grief, and I started feeling guilty about taking him away from Lucy too. I tried getting her onto the team with us, but Peppy was completely against it. I'd never seen him that furious at me before or since. I soon realised that Peppy was simply scared of losing Lucy as well. He started raising all kinds of roadblocks to keep her from becoming a pilot. Lucy wound up pretty mad at him for it."

"Was it still like that when you last saw them?"

"Thankfully, no. It's been years since then, and Peppy and Lucy more or less made peace with each other and with Vivian's death. Lucy settled into a job teaching astrophysics to budding pilots, and Peppy doesn't get upset about her still wanting to fly as much. Part of me wonders if they ever took the next step while I've been gone."

The gloom thickened inside Fox as he began to think about his absence from the world. Another squeeze from Krystal pulled him out from it. "What about the others?" she asked. "Falco and Slippy? And ROB? I don't think you've mentioned him before."

"Oh, well… ROB's more of a machine than a person. I mean, it's kind of a blurry line because he can think almost like you and I can, but that's mostly because he's the Great Fox's brain. Dad and I still treated him like part of the family. However, it's not quite the same talking to a robot as a living person. You wouldn't be able to read his emotions since he doesn't have those. Heck, I doubt you could even read what he's thinking at all."

"A person who doesn't have emotions sounds a bit frightening," Krystal recoiled slightly. "It doesn't seem natural."

"Well, don't worry. ROB isn't dangerous. Unless he mistakes you for an enemy, of course." Fox remembered the one incident when Slippy unintentionally made ROB's friend-or-foe program go haywire. He shuddered as he pushed those horrific 40 minutes to the back of his mind.

His answer and thoughts only made Krystal anxious. Fox smiled to appease her. "But that would never happen to you. Slippy would make sure that ROB works properly and sees you only as a friend." He felt wistful again. "He's great with machines, Slippy. Even when we weren't earning the same money as we started with, he always managed to keep our ships in working order. We wouldn't have stayed in business nearly as long without him."

Krystal smiled. "He must have been quite the craftsman."

"Might as well call him that," Fox chuckled. "He was much more around the Great Fox than just a simple mechanic. If there was something that needed fixing, Slippy could do it. And if he could improve something, I'd always give him free reign to make it happen. He's a miracle worker. The team wouldn't have been the same without him."

He looked back to his crude bird illustration. "Falco, on the other hand, prefers to act rather than think about things. It's gotten him into trouble more than once before." Fox snickered. "This one time, Falco left the team without a word to go help some old friends of his. I didn't find out where he went until the team and I almost blew them out of the sky. Some Venomian rebels tried to pit us against each other. Didn't work like they planned though. Falco made up for what happened by helping us take out the rebels' base afterwards."

Fox then sighed. "Falco could be a pain in the ass at times, but there's no other pilot I'd want watching my back. I'd trust him with my life."

Krystal's tail brushed against his. "They all sound like wonderful people. I can't wait to meet them."

With only a few hopeful words, Fox's spirits plummeted back into the earlier mire. Unfortunately, Krystal noticed. "Fox? What's wrong?"

He stared into the fire, not able to answer immediately. "I'd love for you to meet them too. But… I don't see that happening anytime soon." Outside, the first drops of rain battered the windows.

Krystal squeezed his hand again. This time, her grip was tense with concern. "What do you mean by that?"

Pain wracked Fox's chest. "Andross has a plan to get us off Cerinia." He fought to make himself say the rest. "But it'll take at least 10 years to make it work."

Krystal's ears dropped. "Oh, Fox…"

"Ten years, Krystal. Ten years!" Fox's throat constricted as he spoke. "That's how long I'll have to wait before I even get the chance to see my family again! God! They'll probably all think I'm dead for sure by then… They'll give up looking for me at some point. Move on with their lives. I don't… I don't know what I'd…"

When he couldn't go on, Krystal stroked his arm. "That won't happen," she said softly. "I refuse to believe that the people who care about you would give up so easily."

"You don't get it," Fox hissed. His eyes burned as he wrangled back tears. "They never found Dad's body on Venom. Even after the war. We just accepted that he was gone for good. And it'll be the same for me."

For a long time, Krystal said nothing. The only sound came from the storm falling in full force. Krystal pulled Fox into her arms. Her fingers combed his hair as silent sobs strangled him. "There is one difference between this and what happened to your father," Krystal whispered. "You and I both know that you are not gone. We have a plan to get you home. I know that it will take a long time, but that doesn't mean that we're going to give up. Because if we do, then you will definitely never see your family again."

Taking a few deep breaths, Fox pulled away and wiped his eyes dry. "Y-your right… I'm sorry. It's just been… hard to hold onto hope after everything that Andross told me." A final sniffle disturbed him. "So much could happen in 10 years. And there's every chance that it might take longer than that. Andross isn't confident that we can build a rocket that works properly the first time."

Krystal rubbed his back. "Whether it takes 10 years or 100, we'll keep trying. I made you a promise that I'll do everything I can to help you get home, and I don't intend to go back on it."

"Thank you," Fox murmured. He hung his head. "Sorry for breaking down over something so stupid. That was pretty pathetic of me."

"Don't ever say that about yourself." With a touch as gentle as her words, Krystal drew him to meet her gaze. "Fox, there's nothing wrong with expressing how you feel to others. Burying your pain inside isn't healthy, and it doesn't allow me the chance to help you through it. If you're worried about something, you can talk about it with me. If you need to cry, then cry. But pretending that everything is fine when it isn't will only make it worse. I want to help you, so please share your burdens with me."

Suddenly, Fox thought back to that hunting trip from a year ago. Just like then, Krystal saw into his soul and peeled away the shell around it like layers of an onion. He felt bare and prone, at the mercy of her tender gaze. "I'm used to always being the strong one on the team," he said. "If I showed that I was worried or scared, that would just make everyone else feel that way. As their leader, I couldn't let that happen."

Krystal took both his hands into hers. "I won't pretend that I understand, since my people can sense how everyone around us feels. But it's because we can't hide our emotions that we've learned to trust others with them. When we're worried, we help each other overcome our troubles. When we're afraid, we stand together to give each other strength. There is no Cerinian who is left to face their problems alone. It's not our way."

Fox sighed dejectedly. "Guess that doesn't make me a very good Cerinian, does it?"

Krystal smiled. "You do well enough for someone without telepathy." She brushed his knuckles with a thumb. "Are you feeling any better?"

It still felt like his battle with time was one-sided against him. However, Fox was starting to see the light again. "I'll manage. Thank you, Krystal." He then glanced towards the window, realising how dark it now was outside. The storm seemed to have receded for now. "It's getting late. I shouldn't keep you any longer."

"I can stay if you'd like me to."

"What about your parents?"

"They'll understand." Krystal closed her eyes. A tranquil expression resided over her face for a minute. Her eyes then opened again with a smile. "There. They now know where I'll be tonight."

Fox hummed, impressed. "Quicker than a phone call." Yet he now always had to find someone to speak with them in person. He couldn't hide a pang of jealousy.

"Who knows," Krystal grinned. "Maybe in 10 years, your technology might let you talk to people like we can."

"I bet if the old doc had his way, we'd have that in five," Fox chuckled in return.

Krystal helped him with preparing dinner. Admittedly, it was more like Fox assisted her. He still didn't possess the emotional energy to do more than chop a few ingredients. It was Krystal who decided what dish was going to come out in the end and made sure that it didn't burn in the process. Fox soon found in front of him a bowl of spiced soup. It was something that always made him feel good after eating. He looked to Krystal in wonder as she dug in.

Throughout the meal, Krystal asked Fox more about his friends and family. He continued his stories, trying to recall ones that would make her laugh. However, talking about the past brought grief back up to the surface. Fox paused in places to compose himself. At times, the memories drew him to tears. Yet Fox did not hide them from Krystal. She had offered herself as a safe harbour to offload his innermost feelings. He needed to honour that with his trust.

They became so engrossed with each other that neither realised the time slip by. Fox's eyelids grew heavy. He watched Krystal yawn and realised that they should both turn in soon. Krystal agreed when he spoke up. Fox followed her to the door, where Krystal donned her cloak.

"Thanks for coming over, Krystal," he said. "And for talking tonight. It… It helps."

"You're welcome," Krystal smiled. She took a step closer. Her palm came to rest upon his chest. "I meant what I said earlier. If you ever feel worried or upset, no matter what it is, you can always talk to me about it. I promise I'll make time to listen."

Fox felt lighter at her words. "I appreciate that.

"It doesn't matter how big or small you think it is," she continued. "If something's troubling you, I want to be there to help."

Krystal's hands then rose to take hold of Fox's shoulders. "That's because…" Slowly, she leaned forward. "…I care about you."

All thoughts within Fox's brain stopped as Krystal kissed him. He closed his eyes. His body reacted on its own, shaking off years of rusted experience. Fox leaned into Krystal, adding to the pressure between their lips. His fingers laid upon her arms. They moulded around her toned biceps and sank into her plush, blue fur.

Then, before he knew it, Krystal pulled away. Her ears tinged with shy redness. Fox became stuck in the light of her azure gaze. It turned anxious, expecting a response from him. Fox's jaw flapped several times before he finally found his tongue.

"Uh… Okay…" he stammered. "Can… can I…?"

Krystal's lips pursed as she waited. Fox willed for his neurons to stop misfiring. 'Pull it together, McCloud! Whatever this is, you're fucking it up!'

"At the risk of sounding really stupid," he said anxiously, "can I please check that what just happened means what I think it means? Because where I come from, we call that a 'kiss.' And it's something two people do when they have… romantic feelings… for each other." Fox swallowed as he uttered the perilous words.

Against his fears, Krystal smiled at him. Her blush turned a deeper shade. "Yes, Fox. That was a 'kiss.'" She wrung her wrists in front of her. "And I'll admit… as of late… I've been having… romantic feelings for you." For a moment, Krystal broke eye contact, renewing it nervously to gauge his response.

Fox's heart pounded as his brain tried numerous times to translate what she had said, looking for any possible misinterpretation on his part. Yet between having asked already and the kiss itself, he couldn't find one. That stirred the butterflies in his stomach even worse now. Panic started to rise as Fox saw Krystal's expression falter with each passing second. If he didn't say something now, she'd think the worst!

"Um… Thank you?" Fox almost slapped himself. That was weak. That was extremely weak. "Sorry, I'm just trying to process this." Better, but not enough. 'God damn it! Where did all the stuff I picked up from the last time I kissed someone go?' Out the airlock and into the infinite void of space, apparently. It gave Fox a salute as decompression tore it violently from sight.

"Well?" Krystal prompted. "Do you… have similar feelings too?"

Fox breathed a tight sigh. "I'm scared as hell to answer that." When she cocked her head, he elaborated. "I've never been great at talking about this sort of thing. You mean a lot to me, Krystal. I don't want to mess up our friendship by saying something carelessly."

Neither of them was able to look directly at the other. They both shifted uncertainly on the spot. "Did you… like it when I kissed you?" Krystal asked.

That had a simpler answer. "Of course, I did."

Her tail flicked once. "Do you want to do it again?"

Fox's ears burned. His heart pumped a little faster. "Yes," he croaked.

Krystal closed in on Fox again. Their eyes lingered upon each other's for a moment. Equal parts nervousness and excitement shimmered in both sets. Hers mesmerised Fox, drawing him forward. Krystal's lips opened slightly to receive. Their muzzles touched. Whiskers brushed whilst their mouths found their perfect fit.

All of a sudden, Fox's nerves melted away. His heartrate settled. His thoughts cleared until nothing remained but a gentle breeze. Fox felt an urge to pull Krystal closer. He willingly succumbed to it. She shifted her head away so she could breathe. Her arms coiled around Fox's chest in the instant before she met his lips again.

They separated at last after having their fill. Fox peered into Krystal's gaze. He saw things about her that he previously blinded himself to. Her eyes, like jewels on the riverbed, glistened with raw adoration. The rise of her cheekbones as Krystal smiled gave the rest of her features the perfect shape. Fox raised one hand to cup Krystal's face. Her fur had the gloss of satin with the softness of velvet. Their touch sent sparks down his arm into his heart.

Krystal giggled as one of her claws traced up and down Fox's spine. "See? I can feel your thoughts. So, do you have romantic feelings for me after all?"

He was a bit embarrassed, yet Fox couldn't suppress the smile from his face. "I think I do. That sure helped clear it up a lot." It meant the world to him seeing Krystal's smile grow. Fox's fingertips picked up the minute shifts in her spine as Krystal wagged her tail. His own swung in conserved but steady arcs. "So, what now?"

"I don't know about you, but I've had more than enough excitement for one day," Krystal replied. She placed a palm over his heart. "But… Maybe we could pick this up another time? Tomorrow perhaps?"

"I've got the afternoon shift tomorrow," Fox nodded. "I'm free any time around that."

Krystal smiled. "Then I'll see you again tomorrow." She kissed him again, this time on Fox's cheek. "Goodnight, Fox."

He pulled her into his chest for a final embrace. "Goodnight, Krystal. Be safe walking home."

The weather was clearer when Krystal walked outside. As he watched her leave through the door, a part of Fox wanted to call her back. He'd offer for her to spend the night. Wipe away the chance that the rain would come back and catch her on the way home. Anything to spend a little more time with Krystal. That was when he realised how hard he had fallen for her without ever knowing it.

Just as Fox closed the door on the cold, empty yard and turned away, he felt something touch his mind. It was light, brief, and rosy with warmth. Like a nuzzle. Fox smiled as he rubbed his scalp around the sensation. He wasn't sure if he'd get any sleep as he doused the fireplace and got ready for bed. Yet as he laid his head atop the pillow, Fox's thoughts still lingered on Krystal and the memory of her on his lips. He fell asleep within seconds.

Lightyears away from the Balven System, there was a place where nothing stood in all directions. Darkness to the left. Darkness to the right. Up, down, forwards, and back. It was all the same to the naked eye. Only stars gave feature to the abyss. Though across such a vast distance, the brightest light to be seen came from inside the starfighter's cockpit.

Dash's eyes were closed as he listened to the Monkey Arrow's radio. Pop music played at low volume, serving merely as background noise as Dash gathered his thoughts. At times, he could still feel his body rattle from the memories of an explosion. It caused his mind to run erratically. Great effort was needed to steady it again. Right now, a steady mind eluded Dash. However, it was crucial that he have one for what he was about to do.

"Waiting any longer isn't going to help," Dash mumbled aloud. His fingers left the spot behind his head that still felt tender. They moved above the call icon on his ship's screen. Sucking in a breath, Dash touched the glass.

The music stopped. A dial tone rang in its place. Then there was a moment of silence. "Yes?"

"General Oikonny," Dash greeted, speaking more cheerfully than he felt. "Cousin. It's Dash."

Oikonny's tone shifted from mild annoyance to loud astonishment. "Dash?! Is that really you?" Dash heard coughing. "Where are you?" Oikonny demanded. "You haven't reported in for over six weeks! Not since that raid on our research facility."

"Please forgive me, General," Dash replied evenly. "I was badly wounded while fulfilling my duty to the Empire. I've only recently been released from hospital, and this is the first chance I've had to make a secure call to you."

A pause for consideration followed. "I see. And what exactly happened during the attack? Did the Cornerians get a hold of our data?"

"I've heard they stole some of it, but only a small amount," Dash answered. It would be more believable to admit the truth than try to convince Oikonny that he carried out his mission perfectly. "I made sure that the server room was destroyed before they could download everything."

As expected, Oikonny grumbled in displeasure. "I suppose we should be grateful for that." Dash could imagine Andrew tapping his finger against the arm of his desk chair. "You said that you were wounded. Explain that to me."

"I found the server room, where our men had set up charges to blow it all up. Only one soldier was left after the Cornerians captured the room. I gave him the spare detonator that he had hidden in his armour. He then triggered the explosives. I was caught in the blast though."

"How did you deal with the Cornerians?"

Dash frowned. Not an ounce of concern had been expressed towards his wellbeing. "I tricked them into leaving their posts. It wasn't difficult." The image of that gorilla flashed before his eyes. "General… The man who pulled the trigger… He didn't survive the explosion."

"Which means that the Cornerians have one less prisoner to interrogate," Oikonny remarked. "It does not matter now."

Outrage rose from Dash's chest. 'It doesn't matter?!' he seethed. 'A man blew himself up just to protect your dirty, little secrets, you son of a bitch!' It took all his self-control to hold his tongue. He gripped the ship's yoke until his knuckles burned white.

"Well then," Oikonny continued easily. "We can call your mission a success. Good work on MacBeth, Dash. I must say that you have become one of the most dependable allies that our army has. If not for you, the entire Empire could have been compromised."

Genuine shock stilled Dash. "Do you mean that?"

"I do. Over the past few months, I have grown to trust you. Whatever task I gave you, you rose above and beyond to complete it. I knew that welcoming you into the fold was a wise choice."

They had differing recollections of the day that they met, but Dash wasn't going to rock the boat now that he had both feet inside it. "Thank you, General. I'm honoured." He licked his lips. "If I may ask, sir? One of the scientists said that he sent all the facility's data to you. Did you get it?"

"Indeed. That was the best lot of news that we had since the raid started until you called. And it's a good thing that we have the data and not the Cornerians. The information that we recovered has the potential to bring our Empire back to its full might."

Dash's eyes widened. His fur felt cold. "Seriously? What kind of research were those scientists working on?"

"I'm afraid that's classified. For now, at least. Soon, I hope to one day show you everything that we have been building towards."

Dash considered how to best respond. "I look forward to it," he settled on.

"I apologise if this disappoints you at all," Oikonny said. "Sadly, I fear that I must keep our secrets guarded more closely than before."

"Why is that?" Dash tensed.

"Over the last few weeks, I've been wondering how the Cornerians found out about that base. We have made pains to stay under their radar until we were ready to strike. After much thought, there is only one explanation that I can put stock in. There's a spy within the Empire."

'Oh, shit!' Dash bit back his dread. "Do you have any ideas who it might be?"

"Not yet, but I have men working on finding them. It's only a matter of time before this spy reveals themselves to us."

"I'll keep an eye out for anyone acting suspiciously," Dash said.

"Thank you, Dash." Oikonny sounded calm. Dash felt somewhat safe for now. "Be careful out there. This spy has already robbed us of precious assets and manpower. If they catch wind of your operation, you could be put in danger."

Dash swallowed. "I understand, sir. Thank you for warning me."

"Good luck, Dash. Lay low for a while until I call for you again."

As soon as the call ended, Dash released every bit of breath pent up inside him. He was sweating all over, cold and shivering in anxious fright. His brain went into overdrive processing everything that had been said. Blood pounded in Dash's ears, drowning out the music now playing again on the radio.

"Dash?"

Dash jolted. Then he realised that the voice belonged to Peppy. "Dash? Is everything alright? How did it go with Oikonny?"

"Fine," he answered quickly. Dash chided himself to calm down. "Just fine. He still believes I'm loyal to the Empire."

"Good. Did he say anything interesting?"

In that moment, Dash was grateful that his team couldn't listen in to his conversations with the Empire. He knew he should tell Peppy that Oikonny was getting suspicious, but he couldn't. After Dash got hurt on MacBeth, Peppy almost pulled the plug on the whole operation. It took arguing that the Glass Noodle plan might not work to convince him to let Dash keep digging inside the Androssian Empire. If Peppy found out the truth, there'd be too little that Dash could do or say to dissuade him.

"He said that the research that base was developing could make the Empire as strong as Andross's army was during the war," Dash answered.

Peppy's grumbling barely carried over the radio. "That's concerning. Did he say how exactly?"

"No. That's classified, apparently. I'm going to have to find out for myself next time I'm on Fortuna."

"I'm going to pop a pin in that idea right now. You've only just come back onto active duty, and it's barely been half the amount of time the doctors told you to rest. The last thing you need is to dive headfirst into something that dangerous and delicate."

"But Peppy…!"

"No buts, Dash. You're going to stay onboard the Great Fox until you're fully recovered. I'll warn Pepper to keep an eye on the Empire's activities in case they try something. You don't need to go rushing off to do everything by yourself."

Dash wasn't happy about this, but he knew that if he argued, Peppy would only harden his stance. "Yes, sir."

"Alright. Come on back and we'll do lunch. See you in a bit, Dash."

"Yeah. See you."

As Dash flew back to the carrier, he couldn't shake an ill feeling that loomed over him. What Oikonny said about the Empire becoming stronger made him anxious. If there was any truth behind the boasts, it could mean a lot of trouble for the entire Lylat System. Dash's heart raced a little faster as he could sense his family's curse about to rear its ugly head again.

End note:

It's taken 25 chapters, but the romance is finally blooming. Now the real fun begins.