Chapter 48: Your Voice

Vixy's heart sat in her throat. It stuck there, making it hard to breathe. All over, she felt cold and restless. Her nerves wriggled beneath her skin, making Vixy itch. She stifled these sensations to remain invisible. Not once did her eyes shift from Falco and Slippy working at the communications console in front of the whole crew.

Purgatory floated outside the Great Fox's bridge. It had taken a week to get here after gaining clearance to return to Balven space at short notice. Throughout that time, Vixy's thoughts centred on one thing. Fox, her son, was calling home. She, like the others, prayed that this was real and not some crass error instead.

"Come on, Slippy!" Falco grumbled. "How long does it take to set up a comm channel? I thought you had this thing ready to go already!"

"I did!" Slippy snapped back. "I don't know who used this console last, but the settings are all bungled up. I have to reset them now."

"Well, how long is that going to take?!"

"As long as it needs to!" Slippy then turned to Falco and planted his fists upon his hips. "Here's an idea: How about instead of breathing down my neck, you go and make sure that we're in the right place around the planet?"

"How is that my job?"

"The Great Fox goes where the captain makes it go. If we need to move the ship to get a better signal, it's the captain's job to move it where it needs to be."

"Why you smart-mouthed, little twerp…"

"Knock it off, you two!" Katt snapped. Falco's hand froze over his rolled-up sleeve. "Falco, get your head out of your ass and go ask ROB where Fox is right now."

Falco turned to her indignantly. "Why can't Slippy just…"

"Go!" Katt pointed, crushing any chance of challenging her. Falco shoved his hands into his pockets. Vixy did not catch the words he grumbled as Falco dragged his feet towards ROB at the helm. That might be for the best.

As it happened, the P-POS currently floated on the dark side of Purgatory. The bridge hummed as ROB flew the Great Fox around for about 20 minutes. Vixy tried not to grip at her dress too much. She picked the wrong outfit to risk clawing stress holes into. Lucy walked up behind Vixy, placing a hand on her shoulder. After sharing one look with her niece, Vixy found herself pulled into a caring embrace. She held Lucy tightly until her worries settled down.

"Okay… I think I'm getting something," Slippy announced after a while. He pressed the side of his headphones firmly against one ear.

"Put it up on speaker," Peppy told him.

With a few taps, a stream of static crackled from the holoprojector. Nothing noteworthy though. "Well?" Dash asked.

"Hang on. I definitely heard something a moment ago. Let's give it a minute or two." Slippy played with the system more to improve the audio quality.

After waiting with still nothing to show for it, Falco walked up to the projector and spoke clearly. "Hello? Is anybody out there?" Hope and fear gripped inside Vixy's chest. "This is Captain Lombardi of Star Fox. Can anyone read me?"

Seconds passed. Five. Ten. Twenty. Only silence. "I repeat. "This is Captain Lombardi of Star Fox. Can anyone read me?"

Dread slowly crawled for victory. Vixy clasped her hands together and prayed. 'Please, God… God, please…'

"Hel…! My n…me is …rys…al. Can y… he… m…?"

The thread of suspense snapped. Everyone looked to each other, shock written across their faces. Falco threw out his arm. "Slippy! Clean that signal up!" Slippy worked hard and fast to make adjustments. To the projector, Falco spoke deliberately to make himself heard through the static. "Sorry. Can you repeat that?"

A moment passed. "I'm sorry. I don't understand you."

The transmission cleared significantly, but Vixy kept her hopes reined in. A woman spoke, not Fox. However, Vixy definitely heard her native language. Only one person on that planet could have possibly taught her how to speak it. Could they…?

"Slippy, hurry up and get this damned thing working!" Falco snapped.

"It's already as good as I can make it! If they can't hear us, it's either because their hardware isn't set up right or it's busted!"

"Or maybe it's working, but they just can't understand Falco's language," Dash interjected.

Falco and Slippy stopped feuding long enough to gawp at him. "But I made sure that the radios had their translators set to Papetoonish when I sent them," Slippy protested.

Dash tapped his chin for a few seconds. "Well… What if Fox isn't using one of them? We're only assuming that."

"But how else can someone be talking to us right now?" Falco frowned.

"Didn't Fox go down with his whole Arwing? Maybe his radio survived, but it can't translate Zonessian to Papetoonish anymore. We should try using a language that Fox knows."

"I'll talk to them," Vixy said. The room turned to her. "That's my language they're using. I'll take care of this."

Everyone backed away as Vixy approached the holoprojector. She cleared her throat, trying to settle her nerves at the same time. "This is Vixy Reinard of Star Fox. Can you understand me?" The following pause tortured her.

"Vixy…?" the woman replied. "Does that mean you're Fox's mother?"

Vixy's heart stopped. Her mouth hung agape. She knew who she was? "You know Fox…?!" Vixy could scarcely believe it. "Who am I speaking with?"

Joy filled the other voice. "My name is Krystal. I'm Fox's mate."

His mate…? Vixy clasped a hand over her mouth. The vixen with blue fur! The one who they found together with Fox that day. A million thoughts raced through her brain, moving too fast for Vixy to process. Everyone else around her screamed and cheered in celebration. Slippy threw his arms around Falco's waist, sobbing loudly as Falco laughed and noogied his head.

"We did it!" Falco crowed.

However, it was too soon for Vixy. "Fox!" she called. "Where is he? Is he alright? Can we please speak with him?"

"Wait a moment, please," Krystal answered. Silence fell. Vixy clutched at her heart again. She soon felt Peppy's warm embrace circle from behind her. Vixy met his gaze and sank against his torso. Her head felt so light right now. It spun a little. She needed someone to hold her for a moment.

"Fox!"

He jolted awake; torn away from whatever vague dream he'd been having. Fox squinted up through the bleary din and found Krystal looming over him. The happiest expression lit her face in the glow of a light crystal. She shook him again. "Fox! Wake up! It's your mother! I just spoke to your mother!"

'Mom…?!' His wits came to him in a flash. Fox threw off his blankets and stumbled to his feet. He then sprinted for the radio, pulling the microphone towards his lips. "Mom?! Mom, are you there?!"

Vixy's breath caught. Tears burst from her eyes. A sob tore from her throat. Peppy kept her from buckling over at the sound of Fox's voice. It's him! It's really him!

"Yes! We got him!" Katt shrieked, jumping on the spot.

The rest of the crew crowded around the projector, all talking over each other. "Fox, are you okay?" Slippy asked. "How are you?" said Lucy. "What the fuck took you so long?" Falco cursed. Vixy stayed clear of it, needing time to collect herself.

Fox shook his head. All he could hear was nonsense from multiple people speaking different languages at the same time. He thought he could pick up pieces of Cornerian from what sounded like Slippy and someone female. Lucy, maybe? Unfortunately, Falco's Zonessian made it too hard to make out anything intelligible from them. Overall, it sounded like a complete and utter mess that wouldn't stop flowing.

"Guys! Guys!" Fox suddenly yelled. "We don't have a translator down here. I can only understand half of you."

The chaos settled. "Huh… Dash was right on the money," Slippy said, drawing just as much confusion from Fox as a moment ago.

Relief rose in his throat. It caught midway and made Fox's eyes water. Krystal's arm wormed around his shoulder as he dried them. He laughed, sighed, and cried all in one, short breath. "I'm so glad to hear you guys again."

"Believe us, it's the same feeling up here."

"Is that you, Peppy?" Fox grinned. Through the corner of his eye, he saw Andross and Thene both approach as quietly as shadows. "God damn it, I've missed you guys."

"We've missed you too." Fox's tears rose anew at Lucy's voice.

"There!" Slippy declared. "I've set up our system to translate everything to Papetoonish for you. You should be able to understand Falco now. Though that'd be a first."

"Go to hell," Falco growled.

"Hey, don't get mad at me. At least I bothered to learn more than five words of Cornerian in my life."

"I swear to God, Slippy. I will throw you out the airlock if you don't shut it!"

Fox caught himself on the table as he buckled over laughing. Trust Falco and Slippy to start squabbling right off the bat. He really had missed them all. Remembering then what Krystal woke him up to tell him, Fox quickly sobered. "What about my mom?" he asked. "Is she there?"

Everyone else went quiet. They looked to Vixy, giving space again for her to step forward. Peppy, ever by her side, rubbed her shoulder gently. He nudged her with encouragement in his smile. Vixy needed to hold his hand in hers. She could barely stand up on her own.

On shaking legs, Vixy walked up to the front. Her throat constricted. Everything that she felt right now – joy, heartache, relief, disbelief, love – all bubbled inside her in one mass. It rose until she could only choke out a single word.

"Fox…"

Fox broke. "Mom…" All the sorrow that he held back burst out of its dam for everyone else to see. "Oh god, Mom!" he cried. "I'm sorry! I'm so sorry I made you worry about me for so long! I'm so sorry… I'm so sorry…" Krystal held him close, but she couldn't stop the unyielding force that erupted from Fox.

"Oh, Fox…" Vixy whined. "I'm so relieved…"

"I love you so much!" Fox exclaimed before he might never get the chance again. "I've missed you. Every day. I never stopped thinking about you or anyone else."

"We've missed you too, darling."

For a few minutes, it became just Fox and Vixy crying over each other uncontrollably. Krystal stroked Fox's back as he rode the emotions out. Her lips occasionally kissed his cheek as her mind wrapped around Fox like a warm blanket. As a result, Krystal ended up crying as well, though she declined to have it any other way.

"Hey, Fox," someone finally spoke up. That sounded like Katt's voice. "How are you holding up down there?"

Like a spell breaking, Fox managed to get a handle on himself. He dried his face and sucked in a breath to settle his soul. A smile then touched his lips. "I'm doing fine, Katt. It's a little low-tech down here, but I've managed over the last couple of years."

Fox then took Krystal's hand. "Oh! Hey, guys? I want to introduce you to my mate, Krystal. You saw her with me in that photo you took a while back."

Krystal hugged his arms as a tinge of shyness overtook her. "Hello. It's nice to meet you," she smiled.

"She's been a huge help to me ever since I ended up here. Honestly, I don't know what I would've done without her."

"Hi Krystal! Nice to meet you," Slippy greeted, ever the first to enthusiastically make a new friend. Fox met Krystal's gaze. It brightened like stars as she turned to him.

"Fox…" Falco then said. Anguish muted his tone. "Fucking hell, man… I'm so sorry. It's my fault you got stuck down there."

Fox's heart weighed a tonne greater. "Don't worry about it, Falco. It wouldn't have happened if I hadn't let my guard down that day. I'm just glad that you guys made it out safely."

"It wasn't quite that straightforward," Peppy chuckled sadly. "We had some trouble with the NSF after they backed us up. They searched the Fox and found our mission briefings. Caused a huge political scandal between Lylat and Balven."

Fox winced. "Sorry you guys had to deal with that."

"Luckily, Pepper saved us from getting thrown in court," Falco added. "So, Fox. What took you so long to call?"

Fox's ears burned a little. "Sorry, Falco. Things have been a little chaotic down here lately. It took us this long to fix my Arwing's radio."

"Didn't you find the radios we sent you?"

Fox straightened in surprise. "No?" He glanced over to Andross. From the man's expression, Fox couldn't tell if he was following the conversation or not. As far as Fox knew, Andross didn't speak Papetoonish. "Wait! Radios? You mean more than one?"

"We sent down two over the last month."

Looking back to Andross, Fox lowered his voice. "Did you know that my team sent us two radios a month ago?" Andross raised his brows. The same realisation dawned in both their minds.

"FUCK!" they swore.

"Who was that?" Slippy asked. "Is someone else there with you, Fox?"

Grieving over wasted time had to wait. Fox floundered for an answer to Slippy but came up emptyhanded. Finally, Andross sighed and pushed him aside. "This is Doctor Simon Andross speaking. No, we haven't received any equipment delivered from orbit recently."

"Andross?!" Slippy exclaimed.

"What the fuck?!" Falco shrieked, feathers standing on end.

The room spun around her. Vixy could no longer breathe. She clutched her chest again as well as Peppy's ready arm. Her blood went cold as her legs began to shake. Vomit threatened to surge from her guts. Lucy rushed to Vixy's other side to catch her from collapsing. Peppy tried to console her, but Vixy could hardly hear him. Just the sound of her own heartrate skyrocketing inside her ears.

"Guys! I know what you're thinking, and I understand completely!" Fox said urgently.

"Understand?!" Falco fumed. "What the fuck are you doing down there, working with Andross, Fox?!"

"I didn't exactly have a whole lot of options!" Fox snapped. A tired sigh fled his lungs, reverberating through the projector. "When I got here, the Cerinians didn't even use electricity. Andross was the only person I could find who could help me get off this planet."

"And you seriously think you can trust him?" Falco threw up his arms.

Katt gripped his shoulder. "Falco, calm down."

He turned on her. "Calm down?! That's Lylat's most dangerous psycho standing right next to our friend! If it were me, I would have shot the bastard the moment I spotted him!"

"Believe me, Falco. I wanted to," Fox growled. "But like I said, I didn't have any other options."

The bridge became quiet, allowing Vixy to process this turn of events. Andross… A myriad of emotions assaulted her. Some surprised Vixy, such as memories of respect and admiration that she once thought shattered beyond recognition. However, hate and grief towered over everything else. Vixy tapped into the fiercest burning emotions and used their strength to stand on her own again.

"So, Andross was on Purgatory this entire time after all," Peppy huffed.

"It's Cerinia, actually," Andross corrected.

"You changed your name to Cerinia?" Falco crossed his arms.

"The planet's name, you idiot," Fox rebuked, partly laughing. "Cerinia is what Krystal's people call their world. So… yeah. Everyone's going to have to update their star maps now. Sorry about that."

At that moment, Dash approached the projector. Falco spied him through the corner of his vision and cleared the way. All eyes fell upon Dash. His shoulders squared tightly over clenched fists. Even his tail curled with tension. Dash took a deep breath and stood tall.

"Doctor Andross… My name is Dash Bowman. I'm… I'm your…" He gasped, then tried again. "I'm your grandson."

Static crackled over an extended silence. "That is a bold claim," Andross finally replied. "And a surprising one, I must say."

Dash swallowed. Katt reached to comfort him. "I know. I swear it's the truth though. My mother's name is Ashley. Your daughter."

All three foxes watched Andross. He stroked his beard, deep in thought. This Dash Bowman could be trying to deceive him. Then again, he could indeed be telling the truth. There was no possible way to confirm or deny his claim right now though. The chances of Star Fox accepting one of his kin into their fold were fantastical at best. On the other hand, why make up such a tale if they hadn't known that he was on Cerinia until now? Their group's reaction to his presence debunked the notion that this revelation was prefabricated. Logically, that would suggest that no lie was spoken.

He had a grandchild… Ashley, his little jewel, had grown up… She probably married, judging from the surname, and had a son. Perhaps more than one, for all he knew. Something hummed deep within the dormant parts of Andross's heart. Something to be contemplated later in private.

"Ashley…" he said at last. Carefully. "How is she? Is she well?"

"She's… Mom didn't have an easy life… But she's okay," Dash replied. "She misses you."

Andross sighed. What a burden he must have left her with. "I see."

He could feel it. Throughout this conversation, he felt Thene listening through his mind. "Can you trust what he says?" she cautioned.

"I have no reason not to," he answered. "It's not like I have anything to lose from believing him."

Thene withdrew to conceal her own thoughts on the matter. However, they were clear on her face. She was sceptical, unconvinced with blind faith. Yet she respected his decision enough to remain silent. If they ever did meet, Andross fully expected Thene to watch Dash like a hawk for his true intentions.

'Hm… Perhaps it's better not to think too deeply about what their relationship might be like in future.'

"Alright. I know we're all having a grand, old time with these family reunions, but let's talk about what's more important," Falco Lombardi spoke up. "Fox, we need to get you off that planet ASAP."

"We have a plan already," Andross replied. "Before we go into details however, I ask that we continue this conversation in Cornerian. I would like for my assistant, Thene, to be able to understand us more easily." As skilled as she was at inferring from his thoughts, this matter would soon become too technical for her to follow in such a way.

"Give me a moment… And done!" Beltino Toad's son declared. Andross heard the translator shift from McCloud's language to his own.

"Good. Now, listen closely. Our only real chance to escape Cerinia is with a combustion rocket. We've made a start on building one, but progress is slower than a snail's pace."

"But all that pink dust breaks electrical equipment," Lombardi pointed out. "How are you going to get a ship up through that?"

"It might actually work," Toad replied. "It's super old-school, but if they use a chemical fuel to launch a ship upward, they could, in theory, fly through the outer atmosphere without any trouble."

Andross found it refreshing to hear another person's enthusiasm for science for once, other than Thene's. "My thoughts exactly. Unfortunately, the Cerinians have neither the skill nor means to produce everything we need. We spend more time teaching them how to make the ship parts than we do putting it all together. At our current pace, it will probably take another 12 to 15 years to build the rocket by ourselves."

"Like hell we're waiting that long!" Lombardi snapped. "Fox, tell us what you need. We'll get it for you and drop it down."

McCloud shrugged his shoulders. "Don't ask me. Andross is the engineer down here. I'm just the pilot."

"I'll be happy to provide a full list of the parts we need. However, it's the middle of the night; and the four of us haven't slept properly in days." As he spoke, Andross could barely bring his drowsy thoughts together. "Now that we're in contact, we'll first work out a schedule to make communication easier. You mentioned earlier that you sent two radio systems near our location. Where are they exactly?"

"I made sure to track the landing points for all the care packages we've dropped so far. Just in case Fox missed one and we had to help him find it," Toad answered. "I'll have to check ROB's logs for the exact coordinates first."

Sensible boy. "There's a warehouse surrounded with construction equipment near the city's northern wall. That is where we are now. We'll use this location for our central reference point. Any landmarks that you can use to guide us will be helpful."

"Now hold up, you cloned-up nutcase!" Lombardi snapped, quickly becoming a thorn in Andross's side. "What's with the whole 'we' and 'us' business? We're not looking to rescue you! Just Fox. You can stay where you are for all we care."

Frankly, it surprised Andross that it took this long for someone to say as much. "I highly doubt you can airdrop an entire rocket from space, ready to launch. Someone needs to assemble the ship and set it up from the planet's surface. Judging from all the help that your captain has given me so far, I'm hard-pressed to believe that he has the skills to do the work by himself." McCloud growled irritably in reaction.

Silence fell over the line, so it became Andross's time to drive his point. "The only way that you are going to see your friend again is if I'm onboard that rocket as well. In addition, I want free passage to planet Eulethra, where I will not be followed or arrested after arrival."

"You bastard!" McCloud shot to his feet. His chair toppled over behind him. "Are you seriously trying to hold me hostage now?!"

McCloud's snarl turned savage. His hand grabbed the blaster at his hip. Thene's hackles rose as she moved to defend her mate. Andross calmly placed his hand atop her shoulder to stop her from acting first. Likewise, Krystal caught McCloud's wrist before he could draw his weapon. Their eyes met, fury against concern. Although it appeared that she was trying to calm McCloud, her fingers curled around the hilt of a hunting knife that she always kept at her hip. Andross could feel the blade's edge that this situation now balanced on.

"I would rather not use the term 'hostage,'" he replied. "However, let us review the cards that we are all holding. Our entire rescue plan is to lower a rocket ship from Cerinia's orbit to her surface. A rocket that, the design of which, has not been used in nearly 200 years. If you attempt to carry out this plan without me, then there is a greater risk of it ending in catastrophic, expensive, life-ending failure."

Andross gave them a moment for that to sink in. The fight was already trickling away from McCloud's glare. "However… If you accept my… what I dare say are reasonable terms… then I can lower that risk for you significantly. Fox McCloud will return home safely, and I will be free to be on my merry way elsewhere."

"You must still have Venom's air in your brain if you think that we're going to let you run loose after all the harm you've caused," McCloud sneered.

And here Andross thought that the pair of them had grown to trust each other. A pity. "It is not as though I am asking for clemency from the Cornerian Government." No. They would never agree to that. Not even for Lylat's golden boy. "All I will need are thirty days. Thirty days in which I can enjoy my freedom and prepare to leave the Balven System unmolested. After that period expires, Star Fox and the Cornerian Army will both be free to pursue me with your full force if you so desire."

He concentrated his gaze onto McCloud. The man glared back. Rage trembled through his body, yet he contained it. Andross heard nothing from him or the radio. That was fine. It meant that they were thinking at least. Andross gave them all the time in the world. He made his offer and refused to budge on it. The rest was now up to McCloud and his loved ones.

That dirty, rotten, conniving bastard! Falco wished that Andross was standing on the bridge with them so that he could shoot the prick through his mouth. Where the hell did he get off from holding Fox ransom with the situation that he's in? No wonder people called Andross crazy!

Except, Falco realised once his anger boiled off, this wasn't actually a ransom. This really was a high stakes rescue that they were planning. The Academy taught early on about all the ways space travel can end disastrously if you mess up the smallest thing. Falco remembered the explosions animated into those little movies the instructors used to play. If they screwed up at any point in this, it would be Fox who'd pay for their mistake with his life. Falco looked to Slippy, whose anxious grimace didn't reassure him. Andross wasn't bluffing or making threats. He was bloody warning them how badly this could turn out without his help!

Falco ran his hand over his beak. His brain churned, but it didn't come up with any better ideas. He glanced over to Katt. She waited worriedly for him to say something. Everyone was. Dash; Peppy; Lucy; Slippy; Vixy… Oh, God damn it, Vixy… She looked like she was holding up worse than a house of cards.

What was the right choice to make? Should he do whatever it takes to give Vixy back her son and allow her mate's killer the chance to slip away? Or should he tell Andross to shove it, and gamble Fox's life with a bad hand? Which of those two was the better option? Which of their consequences could Falco live with? Which of them would Fox survive?

"Vixy…" Her fretful gaze never left Falco's as he approached her. "If I let Andross have his way, I swear to you that I will do everything in my power to make sure he never gets far. But first, I need you and Fox to decide for me."

He hated himself. It was gutless, running away from this choice and forcing it onto a friend who was hurting right now. Falco felt sick to his stomach. But the alternative was worse. How could he possibly make either call without taking Vixy's feelings into account first? This was about her family. She had the right to decide. Her and Fox both. Alone.

As the torment riddled Vixy, she seemed to understand that as well. She looked to Peppy, but an apology was all that Vixy saw. He could not advise her on this. Vixy blinked back tears. She hung her head and inhaled a deep, painful breath.

"I want to speak to Fox first."

Falco nodded. Without a word, he beckoned for the rest of the crew to stand back. They moved to the bridge's rear as Peppy walked Vixy closer to the projector. She wiped at her eyes, sniffing deeply. Peppy's hand stroked her spine the entire time.

"Fox…?"

"I'm here, Mom."

Fox stood in front of the radio, hunched with his hands planted atop the table. A storm tumbled inside his head. His soul weighed more than lead. Sensing his fragile mood, Krystal embraced his side, lending Fox her strength. Strength that he sorely needed.

"I hate this," his mother shuddered.

"I don't like it either," Fox sighed, shaking his head. "But I really don't see us pulling this off without Andross. I want to get off this planet and see you more than anything else, and I cannot bring myself to risk it all just to spite the bastard."

"After everything he's done to us… To you… To me… And to your father…" Vixy wept. "It makes me sick to my stomach to even think about helping him!"

"I know," Fox said softly. "But it's our best chance right now. I'm willing to take it."

His mother didn't answer, though Fox could still hear the hitch in her chest. "I promise, Mom. I will not let Andross get away. I'll make sure that he pays for Dad's death one way or the other."

Still, she would not respond. Fox grew worried for her. "Mom… please say something."

A sharp intake of air shook. "Alright," Vixy whispered. "Whatever it takes."

Fox nodded sadly. "I'm sorry, Mom."

"Good," Andross stated, intruding into the conversation again. "Now that we have that sorted, we will resume this discussion at noon, local time, tomorrow. Have those coordinates ready by then."

He turned to Fox. "Say your goodbyes and turn that off."

"I still want to talk to them," Fox bristled.

Andross didn't flinch. "It's the middle of the night, and I'm going back to bed. Whatever more you want to say can wait until we have our hands on those other receivers." He walked off with Thene without another word.

An absolute bastard as always, but he was right. Fox sighed in aggravation, feeling his tired body whine against his brain. He glanced over to Krystal. "Is everything okay?" she asked.

Fox grumbled. "How much of that did you understand?"

"Not a whole lot. I picked up bits and pieces in the first half, but it then sounded like you stopped speaking Papetoonish. I've been reading everyone's mood to try and keep up." Krystal took his hand. "What did Andross say that upset you?"

"He's trying to make a deal to run away after we all make it out of orbit," Fox huffed. "Frankly, I shouldn't be surprised. I'd have had the Cornerian Army waiting to arrest Andross on sight. He's still wanted for war crimes back home."

A saddened look passed over Krystal. "I see. That does make sense." Telepathically, she continued. "Will you agree to his demands?"

"Don't have a choice," Fox sighed. "A whole lot of things can go wrong without his help. Not only that, Andross could do anything to sabotage the rocket if we don't give him what he wants. And I wouldn't be able to tell the difference."

"We won't let that happen," Krystal darkened.

He appreciated her support on the matter. Fox wrapped Krystal's fingers inside his. "I'll play along until we're out in space. After that, I'll keep my eye on Andross so that he can't make a move without me there to stop him."

A smile fluttered onto Krystal's lips. "I can help you with that."

Fox grinned. Her telepathy was their ace in the hole. "Now he definitely won't get away."

"Hey, Fox?" the radio crackled. "Are you still there?"

"Yeah, Falco. I'm here." What he had to tell them struggled to crawl its way up his throat. "Sorry, everyone. We're going to have to hold this off until at least tomorrow." He could only imagine the disappointment spreading on the other side.

"We understand, Fox. It's alright," Peppy assured. "We'll talk when it's more convenient for you. For now, it's just good to hear your voice again."

A smile tugged Fox's lip. "Same here. Goodnight, guys."

"Night, Fox," Slippy answered.

"Please take care, Fox," Vixy begged.

"I will, Mom. I love you."

"I love you too, sweetie."

With a heavy heart, Fox silenced the radio. Krystal readily caught him in a caring embrace. "Your friends are wonderful people," she told him. "I'm happy for you."

"Thanks, Krys," he exhaled, leaning into her. Bittersweetness filled Fox. "I just wish we could have kept talking. I've missed them so much."

Krystal stroked behind his head. "I know. There'll be more time for that later though."

"I know."

Pulling away, Krystal guided Fox gently towards their bed. As Fox laid down, he opened his arms to receive Krystal once more. She snuggled into his chest and breathed his scent. Her settling mind touched Fox's. More intimate than a kiss goodnight. Through their connection, Fox imparted a final thought to her.

"Thank you, Krystal. For being with me all this time."

She nuzzled over his heart. "Anything for you, love."

Fox's smile lasted whilst he remained awake. Krystal, ever the wiser of them, was right. Although he didn't get to talk to his family for as long as he wanted to, Fox was glad to have spoken with them for as long as he did. Soon, he would get to talk with them again. To his heart's content. That thought brought Fox enough peace for him to relax and allow sleep to reclaim him.

"End of transmission," ROB announced.

The bridge fell quiet as the holoprojector went dormant. A charge in the air communicated what words couldn't. Vixy felt the relief and apprehension keenly. Both buzzed through her mind, chattering too insistently for her to process right now.

"That… wasn't how I expected things to go down," Katt daring to be the first to speak.

"I'll say," Peppy groaned. He rubbed his face. "Andross… I can't decide how to feel about this."

Around the room, everyone shifted uncomfortably. People looked to one another whilst avoiding their gazes at the same time. Vixy's lingered on Dash for a moment. He stared at the floor with his arms around his chest. His tail tangled around his ankle. He didn't move in the slightest until Falco grumbled loud and sharply.

"I need to call Pepper about this," Falco kneaded his eyes. "Can I get the room please? Peppy, you stick around."

"Of course." Peppy turned to the rest of the crew. "Alright. Let's all take some time with ourselves and reconvene in a couple of hours. Slippy, get started on those landing zones when you're ready."

As the others made their way to leave, Peppy whispered softly to Vixy. "Will you be alright?"

For him, she forced a smile. "I'll manage," Vixy replied. "I just… I just need a minute."

"Take all the time you need. Call me if there's anything I can do to help."

Vixy appreciated it and hugged Peppy to give her thanks. When she could no longer hold up her mask, Vixy turned away and hurried off. The first quake struck her heart before the doors closed behind her. She clasped at her chest, trying to keep the pieces from splitting apart.

"I… I don't really know how to feel about it," Vixy overheard. "I can't say there's anything… good…? But somehow… I can't say that it was all… bad either. I'm not sure why that is."

Vixy looked ahead, spying Katt, Slippy, and Lucy standing around Dash in the hall. He fidgeted all over, never meeting anyone else in the eye. Vixy froze and kept quiet. Though she didn't want to eavesdrop… Well, fennecs do have sharp hearing, after all.

"I think I kind of get it?" Slippy said uncertainly. "I never really knew my grandpa, but I'd be at least a little interested if I got to meet him."

"That Andross came off as a real jerk though," Katt huffed. "Hard to believe him and Dash are family."

"Still, he sounded like he had it more together than Andrew ever did," Dash muttered. "He was rough but… kind of civil still. I sort of expected him to be more extreme than that."

By chance, Dash looked up and froze. His face paled. The others turned and equally turned rigid when they finally noticed that they weren't alone. "Vixy!" Katt greeted with false cheer. "Hey…"

Vixy, though uncomfortable, slowly walked to join them. "I didn't mean to overhear."

Dash shrunk and turned his back on the group. "I should go…" he murmured. No one spoke to stop him. Although Vixy felt guilty about driving him away, this wasn't the right time for either of them. She promised herself that she and Dash would talk about it later. Clear their feelings so they could both move forward from this.

Slippy cleared his throat. "I'll… just go look up those coordinates…" He too then left them.

Katt and Lucy both turned back to Vixy. "How are you holding up?" the former asked gently.

Vixy sighed. "It's hard to tell. On one hand, I'm thrilled that we finally got through to Fox. But on the other…"

"Finding out that Andross was there too came as a nasty shock, didn't it?" Katt finished for her. Vixy nodded.

"Fox will be okay," Lucy said. "I still don't understand how they can work together, but it didn't seem like Fox was too worried about Andross. So, I don't think Andross is going to hurt Fox or anything like that."

A nice thought at least. However, it could not drive off a mother and widow's concern. "I just hope that Fox hasn't gotten himself into too much trouble."

"It's Fox. He's always getting himself into trouble," Katt laughed. When no one joined her, she squirmed on her feet. "Sorry… Not how I wanted that to sound out loud…"

"I think what Katt's trying to say," Lucy furrowed her brows, "is that Fox can take care of himself no matter what happens."

"Exactly!"

Vixy compelled herself to smile. "Thank you. Both of you. I just… have so many questions I still need answered."

"It'll be okay, Vix," Katt said easily. "As soon as we can get Fox during daylight hours, you can ask him everything you want to."

That was a genuine reason to smile. Katt and Lucy both offered their arms. Vixy accepted, pulling them close. They were good girls. Kind and caring. And they were correct. All that Vixy needed to do was be a little more patient. Then she could talk to Fox again for as long as they both wished. Everything else could wait until after.