Chapter 2: Fate's a Bitch but She Knows What She's Doing
HANGER C, ZENITH SPACE STATION -
"Easy there, bud," Fox said, hands lifting slowly. To say he had not expected a gun to his face as soon as the doors slid open was an understatement. These independent colonies seemed like rough places but had Fox known Zenith was this kind of place, he would have had his blaster in hand by the time the Great Fox II touched down. But it was too late—this rat meant business and all Fox could do was shuffle aside to let the rodent on board. His vivid green eyes followed the rodent as he passed by, gun trained on Fox.
Out the door, the vulpine could hear shouts echoing through the hanger. There was a familiarity about the voice but Fox could not spare even a half-second to glance over his shoulder. He watched the rat take two steps then sharply turn, pushing Fox through the door with such a force that he tumbled down the boarding ramp. When he hit the metallic floor of the hanger, his head snapped up, ears perking at the sudden roar of the Great Fox II's engine. Fear lurched in his throat, thinking of ROB and all of his belongings still aboard the mothership. Though much of his personal effects had been lost when the original Great Fox had perished, there were things aboard his current ship that he knew he could not suffer to lose forever. His dad's sunglasses. A locket with his parents' photo. His Arwing, recently upgraded.
His teeth bore into a snarl and Fox lifted a fist in anger. The Great Fox II began to stir, a sudden onslaught of fire-red lasers sinking into its white hull. Fox's eyes could not leave the sight of his ship as it rumbled then lifted, the boarding ramp sliding in gradually. He made a dash for it, hobbling in recovery of being thrown so unceremoniously onto the ground. As the door shut and the ramp pulled all the way in, he leapt. Just a hair too late and he knew it, hand scraping painfully against the ship. He fell to the ground with a string of curses, looking up at the Great Fox II. It lifted, wobbled, and turned for the exit. More shots were fired at it, dinging its already dented body but no more than that. And then, in despair, Fox watched as it made for space beyond the force field, bashing into a few other starships in the process.
"No…" the vulpine said in horror and disbelief, staring at the ship as it made its escape.
That's my ship… my ship… everything I own…
"Fuck," came a coarse voice from nearby—behind Fox and slightly to the left. "Guess we better chase 'em down."
There was something about that voice that Fox knew but he was too distracted to dwell on it. How was he supposed to get his ship back? How had things gone so horribly wrong so quickly…? It really did seem like a higher power hated him. Maybe this was karma for his bad decisions. For kicking Krystal off the team. For disbanding Star Fox. For letting things get this far…
"Hey, you! You got a way to track that ship or somethin'?"
A rough hand grabbed his upper arm, giving him a shake. Fox wanted to jerk away from it but he found his strength lacking suddenly. Drearily, his head turned to see who was jostling him. What he saw was arguably worse than the barrel of a gun pointed directly at him.
Wolf O'Donnell was not a man that Fox would ever be unable to recognize. Not after hours of studying his wanted poster back in the Lylat Wars. Not after all the duels they had years ago, insults flinging back and forth over the communications channel. Not after seeing his face all over Lylat Today with a shitty "In Memoriam" next to it, along with the news anchors heckling the allegedly dead pirate for having the gall to, well, die. That being said, Wolf looked rougher than Fox remembered, as if he had actually died back at the Aparoid Homeworld and had come back from his own grave. The stench of him burned like Solarion whiskey, smoke from cheap cigarettes, old leather, and a lifetime of regret. His violet eye was a bloodshot mess, the skin beneath it giving an ill twitch. His alcohol-laced breath wafted over Fox's face like a hot cloud. Something about its reek spurred Fox's brain out of its moment of sheer panic.
You're alive…?
Wolf must have realized who he was about to manhandle because he froze as well, ears back and single eye bugged out in shock. His grip was like a vice, fixed upon Fox's arm with the tips of his claws nipping into Fox's skin. And then he let the vulpine go, backing a step with his teeth bared.
"I sure as hell don't have time for this," said Wolf O'Donnell and turned away. "Leon, Hanger G. Let's get the Wolfens and get after 'im."
"Right…" came Leon's smooth tones and Fox saw the green-scaled chameleon standing just a few yards away, staring intently at him. "And Panther?"
Wolf gave no reply and Fox watched both his former rival and Leon begin back the way they had presumably come from. An escalator sat at the back of the hanger, their evident destination. And in intrigue and desperation, Fox scrambled after them.
"W-wait!" shouted Fox. "You're… you're going after that guy?"
"If you don't have a way to track that ship, I don't wanna hear anything from you," came Wolf's brusque retort, not even looking in Fox's direction.
"Wolf, wait!" Fox stumbled after him, reaching out and grabbing the pirate by his shoulder. Wolf rounded on him, eye narrowed. Fox's hand dropped to his side. "I don't have a way to track it, it's a new ship. Didn't bother installing a tracker on my phone or anything. But it's low on fuel cells. He can't get far."
His former rival said nothing. Wolf turned away, the tension in his body so rigid that Fox could sense it. The vulpine let his hand drop and the space pirate stalked away with his chameleon cohort trailing after him. A curious look from Leon was shot in Fox's direction but he too remained silent. All Fox could do was watch them go, his despair multiplying with each millisecond. How in the world could this have happened…? How had it all come to this…?
If Star Fox hadn't disbanded… it wouldn't be like this.
He gritted his teeth, telling himself not to think like that. Getting rid of the team had felt like the right call at the time and he had long spiraled past the point of no return. Regret could pull at him all it wanted; the present could not be changed.
It had begun when Krystal had started losing focus during the missions. She kept hearing things, feeling things. Cries from the earth, the pull of minds all around them—the thoughts that came like impulses, like monologues. A constant chatter that plagued her. Fox worried there was something awry with her powers, that she was losing control. He had kicked her when she had been so distracted mid-mission that it had nearly cost Slippy his life. She was mad at him for it, in a deep, vitriolic wrath that he likely deserved. But it was for the best. She could use the time to straighten herself out and no one would be in danger. But then losing her meant losing a part of himself. And somewhere along the way, Slippy and Falco started looking at him different. They began keeping a distance and soon enough, that distance grinded down to Fox's last nerve. Disbanding the team had been the right call. Falco was always one foot out the door anyways and Slippy was too soft for a mercenary life, Fox had told himself adamantly. It made the losses feel less poignant.
If I don't get my ship back… where could I go? Who could I even call out here to pick me up? Peppy? Bill?
His feet chased after the distant forms of Wolf and Leon out of a numb desperation. He felt the escalator carry himself up and he passed through the doors feeding into the central hallway. Hanger signs hung overhead, illuminated banana yellow. And just below one of them lay Panther, his leg curled under him. He panted then laughed at the sight of Fox, incredulous with mirthful and pained tears in the corners of his amber eyes.
"I must be hallucinating," concluded the jaguar with a rumbling chuckle.
"Panther!?" Fox exclaimed, head swiveling all about the hall and realizing he had lost sight of both Leon and Wolf. He ran to Panther's side, a mixture of emotions rocking him like ocean waves. There was no blood in the wound—it was a clear laser burn through his flesh. The heat had cauterized it but it certainly looked painful. He would need medical attention immediately.
I never liked Panther. He always seemed full of himself. But he was there at the end of the aparoid crisis. He would've given his life to save the Lylat System… there's something special about a guy like that. And he seems more approachable than the other two…
Panther's hand reached out and poked Fox's nose, blinking in astonishment. "Not a hallucination, then. Hm. An odd twist."
"What happened?" Fox asked, frantically looking over his shoulder. "Did they just… did they just leave you like this!?"
"Oh, the emergency squad is on its way with a medic," Panther said with surprising calmness in his tone. "They have a job to do, Wolf and Leon. I cannot fault them for leaving behind dead weight."
Dead weight… What a brutal way to view a wingmate…
"If you say so… is there… is there anything I can do…?" Fox asked.
"I'm only surprised you didn't shoot me on sight," Panther remarked.
"I'm not gonna shoot a guy that's already down. And, well… my blaster got taken. So did my ship. A rat stole it," Fox said. "I think Star Wolf's chasing him. What hanger would Leon and Wolf go to?"
"A rat, you say? Ohoho, the plot twists even further. Hanger G," Panther answered. "The Wolfens are in there."
"Thanks," Fox said. "You sure it's all right to leave you?"
"Ha! Your concern is touching, McCloud," Panther said with a wince. He fished for something into his pocket and then tossed it at Fox. The vulpine caught it, turning the item over in his hands. It was… a key of some sort. A starfighter key fob? Fox looked up to Panther once more in confusion.
"Be a good boy and go after them, will you? And don't fret your pretty little head… The Wolfen pilots a lot like your Arwing. Yaru used the same cockpit schematics," Panther continued, a pained grin on his face. "I suppose it's not news to you that he was a traitor…"
"No. It's just that I…" Fox looked down at the key then back at Panther. "… Why give this to me?"
"You don't have time to be asking questions, now do you?" Panther remarked smugly.
He's got a point, I guess…
"F-fine. I won't wreck it. Promise," Fox said quickly.
"See that you don't," Panther replied. "Or I'll have a fox fur coat for the next outing on Fichina."
Fox dashed down the hall to Hanger G, running his way down the escalator. As he burst through the doors into the hanger proper, he saw the blue-white flare of two engines disappearing into the black maw of space. Wolf and Leon, he realized. With his heart a hurried tempo drumming in his eardrums, he ran down the hanger, scanning for Panther's Wolfen. The ship came into sight midway down the hanger and Fox ran for it. His thumb hit a button on the key fob to start the automated process of the cockpit opening for him. He threw himself onto the side of the ship, scrambling up it and landing in the seat with a thud.
Everything about the chair's position from the steering was off from what he was used to. As the cockpit began to close, Fox activated the Wolfen's engine and then began adjusting the seat so that he could reach the steering better. A computer screen activated in front of him, asking if he wanted to do autopilot or manual. He selected autopilot for the launch. A quick diagnostics reading said everything was ready for takeoff and Fox hit the button to start the launch sequence. He strapped himself in as the Wolfen began to rise from the ground, letting out whisking exhale.
What the hell am I doing?
The question broke through his train of thought. This was Panther's ship. Panther-freaking-Caroso. Star Wolf's resident sleaze. A man wanted in multiple star systems for robbery, assault, and murder.
He gave me the keys as if it were nothing, Fox thought. As if all the beef between us before…
The Wolfen aligned itself with the mouth of the hanger.
This is the definition of stupidity. And maybe even the definition of insanity too. But what choice do I have? It's either let this happen… or try to fight back. Tooth and nail. Whatever it takes…
The stars outside greeted him with a twirl and a glint, teasing him.
To hell with all of this. I'm getting that ship back. One way or another.
And then, the Wolfen launched from the hanger.
EMPTY SPACE, THE LYLAT SYSTEM –
Wolf already knew they were too late but he doggedly pursued Willy and the stolen carrier anyways. By the time the two Wolfens had fled the hanger, Willy had hit the thrusters, maxing out the carrier's speed. Though the hulking vessel was old, its engines were still powerful. And with a head-start, Wolf was left to chase the distant silhouette of the carrier with unadulterated rage frothing in his chest. His index finger squeezed on the trigger attached to the Wolfen's joystick. Red-hot lasers fired into the distance, fizzling out well before they hit their target. Curses came out as naturally as he breathed. Leon said nothing. Wolf pressed on, his anger pulling at every thought as his emotions rose. He thought of Panther's injury and a stake of fear coursed through his veins. Would Panther be all right? Would the medics make it there in time? Had the shot severed anything important? What would happen if they failed? Would Cecilia make them pay up for screwing up the job?
What the fuck is Fox McCloud doing here?
That thought made Wolf's head throb with a dull ache resting about his temples. What the fuck was Fox doing here? What the fuck, what the fuck, what the fuck—
"Wolf," Leon cut into the canine's panicking. "Incoming bogeys to our twelve."
"Duke Mandrill's men," Wolf assumed darkly. Focus, Wolf. Focus on the job. We can worry about that whelp later. "Must've scrambled when Willy made a break for it. They really don't want us nabbin' him."
"It's just two of us. Should we retreat?" Leon asked. "There's others aboard Zenith we could question."
He's right. I hate tucking my tail and running but we don't have the credits to pay for repairs again. If Panther were here…
"Hold on," Leon said just as Wolf's eye caught a strange detail on his radar. Another ship was coming from their rear at full speed. Its signature marked it as Panther's Wolfen. "I suppose Panther decided to join us after all."
"Panther," Wolf said over their comms. "Bogeys to our twelve. Catch up when you can."
Flying with a shot leg. That guy's got guts.
"Er…" came a voice on the line that was most definitely not Panther's. Wolf felt his blood turn to ice on the spot. "R-Roger that."
"No fucking way," began Wolf as he sucked in a breath.
This isn't happening. Hell no.
"Look, this wasn't exactly my idea. But you need all the help you can get. And that's my goddamn carrier, I want it back," Fox said and Wolf's eye snapped down to his communications screen. Fox was strapped into the Wolfen, his exhausted eyes infested with spiderwebs of blood vessels. But there was a determination in his expression, tired as he seemed. The growl in the back of Wolf's throat dissipated.
He's different than he used to be. That's for sure.
"… Fine. But wreck that Wolfen and it's out of your bank account, McCloud," Wolf said harshly. "Let's take it to 'em. Eyes on the carrier. That's our priority. Shoot down whoever gets in your way."
"Set your lasers to stun when you hit the carrier," Fox replied and Wolf's muzzle crinkled with a scowl. The vulpine glared at him icily. "Please."
I guess that's his new ship since the last one got blown to hell.
"Fine," Wolf shot back and turned his attention to the incoming fighters.
The bogeys came at them in a flurry. Wolf expected a hailing from one of them, a jeer or a sneer about how they had fucked up this time. But the communications remained deadly silent, even between himself, Fox, and Leon. The quiet space was a daunting, deafening noise that let Wolf's panicked thoughts swell like a tsunami. Teeth gnashed together, he lashed out at the bogeys.
His radar chimed that there were ten ships headed their way. Ten ships didn't seem like much but a scan indicated they were not run-of-the-mill pirate ships. The energy readings from their shields were intense, far stronger than those of the Wolfen's. When the first shower of lasers came at them, they were sharp blue, piercing as rays of sunlight. They scraped over one of his wings and Leon's ship jostled with the impact of one. The lizard let out a cry of surprise at being hit. Wolf steered his starfighter low to the ground, cannons swiveling upwards to fire at the incoming pirates. Their shields were battered with a steady stream of his lasers but none were downed.
Something about this didn't feel right to Wolf but he could not put his finger on it.
Getting the carrier stopped was his priority however. Despite being unnerved at the pirates' starfighters and their noticeably high tech, Wolf pressed his Wolfen after the retreating Willy. Shooting that guy out the airlock felt too nice now. He regretted even giving the sniveling rat a chance.
Oldest trick in the book— fake tripping and pulling a gun outta someone's holster. Why didn't we see that coming? We got played, damn it. And by some asswipe that couldn't even be clever about it.
"Watch out!" Fox called and Wolf looked up in time to see one of Mandrill's pirates circling back for some shots at his rear. Quickly, he cut his Wolfen upwards, still feeling a few lasers rake against his shields. He thought about U-turning to confront the bogey on his six but that would put the carrier even further ahead. Wolf growled, thoughts a mess until suddenly the enemy disappeared from his scanner.
"Got 'em," Fox confirmed in a rugged voice.
"Thanks," Wolf said awkwardly, not bothering to soften his tone for the vulpine.
The first wave of bogeys pursued them with their blue lasers and a few small-range smart bombs. Explosions rocketed the empty space behind them. Wolf pressed forward on the accelerate. His scanners chimed that more enemies were approaching.
Geez, how many people does this Mandrill have on call to roast our tails?
That thought was echoed by a sudden stream of spiraling light bursting from the ships. Wolf had never seen any of its like. He tried to evade the strange laser but it wrapped itself around his Wolfen. The scent of burning metal hit his nostrils as the light snaked around the hull in a flash of every color known to the eye. Wolf let out a cry as his single eye fell blind. Instinctively, he lowered his speed, feeling agonized tears drip down his cheek. He blinked through the pain, trying to focus. More lasers rocketed over his ship and he returned fire when he could. A growl bloomed in his throat, crackling like thunder in a brewing storm.
That was a dirty trick. But fuck 'em. I'm not giving up that easily…!
He lurched the Wolfen forward, noticing how the bogeys were scattering like flies. A bad feeling overcame him suddenly, just a split-second before a second flash of light. The Wolfen's power died immediately, the emergency oxygen system kicking on. When the light faded, Wolf watched the enemy starfighters and the carrier begin their escape. All he could do was watch, trying to activate the engines by jamming the button over and over.
"Shit," Wolf breathed. It looked like all three of them had been caught in the blast.
"These guys don't seem like normal bogeys," Fox remarked over the intercom.
"They're Duke Mandrill's men," Leon informed him crisply.
"I… I don't know what that means," Fox retorted. "Who?"
"One of Andross's old generals," Leon said. "He is not a fan of ours."
"Is that why he stole my ship!?" Fox asked with a bristle.
"He was running from us… and you happened to arrive at a very bad time…" Leon said uncertainly.
"Quit yappin' and focus," Wolf cut in.
Click… click…
And then his engine came to life. All of the screens on his dash brimmed and Wolf immediately continued his chase. Fox and Leon were close behind. But the delay had given the enemy more than enough time to get a massive lead on them. In his heart, Wolf knew they had been beaten. But he still tried, hitting the thrusters until the Wolfen's systems chimed at him that he was going too fast, risking losing control of the ship. The red lights blared across his slate gray fur. And the carrier came closer before the systems warned him the engines would begin to fail. He relaxed his grip on the thrusters with a sneer on his face.
"Wolf…" Leon began in a low, somber voice.
"I know…" Wolf said through gritted teeth.
"We can't catch them," Fox said what they were all thinking and Wolf had half a mind to sock him in the snout for it. But the vulpine was right; their Wolfens weren't enough to catch the fleeing transport now. And the bogeys had done enough to slow them down that all they were doing was burning fuel cells. There was only one thing left to do and Wolf hated it.
Cecilia's gonna be pissed.
"The Great Fox…" Fox's voice was a soft murmur, mournful and bitter as the white vessel slipped further and further away. Wolf felt bad for him for a few moments. But this was life. You spent your time trying to build yourself up just for life to find a way to knock it all out of your hands. The gray-furred merc gave a humorless chuckle at that.
"Welp. Better head back. We're gonna have some explaining to do."
HANGER G, ZENITH SPACE STATION –
Fox felt numb when the Wolfen touched down in Zenith's hanger. He sat with his hand still on the joystick for some time, eventually finding the willpower to let go and let his hand fall into his lap. Gone. The Great Fox II was gone. ROB64, what little belongings he had… all the rooms that used to belong to Falco, Slippy, and Krystal… Gone. Just like that. The cockpit opened and Fox could scent the metallic, sterile smell of the hanger. He sat in the pilot's chair for a few long moments before forcing himself up. Fox caught a glimpse of Wolf waiting nearby. The vulpine could not meet his eye when he descended from the ship, feet hitting the ground.
All I have is what I'm wearing. No spare clothes… no ship, no weapon… We failed. All of that and we still failed…
"Panther's key," Wolf said after clearing his throat.
Fox tossed it over his shoulder and heard Wolf catch it. Still, he could not look back at him, feeling his former rival's eye bear into him like a drill upon the soft earth. A heat and a burning sensation had taken residence in Fox's throat. There were almost tears in his eyes, the weight of what he had lost suddenly drowning him. He swallowed.
"I want every hanger on lockdown!" a feminine voice declared, her words echoing down the hall. "No one leaves! No one comes in! Everything locked down—now. Get to it!"
"Oh no…" Fox could hear Wolf grumble.
"Wolf O'Donnell!" the voice continued so enraged that it made Fox's head jerk in the direction of its source. Striding angrily from the doors leading to the escalator was an arctic fox, her yellow eyes engulfed in wrathful fires. She wore a slinky navy dress with presumably fake diamonds at the halter. A fat Macbethian cigar was in one hand. The other had formed into a dainty fist.
"Cecilia…" Wolf began, his attention taken off of Fox and redirected to the mad vixen. "W-what a surprise…!"
"Don't you get started with that," Cecilia snipped back at him, taking a drag from her cigar and puffing a mouthful of smoke into Wolf's face as she neared him. "Panther just told me everything that happened. Where's Willy?"
"Fled," Wolf answered dully, nose scrunching at the smoke.
"Great," Cecilia rolled her eyes. "Another problem on my ever growing stack of problems. And how the hell did he flee?"
"Uhh…" Wolf's ears went back, his violet eye swiveling towards Fox. Her eyes followed onto the tawny vulpine. Another long drag from her cigar.
"My ship," Fox said. "H-he stole it."
"Your ship?" Cecilia asked, scanning Fox up and down. "And who are you?"
"My name is…" Fox began, thinking of how he had been practicing that in the mirror just a few short hours ago. "… Fox McCloud."
Her eyes widened slightly and he could tell she was giving him a second look. "The old General's golden boy, eh? Didn't expect your like here. But, welcome to Zenith, I suppose. We usually don't greet guests by having their ships get stolen. Internal affairs, unfortunately, and the hired help turned out to be no good at all." A spiteful glare was sent towards Wolf. "We're still glad you're here, of course, Mr. McCloud."
"I… thank you?" Fox fumbled. He supposed he had little choice but to stay. This place was out in the middle of nowhere, snuggled between Zoness and Titania in nearly dead space. "Right, well, we can get arrangements made for boarding," Cecilia said. "If I was a cruel matron, I'd make O'Donnell pay for it since it was his fault your ship was stolen."
Wolf's eye narrowed but he said nothing.
"But I'm a benevolent bitch," Cecilia puffed out another breath of wispy smoke. "And I love a good underdog story. You're a merc, right? You do… mercenary things?" She wiggled her fingers.
"I… I do," Fox nodded, gaze flitting from Wolf to Cecilia to where Leon was, face-palming in the background.
"Oh good. I'm sure I can find work for you to do so you're not just bumming about in the space station," Cecilia said. "I imagine losing the carrier set you back."
That's putting it very, very mildly.
Fox nodded glumly.
"Good. Well, if I wasn't about to reassign Wolf, I'd tell you to go help him with the rest of his job. But, well, he's being reassigned," Cecilia continued in a light tone, slyly side-eyeing the bristling gray-furred merc.
"Reassigned!?" Wolf demanded.
"Yes. The job I gave you requires finesse, which I'm now aware that you lack, O'Donnell. The job's being given to someone else. You can go back to drinking your sorrows away at the Rusty Nickle," Cecilia said firmly.
Wolf's ears went back and he growled. However, he gave no reply, glaring holes through the snowy-furred vixen as she curtly turned back to Fox. "Right, well, let's get you someplace to stay. We can discuss your method of payment later."
Fox shifted his weight.
Method of payment… I don't think I like the sound of that but what else can I do? Say no? This lady is pushy as hell and it's not like I actually have much money to pay up for a hotel room. Sure, I have my wallet on me and that has my debit card… but my bank account was low last I checked. And without an Arwing or blaster, I definitely can't make any more money as a merc…
"Sounds good to me, Miss… uh…?" Fox prompted.
"Stardust. Cecilia Stardust," the vixen replied in a honey-sweet voice. "Now come along, Fox."
Cecilia Stardust. What a name.
Cecilia began away and Fox followed, feeling dumb as he trundled after her. Wolf and Leon's gazes pierced the back of his head. He felt them and their seething disappointment. Did they blame him for failing? Fox would not have been surprised; Wolf never seemed like the type that liked losing or admitting his own faults. But there was something about him that seemed different from before. During the aparoid invasion, he had seemed more mature—maybe from the time that had passed the tribulations that had no doubt come with it. And now, Wolf seemed… extinguished. There was a passive anger about him—bitter, melancholic, and resentful. It made Fox wonder what had happened in the last year.
I really did think he died back at the assault on the aparoid homeworld. In… in fact, I'm not sure how he's even alive. Panther and Leon too. I thought they were all goners…
Cecilia led Fox up the escalator and to the corridor where all the hangers sat. Panther was absent and Fox could only assume he had been spirited away by the medics he had claimed would come for him. At the end of the metallic-encased hall was a lift and Cecilia clicked a button to open the sliding door for him. When they were inside, the door shut and they began their ascent.
"So what brought you to my neck of the woods, Fox McCloud?" Cecilia asked, staring ahead with that devious smirk about her lips.
"I needed fuel cells," Fox said. "This was the closest station my scanners could find…"
"You must have good scanners," Cecilia remarked. "Most people don't find this place."
"I noticed that. This colony doesn't seem to be searchable online," Fox replied carefully, side-eyeing her.
"Yes. I had to shell out some big money to some networks to keep the coordinates a secret," Cecilia said. "We're by Zoness so it's not entirely out of the way for some folks. But we prefer a certain… distance from the rest of the Lylat System."
"Why?" Fox frowned.
"Oh, McCloud, you charming, delightful young man," Cecilia laughed. "The Lylat System is huge but also so incredibly small. And Corneria eats more and more of it up with each passing day."
So this place is anti-Corneria, huh… Fox thought, feeling an uncomfortable twist in his gut.
"You're a worldly merc, I know that much about you. You know that most of the planets under the Cornerian Alliance were forced into the Alliance, don't you? Fortuna, Fichina, Macbeth, Eladard… All of them began as sovereign planets," Cecilia replied. "And then Cornerian came with their big guns and their ideals and their capitalism."
"You're not wrong…" Fox considered aloud.
"I'm not," Cecilia agreed with a smirk. "And sometimes, even when a war is over, it's really not. It becomes less of a war with weapons and more of a war with ideals and culture. And here, people can shed those worries and be free."
"It's a safe haven, then?" Fox asked.
"Of a sort," came her reply, looking out through the glass wall of the lift at the floors as they passed them by. She sucked in more from her cigar, the scent of it filling the elevator. And then she exhaled out, a savage grin on her face. "Make no mistake though; my graciousness should not be mistaken for idiocy. I let the downtrodden come here out of the kindness of my heart but money does make the world go round. And I do have fees to pay to keep this place as…" She licked her lips. "… off the radar as possible… If one cannot pay rent, they will be made to work."
Is that why Wolf is here? I guess Sargasso didn't make it after the aparoids attacked…
"I see," Fox said.
Outside the glass of the lift, he watched as they climbed higher and higher. A large area looking akin to a food court in a mall passed them by and Fox marveled at all the people roaming about in the brief moment it was in sight. Just how many people were aboard this station…?
A ding announced that they had arrived at their destination. The doors slid open and the floor that stretched before them looked similar to a cluster of apartment buildings. They stretched almost as high as the ceiling itself, positioned next to each other with narrow sidewalks woven between them. A hologram of a sky had been set up to give off the appearance of a standard sunny day. It was realistic but not enough to deceive him. He could see tiny ripples in the clouds every so often as they made the journey across the dome. Small errors but the sky still looked mostly believable.
"Holy…" breathed the tawny vulpine in shock.
How the hell are they able to afford all of this…?
"Impressed, are you?" Cecilia asked with a twisted smirk. She padded out of the lift and Fox followed.
"Beyond impressed…" Fox remarked, still taking in the sight of the sky as he walked behind her.
"Well, you'll get used to it after a few days," Cecilia replied. "The front office is this way. I can get them to give you a room key. Then we can discuss what you can do for me while I let you live here."
Always a catch… but I can't say no.
"Right…" Fox said, trepidation quickly overtaking his awe. With each second that passed, the reality of his plight sank in. But there was no going back. There was never any going back.