Present Time - Corneria
General O'Hare stood erect on the flight deck of the Orbital Gate, not showing the slightest hint of how dumbfounded he was, as he watched the woman gracefully walk down the ramp of the foreign ship. He studied the ornamented staff with the pointy end that she was carrying, and the robes covered in geometrical symbols, which he had seen as tattoos on someone else's body. The woman also had sea green eyes, a magnificent tiara on her forehead and familiar pointy years sticking out of the long blue hair done up in braids with beads.
Everything reminded him of her friend Krystal, although this woman was older. It could even be Krystal's mother, he thought to himself.
"Welcome to Corneria!" he announced.
"Greetings, General O'Hare!" said the woman. "I am Kamuy, the First of The Protectors!"
"Greetings, Kamuy, the First of The Protectors!"
"General O'Hare, please do just say Kamuy. Our people are not much for titles. We see each other as equals."
"You have a weapon!" stated the General nodding at the staff.
"Not at all!" answered Kamuy. She stretched out her arm, placed the staff butt end down on the floor, let go of it and to everyones amazement it balanced all by itself. "Although a staff can be a good defence, 'Leaving the Staff' is our symbol of peaceful intentions."
"You are Cerinian!"
Kamuy looked pleasantly surprised. "You know of our kind."
"Indeed, we have met someone from Cerinia, and I do have a good friend who may have some questions for you, if that is acceptable." Peppy was really concerned about Fox and was battling with himself whether he should let him meet the Cerinians and learn first hand, or whether Fox might be too unstable and cause more drama. He decided on the former and to give Fox another chance.
"I would be delighted!"
"And I assume you are telepaths?"
"Yes, but only some of us," admitted Kamuy.
"So you could be reading my mind right now?"
"Oh, no, no, absolutely not! Our code strictly forbids us to use such powers without permission."
"I'm afraid the peoples of Lylat are somewhat apprehensive of the supernatural."
"Supernatural? But it is biology, neurology. And with the right technology it can be useful for everyone."
She pulled back the blue hair from her right temple, and a little disc shaped implant became visible, shining like gold. The two vulpine guards behind her did the same and showed theirs.
"It can be a very efficient means of communication under many circumstances," Kamuy continued.
"You are talking about resources, but what little was available on Corneria has already been mostly mined. We have richer planets in the system."
"The rare minerals and metals that are vital for our technology, the same technology we wish to share with you, are located deep within the mantel of your planet. Our scientists have perfected the process of safely displacing magma, bringing it to the surface, extracting the valuables and bringing the magma back to the mantel again."
"Fascinating!" said O'Hare. "I shall put you in contact with our lead scientist Beltino, who among many things designed this very station we're standing in."
"That would be excellent. Now if you don't mind, I must return to my ship. But first let us pay our respects to you."
Kamuy and her guards put their hands together in front of their faces, turned them around so the palms faced upwards, and then stood in silence. O'Hare wondered what to do next.
Please, General, may I ask you a question?
So she was a telepath and she was in his head.
I could not help but noticing a great sorrow. Is there anything I can do?
Thank you for your concern, O'Hare thought. But there is nothing anyone can do.
I appreciate your concern for privacy.
What did it matter anyway, he thought. A few months ago he had been diagnosed with cancer, and a rare and aggressive form of brain tumour at that.
I am so sorry. I hear that the healing process can be quite painful.
Healing? No, this was terminal.
My apologies! I assumed that you have the same medicine as us. As a token of friendship and respect, please let us heal you.
Then she turned around, walked back to her shuttle followed by her guards and departed as gracefully as she had arrived.
The work shift had finished and almost everything was quiet. The banging, buzzing and clanging of the repair crew had stopped for the day, as the Great Fox was sitting in the dock down on Corneria's surface. Even ROB was quiet as he had taken some downtime to run system diagnostics and operating system upgrades.
The common room was basking in the yellow late afternoon light, which was streaming in from Lylat Prime through the windows. The only noise came from the television, which on low volume was showing the same news story repeating over and over again. Reporters were flocked outside Corneria City's shiny and extravagant parliamentary building. Several men and women were waiting on top of the marble steps as the golden Cerinian shuttle descended escorted by two Arwings. The shuttle hovered over the stairs as a door opened, a ramp extended and a small procession of Cerinians emerged.
"And here we see the unprecedented events that took place earlier this afternoon," said the announcer. "This is the first time in known history that a representatives of a peaceful civilisation from outside of the Lylat system has been welcomed on Corneria. Here we see General O'Hare, the ministers of foreign affairs, economy and health as well as the renowned scientist Beltino welcoming the delegation lead by Kamuy of Cerinia. They are now exchanging greetings according to both Cornerian and Cerinian customs, before making their way into the parliament to initiate preliminary negotiations."
The presentation was interrupted by Falco opening another one of the beer cans he had brought. It wasn't single malt, but more than good enough after a long day, thought Fox. They were the only two on the ship, apart from the motionless ROB, and had spread themselves out in the couch the way that two single men are experts at.
"Care for another cold one?" said Falco. Fox nodded and Falco tossed him a can. Falco took a big gulp and belched, but Fox was too deep in thought to open his.
"I wonder what Little Blue would have thought of this," Falco continued.
Krystal, Krystal, Krystal, where are you? Fox could imagine how excited she would have been to finally be able to meet her own kind. She had known her planet was doomed, but over the years she had slowly accepted the fact that she was the only one left. But she was not. If only he hadn't...
"I never understood why you kicked her off the team," said Falco as if he was the mindreader now.
"I couldn't protect her."
That old excuse he had used so many times before. And of course there was ... No, never mind. He had even ordered ROB to erase that detail from his memory banks, so he wasn't going to share it with Falco now.
"Ah, yes! Protect the little stubborn one from harm. You know, maybe James should have dumped Vixy too. Then she would not have been killed by Andross."
Why did Falco have to bring mum and dad into this?
"Of course you wouldn't have been born, but she would have been safe. And Star Fox could have been Star Falco instead. Has a nice ring to it, don't you think?"
Fox was repeatedly banging the still unopened beer can into his forehead. Falco was trying to stir him up of course, but his logic was irrefutable.
"We are back live and we have breaking news," announced a reporter outside the parliament. "We have just received information that initial talks have gone beyond expectation and letters of intent has been signed to immediately commence several exchange programs. The first will be the setup of a Cerinian medical facility in Corneria Army Hospital, where procedures and training will begin to treat diseases and injuries that up until now have been incurable. This will be follow by a scientific excursions, and it is also likely that mining operations will soon begin to extract resources from deep within the interior of our planet. While this may seem incredible, it has the potential to elevate Corneria to the living standards and technological levels of Cerinia."
Wow, this was going fast, thought Fox. He subscribed to the notion that, if something seemed to good to be true, it probably was.
Fox was walking down the long and sterile corridor, closely followed by two canine officers of the Cornerian Army. He felt very uneasy as they walked past the many doors. He hadn't been here since he came to see her, and then things had gone so horribly wrong. Stop that thought before you get too emotional, he said to himself. He had been dying to meet the Cerinians, but Peppy had a very busy schedule, and it had taken a week to get an audience with him. And why here?
"This is it!" announced one of the guards as they stopped in front of a pair of windowless doors marked with 'Strictly No Entry'. "Please do remember the non-disclosure agreement. Everything in here is classified and top secret."
Puzzled Fox pushed opened the doors, which only led to a small chamber in front of a second pair of doors, which in turn would not open until the first had closed. He stepped into a large, stark white and brightly lit room, filled with all manner of buzzing and bleeping equipment like ones he had seen in operating theatres before.
"Ah, there he is! Welcome McCloud!" exclaimed O'Hare, who was standing by a large glass wall that was dividing the room in two. Next to O'Hare stood Beltino, who very much looked like the father of his son. Take away the thin moustache, the hexagonal spectacles, a few pounds and some wrinkles and you had Slippy.
But Fox only had eyes for the one who stood between them. Kamuy of Cerinia was so similar to Krystal, but of course more weathered, with longer hair containing some strands of silver, and she was probably a bit taller than Krystal too. She towered over the two short men.
"The famous pilot! I am please to meet you," she said and performed that greeting with the palms of her hands together in front of her face. Fox didn't know what to do but for whatever reason he bowed. He felt like an idiot.
"Er... Likewise, I mean, I am very pleased to meet you too!" And now he acted like an idiot too.
"McCloud was the pilot of...," O'Hare started but trailed off while finding his words. "The first of our ships to approach yours. He's of very loyal yet slightly suspicious nature, aren't you Fox?"
"That would be most useful traits for a soldier, I am sure," said Kamuy. "I am glad that you and your ship are unharmed after that mishap. Would you know what might have happened?"
"Just some problems with the gravity diffusors," lied Fox. "They can be a bit troublesome."
"Perhaps we can assist in improving on that technology in a near future."
"But for now, come over here and have a look, Fox!" interrupted Beltino.
Fox joined the others by the glass window. On the other side was a theatre with an operating table and more of the usual hospital equipment, but there was also apparatus he had never seen before, yet immediately recognised as Cerinian by the sculpted shapes and golden appearance. There was also two Cerinians in there, dressed up all over in scrubs, that for some odd reason were completely transparent. They too were vulpine, as all the Cerinians that Fox had seen on the news, but their skin and hair colour varied.
Strapped to the operating table was a brown and white rat, and over it hovered a machine with several arms ending with rather sharp and vicious looking instruments. Flashes of light emitted from most of the arms, while from one thin wires extended down to the rat's head. The Cerinians were looking up at a hologram projected over it all. It was showing a rather macabre sight, which without doubt was a brain. Beams like laser cut through it from different angles, while what must be the tips of those threads were working their way through tissue and seemingly eating it.
"This is most fascinating!" exclaimed Beltino. "The poor rodent has a brain tumour, but the Cerinian technology can burn it off on a cellular level, while rewiring the synapses one by one."
"The procedure has been completed with one hundred percent success rate," stated one of the Cerinian doctors.
"Let us resurrect this being. It has suffered enough," added the other and gave the rat a quick prick with a small needle. Within seconds the rat woke up, wriggling in its restrains and Fox could hear it squeaking even though the glass wall.
"I am afraid the procedure gives an immense sensation of pain when the synapses are reactivated, and also causes a rather severe headache until the brain tissue has rehydrated," explained Kamuy. "We have not worked out how to solve those little side effects yet."
Fox watched as the rat settled down and the doctors loosened the restraints. It scurried around on the operation table for a while, looking confused, but then it sat down on its hind legs and ran its front paws through its whiskers. One of the doctors offered a morsel of food, which the rat took eagerly and started nibbling on.
"And soon they will be doing the same to me," said O'Hare.
"What?" Fox spun around with eyes wide open.
"Yes, I have a tumour and I didn't know how to tell you that I was going to die. But now I won't have to because I won't die! Well, not yet anyway," he mused. "We'll all die one day."
Fox was confused. Overwhelmed. This was happening all too fast. It had only been a week and already Corneria was eating out of the Cerinians' hands. He turned to Kamuy who was looking very please.
"Fox McCloud, I have been told that you have something very exciting to talk about," she said to him and then turned to the general. "O'Hare, would you have a more relaxed place for a conversation."
Fox watched Kamuy as she studied the skyline of Corneria City through the panorama window of O'Hare's temporary office in the hospital. On the way from the operating theatre they had explained to him that O'Hare's tumour was large and complex, so several procedures were going to be required and it was a time consuming process. Hence O'Hare had chosen to move his office to the hospital so that he could be closer to the operating theatre and medical staff.
"The revered Peppy here told me you have already met one of our kind, Fox McCloud," Kamuy began.
"Hm, yeah..." started Fox, noticing from the address that Peppy and Kamuy already were on quite friendly terms. But then he had a mind block again. Where should he start? "I know ... knew someone from Cerinia."
"That is very exciting indeed. But it seems impossible. We thought we were the only survivors. Who is this person?"
"Her name is Krystal."
"Krystal," said Kamuy and was quiet in deep thought for a while. "That is not a common name, yet not unusual."
"She arrived here about six years ago, probably through a wormhole," continued Fox. "And she looks a lot like you, obviously."
Peppy sat down behind his desk, pulled out a drawer and presented a photograph of the old Star Fox team.
"Here she is five years ago. Fox here was very close to her. They were really good friends. And poor Krystal couldn't had arrived at a worse time, since she had to experience three wars within a few years."
It is like she and disaster goes hand in hand, thought Fox sadly.
"I am afraid I think I know who you are talking about. She was a promising Protector apprentice yet always a troubled soul. It was during time of a devastating war between the two peoples on Cerinia. She was drawn to conflicts."
Fox disappeared into his own thoughts again. Why had he decided to push her away? And why had she decided to go and join Star Wolf?
"Instead of wanting to defend she was seeking the battle. When I tried to relieve her from the Protectors, she fled and joined our sworn enemy. Whether it was out of spite or if she was deceived I do not know."
And then she just vanished, thought Fox.
"Our enemy built a horrifying doomsday weapon, but it malfunctioned, killed most of us and caused irreparable radiation damage on Cerinia, which is when we had to leave in our ship. The leader of our enemy perished too and Krystal vanished. I assumed she was dead, but obviously I was wrong. Where is she now?"
"Nobody knows."
"That does not surprise me."
"She thought she was the only survivor," continued Fox trying to hold tears back. "She said she was looking for her parents. I thought you could help me find her and bring her back to you."
"Oh, I do not think she would come back to us. Deception and destruction is in her nature. I am so sorry if she has hurt you."
Fox didn't know what else to say. Peppy helped out.
"Would you excuse us, Fox? There is much to do."
"Of course! Thank you very much for your time." Then he noticed a small, round metal disc on the side of Peppy's head. "What is that?"
"That is a tele-neurological communication device," explained Kamuy.
"That's so we can keep in contact easily during the procedures," added Peppy.
"Like a telepathy implant?" said Fox astonished.
"No, not telepathy, but technology!" corrected Kamuy but with a mild voice. "We all have one."
Fox took his leave and as he was walking down the corridors to the hospital entrance, it finally struck him. You, stupid, dumb Fox! He had completely forgotten about the telepathy and realised that Kamuy had pretty much answered with what he was thinking. Had she just been reading his mind and feeding him lies? But why would she do that? And he could usually tell when Krystal was in his head, yet he hadn't felt anything this time. But Kamuy was older and maybe stronger too. This was getting weirder by the minute. Give me something to shoot down any day instead of this, he thought.
