Third Choice

Sauria


She sat perched on the nosecone of her Cloud Runner looking up at the gathering clouds. A storm was brewing up there, while another was raging in her soul. Kamuy had confirmed that Krystal had a link to Cerinia's doom, but could she trust Kamuy? Certainly not it seemed, but was Kamuy good or evil? Was she good or evil herself? Was she Krystal or Kursed? Would she save Corneria or betray Fox again? She had never felt so unsure in her whole life, at least not that she could remember. Yet, there was only one way to find out, and that was to face Kamuy, someone many years her senior and with much more experience. Surely that was lunacy. Then again if there was one thing that Fox had taught her, apart from the ups and downs of love, it was to fight against the odds.

After the autopilot had brought her here, she had set down her ship next to a stream in the lush valley surrounded by steep mountain sides. The rendezvous point on Sauria that ROB had picked - ThornTail Hollow - stirred up memories. Meeting up on Sauria made perfect sense. The planet was on the opposite side of the Lylat System's central star compared to Corneria, making long range scanning difficult. The dark matter of Sauria's Spell Stones and the presence of the Krazoa spirits also made detection harder, both by physical and psionic scanners alike.

She hoped that Fox and Panther would find her, and that their autopilots would bring them here, but of course not via a direct route to make it harder to follow them. She was acutely aware that even plan B hadn't quite worked, resulting in Fox improvising as usual, but she was quite excited by the deviation. Her eyes were keenly trained on the darkening clouds, and her ears flicking back and forth desperately trying to pick up any mechanical sound.

Finally there was something, a familiar high-pitched whine, soon followed by another. She closed her eyes and concentrated on the sounds, first recognising the engine noise from a Wolfen, and then an Arwing. Then she could make out something else, like a mechanical wind howling through a giant tubular bell, and her heart started beating faster. She opened here eyes just in time to see a Wolfen breaking through the clouds, followed closely by a white and blue ship resembling an Arwing but not as sleek. She assumed it was Slippy's customised vessel, the Bullfrog. As they slowed down to land, a third ship appeared, and she couldn't take her eyes off it. It was all sweeping curves with no straight lines, and both the wings and the stabiliser on the back were steeply raked backwards, yet with the tips curved forwards and ending in missile like attachments. When hit by a ray of light that pierced through the clouds, the Cerinian ship took on a shiny golden hue.

The Wolfen and the Bullfrog touched down, but the Cerinian ship took a couple of extra turns. When it banked hard, she could see Fox looking at her from its cockpit. He was probably only getting used to flying the ship, but it looked like he was showing off. Then he set it down gracefully between the two others. It was peculiar how different these Cerinian ships were from the stumpy little shuttle that she'd arrived on Sauria in.

She jumped down from her viewing spot as the Bullfrog's cockpit sprang open. A ladder extended from the ship, and Slippy scrambled down it in a hurry, but in typical fashion lost his footing and face-planted in the tall grass. He quickly sprang back on his feet and started running towards her, all arms and legs.

"Krystal!" he yelled in excitement, but stopped in his tracks a few paces away, when he saw her face and her outfit. "It is you, isn't it?"

"I've been calling myself Kursed," she said and closed the distance between them. "But yeah, it's me."

Then she bent down, pulled Slippy into a tight hug and to his surprise lifted him off the ground.

"It's so good to see you, my friend."

"You're stronger than I remember," puffed Slippy. "I thought you were lost. Where did you go? What have you been doing? We have so much to catch up on!"

"We do," said the vixen and put him back down. "But now is not the time. Kamuy knows we're up to something, so we must act quickly. But first there's something I want to see."

She looked at the Cerinian ship, noticing that it was a twin seater, and Slippy followed her gaze. With the toad in tow she walked straight past the waiting Fox and Panther, who exchanged weird looks. The aura of tensions between them nearly overloaded her senses.

Two steps had extended from the ship's starboard wing, but she jumped straight over them and hopped into the front seat, while Slippy struggled to climb up the steps. She touched the screens, which lit up with symbols she had not seen for many years, yet immediately recognised. Searching for the most important things first, she looked through the communications menus, found the transponder settings and turned it off. There could still be other tracking devices on the ship, but it was a start. Slippy had managed to get in to the rear set.

"Don't touch anything," she said.

"I won't," he yelped and withdrew his long fingers from the controls, like a child caught redhanded. Krystal began to investigate the flight controls, shields and weapons, but then her gaze fell upon an odd item in a holder on her left side. It was a tiara of all things, but rather crude and basic in design. She put it on her head, and more screens lit up. The menus changed just as she was looking at them. It's thought controlled! Something under the weapons menu took her fancy, and suddenly a small turret with a laser gun emerged from a hatch in the ship's nosecone.

"Hey Kursed," Fox called out to her "Do you like the ship?"

"Yeah, I think I'll keep it, thanks."

"Oh no, I acquired it. Finders keepers!"

Fox and Panther were standing a short distance away, next to each other but not too close. She turned to look at them, and the laser gun swung their way as well. They both nearly jumped out of their clothes.

"Okay," said Fox and put his hand up. "Girl wants, girl gets."

"You're learning."

"Is that thing mind controlled? Neat!"

The gun retracted again as she removed the 'tiara' from her head. Krystal studied the two men, sensing their radiating emotions clearly, without having to read their thoughts. Both Panther's mind and body language still showed fear and distrust. But Fox hadn't been scared of her, only the gun, and he was just looking at her in awe of what she was capable of. She had sensed that before, seen his determination at defeating enemies. That resolve was now all focussed on her, but to redeem, not defeat. His relentless love was like the tide, and she was struggling not to be swept away by it.

"Can you show me how to do that?"

Her thoughts were interrupted by Slippy. She turned around and saw him sitting in the rear seat, looking like a kid in a toy store. His fingers were twitching, but unable to read Cerinian, he didn't know what to touch.

"Some other time," she replied and started to climb out of the cockpit. With a single leap she was down on the ground, walking up to Fox and Panther, while Slippy scrambled out of the ship behind her. A light rain started falling.

"I disabled the transponder, but no doubt they have tracked our signal here. We need to hurry." She turned to Slippy. "ROB has sent me his coordinates. I want you to go ahead with Panther to the Great Fox, and then on to the Sargasso Station."

"What?" Slippy squealed. Panther scowled.

"You need to get to work right away. Upgrade fighters for better protection agains their EMPs, Star Wolf's ships too, and see if you can find a way to jam those tele-neuronic implants."

"Why do I need to take him?" Panther pouted.

"Fox and I will catch up soon, but first I need Fox to collect energy gems from the caverns around here. I've never found a better energy source for my staff. Fox saw Krazoa statues on the Cerinian starship as well, so I'm heading to the Krazoa Palace to see if I can learn anything from the spirits."

"Did you plan that?" said Panther with equal parts surprise and suspicion. "Didn't ROB choose a random location?"

"I told him to choose a random location... on Sauria." The sly vixen smirked. "I thought I could keep as much secret from Kamuy. Besides, someone I know told me the best lies are close to the truth."


The bright blue light finally became too blinding, so she nudged the joystick gently to roll the little ship and turn the cockpit away from the blue giant. The shield were raised and on full power to protect her herself from the intense heat and radiation, as her ship sped along a trajectory much closer to the star known as Lylat Prime than its first planet Macbeth.

She checked the fuel burn on the monitors, and let the computer run another calculation. It confirmed that she should have enough fuel to maintain full speed to her destination, and still make it back again. It was all on a hunch really, but if she was right, it would certainly have ramifications. Meanwhile she was listening to a conversation between the First of The Protectors and her Second in command.

"What is your status, Second?" Kamuy's voice came over the cockpit speakers.

"We have reached the asteroid field they call Meteo, and are gaining on the fugitive McCloud," replied another female voice.

Only the most powerful of Cerinians were able to converse telepathically across a planetary system, so they used conventional technologies for long-distance communication. Some also used the tele-neuronic implants for amplification. They had been invented to assist less psionic Cerinians, but Kamuy had found them handy against the Cornerian people, as well as to keep some of her own people in check.

She did not have one herself. As spiritual and ceremonial leader, she needed an untampered brain and the ability to meditate undisturbed, at least that's what she had told Kamuy. So far Kamuy had accepted it, and let her Third in command have it her way, but Kamuy was growing more controlling and suspicious of others with every passing day.

"We have lost the tracking signal," announced the Second.

"How is that possible?" Kamuy's anger could be heard in her tone, even though she was trying to hide it.

"We are getting unusual readings. The sensors indicate that there may be wormholes in the asteroid field. They could have used one to warp out of here."

"And where are you going, Kayuq?" She startled at hearing her name. Oh well, she knew that she'd only get so far before Kamuy would notice.

"I am heading to the planet Sauria, First." Kayuq made a point of using the title that the arrogant Second in command often left out.

"I have nearly had enough of your Krazoa spirit fantasies, Third." Kamuy growled for real this time, using rank instead of name.

"The girl was found there, and she may be heading there again. I am flying my own ship, so I will not take up anyone else time or resources."

"Very well, then." Kamuy's reply was ended by an audible sigh.

At first Kayuq had as many others been mesmerised by Kamuy's passion and resolve, feeling that Kamuy should have been the true leader of the Vixon of Cerinia instead of The Matriarch. Then The Scientist had arrived, who had shown Kamuy what incredible things could be achieved when Cerinian technology was combined with his inventions. He had been particularly intrigued by their use of krazonium, found in limited quantities around the Cerinia system, most of which had been used in the generators for The Shield protecting Cerinia itself.

Then there had been The Doom.

Kamuy had recalled how The Scientist had revealed that the system he was from was rich in krazonium, but that its inhabitants did not posses the technology to harvest it. She had been inspirational, the unwavering leader they needed in their darkest hours, and taken her surviving followers on a quest to find the distant system. After several years of searching they were finally here. There should be more than enough krazonium to restore The Shield.

But her doubts about Kamuy had grown steadily during the journey. Kamuy was slightly coy about the details of The Doom. A powerful telepath like Kamuy could hide thoughts from others, just as Kayuq herself also kept secrets from others. When Kamuy had dismissed the eradication of an entire civilisation as collateral damage, the Third finally realised that Kamuy had truly lost her ways. Vengeance and loathing of their enemy of centuries had taken over, and of course it didn't help Corneria that the denizens were mostly canine, and thus resembled the Wolven people.

However, there was more to the Lylat system than met the eye. Kayuq was intrigued by the planet named Sauria, positioned exactly opposite of Corneria at the same distance from Lylat. According to known science, that simply should not be a stable orbit, yet it was there. Could it be the World Builders at play? If the young vixen they called Krystal was who Kayuq suspected, Krystal might just be drawn to that planet, especially since she was found there in the first place.

"The stolen ship's transponder signal has reappeared," called Kamuy. "It is heading towards the planet they call Sauria."

"We'll be there in an hour," replied the Second.

Excellent, I'll be there much before that, thought Kayuq to herself as the blue and green planet appeared as a small dot in front of her. With engines on full throttle, her ship was fighting against the gravitational pull of Lylat Prime. The closer she got, the more excited she became. The ship's long range sensors picked up unusual concentrations of dark matter, something which they did not yet have the technology to gather and work with, but which the World Builders had mastered.

Once the planet was in full view, the sensors picked up the tracking signal from the stolen ship. She noticed to her delight that it came from an area covered in thick clouds. Excellent, that would conceal her ship's fiery atmospheric entry. The tracking signal disappeared again, but that only made her more excited. She doubted that the Cornerian fox would know how to work the ship, so it must be Krystal who had disabled it. Besides, she could use her own senses from here.

She idled the engines and touched the controls to extend the wingspan, enabling the ship to glide down silently through the clouds. The glowing trails from two departing ships shone through the clouds, but they were decidedly local to this system. She descended under the cloud cover, and a light rain began washing against the canopy. In the valley below, the Cerinian ship was sitting in solitude in a grassy field next to a stream, but she could not detect the unique thought patterns of her species. She tried harder, reached out, and picked up something that she had never sensed before. Intrigued she followed.

Her little ship was not built for combat, but for surveillance and stealth. Even though she had to increase engine power slightly to follow the trail, the ship could soar silently at subsonic speeds. She closed her eyes, only letting her sixth sense guide her, until the ground proximity klaxons interrupted her. Upon opening her eyes, a large stone building became visible through the rain. She doubted the prehistoric reptiles inhabiting the planet would and could build such a structure. Her heart beat faster, as she coasted towards it, and used as little thrust and noise as possible to land at the base of a bridge leading up to the palace.

She wasted no time in jumping out into the rain, running across the bridge with her long robe flying behind her. Dashing through the stone corridors, she marvelled at the geometric patters lit up only by the faint glow of her staff, since the palace's torches were unlit. Ever upwards she ran as fast as her aged legs could carry her, following the strengthening psionic signals, but careful not reveal herself by making contact. Using a burst from her staff to fly her up a long set of flights, she neared the roof of the building. After catching her breath, she walked the last few steps on silent Cerinian sandals, before stepping onto the roof, and looking out at a structure made up of six angled arches. A person was sitting in front of it with their back to Kayuq.

Mesmerised she took in the sight of the blue vixen meditating in the rain. But what shocked Kayuq were the six ghostly figures surrounding the vixen, like face masks of light floating in the air.

Krazoa spirits.


Krystal stepped out onto the roof of the Krazoa Palace, still with a feeling of dread, staring at the structure where her crystal cage once had been. Her mood wasn't helped by the falling darkness and cool rain. The recalled the dinosaurs saying that the palace had become enveloped in a cloak of murky clouds and rainstorms after General Scales had annexed it, but it seemed the weather hadn't disappeared with him.

She had not been back here since the day Fox had freed her. She didn't even know whether the Krazoa spirits still were here, or if they had been completely consumed in the resurrection of Andross. But she was desperate, clutching at straws. She had faith in her powers. They had grown a lot in the past few years; from merely sensing distress signals to toying with peoples minds, planting thoughts and sensations that were not there. But she'd had no one to teach her how to properly wield her powers, lacking the experience that Kamuy surely had.

But if there were Krazoa statues on the starship, was there a link between Cerinians and the Krazoa, some sort of bond? She sat down on the stone roof, cross-legged in front of her former prison. She closed her eyes and reached out, sensing, summoning. Meditating she focused her attention to her sixth sense, trying to recall the feeling of the Krazoa when they had circled her cell, and when she had channelled them. It had been a sensation of energy more so than thought patterns. The memory crystallised and strengthened, then it somehow felt present.

She knew they were there before she opened her eyes, six ghostly masks of light circling around her.

What troubles your mind, Cerinian?

Death and doubt. I need guidance.

What sort of guidance?

I need to understand my powers. Are they from you?

Only a Cerinian can truly understand Cerinian powers.

Well, this is not helping much, thought the frustrated vixen to herself. The spirits continued.

Are you worthy of our guidance?

I don't know. I helped you, but Fox even more so. He deserves help. Yet I am torn between his world and mine, not knowing which to choose.

Remember the Test of Observation, said one spirit.

You were true of heart, said another.

Observe and you shall see.

With that they vanished, and she was left alone with an anti-climax and her own thoughts. What did that mean? Was it to trust what she saw, heard and sensed, instead of letting thoughts and worries cloud her mind?

Another word stood out as well, making her heart sink. The spirits had said you were, not you are. She understood what they meant, and cursed herself for letting spite and vengeance darken her heart. So she looked in her heart, and then it was so simple. She decided that the time for redemption had come.

But as she stood up, she realised that she had been too consumed in her conversation with the Krazoa, that she had completely missed another presence. They had thought patters she'd rarely felt, yet were so familiar. She knew the species before she turned around, but the sight was still a surprise.

In the rain, there stood vixen dressed in long and elaborately decorated robes, holding a Cerinian staff in her right hand. But she had slightly faded orange fur, not blue. She looked old too, older than the images of Kamuy that Krystal had seen, fifty maybe sixty years old. Her long red hair was streaked with silver, and she had white tattoos under her pale blue eyes, which were staring right through Krystal.

"Who are you?" Krystal called out to her.

No, who are you? The voice inside Krystal's head took her by surprise. She hadn't noticed the tingle at first, so easily had this Cerinian slipped into her mind.

Join us, the voice continued.

Only if you leave Corneria alone.

That is Kamuy's decision to make.

What will she decide?

There was only silence in air and mind, apart from the gentle rain. Krystal felt her focus setting in, blocking out her thoughts, apart from the telepathic communication. The voice continued.

Please come with me, or I will force you.

Krystal slowly pulled her staff from its holster on her back and extended it. Then she held it in both hands, ready to fight. Still the voice continued.

Do not strike first. A true Cerinian only protects.

Odd words from a race that had struck Corneria with destruction, albeit by deception rather than brute force.

Then I will protect Corneria, she replied, swung her staff and fired. An orb of energy flew towards the red vixen, vaporising the rain in its path, but the old vixen was ready and deflected it easily using her own staff as a shield. Then she fired back, and they both traded some blasts without either of them hitting.

Krystal used a rocket boost from her staff to launch herself upwards and sideways. Midair she spun around and fired at the red vixen, who was caught off guard. Krystal landed on both legs, also using one arm to brace herself, the other arm stretched out holding the staff. But to her shock the red vixen vanished and the blast hit nothing. It was a simple mind trick and she had fallen for it.

Observe!

Further to her left there were small sprays of water, like invisible feet running through the puddles. Krystal swung her staff that way, just as the red vixen materialised and fired at Krystal. Krystal's staff shield caught it just in the nick of time, and she was pushed backwards, but she didn't loose her balance.

She had to play to her strengths, which were just that; the strength and speed of youth. With a furious dash she closed the distance between herself and the red vixen, and let rip with a flurry of swipes and stabs. Krystal didn't even think, just executing moves using muscle memory. As expected, this was something the older vixen wasn't used to. She defended frantically, but Krystal landed several blows to satisfying yelps from her opponent.

I am stronger than you think, she thought to the red vixen.

No, you are stronger than you think!

The reply puzzled Krystal, but then she screamed as her staff became red hot and singed her hands. She let go of it and it clanged onto the stony ground, as the red vixen retreated with a boost from her own staff. Krystal looked at her staff on the ground, expecting the rain drops to hiss and vaporise on the red hot surface, but they didn't. Another mind trick, one that she had used herself at that.

She picked up the staff again, and immediately the anguish returned. She focussed on the intruding thoughts, and then pain disappeared. But why hadn't the red vixen taken the chance to attack? She was standing ten paces away with her staff ready to strike. Krystal concentrated on the red vixens paws, and then it was her turn to yelp and drop her staff, as Krystal returned the trick with a vengeance.

She had no indention of returning the mercy though, immediately getting ready to strike and end the fight ... only to find that her limbs were frozen. Unable to move, she could only helplessly watch as the old vixen picked up her staff. Furiously Krystal tried to find the sensation, identify the foreign thought in her mind, while the old vixen slowly raised her staff. But why was she taking her time? Why was she not finishing it?

Focus! You're Kursed. You don't feel, you don't care. With that thought she emptied her mind and her muscles released, the intruding thought recoiling to a surprised expression on the red vixens face. Kursed attacked, only to find that the blasts from her staff were fading. The power gem was out. She wasn't close enough for staff to staff combat, so without a shield she had to desperately run for cover, the red vixen's blasts flying around her. Still running she reached into her pocket and pulled out a blue power gem, her last good one of Saurian origin. It had been saved for an emergency, but with Fox bringing more, now was as good time as any.

Dodging another blast, she had to jump and somersault, and the gem slipped out of her hand. She ducked behind the pillar she'd been running for, yelled some selected profanities, and weighed her options. The red vixen hadn't moved, her thought patters immobile. Krystal tried to reach into the other's mind, but was met with a solid mental wall. What was she playing at?

Krystal could only think of one explanation, and it both bewildered and excited her.

Suddenly a Cerinian ship ascended above the wall surrounding the palace roof, its laser lighting up. Poking her head around the pillar, Krystal could see the old vixen deflecting the blasts as best as she could, while running for an exit. Krystal focussed on the pilot.

Go low, Fox. I'm out of boost.

I can finish her, he replied.

No, we need to leave! Take me to the Cloud Runner.

Thankfully he obeyed, flying as low as he could and opening the canopy. She dashed through the rain, using her staff as a pole she vaulted up on the wing, and jumped into the cockpit.

Kayuq watched the Cerinian ship with the two vulpine turn around and disappear. Exhausted and supporting herself on her staff, she walked towards the pillar where the blue vixen had taken cover.

I'd better call Kamuy and debrief as soon as I get back to my ship. Better she hears my words than finds any thoughts I don't want to share.

She bent down and picked up the pale blue gem that Krystal had dropped. Studying it closely in her hand, watching the blue glow and sensing the energy trapped within it, she had a feeling that this was a game changer. She closed her fingers around the gem and put it in a pocket inside her robe, as she watched the Cerinian fighter and the blue vixen's ship fly away through the rain and, vanish into the dark clouds.


Author's Note: Again thanks to EquinoxWolf and Thespacedoge for beta-reading.

My apologies for posting chapters less frequently, as well as the changing writing style, which I think has become more verbose. I'm fretting about making the ending a bit more credible though, which is why I've thrown Kayuq into the mix, although she wasn't part of the original plan. The conclusion is getting close though. My current plan is for another three chapters and a short epilogue.