Well, Hello there all, I know its way out of my usual posting window, but it is still technically Tuesday for me, and I kinda wanted to get this out, just a little bit of expansion of some Krystal and Fox stuff, and finishing setting up for the next Act. Speaking of, you should all read the authors note below, otherwise, I'll leave you to it, I'm not entirely sure how I feel about the first half, but the second, well, it works. Oh and one last thing, thanks to you all who left or PM with their thoughts on the Redux of Chapter 13. Much appreciated.

Star Fox: The Dead Planet Chapter 14: Act 1 Epilogue

Great Fox: Rec Room

Krystal was down in the training room, beating on what had become her favorite punching bag as she thought about that conversation that she had with Fox two days ago. It seemed surreal that he had done it, yet at the same time it worked into her plans. She may have been planning on leaving the Great Fox, but she wasn't done in Lylat, and not with Fox, even if he had let her leave, they would have seen each other again.

She delivered another series of sharp blows to the punching bag and waited a moment to reach out to grab it and hold it still, her thoughts drifting to how Fox had acted. When she had first woken up, he had been angry with her, wanted her gone, then he seemed sad that she was leaving, and right there, at the end in the hallway, he seemed happy, happier then she had seen him since she came back to Lylat.

She had gotten good at reading people over the past few years, it came with the job really, and it worried her that she couldn't work out what had made Fox so happy in that hallway. Did he know something she didn't? Some secret he never shared with her? Or was it all just a cruel joke, payback for what she did to him so many years ago?

Krystal growled in frustration before venting her rage in a hard punch to the bag that sent it swinging widely on its chain. She side stepped the bag as it swung back towards her before she grabbed it and pulled it to a stop. She sighed and used her eye tooth to rip off the boxers tape she had on her right hand. She had felt one of her knuckles pop on the last hit and was curious to see if it was swelling. She looked up and glanced behind her as she felt someone standing behind her.

She wasn't sure what she should feel upon laying eyes on the person behind her so she just stared at him as she ripped the tape on her other hand with her teeth before balling it all up and throwing it in a trash chute. The person watching her the entire time in silence, a small grin on his face.

She flexed her hands a few times before she walked over to the pool table and leaned up against it and raised an eyebrow. "Enjoying the show old man?"

Peppy just smiled as he walked towards Krystal. "Not really, just wondering what you were thinking about."

Krystal scoffed. "What makes you think that concerns you."

Peppy just kept grinning softly. "Because it was about Fox, and I care deeply about him, so I figure that gives me the natural right to mettle in other peoples affairs when its related to him."

Krystal was silent for a moment. "I wasn't thinking about Fox."

Peppy shook his head. "It bothers you doesn't it?"

Krystal couldn't help herself. "What?"

Peppy moved over to the wall where the pool cues were, he selected two, testing their weights before he handed one out to Krystal who took it after a moment. Peppy went about gathering the pool balls and setting them up in the triangle, Krystal waited in silence for him to continue speaking, trying to scan his mind, but to no avail. So when he lifted the triangle off the table and bent down to take the first shot she sighed. "What did you mean Peppy?"

Peppy hesitated in his shot, sliding the pool cue over his fingers as if he was testing his shot. He was silent for another few moments before he looked up and locked gazes with her. "Why Fox invited you to stay of course." He took his shot, his gaze still locked on Krystal as the white ball smashed into the others. He sank two stripe balls and stood up, grinning at Krystal who snorted at the show off move.

"You're stripes, take your next shot." She paused, leaning her weight on the pool cue she was holding. "What makes you think I care? I'm here, that's all that matters."

Peppy sank another stripe ball before he missed a shot, as he stood up and gestured to Krystal who bent over, eying an easy shot. "Really Krystal, you can't lie to me. No matter how much practice you've had at it." Krystal glanced up at him before she sank her targeted ball and lined up another shot. "I'm guessing that you never planned on leaving Lylat, did you?"

Krystal flinched in her shot and sent the cue ball spinning into one of the corner pockets. She stood up and eyed the aged hare, taking him in with a new light. "How did you know that?"

Peppy just laughed "I think I've said before that you two are destined to be together. Otherwise why would the universe keep forcing you to collide." he bent down and lined up another shot. "You ran away Krystal, for a long time, you thought you had left it all behind, but there was still that one part of you wasn't there? That one part that wondered if you did the right thing? You buried it under reasons of course, and you settled into being Kursed, and you were happy. But I bet you kept some of the things from your old life, and I bet you looked at them from time to time, entertaining that little part of you." Peppy took his shot, the pool stick string the white ball with a loud crack and sending his targeted ball spinning into a pocket. "Then when I forced you to work with Fox, you were angry, rightfully so of course, but that little voice inside started growling louder didn't it? Then while down on Cerinia, I bet you started to realize something, and it grew and grew. You tried to deny it, I bet you even had arguments with yourself, but in the end it all boiled down to one thing." He stood up from the table and leaned on his pool stick as he started at Krystal. "You still loved him."

Krystal felt a small sense of awe start to rise, she couldn't really believe it, yet it was like he had been there with her for every step of her life since she had left Star Fox. She glanced down at the pool table to try and buy herself some time to think. She felt her eyes widen slightly when she realized that Peppy only had to sink the eight ball and the game would be his. She looked up at him, her eyes still wide. "How did...?"

Peppy chuckled as he leaned down to take his shot. "I could give you a list of excuses: Age breeds wisdom. I can read you like a book. I've lived through it before. But I doubt you would believe any of them." He took his shot, spinning the eight ball into a corner pocket. He straightened and took Krystal's pool stick from her to hang on the rack with his. He walked around to where he had sunk the eight ball and reached in, pulling out the black ball.

He took a step towards her and held out the black ball. "You've been alone for most of you life Krystal, alone, like this eight ball, nobody really wanted you, and nobody really knew much about you. You were just along for the ride, getting knocked about. Then along comes Fox, and suddenly you have somebody in your life again, somebody who cares. You welcome the feeling, and you fell in love with him. Then he shoved you away, and you took your hurt and your anger and you wrapped it around yourself like a cowl, hiding underneath Kursed while you licked your wounds." he dropped the eight ball into Krystal's paws.

She glanced up at Peppy. "They all hate me Peppy. Falco, Katt, Fox, they all hate me for what I did. So why would Fox invite me to stay?"

Peppy chuckled softly. "They don't hate you, they're just confused, they all mourned your death, then it turns out you were alive, I can understand why they would let their emotions get the better of them. You just need to give them time." Peppy started to walk towards the door, still talking. "I know I would be upset if my wife faked her death for all these years." He reached the door and glanced back over at Krystal. "You just need to give them time to adjust, it is a lot to take in. In the mean time, I'm sure they'll say things in anger, most likely though, they won't mean them." Peppy paused for a moment, while Krystal realized how similar those words were to what Katt had told her back on Cerinia. She blinked as Peppy continued talking. "Except maybe for Falco, he might mean all of them."

Peppy turned back to the door and Krystal spoke up. "Peppy." He stopped and turned back to face her. "You never answered my other question, about why Fox invited me to stay."

Peppy looked down at the ground. "I won't pretend to know everything Krystal, but even if my wife was to walk onto this ship and told me she faked her death, I would be angry, sure, confused as well. But at the same time I know that I would not want to let her out of my sight again." Peppy turned back around. "Maybe Fox is feeling the same way, but its something you'll have to ask him, not me." With that he walked out of the room, and left Krystal alone with her thoughts.

Krystal walked over to the pool table and set the eight ball down in the center of the table. "Never been compared to an eight ball before." She scoffed, before she bent down over the table staring at the eight ball, lost in thought.

When Fox walked into the rec room ten minutes later, he found Krystal back in front of the punching bag, only this time, she wasn't hitting it, she was just staring at it. She glanced over her shoulder as Fox entered the room before she turned back to the bag.

Fox took a few more steps into the room before she spoke up. "Why?"

Fox frowned, before he had left, Peppy had mentioned that Krystal wanted to ask him something, but he assumed the she was ask him more then that. "Why what?"

Krystal turned to face him and crossed her arms. "Why did you invite me to stay? First you angrily ordered me off the ship, then when the time came, it felt like you regretted the order, and then after you asked me to stay, you were happy. What gives?"

Fox walked over to her as he thought, he gave the punching bag a few light punches before he answered. "I don't know, I've been wondering the same thing." He dropped his arms to his side before he turned to face her, "Like I said, it just felt right at the time, and perhaps that's what we need, time."

Krystal raised an eyebrow "Time?"

Fox nodded. "Time to adjust, to process all of this, its a lot to take in. Until then, keeping you around as part of Star Fox, just feels right. As for why I was happy, well, I would be lying if I told you that I wasn't happy that you're still alive and around." He locked gazes with her. "Does that help in anyway?"

Krystal was silent for a moment before she nodded. "It does, a little. Thanks."

Fox nodded before he turned and headed back towards the door. He had only made it half way before Krystal spoke up again. "What about us?"

Fox stopped and sighed. "I don't know, I'm still dealing with all this too remember, for now, lets just be team mates again, we can figure out if there will be an 'us' later" He glanced over at her. "Sound like a plan?"

Krystal nodded and started walking, heading past Fox towards the exit to the room. "Sounds good to me, until the next meeting, or mission, or what ever comes up, I'll be in my room."

Fox watched her go, He sighed and shook his head. "Time." he said softly to himself before he followed her out of the room and down the hallway.

Aldane System; Cruiser Singsore, Two weeks later

The Ferret strapped to the table screamed in pain as the electrodes were touched to his exposed chest again. The electricity emitted from the electrodes was so much that his eyes seemed to be glowing blue from the charge that was passing through him, the fact that he didn't die was a marvel owed to the person torturing him.

They were pulled away a few minutes later and the ferret panted in pain as the charges left him body through the shaking of his hands, the most he could he move strapped down as he was. "Pah...please...I've told...I've told you all I...all I know."

The deep voice the spoke up from the shadows of the room sent chills rolling down the spine of the unfortunate ferret. "Please Dr. Irving, we all know that you are the best in your 'field' for a reason. Some one of your skill would keep records, all I'm asking, is to take a quick peak."

Dr. Irving tried to shake his head. "I don't...I don't keep records..."

The voice sigh before he pointed a thick digit at a doberman standing next to a computer console. He nodded and pressed a button, lowering the electrodes to the chest of Irving again. The Doctor screamed again as the voltage traveled through him and into the table he was strapped to. After a moment the dobermen pressed another button and the electrodes pulled back, he turned to face his boss. "He can't take another blast like that. I suggest you finish up with him."

"Very well Igan, you may leave."

Igan bowed and retreated back into the shadows of the room. Dr Irving swallowed hard as the voice started speaking. "Well, it looks like our time together is almost over Doctor. So, let me ask you one more time." The voice moved closer and leaned over the doctor, who felt his eyes widen when he realized who had been torturing him for the past four days.

The wolfhounds face was heavily scarred by four deep claw marks that ran over a ruined eye and down to his muzzle. His shocking pale fur stood out sharply under the light that had been hung above the table, and his black uniform hugged tightly to his well muscled body, almost as if it was stretched to its limits. The three blood red, crossed stripes running over both his shoulders telling everybody who saw them, just who this was. "So, one last time Doctor, I know Kursed was not her real name, and I know she came to you for help before she started going by Kursed, so you must know her real name. That's all I need, just tell me that, and you can walk away from this." The wolfhound held up a paw and one of his wicked sharp claws. "So now, you have a choice, you can leave this life easy, or..." he trailed off and let the Doctor make a choice.

Dr. Irving gulped heavily before he shook his head. "No, she scares me then you do, I won't tell."

The wolfhound shook his head before he made a clicking sound with his tougne. He leaned over the doctor to whisper in his ear. "You forget your place Dr. Irving, you forget who you're talking to. You aren't the first, but you will be the last." He straightened and resumed talking in a normal voice. "The hard way then, I would be lying if I said I didn't prefer this way." He put two of his fingers together and jabbed hard at the doctors exposed belly, stabbing him just below the stomach, his claws cutting right through his flesh. He withdrew his paw just as quickly as he stabbed the doctor, stepping back to watch the blood flow. "You've been injured Doctor, a serious injury, but a heal able one, if you tell me what Kursed's real name is."

Dr. Irving drew in a sharp breath before he grinned. "You'll never find her, the one who did that."

The wolfhound frowned and grabbed the doctor by the throat cutting off his air. "Do not toy with me Doctor."

He started to put more pressure on his throat, only to stop when Igan came back into the room. "Sir, we have a lead on Kursed."

The wolfhound eased the pressure on the doctors throat. "Where?"

Igan consulted a datapad held in his hands. "Apparently she's in a system known as Lylat right now, she just completed a job for the military there."

The wolfhound glanced back down at the doctor. "Lylat, that's where you were based before those 'unfortunate' events landed you in my backyard. Wasn't it Doctor?"

Dr. Irving tried to voice out a denial, but the wolfhound put more pressure on his throat quieting him. "Is there anything else Igan?"

Igan glanced down at his pad again before a grim smile crept its way onto his muzzle, he glanced up at his boss. "The survey teams says they just found the doctors hidden files." Igan glanced at the Doctor whos eyes were wide, unable to make a sound.

The wolfhound gave a feral smile to the doctor, before he glanced at Igan, "Good, thank you Igan." he focused back on the doctor as he stepped back. "Unfortunately for you doctor, that means your usefulness is now gone." he reached to his belt and pulled off a small tube, he raised it above his head and the opening unfolded three different ways and a black light emitted from it, a crackling noise filled the air as if the very space around the device was burning. He brought the device down towards the doctor and a dark whip of energy unfolded, cutting right through both the doctor and the table and leaving a large furrow carved into the ships plating. The wolfhound shut off his weapon and the energy faded, leaving small heat swirls in the deck plating where it had sat. He turned to Igan. "How long until we can reach this Lylat system?"

Igan did some quick calculations. "At the Singsore's max speed, we can be there in just over a month."

The wolfhound nodded. "Good, get us there, I have some things I need to discuss with Kursed." He glanced at Igan as he walked off. "Igan, Make sure you get her real name from those files."

Igan paused and nodded before he gestured to the smoking ruins of the doctor and the table. "Would you like me to get somebody to clean this up for you sir?"

The wolfhound nodded and Igan left. Leaving the wolfhound alone as he ran a paw over his ruined face. He stared out through a view port as the Singsore suddenly accelerated to its max speed. "You thought you could run from me Kursed, thought that you could just leave me after everything I did for you." He paused and glanced down at his paw, his two claws still red with Dr. Irving's blood. "Nobody escapes from me Kursed, nobody."

So, there you go, what did you think? I know it still leaves a lot of plot holes about Cerinia, but those will be filled in Act 3, promise. So, before I get into the big thing, Lets hit the Guest Reviews!

Blake O'Donnell: Glad you liked the ending, and thanks for your thoughts, I would like to think I wouldn't be dragging the story, but I guess we'll see what happens. Anyway, as you'll see below, I still have some more to ask of you, as for Tales, well, we already had that one covered in Destinies : P

JackLinks: Alright, its awesome to hear that you enjoyed it still, now you should keep reading, because I got one more thing to ask of ya if you don't mind.

Right, so, like I said, on Act 2, I wanted you all to read this, and that's because I've been conflicted about what to do about it. See, my original plan was just to leave it all in the same story, that way nobody would have to go find another story and add that to their favorites if they wanted to continue reading it. Plus, since I have them returning to Cerinia for Act 3, I thought it still would fit together for the title and everything, I also never planned on Act 2 being that long, a kinda stand over if you will for Act 3.

But those are my reasons, and I had a lot of you say that you think a second story would be a better idea. So, since I'm always saying I listen to those who review, but I'm still not sure what I'm going to do, I'm leaving it up to you. By the time you read this, there should be a poll active on my profile page that asks which you want.

Dead Planet to continue in the same story.

Or.

If you want to see The Dead Past in its own story.

To help you make your choice, I'm going to break down my thoughts.

Dead Plant is just shy of 100,000 words, Dead Past would be maybe half of that. Perhaps a third, dunno yet, but I never planned on it being very long, and Act 3 would be about the same length, if matching Dead Planet's length. But again, plans change, the size could get longer or shorter. I would also be remiss if I didn't tell you that I like seeing the high review count for Dead Planet, and I would like to see it get higher. Kinda selfish I know, but it does make me feel proud of my writing, which in turn inspires me to write more ha ha.

Anyway, those are my thoughts as they stand now, go ahead and mosey over to my profile page and drop your vote, and that goes to all my guest readers too, Blake, Jack, I want to hear your thoughts on this as well. Unless they changed it, I know you guys can't vote without profiles, but if you leave a review and tell me, I'll count that at the end. Same to rest of my guest readers who stumble upon this as well.

So, that should be that, with this last update though, no matter what happens consider The Dead Planet over, with The Dead Past looming in the future.

Peace,

- Emile