I'm on a proper roll right now, so I managed to get this week's chapter done days ahead. Here you all are; Enjoy!
-Wing
Wolf walked out of the hangar and to the elevator, heading for the bridge. When he got to the top deck, the bridge doors slid aside to reveal Joseph and Krystal, already deep in conversation.
"...couldn't help but notice that something doesn't add up." He heard Krystal say as he stepped in. "The staff I could believe, the the psychic blocks maybe. But you let one thing slip you just can't know. I only ever told five others about Cerinia, and you aren't one of them. There's no way Wolf told you," she said, pointing a finger at the confused lupine, "and there's no way any of the other four would either. So, how did you know I was Cerinian if I never told you?" She finished, now pointing the same finger at him accusingly.
Joseph hung his head. "Ah, shit." He muttered under his breath. "Guess the game's up" He raised it again, staring directly into her eyes. It must have been something significant, as Krystal's eyes widened like a pair of frisbees. "Impossible." She whispered.
"The blocks are down," he responded, "see for yourself." He replied, keeping contact.
She closed her eyes, then opened them again to reveal them glowing a bright cyan. Wolf had seen this before, when Krystal had read somebody's memories. After about ten seconds or so, she did the same thing again, and her eyes were back to normal. What surprised Wolf was that she was crying. Tears spilled down her face, but she was smiling. And then it hit him:
They must be tears of joy.
She ran forward and threw her arms around Joseph, laughing and crying. Wolf, wondering what in Lyla's name was happening, stepped towards them. "Uh, I hate to break up whatever the hell is going on here, but, well, what actually is going on here?"
Krystal turned her head to face him, still beaming a huge smile. "Come on Wolf, keep up. Enforcer staff, psychic blocks, knowledge of my people?"
"Aaaand?..." He asked, confused.
"And, how could he possibly have them, and know so much?"
"Well, he could be Cerinian, but that's ridiculous. I mean, for one, you told me all Cerinians have blue fur. Do you see any blue on him?" He asked.
"Well no, but..."
"And that they have weird tattoos on their arms and hips. Joseph?"
"I'll prove it." He suddenly and simply stated.
"Huh?"
"I said, 'I'll prove it'"
Joseph closed his eyes, and opened them again a second later to reveal the same shade of cyan. Wolf was taken aback. He had never seen his friend do anything like this before. When he opened them back to usual again, he said one simple word, and Wolf believed him that very instant.
"Alistair"
Wolf's real name was the only secret no-one else alive knew. And the only way he could have known it...
Was if Krystal was right.
Wild raised a clawed paw to his head, trying to take all this in. One question sprang to mind.
"So, how is your fur orange?"
"I'm only half Cerinian. My dad was a red fox, an explorer named Matthew Clarke. He found Cerinia on his travels, and settled down there. He met my mom, Kiara, and she got pregnant with me a few years later. Cerinia was on par with Corneria in terms of technology, but their fleet was mostly civilian. When the Venomian Fleet showed it's not so pretty face, they... we... were completely unprepared. Almost no-one survived. My dad still had his shuttle from his exploration days though. He tried to pick me up from a park, or someplace similar, in the ship once we knew what was going on. I got on board, but a fireteam of Venomian infantry has followed my through a treeline. A few shots got through the door, and one of them hit my father in the chest. He was hurt bad, but he didn't tell me until it was too late. He passed a little while after we broke orbit." Joseph finished, his head hung low.
"Crap," Wolf responded, "I shouldn't have brought it up man. Sorry."
"No, it's OK. It's about time I got that out of my system."
"Another thing then; why are you still wearing that stupid merc outfit?"
"Oh, sorry. I never really put it on."
"OK, what?" Wolf replied, confused. "You're wearing it right now."
"I forgot to turn it off. A psychic technique that I came up with, to answer your next, inevitable question. I call it, 'perception damping'. You're actually seeing what I want you to see. Here, close your eyes, and then open them again."
Wolf complied, and standing before him was an almost entirely different Joseph. He was wearing a granite grey sleeveless flight-suit, a set of tattoo-like patterns closely resembling Krystal's own markings now visible on his arms. Over the legs of the suit were a pair of denim jeans, and he was also wearing dark brown combat boots and a white, body-warmer-looking sleeveless vest. Where Joseph's fur had before been black in some areas, it was now a familiar cerulean blue, except for the tip of his tail and his muzzle, which was now a brilliant white. He must have turned it off for Krystal while she was reading his memories. However, his eyes were the same turquoise blue. "So this is the real you, then?" Wolf asked.
"Yeah," he replied, shrugging, "No more mind tricks, no more secrets. I promise you, it's all out in the open now."
"Finally told 'em, huh?" asked Fay, walking in to the bridge. She was wearing a pink flight-suit, similar to the one Joseph was already wearing. Her long, snow-white hair was now tied with a large, bright red bow behind her head, and the white jacket she was now wearing was left open, showing the flight-suit beneath. She was also wearing a set of black boots, which went up to her shins, and a dark brown belt.
"Yep," Joseph replied, "They all see what you see now."
"Aw, don't worry sweetie," she replied casually, "I think orange and blue suits you. So," she began, turning to Wolf, "What's the plan huh? Where to now?"
"Papetoon." Wolf replied, bringing up a hologram of the desert planet, "Homeworld of the vulpine race, and our next destination."
"Oh, I get it." Krystal said, snapping her fingers, "Six Arwings. We're hiring more pilots, right?"
"Exactly." he responded.
"When I was getting your name, I noticed something else" Joseph told Wolf, "You mentioned to Krystal that we were 'Paying a certain G-Zero team a visit'. G-Zero pilots are teams of two. Our targets are one of the teams, aren't they?"
"Yep, the StarWing racing team."
Fay cocked an eyebrow. "StarWing? Are you... Oh!" she said, appearing to catch on to something, "Oh, thats brilliant! Wouldn't be a mercenary team without 'em."
"Nice choice Wolfy." Joseph added.
"I'm sorry," Krystal asked aloud, "But am I missing something here? Who are StarWing?"
Wolf turned to her, now with a completely serious face on, which was rather surprising to Krystal. It was to the point where he was almost baring his teeth. "Before I tell you, you have to swear to at least give him a chance."
"Him?" She asked, confused.
"Promise me, Krys."
"Alright, I promise. Now who are they?"
Wolf brought up their faces on screen, and Krystal was shocked for the second time in as many minutes.
"Team StarWing," he told her, "Are Fox McCloud and Falco Lombardi."
So, Joseph isn't what most of y'all were likely expecting, and the extra Arwing's purposes are revealed! I really enjoyed writing this chapter. The idea for Joseph to be half-Cerinian has been rolling around in my head for a while, and I've decided to go with it. And don't worry, I've got something cool with that 'Perception damping' business lined up, and you're all gonna' love it. I'm going to try to make Papetoon all one super-chapter, so I'm afraid that it probably won't be early like this one was.
'Till next Saturday,
-Wing