Part 5
The ship's one operational hangar opened it's doors and Krystal made her way inside. Jack had been standing on deck waiting for her to dock. He looked alot better than the time she left him, his wounds were healed or at least very well covered.
"I'm taking a big risk coming this close to the station. The station's dockmaster doesn't care for this ship."
"I can't imagine why, it's like an abstract work of art." Krystal joked.
"The tractor beams they use to pull the ships into dock use zero point fields that pull on parts of the ship like thousands of tiny fingers. They tend to break off parts of the ship and fling them into the docking bays."
"On my, I can see how that could be a problem." Krystal said. "I found Miri, she's working in a pub on one of the lower decks of the station. She's miserable, afraid, and sickly. The patrons there abuse her and she's buried in debt to the point where she'll never get out. I can't help her."
"You know she won't let me help her." Jack put his hand on Krystal's shoulder. "You really should have made it back to Lylat and forgot about what went on out here."
"She needs to be on this ship with you, besides, the CDF took my ship as soon as I entered Lylat and then dumped me here. If you hadn't forwarded that information to them I wouldn't be standing here right now. Wolf had created this image of me as some kind of murdering psychopath, I was going to be locked away for a long time."
"Glad I could help, again. I see you found one of our old ADFs. That's about as close to a Cornerian ship as you're likely to find out here."
"What is an ADF?" she asked. "And why are you building Cornerian ships out here?"
"Atmospheric Defense Fighter." he replied, "We thought we had found something with the Lylat Airwings, they were ships that did well in space and atmospheric flight and we wanted to see if we could combine our power plants and the Cornerian ship design to make a multi-purpose fighter. Our ships are very good in space but can't maneuver in the atmosphere as well. HSF spotted one of the Airwings piloted by Falco Lombardi, a freelance mercenary. He graciously let us use his ship to craft a prototype, but the design was substandard at best. They were useful for getting into and out of Lylat when we needed to track someone or do recon, but the hull design just didn't allow for the modifications we needed to make them effective flyers. When compared to an Airwing, the ADF is faster, maneuvers better and is better shielded. When up against our ships it is out classed in every respect, even the old Ravager class ship I have is superior, and it's a 300 year old design. So the project was deemed a failure and the test prototypes went up for sale as civilian craft. Mr. Lombardi and a couple of local merchants got together and bought them all and have been selling them with his name for awhile now. They've had their power choked back a bit to better match the Airwings, I can correct that for you if you'd like."
"No." Krystal looked at him folding her arms, "I need you to go find Miri and get her out of that hole she's in. We can talk about my ship when you're done."
"Giving orders now are we?" he walked toward her ship.
"Just keeping you on task." she said, smiling.
The Prospect docked with Io station, showering the docking bay in loose parts and debris. Jack and Krystal made their way into the lower Cornerian controlled decks. Krystal felt more and more uncomfortable as she went along. The local population was not human friendly in this part of the station and traveling through it with a human attracted some stares and more than a few nasty comments. Jack seemed to shrug it off, even when confronted directly he didn't let them upset him. They made their way to Anglar's Dive and stopped outside.
"I think you should wait here." Krystal said, "I'll go inside and see if I can't get Miri to come out and talk with you."
"You do realize that once you go in there 15 people are going to jump me." he pointed to the small groups assembling on the other side of the corridor. Krystal nodded and they tried to go inside together. At the door, one of the Cornerians stopped Krystal.
"You can't take that in here, no humans." he said as he put his arm across the door. Krystal tried to plead her case but the guard wasn't listening to her. Jack stepped up and tried to enter, the guard shoved him back before yelling at him to leave.
"I don't think you understand what's going on here." Jack grinned as he spoke to the guard, "This is a human station in a human system. You're the guest not me." he pulled a small card from his pocket. "And as a member of the HSFs core task force, I have access to any part of the station, no questions asked. Or I can flush you out the nearest airlock and hope your replacement understands that."
"Even better." the guard muttered. "This place is crawling with people that hate the HSF authorities. If you want to go in there and get your ass kicked, please don't let me stop you. I'd like to get in a few kicks myself." Jack and Krystal walked into the bar and sat down at a table near the entrance, the place went silent with all eyes staring their way. Jack pulled out his weapon and placed it on the table, drumming his fingers across the barrel. The patrons returned to their drinks, the noise level gradually rising to it's previous roar. Miri hadn't been on the floor when Jack entered and couldn't see him as she made her rounds. Krystal went to her as she made a return trip to the kitchen. Jack had moved from the table to an empty booth near the back of the room.
"You've certainly cleaned up.' she said as Miri turned around.
"After you left I did some thinking." Miri looked at Krystal. "I knew you would come back, and I knew you would bring him here."
"I did." Krystal said, "He's here now, at the back in a corner booth. He's trying to keep a low profile until we can get out of here."
"You really shouldn't have come today, the crew from Andross Revenge is here." Miri motioned over her right shoulder to a table of pigs that looked like the ones that were giving her trouble the last time Krystal was in. "They tend to get a little too grabby when they get liquored up. You saw what they did the last time you were in here. I can't stop them, the captain is friends with the owner here, as long as they don't take it too far, he lets them get away with it. The owner knows I can't leave the station, so I have to put up with it."
"Well I'm not going to stand here and watch it." Krystal said, arms folded, "And I doubt Jack's come all this way to see you hurt."
"Then you'll end up fighting the entire bar." she looked around, "The crew of Andross Revenge are almost folk heroes in this part of the station, they're one of the few ships that survived the pirate uprising when the humans first came to this part of space. I need to get back to work, my shift is up in an hour. I'll meet with Jack then." Miri started walking off toward the kitchen.
"I don't think we're leaving." Krystal pointed to the booth where Jack was sitting, several rough looking Cornerians had moved into the U shaped booth and boxed him in. He was sitting calmly, drumming his fingers on the table as they harassed him. The Cornerian to his right pulled a knife and raised it to Jack's face, he looked on, staring off into the room. The Cornerian drew back and prepared to stab just as Jack twisted the knife from his hand and plunged it into the table, grabbing the Cornerian's head with his other hand and slamming his nose down on the knife handle. The Cornerian threw his head back and grasped his nose, shaking violently as Jack tossed him to the side knocking him and the crewmen seated next to him out of the booth and onto the floor. Jack slid around the table and kicked it toward the other two crewmen still seated in shock over what just happened, covering them in broken plates and uneaten food. The force of the table knocked the wind out of the two crewmen and they collapsed in the seat gasping for breath. The Cornerian who had been knocked to the floor has managed to get free from his injured crewmate and pulled his blaster. Jack tossed a nearby glass of whiskey in his face and wrestled the blaster from his hand, striking the Cornerian on the head with it and dropping him to the floor.
By now the entire bar was ready to fight just as station security stormed in. They took the four Cornerian crewmen and Jack out of the bar and began questioning the patrons. After a few minutes they left and Jack was forced to wait outside for Krystal and Miri. He stood near the entrance and leaned on the wall. Back inside, things were returning to normal and Krystal found a seat to wait for Miri. The crewmen from Andross Revenge were being rowdy but hadn't laid a hand on Miri until the captain grabbed her tail and pulled her into his lap. She screamed and struggled but the gruff voice that had stopped the captain before never came. He began fumbling with the buttons on Miri's shirt as she struggled to get loose. Krystal had seen enough and decided to step in. She walked over to the table and interrupted the captain.
"I don't think she likes that." she said.
"I don't think she has a choice, her and I are about to get better acquainted." The captain said smugly, "Maybe you'd like a ride next."
"Maybe you'd like me to get my friend back in here," Krystal pointed to the knife sticking out of the table. "He can give you a nose job like that other fellow." The captain released Miri and she jumped to her feet, he slapped her backside and sat back in his chair.
"Get me some more booze wolfie." the captain grunted. "and be quick about it, I don't want my buzz wearing off before we drag foxy here out on her ass." She limped off toward the kitchen as the crew of Andross Revenge stood up and surrounded Krystal. Miri turned and bolted toward the front door. She yelled for Jack as the crewmen grabbed Krystal from behind and tossed her to the floor. She reached for her weapon but one of the crewmen stomped her hand, knocking the weapon away before placing his boot on her throat and pinning her to the ground. She struggled with the crewman as his shipmates restrained her and the captain drew his weapon. Jack had managed to get past the guard and back into the bar where he rushed into the fight. He approached the captain and was now standing directly behind him.
"Drop it, now." he said sternly. The captain ignored his command and pointed his weapon at Krystal's head. Jack grabbed at the captain's hand, wrestling the blaster free from his grip and drawing his own weapon as the captain struggled to turn around. Jack grabbed the captain and put his weapon to his head. The other crewmen had turned their attention away from Krystal and began to approach Jack, still holding their captain at gunpoint. He turned and yelled at Krystal. "Krystal, get Miri and go, now!" Krystal struggled to get to her feet, she grabbed Miri's hand and started to run for the door. As they made their way outside Krystal and Miri heard shattering glass and blaster fire. The remaining patrons stumbled out the door in a panic as station security rushed in. When it finally quieted down the bar's owner walked outside with station security.
"I ought to kill you both," he sneered, "You stupid bitches and that damn human killed my best patrons." He looked at Miri, "I thought I paid you enough, all you had to do was get them drunk and play along. I didn't let things get out of hand, I'm not running a brothel down here or anything. Don't come back here, in fact, don't come anywhere near me or this bar." Jack had come out of the doorway, covered in broken glass and whiskey. He stumbled over to Krystal and Miri as the bar's owner stormed off, pushing him to the side as he went.
"Are you alright?" Krystal asked.
"Yeah, you got out of there just in time, they took a couple of shots at the door when you were running out. I did my best with the crew, all but one of them are down. A couple of the other guys jumped in and got me while I was finishing off the captain, one of them stuck me in the leg. I thought things were about to get out of hand, then station security showed up." He looked at Miri but didn't say anything. She quickly looked at the floor and stepped back. Station security took all three of them aside and began to question them. Krystal told them of Miri and the harassment she witnessed and tried to stop, Miri told the same story, and Jack told them he had gone back in to break up the fight and wound up fighting again. After questioning the other patrons, station security let them go and they began walking toward the docking bay.
"You seem to be able to get out of trouble with with station security easily." Krystal said to Jack.
"It's part of my job," he looked at her and smiled. "I have to spend alot of my time in this area of the station and there's always trouble. Station security is pretty easy going when it comes to fights, especially when the guy who starts it gets what he deserves. They aren't going to spend too much time on a drunken brawl when everyone tells the same story, and if all else fails I just tell them I'm a CSU and no one asks anymore questions." Miri didn't say a word and tried to look away from Jack as they walked into the docking bay, she still had her bar outfit on. Station security stopped Miri and pulled her aside.
"Miss." the guard said, "You have an outstanding debt of 7500 credits. I cannot allow you into the docking bay until the debt is paid in full." Jack walked over to the guard and swiped a card on the reader near his post. The guard looked at his screen. "Go on, you're free to leave."
"What did you just do?" Miri looked at Jack.
"Paid off your debts," He looked at her and smiled. "and it's good to see you again Miri."
"Dammit." she scolded, "Why couldn't I do things on my own? I didn't want you here and I didn't want you involved in my problems." she looked at Jack and shook her head. "I didn't want you to see me this way. I'm not much better off than when you found me the first time."
"It doesn't matter Miri." he put his hands on her shoulders. "I should have come back here a long time ago, as soon as I found out where you were. I didn't know things were so bad. You didn't deserve to be left like this."
"I think I deserve it," she put her arms around him and squeezed tightly. "But I want to go, please. If you'll take me, I want to go."
"That's what I came here to do." Jack looked at her and smiled. "Looks like we'll have to get you another implant, why'd you take it out?"
"I had some whiskey splashed in my face and it got behind the implant and was burning, so I took it out to clean it. I went to get something to eat at the soup kitchen down the hall while I waited for it to dry off. While I was gone, my apartment was robbed, they took everything." Miri said, "Not that there was much in there to steal, all I have now is what I'm wearing."
"The electronics they use in those replacement eyes are very valuable, they disappear all the time. We'll get you a new one." Jack turned to Krystal. "That was very bold of you, sticking up for Miri like that. I owe you, let me take you back to Lylat so you can find your old squadron." Krystal thought about Fox and the others, where would she even begin looking.
"I have no idea where to find them." she shook her head, "I can't tell you where to begin."
"I'll call in a few favors if you'll give me some names."
"Only one, Fox McCloud." Jack nodded and after a stop at the station's infirmary to get his leg stitched they made their way onboard the Prospect. Miri had taken the time in the infirmary to get a replacement eye, she walked over to Jack holding a fist sized metallic box. Inside was a plain white sphere with a small metal stem attached to it and a stylus. Jack held up the sphere and touched the stylus to it, the sphere cycled through several colors before stopping and flashing black and white. He held the shpere up to MIri's eye and touched the stylus to it, the shpere flickered and took on the appearance of MIri's eye. He pulled Miri's hair back from the empty socket and placed the implant into it. She dropped some solution onto the surface of the implant and blinked a few times, then looked at Krystal. Krystal was amazed the false eye looked identical to the real one and even moved in time with the other. The trio boarded Jack's ship, they pulled out of the docking bay and set a course for Lylat. Jack went to the bridge and brought up the ship's com system, Miri and Krystal followed.
"DLC Ardennes," he said into the com, "This is CSU Orion requesting a trace."
"Go ahead Orion." a voice answered back.
"I'm looking for a Cornerian, probably hangs out in Lylat, in his late 20's last name is McCloud, first name is Fox."
"What is the nature of the trace?" the voice asked.
"He seems like a good candidate for our joint squadron ops, he's a former merc and a respected pilot."
"Standby." there was a pause. A few minutes later the voice came back. "Looks like he's been doing a bit of freelance work, cargo runs from planet to planet inside Lylat, nothing serious and nothing recent. His ship, an old Cornerian carrier, was last seen orbiting Macbeth, it's been there for several months. Do you need to have a contact set up?"
"Negative, I have a contact that can go planetside."
"Very good Orion, I have news for you from fleet command as well." the voice paused, "Your request for joint squadron operations was accepted pending the outcome of our patrol operations in Lylat Alpha system. Your request to place Fortune's Prospect in drydock for repairs has also been approved."
"Good news, I was getting tired of the flying scrapheap comments. How's the patrol going?" Jack asked.
"Very well. We managed to recover 6 missing pilots from a scout patrol that went missing in Lylat but we've hit a bit of a snag. The Cornerian carrier was heavily damaged in a pirate assault and the crew had to be offloaded to our ship while repairs are being made. No casualties, but the ship is down for several days at least. It's tethered to the upper deck until we can get to drydock."
"Wait, you can just call up and get information on anyone?" Krystal was dumbfounded.
"No," Jack replied. "I need to have a reason. I can't just stalk people through the shipnet. We've got probes all over Lylat, tracking ship movements and feeding information to the CDF when we feel it's necessary. We've got our man, so now all you have to do is go to Macbeth and meet up with Fox."
"I suppose." Krystal hesitated. "I'd like to know he'll actually talk to me before I travel all that way though."
"I can use the Prospect's jump drive to get us near the planet, I can keep a low profile so the CDF won't notice me. We can be in and out in a hurry if we need to."
"How are you going to keep a low profile in this?" Krystal asked.
"One of the many modifications I've planned for this ship is a cloaking device. I can use it when I'm away from the ship in a hostile system. It's not perfect, if something gets within 2km it drops, but it will hide the ship from sensors and makes visual contact very difficult. I'm going to drydock her before we try and run to Lylat, if we are spotted, I at least want her to look respectable." Jack plotted a course for the HSF naval facility orbiting Alpha II and docked the Prospect. The ship was laid up for over a week while the station's automated drones worked to repair the damage she had taken from drifting in the asteroid field, though Jack insisted the ship retain some of it's "character" to help keep the appearance of an old mining vessel. Eventually, the ship was restored to full working order and it's mineral holds converted to hangars for a squadron of fighters. After the Prospect was fitted and resupplied they began their trip to the Lylat system.
Krystal had taken the downtime to learn a bit more about the humans and looked for any information they may have had on the destruction of her homeworld. Jack had given her a translator that took an image of human text and translated it to Cornerian so she could read the reports. There was an entry for an impact event in a nearby system the humans called Becker1314, but that was the only thing even close to what she remembered, she'd have to ask Jack about it later. Miri had recovered from her ordeal in Anglar's Dive now maintained a much cleaner healthier appearance as well as a more respectable wardrobe, a grey v neck shirt and black trousers, identical to Krystal's. When it was time to make the jump into Lylat, Krystal scouted ahead and signaled for the Prospect to make it's jump into the system. The ship cleared the swirling vortex of the jump portal and promptly engaged it's cloak. They arrived at Macbeth and entered a high orbit around the planet, sighting the Great Fox 2 drifting silently in space.