Part 21

Jack rushed out of the conference room and followed Fox down the hall. Fox was walking quickly, almost breaking into a jog as he made his way back to the medical wing of the carrier and began to look for Fara. Jack stopped him just outside Fara's room.

"You were a bit rough with the Admiral, Fox."

"I don't care." Fox replied. "She's telling me they might attack Lylat and I'm just supposed to sit there and be happy about it?"

"That's not what she's saying. We want to avoid going into Lylat, but if this Saruzin does everything they say it's capable of, we'll have to go in there and destroy it."

"Why do you have to destroy it?" Fox yelled. "Your people can drop a whole fleet anywhere in Lylat at any time. If we're looking for a way to defend ourselves against that then we have every right to build and use it."

"That's true, but look at the nature of the weapon."

"What do you mean?" Fox asked.

"You have the same information on that ship as I do. What does it do?"

"The Admiral said it could attack anywhere and destroy a station or seriously damage a capital ship."

"Right, it's not a defensive weapon. It's meant for a surprise attack on a station. Does a station pose a threat to Lylat?"

"The ships docked in it could, but not the station itself." Fox replied.

"We have been trying to help Corneria haven't we? Look at all the materials and supplies we've sent your people. Why would we waste resources rebuilding a planet we're about to attack? It's not our intention to harm your people."

"Then why so many warships?" Fox snapped. "There's more than enough firepower out here to destroy the Cornerian Armada twice over."

"Two reasons; First, the surrounding systems are unstable and a superior show of force helps keep the peace. Second, there are threats that could come from outside the HSF, organizations like Interstellar Iridium or worse, the Species Alliance."

"The Species Alliance?"

"It's a group of alien species we've encountered in the past that don't share our views on the universe. They're led by a species called the Raanerians. They'd have to cross alot of HSF territory to get out this far but I wouldn't put it past them to send scouts if they learn we've discovered a new civilization."

"So they're a threat to the HSF?"

"We're spread too thin out here and it wouldn't take much to push us out of this region. They've got an edge in technology but we adapt our tactics too quickly for them to counter and we have a lot more combat experience. They're not much of a threat this far out, but they continue to attack our colonies in the Raanerian border region."

"Does the CDF know about them?"

"Yes, it's the reason Corneria hasn't joined the HSF, they're not too keen on attracting hostile attention if we can't protect them. The Cornerians wanted to know what's beyond Lylat, and we gave them a glimpse out there, I'm not sure they liked what they saw."

"What did your people show them?"

"The truth." Jack replied. "There is no peace in our galaxy. Your people were hoping we'd be able to help them bring stability to Lylat, and we can but the trade off is exposure to a galaxy full of war."

"That's not..." Fox paused a moment. "Reassuring."

"No, it isn't." Jack told Fox. "I wouldn't worry too much about Species Alliance, we need to concentrate on local problems now."

"Alright." Fox replied as Jack opened the door to Fara's room. Fara was sitting on the bed with her hands in her lap and her head down, she continued staring at the floor when Fox and Jack entered the room.

"Are you alright Fara?" Fox asked.

"They can't get it off." Fara replied softly. "It'll kill me."

"What?" Jack said.

"I said they can't get it off, it will KILL me." Fara repeated, the anger bubbling up in her voice.

"So how did the others get their headpieces removed?" Fox asked.

"I don't know. We'll never know, the man responsible for removing these things is DEAD." Fara said while turning her head to face Jack.

"Maybe the others didn't survive the process." Jack told Fara. "That's why they stopped removing them."

"There's no way to know now."

"Fara, we've got all the data from Dr. Waytus' computers. That includes his personal logs and journals, if there's a way to remove that thing and he knew it, we will to. Give our people some time."

"The woman who examined me, Dr. Harrington I think it was, said the pins used to anchor the headpiece to my skull are in too deep and removing could damage my brain or possibly contaminate or release the fluid surrounding it. She said there's nothing they can do, they can't even cut it off. I'm stuck with this."

"I'm sorry Fara, Dr. Harrington is one of the best we have. I've worked with her for years, if she says there's no way, I wouldn't seek a second opinion."

"I know, I'm sorry for yelling at you." Fara said. "How did the meeting with the Admiral go?"

"Not good." Fox began. "They're really worked up about that carrier the CDF is building, to the point they're thinking about destroying it before it's complete."

"The carrier is using stolen technology." Jack said. "At the very least, we need to know how the Cornerians got it and the answers are going to be on that ship in the design of the portal generator."

"So why not wait and see what they intend to do with the ship?" Fara asked. "Won't attacking that ship ruin the relationship between our people and yours?"

"I'm sure it will. If you were responsible for every life on Io station and knew it was at risk, would you eliminate the threat, or wait until the station is attacked?"

"I don't know." Fara said. "I can't answer that."

"Jack, when are we going back to Io station?" Fox asked.

"We could hop a supply ship and go there anytime. Is that where you left the Prospect?"

"Yes." Fox replied. "We need to get back to the ship and plot a course for Thorin, wherever it is."

"You can't just plot a course and go there." Jack said. "Thorin isn't on the standard navigation charts."

"Then we'll find a ship that's going there and follow it."

"Thorin is a in war zone Fox, no one goes there."

"If that's where Krystal is, we're going."

"Not with my ship you're not."

"You gave me command of the ship, remember? You're supposed to be healing up and staying out of combat. So we're going to Thorin as soon as possible and you're going to take us there."

"Staying out of combat means not taking my ship to a planet that's been locked in a global firefight for the last three decades. They stopped sending CSUs to clean up that hole of a planet because none of them ever came back. You can get upset at me if you want, but I'm telling you we're not going, it's suicide."

"I think we should go." Fara's calm voice broke the tension between Fox and Jack. "We could use the extra pilot, and we still don't know how the CDF got a hold of your portal technology. If we find Krystal, she may have answers, and maybe enough information to link Wolf and Interstellar Iridium to the stolen technology on Saruzin. We could take that to the Admiral and the CDF and maybe get everyone to back down."

"We could get that information from Wolf too, it would be much less risky, trust me."

"We don't leave our own behind. Isn't that one of the rules your people go by? Well, like it or not, Krystal is one of us. She was part of this group, and since we know where she is, we're obligated to try and recover her, right?" Jack looked at Fara in disbelief, then back to Fox who looked equally shocked.

"Fara?" Fox stood there stunned. "You really want to go after Krystal?"

"No, I still don't trust her." Fara said shaking her head. "But I can't go to the CDF without proof, so I need her. I think you need her too Fox."

"I'm sorry Fara." Fox put his head down as he spoke. "I didn't think I'd see her again."

"It doesn't matter now Fox, all that matters is stopping the HSF from attacking Lylat."

"So Jack, take us to Thorin." Fox said.

"No." Jack replied. "I can't."

"I'm not giving you an option." Fox yelled. "I'm in charge until you're healed and that was an order."

"I can't take Cornerians out of this region until your people agree to be part of the HSF. We have rules that go beyond your command."

"Then why could you take us to Dust?" Fox asked. "That wasn't anywhere near Lylat."

"True, but it was in the Prospect's navigation computer, Thorin is not. Besides, we were on a mission that required us to follow the orders of Interstellar Iridium, breaking the rules was necessary."

"That is such..."

"I don't make the rules Fox. I can't take the Prospect to Thorin, only ships with the navigation point in their charts can go there. It's not a place the HSF wants people visiting, and since you're Cornerians, no ship is going to take you beyond the quarantine line."

"What if we weren't Cornerians?" Fox asked. "Could a Cerinian go?"

"We're helping to rebuild their planet, technically they're part of the HSF until their leadership says otherwise. The Cerinian population is documented, even if you looked the part you can't just create two people that didn't exist before."

"I bet Norman could." Fara said. "Or at least make everything look legitimate enough to fool whatever ship we're trying to board."

"Norman." Jack thought a moment. "He was the one who attached the transmitter to your headpiece, wasn't he?"

"Yes." Fara replied. "He helped get Fox and I into that facility on MacBeth."

"That looked like his handiwork."

"You know Norman?" Fara asked.

"Of all the people I've encountered in my life, I've known Norman the longest. He is the most skilled and resourceful CSU we've ever had. If it wasn't for his current condition, I would have never met either of you, he would have been the one who contacted you."

"I'm glad it was you." Fara said with a smile. "I..."

"Let's go back to Io station and find Norman." Fox interrupted. "If this place is as dangerous as you say it is, Krystal's in trouble."

Fox walked out of the room, leaving Fara and Jack behind. He could be heard down the corridor asking a crewman when the next supply ship was departing for Io station. Jack began to walk out of the room to follow, he paused at the doorway.

"You okay with all of this?" Jack asked Fara.

"With Fox?" She replied. "Or my headpiece?"

"Both."

"We weren't very close. As for this thing." Fara tapped her finger on her headpiece. "I've gotten used to it, but I'd be lying if I said I was happy about either situation. What about you?"

"My back is sore and I have a limp from a stiff left leg that's still healing."

"I mean are you okay with what happened to Miri?"

"There was nothing I could do." Jack paused a moment and stepped back into the room. "I try to do the right thing, try to help people when I can. When things turn out like this, I start to wonder if it's worth the trouble. I am not okay with it, but I am accepting it."

"It sounds like we both need a shoulder to cry on for awhile." Fara stood up and walked toward Jack as Fox burst into the room.

"There's a ship leaving for Io station in a few minutes." Fox said. "We need to hurry or we'll miss it." Fox rushed out of the room with Fara and Jack following behind, they boarded the shuttle bound for Io station and sat down in the ship's tiny passenger compartment. There were about twenty people in the passenger compartment, mostly human and all in uniform, they stayed silent while the shuttle undocked and began its journey. Jack had drifted off to sleep with his hand holding his head upright, Fara sat between Fox and Jack and tried to do the same but Fox's constant movement made relaxing impossible.

"Would you stop that?" She scolded.

"It's too cramped in here." Fox replied. "When is this trip over?"

"Hopping around in your seat isn't going to get us there any faster."

"I'm worried, we need to find Krystal."

"You don't even know where you're going Fox and...well, you should be prepared if things don't work out the way you want them to."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean... if she's... Jack said that's a very dangerous planet and things could happen, like with Miri."

"No, Krystal's too smart for that." Fox looked at Fara and settled down in his seat, then sat silently for the remaining part of the trip. Once on Io station, Fox and Fara led Jack to the hangar where they had met Miyu and Norman who were busy as ever shuttling cargo from one ship to the other.

"Fara!" Miyu yelled, waving from a nearby catwalk. She dashed down the stairs to the hangar floor and ran over to greet the trio. "Looks like you found whoever it was you were after."

"Yes we did, thanks to Norman." Fara replied. "We need his help again, do you know where he is?"

"Norm? Yeah, he's around here somewhere." Miyu looked around the hangar. "You'd think a guy as big as he is would be easy to spot, but he can disappear for hours at a time. If I tried tracking him down every time he disappears, I'd never get any work done."

"He's behind that stack of crates to the left of conveyor." Fox said. "Look at the shadow on the floor."

"You can see out that far?" Miyu said in disbelief.

"Yeah." Fox replied.

"You wanna see me sometime?" Miyu asked with wink and a smile. "You won't have to look so far."

"Maybe later." Fox said. Miyu looked at Fox with a stunned expression before turning and breaking into a run toward the crates. She disappeared from sight, emerging a few moments later with Norman walking behind her.

"Glad to see you again Fox and Fara." Norman said. "I see you managed to get Jack out of trouble."

"It wasn't easy." Fox replied. "We almost lost a transport full of people."

"I know, I heard over the shipnet that someone had jumped out of Lylat with a Cornerian transport full of prisoners. It didn't take long to find out who that was. You were piloting the transport weren't you Fara?"

"Yes I was."

"You really made a name for yourself, that ship was one good hit away from coming apart and you just kept going. That took guts."

"Thank you Norman."

"Please, it's Norm. Good to see you too Jack, we've been keeping your ship docked and ready."

"Thanks Norm. It's good to see you too Norm, how are things?"

"We're understaffed as usual and I'm hearing rumors of a Cornerian weapon in the works that can knock this station to pieces. Other than that, I can't complain. If you don't mind me asking, what happened on MacBeth?"

"Some Cornerian scientist was taking replacement limbs off Cornerians returning to Lylat in an attempt to reverse engineer our technology, and they did some things to me I really don't want to talk about."

"They were taking limbs?" Miyu asked.

"Yes." Jack said. "We rescued a bunch of Cornerians while we were there, I doubt they'll want to go back to Lylat now."

"Guess I better stay away too." Miyu said as she pulled up the legs on her coveralls to reveal two artificial legs. "The left one goes all the way up and the right one stops at the knee. I lost them both during the first Lylat war, I was too young to remember what happened."

"So how did you get out here?" Fara asked.

"Mom and Dad brought me, Dad read something about building a better life in the space beyond Lylat and volunteered us to go. I grew up on a human ship while this station was still being built. I don't know much about life on Corneria, but I can tell you anything you want to know about a Washington class battlecruiser and the history of the HSF. I've spent my whole life out here, other than the extra hair and pointy ears, I'd say I'm as human as Norman here."

"Really?" Fara said with a smile.

"We need to get to Thorin." Fox interrupted. "Norman, I need you to help Fara and I get out of here and onto a ship bound for a planet called Thorin."

"I don't think you know what you're asking for." Norman said, dumbfounded. "Why in the name of the homeworld would you want to go there?"

"Someone very close to me was taken there. I need to get her back."

"Her? Son, there's plenty of fish in the sea and well... I've never met a fish worth dying for."

"This one is, it's my fault she's there. Will you help us or not?" Fox asked. "We've got a plan to disguise ourselves as Cerinians so we can leave the region and get on a ship to Thorin."

"I can get you on a ship, if that's what you want to do. Getting onto the planet is another matter entirely."

"We can go as a recovery team." Jack said. "It shouldn't be a problem to get down there.

"You really want to go back there?" Norman looked at Jack with a puzzled expression.

"No, but this person might have information on the Cornerian's weapon and that's enough for me to go after her."

"Alright." Norman said as he typed on a datapad briefly before handing it to Jack. "Here, take this to deck 12, office 684 and ask for Hubert, he'll get you booked. Once you're done come back and see me so we can get you the appropriate gear for the surface."

"Will do." Jack replied before walking out of the hangar.