Chapter 2: Trusted Associate

Entering Saijivo's atmosphere, Fox followed the marker indicated on his HUD, descending through the stratosphere until his Arwing soared above a seemingly endless sea of fine sand. The sun descended in the sky, painting the vast desert a haunting shade of blood orange. Far in the distance, a cluster of skyscrapers appeared, along with many smaller buildings surrounding them. As his Arwing neared the city, the desert below gradually gave way to an arid forest comprised mostly of sparsely positioned giant evergreens. The forest coexisted with a vast network of orange, rocky canyons that offered a breathtaking view as the fading sunlight cascaded across the rocks.

As the light of day waned, the massive light pollution from the city became evident. This was Yaruit, the planetary capital and central trade hub of Saijivo. Outside the city, the sinking sun cast its rays across an enormous lake that flanked the city and gave unfamiliar visitors a quick explanation for its location.

His navigation arrow pointed him southwest of the metropolis, towards an opulent resort built around a sail-shaped building, which in and of itself was surrounded by an almost cartoonishly lush garden. The resort stood close to the lake and featured its own beach access. Even without being told where to go, Fox felt like he could have figured it out on his own.

Having disarmed his Arwing's weapons prior to entering the planet's atmosphere, he reduced his speed and lowered altitude. As he neared the resort, the city's air controller contacted him, instructing him on where to land. Following the prompts, Fox identified an outdoor parking lot, which instead of motorized vehicles, was filled with small to medium sized air and spacecrafts. One open spot presented itself, and Fox decided to claim it instead of second guessing whether he had any right to land in the resort's parking lot. Part of him still wondered if the whole "free vacation" thing was a ruse, and he halfway expected to walk into the resort and be laughed out after claiming that he had a reservation.

Regardless, he brought the Arwing down next to a delta-winged black and red space fighter with two large rear engines. Virtually all the other crafts in the parking lot looked like civilian vehicles, which caused the adjacent craft to stand out. He scanned the fighter's shell, taking note of its condition—clean, but nowhere near pristine.

"This thing has seen some action."

He noticed a series of tally marks near the fighter's pointed nose, and out of curiosity, counted them until he reached 39. He nodded in approval. Despite him having a vastly higher kill count, he knew that the special circumstances of the Great Lylat War would mean that most other pilots could never hope to match him based on numbers alone.

He had a feeling that this fighter belonged to Felix's "associate," whoever that was. He felt the guess was safe since it was the only other combat vehicle within eyesight. Assuming this, he felt a sudden burst of confidence about his supposed contract being legitimate, as strange and vague as its premise seemed.

Securing his Arwing, Fox fished his luggage out of the craft's cargo bay and carried it toward's the resort's glass-fronted entry doors. He stepped inside with some trepidation, although the few visible guests inside the lobby seemed to be dressed just as casually as he was. The lobby itself was not enormous, but made the most of its modest space by covering every countertop with pristine marble, every wall with textured wood, and each piece of furniture with the most finely sourced leather and stitching.

Still uneasy about his own presence inside the resort, he approached the counter and the hyena lady behind it. She wore a simple black polo shirt and beige jeans, reflecting a relaxed, upscale, but not overly casual vibe that seemed to apply to the rest of the resort.

"Can I help you with something?"

Trying to project certainty and confidence, Fox replied, "I'm here to check in. Fox McCloud." He reached into his pocket and produced his ID. He wondered if the guest system would have problems with his out-of-system status, but to his surprise, the resort hand glanced at his ID, nodded, and opened a drawer full of room key cards.

"You're in…oh wow…room 68 on the third floor. You're going to love that one. Room service is complementary, but tips are appreciated. The beach is open at all hours, but the garden is closed from 8:00PM to 8:00AM. We serve breakfast every morning from 6:00AM until 9:00. Enjoy your stay, Mr. McCloud."

Surprised at the simplicity of the check-in process, Fox claimed his keycard and located the nearest elevator. Like the lobby, stone and wood surfaces dominated the construction, while textured, rectangular lighting fixtures hung from the ceilings and walls. He rode the elevator to the third floor and waited for the doors to open. After a momentary pause, he stepped out and turned left. He moved to exit the antechamber that housed the elevators and a vending machine, but as he did, he noticed a tall vixen with bright red fur and a light cream neck/chest coloration leaning against the wall nearby. The instant he stepped out of the elevator, she locked eyes with him.

Fox paused for a moment and took in her appearance. Contrasting her short-trimmed fur, she wore a black v-neck shirt unbuttoned enough to reveal a swimsuit top underneath, along with light gray short shorts. However, her outfit stood out less to Fox than her physique did. He took quick inventory of her height—two inches greater than his—her shapely hips, ample bust, long black hair, deep blue eyes, and large, fluffy tail; but also noticed a level of muscle tone in her arms and legs that suggested an aggressive, practical fitness regime.

"Hey, my eyes are up here," she said with a dry smirk.

Fox's eyes went wide. "Oh—sorry!"

The vixen retained her grin and moved towards him. "Fox McCloud, I presume."

Fox felt a sudden, uneasy sense of surprise, but her calling him out suggested that she may have been the person he needed to meet. "I am. And you…?"

"Scarlet Rotfell," she replied. "I'm the one who asked for your help."

"So you're Felix's 'associate,' then."

Scarlet laughed. "Aww, that's what he called me? That's so cute. It's just like him to do that. He doesn't know how to turn off his whole 'I'm so professional' persona." She highlighted "I'm so professional" with air quotes.

Fox crossed his arms. "Well then, since you're apparently behind this, what's the deal here? Why did you and Felix go through all this effort to get me to leave Lylat and come all the way out here? More importantly, what do you need from me?"

Scarlet's playful demeanor vanished, replaced by steely focus. "That's not a discussion we should be having in front of a CCTV camera that probably has an audio recorder." She motioned towards a tiny circular camera in the corner of the elevator antechamber.

"Understood," Fox nodded.

"We can discuss this in your room, my room, or on the beach if you want. Or we could talk about it over dinner. I haven't eaten yet."

Fox looked at his stomach for a split second and recalled the cheap orbital station fast food he had eaten less than an hour ago. "I already ate."

"Well that sucks," Scarlet replied. She tilted her head slightly and smiled. "But there's always dessert. Tell you what, while you check out your room, I'll get room service to bring up some food. Once you're settled, why don't you come over to my room where we can discuss everything in private?" She looked into Fox's eyes and noticed a degree of hesitancy, prompting her to change her tone to a more serious one. Placing her hands on her hips, she added, "Look, if that makes you feel weird, we can talk somewhere else. But one of our rooms actually is a good place for this."

"Fair enough," Fox sighed. "Give me a few minutes. What room are you in?"

"The one next to yours," Scarlet replied with a smirk before adding, "Yeah, I know. 69. It's a good thing there aren't any black lights in the rooms."

Fox smirked. "You didn't request that one, did you?"

Scarlet's eyebrows rose. "Bold of you to assume that—but yeah, I did."

"I don't know what that says about you, and I'm not going to ask," said Fox, subtly shaking his head. "I'll be over in a few minutes."

Walking past Scarlet, he stepped into the hallway outside the antechamber and followed the room numbers until he reached number 68. Sliding his key card into the door, he turned the door handle and opened it. The instant he stepped inside, he dropped his duffel bag and stared in awe of the space in front of him. Instead of a traditional hotel room, his designated space consisted of a wide, open space with an alcove for a bed on the left side, a sizeable, opulent bathroom on the right, and a modest sized rectangular swimming pool in the center. The pool extended past the boundaries of the room and out to the edge of the balcony. He did not see a partition for the balcony at first, but he noticed the slight shimmer of a force field that functioned as a defense against the hot air outside. In the gap between the pool and the front wall with the entry door stood a small but luxurious dining table.

Fox paced the room, stunned at the absurd level of opulence. Sure, he had to pay to travel out of the Lylat System, but being offered a stay here free of charge still boggled his mind and renewed his nagging concern that some unseen, previously unmentioned catch was about to present itself. Wanting to give himself a few minutes before he ventured over to the room next door, he took off his vest and draped it over one of the dining chairs, then walked out to the balcony and stared out over the vast, crystal blue lake that fronted the resort. A small number of guests milled about on the private beach below, while a few more occupied the outdoor patio directly beneath the balcony.

To the west, he saw the city of Yaruit, glistening with neon lights as the sun fell below the horizon. The sound of the lake created a subtle aural backdrop, along with the cries of seagulls. Due to the relative isolation of the resort and the relatively small number of guests, few other noises demanded his attention.

After a minute spent taking in his surroundings, Fox reentered his suite and opened the door to the hallway outside. He noted that the doors with numbers close to his were positioned much farther apart than normal, suggesting the most of the rooms lacked the extreme level of luxury that his—and presumably Scarlet's—did. Upon reaching room 69, he knocked at the door and collected himself. If he was honest with himself, he was not sure what to expect, both with regard to his job proposal and the woman already assigned to it.

Seconds later, Scarlet opened the door. Fox stepped inside with an air of caution and took a quick note of her suite, which looked identical to his, with stone floors, bamboo trim walls, rectangular light fixtures, and the same floor layout.

"Quite something, isn't it?" Scarlet quipped, closing the door behind Fox.

"I don't even want to know how much it cost to book this room," Fox replied.

The red vixen chuckled. "No, you definitely don't. Part of the deal for me traveling all the way out to this dustball was that I got one of the suites here. Felix wasn't excited about it, but I sure as hell am."

"About him," said Fox, moving towards the dining table and pulling out a chair, "What's your connection to him, and what can I expect if I take this job?"

Scarlet took the hint and dropped into the chair across the table from Fox. She steepled her fingers for a moment, and after looking towards the bathroom side wall for a moment, stared Fox in the eyes. "Felix is my boss, more or less. I get most of my jobs for him. He always saves the good ones for me, anyway."

Fox returned Scarlet's gaze. "How did you end up with that arrangement?"

A look of subtle discomfort flitted across Scarlet's features. "Well, to be honest, he's my ex. We're still good friends, and that's why he gives me a lot of work. But yeah, that's the quick backstory with him."

"I see."

A knock at the door brought a quick pause to the conversation. Upon hearing it, Scarlet stood up and jogged towards the door. "Room service."

Seconds later, Scarlet returned to the table, carrying a metal tray with a large plate of fish medallions and a bottle of spiced rum. Placing the tray between her and Fox, she reclaimed her spot at the table and pointed at the seafood morsels. "There are a few of those with your name on them, if you want."

Despite having already eaten, Fox reached out and claimed one of the medallions. "Thanks."

"No problem," replied Scarlet. She opened the bottle of rum and poured herself a small glass. "Same goes for the drink. Have at it if you want. Just save some for me."

Fox curled the corner of his mouth. "I think you're safe on that one."

"Not your thing, huh? I get it. It's not for everyone." She took a sip and placed the glass back on the table. "So, enough screwing around. Let me explain why you're here, and what I need your help with."

Fox motioned for her to continue, which she did.

"I'm not sure how much you care about the background since it doesn't concern you—or me, for that matter—but Felix sent me out here because his spies have identified a weapons development center in the canyons outside the city here. Are you familiar with Asgard Industries?"

"I'm afraid not," Fox replied.

"I'm not surprised, and that's okay," said Scarlet. "Basically, they're Felix's main rivals. Skallis is home to two military mega-corporations—the Gaia Corporation and Asgard Industries. Felix runs Gaia, and Asgard is owned by a reclusive sonofabitch who goes by the name Antoine Carache. What Felix wants from me out here on Saijivo is for me to somehow get into Asgard's research facility and figure out what they're trying to hide. The intel so far suggests it's something big."

Fox nodded in interest. "Interesting. But why do you want my help? What makes you think this is even the right kind of job for me?"

A faint blush appeared on Scarlet's cheeks, but she repressed it enough that Fox only noticed it for a fraction of a second. "I've heard a lot about you, Fox. You might not think people outside the Lylat System know about you, but you'd be surprised. Your record speaks for itself. I've wanted to see if the legend was true, and I finally had an opportunity to find out with this contract."

Fox sighed and softened his expression. "I don't really know how to respond to that. I was just doing whatever it took to stop Andross. I wasn't thinking about anything else at the time. I didn't set out to be a hero—it also doesn't pay as well as you'd think."

A quiet laugh escaped Scarlet's lips. "Trust me, I already knew that. If you're stuck in that Lawful Good rut, you'll never make it as a merc. It's a dark, ugly industry where you can't count on anyone to have your back."

Fox kept his eyes on Scarlet, but internally, he pondered the validity and viability of his own career choice. "She's not wrong. There's no shortage of shady work out there, and there's plenty of money in it. Is this my cue to turn down this offer and call it quits? It's not like General Pepper is going to start calling me up out of the blue and offering me huge contracts again. That ship has sailed."

Noticing his momentary silence, Scarlet tilted her head slightly and asked, "What's the matter, Fox?"

Fox responded with a question of his own. "Why are you in this industry?"

"That's an easy one," the vixen replied, claiming one of the fish medallions from the tray in front of her. "For me, it's not about the money, or the notoriety—although I do have both. But when it comes down to it, I do it for the thrill. I can't live a normal life." She took a moment to eat her food before adding, "I know I'm probably going to die young, but I don't care. I'd rather go out at the top of my game than wither away after supposedly earning the right to enjoy my life. I live fast and I won't apologize for it."

"So, do you not fear death?"

Scarlet took another sip of rum. "Oh, I do. I'm terrified of dying. But when you're scared shitless and you tell those fears to fuck off, that's a rush you never get tired of. I live for that."

"So you're just here for a good time," Fox observed.

"Hell yeah. Are you in?"

The question caught Fox off guard for a moment. Scratching the back of his neck, he asked, "Can you give me a bit to think about it?"

The vixen glared at him with a flat, dismissive expression that hinted at displeasure. "That indecision gets you killed, you know. Just go with your gut. Tell me what you want to do—not what you think you should do. It's a new solar system for you. You don't have to measure up to anyone's expectations. Just do what you want to do. You can say no and enjoy the rest of your free vacation, then go back to whatever you were doing before you came here. Or, you can say yes, and no matter what happens, I guarantee it won't be boring."

Fox exhaled and stared at the remaining fish medallions. Then, he looked straight into Scarlet's blue eyes. "I'm in. What's next?"

Scarlet smiled. "We can talk about it now, or I can fill you in on it in the morning. We need to get moving tomorrow night. To be honest, though, I'm not really in the mood for mission prep right now."

"I'd at least like to know what the basic plan is," Fox grumbled. "I'll sleep better and be in a better frame of mind for the mission if you're willing to give me a bit more information."

Scarlet snatched up another fish medallion and thought for a moment while eating it. "I guess I can mix business with pleasure. I'll be right back."

While Fox leaned back in his chair and thought about what he had signed up for, Scarlet disappeared into the bathroom on the far right end of the suite. A minute later, she opened the door and stepped out wearing the scant red bikini that Fox noticed under her clothes earlier. While he stared at her, she dug through her luggage near the bathroom door and extracted a folder. Removing a few select sheets of paper and putting them back in her briefcase, she checked the folder's contents before closing it and walking over to Fox. She slapped the folder on the table in front of him and said, "Here you go—this has almost everything you need to know. If you've got any questions, I'll be in the pool."

She turned around and stepped into the water. As it reached her waist, she looked over her shoulder and added, "Don't take those papers out of this room. I didn't even feel comfortable bringing them up here."

Fox nodded, and despite the difficulty in pulling his eyes away from his new "teammate" while she casually swam in the pool, Fox forced his eyes downwards, towards the info surrounding the upcoming job. To his dismay, few concrete details other than the latitude, longitude, and terrain type presented themselves. The files contained a number of distant pictures of the facility. From what he could tell, the facility belonged to a group of buildings in a remote industrial area twenty or so miles outside the Yaruit city perimeter. Only the largest of the buildings belonged to Asgard Industries, if the file was to be believed. Perusing the information more closely, Fox noted that two roads serviced the industrial area, one approaching it through a series of canyons and the other departing through an arid plain. He assumed that the canyon road would play into his approach to the base somehow.

Flipping to the final page, Fox noticed a picture describing Antoine Carache, the owner of Asgard Industries whom Scarlet mentioned. A middle-aged gray fox, the businessman possessed a normal physique and wore no glasses, although something about his muzzle attracted Fox's attention. It seemed slightly shorter and more cat-like than what would have been expected from his species.

"Maybe they're different in this system?"

Putting the piece of paper off to the side and stealing a quick glance at Scarlet—who noticed and winked at him in return—he blushed and focused on the next paper on the docket. It was nothing more than a receipt, but the details listed on it indicated that Scarlet had rented a vehicle for the next three days. The make and model did not ring any bells for him, but given he had only been in the Ichtosian System for a matter of hours, this was to be expected. He thought about asking Scarlet for more details, but he already knew she had little interest in discussing the mission details at the moment and would be more than capable of explaining the job tomorrow.

Not noticing any other details in the dossier that interested him, he pushed his chair backwards and stood up. He walked towards the door, then turned towards Scarlet and suggested, "I guess you'll fill me in on the rest of it tomorrow?"

Scarlet returned his attention and replied, "We can talk about it over breakfast. I'll be down there around the time they open up. I'll give you the timeline for when we need to meet up tomorrow night." After a brief pause, Scarlet's ears poked up a bit higher than normal. "Oh, I just remembered— we need to sync our contact info. Hang on just a second. I want to take care of that before you go."

The vixen stepped out of the pool via the front steps while Fox tried to make it a bit less obvious that he had been deprived of an interaction with someone of her heat index for an uncomfortably long time. Of course, this failed. While Scarlet turned her back to him and grabbed her phone off the table, Fox noticed a small, white, heart-shaped branding on her right buttocks.

Scarlet held her phone in front of her with both hands, prompting Fox to take the hint and pull his own device out of his pocket. Having done this sort of thing before, he navigated through several menus in his settings pane and activated his phone's code share feature. Scarlet did the same, prompting a pair of messages to appear on both mercenaries' devices, asking if they wished to add each other to their respective contact lists.

With Fox's contact info stored in her communicator and vice versa, Scarlet looked at Fox and smiled. "You know, I never thought I'd have you in my contacts list." When Fox blushed, she added, "Call or message me whenever you want. If you get bored or lonely, I can help with that."

Fox kept mum, although internally, he wondered to himself what exactly she had in mind. Trying to avoid betraying any noticeable emotions, he replied, "Thanks, I'll keep it in mind. I'll see you tomorrow at breakfast, I guess."

"Yeah, sure thing," said Scarlet.

Turning around, Fox walked to the door and turned the latch. However, before stepping out, he looked over his shoulder and looked at his new acquaintance only to find that her eyes had never left him. As she had already done, she winked at him. Cheeks rapidly turning red, he pulled the door fully open, stepped out of Scarlet's room, and walked back to the door belonging to his own room.

Sliding his key card through the door's card reader, he entered room 68 and leaned backwards to close the door behind him. Noticing that his breath and heart rate were both elevated, he took a deep breath to collect himself and used his solitude to think about his situation, and more specifically his new partner in crime.

"She's interesting, I'll give her that. I didn't think I'd have fans like her outside Lylat, either."

As much as he liked her demeanor and her attitude, a few elements of her persona threw up flags redder than her own fur. For the time being, he made a mental note to himself to keep his trust of her to a minimum. Her own suggestions tantalized him, and after years spent on the Great Fox with only his teammates to keep him company, he more than halfway considered taking her up on her offers for…whatever she meant when she said she was willing to help if he became bored or lonely—both of which applied at the moment.

He shook his head. "It's almost always a bad idea to get personally or intimately involved with people you work with. I need to get past this mission first." Looking at the distant balcony at the back of his room, he finished his thought. "But after that, I'll consider it."