Notes: Holy cow, I wasn't prepared for this much feedback. It's been a long weekend and my mind is mush, so it'll take me a little while to properly respond to folks. I'm starting to get caught up here, but there are a few more chapters in the works. Until then, I'm going to try to get them pushed out at a rate of one every few days or so.

Chapter 14: Shattered Perceptions

I never really remembered my dreams that often. Last night had been the first time in a while that I actually did. I knew I had vague, recurring dreams every so often; figments of a world I only subconsciously occupied. This night was not much different, though as I started climbing back to the waking world I felt a comforting yet unfamiliar feeling of being enveloped in incredibly soft warmth. The second realization was that I was completely naked and enveloped in that warmth, which got my attention.

The next immediate sensation was a gentle, warm sensation playing on my neck in addition to the enveloping warmth; a stirring which started to include an equally soft sensation playing across my chest. Blearily I started to open my eyes; noticing the slate gray of the predawn light coming from the viewport across the room.

The source of the soft warmth was also immediately apparent. Krystal was cuddled into my right side; her freed right hand tracing a random pattern on my side while her other was wrapped around my shoulders. Her head was resting on my shoulder; muzzle tucked into my neck. I started to realize that the sensations I was feeling were her lips and tongue brushing against me. Was she trying to wake me up?

I placed my hand on hers; smiling at her as she pulled away to glance up at me. "Did you sleep well, hon?" I inquired; not really sure what else to say. My memories of last night were still fuzzy with the haze of sleep, yet not fuzzy enough to obscure the boundaries we had crossed and the intimacy we had shared.

"I did, my che." A smile also tugged the corners of her lips as she let the covers cascade off her body a little bit; exposing more of her beautiful cerulean and alabaster fur to my sight. Her fingers laced with mine. "Did you?"

I nodded at her, the hand which rested on her back beginning to trail through that luxuriant fur; I couldn't get enough of that sensation and by the happy sigh she made the feeling was definitely mutual. "I'll admit it's a bit strange getting used to sleeping next to someone again, but something tells me I'll get plenty of practice from here on out." I winked; grasping her hand a bit tighter.

"I would like that." A soft look touched her vulpine features as she leaned in to place a quick peck on my lips. "I have thoroughly enjoyed this, though once we return to Thorntail Hollow we probably won't find the opportunity to be intimate again for a little while."

"Yeah, that might prove to be a bit difficult." The mental image of Tricky walking in on us popped in my head; something I wanted to avoid at all costs. "So much for going slow, right?"

She settled her head back on my shoulder and clung a bit more tightly. "I don't sense many complaints from you, dearheart." I felt her gently nuzzle against my neck. "To that end I don't have many complaints, either."

"Well, something something strange bedfellows?" I quipped, earning a giggle from her. Changing gears I glanced to the ceiling. "We should get cleaned up and dressed before too long. That data transfer's probably done and we need to take a look at it."

Krystal nodded, her lips gently kissing my cheek before she sat up; the comforter cascading off her body to reveal her bare and stunningly gorgeous figure. "I think we should consider a shower first." An impish grin tugged at her lips as she grasped my hand in one of hers while tossing the comforter away from us. "However, this time I will insist you join me."

I idly noted the lack of fog on the mirror above the sink as I finished shaving; concentrating on that rather than the… distracting reflection of the vixen behind me finishing up the drying cycle of her fur. Temptation had won out after we made our way to the shower cubicle; about as much time spent indulging in that temptation as we did actually bathing. The quip I made last night about her being insatiable wasn't too far off the mark; a wistful smile tugging at me as I glanced in the mirror.

The mark on my neck was still tender; the four neat, circular punctures where she had bitten me last night weren't overtly painful but I could tell it would be there for several days at least if not scar over. At the same time I didn't mind it too much; probably a combination of the afterglow mixed with a comforting presence which I hadn't felt in years. I hadn't sought her out with this in mind, though I was still surprised with how things had turned out. I was still a little concerned that part of it was due to a combination of loneliness on our parts, hidden or otherwise, and an emotional state partly driven by my vulpine lover's biology.

Regardless she seemed to be into me and I had to say I felt the same; I didn't know when the emotional investment started but it was plainly there. Hers was a tale of loss and abandonment; even if I turned out to be an emotional stepping stone for her to regain the sense of self she had lost due to her mind being screwed with, I would probably understand. For now, I had to be flexible and let things happen as they would.

As I finished touching up with the electric razor I felt her arms wind around my waist; her damp yet still soft fur carrying the floral scent of the shampoo she used to my attention. It didn't quite hide the cinnamon-clove touch of her natural scent entirely, but nicely accented it. I felt the soft resistance of her breasts against my back as her muzzle tucked into my shoulder. "You smell good, che."

"So do you, foxy." I grinned at her reflection. It felt oddly natural, despite the difference in our species and the weird situation in which we found ourselves. "However, I think it's wise that we get dressed; I don't think we need to tempt each other into a second round and undo all our hard work." I smirked as she stuck her tongue out at me. Deep down it felt good to see her in a moment of playfulness; I knew we couldn't revel in it forever but perhaps the break over the past few days had given us the chance to meet the seriousness and sadness of our combined situations with levity and affection.

"Spoilsport." She grinned; reaching towards a compartment that sat next to the sink/vanity area. It was my turn to blink as it revealed her flightsuit; seemingly cleaned from the grime and muck which had been in the well. Tucked underneath it was most of the clothes I had brought with me, besides what still littered the floor from last night. "I figure you'd appreciate a clean set of clothes; at least as long as the filters last." She pointed to a readout that accompanied what I now realized was some sort of laundry machine; whatever it used to clean clothes had about ten percent remaining.

"And I figure it's not going to take Tide pods." I quipped as I handed her the suit; lifting my pair of boxers from the pile to make myself at least slightly decent before grabbing the rest of what I had worn on the mountain. I blinked again as I noticed there wasn't even a trace of blood on the pair of jeans that had been soaked through. Even my jacket had managed to come out relatively unscathed; I thought it had been ruined. "Though, I think that might not be as bad as it sounds."

Krystal laughed as she started dressing; I caught a glimpse of her sliding into a pair of underwear before reaching for the high-tech flightsuit. "I'll take your word for it, che." I opted to combine those jeans with my button-down shirt to stave off the slightly cooler temperatures than I found optimal.

"I'll gather what we made a mess of last night, hon. Go ahead and finish getting ready." I walked out into the main room as she slid into her suit. Gathering our clothes was easy enough, but I hadn't a clue where I had kicked my socks. Frowning, I set the combination of her nightgown and my stuff on the small coffee table next to the couch and started feeling underneath the couch.

I found the offending pair of socks, along with something else. It felt like a thick leather belt; at least I thought so until I wrapped my hand around it and everything went weird. I'm not sure how I can adequately describe the sensation, so bear with me on this. When I was a kid I lost one of my toy cars behind the couch and tried to fish it out. I came across an electrical outlet in the floor just as I had grabbed the errant scale vehicle. I must have curled my fingers around it in a certain way, because I got a pretty good jolt. Not enough to send me to the hospital or even run crying to my mom, but enough that told me sticking my hand in a hot outlet was a pretty bad idea. The object I grasped felt a lot like that; a sharp buzzing, tingling, almost painful sensation shooting up my arm and reaching my head.

The only thing was that I couldn't let go of it. It was like I had been locked into place by it until my head was just filled with the buzzing, pins and needles feeling and emptied of just about everything else. I must've fallen to the floor as all I could see was the floor tiles and the bottom of the couch. I vaguely felt a sense of panic at the back of my mind, but my last conscious thought was that it wasn't mine.

A moment later a comforting, warm, azure presence flooded my mind, bringing me somewhat to my senses. Silken fur gripped my hand and I dimly felt myself being pulled away from the couch. My name was called by a panicked voice, but it felt like it was coming from miles away.

The tingling abruptly stopped and I felt arms wind around me; the cool and soft texture of Krystal's flightsuit pressed against my skin as she picked me up. My senses swam around in a jumbled mess as I was pulled onto the couch; my Cerinian companion's panicked features coming into view. "Gods, are you okay?"

"Wha...whappen?" I slurred out confusedly; focusing my gaze on her emerald eyes as the world started to come back into focus.

"That was a mind collar, Adam." Her voice was equal parts concern and anger as she explained. "They're used to bind highborn Cerinians who have committed crimes; to keep them from using their abilities to harm others." She held what I had grabbed in her other hand, a thick leather collar with a silver buckle, as if it was a venomous snake that she had just killed.

"Whafuck it doinhere?" I was having trouble speaking, but the buzzing sensation scrambling my thoughts started to fade away. It was only then that I realized the warm, azure presence in my head hadn't disappeared; it 'collided' against that buzzing, electrical sensation and seemed to cancel it out. It took a few moments for me to gather my thoughts enough to realize that calming, warm presence was Krystal's doing.

"I… I don't know. Unless it was used on me at some point, but…" she trailed off and set the offending object on the table in front of us. Her hands wrapped around mine; the anger fading from her voice not quite offsetting the tone of concern behind her words. "They aren't meant to be used beyond transporting dangerous highborn criminals between areas set up with suppression jewels. I have heard rumors that if they are worn long enough they can be used to alter someone's mind…"

My head had cleared up to the point that I could just about finish her sentence. It didn't hurt that the lingering warm presence in my head whispered the same thought to me. "…you told me the Krazoa spirit you encountered right before we met did something to clear your head, like you just did for me." She nodded. "I'm not sure why I'm about to say this, but it sounds like this thing may have been used to control you somehow. Is there a way to get rid of it?"

A glint of anger sparked in her eyes and she nodded; wordlessly plucking the collar from its resting place on the table and standing up in one fluid motion. She purposefully strode to the little kitchenette next to the booth; I couldn't see exactly what she was doing but she returned to the couch a moment later. Her explanation was terse as she sat down next to me. "Incinerated."

I nodded at her; shaking off the last of the buzzing sensation. I wasn't prepared for the azure presence to stay, however; it was strange, but as comforting as the arms which wound around me. Almost instinctually I turned to her; drinking in the look of relief and concern in her eyes."I'm glad you were here to get me away from that damn thing, hon."

I was answered by her lips pressing into mine; a soft, brief kiss that served almost as the deathblow to the collar's effects. The warm presence faded somewhat, but remained as a gentle reminder on the edge of my thoughts. "I am too, che. I am very concerned as to why that collar was on board this ship and why I have no memory that it was there."

"I think we need to look at the ship's computer… at least once my head returns to center." I leaned back, sighing into the still, cool air of the living area. "I don't know how many questions it will answer, but the more we know what's going on, the better."

The data transfer had finished a few hours ago. I had been mildly concerned about possible errors or a dialog box requiring user interaction while we were… busy. Thankfully there had been no such delays; the file restoration had happened without issue. I glanced to my vulpine companion as she stood next to me; hand on my shoulder as I started going through archives of surveillance video taken from within the ship.

Growing up with the Internet I was no stranger to shock videos. I had, via links posted by trolls and other such online reprobates, seen some very gruesome material. Terrorist recruitment videos, CCTV footage of murders and defensive shootings, Budd Dwyer's last moments, and other such acts; I had seen some of the worst humanity had to offer. Perhaps I just had a dark, morbid sense of curiosity underneath it all but when I was younger I had wanted to see the world for what it really was, not the sterilized version you saw parroted by talking heads on the nightly news.

I guess you could say that I was disgusted at the acts that people could do to one another. At the same time perhaps I was a hypocrite; how many Sharpclaw had I shot to death in the past day or two? Conversations with friends who had spent time fighting in the giant sandbox played through my head; the reality was that war was hell and I was going to have to go through it. Considering that I was about to look through the logs of a space pirate who had probably taken many innocent lives and was probably in a cold, unmarked grave on Cerinia, I had to temper my expectations.

I started out by looking for logs around the date Krystal's flight occurred then went back a few months. Most of them were pretty mundane, though I did catch the canine pirate who apparently owned the vessel in flagrante delicto with both a male and a female pirate at more than one point. Apparently the cabin we were sharing had bore witness to significantly more than our recent intimacy. We silently agreed to skip through that content; I felt sheepish at being an alien voyeur to someone's private moments, even if they had died long before I knew of their existence.

I almost missed another video after skipping through that; I would have if it hadn't been for an instantaneous flash of cerulean fur and Krystal's pointing it out. "Wait, that's a Cerinian!" I scrubbed backwards to the beginning of the scene.

The pirate stood there, dressed in one of those seemingly ubiquitous flightsuits. In front of him stood a Cerinian male dressed in a pair of loose-fitting pants with what looked like a utility belt and a tunic; he didn't look much older than Krys but I wasn't about to trust my judgment on that. The frame I had paused on showed them deep in conversation.

"Wait." Krystal frowned, giving the image a hard look. "I think that's Tobin Amasth; a liason between the Traders' Alliance and the Temple. He went missing a few months before the attack; the Temple blamed it on a bandit ambush." Her grip on my shoulder tightened a bit. "What is he doing here with a Lylatian pirate?"

"Your guess is as good as mine, hon. I guess we're going to see where this rabbit hole leads." I answered, resuming the video. The pirate's gruff voice carried over the speakers; the pendant she had given me doing a good job of identifying the language as Lylatian and making it sound intelligible.

"So, your high priest wants us to stage a raid on your city?" the pirate sounded incredulous. "Everything we take is our payment, and you will provide us with land to build a starport? Do you realize how suspicious this sounds to us?" Krystal stiffened in her seat but said nothing as the plot started to unravel before us.

The Cerinian answered in the same crisp accent Krystal possessed. "We have our reasons to enter this arrangement, Captain Garafut. As stated, the goal is to weaken the Ireth and Sallas clans. Of course some others must be sacrificed as to not arouse suspicion of the Elders, but High Priest Meran has made it clear that both treasure and slaves will be your reward along with ten square kilometers in the Outlands for you to establish the base you seek to build."

The pirate stood back and crossed his arms, seemingly sizing the lithe Cerinian up. "So your boss wants to make a power play of his own, sounds like. Still, I doubt many of the crews would want the security risk of having a bunch of telepathic and telekinetic slaves on our ships. Unless you've got a way for us to control them, I'm not too keen on the idea of being mind-controlled by one of you."

The Cerinian nodded and withdrew a heavy leather collar from a pouch on his belt, which looked like the one I had a close encounter with earlier. I noticed reluctance in his voice as he explained. "We will provide you with these collars; we use them to control prisoners. I… I have been instructed by High Priest Meran to demonstrate this." I blinked as the fox placed the collar around his own neck and buckled it shut; his voice taking on a distant, dreamy monotone as he continued. "I am well aware of your… tastes, Captain. I have been instructed to offer myself to you; something your thoughts have found intriguing ever since I came aboard your vessel. I am also instructed to tell you that the collar's power is limited and will last only temporarily; the actual collars will come with a more permanent imbuement." The Cerinian walked up to the pirate in halting, mindless steps, falling to his knees before the astonished canine. "High Priest Meran hopes this will be a valuable demonstration of what a Cerinian servant can offer your clients. While the collar is active I am bound to your commands; the activation word is Faloveta." For whatever reason the amulet couldn't translate that last word.

The pirate looked confused for a moment before a predatory grin lit up his muzzle. "So that's why your boss didn't show up in person. He wanted you to raise your tail for me as a sample of the goods. Okay, I'll bite. Faloveta. Show your master for the evening what you are willing to do to please him." Without a hint of hesitation the Cerinian reached up to the zipper on the pirate's flightsuit, tugging it down while looking up to the canine with an empty yet lustful expression. The pirate placed a hand on the back of the fox's head, and that's when I stopped the recording.

"Jesus Christ." I spat, shuddering as I looked over to Krystal. Her expression was hard, yet I noticed the tears brimming in her eyes. I reached over and wrapped an arm around her; a shaky breath shared between us as we started to absorb what had happened.

"That bastard." Krys's voice was laced with shock and anger. "Meran, that absolute bastard. He did this. He brought this upon us. But… why? And, why would I be sent here if he was working with these pirates?" Her expression was as confused and begrieved as the tone of her voice.

"There's a saying where I come from, hon. 'Power corrupts; absolute power corrupts absolutely.'" I sighed and brought her closer; aware that the tip of her tail twitched angrily as her body shook in either rage or grief. I didn't need abilities like hers to understand that this was opening up that old pain. "I can't guess what his intentions were; maybe he wanted even more power and influence and saw your clan and family as an obstacle to that. All I can really do is speculate, Krys. Do you need a break, or want me to watch this for you?"

Her hand found the one I had placed on her hip; gripping it tightly yet not painfully so. The softness of her fur and the warmth of her fingerpads were a welcome tactile distraction. "No. As painful as this is to watch, we need to know all we can about what happened between these pirates and that traitor." She spat the last word with as much venom as she could muster. I simply nodded and scanned forward; another flash of blue fur telling me where to begin playback.

This time the pirate was standing in the living room; the same Cerinian as before kneeling next to him, completely unclothed. I distinctly noticed that the collar around his neck was still fastened; a lead extending from it to the pirate's hand. A pair of Cerinians stood before the two; one of them a male dressed in ornate robes and possessed of a regal, almost disinterested bearing. "Meran…" Krystal hissed under her breath. The other was female, a little taller and more heavily built than Krystal; she wore what looked like black leather armor and handled a staff similar to the one my companion used. A short sword was buckled to her waist and she carried herself with the bearing of an experienced soldier. "Moonkin." She explained. "Elite Guardians in service to the Temple, with allegiance to no Clan. Very dangerous opponents."

"I see you have grown fond of my gift, Captain Garafut. I hope he has taken good care of you over the past three days." The priest waved to the kneeling tod with a grin. "What I did not tell young Tobin was that his collar doesn't have a time limit on its imbuement; that will be his punishment for attempting to inform the Council of our meetings. I give it three weeks before his mind has adapted to his new role and the collar won't be necessary to maintain control of his mind. Enjoy him as you would an obedient silche, Captain." The kneeling fox stiffened but wasn't able to do much more than that; he was at least on some level aware of his fate. This high priest was bad news.

"What a pleasant gift, High Priest Meran." The pirate glanced down to his vulpine servant, running his hand through his hair as if he was petting a dog. "With his particular talents he will make a fine prize. We have agreed on a date for the raid, but Lord Graydale wishes a guarantee that a minimum number of Cerinian slaves with these abilities are captured and brought to him. He will contact you within a few days for the details."

Meran nodded at Garafut; a soft smile tugging at his lips. "As long as you capture sufficient numbers of Ireth and Sallas Clan highborns, you should have a steady supply. From the other clans I want minimal casualties and no captures, but feel free to prey on Ireth and Sallas to your hearts' content. Tell your Lord that I have reviewed the site choices he made and will have a final decision when we speak next." I paused the feed. This was evidence of Meran colluding with the pirates, and this Lord Graydale character was even higher up the food chain than the pirate whose ship we were in. The plot had thickened. I glanced up at Krystal; her eyes boring into the holographic display with a fierce intensity.

"He is willing to sell my people as chattel, che." There was an edge to her voice which made me glad I wasn't the focus of her anger. "Like that unfortunate tod over there. I…" She broke off for a moment as a concerned look washed over her vulpine features. "Was I destined for such a fate?"

I took a deep breath; reaching a decision that was easily made. "I'm not going to let that happen to you, hon. Even if I have to find this motherfucker and gun him down myself." I laced my fingers with hers; feeling my Cerinian lover move closer to me in response.

I kept a close eye on the video feeds as I sped up, but other than the unfortunate Cerinian who had become the pirate's personal slave I didn't see much until he was ushered off the ship and a group of pirates took up residence. They were the ones who had set up the bunks and weapon racks downstairs; the ship became a hive of activity after that. That seemed to only last a few weeks until they geared up for battle and left; the ship became silent after that. Looking at the timestamps the ship remained dormant for a little over a week; the activity resumed with two Cerinians wearing that leather armor started to load the ship with the same supply barrels that were in the hold. I arched an eyebrow as that happened. "This must be after this ship reached Cerinia." I mused, slowing the scrub rate down. Something didn't sit right with me. It took Krystal a year to get here; it seemed like the pirates could move faster than that if they were making plans to start up a base on Cerinia. If that was the case, was it Meran's intention to do this? I wasn't sure.

I stopped when I saw Meran enter the ship; the armored Cerinians dragging two bound prisoners with them, black hoods cinched tightly around their heads. I could tell from the build and modern-looking body armor that one of them was the pirate. The other was a Cerinian female, her midsection heavily bandaged and spotted through with blood. It was obviously Krystal, and I felt her hand tighten around mine as we both realized what had happened. As Meran tugged the hoods off the prisoners I realized I was right on both counts; a soft gasp coming from my companion's lips as we continued to watch. Both of them wore leather muzzles; by the furious look in her eyes Krys would have torn the high priest's throat out with her teeth if she could. The pirate was likewise furious, but the ropes around his wrists and shackles around his ankles kept him in check along with the sword poking into his back courtesy of the armored Cerinian standing behind him. "I don't remember this, Adam. I thought the pirate's memories were transferred to me while we were in the Temple's dungeon." I glanced up to see a horrified expression on her face; it pained me to continue but we had to.

"It is a shame to meet under these circumstances, Captain Garafut. However, Lord Graydale instructed you to capture highborn members of Clan Sallas, not kill them. He is displeased with your performance and has instructed me to make it right. When I mentioned that I could create a personal servant for him that could act as a bodyguard and assassin, he was intrigued. However, in order to do so it means that your head has come up to the chopping block." The priest gave a wicked grin to the pirate. "So, I think your usefulness to your crew has come to an end. Not to worry; you won't have enough of a mind left to understand the meaning of pain when I'm finished with you."

It didn't look like much on camera. The pirate tried to back up but the armored guard kept a very firm hold on his shoulder; he wasn't able to escape. Meran's fingers fell to the pirate's temples; the canine convulsing under the priest's touch. The process took only a few minutes; after which the pirate collapsed to the ground as if he had been hit by a taser. Only a few involuntary spasms and the heaving of his chest gave me evidence he was alive. "Balen, this Lylatian has served his purpose. Take him into the forest, slit his throat, and bury him. Come back when you are finished." Meran's words were a final sentence on the pirate's fate.

"Ceria. Collar the vixen for me; I want no chance for her mental blocks to interfere with the conversion process." Krystal's struggles intensified and she was able to slip away from her armored captor. Her shackles interfered with her movement and the other bodyguard hadn't finished dragging the still-twitching body of the pirate off the ship. Between the two of them the vixen was subdued; falling to the floor in a heap of still-struggling cerulean fur. I winced as another leather collar, likely the same one I had become acquainted with, was produced and tightened around her throat. Krystal's struggles ceased instantly after that; her brilliant eyes taking on that same glassy look as she simply stared into space. Her grip on my hand became nearly painful; it had to be torturous to watch. I looked up to her, tears brimming in her eyes. I was about to make the suggestion that we stop, but she shook her head.

"That will be all, Ceria. Assist Balen with disposing of the Lylatian. I have business to attend to." The armored Cerinians picked up the pirate much as one would haul a couch and unceremoniously pulled him out of the ship, ostensibly to face his death. At the same time Krystal stood up on her own and walked right up to Meran; her movements hesitant and machinelike. "Not to worry, Guardian. You will do nicely. You just need to learn to become more obedient to your betters; the lack of which has exiled your clan into the Outlands. First, let's get you acquainted with Captain Garafut's skills. Lord Graydale wants an obedient pilot, bodyguard, assassin, and concubine; I intend to fulfill that request."

Meran's hands went to Krystal's temples. She convulsed as much as the pirate had, her eyes rolling back into her head; I could hear muffled gasping through the muzzle that had been placed on her. I winced at the display as her hand tightened its grip around mine; part of me wanting to fast-forward through the scene but I knew this was important. She remained standing though her knees tried to buckle on multiple occasions; even when he was through and removed his fingers she stayed upright. Her eyes had closed at some point but she remained almost unnaturally still. "That's right, vixen. Your mind and body are no longer your own; they belong to Lord Graydale. The sins of your clan have not been paid by your reported death, but the servitude of a highborn Guardian will make an excellent tribute. Your education begins now."

Meran's fingers returned to Krystal's temples. This time she didn't try to escape; she stood still as he did whatever he did to her. Her eyes remained closed, but her tail started to twitch. By the time he pulled his fingers away it was wagging slowly. With a deft motion he removed her muzzle; the leather arrangement falling to the floor. Krystal's eyes opened then; instead of the raw fury a few minutes ago I recognized the look she was giving the one who had ripped through her mind like a tornado. It was much the same look she gave me after I kissed her the night before last. "Now, vixen. Who do you serve?"

Krystal's voice came out in that same blank, dreamlike state I had heard from the unfortunate tod. "I serve Lord Graydale of the Crimson Scourge. I also serve you, High Priest Meran."

"Good vixen." I heard more than saw the sinister grin that had spread Meran's lips. "What is the duration of your service?"

"Until my death, if it so pleases you or Lord Graydale." Krystal's voice did not break.

"Good, good." Meran reached out, cupping one of her cheeks in his palm. "You will believe that you are sent out on a mission to atone for your transgressions and that of your Clan. That belief will keep you active, focused, and willing to sacrifice yourself for that goal. You will not claim your own life. You will not delve too deeply into the workings of this ship. You will keep yourself in good health. Once the ship lands on Sauria in one year's time, you will surrender yourself to the Crimson Scourge pirates who will be sent to meet you and begin your servitude to Lord Graydale. You will retain no memory of these instructions until you encounter the pirates."

Krystal nodded at him, nuzzling into his hand. I saw her lick his palm as he placed his other hand on her shoulder. "You have taken to my suggestions remarkably well, vixen." The older Cerinian cast a predatory grin; the way he leered at her made me sick to my stomach. "Come, vixen. We must prepare you for your journey and begin your… servitude." Krystal followed him; her eyes glassy and a blank look present on her features as she followed. The feeds showed the two walking up to the living area, though I noticed the feed there was missing. It was when I looked down that I noticed the camera feeds stopped an hour later; Meran must have initiated the drive wipe at about the same time.

I wasn't sure how long we sat in silence; absorbing the implications of what had transpired. I clasped her hand in both of mine; looking up to see tears silently streaming down her cheeks. Another fleeting thought came to the forefront of my mind; an old book I had read and a quote from which seemed to mirror my darkened mood; a fictional hero of yore happening upon a similar injustice dealt to the innocent. 'Yet he made no wild, reckless vow, swore no oath by saints or devils. "Men shall die for this," he said coldly.' It was a sentiment with which I wholeheartedly agreed.

"I think we've seen enough." I responded, my voice flat with emotional exhaustion. "There's no reason to put you through any more of this."

Her voice shook as she responded; I wasn't really a good gauge of emotions but somehow I could feel the mix of sorrow and anger in her words. "No. There's something else we must do." She reached past me to key in a sequence; something I recognized as a save command. "I'm creating a copy of this. It must get back to Cerinia, even if it is too late. I will not let this betrayer and murderer harm others." I glanced up at her; despite the tears soaking into the soft fur of her cheeks, she had an expression of determination and barely concealed anger.

The console beeped; a slot below the PAT ejecting what looked like a thick keycard. Krystal plucked it and tucked it into a pouch on her flightsuit. It beeped a second time; another card ejecting from the slot. "Two copies, che. In case one of us falls and this shuttle is lost."

I nodded, retrieving the card before tucking it into my wallet; despite not really needing it old habits died hard. After a split second's hesitation I reached up and grasped her hand, taking a deep breath before speaking. "We're going to need a plan, hon. Especially if these pirates are expecting you to be here."

Krystal's fingers laced against mine; her voice choking out a reply. "Ch… check the sensor console. It can tell us if they are here or not." I did as she asked; backing out of the file exploring utility and jumping into the ship's critical systems. One thing I noticed was that there was nearly no fuel left; something we would need to somehow rectify. I managed to find the sensor operations panel; Krys managed to show me the logging function and how to generate a report of that data.

A holographic representation of Sauria popped up on the display. Like it was in the game there were several chunks of the planet floating in close orbit; close enough to have a shared atmosphere from the looks of it. The debris field around the planet was astounding; a cloud of rocks hovering around the planet like a shield. The path her shuttle made was represented by a green line; dodging through the debris to make a landing at our current location. The timestamp looked to be about three weeks ago if the current system time was correct. The holograph stayed static for about a week until a red dot flashed into existence over the planet, followed by another green one. I paused it at that point.

Krystal touched the green dot, revealing information I couldn't make sense of. She seemed to, which made me wonder if this was information that was gleaned from her ordeal at Meran's hands. "This is another pirate vessel; some sort of deep scout craft." She then touched the red dot, frowning at it. Her voice had lost some of its sadness; a determination and edge crept in to replace it "This seems to be a large cargo ship of some kind; the transponder data is blank." She reached past me to continue the animation. An orange dot appeared near the two; a gasp echoing past her lips as she seemed to recognize it. "That's a Venom Remnant signature!"

I blinked, now paying complete attention to the display. If the ships were fighting there was no indication of it on the screen; at least until the dot representing the Venom ship touched the red one. Two hours later it pulled away; the red ship's dot turning to gray. "The transponder was either disabled or the ship was destroyed." Krystal explained; taking a deep breath. The Venom ship flashed away an hour later, leaving the pirate vessel to its devices. Sickeningly it made a beeline to our current location, where it stayed parked.

"Wait. There's nothing else here." I mentioned, waving to the windows. "If the pirates had been laying in wait for you, we would have encountered them." I left out the implications of having to fight a group of space pirates while wounded and armed with her staff and my AR15; an idea that I did not relish. Another thought came to mind. "Unless they didn't find you here and went out looking for you."

She nodded; a tired, almost sheepish look crossing her features as I looked up. "I… I don't remember much of what happened before my encounter with the Krazoa Spirit. I think I managed to exit this shuttle where I was found by some Cloudrunners. They were the ones who brought me to their city, then to Krazoa Palace." Our question was answered after the pirates' ship took off after a couple of days; circling the planet and touching down in various locations seemingly at random. That was until a purple vessel flashed on screen and started to intercept the pirate vessel. Krystal paused the feed in order to examine the vessel. "That's… it's an Arwing fighter!" She played the feed; the pirate fleeing the Arwing which gave chase. Both vessels reached one of the chunks of the planet and went gray. I glanced at the timestamp; that was only four days ago.

As the timeline started catching up to the present, a blue blip popped up on the planet's surface not far from the ship. I blinked at it, but Krystal beat me to the punch. "Some sort of unidentified disturbance. Possibly your arrival?" It was as good a guess as any. I kept looking back to the icons of the disabled pirate ship and Arwing.

"Something about this doesn't sit right with me." I mused, giving the separated chunk a closer look. It didn't take long for me to figure out where the transponders had gone dark. "Though it looks like we're going to find out soon enough."

Krystal's hand grasped mine tightly; a hint of trepidation in her tired, saddened voice. "What do you mean, che?" She bent down to look at the holographic readout more closely.

"If we're following the storyline I'm familiar with, we're going there to collect the first Spellstone." I explained, looking up at her. "This sensor data isn't giving us much to go by other than that a pirate ship was looking for you, they don't seem to be bothered by Venom forces destroying that other ship, and they got chased by an Arwing and seemingly crashed in the same place we're going to be headed."

"Could that be Fox McCloud?" Krys asked; her other hand finding my shoulder as she leaned over me. "Was he alone in this entertainment program of yours?"

I shook my head. "He was with Peppy and Slippy in their carrier, the Great Fox. That mystery ship which got knocked out up there doesn't seem to match up to that. That's why this doesn't sit right with me, hon. We need to be very careful going forward because I'm not sure my experience with that game is a good basis of what we're going to face."

I stood up; following a sudden impulse and wrapping my arms around her; the cool, synthetic texture of her flightsuit muffling the warmth and softness of her fur but I didn't care. I felt her muzzle tuck against my neck; the moisture of her tears falling onto my skin as I simply held her.

Krystal's breath hitched as she returned my embrace; her body wracked by an occasional sob. "It's okay, hon." I whispered. "I've got you. I know I can't make this right, but I'm not going to let you face this alone." She nodded weakly but didn't let go. Thoughts crashed against my mind; chaotic and conflicted. Thoughts of home, thoughts of my family and friends and whether they thought I was dead. Thoughts of what would happen in the aftermath of my disappearance. Thoughts of how we were going to survive the hardships and challenges ahead. Perhaps most of all, thoughts of Krystal, the vixen who up until a few days ago I thought was a fictional character; someone who was not only real but had become my ally, friend, and arguably my paramour. The subtle, simple realization that came to me was that she was lost; perhaps even more than I was.

I wasn't sure how long we remained there, arms wrapped around each other as she slowly regained her composure. She slowly pulled away, wrapping her hands around mine as her emerald gaze locked onto mine; tear-soaked fur trailing down her cheeks. "I…" she trailed off. "I value your being at my side, my che. We should return to Thorntail Hollow soon; it has been a few days." She paused for a moment, a concerned look coming over her vulpine features. "What does this entertainment program of yours have to say about what's to come?"

I blinked and looked away for a moment, trying to recall the memories I had of the game. "I think we will be sent to Ice Mountain again, where we will need to free a Snowhorn who can grant us access to Darkice Mines, where we will find the first Spellstone. Apparently that's where that pirate ship and Arwing are, so we need to be very careful about how we approach this."

She nodded, pulling a hand away from mine to settle on the back of the pilot's seat. "We will have to locate fuel for this ship; that or see if we can negotiate some from the shopkeeper. As much as I wish we had more time together, I think we need to return to our task." She leaned forward, her lips gently brushing against mine for a brief moment. "I know this isn't the brightest of times, but I am glad you are here." A soft smile touched her lips as she pulled away. "Let's go. We'll discuss how to best deal with our situation after we make sure everything is well at Thorntail Hollow."