Sorry this took so long to put out since the last update. (its been nearly a month) Finals hit hard.
It only took a few minutes for each Star Fox pilot and Krystal to find a spot to land their Arwings. Fox had suggested they meet in at the main courtyard near the royal palace, as the queen would want to speak with them in light of the recent attack. Fox wasted no time in making his way; thereafter, he regrouped with Krystal. Sure enough, the queen and her children were present, along with several Cloudrunner civilians. When they saw the vulpines emerge from one of the entrances to the courtyard, a round of applause and cheers boomed throughout the courtyard. Fox gave a sheepish smile, slightly embarrassed at the spotlight. Krystal, on the other hand, gave everyone a wide smile, happy she could
"Once again, you have saved our tribe. Twice in the same day, nonetheless. You and your friends are true heroes and friends to our tribe." Queen Saffali exclaimed. Suddenly, the five royal children darted forward, followed by a group of other chicks, and tackled the vulpine, burying them in hugs. Fox and Krystal were pushed to the ground but didn't mind, knowing the children were attempting to show gratitude, a gesture the foxes appreciated. The different Cloudrunners present laughed while their parents came over to wrangle them.
"Thank you so much, Mr Fox!" One young voice called.
"You saved us!" Another chick called.
"You were awesome out there!" Kyte chimed in from atop Krystal.
The praise went on for about another minute before the children's parents, including the queen, retrieved their kids. Knowing the children were just expressing gratitude, the parents didn't reprimand their children much, beyond a warning to be careful not to tackle someone. Fox told the parents it was alright. Just as he was getting himself back up, he caught sight of Slippy and Peppy entering the courtyard from another entrance. He waved them over, and they walked to them, catching the eye of the other Cloudrunners. Fox figured now was a good time to introduce them to the tribe.
"Aw, more guests? I take it they had a hand in defense of the fortress?" Saffali asked to which Fox nodded.
"Yes. These are my teammates Peppy Hare and Slippy Toad." Fox stated, gesturing to the hare and toad.
Peppy walked close to the queen and spoke. "It's an honor to meet you, your highness." He said with a bow.
"Same here. I am glad you all are safe." Slippy added.
The queen bowed gracefully to the pair. "I have said this many times already, but I will do so again: you all have our enteral gratitude." She added with a bow. This was followed by another round of cheers from the crowd. After the cheers subsided, the queen spoke more.
"As thank you, we have prepared accommodation for you and your friends if you wish to use it. It is the least we could do." Saffali explained.
"Thank you, your highness," Fox said, glancing at Krystal and his teammates. "We will gladly take you up on that." Fox finished. As he did, Krystal thought of something.
"Your grace, excuse me, but have you seen Prince Tricky?" Krystal asked, wanting to make sure her ward was alright. To her relief, the queen nodded.
"He was sheltered with some of the tribe's children. I will refer him to your quarters later if you would like."
Krystal smiled. "Thank you." She then glanced at the Star Fox team. Fox saw her glanced and realized what she must be thinking. He then spoke to the queen again.
"If you excuse us, your highness, I have some things I wish to discuss with my team if that's alright." The mercenary asked, to which the queen nodded. He and the rest of the team walked off as the crowd began to disperse. Kyte checked in with them briefly before being dismissed to play with her siblings in another part of the fortress, where Tricky was.
After walking to a less crowded area, a balcony overlooking the courtyard, the team sighed. Peppy and Slippy then turned to the vixen, eager to introduce themselves.
"Sorry it took so long to properly greet you, but I wanted to get all the formalities out of the way first. You heard me earlier, I am aware, but my name is Peppy Hare; I am the team's navigator and overseer." The hared introduced himself, offering out his hand to the vixen. Krystal accepted the gesture and shook it. She then turned to the toad.
"Name's Slippy; I'm the team's mechanic." Slippy introduced himself.
'Pleasure to meet both of you. I'm Krystal." The vixen explained, a bit awkwardly, seeing as the team had already known her name.
"Likewise, Krystal." The hare responded. Peppy glanced over to Fox and the vulpine guessed what he wanted to ask. Fox then spoke up.
"So, how are you feeling after that dog fight? Everything ok?"
The vixen nodded. "I'm still in one piece, aren't I? I will admit, it was a bit overwhelming, but I am glad I did what I did. I couldn't just sit by and let the Sharpclaw raze the fortress."
Fox nodded, then questioned her further. "Was it much crazier than the previous dog fights you mentioned on your travels? With pirates or whoever?"
Krystal nodded. "Not by much. These Sharpclaw have some practice, but it was the first real flight they've been in. The pirates I tangled with in previous months weren't much better in a dogfight anyways. The practice from the flight and helped. Though, I will say, being in a proper fighter craft was also a perk; my old shuttle isn't much in the way of maneuverability. Thank you again, Fox."
Peppy and Slippy glanced at their leader, still having some doubts about letting her into one of the Arwings quite yet. Though they could understand where Fox was coming from, the young woman at least had some previous experience in this field, and they needed everyone pilot they could get at the time. Peppy, however, was still unsure what to make of it but figured it best to let it go for now.
"I am just glad you are ok. I will admit, it was a bit unorthodox to let someone not officially on the team pilot one of our crafts. Though, of course, you proved yourself worthy of our trust. But I am glad it worked out." Fox explained. "Not only that, but you saved my life earlier from Scales and aided me in freeing the tribe. I cannot express how helpful you have been since I've met you; or how glad I am you are at my side." Fox added, a slight blush forming on his face. The vixen noted that and smiled but stayed focused on his words for now.
"Thank you. The feeling is mutual Fox." She added, with a slight blush apparent on expression. The todd's body language became a bit sheepish, and it did not take her telepathy to guess why that might be the case. There was; however, another question lingering in her mind.
"By the way, what was up with the playboy magazine I found in my ship? Was it yours, Fox?" Krystal asked with a chuckle, catching the team off guard. Fox's expression grew to one of embarrassment, and he stuttered over himself.
"I-its not mine, I swear. The Arwing we lent you belonged to our old teammate, Miyu. We must have missed it when we cleaned out the ship." Fox explained, to which Krystal laughed.
"Seems I've been getting a lot of hand-me-downs from this lady." She joked. Fox and the team shared a laugh.
"It's what we have on hand." Peppy shrugged. The group just brushed it aside, having more important things to discuss than lewd magazines. After another moment of laughter, the mercenary leader regained his composure. He then glanced at his teammates.
"Can you excuse us for just a moment; there is something I need to discuss with my teammates before I ask you. If that is alright?" Krystal nodded. Peppy and Slippy glanced at their leader and nodded. Krystal remained on the balcony while the Star Fox team members walked out of earshot into the nearby hallway. The vixen knew she could just read his mind and learn what he wanted to ask, but she resisted the temptation; it felt more natural to her to hear it from his mouth.
Once the group was out of earshot in the hallway, Fox addressed them.
"Before I do this, I want to run it by you two first." He began, before Peppy interjected
"You're going to ask her to be on the team." The hare spoke with a glint of amusement in his eyes. The todd's mouth hung a gap briefly before he caught himself. "Are you a telepath too?" Fox asked.
Peppy laughed. "No, but I can read you like a book. I already knew you were thinking about it. And before you ask, yes, I feel recruiting her would be a good idea. She is plenty competent in a fight, smart, and already has some experience in aerial combat. Plus, she can read minds; we might never be caught off guard with that kind of ability. Can't even begin to list the number of ways that would be useful." The hare spoke before glancing at the toad.
"Well, yes, I guess you already know what I was thinking then. What's your take Slippy?" Fox asked, looking at his friend.
"I'm with Peppy on this. She would be an excellent addition, and we need to recruit anyone pilot anyways, given how we're down a few people. You don't even really need to ask me, Fox; I trust your judgment," The toad responded.
"Thanks, but I still feel it better to run this by you guys; better we are all on board with the idea beforehand, eh? I can't just hire a new team member without telling you." Fox said.
"I mean, she pretty much is already a part of it, wearing our uniform and piloting our craft.
"well, let get to it then. No point in keeping her waiting. Slippy and I will wait here for a moment if that's cool. Don't want to overwhelm her." The hare added. The other two mercenaries nodded, and the todd walked back to the balcony, where Krystal awaited. The todd was almost nervous to ask her, but he figured it was as good a time as any. It was hardly a time-sensitive matter.
"Care to let me in on the secret then, Fox?' Krystal asked in a slightly sarcastic tone. The todd smiled.
"It's no secret. I want to ask you something." Fox began, to which the vixen's eyes lit up.
"Come on; maybe this is the moment." Krystal thought, her interest piqued.
"Would you be interested in joining the team, officially?" Fox asked, to which Krystal briefly gave a surprised look.
"Was not expecting that," Krystal said, a bit bemused. "That- that would be great; of course I accept," Krystal said eagerly.
Fox was a bit surprised. "Just like that? I am happy to hear it, of course, but I imagined it would take you a bit longer to consider such a thing." Fox replied, a bit stunned.
"I could almost say the same." Krystal responded, giving in a slightly inquisitive look.
"I don't make decisions like this on the fly; I have been considering this for a few days now. I've seen how well you fight, how you adapt, and how you overcome the obstacle in your path. You have amazing abilities and a capacity for empathy I highly commend; and you have some piloting skills to boot. You have all the qualifications I could possibly be looking for in a teammate. Need I go on? If we were doing an interview, you would pass with flying colors." Fox finished.
Krystal smiled and hugged the todd, who recuperated. "Thank you, Fox… for hearing that means a lot to me; besides the job offer." She said, a tear rolling down her face. Fox was glad to hear his word meant more to her than just basic praise, but he could tell there was more to it than that. He figured he should ask her now.
"If its alright, Krystal, why accept so quickly, though? I mean, isn't there still a lot on your plate at the moment, so to speak?" He said, looking into her eyes.
Krystal's expression grew serious. "Fox, understand, I am not just jumping at the first job offer I get." She said with a sigh. "It feels weird to say this next part to someone I have only known a short time, but I know I can trust you." She went on.
"You don't have to go into this if you are uncomfortable."
"No, I feel it better to get this off my chest. " Krystal answered back. "You already know what I was doing for since Cerinia's destruction. But its time I was honest with myself: I have been chasing ghosts. For months, I have drifted aimlessly, searching in vain for any kind of answers." Krystal stopped for a second as if pondering her next words. Fox noted her uncomfortable twitch.
"I can't help but feel it to be almost fruitless. Until coming here, my life felt directionless; all I did was drift from a dead-end joint to a backwater pub, lusted after by scoundrels, preyed on by pirates and gangs. All this, in a vain hope of finding any kind of closure. I thought I never would find anything until I came here." Krystal spoke, catching herself, as she choked up a bit.
"I have been reunited with my father, something I never dreamed possible, but even he has no more answers regarding Cerinia, nor does it seem the Krazoa here can offer many more answers. At this rate, I don't know if I will ever find the answers I sought about Cerinia's fate. It took me a while to realize that, even when I arrived here, I had no plans for what I would do after I found my answers. Until you came in."
Fox continued to listen intently.
"You are practically the only guy I met in the past few months to show me an ounce of respect, though I will add that I didn't just have many upstanding joints to stop out. You have helped me through so much pain and struggle, without even knowing me too well, and now you offer me a future. I would be foolish to turn down such an offer." The vixen finished. Fox looked at her and nodded.
"Well, I don't know what else to say. I am sorry you had to go through that." Fox said a bit awkwardly, unsure how to respond.
"Don't make this so awkward, Fox. You don't have to say anything more on that." Krystal said with a smile, regaining her confident composure. "Instead, why not tell me what to expect on the job?' She said, with a slightly humorous tone. Fox smiled. He took the hint to shift the focus of the conversation.
"Well, more of this, I suppose. The key with our team is that we all are on the same page." He noted. " That being said, I don't want you to think you have to follow my orders through this mission from now on; we are equals, partners if you would."
Krysta smiled. " Of course, as I said earlier, I still see it as Kyte and it's an adventure; you are just helping me," Krystal said. Fox briefly pondered that before he saw the vixen laugh.
"Just yanking your chain, you and Tricky are part of this too; we are all a team."
Fox gave a nod. "And now you are part of mine, officially. We will discuss logistics later; let's just take five for the night." Fox said, exhausted after a long day of fighting.
The vixen agreed. Before she could leave the balcony, Fox stopped her and asked her something else.
"Wait, what about your father?"
Krystal shrugged. "Don't know yet; it depends on what he wants. I will talk to him later. Even if he decides to stay on Sauria, I am content knowing where he is. But we will get to that later, Fox.' She explained before walking off to greet her new team members, followed by Fox. As they walked towards the rest of the team, Krystal suddenly remembered something.
"Crap. The base! I have to tell them." She thought, recalling what she found about the Sharpclaw base in the desert.
As Peppy and Slippy came into view, the two pilots glanced over at Fox and Krystal as if expecting to hear the news.
"Well?" Peppy asked, an eagerness evident in his voice.
"It's official, she decided to join," Fox said, with a hint of excitement. Smiles grew on the other to the other pilot's faces.
"Welcome aboard, Krystal," Peppy said warmly.
"Fantastic! We could really use someone of your caliber." Slippy complimented.
"Thanks. I just appreciate the offer, honestly. Seems like a pretty good gig." Krystal commented.
"It can be," Peppy said, with a glance at Fox.
Krystal's expression then grew serious. "Sorry to dump this on you now of all times, but I have something important to tell you." She stated, getting the attention of all her new teammates.
"I read the mind of one of the elite Sharpclaw guards earlier in the day, from him, I found that the Scales' has a base in the Golden Plains, where he is constructing and housing more ships. " She announced bluntly, catching concerned looks from the rest of the team.
"Not good. I had a feeling, after what we've seen, though." Fox muttered
"How come our scanners haven't detected it?" Slippy wondered.
Krystal shrugged. Then Peppy spoke. "Some kind of masking or cloaking is in effect on the equipment at the base, maybe? I wouldn't be surprised, Venom used such devices during the war, and their fighters looked to be based on Venomian designs."
The team shard glances before Fox spoke. "We will have to look into this further. Slippy and Peppy, see if you guys can scan the topography of the desert region when you get back to the Great Fox. And look inform General Pepper of this." Fox reported
Krystal then got an idea. She turned to todd and got his gaze.
"Fox, after what I learned and saw today, I am getting worried. We seem to be making progress in our quest to save Sauria and have just dealt a severe blow to the Sharpclaw. But, in light of the fleet attack and base in the golden planes, as well as all of Scales' new weapons we saw today, don't you think things are getting out of hand?"
Fox nodded his head. "A bit, but I think we can handle it. We've made it this far, right?" He said with confidence to his voice. "I mean, it's not like my team and I have fought against overwhelming odds before; it's part of our job."
Krystal, however, still looked deterred. "What I mean is, the threat posed by Scales and his Sharpclaw army is even worse than we feared. The threat only seems to be escalating; who's to say he won't amass an even larger fleet? He has mountains of wealth from all the treasures he's plundered, and
I have no doubt; if he already has spacecraft, he would have the capacity to make contact with an arms supplier. He is clearly getting his tech from somewhere, right?" She pointed out.
Fox raised a brow and glanced at her. "And I believe you would be right. I doubt the dinosaurs of Sauria could handle too much more of this without our aid. But what do you suggest we do then if you feel we don't have the capacity to deal with this?" Fox asked.
Krystal sighed. "Don't you think we should try to get the Cornerain army involved? You said that they were already aware of the disastrous effect Sauria's destruction would have on neighboring worlds, wouldn't a potential army looking to threaten their territories be of concern?" The vixen pointed out.
Peppy was the one to respond. "Yes, and you are dead on the money, Krystal. Of course, we will speak to General Pepper about this, but I doubt we will be getting any reinforcements."
"How's that?" Krystal asked. Fox noted she didn't seem to grasp how the politics of Conreria and its operations worked, as he was sure Peppy was about to explain.
"Well, there are a lot of reasons. First and foremost, Sauria is outside of Corneria's area of authority, technically. Recall that we were hired to intervene in this world because of the potential devastation the Sauria's destruction would have on nearby planets that are under Cornerian control. The CDF has a non-intervention policy for conflicts like this, as, to their knowledge, Scales' army is more a local conflict than one threatening Cornerian territory. We are allowed to get involved, as it is necessary to advert Sauria's destruction and the potential aftermath." Peppy explained, stopping for a second to catch his breath and let Slippy speak.
"The CDF is currently spread thin as it is, anyways. The bulk of its forces and resources are being focused on relief efforts from the Lylat Wars, as well as clearing out Venom remnants, who still hold to Andross' ideals. The galaxy's been a mess since Andross flipped it on its head with his attempts to conquer it. Don't even get me started on the pirates and gangs who are taking advantage of the chaos left by Andross' death." Slippy elaborated. "Few commanders are going to want to go through the effort of relocating ships and troops to a backwater world like Sauria, just to mop up a few dozen pirates or so. It takes weeks to recall their forces and move them to Sauria; away from other problems being dealt with already." Slippy finished. Fox, meanwhile, had his arms crossed and was leaning up against a wall as he listened. He spoke up after Slippy was done.
"And that's why they hired us, as you know. We have dealt with large messes like this before. In brief, we are the intervention." He said, summarizing his team's point. Krystal thought about their words for a few seconds before she finished processing the details.
"Ok then. Fair point. I guess I really need to sharpen up on my Cornerian politics, I never really bothered to learn much about their operations." She muttered before speaking again.
"I just hope we can accomplish this. I know we've made it this far, but things are escalating." She said in a worried tone. Fox put his hand on her shoulder.
"Don't worry, we're professionals. And with your help, I know we can pull this off. Now come on, let's get something to eat. Its been a long day." He said, starting to pull her towards a better spot to dine. The others began to follow suit.
"Sounds good," Krystal said, with a smile, having enough of politics and her worries for one night. Though she knew it would likely get more difficult from here, she was positive that they could pull this off with the Star Fox team and her allies' help.
(Elsewhere in the fortress)
Queen Saffali sat in her chambers, pondering something.g She was finally allowed a moment of privacy, as Kree's officers took over for the rest of the night, seeing as the tribe healers had her confined to her quarters to let her wounds properly heal. She had done her best not to show it, but the injuries she suffered at Scales' hand left their mark. But that was not what was bothering her right now.
"My children, my tribe… I failed you so many times as of late. The situation has escalated far out of my control. If it weren't for these outworlders, would we all be dead now?" She wondered to herself. She did not dare let her children or tribe members see her like this, but her experiences had taken their toll on her. She felt like she had failed at every turn. And while her tribe was back in control of their home, she was uncertain of how they could handle the new threat exhibited by Scales' weapons.
"Your highness, are you alright." Kree's voice sounded from nearby, interrupting the queen's thoughts.
"Ah, Kree. You startled me." Saffali replied to her brother.
"My apologies, your highness," Kree responded.
"Kree, I told you to drop the formalities."
"Yes, Saffali," Kree added with a smile. "I came to check on you: Are you ok?"
"Yes, well mostly. I am glad to have my children and tribe safe again, and to know that bastard, Revallos, is dead; to say nothing being rid of those dammed Sharpclaw, but…" The queen sighed.
"Things are taking their toll on you." Kree finished her statement. The queen nodded.
"Can we just.. talk as siblings for a moment, instead of as queen and captain?" Saffali asked, her voice trembling a bit." Kree nodded and fled up to sit next to her.
"I know it is more duty as queen to always be strong for our people; they look to me for guidance, and I must always bear the weight of my responsibility." The queen said bluntly as if to remind herself.
"But it's easy to forget we all have our limits. You and I are not invincible; we have emotions and limits the same as anyone." Kree said, outing his wing around his sister.
"I feel as though I've failed our tribe and my family. You, Kyte, the rest of my children, and our tribe; I have been weak. I failed to protect them, it's only by the hand of the strangers that our home is still intact, and we aren't slaves or even dead, for that matter. We've already lost a number of guards." Saffali said, soundly uncharacteristically solemn. Kree was just about the only Cloudrunner who had ever seen her like this before, besides her late husband; she would never allow herself to break down like this in front of anyone, not even her children. She had always kept the mask of a strong leader, whenever in the presence of others, even Kree. To be speaking as she was now spoke volumes to the captain of how hard events had hit her.
"No, you didn't. You didn't fail anyone. The situation was out of your control, out of all of our control. You couldn't have known what would happen." Kree said, gazing into his sister's eyes.
"The tribe could not have asked for a better queen to lead them. You have ultimately kept everyone safe through our darkest hour. You have done everything you could." Kree affirmed.
"But what of my children. I couldn't keep them safe after-"
"As I said, it was not your fault. All that matters now is that they, and the tribe, are safe again. And we must be strong; only through perseverance can we overcome Scales' armies."
Her brother's words invigorated the queen. He was right; she could not dwell in self-pity. She had to push on. She affirmed to herself that she must not blame herself for things she can't control but learn from them and adapt.
She looked up and gave Kree an affirmative nod. Whatever the hardships, her people and family still needed her; this she knew. At times, all she needed was a bit of a reminder.
"And I believe I have an idea," Kree stated.
"An alliance with the Earthwalkers, yes?" Saffali guessed, recalling what she had been told earlier. Kree nodded.
"In light of events, I am open to it. We will have to make contact with Queen Thera when the Fortress is returned to the surface."
"Indeed. Already, her son had left an impression on some of the tribe members. Maybe it will be easier than we expect to convince them of this course of action." Kree responded.
"Good. That's enough for now, though, Kree. I grow weary. You can turn in for the night; the everyone is accounted for." She responded, noting the bag's under the captain's eyes, due to lack of sleep.
Kree nodded. He would normally insist on staying up to handle things some more, but the events of today were getting to him. His fellow officers had already told him they would take over responsibilities for the night.
"Sounds like a plan. Will probably be the best sleep I get in a while." He muttered, leaving Saffali to herself again.
She did not linger long, however. She felt it was time to turn in for the night. She flew off to go find her children and bring them back to the palace.
Fox and Krystal had been shown to their quarters for the night, having eaten dinner and waving goodbye to Peppy and Slippy, who wanted to return to the Great Fox. They had spoken briefly with Randorn on the comms after Peppy made it back to the bridge and aided him. After what happened, he had been worried for his daughter, but she assured him she was ok. She did not disclose to him about her decision to join the team yet, as she wanted to tell him in person but was too exhausted by this point.
She and Fox had regrouped with Kyte and Tricky, who had been playing together. The prince had gotten along well with the kids of the tribe, having been invited to play with them. Adding to his, he had garnered the fondness of some of the other Cluoduruners, having assisted in the rescue of some of them while Fox and Krystal were away. Specifically, he had used his fire breath to free some of them from any nets they were caught in. Thought some Cloudrunners were unwilling to let go of their grudges against their race, he had at least left a good impression on many.
Fox and Krystal had found him playing in one of the other courtyards of the fortress with the royal siblings. They had joined him after the meeting in the main courtyard. The queen had arrived and wrangled her children at some point, seeing as it was their bedtime. They had bid their new friend farewell and saw him off. Kyte returned to the royal palace that night to sleep with her family.
Now, the prince was sleeping in the corner of the room, on a cot of blankets and other soft materials. Fox and Krystal were set up on makeshift cots, likely meant for the fortress' engineers, the Bonehead tribe.
Gradabug had briefly spoken to the vulpines, one such engineer, thanking them for their service in freeing the tribe. He was already starting repairs and had said little else to the vulpines.
Fox gazed at Krystal, watching her make herself comfortable. He could not help but smile at what they accomplished today.
"Woah, I am beat," Fox said, yawning and stretching out his legs. "Can't believe all that happened today." He muttered.
"Yeah, this adventure doesn't lack in action. I am just glad things worked out the way they did, it got a bit daunting for a while there." Krystal said, reflecting the peril they faced.
"But we made it through it. And we will accomplish so many things together, now that you are officially part of the Star Fox team." Fox added with a smile.
"I must say, when I came to this world, the last thing I expected was to be hired into a new job." Krystal joked. "Why, I didn't even have to interview for it." She said with a chuckle.
"Consider the adventure the interview, and you passed with flying colors," Fox said, with a hint of humor in his voice. He then yawned.
"I think that's enough for one day. Let's get some sleep." Fox said as he began to close his eyes.
"Better enjoy it; this will probably be the closest we get to sleeping in actual beds for the next… however long the mission lasts." The vixen jested before closing her eyes.
For her, the day had been a miracle. She not only reunited a family and saved a tribe, but she found something as well; a future. The position on the Star Fox team offered her a sense of stability and a noble calling in life. She had not yet known what her father would do, or what he might think, but it was her call to make. She knew he would understand her decision and support her in it.
The only thing that gnawed at her was the threat of Scales' fleet. But, with the aid of her new team, and likely the tribes of Sauria. It was daunting, of course, but she knew, from here on, she just had to take it one step at a time.
(Later that night, on another part of Sauria)
Night had long since fallen over the planet, and most of the world was asleep by this point. But for Scales and a few of his troops, sleep was the last thing on their mind.
The general had organized a transaction with his contact, a Vemon arms dealer. Drakor had given the general a list of contacts, many former members of Andross' army. Many former Venomian commanders deserted and took their troops with them after Andross's death. No one wanted to stick around and face penance for their war crimes in a Cornerian court. Few were willing to surrender to General Pepper's forces. Though a few 'true believers' persisted in their fallen leader's dream of conquest, Pepper's forces wiped out most of these holdouts. They lacked the numbers to be anything more than a nuisance, though the surprising number of lingering Venom cells kept the Cornerian Defense Force busy.
As such, the wiser amongst the Venomian higher-ups carved their paths, as pirates and arms dealers. Scales' contact was one such individual. The man, Commander Harken, was due to arrive soon. The Sharpclaw present stood in eager inspiration. The crowd of Sharpclaw was standing out in the Golden Plains desert, away from the prying eyes of other tribes.
"This had better be worth it." Scales thought, knowing these weapons would cost a fortune. His tribe had plenty of wealth, though, plundered during their conquests. And an investment like this would only increase their capacity for plunder, Scales knew. It was just a matter of playing his cards right.
Sure enough, a large aircraft carrier came into view, high up in the Saurian Sky. One Scales did not recognize a much smaller ship departed the massive craft and landed near Scales shortly thereafter. A few primates exited, each wearing metallic armor on their torsos that bore the insignia of a primate. They were composed of different kinds of primates and were armed with assault rifles. A brown primate, wearing a black military officer's hat and uniform, exited the craft after the foot soldiers, his hands folded behind his back. He had hazel eyes and dark brown fur across his face and body. He padded over to the massive general, flanked by his soldiers.
"Greetings. The name's Harken. I take it you must be our client. General Scales, yes?." He asked in a cordial tone. Scales, not one for politeness, replied bluntly.
"Yes. Do you have the ships I requested?" He asked, not wanting to waste any time.
"Of course. There is the matter of payment, though. You said you could pay in something, uh tangible, as you put it?" Harken asked, thinking how to phrase his words.
Scales snapped his fingers and two Sharpclaw brutes brought forth a brown chest. They sat it down, opened it, and Harken's eyes briefly lit up at the sight of the gold and other treasures inside.
"Damn. You're pretty loaded for a bunch of savage lizards." A foot soldier to the right of Harken muttered. Scales shot the grunt a death glare, and Harken backhanded the grunt, who reeled in pain. The commander then turned back to the Sharpclaw general with a nervous look on his face.
" A thousand apologies. What my idiot lackey means to say it was: we are honored to do business with such a valued client." Harken said, attempting to save face.
Scales was disinterested in the apologies. "Couldn't care less. Now, get the craft to drop off the point I described to you and get lost." The massive Sharpclaw growled. Harken shook a bit.
"They are en route as we speak. I just need a moment to calculate how much this is worth on the market and convert to common Lylat currencies. Gotta make sure we are getting our worth." Harken said, signaling for a primate with a device Scales did not recognize to come over to him.
"Make it quick. I am in the middle of a military campaign here, and I have a plan to use them by morning. I want those ships to the base within the hour." Scales growled.
Harken held his hands up defensively. "And they will be. I get it; you are a busy man and every second counts to you. This won't take long. Though I am fairly certain we may need a bit more to cover the full amount, you see."
Scales had his men throw in another chest and a few more treasures.
"Alright, I see that's no problem then. As promised, we will have them to the drop-off and ready within the hour. And don't forget your complimentary hat. We throw it in as a bonus for all the aspiring generals and commanders we supply. " Harken said, signally for his men to bring him something. He then handed a captain's hat to Scales, similar to those of military offices. The general eyed for a moment, then put it aside. His stoic expression belied a hint of fondness for the new hat, something Scales rarely felt for anything.
"If this is what commanders where on other planets wear, so be it." He thought to himself before stuffing the hat in an ouches he had on his armor. He would likely make use of the hat later.
"Oh and heads up, our scanners picked up Star Fox's mother ship in orbit. Nasty bit of business dealing with them." Harken noted.
"I am aware. I will deal with it in time," Scales retorted
"It's of no concern to us. We will be on our way shortly, and I doubt they would want to risk a direct assault against our fleet with a deteriorating ship and only a couple of fighters at best. Its not like the Cornerian Defense Force would be able to respond very swiftly to our presence in this sector, anyhow." Harken noted.
Scales stood in silence as Harken turned his attention back to his men and focused on their operations. He could not help but marvel at the new weapons that would soon be at his disposal. Since he came to power, the Sharpclaw had come a long way all those years ago. He could not help but reflect on how he got here.
He had once been a lowly foot soldier decades ago. His parents had been killed when he was young, in one of the many battles his tribe waged against the other tribes of the world. He had been somewhat fond of them, but love and affection were scarce amongst the Sharpclaw. He grew up in the same brutal conditions as the others in the tribe, something, not even their leaders were exempt from. Over the years, Scales climbed the ranks through his strength and tactical plans and eventually became the warlord of the tribe. He had fought hard to achieve this rank and worked harder to find a support base. Amongst the stronger in the tribe, he offered positions of power and a share of the wealth from their raids. This was how he built his power base.
He had been the leader of the tribe since he was about 20, having been one of the youngest warlords ever to take power in the Sharpclaw tribe. His campaigns saw many successes, garnering the tribe's new territories. Over time, he tightened his grip on any of the tribes who would dare oppose him and garnered more supporters eager for a taste of the power he offered. He became more of a dictator than a warlord through this, though what he was labeled hardly mattered to him. All that mattered was that he kept his power. His many successful raids ensured that he did. He and his tribe improved their weapons and equipment throughout the decades. They saw many gains and losses in territories as power shifted in a tug-of-war with the ruling tribes of Sauria, the Earthwalkers, and Cloudrunenrs. They always managed to keep the Sharpclaw at bay to a degree, but Scales' army was tenacious. His attacks continued almost endlessly.
Now, standing before him was the means to not only rule Sauria, but take his campaign off-world and expand to other planets. No other Sharpclaw before him could have even dreamed of accomplishing such a thing, and it was, for this reason, the soldiers continued to obey him. For them, the power and wealth he offered to those loyal to him were worth any abuse or mistreatment he faced. Their upbringing had already hardened them, and Scales was little worse than many of the warlords before him.
As Scales watched the aircraft carriers above transport his new craft, a wicked smile formed on his face. He looked over his men and saw stunning looks of awe across their faces, having never dreamed a day like this would come.
"Soon, Sauria will be on its knees. Enjoy your temporary victory while you can, off-worlders. This is just the beginning. Sauria will be mine, and someday, the Lylat System."
(Meanwhile, deep in one of the jungles of Sauria)
"The Sharpclaw army was kicked out of the fortress, and Scales' counter-attack failed." A reptilian being, of indeterminate origin, finished addressing a large figure; a dragon-like creature with red scales, and cybernetics all over his body. The smaller reptile had greyscales and red eyes. He was vastly slenderer than the Sharpclaw and seemed to be from off-world. He had a dark coat on, covering advanced red armor. An advanced-looking blade was on his back and a blaster pistol at his hip.
"I see. Anything else?" The large figures asked, in a deep voice.
"Scales is making use of the contact you provided him, from what
I gathered from monitoring the Sharpclaw comms." He added.
"He's expanding his operations faster than I assumed he would. No matter, it means my plan might hold up, despite the setbacks. It hardly matters to me if Scales takes his campaign off-world, as it means more pain for the rest of the galaxy." The figure spoke again.
"What do you need me to do in the meantime?" The reptile asked.
"Continue to monitor the Star Fox team's movements, and intercept when an opportunity permits itself."
"Yes, Drakor." The reptile said as the Kamerian dismissed him, and he walked off into the jungle, likely back to his ship. Drakor was left alone again with his thoughts.
"So that Cerinian is proving more troublesome than I thought. No matter, she will be dealt with in time. If all else fails, I am sure I can find a use for her, if it comes down to it." Drakor mused.
If there was anything the Kamerian had learned in his long life, it was patience and how to adapt. Somehow or another, he would complete his revenge on the Krazoa. For now, though, he did not want to risk his involvement being known. He would continue to lay low in the far reaches of Sauria, until the time to reveal himself was at hand.
Sighing, the dragon took flight and retreated to another corner of the world.
Wow, the true main villain finally shows up again after, what, 14 chapters or something? I mean, I had to have him appear at some point, given all the hints to him I dropped. And what do you know, another OC antagonist? Rest assured; he won't bog down the story, I have never really been too much of a fan of injecting OCs into retellings like this. The only reason I did was that I felt they flesh out the world a bit more, and have more named villains in the story. TheThe way I see it, it gives the Sharpclaw more characterization. Anyways this reptile guy will be explained later, but I don't plan on him being way too important, honestly. I want to keep the focus on the main characters now that the Cloudrunner Arc is done, and Revallos is dead. Reptile sword guy will probably be another 'boss fight' later on when I figure out where to insert him, based on the basic outline I have written for this story. I just wanted a chance to add another somewhat prominent villain for the heroes to duel against, like the sword fight against Scales. I could have done another Sharpclaw commander or something, sure, but those guys are kind of interchangeable.
Also, sorry this took so long to put out; finals and work did work on this fic slow. And it's hard to resummon my motivation and ideas for it after being burned out by the semester. Rest assured, the story will keep chugging along. I fully intend to finish it.