Before Fox was a large metal tank prototype.
"This thing was built awfully fast." Fox observed.
"It's only the first prototype." Fara explained, "It's pieced together mostly from parts from pre-existing vehicles. About all it can do now is move, turn its turret, and fire paint rounds. Everything else will be added after the initial tests. Why don't we take it for a test drive?"
Excited to try the prototype, Fox climbed into the driver's seat. As soon as Fara climbed into the turret, Fox took off.
Fara tried to fire at targets set up for the test, but it was almost impossible to hit anything without stopping the tank. Fara hoped a fire-assist ai would be added soon since stopping would be suicidal in many cases. Still, the turret's 360-degree aiming was a huge improvement over the Landmaster's forward-facing cannon.
Fox, meanwhile, was impressed with how the tank drove. The tank was noticeably faster than the Landmaster, but that would likely change when armor and various features were added. Fox wondered if the additional armor would be worth the reduced mobility. Fox also wondered how good the ai was going to be. Fox had had her share of faulty aiming ai.
About ten minutes later, the tank stopped and Fox and Fara switched places. While Fara drove, Fox tried to fire at the targets. The first ten shots missed. Fox made adjustments to her aim and timing after every miss, eventually hitting a target on her eleventh try. The twelfth, thirteenth, and fourteenth shots hit, but the fifteenth and sixteenth missed. Soon, Fara stopped and the test was over.
"The driving and cannon were pretty good." Fox told Fara.
"For the next test, I was thinking we could add a coaxial machine gun and anti-air capabilities." Fara told Fox, "What are your thoughts?"
"As long as it doesn't kill mobility." Fox told her, "Though maybe we could have a heavy "main" variant and a light variant for flanking, scouting, etc. As long as I get a fast tank. I'm too used to not getting hit."
"We'll keep it faster than the current fastest Land Master version." Fara assured Fox, "We'll discuss different versions later. For now, we have the new Blue Marine prototype to test out."
Fox followed Fara into a large room with a large water-filled hole in the middle. Inside the hole was the Blue Marine prototype. Fox opened the hatch and climbed inside.
"It's a little cramped." Fox told Fara over the intercom.
"It's to reduce its size." Fara assured Fox, "Makes the sub go faster, go in smaller places, and harder to hit."
Fox reluctantly closed the hatch and fought the feeling of claustrophobia. There was less room than inside a coffin. Fox pushed a lever down and the sub slowly sank into the water. While the sub had radar, Fox could see clearly through the small forward and side windows.
"How does it feel?" Fara asked.
"My Arwing was roomier." Fox told her, "Does it have to be so cramped?"
"The designers wanted it 'compact'." Fara explained, "Try navigating the submarine testing tank. It's designed to survive collisions without a scratch as well as the bottom of the ocean, so you'll be fine."
Fox navigated the tank until she found herself in a dark area. She tried to find a button or switch to turn on a light, but soon realized the sub had no external lights. She noticed her sonar provided just enough information to "see" what was in front of the sub.
"This thing needs headlights." Fox told Fara.
"I'll tell the designers." Fara assured Fox, "I thought they'd add one when they built it to reach the dark bottom of the ocean."
Fox carefully navigated the dark area, crashing hard into a few large obstacles the sonar failed to pick up.
"I'd call this an underwater coffin, but coffins are roomier." Fox told Fara, "The sonar still leaves me practically blind in the dark."
Fox eventually left the dark area and surfaced the sub.
"How was it?" Fara asked Fox.
"It sucked." Fox complained, "The already cramped current Blue Marine was spacious compared to that death trap and the sonar left a lot to be desired."
"I guess you're lucky we're done for the day." Fara told Fox, "I suppose we should meet up with the others."
Fara looked at her communicator and saw she had an unread message.
"Wait here." Fara told Fox as she walked into another room. Five minutes later, she came out wearing a suit similar to Krystal's and holding a bag containing her clothes.
"We've developed a hybrid suit based on Krystal's armor and what we could decipher from your suit." Fara explained, "It can even protect the wearer from space if they put on a helmet and a life-support system."
Fox couldn't help but notice the suit brought attention to the chest and rear.
"Yeah, the other designers thought aesthetics were important." Fara explained, "I can see you like it. Why should you and Krystal be the only eye candy in our trio?"
Fox and Fara left the building and walked to their Arwings. Krystal climbed out of Fox's Arwing and greeted the duo. She was stunned when she saw Fara's new suit.
"Do you like it?" Fara asked, "It's the latest light-armor suit prototype. We'll even be able to upgrade your suit after we collect some data."
Krystal didn't know what to say.
"Do you mind if I borrow Fox for a bit?" Fara asked, "We'll be back for more fun in the Great Fox later."
"Sure." Krystal wondered what Fara had in mind, but it wasn't unheard of for 'thirds' to spend some quality alone time with one of the future spouses. Krystal trusted Fox would remain loyal to her in the end. And if Fox proved to be untrustworthy, it would be better to find out before the wedding.
Krystal climbed into her Arwing and flew back to the Great Fox. Fara, meanwhile, sat down in her cockpit and then motioned for Fox to sit on her lap. After the canopy closed, Fara immediately buckled the pair's seatbelts.
"Experimental two-person seatbelts." Fara explained as her auto-pilot began piloting the ship to a pre-programmed location, "Now let's have some fun."
"What kind of fun?" Fox asked.
"Nothing Krystal wouldn't approve of." Fara replied, "Krystal explained a little more about this 'third' thing. Don't worry. After I have some 'fun' with my favorite vixen, I'll have some time with my favorite vixen's fiance."
After they had travelled some distance away from Corneria, the Arwing stopped, the seatbelts unbuckled and retracted, and the seat folded back into the cargo area, revealing an area large enough to comfortable sleep in.
"Do you think this place is secluded enough?" Fara asked, "We have more than enough fuel to fly outside the Lylat System."
"So, what 'fun' did you have in mind?" Fox asked, curious.
"Have you and Krystal ever 'did it' in zero G?" Fara asked.
"I can't honestly say we have?" Fox answered. Fara grinned as she handed Fox a blue hood connected to a small life-support system. The mouth was sealed, but it was clear it could open. After she donned the hood, Fara made sure it was sealed tightly to Fox's suit before donning her own hood.
"Are you sure about this?" Fox asked as the air was sucked out of the cockpit. Once the cockpit was devoid of air, Fara opened the cockpit and the pair left the ship.
"Krystal was clear what our relationship was." Fara explained, "We might not be future spouses, but I'm much more than a girlfriend or mistress."
Fox could mentally sense Fara's growing desire.
"I've always wanted to 'do it' in space." Fara told Fox, "Not in a ship or space station, but during an actual space walk with our suits the only things protecting us from a horrible death. And the only people aware of this are us and Krystal."
"Krystal?" Fox asked, unsure of what Fara meant.
"Sounds exciting." Fox heard Krystal's voice say from a speaker in her hood, "Don't disappoint. That tongue is mine once my belt comes off and I don't want you inexperienced."
"You're listening to this?" Fox asked, shocked.
"It's the best way to enjoy it without making things crowded over there." Krystal explained, "Make sure to go in deep."
Fox grabbed Fara and began moving toward her legs. As soon as the front of Fox's mask touched the crotch of Fara's suit, the mask attached securely to the suit. Special doors in the mask and suit opened, granting Fox access to Fara's womanhood.
Back on the Great Fox, Krystal listened as Fox got started pleasuring Fara. She wondered who was enjoying it more and fantasized being in Fara's position. If she hadn't already promised to unlock her on their honeymoon, she wondered if she should keep Fox locked permanently. Fox clearly felt pleasure in giving others pleasure. She knew the frustrated Fox would channel her frustration into pleasing Krystal.
But Krystal knew she couldn't deprive herself of Fox's loins. It was a nice kinky fantasy, but great fantasies don't always make the best realities. For about a half-hour, Fox and Fara were finished. Krystal saved the recording and put the VR set away.
Krystal could feel her loins aching for attention. She smiled, knowing Fox would eventually have to make up for weeks of frustration and Krystal was going to make sure those weeks were more than made up for.
As Krystal hid the VR set in case certain non-vixens went snooping, Fox's hood and Fara's suit resealed themselves and detached. As the pair held onto each other, Fox used her heel's thrusters to move them back toward the Arwing. As soon as they were back inside, Fara closed the canopy and repressurized the cockpit.
"I need to add these modifications to my Arwing." Fox told her, "They'd be great for longer missions away from the Great Fox."
"Or maybe I could develop a new model." Fara suggested, "The current Arwings would be great for the regular military, possibly elite units if it's too expensive for all pilots, but we deverve the best. Especially you."
As Fox sat on Fara's lap, Fara raised the back of the seat and buckled the seatbelts and reactivated the auto-pilot, telling it to fly back to the Great Fox. As soon as they landed, they left the Arwing and headed toward the recreation room. There, they were greeted by a visibly disturbed Falco and Lucy.
"What happened?" Fara asked the bird and bunny.
"Falco decided to see if he could modify an old communicator to listen in on other secure lines." Lucy explained, "Falco read through Slippy's old notes and decided he would have more success than the toad."
"So what happened?" Fara asked.
"He succeeded, but you guys were the only ones in range." Lucy replied, "He tried shutting it off, but the off switch wouldn't work and the casing was too durable to break. We heard everything."
"It picked up video." Falco added, "Why is there a camera in your suit? What purpose could it serve?... Don't answer that."
Falco and Lucy walked to their rooms, eyes still wide with shock. Fox and Fara sat down.
"I wasn't expecting that." Fox told Fara, "Since Falco's too proud for therapy, I'm guessing he'll he heading back to Panther soon."
"I wonder how Lucy's handling it." Fara told Fox, "She looked just as distraught as Falco."
"I sensed it was a little more complicated for her." Fox explained, "It's probably best to let her work it out herself or go to therapy."
"What's up with those two?" Krystal asked the other vixens.
"Falco accidentally picked up transmissions from our suits." Fox explained, "He and Lucy heard everything."
"Some people react differently." Krystal surmised.
"I suppose we'd react similarly if we accidentally heard Falco and Panther making love." Fox told Krystal.
"You, maybe." Krystal told Fox, "In my village, let's just say it was incredibly easy to see some things and you learned not to dwell on it. Whatever they do with each other can't be any worse than what I've stumbled onto. I learned to appreciate those who were a little more vocal."
"I'm fortunate to have never had to learn how I would have reacted." Fara told the pair.
"I'll be in space for a bit." Falco told them as he headed toward the hangar.
"Say hi to Panther to me." Fox told him. Falco paused for a moment.
"Telepathy." Fox reminded Falco, who grew visibly more upset, "I'm kidding. You're just a little easy to predict sometimes."
"Just don't record your 'fun time'." Falco told her.
"But how else was I supposed to watch?" Krystal inquired, "Even if I was there, their flesh would be in the way of their flesh."
"Just don't." Falco told her, "There's no need to watch. You're going to be participating again in a few weeks."
"Unfortunately, you're not the leader." Krystal pointed out, "But we'll be more discreet about it."
Falco hurried to his Arwing, hoping to clear his head once he was away from the vixens.
"I hope he has fun." Fox told the others.
"I know he will." Krystal told her, "I know he's going to have a lot of fun."
"So, what do you guys want to do now?" Fara asked.
"Let's just hang out for now." Krystal told the others, "And maybe I can have some 'space fun' later on."
Fara perked up. While she was satisfied, she was already preparing herself for more. That moment, she was glad she wasn't locked up like the others.