Author's Note:

If you've already read Act II when I first posted it, feel free to skip the next forty-something chapters! In comparison to Act I, which was mostly new content, Act II isn't that different. It's certainly improved and features a lot of edits, but there's only a few new scenes, and the plot details haven't changed that much. Read if you want, but do know I'll be posting a summary of Acts I and II later, so you can just skip the rewrites and refresh yourself before Act III when the time comes.

Obviously, if you're new to the story, read on for Act II! I'll be posting batches of four chapters every two weeks.

Mission No. 29

Lilith System
Gate Exit Point

"Arrival"

ㅤ⨭ㅤ

Fox shouldn't have been surprised when he saw it, but it shocked him all the same. There, floating like an immense marble outside the bridge window, loomed the alien planet of Cerinia—at least, he assumed it was Cerinia, for the side facing them lay cloaked in shadow. Fox flew the Great Fox east along the equator, ready to meet the rising sun as it rose above the night hemisphere.

In a few moments, the star of the alien system crowned the celestial sphere with an angelic halo. The pale jewel of Lilith crested the horizon, shooting brilliant pillars of light in each cardinal direction. Slowly, the sun rose above the curvature of the planet. Its rays revealed snow-capped mountains and towering pillars of clouds by the streaks of shadows they cast—as well as the beautiful ring system and moon that circled the planet. Soon they passed into the daylight side of Cerinia, and the ringed, blue-and-purple marble loomed beneath them in all its mysterious beauty.

"I can't believe it's real," Krystal said from the seat beside his, aloud. "It's prettier than Corneria, or Aquas; even prettier than I remember it being in our vision."

"Seeing it in a dream is one thing," Fox agreed, "but really seeing it float in front of you is something else. Somehow I feel like… the fact that it's real means everything we did up to this point was right. Like we were destined to visit, or… something."

He glanced at the navigation robot standing beside him. "ROB, can you put us in contact with anyone down there? Like, an orbital defense post or a planetside control tower? I don't want them to see an alien war machine approaching and get the wrong idea."

"Attempting to make contact…"

For several tense minutes, the Great Fox sent radio messages out and scanned the planet's surface and nearby airspace. Krystal sat gawking at the gorgeous planet, twin crescents of sunrise reflected in her eyes. Fox meanwhile gripped his armrests nervously, waiting for some response. What kind of Cerinian would answer him? A space or air traffic controller? Someone from a military outpost? A private citizen, or a maniacal despot?

"No one has answered our hail," ROB finally buzzed. "If there is anyone down there, they either do not possess radios powerful enough to respond, or intentionally remained quiet."

Fox didn't like the sound of that; Peppy's description of Cerinia made it seem modern. "Well, what did scanners turn up?" he asked.

"No orbital defense stations: no active control towers. They may not be a spacefaring civilization."

"Then, did you find anything?"

"Negative. Scans revealed no current signs of life."

Fox felt a shiver worm its way down his spine. Now when he looked at Cerinia, he no longer saw a beautiful haven spinning in the void; he saw a foreboding ghost of a planet instead. It took on an eerie aura, and his unease did not escape Krystal.

"There's no one down there?" she asked, worry tinging her voice.

"We can't entirely rule that out until we get closer to the surface." He sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose. "But where the hell do we go…?"

"Perhaps this will help," ROB spoke again. "We received a new message during our escape run. I mentioned it at the time, but you were somewhat preoccupied with the Cornerians."

The todd's ears twitched, and he reluctantly tore his eyes off the majestic planet, narrowing them. "Let me guess… our anonymous friend again?"

"Most likely. This time they transmitted a flight log for a Space Dynamics passenger shuttle."

A flight log? He raised an eyebrow. "Alright, show it to me."

"You're not going to like it…"

ROB pulled up the flight log on the bridge holodeck. Sure enough, it belonged to one of Space Dynamics passenger shuttles: one registered eight years prior. The exhaustive list logged everything: cargo, weight, fuel use, flight path, and even its pilot's license—and that was what raised Fox's hopes the most. He navigated through the data till he found the license of the last person to use the shuttle.

But rather than feel elated, his blood ran cold when the image loaded, and Krystal began to squirm in her seat. The license was in the name of Dr. Wolfgang Andross; the bastard's smug face stared back at both of them. Fox couldn't help but bristle at the sight, while Krystal looked away completely. On instinct, he reached up to cup his forehead, anticipating the usual migraine—but thankfully he'd jumped the gun this time.

"Fox!" Krystal gasped. "Is that…?"

"It's fine; he's been dead for a year. This is an old photo—but why would someone send the flight log of his shuttle to me?" He looked at ROB. "You've already analyzed it, right? What did you find?"

"The two last recorded flights were both authorized using Dr. Andross's personal license. You can see a list of cargo here, but note that nothing is unusual. Biometrics indicate there was one other person aboard the shuttle with him, although it is likely impossible to learn their identity."

"Where'd they go?"

"It would appear their destination was Cerinia." He pulled up their working map of the planet—one which the Great Fox continually updated with each new scan. A reticule appeared in the southern hemisphere. "The coordinates indicate the shuttle landed here. The next day, it took off again—but the second passenger did not make the return trip to Lylat. They were left behind."

Fox rubbed a hand over his muzzle, turning back to study the blue-and-purple marble. "So Andross ran to Cerinia after Bolse Y's meltdown—maybe to evade capture. But why would this person send me his flight log? So I could retrace his steps?"

"Perhaps to meet them?" ROB suggested.

After considering for a moment, he shook his head. "No, that's unlikely. They were still in Lylat when they sent the message, meaning they have no way of meeting us on Cerinia—not unless they manage to make the gate jump like we did, and I'm pretty sure the gate will be on lockdown for a while now. No, they want me to take Krystal somewhere where they can't go."

At the sound of her name, Krystal glanced over at him hopefully. "Me? Where?"

He shrugged. "Maybe they know where your family is? Or maybe it has something to do with Andross's mystery passenger…"

Fox trailed off, heart beginning to fill with a silly, stupid thought. What if…? No, that would be impossible. She was dead. But they had never recovered her body—how could they, if the entire Bolse-Y satellite exploded? Yet if she had gone missing eight years ago, and Andross managed to escape with someone to Cerinia just before the satellite melted down… Could he dare to hope?

When Fox's silence stretched on, ROB offered, "Shall I fly us to the coordinates?"

He blinked, returning to the present. "No—hide us in the ring system for now. I want to make a few orbits and scout the nearby area first; make sure it's safe before we scare anyone with a heavily-armored dreadnought. Peppy did say Cerinia was a 'forbidden planet,' and—"

He glanced out at the mysterious planet.

"…I don't want to alert whatever might be down there…"

ㅤ⧲ㅤ

Bill stood in the Orbital Gate's docking bay, hands clasped behind him. He looked on as a top-of-the-line Cornerian cruiser lumbered into the bay. Though he didn't recognize the ship, he was expecting a particular someone aboard it.

It was a brand-new model, unlike any he had seen during the war. It looked a hell of a lot more powerful than the average cruiser, even with its smaller build. It was also sleeker and more aesthetically-designed than the boring utilitarian models he was used to seeing, as if it also served a ceremonial function: one more fitting of a flagship than a mere cruiser. He couldn't help but imagine himself at the helm of such a magnificent creature, the entire crew at his beck and call as he directed them into battle.

…But the icy fingers of dread began to claw at him, and that daydream evaporated into thin air. Given his recent failure in capturing Fox, he was likely to get demoted in rank rather than find himself commanding a ship like that. Now, rather than admiring the feat of Cornerian engineering, he just wished the ship would hurry up and dock already so he could get this meeting over with.

Several pairs of steel claws locked the cruiser in place, and hisses of steam and hydraulics blasted through relief valves. A service ramp extended to the cruiser's loading bay and the airlock opened to accept it. A contingent of Cornerian soldiers emerged, headed by the one man Bill looked up to, and the one man he feared the most.

When they descended the ramp, Bill greeted the hound, but he found it difficult to keep his nervousness in check. "Welcome aboard the Orbital Gate, General Pepper."

Pepper returned Bill's salute before waving his men on. "Thank you, Captain."

Whew, still captain! Bill sighed inwardly. At least that was a good sign…

"Come, walk with me. Admire this fine specimen of Cornerian ingenuity while it's still fresh off the shipyard."

Bill could only half-glance at the impressive ship their gradual walk orbited. He was mostly focused on the general's back, trying to read any hint he could from it. The very fact that Pepper walked a few steps ahead of him perhaps signaled a break from their usual relationship; he thought back to the time the hound shared breakfast with him, fearing something had changed since then.

"A remarkable ship, isn't it?"

"Hm?" Bill blinked. "Oh, yes sir! Very remarkable…"

"The result of another fruitful collaboration between Space Dynamics and Phoenix Corp. You might even say they were showing off with this one! Pity it wasn't finished before the war ended; if it was, our enemies would've been crushed much, much sooner—but it's good to have this Venomian business finally behind us. Soon, we won't have to utter Venom or Andross's names ever again—except in the history books."

"Yes, I'm glad those war criminals were finally brought to justice. I wish I could have been present for their execution."

Pepper nodded. "Mm, yes, but you had more important business to attend to here…"

Bill flinched; the subject had finally turned to the elephant in the room. Just get it over with already…

"Unfortunately, I must say I'm disappointed with your performance, Bill. That's twice now that McCloud has eluded you."

His tail tucked between his legs. "I'm sorry, sir. I'm utterly ashamed of my failure and I regret the damage it's caused to the recovery effort." He stopped short of saying, it won't happen again, because he didn't want to press his luck.

"True, it may set back the recovery effort," Pepper began. "But perhaps some good may come of your failure. I had a talk with the research team and they think this might turn out in our favor."

Bill's eyebrows raised. "I'd like more than anything to believe that sir, but how?"

"Perhaps it's time I explained a little more to you…"

When they reached the deck in front of the ship's bridge, Pepper halted. He turned and faced the steel plates and reinforced glass windows, hands clasped behind him.

"As I've already explained, the research subject McCloud kidnapped was part of an experiment to unlock psychic powers. 28 is one of the last few test subjects, and certainly the one with the most potential. However, unlocking that potential has proven rather… difficult."

"If you don't mind me asking, sir, where is Fox taking 28?"

Pepper sighed and let his pause drag on, looking reluctant to reveal so much.

"28 and the other subjects aren't from Lylat at all. They're from a neighboring star system called the 'Lilith System.' It contains the closest habitable planet to Lylat: Cerinia. We reached the planet many years ago when stress-testing Beltino's gate. When we found the planet and first made contact, it was hoped we could foster good relations between our peoples; but the natives of Cerinia fell to warring amongst themselves, which forced us to evacuate. 28 was an orphan creature we rescued at the outbreak of the conflict. The researchers hope that returning to its home planet might trigger the awakening of its full potential. Your blunder of letting McCloud escape may indeed prove a boon to us in the long run."

Bill was shocked by the revelation; he couldn't believe they'd actually made contact with an alien system. Then his hopes began to raise from the sheer fact that Pepper was revealing so much to him. There had to be a purpose to this: some future involvement for him—else, why take him into his confidence?

"Then… is there a place for me in the Cerinia project?" he asked.

"Though you failed to capture one single pilot, you've demonstrated that you were indeed willing and eager to capture Fox, unlike your last encounter where you hesitated. You've proven to me that you are determined to bring him to justice, regardless of your prior history with the McCloud boy. Yes, Bill, I will indeed give you one last chance."

"Th-thank you, sir!"

Pepper held up a gloved finger. "But don't squander it. Remember, this is what McCloud has done with all my generous chances to reform; he's gone and thrown them away." The hound clapped a hand on Bill's shoulder. "Don't follow in his same path, Bill Grey."

The bulldog's spirits were soaring now, his stress abated. "Please sir, what can I do to help?"

"Seeing as how we are in this situation because of your… negligence, it is only fitting that you pick up the pieces of your own mistakes. I can think of no better person to lead 28's recovery effort than you."

"I won't let you down again, sir!"

"Oh, I'm confident you won't; too much is riding on it. You will assemble a task force from your units and Space Dynamics; an esteemed company scientist will guide you. Together, you will scour Cerinia for the fugitives. Don't come back to me until you've recovered Fox and the subject."

"Yes sir!"

Pepper gave him one last nod, which he returned with the best damn salute he could muster. The general turned to leave Bill standing there, but before he was out of earshot he called back, "Oh, by the way Bill; she's all yours."

Bill stood dumbfounded in the docking bay, watching as Pepper left. "…She?"

Slowly he turned and looked back at the behemoth of a Cornerian cruiser.

"Holy—!"

Hydraulics hissed as the door to the personnel airlock slid open. Bill marched inside, footsteps ringing out as his boots struck the metal floor.

"Welcome aboard the Justice, Captain Grey!" a beagle officer saluted him.

Bill returned the salute and swiveled his head to take in all of the Cornerian cruiser he could. Lieutenants Miyu Lynx and Fay Spaniel clambered aboard shortly after him, their jaws opening in awe as they studied the interior. Eager to board behind them waited the rest of Husky and Bulldog units, their gear in hand.

"Say, you really are getting up in the world!" Fay said while looking around.

Miyu spoke in a quiet voice so that the others couldn't hear. "Yeah, the last thing I expected Pepper to do was give you your own ship. Looks like that meeting couldn't have gone any better, huh?"

"Like I said, the general's a gracious man. He's strict when he needs to be, but he still cares about his men."

The beagle officer that initially greeted him left his post to stand in front of Bill. "Lieutenant Baines at your service. Glad to have you aboard, sir! If I may, I'm scheduled to give you a tour of the ship."

"Proceed, Lieutenant," Bill said, struggling to mask his excitement.

The officer bowed his head slightly before he turned to lead Bill, Miyu, and Fay down the passageway. Bill felt like he was walking on clouds; he could never have predicted such a positive turn of events for himself. The rest of the troops in Bill's command fell in line behind them, but they couldn't conceal their awe at the impressive ship they marched through.

From outside, the Justice looked sleeker and more appealing than any of the past Cornerian cruisers. Most larger battleships were manufactured on short notice after the outbreak of the war, and therefore visual design was the least of their concerns—an afterthought, even. The Justice's design, on the other hand, made Bill think it served an ornamental purpose: perhaps a flagship with a ceremonial function.

The more he saw of the interior, however, the more he realized he was wrong.

Stationed along the outer wall of the passageway were gunnery posts made for broadsiding other ships. While the cannons were compact enough to fit the sleek cruiser, they were deceptively small; Bill's brow raised at their large caliber.

The hangar they passed was mostly empty, but Baines' crew was already bustling about in lime-green jumpsuits. Bill was impressed by how spacious it was; the hangar stretched between the port and starboard sides of the cruiser and could easily fit both unit's fighter craft with room to spare—a good thing, too, for they needed every inch of the bay for their cutting-edge search equipment. Cranes and robotic arms were already loading the ships of both Husky and Bulldog units into the docking bay; he looked on with pride as they carefully lowered his own newly-painted ship to the deck.

In addition to their vessels, gate crewmen loaded rack-upon-rack of surveillance drones into the hangar; there must have been thousands of the basketball-sized, onyx-black robots in all—but they'd need that exorbitant a number to adequately search the planet for Cerinian 28. Lastly, the workers loaded the hangar with a dozen, folded-up observation satellites—each capable of providing a bird's-eye view of vast swathes of the planet from geostationary orbit.

Next, Lieutenant Baines led them through the galley and mess-hall. Bill's men especially gawked in wonder at the stainless-steel utensils and polished surfaces they could almost see their reflections in. Everything was spotless; in fact, they'd never seen a kitchen or mess hall so pristine and untouched. It looked as if it had never been used before, which was almost the case. Already, shiny silver pots rattled on burners, steam rose from boiling pans, and skillets sizzled with frying grub. The smells that wafted from the galley mercilessly teased their nostrils and stomachs.

A group of Bill's men whispered among themselves and seemed to come to an agreement. They marched up to Bill and saluted him.

"Sir! We volunteer for KP duty!"

Bill placed his hands on his hips and burst out laughing.

"We're serious sir!" another soldier spoke up. "When's the next inspection we can fail so we're sent here?"

"Don't worry; knowing you, I'm sure it won't be long!" Bill jabbed them.

Baines took note of the conversation and struggled to suppress a smile. "Actually, the Justice is already equipped with a service crew. Your men will mostly serve in combat and surveillance positions."

"Still, if your guys ever need a break…" the first soldier added, looking hungrily at the galley.

"If I may sir, why don't you release your men for lunch?" the beagle suggested. "We officers can finish touring the ship alone."

"Baines, that sounds like a good idea," Bill agreed. "Alright men, you're dismissed for lunch—but when I come back I want this place looking just as spotless as when it came out of the shipyard! We've been gifted a beautiful vessel, which is more than you lot of mixed-breed mutts ever deserved. Let's keep it from looking like the rest of our rusted buckets o' bolts. Company, dismissed!"

His men lined up in front of the galley, while a few of his officers, including Miyu and Fay, stayed with him. They followed Lieutenant Baines to the rear of the ship where the bridge jutted out above the stern. The command room outright stunned Bill; it was outfitted with all the cutting-edge advancements produced from the last war. The crew's stations were loaded with the newest technology for remote viewing, tracking, and targeting positions, as well as advanced holoscreen projectors that Bill wished he could personally own in his living room. Finally, placed above the crew pits and surrounded by controls and viewing screens, stood his very own captain's chair. It almost looked like a throne for a king, and Bill's spirits soared when his eyes alighted on it.

All of this was his to command.

Miyu stood at his side and whistled, while Fay said, "Wow, isn't this a bit… excessive, just for hunting down McCloud?"

Bill shook his head. "I know it looks that way, but you have to understand what we're up against. The Great Fox is one of the most powerful dreadnoughts in existence, and Fox is Lylat's best pilot; it'll take all of us to bring him in alive. He's also kidnapped one of Andross's bioweapons with… certain powers, and we don't know their true limit yet. Nor do we know what lies on the other side of that gate after all these years."

"Geez, they're really tight-lipped about this," Miyu grumbled.

"That's to be expected. The Cerinia Project is one of the most secretive programs the military has; I understand Pepper's desire to keep it under wraps. I expect to be briefed in due time, but the rest of you might be kept in the dark for as long as possible."

"And how long will that be?" Fay asked, suppressing a whine.

"Until the general deems it necessary. You may not hear anything significant until we make the gate jump, when outside communication will be impossible and there won't be any leaks."

She raised an eyebrow. "You don't really know, do you?"

Bill sighed. "No, but that's my best guess."

Lieutenant Baines cleared his throat behind them. "If it makes you feel any better, I haven't been fully briefed on the mission, either. I don't have much more information than you."

An electric chime rang, and another officer's voice spoke over the ship's intercom. "Captain Grey, your presence is requested in the hangar bay. Repeat: Captain Grey, your presence is requested in the hangar bay."

"What's that about?" Fay asked.

"I have a hunch the General Dynamics representative has arrived," Bill informed them. "Pepper told me he'd be coming."

"You think it might be Beltino himself?" the spaniel's tail began to wag.

Bill smiled as he remembered meeting Slippy's exuberant father during one or two post-war social events. "One can only hope. But you should return to the mess-hall and get your lunch; I'll stop by as soon as this matter is taken care of."

"Alright, but you better hurry," Miyu joked. "Before Fay eats it all, of course."

"Hey!"

Bill entered the hangar bay right as the research shuttle landed. The craft still bore the old Space Dynamics emblem: a blue S in a circular shape, with the bottom curve forming the D. An Arwing soared above the top of the letters, as if it had finished writing them in the sky. During the Lylat Wars, the Arwing was a great tool for marketing. Now with Fox's fall from grace, however, it was a good thing the company merged with Phoenix Corp so they could rebrand without it.

Bill approached the shuttle and planted himself a few yards away, clasping his hands behind his back. The spacecraft extended its landing gear and delicately settled onto the floor. A boarding ramp descended to the deck, and the shuttle doors opened with a hiss. Bill looked up expectantly, searching for Beltino's squat silhouette against the bright backdrop of the shuttle's interior—but he couldn't find him. Instead, a female form with a bushy tail appeared in the doorway. When she emerged from the cloud of exhaust, Bill was greeted with a vixen between thirty and forty years of age. Her fur was a dark carmine red, and her auburn hair sat in a neat bun on her head. She wore a pencil skirt and white dress shirt while carrying a tablet under one arm.

She paused for a moment at the top of the ramp, head swiveling as if looking for someone. When her eyes alighted on Bill, she nodded to herself and descended the ramp towards him.

Her appearance surprised him; she was the complete opposite of what he expected. All he managed to splutter out when she stopped in front of him was, "B-Beltino?"

The vixen cocked her head and raised an eyebrow.

Realizing his blunder, the captain did his best to recover. "I-I mean, is Beltino Toad with you? I was expecting him."

"I'm sorry, but he's not assigned to this mission. The research director is still needed for the Venom Reclamation Directive." When she spoke, her voice sounded dark in tone, yet smooth in quality; as if she could lull him to sleep. "I am his assistant, Dr. Marjorie Makepeace."

She extended her paw and Bill took it. For an instant he was tempted to kiss it as if she were from a prominent family; such was the effect she had on him. But instead he gave a gentle handshake. "Captain Bill Grey of the Justice. Pleased to meet you. My ship is in your service, Doctor."

"Thank you, Captain…" She withdrew her paw and adjusted the tablet beneath her arm, "…but we have met once before."

Bill raised an eyebrow. "I thought your voice sounded familiar. Your name rings a bell, too. You're not the woman who—?"

She nodded, bowing slightly. "One and the same. I helped guide you through Venom's labs the day the empire fell—though you only ever heard my voice. I am here to handle the Cerinian we will use to locate 28. I know you were perhaps expecting someone of a more… prominent rank, but I assure you I am more than qualified."

"Oh, forgive me!" Bill rushed to say. "It was my mistake for assuming. Beltino Toad is an acquaintance of mine; I was only looking forward to catching up with him. I don't doubt your qualifications if he sent you."

Dr. Makepeace grinned. "Well, just so there is no doubt, I will clarify. I am the assistant research director at General Dynamics. Lately I have overseen the Cerinia Project, so I will have the best experience in handling and caring for the research subjects in this mission. I will also be much help with McCloud; I doubled as his personal therapist after the war, and I understand the mental strain he is currently under."

Bill's expression brightened. "That's a relief to hear; I've been really worried about him after… all this. We used to be close friends at the Academy and even fought several battles together, but… I can't help but think Fox is a completely different person now. This just isn't him. It sounds like, if anyone can bring the old Fox back, you can."

"Yes, well, PTSD can make one act in irrational ways. I'm afraid he hasn't been taking the medications prescribed to him, which explains why he has delusional hysteria and behaves compulsively—but restraining McCloud is only one of our goals."

Behind the vixen, General Dynamics staff began unloading cargo and equipment from the shuttle, and the hangar crew rushed to help them.

"I'm not sure how much General Pepper briefed you before he departed, but 28 is essential to the success of the Cerinia Project; which may be the key to saving Lylat from post-war collapse. The potential to save billions of lives from poverty and ruin is riding on this project."

"Oh, of course! I understand that 28's capture is just as important."

"Good. At first, my superiors at General Dynamics were worried her escape would set the project too far back; time is precious, you see. But I convinced them that 28's escape may be a blessing in disguise."

He cocked his head. "The general explained a little of that, but how so?"

"Cerinians are a unique species with psychic abilities. However, these powers are locked inside their minds and need to be coaxed out. Andross's method was… brutal, to say the least. He tried to forcefully gestate their powers using pain…"

Bill noticed her eyes seemed to stare off into the hangar, looking at nothing in particular at this point.

"Obviously, methods like this are immoral and why he was exiled in the first place—but 28's return to her home planet may have a potent effect on her psyche. She can meet more of her people and develop her powers among them, while also recuperating from the suffering she experienced under cruel hands."

Dr. Makepeace looked back at Bill and cleared her throat. "Still, Cerinia is a perilous world where many evils can befall her. What exactly those threats are, I will explain to you in due time. Just know that they are like nothing you have ever faced. They are the reason you were gifted with such a powerful and advanced ship. After all, these extra soldiers are not for subduing McCloud."

Bill gave her a confused look. "I'm sorry? I thought Fox was our biggest threat. It's imperative that you help me capture him for the crimes he committed against—"

Dr. Makepeace threw her head back, laughing. When she finished she smiled at him, but something about her eyes put him on edge.

"Ahh, you young soldiers have so much to prove. I know of your recent failures, Captain; you are desperate to capture McCloud and redeem yourself in Pepper's eyes. But let there be no mistake," she pointed to herself emphatically, "I am a civilian contractor; not another one of your military subordinates to be pushed around. I give orders, not take them—but I will often defer to your judgement because of the different knowledge and skills you possess. This is a joint venture, but let it be clear the general gave me the final say in all matters involving the Cerinians."

"I-I'm confused," Bill stuttered as he looked into her fiery eyes. "I thought Fox was our main—"

The vixen shook her head. "McCloud is our secondary objective; 28 is our primary. I will not have you jeopardizing my mission because of a personal vendetta against your friend. If he should interfere with the project in any way that puts 28 in danger, he is to be terminated."

Bill's eyes widened, but Makepeace only nodded.

"Oh yes, McCloud is completely disposable." She leaned in closer to Bill, fixing him with her lime green eyes. "Are we clear?"

The canid was taken aback, but he quickly recovered and bowed slightly. "Yes, ma'am," he said with a cold edge.

"Good." The vixen sighed. "We are not enemies, Captain, but I need you to understand the dire consequences if this mission should fail. It is also imperative that we have our roles delineated—just so there is no confusion about the chain of command. I will respect your authority over the ship and her crew, so long as you accept my advice and respect my control over matters concerning the Cerinians."

Bill set his jaw. "…I understand. Will that be all, Dr. Makepeace?"

The vixen pivoted to look behind her, checking the workers' progress unloading the shuttle. "Yes, for now. Once we have our supplies transferred, and your military equipment is finished loading, we may leave for Cerinia." Her eyes rose to the shuttle ramp as a new group appeared in the doorway. "Subject 19 is disembarking now. It will be your duty to protect her during the mission; she is a valuable asset, necessary for finding 28." Her eyes flicked back to Bill. "Please, see that she's safely protected, Captain."

Bill watched as 19 descended the ramp. Two Cornerian guards dressed in heavy combat armor marched in front of her, while two walked behind. The Cerinian wore an odd-looking hospital gown that doubled as a straitjacket; the sleeves were extremely long and dragged against the floor as she walked, while black clasps bound her arms together in front. The gown's hem ended above her knees, but her legs still bore similar black clasps that could easily lock together to further restrict her movement. Her feet and lower legs were bare, and her claws clacked against the steel floor as she walked.

"Is she… safe?" Bill asked, eyes focused on the young vixen.

"Most of her powers are now dormant, but we must be wary." Makepeace raised an eyebrow to him. "I understand that you've met her before, under less than favorable circumstances? In fact, she may owe you her life for not immediately gunning her down. Well, she is in your charge now, Captain: Pepper's orders. But I will be nearby in case any… anomalies do occur."

Subject 19 and the four guards marched past. The young Cerinian kept her eyes down, avoiding Bill's stare. The captain couldn't help but think back to when he'd found her covered in blood and cowering on the floor of Venom's labs.

As she passed, time seemed to slow for a second. When nearly parallel with Bill, her eyes darted up to meet his, and they shared a brief moment together. Regardless of what the doctor said about her powers, Bill felt a static current racing up his spine. She may not have been psychic anymore, but all the same, he felt an eerie aura surrounding the girl.

19 slowed, coming to a stop a few paces behind him. She turned her head to look back over her shoulder, lips parting as if struggling to say something, but she didn't know what. Then as quickly as it began, the exchange ended, and the guards whisked her away, marching her deeper into the prison that was the Justice.