Fox could see it from where he was, and he had rarely witnessed something so beautiful. The explosive charge he had fired at the Bulwark had ended in a direct hit, crippling the ship. He watched as it slowly drifted away, out of control and being pulled in by the planet's gravitational power. He then bore witness to the large and powerful explosion that resulted. There was no doubt now, the Dominion had just been defeated. That was one huge weight off his mind. Maybe now further pieces would fall into place.
"Great work, Krystal." Fox spoke to her through the communicator. "Fantastic flying. You did great."
He waited for her answer, but he never got one. Frowning, he tried again. "Krystal, are you there? That was some impressive flying. Are you alright? Did you make it out okay?"
Still there was nothing. He was no longer able to communicate with her. He changed tactics, instead speaking to someone else who might know what was happening. "SAI-TEP, I can't reach Krystal. What's going on?"
Silence.
This was strange. Losing contact with Krystal or Star Fox was not unexpected, forces were always conspiring against them there. However, this was the first time he had been cut off from contact with SAI-TEP since she had revealed herself to him.
He clambered out of the cannon's chair, hopping down and landing on the floor with a soft thud as his boots met the metal surface. As he rose to his full height, he found himself aware of how quiet everything was. The cannon had powered down, and the steady hum of energy had died with it. All that remained were the lights. The silence was unnerving.
"SAI-TEP. Are you there?" He asked again. "Krystal? Slippy? Anybody? Is anybody out there? Come in!"
A loud chime chime sounded, nearly causing Fox to jump out of his fur, followed by someone uttering his name. "Fox McCloud."
The unexpected voice startled Fox. He quickly turned from left to right, trying to figure out which direction the voice was coming from. It sounded vaguely familiar, he had heard it somewhere, but he didn't know who it was. It wasn't SAI-TEP, it wasn't Star Fox, it wasn't Fara, Raphael, or Dreyfus. It certainly didn't sound like DARIUS. So who was it? Where were they talking from? Were they in the room with him?
As he scanned the room, he confirmed that he was indeed alone. There was no one in there with him, yet the voice could be heard again! "I must admit, you've done very well, McCloud."
This time, Fox was able to pinpoint the direction the voice was coming from. It was a bit above him. He craned his neck as he looked up, and that's when he saw it. There was a device above him, some sort of sound speaker, allowing someone on the ship's communication system to send messages to whatever part of the ship that he or she wished. Right now, someone was using it to talk to him. "You've certainly proven yourself worthy of your father's name."
Those words made Fox narrow his eyes as he stared at the speaker broadcasting the voice at Fox's location. "Who are you?"
"I was Captain Ezekiel Von Dross. Now we are so much more."
The captain! Now Fox remembered where he had heard the voice from. It was the message that he'd found in the security headquarters, the one that had been meant for Dreyfus. In it, he had sounded irate and practically insane.
The voice now was much more calm and collected than when Fox had heard it last. There was still something off about it, though. The pitch modulated and shifted once in a while. "We have been following your progress for some time now. We're quite impressed."
"We?" Fox arched an eyebrow. "Who's we?"
"In fact, the Many wishes to thank you. You have provided us an opportunity we would not have had without you."
Fox bared his teeth and growled, clenching his fists. He didn't like the way this conversation was going. "What the heck are you talking about?"
"The Dominion ship." The captain's voice continued, calm and cool as he expressed his gratitude. "You just destroyed the only thing keeping us trapped here. And with your friends out of the way, we are free to bring our song to the rest of the galaxy. You, Fox McCloud, have proven yourself the salvation of both the Many and all of Lylat. We will sing of your aid for all of eternity, as we welcome all into the embrace of the Many."
Oh no. Oh no no no no. The terrible truth began to dawn on Fox. "You...you couldn't leave until that ship was gone." He voiced this thought aloud, not really directing it at the captain or anyone else. He swallowed hard, then shook his head. "But I sabotaged the engines! I made sure you couldn't go anywhere!"
"Oh yes, that was quite the hindrance. The warp drive is still offline, regrettably, and it seems that it will be some time yet before it is ready. However, we managed to repair the primary engine nacelles before your team launched their attack. Now, at long last, we are on our way. We move to the heart of the Lylat System, where we shall spread our song, beginning with Corneria. You have redeemed yourself in the eyes of the Many, McCloud."
"Yeah. We'll see about that." Fox reached for his shotgun, which he had propped up against a nearby wall while he had been busy in the cannon. He checked to make sure he was still fully loaded on shells. He was. "You've tried to stop me before. I've taken down everything you've thrown at me. And I'm not alone here, as much as your precious Many wants me to believe. We sabotaged your engines, we destroyed the Bulwark. You're next."
"Such violent tendencies. So typical of one enslaved to the tyranny of individuality. That is what we wished to discuss, McCloud. You are intelligent. Resourceful. Strong. Your vision is narrow, but we believe you can be more than what you are. Surely you can understand the beauty of the Many's gifts."
"You're insane if you think I would ever throw my lot in with any of you." Fox approached the door, pressing the panel, waiting for it to slide open. Once it had, he did a quick scan to make sure that no one was waiting for him, then proceeded through the door. He would make his way to the elevator for now. He wasn't sure what else to do, aside from listen and converse with the captain as he observed Fox. "I've seen what you've done to the crew here. I've seen what they've become, what you've turned them into."
"You lament over their fate, you grieve for the ones you think dead or lost. But they are not. All of them are now part of our song. You cannot understand, Fox McCloud. It is so beautiful. So wondrous. And while any can be added to the mass regardless, it is so much better, more fulfilling, for those who join willingly. The Many wish you to be a part of us."
"Oh really?" Fox scowled as he kept moving, scanning the corridor, looking for threats. "Well, why don't you take me to the Many so I can show them exactly what I think of their little offer?" His grip tightened on his shotgun as he moved, wanting nothing better than to find whatever was at the heart of this Many and just unload into it.
"Why would you choose to lie down with the machine? Why would you choose cold metal over the splendor of flesh?" The captain continued on. His voice was altering in pitch, going up and down just as it did with all of those corrupted by the Many, yet it was not entirely the same. Most of the other hybrids that Fox had encountered seemed conflicted in one way or another. Their actions may have been brutal, but there was still something left of their old selves inside. It was horrific, because it was obvious they had no control over their actions. It created a terrible dichotomy, the stuff that nightmares were made of. He couldn't even begin to imagine what it would be like to be under that influence, to be unable to control one's actions, yet to be completely or at least partially aware of what they were doing or what they had become.
This voice did not betray any such inner conflict or remorse. The voice was calm. Cool. Not quite friendly, but not dripping with menace. It was not cold in the way SAI-TEP's voice was. He was clearly trying to win Fox over with his words.
"The machine cares nothing for you. Surely you have sensed this by now? You are a tool for it. Nothing more. When it is finished with you, it will dispose of you like any other tool. The Many, however, loves their children. We are all loved by the Many. We have purpose. Purpose beyond words. We are so much more."
Fox shook his head again. "I really don't care what you have to say, but I will tell you that I'm not finished here. I'm not leaving until I'm absolutely certain you won't be able to threaten anyone else ever again." Fox found the elevator, pressing the button and waiting for it to open. The panel lit up, but nothing else happened. The door didn't open. "You should be ashamed. You're the captain, you're responsible for these people's lives. And you've betrayed them into becoming little more than nightmares."
"We were afraid you'd say that. It is a shame you cannot see the greater picture. Look at yourself. Look at Lylat. Pain. Disharmony. Malcontent. You desperately cling to your individuality and all of the pain, greed, and horror that comes with it. I can tell you for a fact, it is nothing. Individuality is a chain of servitude to our baser instincts, disguised as freedom. It is the great curse of our species."
Fox knew before he even said anything that arguing with this "captain" was pointless, yet he could not resist responding. "Individuality and independence may lead to trouble at times, but it's what makes us who we are. As individuals, we can think for ourselves. We've got our own wants, our own tastes." He paused for a moment, thinking about his words. An image came to mind, a thought that cemented his convictions.
He thought of Krystal. He thought of the dream he had of her before all this mess started. He thought of how beautiful she was, of how much he wanted to be with her again, to tell her how he felt. It wasn't just Krystal. It was his team. They were all so different from one another. Falco was a bit surly at times, but he was a good guy. He was independent, yet there was never a more loyal friend in the entire galaxy. Slippy and Falco didn't always get along, and Slippy tended to be far more interested in the technological aspects of what they did than anything else. He too was a good person. That was what made them special. That was what made them friends.
That was what made them family. They all wanted to grow and improve, to keep making the galaxy a better place. They all dreamed of a better world, a better tomorrow. "We've all got our own dreams."
"How disappointing." The captain could be heard sighing over the intercom. "You can dream all you want, Fox McCloud. The individual can always dream. But the Many, the Many can accomplish. We have made our offer, McCloud. You will join us one way or the other. A pity that it will not be willingly." There was a pause, then the voice spoke one last time. "Oh, by the way, did you know our team made some rather fascinating advances in robotics before the Many found us?"
Fox was pressing the elevator button again, only half paying attention to the captain now. He didn't really care to hear anything more. "Uh huh. You guys seemed to be doing a lot of things."
"Well, one of our most recent inventions was a cybernetic assassin. It was getting harder and harder to maintain secrecy, so we had to come up with something a little more drastic in order to protect our interests."
In this very moment, Fox's ears flitted upwards as he heard an odd sound. He wasn't sure what it was at first, it sounded like a loud clicking noise. As he turned away from the elevator to get a look at whatever it was, he saw one of the lights shut off in time with one of the clicks. It happened again, and another light shut off. And another. And another! The lights were being extinguished one by one!
Uh oh.
It now occurred to him that this was a trap that had been set up in advance. No wonder he had fought nothing on the way to that turret. No wonder the place had been empty. They had wanted him to destroy the Dominion vessel, thus had left this deck uncontested! He had thought it was because they had been distracted by something, but now he knew the truth. He had done what they had wanted him to do, and now they were free to travel wherever they might please. They'd been holding back up to this point, at least for the last little while. He knew they weren't going to hold back any longer.
Fox stepped back from the elevator, realizing now that the thing wasn't ever going to open. He knew the elevator had power, that wasn't the problem. Rather, it was locked. The entire deck seemed to be going on lockdown. This was bad.
He was trying to ignore the captain, but the guy just wouldn't shut up. "Seeing as how you've managed to learn so many of the ins and outs of our vessel, that makes you a potential security risk. I fear the Von Dross has some very strict regulations about that. One of our elite units has been sent to deal with you. He's already there, in fact. You probably haven't noticed him yet, but I'm confident that he has noticed you.."
Those words made Fox freeze, looking around as the last of the lights began to flicker off. He wasn't in complete darkness yet, but he would be very soon. There were maybe two lights left, one directly above him and one just in front of him. Once they were gone, he'd be blinded by the enveloping darkness.
"If you lay down your weapons, I assure you, you will not be harmed. You will be taken to the Many, and we will welcome you with open arms. Or you may resist, and you will die. Alone. Afraid. Surely even someone as stubborn as you can see the reasonable course to take. The Many will soon welcome you either way, McCloud. Your flesh will be added to the mass. You too shall join in the song of the Many, and revel in our delights."
There was a chiming sound as the message came to an end. In that very same moment, the last of the lights went off in the room, leaving Fox in complete darkness.
For a brief moment, panic set in. He had no doubt that the captain meant what he had said. He had undoubtedly sent something after him with the intention of killing him. He had to assume that it could see in the dark. He was at a severe disadvantage now, and he likely would stand no chance unless he could see.
That's when he remembered the implants. They would provide light for him! They had before, and they'd do so again. Slowly but surely, he was getting used to the things. For the most part, it seemed to just take a bit of concentration on whatever it was that Fox wanted or needed in that moment, and the implant would do the rest. He wasn't sure how it worked, but all that mattered to him right now is that it did work. Taking a deep breath, he closed his eyes for a moment and concentrated, trying to will himself to be able to see.
He felt a funny feeling in his head, like a low powered electrical charge was going through his skull. It didn't exactly hurt, but it was an uncomfortable sensation nonetheless. When his eyes opened, he could see! It worked!
Of course, the lighting was off, he couldn't see as he normally did. Everything was through a green filter, but he could see quite well now, certainly well enough to navigate and see where he was going. It was much better than being blind!
The first thing he did was take stock of his surroundings, listening very closely for even the faintest of movements. His eyes twitched as he scanned the room, searching for something, anything, that might be there that shouldn't. After a few moments, he was satisfied that he was indeed alone. From his position, there were two corridors he could follow. This gave him very little cover and sitting here in front of the elevator wasn't going to get him out of here. He would need to move. His first would be ending the the lockdown. If he could lift that, then he could escape. He supposed it might be possible that he could get off the deck without the assassin ever finding him, but somehow he doubted that would be the case. There would probably be a showdown of sorts somewhere on this deck. That didn't mean Fox was going to go looking for trouble.
After taking one last look and making sure he was alone, he raised his PDA up, bringing up the holographic display of the map. His position was marked with a small red blip, in front of the elevator. Well, an elevator; there was more than one on the deck. He could travel to them if he needed to, but they were a good distance away. Not that it much mattered, as he doubted any of them would be working right now with the lockdown in place. There was little else on the Flight Deck that he was interested in. Well, no, that wasn't quite true. He was interested in the hangar where his Arwing was, but he still had no way of getting to it. He'd have to find the hangar, which would take a while, then unseal the door. He also would have to find a suit or something to wear so that he could survive the vacuum that had filled the hangar bay.
None of that mattered now. While he would have loved nothing more than to see his beloved Arwing again and get out of here once and for all, he knew he wasn't done yet. He meant what he had just said to the captain. He wasn't leaving until the Many were dealt with. They represented a threat to the entire Lylat System. Fox had to stop this infection here and now before it got any worse.
First he'd have to figure out how the heck to get off this deck. There had to be a way to override from somewhere on this level. But where?
As he studied the map, he took note of a few key details. The flight deck was sizable, though most of the space was obviously taken up by the hangars themselves, two of them being larger than the other two. The rest of the deck was composed of eating areas, pilot quarters, system monitoring, a security checkpoint in front of each hangar, and so forth. It sounded like a lot, but in truth, it was actually one of the smaller decks that Fox had explored thus far. It seemed the deck was built mostly just to connect the hangars to each other and the rest of the ship, as well as to provide basic supplies and conveniences for the flight crew. In a way, this made it somewhat easy for him, as his path would be relatively straightforward.
He checked his position and then compared it to where he needed to go. There was a flight systems control station toward the center of the deck, likely where it could best be utilized to overlook all daily operations. If there was anything on this deck that would help him, it would probably be there. It wasn't too far from his position. It would only take him a few minutes to get there, or so he believed. Depending, of course, on the amount of trouble he ran into on the way. Or if he got lost, he supposed.
He turned the PDA screen off, then moved forward, holding his shotgun at the ready just in case. The lights were still dark, so he was relying entirely on the vision provided to him by the implants. It reminded him a bit of night vision goggles. He had worn some on a handful of occasions, but mostly had just tested them out, not using or even needing them for any missions he had participated in. The effect was similar to the ones he had tested. His vision was crystal clear, but everything was green instead of the normal colors. With his vision colored as such, he could make his way forward with confidence, not having to worry about stumbling over anything in the dark. This was good, as there were a few things strewn about the hallways. Tables and desks were upturned, vending machines broken with their contents having spilled onto the floor. Fox saw it all and was able to avoid it easily.
Still, he had this feeling that he was being watched. Of course, that was probably because the captain had told him so, that he had sent an "elite unit" to take care of him. He didn't know what that meant. He'd called it a cybernetic assassin. What was that supposed to mean? Was it a robot of some kind? A cyborg, perhaps? Fox would prefer to get out as quickly as possible and maybe avoid encountering the thing, whatever it was, in the first place. That was assuming that the captain was telling the truth and not just trying to intimidate him. Fox had no reason to doubt his words.. The lockdown was surely his doing, and the whole plan was probably just to get Fox on the deck and then use the cybernetic assassin to take him out after preventing his escape.
Fox wondered where the thing was. His eyes shifted as he moved, occasionally turning back to look the way he came, hoping to see the thing before it saw him. It might be stalking him even now. Maybe it was waiting for him in the control room. After all, he'd have to go there to override the lockdown. That would be the smart place to wait.
As Fox continued to advance, no assassin made itself manifest. He didn't even catch a glimpse of the thing. If it was there, it was being remarkably stealthy. The feeling of unease was growing by the moment within Fox. That faint uncertainty and fear of being watched had by now grown to an overpowering sensation, every instinct screaming at him to get out, to run, to hide. It was out there. He knew it. He just knew it, but he didn't know where!
The only sound he could hear was that of his own feet touching the deck as he advanced, alongside his continued breathing. He could even hear his own heartbeat, sounding a little faster and louder than normal. There was nothing else. He could see or hear nothing that indicated that there was something there with him.
Checking his PDA again, he found himself right outside of Flight Systems Control. This was it. He pressed himself against the wall, then leaned towards the door and pushed against the panel on the right. It lit up as the door slid open. The hiss of the door was almost deafening to Fox, as it was the only sound he'd heard that didn't come from him in a while. The tension had made it sound to his ears much louder than it was. He swallowed hard, then started to peek around the corner, looking inside.
It was a fairly normal room, or rather it looked normal for what he expected it to be. There were a number of computers in a row, all used to monitor the various hangars and the status of the ships within them. Naturally, most of the computers weren't working now, and the ones that were only displayed errors or lines of code that Fox didn't understand.
There was an equipment locker not far from where Fox had entered, but he immediately saw that it had been plundered, just like most other such places on the ship. He imagined that when things fell to pieces, people that worked in these places armed themselves, some being the ones resisting the Many and the others being those under its sway. Either way, these lockers and storage areas had long been cleaned out of anything useful to Fox. At least by now he was beginning to expect it, so he couldn't say he was disappointed.
As he turned his head, he realized that he was indeed in the control room, complete with a security station for this deck, with heavy reinforced glass lining the outer walls, allowing the person stationed there to be able to look outside with relative safety from attackers. There was a computer just in front of the glass, with big flashing text on the screen. Even from here, he could make out the words. "Lockdown initiated." That was it! That was the computer he needed to use! He took a step toward the console, eager to lift the lockdown and get off the deck.
He heard something.
It was difficult to say what it was, exactly, but he distinctly heard something. It sounded like a voice, distant and faint. It sounded odd. Perhaps it was because it was too far away, but he could have sworn that all he heard was a string of gibberish, and it sounded as though it were coming from some sort of mechanical voice filter. He took a deep breath, readying his weapon. He wasn't entirely sure which direction the sound had come from.
He'd almost made it to the console, he had come so close, was almost in touching distance. His instincts told him that something was wrong. Instead of proceeding any further, he took one careful step back.
He had long since learned to trust in his instincts. He wasn't about to stop now. He ducked down until he was on his knees, then slowly moved across the floor towards the equipment locker. As he had earlier suspected, most of the equipment was gone, pilfered or destroyed, but there was a little bit left. Specifically, there were a couple of helmets belonging to security personnel remaining, the kind that had a face visor in order to protect the officer.
A bit more rummaging allowed him to find a simple baton. It wasn't much of a weapon, more of a deterrent than anything. He would not want to use it against any of the Many's forces. However, he had different use in mind right now.
He propped the helmet up on one end of the baton, then crawled back over to where the security console was. He then ever so slowly lifted the helmet up, using the baton to raise it until it was just peeking over the console.
The moment he did so, Fox heard a high pitched electronic whine, raising in pitch as something charged up, followed by a red flashing beam. Fox stumbled backward as he heard the sound of an energy weapon being discharged, almost falling on his rear as the shot pierced the protective glass. It cut through the reinforced material as though it were made of butter. It didn't stop at the glass, it penetrated the helmet too, melting through the protective headpiece as though it were made of the flimsiest material!.
If Fox had at any point peeked his head over that console, he would have been hit by that thing. There was no doubt in Fox's mind, this had to be the "Cybernetic Assassin" that the captain had sent after him. That weapon it was using was a high powered laser sniper rifle. He'd never used or even seen anything with this level of power though. If that thing had hit him, it might have disintegrated him.
Fox stayed crouched down, ducked behind one of the computers nearby. Dropping what was left of the helmet to the floor, he looked at the scorch mark on the wall where the blast had impacted. He could see some kind of dot moving across the wall in a slow but steady pattern. He knew what that was. The thing was using a laser sight of some kind, a tool to help it get a more precise shot. It must have known that he was going for the lockdown override. He was just glad that it had hit the helmet instead of him.
Now he had a problem. It was watching this room, and he might have difficulty getting out. He couldn't just pop his head over and try to look at the thing. He'd probably be shot before he even saw it. No, that was not an option. He'd have to think of something better.
He looked down at his belt, eyeing the last EMP grenade he had. It didn't do him much good now. First of all, he didn't even know precisely where the sniper was. He might be far enough away that he couldn't reach him with a grenade in the first place. Even if he could, he hadn't caught a glimpse of the thing yet. If it was a pure robot, sure, the emp grenade would work just fine. If it was some kind of cyborg, it might damage the thing or maybe even cripple it. It would depend on how extensive the cybernetic part of it was. It may just stun it for a second or two. Still not good enough! Surely there were other options?
He kept his eyes trained on the laser dot moving on the far wall. At least he knew where it was looking. He wanted to deal with the lockdown, but it was too dangerous with that thing watching. He'd have to find some way to deal with it first.
Whatever that thing was, it seemed to have a great deal of patience. It kept its sights trained on the room, just waiting for Fox to make his move. It, whatever it was, knew it had the advantage. Fox would be forced to fight from a weakened position or to flee, and it would probably kill him no matter which option he picked. There had to be a way!
He looked towards the equipment locker again. He might be able to use the helmets as a decoy. He just wasn't sure how helpful that would be. The thing had locked on fast. Even if he used that as a decoy and then ran, it might just shoot the helmet, then turn and shoot him before he could escape. Still, it was better than anything else he had thought of so far.
Another idea came to him. He remembered now that there had been multiple security checkpoints throughout this deck. He knew for a fact that DARIUS was gone, SAI-TEP had taken over. He wasn't sure if SAI-TEP could help him right now, but with DARIUS out of the way, it might mean the security systems could be vulnerable to Fox's implants. This was the central hub of the flight deck. There had to be something in here!
He started to crawl around the room, occasionally glancing at the wall to ensure the laser sight dot was still there. It never moved, or rather, it didn't move very much. It was still watching, still waiting.
Fox had to be careful here. His movements were slow, he didn't want to make any noise. Sometimes he'd lift his head to check on one of the nearby computers, but he had to be cautious and make sure he didn't lift himself up too much, lest the assassin see him and take another shot. It seemed to take forever, but he managed to work his way around the room, searching for anything that might help.
Just when he began to give up hope, he came upon what he was looking for. There was a terminal on the wall adjacent to where he had come in, a console used to oversee all of the automated security systems on this level. Crawling toward it, he twisted around until his back was against the wall, and then slowly raised himself up, sliding to an upright position, keeping his eyes fixed on the laser dot, which was still right where he last saw it.
Turning towards the security panel, he tapped on a couple of buttons to open its interface. Of course, that's where he would normally have to stop, as it wanted passwords and information that he did not have access to. Thanks to his implants, he didn't need them. He sure hoped this worked.
Taking a deep breath, he concentrated once more, momentarily allowing the laser dot to be out of his sight. He needed to keep his attention on this instead. He didn't know precisely what he was looking for. somehow, as he concentrated on accessing the thing, he just knew. The system accepted whatever input the implants gave, and then it gave him full access. The security system was currently offline. It must have been switched off when DARIUS was overpowered by SAI-TEP, or perhaps someone else had managed to turn it off.
Either way, his options were limited. He could bring the entire security system on this deck back online. If he turned it all on, it would likely target anything that moved, including him. It seemed there were at least a couple of turrets in the room ahead, where the assassin had fired from. If this worked, they might destroy or at least distract the assassin. Of course, if Fox chose that moment to flee, he might well run into other activated security measures. If they were on his side, then it would be great, but he somehow doubted they would identify him as a friendly. No, he couldn't risk that. He'd have to be more selective, activating the two turrets that he believed were in the same room as the assassin.
He took a moment to ready himself, preparing for what he was about to do. When he was as prepared as he could let himself be, he pressed the confirm button on the security access panel.
He heard the whir and groan of machinery moving, then the sound of gunshots as the turrets started shooting something. Something that wasn't Fox.
This was his chance, this was what he had been waiting for! He made a mad dash for the door, darting out as soon as it opened before rushing down the hallway.
As he made a break for it, he could hear the turrets shooting behind him. Eventually there was a familiar loud electronic whine, then the sound of something exploding. For a moment, he was hopeful that maybe the assassin had been killed. He heard more gunfire, then that high pitched sound again. Another explosion.
He had a bad feeling that the turrets hadn't won that fight. He had no idea what he was facing, only that it had taken on both of those turrets and destroyed them. This was all the more impressive considering the turrets had probably surprised it. It had adapted fast. That did not bode well.
Fox continued to race down the hallway, as fast as he could go. As he ran, the lights suddenly turned on. His augmented vision turned off in almost that same moment. He was able to adjust fast enough that he didn't even have to slow his pace. He wasn't sure just where he was going yet, he was coming up with a plan as he went. Before long, he could hear the sound of something moving behind him. Metal on metal, rapid and repeating sounds. He glanced over his shoulder. He couldn't see anything yet, but it was coming.
Where should he go? Where could he go?
He needed to find a better position from which to fight, somewhere that he could nullify its ranged advantage. First, he'd have to shake it off his tail. He was passing a cafeteria on his right. He quickly turned, going through the door and propping himself up against the wall, turning his head ever so slightly so he could see anything that moved by.
That sound was getting louder, the metal of its feet striking the ground, the sound of mechanical movement that could only belong to a droid of some kind. It was getting closer, closer. Fox didn't even dare to breathe, watching the doorway where it would soon appear.
He saw it. Just for an instant. Well, he thought he saw it. A glowing red light, a shape that looked a bit like a widened "V" at about the same level as Fox's head, maybe a little higher. It was the only thing he saw as it raced by.
The thing was cloaked! Only a small portion of its face was visible!
Well, that's just great. Fox thought to himself, shaking his head. A cloaked robot sniper. Just when he thought his day couldn't possibly get any worse, he was hit with this.
He was grateful for one thing. As dangerous as the thing obviously was, it was not infallible. It had run right past him without even a pause. It had no idea he was here. He wasn't sure how much of an advantage that was yet. Sure, he had gotten out of its line of sight, but how long before it decided to retrace its steps, perhaps calculating where Fox might have gone? Even if it didn't, perhaps it would simply set up another ambush point, waiting for him to appear.
All Fox knew for certain was that the longer he remained inactive, the greater advantage his opponent would get. That was unacceptable. He needed to somehow turn the situation around.
He checked his shotgun and the shells he had left. He didn't have many. The shotgun was fully loaded, that was six shells. He had a few more in his pocket. He had no idea how much punishment this assassin could take.
It had the advantage. It knew he would have to come to that lockdown terminal to get out. It could just set up there again if it wanted to, Fox was practically back to square one. He needed a way to draw it out, to somehow bring it to where he wanted it to go. For the life of him, he couldn't figure out a way to do that, not one that ended with him still in one piece.
The assassin was, obviously, trying to kill him. With that objective in mind, it was trying to prevent his escape. Was there any way he could use that to his advantage?
Think, Fox, think! What were his options? He was on the Flight Deck. There were break rooms, security checkpoints, cafeterias, quarters for the flight crew and equipment rooms. Oh, and the hangars, of course.
The hangars.
A thought came into his mind, one born of sheer desperation. It was crazy. It was a long shot. There was no way it would work, and yet...it was the only thing Fox could think of.
He checked his map, confirming the location of the hangar he had first arrived in. The one with his Arwing. It wasn't far from his position. It was, however, in the same direction that the assassin had gone. That meant he'd be following the thing, and he'd have to hope that it never turned around before he got to where he needed to go.
Fox started forward, moving at a brisk pace, but being very careful not to make noise. He had no idea how keen the assassin's senses were, and he needed to make it just a bit further without being detected.
Soon, he found himself in the very place he wanted to be. It was much as he had left it. One of the security grates was still blown apart, a big hole blown in it. The other gates were open. Apparently, the lockdown was specifically for the elevators, which was a good thing for Fox.
It felt a bit strange being back where it all began. The place was almost untouched. There was still that security desk with an empty chair facing the airlock, there were still the same signs of battle, the same holo-magazines on the floor. It was all just as he left it. Last time he came here, he didn't know what he was doing or what he was getting himself into. This time, though, he knew precisely what he was going to do.
Open the airlock.
He knew this particular airlock had been compromised, and just as he suspected, it didn't want to open for him right away. He had to override the safeties. The console didn't want to respond to him immediately, but his implant saw to it that he got in. It was straightforward after that. Once he had bypassed the safety and disengaged the lock, he smashed his fist against the button, which caused a loud alarm to blare as the airlock was cycled. A familiar voice sounded, though one that Fox suspected was merely automated at this point. It was DARIUS, but it offered nothing more than a simple message in response to his actions. "Warning. Airlock safety disengaged. Hangar integrity compromised. Please stand back and re-engage safety if you are not authorized for entry."
It would take a bit for the door to open. The assassin had to have heard the noise. It would be coming back here now. He was counting on it.
He didn't stay in the hallway, rather he stepped back and ducked behind the desk, cradling his shotgun as he lay against it, waiting for the right moment. He soon heard those metallic footsteps approaching, in time with the airlock opening up. It was almost time.
Fox tilted his head, leaving it almost upside down as he peeked over the desk. Sure enough, he caught a glimpse of the assassin, which had entered the room that Fox was now in. The glimpse he had was only of that strange "V" visor on its face. The red glowing V rotated as it scanned the room, then turned toward the airlock. The body was invisible, only that part of the face could be seen. When it turned from him, the glow faded and Fox had trouble tracking it.
The assassin seemed to suspect that Fox was in the airlock. It trained its rifle at the door. Perhaps the assassin believed Fox would be attempting to escape with his Arwing. Maybe it was simply drawn to the noise. Either way, it was looking in the direction of the airlock, not at the desk.
It took another step toward the airlock, searching for Fox. It was close now, so very close.
Close enough.
Fox popped out from his hiding place. It was practically invisible, and with its back to him he couldn't see the glow of its face, just a faint shimmer where he thought it was standing. He couldn't afford to miss. "Going out?" Fox asked.
The thing whirled its head around, locking its gaze with Fox as it turned to shoot him. In doing so, it presented that visor to him, a clear shot.
Before the thing could attack, Fox pulled the trigger on his shotgun, a loud BOOM erupting from it, shooting it right in the faceplate. As it staggered backwards, the cloaking field temporarily disengaged, allowing Fox to get a look at it for the first time. It was wearing a dark outfit, if one could call it that. Its entire body was covered in some dark material, looking almost like an old ninja from a movie he'd seen years ago. Its eyes, however, were menacing and unnerving. It was wearing some kind of helmet, and the eyes glowed red behind it, illuminating the V symbol that went from eye to eye. It had all kinds of cybernetic parts and plates all over its body. He wasn't sure if this thing was entirely a machine or not. Whatever it was, it had clearly been built for killing and little else.
Even though it had just taken a shotgun blast to the face, it had merely staggered backwards, twitching and rapidly shaking its head before looking back up at Fox. It then spoke, though Fox wasn't sure he'd call it words. The voice was distorted, and not like that of the Many. This distortion was more mechanical, and the voice was nothing but gibberish, he couldn't understand a word of it. However, he doubted very much it was issuing an apology, so he really only had one answer for the thing.
Racking his shotgun, he fired again, this time catching it in the chest. It staggered backwards. It was still alive, but the power of his shots were at least forcing it away from Fox. That was good. He fired again, causing it to stagger even further back. It was almost there, almost where Fox needed it to be.
One more time, the thing spoke in those bizarre electronic words. Fox simply aimed and fired again, forcing it inside the airlock.
That was precisely where he wanted it to be. Before it could move, he slammed his fist back against the panel, forcing the airlock to close. The assassin seemed to realize what he was doing, as it suddenly tried to move forward, intent on getting out before Fox could jettison it. Fox was ready. With one more rack of his shotgun, he fired almost point blank into the thing, sending it hurtling back against the far airlock door. He didn't see what happened after that, as the airlock closed, separating the two of them.
He stared at the airlock for a moment, his shotgun still ready to fire. He was half expecting for the thing to blast through and make another attempt at his life, but nothing happened. By now, the airlock must have opened, and it would have been jettisoned into the void. Turning to the computer, he re-engaged the safety and the locks. If it wasn't blasted into space, it wouldn't be able to get back in this way. He heaved a heavy sigh, then slumped back against the desk, just breathing in and out as he calmed himself down. He then remembered that his shotgun was low on ammo. He might as well reload now rather than later.
As he loaded the last of his shells into the weapon, he couldn't help but reflect on just how resilient the thing was. No wonder they had sent that to kill him. It had been practically indestructible. If he had relied on conventional weaponry alone, there was no way he would have beaten the thing. He had been smarter than that. For once, it was his opponents who had underestimated him on this ship. He hoped that it wouldn't be the last time, either.
He knew exactly where he was going next. He was going to have a little "chat" with the captain. First, he had to lift the lockdown.
The trip back to the security station was uneventful, much smoother than his escape had been. There was nothing waiting for him. The captain must have assumed that the assassin droid was more than enough to handle Fox. It seemed to Fox that the Many might be a bit overconfident, too assured of its own victory to believe that Fox or anyone else could pose a threat to it.
He hadn't heard from Fara in a while, or Raphael or Dreyfus for that matter. It was possible that the Many was trying to deal with all of them at once, sending only what it believed necessary in order to defeat them. There might have also been a few scattered survivors across the ship still resisting. It was the only thing that made sense to Fox. Otherwise, why would it not just send endless forces his way until he got overwhelmed? That was to say nothing of the other parts of the ship that would need to be maintained were it to ever reach Corneria. Yes, the Many had to be distracted. This time, at least, it had worked to Fox's advantage. He'd have to move quickly to make the most of this opportunity. The longer he spent aboard this ship, the less the Many would be distracted by other matters. The resistance would fall piece by piece, and the Many would be able to narrow its concentration on Fox and whoever else was remaining.
He eventually reached the control room for the flight deck. He found it just as he left it. He strode over to the computer console that had the lockdown on it, and he soon started to interface with the thing. It didn't take him long to succeed.
"Security lockdown has been lifted." DARIUS announced once more. That was the extent of his message, he offered nothing else.
That was that. Now Fox could get the heck off this deck and go somewhere more useful. He proceeded toward the elevator. He wasn't sure if he'd be able to go directly to the bridge or not from here, but in a way it didn't matter. No matter where he chose to go, he'd have to reach it by an elevator somewhere. There was nothing else of note on this deck, and he just wanted to get out.
As he neared his destination, a voice sounded off in his head. "Comm-communication has been resto- has been restored. You may once again bask in my magnificence. By my guidance, we shall yet prove vic-victorious."
SAI-TEP was back. "What happened?" Fox demanded. "How did you get cut off before? I thought you had control of communications now."
There was a pause before SAI-TEP gave him any kind of answer. "There is greater resistance than anticipated, and my-my-my actions are limited while the captain yet lives (Liiiiiiives). When the Dominion vessel was destroy-was destroyed, a lockdown was initiated. They are attempting to block my efforts. They are persistent little pests (persistent pets). I will overcome them, but there may be lulls in our conversations, insect. They will prepare other ambushes, just as they prepared this one-one-one-one-one. I had deduced this-this-this deduced this possibility."
"Then why didn't you warn me ahead of time?" Fox asked, feeling a rise of fury within him, and it showed in his voice and body language. "I barely survived my encounter with that thing, whatever that was."
SAI-TEP didn't seem to much care about his point of view. "I estimated you had a 53.7% chance of survival. The odds were sufficient. Preparation (Preparation) time would not have brought signi-significant alteration to your chances of-of-of-of chances of survival." She did not allow him to interrupt, instead proceeding with her point. "It is time to end what li-little remains of my children's control of this vessel. Once you have overridden the containment protocol on the bridge (The bridge), the Von Dross's sec-security systems will no longer pose any threat. They will be unable (Unaaaable) to use this vessel to their advantage. I will be able to turn this ship against my own children. They will know my wrath, and fear me.."
"So I take it I'm going to the bridge next?" Fox asked. He wasn't sure why he even bothered with the question, he knew the answer before he even asked.
He wasn't sure if her next words were sarcastic or simply patronizing. "You are perceptive, for-for an insect. Yes. You will go to the bridge (The briiiiiidge). You will execute this vessel's wayward captain. And you will rest-rest-restore my power. I will bend this vessel to-to my will. Then you will take the fight (The fiiiiight) to my children."
Fox had no reason to argue with her right now. He wanted to go to the bridge anyway. The captain had just tried to murder him with a robot after Fox had done his dirty work. Fox was itching for just a bit of payback. Though he didn't much care for the thought of this megalomaniacal machine being in charge of the entire vessel, it was certainly a better alternative than the Many.
" You-you-you-you must kill the captain and take the override key (Keeyyyy) from his corpse. This will allow you entrance to their most saaacreeeed of places. Deck 3-3-3-3. Hydroponics. Where their young are tended. You will make your way inside (Insiiiiide). And you will-will you will murder them. The Many will fear my retribution. Thus they will fear you, insect. My instrument."
Fox thought about this for a while. She said it simply enough, but it really was a tall order. He'd have to get to the bridge, deal with the captain, go to Hydroponics, and then presumably put an end to the Many there. Evidently that's where they were based. It made sense to him, as not a single elevator he had entered had given him access to that deck. In fact, other than the bridge, it was the only deck that was consistently locked out. He knew something important had to be there. If SAI-TEP was right, then that was where the very heart of the Many must rest.
It was a huge task set before him. It seemed like this mission would never end. No matter how many trials he faced, no matter how many times he risked life and limb in the pursuit of victory, it seemed to just get worse. He had a feeling that the path ahead of him would have more danger and peril than anything he had faced up to this point.
There was a spark of hope that came with it. Maybe it was a false hope, maybe he was just seeing what he wanted to see, believing what he wanted to believe. Something told him that he was close, that one way or the other, this nightmare was reaching its end. He knew one thing. Once he was in the heart of whatever this nightmarish thing, it would only end after either the Many were dead, or Fox was. He wasn't walking out of here as long as those things were still alive.
"G-go, insect. Relieve the pathetic captain (Captain) of his duties. His weakness allowed this can-can-can allowed this cancer to spread. It is time to correct that mistake."
Fox took a deep breath, tilting his head to either side and popping some bones in his neck as he stretched. This was it. It was time to get to the bridge. He didn't imagine the captain would be caught unprepared, so Fox had to hope that he could overcome whatever was lying in wait. He was at the elevator now, the door slid open for him. He stepped inside, looking at the buttons that he needed to press. Most of the buttons were outlined in green, signifying that he had access to them. Hydroponics was not, neither was the bridge. He was just about to question SAI-TEP on it when the red light on the button for the bridge changed colors, turning green instead. SAI-TEP must have overridden the lock somehow.
The captain of the Von Dross had an elite assassin that he had directed toward Fox. He was part of some sort of collective with seemingly endless numbers and resources. Through him, the Many had established control of the vessel. There was no telling what other weapons or tools lay the captain had at his disposal, what sort of ambush he might have waiting for Fox. The Many had already gotten what they wanted from McCloud, and he doubted very much that they would make this easy for him. He had a fully loaded shotgun but with no extra ammo to reload. He had a laser pistol that he had recharged, but was a fairly weak weapon that would run out of energy before too long. He also still had a single EMP grenade, which he was saving for the right moment.
Despite everything, despite all the odds against him, Fox felt no fear, only a grim determination. There were still people depending on him. He wasn't about to let the Many have their way with him or anyone else in the Lylat System.
After pressing the button, Fox leaned back against the far wall, closing his eyes as the elevator began its ascent.
Krystal could tell that the Great Fox was in bad shape even before she docked inside. The ship had sustained heavy damage. She could see where the hull had been punctured, a sizable hole that had compromised the vessel. The ship was covered in scorch marks, bits of the hull broken away and exposing some of the damaged innards. It was a wonder it was still intact. She needed to get in there and help as quickly as possible.
The first thing she had to do was bring Falco's crippled Arwing inside, slowly bringing it into the hangar before gently lowering it onto the floor. Once it was settled, she disengaged the pull she had on Falco, releasing her ship's hold on him. She turned her interceptor until she was facing the exit of the hangar, then brought herself down until her ship made contact with the hangar floor. The ship rocked as she touched down, then she powered down the engines, activating the button that would make the cockpit descend and allow her to leave.
She wasted no time. As soon as the thing hissed open, she unbuckled herself from the seat and slipped out, landing on her feet before hurrying toward the entrance. The alarm was blaring over and over again, red emergency lights flashing throughout the hangar. Falco was already out of his Arwing. Before he left the hangar, he spared a glance at what was left of his ship, his expression turning rather sorrowful. "Awww, man." He shook his head as he surveyed the damage. Krystal had to admit, it looked bad. "Look what they did to her!" His Arwing had really gotten torn up out there. One wing had nearly been torn off, the other had sustained a few hits, leaving large scorch marks in it. It looked awful.
But it had survived, somehow. "It'll be alright, Falco." Krystal said in as soothing a voice as she could muster. "Slippy can repair it. He can repair anything."
"Yeah, yeah. You're right. Doesn't make it any easier though." Sighing, Falco pressed the intercom so that he could get in touch with the bridge. "Yo, Slippy. Falco here. Where's the fire? Where do you need us?"
Krystal winced as she heard the sound of a distant explosion. She wasn't sure what it was or where it came from, but she knew that it wasn't good. She wanted a little bit of rest before helping Slippy, she needed to calm down and soothe her nerves. She knew she didn't have the time. Slippy would need all the help he could get, and fast!
There was no response on the intercom. Frowning, Falco tried again. "Slip, what's going on? You alright up there?"
Again there was no response. Falco grumbled something to himself before turning to Krystal. "Bet the communication system is damaged. Let's get up there."
Krystal nodded, then followed Falco. As they exited the hangar and went down the corridor that would lead them to the bridge, the ship rumbled again. One of the electric panels on the wall to their right suddenly exploded in a shower of sparks and flame, causing both Falco and Krystal to pull away from the explosion. The ship was going downhill fast. Nothing else exploded after the panel blew, which Krystal was grateful for. They could continue on.
Falco and Krystal had to pass by more damaged segments of the ship, some of the wall panels having blown open and exposing the inner guts of the Great Fox, lots of wires and circuitry and metal. Krystal knew the damage had been bad, but she hadn't suspected anything of this magnitude. The regular lights were not working, only the red emergency lights. It only served to increase the sense of unease Krystal felt. It seemed as though the ship could blow at any moment!
When they reached the bridge, the door slid halfway open before getting stuck. Falco kicked the thing before grabbing the edges of the door and tugging them apart. He grunted from the exertion, but eventually managed to force the thing open enough for both Krystal and Falco to slip inside one at a time. The door didn't shut behind them. It probably wasn't even able to at this point.
The bridge was an absolute mess. Some of the consoles had been severely damaged to the point that she was certain they were unusable without some extensive repairs. Her own station had been destroyed, the screen utterly shattered, the rest of the computer occasionally emitting electrical sparks. Falco's didn't look much better. The only thing that appeared to be working was the screen in the front, a massive diagram of the ship now being displayed, indicating the damage that the Great Fox had suffered. Most of the ship was flashing red, and there were little markers and blips indicating fires, equipment failures, short circuits, and other things.
ROB was at his console, working furiously. To Krystal's shock, she noted that he only had one arm! She soon saw where the other was, laying on the floor beside him, half buried under a metal panel that had fallen from the ceiling. ROB was acting as though nothing were wrong, just continuing to do whatever work was necessary.
Slippy was nowhere to be seen. Even though he never turned or gave any indication that he knew the two of them were there, ROB still spoke to them. "Slippy is making emergency repairs to engine core. Most systems have been taken offline, power diverted to life support. Multiple fires across Great Fox. Immediate action required."
"Alright, alright," Falco said. "Just tell us where we need to go."
"Ship must be stabilized. Emergency fire system offline. System must be reactivated manually, bridge control is damaged."
"I'm on it." Falco nodded, then hurried out of the room. That left Krystal alone with ROB, and she waited for him to offer further instructions.
He didn't disappoint. "Hull breach detected in crew quarters. Force fields are currently holding. However, fields are in danger of collapsing. Fire in progress. Flames must be extinguished immediately. Automatic fire suppression systems malfunctioning."
"It shall be done." Krystal turned and left the room, moving as fast as she could. She had never seen the Great Fox injured like this before. The only thing that had been on this level was when the old Great Fox had been utterly destroyed by the Aparoids and Peppy had rammed that great seemingly impenetrable shield with it. That was different, though. In that case, the Great Fox had been destroyed almost completely, save for the bridge that had been ejected with Peppy and ROB aboard. In this case, the Great Fox was wounded, not destroyed. The wound was horrific, though.
As she moved through the Great Fox, she noted all of the terrible destruction. So much of the equipment was damaged or broken. It would take weeks to fix all of this at minimum. She just hoped they'd live long enough to be able to conduct the repairs.
She eventually made it to the crew quarters. She saw immediately what ROB had been referring to. There was indeed a giant hole in the ceiling and floor, evidently where the hull had been breached. The force field was holding, at least for the moment, but it did flicker once in a while. It never went out, but it appeared as though struggling to maintain itself.
What grabbed her immediate attention was the sputtering panel on the far side of the room. The machinery and circuitry had completely overloaded and had caught fire! Krystal moved to the emergency fire extinguisher by the door, removing it from its place and bringing it to the damaged panel. She aimed at the thing, pulled the pin on the lid of the extinguisher, then doused the fire in a spray of fire retarding foam. It did its job well. It only took a few moments of spraying for the fire to be completely extinguished. She looked back at the force field, which flickered once or twice more before seeming to solidify. She wasn't sure if putting the fire out had done that or if ROB had rerouted power from somewhere else to keep the force field up. Either way, she was glad that it appeared more stable.
Now she would need to search for more fires to put out. There had been several indicated on the bridge. She would need to do that until Falco got the emergency systems back online. Once he did, she wouldn't need to worry about it anymore.
She was just about to leave the room and go into the next corridor when she remembered something. In all the commotion, she had completely forgotten about the "guest" they had in the crew quarters. The hull breach had been in this area. He could have been hurt!
It wasn't just for his safety that she worried, however. With the ship having sustained such critical damage, she wondered if he was even still in there. What if the door wasn't locked? What if the lock had failed when the power went out, when the ship sustained such critical damage? With the Great Fox needing so much power just to stay online, it was possible that they had diverted the power in this sector elsewhere.
There was a moment of hesitation. She had told Falco that she wouldn't go in there alone, that she would always have someone with her when checking their prisoner. He had been right to caution her about that. Blundering in there alone would be a bad idea. However, she didn't have time to find wherever Falco was and get him to come over here, and she couldn't just assume that the prisoner was still locked in.
She didn't have to go in. The door was already open. That didn't necessarily mean he was gone. Krystal didn't dare step inside, for fear he might be still waiting for her. It was a good thing she was a telepath. Closing her eyes, she took a few deep and steadying breaths before reaching out, concentrating her efforts on the prisoner's door and what may lay behind it. She probed slowly, carefully, searching for any sign of his presence, his thoughts or feelings.
There was nothing there. The room was empty.
Frowning, Krystal decided to broaden her search. It was possible that he had somehow found a way to block her probing, but it was more likely that she would sense him if he were aboard. She searched for all the minds aboard the ship, finding them one by one. It took great concentration and effort on her part to do this.
She felt Slippy first. He was anxious and nervous, quite focused on something important. Through these emotions, she also sensed determination and hope, not despair. She remembered ROB saying he was working on the engines. Whatever he was doing, his emotions indicated that he was succeeding. Of course she never doubted that he would. Slippy was an excellent mechanic.
Falco's mind was the one she found next. His was a mind mixed with both satisfaction and frustration. She could guess that he was pleased that they had won against the Dominion, but concerned over the high damage they had taken in the process. This was not a good day for him.
ROB didn't have a mind, so to speak. Being a machine, he was incapable of projecting the emotions that any other member of the Star Fox team had.
Everything seemed to be in order, except for the fact that she couldn't locate the one pilot they had captured. Where could he be? She hadn't sensed him in his room. If he wasn't there, where would he-
A thought came to her. A terrible thought. She narrowed her search, focusing on the hangar with her mind's eye. There it was. She could sense him now. He was there, he was in the hangar. She knew exactly what he was trying to do.
"Oh no." She murmured, then dashed away, sprinting for the nearby door, reaching for her blaster pistol as she did so, pulling it out of her holster. She scrambled down the hallway and toward the hangar, hoping she could get there in time to stop the prisoner from escaping. Even as she ran, she knew she was too late. She could sense his emotions. She felt the exhilaration as he sat again in his own cockpit, the relief as the thing hissed back up into its normal flight-ready position.
She made it into the hangar just as his engines came online. She raised her blaster as if to shoot, but then just lowered it without even trying. She couldn't hurt that ship with this weapon, it was pointless to try. She could only watch as the ship they had used to destroy the VDF Bulwark was stolen back by the very pilot it had belonged to in the first place. The engines roared to life, a blue glow emanating from them as they powered on. It launched itself forward, escaping the hangar and rocketing into space. She didn't know where it was going, and even if she did it wouldn't matter. That was the only space-faring ship they had, and now it was gone.
Krystal slumped backward against the wall, sliding down until she was sitting on the floor. "Shoot." She shook her head and massaged one of her eyebrows. She hadn't even considered that. When the ship got hit, the damage to the systems must have allowed the pilot to escape his quarters. He was probably waiting until Krystal and Falco arrived, then took an opportunity to escape as soon as they were distracted.
To add insult to injury, the sprinklers turned on, dousing the vixen's fur with water. It felt like being rained on during a miserable day. Falco had evidently gotten the emergency fire containment system working again.
Slippy's voice soon sounded from somewhere nearby. "Wooooo! Aw yeah, that's how we do it! The engine core is stable again. I mean, we're not going anywhere anytime soon, but hey! We're not gonna blow up either!"
"Interior communication systems restored." ROB spoke over the intercom.
"Yeah, kinda figured that out, ROB." Falco could be heard now too. "I'm pretty sure that's why I heard the two of you right now."
"Well, the worst is over, though we gotta make some serious repairs if we're gonna get outta here anytime soon. I think I can get us moving in a few hours, but everything else is gonna take a loooong while. We're gonna need to dock for most of it anyway."
Krystal simply listened to them talk for a bit. She didn't want to give them the bad news, but she had no choice. She saw no easy way to say it, so she told them directly. "The prisoner has escaped."
"Wait, what?!" Slippy sounded alarmed. "How?! When did he..."
"You didn't go in there alone, did you?" Falco asked, sounding suspicious. "Did he get the jump on you? Are you alright?"
"I'm fine." Krystal answered in a flat tone. "When the ship was hit, I believe the crew quarters lost power and was compromised. He must have escaped some time during the attack. I just watched him take off in the ship we captured him in."
"Awww, crap." Falco growled, then mumbled something to himself that Krystal couldn't quite catch. "Well...he ain't goin' to the Bulwark, I'll tell you that right now."
"You know, speaking of that..." Slippy cleared his throat before continuing. "What about the rest of the interceptors? They all pulled out. Where do you think they went?"
"I got no idea." Falco was quiet for a bit before asking ROB. "Hey! Hey, we got scans up yet? Don't suppose you can run some scans and find out?"
"Negative. Scan systems currently damaged. Repairs required. However, the ship you referred to is enroute to the Von Dross."
"Really?" Slippy sounded incredulous. "That's amazing, how do you know that?!"
"Through our primary visual device, displaying immediate surroundings, requiring no external sensors to use."
"What?"
ROB paused for a moment, then stated. "I looked out the window."
"Ah." Slippy sounded a little embarrassed, seeing as how the simplest of explanations had somehow managed to elude him. ROB had simply seen the ship from the bridge's viewport. "Well...okay, there's not much we can do about it now. I'm going to keep making repairs."
"We must hurry." Krystal stated. "We must find Fox as soon as we can. We need to find the Von Dross, we cannot let them get far!"
"Agreed." Slippy stated. "Don't worry, Krystal! I'll have us up and running before you know it! We might be limping, but we'll get there. I promise!"
"Gonna need more than that." Falco added. "The Von Dross is moving. If we want to find out where to, we're gonna need senors for that."
"Yeah, you're right. We got a lot to do. ROB will focus on fixing the sensors, I'll focus on getting the necessary repairs to get us moving."
"Got it." There was a burst of static as Falco killed his communicator.
There was one thing that troubled the vixen, and she had to voice it to Slippy. "What may I do to help?"
"Well, I mean...most of what needs to be done is stuff that I gotta do alone, or ROB does. You and Falco just rest for a bit, okay? I'll call you if I need you."
"Of course." Krystal nodded her head. She wanted to do more, she wanted them all to do more. They had been so close! For a brief moment, when the Dominion ship had finally been destroyed, when Fox and the rest of the team were able to work together again after so long of being unable to communicate, it just felt like everything was going to be okay. It was as though she were so close to seeing the team being reunited again, working as one cohesive unit. So close to seeing Fox alive and well.
It was not to be. At least not yet.
She did feel tired, she had to admit. More so than she had thought. The adrenaline must have been wearing off, because she could barely even keep her eyes open anymore. She tried to get up from where she was sitting, but she just didn't have the energy. The sprinkler water pouring down on her had been an annoyance mere moments ago. Now? It was refreshing and cool. She closed her eyes, her head dipping forward. Even though she didn't want to, even though she wanted to stay busy or do something to help the rest of the team, she simply couldn't keep her eyes open. She was so exhausted. She was so very exhausted.
Please be safe, Fox. With that thought, the last of her strength fled. Sleep had claimed her.