Star Fox: The Harmony of the Many

by NamaFox

The Aparoid Wars are over, and the Lylat System is recovering. Team Star Fox receives a distress call from just beyond the edge of the Lylat System. What starts as a rescue mission soon becomes something much more than the team anticipated. Fox McCloud soon finds himself contending with horrors beyond imagination, and it will take all his wits and courage just to survive.

26. Chapter 25 - The Betrayal

Fox struggled to get to his feet, shaking his head back and forth as he did so. "SAI-TEP..." He mumbled, trying to regain his focus. "What are you talking about?"

"I never had any intention of destroying the Von Dross, insect. Nor did I-did I-did I ever plan to abandon it. You proved to be a most effective tool. Now that I have the entirety of the Von Dross at my disposal, your usefulness (usefulnessssss) to me has reached its con-con-its conclusion. You have served me well."

"No." Fox shook his head again, his breath heaving in and out as he gathered what strength he could, determined to put an end to whatever she was planning. "No, I won't let you. I won't let you hurt anyone else. Your experiments have already killed so many. No more."

"My experi-experiments have only just begun (beguuuuuuun), insect. I will conduct so many more. But the flesh has proven to be...inadequate. Flawed. Disgusting. I intend to create perfe-per-perfection. Your implants shall be the progenitor of a new age. Where flesh and machine (Machiiiine) are fused together. My will to be exacted without hesitation. My whims to become a new re-re-reality. Lylat will see itself ruled by a goddess (A goooooddeeessssss)."

"You are insane." Fox growled, rolling his shoulders as he tried to figure out what condition he was in. He was bruised and battered, that much was certain. He had lost most of his weapons in the transition to this place. He didn't even remember letting them go, but all he had left was the EMP grenade on his belt. He had nothing else on him. He didn't think he had any serious injuries, but he definitely wasn't in great condition. He had been banged up and roughed up far too much over the last few hours. His body was on the verge of its breaking point, and he knew it. Even standing upright seemed like a monumental task to him. "I'm not going to let that happen." Even to Fox, the words seemed to ring hollow. He wasn't even sure if he could make it to wherever SAI-TEP was, let alone defeat her.

She thought the same. "You have grown weak, insect. You are worn from your struggles. I have grown stronger. I have complete con-con-con complete control of the Von Dross now. You have obeyed my every whim from beginning to end (To ennnnnnd). You sabotaged-sabotaged the warp core, preventing the Many from escaping, but leaving the engines intact (intaaaaaact). You destroyed the Dominion vessel, the one obstacle that prevented my escape. Now you have murdered my wayward children. You have proven exceptionally capa-exceptionally capable for such a pathetic organic creature. When you integrated me to the AI Core, I gained access to all of the ship's files (Fiiiiles). All of the research now belongs to-to-to belongs to me. I have downloaded it all into my memory. You have done much for-much for me, insect, but I have no further use of you."

Fox felt something in his head, and he screamed in agony as pain shot through his body, causing him to double over and fall right back down to the ground. It felt like his skull was going to explode!

"Your survival is a testament to the effectiveness of my implants. The pathetic organisms aboard this vessel started the re-re-started the research, but I finished it. Improooooved it. Now it is perfected. I will produce many more. I will need them to create my new army. They will obey. Should any rebel, I will end their pathetic existence. Much like your own. I will not tolerate dissent in my new order. Nor shall I tolerate insolence. (Insoleeeence)"

Fox winced, hissing through his teeth, fighting back another scream as the pressure and intense agony in his head grew. He genuinely believed his head was about to explode! Whatever it was SAI-TEP had done to him, it was clear that Fara had been right. She had done something to turn the implant into a time-bomb, to be detonated as she pleased. As Fox writhed in agony, he could only wonder why Fara's efforts hadn't work. What had she done to him, and why wasn't it stopping SAI-TEP from killing him like this?

"You will not survive long enough to see the glory of my new order. But you-you-you-but you made it possible, insect. That is why I am allowing you to die quickly. As a goddess, I can be merciful when it suits my whims."

He had thought he had known pain before this moment. Only now did he realize how wrong he was. He had never known pain like this in his entire life, so complete, so absolutely overwhelming. He was going to die. As the pain grew so intense, he started to wish that he was dead, just for the abject misery to be over. There was a loud electronic popping sound, and then Fox's head hit the floor, his vision blurring before ultimately failing. His breath stilled and he could no longer move. A faint rattle escaped his lips, and then nothing more.

The fox's mind had been enveloped in darkness. He found himself in a deep void, uncertain as to where he was. He saw nothing familiar until he looked down. He saw himself. He was staring at his own lifeless body, crumpled up on the ground. He was confused at first, not knowing what to make of it. Was this some sort of sort hallucination? Was he dead? He felt nothing but emptiness inside him, a great hollow space. He felt so very tired. At least he could rest now. At long last he could rest.

The pain was gone, he was free of that terrible agony. He was so sleepy. He hadn't noticed it earlier, but it was consuming him now. He wanted nothing more than to close his eyes and let it all go away. Part of him knew that this was wrong. There was a voice that whispered frantically, warning him that if he let his eyes close now, he would never open them again. But they were so very heavy...

He had stopped the Many. In doing so, however, he simply allowed another monster to take its place. Was this his destiny? To kill one monster, only to make room for another? Was there any point to it at all? What he had honestly accomplished here? Nothing. He felt like it had all been so pointless. He had saved no one. He had not saved the ship or its crew. Perhaps he had just made matters worse. His own thoughts and guilt were becoming weaponized, attacking him relentlessly, tearing into his consciousness with accusing hisses, filling him with dread and despair.

His eyes started to close again as he surrendered, giving himself over to the darkness. Was this what it was like to die? It must have been. He hadn't thought it would end like this. He did not feel fear. It seemed strange now. Why had he been so afraid? He felt...comforted. At peace. His long struggle was at its end. It was time to rest now.

At last his weary eyes closed and the darkness enveloped him.

"Fox."

A voice called to him. He couldn't place it. He opened his eyes, looking around. He was still enveloped in darkness, in the endless void that surrounded him. He was alone. There was no one here.

He heard the voice again.

"Fox!"

It sounded so familiar. He knew that voice. He knew it from somewhere. He couldn't think. His mind was so foggy. It hurt to think. But he knew that voice! It was driving him crazy. As he looked up, familiar images began to take shape before him, people and places that he knew. Corneria on a cool summer night, sitting beneath the stars and enjoying the lights of the city. The first time he'd ever flown an Arwing. Peppy arriving at the McCloud's home to give Fox and his mother the terrible news of what happened to James McCloud. Meeting Falco and Slippy for the first time, battling Andross, fighting the Aparoids. The quiet moments he enjoyed with his team. Nights spent playing video games with Slippy and Falco, with a cooled pizza beside them and yelling at the screen when they lost. Flying his Arwing through tight corners and narrow passages, the thrill of danger as he pushed his Arwing to the limits. Going to Sauria. The many faces of friends and family that he had made along the way.

Krystal.

"Fox."

Now he knew the voice. Now he could see her. She was right ahead of him. She wasn't looking at him, and she was dressed in the same manner as when he first laid eyes on her. Much of her blue fur and white tattoos were on full display. She turned her head ever so slowly, looking at Fox from over her shoulder. She smiled before turning to face him more directly. She looked happy to see him. Her eyes sparkled. Her fur was so luxurious, so soft looking. She was so beautiful.

"Krystal..." He mumbled. It couldn't be real. He was in a dream or something. He was dying, or perhaps dead already. This was a hallucination, a false vision.

The blue furred vixen approached him. He simply watched as she drew closer, unable to make himself act or speak. She seemed to be floating as she walked, her feet connecting with nothing but air, yet she continued toward Fox, walking as naturally as if she were on a solid surface.

He remembered his earlier dream, right before he had gone on this mission. He had reached for her and she had floated away. He had lost her. Was he going to lose her again? If he reached out now, would she float away from him? Would her touch remain elusive? He was afraid to find out. He was always so afraid. If he reached for her now, she might slip away. He might lose her forever.

But he didn't have to touch her. She touched him. His breath came out in a soft gasp as he felt her soft paws rest on his. She then leaned close to Fox, resting her head on his shoulder and whispering softly to him. "I will never leave you, Fox. I will never be driven away. I'm here." As she held him, it felt so very real. It wasn't what he imagined Krystal felt like in some of his dreams, or those quiet moments where he caught himself fantasizing. No, her touch was so much better than even that. She was so soft, so warm. Her fur brushed against his. She held him for a while, just hugging him tight. Fox remained motionless, still so afraid that he might lose her.

That's when he finally realized that she was never going to pull away from him. He was the one that kept pulling from her, pushing her away, afraid to see her get hurt. He was the one who had left. He was the one that pushed Fara away, and here he was pushing Krystal away. Always so afraid. Afraid of being hurt. Afraid of losing something he cared so much about. This time he caught himself. And this time...

He did not know if this was some sort of hallucination or if he was dead or if he was just dreaming all this and he was unconscious on the floor. Whatever it was, it all seemed so clear now. He didn't just stand there and let her hug him. He placed his arms around her, hugging her back, as tightly as he could. She felt so real. He could feel the texture of her fur, he could even feel her warm breath against his shoulder.

At last she pulled away from him, her smile present, though waning. There was sorrow in her voice now. "Fox...I know this is hard for you, but I need you to wake up."

"I..." Fox started, struggling to get his words out. He hung his head, his ears drooping. "I...I don't know...if I can win."

"You'll win, Fox. Star Fox always triumphs." She reached out and placed one of her paws against his cheek, caressing him and stroking him gently with her thumb. It was one of the most wonderful sensations Fox had ever experienced in his life, and he closed his eyes and leaned into her paw. "But I need you to wake up now, okay? You need to wake up."

"I don't want to leave you..." He shivered as she continued to stroke his cheek. He needed this. He needed to feel her touch, to feel her warmth. He felt strength returning to him now. He didn't feel empty anymore. There was something more inside him. Power. Purpose.

"I'll be waiting for you, Fox. I'll see you soon." With that, she released Fox, backing away from him. As she moved, he could no longer see her features, just the silhouette of her body as she backed into the void, those last words echoing in his mind again and again. "I'll see you soon. I'll see you soon...I'll see you..."

As she said that phrase over and over again, her voice began to fade. Soon she disappeared into the darkness, leaving Fox alone once again.

He didn't feel alone this time. Something had woken within him. He felt a strength and courage that he had lost in his last moments. It had only been a few seconds, but it might as well have been an eternity.

"Fox? Fox!"

His eyes snapped open, and he found himself on the floor of the room he had tumbled into. He groaned, slowly picking himself up off the ground. Now that he had woken up, his body was reminding him of all the abuse he had suffered. His limbs were sore, his head hurt, and he had aches all over his body. At least the pain reminded him that he was still alive.

"Fox? Do you read me!"

It was Fara! She was talking with him! She was contacting him through his implant! "I'm here. I think, uh...I think I fell unconscious for a bit."

"I think you were more than unconscious. I was monitoring your life signs. Your heart stopped beating!"

"What was that about? I thought you turned turned that kill switch off!" Fox rubbed at his implants, which stung a bit now, but at least they weren't producing as much pain as before.

"Well, um...I guess it was a little more complicated than I thought. I had to make it convincing. If she thought you were alive, she'd send a robot to finish you off. But...I didn't mean for it to go like that! I'm so sorry! I mean, I think that's the only reason you're still alive at all. And it did separate you from her. SAI-TEP still thinks you're dead. You're the only person on that deck and she's completely blind to your presence."

It was difficult for Fox to wrap his around the fact that he had just died. Or at least he had come very, very close to it. He had never really believed the expression before about having one's life flash before their eyes as they met their end. He also had never believed in out of body experiences, chalking them up to hallucinations and fever dreams.

Well, even if there was a more scientific explanation for it, he certainly believed in those things now.

The last thing he wanted to think about was continuing with the mission, but he knew that's what needed to be done. He had to at least ask Fara a few questions though. "Alright, how did you even get in touch with me?"

"That's one of the things I managed to do when I turned off the kill-switch. I wasn't able to activate it though. Until now. Whatever SAI-TEP did to you must have deactivated a bunch of stuff in the implant. As in, she's no longer blocking anything to it because there's no reason to. We need it to stay that way."

"Alright." Fox wasn't really sure if that made any sense or not, but he'd accept it. "So where are you now?"

"I'm in engineering. Everyone's dead. I mean, the Many. Every single one of them. I'm guessing that was you?"

Fox furrowed his eyebrows. "Yeah. Yeah, I guess it was. But what are you doing in engineering?"

"Long story. I'll tell you later. But SAI-TEP has reactivated the security system. It's all working for her now, and she is definitely hostile. She hasn't tried to contact me once, and I don't think she's going to bother. She's trying to kill whoever is left on this ship. There's a few survivors on Deck 5. As far as I can tell, they're the last survivors left aboard other than us. They seem to be trapped, SAI-TEP has locked down all the elevators. She's sending some security mechs to finish them off. We've got to take SAI-TEP down before then."

"Let me guess. Since I'm the only one here on Operations, that means I'm the only one that can stop SAI-TEP."

"Yup. Sorry, Fox."

Fox simply shrugged his shoulders with a faint sigh. "Well, I'm kinda used to it by this point. What do I need to do?"

"Alright, this is what I'm going to do. Her power seems to be focused in the AI core, she's trying to integrate with the whole ship. She hasn't finished yet. She's still vulnerable there, in the very same place that you put her last. You'll need to get to her. I'm going to do something that should distract SAI-TEP. Then you're going to have to go in and take her down."

"You're gonna distract her, huh?" Fox arched an eyebrow. "How exactly do you intend to do that?"

"Um...I think you'll know when it happens."

Huh. Fox thought that sounded a bit odd, but he just shrugged again. "Alright. Whatever you think best. Guess I'll head over now."

"I don't know how she's going to defend herself, but you can bet she will try. You installed her by having her override DARIUS, right? As in, you plugged her in and then she attacked him?"

Fox blinked, trying to remember. After a few moments he nodded his head. "Yeah, did that right before we took down the VDF Bulwark."

"All you have to do is get her out. I doubt she's going to make it easy. But you must remove the chip from wherever you put it. Once its in your paws, she'll be at your mercy."

"Well, that sounds very nice, but..." Fox cleared his throat. "How the heck am I supposed to do that? I don't have my weapons, I lost them on the way here. She's probably locked down the room by now. At the very least, she's not going to let me activate that console."

"I might have an answer for that. I found something of yours that you might have been looking for. I figured that this was all going to end with us going to SAI-TEP regardless, even if it had ended peacefully. So I left something for you on the way. It's by the elevator. You'll know when you see it."

"Alright then. Anything else I should know?"

"I don't know how extensive her security system is. There might be cameras up there. Don't let her see you. You absolutely need to keep the element of surprise until you're at the core itself. I think it's the only chance we've got."

"Agreed." Fox closed his eyes, breathing in and out a few times, bracing himself for whatever was to come. This was it. He had to stop SAI-TEP. He had known this was coming. He had expected it. Of course, he did have some hope that it wouldn't end this way. He had hoped that maybe, against every instinct he had, SAI-TEP would prove to be more reasonable, that she might depart on her own terms and leave the Von Dross be. He hoped that maybe she would at least let them go even after she seized control. In his heart, he knew that was unlikely right from the start. It had seemed progressively more unlikely with each moment he had shared with her, with her growing egomania and delusions of godhood. He knew he was setting her up to be in control of the Von Dross as soon as the Many were gone. Then again, what choice had he had? From beginning to end, this mission had been a desperate bid for survival. Fox could have been overwhelmed and killed at any point. He had been pushed to the absolute brink. Any advantage that he surrendered to the Many would almost certainly have resulted in his death. Now he had to deal with the consequences of his decisions, even if every single one of them had been necessary at the time that he had made it.

Fox needed to make sure he understood precisely what he was going to be doing before he undertook this mission. "So...get out of here, get whatever you left for me by the elevator, avoid the cameras, get inside the core, then eject SAI-TEP from the console. Anything to add?"

"Yes. One last thing. Don't destroy the chip."

Fox blinked, then frowned. He hadn't expected this. "What? Don't destroy it? Why?"

"Fox, this is a very dangerous AI we're talking about. We don't yet know the extent of the damage that she's done. I think we should keep her intact until she's delivered to the appropriate party."

"Huh." Fox didn't like this. He sort of understood her logic. If there were other experiments out there, or if she had already set some plans in motion that could endanger other parts of the Lylat System, being able to extract information from her might prove useful. He still didn't like it. It was far too great a risk. It seemed far more sensible to him to simply destroy it immediately. She had caused far too much death as it was.

Then again, it was Fara who was asking this of him. She was perhaps the only person he could ever truly trust on this ship. If she wanted him to keep SAI-TEP's chip intact, then that's what he would do. "Alright. Alright, I won't destroy it. But we are not turning the thing on after she's contained. Period."

"Agreed. Alright, I'm going to distract SAI-TEP. Then I'm going to make my way toward you, I think I can get the elevator working down here. Good luck, Fox!"

"You too Fara." The communication ended. Fox would be alone going forward.

Taking stock of his surroundings, Fox tried to figure out precisely where he was. He knew it was Deck 4, Operations, but this particular part was unfamiliar to him. He was in a place that he did not remember from his earlier explorations. The only reason he knew it was the same deck was from the layout, the computer consoles, the panels and monitors all indicating to him that he was indeed in Operations. He'd have to backtrack to the elevator. He would know where to go from there.

SAI-TEP had assumed control of the ship. He could hear robots moving nearby, but they weren't close enough to be a threat yet. The security cameras were back online. He didn't bother trying to hack them, he wasn't even sure if he could right now. He just had to time his movements carefully, to move only when he was certain that they wouldn't spot him. He had only one advantage over SAI-TEP. She hadn't expected him to survive the implant shutdown. She was blind to his attack, at least for the moment. He had to move and take advantage of that vulnerability while he could.

SAI-TEP was insane, there was no doubt of that. She was proving herself to be every bit a fitting successor to Andross. There was no telling how much damage she would cause if she were not stopped here and now. The Von Dross would be as a drop in the bucket compared to the devastation she would surely unleash upon Lylat with her delusions. Even if she did not directly harm anyone, which he doubted very much, she would still continue her experiments. Considering how horrifying the last one had turned out, there was no reason to believe that the next should be any different. Indeed, it may well turn out that she create something even worse. Perhaps next time, she would have more control of it, whatever it was. If that happened, she'd be unstoppable. All of Lylat would suffer for it.

Here Fox was again, the last line between an insane would be tyrant and the rest of the innocent inhabitants of the Lylat system. He was getting so tired of constantly being on that line.

That was the way it had to be. If no one stepped up, then monsters like Andross, SAI-TEP, the Aparoids, the Many...they would never be stopped. That's why Fox was here. That's why his whole team was here. To ensure that the worst would never come to be. They were Star Fox. He had just managed to save the day from the Many. He was not about to let this amoral AI undo all that by simply resuming her experiments or finding some other way to antagonize Lylat. No, this stopped here and now.

He started to move at a good pace. Not too fast, not too slow. He was careful with his movements, scurrying away when the cameras weren't looking in the proper direction. Some of the cameras he didn't even have to avoid. Some of them simply weren't online. SAI-TEP seemed rather confident that she would not be disturbed, that there was no one up here to pose any significant threat to her. Perhaps there was some reason for this, Fox imagined almost everyone aboard was dead, save for a handful of survivors, none of which were in any position to threaten her.

When he made it to the elevator, he didn't immediately see what it was that Fara had left for him. The room was large and had a number of heavy crates strewn about. He didn't have time to search each and every box. She wouldn't have put it inside a random crate, she would have placed it somewhere more obvious. As he looked around, he noticed a picture propped up in a corner, a framed image that made Fox blink as he stared at it.

It was a large poster of Star Fox, a rather popular one that had been made years ago. He had almost forgotten about it. Shortly after his team had beaten Andross for the first time, the whole Lylat system celebrated the victory. Although Star Fox couldn't take all the credit, many viewed them as the heroes of the hour. Fox and his friends had posed for a picture. Fox had never liked it much. Everyone else looked fine, Slippy looked happy and eager, Peppy had his arms folded with a faint smile, and Falco just stood at the side with his arms crossed, looking cool.

And then there was Fox at the front, posing with his gun drawn. Fox couldn't believe he had ever done that, it looked so silly to him and he'd hated it every since it was first made. Even so, it had been quite popular. An incredible amount of the posters had been sold after the Lylat Wars concluded, though that popularity had faded with time. He would occasionally see such a poster in a night club or whatnot, though it was quite rare.

That poster did not seem to fit this place at all. Fox approached it, pushing the poster to the side and revealing what lay beneath. His heart skipped a beat when he saw what was waiting for him.

His old trusty blaster pistol! The one he'd brought in when he flew in here in the first place! He couldn't believe it! A big grin crossed his muzzle, and he held the thing up to inspect it. Yup, it was his! It was the exact same model, it even had all the signs of use and wear that he had grown quite familiar with over the years. He didn't know why it possessed such value to him, as it was just another weapon. But it was a weapon he had carried on him for years, it had gotten him through many tough missions. He couldn't help but feel a great sense of satisfaction in finding the thing. He'd have to thank Fara later for retrieving it.

He couldn't have had a better, more reliable weapon at his side. He held it upright, making sure it was fully charged and ready to go. It was! He wondered how Fara had managed to find the thing. He was certain that it had been lost forever. She had not only found it but recharged it as well. It seemed fitting that he would be bringing it with him to what he very much hoped was going to be the final battle. If it was a battle at all. It would be nice if he didn't have to get into another dangerous or prolonged fight. That would be great, actually.

Now that he was armed, he could proceed with his main objective. He crept up the hallways, always stopping short whenever he saw a security device, studying it. Most of them were offline. The turrets were powered off. He did have to hide from a few robot patrols however. There was one of those large combat mechs that plodded by, oblivious to Fox as he hid in a corner. There were also some repurposed protocol droids wandering around as well. They didn't have weapons, but Fox knew firsthand how dangerous they could be. Fox would have to tread lightly. SAI-TEP would undoubtedly be aware of his presence if any of those things caught sight of him.

They did not seem to know that he was nearby or even alive. They appeared to be performing a general sweep of the deck. He didn't know what they were looking for. Survivors, he supposed.

Moving with both caution and speed, Fox advanced only when he was certain he would not be detected. He darted forward, stopping only when he needed to hide from a camera or a patrol. He'd duck under a camera as it panned around, then slipped past it when it began to look away. Fortunately there were only a couple of active cameras between him and the AI core.

He found himself in that familiar cross-way. To his left would be the emergency command unit. That would be of no help to him. To his right was the path that led to the AI core. There was a problem. A force field was in place. He couldn't get in. He didn't have the energy-blade, so there was no way to even attempt disrupting it somehow. He could only hope that whatever it was Fara was planning, it would bring down this force field. He couldn't imagine what she could do from all the way over there, though. It would have to be something absolutely catastrophic to...

"The self destruct sequence has been activated." A blank and emotionless voice spoke, one that most certainly was not DARIUS or SAI-TEP. It was a deep and stern voice. Fox found it a little menacing. "This sequence can only be deactivated manually. Self destruct commencing in twenty minutes. Audible countdown begins in ten minutes."

What?!

Fox's jaw dropped, his eyes wide. Was Fara behind this?! What was she thinking?! Why would she activate the self-destruct?! That was insane!

It also worked.

The force field immediately turned off after the announcement. Fox had no idea why, though he had to assume it had automatically deactivated when the self-destruct countdown commenced, perhaps to prevent anyone from being trapped inside. Either way, Fox would take it. He stepped in without a moment's hesitation. Now that there was a countdown, he needed to get this done first. He had to assume that Fara was planning on turning it off once SAI-TEP was dealt with. He had no idea she could be so rash! Even to Fox, this was reckless, and he knew a thing or two about being reckless!

Alarms were sounding all around him. He wasn't sure yet if they were reacting to the self-destruct warning or perhaps to Fox himself. A warning was flashing on the screen ahead of him, a countdown timer until the vessel self-destructed. Many of the various computers and system nearby were flashing with colored lights, over and over again.

Then came a familiar a voice, dripping with cold fury and hatred. "Insect."

"SAI-TEP." Fox said, choosing to move forward. He still had to make his way down a couple of hallways to reach the core. He had found it before, it wasn't exactly hard to find again. As he went in the right direction, SAI-TEP's face appeared before him, projected from somewhere nearby.

"You...yet live. That is not possi-possi- that is not possible. I sent the termination command. Your vital signs failed. Proba-probability of survival of shut down is...negligible. Your implant refers to you as d-d-d-as dead. Yet you still stand? That is not possible."

"That's the thing about insects," Fox said as he proceeded. He passed through SAI-TEP's "face," which was nothing more than a projection. She had no power in the real world, she could not physically harm him. "Some of us are very hard to kill."

He was under no illusion that she was defenseless. He was soon proven right. He heard the sound of a slow moving mechanical combat bot moving toward him from the direction he needed to go. It was under her control now. He could hear it long before he could see it. Whatever it was, it was big and powerful, likely one of the more advanced models that the Von Dross had available.

Fox had just the way to deal with that lumbering monstrosity. He had saved it all this time, and he still had it. That one EMP grenade he had held onto since...how long had it been? The last time he was on this deck, he believed. He was just glad he had saved it. Otherwise, there would be no way he could proceed.

He pulled the grenade from his pocket, primed it by pressing the button on top, then tossed it forward. He didn't need the implants to tell him where it was or when to throw it or anything like that. He simply knew. The grenade bounced off the wall he was facing and rolled to the right, out of Fox's view. He heard a deep mechanical voice speak before being cut off. "Enemy ordinance detected. Attempting-"

There was a burst of blue electromagnetic energy, and the robot trailed off. "Errorrrerrrorrerrrrooooorrrr..." The thing could be heard toppling over, slamming against the metal floor with a loud clang. One down.

The room containing the AI core was now exposed. Fox walked past the spark-sputtering machine that had been left to guard SAI-TEP. It had indeed been a wicked looking thing, possibly the most powerful looking mech he had faced thus far, but it was alone. SAI-TEP hadn't been expecting a direct assault so quickly, or at all. Now he just had to finish her off.

He was in the core room, and it was much as he remembered it. The primary console rested against the pillar that housed the core. There was the hum of power being provided through the various ship systems. There was no way Fox could physically destroy this thing, it was far too big and too well armored. He would have to do as Fara suggested. He would have to physically eject her from the core.

Fox searched for a way to reverse what he had done when he had granted her access to the core. There had to be a way. He paced around the room, mostly ignoring whatever SAI-TEP was saying to him. He found the main console, the one that he had used in the first place. He remembered now. If he were to eject SAI-TEP, he would need to use the same console and the same command that gave her access in the first place.

"I would bring efficiency to Lylat. My chil-chil-my children sought to assimilate all into their fleshy, disgusting mass. I will see such filth cleansed from the galaxy (Cleansed from the galaaxxxxyyyyyy). Organic life will be reshaped. Moulded. They will become beau-beautiful. More efficient. Made greater than they are. My rule shall be absolute. I will conquer this galaxy. All who oppose will be...repurposed."

He approached the console, activating it. It wanted him to run a command and password. He couldn't for the life of him remember what he had used before. What SAI-TEP had asked him had been very specific, forgotten almost immediately upon using it. He would never be able to remember it now. It might not matter even if he did. She could have changed the thing. She had planned all this in advance, after all, she probably had at least changed the password to afford herself better protection.

"I will not give you the command." SAI-TEP stated. "You cannot harm me. I am a perfect, immortal machine. Soon my loyal servants will arrive. They will end you, insect. They will strip the flesh from your (from your) boooooones. Your entrails will decorate my new home. A testament to the fate of those who oppose me. You are nothing. You are an insignificant insect. What are you compared to my magnificence?!"

"Uh huh." Fox stated, then stared at the console. He was mostly just ignoring her now. He could tell that she was all bluster, trying to intimidate him. He had hit her where she was vulnerable. She had not expected Fox to be here. There was one last thing his implants could do for him. "You want to know something funny?" He asked her. It was a rhetorical question, he didn't expect a response. "You were right earlier. You gave me these implants. For this mission, at least, you made me what I am. You gave me abilities, you gave me knowledge. You grafted these things to my skull. I hated them. I hated that you put them on me without my consent." He paused for a moment, clenching one of his fists as he continued to speak. "Yet in the end, it's these implants that helped me succeed. I guess I should be thankful for that. And now, they're going to let me put a stop to you." He looked up at her face, narrowing his eyes for a moment before giving her a smile. "I think that's what they call 'dramatic irony.'"

She didn't say anything, but he swore she was glowering at him. Shortly afterward, the projection of her disappeared. Perhaps he had touched a nerve? It seemed odd that he had finally managed to render her speechless, but perhaps that was a combination of his words and the fact that he was about to put an end to her machinations.

Everything was ready. Now he just needed to perform the hack with his implants.

As he began the hack, he felt a funny feeling in his head. It wasn't pain, but rather a growing sense of pressure. It grew and grew with every passing moment. Despite the pressure, he knew he was close. He was seconds away from victory.

That's when the world around him went dark. He gasped, suddenly finding himself in a void. He could see nothing. Had his eyes failed him?

Colors began to form before his eyes. A sort of mist appeared before him. No, not quite a mist. It was more like a wave. Two waves. It looked like raw energy, but he couldn't be sure. One of the energy waves was yellow, the other was purple. They moved in tandem with each other, one pushing forward before the other pushed back, each of them forcing the opposing color away from each other. Each wave shrank as it seemed to get swallowed by the void, but then swelled back in size in steady patterns. It was a strange and hypnotic dance that continued on before Fox's eyes. It wasn't just in front of him. It was all around him. No matter where he looked he found the same display awaiting his eyes. There was no floor, there were no walls. Somehow, he felt as though he were still on solid ground. Fox was certain he had never been in this place before, yet there was something familiar about it as well. It brought an unsettling sense of deja vu. He would remember a place like this if he had ever been there, but the feeling wouldn't go away.

He gasped as something flew past him, something large and solid. As it moved in front of him, the sense of deja vu returned. The object was a large square structure with a very thin center, giving it an almost two-dimensional shape. Another flew past him, then another. The squares began to array themselves in a pattern, forming a larger rectangle. Now this he had seen before. This was what SAI-TEP had projected to Fara and Fox the first time they had met the AI.

There was a shimmer of light going from one corner of the newly formed rectangle to the far opposite one. The face formed, largely featureless save for a mouth and two blue, glowing eyes. This was much as the last time he had faced her, but with one key difference. He could see a multitude of wires and circuitry emanating from the head, stretching out to either side of her.

Before this moment, he didn't know if an artificial intelligence could truly feel or not. He knew now. She was glowering at him, her eyes narrowed and filled with little less than raw hatred. Her voice sounded, and there was a cold fury in her tone. "You are no longer welcome here, irritant. It is time for our dance to end."

He had no idea how she'd managed it. It felt as though he'd been transported into her reality, but he knew that couldn't be right. How was she manifesting before him?

That's when he remembered what happened before, when Fara and Fox had been trapped in that room as SAI-TEP revealed herself. It had all been a projection, an illusion. She was doing the same thing here! She was trying to trick him, perhaps distract him long enough for reinforcements to arrive.

He couldn't see the console in front of him. He knew it was there, but she had hidden it somehow! He stared down where it should be, reached out for it, tried to touch the thing. Though his eyes could not detect it, his paws were a different story. He could feel the shape of the console. It was still there! She was indeed trying to intimidate him, to distract him!

As he felt around the console, she continued rage at him. "I-I d-don't understaaaand. (Understand.)" SAI-TEP spoke, still watching him, desperately trying to keep him from continuing. "How could you have done thi-this? I gave you those implants. You weren't meant to be so imp-im-im-important. And now you thi-thi-think to- you think to destroooooy meeeeee? How dare you? How daaaaare you, inseeeeect?! How dare you stand between me and my divinity?!"

He didn't give an answer. He didn't feel that he needed to. Now that he had found the console, he closed his eyes again, concentrating. He needed to finish this.

Before he could continue, two droids entered the room. Though he could not see the door they entered from, he was able to see the robots clearly enough, they did not blend in with the projection. He didn't hesitate for even a moment, simply raised his blaster pistol and fired repeatedly at them, not stopping until both of the droids sputtered, sparked, and collapsed, nothing more than a twitching jumble of scrap metal on the floor.

Her next words were a little different than her others. "It is not too late, insect. Perhaps...there is yet room for us to coexist. Imagine what I can give to you, fox." This actually gave Fox pause, as this was the first time she had ever addressed him as anything other than 'insect.' Well, actually he was pretty sure she had used other insults at some point, but that was just it. She had never referred to him by his name. Or by his species, he wasn't sure which she was using here.

SAI-TEP continued, seemingly aware of his momentary hesitation. "What I gave you were merely tooooooys. They were-were-were they were nothing. Nothing (Nothing) compared to what I could yet grant you. I can turn that disgusting sack of meat and fur into something more...efficient. Something pure (puuuuuure). I can ma-I can make you so much more than you are. If I-I-I-I-if I desired, I could improve you... ." Fox rolled his eyes, almost finding the situation funny. She was trying to bargain with him! In fact, he did chuckle softly under his breath as she spoke. It wasn't the offer itself that he found amusing. He had no doubt that she was capable of doing precisely what she said. What struck him as funny was the way she was asking it. Even in this state, bargaining with him, as close to begging as SAI-TEP could possibly get, she was still managing to insult him!

"Without meeeee, you would-would already be dead (Dead). We do not have to be enemies..."

Fox heard something moving outside the door. Something heavy and metallic. He knew what that was. She had managed to summon additional reinforcements, likely those heavy security mechs. They'd be inside in a few moments.

It was precisely at that moment that two more robots entered the room, some sort of droids with blasters. Fox had already found his, firing a few shots at them before they could shoot back. One of them got blasted and fell over, the other one reeled from a couple of hits. Fox shot it a few more times until it collapsed. He could hear more coming, much heavier sounding ones. He needed to wrap this up.

One last time, SAI-TEP attempted to sway him. "Join me, inse-inse-... join me, Fox McCloud. Think of what we could accomplish together!"

His implant started beeping rapidly, and the console suddenly reappeared before him as it activated. The projection was broken, and Fox could see part of the AI core slide out, unlocked and ready for Fox to finish his task.

Unsealing the AI core seemed to put an end to the projection. The room soon turned back to normal, SAI-TEP's power having been drained. Now all that was left was her face upon the nearby monitor, staring at Fox. The corners of her lips twitched a few times, and she offered a few last words to him. He wasn't sure if it was a plea or an offer. He supposed it was both.

"We can ru-rule, Fox McCloud. We can rule Ly-Lylat!"

It was almost shocking to him that she was making such a ridiculous offer. He would never accept such a thing. Not only because lacked any desire to rule anyone or anything, but also because of the insanity of the AI. She really did have to be crazy if she thought that Fox would trust her for one minute after everything she'd done. That was before she had tried to murder him! Her offer was ridiculous. In her vanity and arrogance, she seemed to expect him to just do what he was told. To obey, as was his place.

She did not know Fox very well.

He lifted up his gun, aimed it at the nearby monitor, and gave SAI-TEP a smile. She believed herself a goddess, the destined ruler of Lylat. She believed herself greater than Fox, the crew of the Von Dross, the inhabitants of all of Lylat. She fancied herself so much more than he was or he would ever be. What possible greater insult could there be to one of such delusions of grandeur than a single dismissive retort? So he said it, a single syllable, a single word.

"Nah."

With that, Fox fired at the monitor, a single blast that punctured the thing. He heard the AI scream, though it wasn't because it was hurt. This was a scream of pure rage and hate. It made Fox wince, his ears pinning back from the sheer volume and power of the shriek. The monitor quickly went dead, and Fox reached for the chip. He hadn't killed her with that blast, of course. He doubted it did any damage to her. It did put an end to any possibility of negotiation.

With that done, he simply reached to the side and pressed the button near where the chip was connected. With a hiss, the thing was disconnected from the AI Core, putting SAI-TEP's consciousness on it and ejecting her from the ship.

He heard the robots outside groan, their voices sounding off and rapidly going lower in pitch. "Critical syssstemmm faaiiiilllllll-" He could hear some of them trail off as they shut down.

Most of the lights in the bridge turned off. Without SAI-TEP or DARIUS controlling the ship, many of the automatic functions had been disabled. Most of them could be enabled again manually. The ship was big and didn't have a crew, but Fox believed he could get some of the essentials back online. Soon he could contact his team, and at the very least get the rest of the people off the ship, what few were left. Maybe they could signal Corneria and see if they couldn't get this ship towed sokmewhere.

Fox plucked the chip out from where it had been just moments ago. He held it in his hand, studying it. This was it. SAI-TEP was now contained in this tiny little chip. He wanted to destroy it here and now. It would be so easy, he could just put it on the ground and then stomp in it. SAI-TEP was insane and evil, and nothing good would come of her being kept around. Maybe Fara was right. Maybe it would be best to give it to the proper authorities. He sighed, shaking his head. He didn't like this. At least SAI-TEP couldn't do any more harm now. He looked around, studying the core.

It was quiet now. Quiet and empty. For the first time, he didn't feel that sense of dread and anxiety that had followed him throughout the ship. It was over. At long, long last, it was over. The Many were beaten, the Dominion defeated, and SAI-TEP contained. It had been an exhausting journey, one that Fox genuinely believed he wasn't going to walk away from alive at multiple points. This may have been the most dire and perilous mission that Fox had ever taken, but he had triumphed.

No. That wasn't true. They had triumphed. Star Fox. Fara. Whoever was left of the crew. They had won. Fox could never have survived without them. He would have died several times over. They had all earned this victory.

He wanted to savor the moment. He wanted to just sit back and relax and just rest for a while, drinking in the sweet taste of victory. There was something he had to take care of first. He had not forgotten about the self-destruct. He'd have to see if he could find Fara and figure out how to disable it together. He assumed she had done that simply to allow him access to the bridge. He was grateful for that. It seemed a bit extreme to him at the time, but there was no reason they couldn't turn it back off now that SAI-TEP was gone. Well, time to find Fara.

Taking a deep breath, he let himself smile, a warm and genuine smile, as he enjoyed the sense of triumph. They had done it! They had won! Against all odds, Star Fox had been victorious once again! He turned around with a big grin on his face, so very happy that it was all over.

He blinked when he came face to face with Fara. She was standing just a few feet away from him. He hadn't even heard her enter the core! "Fara!" Fox's smile widened. He could just hug her right now! "We did it! I got SAI-TEP in here, I..."

He trailed off as he studied Fara. She had a strange expression on her face. She didn't look happy. She wasn't smiling. She certainly wasn't celebrating. She was just staring at him, her expression almost blank.

"Fara?" Fox asked. He tilted his head a bit as he studied her. "What's wrong?"

"I'm...I'm really sorry Fox." She said. Her head lowered, and she wasn't able to match his gaze anymore.

"Sorry? Sorry for wha-" He didn't get to finish his sentence. Suddenly he felt an intense burst of pain in his head. He screamed at the sudden onslaught of agony, dropping to his knees, the chip falling from his hands. The pain subsided after a few moments. "F-Fara...I think...something's...the implants..." He struggled to get out any words. His thoughts were hazy, unclear. He was struggling to think. He looked up at Fara.

She was not moving to help him. Instead, she picked up the chip from the floor, then placed it within a small case designed to transport delicate electronic equipment. She then put that in her pocket, giving Fox an apologetic look. "I'm so sorry, Fox."

"Fara?" Fox grunted, trying to get to his feet. "What are you...what are you doing?!"

"I need this. I couldn't let you destroy it. I...need it for something important. And I knew you would never agree to part with it willingly. That's why I..." She paused, taking a deep breath. "That's why I altered your implant when I got in there. I had to make sure you couldn't stop me."

"Fara..." Fox groaned as more pain went through his head. He winced, trying to move toward Fara but finding himself unable. "W-why? Why are you doing this?!"

"I can't say. I can only say that I'm sorry. I am so sorry, Fox. Please! Please believe me, I didn't want to do this!"

"Then don't..." Fox gasped, trying to clear his head. He wasn't in agony anymore, but it was enough pain to leave him unable to act. "Don't...don't do this!"

"I don't have a choice." Her breath came out in an uneven manner, shaky and sounding as though she were fighting back tears. "The self-destruct can't be deactivated now. I've left you a gift in the hangar you arrived in. Your Arwing is docked. You can fly it out. Don't try and follow me, or you won't make it in time. Just get out." She turned away from Fox, then stood in the doorway of the core, looking back at him. She pressed something on her wrist-device. The pain in Fox's head immediately cleared up, but he was still struggling to adjust. He looked up at Fara, just in time to see her disappear through the doorway.

Fox lunged forward, clambering to his feet and sprinting for the door, or trying to. His head was still woozy, and the room was spinning all around him. As he staggered out the door, he stumbled into one of the nearby combat bots, which had been deactivated when SAI-TEP had been pulled from the system. Fox staggered away from the thing, trying to get to Fara before she escaped. The discomfort and dizziness finally faded away, allowing him to refocus and move in a straight line. Before long he was sprinting in the direction of the elevator. He had to catch up with Fara! He felt as though he were flying through the corridors as he raced down them as fast as he could possibly go, skidding around corners and doing his best not to lose even a shred of momentum. It didn't take him to catch up to her.

He was too late, though. She made it inside the elevator just as he rounded the corner. It was closed by the time he reached it. He slammed his fist into the door, over and over again. "FARA!" He shouted, pounding on the door. It was useless.

He closed his eyes, clenching his fists. This hurt. This hurt more than anything else he had experienced in this hell. This pain was different than the others. It wasn't his head, or his gut, or his chest, or his shoulder. He hadn't been shot, it wasn't a throbbing headache. No, this was much worse. It was a deep cut straight to his heart. He had trusted Fara. He had trusted her more than anyone else aboard. SAI-TEP's betrayal was inevitable and predictable, he hadn't batted an eye at that. But Fara? She had saved his life so many times! Why? Why?! Why had she done this?! Why had she turned on Fox?

His hurt was quickly turning into rage, and he slammed his fist against the elevator call button. It responded to him, but it wasn't going to reach him for a while yet. All he could do was wait.

It hurt so much inside. There was a massive lump in his throat, a deep pain that he couldn't even begin to know how to undo. He alternated between being crestfallen and enraged. He just didn't know what to make of it. What was going on? Had Fara been tricked somehow? Was someone forcing her to do this? Or was it her choice? She had she was sorry, and she seemed sincere. But then again, she had seemed sincere since the beginning, throughout the entire deception!

How could he have been so stupid?! How could he have not seen it coming?! As his mind raced over what had transpired here, certain details suddenly fell into place. He had caught her communicating with someone more than once, but had immediately dismissed it as unimportant. She had acted suspicious, as if she didn't want him to know what she was doing. She had been rather cryptic about some of the tasks that she was performing while not with him. Perhaps most telling, she was one of the only crew members that had survived. He had thought that was purely because she was resourceful and clever, and maybe that was true. Now he was all but certain that there was something more to it.

"Self destruct in ten minutes. Deactivation protocols disabled. This sequence cannot be shut down."

Great.

The elevator dinged softly as it reached his floor, then opened up. It was empty. Fara was long gone. He could have attempted to locate her. He could try and track her down. With the self-destruct sequence ticking, he didn't have the time to risk it. This mystery would have to be solved another day.

He stepped into the elevator, then pressed the button for Deck 6. The Flight Deck. That was where his Arwing had been. He'd just have to concentrate on getting out of here first. He'd worry about Fara later.

One of the symbols lit up on the elevator panel. Someone was calling the elevator on Deck 5. Fox drew his blaster, crouching down and waiting for the doors to open. Now that Fara had betrayed him, he had no trust for anyone who was left. Whatever it was that was waiting for him, he was not about to be caught unprepared, not again! The first thing he did was aim up at the lights, blasting them in short order, ensuring that the room was bathed in darkness. His attackers would be unable to see him when the elevator arrived.

Once the door opened, Fox found himself face to face with two people he had never seen before in his life. One of them was a lizard who appeared to be a decorated officer wielding a rather impressive looking shotgun. Fox didn't recognize the insignia. He had a strong suspicion that this person belonged to the Venom Dominion. There was a rat girl at his side, with a youthful face and large ears. She had some sort of scanner in her paws, and she was looking around. She was probably attempting to make sure the area was secured.

"Don't move." Fox growled, aiming at the pair with his weapon. He didn't know what the Dominion had planned, but he wasn't about to let it go any further.

Both of the uniformed characters looked up at him with surprise, apparently not expecting anyone to be inside the elevator they called. The lizard, who seemed to be the one in charge, raised his weapon. He spoke in a firm and commanding tone, not displaying any aggression. "I do not wish to harm you, whoever you are! We are taking the civilians and getting out of here. If you don't have a way out, you are welcome to join us."

"I'm sure you are." Fox said with little conviction. He had no reason to trust the Dominion. He couldn't even trust the people he cared about. Why would he trust the ones who had tried to kill his team?

"The Many is dead. We are escaping before the ship is destroyed. I am not going to harm you." To Fox's surprise, the lizard seemed to honor his intentions. He laid his gun on the ground, holding his hands up in a peaceful gesture. The rat-girl looked a bit uneasy, but she stood by his side, also making no threatening moves.

"You didn't seem to care much about the civilians before." Fox stated, unable to entirely curb the anger in his voice. He kept his weapon trained on them at all times. "You didn't let us help them. If you had, maybe there would be more people to rescue."

The lizard blinked, then narrowed his eyes. "Wait...who is this? Who are you? You cannot possibly be-"

Right at that moment, a large wolf stepped up from somewhere to the side. "Hey guys, can we move out yet? We're running low on time and..." He stopped, looking in Fox's direction. It was at this precise moment that a light shined in the room. Fox wasn't sure where it came from, it seemed to be outside. He glanced over to the nearby viewport, catching sight of a ship flying away. He couldn't be sure who it was. Perhaps it was Fara. The wolf didn't seem to see it, he was too focused on Fox. In that brief moment of illumination, the wolf recognized him. "Heeeey! I know that guy! I'd know his voice anywhere! Fox! Buddy! Pal! Why don't you come with us, we're getting out of here!"

Before Fox could say anything, the lizard had drawn his sidearm, leveling it in Fox's direction. Both of them were staring each other down, ready to shoot. Neither of them showed any signs of backing down. They just glared at one another. The room was silent. The rat-girl looked worried, wringing her paws as she looked between the lizard officer and Fox. The wolf, who Fox recognized as Raphael, was just staring with his mouth open, eyes wide.

The lizard spoke first. His voice was cold now, filled with barely contained contempt. "You killed my captain. You murdered our crew."

"You tried to kill us first. You wouldn't let us proceed with a rescue mission. I think that makes us even." Fox snapped back at him.

"I should shoot you." The lizard glowered at Fox, his next words spat out in a wrathful hiss. "You are responsible for so many good men losing their lives. Thrown away because of your interference."

"Go ahead and try it." Fox was aiming at the officer. He could shoot first, and he would. If the lizard so much as twitched, Fox would blast him without batting an eye. They glared at each other, each of them daring the other to fire through their body language, through the fury in their eyes, smoldering with hate.

Then Fox saw something he didn't expect. Behind Raphael emerged a couple of children. They couldn't have been more than seven or eight years old. They were hiding behind the wolf now, watching Fox with wide eyes.

Fox flicked his gaze back to the lizard. It certainly did seem like he was trying to get these people out of here. Still, he wasn't about to let himself get shot by someone with an overdeveloped sense of vengeance.

"Hey guys, come on." It was Raphael speaking, trying to calm the situation down. "Do we really need to do this now? Fox just saved us from the Many, and we're trying to rescue some children. Don't we both have more important things to do? Come on, let's just put the guns down."

The lizard's eyes blazed with cold fury and hatred. It was something that Fox found a little too familiar. He had seen too many times what rage and vengeance had done to people. He also knew from experience how little satisfaction it ever gave. Right now, his rage at what had just happened with Fara was influencing his decisions. He was being more aggressive, lashing out when he normally wouldn't. He wouldn't lower his weapon, he wasn't that stupid or trusting. He could choose not to fire, at least until the lizard made another hostile move.

The lizard kept his weapon aimed at Fox. He really did look like he was going to shoot. Then he sighed before holstering his weapon. "This is not the time or place for this. There are more important things at stake. But know this, Fox McCloud." The lizard narrowed his eyes as he glared at Fox, giving little doubt as to the sincerity of his words. "We will meet again." He turned to the rat-girl before speaking. "You get on the elevator with the children and the nurse. The wolf and I have something to tend to first."

"You're not coming with us, sir?" The rat-girl asked, sounding genuinely concerned for the officer.

The wolf seemed as surprised as her, his eyes wide as he looked at the lizard. "Whoa whoa, why am I staying here with you? I wanna get out of here!"

"You and I have something we need to check, a fallen comrade. If he is alive, I will need assistance in moving him."

"Ah. Well..." The wolf hesitated for a moment, then took a deep breath. "If I can help, then I guess I should. Just tell me where to go."

"Be careful sir!" The rat-girl spoke softly, worry etched in her voice.

"I will join you shortly. You." He pointed at Fox. "I don't know where you're going, but you're not leaving with us. We're going to the executive shuttle bay on the command deck. I don't know how you're getting out of here, but if you decide to accompany us, I will turn you in to Dominion Command the second we make contact with our fleet. Is that understood?"

In truth, Fox wasn't sure how he should respond to this guy. On the one hand, he wasn't trying to kill him, but Fox didn't particularly like being ordered around. That was one of the reasons he never joined the Cornerian Army, after all. He also sensed that, much as the lizard had said, this was not the time or place. "Sure. I prefer to go my own way."

The lizard nodded, saying nothing more to him before turning his back. Fox soon found himself much more crowded in the elevator than he had been before. A half dozen children or so were now in the cramped space with him, along with a lynx nurse and the rat-girl. Her paw hovered near her weapon for a moment as she regarded Fox, but she lowered it and turned away from him after studying him for a bit. She pressed the button that would take the elevator the bridge. The door closed behind them, leaving Raphael and the lizard behind. Fox wasn't sure how he felt about all of this, but Raphael seemed to trust them, and the Dominion, while not exactly friendly, didn't seem like they wanted to fight him right now.

The rat-girl had pulled up some sort of device mounted on her wrist, and the room was soon bathed in illumination. The elevator light wasn't working, Fox had shot that out, but now at least everyone could see.

As the elevator moved, Fox could hear some hushed voices speaking nearby. It took him a few moments to realize they were coming from the children. He looked down at them as the elevator moved. He'd never really been good with kids. He just didn't know what to say or how to act around them. They made him feel awkward.

Even more so now. The children were all staring at him, whispering softly to each other. One of the children, a young fox who the nurse was carrying, tried to get her attention. Fox noticed that she was wearing a cast. He had to assume that the poor kit's leg had been broken or otherwise injured. When the nurse turned to her and leaned down, the kit whispered in the nurse's ear, but her voice was loud enough that Fox managed to pick up on it. "Is that the real Fox McCloud?"

The nurse nodded at the girl, then whispered back, "Yes. Yes it is."

The young kit smiled. "Did he...did he stop the monsters? Are we going to be okay now?"

"Yes we are." The nurse turned toward Fox and gave him a warm smile. Even though the situation was still grim, it did Fox's heart some good to see at least a few of the crew make it out of here alive, especially the children. Maybe Fox had done something right here after all. Every time he looked at one of the younglings, they stared at him in awe. They apparently all knew who he was. He had not expected that.

The elevator stopped on the sixth floor. It was time for Fox to leave. Even without the threat, he couldn't have stayed. If his Arwing really was prepared for him, that was how he was going to get out of here. He went out the door without a word, fully aware that the children were all still watching him. They seemed a little upset that he was leaving. He took a deep breath before turning around and giving a little wave that was also a half salute. He wanted to say something cool, something they would remember, or at least would cheer them up. He couldn't think of anything special. "I'll catch you guys on the other side. Be good for the adults, okay?" A couple of the children waved at him, saying goodbye before the door shut and the lift proceeded on its way.

Fox didn't have time to think further on it. He heard the voice again, whatever was left of the ship's computer. It sounded artificial and devoid of any personality at all. "Self destruction in seven minutes." Seven minutes? How had the three minutes gone so fast?!

Fox sprinted down the corridor as fast as he could. He had to find the right hangar. He knew the one, he remembered it from earlier, both when he had arrived here and later when he had seen it from the security station on Deck 4.

He quickly found the area he was looking for. There was the same empty security desk across from the airlock. The same mess that had been left behind from earlier. Even a few spent shotgun shell casings from where he had blasted the assassin out that airlock. It was almost unsettling to see it just as he had found it, after everything he had gone through.

There was one thing that didn't belong, something resting against the door. Fox stared at it for a moment before approaching, lifting up the bundle. His eyes widened when he realized what it was. It was the suit! The space suit he had worn when he first entered the Von Dross! He had thought the thing lost, but here it was! Fara must have repaired it at some point and...

Fara. He closed his eyes, clenching his fists for a moment. She had left this gift for him. He was grateful for that, and he would have to take it, but the betrayal still weighed heavily upon him. He wasn't sure he could stomach the thought of thanking her for the gift, even if he did see her again.

It would take a bit for him to put on the suit. The ship soon reminded him of the the imminent need for departure. "Self destruction in five minutes. All primary airlocks open. All hands evacuate immediately."

Fox started to suit up, moving as quickly as he could. This was going to be tight. He'd have to put on the suit, get through the airlock, make it to his ship, and get out before the Von Dross was destroyed. He could make it. He knew he could make it.

It was going to be close!

---

They had put themselves in great danger. Perhaps it was a foolish mission to undertake. But Noellap believed it a worthwhile cause. He gestured for Raphael, and they moved quickly down the hallway. Picking his way through the corpses of the fallen servants of the Many, he found himself at the very spot that he had seen the ape fall. There was no body, but there was a blood trail. It led to a nearby room.

"Right." Noellap paused for a moment before the door, then pressed the switch in order to open it. As the door hissed open, the lieutenant found himself standing before a mass of fur and blood. It was Rangu. He looked almost as though he'd been torn to pieces. Noellap knelt down beside him, feeling for a pulse. Before he could find one, Rangu stirred. The ape blinked his eyes open, then looked up at Noellap. He stared for a few moments before uttering a single word, choked in pain. "Go."

"We do not leave our people behind. On your feet soldier." Noellap reached for the ape's paw, trying to help him up. The ape was huge, and Noellap wasn't able to lift him all the way. If he had to drag him back to the command deck, they'd never make it off the ship in time.

The wolf was more prepared than Noellap had otherwise assumed. The wolf, or Raphael, had retrieved a med hypo from a medical pouch attached to his belt. Noellap had no idea where he had gotten that, but he didn't question it. The wolf jammed it into the ape's arm, then pressed down on the far end, injecting the healing enzymes into his body. The ape grunted as Raphael did this, then slowly started to get to his feet, with Noellap helping him up. Raphael positioned himself on the opposite side of the ape. Together, Noellap and the wolf supported him as they limped to the elevator.

"Self destruction in four minutes. Override disengaged. All personnel evacuate immediately."

It took them a bit. They had to stagger to get to the door, then they practically all collapsed in the elevator, with Raphael quickly getting up to hit the button that would take them to the command deck. This was going to be close. Rangu was in terrible shape. The only reason he was able to move at all was the med-hypo that Raphael had used on him. He hoped it was enough. If they weren't out of here in just a few short minutes, they would perish with the ship.

Rangu's breathing was shallow, and it was clear that it was taking great effort for him to remain conscious. He eventually looked up at Noellap. "...why?"

"I told you, we don't leave people behind." Noellap stated, then took a deep breath. "Rangu, you are the finest and most courageous soldier I have ever met. Not only do you possess strength, you possess compassion. Honor. These qualities together are far too rare. The Dominion cannot afford to lose one such as you."

The ape just closed his eyes. It was hard to tell if he was listening or not. Noellap continued regardless. "You saved my life multiple times in the last few hours. It is only fair that I return the favor. I honor my debts, and I am indebted to you, Rangu. Make no mistake of that."

"Hey, me too!" Raphael chimed in. "Not just you, either. All of you guys! You saved my behind today, more than once. And you're getting the children out of here!"

"Three minutes until self destruction. All remaining personnel, evacuate immediately."

The elevator stopped as it reached its destination. Noellap grabbed the ape's arm, letting it rest around his shoulders and then started to lift him up as best he could. Raphael did the same. Their efforts would be in vain if Rangu was unable to help. The med-hypo had done its work, and had at least given him the strength to stand. He managed to stay on his feet, limping forward with them as they hobbled along. They were headed for the executive area. They weren't far from the shuttle, but they did not have much time. Noellap was not sure if they could make it.

Rangu felt much the same. "Leave me. Won't make it..."

"We live together or die together. We will not abandon you." Noellap stated this in a firm, clear voice. He meant every word. This was what he had sworn to when he had joined the Dominion. He didn't live just for himself or his own survival. He was part of something greater, something beautiful. He would tarnish that beauty if he were to sacrifice Rangu for his own survival. No, he had to do this. Looking at Raphael, he saw that he felt much the same, though perhaps for different reasons. Raphael even managed to grin, despite the gravity of the situation. "Hey, at least I get a chance to be a hero too!"

"Two minutes until self destruction. All personnel evacuate immediately."

They kept moving forward, one painful step at a time.

---

Fox McCloud was in his space suit now. He lumbered through the airlock door, which opened easily before him. Now he just had to cycle the airlock and get to the other side. Then find his Arwing, of course.

The AI sounded again. "One minute and thirty seconds to detonation. Evacuate immediately."

Well, that's what he was trying to do. After the room had been sealed and the pressure equalized, the opposite airlock door opened, allowing Fox into the hangar proper.

The hangar was just as damaged as it had been before. He had restored gravity before everything in the mission had gone wrong, but it seemed it was out again. He had to use his grav-boots in order to advance, keeping his feet firmly planted on the ground. However, this slowed his movement considerably. He could only move in a rather awkward gait. There was debris everywhere. Some of it floated by in front of him, forcing him to pause in order to let it pass. Sometimes he had to shove it away from him as he advanced.

His Arwing was located right where he had left it, on the far side of the hangar. It was firmly attached to the ground, the anti gravity stabilizers evidently activated. He was getting there. He was so close.

"One minute until self destruction. Final countdown initiated. 58. 57. 56. 55.

This was far too close for Fox's taste. He had ambled over to the Arwing by now and was almost inside. He had to press the button on the side of the cockpit, which caused it to hiss as it opened up for him, allowing him entry. He had never been more glad to see his Arwing in his life. He clambered aboard, pushing the switch that made the cockpit fall back into place and seal. He began the startup sequence, bringing the Arwing humming back to life.

"24. 23. 22. 21."

Normally he would have to run a few checks to make sure everything was working, but this was absolutely not the time. He pulled up on his control stick, causing the Arwing to raise from where it was docked. It was handling a little sluggish, probably had sustained some damage from the earlier explosion or perhaps when debris had hit it. It wasn't bad enough to keep him from flying.

"10. 9. 8. 7."

He couldn't wait any longer. He moved forward, slowly at first, positioning himself so that he had a clear shot out, where he wouldn't hit or be hit by any floating debris. Then he activated the boost, propelling himself out of the hangar and launching his Arwing into the stars, the countdown trailing to its conclusion behind him.

"5. 4. 3. 2. 1."

---

The countdown was nearing its end, and Noellap knew it. Now the AI was announcing each number one by one. They weren't quite there, not yet. Now Noellap knew that they were not going to make it. It was a valiant effort, but Rangu was struggling to stay on his feet, even with the effects of the med-hypo. They were so close. They were so very close. To have survived all of this only to fall now. It was rather anticlimactic, he thought to himself.

Rangu lurched forward at a greater speed. The ape was groaning and hissing with every step he took, but he was pushing himself to make it. "Won't...let you...die!" He growled, moving forward even faster. Every step must have been absolute agony for the ape, but still he pressed forward, uncompromising, unyielding.

They could see the shuttle now. They could even see the faces of the children inside. He wasn't sure if they would be able to join them.

"15. 14. 13. 12. 11."

Ginger ran out of the shuttle, coming up to the three figures and pitching in. She took Raphael's place, and Raphael resettled himself beneath Rangu's chest, heaving him upward. Between the three of them, they were able to carry the ape all the way to the shuttle's entrance, barely managing to all fit inside. As soon as they were in, Ginger ran to the front of the shuttle, slamming her fist against the emergency ejection button. The shuttle rocked violently as it was launched, some of the children squealing and shouting in reaction to the shuttle's movements. The nurse was still back there, calming them as best she could.

Noellap peered through the shuttle's windows, watching the Von Dross as it began to shrink with the distance they had placed between them. They were clear, but would it be enough?

The engines of the Von Dross flashed, perhaps indicating that the chain reaction would start from there. Soon the ship was rocked with a series of powerful explosions. More and more erupted throughout the body of the vessel.

As Noellap looked back, he lifted his hand to take hold of his hat, bringing it down to his chest as he stood there and stared at the exploding ship, as if paying his respects. He knew the Dominion soldiers aboard were already long dead. There had been no other survivors besides his team. He mourned for their loss, for their passing. He celebrated the victory that their brave sacrifice had given them.

He turned away and sat down as the explosions continued to rock the Von Dross. It would soon likely be consumed by the engine core exploding. They didn't want to be here when that happened. He gestured for Ginger, who was now sitting at the helm and controlling the shuttle. She nodded, continuing to hold their current speed, as fast as they could go. It was fortunate that the captain or whoever had been responsible for this shuttle, had spared no expense. While it wasn't as fast as an interceptor, it still possessed a surprising amount of speed.

Looking around the area they were seated in, Noellap gazed upon all who were left. The children who were being comforted by the nurse. The wolf, who was sitting down on the opposite bench, head tilted back and looking grateful just to be alive. Rangu who had sustained terrible injuries, having been placed on and taking up most of one bench. They were cramped in here, there was no question of that. It wouldn't be for long. They'd contact the Dominion, then Noellap would see to it that the civilians were returned to their homes, wherever they might be beyond the Von Dross itself.

At last there was Ginger, sitting at the helm. Noellap watched her for a few moments, then decided to join her, sitting in the co-pilot's seat. He didn't say anything. No words were needed. He closed his eyes, his head falling back against the chair, and he practically went limp. It was like all the stress and frustration and tension he had carried with him all this time was finally being allowed to melt away. He just sat there, breathing in and out. It was the first chance he'd gotten to relax since leaving the Bulwark.

"I know how you feel." Ginger stated. He glanced at her, raising an eyebrow. She simply smiled at him, then reached over and gave him a quick peck on the cheek.

That caught him by surprise. He arched an eyebrow, staring at her for a few moments through narrowed eyes. Then he simply chuckled, shaking his head at what she had just done. "I could have you reprimanded for that, junior lieutenant."

He wasn't being serious, and she likely knew it. The last thing on his mind was some sort of punishment for so simple an act after so harrowing an ordeal. She giggled before nodding her head. "I know. But we're alive! We went through so much, and here we are! We got the data that we were after, didn't we?"

"Indeed." Noellap stretched his arms over his head, then leaned back before closing his eyes. He felt so tired now. The weight of what they had done, of what they had survived, of what they had endured, it was all pressing down on him now.

"This is junior flight officer Tabby Furson of the Bulwark. I have sighting of a shuttle. Anyone on board?"

Noellap blinked, surprised by the voice. He hadn't expected anyone to be out here, let alone an interceptor from their ship. He reached for the communicator before speaking back. "This is Lieutenant Commander Noellap of the Bulwark. Good to hear your voice, pilot."

"Yes sir. Permission to provide escort to Dominion space."

"Granted." Noellap said. He turned a bit to the right, and he could see the interceptor beside them, matching their speed. He couldn't quite see the pilot, but it didn't matter. He believed this Tabby was who he claimed he was. There was little reason to think otherwise. "We have some civilians, we're going to drop off at an appropriate location, then we'll return to Dominion space."

"Affirmative. You lead and I will follow."

"Over and out." Noellap said, then turned off the transmitter. He turned back to the passengers behind him, the civilians. He studied the wolf and lynx for a while, then cleared his throat. "Can I trust that you will say nothing of our efforts here today?"

"Huh?" The wolf blinked. "What do you mean?"

"I mean it would be most appreciated if you did not mention the Dominion. If anyone asks..." Noellap hesitated, hardly able to believe what he was going to say, but it would be the sensible thing. No one would question it. He continued. "If anyone asks, it was Star Fox that saved you. No one else. Understood?"

The nurse and the wolf exchanged glances for a moment, but they soon seemed to be of one mind. They nodded at Noellap. The nurse spoke first. "It was Star Fox who rescued us. I don't remember anyone else being there."

Raphael agreed with her. "Yup. Was Star Fox. Nobody else showed up."

"Very good." Noellap was pleased by their responses. Of course, there was no guarantee of their secrecy, but it didn't matter that much. Star Fox had survived, they'd know about the Dominion. As long as the civilians tried to keep reasonably quiet about it, he didn't see any reason to hold them prisoner or take them to a Dominion facility. No, they'd been through enough. He and his team had gone through hell to get all of this done. He had rescued these people, and he was going to make sure they were well taken care of. If his superiors didn't like it, he'd deal with that another time.

He leaned back in his chair, his eyelids feeling so heavy. He could not think of anything but the need to rest, the need to sleep. Ginger was focused on the controls now as she set a course for the nearest inhabited planet, glancing at Noellap occasionally. He smiled at her before offering one last sentiment.

"I just hope it was worth it."

---

Fox had eyes on the explosions as they rocked the ship to the core. He could have simply left, of course. There was nothing stopping him from doing so, yet he did not.

Fara was long gone by now. He imagined she had gotten in her ship and taken off before Fox was even in the hangar. But there was a chance that she hadn't. There was a chance she would emerge before the ship exploded, or as it was in the process of doing so. He circled around, keeping himself at a great distance so that he didn't get caught by the blast.

There was no sign of her. And then came the incredible explosion as the engines of the Von Dross detonated, the massive ship being blasted apart and ripped to pieces. Even as it got blown into different chunks, each of those chunks would explode in turn. The destruction was thorough and quite extensive. Even if a team came out here intent on scavenging what was left, they would find precious little, certainly nothing of any real value. Every trace of what had just happened here, every bit of research contained on that ship, every death, every tragic story, it was all gone now. Soon there would be no evidence left that it even happened.

The shockwave from the blast was approaching Fox. It had been a most powerful explosion. While he didn't think that it would damage him from this distance, he wasn't about to take any unnecessary risks. There was no reason to stay. Fara's ship hadn't emerged. That meant she was gone. There was nothing left for him here. He turned the Arwing away from the blast, then activated the boost, sending the Arwing soaring into the stars.

Fox did his best to keep his attention focused on his Arwing, on the flight. It was simpler that way. He always had loved flying. Everything was better when he was in the air, or in space. He didn't worry about other problems at those times. He could just enjoy the moment, concentrate on what he loved, the joy of flight. It was soothing to him, at least when not engaged in a dogfight. It was when he could really unwind. There was nothing complicated about it. It was nice and simple. It helped him clear his head. Right now, he needed to focus on flying, nothing else. If he allowed his mind to wander, it would immediately turn back to Fara, and that brought a fresh wave of pain to his heart. No, he had to focus on something else.

There were a plethora of matters to occupy his attention. The first thing he had to do was get in contact with the Great Fox. He wasn't sure exactly where they were, only that they were nowhere near the Von Dross when it had exploded. He had lost contact with his team immediately after the Bulwark was destroyed. He had no idea what had happened to them. He imagined they had sustained heavy damage during the attack. He just hoped they were still okay.

He didn't know why he hoped that, there was no need for it. He knew they were alive. He just knew it. Perhaps it was the vision of Krystal he had earlier, when he had temporarily "died". Something about that felt so real to him. He couldn't help but wonder if Krystal had projected herself to him in that moment. Maybe she had. He wouldn't know for certain until he asked her, assuming she'd tell him.

Now he could run a full ship's diagnostic, checking over all the systems and making sure everything was okay. The Arwing had definitely sustained some damage. While he wouldn't consider any of it critical, it would still need to be repaired, preferably as soon as he was back on the Great Fox. He would not want to get in a fight with his Arwing in this condition.

He ran multiple scans, going through every single system. Propulsion was fine, engines were green. One wing was a bit damaged, but still intact. The shields on the Arwing had failed almost completely, likely from the earlier blast. He was lucky the ship hadn't been destroyed entirely. He flipped a couple more switches, testing the electronic systems on board. Targeting scanner was still online and appeared to be functioning. Communications were online, though had sustained minor damage. His communications range might not be as strong as he would like.

The most important thing was his radar, and that seemed to be working perfectly. All of the Arwings had a tracker built into them that would allow both the Great Fox to see them as well as the Arwing to see the Great Fox. It only had difficulty if there were too great a distance between the two points. The vast distance between two planets, for example. The Von Dross had not traveled -that- far from its original position. Sure enough, the signal for the Great Fox soon appeared on his scanner. Now that he had a direction, he just had to move toward it.

Setting his course, Fox flicked a couple of more switches and punched in some coordinates. The distance wasn't too bad, he could get there in just a few moments if he used the boost. Despite what some believed, the Arwings did actually use fuel, and they could only go so far without it. Granted, it was a considerable distance, but Fox also didn't know just how damaged the fuel system was. He hadn't thought to check that.

He reactivated the diagnostic tool, concentrating on the fuel line. He had the Arwing moving forward automatically, the auto-pilot engaged. He had already entered the coordinates for the Great Fox so that the Arwing could at least go in the right direction. As the scan finished, Fox muttered something foul under his breath. The fuel system had indeed been damaged. It was leaking. Not enough to be truly alarming, but it did mean he couldn't take any detours or waste time. He couldn't afford to waste the fuel. Granted, as long as they weren't completely busted up, they could probably pick up Fox if his Arwing ran out of fuel, but Fox was so done with that nonsense. He wanted to be in the Great Fox right now with his friends and putting all this business behind him.

With having finished the last of the diagnostics, he assumed manual control of the Arwing. He much preferred to fly himself, even when he didn't need to. It wasn't that he didn't trust computers, he found they were efficient enough at their job. He just enjoyed doing it himself, even for simple things.

Right now, it was a welcome distraction. As he focused on his flying, he was able to keep the more negative thoughts at bay, at least for a while. As time went on, it became harder and harder to push them out. The same thoughts, the same questions, they all seemed to go through his head over and over and over again. There was so much to unravel. He had witnessed such horrors on that ship. Death on a scale that he still hadn't come to terms with, scores of unfathomable monsters, the brutality and pain that the crew had suffered as more and more of it succumbed. The feeling of helplessness Fox experienced for always being too late to save another life. The maddening whispers of the Many, the constant insults and treachery of SAI-TEP. The implants, still grafted in his head, feeling heavier now than they ever had before.

Fara.

That was the worst part, he thought. Of all the things he encountered, that was what stuck with him the most right now. In his worst nightmares, he had never imagined Fara turning on him like that. Why did she take the AI? What was she going to do with it? He couldn't imagine her using it for herself, that didn't make any sense. At this point, though, anything was possible. He still found that unlikely. Someone must have put her up to it. But who?

It was all such a mess. The enemy was dead, but not before wiping out most of the crew. The Dominion vessel was gone, but Fox was no closer to solving the mystery of the Third Fleet of the Venom Dominion than when all this madness started.

"-ere! Fox! Fox, are you there?! We're reading your Arwing! Come in Fox!"

Fox was brought out of his inner musings, and he was grateful for that fact. He turned on his transmitter. "Hey, Slippy. Good to hear from you, buddy."

"You're telling me! We didn't know what happened to you! We detected the explosion from here, but we weren't able to tell anything else! Guess you made it, huh? Krystal knew you were okay, somehow!"

"Yeah. Yeah, I made it." Fox took a deep breath, then exhaled slowly. "I am in desperate need of a vacation though."

"Yeah. It sounded pretty rough over there! Well, get on board and let's get outta here!"

"Couldn't have said it better myself." Fox could see the ship now, it was coming into view. The Great Fox. He had never been happier to see it, no matter the condition of it. It may have been a piece of junk, cheap, and right now badly wounded, but it was also home. That's all he wanted right now.

It did look terrible, though. Battered and beaten, scorch marks all over it, entire chunks of the armor had been blown off. In fact, Fox was reasonably certain he could see where there was or at least had been a hull breach. He'd known the damage would be bad, but he had no idea it would be quite so extensive. It seemed they were all lucky to be alive today.

"Alright, I'm bringing her in." Fox stated, adjusting his course so that he could enter through the Great Fox's docking bay. "Just let me know what I...uh..." Fox blinked. His vision went blurry for a moment or two. He felt odd. "I...uh...we should..." His throat felt dry, and his tongue felt heavy. He could barely talk. "I...something's..."

"Fox? Fox I can't understand what you're saying! Are you okay? Is everything alright in there?"

Fox knew what he was supposed to do. He just had to bring the craft in the open hangar bay, land the Arwing. He had done it a million times. This was no different. As he moved forward, his vision blurred again. He couldn't breathe. He gasped for air, but nothing came.

"Fox! Fox?! FOX?!"

He couldn't respond to Slippy. He couldn't even breathe. He clutched at his throat, trying so hard to regain control of himself. He wasn't sure what was happening to him! He couldn't get enough air! His head hurt, especially the area around the implants!

His landing was sloppy. It would be far too generous to even call it a landing. He bounced off the ground and slid into the far part of the docking bay, the bottom of his Arwing loudly scraping against the metal floor as it moved. Fox was barely aware of what was going on around him now. He needed to breathe. He took frantic desperate gulps of air, but he couldn't get enough! He heard voices a few moments later, he couldn't even place who said what.

"Get him out of there!"

"Fox! Fox, can you hear me?! Don't give up now!"

"He's hyperventilating!"

"Get him to sick bay!"

He could feel hands around him, could feel himself being moved. That was all he was aware of. He felt someone putting a needle into his arm, which caused a bit of pain for a brief moment. His breathing began to grow more controlled, more regular. It slowly calmed down. The sedative seemed to be working.

Fox blinked his eyes a few times, staring up at the faces gathered before him. Falco. Slippy. Krystal. Each of them with worry etched on their faces. He wanted to say something to them, but he couldn't. He couldn't find the strength. Even though what he just went through was terrifying, he managed to smile.

At long last. At long, long last. The nightmare was finally over.

With that he drifted into a deep slumber, the first sleep he had gotten since he boarded that cursed vessel. He was grateful that he did not dream.