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.

27. Chapter 26 - The End?

Falco was pacing around the bridge of the Great Fox, over and over again. He was frowning, occasionally grumbling something to himself. He was becoming more and more agitated by the day. He wanted to do something, but it felt like there was nothing he could do. He didn't know what the heck to do about it!

Krystal was nearby. As always, she was much calmer than Falco was. He didn't know how she did it. Even in stressful situations, she remained remarkably calm and in control. In fact, she was probably better than all of them in that regard, including Fox! Yet still he did not know how she managed to avoid seeming upset. He KNEW that she had to be upset about things, at least a little bit. He knew it! Yet somehow she seemed fine.

Well, no, not fine. As he glanced at her, he did note that she wasn't smiling, and the expression on her muzzle seemed to be turned into a frown. She was worried, she just wasn't showing it to the same degree as Falco.

The door to the bridge opened and Slippy appeared. Both Falco and Krystal looked up at him, eagerly awaiting his words. Slippy looked at them for a bit, then simply shook his head.

Falco didn't even bother to try and hide his disappointment. "Oh come on, he's still not coming out of there?! It's been over a week now!"

"Hey, don't yell at me, I'm just the messenger!" Slippy protested. "He wouldn't let me in either. Or talk to me at all."

"I think we should just unlock the door and force him out." Falco growled. "He's not gonna get any better just staying locked in there all the time."

"I do not believe that would be wise." Krystal stated, her voice soft yet also firm. "Fox needs time to work through these things. I do not know precisely what he faced upon that ship, but I know it was horror beyond imagination. It seemed to have caught up with him very suddenly when he reached us."

"Yeah." Slippy nodded in agreement. "Plus, uh...the surgery. When they finally took out those implants. I mean, I think he's supposed to have healed by now, but..."

"I just don't get it." Falco shook his head, genuinely confused. "We've been through tough missions before. We've faced Andross, Aparoids, killer dinosaurs, pirates, space worms, robots, and once a killer dinosaur space worm robot pirate," Falco rubbed the back of his neck, massaging some of his feathers. "I've never seen him like this before. It's weird. I don't like it."

"I know." Krystal stated simply. "I have not read Fox's mind, but I have sensed his emotions. Whatever he faced there troubled him deeply. I can not tell you what happened. I can only tell you how it made him feel." Falco turned to face her, watching her closely as she spoke. If anyone was qualified to talk on these matters, it was her. "I believe he must have somehow suppressed much of what he faced back there. Once the adrenaline wore off and he had escaped, it all came crashing down. He is now bearing the terrible price for his persistence and pursuit of victory."

"Yeah..." Falco started pacing again, unable to help himself. "I just wish I could help him, you know? I mean, he's my oldest friend, and I wanna be there for him. I just hate this, I feel so...so..." He strove in vain to find a word other than the one that was coming to his head now. He couldn't think of anything, so he just said it. "Powerless."

"Yeah, well, you're not the only one." Slippy spoke up. He also looked a bit depressed. "I mean, I keep trying to talk to him, but he won't do it. He doesn't say anything, just lies in his quarters with the lights out. I just want to help!"

"I know." Krystal said. "I know you want to help. As do I. But...please, allow me to speak with him next. I believe I can better determine what the right course of action should be."

"Well, you're the empath or telepath or...whatever the heck you are." Falco shrugged. "Besides, he's got a serious crush on you, so maybe he'll listen to you."

"Falco!" Slippy protested.

"Well he does." Falco snorted. "Come on, you know it. I know it. Krystal knows it." Even as Falco said this, Slippy took a glance at Krystal, biting his lip, perhaps worried that Falco may have upset the blue furred vixen somehow.

She didn't really react to what he said. Her face remained devoid of expression. If it bothered her, she certainly didn't show it. Then again, she also knew that Falco was not in a very good mood right now. He was allowing his frustration to vent at times.

"Incoming transmission from Corneria." ROB stated from his console at the front of the ship. Falco turned to regard ROB, almost having forgotten that the robot was even there. His arm had been repaired, though it was pretty obvious that it was a patch job. They'd have to get him fixed properly later.

"Well put it on!" Slippy ordered, then approached the little briefing table where the message would come from. Falco did the same, as did Krystal. They were all curious who the message was coming from.

A familiar face soon appeared before them, an aging rabbit with graying hairs on the top of his head. He was wearing a hat belonging to the Cornerian military. He regarded the group with a warm smile. "Good to see you, Star Fox."

"Peppy!" Slippy exclaimed, a big grin on his face. "Oh man, it's so good to hear from you! How's it going?"

"Well, there's some good and there's some bad." Peppy rubbed at the side of his head for a moment with two fingers. "Good news is that more and more planets in the Lylat System are recovering from the Aparoid invasion. Based on the report that was sent, you guys saved us all from a terrible conflict, a battle I'm not sure we could have won, so great work there. You're heroes all over again, not that that's any surprise to me."

"Well, I think Fox did most of the work. And he's uh..." Slippy cleared his throat. "He's a bit indisposed at the moment."

"Oh?" Peppy arched an eyebrow, then simply nodded his head. "Well, I'm sure I'll get to talk to him later. I understand he had quite the ordeal." Peppy leaned back in his chair for a moment before continuing. "Anyway, on with the bad news. This Dominion. We can't find them. We've been looking. We have searched everywhere, and no one knows a thing about them. We find bread crumbs at best. Just enough to know that the Dominion is real and its out there somewhere. A shadow of a spectre. The few people that we suspect might know something won't talk to us, and we're not about to conduct an interrogation. Regardless, nothing has been seen or heard since. I don't like it. I don't like it one bit." The older rabbit frowned, his hands clasped in front of him, resting on his stomach. "I have a feeling we're going to be hearing from them again very soon. And it's going to be an unpleasant wake-up call."

"Yeah. I mean...isn't it possible that we took them out?" Slippy asked, sounding hopeful. "Maybe it was just the one ship!"

"One ship ain't a fleet, Slippy." Falco answered. "There's more of 'em out there. Probably a big number too."

"I hate to say it, but I think he's right on this one." Peppy nodded. "They're out there. As for what they're doing and why, I can't say."

"What about Fara?" Slippy asked. "What happened with her?"

"Oh, yes, we got that unfortunate report from Fox before he returned to your ship." He took a deep breath, then let it out in a huff. "Bad news there. She just disappeared. No one's heard a word from her. We sent some officers to search her apartment or take her in for questioning, but there was no one there. In fact, there wasn't any evidence that anyone had ever lived there. She's simply gone, along with her family."

"Family?" Slippy blinked. "Like her mom and dad?"

"Hmm?" Peppy narrowed his eyes. "No, no, I don't believe so. Her father is still a rather successful ship salesman, we don't believe he or the mother are involved at all. I was referring to her daughter."

Slippy and Falco just stared at the screen, their jaws dropping. Slippy eventually managed to stammer out a response. "D-d-d-daughter?!"

"Mhm. Six years old today. Fara's a single mother. Her partner was killed during the Aparoid invasion." Peppy sighed again, shaking his head. "It's a very sad case. I have no idea why she would turn against Star Fox. I don't know who she's working for. It does seem more than possible that there is some kind of connection between Fara and the Dominion."

Falco couldn't believe it. "I don't get it. I mean, I didn't know Fara as well as Fox, but I knew her well enough to know that she's no traitor."

Peppy nodded. "Agreed. I figure there's something more to all this than we can see. But I don't know if we'll ever know the truth. We've got a few officers still looking for her, but I don't know. We're spread so thin as it is. I'm not sure when we'll finally manage to track her down."

"Fox took it pretty hard," Slippy remarked. "Really hard. I mean...I guess it's a lot of things. But he's just not talking to anyone right now."

"Well, by the sound of things, this was a particularly taxing mission. On all of you, but especially Fox." Peppy reached up and rubbed at his eyes for a few moments before turning his attention back to the group, a faint smile returning. "Oh, by the way, I do have some very good news for your team."

"Good news?" Falco arched an eyebrow. "That'll be a first. What is it?"

"Okay, so starting out, I have to say that the Cornerian Army does not have the funds to compensate you for your service. You pursued that mission on your own, we never technically hired you in the first place. I'm sorry about that, but there's nothing we can do there. My hands are tied."

Falco glared at the image of Peppy. "THAT is supposed to be the good news?! You sure you're not going senile, old man?"

Peppy actually chuckled at that before shaking his head. "Sorry, bad joke. I mean, that news is technically true, we're not paying you." He paused for a moment, then that smile grew. "But someone else is. The credits are being transmitted to your account now. You should be able to see them any moment."

"Uh huh." Falco walked over to his console, pressing a few buttons to get it to the main screen, then launched the program that would pull up the Star Fox financial account. "So who's paying us and why?"

"Well, it's like this." Peppy cleared his throat before continuing. "So apparently there was a transport of survivors that landed on one of our border colonies on the fringe of Lylat. Survivors from the Von Dross, in fact. They claimed that Star Fox had saved them, and they could give no further information than that. Anyway, they were eventually transported to Corneria. Turns out, one of the survivors, a little kit by the name of Sarah had a mother, her name is Sylvia Diego."

"Diego. Diego..." Falco furrowed his eyebrows, trying to figure out where he had heard the name before.

Slippy came to the answer first. "Hey, isn't Diego the name of that guy that got super rich during the AI boom just before the Aparoid invasion? Like he became a billionaire overnight?"

'That's right. Edward Diego. His daughter was on the Von Dross. She didn't survive. But his granddaughter, Sarah, did. You guys rescued her. He's already sent the credits. They should show up any moment."

"That's all well and good, but I know how wealthy people work. You don't get lots of money by throwing it at other people, even if they deserve it." Falco was being his usual cynical self right now. The program was opening, and now he could see the figure. "He probably just gave us a token-amount, throwing a few credits our way so he can -HOLY SH-"

It was at that precise moment that the computer made a loud beeping sound, apparently confirming the transfer of the credits. Falco could only stare in awe at the number being displayed. He then looked up at Peppy. "This...this can't be right. This is a joke, isn't it? A very, very cruel joke."

Peppy shook his head, grinning. "Nope, he means it. Every credit is yours now. Told you it was good news. The government can't pay you, but a private citizen can."

"Woooowwwww!" Slippy balked at the sight of the amazing amount of credits displayed on the screen. "With this kinda money, we can repair everything! We can buy new parts for the ships! New computers! Heck, with this kind of money, we could buy honest-to-god food! That would flippin' amazing!"

Peppy chuckled again, quite pleased from the reaction of the Star Fox team. "I thought you'd enjoy that. Anyway, I've got a few more things I need to do. I would love to stay and chat, but it seems like my work is never really done around here."

"Alright Peppy. Good talking to you." Slippy said. He hesitated for a brief moment, then asked, "Um, Peppy? If you don't mind my asking...I mean, you know Fox better than most of us, you've been around him the longest. What should we do? For Fox, I mean? What can we do for him?"

Peppy watched Slippy for a few moments, then turned his head from side to side, as if peering through their bridge. He then smiled. "I think someone is already doing it."

Falco blinked, then looked around. He didn't notice immediately, but he soon realized that Slippy and Falco and ROB were the only ones in the room. Krystal had slipped out without anyone noticing. He had a feeling he knew where she had gone.

Peppy waited for a moment before continuing. "I think you just need to give him space. When he's ready to come out, he'll come out. Missions like this though...they really stay with you. It takes time to recover. And some wounds..." He paused mid-sentence, as though the very words were difficult to get out, weighing heavy upon his heart. "...some wounds never really heal." He looked quite somber as he said this, staring a bit to the side, not looking at anything in particular and just staring into space. Falco could only imagine what he was thinking about, but he had a pretty good idea. If there was one mission that tormented Peppy, one that he had spoken of on rare occasions, it was the mission where he lost James McCloud, Fox's father. Falco suspected that their old friend had never really been able to forgive himself for James' death, despite the fact that there was nothing he could have done to save him. After a deep sigh, the rabbit looked up at the team, staring at them intently. "Just...be there for him. That's all I can tell you."

"Right. Will do." Slippy took in a deep breath before exhaling softly, seeming to take Peppy's advice to heart. "Good talking with you, Peppy."

"Mhm. You guys too. Take care, we'll be in touch."

"See you later, old man." Falco had a faint smirk on his face as he spoke. He always enjoyed ribbing Peppy about his age. The rabbit didn't seem to mind. Perhaps it reminded him of the old days.

Slippy went over to his console, then activated the cameras that were scattered throughout the ship. None of them were in anyone's quarters or private areas, that would be wrong. He did have a few used to monitor the various hallways and such. Eventually, Slippy seemed to have seen something of interest. "Huh."

Falco moved toward Slippy as he heard that utterance, standing before Slippy's console and looking down to see what had caught the frog's attention.

Krystal could be seen, just outside Fox's door. She was just standing there, not moving very much. She occasionally rocked back and forth, appearing to be undecided about something. Then she looked up and knocked on the door. They didn't have audio, so Slippy and Falco had no idea what was said. More than likely Fox would give no response to her, as he had Slippy and Falco.

Much to their surprise, the door soon opened. Krystal then slipped inside, and the door shut behind her. The green light on the door panel turned red, indicating that it had been locked.

"Huh." Slippy repeated himself. "Guess she got in. Wonder what she's going to say? Or what they'll do?"

Something about that statement tickled Falco. He couldn't help but grin and snicker to himself. Slippy seemed absolutely confused by it, turning toward Falco with a bewildered expression. "What's so funny?"

"Oh, nothing, nothing." Falco tried to stifle his laughter. Maybe he just had a dirty mind, but he couldn't help but wonder if -that- was what Fox needed right now. Not just a friend but...

Well, he was probably just reading too much into it. She was the telepath after all. Still, he couldn't help but wonder what might happen behind those locked doors. Probably nothing, Fox was injured and depressed. Even if he wasn't, he was so uptight whenever he was around Krystal. He was always trying to mask those feelings he had. Sometimes it annoyed Falco, but other times it was amusing. Fox was probably the only member of the team that acted like he was unaware of the crush!

Well, Krystal would probably just talk to him for a while. Maybe he'd finally open up to her. Maybe he'd open up about everything on his mind. What he had gone through. What was weighing down on him. Stuff like that.

There was another possibility. Krystal had been quite cross with Fox for some time during the last mission. Specifically when things first went bad and they got separated. While she masked her feelings well, they did occasionally slip through in the interim. Even he could tell she had been upset. And hurt! As difficult as Fox found it to share his own feelings, in a way he thought that Krystal was similar. She didn't want others to know how deeply she cared for him.

Maybe she was just in there to talk. Maybe she just wanted to listen. Maybe she was going to give him some tough love, get him out of that room and march him to the mess hall and start pulling himself together. Admittedly, he found that last one unlikely, but the thought amused him. They probably would just talk for a while, that's what he figured.

Probably.

"Good luck Fox." Falco mumbled. Either way, he had his own ideas of what to do. He looked up at Slippy, noticing the frog acting a bit anxious, like he wanted to check up on Fox or Krystal. Falco didn't know what what the two of them would be up to, but he knew this. They needed some private time together. Luckily he knew just the thing to distract both Slippy and himself for a bit. "Yo, Slippy, wanna play some games? I figure we got time to chill for a few hours, and I want to unwind a bit."

"You always -unwind- by absolutely destroying me in your favorite fighting games. Or racing games." Slippy grumbled. "I wanna play something different this time!"

"Fine, fine, whatever." Falco shrugged. "Let's just pick something."

"Yeah, we can't really do much more work right now anyway." The frog paused for a moment, considering. "How about a co-op game? I got a new one that I'm super excited about, but I haven't found anyone to play it with me yet."

"Alright, sure, we'll do that. What's it called?" Falco asked this question as he got up, heading for the door that would lead to Slippy's room, the unofficial entertainment center of the new Great Fox. Slippy walked with him, the door to his quarters sliding open as he approached. Slippy only kept it locked when he was sleeping, he didn't want to block anyone from using the equipment during the day. Not that it much mattered, the only one that ever used it without Slippy was Falco, and he usually found other ways to pass the time.

"Soul Slicer 3." Slippy stated cheerily as he entered the room, flicking on the light so the two could see. "Up to two players battle through the endless hoards of darkness to face down the ultimate evil. It's a fantasy action RPG! The first two were amazing!"

"Okay, I get the picture. So where is it?"

Slippy stored most everything in his room, all of the recreation and entertainment equipment, plus some small ship parts that he worked on in his spare time. The big holo-screen, the gaming system, an awesome sound system, it was all here. In the old ship, there was no way Falco would have allowed Slippy to hog all that stuff. With the new one, there simply wasn't anywhere else to put it. Slippy didn't mind having it in his room, and he didn't seem to care all that much that people went in and out all the time. The frog had nothing to hide. In many ways, he was perhaps the most innocent of the group. He had, for instance, been the absolute last to pick up on Fox's crush for Krystal.

His room was sort of disheveled. All sorts of equipment lay strewn about, mostly electronics and ship parts. He liked to work on a bunch of different projects at once, and the ones more manageable in size he kept in his room. To an observer, his room was incredibly disorganized and Falco imagined if he lost something in there he would have to give it up for dead, never again to see the light of the stars, like being sucked into a black hole. Somehow, Slippy seemed to know where everything was.

If the situation were different, he'd ask Fox to join them for a gaming session. Krystal as well, though she rarely played with them. She preferred to watch, only joining in on the rarest of occasions. The only time he could remember her getting in on the action was when she'd gotten a little tipsy for Fox's birthday. That had been fun. She was surprisingly good at the game, too. It made him highly suspicious that she had more experience than she let on. That or she was a quick learner.

"I know it's here somewhere..." Slippy grumbled, searching through the mess of a room he had, lifting up old technical manuals, keyboards, blankets, equipment, and more.

"How about the game rack?" Falco asked, pointing at the place most of the games were stored. "Should be in there right?"

"No, I haven't opened it yet! I don't put anything in there until after I open it for the first time."

"And why do you do that?" Falco wanted to know.

"Because that's how you're supposed to do it, Falco! You don't just pop it open and shove it in the same place all your other games go!"

"Uh huh." Falco shrugged his shoulders, grinning. "Well, I guess this is just part of the experience, right?"

"Oh, shut up." Slippy grumbled. He got down on his knees, then looked under the bed before gasping. "I got it! Here it is, here it is! I put it under there for safekeeping."

"Yeah, good thing you put in a place you could find so easily." Falco snickered.

Slippy just rolled his eyes. "Hey, you're gonna love this game. You'll see!"

"Yup. Guess I will see, huh?" Falco stretched, rolling his shoulders as he picked up his own controller. Slippy went to the game system, ejecting whatever was in there and putting it with the stack of games beside it. Falco wasn't sure what it was they played last. He was pretty sure it was a racing game. Might have been the last Captain Falcon game. Those were a favorite of Falco's. Not only had he beaten every single level of the latest installment, he totally aced both Slippy -and- Fox whenever they went head to head with him. It was funny to see Fox get so frustrated with the game.

The team had so little time these days just to relax and hang out together. There was always something going on, always someone who needed help, or someone was called away somewhere, or they were repairing the ship, testing the Arwings, and barely scraping by.

At least that last one wouldn't be a problem for a while. Star Fox didn't have to worry about making their bills for a few months. Their reward had seen to that.

The screen flashed, then gave the logo. Raretendo Entertainment. Still one of the best developers in the business, as Slippy liked to remind him. Over and over again.

"Here we go!" Slippy said, taking his own controller up and sitting on the bed. They had a huge screen, so visibility was not a problem. This was one of the few luxuries that Star Fox managed to keep.

After everything that had happened, they needed this. They really did. They both settled in for a few hours of lazy gaming and to forget their woes. Maybe they'd get pizza later. Or at the very least Falco could bring out a few beers from his room.

Before the game started, Falco found himself hoping that Krystal could help Fox, even if just for a while. He wished her luck, he really did.

The title screen appeared, playing a rather dark theme song to set the tone for the video game they were about to play. Slippy looked quite eager to continue. "Now we just gotta pick your character stats!" Slippy said, looking quite excited at what they were about to do. Falco nodded, but now his face scrunched up in a frown.

"What the hell are character stats?"

---

Krystal had paused just outside the door to Fox's room. The door was still locked, and Fox showed no sign of coming out anytime soon. She had tried to talk to him through the communicator, but he had apparently turned it off. He was intentionally cutting himself off from everyone.

She felt awful for him, she truly did. While she had not read his thoughts, she could sense the torrent of emotions within him. There was so much of it, making it difficult to keep track of it all. Horror. Fear. Disgust. Guilt. Anger. Hurt. Despair. He radiated all of these emotions, a storm that raged inside him unabated, rampaging unchecked. It had calmed a little with time, which was why she had respected his right for privacy for so long.

That was ending now. While Peppy had been talking with the rest of Star Fox, she had retrieved the master key from the Bridge. Now she was at Fox's door. For a moment she considered just going in, using the key and not even bothering to ask Fox for permission. That seemed wrong, somehow. Even if she was there to help, she should at least try to do things the right way. She reached out with one paw, then gingerly knocked on the door. It was loud enough that he would hear her if he was awake, but quiet enough that she would not disturb him if he slumbered.

There was no answer. That was much as she expected. At least she had tried it the traditional way. Now she would have to do it the other way. She took a deep breath, not at all certain whether this was the right thing to do or not, but she was really worried about him. She supposed this was a sort of intervention, and that she was doing this to help him. It still didn't feel right to force her way into his room. At this point, however, she felt as though she were out of options. She could sense those emotions so powerful within him. She had felt it before, more than once. Not from Fox, but from others. It always signaled a critical point. Emotions like that couldn't be held at bay for long. Sooner or later, the raging tide would cause something deep inside to snap. She didn't want that to happen to Fox. If it did happen, she wanted to be sure that she was there to help him with each and every step of the way.

Discreetly withdrawing the master key, she slid it across the door panel, careful to position herself so the nearby camera wouldn't show it, in case someone happened to be watching. Once she held the key in front of the panel for a moment, the red light turned green and the door hissed open. Krystal placed the key in her pocket, then stepped inside the room, closing the door behind her. Just to be safe, she decided to turn the lock back on.

The room was dark. Krystal couldn't see anything, could barely see her own paw in front of her. She couldn't see Fox, wherever he was. He hadn't said anything yet. She could sense him, she knew he was close, but he wasn't reacting to her presence. It was possible that he was still asleep, but she didn't think so. He was awake, he simply wasn't moving.

"Krystal."

His voice startled her. He wasn't reprimanding her. He didn't seem disappointed or even surprised that she was there. She turned to face him, looking in the direction where she thought his voice had come from. It was still too dark to see. She had to do something about that. "Dim lights." She said quietly. The lights turned on, though they still remained dull and only allowed Krystal to see a little bit more of the room. She could see Fox now.

He was laid in bed, just staring up at the ceiling. He wasn't moving, aside from the rise and fall of his chest as he breathed. He still wasn't looking at her. If she hadn't heard him say her name, she would be certain that he still wasn't aware of her presence. He said nothing more, just remained where he was, quiet as could be.

Krystal decided to take the first step. She moved towards his bed, then carefully sat on the foot of it, making sure she didn't sit on Fox's feet as she did so. She studied him quietly for a moment, just watching him. He still wasn't looking at her, his eyes still fixed upward, his paws at his sides, his expression almost blank.

At long last he spoke directly to her. "You didn't need to come here, you know."

"I wanted to." Krystal said simply. "I can tell you are upset, Fox."

"I'm fine." He closed his eyes, taking a deep breath. "I'm fine, I just...I just need some time, that's all."

"You have shut yourself away from everyone for over a week now. Your friends, your loved ones. No one can talk to you. You've completely isolated yourself, and I can sense that which dwells within your mind and heart. The storm of-"

"How would you know what's in my mind?!" Fox snapped at her, the suddenness of it catching her off guard. For a moment she wasn't sure how to react to that. But then, she could also sense his emotional state. His emotions were quite volatile right now, and she realized that. She would have to tread more carefully.

"I'm sorry Fox. You are right. I do not know what you went through. I apologize."

"No, no..." Fox sighed, then started to sit up, very slowly. Krystal could see him better now, could see his face. Those cybernetic implants were gone, and the flesh and fur was healing over time, but the spots where they had been grafted on still looked wrong. He had to have a number of stitches to seal the damage that had been done, and the fur there was all matted and messy. She also knew that was the least of Fox's worries right now.

He was quiet as he looked forward. He wasn't looking at Krystal, he was looking through her. She could tell. She listened attentively to his every word as he continued to speak. "That's...that was uncalled for, I'm sorry Krystal. That's...maybe that's why I want to be alone, I just...I'm not myself right now, and I...well..."

"I'm here, Fox." Krystal stated, moving her paw forward to gently press it against his ankle. "I am here. If you wish to talk, I shall listen. If you wish to remain silent, then I shall remain by your side."

Fox seemed hesitant about this. He didn't say anything in response, he just laid back and sighed, resting his head on his pillow. His eyes were closed and he grew quiet again, the only sound emerging from him being his steady breathing.

For a long, long time, Fox did not speak. Krystal did not make him. She had no intention of making him do anything he did not feel comfortable doing. On the contrary. Her entire purpose here was to make him feel better. She didn't wish to risk making things worse. She knew firsthand how devastating trauma could be. She had experienced it herself in the past.

As the silence lasted between them, Krystal reflected upon her own past, her own traumas that she had endured. The loss of her family, of her people. It had hurt her so much when it happened. For some time, all she had cared about was finding answers, locating who was responsible for the atrocity and making them pay for what they had done. She had been lost in her quest for answers, unable to move past the pain and heartache. She had never really healed from that pain, no matter how much time had passed. Even when she went to Sauria, it still hurt very much. She had been more impetuous then, a bit too quick to lash out at those she didn't trust. She had closed herself off, in a way, on an emotional level.

Then she met Fox.

Their time together had allowed her to heal in ways she had not imagined possible. With him, she felt whole again. She felt happy. The pain of the past did not weigh so heavily upon her heart. She still sought answers, of course. She always would until she learned the truth. But to have friends one could trust, to have family to be relied upon, this was something that was more helpful than anything else. That's what Star Fox was to Krystal. A family. Families cared for each other. They enjoyed sharing the good times together, and they would help one another through the bad. They'd hold on and endure, no matter what.

This was what Krystal wished to do now for Fox. She said nothing to him, just sat beside him and watched with a gentle smile on her face. She wanted to let Fox speak, if he wished to. If he did, she would listen. If he didn't, she would sit here with him, perhaps providing some comfort by her presence.

She remained with Fox a long while, simply sitting at the foot of his bed and watching him as he rested, as he stared up at the ceiling above him, occasionally blinking his eyes, but nothing more.

There was something more Krystal could do for him. She was not entirely sure how he would react to it, whether it would be appropriate or not. She had one advantage that no one else did, and that was that she could sense his emotions. Right now, there was a lot of hurt in Fox, a lot of pain. He needed to be soothed, to be comforted. She may not be able to do that with words. She could sense how unstable his emotions were. They were ready to boil over at any moment. He was doing an admirable job of fighting it, managing to appear quite calm and collected. In truth, she was somewhat surprised he had managed to keep such control of himself thus far. As she gazed upon his face, she would never have known how deeply he was troubled simply by looking at him.

But that was Fox, wasn't it? He always tried to be the good leader. Always the dependable one, always in control, always with a plan. He didn't like being seen as vulnerable. She didn't believe it was a matter of pride, but rather something he felt was necessary. For the sake of everyone else, he didn't want them to see what he felt was his weakness. It was as though he might be less of a leader for it.

Krystal had often encouraged him to be more forthcoming with his emotions. Yet time and again he had ignored her words. This seemed as though it were to be another one of those times. He would remain emotionally distant and attempt to keep it all to himself.

Krystal was okay with this, however. She would have preferred another outcome, but she was just happy to be with Fox, to hopefully make him feel just a little bit better. Whether he talked about it or not, she wanted to be here to offer what support she could.

By this point, Krystal had propped herself by her paw-pads on either side of her body on Fox's bed, closing her own eyes and simply waiting for Fox to speak, if he so wished. She'd be here as long as he would have her here.

When he finally spoke, his words came slowly and with obvious difficulty. "I've...never really been on a mission like that before."

Krystal nodded her head, but she didn't say anything. She was gazing attentively at Fox. He wasn't looking at her, was still looking straight up. His words were a bit hollow in tone, almost as though he were in a trance. He was careful to hide any and all emotion in his speech. "Didn't really go the way we planned, did it?" He took a deep breath before letting it out. "I just...wanted to..."

The corners of his muzzle twitched a couple of times. His eyes closed as he fought back whatever emotions threatened to spill forth. He took a few deep breaths in order to regain control of himself, then continued. "I wanted things to go better. It was a rescue mission. I went there to save people. I tried. I tried and..."

At long last, Fox began to break down. His jaw trembled as he fought so hard, so desperately to control his emotions, to not let out what he was feeling, to suppress it like the good leader he was supposed to be. At long last, something broke inside him. All of the emotions he'd been keeping bottled up, everything that he had tried to keep concealed now bubbled to the surface. Krystal saw the tears forming in his eyes. Still he tried to fight, but it was a losing battle. His voice came out hoarse, choked with emotion. "I couldn't...I couldn't save them. I..." He took another deep breath, willing himself to overcome this moment of weakness.

Krystal knew better. This was not weakness. This was an expression for all the horror and pain he had just gone through. The terrors he had faced, the tragic loss of so many lives. She moved as he tried to get in control of his emotions, standing up and going to where Fox laid his head. She gently raised his head up in order to allow herself room, then positioned herself so his head would rest in her lap. She then gently stroked the fur atop his head as he spoke. As she did this, it seemed to provoke an even stronger emotional reaction out of him. "I...I tried to save them. I tried so hard to save them. I wanted to, I did everything I could, but it wasn't enough. I wasn't enough..." Tears began to be shed, dribbling down his cheeks. His breathing became more ragged, shuddering as he continued to try and fight back the tide of powerful emotions. Unsuccessfully at that. "I couldn't save them! I couldn't save them. I couldn't save them..." He kept repeating this over and over, unable to stop himself.

Krystal said nothing in return. She just cradled his head in her lap, offering him a soothing, gentle touch, one that she hoped he would find comforting and relaxing, to help him cope with what he was now dealing with. She remained silent the whole time, just letting him speak.

Now that the words were coming, it was a bit like a babbling brook. They kept pouring forth. "I couldn't save them. There were so many people on that ship, and I barely managed to rescue anyone. Hundreds were aboard. Over a thousand, maybe. All dead. If I'd been faster, if I'd been stronger, if I'd been smarter. If I had been more careful, maybe...maybe I would have..."

Krystal continued to stroke Fox's head, using one of her thumbs to gently massage the fur at the base of his ears. "It's not your fault, Fox. You did the best you could."

"My best was not good enough!" Fox growled. "I needed to do better! I should have done better!"

"Fox..." Krystal continued to stroke him while speaking quietly. "You did the best you could. You did far more than you realize. You not only survived the Many, but you destroyed it. I felt its death even from aboard the Great Fox. That was you who destroyed them, no one else. No one else could have done such a thing. No one else could have made it half as far as you."

"I just..." Fox started, then swallowed hard. "I just feel like a failure. And an idiot. I should have known something was wrong. I should have suspected Fara of something. I should have seen it coming!"

"But how?" Krystal asked him. She didn't know precisely what had happened over there, but she knew Fara had evidently turned on Fox at the end. "How would you know? You trusted Fara. She is an old friend, and you knew her as a good person. You could not have known that she was planning to turn on you."

"Yeah, but I should have!" Fox clenched his hands into fists, squeezing them shut as tightly as he could. "I should have. I...I should have seen it all coming. I should have been prepared. I..."

"Shhh." Krystal continued to comb her claws over Fox's head. He didn't seem to mind. He seemed to even relax a little as she continued to show him such attention and affection. After he had calmed down a bit, she continued. "Fox. You are the strongest, bravest, and most cunning individual that I have ever met. You are determined to do the right thing, no matter the cost. You did save lives. There were a handful that escaped. Were you not present, they would all be dead. You stopped the Many, and there is no telling how many more lives they would have consumed. You also put an end to that AI's schemes. This too was a great success. You do not give yourself enough credit. You have done so much for Lylat. You cannot be perfect. No one is. But you gave it your best, and your best was far, far more than anyone else there could offer."

Fox was quiet as he listened to her words. His breathing seemed to calm a bit, and he just kept his eyes closed as she continued to massage his fur. Eventually he spoke again. "I don't even know how many times I almost died over there. I was shot, burned, given invasive surgery, knocked out, strangled, nearly eaten, and my mind assaulted. I thought I had seen all there was to see, I thought nothing could possibly be worse than the Aparoids, but then the Many showed up and proved me wrong. I spent almost the entire time being led around by an AI masquerading as a person, then guided by a friend that had her own agenda. I think..." He sighed heavily, his expression glum. "I think that hurts the most. I trusted her. I would have trusted her with my life. And just when I thought it was all behind me, at the very end...it turned out like that."

Krystal just listened now, not offering any further comments. She simply wanted to help him work through this, supporting him with however he chose to handle the situation, wherever his thoughts or words might take him.

Fox seemed to calm down a bit after a time, taking another deep breath in order to steel himself. "It felt like things were out of my control from beginning to end. No matter what I did, I could never regain that control. I was strung along by SAI-TEP. Or Fara. Or the lieutenant, Dreyfus. He seemed a good sort, but I can't even know that anymore, for all I know he and Fara were in on it together."

He had been wounded so deeply by Fara's actions. It pained her to see Fox like this. She wished she knew some words that would be of comfort to him in this matter, but she had none to offer. She did not know Fara well enough to be able to comment on how good or bad she may have been as a person. She had never been close enough for Krystal to be able to read her emotions at all. It was something that would have to remain a mystery, at least for now.

"This was the worst mission of my entire life. Even fighting Andross didn't compare to this." Fox let out another sigh, his eyes still closed. "I didn't think it could get much worse than that, but then this happened. It was so much worse."

"I know." Krystal whispered to him. "I know. But you are safe here. You are with your friends. Your family. They are so very concerned for your well being, Fox."

For the first time since all this started, Fox managed to offer Krystal a smile. "Even Falco?"

She returned his smile with one of her own. "Especially Falco."

"Heh." That smile remained on Fox's face for a brief moment. It soon faded, and she could sense the unpleasant emotions returning. At least they were somewhat subdued now. They were not beaten, that much was certain, but they were not quite as terrible and uncontrollable as before.

Krystal decided to use this opportunity to speak. "Fox, I am so proud of you. You did so much, and you did it so well. I know you do not agree, I know you do not see it, but it is true. You did not give up. Even my father would have been proud of the courage you displayed, and he was not easily impressed." As she spoke, she continued to brush the fur on his head with her paws. "You saw it through, all the way to the end. The Many is defeated. You are returned to us. It is true, there are many who fell. Many of them were gone before we even arrived, and you could not have saved all of those that remained."

"I know." Fox seemed to relax just a little more as she continued to massage his head. "I know. I just wish I could have done more."

"You did all you could, Fox." Krystal stated, finally ceasing her efforts to rub his head. "You did everything that you could."

After a pause, Fox said, "Thank you." He was silent for a time after that. She could sense that the storm within him was slowly ebbing down. It would not pass easily. It would likely remain for some time to come. At least it was no longer threatening to explode, for now. She supposed that was the best she could hope for at the moment.

"Do you feel better?" She asked him, already knowing the answer. She was curious if he'd answer honestly or not.

"Well..." Fox hesitated, as if trying to decide whether he should say. Eventually he finished his thought. "A little."

"Better than not at all, I should think." Krystal offered playfully, then ever so gently raised Fox's head before extricating herself from him, so that his head was no longer on her lap. She then turned to face him after standing up. "You can join us if you like. The others are quite worried about you."

"I know. You're right. I just..." He took a deep breath, then shook his head. "I just can't. Not yet. I need a bit more time. I promise, I'll be out there soon."

"Hmm." Krystal studied him with a scrutinizing eye. She wasn't sure if she believed him or not. Of course she wasn't afraid that he was intentionally lying, nothing like that. She was worried that he might not be entirely honest with himself. About what he could do, about what he would do. For now, though, she would leave him be. She did not wish to intrude upon him overly long, and she believed he was right. Perhaps a bit more time for him to sort things out with himself would be healthy for him. Either way, she'd be back to check on him later.

"If you need anything Fox, I'll be here." She gave him a warm smile, then turned to walk to the door. There was a part of her that wished to stay longer, but she knew that some of this would still require him to heal on his own. She would simply be there for him when he needed her. She hoped he would be better soon.

---

Once again, Fox found himself in the same predicament he had been in ever since he had first met Krystal. There she was, leaving him again, walking away. He had so much he wanted to tell her, so much that he wanted to say to her. The words caught in his throat. This was made all the more difficult by everything he had gone through on the Von Dross. It had been a nightmare. Worse than a nightmare. Whenever he closed his eyes, he found himself back on that terrible ship. He'd wake up in the middle of the night and he had to make sure he was here, on the Great Fox, and not still trapped on that doomed vessel. He would wonder if he had been knocked unconscious, that this was all a dream and he was actually back on the Von Dross bleeding out while crumpled up on the floor. That had been his initial fear, one that had consumed him when he'd first made it back. Gradually it had subsided, though it never quite left.

He wondered how long he would have to deal with the horrors that he had faced there. It had left a deep and terrible scar. It would fade in time. He knew this, or at least he believed it. That knowledge did not make him feel any better at the moment.

Krystal did, though. She hadn't said much. She'd just acted in more of a supportive role, but her presence had helped him immensely. Even with just those few words that she had offered, even with her just listening to him, it meant so much. The burden had lifted for a bit. Perhaps some of that was his emotions spilling forth, giving her a rare glimpse of his vulnerability, a side he didn't like others to see. Either way, he did feel a little better. Not great, but better.

That wasn't what concerned him now. No, his thoughts were consumed with the dream he had before the mission even began. The memory had stayed with him, and he had been reminded of it in that strange vision he received when he "died" on the Von Dross. Krystal had never once mentioned it to him. Granted, he hadn't given her a lot of chances to since he had returned to the Great Fox. The team brought him to an emergency medical facility in order to have the implants removed, which had malfunctioned and had contributed to his loss of consciousness when returning to the Great Fox. After regaining consciousness and making his report, Fox had retired to his quarters and locked himself in.

Krystal had tried to see him earlier, but she had never persisted, only knocked, waited, called his name, then left. She had never mentioned what he had experienced in the moment of his 'death' on the Von Dross, the dream he had, the vision. He wondered if that vision was from her, or if it was merely a very powerful manifestation of his own thoughts and feelings, buried deep within the recesses of his mind.

They all reminded him of the same thing. The same dream, the same feeling, the same fear. That fear being he would never work up the courage to speak to her. That he would never be able to tell her how he really felt.

She was walking away, just as in the dream, her tail swaying behind her as she moved. She was so beautiful. Once again he would sit here and say nothing, nothing at all as she slipped away. Of course, he knew that she was trying to be generous with him right now, not wishing to intrude upon him. She would likely wait for him, just as it seemed she always would. If he just stayed here for a while longer and recovered, maybe that would be a better time to speak.

But that was what he always did, wasn't it? He'd always told himself he'd do it later. He'd find another time, a better time. When he had a bit more courage. The time never came. The words never came out. She would walk away again. One day she might leave and not come back. She might find happiness with another. Why was he so scared? Why was he so afraid to let her know how he felt? Why was he letting her walk away again?

"Krystal." He said her name, just loud enough for her to hear it. She stopped, then turned towards him, tilting her head as she gazed upon him. He took a big, deep gulp of air before saying the next words, words that he had not used with anyone in many years. "I...Krystal I...I..." He stammered, and then he finally went out and said it. "I...I love you."

He had done it. He had just said it, said the words he had felt for some time, feelings that he had tried so hard to suppress. After everything that had happened, after nearly dying, after nearly losing Krystal again, he had at last overcome his greatest fear. He could not hold back anymore. "Please don't go," he spoke in a voice just above a whisper, unable to muster the strength to speak in a stronger tone.

As quickly as the courage came to him, it fled even faster. He felt embarrassed, and almost ashamed of himself for what he had just done. What was he thinking?! This wasn't the right time!. Here he was recovering from that awful ordeal, and now he had just blurted out his feelings for her. What had possessed him to do that?! He was immediately regretting his words, and he tried to recover. "Uh, what I meant to say was..."

He never got a chance to finish that sentence. Krystal had closed the distance between them. Before Fox could even react, she had gotten into the bed, laying atop him and gently grabbing hold of his cheeks. She then brought her lips to his, giving him a tender kiss. His breath caught in his throat, and he closed his eyes as he enjoyed the sensation shared with Krystal. His hands went to her shoulders, caressing her upper back with his fingers as she continued the kiss. It was the most tender and loving thing Fox had experienced in a long, long time.

Krystal pulled back, then smiled down at him, still resting atop him. "What took you so long, Fox?"

"I...was afraid." He admitted. "I thought you might turn me down. I thought you might...you know. I thought it might...make things awkward."

She shook her head, giggling. "I have waited so long for you to say as much to me. I did not wish to put the words in your mouth. I wanted to hear you say it for yourself."

"So..." Fox gulped, still looking quite nervous. "So...you're not upset?"

She gazed down upon Fox with a sparkle in her eye, chuckling. "If I was upset, do you think I would kiss you?"

'Oh, uh..." Fox now realized how stupid his question had been. "Y-yeah, that's a good point."

"And here is my answer, Fox." Krystal's smile vanished, and her expression became deadly serious. She stared down at him for a moment, not letting him know what she was feeling. Her smile soon returned. "I love you too."

"Thank god." Fox said, letting his head fall back against the pillow. "I was so afraid. You have no idea how afraid I was. I was so afraid that you wouldn't feel the same. I'm sorry it...took me so long. I'm sorry for a lot of things."

"There's no need for sorrow." She was still gazing down at Fox with a fond expression on her face, and he was looking up at her with just as much affection. It felt good, knowing he could share this moment with her. At least for a little while, those negative emotions were kept at bay. He could relax again, could smile again. He felt great. And it was all thanks to Krystal. Perhaps that was the one good thing to come out of this painful mission to the Von Dross. At last he had found the courage to tell Krystal how he really felt. And for the first time since the mission had begun, Fox found himself genuinely happy.

---

A sole starship hurtled through space. The familiar whine of the engines filled the cockpit, and the pilot continued toward their ultimate destination, occasionally making minor course corrections in order to maintain their heading. The auto-pilot system was offline. It had been damaged some time ago, and the pilot had no choice but to fly manually. It was no great trouble. The pilot was skilled, as skilled as they came. Following a simple course to a destination was a trivial task.

They were in a standard pilot's uniform, complete with a jumpsuit and helmet that concealed most of their features. Of course, they didn't wear the thing for fashion. There were plenty of reasons why a pilot of a fast spacecraft might need one. If the ship were breached in any way, it would provide oxygen for a while, allowing the pilot to survive for a short time even without the cockpit's seal. This was all in addition to the fact that the pilot would need a constant stream of oxygen in order to fly at high speeds through various environments that they might encounter, otherwise running the risk of passing out. While it wasn't a necessity at the speeds the pilot was moving, it was better to be careful.

The trip had gone without issue. They had waited the allotted time before making their way to the rendezvous. They had encountered no resistance on the way. No pirates, no space monsters, no Cornerian patrols. There had been nothing out here. The pilot supposed that was the reason why this particular route had been used. There was little in the way of traffic here. It wasn't populated enough to attract pirates, and there was little reason for Corneria to send any vessels into this corner of space, military or otherwise. As for monsters, well, one could never be entirely safe. There were places where they tended to be more prevalent, but traveling the dark reaches of space always had some degree of risk. The pilot was confident that they could handle most anything that they might encounter, but avoiding trouble would be preferable. They wanted to get this done as soon as possible.

The pilot finally reached their destination, the agreed upon coordinates that had been set much earlier. Everything seemed normal enough, save for one thing. There was no one else waiting for them. It seemed that this sector was deserted.

The pilot hesitated for a moment, uncertain as to what they should do. Of course, they would have to wait around for a while, there was no question of that. They had been given very specific instructions, and the pilot had no intention of deviating from them in any way. It was possible that the pilot's contacts had been delayed. They might not be coming at all. That would complicate things. The pilot did not know precisely what course they would take should the other party never arrive. For now, simply flying around the area and waiting seemed to be the prudent move. Perhaps the contacts were scanning from a distance, ensuring that the pilot was well and truly alone.

The pilot noticed that this was a fairly empty sector of space. There was precious little around of note. It was technically still within the boundaries of the Lylat System, but only just. The closest planet appeared to be Venom, though it was still a good distance away. Far enough that anyone there who detected the pilot would be unlikely to reach them for quite some time. It would take an hour, perhaps more, and that would be for a standard fighter craft at full speed. Anything bigger or slower than that would take much more time. The pilot doubted very much that this meeting would be ambushed. Unless the meeting itself was an ambush, of course. That was a real possibility, but it was a chance the pilot had to take.

The scanner started to beep loudly, a large red blip indicating there was something off the port side. The pilot turned to see some sort of spatial anomaly appearing not far away, in the very location that the scanner was indicating. It seemed almost as though a ripple in a pond. There was a shimmer in space as the distortion, whatever it was, started to take a more solid shape. The pilot recognized the process. It was a gateway of sorts. Larger ships occasionally used them in order to warp across vast distances in a matter of seconds rather than hours. Of course, the technology required a gateway in order to be used. This made the pilot somewhat nervous. Though this was the assigned meeting point and it was likely that this portal was being used by their contacts, it was also possible that this was a third party attempting to ambush them.

The answer came soon enough. A massive ship soon appeared before the pilot, one that dwarfed the pilot's own vessel by a considerable amount. It had a number of large cannons on it, alongside multiple laser batteries and missile launchers, likely of the homing variety. It seemed to have other weapons and tools in its arsenal, things that the pilot could not quite identify. Experimental weaponry, perhaps. There was little doubt as to what this new ship was meant for. It had been built for one purpose and one purpose alone, that of war.

There was also a familiar insignia on the side, one that the pilot recognized. In any other circumstances, the pilot would flee at the sight of such a thing, to just escape as fast as they possibly could and hope to outrun and outmaneuver the foe.

In this particular case, however, that insignia brought a sense of relief to the pilot. After all, these were the ones they had been instructed to meet. The pilot had no intention of disappointing.

As the pilot flew around the ship, they noticed one of the hangar doors opening up. A message came through. "Unidentified vessel, you are to land in the designated hangar immediately. You will be inspected upon arrival. Full cooperation is expected." The transmission cut off as soon as the words were said, offering the pilot nothing further.

Well, this was what they had been waiting for. They might as well get this over with. There were any number of ways this could end badly. In fact, the pilot wasn't expecting to make it out of the situation in one piece, if they made it at all, but there was no choice. The pilot had to do as had been instructed.

As they began their approach, two interceptors emerged from the hangar, flying in opposite directions before falling in line on either side of the pilot, providing an escort. Perhaps it was a protective gesture, though it seemed more likely that it was to ensure that the pilot didn't have second thoughts and attempt to escape. Not that the pilot had any intention of doing such a thing. They would land inside, and they would face whatever fate might await them.

The hangar was quite spacious, though much of that space was taken up by the various fighters and interceptors aboard. There were at least a couple dozen, though there may have been more. It was a large hangar.

There was already a group on the hangar floor, and a member of the flight crew holding some colored lights, waving the pilot to the place they should land. The two interceptors flanking the pilot veered away. The pilot lost sight of them, but imagined they were simply patrolling outside for the moment, again as a precaution to make sure there were no escape attempts.

As the pilot descended onto the waiting dock, they could see the small group that lay in wait, but could not discern any details from this distance. The pilot eased back on the thrust, ensuring that their ship moved in nice and slow, guiding themselves in for a gentle landing. Auto-pilot usually helped here, but the pilot was confident enough in their skills. Extending the landing gear and reducing power, the ship brought itself lower and lower. At last it reached as far as it was going to go, lurching gently as the landing gear touched the ground, locking the ship firmly in place.

The pilot took a couple of deep breaths, steeling themselves for what was to come. They were not looking forward to this. They hadn't been looking forward to it since the day it had first been agreed upon. But they had to put on a brave face. This had to be done.

The pilot didn't wish to keep the group outside waiting long. There was no reason to antagonize them. They reached into a small compartment by the flight stick, withdrawing a small container. The pilot fiddled with it for a while, just staring at the thing. The moment had arrived. With a heavy sigh, the pilot reached to the side and pressed a small button next to them, the cockpit unsealing before opening up and allowing the pilot to leave. Someone had already been considerate enough to move a ladder to their location, allowing the pilot to descend with ease.

Even though the pilot was moving at a normal, steady rate, it felt as though it were an eternity. Their heart hammered loudly in their chest, and they had trouble controlling their rate of breathing. Anxiety filled their being, and all they could think of was the myriad of ways that everything could go wrong. Once more, they reminded themselves that they had no choice. The pilot could only put on a brave face and do what they had come to do and hope for the best. Perhaps it would be enough, but they could not quell that deep fear that festered in their gut.

The pilot came to the end of the ladder, then turned around to face the party that awaited. There were a total of seven standing there. Most of them were unfamiliar. There were three officers in decorated military uniforms. To the left was a young woman, a rat-girl. Ginger, if the pilot recalled the name correctly. To the right was a lizard with a pattern of black and red scales covering his body. Noellap, the pilot recalled his name. Of course, they had only heard it once and had never seen him in person, but it was enough.

Both of them were dressed in uniform. As much as they hated to admit it, the two officers did look the part, appearing prim, proper, and formal. Dignified and with rank. One could hardly mistake them for being anything other than military officials. Both of them watched as the pilot approached, their expressions remaining neutral, not betraying any emotion.

Those two were not the ones in command here.

No, that honor belonged to the figure standing between the two. He was a large and imposing figure, much bigger than either of the officers flanking him, certainly bigger than the pilot. The reptile was at least a head and shoulders taller than anyone else in the room. Their arms were crossed, and they were staring at the pilot with their bright yellow eyes, like two lights in a distant cavern.

Regardless of his size, there were plenty of other factors to indicate he was in charge. First and foremost, he was in the front, everyone else was either flanking him or behind him. He carried himself with a gravity and bearing that no one but a leader could do, someone who commanded and expected absolute obedience and respect, someone who was used to getting it.

This was undoubtedly the one who had arranged this meeting in the first place. He was wearing what appeared to be some manner of dark blue armor, along with a matching helmet with the letter "A" emblazoned on it. Perhaps it stood for "Andross," as their warriors and commanders had worn such helmets in the Lylat Wars. Maybe it had a special meaning, or maybe it was just something they plundered and liked to wear.

As a whole, his uniform displayed a stark contrast from the other officers in the hangar. For one, he was actually wearing armor, though it certainly had a more artistic merit to it than most body armor did. In many ways, it reminded the pilot of art they had seen in a book long ago, one depicting ancient honorable warriors, loyal to their lord and answering the call of battle whenever it should be raised. The armor did not cover the entire body, but all of the vital and most important points were protected. In a way, it was like a piece of art. It was protective, intimidating, and even artistic all at the same time. That couldn't be an easy effect to achieve.

It was this creature that had contacted the pilot, had arranged for them to be sent on their initial mission, and had warned them of the consequences should they fail. This figure could only be one person, and one person alone. The one in charge of everything, the very head of the Venom Dominion, the one responsible for its rise to power and orchestrating everything of note within. The so-called "Great Commander."

As the pilot approached, the Great Commander raised his right hand, indicating that the pilot should stop. They did so immediately. It was only now that the pilot noticed the figures standing behind the Dominion leader and his officers. Three figures, all of them cloaked with heads bowed. Not a single trace of their bodies could be seen, it was all covered by the robe, and their face concealed with shadow. Their hands were lowered and clasped in front of their waist, but the hands were gloved. They had moved as the pilot had drawn closer, only a little, their hands drawing close to their sides, likely reaching for a weapon. They paused as the pilot did, only reacting defensively. The pilot was no fool. They weren't stupid enough to risk provoking them, whoever they were. Bodyguards, probably.

No one spoke as the pilot came to a halt. Everyone in the hangar, at least everyone nearby, was watching the pilot, staring quite intently. The pilot just looked straight ahead, waiting for the next instructions.

It didn't take long. The Great Commander spoke, his voice firm and strong, yet calm at the same time. There was great power conveyed in his voice, even though he said so little. He only offered two words, but it was enough.

"Fara Phoenix."

The pilot sighed, then reached up, tugging her helmet off and holding it in her left paw, cradling it between her elbow and her side. She still held the container she had retrieved in her other paw. "Yeah. I'm here."

"I believe you have something for us." The Great Commander continued. Fara nodded her head, then held up the container. The cloaked figures behind the Great Commander moved with blinding speed, suddenly moving forward and withdrawing weapons. One had approached either side of her, wielding some sort of staff in their hands. For a moment, she thought that was it, that they'd kill her here and now. Before they could do so, the Commander waved them off. "Relax. There is no danger here. Fara Phoenix is a smart girl. And a smart girl doesn't do something stupid like throw her life away for no good reason. She won't be making any trouble."

He was right. Fara didn't dare. Not with the hold they had on her. It wasn't her own life she was worried about, though. She approached the Great Commander, ensuring that her movements were slow and non-threatening. The guards watched her, but their only movement was their heads turning to track her. It was eerie, as they wearing some sort of dark masks concealing their faces, giving them the visage of a shadow or phantom. Once she was close enough, the Commander extended his armored glove toward Fara. Before she offered him the container, she did say one thing. Perhaps she shouldn't have said it, but she felt obliged to. "You...you know what this is, right? It's very dangerous. It was ultimately responsible for hundreds of horrific deaths."

"I am aware." The Commander nodded. "But our intentions with it are none of your concern. You need only hand it over, and your task is complete."

Fara looked down, staring at the object she now held. It felt so heavy now, far heavier than it was. This was it. She was about to hand over the most dangerous, malevolent AI in existence, created by Andross himself, to a dangerous group with unknown goals and aspirations. War was on their agenda, there was no doubt in Fara's mind of this. Every instinct in her screamed for her not to do it. To drop it on the ground, stomp on it, make sure no one ever got hurt by SAI-TEP again. They would kill her for it, but she was not afraid to die.

But she couldn't. With a heavy sigh, she offered the container holding SAI-TEP's data disk within. The Great Commander accepted it, holding it in front of his face for a moment, turning it in the light so he could inspect it. He then turned to the side, addressing the last member of the group, the one Fara hadn't noticed up to now. In fact, his appearance was so bizarre that she wasn't sure how she didn't notice him immediately. He wasn't typical of most of the inhabitants of the Lylat System. He didn't resemble a dog, ape, cat, reptile, amphibian, or anything else she had seen before. He looked like an insect! He was tall and wiry, with a green carapace visible on the parts of his body that were not concealed by clothes. He had a smile on his face, as though he knew something amusing that no one else did. He was wearing a lab coat, so Fara assumed he was some kind of scientist. The most peculiar part about him was the goggles he wore. They looked a bit like night-vision goggles, but appeared to be grafted on to his face. She wondered if they were implants. Were they similar to what SAI-TEP made her give Fox? "Doctor Tolian," The reptile began, ", I want you to run a brief analysis. Make sure it's correct. Do NOT activate it, merely scan it. Ensure that Ms. Phoenix has not attempted a deception."

"Oh, with greatest pleasure, sir!" The scientist responded, his voice coming out in a pleased hiss. He clapped his hands together as he approached Fara. The strange scientist's arms were able to bend in an unnatural manner, looking as though they had been broken in multiple places. He didn't act as though he were in pain or if it hindered him in the slightest. Perhaps that was normal for him.

Fara had to refocus on the task at hand, responding to the Commander's accusation. "You know I wouldn't do that," she stated. "I wouldn't tamper with it, not with what's on the line."

"Oh, I want to trust you. In fact, I do believe you. But every caution must be taken. This will only take a few moments." He turned back to the scientist, nodding his head. The scientist's grin widened, and he pressed forward, the tips of his feet clicking against the floor as he moved. There was something very unsettling about this scientist, but it wasn't as though Fara had any choice here but to hand over her "prize." Plucking the data disk from Fara's paws, the peculiar scientist ambled away, presumably to verify the contents of the disk.

While they waited, the Great Commander turned back to address Fara. "If what you just gave us is authentic, you have done a great service to the Dominion. You are to be commended for your heroism, bravery, and quick wit. Very few could have survived what you did. Even less would have accomplished their task."

"I don't feel like a hero." Fara lowered her gaze, staring at the ground. Guilt had plagued her every waking moment. She woke up at night, seeing the face of Fox, that look of horror, confusion, and outright pain the moment she had taken SAI-TEP from him. She had never seen anyone crushed like that, and she had certainly never been responsible for it in the past. It was the single most miserable feeling she had ever endured. And the worst part? She knew it had hurt Fox so much more.

"You regret what you had to do. This is natural. Great deeds often come at great cost." The Commander stated. "Rest assured. The sting will fade with time. Perhaps you will yet find redemption in your own eyes. You could always join us, you know. You are talented. Resourceful. You would do well."

"No. I will never join you, not after what you've done." Fara shook her head firmly. "I've done what you told me to do. I didn't like it, but I did it. I just want you to uphold your end of the bargain and leave me in peace."

"Of course, Ms. Phoenix."

By this point, the insectoid scientist had returned. He gave a nod to the Great Commander. "I can personally verify the data is correct! We'll have analyze it to ensure we can crack it open efficiently, but we should store it somewhere safe for now, until I have proper facilities and staff to handle the matter." He turned toward the rat-girl, then simply said, "Be a dear, won't you?" When he offered the disk to her, she accepted it. She saluted her commander, then walked off toward the door that would lead to the rest of the ship. The insectoid scientist chittered something that Fara couldn't possibly begin to understand, then proceeded in the same direction.

The Commander regarded Fara for a moment longer. "It would seem our business is concluded. You are free to go."

"And your promise?" Fara asked.

The Great Commander paused for a moment, then nodded at her. "Your son is safe. Those who would have acted as his executioners will now be his protectors until you arrive. They have already moved him to a secure location, a remote part of Corneria where you will be undetected and well cared for."

"I don't need your care." Fara narrowed her eyes, clenching her fists in barely contained fury. "Not after what you did. I don't want anything to do with you. You used my son's life as leverage against me. I don't want your men anywhere around us."

"What you want is irrelevant, Ms. Phoenix. I promised that you and your boy would be safe if you did this task. I honor my word. My men will be shadows, always nearby. They will keep you safe. They will warn you if danger comes. If a Cornerian police force happens to be approaching, they will know before it even leaves the shuttle bay."

"And keep an eye on me in case I should think about telling someone."

"An astute observation." The Great Commander replied. "Though it is incorrect. I trust you, I really do. I don't believe you would do anything so stupid so as to endanger the life of yourself or especially your son. You have already proven that. But in my experience people are weak and fragile things. They believe they will do one thing, they are determined to do so, but should the wrong circumstances come at the wrong time, anyone might make a lamentable decision."

Fara stared at the so-called Great Commander for a moment, then lowered her head, her ears drooping down. "I guess I don't have a choice."

"Not particularly. But fear not. They will only monitor you for a few days. Long enough to ensure that you do not speak to anyone regarding any of this. When those few days are up, it really won't matter anymore. You may ask them to go or stay as you see fit. So long as you stay out of our way, you have nothing further to fear from us. This I swear." The Commander held up one of his gloved hands, as if pledging an oath. Perhaps he meant it. Fara didn't know. She supposed it didn't really matter, as she was not in a position to argue with him. He continued speaking, his voice calm and composed. "When all this over, you will be well rewarded for your services to the Dominion. And in the end, I am certain you will see things as we do. We are not the villains here, Ms. Phoenix."

"Well you certainly have fooled me." Fara practically spat out the words, unable to keep her anger and hurt contained.

"I understand how you feel." The Great Commander offered. "But sometimes drastic and unfortunate actions are required for long term benefits. One unpleasant decision might pave the way for a brighter future."

Fara sighed, saying nothing for a while. There was no point. What was there to say? There was only one question she had now. The same question she had asked in the beginning, when that stranger had first showed up at her door and ushered her to go in a shuttle, offering thinly veiled threats if she should not comply. She would never have done it were it not for what they had shown her. Real-time surveillance of her son at pre-school. Someone was watching him, recording him, broadcasting it to another party. From that moment on, she was their prisoner, even though she wore no shackles.

Her question eventually came out. "Why? Why did you choose me?"

"For one simple reason, Ms. Phoenix." The Great Commander regarded her for a few moments, and she stared right back at him. He was smiling. It wasn't a malicious smile, it wasn't the smile of someone who reveled in pain or bringing suffering to another. It was a distant one, and one that almost made him look tired and thoughtful. Whatever he was feeling, he certainly didn't act as though he were troubled. "You are one of the best pilots in the galaxy. Just as important, you have a sterling record. You have never violated the law to any major degree, you are a respected pilot, and you have no affiliations to any major organization. You would easily pass any background check made upon you. This made you an ideal candidate for infiltrating the Von Dross. None of our people would have passed the test, and most other candidates that might have been worthy were...more difficult to manage."

She sighed, shaking her head. "You mean they didn't have anything you could use as leverage against them."

"An overly simplistic way of putting it, but not incorrect. That is why you were chosen. And it seems that you were the right fox for the job."

Fara was silent again. Her eyes were closed, and she was fighting back some powerful emotions within her now. Anger. Sorrow. Pain. To her great shame, there was also relief. Relief that it was all over. Though the data disk weighed almost nothing, it felt like such a heavy burden to carry, and being relieved of it was a wonder in of itself. Of course, she wouldn't be able to truly relax until she had her son in her arms again. Even then, she would have trouble shaking the belief that the Dominion might come knocking again, wanting her to perform another 'service'.

The Great Commander was patient with her. As she dealt with the inner whirlwind of emotion, he simply waited for her to collect herself. Eventually Fara looked up at him. "Why...why are you even letting me go? Wouldn't it be easier just to shoot me, silence me forever?"

"Easier?" The dark clad leader stared at her for a moment, then shrugged his shoulders. "Perhaps. But we are not monsters, despite what you might believe. I have no reason to kill you. In a few days, it won't even matter what you tell anyone. We will be long gone. What is more, it is not in our nature to kill without reason. You have nothing to fear from us now."

"Except for you threatening my son."

"It will not happen again, Ms. Phoenix. On that you have my word. It was a distasteful affair, I admit. But if it's any consolation..." He paused for a moment, then turned to the hooded servants and gestured, signaling for them all to leave the room. All of the robed figures departed, save for one. The lizard officer standing next to him also remained, so now there were three figures before Fara.. Once the rest of the cloaked ones had disappeared into the rest of the ship, the Commander continued. "You likely won't believe me, and it really doesn't matter whether you do or do not, but I had no intention of harming your child. I simply had to ensure you believed that I would, that I was capable of it. I knew you would not dare risk calling the bluff."

She wanted to say something more to him, wanted to scream at him for everything he had put her through, for all the misery that he had caused her. Then she realized it wouldn't really serve any point. Whoever he was, the Commander was obviously someone of conviction, who truly believed in whatever it was that he was doing. Maybe he was right, maybe he never intended to harm her child. Or maybe he was still planning to kill them both in short order. Either way, there really wasn't much she could do about it now. "If we're done, I'd like to go."

"Of course. You are free to leave whenever you wish. Your service is appreciated and will be rewarded. You will a find a considerable sum of credits waiting in your account. It should keep you and your son content for some time to come." The Great Commander inclined his head toward Fara, though she couldn't tell if it was a genuine gesture of respect or if it was more the act of someone who knew how thoroughly he had won. "Thank you for your service, Ms. Phoenix."

As the reptilian leader departed, the last cloaked bodyguard started to follow. However, unlike the others, this last one turned toward Fara and studied her for a moment. It said nothing, and Fara couldn't see their face. She had no idea what it was, as the hood made it impossible to see inside, but she thought she could see the trace of a furry muzzle in there.

Whatever it was, Fara didn't get a chance to see it for long. The figure turned and departed, staying right behind its charge. There was only one who remained in the room with Fara. That was the lizard. He stayed right where he was, staring at her. The Great Commander turned to his companion. "You wish to remain, Captain Noellap?"

The black scaled lizard turned to his superior and nodded. His hands were clasped behind his back as he spoke. "By your leave, I would speak to her for a moment."

"Of course. But be brief. You will be reporting to your new assignment soon enough, captain." With that, the Great Commander turned and moved towards the exit, leaving Fara alone with the newly appointed captain. She knew for a fact he had only been a lieutenant the last time she had met him. That was quite the jump in rank.

The captain stared at her for a time, as though sizing her up. When he spoke, his words were quiet. "You were the agent aboard."

Fara sighed before nodding. "Yes."

"Mmm." He peered at her face, narrowing his eyes as he gazed directly at her, as if trying to find a window into her soul, to ascertain what she was truly thinking or feeling in this moment. Eventually he spoke. "I know you feel badly about what happened. There is nothing I can do to change that. You hate what you did. You hate the Dominion for taking such extreme actions to compel you to play a part."

"That's putting it lightly. I'd like to go now."

He nodded. "Of course. But know this, Fara. Those children you directed me towards. They are all safe at home now. The Dominion has no intention of doing any harm to them or even involving themselves in their lives. I saw to that."

"I...see." She paused at that. She wasn't really sure where he was going with this.

"They are alive and well and have gone to their homes. For those who lost their parents, we saw to it they were brought to the best possible next of kin. We will be watching them for a short time, to ensure things go well. You also saved the lives of my men. Because of you and your efforts, I only lost one man under my direct command. I could have lost all of them."

Fara shook her head, not really wanting to have this conversation at all. "Okay."

"Also, that Raphael fellow is still alive. He asked about you." He reached for something in his pocket, then handed Fara a data disk. "His contact information is there. You need not talk to him if you wish. He may compromise your position, I do not know. That is for you to decide."

She was genuinely confused now. She didn't remember actually saving any of them, but then again she had done everything in her power to help Fox and also to get those civilians out alive, using the Dominions' forces to do it. She had never been able to reveal her identity, even when captured the first time. She couldn't have risked anyone finding out who she was working for. SAI-TEP may have been watching. She wondered if Ginger had recognized her from that moment, since she had been here when Fara had first arrived.

"You did a lot of good, Fara. The few lives that made it out of there, they made it out because of you. And because of my team. It was only handful. But that is something worth believing in, I should think. That even a single person can make a difference. A small difference at times, but what might seem small to one may be the whole world to another."

Fara genuinely had no words for him. She hadn't expected this, or anything like it. She just stood there, staring at him blankly after he finished. He matched her gaze, then offered a faint smile and a crisp salute. Then he turned and walked off. Once he had departed, Fara found herself alone in the hangar. There were a few members of the flight crew hanging around, but they weren't paying any attention to her. There were no guards, no soldiers, no officers. No one was keeping an eye on her.

She might have thought that they were acting reckless. In truth, she knew that they weren't. The Great Commander was right. He was right about everything, at least regarding her. He had predicted exactly what she would do, the lengths she would go to protect her child. He had used that against her from the very beginning. Here she was, still bound by that same need. She genuinely didn't know whether he was bluffing or not. Maybe he was, maybe he wasn't. It was just as he said, she couldn't take that chance.

Turning to her ship, she put her helmet back on as she approached, fastening it in place. She climbed up the ladder, which had thoughtfully been left for her to make use of. After entering and sealing the cockpit, she fired up the engines, her ship soon rising above the floor. She turned her ship, aiming herself outside the hangar, then eased down on the throttle. As her ship moved forward, she half expected something horrible to happen. For the force field to deny her exit, making her crash against it and explode. Once she cleared the field without issue, she saw those two interceptors approaching from either side, little red blips on her scanner indicating their position. She braced herself for a fight. Perhaps they would finish her here.

Again she was surprised. They simply flew past her, returning to the hangar in order to dock. Not wishing to tempt fate any more than she already had, Fara decided to continue forward, to put as much distance as she could between herself and the Dominion warship.

She didn't make it very far before she detected a massive buildup of energy. This was it, this was what she had been expecting. There was no way they would let her live. She knew too much. An organization as ruthless as the Dominion would surely destroy her now.

But the energy wasn't coming from a weapon. It was coming from the Dominion ship itself. She turned to watch it for a moment, bringing her ship about in order to get a better view. Right before her eyes, the ship seemed to lurch forward. In that same moment, it vanished.

She didn't know what it had just done. Maybe it had managed to warp somewhere. Maybe it had cloaked. Whatever had happened, it was gone now.

It would seem the Commander had indeed honored their word. Fara was free to go. Sighing, Fara steered her ship toward her new destination. Corneria. She'd have to sneak through the security grid, make sure no one detected her as she landed at the designated coordinates. At least she was on her way. She didn't know what she would do when she got home. Well, no, that wasn't true. The first thing she'd do was give her son a big warm hug and hold him close. After that, though, she didn't know. She felt terrible about Fox, and she knew she couldn't approach him now. She wasn't sure if she would ever see him again. One day, perhaps, she might be able to make it up to him. To give him a real and sincere apology, to explain it to him. Even if she got that chance, she really wasn't sure if he'd ever understand. He may well never forgive her for what she had done.

She wouldn't blame him if he didn't.

There was one thing she knew, however. It would not be wise to remain on Corneria. She didn't know what the Dominion was planning. She knew precious little about them aside from the specific details of the mission they had given her, alongside with what she had seen of them thus far. They had told her to board the Von Dross and steal something, specifically plans for the AI they were developing. She had never expected the mission to take such a brutal turn. Not only was there the invasion of the Many, but there also came the appearance of a more advanced and dangerous AI in SAI-TEP, which became a far more valuable prize to the Dominion. When the Dominion's orders had been adjusted, so had hers. She had no choice but to retrieve it for them.

There was so much mystery behind the Dominion. They weren't as ruthless or evil as Andross and his flunkies had been. They seemed to possess a degree of honor, not as openly hostile as some other forces in the Lylat System could be. She didn't know their ultimate goals, and she didn't know how long before they set their plans into motion. Whatever the Venom Dominion was after, it was not peace. War would soon envelop the Lylat System again. She needed to find someplace safe for her son.

She remembered the conversation she had with Raphael, a conversation that felt like it had been a lifetime ago. When the Many had first begun to infest the ship, when she and Raphael defeated fought the first hybrid that they had encountered, the wolf had something that stuck with her. He had told her that the worst was over. She had agreed.

It had instead proven to be just the beginning of the greatest nightmare of her life.

As she adjusted her course for home, she wanted so badly to believe that comforting lie, that the worst of it was behind them, that it was finally over. That she could rest now.

She wasn't quite so naive. The Many was dead, that was true. The Von Dross was destroyed. But something else had started here, something sinister and deep-rooted.

Perhaps they would never face a threat as terrifying as the Many again. Perhaps she would never have to work with or capture another insane AI. And she prayed that she would never, ever be forced to work against the people she cared about again. But events had been set in motion. She wasn't sure they could be stopped. The Dominion was out there, planning their next move. They possessed a brilliant and insane artificial intelligence with which they might be capable of anything.

It was not over.

Not even close.