Notes: I wasn't expecting the new faves and reviews, especially with email notifications not really working until a few days ago. Thanks for the interest and the feedback; it really means a lot to me! As mentioned this story is also being updated over at AO3; it also includes a chapter that wasn't edited for content.

I will admit that with the holidays starting up I may not have a lot of time to get around to personal thanks, but I do read every review and look at faves; some of you have introduced me to a few interesting stories that I've started reading, and I am thankful for that.

And, to head this off at the pass Fay won't be entering the pairing; there's a few things behind her friendly yet very private exterior that will be brought up in future chapters. That's not to say there won't be a few awkward moments in the meantime, however...


Chapter 23: Preparations

I woke up to a gentle shaking of my arm; my eyes blinking open to reveal Krystal standing over me. "Good morning, che," her voice was soft and friendly. "How'd you sleep?"

"Not too bad, hon," I murmured, reaching out to grasp her hand; the light pressure of her digits around mine felt reassuring. "Did I miss anything?"

"I wanted to let you sleep in but Fay wanted to get an early start," Krys explained, "so we're already on our way to the Iprani ship. The fabber finished up with your gear overnight and I've made some breakfast for us." A smile tugged at her lips as I sat up, lacing my fingers with hers.

"No rest for the wicked, right?" I smiled back as she helped me up; moving in for a tight hug which I eagerly returned. Our lips met briefly; eliciting a contented sigh from my vulpine companion as she tucked her head into my shoulder.

"Which is why we appreciate the little moments such as these," Krys responded as she pulled away and tugged on my hand. "Let's eat, then we'll help you sort out your gear." We made our way towards the booth, where three bowls of the same savory-sweet porridge she made a few days ago sat waiting for us. "Fay," she called up towards the bridge, "food's ready!"

"Almost out of the debris field," the former Star Fox pilot called back. "I'll set autopilot and come down in a bit." I sat down on the side of the booth nearest the viewport; blinking as I saw a house-sized asteroid zip past us at incredible speed. It couldn't have been more than seventy-five yards away.

Krystal slid in beside me; her hand falling onto my shoulder as I continued to look at the debris sail past the viewport. "Don't worry," she assuaged. "Fay's an excellent pilot."

I turned around to nod at her before picking up my spoon. "I figured that was the case," I responded, "but I'll admit it's a bit disconcerting seeing all that junk fly by." I started digging in; glancing up as Fay joined us a couple of minutes later.

"Autopilot's set," the spaniel explained as she sat across from us, "we've got about an hour before we reach the wreck. Thanks again for taking the kitchen duty, Krys." She gave us both a smile as she settled in. "And good morning to you, Adam."

"Morning, Fay," I greeted as I tackled the porridge. "I hope you were comfortable on the couch last night?"

"The added blankets helped," she answered. "I will say that thing feels as hard as a carbonweave bench after a while. It's not critical, but I wouldn't say no to more comfortable arrangements in the near future."

"We can discuss that a little later," Krystal said with a grin, "though if we find anything more comfortable aboard that ship perhaps we can swap it out?" Fay returned her grin with a sheepish look; I was a little nonplussed at that but quickly pushed it aside.

"It's worth a shot," I agreed, "It makes sense to snag anything useful while we're there. Speaking of, what's the plan when we reach the wreck?"

Fay nodded to me. "Well," she started, "we're going to need to find an airlock we can attach to, hopefully near the bridge. That way we can minimize the chance of encountering areas that are sealed off due to hull breaches."

"What about entering one of these airlocks?" Krystal asked after she finished the last few bites. "Won't they be sealed, or without power?"

Fay pointed to the device sitting on her wrist. "I loaded my software tools onto this wristcomp last night," she explained. "There's military-grade breaching software on here so we should be set."

"We may want to arm up," I cautioned, finishing the last of my porridge. "We don't know what we're going to find in there."

"I agree," Fay nodded, "there may be hostile survivors or automated security. We can try scanning the wreck as we approach, but there may be shielded areas this ship's scanners can't detect. We'll have to be on guard for both." The spaniel set her empty bowl aside and smiled, fixing me with a cheerful look. "While we're under way I think we should help you with your new gear." I blinked in response; I knew this was inevitable but I was somewhat dreading it.


"Jeez, this is tight!" I griped as I slid my bare feet into the legs of the flightsuit; struggling to push them into its integrated boots. I was already somewhat embarrassed considering I was stripped down to my boxers in Fay's presence as well as Krystal's. If it were up to me I would have struggled with this in the bathroom, but Fay insisted she had to check the fitment. "How does anyone consider this comfortable, especially if they have fur?"

"A flightsuit's initial fitment is very tight," Fay explained as I finally managed to push my feet into the boots. It felt a couple of sizes too small; if it remained like that I wouldn't be able to walk to the airlock, let alone all over a derelict alien spaceship. "These are pressure suits so they have to be restrictive, but once you are wearing it we can connect a power pack and it will adapt to your body. It'll be easier to put on after that, and at least you don't have fur that you'll need to brush out once you're done with this step."

"I still feel like I'm trying to shoehorn myself into jeans I wore back in middle school," I quipped, hiking the suit up my legs. The slickness of the material helped, but Fay reached down and tugged around my leg. I flushed in embarrassment; keeping my eyes locked onto Krystal. She had a bemused smile on her face, but I could sense a gentle comfort emanating from her. It was subtle, but enough to make me realize that she understood the situation made me feel awkward.

"We have to make sure that air pockets don't develop around your joints," Fay stated as she knelt next to me and started massaging the material around my knees. "Otherwise you'll find it very difficult to move." She looked up at me with a slightly sheepish expression. "I apologize if you are uncomfortable with the process; it's somewhat delicate and a bit… personal."

Krystal walked over to us; I blinked as she knelt down and placed her hands on both our shoulders. "Fay is right," she stated, "I had to do this same calibration process on mine after we bought it from Shabunga; it's a major pain to do it yourself. You want as tight a seal as possible so it can work."

"And that's why I needed to get out of my regular clothes to wear this?" I inquired as Fay motioned me to stand up; I hiked the suit up to my waist and started rolling out some of the air pockets I could feel hanging around my thighs. Krystal switched sides so she could help; I was blushing beet red as I was subjected to their ministrations. Fay kept her hands from straying; my Cerinian inamorata, however, gave me an impish grin as she discreetly brushed against more sensitive areas. I resisted the impulse to stick my tongue out at her; by her widening grin she was well aware of my thoughts.

"Well," Fay admitted, "flightsuits are usually worn without underclothes but I assume you'd want to preserve a modicum of modesty. As you can imagine it's something that doesn't last long amongst spacers, especially on small ships."

"May I ask why?" Krystal inquired as she helped me with one of the arms; I was able to push my hand into the integrated glove but there were a lot of air pockets to get out. I was also trying to be careful around the bullet fragments still stuck in my arm, but I was surprised to feel only mild discomfort from them.

"You're constantly around each other," the spaniel explained as she ran her hands up and down my legs, probably checking for any fitment issues. "Most tourists going between major planets and installations travel via B-Gate, but the vast majority of destinations can only be reached via Slipspace. You can book a passenger shuttle from Corneria to Aquas and get there in three hours, but if you wanted to go from Corneria to Papetoon you're spending two weeks on a tramp freighter or charter."

Fay continued as she helped me with my other arm. "Imagine sharing this space with us and four or five others, routinely performing tasks like this. You're going to spend a lot of time with every one of them, both together and alone. You'll talk to them for hours about anything, even if it is just to pass the time. Imagine doing that for months on end; long-haul crews and those who make deep patrols on the Rim tend to see their crewmates as a second family. You have to trust your life to your crew; that trust must be absolute, nearly intimate."

"Was it like that when you were with that Star Fox group?" I curiously asked, though the way Fay stiffened at that question meant I had hit on something sensitive. I winced. "Sorry," I immediately apologized, "I don't mean to bring up anything negative."

The spaniel looked down; an almost pained expression on her features. "I understand," she stated with a hint of distress, "it's just a difficult subject for me. I had a falling out with someone else on the team; someone I had a very deep bond with. My trust was broken, and I decided that it was best for the entire crew if I resigned. Since then I've been a solo contractor. It's difficult, and I admit that it's lonely work."

An arm almost instantly wrapped around me; I was startled for a spit second until I realized that Krystal had brought both of us into a tight hug. Fay hesitated and returned the embrace, which I somewhat reluctantly followed; the tightness and stiffness of the flightsuit I had been shoehorned into quite apparent. I had just started to become used to Krys' affections after years of being single; to say that I wasn't accustomed to group hugs would be a major understatement. "It's okay," Krystal's voice whispered. "We appreciate everything you've done for us. We'll look out for you like you have us, I promise."

"I…" Fay hesitantly began, "I… thank you for your confidence and trust." I looked over to see tears in her eyes; something that made me unconsciously tighten my embrace on both of them. "Things have been quite rough the past few days, so I am grateful for your kindness."

"We'll help each other through this," I offered, glancing to Krys. Her smile was soft and sad all at once; I made the connection that she was aware of Fay's emotions like she was mine. "We've gotten this far; hopefully we'll find what we're looking for on this ship."

"Which means we need to finish these preparations," Krystal added as her hand fell on my stomach and started sliding upwards. I was puzzled for a moment, but the added pressure meant she was zipping the thing up. It didn't stop until it was halfway up my neck; the collar tight enough that I would have even more trouble breathing if I looked more than a few degrees down.

"Everything looks like it fits well," Fay remarked as she took a step back, wiping an errant tear from her eye. "Are you experiencing any discomfort?"

"I feel like I'm shrink-wrapped," I managed, tugging at the collar of the suit. "Excuse me for being a bit crass, but it also feels like I've been poured into this thing and showing off things I'm not meant to show off."

Krystal giggled. "Oh, bosh, you look great," she mock admonished; sliding her arm around my back. "Don't you agree, Fay?"

The spaniel managed a bashful smile and nodded. "I like how the color turned out," she affirmed. "And, yes, you do look good. Krys, do you have the power cell?"

"I do!" the vixen confirmed, removing one of the universal batteries from a pocket on her flightsuit. Mine didn't seem to have any, so I'd have to use a backpack or something to compensate. She reached over to my right side where a folding receptacle was attached to the suit; my assumption that it was where the battery plugged in was confirmed as she slotted it in. "It's connected!"

"Okay," Fay replied as she reached down, her hand falling onto the battery pack. "This will feel uncomfortable, but it's critical that you hold still. Nod to me when you're ready."

It took a moment for me to feel ready, but feeling like I was being squeezed to death by a bodysuit that looked like it had just about been painted on was particularly uncomfortable. I managed a terse nod to the canine pilot; she pressed a button that was molded into the suit, just above the battery compartment. Instantly the suit felt like it ballooned outward, which was an instant relief.

That relief vanished as the suit constricted even further than it had been before; knocking the breath out of me. I managed a surprised, choked cough and felt like I was about to lose my balance, but Krys and Fay held onto me before I could stumble. "We've got you, che," Krystal assured. "Please don't worry."

As soon as she said that the suit ended its deathgrip on my body; expanding somewhat. Experimentally I flexed my fingers; while I didn't really like wearing gloves unless it was absolutely frigid it felt like the suit was working with me instead of doing its level best to imitate a boa constrictor.

"The calibration phase has ended," Fay announced as she let go of me. "Go ahead and test your range of motion; it'll help the suit make some final adjustments." Slowly I started flexing my elbows and knees; I could feel the thickness of the suit but surprisingly it didn't hamper my movement that much. It moved with me as I started to test it even further; taking a few steps forward to make sure I didn't hit either of them.

As a final test I plucked the unloaded AR15 from its resting place next to the couch and assumed a few shooting stances. I was able to tuck the rifle into my shoulder without much effort and I could move with it as needed; the stiffness of the collar had basically subsided and I could even move my neck enough to get a good cheek weld on the stock. I set the rifle down and turned to my companion and our guest, at last ready to give my thoughts on what I had been through. "Okay," I opined, "I'm not particularly thrilled with the whole spandex superhero Captain Package look, but now that it's not squeezing the life out of me I can move well enough."

"Quite an improvement, right?" Fay answered, taking a couple of steps towards me before pointing to the battery pack. "You can remove the power cell. Your suit is now calibrated and will retain its custom fit until you choose to reset it. We still need to test out the life support functions; it would also be a good time to go over how to use these in vacuum." While I pulled the battery out she picked up a large duffel bag sitting next to the couch and carried it over to us; opening it to reveal what looked like three small backpacks and helmets. I recognized the one that went with Krystal's suit; Fay's looked remarkably similar but its coloration matched her suit. The third was mine; patterned after the gas mask that had been in John's belongings.

"So," the Cornerian began, "you can run a vacsuit off a LISA power cell but the runtime is a couple of hours at most. For more extended excursions you need to use a hardsuit's enviro-pack. These contain a more efficient rebreathing system and much larger power cell; the runtime on these is about fifty hours before running into emergency reserves."

She pulled two of the packs from the bag and handed them to us; they weren't light but they felt manageable. Fay then pulled the third pack from the bag and swung it over her shoulders. "The first step is to take this power connector and plug it into the charging port on your suits." Krystal and I followed Fay's instructions; the plug had the same contacts as the little power cell I had just removed; it went in with a solid 'click'. "Give it a good tug to make sure the connector has been seated correctly. Note the two tabs at the top; they will need to be pushed in before the connector can be removed."

The spaniel reached down and pulled our helmets out of the bag. I looked it over curiously as Fay reached back and pulled a retractable hose out from the top of the pack. "This is the primary life support umbilical," she explained as she grabbed her own helmet. "Go ahead and connect them to your helmets now." She demonstrated by screwing the hose into a fitting on the back of her helmet; again Krys and I followed suit.

"The next step is to don your helmets," Fay instructed; unhinging the back piece of hers. "Place it over your face and make sure the inner seal is tight against your muzzle without impeding your vision. Once the helmet is fitted correctly and closed it will seal with the collar of your flightsuit and pressurize." With that Fay slid her helmet over her face and snapped it shut; a soft hiss audible as it sealed. I couldn't see her eyes through the reflective eyepieces, but she nodded at us.

Krystal gave me a reassuring smile as she opened her helmet and copied Fay; her headgear likewise hissing after she closed it. They both looked towards me. The problem was I hated having things over my face; just like with the suit I was now wearing it was a stifling prospect and almost panic inducing.

With some trepidation I opened the helmet, took a deep breath and slid it on; the same dark, cool, slick material as the flightsuit clinging to my face and sealing it off from the world. The lenses appeared nearly opaque from the inside, which didn't help my growing panic. I pushed past that panic to hinge the helmet shut; the more flexible material around my neck becoming stiff and rigid for a moment as the expected soft hiss reached my covered ears. The world came back into focus as the lenses of the helmet became much less opaque; I could see but it was like looking through very dark sunglasses.

I felt air pressure against my face; exhaling took a bit of effort and made an almost mechanical hiss. Inhaling took next to no effort; after taking a few more deep breaths to stem my discomfort I realized the helmet was pressurized.

"Can you hear me?" Fay's slightly muffled voice reached my ears, interrupted by similar mechanical hissing as she drew breath. "Your helmet's being calibrated right now, but I'm showing your comms are active."

"I hear you loud and clear," I affirmed, though something brushed against my lips as I spoke. It felt like a bite valve of some sort. "What's this thing near my lips for?"

"Hydration," she answered. "The enviropacks store eight liters of drinking water and recycle humidity from your breath and… other sources from your flightsuit. It's not pleasant, but it'll keep you going if necessary. You should see your helmet's HUD come online in a moment."

A few seconds later teal characters started blinking at the edges of my vision. They coalesced into a minimalist readout that Fay walked us through. The most important were the pressure, temperature, and runtime indicators; they kept track of environmental conditions inside and outside the suit as well as the battery life. Currently they read 1.0a/1.25a, 19/21, and 49:46.

The HUD tracked eye movement and served as the operating system to adjust suit functions. Tony Stark wouldn't have been impressed but you could adjust the climate control system, turn on the integrated headlamp or night vision, access suit status and diagnostics, and link communications and telemetry with other suits. The instruction served as a way to keep my low grade panic at bay; I still wasn't used to or thrilled with the sensations I was feeling.

"There's a lot more I'm glossing over," Fay admitted, "but I've shown you the basics. Most of these suit functions are automated and will let you know if there is a problem or potential problem; I can make remote adjustments to your suits if there is a problem. I'll keep an eye on both of you while we explore the wreck; don't hesitate to ask me any questions." She nodded to us and removed her helmet; I yanked mine off immediately afterward.

"This is going to take some time to get used to," I admitted as I closed the helmet. I saw Fay and Krys place theirs on integrated hooks at their waists; I followed suit so I didn't have to cart the thing around. "I probably look and sound like Darth Vader when wearing this getup."

"Who's this Darth Vader?" Krystal asked as she walked up to me, reaching for my hand. The contact was reassuring, even though I couldn't feel her warmth or fur.

"A movie character," I replied as I leaned against her; the vixen nuzzling my cheek in return. "When we have more downtime, remind me to introduce you to Star Wars. You might find it intriguing, or you might find it cheesy. I'll let you be the judge."

"If what we viewed last night is any indication," Fay chimed in, "your home planet's entertainment is quite eclectic." I still thought it was incredibly ironic that I had convinced her of Earth's existence by showing her a few episodes of X-Files. She was about to expound, but was cut off by a beeping noise from her wristcomp. She gave it a brief glance then turned to us. "We should probably keep our suits and enviropacks on; we're closing in on the wreck."

We ascended the short set of steps to the bridge; I was still getting used to moving in the flightsuit and dealing with the added weight of the enviropack. The added bulk made the tight space even more cramped, though when Fay sat down at the controls I noted with some curiosity that the seat cushion compressed to fit the contours of her pack. She pointed forward and our eyes followed.

The ship that sat ahead of us was massive, at least to my sense of scale. I took a quick glance at the shuttle's readout. It was a utilitarian gray box just over half a kilometer long and about a hundred meters tall; significantly larger than any terrestrial container ship even if one didn't count the two large engine nacelles that were mounted on each side of the freighter. The only other discernable feature was a half-dome structure near its bow. Even from a distance of about ten kilometers I could see that one of the nacelles was mangled and there were large scorch marks peppering its hull.

"Someone didn't want that ship to get away," Krystal breathed, her features tight with tension. "Are we close enough to sense any life signs?"

Fay's glove-covered hands danced with the console; graphics and text flashing up on the holographic display. The fact she could work that quickly with these gloves on was amazing, though she likely wore them for extended periods of time. "Nothing so far," she answered. "I'm seeing residual infrared and radiation signatures from the engines, but the rest of the ship has lost much of its IR signature. I'm seeing only minimal reactor signatures; life support has likely been offline for at least a couple of days."

I winced, my eyes glued to the sight of the dead starship growing ever larger. "How many would have been on board?" I asked.

"For a ship of that size," Fay replied, "likely thirty or forty. Maybe fifty if they were transporting high value cargo and had an armed security team present."

I frowned as we closed in on the ship. Fay kept an eye on the sensor readings, but even I could tell that nothing had changed. I wasn't sure how to feel about it, but I was dreading both the hazardous excursion and any grisly findings we came across. The ship loomed large in the foreground, so the time for reflection was just about over.

Krystal reached out and pulled me into her as we silently watched the scene play out; a simple gesture made more difficult by the bulky enviropacks we wore. Fay concentrated on the controls and sensor feeds, speaking out once she had something to share. "It looks like any serious breaches have been sealed and I'm seeing no lifesigns on board. The real trick is finding an airlock we can access."

"Should we start preparing to go aboard?" Krystal asked.

"It's a good idea," Fay affirmed, "just in case we should probably go in armed. If you have anything that you think could go through a shielded hardsuit or a security bot, bring them along."

"I might have a few things," I answered, turning around to face the entryway. "Once more unto the breach, dear friends." I was dreading this, but I wasn't about to let Fay and Krys face it alone.