Notes: I had this chapter in reserve, just in case my current goings-on went longer than I thought they would. They have, along with a couple of personal situations that have adversely affected my mental health. I have the next chapter in the final editing process, but after that posts I might need some time to both settle into my new home and recuperate from what has been a rather brutal summer.

That said, while I don't have a lot of time/energy to get back to individual reviews I'll cover a few common Cliffs Notes:

1. Yes, there's a spicer version of this story on AO3; this version is edited for content. As far as Krystal becoming a mother, I will say that's probably not going to happen or a few reasons. While Cerinians can have children with other vulpine Lylatian species and even some canine ones, crossbreeding between humans isn't biologically possible. Even if Adam wasn't snipped(there's a couple mentions of this in earlier chapters), they won't have biological children. I won't rule out an adoption in the future(something I've been considering), but that's 'Word of God' on that one. :P

2. As far as some speculation on the Iprani and their role in all this, some of you have hit pretty close to the mark. There will likely be a 'Second Arc' storyline that focuses on some events on Earth that are in play during the story. Look for short chapters of this nature to be posted periodically.

3. I'm glad that people seem invested in Fay as a character! She doesn't get a lot of love in many 'fics, and I hope I'm doing her justice. This chapter will go a bit more into her backstory. I might be playing at certain personal events that may or may not happen, and there's a couple of directions that this could go. Which direction that heads will be more dependent on reviews(both here and AO3) than one would realize, and that's all I will say. :D


Chapter 27: …And a Meeting of the Minds

Krystal and I descended the stairs into the lower deck that housed the engine room, fabricator and airlock. Fay had made a significant dent in the things we had collected from the derelict Ipranian freighter; as we emerged into the room we saw her organizing the food we had salvaged. Fay glanced over and smiled as she removed a couple of small boxes of what looked like meal bars from one of the hovercarts. "How're you doing?" Fay asked.

I walked over to the cart, picking up one of the other boxes. A picture of a very regal looking human woman was emblazoned on the box, dressed in flowing robes against a background depicting ancient stone fences and farm buildings. She held a shepherd's crook in one hand and what looked like a very ornate, antique coffee pot in the other. The label read 'Ghahve Qahwa'; I arched a brow in curiosity as Krys responded to Fay's question. "I'm feeling a little better," she replied. "The tod we found in the stasis pod was a… friend of mine. I'm still coming to terms with it."

Fay reached over and placed a hand on the vixen's shoulder. "I'm saddened by your loss," she consoled. "I'll do everything in my power to help you and your people."

"I appreciate that," Krystal responded, sweeping the Cornerian into a hug. They remained there for a moment before Fay broke off to return to the piles of supplies that still needed sorting through. Krystal joined us soon after. "Nearly two-thirds of my clan and almost all of Clan Ireth were either killed or taken. I don't know if we can save my people, but I pray that we get the chance."

"Goddess," Fay responded, wincing. "That's not easy to take. No wonder that took a while." She paused for a moment, offering us a soft smile. "I noticed you two took my comment seriously."

"Your comment?" I blinked; picking up another box. This one looked like it contained some sort of pre-made chicken and potato bowls; while I couldn't decipher the strange Latin-esque branding they looked appetizing.

"About sneaking off for some, well… downtime," the Cornerian answered with a grin as she grabbed a similar box that looked like it was a noodles and beef variety. "Bathing doesn't quite get rid of that particular scent."

Krystal's ears flushed bright red. Were Lylatians that frank about these things? "Y- yes," she stammered; suddenly very interested in the jugs of frozen water she was stacking against the wall. "We had a deep emotional discussion; one thing led to another…"

"It's totally okay," Fay assured, setting a package of what looked like bottled drinks aside. "Like I said before, I'd be concerned if you weren't sneaking off with your mate while you're in season. I figure both of you need the stress relief."

Yep, Lylatians seemed to be rather forward; at least Fay was. "I guess you're right," I conceded. "We just don't want to flaunt our relationship in front of you. It seems a bit rude."

Fay shook her head; this time she looked at me with a sad smile. "I assure you it's not," she assured. "The life of a spacer is a lonely and dangerous one; both of you just got a taste of that. Celebrating life and love is a reminder of what's important."

"I feel you've had a lot of experience with that lonely and dangerous aspect," Krystal surmised, taking a few more boxes and setting them inside the crates to give some semblance of organization.

"Yeah," the spaniel confirmed; her voice soft and reserved. "I've been a lone contractor for the past few cycles, after leaving Star Fox."

"May I ask what happened?" Curiosity crept into my voice, some of it at potentially learning what the not so fictional mercenary team was actually like; some of it concern as to why Fay had left. I had a nagging feeling she had been forced out.

"It's a question I don't often answer," Fay turned to me. Her voice became a little darker; more subdued. "In return, may I ask a question of you?"

I nodded. "Sure, what is it?" With our efforts the carts Krystal had stockpiled with food were nearly empty; we were making great progress in unloading them.

"For someone who is a complete alien to Lylat," Fay pointed out, her voice laced with cautious curiosity. "You aren't very… perturbed by interacting with us. You're comfortable talking with me; most Iprani see us as little more than chattel. Cerinians are known to have powerful abilities such as telepathy; most are afraid to approach the few who have left their homeworld for fear of their powers. Instead, you've taken Krystal as your mate. You're practically fearless when it comes to interacting with other species. Why is that?"

I wrestled with a way to answer that; I closed my eyes for a moment. I didn't know Fay that well, but she was an ally and a potential friend. Should I let her know? How would she take it? I opened my eyes to see Krys' concerned look and a distant feeling of trepidation. I realized she was still a little put off by her discovery of Command and the fact her fictitious personal life was used as a source of entertainment. I probably shouldn't drop that particular bombshell on Fay just yet, but at least I had another way to explain it.

"This will take a bit of explanation," I started, taking a moment to figure out what to say. "In human mythology and folklore there are tales of creatures that are very similar to Lylatians; many of them viewed as spirits and deities. This mythology and folklore evolved to fictional characters that look much like Lylatians being depicted in media. There are subcultures of people who are interested in these kinds of characters; they create artwork, write stories, and even create costumes based on them."

"Wait," Fay replied with a slightly incredulous tone, "there are those on your homeworld who would wear a costume based on someone like Krystal or me?"

I also noticed that Krys had turned her attention to me; a look of curiosity on her features as her mental inquiry reached me. 'I probably shouldn't ask this, but has anyone made a costume like that of me?'

I nodded; recalling a couple of very specific mental images much to my lover's chagrin. Her ears flared up in a blush as she looked away, though I was able to keep a straight face as I answered Fay's question. "That is correct," I affirmed. "I dated someone who was into the costuming part; they're generally difficult to see out of so I acted as her helper whenever she wore it. It's not something I'm personally into, but I like the art and characters."

"That explains a few things," Fay stated as we put away the carts, flashing a grin at the two of us. "So, I should answer your question about my time with Star Fox. When I joined the Academy I was assigned a room with one of the other cadets; a brash, bold Katinan by the name of Miyu Liyan. She thought I was an uptight, prudish Cornerian noble and teasingly flirted with me in order to get a rise out of me."

"Miyu didn't realize it at the time but I had a major crush on her. I was struggling with thoughts of being attracted to both men and women and the most attractive girl I had been around was making all sorts of suggestive comments about us. She was very surprised when she half-jokingly kissed me as a 'test' and I started kissing her back. Thankfully for me, there was a spark of attraction behind Miyu's teasing and we started dating right off the bat." Fay sheepishly glanced between the two of us; her ears flaring up in a blush as she continued her story.

"We were friends with Fox McCloud; the son of James McCloud, the leader of the famed Star Fox contractor team. He was dating Fara Phoenix at the time; the daughter of the Space Dynamics CEO. Fara was a test pilot for S-D and was dating Fox so we moved in the same circles. After James' death my… er, the commander of the CDF fast-tracked Fox through the Academy and allowed him to hand pick a team of pilots to form a squadron. Fox picked Miyu and me among several others including Slippy Toad, Falco Lombardi, and Fara. We spent the Venom War as a team; it was hard and dangerous work but we were incredibly proud of what we did."

"After the war we stayed on; with peacetime things were tough but we were able to scrape by on contract jobs involving escort missions, pirate interdiction efforts and tracking down Remnant cells. During this time Fara broke up with Fox, but Miyu and I maintained a very close relationship. I came close to proposing to her more than once; my grandparents were not happy that I was exclusively dating another woman and tried many times to get me to break it off with her; I deeply loved her and I figured that they would get the hint if I made it official." The spaniel paused a moment and shut her eyes; her voice strained as she choked the last part out. "I… I never really got the chance to do that."

"Did something happen to strain your relationship with her?" Krystal asked, taking a seat on one of the crates. I sat down next to her, taking her hand in mine.

"Something to that effect," Fay winced. "Miyu became attracted to Fox, and he admitted he was attracted to both of us. I was hesitant to bring someone else into a relationship with someone I wanted to marry, but she convinced me that it was a good idea. I admit it was fun and fulfilling at first, but as time went on I started feeling left out. I cared deeply for both Miyu and Fox, but I felt like I was just in the background as far as they were concerned."

I closed my eyes; memories of something similar bubbling to the surface. "It's not an easy situation to go through," I replied. "I wish I hadn't gotten that particular T-shirt."

The spaniel blinked, giving me a curiously thoughtful look. "No, it's not," she agreed. "I'm not going to throw all of the blame on Miyu and Fox. When the arguments started between Miyu and I, I said some things out of jealousy and hurt that I probably shouldn't. I ended up breaking that cardinal rule of 'don't upset the ship;' Fox and Peppy pulled me aside; we had a discussion. I ended up buying out the team's interest in my Arwing and leaving; that was over three cycles ago." She took a spot on the crate next to us before closing her eyes; a sigh offered to the nearly silent room. "Is that what happened with you?"

I remained silent for a few moments, lost in my own memories. "Not exactly," I admitted. "This happened about… ten years ago. Her name was Heather; I met her at a party. When I was younger I bore a resemblance to a celebrity on my world; a musician and actor that she had a major crush on. She was attractive, expressed interest in me, and I got hooked. She was in an open relationship with someone else; he was already seeing another girl. We ended up together pretty quickly, despite some warning signs I should have been looking out for."

"Attraction blinds you sometimes," Fay reasoned, leaning back on the crate. "I take it that jealousy struck?"

"It's a bit more complicated than that," I explained. "Heather's boyfriend was apparently attracted to me and wanted me as part of the deal. I wasn't interested, so I politely declined. He didn't like that answer and started to get quite jealous of my relationship with Heather; admittedly I wasn't all that comfortable with sharing someone I cared about with someone else. Things fell apart very quickly; he gave Heather an ultimatum; she chose him over me and he broke up with her not long afterwards."

"She didn't try to reconnect with you after everything had run its course?" Krystal turned to me, a questioning look on her features.

I shook my head. "No," I stated. "Apparently she really wanted children and I really didn't. She realized it wouldn't work out and decided to save both of us the trouble; it was the reason why she made the decision to leave me in the first place. That was rather astute of her; I realized she made a clean break as a favor to both of us."

"Sounds like both of us have some issues with sharing," Fay surmised as she returned her gaze to the rest of the things we needed to sort through.

Krystal's ears flared in a blush as she turned to us, a sheepish expression on her features. I could feel a flush of embarrassment coming from her, which caused me a little concern. "Things don't really happen like that on Cerinia," she admitted. "While it's not quite approved of by the Elders, many of us maintain a relationship with our silche once we both choose our kelche." Her hand gently squeezed mine as she gave me a quick, reassuring glance.

"Silche and kelche?" Fay asked, cocking her head and arching an eyebrow. "What do those terms mean?"

"They're formal terms for those we have chosen to be intimate with," Krystal explained. "A kelche is what those on Lylat would call a lifemate or spouse. A silche is a close friend that we are… intimately involved with in order to calm a vixen's season or a tod's rut before we take a kelche. As bloodlines and Clan lineage is very important, it is strictly forbidden for unmated tods and vixens to mate with each other."

"Why is that?" I asked, running my thumb through the fur on the back of her hand.

She squeezed mine a little tighter as I felt her sense of embarrassment grow somewhat. "It's very difficult for Cerinians to get pregnant," she explained. "Even exclusively mating each time a vixen is in season, it can take years for kelche to bring a kit into the world. Jalner and I never got the chance." She glanced up at me with a slightly wistful expression.

"Because of this," she continued, "bloodlines are very important to us; they establish family and Clan lineage. With so few chances for kelche to produce kits, an illegitimate kit can cause tension and strife within a family or Clan. Unmated tods in rut and vixens in season have been known to fight each other as the urges to mate are too much to control. Conflicts between Clans and even outright wars between our city-states have occurred as a result of these indiscretions." She gripped my hand a little tighter as she concluded her explanation. "When Cerinians become of age, they are required to take a close friend as a silche in order to… redirect their urges before they have chosen a kelche. Vixens must choose another vixen; tods must choose another tod."

"That's a unique solution," Fay responded as she offered a curious glance to Krystal. "Lylatian women usually take estrus suppressants; some of the nobility do not but they are expected to be sequestered away from men while they are in season. I have to say that this silche idea would have made my Academy years far less awkward." She turned away slightly; a blush lighting up her ears. "Despite my initial boldness Miyu had to break me out of my shell somewhat, so to speak."

Krystal nodded and reached over to place her hand on Fay's shoulder. "I understand," she replied. "I was surprised when Narine approached me and asked me to become her silche; she told me that she had never felt this way before about another vixen, but she felt drawn to me. We became silche soon afterward, and were practically inseparable." She paused for a moment, a thoughtful, almost wistful expression on her vulpine features. "When we both found our kelche later on, remaining together caused some complications within our respective Clans. Narine's family didn't approve of my choice, saying that the bond between us would make it difficult for us to be good mates to our kelche. Jalner faced much the same because of his continued relationship with Corian, but I encouraged them to stay together as he did for Narine and I."

Fay nodded sympathetically. "That sounds like something I can relate to," she said. "My grandparents were very traditional when it came to relationships, and they didn't approve of my relationship with Miyu. For them, they wanted to see their daughter's lineage continue through me; titles can only be passed down to biological children. I really didn't care about the peerage; at the time I was happy just being with Miyu."

Krystal smiled gently. "It sounds like you were happy with her," she pointed out. "I hope that one day you can find someone else to fill that role." She looked down at her hands, seeming to be lost in thought for a moment. "I can only imagine how complicated relationships on Cerinia seem to others, especially when bloodlines and Clan lineage play such an important role."

"Biology also has an impact on these cultural differences," Fay pointed out. "Therian species such as most within Lylat have estrus cycles, with notable exceptions being Avians, Herpians, and Simians. Lylatian biologists consider Iprani to be distantly related to Simians, and according to the mediscanner Adam is biologically identical to an Iprani."

"We don't have estrus cycles," I explained. "Typically, human women are fertile for a short period of time each month; unless there are medical complications couples who want kids tend to have them fairly quickly. As an example, my sister married at eighteen and she had my first niece before the year was out."

Both Krystal and Fay glanced at me, their eyes widening as I finished my explanation. "Once a month?" Fay remarked. "Do you happen to know your planet's population?"

I had to think on that. "About seven and a half billion people," I answered. "I think I heard that was last year's estimate."

The spaniel gasped. "Sweet Lyla!" she exclaimed. "Corneria has the highest population in the Lylat System, and we're at barely three billion! No wonder Ipran has taken an interest in your world. Earth must have massive amounts of natural resources to sustain that many sapient beings, even if your society doesn't have our level of technological advancement."

"I admit it makes sense," I responded, "but I don't think the world at large would be ready for first contact with the Iprani." I shrugged at them. "It might even be a little more difficult to comprehend our first encounters with an alien race were humans who speak a weird flavor of Latin rather than, say, cute vixens." I winked at Krystal, whose blush then intensified.

The vixen's ears twitched in embarrassment, but the corners of her mouth turned up in a small smile. "I suppose that would be quite the event," she murmured, looking back and forth between myself and Fay.

Fay nodded in agreement. "Indeed, first official contact with the Iprani would be quite a shock for Earth," she mentioned. "I can't see where their practice of slavery would be tolerated amongst most advanced societies."

"Most nations on Earth don't tolerate it," I explained. "It's outlawed practically everywhere, though despite that people are forced into it by criminals. That's about the only way I could see the Iprani making inroads with it; trafficking slaves to the rich, powerful, and morally corrupt."

Krystal stiffened as she glanced between Fay and me, a concerned expression on her beautiful vulpine features. "Do you think the Iprani could be selling captured Lylatians and Cerinians to those sorts of people on Earth?

Fay's expression became grim. "If Adam hasn't seen a real Lylatian before," she mentioned, "I doubt it. However, it's not outside the realm of possibility and something we may need to confront if necessary. I'm more concerned with what the Remnant wants with the Cerinians they took from the Iprani."

I nodded towards her as I felt Krystal's grip on my hand tighten. "We need to figure that out," I agreed. "I hope some of the things we collected will give us some information we can use to track down Krystal's people." I gave her hand a reassuring squeeze in response.

"What about that communications device?" Fay asked. "That one that you found in the secure hold, with the attached note? I had a quick look at it but the writing is completely alien to me; I couldn't figure out what those symbols mean."

"It's written in my native language," I explained. "It's pretty damn cryptic, though. There's lots of numbers; other than that they don't make sense." I got up and retrieved the phone; blinking in mild surprise that it was already plugged into a charger and connected to one of the adapters we made yesterday. Fay was a very quick study. I brought it over, along with the note. "Thanks for getting this charged up," I added. "That will help things along."

I blinked as Fay got up and sat over next to me, effectively sandwiching me in between her and Krystal. She smiled and nodded to the phone; the sticky note was intact and covering most of a now powered-on screen. The phone's lock screen photo was instantly recognizable; the skyscrapers and reflections on the water depicting the New York City skyline at night. Whether it was a stock photo or Vincent had some kind of connection to the Big Apple I wasn't sure; I hadn't ever been there but the photo did cause a slight pang of homesickness. The pang was instantly swept away by a faint, azure presence; I glanced over to Krystal as her hand fell on my knee and a soft, reassuring smile tugged at her lips.

The phone's display showed the time and date. '14:06 Sun, 17 Jun 2018' I blinked and checked my own phone; other than the fact my phone was reading 12:06 the date was identical. Despite so much happening I had been here just under a week, but at least the salvaged phone was keeping time. That meant whatever was stored on the device might be intact despite its stay in an airless, frozen environment. I tapped on the screen and it responded by requesting a passcode. I frowned for a moment before realizing the answer was right in front of me.

I glanced to the sticky note I had peeled off the phone, and sure enough the dude had written it down. I chuckled and shook my head. "I should've known..." As Krystal and Fay looked on I tapped the sequence 083462 into the phone; it worked and took me to a typical Android home screen; familiar even to an iPhone user like me. "Let's see what we've got here, shall we?"

I went into the call logs, though according to those the last call this Vincent guy placed was to a contact named Evelyn on May 8. Texts were a similar story; the last conversation was a terse exchange with the same Evelyn, starting on May 10. Curious, I looked at it.


Evelyn

18:12, 10 May 2018

Vince, when are you departing?

Leaving early morning on the 13th.

Loading the goods now.

Stop by my office tomorrow morning.

I have a possible solution to your Alana

situation.

You found something?

Yes. It must be discussed in person.

Too sensitive to phone or text.

Copy. I'll stop by. 0730 okay?

Yes, I'll be there. Bring coffee and be

advised I'll have a guest here. He knows.

Is he cleared?

Completely vetted. Let's just say you know

of him. Be on your best behavior.

You know I will, Ev. Gotta scram.

Cash is raising eyebrows. TTYL.

02:17, 13 May 2018

Ev, I'm waiting at the departure point.

How the hell did you get HIM to join us?

He's been involved with us for a

couple of years, Vince. He's helped

in this capacity before, obviously

very hush-hush.

Consider my mind still blown. We have

a chance at getting Allie out of this.

It looks like I'll be back on 19 July.

Good. That'll give our benefactor

enough time to prepare.

I see the Ips descending. I need to

check the cargo. Gotta go.

Be safe, Vince. Tell Alana hi for me.

I will. She'll absolutely love your gift.

Sleep well, Ev. I'll call when I'm back.


Fay glanced at me with a confused expression. "I'm not sure what I'm looking at," she admitted. "I can't read your language at all."

"It's a text conversation between this Vincent guy and someone apparently named Evelyn," I answered. I read the conversation out loud as the spaniel leaned in with interest. The situation didn't make much sense to me, but it sounded like they knew something about Vincent's gunrunning activities; enough to enlist some mysterious benefactor's help in solving a problem for him.

"Is there anything else on here that may help us figure out the rest of the note?" Krystal asked, tucking her head against my right shoulder.

That was a good question, and I looked at the note again. Was that…? "Ah, shit," I spat, backing out of the text messages and looking through the call logs. "That number, the 4073195550 one? It's a phone number and an extension! Why the hell would this guy leave his phone and a note to call someone when we're orbiting a goddamn alien planet? It's absolutely miraculous that I could place that call to my mom, but there's no damn way a cell phone would be able to call out under any other circumstances!"

I felt a hand fall on my left shoulder, which temporarily stopped my tirade. I blinked as I realized that it was Fay, who had a thoughtful expression on her features. "Perhaps he left this device for someone specific to come across; someone he believed would come looking for him? It might be a note to have them reach out to this com-address."

"I guess it's possible," I answered, looking at the lists of saved numbers on the phone. Sure enough, another contact entitled 'Ev's Office' listed the same number and extension. "Looks like he wanted that person to get a hold of the same Evelyn he was texting with. So, it sounds like there's people back home who are also involved. That's great. Just great."

"Would there be a chance this person saved other media to the device?" Fay asked, pointing to the screen. "Audio, photographs, or possibly video?"

"We can check," I replied, moving into the photo app. The photos were immaculately organized into folders. Most of them seemed to be comprised of outdoors trips and concerts, with a few scattered people who looked like the guy's family. "Guy liked his backpacking trips," I pointed out, looking at one particular photo. "That's a national park I live not too far from."

A folder with no title stuck out like a sore thumb. This time we hit paydirt. Several other folders were inside, each labeled with a range of dates and the prefix 'Ip-Trip.' I picked the most recent one, labeled 'Ip-Trip 13-5-18—19-7-18'. Instantly a series of photos popped up; white corridors full of a mixture of people and enslaved Lylatians dressed in the same gray flightsuits that were present on the Iprani cargo ship. A cold wave washed over my thoughts as I realized that these people were dead; victims of the Remnant attack whose aftermath we bore witness to. I tried to force the grim images out of my mind's eye.

Krystal's arm wound around me. I could feel the calming presence of her mind touch mine; a warm, azure blanket melting the icy dread that had flowed over me. As she did so I scrolled over the list of pictures, trying to find a pattern. Could there be any evidence of what transpired on the ship? There were pictures of the cargo, which confirmed my suspicions that there had been some significant hardware on board the cargo ship. Military small arms of both US and Eastern Bloc origin had been stacked in crates; we only found the dregs of what Vincent was selling to the strange, human aliens. While I probably wouldn't have wanted to lug an M240B or PKM all over Sauria, the fact they were in Remnant hands wasn't reassuring.

"Hold on," Fay remarked. "He's taken a bunch of photos of one specific vixen. See that?" She pointed to a photo which I selected; one of a Lylatian vixen standing inside of what I recognized as Vincent's stateroom. She was standing in front of the bed, next to the suitcase I had pulled the magazines and cash from. The bland, gray flightsuit did little to hide a simply gorgeous vulpine whose fur pattern was a striking mix of black, russet, and gray. Despite the silver plastic collar that was cinched around her neck she was grinning with an excited glint in her deep blue eyes; she was holding up a hardcover book as if it was one of her most prized possessions. I recognized the cover, and not only because it was printed in English.

"That's ironic," I observed, motioning to the book she was holding. "United Frontiers. They're a series of sci-fi books about aliens coming to Earth and kidnapping people to use as slaves. A friend of mine is really into the series; she said it's a dire warning about the dangers of human trafficking and modern slavery. I figure Vincent gave this to her."

"Giving an Iprani slave a book like that is risky," Fay chimed in. "If their authorities found a text critical of their slavery practices being read by a slave, she would face dire consequences. However, it's likely that very few Iprani understand your language enough to know its subject matter; I assume she can read your writing. Perhaps she is an interpreter? That's strange, considering she's a cross-fox."

"A cross-fox?" Krystal asked. "What's that?"

"They're a rare genetic offshoot of the standard Papetoon fox," Fay explained, "a species that is distantly related to us Canae. There's also another very rare species they are closely related to; one whose connection is one of the greatest mysteries amongst those who study Therian biology." The spaniel looked over to me and grinned. "Care to guess?"

I smirked in response. "I figure that Cerinians cause them fits," I replied as I wrapped my arm around Krystal's waist and hugged her even closer. "I'll consider myself an even luckier man than I already am."

"Flattery will get you everywhere, my love," Krystal's response purred into my ear. "Now, why would you consider this vixen's appearance strange? I think she looks strikingly beautiful."

"Well," Fay responded, "Iprani have very specific tastes. They prefer foxes as domestic servants and, well…" her voice darkened. "Pleasure slaves. Cross-foxes such as her are highly prized for such roles; either that or domestic servants in wealthy households. They're considered exotic and very expensive. To see a cross-fox as a servant on a cargo freighter like this is highly unusual."

"How do you know this?" I asked. "That's a pretty detailed rundown."

"That tour I served on Kew," Fay replied. "I had to learn these things as part of an anti-trafficking interdiction squadron. It also allowed us to stop a few raids on Freeports that have high numbers of Papetoonian residents."

"The mystery always deepens," I replied, scrolling through more photos. The photos ended with a video, this time cast in an ominous red glow. "This looks interesting." I tapped the video icon and was instantly greeted with the sound of chaos. A cacophony of alarms rang out in the background, interrupted by bursts of gunfire and a high-pitched pulsing sound that I assumed were Remnant blasters. The red glow illuminated a ceiling that I recognized from the secure cargo hold; the video was otherwise static.

A man's voice yelled over the din; his Brooklyn accent seemingly explaining his lock screen photo. "Sam! If you find this, we've been attacked! It sounds like the pirates your captain did business with sold the Iprani out! These red-suited bastards are killing everyone; they're after those prisoner pods they moved from your ship to mine!"

Another voice called out; a female with a strange accent that sounded vaguely Italian. "Vince! Red ones advance! Custae navis hold not; we must now go!"

The man's voice returned. "Alana and I are going to take a chance with one of those escape pods; we're going to make a run for the planet! If we didn't make it, let my handler know! Call the number on the note; ask for Evelyn and tell her I've been compromised! The project needs to know about this!"

The gunfire intensified and something happened on screen; the same vixen in the photo now standing over the camera, her flightsuit stained with grease and blood. My eyes widened as I saw she was not only wearing a heavy backpack but awkwardly holding what I recognized as a Zastava M70 rifle; a Serbian copy of the AKM. "Vince," the vixen pleaded, "We must now go! Perish if do not! Please! Have key for Pod 8!"

Vincent entered the camera's frame; he most definitely matched the picture on the driver's license I picked up. The angle made it hard to tell, but he seemed to be dressed in a casual business suit; he wore another large pack and was also armed with an M70. "We're getting out of here, Allie! Trust me!" He glanced down at the camera, confirming that he was the same man whose driver's license I had found with the phone. "We gotta book, Sam! If we make it, find us!" The video cut off after that.

Fay blinked several times in response to the frantic video. "Are you able to see when this was recorded?"

"Let me check," I answered. It took me a few moments of poking around to figure out how to access the video's metadata, but it was a relatively quick answer. "Looks like the attack happened on June 12th, so if they made it to Sauria they've been there nearly as long as I have."

Krystal laid her head back on my shoulder; it didn't take our empathic connection to realize she was close to exhaustion. "I think we have some decisions to make regarding our path forward. We have a few options, and we need to choose our priorities carefully. Firstly, we need to complete our mission to return the Spellstone to the Force Point Temple. These are crucial for bringing Sauria back together; if we fail everyone on Sauria will be killed as the planet collapses."

Fay nodded grimly. "At the same time, the presence of the Crimson Scourge, the Venom Remnant, and the Iprani are a grave concern. The fact the Remnant have taken a large number of your people is also something the CDF needs to know, Krystal. I really think we should prioritize getting the long-range comms working so I can contact the CDF. They'll most likely send us help; either a squadron of Cornerian Rangers or a team of contractors."

"Those are good points," Krystal replied, her arms casually wrapping around my waist. "However, don't forget we do not know when time will run out for Sauria. As much as I am worried for my friends and clan-kin who are in Remnant hands, I feel the Saurians are in grave danger. We cannot delay this much longer."

"There's also the fact we don't know exactly what we're dealing with regarding the Iprani," I pointed out, shaking the phone in my hands for emphasis. "If this Vincent guy survived he could be a good source of info on the Iprani. Also, for an arms dealer he went through a ton of trouble to keep Alana safe. People like him don't really have a stellar reputation for compassionate acts, so I'm suspicious of any ulterior motives he has."

"From my time helping with anti-trafficking operations in Kew," Fay pointed out, "this Vincent person is treating Alana far more kindly than any Iprani would treat their slave. In such a situation, they would either leave her to die while they escape or give her a suicidal order to charge the Remnant. Instead, he has armed her and is escaping with her; which sounds like something a certain someone I know would do." The spaniel smiled softly as she placed a hand on my arm. "Do you think that you could reach this 'handler' he mentioned in the video? If they're willing to divulge information about him, it could help."

I mulled that over. "It'd take going back to Darkice Mines," I advised. "I was able to use my phone when we were close to that 'wild spot', but we might not be able to count on that being the case. Frankly, the fact I was able to call out is absolutely miraculous. We should probably use it or lose it; there're a couple of calls I should make in addition to this Evelyn person."

"Who?" Krystal asked, nuzzling further into my neck. "Family or friends?"

"My cousin," I replied, an idea crossing to the forefront of my mind. "We don't talk often and I can say we've had our fair share of disagreements, but he works for the State Department. He's in a position where he can put the information we've found about the Iprani on the desks of some powerful people. There's a chance he'll laugh his ass off, tell me I'm crazy and hang up on me, but there's also a chance he'll listen." I left out the part where Jacob had probably been informed that I was dead; that would be an interesting point in the conversation.

"How long do you think this will take?" Fay asked; a curious look on her features. "Also, do you think that having Krystal and I present during your conversations would help? We could help provide additional information about Sauria and Lylat which could help."

She made a very good point, though there was a fine like I'd have to walk between a crazy story and a crazy story. Considering Jacob was also a gamer, there was a better than even chance he would recognize both Krys and Fay from the Starfox games. Things would become very interesting if he did. "Outside of travel time," I answered, "not long. Maybe a couple of hours, tops. Having you two with me would be helpful. What do you think; should we do this?"

Krystal's voice flowed into my mind. 'You believe that your cousin may recognize us,' her telepathic communication was accompanied by mild concern. 'I can tell you are trying to keep the existence of these entertainment programs away from Fay. You may find that very difficult as things progress. I know you cannot explain this link between your home and ours, but at some point she will find out.'

'I know,' I thought back. 'I know she's been through a lot and coming out and saying that she's a character in a work of fiction on my planet isn't going to help things. Even I can tell she doesn't need that sitting on her plate.'

'You may not have that choice,' her mental reply warned. 'I know Fay's reaction is a cause for concern. However, we will face that when it comes; just realize that your actions have left a very positive impression on her. Just remember that as we move forward.'

Fay's voice broke our mental conversation. "I think it's a good plan," the spaniel agreed. "Our presence could be the evidence you need to convince your people that you aren't exaggerating. What do you think, Krys?"

The vixen looked up and nodded. "I think it will help," she affirmed. "Let's stop back by the Mines so Adam can reach his people. We do need to address what we're going to do afterward, however."

I looked up to the plain, featureless ceiling. I couldn't exactly tell Fay, but if the game's storyline held we would have another Krazoa encounter after we returned the Spellstone. In the game, Fox would be made aware of Krystal's plight; obviously that wouldn't be the case. However, that would lead us to Krazoa Palace and hopefully to a working communications module, unless I had inadvertently put a couple of buckshot pellets through it. That left two realistic choices. "Let's weigh our options," I offered. "While we should try to snag that comms module, the more pressing concerns are returning that Spellstone and finding out what happened to the survivors of that ship."

"Is there any way we can find out what happened to that escape pod?" Krystal asked. "We didn't find either of these two among the fallen; this doesn't necessarily mean they were able to reach Sauria."

"I should be able to adjust this shuttle's sensor suite to trace the drive trails," Fay offered. "There hasn't been much activity over the past several days, so there won't be much disruption. I should be able to see if they reached Sauria's atmosphere; hopefully I can get an estimate on where they may have made re-entry." The spaniel stood up and stretched; glancing to us with a soft smile.

"If we can find out where they landed," Krystal responded, "let's see if we can track them down. If not, let's get back to Thorntail Hollow and return the Spellstone. We'll need to make that a priority as soon as we possibly can." The vixen's hand gently squeezed mine; the softness of her fur a gentle counterpoint to the gravity of our discussion. "Is there anything else we need to address?"

"We should probably go over the new hardware we acquired," I pointed out, motioning over to the hovercart which was still full of the firearms and ammo we had pulled from the ship. "They're a significant upgrade over what we've been using, but I need to go over a few things with both of you." I stood up as well, helping Krystal to her feet before making my way over to the cart.

"What do we need to know?" Fay asked as we reached the cart; I busied myself by zipping open the duffel bag and removing the rifles we had acquired.

"I mentioned it on the ship," I answered as I picked up the Colt Commando from the pile. I popped the magazine out and checked the chamber; it was still loaded. A quick pull on the charging handle unloaded the rifle, rendering it safe. "These are the real deal; select-fire rifles meant for military use. Obviously I'm not a military man and I haven't fired anything full-auto, but I know a few things about it. It'll put a lot of lead downrange in a hurry, which might be handy if we run into any more of the bigger Sharpclaw. I had trouble taking one of them down with an AR15, but perhaps we'll have better luck with these."

I reached into the bag again, pulling out one of the M4A1s. I passed it over to Fay then followed suit by handing the other to Krystal. Both of them looked over the rifles; Fay seemed familiar with hers due to her time with the AR15 I had let her use. "Other than the shorter barrel on this CAR-15, those M4 Carbines are pretty much identical. Just so we're on the same page, let me go over them…"

I spent the next several minutes pointing out how to use the rifles and giving a rundown about what I knew about full-auto. Unlike what the movies depicted, you could run through an entire magazine in a couple of seconds; if you weren't using short, controlled bursts the recoil and muzzle climb would throw you off target and turn the rifle into a noisy, ineffective bullet hose. Fay and Krystal both listened intently to the instructions, interrupting with questions when necessary. "So, we should stick to semi-automatic fire in most situations and use short bursts of automatic fire if necessary?" Fay asked as she tried a few firing stances with the M4A1.

"Yes," I responded, mirroring her actions with the shorter CAR-15. "Again, if you're firing full auto make sure you lean into the gun; proper balance will help you control the recoil." I demonstrated by wrapping my hand around the barrel of her M4 and pulling it upwards; Fay quickly got the gist of what I was trying to say and leaned into the rifle.

"How about these smaller ones?" Krystal asked as she picked up one of the MK18s we had recovered from the Suburban. "I'm going to rely on my staff first and foremost; would this be a better fit for me?"

I mulled it over for a little bit. She had a point, though there were a few caveats that came with that decision. "For the most part, hon," I replied as I motioned to the MK18. "You have to be careful, though. The shorter barrels make for a more compact and maneuverable rifle, but a ten-inch barrel really cuts down on the velocity. That can make it somewhat less effective, unless we're lucky enough to have some better ammo." Now that I had said that, it was probably a good idea to check the ammo that we found.

I popped open the crate to reveal a surprising selection of ammunition. I wasn't super well versed in 5.56mm varieties, but a fair amount of what we had acquired seemed to be better than the 55gr target loads that we had been fighting with. There were a fair few boxes of premium defensive and law enforcement loads, along with plenty of military MK318 rounds. Considering our earlier troubles with the larger Sharpclaw Brutes we faced, it was an upgrade. If not, I was planning on lugging around either the Benelli or M21 to take care of those problems. "We'll want to use these," I replied, pulling a couple of boxes of MK318 out of the crate. "Now, who wants to join in on the fun and games of loading mags?"


Fay ended up not joining in on the fun, though her talents were better spent on working her magic with the shuttle's sensors than on pushing ammunition into magazines. So, the responsibility lay on Krystal and I. We sat on a couple of empty crates, leaning against each other and simply enjoying the simple comfort of leaning against each other. We spent the time in quiet contemplation as we chewed through the repetitive task, letting our emotions blend together. A mixture of quiet relief, affection, love, and hope flowed through us, tamping down the fear, uncertainty, and horrors we had recently witnessed.

The silence between us was comfortable yet filled with unspoken thoughts; our task mindless enough to find solace in each other's presence. In that moment I couldn't help but feel grateful that I wasn't facing this alone; I knew some of the things I had done and witnessed over the past few days would have broken me if I had. Looking over at my Cerinian companion, I could feel her fatigue and exhaustion as much as I could see it etched on her beautiful features. Despite everything we had been through, I wasn't under any illusions that she hadn't been facing her own demons as she helped me face mine.

She finished another magazine; placing it in a nearly completed pile at our feet. However, before she could pick up another empty mag I reached out; fingers gently wrapping around hers. "Krys?" I asked, gazing into her tired emerald eyes.

"Yes, love?" Her expression was one of calm, mild puzzlement.

"Let's finish up and get some rest," I suggested. "We don't need to push ourselves too hard; we've been through a lot and we're going to have to go back into the grinder soon. We need to be ready for this, both physically and emotionally." I did a quick count of what we had accomplished; we had loaded nearly a thousand rounds. Now that it was stuffed into magazines, it didn't look like that much.

To emphasize my point, I finished topping off my last magazine one-handed and added it to the pile, turning around and wrapping my arms around her. She melted into my embrace; a tired sigh echoing from her lips as I kissed the top of her head. The scent of my coconut shampoo in her hair was familiar, yet combined with her natural scent it was comforting and alluring. "Should we get something to eat, and perhaps to drink?" Her question mirrored what I was thinking, which didn't surprise me.

"After today," I admitted, "I could use something strong." Try as I might, I couldn't get the visages of the dead out of my mind.

"I think we all could," Krystal agreed as we stood up; not really willing to let go of each other even for the minute amount of time it took us to reach our feet. "Let's see what we can find, love." With that, we ascended the steps.