Chapter 28: Aboard The Great Fox

Samus sat in her quarters aboard The Great Fox, her visor glowing softly in the dimly lit room. Her attention was fixed on the holographic maps projected from her console, showing the intricate layout of Zebes. It was a place she knew all too well, and her maps were covered in notes, routes, and hazard markers from her previous missions there. Her eyes lingered on the caverns where she had last fought Ridley, the memories flickering in the back of her mind.

A chime echoed through the room as the door slid open, revealing Fox. He leaned against the frame, a casual smirk on his face. "Slippy finished the repairs on your ship," he said, crossing his arms. "And, to stay on his good side, you might want to actually do some basic maintenance next time."

"Noted," Samus replied, her tone flat and direct. She didn't even look up from the console.

Fox's eyes drifted to the holographic map, and he stepped further inside, letting the door slide shut behind him. "What can we expect down there?" he asked, his gaze narrowing as he studied the details.

"Last time I was there, I fought Ridley," she said, her voice curt. "Blew his wings off. Left him to deal with Mother Brain." She didn't offer more, her words clipped and to the point. It was clear something was weighing on her, but she wasn't about to bring it up.

Fox took a moment before responding, noting the tension in her posture. He stepped forward, his demeanor shifting from casual to serious. He reached over and shut off the holographic display, plunging the room into a softer, dimmer light. "Hey," he said, his tone softer, "how long have we known each other, Samus?"

Samus straightened up, almost bristling. "What are you getting at, Fox? I need to finish this prep."

"Yeah, and this is my ship," Fox said, unyielding but still calm. "I get to say what I want to say. So listen." He paused, giving her a moment to object, but when she didn't, he continued. "We've been through a lot together. And you've always been able to handle things on your own—better than anyone I know. But something's bothering you, and if it's going to affect the mission, I need to know."

Samus let out a quiet sigh, her shoulders slumping slightly. "It won't affect the mission," she said, but even she didn't sound convinced.

Fox took a step closer, his eyes steady. "Peppy always talked about how he hoped you'd join the team someday, maybe even take over when he retired," he said, a small smile forming as he recalled the memories. "He thought you fit in with us like family."

Samus blinked, her stoic mask slipping for a moment. "Peppy... wanted that?" she asked, the thought catching her off guard. She hadn't realized how much she'd meant to the old pilot.

Fox nodded, letting the silence settle for a beat before he spoke again. "Yeah, he did. Because he saw something in you that I see too. You're a part of this—whether you want to admit it or not. And you can't keep running off, staying alone on your ship, when you've got people who care about you. People who are like family."

Samus shifted uncomfortably, trying to find the right words. "This is about Peach—"

"It is," Fox cut in, his tone gentle but firm. "Look, I get it. You're used to doing things on your own, and you're damn good at it. But you can't spend your whole life shutting everyone out. You don't have to protect yourself from the world all the time."

There was a long pause, the hum of the ship's systems the only sound in the room. Samus's gaze drifted to the floor, her thoughts swirling. "I know I can protect myself, Fox. But I don't know if I can protect Peach from everything... from all the enemies I've made." Her voice was quieter now, the vulnerability creeping through despite her best efforts to hide it.

Fox's expression softened, and he gave her a moment to let the words hang in the air. "So you finally admit it." Fox smirked. "Look, You can't make every decision for her, Samus. Peach rules a kingdom. She makes big decisions every day. Let her make a big decision for herself. If she's choosing you, then that's her call. Respect it."

Samus looked up, her eyes meeting Fox's. For a moment, she thought about arguing, but she couldn't find the words. Instead, she just nodded slightly, acknowledging what he was saying even if she wasn't ready to fully accept it.

Fox smiled, his usual lightheartedness creeping back into his tone. "Think of it this way—To us, you're like a distant cousin who just happens to be really good at blowing stuff up."

That managed to get a small smile out of Samus, the tension easing just a bit. But before she could respond, the ship's communicator crackled to life. "Fox, we've got company," came Falco's voice, sharp and urgent. "Three ships closing in fast. Looks like mercs."

Samus's eyes snapped back to the console, switching to sensor data. The display showed three heavily-armed ships moving rapidly towards The Great Fox. She recognized the ship designs—mercenaries, no doubt drawn by the bounty on their heads.

Fox was already moving, his expression grim. "Falco, get to your Arwing. Samus, suit up and get to your ship. I'm heading to the bridge."

By the time Fox reached the bridge, Samus and Falco had already launched, their ships streaking out from The Great Fox's hangar like bolts of lightning. Slippy was at the helm, his fingers flying over the controls as he tried to keep the massive ship steady.

"They're fast," Slippy muttered, his eyes glued to the screen. "And they're packing a lot of firepower."

Fox took control of the helm from Slippy. "Raise the shields," Fox ordered, "Do whatever it takes to keep them up. We need to buy Samus and Falco time."

The bridge doors slid open, and Krystal rushed in. "What's happening?" she asked, slightly out of breath.

"We've got three merc ships closing in," Fox replied. "Think you can handle tactical?"

Krystal nodded, moving quickly to the weapons console. "I've got this."

Outside, Samus's Gunship and Falco's Arwing tore through the blackness of space, weaving around each other as they closed the distance to the enemy ships. "Falco, take the one on the left," Samus said over the comms, her voice calm and precise. "I'll handle the one on the right. We'll meet in the middle."

"Copy that," Falco replied, his Arwing already banking left. "Let's give these guys a warm welcome."

The first merc ship targeted Samus, its guns blazing, but she twisted her ship out of the way, the bolts of energy streaking past her. With a sharp turn, she lined up her shot and fired, her beams slicing through the merc's shields. The ship shuddered, its hull sparking, but it kept coming.

"Persistent, aren't you?" Samus muttered, launching a missile. It struck the merc ship's wing, tearing it apart and sending it spiraling out of control.

Meanwhile, Falco had engaged the second ship, his Arwing darting around it like a wasp. "I've got this one!" he called, rolling to avoid enemy fire. He strafed the ship's engines, causing one to explode in a brilliant flash of light. "And... boom! That's two."

But the largest ship, a heavily-armored cruiser, was closing in on The Great Fox. Its cannons fired relentlessly, the blasts slamming against the shields. "We're taking too many hits,", Slippy said while working his maintenance controls to keep the shields steady. Fox's eyes narrowed. "Krystal, take out those cannons!"

Krystal's fingers flew across the console, targeting the cruiser's guns. The Great Fox's cannons roared to life, firing precise shots that blew the enemy cannons apart, one by one. "I'm on it, Fox!" she said, her voice determined.

Back outside, Samus and Falco regrouped, setting their sights on the cruiser. "I'll target its engines," Samus said, already locking on. "Falco, hit the bridge. We take out its controls, and it's dead in the water."

"Gotcha. Let's finish this," Falco replied, following her lead.

Samus's Gunship swooped low, skimming the underside of the cruiser as she unleashed a barrage of missiles. They struck the engines, detonating in a chain reaction that sent the cruiser lurching forward, its power systems failing. At the same time, Falco's Arwing swooped down and fired a concentrated burst at the bridge, shattering its controls.

The cruiser drifted, powerless, and The Great Fox's cannons fired one last time, tearing through its hull and finishing it off.

"Enemy ships neutralized," Slippy announced, letting out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding. "Shields holding steady."

"Good work, everyone," Fox said, relief evident in his voice. "Bring it in, Samus, Falco. We're done here."

The Great Fox's hangar bay doors slid open as Samus's Gunship and Falco's Arwing returned, landing with a hiss of pressurized air. The docking arms latched onto the ships, securing them as the engines powered down. Inside the hangar, the crew was gathered, their faces tense from the recent battle.

As Samus and Falco stepped out of their ships, Fox and Slippy were already there, waiting. Krystal arrived shortly after, her eyes wide with concern. The mood was heavy, the adrenaline from the fight still coursing through them.

"That was too close," Fox said, his tone grim. "We can't keep fighting off mercs every time they show up. We need a better plan."

Falco shrugged, trying to keep his usual bravado. "Yeah, but we sent those guys packing. That's gotta count for something."

"It counts for nothing if more are coming," Samus said, her voice sharp. She was already pulling off her helmet, revealing a face marked by exhaustion. "We got lucky. They had no idea what we were capable of. The next group won't make that mistake."

Fox nodded, his expression tight. "They're not going to stop. There's a bounty on our heads, and I'd bet my last credit that more mercs are already lining up to take a shot at us."

"Who even put out the bounty?" Slippy asked, frustration clear in his voice. "We've made enemies, sure, but this... this is different. Someone wants us gone, and they're willing to pay a lot to make it happen."

There was a moment of silence as they all considered the implications. Samus leaned against the hull of her ship, her mind racing. "If we knew who it was, we could plan a counterattack. But we're flying blind. Whoever's behind this knows what they're doing."

Krystal shifted uncomfortably, glancing at the floor. Her hands were clenched into fists, and for a moment, it looked like she wanted to say something. But she hesitated, the memory of that dark voice whispering, "Bring the emeralds to me," still haunting her. She couldn't bring herself to speak it aloud, not yet.

"I... I don't know who it could be," she said finally, her voice barely above a whisper. "But they're not just trying to capture us. They want us gone."

Falco noticed the look on Krystal's face, his sharp eyes narrowing slightly. "Well, they're going to have to try harder than that if they want to take us down. But Fox is right—we need a plan. We can't keep reacting. We have to be one step ahead."

"We need to make ourselves harder to track," Fox said, looking at each of them in turn. "Zebes is crawling with hazards. If we show up with The Great Fox lit up like a beacon, it's going to attract a lot of attention, and not just from more mercs. We need to make ourselves disappear."

Slippy was already nodding, his mind working through the possibilities. "I can modify the ship's signature, make it look like debris. But it won't hold up if someone gets too close. We'll need to hide somewhere... somewhere dense enough to mask us completely."

"There's a debris field near Zebes," Samus said, stepping forward. "I've used it before to hide my ship. We can tuck The Great Fox inside, power down everything non-essential, and stay off sensors. It'll be risky if we have to leave in a hurry, but it's our best shot."

Krystal looked up, a flicker of hope in her eyes. "It could work. If we're careful, we can slip through without anyone noticing."

Fox considered this, nodding slowly. "We don't have much of a choice. We need to get to Zebes without drawing attention, and this is the best way to do it. Slippy, make the modifications. We'll power down all non-essential systems once we're in the debris field."

"And what about after?" Falco asked. "Even if we make it to Zebes, we're still sitting ducks if more of these mercs show up. We need to be ready for another fight."

"Agreed," Samus said. "We're going to the remains of the caverns to find the Chaos Emerald. We'll need to coordinate. Slippy, you stay on The Great Fox and monitor everything from here. Falco, you'll be in your Arwing on lookout. Fox, Krystal, and I will head down to the surface. She looked at Fox, who gave her an understanding nod. He knew this was Samus's expertise, and she would take charge of this one. Samus continued, "Fox, bring your Arwing, we may need the extra firepower. Krystal and I will be in my Gunship." Krystal gave Samus a look of understanding. Samus concluded, "We can't rely on The Great Fox alone; we'll have to use our ships to keep them at bay while we finish the mission on the surface."

Fox looked at each of them, making sure they understood the gravity of the situation. "This isn't just about the mission anymore. If we fail, we're done. Whoever's behind this will keep coming, and it won't stop until we are gone." Fox took a moment to let that sink in. "We need to get inside Zebes, find the Chaos Emerald, and get out. Alive."

There was a quiet determination in the air as they nodded in agreement. Samus glanced at Krystal, noticing how quiet she had been. She wanted to ask if Krystal was okay, but there was no time for it now.

"Let's make this count," Samus said, pulling her helmet back on. "We've come this far. We're not backing down now."

Fox gave her a small, determined smile. "We never do."

The Great Fox drifted silently through the vastness of space, its engines powering down as it approached the edge of the debris field near Zebes. From the bridge, the crew could see the floating remnants of old ships, satellites, and metal fragments—bits and pieces from countless battles fought long ago.

Slippy's hands moved deftly over the controls, altering The Great Fox's signature to make it appear like just another piece of the field. "I'm powering down everything except life support and basic thrusters. We'll need to coast our way through the field."

Fox stood at the center of the bridge, eyes locked on the approaching field. "Get ready. Once we're in, no mistakes. If they find us, we're outgunned."

Samus's voice was calm and steady. "We'll be fine. We've been through worse."

They drifted into the debris field, The Great Fox slipping between the fragments, each piece of floating wreckage larger than the last. There was an eerie quiet as they passed, the ship almost gliding through the remains of forgotten battles.

Krystal's hands tightened around the controls, her eyes scanning the radar. Every now and then, she thought she saw something move, only to realize it was just another drifting piece of debris. But she couldn't shake the feeling that they were being watched, that the dark voice was still out there, waiting. "Bring the emeralds to me..."

"Stay sharp," Fox said, breaking the silence. "We're not in the clear yet."

The Great Fox maneuvered deeper into the field, its sensors going dark, its engines quiet. They were hidden, at least for now. But they all knew this was just the beginning. Whatever awaited them on Zebes, they had to be ready.

"Lets get to the ships," Fox said to everyone. "Slippy, keep an eye out for any movement in the debris. If anything so much as twitches, I want to know." He took a moment to consider his next order. "Any Slippy, if anything goes wrong… don't wait for us. Get out of here as fast as you can."

Slippy gulped, "I Understand," He replied. "But Fox… please come back."

Fox's expression softened slightly. "Just keep the hangar bay open for us."