Krystal's white cheek fluff looked like it was set on fire by the glow from the brake thrusters slowing the ship down. She lifted her gaze from the monitors to look ahead as she approached a station in orbit over a planet covered in greenish clouds. Construction robots and cranes covered the half-finished station, and off to one side flickered the intense light from something being welded. Once complete, Remedy would be a shipping port boosting Venom's commerce, handling reloading between smaller craft taking goods to and from the surface, and the S-tier interplanetary freighters criss-crossing Lylat.
However, her ship was a smaller B-class freighter though-similar in size to the Great Fox II-carrying parts for the station. She frowned and turned her attention back to the screen plotting her flight path. The thrusters burned past the point where the auto-pilot should have shut down. She waited a couple of seconds before pressing the manual override. Still, it took a moment for the engines to respond.
"Hey ROB, what's up with the thrusters?"
"The control module reports okay status, but with some latency," ROB answered in her headset. "Should I reboot?"
"Yes please." Relieved that the problem seemed to have an easy fix, Krystal pushed the joystick gently to nudge the ship back on course, but it responded slower than she expected. That figured. "And run a shallow self-diagnostics please. We don't have time for a deep scan before docking."
A cheerful chime whistled and Krystal accepted the incoming call.
"Remedy flight control to Blue Fox 1." Krystal smirked at her chosen callsign as a monitor lizard appeared on screen. "What's your status?"
"On course and will be at dock just a minute past schedule." Krystal glanced at the screens, noticing her ship drifting slightly towards port. "We're having a minor thruster issue, but are looking into it."
"Roger, we noticed a small course deviation." The lizard nodded. "Please advise if you need further assistance."
Krystal felt slightly uneasy, fearing that she might lose control of the ship at a crucial moment. Still, with smooth and calculated inputs she trimmed the auto-pilot to stay on the plotted path, and soon she arrived at the station.
"Status, ROB," she commanded.
"Rebooting, please wait, rebooting, please wait...," the electronic voice droned in her earpiece.
"Flight control to Blue Fox I, are you ready to dock?"
Krystal cursed under her breath. Perhaps micro-meteorites had knocked out a chip in the control module or something like that, which they could have fixed easily during the flight, but that was too late now. With how uncooperative the ship was, she was not comfortable with docking manually. She weighed her options for a moment.
"Negative, I'm still experiencing that thruster issue." She bit her lip. It hurt her pride, but it couldn't be helped. "Requesting assistance."
"Roger, please proceed to holding area 2."
"My ROB is inoperable." Krystal's screen showed that the self-diagnosis seemed stuck at 64%. "Please plot the course for me."
"Transmitting now."
The hologram of the lizard was replaced with a graph displaying Krystal's current position as well as optimal course and speed. Piloting the freighter was a completely different experience than flying a nimble Arwing, and the ship responded even more sluggish than normal, but carefully and taking her time, she manoeuvred the large vessel into the indicated coordinates.
"In position and holding." She initiated the shutdown of the main engines, leaving only the positional thrusters online.
"Roger, we'll dispatch a relief pilot and a technician ASAP." The controller grinned. "This is the end of the simulation."
The viewports went black and the cockpit lit up. The door behind Krystal opened and a kelpie walked in carrying a PDA in one hand.
"Mrs McCloud." She adjusted her glasses. "Why did you abort the docking?"
"Because Remedy is a challenging port with all the on-going construction," Krystal replied with confidence. "Attempting to dock without an Operating Buddy would make me liable for any damages."
"But it would cause delay and incur additional fees for the relief pilot." The kelpie gazed at Krystal over her specs.
"That's why Blue Fox Freight has insurance covering robotic operator malfunction." Unconsciously, Krystal crossed her arms. "The premium is cheap compared to possible damages on Remedy's docking system."
The dog turned her attention back to her PDA. "You took nearly two minutes to navigate to the holding area."
"Better safe than sorry, ma'am."
"Indeed, and we allow three." The kelpie's stern facial expression vanished. "Knowing when to seek assistance is an essential skill for a pilot. I'm pleased to confirm that you have passed the examination with distinction."
Krystal sighed with relief, even though she had felt quietly confident during the simulation.
"I'm impressed at how quickly you've passed the certifications," the Kelpie continued. "First single-seaters, then C-class shuttles and now assisted B-class vessels."
"I flew with the best during the Aparoid Invasion." It was true; Fox was a great instructor, and flying was easy. The theory test had been Krystal's biggest hurdle, but once she'd finally passed that, she had been on a roll.
"You've learned well." The kelpie grinned and shook Krystal's hand. "The electronic certificates will be sent through to your communicator address shortly."
With a spring in her steps, Krystal exited the flight academy office, only to be hit by a little blue ball of fluff as soon as she reached the lobby.
"How'd you go, Mommy?"
She picked up Marcus and held him so his face was level with hers. "I passed!"
"Can you fly every space ship now?" Marcus's tail spun behind him.
"Nah..." Krystal chuckled. "But I'm allowed to captain the Great Fox, as long as ROB is my co-pilot, so that Daddy won't have to all the time. We have a long journey ahead of us."
Fox caught up to them and snuck a hand around her waist. She leaned into him a little, wanting to be close to the man and the boy she both loved.
"It'll also come in handy if we start a shipping business when we come back from Cerinia," said Fox. "I've also been thinking about the G-Zero racers-"
Krystal snorted and rolled her eyes.
"No, hear me out. There are circuits on every planet, and the racers and their crews need to be transported. The Great Fox is just the right size for a team, and we could travel Lylat together." Fox smiled smugly. "What do you think of that, Marcus?"
The kit's eyes popped open. "Cool!"
Krystal smirked at Fox's idea. It was a bit far-fetched-transporting goods for the Phoenix Corporation or the like was more realistic-but he had a point; flying with the family would be nice. With job opportunities and their relationship on track, Krystal looked forward to the future in a way she hadn't in a long time. Sure, they'd had their relationship issues, but this time around they had worked things around; their little family depended on it. Heck, she had even used it to her advantage, laying it on thick for Panther so he would lower his guard, and it had worked. Her mood darkened briefly when she thought of the captive Cerinians, but they would be freed soon. She'd make sure of that.
"Peppy called." Fox interrupted her train of thought. "Said he wants to meet."
"Is that good or bad?" Krystal frowned.
Fox shrugged. "Well, he did say he'd work something out."
"This thing could do with a G-Diffuser", Krystal whispered in Fox's ear as the elevator decelerated hard, the two of them nearly lifting off the floor in the process. "You could've warned me."
He shrugged. "I guess I'm used to it."
Since joining the Academy, Fox had met Peppy regularly in the latter's office, even more so lately, planning for his absence and selecting fill-in teachers. Fox's role was much more than that of a flight instructor; he was also responsible for overhauling curriculum and methodology.
The car came to a complete stop, the display by the door showing level 142. As per protocol, they were escorted by a dog soldier wearing the typical grey and blue Cornerian uniform. The corgi, a head shorter than Fox and Krystal, motioned for them to follow and led the way down a series of corridors, decorated with traditional paintings with war motifs.
"I can hardly believe it's been ten years." Krystal frowned when she looked at an oil painting of an aparoid swarm over Corneria City. "I'll never forget those strange thought patterns."
Fox didn't blame her. He could feel her discomfort and it made him want to shudder. Her 'passive' mind link had become second nature to him, bidirectional sharing of emotions with little effort.
The soldier opened a set of doors that led to the General's outer office, dominated by a large desk. A middle-aged doe looked up from her paperwork, her ears pointing straight up.
"Ah, Fox!" She beamed and adjusted her reading glasses. "Right on time as always."
Krystal side-eyed Fox, and he knew why; while he was punctual to a fault at work, the same could not be said at home. She turned to the secretary. "It's a pleasure to finally meet you, Mrs Hirsch. Fox speaks very highly of you."
"Then he also must've told you that we're on first name terms." Mrs Hirsch walked around the desk to shake Krystal's hand. The doe still had a smile plastered on her face, but there was the briefest flicker of an ear, a sign of disquiet perhaps. "Please call me Gisela."
Fox knew that Gisela was one of the old guard, a life-long supporter of General Pepper and Star Fox, but by extension meant that she disliked Star Wolf and their rise to fame. But if she felt any animosity towards Krystal and her involvement during the Anglar Blitz, Gisela didn't show and Krystal didn't tell.
"The General will see you now." Gisela held the door as Fox followed Krystal into General O'Hare's office. Fox saluted, drawing a chuckle from the old hare, while Krystal made a beeline for the windows to admire the view. Tall skyscrapers with a mix of curves and straight lines were scattered across the mainland as well as on islands in the bay. Separated by green areas to give plenty of room for wildlife, the clusters were connected by elevated highways and the sky rail.
"Please, have a seat." Peppy motioned to the visitor's chairs opposite his desk.
"What brings us the honour?" There was a hint of suspicion in Krystal's voice, and quite understandably so, thought Fox.
"I told you I would work something out." Peppy winked at her. "Lucy told me you found Cerinia's location."
"A possible location, at least."
"She also said you wanted to keep it a secret." He lowered his voice. "Don't worry, Cerinia won't be swarming with Cornerian troops as long as I'm in command."
"I'm most grateful for her help." Krystal's tone softened. "We're already planning the journey, which is going to be a pretty long one, obviously."
"What if I could organise a trip by Orbital Gate?" Peppy smirked.
Fox frowned. "Can it transport the Great Fox that far?"
"I happen to know that Beltino has been working on upgrades using some of the Krazonium harvested during the Cerinian Crisis." Peppy's chair creaked in protest as he leaned back. "Your expedition would be a good opportunity to test it out, and the Army could provide you with supplies in exchange for a secret exploration mission."
Krystal cocked an eyebrow. "That would depend entirely on what that secret assignment is."
Peppy leaned forwards and lowered his voice. "Officially searching for leftover Cerinian technology, but actually to return the Cerinians to their home without the public knowing."
"So... you just want to buy our silence?" Krystal glared at Peppy who only nodded in return. She turned her mind to Fox. I smell a rat.
Peppy produced a data pad, and the foxes studied it carefully. It displayed a comprehensive list of supplies: fuel, a small shuttle, lease of two Light Arwings for Fay and Miyu, months' worth of Army emergency rations, and more.
Fox raised his eyebrows. "This would help a lot!"
"I can't believe we're just gonna pretend it never happened." Krystal crossed her arms. Also, they'll know exactly where we're going. The Gate will need the coordinates.
"I don't like it either, but isn't getting the Cerinians out safely what's most important?" He met her gaze. And it's a dead planet as far as they're concerned. They don't know what Kayuq has told you and me.
Krystal sighed with a resigned look on her face. "Okay, we accept."
"Of course, Sirius don't know that you found out from me." Peppy's voice lowered to a whisper. "Can you play along?"
Krystal responded with a wry smile. Peppy pressed a couple of buttons. The windows darkened and the lights dimmed as Fox and Krystal swivelled their chairs, turning towards a hologram that flickered to life behind them. The faces of a curly-haired poodle and a large black cat appeared on the screen.
"You..." Krystal glared at Panther. "What devilry have you got yourself into this time?"
"I understand you two are already well acquainted," said the poodle. "Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Jackson Peters, and my position and rank are classified."
Krystal shifted her gaze to Jackson. "How forthcoming of you. Why rob us of the pleasure of meeting you in person?"
Fox wondered the same. Did they suspect her of having her telepathy intact, or had Peppy revealed as much?
"It was unfortunately impossible to organise with short notice," said Jackson with a shrug. "I trust General O'Hare has briefed you on an important mission that requires complete confidentiality, and that you have signed the NDA."
He forgot about it, said Krystal in Fox's mind as Peppy scratched his nose.
"Yes-" Fox scowled "-but it'd better be good, considering all the secrecy."
"Good!" Panther piped up, facing Krystal. "Then you'd be delighted to know that your fellow Cerinians who escaped the starship with you..." He shifted in his seat, looking uneasy. "...Are in fact alive and well."
"What?!"
She gave Fox a fraction of a second's telepathic notice, but he still struggled to catch her when she launched towards the hologram. He certainly couldn't fault her acting, using all his strength to hold her back, as she clawed her hands through the shapes of light. He barely had time to notice how Panther flinched when the hologram flickered, while Jackson only raised an eyebrow, if anything looking intrigued.
"What have you done to them?" she roared, trying-but not too hard-to squirm out of Fox's grip.
"They have been most helpful in our research into your race's psionic abilities," Panther continued with a slightly unsteady voice. "Quite willingly, I must add. They're as concerned about The Protector's return as we are."
"You will pay for this!" Specks of saliva flew from Krystal's maw.
"Indeed, by means of the list of supplies the good General has shown you," said Jackson. "Your mission, should you accept it, is to escort them to Cerinia in secrecy, and leave them there if you find any more survivors."
"And if we don't?" Fox slowly pulled Krystal back from the hologram.
"Then they may return, officially rescued by you on or near Cerinia of course," said Panther. "The condition is that the public must not know that they were here in the first place, and that they take medication to suppress their powers. You see-" he smirked a little "-we have an antidote now."
Krystal went limp in Fox's arm, letting herself be led back to the chair, and sat down. Fox understood how she must feel; the telepathy was her advantage, just like the Arwing skills were his. He took control of the conversation instead. "We need proof of life."
"Of course." Jackson's gaze shifted to something off screen as if he entered a few commands on a keyboard. "We have prepared a video feed, but for security reasons you cannot talk directly to them."
The hologram shifted, showing three foxes sitting by a wooden table in a windowless room, which still had a couple of pot plants under bright lights. The man to the left was short with broad shoulders and fur a dark cobalt blue, while the man opposite was tall with long cerulean hair done up in a ponytail, yet they had similar facial features. In the middle, facing the camera sat a slender azure blue fox, whose underarms shifted into a shade of grey, just like the tip of his tail. He looked pensive, picking at a generously sized plate of food, while the two others eagerly shovelled helping after helping into their maws.
"How do I know it's not just a recording?" Krystal crossed her arms.
"Ask them who they are," said Jackson's voice. "You may pick the order."
"From right to left."
A voice spoke, too far from the microphone to hear clearly, and the three Cerinians looked up from their meals. The man to the right straightened his back.
"Kabura of The Protectors." He put a balled fist to his chest.
"Ryuga, at your service." The slender fox spoke with a slight accent, similar to Krystal's.
"Mitsuru," said the short, broad fox in a surprisingly high-pitched voice. He grinned and waved at the camera.
"How have they been treated?" Fox asked.
Again, there was a moment's delay while the camera person translated.
"We have been treated well by our generous guests and are in good spirits." Ryuga assumed the role as spokesperson. Fox wasn't quite convinced; he couldn't see their arms, dressed in long-sleeves as they were, but the clothes as well as the pelt on their faces seemed to fit a little loose.
"We understand that our presence might feel uncomfortable, after what our race did to the people of Lylat," Ryuga continued. He looked sincere, pleased even. "But we are honoured to have been presented with the opportunity to assist with our knowledge and technology, thereby hopefully repaying a little of our debt." He finished with performing the Cerinian greeting.
That's an odd time to use 'My Mind Is Open', thought Krystal to Fox. It's a greeting or an invitation to converse in private, not a 'thank you'.
Fox was under no illusion that the captives were free to speak, and of course they couldn't say what was on their mind over telepathy, so perhaps Ryuga used whatever he could to get a secret message across? Fox wondered if all Cerinians were as cunning as Kayuq.
The hologram returned to Jackson and Panther.
"You should be held responsible for this," Krystal grumbled, still with her arms crossed.
"But maybe our silence is a small price to pay for their freedom?" Fox put an arm around her shoulder, and she loosened up a bit, taking his other hand in hers.
"Of course, I much prefer that they stay where they are, for the safety of Lylat." Jackson huffed. "But General O'Hare was quite adamant that you should be given a chance."
"Then I will choose the lesser of two evils." Krystal glared daggers at Jackson.
"We accept the mission and the terms," said Fox and pulled Krystal closer.
Jackson walked over to the window and opened the blinds. With his hands on his back, his curly hair reaching all the way down to his wrists, he gazed out over the snowy landscape. The only vegetation in sight were a pine forest and some moss green fields between Fichina City and the climate control centre on the horizon. From the hotel room, you could only imagine the bitter cold out there.
"Funny..." Panther absentmindedly spun a stylus in his hand, still staring at the now dark computer screen. "Fox and Krystal seemed quite cosy. She said they weren't going too well."
Jackson looked over his shoulder at Panther. "Please, elaborate."
"Oh, it's nothing." Panther shook his head. "We bumped into each other, and she alluded to some relationship issues."
"Bumped into?" Jackson raised an eyebrow. "Where? The Army base, the Star Wolf Centre, or the Beltino Gate, perhaps?"
"Umm... I had a meeting in the city with a Star Wolf contractor," Panther lied. "I stopped for a coffee on the way to the spaceport, and... there she was."
"You should know how irresponsible it is to visit civilian locations." Just for a moment, there was a hint of a growl in Jackson's tone, but it passed just as quickly. "Never mind. What did you talk about?" He leaned on the desk, looking down at Panther. "And think about?"
Panther shrugged, deliberately, trying to appear more relaxed than he felt. "She spilled her guts about education and relationship troubles, that sort of stuff, and how she's desperate to meet another Cerinian. I tried to think of a plausible way to bring her into the program, but then she had a little outburst... which she blamed on Fox."
But what if? He could feel the blood draining from his face, luckily covered in ink-black fur. Still, Jackson must have seen something in Panther's eyes, or maybe he just smelled fear?
"She read you like an open book." The poodle's tone was neutral, but his eyes were cold, their gaze boring through Panther.
"But she seemed genuinely shocked during the meeting, that fury." Panther cluing to whatever piece of hope he could find.
"Mind games and theatre, just like Ryuga toyed with Miss Bergman. It's what Cerinians do." Jackson spun around and flung a hand in the air, as if tossing an imaginary object. He walked over to the window, gazing out with his hands on his back again. His shoulders raised and lowered from a deep breath before he continued, "We know she attended Peppy's surprise birthday party. Perhaps her species are more dangerous than we thought, capable of not just reading present thoughts, but memories as well. What if she even caused his condition?"
Recalling his misadventures in the Quango System six years ago, where a certain bounty hunter had foiled his plans, Panther turned his attention to his wrist communicator. Tapping through the menus, he searched for something that he'd hidden well out of view, and pulled up a keepsake from that mission. The hologram showed a blue-furred woman with purple hair dressed in black top and pants.
Panther cleared his throat. "You may recall my report from Kew, and how a notorious bounty hunter named Kursed interfered with our objective."
Jackson turned around and raised an eyebrow. He walked closer, not letting his sights off the picture, while Kursed seemed to glare back at him from the projection. "I think we just saw a glimpse of that face in the meeting." His gaze shifted to Panther and hardened. "Why have I not been shown this before?"
"Misguided compassion, I guess." Panther sighed. "I wanted to protect Fox, both from the truth and... well... her."
"Your disregard for Lylat's safety is exasperating." Jackson straightened his back and crossed his arms. "This settles it. Obviously, Krystal, Kursed or whatever persona she'll decide to take on next cannot be trusted. The research subjects cannot be released to her, since she might just decide to exact revenge."
"We can't eliminate them now." Panther frowned. "Krystal and Fox would go public."
"That's why we'll let them leave through the Orbital Gate, escorted by our best pilots." Jackson looked at Panther with a stone face. "Interstellar space travel can be dangerous, if you get my drift."
"I do. It'll look like they left Lylat, but the Cerinians might have a little accident." Panther waved a finger in the air. "There's just one little flaw in the plan. What about the McClouds and their crew?"
"As I said." Jackson shrugged. "Interstellar space travel is dangerous."
"You can't do that!" Panther jumped to his feet and the chair crashed to the floor behind him.
"I was going to offer the job to Star Wolf." Jackson sized up Panther. "But I can see now that you are too emotionally involved."
"Marcus is just an innocent child!" Panther slammed his fists on the desk.
"Krystal is clearly unhinged. If she meets any Cerinians, worst of all Eldey and her so-called Protectors, they will turn her on us." A growl escaped the poodle's muzzle. "They will know about our psionic-blocking research, and knowledge is power. No doubt they will devise a means to counteract it before coming back for the resources they know Corneria still has, and they need. How many innocent children will die then?"
"I just refuse to harm a family..." Panther racked his brain for a way to avoid disaster.
"Unusual words for a former lawless mercenary." Jackson sneered and reached for his wrist communicator. "Security will be here in a moment to escort you."
"...When we can use them."
Jackson cocked an eyebrow and his fingers stopped.
"Look, I got to know Krystal well when she was a Star Wolf member. I know how she works. I can talk to her, make her see what's at stake for the security of Lylat." Panther felt like he was going to break out in a cold sweat. "And if she still does not cooperate, we can use Fox and Marcus as leverage to make her."
Jackson remained motionless for a long moment. "You're making a good point," he mused. "We can isolate them before their departure, and use stand-ins to make it appear as if they've left for Cerinia."
"I like your thinking," said Panther, feeling relieved that he'd steered the poodle off his murderous track. "But what about ROB?"
"Who?... Oh, the android auto-pilot? It was commissioned by Space Dynamics, so will have firmware to obey Cornerian authorities without its captain present." Jackson motioned towards the chair. "Take a seat again. We have details to work out. The key will be to separate Krystal from the others."