XIX

A Promise Fulfilled

As the shields fell and disappeared, the tendrils of the Rachquid Queen untwined and stretched. They shivered like trees in the wind, which created a mighty howl that echoed through the halls of the lab. All of a sudden, the thumping at the door from the raging rachquids ceased and all was quiet. Then, without laying a finger on it, the computer terminal changed in front of Peach's eyes. The screen read "Teleport Activated".

"What's happening?" she said, stepping away from the terminal. The shields were no longer able to contain the Queen and she could reach out with her mind to the terminal. And to her offspring. Peach wondered why she was able to reach beyond the shields to Mario. There was something different about him. He had a connection to the scaffolding upon which things were placed though this fact was hidden from him. There was a flash of light and the zap of the teleporter sounded like a lightning bolt and the enormity of the Rachquid Queen was gone. The terminal blinked "Teleport Successful" before fading to black.

Fox clapped Mario on the shoulder, wearing a grin that surprised him. "Looks like you made the wise choice, Mario." Was that pride in his voice? His demeanor approached something resembling fatherly.

"Wise?" Toad spat, his cigar nearly falling from his lips. "There was nothing wise about it. He got lucky. That's it."

"She said she wouldn't attack if I let her go." His head was still swimming from the encounter. He tried to stand but wobbled and would have toppled over if not for Fox, who hooked an arm under his armpit and held him up.

"And you were right to trust her," he said. Perhaps, he had judged Mario too harshly. He was bitter about losing command over his ship and this business of koopas and impending war had nothing to do with him and his crew. But it took great courage to do what the boy had done. There was something very special about him. No doubt about it. The council had seen it and now Fox had too.

Toad took a drag from his cigar and blew the smoke out in a deep sigh. It hung in the air between them like a black cloud. "He should've had the guts to drop the acid on her. Just to be safe. Who's to say they don't return in greater numbers."

"No good comes from trying to extinguish an entire race just because you're afraid of what they might do," Fox countered. "To value life - all life - in conflict is the mark of true courage. Had you learned that, Toad, things might have played out differently in Conkdor Canyon."

Toad grumbled to himself and fell silent. Falco smirked, for it was the first time he had seen the fast-talking scoundrel at a loss for words. It counted as a tally in the "In Favor" column for his new commander and a big tally it was. In truth, it was the only tally that mattered.

"You did the right thing," said Fox and added in a respectful tone, "Commander." He gave Mario a small nod, who returned it and smiled.

The journey back to the Great Fox was slow and plodding. The unforgiving winds pushed against them. Peach had thrown her lab coat on for warmth and clutched it close. It did little against the unrelenting flurry. Snow was piled upon the Great Fox in clusters, making it a fixture of the environment like any other hill or tree. Fox activated his omnitool and the door opened, the motion shaking off some of the snow. They bolted for the door and the promise of a functioning heater behind it. Once inside, Peach threw off her wet gloves and lab coat. She shook the chill from her bones. "It's nice to be where it's warm."

Peppy had seen their approach on the nav-computer since their omnitools acted as GPS, heart monitors, blood glucose monitors, the works. Even at his old age, he was still spry enough to make his way down the tight ladder into the belly of the ship. He had been eagerly anticipating them. They had been gone far too long for his liking and it had given him the willies. Fox was like a son and he worried himself silly over him. "Princess!" he exclaimed, as she was the first on the ship and the first into his line of sight. "Glad to see you safe and sound. I'm Peppy Hare but the members of Team Star Fox call me Old TImer." He looked around her to find sight of Fox but didn't see him.

He was a goofy old rabbit and she laughed at his pluck. "It's very nice to meet you, Old Timer," she said, petting his head between the ears. "Have you ever been to the Mushroom Kingdom?"

Fox stepped onto the deck and gave Peppy a small nod. Peppy smiled back, which faded when he noticed the missing patches of fur. Peach smiled politely and waited for an answer. He looked back to her and realized he was being rude. "Aww heck," he stammered. "I ain't had the chance what with Star Fox missions keepin' me busy. Next time I get shore leave, I'll plan on makin' a visit."

She held both of his hands in hers and gave them a squeeze. "Make sure to stop by the castle when you do," she said, smiling warmly. She was a radiant beauty when she smiled and Peppy was caught in the headlights. Afraid of being rude again, he looked away and blushed.

"How's everything looking, Old Timer," asked Falco, shaking the snow from his feathers.

"Flurries have subsided somewhat but we should be good for take-off."

"Good to hear. We can drop you guys back at the Citadel and be on our way."

"About that," said Mario, trailing off. Falco arched an eyebrow at him and folded his arms.

Toad whirled on his heel to face him. "After everything we went through, you can't possibly want to make a pitstop somewhere."

"No, not a pitstop."

"Whew!" said Toad but there was no relief in it. It was all sarcasm. "I thought you were gonna ask us to do something stupid."

"We need to go see a tree on Pinna," said Mario matter-of-factly.

Toad nodded. "Yep, that's something stupid."