Matriarch

Fox's eyes widened as he looked out the shuttle window. The Vixon starship - one of three in perpetual orbit around the planet - was truly enormous. He'd seen one before, but was in awe nonetheless. Several kilometres long and with scattered superstructures for point defences and whatnot over its hull, it looked like a golden space whale covered in barnacles. Next to it was their destination: the Matriarch's flagship. Compared to the starship it looked like a small dolphin and yet it dwarfed the GF2. It was sleek and virtually free of superstructures, but its distinguishing feature was two massive nacelles attached to short fins near the aft. Fox assumed they were the engines and that the ship was built for speed to escape any and every possible danger.

The shuttle traversed a plasma gate and touched down without a sound. He could hardly even feel it stop. If there was one word that summed up Vixon space travel, it was 'effortless'. The doors opened and the passengers filed out: the Star Fox crew, Hope, and the quartet of Cerinians, while Marcus walked between his parents, holding their hands tightly in anticipation. Fox had been hesitant to leave the GF2 empty apart from ROB, but he'd had little choice than to accept the Vixon guarantee of his vessel's safety. The android, on the other hand, was under strict orders to stay behind, such was the Vixon fear of him.

A group of guards descended upon them as soon as they stepped onto the floor, but seemed mostly focussed on their Cerinian kin. Kiera was there too, greeting them all and beckoning them to follow her lead. The sight of the flagship's hangar was familiar to Fox; ships were arranged in neat lines and surfaces were clean, pristine white and gleaming metal. While very similar to the Vixon starship under Kamuy's command he'd boarded once, there was one key difference: it was rather crowded.

That impression persisted when they moved through the ship's corridors. There were people everywhere. It was like moving through the streets of Corneria City in the days leading up to the winter solstice, when most of its citizens were out and about to eat and drink, shop for presents, or just enjoy themselves. Fox thought it made perfect sense to cram in as many survivors as possible; the spaceship was basically a giant lifeboat launched from a planet going under. And yet, it was surprisingly serene; people spoke in muted voices, probably relying on their telepathy a lot, and politely moved out of the way for the small procession.

Several of the rooms they passed had glass windows and some no walls at all, so he got to see a wide variety of activities: people cooking food, mending clothes, working on electronics and whatnot. Then he spotted a sole grey fox sitting on a small bench. Many of the people walking past stopped for a moment to perform the Cerinian greeting, touch the man's shoulder or hand briefly, or just bow their heads, but he remained motionless with a thousand-yard stare in his eyes. Fox suddenly felt uneasy and a shiver ran up his spine.

I feel it too, a great sorrow, said Krystal in his mind. That poor man probably lost everyone dear to him when The Shield fell.

They reached a larger hall with stone paths surrounding a lush garden with rows of flowers, small trees, and green grass. There were plenty of foxes here too, many seemingly passing by, some tending to the garden, and others just standing around admiring it. Most of them stopped what they were doing when they saw the strangers and several moved a little closer. Kiera stopped and turned to the visitors.

"Please remove your footwear," she said with a smile. The boots on her flight suit seemed to detach by themselves and barefoot she stepped onto the lawn.

Fox and the others followed. The grass tickled his toes. It felt nice although he was a little preoccupied taking in the scenery. Six Krazoa statues carved from wood circled the garden and in its centre stood several strapping foxes with staves and loincloths, holding guards in front of a shrine with a curved roof. They parted to let an old vixen exit the shrine. While she leaned a little on a walking stick, she held her back straight and head high. Her fur was a matte blue, the straight hair falling to her shoulders all silver but for a few blue strands, but her turquoise eyes were alert. A smile played on her muzzle as her gaze darted from one visitor to the other. The resemblance in facial features to Kamuy and Kiera was striking, although this vixen was much older: 80 or thereabouts, Fox guessed.

She changed her grip and the walking stick extended in her hands. The handle straightened out and changed shape as a gem embedded within it started glowing. Blue, geometrical patterns spread across the shaft as it transformed into a Cerinian battle staff. She raised it a little before striking a stone in the grass with the butt end. The gem flashed and a boom echoed throughout the hall. The gathered crowd fell silent.

"Travellers of the stars," she proclaimed with a voice that was a little hoarse, yet had both volume and authority. "On behalf of the Vixon of Cerinia, welcome to our humble realm."

Krystal and Kayuq bowed their heads and performed My Mind Is Open. The rest of the crew did the same, even Fay and Miyu making their own clumsy attempts at the greeting and getting it mostly right, so Fox thought it best to follow suit.

"Though I am surprised at seeing a fellow Vixon appearing out of the blue," the Matriarch continued. "What is your name? And where have you been?"

"My name is Krystal McCloud." Her use of his family name wasn't lost on Fox. "Other than that, I know very little. I've lost my memories of everything that happened before... The Doom."

A murmur went through the audience. The Matriarch nodded slowly. "Understandable."

"Somehow, through a wormhole I think, my ship arrived at a system called Lylat, where I was rescued by Fox McCloud, who is now my husband."

"Husband?" The Matriarch looked at Fox with curiosity. "Are you perchance an exiled Cerinian as well?"

Fox shook his head. "I was born and raised on a small planet called Papetoon in Lylat, and as far as I know, that's where my ancestors stem from."

"And yet, you're most certainly a fox." She took a step closer, her gaze studying Fox as she leaned on her staff. "I would say, that's compelling evidence that the World Builders brought species between planets."

"I'm not sure about that, I mean..." Fox stammered, feeling like an idiot. Why did he feel the need to contradict a regent? "I'm not telepathic like you."

"Is that so?" The old vixen tilted her head. But you can hear me, can't you?

"Yes, but-" Fox bit his lip. She'd tricked him. He could swear he'd actually had heard her physically speaking, so clear had her mind-voice been, but her lips had not moved. It was curious how Krystal could talk to him telepathically, but with no one else in Lylat. And then there was Hope of course, who was from another different system altogether.

"And who are these lovely ladies?" Smiling, The Matriarch turned to Fay and Miyu.

"I'm Fay Collins and I'm a dog," said the spaniel through her translator. She beamed her best smile. "We're canines, hailing from wolves."

The audience gasped and the Matriarch's eyes turned to dinner plates. Fay seemed perplexed and Miyu gave her a subtle elbow to the side.

"Miyu Cabbot here," the feline interjected, waving at the Matriarch. "A lynx, your Highness."

"Pleased to meet you. I sense bravery and confidence in you. And a little brashness, perhaps." The Matriarch tilted her head a little with a knowing smile on her muzzle, before turning to Hope. "And who is this beauty?"

The snow fox blushed. "Hjördís Refurdóttir, from planet Kew, but everyone calls me Hope."

"I like your given name. But how do you pronounce that? Hiordis?" The Matriarch frowned. "Would you care to show me?"

She closed her eyes, while Hope's opened wide. With a startled visage, Hope's mouth moved slowly without making a sound.

"Hjördís Refurdóttir," the Matriarch said slowly but perfectly. "Those rolling Rs feel quite peculiar, but it's a beautiful tongue. Is that the language of Kew?"

Hope shook her head a little in bewilderment, released from the telepathic connection. "My mother hailed from a planet named Arctos. It's cold and mostly covered in snow, but she was very proud of it."

"Corneria, Kew, Arctos, so many worlds. Fascinating," the Matriarch mused. Finally, she turned to Ryuga, Kabura and Mitsuru with a glare, and her tone changed abruptly. "As for you..."

Kayuq took half a step forward and performed My Mind Is Open. She received a nod from the Matriarch in return, a silent permission to speak. "They were under Kamuy's command, on a sole vessel in space with no place to go. Their options were to obey willingly or be forced to. If anyone should be held accountable, it's me."

"Rest assured, you will." A snarl flickered on the Matriarch's muzzle. "Even so, take them away."

Guards quickly surrounded the trio of men and escorted them out of the hall. Back to imprisonment, thought Fox, just as how they'd been on Fichina. He shuddered, shocked how unceremoniously it had been done. What would happen to them now?

They'll be questioned and sentenced. We need to set an example, obviously, said the calm voice of the Matriarch into Fox's mind. But not too harshly. Rebuilding a civilisation is hard work and every pair of helping hands will be welcomed.

She turned to Kayuq. "Where is Kamuy and the starship now?"

"She tried to infiltrate and take over Corneria, but was thwarted in the eleventh hour, both by Cornerian resistance and an uprising amongst her crew. The ship is now under Eldey's command, still at large. Kamuy herself was defeated"- Kayuq motioned towards Fox -"by the hands of this man."

The Matriarch's head snapped around, looking at Fox in shock. She stared right through him, as if she was reading his thoughts with her eyes.

Is that so?

She slipped into his mind so easily that he could barely sense her presence. But he had performed the greeting, said that his mind was open, hadn't he? He had to show her.

Show me what?

He recalled the Cerinian Crisis, sharing the same visions he had with Kiera: the arrival, meeting Kamuy, the tremors, Corneria's surface cracking, the battle for freedom, and the showdown on the starship, fighting alongside Krystal and Kayuq, trying hard to not to think of that.

And what is that?

He steeled himself trying to suppress the memory, but it was no use. Whether his own mind betrayed him, or whether the cunning old telepath teased it out of him, he would never know. The vision was crystal clear; Kamuy was laying on a shattered glass floor, impaled on Krystal's staff, lifeless and with an expression of... disbelief?

There was a brief sensation of vertigo and a shiver ran down his spine as the Matriarch's psionic link recoiled. She stared at him with a stone face. It was unnerving? Was she grieving, shocked, or enraged? Either option was better than this... nothing.

She raised her staff again and let it fall. The boom echoed back and forth, and when it had died out, there was not a sound. Not a single breath could be heard. Even the lights seemed to have dimmed a little.

"The traitor Kamuy... is dead." She did not take her eyes off Fox. And so is another member of my family.

"I..." Fox stammered. He could feel the gentle touch of Krystal's fingers against his. "I'm so sorry-"

"No, Fox McCloud." The Matriarch closed her eyes and lowered her head. "I am sorry. Kamuy lost the ways of the Vixon. I am sorry that I could not lead her back on the right path. I am terribly sorry for the destruction she inflicted on your world."

Krystal took his hand, squeezing harder. He looked around. The Vixon all bowed their heads in reverence, crossed their arms and put their hands on their shoulders, as if embracing an invisible person.

"But I am forgetting my manners." The Matriarch looked up, a small smile returning to her muzzle as she stretched out her arms towards Fox. "Since you are not Cerinian, it is my duty to enlighten you about our customs, one of which is to greet visitors with a meal. Please, join me in the royal wing for dinner tonight."

After a short tour of the ship, Kiera led the visitors down a narrow corridor. Marcus trod along between Krystal and Fox with a hand each in his parents', but Krystal could feel from his aura and tight grip of her fingers that the kit was nervous. Fay and Miyu followed next, engrossed in a hushed conversation about what they'd seen on the flagship. As if whispering would keep their minds from being read, Krystal thought. Behind them, Hope led Kayuq along as usual, with two guards keeping a close eye on the old red vixen.

Something felt different and Krystal couldn't quite put her finger on it, until she realised that the psionic background noise that was constantly present in a large crowd had disappeared. She could sense the presence of the people walking next to her, but that was it. It was eerily quiet in a telepathic way. Maybe Kiera had seen something in Krystal's face, maybe she'd detected an aura of concern, but either way she turned to Krystal.

"There are some things only the Vixon leadership should know, and the Matriarch deserves her privacy," she said. "That's why the ceiling, walls and floor of this part of the ship are lined with thin threads spun from crystals, blocking psionic signals."

"Ooh, like a telepathic Furaday cage?" Fay quipped.

Kiera smirked. "I guess you could say that."

Two muscular and stone-faced guards dressed only in loincloths and decorative armour stood either side of a doorway with their staves blocking the entrance. With barely a nod from Kiera, they removed the obstacles and the doors slid open without a sound. A marble silver fox stood on the other side, looking as if he had been waiting for them. His slender frame was dressed in white trousers and a tunic with golden highlights, and his shoulder-length head hair framed his face as he bowed his head and performed the Cerinian greeting.

"Welcome! My name is Aulis and I strive to make your stay as comfortable as possible. Please, come in. Matriarch Ichika will join us shortly."

A small group of people awaited them, their furs all in various shades of blue, who Kiera introduced as senators, trusted advisors of the Matriarch, and the Second of the Providers. Aulis ushered the guests to take their seats on cushions placed by a long, low table, with visitors on one side and hosts on the other, before disappearing out a backdoor.

The cushion was surprisingly comfortable. Sitting cross-legged on the floor Krystal took in the room. The sole light source was the ceiling that seemed to glow, bathing the space in a soft, ambient light. The decor was sparse but tasteful. Alternating walls were painted in white and muted golden hues, like rays from an early morning sun. There were some abstract artwork, a few clay vases and crystal artefacts on pedestals, but most of all an abundance of plants.

"The foliage makes the ship feel more like a home," Kiera offered, sitting across the table from Krystal. "And they help with cleansing the air and producing oxygen, of course."

The backdoor opened again and the marble fox returned with Matriarch Ichika at his side. He helped the elderly vixen to a chair at the head of the table. Krystal raised an eyebrow. While the piece of furniture was of a simple design, it was carved with elegant curves out of light timber. Apart from the shrine and the statues, it was the only wooden item she'd seen on the ship. Even though it was low, the Matriarch sat a head higher than everyone else, leaving no doubt as to who was in charge.

Aulis closed his eyes and put a finger to his right temple. Within moments, another set of doors opened and two vixen servants entered. Dressed in traditional brasserie, loincloths and sandals, they carried trays of food which were placed on the table.

"May the spirits bless our daily sustenance," said the Matriarch in a formal voice. "Please, enjoy nature's provisions."

The Cerinians started passing the trays around, while taking some items for themselves, and the visitors followed suit. Aulis diligently helped the Matriarch, who couldn't reach down to the table herself. Krystal's plate was soon filled with dolmas, dumplings, grilled mushrooms, tempura vegetables and other goodies, but she couldn't help noticing the absence of meat.

Hope on the other hand seemed bewildered by the absence of cutlery. She picked up the chopsticks next to her plate and studied her neighbours closely, trying to copy how they held their sticks. Her grip was awkward, the tips not meeting, and when she tried to pick up a piece of tempura, it promptly fell to the floor.

"Just use your fingers, my dear. I do." Ichika picked a dumpling from a plate that Aulis offered her, bit off half and munched with content for a moment. "Medicine can only do so much for my arthritis."

Krystal took a bite of a dolma, which looked like the ones from Fortuna made of rice rolled in vine leaves. This one contained another sort of grain and tasted different yet very familiar. She knew the leaf - the plant had grown in the clearings of Northwood Forest - but she couldn't recall its name, just like she couldn't recall her mother's and father's names. She sighed in frustration.

"Now, there is someone here I have not been introduced to yet," said Ichika after enjoying the rest of her dumpling. "Come here, young boy."

Marcus had been curled up in his father's lap, eagerly stuffing his maw with tempura. Any mention of stranger danger evaporated in an instant, because he scooted right up to Ichika, placing his little paws on her chair's armrest. To Krystal's shock, the Matriarch glared at him with a stone face. The kit looked bewildered at first, but then his tail started to wag, slowly at first but then faster and faster.

"You're a clever one, aren't you?" Ichika chuckled and cracked up in a wide smile. She patted her thigh and Marcus climbed up in her lap, taking one of her hands in his, studying the gnarled joints and weathered pads. "What's your name?"

"Marcus!" His little tail thumped against her leg.

"I..." Fox scratched his neck, that old tick when he was uncertain of something. "I've been wondering if he's inherited Krystal's gift."

"Oh, most certainly. You see, I was testing him, only pretending to be indifferent." Ichika patted the patch of white hair on the kit's forehead. "But you could tell that I was thinking happy thoughts, couldn't you?"

"Could I?" Marcus scrunched up his forehead.

"You can sense it, little man, but you're just not aware of it. Not yet. Let's celebrate with a dumpling, shall we?"

They took one each off the plate held by Aulis, who stood patiently by the Matriarch's side. Krystal couldn't help feeling a sense of relief. She knew it shouldn't matter whether Marcus turned out to be more like Fox or herself, but she was still happy that the psionic gene had been passed on. Fox seemed to think the same, because he turned to her wearing a proud smile on his muzzle.

Marcus helped himself to another dumpling and spoke with his mouth full. "Chicken?"

"What's a 'chicken'? Please show me," said Ichika.

Marcus wrinkled his forehead again.

"Just think of one." She chuckled. "Ah, that looks a little like a fluffy raptor. But no, the dumplings are filled with bean curd flavoured with a special fungi that tastes a little like meat."

"We have neither the space nor resources to keep livestock, at least not yet," Aulis added. "So please excuse the simple meal."

"It's delish," said Miyu with her mouth half full. "It beats space rations by a country mile every day of the week."

Fay rolled her eyes. "That doesn't say much."

"Still, it's not the feast I would have liked to offer." Ichika sighed deeply. "We managed to salvage precious little from Cerinia, and are using whatever we have to slowly build townships and production facilities on Cerinova. But most of us live cramped together on the three starships and a handful of other vessels." She turned to Fay, Miyu and Hope. "As our guests, you may of course stay as long as you like, but I'm afraid we cannot spare much in terms of housing and provisions."

"Don't worry," Fay beamed. "The Great Fox is stocked up for months."

"And we'd like to help in any way we can," Miyu added. "We're not afraid to roll up our sleeves."

"Say, your vessel has the appearance of a transporter." The Second Provider rubbed her chin. She was a vixen of about Kayuq's age but with an azure and grey colour palette similar to Ryuga's. "Is it capable of atmospheric entry?"

"It sure is," said Fox with a wave of a hand. "We can help out if you need to bring stuff to the surfaaa-"

The pang of fear startled Krystal. Fox stared with wide eyes and maw hanging open at Aulis, who had just placed a platter with pastries between them.

"Is something wrong?" the marble fox asked. When he turned to Krystal and tilted his head a little, no doubt wondering what had frightened her husband, she saw it: the little gilded metal disc embedded in his right temple.

"Y-you..." Fox stammered. "You have one of those tele-neuronic implants."

"Indeed I do." Aulis smiled at Fox. "I was born with a weak sixth sense, but thanks to this, I can participate in our sacred telepathic conversations. I would not want to be without it."

"I guess it's no different than a hearing aid to you. But Kamuy used them to control people." Fox gulped. "Including myself."

"Of course she did." Ichika growled and shook her head. "She initiated research into using them to extract information from Wolven spies and prisoners of war, who often had been taught memory blocking techniques. When I heard about it, I shut the program down, much to her chagrin. I could not allow such a barbaric invasion of privacy, not even on our enemies."

"But in Lylat, she had free reign to perfect the technology," said Kayuq calmly. "I've been subjected to it as well. It's quite effective."

"Although I don't like talking about Kamuy-" Ichika frowned and scrunched up her nose in disgust "-would you mind telling what happened to your world?"

Fox and Krystal took turns recapping the events, how Kamuy and her self-proclaimed Protectors had arrived in Lylat, infiltrated Corneria's leadership and torn up the planet before being defeated. The Matriarch listened with interest, occasionally interjecting with questions that were always on point. Krystal was convinced that the elder vixen's intellect was as sharp as ever despite her age. Kayuq also spoke about her travels and rescuing the prisoners from SIRIUS's clutches.

"It's all very admirable." The Matriarch still glared at Kayuq. "But knowing you, I sense there's more in it for you than just returning a few of our kin to their home."

"Your Excellency." Kayuq bowed her head. "Krystal was raised by Randorn. And she can channel."

Someone gasped and the Matriarch's head snapped around. Her gaze locked onto Krystal's, turquoise eyes seemingly seeing right through to Krystal's soul. Her visage was a poker face, but in her psionic aura there was a flicker of awe and... pride?

"Is that so?" Ichika asked. Over a three-way link, Fox and Krystal shared with her what had happened on top of the Saurian palace, when the Krazoa had passed through her and...

...the power coursed through her, and she cried out loud, but it was neither in pain nor pleasure. There was an immense sensation of completeness. There was enlightenment, as if she could touch the infinity beyond the borders of the four dimensions she already knew. She felt invincible, and that she could do anything she wanted with that power, if she only knew how to channel it.

Ichika shook her head a little and blinked a few times as if startled, before her alert eyes locked onto Krystal's again. "And you remember nothing before, you say?"

"Only fragments: snippets from my childhood, Randorn finding me in the forest, and a graduation ceremony where I saw... you." Krystal bit her lip. "I was hoping you might know who I am."

"Of course I do." Ichika cracked up in a wide smile, looking quite pleased with herself. Krystal's heart pounded in her chest, threatening to burst with anticipation. "You're an exceptionally talented telepath."

"That's..." Krystal's ears fell flat. The excitement vanished in an instant, leaving her with a hollow feeling. "All?"

"I remember you well. You completed your training with near perfect marks, but you were not flawless. You had somewhat of an attitude, a stubborn streak, and from what I gathered you gained a reputation as a heartbreaker of young men and women alike." Ichika smirked. Krystal blushed, noticing Hope looking at her out of the corner of her eye. "But you knew how to hide your innermost thoughts and memories, something only the most skilled Wolven can teach. I suspected you had grown up in Randorn's care, but could not get the evidence out of you. And you just had this raw psionic power, wielding your staff like few others."

Krystal looked down at her hands, feeling the urge to pull the gloves with their fake fur off, disappointment lingering in her mind.

"I know it's not the answer you wanted. You crave a name, you long for relatives, because you already have friends and a family." Ichika looked down and smiled at Marcus who had fallen asleep in her lap. She scratched an ear and one of his legs kicked a little. "However, Aulis here is not just my personal assistant, but very knowledgeable in Cerinian history. Perhaps a tour in the royal library will jog your memory."

The marble fox smiled and bowed. "It would be my pleasure to show you."