First Fight

Cerinian Starship


"Missiles!"

Fox's voice awoke Krystal, and in a fraction of a second she snapped out of the trance, back into the rear seat of their Cerinian fighter. She had been mediating, completely blanking out her thoughts, to hide her presence from any watchful telepaths. She had put her trust in Fox, as she knew she could. A moment later she had established the psionic link with the ship's systems, focussed on the incoming missiles, and taken them out with a burst of laser. As Fox flew straight through the blinding ball of fire after the explosion, she felt the first minds trying to pry and prod hers.

And so the battle of the mind begins, she thought. She couldn't remember any training in psionic powers that she might have received during her upbringing on Cerinia, but Fox had taught her to trust her instinct, and she had learnt a lot herself the last few years. Whatever dimensions telepathy used, it was somehow directional. It was always easier for her to detect the minds that were actively thinking about her, which was great for avoiding and countering attacks. She used that to her advantage, and chose not to think about any approaching fighters and their pilots. Fox's skills would deal with them in time, while she concentrated on the point defences of the Cerinian starship.

Fox stayed behind the starship, approaching the cavernous nozzles of its propulsion systems, in the hope that the defences would be weaker there. But a turret emerged out of the hull, twin barrels swivelling their way, and lighting up empty space with an impressive laser show. She could sense the emotions from Fox changing and fading, as he slipped into his combat mental state, muscle memories kicking in. He swerved and turned hard, attempting to outmanoeuvre the turret's target tracking, but the lasers chipped away at their shields. Still Fox swooped in close and lined up with the gun tower, and for the first time Krystal unleashed the full power of their fighter's EMP. Two corrugated barrels of translucent violet light shot out from the cannons on the wing tips, pulsating with energy as they slammed into the turret and engulfed it in a lightning storm.

Relieved of the laser barrage, Fox flew near the hull of the starship, the close distance making it hard for other turrets to turn fast enough for a clear shot. They took out another two point defences before attracting the attention of the few Cerinian fighters that had not been lured away towards the Great Fox. Fox stayed low, hoping the Cerinians wouldn't fire on their own home in space. A bogey moved in behind them, and Fox put the ship in a tight barrel roll, as the attacker peppered their shields.

"No use, Fox," said Krystal. "This ship doesn't use G-diffusers."

"Sorry, just instincts!"

"Yeah, you still have your instincts. I sure noticed that last night." Fox flashed her a wry grin on the monitor. "Oh, it takes more than that to make you blush now, does it?"

Krystal touched a control, and her seat reclined backwards, tipping her completely upside down. For a moment she felt herself floating, as she looked out a rearward facing canopy under the ship's tail, until the onboard systems adjusted gravity. Through thoughts she activated the aft laser cannons, and she returned the Cerinian's fire in kind.

More defenders arrived, but the battle entered a stalemate. Krystal understood what was going on; as soon as Fox actively planned an attack, the Cerinians read him and could avoid it, but neither could they get to Fox because of his instincts and clearly superior flying skills. Still, the vulpine pair picked off the odd piece of the starship's point defences.

"Turn already!" Fox growled and put the ship in yet another evasive manoeuvre. The vixen sensed his frustration. Their vessel flew well, but was nowhere near as nimble as an Arwing.

Then onto the scene came two more fighters, these ones with quad wings and painted in red, white and black: Wolf and Panther! Krystal accepted an incoming video call, and the grey muzzle of the Star Wolf leader himself appeared on a screen.

"So, Krystal, how does it feel flying with your old team again?"

"Oh, gimme a break, Wolf!" Fox sounded less than amused.

"It's great!" she replied.

"Hey, you're with me now!"

Maybe it was Kursed resurfacing, but it didn't matter, Krystal enjoyed the bantering. She wasn't sure whether it might throw any mind-prying Cerinians off, but it couldn't hurt. The sledging was second nature to Fox and Wolf anyway, and it wouldn't affect them negatively, only make them more focussed.

The battle turned into a frenzy of activity, Wolf and Panther zipping in and out of the fast and sleek but less manoeuvrable Cerinian ships. Krystal put her seat back into its forward facing position, and turned her attention towards the monitors. The deep space radar showed a large group of contacts halfway from the Great Fox to the starship. They were approaching fast.

"We'd better get this done, Fox, before reinforcements arrive."

"The main gate to the flight deck is coming right up."

Sure enough, moments later Fox flew over a superstructure and the gate came into view in front of them, as well as on one of Krystal's monitors, where it had an angry red shimmer over it.

"Don't board yet! There's a force field protecting it."

"We've got to blast our way in then," said Fox as he aborted the approach and put them in a loop.

"I'm already onto it." Krystal worked the controls for the EMP cannons, watching them hit 100% charge. "Ready when you are!"

Their ship came around, Fox lined them up and Krystal pulled the trigger. The violet cylinders blasted out and the gate took a direct hit. The electric charge arced over the force field, which vibrated, pulsated, buckled ... and held!

Fox muttered some selected expletives, flew close to the starship again, and followed the hull to loop around for another hit on the gate. Light from the Lylat sun flooded the cockpit as they emerged from the starship's shadow. Krystal worked the controls frantically to get the EMP cannons charging faster. 50%, 60%, 70%, ... She needed more.

"Is that you?" Fox asked.

"Me doing what?"

"Tingle, tingle?"

Some Cerinian was trying to get in Fox's head. As she directed power from the ship's shields to the cannons, effectively leaving them with their pants down, she sent Fox a memory from last night about getting hers off. The blasted boots wouldn't come off, and the suit got stuck around my knees. But where there's a will, there's a way, isn't that so Fox? Hopefully that would throw the mind-readers off.

"I'm cutting the main engine, Fox, but you have directional thrusters."

"Kidding aren't ya?" said Fox as the inertia carried the ship forward.

A Cerinian fighter swooped in, its laser getting close, and a couple of beams punched holes in their ship without hitting anything vital, at least not yet. The Black Rose flew alongside it, desperately trying to draw a line on it. But then, instead of wasting time trying to get behind, the Wolfen gunned straight towards the Cerinian ship...

...and rammed it!

"Panther..." Krystal gasped and put a hand on the canopy's glass. Debris flew through space, but neither pilot ejected. She reached out, but couldn't detect any thoughts. Whether they were unconscious or dead, she could not tell. Fear grasped her heart, realising she cared more for the feline than she'd thought. He had after all-with or without intention-helped her get over her breakup with Fox.

"Krystal!" There was urgency in Fox's voice.

But she had become someone else since then, and she needed Kursed's indifference now. As their fighter drifted away from the starship, she turned her attention back to the controls, and found that Fox still had them lined up with the target. The EMP was at 150%, a klaxon warning about immediate danger, so she punched the trigger. Another violent blast shot out, much angrier than the last, virtually crackling with energy. With the gravity equaliser offline, their ship shook from the recoil. The force field buckled, stretched, and vanished in a flash.

Fox wasted no time in using the returning engine power to make a mad dash for the open gate.


Their ship entered the flight deck way too fast, but Fox didn't care. The fighter was equipped with a number of stun grenades, and Krystal fired them in all directions. For a moment Fox was flying blind, as the canopy darkened to protect them from the intense flashes and deafening sounds. When visibility returned, they were halfway down the large space. The landing gear was already out, and Fox set down the ship while it was still going fast, skidding along the flight deck and screeching to a halt near the end of it.

The vessel had barely stopped when they opened the canopy and jumped out with Fox's blaster and Krystal's staff ready. The flight deck was half-filled, since most of the Cerinian fighter craft had been lured out into space. Stunned bodies were scattered all around, while some disoriented persons were trying to get up and take their bearings. Fox knocked some of them out with his blaster set to non-lethal force, while others scrambled for cover.

He was sure they would meet tougher resistance soon enough, as they ran through the exit and set off through the starship's wide corridors. He slipped into a familiar state of mind, on a mission with someone he knew well, someone he could trust. Their plan was simple; Fox would go first since he knew the way to the bridge, having been on the starship before, while Krystal would follow and alert of danger. They didn't need to think, and barely communicate. It was teamwork, symbiosis.

The Cerinians didn't seem like quite such a well-oiled force, at least that what Fox assumed, since Krystal several times picked out where they were, presumably from them communicating telepathically with each other. His partner on the other hand would just call out or think short things like "ten o'clock" and Fox would fire off a few blasts to his left. Perhaps the terms confused the Cerinians. For all he knew, they could have been travelling through space for years, stuck on their ship, and not seeing any action.

They were held up at the indoor park, which was protected by a larger force. Fox and Krystal couldn't break through, and there was a stalemate, with the former Star Fox duo stuck behind a Krazoa statue each. Each time either of them reached around to fire a round, the Cerinians sensed it coming, and ducked for cover or blocked the blasts with their staffs. Fox was desperately aware that every second they lost, was another second closer to the rest of the Cerinian forces returning. Blasts were slamming into the rock behind him with reverberating cracks.

NOW! Krystal practically shouted into his mind. He saw her leave her cover and make a mad dash forwards. He thought it was lunacy, but they'd talked this through. They were practically on her turf, fighting her people, so she would take the lead. Obediently he followed, and laid down cover fire as best as he could, while the familiar energy orbs from Cerinian staffs flew all around them. He could feel the heat on his fur, and smell the smoke from burning plants. They reached the shrine, paused for a moment, until Krystal called them forward again. Several times the process repeated, past exotic flora, across the bridge over the stream, until they reached the other side of the garden.

That's when Fox realised that many of the staff blasts were not heading for them, but straight to other Cerinians, forcing them to desperately defend with their own staffs. Are they fighting each other? He caught a fleeting glimpse of a figure with long red hair streaked with silver, wearing a long robe with plentiful embroidery. It dawned on him that they must have inside help, and that's what Krystal had been hiding from him. No wonder, he thought, since he surely couldn't keep a secret like that from the telepaths himself. He suddenly understood what had happened on the roof of the Krazoa Palace, why Krystal didn't want to hurt that old vixen. She was on their side.

After another frantic rush, they reached the opaque entry to the bridge. This was it! Krystal took a moment to swap out the power gem in her staff for a fresh blue one, the most powerful kind. Holding up three fingers and then pointing to her right, she signalled to Fox that he should wait three seconds before entering and which way he should go. She stepped through the plasma wall, only leaving ripples on the surface behind her, the waves shaped like her outline extending outwards.


Krystal dove into the darkness of the bridge, ducked and rolled to her left with her staff ready to block a blast that didn't come. While her eyes adjusted, she relied on her sixth sense, focussing on the three sentient beings she'd already detected. She got to her feet and met Kamuy's gaze, who was standing there with her staff ready but without striking. But Krystal's mind assaulted the two Cerinians at the ship's controls, flooding the operators with thoughts of fear, threatening to kill them. It worked, because they turned their minds towards hers.

Then Fox flew through the entrance, threw himself to the right, and fired a couple of rounds towards the operators. It caught them off guard, and Kamuy was too far off to the side to block with her staff, so the stun-blasts hit true and knocked them out. The Cerinian leader swung her staff around, getting ready to strike.

Defend the entrance from the outside, Fox. She sent her partner a mental message, as she unleashed a barrage of energy from her staff towards Kamuy, anticipating that Kamuy would go straight for Fox. He was both her strength and her Achilles heel. While they fought better as a couple, this was too close to The First. The older vixen would tap into their mental link, and try to hurt Fox to put Krystal off balance. He would be better covering her back. She sensed his apprehension, but they'd been through this scenario. Although unwillingly, he obeyed immediately and disappeared out through the pitch-black liquid gate again.

So here you are, Krystal! I admire your resolve, however misguided it is.

I'm here to stop you, the younger vixen responded, and fired a couple of blasts from her staff, but not yet launching an all out attack. The older vulpine conjured up her staff's shield, and deflected the blasts easily, but she did not return fire. Krystal went for her usual tactic, poking and prodding her enemy to see what reactions and thoughts it would cause. But against someone thinking the same, also waiting for their opponent's move, she soon found that it didn't work at all. They traded harmless blows while moving in a circle and wasting time. Krystal changed tactics.

Leave Corneria alone, and I will come with you.

Kamuy switched to verbal communication, leaving Krystal wondering if it was a trick to conceal her thoughts.

"You overestimate yourself. Do you think this is about you?"

"Yes, you're full of lies, you don't care about others, and you're afraid I'll expose you."

"Well, of course I am not telling the whole truth, because you don't see the bigger picture, and neither would the Cornerians." Kamuy's face softened and she lowered her staff somewhat, but still held it ready to strike. "I am certainly putting our people before others. Who would not? And yes, we are causing damage, but it's temporary and repairable."

Confused, Krystal desperately scanned Kamuy's emotions and body language, looking for signs of contradiction. The First's voice continued, as Krystal sensed another presence in her own mind, and focussed on her opponent's hands.

"We are no thieves, merely borrowing. With the resources we're gathering, we can restore Corneria and heal the scars. They will fade soon enough. But more importantly, we can resurrect Cerinia as well, and everyone will be better off."

Technology, technology, always technology, said a voice inside Krystal's head. She fidgets with her left paw when she lies.

I will deal with you later, traitor! Kamuy had meant that for Kayuq, but was caught off-guard by the psionic link suddenly turning three-way.

Krystal sensed more mental activity approaching, assumed that the forces that had been lured away to the Great Fox were coming back, and realised that The First had just been stalling. Waiting for a mistake from the older and more experienced vixen wouldn't work. Krystal had to rely on her physique and fighting skills. She went on the offensive, although at first only with simple yet effective attacks, not overthinking it. Kamuy went on the defence, seemingly with ease, but she was pushed back step by step, while the energy in their staffs and bodies slowly depleted.

Suddenly Krystal's staff went ice cold. The sweat in her palms froze and stuck to the metal, hampering her movements. Heat or cold, same thing! She knew what Kamuy was up to, constantly feeling the foreign presence poking and prodding in her mind. Krystal ignored the sensation in her hands, letting muscle memory take over, and could move freely again.

Please stop, let us talk, the older vixen pleaded and lowered her staff, while holding up one hand in a gesture of surrender. Krystal suspected another mind trick, but didn't waste time racking her brain in search of an intruding thought. Instead she observed with all her senses. Her ears picked up the faint sound of footsteps to her left, and she spun around just in time to block a strike from Kamuy.

That might have been The First's first mistake though, as close range combat played to Krystal's strengths. Fighting with the staff was second nature to her, and she performed fierce combinations of strikes, stabs and swipes without thinking. Being physically stronger and faster, she kept pushing Kamuy back.

"Leave Corneria and tell me what I need, and I won't kill you!" Krystal added a growl to drive the message home, as her arms executed a forceful cross-strike. Sparks flew from their staffs when Kamuy desperately blocked the attack.

So you want answers? The older vixen was in the younger one's head again. How about I show you?

A vision filled Krystal's mind, a vision of a huge hall. In the centre of it, two large concentric spirals of a shiny metallic material rose up towards a vaulted ceiling high above. A column of pulsating and translucent light coursed within the spirals, flowing upwards at a great velocity. Some distance away from it, two figures were locked in a ferocious battle, while their staffs emitted intense blasts.

She recognised one of the persons, an old wolf she'd seen in a vision before, a vision where she was a child. Suddenly her memory put a name to a face. "Randorn," she whispered.

"So you remember now?" Kamuy's voice was calm. Krystal's hands trembled as the memory continued.

The second figure was pushing the old man towards the column of light, and then conjured up an impressive ice blast from her staff, but the freezing beam missed Randorn and hit the outer spiral instead. He called out in desperation, "No, you're destroying the shield!" As a section of the spiral shattered and slowly fell to the floor, the second person-a young blue vixen-just watched as if paralysed. The column of light bent and buckled, the spirals crumbled, and it all disappeared in a blinding flash of light.

Krystal recognised that person too, someone she knew well with those white tattoos, the tiara and beads in her hair.

"Yes, it was you," said Kamuy solemnly. "The Shield protected Cerinia from lethal gamma rays. With it gone, millions died instantly, while billions died more slowly. One ship made an escape unscathed..."

Krystal was shattered and shaken. Surely it was just another mind trick by The First, but it felt too real, too familiar. Sauria, the Test of Observation, I need to observe. The tried to sense any emotions of deceit from Kamuy, but her own mind was too overwhelmed. She tried to look for signs in the older vixens body language, but she didn't move, and the vision kept replaying itself. She observed her own face, the terror and anguish in it, and she observed a mirror-like metallic structure behind the vision of herself.

The vision vanished, pushed away by her own mind, which instantly had become clear.

"Impressive! How did you dig that memory up, for it is a memory, isn't it?" Krystal's voice was calm and collected as she met Kamuy's gaze. "Very clever to swap yourself for me, but you forgot your reflection."

"I should have killed you when I had the chance!"

"My memories, it was you who tampered with them, wasn't it?"

Anger rose within Krystal, threatening to boil over and compromise her mind. She stared at Kamuy, who had facial features so similar to her own, the same sea green eyes, and a familiar look of utter indifference. It was just what Krystal needed to take control of her emotions. Don't care, don't feel, numbers, kill marks.

The older woman attacked first this time, with the top of her staff extended like two halves of a sword, but Kursed was ready and fended it off with ease. She went on the counter-attack, forcing Kamuy on the defensive again, wearing her down. But the bounty hunter could sense more Cerinians moving through the ship, so she needed to end this fast. The First stumbled and recovered, and Krystal realised her next move, thinking about how it would win the fight.

That was her undoing.

It was a perfectly performed overhead strike, but Kamuy had read it, and the staffs' tips connected in a spray of sparks. Then the blades of the older vixen's staff ran down the length of the Krystal's staff, the razor sharp edges slicing through her wrists like they were butter. Her staff flew sideways, collapsed upon itself on impact, and bounced across the floor with a clattering sound.

Perhaps to show off, Kamuy spun around, planted her staff into the floor for better purchase, and using both feet kicked Krystal straight in the chest.


With his trusty blaster ready in his hand, Fox lurked behind a hovercraft near the entrance to the bridge. The lights in the corridor had been dimmed, and he relied on his night vision to spot Cerinians and keep them at bay, but strangely they had been few and far between. There was a fight going on though, as his surroundings were frequently illuminated by flashes from Certain staff blasts further down the ship. From the increasing noise, he knew they were drawing near. It was just a matter of time before the battle would reach him.

Suddenly he dropped his blaster, when a feeling of anguish washed over him, and his hands momentarily went numb. Before he even realised what had happened, he had snatched up the blaster again, and his legs were carrying him towards and through the liquid wall to the bridge. He arrived just in time for the morbid sight of Krystal's staff spinning through the air, and two body parts coming off it as it collapsed. He watched in horror as Kamuy's kick connected with Krystal's chest. It sent her flying backwards, and sliding across the floor, the pain burning through him too. The First slowly walked towards Krystal, raising her staff with those two lethal blades. He wanted to run to his love.

Yes, save her! Kamuy's voice was in his head.

But no, he knew there was only one way to save her. He must win. He launched towards The First, his blaster firing on repeat. She just blocked his shots, but didn't get a chance to fire back either. Spotting Krystal's staff he ran towards it, jumped, cartwheeled, left hand reaching towards the staff while his right hand was still pulling the trigger. His claws scratched the floor, trying to find something. Metal.

The blaster ran out and he just let it drop, as he landed on his knees and held out the staff in front of him. But would it accept him again? The First fired but the charge exploded on an invisible shield in front of him. Oh, yeah! He returned the favour, firing as he closed in on her. Then the two rods swung through the air and connected in a fountain of sparks. He hit, blocked, ducked, swept-not thinking, just doing. He didn't manage to hit Kamuy, but she didn't land any blows on him either.

There's no use. You can't beat me. Save yourself and the girl.

She was trying to get into his head and under his skin, but he understood why. He could see that she was getting tired-panting and sweating-while the gem at the tip of her staff was fading. Krystal had worn the weapon and its owner down. Don't think. Trust your instincts! That's what he kept telling himself. The old vixen was fuming.

Instincts? Is that what you primitive people think it is?

Ignoring her voice, he managed to hit her hand, and she cried in rage. He went at her again. Yes, I can do this. I just needed to...

And then the butt end of her staff crashed into his right temple, knocking him to the floor. Dizzy, he retracted his staff and tried to stand up on his knees. Everything around him swayed. His left eye struggled to focus on the floor, while his right saw nothing. He touched the right side of his burning head, which was warm and sticky. Was it blood, sweat or tears?

You can't win. Your thoughts betray you.

He didn't need to see. He could feel her standing over him.

Oh, Krystal, what have I done? I tried my best but it wasn't enough. I'm so sorry.

His left hand slowly angled the staff upwards.

Sorry you are, and now it is time for you to die, said her voice, crystal clear in his head.

He could sense her lifting her weapon above her head, blades pointing down, getting ready to put him out of his misery. He could feel exactly where her staff and head was, his left hand still turning.

I beg you, Kamuy, please be careful. Make it clean.

In one swift motion he extended the staff and...

...Kamuy smashed it out of his hand.

What were you thinking? Her voice permeated his mind, pulling at his thoughts, bringing up the memory of a training session on the Great Fox. Distraction? Well, that might have worked on your little girlfriend, but I'm not her.

He looked up at Kamuy standing over him, her chest heaving, while staring at him with eyes wide open and her muzzle twisted in a snarl. That hatred, the loathing, he had seen it before on another vixen. Helplessly he awaited death, as The First slowly raised her staff over her head again, ready to strike.

Then she screamed as a blast hit her weapon and blew it out of her grip.

The First had been tired out by Krystal, and distracted enough by Fox, so she hadn't noticed someone else. Who had fired, Fox did not know and did not have time to think about. He snatched up Krystal's staff from the floor, and fired again and again and again. It was Kamuy's turn to be thrown backwards, crash-landing back first on the floor. With energy reserves he didn't know he had, he jumped high, turned the weapon around and drove it butt end first down onto her chest, putting everything he had left into it. The staff unleashed its magic power when it connected with the floor, a ring of lightning shooting out and sending the whole deck quaking. The monitors underneath him broke, and the universe morphed into a cold, hard metal floor.

He just stood for a moment with closed eyes, leaning on the staff, and catching his breath, while trying not to pass out. Then he pulled it out. There wasn't even any blood. Just a surprised expression on the face of Kamuy, and a smoking, charred hole where her cold heart might once have been.

"The First is Lost!"

He was shocked. That was her voice, and it was not just in his head, but all around.

"Self destruction initiated."

There were speakers! Is she wired to the ship? He was desperate and overwhelmed. Was she really that sick and twisted, that she needed everyone to die with her?

"De yei nacc dek!"

Confused he turned around towards the voice, and saw an old red vixen sprinting towards them. As she kneeled next to Kamuy, he recognised the pale blue eyes and the long red hair with silver strands. He'd seen her on the rooftop of the Krazoa Palace.

Give me your last thoughts, and the codes, Kamuy, said her voice inside his mind, as she placed a paw on the First's head. Then she glared at Fox. What are you waiting for? Save the girl!

Krystal!

He turned around, saw her laying on the floor and rushed over. She was curled up in a pool of blood, arms tucked in between her legs. She must have survived the blow, and tried to slow the bleeding, but for how long? He ripped his scarf from around his neck, and tied it around the stumps as hard as he could to stop the blood flow. The floor swayed again as he struggled to pick her up.

Two more Cerinian foxes came through the wall, the gems in their staffs literally smoking. The old red vixen was by the screens, standing over a still unconscious ship operator, and was working at the controls.

That will do it! The ship won't destruct, but it will warp out of here in just two minutes. We need to get them out. This way!

She started running towards the opposite side of the room. Fox hobbled after, one of the Cerinians supporting him, while the other kept firing round after round towards something behind them. Blasts were coming the other way too, occasionally hitting the dome screen, seemingly extinguishing stars and planets in the process.

Everything was a blur, but he was vaguely aware of them running through another liquid wall, and coming out into a smaller room with viewports and what looked like several identical elevators. He assumed they were escape pods, as he was ushered into one. The two younger Cerinians jumped into another, while the old red vixen held guard, until an orb of energy hit her straight on. She was flung to the floor, smoke coming off her charred clothes, but with a last desperate effort she crawled up on her knees, and slammed her palm into a control panel outside the escape pod.

Go!

The door slammed shut, and Fox reached for his headset to call for help, but it had been crushed. As the pod was catapulted away, a bright flash flooded in through a small viewport, and Fox passed out.


Back on the Orbital Gate, Major Gruber was barking orders, while nursing his skull with a gauze swab. The Rottweiler's implant had been particularly difficult to remove. General O'Hare was silently observing the ongoing battles on the holo-display and computer monitors, desperately trying to get a grip on the confusing situation.

At first the Cornerian forces had just kept the rebel mercenaries at bay, who in turn had started attacking the Cerinian fighters. Then Star Wolf had jumped into the battle against the Cerinians too, which had turned on the Cornerian ships, and it all evolved into calamity. Kamuy had refused any further communication.

A powerful explosion rocked the control centre.

"The Cerinians have blown the doors to the flight deck." The Rottweiler was steaming with rage.

"Let them take their ship and leave, Major," said Peppy calmly. "They're not worth losing our soldier's lives over. Kamuy already knows we're no longer under her control."

To the old hare's surprise, the Cerinian fighters suddenly turned and started retreating towards their starship. Within a minute another Cerinian vessel exited the Orbital Gate, heading for the starship at full speed, until it suddenly went up in a dazzling fireball display. Several other fighters that had not made it back to the starship, started blowing up as well in an elaborate fireworks display.

"General! Major! There's a massive power increase on the Cerinian starship." The border collie was waving frantically at a glowing image on his monitor.

Peppy went cold. Surely it wasn't going to self-destruct like the Cerinian fighters?

"All ships, full power to your shields!" he shouted.

The mercenaries and CDF fighters scrambled away as fast as they could, while the starship slowly turned, pointing its bow away from the Corneria. The enormous nozzles in the stern started emitting a faint glow, which suddenly ignited with a star-like intensity. Like a comet, the starship accelerated at a mind-blowing rate, and warped out of the system. A cornerian carrier was caught in its wash, and tumbled with burning hull towards the planet below, the crew fighting for control of both fires and ship.

The old hare stared in vain at a monitor, which showing the empty space where the starship had been, the ship his two friends had boarded..

"General, two small objects ejected before the starship jumped." The operator zoomed in and the image showed two small metallic cocoons.

"They might be escape pods. Bring them in," ordered O'Hare. Please let it be Fox and Krystal.