Twilight Sparkle shifted uncomfortably as she watched the strange visitor converse with the two princesses in the throne room. She had positioned herself behind one of the side doors in an attempt to overhear the conversation, but alas, the vast distance between them prevented her from picking anything up. Her friends stood besides her, waiting patiently for her to update them on the situation.
Relinquishing her eavesdropping pursuits, Twilight backed out of the door and closed it softly. She began lightly rubbing her horn, still exhausted from the debacle with the flying thing. Never had her telekinetic magic had this much of a strain on her, not even during the incident with the Ursa Minor. The bear may have been heavy but he didn’t put up a fight. Not like this one, anyway.
Rarity stepped forward and peered curiously at her friend. “Twilight, darling are you alright?” Twilight responded with a simple nod and a smile.
“I’m fine, but I can’t hear what the princesses are talking about,” she pouted. “And I’d really like to study this creature more. The way he moves and dresses, it’s all so—alien.”
The beat of Rainbow Dash’s wings picked up as she quickly closed in the distance between her and her friends. “Uh hello? That’s because he is an alien! I mean, he only fell from space! I say we put him back in a cell; let the princesses deal with him.”
“The thing that baffles me is the uncanny resemblance to a typical red fox found here on Equestria. If he had removed his clothes and walked on all fours, I doubt anypony would have given him a second glance,” Twilight concluded.
“So he’s a forest critter, big deal, doesn’t change the fact that he could be really dangerous,” Rainbow Dash huffed.
Applejack nodded. “Rainbow Dash is right, sugarcube. It took a lot of royal guards to bring him out of the sky. To be honest, I think if he wanted to escape right now, he could.”
“Peeshaw,” Pinkie through her hoof out in dismissal. “The princesses are totally on top of this. I just can’t wait to meet his friends!”
Applejack blinked at that. “Uh, friends?”
“Well yeah, who would ride in a huuuuge spaceship like that all by themselves?”
Twilight scratched her chin with her hoof. “That’s actually a good point. We could be looking at a multitude of visitors here.”
Fluttershy, who had been quiet up to this point, finally spoke. “But, if there was more than one, why didn’t they help their friend? That seems awfully harsh to just abandon a friend like that.”
“Maybe he was a lookout?” Applejack offered.
Rainbow Dash shook her head. “If he was a lookout then why would he make his presence known to us? The point of a lookout is to observe, not get into fights.” Rainbow’s eyes slowly became more downcast. “Do you think—maybe—he could be a, ya know…”
“A what?” Applejack prodded.
Rainbow gulped. “An assassin?”
This time it was Rarity who interjected. “If he’s an assassin he’s an awfully bad one. Any of our ponies that go into a scrap walked away with a few cuts and bruises at the most. Why would he just let them get away?”
Twilight’s eyes suddenly lit up with understanding.
“Because he isn’t an assassin, or a lookout.”
The girls turned to her.
“He was a distraction.”
Rainbow Dash made a face. “Come again?”
“A distraction! Think about it, he only revealed himself when we got too close to the ship-thingy. He drew as much attention away from it as possible. It didn’t have anything to do with hurting anypony.”
Fluttershy gave a weary look, “B-But a couple of stallions were injured…”
Twilight puffed her chest out slightly and sighed. “True, but given the circumstances, I think they should be counting themselves lucky. It’s obvious this creature possesses technology we’ve never even come close to seeing, and I’m almost certain that at least a portion of it possesses a degree of lethality.” She adjusted her bangs and continued, “Right now my goal is to get in closer and study this fox. I have to know more about him! Where is he from? How do we speak the same language? What are his dietary habits?”
Rainbow rolled her eyes. “Yeesh, have the guy complete a survey why don’t cha?”
“That’s an excellent idea!”
“No, I was—ugh—look, I say we just go up to this guy and demand to know why he’s here. Twilight, don’t you have some kind of truth-telling spell you can use? We can just force the answers out!”
Applejack raised her brow at that. “What happened to ‘letting the princesses handle it?’”
“W-Well, this would be quicker! I’m not saying we torture him, just ya know, speed up the process a little. They’ve been talking for ages.”
“And for good reason,” Twilight nodded. “I just wish I could get in there myself. Who knows the wealth of information that creature holds. It could be limitless…”
“Aggh!”
The tension flowing through McCloud’s body only served to aggravate his shoulder wound. He pressed his claw against shoulder and fell onto a single knee.
Celestia, witnessing Fox collapse before her, was pulled from her emotions and back into reality. She removed herself from her throne and placed herself under Fox’s shoulder to provide balance.
“Luna, fetch a medical mare at once!”
“Of course, my sister!”
Luna took off in a sprint toward the main doors; Celestia and her guards stayed with Fox. Two of Celestia’s personal guards ran over to her side, taking her place as Fox’s support.
“Thank you, Princess,” Fox managed to say.
“Try not to move around. We’ll have somepony take a look at that wound.”
Fox hung his head and coughed. His tight flight vest had been keeping pressure on the wound and preventing excessive bleeding, but he had ignored it for too long. Each cough seem to jerk his body just enough to cause flashing streaks of pain to run through his shoulder blades.
It wasn’t long before Luna galloped back into the throne room with a petite white mare beside her. From the side of the throne room, a group of ponies were making their own way to the scene.
“Princess, what’s going on?”
Celestia turned her head toward her faithful student and sighed.
“He’s injured, badly it seems. One of our doctors is going to have a look at him.”
“Will he be–”
A coughing fit from within Fox interrupted Fluttershy’s question. She turned to see him bar his teeth as he began removing his flight vest so the doctor could get a better look at him. She couldn’t help but pity him.
“Twilight...”
Twilight turned her head back to her mentor. “Yes, Princess?”
Before the Princess could speak, Fox words bound themselves tightly around her tongue. Could she really have been responsible for demise of so many innocent souls? Could Fox have manipulated the situation and played on her emotions for his own benefit? Of course, she didn’t know him well enough to take his word as absolute, but the horrific possibility dangled before her, taunting her with a grove of unanswered questions and anxious thoughts.
“It’s nothing.”
The doctor backed away from Fox and approached Celestia only after a respectful bow. “It’s a pretty deep wound but it isn’t fatal. I would like to take him back to my clinic just to be sure.”
Celestia nodded, “Fox, we’ll have you escorted there with two of my guards. I hope you understand.”
“Yeah, I get it. Still kind of shaky on the trust front and whatnot. I understand.”
With that the doctor and guardsponies, helped Fox to his feet and toward the door. The massive door closed behind him and the light in the room dimmed, leaving the royal sisters with their loyal subjects, and leaving Fox in the care of the ponies dragging him along.
The trip to the clinic was one of silence, save for the pitter patter of hoof and footsteps on the glossy floor. His suspicions confirmed, Fox was forced to walk at a rather awkward lip to compensate both for the pain in his shoulder and for the height difference between himself and his support. The intimidating yet artistic tapestry still loomed overhead, giving homage to a genre of civilization Fox had only read about. It was eerie to say the least.
The clinic was upon him faster than expected and before he knew it, he was walking into a white, sterile room lined with several beds and, by Cornerian standards, some rather outdated medical equipment. Fox sat down at the edge of one of the beds, relieved to be off of his feet. It was only then that the guards left the room, but from where he was sitting, Fox could see that they were still just on the outside of the door.
“Remove your shirt please.”
Fox obeyed and carefully began unbuttoning the shirt and removing it from his right shoulder. When it came to undressing the left side, he slowly peeled the shirt off of the bloody wound, making him grunt in pain in the process. When he was clear of the wound, he was free to slip the rest of his arm out by pulling on the sleeve with his other hand.
The doctor had her back to Fox as she gathered some equipment. She searched around, gathering stitching equipment and gauze; however, she was unsuccessful in finding any disinfectant.
“I need find something to clean you wounds out with. I’ll be back in a few minutes, the guards are outside if you need something.”
Without giving Fox a chance to respond, the doctor had left the door and shut it behind her.
Deciding to capitalize on the time that had been allotted to him, Fox activated the transceiver on his communicator and waited until a connection had been established with the Great Fox. Once he had a positive connection, he decreased the volume and started the broadcast.
“Is anyone there?” he spoke in a hushed tone.
There was silence for a moment before Krystal picked up on the other end.
“Yes Fox! We’re here! Thank goodness you’re alright!”
It was like silk on his ears to hear Krystal’s voice again, but rather than dwell on it, Fox continued his message.
“Guys, I think I have some bad news.”
“Bad news?”
“There’s a possibility that we weren’t the first ones to land here.”
There was a brief moment of silence, save for the electronic background noise.
“B-But, that’s impossible! The Cornerian registry says that every ship that’s ever passed through here has been destroyed. There are no records of anyone having made it to the surface of this planet.”
Fox shook his head, “That’s just it. We only have a registry of Cornerian vessels. It’s possible someone could have slipped in if their ship wasn’t linked to the central mainframe back on Corneria.
“But, if it wasn’t a Cornerian vessel th— wait. Fox, are you insinuating that Wolf is here as well?”
“That’s a frightening possibility.”
“B-but how? How could he have slipped under the radar so easily?”
“That’s what he and his team are known far,” he paused to listen for any intrusive noises before continuing, “Popping up at inconvenient times and making the situation more difficult on our behalf.”
There was a moment of silence before Krystal exhaled sharply. “The situation really is becoming more complicated by the minute.”
“At the moment it’s just speculation, but I’ll keep you and the rest of the team informed as things go on. Speaking of which, how is Slippy doing?”
“Better. He’s awake and talking now, but he’s still in a bit of pain. It will be a while before he’s up and walking around again, but what about you? Where are you?”
“Right now? I’m in a clinic. I got a little roughed up and they’re patching me up, thankfully. Things seem more or less quiet at the moment.” He paused for a moment to lean in closer to the speaker. “Listen, I want you to see if you can start mapping out the immediate countryside and surrounding areas. It would pay to know a little about the topography of this place.”
Fox could hear an audible sigh on the other end. “Fox, keeping us locked away in the ship for days on end isn’t going to solve our crisis. We’re your teammates, and you can rely on us for support. Besides, being hidden away isn’t going to help us remain on good terms with these folks. We need to be upfront and honest, especially if they can help us locate the remnants of Andross’ and Oikonny’s armada.”
There was little denying the fact that tackling this operation solely on his own was suicidal, if not insulting to his teammates and their abilities. But there was a twisting urge in his gut telling him that he was right, and that bringing his teammates into the mix would only serve to complicate existing issues, and to birth entirely new ones. However, even as this instinct spoke loud and clear, he forced it down, choosing instead to follow Krystal’s lead. After all, Andross’ army would all but steamroll him over in his current state.
“Alright, I’ll talk to the princess and see about getting you guys some transportation here. In the meantime it’s still probably best if we have those maps ready, at least then we won’t be treading around so blindly.”
“I’ll see what Peppy and I can do. Please take care of yourself Fox. I’d rather you not be in a clinic if you can help it.”
Fox chuckled and nodded affirmatively, although he was aware that she couldn’t see it. “I’ll do my best.”
The ringing came first.
An intense blur was next to follow, covering all that could and could not be seen. Next came both the taste and the smell; a thick toxic smoke and the taste of liquid metal. Then, in a grand finale, came the shockwave of numbness followed by islands of pain throughout his body. Pain was good; it meant he was alive.
With all of the willpower he could muster, Sinclair wiped away the tears that had accumulated in his eyes. His hazy vision cleared away, leaving him with enough input to determine that he was still strapped to his seat, although at a slightly more dramatic angle. Around him, his team was slowly coming to, with Boxcars and Laura aiding in whatever way they could.
Sinclair blindly grappled the lock on his harness and flipped the release switch, causing him to take a short plummet to the ground. He bounced slightly off of the metal flooring and rolled once before he caught himself against a rusty metal grate. The pain in his cheek worsened and he could feel a warm trickle of blood make its way down the corner of his mouth.
“It everyone alright?”
Even with a slight ringing in his ears Sinclair could hear his commander’s voice shine through loud and clear. One by one the team sounded off, except for Boxcars, who opted for a thumbs up.
In between coughing fits, Laura made her way to the ship’s control station and brought up the ship’s damage interface. She began fiercely typing away at the console, establishing a diagnostic where she could. To his surprise, he caught his commander smirking at the holographic monitor.
“It seems there was more damage done to us then to the ship.”
Shinji, who had been almost humorously wedged in between two consoles, groaned loudly. “Yeah, I can attest to that…”
“Hull integrity is at seventy-three percent. The blast shielding seems to have absorbed most of the damage. That’s surprising, actually.”
Sinclair moved himself into a position that made it slightly easier to speak. “Yeah, we didn’t exactly land softly. It’s a wonder we’re not all dead.” To his left, a pipe loudly released a puff of steam, causing him backpedal in surprise.
Of all the team members who had been casted about in the wreckage, Mojave was the one who had gotten the worst of it. Her turret station had collapsed around her, leaving her partially ensnared by metal framework that had originally lined portions of the inner walling.
“Gaah! A hand would be appreciated, guys!”
Hammer, being the only one with enough girth to lift the mess, grabbed the beams directly on top of Mojave and pulled up. The metal screeched in protest, but was finally lifted up far enough to allow the husky to crawl out from underneath. Her curly tail brushed along the floor, and she quickly hopped to her feet as Hammer let the rest of the wreckage fall back down.
“I hate this mission already,” she mumbled. “Whooo boy, I can’t feel my crotch.”
Hammer smiled awkwardly and shrugged. “Not much I can do there.”
Maddie, who was still latched to her wall seat, peered down at the drop she would have to take to reach the ground. Closing her eyes, she released the safety switch and took the short fall. Immediately upon landing, she used her boots to lock herself in place, preventing her from sliding any further across the floor. It had made Sinclair’s whole ordeal look rather foolish.
Despite the commotion going on behind her, Laura didn’t take her eyes off of the screen for a moment. Her tail twitched slightly and her claws danced lightly over the projected keyboard. She began replacing damaged programs and cooling the system’s core, which had nearly overheated during reentry. She released the locks on the blast shield and placed in a command to draw them back.
Slowly but surely the doors creaked back, revealing a vast ocean of snow on the other side. Despite the entire bottom portion of the ship being buried within it, she could see the white field expanding for miles, contrasted only by the dismal grey sky and the few mountains that lay scattered throughout.
“By the stars,” Laura mumbled, “It’s so vast…”
Sinclair, who had been clutching his side, turned and stared into the vast emptiness of the white wasteland before him. “It’s almost as bad as Fichina.”
Laura placed her hands down and leaned against the console. “I’d venture to say that it’s even worse than Fichina. At least Fichina has a climate control center. But this,” she swept her hand in front of her, “is all untamed.”
Hammer gazed intently out of the window. “Well, this explains our landing.”
Sinclair blinked. “What do you mean?”
“Judging by the depth of the snow, I’d say this part of the planet has been in a heavy winter for a very long time. The snow fall is so thick and compact that, in conjunction with our blast shield, the landing was softened.” The white bear shrugged. “Call it a polar bear’s intuition, but I’d venture a guess to say that the snow saved our lives.”
Mojave scrunched her face. “That’s quite the weather report.”
“Ain’t it?” he smiled.
Shinji removed himself from between the two consoles and rubbed his sore back. “It’ll be a bit before I can melt the surrounding snow and get us airborne again. How are the NAV systems doing?”
Sinclair slipped over to the navigation controls. “I’m bringing them online now.”
The console hummed to life and displayed a three dimensional map of the surrounding area in a vivid holographic form. The display flickered several times before finally maintaining its bright illusion.
“Alright,” Laura cleared her throat, “Scans show that the snow surrounding us is quite thick, but we seem to be resting on top of a frozen lake. Now this lake’s probably been frozen for a long time, but that doesn’t mean that our impact didn’t cause damage to the ice below. We need to get off of the surface of the lake as soon as possible, or we’ll lose this ship for good.”
Shinji cocked an eyebrow. “How long do you think we’ve got?”
“I haven’t the slightest clue. But the sooner we get moving, the better.”
“Um, Commander? What is that?” Maddie quietly asked as she pointed to a small red position on the map. It was several miles northwest of their position, tucked neatly in the valley between two great snow-capped mountains.
“Sinclair, can you get a fix on that location?”
“Yes, ma’am.” Sinclair’s fingers danced to and fro across the console while the map furiously zeroed in on the location. Unsurprisingly, the large mountains began to interfere the closer he got.
“It looks like some kind of heat signature, but these damn mountains won’t let me see much more than that. Could be a geothermal hotspot.”
Maddie blinked at that. “This far into the arctic?”
“To be honest with you I have no idea what it is. I gave up on the concept of logic when a star started revolving around a planet,” he huffed.
Laura narrowed her eyes. “It would be a stretch, but this might be our missing research vessel.”
Hammer gave his commander a quizzical look. “But, it’s been forever since that ship was active…”
“Most research vessels are Dreadnaught class ships. This is not only to protect the possibly volatile research on board, but the minds behind it. In other words, that ship had powerful internal and external systems…and a powerful core.”
“You think it could still be operational?”
“Maybe. Like I said, it’s a stretch. It would be amazingly coincidental for us to land anywhere near the ship’s position. Still, we won’t know for certain until we go over there and check it out.”
The bridge thundered has the beastly polar bear took a step forward and put on the bravest face he could muster. “I’ll go ma’am. I got the thickest coat out of all of ya. It’s only fittin’ that I should be the one to go.”
“Well you can’t go alone!” Shinji took a few steps toward the white giant. His eyes shimmered halfway between a plea and confusion. “You might be able to brave the cold but you haven’t the faintest idea what lies out there. The last thing I want it Andross’ goons sending us a fur coat!”
“We’ll go.” The husky sisters' voices echoed in unison throughout the bridge. Maddie stared curiously out of the window.
"We’re built for the cold,” Mojave said as she tucked her blaster into its holster. “Maybe not to the same degree as Cotton Ball over here, but we work well as a pair. We’ll be fine on our own.”
Shinji turned to his commander, “Ma’am?”
“There’s little sense in sitting on our tails and waiting for us to end up like the crew of that ship. Girls, I want you to scout out the heat signature and to report back with your findings. The rest of us will get to work on unburying the ship.” Her expression burned with all the fires of determination as she tightened her gun’s strap and adjusted her uniform.
“I won’t let some damned icebox be the end of us.”
“And you say there are four more of you? Seems like a rather flashy entrance for only five alie- oh, um Cornerians, as it were.” Celestia couldn’t help but giggle.
Fox shrugged. “Most members of the military end up in much larger squads by the time they’re out of the academy.” He rubbed his now clean and bandaged shoulder. “I didn’t stick around long enough for the academy to throw me in a squad of my own.”
“Oh? And why’s that?”
“Ahhm.” Fox cleared his throat and rubbed the back of his head. “Unfortunate personal reasons, I’m afraid.” He shook his head. “But it doesn’t really matter. I’m with the people I care the most for. So long as I’m with them, I can honestly say that I don’t regret the decisions I’ve made.”
Luna smiled. “Their friendship sounds quite important thee- errm ‘you.’”
Fox nodded. “Believe me it is. I’d do anything for them, which is why I’m asking for your help, and the help of your ponies. We don’t know much of anything about your land, much less those who inhabit it.” Standing proud and strong before the regal sisters, Fox commanded the most crisp salute he could muster with an injured shoulder. “Ma’am, the Star Fox team would like to formally request your aide, and the aide of you citizens, in hunting the interstellar criminal, Andross.”
Celestia rose from her throne and gazed keenly at the mercenary before chuckling inwardly. “Really, Fox there’s hardly a need for such formality. If this criminal is as dangerous as you say he is then I believe it is in the interest of both parties to deal with him as soon as possible. However, I would like to discuss the matter with my sister first before I make such a decision.”
Fox nodded. “Please, take all the time you need.”
Celestia turned to her sister and placed her under her wing as they took a few steps toward the side of the room. When they were convinced they were out of earshot, they faced one another.
“Perhaps we should take his word on this, dear sister. The consequences of not doing so may very well be much more drastic than the alternative.”
“My only concern is that I fear we have not seen all that he is capable of. Subduing him took the combined efforts of myself, Twilight, and a hooful of guardsponies, but to take down five of them? I don’t think we’ll get that lucky twice. Not without serious casualties, anyway.”
“They do not look like they are in much of a position to be fighting right now. Fox is not in fantastic shape, and I do not believe I am making a wild assumption by saying that it is possible that some of the others may not be doing so well themselves.”
Celestia brought a hoof up to her tired head. “This has all happened rather quickly, hasn’t it?”
“Indeed, it has.”
Celestia peered over her shoulder and stole a glance at Fox.
“To be honest with you Luna, it’s the truth I fear most at the moment,” she shuddered.
The younger princess sighed and stared solemnly at her sibling. “Sister, you cannot be faulted for actions you neither knew about nor intended to be committed. You are a beacon of hope for your ponies and for this kingdom.” Luna placed a hoof over her sister’s shoulder. “But most of all, you are an inspiration for me. Never forget this for as long as we rule—no—for as long we live.”
Celestia’s shuddered. “Thank you, Luna. I appreciate your concern.”
Luna nuzzled her sister neck and smiled. “Of course dearest sister. Tis what we are here for.”
“Are we all set to go?”
Mojave tightened the thermal coat along her slender body. It was a good fit, and there wasn’t an abundance of excess cloth hanging down. She threw the hood lined with synthetic fur over her head and finally zipped the thick coat shut. Beside her, Boxcars assisted Maddie in strapping her gear to her body.
“I-I believe so.”
“Good.” She secured her blaster to her leg and double checked that she had packed her scanner in with her other equipment. “Once we get out there, we’ll be at nature’s nonexistent mercy.”
Maddie placed her sniper rifle inside of a protective case and sealed it shut. The durable fibers of the case would protect it against the icy elements. All she would have to worry about was being an efficient operator.
Confident that they had done all they could to ensure their safety and success, the girls proceeded to ascend the maintenance ladder at the back of the bridge. After receiving confirmation that the outside world was safe to traverse, Maddie twisted the manual release valve and heaved the hatch open. She was immediately bombarded with frigid winds, and a snake of icy air descended into the starship, causing the majority of the crew to shiver momentarily.
Despite their coverings, the girls felt every spike of pain that came with taking a blast of cold air to the face. Maddie crawled out of the maintenance hatch and jumped onto the thickly compacted snow surrounding the vessel. Her sister followed close behind, careful not to injure herself as she climbed out of the pit.
Once they had established their footing, the girls switched on their headsets, which doubled as warmers for their ears. After a few seconds of silence, Sinclair’s voice, buzzed through.
“Maddie? Mojave? Do you read me?”
“Loud and clear,” Mojave replied. She jiggled the headset around, unsatisfied with how it fit over her ears. “You sure these headsets won’t break down on us? They seem kind of…sketchy.”
“It’s older tech, but it’s extremely durable stuff. Apparently this ship was serviced in the Venom cleanup after the war with Andross before it was retired as a merchant vessel. Most of the equipment onboard, including these headsets, were built to withstand conditions as harsh as Venom. Believe me when I say that you’ll die long before this stuff will crap out on you.”
“Thank you for the history lesson, Sinclair, but a simple ‘yes’ would have been fine.”
On the other end, Sinclair frowned, but remained silent.
“Oh come on hotshot, I was only teasin’ ya.”
“I see…”
The chatter ceased as the girls began their trek toward the valley of the mountains in the distance. Their view was occasionally blocked by a thick gust of wind, carrying with it an intense payload of snow.
With only the periodic howling of the wind and the crunches of their footsteps to comfort them, the scouting sisters walked in agonizing silence. The mountains loomed eerily in the distance. Their snow-capped peaks pierced the grey sky, but they offered little to no contrast to the dismal environment.
Twenty minutes had passed, and yet the mountains only seemed to be marginally closer. Surprisingly enough, it was Maddie who broke the silence.
“Um, Sinclair?”
“Yes?”
“Could you… could you tell me about yourself?” she almost mumbled.
“Um…” Unsure of how else to approach the question, he resolved to simply accept it. “Sure I guess. Why did you want to know though? I thought the team already read my file.”
“Well, to be honest, I’m hoping that the distraction will keep my mind off of the cold. And…I’m sure there’s some things that the file didn’t cover.”
“Hm, I see. Well, I was born on Papetoon—”
“McCloud and Sinclair share a birth planet! That’s actually kind of awesome.” Mojave interrupted.
“Ahem, yes well, unlike McCloud I was raised on Papetoon as well. It wasn’t until I was fifteen that my parents and I left for Macbeth.”
“Why did you leave?” asked Maddie.
“To find work, mostly. Being so far out in the Lylat system, trade is often the only business people can get into.” Sinclair sighed loudly, “Even then it seems like more money goes into the government’s pocket than into yours. So, after my mom and dad raised enough money they took us to find factory work on Macbeth. Man, I remember throwing the biggest temper tantrum over having to move,” he chuckled.
“Aww did you cry?” Mojave quipped.
“No, but we did find work. We had better wages and a more comfortable living space. I was even able to get a job building spare parts for the factory machines. I suppose you could say we were doing pretty well for ourselves.”
“So, what changed?”
“What else? Macbeth was one of the first targets for Andross’ invasion. Fortunately, Macbeth has one of the best early detection systems in Lylat, next to the military planets. Mass evacuation of the civilian population was top priority, but…”
Maddie frowned. “There weren’t enough ships.”
“Precisely. Macbeth’s got ships, but to evacuate an entire mining and production colony at a moment’s notice? It was obvious that some people were going to get left behind.”
Maddie looked up from her sloshing feet and gauged the distance between herself and the mountains. They had gotten closer, but there was still quite a ways to go.
“Did you get off the planet?”
“I did, actually. It was probably just dumb luck, but we happened to get a spot on one of the escape vessels. They took us back to Corneria, and from there my father joined the Cornerian Defense Force. Mind you, my father had never held a gun a day in his life up until that point. ‘It’s for the good of our family,’ he would always chant. I might have believed the damn fool if he’d actually worn his uniform properly.”
There was a long pause before Sinclair continued.
“Mom was in pretty bad shape when she got the news that dad was gone. I wouldn’t say that I was any better, just more distracted. I was too busy being scared for the impending financial disaster to be worried about much else. Eventually, I fell in with a group of pirates that actually operated out of Corneria. It was a neat little operation, if scary at times, but it isn’t something I’ll be going back to.”
Mojave furrowed her brow. “Why didn’t you just join up with the Cornerian Army? Even if you weren’t a fighter there are obviously other options.”
“Because I absolutely despised the Cornerian Army, and everyone in it.”
Mojave flinched at that. Maddie bit her lip as she continued trudging through the snow.
“I guess, given all that happened, I was looking for someone to blame other than myself. I hated Andross, I hated the Cornerians, and unknowingly, I hated myself. I spent years with that crew, honing most of what I had been taught from people who had spent years doing the same thing. Eventually, I got my act together for my mother’s sake. By then she had been working on environmental projects for some time. I buried my feelings and ditched the people I had come to know as my friends. I’ve been with Corneria’s surveillance team ever since.”
“When did you find time to work on the rail gun?” Maddie asked, changing the subject.
“Oh that? Well it was originally going to serve as a buster type weapon to get us through thick plated blast doors. When I left I made sure I took the weapon as a fallback in terms of design sales if I couldn’t find employment with the Army.”
“The pirates just let you leave with it?”
“Of course not, they wanted my head on a silver platter. That was part of the reason I bit my tongue and joined the Cornerians. I needed protection.”
Mojave smirked. “I guessing you misplaced your criminal record when you enlisted.”
“Apparently not well enough.”
A long silence followed as the girls slowly began to near their destination. The mountains stood as towering beasts compared to the random spears of ice that jutted from the snow. Maddie averted her gaze.
“So, is Ivan Sinclair your real na—”
“Get down!”
Mojave shoved her younger sister into the snow and fell beside her. Through the angry rage of the winter winds, they could just barely make out several silhouettes briskly jogging toward them.
“Sinclair, I have four—no—five unidentified figures headed our way. Can you confirm?” Mojave managed to say in a hushed tone.
“Uh…” Panicked typing sounds could be heard as Sinclair fought to focus the aged equipment through both the miniature blizzard and the interference of the mountains. “I-I’m not getting—wait! I’ve got them! I can confirm; you five unidentified figures approaching from your northwest.”
Maddie’s muzzle was pressed against the snow, and in the distance, she could hear the figures speaking loudly. Coupled with the fact that they were moving at a brisk pace, it was likely they were on their way to investigate the crash site.
“D-Do you think they saw us?” she mumbled.
“Hard to say,” her sister replied. “All I know is that we’re outnumbered, but hopefully not outgunned.”
“We should inch back. We can set up behind the snow mounds and wait in the cover of the blizzard. Maybe they’ll think there are more of us than there actually are?”
“Whatever we do, we have to do it fast. They’ll be right on top of us soon.”
Maddie quickly began to push herself backwards, accidently allowing snow to travel up her jacket and shirt. She shivered, but nonetheless silently splintered off from her sister as the two put distance between one another. The approaching group was packed tightly together, meaning that as long as the girls had enough room between them, they could surround their targets with ease.
Mojave could hear the quickly-paced rhythm of her heart as she listened to the voices grow ever closer. She panted slightly, and only when she had zeroed back in on her surroundings did she become aware of Sinclair’s voice in her ear.
“-ys, you’re pretty outnumbered here.” His breathing came across as more panicked than hers. “At this rate, you’ll be cornered between the group and the openness of the snow fields.”
“That’s the thing about us cornered dogs, Sin…” Mojave removed the clasp covering her holster and withdrew her blaster, bringing it up to her chest. “We bite…
“Hard.”