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Chapter Five: The Briefing

The General lead Johnson through the door. He then walked behind a desk there and sat down.

"So, what has happened?" the general asked.

"Sir, Corneria has been contaminated with a substance called Tiberium. This substance spreads rapidly, and is highly toxic to all life. To touch the crystals, or even breathe them in, can easily kill a person without treatment. Tiberium spreads by turning whatever it touches into itself. When it happens to a person, it's called Tiberium poisoning. Do you have a computer that I can transfer the documents that my EVA hacked from the Remnant cruiser to?" Johnson said. The general patted the desk in front of him. Johnson cocked an eyebrow, but quickly dismissed his confusion.

"EVA, transfer all documents relating to Tiberium Poisoning to the General," Johnson said.

"Searching...Accessing...Compiling...Transmitting...Transfer complete," EVA stated. The hare then accessed the files and open up one of them. A holographic image suddenly sprang from the desk and hovered over it. The image was of an Ape lying on an examination table. It had an unhealthy Tiberium green tint to its flesh. Johnson winced at the picture as he remembered seeing that color on some humans before. He knew that the Ape was dead, before he looked at its legs. The legs of the Ape where further along in the conversion process than the rest of the body was. Its legs already had Tiberium growths sprouting out of them, and had a distinct Tiberium green color. The legs also seemed to have a ridged structure, like that of the Tiberium crystals. A white document suddenly appeared next to the picture. Johnson scanned through the document quickly and realized it was the medical report on the Ape. Johnson stopped reading and looked at the General. He had a slight green look to him. The image quickly disappeared from view and the General looked very troubled.

"That was a highly advanced stage of Tiberium poisoning. The Ape had to have been dead for at least a day for the poisoning to have advanced that far," Johnson said.

"I can see what you mean. I'll send this information to the doctors. Hopefully they'll get this information in time to help. Now how can we stop it?" the General asked.

"From the technology I have seen your men use, I don't believe that you can stop its spread. The best way to stop its spread right now would be to harvest it. It requires vehicles with mining equipment along with a large storage tank," Johnson explained, "I don't know the exact process, but if you can harvest it and process it, it will be safe to handle. One good thing about Tiberium, is that it sucks up the minerals in the ground, so when you mine the Tiberium, you'll have a good resource for income. If you ignore all the problems with it, it has to be the pinnacle of mining technology. If I could get in contact with my superiors, I know that GDI would come to help you."

"What is GDI?" the General asked.

"GDI, Global Defense Initiative, is a military organization. Its main objective is to combat Tiberium and stop it from destroying our world. It was originally made to combat a terrorist organization known as the Brotherhood of NOD. Although they claim that they are not, everyone now knows otherwise. They believe that Tiberium is the next step in human evolution. They do experiments on their own people, and do not care if they kill innocent civilians to achieve their goals. Their leader, a man known as Kain, is like a freakin' cockroach. He doesn't know how to die properly. He has been killed three times now, but is still alive. Twice he has been killed by an orbital strike weapon known as an Ion cannon, and once by a GDI Commander who ran him through with some scrap metal; however he still comes back for more. NOD has been around since the mid 1990's, but there are rumors abound that they have been around for a lot longer. The earliest I have heard was about 1,800 BC, around 3,200 years ago. It currently is 2048 AD," Johnson said.

"Huhn, I remember receiving a report about another enemy that you said being here. Is it NOD?" the General asked.

"Negative, they are an alien force that has invaded Earth. For reason that I just found out about, through the information gained at the cruiser. I haven't looked through those files in detail yet, but I do know that they are called the Scrin, and the reason that they came to my world is for the Tiberium," Johnson said.

"So they are here?"

"Yes, sir, or at least their weapons are. In the cruiser I found a heavily damaged Devourer tank. The tank was design to be able to process Tiberium to add more damage to its main weapon system. The storage tank in the Devourer was damaged. That might be how they discovered Tiberium; however I do know that it was why that cruiser was so badly contaminated with it," Johnson explained, "If they are here, sir. Ground combat would be a bad idea. Both GDI and NOD forces are having a heck of a time pushing them back. Despite the fact that we, GDI that is, were ordered by our CINC to fire on them first, I had a feeling when I first met them that they didn't have peaceful intensions towards us in the first place."

"Any chance we can talk with them?" General Hare asked.

"I don't believe so..." Johnson said. All of the sudden a feline in a Marine uniform rushed in.

"General, sir. This just came in," the feline said breathlessly as he handed over a few sheets of paper. The General's face dropped even farther, if that was even possible.

"No contact?" the General asked.

"None, sir. The ship appears to be lightly armed and seems adrift," the feline replied.

"Do you have any pictures of it?" Johnson asked. The old hare gave Johnson a curious glance. "It might be the Scrin, General. I know what their ships look like. If it is them..." Johnson trailed off.

"Yes we do have some pictures," the feline marine replied. He tapped the PDA in his hand a few times and a 3D picture of a ship appeared over General Hare's desk. The vehicle struck Johnson as odd. It definitely was not Scrin, nor was it anything GDI or NOD has produced. The vehicle shape, for some reason, struck Johnson as familiar. Then it hit him, Krystal's ship! That is what it reminded him of. 'I need to talk to Krystal about this...' Johnson thought.

"Sir, it's about to breach the perimeter. What do we do?" the feline asked.

"Sir," Johnson interrupted, "I could try and board that craft and get communications up and running if it is friendly. If it is hostile, then I can either commandeer or scuttle her."

"That is a risky proposal, Master Sergeant. Are you sure you can do it?" the General asked.

"That's my job, sir," Johnson said, "Besides, if the vehicle is hostile and I do commandeer it, I can use it to try and get in contact with GDI Command. We might be able to get some more men and equipment to try and help you get rid of this Tiberium Infestation." The old hare locked eyes with Johnson, for a bit while he made his decision.

"Alright, Ghost, but you are going to need back up. I'm sending Star Fox with you. They will be able to get you onto the ship and help you commandeer it," the General said. Johnson's eyes narrowed at this.

"I don't need their help, sir. Just allot me a few of your Marines and I can get this done in no time," Johnson said.

"The Marines are needed elsewhere, and Star Fox is free. They also are the best we have. This is a priority mission, Master Sergeant. It must be completed. We need the equipment your kind can supply," the General said.

"General, they are mercs. I cannot afford to have men with me that I can't trust," Johnson stated.

"Ghost, you can trust Star Fox with your life. I should know, I used to be one of them," the old hare said. Johnson paused at that. He then shook his head in resignation.

"Alright, but on one condition," Johnson said, "They are under my command, and what I say goes without argument or complaint."

"I'll have to ask Fox about that but I believe we can come to an arrangement," the General said. He then tapped his desk a few times and started speaking to it. Johnson walked towards the door to the CP when it suddenly opened and Falco and Slippy both walked in. Behind them he saw Fox and Krystal talking. Johnson walked past the frog and bird and towards the pair of foxes when Krystal suddenly slapped Fox and took off. Johnson quickly ran up to Fox.

"What happened? Where is Krystal going?" Johnson asked, when Fox didn't respond Johnson pressed on, "We need Star Fox to report in for a new assignment."

"Krystal is no longer part of Star Fox," Fox said as he walked into the General's office. Johnson shook his head and ran after Krystal. He ran out of the CP and looked around. Not a trace of her. Johnson turned to the Marines standing guard.

"Where did Krystal go, marine," he said.

"That way," one of the Marines said as he pointed off towards the hangers. Johnson then raced off after her. Johnson tore around the corners. The few marines and naval personnel that Johnson ran into were either physically pushed out of the way or run over. Johnson didn't stop running until he got to the hanger that both he and Krystal arrived in. The ship was still there. Johnson looked at the craft for a brief second. It did look similar to the unidentified craft. He then ran up the still open ramp and into the craft.

"Krystal?" Johnson yelled. He heard no response. Johnson moved through the ship rapidly until he got to the cockpit. Inside he heard some sniffling from inside. Johnson quietly opened the door and looked inside. There Krystal was curled up on the pilot's seat, silently sobbing. Johnson silently walked over to her and put a hand on her shoulder.

"Krystal, are you-" Johnson started to say before Krystal jumped off the seat, threw her arms around him, pressed her head against Johnson's armored chest, and broke down crying. Johnson's hands went up in shock. Johnson then awkwardly brought his hands down and gently put them around Krystal. Johnson didn't know what to do as she cried into his chest. Krystal's sobs slowly started to die down as Johnson gently held her. Johnson started whispering into her ears that it'll be alright. Eventually Krystal cried herself to sleep. Johnson gently picked her up and walked back into the cargo hold. He laid her out on a bench there. Johnson brushed some of her hair out of her eyes and watched her as she slept peacefully. Johnson then stood up, walked out of the cargo hold and into the hanger bay.

"EVA, get me in contact with the General," Johnson said.

"Standby...Connecting...Complete," EVA stated.

"Ghost is that you?" Johnson heard over the line.

"Yes General," Johnson said. He paused for a moment to figure out how to phrase what he was about to say, "General, have you filled Star Fox in on what their new mission is?"

"Yes, I have. Fox isn't too happy about you leading the team, but he will follow your orders," the old hare replied.

"Good, I have to add one more person to the team roster before we go, I just...need her to wake up," Johnson said lamely.

"Well, why don't you wake her up then?" Falco said over the line.

"I would if she hadn't just spent the past five minutes crying into my chest armor," Johnson stated heatedly. That shut Falco up.

"Who is it, Ghost?" Fox asked.

"I'll tell you when we meet face to face. Right now, I need you all to prepare for the mission. Hurry up and get your PCI (Pre-Combat Inspection) done," Johnson ordered, "In fact, I want you, Fox, to report your units status in ten minutes for ground combat detail, and in twenty from now, your space-born equipment."

"It'll take some time-" Fox started to say before Johnson cut him off.

"Well, you better get moving. We don't have time to dick around. Now MOVE IT!" Johnson yelled. He then closed the link and then walked back into the ship. He heard a moan and looked over at Krystal. She was tossing and turning. The look on her face immediately told Johnson she wasn't having a nice relaxing dream. He walked over and shook her gently.

"Krystal, wake up. It's just a dream," Johnson whispered, "Wake up." Krystal suddenly shot up and was gasping for breath.

"Krystal, are you alright?" Johnson asked. She looked at him for a bit.

"Ye...Yeah... I'm fine," she said before everything came rushing back. She looked at Johnson straight in the eye. "Thank you, Ghost. For everything," she said softly. Johnson smiled, but then realized that Krystal couldn't see it through his helmet.

"No problem. Feel up to going to work?" Johnson asked.

"Yeah, although-" Krystal said before Johnson interrupted.

"I need you as a mission specialist on this. I believe that you might have information that will greatly help us with this mission. Fox has no say over whether you go or not," Johnson said. Krystal looked up and nodded her head. Johnson helped her up and they both walked off the ship.

"We'll brief you when we get to the CP. Let's move, we don't have a lot of time. I might have to brief you on route," Johnson said as he started to run towards the CP. Krystal stepped up her pace to keep up. They both ran through the corridors. This time however, Johnson took the time to dodge around the various personnel that he ran into instead of just running them over. Eventually they got to the CP and entered. They went straight to the General's office. Johnson knocked on the door before he entered.

"Master Sergeant Ghost, with Krystal, requesting permission to enter," Johnson announced.

"Enter," the muted voice of the General answered. Both Johnson and Krystal entered the room. Star Fox had already left for their ship, due to their absence. Johnson nodded to the general.

"Here is our mission specialist, General," Johnson said.

"I see, it is good to see you again, Krystal," the old Hare said.

"It is good to see you too, Peppy," Krystal replied. Johnson noted the friendliness between them, but didn't comment.

"General, can you please bring up the images of the craft we are going to investigate, sir?" Johnson asked. General Hare nodded his head and tapped a few things on his desk. The picture of the ship came up.

"If you have any questions, you'll have to ask them on route, we don't have much time. Alright, this is the ship. We have not been able to contact it, nor has it responded at all to our attempts to contact it. We are going to assume it's hostile, but we aren't going to shoot it down. We are going to board the craft and secure it. If it is friendly, however we are to get them to slow down and turn away from the perimeter. Then we are to render any aid that they require," Johnson explained, "If it is confirmed hostile, once we commandeer the ship we are to repair what we need, then take it to try and contact the GDI from my home. Once there, we need to try and get whatever supplies we can to help combat the spread to Tiberium on Corneria. This is a high priority mission." Johnson paused and allowed Krystal to take in the information. "I'm curious, does that craft seem familiar to you?" Johnson asked.

"Yeah... Yeah! It looks like my Cloudrunner," Krystal answered as her ears perked up.

"That's why I want you as a mission specialist. Now come on, I want you to back brief me on the way to your ship. We'll have to use your Cloudrunner to meet up with the Star Fox team," Johnson said as he turned to face the General, "Sir." The General nodded his head and both Krystal and Johnson left the room.

"Alright, RoE?" Johnson asked.

"RoE?" Krystal asked confused.

"Rules of Engagement. What are we allowed to do?" Johnson clarified as they rounded a corner.

"Oh, we are to take over the ship if it is hostile and if it is friendly assist in repairs," Krystal said.

"Objectives?" Johnson asked.

"Secure the ship, assist in repairs, and contact the GDI. By the way, what is the GDI?" Krystal asked.

"Global Defense Initiative. A world-wide peacekeeping organization and it only recently became a de facto government. I'm a Commando for the military part of the organization," Johnson explained as they continued to walk down the halls towards the hanger where Krystal's Cloudrunner was docked, "Allies?"

"Uhhh..." Krystal thought.

"Star Fox, the GDI, and maybe the people aboard that craft," Johnson said after a few seconds of silence. Krystal's ear tinted red.

"Don't worry about it, if you have any questions ask them now," Johnson said as the entered the hanger and moved towards the Cloudrunner.

"No questions. Although I am a little more curious about this Tiberium stuff," Krystal said as they enter the cargo hold.

"That information will be dispersed as the General sees fit. Let's focus on the mission. Tiberium will have no effect on us, unless that craft is infected with it," Johnson said. They entered the cockpit. Krystal sat down in the pilot's seat while Johnson took off his jump-pack and sat down in the Co-pilot's seat. Krystal did the preflight while Johnson checked over his gear.

"We are ready to go, Ghost," Krystal said.

"Let's go. We are already late as it is," Johnson answered. Krystal grinned and the Cloudrunner took off.

"Fox, this is Ghost. I need a SITREP, now," Johnson said over the radio.

"We are all ready to go, Ghost. Everything has been taken care of," Fox answered.

"Can you hurry it up already? Get this mission specialist person and let's go," Falco's voice said over the line.

"Falco, keep this up, and you are walking home," Johnson growled, "I don't know what your previous commanders were like, but I WILL NOT TOLERATE INSUBORDINATION! Do I make my self clear?!" Johnson yelled into the radio. He then cut the line and glanced over at Krystal. She had a smirk on her muzzle as she looked at him.

"What?" Johnson asked. Krystal just shook her head and the Cloudrunner sped off to meet the Star Fox team, who happened to be in their aero-space fighters.

As the Cloudrunner approached the group of fighters, Johnson looked them over quickly, "Alright. It's time to earn some hazard pay. Move to intercept that craft." The four craft then sped up and flew towards the slowly approaching unidentified craft.

"Krystal, what weapons do you have?" Johnson asked as they approached the craft to dock with it. The vessel looked more and more like a derelict craft as they approached. The hull was pitted with micrometeorite impacts and the like. It looked like it had been abandoned for quite some time.

"A blaster, that gatling gun I had from before, and my staff," she answered with a smirk, "Why? Do you want me to go with the gatling gun again?"

"Funny, no," Johnson said plainly as he mentally prepared himself of the coming mission, "This will be CQC (Close Quarters Combat), so the staff and the blaster. I assume the blaster is the weapon that the others had when we were heading towards the crash site?"

"Yeah. Once we dock, I'll grab that," Krystal said as the docking bays to the craft suddenly opened.

"Ok, I award them maximum points for creepiness. Either this is automatic, or they are expecting us," Johnson said over the radio, "Alright, prepare for an ambush possibility. Don't shoot unless you get shot at first. Lock and load gentlemen. We go to the widowing field once more."

"What about me?" Krystal said with a light jab to Johnson's armored shoulder.

"Once you dock, get ready for combat. These people know we are here, so stay frosty," Johnson said as the ship rocked slightly.

"We're docked, let's go," Krystal said as she unstrapped and move to gather her gear.

"Yeah," Johnson said with a primal, humorless grin, "Let's get this party started."