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Chapter 15: Legacies - Part 2

In a private waiting room attached to Corneria's Senate chamber, Krystal knelt on a mat and meditated. She did not do so to center herself telepathically like she did every evening. She was doing this to calm her beating heart. So much depended on her ability to dissuade members of this governing body from their desire for her telepathic powers. If she could not convince the senators within, her life on Corneria would be over. She would have to flee and find a life elsewhere.

That possibility did not frighten her as much as it should have though, and that was because of the tod who knelt in front of her. Fox McCloud would forever be at her side. He had already created accounts on various worlds well outside of Lylat, on worlds as far as Kew, which were well outside of Corneria's control. With a single keystroke, he would liquidate his investments and transfer those earnings to these accounts. Fox would reclaim his old ship from Falco and they would flee to one of these worlds where they would set up a new life.

Even though he had no clue on how to meditate, Fox's love for his wife blazed in him like a bonfire that warmed the vixen's heart and helped her greatly to achieve a serene calm. She would need it when she stood before the governing body that would decide her fate.

"They have no control over our fate, Kurisutaru." Fox mentally assured her. _ "Their decision will only determine if we remain loyal to this government or renounce all fidelity to them."_ Fox had even gone as far as send a private message to Bill Grey.

Unbeknownst to the Cornerian Defense Force, Bulldog and Husky Squadrons had pledged their loyalty to Fox and Krystal over that of Corneria. They were ready to go rogue and actually become Star Fox mercenaries outside of Lylat and follow the McClouds. They would hide the 49 other Cerinian survivors the moment they were found.

Truly, Fox had been surprised by the steel in Bill's voice. His canine friend was evasive, but the McClouds suspected something must have happened at the Shards of Cerinia.

Their thoughts and meditation were interrupted just then when a petite feline came opened the door and announced. "They are ready to see you now."

A serene Krystal McCloud walked into the Senate, governing body of the free planets of Lylat. Under a high-vaulted dome ceiling and arrayed in multiple concentric semicircles were the senators, each seated in a leather, high-backed chair. In front of each of them was a desk with computer terminal onto which they reviewed proposed legislation and cast their votes on behalf of those they each represented. They now all gazed intently at the famous, exotic, blue-furred vixen. She could sense a genuine curiosity among many of them.

There were a few who gave her a calculated regard filled with ambition, but she was not bothered by the emotions she was sensing from them. The reason for her bolstered confidence came from the tod who followed behind her, ready to give her all his support. Instead of sitting in the audience gallery like he was supposed to, Fox McCloud had demanded to stand with his wife with such ferocity that nobody dared refuse him.

At the front of the senate chamber, sitting atop a raised dais behind Krystal and Fox, was a regal snow leopard, Chief Minister Uncia Frost, elected by the citizens of Lylat as their leader for a third five-year term. At the base of the dais was set up at Krystal's request a holoprojector. The vixen now stood in front of it with her husband seated at the projector's controls. Krystal gazed out and made quick eye contact with each member of the governing body before her. She then spoke up in a clear voice, tinged more heavily than usual with her Cerinian accent. "Esteemed Senators, I now stand before you not as Krystal McCloud, but as Kurisutaru, daughter of Onikisu and Shiokaze of the town of Nara, on the shores of the South Sea, of the Planet Cerinia."

Few knew of her true, Cerinian name, but Krystal here felt it was needed to be driven into them that she was not of their world. The vixen took a measured deep breath through her nose and continued. "My mother, father, home town....my whole world....are now gone. All were destroyed by one who sought to destroy you for reasons of avarice for power. I now stand before you because some of you have expressed an envious desire for the telepathic powers my people were endowed with."

Her eyes locked on the senator who headed the Cornerian Intelligence Committee, a canine of mixed heritage named Winston Starkey. "You believe it a worthwhile endeavor to acquire and impart this ability on Cornerian agents who would use such powers to read the thoughts of our enemies and know what they know....perhaps even use those powers to control their minds." The canine senator regarded the vixen shrewdly, but Krystal shook her head sadly and went on, gazing at each senator. "On my world, that would be considered mind rape. It was the highest of crimes, even over murder."

Krystal closed her eyes and bowed her head, a lone tear running down her cheek. "Cerinia was a beautiful, peaceful world, plagued with very little crime and strife. We were all telepaths, and a few of us were even telekinetic, but we were all taught to never abuse our powers, to respect the minds of all around us. Our telepathy was used to share love and thoughts among family and friends, heal troubled minds, and bind married couples together."

She then looked up and gazed out at the chamber and even briefly at the spectators in the gallery above, among which she noticed many reporters, including Walter Kent of Lylat News. Krystal then realized that she had an opportunity to not only win the hearts of the senators before her, but of the people they represented. She suddenly sensed a spike of anger from Senator Starkey, who had turned around in his chair and followed Krystal's gaze up to the gallery. It was obvious to Krystal and Fox that he had not realized that this was a public hearing. Fortunately, or unfortunately from Winston Starkey's perspective, the Senate had not been appraised of the details of Krystal's presentation and it had not occurred to them that some would have liked this to have been a closed session.

Krystal continued with a solemn voice. "But our world was not always a peaceful one. Our telepathic powers came at a heavy price. Over three of our centuries ago, we almost destroyed ourselves from within. Through genetic manipulation, various clans sought to breed the strongest telepaths among us to assert mental dominance over their rivals. A telepathic arms race ensued that eventually led to horrific clan wars. Like in many wars, blood was shed, and cities were laid in ruin. The true horror though lay on the mental battlefield." The vixen then stepped to one side and nodded to her husband.

Taking that as his cue, Fox activated the holoprojector and the lights in the senate chamber dimmed. "What you are about to see are archival recordings from my world from 320 of our years ago."

In the dim chamber, they all watched the holographic film of a pitched battle in a major metropolis. Several buildings in the background were heavily damaged, with windows shattered. In the foreground, several Cerinian foxes in various shades of blue fur, each wielding a staff not unlike Krystal's, faced off sending bolts of plasma at each other. They soon got into close quarters and fought each other in a pitched melee battle. What happened next sent shivers rippling through the chamber.

The image focused on one pair of vixens facing each other. One vixen went down when her opponent's staff struck a blow to her head. Momentarily stunned, she lost her focus and dropped her mental guard. Her opponent's expression scrunched up into ferocious concentration. With a snarl, she reached out with her hand and closed her fingers together. The other vixen dropped her staff, sank to her knees while her hands pressed against her temples, and uttered a long, piercing shriek. Blood was seen running from her eyes and nose. The shrieking went on for another minute until she collapsed in on herself and sat there with a vacant expression.

More images were projected, each showing scenes more horrific than the one before. A senator then shouted out. "We've seen enough. Stop the projections. You've made your point, Missus McCloud."

"No, I haven't." Krystal countered. "There's more you need to see."

On the holoprojector, another scene was displayed. A fearsome male vulpine had a captured young tod from an opposing clan standing before him. His voice spoke with pain and rage. On the terminal of each senator, words appeared that translated what the tod said. "I found my sister after your family was done with her. You bastards not only raped her, but ripped up her mind. It's time I sent a message to the rest of you. We are the most powerful telekinetics around and we'll have the respect we deserve!"

Everyone in the senate chamber and in the gallery above watched in horror as this powerful male reached out with his hand to the bound tod. With a snarl full of anger and focus, he caused the bound tod to scream out in agony while blood gushed from his ears, eyes, and muzzle until his head imploded with a sickening crunch, and his body crumpled to the floor. The large fox then turned to the camera that recorded this execution and spoke with a voice full of contempt and anger. "Send this recording, along with his body, back to his family as a warning that there's a price to pay if they continue."

Krystal continued her narrative. "With telekinesis now being bred in various opposing clans, the violence escalated. Ever greater atrocities were committed on all sides. This continued until members of one clan decided on their own, against the wishes of their elders, to attack their enemies at the source."

On the holoprojector, a horrifying and heart-breaking scene played out. A small group of tods and vixens broke into a rival's nursery. Young fox pups, full of innocence and trust, looked up at the intruders and wagged their tails, never imagining that anyone would hurt them. Under a merciless attack, each child whimpered and cried out in agony, their minds telepathically ripped to shreds until they collapsed in a pool of blood pouring from their eyes, ears, and muzzles while others had their heads crushed under the unyielding telekinetic force of their murderers.

In the deafening silence, a few sniffles could be heard from the gallery above. The lights brightened again and Fox shut down the holoprojector. In a quiet voice, Krystal continued her narrative. "Word of this attack spread through every corner of Cerinia. Every warring clan was horrified, including the one that instigated this atrocity. The elders were so scandalized by the acts of the rogue elements within their clan that they had the perpetrators summarily executed. A cry went out for the end of the clan wars."

Krystal paused and made eye contact with each senator. "It all started as a competition and rivalry to have the best, strongest telepaths in each family, but over the years it slowly escalated to mental duels, scuffles, and acts of greater violence, and eventually to all-out war between multiple rival clans. The ruthless murder of those innocent children sent a shock through our society. Leaders of each clan met. Initially, grievances were exchanged, but everyone soon realized that all were culpable of allowing their society to deteriorate to such a level. Genetic manipulation to further increase telepathic abilities was outlawed. Efforts in that field would instead be focused on eliminating hereditary diseases and birth defects."

"Most importantly, a code of ethics was drawn up among all the elders regarding the use of telepathy, with the primary rule being that one must never enter the mind of another without their express permission. Such a violation, an act we called mind rape, was considered unforgivable. Perpetrators of such a crime would be stripped of their mental powers and ostracized from our society. Initially, there was resistance to such a code. Some were not able to let go of old vendettas. So many more died while others were banished from Cerinia to die alone, cut off from everyone they knew. But with succeeding generations, such incidences became fewer and fewer. By the time I was born, the crime of mind rape was so rare that the idea had become taboo. In all of Cerinia from the time I was born until my world was destroyed, there were only two cases of mind rape. For the rest of us, committing such an act was unthinkable."

Krystal's voice suddenly became loud and strident, making several senator jump in their seat. "And now, I find myself confronted with such an unthinkable scenario." They could see the fear in her demeanor. "The idea of turning some of your agents and soldiers into telepaths horrifies me. It will be the beginning of the same slippery slope my people long ago fell down onto, and will lead to the same telepathic wars that almost destroyed my world centuries before I was even born. Even if this senate hearing had been in secret, our adversaries and rivals would eventually have learned of this, and would seek to have their own telepaths. And when they succeeded, and make no mistake, they eventually would, you'd have the same telepathic arms race on your hands that we had centuries before."

The vixen shook her head sadly. "And it would be worse for you than it was for us. We Cerinians were telepaths for centuries, for so long there were no records of us being anything but telepathic. Telepathy was ingrained in our culture and society. Our sixth sense was part of our everyday life just like the other five. But none of you grew up telepathic. Introducing telepathy into your society would be even more traumatic."

She made eye contact again with each senator, and Winston Starkey who she knew headed the Intelligence Committee. "So I implore you. Do not pursue this avenue in telepathic research. Your society has prospered for centuries without telepathy and will continue to do so if you do not expose it to a power it is not prepared for." Krystal concluded and gave a slight bow.

After a weighty silence, Chief Minister Frost bowed in return to the vixen. "Thank you, Missus McCloud. You have given this body some compelling arguments. I now declare the floor open to debate on the matter of the use of telepathy by our government."

While Krystal and Fox quietly sat to one side of the senate chamber, the senators debated the matter. Several attempted to make arguments for developing telepathy, preying on the fears of others around them that Venom may already be researching the subject. Others, clearly moved by Krystal's presentation, cautioned against letting fear guide their actions. Then Senator Starkey signaled his desire to speak.

"The Honorable Senator Winston Starkey is hereby recognized." declared the chief minister.

The senator gave Krystal the same calculating regard before he spoke. "I do admit that when Brigadier General Gordon Striker proposed this to me, the idea of developing our own core of telepathic agents and special force teams sounded like a really good one. It would have given us a powerful advantage over our enemies, like the faction now controlling Venom."

He paused and nodded to Krystal, and the vixen was struck with the lack of sincerity she felt from the canine politician when he continued. "However, Missus McCloud has made some compelling arguments against the idea that I cannot ignore." He then nodded to Lieutenant Jabari, who sat in a chair on one side of the Senate. "I should also like to point out that all our intelligence indicate that when Andross ruled Venom, he had expressively forbidden his scientists from researching telepathy. The paranoid despot that he was, Andross did not trust anybody who was capable of reading minds. This fear of telepaths is according to some, probably why he chose to destroy Cerinia. Sadly, a world populated by telepathic foxes must have been his greatest fear."

He then nodded to the snow leopard presiding over all of them. "Chief Minister, I have no reason to believe that the current government on Venom is even remotely interested in telepathy, and that we should give them no reason to think otherwise. I will therefor vote against any endeavor to develop telepathy."

Krystal felt truly uneasy and thought to her husband. "Fox, something's not right. He says the words, but his emotions make me think he does not believe in them."

Fox eyed the senator speculatively. "I feel what you mean, though I'm not sure what to do about it."

The senate continued to debate the question. Several were still unwilling to give up, and were now proposing legislation that would regulate the use of telepathy to prevent the strife Cerinia went through. When some looked towards her, the vixen shook her head, unconvinced.

Arguments and counter arguments were exchanged for several minutes more until a messenger entered the senate chamber and quickly made his way up the dais to whisper urgently into the ear of Uncia Frost. The chief minister nodded to the messenger, who turned and quickly exited the senate chamber. He then announced. "Esteemed senators, it has come to my attention that General Peppy Hare wishes to report to us a new development that has direct bearing on the matter at hand."

A moment later, in strode Peppy. Krystal immediately picked up on the turbulent mixture of fury and concern roiling through their old friend. The aged lagomorph quickly strode up to the dais and straight to a podium just below the chief minister. Clearing his throat, he addressed the governing body. "Senators, a matter of grave concern has been brought to my attention. As many of you know, a fleet of exploratory ships had been assembled to survey the surrounding star systems. The ships were the science vessel Nebula, escorted by the destroyer CDF Vigilant and carrier CDF Dauntless with Bulldog Squadron aboard."

"With many possible neighboring star systems to explore, I decided to give this fleet a secondary mission. A question was brought to my attention." Peppy glanced to Krystal sitting to the side with Fox and rhetorically asked the senators. "Was Krystal McCloud the only Cerinian to escape the destruction of her home world?" He then focused his gaze back onto the senators arrayed around the chamber. "I therefore directed Fleet Captain Lupo Ramius, commander of this exploratory fleet, to survey the Cerinian star system and the asteroid remnant of Krystal's home world, known as the Shards of Cerinia."

Peppy withdrew a data crystal from his pocket and handed it to Fox, who had gotten up from his seat to accept it. When the tod replaced his wife's data crystal of the archival footage just presented with the crystal Peppy had just given him, the Senate and people of Corneria got its first glimpse of the asteroid remnant of the planet Cerinia. "Unfortunately, we found no evidence pointing to where other possible survivors may have escaped to....However, we did find one derelict vessel among the remnants of the planet."

The holoprojector image quickly magnified and focused on the vessel that had been found. "The science vessel, Paradigm Shift, registered with the University of Havenwood, was found adrift near an asteroid that held a section of the crust of Cerinia with the ruins of a city on its surface." Gun camera footage from Bill Grey's Arwing were briefly shown with various views of what was found, including the mysterious obsidian arch found whole and the ruins of the city. "The crew of the Paradigm Shift were aboard, but all were found dead." The holographic image changed to that of the derelict vessel's interior and the bodies found floating within.

In that moment, Peppy sagged and looked towards Krystal with deeply troubled eyes. "Krystal dear, you may not want to see this." But the vixen remained focused on the holoprojection with a growing sense of unease. Peppy sighed and continued. "Something else, very disturbing, was found in one of the labs aboard the Paradigm Shift."

The holoprojected image changed to the ship's lab, and a gasp was heard rippling through the entire senate chamber and the gallery above. There, floating above the holoprojecter was the image of the four mutilated Cerinian bodies, partially dissected. "Scientists aboard the Paradigm Shift had taken these bodies from the Shards of Cerinia and were dissecting them, focused on removing brain tissue. The ship's log indicated that they were seeking to extract information on the telepathic powers of the Cerinians. They...." But before Peppy could continue, a wail full of rage and grief resonated through the senate chamber.

All eyes turned to the source to find Fox McCloud vainly trying to console his wife. Seeing images of the Shards of Cerinia had been almost as hard on Fox as it was on his soulmate. Here were the remnants of the world he had fallen in love with through his vixen's memories of her childhood there. The ruins of the city had broken his heart and the tod was unable to keep the tears from cascading down on each side of his muzzle. When the image of the desecrated remains had appeared, it had filled Fox's heart with outrage, but before he could scream out his indignation, he was hit with a violent explosion of emotions from his distraught wife.

Krystal, beyond any consolation, even from her soulmate, had without thinking about it reverted to her native language. "THOSE FILTHY GRAVE ROBBERS!!! MONSTERS!!!" A lamp in the corner of the room dimmed and then flashed explosively before going out. "IT'S NOT ENOUGH THAT MY PEOPLE WERE ALL MURDERED, THEY HAD TO DESECRATE THEIR REMAINS!!" On a far wall, an exterior window cracked, but went unnoticed. Krystal continued to scream and howl her outrage, her broken heart as devastated as her world. "DEFILERS!! GHOULS!! MAY THE SPIRITS OF MY ANCESTORS CURSE THEM ALL!!?"

Unbeknownst to Chief Minister Frost and the senators nearest to the McClouds, Krystal had lost control of her telepathic powers and was projecting her grief out to them. But most of them were feeling the same outrage and grief at the horrific sight being displayed before them. Peppy, who was unable to keep the tears from his eyes, was not surprised that some of the emotions he was feeling would be coming from the telepathic vixen. And his close friendship and mental affinity with her made it almost overwhelming for the hare, even when he was expecting it. He also had the Cerinian language update on his universal translator and therefore understood every word she had screamed out.

Peppy waited until Krystal's raging grief had expended itself. With the vixen regaining a shaky control of her telepathic powers, Peppy took out a handkerchief and sponged up the tears from his eyes. In a voice choked up with emotion, he declared, "Krystal, your wish that the spirits of your ancestors curse those who would desecrate such sacred ground may in fact have been granted." Hardened eyes full of anger now focused on each senator, especially Winston Starkey. "There is a presence that lingers within the Shards of Cerinia...a presence that did not like it in the least that those remains were desecrated."

The image switched to the bridge of the Paradigm Shift at the moment the crew was dying in terror from the mysterious, blue ephemeral blur rushing through each of them. The final screaming pleas of fright from the scientist who had been dissecting the Cerinian bodies left the senate chamber in stunned silence. Others were incredulous. "What are you playing at, General?" one disbelieving senator called out from the back. "You'd have us believe in ghost stories?"

Peppy raised a hand to forestall any more naysayers from speaking up. "I am not prepared to openly declare what this was. Be it ghosts, non-corporeal life forms, or whatever else it might be, it does not change the fact that there is something in that asteroid field that does not take kindly to intruders. And that something killed every crew member of the Paradigm Shift." The general then gazed up at the reporters in the gallery who were recording everything and said into the cameras. "Whatever is there, the message is clear. Venture into the Cerinian star system at your own peril."

During Peppy's presentation, Krystal could sense the sadness, shock, and outrage from many senators. The exception was Winston Starkey. Though he hid all outward signs of his true emotions, Krystal sensed at first alarm when the Paradigm Shift had been revealed, followed by disappointment and frustration when reports that her crew were all dead. The well-schooled expression of outrage, followed by concern did not hide from the empathic vixen the hopeful ambition that she felt from the canine senator when he asked. "What of the Paradigm Shift, General? As reprehensible as the crime of these grave robbers was, their remains should be returned to their families. What of the Cerinian remains, for that matter, and the ship itself?"

Peppy was not fooled either by the head of the Cornerian Intelligence Committee. "The bodies of the crew will of course be returned to their respective families. As for the Cerinian remains, they were given a burial in space with full honor." The general then nodded to Fox, and the holoprojector again came to life. And Krystal's broken heart was partially mended upon seeing and hearing Bill Grey's impassioned eulogy as the enshrouded bodies were jettisoned back into the depths of the Shards of Cerinia. The emotions of anger and frustration from Senator Starkey did not go unnoticed by Krystal's empathy. That same empathic sense picked up on the fury that boiled below the senator's outwardly calm demeanor with Peppy's next words. "The Paradigm Shift itself was targeted by the Vigilant's ion cannon to wipe out all ill-gotten data taken from this grave-robbing expedition."

He then returned his focus to the senators arrayed around him. "However, that is not why I am here. Like many of our citizens, I was watching the live broadcast of this hearing. Some of you believe that the same telepathic code of conduct the Cerinians had could be enacted into our laws, and that we could have telepaths without going through the tribulations the Cerinians went through centuries before." He pointed an accusing finger at the holoprojector. "And yet, as these recordings show, there are some in this very government who are without honor, who would go to any lengths to gain a power they have not earned. We are not fit to become telepaths. The Cerinians earned their powers through blood and shattered minds. We did not."

"And who among us in this governing body had the gall to order a crew of grave robbers into the Shards of Cerinia?" asked Uncia Frost in a quiet, dangerous voice. The chief minister's fury was apparent to all who saw and heard him. Krystal looked up at the snow leopard at his high seat on the dais, his emotions coming through her empathy clearly like a beacon that would drive away the evil that had been done to her people. His genuine concern and righteous indignation warmed her heart.

Peppy's reply to the chief minister's question did not surprise her. "The Paradigm Shift's log clearly show that its orders came from Brigadier General Gordon Striker, on behalf of the Intelligence Committee."

Senator Winston Starkey stood up and assumed an offended demeanor. "Then General Striker should be arrested and brought before this body to answer for his crimes."

"And what about you, Senator?" Came an accusing shout from a senator in the back.

"I assure you, I am as appalled as any of you are by this flagrant disregard for the sanctity of the remains of the Cerinian people." replied the self-righteous senator.

More shouts of derision came from some of his political rivals. Chief Minister Frost though was determined to not let this session degenerate into a shouting match. "Order! There will be no accusations without due process! Order!" He reached for his gavel, only to find it missing from his podium. In that split second, he saw the heavy wooden mallet land in the outstretch hand of Krystal McCloud, who in one smooth motion flung it to the proselytizing senator.

Busy pontificating, Senator Starkey did not see the gavel fly towards him until just moments before it struck. Order was restored in the senate chamber with the resounding crack of the gavel impacting upon the forehead of Senator Starkey, who fell back in his chair. Not a sound was heard, except for the huffing breath of an enraged vixen who stood in the middle of the chamber, her tail lashing and her hackles raised. "You filth! Do you think for one moment I'd believe your claims of innocence? Striker may have given the order, but you were all for acquiring my people's powers by any means."

The senator reached up to his throbbing forehead, already feeling a large bump forming there. Doing his best to remain calm, he tried to placate the vixen. "Missus McCloud, I assure you, I had nothing to do with that. I'd never..."

"LIAR!!" Exuding fury, Krystal stormed towards the senator.

"Missus McCloud! You cannot make such a baseless accusation. I would never sanction such..."

Krystal grabbed a water glass sitting on the desk of a senator three rows in front of the head of the Cornerian Intelligence Committee and threw it so quickly that it impacted on Winston Starkey's forehead before he could even raise his hand to block it. "YOU FILTHY LIAR! YOU DID SANCTION THIS GRAVE-ROBBING EXPEDITION! YOU CANNOT LIE TO A TELEPATH!"

Losing all composure, the senator shouted back in indignation. "And you claim you'd never read someone's mind without permission?!"

"I WOULDN'T SULLY MYSELF BY ENTERING A MIND LIKE YOURS, YOU FILTH! YOUR EMOTIONS ARE IN SUCH DISSONENCE WITH YOUR WORDS AND OUTWARD FAÇADE! I DON'T NEED TO READ YOUR THOUGHTS TO SENSE THE DECEIT IN YOU!" Krystal thundered. She reached for another water glass two rows in front of the senator and threw it at him.

Telepathically bonded to his empathic soulmate, Fox McCloud had felt everything she had, and was just as enraged. The former mercenary had been ready to charge up among the senators and pommel Starkey when his wife threw the gavel. The loud crack it made when it impacted with Winston Starkey's forehead had been so satisfying that he decided to let his vixen vent her anger on the senator. Sharing her fury, he had quietly followed her while she stormed towards the mixed breed dog and threw first one water glass and then another at him.

The canine was able to dodge the second glass projectile, which impacted the desk behind him. Beginning to panic, he shouted to the vixen's husband. "Mister McCloud! Please control your wife!"

In response, Fox grabbed a heavy paperweight on another senator's desk and placed it into his wife's outstretched hand, which she promptly threw with all her might. The heavy object hit Winston squarely on the end of his muzzle, breaking his nose and fracturing his front teeth in a spray of blood. Fox scanned around for another heavy object to give his vixen and gave a nearby senator, a grey cat named Felicia Tawny, a satisfied grin when she tossed her own coffee cup to the vulpine, who in turn handed it to his wife. As far as he was concerned, his Kurisutaru had every right to vent all her hurt and rage at the head of the Intelligence Committee, and he was going to keep supplying her with objects to hurl at him. Though she was not thinking clearly through the mental fog of her fury, Krystal on some level knew that she had her soulmate's full support to rage at the corrupt senator before her.

Winston was holding his bleeding muzzle and did not see the coffee cup until it smashed against his forehead. The senator howled in pain as he collapsed back into his seat. Through the blood running down his thrice-wounded forehead, he gazed up angrily at Krystal who now stood before him. Whatever angry retort he was going to make was lost in his throat because the telepathic vixen had taken on a terrifying aura.

Krystal stared down the cowering canine with her teeth bared in a snarl full of fury and contempt. Her nose wrinkled at the reek of fear coming from the senator. With her rage finally vented, she drew back and spat in his face before turning her back on him. Fox, his heart full of pride, took his wife's hand and the two started their way down, with Fox picking up the chief minister's gavel along the way.

It started with a single clap, which was joined by another, and soon grew to a rousing ovation from the majority of the senate chamber. Upon reaching the raised dais, Fox stretched up and handed the gavel to its owner. "My wife thanks you for letting her borrow your gavel, Chief Minister."

The snow leopard grinned to the vixen who was blushing and unable to meet his gaze. "That's quite alright. I don't think I could have put it to a better use."

Uncia Frost raised a hand to the cheering spectators in the gallery and nodded to the senators, many of whom were also cheering. He then struck his gavel several times. "Alright everyone! Order! Order now!"

When the senate chamber had quieted, he went on. "With this lively debate and all the revelations we have been privy to, I now call to a vote the question at hand. Shall this government pursue research in telepathy? Senators, cast your votes now."

The chief minister gazed down at his own computer terminal and saw the votes quickly tally up. Within less than a minute, he had the results. "With three votes as a Yes, four abstaining, and forty-three votes of No, the proposition that we research telepathy is hereby rejected."

Krystal leaned back in her seat with an immense sense of relief. Fox pulled her head against his shoulder and caressed her as tears ran down each side of her muzzle. His own tears anointed her head, the same emotional relief filling his heart. Neither were hearing the applause and cheers from the gallery above the senate chamber, nor were they paying any attention to the press cameras focused on them. Peppy ambled over and sat down next to the vulpine couple and patted Krystal on the shoulder, giving her a fatherly smile.

From his perch above on the dais, Uncia Frost looked down at the three former Star Fox mercenaries and thought of all they had done for Lylat. His gaze turned to Winston Starkey, who was sitting in his chair with a look of disgust, holding several tissues over his bleeding muzzle. The snow leopard's eyes narrowed. Here was an individual who had no respect for the McClouds, nor for the untold millions of victims of the worst genocide known. While he knew that the telepathic vixen's accusations were not considered hard evidence in a criminal trial, he would see to it that the senator was removed from the Cornerian Intelligence Committee. With a strike of his gavel, he called out. "I now declare this session of the Senate ended."

While the other senators filed out, Uncia made his way down from his perch to sit next to the McClouds. He took Krystal's hand in his and gazed intently into her eyes with no reservation. "Missus McCloud, you have my most heart-felt apology for putting you through this unpleasantness. I hope you do not think less of us. With the exception of a few, most of us are really well-meaning and are scandalized by what we have learned today."

Krystal smiled for the first time that day and met the snow leopard's eyes. "I know....As you heard, I do not read the minds of others without their expressed permission, but your emotions do come through clearly. Like many of the good senators in this room, I sense in you the ambition typical of a career politician, but also your genuine concern and know your words are sincere."

Uncia chuckled. "Yeah, I guess I've always been a rather ambitious cat, but I'd like to think I've done some good."

Krystal's hands turned in the leopard's gentle grip and returned that grip. "You have. For a long time, I feared the day when I'd be confronted with others coveting my powers, but today's vote has lifted this weight from my shoulders...It warms my heart to know that if ever other survivors of my world's destruction are found, they can find a safe refuge here in Lylat where our telepathic abilities would not be exploited."

The chief minister nodded. "Well, as has been demonstrated today, I believe most of us have concluded that telepathy is best left to Cerinians."

The vixen then grew pensive. "What about those who don't agree?"

Uncia released the vixen's hand and leaned back in his chair. "Well, I believe that two of those who voted for the use of telepathy still felt we could enact laws based on your telepathic code of conduct. My impression of them is that they are both well-meaning. I do admit that the idea of developing telepaths did appeal to me initially, but learning of your turbulent history convinced me that we would be best without such an ability. I guess those two still feel otherwise. The third Yes vote, you can probably guess, came from Senator Starkey, who I can assure you will soon be removed from his position on the Intelligence Committee." The snow leopard sighed. "Unfortunately, your empathic impressions of his deceit will not be admissible in a court of law as hard evidence against him. However, I am certain that he will most likely lose the next election by a large margin, thanks to the media coverage of today's session."

Fox then spoke up. "What of General Striker?"

Peppy growled. "Leave him to me. His orders to the Paradigm Shift is hard evidence against him. When I got the report, I gave orders that he be arrested for court martial. If I have my way, he will be stripped of all rank, dishonorably discharged, and sent to the stockade."

Together, they all stood up. "I need to get back to my office." declared the chief minister. "I will probably have to deal with several press conferences. I bid all of you a good day." With those parting words, the leader of the Lylat government ambled away.

Together, Peppy, Fox, and Krystal walked out of the Senate Chamber and back into the waiting room, away from the prying eyes of the media. There, they were met with their friends. Miyu Lynx rushed up and hugged Krystal and Fox while Panther Caruso stood by and complimented Fox. "I again bow to the Fair Krystal's husband and lover in his gallant support of her righteous wrath against those who would wrong her and her people." He then grinned to the vulpine. "Nice touch, supplying her with things to throw at that dishonorable cretin."

Fox smiled sadly back to his former rival for the love of his life before turning to take her hands in his. "I've seen through Kurisutaru's memories of her childhood there how beautiful Cerinia and her people were." His voice cracked with the ache in his heart as he went on. "I fell in love with a world I'll never get to visit...So hearing of what that bastard did, I was ready to pound him into oblivion. Krystal just beat me to it. So it felt right to back her up all the way." He give his wife a smile full of adoration and admiration. "That gavel made a nice sound when it smash into his forehead. When I saw that heavy paperweight, I just had to give it to her to throw at him."

Falco crowed. "Nice shot, Blue. I'm with Foxy here. You did great, giving him hell." Katt grinned and nodded, and embraced the vixen, giving her a sisterly kiss on the nose. "All those spirits haunting the Shards of Cerinia must be smiling." Her features became solemn. "I think those dears can rest in peace."

Krystal tearfully nodded. "Yes. I think so too. Thank you." She gave a wistful smile to her friends until her gaze met Bill Gray's haunted eyes. With a comfortable familiarity of friendship, the telepath touched the bulldog's mind. She saw flashes of the obsidian arch, the ruined city with the dead floating inside the burnt building, and the horrors inside the Paradigm Shift.

Bill recoiled when he felt the vixen in his mind. "Please Luv....You don't want to see what I've seen." He stood there, whining forlornly.

Krystal quickly drew him into a tight embrace and was soon joined by Fox who also hugged his friend. Fox tried to console him. "We're so sorry you had to see such terrible things, Bill." He gazed around at his friends. "Let's all go to our home. I think we all need some time together." The tod nodded to Panther, who wasn't sure if he was included in Fox's circle of close friends. "And that includes you. You've been a wonderful friend to Miyu, and I consider you a good friend too."

Peppy placed a hand on Bill's shoulder. "I'm granting you and Bulldog Squadron shore leave. Take the time to come to terms with what you've seen."

*****

They were gathered in the basement recreation room, sitting around one of the sectional sofas. Krystal was sitting next to Bill and holding his hands in hers. "Bill, I know it's because you want to spare me from the things you saw, but I'd still like to help you. It hurts me to see you so troubled, and I think I can help you come to terms with what you saw, just like Fox helped me the night before we bonded."

Bill slowly shook his head and sighed. "I don't know....I kind of want to forget some of the things I saw there..."

"Oh Bill. I thought like you did, but no matter how painful, it's always better to never forget. I still remember like it was yesterday the telepathic screams of my people when my world shattered beneath them. That memory will always be with me, but I've come to terms with it and it has made me appreciate my life all the more." She leaned closer and looked pleadingly into his eyes. "Please Bill, let me enter your mind."

Her canine friend reluctantly nodded. "Well, it wasn't all bad. Something wondrous did happen too....and I think you should see that."

With a gentle tenderness, Krystal laid her hand against Bill's temple and eased into his mind. Fox sat next to his wife, seeing Bill's memories through his bond with her. To Falco, Katt, Miyu, Panther, and Fay, it seemed like only a few seconds went by, but in those seconds, Fox sat transfixed at the terrible and wondrous sights his friend saw at the Shards of Cerinia. Tears ran down on each side of his muzzle, matching those of his wife.

Krystal withdrew her hand and Bill sat back with a shaky breath, feeling as if a weight had been lifted from his heart. He looked tearfully at the vixen who had relieved his soul of such a terrible burden. "Thank you."

Fay drew her boyfriend into her arms and kissed him between his eyes. The two dogs then snuggled together while Krystal sat there digesting what she had seen in her friend's mind. "I am amazed that that arch survived. And seeing High Elder Shinkai's ghost...."

"What was that arch?" Bill asked.

"What arch?" Asked Miyu.

"Something survived Cerinia's destruction?" Asked Falco.

"Did you say a ghost?" Katt asked wide-eyed.

In response, Krystal fixed her gaze on her friends, and each in turn saw a brief image in their minds of a scarred, but whole obsidian arch floating among the asteroid remnants of Cerinia. "That arch stood over the memorial garden of our capital city. Somehow, in the destruction of my world, it survived whole." She then told them of the other things Bill saw in the Shards of Cerinia, both terrible and poignant. The vixen though didn't linger on the horrors he had seen aboard the Paradigm Shift as all had seen the recordings presented to the Senate.

She then revealed something that had not been revealed to anyone but Peppy. All listened raptly to Bill Grey's encounter with the spirit of Cerinia's last High Elder.

Panther shook his head in amazement. "So that is who had slain the crew of the Paradigm Shift."

Bill nodded. "I think I must have his blessing. He could see how distraught I and my wingmates were at finding the desecrated bodies...." He met Krystal's eyes, an expression of wonder gracing his features. "And that vision he gave me....I...I was standing on Cerinia in its final hours. I saw the 49 he sent away: twenty-four bonded couples, and an elder named Hiroshi...."

Krystal sat there, pensive. "It must have been shortly before I, my father, and the other guardians showed up. There were only three shuttles left when we got there. We could sense the fear in High Elder Shinkai, but he would only vaguely tell us that the situation was dire. He sent my father and the other guardians to Toba in a desperate attempt to undo the damage and me into high orbit to try and intercept Andross if he tried to escape. It's the only reason I survived my world's destruction."

Fox shook his head. "I still don't get how that could be Andross. He was supposed to have been a disembodied spirit at the time. This was eight years after the Lylat War, and before I defeated him at Sauria."

Krystal shook her head. "I don't know either, Fox. Unless it was another of Andross' clones. Then again, we only got a blurry image of him drilling into the caldera basin on our scanners."

"I guess we'll never know," Bill mused. He then met the vixen's eyes with renewed hope. "But Krystal, did you see the heading Shinkai sent them on? Did I interpret it correctly?"

In response, Krystal placed her hand once again against Bill's temple and probed his mind, focusing on the specific memory. After a moment, the vixen tearfully nodded. "Yes, you did....Oh Bill, we know in which direction they went."

Though hopefully optimistic, Bill cautioned. "Yes, but there are many habitable worlds in that direction, according to your high elder. It could be some time yet before we find them."

"I know, but we are that much closer, and we know you'll eventually find them." Krystal replied. She then got up and walked to the other side of the sectional sofa where she sat next to Fox and leaned into his welcoming embrace.

The room became quiet. Thoughts in the room dwelled on the tragedy that befell Krystal's people. Panther comforted Miyu by idly letting one hand caress her stomach and lovingly dragging his tongue along the back of her neck, grooming her in the way felines did. Falco gazed out the window while holding Katt who rested her head and rubbed her face in his chest plumage. Bill sought comfort in Fay's arms, sitting on her lap while resting his head on her shoulder as she embraced and caressed her boyfriend.

Thoughts in the room gradually turned from sadness, each couple wanting to comfort their significant other, to desire. Panther continued to affectionately groom his lady love, but now his other hand was gently groping one the female lynx's breast, and Miyu was responding with a purr. Katt was also purring now, rubbing her face along Falco's beak with him returning the affection. Almost simultaneously, both Bill and Krystal met their respective partner's lips in a kiss, their muzzles melding together in growing affection and a need to express their love for each other.

Krystal became aware of the shift in emotions in the other three couples, a shift she felt in herself and her soulmate as Fox began to kiss her more deeply. She could also sense the uncertainty in the others. All were on some level feeling self-conscious, unsure of how far they should go in expressing their love for each other. Each gazed nervously towards Krystal and the vixen picked up some of their surface thoughts and realized they were hesitant because she was an empath as well as a telepath. Fox also began to reign back his ardor, unsure of what to do next.

The Cerinian's response was to project an image into her soulmate's mind of what she wanted to do, making him gasp. The other three couples became aware of the change in Fox's demeanor. The tod's wide-eyed gaze met his vixen's. "Kurisutaru? Y-you really want this?"

"Yes....I would very much like to." Krystal replied. "It will do all of us here a lot of good." She gazed uncertainly to her friends around her. "....if they are comfortable with the idea."

"Comfortable with what, Blue?" Falco asked. When Krystal hesitated to reply, the avian eyed her tod. "What's she thinking, Foxy?"

"Well....Um...You see...."

"Oh my!" Katt purred. "I haven't seen Fox this bashful since long before he got married."

The tod closed his eyes and sighed, drawing his wife into a tight embrace. He rested his chin on her shoulder. "This is so far outside of what I'd normally do, but I can feel how strongly you want this." He opened his eyes and gazed at each couple around them while holding his vixen. "And their desire for each other is really coming in strongly through your empathy."

Krystal immediately sensed a flare of embarrassment from Miyu, Falco, and Katt. Panther was unconcerned, the feline exuding nothing but self-confidence. Bill and Fay, being closer telepathically to the vixen than the others, were not bothered at all.

Fox drew back from the embrace, though still held his wife in his arms. "You know I'll never refuse you, but you better explain it. If I tried, I'd get all flustered and make no sense to them."

Krystal turned to their friends and began explaining. "On Cerinia, we would grieve like anyone else when confronted by tragedy....and in a family or group of very close friends that were made up of several bonded couples, we would often wish to comfort each other like we were doing just a moment ago." She paused to gather her thoughts. "Expressing our love for our bondmates, both mentally and physically, was an affirmation that our departed loved ones would want us to go on living our lives to the fullest."

"I'm with you, Blue." Falco declared. "I'm quite sure your mom and pop, and your brother and sister and all your family and friends wouldn't want you to mope over them. Didn't they say that to both of you in that dream?"

Krystal smiled, her heart deeply warmed by her avian friend's words. "They sure did, Other Blue, and you are right." She took a deep, calming breath. "But there's more. You have to remember, we were all telepaths and empaths, and as some of you may have guessed, we Cerinians were more open about nudity and our sexuality....So after mourning, couples would often become intimate in the presence of their friends who would also be getting intimate with their bondmates, and emotions of love and pleasure would be empathically felt among all bonded couples."

Panther purred and smiled, "Remarkable. You Cerinians are truly romantic." Though at first uneasy, Miyu was reassured by her boyfriend's confidence.

Katt purred at the thought while Falco's beak hung open. "You mean to say that the last time we visited you, you sensed what Katt and I were up to in our guest bedroom upstairs?"

"Oh no, nothing like that, Falco." Krystal reassured her friend. "When you and Katt visited. I did sense emotions of love from you two upstairs and knew you were intimate with each other, but tuned it out to respect your privacy and focused on Fox." She nodded to Bill and Fay. "The same went for you."

Fox drew his vixen back into his arms, letting her rest her head on his chest while she closed her eyes and went on to explain. "But this time, I don't want to tune any of you out. Feeling the love and desire you have for your mates is soothing to my mind. After all the hurt and grief I felt today, all I want to do is make love with Fox, right here in front of all of you. And I'd love to sense the same affection and intimate emotions from all of you."

"If you guys are okay with this," Fox spoke up, "these two sectional sofas can open up into four beds."

Bill grinned and Fay wagged her tail. "Well, you've already been in both our heads," said Bill, "and I could use some loving from my girl after everything I've seen."

"I call dibs on the bed next to Fox and Krystal's." Fay declared while giving her boyfriend a smooch.

Panther grinned to his girlfriend. "So my Love, shall we show the Fair Krystal how much we adore each other?"

Miyu mewled and nodded, giving the telepathic vixen a bashful smile. "Yes...she needs to feel how grateful we are that she introduced us to each other."

Falco rolled his eyes. "Oh fine! We're all friends here. A little orgy would do us good."

"This is not an orgy." Krystal murmured happily while empathically soaking up the joyful emotions around her. "This is a celebration of life and love.

Fox, feeling both nervous and excited, stood up. "Then let's start celebrating." Gazing upwards, he called out, "ROB-32, we'll need four sets of sheets for the sectional sofa beds downstairs." Then with Bill's help, he pulled the beds out of the sectional sofa he, Krystal, Bill, and Fay were just moments before sitting on. ROB-32 walked in carrying all the bedding necessary for each couple. Panther and Falco had also each pulled out their beds while Fox finished helping Krystal make their own bed. The tod then walked over to the other two couples and had just handed each of them a set of sheets when he stumbled and whined. "Oh Spirits...."

Falco placed a hand on his friend's shoulder to steady him. "You okay, Foxy?"

"Yeah....Krystal's empathy is picking up some strong emotions." He glanced towards the other sectional sofa. Bill and Fay were already kissing and groping each other passionately under the sheets. Krystal was laying on her back on the adjacent bed with her eyes closed, breathing deeply while soaking up the passion radiating from the two dogs.

Panther winked to Fox with a grin before focusing all his attention to Miyu, rubbing his muzzle sensuously against the lynx's. Fox drew his gaze away from the two cats and looked on longingly at his wife, but with also a sense of trepidation. "Spirits, my bond with Krystal is going to make this intense."

Fox quickly made his way around the sectional sofa to his vixen, nearly running. A burst of passion from their feline friends made Krystal stiffen and pant while her husband swayed for a moment. The love permeating the room increased even further when they heard Katt coo and purr.

Fox though did not even bother to glance over at what Falco and his lover were doing. Gone was his initial bashfulness, replaced now by an inflamed desire for his vixen. Quickly pulling his shirt off, he climbed up on the bed while also kicking off his pants.

In short order, both were completely naked and Fox was laying on top of his wife with his muzzle locked onto hers in a deep kiss with his hands caressing her head and ears. Krystal responded by wrapping her arms around his back and pulling him firmly down upon her while her knees were wide apart and resting on the mattress.

Emotions of love, passion, desire, and lust from the others flooded into Krystal's empathic sense and across her bond to her lover. This only served to further inflame the tod's passion and desire for his vixen, which also flooded back into her. Already, he could feel the blood flow to his loins while he ground himself against her sopping wet nethers.

Krystal herself was already aching to feel her lover inside her. Delirious with need, she made no effort to reign in here powers. When Fox slid his maleness against her slit but did not penetrate her yet, Krystal mentally cried out her desperate need. Groans and whimpers echoed through the room as each mind was hit by the telepathic vixen's burning desire.

Bill, who was on the bed next to the vulpine couple's, was already mounting Fay from behind and driving himself into her. Both dogs stiffened when their minds were flooded by Krystal's desperate cries of need. As one, they glanced over to Fox and Krystal and beheld a beautiful and startling sight. Fox and Krystal had not even bothered to get under the sheets. Bill paused in his thrusts to drink in the vixen's naked beauty. His eyes roved over her, from her smooth, well-shaped breasts, down her curving and arched back, to her wide, feminine hips and thighs.

Fay was equally entranced, seeing the tod in all his naked glory. She could see Fox's lean, muscular build, his well-toned arms and legs, and strong, shapely rump with his tail arching proudly behind him. Fox at that moment became aware of the two sets of canine eyes on him and glanced over at Bill and Fay. The normally reserved vulpine though was beyond caring that he and his vixen were being watched by voyeuristic eyes.

Seeing that Bill was being afforded a sight that until now the tod alone had been privy to, Fox decided to give Fay an equal eyeful. Pushing himself off his vixen, Fox arched his back until his glistening maleness could be seen sliding against Krystal's slit. Fay's eyes naturally locked onto the erotic sight, not unlike that of her own boyfriend's.

Fox began to massage and fondle his wife's breasts while he continued to tease her by sliding his maleness against her treasure. Krystal moaned and whimpered needfully, projecting the desperate emotions to the others in the room, and most strongly through her bond to her lover. But Fox, having been blissfully bonded to his soulmate for several months now, was used to seeing himself from her point of view and feeling her emotions. He let her desperate desire wash over him and fill him with the same aching need. His friends though, were not accustomed to experiencing the telepathic vixen's emotions.

Falco was frantically pounding Katt, making her cry out happily. Both were desperate to fulfill an aching need that was not their own. Panther had his eyes locked on Fox and was mirroring his movements. The dark-furred feline was groaning, fighting his own aching desire to slip into his lady love while also suffering through Krystal's emotional need. Miyu was mewling loudly, begging to be taken, going mad with feeling both her and Krystal's desperation. Bill and Fay had shifted around and were facing Fox and his vixen while Bill resumed pounding his girlfriend from behind. When Krystal whimpered again, Bill cried out. "Dammit Fox! Give it to your wife!"

Krystal's empathic sense exploded with the same desperation echoing back to her from the three couples around then, and through her bond to her soulmate. Even if Fox had wanted to, being hit by such strong emotions from not only his wife, but from everyone around him, was too much for him to resist.

Fox dove down onto his wife and latched his muzzle to hers, shifted his hips, and plunged his length into her hot, needy depths. Krystal cried out in relief which quickly turned to joy and ecstasy when she was sent over a precipice that she had not realized she had been teetering upon. Fox whined like a vixen as his wife's orgasmic pleasure rushed across their bond through him.

Katt and Fay's cries of joy immediately followed. Falco shuddered quietly into his girlfriend. Bill closed his eyes, tightened his grip around his girl's belly and rammed his knot into her, tying them together. With a few more quick thrusts, he throbbed his pleasure into his climaxing girlfriend. Almost right after Fox had finally given in to his need, ears all around were assaulted by Miyu's piercing yowl of pleasure and pain when Panther rammed his barbed feline maleness into his lady lynx while giving the back of her neck a love bite.

Fox and Krystal though were oblivious of the other three couples except for their emotions of joy and love rushing through her empathy, which only served to intensify their own. He continued to undulate his back to drive himself in long, smooth strokes into his vixen while keeping his muzzle latched onto hers in a kiss full of love and adoration. Krystal had her legs wrapped tightly around her tod's back and again whined blissfully into another peak, which was again echoed by her bondmate.

Basking in their warm afterglow, the others watched in rapt fascination and renewed arousal the erotic sight of the vulpine lovers. Being canine and telepathically closer to Krystal than the others, Bill and Fay were most strongly affected by seeing and feeling the emotions emanating from the empathic vixen. Still knotted together and their eyes fixated on Fox and Krystal, Fay whined happily when her boyfriend resumed thrusting into her.

Fox's breath soon became ragged. He broke off the kiss and hugged his soulmate tightly while continuing to drive himself into her until his knot swelled inside her warm depths. The pressure of his swelling maleness against her sweet spot brought Krystal to her peak for a third time. Feeling her pleasure rush through him and his knot being squeezed by her folds brought Fox to his climactic moment as well. Tod and vixen both surrendered to the shared pleasure echoing back and forth across their bond, their bodies going rigid while Fox throbbed powerfully into his soulmate and Krystal's inner muscles convulsed and sent pleasure radiating through her body.

The intense emotions of love, relief, and joy from Krystal once again radiated out to their friends around them, inflaming their own passions for each other, which was reflected back to the empathic vixen, intensifying her and her soulmate's emotions. But to their astonishment, they for the first time also felt Fox's emotions hit them powerfully. The room suddenly became quiet while all of them watched the vulpine couple wide-eyed. Their shock turned briefly to concern when they could see that both of them were still paralyzed and not breathing. When they finally collapsed, went limp, and started breathing again in gasps, that concern turned to relief.

Still oblivious to the eyes fixated upon them, Fox sat back on his knees and pulled Krystal up on his lap, keeping his knot deeply buried in her. They resumed kissing each other, though languidly, both being thoroughly sated in a profound afterglow. It was only when emotions of astonishment and wonder started filtering through Krystal's empathy that the vulpine couple became aware of the quiet in the room and the eyes upon them.

The McClouds paused in their post-coital make-out session to look around at their friends. "What?" Fox asked. "Don't let us stop you from going on with the loving."

Falco's gaping beak snapped shut. "It's just....wow! You two are so....intense."

Fox laughed joyfully. "Oh, I don't know...Krystal's empathy was picking some intense feelings from all of you. And Miyu, I never knew you could be so loud."

Krystal giggled at seeing her feline friend bury her face in her pillow. "Those barbs sure drove you crazy." She then grinned to Miyu's boyfriend and shook her head. "Can't say I'd enjoy that myself."

Panther just smirked and shrugged. "Well, before I met Miyu here, I'd wear a condom to cover my barbs with any non-feline lovers." His eyes become smoldering as he bent down and kissed the back of his girlfriend's neck where he had bitten her. "Though feeling the passion between you and your lover has certainly inflamed mine."

Bill shook his head. "You two are amazing, and scary too."

"Scary?" Fox frowned. Krystal focused on Bill and gently tapped into his mind to read his recent memory. For the first time, Fox and Krystal saw themselves from another's point of view while they made love and saw the source of his concern.

Fox whistled. "Wow....It does look a bit scary."

They could see a light blush show through the pale blue fur of Krystal's face. The vixen smiled demurely. "Yes, that does happen to us when we orgasm together. It's because I feel Fox's pleasure through our bond in addition to my own, and also feel Fox feeling my pleasure."

"It's the same for me too," Fox admitted. He gazed around at their friends, feeling their astonishment through his wife's empathy. "What!?....You all were there at our wedding. You know Krystal and I are bonded and share all six senses together."

Falco chirped. "Damn Fox. That's insane. Now I know why you sound like a vixen each time Krystal cried out."

It was Fox's turn to blush. "Yeah....well, you'd sound like a female too if you experienced what she feels." He smiled and gave Krystal an affectionate lick between her eyes. "I've heard her sound like a tod a few times too."

Both vulpine felt the burst of jealousy from the male feline next to Falco. When Fox and Krystal both turned to look at him, Panther knew there was no point in denying it. "Of course, I'm envious." Forlorn feline eyes met calm vulpine eyes. "What male wouldn't want to know all that there is to know to pleasure his lady?"

"Panther, my bond with Krystal may have allowed me to know her every sweet spot, but nothing's stopping you from finding Miyu's. Just ask her. I'm sure she'll tell you what she likes best."

Miyu turned around under Panther and aggressively pulled her lover into a full kiss. "You already drive me wild, and I'll happily divulge all my feminine secrets to you!"

"Mmmm. I'll happily interrogate you, my sweet." Panther promised her, feeling his wounded pride assuaged.

Krystal and Fox giggled together, and the vixen cooed. "Ever the romantic, Panther, as always." She then grinned to Miyu. "He's definitely a keeper."

Fay gave a barking laugh. She then turned her head and gave her Bill a lick. "Loverboy here is sure a keeper too. Your knot felt wonderful. Can't wait for you to tie with me again."

Bill grinned and gave his girl a sloppy canine kiss while slowly withdrawing from her. "I'll gladly give it to you again when I'm rested, Luv." He shook his head in bemusement and wonder, his eyes resting on the vulpine couple who seemed to be still tied together. He drew Fay into his arms and snuggled with her while addressing his vulpine friend. "It still blows my mind that you are probably the only male in all of Lylat who knows what it feels like to be female....It's like you have access to forbidden knowledge."

Krystal gave a musical laugh that made Fox's heart flutter. "That's what Fox thought our first time on our wedding night, but I told him that that was typical for bonded couples on Cerinia."

Fay cooed. "Oooh, but that means you know what it feels like for boys too, Krystal."

Bill laughed, "Yeah, Krystal is probably the only female in Lylat who knows what it feels like for us guys. I wonder if your children will be like that...." A frightening thought then occurred to Bill. "Oh shit!...."

Fox frowned. "Damn. Something's got you really scared. Krystal can really feel it."

"Yeah....talking about forbidden knowledge....does that mean that when Krystal gets pregnant and has children, you'll experience that too?"

Falco, Katt, Panther, and Miyu, who had resumed their own loving activities, also became still when the full weight of Bills words sank in. Both males shuddered at the thought of what lay ahead for Fox.

Fox gave a heartfelt sigh and rested his chin on Krystal's shoulder. "The thought did occur to me, though I've not dwelt upon it....I do admit that the idea scares me a bit. Experiencing a vixen's orgasm is one thing, but experiencing my Kurisutaru's pregnancy and birth pains?.... I cannot even begin to imagine what that will be like, but hope I can endure it with her, again and again for the many children we both want."

Fay spoke some reassuring words that helped somewhat alleviate Fox's repressed anxiousness. "My mom told me once that the first pup was always the hardest, but the second pup and afterwards were easier to bare.

Krystal nodded, "That's what my mother also told me. Sanshain was really hard on her, but giving birth to me and Shinju afterwards was much easier, and my father's bond with Mother really helped."

"How so?" asked Fay.

Krystal shook her head. "I'm not sure, except that on Cerinia, the father was always at his bondmate's side when she gave birth and helped her deal with the birth pains."

Fox nodded. "Maybe it has to do with the idea that pain that is shared is less than pain endured alone...and if that is the case, it gives me hope that I'll be strong enough to endure what you'll be going through to give us the children we both want."

Krystal nuzzled her tod and smiled. "I know you will, and once we've recovered, I'll remind you once again what it means to love a telepath." When she placed her hands firmly upon his temples, Fox closed his eyes and tightened his arms around his soulmate, happily surrendering himself to what he knew was about to happen. He whimpered blissfully from once again feeling his vixen's love for him surging through his very being.

The others all smiled or outright grinned at witnessing Krystal's overt display of her powers over her husband. The four couples spent the rest of the afternoon rejoicing in intimate love. Fox never even bothered withdrawing from the comforting warmth of his soulmate, and continued to make love to her. By sunset, a feeling of sated contentment filled the room.

Krystal then commented. "I am actually feeling rather famished, and I can hear some of you thinking about food as well."

Several stomachs rumbled, including Fox's, who giggled. "I don't think you need telepathy to know that. How about we get cleaned up and dressed? I'll have ROB-48 prepare us a feast."

Fox got up, sliding wetly out of his vixen, and helped her to her feet. He gazed around at their friends, all now standing around. Like he and his wife, all were naked. "Look at us, all together here, and not a shred of clothing on."

"And not a shred of bashfulness from any of you either." Krystal added with a smile full of joy.

"Eh, after our little celebration, seems rather pointless to worry about clothes." Falco shrugged.

"All of you are turning into Cerinians." Fox grinned. "You bring your loincloth, Falco? I should have Madam Samantha make more loincloths for the rest of you."

"Nah. Didn't expect we'd all be getting naked together." Falco then eyed Katt with a glint in his eyes, "Though I wouldn't mind seeing you in a loincloth and bra. I wonder what color would look good with pink fur."

Miyu eyed Panther with a sultry look. "Mmmm. You did ask me at their wedding if I'd like to see you in a loincloth. Let's get ourselves some."

"Gladly, My Sweet." Panther purred back.

Bill laughed. "Sure. Why not?"

"I want my loincloth and bra in pink!" Fay declared.

Bill eyed the pink bow she often had on her head and smirked. "Why am I not surprised?"

Fox laughed. "Spirits, I was joking about the loincloths, but Krystal and I love you guys for wanting to actually get fitted for some."

After washing up, they were all dressed again and had a pleasant informal dinner together in the formal dining room. Stories were exchanged, jokes were told, and laughter was shared by all. Despite the heartache she endured that day, Krystal was filled with happiness. She smiled fondly to Bill. Her canine friend had High Elder Shinkai's blessing. She knew that the other survivors would welcome him as a friend to all Cerinians when they touched his mind and felt the echo of the High Elder's spirit in him. Fay was as bubbly as ever. Her cheerful disposition was infectious and brought a smile to all who spoke with her. She was the best thing that could have happened to Bill.

The same could be said of Falco and Katt. The pink feline was an anchor that helped ground her avian friend. Falco had matured so much in the last few months. The responsibilities of command as leader of Star Falco had really brought out the best in him.

Shy, bashful Miyu, ever the romantic, had found her prince charming in Panther Caruso. The lynx had found a home as a member of Star Wolf and fit better on that team than Krystal herself ever did. The changes in Panther were by far the most profound. While he had been kind and considerate towards her when they flew together on Star Wolf, Krystal knew that he had been ever the tomcat on the prowl, always on the lookout for the next romantic encounter whenever they were planetside. Panther now seemed to have lost interest in looking for the next female to romance. The black-furred feline was truly smitten when it came to Miyu Lynx. And his admiration and respect for Fox was truly genuine.

Krystal met her husband's eyes and smiled back to him, knowing that he had been listening in on her thoughts. "I have, and I couldn't agree more," she heard him think to her.

By late evening, Panther and Miyu decided to excuse themselves. Both needed to return to their flat in Corneria City. The next morning, they would meet with Wolf and the other Star Wolf pilots to be measured for their own pressure suits. Falco, Katt, Bill, and Fay accepted Fox's invitation to spend the night in the upstairs guest suites. Star Falco would be heading out in a few days on a contract to hunt down Venom agents associated with the assassination attempt on Fox. Bill and the rest of Bulldog Squadron would be heading back on the Dauntless on another exploration expedition, this time towards a line of star systems along the heading High Elder Shinkai's spirit had showed Bill.

Fox was in bed, waiting for Krystal to finish meditating. He felt at peace with himself and looked forward to another night of nocturnal intimacy with his wife. Just then, his communicator signaled an incoming call. He saw who it was and answered it. "Hey Peppy. How are things?"

"Could be better," came a weary reply.

Fox sat up straight in bed with a feeling of unease. "I'm listening."

"Gordon Striker has gone AWOL and evaded capture. Doctor Cattus is also missing. I've put out an alert with orders to capture, but I thought you and Krystal should be aware that those two are still at large."

Fox closed his eyes and listened to his wife breathing deeply from her meditation alcove. "I'm not letting that poltroon dictate how we live. Let him run, if he wants." was the only thought he heard from his vixen before she resumed meditating.

"Thanks for letting us know, Peppy. We'll keep our guard up, but Krystal and I are not going to get bent out of shape because he's on the run."

"Glad to hear it, Fox. You two have a good night."

"Goodnight Peppy." Fox closed his communicator and set it back on his nightstand.

Just then, Krystal walked back into their bedroom. She crawled under the silk sheets and snuggled up next to her tod. "What should we do this weekend?"

"Mmmm. What about making plans for our future children?" Fox thought back while gently caressing one of her breasts and letting his other hand cup her nethers._ "You know that it's been on my mind to completely retire when our first pup is born. We'll need to find some hobbies to keep us occupied when our pups are not needing our attention."_

"Sounds like a wonderful idea," Krystal thought back while sighing happily at the intimate touch. From the emotions she was sensing from upstairs, she knew they were getting intimate, but Krystal was only interested in focusing all her attention on her lover._ "You were wonderful today, letting your passions show, even with our friends watching us."_

"It's because of you. I love you so much that I'll do anything for you." Fox pulled his vixen closer to him and melded his muzzle to hers in a tender kiss.

"I love you too, Fox." _ While returning the kiss, Krystal eyed the knot sleeve on the nightstand. She reached for it while keeping her muzzle locked with her husband's. _"But for now, I want to spend the night drinking your essence."

Fox groaned happily as he watched his wife worm her way down under the sheets to his growing erection. Moments later, he felt the silicone sleeve encircle his base where his knot would grow and sighed blissfully upon feeling the wet warmth of her muzzle around his length.