FSE

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As the fox took his seat at the round table, he glanced around his surroundings. The four gray walls of the room did little to help the fox's growing tension. There was nothing in the room besides the table, a large viewing window that looked down upon a lush, green and blue planet below the station, the double doors he had just walked through, and two others in the room with him. A human sat opposite of him. His all black clothing and glasses gave off a menacing feeling. Even if one didn't know who he was, this human would still strike fear deep into their heart. After all, Hiigan had once been one of the best mercenaries in the Lylat system. While he was now aging, the human was still someone the fox would never want to cross. The blue furred vixen beside him, however, was the direct opposite. Her emerald eyes always held a gentle, caring look. Although she was dressed in a tan, ribbed combat vest and black shorts, the white pattern on her arms and the bottom parts of the sun-like designs on her legs were still visible, the fox noted one thing that was different about the vixen he called his partner. Krystal had taken the three bands out of her tail. Without them in, her tail's bushy fur had been combed down. As the fox looked back to the human opposite of him, he asked, "Alright, why do I have a feeling I'm about to hear something I really don't want to hear." The human placed a large folder on the table, "Because your instincts have been fine tuned by your training, Ronin." Chase sighed as Hiigan pushed the folder to him. "As you know, we were attacked by a previously unknown enemy a few weeks ago." Hiigan began, "The bad news is that we have found that they do not take defeat lightly." "None of our enemies do." Chase replied. As he opened the folder, the fox's mind recounted the events that had taken place about a week ago now. The headquarters of the corporation that he worked for had come under attack by an aggressive force. After three days, most of the transports that held those who worked for the corporation had fled to different sections of the Lylat system, some even farther into the out reaches of the system. On the third day, non-essential personal had been evacuated and attacked by the enemy that had been waiting in orbit for the short time period. In a daring assault on the flagship, Chase and a small team of mercenaries had destroyed the flagship's main weapon, a sub orbital mass driver cannon with enough power to destroy a large, planet-side outpost. During the attack, Chase's interceptor, the Phoenix GX4, had sustained minor damage to his warp core, causing it to fail during his jump to the outpost he was currently in. After the failure had been detected by his crafts AI unit, Chase had been knocked out with a powerful gas. Three days later, the fox had woken up in the hospital section of an orbital outpost with no memory in between. Shortly after that, the station had been abandoned as the corporation forces mobilized. Now, the bulk of the corporation's mercenary forces were stationed above Sauria. "Well, we now know who attacked us." Hiigan stated. Chase looked to his partner, who shrugged. "Hiigan said that he wouldn't tell me who it was until he told you." Krystal explained, already knowing what Chase would say. "Alright, so who was our guest?" Chase asked. Hiigan nodded to the folder. As Chase opened it, he read the name on one of the files. "Sevfel?" the fox asked. Hiigan nodded, "Yes. Although I would not expect that you or Ronin-2 would know who the Sevfel are. The war was before your time." As Chase handed the file to Krystal, Hiigan stood up and looked down at the planet below them. With a sigh, the human looked back at the two foxes. "As you both know, we are current stationed in outpost F-386, an old military outpost in orbit around Sauria." Hiigan explained, "But what you have not been told, is that Sauria is also the place where an elite team of mercenaries, hired by Lylat Command to defend the planet, stood against thousands of well armed, well coordinated enemies. That was thirty years ago, during the war against the Sevfel shortly after they had decided to try to add it to their ever expanding empire." "Why does this place seem to always have bad news around it?" Chase whispered to Krystal. The vixen shrugged in reply as Hiigan continued, "The Sevfel are like nothing you two have encountered. In a sense, they are like the Aparoid armies you faced while Krystal was still with her old team, Star Fox. They do not come peacefully to any planet. If they arrive, it is only to conquer. But unlike the Aparoids, we do not fully understand the reasons for their attacks. The placement of their forces seems random at times, strategic at others. We have found in past skirmishes with them that they have some belief that they are inherently the masters of the Lylat system, vowing to crush anyone in their way. If a race fights back, it is annihilated. But, if it surrenders, it is enslaved and left to work for the Sev`fel. "

As the human sat back down, he began typing on a keyboard that was built into the steel table. Once he finished, a pedestal rose from the table and began to hum.

"What I am about to show you is the reason you two are here." Hiigan explained, "Since we know the Sevfel are a highly violent race, the higher ups are expecting some sort of payback for the loss of one of their Flagships. It has happened, so this is what you two will be up against this time." After a few seconds, what looked like a large lizard appeared as a hologram. Dark, pebbled skin covered the creature. Its glowing red eyes gazed at them, as if it were examining the three. It didn't blink, but a set of clear lens swept quickly across its eyes, then retreated back in the direction they'd come from. A set of dark red blades jutted out from the creature's arms and back. "Ugly thing isn't it?" Chase commented. "Do not underestimate this creature Ronin." Hiigan warned, "This is a Sevfel. Usually they prefer to leave the ground fighting to their robotic units, covering them in high speed, well armed assault crafts. But, when they enter the battle themselves, anything in their path has been known to be destroyed with unrelenting and blood thirsty force." "Ok, so we shoot them before they can shoot us." Chase stated calmly, "It's a done deal." "Not as easy as you may believe." Hiigan replied, "The shielding system you currently employ was created from stolen Sevfel shield generators. They have a stronger version now, but it still has the same flaws. Energy weapons have little to no effect on their shields, but solid rounds can penetrate with multiple shots." "Armor piercing rounds then?" Chase asked. "Exactly." Hiigan answered, "Standard to your pistols and your partner's rifle." Krystal glanced at Chase with worry. Krystal had never been like Chase. Once she had joined up with Fox and the others, she'd never shot another living creature while looking it in the eyes. Robotic adversaries, yes, but nothing organic. Chase noticed her look and patted the vixen's back, "Don't worry, I'm sure we wont be fighting them anytime soon." "At least, not the Sevfel themselves." Hiigan added, "While you were in the medical bay, Ronin, the Sevfel moved quickly in retaliation for our defense. So far, besides sealing off our own world for themselves, they have taken three of our colonies near the edge of the Lylat system and do not seem to be stopping at that. We lost contact with the last one this morning. Right now, we are assuming the Sevfel sent in their worst." "Then what will we be up against?" Krystal asked nervously. Hiigan tapped at the keyboard again and a new image appeared in place of the Sevfel. Unlike the creature they had just seen, this was a robot. The steel gray fighting machine floated in midair, a small engine under its tail keeping it aloft. From the torso up, it looked almost human. A human made from steel plating with two curved spikes over each shoulder, but it still looked human until Chase saw the end of the arms. On the right side, where the hand should be, was a multi-barreled repeating energy blaster. But that was nothing compared to the other hand. On its left hand were four, two foot long, steel claws. The hologram quickly lashed out with the claws before opening fire with its other hand. "Ok, that thing looks nasty." Chase commented as the bot continued to attack its unseen foe, "What is it?" "This is the S48R robotic infantry force." Hiigan replied, "But in the war, we called them 'Reapers'. That gun can fire several hundred rounds per minute at 20,000 feet per second. In short, they are fully equipped with an energy based minigun that never has to be reloaded. But it can overheat after a few seconds." Neither of the two doubted that as they watched the hologram open fire once more. "Alone, the Reaper can be a very formidable foe. They are fast, cunning, and highly capable of overcoming any obstacle between it and its target. But in a standard assault pack of six or more, they are a nightmare." Hiigan explained, "Never allow yourself to be cornered by even one of these units." "How thick is their plating?" Chase asked. "Actually, it is surprisingly light." Hiigan answered, "Our newest generation of assault rifles can take down a Reaper in two short bursts. Armor piercing bullets can cause a good amount of damage to their light plating. The trouble is hitting them while they are moving." "How fast can something like that move?" Krystal asked, already knowing she wouldn't like the answer. "Usually, a Reaper will attack around the same speed you can run at Ronin-2." Hiigan replied, "They may not be the fastest robotic adversary you have faced, but they are one of the fastest to regroup and attack, learning while they fight, almost in an organic sense. Although, over the past three decades, we are not sure what upgrades the Sevfel have made to their robotic armies or what new units have been introduced." "Sounds like they took after the Aparoids." Krystal commented, a shiver running down her spine as she remembered the fights she had been in against the robotic parasites. As the hologram vanished, Hiigan said, "Ronin, you and your partner have been ordered to investigate one of our colonies near the Katana Outpost. If it is Sevfel activity, you are to remove the threat at all costs. But this operation will not begin until tomorrow." "Will we have any reinforcements?" Krystal asked, "After all, the Katana Outpost is watched over by Lylat Command ever since the Aparoid attack." "We tried to notify them about the threat, but they do not wish to hear about it." Hiigan replied, "It would seem that no one else wants to believe the possibility of the Sevfel returning." "So we're on our own again." Chase sighed, "Figures that I'd wake up and get thrown back into the hellfire." * * * Later that night, Chase was laying on one of the beds in the hotel suite sized dormitory he and Krystal had been given. While his partner bathed, Chase had decided to rack his brain for reasons Lylat Command would not want to get involved in possibly defending their own turf. But in the end, nothing made itself apparent except that the corporation usually never went out of their way to ask for assistence, especially from Lylat Command. Thought they did major business in weapons and technology, the two kept their distance from each other. At the sound of a door opening, Chase looked up just in time to see Krystal walk out of the bathroom, her soft, blue and white furred body covered only by a white towel that she had wrapped around herself. Her hair was already combed in its usual way, her hair band keeping it in place. "You know, if I were another male, I'd probably take that towel off you." Chase commented as she opened the closet opposite him, "It'd probably be a very interesting view." "Then it's a good thing you're not." Krystal laughed gently as she looked back at him, "Or I'd have to break your arm." As the vixen reached for her clothing, Chase sat up and picked up his Stinger handgun. The 9mm handgun wasn't the most threatening weapon the fox had been trained to fight with, but it was definitely his best. It was small in size with a fifteen bullet, bottom fed, magazine and could fire in three shot bursts. Its accuracy and firepower made it his favorite weapon. Every bullet inside the magazine was armor piercing, perfect for taking down almost anything robotic that the fox mercenary had gone up against in his time working for the corporation as a mercenary. The fox sneaked a peek at his partner. When he looked, the fox noted that her towel had been removed, but Krystal was now dressed in a white tank top and a pair of shorts that were short enough to see most of the sun design on her upper legs. With a sigh, he got off the bed and grabbed the holster for his weapon of choice. "Going somewhere Chase?" Krystal asked. "I just need to get something out of my head." The fox replied, holstering his Stinger at his hip, "I think you know what I mean." "Alright Chase." Krystal said, picking up a book from the bedside table. "I'll probably be back pretty soon." Chase replied, "I just want to see what this station has to offer." * * * After exploring his new home, Chase found himself in the nightclub section of the station. After the first war, Chase had learned that the outpost had been remodeled to attract tourists to boost the Saurian economy. But before the incident with one General Scales, it had been shut down to be reinstated as a military outpost. But for now, the night club was still in operation to relax the mercs who now called it home. But what the fox found there really surprised him. As Chase sat down, a female voice asked, "Same as usual, foxie?" The fox looked up in surprise to find a good looking, female wolf standing behind the bar. Her tawny eyes held an understanding that almost rivaled the look in his blue vixen partner's eyes. Wearing a tan shirt with a red vest over it and a light red miniskirt, Mira slid a glass of water to his hand. "You know me all too well Mira." Chase smiled as he took the glass, "Water still free?" "As far as I know." The wolf replied, "Although, I heard you were out for a while." Chase nodded, "Something went wrong during the jump. Past that, I have no clue what happened." As the fox took a sip, he glanced around. While it seemed like the normal nightclub, something was missing. Or rather, someone was missing. The pink furred, multi-tailed vixen who usually was on stage around this time. At least, she would have been if the fox was back home, instead of in an outpost. "Where's Bianca?" Chase asked, "Isn't it usually her night to dance?" "Usually it would be, but I don't have a clue where she is right now." Mira replied, "She said she had some business to attend to on one of the colonies." "Dang, I wanted to thank her again for watching over Krystal." The fox replied, "If it hadn't been for her, I don't know what Krystal would have done." "I'll call you when she's back in, foxie." Mira smiled, "Right now, how about you tell me what the hell is going on?" "Well, I'm drinking water and you're standing there." Chase answered. "You know what I meant." Mira smirked, "I mean, who was it that attacked us?" "Heard of a race called the Sevfel?" "Heard of them? Foxie, I was raised under Sevfel control. My colony was one of the last to be enslaved during the war." Chase looked at her with surprise, "You never mentioned that before." "You never asked." Mira replied, "But yes, I was raised for three years in the Sev`fel enslaved colony before it was liberated." "That was thirty years ago." Chase looked the wolf over, "But you don't look a day over twenty-five." Mira smiled, running her hands along her slim, curvy figure, "I keep in shape foxie. You'd be surprised just how much exercise I get per night around here." Chase smiled and looked away as Mira bent down to pick up a glass. When she came back up, Chase was holding his Stinger, his finger drumming a tattoo onto the grip on the weapon. "So I guess they've returned then." Mira said sadly. "Yeah. Hiigan wants us to free a few of the colonies they've taken." Chase explained, "He said our main threat would be their Reapers." "Well, be careful down there, Chase." Mira said, "Don't do anything you'll regret." Chase looked at Mira quickly. She had never used his real name since he had first seen her at the bar back at the base when he had left training just over ten years ago. "What?" Mira asked at his questioning look. "You just called me 'Chase'." The fox said, "You never call me by my real name." "That's because you usually aren't going into the fight." Mira replied, laying a hand on the fox's shoulder, "Usually you come in after a mission. It's usually a reassurance to me that you're still alive. I mean, even when you were out for this short time, this place was completely different. You affect a lot more than you realize, Chase." "Alright, I'll be careful." Chase said, "But no promises." Mira giggled softly, "That's the foxie I know." * * * When Chase returned to the dorm room, he saw that his partner was still awake. As he walked in, Krystal looked up from her book. "So?" Krystal asked. "So what?" Chase asked in return, sitting on the other side of the bed. "So, did the outpost pass your inspection?" the vixen smiled. Chase grinned back, "Yeah, it'll do. But if this is operation is just the beginning, we're going to need more than we currently have." Krystal nodded, setting the book down on the bedside table. As she did, Chase set his Stinger back down on the table on his side of the bed. But as he did, he looked over to his partner and saw her worry. "What's on your mind Krystal?" Chase asked, lying down beside her. The vixen looked to him, her emerald eyes still filled with worry, "Chase, I've almost lost you several times now. In our few years of being partners, I was never afraid to lose you until I thought I did back on Sauria. I do not want to lose you to this." Chase nodded, remembering all too well the fiery crash that he had almost died in before Krystal's capture. "Krystal, I'm sure we'll be fine." Chase said gently, rubbing her shoulder, "I mean, think about it. We may have had some pretty close calls with death, but we've also had one thing that kept us alive before you left." When Krystal looked back at him, the fox smiled, "We've had each other. You have to admit, we make a pretty good team for being apart for over four years." Krystal nodded quietly, knowing that Chase was right. Before the Sauria incident, the two had been two of the best mercenaries the corporation had to offer. Ever since she had left to join Fox McCloud and the rest of his team, she had only heard rumors of her partner still being alive. But now that they were back together as the Ronin team, Krystal had begun to worry about her partner more then she had in the past. While his occasional recklessness in combat had only grown over the years, Krystal knew that he would still do whatever it took to bring her back alive. "I guess you're right Chase." Krystal said as the fox continued to rub her shoulders, "But do me one favor?" "Anything." The fox replied. With a smile, the vixen turned to her partner, her arms pulling him into a hug. Chase gave in and hugged her back, holding the lovely vixen close as she nosed his neck. "Don't you ever tell me not to fight again." Krystal said with a smile. "I'd never have it any other way." Chase replied with a soft chuckle.