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Chapter 4: Downtime.

For the first time in a long while, Krystal blearily opened her eyes, blinking away the blurriness of actual, genuine sleep. The vixen was actually warm; she could feel blankets all around her. Wherever she had been sleeping wasn't the most comfortable place she had slept on, but after that stasis chamber she would have been satisfied with a dirt floor.

The vixen scrunched her eyes as she tried to get her bearings. She was in some sort of vehicle, although by the sensations she felt it had been stopped. There wasn't anyone else in the cabin, which gave her time to look around without being spotted.

Scattered memories of last night flashed in her mind, along with more than a few questions. That strange being had saved her life, and she had saved his in return. That particular memory stood out, and it was something she was a little ashamed of. Krystal had used her abilities to go through the man's mind... while he was thinking about how to use his blaster pistol, she had went ahead and shot the attacking reptile with it. Reading the mind of a friend or ally without their express permission was heavily frowned upon on Cerinia.

However... what exactly was he? She knew of most of the Lylatian species, and he didn't look like any of them. Also, why had he risked his life to save her? For all she knew, it wasn't his job... even though the assistance was welcome. Her mind starting to mull over questions, she decided to pull the blankets off her form and take a better look of what she had gotten herself into.

The vehicle wasn't all that well appointed, compared to the luxury hovercraft her family had. Granted, being in one of the families on the Grand Council counted her amongst the political elite, most of the Lylat-based technology they had was opulent even by their standards. In contrast, the transport she was in appeared stripped and utilitarian. The glass surrounding the viewports was extremely thick, and it was obviously built to withstand abuse.

There was a large opening in the roof, and Krystal looked through it... enjoying the sight and warmth of the sunlight streaming in. A huge blaster cannon was mounted on a turret of sorts... that much she knew by Maloc's explanation on outer space battles. The vehicle's purpose dawned on her... it was military. A light attack transport, she wagered. There was enough room for supplies and cargo, as well as soldiers. But, why was there only one of them?

Krystal's stomach grumbled, and her thoughts were distracted. He had to have food... food and water. The cargo area was the obvious place so she crawled back there. Rifling through the scattered assortment of possessions, she came across a strange box. Upon opening it the vixen found several packages... they were tan in color, and the Lylat language printed on them read 'Meal, Ready to Eat.' She picked one at random and set it aside... it was strange how they could package food in such a small space.

Now for water. It took a lot more digging, but she found another box propped up against a large barrel bolted to the floor of the vehicle. There were many green bottles full of liquid... more than likely water. With a grin she grabbed two of them and slid back into her makeshift bed.

Krystal immediately ran into problems. She couldn't find a way to open the bottles. Tugging them off didn't work; they were sealed tight. Twitching an ear in frustration, she put more strength into it... just in time to sense the vehicle's owner approach the door. She made a show of not being startled as the stranger tapped on the glass window next to her head.

As he opened the door, she got her first good look at him. He bore a resemblance to a Simian, although he sported far less fur than any Lylatian or Cerinian she had ever seen. The tiny bit of it he had was focused in a pattern around his mouth, as well as a very small amount on the top of his head... all a very dark brown in color. The clothing he wore was strange; all tans and browns, interspersed in a pattern of small squares. A complex series of belts and straps were present all around his body... the blaster pistol she had used was once again affixed to his leg, and another blaster rifle was slung on his back. She was about to speak, but he beat her to the punch... motioning to the bottle she had in her paws. "Wow. Hot damn, it's happy hour already." Her strange ally chuckled, shaking his head. He spoke Lylat at the very least... and she once again thanked Melos that she could understand him.

"Happy... hour?" Krystal inquired, setting the bottle aside. She was confused at the term, so she looked into his steel-gray eyes... trying to find any sign of a joke without delving into his thoughts like she had before.

"You grabbed a couple bottles of beer, right? Ain't saying it's a bad thing... after the past few days I really could go for a cold one, too." He reached behind his back, withdrawing a green plastic flask... which he then handed to her. "You're probably pretty damn hungry and thirsty right now."

The Cerinian nodded, taking the flask. It had a top to it, but surprisingly this one came off much more easily than the 'beer' bottle. The slightly metallic tang of water reached her nose... the vixen gave a grateful smile to the stranger, and took a gulp. "Thank you. For everything."

He stood back and nodded, glancing at the tan packet she had set on her lap. "Chicken and noodles, huh? I'll get that set up for you... I was about to sit down to some breakfast myself." He moved away from the vehicle, motioning for her to follow.

Krystal made her way out, staying behind the soldier. He had to have been one... the military vehicle, the clothing, and the gear all screamed it. There weren't many regular soldiers on Cerinia, so seeing one from another culture was an oddity. The blasters he used were... different, also. Cerinian police and military used very basic versions of her Guardian staff... they could use the fire blaster function but weren't sophisticated enough to be imbued with other magical energies.

The area they had parked in was a large clearing, overlooking a smallish lake. The scene was quite peaceful, and there were no rampaging reptiles to spoil the tranquility. He had set up a small spot right next to the lake... a large tan backpack was sitting there, and two large bags filled with small brass objects seemed to be the main focus of attention. Her strange new ally sat down in front of the bags, removing a box similar to hers... before reaching a hand out to her. "Lemme see your MRE."

Krystal handed the packet to him and watched with rapt attention as he slit them both open with a large knife... the one she remembered him using against the reptile that had been beating her. Several other packets lay within, as well as a small box. He opened those, revealing yet another packet... his species had some sort of fascination with food packets, she thought.

While he fiddled with the food packets, he glanced up to her. "While these things are brewing... I think we've got a lot to talk about, Miss." He was direct and to the point, but he held out his hand to her in a friendly manner. "First... I'm Sergeant Brian Lancing. Echo Squad leader, Bravo Platoon... United States Marine Corps." His mention of squads and platoons confirmed her suspicions... he was in fact a soldier.

She reached out a paw to grasp and shake his hand... it was a Lylat custom her brother had showed her... Maloc had taught her the language and some of their customs in preparation for a diplomatic trip that had never happened. "I am Krystal Haleth, of the Haleth family. Guardian Adept of Cerinia, and hopeful for membership to the Great Council." Now that she thought about it, Brian had introduced himself in much the same manner as a Cerinian. However, while Maloc had told her stories of the Cornerian Marines... she had heard nothing about a 'United States.'

Brian had scratched the fur on his face in a thoughtful manner, thinking a little bit before replying. "Seems obvious to me. You're a walking, talking fox... speaking English, no less. So... this is Cerinia, I take it?"

Krystal shook her head. "No. I honestly don't know where I am. We have enough time, so I guess I should tell you... tell someone." She began her tale of the past two days... although it was probably more like two months. She nearly broke down in tears at several spots, but the Marine sat through all of it; listening like he was absorbing her tale and filing it away. "Cerinia is my home planet... I was completing the Trials... a series of tests in order to become a Guardian. I had finished the last Trial, when the Great Hall we were in was attacked... soldiers from some part of Lylat; Venom, I think my brother called them." The vixen paused for a moment, turning her head away. She didn't want to break out into tears in front of a near-stranger, but the memories were just too fresh.

"They started killing anyone that even looked at them; fired some sort of gas into the Hall. My family escaped, my parents, brother, and I... and ran to our shuttlecraft. The soldiers were after me, but none of us knew why." She paused for a moment, shutting her eyes, continuing even through the tears.. which Brian could plainly see. "They shot my mother, right in front of me. My brother threw me in stasis and set the shuttle to take off. I was supposed to show up on a planet called Aquas, where he would meet me... but I ended up here instead."

Brian reached towards the boxes that held their meals. Noting that they were pretty much done, he extracted the pouches and opened them, handing her one of them and its accompanying spoon as he responded. "So... some alien combatants were after you for some reason, and your mother was killed helping you get off your planet. You were stuffed into some sort of stasis machine, woke up after your ship crashed here... and then that's when you had a go with those lizard-men?" At her nod, he continued between bites of his beef stew. "So, looks like both of us are stuck here in the ass end of nowhere."

The vixen took an experimental bite before starting in on the meal ravenously. It was some sort of meat with noodles and a thick sauce, but it was actually really good for being stuffed in a packet. She had finished hers in mere moments, before looking up at him and attempting to wipe the dregs of the ration from her muzzle. "What happened to you, Brian? How did you end up here?"

"Hoo boy." Brian arched an eyebrow at his new ally. He was hesitant to call her a friend, but she had been through some really rough shit. Since they both had no clue what was going on, it was apparent that they needed to stick together until they got to the bottom of this. "Basically, to set the scene, my nation is at war. We were trying to take a city away from the hands of the enemy.. they held onto it pretty damn well."

To her credit, Krystal didn't ask any questions, listening to what he had to say until he was finished. "My squad was ordered to attack one of their fortified positions. It was a mix-up with the officers, I think. Some of them probably didn't know there were already plans to attack the building with an experimental weapon. A high-ranking officer told me to get my men out of there, so I did... and I got hit with the weapon in the process." The Marine waved around, indicating wherever the Hell they were. "I ended up here. Pretty damn disturbing, if you ask me."

The vixen glanced up to him. She was curious as to why he fought wars, but it really didn't matter right now. They were stuck on whatever planet they had been cast away on. She needed to get to Aquas, and Brian needed to get back to... wherever he was from. Those were the questions she needed to ask. She wasn't about to look into his mind again. While he wasn't cautiously aware of it, she could sense a faint amount of distrust. They needed to stick together, and Krystal wasn't about to jeopardize the only ally she had here. "Where do you come from?"

"I guess since we're using planet names... it's called Earth. Before you ask, we only have rudimentary space travel... we've only gone to our moon a few times, and have landed robots on the nearest planet. As far as anyone knows... I guess I'm the only human to set foot on a habitable planet other than our own." It was the truth, but he didn't feel like embellishing too much. Brian doubted Krystal was a threat, but the presence of technologically advanced militaries elsewhere was what worried him.

"It sounds much like Cerinia, honestly. The only reason we have spacecraft is because we bought them from Lylatian traders. I just find it... odd that you are speaking their language, yet you're from a completely different world." The vixen twitched her ear as she said that... that was something that didn't make any kind of sense.

"Mystery of the universe, I guess. I'm not a linguist... and believe me, you've done some odd things that I've every right to ask you about in return." At her puzzled look, he patted the holster on his thigh... the one that held his Colt. "There are people who carry one of these because someone who hasn't handled one before doesn't usually know how to operate it. You snagged it from me in that fight, got a proper grip... even disengaged the safety like you had been born around one of these." His steel gray eyes stared into hers. "How'd you figure it out?"

Krystal turned away from him, her ears lowering and tail drooping With her soiled clothing and matted fur, she really did look like a sorry sight. Her response was quiet, but in the near-silence anyone could have heard it. "I... I read your mind. Please forgive me... it was the only way I could have made sure that reptile didn't kill you."

"Wait a minute." Brian's tone of voice sounded more curious than anything else... which caused the vixen to look back at him. Most Cerinians would have launched into an outrage... telepaths weren't too common but enough stories of those being cheated out of their silver or their will by an evil 'mind-molester' left her cringing at the prospect of telling him. "You can read minds? Like... ESP, psychics, and stuff like that?"

She nodded tentatively, displaying a puzzled look. "I'm not sure what you are saying, but yes. I am a telepath. Are they common on your... Earth?" Perhaps they were numerous on his planet, and that his kind weren't afraid of their abilities?

To her amazement, he shook his head. "People pop up on national TV all the time saying that they can. But, all I've seen is talk, and no walk. Can't provide even a shred of evidence, only speculation." What he said next outright surprised her. "So... prove it. Let's see if you can tell Miss Cleo where to stick it. What am I thinking about right now?"

the Cerinian's jaw dropped just a bit, causing Brian to give her a puzzled look. "You... want me to read your mind? Are you absolutely sure?" If she was going to peer into the human's mind, she was going to make sure she had a paw-carved invitation to do so.

The Marine nodded, arching his eyebrow as he looked her in the eye, steel grey meeting emerald green in a mute contest of will. "Yeah. I want you to prove to me you can read my mind. Seeing is believing, Krystal."

Krystal shut her eyes, her paw reaching out to lay on top of his hand. He just about pulled away, but maybe it was part of the show. After a moment, she spoke. "You have been craving that 'beer' I had since you pulled me out of the vehicle you call a Humvee. However, it is not cold, and you have been trying to figure out how to cool it down. The lake water here won't get it quite as cold, so you were trying to think of another way."

Brian's eyes widened, and it was his turn for jaw dropping. "Christ... you really are a mind-reader. That must...." Krystal stopped him with a wave of a paw.

"You also don't seem to be too unhappy by being stuck here. In fact, you see this like a new adventure... an escape from something. You have some serious mental blocks around that, which means you have some secrets." Brian moved his hand away, and the vixen shook her head. "Please don't worry, Brian. I'm not going to go deeper than you are willing to tell me. Practicing telepathy on someone without their consent is a crime on Cerinia." A soft smile appeared on her muzzle. "You've been kind to me... I won't repay it with deceit. Do you trust me?"

The Marine nodded, although he admitted to himself that he had his doubts. Still, the strange alien foxette hadn't done anything to harm him, so he'd trust her... until otherwise convinced. "Deal. You watch my back, and I'll watch yours." He blinked a few times, glancing down at his watch. "Tell you what. I've been up all night... ain't too safe for both of us to be conked out with these lizards around." Brian reached behind him, pulling out an all too familiar staff and handing it to her. "This is yours, right?"

Krystal nodded, accepting her weapon with a soft smile. "Thank you for recovering it. I had been wondering if it was lost by my shuttle... it's something I've worked very hard for." She stood up, looking at herself... she needed a quick swim in that lake as well as a change of clothes. The ceremonial armor that all Cerinians wore during their Trials wasn't something she wanted to run around this planet with. "You wouldn't... have a change of clothes, would you?"

The human pointed towards the tan-colored vehicle. "Yeah. Got some fatigues in the back. Maybe a mix and match will fit you... if you don't mind looking like a jarhead." With a grin he motioned her to the Humvee. As they reached it he pulled back into the cargo area, fishing around for a moment before coming out with a mixed assortment of clothing as well as a blanket. "Since you have a tail, here's my knife. Just in case you need to do some last-minute alterations." As he explained, he slipped the Ka-Bar from its scabbard. "If something happens, go ahead and wake me. If it's hostile, give me a clean line so I can shoot the bastards." He grinned, pointing to the big weapon on top of the vehicle.

"I shall, thank you." Krystal grinned at him, looking up to the long-barreled blaster. "What exactly is that, anyway?" It was obviously a blaster, but it was huge compared to the ones the human carried.

"Browning M2A2 machine gun. We call it the Ma Deuce. Sucker will tear through just about anything short of a tank, and will splatter something from a range of about a mile if you're a good enough shot." Brian reached up and patted the barrel affectionately. "Problem is that I don't have much ammo for it, but you don't need a lot to turn something into a grease spot." Laughing, he climbed into the back seat of the Humvee. "Just wake me if you've got a question."

The vixen smiled and shook her head as she walked back to the lake with her new clothing and blanket... presumably to dry off if she needed to. The thought of getting all the dried slime out of her fur was tempting, so without further preamble she dove into the water... armor and all.