{"sf1_id":1129070,"sf2_id":"1VYYDvQn","title":"Before the Storm","author":"Drake_The_Traveller","words":11150,"posted_at":"2017-01-23T01:34:46.000Z","tags":["Action","Adventure","Anthro","Character Development","Drama","Fanfiction","Halo","Human","Military","Multiple Species","Romance","Sci-Fi","Starfox","Story Progression","Story Series","Violence (Not In Yiff)"],"url":"https://fse.anthro.fr/stories/1129070-before-the-storm","original_url":"https://sofurry.com/s/1VYYDvQn","image_url":"https://cdn.sofurryfiles.com/submissions/thumbnails/9a/10/9a109cd3-69b5-4344-820f-1fd4786bacd0","description":"So... been a super long time since I updated this story, in recompense I offer you this uber chapter, a 12K or so injection of pure awesomeness. I hope you guys enjoy and as the chapter title indicates, this is where things start to really pick up. I hope you guys will enjoy this and only hope as well that I can release something much sooner. Once more please forgive any spelling or grammatical errors, but know that hopefully I'll have a beta soon if all works out. And that would be a huge load off my shoulders.  \n  \nEternally, each fav/comment/ and vote are as welcomed as they are cherished. Always excited to hear from you guys!  \n  \nDrake","content":"Chapter 25: Before the Storm\n\n\u0026nbsp;  \n The shuttle's\u0026nbsp;interior\u0026nbsp;was silent but for the faint rumble of the\u0026nbsp;spacecraft's engines. Occasionally, an\u0026nbsp;intermittent\u0026nbsp;exchange of words broke the false\u0026nbsp;quiet as the team chatted lowly\u0026nbsp;amongst\u0026nbsp;themselves.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\n\nSix glanced down the compartment, splitting his attention between his rifle and the hold's other occupants, studying the team's\u0026nbsp;arrangement\u0026nbsp;inside the cramped\u0026nbsp;vehicle. The shuttle was not\u0026nbsp;voluminous, nothing like the\u0026nbsp;comparably\u0026nbsp;roomy troop bay of a pelican, which meant that despite the team's\u0026nbsp;relatively\u0026nbsp;diminutive\u0026nbsp;size, the inside of\u0026nbsp;the transport\u0026nbsp;remained\u0026nbsp;crowded. Which he realized, might be due in some part to his\u0026nbsp;height\u0026nbsp;and armor.\u0026nbsp;Humans had not been\u0026nbsp;factored\u0026nbsp;into\u0026nbsp;Cornerian design, especially not a\u0026nbsp;Spartan.\u0026nbsp;He took up quite a lot of space.\u0026nbsp;\n\nBeside\u0026nbsp;him was Krystal, next to the vixen sat Miyu, the girls chatting quietly with each other.\u0026nbsp;Both women had insisted on\u0026nbsp;remaining\u0026nbsp;under his command during the brief for this mission, and\u0026nbsp;surprisingly, or perhaps not so much, Fox\u0026nbsp;had accepted their request\u0026nbsp;without\u0026nbsp;hesitation. Six was not sure what to make of that, whether to be glad or infuriated\u0026nbsp;by this. On one hand, it seemed to show that in\u0026nbsp;spite of his distaste with\u0026nbsp;leadership\u0026nbsp;positions, his officer\u0026nbsp;training\u0026nbsp;had not gone to waste. On\u0026nbsp;the other, they would continue to be his direct responsibility, a prospect\u0026nbsp;he was not so fond of.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\n\nSix looked to the one that had dropped this\u0026nbsp;role\u0026nbsp;in his lap,\u0026nbsp;Fox\u0026nbsp;seemingly\u0026nbsp;catching a few winks as he slumped in his seat, the\u0026nbsp;strapped\u0026nbsp;harness\u0026nbsp;secured to his\u0026nbsp;chest the only thing propping up the dozing vulpine, that and Falco\u0026nbsp;as well.\u0026nbsp;\n\nThe avian did not look\u0026nbsp;particularly\u0026nbsp;satisfied with his current lot in life as he did his best to suffer in silence, ignoring the\u0026nbsp;muzzle propped on his shoulder as it sawed logs\u0026nbsp;directly\u0026nbsp;into his ear, much to his\u0026nbsp;discomfort.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\n\nThough Six did not consider himself and Falco on good terms\u0026nbsp;at the moment, not after that dinner incident a few days ago, he did\u0026nbsp;sympathize\u0026nbsp;with him,\u0026nbsp;simultaneously\u0026nbsp;thankful\u0026nbsp;for his own position in the packed compartment.\u0026nbsp;His riding companions were much more agreeable\u0026nbsp;on this side of the ship, and far\u0026nbsp;less\u0026nbsp;noisy.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\n\nKrystal made a far better partner to sit beside.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\n\nSix shifted his focus away from his rifle, instead\u0026nbsp;transferring\u0026nbsp;it to the female fox pressed\u0026nbsp;solidly\u0026nbsp;against him, there being little room to be anything otherwise\u0026nbsp;in the stuffy hold. The vixen's soft\u0026nbsp;emerald\u0026nbsp;gaze traversed the shuttle's\u0026nbsp;interior, indolently perusing the cramped confines, tail twitching impatiently from its position\u0026nbsp;in her lap.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\n\nThey had been stuffed in this cramped transport for the last half hour as it made its listless\u0026nbsp;way down to the frozen surface of\u0026nbsp;Fichina. Coordinates had been given to them by the planet's\u0026nbsp;solitary\u0026nbsp;Garrison, marking a zone on the grid\u0026nbsp;where a recent\u0026nbsp;anomaly\u0026nbsp;had been detected. If luck was with them, that would be where they found their target. But getting there resulted in\u0026nbsp;a long flight, inside a not so spacious place.\u0026nbsp;\n\nThe\u0026nbsp;Spartan did not know why he had never noticed\u0026nbsp;before\u0026nbsp;how crowded the shuttle was, but\u0026nbsp;alleged\u0026nbsp;such idle musings were beyond his\u0026nbsp;scope of\u0026nbsp;concern at that time, back when he cared little for anything but war.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;Now...\u0026nbsp;his\u0026nbsp;mind wandered, dwelling on thoughts and sentiments he had never bothered to contemplate,\u0026nbsp;one of which\u0026nbsp;being\u0026nbsp;the mysterious change in his close companion.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\n\nKrystal had been acting\u0026nbsp;most\u0026nbsp;peculiar\u0026nbsp;in recent days, more\u0026nbsp;expressive with her emotions, clingy\u0026nbsp;being a most\u0026nbsp;suitable adjective. Just\u0026nbsp;this morning she had insisted, quite\u0026nbsp;adamantly, that they spend\u0026nbsp;an extra hour for\u0026nbsp;rest,\u0026nbsp;something he had deemed a waste of time. This was\u0026nbsp;for him,\u0026nbsp;sixty very\u0026nbsp;uncomfortable\u0026nbsp;minutes as she\u0026nbsp;coiled\u0026nbsp;herself tightly around him, like some sort of furred,\u0026nbsp;sapphire\u0026nbsp;python.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\n\nHe was unused to this....\u0026nbsp;cuddling? Was that what she called it?\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;The name of such a bizarre\u0026nbsp;activity\u0026nbsp;had been deemed unimportant at that moment.\u0026nbsp;Whatever it was, she seemed to have enjoyed it\u0026nbsp;thoroughly\u0026nbsp;if the purring\u0026nbsp;that had\u0026nbsp;resonated\u0026nbsp;from within her was any indication. And while she may have liked it, he remained\u0026nbsp;entirely\u0026nbsp;uncertain. Six\u0026nbsp;had\u0026nbsp;acclimatized\u0026nbsp;to sleeping in the\u0026nbsp;same\u0026nbsp;bed\u0026nbsp;as another, adapted to\u0026nbsp;necessary\u0026nbsp;circumstance with\u0026nbsp;some difficult. But\u0026nbsp;this was something... different, less...\u0026nbsp;impersonal.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;He was not sure\u0026nbsp;just how to describe\u0026nbsp;it just yet,\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\n\nA part of him had been repelled by the pointless, prolonged physical contact. Before arriving here, he had spent more\u0026nbsp;than\u0026nbsp;fifteen\u0026nbsp;years without any tangible displays of affection, so long that he did not understand\u0026nbsp;by what means\u0026nbsp;to properly recognize or respond to\u0026nbsp;such\u0026nbsp;unusual\u0026nbsp;occurrences.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\n\nHowever, a minute,\u0026nbsp;undeveloped\u0026nbsp;part of him had reacted... differently.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\n\nThe\u0026nbsp;Spartan had been unable to diagnose the\u0026nbsp;rogue\u0026nbsp;sensation, and since then he still had yet to identify it. Yet he\u0026nbsp;recalled easily\u0026nbsp;how strange it\u0026nbsp;had felt.\u0026nbsp;His tactile\u0026nbsp;senses had heightened considerably, allowing him\u0026nbsp;to\u0026nbsp;perceive\u0026nbsp;each individual\u0026nbsp;tress\u0026nbsp;of fur that tickled his flesh,\u0026nbsp;aware of\u0026nbsp;each quiet\u0026nbsp;exhalation departing\u0026nbsp;from the vixen's slender muzzle\u0026nbsp;to brush against his face.\u0026nbsp;He\u0026nbsp;had felt\u0026nbsp;her chest\u0026nbsp;constrict\u0026nbsp;and\u0026nbsp;expanded\u0026nbsp;against his back with each new breath she\u0026nbsp;took, itching the hairs on his neck.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\n\nIt had been a very... unconventional\u0026nbsp;experience to put it mildly.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\n\nAnd yet perhaps, he considered with some mystification,\u0026nbsp;not all that\u0026nbsp;unpleasant.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\n\nHe\u0026nbsp;had felt... something. Six did not know for certain what it had been, and no manner of postulation thus far had revealed to him\u0026nbsp;anything\u0026nbsp;significant. But he would find the truth of this mystery. He just needed more time\u0026nbsp;before he could crack this sentimental cypher.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\n\nSix considered the notion\u0026nbsp;that he was focusing too much on these\u0026nbsp;thoughts\u0026nbsp;and not the\u0026nbsp;impending\u0026nbsp;mission, deciding to\u0026nbsp;introspectively\u0026nbsp;review the information from the briefing\u0026nbsp;before deployment. Which was, (he checked the\u0026nbsp;chronometer on his HUD), five minutes till execution.\u0026nbsp;\n\nThis Katt Monroe individual, who was apparently an old\u0026nbsp;associate\u0026nbsp;of\u0026nbsp;Starfox, had withdrawn into hiding after appropriating an article of great importance from Remnant forces. An item that's\u0026nbsp;significance\u0026nbsp;was known to only a select few, himself, Fox, Peppy,\u0026nbsp;General Pepper, and a\u0026nbsp;secretive elect within the Cornerian\u0026nbsp;government. And while Six had run more\u0026nbsp;than\u0026nbsp;his fair share of\u0026nbsp;covert\u0026nbsp;operations, something about this one carried a peculiar\u0026nbsp;weight with\u0026nbsp;it, an\u0026nbsp;uneasy\u0026nbsp;omen. The same gut instinct that had tugged at him the moment he climbed out of the warthog on Reach, the premonition that this was the start of something much larger. He only hoped that if he was\u0026nbsp;indeed correct,\u0026nbsp;that bigger events were forthcoming,\u0026nbsp;they\u0026nbsp;would not portend the same conclusion.\u0026nbsp;But for now\u0026nbsp;he would carry on\u0026nbsp;as usual,\u0026nbsp;cautious and watchful.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\n\nIt was Fox's\u0026nbsp;imperative\u0026nbsp;to bring Monroe back alive.\u0026nbsp;However, Six's mandate was less...\u0026nbsp;altruistic.\u0026nbsp;He would\u0026nbsp;retrieve the\u0026nbsp;asset at any cost that did not endanger the\u0026nbsp;immediate\u0026nbsp;crew. The\u0026nbsp;woman was a\u0026nbsp;non-essential, a\u0026nbsp;secondary\u0026nbsp;objective. And while Six had never failed to accomplish any task set out for him,\u0026nbsp;be it\u0026nbsp;primary, secondary,\u0026nbsp;or tertiary,\u0026nbsp;if the choice came between this girl and the\u0026nbsp;success of\u0026nbsp;the\u0026nbsp;mission, he would do what Fox could not.\u0026nbsp;Forgiveness\u0026nbsp;could be asked for later.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\n\nHe looked back to his commander as the\u0026nbsp;interior\u0026nbsp;compartment of the transport shuddered, a sign that they had finally hit the surface, the brief surge of commotion\u0026nbsp;awakening\u0026nbsp;the slumbering vulpine ahead of him with a start.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\n\nFox took a few moments to collect himself, reaching into\u0026nbsp;the\u0026nbsp;overhead\u0026nbsp;compartment above his seat and\u0026nbsp;fumbling\u0026nbsp;for a helmet. The extreme glacial climate of Fichina required the use of fully\u0026nbsp;encompassing\u0026nbsp;protective suits when outdoors, like MJOLNIR, but displaying none of the\u0026nbsp;advanced qualities that made the\u0026nbsp;battlesuit\u0026nbsp;so unique, cumbersome and unwieldy where his armor bolstered and enhanced. This crude survival\u0026nbsp;gear was little more\u0026nbsp;than an\u0026nbsp;insulated\u0026nbsp;space suit\u0026nbsp;with some padding, a\u0026nbsp;thin\u0026nbsp;covering\u0026nbsp;of\u0026nbsp;steel plating for protection from the elements, and a rudimentary HUD to link\u0026nbsp;a group together and provide basic\u0026nbsp;mapping and\u0026nbsp;telemtry\u0026nbsp;software on the\u0026nbsp;surrounding\u0026nbsp;environment.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\n\nBefore the mission he had made certain to inspect\u0026nbsp;each suit himself, to see just how useful they were, and to ensure there would be no problems\u0026nbsp;in part\u0026nbsp;to\u0026nbsp;faulty equipment. He would have\u0026nbsp;preferred\u0026nbsp;that the team be better equipped for groundside operations, and planned to fix such shortcomings\u0026nbsp;when he had the time and inclination to do so.\u0026nbsp;Usually, he did not care to bother with such things, but for\u0026nbsp;Starfox, he was willing to go that extra mile.\u0026nbsp;\n\nWhile Fox struggled to\u0026nbsp;settle\u0026nbsp;the\u0026nbsp;tight\u0026nbsp;fitting\u0026nbsp;helmet over his head, the rest of the team quickly followed suit, Six\u0026nbsp;merely\u0026nbsp;running an abridged diagnostic on his own systems\u0026nbsp;while they\u0026nbsp;prepped.\u0026nbsp;Krystal\u0026nbsp;glanced to him just before she slipped her helmet on, soft, uneasy\u0026nbsp;smile\u0026nbsp;disappearing\u0026nbsp;momentarily\u0026nbsp;under the opaque visor\u0026nbsp;before it\u0026nbsp;unpolarized.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\n\nDespite his current\u0026nbsp;ponderous\u0026nbsp;disposition, Six felt his mouth twist into a slight grin, the action wasted on his\u0026nbsp;impenetrable\u0026nbsp;mask. No matter how dark the days seemed or how deep he mulled in his own\u0026nbsp;dour\u0026nbsp;thoughts, he always had a smile ready for her, the simple sight of her cheerful muzzle all that was needed to bring such a response\u0026nbsp;from him. As days passed, he realized her true importance to him. Not just as someone that cared for a man as\u0026nbsp;difficult\u0026nbsp;and troubled as himself, but one of the few people he\u0026nbsp;truly\u0026nbsp;believed in.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\n\nHis life under\u0026nbsp;ONI's\u0026nbsp;leash had turned him into a cynical,\u0026nbsp;world-weary\u0026nbsp;individual.\u0026nbsp;He had not cared for anything but his grim work, years of his life\u0026nbsp;wasted hunting in the\u0026nbsp;dark, stalking within\u0026nbsp;shadows.\u0026nbsp;It\u0026nbsp;was a past he still needed to reconcile with, that's\u0026nbsp;demons had yet to be silenced. Those days had dulled his faith in the decency\u0026nbsp;of people, led him to believe that true innocence\u0026nbsp;and moral\u0026nbsp;righteousness\u0026nbsp;no longer existed anywhere in the universe. But now that he was proven wrong, it was his goal in life to preserve what he had once thought lost, and protect those who carried the virtues he concluded were worth saving.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\n\nStarfox carried those virtues.\u0026nbsp;Though\u0026nbsp;alien in nature, this team was the\u0026nbsp;embodiment\u0026nbsp;of\u0026nbsp;integrity\u0026nbsp;and\u0026nbsp;valor. Despite their calling as mercenaries, they did not let such an occupation\u0026nbsp;interfere\u0026nbsp;with their code of ethics. They fought for what was right, not just\u0026nbsp;for a paycheck.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\n\nKrystal, Fox, Miyu, and the others, they were true heroes, something he was not. They had saved their people. Six had failed his.\u0026nbsp;No one had ever called him a hero. Nor would he have wished\u0026nbsp;for such an undeserved\u0026nbsp;accolade.\u0026nbsp;He\u0026nbsp;did not believe he\u0026nbsp;deserved\u0026nbsp;to be called such a thing.\u0026nbsp;At the time he had done what was necessary\u0026nbsp;to ensure\u0026nbsp;humanity's continued survival.\u0026nbsp;Six\u0026nbsp;would not dispute that it was not always\u0026nbsp;ethically\u0026nbsp;sound, but such deeds had placed the needs\u0026nbsp;of the many over the few.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\n\nHe may\u0026nbsp;have not been a hero, or\u0026nbsp;even\u0026nbsp;proud\u0026nbsp;of previous acts\u0026nbsp;committed, but\u0026nbsp;even\u0026nbsp;now he would not change the path his life\u0026nbsp;had taken,\u0026nbsp;the things\u0026nbsp;he had done,\u0026nbsp;not after\u0026nbsp;the series of\u0026nbsp;tumultuous\u0026nbsp;events led\u0026nbsp;him here. No matter the past or the future, Six knew, with whole-hearted conviction, that this is where he was meant to be.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\n\nPerhaps luck was more\u0026nbsp;than\u0026nbsp;a myth, fate and destiny more\u0026nbsp;than\u0026nbsp;mere\u0026nbsp;words used to describe events\u0026nbsp;unexplainable or unexpected. It may have been fate that sent him here, but it was luck that\u0026nbsp;delivered\u0026nbsp;Krystal\u0026nbsp;unto him.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\n\nSix leaned forwards as the loading ramp hissed open, briefly tapping the tip of his helm against hers, an unspoken and perhaps irregular show of appreciation led on by his\u0026nbsp;grateful\u0026nbsp;musing.\u0026nbsp;In reply she brushed a paw against his\u0026nbsp;shoulderplate, a loving\u0026nbsp;acknowledgement\u0026nbsp;of his action.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\n\nSense\u0026nbsp;of\u0026nbsp;gratitude\u0026nbsp;delivered, Six\u0026nbsp;pulled away,\u0026nbsp;resting\u0026nbsp;the large firearm\u0026nbsp;firmly\u0026nbsp;in his gauntlets as the team disembarked, slowly plodding down the\u0026nbsp;metal\u0026nbsp;ramp to the snowy ground\u0026nbsp;underneath. The\u0026nbsp;Spartan\u0026nbsp;scanned the\u0026nbsp;immediate\u0026nbsp;vicinity, nothing but kilometer upon kilometer of barren\u0026nbsp;arctic\u0026nbsp;tundra\u0026nbsp;stretching\u0026nbsp;endlessly\u0026nbsp;before\u0026nbsp;them,\u0026nbsp;mounds and hills of white powder,\u0026nbsp;a desert of ice\u0026nbsp;as far as the eye could see.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\n\nSmall drifts of low blowing\u0026nbsp;snow whipped about in a flurry around their feet, the howling\u0026nbsp;and turbulent\u0026nbsp;winds muted by their muffling suits.\u0026nbsp;The sight of such mercurial activity met by\u0026nbsp;a deadening\u0026nbsp;wall of\u0026nbsp;silence\u0026nbsp;brought an eerie\u0026nbsp;atmosphere\u0026nbsp;to the barren wastes of ice. It almost made Six wish for the jungle once more, at least there, there was life. Here, there was nothing, like some frigid, achromatic purgatory, a complete absence of vibrancy or sense of being.\u0026nbsp;\n\nThis was the place Monroe chose to make her\u0026nbsp;disappearance? Six could not tell if that made her\u0026nbsp;brave or foolish. And he\u0026nbsp;would be surprised if they found her alive, more likely to find a frozen corpse then anything.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\n\nWhile the Spartan scanned the frozen expanse, Fox stretched for relief after finally escaping their cramped situation, turning\u0026nbsp;away from the landscape\u0026nbsp;to face the assembled group. His static inflected voice\u0026nbsp;carried\u0026nbsp;over the comms system, clearly heard in the still quiet of\u0026nbsp;their\u0026nbsp;helmets.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Alright guys, it's time to get to work. This is the sector where the\u0026nbsp;Garrison's\u0026nbsp;radar operator picked up on a stray signal.\u0026nbsp;Katt is probably hiding out here somewhere. That leaves us with several kilometers of hostile,\u0026nbsp;open ground to cover. And with this\u0026nbsp;inclement\u0026nbsp;weather jamming up\u0026nbsp;any and all systems, we\u0026nbsp;won't have the shuttle's or the Great Fox's sensors for support.\"\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Well, that's just bloody well fantastic.\" Falco grumbled,\u0026nbsp;irritably\u0026nbsp;kicking\u0026nbsp;his boots and sending small geysers of snow flickering into the air to be hastily blown away by the\u0026nbsp;stiff\u0026nbsp;breeze. \"I goddamn hate the cold.\"\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\n\nSince learning who they were searching for, the avian had become\u0026nbsp;increasingly\u0026nbsp;aggravated, more so\u0026nbsp;than\u0026nbsp;usual, something Six did not\u0026nbsp;understand. From what\u0026nbsp;Fox\u0026nbsp;had told him, this Monroe woman was a close friend of his, the Spartan would think someone would\u0026nbsp;be glad to find their friend. If anything, the bird appeared reluctant.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\n\nWere they not as close as Fox\u0026nbsp;indicated?\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"If\u0026nbsp;that's true, then I think you'd like to get this done faster.\" Fox replied evenly, the vulpine well\u0026nbsp;accustomed\u0026nbsp;to Falco's snark by now. \"Seeing as we have quite a distance to canvas, we'll split into teams of two, cover more ground that way.\" He turned to the Spartan and the vixen standing beside him.\u0026nbsp;\"Six, Krystal, you'll work your way to the center of this zone. Fay,\u0026nbsp;Miyu, you two will circumnavigate the outer\u0026nbsp;perimeter\u0026nbsp;and head\u0026nbsp;inwards. Falco and I will check the gaps.\"\u0026nbsp;Fox then spoke to the\u0026nbsp;team member\u0026nbsp;still inside the shuttle. \"Slip, stay in the cockpit and keep the\u0026nbsp;engines\u0026nbsp;warm.\"\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Roger!\" The toad's youthful voice answered.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"When and if anyone finds anything, notify Slippy and he'll come around to pick you up.\" The vulpine clapped his paws together. \"Right\u0026nbsp;then, if that settles it, let's get to work.\u0026nbsp;The faster we finish this the better. The planetary weather report says a massive cold front is moving into this hemisphere. Pretty soon\u0026nbsp;it'll be too cold for the shuttle's de-icer.\u0026nbsp;And if we're not gone by then we'll be stuck down here till it all blows over.\"\u0026nbsp;\n\nMiyu chuckled\u0026nbsp;in\u0026nbsp;disbelief. \"A cold front? Then what the hell is this?\" She gestured around them.\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Summer.\" Fox answered, dead serious.\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Oh.\"\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Then we should probably get moving. I don't want to get\u0026nbsp;trapped\u0026nbsp;down here.\" Fay ushered them on quickly.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Let's get to it.\" The vulpine agreed wholeheartedly, turning to the team one last time. \"Good luck\u0026nbsp;guys,\u0026nbsp;and\u0026nbsp;stay in radio contact. I want a report every\u0026nbsp;half hour. Otherwise we'll\u0026nbsp;have to rescue you first. And I don't think Katt will appreciate that.\"\u0026nbsp;\n\nSix stood patiently as the team slowly broke apart and dispersed\u0026nbsp;with a few laughs, watching as a\u0026nbsp;grumbling\u0026nbsp;Falco followed after Fox, Miyu and Fay,\u0026nbsp;talking animatedly\u0026nbsp;amongst\u0026nbsp;themselves, both groups soon fading from sight in the developing blizzard, not before the parting feline gave him a rather...\u0026nbsp;enthusiastic\u0026nbsp;wave\u0026nbsp;goodbye.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\n\nHe was somewhat concerned about the severity of the local elements. The\u0026nbsp;atmospheric\u0026nbsp;readings\u0026nbsp;gleaned from the tech in his suit\u0026nbsp;indicated\u0026nbsp;temperatures\u0026nbsp;nearly a hundred degrees below freezing, the counter steadily ticking even lower as the storm brewed around them.\u0026nbsp;If suit integrity was to be lost for any of them, it would be nearly as bad as\u0026nbsp;exposure\u0026nbsp;to hard\u0026nbsp;vacuum.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Ready to get going?\"\u0026nbsp;\n\nHe faced Krystal, the vixen looking to him questioningly, and offered her a concise nod in reply, following after her\u0026nbsp;flapping\u0026nbsp;tail as she lead the way deeper into the\u0026nbsp;snowscape. Six had some experience with search and rescue operations, most of it\u0026nbsp;unpleasant. More often\u0026nbsp;than\u0026nbsp;not, they had been\u0026nbsp;corpse\u0026nbsp;hunting. He would be\u0026nbsp;pleasantly\u0026nbsp;surprised to find a change\u0026nbsp;of pace\u0026nbsp;this time around.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\\*\\*\\*\\*\\*\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nFox waited till they were out of sight\u0026nbsp;and several minutes into their travels\u0026nbsp;before he spoke his mind. \"So,\" he turned to Falco. \"What's eating you? I thought for sure you of out of everyone would be eager to find her.\" He knew of their history together. Falco\u0026nbsp;and\u0026nbsp;Katt\u0026nbsp;had been members of a gang long before the bird ever met him.\u0026nbsp;\n\nHe also knew that she had a thing for Falco, a sentiment the\u0026nbsp;avian\u0026nbsp;did not appear to return, or at the very least could not express back to her.\u0026nbsp;More\u0026nbsp;often\u0026nbsp;than\u0026nbsp;not Falco's\u0026nbsp;stubbornness\u0026nbsp;did no favors for him and Fox wondered when he would finally realize that.\u0026nbsp;\n\nAs expected, the bird scoffed and\u0026nbsp;shrugged in answer\u0026nbsp;as he trudged forwards through the heavy snowfall. \"I'm not\u0026nbsp;responsible\u0026nbsp;for\u0026nbsp;bailing her out of trouble, Fox. Katt needs to learn how to fend for herself.\"\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"And you're not worried about her at all?\" Fox demanded, eyeing his friend carefully.\u0026nbsp;\"This isn't like the other times. She's not messing with some small time criminals. The Remnant might not be all that much of a threat to us, especially\u0026nbsp;with\u0026nbsp;Six. But for a girl all on her own, they can be deadly.\"\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\n\nFalco seemed to deflate slightly, a slight slump to his shoulders. \"I know that.\" He muttered dejectedly.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Then why the lack of interest? If you knew that you wouldn’t be\u0026nbsp;muddling\u0026nbsp;along. To me, it looks like you don’t want to look for\u0026nbsp;her.\"\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Well maybe I don't!\" Falco snapped, fires stoked once more. \"It's not my job to protect her!\"\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"No, it's not a job.\" Fox agreed, distaste clearly heard in his tone. \"But it\u0026nbsp;doesn't\u0026nbsp;need to be. She's our friend, Falco. We help her not for the money, but because it's the right thing to do.\" At the moment, the vulpine was more opposed to his present company then the weather. \"Why can't you see that?\"\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"I see it. I'm just tired of doing it.\" With those final words\u0026nbsp;Falco was no longer in the mood to continue the conversation,\u0026nbsp;the avian studiously ignoring his walking companion.\u0026nbsp;\n\nFox\u0026nbsp;sighed, wondering how the others were fairing on the start of their adventures.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\n\nMaybe he should have paired up with Six, instead.\u0026nbsp;He\u0026nbsp;might have, if not for the fact Krystal would have his head\u0026nbsp;on a\u0026nbsp;platter\u0026nbsp;for it\u0026nbsp;and might just decide she was\u0026nbsp;finally\u0026nbsp;sick of Falco's attitude. She had nearly turned the bird into\u0026nbsp;mincemeat\u0026nbsp;back at dinner the other day. Only her drastic shift in attitude had spared him from\u0026nbsp;disembowelment.\u0026nbsp;\n\nIt made the vulpine wonder what had come over her to create such a wild mood swing. He had a few ideas as to what might be the cause.\n\nAnd if he was right about any of them...\u0026nbsp;\n\nWell, Six just might be facing either a very interesting point in his life, or something very traumatic, all depending on how he would respond\u0026nbsp;to the situation. Perhaps he should talk with the human soon, that or find out from Krystal herself. Though the last option sounded like a very uncomfortable conversation. Hell it would be tough to judge which would win the prize for most awkward talk of the year.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\n\nUgh, at least his father didn’t have to deal with this. And if\u0026nbsp;he\u0026nbsp;had, James\u0026nbsp;McCloud\u0026nbsp;would have known\u0026nbsp;exactly\u0026nbsp;what\u0026nbsp;to do. Once more Fox wished he could have\u0026nbsp;turned\u0026nbsp;to his father for advice.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\n\nEven with\u0026nbsp;Andross\u0026nbsp;dead, he still hated the ape bastard's guts. As many times as he had killed the simian dictator, he never got the satisfaction he craved. Fox\u0026nbsp;discovered\u0026nbsp;that\u0026nbsp;hate would not bring his father back, no matter how many times he defeated the\u0026nbsp;Venomian\u0026nbsp;despot, no matter how many enemy fighters he\u0026nbsp;shot down. Hate,\u0026nbsp;begat\u0026nbsp;hate. It was never an\u0026nbsp;answer, never would be.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\n\nIt was a lesson he hoped Falco would soon learn himself. The avian needed to curb his prideful nature. Otherwise\u0026nbsp;he just might find himself ending up just like Andross, twisted and driven mad\u0026nbsp;under\u0026nbsp;the weight of his own arrogance.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\n\nFalco's voice cut into his musing.\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Hey, what's that?\"\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\\*\\*\\*\\*\\*\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nThey spent hours wandering the\u0026nbsp;arctic\u0026nbsp;desert, passing countless dunes of frost that over time began to\u0026nbsp;look\u0026nbsp;more and more the same.\u0026nbsp;But\u0026nbsp;Krystal in truth\u0026nbsp;did not mind it. She was just glad to have finally found the alone time with Six that she wanted. Sure, they did not talk much as they traveled, simply keeping pace with one another\u0026nbsp;as they marched onwards.\u0026nbsp;Yet that\u0026nbsp;did not bother her either.\u0026nbsp;The Spartan had always been one\u0026nbsp;of few words, more a listener\u0026nbsp;than\u0026nbsp;a speaker.\u0026nbsp;And she recalled\u0026nbsp;a particular\u0026nbsp;phrase her father had always been\u0026nbsp;fond of using.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\n\nIt\u0026nbsp;takes a truly\u0026nbsp;exceptional\u0026nbsp;individual to be a good\u0026nbsp;listener, or at least that was the\u0026nbsp;unpolished\u0026nbsp;version of the phrase.\u0026nbsp;It had been some years since she last heard\u0026nbsp;the idiom spoken aloud.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\n\nAnd in that regard,\u0026nbsp;she\u0026nbsp;thought Six to be more\u0026nbsp;than\u0026nbsp;exceptional. He did not talk often or for\u0026nbsp;any extended\u0026nbsp;length\u0026nbsp;of time, usually armed with no more than a few words at any given moment\u0026nbsp;when he did. But when he\u0026nbsp;spoke, it was with a humble wisdom that\u0026nbsp;one would\u0026nbsp;be\u0026nbsp;foolish not to heed. His deep and grating voice held a certain undeniable intensity that was nearly hypnotic\u0026nbsp;to a certain degree.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\n\nShe could listen\u0026nbsp;to him talk for hours, if only he had the inclination to. It was unfortunate that as a whole he seemed to dislike voicing his opinions\u0026nbsp;or concerns.\u0026nbsp;Just\u0026nbsp;as there was no one who could hold that same influential weight, there was no one\u0026nbsp;quite as private with their thoughts as Six. That much she was thoroughly confident of.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\n\nKrystal glanced over her shoulder, the\u0026nbsp;towering\u0026nbsp;spartan's\u0026nbsp;dark blue armor easily\u0026nbsp;piercing\u0026nbsp;the snowy veil that enshrouded the\u0026nbsp;landscape,\u0026nbsp;the\u0026nbsp;soldier\u0026nbsp;plowing\u0026nbsp;effortlessly through the high\u0026nbsp;embankments\u0026nbsp;of frost with each\u0026nbsp;determined\u0026nbsp;footfall.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\n\nShe had been\u0026nbsp;pleasantly\u0026nbsp;surprised upon\u0026nbsp;noticing\u0026nbsp;the changes he had engendered upon his armor, indulging the more feral, possessive part of her. Though\u0026nbsp;admittedly, seeing the symbols for her family's royal house perpetuated on the\u0026nbsp;suit\u0026nbsp;of stalwart alien plate had filled her with a variety of mixed emotions at\u0026nbsp;first sight. While it was an unexpected delight to see another bearing\u0026nbsp;the markings, it also\u0026nbsp;sought\u0026nbsp;to\u0026nbsp;vividly remind her that she and Six were the only ones who would likely ever carry the sigils\u0026nbsp;of\u0026nbsp;Cerinian\u0026nbsp;nobility. It incited within her a lust for the past, yet, unexpectedly, she found herself only wanting for it if he would be there with her.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\n\nThe spartan had become so important to her that even if she were to have a chance to go back, she wouldn't take it. Krystal could not\u0026nbsp;leave him, and the thought of forgetting or never having met\u0026nbsp;Six was too horrible to dwell on. This was her life now, a life she would happily add, that had brightened considerably after she met him.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\n\nAs she watched\u0026nbsp;the human on her mind\u0026nbsp;bulldozer his way forwards,\u0026nbsp;a thought crossed her\u0026nbsp;attention, one that interested her to no end. Back days before, when he had shown them that recording of his\u0026nbsp;previous life, who had been the\u0026nbsp;other giant that fought beside him against those\u0026nbsp;horrible\u0026nbsp;monsters?\u0026nbsp;\n\nShe was cognizant that he might not be in any way comfortable with dredging up the past, but the vixen\u0026nbsp;felt that if anyone had a right to hear more about the history of the man\u0026nbsp;underneath the armor, it was her. And perhaps she could help him deal with what he had endured. After what she saw, Krystal was\u0026nbsp;more certain\u0026nbsp;than\u0026nbsp;ever\u0026nbsp;he held\u0026nbsp;enough skeletons in his closet to\u0026nbsp;overpopulate\u0026nbsp;a graveyard.\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Hey… Six?\" The vixen\u0026nbsp;would have to be careful how she handled this. She wanted to learn more, but she didn’t want to hurt him. If it was up to her, she would see that\u0026nbsp;nothing\u0026nbsp;ever\u0026nbsp;hurt\u0026nbsp;him again, a\u0026nbsp;naïve\u0026nbsp;wish\u0026nbsp;she knew, but a wish\u0026nbsp;she hoped for\u0026nbsp;all the same.\u0026nbsp;\n\nMomentarily taking his ever watchful gaze from their\u0026nbsp;surroundings,\u0026nbsp;the supersoldier\u0026nbsp;focused in\u0026nbsp;on\u0026nbsp;her, a slight hint of curiosity in his\u0026nbsp;endlessly guarded\u0026nbsp;movements.\u0026nbsp;Over the course of their time together, she had been starting\u0026nbsp;to distinguish\u0026nbsp;distinct variations in his ostensibly untellable poses while in armor, faint, nearly\u0026nbsp;unnoticeable\u0026nbsp;_'tells'_, as it were, of his current moods. It had taken some time and no small amount of effort and forethought to differentiate between the myriad of subtle indications he displayed, but after getting to know Six\u0026nbsp;and spending the majority of her time around the spartan, she was confident she could interpret his slight gestures with some degree of accuracy.\u0026nbsp;\n\nRight now she could understand that he had been caught wholly by\u0026nbsp;surprise, and was slight\u0026nbsp;inquisitive\u0026nbsp;of where this might query might be heading, recognized by the minute tilt of his helm and\u0026nbsp;negligible drop in his guarded stance, motions that would have been unnoticed by anyone but her.\u0026nbsp;Krystal would have wondered why he so adamantly concealed his physical reactions had she\u0026nbsp;not already\u0026nbsp;heard him speak of what he had been through, seen some of that nightmarish reality for herself.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\n\nSo it came as no\u0026nbsp;surprise\u0026nbsp;that\u0026nbsp;even\u0026nbsp;speaking\u0026nbsp;casually\u0026nbsp;as they were, his weapon remained firmly shouldered and ready to fire at a split second's notice. She doubted he would have need of it here on such a remote world, but admired his dedication to\u0026nbsp;their mutual\u0026nbsp;safety nonetheless.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\n\n_\"Yes?\"_\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"When you... showed us that\u0026nbsp;video, who was that person, the one with the armor like yours?\"\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\n\nShe stared at\u0026nbsp;him\u0026nbsp;patiently, nervously waiting for his response and hoping that she had been right in assuming he\u0026nbsp;trusted\u0026nbsp;her enough.\u0026nbsp;\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\\*\\*\\*\\*\\*\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nSix's\u0026nbsp;stride\u0026nbsp;hardly\u0026nbsp;faltered\u0026nbsp;as she started her rather pointed\u0026nbsp;inquiry, though he did give her a\u0026nbsp;curious glance through his visor.\u0026nbsp;He did not\u0026nbsp;disparage\u0026nbsp;the vixen\u0026nbsp;for asking such a pointed question.\u0026nbsp;She above any other deserved to know what his life had been like before this. He had already told her of his youth, the years he spent in the program. But during that conversation he had not been ready to talk of Reach, the events too recent and the woman unknown. This time however, he felt he could. Months had passed since Six’s arrival and he knew Krystal better than anyone else he had ever met\u0026nbsp;before.\u0026nbsp;\n\nAll\u0026nbsp;his life he had learned not to trust anyone.\u0026nbsp;\n\nBut he trusted her, in spite of his policy of doubt.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\n\nHe felt that she had the right to hear of Noble, the team that had been responsible for helping him find this place, though they did so unknowingly.\u0026nbsp;\n\n_\"That...\"\u0026nbsp;_He began slowly as he pieced together the proper words to say.\u0026nbsp;_\"…was Kat, a Spartan-III, like myself. She was a part of my team back on Reach. We were called Noble if you remember.\"\u0026nbsp;_He was\u0026nbsp;certain\u0026nbsp;she\u0026nbsp;had already been made privy to some of this information.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Katt?\" The vixen asked, the question needing no\u0026nbsp;connotations\u0026nbsp;to be understood.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\n\n_\"Merely a\u0026nbsp;coincidence\u0026nbsp;I assure you. I have not met this Monroe women but I am certain they are\u0026nbsp;nothing\u0026nbsp;alike.\"\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;_Spartans were different from their fellow humans, but were substantially more\u0026nbsp;unique\u0026nbsp;when compared to aliens. He doubted any person in Lylat\u0026nbsp;was\u0026nbsp;like them, or him.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\n\nThe vixen did not respond\u0026nbsp;immediately, instead taking a few extra moments to figure out her next\u0026nbsp;inquiry as\u0026nbsp;she picked her path through\u0026nbsp;mounds of\u0026nbsp;snow. She\u0026nbsp;did not know how long he would be\u0026nbsp;willing to answer\u0026nbsp;her\u0026nbsp;questions. So she had to\u0026nbsp;prioritize\u0026nbsp;the ones she wanted\u0026nbsp;to know\u0026nbsp;the most.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\n\nOnce landing on a decision, she opened her mouth.\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"What was she like?\"\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\n\n_\"Kat?\"\u0026nbsp;_Six paused, mulling over his words.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\n\nHow did one\u0026nbsp;describe\u0026nbsp;her? Initially she had disliked him and he held no ill will towards her for that.\u0026nbsp;He\u0026nbsp;had been there to replace\u0026nbsp;someone they had lost, a fallen brother, one of their family. He had\u0026nbsp;arrived on Reach\u0026nbsp;already\u0026nbsp;expecting\u0026nbsp;a cold and indifferent, if not\u0026nbsp;outright\u0026nbsp;hostile welcome. Yet she had thawed quickly, not as effortlessly as Jorge but\u0026nbsp;certainly faster than Emile.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\n\nWhile they may have not been friends at the end, he knew she counted him among her\u0026nbsp;comrades.\u0026nbsp;And it had been a dark moment when she\u0026nbsp;was lost. Her sudden and violent end still resonated inside him, a warning that even the strongest armor and advanced technology did not save you from a sniper's deadly aim\u0026nbsp;or ill-gotten luck.\u0026nbsp;\n\n_\"She was a strong woman, smart, courageous, and deadly in the field of battle, just like any other spartan. I also recall that she was\u0026nbsp;particularly\u0026nbsp;skilled in the field of\u0026nbsp;electronics and taught me most of what I know\u0026nbsp;in the short month we fought together.\"_\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"How did she die?\" Even as she voiced her question, she studied him closely, intending to glean any hint that she had probed too deep. But despite her previous knowledge on his responses, she could see no visible tell. He merely pressed onwards beside her, visor focused forward and gait unaffected.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\n\n_\"Her end was met\u0026nbsp;during the fall of Alexandria, one of the larger cities on Reach. Covenant forces had\u0026nbsp;overwhelmed\u0026nbsp;the defensive army and we were falling back to a\u0026nbsp;civilian\u0026nbsp;shelter before they glassed the city into molten ash.\"_\u0026nbsp;\n\nDespite the\u0026nbsp;neutrality\u0026nbsp;of his body, his voice betrayed him. She heard an indistinct fluctuation in his tone, a slight drop in pitch that was near inaudible, yet her large, pointed ears once more proved their usefulness.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\n\n_\"We were within a skyscraper when the glassing started.\"\u0026nbsp;_\u0026nbsp;\n\nThe\u0026nbsp;foreboding portents lacing\u0026nbsp;his words\u0026nbsp;brought her attention back to the conversation, the nonpartisan emptiness she heard enough to bring up concern.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\n\nHad she asked too much of him?\u0026nbsp;\n\n_\"It was a hectic\u0026nbsp;and violent\u0026nbsp;journey\u0026nbsp;down\u0026nbsp;the tower. We\u0026nbsp;fought\u0026nbsp;through a myriad of\u0026nbsp;claustrophobic\u0026nbsp;hallways, each\u0026nbsp;packed with\u0026nbsp;swarms of\u0026nbsp;Covenant\u0026nbsp;infantry. Emile and I\u0026nbsp;were the\u0026nbsp;designated frontrunners, blazing a path through\u0026nbsp;the\u0026nbsp;hardened\u0026nbsp;enemy positions\u0026nbsp;for the others and any civilians we found along the way\u0026nbsp;of our\u0026nbsp;withdrawal. Once we\u0026nbsp;finally\u0026nbsp;made it to the ground floor, we\u0026nbsp;traveled\u0026nbsp;even lower to the emergency service corridors where more of the enemy laid in wait. From there we\u0026nbsp;soon\u0026nbsp;found\u0026nbsp;ourselves\u0026nbsp;at the bunker, the upper levels had already been breached\u0026nbsp;by that point and\u0026nbsp;a deafening roar\u0026nbsp;had shaken\u0026nbsp;the very air.\u0026nbsp;I\u0026nbsp;saw\u0026nbsp;through a hole in the building's\u0026nbsp;ceiling\u0026nbsp;above\u0026nbsp;us\u0026nbsp;after we found are way out there,\u0026nbsp;a\u0026nbsp;glowing\u0026nbsp;haze tinting the\u0026nbsp;horizon a dark red\u0026nbsp;that lingered from the plasma bombardment. It was as if the sky itself was on fire.\"\u0026nbsp;_\u0026nbsp;\n\nNow she could\u0026nbsp;clearly\u0026nbsp;hear\u0026nbsp;something in his voice, but was too enthralled with his detailed monologue to identify the alteration.\u0026nbsp;The\u0026nbsp;vixen\u0026nbsp;had been\u0026nbsp;drawn in by\u0026nbsp;his unwittingly\u0026nbsp;charismatic speech, the meter between each\u0026nbsp;syllable\u0026nbsp;he uttered captivating in its sincerity.\u0026nbsp;He\u0026nbsp;may not have\u0026nbsp;considered\u0026nbsp;himself so and would be\u0026nbsp;appalled\u0026nbsp;that others did, but Six was a master storyteller. It did not take much for her to be drawn in.\u0026nbsp;\n\nThat\u0026nbsp;had been before they met, on a different world, perhaps even a different galaxy. And while he was with them now, she could not forget where he came from, the stories he told her of a desperate stand against impossible odds, what was to him his daily existence. This was just the\u0026nbsp;farthest\u0026nbsp;she had ever pushed him, the man opening up to her to such an extent as she had never heard before. Krystal\u0026nbsp;felt\u0026nbsp;privileged\u0026nbsp;that he would share this part of himself with her, that he cared enough about her to delve so deep into a time she knew he was not entirely proud of, that's events had not and may never leave him.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\n\nAnd she was\u0026nbsp;immensely\u0026nbsp;proud of Six, that he was making the no doubt challenging\u0026nbsp;effort to let go of his past and all its\u0026nbsp;crushing\u0026nbsp;burdens.\u0026nbsp;She\u0026nbsp;knew that not so long ago he would have never even debated on\u0026nbsp;whether or not to open up to her. The vixen also took some measure of internal pride that she was able to help him achieve this.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\n\nNow\u0026nbsp;only if she could find the courage to reciprocate his confidence in her. They had much to discuss, and soon if her fluctuating emotions were any indication.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\n\nThough she brooded in musings of her own design, Six continued on, oblivious to her absentminded considerations, the spartan’s mind drifting\u0026nbsp;absently\u0026nbsp;into\u0026nbsp;a\u0026nbsp;past\u0026nbsp;that was not so long ago.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\n\n_\"Kat and I lagged behind, less\u0026nbsp;than\u0026nbsp;thirty feet from the others as we sprinted to the\u0026nbsp;closing\u0026nbsp;doors. But before we made it all the way across she was hit, sniper bolt to the back of the skull, cut right through her\u0026nbsp;shields and\u0026nbsp;armor.... She was dead before I\u0026nbsp;caught her.\"\u0026nbsp;_\u0026nbsp;\n\nThe Spartan halted momentarily, footsteps receding until he stood unmoving in a snow drift. Yet the pause\u0026nbsp;did not\u0026nbsp;last long before he was moving once more, the man outwardly invigorated with fresh resolve.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\n\n_\"That was the first time I saw a spartan die\u0026nbsp;with my own eyes. And yet.... I had suspected\u0026nbsp;it would not be the last.\u0026nbsp;Nor\u0026nbsp;did I have to\u0026nbsp;wait long before I was\u0026nbsp;proven right.\"_\u0026nbsp;\n\nHe looked to her,\u0026nbsp;curious\u0026nbsp;to hear for himself what brought these questions along\u0026nbsp;and hoping to\u0026nbsp;find\u0026nbsp;a better outlet for conversation then a time better left unvisited.\u0026nbsp;_\"Why the sudden interest? You have not asked me of my past in some time.\"\u0026nbsp;_\u0026nbsp;\n\nKrystal was quick to respond, having anticipated a counter query to this interrogation.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"I simply wish to know more about you, or at least the you before we met. I noticed that you acted... different, in that\u0026nbsp;recording.\" She did her best to word herself carefully.\u0026nbsp;Bloodthirsty, is\u0026nbsp;the\u0026nbsp;adjective\u0026nbsp;she would have used to describe him, ferocious and\u0026nbsp;more\u0026nbsp;brutal then she had\u0026nbsp;witnessed\u0026nbsp;from him before. It did not worry her overtly. She was fully aware of what Six was capable of and\u0026nbsp;understood what had put him\u0026nbsp;down\u0026nbsp;such a violent road. She did not let that bother her. Krystal did not care about that. But she was curious to know what had curtailed that more\u0026nbsp;vicious\u0026nbsp;part of him.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\n\n_\"Monstrous, is the word I believe you are looking for.\"_\u0026nbsp;Six offered with a low chuckle. He would be the\u0026nbsp;first\u0026nbsp;to admit that he had been more akin to an animal\u0026nbsp;than\u0026nbsp;a human, at least back then.\u0026nbsp;The program had taught him\u0026nbsp;to kill, with\u0026nbsp;expediency\u0026nbsp;and tactical\u0026nbsp;efficiency… and\u0026nbsp;where that was deemed impossible, with cunning and savagery.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\n\nSince\u0026nbsp;that point however, he had learned a little\u0026nbsp;of\u0026nbsp;decorum, picked up certain\u0026nbsp;niceties\u0026nbsp;from Jorge and\u0026nbsp;later\u0026nbsp;on Krystal.\u0026nbsp;He\u0026nbsp;had\u0026nbsp;learned\u0026nbsp;there was more to life then ending lives.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\n\nThey had taught him how to live his own.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"No. Not at all.\" She was quick to dissuade him of the\u0026nbsp;bleak thought,\u0026nbsp;utterly unappreciative\u0026nbsp;of\u0026nbsp;the self-deprecation\u0026nbsp;in his grim tone.\u0026nbsp;Krystal hated to hear him speak of himself in such an insulting way when she knew he did not deserve such harsh self-loathing.\u0026nbsp;\"How about dashing?\u0026nbsp;Chivalrous\u0026nbsp;maybe?\" The vixen mused jokingly as she glanced to him for approval, a whimsical grin tugging on her muzzle\u0026nbsp;in a bid to cheer up his dour\u0026nbsp;mood.\u0026nbsp;\n\nThat time, Six\u0026nbsp;allowed himself a more genuine\u0026nbsp;laugh, a\u0026nbsp;low yet growling\u0026nbsp;reverberation\u0026nbsp;that rumbled\u0026nbsp;pleasantly\u0026nbsp;in the\u0026nbsp;confines\u0026nbsp;of her small helmet as he shook his head\u0026nbsp;in\u0026nbsp;grim\u0026nbsp;amusement.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\n\n_\"Truly? I personally think those descriptions to be farthest from the truth. I was quite a beast in my halcyon days. A monster indeed.\"_\u0026nbsp;While outwardly mirthful, there was a slight undercurrent of... remorse perhaps? In his voice.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\n\nHe\u0026nbsp;had indeed been\u0026nbsp;proficient\u0026nbsp;at\u0026nbsp;the\u0026nbsp;proliferation\u0026nbsp;of\u0026nbsp;wanton slaughter. The spartan had more confirmed kills\u0026nbsp;than\u0026nbsp;most ODST battalions.\u0026nbsp;Oni had trained their reaper well.\n\n\"No. Never. You will never be a monster in my eyes,\u0026nbsp;Six. To me you will always be a hero.\"\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\n\nHer\u0026nbsp;declaration\u0026nbsp;gave him pause, thoughts of another more recent conversation left\u0026nbsp;ringing\u0026nbsp;in his head.\u0026nbsp;\n\n_\"Hero...\"_\u0026nbsp;Six\u0026nbsp;lingered on the word with a frown she did not need see to know was there.\u0026nbsp;_\"Never been called that before. Though I must admit when associated with myself it is quite an amusing conjecture. But all the same,\"_\u0026nbsp;he lowered his head respectfully.\u0026nbsp;_\"I am\u0026nbsp;honored\u0026nbsp;you think so highly of me.\"\u0026nbsp;_\u0026nbsp;\n\nThe vixen giggled lightheartedly, shaking her muzzle in\u0026nbsp;fallacious\u0026nbsp;disappointment. \"Six, you should already know. I think the world of you.\"\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\n\n_\"A world, is that all? The\u0026nbsp;universe\u0026nbsp;itself in all its infinite glory could not hold a\u0026nbsp;candle\u0026nbsp;to you.\"\u0026nbsp;_\u0026nbsp;\n\nKrystal froze up, not quite sure she correctly heard what the\u0026nbsp;spartan had just proclaimed.\u0026nbsp;The vixen's brain took\u0026nbsp;a few moments to compute\u0026nbsp;his utterance. And as it dawned on her, a blush found itself\u0026nbsp;warming\u0026nbsp;up her\u0026nbsp;cheeks, she\u0026nbsp;fiddling\u0026nbsp;with her tail as if she was some\u0026nbsp;kit with a\u0026nbsp;schoolyard\u0026nbsp;crush, a\u0026nbsp;sight\u0026nbsp;that was undeniably out of place in the wintry blizzard raging endlessly around them.\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"You can't possibly mean that.\" She mumbled softly, the vixen having great\u0026nbsp;difficulty\u0026nbsp;with finding her voice to respond to such a solid declaration. He had never been so direct before with his intentions,\u0026nbsp;nor had he voiced\u0026nbsp;them so freely. For a brief moment, she had nearly\u0026nbsp;forgotten\u0026nbsp;where they were and what he was. But the world was not so kind as to let her have her thoughts for a moment longer and she\u0026nbsp;remembered.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\n\nArctic\u0026nbsp;world, friend in\u0026nbsp;danger…\u0026nbsp;\n\nKrystal\u0026nbsp;told\u0026nbsp;this to herself as she\u0026nbsp;turned her eyes away from the snow underneath her boots and to the spartan walking at her side.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\n\n_\"I\u0026nbsp;never lie.\"_\u0026nbsp;Six\u0026nbsp;replied with a simple shrug.\u0026nbsp;He\u0026nbsp;had merely iterated an\u0026nbsp;undeniable\u0026nbsp;fact. Krystal meant more to him\u0026nbsp;then\u0026nbsp;anywhere, anyone,\u0026nbsp;or anything in this galaxy,\u0026nbsp;or any other.\u0026nbsp;He...\u0026nbsp;valued her companionship,\u0026nbsp;highly.\u0026nbsp;It was a gift he cherished above everything else\u0026nbsp;that has or will ever exist. He would go so far as to admit that she was the\u0026nbsp;very\u0026nbsp;thing that kept him pushing onwards, allowed him to live in this bizarre world and face such\u0026nbsp;inconceivable\u0026nbsp;adversities\u0026nbsp;with such confidence and unwavering certainty.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\n\nThe\u0026nbsp;foundation\u0026nbsp;of his existence had once been\u0026nbsp;centered on and driven by a set of acutely\u0026nbsp;uncomplicated\u0026nbsp;directives, fight, kill, survive.\u0026nbsp;Onwards and forwards, an endless chain\u0026nbsp;of\u0026nbsp;spiraling\u0026nbsp;oblivion, but\u0026nbsp;ultimately an\u0026nbsp;oblivion with purpose.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\n\nYet\u0026nbsp;all of that had been upheaved the moment he arrived here, He had lost his sense of purpose. And for a time he had wandered directionless,\u0026nbsp;without\u0026nbsp;a true\u0026nbsp;belief in his own personal\u0026nbsp;worth. Fox had helped\u0026nbsp;him carry on with that for\u0026nbsp;a while, but it had been her to\u0026nbsp;finally\u0026nbsp;offer him what he\u0026nbsp;desperately\u0026nbsp;needed.\u0026nbsp;\n\nA reason to exist.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\n\nHe had trained his\u0026nbsp;whole life\u0026nbsp;to\u0026nbsp;serve\u0026nbsp;and\u0026nbsp;protect\u0026nbsp;mankind, so long that he could do nothing else, had wanted for nothing else. And when that duty no longer became an option he had been unable to find\u0026nbsp;his way, the meaning Six\u0026nbsp;once guided himself with, left\u0026nbsp;abandoned\u0026nbsp;in the wake of unexpected circumstances.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\n\nThen he had found Krystal, a new icon\u0026nbsp;to pour his faith and devotion into. The vixen\u0026nbsp;needed a protector, or rather what was perhaps more truthful, Six needed something\u0026nbsp;to protect. Mayhaps that was what had drawn her\u0026nbsp;to\u0026nbsp;him\u0026nbsp;initially, his\u0026nbsp;subconscious\u0026nbsp;seeing the ostensibly vulnerable woman as someone to\u0026nbsp;fulfill\u0026nbsp;his desire to defend...\u0026nbsp;something, anything, as long as it gave reason to the suffering he had endured.\n\nIt was\u0026nbsp;entirely\u0026nbsp;possible that he was just an obsessed, broken man, battered and worn down by a lifetime of post-traumatic stress, merely\u0026nbsp;chasing\u0026nbsp;after\u0026nbsp;the\u0026nbsp;first\u0026nbsp;person to treat him kindly, like a beaten hound. He imagined most Spartans were as\u0026nbsp;equally\u0026nbsp;damaged\u0026nbsp;as he, a natural byproduct of their... rough,\u0026nbsp;upbringing. Yet whatever it might be that drew him to her and kept him firmly by her side, he honestly did not care.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\n\nThe Spartan\u0026nbsp;knew not where he would be without her, but most certainly he would be\u0026nbsp;lost, in a figurative and literal\u0026nbsp;sense both. She had changed his directives,\u0026nbsp;his desires,\u0026nbsp;protect,\u0026nbsp;adapt,\u0026nbsp;_live.\u0026nbsp;_Not just to survive, but to fundamentally\u0026nbsp;make it a life worth living.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\n\nHis death in battle may have been\u0026nbsp;guaranteed,\u0026nbsp;it\u0026nbsp;was the end all Spartans were doomed to face. But perhaps, before that inevitable conclusion, he could\u0026nbsp;find some enjoyment of this\u0026nbsp;weary\u0026nbsp;existence, leave something behind other than a field of corpses and rivers of blood. He could leave\u0026nbsp;memories... a legacy, something to\u0026nbsp;ensure\u0026nbsp;he would not be forgotten\u0026nbsp;once his days had ended.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\n\nIt was her that offered him this previously impossible prospect. And for that, he... could not live without her, could not thank her enough for this unique opportunity.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\n\nPerhaps it was time he let\u0026nbsp;Krystal\u0026nbsp;know this, just\u0026nbsp;how\u0026nbsp;much she truly meant to him.\u0026nbsp;Six was aware he was not the most emotionally receptive of individuals; such considerations were not so easily forthcoming for him, not after the life he lived. He could not mutually return the affection she showered upon him, and if he was capable of that degree of intimate expression it would most certainly not be in a satisfactory way as he was emotionally impaired in regards to matters of the heart.\n\nWhich was why could never\u0026nbsp;understand\u0026nbsp;why she insisted on staying beside him\u0026nbsp;as she so tenaciously did, regardless of how\u0026nbsp;fundamentally\u0026nbsp;flawed as his past had made him. But\u0026nbsp;nonetheless, he was grateful for her dogged persistence.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\n\nAs he tried to muster the words\u0026nbsp;necessary\u0026nbsp;to divulge just how important she was to him,\u0026nbsp;Six\u0026nbsp;felt a sudden wave of\u0026nbsp;queasiness overwhelm him and glanced at his HUD's\u0026nbsp;internal\u0026nbsp;environmental\u0026nbsp;monitoring\u0026nbsp;software, questioning if perhaps his equipment was malfunctioning. It was\u0026nbsp;stiflingly\u0026nbsp;warm inside his armor, and he might have even been tempted to remove his helm if not for the deathly\u0026nbsp;arctic\u0026nbsp;conditions outside his MJOLNIR. Instead, he endured this\u0026nbsp;discomfort\u0026nbsp;in silence and focused on attempting to speak,\u0026nbsp;battling\u0026nbsp;his own body in a confrontation for control of his\u0026nbsp;inexplicably dry\u0026nbsp;mouth.\u0026nbsp;\n\nSlowly but surely, he\u0026nbsp;seized\u0026nbsp;dominion\u0026nbsp;over the muscles in his face, forcing them to accede to\u0026nbsp;his\u0026nbsp;demands.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\n\n_\"Krystal...\"\u0026nbsp;_He grunted softly,\u0026nbsp;reacquiring\u0026nbsp;her full attention at the sound of his\u0026nbsp;subdued\u0026nbsp;voice. In response, the vixen looked\u0026nbsp;to him, bright\u0026nbsp;emerald\u0026nbsp;eyes studying his visor with keen interest.\u0026nbsp;\n\nAnd under the gaze of those\u0026nbsp;shining\u0026nbsp;jade orbs, he floundered,\u0026nbsp;losing\u0026nbsp;every\u0026nbsp;vestment of\u0026nbsp;strength\u0026nbsp;he had just won control over as the\u0026nbsp;vixen waited\u0026nbsp;patiently\u0026nbsp;for\u0026nbsp;him to speak.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\n\nThe spartan nearly went rigid before he used his iron will to crush these\u0026nbsp;inexplicable\u0026nbsp;sensations\u0026nbsp;plaguing\u0026nbsp;him. He was going to tell her, there was no other course of action to take.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;She deserved to know.\n\nWith his resolve reaffirmed, he\u0026nbsp;opened\u0026nbsp;his\u0026nbsp;parched lips\u0026nbsp;once more.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\n\n_\"I...\"_\u0026nbsp;\n\n_\"Hey Six, Krystal, can you\u0026nbsp;hear\u0026nbsp;me?\"_\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\n\nThe sudden inclusion of Miyu's voice broke his intense concentration, allowing Six to release a quiet gasp of air\u0026nbsp;as he let go of the breath he had not realized he\u0026nbsp;was holding.\u0026nbsp;Now slightly irritated at the interruption, he\u0026nbsp;begrudgingly\u0026nbsp;responded, vowing\u0026nbsp;that he would tell Krystal\u0026nbsp;later in the day. With a flick of an eye and twitch of the\u0026nbsp;brow\u0026nbsp;he activated his\u0026nbsp;transceiver.\u0026nbsp;\n\n_\"This is Six, how copy?\"_\u0026nbsp;\n\n_\"Other than a little interference, I can hear\u0026nbsp;you just fine.\"\u0026nbsp;_\u0026nbsp;Despite some minor static distortions, her voice came in crisp and clear, meaning she could not be all that far away, no more\u0026nbsp;then\u0026nbsp;four kilometers if he were to guess.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\n\n_\"What's the situation? Did you find Monroe?\"_\u0026nbsp;Six hoped she had called with good news, because he was starting to grow bored with this monotone\u0026nbsp;arctic\u0026nbsp;waste.\u0026nbsp;And\u0026nbsp;judging from Krystal's dull expression, so was she.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\n\nThere was a slight pause before\u0026nbsp;the\u0026nbsp;cat gave her hesitant reply. \"_Well, not exactly...\"\u0026nbsp;_\u0026nbsp;\n\nHe frowned.\u0026nbsp;_\"Elaborate.\"_\u0026nbsp;\n\n_\"Good news or bad news first?\"\u0026nbsp;_\u0026nbsp;\n\nHe glanced to Krystal.\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Good,\" the vixen decided.\u0026nbsp;\n\n_\"Good news first.\"_\u0026nbsp;\n\n_\"Well, we found her ship.\u0026nbsp;But she's not there. From the looks of it she hasn't been back to it for a few days.\"\u0026nbsp;_\u0026nbsp;\n\n_\"Was that the bad news?\"\u0026nbsp;_Six inquired.\u0026nbsp;\n\n_\"Nope, still good. The bad news is, that's not the only ship we found out here. Fox and Falco just told me they found an\u0026nbsp;empty\u0026nbsp;Remnant transport. And from its size, we\u0026nbsp;could\u0026nbsp;be\u0026nbsp;looking\u0026nbsp;at anywhere upwards of\u0026nbsp;thirty to\u0026nbsp;forty\u0026nbsp;of the bastards.\u0026nbsp;But hey, at least we know for sure we're on the right track!\"\u0026nbsp;_She added, hoping to throw some levity into the dark development.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\n\nImmediately, Six looked to his motion tracker, only seeing a green pip flickering where Krystal stood.\u0026nbsp;_\"How long ago was this?\"\u0026nbsp;_\u0026nbsp;\n\n_\"I contacted you right after they did me. Fox tried to reach you but I guess this shitty\u0026nbsp;weather\u0026nbsp;is playing hell on our radios. You know, for once would it have killed the\u0026nbsp;guy to pick a friendlier\u0026nbsp;planet?\"_\u0026nbsp;\n\nSeeing that they were, for the moment, free of adversaries, the\u0026nbsp;spartan divided his attention between the comms uplink and the\u0026nbsp;environment. The knowledge that they were not alone\u0026nbsp;gave\u0026nbsp;the\u0026nbsp;lackluster snowscape an\u0026nbsp;ominous\u0026nbsp;tint.\u0026nbsp;_\"Have the orders changed?\"_\u0026nbsp;\n\n_\"Nah, keep on\u0026nbsp;going\u0026nbsp;on. But if you run into any of those asshats, feel free to show them our appreciation for dropping in where they're not wanted.\"\u0026nbsp;_\u0026nbsp;\n\n_\"Affirmative.\"\u0026nbsp;_He cut the signal and\u0026nbsp;re-shouldered\u0026nbsp;his rifle,\u0026nbsp;stowing away his previous musings in favor of the present.\u0026nbsp;With a confirmed enemy presence on this world he would need to focus\u0026nbsp;_\"Ready?\"\u0026nbsp;_He asked, turning to his vixen companion.\u0026nbsp;\n\nShe nodded, and with the response deemed\u0026nbsp;satisfactory, he once more led the way.\u0026nbsp;\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\\*\\*\\*\\*\\*\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"So, not\u0026nbsp;afraid\u0026nbsp;of Six anymore are ya?\" Miyu nudged her canine companion pointedly. Ending her call with the spartan had reminded her\u0026nbsp;of\u0026nbsp;a subject she had been hoping to bring up for a\u0026nbsp;while\u0026nbsp;in regards to her most recent observations.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"No.\" Fay\u0026nbsp;was quick to respond with her usual softness,\u0026nbsp;the dog\u0026nbsp;sounding\u0026nbsp;somewhat\u0026nbsp;on the defensive\u0026nbsp;if the feline's ears rang true.\u0026nbsp;\n\nMiyu rolled her eyes. Some habits were hard to break, Fay's social ineptitude proving\u0026nbsp;to be an interesting\u0026nbsp;and\u0026nbsp;surprisingly\u0026nbsp;strong\u0026nbsp;challenge. Even after all these years she had yet to emerge fully out of her antisocial shell. But enough it seemed, to cast away her previous doubts on their resident\u0026nbsp;supersoldier.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"If I might\u0026nbsp;pry, as you know I will. What brought on this change in\u0026nbsp;perspective?\" The feline wondered, splitting her attention between Fay and the uninteresting snowscape. Despite the knowledge that The Remnant had a physical presence on\u0026nbsp;Fischina, she was not all that concerned\u0026nbsp;by it.\u0026nbsp;They had dealt with their kind on more than one occasion, and she was confident the pair of them could take care of themselves.\n\n\"We... talked, before the mission.\" The canine admitted quietly, Miyu\u0026nbsp;struggling\u0026nbsp;to hear her\u0026nbsp;companion\u0026nbsp;despite the radio's solid connection.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Yeah, about what?\"\u0026nbsp;\n\nHer reluctance to speak was quite obvious, yet Fay\u0026nbsp;persevered in spite of the fact, going to show how far she\u0026nbsp;had\u0026nbsp;come from the timid girl Miyu first met. \"He\u0026nbsp;had confronted me about my... disinclination to interact\u0026nbsp;with him. I answered honestly, and he responded in kind. We spoke further, and I\u0026nbsp;learned that he is not such a bad person after all, if a little rigged and overwrought most of the time.\"\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"That's it?\" Miyu inquired skeptically, and\u0026nbsp;perhaps\u0026nbsp;somewhat\u0026nbsp;disappointed. She had been hoping to hear some dramatic\u0026nbsp;tour de force_,\u0026nbsp;_complete\u0026nbsp;with a tearful heart-to-heart and\u0026nbsp;complementary touching moment of understanding developing between the two.\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"That's it.\" Fay affirmed with a\u0026nbsp;laidback\u0026nbsp;nod, crushing Miyu's idealistic hopes.\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Boring.\" The cat muttered, her next few steps enforced with a low\u0026nbsp;grumbling\u0026nbsp;that brought a faint giggle out of\u0026nbsp;Fay's throat.\u0026nbsp;\n\nMiyu supposed she\u0026nbsp;should\u0026nbsp;have known better\u0026nbsp;than\u0026nbsp;to suspect\u0026nbsp;Six would do anything that could be considered usual or expected. In fact after giving it further thought she was surprised that he had been able to even speak with Fay on the matter at all. He had always been averse to expressing himself, especially to the point where he could have an earnest conversation with Fay to resolve their unspoken issues.\u0026nbsp;\n\nWith nothing else to do while they walked, Miyu decided to pester Fay\u0026nbsp;further on the subject while it was still up in the air.\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"You know, I-\"\u0026nbsp;\n\nWithout warning the stable bank of snow she had been at the moment crossing\u0026nbsp;proved\u0026nbsp;itself to be firmly in the\u0026nbsp;opposite as she suddenly lost her footing. An undignified yowl\u0026nbsp;was\u0026nbsp;the only noise she made as she\u0026nbsp;disappeared\u0026nbsp;into the darkness below, Fay's worried shout chasing after her into oblivion.\u0026nbsp;\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\\*\\*\\*\\*\\*\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nSix studied the suited form of his vixen traveling companion, as she once more found herself at his side, wondering whether he should try and strike up a conversation down the vein of interest he had been building up the courage to pursue before his musing had been interrupted. If there was one thing Six understood above all else after years dragging through the filthy and coagulated mires of blood and battle, it was this.\n\nLife is fleeting…\n\nThere was no telling how long he had left for this world, and what worried him considerably more, how long she had either. The spartan would do all in his power to keep her safe, but there were some threats he could not stop, however few and far stretched they might be. He was not so foolhardy as to believe he could stop random chance or ill-fortune from stealing her away from him. And if such a day were to come, Six was certain he would not find himself that far behind her.\n\nSuch was an uninviting notion to be sure, but it was the truth. He lived to serve her, wholly and completely. If he failed Krystal and she passed, he was duty bound to follow in her footsteps. If there was an afterlife, and he did not plummet to the underworld for the grievous crimes he committed in the name of human preservation, then she would have need of him. He did not know much about religion or understand anything more then what he had heard from soldiers in passing by, nor had he cared for such existential quandaries such as heaven or hell at the time. But he was almost confident that if he were to be judged for his actions by some omnipotent god atop a golden throne, that his path in the hereafter would diverge sharply with that of the woman under his protection, a route that veered abruptly in a downwards motion.\n\nAnd if not for the fact he had met Krystal, he would have acknowledged such a dark outcome with grim acceptance. Six was fully aware of the horrendous deeds he had wrought in the name of humanity’s survival, some to this day still troubled his stalwart mind, actions that though ordered by those in high stations, might not have truly intersected with humanity’s best interests, but that of the men in power.\n\n_Cryus VII_ was one such troubled moment.\n\nIf Krystal were to ever discover what he had done there, what kind of monster he had forced himself to become, what manner of foul creature lay thinly hidden underneath his allegedly principled exterior, she could never look him in the eyes again.\n\nAnd that would destroy him utterly. He had made a critical error as a spartan in the months he had spent amongst the Starfox team, a fatal lapse in judgment that would no doubt mean his inevitable demise.\n\nHe cared.\n\nFor Fox, Miyu, Slippy, Krystal, all of them. He had allowed for something he had all but killed within himself the very day he landed at Currahee’s gates, a desire above that which he aspired to in all his days as a spartan, something he had rendered numb through his adolescent and teenage years alike.\n\nHe had allowed himself to feel.\n\nAnd that in itself beckoned him to ruin.\n\nSix had opened himself to the mortal defect that all men and woman of a morally upright disposition suffered. Without such a weakness, he had thrived in an environment no man was supposed to thrive in, had turned his misanthropic values into his greatest strengths. The very same misanthropy that would break the will of most men was what allowed him to be the hyper-lethal vector ONI desired. Only a weapon could hope to endure the trials he would have to face, so a weapon he became, unflinching in the line of duty, unwavering in the heat of battle, and wholly dedicated to the completion of the mission, no matter the cost, no matter the lives lost, innocent or guilty.\n\nThis was the past he would have to overcome if he was to have some measure of hope enjoying any meaningful existence beyond the proliferation of bloodshed. He did not expect this to be a seamless transition; the alteration from a directed weapon of mass destruction to the undeniably less violent role of a private military contractor, would require a high degree of restraint and acceptance of certain discretion towards a way of life he held little understanding in.\n\nDespite the uncertainties he would have to face in the coming days, if he were to whether such adversities he would need guidance, and Six retained one such advantage that would see him through these desperate trials, something that offered the promise of salvation for his damaged mind.\n\nAs long as he had Krystal, he would not merely overcome a lifetime of misfortune and hardship, he would strive to excel in an unaccustomed environment and embody the vestments of a title he had never wanted nor needed, a title that even now left a bitter impression upon his thoughts. Nevertheless he would assume such an affliction, no matter the personal cost he might suffer, if for only the knowledge that it would bring a smile to the muzzle of the one he cared for most.\n\nHe would become a hero, for her he would dare to shoulder that unwanted burden, for her he would become that which she deserved.\n\nFor as long as he had Krystal, he had hope.\n\nAnd that was a sentiment that had all but starved in the realm of his upbringing. For the men and women of mankind, hope was a commodity in short supply.\n\nSix had never truly understood what that word meant until he found her, never understood how something intangible, something far beyond the eyesight of mortal man, could bolster the weary and downtrodden hearts of those that ached. In this moment, the spartan realized, all he need do to understand such a sensation was reflect upon the one he clung to most, the sound of her laugh, the sight of her smile, the mere scent of her on the breeze, all small things that would have been beyond the scope of his own understanding not so long ago. Now he cherished each treasured memory above all else in this world.\n\nShe was his hope.\n\nIn grasping this bewildering truth Six surprised himself, having always considered spartans, him above all others, far outside such… human emotion. He had not thought himself capable of such a profound degree of… feeling, to put the convoluted swirl of incomprehensible beliefs into a more interpretable description.\n\nAlthough he spent much of his life simply musing within the confines of his own skull when not furiously rampaging across the fields of battle, this process might surprise more than a few people on the philosophical means he used to pass the quieter intervals. The habitual reflections had turned him into quite the adept of private deliberation. Yet offered him little guidance in regards to this particular subject, one he knew to be the hardest he had yet to tackle.\n\nRegardless of what the outcome might be, Six would not be the same man at the end of it. For better or worse, the decision he came to would shake the very foundations of his previous existence.\n\nHe could very well continue down the path Krystal sought to lead him, a path that might be the cure to his affliction of misanthropy, or he could sever the ties that had brought him so close to this metamorphous of both mind and soul.\n\nDown one road, he could hope to regain the life taken away from him, a life filled with familial connection and the promise of brotherhood amongst those that would fill the absence of what he had lost so long ago in his youth.\n\nHowever, down the other….\n\nWell that path was somewhat… obscure, a route that might lead to a complete relapse into the entity that found a welcoming home within the arms of secrecy and shadow, that did not care for such things as fraternal bonds or matters of the heart.\n\nNo matter the road he followed, his loyalty to Krystal would not waiver. If one thing could be said for the misery of his darker days, it was this. Once attained, his allegiance was absolute and without question. The harsh years of conditioning on behest of the Office of Naval Intelligence had seen to that. No well-trained hound was ever without its leash, whether such means of control manifested as the cold steel of a collar around his throat or the immaterial doctrine of obedience so heavily beaten into him throughout his childhood. No matter the path taken, some things would never fully leave him.\n\nNo... his loyalty would not change this day or any other.\n\nTo Six, it was merely the more private decision of what trajectory he preferred to take, and which of these conclusions would benefit his charge the most.\n\nOne would make her happy, while the other would keep her safe.\n\nAnd when put into such blatant terms, the choice seemed all but apparent.\n\nYet if he had learned anything from the strange life he now led, it was that not everything was as cut and dry as that.\n\n“Penny for your thoughts?”\n\nSix did not at first recognize the voice that intruded upon his deep contemplation, but upon realization that it was the very same that belonged to the object of his inner controversy; he was quick to quell his reveries in favor of returning his focus to the active world.\n\n_“Pardon?”_ He inquired, unable to understand what expression she had just then unleashed upon him.\n\nThe vixen giggled at the identifiable tone of consternation in his voice, her elbow thumping mutely against the thickly armored bracer to her left. “What I mean to say is what’s eating you? You look even more dark and gloomy then you usually do.” The smile he could see past her translucent visor lessened visibly as she seemed to consider something. “Was it something I said? I hope I did not pry too far.”\n\nThe apologetic look in her eyes did not pass his notice and the spartan watched as her tail dropped low to drag through drifts of snow. Six wondered at the expressive body language these aliens seemed to have devised, an entire secondary dialect that expanded past what some might call simple human gesture in comparison. To better understand such species, one would have to be educated in not just the usual manners of ordinary communication humans relied upon, but an inherent and complex animalian vernacular they exhibited through all his observations.\n\nHis teachings in the program had comprised of more than military theorem and battlefield strategy, though these two topics were prevalent above all other fields of study. Philosophy, physics, astronomy, sociology, the spartan initiative had dabbled in a hundred different fields that spanned across a complex network of education, all aimed at the goal of creating the deadliest warriors in human history.\n\nSix would not be boastful to say that he was a learned man, though he was not a master in any particular field, he was knowledgeable enough to understand the applied methods of each area of study. One would be astonished to discover how useful geology could be to a soldier in the field able to utilize applicable devices. An intimate understanding of the very field one fought in availed them with previously unrecognized opportunities.\n\nBut such musing was beside the point, as he had yet to respond to the vixen’s apology in the minutes of silence that stretched between them.\n\nThe spartan chuckled softly, the unexpected mirth drawing an inquisitive, although wry smile from his companion.\n\n_“You did not press too far, Krystal, rather I have not pressed far enough.”_\n\nAlthough confused by the mysterious nature of his response, she was glad to know any troubles of his were at no fault of her own.\n\n_Maybe I’m just getting old._ The spartan wondered as his fit of mirth faded in the face of his stark mentality.\n\nSix spent countless hours rationalizing his existence, perhaps attempting to find some form of rhyme or reason for the peculiarities his life was packed full with. From his years fighting to oppose a zealous hegemony of extraterrestrial fanatics, to his far briefer moments in trying to solve the enigmatic nature of the human condition, Six wondered which of these paths was the most fulfilling. \u0026nbsp;\n\nArguably, his service for the benefit of humanity seemed the obvious choice of the two, but just as his other internal quandary, the decision was not as modest as selecting either A or B.\n\nNevertheless, as he was prone to, Six shelved such empirical questioning in favor of other more immediate concerns. It occurred to him in that moment, that he had not asked Krystal on how she faired. The female fox had spent so much time worrying about him, yet he had never bothered to reciprocate in her kindness. Certainly, he was unused to such compassionate ways, but it was inexcusable to not at the very least try.\u0026nbsp;\n\n_“What of you Krystal, how do you fare this day?”_\n\nTo say she was surprised to hear him ask would be a considerable underestimation of the shock she felt at his enquiry. She could not think of a single moment shared together where the spartan has inquired to the state of her emotional health, the human far too considered with her physical wellbeing.\n\nBut as startled as she was by this development, that did not stop the warm feeling that swelled up within her at his honest concern.\n\n_“I recognize that I have failed in many ways as your… significant other. I am not used to this existence, this… way of life. I have not been attentive enough, nor concerned enough to preform my duties. In this way I have failed myself… I have failed you. I have-”_\n\nKrystal could not bear to hear him say one more word; the complete and utter shame coating his voice was near enough to hurt her soul and ignited an unusual flare of anger within her.\n\n“No Six, do not go down this road of self-loathing! You have not failed me in any way… Why must you always insist on being your own worst enemy, Six?” She sighed quietly in frustration that was not directed at any one source, but the situation as a whole, her muzzle curved into a sharp frown at what she had just heard. If there was one thing Krystal despised about him, it was with which the ease he ridiculed himself, so quick to put the blame on his own shoulders. If it was within his power she suspected he would carry the guilt of the entire galaxy upon his shoulders.\n\nKrystal could never find it in herself to be mad at him for his many lapses, not after the life he had been forced to live. It was not his mistake that he could be forgetful sometimes, that he often spent so much of his time in seclusion.\n\nNo. She did not look down upon him for this, if anything she was proud of him, that he had fought so hard to overcome such adversities and harsh conditions. He was strong, stronger than anyone she had ever known, even Fox and her very own father. Yet at times, he could act so very weak, uncertain and afraid.\n\nShe could tell, whenever she looked in those profound orbs of flecked crimson, that he was afraid. Afraid of her, for her, about her, and it distressed Krystal to know that she was the foundation of his biggest fears.\n\nHow could he be so scared? What was capable of affecting such an unwavering force as Six? No matter how much he cared for her, Krystal was confident that he would never divulge the truth. The answer would be far too close to the heart for him to ever reveal. He was simply incapable of opening himself up like that.\n\nYet she loved him all the same.\n\nKrystal had vowed that she would never abandon him. As long as she was able she would make his welfare her highest priority, if for no other reason than the fact no one else in his life had even tried. Both he and she had lost their happiness through the respective trials in their lives, and it was her hope that together, they could re-attain what they had once lost, find the bliss they equally deserved.\n\nAnd while happily content with her current life, at least until she could convince Six that war was not always the answer, she could find ways for them to achieve mutual delight in the interim. Usually it was the male in the mateship that would instigate such festivities; however it was blatantly apparent to Krystal that if she did not make the effort, he never would.\n\nThe vixen would not have preferred not to push for such intimate connection so soon in their relationship, but circumstance was against them. Her season was fast approaching and she had only one outlet to satisfy her… urges. And she would be lying to herself if she said that was her only motivation.\n\nTo put it in a mortifying and crude fashion, she wished to _‘make him feel good’_.\n\nAfter what they have been through, she felt they both deserved a little release. And who knew, it might even help him break out of the shell he hid beneath. It was certainly the most direct path to take to bring about such an outcome\n\nBut his next words struck her across the muzzle.\n\n_“I just don’t want to lose you.”_ It was… difficult, for him to admit as much to her, and he all but loathed the weakness in his voice as he released such a closely guarded secret. But it was the truth, and he never lied. Six did not wish to lose Krystal or what he had with her, this was the happiest he had ever been in the entirety of his existence. He had friends, a duty, a purpose, and above all, he had _her_. He had motivation to exist, a reason to get up in the morning, a reason to fight, to live… to be more than just a spartan, to be his very own man, to have a loyalty that was his choice and not to strain at the leash of a master he did not wish to serve.\n\nSix had at last attained the freedom of choice so long denied to him.\n\nAnd it terrified him that he might lose it.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\\*\\*\\*\\*\\*\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nKrystal nearly stumbled in the snow, struggling to find the voice that has been so effortlessly stolen from her by his plaintive, near childlike statement.\n\n_He doesn’t want to lose me?_\n\nThe vixen knew he cared for her, quite possibly even loved her, however she had never gathered enough indication to gauge the depth of his adoration. She had known it to be high, but could have never predicated how much she actually meant to him, to the point where even a stoic man like Six was tormented by his apprehension.\n\nAnd it scared her. It scared Krystal to learn that someone cared that much for her, that she could induce such powerful devotion from another living being. Yet, at the same time, another emotion swelled within her, this one quite difficult to define and powerful in its effect, a complex amalgam beyond palpable description. She was positively giddy with joy and excitement, was nearly drowned in sadness and despair, felt buffeted by acceptance and love, and was nearly blown away by an overwhelming outpouring of adulation.\n\nBut as bewildering and varied as these sentiments were, one thing was clear amidst the chaos.\n\nShe loved him all the more for it.\n\nWho else would care for her as much as Six did? Who else would commit their life to her with such ardent dedication? Who could possibly hope to be the shield strong enough to surpass her stalwart protector?\n\nThe answer was as obvious as it was reassuring.\n\nNo one, not one being the entirety of this galaxy or any other could match the focus of her heart’s desire. Not one individual could assume the many rolls Six occupied for her. He was her friend, guardian, and lover. He was a shield that sheltered her from the oncoming storm, an ear to lend for her deepest worries, and someone to keep her warm at night, to make her feel needed.\n\nBefore Six her life had been hollow and meaningless. She had never truly enjoyed her career as a mercenary, and despised the act of taking a life. But her debt to Fox was the only thing that mattered to her anymore at that point, the only thing with meaning with no world or people to call her own. Nor could she abandon the few friends she had. So a killer she had become, if a reluctant one.\n\nBut now she held no such reservations. She would fight tooth and claw, would kill without hesitation if she could secure the life she and Six deserved. Krystal did not know if that made her a bad person, or if her parents would be proud or disappointed in her if they had been alive to see her now. But that was not as important as achieving her end goals.\n\nSix stood silently next to her, both having stopped at this lull in their conversation, the spartan waiting on bated breath for her to respond to his heartfelt proclamation. Seeking to wipe any trace of doubt from his mind that she did not fully reciprocate his affection, the vixen pressed herself against his armored torso, arms wrapping tightly around his lower back in disregard for the snowstorm encompassing an entire world as she rested her helmet against his chest, a field of cerulean filling her vision.\n\nSlow to act yet assured in his actions, Six lowered his arms around her shoulders and permitted himself to hold her tight… if just this once, savoring what he hoped would become a more frequent occurrence.\n\nAs she cherished this exceptional and tender moment, Krystal felt an abrupt, piercing pain in the crook of her spine, an unexpected searing heat that forced a whimper from her lips. The angry sensation spread across her body and it soon was difficult to keep her weakening grip on the spartan. Gloves scrabbled to maintain their purchase as she stumbled backwards, a muffled voice echoing loudly in her ears, as if they were jammed with cotton. \u0026nbsp;\n\nHer vision blurred and it was hard to keep sight of him as she keeled over backwards, and her legs finally seemed to shut down as she drunkenly collapsed to the ground. But before she could rest against the pillowy snow, a fierce pressure encased itself around her wrist as something latched onto her with an iron grip.\n\nIt was hard to keep thinking, though blessedly the pain had faded, to be replaced with a cool numbness that eased the ache in her muscles. \u0026nbsp;The voice in her head rose from a faint growl into a deafening rumble, its words still undecipherable.\n\nA smeared wall of azure took up the entirety of her sight and the hold on her wrist slackened, a gentle force cupping the back of her head as she gazed up into a silvery light.\n\nIt was soft and warm and welcoming. Krystal liked the light, even though it was quite bright. Closing her eyes, the vixen surrendered to the even more welcoming embrace of darkness.\n\nIt had been a nice light.","series":{"name":"Legacy of the Precursors (Redux)","previous":"https://fse.anthro.fr/stories/1085439-a-past-better-left-buried.json","next":"https://fse.anthro.fr/stories/1168816-the-eye.json"}}