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Chapter -19-

Vixen's Gravidity

Macbeth...

Fox glanced from Krystal to the cell door , licked his lips, and looked back down at her. He rolled off his mate, lying beside her with a soft sigh. "We can't keep doing this in the field."

"We can do whatever the hell we want. We're grown-ass adults."

"You just wanted to relax me because I hate feeling helpless."

"Aw..." She turned her head and faced him, now shoulder-to-shoulder beside him. "Do you feel manipulated?"

"Not really. I should, but I don't."

"Mm, that's because you knew I was trying to keep you focused." She reached for her outfit, pushed her legs into it, and drew it up to her hips. "I could use a snooze." With a wry grin, she arched her back a bit, pulled the one-piece flight suit up, put her arms through it, guided it over her shoulders, and then she reached to pull her hair from the collar.

"That's the first time I've seen you forego a bra with your flight suit."

"Mm-hmm, this new model is self-supporting where it counts. It helps with breathability."

Fox, still beside her on the somewhat-narrow detention cell bed, reached for the open zipper of her flight suit. He guided the fabric further apart to ogle her bust for a moment. "Maybe it's because I'm a guy, but I can't tell the difference. They look the same to me."

Krystal grinned at the way he reached for the zipper of her flight suit and held it wide apart. "Yes, well they've been sensitive because my bras have been feeling tighter than usual, lately. I think I've gone up a cup-size since coming back to the Great Fox with you."

"Oh, well that's awesome."

"Going from a C-cup to a D-cup is not a good thing, love."

"Wait, it's not?"

"No, silly boy."

"Why not?" Fox furrowed his brows in confusion.

"Because of how Cornerian undergarment companies make bras, you goober. You're a man, so you wouldn't understand."

"I ... wouldn't? Try me."

"Oi. All right. Firstly, when a woman is buying a brassiere in A, B, or C-cup, it's easy to find matching nickers. I was a C-cup until recently. And the way they _make_the bloody soutien-gorge is different, as well."

"Okay, so you like when your bra and panties match?"

"Well, yes, it makes me feel like I somehow have my life together when my top and bottoms match. But it's more than that, Fox."

"Uh, all right. I'm listening." He looked down at where he was still holding the fabric zipper apart over her chest. "I mean, I understand these flight suits have the support built into the suit itself, but ... I'll try and imagine you're wearing a bra under this, if you think it'll help me understand why it's bad to go from a C-cup to a D-cup."

"Very well. When Cornerian companies make a woman's brassiere, the average woman wears something sized C-cup or smaller. And the way these bras are built is, like, 'Hello, princess, let me kiss your pert cherry nipples with a hint of lace, while adorning your breasts in fine silk, gently embracing them like two fragile turtle doves, cooing in the snow.' But these same bloody companies, when making brassieres for D-cups and up, are like, 'Oi, blob-fish! Here's bloody beige canvas held together by braided twine in constrictor knots with a convoluted pulley system on each shoulder! You'll need your best mate to help get each shoulder strap to match! And don't forget to bellow, 'HEAVE-HO!' before hoisting those bloody boulders onto the cargo deck, so's anyone within a mile can run for cover, lest you knock random bystanders clean off their feet. Also, we attached a rubbish little bow in the middle in hopes that you'll feel pretty!' I just went from the first class of brassieres to the second class. Newsflash, love, beige isn't my color."

Fox released the body-suit zipper and held a finger up as if he was going to say something, but no words came to mind. He lowered his paw. "...What?"

"What?" she repeated.

He decided that she was right, earlier ... only women would understand. He wasn't a woman. He couldn't wrap his mind around her given example. Instead, he reverted the topic. "So, uh, you got a new flight suit that looks like your old pink one? But it fits better in a few key places, huh?"

Krystal nodded firmly. "Fabricated it on the Great Fox, actually."

"Oh. Right. We have a fabricator on the carrier model. I keep forgetting about that."

She reached down and slowly zipped up the front of her flight suit. The zipper came up to the base of her throat. She guided a flap of fabric over the zipper, covering it, so that the fastening was well-hidden, making the suit look as though it was form fitting and painted onto her body. "Like I said, my old flight suit and bras all felt tight in a few spots. I guess I've gained a lot of muscle mass while I was away from Star Fox, making the fabric tight in a few areas. Maybe my old bras and suit were chaffing, I don't know, but it's caused uncomfortable sensitivity. Not too much information, is it?"

"Oh, no, not at all. You can tell me anything, Krystal. But, for the record, you still look the same to me."

"Well, I'm glad to hear that." She exhaled through her nose, calm and slow. "God, that crab soup, earlier, was pretty good ... but you could really taste the imitation crab they used."

"Imitation crab?"

Krystal nodded. "Yeah. It's made of crab meat filler ... various types of fish. Close but not real crab."

"Huh. I thought it was all right. Nothing special, just ... y'know, whatever. Tasted like crab to me, but I don't eat crab often enough, I guess."

"I'd love some real crab soup. Now that I've had imitation crab, I want the real thing."

Fox sat up and reached for his clothes. He pulled the denim jeans up, fastened his belt, and gave a tug on his favorite lucky red handkerchief, still hanging from a beltloop. He pulled his V-neck T-shirt over his head, put his arms through it, and reached for his silver gear vest. He zipped it and gave a downward tug at the hem. "Did you see the way Shears looked at each of us, earlier? It felt like he was sizing us up."

"Actually, Fox, he was surprised you were dressed casual for work."

"Casual how?"

"The jeans, love. You're wearing jeans. I mean, really, juxtapose that to the fact I'm wearing a temperature-controlled flight suit. He's never seen you wear denim on a job. To be honest, neither have I. Is that something new?"

Fox shook his head. "No. It's just something I felt like doing before we left the Great Fox. I, uh..."

"Oh. Your regular outfit needs to be laundered?"

"Heh. We went a while apart, Krystal. I guess I got lazy."

"You backslid into your old bachelor habits."

Fox rubbed at the nape of his neck.

"Fox, you look like a little kit, nervously stealing a glance at his mother after she caught him playing when he should've been cleaning his room. I'm not here to judge you. I'm just calling things as I see them."

"Oh, right. Yeah. No, it's cool. Uh, I hope Falco and Katt are all right in your ship."

"They'll be fine." She tapped her right temple with her index finger. "I discretely reached out to let them know I need them to keep tarrying about in the CloudRunner for a tick longer. Falco is a bit impatient, of course, but Katherine has him sorted."

Fox eyed her.

"What, love?"

"Nothing."

"Don't be churlish. What was the look for?"

"It's just ... it's been a while."

"You're being cryptic. I'm trying to catch your meaning, but..."

Fox grinned. He lifted his paws and held them out to the sides. "I mean, uh, it's just ... I haven't heard you use Cerinian terms in a while. Certainly not since we crossed paths on Kew. I mean, like, it's been years. What's suddenly brought that back?"

"Hmm..." She sat up on the mattress and draped her legs over the side of the bed. "Didn't even realize I was doing it."

"Your dialect is a little thicker than I'm used to, all of a sudden."

She brought a paw to her muzzle, reflecting on what she's said in the last few minutes. "Hmm..."

"I've only heard it that way twice - when Star Fox _first_took you in, after the Sauria job, although it didn't last long. A day or two at most. The other time, when it was far more noticeable, kind of like now ... it was ... when we did the job on Miracle."

Krystal smiled at the mention of the remaining moon over Sauria. "Ah, Miracle. I'd really fancy a return there some day. Just the two of us."

"Well, there are Cornerian archeologists and anthropologists there, now..."

"I mean, you know, love, I'm just saying I'd be proper chuffed to faff around the ruins. No worrying about Oikonny or his mates. Just you, me, and some proper peace to enjoy the remnants and relics in all its brilliant splendor. I've fond memories of you looking like a clever dish on a balcony at sun-up, and..." She tensed up, laughed softly in spite of herself, and shook her head followed by a soft sigh of amusement. "Bloody hell, you're right."

"Yeah. It's just started since, well ... you know..."

"Don't be daft." She pointed to the broken camera in the corner. "You mean since the snogging led to that hanky panky?"

"Er ... yeah."

Krystal stood up and stretched. "So glad I fabricated this new suit. I need to make an alteration though. Y'know, to make it easier to have a sit on the khazi."

"Okay, I feel like you've told me that word before, but ... I don't remember what it means."

"It's Cerinian for the toilet. All right. Oi. Something is definitely barmy. I know for a fact I haven't used that term in years. What has me reverting again? On Miracle it was that sodding pheromone in the air. I don't think that's the issue here."

"I remember that ... it was the Krazoan way of trying to get their population to, well, repopulate. Sad that they still died out. Two thousand years later, we come along, figure it out, find the facility still pumping those pheromones into the air, and turn it off. I, uh, remember some of the Cerinian words you told me about, also. One was dosh, right? Your money?"

"Mm-hmm. Cerinian cash." She pushed away from the wall-mounted bed and began pacing the cell. "God, I can still smell that imitation crab."

Fox furrowed his brows. He sniffed at the air. "Not me."

"Bloody hell I'm tired." Krystal walked to the door to the cell and picked up the empty bowl. "I feel fine. It's not some ... lurgy. Uh, you know ... a cold, I mean." She looked him over again. Her eyes stopped on his waist. She shook her head with a casual grin.

"What?"

"Sorry, I'm easily distractible right now. Probably because I'm tired. Maybe because I'm still hazy from the romp."

"You were distracted by something I did or ... something you saw on me, maybe?"

"Oh, that. It's just ... I've never seen you wearing your red neckerchief in one of your beltloops before. You always wear your flight suit on a job, and your red neckerchief around your neckline..."

"Oh, the bandanna, right. What about it?"

She laughed softly and shook her head. "So, tell me, love, what's with you in this mufti?" she gestured to his clothes. "God, listen to me. We fool around, and suddenly all my old Cerinian vernacular comes to the surface. Gods, I am tired." She sniffed the bowl then tossed it down and began pacing again. "Am I acting squiffy to you?"

Fox rubbed in chin in thought. He walked over to the empty food bowls from earlier and sniffed them closely. "Doesn't smell like you were drugged. And I don't feel weird or tired."

"Then what's got me all daft, suddenly?"

"Okay, let's see ... let's retrace our steps to see when this kicked in for you...?"

"Like, we're chatting it up, we're starkers, we're going at it ... my sodding minge out for the world to see ... then, bam, we're dressed, and I'm talking Cerinian-like. It makes no sense. None whatsoever."

"Pheromones?"

Krystal shook her head. "There's no way Shears is pumping that stuff into the room. At least I bloody-well hope not."

"Agreed. I'm sated after that romp. On Miracle, I'd have been ready for round two already. We'd be going at it until we're both raw and sore."

Krystal snapped her fingers and pointed at Fox. "Brilliant. You're right. I'm ready for a kip, not round two."

"A kip?"

"A nap, love." She rubbed her chin in thought and continued pacing once more. "If that sodding prat didn't dose the room, then what's got me all wound up? Until we figure it out, I'm not trying to be hanging-all-out for everyone to see. The last thing I need is for that bloody ponce to post a hyper link on the subspace internet, 'fifty dosh for a few snaps of Krystal's minge.' Sod it all, why am I all hot and bothered, still? I don't want that perv seeing me on my back."

"Not sure. By the way, what's ... a minge?" He pronounced the word the same way she did, rhyming with 'singe.'

"You know, you goof. My tuppence. Don't make me say it aloud."

"You can say 'eff me, eff me, just like that, baby,' earlier, but you can't say whatever a minge is?"

Krystal brought both paws to her muzzle, then covered her face with both palms, rubbed at her eyes, took a deep breath, and exhaled slowly. "Okay, that was an awkward play-back. Thanks for that, then."

"You okay, hon?"

She calmly inhaled, held it for a few seconds, then dropped her paws and said, "Just had to get at myself. I was saying, earlier, that we were fooling around and my you-know-what was exposed to the whole-bloody-world."

Fox snapped his fingers. "Oh! Right! Minge and, uh, tuppence. Right."

"Too right, love. The reason why skirts need nickers - the naughty bits. Heh." She ran her paw up, over her forehead, front to back, and pushed her ears down. They popped up once more. She rubbed the back of her neck, as if trying to knead the tension out of her neck and shoulders. "See that? Now you know two Cerinian terms for a woman's..." She lowered her voice, and said, "...Hoo-hah."

Fox grinned, trying his best not to chuckle at her sudden and adorable coyness. "Well, I mean, you broke the camera, and then ... if there's a camera we _didn't_know about, the only thing Shears got to see was my ass, because I kept your 'naughty bits' covered."

She laughed. "Too right, you did. You dishy boy." She reached up and rubbed her face with her right palm. "Good God, Fox, listen to me. I'm full-on Cerinian. I tried so hard to emulate Cornerian when we first met."

"Other than the change in vocabulary, it's not really that different."

"Well, Cerinian did have different terminology for 'similar' Cornerian phrasings. Some were pretty close despite being different."

"Oh, yeah? How about an example, Krystal?"

"Well, Corneria says, 'jumping jacks,' and Cerinia said 'star jumps' ...and, oh, Corneria says 'trapezoid' instead of 'trapezium.' Okay, I'm getting off topic."

"It's okay, Krystal. It's fine, hon."

"I guess I'm just trying to wrap my head around it all, you know? It feels like ... I just..." She shook her head and laughed at how absurd she felt. "I mean, we have a romp, and then suddenly, boom! It's like I'm back on Miracle, using old terminology. I'm trying to use Cornerian phrases. I am, I swear." She exhaled through clenched teeth and shook her head. "Maybe it's because I'm just ... tired. Maybe?"

"Emotionally or physically?"

"Yes," she said with a firm nod.

"So, you _feel_tired? Because just a bit ago, you were all ramped up and ready to take on the world. But now you're tired, physically?"

"Heavens, yes. I'm_exhausted_. I could sleep a solid eight, easy."

"Really? You usually get so hyper after we ... you know..."

"Sex. You can say it, Fox."

Fox laughed with a wry grin. "Yes. After sex."

"Okay, okay, not _that_loud." She lifted her paws, waving at him back-handed as though shooing him away.

"Uh..." Fox reached back and rubbed the nape of his neck.

"Oh, sod it. Sex. Pussy. Va-sodding-gina. What is wrong with me? Maybe it just sounds weird when you say it. I don't know. Oh, my god, Fox, don't listen to me. All right. I just need to get my head sorted."

Fox stood up from the mattress and approached her. "Hey, are you sure that you're all right?"

She laughed half-heartedly, shook her head 'no,' but said, "I'm fine."

Fox offered her a dubious look. "Yeah, but..."

A noise up the hallway caused both pilots to tense up and become quiet.

Shears stepped into the hallway and approached the holding cell. "I've thought about your offer, Star Fox. I've reached out to your two pilots waiting on the surface. I told them you offered to work with me. Neither of them seemed surprised I would double-cross little Andy Oikonny. I guess I shouldn't call him little_anymore, it's just that _I still remember him as a scrawny twelve-year-old boy."

Fox eyed Shears. "Reggie, wait, hold up. If you knew Andrew when he was that young, that means you've been working with Andross since he was exiled to Venom."

Shears shook his head with a soft sigh. "There is so much you don't know, McCloud."

Fox tilted his head but said nothing.

"You and Andy were still little kids when I first involved myself with Doctor Elijah Andross Bowman-Oikonny, son of Elijah Bowman."

Krystal mouthed the words, 'Bowman-Oikonny...?'

Fox asked, "Shears, why are you calling him by both last names? I thought he's always been Andross Bowman, and people called him Andross Oikonny by mistake...?"

"Oh, it's not a mistake."

"So, both are right?"

"Yes."

"I mean, I know some people call him Andross Oikonny, sometimes, but I've never heard people call him both last names."

Shears shrugged. "Because Andross is part of both the Bowman house, and Oikonny house of the larger and better-known Oikonny clan. As head of the Oikonny clan, he's the highest ranking clan leader and the male head of the Gorillini tribe, comprised of multiple clans, the largest of which is ... well, was the Oikonny clan at the time before the exile. Of course, Cornerians remember the incident for the exile of Andross, but the Simian People of the Primate Nation remember it for the exodus from Corneria to Venom, leading up to the Lylat Wars."

Fox stared at Shears with a blank expression.

"What, McCloud?"

"I'm not quite sure I followed, well, any of that."

"Very well. The smallest-to-largest family social classification goes, 'House,' then 'Clan,' then 'Tribe,' then 'People,' and finally, 'Nation."

"Still not getting it. I've seen tribal hierarchy before, and it was nothing like that. I've seen groups where several village families make up a clan, and several clans make up a tribe, but nothing like what you're talking about."

"I'm not surprised, McCloud. Most Cornerians, in fact Lylat races in general, typically do not understand how the ape and monkey races work. One's household-based coresident family is their 'house.' He is Andross of the House of Bowman, son of Elijah Bowman. The patriarch is the leader of the house. Andross' mother was the leader of House Oikonny because her father died, and her younger brother had no interest in taking a leadership role over their house. A clan is comprised of several houses ... think of it as extended blood family - in his case, the Oikonny clan. So, he is Andross Bowman, son of Elijah. His grandson, young Dash, is directly related to Andross on the paternal side through his father, Algy, whose full name is technically Algy Bowman of clan Oikonny."

Fox sighed softly, already starting to get annoyed by Shears' over-abundant explanation. "Okay, so the clan is the family tree's trunk, whereas the houses are the smaller family branches?"

Shears nodded. "An apt way to word it, yes. Several houses make a clan. Several clans make a tribe. Think of their kind's 'tribe' as all the families, combined, that make up a tightly knit community. The Gorillini tribe is in a treaty with several other tribes, which make up the Simian Peoples."

Fox closed his eyes so as not to roll them at Shears. "You're just ... full of information, Shears."

"It's called cultural education, McCloud. Since moving to Venom, most apes and monkeys have adapted to more, shall we say, Cornerian-like ways. Since their kind no longer lives in small closed-reservation communities on Corneria, their customs hierarchy, social ranking, their community connections, and even their outlook on paternal patriarchy ... have all become more relaxed. They get along well with the reptiles, and, over the last few years, they've spread out to all corners of planet Venom. Follow so far?"

Fox glanced back at the cell bed and thought about sitting down, but decided to stay on his feet for the time being. "So, it's true ... most apes and monkeys followed Andross to Venom because they were angry about his exile?"

Shears nodded. "Andross was, by blood, a very prominent member of their race. Through some sort of arrangement with Andross' mother, head of the Oikonny clan at the time she married Elijah Bowman, her son, Andross, would have been the head of the Oikonny clan upon his coming of age. Because of her prominence in writing the treaty that united the Simian people into a 'nation' of peoples, she was also the head of the Gorillini tribe, which is also the largest tribe of the Simian Peoples, which is the largest, wealthiest, and most influential people of the Primate Nation."

Fox rubbed his forehead. "Okay, okay, so it goes ... Elijah Bowman, then Andross, then Algy, and finally Dash ... those are the Bowman men. But how does Oikonny play into his name? Like, I get that his mother's last name was Oikonny, but if Andross was a Bowman, how can he also be an Oikonny?"

Shears said, "It's not like Cornerian families, McCloud. When your mother married your father, she ceased to carry her surname. But that does not apply to people of the Primate nation. Patriarchy is important, but if the highest clan patriarch names a woman leader, then she is the clan head, and no one can contest it."

"Okay, fine, but either he's Andross Oikonny or he's Andross Bowman. How can he be both?"

"The head of both houses, Bowman and Oikonny, had a child to rule all the houses of the Oikonny clan. That made Andross the patriarch leader of the Bowman and Oikonny bloodlines. There were no male leaders of that generation of Oikonny - his mother was it's leader, and it was a very influential family, well known for generations."

"So, the House of Oikonny didn't have a male leader. It followed Andross' mom because her father left her in charge when he got old?"

"Precisely," said Shears with a firm nod. "Technically speaking, the house of Oikonny didn't have a male house-leader until Andrew came along. Andross was its clan leader. The Oikonny clan was, at one point of time, a fairly large family made up of three houses - the Bowman House, the Oikonny House, and the ... well, I forget the other one. Doesn't matter ... the third house was wiped out in the war. Anyway ... Andross Bowman's mother was very important in the greater Oikonny family, and, for the record, she took a hyphenated surname when she married Andross' father, Elijah Bowman. She was also very well connected, and wielded incredible influence and clout over the Gorillini tribe."

Fox shrugged. "I don't care less about Andross' family. I don't care why you care."

"I need to know you understand so I can explain something to you."

"I guess. I mean, Krystal's society had something kind of similar, but they weren't called houses at the smallest level." He glanced to Krystal and saw that she was staring at Reginald Shears in silence. Fox cut his gaze back to Shears again. "So, why should I care about Andross' society?"

"Because 'Oikonny' is the main family name. House Bowman and House Oikonny are the two surviving houses of the Oikonny clan. And that is why Dash and Andrew are at war."

"Not following; stopped caring five minutes ago."

"I'm trying to make you understand the depth of it all, so you can understand my role_in this. Knowledge is power, McCloud. Now, listen close, Fox. The Oikonny house was the direct blood of a large and very rich clan of the same name. That makes it confusing, I know, but the Oikonny family is the highest, richest, most influential, and strongest family clan of the overall Gorillini tribe, which Andross didn't even meet or know about until ... well, until his adopted pig-family was accidentally destroyed from a Cornerian military experiment, or, rather, a military _accident back when _Geoff Lionel_was the highest army general, before becoming Prime Minister of Corneria."

"Yeah, John Pepper's predecessor." Fox shrugged with a measure of indifference. "Look, Shears, I already knew about Andross having an adoptive family. Slippy found out Andross was angry at Corneria over his adopted family being killed. Heard all about it, but I don't care."

"You don't?"

Fox shook his head. "Hell no. I don't give a damn. At all. Look, Andross' woes are before my time. My beef with Andross was that he killed my parents. Got that? If my mother and father had survived, I wouldn't give two craps about all the monkeys and apes that moved to Venom."

Reginald shook his head with a soft sigh. He narrowed his gaze. "You should care."

Fox continued, "This stupid lesson in ape-culture is over. I don't care about some dead dictator's extended family. Why would I?"

"You seriously don't know anything about Andross' heritage?"

Fox shrugged and shook his head. "No. Again, why would I?"

"Two _surviving_houses, out of three, make up the Oikonny clan, which is now at war with each other..."

"So?"

"Meaning the Gorillini tribe is going to be run by whoever wins between Dash and Andy. The Gorillini tribe is one of the most influential tribes of the Simian People, which is the most prosperous peoples of the Primate Nation. So, you_should _care about who wins the house war for the clan name."

Krystal reached over and gave Fox's elbow a gentle squeeze.

Fox eyed Shears. "Wait, what?"

"The war between House Bowman and House Oikonny will determine who rules the Oikonny clan. The Oikonny clan will have the most say in the Gorillini tribe, which determines the voice of the Simian people of the Primate Nation."

"Yeah, so you've said."

Shears sighed through partially-clenched teeth. "To simplify it, McCloud, Andrew_claims _he is the rightful heir of the Oikonny clan, superseding Dash's claim to Andross' empire, even though Dash is a direct-line descendant of House Bowman. That is why the two of them are fighting one another."

"So, you want to influence the outcome?" Fox rolled his eyes.

"Yes."

"Dash is a smart kid, Andrew is an idiot. It won't be much of a war."

"Dammit, McCloud. We're talking about someone who has survived several wars, despite being on the losing side ... fighting against a young combat pilot with virtually no experience in strategic warfare."

Fox grimaced. "And whoever wins will become leader of Venom, which will determine whether Venom wants to have a second war with Corneria, or if they will be at peace with the rest of Lylat..."

"Exactly, McCloud!Now you know what's at stake, here!"

"Okay, I get it, now..."

"Do you, though?"

Fox sighed. "Yes. Whoever wins between the two ... will have influence over enough of Venom's population that they'll become the planet's de facto leader."

"Yes!"

"Shears, I didn't need all the extra details. Seriously. You could've just said whoever wins between those two will have enough sway over Venom to start another war with Corneria."

"You need to learn, you nitwit!"

Fox scoffed.

Shears sighed softly and shook his head. "McCloud, I need you to understand their war so you'll be prepared to play your part in the days ahead. Whichever house wins this war will become leader of the Oikonny clan. The Oikonny clan runs the Gorillini tribe, the largest and most influential tribe under the umbrella of the Simian People. The Simian People are the most influential of all the peoples that make up the Primate Nation. All those families, united together, made the Primate Nation..."

"I know," Fox quipped. "You just effing said all that. So what?!"

Shears continued overtop of McCloud's grousing. "...Which is one of the strongest and richest races in Lylat, even before the mass exodus from Corneria and Katina. The entire race from both planets moved to Venom, and they took their riches with them."

"They can't be _that_rich."

Shears narrowed his gaze at Fox. "If you took the entire combined GDP of the Primate Nation, at the height of their power during the Lylat Wars, you'd have enough money to buy_both_ Phoenix Enterprises and Space Dynamics."

Fox blinked. "Seriously?"

"Yes. They're not that_powerful anymore, but they _were ... just a few years ago. And, even though Venom lost the Lylat Wars, the apes and monkeys still command all the resources on Venom ... and then some. Please tell me you've at least heard of the Primate Nation?"

"Oh. Yeah, of course I've heard of the Primate Nation, but I stopped caring when they all left Corneria ... to be honest, it was never my place to care about who they are, because I'm not a primate. My opinions don't matter to them, either. So why should I care about a rich community whose race left Corneria, like, years ago? Seriously, Shears, I know the important highlights of Lylat history. I know the canines of Corneria struggled to come together as a community thousands of years ago, and after the last of the Krazoa died out, the apes and monkeys were the first race in Lylat to achieve space travel. I also know the apes' and monkeys' total population amounts to only a third_of the vulpine race, which is maybe _half of the total feline races, combined, which is three-quarters of the canine race, when all breeds are combined."

"They are, even now, the most powerful minority race in Lylat."

Fox sighed in frustration. "I get it - the apes and monkeys are a small group, and they became a community to combine their political power and wealth, and, blah, blah, blah, and they're very rich and, blah, blah, blah. So, let me ask you again, why should I care about a race of people who moved to Venom back when I was still just a kid?"

"Yes, I'll get to that. I needed you to understand what's going on, and what is at stake. Now that I've explained the back-story, I can explain everything else."

"Fine, Shears. Go on. We're your captive audience."

"Ha. Very funny, McCloud. Now ... when Andross' mother died in an automobile accident, while in labor, her baby was the only survivor. At the time, Cornerian officials didn't know to get in contact with the Bowman House, let alone anyone from the Oikonny clan. In fact, most Cornerians still don't even understand how Simiiformes' social and familial hierarchy works. And because of that ignorance, Andross didn't go to live with his extended family, which led to him being adopted, and ultimately led to him wanting vengeance over the deaths of his adoptive parents. I've always wondered if, in another reality, Andross might have grown up with his true family, and he became a Prime Minister of Corneria or something. I don't know. Without his tragic family loss, he might not have become a sociopath."

"And that would've been ... what? Good or something?"

"Andross may be a sociopath, but his actions are based on trying to save Lylat."

"Look, I_lost _my entire family to that asshole, and I didn't become emotionally unbalanced. I didn't become messed up in the head like him. I don't care about his excuses ... his actions were unacceptable. Furthermore, if Andross grew up differently, he wouldn't be the same person, so whatever you think he's trying to save you from? He's not. If you need saving, you hire my team, and we'll get the job done."

"You should put that last little bit on your business card, McCloud."

"I should, but we don't need business cards. We get the jobs that no one else can handle, and they come directly from the leadership of Corneria."

Shears shook his head with a soft sigh. "Andross, or specifically, Andros means mankind in the old tongue of his ancient ancestors. Now, you don't know the man like I do, but trust me when I tell you, McCloud, that Andross Bowman could have united all of Lylat against a common enemy. But he became an enemy, and now? Now we are all in grave danger. So _do_try and pay attention, young man."

Fox sighed, trying to pretend he gave a crap about the anthropology lesson of the Primates, let alone the entomology of his nemesis' name. Fox took a deep breath, exhaled slowly, and met Shears' eyes. "Grave danger, huh? Okay, I'll play your game, Shears. You have my attention ... for now."

"Do I?"

"Yeah. I just said you do, so ... yes. You do."

"Well, for you to follow what I'm about to tell you, young man, I want you to know the full situation, and the history of the man who is ... was capable of saving Lylat."

Fox brought his paw up to his face with a soft groan. "Fine. Simiiforemes' tribal structure goes house, then clan, then tribe, then people and nation?"

"Yes." Shears nodded firmly. "A nation is a collection of peoples. The Simian Peoples of the Primate Nation include the tribes of Gorillini, Panina chimpanzees, Orangutans, and two peoples of monkeys comprised of various tribes..."

"Yeah, I get it. The Primate Nation is huge, and they moved to Venom umpteen years ago. Go on," Fox said, slightly annoyed.

"...And within the Gorillini tribe is the Oikonny clan, now at war with itself. The winner between Dash and Andy will have incredible say over the Gorillini tribe, the physically strongest tribe out of all the Simian Peoples, and possibly the strongest of the Primate Nation. Primates respect strength and influence, so it's all-eyes on Dash and Andy right now."

Fox rubbed his chin. He couldn't help but wonder why Shears was over-complicating things, or, at the very least, glorifying Andross' people, but hearing the way that the canine claimed Lylat was in grave danger ... Fox couldn't help but believe Shears for some reason. He glanced at Krystal.

Krystal gave him a firm nod as if to say he should listen to what Shears has to say.

Fox nodded back at her, then turned his attention to Shears again. He took a deep breath, nodded, then exhaled slowly. He decided to play nice with the man whose jail cell he currently inhabited. "So ... Andross wasn't handed over to his extended family; he was thought to be an orphan ... and that upset the balance of an entire nation of minority races, many of which who, at the time of Andross' exile, had access to great wealth. Because minorities hate feeling like their existence is second fiddle, they took Andross' meteoric rise as their own success, and then when he was accused of murder, then accused of multiple murders, the entire race stood behind him. Is that about the size of things?"

Shears nodded. "Exactly!"

"So, if Andross' parents died, how did the neonatal clinic know what to name him before he went to live with the adoptive pig community, or whatever...?"

Shears looked pleased that Fox was engaging the subject. "Andross' name was written out by his mother in her pregnancy journal, found by car accident investigators. Therefore, he was named based on what she wrote in that diary. Andross was thought to be an orphan because the responding authorities never thought to reach out and contact anyone from the ape race. Their community structure was too misunderstood to realize that it would have led to Andross being raised by his extended family. Thus, baby Andross was put into the orphanage system, and wound up raised by adoptive swine parents."

Fox shrugged his shoulders but didn't interrupt.

"And when he graduated from a well-known university, his personal successes in genetics research amassed him a decent personal fortune. He was also quite successful in weapons research and development. Before long, he was recruited by the Cornerian military, and he quickly rose to prominence at Geoffrey Lionel's side. Having unfettered access to Lionel's life is how Andross eventually learned how his adoptive parents were killed - a military accident that was covered up from the public."

"I bet Andross was pissed."

"Andross kept that information to himself. He internalized the fact that someone he trusted turned out to be at fault for the death of someone with whom he bonded since childhood. It led to him learning how to deceive people to stay in their circle of influence. But he wasn't very good at it, because before long he began arguing with Lionel and his other protégé, John Pepper."

"So how did the other apes and monkeys get involved?"

"While in the spotlight and sphere of influence of Lionel and Pepper, Andross managed to discover his birth family, and during the rapid rise in his career, he made connections with his extended family..."

Fox crossed his arms over his chest, remaining quiet but slightly annoyed at Shears' drawn-out lesson.

"...It was soon discovered that he was a lord or chieftain by birthright. He met his brother, who was dying from a genetic disease. He met his sister-in-law, Caroline. He became a male role model for young Andrew."

"I see..."

Shears continued. "His peoples, and the Nation to which his peoples belonged, were quite impressed with his accomplishments. Why? Because he became rich without his family's money. He became respected without help, on his merits alone, in a world that fellow minorities felt was designed to be stacked against minorities. So, when Andross became someone important, his family embraced his every accomplishment."

Fox shrugged again. "Why tell me all this stuff?"

"Because the Simian peoples of the Primate Nation are socially rigid types. They have a hereditary aristocracy, and due to their strict belief in birth hierarchy, Doctor Andross' survival meant he had _extreme_clout in the Primate Nation from the very day they were united."

Fox rubbed his chin. "I'll say this much ... you know a lot about their kind."

"Oh, McCloud, Andross was becoming quite popular with his kind before his arrest and exile. The Haplorhini, comprised of the Cercopithecoidea and Hominoidea ... they put an enormous amount of money into retaining the best lawyers in Lylat for Andross' trial."

Fox shrugged once more.

"Prime Minister Geoffrey Lionel was a great leader of Corneria, but I always thought that Lionel felt himself superior to several species."

"After meeting him, I doubt that. He's a big cat, I'm a fox, and he worked as a world leader of a population of mostly canines."

"Well, McCloud, from my perspective, it seemed as though Lionel treated minority groups less than equally. Some voters saw him as a patriot, others saw Lionel as a closeted racist that held minorities back when it suited him."

Fox shrugged with a measure of indifference. "Yet he made Andross a protégé, Shears. Yeah, it bit Lionel in the ass when his protégé discovered that he was responsible for the accident that led to the death of Bowman's android family. But it was a military experiment accident. It wasn't on purpose."

"Lionel still orchestrated it, and then hid it from the public."

"Still an accident."

"Your point, McCloud?"

"My point is ... it doesn't make any sense that ninety percent of apes and monkeys left Corneria over Andross' exile, considering they only knew about him for a short time ... a few years at best."

Shears sighed with a shake of his head. "The arrest of Andross Bowman was ... bigger than you remember, McCloud. You were just ... too young to understand what was going on at that time. One of the reasons that I defected because I felt strongly about my disdain for Geoff Lionel's politics."

"Good God, Shears, I didn't realize things were so over-complicated. Corneria has always felt like a utopia to anyone who has lived there. But, after Andross' exile, nearly the entire the Primate Nation collectively picked up their belongings and moved to Venom during the five years leading up to the Lylat Wars. They didn't have to, but they did. They even followed Andross into war. No one forced them to leave Corneria. You don't find that weird?"

"Of course not. If a race of people feels mistreated or underappreciated, then maybe you should consider the fact they looked at the treatment of Andross as a tipping point."

Fox scoffed. "They were angry because they believed Andross was innocent. They believed Andross was unfairly sentenced, and they felt bad when he whined about it."

"You've never been treated like that, McCloud, so you can't possibly understand."

"First of all, Andross killed people, including my mother and hundreds of others. He was caught red handed. He admitted it to my father's face, in front of me, at her funeral. Second of all, just so we are really clear, Shears, the utopia planet once exiled me as well. I was banished to Papetoon."

Shears scoffed. "Firstly, you were deported. Not the same thing. And Papetoon is not the same as Venom, pre-industrial age. Furthermore, you see Corneria as a utopia? Well, you were fooled, Fox McCloud."

"Oh, c'mon, Corneria is a nice place to live with a mild climate for most of the planet."

"No, it's not. The climate may be mild but that doesn't mean it's a nice place to live."

Fox rolled his eyes. "Well, it sounds like _you_follow politics closely..."

"Indeed, I do. That is how I know it's not a nice place to live."

"Well, since you follow it so close, Shears, surely_there was _someone you liked in Corneria's government over the last fifteen years."

"Hmm ... well ... I thought real change would finally happen when Secretary Theodore Zalinski was brought into office ... Corneria is the only planet in Lylat that lets the public vote on military secretaries. I expected the military I loved in my youth to finally make a positive change, but he died rather suddenly and the Anglars apparently capitalized on the chaos by attacking Corneria. I've heard rumors, though, that the Anglars had Zalinski assassinated."

"Shears, they're not rumors. Turns out the Anglars got Zalinski voted into office. As soon as Ted Zalinski changed the budget for the army, and dismantled the defense force, the Anglars killed the secretary to create chaos. It tied General Peppy Hare's paws, so that he couldn't defend Corneria from a sudden attack. Zazan steam-rolled the planet in a short time, because half the defense fleet was in the middle of being retrofitted for offense, and those ships had been stripped down for their refit process. So, Corneria didn't have enough ships to fight back against Zazan's attack. Also, the Defense Force had been gutted, because 'defense' wasn't what Zalinski wanted to spend money on, then the Anglar Empire captured the Cornerian fleet, sitting in refit status, and used them to keep Corneria under their thumb ... er, uh ... fin, I guess?"

Shears rubbed his chin in thought. A smile slowly spread across his muzzle. "Brilliant."

"Excuse me?"

Shears laughed softly, shook his head, and said, "So, you're telling me that the Anglars infiltrated Corneria on a political level, then they attacked on a military level. Is that about right?"

Fox nodded. "Yeah. Peppy barely had a functioning army branch at the moment that Zazan rolled up with an Anglar fleet. Most of Corneria's Navy was out past the meteo belt, and as you know, the Defense Force was dismantled in favor of remaking the branch to be an offensive force, so the only active war-capable branch on Corneria at the time was the Marines. Well, the Marines and an un-funded army branch. People like Bill still fought for Peppy without a paycheck, because he understood what was at stake, even though he'd been dicked-over by Ted Zalinski with a bogus court-martial. It was a shame."

Shears shook his head. "Genius. Truly genius."

"If you say so."

"This Zazan ... you killed him, yes?"

"I did."

"Very well."

"Anyone else you like, politically, because I have a list of names."

Shears rubbed his chin in thought. "Although I did hear John Pepper has been quite a breath of fresh air. He was Geoffrey Lionel's protégé, so everyone expected Pepper to run Corneria the same way as his predecessor, but no one was more surprised than I when John Pepper turned out to be a positive change in Cornerian federal government. Not that it matters, as I'll never be welcome back on Corneria after being branded as a traitor."

Fox nodded again. "Yeah, you won't. And I'm glad you won't. John Pepper is old, and the injuries he sustained from the Aparoid attack have been pretty hard on him, but he'll tough it out for a while longer, believe me. And, for the record, no, he hasn't forgotten you."

"I figured as much. Does he have something in place for when he's too old to lead?"

"Hell if I know," said Fox with a shrug. "He wants Peppy to take his place one day, but I don't think Peppy is interested in becoming a world leader."

Shears furrowed his brows. "Is that a fact?"

"No. It's not. But I'm good at reading people. Peppy busted his tail keeping Star Fox tightly knit, while helping me to grow up before I was ready, 'Reggie.' Three teenagers took a lot out of him in his forties. He doesn't want to run an entireplanet. But anything is possible, and he may decide, one day, that being a rabbit in charge of a planet of canines suddenly seems like a good idea. I just don't see it happening, that's all."

Shears crossed his arms over his shoulders. "Ah, I see."

"So, let me get this straight, 'Reggie' ... you sided with Andross because you didn't like how Prime Minister Lionel failed to do a better job with six-and-a-half percent of the global population?"

"I didn't side with Andross because I thought he would make a better leader than Geoffrey. I didn't side with Andross because I thought Geoff Lionel was a bad leader. I didn't betray Goeff because he's a lion and I'm a dog."

"So, what's _your_story, Shears?"

"Oh, you want to know, do you? My loyalty was to John Pepper at the time the 'proverbial shit' hit the fan, young man. At the time, Pepper sent me to Venom with a dozen ships after your father was killed. Andross was ready for my arrival. He overwhelmed us, took me prisoner."

"Jeeze. Then what happened?"

"And then? Andross realized that I had an education in genetic sciences. Over the course of two weeks as a prisoner, the two of us felt close enough to begin having scientific conversations to pass the time. Three months later, after no one came to rescue me, and after Andross and I built up a rapport, that is when Andross told me about the ruins on Venom."

Fox scoffed. "Are you serious? You betrayed your homeworld because of Stockholm Syndrome?" He turned to Krystal and said, "Can you believe this guy?"

Krystal and Fox exchanged brief glances. She gave Fox a firm up-nod toward Shears to let Fox know that he should pay more attention going forward, because things were about to get interesting.

Fox furrowed his brows at Shears. "Okay, look, I've heard of the Venom ruins. I read they're almost as advanced as the Krazoan ruins on Sauria. So what's the big deal about them?"

"It spoke of an alien. Andross translated the ruins of Venom his first year on the planet. There was a race that even the mighty Krazoa feared. This alien race attacked Lylat and flattened Venom several thousand years ago."

"Whoa, wait, what?" Fox blinked. "First I've heard of that."

"It's why Andross wanted to forcibly unite all the Lylat worlds ... because this alien race will_be back during _our lifetime."

"Back up, what _exactly_did Andross learn?"

Shears grimaced. "They're referred to as the Locusts, and they came through Lylat once before, long ago. They leveled Venom, and were preparing to attack Corneria. They left the ancient Venom peoples' civilization in ruins. That's what was found by Andross when he was exiled to that planet."

Fox nodded. "Go on."

"Andross taught himself to read ancient Venom, and learned that the survivors of a cataclysm chiseled messages in the remaining stonework to act as a warning to the ages, but those warnings were lost on the meek and under-educated lizards that lived their lives on Venom after the collapse of their ancestors' great society. So, Andross doubled his efforts in teaching himself the language."

Fox remained quiet, just listening to Shears.

"In time, Andross figured out how to read the ancient Venom writing well enough that he was able to study what happened to the lost civilization. He learned that there was only a few hundred survivors. A few billion people reduced to a little less than five hundred. Those who survived? They lived in four massive bunkers for several generations, until the five hundred swelled to five thousand, came out of their bunkers, and intermingled with one another. By then, there was no one left capable of restoring or rebuilding the technology of their defeated world."

"Then how were the warnings chiseled into the ruins?"

"Because, McCloud, of the hundred lizards that survived on the surface, because they never made it to a bunker, there was at least one surface-dwelling reptile survivor who was said to be a talented journalist. He or she did what they could to document everything they learned about the attack by archiving it in stonework. Due to not having a computer to log their story, they created warnings in all the ruins left behind ... by chiseling it into stonework, by hand, for the rest of his-or-her natural life."

"And that's what Andross discovered, several thousand years later, huh?"

Shears nodded firmly. "Precisely. Andross learned that the Venom survivor left information in stone for the Krazoa to find, under the assumption that the Krazoa would eventually come to Venom to determine why the world was offline. The stoneworker included everything that his or her people learned about the Locust invasion. But ... the Krazoa never came to Venom because they were making their own warnings and trying to clean up their own post-war mess after their fight with the Locust. That is the reason Andross went to Sauria upon his return to Lylat from Cerinia. He learned everything both worlds had documented about the Locust. Both worlds seemed to provide information that seemed to suggest the alien race will one day return through Lylat, including a trajectory of their movement through the galaxy, so that they could be avoided."

"So, okay, these things are really called the Locust?"

"Dr. Andross noted that both the Krazoa and the ancient Venom civilization referred to the race as_the Locust_. It was his assumption that the Krazoa and the Venom peoples tried having conversations with these creatures, likely to discuss the possibility of peace. That is likely how Venom and the Krazoa determined that the aliens wished to be called 'Locust.' Either that, or the creatures announced their presence as 'the Locust' before attacking. If that is the case, then these aliens managed to speak to Venom and the Krazoa in a language they understood. Those kinds of details were not documented."

"That's ... weird. Maybe it's because they look like giant locusts?"

Shears shook his head with a shrug of indifference. "Andross determined that both races described these creatures to look a bit like a giant insect mated with a velociraptor. He also determined that the Locust race has a specific modus operandi. They destroy entire civilizations, take the planet's most accessible mineable resources from that world's upper crust layer. Then they abandon their poorly made mining operation, designed to take as much as possible with as few workers as possible. Then they leave. During their first visit, they only mined part of Venom but most of Macbeth before they butted heads with the Krazoa."

"Good God ... when did they last come through?"

"This happened a few thousand years ago, McCloud. Cornerians hid in the caves beneath what is now known as the Cornerian Capital City. Meanwhile, Venom lizards were nearly wiped out. The Krazoans stepped in and repelled the Locusts, but the battle brought the Krazoan civilization to roughly half their original numbers. Dr. Andross estimated that two-and-a-half billion Krazoa, out of five billion people, died in their hard-fought war against the Locust. Meanwhile, Venom's numbers were reduced to a mere few hundred survivors."

"Holy Lylat," Fox whispered.

"The Krazoa also claimed that the Locust were undefeated in combat before arriving in Lylat. It is unknown how the Krazoa would know that. But they also didn't beat_the Locust, they simply held the line until the Locusts' natural instinctual drive to move on compelled them to leave Lylat, but not before destroying half of the Krazoan population, and nearly the _entire Venom population."

Fox frowned. "We're in trouble, then, because the Krazoa are no longer around to repel this ... Locust ... species."

"Indeed, we are." Shears frowned.

"Did Andross determine when those damned things are coming back?"

"Their return was estimated by the Krazoan scientists, but that determination was based on a number of years into the future of the Krazoan calendar. Doctor Andross wasn't able to determine what year that would take place. So, the good Doctor amassed the information compiled by the Krazoa, then he did the math himself and made an estimate date that occurs during our lifetime."

Fox tightened his jaw.

"At first, Dr. Andross estimated the return of the Locusts to occur the year the Aparoid race attacked. The Doctor met a race on a planet known as Kew and used their information to map the Locusts' placement in the greater galaxy. It is currently unknown whether or not the Locusts avoided Lylat because of the Aparoids."

"What would the Aparoids have to do with anything?"

"It has everything_to do with _everything, McCloud. After all, you must have noticed that many Aparoid ground soldiers had locust bodies. Those were converted Locust children."

Fox blinked. "Oh my God, that's terrible."

"An unintended side effect of Andross trying to spare Lylat."

Fox blinked. "Wait, what?"

"Andross knew we weren't ready to survive a fight with the Locusts, yet. To give us more time, he arranged for the two races to fight one another. After capturing and studying the first Aparoid that appeared seventeen years before their assault on Lylat, he realized we wouldn't have been able to survive combat against their kind, either. He coded a message into that Aparoid and released it, so that it would hurry home and warn them of the Locust race."

"Andross interfered between two war-centric races by pitting them against one another?"

Shears nodded firmly. "Yes, he did. You're welcome. We're all alive because of it. He contacted the Aparoids, like I said, and put them on the Locusts' trail in hopes they would defeat one another. Instead, the Aparoids managed to convert some_of the Locusts, however the bugs were _not beaten. Doctor Andross determined that his plot to have the two aliens face off did, in fact, change the Locusts' migration pattern through the greater galaxy, and, thus, change their timeline regarding their eventual return through Lylat."

"Okay, so when are those things going to attack us again?"

Shears folded his arms across his chest with a frown. "Before defeat over Sauria, Dr. Andross used Krazoa computational technology to crunch the numbers. He determined the Locusts will now return in under forty years from the present. Possibly in thirty years, unless an event occurs that slows them or attracts them closer to Lylat."

Fox scoffed. "Well if these things wait to the end of Doc Bowman's estimated period, I'll_be _way too old to fight."

Shears gestured to Krystal but kept his eyes on Fox. "Well, considering your fiancée is pregnant, you can always just train your replacement."

Fox's eyes widened.

Shears glanced at Krystal, noticing that her eyes were also wide.

Fox and Krystal exchanged glances and shrugged at one another in confusion. They both turned back to Shears.

The canine furrowed his brows. "Wait. Neither of you knew? It showed up in our bio-scan when you arrived in your cell."

Fox and Krystal exchanged glances again.

Krystal moved closer to Shears and said, "We need a moment to process this information. Can we please have a moment of privacy?"

Shears eyed her.

"Please, Reginald?"

Shears exhaled through semi-clenched teeth. He clenched his jaw then he pivoted on his heel and walked back down the hallway. "My point still stands - I learned that Andross was not trying to conquer Lylat; he was trying to forcibly unite it, so he could save us all from the creatures that are coming."

Fox shrugged. "Well, it sounds like they may not be here until I'm old, so Andross would have been dead and gone by the time they show up. He would've left his 'empire,' had he won the war, to Andrew Oikonny. Andrew. Freaking. Oikonny. Then we'd all be dead because he's a shit-tastic leader."

Shears stopped in front of the doors at the end of the hallway. "Andrew isn't going to 'run' anything, McCloud. Even now, he's trying to find a way to bring his uncle back to life, because he knows he can't run Lylat, let alone Venom, let alone a small group of aging Imperial Venom ships."

"Yeah, because he's a whiny idiot with a need for ego inflation and zero leadership qualities. He's book smart in some capacity, but when it comes to strategy? Let's just say, if he and Falco sat down to play a game of chess, I'd put my money on Falco, although I imagine it'd be a close game."

Shears chuckled softly.

Krystal said, "Does Oikonny even know what's coming our way?"

"No, young lady. Andy does not know about the Locusts. The only thing Andross told the boy was that something big will happen during his lifetime, and that ole' Uncle Andross is the only one that can fix it. That is why Andrew wants to bring his uncle back to life. When last I spoke to Doctor Andross, he was working on a way to engineer his genome to increase the longevity of his life, so that he would be able to live through the upcoming Locust invasion, but that no longer matters now that he's dead. What a shame. He might've been our only hope of survival as a species."

Fox brought a paw to his forehead. "Okay, thanks for the information. Sounds like we have a lot to process."

"By all means, children, take your time. Meanwhile, I'm on Andrew's timetable, so far as he is concerned." Shears stepped through the doors at the end of the hall. "Never tell him what I've told you. I mean it." The doors closed with a thump behind Shears.

Silence.

Fox turned to Krystal and opened his arms to her. "So, you're going to make me a daddy, huh?"

She fled to his embrace. "Are you sure you're okay with this?"

"Why would you think otherwise?"

"Because I know Cornerians see children born out of wedlock as cursed."

"It's a pretty popular outlook in Lylat, yeah. But the mindset doesn't apply to all of us, just the religious ones. But religion isn't as popular as it was a few generations ago."

"Very well, love, but what if Lylat goes through another religious movement phase ... er, cycle? Ah, you know what I mean ... anyhow, what if such occurs during our child's life? He or she will be judged based, quite simply, upon being born out of wedlock. I do not wish that for our child, love."

Fox grinned at her. "Yeah, I get what you mean ... a religious revival period. But sometimes that happens every ten years based on the political pendulum swing. Either way, you're right, it will get popular again, like some sort of fashion, and it'll happen at some point during his or her young life."

"Yes, 'religious revival period.' That's the term I was trying to think of."

"Look, Krystal, I know we only just got back together, but ... it really feels right_this time. And when it's right, and you _know it, then ... why not get married?"

She smiled brightly.

"And if we go through another ... conservative revival era? Well, you can relax, because our kid won't be judged. It'll give you peace of mind to know that no one will give our kid a piece of their mind."

"I appreciate that. I can sense your sincerity and it's really moving."

"I've always wanted to marry you. I just didn't know how to handle my feelings about putting you in danger. But, if we have kids, we can't focus on mercenary work. At least for a while. But, hey, I have plenty of savings set aside ... enough to last for six or seven years without any income, and that's not counting retirement and stocks for when we're older. Then ... if I have to take a teaching job at the academy..."

"Fox, wait..." She put a paw on his chest, lifted her gaze, and met his eyes. "I agree that we should take a sabbatical after this job ... but by the time our child is old enough to take an interest in flying, and old enough to go to school, we can determine what to do next - whether we should settle down or home-school them on the GreatFox. Adventure has always been in my blood, and it seems you have the same affliction. The same goes for our parents. If our child is anything like the last several generations of either one of us, they will love being raised by two mercenaries. But if our child wants a normal life, we will discuss our options to make everyone happy. Is that agreeable to you?"

"Yes. Very much so."

"Also, Falco has been thinking about doing a mercenary gig on the side with Katherine. He ... wants to call it Star Falco. I didn't have the heart to bring up that I heard his thoughts in passing ... mostly because I didn't want to tell him the name was_terrible_. However, you can relax knowing someone you trust will be in the skies taking care of things for a bit."

Fox chuckled. "I give it four years tops. Falco will get bored with running things. He wants to be the team ace, not the guy who has to write receipts and itemize the bill. I'm thinking it's just long enough for us to decide what we'll do with Star Fox. If you're okay with training the third generation to take over the name..."

"Fox, this team has done so much good. Imagine if it were run by a telepath ... Star Fox would become unstoppable. I have put blood, sweat, and so many tears into this team. It started as a way for your father to mourn his wife ... by taking his life on the road, but it became our legacy, Fox. I am delighted to leave something so polished and positive to our child."

"I'm more worried about the first time that you look at our future baby, and you suddenly decide you want them to have a safe and boring life."

"I love you with all of my heart," said Krystal, "and I would never dream of wanting a safe and boring life for you. Yes, I'm sure I'll go through a phase of wanting to protect this baby from everything and anything, but what about the Locusts? What if everything Reginald Shears told us comes true? I sensed he was being truthful, but has never seen the race, personally."

Fox reached up and rubbed the bridge of his nose. "Yeah, okay, so, what if there is another alien race that becomes hell-bent on starting a fight with Lylat?"

Krystal frowned. "We may be too old to fight it by the time they arrive in Lylat. If our child is living on Corneria or Papetoon, or wherever, and working an office job ... he or she will die with the rest of Lylat. That is unacceptable. It will be our responsibility to train the next generation of Star Fox in how to protect Lylat. I wouldn't trust anyone to save our child. I only trust our child to save themself."

Fox grinned with a firm nod. "All right. So, we'll eyeball our future after we get out of this mess. Then? We'll focus on training our kit."

She snuggled up to his chest. "When do you wish to marry?"

"After we fix this mess involving Andrew, Dash, and Shears. I can't have some clone of Andross being created. An Andross clone would be a distraction to our kid from saving Lylat."

"Mm, true. Or, if they find a way to grow the clone to adult maturity quickly, it would distract _us_from properly parenting and training our child."

"Yeah, true. So, yes, we have to handle that first. Don't get me wrong. Our kid will be badass, I just know it. But having him fight a battle on multiple fronts would be unfair to him and unfair to the people of Lylat that would suffer from the crossfire."

Krystal nodded firmly in agreement. "And if we can manage to talk Dash Bowman into flying for Star Falco, or whatever Falco wishes to call his team, Venom can heal naturally without Andross' blood interfering. I'm going to talk the boy into flying for Falco's team instead of trying to manage a global economy at such a young and inexperienced age. I will talk Falco and Katherine into taking him under their ... well ... you know ... wing. Sorry, I know that turned into an awful pun."

Fox grinned in amusement, appreciating her pun, but he kept himself on-topic. "If anyone can talk a world leader into stepping down, even if it's just to take a sabbatical, it's Krystal McCloud."

Krystal beamed. "I like the idea of having a surname. I've given so much to Lylat; it's time for Lylat to give something to me ... a family, a surname, a place to belong. A future. A husband. A rose garden. A few acres to raise my baby, where I can watch him or her grow and play."

"You know, I have a plot of land that's been in the McCloud family for a while. The property taxes come out of an account that was set up with my father's death benefits."

"I never understood the term 'death benefits.' There is nothing beneficial about death."

"Yeah, I just mean his life insurance policy. Anyway, I was thinking about building on that plot of land. It on the coast, so there'll be a nice breeze. I was thinking, we're both used to a small dwelling space, due to the fact we lived in dreadnought quarters for a few years, and you even lived in your fighter for a while. So it doesn't have to be anything too big, or difficult to maintain. Maybe two-or-three bedrooms, one for the baby and one to use as a den or study. Just, you know, a single-story house."

"Like a rancher?"

Fox reached back and rubbed the back of his neck. "Don't think of it as a rancher."

"What did you have in mind, love? Paint me a mental picture."

"I was thinking more along the lines of a cozy cabin by the sea."

She brought her left paw to her muzzle. "A cabin ... by the ... sea? Like, overlooking the water?"

"Yeah, the plot of land is literally right on the coastline. High enough that the water will never overtake the house in the event of a storm, yet you'll fall asleep every night to the sound of waves."

"I have an app on my mobile that plays the susurration of waves just how you described. It's called Seaside Precipice. It's wonderful. The idea of experiencing it for real ... it's beyond belief."

"Surprise."

She snuggled her face into his chest.

"But if you decide it would be better to raise our kid somewhere with good schools so that he can have some social interactions, then we can hold off on our retirement home idea for a few years. No need to decide right away."

"The idea of a cabin by the sea is the most romantic thing I've ever heard, Fox McCloud. Oi, you'd better not die before you meet me at the alter of matrimony."

"Same goes for you. This is going to be a new level of anxiety for me, Krystal..."

"Talk to me. I don't want you to bottle your fears. Just speak your sodding heart, then, yeah?"

Fox nodded and placed his paws on her biceps, meeting her gaze with his own. "You're pregnant. But our work isn't done. We can't just walk away from all this mess, yet. So I'll suck it up."

"Ta very much, love, but I want to hear your worries. Get ityou're your chest. Talk to me."

Fox nodded again. "All right. Uh ... I guess my biggest worry is losing my entire family in one badly timed gunshot. If you die, the baby dies." He drew one paw back from her arm and held a finger up, gesturing her to stay quiet, so he could finish composing his thoughts. "Okay, so ... I know you can dodge people shooting at you, but you _can't_dodge a ricochet or an automated turret."

"Fox..."

"No, no, hear me out, Krystal. I'm not benching you. I've learned my lesson. I respect you as a valued member of Star Fox. You've saved my bacon. You've proven yourself as a badass bounty hunter. You've saved my life from Octoman. You held your own when he put those stupid collars on us. I really tried to knife you and you held your own against an experienced mercenary. I get it. I'm not saying I'll bench you."

"Then what are you saying, Fox?"

"I'm saying ... let's promised each other that we'll ... I dunno ... just ... be extra careful, okay?"

"We'll have each other's backs."

Fox smiled. "I like that."

"As do I. We have our work cut out for us. Might as well get started before I'm far enough along that I won't be able to stay on my feet for long periods of time."

"All right. So, do we work with Shears or not?"

"His past transgressions against Lylat do not excuse him from receiving justice."

"From me?"

"From Cornerian jurisprudence, Fox. But ... time and place. He still has use. I say we let him do _some_good, and let his legal team try to use that to reduce his sentencing. Which, of course, will not work because he's wanted for war crimes. For now, we agree to smile and nod, and to work with him so that we can stop Andrew."

Fox nodded firmly. "Sounds good to me."