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Chapter 33: Sedition

Seven Days Ago:

Arnold Duff had always felt underappreciated by his superiors. He also had a long-standing contempt for the left-leaning party in control of the Cornerian government. The true patriots always seemed to come from the far right: people like Gordon Striker.

General Striker was a war hero who had fought against Andross, the Aparoids, and the Anglars. The idea that he would be ousted by upstarts like Peppy Hare was absolutely galling. He could not fathom how a mercenary pilot would suddenly be promoted to General Pepper's rank, bypassing veterans like General Striker.

Then there was Fox McCloud. He had at one time admired the vulpine. There was no doubt that his exploits as leader of Star Fox had helped bring down the enemies of Corneria. But since his retirement and marriage to that telepathic vixen, Fox had changed. The terrier would never forget the day they had walked in together in the male's locker room at the Cornerian Defense Force headquarter gymnasium. It irritated him to no end that that vixen had so brazenly walked in upon them like that.

He hated how Fox McCloud had forsaken his heritage and sided with the Cerinians, and essentially became one of them. The fox had stood with his vixen to block legislation that would have brought telepathy to the Cornerian military. It had resulted in General Striker being ousted and hunted like a common criminal. There was also Winston Starkey. When he heard that his seat on the senate had been stolen in the election that followed, he knew that there was a leftist conspiracy that had taken over the Cornerian government and rigged the elections in their favor.

And Fox McCloud's attacks on the news media all but proved that the tod had something to hide, especially when he had murdered Jack Conley for getting too close to the truth. It was all about the Cerinians. They refused to share the secret of telepathy. Their numbers were now growing and they would in a few generations be numerous enough to take over Lylat with their mental powers...unless General Striker and Senator Starkey got there first.

So when an operative working clandestinely for the general had made contact with him, Arnold Duff jumped at the chance to strike back. He would take advantage of the fact that those above him seemed to always underestimate what he was capable of. For the last eight years, he had secretly passed on information to General Striker through his contact. When Marcus McCloud had been born, he had Nurse Greyfur secure the afterbirth for him to send to the general's secret research lab, wherever that was.

The grey vixen had been kept in the dark as to who she was ultimately working for because she did not need to know. Amelia though began to suspect when Arnold had asked her for Fox's blood samples. When he got orders to kill her, he did not hesitate. After she had provided the blood, he paid the vixen a visit at her flat where they shared a coffee. He had during his visit excused himself to use her bathroom. It was then that he took the opportunity to substitute her medication for a very powerful narcotic. The next day, Amelia Greyfur was found dead, apparently from a drug overdose.

Arnold knew it was only a matter of time now. The terrier had made contact with the agent he was working with, who had discovered that Fox McCloud had in fact faked his death. They needed to move quickly with their plans to overthrow the leftist usurpers who had taken over the government before the telepathic vulpine and his wife could intervene. They were counting on him to sabotage the planetary network and communications. He quickly made his way back to his apartment. He needed to prepare. For all these years, he had kept secret his true allegiance, and nobody in the CDF or the government ever suspected him. They would not find out until it was too late, and then he would be hailed a hero when the legitimate leaders retook control of Corneria.

Arnold Duff was so focused on his delusions and the anticipation of what was to come that he failed to notice the nondescript felid who was following him. That cat was soon joined by another feline and a canid who emerged from a side alley and a restaurant that the terrier had walked by. When he reached his apartment door, his three followers all converged upon him. With a yelp of surprise, he was shoved inside, subdued, and handcuffed.

"Arnold Duff, you are under arrest for high treason." said the first feline that had been following him. "You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say may be used against you in a military tribunal. You have the right to talk to a lawyer that will be appointed to represent you at your trial."

A dumfounded Arnold was then hauled out of his apartment and into a waiting military police ground car and taken away. While this was happening, his apartment was searched, and all his computer equipment was seized.

Five Days Ago:

Chief Minister Uncia Frost sat at his desk. Before him were General Peppy Hare and Lieutenant Commander Jabari, who had been assigned to the Cornerian Security Agency and was the lead investigator in the search for Gordon Striker.

"This is our biggest breakthrough in all the years we've been hunting him, Sir." Jabari explained. The serval brought up an image of a terrier that Peppy recognized, having seen him occasionally at the CDF headquarters gymnasium. "Arnold Duff had been passing on information to Striker since almost the beginning." The image changed to a grey vixen in a nurse's uniform. "We became suspicious when it was discovered that Nurse Greyfur had stolen blood samples of Fox McCloud from Corneria General Hospital. She was found dead two days later, and Sergeant Duff had been seen at her place the day before."

"So what was the breakthrough?" Uncia asked. "This alone would not be enough to connect him to Striker."

"No, but it made us suspicious enough to trace his activities back over the past eight years." the security officer went on to say. "It was noticed that coded transmissions intercepted from someone codenamed 'dark digger' coincided with times where Sergeant Duff was unaccounted for. In each case, the transmission originated from different locations on Corneria."

"So to test our suspicions, we planted a false report that the senate intelligence committee had decided to go ahead and secretly research telepathy." Jabari revealed. "The premise for this was to counter the telepathic threat posed by Striker after we had discovered that Fox McCloud's blood sample had been stolen."

"And Duff took the bait." Peppy affirmed.

"Yes," Jabari confirmed. "We monitored his movements closely. He traveled to a park 115 kilometers east of here where we observed him set up a portable long range transmitter. The burst message with the call sign 'dark digger' that he transmitted confirmed our suspicions."

"I presume he has been taken into custody?" Uncia asked.

"Yes sir." Peppy confirmed. "And his home was searched. His computer and all data storage devices have been seized." The lagomorph drew his hand over the bridge of his muzzle and sighed. "What we've found so far is very disturbing."

"How so?"

"It seems that seven years ago, Nurse Greyfur was at the hospital the day of Marcus McCloud's birth. After he was born, she made off with the afterbirth." Jabari revealed. "For seven years, they had the genetic material of a telepath, and as of a few months ago, they now have Fox McCloud's genetic sample as well."

"And according to our own scientists, with samples from two telepaths related to each other, Doctor Cattus will be able to very soon crack the genetic code for telepathy." Peppy concluded. "We expect that Gordon Striker will make his move not long after that happens."

"Have you been able to trace who is receiving these messages?"

"The transmissions are on a tight beam and are only a few seconds in duration." Peppy explained. "The few times we've managed to intercept it, we've searched for the receiver, but they could be anywhere along the path of that transmission. Our best guess is that it is a cloaked ship which is at a different location each time."

"The good news is that data we seized from Duff's apartment also includes communications schedules and transmission vectors." Jabari informed the chief minister. "So now, we can narrow the search along the next transmission path."

"But we must act fast before they realized we've captured their agent." Peppy warned.

Three Days Ago:

Arnold Duff did not know how many days had gone by since his arrest. In repeated cycles, he would be allowed to sleep a few hours, given a meal, and then the questioning would resume. The serval that interviewed him each time was affable and sympathetic, and would let him tell his story.

Arnold ranted on how the government had been taken over by leftist elements who were willing to let these telepathic refugees take over their society. He railed against the military establishment who never seemed to appreciate him and who had ousted General Striker, turning the former war hero into a fugitive.

It took time and patience on Jabari's part. He needed this traitor to cooperate with him, and had carefully developed a rapport with the terrier. He listened sympathetically to his rants and held his tongue. He privately was amazed and aghast at how this person was so completely taken in by conspiracy theories that had skewed his worldview.

Where he saw weak points in Arnold's defiance, he would challenge the dog in debate in a reasonably toned voice. There was give and take as they conversed back and forth. The serval even conceded to points he himself did not agree with just to give the canid a victory and gain his further confidence.

It was now three days since he had been arrested and the time had come to get to the matter at heart. "But what can be done?" Jabari asked. "General Striker did order that grave robbing expedition to the Shards of Cerinia without authorization, at the behest of Senator Starkey, even before the matter was discussed in the Senate."

"Hmph!" Arnold scoffed. "The Senate has been taken over by leftists. Striker knew they would be kotowing to those Cerinians."

"You do realize that over a third of the Senate are right-leaning, don't you?" Jabari challenged gently. "And even they felt it wise not to researched telepathy."

The terrier grumbled. "Yeah, yeah. Makes me think they might be leftists in secret."

Jabari brought up a list of all the right-leaning senators on his tablet, along with the legislations they opposed that had been proposed by the chief minister. "Does that look left-leaning to you?" the serval challenged. "All these senators, including the one you voted for in the last election, are still fighting for their ideals in government, even when they are currently not the majority party."

"Yeah, I guess they are still on the side of the people." Arnold was forced to concede.

"And yet, they also opposed bringing telepathy into our society." Jabari went on to say. "They, like their left-leaning colleagues, were convinced by Krystal McCloud that bringing telepathy into our military would be a disaster."

Arnold tried to protest, but was cut off by his interrogator. "I myself had at first agreed with General Striker. The idea of having telepathic agents keeping tabs on our enemies appealed to me. But seeing the violent clan wars the Cerinians went through three of their centuries ago, with all the terrible atrocities they had perpetrated with their mental powers, convinced me that that was a box best not opened."

"I don't agree. I think we could have made it work." Arnold countered hotly.

"Yes, and General Striker thought so too." Jabari admitted. "And both of you are entitled to your opinions. We are, after all, a free society, are we not?"

"That's right." Arnold affirmed. "Even when these leftists..."

"But we are all in the military." Jabari pressed on. "And what kind of army would the CDF be if we did not respect the chain of command?" the serval challenged.

Seeing doubt for the first time in the dog's countenance, the serval took advantage and showed his true anger for the first time. "And General Striker went against the chain of command. He defied the Senate and his superiors! Our oaths when we joined the CDF was to defend Lylat from all enemies, foreign and domestic." Jabari ranted on. "And by going against our government, both the left- and right-leaning senators that were all duly elected by the people of Corneria, Fortuna, Katina, Macbeth, and Aquas, Gordon Striker has betrayed us."

"And we have evidence that he sold some of our intel to the organized crime syndicates and warlords running Venom in exchange for equipment he needed for his base of operations." Jabari revealed to a shocked Arnold. "From the data we've extracted from your computer, we know he plans to overthrow our government. That is an act of sedition. Gordon Striker has sided with a foreign enemy of Lylat. Do you know what that means?"

"I..uh,,, But...."

And Lieutenant Commander Jabari then dropped the hammer. "By aiding a foreign enemy, Arnold Duff, you have committed high treason!"

And Arnold then realized that he had been manipulated by his interrogator and snarled back defensively. "Bullshit! It is you who has betrayed us!"

"I'm not the one who sold us out to a seditious traitor like Striker has become." Jabari shot back, further goading the turncoat he was interrogating. "And we plan to put a stop to his plans, thanks to the data we got from you."

"Let me see you try." Arnold countered hotly. "We have telepathic agents already planted in the CDF and the Senate. There's even one on General Hare's staff."

Jabari watched in satisfaction the dawning realization on the terrier's expression when he realized he had been duped into revealing critical intelligence on those he had pled his allegiance to. "You are already facing a possible life sentence for betraying Lylat, but if you cooperate fully from this point on, your sentence could be reduced to the point that you'll be out of prison by retirement age."

Arnold had only a moment to mull over his chances of getting out of the situation he had let himself get into before the serval in front of him pressed him further. "So first off, are there any of these telepathic moles in the CSA?"

"No. You guys are so tight in your security that they've never been able to get any of their agents inside...or at least as far as I know."

In the four days that Jabari had been interviewing the terrier, he had become intimately familiar with the canid's body language, scent, and mannerisms. Observing his defeated, slumped posture, lack of pupil dilation, and steady eye contact, the serval was fairly confident that his subject was being truthful. "Very well. I'll notify the debriefing team that you are ready to tell us everything. With each truthful answer you give us, you'll be getting your sentence reduced further."

Jabari walked at a quick pace to the office of the director of the Cornerian Security Agency, glad that the interrogation had taken place within the secure CSA facility. This was information that he could not chance transmitting, even on an encrypted channel. Without preamble, he walked past the secretary's desk and barged into a meeting that was going on.

Wulfred Ramius always prided himself with choosing competent people to work for him, and did not play favorites, even with his great nephew. Nobody could accuse him of nepotism for recommending Lupo to be promoted to the rank of fleet captain, not when General Hare himself had seen fit to place the younger wolf in the command of the exploratory fleet that would eventually find the Cerinian survivors.

So he did not rebuke Jabari when the serval barged in on the weekly meeting he held with his agents, knowing that there had to be a good reason for such an intrusion. "Yes, Lieutenant Commander?"

"Sir. We need to put together an armed team of agents at once and send them to General Hare's office."

Without hesitation, the senior leader addressed the agents around him. "Do as he says, and maintain communicator silence. Meet us downstairs at the rear exit."

Once they exited the office and were alone, Wulfred asked the serval, "I presume your interrogation has yielded results. What's the situation?"

"Gordon Striker has planted a mole in General Hare's office. And this person is a telepath."

"So the bastard finally cracked the genetic code for telepathy." The white wolf replied calmly. "Any idea who it is?"

"Going on the premise that Fox McCloud's blood sample was stolen from Corneria General Hospital only a few months ago, we were able to easily narrow it down to one person." Jabari brought up a holographic image on his tablet of a dark grey feline in a CDF Special Forces uniform. "Commander Felis Pantera has been on General Hare's staff for the last two weeks after a thorough background check and interview. The others on the general's staff have not been off world for more than a year while Pantera here has been on repeated forays through Lylat in search of Striker and his rogue elements. He had just returned three weeks ago after being gone for a month, and been assigned to the general's staff to coordinate the ongoing search."

"And being a member of Special Forces, he was already vetted. I would hazard a guess that on his last sortie, he went to Striker's secret base and came out a telepath." The CSA director surmised as he stood. "This is going to be tricky. He'll sense the team even before they reach General Hare's office."

"I have an idea." Jabari said as he followed his boss out the door he had only moments ago barged through.

Felis Pantera had only a week ago had his first meeting with General Peppy Hare. Listening passively with his mind, it had been difficult for the double agent to sort it all out. He could not fathom how the Cerinians put up with the telepathic cacophony of random thoughts that had to be flooding through their heads from everyone nearby.

His first break had been when he attended a debriefing with other Special Forces operatives where each gave their full reports on the ongoing effort to locate General Striker. Being surrounded by only a few other individuals, including Wulfred Ramius, the CSA director, Felis was able to quietly sort out each individual's thoughts. The tricky part though was to not verbally reply to what they were thinking.

The telepathic double agent was able to gather a rich trove of intelligence that day that would allow General Striker to make preparations for the overthrow of the Cornerian government in just a week. The most startling discovery though was picked up from General Peppy's mind. Fox McCloud was alive. The former Star Fox mercenary had faked his death in that car bomb assassination attempt, had his fur turned blue, and gone into hiding with his wife and children in New Cerinia.

The following day, he had made his report to Arnold Duff. The terrier was as surprised as he was to learn that Fox McCloud was alive. That had been ten days ago. Their meeting had been brief. He had passed on his information, and they had parted ways. A week later, they met again where Arnold had provided the prefix codes to the Beltino Gate that would allow agents to remotely activate it to allow General Striker and his strike team to go through with cloaked assault carriers.

He had also read in the terrier's mind that he had come across a secret report from the Senate Intelligence Committee that they had decided to research telepathy in response to the perceived threat of telepathic attack from Gordon Striker, and agents like him. It was ironic to the double agent that the senate was now doing precisely what General Striker had wanted in the first place. It was too late for them as far as he was concerned. The Senate's worst fear was already happening. He and an unknown number of other telepathic agents had already infiltrated the CDF and the Senate.

Doubt did encroach upon his confidence though when he walked into the CDF general's office for another intelligence briefing. Foremost in Peppy Hare's mind had been the report he and a Lieutenant Commander Jabari had given to Chief Minister Frost. His contact, Arnold Duff, had been captured three days ago. Maintaining a calm, impassive façade Felis carefully listened to the general's surface thoughts.

He quickly determined that General Hare did not suspect him. It meant that his contact had not yet caved in, but it was only a matter of time before his cover was blown. He just had to hold out for two more days and then it would not matter. When the time came, he would rip into the old lagomorph's mind, forcibly extract every piece of knowledge from his brain, and leave him a mental vegetable. He would then move on to the next target of his telepathic attacks.

"Commander Pantera, I'd like you to coordinate with your Special Forces teams to position themselves along the next transmission vector." Peppy instructed him. "Let's see if we can nail this cloaked ship that's been receiving Mister Duff's transmissions. This person is the link to the base of operations Striker has been hiding at all these years."

"Yes Sir." Felis falsely assured the general. "We'll get this guy." Privately, he would make sure the net was tight....except for a small gap in the one spot he knew the agent would be hiding to receive messages from Arnold Duff that would never be sent out.

He let his telepathy continue to passively scan the minds around him. As he was doing so, the general's personal communicator chirped. After a pause, Peppy got up, walked to the window, opened it, and then returned to his desk. He read the hare's mind and saw that he had received a text message from Wulfred Ramius asking him to open the window. Because they were on the top floor of the CDF headquarters, which was 50 stories high, there was a strong breeze now blowing across the window.

Why would the CSA director ask the general to do such a ludicrous thing? The sound of the wind blowing around the window would make conversation difficult in this meeting they were having with the top commander of the CDF. He gazed out that open window with mild annoyance. In the distance, he could see the CSA headquarters building. It was then that he noticed that one of its top floor windows was also open.

It gave him a direct line of sight to anyone who might be standing behind that open window. It also meant that they would have a direct line of sight into this office. Felis then began to connect the dots. Arnold Duff had been captured three days ago. He must have been interrogated. The terrier knew who he was. If they had broken him, then his cover was blown. That meant that he was an open target for a sniper. Before he could move to take cover, he was struck by a strong bolt of energy from a powerful stun blast. His last conscious action was to reach out to rip Peppy Hare's mind apart.

One day ago:

Peppy Hare sat at his desk facing Falco Lombardi and his crew. The lagomorph was still recovering from the worst headache he could remember. The brief telepathic attack from that double agent had thoroughly unnerved him. The Star Falco crew had by fortuitous happenstance just finished another pirate hunting patrol and had landed at Corneria City Spaceport just the day before. He had therefore capitalized on that opportunity and called them to his office.

Because of the multiple witnesses, the news had broken out. It was now all over the Lylat network that a double agent working for rogue general Gordon Striker, had attacked General Hare in his office at the CDF headquarters. The traitor had been stunned by a long-range sniper shot, followed by a CSA strike team rushing into Peppy's office to secure and sedate him heavily. So Falco had an idea as to why he, Katt, Fay, and Dash had been summoned. They looked on in concern at their old friend as he cradled his forehead in his hands.

"Do you guys remember the Cerinian archival footage Krystal presented to the Senate years ago? Seeing those recordings of telepathic attacks does not even come close to what it feels like to be on the receiving end." Peppy raised his head from his hands and made eye contact with Falco and his crew. "Pantera only had a second to attack me before he lost consciousness, but that second felt like an eternity." He closed his eyes and shivered. "Great Maker, it felt like a spike had been driven into my head and then was being pulled out, taking my brain with it."

"Where is he now?" Katt asked.

"In a cell in a hidden location, with nobody nearby for him to influence. The CSA is interrogating him remotely via video monitor." Peppy replied. What he said next greatly alarmed Falco and his crew. "We have reason to believe that multiple telepathic agents working for Striker have infiltrated the CDF and the Senate."

"Well damn!" Falco exclaimed. "How are we going to defend ourselves?"

"I've put the CDF on high alert, but not knowing how or when they are going to make their move makes it difficult to anticipate them, let alone fight them off." He then nodded to Falco. "Which is where you come in. I want you to head to New Cerinia at once, using the Beltino Gate to get there and back as quickly as possible. The Cerinians are the only ones who can protect us."

"What about Fox?" Fay asked. "Do you think he'll want to come out of hiding?"

"Fok-ku-su...may have left behind his old life and found true peace and happiness as a Cerinian, but he still cares about Lylat. And he's a powerful telepath now. I cannot imagine that he would not want to come help us."

"Right." Falco nodded. "We'll head out now then. Anything else?"

"No. Go, and hurry back. Striker is bound to make his move any day now."

Within the hour, the Great Falcon roared up into the Cornerian sky and accelerated at maximum power into orbit, heading directly to the Beltino Gate. In less than an hour, instead of a week, they would arrive at Sauria. They were twenty minutes from the artificial wormhole-generating station when it activated. From his tactical station, Dash Bowman noticed several moving ripples going across the background stars. A minute later, the gate and the lights on the station went out. "Falco, I am detecting a distortion ahead of us that started just after the Beltino Gate activated."

"There might be cloaked ships ahead of us." Fay spoke up from her engineering station.

"I have a bad feeling about this." Falco murmured. When they were ten minutes from the gate, Falco activated his comm. "Beltino Gate, this is the Great Falcon, requesting passage to Sauria on the flight plan filed by General Hare."

"Stand by, Great Falcon. We are resetting the gate."

"What happened?"

"The gate was activated remotely without authorization. We had to cut power to the station to regain control. We are changing our prefix codes and will be online in less than 5 minutes."

"Have you notified Peppy?" Falco asked. A pit was quickly forming in his stomach, which only grew worse when they answered him back. "Yes, but we've received no reply."

They soon understood why when Katt looked up in alarm from her station. "Falco, you need to see this." She then directed the media feed to the main viewer, which suddenly showed Walter Kent at his news anchor's desk. "We have reports that unknown attackers have taken over the CDF headquarters. Military police have been observed to be collapsing when they confronted the invading force."

The scene then cut to security camera footage. They could all see the uniformed police dropping to their knees with their hands gripping their heads while facing about 50 individuals in combat gear. Though there was no audio, it was apparent that they were crying out. Some started to curl in on themselves on the ground. Most shocking was the sight of blood trickling from their eyes and ears to pool onto the pavement.

"As can be seen, these attackers have incapacitated any who oppose them." Walter Kent went on to report while the security camera showed the attackers rushing into the headquarters building, leaving behind the downed soldiers. The feed switched back to the news hound, who was reading his monitor with a look of alarm. "This just in, the Senate is now also under attack by a similar group of commandos, and leading them is the renegade general, Gordon Striker! Reports are..." and suddenly the news feed cut out.

Falco knew that he and his team could not hope to overcome a small army of rogue telepaths. He activated his comm again. "Beltino Station, how long before gate activation?"

"Coming online in 45 seconds!"

"ROB, full acceleration. We need to get through that gate the moment its up before Striker stops us."

"Affirmative." came the android's dispassionate reply. "ETA 58 seconds."

"Falco, assault ships are pursuing us!" Dash called out in alarm, just moments before the dreadnaught-class heavy cruiser shook from the impact. "Upper stabilizer damaged! Activating shields." The ship shook again with the harmless impact of plasma bolts against its shields.

Falco gazed at the forward viewer anxiously. "Come on guys, we need that gate...." They were only ten seconds away when Fay called out. "Beltino Gate activated!"

The six large emitters separated from the station and moved into position ahead of them to form a ring of green high-energy plasma that grew out of the emitters. When the ring was complete, the artificial wormhole took shape, just seconds before the Great Falcon raced through it with the enemy assault ships in pursuit.

Fortunately for Falco and his crew, the CDF Vigilant that was on patrol in orbit over Sauria had not been compromised by rogue telepaths. The captain quickly saw that the Great Falcon was under attack by unknown ships and opened fire on them, quickly destroying them in less than a minute. Falco depressed his comm. "Thank you, Vigilant."

"Can you tell me what the hell going on, Great Falcon?"

"The Cornerian government has been overthrown by Gordon Striker."

"What?! How is this possible?!"

"Rogue telepaths created by Striker. We are on our way to New Cerinia. They're the only ones who can help us."

*****

Fokkusu, Kurisutaru, Renjiro, and the other guardians were all gathered with their bondmates on the bridge of the Great Falcon, having watched the security footage and news broadcast from Walter Kent. Also present were Charles, Fara, and Kei. The telepaths were all deeply disturbed by what they had seen. "This is like the clan wars three of our centuries ago." Renjiro growled. "But worse of all, those they are attacking are defenseless."

"There has to be at least a 100 telepaths though." Fokkusu observed. "We're so few here. How are we to fight them?"

Kurisutaru's eyes narrowed. "ROB, magnify image on one of the attacker's face." They all watched the image focus on one wolf. He had a wild-eyed look on his face that appeared almost insane. "Interesting," Renjiro observed. "It seems that their superior numbers will not help them against even a few of us."

Fokkusu, having been a full-fledged telepath for only a short while, looked upon the image of the seemingly crazed wolf in confusion. He then read his wife's mind, and understood. "They're untrained....Can we really overcome that many rogue telepaths?"

"You underestimate your own ability, Fokkusu." Renjiro explained. "Their minds are undisciplined. They are picking up every random thought around them, with no understanding of how to block them out. In comparison, we're all trained telepaths. Working together, we should be able to easily block out their mental attacks and subdue them mentally."

"So you'll help us?" Falco asked hopefully.

"How could we not?" Renjiro replied. "...after everything your people did to save us in our darkest hour, after the overwhelming measures you've taken to protect us as we rebuild our population and civilization." He gestured to his pregnant bondmate. "Because of your people, our vixens are able to start bearing a new generation resurrected from the many bloodlines that perished on Cerinia."

"And we'll fight at your side to free Corneria." Falco declared. Any further words fell unsaid from his beak when he noticed the Cerinians all go quiet. He then noticed them exchange fixed gazes. "Okay, what are you guys thinking to each other?"

Kurisutaru nodded to her bondmate and quickly left the bridge. Fokkusu then pointed out a critical fact that Falco had overlooked. "I'm not surprised you'd want to fight at our side, but you would be vulnerable to telepathic attack."

"Damn. You're right." Falco deflated, feeling for the first time helpless. "This is one fight that Star Falco cannot lead."

"Fortunately, there is a way to keep you from getting mind raped." Fokkusu said. He then nodded to Renjiro and the other guardians in their group. "When Cerinians go into battle together, they strengthen each other's telepathy by forming a group mind link. It's not as deep as the telepathic bond we share with our bondmates, but it is still much stronger than the casual mental interactions we have from day to day."

"Okay, go on." Falco nodded to his longtime friend.

"The benefit with this is that our combined minds will amplify each other's powers and also make it next to impossible for them to telepathically attack us." Fokkusu added.

Katt laughed. "They will not know what hit them when you come charging."

"So how does that protect us from having them scramble our brains?" Falco asked.

"We will draw you into our mind link." Akina explained.

"But....we're not telepaths." Fay frowned.

"Let's wait for Kurisutaru to return and we'll explain our plan." Fokkusu.

"While we're waiting, I think that for this mission, I need to step down from command." Falco announced. "This is a mission for telepaths, and the only one I can see leading it is one Fox McCloud."

"I don't go by that name anymore..."

"I know, I know." Falco acknowledged with raised hands in a placating gesture. "But for this particular mission, I think that team Star Fox should be resurrected."

Fokkusu sagged and paced around the bridge, contemplating what Falco was suggesting. After months of living in this peaceful village, being part of the Cerinian community, he was loath to return to his old life as Fox McCloud. His time in New Cerinia had granted him freedom from ignorant judgmental people and intrusive photographers and reporters who had no regard for his privacy. He then thought of his children, especially Makasu. While he did still have the Pheonix and Banks twins to play with when they visited almost every weekend, he could sense that his son still missed his other school friends.

Falco then noticed Fokkusu stop in his pacing. The tod's eyes lost their focus. A smile formed on his muzzle and he nodded to himself. The avian had seen that expression often enough to recognize what was going on in his friend's head. "Are you and Krystal thinking to each other?"

"Yes, she pointed out to me that if I do this, the Senate would owe me big time. One of them is bound to say something like, 'how can we ever repay you?' and I'll spring on them the demand to permanently ban the tabloids from ever publishing anything about us."

"They'll cry foul, and say we are infringing on their freedom of the press." Fay pointed out.

"I wouldn't be so sure." Charles countered. He then addressed Fokkusu. "Many on Corneria still blame the tabloids for the murder of Fox McCloud. Subscriptions to their media streams have declined dramatically, which have in turn led to major financial losses. On top of that, attacks on paparazzi have continued. The CEO of the Corneria Enquirer was also killed in a car bomb."

"Well damn! That changes things." Fokkusu grinned. Just then, Kurisutaru returned. In her hand, she held her white gold diadem while still wearing her ruby focusing gem in the middle of its string of pearls.

Fokkusu removed his yellow gold diadem, walked up to Falco, and lifted the jeweled head band up to the avian's head.

"Wha?"

"Hold still." Fokkusu commanded as he carefully nestled the diadem through Falco's crest of feathers so that the emerald rested against his forehead. "Because you've let me read your surface thoughts and think to you in the past, our minds are already familiar with each other. By wearing my focusing gem, it will allow us to draw you into our group mind link. It will also make it possible for us to shield your mind from telepathic attack."

Kurisutaru in turn did the same, slipping her diadem onto Katt's head. "It's okay." she assured the nervous, pink-furred feline. "You know that any personal thoughts we pick up from you will be kept private."

"Yeah, but I get a feeling that you'll be going deeper than my surface thoughts." Katt replied with a tremor in her voice.

"A bit," Kurisutaru replied, "...but nowhere near as deep as an actual telepathic bond."

"It also gives us the added benefit of not needing any communicators. Even if they try jamming us, we'll be able to think to each other." Fokkusu added while his vixen removed her cherished focusing gem from her head and faced their canine friend. He could not suppress a snicker when he sensed Fay's trust and eagerness, a fact that was obvious to everyone by virtue of her wagging tail.

"Fay, I am entrusting you with this focusing gem. It was given to me by my mother when I completed my telepathic training." she said as she slipped the headband behind her friend's floppy ears and carefully rested the ruby against her forehead. Fay's tail stilled and she solemnly nodded.

Akina approached Dash with her focusing gem in hand, but the ape shook his head. "I don't think I can do this...." His unease was apparent to them as he confessed. "I'm not like Falco, Katt, and Fay. They're used to mentally speaking with you guys."

"Well...Someone will need to stay behind and mind the ship." Fokkusu offered, thus giving Dash a way to save face.

"Shouldn't one of you notify Elder Hiroshi that you are about to go on a dangerous mission?" Fara piped up. "I mean...." she began to add, but Kurisutaru raised her hand. "He's here."

A moment later, the lift doors opened and the elder and his bondmate stepped onto the bridge of the Great Falcon. Falco's eyes widened and his beak hung open upon seeing Samantha wearing nothing but a loincloth and bra and sporting a full set of Cerinian tattoos. Fay giggled at the sight while Katt grinned and said, "Looks like someone else has gone native."

There was a brief respite of levity and delight when all the vulpine picked up the distinctive, musky scent of mating from the newly bonded couple, setting off many tails wagging. The empaths could all sense the emotions of fulfilled contentment from Hiroshi and Samantha, but mixed in with it was concern.

"Imagine my surprise when my dearest Samantha expressed interest in rejoining the celebration after we had consummated our bonding, only to learn that all of you have congregated here on this vessel." Hiroshi began. "I can only surmise that some crisis has arisen, and that you all saw fit not to notify me."

"Forgive us, Elder." Akina began. "Normally, we would have called for you, but we did not wish to ruin your first night with your bondmate."

Hiroshi gave a slight bow of the head to Akina before turning to Samantha to give her a brief kiss on the lips and then rest his forehead against hers. "That is kind of you to give us the time to fully express our love for each other, but I must not neglect my duties as the elder of our people."

Samantha let out a happy sigh and murmured. "I love you."

After giving his vixen one more brief kiss, Hiroshi faced the gathering. "So now, if you will, explain why I am sensing agitation from this gathering."

Falco and Fokkusu then appraised the elder of the situation and showed him the security footage. Seeing the acts of wanton mind rape left the elder deeply troubled. For Samantha, it was an unnerving sight. Being on the receiving end of her bondmate's telepathy had been a wonderful, profound experience that left her feeling loved. And she also felt safe in the company of the Cerinians in their community. She gazed again at the security recordings from the Senate that was displayed on the main viewer on the bridge of the Great Falcon. This was the dark side of telepathy.

The vixen's ears wilted and she leaned against her husband and soulmate. "This is horrible..." she whispered and began to shiver. All the empathic Cerinians could sense how frightened the vixen was. They gathered around her and Hiroshi, with Fokkusu, Kurisutaru, Renjiro, and Akina placing a hand on her shoulder. Multiple minds added their reassurance to those of her bondmate's, and the agitated vixen soon calmed down.

Hiroshi tightly held Samantha in his arms as she sought comfort in his embrace. "This Gordon Striker individual is precisely the reason why your Senate was wise to forego seeking telepathy. And I agree with Renjiro. We must aid your people and put a stop to these undisciplined, rogue telepaths."

He then faced all the assembled guardians and their bondmates. "But I must implore you. Do not risk your lives any more than is necessary. There still remains so very few of us. Once Gordon Striker is dealt with, you must all return here. Do not forget our sacred mission entrusted to us by High Elder Shinkai to rebuild our population."

"Yes Elder. We'll endeavor to do so." Renjiro promised. The leader of the guardians then addressed their guests. "Charles, I would suggest that you and your family remain behind. You will be safer here with our people and our CDF protectors on the ground. And if necessary, the Krazoa can make New Cerinia vanish and render it impossible for outsiders to reach this place."

Kurisutaru walked up to Fara and took the fennec vixen's hand in hers. "Please look after Marcus and Ophelia for us."

"What about your baby brother and sister?" Fara asked.

"Shinko can look after them since they have no control over their telepathy yet."

"It would seem that our stay will be extended then." Charles observed. He and his daughter and son-in-law followed Hiroshi and Samantha onto the lift while gazing back at the Cerinian guardians and the Star Falco crew. "We will await your return. Great Maker preserve all of you."

Makasu, with Ofiria, looked up at the Great Falcon as it flew away. This was the first time their parents went anywhere without them. He could not help but feel anxious, but tried to think brave thoughts for the sake of his sister, who was whimpering from separation anxiety. A hand came down to rest on his shoulder. He looked up at his Aunt Fara, who gave him a reassuring smile, but he could sense her unease as well. He hung his head and said forlornly, "You're worried too, Aunty."

It was not a question, and Fara realized then that the usual bravado would not work on Marcus McCloud since he was a telepath and empath like his parents. So she used reason instead of emotion to reassure the pup. "Yes, I am, but they've fought bad people many times together already. Your mother and father know how to fight and defend those they love." When she saw him nod, Fara pressed on. "Besides, they are not doing this alone. Falco, Katt, Fay, and Dash are with them, and two other guardians too."

With these thoughts in mind, Makasu felt his heart buoyed. Those positive feelings were also sensed by his sister, who consequently stopped whimpering. His gaze drifted to his Aunt Shinko, who was looking after his baby sister and brother in their stroller. Kushinju and Nozomi were sound asleep, oblivious to the worries of the adults around them, including his own. She was keeping their young minds sheltered from such negative emotions.

Then there was Samantha. He really liked her. She was nice, but even she was worried and needed Elder Hiroshi's comfort. The red vixen was leaning her head on her bondmate's shoulder for comfort and was pressing his hand against her temple. There was no doubt in Marcus' mind that the elder had to be projecting his love into her mind, and hopefully, he and his siblings would soon feel their parents' love again.