Shattered

Chapter 18

The flight back to Corneria was spent in silence. Everyone was in the bridge, Krystal and Fay sat in the corner, the blue vixen fiercely clutching the rent and bloody helm. Her muzzle still dripping tears, poor Fay was slumped into her seat and holding her head in her paws. Fox sat in the captain's chair, his dull green eyes staring off into the space outside the window. Falco was staring at his blaster, rolling it around in his feathered hands, deep in thought.

Peppy was in his favorite chair, his long lapine ears were drooped to hang alongside his head. He was shining his glasses for the hundredth time, finding some small measure of comfort in the repetitive task

Slippy was sitting with his father, the two toads looked the second most worse for ware. Knowing that they had been the instigators of the humans downfall. No one blamed them, but they blamed themselves.

Fara and Miyu walked over to comfort the the sniffling vixen and collie. It was hard, considering they were crying just as hard.

Penelope was in the arms of her older sister. She had become mute when the reality of what happened to him bit her. She had cried herself to sleep, and her sister had carried her since. Lupa had not said a word since the news had been relayed. The two girls sharing their silence together.

Wolf was the only one who had not cried, he sat in a chair apart from the others. The lupine had takin the news and simply went off, having only entered the bridge five minutes ago.

"DOCKING AT CORNERIAN CENTRAL STARPORT." ROB intoned. He was at his station on the ship, he had no emotions to express.

The team had left the ship without any fanfare, taking a skycar back to headquarters. They trudged into the General's office, in significantly darker spirits then last they entered.

Pepper was sitting behind his desk and gazing thoughtfully out his window and into the streets. His visage was distant. He turned slowly to address them. "Hello Starfox, I wish that this was under better circumstances."

"I think we all wish that." Fox sighed. He looked back to his team, the women were still sniffling.

"Yes, I think so to. I won't waste your time, the funds have been wired to your accounts. The mission was a success after all." Pepper laid back in his seat heavily, changing the topic to one more...distressing. "The funeral will be at the end of the week...considering that there's no body, it will be more of a formality."

Fox nodded and did not respond, meanwhile, his team was silent. Beltino had been dropped off at his laboratory, Slippy had went with him. Wolf had just left as soon as the ship landed, and Fara had elected to stay for some reason. Lupa had stayed aboard to watch over Penelope. That left Falco, Fox, Krystal, Fay, Fara, and Miyu in the old hound's office.

"I understand if you need to go, I didn't know him as well as you did, but he was good man, one who didn't deserve all that happened to him." Pepper dismissed them, he was going to handle the rest of the political debacle with Oikonny, in order to cement the falsity of a terrorist attack.

They left his office and walked back to the ship, they couldn't stomach the pleasant air of the city. It made everything that happened seem like a fantastical lie. Like, when they got back, Alex would still be there, waiting for them with Penelope on his hip. He would be smiling and crack a joke, then he would make them something to eat and they would all sit-down to a delicious feast. And that's what was so crushing when they got back, he wasn't there.

When they dragged their feet back aboard, Fox turned to Krystal haltingly. "I...I...um, I need you to gather his personal effects."

She nodded quietly, one tear slowly glided down her furry cheek. It trailed over the blue fur, a shard of sparkling starlight in an ocean of cerulean. She walked off with Fay. When the door to his room opened they froze.