VIII. A Sliver of Hope.

The only thing that could be heard in the room was shallow breathing. Krystal had managed to fall asleep in the damp, dark room but Fox lie awake. Plotting a hopeful escape. It had only been two days but those days were hell. Fox sometimes was interrogated by the ape, prying him for information wanting any weak-points he could find.

Falco and Slippy tried their hardest to bomb overhead and destroy Oikonny's weapon but they were too late, the ape had already taken the ship elsewhere and their rescue efforts had been futile. It had been a long time since Fox had been in this situation, only one time when the Sharpclaw had captured him in his efforts to save the Cloudrunner Queen in their own fortress.

Before that the vulpine had not been captured at all and it had become the same outcome since then as well. Both situations though seemed to reflect each other. Small compact room, damp, cold area and also the fear of possible death in the air. He knew they were stuck. Unlike the Sharpclaw this was a finely made room. No loose stone blocks to move for an escape. It had once been for prisoners of militaries, atleast that's what Fox assumed.

Atleast there was a plus to being in here. They had him kept in the same room with the sapphire furred vixen next to him.

"Fox.." She murmured his name in her sleep when she felt his paw. Fox could only smile to himself feeling a certain peace from the terrible situation.

The next morning wasn't so peaceful. Somehow Oikonny had strum up a whole militia, certainly members from Andross' old legion, to perform something. Hopefully not another test of that weapon that had proven itself so deadly.

"I have a bad feeling about today." The vulpine muttered seeing the crowd outside the small, barred in, window.

"They're going to test that weapon again today. Atleast that's what Oikonny is telling them." Krystal told him, using her telepathy to listen in. Just on cue the ship was in sight, about to land in the normal area in front of the abandoned military base.

"Fantastic but how the hell do we get out the to stop them." Fox told her angrily. Being locked up in here was pushing stress on him. He didn't like it when he was in danger but could get over it. When Krystal was in danger it was like a dagger through the heart.

It wasn't an hour before Oikonny was back inside. Walking towards them. "Oh no." Krystal muttered knowing something bad was about to happen. "Just get me the blue one. You know where to bring her." They could hear him command. Krystal hadn't been to see Andrew yet and Fox couldn't manage to tell her the reasons of Cerinia's destruction. Afraid that now would be the worst possible time for him to tell her.

"No! No!" Krystal whimpered before being drug off. Fox jumped at the guard but was bludgeoned by the other one.

"Krys.." Fox groaned seeing her drift out of sight. He was starting to lose consciousness as well. Who knows what they could be planning to do with her.

Krystal sat in the same chair as usual. The room Oikonny resided in during their stay was almost like a living room. A fireplace, crimson walls and even a couch behind the ape. All of these things not making the situation any better though.

"What do you want with me?" Krystal grunted, struggling to break the chains which held her to her seat. It was no use even if she were free she wouldn't get far before getting shot in the back.

"Revenge, for all the times you and Fox have ruined my plans." Andrew smiled at the tortured vixen. He knew from the past two days that she hated being in these situations.

"How did you get these weapons?" The vixen spat angrily at Oikonny.

"Simple..Andross, my uncle, made this weapon. It was his legacy. He was just about to use it on the Lylat system when Fox went and fucked it all up." Andrew told her, he had expected Fox to tell her all of this.

"You're from Cerinia..The last survivor." The ape smiled seeing emotional pain in the vixen's eyes as soon as his words escaped his mouth. He attacked her like a cold blooded killer at any weakness. Just like his uncle would've done to any prisoner.

"How do you know?" She gasped.

"I've done my homework..Besides how many blue vixens do you see nowadays?" Andrew chuckled to himself. "Anyways, I'm guessing Fox hasn't told you yet but this weapon. It is what destroyed your home planet. And I plan to use it to destroy your new home. Corneria and all of Lylat."

She fought desperately wanting to hit the maniacal villain in front of her. It was no use, she only looked foolish and her embarrassment fueled the madman on. Tears were beginning to fall down her cheeks and she whimpered something inaudible.

"Don't be so sad. Be happy because tonight we're taking you to see the weapon in action." Oikonny lifted her muzzle to look him in the eye. "And it might be the last time you are together with that vulpine." Andrew signaled for them to take the vixen away. He had gotten his fun.

Fox was barely coming back to the world when the vixen was thrown in the cell with him. "Krys." He mumbled, still dreaming of the events that happened before he was knocked out. She smiled and pulled the unconscious vulpine close to her,His head in her lap. Tears were still falling from the vixen.

Fox's eyes flew open when he felt a tear hit him right on his muzzle. He thought it was raining at first until he realized Krystal was crying.

"What happened?" Fox asked slightly getting angry. Fearing the worst had happened to her.

"Andrew told me what happened to Cerinia." She whimpered pitifully.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you." Fox sighed looking into her teary eyes. "But I didn't think it would be wise to tell you while we were in this mess."

She only stared at him, emotions and ideas no doubt flowing through her like a mighty river. All leading to finding a way out but there was no way out of here. That was the hard reality. They were stuck, powerless and that tortured them even more.

"Worst thing is Andrew says tonight we'll see his weapon in action.." Krystal said pitifully.

"Perfect." Fox said almost excitedly. "We can try and get out then." The vulpine smiled at her knowing a plan already.

"Are you nuts? We'll be as powerless there than here and we'll even be watched there!" She warned him but he already knew.

"We just have to fight our way to an escape pod of the ship and then we can get eject from the ship. We might not land anywhere fun but it'll be better than this." Fox told her cheering her up only in the slightest way.

Sure escaping probable armed guards is easy to say. Maybe even easy to imagine but actually doing it was hard work. They'd probably be locked down on that ship. Even worse they didn't even know what planet was in danger, if it was Corneria Fox probably wouldn't be able to let himself escape like a coward to sacrifice his homeworld.

"So what do you think of it?" Fox asked her jarring her back to life.

"It's worth a try." She sighed knowing that tonight she'd probably be free or dead.

As time flew by the realization kept getting stronger to them. This plan made on only hope could actually end up killing them both. The more they looked at it, the more it seemed like their only chance at freedom together and ending this once and for all.

The two were sitting further away from each other with each hour it seemed. Backs slouched against the cold stone walls.

"Any regrets?" She asked him, biting her lip from nervousness.

"Yeah..A couple." He replied quietly. Obviously thinking too much on it himself. "You?" He asked with a nervous smile, though now it was too dark to see.

"Yeah..A couple as well." She giggled nervously at the vulpine. "Name yours'"

"I wish I hadn't of been so stupid, kicking you off the team, getting us into shit like this. I've really let you down as far as doing my job." He grumbled to himself. "And also I wish I hadn't lied to you when you weren't well. I should've never told you I was your mate. That was just selfish of me." He looked into her eyes, it was the only thing he could see of her whole body with the darkness.

"Fox you haven't been stupid, everything you've done was just poor luck. This was a perfect plan, the one we're about to do is questionable but I'll back you up every step you take." She pulled the vulpine into an embrace. "You kicking me off the team was the only real mistake that I haven't helped you make." She sighed. "And I only wanted to hurt you afterwards."

"Krys, I don't blame you. I kicked you out onto the street basically." He sighed feeling her lay her head on his shoulder only made him blush. "And now somehow I have a hundred percent of your trust again..How?" He asked her getting a giggle in his ear.

"Because we're meant for e-" Was all she got to say before the door opened. They had been oblivious to their company for the past two minutes.

"Hope you've enjoyed your romance time, come on get to the ship." A lioness told them, Fox could only guess she was a guard here. She was rough looking, built slightly bigger than Krystal and less athletic looking but the gun she held made up for that.

Fox's mind began to wonder how Krystal would cope with her while he tried to take out Andrew.. It might work but then again the gun she held creeping into his mind.

An hour later, when the ship had finally left Molonias, Fox nodded to Krystal knowing the next moments could very well be their last together. Luckily for them there were no chains on them, no cuffs at all. Just armed guards at their sides, two a piece.

Andrew was just walking towards them and couldn't notice Fox eying the gauges, waiting for the perfect altitude for escape.

"So are you ready to witness history?" Oikonny said in his usual annoying way. Fox was starting to hate this ape more and more.

"What planet is your target tonight?" Fox asked, his voice just a low rumble.

"Well I have four guests of power with me ready to try and buy this weapon off of me with bids. So it has to be somewhere strong yet with an easy getaway.." Oikonny looked the vulpine in the eyes like he was reading his mind. "I know, Katina! That would be a fun place to lay waste to." He smirked at the powerless fox couple.

Katina held many military bases, if Oikonny had improved his weapon it could pack a mighty punch to Lylat's defenses.

It was already hitting Fox now that they had to plan out where they'd land too. Landing back on Molonias now would result in being captured again, unless they could find their way back to their Arwings. Which was a slim chance.

Krystal found her way into the vulpine's mind and using her telepathy she told him her suggestions. 'Just decide, follow your heart.' With those words, or thoughts, the vulpine turned on Oikonny before he had gotten the chance.

First the vulpine pulled the rifle on the guard to his right and desperately started choking him with the leather strap to his own rifle. The vulpine was caught in a rush of adrenaline almost instantly, luckily his combat experience was great. Fox now was using guard as a shield, finally he had a second to look away and see what Krystal had done.

The vixen after seeing Fox's moves smacked the rifle out of the lioness' hand. She was caught by the other guard, unfortunately, and was now hostage to them both. Fox stopped dead in his tracks not wanting to risk getting her harmed.

"That was a nice try you two, but really, two armed guards each while you are unarmed? Surely you could do better than that." Oikonny cackled at them, demeaning them. That seamed to be his favorite thing about having them captive.

The vulpine was hit in the stomach by a stun shot causing him to double over in pain. "But hell you've got balls to try that. Maybe not brains but, hey it counts for something." Oikonny laughed one final time before the butt of the rifle came in contact with the fox's skull knocking him out cold.

"Throw him into one of the escape pods, we'll launch him to Katina right before we strike it." Andrew commanded.

"No! Please!" Krystal cried out in protest but it wouldn't help. It would only show Oikonny that he had made the correct decision.

"Silence, you. You'll get a front row seat to see the weapon up close since you have already seen so many results from it." Andrew grinned evilly at her.

Fox woke up an hour later in the small escape pod, the one he had been so desperate to get into. Not knowing how he got their or where Krystal was. He didn't even remember the small scrap they had just gotten into. All he could really tell was that he was in some really deep shit right now.

- A.N.: I know I know..spending too much time between updates but I've been pretty busy lately. Monitor broke and had to replace it (Problems, Problems, Problems) But now I've fixed that and hopefully before December I can get out a couple more chapters. Enjoy hopefully this chapter makes some sense and doesn't seem like I rushed it or doesn't have too many mistakes I kind of enjoyed writing it while I had the time :S I actually held it back for a couple of days in fear of errors, silly huh? Thanks for the recent reviews and I'm glad that you've atleast made it this far in the story.-