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Star Fox: Earthborn
1st Installment

Chapter 5: Advanced is better than Basic
Time: 15th week of training, 7 months after events on planet Sauria

"David, this is Falco. You've got five bogeys in your sector: engage and destroy."

"Roger Falco, I have them on radar and in visual range. Rolling in to engage."

The enemy pilots didn't notice the Arwing moving in on their six. Not until their squad leader's fighter suddenly exploded into a ball of flames. The charged homing shot had done its job, but now the remaining fighters scattered left and right in an attempt to confuse their assailant. It was an attempt doomed to fail, for David had already anticipated this move and now fired his second charged shot at the two fighters banking left. Another one was blown to pieces and David turned his attention to the remaining wingman. Probably still confused by the sudden loss of his commander and his replacing officer, he tried to regroup with the two fighters that had banked right. As soon as he dropped his wing to make a hard turn, the center mass of his fighter was strafed by a quick volley of laser fire from the Arwing's double cannons. Another explosion later, David only had two targets left to worry about. He looked at his radar screen and saw two red arrows moving away from him.

"Falco, this is David. I report three bogeys down, the remaining two are possibly retreating. Should I pursue and destroy?"

"David, that's a negative. Let them run and tell their buddies. That is if this were real of course."

"Good copy, terminating simulation now."

David pressed a button on the control panel and the cockpit went dark. He lifted the canopy to find himself in the flight simulation room. He still couldn't get used to switching between the extremely realistic simulations and the real world. In the simulation control room, Falco was keeping track of every move David had made. For Falco was the one who taught David the fine skills of aerial combat…

Things had gone just as Fox thought they would. David was considered ready for the next step after ten weeks of Basic Training. The next step was the so-called Advanced Training which would take several months considering everything he had to learn. Again, his training was placed under the care of all the team members who taught him in detail everything he needed to know to qualify as a member of Star Fox. They would teach him how to fly the Arwing, battle with the Landmaster tank, maintain all his gear and the team's vehicles, and so on. Each team member who knew most about a specific subject would thus be David's personal mentor on that particular subject.

Krystal actually got two very detailed jobs. First of all, she had to teach David medical treatment including first aid to self and to others, small surgery and, by her own choice, Cerinian pressure point massage. This technique, much like shiatsu, would come in pretty handy to comfort muscles during an injury or to get rid of battle fatigue and physical pain. Her second job was to teach David everything she knew about stealth operations and battlefield survival. Her experience with living in the wild for years had honed her survival skills and her abilities to stay out of sight.

Those subjects were just some of the key points in the advanced training program. David also continued with his lessons in self defense with Krystal and he kept on working out as much as possible to further improve his body. After five intense weeks David was already able to fly the Arwing and use it in simulated battles with great success. His skills with the different weapons used by Star Fox, and especially his marksmanship, were excellent and he could already execute the simpler tactics and orders.

The capability-tests, which took place several times a week in the simulation room or the flight simulator, were another part of the advanced program. During these tests, David would have to complete a certain set of objectives set in different types of scenarios, while working together with his colleagues as a unit. If he would perform well enough, he would have training missions in space and on actual planets in the near future. For example: Fox had been arranging navigational tests and Landmaster drills on Fichina, Arwing practice on one of Katina´s military airbases, and stealth survival missions on Corneria.
Training on planets meant however that authorization from the army was required, so Fox had to inform General Pepper about David's existence. Fox hadn't exactly looked forward to that moment… But to everyone's total surprise, the General accepted without hesitation the fact that Star Fox had a human trainee. He told Fox that every soldier who fights the good fight would have his blessings, no matter their species. And after he'd seen David's results so far, he was willing to give full permission to let the team conduct military drills and training missions on- and near military bases, as long as they wouldn't stand in the way of the businesses of the army…

..

17th week of training
Katinan 11th Aviation Wing Airbase, home of the Husky and Bulldog squadrons

"Hey Falco, how was my flying? You did notice my perfect Immelmann Turn, right?" David was getting cockier now that his skills were improving and he was flying in a real Arwing.

"Yeah yeah, but you still fly like an old woman. Next time, pull harder on the air break and level your wings faster after you make the turn. Then maybe, just maybe, you'll be as good as Slippy one day" Falco said smirking.

Falco and David had just flown a patrol drill and they were getting ready to head back to Fox and the rest of the team. Apparently, Fox was catching up with an old friend, who he'd been talking to since they arrived at the base. When David stepped near Fox, the other man looked his way.

"So Fox, is this the new trainee I've been hearing rumors about" the tall canine said. "David isn't it?"

Fox laughed. "David, I'd like you to meet Commander Bill Grey. He's an old pal of mine from back in my Academy days. Bill here is an ace pilot and leader of the Husky and Bulldog squadrons."

David saluted the commander. "It's a pleasure to meet you sir."

"If this pup finishes his training, I'd like to fly against him sometime. See if your training's worth it Fox" Bill said, saluting back to David.

Fox told him that he'd probably lose, for his new trainee was such a bloodthirsty killer. They both laughed and Fox told Bill that he and his team would be leaving again. The two friends said goodbye and Fox, David and Falco went to meet up with the rest of the team back at the Great Fox's landing site. Slippy, Peppy and Krystal had gone to one of the cities close to the airbase to take care of resupplying food, munitions and other requirements. Krystal also hoped to finally get some useful information considering her quest, so she had visited the local trading posts by herself.

The three men met up with Slippy and Peppy in front of the hangar bay Apparently, Slippy had received a shipment from Corneria, containing the first set of prototype SCARs which were manufactured by Cornerian R&D on his request. Peppy seemed really enthusiastic about the new rifle. Although he was retired as a soldier, he still had a feel for weaponry. Fox and Falco quickly joined him to examine the toys.

David was very interested in the new weapon as well, but he was more interested in where Krystal could be. He knew that she went by the trading posts earlier to ask around about Cerinia, and he liked to know how it went.

"Hey Slip, have you seen Krystal" he asked.

"Sure, she was here not so long ago" Slippy answered while barely taking his eyes off the rifles. "She came back from the trading posts, said she was going for a short walk. If you're quick, you can catch up."

"That's not a good sign at all…" David thought as he went in the direction Slippy pointed him at.

..

David soon caught up with Krystal. Finding her wasn't so hard, for David knew that she'd probably went looking for a peaceful place where she could meditate. He found her in a green pasture, where she was lying down in the grass, her eyes closed. Krystal liked to feel the warmth of the early afternoon sun on her fur, so she was wearing a tank top, cargo shorts and her native sandals. It had been a warm day, with a cool and refreshing breeze blowing over Katina's landscapes. Krystal was so relaxed that she almost seemed to be sleeping; she didn't notice David approaching her.

"So, how did things go in the city?" David asked her as he let himself fall next to her on the grass.

"Hm? Oh hey David! We got what we needed; I have bought some rather nice food so if you'd like, we can make all sorts of delicious meals together" Krystal answered with a smile.

"And were you able to get some information? After you came back from the city, you went by the trading posts, didn't you?"

"Oh… Yes I did, but how was your flying today? Falco must've been hard on you again" Krystal said, trying to avoid his question.

David sighed. "Nothing good this time either?" he asked her.

Krystal wasn't good at hiding her disappointment. "I haven't been able to get anything good" she said. "No one there even knew that Cerinia ever existed…"

"I'm sorry to hear that Krystal" David said, clearly disappointed as well. He hated it when things had to be so difficult for her. Feeling a bit frustrated by the situation, he started plucking the grass.

Krystal sat up and looked at the young man who'd become her best and closest friend in the past weeks. For her, David was the one person who she could really talk to, the one who could understand her. And on her turn, she felt that she could understand him as well. Having her telepathic abilities surely helped her with that. Without the intention to do it, Krystal started to read his thoughts…

"Damn it, I would like it so much to see things go easy for her sometimes" she could hear him think. "She's tough as hell, although you wouldn't say that with her kindness, but she also deserves an easy day now and then."

Krystal was touched and couldn't help but smile by hearing David's thoughts. All of her telepathic abilities had slowly restored, including her ability to read minds, and every time she took a brief look in her best friend's thoughts, she'd see how much he cared for her, just as she did now.

When David looked at Krystal, he could tell by her expression what she'd been doing. It wasn't the first time that she'd read his mind.
"Hey Krystal, you haven't just been reading my mind, have you?" he asked laughing.

Krystal snapped out of his thoughts and her own. "I'm sorry David" she said almost a bit ashamed. "I think that I just couldn't help it. I'll try to keep my mind to myself next time…"

"There's nothing to feel sorry about, I have no secrets to hide from you or something" David answered with a playful grin. They both laughed and continued to lay back and enjoy the warm Katinan sun.

"Krystal, could I maybe ask you something" David suddenly asked after a while.

Krystal looked a bit surprised. "Sure, why not."

"You remember that time when you and I talked the whole night in the common room?"

"Like it was yesterday" Krystal answered smiling. "What about it?"

"Well…" David tried to seek out the right words. "We talked about your home world, but you never actually told me what happened to it."

Right after, David felt guilty for asking her about it. "Sorry… I shouldn't have asked that, I just-"

"No, it's okay" Krystal interrupted him. "It's painful to talk about, but I think that you deserve to know."

Then, Krystal started telling David what had happened to her planet on that fateful day. She was sixteen when her life as she knew it came to an abrupt end. She told him that she remembered her parents, the Cerinian king and queen, waking her up in the middle of the night, telling her that 'something was going to happen'. Without knowing what it was, she was brought to a small single-seated spaceship which was always ready for launch in case of emergency. Loaded with just enough supplies to last some weeks, it could only carry one passenger. When Krystal noticed this, she protested, demanded that she wanted to know what was going on. Her parents said nothing but their tear filled eyes said more than words could ever do. They were desperately trying to save their most precious and beloved possession: their daughter, their only child. As they stood before the spaceship, Krystal's father pressed his staff in her hands. A Cerinian king only passed on his weapon if he was dying… He embraced his daughter with all his warmth and love. Krystal cried, telling her parents that whatever was bound to happen, they would face it together. But her mother walked her into the spaceship, embraced her and placed a last loving kiss upon her forehead. Then, she softly whispered a sleeping spell in her daughter's ear…
When Krystal woke up, the ship was already leaving Cerinia's atmosphere at incredible speed. The girl looked at her planet through one of the small windows; she shouted, cursed and tried everything to return home. And then, her vision was suddenly blinded by a flash of white light as bright as the stars. A shockwave rocked the small ship and send it tumbling away. When the light faded and the ship stabilized, Krystal witnessed with her own eyes red from the crying that her planet, her home, was gone… There was no explosion, there were no debris, just the crushing empty blackness of eternal space and Krystal's tiny spaceship that gently floated in the bitter nothingness…

"I drifted there for days, until I left to find whoever did this…" Tears were slowly filling up Krystal's eyes. And David, with a broken heart from her story, felt even guiltier now.

"I'm sorry, it's my fault" he said softly. "I asked you to tell me this… I'm so sorry…"

"It's not your fault, you deserve to know" she said, wiping her tears off. "Do you know why? Because you are my best friend, I couldn't wish for anything more. Honestly David, despite what happened back then, I've turned out to be quite lucky to have a friend like you in my life."

After a brief silence, Krystal laughed and punched David joyfully on his shoulder. He could only smile with pride, considering himself lucky as well to have a friend like Krystal. Then, they both stood up to head back to the Great Fox. On the way there, David promised Krystal that he would take care of tonight's dinner…

TO BE CONTINUED…