Char "This planet stinks!"Slippy took yet another reading on the volacanic activity generating from the planet's soil.A tremor came,shaking everything,including his nerves.Plus,being in a canyon with only one way out wasn't helping much either. Titania had been showing signs of volcanic activity for several months,after the nuclear battle that had taken place at the end of the second war.Slippy had been chosen,along with three college graduates,to scope out things and gather data.Really,Slippy wanted to stay with his team and his family,not go off to some desolate planet. "Sir,we have the samples we need,let's go!"Thompson,a lab,studdered. "Alright!Alright!We're going!"Slippy packed up his equipment.He hated having to haul a bunch of college kids around with him,poking annoying questions and breaking his concentration,especially in this hellhole. "Come'on,sir!"Dyla Rabbit pulled her backpack to her shoulders,helped by Jaxom,a large tabby cat. The four of them fled back down the canyon,dirt and small rocks showering down on them. By the time they reached the open,they were all well winded.Slippy rested his hands on his knees as he took in deep breathes of air. The tremors halted,leaving an eerie calm that caused all of them to listen nervously. "Go on to the freighter,I'll follow you in the arwing,"Slippy didn't see if they heard them,but headed for his own fighter.It was quiet,too quiet,for his taste. A sudden,shrill scream stopped him in his tracks.He spun around,but didn't see anything. "Sir,what was that?"Dyla flicked her ears in mild fear. "I don't know,stay here,"Leaving them,he pulled out his laser and dropped his gear from his shoulders."Listen." A moment passed before another cry echoed off the canyon walls. "Sir,it came from over there,"Jaxom pointed to a pile of boulders."Behind there." Slippy nodded,and stalked toward the point the cat had indicated.As he reached it his foot caught on something.Looking down he saw it was a steel cable rope,anchored to the canyon floor.He also noticed it was taught,he looked up. A large scaled head rose to the sky,blotting out the sun.Two gold eyes were hot with rage as a pair of taloned forearms reached for him. They never did,but were wrenched back by the cable wrapped around them,also causing their owner to be wrenched from it's feet and smash to the ground. "I can't believe it........"Slippy stared in awe at the creature before him,a Titanian Desert Dragon. "Sir,are you all right!?What's happening over there!?"Thompson's worried voice called to him. "Don't come over here!Stay put!"Slippy put his laser away,held his hands out to where the terrified animal could see them. The dragon was desperate.Neck coiled back like a snake,eyes ablaze,smoke curled from it's nostrils and jaws,revealing impressive rows of daggered teeth. "Sir......"Jaxom had followed him.Nervously he reached out and grabbed Slippy's arm,"Leave it be,come'on." Slippy ignored the plea,"Go back to your ship,Jaxom,and stay there till I call for you." "But sir......" "Now." In disbelief,the graduate obeyed his order.Slippy was left alone with the dragon. "It's alright,I won't hurt you,"He took a slow step forward. It lunged for him,the cables held it back. Forgetting his caution,Slippy grabbed for one of the animal's sharp horns,trying to calm it.The dragon wrenched him from the ground,shaking it's head violently to get rid of him. And that's when they made eye contact.The eye Slippy could see focused on his and held.It's struggling stopped as it looked at him.Slippy saw an incredible amount of intelligence in the eye.The iris was a deep gold,with red and yellow traces in it.He watched the third transparent eyelid slide over it,and open again. "It's okay,see,I won't hurt you,"He gently stroked the dragon's scaled forehead,feeling the creature quiver from the touch,and slowly relax. He released it's horn and dropped a near five feet to the ground,stumbling and falling on his back. The dragon stared down at him,before stretching out it's neck and touching his arm.Slippy held his breath as he saw the dragon's mouth open,gently grab the corner of his jacket sleeve,and pulled him to his feet.It then instantly let go and studied him. "Huh, aren't you something,"He looked over the tangle of cable that encircled the dragon's chest,neck,and legs.With one eye on guard,he reached for a cable and began to work."You've got the cable too taught,come forward." His voice brought a series of strange groans and clicks from the animal.He pulled on the cable,"Come forward." The dragon tilted it's head,trying to understand.Slippy was about to try a different approach when the animal suddenly caught on,and came to him.The tension on the cables was released and steel ropes soon hung loose on the dragon's body. "I bet if you had figured that out earlier,it would have saved you alot of trouble,"Slippy laughed as he began to pulled the cables away,sliding them down over the dragon's body.The dragon soon understood and began to twist and use it's foreclaws and mouth to remove the cables. "There ya go,you're free,"Slippy tugged off the last cable. The dragon stretched,giving the now harmless cables a dirty stare.It sat down in front of Slippy,preened a large scale on it's shoulder,then stopped to watch him again. Slippy could now really admire the dragon.It seemed to be about nine to ten feet tall,close to about eighteen to nineteen feet long.A coarse red mane ran the length of the animal's neck and back,all the way to the tip of the tail.Burnished brown triangular scales covered it's body,larger scale plates across the chest and stomach.A sicle shaped ebony claw curled on the inside of each leg.The dragon was almost ostrich built,perfectly balanced. "Judging by your size and color,you're either a youngster or a female,"He scratched it's neck,"But by your attitude I know you're a female." Pushing off the ground with shorter forearms,she got to her feet.She pushed on him,smelling his jacket and grabbing his hat,before he snatched it back. "Stay here,I'll be right back,"He dashed back to the freighter,where his three charges were waiting anxiously for him."Grab your stuff and come with me,you're going to take some notes down." "About that?"Jaxom pointed behind him.Dyla gasped and backed up,stumbling into Thompson. Slippy turned to see the dragon coming towards them.Her movements became meeker as she sank to her belly at his feet,offering her head for another scratch. "Yep,here's the object of your new data.Don't be scared of her,she won't hurt you." "Are you sure?"Dyla nervously approached. "Yeah,she's okay." Dyla touched her side,tracing a scale with a finger.The she-dragon craned her neck to see her,touched her face with her muzzle,and gently tugged on the one of her long ears.Dyla gasped in shock,before a soft laugh broke out on her face."She sure has a sense of humor." Jaxom and Thompson weren't as brave,but reached into their packs for notepads and began to take down notes. None of them had really noticed the tremors had stopped. "Here,Dyla,"Slippy handed her the end of a tape measurer,"I wan't to know exactly how long she is." Dyla ran down to the dragon's tail."Okay!" Slippy went to her head."I've got eighteen feet,Dyla." "She's not stretched to her full length though,sir!" "Okay,we'll add a couple,so she's twenty feet long." "What about height?"Jaxom looked up from his notes. Slippy rolled his eyes,"Forget that,just estimate,probably about nine to ten." "How old is she,sir?"Thompson paused in his writing. Slippy pulled off his hat and scratched his head,"I don't know really,there hasn't been alot of research on these creatures.I don't know how to tell." "What about weight?" "Well,judging by her size,she's very lean,and her bone structure is small and compact,I would say a little over a ton." "That's all?"Dyla finished her own notes,and stuffed her notepad back into pack.She pulled out a drawing pad and began to make a sketch. "Again,I'm just guessing.I'm not exactly an expert." "Why do they call them dragons?She sure doesn't look like a dragon,"Jaxom finaly had worked up the courage to touch her.The she-dragon leaned closer to him as he found a sensitive spot that liked to be scratched,her eye ridge. Slippy laughed."No,they're more related to the therapod dinosaurs than dragons." "Dinosaurs!"This comment sent a cry of astonishment from all three charges.Slippy motioned for quiet before he went on."Titania had remained unchanged for a long time,before it turned into a wasteland.The animals here had to adapt to the new climate,or die.She and her kind were one of the species that survived." "Then why are they called dragons?"Thompson asked again. Slippy grinned at the upcoming reaction from his answer."Cause they breath fire." "You're joking......right?"Jaxom asked uneasily.Slippy saw his charges become nervous again,eyeing the dragon. "it's not exactly fire,but super-heated air,a defense they developed long ago.The smoke you see coming from their mouths and nostrils is really steam." "Sir,how do you know all this?"Dyla stroked the dragon again. Slippy smiled,"Mostly from reports from troops that were stationed here during the second war.These animals wrecked havoc on Andross's forces.You see,their pack animals,headed by usually one or two large males,then followed by the females and younger members. Some of these soldiers reported seeing some of the more daring males sneak into enemy camps at night and drag someone out,or even snag a sniper from cacti or rocky outposts.Amazingly,not one cornerian soldier soldier was carried off and devoured.They're incredibly intelligent,they seemed to know the difference between the forces here at that time. Some even claimed they were even saved by one of these dragons,being carried to safety or fending off enemies till they could postion themselves in a better spot.The dragons were often seen surveying a squirmish from above,and seemed to step in and lend help to our side if and when we needed it." "Incredible....."The graduates talked among themselves some more. They were interrupted by a distant rumble,the tremors were ready to start again. "We'd better go,the terrain around here is getting unstable,"Slippy gathered his things and hefted his pack to his shoulder. "But what about her?"Jaxom grabbed his own pack and patted the dragon's side. "She'll be okay,I'm sure her family group is around here somewhere." He then ordered the three graduates ahead of him,staying with the dragon. "Bye,Char,I've got to leave-"He stopped himself,and shook his head,"Well what do ya know,I've given you a name." She cocked her head at his voice. "Good luck,Char,find your pack." He turned to go,only to feel Char's clawed forearm reach out and pull him to her a kind of embrace. "Okay!Okay!Char,I've got to-" He stopped.Char was growling,and her growl became a snarl. "Char?What's-" Something slammed into him violently,sending him smashing into the dirt,cracking his head on a slab of rock.Dazed he tried to climb to his feet,only to scream in pain and astonishment.Gripping his shoulder,he felt a bloody hole that could have only come from a lazer.Twisting painfully,he looked up to see a renagade andronian trooper,along with a couple of others.He smiled at him wickedly."Look at what we have here boys.A Starfox pilot are we?Well,we'll just have to change that." Andronian troopers?I remember now,General Pepper warned me that there was a small band of them in the area.Why didn't I remember!?!Slippy cringed in terror as the trooper pushed the lazer to his head."We don't appreciate you being here.And we can't have you giving our location away to your other teammates,can we?As for that dragon,we'll trap her again later." So that's where those cables had come from,they had been trying to capture Char.Slippy closed his eyes as he heard the lazer charge up. "Adios,trespasser." A shadow suddenly fell over them.Slippy heard the trooper scream in horror,as did did his friends,and frantically back away from him.At the same time two strong legs and forearms fenced him in protectively. Char had been startled by the lazer blast,but she had come back.Her coarse mane and spiked frill stood out as she let out a shrill scream of challenge. The three troopers fired on her.Char charged.She darted low and snapped upward,catching one trooper by the waist.He screamed helplessly as her jaws clamped down,and Slippy shuddered as he heard bone and cartilage crush and snap,silencing those crys. Char threw the lifeless body away and spun after the second trooper.She ran him down,trampling him to death beneath her.She then turned to the last trooper,the one that had held Slippy at gun point. He was desperate,his shooting radical.Char whipped her tail and knocked the gun away,breaking his arm as she did so.He screamed and fell to his knees.Char grabbed him about the neck with a taloned paw and pushed him to the ground onto his back.She glared at him,as if deciding what to do with him.Slippy saw what he thought was vengeance in her eyes before covering his own as she clenched her taloned paw into a fist,crushing the trooper's neck and chest under the pressure.With a growl of disgust she left the body and came to him. Slippy felt the world tilt,before flashing white and darkness settled over him.He lost consciousness. Char sensed danger,the ground was shaking violently.Gently she gathered Slippy to her chest,and ran for the freighter. Dyla saw them first."Oh my God!What happened!?!" "Thompson,get us airborn!"Jaxom took Slippy from Char."Dyla,get some blankets and bandages!" Dyla disappeared down the main corridor.Jaxom motioned to Char,"You can't stay here,come'on!Get in the cargo bay!!" She seemed to understand,as she slid on her belly through the doors.Creeping low,she curled herself into a loose ball for more room,pushing 500 pound containers of supplies out of her way. Dyla soon returned."Get back up in the cockpit with Thompson,I've got it here!" Jaxom left her,joining Thompson."We've got an extra ton of weight on this ship,can you handle it?!" The labrador swallowed nervously,"I'll try!I can't believe you managed to fit that dragon into the cargo bay!" "I can't either!" "What about the arwing?" His answer came as the ground opened.Lava spewed from the crack and Slippy's ship was lost from sight. "We're leaving!Right now!!!!"Thompson punched the thrusts.The freighter shuddered,and began to lift off. A deck below Dyla finished bandaging Slippy's wound,and wrapped him in an emergency blanket. Char was becoming nervous.She felt the ship moving beneath her and it bothered her. Dyla stroked her to calm her,and Jaxom's voice came over the com."We're about ready to leave Titania's atmosphere!It's gonna get bumpy,and I don't think Char will like it!Brace yourselves!!!!" The first wave of turbulance hit. Dyla held Slippy and began to pray.Char dug her claws into the steel grating floor and held them to her,holding them steady. Soon,everything became silent as the freighter entered open space. Broken by static,Jaxom's weary voice came over the com again."Are you guys okay down there?" Dyla coughed,"We're fine." "Is Slippy awake?" "No,he's still out." "We'll be back at Coneria by 0600 tomorrow.Take it easy till then." The com went flat.Dyla,Slippy's head resting in her lap, leaned against Char's side.Char coiled herself about them.With her protective instincts strong,the dragon was more calm and relaxed.There was nothing to do now but rest,and wait.The cramped quarters would do....for now. .........................................................Part 2.................................................................. -At Corneria's main army base before sunrise,at control tower 005- Lily bounced in a chair,adjusting a com-link that was several sizes too big for her,ignoring the glaring officer who's post she'd taken.She listened over the com,before turning to her mother."Mommy,when will daddy be home?" Kimmy sighed,"Anytime now hon,keep listening." Lily shrugged,and turned back to the com.She was soon joined by Justin,Buck,and Breeze. Kimmy turned back to her conversation."I'm worried,Fox,I don't like Slippy to be away from me for so long." Fox yawned,wrapping an arm about Fara as she nestled against him."I'm sure he's fine,Kim.I could wring his neck though.The team's day off,which means sleep in,and I have to get up a five-thirty to pick him up." "Oh,Fox,"Kimmy felt a little guilty,"I would have got him,you didn't have to." "It's okay,Kim,he really doesn't mind,"Fara smiled drowsily,"Besides,I promised the kids we would come early to watch the squadrons take off for daily manuevers." Kimmy smiled,and turned back to watch the sky through the tower's window.Deep inside,she felt like there was something wrong. Lily interrupted those thoughts."Mommy,I have someone on here!" Lily took the com from her daughter,and handed it back to it's owner. The thankful officer ushered Lily and the others from his chair,and took a seat."This is control tower 005,please identify yourself." The line was static."--Jaxom Carson--- - repeat-this is Jaxom Carson,science officer from freighter 03374!We request emergency landing immediatly!Our leading officer has been injured!We request emergency landing!" "Copy that!Freighter 03374,sir,you have clearance to land from tower 005!" "Oh,God.....Slip's on...he was in charge of that mission......."Kimmy grabbed Lily as bolted for the stairs.Fox and Fara followed with the rest of the children. By now,the base was coming alive.Pilots and troops went about for briefings and manuevers.Kimmy pushed past those in her way for a view of the runway.She got there just in time to see the freighter land. A medical team was already there as the freighter's main doors opened.Jaxom and Thompson appeared,carrying Slippy between them.Dyla followed. ''Oh...Slip,"Fox set Buck and Breeze down,pushed past the medics to reach his friend's side as they put him on a stretcher,"What happened?" Slippy gave him a weak smile."Renegades,got the jump on me,I'll be okay." "You don't look okay,"Kimmy gave her husband a kiss,trying her best not to cry. "Hey,I'm here,aren't I?"Slippy tilted her chin up with his hand. "Daddy!"Lily reached up and gave her father a hug. "Hey Uncle Slippy!"Justin,Buck,and Breeze chimed in.They hadn't seen him a while. "Hey kids!I've missed you!"He ruffled Buck's fur,"And where is your little brother?" He stayed home with mommy and daddy.Too tired I guess." "Talon stayed home with Uncle Falco,"Breeze added a tidbit,"They-" "They what honey?" Breeze looked a Justin,who helped her finish it,"They still miss Aunt Skye."* (*Read back a couple of stories for the info on this) Slippy cast his wife and friends a sad look,before shaking it away."Well,that's okay.And hey,do I have something to show you guys!" He made a weak motion to Dyla,who with a smile opened the cargo bay doors. Letting a cry of freedom,Char exploded out into the open,flipping the medical officers out as well as Slippy's company. "Slippy...what is that!!"Kimmy grabbed Lily,backing up.Fara grabbed Justin and Breeze.Fox caught Buck. Char was confused.All these moving forms was disorientating.Seeing Slippy on the stretcher she went to him,going to her belly and resting her head on his chest. This caused everyone to stop in their tracks,as well as the troopers who had come with lazers to put up a defense. "This is Char,"Slippy stroked the dragon's head,"I found her along the mission." "What is she?"Kimmy asked again. "A Titanian Desert Dragon,"Slippy knew he was sounding casual,"Put the kids down,let them see her." "Are you nuts,Slip?"Fara held Justin and Breeze closer to her. "She won't hurt them,I promise she won't." Fara and Kimmy looked at Fox,who nodded.He put Buck down,a still unsure Kimmy and Fara allowed the others to as well. Char lifted her head.She left Slippy's side and watched the children come to her.A tiny paw touched her muzzle. "She's cool,"Justin moved his paw across her forehead,feeling all the small scales and bumbs. Lily walked under the dragon,terrifying her mother,to her other's side.She ran a hand across her side,"Do we get to keep her dad?" Breeze touched Char's mane,combing it with her fingers.Her brother Buck patted her on the shoulder,"Yeah,can we please?" "That's not up to me,that's up to your parents,and Char." Char gave him her answer.She liked these children,her first time she had ever seen them. Stretching out her neck,she caught Justin by the back of his jacket. "Hey!"He giggled as she lifted him up from the ground. Fara squeezed Fox's paw,afraid. Char gently sat him on her back.She crouched forward and he slid to her neck.She then grabbed Lily,placing her behind Justin. "I......I can't believe what I'm seeing,"Fox watched in awe,"Slippy are you sure she's not been tamed already?" "I don't know,I found her in some trouble,I'll tell you about it later." Kimmy couldn't help but laugh as Buck was the last to get on.He started to slide off but Char caught his tail gently in her teeth and pushed him back up. This friendly gesture she made allowed the medical officers to swallow their nerves and pick up Slippy's stretcher.Slippy took a moment to talk to Jaxom,Thompson,and Dyla before they left,extending his thanks and promising he'd mention a promotion for each of them in his report to the General. Giving Char a good-bye,the three college graduates left. "You'll be going to the hospital to be checked out,Slip,Kim's gonna ride with you in the ambulance and we'll meet you there,"Fox clasped his buddy's hand and helped Kimmy up into the ambulance with him. "See you then,"Slippy suddenly nodded off.Fox closed the ambulance doors .Sirens screaming,the ambulance sped away. Char watched it go,and slowly moved to Fox's side.She touched his shoulder to get his attention. "What do we do with her?"Fara asked her husband,reaching out to feel the dragon's skin.Char leaned against the touch. "We''l take her to Great Fox,the kids can stay with her.I'm sure my father and Peppy will find this very interesting." "Wait till Jenna and Bill see her too,they'll flip." "I don't know about Falco,or Talon,Skye's death was really hard on them." Fara nodded sadly,watching Char. Char,was never more happier.She turned at the call of her name from Fox and Fara,putting some bump to her walk that sent her new young friends into a fit of laughing. She began to think with the capacity equal to all those about her.To herself silently,she knew where she would be a long time from now.Here. She..would stay. ................................................................end..... ................................................................