"Four days." Fox poked the fire, staring into it. He had opened his plane's emergency hold, and had taken the clothes from it. He now wore khakis he had cut off and a tank top. His dogtags hung on top of the tank top, black edges stark against the white fabric.
"We've been here months." Alena said, sitting down nearby, then blinking. "Why do you have three dogtags?"
"The third is custom." He took his dogtags off and handed them to her.
"Phoenix and McCloud, Wing Commanders, Together Forever." She read aloud.
He chucked softly, pulling out one of the combat knives he had gotten out of his survival packs, working on what would soon be the shaft of a spear. "Corny, I know, but everyone including her and I believed it was true. We've been together five years now."
She passed the dogtags back. "Must be a special girl."
"Yeah." Fox sighed, putting them back on.
"You're considered special ops, aren't you?" Scott sat down.
"Yeah. Mercenary Special Ops, sometimes Black Ops."
Scott whistled, long and low. "All the stuff no one hears about, right?"
"Uh-huh." He stared into the fire. "You'd be surprised at how much."
"Would we?"
He glanced up. "You know something I don't?"
"We might." Scott slowly rubbed his chin. "Project Alpha."
"The first two teams sent here? What about them?"
"NASA knew that they wouldn't come back."
"What?!"
"Truth. The first person sent here reported back to them, telling about all the 'wonderous' things on Eden. He had been off radio for over two months, then suddenly was back, ranting like a madman." He threw some twigs onto the fire. "Radioed in from orbit, talking about his evolution. He loved it. But he also issued a warning, saying all who came here would be trapped here, and after they replied, he was going to land and stay."
"They replied all right." Alena said bitterly. "They remote detonated his plane."
"They wanted to observe more." Scott said. "So I figure the way they saw it was that the first guy was a problem, a danger to what they wanted to do, and they terminated the problem."
Fox rubbed his eyes. "That's horrible and that's just what I would do in their position. I can see their side, because I'm somone who carries out their will."
"You kill for them." Scott stated.
"I'm a mercenary. It's what I do. But as a mercenary I can choose my missions."
|So you use your missions to uphold your idea of justice.| Eden's soft voice whispered.
"Yes. I don't like killing... but I understand why, sometimes, it has to be done."

"Still no radio contact." Slippy said.
"Then we should attempt pickup." Fara said, looking out a viewport.
"Agreed." Peppy nodded.
"He said not to." Falco said. "And Fox would never put us in danger or steer us wrong. You know that."
"True. But we can't leave him there." Katt said. "We can't."
"So then it's settled?" Peppy asked.
Slow nods.
"Let's load up then."

|You want to go home.|
"Yes." Fox was walking along the beach, over a mile from the base. The dog trailed along behind him, leaving strange footprints in the sand.
|You can't. You've already begun changing.|
"Can't you stop it? You're controlling it."
|Yes, but it'll take much longer to reverse then to complete. Besides, your evolution isn't so severe.|
"You'll never let me go, will you?"
|I quite like you.|
"Eden, I'm engaged." He crouched on his heels, feeling the warm water wash over his feet. He was barefoot, wearing cutoffs and a tank top. His dogtags rattled softly, and balmy winds brushed over him, ruffling his fur slightly.
|I'm sorry Fox. I didn't mean to separate you from your mate.|
"I miss her."
|You pine for her.|
He stood and continued walking.
|They're coming to join you.|
He lifted his head, watching the shuttle and two fighters approaching the base, and felt a sort of horror grow inside him. Bad enough he was trapped here, but not his team! He turned and ran toward the base, arms pumping. The dog paced him easily.
By the time he got there, the shuttle and fighters were touched down, and Scott was standing on top of the base, staring. He and Fox shared a glance as Fox trotted up, panting slightly.
"Hey dude!" Falco gave him a brief bearhug. "You ok? Why didn't you radio us?"
"I'm fine. My plane's dead, so's my radio. Eden shut them down. I told you guys not to touch down!" He burst out the last part, angry.
"Jeez, some gratitude." Slippy came down the ramp of the shuttle.
Alena landed right in front of him, making him jump, staring right into her rainbow eyes. "Do you think I was born like this?" She asked softly, then backed off. Scott leapt off the base and landed beside her.
"Fox!" Fara emerged from the shuttle and crushed him in a bearhug, burying her face into his neck. He smelled musty and wild to her, primal.
He hugged her back, rubbing her back, feeling bitter pain rise in his chest, choking him up, making his eyes burn. Much as he loved her, wanted her, he wasn't going to make her stay here. He had always put her first, and he was going to continue to do so. 'Keep me, Eden, but let her go. Please.'
Eden didn't reply, silently observing.
"What's wrong?" Fara looked up at him, watching what seemed like ultimate pain pass over his face.
"You all have to leave right now." He forced himself to step away from her. "Or you'll be stuck here too."
"Question. What the hell is going on?" Falco demanded.
"Eden is a sentient planet that can control evolution. That's what happened to them." He nodded at Scott and Alena.
"Uh ok..."
"Look them up. Scott Zironem and Alena Starcaster. Botanist and Biochemist. Last two of the thirty." He sighed. "Leave guys. Before you get caught too."
"You're coming with us, Fox." Fara was getting more and more alarmed.
"No, I'm not. Eden's already got me. I'm letting it take me to spare the rest of you." He turned his back to them. "Now leave."
His team was stunned stupid, staring at him.
"We can't leave without you." Peppy said.
"Yes you can. And you will." 'Let them go Eden.'
Eden still didn't reply. It knew if it said yes, it lost many likely prospects. But if it said no, Fox would forever hate it.
"But... you haven't changed..." Fara's voice was desperate.
"Not yet, but I will." Fox replied, then turned back. "I'm sorry. But this is best for you. For all of you. As team leader, the protection of my wingmates is one of my main responsibilities."
"Yes, but as wingmates, our responsibilities include defending you." Said Slippy.
"I agree with Fox." Scott said. "Best case scenario is he stays, all of you go."
Silence for a few minutes.
"I hate to say this, but he's right." Peppy said.
'Eden, please, let them go.' Fox felt the tears gather, but held them in check, turning away and staring to walk, getting away a bit. He didn't want them to see him cry.
|I release them.|
"Eden's letting you go." He said over his shoulder. "So go."
"Fox..." Fara said, disbelieving.
"We need to talk." He turned back. "Come on, let's go inside."
They went inside the base, standing in the converted lab. It was then Fox gathered her close, crying silently.
"I'm sorry, Fara. I'm so sorry." He whispered.
"Why? Why do you have to stay?"
"If I leave, I'll still evolve, but it'll be uncontrolled." He sighed. "And god knows what would happen. Eden says that you can visit. I just can't leave."
They were silent, clinging to each other, then Fox stepped back, detached the third dogtag from the chain, then hooking it to hers. "Don't forget about me."
"I won't." She closed her eyes, a tear running down her cheek. "I swear to god, I won't." She stepped into him, burrowing in. "I'll visit every time I can."
"Tell Pepper I'll be serving as Eden's speaker and diplomat, ok?" He squeezed her. "Until the end of the world."
"Until the end of the world."

An hour later, the shuttle and fighters took off.
Fox saw them off, saluting until the craft faded from sight. As he watched, a weight lifted from his shoulders. His team was safe, and that was all that mattered.
"You ok?" Alena landed beside him, noticing his red eyes, the missing third dogtag.
"Yeah. Now." He replied, folding his arms.
"Sweet Jesus, you're so strong."
"I cried like a child." He spat.
"That doesn't make you weak. That makes you stronger then most men--you show your feelings."
He smiled weakly, picking up a spear and spinning it one handed. "What am I going to become Eden?"
|I suppose that's your choice.|
"My choice." He spun and threw the spear. It hit the carved bullseye dead center. "Well then, I suppose I should choose carefully, shouldn't I?"
|Yes indeed.|