Krystal and Falco sailed their Arwings through the empty space, heading back to the Great Fox. The two had found an even better understanding of each other for their strong friendship, so that should help down the road.
As they sailed through the endless space, they suddenly started hearing some scratching over the com link in their ships, a message. "Is anyone out there?! Anyone, this is the SS Krusia, requesting assistance!"
Pressing the com link button, Falco spoke, "Calm down. I'm Falco Lombardi of Team Star Fox, readin' you loud and clear. What's the problem?"
"Star Fox, that's amazing," the crewman stated, "We've been attacked by pirates, here's our coordinates!"
With the location transmitting and appearing on Falco's screen, Falco responded, "Got it, on our way." Falco then turned to Krystal, "Ready for some action, Krys?"
"I'll be right there with you." Krystal responded with.
"All right, let's take 'em." Falco said excitedly.
The two flew their Arwings until they soon came upon the nearby distressed freighter, seeing a smaller ship that served as the station for the pirates to board the ship.
"Let's hit this ship first." Krystal said.
With that, Krystal and Falco soared in and strafed the pirates' ship with devastating laser fire, damaging it in sheer surprise. The two went back for another run, this time, the pirate vessel blazing its cannons, but the two simply swerved their Arwings around the laser fire, then kept firing onto the craft.
Krystal fired and shot up several of the ship's cannons, then fired and shot up the hull, damaging the ship severely. Falco also made another run on it, then he turned back, and soon enough Falco fired a couple charged blasts that decimated the pirate ship, tearing it apart and freeing the freighter.
"Still have it, Fal." Krystal said joyfully.
"Course I do," Falco said, "Let's get on that freighter."
The vixen and the avian then boarded the ship, and the two exited their fighters in the hangar. Krystal came out with an ASR-5 sniper rifle and then rushed over with great speed up the stairs to reach a higher up office and aim her rifle at some of the pirates in the hangar.
She saw Falco take cover, and once in position, the avian gave a signal with his fingers.
Krystal aimed and fired her sniper rifle, immediately shooting two of the pirates from a concealed high point. That's when Falco made his move, throwing a grenade that took out a couple enemies, then he kicked another pirate down before firing shots that raked more pirates, forcing them to cover. Krystal kept firing sniper fire that shot five more of the pirates a midst the chaos.
With laser raining over him, Falco fired his gun and shot a couple more pirates, then as Krystal covered him with sniper shots, Falco rushed to cover. From there, Falco aimed and gunned a couple more enemies down, but another pirate came at him with a knife. Blocking the knife with his pistol, Falco then kicked the enemy twice, knocking him down and out.
The hangar started to clear up, so Krystal took out her pistol and jumped down from platform to platform to get to Falco's side. However a pirate suddenly jumped out and blazed a laser round that struck Falco's shoulder.
Krystal got worried, so as the pirate went at Falco, the vixen gave a round kick at the thug's back. As she went to help Falco, the pirate rebounded and tried to throw a punch, but as she blocked his fist, Krystal punched the enemy, knocking him down, then she went to check on her friend.
"Fal, is it minor?" Krystal asked.
"It's nothin'," Falco responded with, "I'm good."
However, another pirate came at them, swinging a sword. However, Krystal dodged the swing and then she punched the enemy, which was followed with Falco kicking the enemy down, knocking him out.
"...Well, that works," Falco said, "Let's head down that way."
The two then ran over down the corridor, pistols in hand as they made their way through it. Once entering the corridor, they encountered more pirates, who fired on them, so Krystal and Falco got to cover and then fired back, shooting several enemies down and driving the remaining pirates to cover.
While Krystal and Falco kept firing at the pirates, a couple enemies came at the two with knives. One went at Krystal, but she punched the enemy and then shot him. Another went at her, but she dodged his swing and then blocked his fist with her hand, just before kicking him down. Falco also went at a few enemies, dodging their knives, then Falco punched a couple pirates before knocking them down with whips from his pistol.
Krystal engaged a few more pirates in hand to hand, dodging a swing from a sword. The vixen blocked the pirate's fist with her hand, then Krystal punched the enemy. Krystal then shot a pirate to her right before aiming and shooting another to her left. However, the other pirate came at her, so she punched him and then aimed and gunned him down. With that, Krystal shot two more pirates, but another came at her with a knife. Blocking the knife with her gun, Krystal punched the enemy twice, knocking him out.
Falco kicked a pirate in the leg, then punched him. Another pirate came at him with a knife, but Falco simply punched him back and then shot him with his pistol. Krystal kicked another pirate down, then she aimed and fired shots that nailed two other pirates as Falco threw a grenade that blew away a couple enemies.
Soon enough, the corridor was clear, and the two moved down the corridor to a room, finding a sight of relief. The crewmen, who were tied up and gagged. Krystal and Falco immediately went over to the men and started untying them, but as they did, Falco suddenly saw a sight outside the nearby window. The Great Fox had jumped its way through light speed to arrive near the freighter. On closer sight, he saw an Arwing fly out toward the freighter.
"Any more of those guys on the freighter?" Falco asked.
"Not really, no," a freed crewman said, "But I did see one of 'em go down that way."
"I'll check it," Krystal said, "I'll find him."
The vixen started running down the corridor, leaving Falco. However, once she left, a couple remaining pirate started firing at Falco, making him dash for cover. Lasers rained all over him and his cover, keeping him from moving, but some good news arrived when the Arwing landed in the hangar, and Fox jumped out with a pistol in hand.
Rushing in to the chaos, Fox fired and shot a couple of the pirates, then he rushed over to punch another enemy back before gunning him him down. Rushing to another point of cover as two remaining pirates fired on him, Falco blazed cover rounds to hold them back. With that, Fox emerged and shot one of the pirates, then aimed and gunned the one down as well.
With all the thugs gone, Fox went over to Falco, not looking to pleased, "Where the Hell's Krystal?!" Fox demanded.
"Went that way." Falco answered, point to the corridor.
"Shit." Fox spoke, as he then rushed down the corridor with Falco following after him.
Krystal was coming onto the bridge of the freighter, searching around for whoever might be lurking. She concentrated her aim around the bridge, but she was eventually answered when a remaining pirate stumbled out, a meerkat in the garb of the other pirates.
Krystal held her pistol at the pirate, but as soon as she did, she saw the man right in the face. Her expression immediately turned to shock as she looked into the face of the meerkat... He was just a young one, a teenager... As she kept her aim, Krystal hesitated as the young pirate aimed his rifle back.
Seeing this young enemy brought a chilling memory into Krystal's mind... Her first battle...
She was sixteen, trained hurriedly, but very effectively enough, but she was scared nonetheless. She and the rest of the Cerinian infantry in her regiment were defending a trench line from Krieger assaults. Laser fire rained everywhere like hails of fire, but the Cerinians kept holding. Despite her fears, Krystal held, firing shots with her rifle to try and fend off attackers, while not really aiming to kill any of them... But there was one that was charging at her, firing and rushing with a sharp bayonet... she vividly remembered her fiery commander, Vasiliy, screaming at her to shoot him down... So she aimed, but she saw that the Krieger soldier was just a young one, same age as her, and she saw anger and fear in him, even at a distance... She really didn't want to do this, to have to end his really young life, but the soldier was raining shots at her fellow troops, she had no choice... After much fearful hesitation, Krystal aimed and fired like it was suddenly the hardest thing to do in her life, emitting a laser that hit the soldier right in the throat... Then Krystal watched in terrified guilt as the young Krieger fell to the ground, holding his bleeding throat... Until he was lifeless.
Krystal's thought disappeared as that young Krieger soldier was immediately replaced by the view of the young meerkat pirate. The vixen saw that the pirate was consumed by fear, trembling as he held his rifle on her. However, despite his shaking, he still slowly tried to cock his rifle. Watching the young man try to sheepishly load his gun made Krystal very hesitant. The thought that maybe she could simply rush and subdue him quickly entered her mind, but she was still fearful of the idea of having to hurt the young man should that idea fail.
But it was of no matter, for Fox suddenly appeared to her right, rather rudely brushing the vixen aside with his left hand and he quickly aimed and blazed two lasers right at the pirate without any second thought.
Fox turned and gave Krystal an icy scowl, making her feel guilty, then Fox went over to check the body of the pirate. ...The boy was dead... Falco immediately entered the room to find Krystal and Fox, and he got worried as soon as he saw the situation.
Turning back towards Krystal, Fox gave the vixen a mean glare as he spoke, "What was that?"
"...Sir," Krystal said sheepishly, "...I...I..."
"You deliberately disobeyed me." Fox spoke as he approached the vixen.
Falco spoke out, "Fox, that wasn't her fault-"
"Both of you, back to the ship," Fox interrupted furiously, "Now!"
Krystal and Falco looked worriedly at each other before following after Fox, feeling uncertainty and a bit of guilt as they made their leave for the Star Fox mother ship, where they would have to face something from their leader.