Chapter 4: The Hunt for Krystal
The vast expanse of space was eerily quiet, save for the steady hum of Samus Aran's gunship as it cut through the void. She sat at the helm, her gaze focused on the console in front of her. A display flickered, showing the bounty she had been tracking for weeks now: a high-value target named Krystal, with an unusually large reward attached. The details were vague, but the price on Krystal's head had been enough to catch Samus's attention. Still, something about the bounty seemed off, like there were too many unanswered questions.
Samus shifted in her seat, her fingers brushing over the controls. The Lylat system wasn't far off now, the home of Star Fox and one of the central hubs of the galaxy. But that wasn't where her target was hiding. Her eyes flicked to the corner of the screen, where a radar pinged faintly. A small moon hung in the distance, orbiting a planet that wasn't even charted on most navigation systems. A perfect place to hide.
Krystal had been elusive, and Samus was well aware that her own mind had been distracted. Her eyes fell on a small, mushroom-shaped locket dangling from a panel on the console. It swayed slightly with the ship's movement, its delicate chain looped around the edge of a button. She'd meant to leave it behind, but somehow, she hadn't managed to take it down, letting it remain as a silent witness to her journey.
Inside the locket was a picture of her and Peach from one of the kingdom's festivals, a moment that felt almost out of place in her world of hunts and missions. Samus's gaze lingered on it for a moment before she steeled herself, pulling her attention back to the radar. Her hand brushed the locket as she adjusted the console, and she felt an unexpected tug of nostalgia. She clenched her fist for a moment, then moved it aside with a gruff mutter.
"Focus," Samus muttered to herself, pulling her thoughts back to the present.
She adjusted the ship's trajectory, heading toward the dark side of the moon where Krystal's ship had been detected. The bounty had said little about her target—no criminal record, no history of violence… and yet, the reward was almost suspiciously high. Either someone was hiding something, or Krystal had qualities that didn't show up on official records.
Samus's grip on the controls tightened. She was no stranger to high-risk targets, but something about this mission felt… different. There was a lingering, almost palpable tension that had been with her since she accepted the job. As she closed in on Krystal's last known coordinates, an odd prickle traced down the back of her neck, like she was being observed from more than one angle. It was subtle, but something about it put her on edge.
She shook off the feeling, forcing herself to stay focused. This wasn't the time to let her mind wander. The stillness of the ship pressed in, a familiar companion she had long ago accepted. Sometimes, though, she thought she heard faint echoes of past conversations—a trick of memory or just the ship's acoustics, she told herself.
The moon loomed closer, and as Samus approached, she switched to silent mode, the ship's engines going quiet. Her scanners swept the area, revealing a faint energy signature hiding in the shadow of the celestial body. Krystal's ship.
A small smile tugged at the corner of Samus's mouth. "Got you."
She eased her ship closer, taking every precaution to avoid detection. But just as she began to get within range, her console lit up with a warning. The other ship's engines roared to life, and Krystal's vessel shot forward, breaking from its hiding place behind the moon.
Samus cursed under her breath. She hadn't expected Krystal to be this fast. She punched the thrusters, her ship surging after the fleeing craft. The chase was on.
Krystal's ship darted through the stars, weaving between asteroids and debris that orbited the planet. Samus kept pace, her fingers dancing over the controls as she locked onto Krystal's position.
"She's good," Samus muttered, impressed by Krystal's ability to evade her. Every time she got a lock, Krystal would swerve, dipping behind an asteroid or making an unexpected maneuver that threw off her aim.
Samus fired a warning shot, aiming for Krystal's engines. She didn't want to destroy the ship—just disable it enough to bring her in. But Krystal was quicker than expected, dodging the blast and making it difficult for Samus to get a clean shot.
"This is getting irritating," Samus growled, pushing her ship harder as the chase pulled them closer to the planet's atmosphere.
The turbulence from the planet's gravity tugged at both ships as they entered the upper atmosphere. Below them, dark storm clouds roiled, lightning flashing across the sky. The storm seemed to grow more intense as they descended, and Samus could see Krystal's ship struggling against the elements.
Then, with a crack of thunder, lightning struck Krystal's ship.
The vessel lurched, its systems failing as it spiraled downward toward the surface. Samus pulled up, watching as Krystal's ship plummeted into the jungle below, disappearing into the dense foliage.
For a moment, Samus hesitated. The storm was getting worse, and landing in the jungle would be risky. But she had no choice. She'd come this far, and she wasn't about to let her target escape now.
Samus guided her ship through the storm, scanning for Krystal's crash site. She touched down near the wreckage, her boots hitting the soft, damp soil of the jungle as she stepped out. The air was thick with moisture, the sound of distant thunder rumbling overhead.
The jungle was dense, the trees towering above her, their branches twisted and covered in moss. Samus activated her visor, scanning the area for signs of movement. Krystal's ship lay ahead, partially buried in the thick underbrush. Smoke rose from the damaged hull, but there was no sign of Krystal.
Samus moved quickly, her senses on high alert. She didn't have to wait long.
As she approached the wreckage, Krystal emerged from the cockpit, her blue fur matted with sweat and dirt. Her staff was at her side, but she didn't make a move to fight. Instead, she stood there, waiting.
Samus raised her arm cannon but didn't fire. "You're not running?"
Krystal shook her head. "I don't think I can outrun you."
There was no fear in Krystal's voice, only a strange resignation. It wasn't the reaction Samus had expected from someone with a bounty on their head. Krystal's green eyes met hers, and for a moment, Samus felt an odd sense of calm wash over her.
"Why aren't you resisting?" Samus asked, her voice more curious than accusatory. "You had a good chance to get away."
Krystal's gaze flickered, as though something else—something far darker—was on her mind. "Going with you… is the safer option."
Samus frowned. Safer? That was an odd thing to say. "Safer from what?"
Krystal didn't answer. Instead, she stepped forward, willingly offering her wrists. Samus hesitated, but then reached into her pack and secured the restraints around Krystal's hands.
As she led Krystal back toward her gunship, Samus couldn't shake the feeling that there was more to this than she understood. She glanced over at the captured alien.
"You're a good pilot," Samus commented, breaking the silence. "How long have you been flying?"
Krystal looked at her, a faint smile tugging at the corner of her mouth. "Not very long."
Samus raised an eyebrow but said nothing more. She had her bounty, but something told her this wasn't over—not by a long shot.
And as they disappeared into the jungle mist, the storm raged on, a harbinger of darker things to come.
As they approached her gunship, Samus noticed Krystal's gaze flicking toward the cockpit as they came closer. The mushroom-shaped locket, still hanging from the console, caught Krystal's attention. Her eyes lingered on it a beat longer than Samus liked, a quiet curiosity in her expression.
Without thinking, Samus pressed a button that dimmed the panel lights, shifting the locket into the shadows. Her voice turned gruff. "Eyes forward," she ordered, her tone masking the mix of emotions stirred by that tiny, fragile memory hanging silently from her console.
Krystal's expression softened, but she complied, casting one last look at the darkened cockpit before following Samus inside.