Chapter 19: Secrets and Alliances

The medical bay of The Great Fox was quiet, save for the steady hum of the medical machine scanning Rosalina. She lay motionless on the bed, her breathing shallow, her normally vibrant glow reduced to a faint flicker. Daisy sat beside her, holding Rosalina's hand, her eyes red from sleeplessness and worry. Across the room, Falco paced, his arms crossed, his expression tight with frustration.

"What do you mean you're a telepath?" Falco blurted out, breaking the silence. He stopped pacing, his eyes locked on Krystal. "How did that not come up before?"

Krystal hesitated, glancing around the room at the others. "I... I'm sorry I didn't tell you," she said softly, her voice barely above a whisper. "People usually react badly when they find out I can hear their thoughts. They get uncomfortable, or they avoid me entirely… or worse. "She said, closing her eyes to avoid the memories. "I didn't want that to happen here."

Slippy, who had been adjusting a nearby monitor, looked up. "Well, that's not how we do things on The Great Fox," he said, his tone gentle but firm. "We help people who need it, and right now, you need our help."

Krystal glanced at him, her eyes softening. "Thank you," she said. "I appreciate that."

Samus, leaning against the wall, straightened. "So, it was your telepathy that led us to the Comet Observatory?"

Krystal nodded. "Yes. I... I could hear Daisy's desperation. Her thoughts were like a signal, calling out through the emptiness. I just followed it."

Daisy's eyes met Krystal's, and she managed a small, grateful smile. "Your abilities don't matter to me, Krystal. You saved me and Rosalina. That makes you my friend."

For a moment, the room felt lighter. Then Samus spoke up, her gaze sharp. "But there's something else I've been wondering. Why did you let me capture you, Krystal? You didn't resist, and I don't think it was just because of the bounty."

Krystal hesitated, then took a breath. "I sensed your intentions, Samus. You weren't like other bounty hunters I've encountered. They're just in it for the money, but you... there's a longing in you, a desire to be more than just a gun for hire. I trusted that."

Fox, who had been leaning against the doorway, chuckled. "Well, add that to the list of things we're going to talk about." He pointed at Samus, a teasing grin on his face.

Samus shot him a glare. "Shut up, Fox."

"Hold on," Falco said, scratching his head as if piecing something together. "You're a telepath, and you picked up flying in the simulator pretty fast... you're not really a pilot, are you?" He raised an eyebrow at Krystal. "You just made it look like you knew what you were doing."

Krystal smiled a little sheepishly. "I might have... borrowed some experience."

Falco blinked, caught off guard. "Borrowed?"

"I read your mind in the simulator," Krystal admitted. "I learned how to fly by picking up what you were thinking. It was... effective."

Falco stared at her for a moment, then broke into a grin. "Well, if you're going to steal experience from someone, you picked the right guy." He puffed out his chest, looking around the room. "I'm flattered."

Krystal couldn't help but laugh. "I knew you wouldn't mind."

Fox rolled his eyes, but there was a small smile on his lips. "Careful, Falco, we don't want her picking up any of your bad habits."

"Hey!" Falco protested. "The bad habits are what make me good."

The lighthearted exchange brought a brief, welcome relief to the tension in the room, a reminder that even in dark times, they could still find something to smile about. But the moment was short-lived, as the machine next to Rosalina beeped urgently, its tone sharp. Slippy rushed to the console, his face paling as he read the results.

"Her condition is getting worse," he said, his voice tense. "If we don't get her to a real doctor soon, I don't know how much longer she'll last."

The room fell silent, the weight of his words settling over them.

Daisy's hands clenched into fists, her voice cracking as she spoke. "No... she needs more than a doctor. She needs a Power Star."

Samus's jaw tightened at the mention, and Fox noticed her reaction. He stepped closer, his tone softer but firm. "Samus, you need to get over this. We have to go to the Mushroom Kingdom. The only other Power Star we know of is there."

Samus's eyes flashed with a mix of conflict and frustration. "Slippy, is my ship ready?" she asked, already knowing the answer.

"Not yet," Slippy replied, shaking his head. "I still need more time."

"Even if it was, I wouldn't let you leave," Fox said, his tone turning hard. "You're going to have to put your issues with Peach aside. We need that Power Star, and we're all going to the Mushroom Kingdom."

Daisy, who had been silently holding back her emotions, suddenly snapped. She stood up, her eyes blazing with anger and desperation. "Enough, Samus!" she shouted, startling everyone. "Rosalina is dying! I don't care what problems you have with Peach, or who said what to who. We don't have time for that!" She pointed a trembling finger at Samus. "We need to move this ship, and we need to move it now. So stop hesitating and just do it!"

Samus was taken aback, and for a moment, she was speechless. The room was thick with tension, and the air felt heavy. Fox, seeing the distress in Daisy's eyes, placed a hand on Samus's shoulder.

"She's right," he said quietly. "Whatever happened between you and Peach, it can wait. Rosalina can't."

Before Samus could respond, a sharp beep interrupted the conversation. The main screen flickered to life, displaying an incoming transmission. Slippy quickly moved to the console, opening the message. As the details loaded, the room fell silent.

"An automated bounty notice..." Slippy murmured, his eyes widening as he read. The message was brief, but the reward amount was staggering, more than any of them had ever seen. And at the bottom of the notice, the words "DEAD OR ALIVE" flashed ominously across the screen.

The bounty was on all of them—Samus, Fox, Slippy, and Falco.

Falco let out a low whistle, trying to inject some levity into the tense moment. "Well this is going to be fun. Looks like it's safer to stick together anyway."

Fox's face hardened. "Slippy, get to the bridge and change our course to the Mushroom Kingdom, as fast as possible. And keep us off anyone's radar. I want us to be invisible."

As the others began to move, Samus turned back to Krystal. "I have to ask again, do you know who's behind your bounty? Who wants you dead?"

Krystal met her gaze, her eyes full of uncertainty. "I don't know," she said softly. "I wish I did, but I really don't."

Fox placed a hand on Krystal's shoulder, giving it a gentle squeeze. "We'll figure it out. But first, we're going to get Rosalina the help she needs."

The room was quiet, a mix of unspoken fears and shared resolve hanging in the air. For now, they had a plan, and as the Great Fox changed course, each of them steeled themselves for what lay ahead.