A few hours had passed since they'd lost The Great Fox. Silence filled the space as Fox's team flew in formation, their battered Arwings cutting through the dark. Hulls scorched and engines strained, each ship bore the scars of battle. Fuel indicators blinked dangerously low, a grim reminder of their dwindling options.

Krystal's voice came over the comm, breaking the silence. "Fox, I'm… I'm sorry about The Great Fox. I know it wasn't just a ship to you."

Fox's voice was quiet, tinged with a sadness he rarely showed. "Yeah, she wasn't just any ship. She's been with us through every fight, every close call. Losing her…" He trailed off, the weight of the loss settling heavily on him. "I thought she'd be with us until the end."

There was a somber pause, the grief hanging thick in the air. Then, in true Falco style, a voice broke through with a hint of his usual bravado. "Well, hey… guess this just means we're in the market for something better, right? I'm thinking 'The Great Falco' has a nice ring to it."

Krystal chuckled, the levity breaking through the silence. "The Great Falco? And what, you'll be decorating it with your own face plastered on every wall?"

Falco laughed. "You know it! And I want it equipped with an auto-pilot that compliments me after every successful mission."

Slippy joined in, his voice growing more animated as he caught the drift. "And a repair bay that's programmed to automatically fix any dings or scratches your ego might take in battle!"

"Oh, and don't forget the essentials," Krystal added, her voice lightening. "Like, say, a statue of you on the bridge, holding a golden Arwing in victory pose."

"Now we're talking!" Falco said, warming up to the idea. "And maybe a private lounge that only plays my best fight footage on a loop. With custom lighting to really set the mood."

Fox found himself chuckling despite everything, the laughter catching him off guard. "Sure, and how about a disco ball in the cockpit for those high-stakes missions? Really make it feel like a party."

Krystal giggled, her laughter more genuine than it had been in hours. "Or a snack bar that serves nothing but 'Falco-branded' energy drinks and protein bars. You know, for peak performance."

"And why stop there?" Slippy added, clearly caught up in the moment. "How about falcon-shaped recliners, with custom back support for long flights?"

Falco was grinning, a rare look of pure amusement on his face. "Perfect! And while we're at it, a voice-activated system that says, 'You're the best, Falco' whenever I enter the room."

Fox shook his head, the corners of his mouth lifting in a real, unguarded smile. "Alright, team. If we survive this, I promise I'll consider a few of those… unique additions for our next ship."

The banter filled the comms, a reprieve from the silence and tension, and for a few moments, they all let go of the stress that had been weighing them down. But a small blip on the radar soon caught their attention, reminding them of the reality they faced. Ahead of them, something large loomed, dark and almost indistinguishable from the void around it. As they drew closer, the shape resolved, revealing a massive celestial structure suspended in the blackness—the Comet Observatory.

Falco whistled low. "Well, would you look at that? Guess our luck isn't completely shot after all."

They approached cautiously, the darkened, dormant structure casting an eerie silence over them as they landed. The observatory looked almost ghostly, with every light out and no sign of life. The team's footsteps echoed as they disembarked, their boots clanging against the cold, metallic floor. The vast space around them seemed frozen, as if untouched for ages.

Fox took in the quiet desolation, a frown forming on his face. "Looks like we're not the only ones barely holding together."

Krystal closed her eyes, extending her senses, reaching for even the faintest trace of life, but felt nothing. The emptiness unsettled her, and she opened her eyes, her expression solemn. "It's… it's like there's no one here. Not a single presence."

Slippy inspected one of the consoles along the observatory walls, pressing a few buttons and trying to coax some response from it. "I think it's completely dead. There's no power at all—nothing. Without energy, this place is just a shell."

Krystal glanced at Slippy, her voice low. "Our ships are running on fumes, and we're in no shape for another fight. If we don't get power running, we might not make it through this."

Fox turned toward the core chamber, his eyes narrowing. "Then we don't have a choice. We need to try to get some kind of power to this place, even if it's just enough for life support. Let's see what we can find in the core." He glanced back at his team, his voice carrying a weight of determination. "We're getting something running, no matter what it takes."

They moved toward the core, the corridors dark and cold. Every so often, Slippy would stop to inspect damaged wiring or a dead console, shaking his head. It was a slow, exhausting journey as they made their way through the labyrinthine halls toward the heart of the Observatory.

When they reached the core chamber, they found only a cold, lifeless structure, devoid of any hum or faint glow. It was as if the very essence of the Observatory had vanished. Slippy knelt down, examining the wiring, his face growing more uncertain with each passing second.

"This… this isn't just low power," he muttered, his voice strained. "There's no power at all. It's like… the source of energy was completely drained. There's nothing here to work with."

Falco's confidence wavered as he looked around the darkened chamber. "So, what you're saying is… we're completely stranded?"

Slippy nodded, his voice barely a whisper. "Yeah. Unless we somehow find a new power source, we're not going anywhere."

A heavy silence settled over the team, the weight of their situation pressing down on them. They were marooned on a dead observatory, their ships low on fuel, and every system around them completely shut down. Fox clenched his fists, frustration and exhaustion evident in his stance.

But he took a deep breath, straightening up and looking at his team with resolve in his eyes. "We're not done yet," he said firmly. "We've survived worse, and we're not giving up here. Slippy, keep working on the power and see if there's any way to reach someone on comms. We're getting something out of this place, even if it's just a distress signal."

Slippy nodded, the uncertainty on his face giving way to determination. "Right! I'll keep trying. There's got to be a way to get at least one system online." He immediately went back to examining the wiring and circuits, digging through the unfamiliar technology for anything that could be useful.

Fox looked at the rest of the team. "Falco, Krystal—keep an eye on the perimeter. We're on an unknown station in the middle of nowhere, so let's make sure nothing surprises us. If we find anything useful along the way, call it in."

Falco nodded, his usual bravado subdued but steady. "Got it, Fox. I'll take the north wing, see if there's anything we can scavenge."

Krystal gave a resolute nod, glancing down the corridor she would take. "And I'll go south. If there's anything here we can work with, we'll find it."

Fox set his jaw, his voice resolute. "We've come too far to give up now. We're getting through this—together."

They shared a final look, each drawing strength from the other before dispersing into the dark, empty corridors of the observatory. Slippy stayed behind in the core, his hands working steadily to inspect the circuitry, his movements more purposeful with each attempt. He muttered under his breath, talking himself through the process. "Come on… there's got to be something. Just a spark, even…"

The silence felt oppressive as Slippy worked, his thoughts clouded by a sense of urgency and isolation. Yet, knowing his team was out there gave him enough strength to push on, no matter how hopeless it seemed.

In the corridors, Falco and Krystal encountered obstacles—a broken console here, a darkened passage there. Falco pushed through a narrow gap, brushing off dust as he muttered, "Could've picked somewhere a little friendlier, Daisy…" Krystal, meanwhile, steeled herself against the emptiness pressing in from all sides, her footsteps measured as she scanned for anything that could help them survive.

Back in the core, Fox lingered a moment, glancing down the corridors where his teammates had vanished, feeling the weight of leadership settle on him. But he'd made them a promise, and he would keep it.

"We're not just going to survive," he murmured to himself. "We're going to make it back—together."