Krystal and Lucy traveled together to Corneria City in the Sky Bunny. Fortunately, the custom aircraft was built to contain a rider and a single passenger. Taking an Arwing to the center of Cornerian activity would have easily given Krystal's position away and alerted others of her activity there. The two landed near the outskirts of the southern portion of the city so that their presence would go as unnoticed as possible. Peppy was surely in the city somewhere, and if he ran into Lucy or her ship he would become suspicious.

Bright Cornerian sunlight shone from above and several clouds dotted the blue skies as Krystal touched down onto the grassland surrounding the city. Clear waters stretched out as far as the eye could see behind her and shining Cornerian buildings towered ahead.

"So what exactly is going on?" Lucy asked curiously as she followed through a thin layer of trees. "You said you sensed the pilot here?"

Krystal reached the first of the buildings and pressed her back to it. "He is here, but I think someone else is here as well. On Katina, we were attacked by another pilot possibly leading Oikonny's forces; I sense him, too. I think he wants our pilot taken out because he has become an unwanted loose end."

"Right," Lucy nodded as she crept toward her friend and stood beside her. "What's the plan then?"

The vixen hesitated, deciding how to best approach the situation. "We need to reach the Cornerian pilot first. I fear that he is in danger; we need to protect him and get him out of here. He might have valuable information regarding our enemy." The thought of enemies lurking through the city made her fur crawl. "You said you were a good shot with a sniper rifle? I think now is the time we test that... I can use my telepathic senses to track down the Cornerian soldier, but I have a feeling I will run into trouble along the way. Can you position yourself somewhere high up so you can cover me as I search?"

"Sure thing," Lucy drew her rifle from her back and scanned the rooftops for a safe lookout point. "I'll follow you as you go and keep in contact from a distance. Good luck, please be careful out there."

Without another word, Krystal left the cover of her building and headed into the streets. She felt as if she needed to be on her guard at all times with her blaster drawn, but she would look too suspicious. I'm dressed like a Cornerian soldier; I need to try my best to blend in comfortably here, she thought as she strolled down the first alley toward the center of the city. From the center, she would have the best view of the city and would be able to use her telepathic powers to scan the entire area.

The she-fox in disguise weaved through masses of Cornerian citizens as they went about their business. Pilots and soldiers for the Cornerian Defense Force walked the streets with her, dressed in a similar fashion. Many of them smiled and waved as if they knew her as a fellow army member. She waved back awkwardly in reply, desperately hoping that they would not truly recognize her as a member of the Star Fox team.

The orange toy store called Persimmon's came into view, signaling to Krystal that she had nearly reached the heart of the city. The central landing pad ahead of her was vacant, making it a decent location for her to scan the surrounding area. "I am at the center of the city," she whispered to Lucy through her wrist communicator. "Are you in position?"

"Affirmative. I am right above you."

Krystal searched the rooftops for her companion and barely spotted her at the top of the tallest building in the square, just northwest of the landing pad. She positioned herself in alignment with the sun so that she would be even more difficult to locate, lying down across the rooftop so that only the tip of her sniper's barrel was visible from below. "Alright then," the vixen took a deep breath and closed her eyes to meditate as she reached the top of the landing platform.

Suddenly the thought patterns of thousands of Cornerians became clear to her as Krystal cast out her sixth sense. She scanned through the endless sea of thoughts, focusing on any thought filled with fear or regret. Wherever the pilot is hiding, he will be afraid; afraid of us searching for him and afraid that whoever hired him will be disappointed at the failed attempt on our lives. Deep, strong thoughts flooded in waves from the northeast and Krystal cast her senses further in that direction.

I have a message for Fox and Krystal from Falco Lombardi. He says that he is on planet Katina and in need of assistance. The memory of what the dog pilot said to her entered her mind from another source. He is thinking back to what he said to us before we were ambushed! She only needed another moment before she could fully trace the thought pattern when a voice interrupted her.

"Great view, isn't it?" The strangely familiar voice remarked.

Krystal returned her thoughts to herself and realized that she was staring up into the sky through her visor, silhouetted against the cityscape ahead of her. She spun around and discovered that she was disturbed by Peppy and almost leaped out of her fur in shock. The Cornerian General was standing across the platform from her, following her gaze into the sky.

"Play it calmly. You are a member of the Defense Force," Lucy's voice whispered through her communicator, inaudible to her father.

"I remember when I was a new recruit," the old hare continued as he approached, without waiting for a response. "I was so young and free, the sky was the limit! I know you long the feeling to be up in the air. It's more than just flying and defending your home planet; it's true freedom."

Peppy must think I am new to the Cornerian Defense Force. That's his explanation for why he doesn't recognize me in my Cornerian uniform. He is reminiscing about his time as a young pilot, the cunning vixen thought. "I just hope that what I am fighting for is worth it," she sighed, hoping not to give too much away with the stab at her recent distrust in Corneria.

"Of course it is," Peppy assured her. "Corneria is a fine planet, the crown jewel of the Lylat System. There has never been a cause so worthy to fly and fight for."

She paused, unsure if what he was saying was still true anymore. At one point, she would not have agreed more. After losing her home planet Cerinia, her family, her friends, and her entire way of life, flying for the Star Fox team and defending Corneria gave her a sense of purpose and a place to call home. "I sure hope you're right," was all that she could bring herself to reply.

"I'll leave you alone to your thoughts," the veteran pilot dismissed himself and departed down the ramp leading to the ground level.

"Thank you, General," Krystal acknowledged, trying to blend in as a Cornerian Soldier as best she could. Then, she remembered her pursuit and a thought rushed into her mind with a sudden epiphany. I found him! She immediately raced down the ramp opposite Peppy and took a sharp right turn. "Lucy, I know where our pilot is located. He is staying in the Lunastone Hotel; can you see it from there?"

"Roger that, it's in my sights," the rabbit affirmed.

Krystal merged onto a roadway and followed it until she reached the hotel. It was a rather small building, located near the outskirts of the city. Not a bad place for someone to hide, she thought as she studied its architecture. The lobby floor stood underneath a series of tiered levels, wide at first and thinning out with height. A holographic announcement circled the silver and dark grey building that read "Limousine Service Available!" Another bright band circled its top, displaying the name "Lunastone Hotel." The main building was only several stories high, with two separate structures behind it for guest lodging, each approximately eight stories tall.

"I'm going in," the she-fox declared. She approached the main entrance and walked through two sliding metal doors, setting foot into the hotel lobby. The bright silver room was cool and quiet. Numerous Cornerians lined the check-in table, but there was one booth empty that Krystal could use. Suddenly, the vixen realized that she was not sure exactly what she was going to say to locate the room of her target. He was still in the hotel, she sensed, but she could not pinpoint his exact location among the many guests residing there.

Hesitantly, she approached the last front desk associate, a brown tabby feline dressed in a dark suit. "I'm looking for a friend of mine," she lied, hoping that the she-cat would mistake them for copilots. "He is a Cornerian soldier as well, a bulldog. I think he checked in here sometime recently."

The feline at the counter narrowed her eyes. "Unfortunately, that information is classified; I can't just tell anyone who is staying here and where, it's confidential information."

Blast, I'm not going to get anywhere like this! I'm running out of time! Krystal tried her best not to let her impatience show underneath her helmet and visor. Casting out her telepathic powers, she concentrated on the mind of the hotel employee and willed her own thoughts into the cat's mind. You will tell me where the bulldog is, Krystal closed her eyes and tensed as she projected her thoughts outward. She hadn't used her telepathy to manipulate the thoughts of others in years, and desperately hoped she would still have the power to do so when the feline spoke again.

"One moment please, let me tell you your friend's room number," the feline purred and stroked several keys on the computer at her desk. Krystal held her grip on the cat's mind until she gave away the information that was needed. "He checked in only a few hours ago," the she-cat replied. "He is in room 344, on the third floor of this building. There are elevators just around the corner," she meowed, pointing to the right.

"Thank you," Krystal nodded and proceeded toward the elevator, allowing her mind and body to relax after spending so much of her energy. I'm surprised that worked, I almost thought for sure I couldn't do that anymore... She pressed a round blue button on the wall and the elevator door opened. It shut itself behind her and ascended two levels after she pressed the button that was marked with a number 3. As she stepped out onto the third floor, a long, bright hallway presented itself to her. Across from her, a tall window displayed a view of the city outskirts; grassland with several trees dotting the landscape and the edge of the island city itself, the clear blue waters of Corneria glimmering in the bright sunlight beyond.

As the vixen paced down the hallway, searching for the correct room number, she whispered a warning to Lucy. "I am almost to his room now. Be ready for anything and watch my back." She approached room 344 on her left and knocked three times, taking a deep breath as she prepared herself to face the pilot who sent her flying into the ambush that almost claimed her life.

A moment of silence persisted and then the metal door slid open. Krystal hesitantly stepped foot inside the room, dark with only the light of the sun streaming through the window opposite the door. It appeared as if the room was vacant, but the telepathic vixen knew otherwise. Her senses rushed through her head as she predicted the Cornerian's movements. He is on my left side, with a blaster drawn. He will try to point it at my head and force my surrender, but I can counter by disarming him quickly and turning his weapon on him.

With a growl, the pilot leaped from his hiding place behind the door and thrust his blaster to the side of her head. Instantly, Krystal grabbed his arm in hers and turned sideways, bending it over her shoulder and twisting the gun from his grasp. She threw a backward kick into the stomach of her attacker, knocking him against the wall while she retrieved his blaster and pointed it at him.

"Who are you?" The soldier barked in defeat while lying on the floor, winded. "What do you want?"

"You know me," Krystal replied as she ripped the helmet from her head and stared face to face with the Cornerian traitor. "Does the Beltino Orbital Gate ring any bells?"

"I didn't betray you because I wanted to; I did it because he forced me to! I'm not afraid of you. I-"

"Fear something much worse," Krystal stole the words from his mouth. "That's why you have to come with me."

"Are you crazy? I can't go back after what I've done," the soldier protested.

"We can protect you," the Star Fox pilot insisted. "Come on, we have no time to lose."

Suddenly a voice sounded from her wrist communicator. "Something strange is happening outside the hotel," Lucy panicked. "Krystal, you have to get out of there! Now!"

Her warning almost came too late as the floor began to tremble. The entire hotel building shook violently and the walls started to crumble. Without any time to think, Krystal grabbed the Cornerian pilot by the torso of his blue space suit and hauled him to his feet. Together they left the room and raced for the window at the end of the hallway as the ground quaked. "Hold on to me!" The vixen ordered and activated her jetpack as they crashed into the glass.

Krystal shut her eyes as she burst through the window and glass exploded like shrapnel around her. She and the dog pilot embraced each other, spiraling out of control as their momentum threw them yards from the hotel and they landed in the grass, rolling across the green field violently. Just seconds later, the Lunastone Hotel exploded with a blast that destroyed its structural integrity, working its way upward in a chain of detonations.

As she finally rolled to a stop, Krystal watched the burning building collapse as black smoke rose in the sky. She rose to her feet and shook pieces of leftover glass from her borrowed space suit and searched for the Cornerian pilot. She found him lying on the ground several feet from her, motionless, and fought back the urge to panic. "Please be alive, please be alive," she mumbled to herself as she pressed her ear to his chest. His breaths were rapid and shallow, but at least he was still breathing. He opened his eyes and slowly rose to his feet with a look of pure shock forming on his face, no longer concealed by his helmet.

"Krystal, are you alright? Krystal, do you copy?" Lucy's voice returned on her communications device, a mixture of surprise and anxiety.

"We're fine," she murmured as the once existing hotel burned in a pile of debris. "But we need to get out of here quickly. The pilot is with me and we have to keep him safe. This bomb will not be the last of the attempts on his life." As Krystal spoke, she noticed several shadows appear from out of the ruin. At first they were masked by the smoke, but as they stepped into the light, she recognized them as Oikonny's ape soldiers. They were armed with blasters and laser swords as they marched toward her with the intent to kill.

"Run," Krystal whispered to the Cornerian at her side. He stood motionless, numb with shock and she repeated her order. "Run!" She cried and they raced away from the army of Venomian soldiers, taking refuge behind two trees near the edge of the island. Enemy rounds flashed past Krystal's head and struck her shelter as she drew the blaster at her hip and began firing back. The Cornerian huddled behind his tree, unarmed after losing his blaster in the explosion.

Instinctively, the vixen reached into her boot and retrieved her staff, thankful that it had not dislodged itself when she impacted the ground. "Take this," she called to her new ally and tossed her blaster to him. Together, they fired back into the Venomian ranks with volleys of blaster rounds and fire blasts.

As the enemies approached, a laser beam pierced through an ape's shoulder and he collapsed to the ground. Another red stream of light followed, striking a second enemy in the chest. Krystal gazed in the direction of the gunfire and realized that Lucy had relocated herself closer to the fight by using her jetpack. She was now perched atop a building along the outskirts of the city, sniping the apes as they neared their cornered prey.

"Nice shots, keep it up!" Krystal called to her friend and continued shooting. Suddenly an enemy grenade soared through the air, glimmering with light as it neared detonation in the air above the tree protecting the Cornerian bulldog. The she-fox raced from her cover, rolled toward her ally, and created a white veil of light with her staff to shield them from the blast. As the grenade exploded, light flashed around them and dirt was thrown into the air, but the white barrier held firm.

The enemies swarming them finally reached close-quarters-combat distance. Krystal parried sword swipes and countered with attacks of her own to repel the enemies backward while Lucy and the Cornerian pilot fired shots into the crowd.

An ape lunged at Krystal, but she ducked and spun under his blade while slicing him with her staff's tip. Two more enemies neared her, aiming to strike, but she pointed her staff toward one of them and covered him in a solid coating of ice. The second lunged for her and she blocked his sword with her staff, thrusting him toward his frozen ally. He slammed into the ape icicle and fell to the ground, unconscious.

Krystal took the offensive and dove into the enemy swarm, enraged with fury that they would attack again within Corneria City. They destroyed the Lunastone Hotel and possibly killed dozens that were lodging there. She didn't yet know how many others survived the explosion that decimated the structure, but it was unlikely that everyone made it out in the few seconds they had in warning before the building collapsed. Sorrow for the many lives lost burned like a fire in the vixen's heart, driving her onward and increasing the severity of her attacks.

As Krystal grappled with two enemies, a dark laser pulsed from the top of a nearby rooftop. The sniper missed her, but a cry in agony caused her to turn her head. Behind her, the Cornerian pilot froze in pain as the sniper shot penetrated through his shoulder and burst through the other side, leaving a hole in his body where flesh once existed. His eyes clouded and he fell to the ground, motionless.

Even the several ape soldiers in the clearing paused in bewilderment. Tracing the beam back to its source, Krystal thought she recognized the fox pilot from Katina. His expression was unreadable in the distance as he departed from the rooftop and soared away with a jetpack, leaving the others to fend for themselves below.

"No!" The vixen cried as she combatted the foes ahead of her, helpless to come to the injured Cornerian's aid. "Lucy, shoot him down!" Krystal ordered as she impaled an ape with pure rage and ducked under another foe's blade. As the enemy readied a second strike, she spun and kicked him in the face, sending him flying into the grass several feet away.

She raced toward an ape gunner and hurled a fire blast his way, scorching his chest and tossing him backward. As an enemy came at her from the side, she twisted her arm around his head and flipped him sideways with all of her strength. A friendly sniper shot from Lucy stopped the next ape in its tracks.

Before Krystal could ask why Lucy was helping her rather than pursuing the new leader of Andross' forces, the hare explained herself. "He's gone, I couldn't get a clear shot. I lost him in the city... we need to take care of the enemies here so we can evacuate."

Krystal didn't reply to her friend. Instead, she continued fighting. With rage, she charged her staff's energy and thrust it into the ground with great force, releasing a shockwave of energy so powerful that it disrupted all enemies surrounding her and uprooted the nearby trees in its path. With another glance around her, she realized that enemy movement around her had ceased.

Finally, the vixen breathed a sigh of relief that she was alone in the grassy clearing, surrounded by dozens of unconscious and lifeless ape soldiers. She rushed for the downed Cornerian pilot nearby and dropped her staff at her feet while she crouched to the ground to assess his wound.

The soldier coughed up a small puddle of blood and his face twisted in pain. "It is too late," he breathed with difficulty.

Knowing that this was the canine's dying breath, Krystal asked desperately for the information she sought from the beginning. "Who made you tell us that Falco was waiting for us on Katina? Who was it that ambushed us there?"

The pilot closed his eyes and coughed again. He opened his mouth to reply, but could only force a few words to come out. "You will not... see him coming," he whispered hoarsely. "He... is one... of us..." The bulldog breathed his final breath and Krystal sensed the life fade from his mind.

Alone in the clearing, she rose her knees and wept, surrounded by the smoke and fire of a building turned to ash. The pilot she thought to be a traitor and her enemy now lay lifeless at her feet, and she was filled with only bitter sadness at his death. He didn't have to die, she screamed inside her head as she slammed her fists into the ground. He was only forced to carry out the actions of the pilot that killed him in the end! Not only had she failed in retrieving the information that she came for, but she also failed in saving the Cornerian pilot's life.

"We need to get out of here before this is all over the news," Lucy's voice suddenly warned through her comm link. "I am on my way to get you, look for the Sky Bunny."

Krystal slowly gathered herself and rose to her feet. She wiped the last of her tears from her eyes and retrieved her staff and blaster, sheathing them in her belt and inside her right boot. With a last glance at her fallen ally, she turned away and searched the skies for Lucy. The once clear, blue expanse was stained red with the colors of the sun setting in the distance. We will remember you with the many Cornerians who have died to defend this planet. I promise that we will reveal the identity of the fox that killed you and make him pay for everything he has done!