LET'S READ STAR FOX COMMAND - Tis Better To Have Loved...

True, True.

I actually half half of the next update already written up, and I'm hoping to finish it up and post it tonight.

"BUT BEAT", you say, "ISN'T THIS WHERE WE TELL YOU WHICH PATH WE WANT NEXT?" Normally yes! But one of the available options inevitably links back to stuff I've already written up, and I'd like to get out of the way so we dive into totally unique territory!

The way it links back is completely insane though.

Like, insane by Star Fox Command Standards, even.

SCENE 2 PATH 5: BOLTZMANN PARADOX
AKA: THE METEORITE TRAP
While it may sound like an exciting space battle, Fox has been doing this job for many years now. Systematically clearing batches of enemy drones is just another day on the job.
The "something" in question is called the Bio Brain, a fully formed mind, floating in the vacuum of space. It is the rarest sort of anomaly, a consciousness where there should be nothing. A spark of light in the abyss.
We'll never know what it was thinking, if it was capable of thought at all. An oddity in the void crushed by two men too focused on the task at hand to realize what they had just seen.
After some deliberation, Fox makes a command decision to hold off a reunion with his ex, in favor of meeting up with Slippy as they initially planned. Falco's bemusement at the idea of Slippy Toad getting married is meant to mirror that of new readers, who have not had the time to appreciate how much Slippy has grown and changed. With time his views on the matter will change, just like the reader's.

CONTINUE

SCENE 3 PATH 5: TO KILL A MYTH
AKA: OCTOMAN'S RUSE
The situation on Aquas appears dire from the moment Star Fox arrives, which gives us a glimpse at how the characters deal with the grim realities of war. Amanda is almost beside herself with panic, understandable, as it's her fiancee that's in danger. Falco puts up a brave front, boasting that he doesn't need Slippy and keeping himself in denial about the severity of the situation. Finally there's Fox, who simply carries on as planned in an almost automatic nature. A machine of cold logic.
Amanda regains her composure remarkably quickly, and dives into the fray. Please note that while Fox kicked Krystal out of the team out out of supposed concern for her safety, he puts up only a token resistance to Amanda taking up arms, then drops the issue entirely. It's just another subtle hint that his ejecting Krystal was less about the danger of the job and her and relative lack of experience, and more about the fact that she was Krystal.

Octoman, one of the many generals of the Anglar forces, had a perfect opportunity to simply kill Slippy. Simply eliminating him seems like the obvious choice, as it represents a gain for the Anglar Forces, and a tangible, demoralizing loss for Team Star Fox. Instead he chose to torture and brainwash Slippy, then send him out to fire upon his own teammates.

Octoman's course of action makes more sense when we realize that Octoman doesn't think quantitatively, but qualitatively. To him slippy is not just another hostile pilot, he's a longtime veteran of multiple campaigns, a hero in the eyes of thousands. Killing him would simply make him a martyr, his story and the ideals he championed would fully pass into legends. Thus Octoman sought a different path, and tried not to take Slippy's life, but his legacy. To take Aquas's hero, and turn him into their monster.

This preference qualitative thinking over quantitative thinking is mirrored in Octoman's very character design. His name implies that he should have 8 limbs. He speaks and acts as though he does, considering that to be a part of the true nature of his being. But if you actually count his arms and legs them, there are only 4.
Despite Octoman's best efforts and seeming victory, slippy is rescued by Amanda, and quickly makes a full recovery. This demonstrates the critical flaw in Octoman's Logic, as no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't change who Slippy was in the eyes of the ones who love him. Amanda rescuing Slippy from brainwashing is both a physical victory over Octoman and a symbolic victory over his whole philosophy. Both the general and his ideals die alone on the seafloor.
Recognizing that Slippy cannot sand idly by while the war rages on, Amanda puts her concerns aside and allows Slippy to rejoin his old team. She has already seen the worst thing the Anglar Empire could possibly do to him happen, and she watched him emerge unscathed. The enemy no longer has any power of either of them.
Fox's, perhaps effected by seeing a functional relationship like Slippy and Amanda's in action, decides to track down Krystal and Ask for her help. Falco and Slippy, will not join him, recognizing that this is something they cannot help him with. While we can to follow either of the two diverging paths, their minds are made. The "choice" here is an illusion.
Before they go their separate ways, Slippy and Falco put their heads together and give the Arwings an upgrade. The admiration Falco has for Slippy, and the relief he feels at having their mechanic back safe and sound is all too apparent, even if Falco would never admit it.
CHOOSE
BRING HER BACK
SEPARATE FROM FOX

SCENE 2 PATH 8: ALPHA MALE
AKA: FORMER RIVALS

Wolf O'Donnell, founder and Leader of Wolfpack, has a long history of being at odds with Team Star Fox. At best he views them as rivals to be outdone, and at worst as enemies to be killed. Fox choosing to seek him out instead of doubling down to search for Falco isn't objectively a very smart choice, but it's a clear indicator of how ashamed he is over what's become of himself and the once great Team Star Fox. He is now so isolated that the danger of facing an enemy is more attractive than the shame of facing a friend.
Wolf is a man of action above all else. If Fox wants his help, he's going to have to earn it. That said, he treats the encounter more like a spirited competition than a a battle to the death. He recognizes that Fox is here for a reason, and he wants to see how far Fox is willing to go for it.

Panther Caruso and Leon Powalski aren't the sort of people who take losing very gracefully, but all it takes single line from Wolf to keep both of them in check. This sort of leadership comes naturally to Wolf, and he does it without even really thinking about it. This places him in sharp contrast with Fox, who is the leader of a team that hasn't even shown up yet.
Fox, despite being the one who sought to hire Wolf, is obviously tense and on edge. He chooses his words carefully, and refuses to relax in front of Wolf for even a second. Wolf, on the other hand is just bemused by the whole situation, and after establishing some ground rules, refuses to take anything that's happening too seriously. This relaxed attitude only serves to put Fox even more on edge than he already was. It's going to be a long trip to Solar.

CONTINUE

SCENE 3 PATH 8: BURNING SHAME
AKA: THE RED-HOT PLANET
The irony of the leader of Wolfpack being able to show up to Fox's designated meeting point before an actual member of Star Fox is not lost on Wolf.
Some scholars maintain that Wolf brought up Krystal intentionally as part of some sort of psychological campaign against Fox. However it's my personal belief that Wolf was just trying to make conversation. Regardless of whether it was intentional or not, Fox is immediately devastated by the news. ROB locating a horde of enemies that want them both to die is nothing short of a welcome distraction.
Wolf never liked Fox, but over the years he had built up an odd sort of respect for him in accordance with his personal code of honor and ethics. All of Wolf's conversation with Fox up to this point has been jokey, affable, or even encouraging. This is the first serious thing he's said, and it's a direct attack on everything Fox has been for months.

CONTINUE

Barf. Busy day, busy weekend. Update tomorrow.

There are five pieces Left.

I was finally able to catch up on this thread.

I wish I had something to say, but I'm can't find words to describe this experience.

Just keep doing your thing BEAT.

SCENE 4 PATH 8: UNDER NEW MANAGEMENT
AKA: THE ULTIMATE WEAPON
Falco mistaking Wolf for Fox is one of the more subtle indicators as to how poorly Fox is doing. The last time Falco saw Fox, he was leading them to victory against the Arapod invaders, a strong, self-assured and confident commander of his squad. Now he's a nervous wreck, crippled with doubt and self-loathing. At this point Wolf resembles the Fox Falco knows more than the person Fox has become, hence his mistake.
Fox has gone most of his life as a leader without actually having to deal with common issues of actual leadership. In Team Star Fox as it usually exists, everybody gets along and nobody wants to kill the other members of the squad. Wolf's very presence, though disruptive and trying, continually forces him to operate outside of his comfort zone and deal with situations he's not used to, thus forcing personal growth.
Fox, and Falco, are used to solving their problems in the most simple and blunt way possible. When faced with a foe that these tactics cannot work on, they are at a loss. Only Wolf a man used to forging his own path and working things to his advantage, is able to come up with an alternate solution.
Wolf declares victory in the name of Star Wolf, even though he is the only member of Wolfpack present. Whether he considers Fox and Falco to be honorary members of Wolfpack, of if he simply wishes to let the Anglar fleet know that they have made and enemy of his team, or both, is intentionally left ambiguous.


As for commander Zoldge of the anglar fleet, we are never given any more information on him other than his one line and his very, very odd portrait. He demands to know who our protagonists think they are, but is himself shrouded in mystery. Seriously. What is that thing.
While Wolf is willing to tolerate Fox and Falco, he still lashes at ROB, who is little more than the GUI for Star Fox's computers. ROB is not a person, but a front for Team Star Fox as an organization. In accordance with this, Wolf is willing to cooperate with the individuals who are a part of Star Fox, but remains antagonistic towards the team as an entity.
With the news that the enemy forces are on Titania, Fox immediately knows that he has to head there immediately. To him it's not even a choice. However Wolf is bothered with no such mandates, and is free to do whatever he wishes in this scenario. His mission here is complete, and he's not naturally inclined to keep working with an organization he openly detests. That said the Anglar empire poses a threat to Wolfpack and Star Fox alike, and fighting is all he's ever known. Perhaps it wouldn't be the worst idea to accompany Fox and Falco for a little longer.
While Wolf Mulls over his decision, ROB upgrades Fox's Ship against his will. The exchange illustrates Fox's own distrust and dislike of the organization he created. Though he is supposedly it's leader, he is dragged along by it, frustrated and impotent.

In fact, through this whole chapter, every single thing that would typically fall upon Fox as a leader was handled by Wolf. He designed the plan of attack, lead the forces into battle, defeated the Anglar Superweapon, and even declared to the enemy that the foe they faced was "Star Wolf". When Falco confused the two before the battle began, it foreshadowed Wolf subtly replacing Fox as the team's guiding beacon, and now that it's over it's Wolf, not Fox, that faces a difficult decision.

CHOOSE
SORRY. I'M OUTTA HERE.
LET'S FIND THAT DEVICE!

It looks like an Eggman/Zoidberg hybrid.

The best thing.

While it would be starkly out of the rhetorical line of this discussion to say, not to mention utterly tasteless...

...That's a penis squid.

Eggberg? Zoidman?

SCENE 5 PATH 8: THE DEFECTOR
AKA: DASH
Star Fox Command is nothing if not the master of subtle misdirection. We are lead onto this path by wolf declaring his intention to leave the makeshift team. But though wolf is the one who made the choice, the narrative remains fixed on Fox and Falco. We all watched as wolf expertly demonstrated to Fox the sort of leader his team needs in the last chapter. Now that he's gone, it's up to Fox to live up to that example
While Fox and Dash Briefly met at the beginning of this path, Dash still takes the time to re-introduce himself. He does this because he assumes that someone as famous and important as Fox could not be bothered to remember a simple soldier like himself. It's a classic case of hero worship. Dash has built in his mind an image of Fox as a legendary godlike figure that can triumph over anything. While this faith is misplaced, it gives Dash a figure to model his own life after and a goal to strive for. Only time will tell how his interactions with the actual Fox McCloud, a deeply flawed individual, will affect that worldview.
Thus Dash flies into battle alongside the man he thinks of as a God. To drive home the nature of this strange idolatry, the mission they take on is to retrieve the last creation of Fox's original enemy. After all, what is a god, without a devil?

Hearing the voice of their original foe is enough to put Fox and Falco on edge. By contrast Dash's reaction seems more muted and uncomfortable than anything else. He's clearly affected by it all, but for different reasons, ones he has yet to reveal to the reader.
Regardless of the group's initial discomfort, the "Ghost" of Andross is a just a voice recording, and the weapon that protects his final invention is just a machine. It is defeated in short order, and the device it protects falls into the possession of Team Star Fox. The battle over, Dash boards the Great Fox, to meet his idol in person.
The truth finally comes out. Dash is the direct descendent of Andross. His muted response to the appearance of Andross's "ghost" suddenly takes on new meaning. It was likely the first time he ever heard his grandfather's voice.
The immediate hostility displayed by Falco is something Dash has had to deal with his entire life. The fact that he's actively fighting to help the people Andross wished to destroy is considered secondary to the circumstances of his birth. Knowing this, his idolization of Fox takes on new meaning. It's his personal rejection of his family legacy.

Also worth noting is the fact that Dash felt the need to tell Fox and Falco of his ancestry in the first place. He isn't obligated to let them know who his grandfather was, and he could have simply never brought it up. Instead he tells them upfront, even though he knows their opinion of him will suffer for it. His sense of honesty will allow nothing less.
Neither Fox nor Falco argue against the idea of Andross wishing for a lush and green Venom. Likewise, Dash doesn't make any sort of attempt to claim it's evidence that Andross wasn't all bad. The three simply recognize it as a fact and move on.
Dash finally drops all pretenses and begs Fox and Falco to let him join Team Star Fox outright. Its' a desperate attempt to escape the hand he's been dealt, and one that will likely alienate him from his surviving family, such as his relative, Andrew Oikonny. With that the chapter draws to a close leaving us to wonder how Fox would respond.

Speaking of Fox, it's important to note how starkly his role in this chapter contrasts his role in the one that came before. In the prior chapter, an outsider effortlessly displaced him as the leader. Now he is back in command, and an outsider hangs upon his every word for guidance.

CONTINUE

SCENE 6 PATH 8: JAMES IS DEAD
AKA: DASH MAKES A CHOICE

The Anglar were effectively doomed the second Andross's Device was activated. Even if they stood a chance of defeating the combined forces of Fox, Falco and Dash, the chances of them being able to survive such a drastic change to their natural environment is nonexistent. At this point all they can do is make one last desperate stand.
We are never explicitly told how Fox and Falco responded to Dash requesting to join Star Fox at the end of the last chapter. It's ultimately irrelevant though. He's here now, and that's what matters.

James McCloud, father of Fox McCloud and founder of the first iteration of Team Star Fox, is dead. He died years ago, and if Pigma is to be believed, he died screaming. His death is the reason Fox McCloud created the second Team Star Fox, and thus setting the course for the majority of Fox's Life up to this point. Had James survived none of these people would be here right now. But James is dead. Yet here, deep beneath the Venom Sea, the place where he died, James appears. Fox is prepared to write it off as a hallucination, as neither Falco or Dash see anything, but the damage he does to the Anglar forces is real. His appearance in this grim place is very intentionally never given an explanation.

Fox has encountered visions of his father in the past, but this time it's different. Instead of guiding Fox's actions, demanding that he follow him exactly, he simply falls in with the rest of the group, going where Fox needs him and filling the gaps. It quietly shows that Fox really is capable of leading his team, and he no longer needs to worry about following in his father's footsteps.
The anglar forces were doomed before a vengeful spirit threw in his hand to help. This just made it that much faster.
The mission completed, James fades from existence, assuming he ever existed at all. Fox makes no attempt to stop him, and never speaks of what he saw to his teammates. James is dead, and Fox is finally able to accept it.
Dash, opting to stay behind represents a critical change in the way he thinks. Up till now his life has been spent trying to distance himself from Andross's legacy as much as possible, in the hopes of one day escaping it. Now he sees the opportunity to overcome his grandfather's transgressions by using the tools his ancestor developed to try and move society forward. A Herculean task to be sure, but one he is absolutely determined to see through to the end.

With the memory of James's Sprit still fresh on his mind, Fox recognizes that he did to Dash what Andross did to him, and tries to apologize. Dash in turn tries to apologize for the actions of his grandfather. The two part on good terms, with Fox finally feeling a little bit more free and Dash with a new purpose to strive for. Their futures, for the first time in a long while, seem hopeful once again.

But hope only goes so far.

END

ENDING PATH 8: THE OLD WAYS
For all of Dash's noble goals and intentions, the fact remains that the world he seeks to create must be built upon a mass grave. It was there from the very beginning: the thing that made venom habitable for the people of Lylat also ensured the extinction of the entire Anglar race.

As the years drag on, Dash compromises principle after principle, slowly losing his own values as he finds that his Grandfather's ways provide easy and effective solutions to the issues of running a planet. Over time nothing remains of the Dash that was. Andross's legacy is fufilled, and history repeats itself anew.

THERE WAS A WAY TO AVOID THIS...

Is Star Fox Command the only Nintendo game that lets the player commit genocide?

There's Pikmin, too.

Samus destroys both the Metroids and the X Virus.

Wait the ghost of Fox's dad just shows up and helps you? Or am I reading things wrong?

Also you can tell Dash is crazy because he asked to be trained by Fox and Falco, then ditches them after one mission.

Yeah, that's pretty much what it looks like.

If this is what's causing you to do a double-take, after everything we've seen in the game so far...I don't know what to tell you.

Yep. The Ghost of James appears, says absolutely nothing, is one of the playable ships for the mission and then peaces out.

At the request of BEAT, I'd like to posit an alternate interpretation of the events of this path and its ending.

Throughout Dash's time with Fox and Falco, he's treated almost like an afterthought by Fox, something to be relied upon only when no better path towards the objective exists, and with mocking derision by Falco, being constantly called a kid. This was touched on in BEAT's summary, citing his relation to Andross.

My view differs largely because this negativity appears long before Dash's affiliation is made known. Help from a soldier of the Cornerian forces should be welcome, albeit with some slight hostility due to Sterfax's mercenary tendencies (which are nowhere near as pronounced as those of Wolfpack). Yet Dash is given absolutely no incentive to stay outside of his work, and yet he maintains a constant attitude of helpfulness almost to the point of submissiveness.

My opinion of the matter is simple, almost laughably so. The fact that Dash is related, however distantly, to Andross is of no concern. His name doesn't reflect his lineage at all, perhaps his father took on the name of his mother. Instead, I claim that mere resemblance to Andross, merely being a primate in a nation dominated by canines and vulpines, is enough to render him worthy of derision. Everyone knows it was Andross, a primate, who led the Lylat system to ruin. To the average citizen, Dash is not a person, he's a target.

Knowing this, even in the face of such derision, what else can Dash do but keep his head down and not make waves? Calling out the system's injustice would do nothing but aggravate the ones in power. This all changes, though, once he becomes able to turn Venom from a quarantined wasteland into a pristine homeland for him and those like him, whose ancestors may have sided with Andross, but who themselves want nothing but a better life.

Venom is far from Corneria, and even if people did want to make their lives difficult out of prejudice, it's not worth the trouble. Though it takes almost Dash's entire life to do, he revitalizes Venom and places it as an equal alongside Corneria, something he never thought would be remotely possible. So why, then, would he eschew the chance to remain as true equals with them, not bound by malice? Forgiveness would be hard, but going to war with Corneria would be just as hard on his own people as those of Corneria.

That answer is far simpler: Dash simply doesn't know what he has. When you've lived your whole life ground under the bootheels of another, that doesn't ever really go away. In his mind, no matter how close Venom is to Corneria, Venom and its citizens are always going to be secondary to the rest of the Lylat system. He's not trying to repeat the atrocities of his grandfather: he just doesn't know when to stop.

This is a fine alternate interperation!

Star Fox Command's complex narrative is fully capable of supporting multiple interpretations. It need not mean the same thing to everybody.

Pikmin's about colonization, exploitation, and slavery, and you can definitely read Olimar as a villain. You can't commit genocide, though, as in the willful and deliberate destruction of a species, unless you count killing Pikmin on purpose. Star Fox Command has genocide built right into the narrative of the game.

So I've been wanting to knock the last bits here out all week, but work has been nuts and I want this to end PROPER you know?

Because this is the GRAND FINALE.

This has to be special.

SCENE 5 PATH 9: REMOVING THE WEAK LINKS
AKA: WOLF'S PLOT
Fox and Falco both have a substantial amount of insight into the way Andross's Mind worked. After all, they were both a part of the campaign that eventually killed them. However, their knowlege pales in comparison to Wolf's, who actually worked directly underneath Andross during the Lylat Wars. While he later came to regret that decision, his past experience is now utterly invaluable. Using his advice, the trio set out to locate the last creation of the man who, for ill or good, set them all on this path so many years ago.

As if on cue, A vision of Andross himself shows up once the three get close to their target. It's all a lie though, as the "Ghost" is just a voice recording, and the bioweapon is just an old broken robot. It serve as a parallel to the very nature of the dead warlord himself. On first glance, they appear fearsome and dangerous, and in truth they can do a phenomenal amount of damage. But when a firm stand is taken against them, they give little more than a token resistance, sad pathetic and doomed to failure.
The "ghost" of Andross committed to the cold earth once again, The makeshift team retrieves Andross's Final invention. The mission completed, two of them return to the Great Fox. The third has other plans.
The revelation that Wolf intends to take the device for his own might be seen by some readers as a betrayal of the highest order, and proof positive that he's one of this story's villains. However, a closer examination of the events can paint quite a different picture.

Wolf holds absolutely no kind feelings towards Andross, and has no desire to see any of his late employer's goals seen to fruition. It's even possible that he was forced into Venom's Millitary in the first place, as the first thing he did when the war ended was eject Andross Sympathizers Pigma Dengar and Andrew Oikonny from his team. It made no difference in the eyes of the Cornerian government, and he was doomed to a life off the grid, far removed from civilized society. At the start of this story, Wolf and his team have been on the run for the Cornerian authorities for months, and from the way he phrases "clear our names", it's for crimes they didn't actually commit. His only hope at this point is a very public and visible act of goodwill towards the Cornerian government: Ending the war against the Anglar Empire and saving countless lives while doing so.

But why do it without Falco and Fox? The two of them are highly skilled pilots, and despite the initial animosity they worked well with Wolf so far. Furthermore, completing this final mission alongside two well known Cornerian heroes could only help him in the eyes of the public that hates him. What's is the logic in trying to leave them behind?
The final piece of the puzzle falls into place. Wolf can't bring Fox McCloud on this final mission, because Fox is far too twisted up over Krystal to be trusted to fly alongside her. He broke up with her on false pretenses, then spent months alone on the Great Fox, obsessing over his past choices and leading a "team" with no members. His attitude toward her is now so volatile the mere knowledge that she had moved on almost completely shut him down.

Think back to 2 scenes ago, where Wolf learned how emotionally crippled Fox had become. All he could say was "I'm terribly disappointed in you". There was no hatred there, only grim realization that Fox could not be relied on. Wolf knew right then and there that since Krystal was involved, there was no choice but to leave him behind. So he gives himself a head start, and leaves the two with a piece of news that's almost certain to stop Fox dead in his tracks, knowing that Fox can't help but chase after him.

The only choice here, is who we decide to stay with.

CHOOSE
ADIOS, FOX!
GO AFTER WOLF!

SCENE 6 PATH 9: THE LIAR IN THE MIRROR
AKA: THE CURSE OF PIGMA

Pigma Dengar is the sort of man who could never be happy with what he had. As a member of the original Team Star Fox, he was respected, loved by the public, and even reasonably wealthy. Had the team completed their original mission as planned, he would have been renowned across Lylat as a legendary hero. But his short-sighted ambitions lead to his famous betrayal of James McCloud in exchange for a place of power in the Venom Military. This single choice eventually cost him everything, as Venom fell, his second team exiled him. With nothing to lose, he attempted one last great betrayal, and gave his body and mind to the invading Arapods in exchange for power and immortality. Their promises, just like Andross's were lies once again, and Pigma's new body was blasted to pieces.

It would not be accurate to say that Pigma "survived" the Arapod invasion. All that's left of him now is a barely functional consciousness, locked inside a heavily armed coffin, floating amidst the debris of Sector Y. A dangerous, petty, hateful corpse.
Wolf is definitely not Pigma's Ally. Wolf hated Pigma, and once Wolf no longer had to listen to Andross, he forcefully kicked Pigma out of Wolfpack. The only parting gift Pigma received were some distinctive facial scars, and the remaining members of Wolfpack were ordered to shoot him on sight. Keeping that in mind, it's most likely that Pigma was simply able to intercept WolfPack and Star Fox's radio chatter, then invented the rest of his story on his own.

Much more important is Fox's statement that he's chasing Wolf, and doesn't have time for Pigma. It drives home exactly how skewed his priorities have become. Wolf is actively fighting on the side of Lylat, and is currently rushing towards a possible suicide mission in an attempt to end the war outright. Pigma, on the other hand, is now a dangerously unstable machine that passionately hates all of Lylat and is armed heavily enough to act on that rage. The only obvious course of action is to deal with Pigma immediately, but Fox would rather leave him be and keep chasing after Wolf. He has become so self-centered that he would rather prevent someone from doing the right thing than deal with a system-wide threat. His very morality has been compromised.
Regardless of how much Fox wants to just ignore the whole thing, Pigma refuses to back down. Thus Falco and Fox fly into battle against Pigma one final time.
The battle is long and hard fought, but at long last Pigma is destroyed. The hatred, rage and envy that threw of of Lylat into Chaos so many years ago is finally laid to rest, and the only memorial for his treachery is bits of debris floating in the void.
While Fox and Falco dealt with Pigma, Wolf and his team were able to take on the Anglar Empire without him, ending the war and bringing peace to the Lylat system. While their motivations were arguably less than noble, the fact remains that they all risked their lives for the greater good, and the accolades being placed upon them are not unearned.
One by one the members of Wolfpack are brought out, and affirm their dedication to serving the people of Lylat. The last one is Krystal, who makes special note of the reason she joined Wolfpack in the first place: because Team Star Fox failed her. Because Fox failed her.

Fox can only sit and watch in total silence, as the horrible realization of exactly what he's become sets in. They saved Lylat, and he tried to stop them. When the recording ends and the feed goes black, he's treated to the reflection of his own face on the screen.

It's the most terrifying thing he's ever seen.
Crushed beneath the weight of this realization, Fox swallows his pride, and asks his best friend for help. It's a small, quiet request, halfheartedly masked with a pretext of going to a "little shop on Papetoon", but the message reaches Falco loud and clear.

Fox can no longer deny and ignore the fact that his life has reached it's lowest point. But he can accept it, and he can reach out to the people that care about him for help and support.

It's a start.

END

No analysis of the fact that, given a chance to broadcast a message to the entire galaxy, Krystal spends half of it brooding about Star Fox?

You can't just walk away from that kind of damage. Not when it defines your interstellar reputation as much as it does your personal life.

ENDING PATH 9: FREE
Of all the paths through the game, none take Fox McCloud to a lower point than this one. Here alone we are shown how broken and fragile he's become. There's no victory to distract him from his problems, no reformed Team Star Fox or shot at another relationship with Krystal to take him away from the revelation. It's all there staring him in the face. It's real, it has been destroying him, and it will succeed unless he finds a way to move on. He is trapped in a self defeating spiral of depression, and Star Fox, the entity he dedicated his life to, has no solutions for him.

But while the "Team" can't help him, his friends can. And it is because he finally hit rock bottom that his eyes are opened, and he can finally start making the changes he needs. And it starts with letting go of the weight that kept him shackled in place for so long:

Star Fox.

Once upon a time, Team Star Fox was a band of heroes that flew into righteous battle against a sinister warlord, single handedly saving Lylat. It's members were young and strong, and their cause was noble and just. But that was long ago.

Now new heroes have risen up, ready and willing to defend the next generation of the Lylat System. The old members of Star Fox now have their own lives. They all grew up and moved on. And now that the team is finally permanently disbanded, Fox and Falco can finally follow suite. And while they may occasionally miss the old days, they are no longer trapped by them. They are finally free.


THE END

Bravo! Bravo!

I'm happy Fox found the peace he didn't deserve.