The Aleriona escort some of their merchantmen but not many because most of their warships must search through a vast volume of space for "'...that which is named for the swift animal with sharp teeth.'" (The Star Fox, p. 138) Fox II intercepts valuable military and industrial cargoes intended to make occupied New Europe impregnable to Federation attack. Some captains of captured ships know a few words of a human language. Otherwise, sign language with guns suffices.
The Fox II crew is steadily depleted as smaller prize crews chosen by lot take the captured ships to be sold on Earth. Eventually, one such ship, instead of being sold, will carry the message that those who want to sign on again should rendezvous with Fox II at Staurn where it will re-arm. Thus, there could be a dozen more cruises - that could amount to a five year mission - unless the Federation wages war first. However, the nineteenth ship attacked has been hastily armed, although not well enough to resist Fox II, and carries human beings whose presence will change everything.
The Phoenix is a constellation visible from the Terrestrial southern hemisphere. Is it wrong, as suggested, to give the same name to a volume of space in that direction? A colonized region has to be called something and the name of the identifying constellation is as good as any. Another constellation has given its name to a galaxy two million light years away.
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