We were supposed to save them in the final game of the Chrono trilogy:
Hopefully we get that Chrono All-Stars.
I want a Starky spin-off though, a planet full of small aliens that pilot mechas and they audit planets? Badass
Lucca's letter in Cross made perfect sense to me. A huge chunk of the game is dealing with the consequences of your action. While the trigger crew saved the world they've also prevented people from the ruined future from existing. They've also lead to the creation of the Chronopolis and the whole convoluted frozen flame plot. Lucca more or less believed someone would come for them because of what they did anyway and it actually happens.
That's were they forget their own rules, I mean in Trigger they basically said that life finds a way and people would be born but in different circumstances, and their memories would be non-existant (which is also a really sad concept if we delve into it) since it will be the first time they are "born".
But then the Reptite ending in Trigger (where Ayla is fighting Lavos and no one is fighting the Reptites) or the story arc where Azala steals the gate key say that those actions created an alternate universe where Reptites are the dominating species but humans still exist. So where is the non-existing future? Like all rules of the Chrono universe point that no one dies by altering the time line, I mean everyone is born in different circumstances but no one is forgotten by time, then Miguel is like "fuck this, change the rules, drama-license, Serge is the scapegoat".
Cross is awesome, but you don't play with the characters like that; I was disappointed but leaned to accept it. Specially because I was conflicted that Crono, Marle and Lucca are kids in Cross, but weren't they supposed to be like 19 (?) in Trigger, they never looked like kids or teens, if anything they were late teens. Were the kids added for drama? Because that made me say "These are not the guys I saved the world with, these kids do not know hardships"
EDIT: I checked and Crono is 17, Marle is 16, and Lucca is 19.
EDIT2: While the combat was great, it was not an evolution of the previous game. They added two elements, which were never mentioned by anyone in Trigger. Even though each character had an innate element, you could equip any element, thus making Spekkio seem like a crazy creature rambling about rules, about that, they gave Grobyc an element, but maybe it cna be overlooked casue he is a cyborg and not a full robot like Robo. But then they gave magic to all random creatures like Mojo or Skelly, and Spekkio couldn't give Ayla one element? Because in her time no one knew magic? Ok, I'm sure Leah didn't learn magic, nor Draggy , NeoFio, Pip or Turnip. I understand that the Tech learned by each characters are extensions of their "attack style" but then giving magic to everyone including physical attackers made each character stand out less in this big cast.
Some of those rules broken by Cross even if they were not in the player faces, were enough to make players disappointed.IMO