• Introduction

    In a year hundreds of years from our own, the Chozo worked with the Humans and thousands of other extraterrestrial species to set up a common goal: the establishment of universal discovery, interplanetary unity, and protection and justice throughout the universe. These three goals not only spelled the divine goal of the universe, but they also built the standards and laws of the largest interplanetary union in all universal history: The Galactic Federation. This enormous union was made to govern and control the space that all living things had once explored. It was the true cause, the government of the stars. But unfortunately, the Galactic Federation wasn’t approved by all species. Many species did not join this new authority, and went on with nomadic ways. They were species such as the Luminoth, the Alimbic, and the Bryyo Reptilians. However, they had no intention of opposing the newly found republic, and they posed no threat to the Galactic Federation. Yet, a criminal organization was indeed formed to oppose the newly found republic. This organization was simply known as the Space Pirates by its victims. It was composed of a multitude of species which names have been forgotten since then. Yet there is one species that has not been forgotten: the Dragons. The last standing dragon has placed himself in command of the Space Pirate army. His name is Dragon Lord Ridley. The Space Pirates continued to pillage different planets and murder the denizens of many space colonies. The Galactic Federation had no choice, and they declared war upon the Space Pirates. The two opposing factions had battled fiercely for control of the universe after these events.

    Prologue

    On a medium sized planet almost as old as its inhabitants, a birdlike species known as the Chozo has created a large technologically advanced empire. Even though the Chozo are one of the most nomadic and peaceful species in the universe, they have the capacity to create weapons strong enough to destroy any enemy. Their power is unmatchable. Yet the enemy they are fighting is not the Space Pirates, but a more powerful enemy than any other.

    “Old Bird, are you sure that we should be creating this dangerous warrior? We are starting to doubt if even we can control it.”

    Old Bird, the Elder of the Chozo species, let out a large sigh. He was with Iron Beak, his top scientist, in an enormous laboratory. The walls were covered in holo-screens, displaying various amounts of data and information. In the center, a lightly pulsating containment unit awaited the moment it would finally be opened, with a strange floating creature staring ceaselessly out through the window.

    “Do not worry yourself, Iron Beak. The warrior will not need be at our side to eradicate the menace on SR-388. It will attack alone, for its behavioral patterns have been programmed into its DNA. It will not forget its purpose.”

    “That is not what worries me, Old Bird. It is the fact that it has the power to withstand almost any environment, even the airless vacuum of space. What if it tries to escape SR-388? When its program is finished, it will revert to the demonic untamed creature it once was. It will crave power, and try to invade other planets!”

    “And if it does, we have the knowledge to defeat it.”

    Iron Beak still looked worried. He was reading about a certain genetic anomaly that the warrior had developed. It scared him to the center of his heart.

    “But what if it reproduces? Here, it says that when it has consumed enough energy, it will grow to a state where it will have the ability to reproduce asexually. It would become a huge menace if it did!”

    “We don’t have the time to fix that! We must deport it to SR-388 as soon as possible. If either the Galactic Federation or the Space Pirates catches word of the warrior, they will certainly try to control it. The warrior must destroy the X Parasite at all costs, for every time we make a mistake, the X learns from it. The X will be the true ruler of the universe if this happens!”

    Suddenly, a large explosion rocks the laboratory. Sirens started to go off, and a large metal eyeball flew into the room.

    “Mother Brain! Please, report upon the situation!”

    The large metal eyeball was the planetary computer core’s “eye”. The computer core, Mother Brain, replied to the request.

    “The surface of Zebes is being destroyed by the Space Pirate Lord Vessel. Please, escape while you still can! The Space Pirates must be after the Metroid. It must be deported to SR-388 at all costs. Bring the Metroid with you in the escape pod. Hurry!”

    “Understood. Come, Iron Beak! We must escape!”

    “No objections at all!”

    The pair, carrying the canister containing Metroid inside, ran to the underground escape channel. Old Bird looked at Metroid, with a frightening thought on his mind. He wondered: Is this going to be the universe’s only hope, or the one thing to tear it apart?



    Chapter One: The Last Hope

    Year 20X9 Cosmic Calendar: 23rd of May.

    Location: Planet Norion, Center Of Galactic Federation Military Procedures.

    In a large room adorned with various technology and decorative instruments, the lords of 157 different species were just about to prepare for the most important meeting of their lives. In this meeting, they were brought together to discuss the ongoing war between the Space Pirates and the Galactic Federation. A large creature with six blue eyes and a humanoid body with a reddish complexion stepped up to the podium. This species was known as the Ramadora, a species known for their amazing intelligence and strategic thinking. This particular Ramador subject was Domoteras, Head of the Ramadoran Republic, a large science foundation spanning over 130 different planets.

    “Good afternoon, everyone. We are here to discuss the progress of the war between the Galactic Federation and the UCSPE. As we should all know, the event that took place upon --”

    “Don’t you mean Space Pirates?” The bored looking woman near the back said.

    Domoteras was a bit put off by this comment. “What did you mean by that?” He replied.

    “The UCSPE is the Space Pirates. Just say Space Pirates, it’s much easier.” The woman started to spin her pencil on her finger.

    Now, Domoteras was very annoyed. “Anyways, as we should all know, the event that took place upon Zebes four years ago completely destroyed the bond we had with the Chozo. And two years ago, the Phazon incident weakened our defenses against the Pirate menace. And one year ago, the battle against the X parasite and Project Dread almost annihilated the universe. These events have shaken the foundation of the Galactic Federation, almost toppling it completely. Fortunately, the brave warrior Samus Aran was there to defend the universe. He may be our only --”

    “Excuse me.” The bored woman said loudly. She had folded her briefing notes into an Origami spacecraft.

    “WHAT IS IT NOW??” Domoteras was now infuriated by this woman. He was wondering why this woman was there, in this important war meeting.

    Well, you see, Samus Aran isn’t a man. She’s a woman.”

    “AND HOW WOULD YOU KNOW?!” He screamed.

    “I know, because I am that woman, Samus Aran, the esteemed guest of honor you invited.”

    As it became extremely quiet in the room, Domoteras realized that he had made an inexcusable mistake. He had been back-talking to the most dangerous person in the galaxy: Samus Aran. His face turned purple, and he suddenly knew that if he stayed in the room much longer, his chances of survival would be very slim indeed. He quietly stepped away from the podium, and he sat down, hoping that Samus had some bit of forgiveness left.

    A man with short black hair and a very formal business-like suit suddenly stepped into the room. All eyes were instantly drawn to his attention, even Samus’. The man took a double take, since everyone had begun to stare at him.

    “…I do not believe that you need to stare at me so intently. It gives me the impression that you are all attracted to me.”

    After those words, everyone was trying desperately to be the first person not looking at him.

    “What? Am I that ugly that you mustn’t be looking at me? Do not worry yourselves; I have no intention of cracking another joke like that. Anyways, if anyone doesn’t know who I am, I will simply tell you. My name is General Gordon Nortel, and putting all formalities aside, I’m glad I could meet you all today. Now, if Domoteras does not mind, I will carry off where he started. I hate going to meetings, they always take so long.”

    Now, Nortel stepped up to the podium, and pulled out a large folder around five inches thick from his briefcase. Everyone took a deep breath in, and held it. – Is he really going to read that to us? – I hope not, it looks too big, and he said he hated long meetings – What does he mean by long? But instead, Nortel simply pulled out one sheet of paper, and placed it on the podium, withdrawing the rest of that enormous folder. Everyone let their breath slip out in relief. Nortel made a thick cough, and began to read his speech.

    “Leaving off where Domoteras was, during the past few years, the famed warrior Samus Aran was there to defend the galaxy from dangerous events that were catastrophic in every way, shape, and form. She is currently the only bounty hunter with the most military appraisal. She is truly the last hope we had. And now, we ask of a favor. Today, Samus is our esteemed guest of honor at this important meeting. She plays a vital role in all of our future plans. Samus, would you please come to the podium?”

    Samus rose from her seat, and passed by Domoteras on the way, giving him a terrible chill up and down his spine. She took her place by the podium.

    “Samus, we have been grateful for your help in all past instances, but we all need something else from you. Will you accompany our troops onto the battlefront? Will you help us end this devastating war?”

    Samus frowned in deep thought. She knew that involving herself in a never-ending war was dangerous, but that wasn’t what was on her mind. She felt that she would end up in it anyway, even if she didn’t say yes. So…

    “Yes. I will help you alongside the troops of the Galactic Federation. I will help you end this war!”


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    Far away from the site of the meeting, the Space Pirates were preparing their own dangerous countermeasure. They had become great allies with a dangerous person. In a room with many shifty characters, Lord Ridley was seated in a large crusty throne, covered in dirt and grime and burnt bodies. Ridley, who was becoming impatient with the messenger troop, started to growl unpleasantly.

    “Where is that useless messenger I sent out an hour ago!?”

    A very frightened lobster trooper ran into the room, along with a person in white and black armor. The Space Pirates were divided into 4 types: Lobster, Lizard, Beetle, and Alligator. Unfortunately, this lobster was about to become broiled.

    “H-h-h-h-ere is that man you wanted, Lord Ridley, sir.” The trooper was already aware of his fate.

    Ridley gave the trooper the “you are going to die right here and now” look, for he wasn’t very tolerant of lateness.

    “Adorios, have you had the Earth food called lobster?” Ridley asked.

    The man in white and black armor replied: “No, Lord Ridley. I have never been able to try this dish before.”

    Ridley gave a small laugh. “Well then, now may be a good time to try some.”

    Ridley released a thick onslaught of flames. The trooper was engulfed, and screams of pain and terror filled the room. Soon, there was the corpse of a lobster on the floor. Not many of the troopers in the room cared, some of them laughed.

    “I am sure that you are well aware of why I brought you here, correct, Adorios?”

    “Of course I know why. I have been given the imperative goal of destroying your enemy, Samus Aran. She really does not seem as much of a challenge.”

    “Good, good. You must bring her down if you wish for us to bring out your requests.”

    Adorios was silent for a moment. “No. if you wish to see Samus dead, you must see to it that the machine is operational beforehand. If the machine is not operating, then the plan will not follow through correctly.

    Ridley was now the silent one. He had never had his orders denied before, yet when Adorios did it, he knew that he was correct.

    “Very well. This is the only time I’ll let you call the shots, though. By the way, the troopers around here like to call you their ‘last hope’. What does this mean to you?”

    “I find it as nothing of much importance. You said something about lobster, didn’t you?”

    “Yes, I did. Care to have some?”

    Adorios reached over to the corpse, and tore off a sturdy limb.

    Ridley was going to like this guy for a long time.



    Chapter Two: New and Improved.

    Year 20X9 Cosmic Calendar: 25th of May.

    Location: Planet Distundia, Storehouse Planet for Andromeda Appliances®.

    Samus was wiggling around in her seat. It had been five hours since the ship had entered hyperspace, and they still had an hour to go. Usually, it would take only 16 minutes to get from Norion to Aether in hyperspace with reduced traffic, but even when traffic was at maximum, six hours was a really insane number. Samus looked out the window, and suddenly realized why it was taking so long.

    “Why aren’t we in hyperspace?” Samus asked.

    “The area we are passing through is a popular tourist hub. If we had entered hyperspace, we would have probably set the entire sector on fire. Not only that, but we would have violated our own speeding laws. Not good for our public face, eh?” the pilot said.

    “Why didn’t you just change course? You know, go around?”

    “Can’t.” he tapped the control panel with his knuckle. “It’s on autopilot. If the course was to change, the entire ship would lock and it would sit here, detecting an intruder. It would sit here till GF troops got here to apprehend whatever culprit did so.”

    “Phbbbt. Some pilot you are, piloting a ship that doesn’t even need steering.”

    If she had used her ship, she would have gotten there in sixteen minutes exactly.

    Of course, her ship and equipment were taken away for the moment…


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    When Samus got out of the ship, you could tell she was very impatient. She was tapping her foot so fast you could have sworn she was trying to cause earthquakes for small animals. That or she needed to use the bathroom.

    A humanoid robot stepped up to her and greeted her warmly. “Hello Samus, good to see you again.”

    Samus was puzzled. “I'm sorry, have we met?”

    The robot let out a small laugh. “Of course you don’t remember me. I’m neither a human nor a computer. It’s me, Adam.”

    Samus was very surprised. She and Adam hadn’t heard from each other in a while, since her ship was taken for testing. “Adam! How – When – Where, how is this possible? You look so………shiny!”

    And indeed, he was, shiny. His body in structure was similar to Ghor’s, from way long back. “The GF scientists are busy adding new applications to your ship. They didn’t want to possibly damage me, so they removed me for now. There are also other things they are working on, too, but that is a surprise for now. Come, the real reason you are here is for your mission.”

    Adam led her through a long tunnel from the docking bay to the main building. Outside the tunnel, Samus could see the planet she was on out the window. The only thing that was visible though was fast moving yellow clouds blowing in every direction. “Adam, what kind of planet is Distundia?”

    “Distundia is a desert planet. The air is very harmful, since the sand has been contaminated with lead and sulfuric residue. When you set foot upon it later, your suit will have new air filtering technology.”

    Samus looked straight ahead in the tunnel, and saw that the end was nearing them soon. When they got there, they set foot in an elevator that took them high in a tower, above the clouds. Soon, Samus could see the barren landscape that made up Distundia. She could also see large doors built into the walls of some cliffs in the distance. She wondered what those were.

    “Adam, what are those?”

    “Ah. Distundia is not only a barren planet, but it is also the home of Andromeda Appliance’s storehouses. All bulk and products are held here after manufacturing. In fact, this building is simply a repurposed storehouse. We did not have the time to set up a proper base.”

    Samus was silent for a moment. “So why is my mission here?”

    Adam looked in her direction. If robots could smile, Adam would have been smiling. “We are wondering the same of the Space Pirates.”


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    Ridley was impatient as usual. His tail was thumping so fast you could have sworn he was trying to cause earthquakes for large animals. That or he needed to kill something. Soon, a messenger from the science facility came to him. If Ridley wasn’t so desperate for what the science facility had prepared for him, he would have killed the messenger. Ridley was having a rough time with messengers lately.

    “Lord Ridley, the spires are nearing the final stages of development. But, I do so hope I am not prying, sir, but why are the spires to be completed on the way to Distundia?” the messenger asked.

    “You know what, soldier? I seriously don’t know. Adorios said that the spires were to be completed before the 26th of May. He says that they have a specific purpose.”

    “Well, purpose or no purpose, the spires will be finished the moment they touch the ground.”

    “Good. We no longer need to wait. Tell the crew of the science facility that the spires’ hyperdrive engines are to be completed early. We are heading to Distundia.”

    As the messenger took off, Adorios stepped into the room. His black visor was similar to Samus’s in shape, and his helmet was shaped like a boomerang. His armor had a large black W shape on its chest, and the rest of his armor was a silvery white. His armor was seamless and solid, yet his body moved with fluid perfection. The only thing that seemed it would come off was his helmet. Adorios started to speak.

    “When the spire is finished, you are to wait in the processor core of the machine. There, you will wait for Samus to come and encounter you. If she dies, then you shall have an obstacle removed in the grand plan. If you die, however, do not expect to have lost. You will be brought back to life again by the use of my technology, and the plan shall carry on. Is the plan clear?”

    Ridley was silent for a moment. The air was fogging his senses, mesmerizing him, and soon, all feelings of destroying the intruder on their ship slipped away. The intruder, with the black visor and the white armor…

    “Yes, it is clear. This is the only time I’ll let you call the shots though…”


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    Samus was sitting at a holotable with Adam by her side. The rest of the ranking officers, including General Nortel, were seated around the table. Adam started to speak.

    “When the Space Pirates start landing, we are to get the ships to land near our makeshift base. Then, we shall start attacking the Space Pirate’s Queen Ship. Ridley will obviously be inside the ship, so it will be Samus’s job to destroy him. Of course, General Nortel is to lead the sky pilots against the Space Pirate aerial forces, and Admiral Howard will command the 6th and 34th divisions against the ground troopers with Vice-admiral Solomon. Samus, you are to infiltrate the queen ship with me and a team of expert military hunters. Are there any objections, Lady?”

    Samus still had a nagging thought at the back of her head. “Why are the Pirates invading here? I mean, unless Ridley wants a new food processor, there isn’t a real reason for them to be here.”

    “We still have no idea what the Pirates are after, but we are certain that it obviously is not a good reason, food processor or not. Come, Milady, for we are to discuss your new team and equipment.”

    Samus followed Adam into a room with a few reliable looking bounty hunters inside. He led her up to a man in a black shell of armor. The man reminded her of Kanden, except for the fact that she could see his human face.

    “This is Xorexus Redisen. He has proved himself worthy in many different occasions. He will be a good teammate, do you agree?”

    Samus gave him a look in the eye. To her, he was most qualified. “I believe his true worth will be revealed on the battlefield. He is perfect.”

    Xorexus smiled. “I am honored to hear such judgment from such a legendary warrior. I am pleased to be of service.”

    They moved on to the next person. This one set a deep shock into Samus’s heart. “Rundas?!”

    “No, unfortunately. This is Harquar, a valuable hunter from the same species as Rundas. He has become quite valuable to the Galactic Federation.”

    “I agree. Rundas’s ice weaponry has saved my life many times in the past. I cannot repay my debt to him now, so I shall repay him by working with one of his own species.”

    Harquar simply nodded, and they moved on to the last hunter. She was a Ramadora, but unlike the rest of her species, she looked like she had seen more battles than the Ramadorans had ever seen.

    “This is Listal Tirex. She is a new addition to the ranks, but we believed we should allow you to see if she was ready for this. She claims she is a novice to bounty hunting, but still…”

    Samus looked at Listal intently, as if trying to discover the light at the end of a tunnel. She spoke with a serious voice.

    “There will be more blood than you have ever seen. More than I have ever seen.”

    Listal looked at Samus. “I will be ready.”

    “Are you sure? I can tell you have had a painful past. You wish not to think of it.”

    “I said I would be ready.”

    Adam intervened. “Well Milady? Is she up for the job?”

    Samus nodded. “Yes. She is like me in many ways.”

    Adam nodded at this, and led her to the research lab. Samus had a painful past, as well.


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    “Well, Samus, we have been redesigning many features of your ship and suit, and we would like to see if you approve of many of the changes we made.”

    Samus nodded. The scientists led her to the ship first. It was simply painted a different color, she thought at first, for it was orange now. But when she inspected the cockpit, she discovered that there was no computer. She got out and confronted Adam.

    “Why is the computer gone? Are you not coming with me anymore? Please, tell me, why is this to be?”

    Adam sighed. “Samus, the Galactic Federation believes that there is no reason for me to accompany you, for they feel that they no longer have the need to have jurisdiction over you anymore. Anyways, now that they have given me this new body, they want me back in command soon. I will no longer be around you all the time.”

    Samus was crestfallen. She had lost Adam again, and it was because of the Galactic Federation again as well. She pushed these feelings aside for the moment, however, and decided to see the suit the research lab had prepared for her to use.

    It was amazing. It had the look and feel of her Chozodian power suit, but the shoulders were now clear on top, using the same sturdy fiberglass that her visor used. She could see every detail inside. And when she stepped into her suit, she noticed it still had all the latent abilities as her old suit. But for some reason, there was a new button by her pinky in her arm cannon. She pressed it, and a machete blade popped out of her arm cannon. She admired this new addition, and pressed the same button to retract it.

    “Well, Milady, what do you think?” Adam asked. He was definitely smiling now.

    “What do I think? I think I feel new and improved.”



    Chapter Three: The Path of the Hunter.

    Year 20X9 Cosmic Calendar: 26th of May.

    Location: Planet Distundia, Storehouse Planet for Andromeda Appliances®.

    The planet was indeed cloudy. Samus could barely see what was directly in front of her face. Therefore, she had just bumped into Admiral Howard for the sixth time.

    “Oof! Samus, could you please try to pay attention to your surroundings? This is becoming quite a nuisance.”

    “Apologies, Admiral Howard, It shall not happen again.”

    “It had better not happen again.”

    Samus was about to blunder straight into his back again when suddenly, she felt a tapping at the base of her neck. She spun around, only to see Xorexus trying to tap her again. Now that he had her attention, he started to speak.

    “Samus, if you really need to see anything, just change visors. Unless you don’t have any right now, that is.”

    Samus’s cheeks were a deep red now. She forgot that her suit had all of her latent abilities. She flipped to her Thermal Visor, and soon, she could prevent anymore embarrassing accidents.

    “Thanks, Xorexus. You know, you really are quite the techie. When we enter the ship, I hope you have a good device to keep us undercover.”

    Xorexus smiled. “I think I can whip something up.”

    As the group moved on, Samus realized they were at the edge of a tall cliff. She flipped off her visor, and noticed that the clouds had stopped, too. She looked down, and realized that Ridley wasn’t fooling around today.

    “What the hell. Ridley must really want a new food processor that badly.”

    “Dang. That is more than I thought Ridley would send here.” said Xorexus.

    “He really is asking for it, isn’t he?” growled Harquar.

    There were millions of them. It seemed as if the entire Space Pirate race was there on duty. Samus was starting to shake with fury. The sight of every single one drove a spike deep into Samus’s heart. It was a spike of hatred, a spike of sorrow. And when one was staring at one million Space Pirates all at once, it drove that spike so deep that it was enough to drive her into a rage of a feral beast. The same untamed rage only found in one creature: The Metroid.

    Samus let out an angry shout and dove for the swarming masses down below. Adam tried to stop her, but then let her go.

    “Why did she just do that? And why did you let her go?” Listal asked Adam.

    Adam gave her a solemn look. “It is because she has a painful past, like you. Unless you wish to become her next victim, you must let her do what she feels is right. Often, you will have to help her do what she needs to do, no matter how insane it may seem. That is the path of the hunter, Listal, and you have just now fallen into the footsteps of this path.” And with that, he jumped after Samus, leaving the others to decide what their path was. Listal turned to face the other bounty hunters, only to see that they already had jumped down into the conflict. As the fight continued, Listal made up her mind, and jumped in.


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    One: Samus does not like Space Pirates.

    Two: Space Pirates make Samus angry.

    Three: Do not make Samus angry.

    Samus first landed on top of an unsuspecting lobster pirate. She placed her cannon into his face, and fired a hole through his skull. After that, all hell broke loose. The pirate closest to her instantly tried to fire a proton shot at her. But, she was already gone and underneath him in morph ball mode. Expertly laying three bombs at the base of his feet, she shattered his bones and left him screaming at the ground. She quickly got up, switched to her plasma beam, and charged it up with a power bomb. The effect was instantaneous. A green shock wave oscillated from her cannon, ripping apart every pirate it encountered. Soon, a small gap was missing in the amount of pirates left. Then, she switched to her brand new machete. She sliced downwards on one lizard pirate, only to realize it wasn’t enough to take it out completely. Soon, there were too many pirates closing in on her, and she was running out of time. Then an idea hit her. She charged up her plasma beam with the machete still extended, and sliced a pirate in a long, upward swoop. Just as she hoped, the heat from her beam superheated her blade to searing temperatures. The pirate was left in two charred, smoking halves. This wasn’t fully realized by the other pirates until it was too late. Samus moved quickly to slash every pirate in front of her, leaving the path to victory cleared.

    A ways off from where Samus was, Xorexus was doing well with his battles. He shot five pirates with a precise, blue beam squarely in their foreheads, and placed a bomb at the base of one pirate’s neck. As the pirate floundered to get the bomb off, he accidentally activated it, causing an explosion that almost outclassed the range of a power bomb. Then, Xorexus charged up his beam, and just as quickly, it was released, causing a large bunch of lasers to home in and collide with the nearest heat source they could find. And over fifty pirates fell to their knees at the same time. Xorexus smiled. He may seem like an innocent young man, but he really meant what he did for work.

    Harquar forced his thick, icy fist into the throat of a pirate who was only added to the ranks 2 days ago. Oh well. Then, he took the pirate, and froze it into the shape of a sword. The seven pirates that had all just charged at him were quickly impaled and then launched like a large, grotesque, frozen missile. When it collided with the torso of an escaping pirate, it caused a temperature shift in which the air simply froze and then melted; causing the same effect upon any Space Pirate that was unlucky enough to be in range. And there were a lot of pirates in range. Then, he ran forward with all of his might, and conjured a path of ice which he floated upon. With all the power he had, he forced all of his might into the ground, and icy stalagmites popped out of the ground, shredding and freezing many Space Pirates. Harquar launched to the ground with a heavy thud, and slowly left the scene.

    Adam was a bit new to the entire “hunter” thing, but he wasn’t to be taken lightly, not even one bit. He moved with fluid precision, using thin laser blades attached to his wrist to slice any pirate that got in his way. His wiry body moved in elegant curves and movements, flowing like the ripples on a pond. His laser blades suddenly turned into laser beams, and he shot down any pirate he saw. He did not miss his mark once. Then, he used his laser to superheat the sand around him into a lake of melted glass. All the pirates around him fell into the lake, and then, the glass hardened, leaving the pirates in a perfect frozen state of death. If one were to look down, they would see each and every pirate that fell into his deadly trap.

    Listal was most definitely not a novice, as she had claimed. She had already taken out 67 pirates on her own, without any fancy weaponry. But she was saving her good stuff for last. She shot her signature weapon, the kinetic beam, straight into the belly of a crocodile pirate. The beam shot at him with pure kinetic force, and completely ripped him in half. Then, she decided to use the big one. She charged her beam up with a speed missile, and then released it. The missile, which already shot at the speed of sound, was boosted by the force of kinetic energy. It blew straight through the pirates in its way, and the kinetic force in its wake ripped through the pirates around it. Then, the missile exploded on the cliff on the opposite side of the gorge, and a land slide occurred which crushed every pirate that happened to be near that wall. And since all the pirates were running in that direction to get away from her, they ended up running into their deaths.

    Even Nortel was having his fair share of battle. In fact, if he hadn’t been in the skies at the moment, the overhead ships would have had the chance to launch deadly bombs at the scene below. Nortel’s ship was an interesting model. The wings of the ship were edged with laser blades, allowing collision with any ship he flew through. He suddenly spotted a ship that was about to launch a bomb down below. He shot forward with intense speed, and sliced the bomber in half. He looked down, and saw that there were a significant amount of pirates missing. That was good, because he hated long battles.

    Admiral Howard and Vice-admiral Solomon were stunned. They had never seen such skillful mastery before.

    “I see why these hunters are on our side.” Howard said.

    “Why is that, Admiral?” said Solomon.

    “Because if they weren’t on our side, they would be considered a threat to the Galactic Federation. If you can’t beat them, join them.

    Solomon nodded. These hunters were definitely not a force to be reckoned with. After only half an hour, five warriors had already taken out one third of one million pirates. He shuddered at the thought of the pirates out there being GF troopers instead.


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    Samus plopped down next to a rock which she had recently killed a Space Pirate on. She saw Adam, and gave him a wave of her hand.

    “Adam! How many did you get?

    “I think I got around a good amount of 160,000. What about you, Harquar?”

    Harquar, who had just sat down, looked up. “200,000. Xorexus?”

    Xorexus, who had been sitting by the rock for quite a while, smiled. “271,846. I have a counter in my suit. Samus? How did you do?”

    Samus took in a large breath, and let it out. “I don’t know how many exactly, but I think around…” she did a little math problem on her fingers, and finally said “304,000.”

    Everyone made remarks of approval. “Looks like you outclassed us. But what else to expect from the great Samus?”

    Suddenly, a beetle pirate jumped out of nowhere and aimed directly at Samus’s throat with his slasher blade.

    Samus was about to fire it with a missile but she was too late to stop it. And suddenly, as it was two inches away from Samus, it suddenly exploded in a shower of exoskeleton shards. Samus and the others were surprised, and looked up. Listal was slowly walking forward, with her smoking cannon still pointing at where the pirate was just standing. With a c**k of her head, she said her total triumphantly.

    “310,000, including that one I just got.”

    Everyone was silent at first, but then they all started clapping, admiring her hard work and diligence. Samus smiled. She walked up to Listal and put her hand on her shoulder.

    “Thanks Listal. I owe you one. You really are the hunter I imagined you as.”

    Adam spoke up. “Milady, It should be time when we ended this battle. We should probably head for the queen ship soon, or else it may try to escape.”

    Samus nodded, and started taking off to the queen ship as fast as she could. The others followed, ready to aid Samus upon destroying the true threat to the universe.


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    Estimated total of Space Pirates destroyed: 1,250,000.


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    Samus helped Xorexus to his feet as he got into the open hull of the queen ship. Yes, it was open. Samus thought this was a little too inviting. As they walked through the corridors, Samus realized that there weren’t any pirates to be seen. It was almost as if Ridley had painted a sign upon the front of the ship saying: COME ON IN!! WE HAVE RIDLEY SHOOTING PRACTICE RIGHT HERE FOR FREE!! It was way too suspicious for Samus to believe. When she got to the room where Ridley always was in, she noticed no one was home. Confused and lost in thought, the five hunters left the ship, pondering at where Ridley was.

    Harquar broke the silence first. “Okay. So we tried to find Ridley, and no one was home. And if we looked everywhere in the queen ship, and we know he isn’t out here, then who is leading the pirate troopers?”

    “I don’t know, Harquar,” said Samus, “but there aren’t any signs of him here, which is a bit strange, because it isn’t like Ridley to hide. He must be in a ship in the atmosphere or something…”

    Just as Samus finished her sentence, her voice was drowned out by an enormous ship hovering past over their heads. Soon, a second one followed, and as they landed a bit off from where they were standing, the two ships were identified as two huge metal spires. The spires were a silvery white, with thick black marks covering each one. Suddenly, three large spikes protruded from the thing’s seamless surface, and they dug deep into the ground. Soon, red waves were shooting up the spikes, and the black marks started to glow an eerie orange. Now, both spires were glowing orange and a yellow beam started to form at the tip of each one.

    Samus nodded. “I was right. He’s in that thing, after all this time.



    Chapter Four: The Fury of the Beast.

    Year 20X9 Cosmic Calendar: 26th of May

    Location: Planet Distundia, Storehouse Planet for Andromeda Appliances®

    “Soooo…How do we get all the way from here to there before those things shoot a laser or something?” Said the confused Phyrgian.

    “Well, if you really want to know, we can run. Or, unless you can’t run as fast as the others Harquar…someone could carry you…” Samus said with a smile.

    If Phyrgians could blush, this would be what Harquar would be doing.

    “Shut up! I will not allow you to humiliate me so!”

    “Ok then. We’ll give you a head start!” Samus said playfully.

    Harquar blushed again, and ran off in humiliation toward the spires.

    “Was that really necessary, Milady?” Adam said.

    “Yes, it was. In order to get this team going, I will need to test their loyalties and their character. For Harquar, I tested his ability to act upon opportunity. The opportunity: a head start.”

    Samus crouched suddenly, and tapped a few buttons at her heels. She tensed, and then broke into a fast paced run.

    Xorexus smiled. “I see why Samus gave him the head start.”

    “Why?” asked Listal.

    “Because he really needs it”


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    Samus was running pretty fast. But it wasn’t as fast as Harquar. He was using his icy abilities to reduce friction between his feet and the rocky ground. But this really didn’t matter to Samus. She was gaining speed quickly. A gyro placed at the heel of each foot doubled the speed and intensity of every step she took. Soon, her body was glowing red due to the heat caused by wind friction. As she reached 130 miles per hour, she stopped and crouched. The energy preserved in the gyros was shaking her entire body. Mustering all of her strength, she pulled the energy into her body and jumped into the air. And then, she released it.

    The sound was deafening. It held the force of Mach4 in its wake. Samus was moving faster than the speed of sound, a projectile of pure force and will. She sped past Harquar, and pulled him with her in her wake. Soon, the spire was in sight. Even sooner, they both crashed straight through the supersteel outer shell.

    Samus got up groggily. Her speed booster was never that fast before. In fact, it often didn’t have the ability to even penetrate limestone. But, they were inside one of them, which was all that mattered. Wait…they?? Samus ran over to Harquar’s weak form. It was breathing steadily, and was trying to get up.

    “Harquar!! Are you ok? I didn’t mean to do that. Please tell me you are ok!”

    “Huff…huff…huff. Next time, give me a better head start.”

    Samus let out a breath of relief. She helped him get to his feet, and checked his vital signs. He seemed to be good enough to take out Ridley by himself.

    “Do you think we are in the correct spire?” said Harquar.

    “I don’t know. Let me use my X-ray visor…”

    Soon, Samus’s entire field of vision was enveloped in blue with white outlines. She looked toward Harquar, and smiled at his skeleton. The skeleton waved back. Then, she looked up, and saw a horde of Space Pirates. They were operating all of the machinery in the spire. She looked down, and saw the energy processors. She looked around some more, and then saw a dragon-like skeleton. Switching off her X-ray visor, she walked toward the wall in which direction she could see Ridley. Then, she activated her machete, and sliced at the wall with plasma dripping from its blade. Cutting through the wall like paper, she was greeted by a flash of light, and her vision cleared soon enough. Looking through the hole, her heart sank when she saw that Ridley was in the other spire.

    “He’s in the other one?” Harquar queried.

    “He’s in the other one.” Samus replied.

    “Chorr!” (Samus took this to be a Phyrgian swear.) “We’ll never get there in time!”

    “Come on. I have a feeling that we may get there after all. Look!”

    A connector wire was extending from one spire to the other near the top of each one. When the two were connected, the entire building shook. Then, a wave of energy that shook both Samus’s and Harquar's insides went up the spire. A feeling of dread overtook Samus. Without a word, both Samus and Harquar started to ascend the spire.


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    Adam was the first to notice the wave of energy. “Listal, look!”

    The wave was slowly moving up the spire but gaining speed. Soon, it reached the top. The glowing yellow ball that was currently perched at the top overflowed with energy that burst into the heavens. Soon, a white laser was visible to the entire universe as it shot forth to the very edges of space. Listal felt the exact feeling of dread that Samus was feeling at the moment. She then had a plan. She sat down, and aimed her kinetic beam at the tower Samus was in. She started to charge it up, and kinetic energy started to build up in front of her, distorting space around the shot. She mumbled to herself: “Come on Samus, hurry up.”


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    Unfortunately, Samus couldn’t hurry up at the moment. She was faced with a little dilemma. Harquar’s powers weren’t working as well due to the massive bump on his noggin from the previous impact, and for some stupid reason, Samus didn’t have her space jump.

    “mfrgrlrgrrllgrfrgg…” Samus swore under her breath. “Those idiots. Why did they give me everything else except my space jump?”

    Why did she need her space jump? Because she was at the base of a huge well, and she had no way of reaching the top. Angrily, she shot a super missile at the top of the well. Suddenly, an idea formed itself in her head. “Harquar! Come here, and grab my leg!”

    “Umm…ok?”

    He took hold of her leg. Samus nodded, and shot a super missile towards the top again. This time though, she did the unthinkable. With her shields set toward the top of her body, she used her grapple beam to latch onto the escaping missile. The missile lurched under her weight with Harquar, but it soon pulled them up slowly. It certainly was a funny sight. Samus and Harquar were the first people in the universe to hijack a missile. But Samus was taking a heavy toll on her suit. The propulsion was spraying right on top of her, reducing her energy levels steadily. They soon neared the top, and Samus swung their weight onto the edge, letting go of the missile. They both landed with a heavy thud at the edge.

    “Owww…geez. That was the stupidest idea I ever had.”

    “But it definitely worked.”

    Samus smiled. “It definitely worked”

    Samus got to her feet, and saw a door to her left. She pulled Harquar up, and shot the door. It opened, and the control room was visible from there. Pulling Harquar with her, she popped her machete out and charged it up with her wave beam. A Space Pirate got up to attack her, but was instantly tazed by her electrically charged blade. Harquar shot out an ice spreader that froze most of the pirates left. Samus looked around, and saw the connector cable out one of the windows. Using a plasma missile to melt the window through, she jumped onto the cable, followed by Harquar. Steadily, they began to cross.


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    Listal saw two figures crossing the bridge between the spires. Looking closer, she saw that it was Samus and Harquar.

    “Listal! Look! It’s them! They are making it across to the other spire!”

    Listal grunted “Then they won’t be needing the other one.”

    She released the huge ball of kinetic force that she had been storing up for the last five minutes at the spire. As it sped toward the spires, the other spire suddenly had a huge blue wave of energy rush up it. As the two spires shot beams into the sky above, a shield stated to form from the top. Unfortunately, the kinetic shot simply bounced off of the shield into the sky.

    “Oh, SHOOT!”


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    Samus and Harquar were almost completely across when the second wave came up. Feeling the same electrocution from before, they now saw that two beams were shooting straight up, along with a shield that was steadily making it’s way toward the ground.

    “Crap. We better do this quickly, or we won’t be able to get out.”

    She melted the window for the second control room, and relentlessly destroyed the other pirates along with Harquar. They made their way down the spire, and soon came into a steamy room that nearly blocked all vision. Switching to her X-ray visor, she saw a hulking white skeleton across the room from her.

    Samus glared at it. “Hello Ridley.”

    The dragon looked up at her with glaring eyes. “Come for your death, hunter?” he said with a raspy voice lined with just a crackle of fire.

    “You always say that. Before we kill you brutally, tell me, what the hell is your plan?”

    “For once, I will tell you.” He said with a little chuckle. “I seriously don’t know.” He broke out into deep laughter that released the Metroid anger inside her. She popped her plasma-laden machete out, and placed it under his skinny neck.

    “What the hell do you mean!? You better answer now, or that stick you call a neck will be severed before you can say ‘I’.”

    Ridley was suddenly genuinely frightened looking. “Help me, hunter. I have nothing to do with this at all. The mist you see around you is not really mist, but a brainwashing mixture. He’s in my mind! He wants me to help him destroy theeeeeeeeetryeryeuretrtrtegrgrggggrrrrrrrrrr…”

    Soon, Ridley was no longer a beast of sanity, but a beast of pure hunger. He lashed out at Samus with his powerful claws, and knocked her into the wall. Then, he sped into her, and they both went through the wall and out into the vast expanse of desert. Harquar, who was trying to get over the groggy feeling he got from the strange mist, stumbled after her and the dragon.

    Samus slashed at Ridley in a furious rage. The plasma sliced through his leathery skin, and left a bloody cut on his shoulder. Ridley brought his fist down on Samus’s shoulder, and cracked the glass that covered it. They struggled in the sand, and blood was everywhere. Ridley and her were positioned right under the falling shield when Ridley covered her in flames. The fire got into he suit through the crack that Ridley made, and her screams of pain echoed across the canyon.

    Weak and limp, Samus fell to the ground. Ridley laughed again, and was going to eat the hunter once and for all. But as he dove his head down, his body was cased entirely in ice. Harquar quickly grabbed Samus’s limp form and ran off from the now closing shield. The frozen Ridley was then crushed underneath the wall, and his body lay split in two, one half on either side of the shield.

    Harquar looked back at the impossible weapon behind him. The laser was reaching out into space as far as possible, and the truth behind the terrible machine was yet to be uncovered. Looking down at Samus, Harquar's eyes filled with icy liquid. Her vital signs were low, and an army of pirates was nearing to finish them off. He wasn’t going to let her die. No, not like the last time.

    The twin lasers of death spewed into the sky, and Harquar carried Samus to a place where they would both be safe.

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    ---To be continued---

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    Please Review! More will come soon. Thank you for reading!

    ---Adorios--- (not the bad guy!)