-1At first, it was simple. There was to be a new face or two under his command; it was nothing that he wasn't used to. Commander Adam Malkovich recognized some of the faces from training, and others were completely foreign to him. Not a one stood out at first. Each one of them were under his command, and he planned to treat them all equally. To not do so would be foolhardy.
His stern blue gaze examined each new soldier, and he nodded once in approval. They knew what to expect. They signed up for the Federation, didn't they?
It was to be a simple relationship between a group of troops and their superior officer. Strictly professional.
As he moved about, he noticed one face at the far end of the line.
Samus Aran. The harsh look in her eyes and the way her jaw seemed to be set gave her away. She was the girl raised by the bird-like race, the Chozo … and the lone survivor of the attack on K-2L. What was she doing here, of all places? That one question played in his mind a few times, and his intrigue peaked almost immediately.
That face made him wonder-what made her tick? How did she work? Why was she at the Federation instead of with the Chozo? She looked so young … far younger than any other greenhorn he met.
It didn't take him long to notice the mental shield she had placed around himself. Any attempt to speak to her during the first few days was cut off by a curt and cold reply. At first, Adam thought it impossible. She was impossible.
He didn't entirely expect her to open up to him, anyhow. She was a soldier, and he was a commander. Personal feelings and military work should always be kept separate. Samus did her job very well, despite her obvious rebellious attitude, and that's all that mattered.
He told himself that constantly from day one.
It had been a week since he received his new squad. She only grew colder … more distant. From the way her fellow soldiers were treating her, Adam could understand why she acted the way she did.
They ridiculed her. They were subtly mocking her, insulting her with words such as "Lady." It was such a lovely word, and to hear it used in such a fashion upset him. However, much to his regret, he did nothing to dissuade them. He didn't wish to distract them further from what they needed to do to serve.
Perhaps he had been around them far too long … he had gotten a bit careless with his words. During one mission briefing, he had accidentally called Samus "lady." The shock only showed in his eyes for a moment, but then he brushed it off. It was a mistake, and it was too late to change it now. Samus had turned to glare at him.
The two simply stared at each other for a moment. Instead of snapping off, she remained silent, and Adam couldn't help but smile slightly. He wasn't amused, but that intrigue was peaked again. The young soldier under his command looked baffled. Regardless, she shakily gave the thumbs-up.
He nodded, and wrapped up the meeting.
Adam had his first dream that night.
Odd. He normally didn't dream at all, not even as a child. That was his younger brother's role.
The first thing he noticed was how empty this sequence was. Almost instantly, he was able to recognize that this wasn't real. He felt too detached. He was too disoriented. How people could read anything into these things was beyond him.
Regardless, he could clearly see what was in front of him. It stuck out so brightly in the darkness.
It was human. He felt a knot in his chest, and before he knew it, his feet were carrying him forward. It felt like she was so far away, even though she was so close.
Wait. She?
He wanted to pause, stop himself-he knew what was ahead of him, but his feet would not stop moving. He knew that it was a dream, and that he couldn't control what he did in dreams, but this was … unnerving. Adam finally reached her, and placed a hand on her shoulder.
Samus turned her head towards him, with a smile on her face. Initially, he felt relieved.
Adam. Commander.
Before he could respond, she faded.
Adam woke up, barely noticing the beads of sweat pouring from his forehead. He was panting-he felt a bit cold. He was nervous, of all things.
To say the least, it was odd. These things never shook him. They meant nothing in the end; it was just disjointed thoughts coming together at once. Yet, for some reason, it was different when she was in it. Adam sighed in frustration, turned back over, and eventually fell back into an uneasy sleep.
When he gave the mission objectives the next day, he stole a subtle glance at Samus. Upright posture, focused and determined … a good soldier. Idly, he wondered for a moment if he was stating fact or if he was giving a brief reminder to himself.
For the first time in a long while, Adam had a few hours to himself. It took him a moment to realize that he was walking towards the library, which was a treat in of itself. He hardly had time to read for pleasure anymore. When he did read at all, it was mainly for work.
As he entered, he went to the nonfiction side of the library. A gloved hand traced the spines of numerous books before eventually resting on a thinner tome.
Mythological creatures … always an interesting subject. He pulled out the book and sat at the table nearby, flipping through the pages absentmindedly. It didn't take him long for him to be engrossed in the text. It was always fascinating to see what older cultures thought to be true … what they feared and revered.
Page 283
Sirens.
Adam's eyes narrowed slightly, but he continued reading. These creatures are half-bird, half-women. ….
His heart stopped for a moment, but he pushed the feeling aside and scanned the page.
… who were known to lure sailors with their voices and music. The sailors were so entranced that they abandoned their posts, and their ships crashed into the rocky cliffs of their islands.
The commander shut the book promptly. His discomfort was evident as he put the book back on the shelf.
He considered this a warning for himself, more than anything. A scolding. No matter how fascinating Samus was, he would not fall victim to something of that nature. He had work to do. He had no time for such thoughts.
Adam shut his eyes, sighed quietly, and walked back to his office.
Over time, Samus and Adam grew close. It had taken a while, but she had finally shed her armor around him. He knew exactly what she had been through, her quirks, how to calm her down from an outburst … he could say that he knew her, and that they had a connection.
"Any objections, Lady?"
The thumbs-down he received in return made him smile. Then, he focused his attention on the entire group as he finished the briefing.
They had filed out, including Samus, but he remained stoic as he watched her go.
He had figured that the siren-esque qualities of the young soldier would have faded by now. He had hoped that the more he got to know her, the less intrigued he would be. The result was the exact opposite of what he had thought it would be: the fascination only increased as time went on. Now that he knew her, when he looked in her eyes …
He saw pain. He saw the burdens she carried every day-the deaths of her parents, Ridley, the duty she was charged with … he admired how strong she was overall as a person. He wanted to make it a bit easier for her, perhaps get her to open up to the other members of the unit.
Somehow, he wanted to ease the siren's pain, even if it was just a little bit.
Adam began walking out of the room, his head bowed. The door shut behind him.
Sunset.
He had always found sunsets gorgeous to watch, especially from the desk in his office. He had the most spectacular view, and often, he'd pause and just go to the window to watch.
However, this time, he was outside the Federation base. His arms were behind his back, crossed, and he was looking towards it.
Samus was striding towards him. He had never seen her head hung so low-not after his brother's death-but he did not dwell on it.
As she paused mid-stride, he felt a stabbing pain in his chest. She was right next to him. Yet, this wasn't a moment. She was simply leaving his command. This should make him feel a bit better, he knew; the dreams would stop. He wouldn't be fighting a mental battle to simply focus on his work.
Yet, when he caught her out of the corner of his eye … when he saw her walking away …
He knew he wanted to be under the siren's spell. He wanted to be that poor bastard that was lured by the creature's voice.
The dreams would persist for a while, and then fade over time. It would almost be back to normal, except for the small factor that she wouldn't be there anymore. He'd miss those conversations they'd have late into the night, talking about work.
He'd miss her rebellious nature, as well. While she was inexperienced, she had promise. He could see it from a mile away. They just didn't have enough time to let her flourish into one of the best soldiers the Federation had to offer.
Samus was long gone by now.
Adam kept his head up, and began the long walk back to his desk.