Lightpaladin: Hello, everybody! This is a Star Wars/Metroid Xova fic, and my first one at that! So if I do badly, please tell me!
Oh, and in this fic, Samus Aran will be not only a bounty hunter, but a Jedi as well! I know, some of you want to kill me, but hey, that's the way the fortune cookie crumbles, okay? And no flames, okay? I don't want to use them to nuke a random city, okay?
Disclaimer: The entire Star Wars series is owned by George Lucas and the entire Metroid series is owned by Nintendo and Retro Studios, Inc. That means I don't own either of them and never will. But be warned, this plot is mine, so if you take it, you WILL be sued! Got that? Good, good. Now on with the fic!
Anakin VS Samus: The Ultimate Challenge
Part 1
Anakin has succumbed to the Dark Side. There was no mistake in that. His fate now belonged to Chancellor Palpatine, who was found out to be Darth Sidious. Given the name Darth Vader, he was ordered to exterminate all traces of Jedi activity. As for the Jedi fighting the war with the clones on other planets, Sidious told the clones to "Execute Order 66", which was the execution of all allies, namely the Jedi fighting alongside them. All seemed lost. Until a certain bounty hunter entered the Courascant system…
Her name was Samus Aran. She was following traces of a certain kind of activity. Clone activity. Over the past few weeks, she traveled to countless planet systems, finding large amounts of this Clone activity and the bodies of deceased Jedi. Some she knew all too well, others she only saw for the first time. Either way, there was no mistaking that these Clones somehow overwhelmed the Jedi and led them to their demise. Sure, it was possible to overwhelm a Jedi, but not easily. However, these Clones seem to possess fighting technique far superior to normal droids. The Jedi were overwhelmed, and killed. Samus shivered at the thought.
It was true. She was a Jedi herself, once. A human raised by the race known as the Chozo and infused with their blood, which little was known even to the other Jedi. She was trained by the Jedi, and at the same time, trained by the Chozo. Until twenty years ago, when she left the council on a mission and seemed to never have come back. She was announced dead two years later. But she was not dead. Over the years, she was known as the Hunter, the bounty hunter who struck fear into all who came in her way. Now she heads to Courascant system in her Hunter-Class Gunship on a mission of following Clone activity.
It has been quite some time since she left this vast planet. Its entire surface covered by one big city still teemed with life; transports still occupied the skies and people of a wide variety of races still roam the ground. The many skyscrapers glimmered in the sun. It was not long when her gunship approached the Jedi temple. It was still the same as she remembered; four towers surrounding one taller spire.
"This is Samus Aran, requesting permission to land," she spoke into her intercom.
Permission granted. Land on dock C-84 on Northern Tower, a computerized voice responded.
As her gunship landed, she saw someone familiar. That familiar someone was short and had wrinkly green skin. She recognized him immediately: Master Yoda. Eager to meet him once again, she did her leap out of her gunship and landed within inches of Yoda and another Jedi beside him.
"Master Aran, not a moment too soon you have arrived," Yoda greeted. Even with her Varia Suit on, the Force allowed him to see who she was.
"It has been far too long, Master Yoda," Samus greeted as she removed her helmet. Her blonde hair was tied into a ponytail and her eyes were a bright blue tinted with grey. She turned her attention to the other Jedi, who had brown hair, a brown beard, and eyes as blue as hers, although there was no grey in them. "And you are…?" she asked.
"Obi-Wan Kenobi," the Jedi said.
Samus's eyes widened. "Ah, yes. Kenobi. I see you've become a great Jedi knight. No doubt that Qui-Gon Jinn would have been so proud of you," she said. "Do you have an apprentice now?"
"I did," he said.
"Did?"
"Come. Explain more we will," Yoda announced. So Samus followed Yoda and Obi-Wan into the Jedi temple.
Soon, they were deep into talk about the Clones, as well as Anakin.
"So he succumbed to the Dark Side…," Samus uttered.
"It's true. His arrogance and fear lead him there," Obi-Wan said.
"All fear has its source. But fear of what?" she asked.
"Losing a loved one, I assume," he said.
"But isn't love forbidden for the Jedi?"
"It is. But…," Obi-Wan tried to say. He was hesitating. This gave Samus a question she should've asked earlier.
"How old was he when he began his training?" she asked.
"Around nine cycles old," Obi-Wan replied. Samus raised an eyebrow.
"That could be the case. He was too old to begin his training. He was already feeling fear, anger, and love then. I remember, too, that I was too old for training. Yet the Chozo urged me to train for the cause of the Jedi because I could learn many things from you, as I have for the Chozo." True, she began her training at the age of six cycles. Although the Jedi had doubts about her, she eventually succeeded in becoming an accomplished Jedi knight.
"Yes, you may be right," Obi-Wan responded.
Samus sighed. "Moving onto a different subject, what about these Clones? How come they killed the Jedi?"
Obi-Wan hesitated again. "They turned on us."
Samus raised her eyebrow again. "So they are in league with Sidious?"
"So we think."
"Do not assume anything, Samus," Yoda spoke. "Clear your mind must be." Samus nodded her head in agreement. She then closed her eyes for a moment. She cleared her mind of all her thoughts, even her mission on Tallon IV, but just for a moment. She then saw images of a young woman. Her face reflected that of pain and tears fell from her eyes. She cried out for help and spoke Anakin's name before she disappeared. Samus then opened her eyes, and she looked like she was on the verge of tears.
"What is it?" Obi-Wan inquired.
Samus sighed before responding. "I saw Anakin's wife. She is in great pain. She is on the verge of death. And Anakin's fear for losing her is why he went to the Dark Side. He joined Darth Sidious…all for the sake of a loving wife."
Obi-Wan hung his head in disbelief. He was married to her all along. That is forbidden to all Jedi. But his worst fear was realized; he joined the Dark Side to save Padmé.
"What must we do?"
Samus stood. "I know he is your apprentice, and I know you were like a father to him. But seeing this betrayal leaves me little choice. It is best for me to stop Anakin at all costs. Even if it means killing him," she stated firmly. "Do you understand that, Master Kenobi?"
Obi-Wan nodded solemnly. Even if it meant losing his apprentice, they had to do what was best for the galaxy. "Do what you feel is right."
"In that case, I shall hunt him down," Samus replied. She headed for the door, but not before hearing these words from Master Yoda:
"May the Force be with you."
A wave of memories splashed Samus. She had not heard that phrase in twenty years.
"It shall be with me, master. Always," she responded, bowing, then leaving.
Anakin and Sidious were staring out of the balcony towards the metal surface of Courascant.
"You have done well, Lord Vader," Sidious said, his voice like a demon's and corrosive acid. "The Jedi will all die, and a new Empire will begin."
Vader, however, had other things on his mind. "How much more do I have to do to save Padmé?" he asked.
"Patience, my young apprentice. There is one more task you must do before it becomes clear. Go to the planet of Mustafarr, and destroy all of the traitors there."
Anakin nodded. "It will be done, my master." He then left the chamber and headed for the main entrance. He rounded about four dozen Clone troopers before leaving.
They weren't even thirty feet away from the entrance when a shot sounded. One of the Clones fell, dead. Turning around, Anakin saw a dead body behind him. He kept his hand on his lightsaber. Then, flames appeared before the main entrance, freezing him and the Clones in their tracks. Anakin then lashed out his blue crystal lightsaber, ready for anything. Suddenly, a ball of frozen energy struck one of the Clones in the middle row, freezing him rock solid. Then, a missile came out of nowhere and destroyed the frozen soldier. Anakin looked around frantically, searching for the killer. He then spotted the killer above the main entrance.
She was clad in an orange and red suit of armor, with green lining the arms and legs. Her right arm had a type of cannon on it, covering the forearm completely. Circular shoulder plates stood on either side of her helmet, which was orange and had a green visor. She leaped from the top, performed a few somersaults, and landed before Anakin and the Clones. She stood and raised her arm cannon towards him.
"Don't move, or I'll fire," she said sternly, keeping her cannon raised at all times.
Anakin, unmoved by the uninvited guest, said, "Who are you?" The killer laughed softly a few times.
"Who am I? Most people would know my name. I am the Hunter, the bane of all who oppose me and all that I hunt. Of course, Jedi such as you have no reason to fear bounty hunters," she said, her cannon still raised. "Other than that, everyone fears me. I may sound arrogant, but I'm the best there is." She directed her arm cannon to the clones. "And to demonstrate, how about I wipe out this Clone army?"
"Kill her!" Anakin commanded. The Hunter and the Clones leaped into action. The Clones fired on her, but she dodged easily. How could she move so fast in that armor? She charged up a golden yellow ball of energy and fired, killing a few clones. Her arm cannon changed shape suddenly. Its width expanded slightly, and purple electrical impulses could be seen. A Wave Beam, no doubt, Anakin thought. She then fired three oscillating waves of electricity at one of the Clones. He tried to run, but the shot followed him until it hit, electrocuting him. She charged up a ball of electricity and fired on more Clones.
They fired upon her like mad, but she was too fast. Her weapon changed shape again. Now its side-to-side width returned to normal, but its up-and-down width expanded slightly. Fog emitted from the ice lining it. She charged up a sphere of ice, her weapon freezing slightly. She let it fly at a Clone, a missile following it. At first, there was a frozen clone, and then it shattered. It was the same Ice Beam that froze the clone earlier.
Her weapon changed once more. Its width was now normal, but it lengthened, revealing lava lining it. She unleashed a small stream of molten energy at a few Clones, burning them alive. She then charged a sphere of liquid magma at more Clones. They were firing frantically at her, but her speed was well beyond that of the Clones.
She then changed back to her default beam and charged up an energy sphere. But instead of firing it immediately, it glowed bright for a second, and then a very large missile erupted out from it, making impact on a dozen of the Clones, wiping them out in the giant explosion. By now it was back to her Wave Beam. Reinforcements came in, but it wouldn't have mattered. She charged up an electric orb, but instead of firing it, it glowed, just like the previous, and a giant wave of electricity shot out from the cannon, electrocuting everything in its path. Now there was one dozen left. She changed back to the Ice Beam and charged up a ball of frozen energy, but it glowed for an instant, and an ice-covered missile flew towards the Clones. It didn't hit them, but that wasn't what she intended it to do. Ice spread outward, freezing the rest of them solid. Then she changed back to her Plasma beam and unleashed her Flamethrower, melting them and burning them alive.
Flames spread around Anakin as he stood, shocked. How could one bounty hunter wipe out so many Clones? Who was she? Through the flames stepped the Hunter, without a single dent in her armor.
"That's impossible," Anakin said. "No one could wipe out a brigand of Clones! Unless…"
"Your instincts are correct…Anakin Skywalker," the Hunter said as she removed her helmet. Anakin beheld the face of a blonde-haired young woman with blue eyes tinted with grey. "I am Jedi Master Samus Aran, one of the greatest Jedi who ever lived. I am also the most feared bounty hunter in the galaxy. And I have been sent on behalf of Master Yoda to end this, even if it means killing you." Anakin stood there, slightly confused. How could a bounty hunter be a Jedi as well?
"It doesn't matter to me either way. You are a Jedi, therefore, you must die," Anakin declared as he raised his lightsaber. Samus then removed her arm cannon and using the force, she set it aside. She then drew out what looked like a lightsaber, but it was smaller than Anakin's.
"What's that for?" he asked.
"I'm not the kind of fool who hunts imps with a cannon," she said as a small green beam about six inches long emitted from it. "You may have a reputation, but you still have much to learn. Sorry, but this is the smallest lightdagger I've got." Already irritated by Samus's attitude, Anakin charged forward, lightsaber ready to slice her. But she deflected easily with her lightdagger. Anakin swung his lightsaber in all directions, but Samus easily protected herself. How was he being countered by a toy?
"Such heavy-handed swordplay," Samus said simply. This angered Anakin even more as he swung his saber more and more. But it was no good; Samus was too quick. Then they went into a lock.
"Lesson number one," Samus said, "Never attack in anger." She then threw Anakin back. "…Though it makes your strikes more powerful—," she then charged at Anakin, who let his guard down. "—it leaves you heavily unbalanced, and distraction is more likely." With that, she thrust her lightdagger into Anakin's side, then immediately turned the lightdagger off. He just groaned, and stood there. Samus looked at him, her grey-tinted blue eyes fixed into Anakin's deep chestnut ones.
"You still have much to learn, young Anakin. How can you call yourself a Jedi if you cannot defeat me?"
Anakin groaned again. Then he said, "I…am not…a Jedi. I…am not…young. I…am…a…Sith Lord." His eyes were now filled with pure rage.
Samus then withdrew her now-deactivated lightdagger from Anakin's side. "Anakin…speak your Sith name," she said.
Anakin stood up, despite the wound on his side. "Darth Vader," he said simply. Samus put away her lightdagger and pulled out a lightsaber.
"I'll remember it," she said. "It has been a while since I met one so brave. And so foolish." She then activated her lightsaber, which emitted a golden orange glow. "I will honor the Jedi code…and send you to your death with this golden blade."
They lunged for each other. Anakin and Samus swung their lightsabers at fast speeds. At first, they were both evenly matched. But Anakin's wound started to take effect. Now he was completely on the defensive. He could barely keep up with Samus's strikes until he was caught off-guard by a kick to the gut. The rest was a blur. Samus struck Anakin in the side again, this time with a slash. Anakin cried in pain as he fell to the ground. He had been defeated.
Samus raised her lightsaber to deliver the final blow. But before she could, a blast of force lightning came out of nowhere and struck her, sending her flying about thirty feet before landing hard on the ground next to her arm cannon. She knew who it was immediately: Darth Sidious.
She groaned slightly and watched as more Clone troopers followed behind him. Though slightly shocked, she stood up and took her arm cannon. She said this to Anakin:
"We will meet again, when there are no distractions. And that time will be your last." With that, she leaped out of sight.
"What's his condition?" Sidious asked.
"He's still alive, just unconscious," one Clone replied
"Good. Take him to the rejuvenation chamber," Sidious commanded.
"Yes sir," he responded, hoisting the badly injured Anakin up and carrying him to the elevator. Sidious, however, stayed behind, thinking.
If she is the Jedi from 20 years ago, then things could prove difficult for us, he thought. If Vader lost to her, there would be no telling what she could be capable of doing. No matter. I shall train him some more until I feel he is ready.
And with that, Sidious followed the troopers to the rejuvenation chamber.
Meanwhile, at the Jedi Temple, Obi-Wan waited patiently for Samus to arrive. Then the hologram projector revealed the blue image of Samus speaking.
"I have been able to block Anakin's path temporarily. I have succeeded in defeating him, but Darth Sidious caught me off-guard. I have managed to escape. I have thwarted them temporarily. By the time you receive this, I will have already departed to Kamino to destroy the Clone manufacturing facility. I will return in two day's time. I will leave the rest up to you. Good luck. And may the Force be with us all." Samus's image then faded out.
L.P. Well, there's Part One. Part Two will be up sometime in mid-August.
Oh, and for those of you who were wondering, Part One takes place after Metroid Prime. Part Two will take place after Echoes. I hope this fic was well-written. So please click the purple button and review!
Lightpaladin.