Chapter 1: The Mission
Samus Aran leaned back against the pilot seat of her ship with a quiet, tired sigh. Having just returned from a recent bounty, she was looking to see what she would have to hunt down next. There was no shortage of jobs for her to take on, especially with Space Pirates running amok often.
She may need to also take the time to recover a bit; it would do her no good to for another mission right away, with how much the last one took out of her. She was no stranger to exerting herself beyond her limits, but she would be of no help to herself if she were exhausted and dead.
As the bounty hunter was considering her next move, the sound of an incoming message caught her attention. She straightened and accepted the message. Her holoscreen popped up and a familiar face greeted her.
"Hey Princess!" Anthony Higgs said with a grin on his face.
Samus stared at him through her visor. She visibly sighed in response and tilted her head slightly at him in question.
"What? No 'hello' for an old buddy?" He joked, "Alright, I'll get to the point. The Commander wants to see you. He says to come over to Daiban right away and meet him."
Samus stared at the holoscreen for a moment, thinking it over, before she eventually gave a nod to let him know that she would accept this call. She was looking for another job to do anyway, and if Adam Malkovich had something to offer, why not. Especially if it were urgent. She could give him her price once she got there.
"Great. Be seein' ya, Princess." Anthony said, still smiling as he hung up the call.
"What now, Adam?" Samus mentally sighed before punching in the coordinates to Daiban and letting her ship head off for the planet. She had an hour or so until she arrived at Daiban, since she was likely to visit at some point anyway in order to find another bounty to hunt.
Another message came in and she shook her head, knowing what it was supposed to be, and indeed, her guess had been right.
Her client called to let her know that thanks to her efforts, the galaxy was saved again and that the Federation owed her a lot yet again. The bounty hunter only rolled her eyes and turned off the message before disposing of it from her computer's memory.
She cared little for the flattering that her big-shot clients would sometimes shower her with. They only needed her to get some work done without getting their hands dirty, and perhaps stroking their asset's egos may ensure their loyalty.
But not for Samus; she took the job if it paid well for her, but she would not hesitate to turn on her client should she learn of any dubious deeds and dealings they were involved in. She may be a bounty hunter, but she would be damned if she allowed scum to roam the universe freely; Federation member, high-respected politician or highly-respected businessman or not.
Deciding to calm her mind for a bit, Samus got up and left the cockpit and headed to her cabin. She usually did not sleep, and she doubted she would able to do so now. However, getting the chance to at least lay down without worrying that something would be looming over her was something she made sure she would take advantage of before she would head off for another bounty.
The armored warrior sat on her bed and stared at her pillow, contemplating actually lying down or just simply sitting there. Her mind felt blank, except for the mental reminder that she would be visiting Adam and perhaps even bumping into Anthony back at Daiban.
It was a planet she was familiar with when she had been a teenager; for a couple of years she had been a part of the Galactic Federation Police until she turned sixteen—and close to turning seventeen—and she left. She could no longer stand the restrictions and orders they spat out, even at the risk of allowing people to lose their lives.
But despite the friction between her and authority figures, Samus admitted she did have good allies she could turn to at times, aside from Anthony and even Adam. Though she had not been in contact with them for years. She was a bounty hunter after all, and she worked more effectively alone; nobody would get her that way, and nobody would get in her way.
Deciding to just remain in her cabin until she arrived at her destination, Samus tried to keep her mind busy. If she allowed her thoughts to wander she would surely regret it; she had a lot of memories, but not many of them were what she could consider 'happy'. If she allowed herself to get lost in thought, then her mind would surely wander to a very dark and scary place.
She refused to fall to weakness, and she refused to allow herself to be open to any sort of attacks, even from her own mind.
Upon arriving and docking at Daiban, Samus stepped off her ship and headed straight for the Federation's headquarters. She steeled herself as she entered; immediately there were eyes on her as she walked in and passed everyone.
She headed straight for Adam's office, where she knew he would be waiting. Whatever it was he was going to tell her, it better be important. As much as she respected the man, she would not appreciated if he told her she had been invited to some sort of gala. Samus stopped in front of the door to Adam's office and clenched her left hand into a fist before knocking on the door.
"Enter."
At the reply, the bounty hunter stepped in and looked over at her former CO who was seated at his desk. He seemed to have been deep in thought until she stepped in as he looked up and focused on his guest.
"Samus. Thank you for stopping by," Adam said. He sounded rather tired, but the hunter could not blame him. She knew he had a lot on his plate at times.
Samus nodded in greeting and stared at him through her visor. She tilted her head questioningly and Adam massaged his temples. He stood up from his desk and stepped around it to lean against its front. The hunter crossed her arms, waiting for him to say something.
"I suppose you're wondering why I called you here…" He said and received a nod in response. "We have been requested to have someone along for a…field study. We have some scientists-in-the-making looking to visit some planets that may seem familiar to you."
Samus gave him a look from behind her visor but Adam seemed to sense it. He returned the look with a tired expression of his own, but his sternness still shone through.
"I know you dislike the idea of babysitting, Samus. Believe me, I would send one of the troops over but I can't spare anyone at the moment, and nobody else knows the ins and outs of these planets like you do; I wouldn't just call you over for something if it were trivial. As such, you are assigned to escort a student who they say have much potential."
Just one. At least she did not have to babysit a whole reckless crowd of scientist-wannabes. While she knew, and met, some brilliant minds before, they were few and far between. Most of the time, scientists tend to prod and go in too deep. Some even pestered her in what they thought was being discreet. She knew they wondered about her armor and connection with the Chozo but she had no answers to offer them.
"The job is simple, Samus; just keep an eye on this student until they've completed the field study that is required of them." Adam explained.
Samus crossed her arms and shook her head, unable to believe she would have to do something like this again. This wasn't the first time she had been hired as an escort, but during those times they were at least trained soldiers. But now she would have to babysit some kid who would be vulnerable should any hostile life form decided to show itself. Samus could easily take care of the problem, but she would only have to hope that her charge would behave themselves while she did her job.
A knock on the door caught their attention and they both looked over to see Anthony peek in.
"Did I catch you at a bad time?" He asked, then looked between Samus and Adam. "The student is here, should we wait though?"
"No need, Higgs. Let her in." Adam said.
With a nod, Anthony opened the door wider and stepped in before gesturing to someone out in the hall. "Come on in, Miss."
Samus watched as a girl walked in. She had long blonde hair that flowed down her back, the length similar to Samus' own hair when it was pulled out of its ponytail. Part of the girl's hair was tied into a braid around the top of her head and on the sides of her hair were two blue triangular hair clips. She had bright green eyes, and she was dressed in a light blue T-shirt, dark jeans, and boots. Her hands were covered in black fingerless gloves. Another interesting feature the bounty hunter noticed was the girl's ears; they were pointed.
"An Elfin?" Samus stared at her would-be charge through the visor. She recalled having an Elfin on her team once, when she had been a part of the Federation Police.
Adam approached the girl and shook her hand before turning to the bounty hunter. "Samus, this is Miss Zelda. She is the one you will be escorting on her field studies."
"With all due respect, Commander Malkovich, I appreciate the decision but I am not in need of an escort. I merely need to study some specimens I collect on the assigned planets." Zelda said politely, though it was clear she was not very comfortable with the thought of being watched over.
"And we do respect that, Miss Zelda. But Samus has been to these planets before. It might help to have someone who is very familiar with the terrain." Adam reasoned.
Zelda looked over at the armored bounty hunter. Almost immediately she felt quite intimidated but at the same time, she was quite curious. She had seen soldiers of the Federation before, but never one like Samus. Either way, it seemed she would not be able to go on her field study without a bodyguard.
"… Very well. I suppose that might be helpful…" She sounded reluctant, but as long as she got her studies done, it should not matter.
Anthony smiled and placed a hand on the girl's shoulder. "You can trust Aran with the job, Miss. You won't even notice anyone's there."
"Higgs, escort Miss Zelda to the docking stations. I just need a moment." Adam said, turning to the silent hunter. Anthony nodded and he and Zelda stepped out of the office.
Samus looked to her former CO and he eyed her wearily. "There are just a few things I want to be clear with. Miss Zelda is the only one doing her field study at the moment; apparently she's the brightest mind that the academy has taught in their science department. So she was allowed to advance ahead of the others. They see a lot of potential to her and they stressed to me that it was important to keep her in one piece."
The bounty hunter nodded in understanding. A prized student that she would have to look after. She had been hired for much worse, so it would be of no bother.
"Fine. If there is no other questions, you're free to go." Adam said before returning to his desk while Samus turned to leave and return to her ship.
"Hey there, Princess! The Commander give you a tough time?" Anthony asked with a chuckle as the bounty hunter approached. Zelda was keeping a respectable distance, but she was inspecting the hunter's gunship with great curiosity.
Samus looked over to where the blonde girl was still inspecting the gunship. It was as if she was mentally mapping everything out without any unnecessary poking and prodding. At least Samus did not have to worry about her touching things in her ship that she shouldn't.
"Not sure if this little hearsay is true or not, but I heard she arrived on her own, without anyone accompanying her; no parent or guardian, or even a friend. That's nuts! Don't know why no one bothered asking her about but I guess we all have our reasons." Anthony said, then noticed the hunter staring at him from behind her visor. He could guess what her expression was like underneath that helmet of hers. "Hard to believe, eh? I've only known her for a couple of hours, and she doesn't really act like it, but you can tell she's still young."
Samus exhaled slowly; as long as she behaved, then they should have no problem.
"Well, best of luck. Maybe the next time you drop in, we can have a drink, yeah?" Anthony playfully punched the bounty hunter on the arm and Samus nodded to him in agreement and watched as he headed off.
Zelda had been waiting patiently until the two were finished talking and Samus finally approached the ship. Her visor stared down at the teenager for a moment before the hunter gestured to her ship. The entrance was up top. The girl seemed to get the idea and looked around for a way to climb up on her own, much to Samus' amusement. She allowed her to find a way on her own for a bit.
Zelda circled the gunship, searching for any sort of footing she could use in order to get to the top of the ship. She glanced at her armored escort before she placed a boot on the side of the ship carefully, hoping her current company would not take offense to someone pressing their footwear against their shiny vessel.
Samus watched as Zelda tried to step up and climb onto the ship, only to slip back and stumble. The girl caught herself before she could fall onto her backside. It was probably rude but she could not help but watch to see if this top student could find a solution.
With a huff, Zelda stared at the gunship's angles. Still, she was not going to allow herself to waste time. She had much of her research to get done! She tried again, and this time she managed to get up a little higher, only to slip and fall back.
Before she could hit the hard steel floor, she felt herself land against something else. It was hard and cold like the floor, but she was not flat on her back and staring up at the ceiling of the docking bay. Instead, she found herself looking up at an opaque visor staring back down at her, the arms of the bounty hunter around her to prevent her from falling back. Zelda blushed in embarrassment and averted her gaze with a frown.
Samus shook her head and lifted the teen into her arms, making the girl gasp in surprise as the bounty hunter suddenly leapt into the air with ease and landed on top of her ship. She then placed the teenager back down onto her own feet.
Zelda cleared her throat and straightened before turning to look up at the immensely tall warrior. "… Thank you."
Samus shook her head and pointed to where they would need to stand in order to ender the ship. Her charge just nodded and followed behind. The two stepped onto the platform and it lowered them down into the ship. Once inside the vessel, Samus stepped off first and gestured to her charge and pointed towards where her room was. Zelda looked over at the bounty hunter, then towards the hatch.
"I take it that is your quarters?" The young scholar asked.
Samus nodded then pointed to where the cockpit was before she headed off there on her own. Zelda watched as her escort left her there. She was not sure what she had been expecting when the academy said she could take her advanced lessons and field research, but only if she had an escort assigned to her.
She had bitten her tongue, reigning in her protests. She disliked the idea, but she did not want to ruin her own chances of moving forward in her studies. So she would tolerate having a guide with her. As long as they were not overbearing. So far, this armored warrior was silent and just seemed content with getting the job done. That was good, at least.
With a sigh, she stepped towards the hatch and it hissed open, revealing a rather modest living area with another hatch in on the other side of the room.
Zelda took a deep breath and stepped in. This was someone else's living quarters and she was just walking in. It made her feel slightly anxious, even if it was this person's job to look after her while she did her own work.
The hatch to the bedroom opened and she was greeted with a simple room. There was a desk, a bed… It was just as modest as the living area, and just as tidy. Zelda slowly moved in and looked at the desk. Perhaps this was where she could get some of her studies done.
Meanwhile Samus started the vessel up. She would need to ask her little guest for the coordinates of the planets she was to visit. The gunship rose up until it was off the planet entirely.
Before Samus could get up, she heard the hatch of the cockpit open. She looked back to see Zelda step in, in her hand was some sort of tablet with an eye design on it. The center of the eye had a blue glow. She approached the bounty hunter.
"I'm sorry, I realize I didn't tell you which planets I would need to visit." She said and handed Samus the tablet.
Behind her visor, Samus raised an eyebrow and looked down at the screen. As she stared at the coordinates, she tensed. She recognized some of them; they were planets she had been to before. She looked at Zelda.
"… These were assigned to me. I did not choose these myself, if that is what you were wondering." Zelda explained, feeling as if she was being stared at intently from behind that visor.
Samus inwardly groaned. What was the academy, and the Federation for that matter, thinking? Sending a student to study life-forms on planets that had less-than-ideal history, and creatures that were quite hostile.
"By your posture and body language, I'm going to assume you know where these coordinates lead…?" Zelda questioned.
Samus nodded and stiffly gave Zelda back her tablet. It was a strange and unique in design, but now was not the time to be thinking about electronic devices. She punched in the first coordinate and put the ship into autopilot. The vessel then moved towards its intended destination.
Zelda stared at the back of the pilot chair. "Listen, I understand this is likely not a job you are fond of. I will be the first to admit, I would rather attempt this on my own. But if I may, tell me about these planets. You're acting as if… As if something might attack us."
While she was quite sure the teen was not trying to be rude or had ill-intentions, Samus just shook her head in response. She was not sure if it was a good idea to just tell her, but then again it might be for the best that this young scholar was prepared for the worst.
The bounty hunter began tapping away at the holo-keys, bringing up some of the data she had long since collected during her last visit to the assigned planets. Once they were up on the holoscreen, she turned to her charge and pointed.
Zelda stepped forward and stared. "Tallon IV… I have heard the planet is still recovering after an incident. I may not know much about what happened on there, but the entire Federation seemed to be kicking up more than just a fuss. That's an understatement, of course."
Samus had to chuckle at that. As someone who had been part of, and was now still often hired by, the Galactic Federation, she knew very well how the politicians acted and reacted in times of darkness and dire situations. Panic and tensions tend to rise, and at times, it would be only a matter of time until Samus would be called to clean up whatever mess was left behind, or even the issue itself.
"Don't worry, though. I have no intention of harming a planet on the verge of recovering. I merely need to take small samples to study. Perhaps I might even be able to find a way to help in the healing of Tallon IV, especially if the life-forms that live there are to prosper again." Zelda said as she read through the data of the planet.
Samus stared off into the distance while Zelda studied the information the hunter had gathered about Tallon IV. She was used to hearing people trying to play god with their newfound inventions and research. She still hoped young blonde would keep her humility at the very least, even after becoming a full-fledged researcher.
"I know this is merely an escort job for you, but… I truly appreciate you letting me know ahead of time what I may be dealing with," Zelda said sincerely.
In response, Samus shook her head and lifted a hand in modesty. She was merely do what she was hired to do at the time. It was a job, after all. Still, nobody has ever thanked her like this; with sincerity.
So far, this escort job was going well.
After a couple of hours, they eventually landed on Tallon IV and Zelda rode the platform to the top of the ship. Now they had to get down; obviously it would be easy for Samus. But Zelda had no means of easy means of jumping off.
Again, the bounty hunter watched as Zelda weighed her options and possibilities of getting off the vessel, the opposite of what she had attempted to do back at the docking bay in Daiban.
Zelda looked around before sighing in defeat and deciding to just simply slide down the side of the gunship. She braced herself and slowly sat her backside down, trying to ignore the gaze she felt behind her head. She knew Samus was watching and she was not going to let that unnerve her. She just needed to get down.
Finally Zelda sat down and scooted forward a bit until she finally slid downwards. She yelped and gasped as she reached the end. She stretched her legs out and hopped off quickly to avoid landing onto the ground and tumbling. Once her boots touched the ground she stumbled forwards a bit and landed on her side.
Samus chuckled and jumped off her ship before offering her armored hand to the young scholar. Zelda's face was bright red as she accepted the help. The bounty hunter lifted her up easily, and placing her back on her feet.
The young blonde dusted herself off before inspecting her tablet that she had kept at her side, looking relieved when it was clear the device did not sustain any damage.
"Well…I suppose I should get started." She looked around the area carefully. It was clear the planet was indeed still recovering from the last incident concerning the Phazon, but it was at least making progress.
Samus made no comment and her charge did not mind in the least. In fact, the solitary hunter wondered just how and why Zelda seemed to tolerate her silence. As far as Samus was concerned, she never felt the need to verbally communicate unless it was all too urgent or she needed to talk about her pay. But for the most part, people never hear her speak and some assume she just could not speak at all.
It was likely Zelda assumed the same thing; that Samus had no ability to talk. Being a researcher, it was possibly a heaven-sent that nobody would talk and disturb her. At least, that was what the hunter assumed.
As the pair wandered the area, they caught sight of the Federation base. Zelda shook her head and continued onward. She had no intention of doing her studies there. She needed to find and pick up proper specimens herself and study them without Federation soldiers hovering over her, especially since she already had someone doing that already.
Zelda lifted her tablet device and narrowed her eyes in thought. "Hm… I might need a more complete map, but hopefully this would suffice."
Samus glanced over to the screen of the device to see the young scholar observing a map of Tallon IV. It did not seem to be as detailed as the one Samus had in her databank, but it at least had a good amount of locations on the planet. No doubt spots she would need to visit for her project.
The hunter leaned in a bit and pointed a finger at one spot on the map. Zelda glanced at her, then at the spot she pointed at.
"Are we near that area?" She asked.
Samus nodded and pointed in the direction. Zelda strapped her device to her side then looked to the bounty hunter. Samus then took the lead and went on ahead. She glanced over at her charge to make sure she was following. Zelda quickened her pace to walk beside her and the hunter nodded in approval.
Right away, Zelda's mind began working. She observed her surroundings, taking in the condition of the planet and its rate of recovery. She could be sure that she would have a lot to work on soon.
Upon arriving to the designated area, Zelda looked rather dismayed as she began her work. "It is said this planet was a biological paradise, but after the incident… Well, I do not have details of what happened here, only hearsay and reports. But I can see the damage it has caused."
Samus crossed her arms as she stood at a distance to keep watch. Zelda knew the armored hunter would not respond verbally but she did not seem bothered by it or find Samus rude. And to the hunter, it was slightly entertaining to see the young woman mumbling and muttering to herself as she worked.
"I do hope we can get this all done and avoid any heavy precipitation. It wouldn't do us any good if we got soaked to the bone…" Zelda said as she picked a small plant sample to take back with her for more study.
Samus looked upwards at the sky; the planet was known for its constant rain but at the moment it was only a mere drizzle they were dealing with. But one could never know. Nature was unpredictable. She looked back at her charge who was now holding up her tablet device up, and pointing it at her surroundings.
Feeling the intense stare at the back of her head, Zelda glanced over at the bounty hunter. "I'm snapping some images for future references. Besides, it would be a shame not to appreciate the beauty of a planet that has been through a lot but is making it through."
Feeling quite curious herself, Samus approached her and took a peek over the young woman's shoulder to see her taking pictures with the tablet device. Perhaps a hobby she enjoyed while out on the field?
Suddenly, Zelda lifted her head and whirled around, almost startling the bounty hunter. Samus stared at her oddly through the visor, wondering what had gotten into her. However, before she could question her, she noticed the younger blonde's pointed ear twitch slightly. It was almost unnoticeable.
"Something's coming this way…" Zelda said, turning cautious.
Samus followed her gaze and took a stance in front of her young charge, lifting up her arm cannon in case of an attack. Soon, the sounds that Zelda heard became audible to the hunter. It sounded like footsteps, as well as the sound of rustling.
In the distance, a couple of shapes closed in on the pair. As the got closer, Samus relaxed and lowered her arm cannon. A familiar call reached her ears and she smiled behind the visor a bird creature rushed towards her, with a monkey-like creature seated on its back, holding onto its neck to keep itself from falling off.
The dachora stopped right in front of Samus and squawked in greeting while the etecoon on its back let out a happy cry, signaling to other etecoons hidden in the trees nearby. Another dachora appeared as well, approaching the bounty hunter.
Soon, Samus found herself being in the center of attention of these creatures she had encountered and saved more than once. It was nice to see that they were now doing well on Tallon IV. Behind her, Zelda watched with awe and fascination. Her posture relaxed and she slowly approached the scene.
A young etecoon then noticed the new face standing behind Samus and slowly approached her. Zelda smiled kindly and got down on her knees to seem less intimidating to the creature. The bounty hunter turned to see the young etecoon climb onto the young woman's shoulder, causing Zelda to giggle as the creature began to curiously touch Zelda's ear and hair.
"These are etecoons and dachoras, aren't they?" Zelda chuckled as her ear was tickled. "I've heard and read about these creatures, but I've never seen any of them up close like this!"
Samus watched as the animals turned their attention to the newcomer, inspecting, nudging and sniffing at her. Surprisingly, Zelda was rather calm despite being crowded by eager animals and she was handling their curiosity well.
One of the dachora nudged at her carefully with its beak and Zelda carefully and slowly placed a hand on top of the bird's head. "Nice to meet you as well. I didn't think I'd see these species on Tallon IV."
The bounty hunter crossed her arms and shook her head. The young scholar looked up at her, wondering what her silent escort was trying to say.
"They…aren't from here…?" She guessed. Samus nodded in confirmation. "That explains it then. I wonder how they even managed to migrate to this planet. Not only that, the dachora and etecoons seem to be working together. Such display of intelligence makes it a possibility that they can understand more than we think they do."
As if agreeing with her train of thought, the dachora squawked and nuzzled Zelda's chest while the young etecoon poked the tip of Zelda's ear.
"Seeing as they are very friendly and familiar with you, is it safe to assume you were probably responsible for bringing them here, or at least had a hand in making sure this bunch was kept from harm?" The young scholar asked as one of the etecoons leapt up to ride on the bounty hunter's rounded armored shoulder.
Again, Samus nodded and though it was not much of an answer, her charge accepted it and kept entertaining the animals.
While Samus watched the scene, she could not help but feel like this young scholar had great potential in her. The lone bounty hunter had encountered many different people throughout her lifetime, but Zelda seemed to be one of those unique souls who seem to only come about rarely. While she clearly had the makings of any scientist, she also seemed to hold true respect and appreciation of her surroundings, even towards something she is studying.
Once again, Samus Aran found herself inwardly hoping that this young student would keep her humility and appreciation for her surroundings.
"Incredible! To think that there are such life-forms that we never knew could ever exist, and yet here is a sample of the perfect specimen!" Zelda exclaimed excitedly as she examined the bioluminescent plant under a makeshift microscope that consisted of her tablet being set upright horizontally with the eye at the back scanning the specimen, showing off the tiny bits unseen to the naked eye on its screen. She could not seem to stop smiling as she studied the new discovery.
Samus Aran leaned back against the wall in the far corner of the room as she watched the young scholar work.
It was now hours later since they returned to the ship; when the rains began to grow heavy, both Samus and Zelda had to bid farewell to the etecoons and dachoras before hurrying back to the hunter's gunship. While Samus did not mind the rain, especially with her armor on, Zelda had no such protection and it would do no good if her charge got weak and sickly from being out in the rain on just her first planet.
She still wondered what Adam had been thinking, volunteering her for a job such as this. He had told her she simply needed to escort the young woman to certain assigned planets in order for her to continue her studies. Adam had said it was because Samus knew plenty of planets like the back of her hand. Someone with her expertise would be ideal for a scholar like Miss Zelda.
It was still strange, and though Samus had never spoken to Zelda out loud yet, the younger blonde made no comment on it. Thankfully, she also seemed to understand whenever Samus was trying to warn her of something or say something without speaking a word. Zelda was just as curious and fascinated with the world like any other aspiring scientist, but unlike most scientists that Samus had encountered, she never went in too deep if she sensed something was wrong, and she was at least cautious enough to look to the bounty hunter to make sure if it was anything they should keep away from. And she was genuinely curious, always wanting to learn and understand things around her.
True, there were also others who did not greedily toil too deep into something they could not possibly comprehend, and Samus was acquainted with a decent amount of well-intentioned scientists, but for the most part, the bounty hunter had seen the folly of many who used their impressive minds for their own ends, even weaponizing something they should not be interfering with.
Luckily, she managed to behave while under Samus' watch. That was not to say that she did not have her moments of running off if she felt like things were getting overbearing or if something has caught her attention. She was young after all.
Samus continued to watch Zelda as she took down notes while continuing to study the glowing planet. She had a determined yet excited look on her face whenever she made any sort of progress, and her bright green eyes would sparkle like the stars in the sky.
It had been a temptation for Samus to finally speak out loud and question her as to why she was all the way out on a planet like Daiban.
The hunter was snapped out of her thoughts when she heard a yawn emerge from her charge. It seems that Zelda was growing tired from the day's excitement, but showed no intention of stopping for a break with how focused she was at the moment.
Samus pushed away from the wall and left the cabin to spend time in the cockpit. While the job was not exciting, it was at least simple and her charge was not causing any complications. It gave Samus some time to breathe from her last mission, even if it was hard for her to relax.
The bounty hunter sat herself in the pilot seat and leaned back, staring out at the view of Tallon's IV's scenery through the windshield of her ship. Even now, she could still recall what the planet had gone through, and what she had to deal with during her time visiting it.
Every day was a fight for survival to her, and she was used to having to face battles wherever she went. But she also appreciated the times when she was allowed a bit of peace. This escort job seemed to be a mix of both.
All she had to do was look after this one student of the academy, but some of the planets she had been assigned to were ones that held certain memories for Samus. Tallon IV was just the start.
The hunter found herself just sitting there for a good while, and thankfully her mind did not attack her, until she felt that she may need to check on her charge again. Zelda has been studying for a good while and she had not stepped out of the cabin.
Samus got up and returned to the bedroom, only to find Zelda asleep at the desk in the room, her work surrounding her. Her head was resting on her arms and the odd tablet still stood there while her papers laying on the table while her collected specimens remained safely tucked away on the side.
Samus shook her head as she approached. It seemed the excitement of learning had gotten to her, but at least she would be up and ready for the next planet. She looked over to her bed, then back at the young scholar. With a shrug, the space warrior grabbed the blanket off of her bed and placed it around Zelda's shoulders while the young woman slept.
She looked to be at peace, and that was a good sign. Someone young like her should be able to sleep without a worry. But remembering what Adam had said; that the girl had advanced far into her studies ahead of her classmates, Samus wondered if Zelda knew how to act or enjoy life like any normal teenager.
Then again, she did go to Daiban on her own—according to what Anthony heard in passing—but was that even true, or a bunch of students gossiping about another student who was advancing farther than them?
Samus shook her head. It was not her place to think or assume such things, especially when they had nothing to do with her mission. However, it was rather curious that a kid like Zelda would even travel to another planet on her own. That is, if those rumors were true.
Whatever the case, Samus was certain that the young scholar would be safe under her watch.
"I'm just about done with what I need to do here. However, there was something I was curious about. If I may ask." Zelda said as she and Samus made another trek through the wilderness of Tallon IV.
Samus stopped and looked down at her questioningly. Zelda had been quiet for the most part since she woke up. The young scholar had been immediately ready to get more work done once she had gotten sleep out of her system.
"I had picked up something on the map. It appears to be some form of structure or ruins…" She pointed at the screen of her tablet.
Samus glanced at the screen and immediately recognized what she was referring to. The hunter just nodded and made no comment on it. She merely shrugged but showed no indication that she was denying she knew about it either.
"This…has nothing to do with my studies but…I was wondering if perhaps I could see these ruins myself…?" Zelda asked. "If it happens to be a restricted area, then I can understand that as well."
Of course Samus knew she was referring to the Chozo Ruins, the same place where she had encountered and defeated Flaahgra, cleansing the water of Phazon in the process. The area should be secure and safe now that there was no threat there. Samus considered it for a moment; Zelda was obviously asking to visit the area out of mere curiosity rather than the need to complete research.
With a sigh, the bounty hunter placed an armored hand on her charge's shoulder. Zelda looked up at her and Samus pointed at the screen of the young scholar's device.
"… You will escort me there? You're sure?" Zelda raised an eyebrow. She truly was curious about these ruins, but she was not so reckless as to just rush in to sate her curiosity about it. Not at the moment, at least.
Samus nodded and pointed towards the direction where the ruins would be. She might as well let the girl see it for herself.
Zelda gave the hunter a wary look before nodding. "Alright then, if it really won't cause any trouble." She received a head-shake in response and her escort headed off, showing her the way to the ruins.
As they headed there, Zelda noticed how the armored warrior walked around with such confidence. It gave an indication that she was more than familiar with the planet and its surroundings. So far, Samus has been a rather courteous guide and Zelda appreciated that, and the fact that Samus never hovered to the point of being stifling.
Commander Malkovich had been serious when he said that Samus would be the perfect guide. However, Zelda had noticed that there were moments where the warrior would seem to tense up or appear like something was on their mind.
Of course, being at the academy, Zelda heard stories and rumors but she never paid them much mind. For the most part she easily forgot what her fellow students whispered about and continued on with her studies. She vaguely remembered stories about the incident on Tallon IV, and at times she had seen reports or even heard news of such things. But she remained far from the rumormongers.
Since they seem rather familiar with the ins and outs of Tallon IV, Zelda wondered if Samus had been involved or had been a part of the incident somehow.
The trek to the Chozo Ruins had been silent, though it was at least not awkward or tense, and both escort and charge enjoyed the natural ambience of the planet, especially the sound of rain falling. Since the rain had lightened up a bit, it was now easier for the pair to traverse the wilderness. The light patter did not bother the young scholar since it was not heavily pouring.
At most, Samus had to intimidate unruly predators away and she had noticed Zelda would quickly point her tablet at the creatures from behind the hunter, and the eye on the back seemed to glow. Samus assumed the young scholar was scanning the creature for data, just like she did when she first arrived.
Samus stopped when they reached the ruins. She gently tapped Zelda's head with her armored hand, snapping the young woman out of her musings.
Zelda lifted her head up, her eyes widening when she saw the new surroundings she was in. She gasped in genuine awe. The structures around her were very old and crumbling in places, but still standing. A testament to the ones who created them in the first place.
"Extraordinary…! These are ancient and yet they seem to be in good shape, for the most part." Zelda wandered to the side to touch one of the walls, getting a good look at the structure. She gently ran a gloved hand along the stone, her mind working and imagining how the former residences would have done all this.
Samus watched her, as usual. Zelda was not the first and only one to be fascinated and curious about the Chozo; they were a mysterious race, sometimes even to Samus herself, and they had been the ones who raised her since childhood.
The hunter looked around the main plaza as she followed her charge deeper into the ruins. Even to this day she sometimes still thought of the Chozo who raised her. Looking at what the species left behind made her feel nostalgic, even though the Chozo who had settled on Tallon IV were not the same ones who took her in.
"You've been through here before, right?" Zelda said, looking up at Samus.
The bounty hunter blinked as she was pulled from her thoughts. She nodded in response to the question and pointed forward as an indication that she had gone much farther and deeper than they were now.
Zelda pulled her tablet from her side and lifted it up to her eye-level. "Now that we are here, my Sheikah Slate is picking up some signals, and is creating a much more complete map of the area."
Samus tilted her head slightly as she stared at the device her charge carried with her everywhere. This was the first time she heard it being referred to by name.
Noticing her escort's confusion, Zelda smiled politely in understanding. "Oh, this is a Sheikah Slate. It's been with me for years now after I worked on it for a good bit to get it up and functioning. With this multipurpose device, I can work without much hassle and it's capable of many other functions and applications, but I feel that it might be able to be capable of even more, if given the chance."
Samus nodded. It was now clear why she did not bother to bring some sort of equipment with her, when she had that tablet. Though she was not sure what a Sheikah was, though the term sounded rather familiar. But perhaps it was only something she heard in passing.
The little tour brought them all the way to the sunchamber, where Samus had encountered and fought the Flaahgra. Zelda took a look at the very spot where the monstrous planet creature had once been before she continued on until they reached the Hall of the Elders.
Seeing the Chozo statue for the first time, the young scholar walked up to it. She lifted a hand but then hesitated and dropped her hand down to the side. She did not want to risk damaging it somehow by touching the amazing statue.
"I've heard of the Chozo, but it feels so different standing before an actual statue created by them, in their likeness. It feels so much different than hearing or reading about them." Zelda said softly as her eyes gazed upon the magnificent piece of architecture.
Samus made no verbal or physical response. Instead she also looked over at the statue before gesturing to Zelda it was probably time they headed back.
The young scholar had a flash of disappointment in her eyes but she understood and nodded. She looked at the Chozo statue one last time before following the hunter back to the gunship. They were not done after all; there were more planets that they needed to visit before she was done with everything.
They stepped back out into the rain, and it seemed like Zelda had something on her mind, but the hunter let her be, only catching the young woman's attention when her musings took her off course without her realizing it.
When they finally got back to the ship, Samus pointed to Zelda.
"… Carry me up there?" She guessed, and was answered with a nod. "I suppose so. Since the rain might make the surface of your vessel wet and slippery…"
Before she could go off on a tangent, Samus lifted her up and jumped up onto her ship then placed her down. Zelda blinked, as if taking in just how fast that had happened. Shaking her head, she thanked the hunter and both stepped onto the platform bringing them down into the ship.
Samus immediately headed for the cockpit while Zelda ran a hand through her wet hair.
In the cockpit Samus started up ship. As soon as the vessel came to life, an alarm sounded off. The hunter looked over to see the cause; an urgent message. She answered the call just as her charge rushed in, having been alerted by the sudden noise.
"What's going on?" Zelda asked urgently.
Samus stared at the holoscreen before her; the picture was fuzzy and distorted, but the message was loud and clear, amongst the sound of explosions and crashing.
"Mayday! Mayday! Requesting assistance! This is the Transport and Passenger ship, Crest! We're under Space Pirate attack! We've taken casualties! There are civilians onboard; there are currently eight on the bridge! Hurry! The pirates are right outside—"
The message was cut off abruptly and the holoscreen showed nothing on it.
Samus stared at the blank holoscreen before looking back over at her charge. Zelda was staring at the holoscreen as well and she was trembling slightly. Her eyes were wide with shock and disbelief. However, the bounty hunter had no intention of ignoring the call.
She traced the call she had received from the Crest and directed the ship towards the distress signal.
Zelda watched as her escort straightened in the pilot seat, facing forward without a hint of hesitation or concern. It showed her that this warrior was more than used to such circumstances and would not hesitate to fly in if needed. That much was clear to her, even though the young scholar had seen nothing of this individual except for the armor they wore, and heard nothing from them but silence.
"You're answering that distress call, aren't you?" She questioned, sensing she already knew the answer to that. Samus did not respond and instead kept her eyes forward. It was the only confirmation that Zelda needed.
Space Pirates were attacking the ship known as Crest, and they were heading right for the fray.
If the term is unfamiliar: "Elfin" is a species that was mentioned in the Metroid manga but hasn't been shown or mentioned since then; they have pointed ears like Hylians. There was an Elfin on Samus' team of three when she was with the Federation Police.
I apologize for the rather slow start, and if it feels like this chapter dragged on quite a bit.
But here it is at last, a fanfic of Zelda and Samus that isn't just drabbles; and one I had hoped to shape into a full story! I hope you enjoyed this first chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it! Happy reading!
Until then…