Samus Aran sat at the counter of an old bar on Earth. This was one of the few times in her life where she was able to just relax, at least somewhat. Her latest mission was just completed. She had spent weeks searching for a serial killer by the name of Zephyr. She was forced to kill him, and was thus paid less than she would've liked, but she didn't complain. One less piece of scum for the galaxy to worry about, she believed.
"Another, please," she said, holding up an empty glass. The bartender nodded and went to get the bounty hunter her third serving of scotch. Samus turned in her seat and eyed the other patrons at the bar. Not many people came by here, since it was in a pretty rough neighborhood. That was one of the reasons why she preferred it here. It was mostly quiet here, so it was easier for her to just think. She sighed and leaned back in her seat before turning and facing the counter again.
As soon as she got her glass of liquor, a familiar voice said, "Been a long time since I've seen you, Princess." Samus turned to see none other than Anthony Higgs. She genuinely smiled when she saw him.
"Yeah," she agreed. "It's been a while, huh, Anthony? Feels like just yesterday when got out of the Bottle Ship."
Anthony took a seat next to the bounty hunter and asked the bartender for a simple glass of water. "So, Princess," he said, returning his attention to Samus, "you and I have known each other for a while."
"If you're going to ask for a date after all this time," Samus said as she downed a gulp of scotch, "then too little, too late. I'm not looking for any relationships."
"Nah. I'm just curious about something. You once told me and Commander Malkovich that you were a bounty hunter even before you joined the Federation. And I've been wondering lately, what was your first mission?"
"My first mission?" Samus inquired with a raised eyebrow. "Why do you want to know about that?"
"Just curious," Anthony replied.
"Curiosity killed the cat," Samus stated, waving her glass around slightly. "That's what they say at least."
"Then call me a dead cat," Anthony said jokingly. "Tell me."
Samus leaned back a little, thinking back to all those years ago. "Where should I begin?" She thought about it for several seconds. "I guess I should start with when I had to leave the Chozo. I was fourteen at the time. I already excelled at several forms of combat; shooting, close-quarters, hand-to-hand. I was just a kid, and some of the Chozo already called me a force to be reckoned with. Eventually, a few days after my fourteenth birthday in fact, the one I called my grandfather, Old Bird, came to me."
-o-
"Samus," said a tall, broad-shouldered creature with a birdlike head. He appeared elderly, with large white eyebrows hanging over his bright orange eyes. He wore the traditional robes of the Chozo elders.
A young blond girl with bright blue eyes turned from the shooting range that she had been firing down. She beamed when she saw the elder. "Grandfather!" she said happily as she ran over to meet him. The old Chozo chuckled as the Samus Aran approached him. "What is it, Grandfather? Do you need me for something?"
"Yes," Old Bird replied with a sad smile. "Come, Samus. The Council would like to see you."
"The Council?" Samus asked. The Council was a collective of the wisest minds in the Chozo civilization. They served as the government, being the legislature, executive office, and final jury in all affairs. Despite this power, they were fair and just. Why they would want to see Samus was beyond her.
"They require your presence immediately, Samus," Old Bird said as he turned to lead her to the Council's chamber.
As they walked down the halls and soon the streets of the Chozo city on Zebes, Samus began to wonder why the Council needed to see her. Had she done something wrong that she wasn't aware of? Did she unknowingly commit some sort of crime? Neither of those seemed very likely, but they were the only reasons that she could really think of at the moment. Maybe they were going to ask her to do something for them? But there were plenty of other, more capable people around to do whatever was required.
Soon, they found themselves in front of the building where the Council made their residence. Old Bird opened the doors and ushered Samus in. She had only been here once before, when she was just three years old. She remembered very little about that, but it very slowly came back to her in pieces.
She looked around at the intricately designed walls. Statues of famous Chozo warriors and scholars lined these walls evenly. She never could help but admire Chozo architecture and art. She smiled warmly at each statue. Though she was not really a Chozo herself, she felt a connection with each face she saw.
They then appeared before a huge pair of doubles doors. Each door was designed to look like a giant Chozo was standing guard with a spear in hand. Old Bird approached the doors and pushed them open, then once again ushered Samus in. The young blond girl entered the chamber silently, a look of awe on her face.
Seven pairs of eyes immediately fell on her. She gulped somewhat nervously. She felt a hand on her shoulder, and saw that it was Old Bird, who gave her a reassuring smile. Samus nodded, took a deep breath and walked to the center of the room.
"Samus Aran," said the one in the middle, the Head Councilman. He had a stern look on his face. "It is good of you to have responded to out summons."
"Did I do something wrong, sir?" she asked nervously.
"Of course not," a female Chozo to her far right replied. "We simply believe that the time has come for you to spread your wings."
"What do you mean?"
"Samus," another councilwoman said gently. "You are to leave Zebes. Explore the galaxy, and find your purpose."
"You want me to… leave?" Samus suddenly felt as though she were being banished.
"Our reasoning is not so simple as that," the High Councilman said. "There comes a time in every creature's life when they must leave home and see what cards fate has dealt them. Many of us believe that you are destined for great things someday."
"You have mastered all our teachings far faster than we ever believed possible," a third councilman stated. "You have a certain strength that is hard to break. Your mind is sharp. You are more than ready to forge your own path in the universe."
Samus turned to look at Old Bird, who nodded slowly, smiling sorrowfully. "I… I don't know if I'm ready. And besides, how will I go anywhere beyond Zebes?"
"You will be given a ship," the first councilwoman said. "It will be fast and durable. Whatever life you choose to live, it will do whatever is required of it."
Samus just stared at each of them, her eyes darting from one councilmember to the next, until her gaze eventually went to the floor. "I… I understand." She looked back up at them, smiling. "I will do everything I can to make the Chozo and my ancestors proud of me."
The High Councilman nodded his approval. "You are to take off by dusk tomorrow. Your ship will be easily recognizable. Old Bird will show you to it when the time comes. You are dismissed."
Samus nodded and bowed. She turned and walked away, soon joined by Old Bird. When they left the Council building, Old Bird said, "You must be thrilled, Samus. You have only seen the galaxy in holo-videos and texts. You have always said that you wished to one day explore the universe."
"Yeah, I know," Samus said sadly.
Old Bird looked at the girl with a raised eyebrow. "Is something wrong, Samus?"
She trembled slightly for a split-second. "It's just… why so soon? I'm only fourteen. It just seems too early to me."
Old Bird sighed and said, "Samus, you know the Council never makes a decision without careful deliberation. You are indeed strong enough to take off on your own. You are wise beyond your years, incredibly patient for one so young, and you are kind to all creatures who desire peace. You are ready."
"I guess you're right," Samus replied. She still looked rather depressed.
Old Bird grinned slightly. "Samus, what so you say about going out to eat tonight?" She seemed to cheer up a little at that. Her appetite always forced her into a good mood.
-o-
The next day, it was just about time. Old Bird led Samus to the small station where the ship that she was promised awaited. She was both excited to see the universe on her own, and scared for the very same reason. There were so many ways that this could turn out; what if she was never able to return? What if she never wanted to return? This latter thought scared her the most. Zebes was her home. Could she end up finding a new home? She shook her head to get rid of those thoughts. She didn't want to think such things.
"We are here," Old Bird announced as he opened a sliding metal door. Samus entered after her surrogate grandfather, only to stop in her tracks. Before her was a sleek, compact, bright orange ship that greatly resembled the helmet to her Power Suit. The windshield was tinted green so that no one could see inside.
"Whoa," she whispered to herself. She approached the Chozo-created shuttle with care. It wasn't the most amazing thing she had ever seen, but appearance clearly wasn't the main idea for the ship. The Chozo normally focused more on efficiency and practicality over vanity and needless flash. "It looks great."
"It is good that it is to your liking," said a male voice. Samus and Old Bird turned to see the High Councilman making his way toward them. He stopped in front of Samus, holding out a metal box with a passcode lock for her to take. "This will be a final gift from us Chozo before you leave. We hope that it finds you well."
Samus accepted the gift. The councilman entered the code for her, and she opened it. Out of the box, she took a light blue jumpsuit that felt like it was designed as a once-size-fits-all uniform. "What is it?" she asked curiously.
"It is called the Zero Suit. It is inlaid with nanotechnology that will respond to your thoughts. Whenever you require your Power Suit, simply think it, and it will appear. Also, the ship already has preset coordinates to a relatively peaceful planet. It is under the jurisdiction of the Galactic Federation." Samus nodded her understanding as she tucked the Zero Suit under her arm. She then faced Old Bird.
"I guess this is goodbye," she said sadly.
Old Bird nodded. "Yes. But it is not forever. We will meet again someday. Just remember everything that you have learned here."
Samus smiled a little. Her hand trembled slightly. "Thank you, Grandfather. For everything." Her eyes slowly began to sting with the early form of tears. "Even if we never see each again, I won't ever forget you."
Old Bird smiled. "No matter the distance between us, Samus," he said warmly, "we shall never truly be apart. I shall keep you forever in my mind as my grandchild."
Samus then ran up to hug the old Chozo, who gasped quietly when he realized that she was completely crying right now. "Grandfather," she said, her voice sounding slightly choked. "I promise I'll come back. I'll make you proud. I'll make the Council proud. I'll make my late parents proud."
Old Bird stroked the girl's head as a true grandparent would. He was already proud of her. "Samus," he said. She looked up at him with a look of slight wonder. He gave one last smile. "I can only wish you the greatest of luck now. Go forth. Master the road ahead of you. And know that this is not our final farewell."
Samus wiped her eyes with her arm and smiled. She nodded, then turned and headed to the ship. She stepped on the platform that brought her up into the shuttle. She sat down in the pilot's seat and looked over at all the different controls and monitors. On her seat's left armrest was blue sphere that she knew was for steering the ship. To her right was a console that she would have to place her right arm into in order to control the rest of the ship's functions.
This must be why I had to go through all those simulations, she thought. She started up the ship, listening to the low growl of the engines as they came to life for what may have been the first time. Slowly, the ship lifted up off the ground. A gate opened above, allowing her to ascend further. Soon, she was high enough to be able launch forward. She sent one last glance to the station she had just exited. She couldn't see Old Bird anymore.
She fought off the need for more tears, and set the ship to head for the set coordinates. She was apparently heading for a planet called "Earth." The ship quickly darted into space, living Samus's home behind.