Chapter II

"Yes, Beverly. You might want to come over here," Picard gravely replied. Doctor Crusher was silent as she walked to the force-field covered doorway. She looked inside seeing an orange, yellow, and red suit of intimidating armor, then, she saw her son sitting in the corner of his guest quarters.

"Mom!" Wesley exclaimed as he saw his mother looking in the room.

"Wes! Oh my god! What happened!?" Beverly exclaimed.

"Mom, this person ju-" Wesley stopped as Samus pointed her arm cannon at his head.

"I was working with the Galactic Federation to eradicate a group of intergalactic terrorists who have prevented peace in this section of space for generations when your ship appeared. We assumed that you were aiding these pirates, so I was dispatched to investigate," Samus explained while still aiming at Wesley.

Captain Picard walked to the doorway. "I am Captain Jean-Luc Picard of the starship Enterprise," he said calmly, "We were informed by this planet that this Galactic Federation was on a campaign to eradicate this species. We were unaware that they were terrorists. Who exactly are you, and why are you allied with the Galactic Federation?"

"My name is Samus Aran," the mysterious female replied, "an intergalactic bounty hunter currently working for the Galactic Federation."

"Well, Samus Aran, how can we trust you?" Picard questioned, "You have broken into our ship, killed crewmen, and taken a hostage."

"Good point, "Samus said, "maybe I should do this." As she finished talking, her suit began to glow bright orange, then it dissolved around her, revealing herself in the blue, skintight Zero Suit, her long, blond hair was flowing in the short energy burst. "As you see," she said, "I am like you. Fragile and human."

"Human?" Picard asked, "How could you be human? Doctor Crusher, scan her." Beverly pulled out her tricorder and scanned the blond bipedal figure.

"Captain, she is as human as us," she said. At this time, Wesley had snuck to a cabinet and was pulling out a phaser. He turned it on and it beeped.

"Huh!?" Samus exclaimed as she turned around. She was faced with Wesley fiddling with his phaser. She quickly drew her sidearm and discharged it at Wesley. He fell to the ground motionless.

"Wesley!" his mother exclaimed while running to the doorway, "What have you done to my son!"

"Calm down," Samus said with a smirk, "The boy is stunned.

"He may still need medical attention!" the distressed mother cried out.

"What must we do to get the boy back, Samus?" Picard asked in a calm manner.

"Let me out of this room and we can discuss the situation at hand, and you can have the boy," Samus stated as she pointed at Wesley.

"Deal," Picard said, "after you drop the weapon." Samus immediately released her grip on the stun gun. "Mr. Worf, escort our guest to the Observation Lounge."

"Aye sir," Worf said as he released the force field around the doorway. "If you would come with me," he said to Samus. She modded and proceeded with Worf to the Observation Lounge.

Beverly rushed over to her son and scanned him with her tricorder. "He is okay, Captain," she sighed in relief.

"Good," Picard said, "I will be in the Observation Lounge."

"This way," Worf sounded as he and Samus exited the turbolift to the bridge.

"Quite the intruder we have there!" Commander Riker said with a grin as Samus walked through the bridge.

"So, Captain," Samus said once everyone got settled in the Observation Lounge, "What are we going to do about this situation?"

"Since you were the ground assault force, I recommend we let you go and be on our way," Picard replied.

"Agreed, Samus chimed, "Give me my stun gun and I will be on my way. I have a war to win."

"Make it so," Picard said as he stood up. Samus arose, then walked over to him.

"Care to show me the way?" Samus questioned.

"Certainly," Picard replied with a never wavering tone of authority, "This way." He led Samus out of the Lounge down to her ship, still docked in the destroyed cargo bay.

"Well Captain," Samus said, "I guess this is goodbye."

"Yes, I guess it is," Picard said, "Maybe we will meet again one day under more peaceful circumstances. Your stun gun is in your ship. Farewell Samus Aran." With that, Samus began to glow orange, then her suit, red helmet, bulky shoulder pads and all reappeared around her blue, skintight suit.

She jumped up in a flip onto the hull of her craft, walked to the doorway, and was lowered into the cockpit. The ship began to whir as Captain Picard reached a properly shielded area. "Mr. Data," he ordered as his combadge chirped, "release the force field in Cargo Bay One."

"Aye sir," Data replied, "The vessel is clear for departure." Samus' ship then arose off of the floor and with a turn, rocketed out of the broken hull of the Enterprise.

"Now," Picard said, "I think that we should leave immediately." He briskly walked towards the turbolift. He entered and said, "Bridge." Moments later, the door opened and Picard marched onto the bridge.

"Captain on the bridge!" Commander Riker yelled as he gave command back to the Captain.

"Ensign, lay in a course for," Picard's command was interrupted by a red alert sounding off.

"A section of the Pirate Fleet is approaching us!" Worf frantically reported from the tactical station.

"Shields up!" Riker ordered without hesitation.

"All hands, battle stations," Jean-Luc followed up. "Mr. Worf, hail them!"

"No response sir," Worf reported, "They are coming into weapons range."

"Tactical analysis," Picard requested.

"Five ships of Space Pirate origin are on an intercept course. They have superior firepower, but inferior shielding."

"Lock phasers and fire," ordered the Captain.

"Aye sir," Worf stated. The phasers then arced around the Enterprise, flying off towards one of the ships. It was struck with the orange beam and glowed bright, letting the shields it had absorb the blast. "Minimal damage," reported Worf.

:Keep firing and load torpedo bays!" Picard exclaimed. Suddenly the pirates opened fire on the Enterprise. The ship rocked back and forth as the shields dispersed each hit.

"Shields holding sir," Worf reported as he unleashed a barrage of photon torpedoes into the formation of enemy vessels before him. They blinked and twirled as they whizzed forward. One of them struck a ship. Its shielding didn't stop the antimatter explosive, and the charge detonated. The ship was ripped apart by the force of the impact.

"Well done Mr. Worf," Captain Picard said. "Keep firing phasers to throw them off as well as torpedoes. Mr. Data, execute evasive maneuver Delta-five."

"Aye sir," both said simultaneously. The great ship turned upwards and around, launching weapons every chance it got. This time two ships were destroyed. One of the remaining ships launched a small, glowing projectile at the Enterprise. It penetrated the shields and detonated near the right nacell of the silver flagship.

"Sir!" Lt. Commander LaForge frantically said over the ship's intercom, "Warp engines offline!"

"Keep it under control Geordi," Picard ordered, "Data, evasive maneuver Beta-six." The Enterprise dove down and fired another barrage of torpedoes at the remaining two ships. Each one was hit by a shining explosive and was knocked out of commission.

"All enemy ships neutralized," Worf proudly reported, showing the Klingon warrior deep inside of him.

"Good job cre-," the Captain was cut off by Worf.

"Captain, a small vessel is uncloaking dead ahead!" Worf exclaimed.

"Hail them," Picard ordered.

"No response sir," the on-edge Lieutenant called back. Then a blue lightning bolt shot between the ships. "Captain, the ship is draining our energy. Shields will be down in two minutes."