Metroid: A Tale of Paradox
Disclaimer: contents and affiliations of Nintendo franchise.
Author's note: Continuing the tale, oh look, it's chapter four! Samus is going to shape into a great Chozo warrior aye? Now its Ridley's time under the magnifying glass, let's hope he doesn't get burnt. Wait a minute; dragons don't get burnt, duh! A second grader dragon spawn and a league of marauding space pirates, what will be the outcome? Reading and reviewing is in order!
Chapter 4: Ashes and Power Equal Madness
Never before had Ridley felt so helpless and unable to help others. He was paralyzed by the needle-injected dart, his eyes left to stare at Samus and Mother laying there. tears streamed from his powerless head, not able to shout or rip the space pirates in half, which he may could have done with his size and vengeance.
They hauled him in the small vessel to the battle cruiser over the city rumble and dropped him in a small concealed room aboard the ship. The remaining pirate ships vacated the planet, one was lost to an unknown explosion, supposedly due to a miss handling of the afloraltite aboard ship.
The pirate fleet warped to their base home world after their less than successful raid. The planet's atmosphere glowed red with an aura of colorful mist that seemed to fluctuate around the planet, caused by the acidic atmosphere. The surface was met with constant acid rain fall, only creatures with proper armor could stand exposed on the surface. The Pirate Homeworld was an unknown satellite system to the Galactic Federation, a remote and impenetrable stronghold.
The vessels docked in a massive cave mingled with rock and metal resistant to the acid. The majority of the pirates left the ships, entering the life supported base deep beneath the surface's crust.
The two space pirates hoisted the cage containing Ridley, who was still motionless from the poisoned dart, and hauled him out of the ship on a hovering personnel carrier. A large elevator filled with other space pirates descended down to the impenetrable stronghold below.
Ridley was conscious entirely, able to see vividly all that took place before his eyes, which ever way he faced. Ridley was feeling threatened for the first time, seeing how many pirates there truly were. Ridley's anger hadn't cooled though, his face didn't show it, but he was ready to destroy every living thing he saw.
The elevator brought them to a large brown-tint hall with metal columns, and eight or so doors leading to separate facilities within the base. The pirates escorting Ridley went to the door across the room from them and traveled down a long hallway, up another, much smaller, elevator, passed a series of security gates, and entered a room that peaked out of the planet's surface, on the side of a cliff.
The room was oval shaped with control panels and windows on one, exposing the room from the rocky wall. It was the command center. In the center of the room was a large chair with screens and panels surrounding it, and an image resting in it.
"Commander! reporting in!" One of the pirates escorting Ridley squawked.
The image didn't even look to acknowledge him. "Please, tell me you have any news other than loosing one of my favored vessels!"
The pirate wheezed in fear from the commander's deep, authoritative voice.
"We have a prize to present to you sir!" The other pirate exclaimed for his speechless comrade.
The figure rouse from the chair, it was a slim, tall space pirate in jet-black clad armor, his left crab-like claw was exceedingly larger than his right.
When the commander saw the dragon in the cage, his jaw dropped.
"A... Dragon! Do you know what this means?" Hissed the commander with excitement.
The two pirates starred blankly at their commander, clueless of his interest in their find.
"Our previous commanders before me were dragons, supposedly the last of their race. But this is truly a find!"
The commander stood in front of the carrier device with the caged dragon, analyzing him. He starred into the dragon's blue eyes, motionless as they were.
"He's a young one at that! Very interesting."
The commander turned around, and made way for his chair.
"Sir, what shall we do with it?" a pirate hissed.
The commander turned his head slightly, keeping them within his peripheral vision. "Take him to containment three in sector seven."
The space pirates saluted, then escorted the device with the dragon out of the command center, relieved to get away from their intimidating commander.
Ridley was taken all the way back to the hall with the many passage ways and the elevator. They passed through the entryway with sector seven labeled on the wall above. Down a much shorter hallway than the previous, they came to a dead-end with five doors, two on either side and one at the hall's end.
They hoisted Ridley's cage off the carrier and hassled their way through the center door. Ridley was dumped out of the cage onto the cold metal floor.
"Have fun little dragon, this is the play room for you!"The two pirates than left the room and sealed the door shut, leaving the still paralyzed Ridley inside.
Ridley was left there to think of his situation. First of all he could think about was Samus and mother and his vengeance for them, but he remembered something the space pirate commander had said. Are dragons really that rare? Ridley had never seen or heard of another dragon where he lived, could he be the last one? And dragons being pirate commanders? What could interest a dragon to be a space pirate leader? More and more thoughts filled Ridley's mind as he laid there on the cold floor, there wasn't much he could do.
After about two hours laying on the floor, Ridley could move his limbs somewhat, though his nerves were still numb. He rolled his head around, looking at his surroundings. From what he could tell lying there, he was in a small, rectangular room with a single bed against the wall. The door had a window slit, the only exposure to the world outside of the room, aside from the air vent.
Before Ridley was fully capable of walking, someone opened the door. It was the commander, assisted by a pirate in red clad armor. Ridley was in a failed attempt to stand upright when they entered.
"Trying to get around I see!" The commander barked with laughter.
Ridley tried to leap at the commander, but landing on his face before him.
The commander simply laughed harder. "Look at this, he wants to play with us! Why don't we take him to the fun room."
The pirate in red armor drawled a weapon from his side, firing it at Ridley as he was trying to get back up. The device released a wave of energy that formed a ring around Ridley's waist and arms on contact. Ridley's face slapped the metal floor yet again.
Two more pirates appeared behind the commander, operating another carrier device. They placed Ridley on it and escorted him out of the hallway.
They took him to sector five, where they came into a large dome. It appeared as an arena, with balconies behind armored windows for those to view the action in the center of the room.
"Now little dragon, we're going to bring some play mates for you. Play as rough as you'd like," said the commander.
Ridley made no effort to reply to him. He was left in the center of the room with the energy ring still restraining his movement, the space pirates left the room.
Ridley looked around, the numbness had nearly left him, and he could walk again.
"Alright dragon, its fun time!" The commander's voice echoed over an intercom from one of the balconies.
Ridley looked up to see the space pirates watching him from the other side of the window. The red armored pirate pressed the controls on his device, releasing the constraint around Ridley's waist.
Ridley heard a door opening behind him, he turned to see three yellow eyes starring at him. A wild beast from the planet Zebes, tormented by the pirates into an endless hatred. It appeared as a form of sapien, with powerful forearms and horns as a bull curled forwards.
It charged at Ridley, foaming at the mouth and squealing madly. The adrenalin woke the rest of Ridley's body, allowing him to leap into the air, dodging the creature's charge. Ridley felt something pulsing through his mind, this reminded him of playing with Samus and Adam. Only it was the real thing now, but all that playing had actually trained him well.
Ridley hovered out of the creature's reach as it leaped at him. The beast stopped for a moment, looking around, it found a pile of barrels at a corner of the arena. It quickly ran to the barrels, and began tossing them over its head at Ridley.
Ridley gracefully spun in the air, dodging the ballistic objects thrown.
The beast began roaring angrily, it tossed two barrels at once with its massive forearms. Ridley dodged one only to be struck in the head by the other, sending him to the ground, flat on his belly.
The beast Rushed to Ridley and grabbed his throat with his large ape-like hands, strangling him. The creature was holding Ridley's neck close to itself, allowing Ridley to bite its shoulder.
The creature let go, screaming in agony. Ridley didn't realize how powerful his bite really was. The beast quickly shook off its pain and made another attack at Ridley, gripping both its arms tightly around Ridley's body in an attempt to crush him.
Ridley could feel his ribs bowing under the enormous strength. He used the only remaining limb he could use, his tail. The beast hollered in pain as Ridley lung his jagged-edged tail into the creature's back, but it didn't give way to Ridley, it merely squeezed harder. Ridley took all his remaining effort and drilled his tail into the creature's throat.
The beast released Ridley and staggered backwards on its rear legs, purple blood pumping out its neck. Ridley thought he had won, but he was corrected when the creature lost all control and charged at Ridley on all four limbs with its head cocked to stab him with its horns. Ridley, out of instinct, lunged at the creature, whipped around in the air and thrusted his tail straight into the creature's skull.
The creature collapsed dead, and Ridley stood before it, catching his breath.
"Well done! It seems you have some spirit after all!" The commander boomed over the microphone.
Ridley just stood there, looking at the slain creature, then he looked at his tail, which had the creature's blood dripping from it.
Ridley stood there motionless as he fell into deep thought. The pulsing in his mind was spreading through him. The feeling took over his entire body, but Ridley realized something, it felt good. He felt empowered, and a sense of pride over his defeated, but why? What would Samus think if she saw this? Samus hated the idea of killing, but to know that he felt good about it? Ridley couldn't think straight, he didn't know what to think at all. This was all too much to happen within a day's time.
"Alright fellow, we'll give you a break, but when I come back, we're going to see what we can really get from you!" The commander left the room followed by the others.
"What they can get out of me?" Ridley said to himself. "Am I an experiment to them? What can they possibly get out of me this way?"
"They must want to use me... as a weapon! Well, I'll play there little game, and show them what I can do, to them!" Ridley's subconscious attempted to keep himself from getting worked up, but it was pointless. He had experienced too much. The next thing he realized was smoke fleeting from his nostrils.
"Wait a minute, smoke? Does that mean-" Ridley cut himself short. He opened his mouth and unintentionally released a burst of plasma, in the form of a flame. Ridley's oxidization glans had started maturing.
Ridley never knew he was cable of such power, the ability to discharge plasma was the tip of the ice berg. Ridley toyed with his new-found ability for a good while, laughing as a child at their birthday.
The next day the commander appeared on the balcony behind the armored glass. Ridley caught eye of the commander and flew up to the glass, hovering at eye level with the pirate leader.
"Well dragon, you've brightened my time here on this dreary planet. How's about another game today?"
Ridley smirked wildly, which surprised the pirate commander. "My name is Ridley, and I'm ready," he announced with anger in his tone.
The commander merely smiled back, while pressing the controls beside him.
Two doors opened at opposite ends of the arena, and Ridley flew down to the center of the room, awaiting for what ever came through. Ridley was caught off-guard when a ball of energy whizzed passed his ear. He turned to see a space pirate in a regular's gray uniform stand at the door's entrance. Ridley quickly turned to the other door to see the same, two space pirates to combat him.
"They're space pirates? Why would they send their own against me? Finally, something to take my anger out may have guns, but I've got a weapon they haven't seen yet," Ridley thought to himself.
The space pirates began firing rapidly, showing their mediocre combat skills. Ridley took off into the air and soared toward one of the pirates, he acted out just as he recalled doing when he played with Samus and Adam the last time. Only this time, he aimed to do more than bruise his opponent.
The space pirate panicked as a six and a half foot dragon dived down upon him. The space pirate fired madly at Ridley, but Ridley was going to fast to get more than a lucky glance off him.
The space pirate inhaled his last frantic breath as Ridley smashed him into the ground, crushing his skull from the weight of impact.
The other space pirate had run to the center of the arena, continuously firing his weapon at Ridley. Ridley began to run at the pirate, dodging the energy beams as they passed. The pirate made a lucky shot, striking Ridley on the shoulder, but unlike when Ridley played with his friends, he didn't fall to the ground from pretend pain. His dragon skin, as young as he was, was already strong enough to resist simple energy blasts.
Ridley stopped feet from the pirate, who was panicked by his weapon's apparent useless affect on the dragon. The pirate stood in fear, awaiting the dragon's attack. Ridley simply smirked, causing the pirate confusion, before releasing a blast of plasma at the pirate's head, almost completely incinerating it.
Ridley roared in his triumph over his enemies. It was all too easy to release all his rage on them, since they were pirates.
"You've bested two regulars, not to difficult for a dragon such as you, Ridley."
Ridley flew back to face the pirate commander. "Why did you waist your own on me? Careless of yourselves as much as the rest in the galaxy?" Ridley shouted.
"Its worth it to see what you are capable of."
"To be a weapon for you? You may as well give up, Cause that will never happen!"
The commander laughed loudly over the microphone. "A weapon for us? No. We would be the weapons for you."
Ridley stood there with his head cocked in confusion.
"The space pirates have always had a dragon as a leader, till the time that I had to take over for what was believed the last dragon in existence. You would not be a weapon but our commanding officer. How does that suit you?"
Ridley showed no emotion when the commander had said that. The space pirate leader? They would actually want him for that? Should he even consider siding with those that killed the ones he loved? It was the role he always played with Samus and Adam, but that was always pretend.
"Bad guys always have more fun," Ridley said to himself, "but what would Samus think of me if she was here, still alive."
Ridley stayed in thought so long that the commander grew impatient. "I haven't got all day, I'd like to know what you-"
"If you want to train me to be your commander, than I accept anything that you have to throw at me."
The commander smiled, he was winning the prize.
"On one condition of course," Ridley added.
" And what is that?"
Ridley smiled. "Don't waste any more of my men."
The commander laughed yet again. "I'll see to it. I'm commander Feiro. Get ready for your next match in a few hours." And with that, the commander left the room, pleased more than he had been in a long while.
Ridley gave in, he now thirsted for the kill. With his friends and family gone, what else was there to do, he became obsessed with the idea as commander and chief of the infamous space pirates.
Ridley was faced with at least three challenges a day, usually more. sometimes he had to face wild, never before seen beasts from distant worlds, and others would be mechanical foes and challenging courses. Ridley was eventually entrusted to roam the base's halls alone. He was no longer a threat, he head become one of them, only stronger and smarter than they.
A year after Ridley was brought here, the pirate commander decided it was time to send him on a mission with a group of pirates.
A pirate knocked on the door of Ridley's cell, Ridley rouse to greet him.
"The commander requests you to see him at the command center at once," the pirate belayed.
"Received," was Ridley's only reply before exiting his cell into the hallway.
When Ridley arrived the commander was standing beside his chair, waiting for him.
"Ridley, I have an assignment for you," the commander started out, "I've decided the best method to further your training as a pirate commander is to send you into the open field."
"Meaning," replied Ridley.
"Meaning that I'm sending you on a mission with a squad of other pirates."
Ridley was pleased to hear this. Not only was he going to have some real action but he was going to see something other than the base's caves and the drizzling acid outside.
"What is the mission."
"We have a ship inbound near our planet. We think it may be the galactic federation snooping around, trying to find us. I need that vessel demobilized and the crew slaughtered. I want to keep the ship for our own purposes."
"Consider it done. When do we leave?"
"As soon as you arrive at the docks. the other squad members will be waiting for you there. Good luck!"
With that, Ridley exited the command center and hastily made way to the docking bay. Ridley saw a mid-sized, pirate-crafted battle cruiser at dock-13, along with twelve figures standing adjacent to the ship on the pear. five regular troops, two special weapon's troops, two pilots, two engineers and a pirate commando.
"There he is, our special warrior!" said one of the special weapon's troops.
"No kidding! The last dragon in the known universe, and he's with us!" a regular raged.
"Ridley here is future commander material, he's getting his first wind on this assignment," the commando stated.
"Reporting for mission sir," Ridley announced facing the commando.
"Wait a minute, isn't he a little small, for a dragon I mean? Our previous leader had to be nearly fifteen feet!" said the special weapon's trooper.
"Ridley has recently turned ten years, but Ridley has under-gone much training and has become an effect soldier," the commando clarified.
Ridley looked at the special weapon's troop, whipping his wings out and hovering his tail at his side as to show his menacing capability to the trooper.
The trooper actually shuttered slightly at the wind gushing affect by Ridley's wings, then he scratched his head, trying to cover his embarrassing reaction. "Hey, a nearly eight feet tall dragon is good enough for me, no matter his age I guess."
Ridley smiled, then turned back to the commando who was now standing at the ramp to board the ship.
"Alright, enough chit-chat. Let's move!"
"Aye, sir!" responded all the pirates in unison, then boarded the ship.
Once the engineers initiated the ship's systems and the pilots calibrated the controls, the vessel reversed out the cave harbor and jetted out the planet's acidic atmosphere.
The pirates not manning the ship awaited in the ships haul, awaiting communication from the pilots. most of the pirates sat or laid across the floor, some leaned against the walls. Ridley stood beside the commando, watching him operate a set of radar controls and analyzing what appeared on the holographic screen in front of them.
The commando noticed Ridley watching him and spun around his chair to face him. "Ridley, here is the crew's radar operating system. The pilots have one too, but I find it affective to be alerted at the same time as the pilots, rather than waiting for their report."
Ridley nodded in acknowledgment.
"They informed me of their interest in your officer training, and I'm placing you second under me on this mission, given that they've not said anything of your rank."
"I'm not certain I have a rank."
The commando chuckled. "Well, they probably have something special in mind for you then. I'll make sure you get some experience on this little ride. I'll brief the men shortly, once we've neared-."
Something caught Ridley's eye on the radar as the commando was speaking and he interrupted the commando to identify it. "I see something on the radar, sir."
The commando examined the speck of light that appeared on the radar, then a pilot's voice sounded through out the ship.
"Target is sighted, approximating two minutes before firing neutralizing weapons."
The commando smiled. "Well Ridley, let's get ready."
Ridley walked over to the troopers laying on the grown.
"Alright troops, form up, its time for briefing!"
The pirates were already scrambling at the pilot's message, forming rank along side Ridley.
"Alright, I am commando Run'din. This is a boarding mission in case you haven't heard. The ship's weapons will be disabled before boarding. Upon boarding we will then proceed to neutralize the crew and secure the ship for returning to home base with our second pilot. I'm also on orders to search and capture the highest ranking commander on board for questioning, so check for colorful suits before firing. Federation officers like to look fancy, makes easy pickings for us. Mission understood?"
"Aye sir!"
The commander singled-out Ridley in front of the others. "Now, I've placed Ridley as my first mate, so his orders count! I'll take one special weapon's trooper and three regulars." The commander pointed to his selection and directed them to line up beside him. "Ridley, you have the other three. Your directive is to secure the ship all the way to the bridge from the entry point, I will cover the rear down to the engine and storage rooms, giving Ridley some good experience."
The ship released a small rattle as the cannons fired two rounds at the opposing vessel.
"Neutralizing rounds fired, target's weapons and engine systems are disabled. Prepared for boarding procedure," a pilot relayed over the intercom.
"That's it boys. Follow me!"
The commander lead the bunch into the hall along the hull's edge, and stopped at a large sealed door on the hull's outer shell.
"This is our way on board the ship. Once we're close enough, this hall will extend to the ship's hull and lock on to the other ship's docking door. Once that process is complete we will board the target and commence operations."
The pirate cruiser came along side the targeted vessel, and latched mechanical holds to it. The hall with the sealed door extended, sealing to the ship's docking entrance.
"Begin operation!" The commando and his team strode down the hall, followed by Ridley's. The commando opened the sealed door, revealing the other ship's outer door. The commando planted a small device on the door's control panel, and within seconds of pushing keys, the door's seal was released.
The commando turned to the others behind with his hand on the door. "Alright. Three. Two. One!"
The door lunged open and the pirates passed into the ship's hull. They were met with a barrage of laser blast from opposite ends of the hallway they had entered. The space pirates immediately took formation as they advanced and returned fire simultaneously. Ridley took head of his group on their side of the hallway, acting as a shield. Laser blasts dissipated off Ridley as he and his group steadily advanced. The opposing crew were quickly eliminated, and the two groups continued down the hallway in opposite directions.
Ridley's group hustled through the hallway as it merged left and entered a large room. To the right end of the room from them was the bridge, and Ridley marched with his wings span out to shield his squad from any unforeseen fire. Sure enough, six federation soldiers charged out the door to the bridge, taking positions behind columns and control panels near the door's entrance.
Ridley continued to shield his crew with his intimidating dragon scales. Three enemy troops were left, one, in a bright blue coat with gold trimming, raised a missile launcher from behind a control panel. A small homing missile came whirling towards Ridley, which he did not expect. Ridley took his short reaction time available to swing his tail in front of him. The missile spun to the right of him a little before exploding on the ship's floor, leaving a black scorch mark.
Ridley was frightened for a moment, but then he chuckled inside, he was thrilled in his immortality towards the federation's inferior weaponry.
Ridley leaped to the control panel, landing his talents on top of it. The apparent federation officer shriveled against the wall from the menacing dragon, refusing to fire his effect-less weapon at Ridley again. Ridley wrenched the weapon from the officer, producing a metallic screeching sound as he crushed it within his talent.
Ridley smirked at the officer as he climbed over the panel. "Good day officer, I have orders to take you captive."
"You'll not have me you creature from hell!" The officer drawled a small energy blade from his side and frantically tried to strike Ridley with it.
Ridley merely grabbed the man's wrist, twisting it till he released the weapon. He then swung his tail, knocking the man to the floor, unconscious.
The other pirates had already eliminated the remaining forces and took control of the bridge.
Ridley's special weapon's trooper received communications from the commando via wrist-com, "Second squad, report on conditions."
"Reporting. Mission accomplished sir, we have the bridge and an officer under control, sir."
"Any casualties?"
"No sir, all clean!"
"Excellent! Now, report back to the entry point."
"Affirmed!"
Ridley and his group found the commando waiting for them, one of his regulars was absent.
"Congratulations Ridley, you've made perfect performance! One of my men received a passing blow in the arm, but he'll live through just fine."
"Thank you sir. Here is your prisoner." Ridley presented the officer with bound hands, ranting within his gagged mouth.
"Perfect. Let's get the crew to steer these ships to base. Return to ship!"
The pirate cruiser returned to the docks, accompanied by the newly acquired vessel.
The commando and Ridley returned to the command center, escorting the federation prisoner. The pirate commander came to them when they entered.
"I've received the report, excellent work Commando Run'din and to you especially Ridley. This is fine work for your first encounter.
"Here is the officer, sir. Not more than a knot on his head," said the commando.
"Indeed! I hear Ridley caused a scuff mark on my new ship, Some incident with a missile?"
"Commander, I'm sure it wasn't-"
"I was merely playing commando Run'din, be assured that I am very pleased with you and Ridley."
"Thank you, sir."
"Commando Run'din, would you take the prisoner to a cell in sector seven, I wish to speak with Ridley alone."
"Of course, sir." Commando Run'din took the prisoner and left the room.
The commander walked to his chair and rested in it. "Ridley, come here."
Ridley soundlessly approached the commander's chair.
"I received information from one in your group from the mission, he was previously assigned to report everything of your performance to me. You completely disregarded your life before your men, acting as a shield, which seemed to have worked. No casualties. Even commando Run'din, one of my finest, came through with an injured trooper. You took your advantages very well, you even fended off a missile targeted directly for you and captured their exceeding officer."
The commander stood up from his chair and faced Ridley. "Ridley, I'm amazed at your ability to fight and lead, at such a young age."
The commander rested his hand in Ridley's shoulder and smiled. "Ridley, You'll become a great commander, your new quarters are in sector one."
The commander returned to his chair. Ridley took this as a signal to leave, and turned around to do so.
Oh, one more thing, I'm giving you the rank of supreme commando."