CHAPTER NINE
JOURNEY TO HER PAST
Johnson stared down the hallway in the medical wing of the ship. Not many casualties were reported after the battle, but he still had small strike squads out to take down any Pirates that had gotten away. But that wasn't the reason he had come here.
Spartan 117 sat outside the door to a private room, staring at his hands. He hadn't moved for several hours. Approaching, the Sergeant sat beside him. For a moment, both were quiet before the dark eyed man spoke.
"How is she John?"
Not looking up, he shrugged. "Doctors say she'll be all right. She passed out right before they got her in a room. They expect the worst will be a concussion, but they don't think it'll be bad. She's asleep right now."
Nodding, Avery Johnson looked over his old friend before speaking. "It wasn't your fault you know."
Sighing heavily, John leaned back in his chair. "I should've been there. Maybe there was something I could have…"
"There wasn't a thing you could've done."
Miranda Keyes stood a distance away from the two, looking a little tired. Under her arm was a familiar device that looked like a monitor. "I talked with those who saw what happened. The leader did a suicide run. Samus escaped, but he died. If you had been there, we would have two people in beds right now instead of one."
Both hurried to stand and salute, but she waved them off, sitting in a chair across the hall from the two.
"Chief, she wouldn't have wanted you to be hurt. But that's not why I came here. Adam wanted to talk with you before Samus wakes up, and I knew that you wouldn't leave this spot. So I brought him to you."
Setting the box on the chair she had just occupied, she nodded to Johnson. "You and I need to draw up a report. Let's leave them in peace."
Only when the door had closed with a soft swish did Adam speak.
"You saved her."
Blinking in surprise, John shook his head. "No. I just was there to make sure…"
"Not like that." Adam's voice was a little exasperated. "I mean in a different sense. Do you have any idea what Samus's life has been like before she met you?"
Pausing, John realized that he did not know anything about her past except for her bounty hunting record. Adam spoke.
"That's what I thought. I…I won't pretend to say that I understand everything she's gone through, because that would make me a liar. But her life has been far from easy."
Leaning forward, the Spartan was curious. "Adam…"
"No."
"I didn't ask you yet."
"But I know what it is." Sighing, the computer would have shaken his head. "Chief, Samus's past is important to her. It's what makes her so…special. I have no right to tell you anything about it. That's her place, not mine. What I'm saying is that before she met you, whenever she talked about companions, it was never…enthusiastic. She's had too many bad experiences with that sort of thing. But after she met you…well, something changed. I don't know what, but I have you to thank. You brought my Lady back to me."
Opening his mouth, John was cut off by a small nurse.
"Master Chief?"
Looking over, he blinked up at her.
"Samus Aran requests to see you now. She's awake."
Glancing at Adam, the computer seemed to be smiling. "Go to her. I'll see her later. Besides, I'm not about to go anywhere quickly."
Entering the room, John was drawn to where Samus lay under a set of white sheets. Smiling wearily at him, she held out her hand.
"Hey…"
Sitting beside her, John took the offered hand and smiled. "How're you feeling?"
Grimacing, she shook her head a little. "Terrible…but well enough."
Silence fell between the two. It was not awkward, but it was not the comfortable, warm silence that John had come to know when Samus didn't feel like talking. Finally she spoke.
"I need to tell you something."
Blue eyes met brown. She seemed resolute and determined. "John... do you know why I became a bounty hunter?"
Squeezing her hand tightly, John shook his head. "Samus, if this is about your past, you don't need to tell me."
"I do." Taking a deep breath, she began. "I was born on a small Federation colony called K-2L to my parents, Scott and Virginia Aran. We were a happy family, my father worked for the Federation during that time. But then…they came."
Tearing her gaze from his, Samus looked away. "Space Pirates came on a raid. They came, killing everyone and everything in their path. I watched as their leader, Ridley, killed my mother before my eyes. I still have nightmares about it. By some miracle I survived. I don't think they thought I'd survive a day without my parents. I was three at the time. Then…they came."
When Samus didn't speak for a long time, John cleared his throat. "Who came?"
Meeting his eyes once more, Samus was smiling softly. "The Chozo."
"They came and found me there, so they took me in and brought me back to their home planet of Zebes. Since the atmosphere of Zebes cannot be survived by humans, they needed to do something, or I would die. So they took my DNA and fused part of their DNA with mine. I'm not all human. That's why I can see auras and things like that. Chozo can sometimes see spirits if they're very good. "
John searched her face. "But…?"
"Why me?" Her smile didn't falter. "When I was five, they finally told me about something I didn't know. Some Chozo are gifted with foresight. They see into the future and into other times. Sometimes they produced prophecies and one claimed that the one destined to save the Chozo would be a warrior princess. They believed I was that warrior."
"But how-?"
"Did they know it was me? Easy. My name."
Faltering, the Spartan shook his head. "I don't understand…"
Nodding, Samus seemed to be laughing a little. "Of course you don't, you don't speak Chozo. In the traditional Chozo language, Samus literally translates to 'warrior princess.' My parents didn't know that when they named me, but that's what it means. From that day on, they raised me to be a warrior and leader to the Chozo people. But I didn't forget easily what the Space Pirates had done to me and my family. I wanted to hunt them down."
"A Chozo will come of age at 130 years of age. Since I would not live that long, I was to come of age at thirteen. That day I left with two things in my possession. My gunship and the Power Suit. People have tried to replicate it and failed. It's a one of a kind piece that can only work for me. I joined the Galactic Federation and was matched up with a commanding officer named Adam Malkovich."
It took the Spartan a moment to make the connection.
"Wait, Adam as in…?"
Nodding, Samus seemed sad. "The same. He was like my father…but he died saving me from a Space Pirate ambush. Later his mind was preserved in a computer and given to me. We've been working together ever since to take down the Space Pirates."
Searching his face, Samus spoke softly. "You have a right to know my past…I know yours. It's not easy, and it won't ever be easy."
Leaning forward in his chair, John gently rubbed Samus's hand. "Tell me about the Chozo."
Slowly sitting up, Samus seemed to light up. "They're beautiful creatures John. I wish you could see them. A long time ago they could fly, since they're bird like people, but time grounded them. Usually they're about seven, eight feet tall. Chozo loved art and literature and stargazing and things like that. Especially on Tallon IV."
"Tallon IV?"
"It's the sister planet to this one. Many years ago the Chozo left Zebes and settled there. But then a large stellar object impacted the planet and spread Phazon through the planet's ecosystem. By the time I got there, there was only lore left for me to piece together what had happened to the Chozo."
She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear as she continued. "I can't tell very well from the lore as to what happened. I've checked my translations, and they're right as far as I can tell. It seems that some Chozo left for another planet, but some stayed and died with the planet."
Leaning back a little, the Spartan was watching Samus with curiosity and a little bit of awe. "You speak Chozo?"
Nodding solemnly, Samus met his gaze. "I'm bilingual. English is my first language, but I was raised speaking Chozo."
"Say something."
When Samus spoke, the language that came out was flowing, but not altogether smooth. John was fascinated. It was nothing like the rough speech employed by the Covenant Brutes, but more similar to the flowing style of Elites.
Smiling a little, Samus shrugged. "All the Chozo told me I had a human accent, which is true, but that's as close as it gets to perfect."
"It was wonderful." The brunette couldn't help but be a little curious though. "But I have to ask…what did you just say?"
A pink tinge surged to Samus's cheeks as she shyly met his gaze with a soft smile.
"'I love you.'"
