Chapter 9
Samus stared at the five story tall robot. It was silent, obviously deactivated. Then Samus noticed several Ing in puddle form oozing up the legs of the mechanoid. The ooze sank into the metal, and the huge robot came to life with a grunt.
Samus scanned it. Morphology: Quadraxis. Rogue combat drone. Main body is impervious to attack. Knee and foot joints are vulnerable.
The Quadraxis unit went rogue and entered the service of the Ing. Its primary weapon fires matter-antimatter blasts. While the main body is impervious to assault, the knee and foot joints are vulnerable. Damaging these joints will eventually render it immobile.
Samus raised the arm cannon and prepared to fight.
She saw at once that one of the kneecaps on this huge bucket of bolts had a rim that was glowing blue. Samus had years of experience in this sort of thing, and she knew a weak point when she saw one. The kneecap alone was so huge however, that the only weapon that could feasibly damage it was the Super Missile. Samus fired one at the kneecap. The kneecap was damaged, but not destroyed. Samus knew it would take another one to destroy the kneecap.
She also knew there was a strong possibility that Quadraxis would speed up as she blew up each joint, which would make the last one fairly hard to hit. So she hit each knee once with a super missile before destroying a single one, that way she would have to hit the other ones only once. Waiting until one of the kneecaps glowed blue, she fired a super missile. It was very satisfying to see the huge mechanoid double over as it's knee exploded. But the party wasn't over yet. As Samus watched, Quadraxis used a spin attack identical to the ones the Quads used. This completely unnerved her. Few things are as terrifying as having a five hundred foot tall robot spinning toward you in a vortex. Desperate, Samus fired a charged Power Beam at his feet, disrupting the spin. Quadraxis fired some missiles and a beam, then used a laser targeting system to lock on. Samus was prepared and transformed, boosting away from the lock. Resuming normal form, Samus fired a super missile at a blue glowing kneecap, destroying it. She repeated the process with the remaining two.
When all four kneecaps were destroyed, the head of Quadraxis separated from the body. Samus scanned them both and found that the head was shielded. This shield was maintained by the body, which was using sonic waves to guide the head module in battle. Samus switched to the Echo Visor and targeted the antenna on the body. She fired several super missiles at it, causing it to retract, stunning the head. Samus scanned the head and found that it was trying to restore it's tactical link to the main body via antennas on it. Samus used the Echo Visor to see the antennas on the head, then as the head floated motionless, she used the Sunburst to destroy one of them. This caused the head to summon a Dark Quad, which Samus easily slew. However, it distracted her long enough for the head to restore it's link to the main body.
Not one to fret, Samus simply stitched to the Dark Visor to see the antenna on the body again, only this time, she jumped up on the foot of one of the legs and screw attacked the antenna, retracting it instantly. Samus used the Echo Visor to see the remaining antennas on the head, but this time used two super missiles to destroy the next antenna, for the Sunburst was unreliable and traveled slowly. This time Quadraxis summoned two Dark Quads, but they didn't last any longer than the first. Samus repeated the above process until the last antenna on the head was destroyed.
The glass cover on the head exploded, and the head careened around, smashing the glass on the legs, revealing Spider Ball tracks. Samus scanned the head and found that the link to the main body was severed. Spider Ball travel was possible on the surface of the head. Two weak points were detected on the head. Samus acted fast. Stunning the head with the Darkburst, Samus watched for a moment to see which way it drifted. She transformed and boosted to the next leg it would pass, Spider Balling up the track and boosting onto the head as it passed. Rolling into one of the holes in the head, Samus laid three bombs.
BANG! The head lurched sideways and the whole left side of it burst into flame. Samus fell off the head and transformed. The head continued attacking, even with fire pouring out of it's left side. Samus stunned it again, watched to see which way it drifted, transformed and boosted to the next leg it would pass, crawled up the track and boosted onto the passing head, rolled into the second hole, and dropped three more bombs.
The other side of the head exploded, fire pouring out of it. The head started to fall, small explosions popping out of it. Samus transformed and jumped off the head, landing safely on the ground. The head crashed to the floor of the temple and violently exploded, filling the whole temple with white smoke. When the smoke cleared, Samus turned and saw the weapon Quadraxis had been using against her. The last and greatest beam weapon. The Annihilator Beam.
The moment Samus picked it up, the body of Quadraxis exploded, causing a platform to raise itself up to the level of the door to the next room.
Samus went into the next room and performed a familiar ritual: she took the energy from the Hive Energy Controller. Avoiding the Ingstorms in Temple Security Access, Samus used a portal nearby to return to the Light World. After getting a missile expansion, Samus returned to the temple to restore the energy.
The energy was restored and the black sky over Sanctuary flooded with light. At last, the energy from all three temples was returned!
Samus took a brief detour in the Agon Wastes to get the Annihilator Beam charge combo, the Sonic Boom. She then hightailed it to the Great Temple to get her next assignment from U-mos.
"The Light of Aether shines from all three temples once more." U-mos was clearly pleased. "And yet Dark Aether remains. One energy controller shines in the darkness, barely sustaining the world."
U-mos looked straight at Samus. The Sky Temple, dark shadow of this hallowed place, holds the final energy controller. The greatest and most powerful beast of the Ing keeps guard over what you seek. The ten keys to the Sky Temple have been hidden throughout Dark Aether. Finding them will be perilous, but…"
Samus stared back at him. "I offer you this blessed suit of armor, energized by the Light of Aether itself. It's power will help you reach these final keys. May it serve you well in the darkness."
The Main Energy Controller split into three parts. In between these parts, a silver symbol appeared. Samus touched it. It vanished. Points of light streamed down from the sphere of energy. The flow grew more intense until Samus was in the center of a ring of light. The tendrils grew closer and closer together until they met on Samus.
There was a blinding flash. The whole room was filled with light. Beams of light poured from certain places on Samus's suit. When the light faded, Samus looked in a mirror and beheld the results.
It was the perfect marriage of Chozo and Luminoth battle suit technology. Making the wearer immune to not only the atmosphere of Dark Aether, but the toxic water and Ingstorms as well. Enabling her to travel on beams of light. And last, but most certainly not least, it was a blinding silver and white, unquestionably the pimpiest outfit in the cosmos, the echoes of which are with us today: the Light Suit.
Samus headed down to the Torvus sector, using the portal that she had used to get to the Path of Eyes since she hadn't had the Super Missile. This time however, instead of going into the abandoned base, she went into the other room, where two Hunter Ing attacked.
Samus fired the Annihilator Beam at the beacon nearby, turning it into a Super Beacon. When charged with Light and Dark energy at once, the crystal or beacon acted as a drug for the Ing. They were compelled to approach it, even though it would vaporize them. Samus laughed as the Hunter Ing killed themselves. "The surprise is mine, bucketheads!"
Samus went from there to the Sky Temple Gateway. There she saw a sobering sight. Another dead Luminoth rested against one of the pillars. Samus scanned him.
Soon I shall pass to final rest. My key is in place. Thru my spiritual link to the others, I know where their bodies lie. I shall leave this knowledge, that their last location in the Dark World may be known. May this knowledge lead our warriors to the Sky Temple Keys.
The final time draws near. Hear the words of A-kul, she they call Champion of Aether. Know that my warriors fought and died with uncommon valor. Do not look unkindly upon their failure, for they died to save us all.
Samus scanned the first pillar. The key of A-kul has been placed, it's lock forever open. May the Light of Aether shine upon our enemies forever!
Samus scanned the remaining pillars for clues. Hear the words of A-kul, that you may find a key lost to our cause.
Mighty J-fme. In the last, what did you see? Was it one of our gates closing, sealing the scorched land from our holy ground?
Fearless M-dhe. The one who shall move the pillar of holy ground shall see your soulless body.
Brave S-dly. Beside the marsh of a raining land, she laid her body forever.
Noble J-stl. Lost his soul before a fortress in the scorched land.
Gallant B-stl. She lies deep in a fortress of dry land.
Gentle G-sch. With a bearer pod he sleeps in a flooded temple.
Judicious C-rch. In a small corridor within the depths of a high fortress he lies silently.
Steadfast D-stl. Who shall disturb you among the trees of holy ground?
Loyal S-jrs. He no longer breathes, looking down at the great bridge of a holy fortress.
Samus retrieved M-dhe's key, then went back to the Light World and found D-stl's body. She scanned it.
It is inside me. I feel it clawing at my will, tearing at my thoughts. It moves me against my will, to this cavern. Here it will end. I do not want this, do not want my body to become a weapon for the Ing within me. It hates. It demands obedience. I shall fight to the end. I shall self-terminate before I will be a pawn of a filthy Ing.
Samus mad the long journey across Aether and Dark Aether to gather the remaining keys. It was difficult, but she did it. Finally, she reunited them at the Gateway and entered the Sky Temple.
In the temple, Samus heard a terrible squealing noise. She looked up and saw a huge puddle on the ceiling. Tentacles emerged from it, grabbing the sphere of energy and dragging it thru the ceiling. Samus headed up to the final battle.