The three of us arrived at a docking bay, where many sleek Luminoth vessels were docked. Each of them were heavily damaged, with broken parts and fuel leaks that pooled the floors. I inhaled the heavy reek of lubricant, coughing a few times. Other Luminoth were repairing their ships, asking one another for assistance and working diligently. They were different in the markings that colored them, but their height and attributes were nearly as identical to U-Mos's.

"That smells bad. Could I sit down?" Raein asked me.

I agreed, lowering her gently to the floor and following U-Mos to the others of his kind. "Don't go near that oil, okay? Stay away from it." I warned the girl, and she nodded, hugging her knees to her chest and covering her nose.

I stood across from U-Mos as he communicated in Luminoth tongue to another male a small brook of grease separating us. He spoke in vibrating, strange tones, and I had a hard time contemplating even what I thought they said to each other. I turned back to Raein, checking on her. She was curled into a ball, glancing around the hanger with little interest.

"Rundas," I returned my attention to U-Mos as he translated for me. "our ships are in need of advanced restoring as you can see. However, they can accommodate up to eight passengers. We may be able to bring Samus and the others on board if we find them."

I smiled. "Perfect. So, how long until we can get these things back online?"

He turned to the other Luminoth, muttering more of the weird language. "About twenty minutes."

I was worried. I knew that Samus could breathe with the oxygen in her suit, but what about Ghor, Gandrayda and Admiral Dane? "All right, I guess we'll just-"

U-Mos's eyes went wide as he stared past me, and he reached forward and shoved me away from him. "Look out!"

I stumbled back as a flare of ultramarine shot up from the floor, lighting up the bay brightly blue. I watched the twenty foot blazes lick the ceiling with hisses, and then the fire dart across the lubricant streaming the floors. The flames found the Luminoth ships, and each of the six vessels exploded with bangs that forced me to cover my ears. I watched in horror as our only way of transportation was destroyed.

I had forgotten Raein, and turned swiftly to see if she was okay. I stared at my sister, who was now standing, with a mysteriously acquired gun aimed towards the conflagrations, barrel smoking. Her face was contorted into pure seriousness. "Raein?" I realized the gun was actually a part of her right arm.

And her eyes were deep blue.

I took a step back, my beliefs spinning and practically getting crushed. "No!! It can't be!!"

Raein threw her head back and began to laugh. Her voice deepened from being youthful and spunky, to mature and cruel.

Her body flashed and morphed till it wasn't Phrygisian anymore, and standing with the biggest air of triumph and conquering surrounding her, was Dark Samus.

"You have got to be the most gullible person I've ever seen, Rundas. You actually believed your parents would give up on you and spawn another?" Her voice was as icy and sharp as I remembered it.

"Raein wasn't real?" I gawked, my words returning to me.

"Of course she wasn't!" The resurrected hunter screeched. "You're a fool for thinking it! I had to change my form. It was simple. Just take some of the Phrygisian female looks, lower my age and height, and then alter my voice- ta-daa! I've tricked everyone! You realize you had been holding me, touching me, and caring for me, all this time?" she smirked evilly, which sent chills throughout my stiff body. "I have to say, you have a gentle touch. I really enjoyed being cradled in your strong arms."

I looked the dark huntress up and down. Her suit was almost the same, except her fore armor and calf armor was drawn to the tips in three spikes. The black tint was blacker, with more blue Phazon veins dashing up and down. Her complexion was extremely sinister, and I found my courage cowering deep. I noticed however, that Dark Samus's posture was slouched a hint, and her breathing was quick. "Now I know the luxury Samus has of being your comrade."

I watched her closely, the Phazon fires roaring behind us casting eerie shadows that stretched from her armored feet and flickered around the room. Her weapon was locked on my position, unwavering and ready to shoot at any moment. "How did you enjoy Jake? I had a Metroid specifically bond with him to kill the hunters. But," she sighed with discontent. "he failed. Along with the rest of my attempts to try and seduce you with Chromia."

"You've been sending those out?" I gasped, starting to sweat slightly. The heat aided with the intensity I felt at finding out Dark Samus was alive, with a powerful motive and even more powerful body.

"Of course! These little things are the key to my success. I now have under my control sixteen armies from all across the universe, and each of them are targeted on the Galactic Federation. But, in more detail, you."

"Why do you need me?"
 She chuckled, and I remembered the tone my mother had chortled with. The two women's voices were the same. "Don't you know anything? The link between us still stands. And even though I don't look it, I'm lacking power..." Dark Samus trailed off and lowered her gun, grabbing her helmet and exhaling a growl. "I crave it. After all those Chromia, the battalions I need to single-handedly control, and fooling you with the whole Raein hoax, I've overdone it. I am hungry for energy, and you, Rundas, are going to provide it for me."

My eyes widened. "What? Why do you expect me to help you?"

"Because if you don't, there are going to be consequences. Like I said on Phrygis through that ditzy Armant, you can never escape me!"

Dark Samus reached up, curling her clawed fingers around her palm. Pain shot up into my chest from the pit of my stomach, and I grunted. She approached, and without my controlling, made me freeze my own feet to the ground. I fell to my knees as she stood at my height, maliciously grinning. "I love seeing you in pain. It really brightens my day. Now," I watched out of the corner of my eye a Chromia dash up to the huntress, scaling her leg and torso, crawling onto her wrist and purring. "would you rather be controlled by a Chromin or by me?"

"I would rather die than serve you!" I hissed, spitting upon her shoes.

Dark Samus pulled her foot back, snarling. She kneeled, staring at me to the point where even her gaze caused me agony. I groaned again, pinching my eyes shut and refusing to look at her. "How about I choose instead?"

I felt her cold hands on my shoulder, and then severe torture run through my body. I opened my eyes and saw her palm partially disappeared under my plating. Before I could scream, the dark hunter pulled her hand away, and I partially relaxed until she released the Chromia onto my neck. It pierced through my protective covering, and my vision blurred as a hollow thudding echoed in my head. I grabbed my skull, thrashing from side to side and crying out at the absolute torment it turned on me. Without warning, Dark Samus yanked the Chromia off me, a splitting rip coming from my neck. It had torn a jagged gash into me, and I felt the blood and saw it flow down my throat, coating the ground. I spat and stifled a bellow of suffering, trying to steady my heart and breath.

"You were so nice to me. I found it wonderful that you even allowed me to sleep next to you on Phrygis. And while you attempted to flee, I commanded your fellow tribe members into killing you." Dark Samus's voice sounded distant due to the booming pulse in my ears.

"Why did you want me dead?" I mumbled, watching her pace around me like a vulture. "Don't you want my power?"

"I can assure you that I still yearn for it, but I wanted you dead because if your body was empty, I could take it. After all, the body I have now is... weak, after the destruction Phaaze rendered on it. I had to hide my deficiencies by using Space Pirate armor that was made especially for me. Ha! Those pitiful rats are the easiest to persuade. I get whatever I want, when I want from them."

"You're sounding like Gandrayda," I snorted.

"Don't even joke. The Jovian is nothing compared to me. Now, I've put this off too long," Dark Samus grabbed me by the neck and pulled me to my feet with unexpected strength. "I need to get this over with and I've decided." She made me freeze myself solid to the ground, and I couldn't move any part of me. I struggled to break free, but a tight ball in my chest forbade even the slightest twitch of a muscle.

"I need some cover, Rundas," Dark Samus took a few steps back, extending her arms and locking her knees. I watched as her body sublimated, transforming her from a solid being, to a ghost. I remembered with fear when I first saw her like this, on Bryyo. The day she first-

"No! Dark Samus, please!" I beseeched, unprepared for what was to come. "Don't do this!" I tried to move, but was stuck like I was paralyzed. "You can't!"

"On the contrary," her voice was a creepy whisper. "I already have."

She swooped forward, into my chest, and inside me. I had no way of fighting back, and was overshadowed instantly.

Darkness devoured my sight.

Blackout.