The Chozo Djinn

Their course was set on Arabi-4N.

The Space Pirates had been rather aimless since the umpteenth defeat of their leader, the great Ridley. Ever since that bounty huntress Samus Aran had destroyed him yet again, this time for good, their lack of direction had caused them to splinter and to become much less of a menace, a threat taken less and less seriously by the galaxies at large. When Ridley was there, they were feared, able to strategize and invade any place to get what they wanted. They even had their part in picking up Chozo tech and making sure none would have it by extinguishing their race...but there was always that damnable Samus Aran getting in the way.

Even when he had been at his peak, when he had put on powerful armor, even while infected by phazon he could not defeat her and his final defeat had been the last nail on the coffin of their reputation. Those who hadn't met their demise by Samus' hand could barely keep it together, some altogether leaving piracy for other ventures. There were still some that were loyal to the ideal that they represented, that vowed to make sure Ridley would come back and enact vengeance upon his foes. There had been the X parasite which could have been a good place to start, yet once again that bounty huntress had thwarted them, making it so their scientist could not actually see the potential of this organism. They did have remains of their boss, whatever they could pick from the wreckage of his last fight, but they'd need a miracle to reanimate him somehow.

And then the signal from Arabi-4N was picked up.

It was in their head and on their screen, the resurrection and empowerment of an entire planet, an ancient Chozo colony founded by a secluded sect of them which had been brought back. Therein could be found a treasure, an artifact of incredible power and that could be wielded by anyone worthy of it. Intrinsically they knew that it was the answer to their plea, the one element that would bring them back from the brink and into the limelight of terror and vast riches, of utterly fearsome power. It was an impulse, knowledge they had no reason to doubt as their small gathering of spaceships went toward their destination, eager to get their hands or pincers on some worthy loot again.

When they arrived, others had been quicker than them, intrigued by this galaxy-wide call for someone to pick up whatever was on this forgotten planet on the edge of nowhere. Thankfully, they knew exactly how to react to this as they blasted torpedoes and all weapons that could be fired upon those miscreants, those who dared try to claim their rightful treasure. Space Pirates were not known for their mercy and all would know it as ships exploded in quick fashion, removed from the hunt for whatever could be found in the heart of Arabi-4N.

Their mayhem did not stop as they arrived near the surface, firing upon any and all who had the audacity to beat them to the punch as while they did meet some resistance, none of them were of Samus Aran's caliber. The element of surprise being on their side, they then went out of their ships before they even landed, using jetpacks in order to fall upon their enemies. Civilians and armed soldiers were not given the privilege of distinction, any and all who'd get in their way would be prone to disintegration or destruction as they occupied the entryway and then proceeded to continue their assault with impunity. To them, this was what it meant to be a Space Pirate, as the weak could only be victims to the strong and they were the strongest. Thus, they could take and do what they wanted, as was their right.

Beside the massacre around them, the environment was actually pristine, alien flowers of various colors and thick yet well-kept vegetation had been growing while the architecture did not suggest abandon or even age as polished marble was the norm. As pretty as it was, though, they were not there to smell the flowers or to bask in beauty, but to take what they needed and wanted. They moved on along the entrance, ready to vanquish the competition or any other fool who thought they could beat the Space Pirates right here and then.

In the grand entry hall, more had gathered and some had put up defenses upon hearing the tumultuous fighting outside, yet the Space Pirates cared not for those as their bombs and missiles proved that none could match them. Explosions could be seen, sweet flames and deflagrations that were like paintings and music to them, true artistry as eventually they were alone, or as alone as they felt they could be as a grand door stood as an obstacle to them, blocking their progression. Trying to open it did not lead to any result, making frustration rise a little as one of the scientist among them noticed a pattern and a puzzle, a test to proceed forward.

There were pressure pads on the floor and orbs, many patterns and symbols as there was an inherent logic to it all, a trial to see who might be worthy to continue toward the prize as many began to try to figure it out...until their de-facto leader in Ridley's absence gave them the rightful answer, one that any Space Pirate worth its salt ought to know by instinct: blow it up. They laughed as they launched missiles upon the door and the pressure pad, cracking the orbs as it did the trick, making them laugh as they would not be objected to rules that weren't their own. Thus they continued to the lower level while cackling, a bunch of heavily-armed hooligans ready to bust up everything they would find.

And so they did, the markings of Chozo history and the wonderful architecture promptly ignored, any context or learning not interesting them in the slightest as they simply moved right along to the lower floors while destroying any puzzles that stopped their progress. Wires that needed to be juiced up in order to activate a mechanism? Remembering specific sounds to create a melody? Moving tiles to produce an image or icon of important to the Chozo? None of them cared as they just used more violence to progress, this being the ultimate answer as far as they were concerned. It was ridiculously easy and only served to fuel their desire for mayhem, confirming their worst tendencies as they eventually reached the bottom, destroying a door upon which some kind of lamp symbol could be found.

As they finally entered the place where they knew the prize was located, a Chozo statue rested there in a sitting position, its two arms extended forward while its hands held the coveted item: a lamp. It was red and yellow, shining like rubies and gold as the spout was aimed toward them. A radiant energy could be felt from this simple object, one that they inherently knew was prodigious and capable of miracles should they get their mitts upon it. However, before any of them could even grab it for themselves, the lamp began to glow as some green and blue smoke erupted from the tip of the spout, swirling around in a way that felt genuinely captivating. Like some serpentine trail of sparkles and power, it then coalesced into a sumptuous yet very familiar and somewhat threatening form.

Samus Aran.

Upon seeing even a fraction of her, from her blonde hair to her feminine shape they went on to shoot at her without any hesitation, without reserve. Whole clips and a barrage of explosives were thrown her way, making it so their hated nemesis would be but dust and ash by the time they were done. Seeing her head and vestments quickly without armor, they knew she was vulnerable as the sound of weapons being fired filled the room in a cacophony of madness until their leader thought it should be enough, prompting them to stop their assault to look at the damage...and realizing there wasn't any.

In pure stupefaction, all gazed upon the very different Samus Aran in front of them, floating above the ground with a smoke tail of iridescent green connected to the lamp the Chozo statue was still holding. She indeed wore no armor, but rather a revealing kind of garment that was akin to dancers in exotic locales and classy joints, the tight blue of her attire cut in a way as to reveal cleavage, her midriff and her shoulders. She had a thin little smile upon her face, her eyes showcased tiny spirals which indicated she wasn't quite the same, but the elements that all noticed above anything else were the four arms gravitating around her, each large and built akin to those her power suit manifested back when she was wearing them. Energy like flames radiated from their palms as they knew immediately that she had used those to stop all attacks without so much as a scratch on her flawless skin, the bounty huntress somehow looking especially alluring through supernatural means as she glanced at them all.

"I am afraid you have shown to be unworthy of my powers and my service. Your chaos and utter disregard for others makes it so you shall not receive a prize, but rather punishment for your actions," Samus said, her tone serene and yet filled with certainty, their fate a foregone conclusion as they were tetanized for a brief instant. The Space Pirates could actually feel that this was a different foe both in temperament, but also in terms of sheer scale of power. Phazon or even Mother Brain paled in front of her as some thought to flee...yet were spurred to action as one of them began to panic and shot anew against this being whose source of power could only be described as magic. "You are no longer needed in this universe and shall reap what you have sown."

If they had paid attention to anything, had scanned any surface or shown interest in the barest amount of knowledge on the path to this room, the Space Pirates would have known that Samus had been changed into something far more than she initially was. Attuned to the energies of the cosmos and filled with the knowledge and wisdom of the entire Chozo race, her own senses were on another level and yet there was something else which made her even more dangerous to them: she was still somewhat herself. The Chozo had perished due to the Space Pirates, her parents as well, and she had fought them countless times. Her might and her experience combined as those multiple arms began to move swiftly and efficiently, their palms not just blocking but absorbing the shots and explosions so as to not cause damage to this most sacred of place.

"You have caused too much grief and loss due to your greed and your lack of respect for life. You shall be stopped," Samus continued, her tone firm yet not aggressive as she knew what she could do, what she could accomplish...yet her understanding came with a certain reserve as it was not her place to govern, only to serve the will of the cosmos, of the grand order of things. Had the Space Pirates gone through the ordeals in the way it was intended without actually harming a single soul, they would have been the rightful owner of her servitude and her might and she would have obeyed them gladly as per her obligation and privilege...yet the fact that they did not activated a special protocol put in place. She was both the bounty huntress and the genie now, using both sides to defend and mete out justice as some Space Pirates began to fly around her to hit Samus by surprise, yet one quick swat of those numerous arms made short work of that. "I grow tired of this and you leave me no choice..."

Samus did not want to answer violence with more of it, not anymore. She had many more options available to her and the imagination to make the most of it as the first thing she wanted was for them to cease. The longer this went on, the more damage they'd do as she then began to emit green flames from the palms of her extended hands and then proceeded to make them spin around her in a steady fashion. This created a spiral of green and red as she lifted her own natural arms as the simple pattern behind her caused for more than a few to be as equally confused as they were mesmerized. Then, she used a more peaceful method to obtain what she wanted.

She danced.

None of the Space Pirates would have ever thought to see the day when Samus Aran, their hated enemy, their absolute nemesis, would ever try to seduce them with such a dance. Full of pelvic and waist motions, her tail twirled around as her absence of leg was no handicap to fluid movements as her hips and midriff were rolling and undulating in a manner that could only be described in one way: hypnotically. There was a certain repetition to it, a pattern that emerged and yet evolved constantly as the spiral behind her glued all gazes and glances toward her body, making it so new thoughts began to blossom inside their head, most of them related to attraction.

"Stop fighting. Look at me."

It was a commanding voice, echoing within the room and their brain as some of the weakest among them began to feel their arms and hands, their pincers, getting limp. They watched with intent, with purpose as if this was destiny at work and they were drawn in akin to a moth to a flame. It was irresistible as that fair skin, that flawless flesh, undulated and waved in ways that were uncanny, utterly charming in ways words could not describe. They weren't of the same species, she was hated beyond any reasoning...and yet she was so strikingly beautiful that they could not help but listen and watch in silence.

"Do not resist. Succumb."

Simple words, edicts of a few words and yet they worked as a few of the Space Pirates felt their weapon simply slip away to the ground, unable to be touched anymore as spirals of green, red and blue popped within their eyes or the cavities serving as such. Mesmerized, captive of that dance, the way those hips swung while the arms behind spun around and around continuously rendered them weak and docile, a far cry from the ruckus they caused and their wanton desire for destruction. That voice of hers seemed to seep in, to be absorbed by her mind as an after-image of her was burned within their subconscious.

"No more hostility. Just obedience."

In the past, Samus would have never opted to use such a tactic to defeat her foes, especially the Space Pirates, yet she recognized now that her body was just as much a weapon as her cannon was in the past. Perhaps even more so nowadays as her enemies began to fall to their knees one by one just as she spun her hips, then gyrated her waist while lifting one hip and dropping it quickly to create umis. Her own hands went on to lower and then cross before her chest before she twirled her wrists, created two little motes of flames and then clasped her palms together, creating a glowing aura around herself as she stared down at those who had been her opponents but a few moments ago.

"Submit to me. Submit to my judgment."

None could resist this, the commands ringing out with even more force, authority and charisma than Ridley could ever hope to possess as they were at Samus' mercy. The Chozo and the cosmos had spoken through her, taking into account the malevolence of those invaders, those killers, defilers of civilizations and other societies and as such Samus knew that this hypnotic dance was no longer needed as they were powerless, helpless before her verdict and the punishment that she was free to give them. For all the pain they had caused, their sentence was clear to them as she could no longer kill...but there were ever different ways to deal with things without harm or pain...yet still with consequences.

She used her magic and then proceeded to touch a single one of them on the head with one of her armored hand, proceeding to paralyze and then gradually change the Space Pirate to a golden statue. The metallic sheen around him grew from his feet to the to top of his cranium as he was flawless, sparkling in the precious metal as Samus then proceeded to continue one by one. None of them were aware of much beside the image of Samus dancing, the illusion that it was still going on, a mercy that she did not feel they deserved and yet that she would grant them still if only because her role would value kindness far more than violence, as per the Chozo way. All those intruders were then changed to statues, immortalized into immobility and opulence as none could ever brandish a weapon anymore. Such tools were dissipated with but a snap of her fingers as Samus then proceeded with the next step, one that would be poetic and justified as she channeled her magic through the statues that she had just created.

Again, one by one they were affected as the Space Pirates began to shift, the gold melting and bubbling as they were sculpted into a different form and shape altogether. Reduced to formless mass, Samus began to chisel and hammer them with her mind and cosmic-powers until they were turned into something far worthier for this place: Chozo statues. Effigies of those whose technology had always been advanced, of those who made this new evolution of hers possible, those who raised her as while her own mind had been changed, her spirit hadn't and thus the many Space Pirates were changed to better icons and then went on to be moved to the sides of the room, decorating it as its size was enlarged in order for all statues to be properly put in correct place and distanciation. Thus were dealt with the Space Pirates...yet Samus knew her intervention was not over as a great injustice had been caused upon this planet, one that she couldn't let pass as Arabi-4N would not be the theater of tragedies, but rather of a hopeful new start and of miracles.

She gathered her energies, seeing through possibilities as she moved through time and gathered the presence of the Space Pirates, nullifying their arrival while still implanting the timeline in which they arrived and were changed into Chozo statues. Ships that were blown, innocents being gunned down, the damage to this place were all reversed and made right, with none being the wiser as to what had actually happened. Thus was her power, one which would grant indeed countless possibilities to the one who would actually be worthy of grabbing her lamp and claiming her as the extension of their will. None had succeeded so far, but eventually someone would as she smiled, looked at what she had accomplished before returning to her lamp.

And waiting for her rightful owner.