Lana and the Isnekt touched down on the soft blue grass of the planet.
"It's been a long time since I've been here on Archia," The Isnekt muttered
to himself, looking around the Earth-like planet.
"Archia?" Lana asked.
"Yeah, a real rural planet. You've never been here?"
"No," Lana said sheepishly.
The Isnekt hummed. "Well, this is it. Hasn't seen a lick of industry or government since its formation. I really liked plundering this one…"
The Isnekt jolted a bit when Lana flicked his wing. "Excuse me?" she asked forcefully. The Isnekt whimpered and rubbed his wing where Lana flicked it. "You seem to know this place," Lana said to the Isnekt, "find a shipyard!" she ordered.
"No!" The Isnekt retorted blandly, crossing his arms.
Lana grabbed the Isnekt by his throat with her free hand and held his face to her visor. "You'll do whatever I tell you to," Lana threatened, poking the barrel of her gun in the side of the Isnekt's skull, "Or I'll make you regret it."
"And how are you going to do that?" The Isnekt shot back, staring into Lana's bright green visor. "Don't you want me to tell you everything about us pirates? Or would you rather kill me and spend God knows how long running around after us?"
Lana paused, and then groaned as she let the Isnekt go, giving him a little push away from her. "Damn you pirates," she growled.
The Isnekt dusted off his chest. "Now maybe if you could be a little nicer to me, maybe, just maybe, I'll show you where our hideout is."
Lana sighed bitterly. "Alright, could you find a shipyard for me?" she growled.
"What's the magic word?"
"Please?"
"Please what?"
Lana was beginning boiling over with frustration. "Just find, a Goddamn, shipyard- please," she breathed angrily while trying to control her temper.
"Okay," the Isnekt hummed, lazily flapping his wings.
"And you're not going to run away from me either!" said Lana sharply, slipping behind the Isnekt and clamping down on his shoulders with her hand and cannon, "I'll be coming with you!"
"With that heavy-looking thing on?" The Isnekt complained, looking at Lana's Chozo suit over his shoulder.
Lana took off her helmet and tucked it under her arm, letting her emerald- green hair spill over the back of the suit.
"You're a human-!" the Isnekt gasped in surprise at the sight of Lana's face.
"Yeah? So?" Lana asked, letting her temper spark.
"You mean, I've been pushed around by a," the Isnekt paused to shiver, "a human?"
"What of it?" Lana growled, letting her arm cannon twitch.
"No offense," The Isnekt burst out in shocked laughter, "but my race considers raw human a delicacy!"
Lana forcefully spun the Isnekt around and jabbed her nose into the Isnekt's face. "You even think about sinking one of your teeth into me, and I'll try to take a liking to roasted bug," she snarled in a low tone.
"Sheesh," the Isnekt moaned, "getting bossed around by my own dinner…"
Lana spun the Isnekt around again and climbed onto his back. "Now move it!" she ordered.
"Yes, princess bitch," the Isnekt muttered under his breath, buzzing his wings in the air and lifting off the ground.
-
The old human-like martian rubbed his stubby chin as he saw two figures touch down on the ground from the air in front of his porch. "Mornin', strang'rs," he said to them as one figure hopped off of the other's back.
"We need a ship," said the one in the armored red-gold suit, brushing her green hair over her ear. The other one stroked the base of his ant-like antennae with his clawed fingers.
"An Isnekt and a human, there's a pair y' don't see getting' along together well too of'n," muttered the old timer, hopping off his porch and strolling up towards the armored woman, who was at least twice his size. "What kind a' ship, miss…?"
"Aran. Lana Aran," the woman replied blankly.
"Aran, eh?" the old martian rubbed his chin. "Like th' Samus Aran?"
"Yes, my grandmother was Samus Aran."
"Been thirty years since I seen her last," the old martian mused, "An' then she just goes and vanishes."
"We need a ship," Lana said again, "A spaceship."
The old martian turned around and looked at his porch. Behind it was the small wooden dwelling he called home, and behind that was a large field filled with various machinery. "Well, that's what I do best," he said, "Sellin' ships." The old martian turned on his heel and walked back to his house, beckoning Lana and the Isnekt to follow.
Lana and the Isnekt followed the old martian around the heaps of metal in the field. "So, a spaceship, eh?" the old martian said, "Folks from this planet come all th' way down here jus' to get off this sleepy ol' planet," he paused to chuckle, "Been makin' a killin' off it fer fifty years!"
"How did you know Samus disappeared?" the Isnekt asked the martian.
The martian laughed. "When big news like that a' happens, there ain't nobody that don' know about it- even on this ol' rock."
"Well, can you get us a ship or not?" the Isnekt asked.
"Sure can," replied the martian, "One built fer speed 'r otherwise?"
"Just something that can get us off the ground," Lana replied.
"Then I think you'll find it right there," said the martian, pointing his stubby finger towards a small blue spaceship.
It's deep blue color reflected the light of the sky perfectly along its oval-like structure. The small and compact ship with its shaded windscreen looked like an excellent replacement for the Fireball.
"How much for it?" Lana asked.
"Oh, somewhere in the neighborhood of, about, oh, say, seventy thousand UniDollars."
Lana and the Isnekt's hearts both skipped a beat. "Seventy… thousand…" Lana weakly murmured.
"I could only dream of stealing that much in a week," the Isnekt muttered.
"Don't you have anything cheaper?" Lana asked in more of a whine.
"Nope," replied the old martian.
"Anything?"
"Nope."
"Maybe we could trade you something," Lana desperately offered.
"Well, I'd fancy me some genuine F-Zero machine parts…"
"F-Zero!" Lana gagged, "Those races haven't been running for twenty years!"
"Not since the pirates kept riggin' them races, I know," said the martian. The Isnekt quietly chuckled to himself.
"Isn't there anything else?" Lana begged.
"Nope," replied the martian.
"Great," Lana moaned, "We're stuck here."
Just then, the Isnekt placed his hands to the center of his chest. Digging his clawed fingers underneath his skin, the Isnekt pried his chest open. Lana and the martian were amazed not only to see the absense of squirting blood from the Isnekt's opened chest, but were more captivated by the small clean cavity that resided in the center of the Isnekt's chest underneath his skin. The Isnekt reached inside his chest and pulled out a handful of sparkling gems and diamonds. "Will these do?" he asked.
The martian was overjoyed. Eagerly digging out a set of keys from his pocket, the martian put them into Lana's hands. "Lady, the ship's all yours!"
The Isnekt folded his chest back together as he handed the jewels to the martian. Then, he and Lana walked to the ship.
-
"Why on Earth did you help me?" Lana asked the Isnekt from the pilot's seat of the ship as it cruised through space.
"Anything to get off that planet again," the Isnekt muttered from the passenger seat of the small cockpit of the ship.
The cockpit of the ship was snug enough to fit two human-sized creatures, with only two seats and a small storage area at the back of the ship, a fact Lana noted when she took a look at the ship's onboard status screen.
"How'd you do that? With your chest?" Lana asked.
"Us Isnekts have that little storage cavity under the plating of our exoskeleton," replied the Isnekt.
"Where'd you get all those gems?" Lana asked.
"You're asking a pirate?" replied the Isnekt with a rhetorical question.
"Well, I suppose I should thank you," Lana said to the Isnekt, and then she paused. "Um, what's your name?"
The Isnekt managed a weak laugh. "Strokanov."
"Archia?" Lana asked.
"Yeah, a real rural planet. You've never been here?"
"No," Lana said sheepishly.
The Isnekt hummed. "Well, this is it. Hasn't seen a lick of industry or government since its formation. I really liked plundering this one…"
The Isnekt jolted a bit when Lana flicked his wing. "Excuse me?" she asked forcefully. The Isnekt whimpered and rubbed his wing where Lana flicked it. "You seem to know this place," Lana said to the Isnekt, "find a shipyard!" she ordered.
"No!" The Isnekt retorted blandly, crossing his arms.
Lana grabbed the Isnekt by his throat with her free hand and held his face to her visor. "You'll do whatever I tell you to," Lana threatened, poking the barrel of her gun in the side of the Isnekt's skull, "Or I'll make you regret it."
"And how are you going to do that?" The Isnekt shot back, staring into Lana's bright green visor. "Don't you want me to tell you everything about us pirates? Or would you rather kill me and spend God knows how long running around after us?"
Lana paused, and then groaned as she let the Isnekt go, giving him a little push away from her. "Damn you pirates," she growled.
The Isnekt dusted off his chest. "Now maybe if you could be a little nicer to me, maybe, just maybe, I'll show you where our hideout is."
Lana sighed bitterly. "Alright, could you find a shipyard for me?" she growled.
"What's the magic word?"
"Please?"
"Please what?"
Lana was beginning boiling over with frustration. "Just find, a Goddamn, shipyard- please," she breathed angrily while trying to control her temper.
"Okay," the Isnekt hummed, lazily flapping his wings.
"And you're not going to run away from me either!" said Lana sharply, slipping behind the Isnekt and clamping down on his shoulders with her hand and cannon, "I'll be coming with you!"
"With that heavy-looking thing on?" The Isnekt complained, looking at Lana's Chozo suit over his shoulder.
Lana took off her helmet and tucked it under her arm, letting her emerald- green hair spill over the back of the suit.
"You're a human-!" the Isnekt gasped in surprise at the sight of Lana's face.
"Yeah? So?" Lana asked, letting her temper spark.
"You mean, I've been pushed around by a," the Isnekt paused to shiver, "a human?"
"What of it?" Lana growled, letting her arm cannon twitch.
"No offense," The Isnekt burst out in shocked laughter, "but my race considers raw human a delicacy!"
Lana forcefully spun the Isnekt around and jabbed her nose into the Isnekt's face. "You even think about sinking one of your teeth into me, and I'll try to take a liking to roasted bug," she snarled in a low tone.
"Sheesh," the Isnekt moaned, "getting bossed around by my own dinner…"
Lana spun the Isnekt around again and climbed onto his back. "Now move it!" she ordered.
"Yes, princess bitch," the Isnekt muttered under his breath, buzzing his wings in the air and lifting off the ground.
-
The old human-like martian rubbed his stubby chin as he saw two figures touch down on the ground from the air in front of his porch. "Mornin', strang'rs," he said to them as one figure hopped off of the other's back.
"We need a ship," said the one in the armored red-gold suit, brushing her green hair over her ear. The other one stroked the base of his ant-like antennae with his clawed fingers.
"An Isnekt and a human, there's a pair y' don't see getting' along together well too of'n," muttered the old timer, hopping off his porch and strolling up towards the armored woman, who was at least twice his size. "What kind a' ship, miss…?"
"Aran. Lana Aran," the woman replied blankly.
"Aran, eh?" the old martian rubbed his chin. "Like th' Samus Aran?"
"Yes, my grandmother was Samus Aran."
"Been thirty years since I seen her last," the old martian mused, "An' then she just goes and vanishes."
"We need a ship," Lana said again, "A spaceship."
The old martian turned around and looked at his porch. Behind it was the small wooden dwelling he called home, and behind that was a large field filled with various machinery. "Well, that's what I do best," he said, "Sellin' ships." The old martian turned on his heel and walked back to his house, beckoning Lana and the Isnekt to follow.
Lana and the Isnekt followed the old martian around the heaps of metal in the field. "So, a spaceship, eh?" the old martian said, "Folks from this planet come all th' way down here jus' to get off this sleepy ol' planet," he paused to chuckle, "Been makin' a killin' off it fer fifty years!"
"How did you know Samus disappeared?" the Isnekt asked the martian.
The martian laughed. "When big news like that a' happens, there ain't nobody that don' know about it- even on this ol' rock."
"Well, can you get us a ship or not?" the Isnekt asked.
"Sure can," replied the martian, "One built fer speed 'r otherwise?"
"Just something that can get us off the ground," Lana replied.
"Then I think you'll find it right there," said the martian, pointing his stubby finger towards a small blue spaceship.
It's deep blue color reflected the light of the sky perfectly along its oval-like structure. The small and compact ship with its shaded windscreen looked like an excellent replacement for the Fireball.
"How much for it?" Lana asked.
"Oh, somewhere in the neighborhood of, about, oh, say, seventy thousand UniDollars."
Lana and the Isnekt's hearts both skipped a beat. "Seventy… thousand…" Lana weakly murmured.
"I could only dream of stealing that much in a week," the Isnekt muttered.
"Don't you have anything cheaper?" Lana asked in more of a whine.
"Nope," replied the old martian.
"Anything?"
"Nope."
"Maybe we could trade you something," Lana desperately offered.
"Well, I'd fancy me some genuine F-Zero machine parts…"
"F-Zero!" Lana gagged, "Those races haven't been running for twenty years!"
"Not since the pirates kept riggin' them races, I know," said the martian. The Isnekt quietly chuckled to himself.
"Isn't there anything else?" Lana begged.
"Nope," replied the martian.
"Great," Lana moaned, "We're stuck here."
Just then, the Isnekt placed his hands to the center of his chest. Digging his clawed fingers underneath his skin, the Isnekt pried his chest open. Lana and the martian were amazed not only to see the absense of squirting blood from the Isnekt's opened chest, but were more captivated by the small clean cavity that resided in the center of the Isnekt's chest underneath his skin. The Isnekt reached inside his chest and pulled out a handful of sparkling gems and diamonds. "Will these do?" he asked.
The martian was overjoyed. Eagerly digging out a set of keys from his pocket, the martian put them into Lana's hands. "Lady, the ship's all yours!"
The Isnekt folded his chest back together as he handed the jewels to the martian. Then, he and Lana walked to the ship.
-
"Why on Earth did you help me?" Lana asked the Isnekt from the pilot's seat of the ship as it cruised through space.
"Anything to get off that planet again," the Isnekt muttered from the passenger seat of the small cockpit of the ship.
The cockpit of the ship was snug enough to fit two human-sized creatures, with only two seats and a small storage area at the back of the ship, a fact Lana noted when she took a look at the ship's onboard status screen.
"How'd you do that? With your chest?" Lana asked.
"Us Isnekts have that little storage cavity under the plating of our exoskeleton," replied the Isnekt.
"Where'd you get all those gems?" Lana asked.
"You're asking a pirate?" replied the Isnekt with a rhetorical question.
"Well, I suppose I should thank you," Lana said to the Isnekt, and then she paused. "Um, what's your name?"
The Isnekt managed a weak laugh. "Strokanov."