CHAPTER 2: THE BETRAYAL

Hunter Log 3838
Usually when a planet goes up in a massive flash of blinding light, there isn't anything left. Evidently not the case with Zebes. One hunter can only do so much to get rid of an entire planet...I've done that...twice...

Seriously, this is ridiculous. I did notice, however, that there were what seemed to be plates that separated many areas of the planet. How they got there, I have no idea, but if the Space Pirates can rebuild a planet, it's definitely worth looking into.

I've got to stop at Alpha Outpost to get some upgrades for my ship. I'm thinking about a memory upgrade for my current AI. I want it to interact more. I guess to make it more human...if that's possible. I also need to get some auto guns installed on the underside, just in case I need dust-off support. A compact lightspeed drive wouldn't hurt. All the hurry in less than half the time...hmm...catchy. I might mention that to the dealer...what am I thinking?

I guess all of the tension is getting to me. A rebel group of hunters working for the Space Pirates. That just doesn't make sense. No hunter has ever fraternized with Pirates, well, not until now. I wonder what those scum have promised the hunters. Maybe they think that since I took them down twice with no assistance that all hunters are like me. Fighting fire with fire. No matter. It will end this time.

Samus out...

The ship slowed as the change in momentum leaned Samus forward in her seat. A large station loomed above the ship. A large double door directly above the ship began to slide open and a tractor beam raised it into the vertical hangar.

waaaaaaaaaAAAAAAAAAH

"What's that noise?"

THUD!

"What the..."

"Sorry Ms. Aran! I lost control of my propulsion...he he! What can I do ya for?"

"Grady... sigh ...you never learn, do you? I need to get four 20 inch autoguns on the bottom, a compact warp drive, and my AI needs a memory upgrade. Oh yeah, and give me a good wash."

"Uh, Ms. Aran, your AI already has the maximum recommended amount of memory."

"I'm aware of that, Grady. Do it anyway."

"Y-yes ma'am."

This was one of Samus' favorite times. Out of the old and into the new. She knew she needed the upgrades, especially after what happened on Zebes. Closer inspection revealed that the acid rain and plasma flumes that were on Zebes really caused wear and tear on her ship. While she was waiting on the repairs, she could plan her method of attack.

If they plan to rebuild the planet, then the area will be buzzing with both hunter and pirate activity. She would need a way to infiltrate the area and sneak aboard one of the planet fragments. If only there was a way.

Samus left the lounge and made her way back to the hangar.

"Grady?"

"Yes ma'am?"

"You don't happen to have any cloaking equipment around, do you?"

"Well...I really don't have any for use..."

"But you have something?"

"Yes, ma'am. I do, but it's nothing spectacular. We use it for our patrol probes. They're small, and they stay cloaked, but I'm not sure what kind of effect it'll have on a vessel the size of yours. The effect wouldn't last long, that's for sure."

"Would I be able to buy one?"

"I could just throw one in with the compact warp drive, ma'am. Those cost enough as it is."

"Thank you, Grady."

"Ma'am."

Samus smiled to herself. Sometimes, some places, chivalry wasn't dead. This was one place. She reentered the lounge and decided to partake in a drink. She took a glance down the bar. Mostly interspace freighter pilots and workers, as well as a few AWOL patrol marines. It definitely was a motley crew, and she wanted nothing to do with them, so she seated herself near a window in the corner of the bar.

Even in her unflattering suit, she still drew scanning eyes as well as undressing ones, which were remedied quickly by a fiery flash of her eyes. After a few moments of unrecognizable grumbles, a marine got up from the bar and approached her. He was obviously trying to win some kind of bet, because he kept looking back at his anxious colleagues while nodding and laughing.

"Can I help you?"

/"Yeah, yeah. My friends and I...had a bit of a...well...a wager...yeah, a wager."

"Let me guess, it concerns me?"

/"Yyyyyeahitdoes. They bet me 50,000 credits that I could make you moan my name. Now how much effort is this going to take me?"

"My estimate is quite a bit."

/"Alright now, I don't need any guff from you, just do it."

The obviously drunken marine grabbed onto Samus' arm.

"It would be great if you would let go."

/"And what will you do if I don't?"

Samus grabs his hand and begins crushing his carpal and metacarpal bones. She stands up and begins walking him towards his friends, who are nervous wrecks of laughter mixed with fear.

"I am no object of lust, and I absolutely do not tolerate this foolishness. If I had my way, I'd save everyone except for scum like yourselves...you call yourselves soldiers..."

With his crushed hand still in her clutches, the marine begins to plea in the form of broken whimpers.

/"P-please...let go...p-lease..."

"Say my name."

/"I...I d-don't know your n-name..."

"My name is Samus Aran. Now SAY IT."

/"S-s-samus...A-aran..augh! Samus Aran!"

She releases his arm and smirks at the other marines.

"How much do 'I' get for making him say 'my' name?"

The men rush to the aid of their fallen colleague as Samus turns to walk to the hangar.

"So much for relaxation," she thought. After this mission, she's definitely taking personal leave from the Combine.

She opens the hangar doors and finds herself face to face with Grady.

"Uh, heh. Your...err...ship is ready, ma'am."

"Thank you, Grady, I..."

A massive rumble shook the station and all of the lights cut off.

"W-w-what's going on, Ms. Aran!"

"I don't know, Grady, but open the hangar doors!"

Samus leapt to her ship and jumped inside. The claw holding her ship disengaged, as well as the air lock on the hangar. She began floating toward the opening. Control systems online. Power is a go. Weapons system, check. Navigation, check. Engines...offline.

"What's going on? Come on!"

The ship drifted out of the hangar into the openness of space and began to list to the right...no, the station was beginning to list to the left! The rotation of the station brought the damage into view; one fourth of the top of the station had been melted to scrap! On the other side of the station, a ship came into view. It must have been more than 20 times the size of Samus' ship. She finally engaged the engines and distanced herself from the doomed station. Samus opened the comm link with the station.

"Yes ma'am? We're falling apart here!"

"Grady, get to an escape vessel and get out of there! Believe it or not, that first blast was a warning shot! That is a hunter's ship!"

"Right, as soon as I can!"

Just as Samus closed the comm link, she saw a flash on the underbelly of the ship. The light began to grow and flicker.

"Oh, no..."

A shot of white hot plasma erupted from the ship and engulfed the rest of the station. Slowly, the constant stream of plasma began to melt away the station. On the underside, an escape pod ejected and began to make its way into space with its small thrusters...but it was not fast enough... The beam ate through the installation like acid through Styrofoam and devoured the escape pod. In the aftermath, only small globules of molten steel floated in space.

"Why...why here? Why now? Are they searching for me?"

Samus thought to herself for a moment before noticing the ship turning around. After the turn, it began to engage its hyperdrive system.

"Ship, lock onto that battleship and engage hyperdrive to follow it."

"Understood, Ms. Aran. You may call me by my first name, now. Grady."

"Grady...heh...what a friend...Grady, do whatever it takes to follow that ship."

"Right."

It didn't matter that following the ship wasn't part of her mission. Samus was going to avenge the innocents that were slaughtered in mass on that station. She had to find out who controlled it.

Within moments, the two ships made the jump into hyperspace...Destination: Unknown.