The door slid open and Samus Aran entered. The two men looked up from the monitor they were studying and greeted her.
"Sit down Samus" said the first, a Galactic Federation official who she knew only as Harvard "I trust you received Leon's message, yes?"
The other man, Leon Peters, was an old friend of the bounty hunter's, and rose to greet her, shaking her hand vigorously.
"You know Samus, when we got this emergency signal, I knew you were the perfect agent for the job"
"Thanks Leon, but don't forget I'm not actually an agent any more"
Leon waved a hand dismissively "Hah, a technicality that meant we could stop paying you for sitting around and doing nothing, I know you'd still be with us if there was anything to do"
"Well you've got that right Leon, I'm really not the kind of scientist they need at the Metroid research centre" she said with a grin "I prefer the practical side of the work"
"Then this is just what you need" Harvard interrupted their small talk "You may wish to look at this"
Samus approached and looked down at the screen they had been studying. The emergency message was still glowing faintly on the screen.
"What do you think?" asked Leon, after she read the transcription "right down your street, am I right?"
"Well–" she began, but Harvard cut her off.
"As you should know, the Rayta Quadrant is one of the largest sectors of non-Federation territory" he paused "and also one of the least charted"
"A rebel planet" Samus said, then looked at Leon "right up my street"
Harvard coughed impatiently "It is important that you take this seriously Samus, it is a rebel planet, and we have no idea what kind of creatures may inhabit it"
"Same as usual then" said the bounty hunter, dismissively "I've already accepted"
"Excellent" Leon replied "When do you think you can set off"
"Now wait a minute, Peters" Harvard fumed "She needs some kind of briefing and objectives"
Samus grinned wryly as Leon turned to face the Federation official "Sir, I don't believe you've ever examined a report on one of Samus Aran's missions have you?"
"Not in any great detail, no"
"Then you would not know that when Samus Aran is given a mission, Samus Aran does what is needed, Samus Aran makes her own objectives, and nobody disagrees" Harvard looked bemused as Leon continued "Believe me, if we send Samus Aran on this mission, Samus Aran will do what is needed" and here he glanced at her "Or die trying, am I right Samus?"
Samus grabbed the message disc and turned towards the door "Die trying? Why would I do something stupid like that?"
Harvard shouted after her as she walked away "Don't forget, if there's anything we can do to help"
Leon put a hand on his shoulder in order to restrain him "Don't worry sir, there isn't" he said, as he left the room.
Samus sat down on the edge of her ship, silently savouring what she was going to do. For the first time in more years than she cared to imagine, she was actually going to explore another rebel planet, the mere thought of being able to once again take her Chozo-crafted battle suit into battle had her heart pumping.
Unconcerned by the orders and objectives of the Federation briefing, she had only one thought in her mind as she entered her ship, she wanted to get to this planet as soon as she could. Such was her haste that as she was looking in the storage space at the back of her ship, she did not notice the shadowy figure of Harvard climb over to her cockpit and drop something inside before slinking away.
Satisfied that her supplies were all adequately stocked up, Samus returned to the front of her craft and entered the cockpit.
"All set, lady?" Adam Malkovich, the AI personality of her former commanding officer, asked her as she started up the ship's systems.
"All set, Adam" Samus lent back and typed in the co-ordinates of the distress signal "Here we go…"
Leon Peters and Harvard watched Samus' ship ascend from the service station until it was lost from view.
"So you gave it to her?" Leon asked.
"Left it in her cockpit" answered Harvard, "she'll find it, Peters, don't worry"
"To be honest I'm more worried about you" Leon started walking back towards the doors of the station "When she gets back from there"
"You mean 'if' she gets back" Harvard replied. He was still staring into space, and was now noticeably worried "I'm still not confident that she can face this without any real briefing"
"I know what I mean" Leon gave a small, mirthless laugh "Samus Aran has survived through a lot, consequently she has become quite good at it"
"I just hope you are right, Peters. Because she will need to be extremely good if she hopes to come back from this"