Battle at the Great Temple
Samus and Jake stood before the door to the Great Temple less than an hour later, having taken some time to prepare themselves for whatever might await them. Samus wasn't sure what to think of the Luminoth knowing about Jake. She didn't think they'd turn him over to the Federation, but she had no idea how they'd feel about a Lupus among their ranks. Jake pressed his head to her hip before stepping towards the door.
The large door suddenly opened as Jake neared, causing him to lower his stance to better leap at any potential threat. U-Mos stood on the other side with a handful of other Luminoth, each of them carrying a piece of the equipment Samus had borrowed during her previous mission to Aether. U-Mos beckoned them inside, not speaking until the door had closed behind them.
"Jake of the Lupus, we welcome you in this dark hour. You may walk freely within these Halls, for we have forbidden the Federation from entering here," U-Mos said to Jake as the other Luminoth approached Samus to outfit her with their equipment.
"Thank you," Jake said aloud as he took on his human form.
"I am not certain if your suit can adapt to our technology, but I would like to try at least equipping you with a Light Beam for use against the Ing," U-Mos said as he and Jake walked towards the middle of the Temple's main chamber.
"Would it help that I've absorbed one of your Light Crystals?" Jake asked the Sentinel.
"Truly?" U-Mos asked, his shock clear in his voice.
"Are you able to channel its energy?" The Sentinel asked after his surprise faded.
"I have yet to try," Jake responded.
He raised his right hand to chest level, with his palm facing the ceiling. He searched within himself for the Light Crystal's energy, focusing it into his hand like he did with the energy the Chozo gave him back on Tallon IV. A small ball of white light appeared in his palm, its glow quickly becoming dim before going out completely.
"It would seem that a single Crystal was insufficient. Come, we have a large stash of them within the Temple, perhaps absorbing more will allow you to better channel their power," U-Mos said, turning to guide Jake to the store-room.
Within the room were several crates of Light Crystals, each one radiating brightly. Jake walked to the nearest crate and pushed his arm into the pile of Light Crystals. He and U-Mos were forced to shield their eyes as the glow from the crate grew ever brighter. As the glow faded, they were surprised to see the crate now empty. Even Jake was surprised that he had absorbed the entirety of the crate's contents.
"My apologies, U-Mos. I did not think I would absorb so many," Jake said, truly feeling regret at having depleted their stores of Light Crystals by so many.
"As long as it helps you fight the Ing, it is worth it," U-Mos replied. Jake could have sworn he heard a smile in the Sentinel's voice.
Jake tried calling the light to his hand again, this time able to form a larger and brighter orb in his hand. He drew the energy back into himself rather than waste it, he didn't want to end up needing to take more of the Luminoth's Light Crystals, especially when he knew they might need them. Samus was already outfitted with the Light Suit when they emerged from the store room.
Everyone present took up combat stances as the light within the Temple suddenly dimmed, senses alert for any danger. A sound like tearing metal alerted them to a rift opening within the large chamber, drawing everyone's attention to the portal forming in the center of the room. A single Ing dragged itself through the portal before it had completely opened, dropping to the floor like a small pool of liquid shadows. The Ing suddenly shot towards Samus, a spike rising from its liquid form as it neared. Before anyone else could react to the threat, Jake had charged his hand with energy from the Light Crystals he had absorbed, shoving his clawed hand into the Ing's amorphous form and detonating the Light energy he held like a small bomb, obliterating the Ing.
Jake and Samus stood back-to-back as more portals formed as suddenly as the first had, a horde of Ing pouring out from them. The Luminoth were nearly as ferocious as Jake as they fought back the parasitic denizens of Dark Aether, destroying their foes with a combination of weapons made with Light Crystals and their own considerable telekinetic abilities. The fighting soon drew Samus and Jake apart, but neither was overly concerned. As Jake was drawn closer to U-Mos, the Sentinel shouted to him telepathically.
"Let us show these vile creatures the ferocity of the Old Races," he said.
Jake took on his Lupus form as U-Mos began slamming the enemies around him with waves of telekinetic energy, forcing the enemy back and giving them room to fight. Jake charged his legs with Wave energy to enhance his speed before dashing through the horde, shredding everything in reach with his claws, which were now charged with Light energy. The Ing began retreating from the warriors in the Temple, edging closer to the portals as their numbers continued to be decimated by Jake and U-Mos. The entire facility suddenly began to shake violently as the portals expanded, a strange roar sounding from the other side, a roar that filled Jake with dread.
Space Pirates infused with Red Phazon emerged from the expanded portals, disappearing beneath piles of Ing before taking more than a few steps. The sight of what emerged would forever be burned into Jake's mind. The already grotesque mutation transformed into something far more gruesome. The Ing infecting the Pirate appeared to be having significant difficulty controlling their host, contorting themselves into nightmarish configurations as the Ing fought the Phazon for control. The Red Phazon ultimately won, spreading through the Ing and bonding their bodies to the Pirates'. Within a matter of a few seconds, a handful of these new monstrosities stood before the Temple's defenders.
The Luminoth were woefully unprepared for the destructive power of these new monstrosities, a handful of their warriors falling with each attack of these new mutations. Samus watched in horror as one of the Pirates fired a blast that sent Jake and U-Mos flying across the chamber. Jake rose before U-Mos, placing himself between U-Mos and their foe despite the fact that one of his arms was broken and blood was seeping out between the gaps in his armor. Jake's fight in the Crater suddenly flashed across her mind, filling her with dread. She watched on, frozen, as Jake's armor began to glow a dangerous shade of crimson, perfectly matching the blood pouring out of his body in a gruesome aura as he took on his Lupus form.
Jake roared like a savage beast as the bones of his broken arm snapped back into place before launching himself at the Pirate that had blasted them, cracking the floor under his feet as he kicked off. The sound of the Pirate's bones cracking was audible over the other commotion in the Temple as Jake slammed into it, forcing his fist into its chest. It tried to scream in pain from Jake's attack, but the sound died in its throat as Jake shredded it from sternum to skull with his plasma claws, now glowing brightly from the Light Crystals' energy stored within him.
Jake stood motionless as the creature's body fell to the ground, a mix of blood and Phazon splattering him as it hit the floor by his feet. The aura around him changed to white as the other creatures charged him as one. Jake's form became ethereal as he sank into the floor, leaving the mutated and possessed Pirate's to run into each other and fall in a heap. He rose up a few feet away as the creatures rose and shook themselves. Before they could rally themselves, Jake floated into their midst, the white glow around his ghostly form intensifying as he charged himself with light energy.
Samus and the Luminoth were forced to shield their eyes as a blinding light suddenly exploded out from Jake's body. The infected mutations were completely destroyed as the light passed over them, but to Samus and the others the light felt warm and comforting. Samus blinked to clear her eyes as she saw Jake's ghostly form float towards her, becoming solid again as his feet touched the floor. He said nothing as he reached her and turned around, taking up a combative stance. She couldn't hear or feel anything from him through their mental link. He growled as U-Mos tried to approach them.
"Jake?" Samus called quietly, but he remained silent and unmoving.
"Jake!" She screamed, after waiting a moment.
Samus suddenly saw in her mind again the aftermath of the mutated Pirate attack on their camp, when Jake had essentially cooked himself while producing a similar blast. She switched her visor to thermal to see if his armor was hot, but his temperatures seemed only slightly elevated. She walked around to stand in front of him, reaching up to the side of his helmet with shaking hands. Jake grabbed her hand before she could press the button hidden in his helmet to open it, making her jump. He gently pulled her closer, moving her behind him again.
"It's not over," he said quietly, giving her hand a squeeze before taking a step forward.
All but one of the portals collapsed, the remaining one shrinking in size. They all stood frozen as they watched the remaining portal, waiting to see what would emerge. None of them were prepared for what finally came out of it. They watched in terrified shock as an armored boot emerged, a familiar figure following. Standing before them was none other than Metroid Prime, still wearing Samus' Phazon Suit.
