Before the Storm

Jake remained in his animal form as he walked beside Samus, not wanting to risk revealing himself, even if the Federation officer that arrested them had called him by name. The officers had said nothing after placing the pair under arrest, causing Jake to worry all the more about what they were being charged with. He knew that if the Federation's High Command had learned that he had survived their mission to Tallon IV and that Samus lied in her report about his death, not to mention their deal with Metroid Prime, they were likely to be charged with treason. He knew that they would be lucky if they weren't sentenced to be executed.

Samus found it strange that the hallways were deserted as they traveled through the Federation's areas, leading her to believe that the Federation hadn't honored the Luminoth's condition of the Great Temple being off-limits to them. She wouldn't have been surprised if the Federation had planted surveillance bugs in the Luminoth's areas, not when she knew that the Federation had a record for being underhanded and sneaky.

It only took a few minutes for the Federation officers to escort them to the brig on the lower level of the facility, deep beneath the rocky surface of Aether. The officers led them to an empty cell, ordering them to relinquish their armor and weapons. Jake ignored them, trying to play off his role as a machine, but the officers quickly caught on.

"We know it's you in there, Jake Lupus. Return to human form and remove your armor," the commanding officer said to him, holding his gun to Jake's face.

Jake finally cooperated when he noticed one of the others turn their weapon on Samus. He wanted to avoid any further problems with the Federation for now, and he knew he'd lose his mind to his primal rage if they did anything to Samus, and that he'd destroy everything in sight if that happened. He felt a grim satisfaction at the scent of their fear as he reverted to his human form and stepped out of his armor, the glowing alien glyphs along his limbs and torso unnerving them with the symbols' ethereal glow. A forcefield covered the entrance to their cell once they were both devoid of their Power Suits and weapons. He let loose a menacing growl when he noticed a few of the officers eyeing Samus hungrily when she was left with only her Zero Suit, causing the group to quickly turn and make a hasty retreat.

"Fuck!" Samus swore when they could no longer hear the officers, slamming her fist into the steel side-wall of their cell.

"If they know you're alive, this isn't going to end well," she added after taking a deep breath to calm herself.

"Don't worry, they won't be taking either of us anywhere," Jake said to her as he wrapped his arms around her.

"How can you be so sure?" Samus asked him as she buried her face in his chest.

"Because I'll tear them apart if they try," he answered, an edge to his voice that made Samus glad that she wasn't his enemy.

"They don't realize that my abilities stem from the glyphs on my body, not from weapon systems in my Power Suit," he added in a softer tone as he ran his fingers along her back.

His touch was helping her relax, but the tension returned when they heard a door open and close, followed by the sound of several pairs of armored boots walking down the corridor. One of the Federation Command officers appeared in front of their cell, a squad of their personal elite soldiers behind them.

"Do either of you know why you're here?" He asked without any preamble.

"I can only guess, but I'd rather you tell us," Jake said, his tone challenging.

"The two of you are being charged with treason against the Galactic Federation. Jake, you're here on additional charges of desertion. The High Command has decided that you will be sentenced immediately" the officer replied evenly.

"If you're here to tell us all this, then High Command must have also decided we were too great a liability to let live," Jake said with a crooked half-smile, his elongated fangs protruding past his lower lip.

"Did they send you here to execute us?" Samus asked flatly.

"Negative," he answered flatly in military fashion.

"High Command has known that Jake was alive and traveling with you in secret since he set foot on the Federation Command ship you reported to after Tallon IV. He can keep them from getting specific information about his Power Suit, but he can't hide what it is," he explained.

"Fuck, I hadn't thought of that," Jake said quietly.

"Were you sent to deliver our sentence?" Samus asked, wondering what other reason the man would have for talking to them.

"Negative, though the High Command has already decided what it will be," he replied.

Jake noticed one of the soldiers behind the man tighten his grip on his weapon, face unreadable behind his helmet. Jake locked his gaze onto the soldier's visor, his eyes flaring from bright gold to crimson as the man began to slowly level his weapon at Samus. He growled low in his throat, drawing the Command officer's attention and causing the man to follow Jake's gaze.

"I don't recall giving the order to shoot either of them," he said to his subordinate, but the man seemed not to hear him.

It was then that Jake noticed the soldier's shadow, far darker than any of the others'. Jake focused his senses, and noticed that the man smelled faintly of decay, that his visor was dark compared to his team, and that his movements weren't human, more like that of a puppet.

"He's possessed by an Ing," Jake whispered, almost too quietly for the Command officer to hear. Almost.