We shall commence the story with Rundas's perspective again. Mind you readers, this is about the same time as the last chapter begun, so just a warning. Meanwhile, with Rundas, Samus, and U-Mos...

I shook my head, grunting, "No. There is no way you're gonna make me do that."

"Quit being such a milksop, Rundas. You can do this," Samus responded, her hands on her hips. "What, are you scared of jumping into a pit that is hundreds of feet deep and you don't know what's at the bottom?"

The three of us were standing on a rugged cliffside, which overlooked a fathomless hole that was mind-numbingly wide. It was completely black, no Phazonic light able to penetrate the thick darkness. This was where the Leviathan rested, and we needed to get down to it.

I had been asked to jump.

I gave Samus an obvious look. "Yes! I know the Leviathan's down there, but not anything else!"

U-Mos had been listening to us quarrel for a few minutes now, and was checking the depth of the Seed's impact crater. "It should not be too far down. Although, it is so deep you cannot see the Leviathan itself..."

"Exactly! We don't know how far it is, and I'm not jumping to find out!" I folded my arms, glaring at the female bounty hunter with anger. Did she expect me to psychotically leap from a great height? I was tempted to freeze my feet to the ground.

Samus looked up to U-Mos, and I thought I saw them exchange a small nod. "I thought you were the most powerful hunter in the galaxy?" the woman chastised, shaking her head. "It seems to me that you're just a coward. Am I right, U-Mos?"

I stared at him. "Immensely," he replied in his literate voice, smiling. "It would be a shame to consider you pusillanimous."

I was taken aback. "I can assure you that I'm not whatever-you-said!" I sneered at the two of them. "I'll prove it right now!"

"So you'll jump?" Samus smirked.

"Of course I will. I'm no gutless chicken!!" I turned, and, with surprising bravery, launched myself off the bluff. I held in a scream as the darkness devoured me and my sight, covering my body in chill as the wind rushed past me. My arms and legs were flailing, and my eyes were streaming.

I fell for quite some time, hearing nothing but the fast breeze and the heavy beats of my heart. After a while, I found plummeting somewhat enjoyable, with my mind free and wandering. I was a little disturbed that I couldn't see anything, but it was worth having some time to think.

So Dray and Ghor are with the armies, and Samus, U-Mos, and I are going to the Leviathan to destroy it. But... how does that tie in with wanting to know who the new leader was? Why in the world do we need to kill this stupid Seed in the first place? It looks like it wasn't causing any damage... But then again, it's corrupted the Pirate Homeworld and the brains of millions of aliens. Who, were now attacking the Galactic Federation.

Literal Hell in space? I should say, yes.

I had forgotten in all of my pondering that it wasn't the fall that hurts you, but the sudden stop at the end. And that hit me sooner than I thought. I landed on something hard and lumpy, knocking my breath out and making me gasp for air. I rolled painfully onto my back, clutching my stomach and trying to suck in as much oxygen as I could into my lungs. For a few seconds, all I could focus on was inhaling, and I was starting to get dizzy from it. But eventually, I was able to breathe, and lay on the swollen ground, gratefully alive.

I squinted through the pitch black, trying to figure out where I was. It was humid here, with a heavy Phazon taste in the air. I felt how firm and rough the floor was, trying to name the feel of it. I was greatly confused when I heard something like heavy breathing all around me, and I shuddered at the picture of being stalked. But who would possibly be following me? I was inside -if not near- a Leviathan Seed, after plunging numerous feet from the Homeworld surface high above. I shuddered again.

Cautiously getting to my feet, I felt around for any kind of wall. My hands were searching empty atmosphere, and I blindly wiggling my fingers for anything I could grasp. I found nothing, and dropped my hands to my sides in puzzlement.

Something landed with an "Oof!" a few meters away, along with a small squelch. I jumped, uttering a muffled screech and preparing myself for a battle. "That was painful..."

I recognized U-Mos's voice, and calmed myself. "Are you okay?" I followed his moans, kneeling and touching his furry back. "Are you injured?"

"No... Just... came down on something... sharp..." his tone was raspy and suffering. I was starting to adjust to the darkness, and could barely see him on his hands and knees, doubled over his abdomen. "Oh... X-Qar that hurts..."

"What hurts?" I asked worriedly.

"This... piece of... is it... machinery...?" U-Mos wheezed. "Very... angry..."

"The machine's angry?" I repeated, reaching forward and nudging something cold and ridged with my finger. "How can a-"

"Aauggh!! Don't touch it!!" U-Mos screamed, shoving my hand away from his stomach. "Don't touch at all!!"

I cowered back. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" His breathing was ragged and he started to cough. I heard the spills of blood on the floor and U-Mos choke.

A final thud came from behind us, this time it was a heavy thunk. I twisted around, and saw the faint outline of Samus on the ground. She was cursing, with the soft glow of her green visor illuminating the area vaguely. The hunter stood, coming over to us and looking around. "It's really dark here. The darkest I've seen a Leviathan."

"Yeah, mind turning your helmet light up a bit?" I asked, feeling small as I kneeled next to U-Mos.

Samus twisted a dial on her headwear, and the emerald glowed brightly. I was able to see her, along with the writhing, gooey looking walls and floor. My attention was however, diverted to U-Mos, who was holding his middle with pinched shut eyes.

"What happened? Are you all right?" Samus asked with anxiety, kneeling next to the tall alien and examining his wound. I got a closer look as she made him pry his hands away, and saw how much metallic golden blood was soaking his stomach area. A small, cylindrical, curving tube was protruding from his abdomen, which was deep black.

I studied it, and both Samus and I jerked back once we recognized it as a finger. U-Mos was horrified as well, and started to pull on the sick thing with all his might. His own fingers slipped as he tugged and yanked, and eventually it was free of his stomach. He discarded it to the side, and we each gaped at what he had landed on.

"Dark Samus..." were the only words the huntress could whisper. I noticed how similar both beings were, except the corpse we were staring at was missing its head, which lay only a foot away from the empty neck. The armored body was mangled, with a large whole stabbed through the chest. I shied away from the Phazon based blood that was pooled around it.

I suddenly got another torrent of memory, and clenched my head. A violent flurry of visions were whirling in my mind, all of them sinister and frightening. I saw the person known as Dark Samus attacking me, rushing into me, and using me as a puppet. I tried my hardest to shake the hallucinations away, and thankfully, they stopped.

Samus and U-Mos were both watching me with fearful eyes. "You remembered something?" the huntress said.

I nodded. "Yeah. This creepy chick right here." I pointed towards the ripped up cadaver. "Ugh..."

Samus froze as a large, slimy glob fell from the ceiling, running thickly down her left shoulder pad. She stared at the muck, and slowly each of our heads turned upwards.

A pair of big, cold, blue eyes were watching us from above, and with a deafening roar, a shadow dropped to our level on the ground. The place shook and the three of us got to our feet as best we could, stumbling and trying to balance in the tremor. I watched Samus aim her gun towards a fierce looking dragon, hissing in a hateful voice, "Ridley."