Samus's mind raced as Adam gave her the news. Her mind flooded with fear, and she worked to suppress the hindering emotion, as she always had throughout her career. Her thoughts concocted two distinct possibilities as to what the two approaching ships were. They were either allies of the Avenger, or they were Federation ships pursuing her.
"I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but those two ships are Federation pursuit ships," Adam said grimly. "Incubus-class gunships, Lady. Best to avoid them."
Samus shuddered violently. Two Federation ships at her six were distressing enough, but having two Incubus-class gunships as the pursuers was enough to make adrenaline rocket through Samus's veins. She had reason to be afraid; the Incubus-class was the pride and joy of the Federation. It was a cutting-edge craft, which was often used in escort and, in some cases, pursuit. The crew compartment was tucked inside a fuselage resembling a coffin, and had wings angled 45 degrees from the flanks. It packed four powerful ball turrets, and a missile launcher concealed in the apparatus on the bow. The ball turrets by themselves were capable of ripping all but the toughest and largest ships to shreds, due to a novel and revolutionary armament called the PWS.
Short for Pierce Weapon System, the weapon was able to penetrate even the thickest and most durable plating by firing a concentrated heat beam, which melted through most metals and alloys. The PWS was known to bore through capital ships that were roughly five times an Incubus's size; it would have no difficulty in destroying Samus's transport. However, the beams needed to break through her shields before they could pierce her hull. A Pierce Beam shot contained a ridiculously high amount of energy, but a common energy field would be able to withstand no less than two rounds. Samus was counting on this simple truth.
She glanced at the monitor once more. The Avenger had veered to port, and one of the Incubi was breaking off to pursue it. It seemed as though the Avenger was their intended target, as the other one was trailing slowly behind it. Within a few seconds, the ship veered its course to bear down on her, possibly because it had been ordered to chase her. An announcement from the communication lines confirmed her suspicions.
"Vessel GFI-34A7U, this is the GFS Scylla. You are under arrest by order of Minister Syrion Harrison. Stand down immediately, or we will use terminal force!"
By "under arrest" they mean "under a death warrant"…Samus thought to herself. Samus could feel her blood pulsing in her skull as she contemplated how to respond. The ship had no weapons; it was solely intended for transport. Attacking the Scylla was out of the question. On the monitor, she saw the Avenger respond to its pursuers; it was veering 180 degrees into attack position. Suddenly, in a spontaneous epiphany, Samus had an idea.
She immediately grabbed the helm of her ship, and ordered, "Adam, switch to manual control! I'm going to shake this goon!"
"L-L-Lady!" Adam stuttered, clearly shocked. "Have you lost your mind? This is an Incubus we are dealing with! Let me handle this!"
"Adam, trust me!" Samus snapped, her tension temporarily overwhelming her. "I've got a plan! Let me have the controls!"
"Lady, this is no time to be tough!"
"Just hand them over, damn it!"
After a brief, awkward silence, Adam sighed, "Fine. Whatever your plan is, I hope it works."
Samus calmed down, satisfied that her demand was granted, and replied, "It will. I just want to narrow the field a bit, instead of just bee lining for Mothri."
"What do you mean?" Adam asked, curious.
"This ship doesn't have any sort of weaponry," Samus replied. "So we need a ship that has weapons to fend off the Incubus."
"Lady Samus, you're not suggesting leading your pursuer toward the Avenger, aren't you?" Adam inquired
"Now you're catching on," Samus answered. "In fact, I'm surprised that you didn't think of it first."
"Lady, this is a risky prospect. The Avenger wanted to shoot you down, too. Remember?"
"Yes, I remember. I also recall that the Avenger was targeting me because of this ship's ID tags. For some reason, the Avenger is anti-Federation. It will engage the Incubi while we escape, and I can explain my situation via comm. to his allies."
"Don't think that this is foolproof, Lady. The Incubus-class possesses PWS cannons. They could rip through the Avenger with little trouble."
"Only when its shields are down. Besides, I'm certain that the Avenger has reinforcements on the surface. Why else would it come here? Why else is it boldly attacking the Incubus chasing it, instead of fleeing?"
Adam thought about this for a brief moment, and replied, "Very well. Do as you wish." He stopped for a moment, and then added, "Please hurry, Lady Samus; the Incubus is gaining on us."
Suddenly, the Scylla burst through on the communication lines. "Vessel GFI-34A7U, you have not stood down!" The Scylla boomed. "Halt, or you will be fired upon!"
In response, Samus swerved hard to port, in order to catch up to the Hushed Avenger. Paying careful attention to the monitor readouts, she guided her ship so that it would face her target, then accelerated towards it. She peered outside the cockpit window, and glimpsed the Avenger and the other Incubus zooming toward each other. Like a pair of rams about to butt heads, the two ships charged at one another with fury. Then, the Avenger fired three pairs of bright, green beams headed straight for the Incubus. It tried to maneuver away, but alas, it was only able to dodge three beams. The other three impacted the ship straight in the wing section, and if it weren't for the ship's shielding, the blast would have torn the wing clean off.
The Incubus retaliated by firing a multitude of Pierce Beams at the Avenger as it passed. The brilliant blue strands of light burned through empty space as they approached their target. However, the Avenger climbed upward to escape the volley, and the beams felt no metal as they streaked across the darkness. Not only did it dodge the beams, it put itself out of range of the port ball turrets as well. The turrets fired more volleys upward, struggling in vain to hit a target out of their range as it zoomed away. Realizing that it could not harm the Avenger, the Incubus ascended after it.
The Avenger had cleared some distance between itself and the Incubus, and was turning around for another pass. However, the Incubus had adjusted itself so that the starboard ball turrets directly faced their elusive prey. With a great flash of azure light, the Incubus's guns sent searing beams clear into the Avenger's bow. The shields withstood the blast, but there was no indication of whether they could endure another blow.
The Avenger quickly descended to starboard, towards the Incubus' bow. More fiery beams flashed, but they did not touch the silver ship. It seemed as though the Avenger had an edge in maneuverability, as it was capable of dodging the Incubus's fire quite proficiently. It clearly did not pack the level of firepower that the Incubus possessed, but since it could maneuver through the lasers, it possessed a fighting chance of vanquishing its foe.
All this happened in less than a minute. Samus was transfixed in awe at the spectacle she witnessed. The Avenger's pilot was clearly not the run-of-the-mill combatant; he flew with grace, skill, and valor. Samus was moved by the display, and at the same time wary of the predator approaching behind her. The Scylla was directly at her six now, and angling its guns to pierce her engine. Samus turned sharply to port, towards the Avenger-hunting Incubus's stern. She hoped to catch up to the Avenger, and possibly bring the Scylla into its sights. Samus, out of the corner of her eye, saw bright blue beams passing by her starboard side. The Scylla was now in firing range.
Reflexively, Samus swung to starboard, knowing that they would aim several more degrees to port in order to hit her. The plan worked, as she felt no impact on the ships hull while she guided it closer to the Incubus. She maneuvered back towards port, hoping to dodge the fire once more. However, she felt a strong crash rattle the ship, and a blinding cerulean light obscuring her vision. They had been able to track her, and the beams had impacted the bow section, directly behind the ship's cockpit. Samus's vision quickly cleared, and she heard Adam's voice erupt on the comm. lines.
"Lady!" He exclaimed, his voice rising to a fever pitch, "The PWS fire has reduced the ship's shields to forty-eight percent! They cannot withstand another Pierce Beam barrage! Please, let me have the controls, Lady Samus!"
"Not yet, Adam!" Samus snapped. "The Avenger still has a fighting chance! Let him finish his target off!"
"Lady, you are being too stubborn for your own good!" Adam retorted. "I'm taking the controls from you! We're going straight to Mothri this instant!"
"Adam, stop!" Samus screamed. However, her command was in vain. As she jerked at the helm, trying to bend the ship to her will, the vessel did not respond. Adam had rendered it a useless, vestigial device, while he usurped control of the ship. He steered it to starboard, bringing the planet Mothri into view. She slumped in her seat as a gesture of defeat, and blankly stared at the view in front of her as Adam activated the afterburners. The sensor readouts showed the Scylla trying to keep up, with the Avenger hot on its tail, apparently ignoring its earlier target.
The planet was a deep shade of green, indicating the lush vegetation growing on its soil. Small, azure patches of water, as well as white and gray clouds, accompanied the emerald color. Samus saw the planet before this ruckus commenced, but she had never seen it so close, or paid attention to it. It was a beautiful planet; she figured that she would enjoy her time there. But that was not what mattered. What mattered were the Scylla and the other Incubus, and how the Avenger was handling them.
She couldn't help but wonder about the Avenger. It was an object of enigma for Samus. The ship belonged to some sort of faction with anti-Federation sentiments, that much she knew. But the only group she knew with these sorts of feelings was the Space Pirates, a vicious alien race with advanced technological prowess and remarkable military expertise. They caused a great deal of chaos and disorder throughout Federation space in a vicious and bloody war, until the heart of their forced were decimated at their base on the planet Zebes, by none other than Samus herself.
However, she doubted that the Avenger had any connection to the silenced aggressors; the ship was not a Pirate model that she recognized. Additionally, the voice coming through the communication lines was clearly from a human male. She wondered if she would see more of this mysterious faction on the planet's surface. More importantly, though, she wondered if the Avenger was going to be victorious against the two Incubi. Despite the raging battle taking place in high orbit, no reinforcements had appeared to aid the Avenger. She wondered whether it could survive without them.
"Lady," Adam said calmly, interrupting her thoughts. "We are in the planet's gravitational pull, and we will enter the atmosphere in two minutes." After a sigh from Samus, Adam added, "Lady Samus, do not become too angry with me. I only wished to…"
"No, its okay," Samus interjected. "You were right. I was being too stubborn." She looked up and said with a smile, "Besides, I accomplished what I set out to do. The Incubi are in the Avenger's hands."
"Ah, speaking of that," Adam spoke with an earnest eagerness. "It seems as though the Avenger is playing cat-and-mouse with the Scylla, and winning."
Samus felt her eyelids fly upward. She quickly turned to view the sensor readouts, and sure enough, the Avenger was directly behind the Scylla, skillfully maneuvering as the Scylla did in order to keep on its tail. The sensors showed the two ships weaving left and right, one trying to lose its pursuer, the other trying to fell its opponent. After a few seconds, the blip representing the Scylla vanished from the monitor, and Samus could feel the aftermath of a distant explosion behind her.
Samus felt a pang of shock spread through her veins. The Avenger had won. It had actually won. The Scylla had been reduced to nothing more than rubbish, while the Avenger flew triumphantly amongst the stars. She knew that the Avenger would fight for its life in the struggle, but she never thought it could win. After all, the Incubus was a mechanical behemoth from a powerful interstellar government, and the Avenger was just some anonymous ship with little chance of winning. Against all odds, the Avenger had prevailed, and without reinforcements as well.
But there was no time to celebrate. The sensors showed the second Incubus closing in on the Avenger. It was preparing to deal a killing blow to the victorious nobody, and avenge its fallen comrade. Sensing this, the Avenger accelerated towards the Incubus, responding to its offense in kind. The Incubus flashed its port side towards the Avenger, in order to position its batteries for assault. The Avenger swung starboard, hoping to evade the attack. Samus saw the blip representing the Avenger fade for a moment, and wondered what had happened.
"Lady, the Avenger's shields are down!" Adam announced. "At this rate, the Avenger will be done for!"
Samus swore under her breath. The victorious Avenger had shown a moment of weakness. In doing so, it had not only endangered itself, but Samus as well. After all, once the Incubus had disposed of the Avenger, it would prey upon her next. Without any aegis, she would be forced to flee to Mothri, or face her death in a burst of bright blue heat.
In a last-ditch attempt to preserve his own life, the Avenger's pilot commanded his ship to boost straight for Mothri. Samus was a ways ahead of the vessel, but if it continued at its present rate, it would fly close behind Samus in less than a minute. This action sent a jolt of fright down Samus' spine. If it flew behind her, there was a chance that the Incubus's fire would down her ship along with the Avenger when it attacked. She desired to keep as far away from the Incubus as possible.
"Adam!" Samus exclaimed. "Keep away from the Avenger! If the Incubus fires at it, the bolts could take us down with it!"
"I'm aware of the situation," Adam replied coolly. "Maneuvering to starboard, Lady." As Adam guided the ship, the Avenger swung to port, in the opposite direction that Samus was going. The two ships flew apart from each other as they attempted to enter the atmosphere. Samus then noticed the Incubus accelerating towards Mothri, vying to destroy them both. However, it wasn't flying towards the Avenger or Samus's ship. Rather, it was flying in the space between them. Samus only had to ponder on this for a split second before she realized what it was doing. It was going to use the guns on both sides to take both of the retreating ships at once.
Samus's ship was entering the planet's atmosphere. She could feel small tremors in her seat from the friction against the air. But the vibrations did not stop her from feeling the violent pounding of her heart. If she didn't do something, the Incubus would destroy her and the Avenger. Maneuvering further starboard was foolhardy; that would be exactly what the Incubus would expect. Continuing to fly straight was no better an option. There was only one other choice she could make.
"Adam, turn to port," Samus ordered. "The Incubus will down us if we keep going starboard."
With a grave voice, Adam replied, "I don't think that there's much we can do, Lady. No matter which path we choose, the Incubus has us cornered." Adam paused for a bit, then added; "We will maneuver to port, seeing as how that is the most feasible option, but keep your expectations low; we may not make it."
Samus breathed deeply, trying to pacify the drumming in her chest. She knew that the odds were stacked against her as soon as the Incubi arrived, but she still persisted regardless. She couldn't forget about the Avenger's wonderful performance against the Scylla as well. Now here she was, with Death galloping madly on his pale horse towards her and the Avenger, in the shape of an Incubus-class gunship, hoping to massacre them both with his bloodied scythe.
Adam guided the ship to port, in a desperate attempt to evade the remaining Incubus. Samus glued her eyes to the sensor readouts, paying careful attention to the enemy ship. It was still on its present course, confidently striding closer in order to murder her. Samus also glimpsed, out of the corner of her eye, the Avenger swinging to starboard, and coming straight towards her.
Samus was alarmed. The Avenger's pilot was thinking the exact same thing she was. He was also trying to evade the Incubus, by going in the direction that it did not expect for him to go. Adam seemed to have sensed this and turned slightly starboard. By then, however, it was too late. A violent crash rocked her ship, accompanied by a blinding azure light. An alarm sounded in the cockpit, it's piercing wail indicating that the ships shields fell. A second crash followed within a split second, piercing the ships engine with a violent and deafening explosion. With no propulsion, the ship plummeted towards Mothri, pushed downward by the forceful shove of the planet's gravity.
In a matter of seconds, the ship lost all electrical power, and it was falling forward towards the ground. The g-forces were increasing rapidly, and Samus felt herself bend forward toward the windshield. The fall pressed Samus against her safety belt, and stirred the contents of her stomach. She could feel herself slipping into unconsciousness, as the planet's green landscape appeared in a blur in front of her. As she fell, Samus's body coursed with the consuming fear that one feels before death. Samus felt little hope in her survival; the enormous impact would likely kill her. Samus felt herself falling faster, and faster, until a final, resounding crash against the planet's soil propelled her into a black void.