Note: I normally use meaningful words, that's for both past and future references, but if you don't know what 'perfidy' means, look it up!
Alright, chapter 2, here it is! Cue Samus…
Chapter 2: Promises and Possible Perfidy
The Hunter continued through the snow. It was snowing fiercely and through her Chozo made bio-suit, Samus Aran could hear the howling wind. She could also feel the cold. Her helmet said the temperature outside her suit was a balmy –73 degrees Celsius. And its not much warmer in here, she thought.
Stalking her prey by the coordinates Creto was sending her from the ship, Samus waded knee deep in the shifting snows of Cicho. She had been tracking this group of intergalactic drug smugglers for the last 3 weeks, and this time they weren't going to give her the slip.
She had been following them with the invisibility cloak on her hunter-ship when they landed on this icy rock 5 hours ago. Samus had hoped to overtake them in space, but she had been forced to go with Plan B, the stealth ground attack.
As they landed, she'd switched her ship's radar to heat seeking and found out they had a base here on Cicho. Great place…
So she'd flown in and landed as close as she could to their base and then left her ship. It would have been far easier to just have blown the place to bits and then have searched for remains, but she had to pay the bills. The man who had hired her was strange. He wanted the criminal leader alive and at least half of the drugs unharmed so that he could secure a conviction. She didn't see what a conviction would do, the Federation didn't care enough to put a bounty on them, so why take them to court? Why not just finish them? But hey, it was her job, and she didn't ask questions she didn't want to know the answers to.
Through the flying snow, Samus could see the building coming into view. She switched her visor to infrared and could see moving figures through the walls. How to get in? she asked herself, hmm…
She went to the furthest corner she could find and took out a laser knife from her suit's new storage compartment. It was built into the left thigh of her suit and was perfect for carrying her smaller gadgets; she'd made the improvement herself.
Samus knelt on one knee and sank waist deep into the snow. All around her the wind whipped as she used the knife to make an entrance. When the circle was complete, she put away her tool and gently pushed the sheet metal in.
Suddenly the strongest gust she'd yet encountered came and swept her into the self-made entrance. The Hunter went crashing into the smugglers' base, her bio-suit resounding loudly against the concrete floor.
There were shouts in the distance, calls to investigate. The wind zipped through the hole and made a loud whistling noise. Her secrecy lost, Samus took the circular piece of metal and shoved it into the hole to stop the noise. The wind just caved it in again and the noise continued.
What am I doing! Samus mentally screamed at herself. How could I be so clumsy? There was no more time to question; they were coming.
The warehouse she had come into was full of crates and metal containers. They were stacked in neat piles that nearly reached the 50foot ceiling. Someone's been busy.
Samus rolled behind one stack and switched her power beam gun to a lower level of power. She wanted her prey alive.
A trio of men came around the corner; they were dressed in special warmth suits that were extremely lightweight and thin. Two of them carried beam guns, but the third carried a fierce looking weapon. It was so big the man carried it on is shoulders. The machine pulsed blue and Samus didn't like the look of it.
The first two went to the hole she had made. They cursed loudly but not loud enough to be heard over the roaring wind. Number 1 made to put the wall back together, but number 2 said something to stop him and then they both started arguing. Number 3 yelled at them both and pointed to the stack Samus was hiding behind. Number 2 started around the corner as number 1 made for the alarm button stationed 10 feet down the wall…
Samus swung around the corner and in one shot she stunned the man headed for the alarm. Number 2 had quicker reflexes them she'd anticipated, and he got 5 shots off before she could take cover again and 2 of them hit her. They were mild hits and her suit easily withstood them.
Samus switched her arm cannon to the ice beam and came around the corner for a second try. Two blasts to number 2's feet froze him solid. Samus continued to rush at him, and as he screamed out she hit (and probably broke) his arm to disarm him.
Out of nowhere came a shockwave that threw Samus off her feet. Nimbly, she got up and saw number 3 with his menacing weapon taking aim.
"Greetings bounty hunter," he said with malice.
Samus dove behind another stack of crates. The stock wave hit it, and the stack quivered, and then it began to fall. Staring up as they started to fall, Samus's pulse remained level.
With lightning speed she switched into morph ball mode and used its boost to roll away from the falling drugs. They landed on the hard floor and many of them ruptured, spilling literal tons of a potent and lethal leaf on the floor.
Number 3 had no idea where the bounty hunter and gone. He spun around, searching for her, and not succeeding.
He turned around again and Samus was standing there. She struck him in the abdomen with her arm cannon, and then hit him on the head with her free hand. He fell down unconscious.
My presence here is already known, so who cares, Samus told herself. Then she took the menacing cannon weapon and hurled it as far away as possible. While it was still in the air, she shot it with the Power Beam, and it exploded in a blaze of pink and blue light.
The warehouse became very quiet, and Samus revolved slowly. She had a hard time believing that this entire operation was run by only 3 men. There had to be more.
"Welcome Miss Aran. It's nice to finally see you," said a female voice from behind her.
Samus turned around and searched the warehouse. At the other end of the room was the control center. Ramps on both sides led up to its raised and windowed control room, and standing in the doorway was Lorie Moli.
The smugglers' leader was tall and slender, dressed in a lightweight bio-suit. Lorie Moli was more prepared for battle then Samus had thought, as the armored woman carried a high-powered beam gun in each hand.
Lorie Moli had been a small-time thief until she had organized this smuggling act. Samus had dug up everything she could find on Lorie, but she couldn't find out where Lorie had gotten her initial money from, oh well.
Lorie Moli had the visor to her helmet flipped up. She issued a command in a language Samus didn't know, and 4 of her henchmen came running to Samus. Then she flipped down her visor and raised her weapons.
Samus wasted no time. She began to duck and weave her way across the room to Lorie. Her enemy opened fire and the room echoed with rebounding shots.
Samus changed her cannon to the Annilator Beam and began charging. Her whole body shook with its power and she had trouble maneuvering around the crates as blasts rained down on her.
Finally, with her charge ready, she came around a stack and had a clear shot.
Lorie saw her and fired just before Samus released the Sonic Boom. The world stopped and time slowed.
Samus had seen this weapon's affect on the Ing of Aether, but she wasn't quite sure how it would affect humans
The tidal wave of sound pushed into the four attacking men, who were thrown back and temporarily paralyzed. The shot Lorie had fired hit the wall and failed.
Lorie Moli had closed the door to her glass revealed room. When the Sonic Boom hit, the glass shattered in a blast of wind and speed. The huge stacks of drugs came tumbling down, and Samus saw them fall and clatter to the floor in slow motion.
When the Sonic Boom hit the warehouse's wall there was a terrible grating sound. The entire building quivered and shook until Samus was sure it would collapse, but it didn't. Then the boom ended, leaving a decimated warehouse behind.
Samus could hear Lorie's moans of pain coming from the control room as she opened the compartment on her thigh and took out 5 little disks. She came up to the first henchman and activated one of the disks. It split in two with a string of energy between the two pieces. Samus took the man's hands and tied them with the string of energy. When the two pieces met they clicked and the handcuffs solidified.
Samus continued around the room until all 4 of them were handcuffed.
Then she reached the control room.
The moans and cries of pain by Lorie Moli had stopped. Samus looked on the floor, expecting to find her, trapped by some roof beam or full of broken glass, but Lorie was gone. What?
Six beam shots to the back and then something heavy struck Samus's helmet. She staggered under the blows but kept on her feet. Lorie struck Samus with all of her might and Samus's knees buckled.
"Enough!" shouted Samus.
She twisted around and caught the alloy pipe with her bio-suit protected hand, then she shoved Lorie back and the woman fell over.
Lorie was back up on her feet and began firing again. Samus's shields took the first 3 shots but then they gave and Samus began to feel heat through her suit.
The broken glass crushed under their armored feet as they circled and fired at one another. Samus set her cannon to stun, 'the leader must be alive'.
Samus fired half a dozen rounds at Lorie Moli, who, with real agility, dodged them all.
The criminal then returned the blasts and took cover behind an upturned table.
Samus fired a missile at the floor just in front of the table. The floor was blown apart, and the table exploded.
The Hunter took out a syringe and needle full of sedative from her little compartment and then rushed Lorie.
The criminal dodged her first lunge and grabbed Samus's bulky shoulders. She threw Samus into the wall, but not before the Hunter had stuck the needle in her suit's weak abdomen.
Lorie screamed with all of her might as she realized she'd been bested. She fired rapid, ill-aimed shots at Samus, all the while shouting, "I will get you for this, Samus Aran, yes I will!"
Then Lorie Moli started to sway and her cannon lowered. She fell backwards against the wall and slowly slid down into a sitting position.
"Alright," said Samus as she handcuffed her bounty.
She then took off Lorie's helmet.
Lorie Moli had short black hair and a sharp pointed face that held an angry beauty. Samus froze the face in her helmet's picture database, just like she did to every other bounty. Samus wanted to be sure that she would never be caught off guard by a released or escaped bounty.
Five minutes later all of the henchmen, even the first 3, were in the control room with Lorie Moli. All were cuffed and unconscious, just the way Samus liked her criminals.
"Creto," said Samus into her helmet. Inside, on her visor, came the message 'connecting'.
"Yes, my Lady," came the voice of Samus's ship's internal computer.
"It's clear. Reboot the messaging systems and bring the ship over here," said Samus.
"Right away Samus," replied Creto.
Samus slumped down onto the floor next to Lorie. The now captive smuggler's eyes slowly opened and her head flopped onto Samus's shoulder. She stuttered and began to drool.
Looks like someone needs more sedative, thought Samus as she administered more of the clear fluid. Don't worry Lorie, soon you'll be home in your cozy prison cell where—
"My Lady?" came Creto's voice inside her helmet.
"Yeah?" asked Samus.
"Well, I opened up the broadcasting systems again as you'd requested, and there is a signal coming form a Federation base. They have been requesting permission for nearly 13 hours now, " said the computer.
The Federation? Samus hadn't been contacted by them in 8 years. The last time had been the mission on Aether. After that she'd told them (somewhat politely) that she wasn't going to be their babysitter anymore, and, unless it was a matter of Galactic safety, she didn't care. They hadn't called her since.
But know they were calling. Did she want to respond? Hmm..,
"I can stream the conference to your helmet my Lady. Do you want that?" asked Creto.
"Ugh," sighed Samus as she stood up and started to pace. She was going to regret this later. "Yes."
There was static as Creto rewired the line and then a voice.
"Samus Aran?" asked a deep but kind male voice.
"Speaking," said Samus.
"Miss Aran, this is Galactic Council Chairman Joseph Torim. I understand that after the Aether mission you requested to not be contacted, but I have a request that is of my own personal need and not commissioned by the Federation. Will you listen to it?"
"Go on Mr. Torim," answered Samus. She had a feeling that this man had an authentic need.
"I am not sure if you are aware yet, but late last night there was an assassination attempt on the life of an Ambassador at the Unity Ball."
A strong sickening feeling filled Samus's entire body. An Ambassador was nearly killed…She opened her mouth to ask Torim who the Ambassador had been, but Torim beat her to it.
"Well, this man survived, but the would-be assassin escaped," continued Torim. "I am a supporter of this Ambassador and what he stands for. He needs protection and you are the only one I think can handle this task. There is more to this attempt then one displeased citizen…Please I would discuss more with you if you will meet me at Saint Thomas Moore's Hospital in Vastial."
Eight yearsago, Samus had been forced to live for a week on the planet/city Nebulon while her ship was being repaired. There she had met and formed a friendship with one of the mechanics working on her ship, the man with dark eyes, Maelos. Though their time together had been short, Samus and Maelos had formed a friendship; the first friendship Samus had been a part of since her time with the Chozo. She could feel a deep bond between them, one that was now pulling fiercely at her heart.
She had promised to watch the news for him as he left to try to help the galaxy, and she had. Through media clips and hacking into databases, Samus had observed Maelos's rise to Ambassador, and she was very proud of him. But this bounty had forced her to cut off all broadcasting and receiving of broadcasts because she couldn't risk detection. She had no idea what the rest of the Galaxy had been doing for the last 3 weeks. Samus had lost 3 weeks worth of news about her friend. What if he had done something great or what if something had happened to him…?
"Which Ambassador was it?" asked Samus quickly.
"Maelos Tebral, from Nebulon."
Samus's pacing stopped. Her visor hid her face, but behind it her eyes trembled as she breathed in sharply. Maelos! Her mind screamed. My friend is in trouble!
Several emotions flooded her- anger, fear, the need to reach him, and something of betrayal.
If you hadn't taken this bounty you would have known about what he was doing, you could have protected him! It's on your head! Shouted an accusing voice in her mind. How could I have known? Said Samus back, it's not my fault! But deep inside her, in a place Samus could not reach, there was a withering, dark feeling. Samus knew that Maelos being nearing killed was not at all her doing, but still she felt guilty
"I want you to guard Mr. Tebral until this is sorted out. I have reason to believe that…well I would like to speak with you face to face about this as soon as possible," he said over the wire.
"I'm on my way right now," answered Samus urgently.
The arrangements were made and Samus hurriedly went aboard her ship. Onboard, Creto was silent; it could sense an unusual sensation in its mistress. What was it? Urgency? Anger? Maybe fear?
"Creto, set a course to Bruxig, the fastest one there is."
"What about the smugglers and your bounty?" answered Creto.
"We're dropping them off at Iruin and contacting Mr. Puolon about the drug's whereabouts. He can pick them up on his own; I don't care if he docks my pay. We need to get to Maelos, set the course to Bruxig."
"Right away," answered Creto. "What about Maelos?"
Samus was opening the manual control panel on her arm cannon to check its condition. She answered, "he's in trouble. Someone tried to kill him last night and he's injured."
Creto was silent. Creto was a computer, but it had been made by the Chozo, as had Samus's spaceship. It could feel. It could, and did, love people, and Maelos was one of the people Creto had grown to love.
"We're going to meet them in Vastial, at the hospital. He's okay, and if he isn't right now, he will be when I get there," said Samus.
Samus sighed deeply. Why do I always leave my friends? I couldn't do anything for my Chozo friends or my parents. But I will do something for him!
"Put it on auto pilot," she told Creto.
It was 7 hours to Bruxig. If Torim was going to put her on surveillance, then she needed some sleep. But Samus didn't feel like sleeping, not with all of these thoughts running through her mind. Think of Chonena, think of home, she told herself. And by thinking of her Chozo mother and their house by the gnarled tree, Samus managed to fall into an uneasy sleep.
7 hours later, after crossing 3 sectors, a stop at the nearest Bounty Holding Station, and docking her ship, Samus reached Room 31 in the East wing at Saint Thomas Moore's Hospital. She was still wearing her Power suit, and everyone gave her a look of fear and awe.
She gently knocked, but the sound was harsh because of the alloyed knuckles. A slot in the wall opened and a strange looking camera zoomed out.
"Iris identification please," said a monotone female voice.
A wave of light crashed into Samus's visor, and she stepped back in annoyance.
"Please remove the article blocking your eyes. Please---"
"Miss Aran?" came the muted sound of Joseph Torim's voice through the door. The camera disappeared back into its slot.
"It's me," said Samus.
The alloy door slid open and there was Torim standing at the foot of a hospital bed. A curtain blocked off the patient, but Samus could see a nurse giving fluids.
"I am so glad you came Miss Aran, and I'm sorry about the scanners, I should have told you," said Torim genuinely.
"Grace? Could you leave us for a minute or two?"
"Yes sir," said the nurse as she left, but not before giving Samus a curious look.
"Come and sit," motioned Torim to a pair of chairs by the room's window.
Samus quietly walked over and sat down. The seat she was given gave her a perfect view of her future charge.
Propped up by a pillow, the Ambassador for Nebulon, Maelos Tebral, smiled at her with his dark eyes. He looked tired and weak. An IV was in his hand, and there was a large bandage around his chest that stretched over his left shoulder.
A sudden wave of fulfilled anxiety hit Samus as Torim tried to talk to her. He was saying something about the hospital's schedule, but she couldn't hear him. All she could see was Maelos.
She hadn't seen him since that rainy day on Nebulon, when she had left his father's mechanic shop. All that had happened during that week on Nebulon now came rushing into her head. He had opened up her heart to old memories and taught her the value of friendship again. He had, in a way, saved her.
"Miss Aran, this is Maelos Tebral, the Ambassador who was shot last night."
The eyes behind her visor moved to his wound. Her stomach lurched at the sight of it, and the voice in her head started up again. If you had been there—
I couldn't have been there! Shouted Samus, it is not my fault! Any wrong I might have done is going to be corrected. I'm here for him now; I am his protector.
"Miss Aran," said Maelos feebly, "can you take off your helmet? It's kinda creeping me out."
Torim looked at Maelos in surprise, a look of 'how dare you', but Samus complied. She removed her helmet and golden locks of hair spilled out. Placing the helmet in her lap, she smiled at Maelos, and he smiled back.
