"Oy, Sammy, I'm leaving early to go pick up the gang. See ya later!" Rascal called as he ran out of Pete's shop. Sam looked up from his sweeping and waved. Glancing at the clock hanging above the cash register, he could see that it was 30 minutes until closing time. He sighed. They had met with Captain Mikey just last night, but this morning and afternoon had gone so slowly it felt like days had passed already. He supposed it was because he was anxious.
Old Pete stomped into the room at that moment. Seeing that Rascal had gone, the old man humphed and shook his head. "So, he's gone, eh? Well, guess we haven't had much customers anyway. You can leave early too, Sam," he said.
"Thank you, sir," Sam said. He hesitated, then said, "Um, thank you for helping us."
Old Pete grunted. "I don't have no interest in the politics and whatnot y'all are getting involved in, but I don't mind helpin' a family in need. If ya ask me, that Samus is crazy for going out to fight Space Pirates and the Federation. Heh, but aren't all bounty hunters crazy anyway. Well, she just better make sure she and Rascal make it back safe," he said and stomped back into the office.
When he came home, Sam was a little surprised to see a picnic being set up. Realizing that they would not fit in the small kitchen with ten extra people coming, Samus had decided they would eat dinner outside, on the front lawn. She had found a striped picnic blanket in one of River's closets and laid it out on the grass. Instead of cooking an elaborate meal, she had made sandwiches and cut veggies, which she was putting on the blanket when Sam arrived. Sam smiled a little sadly. It had been a long time since he and his mother and sister had had a picnic. At that time, Angela had been just a toddler, and they would often have little picnics just outside the house. What he would give to have those happy, safe days again, Sam thought with a sigh.
After milking Maya, Sam helped Samus put out the rest of the food. Then Rascal and his friends arrived. "Heya Sammy, Samus. Let me introduce ya to my boys!" Rascal said as he and the other men walked up to the house. "This grey-haired fellow is Smithy. He's a great pilot, used to work for the Federation but he's retired now," Rascal introduced an older looking man, who nodded politely. Rascal continued to introduce his friends:
"This lanky fellow is John, a sharp-shooter better than any I know! Then Spart's the guy with the cigar, next to him is Bart his brother, and next to Bart is Marley. Those three burly men are great at fighting, both with guns and fists. They used to work for the mafia, but now they're mostly involved in construction companies. Lenny's the guy in black wearing the spiked collar, with the tattoos on his arms. If you need someone to set up bombs or traps, he's the guy! Oh, and Sid and Clyde are the albino twins standing there; they're masters of disguise and camouflage, and they can get you any kind of suit or gun you need. Colton is the guy with the constant frown and black hair dangling in his eyes. He's another sniper. And last but not least, there's Quinn, who's good at just about anything you ask him to do."
The men each greeted Samus and Sam with a "howdy" or a nod. Colton continued to scowl but grunted a hello. Samus commented, "Thank you all for coming. You really outdid yourself, Rascal. I wasn't expecting so many experts to come."
Rascal grinned. "O' course, gotta have the best for the best bounty hunter in the universe!" he exclaimed proudly.
They all sat down to eat dinner while Samus explained more about their mission. Sam found himself sitting next to Quinn, who seemed to be younger than the other men, closer to Rascal's age. He had messy brown hair and a face that expressed curiosity in everything around him. When Sam sat down beside him, Quinn smiled at the boy and said, "Your name is Sam, right? Nice to meet you! Isn't this exciting?"
Sam nodded, though in reality, he was a bit more anxious than excited. Before Quinn could speak again, though, Samus began explaining her plan.
"Rascal may have told you already what is going on, but we are going to destroy the Space Pirate stronghold and stop the illegal trading with them," Samus began. "Captain Mikey from the Federation has given us a ship. As soon as it is ready in a few days, we will head out. Can you all get the necessary ammo and equipment by then?" she asked.
Lenny answered, "Yeh, we should be able to. But what exactly are we gonna need? How're you planning to invade the Space Pirates?"
Samus replied, "Well, the basic idea is defeat enough of the pirates so they won't be a threat. To do that, it would be best to get to their commander and kill him, taking out as many of the small fry as we can along the way. We also need to shut down their communication with each other and the Federation. So the first step should be finding a map of their station, then some of us head to the commander and the others to the communication center."
Bart scratched his bald head and asked, "Mmmm, do we even know where the Space Pirates' ship or whatever is?"
"Don't worry about that," Quinn piped up. "I can find out in a jiffy when I get back to my computer."
"Please do," Samus said with a nod to Quinn. "I had an idea of where they might be, but if you can pinpoint their location, that would be excellent," she said. "We'll need guns and whatever weapons you feel comfortable using. Since you know how you fight best, I leave that decision up to you."
"Samus, what're you gonna do about your suit?" Rascal asked.
"Unfortunately, the Federation has it, so I will have to go without a suit," Samus responded.
Sid and Clyde grinned. "Don't ye worry about that, Samus," one of them said. "Don't ye be underestimating us," the other added. "We've seen what your suit looks like. Trust us, we can whip up something for you in time before we leave," they said.
Samus paused a moment, then said, "Very well. Once we finish eating, I'd like you to show me your skill in shooting. Then we can discuss what your roles will be."
Once everyone had had their fill of sandwiches, Samus took them behind the house, where she had made targets by putting tin cans on the backyard's fenceposts. She had Rascal's friends shoot the targets, and even had them shoot while she held a tin can and ran with it, so she could see how they did with a moving target. When they had finished, she seemed well-pleased with their performance, though it was hard to tell as her face was expressionless as usual. But Sam realized he could tell a bit better what she was feeling, now that he knew her more.
"Very good. Spart, Bart, Marley, Lenny, Sid, and Clyde will go shut down the communication center; then look for where the Space Pirates are holding the goods they got from the Federation. Colton, Quinn, and John will go with me to find the commander and defeat him. Smithy and Rascal will guard our spaceship. If it gets destroyed, it'll be tough getting out of there in an emergency," Samus said. The last sentence was directed at Rascal, who was looking a bit disappointed at being assigned to guard duty.
Smithy clapped a hand on Rascal's shoulder. "Ha, don't worry, boy; you'll get plenty action. Guarding the ship is an important job and may be the most dangerous when it comes down to it," Smithy said with a grin. Rascal seemed to brighten and grinned back.
"Aye, aye, captain!" he said. Watching his friend and the others, Sam felt a little jealous. They would be going on an important mission to stop evil, like the knights in the stories he loved; and he would be staying at home, running away if anything happened. He envied their ability to fight so well, envied their courage to head into something so dangerous, and envied the camaraderie between them all. But there was nothing he could do. He didn't know how to fight. He was just a farm boy, not a knight or a bounty hunter.
The meeting was soon over after that. The men each gave their contact info and promised to be ready when the ship would be available. Rascal left with them, even though he said he wished he could stay the night at the farm. "Gotta get prepared, though. See ya tomorrow, Sammy!" Rascal said as he headed out, waving goodbye to Sam.
Sam waved and sighed. It seemed very quiet now that the guests were gone. He turned to help Samus gather up the picnic things and take them inside. They worked quietly, both lost in their own thoughts, and they both went to bed with only a quiet "good night" between them.
The day had finally come. A few days after Rascal had brought his friends to the farm, Captain Mikey sent a message through Rascal of where the ship was, and Samus instructed the men to come there at 5a.m. the next morning. Sam got up early to see Samus off. Since she did not have her zero suit, a tight-fitting blue suit which she normally wore underneath her combat suit, she was wearing her blue dress that could turn into pants. Sid and Clyde had said they would have her new combat suit ready with them at the ship.
"You remember how to use the pen I gave you?" Samus asked. Sam nodded. They were outside, waiting for John, who had said he would come pick up Samus in his car. Peering out into the dark, quiet morning, Sam shivered a bit. It was not just that the morning was cool. The darkness made him think of space, of the unending darkness spotted only with stars and planets.
"Samus, you'll come back safe, right?" Sam asked. Samus glanced at him.
She replied, "I can't promise. But even if I don't, you and your family will be safe."
Sam clenched his fists. That wasn't what he wanted to hear. He wanted Samus to comfort him, to tell him it would all be okay. Though he felt that he should be brave and unafraid, right now he felt a like a little child, afraid to say goodbye. Afraid to lose another family member.
Samus continued, "With the team we have on this mission, we have a fair chance of succeeding, but since the Federation is working with the Space Pirates the enemies will likely be quite formidable."
"You're not very good at comforting people, you know," Sam said with a wry smile.
Samus cocked her head and grunted. "Would you rather I say I'll definitely come back safe and then later found out I lied?" she asked.
Sam sighed and shook his head. "Never mind. Just come back alive, okay?" Samus nodded and they fell silent until John arrived with his flying car. Samus nodded to Sam and climbed into the car, and Sam watched as they whizzed away. The quietness of the early morning seemed to fill in the space where they had been and cover Sam like a blanket. He turned abruptly and went back inside. He now understood, at least in small way, the fear Samus had of being alone.
"She'll be fine, it'll all be fine," he muttered, trying to reassure himself. Stepping into the kitchen, he pulled out the pen Samus had given him, stared at the blinking green light for a minute, and then with a sigh placed it on the counter. As he turned to go, he noticed the book that his mother and then Samus had been reading. It was open. As he reached out to close it, he couldn't help but read a sentence that his mother had highlighted, "I will not leave you or forsake you." He paused. Wouldn't that be nice, he thought to himself. Right now, it seemed like everyone had left; not only had his father abandoned his family for so many years, but now Mother, Angela, and even Samus had left, perhaps to her death. If only someone would stay. It felt like his family was slipping through his fingers, leaving him alone and empty. Sam plopped into a kitchen chair and buried his head in his arms.
Sam woke with a jerk. Looking up, he realized he had fallen asleep in the kitchen. The clock read 8am. At least it was not a school day, so he wouldn't have to worry about being late, though Maya would be angry at him for not milking her sooner. After stretching, he grabbed a bucket and milked the cow. When he came back in, Malcolm was in the kitchen, munching nervously on a piece of toast. He jumped when Sam opened the door. "Ah, Sam, g-good morning," he said, eyes flicking about anxiously. Sam just nodded. He didn't really know how to interact with his father. Now that he knew why his father had avoided coming home, Sam's anger had lessened. His father's situation didn't make up for neglecting his family, but at least Sam could understand him better now, even if Sam didn't like his father. After straining the milk, Sam got his own toast and sat down to eat his breakfast. He had just finished the last bite, when there was a knock on the door, making Malcolm jump almost to the ceiling in fright. Sam frowned and went to the door. Who could be calling at this hour? He felt an uneasy twinge in his stomach.
Opening the door, Sam was almost knocked over as a little girl flung herself at him. "I'm hooooooome!" Angela cried and gave her brother a big squeeze. Sam's eyes widened as he saw his sister grinning up at him and behind her his mother, wearing a big smile.
"M-mom! Angela! You're home!" Sam cried, tears suddenly gathering in his eyes. He squeezed Angela tight, and his mother joined the two children in a group hug.
"Yes, we're finally home. They said Angela was stabilized enough to come back," River said through her tears. She stepped back, looking Sam over. "Are you alright? I know it's been hard having us away for so long," she said.
Sam shook his head and tried to swallow back his sobs. "Are you alright? Angela, you feel okay?" he replied.
Angela jumped up and down, still hanging onto her brother. "Don't cry, Sam! I'm fine! It was really boring in that hospital, and they wouldn't let me out for some reason. But the nurses were nice! They gave me lots of stickers and—Daddy!" the girl cried, suddenly noticing Malcolm. He stood awkwardly at the table, uncertain of what to do. But Angela extracted herself from Sam and rushed over to give her father a big hug. He gave her a nervous smile and somewhat timidly reached down to hug her. River smiled and went over to him.
Sam was about to join them, when a polite cough made him turn to the doorway again. A tall man in a gray military suit stood there patiently, gray cap in hand. The man was bald, and his head seemed shaped a bit funny, as though his forehead were a bit too long and his neck was too short. "Sam, I presume?" the man asked.
"Yes," Sam answered slowly. "Um, thank you for bringing my mother and sister here, at least, I suppose you did?" he said.
The man smiled. "Yes, I did, you're welcome. I am sorry they were at the hospital that long. Now then, I need to ask you. Was Samus here recently?" he asked.
Sam froze. "Um, who are you?" he asked, his chest suddenly feeling tight.
"I am General Fezzed, from the Galactic Federation. If you know where Samus is, I will need you to tell me," the man said, still smiling.
Sam stared, icy cold fear gripping him. The Federation? Were they after Samus? Had they found out her plans? But she'd taken away all the bugs in the house...or had they suspected something because she had removed them? Sam took a step back, mind racing as he tried to think of what to do. At that moment, the pen Samus had given him turned red.