Probably don't need to put out a spoiler warning for this chapter if you've made it this far but I will do it anyway!
Metroid Dread spoilers!
This chapter may be a bit garbage since it's just filler, making stuff up on the spot, until Infinite comes out. And as a huge Metroid fan I'll be honest with you. I don't read a lot of Halo books, even though I love Halo too, maybe not as much as Metroid. But I try to do my research so I follow the Halo story. But of course with my own version since this is Fanfiction. I will just say for this chapter, that I am no lawyer, law maker, or police officer. I am not following any specific justice system with the Galactic Federation, this is just fantiction. Sorry Halo fans for the lack of Spartans in the beginning of this chapter, but they're prominent near the end of the chapter.
Enjoy!
"Your unique genetics provide an infinite amount of power. It is not difficult to understand that others with ill intent want to harness that power for themselves." Adam replied to Samus's rhetorical question.
Samus finished uploading her mission data. Giving an eye roll, removing her armour with a flash of light. "I mean shit, the Space Pirates even tried their hand at cloning me, even though that was more about my copying my armour, rather than myself as a fighter. But didn't my evil twin Dark Samus, and the SA-X, prove that cloning me is a terrible idea?"
"Both of those examples were created from your DNA unintentionally, both clones possessed no control systems. And were considered parasites, acting on instinct alone. The only thing they shared with you was your DNA." The AI continued to explain.
Samus held out both of her hands in front of her. "I'm part Metroid, Adam. Aren't I considered to be a parasite..." although the teen admitted she was part Metroid, she felt as if the last few hours of her life were spent as a complete Metroid.
Adam took over the piloting, steering them away from the exploded planet debris. "As you claimed in your mission with the SA-X, you have a heart. Your compassionate soul is what separates you from the parasites that function strictly on their mindless hunger. You are far from a parasite. Your heart is what separates you from your evil clones. Even in your infinite power, you still understand that power is not everything."
"Power is everything."
Those words spoken in the Chozo language made Samus quiver. "Thanks Adam... But I do not have infinite power. I'm not invincible."
"You're correct." The AI replied as Samus gazed out the side of the cockpit window.
Samus's expression was precarious, her vision wondering between the stars outside, and her left hand. "Raven Beak didn't hack you or put a virus in you right?"
"Negative. Are you inquiring because Raven Beak mimicked me in an attempt to fool you before your final battle?" Adam replied to the emotionless teen.
Samus didn't reply continuing to stare blankly at her hand. Disappointed that she was fooled by Raven Beak, even for a second. But she wondered, was the Mawkin leader correct? Being the only Metroid alive, was she truly a grave threat to the galaxy?
"Perhaps it would be best for you to get some rest. My scans indicate over exhaustion." Adam suggested to the silent girl.
"I can't... I have to..."
"I have the ship on autopilot, my scanners are running at full capacity, should we come across a distress signal." The AI refused to hear Samus's excuses.
"Anything from Blue Team?" The teen sighed heading towards the living quarters.
"Negative, it is uncertain if your last requested message got through to them. I was more concerned about keeping your vitals on radar while you battled Raven Beak."
"Understood, they may be at a UNSC base by now anyway..." Samus carefully laid her tender beaten body on her soft berth.
"Possibly, but that is unlikely. I believe Blue Team took a small vessel in attempt to contact Infinity. There's a high probability they remain on Sangheilios until a UNSC vessel arrives for pickup." Adam told the tired teen.
"So they weren't really travelling that far. Interesting. I will message them when I wake. For now, keep scanning. I did tell Chief I would look for the Infinity." Samus closed her eyes, her sore body relaxing into the berth.
The teen restlessly tossed and turned in her sleep. The haunting voice of Raven Beak's threats, the death of Quiet Robe, and the overwhelming power of her Metroid DNA. Causing a chaotic nightmare of hellish possibilities. Galactic Federation personnel feared her, threatened her, saying that she had become the most dangerous creature. The rest of the nightmare was Samus uncontrollably harming Blue Team with her new powers. A flash of Chief's lifeless husk, siphoned of his precious life force, awoke the teen.
Samus almost screamed as she shot awake with a gasp. Shaking in a cold sweat, she raised her now glowing hand. Was her body craving energy, or was this a defensive reaction to her nightmares?
"Insufficient resting period. Should I raise the temperature of your quarters for a more soothing atmosphere?" Adam's robotic voice brought Samus out of her dread.
Making a fist with her glowing hand the magenta glow bursted, the siphoning energy receding back into her hand. "No. I have slept enough..." Samus said getting off of her berth.
The muscular teen entered her ship's cockpit, the golden stars they were travelling through illuminating the room. "Adam, you didn't send my mission video logs to the Federation did you?"
"They were sent out not long after we took off. For authentication of your complete mission." The AI replied with an answer Samus feared.
"You sent everything? Or just the important parts like the E.M.M.I. the X parasite , and Raven Beak's... defeat..." Samus worried about the Federation finding out about her Metroid powers. The video logs from Raven Beak's defeat would almost undoubtedly bring up many questions.
"I sent the most important details, correct." Adam replied not exactly answering her question in detail.
"That's not exactly what I..." Samus began before Adam interrupted her.
"When Raven Beak seemingly defeated you, your video log cut out due to your suits power failure..."
At that news a sigh of relief escaped from the girl in the pilot's chair.
"However. It restarted once you were on the planet's surface to defeat Raven Beak." Adam raised the teen's stress level once again.
"Great, so you sent all that I am assuming?" Samus groaned.
"Correct. Was there an error?" Adam questioned as the teen didn't seem to be satisfied with his replies.
"No, I just worry about what the Federation will do once they realize I adopted a lot of traits from the Metroid DNA." Samus once again lifted her hand to be level with her vision.
"They will see glimpses of your powers in the footage. But only enough to raise suspicions about what happened to you on your mission. Nothing I sent actually shows your energy siphoning powers." Adam reassured Samus.
"Except for me acquiring the hyper beam to defeat Raven Beak. And my hesitant escape from the planet because of the life siphoning powers I now possess." Samus listed off in a critical tone.
"They may wonder if you seek medical attention, rather than believing you are a Metroid." The AI continued to reassure the teen, knowing Samus was overthinking.
Before Samus could reply to that an alert sounded off making her visibly jump. "Report!"
"Mayday coming from a Galactic Federation space station. Should I engage the slip space?" Adam reported to the teen who immediately activated her armour.
"I've got it Adam, just put in the coordinates." Samus replied pushing the many buttons on the console in front of her. "What are the details?" she asked while engaging the slip space drives after her AI gave her the coordinates.
"Space Pirate remnants are trying to gain resources from the station." Adam gave Samus the details as they arrived at the station.
"Curious, they must be functioning erratically without a leader." Samus fired at the small Pirate fighter ships guarding the landing pad.
"They have no doubt reverted to their pirating instincts. There's a possibility that they do have a leader orchestrating this attack..."
"We can talk about it later Adam. Just give me the coordinates to the ones who sent out the distress call." The violet armoured teen exited her ship immediately after landing.
"They are at the south end of the station, hidden in an armoured room. But the Space Pirates are attempting to infiltrate it." The AI's voice spoke through Samus's helmet speakers.
Samus didn't take long to find all the Space Pirates in the station. By the time she hit the middle of the small space station. Most of the aliens were guarding that armoured room.
Her plasma beam cut through most of the Pirates like a hot knife through butter. There was a small army of the bastards, big, and small. One massive Commander managed to knock the speedy bounty hunter down, sending her tumbling across the ground into a group of trooper pirates.
:Incoming transmission...
"Ugh..." Samus groaned using her morph ball to evade the bullets raining from the many Pirates surrounding her. "Kind of busy!" She hissed transforming, kicking, and blasting her way through the alien troopers.
"We're going to be alright!"
"Kick their asses Samus!"
Samus could hear cheering coming from the fortified room. Out of the corner of her visor the teen noticed a small observation window on the fortified door showing the humans trapped inside.
"We're not out of the woods yet..." Samus thought to herself as a bunch of Pirates jumped in front of her.
Her left hand lit up with that familiar magenta glow. Jumping onto the back of a pirate, she clutched its head in her hand, siphoning the energy right out of the pirate. Leaping onto her next victim she siphoned the life out of the next few Pirates that dared to get in her way. Making her way back to the Commanding pirate, many of the aliens fled like cowards after seeing the bounty hunter's Metroid powers come to life. The half that stayed lifted their blasters to fire at the young teen.
Samus went to lift her cannon to fire back at the pirates, her Metroid instincts blocking her cannon's use as it hungered for energy. Her left hand lunging forward instead of her cannon. "Fuck! I thought I had control of this!" The teen cursed over her comlink.
Adam was watching Samus's progress through her live visual feed. "You may have been gifted with more of the Thoha tribe DNA. But you have yet to understand their knowledge of control. It took a long time for your Metroid DNA to be apparent within you. Perhaps it's the same learning how to control it."
"What do you mean?! As soon as I got the Metroid DNA, it changed me!" The teen sarcastically replied dodging the hail of bullets.
"It still took a substantial amount of time for your body to completely adapt to your Metroid DNA. Learning takes time." Adam reminded the battling girl.
Samus finally regained control of her cannon, firing it taking down the last set of Pirates. Before firing a charged shot at the Commanding Space Pirate.
The Pirate swung his sizzling energy blade at the powerful teen, who dodged it this time. The Commander yelped in agony as Samus shot it's bladed arm right off.
Samus's hand took over her again, she didn't waste time trying to refuse its power. Climbing onto the top of the screaming Command Pirate, her glowing hand latched onto the Pirate's head sucking the life force out of the deadly alien until it was nothing but a hollow husk.
Taking a deep breath she finally released the lifeless husk. Quickly making her way over to the fortified door. "Adam, the Pirate threat is eliminated. Please scan for any incoming contacts."
"Well done. There are no Pirates in the area." The AI replied through the speakers of Samus's helmet.
"Then the job is done here..." Samus turned hearing the hiss of a door opening behind her. A couple of Galactic Federation troopers cautiously exited the room with their guns drawn, scanning for any possible signs of life from the Pirates.
"Clear!" The troopers gestured for the rest of the station workers to come out of the armoured room.
Walking past the room Samus could see the damage the Pirates had inflicted on the door. They had been very close to infiltrating the room to kill the humans hiding inside.
"Agh..." Samus winced, looking down at her side to see that the muscular looking fibres that constructed a protective layer in her armour was sliced open. She could feel the trickle of blood from her wound running down her left leg.
"Your suit is breeched. Medical attention required." Adam announced although the teen was already aware of her injuries.
"I'm fine. I just need to return to the ship." Samus replied to which Adam immediately discouraged the teen from advancing to the ship.
"Negative!" The AI halted the teen's movements. "Your armour is breeched. You cannot step into the vacuum of space until your suit is repaired. Stay within the station Samus."
"Fuck fuck fuck. No!" Samus mentally cursed for not being more careful. She was now trapped in a Federation space station. She would be forced to communicate with locals. "What's the estimated time of repairs?"
"It will take an hour or longer for you to fully heal. Removal of your armour, and seeking medical attention will speed up the process." Adam replied to which Samus grumbled in reply.
Samus held her side, her wound burning horrendously now that her adrenaline had gone down. She didn't dare ask for help, making sure the station workers and troopers were tended to first. Helping the troopers remove the lifeless bodies of the aliens.
"You did an incredible job of saving us Samus." One of the troopers praised the teen as she helped him move a body to the pile.
Samus stayed silent, continuing to help the troopers.
"Shit. These Pirates look like the life was sucked out of them." One of the troopers gasped as the brittle husk disintegrated after being touched.
"A shot from a plasma wouldn't even do this. What weapons are you packing Samus?" The trooper was joking but Samus didn't see it that way.
"The only time I've seen corpses like this was during the Metroid epidemic." Another trooper commented, glaring at the wounded teen through his visor. Unbeknownst to the Hunter, he had witnessed her siphoning the life from the Pirates with her hand. "You had that Metroid DNA injected into her a while back, no?"
"Wow, news travels fast through the Federation communications grid..." The girl thought as it wasn't very long ago that she had the Metroid vaccine.
"Wasn't that to counter the X that nearly killed her?" The other trooper questioned.
Samus doubled over in pain, making it a point to show that she was injured, just to change the subject.
"Samus, you're injured. I'll escort you to the med bay." The friendly trooper gestured for the young teen to follow him.
Samus followed, looking over her shoulder to see the suspicious trooper glaring at her with their arms folded.
"Thomason." The trooper introduced himself going for a hand shake.
Samus naturally went to shake the man's hand, putting her hand on her wound, she stopped herself from shaking the soldiers hand. Giving a soft nod in acknowledgement instead.
"Shy huh. That's alright, I know you're all fight, and no talk. Most of the GF personal knows that you lack emotions." Thomason continued to lead the girl directly into the busy med bay. "Guess that's just the way it is for a young bounty hunter that annihilates planets, and alien species, all by yourself."
Samus rolled her eyes behind her visor. "Typical..." she thought, knowing one of the most popular rumours about her was that she was cold and emotionless. Though the way the trooper worded her accomplishments made her sound like a monster.
"Have a seat. I'll send a medic your way. Thanks again for saving us." Thomason said before leaving the bounty hunter.
"I'll talk to you later Adam." Samus announced to her AI, as a medical officer approached her.
"Miss Aran, thank you for saving the station. It would've been terrible if the Pirates infiltrated this main sector. My name is Doctor Roe." The doctor introduced herself, her attention immediately drawn to the sizeable slash wound in the bounty hunter's side. "Please remove your armour, so I can get a better look at that sword wound."
Samus did as she was asked, hesitantly removing her armour that was clearly putting pressure on her wound. Blood began to flow from her side as soon as the purple armour was removed.
The young teen flinched when the doctor swiftly applied pressure to the wound with some gauze to absorb the flow of blood.
"Hmm, that Pirate got you pretty good." The doctor was trying to keep the atmosphere lighthearted.
Samus scanned the room with her turquoise eyes, she was the youngest patient there of course. She always received either dumbstruck gazes from those who were amazed by how young she was. Or the total opposite, getting dirty looks from those jealous that a young girl could accomplish anything they could do, but better.
Doctor Roe looked over her shoulder seeing the room of gawking eyes followed by whispering. "You've been the biggest topic in the Federation since you threw that research station into that planet.
"I can only imagine... and I bet none of you know the reason why I did it. Can't wait to hear what kind of blame they put on me..." The girl thought to herself keeping quiet as the Doctor got ready to remove the gauze.
"Some people thought you went rampant. But I heard there were things on that station that needed to be eradicated for good reasons." The doctor sighed shaking her head.
It took Samus a moment to process what the doctor was saying to her. Shocked Doctor Roe semi understood the reasoning behind the motive of blowing up the planet and space station.
"It was lucky we had that last Metroid sample culture. Or you wouldn't be in front of me right now."
The girl gave the doctor a confused but shocked look, how did the doctor know all that information?
"Perhaps vice versa, who knows what would've happened if you didn't become immune to the X. We'd probably all be X parasites by now." The doctor continued on before realizing Samus's shocked and confused gaze. "I was one of the doctors that worked on you at Galactic Federation HQ."
"Saved me." Samus softly corrected, her young voice barely audible.
Doctor Roe smiled warmly at the girl. "You're right. But you saved yourself. If you hadn't have disobeyed the law systems and brought that baby Metroid in for study. You would not have been alive today."
Samus didn't think about it that way though. She knew that giving credit to were it was due was the correct way. The baby Metroid saved her life, not herself. The doctors came up with a plan to inject her with the Metroid DNA. They healed her from the X.
The Doctor removed the gauze from the wound with a gasp. "Oh, wow!"
The teen cocked her head curiously at the surprised doctor.
"I don't think anyone will ever understand your unique genetics." Doctor Roe gestured to the wicked looking bruise that formed where the teen's slash wound used to be.
Samus looked down her movements causing her pain from the horrible looking bruise. It was nothing new to her that her wounds healed quickly, Though this seemed to heal in a quicker time space than all her other flesh wounds. Perhaps the mutation from the Metroid DNA caused the healing process to accelerate.
"Can I have those?" Samus pointed to the bloody gauze and gloves the doctor had been using on her.
"I can give you new gauze if you're injured elsewhere?" The Doctor hesitantly handed the teen the requested items.
Samus shook her head no. Wanting any possible samples of her blood to be nonexistent, giving the Federations history with wanting her SA-X clones. And since her mission video logs would raise suspicions about her Metroid powers, she could not take the chance.
"You don't say much do you?" The Doctor smiled after washing her hands.
With a flash Samus was fully armoured. Her armour now repaired. Giving a nod to the doctor in thanks.
"I haven't given you a full exam yet." Doctor said as the armoured teen hopped off the medical bed.
The teen shook her helm with a shrug, turning as she went to exit the med bay.
"Okay then... I highly suggest you go to HQ Samus Aran. You've got a lot of explaining to do."
Samus exited the facility with the bloody gauze and gloves in hand. Just as she reached her docked ship Samus tossed the gauze and gloves into the air shooting them with her plasma beam easily vaporizing them.
"That was a wise decision." Adam commented upon Samus's entrance into the cockpit.
"Can't let those fools have any chance of cloning me." The teen replied firing the ships engines.
"Shall I set course for the Spartans?" The AI asked as they took off from the station.
"...No..."
"Recalculating..."
"Set course for Galactic Federation Head Quarters." Samus told her AI. It was time for her to finally communicate with the Federation properly.
One quick jump, the violet ship arrived at the Galactic Federation HQ planet. Multiple Galactic Federation fighters surrounded her ship. A transmission alert appearing on the console.
"Unknown vessel, state your identification. Or we will be forced to escort you forcefully."
Samus put her identification code into the communication console, getting clearance.
"Galactic Federation gunship identification authorized. Head directly to Head Quarters for debriefing, Samus Aran."
Samus Aran did just that, landing her ship in the docking bays of HQ.
"Greetings Samus. Please follow us to the briefing hall for your trial." A squad of troopers greeted the armoured teen.
"Trial?" Samus knew trials would be held for her destructive actions, it was interesting that they created a trial during her debriefing. She followed the four man squad. Two out of the four troopers followed behind her. It was a standard formation for an escort. But it made Samus feel uncomfortable. She was an outcast here. Although she was an outcast no matter where she went. It was the Galactic Federation that wasn't afraid to constantly remind her of that.
Approaching the guarded door to the briefing hall. Samus's hand flared a magenta glow, alerting her to the fact she was already getting anxious and defensive. She immediately awkwardly folded her arms as she could not hide her glowing arm behind her.
"Easy, don't overthink this. It's a debriefing." Adam's robotic voice came into Samus's helmet.
"It's a trial Adam..." The teen whispered, though she was sceptical of how the debriefing would go.
"Samus!" A vaguely familiar voice called out, snapping the girl out of her thoughts.
"Anthony?" Samus stopped almost making her followers collide into her.
"It's been a while Princess. You've sure been busy since our last encounter." The tall armoured man joyfully greeted the young teen. "I got it from her guys." Anthony got Samus's escorts to leave them.
"I have been, like you wouldn't believe..." the teen replied.
"You've stirred the Galactic Federation for sure." Anthony sighed, walking Samus across the hallway from the door.
"I'm aware. But you know from our last mission together, just how twisted the Federation really is." Samus scoffed keeping her arms folded, it was awkward with her cannon but she couldn't allow her Metroid instincts take over her frustration.
"I know. Just be careful kid. I know you won't let them try to take advantage of you again." Higgs replied, hitting a nerve in the teen.
Samus knew the tall soldier was referring to the time the Galactic Federation attempted to get her to join their military police force as one of their soldiers. "That was almost over a year ago Anthony. The Federation knows I'm a solitary bounty hunter. I will not be bound by their rules."
"You know breaking their laws is still going to get you in trouble even if you are a bounty hunter. You're under their contract, you understand right Princess?" Anthony warned the girl.
"Samus Aran, please enter." A General officer gestured for the teen to enter the room for debriefing.
"Good luck." Anthony patted the girl's shoulder plate before the teen entered the large room. It was almost set up like a courtroom. A small audience on the balconies surrounding the room, she stood in the centre of the massive room, four podiums straight ahead of her.
Samus peeked at her hand from under her cannon, no longer glowing she relaxed her arms to her side as the debriefing began. Briefings were always boring, and monotone in nature. The council stated her alias her previous missions and there outcomes. The armoured teen was waiting for her moment to speak.
"Lastly, the destruction of the Biological Space Laboratories. The cause of its destruction was done by your hands, with the aid of a Galactic Federation AI, correct?" A familiar Colonel finally directed his gaze to the teen in the middle of the room.
"That would be correct, sir. I caused the self destruction of SR388 and the B.S.L. Station." The teen could feel her blood beginning to boil.
"What was your motive behind such destructive actions?"
"You fucking piece of..." Samus closed her eyes with rage. Recognizing the Colonel to be the same man that appeared on the bottle ship shortly after the defeat of MB. "The destruction of the research station, and Planet SR388, was a necessary outcome. For the safety of the galaxies, my investigation of the research station turned into a necessary mission, to rid the universe from the parasitic doom that lay in that very station."
"Samus, that Colonel is one of the headmasters I worked amongst during your fusion mission. The project was Metroid Warriors. Until the SA-X proved to be much more valuable." Adam announced to upset teen. Though he already knew Samus had her suspicions.
"You had no orders to destroy the station and the planet with it!" The Colonel slammed a fist onto his podium.
"You had no right to illegally experiment with Metroids!" Samus spat back at the man.
The Colonel snickered venomously. "You have no standings to talk about legalities, Miss Aran. If it weren't for your illegal transportation of an infant Metroid. There would've been no such experimentation with the deadly parasites."
"Unbelievable, they're trying to blame me for their idiocy!" Samus shook her head in disgust, she had to prove her maturity in this situation, even though she lacked a mature response to the burning argument. "I take full responsibility for my actions. But I refuse to take the blame for the individual actions of the Galactic Federation." The girl read out a text message Adam sent her to aid her with a mature response.
"I didn't order you morons to experiment with the deadly bioweapons you ordered me to eradicate!" The teen's maturity level slipped, no longer reading the texts the AI sent her.
"Samus, no..." Adam's robotic voice warned the girl to mind her words.
"But you didn't follow through with that order did you Samus Aran?"
Those words shut the teen up. They were now playing mind games with her, and they were beginning to work on her.
The Colonel knew he had gained the upper hand on the young mind in front of him. Samus's immaturity gave them an advantage over the famous bounty hunter. "Samus Aran. The Council has decided that the destruction of SA-X was a wise choice. Your disobedient crimes don't outweigh your many life saving accomplishments. You are worth more to us as an asset, rather than a criminal enemy."
Samus's eyes softened, the situation was very confusing to her. Why would she go completely unpunished? Knowing she was a good asset to the Federation, getting them out of many holes, all while saving the galaxy multiple times.
"You're too young to fully except the criminal charges that would've follow your destructive actions." Adam mentioned, easing the teen's confusion.
"Bounty Hunter Samus Aran. We will undoubtedly have new contracts for you to accomplish. You're expected to carry out your missions in full. The next time you go against the Galactic Federation, will not go unpunished."
The armoured teen nodded. "Understood." In the back her mind knowing her confirmation of understanding was hollow.
"Thank you for your cooperation." One of the Council members thanked the teen, as the Colonel whispered something in the Councillor's ear.
"What the fuck are plotting now you prick..." Samus knew whatever came from that man's mouth was not going to be good. He clearly was a member of the corrupted side of the Galactic Federation. Adam even admitted it.
"However. Miss Aran, you are to hand over the corrupted AI for deactivation." That announcement from the Federation Council struck Samus at her core.
"No."
"Excuse me?" The Council replied, shocked gasps erupting from the audience witnessing the trial.
"Samus don't..." Adam knew this was his fate for betraying his programmed mission.
"Adam start the ship, take off if anyone but me approaches." The teen ordered, not interested in listening to her AI's logical excuses.
"No, I will not give up the AI." Samus refused to listen to the Council and her AI.
"We are not giving you a choice, Samus Aran." The Colonel spoke up.
"I'm not giving you a choice!" The teen spat back like a child. "Adam has done nothing to cause harm to the true Federation cause. If you're going to deactivate him anyway, why not just let me keep him?"
"Samus Aran, we are talking about Artificial Intelligence. It is an intelligent computer system, not a sentient being. Although we replicate our AI's after remarkable Officers. General Malkovich is gone. The protocol is to destroy any AI that show signs of corruption or treasonous actions." The Council continued to argue, while the Colonel gestured for the nearby soldiers to move in on Samus.
"The AI is innocent. I was the one who put the treasonous actions into play." Samus cried out. Why couldn't the Council understand Adam's innocence in this all?
"It's on record that the AI directed you to the control room of the station. The AI aided you in the self destruction sequence. That computer is as guilty as you are Samus Aran."
The Colonel scoffed shaking his head at the Council members. "Why are we arguing with a child. Remove the AI from her ship at once."
"No!" Samus cried out as the troopers moved to escort her out. "Stop!" Her hand lit up with the familiar magenta glow.
All escorting troopers warily took a step back from the teen. Warily watching the Hunter's glowing arm.
"I will hand over the AI." The teen finally cooperated.
"Very well. Escort the lady to her ship." The Colonel commanded the waiting soldiers. The girl's glowing arm peeking his interest. Sending his men to retrieve the AI with the girl, would be a test to see if the bounty hunter would retaliate, and show just what power hid behind that magenta glow.
One of the soldiers went to hook his arm around the glowing arm to which the teen pulled away. "Don't touch me..." she was being defensive, but also protective, not wanting to cause any harm to any unfortunate soul. She was positive that her Metroid powers only worked when latched to someone's head, as a Metroid would. Except when it came to electronic devices. But she was not going to test that theory.
Approaching the ship, it's engines had been started as per Samus's request.
"We have to follow you in, Aran." The trooper informed the reluctant teen.
Adam observed as the teen was escorted into the ship by two GF troopers. He was contemplating on whether to take off or not, as Federation troopers were with his teen. Deciding to await orders, he allowed the group to enter. Waiting for his fate.
"I don't care." Samus muttered under her breath upon entering her ship. The armoured teen's magenta glow receded before she touched any of her ship's electronics. She knelt down to the central control panel on the dashboard of the ship. Removing a small chip that held the computer AI.
Samus turned towards the troopers standing behind her. Staring at the chip in her hand.
"Aran." The trooper brought the girl out of her thoughts.
The violet armoured girl hesitated, reluctantly handing the chip over to the soldier.
The two other soldiers immediately put the teen at gunpoint waiting to see if the she would retaliate.
Samus glared at the soldiers as they cautiously exited her ship. The engines still running. Once the soldiers were off her ship she immediately piloted the ship off world. Fighter escorts making sure she did nothing to take her revenge on the way off world.
The bounty hunter plotted a course for Sangheilios in hopes of reuniting with her Spartan family. Her ship engaged slip space, sending her into a tunnel of colours.
"Why'd you do that?"
"I did it because you don't deserve to be deactivated." Samus replied emotionlessly to her AI.
"They will figure out that you fooled them." Adam said.
"I know. It will raise more suspicions about my loyalty to them. But to be frank, they need to worry about the corrupt danger that lies within their ranks. Not an AI that helped save the galaxy." The teen gave her honest opinion to her AI.
"Your ship is without a computer." Adam noted.
"Yeah, I gave those idiots the ship's built in AI computer system." Samus shrugged. "Just look on the bright side, Adam. You won't have to ask me to override the ship to gain access to its controls."
"They were clearly trying to take advantage of your age." The AI changed the subject.
"I know..." Samus lowered her head with a sigh. "I try not to show my age. I know others see it as a weakness, or an advantage over me."
Adam brought up the ETA countdown for her arrival at the planet Sangheilios. "Your age also saved you in the end."
"I'm not so sure about that. I'm sure they could've punished me some other way. Except for the fact that most of the Council members were not the corrupt bastards running the stupid experiments I destroyed. They understood my reasoning behind it. But Colonel dickhead had to kick up a fuss. Because he is a headmaster that helps run the show of imbeciles attempting to harness something way too powerful for the Federation to control." The teen complained as the ship halted in front of Sangheilios.
"So who was trying to contact us during our distress call response?" The teen changed the subject.
"The Spartans. Shall I contact them for you?" Adam replied.
"Yes."
John stood outside the tent. He had his helmet off for the moment, letting the cool morning air hit his pale face.
Linda lifted her head as her HUD lit up with an incoming call. "Samus?"
"Linda, ugh finally. One of you freaking answer me." The familiar voice of the teenager replied.
"I'm the only one with a helmet on. We haven't heard from you since were making your way up to find the evil Chozo." Linda replied to the annoyed teen.
"I could say the same about you. Can you please tell Arbiter's friends I'm friendly." Samus told the sharpshooter.
"You know the majority of them speak english?" The red head sighed, exiting the tent.
"I tried to talk to them. They claim they have no recollection of me, even though I went around their planet searching for artifacts." The teen complained.
Outside Blue Team's tent stood the Arbiter, and Master Chief, talking about upcoming plans to hunt down the evil AI.
"I think I am going to do my best to find a way to pursue Cortana. She needs to be stopped. Everything has already been escalating..." John spoke to the Kaidon in front of him. Looking over his shoulder after it was tapped. "Linda?"
"Your daughter is trying to land. And the Sangheili seem less than welcoming."
A glimpse of happiness came across the aging pale face. "Arbiter?"
"The youngling returns, how interesting. Perhaps the Hunter is your key to pursuing the Created." The tall alien turned to his troops standing at a communications grid. Speaking the native Sangheili language before turning back to the Spartans. "I have commanded the Swords Of Sangheilios air forces to let the Hunter through, to Vadam only."
"Samus, travel to Vadam."
"I'm on my way." Samus replied emotionless.
"I wonder how her mission ended?" Linda mentioned to her leader.
"I'm curious as well. I am just relieved that she's alive to tell us about it." John put his helmet on as Kelly and Fred joined them by the tent.
"Samus is back?!" Kelly exclaimed after the violet gunship flew over camp.
"Sure looks like it." Fred followed Chief to the landing violet ship.
Chief was glad that Samus had returned to them. Arbiter was right, Samus could be his key to pursuing Cortana. His adopted daughter was definitely the one to help him accomplish finding the mad AI. But first, and foremost, his foundling survived her deadly mission, and returned to him alive.
Samus stood up from the pilot's chair, looking through the windshield of the ship. She could see her family of Spartans eagerly waiting for her to step out. Staring at her left hand, a flash of magenta crawled across her arm.
"Perhaps you should attempt to unlock the knowledge of the Thoha's control over your Metroid instincts." Adam suggested to the concerned girl.
"How am I going to do that without harming something, or someone?" Samus sighed, making her way towards the ship's exit. Closing her fist, shutting off her siphoning power. Fear flushed over her body as she exited her ship.
"Fancy new suit, kid." Fred commented on the flashy organic looking gravity suit.
"Yeah... it's just a small upgrade." Samus replied with a shy shrug.
"Come'on, you've got a lot to tell us I'm sure." Kelly said, wrapping an arm around the teen's shoulders.
Samus quickly ducked out of the hold, defensively at first, before nervously laughing as if her actions were playful. "Ha ha... It's a lot of stuff you won't understand."
"Sammy, most of the stuff you talk to us about, is unknown to us. We look forward to hearing your weird missions." Kelly playfully pat the teen on the back.
"My missions can't be any weirder than you Kelly." Samus retorted receiving quiet chuckles from the other Spartans.
"Says the alien hybrid child, with forty different types of DNA, coursing through her body." Kelly sarcastically remarked.
"Ha ha, very funny." Samus's worries easily settled in the presence of her Spartan family. Though she hadn't forgotten about her past mission, and her encounter with the Galactic Federation. "Forget my stories for now. What the hell is going on here? You went up in a ship, and came back down?"
"We were attempting to get better communication ranges from off world. It didn't prove to be useful." Linda answered the girl.
"Let me take you to find Infinity. My ship can make the trip, no matter how far we have to go. Let's regroup with the Infinity. Help them help others who are being effected by the Created. And go from there. At this point Cortana is winning whatever war she started."
Samus's wise words were heard by the many others in the camp. Including Sarah Palmer who reluctantly agreed with the young spirit.
The Commander sighed in defeat, approaching Blue Team. "As much as I would love to disagree with this returning criminal..."
"Not a criminal. I cleared things up with the Federation." The girl stated. "... kinda..." muttering under her breath.
"Whatever. The kid's right, we can no longer stay put here." Palmer replied folding her arms.
"It will not take the AI long to try and overrun Sangheilios with her created. Now is the time to act." Arbiter added.
"We're going to take the pelican off world. And actively search for the Infinity. Bounty Hunter, I'm enlisting your help. We need your tech and skills. Many galaxies are in danger, and that includes the ones you've been protecting." The Commander approached the armoured teen.
"I'm more than happy to assist." Samus replied respectfully.
"Blue Team, Osiris we load up in ten." Sarah nodded at the bounty hunter in acknowledgement.
"Commander, would it not be best to split up our search teams?" Linda inquired.
"We could cover more ground if we split. But it's also more risky. But, we'll be more elusive if we're not in one giant group." Samus thought aloud.
"Ugh, I am assuming Blue Team is going with you then Aran?" Sarah replied with a sigh.
"If you say so." The teen shrugged innocently smiling behind her visor.
"Fine, Osiris, Halsey, with me!" Palmer waved the ones she called over to the started pelican. "Keep in contact, Blue Team. Kid I'm counting on you to do so. Or else your rocket ship trip becomes a Spartan abduction."
"I understand. We will stay in contact even if it has to be through text." Samus promised the Commander. Making her Spartan family wonder why she was cooperating so well with the Commander.
"Don't give me that understanding answer. You're a delinquent that has no respect for the dangers that lie ahead. You may be piloting Blue Team around, but Master Chief is fully in charge." Sarah Palmer was not interested in the teen's mind games.
Samus glared angrily at Palmer, through her visor. Holding back her urge to retaliate against the Commander's unnecessary comments.
"Commander, are you positive this is the right answer?" Spartan Locke questioned the choice of separating and enlisting the bounty hunter's help.
"I don't see any other choice Locke." Sarah replied gesturing for Locke to follow his team onto the Pelican.
Halsey hesitantly boarded the Pelican. She was just reunited with John and the rest of Blue Team. Concerned that there was a high possibility of losing them in Cortana's chaos.
Blue Team boarded the violet ship, very surprised to be actually travelling with the bounty hunter again. Even more surprising was the cooperation Samus was giving the Commander, that undoubtedly hated the young warrior.
Samus sat in her pilot's chair, her glowing hand going for the ship controls.
"Samus, don't!" Adam called out, halting the teen from draining the power from her ship.
"What, Adam..." Samus groaned, catching her glowing arm out of the corner of her visor.
"You'll drain..."
"I know..." The girl sighed deeply, realizing Palmer must've pissed her off enough to activate her Metroid defence instincts.
"Is everything alright?" John placed a gentle hand on his teen's shoulder.
The touch on her shoulder plate made Samus leap out of her chair, shocking her father figure. "Don't!"
"Your panic is heightening your defence systems. I highly suggest calming measures to get your involuntary power to recede." Adam's announcement made the girl hide her glowing arm behind her back.
"Why are you being so defensive Samus? It's just us..." Kelly questioned why the bounty hunter was being so defensive towards the team.
Taking a deep breath Samus closed her fist, ridding of her siphoning power. "I'm not, I am just a bit... sore..." she lied sitting back down.
"Well, we've got lots of time to talk about your adventures once were out in space." Kelly leaned against the wall as the ship lifted off the ground.
Though John wasn't buying that his teen was so sore she could feel his gentle touch through her shoulder plate. But he kept his opinions to himself, for now...
"Commander?" Once out of Sangheilios orbit, Samus attempted her first radio contact with Commander Palmer.
"Hunter." Palmer's voice came through the ship's speakers.
"Is there a planned search course we should be navigating?" Samus asked, wanting to make sure there wasn't a set search pattern for the UNSC vessel that she should be following.
"At this point we should be assessing the situation on the UNSC planets that have been attacked by the Guardians. That is where I would think Infinity would head. We will start to cover that area. You have more experience travelling, and finding distress calls, do what you can for now. Keep in contact, we'll rendezvous eventually." Palmer replied to which the teen shrugged with an eye roll.
"Understood." Samus ended the transmission with a sigh. "Pfft... now you put your faith in my skills..."
"I believe Commander Palmer was afraid of you using your skills. Hence why she's so tough on you." Fred mentioned to their foundling.
"That sounds about right." Samus scoffed getting up from her seat. "Adam, scan for any signs of slip space jumps near, or far."
"Scanning. Should I also scan for distress calls as well?" The AI said in reply.
"I'm a bounty hunter, I'm always searching for a distress signal. Do you really need to even ask, Adam?" Samus sarcastically replied, forgetting the AI was still adapting to her freelanced lifestyle.
"I will alert you when I come across either signal." Adam replied to the sarcastic teen.
"Thank you." Samus thanked her AI, turning towards the Spartans standing behind her pilot's chair. "Make yourselves comfortable in the living quarters. It's a bit different from my original ship, but there should be enough cots for everyone. Or just chill up here in these chairs." Samus gestured to the passenger seats behind her piloting chair.
"Thank you, Samus." John replied as the teen removed her armour while on her way to the living quarters.
"What the fuck happened to you, why's there so much blood on you?!" Kelly gasped upon noticing the teen's blue jumpsuit had a crimson streak going down the left side.
"I was in a battle not long ago. But I'm fine now. I just didn't get the time to wash the blood off my zero suit." The blonde teen shrugged, looking down at her stained zero suit. "I'm going to get changed, and wash this. There's a shower if you want one. You have to take turns though, there's only one." Samus exited the cockpit into her quarters.
"She has other things to wear besides her jumpsuit?" Kelly thought aloud.
"She's been away from us for over a year Kelly. On other colony planets, I'm sure she found a few other outfits. Just like us, we have our other uniforms besides our jumpsuits." Fred mentioned turning his attention to Linda and John.
"Something's off about her." Linda mentioned getting an agreeing nod from John.
"Samus was quiet, and withdrawn, when we met up with her the last time she reappeared. After her many life changing missions." The brunet Spartan replied to her skeptical teammates.
"But she was recovering from an injury. And had little to no speech capabilities. What's her excuse now?" Linda said back to her fellow female Spartan.
"Whatever, Samus will talk when she's ready. I call the first for that shower." The grey female Spartan said, passing by the blonde teen that was now dressed in a zip up leather crop top and shorts.
"Whoa, I was expecting a uniform, but alright then. Looks good though kid." Kelly said, finding her way to the lavatory.
"Thanks, I think..." The teen smirked with a snort. As the other entered the living quarters. Making Fred cringe as he walked by her.
"Christ kid, are you sure you're alright?"" Fredrick asked seeing the massive nasty black and purple bruise on the girl's side.
"Like I said, it's just a bit sore Fred."
"Okay, I'm going to go pick out my cot." Fred said, leaving the teen with Linda and John.
"I know I'm usually not one to nag, Samus." Linda caught their teen's attention.
"You want to know what happened, I know..." Samus defeatedly sighed, leaning against the wall.
"I'm not going to push you, but I just want to make sure there's no possible illness, or injury, plaguing you." The red headed Spartan said with concern.
"All there is to really know is that it was physically, and mentally, exhausting." The girl replied leading the two into the living quarters.
"You haven't gotten any rest since your time on Sangheilios." Master Chief thought aloud as his daughter sat on her berth.
"I have! I got..."
"60 minutes of sleep in total, since your departure." Adam's robotic voice answered for the teen.
"Thank you... Adam..." Samus grumbled, knowing Chief was glaring at her from behind his visor.
"I think you should definitely get some rest. We'll be fine, and do the same soon." John sat on the edge of the berth, gesturing for his daughter to lay down.
Samus reluctantly laid down on her berth. Figuring she was less likely to have issues with her new powers while she attempted to rest. Pulling the blanket at the end of the bed over her sore body with a groan. "Fine. Wake me if you need me." She curled up, accidentally kicking Chief in the process, though with his armour on it may have been a brick wall she kicked.
John smirked with a dry chuckle after his foundling unknowingly quoted him. Turning his attention to his teammates, Kelly came out of the lavatory, gesturing for whoever wanted to take a shower next.
Fred eagerly went next, looking forward to ridding his body from all the dust and sweat it collected.
"After all that freaking dust, and sand, in Vadam, that was the best shower ever." The brunet gave a relieved exhale, drying her hair with a towel as she sat on one of the cots.
"I'm looking forward to it, that dust was awful. Fred better hurry up." Linda replied, neatly putting her armour under her cot.
"You were preening and constantly wiping down your visor the entire time we were on that planet." Kelly scoffed at the red head.
"If my vision or mobility is obstructed, you're not covered. So I am pretty sure it was worth the fussing." Linda argued against the speed runner.
Kelly rolled her eyes with a chuckle. Taking note of the sleeping teen on the berth Chief was sitting on. "Nap time?"
"It's about time, is more like it." Linda thought aloud.
"What, Kelly already get ejected from the ship?" Fred asked coming out from the lavatory.
"Jackass... no the kid is asleep." Kelly tossed her towel at the joking Spartan.
"Hard to believe we're now travelling around like freelancers searching for a signal." Fred took the thrown towel off his head, handing it back to the brunet.
John was quiet, listening to his Spartans as he quietly stripped off his armour, placing it under the cot across from the teen's berth.
"I don't think we'll make it a habit." Kelly mentioned hanging her towel in the lavatory. "We're going against an enemy that's got power we've never gone against. The UNSC is being torn apart by Cortana's vengeance, the galaxies are in term oil. And I'm trying to stay hopeful, but things are not looking good for us."
"This fight isn't finished Blue Team." John finally spoke, gently sitting himself back on the soft berth. His soft aging eyes monitoring his daughter's soft breathing.
Kelly sighed sitting down on her cot. "I know the fight isn't finished. I want to know if we've lost?"
Chief closed his eyes, gently stroking his foundling's head. "We only lose if we give up."
"John, you know we will continue to fight with every fibre of our being." Fred reassured his brother.
"Always, but I think we need to be realistic. We're losing this battle." Linda mentioned, walking towards the lavatory.
"Losing, but we haven't lost." John reassured his team. "We find the Infinity, and go from there." Carefully getting off the berth, Chief looked down at his slumbering foundling one last time. Satisfied that Samus seemed to be peacefully resting, he made his way to the cockpit door.
"We'll be with you John, through it all." Fred nodded in acknowledgement as the rest of the team made themselves comfortable on their cots.
"You're not going to sleep?" Kelly questioned their leader from her cot.
"In a while." Master Chief opened the cockpit door. "Do not, wake her." It was an order for his teammates, but in a certain manner it was also a threat. Exiting into the dim cockpit that lit up as soon as he entered.
"Hello Spartan 117, can assist you with anything?" Adam's voice came through the cockpit speakers.
"No, you can dim the lights, I'm not here to disrupt your systems." The pale man replied. John didn't dream to even touch any of the gunship's alien controls.
Adam dimmed the lights, allowing the stars outside the windshield to be more prominent in the darkness of the cockpit.
An hour of star gazing had gone by. John had eventually sat himself in the teen's piloting chair. Sitting forward due to its small size. "Adam?"
"Yes 117?" The AI replied to the man in the black jumpsuit.
"I know Samus will not tell me what she has gone through, until she feels that she is ready." John observed the beautiful golden stars. "But I need to know. Is Samus okay, what is her condition?"
"15.5 year old female, bounty hunter, Samus Aran. Is currently a 100% functional, and combat ready. Metroid DNA adaption fully completed. Subject suffers from occasional complications in combat, or stressful situations." Adam gave the Spartan leader his report on the young teen.
"Suffers from what?" Master Chief was confused but he asked with concern.
"Samus is suffering from uncontrollable outbursts, due to her untrained Metroid instincts." The AI replied, only confusing the Spartan further.
"Meaning?" Chief continued to question.
"... Samus's Metroid instincts attempt to control her during combat, causing her involuntary actions while she is in combat. During which she fights to control her own body." Adam explained as much as possible, as he was uncertain about the teen's new abilities.
John pondered over the information given to him. Everything about it was unknown to him. "Adam, can you pull up any information on this Metroid you speak of."
"Certainly." Adam pulled up a small holographic screen of information that appeared on the dashboard of the ship.
Most of the information was in what Master Chief assumed was Chozo text. The data Adam had pulled up was a simple explanation of what a Metroid was as a bioweapon, and what they could evolve into.
"Would you like to see old video logs from Samus's past encounters with the Metroids?"
"Yes."
Watching a compilation of Samus's encounters with the life sucking jelly creatures was awful. Watching what he assumed to be Galactic Federation troopers have the life siphoned from them until they were nothing but l brittle husks. What a terrifying way to die.
"What happened on her last mission?" John knew he had crossed so many boundaries, going through all this information without his teen's permission. But all he wanted was to be able to understand his daughter's life a little better.
Adam responded to the question by pulling up the video log of Samus's first encounter with Raven Beak.
Samus stood quietly behind her pilot's chair. Observing the battle she had lost to her Chozo parent. It was frustrating and humiliating for her to watch. Her left hand engulfed itself in a magenta glow, triggered by the sight of the Mawkin tribe leader. The teen had been unprepared, and overconfident, going into that battle. If not for her Metroid DNA, her Mawkin father would have been her end.
John watched as the losing battle continued. Taking note of the very large similarities between the Chozo warrior and Samus.
Turning her gaze to the stars above Samus closed her angry hand in a fist, shutting down her siphoning power. "I lost that battle, clearly. And just about lost my life as well."
The teen's voice made John visibly jump, looking over his shoulder to see the blonde teen back in her blue zero suit. "Samus, I didn't here you come in."
"I can be stealthy when I wanna be." Samus shrugged approaching the dashboard of her ship. A smile crept on her face as she laughed at how big Chief looked compared to her piloting chair. "You look hilarious."
Chief sighed with a laugh getting up from the chair. "Yes, you're structure is tiny compared to mine. I see you put your blue suit back on."
"Zero suit. Yeah, it was dry when I woke up, so I put it back on." Samus corrected the Spartan. "So are you enjoying all my collection of data logs from all my past missions?"
"I'm sorry, I was concerned about you. So I asked Adam if you were alright. And I guess I got carried away with learning more about you." John apologized to the young teen, who rolled her eyes at him.
"Chief, you know everything about me already." Samus sat in her pilot's chair.
"Do I really though?" Chief raised an eyebrow at the teen.
"Adam, what'd you tell him?" The muscular teen groaned.
"I told Spartan 117 about your recent complications with your new abilities."
"Of course..." Samus was afraid that would be the case. "Alright, bring on the questions." The teen sighed relieved it was just Chief that was currently questioning her.
"I'm not forcing you to answer any of my questions. I just want to know what happened to you on your last mission." John leaned against the offline dashboard.
"Do you remember when I told I was searching for some sort of evidence of my Chozo family?" The girl answered with a question.
"I do." The Spartan nodded.
"Well I unexpectedly met them, and was almost murdered by the one who's blood flows through me." The blonde teen replied.
"Undeniably you are related to that Chozo Warrior. You are very similar in so many ways..."
"I know, I really try to forget that part..." Samus interrupted. "I learned a lot about myself on that mission."
"Did you find what you were searching for?" John curiously asked his foundling.
Samus thought about that question for a moment. "In a way, I guess I did..."
John watched the teen's confident expression change to a sorrow filled one. He knelt down next to the pilot's chair, placing a hand on his daughter's arm. "What's wrong?"
"I just wish I got to have more time with them..."
"I'm sorry, I don't understand?" The pale man was confused why the girl wanted to spend more time with a warrior that wanted to kill her.
"Maybe not with Raven Beak. But I wish I had more time to converse with Quiet Robe." The girl replied to her father figure. "I have regrets..."
"What do you regret Samus?" The Spartan could see tears welling up in those young turquoise eyes.
"I know Raven Beak was bent on dominating the galaxies, but I feel maybe I could've changed his mind..." Samus replied with a small incline of hope in her tone.
"Samus, I don't think you would've been able to change his mind. Considering he lured you to that planet, just to kill you for your DNA. All while knowing that you were his kin." John gave a gentle squeeze to his adopted daughter's arm.
Samus kept quiet, her gaze dropping to the cold floor. She knew Chief was right. Deep down inside she knew Raven Beak wouldn't have changed. Quiet Robe told her that himself.
Chief mentally kicked himself for being so straight forward with his reply to his foundling's hopeful thoughts. He constantly had to remind himself that Samus was still just a young girl. As much as everyone saw the young teen as an adult, and he was guilty of that as well. Samus was still a child in his eyes. "Samus, I'm sorry, I didn't know Raven Beak. I had no right to comment."
"I didn't know him that well either. Or have no big memories of him at least. I just feel I was a little vicious in my last stand with him." Samus snorted with a small smile. "Don't apologize for what you said to me. You were just being realistic. I've got to stop thinking like I can make friends with everyone. Especially with those who try to murder me..."
Master Chief stood up, coaxing his teen out of the chair. "There's nothing wrong with thinking that way, Samus. Under all your power is a very compassionate young heart." He began to lead his daughter towards the living quarters. "I would be lying if I said I never regretted any of my kills."
"You regret killing the Covenment?" Samus stopped in front of the door.
"Covenant." Chief corrected the girl before continuing. "No, we fought more than just the Covenant." John replied apparently surprising the the young girl.
"Are you talking about trying to take down Cortana?" The young blonde sat on the arm of one of the passenger seats.
"No Samus. Before we fought the Covenant, we took down insurrectionists. That was the purpose behind the Spartan program." Chief sighed, sitting on the arm of the chair across from the girl.
Samus cocked an eyebrow at the large word Chief had mentioned. "What's an intersection... inserr..."
"An intersection is a road junction. What I was talking about was insurrectionists." John smiled at his teen's mispronunciation.
"In-sur-rectionist... yeah! Are they some kind of bad people?" The blonde teen replied, slowly pronouncing the name correctly.
"Yes. Blue Team is responsible for taking down many of their terrorists organizations, on different colony worlds. During some of those missions I questioned if we were doing the right thing by taking down those people. I wondered if we were fighting for the right side." John explained to his young adopted daughter.
"The Spartans were created to combat against human rebels?" The teen was surprised at what her father figure was explaining.
"Let's not get into this now. It's time for bed." Master Chief exhaled deeply, gesturing for the girl to enter the living quarters.
"Time for bed? What am I five?" Samus retorted at the Spartan leader as they entered the dimly lit sleeping quarters.
"I didn't have you when you were five." Chief replied, guiding Samus to her berth.
"The way she spoke, you'd swear she was five when we found her." Kelly tiredly remarked from her cot.
"Kelly, I had minimum language skills when I was three. I had spoken Chozo as my main language for the majority of my life, before you guys even found me." Samus grumbled.
"I know, you still mess up your english quite often. But I'm just teasing you, Sammy." The brunet continued to teased the young teen.
"I just told you why my english sucks! I spoke a bit of it when I was three, and very rarely in fifteen minute lessons with the Chozo. My suit translates for me half the time just so I understand certain situations clearly." Samus scoffed sitting on her berth in a huff.
"So when you've got your armour on, we speak in Chozo?" Kelly was now curious about the teen's suit function.
"No, because my armour functions with my mind it knows when a word, or phrase, is unknown to me. My suit will pull up the phrase, or word, in Chozo text on my HUD." Samus explained how her armour translated for her.
"Huh, interesting. Is that why you stay so quiet around strangers, because they're difficult to understand?" Kelly continued the conversation to which John glared at her. Clearly he just wanted Samus to rest.
"Partly..." Samus replied, observing Linda who was cleaning her rifle.
"You're still quite fluent in english though, especially when you were talking to Palmer." Linda thought aloud.
"I was armoured most of the time I was speaking with her, so I was able to translate her rudeness. Most of my english I picked up from you guys, so I am quite fluent in most ways. I picked most of it up from Fred, and Kelly, since they talk the most out of your team." Samus replied to the sharpshooter.
"That's because they bicker with each other constantly. And Kelly always has to make her remarks." Linda chuckled dryly. Intrigued by how their teen had readapted the english language.
"That's true." Samus giggled watching the mentioned Spartans roll their eyes. "But anytime I am talking to myself, especially on missions. The majority of the time, I am speaking Chozo. Do you know how hard it was for me on my last mission, to revert to english every time I hit a network station to communicate with you guys" The teen glared at Chief as he gestured for her to lay down and rest.
"I imagine it was difficult for you. Especially after you spoke with that Chozo, you didn't even realize you were speaking the language until Adam mentioned it." Linda smiled at their foundling.
"Interesting, speaking of that mission... Thanks for keeping us in the loop on that one, John, and Linda!" The brunet glared at the two mentioned Spartans. "Wait a second, your AI can understand the Chozo language?" Kelly questioned.
"Adam understands the majority of it. There's enough Chozo data in the Federation database, for Adam to learn and understand it." The girl watched as Chief made his way to his cot.
"Okay Samus. Go back to sleep, we're all going to rest now." John tiredly sighed, sitting on his cot.
"You're not giving me a choice are you?" Samus cocked an eyebrow at her father figure.
"You slept for barely an hour." Chief shook his head no.
"I'm not tired." The girl replied getting up from her berth. "I am going back up. You guys sleep." The teen refused to sleep, going back into the cockpit of the ship.
The Spartan leader exhaled deeply in defeat, watching the door shut behind the stubborn teen.
"We're in her domain John. Let Samus do her thing, we can't keep trying to force her to sleep." Fred mentioned to his leader.
"Maybe we should brush up on Samus's language skills?" Linda suggested, changing the subject.
"You think the kid will have patience for that? She's pretty well spoken. And we're no language teachers." Kelly snorted with a laugh.
"Well, I definitely would not promote your rude language skills to Samus, Kelly." Fred sarcastically commented.
"Shut up Fred." The brunet rolled her eyes.
"I know she is well spoken. I was just merely suggesting a neutral activity to do with Samus. There's no room to spar, or train, and the only things we'd end up doing is talking about past missions. Which causes mixed feelings and frustration." Linda said to her team, knowing they would understand what she was getting at.
"It's something to consider Linda. Let's get some rest now, Blue Team." John told his team to settle down. Though agreeing with the sharpshooter, they had rarely done anything neutral with Samus. In general they always pushed themselves with training, always focused on combating in war, and shaping their battle skills. Until Samus came along, the teen's presence helped the team of Spartans explore their human side. But in the back of Chief's mind he knew that the team had shaped the girl to their ways of life. Samus was almost always focused on training, and finding the next missions, making her forget about her human emotions. Just like the team did.
The team of Spartans obeyed their leader, all of them laying down on their cots. Easily falling asleep.
Samus sat in the dark cockpit, her tired eyes observing the stars through the windshield for hours.
"Adam, have you heard anything from the Federation?"
"Negative. It seems you have fooled them." The AI replied.
"Doesn't take much. But I know they'll get wise to your existence once they receive mission logs from you." The teen sighed sitting back in her chair.
John shifted awake, hearing voices outside the living quarters. Scanning the dark room, seeing his team of Spartans fast asleep. He quickly took note of the missing teen in the berth across from him. The Spartan leader could hear Adam's robotic voice talking about fooling someone. Followed by his adopted daughter's voice, though he couldn't quite understand what she was saying. Master Chief got up, silently activating the door to the cockpit.
"As to be expected. You may be penalized for your insubordination." Adam mentioned to which the Hunter honestly did not care.
"So what, you're not corrupt. Honestly with you working with me, the Federation can keep better tabs on my activity. They're just being idiots because we foiled their plans to propagate Metroids. More than once." Samus scoffed at the AI. Not afraid to show her disliking in the Galactic Federation.
The Spartan leader leaned against the wall with an insignificant smile. Hearing Samus speak Chozo, he now understood why he couldn't understand his daughter earlier. Though he was surprised that Adam continued to speak english to the girl. He figured the AI would speak it back to her, perhaps he wasn't programmed to speak the language.
"You're viewed as an incredible asset to the Federation. Fortunately for you, they value your skills, more than their corrupted officials. Though I believe they would support the corrupted side of the Federation, in their madness to create mindless copies of you." Adam thought, even though he knew the Galactic Federation alone, valued Samus's abilities.
Samus cringed at the AI's words, sickened by the thought of cloned versions of herself destroying the galaxy. "The sad thing is that the Federation doesn't even look back at the Phazon crisis, totally bypassing the fact that the galaxy was almost destroyed by my doppelgänger, Dark Samus. It still blows me away that they wanted to study the SA-X's. None of them considered the fact that they were both life threatening parasites. One being a literal X parasite, and the other infected you with a powerful substance that poisoned you until your body became a host."
"One thing is for certain, young Samus Aran..."
Samus gazed out the windshield, waiting anxiously for the AI's next words.
"You have to protect yourself with every fibre of your being. You can trust no one but yourself. Not only are your unique skills, and undefeated record, incredibly valuable to anyone in the galaxy. Your unique genetics now pose a threat to the galaxy, and most importantly, to yourself. You are the last Metroid. And others will fight to gain your power."