No.
The elevator landed, and Samus took off. Ceres Station was a floating steel disc that held countless hallways and doors easily capable of confusing anyone who set foot here. But Samus, having toured the station mere hours before, knew exactly where to go.
No. No.
Her armored footsteps echoed as they pounded the empty metal floor. Fumes of smoke billowed everywhere. Low blue lights lit her way. Only auxiliary power kept the station in orbit. Torn cables and wires sparked erratically from a hole, which stood out like a fresh wound, ripped open by a monstrous creature with savage claws. A cold shudder passed through the Hunter, urging her to hurry.
No. No. No.
Her breathing was ragged as she leaped down the last flight of stairs and rushed through the gaping hole that remained of the chamber's door, torn aside in the same savage manner.
No!
They were dead.
Every single one of them.
The room reeked of blood. Samus could smell it even through her helmet. Strewn about the room were the mangled bodies of the Ceres scientists. All of them bore huge, cruel gashes, their faces frozen in screams of agony.
I'm too late!
The Hunter couldn't fight a crushing wave of grief. Just a few hours ago, she was conversing with some of the brightest minds in the galaxy about the future of the Galactic Federation. The whole station was alight with hope, swarming with activity and excitement like a beehive. Now it was a silent, shadowed tomb.
All she hoped was that they met death quickly, that their pain was not prolonged. Samus turned away, clenching her fist to keep it from trembling. There was nothing left here. No life, no hope, no—
The Baby!
Her eyes snapped to the large bio tank in the middle of the room. Its glass was shattered into a thousand pieces, and it was empty. The hatchling was gone. Anguish and fury churned her gut. Blood roared in her ears. Her vision went red.
What have I done?
I should have never left it behind!
How could they have known?
You should have known this would happen!
THEY'RE DEAD BECAUSE OF YOU!
Uncontrollable rage exploded inside her and she slammed her fist into the wall. It did not hurt, but her anger immediately subsided.
It wasn't…it wasn't the Baby. It wasn't. "It wasn't," she murmured to herself.
The moment she received the distress call, she instinctually assumed the Metroid hatchling was the cause. But the wanton destruction around her proved otherwise; though violent and dangerous, Metroids only attacked living things. They wouldn't have gouged holes in the walls and ripped doors off their hinges. Least of all one as small and relatively weak as the larva.
And since none of the human scientists could do that… a single possibility of the attacker's identity remained.
A small, high-pitched beeping caught her ear. The upper-left corner of her visor indicated the presence of a lifeform just ahead. Hope fluttered like a weak heartbeat.
The door leading out of the lab had also been ripped off, but not the one at the end of the hall. It was as though the attacker's bloodlust had mellowed out, and he decided to use the door like a regular, sane person.
As she guessed, the door was fully functional and opened without her touch.
This room might have been a large storage area, but from what Samus could see, it was empty. Multiple auxiliary lights had fizzled out here, leaving the space half-hidden in shadow, too dark to even see the ceiling.
She inhaled sharply. Sitting at the edge of the shadow was the Baby Metroid, chirping and shrieking inside its glass blue container, exactly how she'd left it when she departed the station.
But why was it in here?
The attacker must have brought it.
But then, where was the attacker?
Cautiously, keeping her hand primed on her arm cannon, Samus approached the hatchling, kneeling down for a better look. The green alien's chirping grew higher and more frantic at the sight of her. All three of its scarlet eyes trained upon her, and it pressed its whole body against the glass like it was trying to reach her.
The Hunter's shoulders sagged with relief. It was completely unharmed. "C'mon, little guy. I'm getting you out of here."
She reached for the container's handle, only for an enormous clawed hand to grab it first.
Before her brain even registered it, Samus fired.
A glittering amber eye sliced through the darkness like a sword. With a roar, he slid out of the shadows.
Ridley. Alive and wholly restored. Not a trace of cybernetics on his body.
Samus somersaulted backwards, putting what little space she could between them. Unfortunately, this also meant separating herself from the hatchling.
"Surprised, Hunter?" the space pirate general hissed, his long jaws twisting in some sickening form of grin.
"No," Samus answered honestly. "Our last fight wasn't enough to kill you for good. I knew you'd be back, but I hoped it would take a few millennia first."
"And here I am anyway. Here to take back what is mine!" He clutched the Metroid's container so tightly the glass cracked. "What belongs to the space pirates!" Spreading his massive wings, he launched into the air.
"The Metroids never belonged to you!" Samus fired a volley of shots, which Ridley easily dodged despite the claustrophobic space. "They always belonged to the Chozo!"
"Idiots, the lot of 'em!" Round red fireballs erupted from the dragon's mouth, raining down on Samus like bombs. "They could've taken over the entire galaxy, but they chose PEACE!" He spat the last word like it was poison, simultaneously stabbing at Samus with his spiked tail. "Wastes of space! Just like you!"
Narrowly dodging, she pinned the tail under her arm. Ridley wriggled free and swatted her aside, but not before Samus landed several hits. How she wished to use her Super Missiles, but she couldn't risk hurting the Baby, or worse, blowing more holes in the station and getting sucked into space.
"You didn't even want this puny parasite anyway!" He mockingly dangled the Metroid above her. Without warning, his tail shot out again, wrapping around her neck like a steel chain. "You went to SR388 to murder 'em all, didn't ya? On the Fed's orders?"
"The Metroids needed another chance," Samus gasped as the tail squeezed tighter, crushing the light armor around her windpipe. Red alerts covered her HUD. A storm of desperate shots battered Ridley, but he wouldn't let go. "The— the galaxy needed another chance."
"Yeah, RIGHT!" He lifted her up and slammed her into the wall. Stars dotted Samus' vision. Leaning in inches from her visor, he snarled, "YOU were just too cowardly to complete the JOB!" Suddenly his voice lowered, taking on an almost thoughtful tone as he examined the hatchling in his claws. "Or maybe… it's because… you saw yourself in this precious little life-sucker? A survivor? …The last of its…kind?"
Even if she weren't choking on her own spit, Samus wouldn't have answered. Darkness invaded her sight until all she saw were his hellish glowing eyes. Her whole body seized up, and not just from the lack of oxygen.
"Oh," Ridley purred, making Samus' skin crawl. "I'm going to enjoy watching you burn, Hunter." He ascended higher and higher, both his archenemy and his prize in his clutches. "How does it feel? Knowing your futile attempt at redemption will end in your death?"
As her Power Suit began to dissolve and her final breath climbed up her throat, Samus sent out a prayer to the universe. That prayer came in the form of a Super Missile.
It exploded on his shoulder. Ridley screeched like a demon and released her.
She plummeted to the ground like a sack of wet cement. Seconds passed before she remembered how to breathe, and gulped in air with even more agony. Her eyes opened, and she saw the message MISSILE MALFUNCTION displayed across her visor. She would have cursed, but uncontrollable coughing interrupted her speech. Though her limbs shook with exhaustion, she forced herself to rise.
Raising her head, she saw her nemesis swooping over her. An explosion of light and fire seared the room as a massive fireball blasted a hole through the wall to her right.
Pausing at his exit, Ridley glanced over his shoulder and grinned slyly. "At least I still get your protégé! I'll turn it against you. Train it to hate you. I'll make you regret the moment you decided to spare its life!"
"No!" Samus thrust out her left hand. Miracle of miracles, the Grapple Beam still functioned. An electric whip shot out from her arm and latched onto the hatchling's container. With all her might, Samus pulled back and yanked it free of Ridley's grasp.
"Wha—?" He whirled around so fast it created wind. "You little—!"
Tucking the container in the crook of her arm, Samus bolted from the room.
For the first time in her life, her priority was not killing the terrifying space dragon who'd haunted her since age three.
Her priority was protecting an innocent creature from meeting a similar terrible fate.
By every star in the galaxy, by the ancient Chozo elders watching over her, she would not repeat the Federation's mistakes. She would not let the last Metroid fall into evil's hands.
Ridley was not about to let this sudden reversal slide. Like a shark scenting blood, he tore after her.
An electronic voice boomed above, "THIS STATION WILL SELF-DESTRUCT IN 60 SECONDS."
Tremors shook the station to its core. Emergency alarms blared. Plumes of pressurized steam and smoke burst from severed pipes. The floor creaked and groaned like titanic hands were pulling it apart.
"50 SECONDS."
Samus ran like a demon. She hurdled over fallen equipment. Scaled entire flights of stairs in single bounds. Not once did she look back. There was no need to confirm what her ears heard: Ridley, clawing and crashing his way through the narrow halls, snapping at her heels.
"40 SECONDS."
Behind her, an ear-splitting crash smothered the loudest of the sirens. Samus ignored it. The noise died down on the upper levels. That made the Hunter skid to a halt.
He was waiting for her, blocking her exit. She was heading straight for an ambush.
"30 SECONDS."
Samus' thoughts flew faster than her breathing. Doubling back, she found the gap Ridley had ripped through the ceiling. Much like his earlier work, it was crude, but it went straight through to the next floor. The uppermost level. Outside lay freedom.
But was he expecting her to use it? She couldn't afford to be rash, but she couldn't afford to hesitate, either.
There was no choice. Tensing her legs, she sprang up as high as possible, and touched down neatly on the upper level.
"20 SECONDS."
The Baby shrieked an alarm. Samus whipped around to see Ridley, poised to attack.
"Nice try," he snarled. Scores of white-hot fireballs exploded from his mouth. Samus pressed the hatchling's container into her body and turned her back, shielding it from the full brunt of the flames.
VARIA SUIT MALFUNCTION, her visor read. POWER CONVERTED TO LIFE SUPPORT.
This just isn't my day, Samus thought as she collapsed on the floor. A brilliant white flash briefly illuminated her vision. When it faded, she didn't even need to look to know— only her basic Power Suit remained online.
"10 SECONDS."
The Baby's muffled cries grew increasingly frantic as it pounded against the glass. Samus opened her eyes and realized she was still holding onto it.
"9."
She raised her head and saw Ridley, striding on all fours, moving to claim his stolen prize. She heard her suit's low-power alarms whirring.
"8."
She punched her arm cannon into the floor, pushing herself up, forcing herself to rise. Her eyes darted between her archenemy and the final stretch of staircases. The hatch to the outside seemed impossibly far.
"7."
Ridley lunged the exact moment Samus dove for the stairs. He missed and hit the wall. Samus cleared the first set in one leap, then turned and jumped up to the next one. The actual steps may as well have not existed.
"6."
The whole station lurched to the side as it fell out of orbit. The room tilted, threatening to slide the Hunter clean off the platform. But she kept her footing and, holding tight to the Baby, jumped to the next one.
"5."
Like a raptor diving for its prey, Ridley shot up and made a wild grab for her. Before he could either tear her to shreds or snatch the hatchling, Samus turned on a dime. Cocking back her arm cannon, she socked the space dragon in the face for all she was worth.
"4."
Screaming with purest fury and hate, Ridley plummeted back to the floor. Samus didn't check if he was getting up again. Clearing the last few platforms, she threw her entire weight against the hatch. With a groan, it opened.
"3."
Samus leapt onto her gunship. Automatically, she was lowered into the cockpit.
"2."
Hatchling in hand, the Hunter vaulted into her seat and floored it.
"1."
The self-destruct bombs detonated. Samus and the Baby were safe, but Ceres Station exploded into space debris, all traces of its inhabitants, technology, and promise wiped out. All that remained were the memories and hope of a brighter future, for both the Federation and the Metroids.
Samus didn't slow down for hours. By that time, adrenaline had worn off, and, unsurprisingly, she felt completely drained.
Chirping sounds brought her attention back to the Baby for the first time since they'd fled Ceres. All she could do was stare at it. This tiny, deadly creature that everyone, good or evil, wanted to get their hands on. This mere infant that was only alive and present in this moment because of her. Twice.
She wondered if it was worth it. If it was truly necessary to keep the last Metroid alive. Her own words echoed in her mind: The Metroids needed another chance. The galaxy needed another chance.
It wasn't the Metroids the galaxy needed to fear. It was the space pirates, sowing the seed of fear and panic, corrupting the peace behind smoke and shadow.
The space pirates, who captured and exploited the species for years.
The space pirates, who turned the Metroids into living weapons.
The space pirates, who had permanently stained one of the Chozo's last standing legacies.
And she was the other. The last survivor, child, and warrior of her adopted family.
Samus twisted the container's hatch open, allowing the hatchling to fly freely around the cockpit. The tiny larva regarded her, sharing a long look with the one it deemed its mother.
"I wish it was over," Samus told it. Had it grown a bit? "I wish we could go somewhere you'd be safe from them. From all of them."
Despite the space pirates' history of abuse, the Baby would fare no better in Federation hands. Though their actions would be well-intentioned, the outcome would be unsatisfactory. The Baby would be captured, and Samus herself would be arrested for possessing it. She would be an idiot to trust them. Not now, not yet.
If the hatchling understood her words, it gave no sign. Instead, it plopped itself on her helmet, purring contentedly. Unable to suppress a small smile, she reached up and patted it.
"It's time to end the space pirates' reign of terror for good." Samus adjusted the gunship's position, aiming in vaguely in the direction they'd come from. "Ridley couldn't have restored himself without help. A lot of help. They must have rebuilt their base on Zebes."
She pressed a few buttons on her computer. A familiar planet, her second homeworld and the one she remembered better, flickered onscreen. Even after she'd destroyed their base on her very first mission, it was the only pirate-infested planet too dangerous for the Federation to occupy. No other place existed for the scourge of the galaxy to cower and breed in the dark like the roaches they were.
Bringing the hatchling with her was beyond foolish, but it would be safest at her side, even if the word "safe" did not remotely apply to the situation in any way, shape, or form. She could never let it out of her sight. Never again.
As Zebes loomed in the distance, despite the long, perilous mission awaiting her, hope began to take root in Samus' heart.
Maybe, just maybe, after the pirates were gone for good, the galaxy would begin to see the Metroids' place within it.
A chance for redemption. A chance for renewal.
At long last, a chance for a true peace in space.