Author's Note
Oh look, a post not made at one in the morning, it's a miracle! Anywho, here's another chapter! Please enjoy!
Uploaded
09/28/2024
LEGEND BELOW
"Chief, that's not a good idea..." = Normal speech.
''You're you, don't let it control you...'' = Normal thoughts/Receiving coms.
Chapter 48
Rated-M
M rating for blood, and language, and violence, and romance, and adult themes.
Music of the day
Metroid Prime Hunters - Celestial Archives #2
Location / UNSC Infinity / High Orbit in Requiem
Six months and one week since the Didact's defeat
The elevator ride was quiet, tense, to say the least. Upon leaving the command deck behind, Cortana had uploaded the brief summary of the Flood to the woman for review before they found themselves neck deep in hell. She had immediately shared the data packet with her fleet to update her commandos with the necessary knowledge in the case that they were to engage the Flood.
She did not like the similarities she found to the X-Parasites from her own universe, the threat they posed, the danger that became pervasive throughout the galaxy upon their return.
The X were dangerous for their ability to nearly instantly take over whatever host was available to them, growing more powerful with whatever creatures that they inhabit. They gain power, knowledge, and eventually the capability of traveling off world if they steal intellectual beings.
The Galactic Federation had deemed them an intergalactic threat to all sentient life. Their presence was not to be ignored and or taken lightly. A sort of Scorched-Earth policy had been adopted in the potential that the parasite was determined to have taken over a world, the planet being quarantined and then fired upon with everything the Federation had at its disposal. For the X had one single weakness, the Metroids. And by this point in her own universe, the Metroids were entirely extinct.
She'd left her universe behind with the knowledge that she had rid it of all presence of X, that she knew of.
But…
Once again she found herself in a galaxy under threat of consumption by an intergalactic parasite that could not and should not be taken lightly. It did not matter if whatever the Flood threw at her was little threat to her, for she could not save a galaxy already consumed. The Flood could not be allowed to escape Requiem, it wasn't an option.
Thinking darkly, she had already begun to devise a backup plan should the situation become out of hand. If the need arose, Requiem would become another statistic on her list of planets she'd destroyed…
Consequences be damned.
But the situation had not yet come to that, so she saved that information for later. Instead, she found her mind drawn to the silent man standing intimately close to her.
"How… is your arm?" The words slipped past her lips before she had the chance to dwell on them, her eyes gazing at his cold metal appendage. She still felt grief over not being able to save it, and as he was now, it was a permanent part of him.
The man in question held it up, palm facing skywards as he splayed his metal fingers out openly. He articulated them one by one, displaying that despite how artificial they were, he had perfect control over them. "Fine." He murmured absentmindedly, glancing her way when he noticed her gaze locked firmly onto it. "Samus, don't worry about it. Nothing can be done." He placated, picking up on her thoughts.
"I wish I could have saved your real arm…" She murmured, a little huff of disappointment slipping past her lips.
"Spartan's are genetically modified. If you made me a new arm, I don't know if it would harmonize with my body as it is now." He explained with a tone that made it seem as if they'd already had this discussion prior to now. "There would be too many complications for it to be safe." He added after a moment.
He noticed that his words reached her, but not in the way that he wanted. Huffing a little sound, he stepped towards her, reaching out to grasp her claws with his metal digits. A little gasp slipped past her lips, claws opening up to let his cold metal hand hold her own.
The ex-Bounty Hunter glanced up to meet his gaze, her fingers unconsciously tightening around his own. "I know…" She sighed, knowing she was being selfish.
"You saved humanity, stopped the Didact…" He muttered, gripping her hand a little tighter. "If that meant losing my arm, I'd say it was a sacrifice I was willing to make." He said decidedly, leaving no room for negotiation. Her eyes widened slightly at his words, tail unconsciously wrapping itself around his inner thigh at his close proximity in a flicker of possessiveness.
She wanted to say he was wrong, but she knew that he was completely correct. The very fact that it only cost his arm in the end was a miracle that no on could have ever hoped to achieve. It was a reminder that despite his achievements, despite the fact that he'd been fighting war after war since he was but a child, and had risen to the status of legend, that he was still human.
He was mortal.
He was not invisible, as much as people seemed to tout him as being. And she had to accept that.
She was no immortal being either.
Or…
At the very least, she didn't used to be…
That was a thought that she'd been forced to ponder for some time now, something she'd been trying to put to the back of her mind for as long as possible. She didn't want to think about it, contemplate the possibility that she, the last Warrior of the Chozo, had gained immortality.
She wasn't even the same being as she was merely a few years ago, changed into something completely and utterly new.
The X-parasites…
The Metroids…
Chozo dna splicing…?
She'd long since abandoned her humanity, transformed into an ultimate living weapon…
Just as Raven Beak had wanted all along. She was more a chimera than anything else, for not even her children resembled her in quite the same way.
Her cells were fully replaceable, body malleable beyond human comprehension, able to dawn the forms of creatures that she'd absorbed in the past or even her ultimate form, a true Queen Metroid. It was only her spiritual connection to her long lost humanity that she chose to remain in such a familiar shaped body, with its unique changes of course.
True, this did not make her invulnerable, no…
But…
She feared that it made her immortal.
She turned to the tall man beside her, looking him over as if for the first time.
One hundred years from now…
One thousand years from now, if she was still here, still alive and well…
Would he still be standing by her side?
"Samus? Armor bay is waiting for me. Meet me at landing bay five in ten minutes. I will join you shortly." The man in question spoke up suddenly, yanking her from her thoughts with his deep gruff voice. "The Captain will have orders shortly. Once we get down there, it might be a while before we return to the Infinity." His words echoed as he departed, his metallic hand slipping out of her claws as he walked away.
Her tail unraveled as he walked off, almost reaching out towards him for a brief moment before it returned to its home, wrapping around her waist. As the doors shut, she found herself carried off at high speeds, far away from the Spartan armory.
In that moment she yearned for Adam's intuition for this situation, his inflection and his pointed words. He would know what to say to clear her storm of thoughts in a moment, but he was not here right now.
He was still on SR-388, keeping eternal watch over her children in her absence. It was an important job, she was sure, but that didn't mean she was guilt free of yearning for his presence at her side once more. Yet still, she could hear the words in her head, knowing exactly what he would say in this situation.
"Focus on the task at hand, Lady. Your worries can and will be tended to at a later time." That's probably what he would say, the robotic hum of his voice strangely calming. Those words echoed within her mind with the same power as if spoken by the man himself, the sharp clarity in his eyes. Whenever she felt herself distracted, he would always know what to say to keep her focused on the task ahead.
Recalling his words now, she realized that he was right. That eye of the storm clarity was his final gift to her, and it was something she latched onto, propelling her ever forward.
Her eyes narrowed, visor polarizing as she faced the elevator doors as they slid open to reveal the landing bay. She had some unfinished business to attend to on Requiem.
"Vespian, return to the landing bay. We will have a new mission here shortly." Her hand flew to the side of her helmet, opening a communications channel to her closest warrior.
The response was nearly instantaneous. ''Yes, my Queen.'' Her cheerful chittering came through clear as day, the creature almost too eager to join her side.
"Thank you." Samus smiled with a little nod, focusing her attention on the vast space of the bay before her. "Zebesians!" She declared her return with a firm voice, drawing all of her most loyal servants attention. The alien soldiers all fell to a knee, bowing their heads at the return of their leader.
It brought a smile to her lips. She leapt from the balcony, wings flaring out to slow her descent as she landed before her personal warrior servants. The members of House Aran were the most devout of her subjects, their loyalty only rivaled by their viciousness against anyone who would oppose her. She was pleased to see that they had done as requested and had been playing nice with the humans who were sent to greet them.
Speaking of which…
Vespian returned to her side, but she was not alone. She walked arm in arm with a Spartan, the man adorned in a blue armor that she did not recognize. The moment she lay her eyes on her Queen, however, she was quick to leap to attention, falling to a knee before Samus. "M-My Queen! I have returned at once!" She declared, a nervous hitch in her voice.
However, the alien queen's attention was on the man she was with instead. It wasn't something she had been prepared to see, that out of all her precious Zebesians, it was Vespian who had occupied herself with a human. It seemed as if the girl had reached the same conclusion herself, taking her silence as a sign of her disappointment.
However. "Samus Aran?" The blue armored super soldier addressed her, tone respectful, hands clasped behind his back. "Master Chief speaks highly of you. It's an honor to meet you, Ma'am." He expressed genuinely, holding out his hand towards her.
There was a shared sentiment of surprise by her Zebesians at witnessing the brashness of this human to approach her so casually. Yet, when she reached out to return the handshake, the tension vanished as if it had never existed in the first place.
The woman in question smiled at the man. "Ah, so he does talk about me." She mused aloud, pleased with the information. "I have not made your acquaintance, Spartan…?"
"Paul DeMarco, Ma'am. I'm just a Fireteam leader here." He seemed to carry himself with a cocksure attitude, yet also understood well the pecking order and who to show the proper respect when and where it was needed.
She could appreciate that.
"DeMarco. I would appreciate your Spartan's support on this mission. Captain Del Rio has alerted you to the gravity of the situation, yes?" The woman muttered sharply, hand on her hip as she put her weight on her left leg.
The man was business immediately. "Yes Ma'am. My team has prepared the Pelicans for immediate departure and combat deployment. Captain Del Rio has placed you in command of this recon mission, Ma'am." He explained firmly, motioning to the handful of drop-ships behind him.
"Thank you. Prepare for immediate departure. Chief will be joining us briefly." She nodded, glancing up to the balcony. No sooner had she stated as such, she saw the man in question stepping foot out into the landing bay.
Her eyes widened when she took him in, blood red orbs roaming his armored form. He didn't seem to notice her as he observed his own newly armored form, unaware that she was already deep into scanning him for all the information she could glean.
A newly added shield emitter built into his suit could call upon a Forerunner inspired hard-light shield to supplement his defenses if need be. Placed squarely on his left forearm was a grapple shot launcher, seemingly serving a similar purpose as her grapple beam. Deployable drop walls that summoned immediate energy shield walls, advanced thruster packs to propel him farther and faster, threat sensor probes, and even temporary active camouflage emitters for decisive evasive maneuvers or reconnaissance in enemy rich territories.
Most of the technology he sported now was brand new, and he was being used as the UNSC's test bed for most of them. Visually speaking, however, this newer iteration of his armor was far heavier looking. Her scan brought it up as code name, Mark VI gen III, the first and only version of his suit currently created.
And she felt that it suited him perfectly.
He was quick to join her side, armed with his signature weaponry. "Ready to get back to work?" The first words out of his mouth were typical of the man, so she couldn't help the little quirking of her lips when she heard them.
She nodded, turning back to face the soldiers before her. Her Zebesians all remained in their kneeling positions, ready to receive their orders. The remaining human soldiers stood ready on standby. She cleared her throat, addressing the soldiers before her. "Spartans, and Zebesians, listen closely. Our situation here has shifted, and the consequences for failure here and now is unacceptable." She spoke lowly.
The super soldiers from both sides focused on her firmly, no one daring to speak up. This was the woman that had saved humanity from being entirely composed, annihilated the Covenant presence on Requiem half a year ago, and had singlehandedly gathered an entire planet of aliens underneath her rule within the span of six months.
No one was foolish enough to question her, or dare to interrupt her.
"Infinity and her crew are as of this moment, trapped planet-side. Systems have been put in place that have prevented slip space travel, and the planet itself has sealed off all escape. Until we can resolve this crisis, the Space Pirates will give the humans stationed here their full cooperation and assistance whenever and wherever possible." She expressed firmly, taking in a short breath.
"We will be deploying here shortly, returning to a previously explored Forerunner facility. It has become apparent that there is a very real possibility of a Flood presence here." His words echoed out like a gunshot, but the cold silence that meant him was understandable. They had all received the message from command a short while ago from Aine, and had been coming to terms with it before his arrival on deck.
"Spartan's! You are to return to the armory immediately to undergo suit checks and biological diagnostics before departure to potential Flood infested sites. Commander Palmer will update you further. Fireteam Majestic, come with me." Samus spoke up again, sending out her orders. All Spartans available did as ordered immediately, while the blue armored super soldiers of Majestic stayed behind.
"Ma'am?" DeMarco asked curiously, aware that he and his team had not undergone the required suit checks.
The woman turned her attention to the man and his Spartans that stood at attention beside him. "I have scanned you and your Spartans already, and have deemed you fit for duty. We do not have time to wait and prepare fully to face this situation, so we will be departing immediately." She explained briefly, calming their worries. "The Captain wants to find out as soon as possible, we can't afford to sit around and wait."
Two Pelicans had been prepped and were ready for immediate deployment. The five Spartans of Majestic and her ten Zebesians of House Aran were going to be the first contact should it come to that, while she and Chief lead the platoon as the commanders. They held enough firepower to completely halt anything from escaping, should it come to that.
She was hoping that it did not.
"Zebesians, join your fellow Spartans, two of you for every human. Never separate from a group of three, and defend each other like blood kin." Samus ordered sharply, getting a chorus of agreement by her female subordinates. "And Spartans?" She addressed Majestic directly.
They faced forward, gazes firm. "Ma'am?" They responded in chorus.
"Don't die." She stated sharply. "That's an order."
Their eyes widened in surprise, before their gazes hardened. ""Yes Ma'am!"" They responded together.
"Good. Then move out." She ordered, before turning back to John. "Chief…"
"I know this is dangerous, you don't have to-" He spoke up.
"I wasn't going to." She cut him off, grabbing his hand. "Just… Please be careful." She fretted worriedly, her commanding nature from mere moments before vanishing when alone with the Spartan in question.
His lips quirked upwards behind his visor. "I'll be careful. You won't have to worry about me." He promised, gripping her claws just a little firmer, before letting go.
She watched him go, her gaze never leaving him until the metal door to the Pelican sealed him away. "But I do worry about you…" She muttered to herself once he was gone. She let go a shuddering breath as she watched the two ship's engines roar to life, lifting up into the air before departing from the Infinity. She clenched her claws at her side, before her gaze hardened.
She had work to do.
Her visor polarized as she took off into a run, wings stretching and flaring out wide as she moved to leap free from the landing bay. Within an instant she was in free fall miles in the skies above Requiem's surface, winds buffeting her body as she fell. Her wings caught her, flapping hard to steady her as she ignited her thrusters to push her forward. She sped through the skies of the artificial world, quickly catching up with the two Pelicans.
She flew forward, overtaking them, casting a glance down towards one. "Master Chief, do you copy?" She asked aloud, opening up a communications channel to the entire platoon.
''Go ahead, Samus.'' His voice echoed out from within her helmet.
"Once we approach the facility, gravity vortex's may begin to affect the space around it. Be cautious upon the approach." She warned, directing her words towards the pilots.
''Yes Ma'am!'' The pilots responded sharply, tossing the flying alien outside the cockpit a thumbs up.
She nodded firmly, wings flapping to propel her forward. It was going to be a little while before they reached their destination. She couldn't help the stress that had filled her bosom at the prospect of how dire things had become so suddenly, but she wasn't known for losing her composure over such things either. This time, however, she couldn't help but feel that so much more was on the line. There were too many that she had grown close to, and as such, there were even more reasons why she could not afford to slip up here.
She wouldn't allow it.
"Ship commander Cherkain, do you copy?" She turned her attention back towards her own fleet, reaching out to her fleet commander aboard her flagship Orpheon.
''I am here, my Queen. I await your orders.'' The eager voice of the Space Pirate male came through her helmet.
"Fall into formation in high orbit above my location. Follow at a distance with Orpheon's attack force. Siriacus and Vol Paragom are to remain by Infinity's side and defend until further notice." She ordered calmly, the winds whipping at her face.
''Yes, my Queen. Orpheon shall escort you at once.'' He saluted gladly.
She continued forward in silence, watching over the drop-ships as they made their way through the skies of Requiem. Eventually, however, they noticed the shadow that had come to overcast their recon force.
John found his attention drawn to the skies above the Pelican he resided within, taking notice of the large Space Pirate warship looming overhead. He glanced to Samus in question, but her silent nod was his answer.
He sat back in the copilot chair, taking a short reprieve before the battle that was likely to come…
Chapter
48
End