My story...

[Nightfire]

Okay, if I'm accidentally going against the rules, then you guys can lock this topic. But I recently wrote a short story, but it's not Redwall. It's a Metroid fanfiction. Here it is:

Prologue---Freedom's Call

I set the metaldye, hammer and chisel aside, smiling in satisfaction at my handiwork. The name was now proudly emblazoned in black on her hull, and no one could mistake my ship for anything but perfection. Behind me, I heard loud footsteps hurry clumsily down the walkway, then halt suddenly as someone gasped. "That is incredible!"
   I turned slowly, staring at the heavyset alien mechanic with annoyance. "I thought I told you to never come down here."
   It shrugged. "You down here for long time, Human. I beginning think you dead or killed."
   Dead and killed mean the same thing, idiot. I sighed, then looked back at my ship. The vessel was shaped like a gleaming silver bullet, with three long wing fins attached. These fins were more than decoration or landing struts though. I had filed them down to fine blades, and now they could cut through asteroids, meteorites, and even other ships. "She's a beauty, huh? Took me five years to build her, but she's finally ready."
   The alien squinted at the lettering on the hull. "F...r...e...e...What? What does it say?"
   I rolled my eyes. "Freedom's Call, you moron. And you can say goodbye to her shining silver frame, because you'll never see me here again." I slid open the black-tinted cockpit, settling myself into the leather pilot's chair. I shuddered as I fingered the controls, then looked out at the alien again. "You can keep my old ship. Do whatever you want with the thing." I closed and sealed the cockpit, the fired up the engines. I felt a thrill run through me as the engines rumbled softly beneath me, then whooped with joy as the ship rocketed forward, not even stalling slightly. "Yeah!" I shouted, angling my newly finished ship into upper atmosphere. "Time to see how many LM's this thing can do," I muttered as I plotted a course for a small planet on the fringe of Galactic Federation space. Finally, after so many setbacks and lost bounties, I could travel without worrying whether or not my ship would explode every time I activated it. The name fit perfectly, adding further joy to my newfound freedom.

Part 1---Safo

Time passed, years came and went, and I began to be known throughout the bounty hunting world as a great Hunter. I tended to keep a low profile, though, especially when one day I heard about some other famous Hunter. I didn't recognize the name, but resolved to find out more later when I heard that this Hunter had won some kind of inter-dimensional war between light and darkness, or something like that. Samus Aran. The name sounded strange and alien, yet it seemed to be popping up all over the whole darn galaxy. Wherever there was trouble, this Hunter appeared. Whoever he or she was, this Hunter was good at what it did. More years passed, and I reached the age of thirty-two. As was my usual custom, I didn't bother throwing a party, or whatever it was that normal Humans did, but instead just noted my age, then took another contract. This one was to hunt down some kind of little beastie that had a rather sizable price on it's head. It took me a long time to find out where he was, but I eventually found it. The planet had a large city that was renowned for it's crime, so I wasn't all that surprised that the fugitive had chosen to hide here. I set my ship down on a landing pad, paid the attendant and gave him strict orders to not touch the Call, then set off, equipping myself with my rather sizable inventory of weapons, including my twin, antique, German Lugers and my secret throwing stars that were tucked into my right boot. I figured it was better to be safe than sorry, and made sure that my wicked-looking, curved, custom-made dagger was in plain view. I wove my way through many winding streets and avenues before finding my way to the underworld. A few neon signs were visible, but it was mostly dark, with quite a few creatures scurrying about. I turned down one dark alley, then bumped into a tall alien that resembled a shark with legs. It growled, baring an impressive set of teeth. "Watch where yer goin', Human," it snarled.
   I narrowed my eyes and gave a vicious reptilian hiss, drawing my dagger and holding it against the thing's throat before it could move. "No, you watch where you're going. I'm looking for someone. Maybe you could help me. Do you know of a male Duende called Safo?"
   The shark-man nodded, looking unnerved. "He's over that way," it pointed with one fin-shaped hand.
   I smiled dangerously. "Thank you. Now go on your way and pretend that we never met." I flipped my dagger and thrust it back into my belt, striding away into the street that it had indicated. Sure enough, there was a small wooden shack that someone had constructed, and I kicked it, sending out a low thudding sound. It collapsed under the weight of my kick, and something shrieked. A tiny elf-like creature scuttled out from the wreckage, falling flat on it's back at the sight of me, it's eyes wide with fear.
   "No! No, no, no, nonono! How could this happen?" He squeaked at the sight of my dagger as I reached down and grabbed him firmly by his arm.
   "'It happened,' because I'm simply smarter than you. You have a price on your head, and I'm here to collect."
   He shrieked again, then covered his tiny elfin face with his free hand. "No, no, no, you don't understand! I've never even stolen anything! I'm not a bad guy! I never intended to be bounty hunted!"
   I sighed. "The term is simply 'targeted,' and that doesn't matter. You're coming with me, whether you like it or not."
   He looked crestfallen, then somehow managed to wrench his arm out of my grip, falling down onto his knees with his hands held above his head. "Please, sir! Don't kill me!"
   I yanked him upright again. "Don't even try begging. I'm a bounty hunter, and killing people is what I do for a living. Fortunately for you, you're worth more alive, so I'm not going to be the one to kill you."
   He moaned fitfully as I half-led, half-dragged him all the way back towards my ship, throwing him in and cuffing him to the wall. The whole trip there, he was alternately crying and begging, and I began to wonder whether or not to just kill him and accept a lower fee. The Call came out of Light Space, and I was hailed over the comm. "Foreign ship, state your identity and intentions."
   "Freedom's Call, coming in with a captured bounty. May I land?"
   There was a long silence, then the gruff voice responded. "Is that really the bounty hunter called Cardassia? You don't sound that fearsome."
   "Just tell me where I can land, moth-brain."
   The voice gave me coordinates, and I angled the ship down. Just as I started to break atmosphere, the little elf started speaking again. I gritted my teeth and hoped that this mission would be over soon. "Please sir, why did you name your ship after freedom if you imprison creatures and deny them freedom?" I sighed, then glared over my shoulder at him.
   "Just shut up. You're not going to change my mind no matter how much you try." I set my ship down, then went back and uncuffed him from the wall, leading him out from the ship onto the landing pad. Three tall creatures met me, and they reminded me of giant lobsters.
   The biggest of the three stepped forward and looked me up and down. "So, you're the famous Luke Cardassia, eh?" it grated in a rough voice.
   I nodded. "Yes, I am, and I can prove it if you don't believe me." I tapped lightly on my dagger to make my point, and it stepped back hastily, then eyed the little elf I was holding, pointing at him with one claw.
   "You made quite a nuisance of yourself," it said to the little creature, grabbing him roughly from me. The Duende moaned as he was dragged off, and I followed the three creatures into the building.
   "I expect payment, you know. It took me a while to track him down." The giant lobster just grunted acknowledgement, then led me to a large audience chamber, where the guy who had hired me was sitting. This lobster-beastie was even bigger than the rest, and I started to feel like I was at some kind of seafood party, what with all the marine aliens I was running into.
   It stared at me, it's eyestalks twitching, then spoke in heavily accented English. "At last you bring the beast to me. What took you so long?"
   I shrugged. "He was very good at hiding. I got him in the end, though."
   "You don't seem like I expected," it muttered, and I narrowed my eyes.
   "Just give me my payment, and we can discuss whether or not a Human can hunt later." It twitched, then threw a small bag into my hand. I quickly checked it; over six thousand in GF currency. "Thank you."
   I nodded and turned to leave, then I heard the elf's voice in my head again. "Why did you name your ship after freedom if you imprison creatures and deny them freedom?" I narrowed my eyes, wondering about that. Why did I name the ship after freedom? I halted midstep, then looked over my shoulder. The elf was staring at me, his round eyes pleading.
   I clenched my jaw as I saw one of the lobster-beasts raise it's leg to kick him, then, before I could think it through properly, I whipped out my Luger and shot their leader square in the forehead. The sharp retort of the pistol sounded like lightning striking a tree, and the large creature toppled over onto the ground. The other three stared in shock at it's body, then gazed blankly at me as I fired off my Luger again, killing another. The remaining two seemed to connect the dots in their head, and charged at me, pincer-claws flailing. I threw one of my concealed Shuriken into the one's head, killing it instantly, then the other was upon me, lifting me up over it's shoulder and attempting to throw me. I drew my dagger and plunged it deep into the thing's chest. Once, twice, and then a third strike, and the lobster-beast collapsed underneath me. I stood slowly, feeling a bruise forming on my back from the weight of the thing.
   Then I felt tiny hands grabbing my leg, and I looked down. The Duende was gazing up at me, a huge smile on his face as he...hugged me. "Thank you, sir!, Oh, thank you! I don't know why you changed your mind, but thank you!"
   Shut up, you little beast. I myself don't know why I just killed one of my employers. At least I had already been paid, so I won't suffer from that stupidity. I shook him off, then strode out towards my ship. "If you want to thank me, then you can turn around and disappear from my sight." I opened up my ship and vaulted in, then glared as the elf launched himself in after me. "Get out! I'm not taking you with me!"
   He cocked his head, and his large pointy ears perked up slightly. "But I must come! You saved my life, and I owe you a debt!"
   I stared at him in shock. WHAT?! Back up there...I am NOT going to have an elf following me around for the rest of my life!  "NO! You do not owe me a debt! Get out of here!"
   The elf didn't listen, but plunked himself down right behind my chair, placing one thin, bony hand over where I guessed his heart was. "Oh, but I do! Allow me to introduce myself. I am Safo."
   I kept glaring at him in hatred, sorely regretting my decision to save his life. "I knew that already. Shut up and leave."
   Safo leaned back from me slightly. "I must repay my debt. You cannot get rid of me, unless you kill me."
   "Don't tempt me..."
   The elf let out a high pitched hissing sound that I took to be laughter. "Master, you are so funny!"
   That was the final straw. I shoved the barrel of my Luger into the Duende's mouth, effectively gagging him. I hissed, baring my teeth at him in a feral snarl. "Don't you dare call me master, or I will personally dismember you. Slowly." Safo nodded, his eyes round with fright. "Good. It's nice to see that we understand each other." I withdrew the pistol and turned around, muttering, then fired up the Call and took off for a planet called Morada, where my hidden base was located. Hopefully, the little beast would get sick of following me around as I killed people. Or maybe I could just throw him out the airlock without a vac suit.
   Once my ship left Light Space and entered orbit around the planet, the Duende gasped. "That planet is beautiful!"
   I sighed. "Where did you learn to speak English so well?"
   He folded his skinny arms across his chest. "Where did you?"
   "Touché," I muttered, setting my ship down in a cave, then opening the cockpit. Where did I learn English? Certainly not from the Reptilicus. I guess I just picked it up as I lived. "Come on, if I'm going to be stuck with you, you might as well make yourself at home, such as it is." I jumped out with the elf close on my heels, then pulled down a specially made camouflage blanket that hid the Call from sight. Safo trotted close behind me as I led him through a tiny maze of cliffs into a large cave. This cave was pretty much what amounted to my house, and it had a small cot in one corner and a food storage in another. Other than that, there were no personal amenities, and the rest of the cave was devoted to the bounty hunting trade. There was a workstation and a forge along one wall, where I made my weapons, and a large steel chest on the other. I had also set up a satellite computer in one corner for my personal use. I went over to the chest and opened it, revealing my large collection of weapons. I favored blades more than guns, but had quite an amount of rifles in my possession for when I needed to kill long-distance. Safo gasped when I pulled a narrow, pencil-thin knife out from my belt and placed it in the chest, then removed a tiny palm-sized pistol from a wrist holster, tucking both it and the holster alongside the knife. "Do you have a problem with weapons?" I asked him.
   The Duende shook his head rapidly, his eyes huge. "You have so many! You can't possibly use them all, mas-" he cut himself off quickly as I raised an eyebrow at him and moved my hand towards . "Sorry! Sorry, I just...I don't know what I should call you!"
   As much as I hated being saddled with him, I had to admit, the little elf had an infectious personality. I smirked, then began further disarming myself, adding a thin strangling wire and a poison-dart thrower to the chest. "My name's Luke Cardassia. You can just call me Luke."
   He nodded rapidly, then slumped down onto the floor. "Do you need me to do anything for you?"
   "No, get some sleep." I jerked my head towards the cot.
   "But...that's where you sleep!"
   I sighed. "Just get some sleep, and don't bother worrying about me." He looked about to protest, but I walked out from the cave and hid just to the side of the door, waiting. After fifteen minutes, I peered around the doorframe. The Duende was curled up on the cot, his narrow chest rising and falling. I chuckled, then went in and stretched out on the ground, closing my eyes. Oddly enough, I never desired soft beds or comforts like most Humans, and could literally sleep on solid rock if I had too. I quickly fell asleep as I listened to the elf's gentle breathing, wondering how I had suddenly acquired a partner.
_______________________________________________________________

The next morning, I woke up, then my whole day instantly was worsened before it had started. That dratted Duende was looming over me, his little snub nose twitching as his huge eyes stared at me. "Go away!"
   He made an odd whistling sound, and I opened my eyes halfway. I noticed for the first time that his eyes were completely silver, with a large, round, black pupil. "Luke, I was worried when I awoke to find you laying on the ground. Are you okay?"
   I snarled quietly at him. "It's called sleeping, you moron."
   "Why did you not get a bed for that?"
   "Because I don't need one." Because you're in it. I sat up, causing the elf to back away, and I glared at him. "Do you not get the hint that I want you to go?"
   He cocked his head, his large pointy ears swiveling. "Is this all you do? Sit around?" I sighed, then stood. The Duende only came up to my knees, and he craned his head to look at me. "You're tall."
   "Thanks for telling me that. I had no idea."
   "I am glad I can be of some use," he said, his ears swiveling. I rolled my eyes at his ignorance of sarcasm, going over to sit in front of the computer. I typed in my twenty-digit password, then began searching through the available bounties. There was next to none in the way of freelance contracts, so I began searching through the Federation bounties posted. They weren't always as fun, but always paid more. The only problem with trying out a GF bounty, was that the Federation preferred to hire their personal Hunters. Their registered Hunters. Which meant that you had to catch the bounty and prove your worth before you could collect. They wouldn't just hire you because you asked nicely. It took all of ten minutes before I found a bounty to my liking. Some drug smuggler had been sneaking Space Pirates between planets within Federation space, and the GF wasn't pleased about that. The bounty on this guy was nearly ten thousand to capture him alive, and I knew it probably wouldn't be that difficult, because he was a Human, so wouldn't put up much of a fight. That's the only problem with us Humans. Too few of us are actually capable of fighting in combat situations without weapons. I decided to pursue the contract, so I armed myself completely and stood up, walking towards the door.
   "Luke, where are you going?" the Duende asked, trotting after me.
   I glanced at him. "Safo, get this through your tiny head. I'm a bounty hunter. Hunting and killing people is what I do. What else could I possibly be doing?" I strode towards my ship and began to prep the Call for departure.
   "But you saved my life. There has to be some good in you. I heard that there are bounty hunters out there who hate evil and work for the Federation, earning more money than we could ever dream of, and getting to kill as much as they want. Why not work for the good guys?"
   I shrugged. "Because I'm not good. I'm neutral, and sometimes border-lining evil. I honestly have no idea why I saved you, especially when I got so much money for turning you in."
   I suddenly felt tiny feet scrabbling up my back, and then the elf was perched on my shoulders. I glared up at him, but didn't bother removing him. "I know why you saved me."
   I laughed humorlessly. "Oh, really?"
   "Yes," he said seriously, not smiling. "you saved me because you are good. No matter how much you may try to convince yourself otherwise. You are like a wolf; strong, loyal and good, yet fearsome and sometimes breaking the boundaries." He did that hissing laughter again, pressing his tiny hand against my chest. "You have the heart of a wolf in a man's body."
   I sighed, knowing that there would be no convincing him otherwise of that strange declaration, then vaulted up into my ship, knocking Safo off of my shoulders. Huh, 'heart of a wolf' indeed. Yeah, right, I thought cynically. The elf climbed up and sat cross-legged behind my chair, and I glanced briefly at him before sealing the cockpit. "Are you sure you want to come? I am hunting, you know, and it's going to be dangerous and possibly very violent."
   "I know. But I pledged a debt to you, and I intend to repay you in some way. I cannot do that when I am sitting in a cave. Here." He shoved a small packet of something at me.
   I launched the Call into Light Space, then turned around and stared at him. "What is this?"
   "Food. I noticed that you didn't eat last night, and you'll need nourishment if you intend to hunt."
   I sighed again, then ate it, knowing he was right, no matter how much I wanted to disagree. "What about you? You didn't eat either."
   The elf smiled, showing a set of sharp, little, triangular teeth. "Duende only eat once every two weeks."
   That's interesting. It would be convenient if Humans didn't need to eat three times every day. How come aliens get all the good abilities? I leaned back and waited for the ship to leave Light Space, knowing that the little elf was in more danger than me. For some reason, I felt oddly protective of the little guy.

Part 2---Federation

This next planet was some obscure trading point on the fringe of Federation space, and I didn't even bother learning it's name. I set the thrusters on the Call, and my ship became stationary, floating through space as serenely as a fish through water. And like a real fish in water, my ship could dart out of sight or attack as quickly as one. "What are we waiting for?" Safo asked.
   "Half of hunting successfully involves waiting for your prey to make a move or slip up."
   The elf nodded. "What's the other half of the hunt?"
   I smiled wolfishly. "My favorite part. The chase." We did indeed wait, for nearly three hours, before there was a slight flash, and I saw a freighter come out of Light Space. "And the chase begins...now," I muttered, moving the Call forward smoothly through space towards the other ship. My cloaking field was on, and, even though my ship was shining and gleaming silver, I knew that it would be invisible in the darkness of the void. We came nearer, and I slid the ship 'upwards' and flew right 'above' the freighter.
   "What are you doing?" the elf breathed, looking tense and excited.
   "Just watch," I said, activating the drag beam. The other ship was firmly locked to my hull, and I saw the pilot panicking, pressing all of the buttons in his cockpit at once to try and break free from the invisible force that held him. I did a quick scan with the Call's systems and verified that this was indeed my target. Then a hatch on the freighter opened up, and two Space Pirates came out wearing vac suits, glaring up at me with an intense hatred as they tried to reach my ship to disable the drag beam. "Oh, great." I turned around and looked at Safo. "Can you breath vacuum?' He shook his head. Of course not. It's a good thing I have extras. I pulled out two vac suits from under my chair and shoved one at him. "Here, you'll need this. You'll be swimming in it, but it'll keep you alive." I quickly pulled my own vac suit on, then helped Safo seal his.
   "What are you going to do?" he asked worriedly.
   "Just stay put, and hold on tightly to something." I made sure that his tiny hands were gripping tightly to the chair, and I weighted him down with my sniper rifle for good measure, then grabbed my dagger from where I had set it. I unsealed the cockpit, then climbed out towards the two Pirates. The foul beasts looked startled, as though they weren't expecting resistance, then one launched himself towards me, seemingly forgetting that it was in space. The Pirate had an expression of shock on it's face as he floated past me, scrabbling for a handhold, and I sliced a hole into it's vac suit. The beast froze, it's face twisted in agony as it tried to writhe in pain, then it became still. I turned to the second Pirate, climbing down the side to it. The beast looked enraged, and it swung a hand towards me. The vacuum stopped the blow from having any force, though, and I barely felt it as I slit a hole into it's suit. So long, idiots. I smiled grimly, then went back up to the cockpit of my ship, sealing and repressurizing it. I slowly took of my vac suit, then helped Safo out of his. "I hate space walking," I mumbled, and the elf pressed one bony hand against my neck as I slumped down in my seat wearily.
   "You're pulse is too high," he observed. I glared at him, but didn't bother trying to explain how climbing through space was taxing on your body. Instead, I sat up and maneuvered the Call, calculating a jump through Light Space that could carry two ships, then launching us.
   "Thankfully, that was a relatively easy mission." I sighed as the Duende leaned against the side of my chair.
   "Where are we going now?"
   "To deliver the bounty." I closed my eyes, willing myself to regain my strength. It wouldn't do for me to show up in front of the Galactic Federation looking like a bedraggled merchant.
_______________________________________________________________

We came out of Light Space eight hours later and entered orbit around Planet Earth. Yes, you heard me right; Earth. Home base of the Galactic Federation, as well as the birthing point for the Human race. There were more Humans here than any other point in the galaxy, and I hoped that we wouldn't run into any trouble. Of course, a Federation Stiletto fighter approaching and flanking me didn't look too good, but I remained calm as my comm system buzzed and a male Human voice came into my cockpit. "Unidentified vessel, please switch to a secure frequency and transmit your identity code. We're standing by."
   I sighed, glad that this was just a precaution. I answered, keeping my voice level. "Federation vessel, I don't have an identity code. I'm an independent Hunter coming in with a captured bounty."
   The voice sounded mildly interested. "Alright, please follow me to a secured landing field where you can receive payment. You're obviously not a registered Federation Hunter." I sensed an invitation to tell him who I was, but I kept all comm chatter silent as I followed him. Safo looked excited, and he grinned at me for no reason at all, showing off his set of pointy teeth. I set the freighter down where he had indicated, landing my ship next to it, then watched as he did likewise. A man wearing light gray armor with a blue, T-shaped visor jumped out from his Stiletto and walked cautiously towards me, motioning that I should leave my ship. I complied, sliding open the cockpit and vaulting out with Safo close on my heels. The man in armor glanced down at the elf, then addressed me. "Would you be so kind as to identify yourself?" he asked, looking me up and down. I made sure to keep my stance relaxed.
   "Luke Cardassia," I replied, then waved a hand at the little elf standing behind me. "and this is Safo." I fought to restrain a smile as the Duende bowed deeply, just about quivering with how excited he was.
   Then man nodded, then turned towards the captured freighter. "I'm assuming that this is the bounty? I don't remember there ever being rewards for finding a ship."
   I ignored his comment, going over and forcing the sealed ship open. There was a man crouched behind some storage crates, and a Space Pirate lunging towards me. I slew it with a neat thrust of my dagger, then grabbed the man and shoved him outside. "Here is the bounty. Do what you want with him, but I expect payment."
   The armored man stared at the dead Pirate, then took the target from me, glancing at another man that had come up behind him without my noticing. "Nice. Looks like you know what you're doing. Follow Aaron to receive payment." He gestured at the other man in armor, then strode off with the captured bounty.
   The man who was supposed to pay me spoke in accented English, and I guessed that he was of European descent. "Come, sir. You can bring your...friend with you as well." I nodded, then Safo and I followed him into a building and through a series of corridors. There were many other people wearing armor inside, and I assumed that these were the famous Federation marines, though I had never seen one before. The man called Aaron showed me to a small office, and I instantly knew that whoever had this office was a lot like me; more concerned with doing his or her job than with having personal comforts or decoration. "The Admiral will meet with you in a moment," Aaron said, then left the office. Admiral? That sounds like it's someone important.
   Safo looked awed. "Well?"
   I stared down at him, confused. "What do you mean 'well?'"
   The elf chortled. "Are you going to be a Federation Hunter?"
   "I doubt that." I stiffened as the door opened behind us, forcing myself to not whirl around with my dagger raised. I watched calmly as a man walked around us and sat down behind the desk, and I studied his face. He was about fifty years old, and his face was lined with the scars of many battles fought and won. The man in turn looked me over carefully, his dark eyes resting briefly on my Lugers, then he spoke.
   "I'm Fleet Admiral Castor Dane of the Galactic Federation. I heard that you had captured a bounty and you intend to collect."
   I nodded, getting the feeling that I should be respectful to this man. I didn't know how high up in rank a Fleet Admiral was, but it seemed important. I vowed to learn more about the Federation later. "Yes, sir."
   Fleet Admiral Dane seemed to be looking through a record, and then he looked up at me again. "I don't say this often, but...I'm impressed. My Hunters have been trying for five months to snag this guy, and you did it seemingly with no effort at all."
   Where is he going with this? I just want to get paid so that I can get the heck out of here. "Thank you sir. My payment?"
   "Yes, you will be paid the full sum. Do you have a bank account that it can be transferred to?"
   He's joking, right? What kind of idiot would seriously have a bank account? Is that really the kind of Hunters that the Federation hires? "No, because banks can easily be robbed or hijacked."
   The corners of the man's mouth twitched, and he tossed a thick envelope at me. "Just testing. You never know how idiotic someone is unless you ask them that kind of stupid question." He stood and walked over to me, again, looking me up and down like I was a new rifle that he wanted to buy, or something. "Have you ever considered joining the ranks of Federation Hunters?"
   Oh. That's where he was going with that. I shook my head. "Not really. I'm not a good team player. Every time I partner with another Hunter, he always tries to steal my bounty."
   Behind me, I heard Safo make the hissing sound that was his form of laughter, and the Fleet Admiral stared at him. "You don't have to be. All employed Hunters are every bit as independent as they are working outside the Federation. The only difference is we don't have to wonder whether or not they were hired by the Pirates."
   I honestly never had considered that. "I'll think about it, sir."
   The man seemed mildly disappointed that I hadn't jumped at his offer, but hid his emotions well; far better than most Humans. "You can leave now, if you want." He sat down behind his desk again and I turned to leave, grimacing as the Duende leapt up and sat on my shoulders again.
   "Why did you not accept? It was a really good offer!"
   I rolled my eyes as I found my way through the myriad of corridors and went back out to the landing pad again. The Freedom's Call looked untouched, and I slid the cockpit open and relaxed in my chair, counting out the money to ensure that it was the right amount. It was exactly how much the bounty had been posted for, so I shoved it into a secret compartment inside my ship, then leaned back in my chair. "Safo, I don't think it's wise to just take up with the Federation without knowing the full extent of the offer."
   The little elf climbed off my shoulders and vaulted out from the ship. "Okay, I understand."
   I stared at him. "Where are you going?"
   "To find something to eat. It's been two weeks since my last meal." He waved, then darted off, his thin legs a blur as he ran. I sighed, then closed my eyes and sought some much-needed sleep.
_________________________________________________________________

I awoke to the sound of someone banging a fist on the side of my ship, and I bolted upright, aiming my Luger. A Federation marine was standing there, and he backed up slightly at the sight of my gun. "Are you bounty hunter Luke Cardassia?"
   I eyed him suspiciously. "Yes, I am. Who are you?"
   He tipped a salute. "I'm Captain Vyn. Are you acquainted with a small Duende called Safo?"
   I jumped out of my ship, an unreasoning sense of worry overcoming me. "Yeah, is he in some kind of trouble?"
   Captain Vyn nodded, then turned and began walking away. I quickly fell into step next to him. "What happened? Where is he?"
   The man sighed as he led me to a place labeled as the med bay, and he seemed to decide to just tell me the truth bluntly . "One of my troopers found him in the streets with a smoking gun hole in his torso. He's alive, but barely."
   I ran over to the tiny form laid out on a gurney, and those large silver eyes flitted open slightly at my approach. His throat moved, and I could just make out his voice. "Luke..."
   I placed my hand on his skinny arm, and felt him clutch tightly at me. "Safo, what happened?"
   The elf looked apologetic. "I...was attacked...street thugs..." he gave a shuddering gasp. "Sorry I never...repayed my debt."
   It was hard to believe that I had become such good friends with him over such a short amount of time, but I accepted that, and shook my head vehemently. "I told you Safo, you don't owe me a debt."
   He twitched his long ears, and his mouth widened into a weak smile. "Yes...I do, Luke. And I can...repay it." He coughed again, gripping my hand even tighter. "Luke...take the offer. I can see that...there is good...in you. Please Luke...honor me by joining...the Federation. Promise me...you'll take the offer. Please..."
   I forced myself to smile, knowing that the little guy wasn't too far from death. "I promise, Safo." The Duende smiled back at me, his eyes glazing over, and his grip on my hand relaxed. I trembled, then growled as the marine tried to place a comforting hand on my shoulder. "Get away from me!" I picked up Safo's body and held him close to me, then ran as fast as possible out of that med bay, jumping into my ship and sealing the cockpit. I glared venomously at the soldier as he ran out and tried to get me to stop, and I fired up my ship and flew off, dodging Traffic Control and setting a course for Duen. Upon leaving Light Space, I set down in the largest city, vaulting out with Safo's body clutched tightly to me as I was surrounded by a massive group of Duendes. One of them stepped forward, looking up at me nervously, and I fell down to me knees to be at the same level as them.
   "You have found Safo! You have found my son!" the elf said, her ears laid back in shock. I realized that she was much older than she seemed.
   I nodded, my voice unsteady. "He died with honor, and I knew he would want to be buried on his homeworld. I only had the privilege of knowing your son for a few days, but it was enough to become close friends with him."
   She smiled, then turned to her people and began speaking to them in her native tongue. The language sounded like beautiful music, and I longed to understand it. I stood as the Duendes motioned for me to follow them, and we buried Safo on a small mesa overlooking a wide plain. His mother said that it had been his favorite place to go when he was a child, before he began wandering the galaxy. I stayed with their people for seven months, learning their language and coming to terms with my grief. Eventually, the day came where I knew I should keep my promise to Safo, so I said goodbye to the people of Duen and flew away in the Freedom's Call, headed on a straight course for Earth.
_________________________________________________________________

Upon landing, I headed down into Earth's underworld, cornering the first shady person that I saw. It was a female Human, and at first she tried to flirt and persuade me to let her go, then resorted to several attempts to kill me. I quickly found out where her concealed weapons were, though, so I disarmed her. "Did you happen to see a small elfin creature down here seven months ago?" I asked.
   She looked confused. "I heard somethin' 'bout that while back, but never dug deep 'bout it. Why?" I growled quietly, and she took the hint. "Never mind! I don't need ta know! I think the beast was mugged by Reggie's gang!"
   "And where is his gang?" I hissed dangerously.
   She shrugged. "I dunno, he wanders 'round quite a bit. Ya might try the tavern, though." I decided that she didn't know much more about it, so I let her go and strode off in the direction that she had pointed. I made sure that I seemed defenseless and unwary, and it wasn't too long before a large group of filthy-looking Humans came out of nowhere and surrounded me. I counted ten of them, and the burliest of them came forward, leering nastily.
   "Well, well, lookit what we have here. Some idiot merchant, I'll be bound."
   I smiled cordially at him, shifting my stance subtly. "No, I'm not a merchant. Did you and your gang shoot a small elf-like creature seven months ago?" I watched as the man seemed to be trying to remember, then he leered crookedly at me.
   "Yeah, now I remembers. Yes, I did kill the liddle runt."
   This is easier than I thought. "Are you Reggie?"
   "Who wants ter know?" he spat.
   I grinned, and the men seemed unnerved by me. "I do." My wrist flashed out, and the man toppled backwards with a gleaming Shuriken lodged in his forehead. The other men looked startled, then they charged at me. I took out a thin tube that resembled a really long sword hilt and twisted it sharply as two of the men closed in on either side. Long blades sprang out from each end and speared both men, killing them instantly, then I cracked the hilt sharply, breaking it down into two separate swords. The men yelled aloud in shock, and five of them chose to turn and run. The two that didn't met their ends on the blades of my twin swords, and I wiped off the blade slowly, glaring down at Reggie's body as I retrieved my Shuriken. "I should have saved you for last, scum."
   I turned and went back up to the surface of Earth, storing my sword inside the Call, then accosted the nearest soldier. "Can I help you?" he asked in a bewildered voice.
   I smiled wearily. "Yes, you can. Do you know where I can find Fleet Admiral Castor Dane?"
   "With the fleet. Whole armada launched a month ago for the Space Pirate Homeworld, and they should be due back sometime soon." He shrugged, then walked off. So much for accepting the contract. I wandered aimlessly through the busy streets of Earth, then a flashing display and a loud noise attracted my attention to a news display. The top story of the hour was actually quite interesting, and the crowd of civilians actually quieted to listen along with me.
   The newscaster looked excited as he relayed the details. "We are just reporting from an interview with one of the Admirals of the Federation armada. The attack against the Space Pirates went well, and the alien planet Phaaze was destroyed. Federation forces reported few casualties." A loud cheer went up from the civilians, and I was impressed at how well the fight had gone. "We are sad to learn that veteran Hunter Samus Aran was reported lost during the battle. She is presumed dead, and the armada believes that she was caught in the blast when Phaaze exploded." There were loud gasps and someone actually began crying. Whoever this Aran person is, she definitely is loved by these people. I wonder how a bounty hunter could be that famous. The whole crowd began to erupt with anger and emotion, and I wisely left the streets and went back to the landing field, knowing that a mob could easily break out. I got into my ship and flew up, entering orbit around Earth. Should I try to find this Pirate Homeworld, or do I just wait for them to get back?
   I didn't actually get to make that choice, because there were many bright flashes, then a whole fleet of Galactic Federation flagships came out of Light Space and orbited around the planet. Wow. That guy really commands that many ships? I quickly contacted the nearest flagship, and was greeted by the female voice of some technician. "Unidentified vessel, why are you hailing us?"
   "I wish to make contact with Fleet Admiral Dane."
   The voice sounded surprised. "Whoever you are, can't you see that we just finished a really intense battle? What makes you think that he wants to speak to you?"
   I sighed. "Trust me, lady, he will."
   "What is your identity?"
   "Bounty hunter Luke Cardassia."
   There was a long pause, then she spoke again. "Alright, he actually does want to speak to you. Head for the G.F.S. Olympus and land in Bay One."
   "Thank you," I replied, angling my ship for the vessel with the name she had given. I landed smoothly, then was greeted by two soldiers.
   "Welcome to the flagship Olympus. Admiral Dane is waiting for you in the briefing room. Please keep all must the most necessary of your weapons onboard your ship."
   "They are onboard. The dagger and Lugers stay." Not to mention my twin Shuriken and miniaturized EMP. I followed them up to the briefing room, and was met by the Admiral. For some reason, he seemed ages older than when I had seen him last, though it hadn't even been a year.
   "Welcome back, Cardassia," he greeted me. "I'm sorry about the fleet's disheveled appearance. We just left a pretty intense fight, and some things turned sour. It's truly a bittersweet victory."
   "I saw the news reports, and it reported that you had almost no casualties."
   He nodded. "There were no Federation casualties, but I lost my best Hunter in the explosion. But it's no use dwelling on that. I think I might already know why you're here, but I'd like confirmation from you."
   I smiled. "Yes, I've come to accept your offer."
   The man seemed glad. "Good, although I can't for the life of me fathom why it took you seven months to decide whether or not to say yes or no."
   "It's a long story. I'm sure you can get the short version from Captain Vyn, but you won't hear it from me. No offense."
   "None taken. It would have been nice if you had accepted earlier, though. We needed all the good pilots we could get during that battle, and, judging by your ship, you count as a good pilot. Or at least a good mechanic. What kind of technology is that, anyway?"
   I shrugged. "A mix of a lot of different parts from many planets. Mostly N'Kren, but there's quite a bit of other types mixed in. So what, exactly, am I supposed to do?"   
   "Pretty much take contracts only from the Federation. Although, right now, I would love it if you stayed here onboard the Olympus, just until the chaos dies down. If more trouble springs up, we'll need you to help fight it off."
   "I understand."
   A wrist comm that I hadn't even noticed that the Admiral was wearing buzzed suddenly, and he looked just as surprised as me. "I thought I told you I wasn't to be disturbed," he growled into it.
   The same female technician that I had spoken to earlier answered. "I know, sir, but I think you should see this." A large viewing screen lit up the briefing room, and it showed an image of space from off the port side of the flagship. I peered closely at it, but saw nothing.
   "What is it you want me to see? There's nothing!" Dane growled again.
   "Sir, just keep watching. We picked up a comm code that was transmitted from Light Space. Sir...it was Aran's code."
   I watched as the man's jaw dropped. "That can't be...she's supposed to be dead! Please tell me this isn't a trick!"
   "No, sir, it isn't." Then there was a small flash on the screen, and I saw the tiny figure of some kind of alien fighter zipping through space, then halting suddenly in front of the Olympus. From this camera angle, I couldn't tell quite what it looked like, but it seemed to be shaped like a trident.
   Admiral Dane looked like he was about to have a heart attack, and I prepared myself to do CPR on him if he suddenly fell over. "It can't be-! How did she survive?!"
   "I'm sure she can tell you that herself, sir. I'm giving her clearance to land in Bay Two."
   I stood calmly as Admiral Dane seemed to be as excited as a child on Christmas morning, and he turned to me. "Listen, Cardassia, do me a favor and mind your manners when she comes in here. Samus has fought more battles than you and me combined, and has saved this entire galaxy more than once."
   "Funny, the most I ever heard about her was that she intervened in some kind of war between light and dark on some obscure planet."
   Dane raised an eyebrow. "Then either you don't get out much, or you don't watch the news too often."
   "I'd say the latter." Further conversation was cut short as the door hissed open and an incredibly huge...thing came through. It was built like a Human, but was covered entirely in some kind of orange and red armor, and it's green T-shaped visor glowed brightly. I stared openly at the long, sharp knee and elbow spikes that the thing had, and admired the massive cannon that the armored person had in the place of it's right arm. It seemed as though it was studying me carefully too, then Admiral Dane saluted and stepped forward, extending his left hand to shake.
   The armored person took it as he greeted her. "Welcome back, Samus. You have no idea how relieved I was when we received your comm code."
   The person had an accented female voice that didn't match the appearance, and I couldn't discern any emotion in it. "I just made it out alive.  D.S. was nasty; she had nearly killed me."
   What the heck is D.S.? "Yes, well, I'm very pleased that you won." Admiral Dane beckoned one hand to me, introducing us. "Samus Aran, this is Luke Cardassia. He's a bounty hunter like yourself, and has just become a legally registered Hunter of the Federation."
   Samus Aran stepped towards me and extended her left hand, and I smiled cordially, but gave nothing away. "It is good to meet you, Cardassia," she said.
   I nodded, taking her hand and shaking it firmly. The armor oddly felt warm to the touch instead of cold like you'd expect solid metal to be. "It's my pleasure." I stepped back and rested my hand casually on the hilt of my dagger, not sure whether or not to trust her. We stared levelly at each other, and I tried to see what was behind that glowing green visor. She was eight feet tall; my height, and that was a little unsettling, because I was used to being so much taller than other people. I wondered if she was Human, then forcibly stopped that train of thought, knowing that, if I let it, then that question would keep nagging me.
   Admiral Dane came up to us quickly. "Samus, I'd like you to debrief me."
   The Hunter nodded, turning to him and ignoring me. "Yes, Admiral." Dane ordered a nearby marine to escort me out, and I went without any fuss, although I was curious as to what was so secret that they didn't want me to hear. I didn't go immediately back to my ship, but instead wandered around, weaving my way through the mass of Federation marines and stopping next to a large window. The view of the endless black space seemed to draw me to it somehow, and I got an odd feeling, like I might have just taken on a contract that would keep me in a cage. I resolved to keep my promise to Safo though, and knew that I had to keep the contract terms. I sighed, realizing that I had been standing there for half an hour, then walked down the corridors to Bay One.
   Upon entering, I saw that the tall, orange-armored Hunter called Samus Aran was standing next to the Freedom's Call, running her hand along the silver hull. "Hey! What are you doing?" I shouted, speeding up my pace. I did not trust her yet, and right now I was wondering whether or not to try shooting her.
   For some reason, she didn't seem that concerned about me challenging her, and her giant cannon-thing was hanging loosely by her side, as though she didn't want to risk antagonizing me. Her voice sounded neutral as she spoke. "I was just admiring your ship. It truly is a well-made and beautiful craft."
   I relaxed my tense posture somewhat and dropped my accusing tone, but made sure that I could reach my Shuriken easily if she tried anything. "Thanks. I built her myself." I watched as Aran seemed surprised, and we stared at each other for a while, much the same way that we had in the briefing room. Huh, I wonder what Safo would have thought of her. He probably would have been overawed. I smiled at the thought, and I decided that she probably wasn't a threat, considering that she was an employee of the Federation. I brushed past her and vaulted into my ship, then noticed that my pencil-thin blade was thrust into the bottom of the dashboard. I slid myself under it, and saw that it was at an odd angle. I must have thrown it in carelessly and it bounced and lodged it's razor-sharp blade into the thin metal. I twisted it sharply and grunted, trying to get it out. All right, next time I am finished with a weapon, I'm going to set it down inside my ship carefully. I'm fortunate that it didn't stab through a vital system.
   "What are you doing?" I heard Aran ask. I ignored her and yanked on it, then it suddenly gave way, bashing my shoulder against the floor and twisting as me weight landed at an angle. Rrgh! I clenched my jaw, feeling my arm pop out of it's socket. I held the blade in my teeth as I slid myself out from under the dashboard, holding my limp arm. I spat the blade out and it landed behind the chair, then I sat up and braced my shoulder against the ship's wall, jerking sharply and wrenching my arm back into the socket.
   I glared at nothing in particular for a second, then looked up at her. The Hunter was peering over the side of the ship at me. "My arm was accidentally dislocated to where it shouldn't have been." Thankfully, I'm double-jointed and already used to having that happen to me.
   "That doesn't explain what you were doing that led to your arm being dislocated."
   I smirked, but didn't bother responding, instead vaulting out of the ship over her head and landing behind her in a lizard-like crouch. I stared again at her cannon, wondering whether or not she actually had a right arm, then strode away. For some reason, she fell into step beside me, and I was uneasy at having this armored Hunter within two feet from me. I glanced at her a few times, then sped up and overtook her, whirling around so that I stood eye-to-visor in front of her. "Why are you following me?" I demanded.
   "I wasn't following you, I was walking next to you," she pointed out, and I glared at her, wondering how I should respond to an answer like that.
   Then I looked over Aran's shoulder and saw a young man running up to us. "Samus! Sir, er...ma'am!"
   Aran spun on her heel and faced him. "Yes, ensign?"
   "Dane ordered a routine biohazard scan on your ship to make sure that there was no Phazon contamination lingering, but as soon as the biohazard scanning team approached, the missile launchers on your ship opened up and a weird voice threatened us."
   I there was a long silence, then she replied. "I'll deal with him. He was just listening to my orders to seal the ship. Evidently, he saw you guys as a threat."
   That's interesting. Apparently, I'm not the only Hunter who's ever had some other beastie traveling with me as a full-time partner. I grinned for no reason at all, watching as Aran hurried away towards Bay Two. Then I saw a marine rushing towards the bay. "Where are you going?" I asked.
   "Admiral Dane wants to talk to Samus in his quarters."
   "I'll tell her; I'm headed in that direction anyway." The marine nodded, and I entered Bay Two. I was immediately struck by the sheer beauty of her trident-shaped fighter and the sleek designs. Her ship was three times the size of mine, and obviously had plenty of cargo space. Without warning, the elevator on the bottom of her ship hissed downward, and Aran stepped towards me. "Admiral Dane wants to see you," I said before she could ask why I was here.
   "Did he say what for?"
   I shook my head. "He's in the captain's cabin." Aran stood motionlessly, staring at me, and I sighed. "Admiral Dane is waiting for you in his quarters." Honestly, am I the only person in the galaxy who ever studies history?
   "Why didn't you just say that?"
   I smirked and tapped the hilt of my dagger. "I have a flair for antiques, in case you hadn't noticed. Including nautical and out-of-date expressions and idioms. You better get going." I turned and walked away, singing an old Duende ballad quietly. Once I reached my ship, I jumped in and sat there, carefully setting up a transponder. Before now, I practically lived for stealth, so I had never bothered announcing my identity. But now I was going legit, so to speak, so I set the transponder to broadcast the Call's name, and registration. Because it was a custom-build, then she wasn't actually registered anywhere, so I set it to say that I was from Planet Bryyo. It was true, after all, because that's where I was raised. Hopefully, I would get some kind of beastie to hunt soon. I really felt like killing something.

Part 3---Wave Beam

Over the next couple of months, I took many contracts, surpassing all other Federation Hunters and becoming second in rank only to Samus Aran. Admiral Dane had been giving me missions that kept me away from her, and I wondered if he was paranoid that we wanted to kill each other. Most likely, he just didn't want us to start being enemies. I had discovered that she could shoot different kinds of 'beams' from that cannon-thing of hers, which included a Power Beam, a Ice Beam, and something called a Wave Beam, and she could also fold herself into a tiny ball and roll around like a giant marble. I learned that this was called 'Morph Ball form.' I had also used my hacking skills to infiltrate her ship's systems, bypassing some kind of super-advanced computer and digging into her records. I learned quite a bit about her, including that she had been born in the mining colony of K2-L, then the planet was massacred by Space Pirates. She went off the grid for many years, before reappearing as a soldier in the ranks of the Federation. Something happened, though, and she left, becoming a solitary bounty hunter much like I was, until rejoining the GF as one of their paid Hunters. Then she had done many amazing deeds, such as stopping an inter-dimensional war, and blowing up a planet called Zebes. I made sure that I left no trace of my hack into her ship, withdrawing to my own corner of the Olympus and leaving her alone for now. Then I discovered that she had tried to hack into my ship's system, and succeeded, though she hadn't covered her tracks as well. From what I could tell, she had only gleaned the information that I came from Planet Bryyo, and that I had no history. I, unlike her, did not keep detailed logbooks of my past onboard my ship.
   I still lost my temper and fired off two of my missiles at her ship, though. The funny thing is, the missiles just bounced off and flew into the void of space, leaving black scorch marks, but not damaging it in the slightest. Thankfully, no one noticed my actions, otherwise I would have been arrested. After that, Aran seemed to try to find evidence that I was the one that had blackened her ship, and I noticed that she began trying to keep track of my movements. I responded accordingly by avoiding her. Supposedly, from what rumors I could glean from the flagship' crew, she was trying the cleanse the galaxy of Phazon radiation, although right now she was berthed here in the Olympus for some reason. I guess even invincible saviors needed some down-time every now and then. I had just come back from doing a bounty on the planet of Solairon 12, and was majorly ticked off. I had captured the bounty successfully, but then was attacked by some type of giant evil predator. I had been able to fend it off, but it had managed to kill the bounty and I had been forced to bash it's head in with my Luger to drive it away. So, I had lost a target, and the usability of my pistol all on one mission, and now I was travelling through the halls of the Olympus towards Admiral Dane's quarters. Along the way, I wove neatly through a mass of soldiers who were apparently on lunch break, or something, then I suddenly banged right into a marine. "Oh!" he shouted, jumping back. "I'm sorry, I wasn't watching where I was going."
   I stared down at him, wondering how a soldier wearing high-tech marine armor could not be able to notice an eight-foot-tall man coming towards him. He had obviously been on a mission, or something, because his armor was coated in a fine layer of sand, most of which had been transferred to me in our collision. I brushed off my bodysuit, keeping my face expressionless. "Don't worry about it." I started to walk past him, but he put out one hand and stopped me. I turned slowly, my eyes narrowing. "Yes? Did you need something, trooper?"
   "Who are you? I don't remember seeing you around before."
   I shrugged. "Probably because I like to keep a low profile."
   The marine nodded, then he looked around. "We're drawing a crowd. C'mon, I know where we can get away from this mob. Where are you headed?"
   "Nowhere in particular." Actually, I'm headed to Admiral Dane's quarters, but I guess it can wait until the crowd dies down. I followed him as he led a twisting path through the mass of soldiers, and we entered an armory. Two other men were in the room doing some kind of mock duel, throwing lightning-fast punches at each other without really hitting anything. I and my escort stood there watching them, then the taller of the two fighters suddenly ducked and came up behind the other, getting him in a tight headlock. The restrained man threw up his hands in surrender, and the tall man let him go.
   My escort removed his helmet, revealing a middle-aged face with sandy-brown hair and pale blue eyes. He grinned up at me. "What you just witnessed was an epic battle between Commander David Jael and Demo-Expert Simeon Rinan. Of course, as usual, Jael won."
   The tallest marine smiled at me, his blue eyes glittering as his dark gray hair fell over his eyes. "Pleasure to meet you," he said in a deep bass voice. I shook his hand, guessing that he was Commander Jael, judging by the insignia on his armor.
   The other man had Native American features, and he nodded a greeting, then went over to the bench and sat down. My escort shrugged. "Rinan rarely ever talks. Why, we have no idea. I guess he's just the strong, silent type. I'm Lieutenant Ivan Crany."
   I smiled. "My name's Luke."
   Commander Jael looked interested, but, surprisingly, didn't ask any questions, instead he sat down next to Rinan and began calibrating his rifle. Crany grinned for no reason. "We actually number five altogether, but I think Higgs and Vance were doing some recon in the mess hall. Honestly, those two eat like a pack of wolves."
   I chuckled, remembering Safo's description of me, and I dropped my serious façade, then twitched slightly as I heard the sounds of the crowd getting quieter. "I'm assuming that you are all part of some kind of team?"
   He nodded. "Platoon '09. So you're the latest Federation Hunter, eh? You've made quite an impression in such a short time."
   "I didn't have to do much. I've been a Hunter for most of my life. The only difference was changing my status from freelance to Federation." From the sound of it, the crowd had died out completely, so I decided to leave. "I have to go now. It was nice meeting you all." The three men stared at me silently, then I had to restrain myself from covering my ears as they shouted the word 'goodbye' at the top of their lungs, even the serious and implacable Rinan joining in with a humungous grin. Is that a military thing, or is it just them? I laughed, then hurried out of there before they could make any more incredibly loud noises, heading up towards Admiral Dane's quarters.
   I knocked quietly on the door, then entered as I heard his voice say "Come in." The Admiral was seated at a desk, but I could barely make out his features, because the room was pitch-black. Is this guy a vampire, or did he have a power outage in this room? I blinked rapidly as the lights suddenly came on with blinding intensity. "What do you need, Cardassia?" he asked.
   "Sir, I was wondering if I would be allowed to access the ship's store of Durala metal to repair my damaged weapon."
   He looked surprised at how I had just blurted out my request. "I suppose, but don't take more than five grams, understood?"
   "Yes, sir. Thank you." I gave a military salute, then left the room quickly before he could suggest another contract for me to take. I decided to take a break for a while before doing any more missions. I soon found the cargo bay, and opened the door. What is it with these people? Don't they believe in installing lights in these rooms? I took a few steps forward, then halted suddenly. Is it my imagination, or did a faint orange glow just come from behind that crate over there? I crept up to it silently, then jumped up and perched on top of a bunch of crates that were stacked precariously, and I swayed my body in time with the motion of the shifting crates, keeping my balance as I stared down, drawing my breath sharply at what I saw. To my surprise, Samus Aran was sitting behind the large crate, her spiked knees drawn up to her chest and her arm and her cannon tucked around them. It looked like she had been trying to transform into her Morph Ball form, but had been stopped halfway through the process. Her visor wasn't glowing bright green like it had before, and I could see her nose and eyes through it. Her eyes, by the way, were closed tightly, as though she were pretending that I wouldn't see her if she couldn't see me. I couldn't restrain the amusement that crept into my voice as I spoke. "Miss Aran, may I ask why you are hiding down here?"
   She opened one eye and glanced up at me. Her voice was dispassionate, although her eye conveyed annoyance towards me. "What makes you think I am hiding?" She squeezed her eyes tightly shut again.
   I smirked at her. "The fact that you are crouched behind a crate in the very back of the cargo bay. Why are you down here?"
   She opened both eyes, and I wasn't sure if I was imagining it, but she looked on the verge of laughing. "I could ask you the same thing, Cardassia."
   I shrugged, then shifted my balance and drew out my damaged Luger to that she could see the twisted metal of the barrel. "The barrel of this one was smashed on a bounty. Dane told me that I could use the Durala metal needed to repair it that is down here."
   Her gaze settled on my gun, then focused on me. "What happened?"
   "Some type of evil beastie on Solairon 12 attacked me and stole my bounty, and I was forced to bash it's head in. The thing had a skull of rock."
   "The crates of Durala are over there," she said, vaguely pointing with her arm cannon towards one corner. I twisted halfway around to look, spotting the pile of crates, then I felt the world collapse under me as the stack of boxes that I was on caved inwards. I hissed and leapt straight upwards, clinging to a ceiling beam and glaring down at Aran.
   She looked amused as I swung down and landed catlike on top of the crates of Durala. "Did you really have to do that?" I asked, knowing that there was no way that the crates should have done that unless she had kicked them.
   There was laughter in her voice as she answered. "I am sorry, I could not resist the perfect opportunity."
   I rolled my eyes, but knew that, if our positions had been reversed, I would have done the same thing. I just would probably not try to hide my amusement. She stood and watched as I took out the right amount of Durala needed to repair my pistol. I was about to leave, then I turned back to her. "May I ask why you were down here?"
   "I was trying to be alone for a bit," she said, her eyes narrowing into an icy glare. "So far, that attempt has failed."
   I smiled, not bothered in the least bit that I had disrupted her quiet-time. I wonder if I would be able to find out why she blew up an entire planet. "Why did you blow up Zebes? Was there even any point to that?"
   Her eyes widened in shock, then narrowed in anger. "It was necessary, otherwise I never would have done it."
   "Why would you need to blow up an entire planet, though?"
   She glared viciously at me, and I began to see that I must have struck a chord. "If I could have saved Zebes, I would have risked everything to do so."
   It sounded like the planet was her homeworld the way she was talking about it, so I began to think that, maybe I could find out more if I touched the right nerve. "Now you're making it sound like the barren wasteland was actually important to you."
   Of course, I was a moron, and it didn't occur

[Romsca]

Cool!

[Tam and Martin]

That's neat!

[Martin the warrior]

wow