Third Time's the Charm

The troopers looked uneasy.

Their visors were polarized and they were equipped with power armour and energy rifles, but still, Samus could tell they were uneasy. An entire squad of them stood in the landing bay of the GFS Vesuvius, and if she had to guess, more troopers on standby throughout the ship. That, and a full complement of railguns and missile launchers that could shoot her gunship out of the sky as soon as it got tenklicks away from the docking bay. Still, she hadn't got out of her own armour. Armour that looked and felt alien to her, even hours after retrieving it from the SA-X, but armour all the same. Far as she could tell, it would still function properly. So, she stood her ground. Looked at one of the troopers who came forward. Given the chevrons attached to his armour, she guessed he had the rank of captain. His visor un-polarized.

"Aran."

She returned the favour, unpolarizing her visor, but keeping it in scan mode. Identified him as-

"Captain Christophe Rudkowe," she said.

"You know my name?"

"Federation databases are very helpful."

"Hmm." He looked around the hanger as if he'd never stepped inside it before. Looked at her suit, appreciating that yes, the spikes were new, as was the new style gained from the SA-X. Nodding to the fellow troopers, they moved onto the ship. Moved with a bit less speed than they might under normal circumstances, but moved all the same. "Well, we'll see how long that remains open."

Looking over her shoulder, Samus saw the dachoras and etecoons coming off. Looking tired and confused. She turned back to Rudkowe.

"What are you doing to my ship?"

"Our, ship," he said. One of the troopers gave a dachora a nudge with his rifle. "This ship is Galactic Federation property. Giving it to you was only for the duration of the mission."

"At the time, I wasn't aware that the mission involved being sabotaged so that another parasite could be unleashed on the universe." The captain's cheek twitched. A tell, she wondered? She pressed forward.

"You know, don't you?" she continued

"I know that we got our orders to head for SR388 when Biologic Space Laboratories went offline."

"And that's what you were told." Samus patted her arm cannon. "How much did you actually know before that?"

Rudkowe crossed his arm. "I'll make you a deal – we agree to not talk about how much I know, and I'll ensure that your animal friends get to go to whatever planet they want within ten parsecs."

Samus glanced back at the dachoras and etecoons. Still tired. Still confused. The smaller of them even looked frightened. They were creatures that had helped her survive on Zebes, but they could do nothing against rifles that would accelerate projectiles at super-sonic speeds. Samus gave a nod to them, then turned back.

"Fine," she said. "And fifteen."

"Fine," Rudkowe said. He turned around and began speaking into his helmet comm. Tuning her suit's amplification modules, Samus picked up on some of the conversation – translators and medium range transports. Far as she could tell, it was on the level. If not…right now, she wasn't sure what she could do. If anything. She was already on a Federation battlecruiser. Chances were she might not get off soon.

"It's done," Rudkowe said. "Follow me please."

"I thought you said it was done."

"Transport plans are done. We, however, aren't."

"I don't take orders from you."

"Actually, you do," Rudkowe said. "I believe your orders were to investigate BSL-"

"I did investigate."

"…and leave the ship to the Galactic Federation. Not plunge it into SR388 like an idiot."

"Look at the X," Samus said softly. "Then look in the mirror."

"Meaning?"

"Meaning that if I'd followed orders, we'd be having a very different conversation about a very different idiot." She took a step forward. "And I'm also curious as to who you speak for."

"People higher than either of us." Rudkowe stood still and Samus looked over her shoulder again. Troopers. Another squad. All armed, all with visors down. All unease gone.

"Come with me," Rudkowe said.

They were in a black room.

Rudkowe hadn't called it a black room, but Samus knew it for what it was – a black room. Lingo for a room that prevented any communication coming in or going out from the room. It was reserved for the most top secret of Federation meetings, ranging from black ops to sensitive diplomatic material. This black room was somewhere in the depths of the Vesuvius. Its 'magma chamber,' she supposed. If so…sitting at the table, she grimaced. She was ready to explode. She'd done Rudkowe the favour of deactivating her power suit, but watching as he walked into the room, data slate in hand, she reminded herself that she wouldn't need chozo technology to put him in his place. Him, and all the other idiots who'd thought that the X were worth saving. Nonetheless, she held off on an eruption. Watched and waited as Rudkowe slid the slate over to her.

"Sign here please."

She blinked. "Pardon?"

"Sign here," he said. "And then you leave."

Samus ran over the slate's contents then slid it back over. "Go to hell."

Rudkowe sighed. "Are you really doing this?"

"I can do a lot of things."

"Yes, I know. Everyone knows. We know so much that this is why we're being lenient."

"I don't see how this is lenient."

"You get paid your full fee, coupled with free transport, along with immunity from any charges."

"In exchange for the loss of my ship-"

"Our, ship."

"…and silence." She leant back in her chair and folded her arms. "The people of BSL deserve better."

Rudkowe leant back as well. "I can agree there. So tell me – is that why you're so angry? That because you're the one who killed them?"

"What?"

"Your suit. Your power bomb."

"That…" She trailed off. "You know that was the SA-X."

"I do. Many do. But for everyone who calls you the saviour of the galaxy, there's an equal number of people who might draw connections between BSL and Ceres and how disaster often follows where you walk. Who might call into question for visiting planets and turning them into rubble. Who might wonder if your lax attitude to the chain of command and Federation property is worth it."

"You…you know…"

"The Space Pirates are gone. The metroids are gone. Thanks to you, the X are gone, along with any potential they might have had."

"They had none."

"Indeed? And what about the metroids? You spared the infant on SR388. You clearly thought it was worth taking to Ceres. And the fact that you're still standing here is testament to all the good that preserving a species might do. No matter how hostile they might seem."

Samus fell silent. Rudkowe was right. Wrong as well, but still, right. The metroid had saved her. Two times. Once against Mother Brain, once as a cure for the X. It-

Three times.

Three times, she reflected. Looking back, she realized that she'd never given it credit for helping her fight Ridley after she'd first encountered it. At the time, she didn't consider it to have saved her. She'd defeated that flying lizard so many times, the prospect of needing help at that point had evaded her. But, she supposed, it had saved her. Three times. Third time was the charm to make her realize how much a metroid had given her. Enough to give her pause to even wonder about the X. Enough to-

No.

She'd done the right thing. She had to believe that. Destroying BSL, not fleeing the Vesuvius when it emerged from FTL travel above her ship, of trusting that the dachoras and etecoons would make it to safety…she had to. All that remained was to decide whether she'd spend the rest of her life allowing BSL to be forgotten, or if she'd do…something else.

"What happens to Adam?" she asked.

"Hmm?" Rudkowe looked up from another data slate.

How long was I thinking? "What happens to Adam?" she repeated. "The ship's AI?"

"I don't understand," Rudkowe said. "I wasn't aware that anything needed to happen to him."

"But-"

"Aran, let me spell this out for you. There's people who want your head on a pike. There's also people who recognise that the galaxy is a dangerous place and that bounty hunters are still a valuable resource. Signing this is the best way to placate both parties."

"And which party do you belong to?"

"Me?" He looked at the wall. "I'm the one who…understands." He looked back at her. "One of us has to."

Samus paused. Paused for what felt like a lifetime. Paused, as she reflected on his words. Just now. And before.

I wasn't aware that anything needed to happen to him.

And before that.

One of them will understand. One of them must.

Then, slowly, she took the slate. Took its stylus. Signed her name. Reflecting that the black display of S. Aran should be red rather than black. Rudkowe swiped the slate before she could reflect any further though.

"Thank you," he said, getting to his feet. "I'll make preparations for transport."

Samus remained seated as he walked to the door. His hand went up to the keypad, but paused. He looked back at her.

"Was it revenge?"

"What?"

"You're got metroid DNA lurking in you somewhere. You've eradicated the X. You're still alive because of how a metroid saved you twice."

"Three times."

"What?"

"Three times," Samus repeated.

Rudkowe frowned. "But I thought-"

"Someday, I'll tell you about it," she said.

Rudkowe paused. Then nodded. Then dialled his code on the keypad and walked out. Leaving Samus alone.

She was long since used to that.

A/N

So, did Return of Samus retcon Fusion? As in, Samus reflects that she owes the infant metroid her life twice over, but coupled with Ridley showing up at the end of Samus Returns and the role the infant plays, shouldn't that be three times? Eh, it's not worth making a fuss over. But it did get me to ditty this up.

Update (21/04/19): The story has a reading on YouTube by Coombs & Kuroba. Type in "Third Time's the Charm Metroid" and it should be the second result.