Beyond Emerald Glass

I. Solitude
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“The secret to ultimate power resides in the Alimbic Cluster…”

That was what had started all of this. Samus had heard it in her sleep, words without a voice. She had sat upright in her bed, unsure if she had been dreaming, only to hear it repeated, over and over in her mind, calling her to a place she had never been to.

Apparently she wasn’t the only one. The Federation had contacted her once more, putting upon her another strenuous assignment. Never mind the fact that she had just saved the galaxy from Space Pirate conspiracy, yet again. Never mind that she had been planning on enjoying her well deserved time off.

There was really no arguing with the Galactic Federation, though. There requests were not really requests as much as they were orders. She supposed she could fight it, if she really wanted to. But it hardly seemed worth the trouble, and they always paid handsomely.

She had set out on the mission, towards a place called the Alimbic Cluster. Her objective was to find the power mentioned in this strange message, and, if it could not be successfully secured, destroy it. It was actually out of the Federation’s ruling jurisdiction, but Samus Aran was a bounty hunter, and the rules applied much more loosely to someone of her profession.

That very advantage, though, was already becoming a problem. Other hunters had heard the call, as well, and were all determined to find this “ultimate power” for their own purposes. She had already come across one in a place known as the Celestial Archives, a horrid green brute that had tried to kill her and rob her of whatever she had on her. She could only hope that the other hunters weren’t any more formidable.

That had been earlier that day. Presently, she sat at the helm of her starship, examining the bluish crystal in her hand. After cross referencing it with everything she had scanned in the archives, her computer had deemed it an Octolith. Whatever it was, the green bounty hunter had wanted it pretty badly. It would be prudent to hold onto it.

Samus rose from her seat, leaving the Octolith in the chair. It had been a tiring day, and she wanted a bath more than anything else. She had already shed her power suit, and approached the washroom of her ship before ridding herself of her tight, blue under-suit.

She activated the taps and tested the water before pulling down the zipper of her one piece garment, first revealing her toned bare back to the mirror against the wall, then the rest of her body, examining herself before indulging in the steaming hot bath.

Her lifestyle kept her in great shape. She pulled the tie out of her ponytail, letting her long blonde hair fall over her breasts, admiring the natural feeling of being naked. She was cooped up in that power suit far too often. Her figure, full yet toned, was something to be admired, but she hardly had time for such luxuries.

Samus stepped backwards into the bath. Adventure after adventure had endowed her with enough balance to do this without looking. She sank into the water, moaning a bit in satisfaction as the hot water eased her body from the day’s previous exertion. Still, as she leaned over the side of the basin and looked at herself in the mirror, she could see a forlorn look in her own blue eyes.

Her lifestyle was fulfilling in many ways, but it wasn’t perfect. It was actually rather lonely. For all intents and purposes, she was really her own best friend. There was just her and the next mission. Her starship was her only home. She moved around far to often to settle down on any one planet, which made her dilemma even worse. She met people when she could, but such bonds hardly lasted.

She had only ever been in one relationship, with her former commanding officer, Adam. It had been passionate and wonderful, but it had also been short lived, only to end in tragedy. Other than that, Samus’ social and love life consisted of the occasional one night stand during her downtime between assignments. In spite of the solitary nature of it, though, Samus had never considered giving up what she did. It was what she was born to do, and she couldn’t imagine herself anywhere else.

Finished bathing, Samus got out of the bath, grabbing a towel from a rack on the wall and wrapping it around herself. She used a second one to dry her hair, but didn’t wrap it about her head as most women did. She liked the feel of her hair falling around her shoulders.

She exited the bathroom and headed down the hall towards her bedroom. Her starship’s scanner had picked up several more planets in the area, and tomorrow she would set course for one. If today had been any indication of how eventful this mission would be, she would have this over with in no time. This ultimate power, whatever it was, was as good as found.

For now, it was time to settle in. She always followed the same routine before bed, unless she was forced to sleep in the field. First a bath, then some time to wind down, then sleep.

The door slid open as she approached, letting her inside. It wasn’t luxuriously furnished. The room was the same motif as the rest of the ship interior, cold, emerald tinted metal. There was a large bed, with combination nightstand bureaus on either side. Against the opposing wall was a television that she hardly used. There was a large window along the far wall, painting the otherwise dark room in the ethereal glow of a nearby planet. Looking around the ridiculously plain room made her realize again how lonely she was. She at least needed a pet, or something.

Samus climbed into bed, letting her towel fall from her body and onto the floor as she did so. Living on one’s own had its advantages, she supposed. She never had to worry about anyone else. She could do what she liked, when she liked, from sleeping in the nude to leaving towels wherever she let them drop.

Still warm from the bath, she didn’t bother pulling the blanket over herself. She toyed with a damp strand of her own hair, twirling it between her fingers. She always felt a bit coy before commencing, as if she had someone to impress. She shook the feeling off. By now, she should have accepted the sad fact that it was a nightly routine, and there was no one at all to impress.

Samus trailed her fingers down her own body, momentarily stopping to knead at her own breasts. Her other hand still played with her own blonde lock of hair, only now with less hesitation and more anticipation. She found it a little pathetic that this was a high point of her day, but she could hardly sleep without it.

Her fingertips continued downwards, tickling her midriff as she played up and down her own hiplines. She raised one knee from the bed, her foot planted on the mattress. Her misty blue eyes closed as her hand found its way between her thighs. She could feel the smooth, shaven skin of her sex, save for a single, trimmed, vertical line. Adam had liked it, and she had never dropped the habit of leaving it while shaving.

Her index finger rubbed the surface of her folds, eliciting small throbs of pleasure from her. She bit softly at her own bottom lip, her tongue playing with it between her teeth. Her free hand was now completely engulfed in her hair, pulling and entwining. A moan escaped her mouth as she slipped a digit into herself, her tight heat responding excitedly to the stimulation.

She slowly pumped her finger in and out, teasing at her own inner walls. She inserted another without interrupting the rhythm. Her hips rolled minutely towards her slowly moving fingers. Her other hand was still entwined in her golden tresses, her lip pressed between her teeth. She felt herself growing steadily wetter from the continuing stimulation, the waves of bliss increasing with each stroke.

Her hand moved faster and more deliberately, her body quaking with rapture, her sex throbbing and wet. Samus moaned loudly, aroused by the fact that nobody was around to hear her. She put aside her inhibitions, groaning loudly and lustily, her free hand groping her breasts, teasing hard at her own erect nipples. Her legs alternated positions, one knee arched and one flat, then they would switch. Samus bit down on her lip hard enough to cause pain, but didn’t stop. It added to the intensity.

Samus felt her orgasm welling up within her. Her back arched upwards, her free hand grasping desperately at the bed sheets, her climaxing body a portrait of absolute beauty and desire. Her hand worked tirelessly between her legs, her orgasm peaking for what seemed like an eternity.

But then it subsided, her body falling limp and exerted. Her chest heaved as she caught her breath. The light of the stars outside made her skin seem to glow, her blue eyes open and shining with tears.

Normally she fell contently to sleep after this. Not tonight, however. She couldn’t shake the permeating feeling of solitude that had been haunting her all day. She felt helplessly and utterly alone, unmissed by any friends she might have had in another life, cursed to be loved by no one, identified less with her real face and more with the blank stare of the green visor that masked it. A robot, emotionless and greeted with nothing but apathy.

Samus Aran cried, the light from space shining upon her tear streaked face. She sobbed until her throat hurt and sleep took her.

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Hey everyone. I couldn't wait to finish the R.E. fic before starting this one, so I'll be writing them simultaneously. Hopefully that won't slow me down. Also, I'm a big fan of the Metroid series, but I haven't played through this particular title. I'm brushing up on the main plot, and watching a playthrough to familiarize myself with the levels. I hope you like it. Tell me what you think of the first chapter. As always, Read, Rate, Review, and Enjoy!!!