Disclaimer: I do not Metroid, but all other characters, not affiliated with Metroid that appear in my story are my creations and belong to me.

Author's Note: DO NOT READ THIS STORY UNLESS YOU HAVE READ REDISCOVERY. With most sequels you can easily pick up the circumstances. This is not the case. If you read this, you will be confused as to who Rista Nevaria is, what connection she holds to Samus, etc. If you read this first, then go back and read Rediscovery, the big mystery will be ruined for you. Please read Rediscovery first. Thank you.

She was not really comfortable with the scene. The loud music, flashing lights and crowds dancing so close, that in fifty-four planets of the Borcon galaxy, it was outlawed for indecency. She had no real interest in the men that kept sneaking her looks, yet she kept flickering her blue eyes at them flirtatiously, more so to prove something than to catch their eye. Finally her companion had enough.

"That's it Samus, I regret bringing you here," Rista groaned, taking a sip of her drink. Samus laughed.

"You were the one wanting to spend quality time together," Samus said. Rista rolled her eyes.

"You're tormenting me," Rista accused her, pushing a strand of her brown hair back. "And I have a feeling you're doing it on purpose." Samus traced her finger around the rim of her own glass.

"You think?" She said. "So what, I like tormenting you. It's my new hobby. Quite entertaining."

"You know, when I first met you, again I mean, a few months ago, I couldn't even get you to crack a joke even like that," Rista pointed out.

"So?"

"So I'm a bad influence on you. You are a bounty hunter. You have a reputation to uphold, and I don't want to be the one blamed for tarnishing your record." Rista caught the eye of a handsome auburn haired man across the room, and she smiled at him as she raised her glass to her lips.

"People assumed I have that reputation. I don't talk with many people, so who really knows what I am like." The man began to approached, pushing his way through the crowd.

"Ain't he a cutie," Rista brought him to Samus' attention. Samus sighed.

"Whatever you say."

"You need a man in your life, Samus."

"I do not."

"Do so."

"Hello ladies," The man spoke, his voice smooth. His cinnamon eyes smiled down at them.

"Hello yourself," Rista said, but Samus remained silent, critically studying him, as she did with all strangers.

"Rista Nevaria, I presume," He said. Rista smiled and nodded. When Samus and her paired as a official duo, they agreed it was for the best to keep the name Nevaria, to avoid arousing suspicion.

"How'd you know?" She asked.

"I hear you're a regular here," He said. "My name is Daz. And who is this?" He gestured towards Samus, who only rolled her eyes.

"My partner and roommate. Don't mind her, she can be shy sometimes."

"Oh yes, because I am just so bashful and flustered around strangers," Samus mumbled under her breath. Daz laughed.

"Close friends?" He asked. Rista grinned mischieviously.

"So close, you could say we were like sisters," She glanced over at Samus.

"Except if were sisters, I would probably have killed myself by now," Samus joked sullenly. She felt a vibration in her pocket and slipped out an intercell. The intercell was like a cell phone, only it's range went through forty-two galatic regions. "Aunty's calling. I'll be outside to answer this." She stood and exited the club, leaving Rista alone with Daz. Rista smirked at him.

"Wanna buy me another drink?" She held up her empty glass and shook it lightly, the ice ringing against the walls.

"Depends, how much have you had tonight?" He asked, taking Samus' seat.

"What? Worried about how many drinks you'll have to buy before I'm drunk?" Daz laughed and slid his arm around her. She pushed it off politely.

"Nuh uh. Samus tries to restrict us to one drink each, but now that she's gone, I could slip another in without her knowledge."

"She sounds like fun." Daz commented, signaling a barmaid.

"Haven't seen the good ol' days of parties since I joined her," Rista said. "But we have a different kind of fun. A more exciting kind of fun."

"You're not gay, are you?" Rista burst out laughing.

"No, I can assure you that. We're buisness partners. Strictly that," Rista said. She accepted the clear fluid the barmaid handed her.

"So what exactly do you do?" Daz leaned in expectantly.

"I don't disclose that type of information to strangers." She sipped it cautiously. She knew how to taste foreign substances in the alcohol; so, if this man was trying to drug her, she would discreetly spit it back out in the glass. It seemed fine; so, she swallowed.

"Why I'm hurt," He gave a look of mock dejection. "Don't you trust me."

"Nope," She said bluntly. Daz laughed.

"You are a cute little one," He said. He ruffled her hair like a big brother would, causing her to slap away his hands. She giggled.

"You know, I've killed men for less than that," She told them, knowing he would take it as a joke. Little would he know that it was really actually true.

"Rista, we have to leave," Samus broke up their meeting, a stern, slightly apprehensive look on her face. Rista took the hint and stood up.

"What's wrong?" Her smile faded, and a serious tone was evident in her voice. Samus shook her head with a glance towards Daz.

"Not here." Samus led Rista out of the club, butting their way through the hoards of people. Rista took a deep breath of the cool night air once they were outside, relishing it from the stuffy atmosphere of the club. She hurried to keep up with Samus through the streets of Taras. It was agreed between the two of them always that they never discussed a potential job until they were in the safety of their apartment.

Finally, they reached their building. They spent the elevator ride up in eerie silence, Samus tapping her impatiently. Rista rarely saw Samus this anxious. Once the door dinged open, she rushed out, eager to get in their apartment. Rista followed at a slower pace, curious as to what was going on but not so much that she would make a huge spectacle out of it.

As soon as she shut the door behind her, Samus began telling her what happened.

"Colleen called me," She began.

"I picked that up," Rista said, waltzing over to their couch and flopping down. She laid down, her head at one of the rests. Samus just paced in front of her.

"She heard some interesting news on the Federation Spy Communcation Network," Samus explained.

"Wait, isn't she retired? Why does she still have one?" Rista asked, idly playing with a cushion.

"I'll explain," Samus said, irritated that she had been interupted. "They had a Piritian Message on there, coded of course. Colleen, having been a spy for them, of course is well aquinted with their language and some of their codes. Now, they could have been just Bill's codes, but there is a familiar pattern of codes between all the units. So the Federation was thinking that Colleen could take up one more job just helping them decipher these."

"And?"

"And Colleen diciphered them to the best of her knowledge. She found some disturbing news. Apparently Bill left plans for the ultimate weapon that could defeat me, designed by him." Rista laughed.

"Aww, is Sammy scwared?" She cooed. "Come on, nothing like that should worry you. Especially something made by Bill. It's probably two toothpicks strung together with yarn."

"I'm not worried about anything. It's just…interesting." Samus said softly.

"What is?"

"These plans had a name, Rista," Samus told her.

"Listen, I'm not a physic here. So are you going to tell me?" Samus sighed.

"Rista, it's called Project Nevaria." Rista immediately bolted up, and then she began to laugh.

"Oh come on Samus," She said in a fit of giggles. "He probably gave them before you got involved in the mess and told them to knock me off. Perhaps they thought it would work better on you.

"I'm not so sure about that," Samus said solemnly. "I have a really bad feeling about this Rista. I don't they meant you in the Nevaria Project."

"Then who would it be?" Rista challenged her. Samus looked at her, and she suddenly realized she had never told Rista about this. Then again, should she? Samus was going out a limb here guessing who it was. No, she would save it until she had more proof.

"No one," She stood. "I think I'll go to bed now." Rista nodded.

"Don't mind me if I'm still up," Rista said. "I'll guess I'll try some background on this Nevaria Project to put your little heart at ease. Can't sleep anyways; so, I might as well do something productive."

"Thanks," Samus said.

"Eh, don't bother," Rista pushed it off, standing up as well. "If they want you dead, they probably want me dead, or they will soon anyways." She grinned. "Besides, I wouldn't want to lose you again." She pinched Samus' cheek, who immediately slapped her away- not hard but enough to show her point.

"Don't do that." It was hard to remain serious around Rista's antics sometimes, even if they were as immature and degrading as that. Still, Samus was able to keep a stone face. She knew Rista could see through it anyways.

"I'm older. I can do whatever I want," Rista reminded her before disapearing into their computer room. Samus shook her head. She had grown used to this in the last few months. She smiled, secretly so that Rista would not have the satisfaction of seeing it. There was a sort of sibling rivalry that grew between the two.

Samus went into her room, privately hoping her theory was not true.

Author's Note: YAY! My first chappie of the sequel is finished. I hope you guys enjoy this as much as the last. Review! Review! Review!