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Ing-Luminoth War
The Ing-Luminoth War [conjectural title] is a fanon name that refers to the conflict between the Luminoth and Ing races of Planet Aether, occurring prior to and during the events of Metroid Prime 2: Echoes.
Events Leading to War
During the Golden Age of Luminoth discovery, technology, and culture, a stellar object approached the race's home planet of Aether.[1] Though the Luminoth attempted to use their weaponry to alter its trajectory, these ultimately proved ineffectual and weakened Aether's planetary reserves.[2] The residents stored food and water and took shelter from the blast,[3] but most of the planet was completely ravaged by the impact, hailing the beginning of a Dark Age on Aether. The planet held, despite expectations, but the land was transformed and half of Aether's planetary energy was gone: the Agon Plains were completely scorched and became a desert, and the Torvus Forest was engulfed by floods and turned to marshlands.[4][5] What the Luminoth hadn't forseen was that the collision into Aether had flung the planet and many objects upon it into a state of Transdimensional Flux, meaning that half of that object's total atomic structure was transported to an alternate dimension of the same formations as Aether's current form.[6] Not much was known about the other world until, during the time J-Gnk acted as the Sentinel of Aether,[7] rifts began to spontaneously appear to that dark dimension, connecting the two lands for the first time.[8] A new race had been formed in the alternate dimension and began swarming out of the rifts, using their unique ability to possess and control life-forms on the indigenous species; the possessed creatures, known by the Luminoth as Darklings, became the main threat during the confrontation and ended their state of peace.[9]
Course of the War
Phase One: Preparation
The first phase of the war was mostly comprised of the Luminoth's attempt to discover the enemy's weaknesses and how to eliminate the dark world, known as Dark Aether, and to preserve their own world.[10] Scientists had, in time, created machines that manually open the rifts to the alternate dimension.[10] Volunteer scouts that had ventured into the rifts discovered much about Dark Aether's geography, atmosphere, and inhabitants.[10] The geography of the land has mostly the same as Aether's, although landscape was highly different, being much darker and more dangerous than the original.[10] The atmosphere of Dark Aether was extremely venomous and corrosive to a light-dweller.[10] The scouts also caught the first glimpse of the true form of the dark creatures, being named the Ing, the Luminoth word for "terror", because of their violent lifestyle.[10] The first scouts did not survive long, due to being unaware of the planet's toxic air.[10] Before the stellar object had landed on Aether, the Luminoth had constructed Energy Controllers that provided the "Light of Aether" across the planet, ensuring peace and prosperity.[11] Dark Aether had acquired half of said energy, weakening the original Aether and keeping Dark Aether alive.[10] These discoveries led to the creation of weapons and equipment that would be efficient in fighting the Ing.
One of the most important inventions of the Luminoth for the war was the Light Crystal, a portable mineral that emits light energy in Dark Aether.[12] Another ability that the crystals have is to replenish the health of any creature alien to the alternate dimension and cause death to and Dark creature that enters its field while energized by light energy. The Crystals allowed the Luminoth to explore the enemy land and bring war to the Ing, although the light shown by the crystals did not protect from Ing attacks.[12] Their current weapons were also incompetent to Ing shielding.[12] The Luminoth withdrew from Dark Aether in order to create better weapon and armor systems.[12] More journeys were made, however, to place Light Beacons across the land, which served the same purpose as Light Crystals except that they are stationary and only emit light when shot at by a non-dark Beam weapon. The safe zone also lasts for a limited time, as opposed to Light Crystals. After the explorations, great Luminoth minds compromised the new technology.[12] The source of Ing attacks was found to be dark energy, the apparent opposite of light energy.[13] A new beam weapon, called the Dark Beam, was created under the assumption that the Luminoth could overload the Ing with the dark energy.[13] The weapon was not as effective as hoped by the scouts, and a new weapon was required, one that uses the opposite polarity.[13] Thus the Light Beam was brought into commission, a light-based weapon that could exterminate Ing forces with excellent efficiency.[13] As more and more creatures of the light were becoming possessed, a new form of armor had to be created just to keep safe in the light world, known as the Energy Transfer Module, for more reasons than this.[14] The other ability that the module is capable of is storing light energy, identical to that which has been transferred to Dark Aether.[15] The use of the device was thought to help end the war quickly with minimal combat involved.[15] However, this was not the case in the future.
Phase Two: Desperation
After dwelling in Dark Aether longer, the Luminoth scouts discovered that the dark counterpart to their Great Temple on Aether is where the leader of the Ing, known as the Emperor Ing, abides.[16] The lair was known as the Sky Temple and, just as the case with the original temple, it houses the main Energy Controller that sends the energy across all regions of the planet.[16] The temple was heavily guarded, and the entrance was barred by a gate that requires ten Keys to unlock.[16] The keys were hidden across Dark Aether by the Ing, and a mission was executed for a group of ten warriors to locate them, known as the Keybearers.[17] They were sent to find the keys and raid the Sky Temple of its energy, restoring the light back to Aether as it was before.[17] All of the warriors were successful in finding their keys, although they were killed shortly after, not even being able to leave the key's general location. Only one of the Keybearers, A-Kul, was able to secure her key and unlock one of the ten locks. In a last-resort attempt to inform anyone else who may try to liberate the Luminoth, she left clues as to where each warrior had fallen. She was killed shortly after this. After they had not returned for quite some time, the rest of the Luminoth went to Aether in search of them.[18] The Energy Transfer Module that had been assigned to them had been captured by the Ing, and was being used by them to seize the Light of Aether from the Energy Controllers on Aether.[18][19] Another mission was planned to set off after a new module was built, but this never came to be due to the Ing's eventual takeover of the entire planet.[18] The entire horde had surrounded the land of Agon, slaying all Luminoth warriors and draining the area's Energy Controller.[19] The forces of the Ing then moved on to Torvus, encountering heavy Luminoth resistance there.[20] The resistance had eventually been overwhelmed by the thousands upon thousands of Ing approaching, and the bog's energy was stolen via the Energy Transfer Module.[20] Hope for survival of the Luminoth had grown dim.
Phase Three: Desolation
The remaining Luminoth forces had gathered at Sanctuary Fortress, preparing for the inevitable siege that would strike the area.[21] waves of Ing bombarded the Fortress, possessing even the Luminoth mechanoids that had been built there.[21] Before long, they had drained the energy from the Fortress' Controller.[21] Only one Controller had remained intact on Aether.[21] With all hope of survival lost for the Luminoth, their only choice was to seclude from the destruction of their home in a life-preserving stasis that begged the question-would the Ing eventually decimate, or will the Luminoth remain in sleep forever?[22] The last remaining sentinel of the Luminoth, U-Mos, stayed behind to guard the final Energy Controller in solitude.[22] This marks the end of the Luminoth's resistance against the Ing.
Aftermath
It is unknown how much time has passed since the Luminoth's stasis. After the incident of Tallon IV, the Space Pirate connections with the Phazon substance had been completely cut off. Phazon is a highly toxic material that the Pirates had used in much of their weaponry during their time stationed on Planet Tallon IV. Although any force that obtains this fluid will become extremely powerful, they may also become Corrupted due to its manipulative effects on an organism's mind. Pirate scientists had discovered the presence of Phazon on Aether, and landed on the planet with no delay whatsoever.[23] While harvesting the Phazon, attacks from the Ing had slowed down their progress, and reinforcements were needed.[24] Before long, the Luminoth technology that had been built some time ago had been discovered and operated by the Space Pirates.[25] They had discovered that the majority of the Phazon was located in the alternate dimension.[25] This rose the need for more supplies and reinforcements.[26] The ship that was initially meant to bring the supplies to the planet was soon engaged in battle by a Galactic Federation ship, the G.F.S. Tyr, that had intercepted the Pirate vessel's path.[27] Although the Tyr had shot down the supply ship, their own frigate had suffered damage and was forced to perform an emergency landing on Aether. GFMC Task Force Herakles, the crew of the Tyr, had set up camp at their landing site and called for extraction from the planet. However, Darklings had attacked the crew before they could escape, and the captain of the crew, Exeter, used the last of his strength to send out a distress signal before collapsing. The Galactic Federation called upon Bounty Hunter Samus Aran to investigate what had happened.
Revival of the Luminoth
Samus Aran's arrival on Aether began the beginning of a new age for the Luminoth. As she flew her Gunship through the planet's harsh climate, it was struck by a bolt of lightning that was caused by the dimensional flux of the planet. She crash-landed in the Temple Grounds, the base area of the Great Temple and the landing site of the G.F.S. Tyr. She began her search for the frigate, and soon found what remained of the crew. Exeter had a recording of the Ing attack from cameras in the ship, or most likely a helmet camera feed. After watching the feed, Samus herself was attacked by Darklings that had transported to the scene of the massacre. She dispatched them, and proceeded to enter the Great Temple herself. There she was attacked by a Dark Alpha Splinter in the main hub. The creature seemed to have held one of the Energy Transfer Modules that the Luminoth had created. Although not even her Scan Visor could identify the object, she was now immune to Ing possession, just as its original purpose had been. She took the elevator to the Energy Controller, where she met U-Mos. The last Sentinel informed Samus of all that had happened over the past years, and how he had been waiting for anything, anyone that could save their civilization from extinction. Samus proudly accepted the feat, and proceeded to journey into each region of Aether and its dark counterpart, taking the stolen energy from Dark Aether and restoring it into the corresponding Energy Controller. She also recovered the weapon and visor systems of the fallen Keybearers, taken by the Ing.
In the meantime while transferring the energy, Samus thwarted Space Pirates and a different entity, Dark Samus, a new persona of the defeated Metroid Prime creature of Tallon IV. Both forces repeatedly attempted to hinder her progress, failing each time. However, in order to gain access to the final Dark Energy Controller and defeat the Emperor Ing, Samus must collect all ten Sky Temple Keys hidden across Dark Aether. She found A-Kul's clues in the gateway where her fallen body lay, and collected the keys herself, all hidden in Ingworm Caches that can only be seen using Dark Visor technology. During her journey as well, she met the final hologram recordings of fallen heroes of Aether that gave their lives to protect the Energy Controllers. Once all of the keys were collected, she gained access to the Sky Temple and faced off against the Emperor Ing. After a long battle, the leader was finally defeated, and the energy was restored to Aether. With no energy to keep it together, Dark Aether began to collapse, the entire dimension being destroyed. Samus, fleeing the area, encountered Dark Samus for the final time, and in a limited time as well. She managed to escape the destruction of the world and return back to the Great Temple, where the awakening Luminoth greeted her. They bowed in honor of her courage, and she left without a word. If Samus had not destroyed the Ing threat, they would most definitely ravage other planets across the galaxy. Peace had, finally, returned to Aether.
Notable Figures
U-Mos
- Main article: U-Mos
U-Mos is the last surviving sentinel of the Luminoth. He was the only survivor that did not join stasis, as to guard the Great Temple's Energy Controller. He met Samus Aran and informed her on her mission to save their world, and gave her advice on where to go, as well as the Light Suit, the ultimate armor against the Dark World.
Samus Aran
- Main article: Samus Aran
Samus Aran is the Bounty Hunter that was called by the Galactic Federation to investigate what had happened to the G.F.S. Tyr on Aether. She eventually met U-Mos and transferred the stolen energy from Dark Aether back to the original mainframe, and destroyed the entire world of Dark Aether.
I-Sha
- Main article: I-Sha
I-Sha was the last sentinel of the Agon Temple who informed Samus on the dangers of Dark Aether in his final hologram.
A-Voq
- Main article: A-Voq
A-Voq was the last sentinel of the Torvus Temple who warned Samus of the toxic waters of Dark Aether and how the Torvus Forest became flooded.
O-Lir
O-Lir was the last sentinel of the Sanctuary Temple who told Samus of his regret for creating the Fortress' mechanoids, as they were possessed and used against their own kind.
X-Qar
- Main article: X-Qar
X-Qar was the first sentinel of planet Aether. She discovered the planet with the first Luminoth and helped settle there.
Q-Cis
- Main article: Q-Cis
Q-Cis was the second sentinel of Aether, succeeding X-Qar, who protected the planet for three centicycles.
V-Mos
- Main article: V-Mos
V-Mos was the third sentinel of Aether and the mother of U-Mos, who died giving birth to him.
J-Gnk
- Main article: J-Gnk
J-Gnk was the fourth sentinel of Aether and the one who ruled during the first Ing attack.
Keybearers
- Main article: Keybearer
The Keybearers were the warriors that were selected to retrieve the Sky Temple Keys from Dark Aether.
See Also
References
- ↑ "By the time we detected the stellar object as it streaked toward our world, it was too late to stop it." —Luminoth Lore "The Stellar Object" (Metroid Prime 2: Echoes)
- ↑ "We fired numerous weapons at it in a vain attempt to alter its trajectory. Nothing worked. Our efforts placed a great strain on the Energy Controllers, and weakened Aether." —Luminoth Lore "The Stellar Object" (Metroid Prime 2: Echoes)
- ↑ "All we could do as the object drew closer was take shelter and wait. We gathered stores of food and water, reinforced the shielding on our dwellings, and spent the last hours in peace." —Luminoth Lore "The Stellar Object" (Metroid Prime 2: Echoes)
- ↑ "The starborne terror burnt through the heavens and struck Aether with and untold might. We all expected the world to shatter...but Aether held. There was great devastation, however. The green plains of Agon were scorched forever, and the forest of Torvus was engulfed and wracked by the sea. The skies burned for days, casting darkness over the land." —Luminoth Lore "Cataclysm" (Metroid Prime 2: Echoes)
- ↑ "In time, the roar of a wounded planet subsided. The air, though fouled, was breathable. Light made its way through the dark veil over our world. Slowly, we ventured out from the shelters of our homer to see what remained of our paradise. What little comfort we gained by surviving was soon shattered. Half of the planet's energy had vanished from the Energy Controllers. Aether became violently unstable as a result. Of the stellar object which stuck our home, there was no sign." —Luminoth Lore "Age of Anxiety" (Metroid Prime 2: Echoes)
- ↑ "Amidst this turmoil, we discovered many anomalies. Spacial disturbances appeared across the land. Object went into a state of dimensional flux, their atoms divided between Aether and...somewhere else. There was little time to ponder these strange happenings, for we had to deal with the devastation of our lands." —Luminoth Lore "The World Warped" (Metroid Prime 2: Echoes)
- ↑ "This is a statue of J-Gnk, the fourth sentinel of Aether. J-Gnk was the Sentinel of Aether when the Ing brought war to Aether. He died in battle while defending the Great Temple." —Scan Data (Metroid Prime 2: Echoes)
- ↑ "The day came when space was torn asunder, revealing dimensional rifts to a dark place." —Luminoth Lore "The Ing Attack" (Metroid Prime 2: Echoes)
- ↑ "Horrible dark swarms streaked forth from these rifts, engulfing nearby creatures and transforming them into what we could come to call darklings. The dark creatures became our enemies, and peace came to an end on Aether." —Luminoth Lore "The Ing Attack" (Metroid Prime 2: Echoes)
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 10.3 10.4 10.5 10.6 10.7 "In time, we created machines to open rifts to our enemy's world. Volunteer scouts went through the rifts and found a twisted world, harsh and poisonous...a Dark Aether. They discovered that this world held the missing half of our planet's energy. They also saw the true face of the enemy, a race we came to call "Ing", meaning terror. Our scouts could not survive long on the surface of Dark Aether, so venomous was its air. Still, we vowed to return. We prepared for war." —Luminoth Lore-Dark Aether (Metroid Prime 2: Echoes)
- ↑ "The main Energy Controller was built in the Great Temple: three sub-controllers were built in Torvus, Agon, and Sanctuary. They collected the energy of Aether, then radiated it over the world to all who needed it. In time we came to call this precious energy the "Light of Aether". It brought peace and prosperity to the Luminoth." —Luminoth Lore-Light of Aether (Metroid Prime 2: Echoes)
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 12.2 12.3 12.4 "We developed Crystals that brought the Light of Aether to the dark world. Using these Crystals allowed our warriors to explore the enemy lands, to bring war to the Ing. Sadly, the Crystals were not enough. We needed stronger weapons, better armor. We withdrew from Dark Aether while our greatest minds devised new engines of war." —Luminoth Lore-Our War Begins (Metroid Prime 2: Echoes)
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 13.2 13.3 "Our studies of the Ing revealed the source of their attacks as dark energy. We built weapons to use this energy, thinking it could overload energy targets and eliminate them. We soon learned our error, as the Dark Beam was not of great effect on the Ing. We then began to develop a weapon that used light energy. This weapon would dispatch the Ing with terrible efficiency." —Luminoth Lore-new Weapons (Metroid Prime 2: Echoes)
- ↑ Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namedterror - ↑ 15.0 15.1 "We were not prepared to fight a long war. The forces of the enemy outnumbered ours vastly. We sought a way to end the war quickly, without extended combat. We decided to build a device to recover our lost planetary energy from Dark Aether. Without this energy, the dark world would cease to be, and our world would be restored to stability." —Luminoth Lore-Restoring Energy (Metroid Prime 2: Echoes)
- ↑ 16.0 16.1 16.2 "We learned that the ruler of the Ing dwelled in a place dubbed the "Sky Temple" by our forces. This place held the planetary energy of Dark Aether as well. It was heavily guarded, and entry was barred by a great gate requiring ten keys to unlock. These keys were hidden throughout Dark Aether by the Ing. A mission was planned, one that would find the hidden keys and recover our missing energy from the Sky Temple." —Luminoth Lore-The Sky Temple (Metroid Prime 2: Echoes)
- ↑ 17.0 17.1 "While our forces on Dark Aether fought desperate battles against superior numbers, our best minds completed their work. The Energy Transfer Module, a device designed to recover our lost planetary energy, was ready at last. A force of our greatest warriors was assembled, each equipped with the best armor and weaponry available. We sent this brave cadre of fighters to invade the Sky Temple and seize the missing energy lying within." —Luminoth Lore-The Final Crusade (Metroid Prime 2: Echoes)
- ↑ 18.0 18.1 18.2 "None of the warriors sent to the Sky Temple returned. Our forces searched Dark Aether for them, in vain. Of the Energy Transfer Module, there was no sign. Though saddened, we set out to prepare another mission, to build another module, to try once more to save our dying world." —Luminoth Lore-Shattered Hope (Metroid Prime 2: Echoes)
- ↑ 19.0 19.1 "A massive Ing attack came to the land of Agon. Soon, the Temple of Agon was surrounded by the Horde, with no hope of salvation. Our gallant warriors there were slain, and Agon fell to the enemy. Our blood chilled when we learned that the energy within that temple was drained. The Ing had found the Energy Transfer Module, and were using it as a weapon against us." —Luminoth Lore-Agon Falls (Metroid Prime 2: Echoes)
- ↑ 20.0 20.1 "The Ing turned their focus on the Torvus Bog next, sending a vast force to lay siege to the temple there. Thousands upon thousands of Ing were destroyed by our warriors, yet they kept coming until there was no Luminoth alive to offer resistance in Torvus. On that day, the energy of Torvus was taken to Dark Aether, and our hopes for survival grew dim." —Luminoth Lore-Torvus Falls (Metroid Prime 2: Echoes)
- ↑ 21.0 21.1 21.2 21.3 "Our battered forces gathered in the Sanctuary Fortress to prepare for the inevitable siege there. They didn't wait long. Wave after wave of Ing assaulted the greatest of our fortresses, with one goal in mind: to seize the energy there. The Ing turned the machines of Sanctuary against our warriors, and soon all was lost. The energy of Sanctuary was taken by the Ing. Only one Energy Controller remained on Aether." —Luminoth Lore-Sanctuary Falls (Metroid Prime 2: Echoes)
- ↑ 22.0 22.1 "What few remained gathered in the Great Temple. There, all but U-Mos, the last Sentinel of Aether, entered into life-preserving stasis. There they remain, to be released once the Ing were destroyed...or to sleep forever. His people safe, U-Mos prepared for the last, terrible assault. In the silence of the Great Temple, he prayed for salvation, for deliverance from the terror of the Ing." —Luminoth Lore-Twilight (Metroid Prime 2: Echoes)
- ↑ "Science teams have discovered the presence of Phazon in the Dasha system four cycles ago. High command authorized the deployment of our team shortly thereafter. Our orders are to establish a base on planet Aether and evaluate local Phazon resources. Because this world lies on the periphery of Galactic Federation territory, we are following stealth protocols at the highest level. A cadre of elite commandos has been dispatched to provide security for our force as well. This operation is now under way." —Space Pirate Data-Log 04.468.1 (Phazon Operations) (Metroid Prime 2: Echoes)
- ↑ "Intelligence reports on the indigenous population of Aether are in error. This planet is not at peace, nor are the inhabitants docile. Evidence of a class 4 conflict is present here, though hostilities are at minimal level now. Our territory has suffered several raids by a strange type of shadowy creature. These raids have caused considerable damage, and we have requested more combat troops in response." —Space Pirate Data-Log 04.885.3 (Local Conflict) (Metroid Prime 2: Echoes)
- ↑ 25.0 25.1 "The Rift Portal has been opened. The artifact weapon, dubbed the "Dark Beam" by science team, provides energy needed to open the portal, although for a limited time. We've sent expeditions through the portal, and they have returned with incredible news. The portal leads to a parallel version of Aether. This "Dark Aether" has suffered a global calamity, turning it into a toxic wasteland. It is the homeworld of the shadowy creature who have been raiding our base for the last cycle. Most importantly, it is the prime location of Phazon in this sector. Extraction plans are being prepared. We will not be denied!" —Space Pirate Data-Log 05.442.1 (Rift Portal) (Metroid Prime 2: Echoes)
- ↑ {[cite|Phazon extraction raids are under way on Dark Aether. The toxicity of the atmosphere has taken a toll on our workforce, as have the hostile natives of that world. Science Team is preparing survival gear to protect our work teams, and we have increased our security presence in extraction areas. Fortunately, High Command is sending more troops and supplies. Our troops and resources are spread dangerously thin, and this mission cannot fail.|Space Pirate Data-Log 06.221.7 (Phazon Raids)|Metroid Prime 2: Echoes}}
- ↑ "Another disaster. The transport bringing our reinforcements and supplies has been shot down. It was engaged in orbit by a federation vessel, which has landed near the alien temple. It's only a matter of time before the Marines attack. Survivors from our ship have made their way to our base. Here we shall make our stand. Another enemy. First the shadowlings, then the Dark Hunter, and now the Galactic Federation Marine Corps. Perhaps fate will smile upon us, before the world itself opens its maw and swallows us." —Space Pirate Data-(Federation Attack) (Metroid Prime 2: Echoes)
