Aether incident

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U-Mos, the Sentinel of the Luminoth, depicts the creation of the Dark dimension which began the incident.

The Aether incident is a conflict between the Luminoth and the Ing over the limited planetary energy found in each other's homeworlds. Many technologies were created by the Luminoth during the war, including the Dark Beam, Light Beam, Light Beacon, Light Crystal, Energy Transfer Module, and various mechanoids found in the Sanctuary Fortress, such as the Quads and Ingsmashers, though most creations came to be controlled by the Ing.

First phase

In the aftermath of the Leviathan Seed's collision with Aether, the Luminoth first discovered the Ing when they began to possess local creatures. With their enemy revealed, the Luminoth created Portals to travel to Dark Aether, where volunteer scouts discovered that their missing planetary energy was housed in the Sky Temple. They could not retrieve it, because the air of Dark Aether was far too toxic for the Luminoth, who were forced to retreat to the light dimension. With this information, the Luminoth built Light Crystals and Light Beacons in order for their warriors to travel to Dark Aether and battle the Ing.

However, the crystals and beacons were not sufficient, and so their warriors returned to Aether while the Luminoth's greatest minds began designing new weapons and armor for the war effort.

The Luminoth knew they had neither the troops nor supplies to fight a long war, and that the Ing Horde far outnumbered them. So, the Luminoth decided on a strategy to end the war quickly, without extended combat. Working together, their greatest minds devised the Energy Transfer Module and gathered up two cadres of their strongest warriors led by A-Kul to acquire the Sky Temple Keys and recover the lost energy.

Second phase

Despite each cadre having recovered the keys, the Keybearers were slowly killed off until only A-Kul was left alive. She alone managed to reach the Sky Temple Gateway, with her last acts, she left clues for the one who would fight the Ing. After this, the Luminoth fought on desperately until the Agon Temple was surrounded and its planetary energy drained. Horrified, the Luminoth realized the Ing had discovered the Energy Transfer Module and were using it as a weapon against them. Afterwards, the Ing surrounded the Torvus Temple and attacked it. Despite the Luminoth's best efforts, and though thousands of Ing were killed in the assault, every Luminoth at the temple was slain and the energy drained from the temple.

Final phase

The Luminoth's battered warriors gathered at the Sanctuary Temple, where they resolved to make their last stand. However, even with their warriors' greatest efforts even with their machines, the temple's energy was drained and their warriors slain.

The last of the Luminoth gathered in the Great Temple, where U-Mos and the Main Energy Controller resided. The fighting ceased when the Ing used the Energy Transfer Module to steal the Light of Aether from all of the Luminoth's temples except for the Great Temple and all of the Luminoth, other than U-Mos, entered hibernation. Luckily, Bounty Hunter Samus Aran happens to land on Aether around this time in search of GFMC Task Force Herakles, and becomes stranded due to atmospheric storms. After discovering that the troops have been murdered by the Ing, Samus meets U-Mos and agrees to reclaim the planetary energy, destroying Dark Aether and the Ing once and for all. While she does this, she contends with a battered group of Space Pirates who have come seeking Aether's Phazon resources, and a mysterious doppelganger of herself.

G.F.S. Anhur

After Samus saves the planet from the Ing, the G.F.S. Anhur stops by the planet. This leads to the Galactic Federation meeting the Luminoth for the first time. They, with the Luminoth's assistance, gather the remaining Phazon that the Space Pirates have left behind. This in turn leads to the creation of the Phazon Enhancement Device. It is likely that the Luminoth become allied with or may have even joined the Federation. Presumably, the Luminoth also aid the Federation in recovering the bodies of GFMC Task Force Herakles to receive a proper burial.

Official data

Galactic Federation Data entry

Anhur Incident

Metroid Prime 3: Corruption

Temporary scan

Galactic Federation Datafile AN-044.
(Anhur Incident)
Data moved to Logbook for review.

Logbook entry

Planet Aether, home of the Luminoth, was struck by a "Phazon Meteor" five decades ago. The impact had catastrophic effects on the already unstable planet, creating a "dark twin" of the planet and a dire race known as the Ing. A brutal war between the twin planets took place, with the Ing gaining the upper hand. The G.F.S. Tyr went to the sector to investigate pirate activity, but were forced to make an emergency landing on Aether. Shortly after, the entire crew of Tyr was attacked and annihilated by the Ing. Hunter Samus Aran was sent to investigate, and wound up entangled in the local conflict. Aran fought against both Space Pirates and Ing, and arose victorious. Aether's "dark twin" vanished, taking with it the Ing horde, and the planet's peace was finally restored.

After the Aether Incident, the Federation sent the G.F.S. Anhur back to Aether to deal with the pirate base. Upon arrival, the crew and marines of the Anhur assisted the native Luminoth in dismantling an abandoned Space Pirate mining facility. During the operation, the crew detected the presence of Phazon. The ship's crew investigated and collected several kilograms of ore, which would later lead to the development of the PED.

"What's the matter? All I said was that Komaytos look like little Metr-"

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Non-canon warning: This article or section contains information that may not be considered an official part of the Metroid series in the overall storyline by Nintendo.

An unused, shorter version of this entry can be found in the game's files, titled "Aether Incident".

Aether Incident

Metroid Prime 3: Corruption

Temporary scan

Galactic Federation Datafile AE-001.
(Aether Incident)
Data moved to Logbook for review.

Logbook entry

Planet Aether, home of the Luminoth, was struck by a "Phazon Meteor" five decades ago. The impact had catastrophic effects on the already unstable planet, creating a "dark twin" of the planet and a dire race known as the Ing. A brutal war between the twin planets took place, with the Ing gaining the upper hand. The G.F.S. Tyr went to the sector to investigate pirate activity, only to crash on the surface of Aether. Hunter Samus Aran was sent to investigate, and wound up entangled in the local conflict. Aran shut down a pirate Phazon mine and restored order to Aether, though she was nearly lost in combat with Dark Samus.

Non-canon warning: Non-canonical information ends here.