Solar Rails - The Fanstory

[GratuitousLurking]

Solar Rails

Shattered Past, Fractured Future

 

Table of Contents

 

Comment Thread: https://forums.warframe.com/index.php?/topic/40241-solar-rails-imput-discussion-thread/

 

Episode 1: The Prototype

Chapter 1 - Awakening - https://forums.warframe.com/index.php?/topic/40243-solar-rails-the-fanstory/?p=386153

Chapter 2 - Intelligence Brief - https://forums.warframe.com/index.php?/topic/40243-solar-rails-the-fanstory/?p=387347

Chapter 3 - Drider - https://forums.warframe.com/index.php?/topic/40243-solar-rails-the-fanstory/?p=387391

Chapter 4 - Escape - https://forums.warframe.com/index.php?/topic/40243-solar-rails-the-fanstory/#entry598235

Chapter 5 - Prototype Cobra - https://forums.warframe.com/index.php?/topic/40243-solar-rails-the-fanstory/#entry598348

Chapter 6 - Breaking Back In - https://forums.warframe.com/index.php?/topic/40243-solar-rails-the-fanstory/#entry911310

Chapter 7 - Reactor Core - https://forums.warframe.com/index.php?/topic/40243-solar-rails-the-fanstory/#entry1220864

Chapter 8 - Boss Battles - https://forums.warframe.com/index.php?/topic/40243-solar-rails-the-fanstory/?p=1524195

 

---

 

This is a fan-story where the goal is not only to create an awesome story featuring Warframe, but also to put into light various fan-made concepts that are often buried due to usual forum activity. Expect technology that is not officially in the game, as well as Fanframes, to be heavily spotlighted as well as a semblance of plot strung together with fan ideas and general consensus of the basic plot. Warning, plot may contain Grineer approaching.

Edited December 7, 2013 by GratuitousLurking

[GratuitousLurking]

EPISODE 1: The Prototype

 

Chapter 1 - The Awakening

 

Mood Music -

 

---

 

It has been a long time, Tenno.

 

The voice echoed a bit in the silent chamber in which she sat, head bowed yet alert. The space was bright white, a serene hum of the holographic projection system barely noticeable as she listened to the Voice.

 

The solar system had not been kind to your kind during the great sleep. Do you remember anything of your past?

 

A silent shaking of her head was her only answer. “No. Just a name, I think. Ember.” Her voice was sore, as if it had suffered long from underuse, but even she could feel the snap to it, as if an ember was crackling it’s protest and will to live.

 

A short pause happened, and Ember could almost feel the disappointment in her next remarks. I understand. I had hoped... but anyway. A matter for another time. Do not concern yourself though. You are Tenno, I will prepare you.

 

The world shifted around the meditating Ember, turning dark to a near black. Eventually, lights started to blink alive, as stars filled the world around her, before eventually focusing on a singular star. As it drew closer, Ember felt a deep pang of an unidentifiable feeling as she recognized it. Homesickness?

 

This is the Sol system. At one time, you were among its protectors. Centuries ago, the Tenno guarded this sector, the home of Humanity and all of its many facets, during a time of technological advance known to us as the Orokin Era.

 

Time, however, has not been kind to the Solar Rails. Humanity fractured, developing ways to advance itself and yet blinding themselves to their peers and common sense. And then, the Sentients came.

 

The images of the solar system flickered, as many lines appeared over the course of the system, connecting the planets together. As Ember watched, the lines, one by one, turned red, before blackening into darkness.

 

The war with the sentients marks the end of the Orokin era. All that we know of can be split into two things: First, the Orokin created a vast, alien creation known as the Technolyte Virus to combat the sentients, and now without its Master, it runs rampant in the galaxy. The second is that you and your fellow Tenno all went into hiding, sealing yourself to the sleep of cold eternity until it was time to be reawakened.

 

The ‘map before her sparked back to life, showing many of the rails slowly being replaced and recolored, once again forming to a unfractured line.

 

“Then who is the foe. What is our great threat? Has the Sentients returned?”

 

A uncomfortable silence once again hanged in the air.

 

The enemy now, is the extremes. Humanity has sunk far without a guiding hand.

 

Multiple images began to hover over the various worlds now- monstrous armored soldiers, moving in formation and overseeing great machines of war, followed by multiple robotic creatures, led around by humanoid figures in silly helmets.

 

This is the Grineer Empire, and the Corpus Conglomerate. Both of these factions are what are left of humanity in the Sol system. Ages ago, there was another, but they were chased off when the Sentients attacked, and the Outer Terminus still lies in ruins after all these years.

 

The image of the armored forces came into prominence, the various figures rotating and allowing to show every detail of them.

 

The Grineer are the dominant force of the galaxy now, partially due to cloning procedures and military might. They are degrading, though from age and constant aggression at any sign of treachery. They cannot be allowed to ruin the worlds they hold lordship to.

 

The images of the Grineer faded to the background, soon moving behind the images of the various robots.

 

And these are the Corpus, our greatest threat to the secrets of the Orokin Era. The Corpus care not over the sanctity of history, and wish to find ruins, artifacts, and even your fellow Tenno to exploit and break to their own power and ends. They serve their hunts with a variety of robotic proxies.

 

As the Corpus’s image fell back, the images faded slowly, and a silence once again came.

 

“Then tell me at least one thing. Who are you, and what am I to do?”

 

I am a guide from the Lotus. I am here to help you set the world right, and return it to the peace of the Orokin Era.

[GratuitousLurking]

EPISODE 1: The Prototype

 

Chapter 2 - Intelligence Brief

 

Mood Music -

 

---

 

It took a few days for Ember to get the feeling all the way back into her limbs again from the cryo sleep, and a few more to realize she wasn’t alone on the vessel that was her new home. The Lotus messenger that she had been talking to when she first awoke to explain quite a bit of her about her teammates that she had been assigned to, although talk to them proper had been brief, as they were in fighting shape enough to be in combat. Ember didn’t quite mind, at it allowed plenty of time for her to practice her skills again. A pairsome, known to the logs as Thrak and Trinity, apparently a fierce force that they were hoping she’d learn from. Ember wasn’t sure if that was an insult or a recommendation, to be perfectly honest.

 

Eventually though, it was time to put practice to the test.

 

The other two were waiting in the hologram room as Ember entered, readjusting the weapons strapped to her frame. Some form of magnetic locking devices on her armor, she remembered. Even still, it seemed precarious at best. Still, her Braton and Lato were ready, strapped in next to her Skana and ready for combat.

 

The two figures waiting on her were almost entirely opposite, the male huge and imposing whereas the female was thin and lithe, seemingly well-armored. They both looked to her as she entered the chamber.

 

“Ah, she’s awake,” the male stated, his voice gruff but even, showing plenty of strength in it. “Well then, ready to go this time?”

 

Ember simply nodded, bowing in respect. “I think I’ve shaken the sleep off. I’m eager to begin action.”

 

The female tilted her head a bit, her faceplate almost unreadable due to the strange energy designs over her face. “Well, don’t push yourself too much. Cryosleep can be a pain to shake off entirely. Hopefully you didn’t get any frostbite at least.”

 

Ember smirked under her mask. “I can’t tell if I should be mad at that remark or not,” she commented, clicking her fingers as a short bit of sparks left them.

 

The room around them suddenly darkened, changing to the starscape, and the three of them almost immediately turned to the center of the room.

 

Welcome, Tenno. I’ve got an important mission for you three in the Saturn quadrant of the solar rails.

 

“Shoot,” Ember replied simply, crossing her arms. She was eager to get started now.

 

We’ve got an operative MIA, no signal of a hardware failure or capture however. She was sent solo to a recently-discovered line on the rails, told to destroy the reactor of the base to try and sabotage it until further information could be gathered of it. However, as mentioned, she’s not reported back at all yet. We’re sending you in to ensure her safety, and then destroy the reactor of the base.

 

“Wait, why don’t we collect more information before we charge headlong in there?” Ember asked, her head tilting a bit.

 

“No real time,” Trinity countered, crossing her arms. “We need to ensure the operative is safe moreso to anything else. Any information on her that could help us find her?”

 

Lotus was quiet, before quickly responding in a simplified manner, as if reading from a databank. Introduction name of Drider, seems to have abilities based off... web-based attacks. Has a tendency to try and move in a stealthy manner, but seems a bit too rash at times according to simulations and rank training simulations.

 

“Understood. I want to know who we’re looking for so we don’t accidentally save the wrong operative,” Trinity countered. “Teams are moving all the time, after all.”

 

No need, replied Lotus. We’ve got full clearance on the area until the operative is out. With that said, we’re expecting more operatives to be signed up to this vessel for a stop-in for operations, so you may have allies as needed.

 

“Well then,” Thrak replied, cracking his knuckles under the energy gauntlets he wore, “Let’s save our friend and get the place set up for more, eh?”

[GratuitousLurking]

EPISODE 1: The Prototype

 

Chapter 3 - Drider

 

Mood Music -

 

Featured Fan Content - Drider Warframe

 

---

 

WARNING. UNAUTHORIZED LIFEFORMS DETECTED.

 

Alarms blared through the asteroid-mounted base as the heavy footfalls of Grineer echoed through the halls. It was sheer chaos, as many soldiers headed for the rally posts, all expecting a well-armed attack.

 

Drider watched from above as a long armor column ran below her hiding place, praying against hope that her silken strands did not snap at that moment. As the soldiers slowed, orders were barked in the harsh Grineer language, before moving back out. A comment was tossed out, this time in common. “Move ahead, I’ll guard this entry.”

 

Quietly and silently, Drider moved her body to a crouch against the ceiling, the rusted brown of her frame’s colors matching perfectly with the drab surroundings of the Grineer’s construction, and counted off to her head until she reached 30 seconds. The others should have patrolled away from that point, she figured. It was time to act.

 

Leaping from her perch above the solitary sentinel, she quickly grabbed the hilt of her twin daggers. Before the Lancer knew what had hit him, Drider had pounced onto his shoulders, one of her Fangs diving into the frontal plate armor, piercing above the heart and sinking home, while the other quickly dived into the side of the helmet, piercing first armor and then flesh on its way to the clone’s blood vessal.

 

As she jumped from her victim, she took the briefest of seconds to grab the Grakata from the corpse’s hands, wrenching it free as she began to run. She needed to get to the reactor and get out of here, before they had a chance to capture her again. She was foolish for letting herself get hoodwinked the first time, she argued with herself, a gloomy look echoing against the Tenno’s visor that only she could see.

 

“There he is!!! STOP RIGHT THERE CRIMINAL SCUM!”

 

The shout caused Drider to whirl around, and before she had even identified the attacker she was squeezing the trigger on the Grakata, hosing shrapnel at the Lancers spotting her. One of them took a spray in the helmet, and quickly fell over, and as the Trooper that had flanked him rush forward, his approach was met by another burst of angry fire as Drider rushed forward, quickly moving through the door they had been guarding.

 

She realized her mistake at rushing so fast, however, when she entered a large cavern, ringed with platforms, and several handfuls of Grineer were staring her down, bullets soon peppering at her location.

 

Still, she wasn’t too concerned. She knew ways to fight them that they didn’t even know to counter.

 

Focusing quickly, Drider pointed her arms towards the sky, and twin strands of webbing burst to existence around her palms, arching and catching into the ceiling. As Drider tugged hard at them, she was sent soaring into the air, the shrapnel that had been pinging off her shields soon missing entirely as the Grineer gave several cries of surprise, wild fire soon following her accent.

 

Recorrecting her flight as she reached the ceiling, Drider landed upside down, and took only the briefest of time to ensure she was secured before aligning her next shot, the twin strands of webbing smacking heavily behind a Trooper that huddled with around eight of his fellows on the catwalk. As Drider dived towards them, assisted by her guiding webs, she let out more bursts with her salvaged weapon, striking down a few more of the Grineer before she landed. As soon as her feet touched the floor, she focused again, flinging her arms out wide and causing a chaotic spray of webs to coat her enemies.

 

Cries of surprise and terror filled Drider’s head with a dark humor, and a fell laugh came from her as she scooped up a pair of Vipers that had been discarded from her victims. As the Grineer she had entangled squirmed savagely with her strands, she took her time, releasing a burst of bullets to silence their screams.

 

“Is this it? Is this the best the Grineer Empire can throw at me?” she chuckled, clipping the Vipers to her side and drawing the Grakata, preparing to finish off the rest of the enemies near her.

 

A sudden rush of electrical pain and agony would sear through Drider’s body, causing her to collapse to the ground, sputtering and trying to get control of her limbs again. Managing to crane her neck to her legs, she noted a round, metallic object stuck to her suit, generating the electric shockwave.

 

“I really don’t get why the Empire discontinued those things,” a cold, feminine voice echoed behind her, followed by heavy clanking feet, the steps mismatched by the robotic prosthetics that took over the Grineer’s side.

 

Great. The Corporal had shown up, Drider thought dryly, fighting for control of her limbs again. The rest of the Grineer were very swiftly closing in, weapons drawn and pointed at her incapacitated form.

 

Corporal Kiva Surgat didn’t look too different from the other Grineer heavy gunners, sans her armament of a Kraken and a pair of Furax, of course. But there was no way she was going to let this Tenno run around her base. “Right, enough of shenanigans, interloper. Under normal Grineer restrictions, we’re to hold you until proper interrogation. But you’ve caused me FAR more trouble than it’s worth...” the Corporal growled, drawing her Kraken and leveling it at Drider’s head. “By order of General Sargus Ruk, I sentence you to-“

 

The Corporal’s death threat was suddenly interrupted as another Furax-wielding arm slams into her from behind, sending the oversized Grineer female to fly off of the catwalk and smash into the stone floor below it. Almost immediately, Drider ducked as the sound of a firefight echoed around her, and she’d only look up again when the Nervos was suddenly removed from her, fizzling out and detonating in a small burst of broken circuits.

 

---

 

Thrak smirked as he watched the work of his Furax’s punch fling from the catwalk, but it was no time to celebrate, as the Grineer who was covering the youngblood were quickly taking interest in the new threats. Moving quickly, he charged energy into his fist and slammed the metal floor he stood on, sending the soldiers falling backwards, many of them soon joining their commanding officer.

 

“Trinity, Ember, hold them off, I’ll get the youngblood out of here!” he barked back, bending down and scooping up the incapacitated Tenno without another thought.

 

As he stomped back the way they came, Thrak allowed himself a smile as he glanced back, the burst of an inferno followed by the throaty bark of a Latron firing over and over again from his partners. Soon though, he reached the point they had entered the room, and very swiftly half-dragged half-carried the weakened Drider into the vents to safety. After a few short moments of combat, he was joined by the others.

Edited May 6, 2013 by GratuitousLurking

[GratuitousLurking]

EPISODE 1: THE PROTOTYPE

 

Chapter 4 - Escape

 

Mood Music - Escape (Metal Gear Solid)

 

Featured Fan Content - Drider Warframe

 

---

 

The tenno rushed through the ventilation, quickly darting between openings and passages as the sounds of trampling boots echoed in the man-sized pipes. All four of them knew it would be a grossly prolonged battle if they lingered for a moment, and it was only when they reached a vertical shaft that they managed to scale that they then lost the pursuers.

 

A few moments of silence were left to gather composure, the four companions quietly looking to each other and listening to the sounds of sprayed fire up the passage they had scaled.

 

“Well then, now that we got formalities out of the way...” Ember managed to point out, attempting to break the ice. “Drider, right? What’s going on here?”

 

Drider groaned. “They sent a cleanup crew already? I’m not done yet dammit!”

 

“Actually, it was a rescue crew,” Trinity pointed out. “Still, what’s the situation? We heard you were told to destroy the reactor here, so what’s with the sudden security breach when we got here?”

 

The spiderlike tenno sighed again, stretching her arms a little bit. “Look, that was the plan to start. However, I got wind of something, well... big.”

 

Thrak quietly checked the ammo on his weapons as he looked over to Drider. “Go on...”

 

“Simply put, the Grineer captured a few Corpus engineers, and are putting them to work on some form of combat robot. I was attempting to gather more information when I got cornered by the station’s command cadre. Almost beat me to hell before I did a tactical retreat...”

 

“You mean ran away,” Trinity shot back, giving the youngblood a stern look. “You’ve been awake long enough to know to not leave survivors.”

 

“Yeah, and that’s surely going to help against several heavy gunners and low on ammo,” Drider shot back, giving a scathing look to the healer.

 

Ember meanwhile simply looked to Thrak. “Perhaps we should leave this tunnel and let them get it over with?” she deadpans.

 

Thrak just sighed. “Look, we can worry about this afterwards. Anyway, from there the alarm was triggered and we’re in this situation, yes?”

 

Drider nodded in affirmative. “Sans my original guns, but those got chucked in the scrapper by now I bet. However, that leaves the slight dilemma of how we’re going to do our objective with everything riled up so much...”

 

The Rhino shrugged his shoulders, laying his weapon to his side. “We wait. And we recover. They will become unguarded eventually.”

 

Ember simply sighed, slinging her own long-gun to her back. “What makes you so sure of that?”

 

“Truly, do you expect several hundred military men to be able to be completely on their guard just for some missing soldiers? More than likely, something will happen that will catch their attention. Then, we strike.”

 

Trinity quietly laid her rifle down across her lap. “And if that’s the case, perhaps it may be best if we split up. Thrak and I will try and figure out the source of this data, and see if we can get the data on it before we extract. Meanwhile, the two youngbloods will deal with the reactor.

 

Drider and Ember exchanged a look, swiftly before both of them asked the same question: “Why split?”

 

“Because, which do you think will be more guarded, highly top-secret data on an experimental weapon project that hasn’t been leaked yet, or a easily-replaceable ship reactor?”

[GratuitousLurking]

EPISODE 1: THE PROTOTYPE

 

Chapter 5 - Prototype Cobra

 

Mood Music - Samilton (Orcs Must Die)

 

---

 

“IDIOTS! FIND THE TENNO OR I’LL PERSONALLY RIP THE SPINES OUT OF EVERY SINGLE ONE OF YOU!!!”

 

To say that Corporal Kiva was displeased was the understatement of the post-Orokin era. The commander paced back and forth upon reaching the command sector of the station, and every negative report only added fuel to the flames. There was only one way for this to grow any worse...

 

“Corporal! A hail from Saturn sector command!” a lancer shouted from somewhere in the din of computer systems.

 

“Origin?”

 

“Tethys, commander. Assumingly the General.”

 

Kiva gave a rasping sigh, before turning to the main control screen and quickly trying to vent her anger. “Very well then... ONSCREEN!”

 

After a short few moments, the screen flashed to an image of a male Grineer, the armor colored a white and blue camo. Slowly, the figure spoke, the guttural grineer dialect filtering and echoing from the audio feeds. “Corporal Kiva. Just who I wanted to see."

 

“General Ruk, you have the most... impeccable timing,” Kiva lied, her composure on the threat of breaking even after swapping to the more complex language.

 

“Indeed. Status report. What is the progress on the subject?”

 

Kiva took a few moments to recall the recent notes. “As of last posting earlier this morning, we’ve managed to install the artificial AI, and have prepped the unit with six heavy-grade rotary cannons. It is assumed to be ready for active service in a short time, according to the technicians on our side.”

 

The general’s face broke in a lopsided grin. “Excellent. Any other abnormalities I should know of the project?”

 

“Actually,” Kiva remarked, her own face turning into a smirk, “We overheard some of the Corpus referring to the device by a name already. Apparently, they decided to call it ‘Cobra’ for some reason.”

 

“A fitting name. Serpents were known in folklore for being backstabbers. With that said... ensure that they didn’t hide anything in the coding that may act as a back door. Last thing we need is it mass-produced and then turned on us.”

“I’ll have it in the engineer’s logs by the end of the night. Anything else, General?”

 

Before the general could reply, another monitor piped up again. “All clear here, command.”

 

Kiva’s eyebrow twitched as the general’s face became stern again. “Are we having issues as well, Corporal?”

 

The Corporal visibly frowned. “Just a few... rats. Big ones.”

 

“I see... if they are as big as you say...” Sargus Ruk mentioned, his face growing dark, “Power up the prototype. I want to see how well it will handle itself against it...”

 

Kiva looked surprise. “It’s not even gone through standard testing! Are you sure?”

 

The general simply nodded. “I am. End of line.”

 

And with that, his face vanished, replaced with an overlay of the station’s various sectors.

 

Kiva simply growled, wheeling about to her gathered staff. “Right! I want fully duty on the research bay! Anything not in a hardsuit tries to put a toe in there, I want enough rollers on it to make them pull back a stump!”

[GratuitousLurking]

EPISODE 1: THE PROTOTYPE

 

Chapter Six - Breaking Back In

 

Mood Music -

 

Featured Fan Content- Drider Warframe, Void Warframe

 

---

 

*CLANK*

 

The sound of discarded metal carried into the cavern that was considered the best entry point to the reactor. With the soft twump, Ember landed in a low crouch, looking carefully around before slowly getting into a standing position.

 

With another clatter, a second vent cover fell down to join the first, though instead of jumping down, Drider slowly descended on her web strands, the chord elongating slowly as she lowered herself. Upon reaching level with Ember’s shoulder, she quietly flipped over, releasing the strands and gracefully landing on her feet.

 

“Showoff,” Ember muttered, almost immediately flicking the safety off on her Braton.

 

“Hey, if ya got it, flaunt it,” Drider teased back, a childlike smirk crossing her inner visor. “Cides, ya can’t tell me ya don’t set stuff on fire just for the hell of it...”

 

“Not openly...” Ember admitted, before quickly darting to the corner and peering around it, checking for guards. “Ok, all clear. Let’s move.”

 

“Already ahead of ya, sister,” Drider said quietly, flicking her wrists out. Twin bursts of webs zipped from her suit, quickly finding purchase in the stone wall, and almost immediately pulling the tenno to their landing point.

 

Ember gave a sigh, and quickly toggled on the channeled com signal. “Just don’t move too far ahead. You heard Trinity, we have to work together on this, and I’m sure you don’t want another shouting match with her...”

 

“True nuff, I guess,” Drider pointed out, quietly scanning from her perch. “Hey, we got hostiles. Three Lancers just left the door.”

 

Ducking behind a nearby outcropping, Ember quietly eyed around it, watching three green-armored figures stroll from a large gate embedded in the steel and stone. Looking to her Skana, Ember frowned.

 

“Ok, forget what I said about showing off. Think you can deal with these guys?”

 

“Oh trust me, I can...” Drider called back, mirth already sneaking into her voice.

 

A near-silent ‘twhip’ sound and the spiderlike warframe was now stuck to the ceiling above the lancers. Ember marveled at the fact none of them had noticed the blur that had been her travel, but chalked it down to the defections in the clones showing.

 

Quietly, Drider watched as the three lancers slowly separated, one of them staying under her position as he reached down to wipe some dust off his boot. Slowly they moved into patrol routes, and Ember held her breath as one neared.

 

“If that guy gets too close, take him out. I got these two,” Drider’s voice said calmly over the coms.

 

In near perfect synchronization, the two Tenno acted at the exact same moment.

 

Drider’s webs flew again, gripping the soldier under her and quickly yanking him upwards, webs spinning around and around the armored form until all that could be seen were a large lump of webs. Quickly affixing the squirming mass to the roof, Drider turned the same trick to her other query, entombing him in a silken cocoon as well.

 

As the remaining lancer turned to see why his compatriots had fallen silent, the sharp blade of a Skana pierced his chest, followed by a harsh kick sending his form off the blade, Ember standing above him and quickly diving down to impale again.

 

“Right, let’s go,” Ember said quickly, returning her now bloodied blade to its place and moving towards the door. Drider quickly dropped down beside her, drawing her pilfered grakata in a quick stroke on landing.

 

---

 

Elsewhere in the complex, things were going less smoothly.

 

Alarm bells roared as the door to the research wing was slid shut, several heavy bolts in the barricade sinking home on the bulkhead. The doors were designed to keep out heavy-duty explosives and armored vehicles, so it wasn’t too much of a surprise to see several of the troopers give sighs of relief as the final resounding thud of the locks hammered home echoed out into the garage.

 

Then, a resounding crash of metal being hit with a heavy force echoed in from the other side.

 

Thrak growled as he wound his fist back and released the power glove into the door again, a burst of force visibly rippling down his arm and through the air with the strength. Unfortunately, even with the metal denting, it showed no sign of yielding.

 

“Dammit,” he grunted, backing up and letting his arm circle in his socket to remove some of the reflected force. “Gonna have to find another way, eh?” he commented, turning to Trinity.

 

The female tenno, meanwhile, was more focused on the way they had come, the constant blasts from her Latron echoed with the sound of cracking bone and muscle, or the shattered scream of yet another clone soldier. “If there was another visible entry, sure, but it looks like this place is an entirely separate unit. Can’t ya think of something?”

 

Thrak hummed a little, turning and looking at the various pieces of equipment in the room, before his eyes settled on one of the Grineer’s heavy-duty drilling machines. “Hrm... Maybe...”

 

With the sound of metal getting disfigured stop, many of the troops seemed to think the attack was over. They were quickly proven wrong with the sudden grinding and scream of metal on metal. Nearly a few moments later, the terrible maw of one of their own drills broke through with a screech of fury and grinding gears, very quickly followed by two Tenno operatives.

 

---

 

Suddenly, the reports kicked back into high gear. Multiple signs of contact were quickly being reported, both in the research bay and reactor sector. Almost as fast as the reports came in, various patrols were falling silent.

 

Kiva growled as she looked to the control terminals, the multitude of red dots representing her men shrinking on the readouts by the minute. “Dammit! Someone get me in contact to R&D! We need to ensure Cobra’s ready for them!”

 

As orders were quickly relayed, suddenly the consoles started to spark and snap, screens blowing out as a powerful energy pulse surged through the system. Kiva immediately removed her prosthetics from the device, only to watch one of the Lancers at the coms get fried. Almost expecting something, the corporal turned, already upholstering her Kraken.

 

The scene of carnage and dimming lights seemed to be lost to one figure, which was slowly approaching from the shadows, as the thuds of bodies and fizzle of burnt circuits filled the air. At first glance, the figure’s thin frame was not strong enough for a proper human, but all the information she needed came from what it wielded- a long, darkened scythe, the edge glinting in a pale, violet glow that came from the figure’s back, emanating from a ring of energy floating behind him.

 

“You’re a hard one to find alone, Corporal,” an icy voice came from the figure, moving out of the shadows enough so that its helmet - crested with twin, swept-back horns- caught the light of one of the few unbroken screens. “I’ve been working on this contract for weeks...”

 

Kiva spit at the ground. “You expect these fancy charades to scare me, Lotus lapdog? I need not my men to lay you down. I suggest backing off; I got a base defense to prepare for.” She gestured with her weapon, before leveling it to the unidentified figure.

 

“On the contrary, milady,” he stated, drawing the scythe from is back and letting it idly hang in his hand, “That would be a conflict of interest. You really expect me to just let you scamper off and take on my own kin?”

 

“Of course not. But then again, I’m not asking.”

 

The twin barks of the Kraken led to a burst of sparks as the monitor that was above the figure exploded, showering ruined glass and electrical components on him. The figure quickly slid back, swinging his free arm out at the Corporal, and quickly a disc of violet energy arched from his back, angrily grinding on the infrastructure.

 

Kiva quickly rolled behind the control bank she had been standing in front of, the disc barely grazing its surface before bouncing back to its master, settling behind him as he slowly advanced. “I hope that wasn’t your only plan. This could have been a fun chase then...”

 

Kiva glanced upwards, and then grinned to herself, noticing the mess of speakers and screens almost directly above the figure now. Grabbing one of her nervos, she quickly lobbed it up there, followed with snapping off another pair of shots after it.

 

The explosion was what really caught the figure’s attention, who glanced upwards before quickly jumping back again, the mess of Grineer com tech slamming to the ground in a huge cacophony. By the time the Tenno had looked to his prey again, Kiva was already out the door and slamming the lockdown panel, the doors quickly sliding shut with a definitive thud.

 

Void simply grinned to himself. He had a good idea where she’d be headed next. He would have his mark this time.

[GratuitousLurking]

EPISODE 1: THE PROTOTYPE

 

Chapter Seven - Reactor Core

 

Mood Music -

 

Featured Fan Content - Drider Warframe

 

---

 

“We spend all this time sneaking around, just for everyone and their kid brother to start popping out of the woodwork. Seriously, why did we try to do this as a stealth mission again?”

 

Drider simply glared at Ember before poking her head out of cover again, firing a spray from the Grakata into the enemy hordes. “Not my fault you shot the guy and he fell into the alarm panel!”

 

Ember waited till Drider had ducked back into cover before popping out herself, chucking a fireball at the massed forces blocking their way. “How was I supposed to know that it was that sensitive?!?”

 

Drider simply shrugged. “Look, we can stay here all day, or we can get rid of these clowns and get moving again. Cides, think it may have been the old-timers that triggered it anyway, considering how close-knit this secret project of theirs is.”

 

“Maybe...” Ember muttered to herself, before giving a quiet sigh and shifting to a crouch. Peering around the crate, she managed to note around six lancers, two heavy gunners and a bombard before she had to duck her head back again, a spray of angry projectiles being quickly followed by an explosive force from the rocket wielder. “Well then Orb Weaver, got any ideas?”

 

Drider took a second to let loose another barrage, the sound being greeted by a loud cry as one of the lancers received the volley. “Maybe... Look, cover me, gonna try something.”

 

Ember simply shrugged a bit, taking a few moments to reload. “Right...”

 

In a short moment, the two Tenno sprang to action. Ember rolled out from her hiding place, quickly focusing her energy and feeling the skin of her suit grow warm, flames and ashes coating her form and licking with hungry flames. Bullets wizzed at her, the ones finding purchase first sinking into the protective layer of residue before nicking at her shields. Smirking at the reaction, she quickly brought her Braton to bear, angry torrents of gunfire directed at one of the heavy gunners, bullets ripping into the cybernetic body.

 

As the attention of the Grineer quickly focused on the burning figure, Drider quickly shot her webs to the ceiling, gripping there for a tight moment before leaping back down at the massed soldiers. Her feet landed square into the bombard’s chest, sending him flying back as her Fangs quickly slid free. The Tenno’s hands moved quickly into a blur, daggers quickly digging into the remaining lancers, deep gashes and cuts being left indiscriminately in the fevered slashing.

 

With the attention of the Grineer quickly turning to the whirling dervish in their midst, Ember quickly advanced, continuing her dogged gunfire and finally bringing one of the gunners down as she approached. Growling angrily at hearing the weapon suddenly protesting it’s empty ammo reserves, she reared both arms back and flung more flaming projectiles. Almost immediately, Drider spun to the remaining gunner, spraying her webs around the Gorgon wielder and dragging her into the line of fire.

 

The effect was spectacular. Flames quickly engulfed the gunner’s body, causing her to shriek in pain and surprise, the terror quickly growing as the webbed constriction she suffered tightened. The webbing began to glow an angry, molten red, flames licking and tightening the chord, offering precious fuel for it to consume as it seared its victim alive.

 

The two Tenno remained quiet as the latest victim collapsed, surprise at the unique synergy leaving them speechless. Still, the opening was free, and as one, the two moved onward.

 

Crossing the threshold to the next chamber, the sight of the base’s reactor finally was before them, the canister that held the device still sealed. Unfortunately, they had company.

 

Set up around the reactor, spanning around several pits, were several catwalks, lined with several lancers, each quickly training their weapons on the pair of Tenno. The sound of readying weapons quickly affirmed the suspicions that they were ready to end this.

 

“Even more? Least they’re the basics,” Ember said, quickly sprinting forward to deal with the problem.

 

A flicker of movement was the only warning as suddenly Ember felt a slam into her gut, flinging her back as the protective ash dissipated from her form. She was quite sure that if it had worn off just a few seconds earlier...

 

Glancing up as she got back to her feet, she’d find herself staring at the Corporal from earlier, who was glaring at them and smashing the power gloves on her fist together. “Seems I just showed up for the party. You Tenno are really starting to become an irritation!” she growled, “And I’m about to ensure this base’s protection one way or another!!!”

 

“Great. Her again,” Drider growled, her fingers twitching angrily as she held tight to her Grakata.

 

“Yeah... hope the other two are having better luck then we are...”

 

---

 

Mood Music-

 

---

 

Trinity flew backwards, slamming into the cold metallic wall with a groan before collapsing against it, her eyes watering in pain. Her armor was damaged even worse, with deep rends and broken plates thanks to the sheer amount of fire that had torn it apart. Slowly, she tried to get herself up, only to collapse down weakly again, her body unable to support even to heal herself.

 

Within seconds, Thrak was before her, growling deeply as he drew the gorgon from his back and glared ahead, his armor coated in a silver, enhanced energy field. “Hold on, I’ll get you out of here... You want a piece of us, metalhead?!? Come and get it!!!”

 

Thudding footfalls came as Cobra approached, the drone locking its major vision port on the two tenno. A hulking, hunchback monster, the robot seemed to be a bastardization of even the Corpus’s usual proxies, lacking none of the grace and instead walking on four large, bulky legs, holding it low to the ground, with flaps of leftover synthetic skin just left to dangle in places. The ports for the weaponry were massive, and for good reason- as it drew near, the top of the machine split open, and a brace of six gigantic rotary Gatling’s drew to the ready.

 

“Target located. Classification: Rhino Tenno. Treatment of Target: Perforation,” came the drone’s cold, unfeeling voice, preparing to repeat what it did to Trinity to the bulkier tenno, in order to finish its first prey off.

[GratuitousLurking]

EPISODE 1: THE PROTOTYPE

 

Chapter Eight - Boss Battles

 

Mood Music -

 

Featured Fan Content - Drider Warframe, Void Warframe

 

---

 

“Hey, boltbrains!”

 

The shout made Cobra shift its bulbous head upward towards the noise, the servos creaking from more bulk then was usual for its purpose. “Query: Unidentified Threat. Identify yourse-?”

 

A figure lands on the giant robot, a flash of a blade stabbing downward and smashing into its barely-covered neck servos, sparks erupting angrily from the blade’s entry. Jumping high from the drone, the figure flipped in midair onto another beam, very quickly unslinging a cyan-adorned Braton.

 

“Get her out of here, I’ll keep this beast distracted,” Excalibur said simply, as the angry drone spun around to face him, the sound of whirring mechanisms echoing in unison as the multitude of chainguns prepare to fire.

 

Thrak simply nodded, picking up the wounded companion and sprinting to a nearby door, leaving the mechanized creature to the new arrival.

 

---

 

Drider and Ember tensed as the Grineer officer stared them down, the energy crackling on her fists as she glared at the two nuisances. Behind her, the row of soldiers kept weapons trained, ready to fire on the command of their leader.

 

With a growl of rage, Kiva lept forward, swinging her fist at the spiderlike Tenno, with Drider dodging to the side just in time to avoid the blow. Ember rushed in, blade raised and ready to strike, but was swiftly met with a heavy Furax blow, sending her flying off to one side.

 

Rebounding back from her dodge, Drider leaped for her foe, daggers glaring angrily in the light, but she too found a powerfisted glove flying towards her head. With unnerving agility, Drider rolled to the side again, trying to dart forward to strike, yet Kiva brought her fist down, slamming a shockwave of energy through the ground and sending her flying back.

 

Growling as she clambered back to her feet, Drider quickly swung the Grakata up and let loose her ammo reserves, the harsh rattling noise foretelling the hungry hailstorm of bullets towards Kiva. The seargent simply grunted, bringing a cybernetic arm up to take the brunt of the flying projectiles.

 

“You gotta be kidding me! How are we supposed to kill this $#*(@?!?” Drider cursed, only to give a growl of anger as her own weapon clicked empty. “Dammit!”

 

Ember growled, circling around behind the mechanized foe, letting bullets of her own fly with her Lato, pinging against the Corporal’s shielding. “Yer asking me? You forget, this is my first mission here!!!”

 

Kiva gave a deep chuckle, and in one swift motion reached into her side pouch, releasing one of her Nervos systems into the fray. The harsh whine of its motors roared to life as it rolled towards Drider, who was hastily drawing her own sidearms. Focused on the Corporal however, she let the harsh barks of her Vipers pour at her target, until once again the electrically-charged sphere hit into her, causing her limbs to spasm in pain.

 

As Ember rushed forward to assist her ally, Kiva spun around and slammed her with with another bone-shattering punch, sending her flying back again. “Soldiers! Attaf!” Kiva called out, and almost instantly Ember was bombarded with fire from the surrounding troops, causing her to scurry to cover.

 

Smirking to herself, Kiva moved towards Drider, quietly drawing her Kraken again. This time, there would be no interruptions...

 

---

 

The angry roar of multiple chainguns rang through the halls, as Excalibur jumped from beam to beam, avoiding the hailstorm of striking bullets following him by a short margin, ship plating and structural supports rending and perforating mere feet behind his trajectory. Grimacing to himself, Excalibur rolled behind some stacked crates, hearing the angry grind of metal on the other side.

 

Slowly, the weapons grinded to a halt, hissing from the heat they had generated, burning a sharp angry red.  The clatter of spent casings scattered for several seconds afterwards, before the heavy thuds of the beasts feet echoed through the room, approaching his hiding spot.

 

Rolling from the crates, Excalibur expertly leveled his Vandal at the mechanical monstrosity, his own retaliatory growl buried under the sharp release of bullets from the weapon, peppering into the machine’s bulbous torso. It winced, its primary eye receptor cracking from a stray line of fire.

 

“Interjection: Stupid meatbag, I’ll crush you like the ant you are!” the machine growled, as once again the giant weapons on its back started to spin to life.

 

“Pppht. You call that a bulletstorm?”

 

The sharp barks of a Gorgon rang through the room, tearing into the mechanisms exposed by the weaponbays. A sharp wheeze came from Cobra as it reeled, one of its massive gunbays suddenly growing limp and sparking from the surprise bulletstorm.

 

Excalibur looked quickly to see that Thrak had returned, with him bringing is weapon to bear at the robotic foe. “Bout time you got back, slowpoke!” he jested, rolling to the opposite side and following his example, striking into the other weapon port.

 

“Well if you all would stop being faster than the survivable ones, we wouldn’t have this issue,”Thrak shot back, the rattling of his Gorgon halting with a definitive click. Chucking the spent magazine, he charged towards Cobra, before giving a great, mighty slam of his foot to the ground.

 

Cobra went flying, it’s limbs wavering listlessly as it lost contact with the ground, but the massive robot hanged in the air, it’s movements of panic slowed from the sheer power of the strike. Excalibur smirked, flicking his blade free as he approached the metal monster. Flicking the Forma-laced blade before him, he quickly slammed it to the ground, and several barbed blades flew from the strike point, aimed right at the immobile Cobra.

 

Hardened plate and synthskin cracked and splintered at each javelin strike, actuators shattered and sensors pierced from the flurry. Cobra had only the time to glare angrily at the two Tenno before a javelin slammed into its optic port, sinking deeply with a sickening crack.

 

As the stasis effect faded, the cacophonous sound of several tons of scrap metal hitting the deck rang out. And then, there was silence.

 

---

 

For the second time in this mission, Drider grunted as electricity coursed through her body, growling angrily as she watched the corpral approach, the occasional bullet zipping close from Ember trying to draw attention away from her. Kiva, however, payed it no mind, a murderous glint in her eyes as she starts to level her weapon to her most hated foe.

 

A blur of movement, and the distinct sound of a Warframe coiling to strike, before once again Kiva was not given satisfaction, the hook of a scythe causing her spin clumsily away several paces. Growling, she angrily spun around, her fingers squeezing the trigger and firing wildly.

 

Fluidly from his strike, Void slammed his weapon into the barren rock below him, and a vast circle of energy flowed around him and Drider, a humming violet glow surrounding the two Tenno. Kiva’s bullets seemed to slow to a harmless speed around him, before they slowly clattered uselessly on the ground.

 

Drider slowly reached up and ripped the sparking device from her arm with a wince, getting back to her feet swiftly and glaring angrily at Kiva, who was turning the most unnatural shade of purple in fury.

 

“...Of course. Never get the satisfaction...” she growled, once again slamming her first together in her anger, before giving a howl of anger as she charges towards Drider and Void. “TREY RUM KWUIM!!!”

 

Void smirked a little, letting his scythe swing back into his hand idly. With deft movements, he spiraled the blade and brought it around into a hasty strike, cutting into the cybernetic arms of the Corporal and making her stagger off to the side. Before she can recover, Drider plowed into her, the angry bites of the spider Tenno’s Fangs cutting into her armor and flesh, pushing her further back before she smacks her free.

 

It was then when she realized how close she was to the venting duct of the reactor, which admittedly was closer to a giant chasm to somewhere deeper in the complex. She paled, before turning defiantly at the Tenno. “You... dare...”

 

A fireball arcs past them, slamming into her gut and sending her flying back. And then, the feeling of weightlessness comes as she falls, metal and circuits burning on her already mutilated body.

 

---

 

“Hey, grumpface! Hope ya like your trip!” Ember catcalls after the falling figure.

 

“Really? That is your best kill taunt?” Void sighed, shaking his head. “Kids these days, no imagination...”

 

Drider simply shrugged, glancing around to see the rest of the soldiers that had harassed them already either eviscerated or escaping. “Well, now with that interruption out of the way...” Drider hummed, moving to the console of the reactor core. Rapidly, she tapped across the screen, going through submenus and backdoors until the reactor’s shielding rose, revealing the cooling rods of the device to her.

 

“Right... So, what’s the plan now, old timer?” Drider said, glancing to Void.

 

“Well... I’m sure there’s burned out or broken cooling rods around the facility we can install in it, which would allow for a curroption of the reactor’s system...” Void stated, stroking the chin of his mask.

 

“Nah, that’d take ages to find the all, if they actually still store them,” Drider said back, tapping into the device some more. “We could set up a manual overload, if we needed to I guess...”

 

“This facility was black off the Solar Rails for some reason. Why risk destroying it in such a way?” Void countered, as Drider gave a thoughtful hum.

 

“Oh enough of this!”

 

Shoving Drider out of the way, Ember raised her Lato and snapped off a flurry of shots, breaking glass and splashing fluid quickly raining down as she precision-destroyed the cooling rods. After breaking them all, Ember quickly holstered the weapon, only to turn back to Void and Drider and see them both staring at her blankly.

 

“What? It’s broke now, right?” she said simply with a shrug.

 

“Yes...” Drider muttered quietly, “But you’ve also risked triggering a melt-“

 

“WARNING. WARNING. COOLING SYSTEM DISENGAGED FROM ACTIVE REACTOR. REACTOR TEMPURTURE RISING TO UNSAFE LEVELS.”

 

All three Tenno froze as the screens around the reactor changed from a drab orange to a sickening red.

 

“ATTEMPTING FAILSAFE MANUVER ALPHA. FAILSAFE MANUVER ALPHA FAILED. ATTEMPTING FAILSAFE MANUVER BRAVO. FAILSAFE MANUVER BRAVO FAILED. ATTEMPTING FAILSAFE MANUVER OMEGA. FAILSAFE MANUVER OMEGA FAILED. ALL FAILSAFE MANUVERS FAILED, REACTOR ENTERING CRITICAL STATE. TRIGGERING SHIP EMERGENCY PROTOCOL. ALL PERSONAL PREPARE FOR EVACUATION. SHIP WILL SELF-DESTRUCT IN FIVE MINUTES.”

 

Ember felt her entire body go rigid.

 

“Well FU...”