Archwing's Discovery - Zephyr

[LazyKrei]

So after viewing the Archwing update's new content revealed, an idea crossed my mind and I've decided to write about it in a short story.

 

Just so people know, I am not used to write Warframe stories and I may not be following the established Lore about Tennos. But again, I had a lot of fun writing this and I enjoy you enjoy reading it as much as I loved writing it !

 

It may also contain some typos and some messy english, I am french and I still don't master this language well. Still, enjoy !

 

 

 

 

                                                                                        Hope

 

"The solar system. An almost infinite amount of space to explore, opening up to countless other systems that forms our galaxy. Yet I've always felt that this "space" was so limited."

 Staring through the cockpit's glass panels, Zephyr was admiring the countless starts that were shining through the black universe. She always wanted to go and explore all these stars, even at the time before the War has started. Back when she was young, she lived within a village on Earth. During the night, she walked out to explore the hills and would lay down to admire the sky, fascinated by all the lights that the stars were emitting. She felt ridiculously small compared to the moon, which was illuminating the land. She always envied the birds that could fly high up into the sky, wanting to feel the wind brush along her body, and be able to watch the ground, wondering how it would feel to be the one being bigger than everyone else, to feel strong.

Turning around, she walked out of the cockpit and headed to the lower part of her ship, the Liset. Dust was laying down on the floor, sleeping peacefully, the kubrow still being a cub at this time. She crouched down and reached it's head to caress it gently without a sound. "Operator, I'm receiving a transmission from the Lotus." Zephyr stood back up and headed towards Ordis's panel. "Read the transmission, it might be important."

A holographic screen formed in front of her whilethe transmission started. The familiar picture of Lotus appeared before the message started. "Tenno. Our scavengers have discovered remnants of an old Orokin artifact deep into the Void ships. We have yet to analyze these parts but from where they have been located, there are possible chances that they were prototypes of wings. Further tests will complete these hypothesis. I cannot say more for now." The screen faded and Zephyr remained leaned against the panel, deep on thoughts. Wings ? She really said wings. Her dreams might not be impossible, then ! 

She hurried to get back to the cockpit and sat in front of the Codex, browsing through the different files to see the collected files. Suddenly, unknown pictures starts to invade the screen in front of Zephyr. "Blueprints...? Wait, this looks like..." After a few seconds of observation, she noticed the name written above the main structure. "Archwing... Is this what the Lotus is after ? And it's in the void... I have to get there !" "Operator, this is most likely a bad idea. The Void is highly dangerous ! Going alone is prohibited !" Ordis, you don't understand !" She replied to the ship's AI, heading to her equipment racks. Finally geared up, Zephyr moved back to the cockpit and set herself in front of the Navigation System. "This might be the only chance I'll get to realize what I always wanted !" She gripped one of the only Void keys she had, staring at it before inserting it on the key slot attached to the system. The Liset started to move through space and after what seemed like an eternity to Zephyr, they were hovering in front of one of the Void ships. Gripping her Latron, she walked to the transposition pad and activated it. "I'll be back soon, Ordis. Watch on Dust !" The transfer process starting up, Zephyr started to vanish from the ship. The AI remained silent before a camera in the bottom bay moved to stare at the kubrow, who was still sleeping. "Why is it always I, a simple artificial module, that has to take take of pets ? Though..." A distress beacon activated in the Liset. "I can't let you do that, Operator. The risks are too high."

After landing inside the ship, Zephyr looked around before a digital map appeared on her hand through a holographic display, showing her where the remnants were located. Without hesitating any longer, she hurried herself through the halls of the corrupted ship, guarded by grineer and corpus soldiers who were abandonned on the left, left to the Orokin's power. Even though their minds were blank, the strength of the power manipulating them were making them dangerous foes, tougher and stronger than what they really are. The progress was slow and she progressively running out of ammunition, having no choice but to use the weapons she found on the corpses. What she didn't knew was that these weapons were imbued with the power of the Orokin ship. Each time she used the weapons of the fallen, she felt weaker, her focus losing on her actual target. But her goal was clear, she had to get to those artifacts and retrieve them.

 Hours of fighting through the ship, she finally reached her objective. A gigantic room opened to Zephyr. It looked like a hall but it was obstructed by debris, locked containers, corpses as well. "Hah... The map says it's here... Gotta take care of the door first..." She headed towards a panel and hacked through the system to lock the only door to the room behind her. There, she was finally alone and safe from any corrupted soldiers that were left behind. She started to move around the room, looking at everything that might look like what she saw back on the Codex. "Te-...o... Ge- o-..t of the s...-p immed-*static*..." She immediatly stood straight and took a look around. What was that ? It sounded like the Lotus but the interferences were too strong, she didn't understand anything about what was said in her radio. "Hello ? Hello ! I am in what looks like an Orokin storage ! Signals tells me that the Orokin Artifact is there ! Hello !" No response, the signals were completly disrupted by the Orokin ship's power. Even though she felt danger nearby, she couldn't turn back on this treasure and so, she kept walking deeper into the storage. A small glint caught Zephyr's attention, bringing her to darker place of the room, under a platform. A white and golden chest about the size of three Galatines was there, green lights on the front and the top. The sentinel that was floating above Zephyr's shoulder started to emit noises, confirming the location of the artifact. Her thoughts rushed in a second, and she immediatly pressed the lock button. Slowly, the chest unlocked and opened with a loud depressurization sound. Inside was a pair of jet-wings, at least it looked like it. But it also looked like what was on the blueprint of the Codex. This is it ! The famous Archwing ! "I found it ! The Orokin Artifact ! Now I only have to bring it to the ship and send it's d-" "Not-*static*-yours."

The exact moment where the voice finished emitting in Zephyr's radio, she was suddenly pulled back from behind and thrown against a wall with an hullucinating strength. "G-Gaaah ! What's goin-" She didn't even have the time to finish her word that a large-looking form snatched Zephyr's neck and lifted her, it's hand clenching around her neck. Zephyr was struggling as much as she could, though the grip of the enemy was draining her strength incredibly fast. Zephyr's sentinel started shooting at the foe, but the enemy replied by raising a golden-plated shotgun and blasting the drone off with a single shell. "Wh-Who ar- Ghk... What are y-" The form carried Zephyr away from the vault, exposing itself to the light. The shape of it's armor were matching the one of a Rhino warframe, although it had golden platings all over it's armor, as well as a golden crest on the front side of the helmet. "Intruder...*static* Must va-..nish..." Zephyr had no way to escape him, her weapons were out of reach, and her energy was almost entirely depleted. With another swift move, the Orokin-possessed Rhino threw Zephyr against another wall, but this time stronger. Her armor started to crack and part from the main chassis due to the powerful blows.

"I can't get this door open, it's locked from the inside !" "Signals tells that she's there, hurry up !" "MOVE ASIDE, I'M GONNA GET THIS DOOR OPEN." Suddenly, a heavy, wall-trembling roar surged from outside the room before the doors blasted open, another Rhino charging through it before landing meters away, smoke surrounding his body. Immediatly after, two other shadows walked in the room, weapon at hand. "There ! On the left !" "Gotcha !" An Excalibur Warframe dashed right at the Orokin Rhino, tackling it away from Zephyr, which was laying there motionless on the ground. The Rhino joined Excalibur and both of them managed to defeat the Rhino Prime that had no weapons to protect himself with. "Zephyr, answer me ! ZEPHYR !" A Trinity approached the limp body of the unconscious Warframe. "Her pulse's still there... But we have to extract her as soon as possible." "The... chest... Archwing..."

Zephyr raiser her arm with what strength she had left and pointed towards the darkness deeper in the room, the chest still open with the wings slightly exposed. Excalibur followed where she was pointing and headed to the chest. He lifted the wings and examined them. "Lotus, is this..." "Yes, Tenno. This is the Artifact." He turned around and brung it back to the group. "Guys... Look at this." "These are... wings ?" Rhino asked before looking closer at them. "This looks... Massive..." "GUYS ! I accept that this is very important, but Zephyr needs to get extracted, the Orokin power is getting to her !" "Exca, carry the artifact, I'll take care of Zephyr, Trinity, you'll cover us !" Trinity nodded and geared up before heading out of the room. A huge swarm of corrupted soldiers grouped up around and immediatly started to shoot at the group. "Damnit ! How are we supposed to get out from here ?!" "I got it !" Rhino headed closer to the group, his skin hardening with iron coating before he gripped Zephyr tighter and held her against his back before he focused all of his energy on his legs. Raising one, he violently slammed it back on the ground, a strong earthquake spreading through the entire room, sending all of the ennemies off of the ground and slamming against the ceiling and walls. "There. Now hurry up ! The extraction isn't far !"

The group quickly dashed through the halls, shooting down any other orokin puppets around before they reached the extraction room. Rhino placed Zephyr inside one of the shuttles and programmed it to the beacon of her ship before they all escaped the ship, Excalibur still with the Archwing artifact. "Rhino, Exca. Get back to your own ships. I'll be with Zephyr and help her recover. I'll contact Lotus as soon as we arrive." "Okay, be safe."

Minutes passed while Zephyr was still deeply unconscious. The last thing she remembers is the whispers of the Orokin Rhino, feeling like it was trying to take control of her mind, to turn her into one of them. "Zephyr. Can you see me ?" "Unh..." She slowly opened her eyes, her helmet detached from her armor. What she saw first was the visage of the Trinity that rescued her. "Thank god... What's gotten into your mind ?! You know how dangerous the Void is !" Her cheeks flushed slightly red in shame and looked away, clenching her fists. "I..." "You should thank your AI for activating this distress beacon, else we wouldn't have been able to know about that !" "Sorry... But... When I heard about this artifact and... When I saw the pictures... I..." Trinity sighs and places one hand on Zephyr's calmly, trying to re-assure her. "Calm down now. The most important is that you're alive. But next time, ask for teammates to join you, don't go on a suicidal run !" Zephyr slowly moved up and winced in pain, her body still drained from what happened back on the Orokin ship. "The artifact... Where..." "Excalibur sent it to Lotus to analyze it and make a real blueprint for all of us... Your invasion wasn't for nothing, at least." Ordis lit up on one of the panels on the lower bay. "Another transmission from the Lotus, Operator. Should I read the message ?" Trinity nodded to answer for Zephyr, who was still drowsy. Once again, Lotus's form appeared on the screen. 

"Tenno, the mission you decided to take on by yourself has revealed to be a crucial success for our cause. The artifact you retrieved, known as the Archwing, will allow you and your fellow Tenno to fly through space without the need of your ship. Although, I fear that the Grineer and the Corpus might have their hands on other models of these prototypes. Another team of Tenno managed to find another model of these wings. We now possess two of them, but we have yet to discover if there is more." Zephyr was sitting up by that time, relieved that her work was not lost. "But still, Tenno. Your lack of security put you in a great danger and thanks to the team that went to help you, you are still with us. I strongly suggest that you either inform of your intentions or group up with other Tenno before going into the Void. With that cleared, I've sent you the artifact you recovered back to your ship. This is your finding, after all. I'm sure you will find great power and multiple uses to this new feature."

 The screen disappears and after a few seconds, Zephyr's eyes welled up with tears. "H-Hey... What's wrong, why are you crying ?" She started to laugh nervously, not sure how to show her emotions currently. A great joy rushed through her body, but also guilt. She put herself in danger for a selfish desire, put allies in danger. But yet, she managed to do some good by that. "S-Sorry, it's just... The tension... I needed to let it loose..." Wiping her tears, Zephyr stood up slowly and walked with a limp to the crate containing her received items. Opening it, the wings were there, the blue glint and shines of polished Ferrite and Morphics gave them a beautiful look. She took them into her hands, lifting them out of the crate and contemplating them. "Hey. Why don't you give it a shot ? We're in a clear area." Zephyr blushed a bit and turned around. Trinity was standing there with a smirk on her lips, arms crossed against her chest. "Here, let me help you with these. Turn around." Taking the wings in hand, she leaned towards Zephyr's waistline, placing them around it. As it was meant for that, the wings strapped and connected to the armor, synchronizing with the Warframe. "A-Ah ! I can feel them !" "Really ? Like... You can move them now ?" Zephyr tried to move them, the wings slowly extending and spreading wide. "I-It works ! Now how do I turn them on ?.." "Hey there. Do that in space, you don't want to burn your ship !" Zephyr blinked and nodded in approval. Taking her helmet, she placed it back on her head and let it connect to her chassis. After that done, she moved to the launch pad and finally exited the ship, floating into the deep nothing that was the Space. 

"Can you hear me, Zephyr ?" "I do. Now, these wings..." "Try to focus some of your energy into them." Zephyr closed her eyes and concentrated into her wings. Slowly, the wings's engines started up and bright blue energy rushed through the turbines. Letting go of the ship, Zephyr slowly advanced forward with the wings. "It works ! I can... I can fly !" And without holding back now, she immediatly tried them at full speed, the engines powering up to throw her at high speed. Trinity had trouble following her from the eyes. "H-Hey, Zephyr, don't overdo it, you might lose control !" "Don't worry, it's all under control !" She said while laughing, flying in circles around the Liset. All around her seemed so big, yet she also felt big now. She was like a bird soaring through the sky. She was fulfilling her child's dream at last, and there was nothing to stop her now. And with her, flying freely like she always wanted to, a tear rolled along her cheek before managing to escape her helmet, floating for a few seconds before turning into ice, sealing it forever in the universe.

 

 

                                                                                                                                               Written by LostEchoes

[Pacheon]

༼ つ ◕_◕ ༽つ holy molly ༼ つ ◕_◕ ༽つ

[Keiga150]

That was a great read. Thanks for sharing.

[LazyKrei]

After completing the Archwing quest, I found it funny enough that some aspects of the retrieval of the Archwing in the game was looking like some points of my story. Also thank you all for taking the time to read my story, I greatly appreciate it !