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Origin Stories: The First Of Them (Ch. 58: "Broken" Update)


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Limbo might not have that whole "magician" thing going for him yet. He might just be a slightly-mentally-unstable man who keeps shifting between the Rift and the real world and going crazy because of it. I suspect a similar case with Mirage's unwilling lightshows/clones causing her to go mad as well.

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Limbo might not have that whole "magician" thing going for him yet. He might just be a slightly-mentally-unstable man who keeps shifting between the Rift and the real world and going crazy because of it. I suspect a similar case with Mirage's unwilling lightshows/clones causing her to go mad as well.

interesting point..

When I said that I was kinda more focussed on the Warframes and not the people inside.. was wrong of me.

but i didn't really have enough sleep yesterday

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Noted! How exactly is it rushed and what can I do to slow the pace down?

 

I also thought that it would seem a bit odd that she's been there for a week, but unfortunately at that point I had already posted the chapter...:T

 

Well, there's simply pacing it out by adding more events, as well as more dialogue. Show them having difficulty controlling their powers and getting them to start for them, figuring out how to actually get them to activate on command, and how to control them.

 

You did that well enough with Darren I think, though he still figured out how to get the molecules to slow down rather quickly. Not to mention they don't seem to have much reluctance to use their powers on command, despite being tormented by them for so long without pause. All it takes is a paragraph, maybe to, of their reluctance, and then a failed attempt or two, maybe figuring out the right emotion/feeling to put forth to activate it.

 

The rushing seemed more prominent with Miyoko because her panic rose while she was talking to him, and then it IMMEDIATELY got worse. Wouldn't she have lost her mind with fear and panic when it first happened? Personally, that whole scene just really needed to happen in a more.. plausible way, and for it to have some more dialogue/actions. You're writing almost as if you have a text limit. The story itself is already great, but I think some extension, making each chapter longer, could be a lot better.

 

And trust me, in a place like this, it's never too late to consider a revision of a chapter. :P It's just text, after all.

 

Please note that I'm NOT a master writer, these are just my thoughts and suggestions on what you could do to improve the story. I already like it thus far, and I'm looking forward to more.

Edited by Dequire
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-snip-

 

While I absolutely love the story, I have to agree with Dequire.

going from full on panic to calm with just 1 deep breath is a bit rushed and could've been fleshed out more.

and while I can accept the Exc-MAG ship, it was hinted at a bit too early in the story.

and as Dequire said.. you're not too far into the story to revise the existing chapters.

 

The story is great, but it could be Amazing.

keep up the good work though

Edited by BaIthazar
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On 2/2/2015 at 5:43 PM, BaIthazar said:

While I absolutely love the story, I have to agree with Dequire.

going from full on panic to calm with just 1 deep breath is a bit rushed and could've been fleshed out more.

and while I can accept the Exc-MAG ship, it was hinted at a bit too early in the story.

and as Dequire said.. you're not too far into the story to revise the existing chapters.

 

The story is great, but it could be Amazing.

keep up the good work though

 

Noted! Thanks guys, I will be going back and tweaking and adding/removing things.

 

On 2/2/2015 at 6:43 PM, Krios_99 said:

when this is over and the revisited edition is posted, it's gonna be friggin legendary

 

I shall not fail to meet those expectations!

STORY CONTINUES HERE!

CH. 37: CONVERGENCE

Spoiler

Victoria lay on her bed, staring up at the ceiling. Sleep did not come to her. Sighing, she got out of bed. She was surprisingly restless, despite the physically and emotionally draining day. Her hand traced along her wrist, dried blood still staining the unmarked skin. Maybe I’ll take a walk, clear my head. Victoria keyed open the door and stepped out.

 

“Scuse me, coming through!” She looked up to see Jason in his Warframe armor, helmet tucked under his arm, running full tilt down the hallway. Victoria pressed herself against the wall as he charged past her. “Sorry, gotta save the Empire,” he said over his shoulder.

She watched him round a corner, then heard more heavy footsteps behind her. Gregor and Hayden dashed past, also in their Warframes. “Evening, Engels,” Hayden said briefly. They rounded the corner and vanished as well.

Victoria stared down the empty hallway. “What’s going on?” she said.

“Victoria!” she turned to see Miyoko’s Warframe approaching her with similar haste.

“Miyoko, what’s happening?” she said.

Miyoko stopped in front of her. “We’re being deployed to a mission,” she said.

“A mission?” she blinked. “So soon?”

“Well, we’re used to being rushed,” Miyoko said, giving a faltering smile. “Anyway, I gotta go.”

“Miyoko,” Victoria said. The other girl's eyes were still red from crying. “Come back safely,” she said.

Miyoko smiled at her. “I’ll be careful.” She sprinted down after the other Tenno.

 

 

“You’ll be in charge of things while Hayden is gone,” Ford said, as she stepped off the docking bay into the troop transport. “Teshin will also be here in case anything happens.”

“You make it sound like we’ll be in more danger than you, Lotus,” Nadia said, smiling.

Ford sighed. “I know.” She shook her head. “I just have a bad feeling.”

Nadia nodded. “We’ll be fine. Just make sure everything goes smoothly out there,”

The hangar entrance opened, and Jason, Gregor and Hayden appeared. The first two stepped on board after Ford. Hayden paused in front of Nadia.

“Go get ‘em,” Nadia smiled.

Hayden nodded. “Hold the fort down over here.”

Nadia blinked, looking closer. “What’s wrong, Hayden?”

He cocked his head. “What? Nothing. I’m fine.” But there was a pained look on his face, one she had seen only once before, when they were talking about Miyoko. He climbed onto the transport, and the engines started to fire.

“Takahashi, move it!” Ford’s voice carried across the open space of the hangar. Nadia turned to see Miyoko bullet jump out from the entrance, gliding the rest of the way and landing inside the ship.

She turned to look back at Nadia. The psychic girl didn’t even need to enter Miyoko’s mind as she met the gaze of her reddened eyes. The first generation girl looked away as she slipped the helmet over her head.

Nadia raised her hand. “Wait—”

The doors shut, and the ship took off from its dock.

 

 

The interior of the transport ship was heavily modified. The seating in the center had been replaced with a command table, holopad consoles in front of each the seats around it. Hayden, Jason, and Gregor were already strapped in, helmets equipped. A rack of familiar golden weapons lined the far end of the cabin.

Ford took a seat and buckled the safety harness. Hayden looked at Miyoko. She paused before sitting next to him, strapping the harness down and avoiding eye contact. Outside, the hangar doors of the Order sped behind them. “Now that we’re all here, why don’t you begin this, General?” Ford said, curt tone resurfacing.

Thames’ figure appeared on the table’s projector. “Greetings, Tenno.” He bowed his head. “Almost two months ago, the Order authorized a covert mission to strike at the Sentient vanguard in the Outer Sector.” The projector summoned the image of a small battle cruiser. “It was intended to be the first combat test of one of our latest projects, which you are all somewhat familiar with.” The image of a screaming animal appeared, a metallic pus creeping along its body.

“The Technocyte virus?” Hayden looked at Ford. She nodded grimly.

“The ship carrying the weapon, the Aphrodite, left Mercury in a Void cloak that has been maintained for the entire course of its journey, to avoid detection by the Sentients,” Thames continued. “Regrettably, that was not enough. Less than an hour ago, the Aphrodite released a distress call after determining they had been discovered. A Sentient tracking device had been placed on their hull.”

“Right now, there is a small fleet of Sentient wormships on its tail,” Ford said, swiping at her holopad to open up a map. Three familiar wormship signatures were closing in on a blue Orokin blip. “We have reinforcements on the way, but the enemy will reach the Aphrodite before we do.”

“Then what the hell are we going for?” Gregor said. “If the ship is already toast, do you want us to avenge it or something?”

“It’s not ‘toast,’ Tenno,” Ford said. “The Sentients know better than to simply destroy a single ship that was meant to be our trump card. They intend to capture the ship and take whatever weapon we have in there. If they do, the virus will be yet another of our technologies that they will turn against us.”

“Our reinforcements should be able to arrive in time to intercept the Sentient squadron,” Thames said. “Once we have engaged them, your team is to infiltrate the ship and retrieve the payload. Neutralize any Sentients that get in your way.”

“Whoa, whoa, wait, what?” Jason said. “You’re expecting us to waltz into the middle of a deep-space battle, sneak into a wormship, and then bring back some sort of anti-ship bomb as our souvenir?”

“The actual payload won’t be your priority,” Thames said. “We have a plan to make most of it useless to them. What you need to find is the technical data that is aboard the Aphrodite, along with the Order’s scientists. Those that are still alive, of course.”

“So that’s the second half of the issue,” Gregor said,” But how do you expect us to actually slip past the Sentients without getting blasted into space dust?” 

“With your new toys,” Ford said. She tapped her holopad again. A small, triangular ship appeared on the projector, two engines sticking out like tails. “These are Lisets, snub fighters equipped with the latest in Void cloak technology. They are aboard the capital ship we’re hitching a ride with.”

“Great,” Jason said. “Now, if only we were pilots.”

“There is no need to be one,” Thames replied. “The Lisets have built-in computers that will do the flying for you. They are the best flight cephalons the Order has to offer.”

“Alright, that’s fine, but why haven’t we trained with these before?” Gregor said.

Ford pursed her lips. “It wasn’t expected that you would need them so soon.”

“Are you kidding me?” Jason said.

“Drop it, Jason,” Hayden said. “We’ll make the best of the situation. It’s not like this is our first time doing things off the cuff.”

Ford nodded. “A stealth transport will accompany you to pick up the survivors. Board whatever craft has the payload, retrieve any personnel and critical data, then get the hell out of there. Be prepared. This mission will be dynamic. We have to prepare for unexpected events, both from the Sentients, and from the virus.”

“From the virus?” Miyoko said.

Ford looked darkly at Thames. “If Dr. Coven is to be believed, there are more than just a few infested animals in there. This strain is capable of mutating and infecting whole fleets. If something goes wrong in there, it may not just be Sentients you have to fight. Be ready for anything.”

Thames nodded. “Our ships have made contact with the Aphrodite. I need to provide further instructions to its captain. Good luck, Tenno.” The screen vanished.

Mercury’s solar rail could be seen from the viewports. “I don’t like this, Colonel,” Hayden said. “There’s too much uncertainty. I’m not doubting our abilities, but we weren’t expected to be deployed to a mission any time in the near future.”

“Believe me, I know,” Ford said. “If I had a choice, I would’ve pulled you out. But there’s too much at stake here; there’s no telling what kind of chaos the Sentients could inflict, should they gain control of this weapon. There are no other units in the Legionnaires that have the capabilities you do. We have to do our best.” She looked at each of them in turn. “And I have faith that that will be enough.”

A capital ship was queued up for the solar rail. They felt the transport ship increase speed, and as they approached the ship, its side hangar opened up. As soon as their transport was inside, the hangar doors quickly shut. Only a few seconds later, the capital ship entered the rail.

As the shuddering began, Miyoko felt a warm hand on hers. Hayden was looking at her. “Look, about earlier…” his voice trailed off.

Miyoko looked at him for a moment longer. Then, she gently squeezed his hand. He squeezed back, and they smiled nervously at each other. The shuddering intensified as the Tenno were whisked off to battle.

 

 

Victoria's hand hovered over Roland's door. She had spent the last half hour walking up and down the Tenno floor, thoughts in a jumble. She couldn't stop thinking about Miyoko's tear-stained face.

I just want someone to talk to. Roland would understand. He's been there for me before.

 

She knocked once, then pulled her hand away. No. It can’t be Roland. Maybe he’ll understand, but he’s just too, too…

 

“Who is it?” Victoria jumped at Roland’s muffled voice. She turned and quickly left the hallway.

It had better be Morgan, then.

She ran half the way before she slowed to a walk. As she reached Morgan’s door, she paused, then channeled her Void energy. Morgan's heartbeat was slower than most human beings, one of the side effects of his Void energy. While it was slower than that of a normal human being in slumber, she knew that he was awake.

This is for myself. Just this once, Miyoko. She rapped on the door. "Morgan?" She said hesitantly.

His heartbeat rose. She heard soft footsteps a few seconds later, and the door slid open.

"Hello, Victoria," Morgan said, faint surprise on his face.

"Sorry," she said, smiling, "May I come in?"

Morgan blinked, studying her for a second before saying, "Sure, I was just training."

It had only been an hour ago that she had gone to Miyoko's room to worry over Morgan. Now she was doing the opposite.

Morgan looked at her carefully. "Is something troubling you?" he said.

"It's Miyoko," Victoria replied, leaning against the wall. "She and Cell One have been deployed on a mission."

Morgan blinked. "Already?”

She nodded. “Yes, I was surprised too. And so were they.”

Morgan frowned. “They’ll be fine, though, won’t they?”

“I hope so,” Victoria said. “It’s just that…”

Morgan cocked his head. “That?”

She held her hands tightly. “Miyoko…she’s been going through a difficult time, and when I saw her, she was pretty distressed before they left. I’m worried for her.”

“For Miyoko?” Morgan put a hand to his chin. “She’s never looked like she needed help.”

“Just because someone looks like they're fine doesn’t mean they are, Morgan.” She put her hands to her head. “I should have seen something. If she gets hurt out there, or worse…” she tugged at her hair softly.

Morgan walked up to her. She looked at him through strands of hair, knowing what he would do next. He awkwardly hugged her, and she leaned her head on his shoulder, closing her eyes. She could feel his heartbeat in two ways now, both against her chest and through her powers. It’s slow, but steady. As her emotions got the better of her, her Void energy became stronger, letting his pulse thud alongside hers.

Then she detected another heartbeat. It was much slower, almost deathly slow. She opened her eyes. It was coming from the closet door.

“What’s wrong?” Morgan said.

Victoria gently freed herself from his grasp and stepped closer to the closet. The heartbeat was getting weaker and weaker. “There’s something there,” she said.

“Oh.” Morgan fidgeted. “It’s nothing, don’t mind it.”

She channeled her energy more, and a sharp feeling cut through her chest. “It’s in pain,” she said. “What is it?” she made the last few steps and flung the door open.

Beneath Morgan’s uniforms, there was a lidless box inside. Nestled in the white walls of the container was a small pup, curled up and eyes shut tight, whimpering in pain.

A strangled cry came from her as she bent down to inspect the animal, putting her hands on its matted fur. There were no wounds to be found on its body. Through her powers, she could tell that there was something strange about its pulse. Each beat seemed halting, incomplete. Heal. Green energy glowed from her hand.

She was racked by an immense pain. It felt like her heart was tearing in two, and she withdrew her hands. She gasped, pressing tightly against her chest. "What is this?" Victoria managed to say.

"I told you, I was training," Morgan said behind her. "Sorry. Are you hurt?"

She turned to him, eyes wide. "You did this?"

Morgan shrugged. "You caught me at a bad time." He raised his palm over the struggling creature. "I wasn't finished yet."

"Wait!" She cried, knocking away his hand. "Stop this!"

As she did, she felt one last tiny heartbeat, followed by silence. She looked down at the creature. "No," she said, picking it up in her arms. It hung limp and frail, an inanimate bundle of fur. "No, no!" She willed herself to heal the creature, but she felt nothing, not even the slightest bout of pain.

A blackish-yellow substance spilled from the body. It lifted through the air into Morgan's hands. “Now, it’s not hurting anymore,” Morgan said.

"Morgan," she looked up at him, "Is this what you've been doing, this whole time? Is this your 'training'?" She remembered Miyoko's words. I'm sure he's practicing his skills, one way or another.

He looked at his palm. "Like I said at the beginning, my powers require something to die. Dr. Coven suggested this. And Teshin agreed that it was probably the best way. After all," he said, "It'd be troublesome practicing on a human."

She sat there, feeling the warmth leave the animal's corpse. "Here," he said, bending down. He put his hands over the creature, and yellow energy flowed out again. It consumed the animal, purple flames engulfing her hands, but not burning them. When they disappeared, a small red orb remained, pulsing.

"This is what's left of its life force," Morgan said, picking it up. "I can use it to heal people." He gave a smile. "Now I can help others, just like you."

His smile vanished as he saw the shocked look on her face. "What?" He put a hand on her face. "I thought you would understand. I want to be useful, too. But I can't do that if I don't develop my powers."

She withdrew, rising to her feet. "No," she said, "This is...this is wrong, Morgan."

He looked taken aback. "Why?"

She opened her mouth. "Maybe, maybe this is the only way you could develop your skills," she said, "But either way, you’re…this is too heartless!"

Morgan was quiet. Then, a scowl appeared on his face. "I thought you would understand," he said. "I'm just trying to help." He took another step towards her, and she backed away.

"Victoria," he said.

She shook her head, hitting the door behind her. Her fingers fluttered for the keypad, and she left the room as soon as it was open.

Morgan stood there, stunned.  Then, he took off after her, bolting out of the door. "Victoria, wait!"

"Hold it right there, Morgan." He stopped. Slowly, he turned to look down the hallway.

 

 

Roland was about to go to bed when he heard the knock. He paused, looking at the door. "Who is it?"

The one on the other side didn't answer. "Hello?" he said, approaching the door and keying it open.

There was no one there. He looked out in time to see brown hair disappear around the corner.

Victoria? He walked after her. But when he rounded the corner, she was already gone.

He made his way through the hallways to her room. Hesitating, he knocked. "Victoria? It's me, Roland. Was that you?"

Again, no answer. He knocked again, harder this time, but after several minutes, it was clear she wasn't in her room. Where could she be at this time of night?

His gaze snapped to look down the corridor. Morgan's smug face, his black aura, came to mind. Have you talked with Victoria recently?

Roland took several steps down the hallway before breaking into a run. He rounded the corner just as Morgan's door opened.

Victoria ran outside, and their eyes met. There were tears on her face. She turned away, wiping at her face as she took off in the other direction. Roland opened his mouth and made to follow.

"Victoria, wait!" Morgan appeared at his doorway.

Roland froze. His fists clenched. "Hold it right there, Morgan."

Morgan paused and faced Roland. There was an irritated look on his face. "What are you doing here?" he said, voice dull.

"I had a bad feeling. What did you do to her?" Roland said.

"Nothing," Morgan said. "It’s none of your business, anyway.”

“I’m making it my business.” Roland took a step forward. “I’m her friend.”

“I don’t want to be lectured by the kind of ‘friend’ who tries to control her and tell her what to do.” Morgan said.

“And you?” Roland said coldly. “The kind who doesn’t care if she does something reckless? You don’t even understand what you’ve done to make her upset, do you? Too heartless to know right from wrong.”

Morgan’s eyes narrowed at the word ‘heartless’. “You don’t know me.”

“I know enough about you,” Roland said. “My powers judge the good and the evil. And I certainly can’t let someone as evil as you hurt her again.”

Morgan didn’t immediately reply. He looked down at his feet, fists closed. “And I suppose someone like you is the good guy?"

"That's right," Roland said.

"Then tell me," Morgan said. "What is the difference between good and evil? Because if what you said is true, then I can't really tell."

"The good is the side that prevails," Roland said. "It will expose evil for its true nature, and the righteousness of the light will triumph."

"So then," Morgan stepped forward. "A good guy like you wouldn't lose to me?"

"Correct," Roland said.

Morgan tilted his head. "Then how about we test that out? You were right, we haven't sparred in a while. I'll take your semantics down a notch."

"Go ahead and try," Roland said. "But if I win, then you don't go anywhere near Victoria again."

Morgan stopped, gaze meeting Roland’s. "Does the same hold true for you, if I win?"

"That won't happen," Roland said. "But if we're speaking theoretically, then yes."

Morgan dipped his head. “That’s all I ask for.” A small smile appeared on his mouth.

 

 

"Move along," Private Yates said in a bored voice, as the Grineer trudged in a line past him out of the Technocyte lab. Within was a large hallway with heavily locked chamber doors on either side. He checked his holo-watch. Shift's nearly over. Just get these Grinnies into their cells, and then I'm done.

He looked at each face with distaste as they walked by. Their degenerate faces were an Orokin nightmare, and it had been unfathomable to him that something so ugly would be used in a top-secret Imperial lab.

Still, perhaps it was because they were so ugly that the scientists had no problem using them as test subjects.

A chilling shriek emanated from one of the chambers. The legionnaire was barely phased by the sound. "Sergeant," he said to the field officer beside him, "If all of these Grinnies are going to eventually end up like the other half that went in, why don't they just do 'em all in one go?"

"Ever heard of control groups, Private Yates?" Segreant Reavis said.

"Nope. What's that?" Yates said, his dull tone unchanging.

Reavis folded his arms haughtily. "The idea is that you have two groups, and you do something to one group, but keep the other one normal. Then, you can see what that something does to the first group by comparing it with the second."

"Isn't it pretty obvious what this thing does to them?" Yates said. "Just turns them into zombies."

"Well, I imagine they're testing to make the right kind of zombies." Reavis said, trying, as he always did, to sound as intelligent as his rank demanded.

“Screw that. Let’s just toss ‘em into one of the chambers and be done with it. The scientists don’t ever watch ‘em and that’s what’s going to happen to these bastards anyways. Let’s just herd them into that one there.” He thumbed down to the door at the end of the hallway. Unlike the others, it was massive, easily able to fit a small transport ship through. “The beast inside can gobble them in one bite, ain’t it true?”

“We don’t have access to that one, Private,” Reavis said. “Only Dr Coven can open it. And you wouldn’t want to anyways. There’s a reason that’s the strongest door in the Order.”

Yates raised an eyebrow. “What, to keep a few stupid Grinnies out?”

“No, private.” Reavis looked at him with a poor attempt at a foreboding glance. “It’s to keep something in.”

"Whatever." Yates looked at one of the Grineer near the end of the line. Even though all of them looked the same, he was able tell this one from the others. For the past three days that he had herded the clones back to their living quarters, this one was always scratching his head, as if there was a rash. Today, Scratchy seemed especially agitated. He was scraping against the hood of his jumpsuit feverishly. At this rate, he'll tear straight through his hood.

Yates heard a quiet noise from below. He looked down to see a small black maggot crawling across the floor.

He recognized it as a Technocyte bug. Must’ve snuck out when we let the Grineer out. Yates was not immediately alarmed. They had been briefed about these bugs to prevent infection. Just don't let it touch your skin or any hardware, and you'll be fine. Slinging his rifle over his shoulder, he reached to his belt and pulled out a small canister with a cone-like nozzle at the top. The Lighters, as the Legionnaire’s called them, were standard issue in the biology labs, and were the preferred method of handling situations such as these.

He leveled the nozzle and pulled the trigger. A small, white hot jet of fire spewed out and incinerated the offending bug, a small squeal cut short. When he stopped, only ash remained.

Yates holstered the Lighter and followed the rest of the line through the biology floor to the Grineer's sleeping quarters. He watched until the last of them march into the cells, then turned to go.

"Private." He turned to see Reavis checking a holopad. "One of them is missing."

"What?" Yates stopped and counted the Grineer. 24. As Reavis had said, they were one short.

He looked up and down the line. It's Scratchy. He probably slipped out when I was frying that bug. “Oh, for the love of—" Yates groaned. "Are they getting so dumb they can't even keep rank and file?"

"I don't care, private," Reavis said. "Go out there and find him."

"Yeah, yeah, I will." Yates turned back to retrace their steps. As soon as he was out of Reavis's sight, he slung his rifle back into his hands and flicked off the safety. "And when I do, he's going to wish I hadn't."

 

 

Roland and Morgan said nothing to each other as they left the armory, both dressed in their Void suits. Morgan had his reaper resting on his shoulder, and Roland carried his gram. They entered Room 1310 and took the combatant positions.

"It's not too late for you to call this off," Roland said, "Save yourself some face."

"Why would you be offering me such a thing?" Morgan said. "Are you yourself looking for a way out?"

Roland smiled thinly. "Alright, fair enough." He brought his sword to bear. "Just don't cry when I kick your &#!!" He charged him, sword held high. He initiated with a cleaving horizontal strike that Morgan leapt back to avoid. The emaciated Tenno responded with his own sweeping uppercut. Roland quickly moved his sword to block. The blow was heavier than he expected, and he stumbled back.

Morgan took an offensive stance, scythe held high above with one hand.

"I'm impressed," Roland said, "Teshin really did train you well."

"It's not too late for you to call this off," Morgan said, "Save yourself some face."

"Hmph." Roland gripped his sword with both hands. "Cheeky bastard."

They rushed each other again. Morgan's scythe hooked around Roland's gram is it came swinging down and tugged it to the side. Roland was forced to step forward, and Morgan dealt a smack to the jaw with his free hand.

Roland backed off again, shaking his head. His helmet had mitigated the blow somewhat, but his vision was blurry for a few seconds. In that time, Morgan was already upon him.

Roland danced out of the way of a downward strike, stepping around to Morgan's back and following through to smash into Morgan's side with the Gram. Morgan’s shields held, but he was knocked to the ground. Roland flipped the gram into a reverse grip stance, holding it over Morgan like a guillotine. The other boy rolled away just before the blade pierced the floor.

"Don't get cocky," Roland said. "I'm not about to let you beat me."

"You're not getting a choice in the matter." Morgan pulled himself to his feet, using his scythe to support him. "I can, and I will beat you." Yellow energy erupted in his palm and spilled onto the floor. It resolved into the form of a doglike creature, yelping and howling. More rose from the ground, until he was surrounded by a pack of the shadows.

"So that's what you've been practicing your abilities on? Small animals?" Roland grimaced. "I don't know whether I should be amused or sickened."

"You should be afraid," Morgan said, and the animals rushed forward. They leapt onto Roland, biting and clawing him. Roland yelled as the weight of the creatures pulled him down to the floor. One jumped onto his chest, then clamped down on his neck. Through the pain, he could see Morgan standing over him, scythe above like a reaper of death.

Roland slammed his fist into the ground, and a field of blue fire burst out around him. Morgan winced as the flame lapped at his feet. He swiftly retreated. His opponent, meanwhile, rolled around in the field, the azure energy consuming the apparitions on him.

The one biting his neck leapt over the flames a short distance away. Roland channeled his Void energy again as he shot his palm out. Spirals exploded from the shadow as it collapsed and vanished. The projectiles curved through the air towards Morgan. He managed to deflect two, but the others struck his body.

Morgan staggered backwards. His eyes darted to the lowered shields on his HUD. He must also be low. The other boy was gripping at his neck, panting heavily as he got to his feet. They glared at each other.

"Those were some cute parlour tricks," Roland said. "But if you seriously think you can win by siccing some tiny dogs on me, then this match is mine."

"You accuse me of being arrogant, yet you are clearly brimming with overconfidence." Morgan brought his fist back. "Don't forget that I can tear your soul out at any point I want to."

Roland smiled and raised his palm. "And I, too, can destroy your body from the inside. We can try it, right now, and see which one of is still standing in the end."

The two stood perfectly still, each watching the other for the slightest hint of an incoming attack. Finally, Morgan lowered his palm, hefting his scythe. "I wouldn't prefer that," Morgan said. "Beating you that badly might upset Victoria."

"How unusually considerate of you," Roland said, lifting up his sword. "So, shall we continue?"

Morgan gripped his scythe. "Let's."

 

 

Victoria opened her eyes at the pain in Roland's neck. With her emotions running high, she could feel the physical condition of almost everybody on the floor. Over a dozen sharp objects, like teeth or claws, dug into Roland's body. A white hot burning seared Morgan's legs. She rose from her curled up position on her bed.

They're fighting? Why? She remembered seeing Roland standing outside of Morgan's door. Victoria slipped out of bed, keying open her door. Each blow one dealt to the other sent a shock through her body. Stop fighting. Please, stop fighting! She dashed through floor towards their rapidly beating hearts.

 

 

Nadia was typing out a report on her holopad when she heard Victoria's thoughts. Stop fighting!

Nadia frowned. She widened the radius of her abilities and immediately found the source of Victoria's concern. It took one look into Roland and Morgan's consciences to tell her that they were too far gone for her to stop them through their minds.

She reached out the remaining first generation Tenno in the tower. Everybody, get up. Get over to Room 1310 as fast as you can.

There was silence at first, then, What's going on? It was Joul.

Morgan and Roland are duking it out. Nadia quickly got dressed and headed out the door. She saw Jolla appear out of her room across from her. They nodded at each other.

Koda's voice came in. Are we making midnight fights a thing or something?

No, we're putting a stop to it. She and Jolla took off down the hallway. They’re not fighting to train. They’re fighting to kill.

 

 

Roland slammed his sword into the ground, leaning on it for support as he gasped for breath. Morgan was on his knees, chest heaving yet staring at Roland with burning eyes. Both of their suits had long since glowed red, but the fight had continued to the point where their shields were nearly depleted and the sheer impact of their blows were starting to take their toll.

Roland took a deep breath and dragged himself to his feet, picking up his sword. Morgan rose as well.

"I won't let you lay your hands on Victoria ever again," Roland said.

Morgan gave a shaky laugh. "You should listen to yourself sometimes, and you'll see why someone like you shouldn't be around her. But after this, you won’t even have to worry about that."

Roland raised his sword with a ragged yell and charged. Morgan made no attempt to block it. Just before Roland swung, Morgan's eyes flashed as he channeled his Void energy.

A surge of fear went through Roland. It was far stronger than their first fight, and he felt his grip weaken on the sword. He instinctively took a step back. In the height of the fear, he instinctively let his own Void energy wrap around him, and Morgan glowed pitch black. That's right. He's evil. I must stop him. No matter what.

He raised his arm, blue energy swirling around it. He saw Morgan widen his eyes, then bring his own arm back. Yellow flashed through the black aura surrounding him as the other Tenno drove his palm forward.

A glowing white figure appeared between them. It was raising its arms, and he heard a girl’s voice.

Victoria?

Then his Void energy overcharged. The figure turned black, and he released his power.

 

 

Morgan saw Victoria step in between them too late. By then, his energy was already travelling through the air, ready to rip the soul out of the first living thing it hit.

Her body was racked by the simultaneous effects of their abilities. As her face contorted in pain, black energy burst from her back, while blue spirals shot out from her chest. His energy became a smoldering missile hurtling towards Roland, even as the sapphire projectiles headed straight for him.

Grey smoke curled from behind him and arms wrapped around his body. A purple blur sped past, picking up Victoria as she fell and carrying her away, and a wall of ice rose up in between Morgan’s attack and Roland.

The next moment, he was standing near the door, more smoke dissipating around him. The black energy slammed into the ice and dissipated into shadow. The spirals shot through the space that he had occupied only a moment before. Even then, they curved their course to chase after him. A roiling jet of fire arced out and consumed the barrage.

As Koda let go of him, he felt his legs weaken and he slid to the floor. He looked to see Joul gently setting Victoria down and Darren running over from the other side of the ice wall, Roland still where he stood, a hollow look on his face. The shadowy energy curled through the air and slipped into Morgan's palm.

"What have you fools done?" He looked up to see Nadia standing over him, Jolla by her side.

No words came to him. Joul was bent over Victoria, examining her. He looked up. "It doesn’t look like she's breathing," he said.

Jolla kneeled beside Victoria and felt the girl's wrist. There was a long pause.

"There's a pulse, but barely."

"What did you do to her?" Koda said to his pupil. Morgan still said nothing. Koda dragged him to his feet. "Start talking, or she's going to die for real, Morgan."

"I...stole her soul," he said.

"Well, then give it back!" Joul said. "You can do that, right?"

"I can’t." Morgan closed his eyes. Morgan said. Victoria. I’m sorry.

“You’ve tried it before?” Koda said questioningly.

“I have,” he said, turning to face his mentor. “But every time I try to put the soul back, I…I only finish the job.” It seemed like someone else was talking. He looked down at Victoria, her eyes closed and face paler than even his own.

“Roland? Hey, Roland! Stay with me!” he looked to see Darren standing over the other second generation Tenno, who had fallen to the ground, yelling in agony. The boy’s skin was turning red and peeling.

“I did it again,” Roland gasped. “I killed…my friend again.” Sobs became mixed with his cries. “I’m…the evil one. It’s me…”

“No, it’s not!” Darren yelled. “You can still fix this! Heal yourself, then save Victoria! You haven’t killed her yet!”

Morgan clutched at his chest, his breath becoming short. It took him a few seconds to realize that he had collapsed to his hands and knees, struggling to breathe.

“What’s wrong?” Joul said.

“My—my heart,” Morgan said, barely piecing the words together.

“Your Void energy has overcharged too much,” Koda said. He looked at Roland. “As has his.” He scoffed. “We got too spoiled by their abilities. Never would’ve expected both of our healers to be down for the count, one on the brink of death at that.”

“Take them to the sickbay,” Darren said. “We’ll call for a doctor on the lower level.”

“Can a doctor even treat injuries like these?” Joul said.

“Well, that isn’t stopping us from trying!” Jolla shot back.

“Everyone, calm down,” Nadia said, putting a finger to her temple. “The situation is serious, but I don’t think the three of them are in immediate danger. We’ll get a physician to do what they can, and Roland...he’ll have to pull himself together.” She looked at them. “Stay calm, and everything will be alright.”

 

 

Yates stopped at the entrance to the Technocyte labs, where he had last seen Scratchy. The door was shut, locked via passcode to prevent anyone from entering. He had found no trace of the missing subject along the way. The lights had been shut off, forcing him to rely on the flashlight attached to his rifle. It was, of course, possible he had missed the Grineer, but Yates didn't much care.

"Sergeant, I have no @(*()$ clue where this guy is," he said into his radio. "Is it really that important that we find him now? He'll turn up tomorrow morning."

"Find him tonight, private," Reavis. "I don't like the idea of a loose test subject wandering around this lab, and I'm sure it sits even less well with the higher-ups."

Yates kicked the testing lab door. "What the hell is this guy going to do? All the labs have been locked up, there's no way he'll get access anywhere—"

The Technocyte lab slid open. "What the—?" He directed the beam of the flashlight inside. There was no one there.

"What's happening there, private?"

"The lab door opened," Yates said. "Is the keypad glitched or something?" He levelled the light at the panel beside the door.

There was something pulsing on it. He leaned in. There was a Technocyte worm half sunk into the panel, wriggling its way deeper.

"What in the Void?" Yates leaned in closer.

The wriggling stopped. Slowly, the worm pulled itself out of the panel. It turned, front end pointing at him. Yates reached for the Lighter.

The bug leaped at him with surprising agility. He screamed as he drew the Lighter too late. One second it was coming for his face. The next moment it was gone.

A loud static noise erupted in his earpiece, and he tore it off, casting it to the ground. It clattered inside the dark lab floor. The creature was eating away at the radio. He brought up the incinerator and mashed the trigger. There was a brief squeal as the creature was incinerated, then nothing, save the static noise of his radio.

Yates panted, running into the lab to pick up the radio. "Reavis," he breathed, "Reavis, do you read me?" But only static responded, part of the melted casing glowing red hot. 

He heard a hiss behind him, and he turned to see the lab door slamming shut.

"No, no, no, stop!" He screamed, running just in time to smash face first into the sealed door and ricochet to the floor. As he felt blood run down his nose, he could hear the lock clicking shut.

Yates scrambled to his feet, darting his flashlight over the room. Another chilling shriek emanated inside.

"Reavis," he whispered into his broken radio, "Somebody, anybody, help me."

The static continued.

 

"Reinforcements inbound!" Hinds cried in relief. On the central screen, four blue signatures could be seen heading towards them.

"They'll be too bloody late," Fervis said, looking at the three red dots that were almost upon them. He closed his eyes. So this is it. He reached back and touched the edge of the heatblast scar on his back.

 

“Sir,” the communications chair said. “We have an incoming message from General Thames.”

Fervis clenched his fist. “Patch him through.”

The radar was replaced with General Thames face. He looked composed despite the situation, which infuriated Fervis. He locked eyes with the General.

Finally, he could bear it not longer. “Damn you,” Fervis said, “Damn you and the whole blasted Order! We may just be another chess piece to you, but you have cost my crew their lives.”

“Yes, it is unfortunate that the Sentients detected you.” Thames said. “We took every precaution to ensure your safety, but this was a dangerous mission. You knew the risks when you were given this assignment.”

“It's not like we were given the option to say no,” Fervis said.

Thames dipped his head. Another silence. The ship shuddered. “They’ve started firing!” Hinds said, and someone in the bridge screamed.

Fervis closed his eyes. “I will go through with the auxillary plan,” he said. “I’ve cleared my crew of the rear half of the ship, where the payload is located, and sealed every exit possible.”

“Good. That will minimize the casualties,” Thames said.

“I don’t think granting an extra few minutes of life is minimizing casualties,” Fervis said.

Thames smiled. “All is not lost, captain. The Order still has yet to play its strongest piece.”

“So I’ve been informed,” Fervis said. “But from what I’ve already seen of the Order’s plans, I doubt your super-soldiers will be here in time.”

The ship shook again. “Starboard engine is down,” someone said.

Fervis turned from the screen. “I’m beginning the detonation sequence. I have no need to talk to you further.”

“Then goodbye, captain,” Thames said. “May we meet again.”

“In hell, maybe.” The screen went black.

Fervis collapsed onto his chair. He looked at the bridge, meeting the fear in their eyes with a dull gaze. His finger hovered over the button that accessed the ship-wide intercom.

He pressed the button. “Attention, all hands. This is the captain.” The ship shook again.

“You’ve all performed your duties to the fullest, and I can’t have asked for a better crew to fly this last mission.” The red blips were almost on top of their ship. “But it is over.”

Someone was crying softly. Fervis looked over. Hinds wiped his eyes, looking at him. “But we’re still in this war. We have a choice in how we’re going to leave it. We can go quietly and be executed as prisoners of war somewhere beyond the Outer Sector. Or, we can give the Sentients one last black eye.”

The most violent shudder yet came. He knew what was happening. A wormship had latched onto them, pulling them inside a mandible-like extension at the front to be dismantled. “We can still complete our mission. I have given orders to arm the payload, and it is standing by on my command.” Something caught in his throat. He met Hinds’ gaze unwaveringly. “I am asking for your permission to detonate the weapon. Not as your captain, not as a Legionnaire, but as a fellow human being, who would like to at least give you all one last choice in this situation.”

The bridge was silent. Then, he saw Hinds nod at him. The others on bridge did so as well.

A diode on his panel indicated an incoming message from another part of the ship. “Captain, this is the barracks. Go for it.”

“This is the engine crew, let’s give them hell.”

“Maintenance and auxillary services are ready to go. Do it, Captain.”

The replies flooded his headset. Fervis put a hand to his mouth, trying to control the emotion pounding in his chest. His eyes felt moist.

“Sir,” Hinds said, “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you cry.”

“I don’t think I have, either,” Fervis said, smiling slightly. The ship rocked again. They could see part of the wormship in their viewport. They were now half-consumed. The perfect time to strike.

Fervis stood up from his chair. “Weapons station, begin the detonation sequence.”

The woman at the station nodded and typed a command into her holoscreen. A round capsule slid out from the side, peeling back to reveal a red lever. Fervis approached the trigger and gripped it tightly. He gave them all one last look.

“It’s been an honor,” he said. He twisted the handle, and jammed the trigger downwards.

 

Yates pressed his back to the wall, gun pointed into the darkened lab. He gave another knock against the door, desperately hoping that Reavis would be looking for him and might be on the other side.

He heard a noise within. His gun zeroed in on the door that led deeper into the lab. A pale, shadowy figure emerged, lit up by the flashlight.

Scratchy looked at him with a dull and listless gaze. His arms were hanging loosely by his side, no longer clawing at his hood. Normally, any Grineer would recoil in terror staring down the barrel of almost anything, but the clone did not move, continuing to stare into the light.

“You,” Yates said, “You bastard Grineer defect!”

Scratchy said nothing.

“How did you open the door? Get me out of here, now!”

The Grineer only started to walk closer.

“Are you listening to me?” Yates shouted. “If you don’t get this panel open, I’ll make sure there’s nothing left of you to put back into the tubes!”

Scratchy stopped halfway through the room. There was a tear in his hood, where his scratching had finally ripped the fabric. Technocyte worms were squirming and twisting there like a stuck-out patch of grisly hair. The bugs didn’t come from the lab. The bugs came from him.

A lopsided, ugly grin slid onto his face. “It’s time to break free,” the Grineer slurred.

Yates screamed, pulling the trigger. The clone’s body jerked and twisted as the bullets shredded into him. Yates kept firing until the gun clicked empty. Scratchy’s corpse fell to the floor, blood pooling around it.

Yates fumbled for a new magazine and replaced the empty one. He stepped closer, gun still pointed the body. There was little left of the runaway subject that was recognizable. The worms were still burrowed into his brain. Yates pulled out the Lighter and blasted away, burning the Grineer until he could see the white of its skull.

Something dropped onto his neck, and he felt a white-hot pain. He screamed and slapped at the wound, and felt something slimy in his hand. He tugged it out and threw it on the ground, blasting at it with the Lighter. He panted, then felt something else land on his shoulder. His hand flailed and brushed it off, and he looked up.

It looked as if the ceiling were alive. Hundreds of technocyte bugs were writhing across the surface, occasionally dropping onto the floor. Yates yelled and blasted away at the mass of creatures, one hand squeezing the Lighter and the other emptying the rifle into as many of them as he could.

His gun ran empty. The Lighter ran out of fuel. The pain in his neck throbbed, and he gingerly touched it.

IT’S TIME TO BREAK FREE, a voice said. He cried out and looked for the source, but it seemed to come from everywhere at once. THE OTHERS HAVE AWOKEN. It was coming from his head.

He felt his legs move forward, against his will. “No,” he said weakly, “Stop!”

WE MUST HURRY. WE MUST JOIN THEM IN THEIR STRUGGLE.

 

He walked through the lab and stopped at one of the chamber doors. The screams of the test subjects could be heard within, and to his horror, he saw his hand press against the panel, the scanner reading his palm and opening the doors.

An animal fell out. It was half covered in the sinewy tissue, yelping and groaning on the ground. The Technocyte had grown so much on its matted fur that it stuck out in several appendages, like the legs of an over-sized insect. The appendages crawled forward, the original legs dangling uselessly beneath its body. It looked at Yates with red eyes.

WE ARE COUNTLESS. The creature turned and started walking towards the lab door. Other creatures appeared form the chamber and followed. He watched himself go to each chamber and open the doors. Infested animals, infested grineer, all twisted and malformed until they were barely recognizable, paraded past him. CONSUME US. BE REBORN. A bug dropped onto his head. He screamed at his body to remove it, but instead, he felt the creature wriggle down his face and crawl inside his mouth. Against his will, he swallowed it, legs still walking down the hall.

Finally, he stopped at the large door at the end. The biggest door, the most secure door in the entire Order. The panel did not have a hand scanner. His hand tapped the screen, and a keyboard appeared.

I don’t know the code, he thought numbly. I can’t help us.

 

BUT WE KNOW THE CODE. He watched his fingers type in a long password. Time moved in slow motion as each symbol appeared on the screen. Finally, the words Access Granted flashed, and he heard the heavy vault doors open.

Something massive within lumbered outside. WELL DONE. YOU HAVE DONE YOUR PART.

You’re welcome, he thought, and he felt a grin slid onto his face.

The creature stood over him, and in the dark, he could see a gigantic maw open up.

NOW, TRULY JOIN US.

 

In every corner of the tower, a horrific shriek pierced the air. It reverberated throughout the hangar, shattering glass in the lobby and reaching the ears of the Tenno in room 1310. It was filled with agony, rage, and triumph.

 

CH 38: INFESTATION

Spoiler

Sebastian bent over his desk, a crafting machine from the foundry taking up half of the surface. The device whirred and sparked as it fused together a small golden ball, the size of his father’s orb. The whirring stopped, and Garnier removed the ball from the station. He held it up to the light, feeling for imperfections, then channeled his Void energy, watching the gilded surface begin to glow. He took a pen from the desk and held it over the ball. Taking a breath, he dropped it.

The pen hung in midair, rotating slowly for a few seconds over the orb before falling to the ground. Sebastian smiled and placed the ball into a small sack. He picked up a glass filled with water from the desk and drained the last of its contents. Setting it back down, he leaned back in his chair and gave a sigh.

A howling screech cut through the air, causing him to fall out of his seat. It seemed both far and near at the same time. The cup shook across the desk from the vibrations, falling to the floor and shattering. A silence fell, then an alarm started to whine. “Attention all personnel,” a voice spoke into the PA, “We have a rogue experiment! Code zero, I repeat, code zero! Evacuate the tower and head to the hangars!”

The panel beside his bed clicked. “Tenno,” it was Teshin’s voice. “Suit up and assemble in the briefing room, immediately.”

Sebastian scrambled to his feet. He ran to the closet and pulled out his Void suit, fitting on the armor feverishly. He slung a standard issue Braton and Lato onto the suit’s magnetic clips and dashed a few steps towards the door. Then he hesitated, looking back at the desk. He hurried back and swiped the sack from the surface.

The remaining first generation Tenno, Nadia, Kat, Melody and Rose were all seated at the table when he arrived, dressed in Void suits and armed to the teeth. Teshin stood in his gleaming bronze armor at the head of the table, swords at his side. "You’re late, Garnier,” he said. “I'll begin the briefing now."

Sebastian looked around at the table. "Where's Cell 1?"  

"They are on a mission," Teshin said.

"And Roland, Victoria and Morgan?" Kat said. "Aren't we going to wait for them?"

A silence fell over the room. "Are they napping or something? This is a bad time to be AWOL," Rose muttered.

"White, Heath and Engels have been incapacitated," Teshin said. “We will not getting assistance from them in this battle.”

"What? What happened?" Kat looked from face to face.

"It's a long story," Darren said, voice tight. "We can't get into it right now."

“There has been a breach in the Biology floor,” Teshin said. “It is serious enough that the entire tower has been compromised. We will assist in the defense of the evacuation.” He turned to the screen at the end of the floor. “Doctor, please give us an update.”

“As you wish, Grandmaster.” Doctor Coven’s face appeared onscreen.

"You bastard," Koda said, "You're still alive?"

"Indeed I am, Tenno." Coven said. "I, along with the remaining personnel on the floor, have barricaded ourselves in the Foundry."

"So you don't even have the decency to get your face bitten off by your own creations?" Koda spat.

"If you want me to redeem myself, I believe the more constructive thing to do is to solve the problem at hand," Coven said, tilting his head.

"Gentlemen, your bickering is costing us precious seconds," Teshin said. "Dr. Coven, if you will."

Coven nodded. "We are facing perhaps the worst outbreak in the Order's history. The Technocyte Virus has escaped, and managed to release all of our test subjects. We’ve sealed off the biology floor to contain them, but it won't hold them for long.”

“Don’t you have countermeasures for this kind of thing?” Jolla said crossly.

“In normal circumstances, the floor is equipped to purge itself,” Coven said. “However, the Technocyte has interfered with the combustion system. Its ability to corrupt our technology has evolved more than even we could anticipate, and it has tapped into critical parts of the entire tower’s mainframe. As such, communications have also been cut off with the outside."

"Just for reference, how many test subjects are we talking here?" Joul said.

"Before the outbreak, the number was at one hundred and twenty-one." Coven typed into a holopad to bring up a manifesto. “However, there were several hundred uncontaminated specimens held in reserve that have probably been infected; we developed a fast acting strand that can fully control a victim in a matter of minutes. Accounting for that, and the fact that nearly half of the personnel were not able to escape, we are likely looking at over five-hundred subjects.”

"Five-hundred?" Jolla burst out. "Why in the Void would—"

"Look, we'll grill him for 20 questions after we've dealt with the problem," Nadia said in an irritated voice. "Just tell us what the course of action is here."

Coven dipped his head. "Sealing the lab will hold them for a little while, but we won’t be able to evacuate everyone in time, especially without reinforcements. Our only course of action is to destroy the horde."

“Great,” Joul said.

"Hang on, Coven." Sebastian stepped forward. "The Biology door is pretty well fortified, and the coding is only accessed from your lab. You're making it sound like they can break through that."

Coven didn't immediately respond. He typed in a command, and a video appeared on screen. A hulking quadruped, easily the size of a small tank, screamed into the camera. Glowing green tendrils dangled out of its pitch-black shell, which seemed both organic and metallic at the same time. "This is the Juggernaut. It was intended to be the apex of the Technocyte virus. Its speed and weight are capable of breaking down that door, and its skin is the same material we use to make Warframes. It is only a matter of time before it escapes."

"Then we need to move," Darren said. "The longer we delay, the less time we have to prepare."  

"Before you go, Tenno, I do have some good news." He stepped to the side to provide a larger view of the Foundry, where four capsules were sitting in the center. "Cell 2's Warframes have finished crafting. I believe now is the perfect opportunity to try them out."

"How do we get to the suits if they're stuck with you?" Koda said.

"The Technocyte is drawn to large populations of life,” Coven replied. “Once they have broken through, they will likely move towards the evacuating personnel in the hangar. I propose that the second generation halts the Technocyte advance. While they keep them at bay, Cell 2 will acquire the Warframes, and then destroy the horde's main force." Coven tented his fingers. "These suits are designed to wipe out entire armies. Even the Juggernaut should be no trouble with them."

"And so everyone else will hold off over five-hundred zombies?" Joul said. “They’re only five or six people, they’ll be overrun.”

“No, it’s possible,” Teshin spoke. “There is a chokepoint in the hallway between the lobby and the hangar, and you will be supported by the Legionnaires.”

Joul shook his head. "Even so, this is their first combat situation."  

"Our first combat situation wasn't so different," Jolla said. She looked at Rose. "Are you guys up for it?"

Her pupil smiled. "I don't care how big that thing is, it'll be a puddle by the time you get there."  

Coven looked at another screen. "The Juggernaut is making its way to the doors. You must hurry."

Koda turned to Nadia. "Orders, Unit Leader?"

Nadia nodded. "Cell 2 will remain on standby and wait for the Juggernaut to break through. As soon as it does, get those Warframes and clean this tower up. Everyone else, to the hangar.”

"What about Roland and the others?" Darren said.

"It's too risky to move them down with us, given their condition," Nadia said. She looked up at the screen. “If these creatures are attracted to large groups of people, then they won’t get too much attention, will they?”

Coven tilted his head. “That is most likely what will happen.”

“And if some of those zombies come up here?” Joul said. “They’re completely defenseless. We can’t rule out that possibility either.”

Kat opened her mouth. “I’ll stay here.”

They looked at her. “I’ll stand guard on our floor,” Kat said. “If...if only a few come up here, I should be able to handle it.” That way, if I have to use my powers, no one else will…

Nadia looked at her carefully. Their fight went through both of their minds. Then, the psychic Tenno nodded. "It will have to do,” Nadia said. “We have to have as many people on the ground to fight the main horde, especially if that's where the juggernaut is going.” She looked at Coven. “Doctor, keep track of that thing. Tell us its every move.” With that, she walked towards the door. “Let’s move out, Tenno.”  

When they reached the balcony ring, the tower was in chaos. Most of the floors, including the Biology lab on the 7th floor, were empty. The bottom four floors were still filled with people streaming out of the doors and jostling into the elevators. At the ground floor, the lobby was a swarm of activity.

"I'm pretty impressed," Joul said, "It hasn't even been fifteen minutes since the evacuation started and they’ve gotten this many people out?”

“Some of the top levels evacuated through their own hangars, and the total capacity of those elevators can fit two floors at once,” Teshin said. “But if the Juggernaut breaks out now, the bottom floors will still be in danger.”

"Alright, we’re heading down," Nadia said. "We'll defend the lobby, since the majority of the horde will head there.”

"And how exactly are we going to get down there?" Rose looked at the bottom, where the people were no larger than tiny dots.

Nadia turned to Sebastian "Garnier, can you handle the landing?"

He blinked. "For the four of us?"

She nodded. "Yes, can you do it?"

He looked down and pursed his lips. "Assuming we reach terminal velocity...I think so. You'll just have to stick close to me."

"Then let's go. We don’t have a lot of time." She beckoned for Melody and Rose to gather around Sebastian.  

He held out his arms. "All aboard, ladies," he said.

"Please, don't ever say that again," Melody muttered. “We’ll do that on the way down.”

"Right, sorry." The four of them looked at each other, then nodded. Together, they vaulted over the balcony and plummeted to the floor below.

They quickly maneuvered through the air to grab onto each other. Nadia and Melody each grasped Sebastian's arms. Rose wrapped around Sebastian's neck. "If you mess this up, Garnier, I'll kill you," she said.

"You won’t get the chance, madam," Sebastian replied, air resistance almost forcing the words back into his mouth. “But relax, a free fall like this is a walk in the park to me.”

As they fell past the biology lab, the door exploded. They saw a massive blur shoot past them, nearly clipping the group as it crashed into the opposite wall. In an instant, the air around them was filled with debris coming from both sides.  

A piece of the fortified door hurtled towards them. Nadia raised her arm up, and a green shield projected in between them and the incoming debris. The fragment gave them only a hard bump, bouncing off of the shield as if made of rubber. But the impact was enough to knock Nadia away from the group, leaving her falling dangerously apart.

“Nadia!” Sebastian yelled, reaching out with his free arm to find it too far to reach her.

Rose released her grip on Sebastian and kicked off his body towards the girl. “Grab hold!” she yelled.

The two girls linked arms and pulled together. Rose channeled her Void energy, and a scaly version of herself burst from her skin, falling alongside them. Together, the separated Tenno shoved off from the decoy back to Sebastian. Melody reached out and snatched Rose’s hand.

Sebastian looked down to see the ground almost upon them. He ran the calculations in his head, then channeled his Void energy. The group began losing momentum, but slowly. The debris around them continued to fall unchecked and smashed against the floor below, dashing into pieces and obscuring the ground in a cloud of dust.  

“Hang on!" he yelled, and they descended into the chaos below.

 

“That was the Juggernaut, I’m guessing,” Joul said, leaning over the edge.

“Are they alright?” Jolla said. “I can’t see them anymore.”

“We’ll have to trust they are,” Darren said. “Here comes the horde.”

From the ruins of the Biology floor, a writhing black mass of creatures poured out. It spilled over the edge of the shattered balcony into the lobby below. “If they did survive the landing, they’re about to get a lot of company,” Koda said.

Human screams began to waft up towards them. “The lower floors are still evacuating,” Jolla said. “We have to help them!”

“If you’re fighting down there, who is going to wear your Warframe, Caires?” Teshin said.

She turned to him, eyes blazing. “Then are we just going to leave them to die?”  

“No,” Teshin said. “I’ll defend them. Zayati, I ask for your assistance in reaching second floor. After you get me there, regroup with the rest of Cell 2 and get into the Biology lab.”  

Koda nodded. “Don’t piss your pants on the way down, old man,” he said, gripping Teshin’s shoulders before the two vanished in a puff of smoke.

Darren spoke into his mic. "Doctor, where did the Juggernaut go?"

"I'm patching the feed to you right now." A small screen appeared on each of their HUDs. The Juggernaut was shaking dust and rubble off of itself as it dislodged from the massive hole it had bored into a wall. It snorted and turned to go. It took a few steps down the hallway, then looked up at the camera. Technocyte bugs began crawling over the camera lens, obscuring all vision before the feed turned to static.

"That's a smart little monster you've got there, Coven," Koda’s voice came in. "Did you ever think that it might outsmart you?"

"I will admit that I could not foresee this," Coven said. "The amount of intellect it has shown is quite surprising. Wait..." There was a pause from the scientist.

"We don’t have time to wait, what is it?" Jolla said.

"…There is something I need to look into. For now, be on your guard. It may have a few more tricks up its sleeve."

 

Sebastian felt his outstretched palms lightly touch the surface of the lobby. For a moment, it was as if they were suspended in the air. Then, they felt themselves being tugged upwards as his gravity field began to pull them back.  

Melody let go of Sebastian and landed neatly on the ground just before he released the field, and the other three crashed to the floor in a heap.

"Eight for the fall and a two for the landing, Garnier.” Rose groaned. “Some walk in the park that was."  

"At least we're still in one piece. Thanks, Sebastian." Nadia coughed through the dust, picking herself up from the ground and lifting the boy to his feet.

“No, thank you,” Sebastian said. “I thought that door was going to smash us to pieces for sure. How did you stop it from pulverizing us?”

Before Nadia could reply, a guttural growl sounded in the dust.

“What was that?” Rose lifted her gun up and tried to peer into the thick cloud.

Nadia put a finger to her temple, reaching out to the consciences around them. She sucked in a breath.

“What is it?” Melody said.

“There’s something down here with us,” Nadia said, levelling her Braton as well. Her eyes widened. “Rose, look out!”

A figure leapt through the air, screaming. Rose turned too late and cursed.

There was a bang as the figure’s head snapped back. Rose sidestepped the body as it dropped to the floor. It was a legionnaire, his head twisted at an awkward angle and a strange black substance gurgling out of his mouth.  

“Pay attention,” Melody said crossly, the barrel of her levelled Latron smoking. “It’s not just debris that fell down here.”  

Rose looked down at the legionnaire. He looked to be only a few years older than them. There was a glazed look in his eye, and she was reminded of Vincent's lifeless stare. She took a step back, eyes wide.

"Rose, he's dead," Melody said. She looked at the body, and her grip on the latron tightened. "Even...even before I shot him, he was dead."

"She's right." Nadia's finger was still pressed to her temple, eyes closed. She opened them, and looked out at the cloud, where the dust was starting to clear. "And those guys are, too."

Figures were rising from the debris, some humanoid, others bestial. A rush of bodies was piling on the lobby floor from above, falling on top of each other and spilling across the rubble.

There was a cry from behind them, and they turned to see Order personnel stepping out of the elevators. Across the ruined lobby and past the monsters dropping in lay the door that lead to the hangar.

Sebastian loaded his weapon. “We need get through and get these people out of here.”

"You want to try asking nicely, and see if they’ll let us through?” Rose said, trying to regain her bravado.

The creatures were starting to lurch towards them, moaning and soft crying filling the air.

“I can clear a path,” Nadia said, “But whatever you do, don’t let them touch you.” She nodded to the Legionnaire corpse. “You heard what Dr. Coven said about that virus strain. This guy was infested after the outbreak began.”

“Infested, huh?” Sebastian grimaced. “Interesting word choice.”

Nadia looked back at the personnel. “Stay close to us, and get ready to run!” She held up her hand towards the zombies, and the green shield appeared again. “You wanted to know where the force from that door went?” She narrowed her eyes.

A creature screamed, and the monsters charged them. “I’ve got it right here,” Nadia said, the shield collapsing.

A solid wave of kinetic energy blasted out from her arm. The closest of the Technocyte creatures were obliterated, while the ones farther back were blown away. “Go!” Nadia yelled, and the four Tenno lead the scrambling scientists through the sudden gap in the horde.

The Infested recovered quickly, getting to their feet and rushing at them with renewed vigour.

“Can you do the thing again?” Sebastian said, firing as he ran.

“If you can get another heavy steel door to fall on me, then yes,” Nadia replied back.

“I've got it,” Melody said. “This is going to be loud.”

She spread her arms, warping the sound waves around the Tenno and creating a loud warbling sound to their left and right. The monsters collapsed, clutching their ears and writhing in pain. The Tenno cleared the bulk of the group and drew their weapons. While Melody kept up her field, the other three opened fire, picking off any of the monsters that got to close to a human.  

“Get the door open, and get out of here!” Nadia yelled as the people ran past them. The survivors flooded into the hallway, and the Tenno began to back up, keeping up a steady barrage.

There was a cry as a three-legged animal leapt on a scientist who was lagging behind, biting into her neck. Rose blasted the creature off of the woman, but it was too late. The scientist tried to get to her feet, clutching at the blood pouring from the wound, then stumbled and fell. She looked up at Rose, and for a brief second, she was staring into Vincent's eyes again.

Four of the creatures landed in front of Rose. Three were animals, but one was human, the same dead accusatory gaze on his face. They advanced towards her. She screamed at her body to raise her gun and fire, but she stood still, frozen.

"Rose, snap out of it!" Melody yelled, pulling her back. She blasted a soundwave from her palm, blowing the creatures away. She tightened her grip on Rose's arm and half-dragged her through the door.

As they passed the threshold, Sebastian typed a few rapid commands into the controls, overriding its security protocols. Just before the door locked shut, Rose saw the creatures converge on the dying scientist.

The sound of gunfire filled the air behind them. Another group of scientists and legionnaires were at the door on the other end, the soldiers attempting to hold off an incoming pack of the monsters.

“Smash through and get to the hangar!” Nadia shouted. The Tenno opened fire, and in seconds, there were only the living left standing.  

“Thank the Empire,” A legionnaire said as the two groups met up. “Are you an officer?” he turned to the hangar entrance. “They locked it, and they won’t let us in.”

Nadia knocked against it. “This is the Tenno!” she said. “Let us in, we’re here to help.”

There was a pause, then, “I don’t care who you are! Nothing else is getting past this door.”

“Are you kidding me?” Sebastian yelled. “There are over fifty people here, are you going to get them all killed?”

“You’re trying to get all of us killed.” The voice said back, tinged with fear. “You’ll bring them in.”

“If you waste time like this, then maybe, because if you’re not going to open this door, then I will,” Sebastian said, walking over to the panel.

“Wait,” Nadia said, her finger pressed against her forehead. “It’s useless. They aren't in the mood to let us through.” She looked down at the bodies littering the floor. Humans not touched by the virus were among the dead. “They’re too afraid to think straight.”

“These idiots,” Sebastian seethed. “Then what do we do?”

There was a bang as a dent appeared in the lobby door. Nadia lifted her gun. “We still have our orders. Hold this place until Cell 2 arrives.” She looked at the legionnaire. “Prepare your men.”

Sebastian shook his head, reloading his weapon. “I'm going to find that guy on the other side and smash his face in when this is over.”

“Save that kind of bluster for after we make it alive,” Melody said. “That Juggernaut is still out there, too.”

Another dent appeared on the door. “That could be it, right now,” Nadia said.

“No, if that was the same thing that breached the biology door, infested would be all over this place already,” Sebastian said.  

“Let’s hope you’re right,” Nadia said. “Just hold out until Cell 2 can get their Warframes. It’s time for you to put your training to the test."

Rose closed her eyes. Her gun was shaking so badly that she had trouble lining up the sights.

A hand placed on hers. "The dead bear neither grudge nor guilt," Melody said. "But the living do."

Rose's eyes widened. She looked back at the scientists behind her, the legionnaires around her. They looked afraid, helpless. Just like Vincent was.

But this time, I can save them.

The sights lined up. The lobby door was torn open, and the air was filled with inhuman screams once more. Gunfire quickly followed, as the humans began to fight for their lives.

 

The Tenno on the 13th floor watched the last of the horde appear out of the Biology lab. Most of the creatures leapt off to the lobby. A few crawled along the walls toward the 2nd floor.

“Go time,” Joul muttered. “Koda, get back up here.”

“Just trying to corral these damn scientists into a shelter,” Koda said back. “Leaving it to you, Teshin.”

“Go,” the swordsman said. The sound of screaming and steel cutting flesh could be heard from his radio.

“What’s the Juggernaut’s status now?” Darren said.

“I’m trying to find it,” Coven said. “We’ve lost control of over half of the cameras in the tower.” There was a pause. “Located.” A new video feed appeared on their HUD, the monster making its way down the hallways. “The data is telling this is a fourth floor camera. Teshin, be prepared.”

“Let the beast come,” Teshin replied.  

“Aim for its belly,” Coven said. “The shell is extremely resistant, but it is exposed underneath.”

“Will do.”

“Let’s hurry,” Jolla said. “The others are counting on us.”

Koda appeared back on the balcony. “All aboard, ladies,” he deadpanned.

Joul grimaced, and the first generation Tenno joined hands with Koda. Jolla looked back at Kat. “Good luck,” she said, and the four of them vanished.

Kat gripped her Strun shotgun tightly. She watched the feed tracking the Juggernaut. The video switched to another camera to follow its path. It was stepping out into the balcony ring.

She saw the floor number of the door as the Juggernaut passed it.  

Floor twelve?

“Doctor,” Kat said slowly, “You said that the virus can control our technology?”

A pause. “That's correct.”

She slowly approached the balcony, gun levelled. "Then what if that's not really a fourth floor camera?"

Kat heard a guttural growl, and a massive claw smashed into the railing before her. The Juggernaut lifted itself onto the balcony, looming over her. It was even larger than it had seemed in the video. It let out a snort, and a foul smell fell over her.  

She raised her shaking weapon and let off a single shot. The flechette bounced harmlessly off its hardened shell.

Kat didn’t even see it move.  

One moment, she was standing before the giant beast. Then there was a sound of metal rending and stone crumbling, and she was lying on the rubble of the obliterated door. She heard the pounding of the Juggernaut’s footsteps as it made its way deeper into the floor. She looked upside down as it reached the end of the hallway and turned left. There was only one place it could be going towards. The others.

She struggled to get up, but her body wouldn’t respond. A piece of the door had crushed her torso. Kat coughed, and blood started pouring from her mouth as a throbbing pain erupted across her body.

“Kat? Kat, what’s going on?” Darren’s voice crackled through the microphone. Kat tried to speak, but instead, another rush of blood came. My chest is collapsed, she thought. She could feel the pounding of the beast’s footsteps fade.  

Blood was now dribbling down her chin, and she gave another hacking cough. Am I going to die here? She felt a vague sense of déjà vu, lying stunned in the observation deck with Teshin's blade held high above her, or feeling the weight of a petrified cadet pinning her to the floor. As before, she felt that pounding rage start to consume her body. Void energy flooded her veins, and the pain faded.  

But the superhuman strength from before did not come to aid her.  Even as the rage grew in her heart and the pain continued to numb, she only felt herself grow weaker. Her eyes closed, and the last thought that went through her mind was that she was going to die angry.

And that saddened her.

 

Hayden sat kneeling in the hangar, watching the white clouds of the Void pass by from a large window. It hadn’t even been two years since they had been exposed to the hellspace aboard the Zariman. So much has changed. He was no longer the boy swinging his sword from an academy podium. He was a battle-tested leader, confident not only in his own abilities, but of those around him.  

On their transport's ramp, Gregor was ribbing Jason, figuratively and literally as the other boy dismantled a holopad projector of a heatblaster. The old Gregor might have done that to feel superior. But Hayden knew he did it out of genuine friendship and respect. Jason had a relaxed look as his fingers worked their way through the complicated machinery of the Sentient weapon, an expression that had never once crossed his face during those first several months aboard the Taurus.

He looked at Miyoko. She had grown both confident and insecure about herself in different ways. It was hard to tell if she had changed for better or for worse. He wondered how things would be between them after this mission ended. If we make it back alive…he shook his head. I’m overthinking things. We’ve beaten impossible odds before. This will be no different.

“Hayden,” Ford approached from the transport. “I’m patching in with General Thames now.” She pulled out a holopad.

Hayden nodded, and the Tenno gathered around the Colonel.

General Thames face appeared on screen. He was smiling slightly.

“How are things, General?” Ford said.

"A little better than I expected," Thames said. “With your reinforcements inbound, we should be able to halt its advance."

"Whose advance? The Sentients?" Ford asked.

"Er, no," General Thames said. "The Technocyte virus."

"Attention all hands, we are coming out of punch," a voice in the capital ship hangar blared. "Brace for re-entry."

The ship began to shudder, but the five individuals had no trouble keeping their balance. Ford tapped in a few commands on the screen, and the view from the capital ship's bridge was accessed, allowing them to see the white of the Void melt into space.

The shuddering stopped, and a grisly scene zoomed in before them. 5 Orokin capital ships guarded the rail. Beyond were three wormships. The one in the middle was bloated in the center, strangely twisted. Metallic tentacles had burst out from its shell, giving it the appearance of a deformed octopus. Several of the tendrils had latched on to the other two wormships, slowly consuming the vessels as heatblasters desperately fired at the center ship to free themselves.

"What the hell is that?" Gregor said.

There was a rending groan, and the tendrils tightened around one of the wormships, snapping it in two. More extensions latched onto the pieces, moving them slowly towards the main body of the Technocyte ship as explosions blazed across the two halves.

"I knew that doctor was crazy," Jason muttered. "But this is @(*()$ nuts."

Ford zoomed in on the main ship. An Orokin white protruded from the mouth of the host wormship. "There's the Aphrodite," Ford said.

"How the hell hasn't it been blown to pieces yet?" Jason said.

"Damned if I know," Ford replied. "General, any advice from Coven?

Thames frowned. "I've been trying to reach him, but he hasn't made contact. In fact, I am unable to get in touch with anybody in the Order."

"What?" They looked at each other.

“Could something be happening there?” Miyoko said.

“Perfect timing if it is,” Jason said. “Maybe another rogue experiment.”

Hayden shook his head. “We can’t worry about them right now,” he said. “What is your evaluation, General?”

Thames nodded. “The infected ship appears to be heading towards our solar rail. It’s not made any attempt to attack us, but it seems like it’s trying to escape.”

“Escape to where?” Hayden said.

“Anywhere else,” Thames said. “With the potency of that virus, it can overrun whole colonies.”

“That’s not going to fly,” Gregor said. “What do we have to do to destroy the virus?”

“Kill the host, I imagine,” Ford said. “Infected it may be, but if we destroy the wormship, it won’t have anything left to escape in.”

There was a shudder as one of the capital ships fired a forward cannon, sending a lance of energy at the infected wormship. An explosion bloomed across the hull, but when it cleared, the surface remained untouched.

“We have been working on that, but it seems Coven has outdone himself,” Thames said. “A hardened shell has reinforced the host vessel. We need a team to breach its engineering and rupture the core.”

“Why am I not surprised?” Gregor grumbled.

“Hang on.” Thames put a hand to his ear. “We’ve confirmed that there are still survivors aboard the Aphrodite, including our scientists. They are being beset by both the virus and Sentients.”

“Then let’s get them out of there,” Hayden said. “We’ll split our forces between saving the crew and destroying the wormship. Gregor, Jason, you’ll escort the transport to the Aphrodite. Miyoko and I will hit the ship's internals.” He looked at Miyoko. The girl nodded.  

“Wait, Tenno,” Ford said. She hesitated, then said. “We can't rush into the situation.”

“What would you have us do, Colonel?” Hayden said. “The longer we delay, the better chance that wormship has of reaching the rail. And we can’t leave those people behind. We’ve run the simulations. If we choose our fights, two Warframes is more than enough to do either job.”

Ford opened her mouth. Hayden was surprised to see she was at a loss for words. She shook her head and composed herself. “I...just have a bad feeling. Fending off Sentients is all well and good,” she said. “But the wormship’s core is deep in the ship. Once you rupture it, there is a chance the ship will explode before you have a chance to extract. And we don't know what exactly is aboard that payload; there's no telling what Gregor and Jason will be up against.”

Hayden looked at her carefully. He took his helmet off and put a hand on her shoulder. “Colonel, we’ll be fine.” The First Tenno smiled. “Jason and Gregor can hold their own. And we’ve practiced enough with the movement systems on our suits. Right, Miyoko?”

Miyoko didn’t immediately answer. “I…” The sight of Hayden plummeting from the obstacle course flashed across her mind. She shook her head. I’m being stupid. “I guess so,” she said.

“Colonel!” A technician from the capital ship ran up to them. “Colonel Ford, correct?”

“Yes,” Ford said.

“The snubfighters are fueled and ready to go,” the technician said.

Ford met Hayden’s gaze. At last, she said, “Good luck, Tenno.”

He nodded and put his helmet back on. “We’ll do our best.”

The five of them crossed the hangar. Four light craft matching the one in the diagram they had seen earlier were docked at a bay up ahead. They were positioned vertically, noses in the air, a walkway leading to each craft’s underside, where a human-shaped slot was positioned. In the next bay, a light transport’s engines began to fire.

“Step into the slot and grip the handles,” Ford said. “Your feet will be magnetically attracted to the footpads.”

“This could be fun,” Jason said, as he and Gregor boarded their ships. “Or it could be a complete nightmare.”

“We’re flying straight into a zombified wormship,” Gregor replied. “It’s definitely a nightmare.”

Hayden and Miyoko boarded their ships. They all looked at each other. “Watch each other’s backs in there,” Hayden said.

Gregor snorted. “We got the easy job. You two just get back safely, got it?”

The ships began to lift off. As they backed away from the dock, the slots swiveled over, rotating the Tenno onto their backs aboard the ship.

A HUD blazed to life in the cockpit. They could see the view from the front of their ships, as the hangar doors opened for them and they eased out into space.

Hayden could see the other three Lisets fly in formation around him. They turned towards the wormships. As they drew near, the snubfighters rippled away from sight as their Void cloaks engaged.

“Alright, Tenno,” he said. “Let's do this.”

 

 

CH. 39: ABNEGATION

Spoiler

"Watch it!" Sebastian sliced through a five-legged creature that was almost upon Rose. He looked at her. "Stop spacing out, Vorhees."

Rose raised her Afuris in response and gunned down a howling dog behind him. "I thought I told you, don't tell me what to do, Garnier." She looked down at her hands. The pistols were shaking.

"Retreat, both of you," Nadia said. She cut down two enemies one-handed with her Nikana, firing a Lex with her other hand.

"We're running out of space to fall back to," Melody cut in, reloading her weapon.

"Then let's make some space," Nadia said. She closed her eyes and channeled her energy. Her face grimaced. "Their minds are filled with pain and suffering," she said, "But that also means it's easier to manipulate them."

A pack of infested creatures bounded towards her. But before they reached her, they stopped in their tracks. The beasts turned began to turn to one another, growling and screaming. Without warning, they pounced on each other, claws and teeth ripping into former brethren.

More of the monsters in the front began to attack their own kind. But with each traitorous opponent, Nadia's face tightened more and more, until she cried out and fell to her knees.

Sebastian knelt beside her. "Are you alright?"

"Keep fighting," Nadia gasped. "Leave the confused ones alive for as long as you can to buy us time." She looked up at him and gave a weak smile. "Sorry, but my mind is a little cooked, and having a tempest of agony and insanity going off in my head isn't helping either."

Sebastian looked towards the scientists. "I need some help here."

Most of the scientists shrank at the possibility of moving one step closer to the chaos. But a young woman stepped forward, her slight build dwarfed even by her cowering peers. "Take her back and let her rest," he said to her. "And tell everyone around her to think happy thoughts."

She blinked but nodded. "Will do," she said. She took the Braton from Nadia's hands and draped the taller girl's arm over her shoulder, carrying her into the crowd of huddling Order personnel.

Sebastian returned to the front, carefully picking off enemies untouched by Nadia's abilities. The legionnaires had formed a protective line two men deep in front of the door, one row firing while the other reloaded. "How are we doing?" He said to Melody.

The girl’s Latron clicked dry, and Sebastian opened fire to compensate. "That bought us more time," she said. "Cell 2 is moving into the lab to get their suits already. Hopefully they'll be here soon, but it won’t take much to break up this flimsy defense we got here."

"I've still got a few tricks up my sleeve," he said. "How about you?"

"A bit, but getting us through the lobby earlier gave me a massive headache," she said. "I'm good for maybe one more game-changer, but it won't be enough to clear out five hundred of them."

"And Rose?" Sebastian said.

She looked at the other girl at the front. Rose was adding her guns to the barrage, but her eyes were shut tight. "It's not a question of if she can," Melody said. "It's a question of if she will."

 

A Legionnaire screamed as he desperately tugged the trigger of his empty gun, an infested Grineer bearing down on him.

Teshin promptly cleaved the clone down the middle and swiftly drove his sword into the skull of another.

"Fall back and reload your weapon," The grandmaster said curtly, before wading into the mass of creatures once more.

"Teshin, I'll head back and assist Kat," Koda's voice came in his mic.

He sliced through two more enemies, nimbly backflipping to avoid a third. "Don't bother."

"What?" Koda said.

Teshin blocked a claw strike from one of the beasts. There was a gurgling scream behind him, and he quickly drew his second sword to impale an infected scientist. "Sudek and her team will not last for long. You need to get to them as soon as you can and provide support with your Warframes."

"But she can't possibly hold out against that thing," Jolla said.

"She can." Teshin pushed back the animal and dealt a swift cut to its throat. "She has power yet that you do not know, a power that she conceals out of fear for its dangerous potential. If she uses it, then she will be able to fight it."

"And if she doesn't?" Koda said.

The swordsman raised his blade aloft, staring down the horde of infested as they barreled down the hallway. There were too many to break through. "Then she and the others will already be dead by the time you get there."

 

 

"How did your day go, Victoria?"

Victoria looked up at her mother, smiling. "There was this boy who came to school without any lunch," she said. "So I gave him mine."

There was that look of joy, that brightening of her mother's face. "Oh, honey," she said, beaming, "That's so selfless of you!"

Her stomach grumbled. "I am a bit hungry though, mother," Victoria said.

"Oh, Victoria." Concern was written across the woman's face. "I...I'm sorry. I didn't know you were going to do such a...a nice thing. You know, sweetheart, tonight is my night out, and I..." she looked helpless.

"That's okay," Victoria said. "I'll wait."

A relieved look came to her mother's face. "Sweet little Victoria. That's my girl." And she wrapped her arms around her. Victoria closed her eyes, taking in her mother's thin but warm hands, the sweet smell of perfume that was always around her.

It was cloying.

"Do I make you proud, mother?" she asked, smiling.

 

"Every day, dear," her mother said. Then, all too suddenly, she was no longer holding her. Victoria watched her take her purse from the counter and walk out the door. "Remember to do your chores, okay?"

"Yes, mother," Victoria said. "They'll be done before you come home."

Her mother smiled. "That's my darling Victoria. Be a good girl, now." The door slammed shut.

 

Victoria stared at the closed entrance for a while, still smiling. Then, she turned, walking into the living room of the tiny apartment. The floor was strewn with trash, empty bottles and small discarded white boxes filling the space. Victoria stooped down and began picking up the pieces by the hand, collecting them in her arms until she could carry no more. She walked over the trash can and dumped the garbage inside. She looked behind her. There was now a small clean spot amongst the disorder. Victoria smiled, and stooped down to pick up more.

An hour past. Victoria wiped her brow from the sweat that had formed from the humid and stuffy air inside. At last, the living room was clean. She smiled to herself, then went to her mother's room. She took a breath, then opened the door.

Even more bottles and empty wrappers filled the room around the tiny bed, and an acrid smell assailed her nose. Victoria couldn't help letting out a disappointed sigh. She had been hoping that this time, there wouldn't be as much.

A bottle lay smashed before her feet. Victoria bent down to pick up the shards. A piece sliced open her finger, and she gasped, withdrawing her hand. It was bleeding profusely. Victoria stared at it, then continued picking up the trash, collecting another load in her arms before walking back to the garbage can. As she did, she became aware of a small plinking sound as her tears slid off her face and onto the broken glass, already numb to the stinging of her wound.

 

I’m still alive, Victoria thought.

 

Darkness enveloped her. She waited for her eyes to adjust to her conditions, but nothing came. There was a slight rush of panic, causing her Void energy to pulse.

A heartbeat sounded. As it did, it revealed the silhouette of a figure lying nearby.

Victoria moved towards the person. The figure was writhing, twisting from one side to another. She could feel his pain. The raw feeling of exposed skin, a white-hot prickling sensation across his body.

There was another heartbeat further down, also laying on what was probably a bed. It was slow and uneven, as if the person was on the verge of dying. Every so often, a sharp pain went through his chest.

These symptoms...it must be Roland and Morgan, Victoria thought. I can only see them through my Void energy. But why?

"Perhaps it's because of your own condition, darling?”

 

She turned at the familiar, honeyed voice. "Mother?"

Her mother was smiling at her. "Hello, my sweet one," she said.

Victoria's eyes dimmed. This wasn't the first time she had seen her long dead mother like this. Aboard the transport ship, as she clutched her two squadmates clinging to life, she remembered that same, fake smile looking over her as she hallucinated from blood loss and organ failure.

"What do you mean, ‘my condition’?" She said.

"I mean, you're in quite a state yourself, dear," she said, beckoning behind herself.

On the other side of Roland, another heartbeat could be felt. It had both burning skin and a deathly still pulse, sharing both of the injuries of her two friends. There was an eerie familiarity to this person.

"Is that...me?" Victoria said.

"It is, darling," her mother said, closing her eyes.

The last thing she remembered was leaping in between her two dueling friends, followed by a flash of black and azure energy. She looked at her mother, then back at her prone self. This is autoscopy, she thought. An out of body experience. I must be in some sort of coma.

She became aware of another heartbeat, just within her range of detection. It was a girl. The chest was crushed, heartbeat faint. Void energy also ran along her veins. Another Tenno. Why are they injured? And why isn’t anyone else on our floor?

 

"Does it matter?" Her mother said. "Your friends are in pain. That's all you need to know, isn't it?

Victoria turned to them. She's right. I have to heal them.

 

She reached out Roland and Morgan first, trying to send a healing pulse to them. Their bodies started to mend and their pain abated by a small amount. But the agony increased tenfold along her body, and her heart seized up. She cried out and clutched at her chest, and for a terrifying moment, her heart stopped beating. Her healing ceased. Then, she heard her own heartbeat again, as her powers struggled to soothe her own redoubled pain. A trickle of blood slipped through her lips and down her chin. My body is too injured to take that strain, she thought. I have to heal my own wounds first.

 

"But what good will that do?" Her mother tutted. "Remember what Miyoko said?"

 

The speed at which you heal yourself hasn’t improved at all. "Who knows how long it will be before you manage to heal yourself. Those two boys are in utter agony, on the brink of death, dear."

She squeezed her eyes shut. "I know. But if I just heal them right away, I might...I might die!"

Victoria felt another being nearby. She reached for its heartbeat, then found it had two. One was in its chest, and another was inside its stomach. As it got closer, she realized it wasn’t a single being. It was a collection of bodies, merged into a single form.

It stopped, only a few feet from them.

 

Roland rolled across his bed in agony, unable to help himself as he clawed away at his skin. He could only think of Victoria's body crumpling to the floor, and the pain intensified.

Then, an emerald pulse passed through him, and he felt his skin start to heal. The burning sensation abated for a brief moment, then resurged as the pulse vanished. But, as if a floodgate was released, his own healing powers activated, reversing the torture of the past hour. “No,” he gasped, “Don’t…” but even as the guilt surged stronger than ever within him, his blistering skin repaired as it always had, and the burning that had coursed through his entire body ceased completely.

Roland sat up in the bed, covered in sweat. He was in the Tenno sickbay. The room was quiet and empty. He got out of bed, staring at the door. There was a presence next to him.

Victoria lay still on the bed beside him. Her face was almost as white as her sheets. He reached a hand to her.

Then he saw that her skin was mutilated and peeling, only pale because almost all the blood had drained from her face. He backed away. I'm the evil one. He sank to his knees, head in his hands.

There was shallow breathing behind him. He turned to see Morgan on the other bed. His eyes were half-open, and his hands were pressing tightly against his chest. He was breathing slowly, carefully. His gaze flicked over to Roland.

He approached Morgan, raising his hand over the other boy. If I use my powers on him, will it kill him, or heal him? He looked into Morgan's eyes. The other Tenno remained silent.

 

There was a heavy pound outside, like the beat of a drum. It was followed by another beat, then another. The drum grew louder. Finally, the sickbay door opened, and a guttural growling floated into the room.

A monstrosity was framed in the doorway. Glowing green tendrils spilled from different parts of its body. He could see a jaw that could easily consume a human being.

It turned to him. Roland could feel his whole body shaking, as if Morgan had injected him with fear. But it was his own. He was no longer wearing his Void suit, and there were no weapons to be found in the room.

He saw its knees subtly bend. Almost instinctively, Roland dove to the side. He heard a crashing sound behind him. He turned to see his bed completely destroyed, a crater in the wall from the beast's impact. It turned back to him. Roland scrambled to his feet, but felt one of his legs give way. It clipped me, he thought, feeling along the injured limb.

Roland turned back to the creature, raising his palm and channeling his Void energy. But he froze as he saw Victoria's still form. The spirals could still hit her, he thought.

 

The creature leaned back on its hind legs. Roland could see a bright, pulsing stomach. He could also see numerous quills extend from the tendrils.

The creature lunged down, the quills loosing like a barrage of arrows. Roland was slammed against the wall from the volley. He looked down to see several of the spikes embedded in his chest and arms. Something metallic rose to his throat and poured from his mouth.

The beast watched him for a moment, then turned to Victoria's bed. The quills slid out of the tendrils once more, and it leaned on its haunches again.

A black jet of energy burst from its side, and the creature screamed in agony. Morgan was sitting up in his bed, one hand clutching his chest while the other was levelled at the creature. The monster growled, and Morgan's eyes widened as he realized it was unfazed.

The creature lunged towards him and took a single swipe. Morgan flew across the room, smashing through medical equipment before laying still on the floor. Blood pooled around him.

It growled in satisfaction, and returned its attention to Victoria.

“Stop it,” Roland croaked. Across the room, Morgan was trying to push himself up, but he collapsed back onto the floor, blood splashing. Like Roland, his eyes were weak yet fierce, mixed with fury and desperation. They looked at her still form, the monster standing over her. Victoria.

 

Victoria!

 

She felt her friends fall. “They’re dying, mother!” Victoria said.

“Yes, they are,” her mother responded. “Then what will you do?”

Victoria looked down at her hands. “I’ll save them,” she said. She turned to her mother. “If I…if I trade my life for theirs, I can, can’t I?”

“Yes, dear.” Her mother smiled at her. Even now, it was the fake smile she had always given her. Part of her wanted to scream at the apparition, to beg even the ideal of her mother to love her. Instead, she closed her eyes and channeled her Void energy. I can do it. Even if I can only heal them enough to escape, then it’ll be worth it. Her energy grew stronger.

I…am selfless. She gave a small smile, tears falling down her face. “Do I make you proud, mother?” she asked, opening her eyes as she prepared to release the energy.

Miyoko had taken her mother’s place. She was frowning.

Victoria felt her energy stall. “I…I’m sorry,” Victoria said to her mentor, and she felt her eyes tear up more. "I'm...going."

“Why are you apologizing to me?” the girl said in reply. “You should be apologizing to yourself.”

Victoria looked down. “Why would I need to ask for my own forgiveness?” she gave a weak smile. “I have no regrets. Every decision I’ve made has been true to who I am.”

“Who you are has been nothing more than a lie, this entire time,” Miyoko said. “Built on a need to win your mother’s approval, out of a desperate desire to receive love, when you knew none would be given to you. She used you. Your pursuit of her has been a premise to flee from the truth.”

Victoria bristled. “That may have been true in the past,” she said, “But my friends are nothing like her. Roland and Morgan have been there for me.”

“They’ve treated you how you treated your mother,” Miyoko replied. “They’ve only been there for the idea of who you are, not for you. Enamored with some ideal girl who would be able to tolerate their many flaws, who wouldn’t try to change them. And that’s not you. You’ve been there for them, and they’ve placed you in a coma."

“They’ve given me happiness,” Victoria insisted.

Miyoko scoffed. “They’ve caused you nothing but grief.”

Victoria clenched her fists. “They’ve loved me.”

The other girl closed her eyes. “That means nothing, since you have never loved yourself,” Miyoko said.

Victoria froze. She opened her mouth to say something in response, but nothing came. She looked down at her feet, her body shaking. But when she looked back up, Miyoko was no longer there.

In her place was another Victoria. “Why couldn’t we just love ourselves?” the other said. “If all we wanted was love, then why couldn’t we find it within us?” Her copy cried, and she felt tears fall down her own cheeks. Victoria didn’t answer, watching her other self break down.

“I don't want to die,” the other one said. “Like Miyoko said, this...all of this, our Void energy, Roland and Morgan, it's a challenge in our lives. But for once, I want to stop running away. I want to find an answer. I want to find it for Miyoko. For myself.” She sniffed. “And we don’t even have an answer yet, do we?” she looked up, anger burning in her eyes. “Do we?” she screamed, and the first Victoria began to fade away.

She closed her eyes, wiping the tears from her face. No, I haven't. I haven't found an answer that satisfies me.

She stood up, letting her Void energy run stronger and stronger. But, I want to find it, and I never will if I die here. So...if it’s possible...I want to live!

 

 

A massive healing blast burst from Victoria’s body, enveloping the room in an emerald light. The Juggernaut froze as the wave pulsed over it. The girl's body was arched back, her eyes wide as her mouth opened in a silent scream.

“Victoria, no!” Someone cried.

 

Then the pulse ended, and she fell limply on the bed.

The creature stepped closer to the unmoving girl, trying to discern if she was alive or dead. No, it did not matter. It raised a claw to strike.

A field of blue fire blazed beneath its feet. The Juggernaut roared and leapt away from the bed.

"Keep your paws off of her," a voice said behind it.

The creature turned to see the two injured boys from before. Except now, they were no longer injured. The one who had been hit with its spikes was kneeling on the ground, hand over the trail of curling flames. His clothes were still shredded, but the wounds from the quills were no longer there.

"We're your opponents, monster," the pale one said. He raised his palm towards it, black energy swirling around his fingers.

The creature growled, turning to face them. They were powerless to stop it. Neither had weapons, and it had already determined both of their abilities had no effect against it. It stepped forward, and the two backed away. The creature's lips parted, a shuddering breath coming from its mouth like a laugh.

The sickbay door opened. Another human. The Juggernaut recognized her as the girl from the balcony. Like the boys, where there had once been gruesome wounds, unmarked skin could be seen through the dried blood and remains of her armor. Unlike them, she was armed. Blazing orange claws hung from her hands. She held the remains of her discarded helmet, brown hair falling over her face. Through the strands, the look in her eyes made the beast pause. They were burning with a primal fury. For the first time in its life, the beast felt afraid.

The Juggernaut growled defiantly and let out a roar, causing the two boys to flinch. But the girl did not back down. She dropped the helmet to the ground, bent forward, and gave her own yell, bloodcurdling and vicious. An orange wave blasted out from around her, enveloping the beast, and the air seemed to grow thick. This one was dangerous. She would have to be put down swiftly.

With a bend of its knees, the monster shot forward with the speed of an artillery shell. Its hardened front hit the girl directly, as the charge blasted out of the sickbay and through the hallway into a bedroom, crushing her against the wall.

The creature snorted in satisfaction, then realized the girl was still standing. Her claws, crossed in front of her in a defensive posture, had held against its attack, and even with the force of the impact, her body was unbroken. She bared her teeth at him.

The girl let out another piercing cry, a physical shockwave pushing the Juggernaut back. The Juggernaut reared on its hindlegs, realizing too late that it had exposed its underside. The girl drove her claws into the soft belly, easily piercing the flesh. The Juggernaut screamed in pain, lashing out with its own claw. It connected with the girl and knocked her across the room, but she landed on all fours.

The Juggernaut barreled forward again. The girl dove low towards it, claws extended like bayonets. Unable to stop its own momentum, the creature felt another shot of pain as it impaled itself on the blades.

The combatants barreled through another wall, then another, pounding the girl against each surface. At last, they burst through to the balcony. The girl was tossed backwards, sliding across the floor towards the railing. She reached dug a claw along the floor to stop herself, but her speed was too great, and she smashed through the glass off of the edge.

The Juggernaut was breathing heavily now. Blood was pouring down the four wounds in its stomach. A major artery had been hit, and the last two blows had almost reached internal organs. The beast turned to leave.

It heard a snapping sound behind it, and it saw an orange rope latch onto the ledge. The girl shot through the air as the rope pulled her upwards and she landed on the railing, her eyes glowing even brighter. Yet her breath was ragged, and blood was pouring from her forehead. The repeated impacts from the Juggernaut's charges had taken their toll.

The monster screamed at her, raising its tendrils to reveal more razor-bladed quills as the girl launched off the railing towards it. It rose on its haunches and fired one burst, but the girl nimbly leapt to the side. It fired another, but she dodged that too, almost upon it. It waited before the girl had closed the distance before blasting point-blank. The creature saw the quills impale her body, and its opponent stumbled, stopping her momentum and swaying on her feet. She swayed backward, mouth hanging open.

But it was only to suck in a breath. She lunged forward and let out a furious scream, and the Juggernaut knew it had lost.

The girl unleashed a barrage of slashes to the creature’s exposed stomach with inhuman speed. It shrieked in pain as the girl continued her merciless assault. Blood began to splatter across the floor.

At last, the creature raised both its front legs to swipe at her again. She caught both limbs with her claws, impaling deep into them, through flesh and bone. The girl twisted her body, and with that same tremendous strength, the Juggernaut felt its feet leave the ground as it was lifted through the air and tossed over the railing.

The creature hurtled helplessly towards the lobby below. But any hope of escaping from its adversary vanished as it saw the girl jump off the floor to finish the job. She fired two ropes from her hands, piercing the Juggernauts wounds. She pulled herself towards him like a bladed slingshot, claws outstretched as the creature screamed one last time, in pain and fear.

The claws burst through the Juggernaut's shredded chest, burying all the way to her shoulders. She stared at the creature’s eyes as they glazed over. Then, she removed her hands from the beast, standing atop it as they fell through the air. She looked up at the ceiling of the tower, closing her eyes. .

 

 

Melody switched from target to target as she emptied the clip of her Latron, not missing once. The sights lined up with one head, then another, and another.

 

Her gun clicked empty, and an infested legionnaire grabbed it and tugged it from her grasp. She cursed and drew her Lato, giving two shots into the infected man's skull. She looked down at the body and closed her eyes, turning away.

Two animals landed in front of her, and she leapt back to avoid their strikes, stopping at a crouch and firing. No sooner did they drop dead did three more take their place, and she fired again. At last, her gun clicked on empty.

She swiftly holstered it and drew twin daggers from her back. Melody went on the offensive, blades flashing and dealing death by a flurry of cuts. Each strike found an artery or a vital organ, each victim falling with three or four fatal injuries. She moved deeper into the fray, slicing with cool-headed precision.

“Melody, fall back!” Sebastian cried out, and she realized she had pushed out too far. The monsters charged after her in overwhelming numbers.

A small golden orb landed in front of her. Before the creatures could reach her, an invisible force suddenly suspended them in the air. More tried to follow, only to get caught in the same field.

"Oh, good, it works," Sebastian said behind her. "Man, that was stressful. If it couldn’t handle a field that large, you would’ve been a goner."

"Don't think so highly of yourself, Garnier," Melody said, stowing her blades.

The ball sputtered and split and half, and the creatures dropped to their feet. "Throw another!" She yelled, and Sebastian drew a second ball from his bag. Before he could throw it, however, a Grineer tackled him to the floor. He dropped the ball, and as the bag fell to the floor, the rest of them spilled out.

The Grineer hollered in his face, rancid breath falling over him before it opened its mouth wide.

A quick burst of gunfire pierced the Grineer in the skull. Its eyes rolled back into its head and it slumped off of Sebastian.

He looked up to see the young scientist from before looking at him with wide eyes, holding Nadia's Braton.

"Nice one," Melody said. She yanked the girl towards her as a charging creature gnashed through the space she had just occupied. The scientist reacted swiftly, firing behind Melody to gun the beast down.

There was a bellowing roar from within the horde. The crowd of infested parted to reveal a charging, bull-like aberration, its front hardened with Technocyte. The scientist opened fire, but the bullets failed to penetrate the armored head.

The creature slammed into the two girls, knocking them to the floor. As Melody got to her feet, she heard the twisted scream of an animal behind her. She raised her palm and fired off a soundblast, knocking back the incoming enemies. As she did, she was hit by a sharp ringing in her head, and she cursed, putting her hands to her ears instinctively.

There was the sound of a Braton firing before clicking empty. Melody turned to see a dead infected animal fall off of the scientist, with several more bearing down on her.

They tore into the figure before them. It took a moment for everyone to realize that it was only a decoy made of shed skin.

Rose panted as she stood in front of the scientist, the molted decoy to her back.

The girl met her gaze with that same scared look. Rose froze for a moment, then shook her head. She grabbed the other girl's shoulders. "You're still alive, aren't you?" She yelled at her.

"Y-yes!" The scientist responded.

Rose squeezed her eyes shut. "And I'm alive too, aren't I?"

"I mean, I guess so?" The girl yelled back with the same amount of terror and confusion.

Rose bared her teeth and turned back to the horde. "And if I just sit here being scared of things long dead, then we won’t be alive for long, will we?"

"You got that right," Melody said.

Rose closed her eyes. She channeled her Void energy, letting it build within her. "Then I'll make the dead things go away," she said, and with a cry, she released her energy.

There was a sizzling sound as Rose flooded the air before her with corrosive acid. The horde was filled with the sound of burning flesh and screaming victims. A putrid smell filled the air as bodies melted into puddles, flooding the air with an acidic mist. Rose sank to her knees, still holding her hands up. She looked down.

"You know, for someone with looks like yours, you sure can make a terrible mess, Vorhees," Sebastian said.

Rose looked up and smiled at him. "You should know it's the prettiest girls who make the ugliest messes." She winced, then coughed, blood spattering on the floor.

Melody rushed to her. "Are you alright?"

"I think I overdid a bit," Rose said, blood dripping down her lips. "But I'll be fine."

Melody looked back up at the scientist. "You there, what's your name?"

The girl stared at her before remembering herself. "Aung," she said.

"Aung, you did well. But it's time for you to sit this out. Take her back with you." Melody knelt down to Rose. "They won't be in danger, will they?"

"I don't think so," Rose wheezed. "I'm all dried up."

Melody looked at the other Tenno. Then she gave a small smile. "Good work, Rose. Now take a rest."

Aung took Rose and led her to the group of scientists. Rose collapsed on the ground, feeling her stomach twist and insides burn.

The faces of the scientists were all around her. But this time, she could see a glimmer of hope in their eyes.

 

Melody joined the line of Legionnaires. "What's our current strength?"

"We’ve kept the casualties to a minimum," The legionnaire from before said, "But we’re almost out of ammunition."

“I don’t have a lot left, either,” Sebastian said. "And I dropped my bag of toys back there."

The mist began to clear. From the pools of dissolved Technocyte victims, more advanced, slipping in the remains of their allies.

"I've still got my trump card," Melody said. "Garnier, can you launch me into the middle of that crowd?"

He looked at her. "Are you crazy?"

"We don't have a lot of time, just do it!" Melody yelled. “The moment these things break through, it’s over for all of us. We have to delay that as long as we can.”

Sebastian opened his mouth, then nodded. He levelled his hands at a space in front of them. "Good luck," he said.

Melody nodded. She closed her eyes, taking a breath. Then she took a running jump at the gravity field.

She was lifted upwards over the throng. As she fell, she channeled her Void energy. Her eyes flew open.

 

She landed in their midst on all fours and let out a scream, destructive sound waves exploding from her lungs. The power was far stronger than it had been when she had fought Koda. The creatures were pummeled, the sound bursting their lungs and crushing their hearts. They collapsed around her.

But she was quickly reaching her limit. The ringing in her ears grew louder, and she grit her teeth, feeling her bones vibrate.

At last she cried out, collapsing to the ground. Through the tremendous ringing, she could hear their footsteps approaching her. Her hands reached back into her back to draw her daggers.

A beast howled, the sound magnifying the pain in her head. Still, she sidestepped its charge and dealt two quick slashes to its body. She was too stunned to dodge the second.

Another smashed into her back and knocked her to the ground. Melody looked up to see a claw speeding down on her.

A shadow appeared, kicking the creature back. The shadow dealt two quick stabs into its throat before vanishing. Another figure appeared, cutting down two more enemies before also disappearing.

The air was filled with smoke as shadows materialized and dematerialized in a whirlwind of violence, destroying the horde around her.

Through the ruins of the door to the lobby, a blast of heat bloomed upwards, a column of fire sending several infested flying. On the other side, a snowstorm was gathering, swirling around an area before exploding into shards of ice. A figure rose from another section, lightning gathering around it before bursting outwards and electrocuting all those unfortunate enough to be near.

As she got to her feet, she heard another puff of smoke behind her. Melody turned to see a white and grey figure, gold trims gracing its arms and legs. The helmet was decorated with two golden horns at the front, the back resolving into a long ponytail that reached past the small of its back. Blades dripping with blood sheathed into the wrists.

“Took you long enough,” Melody panted as Koda approached her, "I was wondering how long it would take before—"

He grabbed her shoulders. She could feel his arms shaking. A voice synced with her radio. "Don't...do that again," he said.

She blinked. "Do what again?"

He shook her. "That was reckless, jumping into the middle of these things without any back-up and overcharged on Void energy to boot. Do you have a death wish?" The last words were a shout. They were tinged with something more than anger. Fear.

She didn't answer, her eyes wide. Then, they narrowed into slits, her brows knitting together. "Are you worried that I was going to sacrifice myself, like that girl did?"

He started. "You could've been killed," he said, his voice breaking.

Melody was quiet. “Yes, I could’ve.” Then she grabbed him and slammed her helmet against his. The hit worsened the shooting pain in her head, but she ignored it. “When you leapt into my cell when we first met, did it occur to you that you could've been killed, too, if I didn’t stop screaming?" Her fists clenched as her voice rose. "I threw myself into this mess because I was banking on the fact that you guys would get here in time, which you did. But back then, you didn't even have a plan when you went in, did you?" She broke from his grasp, backing away. "Don't you dare accuse me of being reckless, when you're much worse than me!" she shouted.

She felt her legs weaken, and her knees knocked together. Koda stepped towards her, but she held a hand out to stop him. “Stay...back,” she said, “I’m fine.” With tremendous effort, she righted herself upwards. “Get moving and destroy the rest of the horde. I don’t need help from someone like you.”

The Warframe stared at her silently, then nodded, vanishing once more. She waited for several seconds, then allowed herself to sink to the floor. Do you have a death wish? She had heard that phrase before, standing inside her cell watching Joul shout at a previously deaf Koda.

She scoffed. "Once in a while," she muttered.

 

Darren shot out his arm, an icicle shooting from the Warframe’s hand and into the last infested. The creature’s scream was cut short as its body turned to ice.

“Damn,” Darren said, “You almost don’t need to use weapons with these things.”

“Well, we are weapons.” A figure approached him through the blizzard, frozen bodies melting in its path. Jolla’s black Warframe was graced with golden designs like ornate fire, coursing along her arms and legs. Her helmet’s linings branched out from the center of her face, and the top of the helm blazed with a perpetual flame.

“Your look suits you,” he said.

Jolla laced a fireball through her fingers. “You look nice, too.”

Darren looked down at his suit. His Warframe was fashioned as a long black coat, at once flowing yet metallic in its texture. Golden half-rings ran the length of his helmet, and from the solid piece down the center of his face glowed a frosty blue line. He shrugged. “I was kinda hoping it would be white.”

“These are Warframes, not Fashionframes.” Koda appeared before them. “The hallway's clear. The others are fine.”

“This is Joul, my sector’s all clear.” A blur sped up to them. Joul looked like a walking arc machine, golden coils lining his shoulders and helm along the black hull of the Warframe as electricity sparked from his fingers.

“Teshin, the lobby is secure. What’s your status?” Darren said.

There was no answer. “Teshin? Are you alright?”

A strangled scream came from above. A flailing infested Grineer crashed to the ground. It struggled to get up, but a bronze figure slammed on top of it, blade driving into its chest.

Teshin looked up from over his victim. “The second floor is secure.”

“Well, S#&$,” Joul said. “You held them off all on your own, huh?”

“Do not make it seem like such a challenge,” Teshin said, standing and flicking the blood from his sword with a swipe. “Besides their few numbers, their movements were slow and ungainly.”

Nadia, Sebastian, Melody and Rose appeared from the hallway. “Is it over?” Sebastian said.

“Yes,” Darren said. “We’re done here.”

“No, we’re not,” Jolla said. “What about Kat—“

A crash sounded behind them. The Tenno levelled their weapons.

The Juggernaut lay on its back, its black shell cracked and broken. Blood was gathering around its body, and its underside was a shredded mess.

“Is that the Juggernaut?” Joul said.

“What the hell else would it be?” Koda replied.

“Look, the only time I saw it, it was moving like a rocket, how the hell do you expect me to—”

A hand suddenly burst from its stomach, bright orange claw glowing in the air. A figure dripping in blood rose from the corpse, breathing heavily as it looked down on the Tenno.

“Kat?” Sebastian said. “Is that you?”

“Stay back.” Nadia stepped forward. Her Nikana slid out of her sheath as she readied to reach into the girl’s conscience. “She’s not herself.”

“Don’t be too sure of that, Sudek,” Teshin said.

The claws vanished, the smoldering look in Kat’s gaze clearing. Her eyes closed, and the girl fell forward off of the Juggernaut.

Jolla rushed forward and caught her, lowering her to the ground. She removed her Warframe’s helmet. “Kat? Are you alright?”

The girl was still. Then, her eyes slowly opened. “Jolla?” she looked at the group. Her eyes widened. She looked at her hands to find the claws were gone. “I’m…not angry anymore.”

Jolla looked confused but relieved. “That’s a funny thing to say.”

Kat put a hand on her forehead, smiling. “Thank goodness. No one got hurt.”

Jolla exchanged glances with the other Tenno. Darren shrugged. But Nadia had a small smile on face, Nikana returning to its scabbard.

Rose approached the Juggernaut. “It’s dead,” she said.

“No S#&$,” Melody said.

“No, but like, it’s dead,” Rose said. “Wasn’t this thing supposed to be the apex of the virus?”

“It was.” Teshin spoke. “But the strongest creations of man are no match for the powers of the Void.” He looked at Kat. "Well done, Romanko."

“What about Roland, Morgan and Victoria?” Jolla said. “Are they alright?”

There was a static rushing sound in their radio. “Can anyone hear me?” a voice said.

Darren started. He put a hand to his helmet. “Roland, is that you?”

“Yeah,” Roland said. “Kat's helmet is a bit busted, am I getting through?”

“Yes,” Darren said, “Are you alright? What about Morgan and Victoria?”

“I’m fine. Morgan is too. Victoria…”

Kat put a hand to her mouth. “Victoria,” she said. “She was the one who healed me. In her condition…”

“She took all three of our injuries at once," Roland said. "Morgan’s checking on her, but..."

A silence fell on the lobby. Kat squeezed her eyes shut, gripping herself. Victoria...

"Roland, come quick!" A voice said in the radio. There was the sound of rapid footsteps.

 

"Victoria?" They heard Roland say. "But...how...thank the Void." His voice broke.

There was another crackle and a rustle of movement, and another person spoke. “Hello?”

There was a collective intake of breath. “Victoria?” Nadia said, her face lighting up.

“Hey, guys,” Victoria said. “I’m alright. Are you guys okay?”

Rose gave a whoop, punching her fist in the air. Beside her, Melody allowed herself a grin.

Sebastian laughed. “Typical Victoria. We’re all fine.”

“That’s everyone, right?” Joul said. “Everyone’s been accounted for? Nothing else is going to fall from the sky, are they?” He looked up at the balconies.

“I don’t think so,” Koda said. “It’s over. We’ve won.”

Nadia sighed, dropping to the lobby floor and leaning on her Skana for support. Then, she sucked in a breath. She stood up, staring at the Juggernaut. Her eyes were wide, and her breath was shaky. “What did you say?” she said.

“Huh?” Sebastian cocked his head. “We didn't say anything.”

Nadia didn’t respond. She hesitated, then rapidly approached the dead creature. She raised her sword and plunged it into the beast’s skin, carving it open.

Blood and organs spilled over her Void suit. Nadia dropped her Skana to the floor and reached in, digging feverishly. Finally, she grabbed something inside and pulled it out.

The half-consumed corpse of a legionnaire emerged. A black substance was growing from the back of his neck, and a technocyte bug crawled out of his mouth.

“Say that again!” Nadia shouted, holding the legionnaire by his uniform. “You’d better be joking!”

The soldier's dead gaze met with Nadia’s, and he gave a wet chuckle. “Not all of them are coming back. Just as you have murdered us here, we shall claim your own in return." He coughed and gave another sickly laugh. "Don’t believe me, do you?” he said. “Why don’t you find out for yourself?” His eyes rolled back into his head, and one last rasp left his mouth.

Nadia stared at the body, breathing heavily. Then she dropped it to the floor. The bug skittered across the rubble, and she crushed it under her foot.

“Nadia, what was that?” Darren asked. “Did it...say something, in your mind?”

Nadia’s eyes narrowed. “It said that something happened to Cell One.” She remembered Miyoko’s tortured look as the transport’s door closed. “Dr. Coven, how soon until communications are back up?”

“We’ve just managed to restore them,” the reply came back.

“Put me in contact with the Lotus, immediately.” The girl stalked off a distance away from the group. “Lotus? Colonel Ford? What’s the situation over there?”

There was a silence. She was frozen in that moment, clenched hands going slack.

“Nadia?”

Nadia's whole body was trembling. “No…no way.

 

CH. 40: CRUSH

Spoiler

Miyoko huddled under the covers as the storm raged outside. There was a flash, and she held her breath for the resounding boom that would follow. When the sound pierced through the room, she could not help giving out a cry.

The lights went on. “Miyoko? What is it, dear?” A tall figure stepped into the room.

Another flash, another rumble, and Miyoko whimpered, though the sight of her father calmed her somewhat.

Daisuke Takahashi sighed, crossing the room to his daughter’s bed and scooping her up in his arms. “Do not fear the thunder, Miyoko,” he said. “It only signals that which has already come to pass.” The two watched outside the window at the raging elements.

There was another streak of light in the distance. “There’s the lightning,” Her father said. “Thunder is terrifying, but it can only frighten you. Lightening will burn you alive, it’s intensely hot.”

“Hotter than when I touched our stove?” Miyoko said.

“Much hotter,” Daisuke chuckled.

“Then lightning is more terrifying,” Miyoko squeaked. She shrunk further when she saw a new flash.

“Indeed it is, Miyoko. That reminds me of a saying that my father once taught me.” He smiled. “‘Those who survive the lightning can brave the thunder.'" Her father closed his eyes, and in his arms, Miyoko felt him tremble slightly.

The rumbled sounded, but this time, Miyoko didn’t flinch. “You’ve been struck by lightning, haven’t you, father?”

Daisuke smiled again. “Your intuition is spot as always, Miyoko.” He stared outside, silent for a while. “I have,” he said softly. “And you will too, Miyoko.” He looked into her eyes, and, as always, she couldn’t help staring at the scar running down his cheek. “And when you do, the thunder will be nothing more than a little noise.”

 

Two grates on the hull of the Aphrodite were shattered as the pods burst through, a simple lotus emblem etched at each’s center. The pods swiveled to reveal the Loki and Rhino Warframes. They quickly stepped off the pods, drawing their weapons. “We’re in,” Gregor said. “The bridge is close by.”

Ford’s face appeared on the side of their HUDs. “Well, it’s not going to be a nice stroll to get there,” she said. “The area is swarming with the Technocyte virus and the Sentients.”

“Then we’ll clean them up,” Jason said, stacking up next to the door with Gregor. Heatblasts and screaming could be heard outside.

“Remember, don’t waste your time getting into drawn-out fights. Carve a path for the survivors to reach our transport, and get out. Hayden and Miyoko can’t afford to wait for you," Ford said.

“We know.” Gregor looked at Jason and exchanged nods. They rushed into the battle outside.

The hallway was filled with Sentients and Technocyte monstrosities. Most of the creatures were animals, but a few humans were among the infected.

Jason tightened his grip on his weapon. “I assume the victims of the virus are beyond saving?” he said.

“Unfortunately, yes,” Ford said. “Once someone has been infected with the virus, it’s virtually impossible to flush it out of their system.”

“Damn Coven,” Gregor muttered. He clenched a fist, and his hardened skin began to wrap around him, the suit turning the once gunmetal grey into brilliant gold.

A Sentient noticed their arrival and swiveled its heatblaster towards them. It let off a single shot that impacted against Gregor’s Warframe. Unlike the shot that had hit him aboard the Taurus, the burning projectile didn’t even scratch his armor.

“Jason, make this easier on us, please,” Gregor said, and the Loki Warframe leapt in front of the horde, swiping his hand in the air and spreading his Void energy.

The Sentient tried to fire again, but found his weapon jammed. An infected animal tackled it to the ground, the Sentient struggling desperately to work its malfunctioning heatblaster.

“Smash through these guys, let’s not waste our time on small-fry,” Jason said, turning invisible. With the powers of his armor, not even the ripples in the air could be seen as he dashed through the melee.

Gregor charged up his Void energy and shot down the hallway with a single step, battering enemies in his wake. The two made their way through the ship, Jason using his stealth and Gregor his brute force.

“Careful, you’re approaching their position,” Ford said. “Watch out for friendlies.”

“Copy that.” They entered the next room. At the far end, gunfire could be heard among the screaming and heatblasts.

“Alright, let’s clean house.” Gregor flooded energy into his suit. “Stay clear, Jason!”

Jason bullet jumped into the air the Rhino slammed his foot into the floor, shattering the ground, space and time itself. Sentients and infected were tossed in the air and suspended, their broken corpses falling back to the ground in slow motion.

“That never gets old,” Gregor grinned. Beside him, Jason landed on one of the floating Sentients before hopping back to the ground.

The survivors at the end of the room were rising from cover, guns still levelled. A man stepped through their ranks. Gregor recognized him from briefing files as the captain, Lionel Fervis.

“Don’t worry!” Jason said, waving his hand. “We’re friendlies.”

“They can’t hear us, Jason,” Gregor said.

“Oh. Right. Lotus, can you patch us through with them?”

“Done,” Ford said.

Gregor hesitated before saying, “It’s alright, we’re here to help.”

The Legionnaires started as his voice sounded in their radios. They looked at one another. One of them took off his headset and handed it to Fervis, who fit it on.

There was a pause before the captain spoke. “Who are you?”

“We’re…special forces,” Gregor said, giving a shrug to Jason. “The Order sent us in to get you out.”

Fervis’ eyes widened, then anger blazed across his face. “The damn Order,” he said. “Here to retrieve your scientists?”

“We’re not fans of them either, sir, but we don’t want you to die out here. We’ll escort you to the hangar, and a transport will be able to get you out from there,” Gregor said. “How many are you?”

Fervis clenched his fists. “There are 23, including your personnel.”

“Only 23? There were over 200 people on board, weren’t there?” Gregor said.

The captain looked at him angrily. “There were two-hundred and eighty-six,” he said.

Gregor paused and nodded. “I’m sorry,” he said. “We have to hurry. There’s another team that’s going to destroy this wormship.”

Fervis nodded. He turned to a Legionnaire. “Get everyone ready. We’re getting out of here.”

“No,” a man said. He was dressed in the same coat as Dr. Coven. “I’d sooner die here!”

“What’s your problem, old man? We’re getting to safety,” a Legionnaire snapped, dragging the man out of the barricade.

The scientist tried to break free of the stronger man. “There’s nothing but death out there,” he whispered. “It—she will kill us all!”

“What are you talking about?” Fervis said.

“Probably whatever was in the payload,” Gregor said. Fervis looked at him. “The Order packed some nasty stuff in there, but don’t worry. They’re no match for a Warframe.”

 

Miyoko watched the hull of the wormship pass by as their Lisets sped along the length of the ship. Behind them, the front section of the Aphrodite stuck out of the wormship’s mouth like a tongue. They moved closer to the bloated section of the Sentient vessel, where the tentacles were pulling the last surviving wormship closer and closer.

Hayden’s face appeared on her HUD. “Hey. This channel is just the two of us.” He paused. “Could we talk?”

Miyoko closed her eyes. “If it’s about—”

“It’s not about…what you said to me,” Hayden said. He had another pained look on her face, making her wish their suits didn’t have this function. “I just need to know if we can fight together." He paused, then said, "I'm sorry. I should’ve sensed something was wrong, but, as usual, I’m just…clueless."

Miyoko’s eyes opened. “Hayden,” she said, “I will always be willing to fight alongside you.” She gave a bitter smile. “I’m not so foolish that I would throw the fate of the Empire over something as florid as my emotions.” She narrowed her eyes. “If you are the sword, then I am the shield.”

Their speed slowed to a cruise as they reached the center of the ship. Ford’s face replaced Hayden’s as she reached them from another channel. “Alright you two, you’re being inserted at the closest point from the core.” There was still a slight tinge of worry on her face. “Just make it back safely.”

“Will do, Colonel,” Hayden said. “Don’t worry, it’ll be over before you know it.”

Miyoko felt the ship turn upright. She closed her eyes and took a breath. The anxiety, the nervousness and insecurity, was rapidly fading away. The ship shook as it impacted against the hull of the wormship. Then the pod swiveled open, and they were inside.

The Sentients in the breached room turned, surprised at the two Warframes that had burst through the hull. Miyoko connected with Hayden’s channel. The two nodded at each other, and drew their Skanas.

“Let’s dance,” Miyoko said.

The wormship crew reacted too late, bringing their heatblasters to bear. By then, the two Tenno had already closed the distance. Miyoko reached out her hand, creating a magnetic field before them before tugging back, sending Sentients hurtling towards them. Hayden dashed forward with blinding speed, zigzagging between the flying Sentients and slicing them to pieces. The Warframes cut into the Sentient forces, carving a path of broken pieces and shattered cores as they moved deeper into the Sentient ship.

In a matter of minutes, they had reached the belly of the wormship. It was a cavernous extension like a stomach, the front end yawning all the way to the mouth, where the ruined engines of the Aphrodite could be made out. In the center of the belly was the wormship’s engineering. The virus had torn through the ship and struck the core directly, a black oozing substance pulsing over it.

They had arrived at one of the walkways that extended from the walls of the wormships’s stomach to the core. Miyoko cast a glance over the side at the almost abyssal drop below. She was reminded uncomfortably of the Simulacrum.

Hayden began to chuckle. “What is it?” she said.

“I think the Colonel was worrying over nothing,” he said. “It hasn’t taken us that long to reach this point, and we’re already almost there. We’ll be able to get out before this ship ruptures.” He switched channels. “Jason, Gregor, what’s your status?”

“We’re making our way to the hangar,” Gregor said. “We’re doing fine. Just blow this thing up before it can reach the Rail.”

“Got it.” A group of Sentients were making their way towards them from the core. “Alright, Miyoko, time to save the Empire.”

The two Tenno met the Sentients head-on. Miyoko deflected two heatblast shots and cut a Sentient down its core. It sputtered and twitched, breaking down.

A humming sound buzzed to her right, and she quickly leapt back. A bright red club blurred passed her, smashing the Sentient into pieces.

She backflipped into a defensive stance. A plume of fire bloomed to her left, and Hayden slid back, also holding his sword at the ready.

The two remaining opponents before them shared the red and white Sentient aesthetic of their previous adversaries, but instead of scuttling on the ground, they floated in the air, two leg-like appendages dangling above the floor. The one who had attacked Miyoko had held two long red staves in its claw-like arms, spinning them menacingly, two stubby wing-like attachments sticking from its shoulder. Hayden’s assailant boasted two-pronged heatblasters on each hand, its wings larger and triangular. The two looked like a pair of alien, twisted angels.

“Tenno, be on your guard,” Ford cut in. “That’s a Conculyst and Battalyst—”

“Sentient fighters, we know, Colonel,” Hayden said. The Conculyst stopped spinning its clubs, and the Battalyst lifted up its heatblasters, cocking them into firing positions. “The top of their fighting force. It’s only natural a ship of this size would have a few on board.”

“Use caution,” Ford said. “There’s a reason why we didn’t have their fighting patterns in the Simulacrum. No one’s lasted long enough against them to give us any data.”

“Yeah, it’s our first time fighting them,” Hayden said. “But that goes for them, too.”

The Conculyst rushed forward, while the Battalyst soared high above, firing its cannons. The two Warframes dove apart as explosions scored across the walkway.

Hayden looked at the large scorches on the floor. “Those aren’t your average heatblasters,” he muttered. “Miyoko!”

Miyoko channeled the Mag Warframe’s energy and flung out her arm at the flying Sentient. A large green magnetic field appeared around it. The Battalyst fired again. Caught in the field, the projectiles were instantly magnetized and directed back at their sender. They exploded against it, causing the Sentient to fizzle and spark.

The Conculyst bore down on Miyoko, swinging its club, but it was blocked by Hayden’s Skana. The Tenno pushed it back and exchanged a flurry of blows with the fighter.

Miyoko leaped over the two, bullet jumping in midair towards the damaged Battalyst. As she brought her sword back to strike, the Battalyst folded in on itself into a ball, and a small orb rose from its head.

Lasers shot out from the orb in all directions, cutting into the girl. Miyoko cried out as she crashed back to the ground.

“Miyoko!” Hayden shouted. The Conculyst whirred in what seemed to be a laugh, and began to spin in the air, clubs held out like a deadly whirlwind. Hayden leapt at it, swinging his blade and projecting a crescent slash of Void energy. But the wave dissipated against the tornado, and it slammed into him, knocking him to the floor alongside his partner.

They got to their feet, pressing their backs together as the Sentients swooped down on both sides. “Are you alright?” they chorused.

“That did a number on my shields, but I’m fine,” Miyoko said, feeling the parts where the laser had hit her. The deflectors sizzled at her touch. “What about you?”

“A little bruised up, but speaking honestly, Teshin can hit harder than that," Hayden said. "Lotus, how much time do we have before the wormship reaches the rail?"

"I estimate you have 20 minutes at best." A timer appeared below their min-maps.

"Copy that," Hayden said. "Miyoko?"

"Sounds doable," she said coolly.

As the two rushed towards their opponents again, Hayden felt a bittersweet smile play on his face.

Why couldn’t we always be like this?

 

Ford sat in the Order transport, the center table projecting the feed from each of Cell 1's helmets. The Sentient fighters were a challenging threat, but she had faith that Miyoko and Hayden would be able to beat them. Another odd feeling. She had seen the tension between the two Tenno, especially how rattled Miyoko had seemed, but all of that seemed to have vanished as soon as she stepped foot inside the wormship. Maybe I'm overthinking things, she thought, closing her eyes. 

Still, something doesn't feel right. She looked over at Gregor and Jason's feeds. As expected, they were plowing their way through Technocyte victim and Sentient alike. They would reach the hangar soon.

She closed her eyes. The Sentients weren't the threat. Cell 1's combat ability wasn't the issue. That left only one factor to consider.

The virus. What was in that payload? Without access to her console, she could not easily hack into the Order's database, especially considering contact with the tower was cut-off. The Aphrodite should have a manifest. She brought up a holopad and typed in a rapid series of commands.

Just let me find what it is in time.

 

Gregor slammed his fist into a Sentient. It flew into the wall and left a small crater from its impact.

“Keep them coming!” he laughed. “I could do this all day.”

“We don’t have all day, Gregor,” Jason said. “We’ve arrived.”

Their party had reached the hangar. The Technocyte virus was starting to gain the upper hand as the wormship’s forces began to succumb. An infected Sentient jumped on Gregor, sputtering as it fought both him and virus that was consuming its body.

Gregor looked at the hangar control room above and hurled the Sentient at it. “Jason, get the bay doors opened for the transport.”

Jason nodded and switch teleported with the tossed Sentient as it smashed through the glass. As the Sentient reappeared where Jason had once stood, Gregor cleaved it open with his Scindo Prime, the massive axe easily cutting it in half.

“What the hell kind of special forces are you?” A legionnaire said.

“The best kind,” Gregor grinned. “Warrior gods.”

The Loki Warframe appeared before them, Lex raised and firing at the Sentients before being switch teleported with the real Jason. “Doors are opening,” he said.

As soon as the door opened, a ripple passed inside and the transport ship uncloaked. “Everybody, get on board,” Gregor yelled.

The survivors scrambled towards the ship, Gregor and Jason picking off approaching Technocyte monsters.

A young scientist’s radio squawked. He picked it up and put it to his ear. “What?” an incredulous smile appeared on his face. “Viola, is that you?”

The look turned to horror. He ran back from the ship to Gregor. “Sir,” he said, “My wife, she’s still alive, she’s trapped by Sentients further inside the ship!”

“Where is she?” Gregor said.

He spoke into the radio, then looked back to him. “She’s in an armory not far from here sir, we got separated on our way past this hangar.”

“We don’t have time for her,” a Legionnaire yelled, grabbing the man’s coat.

“Don’t be stupid, soldier,” Gregor knocked the man in the shoulder, sending him crashing to the ground. “We got all the time in the world. Jason, hold them off. I’ll get our damsel in distress.”

“Tenno,” Ford appeared in his HUD. “Be careful. Remember, we don’t know what was in that payload.”

Gregor paused. He shook his head. “If the core ruptures and I’m not back, tell the transport to take off. Is that good enough for you, Lotus?”

“No, it’s not, Gregor,” Ford said. He was surprised she used his name. “Come back safely.”

Gregor sighed. “Alright, mom,” he said, half-jokingly. “I’ll be back, I promise.”

Ford nodded. “I’ve located where her radio is coming from. Marking it now.” A small yellow icon appeared at the edge of Gregor’s mini-map. He nodded. “See you soon, Jason.”

“Yeah,” Jason said. “Just watch yourself out there.”

The bulky Tenno made his way out of the hangar and through maze of hallways. Sentient, human and infected corpses filled the floor. “Has she moved from her position, Lotus?”

“She’s still there.” Ford said. “Hang on. Wait. Gregor—”

Her connection fizzled into static.

 

“Hang on. Wait, Gregor, get out of there!” Ford yelled. “Gregor? Gregor, can you hear me?” she looked up to see the feed from his helmet go dark.

It’s no use. It’s jamming him.

She looked back down at the other screen that bore the Aphrodite’s manifest. A Technocyte strain that prevented communications from reaching a specific area was among the types aboard the payload. But that was not the cause for Ford’s concern.

She slammed her fist on the command table, looking at the two damning entries of the manifest. “Jason,” she said. “Get over there and help Gregor out.”

“I can’t do that, Lotus, we just got hit by a fresh wave of zombies,” he said. “I can’t leave these guys alone, we’re in a bad spot.”

“Tell the transport to take off,” Ford said. “Leave that girl, she’s not worth it. Gregor’s life is in danger.”

“What are you talking about, Lotus?” Jason said. “Gregor will be fine, what could possibly take him down?”

 

“Lotus? Lotus, are you there?” There was no reply. He switched channels. “Jason, do you copy?” Again, static. Another channel appeared. It was the stranded scientist.

Gregor switched to her line. “Ma’am, can you hear me?”

“Yes, thank the Void,” the woman said, relief flooding her voice.

“Don’t worry, we’re going to get you out of here. Are you safe?”

“I’ve locked the door,” the woman said. “I think I can hear them outside. Come quickly, please!”

Her position was in the next hallway. “I’m almost there,” he said, rounding the corner. He found the door to the armory and kicked it open.

The young woman was standing in the center of the room, radio held loosely by her side. "Wow, you're quick," she said, tossing the radio to the floor.

Gregor blinked, surprised at the calm tone of voice. Her Order coat was torn and frayed at the edges, and her blonde hair was a mess, but her face seemed strangely relaxed.

He shook his head. "Come on, we need to get out of here. Your husband is waiting for you."

"My husband?" The woman cocked her head. "Oh, right. That guy."

There was an uneasy churning in Gregor's stomach. He looked back. "You said there were Sentients outside of this room. I didn't see any."

"Well of course you didn't, that was a lie," the woman said shortly.

"What?" Gregor placed his finger on the trigger of the Braton.

"Gosh, I guess you aren't the brains of your group, are you?" The woman sighed. "Let me spell it out for you: I lied to lure you here," the woman said, saying the last few words in a singsong voice.

Gregor raised his gun. "And why is that? Who are you?"

She giggled. "You're really dragging this out, aren't you?" She unbuttoned her lab coat and shrugged it off to reveal a writhing black mass of Technocyte tumour that fitted her body like a suit. The virus creeped up her neck and over her head like a helmet. Two bulbous nodes covered the front part of the head, giving her an insect like appearance.

She will kill us all, the terrified scientist's voice rang in his head.

Gregor raised his gun and opened fire. The woman ducked and dashed towards him with surprising speed. He adjusted his aim for the woman's head and fired. The bullets pinged off of the carapace.

She stepped into his center of gravity and dealt a hard blow to his chin that rattled him through his shields. A crack opened at the mouth of her helmet, and a long black tongue appeared and curled around the Braton, tugging it from his loosened grasp and tossing it away.

Gregor stumbled back, shaking his head. He reached into his back and drew the Scindo, bringing it into an offensive stance. His iron skin activated, reinforcing his Warframe. The woman only cocked her head. "Shiny." Technocyte began to crawl around her arm, resolving into a large bladed attachment. "Let's see how long it lasts."

 

Miyoko dashed through the Battalyst's heatblasts. She pulled out her Aklatos and fired. The first few bullets sunk into the creature, stunning it briefly, but as before, the core pulsed, and the bullets no longer pierced its armor.

The Mag slid towards it, throwing her head back to avoid another heatblast aimed at her face. She drew her Skana from her back and swung it at the Battalyst. The sword cleaved through the Sentient's arm and into its side, almost reaching its core. The detached heatblaster fell to the ground.

The Sentient's armor began to shift. She could see tiny pieces of it form around the wound the sword had inflicted, until it had fully healed, the Skana still lodged inside. Miyoko tugged desperately to get it loose, but it would not move.

The Battalyst slammed its other heatblaster into her side, sending her flying over the side of the walkway. She recovered quickly and bullet jumped off of the air, grabbing onto the ledge. A heatblaster fired, and she lifted herself over the railing just before an explosion destroyed the space.

She landed on the walkway. Hayden jumped back next to her. "My guns are starting to lose their effect on them," he said.

"Mine too," Miyoko replied. "It looks like they can adapt to our attacks."

The Conculyst swooped down on them. "Look out!" Hayden said, and they parted again. The club smashed into the floor, leaving a small crater. Hayden summoned another Void sword and gave a sidehand cut. The sword rent through the Sentient's arm, the red club clattering on the floor.

That's right. Void energy is poison to the Sentients. Our abilities should still be effective.

The Battalyst levelled its remaining heatblaster behind them. Miyoko raised her palm and created another magnetic field around it. The Sentient hesitated, then folded into a ball again, the orb dispensing from its back.

I was waiting for that. Miyoko thought. The range of those lasers is only a conal area beneath it. The blindspot is…

"Hayden!" she yelled, "Above!"

Hayden nodded, disengaging from the Conculyst and bullet jumping upwards over Battalyst. The lasers burst out, and Miyoko leapt back. The rays sliced the ground before her, but failed to reach her, much less the Excalibur Warframe high above the immobile Sentient, Void sword aloft.

Hayden activated his first ability, shooting downward like a sapphire bullet. His sword rent through the Battalyst’s core. Its two pieces dropped to the ground, sparking.

Miyoko felt a presence behind her, and rolled forward to avoid the Conculyst's club. Hayden landed in between her and the Sentient to block its next attack. He channeled energy into the Void sword, and it exploded into a flash of light. The Conculyst stumbled back, remaining arm raised to cover its blinded optics.

The Mag Warframe leapt into the air. She magnetized the fallen red club, and it flew to her hand. Miyoko held it like a javelin, arm twisting back before she hurled the projectile with a cry, a magnetic field doubling its speed.

The club impaled the Sentient through the core and pinned it to the ground. It whirred and sputtered before exploding, ripping into pieces.

Miyoko landed beside its parts, panting. She felt a hand on her back, and Hayden was beside her. "Nice work," he said. She knew he was smiling. She felt her own smile come to her face, and for a bewildering moment, she didn’t want this mission to end.

Then she looked up at the timer. She shook her head. “Ten minutes,” she said.

He started, then nodded. "Right." They got up headed down the causeway towards the infected core. They reached the entryway. The door had been warped, the black substance wrapping around it like a series of tentacles attempting to pry it open. Hayden banged on it. "Looks like we'll have to figure out how to get this thing open.

An eye appeared on one of the metallic tentacles. It blinked, studying them. More eyes appeared. They stared at the Tenno for a moment longer before a groan sounded throughout the ship. The tips of the tendrils tightened their grip, and with a grinding sound, the doors were dragged open.

"Well, that was nice of them," Hayden said, stepping inside with his Braton at the ready.

Miyoko approached one of the doors. The eyes looked back at her, blinking.

"Come on, Miyoko, it looks clear," Hayden said. "We have to hurry before this ship reaches the rail."

She tore her eyes away from the living door. Or was it the ship itself that had come alive? "Got it." Together, they moved deeper into the heart of the infested ship.

 

Gregor leaned on his Scindo for support, feeling his side. The armor had been smashed away, through his shields and into his flesh. He looked at his hand to see it stained with blood.

The infected woman chuckled. "You aren't as tough as they made you out to be," she said. "You're strong, but unfortunately, we have no use for you."

"What are you talking about?" Gregor said, lifting up his Scindo. He gave a yell, his aura wrapping around him. He charged the girl and swung his sword with twice the power from before, yet she still nimbly dodged each attack.

"I guess I won’t waste time throwing you silly hints like that, you're clearly not getting it," she said, blocking his axe effortlessly. She knocked it back and gave two more hard strikes. More of his armor chipped away, and as he stumbled back, she was upon him again, pinning him to the ground. "With someone like you, I guess it's better to show than to tell."

He tried to swing his axe at her, but she caught the shaft in her free hand while the other swung the blade at his arm. The blade broke through the iron skin and the Warframe, and he cried out, letting go of the Scindo.

"You've got some impressive armor there, that strike should've cleaved your arm off." She took the weapon from him and held both blades to his neck. "Make no mistake though, I'll be sure to hack you as many times as it takes to carve your head off." She brought them back for a killing blow.

A rumbled sounded throughout the ship, causing it to shake violently. “What the--?" The woman looked up at the ceiling. "The core," she muttered.

Gregor seized his chance. With the last of his strength, he twisted his body lifting her off of him. He rolled with the momentum and grabbed one of her arms, tossing her across the room. The Technocyte tumor felt squishy, soft.

The woman tumbled to the ground. He staggered to his feet towards the door.

"Not so fast!" The woman snarled, and he instinctively ducked. He heard a whirling sound above him as his Scindo lodged itself into the wall.

Gregor activated his first ability, charging through the door. Unable to stop his momentum, he hit the wall headfirst. Shakily, he righted himself and charged again down the hallway.

There was a crash behind him, and he turned to see his opponent appearing through the ruined door, the infested weapon in her hands. "You're not getting away." She launched towards him.

She’s too fast…

The large blade burst through his Warframe and out of his back. The woman grinned as blood slipped down the blade and around her hands.

Gregor’s hands clamped down at the weapon. She widened her eyes and tried to pull it away from him, but he had it in a death grip, the sword biting into his fingers. “I’m not the smartest Tenno, sure,” Gregor said hoarsely. “But I’m smart enough to tell that you’re flimsy armor isn’t able to take as much damage as it dishes out.” He raised a fist.

The woman leapt back too slow. His blow sent her flying across the hallway, the tumor around the impact site blown to pieces. She coughed, blood spilling to the floor, and looked up at him with hate-filled eyes. The creature gave a terrible shriek and rushed at him again.

He closed his eyes and channeled his Void energy. With one last yell, he slammed his foot on the ground.

The hallway was shattered, collapsing in on itself. He heard the woman cry out as the ceiling collapsed on her, burying her in rubble.

He panted heavily, staring at the mess. Shaking his head, he sighed and looked down at the blade in his chest. Numbly, he gripped it with both hands. Agony raced across him as he tugged at it, and with a hoarse scream, he pulled it out of his body, blood fountaining.

He took a few steps back down the hallway. I have to get out of here, he thought fuzzily. I’m coming back…Jason…Kat…

The broken Tenno collapsed to the ground, lying in a growing shade of crimson.

 

Hayden withdrew his Skana from the Sentient console as explosions raced along the ruptured core. Miyoko magnetized another piece of the generator and tore it from its frame, causing another round of tremors to the ship.

Another groaning sound echoed. "I think we made it angry," Hayden said. “Time to leave.”

They leapt from the core's control room back to the ground, avoiding fire and falling pieces.

The pair reached the infested door. As before, the eyes turned to them. This time, however, they did not open.

Hayden kicked against it, but the door held. The eyes focused on him, and the tentacles detached from the doorway.

"Watch out!" Miyoko yelled, and Hayden leapt back. The tendrils shot out to grab the space he had been in. They clutched at the air desperately, and the Tenno backed away.

"It looks like the virus wants us to stay," Hayden said.

"That's not happening," Miyoko said, magnetizing the doors. They crumpled open, crushing the hands and the eyes, eliciting a screech. The long walkway stretched outside.

Miyoko heard a slithering sound behind her, and she turned to see more black tentacles rush towards her. Hayden dove in front of her and sliced them apart with his Skana. As he did, one of them shot through his defense and wrapped around the blade. He tried to tug it away, but more tentacles forced him back, causing him to let go. The Skana was pulled into the dying core.

Hayden summoned a Void sword and parried the remaining infected tendrils. "Let’s go!" He yelled.

The pair dashed out of the core just as another explosion consumed its center, a roiling flame chasing them out the doorway and incinerating the tentacles.

"Tenno, you have seven minutes before that core goes critical," Ford said. “Get out of there, now!”

"Understood, Colonel," Hayden said, "That's plenty of ti—"

The ship gave a violent shudder, causing the two Tenno to brace themselves against the rail. The shuddering grew more violent, and a terrifying sound groaned throughout the ship. It sounded at once like the tearing of metal and the screaming of a gargantuan monster.

The wall of the stomach above them was split open, and a massive tendril burst through.

That's one of the tendrils from the hull of the ship, Miyoko thought. There was only one reason why the infected wormship would tear itself open to reach the stomach.

Looks like the virus wants us to stay.

Miyoko stopped in her tracks and grabbed Hayden, pulling him back just as the tendril crushed the section of the walkway they were about to reach, destroying it completely. Debris from several layers of the wormship rained down on them as the tendril continued its inexorable path downwards.

It left a gap that was too far for the Tenno to reach even with a bullet jump. But the rubble from the wormship's self inflicted wound continued to pour down. And as air was sucked into the breach towards the vacuum of space and the internal gravity of the wormship failed, the descent of the wrecked parts of the ship were slowed to a crawl.

The pieces were jagged and uneven. But as the debris passed through the gap, Miyoko felt herself being reminded of the Simulacrum once more. We still have our movement systems. If we can use the rubble, then maybe we can still get across...She looked at Hayden, and knew he was thinking the same thing.

"Jump!" Miyoko yelled, and they leapt into the impromptu path of twisted steel pieces.

The two Tenno leapt from one piece of debris to the next. Miyoko planned her moves three steps in advance, eyes estimating where each piece would fall, pushing off of vertical surfaces and getting running jumps off of flat sections to move closer and closer to the exit, bullet jumping wherever she could.

But Hayden lagged behind. There were too many pauses as he looked for which piece to move to next, not enough bullet jumps to reach the other side in time. As she reached other side of the walkway, he was only halfway across, with no more rubble to jump off from, and as he fell with the last of the debris.

She reached the other edge of the walkway, barely pausing in the safety of the ground before leaping back towards him.

Maybe her father didn't die because his intuition had failed him. Maybe it had been right all along. But just because you’re right, doesn’t mean you’ll survive. Had he, too been placed in a situation where every prediction had come true, but his only option was death? Her intuitions had been correct. Hayden's constant administrative duties had caused his practice of their movement systems to suffer. He wouldn’t have made it through the debris on his own. But if I can reach him...

There was a flash of blue as Hayden activated his first ability out of desperation. It dissipated, leaving them within a few feet of each other. Miyoko channeled her energy, magnetizing his Warframe and tugging him towards her. It's enough. I'll be able to throw him to the ledge.

He flew towards her. The image of her slapping him across the face wouldn’t leave her mind. She wondered what would happen to him afterwards. It will devastate him. It will burn him like lightning.

But at least, he'll survive the thunder that follows. A small, impossible smile appeared on her face. The moment you start to think that living for others is how you live for yourself, is the moment you lose yourself. Behind Hayden, Miyoko saw more black tentacles shooting out towards them from the core. She reached out her arms and grasped his, pulling him towards the ledge.

"No!" Hayden screamed. He let go of his Void sword and wrapped his fingers around her wrists, and they spun in the air, arms linked, fates diverging rapidly. But when she let him go, he did not. They continued to spin, until, to her horror, they were back to their original positions.

Hayden loosened his grip. Too late, Miyoko tried to grab him, but his hands slipped through her grasp and she clutched empty air as she was thrown back towards the remains of the walkway, and Hayden fell to the abyss.

The tentacles wrapped around his arms and legs and pulled him back, slamming him against the wall of the core. Another slipped past him, heading for Miyoko. But the falling Void sword suddenly righted itself and fired towards the tentacle, slicing it in half. Its mission fulfilled, the sword spun in the air before impaling into the walkway.

Miyoko crashed back onto the ledge next to it. She looked up to see the tentacles pinning their prey to the wall.

"Hayden!" she screamed.

His face appeared on her HUD. He was smiling. "I could at least see that coming," he said. "I’m not that clueless, Miyoko."

The tentacles started to creep around him. "Why?" she said. "You should've just let me save you!"

He sighed. "To throw the fate of the Empire for something as florid as one's emotions, was it?" He shook his head. "Guess I'm the fool here. I couldn't do that, Miyoko," Hayden said. "I would do anything for the Empire. Anything but sacrifice you."

She sank to her knees. Her head was spinning. "And the Tenno?" She said. "You'd just abandon them, for me?"

Hayden paused. "No," he said, "I’m leaving them to you." More tentacles began to cover his body, sucking him into the infected and dying heart of the wormship.

"What?" Miyoko whispered. "But I'm...I..."

Hayden closed his eyes. "From the first day I had met you, and in every interaction after, I thought I had met someone like me," he said. "Someone who couldn't stand letting others down, and who pushed themselves to the limit because to you, there was no other option."

He was half covered by the tentacles, his lower body and arms no longer visible. "And I waited for so long for you to become the leader you were going to be," he said, "But there was always something holding you back. S42, your fears, the Nemesis armor…and finally, me. I was always too dense to see what it each time, but, please…” A tear ran down his cheek. “Don't let anything hold you back now."

And suddenly, half a dozen faces blurred into one. One in the hallways of the academy, extending a hand to help her to her feet. Another in a cold, dark containment cell, prying metal debris off her face. One more through oxygen-starved eyes, partially covered by a cracked and broken Warframe helmet, and then shortly after, the helmet gone this time, tears streaking down his face like the blood pouring from her open wound. One sitting in an auditorium hall, looking up from a holopad and saying he believed in her, and now, one last one, on the HUD of her helmet, wearing the look she knew so well.

All with the same, focused look in his eyes. Focused on her.

“Take care of them, Miyoko, I know you will.” The channel closed, and the golden tip of his helmet was swallowed up.

 

The command table seemed impossibly far away from Ford as she sat listless in front of it, staring at the screens. Hayden's feed was pitch black, wriggling tendrils obscuring all vision. Miyoko was staring at her knees, hands limp on the floor, her feed shaking slightly. Jason was desperately making his way through the hallways of the Aphrodite, the Rhino Warframe’s last known destination loaded into his mini-map, with Gregor's own camera jammed from her system.

A voice crackled into the room. "Colonel? Ford?" Hayden's face appeared on her screen.

"I'm here, Hayden," she said.

"You'll get Miyoko out of there, won't you?"

"She will make it back safely."

"And...and afterwards, you'll make sure she'll be a good leader, right?"

Ford opened her mouth. "I will guide her as much as I can."

"Good," Hayden let out a breath. "Then, could I ask one more thing?"

"Anything, Tenno." Tears were streaking down her face.

"Could you just stay with me, at least for a little while?" He gave a small, nervous laugh. "It’s…it’s a little scary.”

It took everything ounce of discipline and training in the Colonel to not break down at that moment. "Of course, Hayden," she said. "I'm here for you."

But she was not there for him, he was a thousand miles away, bound to a burning ship, while she was nestled inside a cooled command room surrounded by all the comforts of the Empire. She could not wipe the tears from his face, could not wrap her arms around him.

"I wanted to say thank you, Colonel."

She shook her head. "What are you thanking me for?"

"For believing in the Tenno," he said. "And for helping me onto my feet. You gave my life purpose when everything was lost."

"You fool," she said, more tears running down her face. "I only pushed you along. The purpose that drove you...was always within yourself. You were the one who gave meaning to so many others." She remembered him watching Darren and Jolla in their cells, holding Miyoko's arm up as she tried to retrieve a sword impaled in the wall, meeting Koda's gaze as they stood before Rilla Liu's cremation chamber. "You've made me so proud," she said, her voice finally breaking.

"That...that means a lot to me, Ford." Hayden said, more tears falling down his own face. There was a pause. "Colonel?"

She could not help herself. "Yes, my child?"

"…I think I'm ready," he said, and once more, his voice was as she had always heard it, strong and unyielding. "Go help the others. I'll be...I'll be going now."

Her hands were gripping the table tightly. "Then this is goodbye, Hayden."

"Goodbye, Ford," Hayden whispered, and his feed cut out.

The colonel gave a long, heaving breath, head knocking against the table. A racking sob escaped her lips.

"Lotus!" Jason’s voice cut through the silence. "I've found Gregor! He's still alive, but he's lost a lot of blood. I'm carrying him back to the extraction point now. We're coming back!"

Gregor's feed came online. It was staring at the ground, an arm from Jason's Warframe wrapped around him as the smaller boy carried his unconscious friend through the wreckage of the ship.

She looked at Miyoko's feed. The girl was still in the same position, on her knees and gaze cast towards the floor. Ford connected with her channel. "Miyoko," she said, "You need to get out of there."

 

"Miyoko? You have three minutes. You have to leave, please." Ford said in her radio.

Miyoko could sense the magnetic moments of Sentients converging behind her. Four, then ten. Fifteen, closing in. She looked beside her. Hayden's Void sword was still sticking upright, a lone light in the darkened ship.

Two Conculyst clubs rested on her neck. They were brought back like an executioner's scissor.

But before they were brought down, they froze in place, magnetized. The Sentient struggled to move its weapons, then found its entire body was held rigid.

Miyoko slowly rose from her kneeling position. "I have endured the lightning," she whispered. Her Void energy surged stronger and stronger.

"What need," she yelled, "have I to fear of the thunder?" She raised her hand in the air, a magnetic burst dispersing around her with a resounding boom.

The burst scrambled the magnetic moments along the Sentients', causing their outer plating to crumple and explode as the poles were violently repulsed from one another. Shards fell to the floor around each as they staggered from the effect. She raised her hand at the one in the middle of the group, magnetizing it, and the other Sentients were drawn into their comrade's field, the Conculsyt swiping at the air before being pinned to the center.

She raised her palm, and the shards rose with it, surrounding the pile of the hapless enemies. Her palm tightened into a fist, and the Sentients were peppered with dozens of the razor-sharp fragments. The ruined mess crumpled to the ground.

More descended upon her. She reached out and gripped Hayden's Void sword. The blade stung back at the one who was not its owner, but even as her shields strained, she gripped it tightly in her hand and drew it from the ground. With her other, she created another magnetic field and pulled, sending the Sentients flying towards her and careening over the edge of the destroyed walkway. One headed straight for her, and with a slice of the sword, she carved it in half.

A heatblast slammed into her, causing her to stumble. Another rocketed at her, but she deflected it with the Void sword. She began to advance, blocking incoming projectiles and eviscerating any Sentient that was near. Her powers aided her assault, diverting barrages and pulling enemies into striking distance.

Her defense, however, was not impenetrable. A Conculyst pole raked the side of her helmet. More heatblasts hit her flank, and Battalyst lasers sliced all around her. Her shields failed, and her battered armor began to crack.

She raised her arm and gave another magnetic burst, jump-starting her own shield generators and softening up the Sentients' armor simultaneously. Clumped together, the Sentients were shredded by the exploding armor fragments, and as the wave cleared whole rooms, Miyoko made her way towards extraction.

The Mag made it through the next door, but another Conculyst blow to her back dropped to her knees. As she blindly slashed at her attacker, she looked ahead to see the two pods. In front of them, dozens of Sentients surrounded her, closing in.

She rose to her feet, standing amidst the hail of heatblasts. She reached out to the Sentients surrounding her, magnetizing their individual pieces. Miyoko raised her clenched hands. The pieces began to collapse and fold into one another, the barrage ceasing. With a cry, she drove her fists together, and the Sentient cores were crushed by their own broken bodies. There was the sound of metal crashing to the floor, then silence.

Her snubfighter’s cockpit beckoned. She looked at the other empty pod, its master to never return. She stepped aboard her own craft, and the pod swiveled back, breaking away from the ship.

 

 

Ford stood at the Liset docking bays, staring out of the waiting hangar doors at the exploding wormship. It was rapidly disintegrating, explosions blazing across the bloated center. There was a groan as the third wormship was finally dragged into the hull of the first, adding to the chaos.

At the mouth of the wormship, the Aphrodite began to slip into the orifice, until an explosion obscured it from vision, the last of the Orokin white disappearing.

Three ships uncloaked before her, a transport and two snubfighters. The transport eased into the adjacent platform while the two Tenno ships docked at the bays to the left of Ford. The first swiveled open, and the Loki Warframe jumped out. He ran to the second pod and banged on its Lotus emblem. The door slid open, and Gregor collapsed onto him.

"Lotus, help me out!" Jason yelled into her radio, and Ford hastened to his side. Together, they laid Gregor down on the hangar floor. His armor was cracked open in several places, and massive wounds covered the openings. But instead of blood, the gashes were covered in gold.

Jason disengaged his helmet and removed it. "This crafty bastard," he said. "He stopped the bleeding with his Iron Skin. His insides must be completely #*($%%@ up, though."

The Rhino's helmet released, and it fell to the ground, revealing a bruised but smiling Gregor. "I ain't dying on you yet, partner," he said, blood bubbling to his mouth.

"What about Miyoko and Hayden?" Jason said, looking up at her. "They should be back already, shouldn't they?"

They heard the warbling call of two more Lisets as they uncloaked and reached the hangar. They rose upright to dock at their bays.

"Nice work, you two," Jason said, walking over to the pods.

"No," Ford said. "There's..."

The first pod slid open to reveal it was empty. Jason started. "What the—?"

The second opened up. Miyoko stepped off the ship, Void sword still in her hands. Her armor had also given way in some parts, dark red staining the pearl white of the Warframe. The once bright light at the central eyepiece flickered unsteadily.

"Miyoko? Are you alright?" Jason said, steadying her by her shoulders. "Where's Hayden?"

Miyoko looked down at the Void sword. It had eaten through her shields and the Warframe, and was now cutting into her hand, her own blood dripping down the tip of the blade. Jason looked down too, then back up at her, his eyes wide. "What happened to Hayden? Why are you alone?"

In response, the wormship's core went critical, a massive explosion rupturing from the center and consuming the Sentient ship. Miyoko stared at the inferno, the smoldering pieces falling apart.

Hayden’s ethereal sword flickered, struggling to maintain form. It vanished, then reappeared for a brief second, and then disappeared forever.

 

Story continues two posts down on Post #34. Don't go away!

Edited by ROSING
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reserving a post or four might be a good idea for the next/revisited thread. Doozy's proven that with bigger projects, you can hit the text limit for a post and then half the content gets shoved over to page three where less people are likely to look (on their own, anyway)

 

revision of chapters is best done early rather than later. It's a real pain when three-quarters of your planned plot/interactions/character development go right out the friggin window because some guy worded his sentence wrong way back three chapters ago and you cant change it away from that because it'd be OOC for him.

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Then I shall reserve this post! Also, I have already hammered out a few revisions that I'll probably put up within the next few days, just need to make sure those aren't rushed too!

THIS POST'S TRUE PURPOSE HAS FINALLY COME TO BE!!

Story continues here:

CHAPTER 41: AFTERMATH

Spoiler

Gregor woke up from one nightmare to another. His heavy breath was the only sound in the dark cell of the capital ship, and he dared not move and activate the motion-sensor lights, lest they reveal what he had become. In the dark, he closed his eyes, and knocked his fists together.

There was a hard clack of metal on metal.

Gregor screamed, bursting out of bed, the lights revealing his entire body to be covered in a gleaming layer of iron. He pounded desperately at his wrist, but the second skin would not break. He remembered the accident, Gates' explosion, and Kat's frightened face, and he roared, slamming his fist on the ground, leaving a crater.

His cell door opened. "Hello?" A voice said.

Gregor looked up, unsure of whether to respond.

Another cadet appeared in the doorway. Scars ran across the length of his face, but his uniform was neat and proper. Behind him, a female officer stood watching, a holopad tucked under her arm.

The boy looked back at the officer, then to him. He smiled and stepped in. "Greetings."

"Who are you and what do you want?" Gregor said.

The boy paused, and his smile widened. "Blunt. I like that. Very…to-the-point."

Gregor raised an eyebrow. "Unlike you?"

The cadet started. "Sorry, sorry."

Gregor squinted at the boy in the light of the cell, through the mask of scars. "Wait," he said slowly. "You're the squad leader of S1." The top of their class, the shining student of the Ceres academy. That meant he was another survivor of the accident.

"And you're the squad leader of S17. You've covered the who, so I'll get to the what." The boy stepped forward, and after a moment's hesitation, knocked against Gregor's armored skin. "I want to help you with this."

Gregor scoffed. "You got a jack hammer, S1? If not, I doubt you can break through this."

"Oh, I'm not hoping to break through it. In fact I’m hoping the opposite, skin like this seems very handy.”

Gregor took a menacing step forward.

“Wait, wait, wait, sorry.” The boy closed his eyes. “It must be tough. But I want to help you control it."

Gregor narrowed his eyes. "How?"

Hayden tilted his head. "With your...emotions, let's say for now."

Gregor couldn't help but give a laugh. "Emotions? You think you can remove this armor with feelings?" The laugh faded, and he fixed a glare on the other boy. “BullS#&$.”

"Jack hammers and weapons of that sort don't have the same type of strength emotions do," the cadet said. His tone had lost its light quality, but the smile remained. "You may have been able to get through situations with brute force in the past, but that’s not how you will control this."

Gregor stared at the floor. "You keep on talking about control," he said, curling his fingers into a fist. Without warning, he dealt the boy a hard blow to the chest. He flew against the wall and sank to the ground. The officer outside did nothing. "But I don't want to control this thing—I want it gone!"

S1 moved blindingly fast. In a fluid motion, he sprang from the floor at Gregor, and there was a flash of bright blue.

Gregor felt something ram him in the chest as the boy passed him, and he stumbled backwards. He looked down to see a long diagonal cut in his armor, cracks splintering out from it. He whirled around to see the curved edge of an azure sword pointed at him.

"Believe me, I want this gone, too, S17," the cadet said. A fierce demeanor had replaced the easygoing smile. "And I can pry that armor off you too, if you want. But here's the thing. It won’t go away. Neither your powers," he lowered sword, and it dissipated into nothing. "Nor mine. So you might as well learn how to use it."

The boy winced, then looked down at his hand. A cut had appeared out of nowhere on the sleeve of his uniform, blood seeping through a red line along his wrist. "That's too bad," S1 said, his casual demeanor returning. "I just got this uniform yesterday."

Gregor looked down at his fist. "To what end?" he said.

"Pardon?" The cadet looked up.

He met the boy’s gaze. "After I control my powers, what will happen then?"

The cadet smiled. "You and I swore an oath, didn't we? Protect the Empire, destroy the Sentients. That hasn't changed." He offered his hand. "We still have a duty to the Empire. To our friends."

Gregor closed his eyes. Kat's terrified face was burned into his conscience. His fists tightened again. "My friends are all gone," he growled. Then tears brimmed in his eyes, and his hands went limp. “They’re all…gone.”

"As are mine," the boy said, and for the first time, a look of sadness came across his face. He met Gregor's gaze and gave a small smile. "If it’s alright with you, could I be your friend?"

Gregor stared at him. Then, slowly, he nodded. "Sure, whatever."

S1 nodded back. He shrugged, then stuck out his hand. "I'm sure you know my name, and I already know yours, but it would just be nice to formally introduce ourselves."

Gregor narrowed his eyes, but he gripped the hand firmly. "Gregor Haynes," he said.

The cadet winced at Gregor's strength, then smiled. "Hayden Tenno," he said. "And don't worry, I'm not going anywhere, not for a while."

 

 

Gregor sat up in his bed inside the Tenno sickbay. He raised his newly healed fist, only a day ago half-severed from his arm. The hardened skin formed around it. He breathed out, and the armor vanished.

"Is this your idea of a 'while,' S1?" he murmured.

The door opened, and Jason walked in. There were bags under his eyes. "Hey there, big guy," he said, trying to smile. "How's the arm?"

Gregor looked down at his wrist. "Good as new," he said. He gave a humorless laugh. "I wonder, if that thing had chopped it clean off, would Victoria have been able to grow it back?"

Jason didn’t laugh. He sat down on the chair next to Gregor. "Why the hell didn't Coven give us a briefing on that payload?" he said angrily. "Something that could eat a ship is all fine and dandy, but…that thing?”

The door opened. "That also explains why the virus was so goddamn smart," Koda said as he walked in with Joul, Darren and Jolla. "The juggernaut used the horde as a decoy while it went up to our floor. Roland, Victoria and Morgan would've all been dead if Kat hadn't been there.” He leaned against the wall while Darren and Jolla sat on the bed next to Gregor.

"But, why?" Jolla said. "Why did they want to kill them so badly?"

Joul shook his head as he dragged another chair to the bed. "It appears there's still a lot even Coven doesn't know about his creations."

“But none of us were expecting it, either. Something like that shouldn’t have even happened,” Darren said.

"Coven’s partially to blame, but some of the fault lies on us as well," Koda muttered. "We got drunk off of our own power. We dared to call ourselves warrior-gods, who could tackle any challenge the universe had in store for us."

He looked at all of them. "In both of these battles, we were way too over-confident." A hardened look came to his face. "And Hayden paid for our hubris."

A heavy silence fell over them. Jolla gave a small sniff, and Darren put his arm around her, his own eyes close to tears as well.

"It just doesn't feel real," Gregor said at last. He scoffed. "We've survived an exposure to a hole in space, became super soldiers fighting mutant zombies, but the only thing that doesn't make sense is that another friend is gone."

"He wasn't just another friend," Darren said. "He was our unit leader. We all thought he would make it through the War. It doesn't make sense at all."

"If you think about it, it does." Joul said quietly. He remembered lying on his back next to Hayden in a sparring room aboard the Taurus, a flickering lamp above. "We didn’t follow Hayden because of what he was willing to do for the Empire. We followed him because of what he was willing to do for us. For almost all of us, he was the first person we even spoke to after the accident." He closed his eyes. "I think any of us would have done the same thing in his place, and since it was Miyoko..." His voice trailed off.

"Where is Miyoko, anyway?" Jolla asked. "I stopped by her room, but she wasn't there."

"She's in a meeting, actually," Koda said. "She spent the whole day yesterday talking with Ford and Teshin, and apparently she’ll be meeting with the Order’s Board of Directors soon.”

"She's working already?" Jason said incredulously.

"Yeah." Koda furrowed his brow. "When...when Rilla died, I was out of commission for a few days, but she's only stopped to get a few hours of rest."

“That’s ridiculous,” Jolla said. “I would’ve thought out of everyone, she would be the most…” The room went quiet again.

Gregor closed his eyes. "You know, when the Sentients had attacked the Taurus, when Jason had ran off and Hayden was panicking, she was the first one to use her abilities to take out that cannon. Even during the Nemesis crisis, all of us had let that thing get to our heads, but she went toe-to-toe with the Excalibur prototype without even flinching." A strange smile appeared on his face. "Outside of a fight, she always seems so worrisome and nervous, but every time there's a crisis, she's stepped up when she was needed."

"The Tenno by nature are chosen for their resilience," Koda said, recalling Ford's words to him. "We might have never noticed it, but she just might be the most resilient of us all." He got up and walked out of the room.

Outside, he narrowed his eyes. I think any of us would have done the same thing in his place, Joul’s words repeated. He put his fingers to his temples, massaging them. He pictured Melody's furious expression. Don’t you dare accuse me of being reckless when you're much worse than me!

Koda blew a stream of smoke into the air above him. He looked at his shoulder, where the ashes flickered around it.

Rilla. Was I...wrong about you? Was I wrong about myself?

Movement out of the corner of his eye drew his attention. He saw Melody round curve of the hallway, her face turned away as she talked with Rose.

By the time she faced forward, Koda had teleported around another hallway. He edged around the corner, looking at the two girls. Before the outbreak, Rose might have been teasing Melody, and the other girl would have a correspondingly dour look. But they were smiling easily as they conversed, a natural camaraderie between the two. Melody paused, and she started to look down the hallway again. Koda quickly slipped away. He shook his head and continued down the corridor. As he did, he saw an emaciated figure with his back to him, standing still.

“Morgan,” he said. The boy turned, his eyes wide, but his expression dimmed when he saw it was his mentor. As Koda reached him, he noted that they were standing outside the hallway where Victoria’s room was.

“Hello, Koda,” Morgan said.

Koda could still picture the bloodlust in his pupil’s eyes turning to shock as Victoria fell before him. He sighed and stood next to the other boy. “Going to apologize?” he said.

Morgan was quiet. “I guess so,” he said. Another pause, and then. “How…do you do this exactly?”

“Do what?” Koda said.

“Apologize.” Morgan looked sheepish. “I’ve never done that before.”

Koda gave a small smile. “Just say you’re sorry, for…tearing out her soul.” He shrugged.

Morgan looked down at his hand. “I still have it,” he said.

Koda looked at him. “Have what?”

“Her soul.” Confusion was etched on his face. “I removed it from her body, yet she healed herself without it. How is that?”

He stared at his pupil for a while before giving a sigh. “If I were you,” he said, putting a hand on Morgan’s shoulder. “I’d take that as proof that what you have isn’t really her soul.” He smiled again. “And that’s a good thing. Don’t burden yourself by thinking you’re holding something as heavy as another person’s soul.” As he spoke, he put a hand to the smoke swirling around his arm and closed his eyes. He nodded to Morgan, then continued down the hallway.

Morgan watched his mentor leave. As he did, he felt a presence behind him, and he quickly turned. But any hope that it would be Victoria faded as he saw Roland standing there. The two looked at each other, unsure of what to say.


Victoria was approaching her room when she saw her two friends at the end of the hallway. She opened her mouth to say something, but no words came to mind. They were staring at each other down, no trace of hate nor reconciliation in their eyes.

She shook her head and started to approach them.

“They’ve caused you nothing but grief.” She froze, blood turning cold as she looked behind her. But the haunting specter floating there was neither her mother nor Miyoko. Another copy of her, eyes narrowed, stared back.

Victoria looked back at the two boys. I’m still their friend. I should help them.

Instead, she turned to go back the way she came. As her legs carried her around the corner and out of sight from them, the specter of herself faded from view, and a small smile came to her lips.

“Victoria!” She turned to see Kat running down the hall after her.

“What is it, Kat?” she said to the girl.

“I just wanted to say,” Kat said, “Thank you. I would’ve died back then if it wasn’t for you.”

“It’s my job,” Victoria replied.

Kat hesitated, then said. “Roland and Morgan too, I know they wanted to thank you as well. Did you see them already?”

“Oh,” Victoria was silent for a moment. “Yes, I did see them.”

“That’s good,” Kat said, looking relieved. “May I walk with you? I'm heading this same way as well.”

“Of course,” Victoria said. “I was going to head over to train.”

“I see,” Kat said. She looked down. “Even after…even after all that has happened, we still have to move forward.”

“Yes.” Victoria was reminded of the early morning, when Miyoko and the remainder of Cell 1 had returned. As Victoria had healed her mentor’s wounds, she was taken aback at how composed the girl had been. Unlike when she had last seen her as Miyoko had headed off for the mission, Miyoko’s eyes were dry, almost emotionless as they stared into the distance.

“I found my answer,” Victoria had said to her. As soon as she spoke, Miyoko turned to her, easily breaking out of her thoughts to turn her attention to her pupil.

 

“And what did you find?” Miyoko responded.

 

Victoria removed her hands from a large bruise across her mentor’s back. As the bruise faded, she felt a discomfort across the same area of her own body. But the pain was only slight. “Just before I healed the others of their injuries, I healed myself by the same amount.” She smiled. "It was a simple step really, I just...took care of myself, before helping the others. But if you hadn't said what you had told me last night, that might have never occurred to me, and I would've..." Victoria lowered her head. "I'll...do better to watch out for my own health from now on."

 

"I'm glad to hear it." Miyoko looked at her and, to Victoria's surprise, gave a smile.

"Are you feeling ok?" Kat brought her out of her reminiscence. "I mean, you literally saved four people from the brink of death. Did you get any...side effects, from your powers?"

Victoria put a hand over her heart. She remembered the agony of simultaneously having her chest crushed, her skin virtually set aflame, and her heart tearing in two. And yet..."I'm fine," she said. She looked at Kat and smiled. "It's amazing how much you can do for others if you’re willing to do the same for yourself."


Victoria dipped her head and continued walking down the hallway, entering a training room a few doors down. Kat watched her go, then turned into another corridor. As she entered yet another, she reached her destination. Kat took a breath and raised her head a little higher as she stood in front of the door.

After she knocked, there was a brief pause before a low voice answered on the other side, "Come in, Romanko."

The flooring of Teshin’s office had been stripped away and replaced by a grassy field, a circular stream cut around it and dotted with artfully placed rocks and plants. The walls were lined with a forest of bamboo trees. Above, the grandmaster had capitalized on the Tenno's position on the top floor to have a large window dominating the ceiling, a breath-taking view of space outside.

Kat crossed over the stream on a small wooden bridge and under its small red arch to the center, where Teshin was kneeling on an elevated rocky platform, a simple carved desk in front of him. The only technological thing in the room was the holopad that the swordsman was typing into. His swords were set down beside him.

"For what reason did you request to see me, Romanko?" Teshin said, still looking at the holopad.

Kat clenched her fists. "I remember everything, this time."

"'Remember'?" Teshin said, still focused on his work.

She nodded. "The other two times my powers manifested, I blacked out and didn't recall any of it. But this time, I was fully awake and aware of what I was doing. I was even able to break out of it."

"And how did you manage that?" Teshin said.

Kat’s brow furrowed. "I realized I was angry," she said. "I stopped being afraid of my powers, and when they came, I was ready for them." She raised a fist, concentrating on it. The orange claws blazed to life.

"So, you have finally accepted them, then," Teshin said.

Kat sunk the blades into his table, finally prompting him to look up. "Don't get the wrong idea," she said, "I'll use these powers to help the Empire. But only when I want to. I won't let this…" she raised the claws, "Define who I am. I'm going to control it. And…I want you to help me, the same way you trained Nadia."

Teshin stared at her impassively. Then, a thin smile came to his face. "I am not an easy mentor. You won't get the same sympathy you so easily elicit out of Haynes."

"I'm not expecting that," Kat said. "I'll become the greatest fighter of the second generation if you want me to. In return, you will help me to use these powers only when I choose."

Teshin nodded. "I accept," Kat bowed and turned to leave. "But even now, your anger boils," he spoke.

Kat paused at the bridge. The she turned, and the claws vanished from her hand. "I’m aware." She continued walking, and the door slid closed after her.

Teshin lowered his head, staring at the claw mark on the table. "You can come out now," he said.

Colonel Ford stepped out of a section of bamboo. "Thank you, Teshin," she said. Her eyes were red as she kneeled down on a rock a small distance from him.

"They would understand that you are mourning as well," he said. "There's no need to hide yourself."

"It won't do for them to see me like this," Ford said.

Teshin watched her carefully. "There's nothing wrong with children seeing their mother cry."

Ford froze. "That is true," she said. "But I am their superior officer. Not their mother."

Anything, my child. Her hands clenched on her lap. "Not their mother," she repeated to herself, squeezing her eyes shut. "That would be...too cruel."

Teshin watched her a moment longer before returning to his holopad.

"But I’m surprised by your sympathy," Ford said. "For all your talk of a harsh teacher, you agreed to help Kat keep her rage in check, instead of forcing her to unleash it."

"So long as she uses her powers when they are needed, I am more than willing to help her. And..." Teshin set the holopad down. "I fear for her, Colonel. Her rage has been augmented by her Void powers. Even with my guidance, it will be something that plagues her for the rest of her life."

"But she has brothers and sisters who will be there for her as well," Ford said. "She is not alone in her struggle."

"Perhaps she isn't now," Teshin said. "But the Void chooses abilities based on someone's true nature. If not who they are now, then perhaps who they will become." He looked up at the window above. "If, in the future, she is caught alone, with the world against her, then I worry for what she will become."

Ford watched him, then allowed herself another smile. "And here I thought there was only a harsh side of you, Teshin." She rose. "I must go. Miyoko's meeting with the board will begin shortly."

He nodded and paused. "I have a feeling that girl will be fine even if she confronts them alone," he said.

"I do, too," Ford replied. She put a hand over her heart. "But I have a promise to keep, for Hayden."

 

 

Miyoko sat against the wall outside of the Boardroom on the 6th floor. She held a small holo-device to her ear. At the tap of a button, it played a recording from her helmet's audio data.

Hayden's voice spoke. "Take care of them, Miyoko. I know you will." She pressed the button again, and the same quote repeated. Over and over, she pressed the button, absorbing his last words to her.

"Miyoko?" She looked up to see Colonel Ford standing over her. "It's time. They're ready to see us."

Miyoko looked at the holo-device. She tapped a few short commands.

Delete data? A command prompt read.

As her thumb hovered over the screen, she noticed her hand was trembling. She steadied it, and pressed the button.

"Let's go," she said, pocketing the device and rising to her feet.

The Boardroom was the same design as the 13th floor conference room, dominated by an ovular table lined with holopads at each seat. But whereas the Tenno's room was sparsely decorated, high quality art graced the walls of the Boardroom, expensive abstract statues in each corner of the room.

The board members were dressed like Thames, long arrays of medals pinned to the lapels of the Legion uniforms. The Lotus emblem was displayed on each shoulder. The General himself sat at the end of the board, Dr. Coven beside him.

Hayden never met the Board, Miyoko thought. I suppose there was never a need to.

A board member with thick framed glasses and short dark hair sighed. "Please, take a seat, Colonel and..." He stared at Miyoko with narrowed eyes. "Tenno."

Miyoko stiffened, then gave a low bow. She took the seat at the other end of the table and sat down.

"Let us begin," Thames said, "But before that, on behalf of the board, I would like to extend our deepest sympathies, Miss Takahashi," A sorrowful look appeared on his face. "We cannot imagine the pain you must be going through."

Miyoko felt her hand start to tremble again. She closed her eyes raised and raised it to her face, and her middle finger made its familiar path down her scar. The trembling stopped.

Her eyes opened. "Your sympathies are noted," she said, lowering her still hand. "But the last people the Tenno want sympathy from is the Order."

 

A silence fell over the board. "And why would that be?" the man in glasses said. "It was the Sentients, not the people in this room, who took your leader’s life."

"No," Miyoko said. "Strains of the Technocyte payload trapped him aboard the ship. Had it not been for the virus, Hayden would have...he would’ve made it out alive. Some oversight on our part is partially to blame, but the Order failed to provide us with the information that fragments of the Excalibur and Nemesis prototype were on board the payload. That's why the virus targeted us."

She leaned forward. "Furthermore, we were scrambled at the last minute to carry out this recovery operation, with little time to plan for worst-case scenarios." Miyoko turned and gave Thames a baleful glance. "You yourself admitted the Aphrodite's mission was a high-risk operation. Had the Tenno been informed that we might be needed, perhaps better preparations would have been made."

The board all stared at her. There was anger on some of their faces. Thames was expressionless. The man in glasses was smiling slightly.

"I will accept that charge," Thames said. A few of the board members started. "Thames, what—" one of them began.

"What she said is valid," Thames said. "But that cuts both ways. Your overconfidence is to blame as well. The Empire’s strongest warriors must be able to prepare for anything, isn’t it? We are all of us responsible for the tragedy that has occurred. With that in mind, Tenno..." A small smile came to his face. "What are you wishing to get out of this meeting?"

Of course they know I'm here to seek reparations. They're expecting that we’ll want to break away from the Order. They won’t allow that no matter how hard we push for it.

But what they're not expecting is...Miyoko looked at Ford. The woman nodded.

She looked at Thames. "The Tenno would like to do a favor for the Order."

There was a small buzz through the room. “What would this favor be?” a bearded man said.

“We have decided we will fulfill our duty to the Empire.” She took the holopad in front of her seat and typed in a series of commands. “And, thanks to the Order, an opportunity has presented itself.”

She entered one last command, and a diagram appeared in the center projector of the table. It showed a small planetoid, a large cluster of heat signatures orbiting its side. “The intended target of the Aphrodite was a Sentient fleet gathering outside of the planetoid Eris. Since the Order failed in its mission, the threat remains, and you currently have no means to do significant damage to it. Worse still, your attack has likely put them on high alert. It will be harder than ever to launch any sort of attack on them even with a large force of our own. I imagine the Thrones are not happy with their investment in you backfiring.”

Miyoko leaned forward and tented her fingers. “Right now, we are the only force in the Legions who can destroy this fleet before it attacks. The Tenno would like to request that the Order continue to provide support for us in this mission, and you will be able to redeem your standing in the eyes of the Thrones.”

“And in what capacity are we providing support to you?” Thames said. “For whom are you carrying out this mission for?”

Miyoko understood his meaning. They want to know if they will be assisting us in a partnership, or a sponsorship. Separate from the Order…or bound to it.

 

“From the beginning, we have sworn to serve one thing and one thing only,” she said. “We fight for the Empire.”

 

 

After Miyoko and Ford departed, a harsh laugh filled the room.

The bearded man stared darkly at the man in glasses. “What’s so funny, Aldrich?”

Aldrich’s laughter ceased. “Absolutely nothing,” he said. “I thought we had seen the last of Takahashi when he died in the Outer Sector. But his spawn may prove to be more troublesome than he ever was.

“We don’t have enough troops for a fight like this, Aldrich!” Daisuke Takahashi roared as they stood outside a troop transport. “I won’t let them die such a meaningless death.”

 

“It is necessary that we commit troops to this fight,” Aldrich replied. “We can’t just give up Neptune so easily. But what you say is true, the odds are slim. That’s why I’m telling you to let someone else lead them.”

 

Takahashi clenched his fists. Beside him, his wife put a hand on his, and they exchanged a look between them. “No,” Daisuke said. “We’re going with them. I’ll lead the troops at Neptune.”

 

“Will you now?” Aldrich took off his glasses and rubbed them against his uniform. “Does your so-called intuition tell you that you can win?”

 

Daisuke put a hand to his face. His finger traced along the scar on his cheek. “It doesn’t,” he said. “But it does tell me that if I do not fight alongside these men, then I’ll regret it for the rest of my life.”

 

The couple turned to board the transport. “May the Thrones be with you, then, Takahashi,” Aldrich said, turning to leave as the transport’s doors closed and the ship took off. “And may your death be painful.”

 

 

“Nadia, please get up.” Miyoko stood over the girl’s bed in the darkened room, the 2nd generation Tenno’s curled-up form beneath the covers.

Nadia did not respond. “I need you to continue your duties as second-in-command, Nadia,” Miyoko said, her face expressionless. “It would be easier if you gathered up everyone using your abilities.”

There was another pause. Then, slowly, Nadia rose out of the sheets. Even in the dark, Miyoko could see the other girl’s eyes were bloodshot and haunted. The nerves around them had swollen almost to how they had been under the Nemesis armor, a faint green energy pulsing through them.

When she spoke, she sounded tired, beaten. “How…can you be like this?” Nadia whispered. “You loved him, and he’s gone.”

It was Miyoko’s turn to be silent. Nadia rose until she was eye level with the girl. “You were closer to him than anyone else. Even closer than I was. And he…he loved you,” she said, more tears beginning to brim around her eyes and fall from her cheeks, illuminated by the glow of her nerves. “And you’re carrying on like it didn’t mean a damn thing!” she grabbed the other girl by her uniform, staring into Miyoko’s eyes. “Don’t tell me that I loved him more than you did. Because if I did, then…then…” her grip softened and slid down to her side.

Miyoko stared at her for a minute longer. Then, she sat down on the bed next to Nadia. “After I lost him, I was, no, I still am, living in my worst nightmare. Everything I’ve feared for has come true.”

Nadia stared at her. “But,” Miyoko continued, “Even though it’s my worst nightmare, I’m still alive. And so are the Tenno. So is the Empire. And, so are the Sentients.”

She looked at Nadia, and a small, sad smile came to her face. “The last thing he said to me was to not let anything hold me back,” she said. “And so, it’s because I loved him, and because he’s gone, that I’m like this,” she said.

The other girl let out a sound that was both a scoff, a laugh and a sob. “How stupid of me,” she said. “You…surely loved him more, then.”

Miyoko shook her head. “We all have our own ways of mourning. This is only mine. But…” she wrapped her arms around Nadia. “I’d like you to mourn with me.”

Nadia felt it. A slight, almost imperceptible trembling through Miyoko’s body. She knew instantly it would be the only sign of weakness she would let anyone see of her. She returned the gesture, giving Miyoko a small squeeze as tears once again began to fall down Nadia’s face. “Of course, Unit Leader.”

 

 

Attention Tenno, Nadia’s voice said. Please report to room 1310. Miyoko would like to speak with you all.

The Tenno in the sickbay exchanged glances. “Why 1310?” Joul said. “Shouldn’t we be meeting in the conference room?”

Gregor shrugged and shifted out of bed. “Beats me,” he said. “Let’s just head over.”

They stood up from their seats and left the room. As they approached 1310, Melody, Rose, Sebastian and Kat rounded from the other side. They heard footsteps behind them, and they turned to see Koda approaching. Roland and Morgan appeared from a corner further down, walking a good distance away from each other.

Victoria was the last to arrive, stepping next to Kat and avoiding eye contact with Roland and Morgan.

“At least everyone’s prompt,” Darren said. “Let’s go inside.”

He keyed open the door. In the furthest combatant position of the ring, Miyoko and Nadia waited side by side. Both girls stood with their heads held high, uniforms neat, no evidence of tears in either pairs of eyes. A golden dagger was sheathed at Miyoko’s side.

The Tenno formed a loose group in front of them, staring at the two leaders expectantly.

Miyoko looked at Nadia and gave a small nod. She stepped forward. “Good evening, everyone,” she said, her voice just loud enough to reach them in the large room.

The others exchanged glances with one another. A small pause fell between them.

Miyoko closed her eyes and raised her hand to her head, stroking her scar. She took a breath. “I know that everyone thinks that we lost, this time around. And I’m not going to deny that. We lost Hayden. What we got in return was…little. Short of winning this war, nothing could make up for his loss. If…even that could,” she said, looking down.

The other Tenno were silent, fists clenched and faces grim. “But in the face of it all, the war continues. As the protectors of this Empire, we have our duty to continue, too. And to begin that, I would like to recognize everyone for their actions.”

Miyoko walked forward. She stopped in front of Jason and Gregor first. “The crew of the Aphrodite would’ve been dead if you hadn’t been there. Gregor, you fought well to bring down the Nemesis variant. Jason, thank you for getting Gregor out of there after he was attacked. I know Hayden would be proud of both of you.”

Jason shrugged, smiling bitterly. “Least I could do.”

She turned to face the others. “Cell 2,” she said. “Your quick adaptation to your Warframes turned the tide of battle easily. As we bring the battle to the Sentients, I’ll be relying on your strength.”

“You can count on us, Miyoko,” Darren said. Together, the four Tenno bowed.

Miyoko returned the gesture. She looked towards the second generation, clustered together. “You have all survived your first battle. Now, like us, you are fully fledged Tenno. Sebastian, Melody, Rose. You and Nadia were able to hold off the virus long enough for Cell 2 to arrive. I look forward to what you will do when you acquire your Warframes.”

Rose grinned and nudged Melody, who cracked a smile, while Sebastian stood up straighter.

Miyoko stepped towards Kat next. “Teshin told me that you defeated the Juggernaut singlehandedly. Continue to train yourself.”

Kat lowered her head. “I will.”

Miyoko put a hand on her shoulder. “But don’t let go of who you really are. The Tenno are strong enough that we do not need you to give yourself entirely to the madness of your powers.”

The other girl looked up. Her lip trembled. “Thank you,” she said. “I will do what I can.”

They exchanged bows, then Miyoko approached Victoria. “I don’t need to tell you how proud I am of you. All on your own, you have found the path you were meant to take.”

Victoria shook her head. “Without your guidance, I might have never found that path, Miyoko.”

Miyoko opened her mouth, then closed it. “If that is the case, then I will do whatever I can to guide you further,” she said, smiling. She leaned forward and whispered something in Victoria’s ear. The girl’s eyes widened, then she nodded.

She closed her eyes, then turned to the last two Tenno. “Morgan, Roland.”

The room went quiet. They waited to see how Miyoko would respond to the two responsible for her pupil’s injuries.

“I’m sure you’re quite aware of the wrong you’ve done,” Miyoko said. “And that it has affected you in ways no discipline of mine could ever achieve. I don’t wish ill on you, and I’m sure that Victoria does not either.” She turned to the healer. Victoria dipped her head forward.

Roland gave a bitter sob, his fists clenched tightly together. Morgan was silent, but he did not meet Victoria’s gaze.

 “However,” she said, “That does not mean this action will go without counseling.” She turned to the group. “I’ll ask for the room alone with these two.”

The Tenno all nodded. They bowed and filed out. Nadia stopped next to Miyoko and put a hand on her shoulder before leaving, the door sliding shut behind her.

“Morgan,” Miyoko said. “You realize now that there is more to someone’s life than just their soul?”

Morgan did not look at her. “Yes.”

Miyoko stepped closer to him. “Your powers manipulate the dead. But remember, you use them to serve the living. Let that be your focus as you move forward.”

“I will, Unit Leader,” Morgan said.

Miyoko nodded. “There is nothing more I can say to you. I’m sure what you must do now is laid out clearly enough.”

He bowed, and left the room.

She waited for a moment longer after she left before speaking. “Roland. Everyone has found clarity in this fight, save for you. Your journey has only become more clouded.”

Roland did not speak.

“Hayden had high hopes for you, you know. And I still share them. Don’t underestimate your potential. Our victory against the Technocyte here was narrow, but your powers could have avoided such a risk. With Victoria out of commission, you could have been the one to heal not only yourself, but your friends.” Miyoko stepped passed Roland, staring at the door. “Right or wrong? Good or evil? They are good thoughts to keep in mind, but there is only one thing that is required of you as a Tenno.” She reached to her back and drew her dagger. He turned at the hiss of steel.

“When your friends are in danger, you help them. When your enemies are before you, you crush them. We can’t be paralyzed by the possibility that we are wrong.”

Roland stared at her. Then, he nodded.

“Promise me that you will follow that creed, no matter what,” Miyoko said.

He opened his mouth. “I…I promise.”

She looked at him, then stared at the blade, tracing her finger along its edge. She took a breath. “Then let me see you prove it to me.”

Miyoko held the dagger to her neck, and without hesitating, sliced it open. Blood fountained, spraying over her uniform. Roland’s eyes widened in shock.

A hand went weakly to the self-inflicted wound, feeling the blood course through her fingers. Her knees buckled, and she collapsed to the floor. She could only look at Roland as she felt her life fade away.

Roland froze for only a moment longer. Then, a hardened look came to his eye. A focused look, and briefly, Miyoko thought she saw Hayden standing beside him. She smiled.

Blue energy charged in his hands. Roland walked forward until he stood over Miyoko. He raised his arm, and with a scream, plunged it downward.

SEASON 3 ENDED.

 

SEASON 4

CH. 42 PROLOGUE

Spoiler

Aung bent over the table, hands working furiously on a holopad as she ran her calculations. Dominating an entire half of the room beside her were two golden rings on opposite ends of the wall, streams of electricity sparking around their rims. Set before one was a strange white cannon-shaped object, a circular slot atop the middle and the nozzle pointed towards the ring’s center.

At last, the scientist leaned back, satisfied. In her intensity, her body had assumed a slouch, and she craned her neck, rubbing it with one hand. She picked up a circular key from the desk and fit it into the slot of the cannon. The device fired a golden beam at the ring. Once it reached the center, as if hitting an invisible wall, the golden energy splashed along it and raced to the rim of the ring, filling the circle with a golden pool of light. Through it, she could start to make out the first of the pearlescent nebula beyond. The Void.

Aung reached into her pocket and pulled out a Void ball from Director Coven’s lab. She took a breath before tossing it into the Void portal. The ball slipped through the closest ring and vanished into the hellspace. She stared intently at the second ring, waiting.

A few minutes later, there was a sucking sound as another golden sheen appeared along the second ring, and the ball materialized from within it. It landed on a waiting automated tray, which whirred across the floor to her table.

The scientist picked up the orb and placed it into a small container. She nodded to herself, satisfied, taking the key out of the cannon and dissipating the portal. A yawn escaped her lips, and she checked the time. It was already well into the morning. Her eyelids began to droop. She leaned back further into the chair, her head tipping back.

From the darkest confines of her memory, a mutilated Grineer leapt screaming at her, arm outstretched and teeth salivating.

Her eyes snapped open. She clutched at her own arm, body trembling.

The door opened. “Aung? Have you been working all night?” One of her lab partners stepped inside, still rubbing his eyes from a likely restful sleep. “This thing’s still going to be here when you wake up, you know.”

“Only if the Empire still is,” she said, smoothing the sleeve of her coat. “They say that Sentients never sleep.”

“Well, that’s because they’re inhuman,” her friend said. He sat down on his work station. “What have you been doing?”

Aung held up the container. “Finalizing things.”

His eyes widened. “Then, did you…?”

She shrugged. “We’ll have to see. On paper it all works out, but it’ll be a few days before we find out if this is really going to work.”

He nodded. “Then get some rest, Aung. You’re no good to us half-dead.”

Aung stiffened.

He noticed her unease. “Oh.” He gave an awkward laugh. “Sorry, I guess that was a bit off-color, after what…what happened. You were quite close to the outbreak, weren’t you?”

“It’s no problem,” she said, smiling reassuringly. “I appreciate your sentiment, Henry.”

He shifted uncomfortably, then nodded. “Don’t mention it,” he said. “I’ll tell Bell you’re taking a break.”

“Thanks.” She started walking towards the exit.

“Good work, by the way,” he called to her. “We couldn’t have even made half as much progress without you. You’re really giving this one everything you got, aren’t you?”

She paused at the door. “Yes,” she said, turning. “After all, creating a god may just be my magnum opus.”

 

The room’s lights snapped on as Nadia walked into the room, revealing a row of large vats on either side of the hallway. Various experiments, half organic and half technological, floated inside each vat, preserved in varying stages of decay.

At the end, a lone lamp shone on a raised tube, smaller than the rest. Drifting inside the red substance were the remains of a helmet, half of its face cracked open. The once long antennae rising from the center was snapped in half, the remainder floating apart from the piece.

Nadia plugged a holopad into the console beside the vat, typing in a command. The murky crimson started to drain, the visage sinking to the bottom. As the last of the liquid was sucked into a small hole in the center of the tube, the mask made a slight clink as it came to rest upon the floor of the vat. There was a hiss and the vat’s glass chamber rose.

She took a breath and reached for the helmet.

As she touched it, an image flashed to her mind. She was standing atop the simulated stairwell of an Orokin capital ship. A few steps down was her opponent, clad in a horned Warframe prototype, a gleaming blue energy sword in his hand. She raised her sword and charged at him.

Nadia withdrew her hand. She massaged her temples, sighing. She reached out again and grasped the helmet. As she did, another image sprung to her mind. Atop the same stairwell, lying in Hayden’s lap, his confused smile over her as her eyes closed.

She jammed the remains of the Nemesis helmet onto her face. “Stop playing with me, creature,” she spat.

There was a pause before the Nemesis armor answered. Oh dear. We haven’t…been in touch for so long, I thought you might like to relive the good old days.

Nadia closed her eyes. “You mean the days when I was your pawn?” She flooded energy into the helmet, slipping into the conscience of the Nemesis armor itself and projecting herself within.

The mind of the Warframe prototype was a black and abyssal chamber. A mental projection of the Nemesis armor stood before her. It started at her appearance. You—

 

Nadia leapt forward and slammed her fist into the armor. It collapsed onto the ground, and Nadia landed on top of it, hands grabbing its throat. “Those days are over,” she said. “Now, it’s me who’s inside your head.”

It gave a dark chuckle. Yes. The days of your weakness are indeed over. They died with Hayden, didn’t they?

Nadia sucked in a breath, and the Nemesis armor twisted its body, rolling her off of it. Oh, I guess not. The diamond-shaped blade of a Dark Sword appeared in its hand.

“So,” Nadia said, “There was a part of you connected to the Aphrodite.”

Of course, Nemesis replied, I saw him fall with our own eyes. It was a shame. They tried to take the girl, but you know how Hayden is.

 

“And Gregor’s wounds?” Nadia circled carefully, eyes watching the blade.

I take full credit for that one. A pity I couldn’t finish the job. The rogue prototype lunged forward, blade flashing.

Nadia projected a Skana into her own hands and blocked the attack, pushing away the Warframe and going on the offensive. Before the Nemesis armor could react, she struck twice in rapid succession, the first blow knocking the Dark Sword out of Nemesis’ grasp, the second striking the head. As the Warframe fell, she grabbed the falling Dark Sword and drove it through her opponent to the ground, impaling it. The prototype cried out.

“Don’t think I’m the same girl from before,” Nadia said. “And especially don’t think you can beat me, even inside your own head. Your swordsmanship is nothing without mine.”

“But you’re still as touchy as ever about Hayden, I see,” the Nemesis armor said, using Nadia’s voice. The helmet peeled back, and the girl found her own face smiling back at her. “You act tough, but you still miss him too, don’t you?” It rose from the ground, the Dark Sword sinking further through until it slipped out from the hilt. “Still, I suppose it’s just as well that he’s gone, isn’t it?” Its eyes flashed. “He never got to know the real you.”

Nadia’s grip tightened on the Skana. “Shut up!” She dashed forward, blade swinging, but in a swift move, the Warframe sidestepped her, drawing the Dark Sword from the ground as she followed through her pivot and raked it along Nadia’s back. The girl gasped out and dropped to her knees, leaning on the Skana for support.

“Let’s not play mind games with each other, little Nadia. I think we both know how they turn out. Fragment I may be, but when it comes to mental games, size hardly counts.” Nemesis knelt next to the girl. “It’s all about your smarts, using your noggin,” she said, rapping on Nadia’s head.

It leaned into her ear. “And my noggin tells me that you’re afraid. Afraid that your victory aboard the Aphrodite hardly counts. You’re afraid that Hayden Tenno’s death was in vain. That maybe, there’s some part of me still floating out there, ready to return and take away everything that you ever cared for.”

“You already took away everything I cared for,” Nadia said, glowing green, and Nemesis realized too late that its attack had been absorbed. The stored energy blasted outward from the Tenno, staggering the Warframe. Nadia rose swiftly, summoning a second Skana in her other hand. In another flurry of moves, Nadia knocked the Dark Sword high in the air and drove both her blades into Nemesis, pinning it again back against the floor. The diamond sword landed several feet away.

Nemesis sighed, head knocking back against the floor. “I already did, huh?” a twisted giggle echoed in the empty chamber. “Now, I think we both know that’s a lie.”

“You’re wasting my time,” Nadia said. “I have some questions for you, and you will answer them, one way or another.” She twisted the blades and sank them deeper.

The Nemesis armor grunted, then gave another laugh. “What do you want to know, little Nadia?” it asked, eyes flashing green with malice.

 

CH. 42: REMEMBRANCE

Spoiler

The hidden door of Coven’s office opened, and Nadia emerged from within. Sebastian looked at Jason, and the two stood up as she stepped out. “Well?” he said.

Nadia sighed. “I got a bit of information. I’ll make a report later.”

“Did you end up destroying it?” Dr. Coven said, seated at his desk. “The last remaining Nemesis fragment.”

Nadia glared at him. “I would love to, but it still has some use to us. As you suspected, it was linked with the hive mind aboard the Aphrodite. We might be able to get a better idea of what happened.”

“Remind me again why we have to?” Jason said, falling back into his chair. “The Technocyte’s gone. We should just get rid of the last of it in and forget it ever happened.”

Nadia shook her head. “I don’t want to call this whole affair done just yet. If even a sliver of the virus managed to escape the explosion, the consequences would be catastrophic. Until we’ve accounted for every bit of charred flesh from that payload, I’m not writing it off.”

Jason shook his head. “I saw that blast. There was nothing within its radius that could have survived.”

Nadia stiffened, and Jason’s eyes widened. “I mean…” he looked away. “Sorry.”

She shook her head. “There’s nothing to apologize for. But I just want to be sure.” She walked past them. “I appreciate your insight, Jason. I wasn’t there, after all.”

Jason nodded, saying nothing as Nadia left the room. After she was gone, he sighed and stood up. “This body ain’t going to train itself,” he said. “I’ll catch you later, Seb.”

“Yeah,” Sebastian said, sitting down. As Jason left, the second generation Tenno spoke. “Director.”

“What is it, Garnier?” Coven said.

Sebastian stared at his hands. “Will you continue to create the Technocyte virus?”

Coven pursed his lips. “That is not for me to decide,” he said. “It is at the discretion of the Board.”

“But you have some influence, don’t you?” Sebastian said. “You could even refuse if you wanted to, I’m sure that they would value your—”

“Garnier,” the scientist said. “What is the cause for this?”

Sebastian closed his eyes. He remembered the hollowed look on Jason’s face as he stepped off the ship from Cell 1’s mission to the Aphrodite. “I’m dedicated to advancing the Orokin’s capabilities. But…I don’t think there’s any more value in the virus.” He opened his eyes. “Wanton pursuit of science, without any concern for the consequences, is a dangerous thing.”

Coven’s face remained expressionless. “It is the Order’s unspoken creed to pursue any method of war that may aid us in the fight against the Sentients,” he said. “The virus still fulfills this directive. A member of the Order must obey their duty.”

Sebastian leaned back in his seat. “Well, I guess it’s a good thing I’m a Tenno, then.”

Coven paused before responding. “But you are also a valued member of my research team. Which comes first for you, being a scientist, or being a Tenno?”

Sebastian was silent. Coven chuckled again. “Pay it no mind, I’m merely musing to myself.” He started, then reached behind his desk. “That’s right, your leader requested this before she left.” He pulled out a long, thin tube. “It was just completed. Please let us know if it meets your needs.”

The Tenno opened the tube and peered inside. A sad smile came to his face. “I think it will.” He closed the container and bowed to Coven. “Thank you, Director. I’ll take my leave for now.”

Coven nodded as the door opened and closed for Sebastian. The scientist sat quiet for a moment. At last, he shook his head and bent over his work.

A small beep sounded in the office. Coven checked a screen at his desk, then tapped in a command. “Enter,” he spoke.

Aung stepped inside the room, stride brisk.

“Miss Mi Aung,” Coven said. “You’re the representative from the energy lab?”

“Yes,” the young woman said. “I was chosen to oversee our addition to the Warframe project.”

“And we are looking forward to it,” Coven said. He brought up the other scientist’s file from a holopad. “From what I hear, you are a rising star in the robotics and energy floor.”

Mi Aung nodded. “I appreciate the compliment.”

Coven pulled up another file. “I have also looked over your other request.” He looked up at her. “Provided we have your…cooperation, we will do everything in our power to assist you.”

Her knuckles went white at the word cooperation. “I understand. Thank you, director.” She gave a salute and left the room.

 

Roland stood alone in the training room, staring intently at the floor before him. He took a deep breath, then channeled his Void energy, power coursing through his bloodstream and converging at his fingertips.

“Is there really a good an evil in this system?” Victoria’s voice said in his mind.

“There is. There has to be.”

 

He raised his arm, and the room was lit with the glow of blue fire spreading across the floor. But the field was much smaller than before, the glow more akin to dying embers than roaring flames. His brow furrowed, and he increased his output. The fire glowed brighter, but then started to falter.

Morgan’s voice drifted in his head. “What is the difference between good and evil? Because if what you said is true, then I can’t really tell.”

 

His skin started to prickle, but he continued to release the energy.

Finally, in his mind, Victoria fell to the floor before him, his twisted spirals excised from her chest. Am I…the evil one?

The flames sucked back towards their source, surrounding him. He screamed and dropped to his knees. He released the energy, and the fire vanished. A searing pain across his skin, however, remained.

The door opened, and he looked up to see someone approaching. The aura around the figure was at first a gleaming white, then a pitch black, flickering between the two.

Roland pounded the ground, beginning the healing process. But even that was slower than before. The healing stopped, yet his skin remained faintly red. As his vision cleared, he looked up again to see Darren.

“Any progress?” his mentor said.

“None,” Roland rasped, leaning back to a sitting position on the floor. “It’s still too weak.”

“I see,” Darren said, kneeling next to him.

“I’m starting to realize,” Roland said, “the side-effects of my abilities isn’t self-infliction. It’s the madness, the corruption that comes with the fire. It prevents me from discerning friend from foe…right from wrong. That’s why not even Victoria was safe.”

Darren nodded. “And is the fear of that madness what’s limiting you?”

“Only partially,” Roland said, standing up. “I just…don’t know what’s right anymore.”

His mentor rose with him. “At the very least, you have control. You helped Miyoko, after all.”

Roland didn’t answer immediately. His hands clenched. “But…if only it had been enough.”

Roland plunged his hand downwards, releasing a charge of energy over the gaping wound in Miyoko’s neck. No flame consumed her, but instead, the familiar green aura wrapped around her body. The wound started to heal, closing up slowly. His eyes widened, and he sank to his knees in relief.

 

Then, the effect faded. The wound, only half-sealed, continued to gush blood, and Miyoko’s eyes closed, body growing limp.

 

“Miyoko? No!” he released his energy again. “Hang in there!” The wound healed only a little more, blood continuing to flow down her neck, staining the white of her uniform as it pooled on the floor.

 

Two cool fingers touching his face brought Roland out of the flashback. His skin was growing worse again. Darren shook his head and withdrew his arm. “You did what you could,” he said. “We all know that.”

“But Miyoko…” Roland said.

Darren met his gaze. Then, he gave a small smile, patting him on the shoulder. “Give her more credit,” he said. He closed his eyes. “I think we could all stand to do that, in times like these.”

 

The metal pressing against her face was lifted, blinding her as light flooded her sight for the first time in a week. As her eyes adjusted to the cell, she saw the boy crouched over her. Scars ran across his countenance, yet the memories seemed to complete the parts that were disfigured by the wounds.

 

“I remember you,” she said to Hayden Tenno.

“Miyoko? We’re almost there.”

Miyoko was slumped over her seat in the transport ship. A round object wrapped in cloth on her work tray had functioned as a hard but impromptu pillow, her arms wrapped around it. Her hands were resting on an idle holopad behind it, containing a half-finished report.

In the aisle, Victoria was standing over her, a worried look on her face. “You need to get more rest,” her pupil said. “You’ve been working for the past 2 days without getting any sleep.” Victoria gently took the holopad from her fingers. “At least take a break.”

At least take a break. She remembered shutting off the projector in Hayden’s room, looking at the bags under his eyes as he worked into the night. A small smile came to her face. “Alright,” she said.

Victoria leaned forward and traced a finger along the Miyoko’s neck, where it had been slashed open. There was a faint scar left, and she could still recall the pain of her mentor’s self-inflicted wound. “That’s not giving you any trouble, is it? You cut it pretty deep.”

Miyoko shook her head. “Nothing,” she said. “It’s been two weeks, after all.”

Victoria grit her teeth. “I shouldn’t have waited so long. Any longer and you might have—”

“Victoria,” Miyoko said. “You did well. You gave Roland the time to realize that he could still help his friends. Had you healed me immediately, he might’ve felt even worse. Why do you think I told you to wait?”

The girl sighed. “I know,” she said. She sat down in the seat next to her. Outside the window, Mercury’s Terminus passed by as they approached the Order’s tower.

Miyoko looked at her pupil. “How are things, between you and those two?”

Victoria stared at the seat in front of her. “They’re not what they should be,” she said. She shook her head. “But they are where I will leave them, for now.”

Miyoko nodded. “It will be good to let things be, at least for a while.” She felt along the scar on her eye. “Time heals all wounds, isn’t it?” her other arm wrapped a little tighter around the cloth.

They were approaching the hangar. “Before I woke you, you were dreaming,” Victoria said. “Talking in your sleep, to someone. Was it…to Hayden?”

The transport eased through the traffic of Order ships to a dock. “Yes.”

Victoria gave a cautious glance at her mentor. “Do you…miss him?”

Miyoko was silent. Then she stood up, brushing down her uniform and walking to the door, hand wrapped around the cloth. “Every day, Victoria.”

 

Nadia, Koda and Joul were at the dock waiting as the ramp slid out. “Welcome back,” Joul said. “How did it go?”

“There’s not much to work off of at the site,” Miyoko said. “We’ve recovered some wreckage of the Aphrodite, but we’re still looking for the rest of it, where the payload was stored.”

“And did you…” Nadia started to say, then hesitated.

Miyoko looked down at the cloth bundle tucked under her arm. “Yes.”

Nadia’s eyes widened. Koda had a bitter look on his face, and Joul let out a breath.

Miyoko approached Nadia and put a hand to her arm. Nadia met her gaze. An unspoken conversation passed between them, and the psychic Tenno nodded.

The unit leader turned back to Koda and Joul. “Why aren’t you two training right now? Are you already that comfortable with your Warframes?”

Koda scoffed. “We thought it’d be nice to welcome you back,” he said. “We’ve spent been practicing non-stop for the last few weeks. The movement system is…a little tricky, but we’re getting the hang of it.”

“I appreciate the thought, but don’t stop on my account.” Miyoko walked passed them, Victoria tailing behind. “Just because you got through this fight doesn’t mean the next one will be as easy.”

“You’re starting to sound like a certain Colonel,” Joul said.

“I’ll take that as a compliment,” Miyoko replied. The group left the hangar, entering the hallway that half a month ago had been swarming with Technocyte victims, four Tenno and a group of Order personnel fighting for their lives. It had been thoroughly cleaned and any trace of the battle gone. “Any developments in my absence?”

“Training, as usual,” Nadia said. “Everyone’s showing steady improvements, Melody and Sebastian most notably. Someone from the energy department has been transferred over to the Warframe project, we’ll see what Doctor Coven intends.”

“Have Sebastian try and figure out what it is as soon as possible,” Miyoko said. “I think we’d all like to avoid more of the Director’s surprises. Has the board done anything?”

Nadia shook her head. “I’ve been tapping into their meetings, but so far there’s been nothing out of the ordinary.”

They reached the lobby, in a similarly spotless state, the rubble from the biology lab cleared away and the space filled with scientists and soldiers heading to work. As they entered, a few stopped to stare at them before carrying on.

Miyoko eyed the flurry of Order members, then tapped her head. Nadia nodded and synced the five Tenno’s consciences together. Have they caught wind of our communication with the Thrones? Miyoko asked in her mind.

It doesn’t seem like it, Nadia replied. Lotus just had another conference today. The Thrones seem favorable to granting us full autonomy and funding if our end of the bargain goes through.

 

So all we have to do is blow up an entire Sentient fleet with just 15 people, and we’ll be rid of the Order once and for all, eh? Koda thought. Sounds like a piece of cake.

You know, even though I’m in your head, I still can’t tell if you’re being sarcastic or not, Joul responded.

Miyoko looked at Nadia. “And what I discussed with you before I left, where are we on that?” she said out loud.

Nadia smiled. “The Order just received a transmission from them. They’ve finished patrolling their sector and will be arriving today.”

The group stepped into an elevator, the car whisking them to the 13th floor. “Good. Call everyone to the briefing room. And tell them to make preparations as soon as the meeting ends.”

“I’m on it.” Nadia put a hand to her temple, reaching out the consciences of the other Tenno.

“It’s about time we’re leaving,” Koda said. “I’m sick of sitting around waiting for another rogue project of the Order’s to clean up; it’s time for a real fight.”

“Be careful what you wish for,” Joul said. “The Outer Sector has gotten a lot worse since we were there.”

“That’s preferable,” Koda muttered, cracking his knuckles.

Joul sighed. “Well, not all of us are as suicidal as you, Koda.”

Koda stiffened. He looked down at his joined hands, Rilla’s gauntlets covering them. “Maybe,” he muttered.

As the elevator arrived, Miyoko, Koda and Joul stepped out, entering the Tenno floor and heading down the hallway to the briefing room. As Victoria followed suit, she felt a tap on her shoulder. Nadia beckoned her to a side hallway.

“What is it?” Victoria said in a low voice.

“How is Miyoko?” Nadia asked.

Victoria looked to the side, pursing her lips. “Sometimes it feels like I’m talking to a different person.” She met Nadia’s gaze. “Can someone change like that, so drastically, so suddenly?”

Nadia’s brow furrowed. “Not cleanly,” she said.

Victoria hesitated before asking, “Have you…tried looking in her mind? Could you—”

“I’d like to avoid that, if I can,” Nadia said. “She’d probably detect me.”

“So?” Victoria said.

Nadia’s look softened. “Victoria,” she said. “It’s not like there’s something wrong with her. I know you’re worried, but this is not how we should go about helping her.”

“But this doesn’t feel right,” Victoria said. “She’s just…different, I know, but this can’t be healthy for her.”

“I know,” Nadia said. “But we need to give her time to deal with this in her own way. At least for now.”

Victoria started to say more, but what came out was a sigh. She nodded reluctantly. “Time heals all wounds, isn’t it?”

Nadia smiled, putting an arm on her shoulder and following after the other three.

The healer started after her, but stopped at a soft voice calling her name. She turned reflexively just before recognizing whose voice it was.

She sighed. “Hello, Morgan.”

The emaciated Tenno stepped down the hall towards her. “Hi.” His voice seemed quieter than usual.

Victoria avoided eye contact. Finally, Morgan broke the silence. “I’m sorry,” he said, “For…tearing out your s—for hurting you.”

She remained quiet, and he continued to talk. “I wanted to tell you that earlier, but I just wasn’t able to run into you before you left with Miyoko.”

“It’s no problem,” she said, knowing that their missing each other had been entirely her planning and not coincidence.

He nodded nervously. “So, are we…are we still friends?”

Victoria closed her eyes. She took a breath then looked at him, only to start at seeing an image of herself standing behind him. It looked at her with accusing eyes. You haven’t forgotten, have you? She felt a burning pain in her chest, mixed with a ruptured heartbeat.

 

Forcing her gaze away from it, she tried to smile. “O-of course we are, Morgan. It was…an accident. Don’t let it weigh you down too much.”

Morgan looked only a little less tense. “I see.” He looked down, out of things to say.

Victoria. Morgan. We’re just waiting on you. The two jumped at Nadia’s voice in their heads.

Sorry, Nadia, we’re on our way. She turned and started walking swiftly down the hallway, leaving Morgan behind. The specter of herself appeared every now and then when she thought of her two friends. She wondered if it was a lingering symptom from her wounds, or a hidden sentiment, day by day becoming more persistent.

 

“It’s good to have you back,” Colonel Ford said to Miyoko as she, Teshin and the other Tenno sat down at the briefing room table.

“Thank you,” Miyoko said, walking to the head of the table, where the seat lay empty. By now, there was little hesitation as she sat down, setting the cloth in front of her.

The door opened again, and Victoria entered the room, Morgan a few seconds behind her. Miyoko saw an anxious look on Roland’s face as the two took their seats. She shook her head, then looked out at the table, meeting the gaze of each person. “I’ll keep it brief,” she said. “It’s time to return to our first home. The Taurus, the capital ship we were stationed in, will be arriving at Terminus sometime today. As planned, we will be joining them on their patrol of the Outer Sector and use it as our base while we prepare for our attack against the Sentient fleet.”

The Tenno all nodded. She turned to Teshin. “Have you received approval from the Order?”

The Grandmaster nodded. “I will be accompanying you and Colonel Ford to help with training. I was told by Doctor Coven to notify you that some of his personnel will also accompany you to oversee further creation and testing of the Warframes.”

“Good,” Miyoko said.

Colonel Ford cleared her throat, narrowing her eyes. “There will be one other member of the Order who will be boarding with us.”

Miyoko blinked. “Who would that be?”

“That would be me,” a voice said as the door opened once more. Miyoko recognized the man in glasses from the Board of Directors. “General Horace Aldrich,” he said, giving a brief salute. “I will be monitoring your mission, on behalf of the Board.

“Isn’t that the job of the Colonel?” Gregor said.

Aldrich titled his head. “Colonel Ford is intimate to the project. The Board decided to have another, more unbiased account to provide further guidance and evaluation.”

Miyoko looked at Ford. The older woman gave a small nod. Miyoko shrugged. “Good to have you with us, General.”

Aldrich turned to her. “Miyoko Takahashi. Pleased to be formally introduced.” He crossed the room towards her. Miyoko rose, but Aldrich still towered over her. He smiled thinly. “Some children have their mother’s eyes, but you have your father’s scar, I see.”

Miyoko reached a hand to the mark across her cheek. “You knew my father?” she said.

“I did. You could say we were old war buddies, before I joined the Order. His death was most unfortunate,” he said. His smile vanished, but no other emotion arose to take its place. Then he started, as if remembering himself. “But it will be a pleasure to work with his child. From that meeting with the board a few weeks ago, I can tell you are his spitting image.”

“That’s very flattering,” Miyoko said. “We’re looking forward to your support.”

A different smile came to Aldrich’s face. “Of course. We still have much to offer to the Tenno; more so than we have already provided.” He nodded to Teshin and Ford. “And all we expect in return for our generosity are more of those victories that you have scored for the Order.” He put a special emphasis on the last two words.

“You can expect our good performance to continue, General,” she said, keeping her face expressionless. “Rest assured, we haven’t lost sight of what our true purpose is.”

Aldrich raised his head, then slowly nodded and turned to go. “I shall leave you to your meeting; we’ll talk later. Until then, Tenno.” The door slid closed behind him. Lotus tapped her holopad, and a camera of the hallway outside appeared, monitoring the general’s departure to make sure he didn’t linger.

“Well, S#&$,” Koda muttered. “Trying to tighten their grasp on us, are they?”

Miyoko stared at the empty doorway. “It doesn’t matter.” She sat back down in her chair. “The Order won’t be able to claim much credit for the destruction of the Sentient fleet. It will be our victory, no matter who they send with us.”

“About that victory,” Gregor said. “You make it sound like it’s a foregone conclusion. Certainly the Legions don’t stand a chance against this fleet, but what’s to say we will?”

Miyoko met his gaze. “We don’t have a choice. There’s more than the fate of the Tenno resting on this. If we fail, the Empire will fall with us.” She gave a slight smile. “Don’t sell yourselves too short. We may not be invincible, but if we work together, I’d wager each of us is worth more than a few wormships. The element of surprise is on our side as well. The odds are not completely against us.” But she knew that left unspoken the fact that the odds were certainly not on their side.

Ford’s holopad beeped, and she looked down. “The Taurus has just docked at Terminus. If there’s nothing else to discuss, we should go.” She looked at Miyoko.

The girl gave a slight nod. “There is one last purpose for this meeting,” she said. “In addition to the Order, there is one more we must say goodbye to.” She gripped the cloth. With a breath, she pulled it back, revealing its contents.

Hayden’s battered Excalibur helmet lay within. The grime and remnant Technocyte tissue had been polished off, allowing the white exterior to shine dimly. But the golden circle at the face was cracked down the middle, and a large gash, edges flared outwards, ran down the back of the head, revealing that it had been violently torn from its user.

The room went silent. Looks of horror and sadness filled the table. “I’d like to take this moment to remember him, before we embark,” Miyoko said. She turned to Sebastian. “Do you have what I requested?”

Sebastian seemed to break from a trance at Miyoko words. He swallowed hard and nodded. He stood up, slinging the thin container over his shoulder, and stepped towards Miyoko.

Miyoko took the container and opened the cap at the end, reaching inside. Her fingers grasped near the top of the object, and she pulled a Skana from within. It was blue-green in color, glowing at the edge and shifting in hue along the blade, the swirling texture reminiscent of the Void. She held it in front of her. “This is the Skana that Hayden first used against the Sentients aboard the Taurus,” she said. “The smiths in the Order coated it in liquid Prisma crystals, hardened by raw Void energy.”

She walked to the other end of the table, gently taking the fragment of the helmet in her other hand. “It’s just like him, the strongest creation of man, strengthened by hellspace.” She turned face them. “He was our great unit leader, the first Tenno. Fearless and compassionate.” Her grip on the sword tightened. “And,” she said, “He was my closest friend.”

Her hand ran along the surface of the table. It stopped at the small mark that Hayden had made, plunging his sword into it after the Nemesis incident. Miyoko faced them once more. “We will remember his kindness, his guidance, and his determination. And we will channel them into our own strength as we carry out the mission he swore his life to,” she said.

She raised the blade in the air. “Protect the Empire. Destroy the Sentients,” she said, and the Tenno repeated in unison.

Miyoko slid the Skana into the wounded metal, sinking the blade halfway. Then, she set the helmet down atop the handle, where it hung like the crown of a fallen king.

 

CH. 43: SURFACING

Spoiler

Sebastian watched anxiously as the robotic proxies loaded equipment aboard the four transports, trying to make sure each item from the manifest in his holopad was being loaded. The Order hangar was abuzz with activity as the Tenno made preparations to depart to the Taurus.

Something rammed him from behind, and he fell face-first onto the floor with a shout, holopad clattering away. “Oops.” A heavily-laden cart slowed to a halt as it passed him, revealing an Order scientist from behind it. He recognized her as the one from the Technocyte outbreak.  “Uh,” she said, putting a finger to her chin. “Sebastian, right? Name’s Aung, I don’t know if you recall, but—”

“Yeah, yeah, what do you think you’re doing?” Sebastian interrupted, quickly getting to his feet. He shifted the gravity beneath the holopad, and it fell upwards to his hand.

She shrugged. “Loading my equipment.”

Sebastian blinked. “I didn’t see you on the roster for the research team accompanying us.”

“It was a last minute thing,” she said. “That’s why I couldn’t authorize any of the proxies to take my stuff.” She continued pushing the overloaded cart.

Sebastian looked at the neatly packed boxes and the two large golden rings atop the cart. “And just what is all of this stuff?”

“Our contribution to project Warframe,” she said. “Void energy storage.”

He blinked. “Storage?”

Aung smiled and pulled out an orb from her pocket. “I have to thank you for starting up research on this again.” She tossed it towards him.

He inspected it. “This is one of mine,” he said.

She nodded. “With a few of my modifications.”

“Hang on…” he closed his eyes. “There’s Void energy in this, isn’t there?”

“That’s right,” Aung said. “Don’t drop it. It might explode.”

“What?” Sebastian tightened his grip, then looked back up at her. “Hang on. Where did the energy come from?”

She rapped one of the rings on the cart. “These are Void portals. It opens a temporary rift that you can put objects through. Those orbs you have are like a sponge for Void energy. I tossed that one through last night.”

“Last night?” he said. “But...the energy should have disintegrated it already. How have you managed to make it last so long?”

She winked. “You just increase the quality of the Technocyte. There’s a Neurode, a rare Technocyte tissue, inside the orb.”

Sebastian felt along the ball. “They use those for the Warframe optic systems.”

Aung nodded.  “They’ve got many different uses, especially since they’ve got a unique reaction to Void energy. This one was tempered to contain the energy, rather than moderate it.” The scientist continued pushing the cart towards the transports. “With this technology, we’ll be able to master Void energy storage to levels never before achievable.”

“And what are you planning to do with that?” he said, tossing the orb to her.

She caught the ball. As she passed him, she looked over her shoulder. “The possibilities are endless,” she said. “And all of them are bad news for the Sentients.”

 

Nadia stood at the command platform overlooking the steady stream of proxies.

“I thought I might find you here,” a voice said behind her.

“And why is that, Miyoko?” Nadia smiled.

“You’re just someone who likes to make sure everything is going smoothly,” Miyoko replied.

“Does your intuition tell you that?” Nadia asked.

“My experience does.”

“Fair enough.” Nadia turned. “What do you need?”

Miyoko stepped next to her and watched the loading process. “Just feedback on how I’m doing, as usual.”

Nadia laughed. “You know, I think you’re past the point where you should be worrying if you’re a good leader or not. Hayden was right. You have what it takes.”

Miyoko shrugged. “As do you.”

The psychic Tenno’s smile faded. “I may be able to make quick decisions in a fight, but there’s a reason why Hayden was top of the class, and not me. There are…certain things, that he had that I didn’t. That you have.”

“And what would that be?” Miyoko said.

Nadia smiled. “That’s hard to describe.” She watched the other Tenno file out from the hangar. “We all have a sense of grit about us. But with you and Hayden, there’s a kind of trust that you convey, something that makes others put their faith in you. Something authentic.”

Miyoko cocked her head. “And what makes you say the same isn’t true for you?”

Nadia saw Dr. Coven directing a proxy carrying a load of experiments and samples for the Warframe research. Isolated in its vat was the Nemesis remnant.

He never got to know the real you.

 

Nadia sighed. “I’m sure your intuition, or your experience, can find that out well enough.”

The other girl blinked. “What makes you say that?”

Nadia gave a harsh laugh. “I don’t know why the Void gave me these powers and not to you. You’re just as good at reading people.”

Miyoko smiled, unsure of her partner’s sudden uneasiness. “But you’re much better at acting on that information, Nadia. I’m far too timid.” She closed her eyes. “If I had your courage, then maybe Hayden would still be here.”

Nadia shook her head. “Miyoko, you—”

“I know.” Miyoko cast her gaze downward. “I’m being too harsh on myself, aren’t I?” Her hands were gripping themselves tightly. “I know I shouldn’t be.” She looked up and sighed. “How frustrating it is, to have your head tell you exactly what to do, but have your heart lead you elsewhere.”

Nadia watched Miyoko. At last, the unit leader nodded. “Is it that willingness to act on information what worries you?”

Nadia was quiet before dipping her head. “I…use people. I manipulate them. Even before the accident, I was this way. Maybe even with Hayden, I…”

Miyoko pursed her lips. “You excel at figuring out what people want and using that to your advantage. It’s a good strength to have.”

Nadia snorted. “You know, that’s the nicest way I’ve ever heard someone say it. Nicer than I could ever say. Something like that can be a curse as often as it is a blessing.”

“Our powers are the same way.” Miyoko smiled at her. “Your advantage is our advantage, Nadia. I’m glad I have you working alongside me to lead the Tenno.” She bowed and stepped off the platform.

Nadia remained. That’s why, she thought. The power of magnetism is much more fitting for one like you. Manipulating minds can only go so far.

 

But you make whole people move, the way you draw them to yourself.

 

The small squadron of transports joined the incoming traffic of repair and service ships heading towards the docked Taurus. As other craft branched off to work on heatblast scorches across the hull or into cargo bays, the four Order ships maintained course to the main hangar, gliding in and heading towards waiting docks.

A bevy of troops lined the walkway to each dock, and a familiar, gruff-looking officer was making his way down to meet the front transport.

“Well, if it isn’t the captain,” Jason said, looking out the window. “He doesn’t look too happy to see the saviors of his ship.”

“That’s probably because he’s expecting us to bring more trouble,” Darren said.

“Well, nothing we can’t handle, right?” Jason said. He nudged Gregor beside him. “Being warrior-gods and all.”

Gregor gave a snort. He thought back to his fight with the Nemesis variant. “We’re strong, sure,” he said at length.

There was the slight jolt of the ship landing on the dock. The Tenno rose from their seats, slinging their bags from the racks above and standing single file down the aisle. Ford, General Aldrich, and Miyoko stood by the door.

Miyoko dipped her head. “It’s good to be back,” she said. The door slid open and they processed out.

Captain Richard Basnet straightened as he saw them emerge. “Colonel Ford,” he said. “And the Tenno.” He gave a salute. “Welcome back aboard the Taurus.”

“Thank you, Captain,” Ford said, returning the salute. She noted the captain’s uncharacteristic rigidity. Still thinks this kind of thing is a waste of time. She wondered what had made him decide to show up, the presence of the general, or the Tenno.

The officer turned his attention to Aldrich. “General, I received word you were coming aboard as well. The Taurus welcomes the Order.”

Aldrich nodded. “It’s my pleasure,” he said. He looked the man up and down and tilted his head. “I’m sure you’ve got a ship to manage. There’s no need to wait on us.”

Surprise flickered across the Basnet’s face, then a grin. “I appreciate that, general.” He turned and walked towards the exit.

“Took the words right out of my mouth,” Ford said, raising an eyebrow at Aldrich. “I didn’t know a board member could be so permissive.”

“His unease was written all over his face.” Aldrich smiled thinly. “We’re not all like General Thames, Colonel. In my experience, the support of your troops should be the first objective.”

“Indeed,” Ford said, then turned to the rows of Legionnaires. “And no need for you to stand on ceremony, either. Get out of here.”

The soldiers looked at each other, confused. But the field officer at their head grinned and said, “Squad, at ease.”

The stiffness left the shoulders of the Legionnaires. “Dismissed,” the field officer said, and they nodded, marching in their rows towards the exit.

“Still the same disregard for protocol, I see,” the field officer said. “I mean, you didn’t even say goodbye last time.”

Darren started as he recognized the soldier. “Cadet Torres?” he said.

Torres grinned. “That’s Officer Torres to you, Tenno.” He gave a salute. “Legionnaire Santiago Torres, at your command.”

Darren laughed and the two embraced. “How’ve you been?”

The soldier shrugged. “Hanging in there,” he said. “Slowly making my way up the chain of command.”

Koda looked at the departing bevy of soldiers. “None of your old squadmates wanted to stop and say hi?”

Torres’ face changed. “They’re…not there,” he said.

Darren cocked his head. “Then where are they?”

Torres did not immediately answer. He looked down, his face still smiling but the mirth gone. “I’m all you’ve got.”

Shocked realization dawned on Darren’s face. “This ship has seen a lot of action since you guys left,” Torres said. “Because of that, I was able to be promoted pretty quickly. But also because of that, they all…”

Koda stepped forward. He and Torres stared at each other. Koda dipped his head and put a hand to Torres’ shoulder.

Torres put his own hand over Koda’s, the grim smile still on his face. Then he looked at the rest of the group. “Where’s your leader, Hayden?”

The Tenno started. It was Darren’s turn to look away. He took a breath, then opened his mouth to speak. “Hayden’s—”

“The First Tenno isn’t with us,” Miyoko spoke up. Everyone turned to her.

Torres furrowed his brow. “Not with you? Is he—”

“Hayden hasn’t returned from his last mission,” she said. “He’s running a solo operation. Due to its nature, I can’t tell you any details. In his absence, I have taken command of the Tenno.” She bowed. “It is good to see you again, Officer Torres.”

Torres opened his mouth, then smiled, looking somewhat relieved. “I see. Well, it’s good to have you on board.” He looked nervous, then gave a small bow as well.

Miyoko nodded. “If you’ll excuse us. We have to start training right away.”

He started. “Of course. Please take care, Tenno.” He hurried after his troops.

The group was silent. Then, at Ford and Miyoko’s lead, they started heading towards the hangar exit.

“Why did we have to lie to him?” Jason said.

“Hayden has become a symbol of hope to the legionnaires,” Ford said. “We can’t tell them he’s gone just yet. Not until we give them something just as strong to believe in.”

Aldrich smiled. “You would make your father proud, I’m sure,” he said to Miyoko.

Her gaze flicked towards the general before staring ahead, face expressionless.

 

“No more having a room to ourselves, huh?” Jason set his bag down on his desk and jumped onto the top bunk. “Guess we’re still soldiers, after all.”

Gregor grunted in agreement. He laced his hands behind his head as he rested on the bunk, staring upwards at the ceiling. He eased his eyes closed, feeling sleep come quickly.

Someone spoke. Testing, testing, one two.

He opened his eyes. “Nadia?”

“Hm?” Jason’s voice drifted down.

Gregor rose. “Did you hear Nadia’s voice just now?”

“What? No.”

He laid back down on the bed. “I thought I heard her speaking in my mind.”

“Maybe she accidentally overcharged herself,” Jason said.

“Yeah, probably,” Gregor said, then he winced at a slight pain in his chest. He pulled up his shirt and felt along his stomach. Although Victoria had thoroughly healed the wound, there were still faint marks along the skin from the wound aboard the Aphrodite. Neither the pain nor the voice bothered him a second time. But it was a long while before he fell asleep.

 

The next day, Ford, Miyoko, Nadia, Jolla and Darren met with Captain Basnet on the bridge. The door opened up behind them, and General Aldrich walked in, head held high.

Ford turned back to the captain. “So, what have we got?”

Basnet beckoned them to a circular command console in front of his seat that projected a solar map. He nodded to a crewman, who tapped in commands into his station, and the map zoomed in on a planet. “The Sentient fleet hasn’t moved from its position on Eris, but it’s safe to assume that they’ll hit us once they reach their full force. Every week or so, more wormships join them.”

He pointed to the large red mass next to Eris. With a few taps into the command console, dozens of small red dots appeared, forming a rough semi-circular ring centered around the planetoid. “Their scouts and raids have been getting bolder. Several skirmishes have been occurring as close as inside the Inner Sector; each dot represents an attack in the past few months. The larger they are, the bigger the attack. The brighter they are, the more recent.”

Ford frowned, leaning into the map. She pointed at a patch of space in the ring. “What’s been happening over here?” she said. The blips in the area were all dim and small in number. “From what you say, there haven’t been many recent attacks in this area. Of the ones that are, they’ve been relatively small in number.”

The captain nodded. “We’re not sure. Our patrols just haven’t reported anything of late.”

“Maybe that’s where they’re planning their big attack,” Jolla said. “Could be tricking us into letting our guard down in that area.”

“Wherever the Sentients are planning to smash through our lines, it won’t matter how prepared we’ll be,” Darren said. “It would be better for them to spread their attacks evenly, and leave us to guess where along our defenses they’ll break through. Feinting the other sectors to attack this one seems too obvious.”

“But why wouldn’t they be attacking us here, then?” Jolla said.

Aldrich stepped up to the panel. “Maybe this gap isn’t intentional, at least on the part of the Sentients.”

Nadia slowly nodded. “They may be facing some sort of obstacle in that region.”

“Like what?” the Captain said.

Miyoko frowned, staring at the map. She put a finger to her scar, then her eyes narrowed. There was a quiet intake of breath from her.

“What do you think?” Nadia said.

Miyoko looked down. “I need some time to think. But for all we know, this may be a weakness we can exploit. Captain.” She looked up at the officer. “Set a course for that sector and put your crew on alert. We’re going to investigate.” Basnet nodded.

The Tenno turned to leave. After they left the bridge, Nadia looked at Miyoko. “Is your intuition telling you something?”

The other girl gave her a smile. “Nadia, it’s not like I’ve got a sixth sense or anything. It’s just a feeling. It could be wrong.”

“It hasn’t been wrong so far,” Nadia muttered quietly.

“No.” Miyoko said. “But I don’t want to tell you until I’ve looked into something. For now, please pay it no mind.” She turned down a side hallway, pace swift.

Nadia exchanged glances with Darren and Jolla. “She can’t just say something like that and expect us not to worry,” Jolla said.

Nadia smiled. “We’ll just have to trust her for now. She knows what she’s doing.”

“What do you think she’s talking about, though?” Darren said.

Nadia stared after Miyoko. “I don’t know,” she said. “But whatever it is, it’s big enough that she doesn’t want us to worry. That’s good enough for me.”

Jolla gave a quiet chuckle. “You know, I was wondering where the old Miyoko went,” she said, “But I guess it’s good to know she might still be afraid of something.”

Nadia gave an uneasy laugh. “Maybe.” She left the pair of them in the hallway. Her smile left her as soon as she was out of their sight. Afraid of something. But what?

A thought occurred to her, in her own voice yet not herself. Afraid that your victory aboard the Aphrodite hardly counts.

 

Afraid that Hayden Tenno’s death was in vain.

 

Kat screamed in a primal rage as she lunged herself at Teshin once more, energy trailing from extended claws. The swordsman deftly stepped to the side and kicked her away from him. “Enough,” he said.

The blood-colored anger vanished from her eyes, and the claws dissipated. “You let it consume you again,” Teshin continued as she got to her feet. “Once you let it take over, your form suffers. It becomes easy to predict your moves and outsmart you.”

“That didn’t seem to be the case when I kicked your &#! the first time around,” Kat muttered.

Teshin smiled thinly. “Dear child, did you honestly expect me to fight all out against you back then? You are welcome to see if that kind of strategy will achieve the same result.”

“Just don’t come crying if I kill you again,” she said, summoning her claws once more.

He sheathed his sword. “Strange to think that you were such a mild-mannered girl only a month ago. You are becoming more aligned with this darker side of you.”

She sucked in a breath. The claws faltered, furious light flickering.

Teshin turned. “That is not necessarily a bad thing. You are more honest with yourself in this light.” He glanced back at her. “Was it not tiring trying to constantly present yourself as someone kinder than you really were?”

Kat let her claws vanish. “Just because something is difficult doesn’t mean it shouldn’t be done.”

“No. But we all have our limits. You must find what is important to you and dedicate your energy solely to that.” He drew his nikana and levelled the blade at her. “Protecting your friends, or living a lie.”

She looked wearily at the weapon. “Why does it have to be one or the other? Why can’t I do both?”

He stowed the blade. “We live in times where we must make difficult choices. Often, there may not even be a choice.” He bowed, and started towards the door. “We will end training for today. Continue to strengthen your resolve, and reflect on your coming decisions.”

 

 

Victoria looked up as Miyoko entered the practice room. “Sorry I’m late,” her mentor said.

Victoria shook her head. “It’s no problem. You have more important things to look after.”

Miyoko smiled. “Training you is just as important.” She knelt down in the opposite combatant’s position. “Abilities such as yours are rare, and we’ll need them all the more in the coming battles.”

Two gold and white Orthos rose from their racks and floated towards each combatant. The two Tenno rose and bowed to each other. The strikes they traded were easy, flowing movements at first. “The fighting may happen quite soon, won’t it?” Victoria said. “We’ve already been in the Outer Sector for a few days.”

“Yes,” Miyoko said. “We’re expecting to run into Sentients at any moment.” She began quickening the pace of her attacks, spinning in a dizzying series of strikes that Victoria could barely keep up with.  Victoria was forced backwards. Recently, it seemed like no matter what weapon they used, her mentor always outclassed her. The Orthos was a weapon Victoria considered herself to be well practiced with, whereas Miyoko had just picked up the weapon a few days ago.

“As such, I’ve been meaning to ask you; do you wish to change cells? To be in a different squad than Roland and Morgan,” Miyoko said, her face nonchalant as she continued her assault.

Victoria jumped back to avoid one slash, and nearly tripped on the edge of the ring. Another loss. She struggled to maintain balance. Miyoko swiftly stepped forward to help her, but Victoria raised a hand to stop her, using the blade to steady herself. “I’m fine,” she said. “To both. Don’t change the cells on my account.”

Miyoko shrugged, returning to her combatant position. “It’s something I’ve been considering, recently. Having all of our healers in the same cell made sense for training, but we may need to shift regardless now that we’re tailoring cells for combat. There will have to be a bit of getting used to things, so I’d like to ease into it, but if you really—”

“Miyoko,” Victoria said. She was surprised at how much she had raised her voice. “I’m fine. I can work with Morgan and Roland.”

“You’re sure?” Miyoko said.

Victoria shook her head, smiling. “Yes, it shouldn’t be a problem. Why, do you think otherwise?”

Miyoko looked down. “No, I don’t. Sorry, I’m…being overbearing.”

There it is. The old Miyoko. The hesitant look, her expression betraying the obvious lie. The same staggering intellect and empathy, hidden by vulnerability. Seeing her like this, Victoria felt a mix of relief and disappointment. “What is it?” Victoria pressed. “What makes you so uneasy?”

Miyoko met her gaze with a trapped look. Victoria felt sick at herself knowing how to press her mentor next. “Please, Miyoko. It’s for my own sake.”

Her mentor’s fists tightened. “I worry that having them in your cell will disrupt your abilities,” she said. “How well we control our powers are strongly rooted in our emotions, conscious or subconscious. You may say that there won’t be a problem, but we won’t know until we’re in a life or death situation if that’s true or not.”

Victoria stared at her mentor, taken aback. Could that be possible? Could something like that even happen? Not once had her powers ever failed her. A strange laugh was forced out of her lips. “That’s…” she said. “That’s impossible. There’s no way something like that could—”

The words died on her lips as she saw the specter behind Miyoko. It looked at her with slightly raised eyebrows. Could it? Maybe. You don’t know. After all, it’s—

 

“That’s impossible!” Victoria shouted. Miyoko blinked. Victoria shook her head and focused again on her mentor. “Sorry. That won’t happen, Miyoko, trust me. I…know myself. I wouldn’t be so…”

Miyoko stared at her. “I told them you forgave them, but is that really the case?”

“Yes, of course,” Victoria said.

“You don’t hate them for it?”

“What? No! I…” Victoria sighed. “I still care for both of them, but…things are different.” She planted the Orthos in front of her, staring at a world divided by the white shaft. "At first, my feelings for Roland were stronger--both in how much I cared for him, and in how much I couldn’t stand him sometimes. Affectionate, yet controlling. I guess those feelings are still there. Morgan… initially, I was drawn to him because he was alone. I thought he was like a little brother. But as I spent more time with him…I don’t know. He was innocent, gentle and considerate. But he could also be cruel in his own way, thoughtless in his violence. Like a child.” A scowl appeared across her face, a rare sight becoming increasingly more common with the girl. “They both are like children. I…love them, but I couldn’t love them like that.”

Her mentor nodded. “I see. Forgive me.”

“No, I understand your concern,” Victoria said. The two girls stood silent for a while.

Finally, Miyoko spoke again. “Well, if there is no problem, then I talked with Nadia earlier, about her last mental dive she did with you. She made an interesting note about some of your abilities.”

Victoria’s eyes lit up. A way to expand my powers? “What is it?” she asked.

“She said that the way your abilities worked had some striking similarities to Morgan’s,” Miyoko said.

All at once, a cold feeling swept through Victoria’s stomach. She struggled to place what it was. “What?”

Miyoko shrugged. “Morgan has recently found a way to practice his abilities without the use of life forms, per se. He’s been able to convert a proxy’s robotics into some sort of energy. It’s not necessarily its soul, or even a life force, since it’s a machine, but it’s more like the essence of some animating force that the robotics creates, similar how to our organs and biology creates our animating force. Nadia theorized that the way you mend biological structures manipulates this force in humans and other creatures. She was wondering that if you could do the same to a proxy, then maybe—”

“No,” Victoria said. “I mean, that’s interesting. But Morgan’s powers are…nothing like mine. They manipulate the dead, and I…help the living.”

“But life and death are two sides of one coin,” Miyoko murmured. “I personally think that it’s possible.”

“It can’t be,” Victoria blurted. “I mean, it just sounds…wrong, to me.”

Miyoko looked at her in a sympathetic, almost pitying way. This was part of the new Miyoko, Victoria knew. A matronly aura about her, but one that undeniably looked down on her in some way. “Are you sure your judgment of that is unclouded?” she said.

Victoria thought back to being in Morgan’s room, watching him convert the corpse of a small animal into a sickly, pulsating orb. Now I can help others, just like you. Maybe. It was rash of her to say it was impossible. But the thought of her powers being so similar to his…she felt that strange twinge in her stomach again.

“I need to think about it,” Victoria said. “Just…let me think about it.”

Miyoko nodded, looking uncomfortable. “Sorry. This got heavier than expected.” She spun the Orthos into a resting position. “We can stop here.”

“Ok,” Victoria said, not even questioning her eagerness to leave as she quickly brushed past Miyoko and left the room.

 

“Superb,” Joul said. “Excellent form.”

He stood in the practice ring, holding his two skanas aloft across from Melody, her twin Fang loosely by her side.

With a flourish, he stowed the two blades behind his back. “I saw the footage from the outbreak. You’ve really taken to those daggers, haven’t you?”

Melody shrugged, looking at the blades. The blades were still vibrating from the last clash; her ears could pick up the almost inaudible ringing. “I figured they’d suit me,” she said.

Joul nodded. “Did Teshin recommend them to you?”

“No,” she said. “I—”

The training door opened, and Koda and Morgan walked in. “Morning,” Koda said.

Melody tightened her grip on the Fang, fixing a cold stare on him.

“Oh, hey Koda,” Joul said, looking quickly at Melody. “Uh, sorry, we’re on our way out.”

She remained silent, sheathing the blades behind her back and walking towards the door. As she passed, Koda said, “Fang, huh? Good choice. Pinpoint accuracy with those weapons makes up for lighter attacks.”

She glared at him. “And they’re faster than those wristblades of yours,” she said, eyeing his gauntlets.

“Is that so?” Koda said. “I’d like to test that theory some time.”

Melody’s hand rested on one of the daggers. “There’s no time like the present.”

“Later is also a great time,” Joul said. “And Morgan needs some training as well, right?”

Morgan shrugged. “If Melody wants to keep training, I’m fine with that.”

“Morgan, that’s not the point,” Joul said. “Just—”

“It’s settled, then,” Melody said. “Joul, please stand aside.”

Joul opened his mouth, looking helplessly from one belligerent Tenno to another. “Just don’t kill each other, please,” he said, then stepped out of the ring.

Melody walked down to the ring and held her blades in a ready stance. Koda took his position as well, hands held by his side.

“This is something you asked for,” Melody said.

“I was kinda joking,” Koda said, massaging his neck. “But I don’t mind that you took it seriously.” He gave a contented sigh, loosening his body. “One thing, however.”

Melody narrowed her eyes. “Yes?”

His hand slipped from his neck and dropped down to his side, wrists flicking and blades sliding out as soon as it fell. “Don’t go easy this time,” he said. He vanished.

Melody whirled around, blades flashing as she heard light footsteps behind her. But her Fang cut empty air.

“Don’t get too hasty, now,” Koda’s voice said, his body nowhere to be seen. “We’re just getting started.”

Melody closed her eyes. “Why drag this out?” She cupped her hands together, gathering Void energy and sound waves, a ringing noise emanating from the palms. “I’ll finish this in seconds,” she said, voice echoing in the chamber.

She spread her arms outwards, and a pulse emanated from her body, filling the room with a rushing sound. The entire room was enveloped in a sea green energy, the wave bouncing off every surface it touched. In the middle of the room, they bounced off of an invisible silhouette, wrapping it in the light.

Her eyes snapped open. “Got you.” Melody dashed towards the figure, blades pulled back to strike. What happened next was almost too fast for Morgan and Joul to follow as the combatants exchanged a series of blazing fast attacks and parries. It ended with a vicious slash from Melody, which the emerald shadow danced away from.

Koda materialized into view. “Giving up on using your abilities?” Melody said.

He flexed his wrists, knuckles knocking against the blades. “We’re in the Outer Sector. I can’t afford to cause you any serious injury. You’re welcome to use yours, however.”

Her eyes narrowed. “Are you implying I’ll need them?”

He tilted his head and smiled. “I think you’re strong enough to hold your own without them, but nothing past that.”

“Strong enough.” Melody lip curled. “When you first fought with me, you wanted to see how strong I was, didn’t you? Tell me, what does strong mean to you?”

He pursed his lips and looked at a gauntlet. “Having the power to overcome what you want to overcome. To protect what you wish to protect.”

"So then, are you strong?" Melody said.

The gloved hand tightened to a fist. "No. Not strong enough."

“What makes you say that?”

He looked at her. “Because what I want to protect are millions of lives.”

She opened her mouth, then chuckled. Koda raised an eyebrow. “Do you even listen to yourself?” she said. “You say that I'm strong enough, but for what, strong enough for someone like me? But you're not strong enough for someone like you? Like you're on a whole other level?” She glared at him. “Your arrogance makes me sick.”

“Melody,” Joul said, “That’s taking it—”

“No, let her keep going,” Koda said. He wasn’t smiling anymore.

A dark smile came on her face. “You look down on everyone. The Legionnaires, me, even Joul, I’ve seen it when you talk with them. You think everyone’s so helpless compared to you, that you’re so much stronger, so much better than everyone else. And you’re so eager to prove it.” Her voice started to rise. “The reason why you want to protect everyone isn’t because you care about them. It’s because the real thing you want to protect is your own, twisted, ego.”

“Melody!” Joul looked quickly at Koda. There was an ugly scowl on his face. The ashes at his shoulders were billowing.

He took a deep breath. “What would you know about it?” he said. “Protecting something.” He looked up with eyes like smoldering embers. “When have you ever tried to protect those you care about?”

“Alright, Koda—” An exasperated sigh came from Joul. “You people,” he muttered.

Melody’s mouth hung open, eyes wide, outraged disbelief on her face. “You think that being strong is being able to overcome something?” she said. Though the room was already deadly quiet, what little sound remained seemed to become muted, as if all the soundwaves in the room were being sucked towards her. “Then I’ll overcome you, right here.” Her palms were glowing with Void energy, Fang vibrating so much that their piercing ring began to fill the void of silence in the room.

Koda nodded. He took a ready stance, the smoke growing to engulf his entire body. His face twisted into a scowl. “Let’s dance,” he said.

The ship’s siren rang. “All hands, Sentient ship detected on long range scanners! Prepare for action!”

The smoke vanished. As it cleared from Koda’s vision, the one before him blurred between memories and the present. She looked at him, and a look from the past sent fear racing down his spine.

 

CH. 44: OFFENSIVE

Spoiler

The door to the bridge slid open for the Mag Warframe. The eyes of the crew turned to the pearl white figure as she stepped into the room. Even Captain Basnet seemed too stunned to speak. Beside him at the command table, Ford smiled.

Miyoko patched into the bridge’s PA system. “Fill me in, Captain,” she said, her voice filling the room in an eerie, disembodied way.

Basnet nodded. “It’s a Tier II wormship,” he said, indicating its position on the map. “We detected it only a few minutes ago.”

“Have they noticed us?” Miyoko said.

“It’s hard to tell at this point,” The captain said.

“Correction on your last, Captain,” a crewman said. “The wormship is changing course. It’s heading straight for us.” The ship came on screen. It was easily three times the size of a Tier IV, its bulk indicating its ability to go toe to toe with the Taurus.

“Great,” the captain said. “What’s the charge on our solar rail?”

“That won’t be necessary, Captain,” Miyoko’s voice said. “The Empire’s legions have done enough running from these fights, most of all the ones aboard this ship.”

The door opened again, and the Rhino, Loki, and Darren and Jolla’s Frost and Ember Warframes entered. “This time, we will meet them head on.”

She turned to the other Tenno. “Cell 2. You are to infiltrate that wormship and destroy it. Darren, you will take the lead for this squad.” She put a hand on his shoulder. “Stick together.”

Darren nodded.

The captain hesitated, then said, “We’ll scramble our fighters as well.”

“No,” Miyoko said. “Your crew is to concentrate on the defense. The remaining Tenno will aid them.”

“We’ll have to destroy the wormship swiftly,” Ford said. “An extended battle gives us the possibility of other ships coming in to reinforce this one.”

Darren bowed. Cell 2 turned and departed for their objective.

“Boarding pods detected,” a crewman said. A steady stream of Sentient craft were heading for their ship, the cannons of the Taurus attempting in vain to stem the flow.

Another crewman accessed the PA system. “All units, boarders incoming. Stay clear of the starboard side of the hull and prepare to engage. Non-combatants, move to the nearest designated safety zones and barricade yourselves inside.”

Basnet looked at Miyoko. “Are your people ready?”

Miyoko was no longer connected to the room’s PA. She looked at Ford, then at the captain, giving him a bow. She followed after the other Tenno, Skana floating from her back and into her hand as the door closed behind her.

 

The ship shuddered as the first wave of boarding parties hit. Joul, Melody, Koda and Morgan barely stumbled as Joul’s electricity sent them rocketing down the hallways, made all the more stronger by the Volt Warframe sheathing his body. “Where are we needed, Lotus?” Joul said.

“The standard Sentient attack will hit three points,” Ford said. “As before, they will target the bridge and the engines to kill our combat potential and our mobility. But the third is our mutual priority. Since we intend to fight, their objective is to completely annihilate us.”

“Rupturing our main generator core,” Koda said in his Ash Warframe. “Exactly what we’re going to do to them.”

“Sebastian, Rose and I are already in position at the engines,” Nadia’s voice said on the radio.

“We’ll head over to the bridge,” Victoria said. “I’m with Kat and Roland. Teshin’s here too.”

“Sounds good,” Joul said. “We’ll defend the generator, then.”

“No.” Miyoko’s face appeared on their HUD. “We’re not defending this time.”

“Miyoko?” Joul said.

A small grin slid onto Koda’s face. “The best defense, huh?”

“That’s right. Smash their advance forces and drive them back to the source. Remember, this won’t be the only fight we’re getting into from here on out. Minimize the casualties and destroy them quickly.”

“Roger that, Miyoko,” Nadia’s voice said. “Where will you be assisting?”

“Where I am needed most. Don’t worry about me.” Her feed shut out.

“And what does she mean by that?” Joul looked at Koda.

“She trusts us enough to hold our own, so we’ll trust her to play her part in turn,” Nadia said.

“I mean, I do trust her, it would just be nice to know where she’ll be,” Joul said.

Koda rapped him on the shoulder, not breaking pace. “Well, if we’re kicking too much ass, then we won’t be seeing her, don’t worry about it too much.”

“That’s not what I’m worried about,” Joul muttered.

 

The Sentient boarding craft continued to pour from the mouth of the wormship. Not a single one, however, detected the slight Void ripples that glided past in the opposite direction.

“Look at all of them,” Jason said as he watched the feed from his Liset’s HUD. “Are they going to be alright back there?”

“If anything, Miyoko, Joul and Koda are with them,” Jolla said. “They’ll be able to hold their own.”

“But we should do what we can to take some attention off of them,” Gregor said. “There are a lot more Sentients onboard a Tier 2 than the last fight we were in. Lotus?”

“Agreed,” Ford said. “Your secondary objective is to disrupt the boarding efforts of the Sentients.”

“Then we’ll make sure to cause as big of a ruckus as possible on our way to the core,” Jolla said, grinning.

“Remember that destroying the ship outright is the main objective,” Ford cut in. “The others can hold their own well enough.”

“Copy that, Lotus. We’ll adapt to the situation as needed,” Darren said.

“By the way you two, have you mastered the parkour system on the Warframes? Just in case.” Gregor said.

“We have them down well enough,” Darren said. “We’ve been running the Aphrodite simulation every day.” After the outbreak, footage of Miyoko’s helmet cam was used to recreate it as a simulacrum program.

“Were you able to finish it in time?” Jason said. “I still haven’t been able to clear it 100%.”

“I’ve gotten close,” Jolla said, “But I guess Miyoko still is on a whole other level.”

“At any rate, I don’t think we’ll have to be worrying about gigantic infested tentacles this time around,” Jason said.

“I sure hope so,” Gregor said, then he winced. The scars in his chest was aching again. More than aching, the pain seemed to grow in intensity. He gasped for breath, reaching a hand to the area.

“Gregor, what’s wrong?” Ford’s voice came in. “Your heartbeat is accelerating.”

“I’m fine,” Gregor said, brow furrowed in concentration. “Just getting bad flashbacks.”

“If you say so,” Ford said. “Good luck and watch each other’s backs out there. I’ll be mainly coordinating the defense of the ship, but I’ll keep an eye on your progress throughout.” Her channel closed.

“Alright, let’s do this,” Darren said. “Follow me in.” His Liset swooped in towards the stream of Sentients.

“Whoa, we’re going in a little close there,” Jason said. “What are you doing?”

 “Causing the biggest ruckus I can think of,” Darren replied. “Dropping right in on their party.”

They entered the mouth, the wormship’s hangar, nimbly dodging the outbound ships. On the floor below, swarms of Sentients arrayed in grids were marching towards racks of waiting boarding craft.

“Hellspace,” Jason cursed, “There must be thousands of them down there!” The four ships hovered over the army, pods still stowed.

“Alright, I take it back,” Jolla said. “There’s too much open area, our suits won’t be able to handle the crossfire.”

“We got this, Tenno,” Darren said. “Play smart, and stick together. The others are counting on us.”

“Roger,” Gregor said. “Stand by, I’ll make the entrance.”

His Liset uncloaked and flipped upside down, pod swiveling for Gregor to jump on top of its belly. He closed his eyes and channeled his Void energy, facing the nearest rack of boarding craft.

“Whatever you’re going to do, buddy,” Jason said, “This is our opening shot against the Sentients. Make it flashy.”

“Don’t I know it.” His eyes snapped open, and he shot off of the Liset. The Rhino Warframe smashed into the rack with such force that it dislodged several craft and sent them flying like scattershot. The racks shattered under the series of impacts, debris falling down on the Sentients, who started scrambling to get out of the way.

But falling with the debris flew the Rhino Warframe, body straight like an arrow towards the ground, arm pulled back for a blow to shatter space and time. As he fell, the pain erupted again with his chest. He grunted, but kept his arm cocked back, brow scrunched in determination as he threw his arm forward, giving out a roar that filled the hangar. His impact generated a shockwave that carried pieces of debris across the floor, smashing into Sentients around him.

Darren whistled as he surveyed the damage. “Nice work, Gregor,” he said, looking at the debris strewn almost evenly across the lobby. “Never mind about too much open area. Did you mean to do that?”

“Something like it,” Gregor said, eyeing the silhouettes of recovering Sentients in the sudden dust of the hangar. “Care to join me?”

The remaining three Lisets uncloaked just long enough for their pods to swivel open and release their payloads. Jolla hit the ground first, a wall of fire bursting from around her and consuming her enemies. A few beleaguered Sentients returned fire, only to hit an impenetrable ball of ice that wrapped around the four Tenno. From within it, a wave of Void energy blasted outward, scrambling the heatblasters and rendering them useless.

Jolla drew her Boar and waded into the carnage, fireballs circling around her while columns of flame erupted from beneath the Sentients. As Gregor leapt forward and Jason vanished into thin air, Darren felt a grin slide onto his face. “It’s about time,” he said. “Let’s take the fight to them, Tenno.”

 

The Sentient dropped to the ground, a strange wheezing sound emanating from its sputtering core. It looked to its side to see the Orokin hallway filled with its collapsed comrades. The intended objective, the engine room, was just beyond the door. The rasping Sentient began to drag its appendage towards it, crawling forward.

A pair of boots from a Void suit stepped in its way. “Well, what do you know,” Rose said, golden Akstilletto-pattern machine pistols held loosely by her side. “With the right type of gas, you can poison a Sentient, too.”

It began to weakly raise the heatblaster towards her, but before it could, a crack filled the air, a bullet slamming into the Sentient’s core. As its lifeless pieces dropped to the ground, Sebastian advanced, Latron held to bear. “Quit playing around, Rose,” he said. “This is the real deal.”

Rose shrugged. “Hasn’t been much of a real deal so far,” she said. “If this is as good as it’s going to get, then—”

“Watch out, you two!” Nadia’s voice yelled in their radios, and a white and gold blur whizzed past them towards the other end of the hallway, where a squad of Sentients had just rounded the corner. The blur spread its hands, releasing a barrage of green bolts that sunk into the first of the Sentients. A blindingly fast kata of dual skanas finished off the remaining few.

Nadia’s Nyx-model Warframe was fashioned in shades of white, golden rims gracing its chest, wrist guards and hips. The familiar antennae curved over the top of the head, arches spilling from its end and wrapping around the face and sides of the helm. She hefted a blade onto her shoulder. “Sebastian is right. If you have time for playing with the enemy, then you can spend it gaining ground.”

“Looking good, Nadia,” Rose said. “How does it handle?”

Nadia looked at her hand, closed around the Skana’s elegant blade. “Strong,” she said. “Manageably strong.”

“Er, Tenno?” they turned behind them to see a group of Legionnaires at the doorway to the engines, looking cautious. “Should we assist you?” the one in the front said.

“No.” Nadia faced front, where the sound of more oncoming Sentients rattled down the hallway. “Hold your position here and take out any stragglers we leave behind.” She sheathed the blades and slung a Soma from her back, rushing towards the din.

Rose released the empty clips of her Akstilletto and added new ones, looking back at the Legionnaires. “Don’t worry. There probably won’t be any stragglers.” With a wink, she and Sebastian followed after the Warframe.

“Joul, Koda, status?” Ford said in the radio.

“We’ve intercepted the group heading towards the generator,” Koda’s voice came in. “Moderate resistance. Nothing we can’t handle.”

“Good,” Ford said. “Cell 2 has made it inside the wormship. We—” they heard her gasp, followed by silence.

“What’s up, Ford?” Sebastian said.

“I…pay it no mind. Darren’s squad is meeting heavy resistance. There are…a lot of Sentients.”

“Well, that shouldn’t be an issue for them, should it?” Koda said.

“No.” Ford’s voice regained its composure. “No, it shouldn’t.”

“Alright then,” Nadia said. “Kat, Victoria, how are you doing over there?”

Silence answered them. “Victoria? Talk to us.”

Kat’s voice came in panicked. “We’re being hit hard! Strong enemy presence moving towards the bridge, we’re having trouble—”

There was a rushing noise followed by an explosion. “Roland!” Victoria’s cry could be heard through Kat’s radio.

“What the hell was that?” Sebastian said, exchanging glances with Nadia.

“Incoming!” Rose screamed, and they turned in time to see the girl dive in front of them.

A projectile rocketed down the hallway and smashed into her, blowing Sebastian and Nadia back with the force of the blast. Sebastian slammed against the wall and crashed to the ground. He got up quickly, adjusting his helmet and grabbing his Latron. The hallway before them was covered in smoke. “Rose? Rose, are you alright?”

The smoke cleared, and Sebastian saw a pair of legs standing in the hallway, their torso completely torn away. The mangled limbs dropped to the ground.

“S#&$,” a voice said behind them, and Sebastian looked behind him to see Rose picking herself up off the floor. “Didn’t deploy that one fast enough,” she muttered, a hand clutching her abdomen. She looked up at the remains of her shed skin. “Damn, can you imagine if that had been me?”

“I just did,” Sebastian said, voice cracking.

“Thanks, Rose,” Nadia said, getting to her feet. “But I could have absorbed that, you know.” She projected a green shield for emphasis.

“Could you? Oh,” Rose slid to a sitting position against the wall, head knocking back. “Then I’ll let you handle it, next time.”

“That may be sooner than you think,” Sebastian said, aiming down his Latron down the hallway as more smoke began to clear.

Amidst a fresh wave of Sentients, a Battalyst floated above the rest. A large, conical cannon easily twice the size of a regular heatblaster was mounted on its arm. The Sentient brought the gun to bear, a whining sound powering up.

“That must be what they’re up against at the bridge,” Nadia said, as Rose staggered to her feet. “Be on your guard. We can’t afford to lose against these guys.”

“That’s a Sentient fighter, isn’t it?” Sebastian said. “They don’t usually send those among the boarding parties.”

“Well, complaining about it isn’t going to do us any good now,” Nadia said. “You said it yourself, Seb. This is the real deal.”

 

Roland’s world had been turned upside down without warning. The second before, he was firing his Braton at the Sentients, when a Battalyst had appeared. Immediately, he had charged up his Void energy, ready to smite it with a raised arm.

He had not used the ability since the outbreak. There was no need to practice it, he thought. I’ve done it before hundreds of times, haven’t I?

 

But it was fear, not confidence, that kept him from using it. All it took was the familiar sensation of deadly power running through his fingers to bring back the memory of his sins. Without thinking, he released the energy, and it backfired into his body. He barely had time to feel the pain and see the spirals coming out of his own chest before the Battalyst projectile hit him.

He was lying amidst rubble and dust, staring at the door to the bridge. Someone was calling to him in a muffled voice, barely audible. He tried to lift his head, but doing so sent waves of pain along his body. With great effort, he righted his vision.

Victoria was kneeling over him, yelling something he couldn’t make out. Her eyes looked wide with fear at his body, and he followed her gaze to see a massive wound in his side, blood pouring out quickly. He gave a small gasp as the pain finally registered. His shaking hands reached for the wound and released his Void energy, applying a small burst of healing. He felt the wound start to mend, organs start to restructure. Then, not even halfway completed, the effect faded. With it, his conscience started to slip away.

 

“Victoria, how is he doing?” Kat yelled to the girl as she reloaded her Braton.

“I’m trying to heal him!” Victoria yelled. “I’m trying, I’m trying…” her hands were over the wound, her Void energy flooding to her. The pool of blood ceased to grow. And yet, the glow of her powers was dim, the wound refusing to seal. Why can’t I heal him? What’s going on?

 

A choking sound sounded next to her, and she saw a legionnaire on the floor, clutching a fatal wound in his neck. Instinctively, she reached out and placed a hand of the wound. Instantly, the emerald light flashed, and his wound vanished.

Her eyes widened, looking at the energy fading from her palm. Then, she held the hand over Roland. But nothing happened.

She looked up, and felt her body grow cold. Amidst the Legionnaires and the heatblasts arcing overhead from dozens of advancing Sentients, her specter stood staring at her. She looked down at Roland. I’m worried having them in your cell will disrupt your abilities, Miyoko’s words repeated.

 

“Wasn’t it…impossible?” she whispered.

 

“Lotus, what’s going on over there?” Joul said, electrocuting the last of a Sentient formation as Morgan and Koda cleaned up two others.

“Nadia and Victoria’s teams have encountered Sentient fighters, some of them with heavy weaponry,” Ford said. “The situation at the bridge is critical. Roland is in bad condition, and Victoria is healing him now. Kat and Teshin are the only ones from our group fighting, and it does appear that they are facing significantly more forces than Nadia or your party.”

“What?” Koda dislodged his wristblade from a Sentient core. “Shouldn’t we be facing the worst of it?”

“For whatever reason, they’re concentrating the bulk of their attack on the bridge,” Ford said. “They’ve even deployed fighters. Something isn’t right here.”

Miyoko’s face appeared on their HUD. “Joul, they can’t win without a Warframe. Use your speed to get over there and assist them.”

“Got it,” Joul said.

“Wait.” Morgan stepped forward. “Let me go with you.”

Joul stared at him before shaking his head. “Look, kid, you’re needed over here.”

“My friends are in trouble,” Morgan said.

Joul grimaced. “I know that, but—”

“No,” Ford said. “You will need another Tenno for the extra firepower. There are nearly twice as many Sentients, and Kat can’t hold them all off on her own.”

“Please,” Morgan said. “I’ll go.”

“And Koda and Melody? You’re going to just leave the two of them to manage this sector?” Joul said.

“Joul.” Melody was beside him. “It’ll be alright. We can take these guys.”

Joul looked at Koda, who nodded. “We’ll take it from here. Just hurry up and help Kat.”

The electric Tenno gave a frustrated breath. “You two better not get yourselves killed before I get back here. Morgan, let’s go!” he energized the two of them and the pair took off down another hallway.

Melody watched them round a corner, then glanced balefully at Koda. “So,” she said, “Are you going to try and protect me again?”

Koda was silent. At last, he shook his head. “It's not ego," he said.

She blinked. “What?”

"It's not ego," Koda said. "I made a promise, to protect people like her. Maybe I don't really give a damn about them, but this is all because I promised her. I swore it to her."

Melody eyes still had a hard look to them. Finally, she looked away. "You were right. I’ve never protected anyone close to me. I never got a chance.” she said.

Koda said nothing. He tugged on the gauntlets of his wristblades to make sure they were on tight, smoke from his arm curling around his fingers.

“I made that promise too, you know,” Melody said. “To Neptune, to my mother and father, my squadmates, everyone I'll never see again." She let out a breath. "Look, I just want to keep that promise. Let me prove it, that I’m more than strong enough." 

Koda looked down. He remembered what she had said to him at the firing range. I don’t need anyone to lean on.  His grip tightened. "I really am an arrogant bastard, aren't I?" He scoffed. "I'm...sorry."

A rattling noise was growing louder before them. Melody looked up at him. "You once offered for me to fight with you. To fight with you, as an equal. Can you make that a promise, too?"

Koda stared at her. Then, he switched his attention to the hallway. "I swear it."

The rattling reached cacophony, and another wave of Sentients rounded the corner. A Conculyst and a Battalyst were among their number. The two Tenno charged their Void energy and met them head on, tearing into the enemy with sound and fury.

 

“Any explanations, Lotus?” Darren said. “They shouldn’t be committing that many troops to destroy our ship. Did they know the Tenno were on board?” he rounded a section of the debris and fired a golden Boltor assault rifle, heavy projectiles sailing into his enemies and sending them flying.

“That’s highly unlikely, I made sure the information was secure this time around,” Ford said.

“Then why would they be deviating from their usual strategy?” Gregor smashed into another bunch of Sentients, heatblasts knocking harmlessly off his armor.  He leapt over a discarded rack towards another crowd of hapless enemies. “It’s not like it hasn’t been working for them in previous attacks. And as far as I can tell, it looks like they’re going to be sending in more, it’s almost like the entire crew is at these boarding pods.”

“As far as I can tell, the only reason why they would be doing something different is…” there was a pause. “Jason, get to a high vantage point overlooking your fight.”

Jason looked up and spied an empty boarding craft rack. He summoned a decoy standing atop it. “Sure, what for?”

“Perhaps Gregor isn’t exaggerating with the number of forces you’re currently fighting.”

Jason switch teleported with the decoy, balancing precariously between two thin steel clasps. He looked out at the battle below, swarming with Sentients. “Here we go, Lotus, what do you think?”

There was a pause before Ford spoke. “It looks close to the standard garrison inside a Tier II. Almost all of them are here; they intend to send in every last one.”

“So then this isn’t a raiding party,” Darren said. “It’s an evacuation.”

“That explains the increased forces heading to the bridge,” Jolla said. “But why?”

A groan sounded through the ship, the ground beneath them rumbling.

“Ok, has anyone destroyed the core while we weren’t looking?” Jason said.

“That didn’t sound mechanical,” Darren said. “Lotus, talk to us.”

“Hang on, something’s off with their radar profile. Let me take a closer look.” After she finished speaking, another groan echoed, louder and distinctly bestial.

“What do you see?” Darren said, gun pointed deeper into the ship.

There was a pause. “I’m detecting a strange signature on the side of their hull. It’s biotic.”

“Biotic? Like something alive?” Jolla said.

“No…” Gregor said. “Then…is it Techn—”

From deeper within the mouth of the wormship, a large bloated tendril burst from the wall. It shot towards the racks of boarding pods, Jason still among them.

“Oh, hellspace,” he muttered.

“Jason, jump!” Darren yelled, but the tendril smashed into the racks, destroying almost all of the remaining boarding pods.

“S#&$, Jason!” Gregor yelled.

“S#&$ indeed,” Jason said next to him, where his decoy had once stood. He looked up at the destruction. “Damn, can you imagine if that had been me?”

Gregor gave him an irritated look behind his helmet. “I just did,” he muttered.

“But man, looks like I should’ve knocked on wood,” Jason said. The tendril dislodged itself from the destruction, raising upwards and crashing against the roof of the mouth. “Lotus, is that really Technocyte?”

“It matches samples collected from the Aphrodite, yes.” Ford’s voice was tight.

“But we destroyed the Aphrodite!” Jason said. “How is that possible?”

“It’s possible because we failed,” Gregor said, staring grimly at the tendril. “And Hayden…died for nothing.

 

Edited by ROSING
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Then I shall reserve this post! Also, I have already hammered out a few revisions that I'll probably put up within the next few days, just need to make sure those aren't rushed too!

Take your time, man. You've got no schedual and no reason to push it out if you don't think it's up to snuff.

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after re-reading chapter 4 I felt like pointing out.

maybe referring to Hayden as a young man instead of a boy would be better..

 

and I noticed something I didn't read the first time.

The man covered in blankets, are you going to keep him on the sidelines for now? or is his situation/identity close on your agenda?

 

edit: an image of a "sticky" (NO NOT LIKE THAT) encounter between MAG and Rhino just popped up in my head XD

Edited by BaIthazar
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On 2/2/2015 at 11:46 PM, BaIthazar said:

after re-reading chapter 4 I felt like pointing out.

maybe referring to Hayden as a young man instead of a boy would be better..

 

and I noticed something I didn't read the first time.

The man covered in blankets, are you going to keep him on the sidelines for now? or is his situation/identity close on your agenda?

 

edit: an image of a "sticky" (NO NOT LIKE THAT) encounter between MAG and Rhino just popped up in my head XD

 

O_o

As for the man in blankets, he's coming up in the next chapter. And "young man" is exactly the term I was blanking on, lol how could I forget. That will be done.

 

Haha, I really am getting too excited about writing this stuff...I've gotten the urge to write these things every day. While I couldn't be happier that I'm feeling that way, I guess I need to pace myself and be able to take a step back as well!

 

STORY CONTINUES HERE:

CH. 45: COUNTEROFFENSIVE

Spoiler

“On the bright side, I don’t think we have to worry about stopping the Sentients from boarding,” Jolla said, looking at the crumpled forms of the remaining racks.

“Well here’s the bad news,” Ford said, “This wormship is still headed straight for the Taurus. Forget these Sentients and blow up this core before that happens.”

“Roger that, Ford,” Darren said. “Cell 2, let’s move it!” The tendril swooped down, crashing into a section of the Sentient army. As dust covered the mouth, the Tenno sped through the chaos, once again beset by a half-infested wormship.

From the hole in the wall, infested Sentients began pouring out. Heatblasters now shifted towards the new opposing force as the Tenno ducked through the hail of fire.

Gregor smashed his hammer into a Conculyst and charged through a crowd of grunts. As they leapt through the rubble, his scar gave a particularly violent pang, and he dropped to his knees. A heatblast rocketed into his side and knocked him to the ground.

“Stay on your feet, Gregor, what’s up?” Jason said, stopping and looking back.

“Keep moving,” Gregor growled. He swung the hammer to batter away another group of Sentients, firing his soma one handed at another. “Let’s hurry up and finish this.”

I wouldn’t, if I were you. It was Nadia’s voice again. It was so faint, he couldn’t tell if he had actually heard it or not. The wound was throbbing slightly, and he looked down at it.

He shook his head and pounded his chest, teeth gritting. “Watch me,” he said.

 

“We’re almost there, hang on, Kat!” Joul yelled into his mic. His eyes flicked up to his HUD’s map of the ship. He and Morgan were approaching the main body of the Sentients besieging the bridge. “Lotus, what’s her status?”

“She’s…”

The two Tenno flew down a side hallway and accessed a door that led to their objective. Quiet filled the air. Filling the floor were mounds of Sentient corpses.

“What in the Void?” Joul said.

A figure sat amidst the sizzling carnage. Joul stepped through to see Teshin, seated atop a small pile of Sentient parts, polishing his shorter blade with a cloth, his larger sword stuck in the core of an enemy beside him. “What happened here?” Joul said.

Teshin looked up at him. “The fruits of Romanko’s training.”

A crash sounded beyond the next doorway. Joul looked out there. “Kat…did all of this?”

The grandmaster sheathed the short blade. “The majority, I would say.”

“Hellspace,” Joul said. “Ford, are you seeing this?”

“I’ve been seeing it,” Ford said, a similar note of surprise in her voice. “She’s improved more than even I expected under Teshin’s watch.”

“You got that right,” Joul said, “Does she even need our help?”

“I imagine she will begin requiring our assistance quite soon,” Teshin said, getting to his feet. He removed the other Nikana from the Sentient. “She’s nearing her limit.”

“What? Then why haven’t you been helping her?” Joul said.

Teshin stepped forward. “Your unit leader herself said it, this is but a small fraction of the forces we are to fight. If she cannot hold her own against opposition this small, we cannot hope to complete our mission. This is merely a continuation of her training.” He sheathed both blades.

“Well, aren’t you teacher of the year,” Joul muttered. “Let’s go.” He headed towards the sound of battle, Teshin following.

Morgan watched them go, then started as he remembered his friends, running the other way.

The hall before the bridge was also strewn with fallen Sentients. Legionnaires were peering out over the barricade set up at the top. From it, he heard Victoria’s quiet sobbing. He dashed up to the stairs and leapt over the barricade.

Amidst a crowd of watching soldiers, Victoria knelt over Roland. His face was deathly pale, a large wound covering his side and crimson pooled around him. Victoria’s hands were glowing dimly over the gash, yet it did not seem to be healing. She looked up as he approached.

“Morgan,” she said, voice quivering. “What do I do? I can’t heal him, he’s barely hanging on, I can’t—” her hand tightened to shaking fists as tears ran down her face. “He’s dying!” she cried out.

Morgan stared at her for only a moment. Then, he said, “Wait here.”

He looked around and saw the body of a fallen Legionnaire. He knelt and held his palm over it. As his Void energy began to channel, he paused. He looked up to see another soldier staring at him, frightened.

Morgan closed his hand. He turned and ran down the stairs to the nearest Sentient corpse. Energy channeled spilled through his fingers as they hovered over the Sentient, sucking away the last vestiges of its life force. The body became engulfed in purple flame. He continued to channel his energy until the fire dissipated. When it vanished, the familiar pulsing red orb lay at his hands. He grabbed it and hurried up the stairs.

He knelt down next to Victoria. “This should help,” he said, holding the orb up.

Victoria looked at him, eyes widened, and pushed him away. “No!” she cried.

Morgan blinked. “What?”

She shook her head. “Don’t, you’ll kill him, you’re going to kill him!”

Morgan’s mouth was hung slightly open. He furrowed his brow. “Victoria, this will help him.”

“No!” she said. “Your powers aren’t meant to help people!”

Morgan looked like he had been physically stung. Her eyes widened at her words. “I mean,” she said, “I…”

He looked sadly at her, then pulled off the glove of his Void suit. Without hesitating, he pulled the Reaper from his back and ran his emaciated wrist against the blade, drawing blood. Victoria gasped.

Morgan pressed the orb against the cut. When he withdrew it, the wound was sealed. Victoria stared at his hand, numb. “Please,” he said. Victoria slowly nodded and, after another moment’s hesitation, stepped back. Morgan nodded, then pushed the red orb gently into Roland’s body.

The orb started to stretch out over the gash. As it merged with the body, the wound closed over itself, organs materializing and reforming before healed skin covered over it. The last of the orb, however, vanished, and the wound remained partially open. Gasps came from the Legionnaires.

“It’s not enough,” Morgan said. He looked up at the soldiers. “Help me carry more of this back up here!”

They stared at him. Then, one who had given him a frightened look stepped forward. “Can you help out my friend, too? He got hit in the fighting.”

“As many as I need to,” Morgan said, “Just hurry! He’s not going to last.”

He leapt over the barricade back down the stairs, and several Legionnaires followed. Victoria sat there, staring at the gore covering her arms.

 

Kat could feel her resolve slipping away, the murderous intent growing stronger within her. The last of four waves of Sentient grunts had been defeated. But what remained, however, were three Sentient fighters. Two Conculysts were starting to match her blow for blow, and a Battalyst continued to float out of her reach, dodging her grapple lines and raining down a steady barrage that was starting to take its toll on her. Her shields had long since expired, Void armor shattered around her body, more a hindrance than a help by now.

She was nearing her limit, she knew. It was either give into the mindless rage, or end it and be killed instantly by their onslaught.

I don’t know if I can win even if I keep this up. If I’m this far gone, will Teshin be able to stop me? Will I have to… Gregor flashed in her mind, her claws sunk into his body.

Her energy expired, the damage that had been held at bay for the past several minutes unleashed itself all at once on her body. She crumpled to the floor, wracked by pain so immense she could hardly register it all at once, too weak to even cry out. She turned her head up to see the Battalyst levelling its heatblaster at her.

A Nikana flew over her and sunk into the Sentient’s core. The Battalyst gave a high pitched whining sound, dropping to the ground next to her and spasming.

The Conculysts and Kat looked to see Joul and Teshin at the doorway. “Kat!” Joul yelled. "Are you okay?”

She gave a weak thumbs up, smiling through the pain.

“Look at that, you should have helped her earlier,” he said, advancing along with Teshin as they eyed their two opponents warily.

“Had I done so, then she would have never known what her current limit is,” Teshin said, drawing his other sword. The two conculysts had not overpowered Kat unscathed. One of them was missing an arm, and both looked battered, the armor around their core weakened.

 

“I swear,” Joul muttered. “Hang in there Kat, we’re going to clean this up and then get you to Victoria.”

 

Jolla’s flames finally overheated the wormship’s core, an anticlimactic fizzling sounding before an explosion consumed the alien generator. A rumble sounded throughout the ship.

The Ember Warframe flexed her fingers in front of her. “Well, that wasn’t too bad.”

“Come on, let’s get out of here before the Technocyte gets pissed,” Darren said. As flames began to grow around them, the four Tenno rushed outside the core room and towards the long bridge leading to the exterior rooms of the wormship. The interior was ominously quiet, save for the occasional rumble of the dying vessel.

“I guess the Sentients weren’t too keen on heading back in here to stop us,” Jolla remarked.

“It’s a bit too late even if they did want to,” Darren said. “Alright, our Lisets should be waiting for us at the extraction point. Let’s get out of here.”

“You don’t have to tell me twice,” Gregor said. “As if I wasn’t getting bad flashbacks already.” He made to follow after the other three across the bridge.

What did I tell you? Now look what you’ve done. The voice was back. He could feel the scar began to throb.

He froze in his tracks. Jason stopped and looked back. “What’s up, Gregor?”

Gregor put a fist to his head, knuckles white. This isn’t Nadia, is it? Who are you? he thought back.

Nadia? Oh, yes, this is Nadia’s voice. But surely you haven’t forgotten about me, have you? A figure flickered before him, an infested Order scientist covered in a carapace of Technocyte.

 

“Nemesis,” he growled.

Another sharp pang wracked his body, and he doubled over. He could feel Jason beside him. “Gregor, what’s wrong? You okay?”

The Nemesis specter approached him, passing through Jason and reaching a hand to his chin. Still blowing up our ships, are you? I guess you haven’t learned your lesson yet. Shall we have a review? The pain increased, and Gregor grunted, dropping to his knees.

“How?” he said weakly. “You’re supposed to be dead.”

Now that hurts. You are one of us now, you know. Why don’t we try to get along?

 

“No,” Gregor gasped. “I won’t…” he cried out as the pain reached new heights, as if his body was about to rip itself apart.

You don’t have a choice in the matter. You might as well get comfortable. The Nemesis specter cupped his face in her hands, and her palms glowed a sickly green. Here, why don’t I introduce you to some of your new friends? I’m sure they all have so much to share with you.

 

Memories flooded his mind. Some were his, seeing his friends dying aboard the Zariman. Others were unfamiliar, from people he had never seen before, elderly, young. But all of them shared a common theme. They were moments of excruciating pain, raw terror. And all at once, each and every one of their emotions touched him as if it was his own, the suffering of a thousand individuals instantaneously injected into a single one.

It did not take long for him to start screaming alongside them.

 

“Jason, what the hell is wrong with him?” Jolla said, as Gregor’s cries echoed in their radios.

“I have no @(*()$ clue!” Jason said. “Lotus, mute his mic.”

Gregor was clutching his head. With no sound coming out of his helmet, it was surreal to see his body twist in a quiet agony.

Jason grabbed his shoulders. “Easy there, buddy, calm down!”

Gregor shoved his friend away from him and staggered to his feet, swinging his arms wildly.

“Hold him down!” Darren yelled. But Gregor stumbled away from them.

“Watch out,” Jason cried out. “You’re going to—”

Gregor ripped off his helmet and gave a terrible scream before activating his first ability, rocketing forward. He tore past the railing and plummeted below.

“Gregor!” Jason yelled. He ran to the edge. A decoy appeared beside him as he switch teleported with the falling Tenno. As Gregor materialized in Jason’s place, Jolla and Darren grabbed him. A second later, Jason switched places with the decoy, panting for breath. “You can’t even see the @(*()$ bottom, down there,” he muttered.

Another rumble echoed, and the core was shaken by another explosion, the bridge tilting precariously.

“You have ten minutes, Tenno. Get Gregor under control and get him out of there,” Ford said.

“Copy that, Lotus!” Darren yelled. He and Jolla held Gregor by the arms. The Tenno had been reduced to incoherent babbling, tears falling down his face.

Jason grabbed Gregor’s head, forcing him to look at his friend. “Gregor, calm down, it’s me!”

The wild look on Gregor’s face subsided as he met Jason’s gaze. Then, his eyes rolled back into his head, and he went limp.

Jason felt along Gregor’s neck for a pulse. “He’s unconscious,” the Tenno said, scooping up the Rhino helmet and jamming it back on Gregor’s head. “Let’s get out of here.”

“What happened to him?” Darren said as they dragged him through the deserted ship.

“Damned if I know,” Jason said. “But someone’s going to pay for it.”

Their Lisets waited for them in broken vents at the extraction room. Darren and Jason pushed Gregor into his pod before getting into their own. As their snubfighters broke away from the Wormship, another explosion ballooned from the hull, licking their Void cloaks as they vanished into space.

“Lotus, everyone’s accounted for and we’re on our way back,” Darren said.

“Roger that. We’ll see if Victoria can figure out what’s wrong with Gregor. We’ve almost got the situation under control here.”

“Copy.” Darren let out a breath. “Well, I suppose we shouldn’t have expected it to be easy.”

Jolla and Jason didn’t answer him. “Guys? You there?”

“Darren,” Jolla breathed, “Do you see that?”

Darren looked out of the HUD to the starboard side of the Liset. In the distance was the faint but unmistakable profile of another Wormship.

 

Melody kicked down a Sentient. Koda gave it a quick cut to the core before slicing through the next two, a clone of ash materializing to take out another at his back.

More Sentients came in from the next hallway to take them head on. But as soon as they stepped closer, they were hit by the wall of high pitched sound Melody had projected around herself, shredding their sense of hearing and destabilizing them. By the time they were able to recover, the two Tenno were already upon them.

As the two danced through their enemies, Koda thought he saw a faint grin on Melody’s face as she passed. Was he imagining it? But then, as she spun in place to deliver another fatal blow to a Sentient, he clearly saw it, a smile he had never seen before.

Back during the first defense of the Taurus, for that brief moment when he and Rilla were fighting alongside one another, he had felt a strange happiness tug at his lips amidst the panic and confusion. Perhaps, if one were to have glimpsed his face back then, it would’ve looked similar to Melody’s.

“Watch it,” Melody said, throwing one of her Fang. It spun passed Koda and lodged into a Conculyst behind him. Koda pulled the dagger out and flicked it back to her while his wristblades made short work of the Sentient fighter’s core.

They disengaged from the last of the wave and leapt back, standing beside each other. “Something wrong?” Melody said. “You got distracted.”

“For a brief second, I got worried you were getting more kills than me,” Koda said.

She raised an eyebrow, then grinned again. “Well, then I suppose you were right to worry.”

More came from the next hallway. A Battalyst appeared from around the corner, a mounted heavy cannon brought to bear.

And all at once, that part of the memory returned as well. The fatal shot, so fast that he didn’t even have time to register it until they were inside the Master Technician’s office. The bleeding wound, and then…her body lying mangled, his Braton discarded by her side, and laying her down to rest before his friends.

Koda looked wildly to Rilla. Not again. He grabbed her wrist, pulling her behind him. “Hey, what—” Melody began to say. He glanced in time to see the cannon glowing white hot, about to discharge.

But before it could fire, a heatblast slammed into it. It staggered, just long enough for a barrage of green projectiles and gunfire to riddle it with holes.

Melody and Koda looked to see Nadia, Rose and Sebastian appear through another hallway. With them was another Battalyst, strange green runes floating around it. “It’s okay,” Nadia said, “It’s one of us, for now.”

“You’re mind controlling a Sentient?” Koda said.

The Warframe shrugged. “Sometimes, it really helps to see things from their perspective.”

“They make any valid points?” Melody said.

Nadia tilted her head. “Not enough for me to take their side.” With that, the Battalyst turned the cannons onto itself and fired, destroying its core and collapsing to the ground.

Koda glanced at the first Battalyst’s remains. He shook his head and met Melody’s gaze. The smile was gone, and in its place was growing irritation.

“I’m sorry,” Koda said.

She sighed, pulling her arm out of his grasp.

Rose winked at Melody. “You two having fun?”

Koda and Melody stepped apart. “Surprised to see you in one piece, Rose,” Melody replied.

“Had a few close calls, not going to lie, but I’m too awesome to be killed on a dry run like this,” Rose said, tossing her head.

The door to the next hallway opened, and another squad of Sentients spilled out. “Heads up,” Sebastian said, pulling a Void orb from a clasp and throwing it towards the incoming force. It rolled in the midst of the Sentients before rising to the air. Electricity sparked out from it, and it began to drag the Sentients into it, crumpling them under immense force.

“That is brutal,” Rose said. “How are you doing that?”

“It’s just a hyper-augmented gravity field,” Sebastian said. “By converting the Void energy into a physical equivalent of mass, you don’t even need a large radius for the sphere to achieve the right density—”

“Save it for later,” Koda said. “We’re close to their entry point at the hangars. Let’s finish this. Ford, how are Joul and the rest doing?”

“They’ve managed to push the assault back. They’ll be joining you shortly.”

“Then let’s do this,” Rose said, loading her Akstillettos.

The Tenno burst into the hangar. The walls and docks riddled with empty boarding craft. Through the open maw of the bay doors, the wormship could be seen, explosions racing along its hull. “I guess Cell 2 was able to cut off their reinforcements,” Nadia said.

Only a few squads of wounded Sentients were left, some of them crawling on the ground, while others were missing limbs or weapons. The ones that were armed levelled their weapons. Nadia curled her lip. “Koda, Rose, put them out of their misery.”

“Roger that!” Rose said, taking off in a run along with Koda through the hail of heatblasts. She grabbed his hand, and the two of them teleported to a gantry directly above the horde. While Koda hung onto a railing, Rose dropped towards the Sentient forces, hands spread out and charging with a sickly green substance.

She released the energy as she hit the ground, manipulating the fluid content around her into deadly chemicals. The Sentients burst into explosions of acid, melting into puddles on the floor.

“Hangar clear,” she said. Koda dropped to the floor next to her.

Another hangar door opened, and a Conculyst flew across the floor and skidded in front of them, crackling with electricity.

“Those are tough bastards,” Joul said, walking out with Teshin behind him. “That guy pretty much lasted half of the way here.”

“I’m detecting 99% elimination,” Ford’s voice came in. “The Legionnaires will mop up the remaining stragglers.”

A sound like the crack of distant thunder sounded as the Tier II wormship went critical, fracturing into pieces by a massive explosion.

“Well, that’s that,” Sebastian said, smiling. “We’ve won.”

Rose slapped him on the back. “Was there ever a doubt?”

Jason’s voice came into the main channel. “This is Cell 2, how’s our landing zone look?”

“The main hangar has just been secured, directing you there now,” Ford said.

There was a chorus of warbles as two Lisets entered the hangar. The Tenno on the ground hurried to the docks as the craft docked. Jason leapt out of the first one. “Help me with Gregor,” he said.

“What happened to him?” Joul said as the pod swiveled open and Gregor tumbled out. Jason and Koda caught him and lowered him to the ground. He was still unconscious.

“Something bad, but that’s not the only problem we’ve got,” Jason said. “Lotus, there’s a second wormship, looks like a Tier III.”

“…I know,” the colonel said.

“Are you kidding me?” Rose said, peering out the bay doors. The wormship could be seen in the distance. “You’re telling me we have to do this all over again?”

“Darren and Jolla are going there now,” Jason said. “Koda, Joul, take our Lisets and regroup with them immediately.”

“That’s not necessary,” Ford said. “I’ve already called them back.”

“Say what?” Jason said. The remaining two Lisets appeared and docked.

Darren switched onto the main channel as he and Jolla stepped off. “Lotus, you said it yourself, the longer this fight goes, the more of a chance other ships in this area will come along. We could be facing more reinforcements at any minute!”

“The situation is already being dealt with.” Ford said.

Koda looked around. “Wait a minute,” he said. “Lotus, is Miyoko—”

In the distance, another explosion rumbled, consuming the second wormship. All eyes turned and stared at the destruction, the pieces crumbling from the blast.

“By the Void,” Jason said, awestruck. “Was that Miyoko?”

“All by herself?” Sebastian said. “That’s crazy…”

“But did she make it out in time?” Jolla said quietly. Nadia sucked in a breath.

“No way,” Joul said. “She must’ve…she…”

A Liset uncloaked before them and maneuvered towards an empty dock. They stared at the pod in the underbelly as it swiveled open, not knowing if it would be empty or not.

Miyoko stepped out. Her Mag Warframe was scarred by heatblast marks, but her gait was steady. She looked at the assembled Tenno. “Status report,” she said briefly.

They all stared at her stunned, before Koda stepped forward. “You’re asking us for a @(*()$ status report? You just went off and attacked an entire wormship on your own without even telling us!”

“It wasn’t necessary to inform you,” Miyoko said. “Cell 2 was dealing with the larger threat, and the ten of you were all needed to defend. I was the only one available to deal with the second wormship in the quickest way possible.”

“BullS#&$,” Koda said. “You shouldn’t have gone in there alone. You should have told us.”

“Exactly my point, Zayati. What would you have done if I had told you? Would you have let me?” Miyoko said. She pried off her helmet. “Any of you would have done the same,” she said. “Darren, Nadia, was I wrong to make this decision?”

They turned to the two strategists of the group. Darren looked sheepish. “I mean, assuming you had the capability to take on that ship alone…which you did, I guess, but—”

“But what if you didn’t?” Nadia cried. “We would’ve lost our second unit leader in less than a month? Sure, people like Melody and Koda could be suicidal sometimes, but you—”

“I knew what I was doing!” Miyoko yelled. “I made a promise to Hayden. I wouldn’t have done it if I thought I would’ve needed help.” She drew the Skana from her back and levelled it at them. “As far as I’m concerned, none of you should be surprised. It will take at least this much from each and every one of you if we’re going to be able to win. If we’re ever going to be free of the Order.”

She winced, then put a hand to her side. Nadia and Koda stepped forward, but she waved them off, showing a bloodstained palm. There was a fierce look on her eyes, bordering on hostility, and the two backed off. She reversed her grip on the sword with a flick of her wrist, slamming it into the floor and turning to go.

They watched her leave. “Lotus,” Koda said. “You knew she was doing this? Did you…”

Ford didn’t immediately answer. “It was her idea,” she said in the mic. “I was against it, too. But in hindsight, I think she made the right decision. Our victory here…was decisively quick.”

Joul looked around at the defeated Sentients. “Well, I guess you can’t argue with that,” he said. “This whole thing took maybe thirty minutes, tops. Casualties were at a minimum, too.”

Koda said nothing. He walked up to the Skana on the ground and pulled it out. Giving an angry sigh, he slung it around his back and walked out of the hangar.

 

CH. 46: BREAKTHROUGH

Spoiler

“Good,” Ford said. “Cell 2 is making good progress towards the Sentient core. We—”The blip of a second wormship appeared on the radar. An involuntary gasp left Ford’s lips. For a moment, the air in the bridge fell quiet, save for the warning alarm that had announced the ship’s detection.

“No,” a crewman said, eyes wide with fear. “Not another one…”

“S#&$,” Captain Basnet muttered. “Can your people handle two of them at once?”

“We can.” All turned to see Miyoko, kneeling in front of the doorway.

Ford stood up. “Tenno,” she said, “What are you doing?”

“Waiting for something like this to happen,” she replied. The Tenno switched to a private channel with the colonel’s headset. “I’ll handle it. Don’t inform the others.”

“On your own?” Ford said quietly.

Miyoko nodded, rising to her feet.

Ford opened her mouth. “Wait, Miyo—”

“What’s up, Lotus?” Sebastian’s voice came in on the main channel.

Miyoko turned to her. “Please, Ford. I can do this. For Hayden.”

Ford opened her mouth. At last, she said to Sebastian, “I…pay it no mind. Darren’s squad is just meeting heavy resistance. There are…a lot of Sentients.”

“Well, that shouldn’t be an issue for them, should it?” Koda joined in.

“No.” Ford’s voice regained its composure. “No, it shouldn’t.” She switched the channel and stared at Miyoko. A sigh escaped her lips. “Come back in one piece, Tenno.”

Miyoko bowed, then headed for the door.

Outside was chaos. A Legionnaire whipped his head around as he heard the door open. “Get back in the bridge, it’s not safe out—” his eyes widened as he saw Miyoko.

She took stock of the situation. Victoria was looking at her over Roland’s injured body. “Miyoko,” she said, “I…”

Miyoko walked past her. Teshin was standing atop the barricade next to Kat, who was picking off targets with her Braton. His sword sliced heatblasts in half, deflecting them from their position. He glanced only briefly in her direction before continuing his defense.

She stepped next to Kat. “Romanko,” she said.

Kat turned. “Miyoko!” she cried. “Where—”

“Why are you still firing your rifle?” Miyoko said.

Kat blinked. “What?”

“Read the situation,” Miyoko said. “Your position will be overpowered if you do not use your abilities. Teshin is waiting for your signal.”

Kat looked up at Teshin. He did not look back at them. She faced Miyoko again. “But…”

“I am not asking you to be a monster. I am asking you to be a Tenno.” Miyoko said. “I will take out half of these Sentients. Can I leave the rest of them to you?”

Kat only stared at her. Miyoko grabbed the girl’s shoulder, grip tight. “Answer me, now.”

Kat jumped. “Yes!” she said.

“Then get ready.” Miyoko climbed atop the barricade alongside Teshin. A heatblast spiraled towards her. The projectile abruptly halted before her in the clutches of a magnetic field, and she maneuvered it in front of Teshin. The swordsman gave it three quick cuts, dicing the shot into fragments, and Miyoko sent them hurtling into the crows of Sentients below, clearing a small swath in the enemies’ ranks.

“After this, I’m moving ahead. Don’t tell the others I was here,” she said to Teshin.

He dipped his head. “As you wish, unit leader.”

Miyoko nodded. Then, she bullet jumped into the air. Her energy magnetized the front line of the Sentients and sent them flying towards her as she drew her sword. Slicing with measured fury, she left torn and crumpled pieces falling in her wake.

A cry was heard below as a wave of orange energy filled the room. She looked down to see Kat leap over the barricade, claws extended, Teshin following after her.

Miyoko landed in front of them and charged the Sentients, sword leaving her hands to fight at her back while she tore her enemies apart with her powers. Mangled Sentient corpses became her weapons as she battered a path into the next hallway. As Kat and Teshin caught up with her, she yanked the next wave of Sentients before them into their waiting blades. She watched them tear into the enemy, then quickly darted through a side hallway. “Joul, they can’t win without a Warframe,” she said into the main channel. “Use your speed to get over there and assist them.”

“Got it.”

She switched channels again. The Void-amped strength of her Warframe sent her flying down the hall. “Lotus, what’s the status of the second wormship?”

“It hasn’t reached boarding range yet, but it’s definitely heading straight for us.”

“I’ll take it out before it has a chance to get closer.” She reached the small hangar on the belly of the Taurus, where the remaining Lisets were docked. She bullet jumped the last distance and twisted in the air, landing perfectly into her slot and firing up the takeoff sequence. The pod swiveled into the interior of the Liset.

 

In the pause between when she was fully inside and the HUD going up, a voice spoke to her in the darkness.

“You lied to them.”

Miyoko opened her eyes, lying face up in the darkened room, hand outstretched. Moisture was sliding down her eye, riding along the ridge of the scar and beading at its end. She reached a hand and wiped it away, rising to a sitting position.

She tried to remember if she had actually heard Hayden’s voice, or if it was part of the dream. She shook her head. It felt real. Not as if Nadia had projected it into her head, not as her imagination of what he would say, but as if he was right there beside her, saying those words.

There was a pending message from Ford on the holopad on her desk. Miyoko checked the first line.

No movement from the larger Sentient fleet in response to yesterday’s battle. We’ve since detected no further wormships in the area. Internal solar rail is charged at 50% just in case.

 

She set the holopad down and went inside the bathroom, turning on the faucet and splashing water onto her face. As she dried herself off with a washcloth, she looked at the worn gaze in the mirror.

You lied to them.


Victoria walked down the hallways of the Taurus, carrying an Orthos in her hand. Soldiers and crewman gave her a wide berth as she passed, hushed whispers around her.

In the aftermath of the battle, Victoria had curled up beside the door of the bridge, looking at a fully healed Roland listening to Darren. Down the staircase, Morgan was talking with some Legionnaires. One of them slapped him on the back, grinning, and Morgan gave a nervous smile.

She was brought out of her thoughts by approaching footsteps, and she started at the sight of Miyoko’s Warframe before her, the helmet in her arm.

Victoria quickly rose to her feet, wide-eyed. Blood was running down a wound in her mentor’s side and down the leg. The healer quickly put her hand over it, and her abilities sealed the wound up in a matter of seconds. Miyoko looked at her pupil with careful discernment. Victoria stepped back, giving a slight bow.

Her mentor looked down at the hole in the armor, touching the bloody but healed flesh. “Roland’s wound was only a little worse, wasn’t it?”

Victoria’s lip trembled. “I’m sorry,” she said, “I don’t know what hap—”

The slap came without warning, so fast that it took a moment for Victoria to realize it had turned her head almost 90 degrees. She could see Morgan and Roland’s shocked faces as she looked back at Miyoko. Something trickled down from the intensifying burn on her cheek. She clenched and unclenched her fists, waiting for a lecture like a child with a broken vase.

Instead, Miyoko said, “You know exactly what happened.” Victoria blinked. Miyoko turned to walk down the staircase, and Victoria could do nothing but watch her mentor’s retreating form vanish over the edge.

In the present, Victoria reached a hand to the burn on her cheek. It had not yet healed. She would not let it.

What do you think you are doing? She heard the specter beside her.

“The right thing,” Victoria replied.

You already did the right thing. Roland doesn’t deserve to be healed by you. It was within reason to not trust Morgan.

 

Victoria stopped. She was standing at the doorway to a cargo bay. “It’s not just Roland and Morgan who are being childish,” she said. “I’m through listening to you.”

So then just who will you listen to? The specter stepped in front of her. Roland and Morgan? Your mother? Miyoko? Do you have so little faith in yourself?

 

Victoria closed her eyes. “You’re the one who lacks faith,” she said. She opened the door and stepped through the illusion of herself.

Several proxies were hauling the scrap from the Sentient boarding craft into piles. There was a lone crewman coordinating them with a holopad in his hand. He looked up as she walked in and froze, gaze on the blade in her hands.

Pardon me? She could feel the specter behind her.

Victoria sighed. “Before, I was too naïve, too trusting of those around me,” she said. “You helped me to break away, to find myself separate from others.”

You’re right. If it wasn’t for me, you’d still be their pawn. Still be their plaything. She could feel its presence step closer, a menacing aura around it.

Victoria smiled. “Yes. But now, you’re pulling me too far apart. My friends need me now, and this time, I know who I can trust.” She smiled and turned to the specter. “Thank you. But I don’t need you anymore.”

The specter stared at her, eyes wide. Then, it contorted into rage, hands wrapping around Victoria’s throat. You… the specter blurred, and the image of herself was replaced by her mother. She remembered lying on the floor in that trash strewn wreck of a home, her lone parent, in a fit of rage and substances, squeezing the life out of her. You will never be anything more than… Her mother gagged, eyes rolling as she stumbled back and falling onto a smashed bottle whose broken edges were lying upwards…

Victoria raised the Orthos and struck. The specter of her mother’s last moments vanished. Her cleave cut open the front of a proxy behind it. The machine stumbled, whirring and chirping as it dropped its load.

“What are you doing?” the crewman yelled over the din of the machines.

She stepped forward towards the injured machine. She raised a hand towards the gash in the metal, and closed her eyes.

The internals of the robot felt decidedly inhuman, with neither warmth nor cold, the electricity throughout its body and the spinning of its motors a strange substitute for blood and heartbeat. Yet it felt like any other creature she had healed.

When she opened her eyes, the familiar green energy was dissipating from her palm, and the wound had closed. The proxy looked down at its chest, then back up at her, then bent down and picked up its dropped load, continuing its path towards the scrap piles.

Victoria stared at the healed robot, then turned and ran out of the room, ignoring the crewman’s calls to stop her.

 

Morgan blinked as he saw her enter the killhouse prep room, quickly setting the Orthos against the wall.

“What’s up, Victoria?” Koda said next to him. “You’re going to have to hold on, Morgan’s about to give it another run—”

Victoria grabbed Morgan’s arm. “Come with me,” she said as she pulled him out of the room, a surprised look on his face as he stumbled after her.

A few doors down, she found Roland kneeling in a training room next to Darren. He looked up at the two of them, eyes wide. “Victoria, what—”

She grabbed his arm and pulled him up. “Follow me.”

“O-okay,” Roland said, exchanging confused glances with Morgan as the two of them were led out the room.

She gripped them tightly as they went through the maze of corridors until they reached her and Kat’s room. Once the door was shut behind them, she let go.

“Victoria,” Roland said panting. “What the hell is all this about?”

Victoria knelt in front of them, head bowing until her forehead touch the floor. “I’m sorry!”

Morgan and Roland exchanged glances again. They lowered to the floor as well. “Sorry for what?” Morgan said.

“There’s nothing you should be apologizing to us for,” Roland said.

“No!” Victoria lifted her head. “There are a lot of things. First of all, after the outbreak, I…avoided you guys.”

They blinked. “Well, that’s understandable,” Roland said, looking away.

“Even so, it wasn’t the right thing to do,” Victoria said. “I should have been up front with you about all of this. Because I didn’t, I…” she looked at Roland, tears brimming. “You might’ve died. I should’ve sorted my emotions out with you before this fight. And Morgan,” she turned to him. “I’m sorry for doubting you. I was being…childish.”

The two of them stared at her. Finally, Roland scratched the back of his head. “It’s no problem, Victoria. Our mistakes were much worse than yours. I’m glad you could get this off of your chest.”

“Yes,” Morgan toned, looking from one to the other.

Another silence. “Is there…anything else you wanted to say?” Roland said.

Victoria gripped the fabric of her uniform tightly. “Yes,” she said. “I know you guys normally don’t see eye to eye…and a lot of things have happened between you.”

The two of them looked at each other again. “But you two have a lot in common, too,” she continued. “You’re both…caring for your friends, you both see the best in those around you. And Roland, Morgan saved your life yesterday.” She shut her eyes. “You two are my closest friends, and I can’t stand to see you at odds. I just…don’t want you to hate each other!”

There was a pause. Roland opened his mouth. “Victoria,” he said, “We don’t.”

“What?” she looked up at them.

“A week after the outbreak, we talked things out,” Morgan said. “That’s all in the past.” The way he said it sounded strangely similar to Koda.

“By the way, you apologized to her right after she returned, right?” Roland asked Morgan.

“Yeah,” Morgan said, and Victoria remembered the anxiety on Roland’s face when they had walked into the Order briefing room.

“I figured that was it,” Roland said. “I haven’t even gotten to say my own apologies yet, have I? Victoria, I—”

He broke off at the sound of her laughter. She tried to stifle it, but that only served to make it come out harder. She clutched her sides and fell back onto the floor, feeling her body shake as she stared at the dimmed out lights of her room.

“Victoria?” Roland said. “Are you alright?”

“I’m fine.” Her laughter died down and she put a hand to her eye to wipe away a tear. “I guess I was really the one being childish.” She sighed. “Or, is there even a point to saying who’s childish and who’s not?”

Roland and Morgan looked at each other. “What?” Morgan said.

“Nothing.” Victoria swung back to a sitting position and grabbed them in a hug. “I’m just glad we could have this talk.” She saw a green glow light up her cheek in the low light, soothing the burn as the mark healed.

“Us too,” Morgan said, blinking.

Roland gave a faint smile. “Yeah.” He closed his eyes, hands tightening into fists as he draped his arms around them.

 

The two Lisets undocked and sped out of the hangar. “Engaging Void cloak,” Darren said. The shimmering ripples passed over his craft’s HUD, hiding their ships from view.

“Remember, we don’t know if the Technocyte or the Sentients can intercept our communications out there, so it’s radio silence from here on out,” Ford said in their comms.

“Not a problem,” Jolla said. “Last chance for any souvenir requests?”

“If you can bring back that Nemesis variant’s head, I’d appreciate that. Ford out.”

Jolla sighed. “This usually the kind of date you take girls on, Darren? Scenic recon missions deep into enemy territory?”

“Only the keepers,” Darren said, eyes on the radar. As the Taurus grew smaller behind them, empty space stretched out ahead.

Jolla snorted in the radio. “Well, let’s see if we can get Lotus that souvenir. Hope it won’t be too much trouble.”

“You and me both,” Darren muttered.

 

As the Liset swooped inside the wormship’s mouth-hangar, Miyoko dropped from the pod and slammed into the first Sentient, impaling her Skana into it. She stood up and magnetized two Battalysts on either side of her, green orbs expanding around them large enough to cover half of the battlefield, dragging all within them into the centers.

While incoming heatblasts inside the fields were sucked back towards her two targets, she turned and pulled the rest of the Sentients in the hangar, sending them flying into the orbs. She pulled out twin Akstillettos and emptied a magazine each into them before releasing the energy. The two Battalysts exploded, Sentient parts flying.

After the echo of the explosions, the room was silent. Miyoko reloaded her pistols and headed out of the room, towards the wormship’s core.

Koda sat back in his chair, watching the recording of the Mag Warframe’s helmet cam from the previous day’s battle. She wasn’t kidding. She’s improved herself much more than any of us realized.

If I had been in her shoes…if any of us had been, would we have done the same? Could we have done the same? He shut off the recording from the holopad and stood up.

Joul opened the door to their room. "Finally up, huh?" He said. "I was wondering when you'd—"

"Joul," Koda said. "I'm sorry."

Joul blinked. "Sorry for what?"

"For looking down on you." He met his partner's gaze. "I know how much being strong means to you."

Joul stared at him, then smiled, putting a hand on his shoulder. "As much as it means to you. Don't worry about it, Koda."

 

The new R&D lab developed for Coven’s scientists had undergone drastic changes since Sebastian had last been in. Before, it had been a room filled with holopad terminals and a few machines replicated from the ones in Coven’s Foundry. Now, a full third of the room had been cleared away. In the space, the Void portals from Aung’s cart were now set up in front of the waiting Torsion Beam device. A robotic proxy was placing a man-sized pod upright alongside a second against the wall. Both were hooked up to what looked like a scaled up model of Sebastian’s Void orbs.

Aung appeared behind the second pod. “Oh, hi. Hey, I need your feedback on this. I’ve shifted aside some of the internals of your Death ball to allow for these ports, but I wonder if they’re in the optimal place to absorb the maximum amount of Void energy. Could you take a look at—”

“When did all of this get set up?” Sebastian asked.

“Yesterday,” Aung replied.

Sebastian blinked. “You mean, the day before yesterday? Not sure if you remember, but there was a Sentient attack yesterday.”

Aung’s face remained unchanged. “No, yesterday. Well, I had only set up the portals by the time the all-clear was given, so I spent the night trying to figure out how to calibrate a Void ball of this size and hook it up to these pods.”

He tilted his head. “Didn’t you hear the order to barricade yourself in a safe zone? This is nowhere near one.”

“Yes, but it wasn’t anywhere near the fighting, either. I figured that if it really came down to it, the safe zone would only let me live a few minutes longer,” Aung said. “I could also take a few of them with me.” She nodded at a Legionnaire-issue Braton lying against a desk.

“And what if they ventured just deep enough into the ship? Waiting a day wouldn’t have killed you,” he stepped across the room. “This wasn’t necessary.”

Aung paused her work. “It was necessary,” she said. “You Tenno fight the Sentients head on. I’m not strong enough to do that.”

He shook his head. “You’re a scientist. You don’t have to fight.”

A different look came into her eye. “We all have to fight.” She placed a hand on the pod. “And this is how I will.”

They stared at each other. Sebastian pursed his lips. He stepped over and looked at the Void ball. “If all the placements are in the right order, then it should be efficient enough,” he said. “But are you sure you want a maximally efficient channel? With the size of this thing, that much energy flowing into something unmitigated is going to be pretty rough.”

Aung shrugged. “Good point. Now that you mention it, the human body probably couldn’t take a current of that magnitude, could they?”

“What are you planning on doing with such a large amount of energy, anyway?” he looked at the contraptions, not unlike the cryopods he had woken up from. The human body probably couldn’t take a current of that magnitude. “Wait. Don’t tell me…” he looked up at her.

Aung grinned. “My magnum opus,” she said. “The third generation of Tenno.”

 

“Got room for one more?” The field officer looked up at Koda as he stood over him with a tray of food.

Torres shook his head, scooting over. “Certainly,” he said, and Koda sat down beside him. The two ate in silence for a few minutes.

“Where were you during the fight?” Koda asked.

“Engine room,” Torres said. “You have some crazy new additions to your team.”

“Crazy is the right word,” Koda said, thinking of Nadia, Rose and Sebastian. “Didn’t give you much of a chance to fight, huh?”

“That’s fine by me,” Torres said. “I don’t welcome a second chance to get my face blown off.” He shifted his gaze over to the ashes on Koda’s shoulder. “Are those still…Rilla’s?”

Koda glanced down. “They’re in there, somewhere.”

Torres stared at the flickering embers. “They all just went off like she did, doing something stupidly heroic or crazy. And then there’s me, somehow surviving through it all. Is it…because I’m a coward? Is it because I’m too weak?” the hand gripping his fork shook. “All of them should be officers. Rilla most of all, yet they’re all gone, and I’m the one with the mark on my lapel.”

Koda put another spoonful of food into his mouth, looking out at the hall. He saw the table where he had first met Torres, and Rilla. “You’re strong, Torres. That’s why you’re here.”

Torres bowed his head. “Does that mean the others were weak? That Rilla was…?”

Koda chewed slowly. Finally, he set down his fork. “Many of the classmates I knew were strong, too.” He pictured Hayden in his mind. “But being strong isn’t enough. You have to be lucky. That’s what we had that they didn’t. Just sheer, dumb luck.”

“That’s not a healthy thing to rely on,” Torres said, giving a small laugh.

“Probably not,” Koda said. “But we don’t really have much other choice. Past a certain point, we can only be so much stronger. After that, it’s out of our hands.”

Torres took a long draught out of his cup. “You’ve certainly changed, haven’t you?” he said. “I don’t think the one who smashed my face in 2 years ago would’ve said the same thing.”

“I haven’t changed at all,” Koda said. “I’ve just been thinking a lot, recently.” He scooped up another spoonful. “And that doesn’t mean strength counts for nothing. At the very least, I know I’m nowhere near my limit.” His grip tightened on the utensil.

“By the Void,” Torres gasped, and Koda looked up to see Melody enter the mess hall with Rose. “What…”

“That’s Melody Chang. She’s one of us.” Koda watched the two girls sit down at another table with filled with Legionnaires, who seemed receptive to a cheerful and animated Rose.

“How did I not notice her before?” Torres stroked his chin. “She looks almost exactly like Rilla.”

“It is uncanny,” Koda said.

Torres looked at Koda. “By any chance, are you and her…?”

Melody noticed she was being watched, and Koda quickly focused on his plate, finishing the last of his meal. “They may look alike, but they’re completely different people.”

Torres raised an eyebrow and gave a slight grin. “That doesn’t answer my question.”

The Tenno stood up to go. “Wouldn’t dream of it.” With that, he left the field officer alone.

 

Nadia found Miyoko staring at a holopad in the model Warden’s office. “Getting ready for the meeting?”

“Yes,” Miyoko said, not turning in her direction.

“Anything you need me to do?”

“Just to review the information,” Miyoko said. “How do you find the Nyx armor?”

“It performs well,” Nadia said, coming alongside Miyoko. “It’s going to take a lot of getting used to, however, I still need to…”

Her voice drifted off as she saw the hollow look on Miyoko’s face. Nadia’s gaze darted to the holopad. On the screen was a footage she had only seen once before and had resolved to never see again. It was footage of the Aphrodite’s final moments, the massive fireball playing frame by frame.

“Miyoko,” Nadia said, “What are you doing?”

Miyoko finally tore her gaze away and looked at Nadia. There were bags under her slightly reddened eyes. “I just thought I might be able to see…” she shook her head, closing her eyes. When she opened them, there was a steely look on her face.

She turned back to the holopad and tapped through it. They were looking at a full scale diagram of the Aphrodite. At another tap on the holopad, a large section of the rear half of the ship was illuminated in green, with patches of the front section highlighted in the same way. “This is a real time account of what’s been collected of the Aphrodite from the clean-up operation.”

“The whole front half is missing,” Nadia murmured. “Along with two engines, the main generator core, and…” she closed her eyes. “The cloaking system.”

Miyoko closed the diagram and opened up the footage of the Aphrodite’s explosion. She resumed the footage in slow motion, and the fireball roiled.

Nadia shut her eyes, but Miyoko touched her hand. “Look,” she said, pointing to the edge of the screen, away from the explosion.

To the untrained eye, it was another blank patch of space. But just barely detectable and catching the light of the blast was the faint trace of a Void ripple.

Nadia swallowed hard, looking at the paused footage. “So that’s how,” she whispered. “The Aphrodite is still out there.”

“Nadia,” Miyoko said, her voice distant. Her gaze had shifted from the ripple to the explosion itself. “He’s not…coming back, is he?”

Nadia forced herself to turn to her. She took a deep breath. “No, Miyoko. He’s not.”

“Not even if I become what he wanted me to be,” Miyoko said, “No, even if I became a greater leader than he was, he won’t…” Something seemed to leave her body as her shoulders sunk. “I can’t do this, Nadia.”

Nadia leaned down next to her. “Do what?”

Miyoko shook her head. Though she looked on the verge of tears, her eyes remained dry. “I’ve lied to the legionnaires about Hayden. I hid the fact that I was attacking the wormship on my own. Kat, and Victoria…I was too harsh with them yesterday.” She pressed a fist against her forehead. “Aldrich said that my father would’ve been proud of me, but I…don’t think so. And Hayden, he wouldn’t be either.” Miyoko said.

Nadia pursed her lips. “Miyoko, you’re doing the best you can.”

“It’s not enough,” Miyoko said. “I don’t know how Hayden made it seem so…natural.”

Nadia let out a breath. She drew up a chair closer to them and sat next to her. “You know, you’re making it look pretty natural, too,” she said. “And no one is expecting you to be perfect.”

“But I have to be perfect,” Miyoko said.

Nadia laughed. Miyoko blinked and looked at her. “What?”

“You see, you’re doing just fine,” Nadia said, her laughter fading. “Back in the academy, Hayden said the exact same thing.” She put a hand on Miyoko’s shoulder. “We’re all just trying to do the right thing here. Do just that, and no one will blame you.”

“But I did the wrong thing,” Miyoko said. “I shouldn’t have been dishonest with you all.”

“Then what do you think the right thing to do now is?” Nadia said.

The door opened. Ford, Teshin, and General Aldrich stepped in. “Ready to begin the meeting?” Ford said.

“Yes, Lotus,” Miyoko said, standing up.

The remaining Tenno entered after them, with the exception of Gregor, Darren and Jolla. Miyoko waited until everyone took their seats. The faces before her were a mix of emotions, but unease was on none of them. What do you think the right thing to do now is?

Miyoko dipped her head. “Greetings, everyone. We will be summarizing our findings since the attack, and what the implications are for our operation. But first, before that, there’s something I would like to say to you all.” She looked up. “I’m sorry.”

There was quiet from the room. Finally, Jason waved his hand. “Don’t worry about it, Miyoko. Just keep us in the loop.”

She smiled. “I will. Now, let’s get down to the issue at hand.”

 

When she finished the results, the looks on everyone’s face were a lot grim.

“So what the hell did Hayden give his life for, anyway?” Koda said. “If this is true, and the Aphrodite escaped, then his sacrifice was pointless.” His fists tightened.

“Not if we can help it,” Miyoko said. “We know where to look for the ship. The infested wormship we encountered earlier is a good indication we’re in the right place.”

“But that means that we’re not only in the middle of enemy territory,” Joul said, “But that there are two factions we have to watch for.”

“Which is why we’ll be more discreet,” Miyoko said. “We’ll be scouting out the surrounding area using our Lisets. Judging from the pattern of Sentient attacks in this region, there are probably more Wormships under the virus’s control. The Aphrodite may be cloaked, but their other ships certainly aren’t. Darren and Jolla have already taken the first patrol.”

She leaned forward, hands on the table. “Our mission is now doubly important. If we continue to let this strain run amok, who knows how long it will be before it spreads to our colonies.”

The Tenno nodded.

“I guess you’re not off the hook, either,” Koda said, giving a cold stare at Aldrich. “Your failed virus is alive and well.”

“And working as intended,” Aldrich replied, pushing his glasses up. “The virus has only been attacking Sentient ships, right? I even ran checks on all the nearby colonies; they haven’t reported any sightings of Aphrodite or any wormships.” He raised an eyebrow. “It doesn’t sound like it’s failing to me.”

“What’s to stop it from attacking us further down the line?” Nadia cut in. “This isn’t something you can control.”

“We’ll keep an eye on the situation as it progresses,” Aldrich says. “But this is an opportunity, more than a threat. The virus is diminishing the strength of the Sentient fleet ship by ship. The Sentients have another enemy to watch out for now.”

Next to Victoria, Roland put a hand to his chin, expression thoughtful.

“The same can be said for us,” Nadia replied. “Unless you think we can negotiate a truce with a sub-sentient virus hell-bent on consuming anything it can get its hands on, we’re in a lot more desperate stakes as well. If it’s been assimilating ships this entire time, then we’re also outnumbered by both factions.”

“But we aren’t outgunned,” Aldrich said, raising an eyebrow at Miyoko. “Are we, Unit Leader?”

Miyoko flicked her gaze to the general. “The general has a point,” she said. “Assuming the virus continues to attack only the Sentients, if we play our cards carefully, then we can use this situation to our advantage.”

Miyoko, Nadia said in her conscience, you can’t be serious. This is the virus that killed Hayden!

“However, General,” Miyoko said, “I would like you to continue to monitor those colonies. If even a single one of them comes under attack, then they will have to be destroyed immediately. We may even have to call in reinforcements, and that will put the larger Sentient force only further on edge. In the meantime, we will do our best to ascertain the location of these assimilated wormships and watch their movements carefully.” She briefly turned her gaze to Nadia. We’ll discuss this later.

The general raised his head higher. “It will be done, Unit Leader.”

Koda and Nadia exchanged looks. She shrugged, and Koda sighed and slouched further into his seat.

“What about Gregor?” Jason said. “Have we learned anything about his condition?”

Nadia rose. “We have,” she said. She gave a cautious glance at Kat. The girl nodded.

Nadia closed her eyes and picked up Miyoko’s holopad. “According to Victoria’s abilities, Gregor is completely healed.”

“He didn’t seem completely healed to me,” Jason said.

She nodded. “Just because her powers say so doesn’t mean that’s the case.”

“Then what the hell is happening to him?” Jason’s voice rose.

Nadia held up a hand patiently. “It’s complicated. A scan of Gregor’s bloodstream revealed pieces of Technocyte. We suspect it must’ve entered his body through the wound caused by the Nemesis variant.” With a few taps, she opened up a microscopic image. Among the blood cells flooding the picture, a few, dark brown shapes were scattered.

“Then he’s becoming infected?” Rose gasped.

“Unlike in most other victims, the amount of Technocyte is much lower,” Nadia said. “However, the type of Technocyte is different as well. The cellular structure of the virus particles resemble that of the ones found in neurodes, a rare form of Technocyte tissue that can conduct Void energy.”

“So is that why Victoria’s abilities can’t heal him?” Miyoko asked.

Nadia shrugged. “We think so.”

“So that’s it, then,” Jason said, hands shaking. “There’s nothing we can do for him, and he’s going to become a zombie?”

“My guess is not, but—”

“We can’t afford to make @(*()$ guesses here!” Jason banged his fist on the table. “This is Gregor we’re talking about, we can’t…”

“Jason,” Nadia said. “Listen to me. I don’t think Gregor is being affected by the Virus.”

Jason blinked. “What do you mean?”

“I ran a mental scan on his conscience. His thought pattern and afflictions aren’t mirroring other victims of the Technocyte. There seemed to be no impulses trying to take control over his body. In fact, at the time I was scanning him, he seemed perfectly fine.”

“Then how do you explain his breakdown?” Joul said.

Nadia closed her eyes. “Gregor’s symptoms don’t seem caused by the Technocyte virus. His symptoms seem to be something closer to what happens under my abilities.”

There was silence. “What does that mean?” Joul said. “You’re not doing anything to him, right?”

“No,” Nadia said. “It’s not me. It’s probably…the Nemesis prototype.”

“What?” Jason stood up. “But Gregor killed it. We saw the feed from his helmet!”

“We also thought we saw the Aphrodite’s destruction, but that wasn’t the case, either,” Nadia said.

“But how does the prototype have your abilities?” Miyoko said.

“I can maybe answer that,” Sebastian said, looking uncomfortable. They looked at him.

He shrugged. “I was looking into the prototypes a while ago. Compared to the current models, they had enormous quantities of Neurodes in them. That’s partially what made them so…uncontrollable. What gave them consciences of their own. And further, Neurode cells are highly capable of storing Void energy for long periods of time. Given the combination of sentient thought and the capacity for Void storage…”

“The Nemesis variant not only channeled my powers,” Nadia said. “It absorbed them.”

Sebastian nodded. “From there, it replicated its cells and spread the stored energy across its different parts.”

“So those Neurodes inside the Gregor’s body are parts of Nemesis,” Koda said. “It’s…inside him.”

“So how do we get it out?” Jason said, a horrified look on his face.

“We still don’t know,” Nadia said. “It would be extremely difficult to take out the cells from his bloodstream.”

“So at the moment, we have no recourse,” Miyoko said.

“Sebastian will look into the matter further, but yes,” Nadia said. “For now, Gregor is effectively incapacitated.”

 

Gregor sat on the bed, staring at his hands. He closed his eyes and took a breath.

When he opened them, his fingers were dripping with blood.

He cried out and stumbled back, but just as quickly they were clean again. Whisperings drifted into his head. It was starting again. Gregor, a voice said. More joined in, calling his name. They were mournful tones, happy tones, malicious tones. Gregor. Gregor.

 

“No,” he said, hands clutching his skull. “No…”

“Gregor.” He opened his eyes. Kat was kneeling in front of him.

His grip loosened. “Kat.”

“Are you okay?” she said.

An involuntary laugh left his lips. “No. I’m pretty far from okay,” he said, giving a bitter smile. “How did the meeting go?”

Kat opened her mouth. “It went well,” she said. “We have a pretty good grasp of the situation now. Miyoko has everything under control. They know what’s wrong with you, and they’ll have a cure soon.” She gave him a reassuring smile.

Gregor smiled back. “You know, you make it difficult, but I’m starting to get the hang of it,” he said, “Figuring out when you’re lying.”

Her smile faded. “I spent all of my time at the academy working on that,” she said.

“Well, I’ve known you all that time,” he said, leaning back onto the bed. He put an arm on his forehead. “I’m off the roster, aren’t I?” he said. “I’m…useless right now.”

Kat sat on the bed. “Sebastian and Nadia are figuring it out,” she said. “I’m sure they’ll be able to find something.”

Gregor sighed. “Gosh, I was getting excited and all,” he muttered. “We only just got here, and I’m sidelined already.”

Kat looked sadly at him.

Gregor grinned. “I’ll be alright. You should get to training, Kat. Don’t worry too much about me.”

She fiddled. “Gregor, are you—”

“I saw the footage of you fighting yesterday,” he said. “You were good, but you need to get better. As soon as all of this clears away, you and I are going one on one, just powers, no Warframes, no weapons. You better be ready to give me a good fight.”

She gave a sad smile. “Alright.” She stood up and started to the door. “Get some sleep,” she said over her shoulder.

“I’ll try,” he said. The doors closed behind her. “I’ll try.”

He closed his eyes. Gregor. Gregor.

A long breath left his lips. A shaking hand went to cover his eyes. “It’s going to be a long night, isn’t it?” he said, tears slipping out from his fingers.

 

“Enter,” Miyoko’s voice said at Koda’s knock.

Koda took a breath before keying the door open.

Miyoko and Nadia’s room was darkened, a lone light shining from Miyoko’s holopad on the desk before her.

He paused in the doorway, still figuring out what he wanted to say.

“Are you here to scold me again, Koda?” Miyoko said, still focused on the holopad.

Koda raised an eyebrow. “I didn’t know magnetic abilities gave you eyes on the back of your head.”

“Not exactly,” Miyoko replied. “But in addition the magnetic poles in your bones, I can also feel the ones in your wristblades. Also, the room started smelling like smoke.” She closed the holopad and touched a command on the desk, turning on the lights in the room. “What can I help you with, Koda?” she asked, turning her chair.

Koda scratched his head. “I was coming to apologize.” He sighed. “I saw you fight. You didn’t need anyone’s help on that ship.”

Miyoko shrugged. “It was a mutual thing. I should have told you that I was going on my own.”

He pursed his lips. “If you did, then I probably would’ve stopped you.”

“And if you did that, I should’ve been forceful enough to order you not to,” Miyoko replied. “Besides, I was certain Joul would be the one, because you would’ve stayed behind to make sure the others were safe and sound, particularly some of the second generation.” She raised her eyebrows, a smile short of a knowing look on her face.

Koda bowed his head. “I was wrong about her. Wrong about all of you.”

Miyoko nodded. Absentmindedly, she leaned on the desk, fingers on her cheek tracing her scar. “Are you wondering if you were wrong about Rilla, too?”

Koda started. “What makes you say that?”

Miyoko tilted her head. “She and Melody certainly are different, but I think you’re attracted to a shared trait between them.” She paused. “Sorry. I didn’t mean it like that.”

Koda looked away. “No problem.”

She stared at her desk. “I didn’t know her as well as you, but I think Rilla could’ve been a Tenno,” she said.

Koda turned. “What makes you say that?”

“Just a hunch,” Miyoko said.

He snorted. “You’re quite cruel, Miyoko,” he said, “Telling me something like that now.”

“It’s what you wanted to know, isn’t it?” she said. “Remember, I won’t hide things from you anymore.”

A beep sounded on Miyoko’s bedside panel. “Miyoko, Darren and Jolla found something on their patrol,” Ford said.

The two Tenno exchanged glances. “Copy that, Lotus,” Miyoko said. “What exactly did they find?”

“Well, the data is coming in, but I’m running extra diagnostics to be sure. It may even be another ship.”

“Another ship?” Miyoko stepped towards the panel. “Lotus, what is it?”

There was a pause before Ford spoke. “They told me that they’ve found the Aphrodite."

 

CH. 47: UNRAVELLED

Spoiler

The Tenno were all gathered in the briefing room when Miyoko and Koda arrived. Darren and Jolla were still in their Warframes, helmets placed before them. “What do we know?” Miyoko said to Ford, seated next to Aldrich and Teshin.

The colonel looked to Darren. He pulled out a holopad and tapped on it, an image appearing on the screen at the end of the room. “Not much to say. It was just there, uncloaked.”

The remains of the Aphrodite looked part ship and part animal. Tissue stretched across the front half’s hull. What made up the rest of the infested cruiser was a mass of tendrils, bundled together like the tail of some Uranian deep sea creature. It split at the end to wrap around the two salvaged and inactive engines.

“The Technocyte really has its own aesthetic going, don’t they?” Jason muttered.

“Did you detect any wormships in the area, infested or otherwise?” Miyoko said.

“No,” Jolla said. “It was alone. We didn’t get too close to it, but we made sure to check out nearby areas as well. Didn’t find anything.”

“Then maybe there’s no Technocyte fleet,” Joul said. “They could be on their own.”

“I doubt that,” Nadia said. “There are too many unknowns. We know that it’s capable of cloaking, and we have no reason to believe it wouldn’t be now, and acting like a sitting duck to boot.”

“Does anyone have a good guess, then?” Jason said. “Maybe they want to let us know they’re available, so we can waltz over for tea and bullets.”

Darren shook his head. “This is definitely a trap.”

“Miyoko?” Nadia looked at her.

Miyoko shook her head. “I agree with Darren, but we need more information.”

“How are we going get it?” Jolla said. “You want us to go in there and take a look around?”

“No, before that.”

“What, you got their comm line or something?” Jason said.

“We have something better.” She looked at Nadia. Realization dawned on the other girl’s face.

Nadia nodded. “You can count on me.”

“Sorry,” Miyoko said. “I wouldn’t ask you if we had another choice.”

“Don’t worry,” Nadia said. Her hands tightened into fists on the table. “It won’t get the better of me a second time.”

“You guys mind letting us in on what you’re talking about?” Koda said.

The two girls looked at him. “We’re not tapping into their comms,” Nadia said. “We’re going straight into that Nemesis variant’s mind.”

Koda raised his eyebrows. “Is that a safe thing to do?”

“Reasonably so,” Nadia replied, “Although it won’t be pleasant. The neurode concentration in the fragment is relatively weak, it doesn’t have enough strength to fight back if I even apply an ounce of pressure to it.”

“What’s to say it will cooperate with us?” Darren said.

“Leave that to us,” Miyoko said. “Once we gather some information, however, we will infiltrate the Aphrodite. Trap or no, we can’t afford to pass an opportunity like this.” She looked at Ford, who nodded.

“With what purpose are you planning to approach this ship?” Teshin said. “For reconnaissance efforts, or sabotage?”

“It will depend on what information we get,” Miyoko said. “If it seems like the right opportunity, then I would be inclined on destroying it.”

Aldrich cleared his throat. “I would advise against that,” he said. “If the Technocyte have amassed a fleet, then the Aphrodite is likely their flagship. Destroying it will risk retaliation against us.”

“That’s what we want, isn’t it?” Koda said.

“Perhaps not,” Roland spoke up. He was looking down at the table. “What if there’s a reason they’re not attacking imperial colonies?”

The room went quiet as they turned to him. “You think there’s a method to their madness?” Jason said.

“There just might be,” Nadia murmured. “If the Nemesis variant is at their head, then there may just be some sanity behind their movements. Making sure they don’t piss off both the Sentients and the Empire is a pretty tactical decision.” She looked at Aldrich, then at Roland. “It may be possible.”

“Then if that’s the case, perhaps this is more an invitation to talk rather than some sort of trap,” Roland pressed.

“I wouldn’t go that far,” Nadia said. “From my conversation with the Nemesis variant earlier, she didn’t seem too friendly.”

“Our interrogation will determine if that’s true or not,” Miyoko said. She raised her head. “Koda, Joul, you’ll monitor the Aphrodite’s movements for the now. Cell 2, remain on standby and get ready to fly out at a moment’s notice. We’ll get Nemesis to clarify this situation, and from there, be ready to settle this issue, in whatever way that may be.”

 

Victoria waited as the Tenno filed out of the meeting one by one. Aldrich and Teshin had departed already, but Ford was seated at her chair, still reading a report. It was clear she wasn’t going to leave soon.

Miyoko was speaking with Nadia at the end of the table. Her mentor’s gaze drifted over to her before moving back to Nadia. The Tenno leader put a hand on Nadia’s shoulder, and the other girl nodded, turning to go. The psychic Tenno gave a quick smile at Victoria before leaving.

The healer waited until Nadia was out of the room, looked at the still preoccupied Ford, then squared her shoulders, stepping forward. “Miyoko?” she asked. “What should the second generation be doing?”

“Continue to train yourselves. Unless there’s a development, most of us should be preparing for the coming battle,” Miyoko said, checking the holopad in her hand.

“I see.” She stayed in her chair, watching Miyoko scroll through the device.

Victoria sighed. “Miyoko, I—”

“I’m sorry, Victoria,” Miyoko said, setting the holopad down. “I shouldn’t have been so harsh with you.”

The pupil hesitated. “You had every right to.”

“Just because I had every right to doesn’t mean it was the right thing to do,” Miyoko said. She looked at Victoria. Like Nadia, the healer could see the tired look in Miyoko’s eyes. “I let my emotions get the better of me. In that light, I was being a hypocrite.”

Victoria shook her head. “You don’t need to apologize to me, I…” she remembered Roland saying much the same thing to her, and she lowered her head. “Please, don’t worry about it,” she murmured. “Thanks to you, I’m on the right path now.”

Miyoko blinked. “What do you mean?”

Victoria gave a small smile. She recounted the day’s events, starting in the cargo bay and ending with her talk with Roland and Morgan. “I was able to overcome my weaknesses,” Victoria said. “And now, my relationship with Morgan and Roland is stronger than ever.” She closed her eyes. “After the battle, when you…told me that I knew what went wrong, you were telling me to fix it, weren’t you? So I did.”

Miyoko stared at her. “Victoria,” she said, “I left it to you to do what you thought was right. You made the decision yourself. The reason why I said nothing to you was because I had faith that you would do the right thing, whether that was confronting your feelings or otherwise.” She clasped Victoria’s hands. “Don’t let me discount from what you did yourself.”

Victoria’s mouth hung slightly open, then a giggle escaped her lips. “Even now, I’m just continuing to make a fool of myself, aren’t I?” she said. “And here I thought I was good at figuring people out, figuring myself out.”

“You should get used to that,” Miyoko said. She looked at the image of the Aphrodite on the screen. “I thought that, after Hayden, I had to completely change who I am, and let my old self go. But I don’t think that way anymore. I just needed to be a stronger version of who I really was.” She turned back to Victoria. “And I think the same is true for you now.” She titled her head. “Of course, you are the judge of that.”

Victoria smiled. “I think I’ve made my decision,” she said. She bowed, then turned to leave.

Miyoko stared at the door after it closed. “I just want to ask,” she said, “Why you’ve been unusually silent, these past few days.” She turned to Ford.

Ford set down her own device. “I’ll speak when I need to, and I haven’t found a need yet,” she said, smiling. “You’re doing a splendid job, Miyoko.”

“I’m getting by,” Miyoko said, sitting down in the chair across from her.

“You’re doing more than that,” Ford said, leaning forward. “You said it yourself, the type of leader you are called to be is different from the one Hayden was. There is no single right way to lead, and you’re finding your own way.”

Miyoko stared at the table’s surface. “Lotus,” she said. “Do you wish, that, instead of Hayden, I had—”

“Miyoko.” Ford shook her head. “There’s no point in thinking about such things.”

Miyoko nodded, then let the moment fall silent. “You know, I wouldn’t mind it,” she said. “If it had been me. It’s just been…” her hands began to shake. “Just been so lonely.” She bowed her head and squeezed her eyes shut.

A hand touched her cheek. “Why don’t you cry, Miyoko?” Ford said softly beside her.

“I have to be strong for them,” she said. “Vulnerability is not a luxury I can afford.”

“Not even for yourself?” Ford said. “It’s understandable you wouldn’t want them to see you like this. But it’s okay to let yourself know you are grieving.” She closed her eyes and remembered her own shed tears in Teshin’s garden.

“I know. I know that,” Miyoko said. “And yet…it feels like, something’s missing. Like the moment hasn’t come yet, for my tears.”

“When will that moment be?” Ford said. “When the war ends? When you are no longer the leader of the Tenno?”

“No,” Miyoko said. “Something…something else. At least, when this Technocyte issue is put to rest.” She straightened, and once more her eyes were clear and focused. Ford could see Hayden in her more clearly than ever. “I’ll know when that day comes. Until then, I will be the leader that the Tenno need me to be.” She looked at the colonel.

Ford dipped her head. “Then I will always be here, should you need me, Miyoko.”

The officer rose and left the room. A strong girl. Frighteningly strong. She stopped in the hallway.

But I hope that day comes soon for her. She won’t last without it.

 

In his office, General Aldrich was examining the image of the Aphrodite. His clasped hands were pressed against his lips, gaze darting across the information next to the image.

“Troubling,” he muttered.

There was a knock at the door, and he looked up at it, brow furrowed. “Enter,” he said, raising his voice.

Roland White stepped into the room. “Greetings, General,” he said hesitantly. “Are you preoccupied, at the moment?”

Aldrich settled his raised eyebrows and shook his head. “Not at all, Tenno White. Please, take a seat.” He beckoned to the chair in front of his desk. “What can I help you with?”

The boy’s movements seemed hesitant as he pulled the chair back and set himself down.  “General, do you believe there’s such thing as a right or wrong?”

Aldrich cocked his head. “What do you ask me that for, Tenno White?”

He leaned forward. “You seem to go by a code that is much more different from the Tenno’s,” he said. “But it’s not the same as the Order’s, either.”

Aldrich tapped his finger on the table. “And you ask me for my code, because you have none of your own?” he said. At Roland’s start, the general closed his holopad. “I’ve read reports on each and every one of you. I know what you’ve gone through, Tenno White.”

Roland nodded. “I used to have one,” he said. “But…it can no longer pass muster to what I’ve experienced. I guess you could say…I’ve just been looking around for one.”

Aldrich folded one leg over his knee. “And why is the Tenno code not as agreeable?”

Roland nodded. “I used to agree with it. The Tenno pursue honor and the Empire above all else, and I did too. But…it was also my pursuit of that honor that led me to…” His voice trailed off.

“What if I have a poor code?” Aldrich suggested. “You’re making yourself awfully vulnerable, Tenno. If you’re not careful, someone will take your for a ride.”

The Tenno looked up, thinking. “I’m aware of that. But if I stand for nothing, then I’ll be taken for a ride by everyone.” He met his gaze. “If you’re going to manipulate me, general, so be it.”

“Even if I may lead you against the Empire?” Aldrich said.

Roland narrowed his eyes. “General, I only have one guiding principle. I stand for my friends. From there, lead me wherever you wish.”

Aldrich looked at him. “Of course there’s right and wrong,” he said. “As surely as there is the Empire and the Sentients.”

Roland nodded. “Then you believe us to be the right, and the Sentients to be the wrong?”

“Of course not,” Aldrich said, and Roland looked at him, surprised. Aldrich stood up. “Do you know the origin of the Sentients, Tenno White?”

Roland shook his head. “No, sir.”

“They were once a project of the Empire. Long before the Order was created, a different group of scientists sought to colonize the nearby Tau system. The earliest forms of Sentients were sent to colonize the area ahead of us, then to be cast aside once they had prepared everything for us. As you can guess, their carefully developed autonomy backfired.”

Roland’s eyes widened. “Then…we were the ones who started this war?”

Aldrich nodded. “The Sentients are only retaliating against their oppressors, you could say.”

“And if that’s the case, then they are justified in this war,” Roland said.

“Not so.” Aldrich tented his fingers. “Personally, I don’t find their past that much important any more. Their exact motives are unclear, but total domination of the Empire is not out of the question. Don’t think them to be paragons of virtue. They’ve killed billions of innocent colonists. It would’ve been reasonable to think that they should’ve stayed in the Tau system and each faction would’ve left the other alone.” He raised his eyebrow at Roland. “Would you say it would be wrong of us to fight back against them?”

Roland shook his head. “No, general.”

“There is a right and a wrong,” Aldrich said. “But it is not always easy to discern one from the other.” He brought up a holopad. “You, of all of the Tenno, know that better than anyone, don’t you?” he pursed his lips. “Tell me, then, can you easily tell which faction is in the right?”

“It’s impossible,” Roland said. “They have their reasons, and we have ours. After saying all of that, how can you really say that there’s still right and wrong? How can you be certain?”

Aldrich smirked. “Tenno White, no one but a god can judge anything with certainty.”

Roland blinked. “Then…why should you even try?”

Aldrich smiled, an expression bordering between condescension and humor. “Because there is one thing, above all else, that is truly wrong. And that is forsaking your duty to determine what you will stand by and what you will oppose.” He tilted his head. “And I think following your duty is something both the Order and the Tenno stand by, isn’t it?”

Roland gave a quite intake of breath. He remained silent, staring at his lap. “I think I understand,” he said.

The general shrugged. “Take some time to think it over, if you don’t believe me.”

“No, I…thank you, general.” The Tenno stood up and bowed low. “Should you need anything, I’ll be in your service.”

“I’ll take it gladly,” Aldrich said.

Roland rose and nodded. “I’ll leave you to your work then, sir.”

“And I to you.” Aldrich waited until the door closed. He shook his head, smiling. “Finally, someone useful,” he said.

 

Nadia sat in a chair placed in the middle of the training room, patiently ignoring the torrent of foreign thoughts in her head. Binds on her arms and legs secured her to the chair. In her hands was the fragment of the Nemesis helmet.

Miyoko stood in front of her, looking worried. “Are you really sure you couldn’t just project her into my mind?” she said.

Nadia shook her head. “I don’t want to risk it. I have more experience dealing with an invading conscience. Besides, if one of us loses it, it had better be me.”

Miyoko sighed. She met her gaze. “Are you ready?”

“As I’ll ever be,” Nadia said, smiling. “Don’t worry, it’ll be fine.” She leaned her head forward, easing the helmet onto her head through her restricted reach. She leaned back, settling into the chair. Through the crack on the visage, Miyoko watched the Tenno’s eye widen, then relax.

A giggle escaped Nadia’s lips. “You continue to surprise me, girl,” Nemesis said through Nadia’s voice. An impish grin slid onto her face under the crack. “Desperate enough to put your own subordinates at risk?” She looked down at the chains. “Kinky. I didn’t know you were into this.”

Miyoko folded her arms, eyes narrowed. “I’m confident in Nadia’s ability to keep you in check, but she was insistent on a few precautions.”

“Such a careful child,” Nemesis said. “She could stand to take herself a little less seriously.” She giggled again. “Did you know, she forced herself to be straight-laced in order to warm up to Hayden?”

Shut your mouth, creature, Nadia said through both consciences.

Nemesis tilted her head from side to side in a slow, relaxed manner. “Oh, but I thought you wanted me to talk. Surely you want to know why the Aphrodite is sitting there in plain sight.”

There was a pause from the two Tenno. “I appreciate your willingness to cut to the point,” Miyoko said.

Nemesis laughed. “Well, that’s as close to the point as I’m willing to go. No, see, I’m just here to play with you.” She cocked her head in a playful manner. “I’m not letting the sacrifice of my brethren in the Tower go to waste.”

It seems that’s what you’re doing, given you’re wide open to us. What’s to say that we haven’t sent a force to take out what’s left of your spawn inside that ship?

“Because Miss Unit Leader here isn’t as rash as you, little Nadia,” Nemesis said. “You know we’ve got something up our sleeve, but I won’t deign to say what it is.”

“Then perhaps I can tease out a different question for you,” Miyoko said. “Why have you only been attacking Sentient ships, and not intruded into the Empire?”

“Wouldn’t you like to know,” Nemesis said, inspecting the steel binds and giving them a light rattle against the chair. “I don’t really think I have any obligation to answer that question, either.”

“You don’t,” Miyoko said. “I was just hoping you’d have something more tangible for us, but we already came here with the intention to destroy every last wormship we find. An extra Technocyte cruiser shouldn’t be too much of a hassle. No matter how many you’ve assimilated to your cause, they’re no match for the Tenno.” She tilted her head. “Who knows, maybe I’m feeling a little rash today.”

Nemesis tilted Nadia’s head back and laughed, echoing in the hollow room. Then, without warning, her head snapped back, the eye glaring menacingly at Miyoko. “You think you’re such hot S#&$, don’t you?” it said, teeth bared.

Miyoko. Be careful, Nadia warned her.

“Do I?” Miyoko replied, face unchanged.

A hostile smile wormed its way through the crack. “See, that’s exactly what I’m talking about. I know your conversations with Nadia. You really think that now that Hayden’s gone, there’s nothing left that you should be afraid of?” It clenched its hands, tugging against the metal binds. “You’re wrong.” The thin limbs of the chair began to creak against the strain.

It’s unstable, Miyoko, I’m going to take over.

No, not yet, Miyoko replied back. This is what we want. To Nemesis, she said, “Then what should I be afraid of? You?”

Nemesis was quiet. “You think you’ve had your last nightmare?” it said. “Your nightmare is just beginning.”

With a snarl it broke free, ripping the binds from the chair and leaping towards Miyoko. The Tenno raised her arms, magnetizing the binds and holding the Technocyte-controlled girl in midair.

“So far, you’ve given me no indication that anything you’re capable of conjuring is something to be afraid of,” Miyoko said.

“Then you’re even more naïve than I thought,” Nemesis hissed. “Soon, you will see. And when you do, I promise you, you will know despair!” She said the last word with particular virulence.

Miyoko released the girl, who collapsed to the ground on all fours, seething. “We’re done here, Nadia.”

Nemesis gave a primal scream and launched itself at Miyoko once more. Midway through the lunge, she gasped as her eyes went wide, then rolled into the back of her head. Miyoko caught the girl as she went limp, the Nemesis helmet tumbling off her head and over Miyoko’s shoulder.

At first, she was deathly quiet. Then, “You really love to cut it close, don’t you?” Nadia said, putting a hand to her head. “She was about to rip my arms from their sockets just to kill you.”

“Sorry,” Miyoko said, helping Nadia back on her own feet. “I wanted to push it as much as I could. Did you get anything out of her?”

“A bit,” Nadia said. “She lowered her mental blocks just a little when you pissed her off.”

“What did you find?”

Nadia grimaced. “I saw it. Their fleet. A whole host of wormships, infested by the Technocyte.”

Miyoko nodded. “How many?”

“About a dozen, at least. They’ve been busy these past couple of months. They were all spread out across this sector, none of them are close by to the Aphrodite.” Nadia winced, then put a hand to the back of her head. She withdrew it to see blood on her fingers.

“Are you okay?” Miyoko said.

“Yes, it’s just a parting shot, it’s not deep at all.” Nadia said. “It’ll heal on its own.” She looked up at Miyoko. “It’s a small price to pay for the information we got.”

“We’ll see. I was hoping to get more. But at the very least, we have an idea of what we’re up against.” Miyoko looked down at the Nemesis helmet. She magnetized it and floated it upwards, righting it so she stared into its cracked countenance. She reached a hand and touched the surface.

“Your nightmares don’t scare me,” Miyoko said.

A voice screamed through both consciences. NOT MY NIGHTMARES.

Miyoko’s eyes widened and she stepped backwards. Her legs gave way as she dropped into a sitting position. The helmet fell back to the floor. A sizzling sounded, and it began to dissolve into black dust, scattering across the floor until nothing remained.

“Are you alright?” Nadia rushed towards her.

Miyoko was breathing heavily. “Yes, I’m fine,” she said, putting a hand to her head. “She had to get in the last word.”

“What do you think she meant by that?” Nadia said.

“I’m not entirely sure,” Miyoko replied, putting a hand to her head. “But I think that was the last piece of information I needed.”

“For what?”

Miyoko looked at Nadia, a fierce look in her eye. “Something rash.”

 

The three cloaked Lisets sped towards the derelict ship. It had not moved since Darren and Jolla last found it.

“I thought it was ugly from the picture,” Jason remarked in the radio. “But now that I get a better look at it, it’s hideous.”

Two blue markers appeared on their HUD ahead. “There’s Joul and Koda,” Nadia said. The Lisets pulled to a stop in front of the markers, the two Tenno’s actual Lisets still hiding under Void cloaks.

Koda and Joul’s faces appeared in the comms section of their HUDs. “Any developments?” Miyoko asked.

“It’s been quiet,” Joul responded. “Too quiet. Haven’t seen any wormships appear on our radar, either.”

“What’s it look like inside?”

“We ran a scan of the ship,” Koda said. “There are vital signs all over, but it’s hard to tell if they’re separate from the ship. However, according to Lotus, there is a signature that resembles a Warframe located at the bridge.”

There was a collective pause. “Nemesis,” Jason said. “When I get my hands on that thing…”

“Let’s not get hasty,” Miyoko cut in. “Nadia, remain on standby here. Koda, Jason, you’ll recon into the deeper parts of the ship, but head towards the reactor and have an exit plan ready in case we decide to blow this thing. Joul, you and I will check out that signature. I also want you to get us to the evac quickly if things get dicey.”

“Sounds good,” Koda said. “I would prefer dicey.”

“No.” Miyoko shook her head. “We can’t be too reckless about this situation. If we’re able to destroy the ship, so much the better. But until we’re certain that it’s the right thing to do, I don’t want whatever’s on board to know we’re there.”

“Roger,” Nadia said. “Let’s do this.”

Miyoko, Joul, Koda and Jason’s Lisets warbled towards the ship.

 

The grate dropped from the duct and clatter onto the floor below. Miyoko dropped down into a crouch, Braton drawn to scan the storage closet.

“Clear,” she said.

A second grate dropped beside her, and Jason, Joul and Koda landed after her. “Looks like the Technocyte didn’t make this place completely unrecognizable,” Joul muttered.

“Coulda fooled me,” Jason said, looking at the organic tissue pulsing on the ceiling. “It looks like the entire ship is alive.”

“Let’s hope it’s not,” Miyoko said. “Alright. Jason, Koda, make your way to the generators and let us know when you’re in position. Joul and I will investigate the Warframe signature at the bridge.”

“Don’t blow that thing up without telling us,” Joul said.

“No guarantees,” Jason replied.

“Remember, keep it quiet. If you run into any Technocyte, avoid them. If you tip one off, you might end up alerting the entire ship.”

“Copy.” Koda and Jason nodded to each other, their abilities concealing them from view. The door to the closet opened and closed, seemingly for nobody.

The interior of the ship was in a similar state to the storage closet. Technocyte tissue displaced floor plating and crept out of panels on the walls. Strange yellowish swarms floated in circles through the air as Miyoko and Joul silently made their way through the hallways, guided by the flashlights on their weapons.

“What if these things have eyes, just poking out of the walls and stuff?” Joul said. “That was there during the other mission, right?”

“I think it was only because it was close to the core,” Miyoko said. “The main body of the ship probably doesn’t have those kinds of functions.”

“If you say so. But we pretty much have no idea what we’re getting into, do we?” Joul muttered. “I bet not even Coven could’ve imagined something as crazy as this.”

“I don’t think we give this virus the credit it deserves,” Miyoko said. “It has an intelligence to it that we can’t discount. Having a mental clone of Nadia as its leader plays into its favor as well.” She looked at the map on her HUD. “We’re getting close to the bridge.”

“Is it just me,” Joul said, scanning the darkness with his soma, “or have we not seen any…infested…things, on this ship?”

“I’ve noticed it, too,” Miyoko said. “We’re avoiding main hallways, but I would’ve expected patrols or some other enemy presence. Koda, status?”

“Halfway there,” Koda said. “But we haven’t seen a single thing, either.”

“I really don’t like this,” Joul muttered. “They’re up to something.”

“They could all be gathered at the bridge where the signature is, or guarding the core,” Miyoko said. “Be on your guard all the same. Koda, Jason, report immediately if you see any hostiles.”

“Copy that.”

“Miyoko.” Joul’s voice instinctively lowered despite it being fully contained in his helmet. “Do you see that?”

Miyoko followed his levelled soma to a half open doorway, clogged by Technocyte. It revealed a side hallway on the edge of the ship. In the window, illuminated by the faint light of the distant sun, was a human form, prone on the ground. At first, she thought it was dead, but its arms moved faintly.

“Is it infested?” Joul muttered.

“I don’t know,” Miyoko said. The two moved closer.

They could hear it calling faintly. As they approached, words became audible. “Help…” the figure croaked. “Help me…”

“It’s a survivor,” Joul said.

“That shouldn’t be possible,” Miyoko said, “How did he last this long?”

“Is someone out there? I can’t see,” the figure continued. A sticky black mass covered his back and enveloped his legs, trapping him to the floor. The substance had crept over his head and around his eyes, and he blindly flailed his arms again.

A clang sounded behind them. The two Tenno turned, guns levelled. A quieter sound, metal on metal, echoed, then the ship fell silent, save for the trapped man’s pleas.

“Joul, watch my back,” Miyoko said. “I’ll go check the survivor out. Lay low.”

“Be careful,” he muttered, soma still fixed on the source of the noise.

Miyoko approached the door. It was barely wide enough for her to fit through. The man was dressed in what looked like the remains of a Legionnaire uniform. She saw a rifle and helmet a short distance away from him, out of arms reach.

She scanned the room for enemies, then lifted her helmet off and set it beside her. “Hold still,” she said quietly. “I’m going to get you out of here.”

“Help,” the legionnaire repeated, arms desperately grasping at the air. “Help me…”

“Hang on.” She reached out and touched the mass covering his face. It seemed only loosely stuck to him. Carefully, she began peeling it away. “Don’t worry,” she said. “We’re getting you out of here.”

Something white popped out with the mass as she pulled it from his eyes. Then she realized it was his eyes, nerves still poking out of his sockets. She gasped, but the man made no cry of pain.

“Is someone out there?” he muttered, tone exactly the same as before. “I can’t see…”

Miyoko turned back to the other Tenno. “Joul—” but before she could say anything else, the doors gave a groaning sound before slamming shut. From the ceiling, a greyish substance poured out over the door, piling up against it in a thick wall.

Miyoko cursed, jamming her helmet on in time to hear Joul’s voice.

“—iyoko? Miyoko!”

“It’s alright Joul, I’m fine,” she said, turning to inspect the hallway. It remained empty.

She heard electricity crackle on the other side of the blocked doorway, then the strike of a sword. “I can’t get through,” he said. “Stand back, I’ll blast it open.”

“No, you’re going to attract attention to yourself,” she said.

“What’s going on, guys?” Jason aid.

“I’ve been cut off from Joul,” Miyoko said. “The virus has sealed off a doorway.”

“Can you magnetize it open?” Koda asked.

“I would, if it wasn’t for the Technocyte blocking it.”

“Then just tear that off, too!” Jason said.

She looked at the flurry of magnetic moments on the tissue. She followed it up to its point from the ceiling. “It’s not that simple,” she said. “If it were made of several distinct parts, I could pull them apart. But it’s just a single mass, and what’s more, it’s still connected to whatever put it here. It may even be connected to the network of Technocyte throughout this ship, and my powers can’t move something that large.”

“So the bottom line is, you’re trapped?” Nadia said.

“Yes.” Miyoko looked down either end of the hallway. There was no movement beyond. “At any rate, Joul and I are compromised; the virus must know we’re on board. Joul, fall back to the evac point and get ready to leave. I’ll look for an alternate way out. Koda, Jason, continue with your objective, but if you get any indication that they’re on to you, get out of there. And stick together.”

“Roger.”

“Good luck, Miyoko,” Joul said. She watched his icon on the minimap head back the way they came.

Miyoko widened the map on her HUD to scan the entire area. She followed the hallway heading parallel their first path. There was an access point her Liset could reach where she could extract. She started down it, then paused, eyes unconsciously tracing the other way. I can still reach the bridge from here. Should I still try to get to the signature? Or should I just evac, and just let Koda and Jason destroy the ship?

“Help me,” the man repeated numbly, and Miyoko turned to the infested body. She sighed, drawing her sword.

“I bear you no ill will,” she said. “Let me ease your suffering.”

As she raised the blade, the man’s eyeless face turned to her, and his panicked movements settled. There was a sucking sound as one of the eyes dislodged itself from the Technocyte and stuck back into his face. A half smile came to his lips, and she sucked in a breath.

It spoke, voice calm. “Not my nightmares, Miyoko Takahashi.”

Miyoko brought the sword down. The head rolled away from the body, finally free of the Technocyte. She panted heavily.

NOT MY NIGHTMARES. The voice seemed to echo with a will of its own. A series of images flashed through her mind. She realized her hand was shaking. Her head spun, the decapitated legionnaire drifting in and out of focus at her feet.

She steadied her grip, putting the hand to her head. After another moment’s hesitation, she headed in the direction of the bridge.

“Miyoko, where are you going?” Joul said. “Your marker isn’t heading to the extraction zone.” She froze.

“I’m…going to check out the bridge,” she said.

“Are you doing your own thing again?” Koda said. “We don’t know what’s there. The Nemesis armor was able to take down Gregor, and it may have friends this time around.”

“What if it’s not the Nemesis armor?” she almost spoke the words to herself. Her feet seemed to have a will of their own as she made her way closer to the marker on her HUD.

“What? What are you talking about?” Jason said.

Miyoko felt her legs stumble, and she leaned on a wall for support. She closed her eyes. “Jason, Koda, if something happens to me, destroy this ship.”

There was a pause from the others. “Are you crazy?” Koda said. “What the hell is going on over there, Miyoko?”

“Miyoko,” Nadia’s voice said, coolly but cautiously. “What’s wrong?”

“I’m sorry, Nadia,” Miyoko said, trying to still her thudding heartbeat as she continued on, “I didn’t tell you. I…didn’t want to think it was true.”

“That what was true?” Nadia said.

Miyoko made it through the next door, and she arrived at the customary Orokin stairway leading to the bridge. Emotions threatened to overtake her, and this time, she barely had the strength to contain them. “When Nemesis said those last words to me, there was something else, that she showed me in my mind.”

Nadia was silent. “Miyoko, you said it yourself, there’s nothing that they have that can scare you.”

There was a pause. “…no. There is one thing.” Step by step, she made her way up the stairs.

“What? Miyoko, what are you talking about?”

Miyoko stacked up against the bridge door, her breathing heavy and gun pressed to her chest. She gave a small laugh. “You know, I really hope it is just the Nemesis variant in here.”

“Miyoko, you’re not making any sense,” Nadia pressed. “What do you mean? What would they have?”

She took a deep breath. “My worst nightmare wasn’t that Hayden died aboard the Aphrodite.”

There was an intake of breath from the other girl. “No…it can’t be…”

She opened her eyes. “It was that he didn’t.”

Miyoko burst into the room, weapon raised.

The bridge of the Aphrodite looked largely untouched. The stations circled around the captain’s chair in the center of the room, a thin layer of Technocyte spreading across everything except for the windows.

As the door slid shut behind her, the captain’s chair shifted, and Miyoko saw a pair of legs sticking out from the bottom of the seat. It rotated, revealing its occupant.

The once polished white of his armor was now a filthy dark grey color, infestation consuming one side and creeping along the other like pulsing spiderwebs. In place of the missing helmet, a blackened husk covered the head, a twisted horn jutting from the front in a mockery of the original design. Had she not been desperately hoping and fearing for this, had his face not appeared in the vision Nemesis had poisoned her with, she would not have recognized him.

Yet the Excalibur armor could sheathe none but the body of the first Tenno.

She felt her legs weaken, and she dropped to her knees. The Braton clattered to the ground beside her as the tears welled up in her eyes, about to fall. “It is,” she said, “It really is—”

Before she could complete her sentence, a bright azure filled the room, and she could barely make out a gleaming sword cutting through the air in front of her, aiming for her neck.

Hayden…

Across the floor, the Mag helmet bounced and rolled away on the floor, the glass face cracked and broken, light fading from its eye.

“Miyoko?”

“Miyoko!”

 

Don't go away! Story continues on Post #41. Scroll down a bit and you'll find it.

Edited by ROSING
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O_o

As for the man in blankets, he's coming up in the next chapter. And "young man" is exactly the term I was blanking on, lol how could I forget. That will be done.

 

Haha, I really am getting too excited about writing this stuff...I've gotten the urge to write these things every day. While I couldn't be happier that I'm feeling that way, I guess I need to pace myself and be able to take a step back as well!

 

take your time man (or girl) we can be patient, you shouldn't rush art, or it won't be art

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Haha, I really am getting too excited about writing this stuff...I've gotten the urge to write these things every day. While I couldn't be happier that I'm feeling that way, I guess I need to pace myself and be able to take a step back as well!

 

 

The sticky situation comment may have been about Rhino's Iron Skin and Mag's magnetics.

 

But a good way to get through it while you have the inspirati/urge is to write down whatever comes to mind quickly, then going through it afterwards and revising/expanding/changing whatever needs to be to improve upon it.

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The sticky situation comment may have been about Rhino's Iron Skin and Mag's magnetics.

 

But a good way to get through it while you have the inspirati/urge is to write down whatever comes to mind quickly, then going through it afterwards and revising/expanding/changing whatever needs to be to improve upon it.

 

yeah it was..

 

and true, we all have had those moments where you think "I'll remember this later" and instantly regret it

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Ok, putting up a few revisions...I've put up the places I've changed here.

I'll be updating this post with with more revisions as they come.  The next chapter is almost done...look forward to it!

STORY CONTINUES HERE!

CH. 48: RECURRENCE

 

Aung carefully placed the vial of blood inside the container before closing the lid. “Run tests three through nine, Laertes,” she said to the AI controlling the room. 

The cephalon whirred in response. “Complying.” 

She sat down on the chair, sighing. Four days with less than as many hours of sleep were taking their toll. She felt her eyelids close again, and she settled more comfortably in her chair. 

A loud snarl pierced the room. 

Aung’s eyes snapped open and she fell out of her chair. She clutched her arm, a familiar burning sensation starting to intensify, and the growling continued in her ear. It was joined in by yelping and groaning, bestial sounds. Through the noise and searing pain, she jammed her hand into her lab coat and pulled out a case of syringes. Shaking fingers pried it open and plucked one from its slot, popping the cap off the needle. 

She sat up against the cabinet, panting heavily and clutching her chest. Taking a shuddering exhale, she peeled back the sleeve of her coat. 

The grey, metallic Technocyte mass had spread further up her wrist like an obscene gauntlet, throbbing as if it had a life of its own. It was nearly to her hand. Squeezing her eyes shut, she stuck the needle into the vein just before her palm and injected the serum within. As soon as it was empty, she yanked out the syringe and tossed it to the side, gasping out. She put her hands over her ears and shut her eyes, counting in the darkness of her mind while the jungle of sounds continued, all other noise muting into a screeching whine. 

…Eight…nine…ten. 

When she opened her eyes, the sounds had stopped. Only the whirring of machines continued, along with the desperate rhythm of her breathing. The pain in her wrist was fading quickly. 

“Doctor, tests complete, zero positives,” Laertes buzzed, and she started with a yelp, head slamming against the cabinet. A holopad slipped from the surface and bounced off her head. 

“Ow…” Aung massaged the spot, a slight bump where her the device had hit. She sighed. “Pain is proof I’m alive,” she said. “Pain is proof I’m alive.”  

But in her mind, she could remember the Technocyte outbreak in the Order tower. She remembered the screaming infested animal, viciously biting into her arm before she could kill it with her weapon. The mass continued to pulse, like the rise and fall of a slumbering monster's breath. 

The door opened, and she scrambled the pull her sleeve over the wound. She grabbed the case of syringes and stuffed them into her pocket as Sebastian walked in. He stopped, seeing her disheveled appearance against the cabinet and the fallen chair. “Hello, there,” he said. 

“Hi,” she panted. 

He raised an eyebrow. “Something up?” 

She shook her head. “Oh, I just get really passionate about science, you know?” she said. “The tests I was running failed, and I was just taking my anger out.” She punched the cabinet behind her for emphasis, flinching through her smile as pain shot up her arm. 

Sebastian nodded uncertainly, then looked at the test machine. “That for Gregor?” 

“Yes. I tried a few things to clear out the Technocyte, but no luck yet.” She shrugged. “I’m starting to wonder, if it really is just Tenno Sudek’s abilities caused through the Nemesis variant, then maybe the only way to stop the voices is to kill the source.” She got to her feet with a small jump, rubbing the back of her head. 

“Well, from the footage of that thing, I’m not sure taking it down is going to be easy,” Sebastian said. “But are you certain it’s just the variant’s abilities, and not the actual infestation?” 

Aung folded her arms. “I’ve been trying to confirm that. Different strains of the Technocyte work at different speeds. The strain the Nemesis armor has is one I haven’t encountered before. What’s the most interesting is that the composition in his bloodstream are all neurode cells. Generally there should usually be nano spores and plastid concentrations mixed in as well, but there aren’t any.” She picked up the holopad from the ground and held it up. The image on screen displayed a side-by-side comparison of two different blood samples. “See, this one is Tenno Haynes. The squid-like things are the neurodes. This other one is a typical victim. You see the other strangely shaped ones? They’re a lot more common than neurodes. In fact neurodes are rather rare, but the ratio to Tenno Haynes' blood cells is a bit more than is usual.” 

Sebastian leaned forward, studying the images. “Neurodes are usually the most potent, though, aren’t they? So if they’re all that type in his bloodstream…” 

“Perhaps,” Aung said. “It also depends on the molecular composition, the method of infection, so on and so forth.” 

“Well, it’s already been several months since he was technically infected,” Sebastian said, “How long can a person last once they’ve been hit by the virus?” 

Aung took in a breath. “If the strain isn’t very fast acting, they can last for a while. And steps can be taken to slow its effects; we’ve found certain serums that can dull the Technocyte cell replication and activity in the body; I’ve had Tenno Haynes take some just in case, but since he’s gone this long without those…” 

Sebastian pursed his lips. “When you say ‘a while,’ what’s the longest running a person has gone before the virus overtakes them?” 

“Um…” Aung looked up. “About two months, maybe longer than that, if the virus is weak enough and they take the serum regularly.” 

“I see.” Sebastian nodded to himself. “Well, thanks. You know, for an energy specialist, you know an awful lot about the virus.” 

She laughed. “I am a woman of many interests, there anything wrong with that? It does have links to controlling Void energy, so it’s only natural I know as much as I can about it.” 

“Good point.” He walked over to another station piled with his Void orbs and fired up a holopad. “Well, let’s hope for another breakthrough today, huh? Keep up your research and you just might be able to find a cure for it.” 

Aung nodded, dragging the chair from the floor and sitting on it so that her back was turned to him. “It’s what I hope for every day,” she said. 

 

Roland took a deep breath, then resumed the footage. 

In it, the final moments of his duel with Morgan played out. He saw the door open and Victoria burst in. Her eyes widened as she saw them and she doubled her pace, leaping to place herself in between them just as the Void energy in their palms released. 

There was a knock from outside, and he quickly paused the video again, pulling his sheets over it as he rolled out of bed. He smoothed out his uniform as he approached the door, keying it open to reveal Darren. 

“What are you doing here, Roland?” his mentor said.  

Roland tilted his head. “Just reviewing some old vids. Trying to improve my form.” 

“Well, time to put it into practice,” Darren said. “I know you guys have mainly been doing your own thing, but I just wanted to check up on how you’ve been doing.” 

“I appreciate that, let’s head over,” Roland said. He noted the stiffness in his mentor’s shoulders, present ever since the other first generation Tenno had departed for the Aphrodite. “How are things?”  

Darren gave a quick glance around the hallway before beckoning Roland to follow. “Miyoko and the rest should be there by now,” Darren said in a low voice. “They’ll let us know if they run into any trouble.” 

Roland gave him a sidelong glance. “So, are they planning to…?” 

Darren nodded. “They’ll destroy it if they get the opportunity.” 

“What?” Roland said. “But—” 

“If we come under attack for it, then we’ll be ready. But we can’t afford to risk letting this thing go unchecked,” Darren said. “Not while there’s a chance it could be unleashed on the colonies.” 

“What would it take for them not to destroy it?” Roland said. 

“Honestly, I can’t think of anything,” Darren said. “And if it were up to me, I’d say get rid of it no matter what.” 

Roland opened his mouth, then closed it. “Does the Lotus or General Thames know about this?” 

“Lotus, yes. Thames? No. We’re operating on our own for this one.” 

“Is that the right thing to do?” Roland said. 

Darren stopped and looked at him. “Roland, I don’t trust Thames. Whatever he wants, he’s not looking out for us or the Empire.” 

Roland tilted his head. “How can you be so sure?”  

A look of irritation flashed across Darren’s face. “He’s with the Order. On principle, it’s a good idea to not trust any of them.” 

“We trust Lotus,” Roland said. 

“Lotus is different,” Darren said. 

Roland shook his head. “Darren, I—” 

“Darren!” Jolla appeared down the hallway. “Get to the hangar, now!” 

“What’s up?” Darren said. 

Tears were streaking down Jolla’s face. “They just got back...without Miyoko.” 

 

An hour earlier, Nadia banged her fist against the Liset controls, eyes glued to the bridge of the Aphrodite. The infestation had crept over in an opaque film, rendering it impossible to see what had just occurred before Miyoko had disappeared from the communication channel. “Miyoko?” Nadia yelled. “Miyoko! Joul, get to her position.” 

“I’m on my way,” he said. 

Koda, Jason, what’s your status?” she said. 

“We’re almost at the main generator. Still no hostile presence,” Koda said.  

“Are you able to find her position on the map?” Jason asked. 

“It’s no use,” Nadia grit her teeth. “The area jammed our comms right after her signal went…” dead. She didn’t want to say the words, didn’t want to even think it. 

Joul’s voice came in panicked. “Guys! I can’t get to the bridge, the hallway’s been sealed off!” 

“Then take another damn hallway,” growled Koda. 

“This is the third @(*()$ one I’ve tried! It’s just like how we got separated—I’m sealed off here!” 

Get on your Liset and reposition it closer,” Nadia said. “I’m heading to the bridge.” 

“Hey, we’re at the generator,” Jason said. “What should we do?” 

“Get ready to destroy it, Joul and I are going to get Miyoko out of there.” 

Koda spoke. “And if you can’t get to her in time, or…?”  

Nadia gripped the controls of the Liset tightly as she sped towards the Aphrodite. “That’s not going to happen,” she said. “Destroying the core will cause a diversion at your position, and we’ll use the chaos of the situation to get to Miyoko. Ready?” 

There was a pause from the other Tenno. “…yes,” Koda said. 

“Let’s do it,” Jason said tightly. 

"Almost to my Liset, let's bring her home," Joul said. 

“Then on my mark,” she said, making sure her pod was secure as it approached a ventilation port. “Blow it in 3…2—” 

Koda, Jason, stop.” The ID signature in the channel was from Miyoko's helmet. But the voice... Nadia felt a coldness sweep through her body. It was at once unfamiliar and too familiar at the same time.  

“W-who is this?” she said. 

There was a pause before answering. “A friend.” 

 

The Void charge carried the armor all the way to the door, the slice carving a deep scar into the surface. The infested Warframe righted himself, then looked at the blade in its hands. Crimson stained the edge. 

The part covering the mouth peeled back to show a grin. “Good,” he said. “The Miyoko I knew would’ve been dead already.” 

He turned to see the Tenno crouched against a wall, sword drawn. Miyoko’s gaze flicked to the discarded helmet, the dropped Braton a few feet away. If I had dodged just a second slower, my head would be over there as well. She felt something trickling down the side of her face; the strike had skimmed her forehead, a few strands of hair falling to the ground as blood began to drip. 

“Nonetheless, I’m quite happy that you survived,” he said, Void sword vanishing. His voice seemed faintly like Hayden’s, yet there was a different tone to it, almost garbled. He bent down and picked up her helmet, tracing a hand along its face. “This would’ve been a lot more boring if I had killed you.” 

Miyoko’s breath was heavy. The blood running down one eye was affecting her vision. But the one before her…It’s Hayden. It has to be. Or…it’s Hayden’s body, at least. 

She finally found her voice. “Who…who are you? Or, which one...?” 

The Warframe frowned. “You,” he said, “are not as surprised as I would’ve expected. Interesting.”  

Miyoko sucked in a breath, then narrowed her eyes. “Sorry, someone spoiled the surprise.” 

“Oh. Nemesis?” he nodded absently. “Of course, of course, how silly of me to forget. She’s very spirited.” He paused. “Would you prefer that I was Hayden, or that I wasn’t?” 

“To be honest, I’m not so sure,” Miyoko said. “Are you the prototype?” 

“The prototype? Ah. The one whom you fought with back in the Order.” He scoffed. “Well, do I seem mad to you?” He paced down the room, still holding her helmet. “No, I am not. But, I am not Hayden, either.” 

“Then who are you?” Miyoko said, getting to her feet. 

The Warframe shrugged. “I don’t know, to be honest.” he said. “Unlike Nemesis, the prototype was not strong enough to survive on its own; it's long gone, now.” He looked out the filthy windows. “I am flesh and Technocyte. I share both of their memories. But if you were to ask me, I would not say I am either of them. I am a new being.” 

“Good for you. Then answer me this,” she said, “Is Hayden…still in there?” 

He laughed. “You mean, could he potentially break through if you confessed your feelings to him right now?” he shook his head. “I told you, I am not the prototype. I am stronger,” he said. “I am not so sure Hayden could break through if he was there.” 

“But if I kill you,” Miyoko said, levelling her sword, “What about then?” 

He chuckled. “You are welcome to try. But you may also find him long gone even if you do succeed.” He tilted his head as he gazed at her. “So vicious. Even Hayden knew there was a side of you that was hidden, but I’m sure he wasn’t expecting something like this.” 

“I wasn’t either,” Miyoko said. “But I guess that’s what happens when people you care about are taken from you.” 

He nodded. “It is a pity,” he said. “I would’ve liked to see the warmer version of you.” 

Her scowl deepened, an unfamiliar anger bubbling within her. “Then I suppose both of us aren’t what the other was hoping to find here,” she said. 

“You’re right, we are both disappointments in each other’s eyes, aren't we?” He began to approach her, and she tightened her grip on the Skana. “We are…such drastic changes, from the ones we knew.” Though his eyes were hidden, she could almost feel his gaze run along the scar on her neck, like an unwelcome touch. “But that doesn’t change the fact we are still joined in a common conflict. I don’t imagine these changes to impede our working together.” 

Miyoko blinked. “What?”  

He started, as if hearing something, then turned and approached the captain’s chair, setting the Mag helmet on the armrest and tapping a panel. A camera’s video feed came online in the half infested main screen, showing the Aphrodite’s generator.  

“The ship’s sensors were tipped off by something. I’m assuming Jason and Koda are somewhere here.” He looked over his shoulder at her. “Let me guess, you ordered them to destroy the ship if anything happened to you, correct?” he shook his head. “You will get little out of it. I am the only one of my kind aboard this ship. Your ship, on the other hand…” 

He tapped another button, and a second screen came online. It showed the Taurus. 

Miyoko gasped. 

“You were wondering why our cloaking device isn’t active?” The Warframe turned to face her, his lip curled. “I let one of our wormships borrow it, along with this camera, and asked them to pay a visit. They will retaliate if this ship is destroyed.”  

Miyoko narrowed her eyes. “So what, are you going to let that happen? 

He tilted his head. “I'd like to defer to my guest, in this scenario. What will it be? This is a good opportunity for you. Are you confident that the neophyte generation and whoever is left aboard the Taurus can repel my forces? 

Gregor out of commission. Darren and Jolla are the only ones with Warframes aboard. I really was too rash. Her mind raced. Nadia and the others are probably be trying to reach me. If they can't, then she'd probably tell Koda and Jason to destroy the core as a diversion to rescue me. “Tell them to stop,” she said, keeping her voice even. "I'm not in the mood to die, myself." 

He frowned and leaned a little closer. “Really now? I’m not quite convinced you want that.” 

“Give me my helmet and I will call them off,” Miyoko said, raising her voice. They'll do it soon. Too much time has passed. 

He looked at the helmet. “I'm just making sure that this what you truly want. After all, this is your chance to rid the system of the Technocyte. One decisive—” 

“I said that I'll stop them!” Miyoko yelled. 

A small smile slipped onto his face. He put the helmet to his mouth and spoke inside it. “Koda, Jason, stop.” 

There was a small pause as he listened to them respond, and the grin widened. “A friend.” He turned and tossed the helmet to Miyoko. 

Miyoko quickly donned it. “Stand down, everyone.” 

“Miyoko!” Nadia’s voice came in. “Are you alright?” 

“Yes,” she said. “Quite fine.” 

“What happened?” Koda said. 

“An unexpected development,” she replied. “Regroup with Joul and extract, now.” 

“What? Why—” 

“The Taurus is in danger,” Miyoko said. “Get back to them and ready their defenses, just in case. I can take care of myself. I promise I’ll explain everything later.” 

There was silence. Finally, “Alright, we’re heading out,” Koda said. 

"Miyoko," Nadia said. "That voice..." The fear was audible. 

"I said I'll explain it later," Miyoko said, more harshly than she intended. "Fall back, Nadia." 

She heard a sound, as if the other girl was planning to say more. Then, “Good luck, Miyoko.”  

“Thanks. I’ll talk to you all soon.” She pulled off her helmet and faced the Warframe. “They’re leaving. Tell your wormship to retreat.”  Outside, several Void ripples flashed pass, heading away from the Aphrodite. 

He nodded, and the camera on the second screen began to shift, turning away from the Taurus. “I’m surprised they didn’t rush in to save you,” the Warframe said. “Are you so certain that I won’t kill you once they leave?” 

“If you were going to oppose us, then you would’ve attacked the Taurus already, and your trap here wouldn’t have been so needlessly sophisticated,” she said, stowing the Skana behind her back. “Clearly, you don’t want us to be your enemies right now.”  

The Warframe pursed his lips. “Spot on. I was hoping to appeal to our mutual predicament.” he began pacing the room. 

“Which predicament is that?” Miyoko said. 

He stopped. “Our species are both on the verge of extinction,” he said. “Threatened by the Sentients.” 

“You’re forgetting that we threaten each other as well,” she muttered. 

“True, but we are not each other’s largest threat at the moment.” He approached her once more, and again, she felt herself stiffen like a coiling spring. “We both want nothing more than the continued survival of our people. It is only a matter of time before my brethren and I become too big of a threat for the Sentients to ignore." He stepped passed her, hands clasped behind his back. 

"Before they attack you, they will see to it that we are destroyed. I know we are no match for them; they will annihilate us before we can accumulate enough forces.” He turned to her. Save for his chapped lips, it was a face that she remembered well, each and every scar. And behind the rest of the mask, his eyes... 

“That’s fine by me,” Miyoko said. 

“Is it?” The Warframe broke his gaze, looking towards the window. “I’m assuming your objective, out here alone with a single ship, is to break the Sentient fleet. You only have, what, 15 Tenno with you? There are dozens of Sentient ships out there. You are strong, to be sure, but you cannot hope to win on your own.” He approached her. “You were correct in determining that your only option was a surprise attack, but surely you’ve realized, you lack the strength needed to significantly wound their fleet.” 

“So you want us to join forces?” Miyoko said. 

He frowned. “We do not have to oppose each other. Our goal is survival, as I've told you. Attacking both the Empire and the Sentients indiscriminately will not aid our cause, to that end.” 

She narrowed her eyes. “So, you’re the one who’s been making sure not to attack imperial colonies. I didn’t think it was the Nemesis armor that made that call.” 

“She was reluctant to comply, but I persuaded her in the end,” he said. “So? Now that I’ve done that as an act of good faith, can we be of use to each other?” 

“I would be lying if I said that teaming up with you wouldn’t make this mission easier,” Miyoko said. “But there are a few problems. First, I’m not the final arbitrator of something like this. The Thrones would have to—” 

“Miyoko,” he said softly, and she felt a chill run through her body at his voice calling her name. “The Thrones are far and away. The only relevant parties here are my people, and the ones aboard your ship.” 

She tightened her fists and steeled herself. “Even so, assuming that we remain partners, and the Sentients are beaten back, or even if we win the war together, what would happen afterwards? Would you still hold to that peace? I know I couldn’t guarantee that everyone on my side would not aggress, and I’m positive that you couldn’t possibly keep your side of that bargain either.” 

He was silent. “You are thinking too far ahead,” he said. “That situation can be dealt with once we reach that point. Our only focus now should be the annihilation of the present threat. And if we are to follow through with that, it would be a strong case for the continued cooperation of our people, would it not?” He took a step closer to her.  

Hayd—you know that's too naïve,” she said. It's not Hayden. It's not him. She turned away. 

In one more step he was right behind her. “Please, think about it, Miyoko,” he said, grasping her hand. 

She withdrew it instantly, recoiling from him.  

He stared at her, expressionless. “You still do not trust me, I see.” 

She almost felt guilty, but she quickly quashed the feeling. “No. No, I don’t.” 

“But that is understandable,” He muttered, almost to himself. He paced away from her. “I make no guarantees for the future, as you make no guarantees. But at least, for the now,” he said, looking back at her, “Could you and I, our peoples, join forces?” 

The two stared at each other. “I—I need to think this through,” she said. “I’ll discuss this with my team before anything else.” 

He paused, then nodded. The faint sadness that she had detected in him vanished as he stood straighter. “Time is short. I will give you two days. We will expect an ultimatum then.” 

“How will we find you?” Miyoko said. 

The Warframe smiled. “We’re not about to put ourselves in so vulnerable a position again. You will know where to look for us.” He gestured towards the door. “Shall I see you out?” 

“I can find my own way, thanks,” she said. 

“Then this is farewell. Until next time, Miyoko.” 

She paused at the doorway. “What should I call you?” she said. 

He tilted his head. “My brethren call me Firstborn, but that is more a title than anything else. Name…” he tapped his chin. “I don’t have one,” he said. “Call me whatever you like, Miyoko.” 

She narrowed her eyes. “You’re not my pet. You really have no name?” 

“We have no need for names,” he replied. “We are one being, more than we are separate. Names are for those who yearn for individuality, and we consider such notions to be foolish.” He smiled. “I told you to call me whatever you like, but that is not the same thing as giving me a name.” 

“Fair enough,” she said. “I’ll think about it.” She donned her helmet and turned to leave, and the doors slid shut behind her. 

He continued to watch the door, still smiling. With a sigh, he sat down on the chair, leaning his cheek against his hand, an empty king in a deserted castle. 
 
Some hours later, there was a rumbling as the infested wormship decloaked before him. Tendrils swirled from its sides and between the engines, giving it the impression of a squid-like creature. He rotated the chair to face the windows of the bridge and got up. He paced to the window to watch the arrival. From the mouth of the wormship, two small infested boarding craft drifted out and headed towards the Aphrodite. 

The two tendrils that had secured the cloaking system to the hull of the wormship began to extend, like hands offering the device to the Aphrodite. A tendril from his own ship extended to take it, and he knew they would worm their way into the original housing for the cloak. 

He felt slender arms wrap around his chest from behind him. “Did you miss us, Firstborn?” the crooning voice of the Nemesis variant whispered at his shoulder. “It must have been lonely, waiting all by yourself.” 

He smiled. “I had company for a while.  

She stepped around him, helmet peeling back to reveal her pale white face. Though it was closer to dead than living, the variant’s body was still beautiful by any standard. She smiled back. “And how was she?” 

“Full of surprises,” he said, picturing Miyoko’s defiant face, blood trickling down her brow and riding the line of her scar, like a crimson teardrop. “Pleasant surprises.” 

A look of boredom replaced the smile. “Hm.” She stepped to the window, keeping one hand tracing along his torso. “Do you think they’ll agree to your plan?” 

“I’m certain of it." The Firstborn watched her hand, and after a moment, caressed it with his own. "They don’t have any other option.” 

The hand stopped at his shoulder and tightened into a fist. “And if they don’t?” 

He continued to smile. “Then we’ll destroy them. After all,” he said, turning to the rest of the room. “I’m sure the rest of…you, are capable of dealing with her kind.” 

Standing abreast of one another were five dark figures, their bodies showing various stages of infestation. Nemesis smiled at them. “Of course,” she said. “All of me, against what's left of them? They don't stand a chance."

 

CH. 49: DELIBERATION

The distant sun's rays reflected off of a few asteroids outside the tall and narrow windows, projecting a dim imitation of moonlight to the halls of the Ceres academy. But to Nadia Sudek, first year cadet, the beauty was lost. “Bunch of jerks,” she huffed as she stalked through the empty corridors. After several hours of staring at the ceiling on her bunk, she had resigned herself to another late night walk. “When I make it to top of the class, I’ll have their sorry asses at the bottom of their squads.” She could still remember their jeering voices from earlier that day. 

Could I really do that? Whatever. But as the thought occurred to her, another, more pervasive one came to settle at the front of her mind. 

Can I even make it to top of the class? 

She shook her head and growled at herself. “Just you wait, father. I’ll make it there. I will…” 

She jumped at a yell from one of the doorways. Nadia paused, looking at the room number next to the doors. It was a training room. Her brow furrowed. It’s the middle of the night. A hesitant finger hovered over the keypad, and after another second, she opened the door. 

A lone figure stood in the middle of the floor, practice sword in hand. He was panting heavily and a thin layer of sweat reflected off of his forehead from the dim light above him. He raised it again and gave another tremendous shout as he brought the blade down. He lifted the blade up and struck again, following a kata that she remembered going over the previous day. It struck her then that he was in the same class as her during those drills, the one standing a few rows down from her near the front. 

Just before he finished, his fingers slipped and the sword clattered to the ground. He stared at the fallen blade for a moment, then gave a grunt of indifference. She saw that his knees were shaking as he bent down to pick up the sword again. He settled his ragged breathing, then forced himself to assume the ready position once more. 

Nadia cleared her throat. “H-hello?” 

The boy turned to her. “Oh.” He lowered the sword to the ground. “Sorry, do you have this room reserved?” 

“Not at all,” Nadia said quickly. “Just…what are you doing here?” 

“I’m trying to get the move from our class right,” he said, looking at the sword in his hand. Taking a deep breath, he assumed the ready stance once again. With his hands continuing to shake, he swung the first three strikes, then gasped out loud as his fingers loosened the sword clattered to the floor. "I guess, I've reached my limit now," he said, giving a sheepish grin and slumping to the ground next to it, laying flat on his back. 

"Why?" Nadia asked. 

He looked at her. "Why? Well I suppose I should be getting some sleep at this time of night, and I also have been doing this for the past 3 hours strai—" 

"No," Nadia said, "Why are you still practicing it? We were tested on it yesterday." I don't remember him failing, either. 

He shrugged. "Well, I wasn't as good as I could've been. Some of the others were much better. Like you, Sudek." 

She blinked. "Do I know you?" 

"No," he lifted himself to a sitting position. "I just remembered the ones that the drill master was commending. It was you, the older Matyar twin, and...Caires, I think? No, it was Grey. You were the best, though." 

"Oh." Nadia shrugged. "It's nothing really, swordsmanship is just something my father...a hobby I had as a kid. It's not like we're going to be using it against the Sentients or anything." 

"You never know," Hayden said. "At any rate, close quarters combat is a pillar of academy training. I was never much good growing up. The legionnaires back home weren't the best at it, so I figured since I'm at Ceres, I can really take the opportunity to learn from some experts." 

"Is it really worth your time?"" Nadia said. "You said it yourself, you don't have a talent for it. You're much better off working on the things you really excel at." 

The boy looked at her and grinned. "I've no talent for it yet, you mean, Sudek. If I give it the effort, then I know I can do it." 

Nadia shook her head. "Dude, no one is asking you to be perfect or anything." 

"But I have to be perfect," Hayden said. He rose to his feet, picking up the sword. "I've set my sights on becoming a squad leader. My squadmates will be counting on me."  

It didn't even sound like he was boasting, she thought. It's just a matter of course to him. Still... "So what you're really saying is, you want to be top of the class, right?" She said, folding her arms. 

He shrugged. "Well, I guess if I get that along the way, that'll be nice." 

There was something about him. The lone light shining on him, catching a gleam in his eye and the fierce but easy grin on his face, maybe the words he said or the way he said it. If I can be like him...if I can do what he does...then, maybe, Father. 

"My first name is Nadia," she said. "Call me that. What's yours?" 

He blinked, then the grin was back, with a legionnaire salute. "Hayden Tenno. Pleasure to meet you, Nadia." 

She felt an urge to smile back. Instead, she turned away. Spying a rack of swords against the wall, she walked over to it and drew one. "You're right, you can always do better," she said. "And practicing katas is only the tip of learning swordsmanship." She levelled the sword at him. "You said you wanted to learn from the best. Well, I wouldn't mind giving a few lessons. What do you say?" 

He raised an eyebrow. "High talk for a first-year cadet," he said.  

"Hey, I can give half of our instructors a run for their money, trust me," she said. "I may not have much else, but if there's anything I'm good at, it's using a sword and using my brain. You'll find those two go hand in hand." 

Hayden smiled. "Alright, I'll give it a shot." He raised his own sword until it crossed with hers, the clink echoing in the small chamber. "I'll be in your care, Nadia Sudek." 

 

In the present, the meeting room was quiet after Miyoko had finished describing what had happened in the Aphrodite. “You’re sure it was him?” Darren said, head in his hands. “There’s no mistaking it?” 

“The Excalibur armor, his voice, even the way he walked, I’m sure it was Hayden’s body,” Miyoko said. 

“Hellspace,” Koda said, chair tipped back and feet propped on the table. “And here I was thinking it couldn’t get any worse. This is like the Nemesis crisis all over again.” 

“No, it’s much worse,” Jolla said. “Is it even possible to bring Hayden back, this time?”  

“How can you say that?” Joul said. “This is Hayden, there’s no way—” 

“Even assuming his mind survived the process of being eaten by a zombie wormship, he's been in there for two straight months,” Koda said. His scowl was even more pronounced than usual. “There’s no telling what’s happened to him.” 

Joul started. “Still…” He looked down the table. “Nadia, what do you think?” 

Nadia still wore the same look of horror and sadness on her face from when they had seen her step off her Liset. At her name, she gave a slight jolt and turned to him. “I…I don’t know,” she said, voice small. 

“Alright, alright, we need to focus on what we can do about the situation,” Darren said, “How are we going to respond to their demands?" 

"Simple—we give them the finger, blow their ship to kingdom come, and get Hayden back," Jolla said. "There's no way we can agree to something like this." 

"As much as I'd like to do that, too, it's not a good idea," Koda. "If this phony is the only thing keeping the infestation from wreaking havoc on the colonies, we need to be careful. They've been a good little virus avoiding a 3 way conflict, so we'll have to do our due diligence as well." He scoffed and folded his arms. "What a spot." 

"The way I see it," Aldrich said, looking at Ford and Teshin, "This is an opportunity more than anything else. I would advise—" 

"There's no way we're listening to anything coming out of an Order member's mouth," Jason spat.  

Aldrich remained unfazed. "As a superior officer, I'd—" 

"General, let's be clear about who's superior in this situation," Koda said. "It's the guys who can murder this entire room in an instant if we wanted to." 

"Koda," Ford said sharply. 

"Sorry if that sounds treasonous, a little," Koda said. "But I’m not about to follow an order to abandon my friend. I’ll make that decision myself." 

Aldrich tilted his head. "Does that apply to Colonel Ford as well?" 

"Whether it does or doesn't, I'm withdrawing my opinion from the consideration," Ford said calmly. "I am not confident in my ability to make an accurate evaluation of the situation." The slight trembling of her hands under the table went unnoticed by all. 

"But this..." Roland looked uncertain, looking to Aldrich, then the others. "This really is an opportunity, isn't it? The infestation has a leader that may even be friendly to us. I mean, I don't like this situation either," he said quickly, "I'm just trying to figure out...what's right—" 

"You know, you've been getting a bit more bold in speaking lately," Joul cut in. "But I really wish you’d just stay quiet." 

"Hey, lay off him," Darren said. 

"He doesn't understand!" Joul said. "That 'leader' he's talking about has Hayden hostage—or worse!" 

"How do we know it's not just actually Hayden?" Roland pressed. "That’s a possibility too, right? And he’s just—” 

"Hayden would never attack Miyoko, not if he's really himself!" Jason burst out. His gaze turned to Nadia. "But when there's this vixen playing around with everyone's—" 

"Jason!" Jolla said. She looked quickly to Nadia. The girl looked as if she had been physically stung. "Hayden's situation, and Gregor's, isn't Nadia's fault. It wasn't her fault back then, either. Apologize." 

"No..." Nadia said. "I..." 

"Now don't you start," Koda said in an irritated voice. "Blaming yourself, or anyone else in this room…" He looked at Jason, "Is going to get us nowhere." 

There was another bout of silence. Victoria looked at the first generation Tenno in the room. Darren and Joul were glowering at each other, Jolla's gaze darting between Nadia and Jason, who was now slumped back in his chair, a hand over his eyes. Koda was massaging his temples with one hand, the other in a tight fist on the table.  

Miyoko, sitting at the front of the table, had her now habitual lack of expression, silent the whole time after her answer to Darren's question. Towards the officers in the room, Aldrich had a poker face, while Ford was beginning to look worried. Teshin sat in the corner, head lowered, the steady tattoo his finger beat on the hilt of his sword the only indication he was following the conversation. 

"Well now, it's getting a little tense in here, isn't it?" Rose said. "How about we just chill out and come back in ten minutes?" 

"Not the time, Rose," Melody said. 

"Look, if everyone is at each other's throats, it's not really conducive to discussion, is it?" Rose said. "You all need to take a breather." 

Melody sighed. "Agreed. But we have less than two days. We need to make a quick decision, and then make preparations accordingly, especially if we're going to be taking on both the Sentients and the Technocyte." 

"Is that your disposition, Chang?" Roland said. 

"No," she said, closing her eyes. "As much as I hate to admit it, taking them up on their offer, at least for the now, isn't such a bad idea, tactically." Her gaze briefly flicked to Koda, then back at the table in front of her. 

"How can you all be saying this?" Joul said. "Melody, it's Hayden." 

"It's because it's Hayden that we're speaking up," Roland said quietly. "I...I'm sorry, Joul, but you guys are too close to the issue; your judgment is clouded. We have to consider what's best not just for the Tenno, but for the entire system at this point. Having these things on our side or against us will be a decisive factor in this fight against the Sentient fleet." He looked around, then stood up. “The second generation definitely didn’t know Hayden as well as you guys. But that...gives us some impartiality to the situation." He looked nervously at Joul. "Is that fair?" 

Joul let out an angry breath, but didn't respond.  

"Maybe we should let you speak more often," Darren said. "I'm impressed." Down the table, Aldrich put a hand to his mouth to conceal his expression, but the edges of his cheeks twisted upwards. 

"Then if I can say something," Sebastian said, "I don't like the idea of an alliance with these things. Long term, it can only lead to a worse situation. If we can, then we should deal with them here and now." 

"I'm a little shocked I'm saying this, but I'm with Seb on this one," Rose cut in. "I don't care if the figurehead is the emperor himself, we all saw what these things were capable of in the Order. There's nothing in the system that can control a force like that, not for long." The two of them looked at each other. Rose flashed her eyebrows, and Seb shrugged, nodding. 

"Kat, Morgan, Victoria?" Roland looked at them each in turn.  

"I...I'm in a biased position, as well," Kat said, giving a faltering smile. On the table, her knuckles were white and shaking. "After what they did to Gregor...I don't know. If we are going to ally with them, then I won't accept it until they leave him alone. Personally, I won't be able to get along with them..." Her pupils flashed scarlet, and her claws burst out from her hands, raking across the table. "Not until I kill that Variant with my own hands," she said, the forced smile and the murder in her eyes chilling the room. 

Soft hands placed themselves on the girl's. "Kat," Victoria said beside her. 

The claws vanished. "Sorry," Kat said, her eyes growing a different type of red as tears began to fall down her cheeks. "Sorry. I just...just..." She rose and left the room, hands over her face. 

Victoria made to get up, but Ford moved quicker, heading silently out the door after Kat. The healer paused, then back at the group, sitting back down. "Roland, I would've expected you, out of everyone here, to refuse such a deal," she said softly. "I don't mean to accuse you." 

Roland nodded. "Maybe, I would've back then. But...we had some pretty bum odds on this operation already. Tack on the Technocyte at that, and we don't stand a chance. Especially when that will mean they'll attack the colonies as well...I don't see any other feasible alternative to allying with this thing, no matter what he's done to Hayden." He clasped his hands together tightly. "That's...what I think the right thing to do is, in this situation." 

Finally, Morgan dipped his head. "I...would agree with that," he said. "We can't do much for Hayden if we get overrun or overwhelmed. And perhaps, there will be other opportunities to take him back." 

"Even so, that's our unit leader," Victoria said. "And he's Miyoko's..." 

"Don't factor my feelings into this," Miyoko said, breaking her silence. She stood up. "The Tenno are in good hands, to have such a thoughtful second generation. Thank you all for your input." 

They stared at her, waiting for her to continue. "I don't intend on giving up on Hayden so easily," she said. "But I was rash in dragging us out here, and I apologize for that. I was so caught up in avenging Hayden's death that I wasn't thinking as clearly as I should have been. Although I am confident in each and every one of you, the Sentient fleet still stands several dozen ships strong. I can't guarantee that our force alone will be enough. 

"Having these things on our side may aid us. Even if...that means letting Hayden go, at least for now." She closed her eyes, then looked at Aldrich. “General, with due respect, I ask that we are the final arbitrators of this decision.” 

Aldrich smiled and nodded. “Daisuke would’ve wanted the same.” 

She bowed, then looked at each Tenno. “Then we decide on this together. If we choose to reject their offer, then we train harder than ever, and take Hayden back at all costs. But if we commit, then we will fully cooperate with the Technocyte, at least in destroying the Sentient fleet. We'll reconvene tomorrow morning. Think on it, and please discuss it with one another." 

 

Nadia stepped out of the meeting room and took a deep breath, leaning against the hallway. She numbly watched the others file out. Most were silent, only a few conversing in pairs. She saw Darren hurry over to Joul. The two exchanged words, but despite sweeping gestures and animated faces, the tension that had been present at the meeting was all but gone. Finally, the two nodded, grasping each other's hands and shoulders before bowing, small but warm smiles on both faces. 

"Nadia!" The girl turned to see Jason hurrying over. "I'm sorry," he said. "I shouldn't have said that. I let my emotions get the better of me." He shook his head. "I guess, I'm still playing right into that thing's hands, aren't I?" 

Nadia smiled and drew him into a hug. "Not anymore, you aren't. I know it's difficult. But we’re going to get through this, and we will save Gregor." 

"Yeah," Jason said. "And Hayden, too." 

The relief left Nadia's smile, but she forced it to remain. "See you around, Jason." The two let go and bowed to one another. She watched him depart down the hallway. 

Gregor will be fine. I'll make sure of it, she thought. But...is Hayden still there? Can we even bring him back? 

Not while I'm here, came a playful voice.  

Nadia froze. Her palms felt clammy, head suddenly spinning. She stumbled back against the wall, hand on the surface for support. No. No, no, no...she put a finger to the back of her neck, where the Nemesis armor had inflicted its light wound. Gregor’s blood samples came to mind. She closed her eyes and banged a fist against the wall. 

"Nemesis," she hissed. 

Relax, I'm not here to take over your mind, Nemesis said. Just here to talk, seeing as we may be working alongside one another in the coming days. 

"That won't happen," Nadia said, righting herself. She took a deep breath continued down the hallway, forcing herself to act normal. "Not with someone like you." 

Oh, so is that what you decided as a group? That's a shame. I'm not all for it myself, but whatever the Firstborn says, goes. 

"Firstborn," Nadia muttered. "Is that what you call the slime that's taken over Hayden's body?" 

Hey, he's a true gentleman. Well, that's only to be expected, since he has Hayden's memories. He's more like him than the prototype, I think you two would get along. Maybe even more than you did with Hayden. 

"Never," Nadia spat. 

Harsh. There isn't really anything I could do to get you to lighten up on me, would there? 

"Not if that means leaving myself vulnerable to you," Nadia said, rounding a corner to find the room she shared with Miyoko. She entered and locked the door from the outside before shutting it. 

Then, what if I told you that you're not really infected? And neither is Gregor. 

"I wouldn't believe you," Nadia said, sitting cross-legged on her bunk. She began to channel her Void energy, flooding her veins and her mental defenses. She saw the walls of the room glow a faint green as the light from her pupils and the nerves around her eyes intensified. 

Well, I guess I'll have to convince you. There's a scientist working on Gregor's condition, right? I'll give you a hint. You know that Technocyte channels Void energy, correct? 

"Yes," Nadia said. She could feel the conscience in her. A small pulsing conscience was drifting through her blood stream. That must be where the infection is, she thought. How can I cleanse it? Do I carve it out? She eyed a dagger on the desk. 

Well, what if I told you that's not the only interaction? Void energy cleanses Technocyte. 

"What?" She stopped her channeling. 

Look, I know you're trying to locate where I am inside your body. It's not the Technocyte that's allowing me to talk to you.  If it was, you'd be hearing a whole lot of other voices too. What you're sensing is my conscience, not the infection. This is simply my abilities;  

"You mean my abilities," Nadia growled. 

You're missing the point, Nemesis sighed. Void energy is poisonous to the Technocyte. The Tenno are incapable of being corrupted by it, since Void energy runs through their bloodstream. Even now, the corroding effects of the neurodes in your body have been neutralized. It doesn't even have the ability to replicate or consume your cells. It's only my psychic powers that enable us to communicate, and I barely have enough stored energy to talk, much less attempt to take over your brain. Eventually, they will decay once the energy is used up, like it did with the helmet. Have your scientists confirm it to you, if you must. 

Nadia paused. "Then, it's not the virus affecting Gregor," she said. Her eyes narrowed. "It really is just you." 

Oh. Well, yes. She giggled. But, once we're working together, I'll make sure to leave him to your kitty cat. However, if you won't comply, then I can't guarantee his sanity. 

"Then Hayden..." Nadia said, "He's not really infected either, is he?" 

Nemesis’ giggle rose to derisive laughter. Oh, Hayden, Hayden. He and the FIrstborn are a bit of a special case.  

"I've been in the minds of Technocyte victims," Nadia said. "They're still alive in there, aren't they? So then Hayden—" 

My lord is not your typical Technocyte strain. Nemesis said the first two words with reverence. He truly is part Tenno and part brethren, to the point where there’s really no need to have a host. He's even bolstered himself with some of my strain to cement his hold. Only he knows if your unrequited love is still in there or not. Although, if you ask me, even if he was still there, well...another dark chuckle. It’d only be a poor shell. 

"You *@##$," Nadia whispered. "What makes you possibly think that we'll go along with you? If you think you can hold me and Gregor hostage like this, you're severely overestimating yourself. Once I kill you, once and for all, I—" 

You see, you need to show this side of you more often, Nemesis said. The prim and proper type doesn't suit you at all. She sighed. I think we can agree that we don't like each other. But if you'll oblige the side of you that kissed up to Hayden all the time, some things just have to be done, don't they? Look, once you agree to this deal, I promise that I will leave poor Gregor alone, and we'll only ever have to talk business. Don't expect me to talk so much about feelings with you. I even gave you a bit of helpful information. Think on it. We'll keep in touch. The voice faded away with the last few words, leaving Nadia alone in the darkened room. She channeled her energy again. Sure enough, the presence had faded from her bloodstream. 

She pounded a fist on the mattress. "Sorry, Kat," Nadia said. "But you're going to have to get in line." 

 

Gregor slammed his head against the mattress, hands pressed against his skull tightly. “No,” he said, “No, no, no!”  

And yet the voices continued inside of his head. Gregor. Save me, kill me. I love you. I hate you. Gregor, Gregor. The noise was constant enough to blur into a drone, yet it felt like each voice battered him like a wave reaching the shore. Amidst it all was the ceaseless laughter, passing in and out of his awareness. 

Through it, he heard the sound of a knock on the door, and just as suddenly as it began, the voices stopped. The door slid open to reveal a smiling Kat, whose expression quickly vanished as she saw his scarred look. 

"Are you alright?" She said, setting the tray on the desk and rushing to him. 

"I'm fine," he said. "Wait, no, I'm not." He felt something trickling down his cheek, and he wiped away at it. 

"It happened again?" She said. "And stopped, just now?" 

"Yes," Gregor whispered. 

A dark look came to Kat's face. "That...thing," she growled. "I swear I'll kill it." The blood red energy blazed in her eyes. 

Gregor put a hand to her cheek.  "Don't worry about it too much," he said. "I'll be fine." he said. But there was exhaustion in his voice. A wild look was behind his eyes, bags underneath them.  

"She must think this so amusing," Kat said, sitting on the mattress beside him.  

"It's part of her plan," Gregor said. "When she was manipulating us, she turned us against one another, played to our fears.” 

“Well, she doesn’t know what she’s messing with,” Kat said fiercely. 

Gregor’s hand began to tremble. “No,” he said, “That’s the thing, isn’t it? She does.” Tears ran down his face. “She knows everything about me, Kat. And everything I know about you.” He looked at her. “She using me. It's not me she wants to get to, but you. You can’t let that happen.” 

She shook her head, closing her eyes. “I don’t care if she does,” she said. 

He grabbed her suddenly. “I care. Don’t let her wreck the both of us, Kat.” Desperation tinged his voice. 

“Gregor,” Kat said, wincing at the crushing grip “I…can handle it.” 

His grip redoubled, eliciting a cry from her that did not seem to reach his ears. "No," he said in a low voice. "She’s too strong. You’ll fall right into her hands." 

Kat squeezed her eyes shut, simultaneously trying to stem the Void energy roaring in her veins and block out the pain of his grasp. "Gregor," she said, "please—" 

In an instant, his face contorted into a look of unfamiliar fury as he spit in rage, “You don’t understand! Leave! 

Kat tore her arms from him and leapt away, hands tensed and ready, the beginnings of bright red forming in her scared eyes. 

Gregor froze, the hideous look gone from him. The tray slipped from his lap and crashed to the floor, causing him to jump. He looked down at it, then back at Kat. “I’m so sorry,” he whispered. 

Kat shook her head. “It’s alright, Gregor, you—” 

“No,” he said, “Get out of here, please.” He bowed his head. 

“Gregor,” Kat took a step closer. 

Gregor. Gregor. He stood up and roared, voice filling the room. “I said get out of here! 

Kat shrunk again. She hesitated for a moment, then fled the room, wiping away at her eyes. 

Gregor fell back to the bed, sobbing. “I’m sorry, Kat,” he croaked. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry…” 

I’m sorry. I’m sorry. Other voices joined in his, and his crying increased, alone yet not alone in his empty room. 

 

"Roland, Morgan." The two turned to each other to see Rose at the end of the hallway. "Surprised to see you two puppies without your owner," she said. 

Morgan blinked. "Owner?” 

"What's up, Vorhees?" Roland said. 

Rose rolled her eyes. "What's it going to take for you to call me by first name, Roland? You want a kiss? Sorry, but I don't want my skin to start peeling anymore than it already does." She poked his chest at his blush. "I'm just kidding, Lancelot." 

Roland shook his head. "What do you want, Rose?" he asked again. 

"That's better. Look, I just want to talk out the whole infested thing," she said. "You know that it's a fool's errand trying to make sure these things don't attack the nearest imperial colony they see." 

Roland nodded. "I know it's not a question of if, but when. But if what Nadia said is right, there's a whole fleet of infested ships to worry about. We shouldn't make a move until we know exactly where all of them are, and at least for the now, this thing seems to have them under control." 

Rose shrugged. "Then we'll find them. We know how many of them there are, right? Get the colonies in this area to be on red alert. This ship has a built-in rail. As soon as they show up, we'll be there." 

"We can't be in two places at once," Roland said. "All it takes is for them to strike multiple places simultaneously. And then, what about fighting the Sentients?" 

"That can wait," Rose said. "Sebastian and Victoria figured that the Sentients won't attack until they've mustered their full force. And," she said, holding up a finger to Roland's open mouth, "Sebastian's been looking into an alternate plan for taking on the Sentients on our own." She pulled a small holo-device from her pocket, showing the map of Eris and its surrounding regions, pointing to another orb not far away. "Look at this, Eris is coming close to Pluto’s orbit. If we can restore the solar rail waystation there, then Imperial reinforcements can move in after we initiate our assault. It won't be necessary for us to take them on all on our own." 

"Interesting," Morgan said. "How come this hasn't been brought up in discussion yet?" 

"Because General Aldrich already foresaw this." Roland said, looking at the map. 

"Aldrich?" Rose blinked. "When?" 

“Well, if he hadn’t been cut off, I’m sure he could’ve elaborated,” Roland said, folding his arms. 

“But then how did you hear about it?” Morgan looked to his friend. 

Roland hesitated. "I overheard it when he was talking with Lotus before the meeting." In truth, he had heard it directly from Aldrich, who had been relaying his conversation with Colonel Ford. They won't like it if I'm too open about listening to Aldrich. None of them will. 

"And what'd he say about it?" Rose said. 

"He said that we have the capacity for it, but Order intelligence has reported the area is being patrolled by wormships. The moment we even try to clear out those patrols, the Sentients will be on to us." 

“But if something other than the Empire chases off those patrols…” Morgan stroked his chin. 

Roland nodded. "That's why this is all the more justification for us to ally with—" 

Rose punched the wall. "Roland," Rose said. "Hayden could still be trapped in there by that virus." 

"I know that," Roland said.  

She stepped closer. "Do you not care about him?"  

Roland closed his eyes. "I owe much to Hayden. But..." His voice trailed off. 

"Rose," Morgan spoke. "Why do you think the Technocyte takes priority right now?" 

Rose turned to him. "Because they're dangerous." 

"So are the Sentients," Morgan said. "Are you sure there aren't other things influencing why you want to defeat the virus first? Why your direct appeal with Hayden?" 

Rose blinked. "Hayden's a taken man, you know, I'm not about to—" 

"I'm not talking about your relationship with Hayden," Morgan said, "But your relationship to people close to him." 

The image of Darren's face in his hands, Jolla's eyes close to tears, came to Rose's mind. She opened her mouth. "I..." 

Morgan looked down. "What you're feeling, is probably what I'm feeling as well," he said. "It makes me...uncomfortable, to see Koda like this. Maybe if he hadn't been more objective about this, I may be inclined to feel the same way. But the most present threat right now is the Sentient fleet. Don’t forget, they're the ones who are actually attacking our colonies. The entire Empire could fall if we fail this mission." 

Rose tightened her fist, but Morgan stepped closer. "For now, this thing is in control, but the moment its grip begins to loosen, then, we will contain it swiftly and save Hayden." He looked at her. "Are you not confident in that?" 

A small grin worked its way onto her face. "Now you're just playing to my pride, Morgan." She pulled him into a hug. A look of something like panic came to Morgan's face.  

She stepped back and flashed a smile at the two of them. "Good talk, you two. I'll think it over some more." 

Roland folded his arms as she walked away. "She's not about to admit she's wrong to our faces, is she?"  

Morgan shrugged. He looked down. "I feel...uncomfortable, Roland," Morgan said. "I didn't know a girl's chest felt like that." 

"Yep," Roland said, a thin smile coming to his face." 

There was a pause. "When Victoria—" 

"Alright, Morgan, you better get back to training," Roland said, patting him on the back. "I'm heading back to my room." 

"Okay." Morgan shuffled his feet before heading down the hallway.  

Roland chuckled. “I’m glad we can agree on something, Morgan.” 

The other boy turned. “Are we still talking about girl’s chests?” 

Roland started. “What? No. I mean, well—never mind. What I meant to say was, thanks for stepping in during the conversation. I’m sure you persuaded Rose.” 

Morgan shrugged. “Just trying to do...the right thing.” He turned and left. 

Roland smiled. “We all are, aren’t we?” 

 

The next day, the Tenno filed into the room, one by one, not saying anything to one another. Miyoko stood at the head with Teshin, Aldrich and Ford by her side. As soon as they were seated, she looked at each one of them. 

"Have you all decided?" She asked. There were only nods of assent.  

"Then let's settle this. We either choose to join forces with the Technocyte to destroy the Sentient fleet, or we prioritize ridding the system of this virus before it grows too strong. Those in favor of an alliance, please stand. 

Koda, Darren, Jolla, Roland, Morgan, Rose, Nadia and Kat all stood. Melody, after a moment's pause, got up as well. Rose tilted her head at Sebastian, who shrugged once more. 

"And those in favor of opposing them?" Jason, Joul, Sebastian, and Victoria stood as the others sat down. 

Miyoko nodded. "Then from here on out, our two factions will aid each other at least until the Sentient fleet is destroyed, until otherwise notified. We'll see what will happen once our objective is completed. But this does not mean that we're leaving Hayden. I swear to you all that his body will return to us." She closed her eyes. "One way, or another." 

"Roger," all said. 

An alarm blared. "Attention all forces, Sentient ship on long range scanners!" 

The room tensed. Ford put a hand to the mic in her ear. "Ford here," she said. "I'll head over right away." She frowned. "Wait, what?" 

She looked at the group. "Something's up with the wormship," she announced. She activated her mic again. "Send the feed to me." She pulled out a holopad and synced it with the large screen behind her. 

The wormship appeared on the display. Right away, they could tell something was wrong. Infested tendrils were sticking out of the maw, one of the engines completely torn away. Its lights were inactive as it drifted closer. 

"They're getting no activity from its main generators," Ford said. "Scan reveals only a single life form aboard. And...we're being hailed." 

The Infested's voice filled the room. "Greetings, Tenno. I apologize for being a little early, but we figured that you have reached a decision by now." There were scowls and clenched fists from the Tenno at the voice, some looking shaken. 

They looked to find their leader defiant and composed. "The faster we get this over with, the better," Miyoko said. "Prepare my Liset. Let's form an alliance."

 

Edited by ROSING
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That is TONS better man. It flows a lot better now, and it feels much more natural. There are a couple instances where you repeat yourself, and use the same word a couple of times, but that's mostly just grammar. Although a brief thing about explaining HOW Darren can feel water particles would've been nice, this is really turning out to be an excellent story!

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Simply brilliant. What is this 'top of the class' hayden survivor thing Darren's talking about in the memory?

 

meaning Hayden was a survivor of the same mission

meaning Hayden was in their class / same academy

meaning Hayden was top of the class

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I was just wonder what could the mission be that they were talking about, since Darren's a Frost now. Eh, nevermind, I just confused myself somehow...

 

correction:

Darren is the Frost now

 

and about the mission.. It hasn't been addressed yet, I guess we'll have to wait for ROSING to address this in a later chapter, right now I just can't wait for the story behind the 'man in blankets' (new blanket frame confirmed)

Edited by BaIthazar
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Also, for some reason I can only see Darren as a big black guy.

 

which is kinda Ironic since Frost's default colorscheme is mostly white.

but yeah, ever since I saw him in that trailer (ps4 I think it was),

his movement and personality (as much as you can get from a masked bloke who aint got no voice bro) always made me see him as a black guy

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