[Archive] Of Ash And Fire - Original Thread

[DraikoHunter]

And DraikoHunter said "Let there be stories!"

 

 

                            Treatment

 

Aktos and Vulcana had been hauled to the medical bay on stretchers as soon they disembarked Galen’s ship. They were stripped of their Warframes and they were sent to the foundry to be repaired by its A.I. while its master was absent. Aktos was going to be treated for minor lacerations and a cut across his right eye. Vulcana had received major lacerations and a dislocated arm and would receive treatment as well.

               

                                                                                                30 minutes later

 

“We have finished treatment on your wounds Tenno Aktos. We will begin treatment of your eye, however we cannot ensure your sight will return after treatment, do you wish to replace your eye with a cybernetic one?”

 

“No….I have never been one for cybernetics.”

 

So treatment began on his eye, a Butcher had gotten to him with a Cleaver. Fortunately he had gotten a hold of healing nanites and it managed to stop the bleeding. However, that was a far as it went. They had given him a numbing agent to numb the pain of treating his injuries while he was there. He could hear Vulcana screaming in the next room, it was a scream of extreme pain, some of the doctors momentarily stopped moving. Similar to the effects of her Paralysis power.

 

After an hour they finally stopped treating his eye. They held up a mirror in front of his face so he could see their handiwork with his eye. They managed to close the wound that lead to his eye, he had a long diagonal slash starting from his forehead down to his cheek. His eye had a white slash running across it, his pupil had faded, making his eye almost completely white. He realized that when he closed his left eye, all he could see was darkness.

 

“Well, it seems as if I am blinded. Heh, blinded by a Grineer, a Butcher variant of all things! How careless of me. When am I able to be discharged?”

 

“We will release you tomorrow, for now you must rest.”

 

“Wait, how is Vulcana? Will she be okay?”

 

“She will be here a lot longer than you. At least a week, do not despair, she will live. I promise.”

 

“That is good. I can rest easy now.”

 

                                                                                                In the next room

 

“AAAAAAAAGH! IT...HURTS!!!”

 

“Tenno Vulcana, please calm yourself! You’re making your wounds worse by thrashing! Hey you! Help us hold her down, we can’t treat her while she’s conscious but she won’t stay still long enough for us to administer the anesthesia.”

 

A Rhino came in and attempted to hold her down. He got a fist to the face for his troubles. After recovering, he activated Iron Skin, she hit him again and this time it cracked and almost gave away. The doctor injected the anesthesia into her neck and she immediately fell asleep.

 

“Phew, thanks for that. We can treat her now. Thank you”

 

The Rhino nodded and staggered away, still woozy from the punch. The team of Trinity’s treated Vulcana’s wounds and fixed her arm. The surgery took at least 2 hours. By then, the anesthesia wore off and Vulcana jerked awake.

 

“What-URK! ARRGH!” She stiffened as she jerked, irritating her wounds and her arm. After her head hit the pillow again, she spoke”

 

“W-what happened? Why am I covered in bandages? Why do -ack- hurt so much? I remember coming back from the mission then I was racked with pain. I had some minor pain spasms but nothing like what i felt when we landed.”

 

“You were filled with adrenaline. It dulled the pain you were feeling and most likely worsened your condition since you didn’t feel the pain and continued to perform the strenuous activities of an able-bodied Tenno. You will be lucky to be able to go into the fray again once you heal. But i do not need to worry you with such things, you must rest, it speed along your recovery.”

 

“Wait, how is Aktos? Is he okay?”

 

“He is fine, he asked about you as well. You must be good friends.”

 

“Yes, yes we are” (<---- NOT a sign of romantic interest)

 

She closed her eyes and let the darkness engulf her.

[Ajkrumen]

Well, crap. A LOT of change happened while I was gone. I like it! So the computer situation will be delayed until monday-tuesdayish because F*** me, right? Anyway, lovin' the stories as always. It makes me sad that I can't write.

[Divinity112]

Well I just made a new character. Surprise, surprise its another Nekros, although I should say he's a lot more different...

 

/

 

The Corpus. Merchants in the extreme who worship the concept of profit. They use proxies and deal in cheap goods that are inflated in price. They are a nebulous organization. It matters not to me, I muse as I lash out with my fist to tear the soul out of a Corpus Crewman. I fling the orb of energy at another crewman and watch with dispassion as he dies in agony. Boxy helmets cover their faces as more of the Crewmen open fire upon me. My shields take the brunt of the Dera fire but I move into cover, firing my rifle in bursts as I do so. 

 

The Corpus are more sophisticated than the Grineer. Grineer technology is crude but effective. My rifle takes its toll regardless. I gather energy in my Nekros Warframe, unleashing the power known as Terrify. Every living being fears something, as the wielder of the Nekros Warframe I embody the concept of Death. Death comes for all mortals, even Tenno and I have seen many die valiantly fighting the enemies of the all seeing Lotus.

 

I hear mechanical screeching and I reload my Soma as I face a torrent of MOAs, the robotic proxies that support the Corpus soldiers in their endeavors. Machines. A pity for the Corpus to lose so many.

 

I step over broken machines and bodies as I reach the elevator to head deeper into the Corpus facility. My objective is simple. Kill all of the Corpus within the facility and head to extraction. As the Lotus has commanded.

 

I am Rorken. I am Tenno forged in the fires of war. I am Nekros, the Keeper of the Dead. Where I walk, the Legion of the Damned follows me.

[bejuizb]

Shore Leave:

 

“Chimera, you are cleared to land. Welcome to Earth.” blared the tinny voice from the comms unit in the cockpit.

 

“Roger that, thank you for clearance.” replied the pilot as he steered the large transport craft into the loading bay of the hangar. Steadily shimmying the large ship, he sighed in satisfaction as he felt the docking clamps secure the ship to the port.

 

The pilot performed his post flight checks and called his XO.

 

Several deck below, Keira's comm unit rang with a sharp ringing sound. Mumbling to herself absently, she accepted the call.

 

“Keira here.”

 

“Ma'am,” came the voice of the pilot, “we've docked on Earth. I managed to reserve this dock for three days.”

 

She nodded to herself. “Good. Do me a favour and inform the crew that they have a 48 hour shore leave. They need to report in at daybreak on the third day.”

 

“Understood. I will relay the message to the crew.”

 

“Thank you, Dean,” she said as she terminated the call. The woman got off her chair, stretching her tired shoulders. The war had kept the crew very busy, ferrying supplies to the front lines at an almost breakneck pace. Luckily for the benefit for everyone on the system and her crew, the Tenno program had been successfully initiated, and several dozen Tenno were deployed to the front lines in Orokin developed suits called Warframes. The new reinforcements had thrown a monkey wrench into the Sentients' plan, and they had managed to stop the invading force dead in their tracks.

 

This meant that she and her crew could take a break and they had unanimously decided to dock at Earth. The once beautiful planet, birthplace of humanity, had been polluted and harvested for resources, to the point where it had almost become an inhospitable hunk of rock, unable to support any living beings. A massive portion of the planet's landmass was filled with destroyed and decaying cities, abandoned husks that served as a grim reminder of the people who once lived there.

 

There was a very small sector of the planet that had been protected at all costs from wars or pollution and it now served as the Earth hub, a small tourist attraction and storage depot. It resembled a small city, hidden amongst leafy trees. Tall, pristine buildings dotted the skyline and dark, dingy streets were the home of thieves and bandits, waiting to rob any unwary tourists.

 

She walked out of her office, headed towards the medical bay. Damien had fallen ill a few days ago, and the medical officers had concluded that he had gotten a rather rare case of influenza. Where he contracted it, they didn't know. The poor boy had been bedridden, sleeping frequently as he fought against a burning fever. Aiden and Cathy had sat by him the whole time, cautiously watching over their friend. The three of them had bonded over the five years they had stayed together in the Chimera. They were almost inseparable.

 

The door to the med bay hissed open, and Keira stopped as the airlock performed decontamination procedures. Once it was done, she walked through another set of door to see Aiden leaning against a wall, reading a book. Cathy was fast asleep next to him, her head lolling on his shoulders. Keira smiled as she approached the two of them. Even though they shared no blood, she felt a strange protective instinct for these children, as if they were her own. It was not just only her though; the other members of the Chimera had come to accept the three stowaways and they were soon victims to their playful antics. Obix had resorted to calling them the “Three Terrors” after they had attempted to make the massive ship perform a barrel roll inside the atmosphere of Mars. Keira had the crew cycle between access codes every 8 hours from that day.

 

Aiden looked up as he heard his mentor walked up towards him. He put the book down on his lap gently, so as to not wake up the sleeping Cathy. Keira looked at Cathy with raised eyebrows. He simply shrugged with his eyebrows. Keira nodded and quietly walked up to Damien, who was sleeping soundly on a bed. Keira stood there for a few moments, making sure that he was alright before turning around and walking back towards Aiden. He was looking down now, seemingly lost in the scuff marks that adorned every inch of the busy ship's floors. Cathy had not moved at all, and Aiden had no intention of waking his friend up. She hadn't gotten much sleep in the past few days, worriedly looking after their friend, and he knew that she needed the rest. He himself could last for a long while before feeling sleepy.

 

Keira stubbed her toe against a section of a bed and cursed violently, which woke Cathy up with a start. The young girl looked around in confusion as Aiden chuckled deeply and Keira looked mortified. She had the unfortunate habit to swear violently, using words in her vocabulary that would make any uncivilized ruffian blush in embarrassment. Cathy quickly rubbed her sleepy eyes open and sat straight as Keira slowly walked towards them, muttering insults towards the manufacturers of the bed.

 

“I'm so sorry Cathy!” she said shamefacedly as Aiden shook with mirth, the book falling off his lap and onto the floor. His laughter was infectious, and very soon all three of them were giggling uncontrollably.

 

“It's fine Keira.” Cathy managed to say before breaking down into another fit of giggles. She wasn't aware of what was happening that made her want to laugh so much, but she didn't complain. They all needed this break. She looked down and picked up the book Aiden dropped. It was a book about human history, something she knew Aiden was fascinated about. He stopped laughing and took in a deep breath. Exhaling, he stood up and calmly took the book out of Cathy's hands.

 

“What brings you here Keira?”

 

“I came here to check in on Damien. We just docked on Earth, so I just wanted to know if he needed anything,” replied the woman, absently rubbing her palms together. “Is there any improvement with him?”

 

Cathy shook her head as she yawned, eliciting another apology from Keira. “he's just been sleeping a lot. And by a lot, I mean a lot.”

 

Aiden nodded. “He's also got a burning fever. I did some reading, and it seems to be expected. His body's fighting the infection by basically heating the virus till it dies.”

 

Keira was impressed with his knowledge. She had some background in medicine, and Aiden had confirmed her diagnosis as well. “That's right kiddo. He just needs a lot of rest. And looking at the two of you,” she said, looking pointedly at them, “I could say the same.”

Cathy got up and stretched, letting her dark fair fall past her shoulders. Both of them stood at eye level to Keira. Mere years ago these two were half my height, Keira thought inwardly. Time does fly...

 

“Now that we're on Earth, can we got and get Damien some medicines?” asked Aiden.

 

“Yes, you can. We're here for three days, so you're free to roam around. But I want you two to stick to the upper levels of the station. Those are the safest areas.”

 

Cathy nodded excitedly. They had never been on Earth before and she was eager to get off the ship. Even though she considered the Chimera to be her home now, it didn't hurt to go outside and see new sights once in a while.

 

Keira looked at their eager faces, and she knew that they really wanted to go outside. “Fine. There should be a shop in the second to last level in the upper docks. They specialize in herbal remedies, and they're one of the last few such places in the system. So expect the medicines to be pricey.”

 

Aiden grinned confidently. “I'll bargain. Don't worry Keira, we won't empty your pockets.” he said as walked out of the clinic.

 

“Yet.” said Cathy, sticking her tongue out at Keira as she followed Aiden. Keira just shook her head in amusement.

 

“They'll be fine.” she reassured herself as she checked in on Damien another time before heading out to the crew deck for a debrief from Obix.

 

 

Aiden and Cathy walked down the gangplank of the freighter ship, breathing deeply and reveling in the fresh air that was a part of the Earth station. The ships used recycled air, and it truly was relieving to inhale fresh air that smelled of flowers. They both made their way along the crowded dock, ducking and weaving beneath crates and people, talking amicably as they walked.

 

Even though they were only fifteen, they did not look the part. Aiden stood almost as tall as all the other people in the area, with rugged features and a muscular body. He never exercised, but simply had that appearance. Cathy was graceful and lithe, able to move very fast with little to no effort. They both shared the same shade of dark hair and the same sort of attire. Aiden preferred human attire for their comfort and Cathy liked human clothes because they were made with good quality materials. The war had forced the entire system to live on scraps and hand-me-downs, while all resources were allocated towards the fight against the Sentients.

 

Aiden himself hadn't seen any of the mysterious enemy, having only heard war stories of how nightmarish and strange those extrasolar beings were. He looked around the station as they walked at a brisk pace, admiring the trees and foliage that isolated them from the wasteland that was Earth. Small habitable settlements did exist, but they were so few and far in between that they might as well not be considered at all. He and Cathy chatted about the sights and sounds around him, and they barely felt time pass by when they arrived at the small shop at the lower levels of the docks.

 

On entering the shop, Aiden heard a bell chime in the depths of the establishment and a wizened old lady hobbled up to them, beaming at Aiden and Cathy with a wrinkled smile.

 

“Hello children! What brings you here?” she asked as she sat in a chair.

 

“We're looking for some herbs.” replied Cathy nervously. Aiden placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder.

 

“For a friend.” he continued confidently. “He's got influenza and I was told you would be able to help us out.”

 

She nodded enthusiastically. “I can. For how many days has he been ill?”

 

“Four days now.” replied Cathy. “We've been watching over him for the whole time. He tends to sleep a lot.”

 

The old lady nodded. “The whole time?” she asked incredulously. “You must care for him a lot.”

 

Aiden shrugged. “He's our best friend. We got quite worried for him.”

 

The lady smiled warmly. “That's understandable, young man. Friends like this are hard to come by.” She hobbled forward, taking Aiden's hand in one and Cathy's in the other. “You must cherish your friendship with your friend. Our world is a dark and bleak place, and only the friendship you share with your loved ones will be a guiding beacon.”

 

She laughed as she let go of their hands. “You two look very confused by me. I can see it in your faces. Especially you!” she said, pointing a bony finger towards Cathy, who blushed furiously. “I've just lived a very long time, and I've seen a lot of things.”

 

“What have you seen?” asked Aiden, unable to hold his curiosity.

 

“I've seen people I care for die before my eyes. I've seen this planet kill itself day by day. And I've seen things far worse, children.” she said with a grim smile. “Living for nearly a century leaves you very, very tired. Friendship and kindness are a rarity in this world.”

 

Cathy smiled wanly. “We understand. Damien is extremely close to us. I couldn't imagine the three of us living apart.” The lady had lived a dark life, but she cherished simple things more than they could.

 

Aiden nodded and the old lady smiled as she started measuring out a quantity of herbs in a clear bag. When she was done, she handed Aiden the small bag.

 

“It's herbal tea. Give this to your friend once a day. He will get well within a few days. I made this from a few herbs that grow around the station. This is my last batch.”

 

“Thank you, but why is it your last batch?”

 

She sighed, the weight of her experiences evident in her drooping shoulders. “I am closing this shop. There aren't enough herbs in the area for me to make medicines anymore. Earth is running out of plants, and I need to move to the Phobos settlement. It's a pity. I've been running this place ever since my grandfather bought the shop.”

 

Cathy felt bad for the lady, but she knew she couldn't do anything. All she could do was hope that Earth could be recovered from its current state.

 

“I'm sorry.” she said, even though she knew it wouldn't mean anything.

 

“No need to apologize, dear. There's nothing you could do.”

 

Aiden nodded grimly. “How much do we owe you?”

 

She shook her head. “Nothing. You both should just go and help your friend.”

 

“But-”

 

“Don't worry. This is for a good purpose, that is all the payment I need. Just remember the words this old lady said. Keep your friends close. Always.”

 

Aiden nodded, smiling as he walked out of the shop. “We will. Thank you for your help.”

 

Cathy jogged behind him as the bell jingled in the empty shop. “Good luck with the shop!” she said as she left.

 

The old lady just stood there, looking at the two children who soon vanished into the darkness of the ruined planet.  

 

[DraikoHunter]

Aww. I feel sad for the old lady now. Damn....i'm losing my indifference to things now. *grumbles*

[Spikey844]

OK so here is the first bit of my next chapter, I haven't finished writing it but as I am going back to school tonight I'm going to get it out for you guys.

_____________________________________________________________________________

 

Kylar lay still as shrapnel was pulled from his chest. He was trying not to scream through the anaesthetic. In his determination to save Sophia, he had been at the forefront of every attack, sword swinging and dispensing death like nothing else in existence. He had paid a heavy price. His body was a mass of cuts and bullet holes. Many of the medics were amazed that his warframe was still in one piece and he was still alive. His warframe had been sent to the foundry for repairs.

 

He had to bite his tongue as a piece of metal the size of his thumb was removed for his leg. His mind wondered. He thought back to when he had found Galen and Sophia.

 

________________________________________

 

Kylar decapitated the lancer, sending its head flying into the wall. He moved around the corpse to where Galen stood, Latron Prime still raised. Galen twitched the rifle left and sent a bullet into a Scorpion’s head that was running at Acantha.

 

“Where is she?” Kylar demanded. He had little patience, he only wanted to make sure his sister was safe.

 

“Kylar?” A weak voice came from behind a crate. A helmet slowly poked its way over the edge. Kylar ran forward as his Sophia staggered upright and pulled her into a hug. She was shuddering, in pain or just overwhelmed he could not tell. He chose overwhelmed a few moments later when she burst into tears.

 

“Shh shh, it’s all right, I’m here, its ok,” Kylar whispered to her, rocking her slightly from side to side as he comforted her. Sophia just cried harder and leant against him. He turned his head to see Galen standing a short distance away, watching them. He seemed wary of something, but Kylar couldn’t tell what.

 

“Thank you Galen,” he said, “if she had died… I don’t know what I would have done.” Galen just nodded, then turned away.

 

Kylar scooped up his sister, carrying her away from the storage room.

 

___________________________________________________________

 

Kylar bolted upright as a scream of denial rang through the medical ward. He scrambled out of bed, despite the protesting medics, and catapulted down the hallway wearing only his patient gown. He knew who was screaming, mostly because he could also hear the scream in his head.

 

Sophia.

 

He quickly found the room she was in, mainly by the Rhino guards outside. When he ran towards it, they moved to block him from entering.

 

“I don’t have the time for this, get out of my way.”

 

“No one enters unless they are medical personnel or have proper clearance,” the guard on the left.

 

“I’m her brother you thick head bastard! I think that’s clearance enough! If she loses it I’m the only on this side of hell that might be able to stop her!” Kylar screamed at them. That caused the two Tenno to pause. When a series of loud bangs came from inside the room, they let him in quickly. What he saw before him made him freeze in his tracks.

 

The room was a mess of mangled machines and groaning medics. A cabinet had been upended and smashed on the floor. The terminal on the wall had been ripped off and shattered into a million pieces. In the centre of it all, on an island of relative peace, lying back on her bed, was Sophia, crying. Kylar was not sure whether to sigh or to shout at his sister for causing chaos in the dojo for a second time. He walked to the bed. Sophia’s head snapped up when she heard his footsteps. With a cry she threw herself into Kylar’s arms and began to sob hysterically again. He held her tight and rocked back and forth, whispering comforting words in her ear. He glanced towards the door, and saw a worried looking medic standing there. He mouthed ‘hypo’ at the medic and he dashed off, returning a few seconds later with the syringe in hand. He motioned at the medic to throw it. The medic hesitated, then a noise behind him made him turn. A Mag was standing there, Kylar didn’t recognise her, but she took the hypo from the medic, and, using her powers, floated it over to Kylar. When it was close enough, he snatched it out the air and quickly jabbed it into Sophia’s arm. She squawked in protest for a moment, and then collapsed as the drug took effect.

 

The tension drop was palpable. A couple of medics entered to help up their friends as Kylar laid his sister down on the bed and pulled the covers over her. He looked up as one of the medics, who was limping slightly, came towards him.

 

“Why did she lose it?” He asked the medic.

 

“Come with me and I’ll show you,” the medic replied.  Kylar followed the man from the room and into a different room, which was full of screens and computer banks. The medic led him to one of the screens.

 

“When we were told she was pregnant, we immediately began a full scan of her womb. This is the image we got back from the scans.” Kylar stared at the image. “We compared it with the image of a woman who isn’t pregnant.” A second image appeared next to the first. Kylar looked between them, but could not see many differences. “Finally, we compared it to the image of a woman who was a few weeks pregnant, at the stage your sister would be.” The final image was similar to the one of his sister. It also had something that hers didn’t have. A slight, abnormal bulge on the womb lining. Kylar’s knees nearly gave way as he realised what the medic was trying to tell him.

 

Sophia wasn’t pregnant!

Edited February 23, 2014 by Spikey844

[DraikoHunter]

0_0 Plot Twist!

[Pyjamalama]

Well.... the Grineer have shoddy equipment, so I wouldn't put it past them detecting traces of semen inside her and guess that it was an embryo....

[Spikey844]

Well.... the Grineer have shoddy equipment, so I wouldn't put it past them detecting traces of semen inside her and guess that it was an embryo....

No comment

[bejuizb]

Spikey, could you explain the ending to your post? I couldn't understand it from a medical standpoint.

[DraikoHunter]

Sooooo miscarriage? Grineer's crappy technology mistook her for being pregnant? Was kris wearing protection? Did she take Tenno birth control? These questions are running through my head right now.

[Jeahanne]

False pregnancy?

[bejuizb]

“When we were told she was pregnant, we immediately began a full scan of her womb. This is the image we got back from the scans.” Kylar stared at the image. “We compared it with the image of a woman who isn’t pregnant.” A second image appeared next to the first. Kylar looked between them, but could not see many differences. “Finally, we compared it to the image of a woman who was a few weeks pregnant, at the stage your sister would be.” The final image was similar to the one of his sister. It also had something that hers didn’t have. A slight, abnormal bulge on the womb lining. Kylar’s knees nearly gave way as he realised what the medic was trying to tell him.

 

I highlighted my doubt in blue. What on earth does that mean?

[Jeahanne]

Something short and hopefully adorable. (Thank you Khi for letting me borrow Ein and Zen for this ^-^ )

 

I hope everyone enjoys it as much as I enjoyed writing it. I really enjoyed this one lol

 

_____________________________________

 

 

Acantha sat in a small, secluded garden in Aequitas’ Dojo, her back against the rough trunk of a maple tree whose spreading branches were laden with softly rustling red leaves. Her head pillowed on the coarse bark, with her eyes closed and knees drawn up close to her chest, she looked as if she could have been asleep as she reclined in fallen leaves that pooled and spread around her with the color of half-dried blood. In reality she was merely resting as she focused on the sounds of the gentle breeze, the murmur of running water, the rustling of leaves, and the steady inflow and outflow of air from her lungs as she breathed. The simple joy of soaking in the peace that flourished around her was rare to enjoy as a Tenno, and she relished the small moments she got to take pleasure in it.

 

Her solitude was broken after awhile when the sound of one of the garden’s doors hissed gently open, and the patter of small feet could be heard running across the grass. Curious, she looked up to see a small, furry, six-legged creature come bounding into the room to sniff about curiously. Not seeming to notice her, it jumped atop a stone bench and sat there, scenting the air once or twice before curling its long, soft, fluffy-fringed tail around itself with something that could only be described as a grin plastered all over its face. It wasn’t sitting there staring at the water for long, however, before another figure trotted into the room.

 

“There you are!” Einherjar called out to the creature. “Enjoying your exploring Zen? Come on, let’s see if we can’t find you something to eat around her today.” The peculiar but adorable creature chittered and yipped in an excited chattering as it clambered up the equally unique Tenno to drape itself contentedly across his shoulders.

 

The odd pair, still not having noticed their silent observer, headed towards the door, only to have it fly open yet again. This time, the one who revealed himself was Qarin. Obviously fresh from a maintenance session at the Foundry, the Djinn was positively gleaming, and his shiny visage caught the strange creature named Zen’s attention. Without hesitation, it launched itself from Ein’s shoulders and at the Sentinel only to clumsily miss and land on the floor. Qarin, realizing he was being chased by an unknown creature, immediately started flying about in circles, trying to evade him. Unfortunately for the poor machine, his antics only served to increase the fluffy animal’s interest, and it gleefully cavorted about the garden, chittering excitedly as it leaped and ran after its new toy.

 

“No Zen! Not that! That’s not food!” Ein protested as he gave chase.

 

 

“Cease!” Qarin yelled at his new playmate in dismay, “Desist! Stop! Mistress, this is a highly distressing and ignominious situation. Make it stop!”

 

As he yelled in alarm, Zen managed to make a particularly high leap and grab hold of the hanging Thorax Tail mounted on the Sentinel, pulling him towards the floor in his strangely shaped paws. However, before he could get a better grip and pin him to the ground, the Djinn managed to slip away, beeping in distress.

 

The Nova, up to that point still unnoticed, burst out into a fit of giggles at the comic routine playing out in front of her, and it took her several minutes for her to catch her breath. During that time Qarin managed to evade Zen long enough for Ein to scoop the mischievous animal up, whereupon the Sentinel hastily hid behind his Mistress. He managed to look greatly harassed as he stared suspiciously at the small, fluffy creature that was still struggling gleefully in his owner’s arms.

 

“Sorry, he’s still learning,” the Tenno apologized softly as he wrestled to keep hold of the six-legged creature, who was still straining after Qarin and desperately trying to escape the confines of his owner’s embrace.

 

She just laughed, still brushing tears of mirth from her eyes. “It’s nothing. Don’t worry over it.”

 

“Nothing?!” Qarin huffed from safely behind her, “It was trying to consume me. I would hardly call that nothing.”

 

“He was only playing,” she admonished the Djinn with a smile. Standing up and brushing the off the loose leaves that had come to rest on her clothes while she had sat, she addressed Ein and his companion. “Please don’t mind his rudeness, he’s still learning too. However… I know we’ve crossed paths before, I’m not sure I’ve ever properly introduced myself and my companion. I am Acantha, and this is Qarin. You’re Einherjar, correct? And I believe you called this little one Zen?”

 

Despite his helmet, she was sure that the other Tenno was smiling as he nodded, Zen still chittering playfully in his arms.

[bejuizb]

Loved it!

[DraikoHunter]

The cuteness

 

IS TOO DAMN HIGH!

[Ajkrumen]

D'AAAWWW.

[Wrath_Of_Chrysalis]

My...squorgleplox...HHNNNG!

[NyghttheClassy]

Zen is reminding me more & more of my two conkers brained collies... loving it.

------------------------------------

Well, suppose I should throw something up keeping Nyght going.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

To tell the truth, it had almost been kind of nice being out of action. No longer in a frame, for the foundry's AI had 'claimed' that, along with the donated firearms, to add to the queue of repairs the rescue had created . Nyght had been constantly either in combat, in training or locked in a medical room since he had woken up from cryosleep. And before that... well, things were still fuzzy in most places, but he did have a good recollection now of the 'events' bringing him to the here and now.

    His former clan, their protected area of space & civilians, a war, a costly victory. Then the infestation. The sectors consumed before anyone could  rally a defence. His own clan, devoured in it's entirety along with the people they protected, just so the Ark could escape. Only for it to crash into an icy planetoid.

 

Meditation was helping to clear the mental fog, find more, crisper details locked in his mind. It had been all he was really allowed to do when initially discharged from the medical wards. Sure, you could be stubborn and throw the advice of the doctors aside. But not when a team of Trinities, having spent their past week sewing your partners and yourself back together, order you to lay back. It takes a special kind of Tenno to shove that kind of doctor away.

    And so Nyght had been spending the past week or so meditating & going through various ancient focusing exercises. His choice places had been some of the Dojo's vibrant gardens. It was refreshing to have actual prospering flora for once. Real, wild growing, living plants, with all the soothing scents & fresh oxygen that they gave. A pleasant change from grey, steel corridors, recycled atmosphere and clinically precise engineering.

 

A ring of fallen cherry blossoms, gently lifted from their original resting places & arranged with care. Their pristine, vibrant pink petals emanated an aura of peace with a sweet calming scent. He knelt within, garbed in a silken sapphire robe, deep in a calm, clear focus. The air was cool, peaceful. The flawless silk rested lightly over his form, covering his scarred & flawed skin. Each breath was deeper, slower. Peace, quiet, Tranquility.

    This was probably the closest he could get to the perfect meditation place. It was... hang on. Are those... pawmarks? No one had ever mentioned any fauna in the gardens, besides the fish populating the ponds. He had never seen anything scurrying around the halls or gardens. and yet, here there were pawmarks. Tracks.

 

Something to ask about.  Perhaps someone else would know more. Nyght had been secluding himself mostly since the last mission, he knew some were injured deeply, both physically & mentally, and he felt he was in need of space to reflect properly. Coming to terms with the unique situation Tenno were in was definitely not something you were ever taught. To be a member of small group of beings from a long past era, with a heavy case of amnesia to recover from. Answers and memories didn't exactly co-operate and come straight forward to you. No, they left you to wake alone, to wander in an alien world, one that tried to strike you down without provocation. They only came forward when you dug them up, pooled into unravelling them.

 

 His mind was made. Once his gear was repaired, his body re-buffed, he set forth to consolidate his psyche. He would get a ship, and see if he could retrace his 'steps'. Find the iceball the Corpus pulled him from, see if there was anything left, anything of his past at all. He could only hope that maybe someone else had survived if he had.

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And thus I begin to weave tale for Nyght to embark upon. Although I couldn't say no if someone decided that the fluffy maker of tracks revealed himself. I can't resist cute'n'fluffy  puppy types.  

Edited February 24, 2014 by NyghttheClassy

[EDeN153]

Plot bombs, anyone?

 

 

More time passed, more times he lost it, more time for his then thin sliver of sanity to corrode down to a small trace. He was no longer recognizable as a human, other than his face he was utterly gone. He survived off the meager nutrition the smaller units provided, they came plenty though. The numbers of infected increased over time. The sophistication of the ships as well, they became more ornate and high tech. The occupants remained for the most part unchanged, excluding their clothes. They babbled of their old life, what it was like and what had been going on when they left.

Eden watched ships of unfamiliar make and technology fly by at one point in his tormented stay on Deimos. Days more passed and he saw explosions where the large ships had flown off too, a war with the humans was the most likely explanation. Months more passed, more and more came. With several shipments came a non-human species, No explanation was needed to know that these were the ones who had started a war with the humans, or “Orokin” as he had learned from one of the more sane infected.

Then the shipments all stopped. They stopped for what Eden thought was an eon, time was impossible to tell here. But they came back. They came with more humans and the others, then he came.

A ship came speeding towards the small moon, slowing and finally landing on it. Eden ran towards where it landed. He arrived at a small impact basin, a small crowd already gathered near the ship. The hatch opened and out jumped a strange man in a strange suit. His arm was entirely malformed and enlarged, his face was concealed with a helmet. Eden walked up to him, the crowd shrunk back, the man simply stared through a cracked visor. He reached up to his helmet and tore it off, sending the sparking thing to the ground. Eden looked at the man, fully able to make out his features. His eyes were like his, ruined from plague. They were pure white, his expression seemed cruel and detached, yet amused at the same time. He smiled and spoke, his voice creaky and scratchy from either the virus or disuse.

 

“Hello, my name is Nakarn, I shall be your new...Head of Affairs.”

[bejuizb]

Noice!

[Spikey844]

Hmm yeah that isn't very well explained by me. The way I see it the first and third images have a thick lining in the womb, the second has a thinner lining as the person is not pregnant so is going through their period. The slight abnormal bulge is the growing embryo.

[Sayfog]

i literally fell off my chair laughing when I read you're story jea

(just in case somebody didn't know I am retiring sayfog)

 

Edit:shall be uploading a story soonTM

Edited February 24, 2014 by Sayfog

[MandoKarla]

Enjoy!

 

  The snub landed in the Station, and the various Tenno dispersed. Two SSF officers walked up to Adrazi, who was pushing the unconscious Ash’s gurney. “How bad are his wounds?”  Adrazi rushed past them, forcing them to jog to keep up with her. “Bad enough he needs to stay in the medbay for a while. I’ll be personally taking care of him. I’ll pay the rent for his snub as well.”

 

  She could feel he had a look on his face. She had talked to this officer a lot, as he tended to be moderately reckless. She had gotten a sense of his character and thoughts, and right now, he was in interrogation mode. “I’m guessing you know who we encountered during the mission, and no, he’s not coming here. He’s not that stupid.” She could feel the officer grimace. “I hope not….” He gestured to his silent companion and they returned to patrolling.

 

  Adrazi had been feeling uneasy lately. It wasn’t her secret, and it wasn’t this Ash, it was something, no, someone else. If Vor came here right now, he’d probably die for real. But what was it??

 

___________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

  Space is empty. Silent. Calming. But it still holds the death and fear that all people, Tenno, Grineer, Corpus, and regular people try to avoid. A giggle escaped his lips, as he broke against the futility of life, and the certainty of death. He reached into his bag of candy only to discover the same void as he saw all around him. He stuck his lips out and pouted for a moment. Empty. As he sighed, his comms came alive. Lotus again. Perhaps she discovered more candy? Shut up, dumbo. “Tenno, be on alert.” A picture popped up on the screen, and he pulled out his markers. He looked at his hand with shock and dropped the marker.

  If the Lotus could be perturbed, she was. “This Tenno has begun to display signs of amorality. He’s becoming unstable and he’s quite skilled. I’ve personally used him for many assassinations and he is a top tier Tenno. Keep an eye on him. If he goes too far, you know what to do.” She cut the call as the ding on his screen showed all the information about this Tenno. An Ash, should be interesting. His pointed teeth showed as he smiled with absolute ferocity. The smile disappeared as he looked into a mirror at his discolored eyes. Maybe she’ll be where this Ash is. I doubt it, you’re dumb. That’s not how you treat people….. No, it’s how I treat you. He keyed in the location where his target was currently located at, and set the autopilot. He looked at the vastness of space, and slept. Then he dreamed dreams of life, death, and all things in between.

Edited February 24, 2014 by MandoKarla

[Pyjamalama]

Alrighty, here starts a collab between me and Viking, this is just the beginning. The story ark itself is gonna take a while....

 

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Mike wiped away the smudges Az‘s dim-red lipstick had left on his lips, trying to hide how that all had made him feel. He had finally built up the courate now to tell Az clearly about his feelings, but was interrupted by the ship as he was about to bring it up. “Approaching landing zone.“ The ship blared, signalling the true beginning of their mission.

“Well then, showtime.“ Az said as she inserted the data for the landing sequence.

----

A snub-like ship was landing, and like all his data told him, it could only be one person, well, technically two people, but that was all the same. The Lotus, he had taken a great interest in her and what she wanted, and it was a nice thought that she would want a representative to do business with him personally. But no, no matter how nice it would sound, whatever she had wanted in her last call before the charity auction planning was not somehow to connect the two of them better, Wikis knew better. What he suspected varied over so many things, especially since this last little trade in knowledge between them included her asking for a little guidance for a person that could more or less be called a proxy for Lotus in the middle of the Corpus markets, and the reward, oh the sweet music when she had claimed that she could guarantee him a spot on the board.

Come on, no matter how you looked at this deal: Cover a single lotus-worker... crew... person, whatever she wanted to call them, almost sealing that person in to corpus society and profit ladder without any possible trace to their true origin, and get a seat in the board in return. The sheer amount of profit from it. And Wikis had no doubt that Lotus was more than capable of holding up to her end of the bargain.

----

When Mike and Az made their way out of their ship, they were greeted by two corpus techs, holding scanners. “Sir, ma‘am, this procedure was explained in the invitation, no unnecessary electronics allowed. If you would please stand still.“ One of them said, Az and Mike looking at each other once, then stepping aside, allowing the techs to scan them. “The auction starts in a couple of hours; sir, ma‘am, have a profitable evening.“ The other tech said when they were done, opening the door for them.

“Oh trust me, we will.“ Az only responded, smiling slyly as she and Mike made their way.

-

“Ah, Miss Aztrid, good to see a ‘familiar face‘ here. How was the journey?“ Wikis said, offering a handshake, once he had found the two, for some reason thinking that Lotus was enjoying herself with the little puppet-show of a greeting she had specifically asked for, so that ‘her person‘ would both know who her ally on the inside was, and to fend off any suspicions that certain high-rollers might have towards them.

“Same to you, Mister Wikis.” Az said, taking his hand and smiling as she looked into his face, the chip hidden in her fingernail scanning Wikis, both confirming it was him and extracting additional physical info, after all, when would knowing a little more about someone who’s life-story of files you’ve read already not help?

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