Warframe: Forever in Painby eles74ChaptersI. Eskaate (Escape)II. Rrrraat's rkne hus rkne (What's Done is Done)III. Kle Tetr (The Test)I. Eskaate (Escape)Sparks were flying; it was the only light source she had. The only problem was that these sparks were coming from her dence armor. It was only a matter of time until the fusion cutter would finally be able to reach her flesh again. She didn't struggle, because not long after her capture, she learned that fighting it would be a waste of energy. Because she could not fight, she bottled up everything, including her hope. For if she showed her hope, she would be tortured for days on end. Alad V was a coward. He hid behind his robots and let his men die as if this whole war were a simple game. She didn't know why he still kept her alive, he already took away most of her systems and parts for that Zanuka program. Zanuka was no more than an oversized guard dog. Alad V betrayed even the Corpus board of directors to create Zanuka. Corpus may have sold parts of the Tenno warframes, but use of this technology was prohibited, even if profit was to be made. Days turned into weeks, months, and then years, yet she stayed alive, tormented, deep within the labs of Themisto. One day, an alarm sounded. This happened in time to save her from another few hours of pain. She thought it was just another infestation outbreak; it was near impossible to wipe out the Technocyte virus when it settled for any amount of time. Today didn't seem like some normal outbreak though. The technician, the one controlling the fusion cutter, had turned to look back to her, and an arrow sliced into his back. This was no arrow from a Paris or a Cernos. It was able to cut the technician in two; his upper body fell and revealed the shooter... Under her helmet she blinked hard, hoping that she was just seeing things, but the figure remained. He lowered his dark bow and reached for a throwing knife. With a flick of his wrist the blade flew through the air. Her old self would have flinched, but now her mind was a storm. The blade seemed to appear next to her head, inbeded in the head restraint, and she put all her weight forward. The restrains began to waver. Finally, she could move her head more freely, though a part remained around her neck. She looked back up to where the dark figure was standing, but he was gone; the lights flickered. Shortly after, she managed to disconnect most of the cables that held her arms in place. Some of the cables remained hanging from the bonds on her forearms. She turned to the knife, and pulled it out of the metal that held her not a moment earlier. Then the blade vanished from her hand in a puff of smoke, and a mark appeared on palm. The mark looked like an ancient Orokin symbol, but she could not decipher it at the moment; she had to escape. She saw a ventilation grate on the ceiling above the fusion cutter's controls. She was glad that Alad V had not thought of taking her ripcord's components. She launched the cord of energy from her left palm and pulled herself up into the ventilation. As she moved through the maze of shafts, she found that she was only one of many Tenno being held. Parts of an Excalibur warframe were being moved onto a small Corpus transport ship. A Mag warframe, that was still moving, was restrained to a separation device, and being guarded by Zanuka Thankfully, a Tenno cell entered the area and engaged Zanuka. She didn't feel right at the sight of the Tenno cell. She turned away and continued through the shafts to find a hangar with a ship. The only emotion she felt when she saw the Tenno was anger, yet she knew not why. She thought about going back to see what happened to the rest of the Tenno, but opted against it for fear of losing control around them. After a few more minutes of searching, she finally found a small Corpus interceptor. She broke out of the vent's grate. Staying close to the wall, she silently moved along the wall of the massive, empty hangar. As she neared the ship, she looked out to the vast gas clouds of Jupiter. It calmed her, though only a little bit. Seeing the array of yellows, browns, and oranges swerling, and from a distance you could hardly tell that, like her, it was an angry storm that would rip apart anything that got to close. She stopped at the corner of the ship and looked around carefully. There were four Corpus armed with Deras. She clenched her fists and burst into a full sprint. The first crewman didn't even have a chance to look behind him. He flew passed the other three and slid along the floor of the hanger, leaving a trail of blood where his suit and skin were torn by the friction. The three turned to her and tried to raise their weapons, but she was faster. She launched a ripcord at one of them, pulled him in and used him as a shield from the superheated plasma. His shield didn't last long and his scream became gurgled by the blood in his lungs and throat. She threw his body to the side when the Deras hissed from overheating and used her ripcord to speed up to the crewmen. She put a hand on each of their heads and pushed them to the floor. She pushed harder. The helmets cracked and the crewmen struggled. Harder... The material flexed inward, closer to their faces. Just a little more force... They gave way, and the heads were crushed under an amount of force rivaling a Rhino's stomp. She pulled her hands from the bloody messes that were living things just seconds ago. Her survival instincts overcame the rest of her broken mind and she entered the ship, hands still dripping blood. Inside the ship, there was a small door, and beyond was the cockpit. She checked the door to make sure there would be no surprises, but it was deadlocked. She reeled a fist back and punched into the door. She felt around to get a grip on the inside of the door. Ten seconds later, the door was on the floor next to her. A quiet, high pitched humming sound came from two spots, in front of her, and right next to her. Lucky for her, it wasn't an explosive canister; her arm swung out to hit whatever it was. A floating storage canister met the back of her hand. She heard a gasp, thought it was bearly audible. Taking silent steps into the small dark room, she checked behind every storage container. After checking all but one, she took a step back and crouched. After a moment, she pounced behind the container and grabbed her target by the neck, which seemed a little long to be any humanoid's neck. She lifted the being to the light, only to see that it was different from the kubro she expected. This was a mythical creature. A unicorn, with wings, and a mane that looked like space, or even a simple night sky. She loosened her grip on the creature, and allowed it to rise to its full height. It was only a few inches taller than her, minus the horn. They stared at each other in silence. She was beginning to wonder if the creature could communicate. She cleared her throat. "Greetings" she tried the first language that came to mind, the Tenno's. At the sound of her voice, the fear in the creature's eyes was replaced by what seemed like curiosity. "Ggreethuig?" She tried greeting in the Grineer language. The creature tilted its head in confusion, then looked down in thought. Then a look of realization came to the creature; it had an idea, and its horn began to glow a blue aura. To this, the ex-agent tended up, not knowing what to expect. A stream of the blue aura approached her from the unicorn's horn and reached for her head. She remained calm, waiting for the aura to touch her. The moment it did, a strange feeling came across her mind, like it was being searched. She realized what the unicorn must have been doing, and focused on the Tenno, Grineer, Corpus and Orokin languages, while blocking the rest of her memories. All Tenno must have a strong mind if they are to use their guns and blades effectively. A Tenno cannot be hindered by painful memories or mind games. Seconds later, the "mind-read" was finished; accelerated by her cooperation. "Hello" the creature said experimentally, "do you understand me?" The creature was obviously a female, unless of course it simply worked differently where it is from. "Ges, I do." she replied, clearly impressed by how fast the gap in communication closed, "Rressk to you as well." "I'm glad that I was found by somepony that has not attacked me on sight." The creature said, and looked to the floor, "I thank you. My name is Luna." "Well, Luna, we will have more time to talk, after we leave this place." The creature, named Luna, nodded and the two left the room. The Tenno took the pilot seat and Luna stood behind her. The ship's engines were fired up and they left the station's hangar. Luckily, the Tenno cell that fought Zanuka and Alad had only just lifted a remote lockdown which had blocked off access to the hangar. No Corpus could have stopped them from escaping. Freedom at last... II. Rrrraat's rkne hus rkne (What's Done is Done)"You never told me your name" Luna said. "My name was forgotten long ago, but if you wish, you may call me Valkyr" the Tenno said. The two had been drifting from moon to moon on the Corpus ship. They could not afford to detected by anyone; for if they were, they could be recaptured, and then who knows what could become of them. Valkyr spent most of her time in silence, staring at the mark on her hand that the dark one's dagger left. The rest of her time was spent either redirecting the ship to avoid detection, or answering Luna's questions. After a few more minutes of nothing but the quiet hum of idle engines, Luna asked, "Why do you hide your face behind that mask?" Valkyr turned to Luna and stared at her for a moment. She said, "Are you sure you want to see what I hide?" Luna hesitated, but nodded all the same. Valkyr reached her hands up to her damaged helmet and began to unlatch its various locks. Luna stared at the Tenno as she finally pulled off her helmet. Valkyr looked up, long blond hair falling over her face. Through the hair, Luna saw a pair of glowing orange irises. Valkyr pulled her hair to one side, and her eyes' glow dimmed slightly in the light. Then Luna saw the scars. There many, but they were mostly centralized around her neck, and the top left section of her head. The rest of her face seemed smoother. She found herself wondering where some of the scars came from, but thought against asking about them. She looks like she's gone through as much as myself in less than half the time, She thought. Valkyr looked at her marked hand, then back to Luna. "I think I know where we have to go" She said, "but I haven't been out of that facility in years, maybe even decades. I have no idea who controls what sections of the solar rails." "Alright," Luna said, "then I suppose I could put a spell of mine to use should the need arise." "A spell?" The Tenno raised an eyebrow. "A cloaking spell," "You knew of a way we could hide in plain sight, and you haven't told me?" "If this craft were smaller, the spell would be much easier, however I am not fully recovered from being thrown through the empty storm. " Valkyr thought a moment, Empty storm? She can't mean she came through the Void! No living creature can survive direct exposure to the Void storms. She looked at Luna. "How did you get to the Origin System? You're not one of Alad's experiments, and definitely not from the Grineer." Luna's expression turned dark. She muttered, "Sombra..." She stomped a hoof, "He was reformed by some cult. The fools unleashed that darkness over my kingdom, and the entire world." "You rule over a kingdom?" The Tenno asked. "With my sister, her former pupil, and our niece." Luna said. She looked down and sighed, "That was, untill a few days ago, when Sombra won." "I am sorry." "Do not apologize for something you had nothing to do with. It was my fault that he won." A tear came to Luna's eye, "I failed my subjects, and my sister, and though this isn't the first time, it may be the last." "Don't give up, not untill you know for certain that your world has fallen to this darkness. And don't think that you're the only one that failed those you cared for." Valkyr put a hand on Luna's shoulder as she spoke, "If you weren't here, I would have wanted to be detected, if only for the chance to kill more ggreery Corpus." She turned away from Luna and got back in the pilot's seat. "We should be on our way." That creature has faced more than most could live with. She thought, Maybe he would help us... She glanced at the mark, Or he could simply want us dead. I am a Tenno, and though I blame them for what little I remember, I must help maintain balance in all things. That includes preventing the fall of a foreign world. The Lotus may not want me to return, but I will, once I am ready. She glanced at Luna, who was holding back her emotions, and said, "Khnkrr klos Luna, I will find a way to return you to your kingdom, we will learn of your people's fate, and I will aid you further, should you need it." Luna looked at the scarred Tenno, "Thank you, Valkyr." <><><>< The pair's journey was quiet, both in thought. Valkyr's instincts made plans, and backup plans should things not go smoothly. Luna, however, was thinking about what Valkyr had told her, She is scarred, but... I cannot figure her out like I could with Griffons or Hippogriphs. She has seen the horrors of combat, but she hides it so well. Who exactly are you, and why are you helping me? Luna's train of thought was interrupted when she realized that the ship was idle. They were drifting near a large tower-like construction that floated in the void of space. The tower had areas that looked like they should have had lights, but as they approached it, the structure remained dark. "Rhugrrt rregre hu left gar..." Valkyr muttered. "It has been a long time since I was last here." She said to Luna. "I hope you're ready to defend yourself. I'm not sure how he'll react to you." Luna took a few deep breaths, I will pass any test if it will get me closer to returning to Equestria and my sister. III. Kle Tetr (The Test)Valkyr walked with Luna through the dark halls of the old Tenno dojo. A blue glow from Luna's horn giving some light for them to see. They were both constantly on the lookout for threats, or even any signs of life. Every once in a while, Luna's ears would twitch at the faintest noise, but it never seemed to be anything to be concerned about. "We should be near the main hall." The Tenno said without even looking back at Luna, "I would assume he's there." "I've been meaning to ask," Luna said, "who exactly is he?" "You'll find out soon enough." Valkyr responded. The rest of the way to the hall was nearly silent; the only noise being that of the reactors a few floors below, and the footsteps of the pair. They came to another of the circular doors, but when this one opened, there was a massive room. So large in fact, that the glow from Luna's horn was not enough to reach the far end. "Welcome home..." A male's voice hissed, "oh, and who might this be?" "Her name i-" Valkyr began, but Luna cut her off with a wave of her hoof. "I am princess Luna, co-ruler of Equestria." She said. "Ah, a princess? I can't say I've heard of this Equestria, but I suppose it counts for something. How may I be of assistance?" The voice echoed, so Luna couldn't tell it came from in the shadows. "I must return to my kingdom. We were attacked by a being of darkness known as Sombra. He cast me through an empty storm." As Luna finished, Valkyr glanced to her side, and saw a familiar pattern of red lights, and it was getting closer. "An empty storm..." The voice repeated. "What exactly happened in this storm?" "It was trying to tear me apart, but I drained my own magic to shield myself. I have been recovering these past few days." "I mean what did the storm look like?" He pressed. "Nothing... It was simply a vast, empty, white plane." In a moment, faster than anyone could react, a large, black scythe blade was around her neck. "You're not possible!" He said, now standing behind her to her side, "Nothing can survive any amount of time of exposure to the Void's storm." Just as fast though, was a cord of energy that shot from Valkyr's hand. It connected with the scythe and tore away from the owner's hands. It was flung away, spinning, and slid along the grey, polished floor. "You're still too aggressive for your own good" Valkyr said, "You still don't take full account of the situation. If I was armed, then you would be dead." Luna turned quickly and did the equivalent of a Rhino's punch to her aggressor's chest with her magic. "And she can also defend herself with energies from another galaxy." "You haven't changed as much as it seemed when I found you tigeress." He said, getting up to his feet. Luna glanced at Valkyr questioningly. "My mastery of many weapons and combat tactics earned me the rank of 'Tiger' in the eyes of the Tenno." She crossed her arms, "I've always managed to stay at least one rank above him before Alad came." She said smugly. "Enough of this; you're simply bragging now." He said, walking over to his scythe, "And you, Luna, she says you can defend yourself. Would you care for a... friendly duel?" He picked up the weapon, “You can defend yourself,” In a puff of smoke he appeared next to Luna, making her quickly step back and turn to him, “but are you really prepared for what this solar system has in store?” “Valkyr is right, you do not assess your targets appropriately” Luna responded. “Is that what you’ve taken to calling yourself?” He said to Valkyr, “Not a bad name, but I can’t see you as an ancient valkyrie.” He turned to Luna, “Now then, shall we?” “I am ready.” Luna said confidently, bracing for anything her opponent could throw at her. It all happened very quickly for Luna. She could barely deflect the volley of knives that were thrown at her, followed by a single arrow, then she stepped into the scythe to avoid the blade. The pole slammed into her back, and her knees bent under the force. Not wanting that blade anywhere near her neck, she focused her magic and teleported away, into the shadows. "It seems we are both in our element." Luna said from somewhere in the darkness. "You may thrive in the shadows, but I am the princess of the night; this will only be a matter of who sees the other first." Valkyr had moved over to a wall to keep her bearings, and to try to keep track of where the two were. She is far more than what I expected. This darkness that invaded her kingdom must be powerful, cunning, or even both. As her eyes scanned for any sign of Luna, she saw a cloud of blue-purple energy. Oh, she is good. Luna's opponent teleported up a pillar to search. Her saw the twinkle of a star, which he remembered was on her mane. Got you now. He teleported pillar to pillar to drop in behind her. Then he landed in a cloud of energy that covered the floor, and Luna was nowhere to be found. What?! Where did you go?! "I'm right here," he heard his own voice say, right before a pair of arms wrapped around his neck and pulled him to the ground, trying to choke him. All Valkyr could see was a second set of red lights form from the cloud behind the original. "Do you yield?" The second copy said. The original responded by reaching for a knife and trying to turn. He stabbed at the second, and it dissipated into blue energy. More of said energy moved above him, and began to press down. "I repeat, do you yield?" Luna's own voice rang out. "I do." He choked out, and the pressure was releaved. He got to his feet and said, "we'll fought. I guess I did underestimate you." He sighed, "Now, on to business. You need a way through the Void?" Valkyr approached as the cloud formed back into Luna. "That's right." She said. "I can get you a key, but first, I need help with something." "What could you possibly need help with?" Valkyr said, with a hint of sarcasm. “Valkyr, how well do you think you know me?” He said. “Fairly well” “Where was I before coming to join the Tenno so many cycles ago…” He bowed his head solemnly. “I… I don’t know. Where did you come from?” “Does the name Low Guardians ring any bells?” Valkyr gasped in realization. That’s where he’s from? He must have been there that day. They were all there, we made sure of it. But how is he alive? I thought none of the Guardians survived. “What is it?” Luna said in confusion, “What is all of this about? “The day the empire fell…” Valkyr choked out. Author's Note I posted a blog with a link for Grineer translations, but here it is again for those that missed it The Stalker's Codex entry is what I'm using for back story on him, but keep in mind that this is just my interpretation of the past events. The entry is on the Warframe wikia, so if you can't wait for the next chapter, you can go there to find it there. Also, Happy Easter!
I. Eskaate (Escape)Sparks were flying; it was the only light source she had. The only problem was that these sparks were coming from her dence armor. It was only a matter of time until the fusion cutter would finally be able to reach her flesh again. She didn't struggle, because not long after her capture, she learned that fighting it would be a waste of energy. Because she could not fight, she bottled up everything, including her hope. For if she showed her hope, she would be tortured for days on end. Alad V was a coward. He hid behind his robots and let his men die as if this whole war were a simple game. She didn't know why he still kept her alive, he already took away most of her systems and parts for that Zanuka program. Zanuka was no more than an oversized guard dog. Alad V betrayed even the Corpus board of directors to create Zanuka. Corpus may have sold parts of the Tenno warframes, but use of this technology was prohibited, even if profit was to be made. Days turned into weeks, months, and then years, yet she stayed alive, tormented, deep within the labs of Themisto. One day, an alarm sounded. This happened in time to save her from another few hours of pain. She thought it was just another infestation outbreak; it was near impossible to wipe out the Technocyte virus when it settled for any amount of time. Today didn't seem like some normal outbreak though. The technician, the one controlling the fusion cutter, had turned to look back to her, and an arrow sliced into his back. This was no arrow from a Paris or a Cernos. It was able to cut the technician in two; his upper body fell and revealed the shooter... Under her helmet she blinked hard, hoping that she was just seeing things, but the figure remained. He lowered his dark bow and reached for a throwing knife. With a flick of his wrist the blade flew through the air. Her old self would have flinched, but now her mind was a storm. The blade seemed to appear next to her head, inbeded in the head restraint, and she put all her weight forward. The restrains began to waver. Finally, she could move her head more freely, though a part remained around her neck. She looked back up to where the dark figure was standing, but he was gone; the lights flickered. Shortly after, she managed to disconnect most of the cables that held her arms in place. Some of the cables remained hanging from the bonds on her forearms. She turned to the knife, and pulled it out of the metal that held her not a moment earlier. Then the blade vanished from her hand in a puff of smoke, and a mark appeared on palm. The mark looked like an ancient Orokin symbol, but she could not decipher it at the moment; she had to escape. She saw a ventilation grate on the ceiling above the fusion cutter's controls. She was glad that Alad V had not thought of taking her ripcord's components. She launched the cord of energy from her left palm and pulled herself up into the ventilation. As she moved through the maze of shafts, she found that she was only one of many Tenno being held. Parts of an Excalibur warframe were being moved onto a small Corpus transport ship. A Mag warframe, that was still moving, was restrained to a separation device, and being guarded by Zanuka Thankfully, a Tenno cell entered the area and engaged Zanuka. She didn't feel right at the sight of the Tenno cell. She turned away and continued through the shafts to find a hangar with a ship. The only emotion she felt when she saw the Tenno was anger, yet she knew not why. She thought about going back to see what happened to the rest of the Tenno, but opted against it for fear of losing control around them. After a few more minutes of searching, she finally found a small Corpus interceptor. She broke out of the vent's grate. Staying close to the wall, she silently moved along the wall of the massive, empty hangar. As she neared the ship, she looked out to the vast gas clouds of Jupiter. It calmed her, though only a little bit. Seeing the array of yellows, browns, and oranges swerling, and from a distance you could hardly tell that, like her, it was an angry storm that would rip apart anything that got to close. She stopped at the corner of the ship and looked around carefully. There were four Corpus armed with Deras. She clenched her fists and burst into a full sprint. The first crewman didn't even have a chance to look behind him. He flew passed the other three and slid along the floor of the hanger, leaving a trail of blood where his suit and skin were torn by the friction. The three turned to her and tried to raise their weapons, but she was faster. She launched a ripcord at one of them, pulled him in and used him as a shield from the superheated plasma. His shield didn't last long and his scream became gurgled by the blood in his lungs and throat. She threw his body to the side when the Deras hissed from overheating and used her ripcord to speed up to the crewmen. She put a hand on each of their heads and pushed them to the floor. She pushed harder. The helmets cracked and the crewmen struggled. Harder... The material flexed inward, closer to their faces. Just a little more force... They gave way, and the heads were crushed under an amount of force rivaling a Rhino's stomp. She pulled her hands from the bloody messes that were living things just seconds ago. Her survival instincts overcame the rest of her broken mind and she entered the ship, hands still dripping blood. Inside the ship, there was a small door, and beyond was the cockpit. She checked the door to make sure there would be no surprises, but it was deadlocked. She reeled a fist back and punched into the door. She felt around to get a grip on the inside of the door. Ten seconds later, the door was on the floor next to her. A quiet, high pitched humming sound came from two spots, in front of her, and right next to her. Lucky for her, it wasn't an explosive canister; her arm swung out to hit whatever it was. A floating storage canister met the back of her hand. She heard a gasp, thought it was bearly audible. Taking silent steps into the small dark room, she checked behind every storage container. After checking all but one, she took a step back and crouched. After a moment, she pounced behind the container and grabbed her target by the neck, which seemed a little long to be any humanoid's neck. She lifted the being to the light, only to see that it was different from the kubro she expected. This was a mythical creature. A unicorn, with wings, and a mane that looked like space, or even a simple night sky. She loosened her grip on the creature, and allowed it to rise to its full height. It was only a few inches taller than her, minus the horn. They stared at each other in silence. She was beginning to wonder if the creature could communicate. She cleared her throat. "Greetings" she tried the first language that came to mind, the Tenno's. At the sound of her voice, the fear in the creature's eyes was replaced by what seemed like curiosity. "Ggreethuig?" She tried greeting in the Grineer language. The creature tilted its head in confusion, then looked down in thought. Then a look of realization came to the creature; it had an idea, and its horn began to glow a blue aura. To this, the ex-agent tended up, not knowing what to expect. A stream of the blue aura approached her from the unicorn's horn and reached for her head. She remained calm, waiting for the aura to touch her. The moment it did, a strange feeling came across her mind, like it was being searched. She realized what the unicorn must have been doing, and focused on the Tenno, Grineer, Corpus and Orokin languages, while blocking the rest of her memories. All Tenno must have a strong mind if they are to use their guns and blades effectively. A Tenno cannot be hindered by painful memories or mind games. Seconds later, the "mind-read" was finished; accelerated by her cooperation. "Hello" the creature said experimentally, "do you understand me?" The creature was obviously a female, unless of course it simply worked differently where it is from. "Ges, I do." she replied, clearly impressed by how fast the gap in communication closed, "Rressk to you as well." "I'm glad that I was found by somepony that has not attacked me on sight." The creature said, and looked to the floor, "I thank you. My name is Luna." "Well, Luna, we will have more time to talk, after we leave this place." The creature, named Luna, nodded and the two left the room. The Tenno took the pilot seat and Luna stood behind her. The ship's engines were fired up and they left the station's hangar. Luckily, the Tenno cell that fought Zanuka and Alad had only just lifted a remote lockdown which had blocked off access to the hangar. No Corpus could have stopped them from escaping. Freedom at last...
II. Rrrraat's rkne hus rkne (What's Done is Done)"You never told me your name" Luna said. "My name was forgotten long ago, but if you wish, you may call me Valkyr" the Tenno said. The two had been drifting from moon to moon on the Corpus ship. They could not afford to detected by anyone; for if they were, they could be recaptured, and then who knows what could become of them. Valkyr spent most of her time in silence, staring at the mark on her hand that the dark one's dagger left. The rest of her time was spent either redirecting the ship to avoid detection, or answering Luna's questions. After a few more minutes of nothing but the quiet hum of idle engines, Luna asked, "Why do you hide your face behind that mask?" Valkyr turned to Luna and stared at her for a moment. She said, "Are you sure you want to see what I hide?" Luna hesitated, but nodded all the same. Valkyr reached her hands up to her damaged helmet and began to unlatch its various locks. Luna stared at the Tenno as she finally pulled off her helmet. Valkyr looked up, long blond hair falling over her face. Through the hair, Luna saw a pair of glowing orange irises. Valkyr pulled her hair to one side, and her eyes' glow dimmed slightly in the light. Then Luna saw the scars. There many, but they were mostly centralized around her neck, and the top left section of her head. The rest of her face seemed smoother. She found herself wondering where some of the scars came from, but thought against asking about them. She looks like she's gone through as much as myself in less than half the time, She thought. Valkyr looked at her marked hand, then back to Luna. "I think I know where we have to go" She said, "but I haven't been out of that facility in years, maybe even decades. I have no idea who controls what sections of the solar rails." "Alright," Luna said, "then I suppose I could put a spell of mine to use should the need arise." "A spell?" The Tenno raised an eyebrow. "A cloaking spell," "You knew of a way we could hide in plain sight, and you haven't told me?" "If this craft were smaller, the spell would be much easier, however I am not fully recovered from being thrown through the empty storm. " Valkyr thought a moment, Empty storm? She can't mean she came through the Void! No living creature can survive direct exposure to the Void storms. She looked at Luna. "How did you get to the Origin System? You're not one of Alad's experiments, and definitely not from the Grineer." Luna's expression turned dark. She muttered, "Sombra..." She stomped a hoof, "He was reformed by some cult. The fools unleashed that darkness over my kingdom, and the entire world." "You rule over a kingdom?" The Tenno asked. "With my sister, her former pupil, and our niece." Luna said. She looked down and sighed, "That was, untill a few days ago, when Sombra won." "I am sorry." "Do not apologize for something you had nothing to do with. It was my fault that he won." A tear came to Luna's eye, "I failed my subjects, and my sister, and though this isn't the first time, it may be the last." "Don't give up, not untill you know for certain that your world has fallen to this darkness. And don't think that you're the only one that failed those you cared for." Valkyr put a hand on Luna's shoulder as she spoke, "If you weren't here, I would have wanted to be detected, if only for the chance to kill more ggreery Corpus." She turned away from Luna and got back in the pilot's seat. "We should be on our way." That creature has faced more than most could live with. She thought, Maybe he would help us... She glanced at the mark, Or he could simply want us dead. I am a Tenno, and though I blame them for what little I remember, I must help maintain balance in all things. That includes preventing the fall of a foreign world. The Lotus may not want me to return, but I will, once I am ready. She glanced at Luna, who was holding back her emotions, and said, "Khnkrr klos Luna, I will find a way to return you to your kingdom, we will learn of your people's fate, and I will aid you further, should you need it." Luna looked at the scarred Tenno, "Thank you, Valkyr." <><><>< The pair's journey was quiet, both in thought. Valkyr's instincts made plans, and backup plans should things not go smoothly. Luna, however, was thinking about what Valkyr had told her, She is scarred, but... I cannot figure her out like I could with Griffons or Hippogriphs. She has seen the horrors of combat, but she hides it so well. Who exactly are you, and why are you helping me? Luna's train of thought was interrupted when she realized that the ship was idle. They were drifting near a large tower-like construction that floated in the void of space. The tower had areas that looked like they should have had lights, but as they approached it, the structure remained dark. "Rhugrrt rregre hu left gar..." Valkyr muttered. "It has been a long time since I was last here." She said to Luna. "I hope you're ready to defend yourself. I'm not sure how he'll react to you." Luna took a few deep breaths, I will pass any test if it will get me closer to returning to Equestria and my sister.
III. Kle Tetr (The Test)Valkyr walked with Luna through the dark halls of the old Tenno dojo. A blue glow from Luna's horn giving some light for them to see. They were both constantly on the lookout for threats, or even any signs of life. Every once in a while, Luna's ears would twitch at the faintest noise, but it never seemed to be anything to be concerned about. "We should be near the main hall." The Tenno said without even looking back at Luna, "I would assume he's there." "I've been meaning to ask," Luna said, "who exactly is he?" "You'll find out soon enough." Valkyr responded. The rest of the way to the hall was nearly silent; the only noise being that of the reactors a few floors below, and the footsteps of the pair. They came to another of the circular doors, but when this one opened, there was a massive room. So large in fact, that the glow from Luna's horn was not enough to reach the far end. "Welcome home..." A male's voice hissed, "oh, and who might this be?" "Her name i-" Valkyr began, but Luna cut her off with a wave of her hoof. "I am princess Luna, co-ruler of Equestria." She said. "Ah, a princess? I can't say I've heard of this Equestria, but I suppose it counts for something. How may I be of assistance?" The voice echoed, so Luna couldn't tell it came from in the shadows. "I must return to my kingdom. We were attacked by a being of darkness known as Sombra. He cast me through an empty storm." As Luna finished, Valkyr glanced to her side, and saw a familiar pattern of red lights, and it was getting closer. "An empty storm..." The voice repeated. "What exactly happened in this storm?" "It was trying to tear me apart, but I drained my own magic to shield myself. I have been recovering these past few days." "I mean what did the storm look like?" He pressed. "Nothing... It was simply a vast, empty, white plane." In a moment, faster than anyone could react, a large, black scythe blade was around her neck. "You're not possible!" He said, now standing behind her to her side, "Nothing can survive any amount of time of exposure to the Void's storm." Just as fast though, was a cord of energy that shot from Valkyr's hand. It connected with the scythe and tore away from the owner's hands. It was flung away, spinning, and slid along the grey, polished floor. "You're still too aggressive for your own good" Valkyr said, "You still don't take full account of the situation. If I was armed, then you would be dead." Luna turned quickly and did the equivalent of a Rhino's punch to her aggressor's chest with her magic. "And she can also defend herself with energies from another galaxy." "You haven't changed as much as it seemed when I found you tigeress." He said, getting up to his feet. Luna glanced at Valkyr questioningly. "My mastery of many weapons and combat tactics earned me the rank of 'Tiger' in the eyes of the Tenno." She crossed her arms, "I've always managed to stay at least one rank above him before Alad came." She said smugly. "Enough of this; you're simply bragging now." He said, walking over to his scythe, "And you, Luna, she says you can defend yourself. Would you care for a... friendly duel?" He picked up the weapon, “You can defend yourself,” In a puff of smoke he appeared next to Luna, making her quickly step back and turn to him, “but are you really prepared for what this solar system has in store?” “Valkyr is right, you do not assess your targets appropriately” Luna responded. “Is that what you’ve taken to calling yourself?” He said to Valkyr, “Not a bad name, but I can’t see you as an ancient valkyrie.” He turned to Luna, “Now then, shall we?” “I am ready.” Luna said confidently, bracing for anything her opponent could throw at her. It all happened very quickly for Luna. She could barely deflect the volley of knives that were thrown at her, followed by a single arrow, then she stepped into the scythe to avoid the blade. The pole slammed into her back, and her knees bent under the force. Not wanting that blade anywhere near her neck, she focused her magic and teleported away, into the shadows. "It seems we are both in our element." Luna said from somewhere in the darkness. "You may thrive in the shadows, but I am the princess of the night; this will only be a matter of who sees the other first." Valkyr had moved over to a wall to keep her bearings, and to try to keep track of where the two were. She is far more than what I expected. This darkness that invaded her kingdom must be powerful, cunning, or even both. As her eyes scanned for any sign of Luna, she saw a cloud of blue-purple energy. Oh, she is good. Luna's opponent teleported up a pillar to search. Her saw the twinkle of a star, which he remembered was on her mane. Got you now. He teleported pillar to pillar to drop in behind her. Then he landed in a cloud of energy that covered the floor, and Luna was nowhere to be found. What?! Where did you go?! "I'm right here," he heard his own voice say, right before a pair of arms wrapped around his neck and pulled him to the ground, trying to choke him. All Valkyr could see was a second set of red lights form from the cloud behind the original. "Do you yield?" The second copy said. The original responded by reaching for a knife and trying to turn. He stabbed at the second, and it dissipated into blue energy. More of said energy moved above him, and began to press down. "I repeat, do you yield?" Luna's own voice rang out. "I do." He choked out, and the pressure was releaved. He got to his feet and said, "we'll fought. I guess I did underestimate you." He sighed, "Now, on to business. You need a way through the Void?" Valkyr approached as the cloud formed back into Luna. "That's right." She said. "I can get you a key, but first, I need help with something." "What could you possibly need help with?" Valkyr said, with a hint of sarcasm. “Valkyr, how well do you think you know me?” He said. “Fairly well” “Where was I before coming to join the Tenno so many cycles ago…” He bowed his head solemnly. “I… I don’t know. Where did you come from?” “Does the name Low Guardians ring any bells?” Valkyr gasped in realization. That’s where he’s from? He must have been there that day. They were all there, we made sure of it. But how is he alive? I thought none of the Guardians survived. “What is it?” Luna said in confusion, “What is all of this about? “The day the empire fell…” Valkyr choked out. Author's Note I posted a blog with a link for Grineer translations, but here it is again for those that missed it The Stalker's Codex entry is what I'm using for back story on him, but keep in mind that this is just my interpretation of the past events. The entry is on the Warframe wikia, so if you can't wait for the next chapter, you can go there to find it there. Also, Happy Easter!
