The Sentient Battalysts immediately opened fire at the Tenno, who seamlessly dodged the attacks with dashes, rolls, or bullet-leaps. Rhino and Excalibur, the two front-runners of the team, moved in close. Rhino's Corinth Prime shotgun tore the limbs off the Battalysts with each shot, injuring them, while Excalibur finished them off with Nikana Prime.

Oberon, after firing a few shots from her Aklato Pistols, leaped into the middle of the Equines' formation and placed a well of healing energy known as Renewal. While she watched a few injured Equines regain their stamina, a Battalyst took what it thought was an easy target and fired at her. She casually dodged in time and opened fire, cutting down the Sentient fighter with ease as her bullets cut through its weakened armor.

The remaining two Tenno, Zephyr Prime and Volt Prime, easily dispatched the remaining Sentients with the power of wind or lightning, and as the final one fell to Excalibur's sword, the room was quiet once again.

As the five Tenno turned to the Equines, a purple one with a horn and wings let the light on her horn extinguish, then she promptly fell over. As the others crowded around in a protective stance, Excalibur came forward and sheathed his Nikana..

As he approached, the lances of several more Equines in armor were pointed directly at him. Giving a small scoff of amusement, Excalibur easily pushed them aside and stood over the unconscious one.

He extended his hand over her, and a green mist flowed out to cover the Equine. Her eyes fluttered, and then she groaned audibly. As she shakily got to her feet to the further shock of those around her, she spoke in a foreign language.

Mason tilted his head in question, and then realizing that verbal communication would not be possible for the moment, extended a finger and touched her mouth, before shaking his head "no". The equine seemed to catch his meaning, and began to speak to the others hurriedly, a few showing signs of surprise, doubt, or in the case of one of them who wore more ornate armor, distrust.

Mason sighed and walked away, rejoining his team, who circled up around him while sheathing their weapons.

"What's the play ,Excalibur?" Rhino asked. "They can't understand us?"

"I communicated that as much." Excalibur replied. "Look, I don't think they pose us any harm, seeing as they likely didn't stand a chance against the Sentients before we showed up. I think we should pass them on and finish our mission."

"They might be able to help us. This is their world, after all." Volt suggested. "Maybe we just need to translate what they are saying somehow."

"How do you propose we do that?" Clarke raised an eyebrow. "It's not like we have writing materials with us at the moment."

"Cy might be able to." Oberon mused. "Is that possible?"

"I can give it a shot." the Railjack's Cephalon replied. "If you can keep those beings talking, it'll speed up the process by a good amount."

"That sounds like a plan." Rhino nodded as he and the other Tenno approached the Equines once more. They sat cross-legged in front of them, causing a whisper of murmurs to come up.

"Did you get that?" Excalibur asked.

"Yeah, I got it. A little more data and I should be good to translate." Cy replied. Excalibur then borrowed one of Volt's Hikou Prime shurikens, and began carving the Orokin symbol for "Tenno" into the floor in front of them.

As the Equines continued to talk, it didn't take long before Cy spoke up again and a stream of data appeared on his Warframe's HUD.

"Data parsing is complete, streaming vocal data to you know. Translation should kick in momentarily."

As the voices of the Equines slowly turned from their unkown tongue and into the Orokin language, Excalibur perked up at what they were saying about them.

"So, they save our flanks, heal Twilight, and then just sit down and start drawing on the floor? I'm not sure what they're doing, but I don't like it." said one with a prismatic rainbow-colored mane and wings.

"Rainbow Dash, please be more tactful." said one with an ivory coat and curled purple mane. "You saw what they did to those things. I'd prefer not to anger them if we could."

"I agree, but..what is that...symbol supposed to mean?" said the one Excalibur healed. "It obviously means something, I just need to figure out what."

"Maybe it's some kind of space-alien party invitation?" asked a pink one with a poofy mane. "It looks like a balloon without the string. At least it looks like that to me."

Excalibur then chuckled audibly, causing the Equines to focus on him, before he cleared his throat and spoke a single word.

"Tenno." he said, causing every single Equine to gasp. The purple one then came forward nervously.

"Is that your name?" she asked.

"It is what we are." Excalibur replied as the Tenno stood up. "There will be time for proper discourse later. We must move and make haste. The Sentients will return, and in greater numbers. There is no safety here to talk."

"Why should we trust you?" the rainbow one asked brashly. "What do you mean by a Sentient? What are you doing in Eq..."

Excalibur then covered her mouth with his hand and motioned to the nearby hallway entrance. The Rainbow one growled angrily and tried to speak again before a voice cut her protests short.

"He said we'll explain later." Rhino said authoritatively, coming forward. "If you value your lives, you'll follow us and keep your heads down. There is no time for debate on this."

The Tenno then moved to depart, the Equines then looked to each other timidly before following behind.

====

As the group of Equines and Tenno walked through the halls, Excalibur could hear the rainbow-maned one muttering vague threats and mild curses under her breath. They were clearly audible to the Tenno, but so far, none of the other equines had noticed. He sighed and looked back at her, making the Equines pause as he spoke.

"If you believe your childish mutterings of anger will intimidate us, you are sorely mistaken." he said. "I understand you in particular do not trust us."

"That goes both ways, as I do not trust you." he continued. "But for the sake of your own life and the lives of your friends, I would not continue."

"Bite me!" she replied. "You're gonna kill all of us just like those things from earlier, first chance you get, aren't you!"

"Rainbow Dash!" boomed an Equine like the purple one, with a horn and wings, only with a distinct feeling and coloration like the moon and night sky. "Your actions are uncouth and out of line, and whatever malevolence you harbor towards our saviors is to be disposed of immediately!"

The Rainbow one was speechless, gaping openly as the night-sky one continued.

"If it was not for their timely intervention, those creatures would have slaughtered us all, just like the scouts from before! If you do not hold your tongue willingly, I shall make you, and I will not be gentle in the effort!"

"Now be silent and speak this evil no more!"

The rainbow one slowly nodded sulkily and set herself down from her airborne position, giving Excalibur the nastiest glare she could. Excalibur merely turned to the other horn-and-wing equine and nodded.

"Thank you for your words of support." he said. "I will return the gesture later. For now, we must keep moving. I doubt the Sentients aren't far behind us."

"Then let us proceed, Tenno." she replied. "I trust you to lead the way."

As they proceeded deeper into the complex, Excalibur placed a hand on the hilt of his Nikana Prime. "This battle", he thought, "is far from over. We will protect these equines and see them to safety…even if they do not wish for it."

Author's Note

Update!

Thanks to a marathon Warframe session this morning, I got this written and proofed/edited in record time.

Next chapter - The Tenno and the Equestrians face the leader of the Sentients in Equestria, and first contact begins not long after that...