Victory Through Unity! (Planetary Annihiliation Self Insert Multicross)

[Flameal15k]

Flameal15k you're probably not going to answer this. Is this "They" an enemy comparable to commander with an insane number of units or a decent amount of units but really hard to destroy?
I really like the story so far.

Click to shrink...

Depending on the situation, BOTH!

 

[Flameal15k]

Because I wanted to do this.

So, here it is:

• Originally, Flame was supposed to take Melissa to the Restaurant of Eternity for her birthday. When this was planned out, Melissa only had her servants attending her party, which would have been why she was fine with going out with him. This got scrapped once I decided to have some of her coworkers and superiors attend the party, so instead, I had Flame give her a thoughtful gift.
• The Dread Lords were not supposed to surrender after that big battle with Flame - instead, they were supposed to make one last stand at their home world, at which point the Drengin popped up and used their super-weapon to try and destroy the system, resulting in Flame saving them and their surrender. Their surrender was always intended, its just that the timing was different.
• Originally, the Korath were supposed to become a separate force in this story that acted as the Drengin's ally, and would have shown up as reinforcements for the Drengin during the final battle of the Drengi system. At this stage, on that planet would have actually affected the direction of the battle by disabling Flame's unit production and Melissa's ability to call in reinforcements, resulting in them have to hold the line until reninfrocements both sides already had en-route arrived to break the siege.
• As an addendum to the above, the Song for the final battle of the arc was supposed to be Hill 3234 instead of Attero Dominatus.
• There was also supposed to be a scene where Flame's four sentient units would have been resting and playing games/watching movies in the ending interludes. I just forgot to right those parts in and will probably put them into the next chapter.

Also, one thing regarding the next arc: THERE WILL BE SPOILERS FOR THE SACRIFICE INCLUDED! YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!

IF you have any other questions, ask them now, and I will answer them to the best of my ability to do so.​

 

[Commander Rexen]

Flameal15k is "the sacrifice" is the Warframe sacrifice or I'm just really uncultured?

 

[Flameal15k]

Flameal15k is "the sacrifice" is the Warframe sacrifice or I'm just really uncultured?

Click to shrink...

You are correct.

Also, here's a few more tidbits that I forgot in the previous post:

Originally, It was supposed to be one of the Operatives rhatlwt Flame into the Commander storage, albeit that they didn't know what was in there. Milsanrima was not supposed to show up in this draft.

Additionally, although it was never stated, the Snathi are functionally a client race to the Dread Lords in this story and followed them in surrendering to Flame.

 

[Flameal15k]

I missed a few things with the last trivia:

• Flame was initially supposed to take Melissa diving on his hub-world for her birthday (she would have asked him about it, she likes swimming, if her monstrous form's numerous aquatic creature features weren't a hint). Flame was initially supposed to see her scars after her suit's zipper got stuck and he had to pull it down.
• Milsanrima originally wasn't supposed to state that she dealt with Celm by 'pleasuring' him until he was essentially too exhausted to bother paying attention and was instead supposed to possess some way to prevent Celm from knowing when she is thinkning bout him, and can extend that to others when she is conversing about her husband and does not want to be noticed. Her possession of that ability is still canon, though - she merely refused to take chances here and wanted to be extra sure he would not know that she was conversing with Flame.
• Finally, we were supposed to see the 'black box' of one of the Commanders, showing the events leading up to their demise. It was excised because *Spoilers* (as in, spoilers I am not wiling to reveal until the next arc).

Alright, all that is off my chest, now to work on an Infernopedia article!​

 

[Flameal15k]

Accessing Infernopedia Entry: E-DNA

E-DNA

Obtained from universe SP-2, E-DNA (short for Evolving Deoxyribonucleic Acid) is a specialized mutagen created by the race known as the Crogenitors. While the initial sample was created using certain mutagens noted on a separate page, all current samples are created from existing E-DNA, as under normal circumstances, the substance is self-replicating. It is also highly unstable, though, and not safe for usage by non-Darkspore beings.

Processing

While its innate form can have absolutely horrific effects on normal beings, be they organic or mechanical, processed E-DNA can be used for all kinds of things, ranging from medicine to Cybernetics. The obvious usage, combat, is but one application. Of course, all of these require the substance to be converted into a safe form.

To do this, the E-DNA must be brought into contact with special fixer bacteria, which filter the substance through themselves as a fuel for their natural reactions. They use the E-DNA as food (though they can subsist on other sources of nutrition with no ill affects) and excrete it in its stable form. Additionally, specialized nanites exist that can be used to perform the process artificially, in case the bacterium are not available. Both are relatively easy to acquire, the nanites are merely preferred in areas where the bacterium would not survive, such as on planets that are subjected to massive amounts of radiation.

Note: there are also varieties of tardigrades that can process the E-DNA, which are known for growing to massive sizes when exposed to the substance - at least, in terms of tardigrades. Normal size of the creatures when feeding on the substance is about one foot in length.

Applications

E-DNA has numerous usages besides combat. The primary groupings are based on its five major genesis types. Quantum E-DNA is used ot generate artificial gravity, or to study the nature of time, as well as, occasionally, long term preservation of easily spoiled items. Necro E-DNA is used primarily to understand and research the soul and the mind, and occasionally as a narcotic. Bio E-DNA is used as a fertilizer, as well as for potential plans to spontaneously seed whole ecosystems on alien worlds, based on examination of the recently acquired technology codenamed GECKO from universe FO-1. Plasma E-DNA is often used as a fuel, particularly as a starter for perpetual motion machines. Finally, Cyber E-DNA is used, somewhat unsurprisingly, for creating connection points for commercial cybernetics. As more uses are found, it is expected that more applications will be added to this list.

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AN: Universe FO-1 has yet to be visited in the story. I will tell you guys when we visit it.

Read and Review! This is Flamel15k, signing off!​

 

[Flameal15k]

Accessing Infernopedia Archives.....

Singularity Launcher

Acquired from universe GC-1, the Singluarity Launcher, named for the particular type of projectiles it launches, is considered to be the most powerful example of Mass Driver technology ever created. Alternatively known as the Black Hole Eruptor, it is capable of destroying even the mightiest of starships with only a single hit, though in the case of particularly large vessels, this requires careful aiming.

The Singularity Launcher works by firing shells that emit so much energy that gravity is warped around them after firing. Direct contact with these shells forces this gravity field onto the target, quite literally tearing it apart. Singularity Lauchers require extremely exotic matter in order to generate these distortions, making them difficult to deploy for non-Infernum sources.

In spite, or rather because, of their power, Singularity Launchers do not see as much action as one would expect, as their very nature makes them counterproductive to any efforts to take control of a location, as they are likely to complete destroy the target, leaving nothing to be captured. Should the status of the target not be a concern, though, the launchers are frequently fired en-mass to defeat the opposition.

Note: the technology used to make the ammunition for the launchers has also been used to create missiles, which have their own sub-section under Singularity Missiles.

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AN: Read and Review! This is Flameal15k, signing off!

 

[Ryven Razgriz]

*Whistles*

Projectile Weapon that spontaneously spawns a blackhole? Talk about overkill.

 

[Commander Rexen]

"There is no kill like overkill." A motto that all commanders would agree in. In my belief of firepower when dealing enemy's: "A gun, if the that doesn't work use more gun." Then ramps up the firepower and technology until you can destroy the multiverse if the thing you want isn't dead.

 

[Flameal15k]

"There is no kill like overkill." A motto that all commanders would agree in. In my belief of firepower when dealing enemy's: "A gun, if the that doesn't work use more gun." Then ramps up the firepower and technology until you can destroy the multiverse if the thing you want isn't dead.

Click to shrink...

I, respectfully, disagree: if you only depend on one strategy, and become specialized there, you will eventually meet your match.

Flame is going to find out about that, very soon.

 

[Commander Rexen]

Yes I see your point some situations require more thought out plans, not Zerg rush. I was talking about the ramping up of fire power. If guns don't work on an enemy, move up the technology and firepower until you exhausted all possibilities and it's isn't yet your screwed.

 

[Flameal15k]

Yes I see your point some situations require more thought out plans, not Zerg rush. I was talking about the ramping up of fire power. If guns don't work on an enemy, move up the technology and firepower until you exhausted all possibilities and it's isn't yet your screwed.

Click to shrink...

And what if you face a foe who can turn all that agaway not you?

Keep in mind next arc is Warframe.

 

[Commander Rexen]

if the enemy can throw back anything you use, well your screwed. If an enemy can stop a black **** hole, hope you can find anything to stop them.

Warframe arc, hmm it would be interesting he 'made' new Warframe or what ever, in my opinion that it would be easy or hard to be accepted by the Tenno depending on the situation. I have played Warframe before but I'm a little rusty when comes to lore.

I know I have said this but I really like the story so far, keep up the good work. I'm just wondering do you know when is the chapter is going to be released?

 

[Flameal15k]

if the enemy can throw back anything you use, well your screwed. If an enemy can stop a black **** hole, hope you can find anything to stop them.

Warframe arc, hmm it would be interesting he 'made' new Warframe or what ever, in my opinion that it would be easy or hard to be accepted by the Tenno depending on the situation. I have played Warframe before but I'm a little rusty when comes to lore.

I know I have said this but I really like the story so far, keep up the good work. I'm just wondering do you know when is the chapter is going to be released?

Click to shrink...

Tomorrow, and probably pretty late at that - going to Mexico and will probably be jet-lagged. Also, for no reason that I can understand, my phone refuses to sync up with any computer.

 

[Flameal15k]

Eventually, the time came for me to return to my universe-crossing adventures. I had prepared a force I believed would be able to steamroll all opposition I encountered, or, failing that, at least keep them busy until I could determine and exploit their real weaknesses. At this point, I had probably passed the point for overkill in regards to most foes I would face, despite some saying that there was no such thing. When you actually want to take prisoners (at least, most of the time), overkill IS a thing.

So, steeling myself, I activated my multiversal gate and sent my Commander through.

XXXXXXXXXXX

My first opinion of my new surroundings was 'wow, that was a lot of trees'. I had found myself surrounded by jungle, where I saw strange cones littering the ground. Occasionally, pale colored rodents would nibble on the cones, before disappearing into the underbrush. Once in a while, large, grey feathered birds would swoop down and try to attack the rodents, occasionally catching their quarry, but more often then now coming up empty clawed. Oddly, all these sights felt familiar.

Now where was I-

"GET CLEM!"

I was pulled out of my pondering by a shout, followed by the sound of gunfire and then a familiar death groan. Turning toward the sounds, I watched as a familiar, one horned being charged into a group of green armored figures, using a sword to cut them to pieces. Following the figure were three more beings: one with a pair of long horns on its head, another with brownish armor and a muscular physique, and the last was pink in coloration, and also the only female among the group.

Excalibur, Loki, Rhino, And Mag.

Which would make the green armored dudes Grineer.

It would also mean I had arrived in the Warframe universe.

....SWEET!

Also, crap, because Sentients.

For now, though, I could focus on killing off the Grineer.

Extending out my sensors, I noticed that three aircraft seemed to be heading my way. Their appearance matched up with Furbolg dropships, so it appeared they were moving in to help out the Grineer. Given that the sun was setting, it appeared that these were Tusk troopers coming in to relieve their Frontier counterparts.

Well, that wasn't going to help them.

I locked my weapons onto the aircraft and waited for them to come closer - too much foliage in the way to get a good shot at the moment. Meanwhile, I started moving some gremlins through the portal and directed them toward the Tenno. Might as well try to ingratiateyself to them as soon as possible.

Also, why did that Excalibur look so different from what I had seen normally?

....WAS THAT EXCALIBUR UMBRA!?

XXXXXXXXXXX

"Tenno, I am detecting an unknown gigantic entity approximately half a kilometer west of your position. It appears to be mechanical in nature, but does not match up with any designs used by the Corpus or the Sentients."

"How big is it, Ordis?"

"....Larger than an Eidolon Hydrolyst, Operator." replied the Cephalon.

Etran winced as the purple lotus image was replaced with that of Ordis, who seemed to deflate when referred to. Part of this was guilt at ruining Ordis' moment as Mission Control. The rest was unease at the Cephalon's statement. Larger than a Hydrolyst? Just what were they dealing with.

"Tenno! Detecting energy buildup in the unknown entity. It appears to be getting ready to..."

A trio of explosions filled the air, followed by three blue orbs of light flying above the Tenno. A moment later, another three explosions filled their air, followed shortly by the sound of crashing metal.

"....Detecting metal wreckage near your location, remains match up with those of Furbolg dropships. It appears our unknown has no love for the Grineer....waiti, detecting new contacts, heading your way. Lock and load."

Sighing, Etran reloaded his Tiburon, before scanning the battlefield, trying to find the new arrivals. A momentary ache in his side, though, made him uneasy. Umbra was holding up well, but the fact was that their last firefight had caused him to sustain quite a few injuries. While Umbra himself was powering through it, Etran could tell that he was very uncomfortable right now. Hopefully, he could find a health orb soon.

The sound of a Vulkar firing brought his attention back to reality. Even if the Cell had no idea what the unknown wanted, the Grineer were still a problem that needed addressing. Sighing, Etran opened fire, trying to take down the remaining Grineer.

The sound of whirring next him moved his sights to a bush to his left, just behind a sunlight thresh cone. For a moment, nothing happened, before a strange looking drone emerged, which promptly took shelter behind a trio of barrels the Grineer had left out in the open - apparently meant to store Cicero Toxin. Etran stared on for a moment, unsure what to do, before returning his attention to the Grineer and opening fire. The sniper went down a moment later, removing the most dangerous threat among the clones.....at least for the moment.

Turning his attention back toward the drone, Etran was surprised to see that it was now right next to him, and reflexively tried to strike it with his Skiajati. The drone dodged back in surprise, only to charge toward him when the Grineer started firing on it. Etran readied to strike again, but when it became obvious the machine would not attack, he relaxed. Curiously, the machine never seemed to stop staring at him though. As he wondered why, he was surprised when the machine began releasing a blue colored mist all over him. He drew his Skiajati again, only to be surprised when he discovered that his biometric had gone back up - it appeared that the mist functioned much like the one used to revived down Tenno or those the Tenno had been contracted to rescue.

Another blaze of gunfire flew past them, but this time, the drone did not shrink from it. Instead, it flew toward the nearest enemy, a Heavy Gunner, and, much to his surprise, shot a burst of electricity before the Grineer could react, causing her to collapse, convulsing, and with a rapidly falling pulse. The nearby Grineer were also stunned, leaving them sitting ducks for the Tenno, who quickly cut their foes down. The few Grineer who had not been slain knew better than to hold their ground and fell back, with the Tenno pressing their advance.

As they did, more drones appeared, as did...something else. Resembling an insect, but lacking the third pair of limbs, the new arrival quickly advanced on one of the Grineer and ripped the poor clone apart. It stared at the Tenno for a moment, before continuing its advance. More of its kind followed, pushing the Grineer even further back. Soon, the retreat turned into a route.

It wasn't long before the Grineer finally broke ranks. The majority had been wiped out, while the rest new it was time to give up and were already falling back into the few safe areas they had in this forest. Etran wondered how Vay Hel would react when he heard about this - the Councilor was exactly the most reasonable of people.

The new arrivals, however, did not seem to be willing to allow their foes to escape, and were already charging into the tunnels after them. Joining them were several humanoid robots, which also appeared to be carrying breaching charges. One of them looked at the Tenno and waved before following its comrades into the tunnels.

Well, that was odd.....

XXXXXXXX

While Hearth waves at the Tenno, apparently wanting to see just how they reacted, I sent the rest of my forces after the Grineer, trying to wipe the rest of them out. With the lead they had, though, one squad was able to reach a firbolg and blast into space before I could kill them. Oh well. I could have killed them if I went for heavier firepower, but that would also destroy part of the forest, and I did not want to make Sylvanna angry. I wanted to fight those Spectres when I felt like it, not all the time.

While all this was going on, I quickly moved a firefly through the portal and started scouting Earth, searching for a suitable base. Eventually, I found a location: a large wasteland two miles East of my arrival site, unoccupied even by the Grineer. Apparently it was the sight of some big Orokin screw up, and Sylvanna had not had time to fix it before undergoing Transference into the Silver Grove. Well, that wouldn't take too much time to fix.

I quickly moved in a transport to take me to the wasteland, after which I set up a vehicle factory and got to work building more fabbers. My Commander, meanwhile, had been put to work purifying the soil, as well as examining the toxic materials still polluting the area and seeing what might be useful later. I quickly set up some stealth systems to hide me from the Grineer, as well as an Orbital factory, so that I could start getting more bases up across the system. Already, my forces were setting up shop on Lua.

While all this was going on, I monitored the comm channels, trying to find out what the native factions in the Origin system were doing, and how the Grineer were reacting to my presence. The squad that had evaded me had apparently been requested to appear before Councilor Bay Hel for debriefing. Poor sods. Meanwhile, the Corpus were busy trying to decide who would be in charge of the next line of proxies, Ergo Glast and Cressa Tal were busy trying to deal with their former comrades, the Arbiters and the Veil were still trying to kill each other, Suda was busy helping Simaris with some big sanctuary project, and Amaryn was busy trying to evict another Grineer force from Earth's forests.

Also, the Tenno I had encountered earlier were now trying to contact me. Apparently (at least as far as my decryption software could tell), Ordis had managed to figure out what frequencies I was using and managed to open up a channel on one of them, asking for a chance to talk to me. I obliged, and told them that I would like to go help them with their endeavors, though I would prefer to coordinate my actions with the Lotus.

...What do you mean the Lotus isn't available? I thought she had eyes everywhere in the system?!

....THE LOTUS IS MISSING!?!?!

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AN: I'm tired of waiting for the Venus Landscape to come out, so I'm going to start posting some chapters for this arc, then take a hiatus until the Venus Labdscape comes out.

So, anyway, Read and Review! This is Flameal15k, signing off!

 

[Ryven Razgriz]

Oh shit, the Lotus is missing.

 

[Flameal15k]

Oh shit, the Lotus is missing.

Click to shrink...

What do you expect? I arrived after the Sacrifice! SHE LEFT DURING THE APOSTACY PROLOGUE!

Also, while Flame left home some time in 2016, the Internet thing Melissa gave him like....100 chapters ago is up to date with ours, at least at the relative time point that the story happens in. So Flame knows about everything up to Plague Star - he's arrived a few weeks before, in-universe version of RL, the Ghoul Plagues and Apostacy Prologue came out, so he's kinda behind on some stuff.

For example, the Project Simaris And Suda were working on was Sanctuary Onslaught. A heavy bribe was involved on Simaris' part to get Suda to help.

 

[Flameal15k]

Okay, okay, didn't see that coming, but I can adapt. Just breathe.

So, the Lotus is gone.....

Yeah, I needed more time to adapt to this. Some headache medicine would also have been appreciated.

So, what exactly could I do right now?

…..Alright, well, first, I needed to get to work setting up my forces as soon as possible. Also, I'd need to start shifting my forces over into biological ones, as opposed to mechanical ones - no telling what would happen if I sent those up against the sentients. Assuming Mycona was still active, I'd also need to look into acquiring Technocyte tissue for some of my units....actually, I needed to be careful there, no telling what could happen if I let that get out of control.

Speaking of the Sentients, I should also consider trying to examine the fossilized remains of Eidolon on the plains outside of Cetus - maybe they could give me a hint to how to kill them? I'd already examined one of the Eidolons that, due to the time of my arrival coinciding with sunrise on Warframe's version of Earth (at least relative to the Plains of Eidolon), had been seeking shelter beneath one of the plains' many lakes. The results I got were..... rather intimidating - while I could damage it, unless I was using void energy, the amount of firepower needed to crack the shield matched the output of a Doom Ray. Normally, that wouldn't be a problem, since I could easily generate that kind of firepower, except that there was a good chance I could take out a large portion of the plains if I missed with an attack of that scale. And since I didn't want the Ostrons to suffer because of my actions, using Doom Rays was out of the question. Ugh, what a pain. Hmm, maybe I could use a void key to damage it, like how Vor did....does?

Ugh, Sentients were just...just....I'm not sure what would be the word for them. While their technology was awesome, they also proved to be one my most tenacious and dangerous foes. You would not believe how hard they were to kill, or how hard they tried to subvert my technology. Their tenacity was something I respected, even if I was completely opposed to their actions. True, the Orokin WERE basterds, and the Sentients has legitimate reasons to oppose them, but that didn't change my thoughts on them.

Back on topic - it would be too hard to access Corpus technology - I could easily just buy one of two of their low level facilities, then hack into the rest. The Corpus' worship of Greed meant they wouldn't question me as long as I didn't buy too much off at first. As for the Grineer, I'd already begun hacking into their systems using some of their facilities on Earth, which the Tenno had left abandoned following their attacks. Idly, I managed to learn how to synthesize the thrax toxin, whose formula I quickly put into storage in case the boil on the Plains ever became a problem again. Which, all things considered, seemed more like a certainty than a possibility. I also took the time to steal the schematics for the Eidolon Lures, so I'd have at least some way to deal with the Eidolons, at least until I could find more effective means to destroy them.

While I was planning all of this out, I also sent out some scouts to try and access what remained of the Lotus' network of spies and agents in the Origin System, so that I could at least attempt to figure out where she had gone. Ordis probably had some information on that, but he had surprisingly effective defenses that prevented me from just taking the information from him, plus I simply did not WANT to steal the intel from him - I LIKED Ordis, so violating his perszonal files was not something I intended to do.

So, with everything set up, I just decided to take one hour to sit back, rest, and see where my leads went.

XXXXXXXX

What I got was....interesting.

First off, the Grineer were sending out Kuva siphons way more often than normal, apparently because the Queens really needed a lot of the red stuff. Apparently, the Tenno who'd met the Queens had decided to just let the Elder Queen live in her rotting body, and the huge amounts of Kuva they were gathering was an effort to keep her body still functional. Seeing how her body was experiencing several organ failures A DAY at this point, I couldn't blame her. Briefly, I considered blowing up the Luva Fortress, but quickly decided against it - sure, I could hit it, easily, and wipe out the Grineer leadership, but I had no idea how the rest would react to that. For all I knew, they'd start blindly attacking everyone if the Queens died. Plus I needed time to examine their well defended systems for intel on the Kuva Siphons - my scans didn't exactly give any detail on the weird machines, while my attempts to capture/disassemble them were....embarrassing. Apparently, those siphons were totally resistant to anything except for void energy charged Kuva Clouds. As for Kuva itself, while I could figure out its composition, I had no idea how to synthesize it. I'd need either the data in the Kuva Fortress or help from the Unum to figure out that secret.

As for the Corpus, well, nothing unexpected. Shares changed hands, funds were transferred, a Razorback Armada was busy being prepared (which I secretly stole for myself, along with a Fomorian fleet), and so on. To my surprise, though, it appeared the Tenno had been helping Ergo Glast, as Nef Anyo had apparently transferred some of Glast's former holdings near Eris back to him. Apparently, it had involved another high stakes round of the Index, with a Helminth Charger as a prize. And yes, Anyo has tried to cheat, only for the Tenno to catch him. This was just too predictable. Also, Frohd Bek was still trying to figure out what to make for a new line of proxies after Glast made Animo go bust.

On the Infested Front, aside from some J-3 Golems and a few outbreaks, nothing special.

Oh, and I had....somehow...received a request to meet someone in Cetus.....what?

Who invited me to Cetus?

A few minutes of hacking provided me no answer to that question. Sighing, I decided to head to Cetus. Apparently, whoever I was supposed to meet with had informed Konzu that I would be arriving and that I was to ask him for directions to the actual meeting spot.

Hopefully, it wasn't a trap.

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For the record, it wasn't, but I would have preferred less cloak and dagger.

XXXXXXXX

AN: Read and Review! This is Flameal15k, signing off!

 

[Flameal15k]

My arrival at Cetus was...well, not exactly subtle. Of course, that was intentional - I wanted the Ostrons to trust me, and sneaking into their home wasn't going to help me with that goal. At All. Thus, I had arranged to arrive at the town in a repainted XCOM skyranger (apparently, they'd upgraded to using the one in XCOM 2 some time ago - maybe Asaru looked at that universe and decided that he liked the design?), which I maneuvered over the pad you arrived at in game, before setting it back on auto and jumping off. True, I could've just controlled it mentally all the way in, but I felt that learning how to pilot it on my own would be a nice skill to have. Also, I had been bored, and needed something to do.

Following my arrival, I took a brief moment to throw off any tails I might have had and began looking at a few of the merchants' wares. While part of this was an attempt to seem normal, another part was an actual desire to see what was available and set up a wishlist for the future - I did, at the very least, have an interest in catching some fish and picking up gem crafting (mostly because it would have been a valid excuse for how I was so wealthy), so I made sure to check with Suumbaat and Hai-Luk to see how much they wanted for the most basic of Ore Cutters and Fishing Spears. I also briefly examined zaw parts at Hok's, if only because I really liked their looks and thought that one would make a nice melee weapon for my avatar.

Eventually, after examining a few more vendors (including Nakak), I made my way over to Konzu's Bounty Board, where he was busy sending off another group of Tenno. HIs eye's widened in surprise at me, but overall, he didn't make much of a fuss about my appearance. That made me smile with relief - I'd been getting really exasperated with all of the stares I got from the Ostrons, so having someone who more or brushed it off for a change was rather nice. After he sent the last of his current hires off, he motioned for me to come closer.

"Greetings, Offworlder! I'm hiring combat talent. You wanna talk rates?"

"I would, but right now, I have more pressing matters?"

"Aye yo, what do you mean?"

"Well," I whispered, "someone said that they wanted to meet with me here. They also said that I was supposed to ask you where they wanted to meet at Cetus."

"I see....Did they offer any way to prove this claim, friend?"

Rather than speak to him, I pulled up a handheld holo-projector and projected a Symbol in front of him. One that looked oddly like a feather, and familiar enough that I could guess who had sent it, but I needed to see Konzu's reaction to be sure. The symbol was provided as a sort of passcode, so I assumed/hoped Konzu knew what it meant.

"Ah, I see," was his response. Then he pointed toward a path that I recognized form the game. "Head over there, Surah. That's where you will find your.....acquaintance."

I nodded respectfully, and briefly dipped into my pocket to offer him something....then realized I had no idea what to give him. I thought for a moment, before taking out a tiny piece of firaxite I had brought with me from my ship. "Here," I said, "as a token of my appreciation."

Konzu was surprised by my kindness, but he quickly recovered and, with some reluctance, accepted my gift. "Well, that was.....unexpected. Thank you, Surah."

I merel nodded, before departing down the path he had indicated.

XXXXX

A few moments later, and I had arrived before a large stone door, which quickly opened before me. As soon as I was inside, the doors sealed, though I was not surprised by that. Whatever was about to be said, it needed to be done in private.

All over the room I was in, mystical objects were strewn about. Cuirasses and helmets were and display stands, while shelves were stacked high with parts for weapons. Amps, if I remembered right. At the back of the room, though, lay the target of my interests: a counter top and, behind it, a man wearing clothing that would not be out of place on the displays.

"Greetings, honored quill."

"Greetings. I would introduce myself, but I believe that unnecessary."

"You assume I know who you are?"

"Correct."

".....Well, you are not wrong. I assume you are Quill Onkko Primary?"

"Indeed. In turn, I assume that you are Commander Flameal15k of the Infernum Federation."

.......what...........

"...Um...uh...how do you-"

"I am an instrument of the Unum. She knows much about you. Much about your instruments. Memories of a time long past. She tells us that there are differences between the tools that were wielded in her memories and the ones you use now, but it matters not. What she told us was enough to learn the truth about you."

"And What is that truth?"

"That, were we to take away all of you tools and make all of your instruments fall silent, you are merely a young man, a child even, taken far from home."

"........"

"Do not take this as a threat, for none are meant. No harm is desired upon you."

"I see.....so, why did you contact me?"

"The Unum is...curious...about your presence. Where you go, the future ebbs away."

"...I'm confused."

"Where you act, possibilities become...uncertain. Where you go, the future cannot be seen. The Unum is troubled by this, and desires us to watch you."

"...really?"

"Correct. No harm is meant...for now. Yet we cannot ignore this ripple forever. Now, though, all that can be done is watch...and wait. If you prove to be a accompaniment to our song, we shall leave you be, AIs you, even. But should your actions prove to spur the Unim's music, we will act to remove you. Is this understood?"

"Of course it is."

"Excellent. Now, please, separate from this node. There is much that must be examined. First, though, a gift." Before he could elaborate on that, Onkko removed a small parcel from beneath his counter and handed it to me. After some prodding, I opened it, and found myself staring at a void key, as well as what appeared to be a void trace. "The Unum has told us that you do not hold any sympathy for the Eidolons, even if you are very similar to them, so we will assist you in trying to hunt them. Know, however, that this will be our only gift to you. The right to more assistance must be earned."

For a moment, I was stunned. The fact that I was holding void energy in my hands was enough to leave me unable to think. I mean, I literally held the Sentients' weakness right between my hands, and I had gotten it for free.

"...Thank you....I understand this is a gift, but...is there any way I could repay you?"

"....If you must, there is. The Grineer have been sending more spy's into Cetus of late, trying to find relics of the Orokin. We have already located one and sent Konzu a request to deal with them. Speak with him and he will direct you in hunting our foe."

"Understood...and thank you."

"Farewell."

XXXXXXXXX

Once I left the Quills' 'stall', I quickly approached Konzu, who knew better than to ask about what had happened, though when I offered to deal with the spy, he seemed to nod approvingly at me, as if understanding that I owed the Quills something. One destroyed armored vault and hacked drone later, and the spy had been caught and sent back for questioning, while the Artifact was back in the Quills' hands. I used what I had earned to purchase a spear from Hai-Luk and the basic ore cutter from Suumbaat, and I was able to batter off some of my spoils to Nakak and Master Teasonai for an Excalibur mask and a caged Condroc and Kuaka, while still having enough left to gain the design for the Ooltha blade from Hok. I briefly returned to the Plains after that to go and gather a few more things I wanted (among them a mawfish) and disrupt a Grineer supply drop, before finally returning to my base.

Despite my glee from my recent excursion to the Plains, though, something was still bothering me - the Unum knew what I was. So did the Quills. How eluded me.

Somehow, though, I knew that it involved the Progenitors.

XXXXXXXX

AN: Tired, going to bed soon. Anyway, Read and Review! This is Flameal15k, signing off!

 

[Flameal15k]

Yeah, I decided to make a soundtrack (well, more like a list of songs) for this story. Here it is:


(Keep in mind, this is a work in progress that will be updated until this story is finished)

CHARACTERS:
Flame: I Believe Most People Are Good By Like Brian
Melissa: The House of the Rising Sun by The Animals

ARCS:
Arc I (Civ:BE): ????
Arc II (GalCiv): ???
Arc III: Radioactive By Imagine Dragons

 

[Flameal15k]

The Unum's Knowledge of who I was was not something I wanted to ignore. If she knew, odds were, so did someone else. Potentially the Sentients, given the Unum's age, and wasn't that an unnerving thought. I needed answers, and I needed them now.

Of course, that ran into an obvious problem - where should I look? The Orokin might know, but as far as I knew, they were all dead, except for Silvanna and the Queens. The Queens were an obvious no-go, while Silvanna....eh, I decided to let her rest. Besides, the Kuva Grineer were busy using some siphons to harvest Kuva on Earth, and I did not want to go against them just yet.

The Corrupted and Infested were my next best targets, since both were created by the Orokin (thank you, decadent space basterds, for that), but those presented their own problems. Entering the void blind was a very dumb idea, plus I had no idea how the Man in the Wall would react to my intrusion on his domain. As for the Infested, well, the best thing to do when near most forms of Infestation was to kill them with fire, and entering the derelicts had similar risks to those with the void.

Moving on, I decided to try my luck with the Corpus. That got me results - apparently, the Corpus believed my forces to be some kind of new Sentient (not completely wrong, but not entirely true either) and had been scouring the void, trying to see what the Orokin knew of me, and how to fight them off. Apparently, they'd located several towers in the Orokin Void that might contain the information I desire. Unfortunately, to access said towers, they needed special Void Keys that, apparently, were hidden in the derelict.

I used my avatar to sneak into the Corpus ships carrying the data and steal said intel without raising a stink. The Corpus didn't yet know that my avatar was anothe rpart of my forced, so I was hoping that, by stealing he data the way the Tenno did, the Board would dismiss me as another syndicate or another ally with the Tenno. Ironically, while they were busy running from some of the forces, they were also trading with my more diplomatic creations. I was going to love their expressions once they figured out who, exactly, they were hawking their wears to.

Once I had the data, I proceeded to make my move on the derelicts. My initial plan to make off with the keys while only fighting the Infested and maybe one other party fell apart when the Infested and Corpus I happened to be killing were suddenly attacked by both the Grineer and the Tenno. Apparently, the Grineer has opened up a Void Portal aboard the ship, and the Tenno were trying to sabotage it. I quickly arranged a truce with the Tenno so that we could deal with the Grineer, as they were no one's ally.

One Void Key and some comments from Sprag and Ven'kra Tel later, and the portal was out of commission. As it happened, the keys I was looking for were stored in one of the Reapurce Caches the Grineer had aboard the derelict, alongside some Argon Crystals, which I quickly put into a specialized storage system that'd keep them from decaying. I wanted to use those things, and I was not letting them fade away just yet.

With the keys in hand, now came the actual assault on the void to see what was so important. This time, I wouldn't be alone, as the Tenno had offered to accompany me. Part of me felt that they were growing suspicious of my actions, but refusing their help would probably just confirm those suspicious. Besides, space ninjas were awesome.

So, once I had located all possible towers that might have held the data I was looking for, our infiltration commenced.

XXXXXX

Entering the void is...weird. The teleportation process makes your stomach churn, your eyes sting, and your head ache like no tomorrow...but only for the first time. After that, all it does is make you feel ticklish. As this the second time I had used a void portal, I had to fight a little bit to avoid laughing in response to the funny feeling the void had left me with. It only lasted a moment, but still.

Once the teleport had finished, we made our way into the tower. Among the Tenno I was accompanied by was the one I had seen just after my arrival, who had been wielding Umbra. The familiar face and Warframe offered some comfort, but my comfort was secondary to the mission's success. Joining us were a Nova and Equinox frame, which were less welcoming, but still friendly. The minute we saw the Corrupted, we opened fire.

Our assault was not the only one - across three other towers, an equal number of Cells were helping me search for my target intel, much to my surprise. The fact they weren't asking questions just yet was an oddity, but I assumed they knew I wouldn't open up just yet about my intentions. Trust ran both ways.

Regardless, whether or not I would come clean to them depended entirely on what I found in these towers.

The cell I was tagging along with finally reached the first terminal. As soon as the modified datamass I'd made for this mission was in the console, we took up defensive positions. Since I didn't want people freaking out over how similar I was to the Sentients, I had Fide be the one to do the hacking, accompanied by Ordis, much to my surprise. Apparently, he'd been working with his fellow cephalons to take up the Lotus' role, which was pretty impressive.

Despite my Progenitor tech, it still took a minute to complete the hack. Somehow, the Prokin actually had anti-hacking software that could fend off my spy software for more than thirty seconds. Inevitably, it still fell, but the fact it could resist at all was worrisome. It seemed the Orokin were familiar with my tech. How eluded my, but it did not bode well with me. AT ALL.

That being said, one down, two to go.

XXXXXXX

Despite my expectations (and Finagle's Law), Corrupted Vor was a no show in our tower. In fact, he didn't show up in any of the towers we were raiding.

Despite that, things still turned out to be pretty interesting.

XXXXXXXX

As the final timer ticked down to zero, I called up Fide.

"So, what did we find?"

"Not much that can help us - apparently, the data we retrieved is merely a set of coordinates to some location in the Origin System. I'm tracing it now, but-"

"Tenno (and companion)" interrupted Ordis, using a hologram that was clearly based on the Lotus, "I'm picking up a strange transmission from within the tower. Deciphering it now."

A moment later, the translated transmission began to play.

"Facility compromised. Data cannot be allowed to fall into enemy hands. Initiating tower purge."

Before anyone could question what exactly that meant, the whole tower shook. A moment later, the distant sound of an explosion registered to my ears.

"Warning," remarked Lotus!Ordis, "multiple power fluctuations and explosions detected across all four towers. It appears the Sentry is attempting to scuttle them with us inside. Head to evac now!"

No need to say that twice. Quickly, we charged to distraction, only stopping to engage the few enemies that directly stood in our way. We'd been fighting so many foes that I had actually exhausted the ammunition on both my Laser Rifle and Magnetic Pistol, forcing me to use the Fusion Sword. Granted, I could have used my laser rifle, since I had unlimited ammo for it, but the heat buildup was becoming too problematic. I still hadn't figured out how the Tenno got all those ammo pickups, seeing how I found none, and a few lucky hits had disabled my ammo fabricators in both armor and the pistol I was using. Not that I needed them.

We just barely managed to exit the tower before it completely collapsed into the void. I had no intention of repeating this anytime soon.

XXXXXX

"So," I asked Fide, "did we get any good intel from the other towers?"

"Not exactly. All I got were what appeared to be schematics, security codes, and a list of room contents. Ordis has been helping me examine them, but how they are all related eludes me-ARE YOU ALRIGHT!?!?"

That last part was in response to me spamming my head into the nearest wall in annoyance. Why was rather obvious.

"I'm fine. And did it ever occur to you that the coordinates might lead to a facility that the rest of the data is probably referring to?"

"...No...I am sorry."

"As long as you do not make the same mistake, you are forgiven. Now, have you determined where the coordinates lead?"

"Yes, pulling up the location now."

Instantly, a map of the Origin System appeared, followed by the coordinates I had asked examined. The screen quickly zoomed in on the location of the coordinates. Instantly, my heart sank.

The good news was that the location was close by.

As for the bad news?

It was located on Lua.

You know, the only place in the Origin System besides the Plains of Eidolon that had an active Sentient presence.

....I hoped I didn't have to fight too many of them.

XXXXXX

AN: In regards to the previously posted soundtrack, I'll fix the list of arcs soon. I need to sleep now.

Read and Review! This is Flameal15k, signing off!

 

[Flameal15k]

Preparing for the mission to Lua wasn't exactly easy. I'd already designed weapons that had tons of modular ammunition to counter the Sentient's ability to adapt to whatever I threw at them, but I wasn't sure that those would be enough. Even if I had the Tenno to help me deal with them, I still wasn't entirely sure just what I would encounter. Occulysts, conculysts, And battlysts were a given, but whether that was ALL I was going to encounter there. And that wasn't getting into any Grineer and Corpus who were already there, fighting over the scraps of the Orokin's magnificence.

Still, this had to be done - I needed to learn what the Orokin knew about the Progenitors, and this was probably the best place to start. Hopefully, it wouldn't screw me over....at least, not too much.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Our arrival was mostly a quiet affair, though that was primarily because the forces already present at the part of Lua we were heading toward were too busy killing each other to notice our insertion. This time, I was with a full cell, with me as support. My companions were the Excalibur Umbra I'd worked with earlier, alongside an Oberon, a mirage, and a Valkyr. Aside from Umbra, who wielded a Braton Vandal, Sicarus, and a nikana called the Skijati, each cell member was wielding the weapons that came with their Warframe bundle. Rather bland in my opinion, but still nothing to laugh at. Unlike the last cell I'd traveled with, this one was far more openly friendly with me, if still not very talkative...well, except for Umbra, who'd finally decided to open up on that front.

"So," began the Tenno, in a distinctively male voice, "you think whatever you're looking for is in here?"

"Yeah, I do."

"I see.....do you have a name I can call you?"

"....I do, but I don't really use it anymore?"

"..…..Why?"

"Well, I guess it's because that name doesn't really belong to me anymore. You see, I've been through a year of things so out of tune with who I was, I don't really feel like the person I used to be when I had that name."

As cheesy as it sounded, it was true. It'd been almost a year since I'd become a Commander, and now, I wasn't really sure who I was anymore. Well, maybe that wasn't entirely true, but even so, it felt odd to think about my old name. I mean, I'd told Rory and my kids that, and all of my subordinate AIs and units knew it, but they'd never addressed me by it. All they had ever called me was 'Commander', 'Flame', or 'father/dad'. Heck, not even Melissa had used my name when talking to me.

"Oh. I see.....Is there a name you want to be called by?"

"...Well, you could call me Flame."

"Flame?"

"Yeah. I apologize if any Embers you know take offence to that."

"Haha...Odd choice of name, but I've heard weirder."

"Like Nef Anyo?"

"And Derf."

We both chuckled at that.

"So, why are you looking into this particular part of Lua?"

"Well, I want to know about myself. I mean, I know a lot about who and what I am, but I'm still missing a few pieces, and I think the Orokin's ruins might have some answers."

Not the full truth, but not an outright lie.

"Hopefully, you'll get the answers you seek, com....Surah."

…...Had he been about to say Commander? Did he know something about the Progenitors?

I didn't really have time to ask him about that, because that's when things started getting interesting. See, when we first arrived at Lua, our foes had already been mowing each other down, to the point that initially, all we encountered were corpses from both the Grineer and the Corpus. Now, though, we'd finally met living examples of those two factions, who were busy killing the crap of out each other. The fact that their shared mortal enemy had appeared did nothing to change this, making it easy for us to cut them down.

Unfortunately, just as we finished up the last of them, a pair of occulysts arrived and promptly scanned us. A moment later, a pair of conculysts teleported in to attack us. Quickly, I took cover while the Tenno began opening up with everything they had on the mechanical entities (whether I should call them machines or creatures was something I was still not sure on). Cautiously, I took a few shots at them, firing off first toxic, then magnetic, then electric bullets into them, changing ammunition types as they adapted to what I was using. I managed to down one of the conculysts this was, while the Tenno quickly cut down its ally.

Finagle decided to be a pain at that moment, though, for as soon as we had slain the two sentients, six more entered the room. Sighing, I readied for the oncoming onslaught, only to watch, dumbfounded, as Umbra howled, causing the Sentients to cringe and screech in pain. Then, with a flurry of swings, he cut machine in half, before carefully sheathing his blade. His allies swiftly collected the cores of the Sentients, one of which I managed to snag before they were all gone. Soon, silence returned to the room.

Well, that was unexpected, but welcome. Now onto the rest of the facility!

XXXXXXX

The deeper we went into the Orokin Moon, the more resistance we faced. Ballistas and sniper crewman traded fire along hallways while Hyekkas and Drakks tore into ratels. Occasionally, Corrupted would actually pour out of some rooms, trying to cut down the invaders. Regardless of who they were though, they fell before our onslaught. None could stand before our might. Not even the token sentients that we encountered could halt our advance.

Eventually, we reached the coordinates provided to us by the void tower. Immediately, differences between this place and the rest of Lua (well, at least the rest of this particular part) were evident - namely, that this section seemed cleaner and more pristine than what we had encountered so far.

Also, there were a lot of death orbs surrounding it, some of which seemed to have been bolted onto the floor in odd places...wait, why aren't they at the center of the room or in their own little spots on the floor?

And why am I getting a bunch of Sentient energy signatures in front of the facility?

I pondered those questions for a moment, before opening fire on one of the orbs. A moment later, it transformed into a being resembling the sentients I'd encountered up to this point.

Figures.

"What do you call those things?" I asked to my Tenno companion, "...and what is your name? I just realized I never asked."

"Those are mimics, and it's Etran."

"Thanks for the info. So, what's these things' special trick? Just camouflage, or do they have some other special attack?"

"Their arms are beam cannons, and they can move the entire limb while still maintaining fire, like the newest model of Ambulas. I'd advise trying to put some vertical distance between yourself and that beam unless you want to get cut in two."

"Understood. Can I leave the sentient slaying to you?"

"With pleasure."

Immediately following that statement, the Tenno charged. They quickly began hammering the Mimic's with their weapons, and when the sentients tried to adapt, the Tenno merely emerged from their warframes' and used their void powers to continue the onslaught. What truly caught me off guard, though, was Umbra, for when his operator left, instead of remaining still, he charged into battle beside his master. For a moment, I could only stare on in stunned silence at this. How? How did he do it? How could that warframe operate on its own?

Immediately, I decided to begin acquiring warframe schematics and attempt to create my own frames. I also made a note to ask the Tenno for advice on how to control, and to endure whatever curses hey through at me when they realized I stole their power.

That didn't exactly work out how I planned it, but we'll talk about that when the time comes.

Back on Lua, the Tenno rapidly mopped up the last of the Mimics, allowing us to approach the facility. Using the codes one of the towers had provided us, we quickly went inside. I expected us to meet some kind of guardian entity, or perhaps a few additional Sentients. Instead, we found nothing - at least, in relation to guards.

The facility, for the most part, was empty, although I could see several tubes moving life support items throughout the length and width of the building. Occasionally, sentry drones flew past us, only staring for a moment before moving on. Lunar pitchers dotted the building, including several that grew to tremendous sizes. At the center of the room we arrived in appeared to be some kind of tank, though it was empty at the moment.

With some reluctance, our group separated, each of us going into a different part of the facility to figure out what its purpose was. I stayed in the main area, while the rest of the group ventured into the rooms deeper into the bowels of the facility. Approaching a computer terminal, I quickly activated my decryption software and began hacking into it, while also opening up a channel to Fide.

"So, anything new pop up around the Origin System? Anything that might help us find what were looking for?"

"Nothing major just yet. So far, everyone is still reacting to our arrival - the Grineer are still trying to figure out just how we beat them so soundly earlier with osprey sized drones, the Corpus are only now starting to realize how valuable our wares are, the Infested having really done much besides try to much on some probes we sent out near Eris, and the Sentients, well, they've been awfully quiet, though even if they were more active, our decryption software is still translating their language, so that would hardly benefit us at the moment."

Stupid Sentient adaptability. "Any Sentient related advice you could give me that is relevant for this mission? Like, if there are any nearby?"

"I've been detecting Sentient energy signatures all around your area for some time, but most have been passive. Additionally, I've noticed that several has gone from one part of Lua to another practically instantly, so it is likely the largest concentrations of Sentient energy in the area are actually resting areas where they wait to be called upon by Occulysts."

"Okay, good advice." A pinging noise alerted me to the fact that my hack was complete, which caused the bottom of the tank to open up as something entered the once empty glass structure. A moment later, a terminal emerged out of the ground by the tank, which appeared to have five rings on it.

Okay, time to consult my Tenno friends for help.

"Um, Etran? I need your help. I managed to get something to happen in the main room, but now a new terminal appeared, and I don't know how to hack past it."

"Does it have a bunch of rings on it?"

"..Yes, actually, it does."

"Just solved two of those not too long ago. The rings have symbols on them, and you need to match up the symbols with the passcode to solve the terminal. The code should be located somewhere in this room, look around and search for parts of it."

His advice proved sound - it took me at most five minutes to find the code, and mere seconds to match up the rings with said code. As soon as it was complete, the walls of the container rapidly disintegrated, leaving behind its contents.

The minute I saw them, I gulped in shock. No way I could be seeing what I thought I was seeing.

Yet there was no denying it - before me was a Planetary Annihilation basic fabber bot. Admittedly one that was horribly damaged, but still.

"...What?...Commander, how did this end up here?"

"I have no idea, but I'm getting it out of here."

It wasn't all that hard to get the wreck moving - their was a sort of railway system that I could send it along easily, since I had assumed command of the facility following the last hack. Quickly, I radioed in the Tenno and told them I had found what I was looking for, and that we were leaving. Good thing we were, too - apparently, setting the wreck moving had agitated the Sentients, and more than three dozen were headed our way. We hastily retreated to the marked extraction point, where one of my transports was just taking off with the wreck.

"COMMANDER, LOOK OUT!"

Before I could question Fide's warning, the ceiling above us collapsed as something large fell to the ground. Once the dust cleared, I could move out the object's features in more detail - it was round, hexapedal…

Oh yeah, and it was definitely a Sentient.

And it was blocking our way. Oh joy.

XXXXXXXXXXX

AN: Happy Fourth of July! Read and Review! This is Flameal15k, signing off!​

 

[Flameal15k]

Hey, just a heads up, but the next chapter will most likely be up either on tomorrow or Saturday. I'll try to get it up tomorrow, because I have stuff to do Saturday and Sunday night, and I'm going to be watching Tennocon at least some of Saturday, so that will also be a problem.

 

[Flameal15k]

I barely managed to slide into cover before a huge golden projectile collided with where I had previously been standing. The rest of the Cell had already begun trying to circle around the newly arrived Sentient, attempting to divide its attention and prevent it from being able to wipe us all out in one hit. I quickly threw a frag grenade at it, but although the hit clearly hurt the machine, it wasn't enough to do more than inconvenience it.

"So," I questioned to Etran, ihoping Ordis (who I had learned was his cephalon) would also hear the question, "you know what this thing is?"

"Nope. Neither does Ordis. This is the first time we've ever faced this kind of Sentient."

"So we have absolutely no idea what its attacks are or what void energy will do to it?"

"Not at all."

"Ugh...wait, you aren't surprised that I know about your void powers?"

"Onkko said he told you about them. Said it was 'important to the proper development of the future."

Did I tell you guys the Quills are weird? No? Well, now I did.

"Alright then. So, any ideas on the name of this new Sentient?"

"Can we kill it first, then name it?"

"Fine by me."

Putting a hold on our conversation, we instead focused our attention on turning the Sentient into a mix of scrap and charred flesh. Apparently, this new type of Sentient's primary attack was, in essence, an energy mortar system. Powerful, but slow and relatively easy to dodge. It reminded me of a wraith from Halo, actually. IT even had the weak spot in its rear. Unlike the Wraith, though, this being could take quite a bit of damage before it fell. Furthermore, it also seemed to have some kind of heavy golden armor on it, and I do mean armor, not shields - according to the scanners I'd put in my Avatar, our attacks were actually hitting our foe, its just that the armor slowed down our bullets nad prevented any melee attacks we launched from hitting the flesh beneath.

Yes, Sentients have flesh. There's a reason why I'm not sure whether they count as machines or organisms.

While we wore down the Sentient, I had the funny feeling that something wasn't right about this fight. It was only after five minutes of wailing on it that I finally realized what was bugging me.

"Fide, wasn't there an army of Sentients converging on our location?"

"Correct. Scanning facility now.....it appears the Grineer and Corpus attempted to access the facility shortly after you left, and are now engaged with the Sentients. Corrupted forces on Lua are also converging on this location, so it appears that a four way battle is going on behind you."

"Whose most likely to win, and what does that mean for us?"

"The most likely winners of the fight will be either the Corrupted or Sentients, at thirty percent each. Obviously, the Sentients are trying to kill you, and I doubt the Corrupted would have goals that are any different."

"And the Grineer and Corpus?"

"Those two each stand a twenty percent chance of winning, and should either of them win, they will likely attempt to loot the facility. They may give chase to you, but really, one relic is not worth that much to them."

"So, odds are, we're gonna have some tails following us after-"

My question to Fide was interrupted by a loud wail coming from the center of the room. Turning toward it, I saw the giant sentient staring at me, only now, its primary weapon appeared to be retracted. I wondered what it was about to do, and found myself watching it rear up onto its second and third pair of legs, raise its front-most set of limbs upward until they were almost vertical, then slam them back down. Instantly, a surge of blue energy charged at me through the ground, and I only just managed to roll out of its way. A moment later, the surge detonated, shattering the ground along its path.

Huh. So that was its attack. Reminded me of an Eidolon.

"Well," I said, deliberately loud enough for everyone else to hear, "now we know what its special attack is."

"Indeed," remarked Ordis, "now can we focus on TEARING IT TO SHREDS!"

No objections were made to that, and we quickly renewed our assault on the machine. Unfortunately, the armor was still blunting our assault - this thing had a few cuts and bruises, and one or two deep wounds on it, leaking out a non-insignificant amount of blood, but aside from occasionally lifting one of its legs to put pressure on those wounds, it wasn't negatively impacted in any way. We needed to figure out how to take it down, and soon.

The Tenno, who had been blasting it with their amps and void blasts, finally started to realize that their attacks weren't extremely effective and decided to try something new. One of the Tenno, a aquamarine-haired girl who had been controlling the Oberon, transferred back into her frame, then charged at the Sentient. As the machine readied to fry her with its mortar, she transferred back out of her suit, then void dashed into her foe. Instantly, the Sentient reacted, flying back a few feet, legs digging into the ground to keep it from falling. For a moment, it seemed dazed.

Also, it wasn't glowing gold anymore....

I quickly opened fire on the vaguely insectoid machine. Sure enough, it shrieked in pain, and all of my hits drew blood.

It appeared that void dashing removed its armor, or at least weakened it. Nice.

My temporary cell seemed to share my happiness at this new discovery, as they promptly began tearing into the Sentient. Now that they knew how to kill it, things had suddenly gotten a lot more even.

The battle soon devolved into a routine - one of the Tenno would use their void dash to remove the Sentient's armor, then join the rest of us in unleashing a barrage of bullets, lasers, plasma and void energy on the machine. Once the armor returned, another Tenno would void dash it, and so the cycle repeated. The poor machine didn't stand a chance.

Also, the Corpus and Grineer had just pulled in some reinforcements, so the odds of them winning the battle had increased. At the moment, though, it didn't look like that battle would end anytime soon.

Finally, after a total of fifteen minutes of nonstop punishment, our foe began to give. It was bleeding heavily from about seven different major wounds, was absolutely riddled with bullets, and seemed to be having trouble supporting itself. Realizing just how bad its situation was, it reared up again for another attack...….

..…..except this time, it was as one of the Tenno Void Dashed through it.

I'll never forget how hilarious it was to watch such a large, heavily built machine go flying into a wall. As if that wasn't humiliating enough, it turned out that the Sentient's underbelly was another of its weak spots. To say it died pathetically was an understatement.

"So," I asked as the Sentient finally stopped twitching, "any name ideas for this thing?"

".….Something embodying a lot of raw destructive power," was the response of the female Tenno who had controlled the Oberon.

"Hmm...Would 'Destructolyst' work? And what's you name?"

"One: yes, and two, Cyreesia."

"Interesting name."

"Says you. So, can we leave."

"...Just let me do one more thing."

Before they could ask what that was, I walked up to the Sentient's corpse and rammed my hand through it. A moment later, I pulled it back out, along with a strange looking component...organ...thing.

"...You're gonna give that to the quills, aren't you?"

"Yep."

A moment later, my skyranger returned, as did the Tenno's landing crafts. I quickly loaded the sentient carcass aboard - hopefully I could examine it and possibly find some more weaknesses - before boarding it and blasting back to Earth, with the Tenno quickly making their retreat.

Before I returned home, though, I received a transmission from the Tenno. Etran, to be exact.

Opening it up, I quickly read the text.

Thanks for all of the help so far. I don't know why you're offering it, but know that it is appreciated. You've done a lot for us, yet you barely even know us. So here, take this, as a token of our appreciation.

I couldn't help but smile at what I read. It seemed that they really liked my help.

Curious about his final lines, I quickly opened the attachments with the transmission.

....Okay, a Mk-1 Braton, a Lato, and a Skana, plus a regular Braton Blueprint. Now exactly a big deal, but still nice. So, what are these other five ones?

..….No way. A FULL SET OF EXCALIBUR PART BLUEPRINTS?! SWEET?!?!

Now onto the last one.

..……..What?

..…………..Seriously, what?

THE BLUEPRINTS FOR EXCALIBUR UMBRA!?!?

Okay, why, exactly, were the Tenno giving me this?

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

AN: Just for reference, I'll usually refer to Sentients as being mechanical, but they really blur the line between organism and machine, so I may also refer to them as creatures. This is intentional.

So, Read and Review! This is Flameal15k, signing off!​

 

[Orez Lanrete]

Okay normal Excalibur is fine but why the hell would they give Excalibur Umbra of all things? That's just asking for the frame to go berserk without a Tenno to calm it down.