One

The Corpus team moved through the wrecked ship slowly and carefully. Europa was not a safe place at the best of times, which these were not. Their job was simple. Find things in the many wrecks that dotted the ice world. Then bring those things to their Board for profit. Said profit never really trickled down to the Crewmen and such on the ground, but few of them had any say in the matter.

The Corpus was not an easy life unless one was the highest ranks, but there were benefits. A Crewman never had to worry about where he or she was going to sleep. They often had to worry about waking up with all of the enemies who loved to sneak about and slay humans in their sleep, but never about having a place to sleep. They never had to worry about lack of food. Their food was a bit on the monotonous side, but again, none of them dreamed of complaining. Few had the ability to do so and fewer of those who could think for themselves dared.

The team was well armed, well equipped with MOAs and Ospreys and well drilled in the myriad guidelines that ran every aspect of life in the Corpus and well motivated. They also had no idea what they were walking into. What the faint energy traces that they had detected meant. Europa wasn't safe at the best of times, even discounting the various enemies who made life hell for the humans who were trying to salvage whatever they could. Freak storms, power outages that left the barely coping heating systems frozen solid, all of these were know hazards. The lure of profit pulled many humans to their doom on this frozen hell and this group was no exception.

The first shot took the team's Nullifier right in the slit that gave his eyes access to the outer world. That slit was not, as some had said, courtesy or a means of trying to keep people sane when cooped up in a boxy helmet for days at a time. It was simple efficiency. If all the tech failed, which had happened on occasion despite all the Company propaganda to the contrary, it simply made sense to be able to see out without taking all the protection off. All the protection in the Corpus arsenal would not have done that poor Nullifier any good at all when the high powered round tore his helmet, and most of his head, clean off.

The team deployed without even a word. The MOAs and Ospreys moved off in programmed fashion to seek the enemy. The Crewmen all sought cover. No one had seen or sensed anything, so whoever had fired the shot hadn't been close. A quick check by the team medic of the vital signs telemetry in her suit showed her teammate beyond help. And more.

"That was a ballistic round!" She snapped to the team leader in battle language. "Not competition! Not Company!"

Inter-Corpus warfare was not supposed to happen. In reality? While the guidelines said that all Corpus were all one big happy family, the truth of the matter was far messier. Factional warfare was a fact of life. Any scent of Profit always drew hordes of seekers of fortune as blood in the water had once drawn Earth borne sharks. Many of the factions had about as much compunction in spilling blood of fellow humans as sharks once had. Sad, but a fact. It was great news, that a high powered assailant was hidden somewhere nearby, but he or she likely wasn't equipped as well as they were. Or so everyone devoutly hoped.

"Grineer or Tenno!" The Sap Comba did as the guidelines directed and ordered his team to move out. Staying in one place while under fire was a death sentence and while Crewmen were not highly valued by the Company, they were tools for the company and not to be expended lightly. MOAs and Ospreys could be replaced easily. Soldiers with experience and often highly expensive training? Not so much. "Proxies to grid search! All others? Sensors on full!"

It might not help against Tenno, who often could cloak themselves from visual or other sensor with an ease that defied belief. Grineer would be detected in short order. Once they were detected, it would be a fairly straightforward fight, if often long, brutal and messy.

This was not straightforward. Whoever was shooting ignored the proxies. Instead, the medic died without another word, her form slumping to the ground with a huge hole blown through her. No one had seen the shooter! Whoever it was, they were well hidden or far away. The team was outclassed. There were even Company guidelines for that. Basically, they boiled down to 'Run away!'

"Fall back!" The team leader snapped and his people did so in order. A Tech fell to lie slumped on the ground, grabbing weakly at her right leg as a deep wound pulsed her life out. She groaned once, but then lay still as the others ignored her. It was unprofitable to remain in an enemy kill zone. The proxies moved all around the team, all seeking some sign of the enemy. There was nothing within half a kilometer! That didn't make any sense! The weather here was awful. It made a hash of even the best passive sensors. Active sensors would be detected in short order, triangulated and fired upon by long range artillery. Such was far more cost effective than throwing troops away generally. Another Crewman screamed as he fell into a deep ravine, blood catapulting form his arm. The scream faded quickly and the team leader made a quick decision. They had to report this. If they did? They might survive the Board's displeasure. If not? Well, at least they would serve the Company better than as cooling corpses on the ice.

Or, at least… That was the plan.

The plan failed as the commander's helmet flew off in pieces. He survived the initial hit, but was stunned, staggering out of his meager cover. He did not survive the second hit. It tore through his chest armor. He fell staring up at a mountainside where a tiny form stood in the distance. Even from so far away, the armor was distinctive to his enhanced visual sensors. A Grineer! No! Two! One was looking at them through some kind of scope. The other was lying on the ground, hefting a long rifle. His wound left him mere seconds to realize that his team had walked into a trap. The signal that had been sent had been a lure. He was trying to utter a command for his people to run when darkness took him.

The Corpus tried to follow his final order, tried to fall back in order, but none of the humans made it back to the ice cave they had exited to scour the surface for the signal. The MOAs and Ospreys, denied commands, reverted to their basic programming and headed back for their recharging and replenishment stations, leaving a dozen human forms crumpled on the ice.

One was still alive when a white shadow fell over her. Helen J-57 had lost her Supra when she had been hit. She scrambled for her Cestra sidearm, but a kick sent it skittering away from her hand. She stared up at the white bulbous armor. She spat at it, but instead of shooting, it knelt beside her. She was dumbfounded when the Grineer did not kill her. Instead, he bound her hands in front of her and then to her even greater astonishment, started checking her wounded leg! Then the Grineer marine slapped something onto the wound that burned like fire. She bit her lip to keep from crying out. She was beyond astonishment as the clone picked her up and carried her from the carnage filled battlefield. She was trying to fight, trying to do anything as the cold ate deep into her and then she knew no more.

Some time later

"Corpus detected the signal and came as you said they would. This one is the only survivor. This is one of their technicians. It will have information."

The calm, male voice pulled Helen J-57 out of a pain filled sleep to find herself lying on something soft, covered by something soft and warm. She tried to move and could not. She tried to speak and could not. She could not do anything but lie there. Fear rose, but not fully. It was held away by something.

"'She', soldier, not 'it'. We need to make contact and while I deplore this method, it may be the best way." A tired female voice sounded and then warm hands touched Helen J-57s head and then her leg. The pain in her leg faded. "She is alive and while the others are not, they did not find the signal source. Well done."

"Orders?" The other asked.

"Take up a guard position while I have a chat with our guest. Get the transport ready. We need to leave sooner rather than later. If the Corpus picked up the signal, others did too. Others we have no chance against." The other said as warmth spread across Helen J-57's body. Was she drugged? "The Corpus likely will not throw away more troops, but they may send recon teams or proxies. You assume left no traces?"

"No." The other replied, still calm. "The trail will end at the river. Nina Tal saw no further activity and remains on watch."

"Well done." A hand patted Helen J-57's head. "Get started on evacuation and I will talk to our guest while I see if I can save her leg."

"As you order!" A clang sounded. Metal on metal?

The other sighed as something touched Helen J-57's head and she felt warm wetness sweeping her face. Someone was washing her face? No, her whole head. Her leg was hurting in a distant sort of way and suddenly, it wasn't anymore! Had her leg been cut off? She could not restrain a whimper.

"Easy." The female voice crooned as the Corpus soldier felt fear rise further. "It is all right. It is all right. You are all right. Easy. You are cold and wet but in no further danger unless you bring it on yourself. You speech will return quickly. Your leg is still there, I deadened the nerves until I can see about healing the damage. It is fairly extreme." The hands were soothing, calming and Helen J-57 felt her fear abate. "That is it. That is it. Just relax, soldier. I have you. You are safe."

"Gr-… Gr-..." Helen J-57 tried to get the word 'Grineer' out and then other sighed deeper.

"Actually no." The other said sadly. "But you won't believe and I cannot let you see me. Not yet. Not until we are somewhere safer. Damn, it! I knew that signal would be detected, but I hoped not this soon." The hands did something and something touched Helen J-57's forehead. Whatever it was. it was warm and soft. She basked in the feelings. "There we go. Better?"

"Yes... But..." Helen said weakly. "What are you doing to me?"

"Preparing you for your new life." The other said a bit absently. "The Corpus, for all of their faults, are not really to blame for this mess. For the loss of your team and so many others. I am." Something warm wrapped around Helen J-57's head. "What is your name?" The other inquired as whatever it was hardened. "Mine is Anna."

"I..." Helen J-57 knew she shouldn't say. This other, whoever she was, was not Corpus! That was clear even without sight. The hands that touched her were professional though. Not hard or cold, but almost clinical. "I shouldn't say."

"My dear, there is no need for any of us to be rude." Far from offended, the other was calm and gentle still. "You cannot go back. I am sure you have been downsized by now. If you were to go back with weird stories, I am sure your fate would not be pleasant."

"No." Helen said as the warmth spread across her whole body, minus her leg which was still numb. "Without profit or my team? No." She agreed. "Just… This is not right." She pleaded as the warmth suffused her entire being.

"No, this is not right. None of it is and many will agree with that. But it is needed." The other agreed as something slipped into Helen J-57's mouth. Something round that dripped. "Here. Drink. You need the fluids." It was water and it tasted odd. Not drugged, she knew those tastes far too well from indoctrination and training, but oddly untainted. She drank carefully, grateful tissues soaking in the water. "That's it." The other approved. "Good girl. Don't drink too fast."

"What are you doing to me?" Helen J-57 was not quite begging as the straw was removed from her mouth She felt oddness all over her. Odd crawling sensation. It didn't feel bad, but it did feel odd. Something warm covered her left eye and she felt the whatever it was harden there as well.

"Humans cannot go where we need to." The other replied. "We can certainly use you, but if you appear as a human where we are going, our cover will be blown and I cannot allow that. We will use you and we must. Our mission comes first." That sounded odd, almost rote. "What is your name?"

"Helen J-57..." The Corpus soldier was floating now on a sea of bliss. "Please..." She had no idea what she was begging or why, but the hand was back on her forehead, soothing, calming.

"Helen." The other sounded calmer now. "That is a good name. We will talk after we get out of here and you wake up. It will be a shock, but I know you can handle it. Good night, Helen."

"That is... not… my name..." The Corpus soldier tried to protest as darkness took her. A comforting, red tinged darkness.

"It is now."

An ice cave

The armored female who called herself Anna when she called herself anything watched as the young human was encased in the bag that would protect her frail form until they could get her somewhere that proper repairs could be done. She shook her head as the damage readouts slowly changed from red to green. As various parts of the girl's body were prepared for their change from weak flesh to strong metal.

"So young." She mused as she worked her controls. "She is way too young to be in the field as a Corpus Tech. Something is off about her."

"Commander." The leader of her security force called and she spun to see him standing ready. "Transport reports inbound. They should arrive shortly, but our upgraded sensor net reports other ships are also inbound."

"Oh, no..." The being called 'Commander' groaned. "Let me guess."

"It's them." The Grineer replied, uneasy. "Ma'am. They are broadcasting orders. The orders are clear."

"And wrong, Lancer!" The other snapped and then shook her head. "The Queens did not give those orders. You know it. I know it. I obey the Queens, not some Corpus wanna-be." The derision in the female's tone could have cut steel. "Harkonar really screwed up this time and as always, we have to clean up their mess. We cannot allow Grineer to follow that signal. Order Nina Tal to blow the charges."

"Yes, Ma'am." The Lancer saluted and keyed his com twice. No words, but a massive explosion sounded in the distance. Nina Tal was nothing if not enthusiastic about her explosions. Among other things. "Ma'am, they will pursue us. Are we taking the base with us?" He asked as she rose and hefted the human in her life support sack.

"Yes." The non-Grineer in Grineer armor snapped as she left the ice cave that had been her home for only a few short days. The body in her hands was the least of her burdens. "She is more than she seems. A regular human would have died from that wound before you got her to me. She also fought the sedative. Far stronger than a regular human and… She acted odd. Not as afraid as I would have expected." She shook her head. "This bears investigation, but right now? We need to get out of here."

"I want my protest logged." The Lancer said with a growl. "Helping bases is wrong."

"We are not going to help her, Lancer..." The other corrected him grimly as they walked quickly through the ice cave. "...we are going to use her. She likely has information that I can extract, but not here. As a tech, she had access to many Corpus technologies that any of our mechanical sorts would kill to have explained to them. My methods are slower than a Reclaimer's would be, but far more thorough and far less damaging. We will use her. This falls under my authority and I take responsibility. Understood?" She glared at the other until he nodded.

"Understood, Commander." The marine paused as both of them heard a voice. Nina Tal's voice was very quiet at the best of times, but she only got this quiet when things were about to get very bad.

"Inbound traffic has arrived." The sniper was not happy, but she was not angry either. She was rarely anything but calm. very unlike a normal Grineer. Then again, she hadn't been a normal Grineer since meeting Anna any more than the Lancer was. His name was a series of numbers that Anna had never bothered remembering. Few male Grineer lived long enough to earn names. He had promise. So maybe.

"Traffic?" The commander demanded. The sniper wouldn't have used that descriptor for Grineer. She was much more derisive of the rank and file clones. She always had been, she always would be. To her? She was their superior in every way. "Clarify!"

"More than one set of landing craft are vying for control of the area. An air battle has erupted." The hidden sniper replied. "Grineer are landing troops and have engaged Corpus proxies that seem to be coming in via portal. Not regular ones though. Odd colors and many different varieties. Not a standard Corpus force. I see no humans."

"Wait..." The commander paused and looked closely at her burden. Then she nodded as she pressed the plastic bag close to the woman's bare arm. The woman slept on, oblivious to the scrutiny as her arm was pressed into the plastic. Her breathing was unimpeded, the mask she wore would let her breathe in hard vacuum for a time. The commander found what she wanted and nodded. "Harkonar is going to freak if they find out we have this one. We cannot let them take this one. If it looks like Harkonar troops will, kill her and make it clean."

"Commander?" The Lancer demanded. "This position in untenable with two forces attacking it. We cannot leave with the airspace so congested."

"Then we will just have to move them, won't we?" The female called Anna said with a grim smile. "Soon, it will only be one force attacking and them we can handle. Nina Tal, set your weapon to emulate a Vulkar and you are free to fire on any Grineer you see. Try to maintain a low profile, but weapon free. And... I know it goes against the grain, but try to help the bots if you can."

"Commander?" That came from both the hidden sniper and the marine who gawked at her.

"It is not the Corpus attacking the Grineer." The commander turned her burden to the Lancer who hissed as he saw the triangle tattoo on the woman's arm. One that had been hidden by her coveralls until they had been removed to allow the Commander access to treat the woman's wound and check for other injuries. It had been haste, not a need for modesty that had let the woman keep her undergarments intact.

"Perrin."