I don't know about you, but I love Warframe. The characters, Ordis, the frames, Ordis, the lore, and Ordis. I hope to keep this fic going so long as they have events and updates. Enjoy the adventures of Zira and other select Tenno as they fight for the galaxy.
BackwardsHazard and I are doing a sort of...co-operation with the story. Our characters will cross paths from time to time but the stories will remain vastly different. At least, that is our hope.
Because I appreciate Monty Python's humor, I've decided to nod my head in his general direction at the start of some of my chapters via short parody of some of his more well known scenes. I hope you enjoy them as well as the story.
There was no stopping Vor as he navigated through the trees that had so annoyingly made Earth their home. The Grineer empire had been unable to tame the unruly forests but the Captain knew it would be a problem for only a while longer. What had brought him to Earth was the discovery of an Orokin ruin that stored Tenno in cryosleep.
"Secure the perimeter." Vor ordered, waving his hand forward. They had finally come to the entrance of the ruin. A brilliant gold and white decorated tunnel was covered partly with roots, most had already been cut away.
Four elite lancers followed in their Captain's footsteps. Two moved ahead to encircle their commanding officer but as they did a blur of yellow caught Vor's eye. He stopped mid-stride to watch the arrow impale one of his lancers and whisk him off his feet only to pin him to a thick tree root several yards away.
The lancer pointed to a hastily scrawled note tied to the arrow and reported, "Message for you sir."
Had it not been at the entrance of an Orokin ruin, Vor might have found it comical but instead he scanned the treeline with his hand hovering lovingly over his Orokin Key. With no movement in the trees or beyond, the grinner captain sauntered over to his dead lancer. He tugged the note from the arrow and unfolded it.
"Such a primitive way of communication." Vor scoffed before he began to read, "To whoever finds this note, I have been imprisoned in a cryopod by the Lotus, who wishes me to marry a Corpus against my will. Please, please, PLEASE come rescue me. I am in the ruin not far from here."
Vor crumpled the note in his hand and held his fist out in determination, causing his men to gather around him. "At last!" He declared, "A call, a cry of distress. This could be the sign that leads us to the Void!" The men cheered and where sent off toward the ruin in a hurry. Vor turned back to the grineer man pinned to the tree, "Brave, noble Lancer, you shall not have died in vein!" Vor reached for his Orokin key to dislodge it from his chestplate.
"Eh...I'm not quite dead sir." The lancer said, raising his head with weary eyes that seemed to become brighter with every passing second.
"Then you will have not been mortally wounded in vein." Vor compromised.
"I think I could pull through sir."
Vor sighed in disappointment, his shoulders slumping as he turned away from one of his elite soldiers. "I see..."
"Actually, I think I'm alright to go with you."
Vor slammed his hand against the grineer's shoulder before he could pull the arrow from his chest. "No, no, sweet Lancer, stay here. I will send help as soon as I have accomplished a daring and heroic kidna- rescue with my own two..uhh.."
The captain looked down at his lower half and scowled.
"Feet sir?"
"Yes, feet!"
"No I feel fine, actu-"
"Goodbye sweet Lancer!"
"I'll uh...I'll just stay here then shall I sir?" The lancer said, watching his commander and the rest of the grinner force work their way through the tunnel and deeper into the ruin.
Chapter 1: Vor's Prize
"A Tenno operative is located within this Orokin Ruin." A voice explained, "Captain Vor will stop at nothing to capture them. We cannot afford to let a warframe fall into Grineer hands. Stop Vor from obtaining his goal, whatever the means."
"Understood." Came a hushed reply. The voice came from a shadow slinking through Earth's forests. She was a Nyx class Tenno, a warrior dedicated to keeping balance by risking her own life for the sake of the galaxy. The armor clad woman stopped atop a large root and materialized her codex scanner. Her eyes skimmed the forest floor and the scanner reacted to each life form.
Four lancers, two hellions, one scorpion and shield lancer.
"Easy enough." she said.
Clasping a daikyu in her hand, watching the limbs unfold and snap into place, the Nyx drew an arrow. She poured her concentration into her aim and pulled the string of energy back to her cheek.
One breath. Check the target.
Two breaths. Steady the hand.
Three breaths. Hold.
Release.
The arrow flew true to its target and impaled the shield lancer in the heart, whisking away his body into the forest beyond. The rest of the Grineer soldiers barely took notice, only going so far as to cast a curious glance toward the sound before returning to their endless patrols.
The Grineer clones certainly were not known for their intelligence.
The Nyx slipped silently down the root to take up a new position closer to the force. The neural sensor within her frame translated the sensation of her fingers caressing another arrow as they ran over the metal fletching. She plucked another from the quiver and lay it gingerly over the bow rest.
A hellion landed nearby and soon found an arrow protruding from his chest. As with the shield lancer, he was sent flying into the nearby foliage.
The female Tenno attached the bow to her back and thrust her right hand forward. Expanding and sliding from its sheath on her wrist came the oldest of the Tenno weapons. The glaive sat comfortably in her hand and itched to be thrown.
She picked her way through the remaining trees and down to the clearing. Creeping up behind a lancer, the Nyx drew herself up and prepared to throw her weight into an attack. Her leg was suddenly and violently jerked out from beneath her. She turned her body to identify the assailant as the lone scorpion. By that time, the others in the area had been alerted and began to surround the Nyx.
Cutting the wire, she jumped to her feet. She launched herself at the Scorpion and severed the hideous clone at the waist before turning and throwing her glaive toward the hovering hellion. Spinning on her heel, the Nyx threw out an arm, more out of habit than effect, and sent several psychic bolts into the minds of the lancers. They crumpled to the ground as the hellion, shoulder torn open and bleeding profusely, fell from the air. The glaive came faithfully back and was quickly retracted.
"Hurry Tenno, Captain Vor has opened a portal to the void." The Lotus chimed in.
The Nyx picked up the pace and ran toward the large gap in the vines of the forest where the Grineer had uncovered the ruin. She entered a dim antechamber where four lancers stood guard. Upon seeing an intruder, they raised their weapons and immediately opened fire. Dodging to the right, the Nyx pried two castanas from her leg holsters. She ran forward, ducked and slid on the floor past their legs while planting the weapons at their feet.
The Nyx ran to the shimmering golden portal. There were loud cries coming from behind her after the castanas had detonated, frying the Grineer suits and the clones within them. With haste, she stepped through the portal.
On the other side was a circular room that the Orokin had favored in their time. High above the banisters was an open cryopod. Underneath was an Excalibur warframe, huddled down close to the ground. Lancers surrounded the Tenno and Vor brought up the rear with a terrifying device clasped in a robotic hand.
"I see the Lotus has tried to wake you... pity she's too late!" The captain said, "You're my prize now, Tenno."
He crouched beside the Excalibur and reached toward his ankle.
The Nyx did not need to know what the device was to know it was dangerous. She freed her bow and drew an arrow to her cheek. With a long, even breath, she fired her arrow at the orange gadget. It was sent clattering to the floor in several pieces.
Vor's head snapped up and his mouth turned down in a scowl. "Ot's kle Tenno, attaf! he exclaimed, pointing a thick finger in the Nyx's direction.
The Nyx sent a wave of chaotic thoughts across the battlefield before they could raise their weapons against her. The lancers turned against each other. After a moment they seemed to decide upon a common enemy and raised their weapons against their captain.
"What are you doing!? Fools!" Vor yelled. He quickly retreated around the room and dove through the portal.
"Tenno, I am surging Excalibur's power systems." Lotus came over the comlink.
The warframe began to faintly glow, electricity arcing out before finally dispersing. Lancers too near were incinerated, leaving one to snap out of his confusion. One look at room occupied with two Tenno and himself, he quickly fled. With his back turned, he was not able to see the arrow that hit him. He staggered, fell, and became still.
The Nyx holstered her bow and stepped down to the now standing Excalibur.
"How's your frame?" She said, circling him to inspect the suit. It seemed worn but functional.
"Fine." He said, "Who are you?"
"The Tenno that saved your ass." The Nyx said simply, "But my name is Zira."
"And the woman on the com?"
"That would be the Lotus." Zira explained, "She woke all of us. None of us really know what she is. Cephalon, Tenno, Orokin for all we know. All that matters is us helping her keep the balance. Imagine if Vor had gotten his hands on you...That would have set us back."
"Vor?"
"That ugly Grineer Commander with robotic legs." She clarified, "Important in the Grineer hierarchy, or so I hear."
Zira went to the corpse of the last lancer and scooped up his grakata in almost a tender way.
"What is your name?" she asked.
"I don't know." The Excalibur's tone betrayed his confusion and frustration.
"You'll remember." The Nyx comforted, "Everyone does." She tossed the grakata to the waiting Tenno, "Ready for a fight?"
The Excalibur looked at the weapon, checked the magazine then nodded.
Zira armed herself with castanas and jogged through the now destabilizing portal. The machine that had opened the portal was missing the key that had focused the void energy. The Nyx surmised that Vor had probably hoped to trap them. Checking to see that her charge was safe on her side of the portal, Zira headed out of the ruin.
The pair made their way through the jungle, dispatching the few clones in their path before finding the small landing pad that had been selected as an extraction. Unfortunately a Grineer carrier hovered over the landing zone, preventing their escape.
"Operator, I have found a new extraction point. Proceed there now."
A small dot appeared in Zira's heads up display and she motioned for the Excalibur to follow. They fought their way through another half dozen lancers, butchers, and hellions across the landing pad. The next path was tangled with flora that crawled up the crumbling walls and ramps of the outpost.
Overhead, a liset came into view. Its thrusters dimmed and it began to descend. Suddenly a golden beam struck the ship and it was sent spiraling away.
"Athena!" Zira yelled through her com, "Get out of here. We'll find another way off world."
"As the Operator wishes. Retreating to initiate repairs." the cephalon replied, "Good luck, Operator."
"Thanks."
"Tenno, you cannot face Vor now. Get inside and to a console."
"Understood."
Zira brought her Glaive to bear and channeled her remaining energy into the weapon. It shone brightly with the power and when Vor turned his beam toward them, the Glaive absorbed much of the energy. The Nyx's shields began to drain and she ducked behind a thick metal wall. With a careful eye, Zira threw her Glaive at the adjacent wall and it bounced directly toward Vor. She peeked from her cover to see the outcome but the Commander teleported out of harm's way in a cloud of yellow.
"My decrepit heart is pounding! This one is stronger than the rest. Lock the area down! This Tenno is mine!" Zira heard her yell. She felt smug at his observation of her but quickly reminded herself of the situation.
"You need to get me to a console." the Lotus reminded.
"Give me a minute." Zira snapped. Could she not see what what happening? The Nyx shoved her irritation aside and rolled from cover, throwing castanas toward the nearest life signs and detonated. The dots on her map disappeared. The Excalibur ran ahead, a phantom skana grasped tightly in one hand and a grakata in the other. He dashed between foes, giving Zira the opening she needed to sprint inside and away from the now seemingly showering hail of deadly gold energy.
Zira touched a hand to the console, tapped her fingers against the controls and allowed Lotus to work.
"Grineer, my sons, prepare the reinforcements. We need that Tenno." Vor commanded. There was no reply, nothing over the Grineer coms. "What's happened?" He demanded. The ship in orbit began to light up as explosions littered the outer hull.
"Oops!" Came a high pitched voice over Zira and the Excalibur's comlinks, "Who knew pulling a few gears would do that!?" The voice laughed innocently and in the background there was yelling and cursing.
"Good job." Zira said.
"Thanks!" The giddy voice replied before cutting out.
"Bypass complete. Go."
The battle seemed endless as the Tenno traversed the tunnels and vast rooms. Their acrobatic skills were tested when they came upon a room where the floor had crumbled away. They left many Grineer behind with only the hellions able to follow.
They came to a large water filled room with several platforms connected by wiring or rusted walkways. Hovering over one was a liset, plain in color but otherwise in good condition. Zira moved purposely toward it, tossing castanas and her glaive at anyone in her way.
"We need to disengage the suppression system. Go to that terminal and bypass it when I say." Zira ordered.
The Excalibur was more than happy to comply and waited obediently by the indicated panel, absently firing at troops as they entered. Zira tapped through the information on her panel, selecting the correct pathways to sneak through the simple security system.
"Go ahead." She told her temporary partner.
"Stop touching me you- what? Are my sensors deceiving me? Operator, is that you?" A cephalon communicated, "The Operator is in Danger? I will need a few moments to cycle the engines!"
Zira glanced at the Excalibur and took up position behind shipping crates. She waited with her bow in hand, arrow nocked and ready to be fired. She took great pleasure in defending the position. Once enough bodies had piled, the Grineer began to retreat in fear.
"Engine cycle complete."
The ramp to the ship lowered and the two began to board.
"Tenno, are you afraid? You cannot hide from these old eyes. I've marked you. You will return to me." Vor came over her com. Zira could see him on the edge of the room, his void key gripped tightly in his hand. He offered no more resistance as the pair ascended the ramp and the ship's engines kicked to life.