Belief
"I tell you, it was a Sentient, but it didn't act like one!"
No one was speaking as Owl protested, but everyone looked less than convinced. Even the warframes that had been present when Owl had returned to the dojo had 'dubious' written all over themselves. The child seeming ancient being stared around and then at the only one of his kin who were present.
"Falcon?" He asked, hurt in his voice.
"Owl… I do not understand." Falcon said quietly. "You were assisting Tenno Zims. He found a group of humans who had been captured by Grineer, rescued them and then..." She shook her head. "Owl, that doesn't make sense."
"I know." Owl heaved a long, drawn out sigh. "I know. The Grineer fled an Infested outbreak, leaving the humans behind. Zims found them and… We couldn't just leave them." He pleaded.
"Owl." Tiana spoke up from where she stood by the door. She was out of her warframe and on downtime. "We are Tenno. You are Tenno. Even as powerful as you are, you are not a god. You are not omnipotent." Owl bristled and she shook her head."I am not saying that you didn't see something, but you said you were hit."
"I was. Zims went down hard and I pushed myself out to cover them as best I could. Zims blames himself." Owl said quietly. "We both tried so hard to save the humans and we failed." He held up a hand when Tiana opened her mouth again. "Yes, I know, Warlord Tiana. Tenno fail. Tenno are not perfect and we do make mistakes. But this? There are no records, since Zim's warframe was disabled. None but my memories." Owl said heavily. "Zims doesn't remember what happened after being hit. Iriana says he will be okay, but that Juggernaut hit him hard." He looked away. "All I have is my memory and it says that a Sentient came to Zims' aid when he fell. That the Sentient stood between the humans and the Infested, holding them off. That is totally atypical behavior. And then..." He slumped. "No one believes me." He said weakly.
"Owl." Falcon moved to her brother's side. She could touch him where no one else could. She did, taking his hands in hers. "The Sentients hate Mother."
"It was blue, Falcon." Owl said softly, not moving. "And it made a Lotus symbol on the ceiling. It wasn't our mother. It was something else. Failing the humans hurts, Falcon. I know Tenno fail every day, but it hurts. We had transport coming." He was crying now. "Another five minutes and transport would have been there. Thirty three humans. Dead, because of me."
"Owl, the Infested did not kill them." Tiana tried again as Falcon embraced her brother. "They may have gotten away."
"From a Sentient, Warlord Tiana?" Owl's voice was sad and sick, not sarcastic. "I… I need some time."
"Take what time you need, Owl." Tiana reassured him. "None of you have taken any breaks since your Mother disappeared. Being on task all the time hurts even beings such as you, Owl. I understand your drive to find and help her, but you can and will drive yourselves crazy if you keep this up."
"I know." Owl's voice was muffled by Falcon's shoulder. Falcon pulled Owl closer and held him as he cried.
"We can do without your assistance for a day, Owl." Tiana promised. "Go. Rest. You will feel better. If we do find out anything, I will let you know."
Owl nodded to Tiana and vanished right out of Falcon's arms. It was rude to do that, he knew. The Warlord understood and his sister would complain later, but for now? He just wanted to be alone. He stepped out of the Transference chair that had been his prison for so long and stretched long and hard before striding towards the door of his Orbiter. As he moved through the hall, he heard his com terminal ping. He ignored it. That was petty of him, he knew, But right now? He really didn't want to talk to anyone.
The halls of this small spacecraft were bare. He had never decorated it like some of his kin had. Certainly not with as many noggle toys as Heron had. It was hard to move in Heron's ship. Others had done different things. Falcon in particular had put up art everywhere in her Orbiter. Some of it, she had drawn herself. She was pretty good for being self taught. She had given Owl a beautiful painting of an Earthrise over the moon's horizon and he had it in storage. He should put it up, but not today. Today? He was just too sad and sick.
Owl walked into his living quarters and froze. A warframe was standing by the window. No one he knew. That was impossible! How had a Tenno found this ship, hidden as it was in the Void? How had he boarded without setting off dozens of alarms? Not even Stalker could do that!
"Identify!" Owl snapped.
"You are Zarimon." The other said slowly as the warframe looked Owl over. The boy who wasn't one knew he was physically vulnerable outside of a warframe. But he was also far more powerful than any Tenno he had ever met except for Nikis. Even if this intruder could hurt him, Owl could kill Tenno. He abhorred the thought, but he could. From the other's posture? The intruder knew that too. Owl didn't know the warframe. "Do you want vengeance?"
"For what?" Owl demanded. "Who are you and how did you get here?"
"His name is Kronus." A familiar voice heralded a hologram of Oracle Janet appearing beside Owl. She was furious. Owl relaxed, just a little. Janet was a friend. The incredibly powerful precognitive played long and convoluted games towards achieving her goals, but she had never played Owl false. She would never betray the Tenno. Not with her mate being who he was. "And he is an asshole!"
"Oracle." Now, the warframe was doubly wary. As well he should be. Everyone stepped carefully around Oracle Janet when she got angry. Even Nikis. Not many humans held the power to wipe the solar system from existence and survived such things even remotely sane. Her psionic power boggled even Owl's mind. She was the only human he had ever heard of who could match a Zarimon child power for power. Good thing she was on the Tenno's side. "This does not concern you."
"No?" Janet snapped as she drew her dagger which immediately started to glow with feral green power, the sentient blade as angry as she was. "Tell that to Kalina, you lying sack of shit! You will leave the Tenno of this time alone or you will answer to me!"
"How do you know of Kalina?" The other asked slowly.
"How do you think, dipshit?" NIKIS! Owl ducked as torrent of gunfire tore past him. It wouldn't kill him, but it would hurt. Janet moved a bit as the warframe staggered under the onslaught of gunfire.
"I will see you anywhere you show your ugly face, you foul mockery." Janet promised as the warframe fell to one knee, a blue glow surrounding it. "We will stop you. I stand with my mate to avenge Kalina and we will stop you!"
"You cannot stop time." Kronus sneered as Nikis fired again. "See you around, old man!" He vanished and Owl stared from where he had been to Janet who sheathed her dagger with a growl. He turned to see Nikis at the hatch, reloading his pistols.
"What the hell just happened?" Owl asked, stunned.
"Hell is a good word for it, kid." Nikis sighed as he holstered his pistols. "Got a minute? We need to talk."
"You were there when Zims woke up. He said you helped him." Owl said slowly, his mind reeling from this. Nikis nodded. "I was suffering feedback shock, couldn't get back quickly. Too late to save the humans."
"Even if you had been able to get back? You couldn't have changed anything, Owl." Janet said kindly. "You know this."
"I could have tried!" Owl fought hard to control his emotions.
"They ain't dead, kid." Nikis said quietly and Owl spun to stare at the Nekros warframe. "They ain't dead."
"The Sentient destroyed them." Owl said weakly. "There was nothing left."
"No, it didn't." Nikis contradicted him and Owl snarled at him. Nikis shook his head. "Careful, boy. You are stressed, so I will cut you some slack, but don't push me. As angry as you are? I am more and I got cause."
"Nikis, we need to explain." Janet shook her head as she looked at the boy.
"There ain't nowhere safe to talk, Janet." Nikis complained. "The problem with Kronus is that he can be just about anywhere. Add to that? He just pops forward to see what happens then pops back to take advantage. I can surprise him, but I cannot stop him from jaunting through time." Owl hissed as things suddenly to make sense.
"A time traveler?" The boy inhaled as Nikis and Janet both nodded. "And… you used me as bait." He inquired. Nikis nodded again. That didn't bother Owl. Such power was utterly forbidden by the Tenno Code. "It didn't work."
"I tried to hold him here and I couldn't grasp him." Janet sighed as she relaxed. "I couldn't stop him. I may be able to track him but only while he is in the present. The only good news is that he does not have the power to travel for long. If he could go into the past to, say, kill Hayden Tenno before Lasria, he probably would have."
"To stop the Tenno from being founded? But wouldn't that have negated his very existence?" Owl asked, his mind whirling. "The Grandfather Paradox?"
It was an old philosophical debate. In the debate, if a person traveled to the past and killed their own grandfather before the conception of their father or mother, such would prevent the time traveler's existence. Which would prevent them from going back in time in the first place and killing their grandfather. No wonder that paradox had baffled so many people over the ages.
"Eh..." Nikis shrugged. "Depends on who you talk to. Some think you just wink out of existence, others think time writes you back in with a different set of grandparents. Nyx and I talked for three centuries about that once." Owl stared at him and Nikis chuckled. "She is a bit um… Focused on stopping such things." Janet shuddered and Nikis was quick to reassure her. "Hey, no harm done, girl."
"To you." Janet said sourly. "I still have nightmares about that."
Nikis patted her shoulder. The Grandmaster of the Dead was capable of far more than simply touching incorporeal beings. Once, he had actually hugged Falcon! That had been something to see. Anyone else trying such would have fried. Not Nikis.
"What is his range?" Owl asked. "Does anyone know?" Nikis and Janet both shook their heads. "What do we know about him?"
"Not here, Owl." Janet warned. "He got in here as easily as anyone might get into an unlocked room. There are places he cannot go, but they are few and far between."
"And such places would be hard for me to get into, wouldn't they?" The Zarimon child asked in sudden comprehension. Nikis and Janet nodded. "At least, not in energy form."
"You would have to go physically and none of those places can withstand your power. You don't lash out intentionally, but you do cause damage everywhere you go. Even the Orbiter needs repairs every so often.." Janet was sad. "They would offer. For such a threat? Everyone would offer."
"But I would hurt people." Owl said quietly. Janet nodded. "I… No. Mother wouldn't like that." The Lotus didn't always like humanity, but Tenno had always served humanity, so she would not like Owl randomly blasting passersby. Not the least of which because of what it would to to Owl's sanity.
"She would like you threatened by such a scum less." Nikis scoffed as Owl shook his head. "Come on, boy. You know better."
"You mentioned Kalina. That was Nikis' mate before you, Oracle. What did he do to Kalina?" Owl asked. Nikis looked away and Janet at the floor. "Grandmaster?"
"That is not your burden, boy." Nikis said heavily. "It is mine." Owl stared at him, horrified and Nikis shook his head. "She is safe. I can't talk about it."
"Whatever he did threatened the database." Owl said weakly. Neither of the others reacted. "What is he? Nuts?" The boy demanded.
"He is." Janet said slowly. "Owl, I can help. You cannot harm me in this form and I can ward you." That was kind of her to offer, but her guidance was needed across the solar system. Especially now with the Lotus missing.
"And while you are warding me, how many others will fall, Oracle?" Owl demanded. "I am Tenno! I serve! This being is not Tenno, is he?"
"He thinks he is." Nikis hawked and spat. "And of course, he thinks he is better than everyone else, too."
"Of course he does." Owl shuddered. "The power to travel in time… I have never seen a warframe like that one before."
"Nor will you again." Janet replied. "That was the only prototype and the place it was made was destroyed."
"Survivors?" Owl asked. Nikis shook his head. "Good!" The ancient boy snarled. "What were they thinking?"
"Easy." Nikis sounded old and tired for a moment. "Lazy, good for nothing Orokin wanted a quick, simple fix to the Sentient problem. Ban or no, they decided to try time travel, but they were not about to risk their own skins, so they made a patsy and sent him off to fix things for them. What they got was a huge mess and a lot of people dead for no gain. Human, Tenno, Orokin and shade alike. Then the Emperor found out what was going on and stepped on everyone remotely connected to it, hard. The only vestige left is Kronus himself."
"You can be quite convincing when you try, love." Janet smile at Nikis who shuffled a little.
"Bad situation. I gotta go." Nikis sighed. "Owl, if you want a full explanation, Janet can give you one,…" Janet nodded. "...but then you will be sworn to secrecy and Nyx will enforce such."
"If Nyx touches me, Nikis, shade or no, I will hurt her!" Owl protested. "No! I won't hurt her! I don't need to know that badly!"
"Owl..." Janet smiled sadly at Nikis who bowed to Owl and then vanished in a haze of gold. "With your mother gone, you are all vulnerable. You need to warn your kin. All of them."
"I will. Wait..." Owl said slowly. "Nikis' mate Kalina died at the beginning of the Old War. She was hurt by Orokin and..." He shook his head. "That doesn't make sense."
"Time travel never makes sense, Owl." Janet said grimly. "It is, by its very nature, nonsensical."
"But Kalina would have been in the database by the time... anyone..." Owl paled as Janet nodded. "Oh, no. No, no, no..."
"Yeah." Janet said softly. "The power source they used for the creation of that warframe drew Nikis' attention instantly. That was their plan."
"Were they completely insane?" Owl all but screamed that.
"Yes, they were." Janet's cool tone threw ice water on Owl rage.
"That is the only possible explanation for Orokin making a time traveling Guardian of the Dead."
Avalon
Jesse was working on a new project when it happened, She stared at the wall as a blue flash lit the computers in front of her. Her code told her that someone had managed to get into the room with her.
"This is a very bad idea." Jesse said mildly as she turned to see a warframe that she didn't know standing by one wall. "Alarms will be sounding across this facility. You have at best ten seconds before guards come roaring in here to tear you apart."
"I need a Cyberlancer." The Tenno said quietly. "I mean you no harm."
"Get in line." Jesse snarked. She paused. Why wasn't she hearing any alarms? She checked and her code didn't find anything out of place. But… Oh dear. She was! Her code couldn't pass beyond a certain distance from herself. Probably a temporal bubble. "And unless you want to be harmed? You better leave now. I don't like the whole 'princess' thing, but people tend to get upset when strangers burst into any woman's rooms. Just saying."
"That is a good point, Princess Jesse." The other replied calmly. "But we do have a few moments before the guards-"
He jerked back as a shadow erupted from the wall and recoiled further as Draco charged him. The intruder had a sword and dagger that gleamed oddly dark in his hands as Draco attacked. Jesse had seen her bodyguard take on all kinds of foes, but when he connected to this one, she screamed as he fell to lie still. She drew her weapon. Draco had given her the Mara Detron as a backup in case he fell. She had never expected to need it and certainly not like this.
"I didn't want to do that!" The strange warframe declared as he rose to face Jesse. "I have not hurt him. I have disabled him, no more."
"Liar." Jesse snarled as she took aim but then his hand came up without the dagger and an unstoppable force hit Jesse, slamming her… out of her body. She screamed as the energy that she was composed of was sucked into his hand. She barely saw her body do the same.
I didn't want to do that either, Princess. The other's voice was still calm and sure. But I will pass the challenge this time. You will help me.
NEVER! Jesse bottled her mind up into a ball and held tight as energy swept her into limbo. Odd. He didn't seek to overwhelm her or even control her. He just held her and from the feel? She wasn't getting free from this without help.
Never is a very long time. The other chuckled in Jesse's mind. And now? I have all the time in the world to convince you. Not that I need it. All it will take is an innocent in danger and that silly priest will do as I demand. And this time? He will not trick me this time.
Then there was only darkness and Jesse fuming in said darkness. You are dead, asshole. She was not expecting a reply but she got one anyway.
You are so right. The other was laughing now. But in the end? Death holds no sway over Time.
You hope.
Hope is a strange thing, Princess. The more you seek it, the more it eludes you. The other said softly. Rest now. We have one more stop to make before we visit Tanah and get him to see reason. I will need you for this stop.
I will never help you. Jesse snarled
If you do not assist me, then Tenno Dust will not survive this. Jesse went totally still at that and the other actually seemed regretful now. I truly mean no harm to you or any Tenno, but the challenge must be fulfilled.
What challenge? The furious Cyberlancer bit out against her will.
The challenge for Grandmaster of the Dead.