Amoral or evil?

"Apostasy."

Iriana's voice was hushed as she stared from Nikis to the shade of the First Tenno and back. Then her gaze hardened. "Who are you and what have you done with Nikis?" She was not expecting the golden hologram who stood in the midst of the group to laugh. "What?"

"Healer..." Hayden said with a smile. "This is Nikis. Not even the Orokin dared to impersonate him. They tried once." The shade shook his head. "Once." He enunciated and winced hard in memory.

"I didn't kill any of those." Nikis gave Falcon another squeeze. Hayden muttered something about 'not that nice' that Nikis ignored. "You okay, darling?"

"I… Um..." Falcon seemed at a loss for words. Everyone did. "How are you doing this? I... No one can touch me even as a hologram."

"No one else can. Janet and I are working together to do it." Nikis said quietly. "Can't do it forever, but you needed the help." He shook his head. "Ballas. Should have let me shoot that SOB, Hayden."

"We were not supposed to get involved, Nikis." Hayden said with a shrug. "In hindsight? Yeah. I should have. He was just about directly responsible for everything that happened. But even you couldn't go around popping off Executors willy-nilly. They would not have reacted well."

"The man pissed me off." Nikis snarled, but then laid Falcon back in her chair. Heron was staring at him in mixed horror and awe. The Nekros shook his head. "I can't do that for all of you. She needed the help."

"She did." Heron moved back to his sister's side and laid a hand on her holographic shoulder. "If I may ask? How did you do that? Is it repeatable?"

"No. As to how? High energy physics." Nikis replied. "Sixty three power sinks, high power enhanced shields and a telepathic link to a precognitive who can tell when energy discharges will happen so I can shut the power to the sinks. Hurts, but pain and I are old friends." Everyone's eyes went wide at that. He shrugged. "Girl needed the help. She was one small step from losing it completely."

"Thank you." Falcon said weakly. "I..."

"You watched your mother taken from you." Nikis patted her arm. "You couldn't do anything. I know the feeling."

"Nikis..." Hayden said softly.

"I ain't ever gonna forget, Hayden." Nikis growled. "Nyx and Trinity did what they could and I can deal with it. But I ain't ever gonna forget." Hayden bowed his head and there was utter silence for a long moment.

"Forget what?" Falcon asked tremulously.

"Forget my dad ignoring my mom as she died of a long, lingering disease." The pitch black Nekros might have been carved from stone now. "He dove into a bottle and let her rot. Me and my sister did what we could. Not much. Not enough. I found her, after." Falcon looked horrified and Nikis shook his head. Hawk nodded slowly, her face shuttered. "Ancient history, girl. But I do know about losing a mom and not being able to do a damn thing about it."

"I am sorry." Falcon slumped in her chair and Nikis patted her arm again.

"None of what happened to you was your fault, girl." Nikis reassured her. "You better?"

"Better." Falcon smiled a little. "Thank you."

"Don't spread it." Nikis had a smile in his voice but it changed to a growl as he glared around. "That goes for everyone. I need to keep the rep up or people get stupid."

"And start dying." Hayden shook his head. "I don't think anyone here is that stupid, Nikis." He grinned as everyone shook their heads in unison. "I am not."

"Apostasy." Tiana said, more to change the subject than to clarify. "That means the abandonment or renunciation of a religious or political belief. Ballas is an apostate?"

"He rebelled against Orokin after they killed Margulis." Nikis said with a growl. "Or so we were told. We were also told he was dead. Wonder just how many lies they fed us."

"He called the Lotus 'Margulis'." Falcon said weakly. "But she isn't." Nikis looked at her and she seemed to wilt. "She isn't!"

"No, she isn't." Nikis agreed. "Everyone here knows what the Lotus is." He looked around and most nodded as he looked at them. Hawk was glaring at him and Nikis shrugged. "I got my problems with your mom, girl. I don't like her. I don't trust her. Even at my worst though, I never doubted that she did what she thought was best. Didn't agree with it, mind you." He said sourly. "But anyone who will do what the Lotus did for love is worth knowing or at least watching."

"She is a Sentient." Falcon sounded as if she wanted to choke those words back down as soon as she said them. "Was a Sentient."

"She doesn't talk much about her past." Hayden said quietly. "For very good reason. What the Sentients did, what the Orokin did,... No one was 'good' in the Old War. Not Sentient, not human, not Tenno. No one. The Lotus did what she did for you kids. That makes her better than most, but no one here has the slightest doubt that she can be pragmatism personified. She did evil many times to protect you and the Tenno."

"She is not Margulis!" Falcon repeated.

"Falcon." Nikis slowly shook his head. "We don't know what happened on Luna when Margulis was taken before the Executors. We can't. We were not there and any records that might have existed are long gone. Orokin was a time of wonders and horrors. They did a lot of things that turned my stomach." For him to say that… Ouch. Every visible face looked sick. "Who is to say that they didn't send her to the blue star? That would have been a death sentence."

"I..." Falcon was crying again and Heron held her. "She doesn't remember that."

"She says she doesn't." Nikis corrected her grimly. "You know she doesn't always tell the truth." Falcon wanted to deny that. Her face showed she wanted to deny with all of her heart. But she couldn't. The Grandmaster of the Dead shook his head. "I looked for her during the war. I was curious about this strange woman who simply appeared about of nowhere to help the Tenno who the Orokin had created." His tone was odd. Part rage, part awe. "I didn't expect what I found."

"Did you find her?" Falcon asked. "We were asleep by then." Nikis looked at Hayden who shrugged.

"I don't think it matters now, Nikis." Hayden said quietly. "You never gave her your word and after what happened to your son..." Hayden made a sour face. "You may overreact, old friend but no one blames you for feeling betrayed."

"No." Nikis looked at the ceiling for a long moment and then shook his head. "I didn't give her my word, but I won't violate her secrets either." He looked at Falcon. "Yes, I found her. She and I talked for quite a while. We parted as uneasy allies." He looked away. "Then Dustin's mess happened and I turned my back on everyone. I have hated her for a long, long, long time for trying to command me to leave him in those quacks' care." His warframe slowly relaxed. "That ain't gonna change. I still hate her for what happened to Dustin and I will. That said? You lot don't deserve this."

"I am sorry." Falcon said in a miserable voice. She gave a squeak as Nikis reached out to tickle her chin. "Hey!" She batted at his hand, stunned.

"Buck up, girl." Nikis said kindly. "This is bad, no question. Lots of people are going to be wondering what the hell just happened. I was more than a bit shocked when I tried to contact her and got a pink copy instead. Lots of people will freak and some will take advantage."

"Why were you trying to talk to her?" Falcon asked very carefully. "Or, can I ask such?" Instead of answering, Nikis looked at Iriana who put a hand to her face. The Healer started shaking her head. Falcon's face turned concerned. "Healer?"

"Nikis was with Mary." Iriana said softly. Every visible face twisted into a grimace at that. The kid had gone through hell. The Zarimon children understood such ordeals far too well. "She has to let it go, Nikis!"

"She can't, Healer. She didn't see or hear it happen. She won't believe." Nikis moved to the Healer and laid a gentle hand on her arm. "And, frankly? She needs to focus on something other than her pain for a bit. Is this a bad thing?"

"He is gone, Nikis!" Iriana snapped and then slumped. "I am sorry, I am sorry."

"What he did angered a lot of people." Nikis had a frown in his voice that shone right through his warframe faceplate. "But it saved a lot more. Hell, I was just as angry as you were when I first heard. Using the Library like that was wrong. But he did save the colony."

"At the cost of his own life." Iriana said sadly. "I screamed at him, Nikis. I called him so many horrible things. I compared him to an Orokin!"

"I know." Nikis said dryly "You were not very discrete about that." She swatted at him and he chuckled. "Come on, Healer. He may be gone, but he did a good thing. He is gone. Mary is not."

"What does Mary want?" Falcon asked. "I know she has been very weak and sick, so I haven't tried to visit. I would need her parents' permission anyway." She made a face. "Rules are so inconvenient sometimes." Nikis and Iriana both glared at her and she held up hands as if toward them off. "I know! I know! I won't press. She is just a kid." More than one person scoffed at that and she smiled naturally for the first time in a while. A being who looked ten years old saying such things was more than a bit funny. "Okay… Yeah. A bit of the pot and the kettle in that as you say, Grandmaster Nikis."

"Mary wants to search the area where he died, see if his energy was changed into anything that might be recoverable." Nikis said quietly. Everyone stared at him and he shook his head. "I looked, but I will be the first to say I am not perfect. I was a bit distracted by the reading and then by all the angst. I haven't had a chance to look again."

"You want us to look?" Heron asked as the other children looked interested.

"I want Hawk to look." Nikis replied and everyone stiffened as Hawk recoiled from him. A first. She glowered at him and he ignored it. "She has the best senses for such things."

"Not alone." Iriana and Tiana both snapped in unison. Hawk glowered at them, but both corporeal female Tenno were unmoved.

"Yeah." Nikis shrugged. "Martin, front and center." His words were calm, quiet even. They were also a command. A Harrow warframe all but ran to stand in front of Nikis and braced almost to attention. Nikis shook his head. "Don't make me hurt you."

"Um, Nikis..." Martin gulped. "I take responsibility." Everyone looked at each other, confused. All but one. Hawk wasn't confused or angry now. Was she scared?

"Not here. Not now." Again, calm, reserved. But fury sang underneath.

"It is not his fault!" More than one of the watchers gasped as Hawk moved to stand beside Martin. "I asked him! I did it and he had no idea what I was going to do!" She stood as if ready to fight! Fight Nikis? What?

"Not now." This time, Nikis snarled. "Later. In private. There are things we do not discuss in public. For very good reasons."

"Nikis?" Iriana asked when no one moved. "What is going on? Now matter what Hawk has done, I won't let you hurt her." At that, Hawk seemed to wilt.

"Healer, stand down." Hawk said weakly when Iriana would have moved to her side. "I messed up. It is my fault."

"Shut up, girl. Not going to hurt you." Nikis wasn't angry now. "I am angry but not so much with you. You were curious, no more. But you!" A finger speared the Harrow and the dark bearded warframe seemed to wince as the Nekros poked him in the chest. "You knew better!"

"What did you do?" Iriana demanded of Hawk.

"I can't say, Healer." Was Hawk about to cry? "I didn't mean to, Grandmaster!"

"Zip it!" Nikis snarled.

"Why?" A new voice asked and everything seemed to stop as another form shimmered into being nearby. Not quite golden, more gray. She- yes, this was female Tenno – stood as if ready to fight. She was not in warframe. She was ageless as only Tenno seemed to be. She had dark hair and piercing brown eyes. Hayden rounded on her but she shook her head. "I am not talking to you, Hayden Tenno." He looked at her and shut his mouth, obviously fighting to hold his tongue But why? He was the First! "Nikis. Why must she be silent?"

"Because when she blabs, she gets you riled and then you do stupid shit." Nikis snapped.

"She didn't mean to wake me up, Nikis." The other said quietly. "I took no offense. Why are you?"

"She-" Iriana inhaled as realization struck. Hawk had accessed the database that held Tenno and Orokin shades! She had woken a Tenno shade! One of the Tenno ancestors! From the looks of the holographic clothing? A very old one. Oh SHIT!

"No one here is in any danger from me." The newcomer said quietly. "I am dead. Finally." She growled. "No thanks to either of you." Why did both Nikis and Hayden wince at that? "The girl was curious, Nikis. Is that a crime now?"

"Not here!" Nikis snapped. "Kat, not here! There are things that can never be said. You of all people know that!"

"What I know is that the wolf is free at long last and you will never cage her again." The woman shimmered, her form fading even as Nikis threw energy at her. It went right through her and did nothing. A howl of wolven glee sounded from nowhere. "Too slow, old man. See you around!"

Another howl sounded and then faded. Nikis cursed vilely even as Hawk wilted. Martin did not move as Nikis spun to glare at him. Hayden cleared his throat and Nikis relaxed a little. Just a little.

"Is this a problem?" Tiana asked carefully.

"Um, sort of. Hopefully for us, not for you." Hayden said with a sigh. "We screwed up. Kat didn't want to become Tenno and we didn't understand the mechanics in those days. It happened against her will." At that, every Tenno in the room stiffened and Hayden nodded. "She is angry and she has cause. She was sleeping peacefully until a little curious bird came by and woke her up."

"I didn't mean to!" Hawk was all but blubbering. "I swear!"

"Shut up!" Nikis snarled. "Martin, you will take Hawk and scour the area where Aziz was destroyed. I have the precise coordinates of the final energy discharge. You will search that and the debris of the Formorian. You will look for anything out of the ordinary. You will peruse every fragment of debris, every speck of dust until I say you are done." Martin nodded. More than one person winced. That was a large section of space. Lot of dust and debris in that area. Searching such might take years.

"Wow, vicious much?" Kat's voice came from nowhere, coldly mocking.

"Don't say a word." Nikis said as Hawk opened her mouth. She shut it. "I am angry, but not really with you. You didn't know. It isn't your fault, Martin's fault or even Kat's fault. It is my fault and Hayden's." Hayden nodded. "We are to blame. Go."

Martin bowed formally and after a moment, Hawk did the same. They both strode from the room, Hawk's posture defeated.

"Nikis?" Iriana said weakly. "What the hell?"

"Kat was human." Hayden said sadly. "She worked with us. We thought we had protected her well enough. We were wrong."

"You were wrong. Oh boo hoo." Kat's voice came from nowhere again. "I guess I shouldn't be surprised. 1st rule of any human group and apparently Tenno as well. Everyone lies."

"We never lied to you, Kat. You were a friend We tried to help! We still want to help! Let us!" Hayden tried again. "I know you are trying to get Nikis to destroy you. He won't!"

"Yes, he will." Kat snapped. "I just have to push hard enough. Be the monster you made me."

"You are not a monster, Kat!" Hayden was clearly losing patience. "You never were. This is our fault, yes. We can fix this!"

"How?" Kat demanded. "Put me back to sleep and never let me wake? PUT ME BACK IN A CAGE?" Another howl, this time of pure rage. Nikis threw energy to the side and it covered something that howled in pain before vanishing. "Nice try, boy!"

Nikis snarled as a portal flared nearby and a half seem gray form vanished into it. The Nekros flared golden and vanished as well. Hayden stared at the others and sighed deeply.

"We screwed up." Hayden said sadly. "She paid for our folly. We hoped to help her, put her back into a human body, but the transition drove her mad. We couldn't help her, so we did the next best thing. We let her sleep. Hawk didn't know. This wasn't her fault. It was and is mine."

"Is she..." Tiana swallowed hard. "Is she an enemy?"

"Of the Tenno of this time, no." Hayden said sadly. "She is so very angry. She can only hurt us as we are and she really only wants me, Nyx and Trinity dead. She has hurt us in the past and in this time, but she cannot destroy us as we are and that makes her even angrier. We promised her we would help and we didn't. We can't."

"Can anyone?" Falcon asked, empathy singing in her voice.

"I don't know, Falcon." Hayden said sadly. He took a deep breath. "No matter what, Nikis spoke for all of us, shade and not. You and your siblings are kin. Even Hawk is kin, as angry as Nikis is with her and Martin at the moment. Martin had no idea what Hawk was doing. She had no idea what she was doing. She was just as horrified by what happened as we were. To her credit, Hawk tried to get Kat to go back to sleep, but the wolf wouldn't."

"What will happen to Kat?" Janna asked as she moved to stand by Iriana.

"I wish I knew, Janna." Hayden admitted.

"I wish I knew."