"Operator, are you sure that this is a wise decision?"

The Operator nodded inside the Nidus Warframe, and continued on strapping the man known as Adam Taurus to the chair mainly used to interface with Helminth. As expected, the Infestation came to life, but instead of immediately injecting itself into the figure strapped on the chair, it recognized its master first.

"Lord Nidus...Welcome to my...domain."

A hologram of Ordis appeared on Nidus' shoulder. "Your master also greets you as well, Helminth. He's just using this room for the moment in order to i-i-i-INTerrogaTE – I mean, talk, to the prisoner when he wakes."

"No...bestowal of...the gift?"

"When the prisoner proves to be a liability, yes."

"I...see...My beauty...would not be denied..."

The Operator finished strapping down the terrorist to the chair, before nodding towards Helminth and leaving the room. As the hiss of the door echoed behind him, Nidus turned toward the Arsenal, only to find Umbra staring at them with crossed arms.

"Uh-oh."

Exactly. Another bout of Transference led the Operator to stare at Umbra with a haggard sigh, watching as the sentient Warframe kept on leaning against the Foundry. Watching. Waiting for the Operator to tell him what was going on.

Given that they couldn't exactly escape the situation now, the Operator could only convince Umbra of Adam Taurus' purpose in the Orbiter. "We need information. We're currently orbiting a world with an established planetary civilization, and we need to be careful lest we expose ourselves to them. If we retrieve a relatively-high ranking individual that is concurrently hated by the civilization itself, then we get our information, and the civilization doesn't mind the loss of their monster."

Umbra simply tilted his head in response. It was amazing as to how much expression can be gleaned from such a gesture alone.

The Operator could only sigh and slump forward. "Ordis, show the files, please. Translated, as well. I'll go ahead and see if our little prisoner's awake."

"Orders received, Operator." The Cephalon said, flitting over towards Umbra as it showed the former Dax a transcript of their prisoner's deeds, transcribed in Orokin script. "Here are the prisoner's charges, Umbra. I tapped into their communications network and retrieved this compendium."

As Ordis began to prattle on about the various sins of Adam Taurus, the Operator shifted back into the Nidus Warframe and proceeded to Helminth's chamber. Another instance of Ordis appeared over Nidus' shoulder as the door slowly hissed open, revealing an awake Adam Taurus who was currently writhing in his seat and was trying to fend off Helminth's tendrils.

"Now", the Cephalon said, drawling out its synthetic accent as it stopped Adam Taurus in his tracks, "Shall we begin the i-i-i-iNTerroGATIon?"

/-/

"It's gone."

Cinder Fall was a patient woman. She knew what she wanted, and she was willing to do anything to get it. Thus, anyone who stood in her way of her goals was more or less dead. But this...

"Speak, Roman." She snapped, with familiar flames sparking to life once more. Even if her conversation partner was on the other side of a screen, he still shuddered in response to the woman's fury.

"Right", the thief said, adjusting his hat to cover his eyes, "We arrived at the base at Mountain Glenn in order to drop off the last of the Dust, but the base was already gone. Blown to bits by Dust. The rest of them were gathered at the front gate, and each and every one of them looked like they've been cooked alive. Adam's nowhere to be seen as well."

"YOU WHAT?!" She all but screamed into the scroll, the flames around her eyes glowing brightly once more. A ball of flame appeared in her free hand, and she held it up to the camera. "...Roman. You know what I would do if I find out that you lied to me."

The thief was awfully composed however, and even had the gall to chuckle in response. He turned the camera around, and it showed the smoking remains of what was once a White Fang base.

Bodies were strewn all around the area, their clothes fused to their blackened skin. Their eyes were hollowed out, dried out by the intense heat that they had been through, and even the ground had scorch marks that was reminiscent of a lightning's path. The scene was harrowing; the smoke rising from their bodies an evidence that they were still burning and hot. Cinder was sure that this could only be the work of a Maiden, but her senses did not spike up during the attack.

So who had been responsible?

"Enough evidence for you, Cinder?"

"Yes. It would seem that this matter needed to be addressed immediately." The whole angle of striking with Mountain Glenn was a bust. Given that the White Fang's presence was all but eliminated by Adam's disappearance, there was no more avenues of attack...save for one. "Have you retrieved any of the base's security footage?"

"They're all fried. Whoever did this, they were unnaturally thorough. Electronics were all wiped out."

"I see." Another complication. Not even a hint of what had attacked the base. For now however, she would continue to move on to her back-up plans, and put her ears to the ground in order to monitor the authorities trying to investigate the area. Not that she had any hope for them, however.

"Keep me updated on the situating, Roman. I trust that you won't use this as an excuse to escape."

"Of course."

"Good." She ended the call, taking a deep breath in order to try and calm herself down. A few more moments of silence was enough to once again focus on her goal, and she once again contacted another figure...

...This time, there would be nothing left to chance. "Cinder, my dear. What business do you have in contacting me directly?"

"Have heard of the incident in Mountain Glenn?" It was but a rhetorical question. Of course Salem knew. Watts had gotten news of it at the very first second and wouldn't hesitate to lower her standing in front of Salem.

"Of course, dear. Their sudden appearance might be a bit unexpected, but the outcome should be very well expected." Cinder's eyes widened at the subtext. Salem knew who had attacked the base. "Oh, but should you be so surprised? It seems that you underestimate how long I lived."

"I-I didn't meam to insinuate such a thing–"

"Sure, my dear", Salem drawled, obviously not buying into Cinder's attempts to dissuade the notion. "Still, I know their handiwork when I see one. They were our teachers, the enemies of the Brother Gods who once ruled upon this entire world. I believe that the gods themselves expressed extreme displeasure upon hearing their names. What were they called again...?"

Cimder drew in a bit closer, unheeding of her mistress's monstrous smile in order to know more about her current enemy. A second passed before a knowing look formed on Salem's face, and her eyes gleamed with glee as she finally uttered the name of the bane of the Brother Gods.

"Right", Salem drawled, drawing back with a light chuckle.

"They were called the Tenno."

...

AN: Satellites is an umbrella term for an object that revolves around a planet. Like a moon. Like Remnant's moon, for example. The only difference is that moons are referred to as 'natural satellites' because they aren't made by human hands.