Mettle
Fear was a known quantity.
Everything living things, from the most basic one celled organisms all the way up to hyper Technocyte evolved bio-forms knew fear. It was a biological response to changing situations. Not all could understand the fear but all knew what it was it and reacted to it.
Sean understood fear quite well. He was terrified. He was careful to be open in his movements. There were no signs of Grineer nearby anymore. The area that he had been sent to destroy the reactor of was a ghost town now. The cave he had seen before was as it had been, with a few more bullet holes in the ancient stone walls. But this time, he looked at the sand and he saw it. Anyone looking would see it, but they likely wouldn't know what it was they were seeing. Most would ignore it. Sean had been warned though and he wasn't about to ignore it. He wore his Oberon warframe and for weapons, he bore a simple unmodded Skana which José had finally decided on as a weapon for the duel.
A very small, very thin ripple of sand stretched out across the open area in front of the cave. Natural formations could mimic such perfect lines, but in the end, they would not be. This wasn't natural. Sean moved to line, but did not cross it. Then he knelt and waited. He did not have to wait long.
You do not belong here. The voice wasn't antagonistic as it had been before. It was a warning, but not angry.
I need to speak to Inaros. Sean kept his mental tone level and respectful.
You should not be here. The other said flatly. Go. Was it Sean's imagination that the sand in the area was writhing? He didn't dare look.
I ask for the presence of the Guardian of the Dead Inaros. Sean bowed his head further. I crave a boon. To his amazement, a chuckle resounded audibly.
You have talked to Nikis. The voice was calmer, less horrible. That is the only possible explanation for you just sitting there.
He told me what happened. Sean shook his head. You have my sympathy, brother.
You call me 'brother'. The voice of Inaros was perplexed. No one has called me that in a long time. I... am not what I was. I have done horrible things.
That does not matter. Sean replied evenly. I am not saying I approve of what you do. For I do not. But you are my brother. You are Tenno. I wish to speak to you. I have to do something horrible myself and I need a Guardian of the Dead on hand when I do.
What is your name? Inaros' tone was attentive now.
I am Sean. The kneeling Tenno replied evenly.
Very well, Sean. Inaros said. You have piqued my curiosity at the very least and I just asked Nikis if he sent you. His response was... um... graphic. You may come inside the circle, but only as far as I decree. Sean stilled. He had no idea if Inaros was telling the truth or not. Inaros sighed. Wait a moment, Nikis will be in touch.
Indeed, it was only a moment before a familiar sour voice cleared its throat inside Sean's head.
Wasn't sure you would have the guts, boy. Well, guts or lack of sense. Six of one, half dozen of the other. Nikis' sour tone was unmistakable. If he says you are safe, you are safe. He tells you to scat, you do it, clear?
Yes, Grandmaster. Sean bowed his head further and Nikis harrumphed and the voice vanished.
Well, at least the young today have sense enough not to ignore Nikis' commands. Was Inaros chuckling? That is smart.
That is plain common sense. Sean retorted. At that, Inaros actually laughed as Sean rose to his feet.
Yeah, but how common is common sense these days? Inaros asked slyly as a form appeared at the cave and beckoned Sean forward. As long as you adhere to the laws of courtesy, you are safe in this place. For now. He warned. There is a small cavern that used to be set up for visitors just inside the entrance. We can use that to talk.
Sean was hyperaware of his surroundings as he stepped across the line in the sand. But nothing happened. He strode to the cave and followed the odd looking warframe inside. Three steps inside, the other turned to the right and Sean followed into a small, dim room. He stiffened for a moment as dim light illuminated the room, but it got no brighter. He couldn't see what was causing it. It wasn't any tech he had seen.
"It's an animal." Inaros' audible voice was surprisingly normal. "The phosphorescence is a defense mechanism against predators. As long as we are here, they will give off light. But they are very small and thin, unless you look with a proper scope, you won't find them."
"How many...?" Sean broke off and shook his head. "Never mind. Thousands at the least. But that is cool." Inaros nodded, his posture approving. The elder Tenno knelt in the middle of the room and Sean did likewise at the proper distance. "Thank you for giving me time to speak with you, Guardian."
"You don't need to be so formal with me, Tenno Sean." Inaros said mildly. "You are not one of my people and you are not in trouble." His tone turned wicked as Sean stared at him. "Hey, I am old. I am allowed a few quirks."
"Why do I get the feeling you will abuse that excuse quite a lot?" Sean asked with a snort.
"Because you have met Nikis." Inaros replied instantly. "He acts that way just to do it. At least he stopped talking backwards. That was really annoying when he went through that phase. Yoda, he is not." He sighed and relaxed a bit. "What is it you desire of me?"
"I find myself in a difficult position." Sean paused. "Um, what should I call you? The problem I am going to relate pertains greatly to courtesy and I have no wish to offend."
"Call me Inaros." The other replied evenly. "Every time someone called me 'Grandmaster' I automatically looked to see where Nikis was lurking." Sean goggled at him and Inaros chuckled. "He did that just to jump out and scare the crap out of people. He was a holy terror. But a better teacher, I do not think I will ever find. My one true regret is how badly I failed him."
"You didn't!" Sean retorted before he could stop himself. "He explained. You were pushed into this path."
"Tenno were pushed as I was before I was." Inaros didn't seem moved at all. "I am sure they have been pushed since then. I made a hell of a mess. I would probably do the same thing again, but it was a hell of mess. I believe what I did was right, but others disagreed. I did stray over the line and I did attack my kin." Shame sounded in his voice now. "I am just glad I didn't kill any. What do you need?"
"When you warned me off before, I was involved in a mission to destroy the reactor of the closest Grineer settlement." Inaros nodded at Sean's words but did not speak so Sean continued. "I was joined by three others. A sister and two brothers. I fought beside the sister, but there was obviously some animosity between her and the brothers. I did not understand it and in the middle of a mission was neither the time nor the place for queries." Inaros nodded again. "In the course of the mission, one of the brothers demanded that we move faster. He was quite rude." At that, Inaros stiffened but again, remained silent. "The sister and I were fighting to extraction when she went down. There was a great deal of radiation spewing around the area and she was bleeding out. I carried her to the extraction zone where the other two ignored our peril. They would have left us both to die. No..." Sean corrected himself. "One of them would have. The other, I have spoken to and he did not realize the peril. He is genuinely remorseful."
"But the other is not." Inaros' tone was soft, but held deep anger and Sean nodded.
"No." Sean said flatly. "He is not. I challenged his actions. Leaving a sister to die for pride is a direct violation of the Code. I may not be a good Tenno sometimes, but there are limits. I challenged him outside of Conclave."
"No!" Inaros actually recoiled. "Brother..."
"He would have left us both to die!" Sean exclaimed. "Myself? I care not about. But a sister? He had done it to her before. He will do it again to any other kin who are slower than him. We cannot trust him in the field." His rant cut off as Inaros raised a hand.
"Calm yourself, brother." Inaros commanded and Sean took several deep cleansing breaths. When he had done so, Inaros heaved a deep sigh. "As you say, a horrible thing to demand the death of kin. I can see your point of view and you wish me to make it permanent?"
"It doesn't matter who wins this challenge." Sean said flatly. "If I win, there will be others who feel as he does. That speed is all and anyone who slows them down should be tossed aside as unworthy. They will be more circumspect. At least for a time. If he wins, perhaps this will shake his confidence that speed is all. Either way, the status quo will be shaken."
"Either way, we lose a brother!" Inaros sounded stern now and Sean bowed his head. "And you want me to take the energy of the fallen? Are you insane? I am sure Nikis told you what he knows about my history."
"No matter your history, you are a Guardian of the Dead." Sean said softly. "Nikis says you can be trusted. So I must trust you."
"Nikis is a master manipulator." Inaros said after a moment. "How can I be sure this is your choice, not his?"
"He was not involved. I decided on the challenge during the mission." Sean said calmly. "I went to the Elders after it. I encountered Nikis after that and he explained what happened to you. He explained to me and the Elders as well as the Lotus."
"The Lotus?" Inaros asked, perplexed. "Who is that?" Sean stared, but then he realized that Inaros really wouldn't know anything about her if he had just woken up.
"She is the guide of the Tenno in this time." Sean explained. "It is a long story. She is neither human nor Tenno, but she does mean well even if her methods border on the Machiavellian on occasion."
"I have far more to learn about this time than I thought." Inaros mused. Then the elder Tenno shook his head. "He told you I enslave people."
"He did not explain in any detail. Frankly I am glad of that." Sean worked to stay calm and managed. "I don't know if you will keep the energy, send it to the database or give it to Nikis to play with. It really doesn't matter to me. You can make it permanent and that is all I ask."
"I take humans who are dying." Inaros said softly. "If they have a chance to survive, I leave them be. It started with what I was, so long ago. A Guardian of the Dead. Yes, I alter them to suit the environment and yes, I needed the core of the colony so I altered the first ones that I found in this time more than the others will be. I do not touch children. For one thing, the procedures will fade as they grow and for another, it would be wrong. They are the future and they must be protected, not forced into some mold by an uncaring supervisor."
"The same could be said for the others." Sean said quietly. Inaros nodded. "So?"
"So, aside from the first three, all of whom died when I took them prisoner and I revived them to serve the colony to make up for my heavy handedness..." Inaros said flatly. "The others have a choice to stay or not. Three have chosen to leave. I removed any memory of me and mine and set them loose. I did keep a distant eye on them and they found refuges elsewhere. They are no longer my concern."
"Inaros..." Sean paused, unsure of how to say he didn't believe without giving offense.
"You cannot know if I tell the truth." Inaros said bluntly. "I can give any proofs that I wish, but you cannot trust that either. If I were good, which I am with no conceit intended, I can fake such easily. Proving a negative is always difficult. For me to show that I didn't do something would be a pain in the butt."
"Nikis said you wish to remain apart." Sean said after a moment. Inaros nodded. "Isolation rarely works out well in the long run."
"If need be, I can bring the mountainside down." Inaros replied. "It would take years for the clones to dig through the rock even with heavy machinery."
"Brother..." Sean begged. "That would be a waste. Yes, humans can live anywhere with the proper support. But they have a chance to live in the sun here. Something that would never happen on Mercury or Venus or Pluto." Inaros stared at him and Sean shook his head. "I have no right to gainsay your plans. All I ask is that you do not act in haste. The Elders are conferring. But if as you say, you let the humans choose, then we did not have all of the information and our decision will be flawed."
"I cannot prove that in any way that most Tenno would accept." Inaros said softly. "The ones who left do not remember me or this place. And I did not let them all choose. The ones I... killed I took as my own." Shame sang in his tone. "When they woke, they fought. I... I was too quick. Too harsh with them. That is my responsibility, my shame."
"A Healer could prove your innocence in this." Sean said softly. "They could see the changes you wrought. Vet them."
"You ask me to open our borders to an unknown." Inaros said flatly. "That will not happen."
"That is not what I am asking." Sean worked to remain calm. Inaros looked at him and the Oberon nodded. "What I am asking is that you talk to a Healer. No more. Explain what you did and why. They may react in horror, but they may not. I met one who is incredibly open minded. Maybe a little too open minded..." He said with a wince.
"Healers can be a law unto themselves." Inaros was speaking from fond memory now. "But... I will see what I can do, brother. I can promise no more than that."
"If you have been accused of something you didn't do, then you need to explain before this goes any further." Sean pressed carefully. "We protect humans but we all make mistakes. Heaven knows I did even if I do not remember them." Inaros looked at him and Sean sighed. "I was... punished for something. Mindwiped."
"Oh." Inaros shook his head. "Death might have been kinder or easier."
"Since when do Tenno do anything the easy way?" Sean challenged and Inaros actually laughed.
"Never in my experience." The ancient Guardian of the Dead said with a nod. "So... What?"
"We go on." Sean gave himself a shake. "May I ask your assistance, Guardian Inaros?" He said formally.
"You may." Inaros' tone was equally formal.
"I ask for the assistance of a Guardian of the Dead to make sure the results of this duel are permanent." Sean intoned. "Such a request has not been made since time immemorial. But such did happen."
"Yes." Inaros sounded sad now. "Brother Oris and Sister Galintra could not solve their dispute any other way. It was bad. We lost both of them." Sean looked at him and Inaros shook his head. "I was not involved. A sister Guardian did the duty and no, I will not name her. It hurt her very badly to take both of them. But that was the letter of the duel. Whoever fell was lost. Both did."
"I will not ask such." Sean bowed his head. "I have no intention of striking a brother down."
"You go to this duel ready to die?" Inaros shook his head. "Then you have already lost."
"We have all lost, brother." Sean said sadly. He choked up suddenly, emotion rising to overwhelm him. A hand touched his shoulder and he felt strength flow into him. Strength and compassion tinged with sorrow.
"I can see your resolve and I understand the need. I do not like this, but I will do as you wish." Inaros said softly. He slumped a bit as Sean regained his poise. His head shot up and then he nodded. "Another Tenno comes. Your challenge awaits."
He rose and Sean did as well. The other led the way to the cave mouth and stopped at the edge of the darkness. Sean continued forward. He looked but didn't see José. He wanted this over one way or-
Sean jerked as pain slammed into him. He stared down at... the glowing energy skana that had impaled his chest. He was at the line in the sand, but...
"YOU LOSE!" The form of José appeared nearby, Skana in hand. "Submit!"
You fool! The voice of Inaros slammed into both of them as Sean took another step forward. Have you no honor at all? The duel was not begun and you strike from hiding? He cannot submit! Not here! Not now! You are no Tenno!
Sean was weaving as he drew his own Skana. Fluid was falling from his warframe as the energy Skana vanished as if it had never been. José recoiled.
"Yes, he is." Sean managed as he took a guard position with his own Skana.
"But only for the moment."