(This is told from the POV of Regor as he ventures home to take the prisoners to be executed. Please don't be mad by how I made his personality different from the actual game. The reason is that I kind of hate his weird obsession with clothing and his taunts are kind of horrible- no offense. Anyway, here we are.)
Who is the Enemy?
-The Voyager, Tyl Regor's Scientific-and-Observatory Cruiser
Regor took a quick glance at his data pad one last time before slapping his hand on his face in anguish. He muttered oaths against ten different gods of different religions and was stared at by his lackeys who wore blank faces. Regor's men were unlike the brainless troopers that were normally found among the Grineer ranks. They were intelligent, softer, and less provocative to combat; they were handpicked by Regor himself.
He yanked off his helmet and flung it across the room. It clattered on the ground noisily, but no one reacted immediately. His secretary asked, "Is something bothering you, sir?"
"This won't do…," Regor muttered sadly gesturing towards his pad full of reports, "Another failure…another meaningless death!"
He raised his voice on the last note and slammed his fist against the computer console with ferocity. His secretary shook her head as if this was a common occurrence. Regor, for the past fourteen years, has been looking for a formula to cure his degenerate brethren. This was a secret he kept from the counsel himself- he didn't trust them like Hek or Ruk did. He saw that their so-called "upgrade" actually was wiping the Grineer out faster than the war against the Tenno and the Corpus cult.
He recalled memories of having hands…hands of flesh and blood. He remembered the feeling of having air filling his lungs, and walking in the fields of grass on Earth with his own two unaltered feet. Regor closed his eyes and imagined a life without the need of cybernetic parts and could feel a hunger growing in his body.
"Sir," his secretary spoke up and snapped her master back to the world of reality, "The prisoners are awake."
Regor sighed with anxiety clearly within his mind and followed her to the containment deck two floors down. He greeted his fellow Grineer and would ask for updates on their research. His metallic heart sank when he saw their heads shaking for a successful find. Going down a stair case, he thought, Should I even bother to search for a cure? Is it to vain of a task?
He stopped before cell door and peered through the tiny window. There lay three Tenno on each bench- two male and one female. Upon capture, Regor had them stripped of their weapons, but surprisingly not their warframes themselves. When he was asked a question concerning their armor, he answered aloud so that the Tenno could hear as well, "Why not let them keep them on? It would be a dishonorable thing to part ones soul to their prized possession. Consider this; when a warrior is put to death, is it fair to bury him without his sword by his side? Their honor lies with those pieces of scrap metal so to force those things away from the Tenno is like a crime."
His troops made no objections. Instead they removed the warframes of energy from their power cells and discarded their weapons on a separate rack in the armory. Regor took note at the Rhino's Cronus long sword and held it with caution. He was very fond of such things and he was quite the collector. In fact, on his own wall of weapons, there lay sixteen long swords varying from Mires, Skanas, and some primes.
Regor sighed lightly at the balanced feel of the blade, but shook his head. He can't take this- the warrior may have need of it yet if he escaped miraculously. He set it on the confiscated weapons rack and walked leisurely down the hall way. He returned to the cell containing the Tenno warriors and ordered for the door to be opened.
The guard looked at him uneasily, but he complied nevertheless. It groaned and screeched against the metal gears that were pushing it away from the opening, and it gave Regor quite a headache. The Tenno looked up from their positions and became alarmed when he stepped in.
The Tenno eyed him closely and realized that he was unarmed. Is this their chance? Do they now have a chance to escape? The female rolled her hands into fists just when Regor said, "I wouldn't try that if I were you. I made sure that my men had bound you with Orokin handcuffs."
The Tenno looked down at their wrists and ankles, but found no such thing. Regor sighed irritably and snapped, "You Tenno are so dull. Orokin handcuffs are made out of pure energy. All I have to do is say the magic word and you'll be bound up like a birthday present. But, there are two words…one to restrain…one to release."
He let the message sink in before demanding, "Now…which one of you is going to tell me first how my superior Vay Hek was murdered?"
Silence was the given response.
Regor curled his lips into a wicked grin and asked, "Why the silent treatment, huh? Do you think that just because you won't talk…you are strong?! Do you think because you have the strength of a warrior…iron will of a hero?!"
The Tenno flinched slightly and they shifted uncomfortably on their benches. Regor continued, "That armor…has corrupted you. Then again…it may not be entirely your fault."
The Excalibur looked up and was expecting him to continue his rambling. Regor eyed him closely and whistled to a guard. Two seconds later, a Grineer Lancer entered the room bringing a holographic projector the size of his fist. Reluctantly, the Lancer gave it to his commanding officer and then glared at the Tenno warriors.
"Petutela," He spat and he exited the room with his boots clanking noisily on the metal deck. Regor sighed saying, "Excuse Heltis and his habit of giving poor hospitality to guests."
He said the word guests even though it literally meant "prisoners" in the Tenno's part. Regor waved the projector in front of the Tenno and asked, "Do you know what image is going to appear, Tenno?
Of course, there was another awkward silence. Regor rolled his eyes in expectancy. He flicked the switch beneath the projector and a picture flickered to life.
"The Lotus," the Female Mag spoke up.
"I'm happy you recognize your slaver," Regor said with a snarl.
"Slaver?" the Excalibur snapped, "She saved us from you! She…"
"She uses you," Regor corrected, "She makes you do all her dirty work and why; because it is a righteous cause."
"Your point?" The Mag asked.
"My point is what? Are you dull?!" Regor shouted, "For beings that descend from the Orokin themselves, you are so naïve. The Lotus speaks of justice and of restoring the universe to peace, and you haven't felt anything disturbing in any of your so-called "Missions of Cleansing"? You made everyone's world a lot worse than it already was!"
He continued on to stop all attempts to answer with an angry retort. He wasn't finished just yet.
"Before you showed up, the Grineer paid little thought about the humans or any other race. Now that you provoked their tempers, you made them wage a full-on war against humanity itself- considering you are no different than a human being yourself! Think about it! Did you really think that killing those who are against you is going to restore balance to the system?"
The Tenno warriors did not answer. They hid their faces in thought and were reconsidering all their actions in the past decade of their missions.
"Look at me!" Regor snarled, "Do you know who I am? I am Tyl Regor- the lead scientist of all genetics in the Grineer Empire! But I do not wish to use my talents to KILL! You Tenno are misguided into thinking that all Grineer and Corpus are wicked- blast that b*tch! Even the cultists aren't all evil despite my loathing for their ways. Do you see this?" He pointed to his face which was partially covered in metal plating. "This cybernetic limbs and armor are the only things keeping us alive for so long and we are still a dying people. My intent is to find a cure for the disease that has spread amongst my people!
"I don't care if you individuals killed Hek or not, he was a tyrant born and breed by the Queens themselves. He dreamed of a world where all the peoples of the galaxy would be like us- a "people of perfection". Was he ever so wrong in all ways possible! I'm happy- you hear, happy- that that self-conceited bastard has been banished to the gates of Hell! With him out of the way, I can continue my research without looking over my shoulder."
"The Queens allow you to do this?" the Tenno Mag asked.
Regor shrugged, "That's the catch- they don't. This project is mine and mine alone. If they discover it…"
Regor shivered at the thought and looked closely at the Tenno now. He could feel the uncertainty in the air and was glad that they were beginning to see things his way. He then remembered what his soldiers were saying about what the Tenno were ordered to do on that Corpus vessel. So he asked them, "Your mission on that cruiser, what were you looking for?"
"The Lotus said there was an important artifact stored amongst the Corpus cargo hold," the Tenno Rhino finally spoke up, "We discovered no such thing and all the crew were missing."
Interesting, He thought. Regor crossed his arms over his chest plate and said with a sigh, "I suppose you'd be happy to know we found them."
The Tenno looked up to him. He said with a steely tone, "They were found dead- floating in empty space outside the cruiser."
The Tenno shook their heads in disbelief and it got worse when he added, "What you were looking for wasn't Orokin-based either. I sent a message to a Corpus medical crew to send me some research on how to use the crystal Rubedo in my quest for a cure. It was all put in that cruiser for me. When we found it, it was missing and we found you there."
There was a flare of anger in the glint of his eye, "I suspected you to have stolen it at first, but now I see you are just as much in the dark as I am. However, I am not allowed to release you, I'm afraid. You are charged for the murder of Hek after all."
The Tenno stood up all at once, but he put up his hands and insisted, "I tried, believe me, but the Queens are too outraged by his sudden, ah, end to give a damn about finding the actual culprit."
"You have to do better than that," the Excalibur snapped, "It's no fair that we have to die for the crime of another."
"I agree," Regor nodded, "but what am I to do? I am already at risk for my project to end our curse. What can you give me to do such a thing as betray the Queens' trust?"
The Tenno paused to consider and the Rhino answered, "We can give you access to the Orokin medicinal artifacts we discovered in the past 3 years."
Regor gaped at their offer and asked, "How much?"
"So much as we needed; approximately three storage rooms just to put it all away," the Excalibur answered while scratching his back.
"Is it worth my help- I mean, to give me all those precious artifacts?" Regor was still unsure about their generous bargain. He smacked his dry lips for an answer while folding his hands behind his back. All three Tenno nodded.
"Well," Regor said finally with a broad smile, "How can I refuse?"
…
Heltis was a bit shocked to see the Tenno captives released unto the prison deck without restraints and he instinctively drew out his Grakata. Regor came out a fraction of a second later and that made him relax a little. Regor grunted, "There is no need for the gun, Heltis. They're to be treated well."
Heltis looked at him with a look of confusion. He asked, "Aren't those Tenno are enemy?"
"Not any longer as of now," Regor answered, "Tell your men to stand down- I don't want them damaged."
Heltis growled in reply and spat, "What do these Petutelani Tenno have of value that they are to be treated as honorable people."
The Excalibur balled his hands into fists and was ready to punch Heltis in the jaw. The Mag took to no offense and put a hand on his shoulder. The male looked at her and she shook her head. Violence won't change Heltis's opinion on them positively. He let out an exasperated sigh and unclenched both his hands and his teeth.
"Easy, Heltis," Regor hissed, "Remember to mind your attitude."
"But-"
"No buts," Regor snapped, "These Tenno warriors are to be treated as equals…or else."
"Understood…sir," Heltis grit his teeth angrily, "What do they have to offer in return?"
"Orokin artifacts," Regor answered. Heltis's eyebrows rose and he was speechless. Maybe they weren't so bad after all. Heltis had been looking for a cure to their illness for months now with no success. If these Tenno are willing to give them some technology and knowledge from the Orokin, he may find one. Heltis smiled faintly at the idea of having no need of the cybernetic exo-suit of his and to feel as a human would feel the world around him.
"Well then…Mea atilinai-I apologize for my rudeness," Heltis bowed his head towards their former captives, "Allow me to show you around."
"We would be grateful," the Tenno female answered digging her elbows into her comrades' chests to prevent them from protesting against that idea.
