Author's notes:
Swazdo-lah, guys! If you have survived to my chapters until now... Well, congratulations! I used these chapters to show you how I imagined the Orokin Empire based on the fragments of lore scattered in the game. At the same time though, I planted the seeds to further the plot, I hope you will like what I have in store for you.
Here is chapter 6, enjoy and stay sharp, Tenno!
The Empire Game
Chapter 6 - Competition
The forest around me disappeared, I was again on the island of platforms in the middle of nothingness.
IUDICAS: "An impressive performance Tenno. Please stand by while the other Tenno complete their own simulation."
The first part of the simulation was gone, what remained was the teamwork test. Those tests were an instrument to train the Tenno, teaching them to work together and to survive the battles. In my case, those simulations were simply a method to see if I was still able to fight, if I needed to be trained again and to examine the correct functionality of my Warframe.
IUDICAS: "First simulations completed. Now I'll compose three teams of two members according to your score. This time you all have to show how you handle a fight together."
Something moved to my left, something that wasn't there before. A brown and black figure with white spots around the neck and golden lines across the body. The face was made of golden branches, embracing a flame upon the head. I wasn't surprised at all, what could disintegrate the enemies better than a flamethrower? A walking inferno, Ember.
A warrior designed for pure extermination. With control over fire, this Warframe model was able to burn the entire battlefield, releasing storms of flames, the perfect counterpart of Frost models. Having her with me was a good thing, that meant I obtained a nice score on the previous test.
She stared at me. Instinctively, I responded to her glance, wondering why she was there, dealing with those simulations. She beat the ground with her foot again, then I had a clue: maybe she had some trouble with teamwork.
IUDICAS: "Desert ruins environment activated."
The transformation of the area began, the pixels flew around as if carried by the wind, then slowly one after another they became sand and covered the floor. Mountains and structures of stone raised from the dunes, sand grains rolled in the hot wind. There was no cloud upon us, the sky was blue and limpid, the Sun was as bright as when I was on Mercury.
IUDICAS: "Grineer units selected. Simulation procedure activated. Remember, this is a test about your teamwork, good luck Tenno."
Projectiles reached us, coming from every direction, the Grineer were hiding and surrounding us. Five of them came out from their hiding places behind the pillars, right in front of us. They ran away looking for a new place to hide. I summoned my Hallowed Ground and the green plants covered the dry sand. The Grineer went mad, confused by the radioactivity, and killed each other until Ember cast a Fireball on them.
I raised my arms and cast Renewal, smashing the ground with Silva & Aegis. A green wave of energy enveloped our Warframes and reinforced our armor. Ember gave a look at her arm, seeing the wave of energy going across it, then she turned at me, my Warframe was enveloped by it too.
A projectile reached her head, she staggered a little and looked around seeking the Grineer who shot her. She found him on a rocky platform on the left. With a fast movement of her hands, Ember unsheathed the claws of her Venka. She reached the Grineer with a jump and decapitated him on the spot.
Behind me, a bunch of Grineer was coming from the ruins, and snipers took positions on what remained of the rooftops. I focused the energy into one of the snipers upon us, her body fell down from the top of the ruin while the orbs sought out the others which were already on the run.
Ember was trying to shoot the group of Grineer with spheres of fire. I cast Smite on the closest Grineer of the group and the orbs brought chaos to them. Ember launched another Fireball and it exploded on those clones, the flames covered the spot, I could barely see the dark figures panicked through the wall of fire.
Their screams were accompanied by the shouts of other soldiers, some of them approached me with blades and axes. I was about to strike with my Silva when the nearest Grineer had been enveloped into a column of fire. One after another, the soldiers were in the painful embrace of the flames, their bodies were little more than ashes when the columns faded.
I understood I would not have been able to face a close combat because of that Tenno, who kept unleashing hell's flames everywhere, the enemies died before I could reach them. I took my Akstiletto and started to shoot all the Grineer I saw.
The battlefield was full of flames and screaming Grineer when three Bombards joined the massacre. They came out from a structure near me, I had been thrown away by the explosion of a rocket. I found myself on the floor, the protective effect of Renewal limited the damage.
Those Bombards were right on me, ready to release the missiles. A wave of fire launched them away, turning their bodies into ashes. Ember was right where the Bombards were, in the middle of a ring of fire.
IUDICAS: "Simulation completed, you passed the test, Tenno. Your match-up in the arena is in progress."
The fire and the corpses vanished. The ruins, the sand, and the sky split up into an infinite number of pixels and flew away as if carried by the wind. What remained around me was Ember and the platforms, while around us there was the empty dimension.
Everything started to shine, except Ember. The white light enveloped and covered her until the only thing I could see was the white veil.
Gray dust spread into the veil and shadows took form in front of me. I was returning to the real plane. The obfuscated figures, trembling like reflexes in the stream surface, became clearer and clearer. I took a good look at what was around me, confused by the shift from the Simulacrum.
I was in that room again, the light of the Cephalon shone upon our Warframes. The others looked around as I did until Iudicas spoke.
IUDICAS: "You all did good, the arena is waiting for you. Considering your performances, I'm sure you'll give a great show to the audience. Remember, through the arena you'll make your value known to the people. The soldiers who will accompany you are waiting outside this structure, good luck Tenno. Here is Cephalon Iudicas, transmission terminated."
The digital figure of the Cephalon disappeared, leaving behind a small orb of blue energy. We went out of the building and, as Iudicas said, a group of soldiers waited there, to lead us to the arena.
We were ready to go when I saw something out of the corner of my optical sensors: a shadow, but this one wasn't like the one I had seen before entering the city. I thought it was a human, hiding in a poor lit street between two tall structures. Once I turned to see who it was, the shadow disappeared, as if it had never existed, as if I had conceived it in my imagination.
The arena was a huge stadium, much larger than the Lunaro's one, shaped in a black hemisphere. We could hear the shouts of euphoria coming from the stands. We took a secondary entrance that led us to a secluded space, away from the eyes of the audience.
To our right, there were the seats, with a horde of people acclaiming. In front of them, in the middle of the stadium, there was a giant sphere of glass. Inside it, floated black platforms with rectangular columns and towers, and small human figures were running around, fighting one against the other, the Tenno. Upon the sphere, on the other side of the audience, there was a structure covered by mirrors. That was the place reserved for the Golden Lords, hidden from the common folk's eyes.
The Warframes inside the sphere wore golden armors and syandanas, fighting to increase their rank. The arena was the instrument for Tenno redemption. No Grineer inside the sphere, nor Infested or Sentients, only the Tenno, destroying each other. The most brutal concretization of competition.
Why are those humans so euphoric? This is the kind of competition they experience every day, but without guns and blades. Many of them could disappear from the Empire because of this curse, yet they are ... delighted?
We waited until the match ended, the three Tenno who made the best performances had been introduced to the audience. The lights enveloped them and their Warframes shone while the humans clapped and praised. The others were already gone, brought out from the stadium through secondary exits.
It was our moment, we had to fight each other in the arena. We were led to the footboards and other Tenno joined us. The Cephalon who conducted the match spoke, his voice echoed with enthusiasm in the stadium.
CEPHALON: "Welcome to all of you in the arena! I'm Cephalon Vald, honored to serve you this day! Are you ready for an unpredictable and furious match?"
The audience answered with chaotic cheering, they were impatient to see a fight. The footboards under Vald's control activated.
VALD: "Tenno, give us all a fresh and bloody unforgettable experience! May the battle begin, stay sharp fighters!"
The procedure was the same as the Simulacrum one. Pixels moved in front of me, the figures disappeared in the white veil, we were entering the sphere. The battlefield appeared around me, it was floating into a white endless void. We could not see the stadium but we could hear the audience.
The Tenno were around the field, but I could not see them, we were all hidden in specific areas to stay safe at the start of the fight. A bell rang, it began.
I saw two figures clashing in the middle of the air to my right and heard explosions in the distance. We were already in the middle of the massacre and the first kill had been announced.
VALD: "First kill of the game! Better run from that Valkyr!"
The audience wanted more and more. Their voices traveled across the sphere, it was time to defeat my comrades. I climbed the nearest column to see where I could start. Upon a tall tower, a Frost created a shield of ice while under him, projectiles were landing on the other Warframes.
Suddenly, I felt a force taking me away from the column surface. I've been attracted to the floor. I fell on my feet, but the force made me slip upon the platform. I surpassed a Warframe, model Mag and she approached me with her Dual Kamas, ready to strike.
I blocked her attack with my shield and tried to strike back with my Silva, but Mag evaded my attack. She stroke again and again on my Aegis. In retaliation, I focused energy inside her Warframe and made it explode. Few orbs flew away, looking for targets to shoot. Mag fell to the ground, I hit her with my mace, launching her away and watching as she disappeared in a cloud of white sparks.
Spheres of ice were turning the battlefield into an icy slab, they came from the tower conquered by Frost. A Valkyr was jumping everywhere, taking down any opponent she encountered. Suddenly, I saw a Volt running in front of me, my orbs were following him. I took my Akstiletto and shot, taking his head. He fell down and the orbs reached him, launching his Warframe away. I jumped on him with my Silva to put an end to that bizarre situation.
That was surely a battle between low ranked Tenno, few of them joined the fight without any strategy. If I wanted to win I had to jump into that mess. I went closer, hiding behind the columns while Cephalon Vald was commenting the battle.
I was worried about only four of those Tenno: Frost on the top of the tower, he would have been hard to take down inside his Snow Globe, Valkyr and Ember, who were engaging in a close fight, and the Banshee who was with us during the Simulacrum session, I didn't see her in that chaos, maybe she was already gone.
I arrived at another column, near the spot where Excalibur and Saryn were fighting. Suddenly Saryn threw Excalibur away, hitting him with her Reaper. Excalibur faded into a sparkly cloud. Farther, Mag returned and brought Frost down from his tower with her magnetic force. Immediately, Volt reached the center of the field and unleashed an electric pulse. The lightings covered the other Warframes, paralyzing them.
I used Smite on Saryn and the orbs emitted by her body reached the others. I rushed towards her and stroke, she disappeared. I summoned my Hallowed Ground and the plants covered the area, damaging the Warframes with radiations. I used Reckoning and made them clash to the ground, then I took my Akstiletto and targeted the Warframes with the lowest armor.
I shot Volt and Mag, defeating them again. When their bodies disappeared, I heard a female shout and in one instant I found myself on the floor. Someone on my back was crushing my head to the platform, that was Valkyr. She was ready to dispatch me with her shining claws of her left hand.
Ember jumped near us, smashing the ground, her shock wave launched us away, freeing me from Valkyr's grip. Ember rapidly reached Valkyr and stroke, eliminating her. She turned towards me. I prepared my Silva & Aegis and charged.
Suddenly I could hear nothing, a force sent us flying away. Ember disappeared almost immediately, but I had the time to see Banshee, crouched. Around her body, the sound wave was upsetting the platforms, the towers, the air itself. The others were already gone, defeated, and then, I faded too.
