Family reunions

"Grand-"

Horatius clamped his lips tightly shut as Trinity and Hayden Tenno faced Liriel. The Queen of Cats was not happy.

You may not be alive anymore but you still have a death wish, do you not, Hayden Tenno? The red and black kavat asked in a tone etched with acid. Or do you think you are simply special enough to sneak in here and steal what is not yours because you threw it away?

The now nine sentinels aiming at Hayden Tenno were all quivering with the Queen's rage.

"He didn't." Trinity said weakly. "I did. I… I did that." She covered her face with her hand. "Oh my god! I did that! I… I begged Nyx to… What have I done?" She screamed the last.

"You got what you wanted, Grandma!" The voice from the box snapped. "You Tenno got what you wanted. You left us all behind. Every last one of us. Well done." When he spoke again, it was to Liriel. "Your Majesty, do you know who I was?"

Your name was Colonel Samuel Churchill. Liriel replied. You were Tali's second in command on her last mission. You were Trinity's great-great-great-grandson and you earned nothing by your birthright.

"Nothing but a whole lot of pain." The other agreed. "Being related to a famous Tenno was no joke at all. Tali showed me a better way." When he spoke again, it was to Trinity. "Stop crying already, you silly Tenno. You buggered us all and now? You lot want to do it again." That was to Hayden who did not move. Wise. "Well, bugger you, ya daft fool. You cannot stop this."

"No." Hayden said slowly. "I can't. Not without the Glaive."

"And if you touch it, you go poof." The voice from the backpack said with a growl. "Part of me wants you to. But the mission comes first. Personal vengeance for idiocy comes a distant second." He paused and then spoke to Liriel. "I give apology, Your Majesty, but some things needed to be said."

I am not stopping you. Liriel replied as she padded back to her perch and sat down! I counted Tenno my family once. Can anyone hurt you worse than family?

"Not in my experience." The other replied. "I do think that is why John shot the son of a bitch when he did. I might have done the same to other Tenno after I met Tali except she made me swear not to."

"I..." Trinity was fighting for control. "I… I am sorry. I..."

"You are sorry." The other said, incredulous. Then he screamed. "YOU ARE SORRY? HOW MANY PEOPLE DIED BECAUSE YOU DIDN'T BOTHER TO TELL TALI WHO AND WHAT SHE REALLY WAS?" He started to swear, but a cough from Liriel had him pausing. When he spoke again, it was calmer. "Apologies, Your Majesty."

I am honestly wondering if anything I can do to her could hurt her worse than the knowledge of what she did. Liriel said in a very mild, but biting tone. Of what she threw away.

"I wasn't human." Trinity begged the room. Most of them ignored her. "I wasn't human! I couldn't be human!"

So? Liriel snapped. Am I human? Do you see me dropping off unwanted kits and pups because they are inconvenient?

"It wasn't like that!" Trinity did not quite scream that. "Our lives were over! It was only a question of how long until we died. They... They had a chance!"

"You keep telling yourself that, grandma." The voice of her many times removed grandson might have made a lemon seem sweet. "The rest of us will try to fix this godforsaken mess. And as for you?" He said to Hayden. "Bugger off like you always did. You have no place here, Hayden Tenno."

"I have to fix this." Hayden said softly.

"You can't!" The voice from the backpack snapped. "Your plan failed." At that, everyone but Anna stilled. She just shook her head. "Here and now, I can say it. I know who programmed that weapon. I know who set it up as the ultimate mutually assured destruction. We did not. It was already there when we got there. Built into it from the very beginning. By Tenno."

Horatius was apparently the only one surprised by that. He fought for control and succeeded before exclaiming. He knew Liriel had seen his shock and likely the others too.

"It wasn't to be activated unless Orokin fell." Hayden said quietly. "That was the plan. They go far away, they hold the trigger."

"Small wonder so many people sent so many troops to try and get it, to break it, to kill everyone around it." Anna said with a growl of her own. "All we knew was that there were suddenly a whole bunch of armed people on the ship, killing the sleeping Tenno and shooting at us. Our orders were to protect them. We failed and I cannot help but now think that a good thing."

"If they all died..." Hayden paled. "The weapon would activate."

"How many times must we tell you? It did, ya tosser!" The colonel snarled at him and Hayden stilled. Trinity just shook her head, still crying. "The only reason it didn't fire was Tali! Not that either of you give a flying rat's ass about her or Hadi. I am sure you think you can just walk in and turn a key and make it do whatever you want. Here is a hint, ya twit, it won't. She won't let you"

"Insulting Hayden won't help." Trinity said quietly. "I am sorry, Samuel."

"Just shut up, already!" The voice from the box snarled. "Whatever feelings I might have had for you before that mission died with me. You Tenno are imbeciles. Murderous bloody fools, the lot of you! And they called us heartless!"

"Yeah, they did." Trinity said softly. "I… I did. I am sorry."

"Bugger off, Grandma!" The colonel snapped. "The adults have work to do and you have no right to anything from me. Not after what you did to Tali and Hadi. I was not a good man, but there were limits. You passed them."

"It is not her fault!" Hayden looked as if he wanted to move to Trinity's side but moving right now would not be a good idea. "She had no idea! We had no idea!" He slumped a bit. "Nyx did good work. I only know because of a backup I hid as a contingency."

And the fact that you all forgot about the son and daughter that Trinity bore you makes it all better. Liriel said with a growl. I do wonder if Talia knew.

"She did." A subdued voice heralded Hadi appearing in a corner of the room. Anna gasped, but Liriel smiled and Anna relaxed. He was crying and had been for a while. "I… I didn't understand why you wanted me to hide here, Your Majesty." He pleaded as Trinity jerked to her feet. "Talia raised us. She was always so busy but she always had time for us. We looked for our parents so hard and one day, the Empress came to us. She told us. I… Told us that we could never say where we came from. That we had to pretend to be hers no matter how many people got mad at her." The pain on his face was terrible. "Or bad things would happen. They did anyway." He was crying and more than one person in the room had glistening eyes. "Why?" He begged Trinity. "Why did you abandon us?"

The hurt in his voice was a mountain and it was crumbling.

"It wasn't safe." Trinity said weakly. "The Citadel was infected with the Virus. We had no way to keep humans safe there.. You couldn't stay there. Anywhere else? If you were related to us, to me and Hayden… They would have come for you. Our enemies."

"And it is highly traditional to drop unwanted bastard children off in orphanages." The voice of Trinity's grandson was still biting. "Especially ones born of drink." To his credit, Hayden did not bother denying that.

"They had a chance at a life!" Trinity was angry now. "We did not! All we had was our duty! A duty that we all knew would mean death!"

"WE WOULD HAVE SHARED IT! GLADLY!" Hadi screamed shrilly enough that Liriel's ears flattened. "I…"

Be calm, young Hadi. Liriel rose to her feet and moved to stand by the insubstantial boy who reached down with a hesitant hand to touch her fur. He smiled as she pushed her head up into his hand, a hand that was somehow solid enough to pet her. We cannot change the past. No one is denying your grief or your rage, but we have other problems now. Your sister is coming back and the Tenno will not stop her.

"We cannot kill her." Hayden said slowly. "As connected as she apparently is, killing her would simply free the AI to do its last directive."

"Damn Tenno. Always with the killing. There are other options, you know? Even for people like us crazy murdering special forces. No one said anything about killing her, you fool!" The colonel snapped. "And pulling her out is just as bad. Yes, yes..." He sighed as Hayden started to protest. "You want to pull her out, figure out how she did it and then use the weapon. Tenno nobility at its best! Killing shit! We get it." The sarcasm in his words could have cut steel. "You won't!"

"We can't." Trinity said softly and everyone looked at her. "Her energy is entwined, isn't it?" Hadi and Anna both nodded and Trinity bowed her head. "Then we can't, Hayden."

"We have to get her out, Trinity!" Hayden pleaded. "We can destroy-" He broke off as Trinity surged to her feet.

"Hayden." Trinity said with dreadful force. "We cannot do that. The AI that was built into that ship was unique. You know I helped them build it." Hayden nodded, clearly mystified. "If she entwined with it, then she is part of it. Pulling her out will kill her just as surely as any weapon would." She looked at Anna. "I assume you have a plan?"

"Trinity!" Hayden protested, but Trinity ignored him.

"Parts of one." Anna admitted. "I have been focused on stopping the beacons, slowing its return. Trying to buy time. But then Hadi woke up." Hadi quailed but Anna smiled. "It is not your fault, Hadi. None of this was."

"No." Trinity slowly straightened and then nodded to Hadi. "It is not your fault, Hadi. It is mine. Mine and Hayden's. I cannot touch you, can I?" She pleaded. Hadi shook his head. "Damn."

"My energy is entwined too. I would pull you in, ensnare you just like I ensnared Karen. I didn't mean to! I wasn't awake!" Hadi said very softly. "I am part of Tali even now. I can feel her pain even now. It is dulled, from the sheer distance, but it is there. That is what woke me."

"And Karen wanted to help so she picked up the Glaive." Trinity sighed deeply. "So now, she is entwined too?" Hadi nodded, face to the floor. "It is not your fault, Hadi. None of this is."

"Tali told me to run. To stay with Anna." Hadi pleaded as Trinity put her hands to her face. "But I couldn't stay awake! Then Anna screamed as that awful Tenno in black hurt her and I couldn't- I couldn't do anything!"

"You can't, no." Trinity said very quietly. "I can." Hadi stared at her, eyes huge. Trinity dropped her hands and turned to Liriel who was eyeing her. "You know." It was not a question.

I remember our discussions of AI theory. Liriel replied calmly. Of how a practical AI was virtually impossible without Tenno energy. The Orokin found ways to cheat that as they always did, but the ones who built that ship were not Orokin, were they?

"No." Trinity replied. "They were not and every Tenno death on that hellhole of a ship likely added to the AI's power." She bowed her head. "Two hundred Tenno. Damn. If we-" She paused and stared off into space, her entire posture one of thought. Only for a moment and then she looked at Liriel who was eyeing her. "Liriel? What about this?" She started speaking fast and in language that no one present clearly understood. Liriel stiffened. Then the Queen of Cats shook her head.

Trinity, you say there were two hundred Tenno on that ship. None of them likely matched you or Hayden for power, but two hundred! The feline said with a snort. You cannot think to try that. Even you have limits. What is more? If your power entwines, I bet it wouldn't do good things for Tali or the AI. No. It likely wouldn't work.

"It was just a thought." Trinity said softly. Everyone was staring at her as she shook her head. "I helped build it. I have the failsafe codes. I can stop the AI, but doing so will kill Hadi and Tali." She slumped. "I don't want to."

"Life doesn't care what we want, Grandma!" The voice of her grandson said with a snort. "Any more than you oh so noble and pure Tenno do."

"I have never claimed to be noble or pure, Samuel." Trinity said sadly. "Just the mistakes I remembered were bad enough. This… This is worse." The glare she turned on Hayden could have melted steel. "How long have you known?"

"Trinity..." Hayden tried, but she was having none of it.

"How? Long?" Trinity growled and the echo of power as she took a step toward Hayden rocked the very walls. "I… Wait. I remember. You kept me away. You kept me busy while you 'dealt' with Anna. I wanted to see if I could help the poor woman and you sent me away!" She snapped as realization dawned. "You knew then!"

"It is my burden, Trinity, not yours." Hayden said and then everyone jerked as she slapped him. Somehow she was physical enough in her rage to physically hit his flesh form. The sound echoed in the sudden stillness.

"Liar. I bet you goaded Nikis just enough to fan his rage, didn't you? Got him to silence the one witness! You son of a-" She slapped him again, backhand. "What I demanded of Nyx was wrong. That is on me as is what the AI I helped build did to Hadi and Tali." Trinity said softly. "But this?" She shook her head and looked at Liriel. "Get him out of here. Now." Liriel just looked at her and Trinity did not move. "If you don't? I am going to tear him out of his flesh form here and now. You know how messy that gets. You hate me and I earned it, but I can fix some of this." Golden power flared around her hand as she raised it to slap him again!

Don't make a mess in my territory, Tenno or I will have you clean it up with a toothbrush or your tongue. Liriel warned.

"Then get him out of here before he says something even more unforgivable!" Trinity snarled.

"Trinity!" Hayden begged, then doubled over with an 'oof' as she kicked him in the crotch! Horatius and Hadi both winced at the sick splat sound. How hard had she kicked him?

"You need raw materials." Trinity said flatly as golden code flew from her and a short scream sounded from Hayden. The body fell over as Hayden's shade appeared standing over it, his face shocked. "Here are some." Liriel just looked at her. Trinity shrugged and her expression could only be described as 'vicious'. "Waste not, want not."

You know trust will never happen. Liriel warned as Hayden's shade vanished and then the body was wafted out on barely visible tendrils of lavender power. I will have it incinerated.

"Please do. He does love his traps." Trinity replied, her tone wooden. "I thought his lies were to protect us. I am still naive it seems." She gave herself a shake. "I cannot fix what was done. I thought that if I distanced myself, it would be better for everyone. I… I am sorry, Hadi." She pleaded. "Not remembering is no excuse. When she came to us, Tali never said anything to me. She must have been sworn to silence." She slumped. "I deserve any hate you have. Nyx argued for some time, but in the end, I convinced her despite her misgivings that it was safer for you somewhere else. That is the honest truth. It was. And if I had remembered? If we had? I would have tried to help. The others probably as well. To find you. To interfere with your lives. I had no right to do that and I knew I would. I would have likely made a mess." She hung her head. "Maybe not a bad as this, but a mess."

"Can you stop Tali... Mom?" Hadi asked in a very quiet voice.

"I can." Trinity promised."But I have to be on the ship to do it." Liriel just looked at her and Trinity sighed. "Liriel, you know such works. The codes do not work via comlink. And… Maybe I can do something?" She pleaded. "Anything."

You are asking for trust. Liriel warned.

"No, I am not." Trinity disagreed calmly. "Major Keras. Spetsnatz had access to all kinds of nasty stuff. Do you have a soul catcher?"

No one moved or spoke as Horatius felt his guts turn to ice. Orokin soul catchers caught and held energy forms. Not always gently. Was she really-? Anna looked at Liriel who gave a feline shrug.

"Spetsnatz soul catchers were designed to capture hostile energy forms in extremely adverse conditions." Anna said slowly, not confirming nor denying. "They were not gentle."

"Probably about as gentle as Nikis was when he tore Hadi from you." Trinity said with a wince. "I can feel what you are going through. I want to help you and I can't. I know that. You wouldn't let me even if I could." Anna shook her head. "I have the shutdown codes, but they need to be used on the ship. In the AI core." She slowly sank to her knees. "Hadi?" She smiled at the boy made of energy who stared at her, tears still falling. "For what is worth? You make me proud." He opened his mouth as Trinity turned back to Anna who had a small golden object in her hand. "Do it!"

The only good thing about Orokin soul catchers was that they were quick. Trinity's agonized scream faded swiftly with her energy and Hadi hid his face in his hands as Anna checked the device. Hadi's muted sobs were the only sound in the room as Anna put the device in a pocket.

"Helen and Karen will both be needed. Karen because Hadi is bound to her." Anna said softly as Hadi cried. Liriel rose and moved to the energy boy, twining around his ankles. "I want Helen to go with you, Commander. I do. She deserves some chance at happiness, not to be dragged into our darkness. But she is needed. We need her tech expertise."

"Her or any tech?" Horatius asked quietly. Anna looked at him and he shook his head. "This is the kind of job we get. Nasty. Dirty. Probably one way." He smiled a little. "Sounds like fun."

"You are crazy enough to be spetsnatz, Commander." Anna smiled back, but it was melancholy. "We have time to plan. With your permission, Your Majesty?"

You know what she will want to do. She will try to stop it without harming Tali or Hadi, probably using her own life energy if the codes don't work. Liriel warned. Anna nodded. If you choose to let her do that, I… I do hate her, but if she chooses that, tell her 'all debts are paid'.

"What?" Hadi asked and no one would meet his eyes. "What are you talking about?" He stared at Liriel who was still twining his ankles. "You… Your Majesty?" His voice squeaked as she jumped up. He caught her and held her as she started to purr, her cheek nuzzling his, comforting him as only a feline could.

"You mother wants to save you and your sister." Anna said heavily. "I don't think it can be done." Then she snorted. "Then again, things that others think cannot be done are what we spetsnatz do best."

"But... Tali is gone. Her energy was pulled into the AI." Hadi said weakly. "And if I go back? I am going to follow her. Die."

"Maybe." Anna looked at Horatius and her eyes held something. A dreadful promise. She would not let Hadi die if there was any chance at all no matter who she had to kill to do it. "What could you offer us, Commander?"

Horatius nodded to her as his mind whirled. Tenno, Grineer, Corpus, the Queen of Cats… And a possibly mad AI with a superweapon. All in a day's work.

"I think I can get transport and some more tech support. People who won't talk." Horatius mused. "A quick, quiet ship. But it wouldn't be large or palatial. We would need far more personnel as well if the AI is hostile." He shuddered in memory of another battle with an insane Orokin era AI. Of the sacrifice of a very brave clone girl that he had named SUsan.

"We are spetsnatz, we don't need comfort." Anna replied with a smirk. "Just get us there. I can get us some pretty hefty backup once we have a landing zone."

"Don't say I didn't warn you."