Moving On
"Just a little more, Princess Michelle." Petra said encouraging as Michelle lifted her right leg higher. "That's it..." She said quickly as Michelle held her leg up. "Hold it. Hold it..." Michelle made a grunting noise as she forced her muscles to obey. "Okay, let it down. Slow." The Mag Prime said quietly.
Less than a day had passed since the horrors in the audience chamber. Orokin medical technology had to be seen to be believed, but even Orokin tech took time to heal nerve damage. And then... the rest of it. Michelle wore a white garment that covered her for modesty purposes, provided limited support and some mobility assistance. A medical drone hovered nearby and would for the foreseeable future. After being treated, Michelle had woken back in her room in the Royal Quarters. As soon as she had woken, Chirurgeon had come by with her mother and Michelle had been given instructions that Petra was enforcing with iron discipline.
"Anyone ever tell you that you are a sadist, Petra?" Michelle snapped as she laid her leg back down and slumped in her chair. "Physical therapy my fanny. This is torture!" She said with a gasp. Petra was unmoved.
"Now the arm." Petra commanded. Michelle groaned but Petra just shook her head. "Princess." She managed to put world of disapproval into that single word.
"I know." Michelle said with a sigh as she raised her right arm until it was level with her shoulder. She held it there even when it started to quiver. "Chirurgeon's orders are clear and supersede even mother's. Not that she disagrees with him." Michelle said with a grunt of effort. "Still hurts."
"Be glad it does hurt. It means the nerves are working again." Petra said with a sigh. "I thought you were dead. When you slumped to the floor, when Karl skewered the traitor, I didn't see life signs at first." She said, her tone very soft. Michelle paused in her exertions, arm still up. It quivered harder, but she held it.
"I didn't mean to scare you, Petra." Michelle said slowly. "But he had to be stopped."
"I know." Petra said with a nod. "It's just... You are not Tenno now, Princess Michelle. You don't have the protections we do. You did the right thing, but..." She slumped a bit.
"I have to remember others now." Michelle agreed quietly, still holding her arm up. "I cannot throw myself unto the breach anymore. Intellectually, I know this. It's still sinking in emotionally." Her arm started to shake and she snarled as she held it up.
"Time." Petra said calmly. Michelle gasped in relief as she lowered her arm back to her side. She sat, breathing hard for a moment and Petra stepped close to help her put her arm in the sling that had been rigged for it. "At least it isn't a tentacle anymore." Petra commented as she stepped back. Michelle made a fist and grimaced, but nodded.
"Petra..." Michelle said slowly. "I need your word on something." The guard looked at her. "Formal."
"What?" Petra asked suspiciously.
"I have been touched by Infested." Michelle said slowly. "And I touched the traitor's mind. I... I do not know if his madness was contagious or not." She trailed off as Petra moved to stand closer to her. "I... Don't let me be a threat to Orokin. Please?" Michelle begged.
"You are not." Petra said quietly, taking both of Michelle's hands in her own. "We, the Royal Guard, will watch, but we have no fear of you going mad."
"I do. I dreamed of my father, Petra." Michelle admitted. "When Chirurgeon worked on me, I... slept and dreamed. I dreamed of him." Petra sighed and nodded. "I know it's just delayed reaction, but... I need to know you will stop me if it comes to it."
"The Royal Guard stand ready, Princess Michelle." Petra said with a nod. "Do you wish a new guard?"
"What?" Michelle asked, dumbfounded. "Why?" She demanded.
"I failed." Petra said quietly. "I could not reach you." Michelle bit back her first statement and thought for a moment before replying.
"How many?" Michelle asked the Mag Prime. Petra looked at her and Michelle pressed. "How many shadow Tenno were you fighting? When the traitor died and they faded?"
"When they faded... Four." Petra admitted a bit ruefully. "But I should have..." She stilled as Michelle laid a hand on her arm.
"Petra." Michelle said gently. "When we fought in Karl's dojo, you didn't know how to fight me. You needed me alive, but... You had never faced an opponent like me, had you?"
"I..." The Mag Prime stiffened.
"Had you ever been outside this facility, Petra?" Michelle asked gently. Petra shook her head. "I see. You trained, you studied, you sparred with the other Royal Guard. But it is not the same as actual combat experience. I had the same shock when I finished my own training. My first fight was a wake up. It's not the same."
"No. It's not. The older guards all told me, but I did not understand. I was born here." Petra said in a monotone. "My family were all Tenno. I knew, from the first moment I can remember, what I wanted to do."
"To be Tenno." Michelle said quietly. "And from what I saw? You are a good Tenno." The princess said with a smile. "Four to one is not good odds, and you held your own."
"But..." Petra stammered a bit, undone by Michelle's compassion and understanding.
"Petra, I lived through the Collapse." Michelle said sadly. "Don't talk to me about failing when you and I are both alive. Don't." She warned the Tenno. "You did well." She quirked a grin at the Tenno. "Are we going to argue?"
"More than likely." Petra said with a rueful chuckle. "But not right now."
"Good." Michelle said as she rose slowly to her feet. It felt...wrong still. The nerves would take a bit to regain their previous speed. The suit that Michelle wore would act as a light weight support as well as covering. Petra hovered, but did not offer assistance and Michelle appreciated her guard's courtesy. "I trust you, Petra." Michelle said quietly. "If you could have reached me, I know you would have done what was needed." Petra bowed her head and Michelle shook hers. "And I would have thanked you through eternity." She went stiff as Petra's faceplate retracted. The red skinned woman had tears falling.
"Don't scare me like that again, princess." Petra begged. "Please?"
"Petra..." Michelle said kindly, stepping close and taking the Tenno's arm in a gentle and easily broken grip with her good hand. "I know that if you do it, it will be needed. It will be quick, clean and as painless as you can make it. I trust you." She repeated and shook the Tenno gently. "I need you, Petra. Please." She begged.
"I... I swear I will serve the Royal Family." Petra said quietly. "I will watch. I will ward. I will oversee. If it... becomes needed,... I will act."
"Thank you." Michelle said with a sigh as she stepped back. "Now, we are needed." Petra's helmet shut and she nodded.
The mismatched pair walked to the door, followed by the medical drone. Michelle wouldn't be wearing gowns again soon if the healers had anything to say about it. They wanted rapid access to her nerves if needed. Michelle was amazed at how fatigued she was. She had been hurt before, often badly. But never had she felt so... weak. It had been the warframe -she knew that -but it didn't lessen the feelings of embarrassment as Petra slowed to stay with Michelle's steps. At least she wasn't staggering. She braced herself a bit as they turned a corner and two Royal Guard appeared ahead, warding a door. An Ash Prime and a Saryn Prime. Petra led Michelle to that door and paused as the guards crossed their Orthos ceremonially.
"Princess Michelle to see the Empress." Michelle said calmly. "I am expected."
"You are." The Ash said with a nod. "Pass, Princess." He said as he and his companion raised their spears into a salute. Michelle started for the door again, but paused.
"Petra?" Michelle asked when the guard did not follow.
"It's private." Petra said with a nod. "I will be here when you leave."
"Petra." Michelle snapped. "Correct me if I am wrong. You are my guard, yes?" Petra nodded as the other Royal Guards looked at them. "And you job is to guard me, yes?" Petra nodded again. "So how can you do that standing out in the corridor?" She demanded.
"Ah..." Petra gulped.
"She has got you there, Guard Captain." The Saryn said, a wicked laugh hiding in her tone. "Better give in gracefully, Ma'am."
"Don't you 'Ma'am' me, Gidasai." Petra snapped. "We are the same rank."
"Are we?" The Saryn replied, but keyed the door open before Petra could think of a rejoinder.
Michelle started off, aware of the Mag Prime now following her. She smiled at the Saryn, who gave her a fractional nod. Then she was in the large room. At least, it felt large at first, but a number of people stood around a table, all of whom looked up as Michelle entered the room. Four Royal Guards were arrayed by the door. Eliza stood to one side of the table, she had obviously been talking to Grand Master Crowley before Michelle had entered. Karl stood a bit apart with Will, Alicia and Two. All still wore their warframes, but none carried weapons and all had their helmets undone. Two male humans in civilian attire stood next to the table. The door closed behind her and Petra.
"Michelle!" Eliza's face was radiant as she looked at her daughter. "All done?"
"For now." Michelle said sourly. "Your evil minions will no doubt descend on me again and make me do more therapy all too soon." She walked to her mother and bowed her head. "Pardon, Empress."
"This counts as private, Princess." Eliza said sternly. "Stuff a sock in it!" She said with a smile as laughter erupted around the table. Michelle felt her cheeks heat, but she nodded. Eliza smiled but it faltered. "Do you need a chair?"
"I am okay as long as I don't try to move too fast, Mom." Michelle said with a sigh. "Standing is good. I do need to keep in shape."
"Begging your pardon, Princess..."A white haired man at the table said kindly. "No one will notice. Your beauty will dazzle all eyes." He winked at her. Michelle blushed bit at that.
"Don't start flirting with my daughter while I am in the room, Prime Minister Norsis." Eliza said with a grin. "At least wait until I leave!" A polite laugh circulated at that and She nodded to Michelle. "Yes, he is the head of our government."
"Prime Minister." Michelle said, nodding. "I need to find out more about everything, so I will be asking lots of questions."
"Smart girl." The elderly human said with a nod. "But..." He turned to Eliza. "I understand your feelings, Empress... We owe the Tenno everything." He nodded to Karl and Crowley. "That is not in question by anyone with sense. But... Do we have the wherewithal to aid the Tenno openly in their war with the Grineer?" A murmur went around the room. Karl and Crowley looked stoic. The other Tenno's faces were unreadable as well.
"This isn't right!" The man spoke up from the side. This one was younger, and his look at Michelle made her feel funny. "We can't just hide here while the few remnants of humanity die alone in the darkness!"
"I agree." Eliza said with a nod as she strode back to the table a place opened for Michelle and she joined her mother. Michelle stiffened as she realized the table held a holo of the Sol system, each planet highlighted. "But what can we do? The Royal Guard are good, but we have less than two hundred left. And less than half of those have combat experience." Eliza shook her head. "Throwing them away against the Grineer piecemeal would be at best a waste and worst...treason." At the word 'treason', everyone winced. "Sorry... I am...upset." Eliza said sadly.
"No one blames you, Empress Eliza." The man who had spoken last said quietly. "We all know that Artos saved you during the Collapse."
"He kicked me in the tail until I moved despite the hole in my gut. He picked me up and carried me here when I couldn't move any further." Eliza's voice held fondness and sadness in equal measure. "He will be missed." A murmur of agreement went around the table. "But..." She turned to Michelle. "Michelle? What do you think?"
"I..." Michelle stared at the holo and shook her head. "The Grineer, Corpus and Infested are huge threats. Right now, they are fighting each other and Tenno are striking when and as they can to protect, to distract, and to disrupt. This is how Tenno fight. The Lotus..." She broke off as everyone around the table went still. "You know who she is, don't you?"
"Michelle." Eliza said quietly. "Some secrets must be kept." Michelle's eyes went to Crowley who nodded just a little. Michelle decide to drop it.
"I understand." Michelle said calmly. Boy, did she. She shook herself. "Anyway, the Tenno who serve the Lotus are working to curb the Grineer threat. They are working to keep the Corpus' insane quest for technology that they cannot understand or control from fruition. They are working to keep the Infested from overrunning everything. That is what I did until this madness began. There are only so many targets that Tenno can strike with a reasonable chance of success. I do not see how two hundred, or even two thousand more Tenno would change that. The Grineer number in the billions and their numbers are growing daily. The Infested likewise. For all their insanity, the Corpus are human. I..." She shook her head. "I don't see the Royal Guard making that much a difference before their numbers are whittled down by attrition." She smiled an apology at Petra who nodded. "What logistic base do you have?"
"The solar collectors powering the station provide us with a substantial surplus of power." The man who had been speaking said with a nod. "The rest we recycle."
"I did not get your name." Michelle said quietly.
"Oh..." The man flushed. "I apologize, Princess Michelle. I am Robert Jindas, Secretary of Resources."
"Secretary Jindas." Michelle nodded. "No offense was taken. This is all... very new."
"And you are hurt." The man said with a kind smile.
"I will survive. Thank you for your concern." Michelle said with a smile. Inside she was amazed. Was she flirting with this man? She looked at her mother and Eliza smiled a bit. Michelle shook herself. "So, you have scant resources, but ample power. What databases do you have?"
"Lots. They were backing up the Archives on Earth when the Collapse hit." Jindas said quietly. "We haven't actually had the chance to peruse all the files." Michelle's eyes went wide. "Yes, that many." Jindas said with a nod. "At last count we had two hundred and thirty seven yottabyes worth of data stored."
"Yotta...bytes...?" Michelle asked weakly. "As in one thousand to the eighth power?"
"Yes." Jindas said with a nod. "They meant this facility as a full backup. Our actual storage capacity is about three times that." More than one of Karl's Tenno exclaimed with Michelle. "That is less than a tithe of what the original Archives held. They didn't finish the backup for obvious reasons." He shrugged. "The defragmentation of each of the main hard drives takes a year."
"Holy..." Michelle shook her head, stunned. But then she stiffened. "You know...?" She mused.
"What, Michelle?" Eliza asked.
"This place is self contained." Michelle said calmly. "But you could use more resources." Jindas perked up a bit at that, but Michelle shook her head. "Getting them will be dangerous. This place is a refuge. Maybe... It should remain one?" She said to Eliza who looked at her.
"Much of our heavier equipment is built into the facility and cannot be moved." Eliza said, thinking hard. "The experimental device that healed your arm, for example." Michelle stared at her mother and the at her arm. "It was needed." Eliza apologized.
"I know." Michele said with a smile. "And have nothing but gratitude for you and Chirurgeon." She looked to Karl. "And you, Karl of the Tenno..." She bowed her head. "Once more I am in your debt."
"You owe us nothing, Princess." Karl said quietly. "Any true Tenno would be honor bound to stop such as that traitor."
"You and your clan have saved me three times now, Karl of the Tenno." Michelle said with a shake of her head. "And you would accept nothing?" Two jerked and Karl looked at her for a moment before looking back at Michelle who raised an eyebrow. "Yes?"
"You have children here?" Karl asked softly. Michelle looked at Eliza who nodded, a bit dubious. "We have a pregnant Tenno in our midst and I know of another who needs help."
"Serene?" Michelle asked, worried. "What has happened?"
"Nothing, yet." Karl said quietly. "But Iriana and the tower staff are worried. Serene's depression is growing despite everything Iriana can do. She needs help." Michelle glanced at Eliza who looked thoughtful.
"We can do that. We must maintain our secrecy to remain safe." Eliza said with a nod. "But we can and will assist when and where possible while maintaining our secrecy. In the hopes that one day, this war will be over and we can all take our places in the light again."
"May that day come soon, Empress Eliza." Karl said, nodding. He glanced at his Tenno and they turned to go.
"Tenno Karl..." Petra said softly and Karl stopped. "You were unweaponed protecting my charge." Eliza stared at the Royal Guard and then smiled a bit mischievously. Michelle glanced suspiciously at her mother, but Eliza's face smoothed into patient curiosity. "With your permission, Empress?" Petra asked formally.
"I do not command Tenno." Eliza said calmly. "I suggest, or advise. I am not stupid enough to try and command you."
A snort went up from the men at the table. Petra nodded and slowly reached up to draw her Orthos Prime. She held it horizontal to the ground with both hands, striding to Karl and extending it.
"This weapon has served my family with honor for millennia." Petra said quietly. "I would be honored if you would bear it now in the defense of the inhabitants of this solar system."
"I..." Karl stared at the long white and golden weapon. He bowed hi s head and took it. "I would be honored to bear it, Captain Petra." Petra gave him a short bow and stepped back as he placed it on his back.
"And that leaves you unweaponed, Petra." Eliza said with a strange bubble of amusement in her voice. Michelle turned to look at her mother. "We cannot have that. Our Guard Commander must not be unarmed." One of the Royal Guard -an Excalibur Prime- near the door stepped forwards, a familiar huge sword in hand.
"But Empress...I..." Petra froze as Eliza's words sank in. "Guard... Commander...?" She asked faintly. "But I am... Michelle..." She begged.
"You will continue to serve my daughter." Eliza said, her tone becoming formal. "But you are Artos' chosen successor." Petra froze as the Royal Guard stepped up to her and held out the huge Galantine sword that Artos had carried. "And mine own choice as well, for all the good that did with you stubborn Tenno."
"I am unworthy." Petra said, not daring to move.
"We disagree." The Tenno said as he held the sword out to her. "Take up your rank, Guard Commander."
"I...serve." Michele was smiling as Petra hefted the huge blade and seeming without effort, placed it on her back. She inclined her head to the Empress. "Resume your post." She said calmly to the Tenno. "I will wish to speak with you, Tenno Karl, about possibly training some of our number in actual combat conditions."
"We can talk later, Guard Commander Petra." Karl said formally, but his eyes were twinkling. "Empress, Princess, Grand Master Crowley?" All three nodded and Karl smiled and left the room with his Tenno following.
"Guard Commander." Michelle said with a hint of teasing. "Should I salute?"
"If you do, I will thrash you." Petra said calmly. Michelle smiled, but desisted. "Or even better, I will make you listen to the suitors attempts at music."
"Ah... Suitors?" Michelle asked, feeling faint.
"Michelle..." Eliza said gently. "One duty of any monarch is to protect the line of succession." Michelle stared at her and Eliza smiled a bit forlornly. "I can't. You must."
"You have got to be kidding." Michelle said, her face ashen.
"Gentlemen..." Eliza said with a nod. "I think I need to have a long talk with my daughter." Both of the civilians nodded and left the room. Grand Master Crowley smiled and left the room as well. "Michelle, we need an heir. Soon. " Eliza said calmly as Michelle stared at her, stunned. "You like Jindas? He is cute."
"Mother...!" But Michelle had the feeling that her day was going to go downhill, quickly. At least she wasn't sinking into madness anymore.
"I want a grandkid or two." Empress Eliza of Orokin said in a tone that brooked no argument.
Maybe Michelle wasn't going mad...
The End
for now...