You spend this night drifting above Jupiter.

The stars glimmer and shine, lighting the darkness of space.

Kneeling at the viewing window of your personal quarters, you think. A steaming pot of tea on a tray beside you, and a porcelain cup in hand.

The meditation area was your favourite part of this ship. Some preferred to fly around the solar system, visiting planets and moons. Some preferred to fight, to kill, just as they were trained to do. You didn't prefer anything really. You just did what Lotus told you. It was all better than being asleep.

You sit at the window for a while, watching the stars blink at you. You watch them. You see someone's ship go by, heading for one of the planetary nodes.

There's a good chance that Lotus would disapprove of you being out of your somatic link pod so often. Yet here you are in your personal quarters, while your frame remains outside. It's a short jog back to your pod, and it's not as if it's difficult to get into.

It's a quiet sky tonight. Good for thinking.

So you do. You call up this stream of thoughts. One that you've looked at pretty often these past few days.

It's been twenty-seven days since you heard the rumour. That all frames had sentience, that they could all feel and think and if they had control over their bodies, they would move.

The news didn't come as a revelation to you. You've always thought that Mirage had sentience. You could always feel her expressing pain, anger, sorrow, joy. When you linked with her you could always feel her there.

You get up, walk outside your quarters, and come face to face with your own frame.

She stands in the arsenal, her face rounded white mask with curled protrusions. She has pink and lilac skin and bone white armour protruding from her arms and legs. You look up at her face and see beady pink eyes, just watching you work.

Mirage.

You remember the first time linking with her, your first time awake in… a long time. Taking your first steps in a frame. It was like you were walking through water, an alien sensation, but familiar. You remember stepping from within the cryopod, and a figure before you, backlit by the lights. You don't remember who it was, but you remember taking their hand.

Your vision was blurry, but you barely remember being led to another room, and then seeing yourself, an operator in a transference pod.

You remember unlinking, and then you really woke up.

During the brief time that you were linked with her though, you could feel… something. A nudge at your mind. As if someone within was saying, Hello, I'm already here.

You wander off to the foundry to check on your new weapon progress.

It's been almost a year since you were woken, and you've come far. It took you minutes to settle into your frame, feeling the familiar sense of returning, like putting on a well-worn and favoured coat. But it's taken longer to feel as if you're working in tandem, and not just controlling a body from afar.

You're making good progress, it's nearing completion. You look at your frame again.

The thing about Mirage that you liked most was that she had a playful side. Though she made no sound, you could always hear the echoes of a wind chime laugh in the back of your mind when you linked with her.

It was there when you took down several foes at once, it was there when she made her doppelgangers, and it turned from a giggle to a wild cackle when you threw a Prism.

You enjoyed it. It was a little like you. Or what you'd like to do if you were perhaps a little more outspoken.

Lotus tended to call you the quiet one. And it's not as if she was wrong. You barely spoke to the other Tenno. Not unless you were paired up for missions. Or unless they spoke to you first.

It was better that way, you thought. Less possibilities for awkward conversation.

You look at Mirage, standing quietly in the arsenal. Her eyes gleaming with silent delight. Sometimes you wondered what her voice would be like if she could speak. If the infestation that made her never ravaged her vocal cords.

You think she could be your best friend.

You're about to turn back to the foundry when you hear Lotus calling you.

Tenno, I have a new Mission for you. I've found a new intel site, hidden away on Venus. Protect me while I extract it.

"When do I begin?"

Not yet. You'll need a partner for this one. Head to the Kronia relay to meet him.

A partner.

You suppose it's one of those missions then. You're already prepared for the awkward small talk.

You do missions like this often, and you were paired with others for any number of reasons. It hasn't been too hard though. You just smiled and nodded when they spoke to you. Or replied with whatever two word statement was appropriate for the situation. Besides, you were trained not to speak much during missions.

You suppose the new weapon would have to wait, you think, and you take a quick jog back to your link.

Your arrival at the relay was a quiet one.

You don't visit the relays nearly as often as you want to. Usually you're only here to meet teammates. But rarely do you just explore the place, or even just rest here for long on your way to another planet.

You step out of your ship and into the hangar, half empty at this time.

Apart from the usual civilians, you see Khora and her kavat, you forgot its name, following Oberon and Titania. They nod as they pass you. You pause for a moment to reach a hand towards the kavat.

It sniffs at your hand, and then nuzzles its snout into your palm.

"She likes you." and in her sultry voice you can hear her smile.

You look at Khora. "She's cute."

"Of course she is. My Venari is lovely." she says rather proudly, she glances up ahead and sees Oberon beckoning to her.

"No time to chat, I'll see you around." she says, wiggling her fingers in farewell.

You nod.

Venari. That's what it's called.

You remember Khora's operator. A pretty brunette with sharp features and piercing green eyes. She's the newest one of you, only woken about a month ago. This must be one of her first few missions out of rehabilitation training.

You wander further into the concourse.

Mag and Nova are both speaking with Baro. More likely than not just arguing over prices.

You look around. The calm blue of the concourse feels welcoming, and the few civilians wandering about barely give you a glance as they walk by.

Your eyes land on a frame just leaning against a pillar. That must be it.

His frame is black and white with accents of blue, and he tips his hat when you approach.

(You feel something. A gentle prod at the back of your mind. You ignore it.)

"Ah, Mirage. Lotus paired us again."

"Yes."

"Excellent. I don't think I've worked with you nearly enough."

"I think we've only had two missions together so far."

"A pity" he says, brushing some imaginary dust off his shoulder. "I did enjoy our last mission."

"As did I."

You liked working with Limbo. He's an excellent duelist, and an even better shot. You worked well together, finishing missions in record time.

You wonder why Lotus didn't put you together more often.

He's saying something, and you just. Nod. He begins walking back to the hangar, and you follow.

(That's odd.)

You couldn't register what he said. There's something about his voice.

No.

Not his voice.

Your frame.

You feel… something.

The barest hint of something that reminds you of soaking yourself in a tub of warm water after a long day. A distant emotion that makes tiny butterflies flutter in your chest.

You feel a pulse in the depths of your mind. And for an instant you truly see through Mirage's eyes, and see Limbo in a different light.