Neutral?
The Bazaar was packed. What had started as a simple hideaway for the transfer of good that people did not want to share information on or share the profits of with others had become something far greater. This was not always a good thing, since greater traffic meant greater visibility. But there were some upsides as well.
"Tanya?" The proprietor of the Bazaar said as she moved to her 'office'. Maroo wasn't sure when she had become an office worker, but it beat dying. Add to that? Some of the benefits were nice. The area just off the main plaza of the derelict communication facility was barely large enough for her to turn around in, but it too had perks. Being small and defensible was not a bad thing in these chaotic times. Add to that a couple of different clandestine escape routes that no one but her and her sole employee knew about and it became downright comforting. "What word?"
"You would think that someone doesn't want this place found, boss." The speaker was smiling. Odd. The woman who sat on a pile of shipping crates, perusing a small tablet computer was a far cry from what most people would expect in such a shady establishment. Even here, sitting and working, she almost exuded military bearing. She simply could not relax. It had served her well in her previous life, being a soldier in a world filled with war. But here? Now? It just added to her stress and other people's, which was why her boss liked seeing her smile. "Every single patrol the Grineer have sent this way has suffered some kind of misfortune. Not just the ones coming here…" She hastened to add when her boss tensed and the blue clad woman relaxed. "...but everywhere around Mars. I cannot say who is doing it, but I can say that the patrols we were expecting this week won't be here this month. Every single Grineer flotilla in the area around the planet is suffering." She smiled wider at Maroo's expression. "My heart bleeds.'
"Mine too." Maroo shook her head. She had cause to dislike Grineer. "Still, keep the evacuation plans at 30 minute readiness. We can afford it and trying to predict Grineer behavior is a bad idea. Stupid people are always the hardest to predict and Grineer think intelligence makes them weak." Tanya nodded and bent back to her tasks.
The Bazaar wasn't much. Essentially, it was an abandoned facility that had been left to rot after the collapse of the Orokin Empire. As powerful as the golden overlords had been, they had been reliant o their tech and even the best tech could and would break, given time and catastrophe. Maroo had moved in, with a little help from a number of people who would remain nameless and after a great deal of effort, had managed to get life support working again in a limited fashion. The place would never be the shining beacon in the deep dark of space that it had been under Orokin, but that was good thing with so many hostile forces out there. Tenno came and went, along with shady types who liked working in darkness. Maroo asked few questions and had few rules, so the shady types liked her just fine. They also knew that pushing her was a bad idea with so many Tenno coming and going.
Only once since the Bazaar was founded had anyone dared to break the peace here and that had been a splinter group of Tenno who had been dealt with by other Tenno, so Maroo was happy to let them keep coming as long as they kept giving her a portion of their trades as a fee. She was making money and she was seeing things that no one outside of Tenno had in millennia. She was happy.
She enjoyed it, of course, but she was also wary. In her experience, in the world they lived, happiness was a magnet for people with nefarious goals to appear.
"This is odd." Tanya's puzzled voice pulled Maroo out of a worry to see her business partner staring at her screen. Maroo tensed, but Tanya wasn't worried or scared. Perplexed.
"Tanya?" Maroo inquired when the other did not elaborate.
"There is a Corpus ship on approach to arrive in an hour and they have the right codes." Tanya said slowly. Maroo instantly tensed and Tanya nodded. "We both know how insidious they can be."
"They leave us alone." Maroo said softly. "While I know some of them know about us, and probably have a good idea where we are… With so many Tenno in and out, the costs would be too high for any profit to show in any endeavor they try here. They know better."
"The codes are current and… Oh." Tanya shook her head and relaxed. "Special Forces." Her tone was mix of resignation, wonder and worry.
"Oh." Maroo agreed, her own tone exactly the same.
She wasn't sure what had happened when she had gone to Baro Ki Teer's residence. She had thought it better not to ask. She knew she had, because she had a horde of often handful Kavat to care for. She hadn't wanted to go back to the sleeze, and she knew he had a long memory for grudges. Baro Ki Teer's Kavats. That said? She had been curious afterwards and had investigated very carefully. From what little she could surmise, she had done whatever she had done at the behest of a clandestine organization within the Corpus. The 'Clergy' had caught her sniffing at one point and warned her off instead of any normal Corpus tactic like kidnapping and brainwashing, so… She had dropped it. Probably wiser. All she had really discovered was that she had done the job with a team of Corpus troops who were nothing like rank and file soldiers. A hint here, a careful question there, a small bribe to a third party and she had a name for their organization. 'Special Forces'.
That was all she got in a week of investigating before the Clergy taken an interest.
"Identification says it is a soldier named Violet and she is coming to trade for information, but beyond that, nothing." Tanya frowned. "The ship is definitely Corpus though. A MOA carrier."
"Joy." Maroo frowned in thought and then heaved a sigh. "Well, if she is identifying herself then this isn't a sneak job. Or an assault." She paused, frowned and then shook her head. "We cannot assume anything where Corpus are involved. Even the smallest Corpus ship can hold lots of robots. We will need to…" She paused again as a chime sounded, made a noise of consternation and opened a short range com link, making sure Tanya could hear as well. "Yes?"
"Maroo, my name is Elenia." What had to be voice of a Tenno female came from the speaker. Not a young one either, older Tenno had the market cornered on 'heavy with age' voices. Not many had ever heard Tenno speak. They rarely had cause to do so in the field and their weapons always spoke louder than any voice ever could. That said? Maroo had spoken to Tenno more than a few times since opening her Bazaar. Some had been good, some bad, some indifferent. "I am coming to your Bazaar to meet the ship that is about to dock. I have zero intention of violating your neutrality. I need to talk to someone who is aboard that ship and she is refusing coms with everyone."
"Is this Tenno business?" Maroo fought to keep the bitterness out of her tone, but it was hard. The first time she had dealt with the 'Tin Men' as she called them when she was fairly sure none could hear her, she hadn't been paid and it still rankled!
"I don't know." The honest reply from the other surprised Maroo and Tanya equally. Was that sadness in her tone? "She won't talk to us and we are worried about her. I have been authorized to offer a rare Ayatan sculpture as payment for my presence on station. It may cause problems, my presence, but I may be the only one she will talk to."
"What 'kind' of problems would you cause?" Maroo asked carefully even as Tanya started a fast data search. On the name?
"Your sensors will say I am Infested." Elenia was still quiet. "I am not infectious but every sensor says I am."
Maroo stilled a Tanya mouthed a word to her. 'Caretaker'! "Oh."
She didn't know much about the Tenno group known as Caretakers. Just to leave them alone! That said, there were all kind of really nasty rumors about them floating around space. Before Maroo could find her tongue, Elenia spoke again.
"I bet you just did a search of my name. I am escorted." Elenia said with a sigh. "My guard is going to grab me and run if there is any trouble. I hope there isn't. I just want to talk to Jac. Nothing more."
"What warframe?" Maroo inquired even as Tanya started her security sweeps again. "I will meet you on the docks and I want to know who I am meeting."
"You will know us."
Fifteen minutes later
"That is not a Liset!"
Tanya was at one of the formerly derelict security consoles in the landing bay as Maroo waited with a couple of curious Tenno who had been hoping to sell her Ayatan treasures and been surprised when she had strode form her usual spot to this bay. They had been even more surprised when Tanya had joined her.
"NightNova." Maroo breathed as the pitch black spaceplane swept up to meet the archaic Orokin docking collar. It made the maneuver seem so ordinary, but it wasn't for anything built in recent eras. Then again, she had heard more than few rumors about a pitch black air and space vehicle that was never totally visible. This one had simply appeared out of sophisticated cloaking tech close enough to the docking area to make any reasonably sane traffic controller wet themselves.
But it was what rotated out of the airlock first that had everyone stepping back!
A Saryn Prime warframe! That was understandable. The syandana and adornments though were nothing that had been seen in recent memory. This was not a modern Tenno. Maroo knew those markings from her many expeditions into the Void and knew what to do. She bent her neck in a polite archaic greeting even as mutters came from behind her. The Saryn had a beautiful and deadly looking grey weapon in hand and other weapons on her person. Not common ones and knowing anything about her? Powerful ones.
"Tenno Rachel." Maroo said into sudden utter silence. "We are honored by a visit from one of the First."
"I am just a bodyguard today, Proprietor Maroo." Was that amusement in Rachel's tone? Maroo devoutly hoped so. Embarrassment, she could survive. Anything else she had no chance. Again, she knew far less about the First than she might have wished, but she knew that they had sequestered themselves before the Collapse of Orokin. As a result, they had access to technology and weapons that even most Tenno could only dream of. She defined the word 'powerful', especially if she was the Leader of the First as Maroo had been told once. Then again, that guy had been drunk, so… Still, better safe than sorry and better polite than dead. "Elenia spoke to you. I figured I would come out first and spare us some of the angst. Your sensors will go off as soon as they detect her, but she is not infectious and will not be. I am here for her protection."
"I see." Maroo didn't really, but all the Tenno around her had stilled. The crowd of warframes had grown. She jerked back with a cry as an Infested Mag warframe cycled out of the airlock! Tentacles writhed and ichor dripped and- Maroo backed up all the way to Tanya who had frozen in her seat as the single worst horror in the Origin system stepped out of the ship to stand by Rachel. No one else moved. No one spoke even as alarms started to blare. Maroo broke her paralysis and stepped forward, waving a hand at Tanya. "Shut them off, Tanya. If we cannot trust the First in matters of Infestation, we cannot trust any. You are welcome on my Bazaar, Caretaker Elenia."
"You are very brave, Proprietor Maroo." Elenia said in tone that held bottomless sadness as the alarms faded but no one relaxed. "In your place, I would be shooting right now."
"I will not lie. I am afraid. I have seen Infestation take root too many places to take anything about it for granted." Maroo gave herself a stern shake and then took another step forward. "But everything I have studied about Tenno said that the First brooked no Infestation to live." She eyed Rachel who waved for Elenia to speak.
"We Caretakers are unique in so far as I have been able to determine." Elenia said with a nod. "We are not Infested and we do not spread the Technocyte Virus. That said, our other duties have to remain secret both for our sake's and for countless others. The First gave us refuge when our last sanctuary fell. We and they are in accord. The Virus mus be contained. We fight beside them." She gave herself a shake and bowed from the neck to Maroo. "I will offer no offense to any aboard your station, but I must speak to one aboard that ship. It is Tenno business, but it touches on many others. Your Bazaar is neutral ground and we will abide by that." Rachel made a soft noise and Elenia glared at her. "We will abide by that, sister. We need to talk to Jac. Soon."
"Jac?" Maroo asked as several Tenno moved off, back towards the trading floor. A couple stayed close, but more curious now than worried. "We don't have names of anyone aboard."
"I am not surprised." Elenia was almost as emotive as a statue. "This whole situation has been badly mishandled and not just by Tenno. Many have bungled recently and we are trying to limit the damage. Jac is aboard and I need to speak to her. If needed, I will do so alone." Rachel bristled, but Elenia held firm. "If needed."
"All I can offer, Caretaker, is space to trade." Maroo was way out of her depth and knew it. "If they don't want to talk to you, then they won't and there is literally nothing I can do about it."
"I know." Elenia reassured the human as Rachel moved a little away from her, but kept her weapon ready. "Rachel, calm down. No one wants a fight here of all places." Rachel ignored her and Elenia sighed. "Don't make me call Jasmina, sister. You know I am right."
"We failed you before. We will not again." Rachel's tone might have cut a warframe.
"Weapons and powers will not win this." Elenia said firmly. "You know I am right." She repeated, frost entering her tone.
"I…" Rachel unbent a bit and slung her weapon. "Yes, you are right, sister. Fighting won't help anything here. It just…" She shrugged bit helplessly. Elenia nodded and then reached out to pat the Saryn's arm. "It is what I was raised and trained to do. Neutrality is hard."
"I know. How long until the ship lands?" The Tenno in the nasty looking Mag warframe asked Maroo who looked at Tanya.
"Thirty six minutes." Tanya said after a check. "Um… What do you want from us?"
"Just give us space." Elenia reassured her. "If you can, guide the ship to a pad away from the common landing areas. I do not want a fight and I know that many others do not either. That said? There are a lot of different kinds of people involved right now. We will meet whoever they send out there. I have to talk to Jac. Soon."
"And if she won't?" Maroo was really dreading the answer and Elenia did not disappoint. At least she seemed a bit more upbeat now.
"Then a pitched battle here will be the least of our problems."
Forty minutes later
Both Tenno stood quiet as the Corpus ship finished docking. Per their request, no one else was around. There were cameras watching, but Elenia was sure that Rachel would hash any data feeds as a matter of course. The First kept their secrets and had for a very long time.
Neither of them reacted when a large airlock on the side of the ship opened and two female forms stepped out. Both the human soldier and the massive lich came to a sudden halt on seeing the mismatched pair of Tenno.
"Juil? Violet?" Elenia said quickly, holding out empty hands even as the lich's hand started to glow with black and red code. "Is Jac all right?"
"Tenno Rachel? What are you doing here?" Violet demanded on Rachel who ignored her to focus on the lich who eyed the Tenno right back. At least no one drew weapons. Not that Rachel or Juil needed them!
"We are trying to keep this from going supernova, Violet." Elenia said with a sigh. "Rachel. Stand. Down." That was not a suggestion. The growl Rachel gave her in response had Violet staring from one Tenno to the other. "A fight here serves nothing but the machinations of the one behind all this!"
For her part, Juil was more bemused than wary now as Rachel snarled at Elenia, but then the Saryn slowly relaxed from her combat crouch.
"All of what?" Juil inquired slowly. "And who are you, Tenno?"
"Juil Estherai, my name is Elenia." The Mag wearing Tenno said with a nod to the lich. "I am here to help. Jac needs time to balance herself. Time she won't get. Is she hurt now? Is she conscious?"
"Why should I answer you?" Juil inquired. "I don't know you and you use the ugliest warframe I have ever seen." Rachel hissed at the insult, but Elenia was unmoved.
"I…" Elenia seemed to sag and then she nodded. "Right. I got ahead of myself." She slowly shook her head. "As I say, my name is Elenia and I wear this frame because my duty demands such. Yes, it is ugly. I met Jac once, a while ago and she was kind to me when she didn't need to be. I wanted to return the favor. I know what has happened and I know why. Frankly? I don't care about anything right now but her life and health. She used power to throw Olim aside that will have hurt her. Her clan bungled badly in taking care of her and she is justifiably angry. She is probably the single most important being in this system right now, so I have to do what I can to help. I am here to help and we need to get out of here as soon as possible."
"Why?" Juil inquired, still eyeing Rachel.
"Because after Nikis perished and Elizabeth vanished, there is only one person with full access to an ancient Orokin database." Elenia said quickly and Juil stilled. "If you know what I speak of, then you know it must not fall into hands unprepared to control the power."
"I do." Juil slowly nodded. "Esther told me the Queens tried for that power and if they had succeeded? Boom. She said supernova?" She inquired and Elenia nodded, relaxing as the lich banished her code.
"Pretty much."
Of course, as soon as everyone relaxed, that was when the circular, red white and blue shield came from nowhere to hit Rachel and slam her to the side.