Maroo tapped her foot in the cockpit as the Holo-Comm kept ringing.
Pick up, you dumb tin suit. I don't have all cycle.
"…Profit," A voice said. "Maroo? It's been ages!"
"I need a favor, Volt."
As his name implied, a Volt Warframe was on the screen, adorned in excessive armor accessories. A large blue Perrin Sequence logo sat on his chest, with a neon color scheme to match. Like a lot of Tenno, he couldn't remember his real name. So he went by the name of his Warframe, since it was all he ever used.
"Ah, I don't do favors. Except when I do," he played with a Komi chip.
"I'm serious. I'll pay."
"Woah!" He said. "You? Paying for something? Must be serious."
"Volt. Running a tight schedule. And don't ask."
"Fine, fine. Although I am curious, can't lie. What's it you need?"
"Information on all the high-up Grineer activity. One should be acting… off."
She shifted in her seat, an instinct within making her kick herself for giving away so much information. Making deals with others was a game of strong-arming, except when it came to Volt. Maroo didn't know how he could exist; but he was certainly the kindest informant she'd ever worked with.
"Really? That's it?"
"If I had the time to scout, I'd do it myself. You know I would."
"This must be a really small window."
"It is."
"…Alright. I'm not tight on credits at the moment, so while I'm getting that, you can run an… errand for me."
"What do I look like, a damn operative? I'm not your meat shield."
"And I'm not your personal secretary. Call it a trade—you do this for me, and I'll have what you need by the time you're done."
Maroo crossed her arms, "what am I stealing?"
Volt laughed. "I wouldn't say 'stealing'. I'd say you'll be… leaving a gift."
...
...
"Why are we here?" Xarra asked.
Trust me, I didn't want you here either. Maroo thought. "I needed some extra hands. This is for the job."
"The loud job!" Mor said.
"Yes," Maroo sighed. "But we have to be quiet for this one."
"Oh, being quiet is boring!"
The three lay in the snow, scoping a Corpus shipyard from a nearby cliff. When Volt said 'leaving a gift', he wanted to bomb a ship. The yard was a giant rectangle, various small transport vessels and cruisers resting in designated spots. Watchtowers were perched intermittently, including on the tall walls, with snipers and techs waiting in each one. It would be a quick enough task with the three of them. Hopefully.
"Why did you bring it?" Xarra said, nodding to Mor.
"She only blew me up once trying to talk to her," Maroo said. "Nicer than you."
He grunted.
"Oh! Xarra!" Mor said. "Can I see your swords?" She stared at the Nami Skyla on his back.
"No."
"But—"
"Touch them and I'll drown you."
"Okay," the cephalon sighed. "Be boring like Maroo."
"There," Maroo said, lowering her scope. "I see it. It's towards the middle. Let's take one of the watchtowers while they have their backs turned, get a better vantage, and leave the explosives when no one is looking."
"Explosives!" Mor said.
"Quiet."
Keeping to the cover of the cliff, they made their way toward the wall, Xarra twirling through the air like a dart to get ahead. Electrical burns and Corpus industrial chemicals tickled her nose from the harsh wind. This is way more effort than scouting, she thought. But, they didn't have time. Newborn didn't know exactly how long Maroo would have to grab the Orokin Blood, but he did know it'd be very short.
The wall stretched upward a dozen meters; the tower nearly thirty. Luckily, she didn't need a Tenno's finesse. Maroo's legs were bolstered by her suit, allowing her to jump to the top and through the open-air windows.
"Pardon the intrusion," she said to the guards, hitting each with an EMP-blade. They crumpled—a clean and silent entry. Xarra and Mor flipped in, the cephalon's mechanical body creaking far too loudly. If it weren't for the constant drone of repairs, they'd have heard her coming a kilometer away.
"Alright," Maroo pointed. "There's the ship."
From their tower, it was too far. Getting closer amidst all the security would be tough.
"Should have told me what we were doing," Xarra said. "Could have brought my Lenz."
"Too late for regrets," Maroo said. "We're doing this the old-fashioned way."
"I love the Lenz!" Mor said. "I made mine have the bow explode too!"
Xarra put a hand on his mask. Maroo ignored them both.
Volt better have what I Voiddin' need. She thought, scanning the control center. Nothing had labels—the crewmen probably had the layout stamped into their brain. Not to mention that there were thousands of buttons, levers, and switches. Nothing here could help.
"Xarra," Maroo said. "You're a Tenno. Hop over there and plant the explosives."
"Explosives!" Mor said.
"Shut it. We can't be caught, so keep it down."
"No," Xarra said.
"No?" Maroo said. "What do you mean, no?"
"I'm not going to be ordered around."
"It's the best plan!"
"I'm not some tool. You too are a master at stealth. You could do it."
Maroo groaned, shaking her head. They didn't have much time. When this tower had been quiet for too long…
She examined the yard again, finding the ship before studying the patrols. If Xarra was going to be an Anansa, she would have to do it herself. Just like everything else. The others stood with her, "Fine. Keep watch. I'll—"
Alarms pierced the cacophony of the machinery. Bolt-fire singed the metal and electrical panels. The three of them ducked, looking at each other.
"Change of plan," Maroo said. "We're charging that ship and taking down everything in our way. Fast." They nodded.
"Mor," Maroo said.
The cephalon looked inquisitively.
"Go crazy."
Mor stopped, "Only service. Only service. Only. Service…"
"What is she—" Xarra asked.
A streak of blue came through the window, bouncing off a control panel before rolling to the floor. Ticking. Maroo didn't have time to check if Mor would be okay. She jumped, watching Xarra unsheathe his swords as he fell on the other side of the tower. The grenade exploded, shaking the metal structure and punching Maroo with a shock wave. She unholstered two Lexes and flipped to her feet as she landed, suit absorbing the impact. Moas and Ospreys opened fire. Maroo ducked and rolled toward the nearest ship, blasting the proxies with pinpoint accuracy. One down. Two down. Four down. Out of the corner of her vision, Xarra sliced through the Corpus, almost looking bored.
Something grabbed her.
She tumbled onto the cold steel, surrounded by the remaining Moas and the Crewmen who flanked her. One of her Lexes slid out of reach. The leading Tech spoke in their heavy mechanized dialect, raising his boot—
Maroo flicked her wrist, pointing the gun at his chest, clicking the trigger. Her arm flared with pain at the recoil. Boltfire rained—she spun, twirling through the opening in their circle. Everything flashed red: her shield was off. She clenched her jaw, stinging burns erupted on her thigh and stomach. Maroo snatched the other Lex and opened fire, unloading everything she had. She panted as the last Moa fell, scream she didn't know she was making dying in her throat.
And Xarra watched. His swords sheathed, arms crossed.
"Xarra?!" She said. "Were you just… standing there?"
"Mm."
"Are you muckin' kidding me?! I was in some deep ghoulsack!"
"No shields off my back. Hurry up and get this done."
He walked towards their target, lazily retrieving his Nami Skyla as the fresh squad of Moas marched toward him. What in the Void is your problem? I die, you lose any potential loot. I thought you Tenno were supposed to be friendly, dammit.
Another force of Corpus approached. Maroo welcomed the thought of blasting proxies apart, but they all exploded. Then another explosion nearby made Maroo stumble. Then another rocked the ground.
Mor jumped from place to place unexpectedly fast, like a rocket powered Warframe who made everything they touched blow up. One ship, then two, clusters, the whole yard was being ripped apart. In the rare moments of silence, the cephalon's maniacal laughter reverberated through the air.
Their mission. Maroo could deal with Xarra and Mor later.
She dashed. The Corpus scrambled, unsure which target had their priority, confused as what to do about the ships. In the chaos, Maroo dodged the sprinting groups, finding the cargo transporter they were looking for. She stuck the explosives to the underbelly, leaping to get away.
Four Techs approached. One saw Maroo, alarmed, and rallied the others, charging her. She smiled and beckoned them. They were going to pass the ship. Just a little closer…
Equipment, debris, and the Crewmen flew over the wall as the transporter exploded, leaving the remnants collapsed in fire. With a satisfied sigh, she steeled herself.
"Mor, Xarra," she said into their channel. "We're done here. Rendezvous at the entry point."
"Understood," Xarra said.
"I'm not done yet!" Mor screamed.
"Mor!" Maroo said. "We have to go!"
"I'm having fun!"
The whole yard was ablaze; causing the troops to have a full-scale retreat. Mor was flying through the air using the rockets she built into her body, frantically scanning for more to attack. The Cephalon found a target, leaving a deafening sonic-boom in her wake.
"Xarra!" Maroo called. "Get her!"
"I'm not getting close to that!"
Maroo fumed, thinking. She needed Mor, no matter how crazy she was. Maybe…
"Alright Mor," she screamed. "Blow up everything!"
"Maroo," Xarra started. "What—"
The explosions stopped.
"Only service. Only service," Mor said. "Only—no, I'm enjoying myself—Service. Only service. Only—stop!"
"Mor!" Maroo yelled. "We're leaving!"
"Fine! Whatever!"
Trusting that her companions would make it to the cliff, Maroo jumped over the wall, running towards safety, but more pressingly, her lead.
...
...
"Oh! What's this—"
"Don't touch anything, Mor." Maroo said, sitting in the pilot's seat and drinking recovery fluids. Xarra sat in the co-pilot's seat like a brooding statue. He wouldn't let them on his Orbiter, and Mor didn't have a ship, which meant the only place they could gather and talk to Volt was on Maroo's Swallow.
"He is late," Xarra said.
"Give him a minute," Maroo said. "He doesn't have the free time to wallow in his own thoughts like you."
Xarra didn't respond.
Maroo thought this was a good idea, at first. Why get the information and have to relay it around, when they could all hear it at once? It saves time. Time they might need. But, Void it all, why did it have to be her ship?
"Mor," Maroo sighed. "Stop. Touching. Things."
The Cephalon shied away from a control panel that Maroo didn't know could flash red.
"Mor," Xarra said. "Why did you stop yourself today?"
"What?"
"When Maroo told you to blow everything up."
"Why should I tell you?" Mor said.
"The boredom of waiting has me curious."
"…I don't know. I just… froze for a moment."
Maroo listened, surprised at how normal the cephalon sounded. Mor continued,
"When people tell me not to, when my head tells me not to, I just want to do it more! It's fun! It's what I want to do! But, when I— No! I'm not talking about this—"
The Holo-Comm beeped.
Maroo answered, bringing up a floating screen of Volt.
"Wow, thanks for the party invite, Maroo," he said.
"I hope you saw we took care of your 'errand', tin suit. You better have what I need."
"Yeah, yeah, everyone on Neptune saw it, quite frankly. At least you covered your target by blowing up half the yard, good thinking."
"You know I know what I'm doing."
Xarra rubbed the front of his mask.
"Now," Maroo said. "What did you find?"
"There wasn't anything out of the ordinary. At least, with almost everyone."
"I don't have time for games."
"Hope you like Earth," Volt said. "Because I'm guessing that's where you're headed."
"Vor?"
"No. Way worse."
"Vay Hek?"
"There it is. A lot of movement to and from his compound, but he hasn't left it for at least a week. Not even for Councilor business."
A whole week?
"Thanks, Volt," Maroo said. "Pleasure doing business with you."
"The pleasure was mine! Stop by Orcus sometime—"
Maroo disconnected the call, turning towards the others. "We're moving, now."
Xarra stood, "I will get to my Liset—"
"No you won't tin suit, sit down. I hate you being here too, but we need to scout that place now. Have your Orbiter tag along, but any second we lose could cost us."
"We don't need to hurry—"
"If this 'Orokin Blood' never leaves the Queens' side, a week is too damn long. Hek could already have it, it could be leaving right now. Who knows, if we're lucky, he hasn't even received anything yet. But we don't know for sure. We have to go and check."
Maroo put in the coordinates of Earth. Xarra sat back in the seat, while Mor clutched a handle on the wall. She didn't know what they'd find, what the plan was, or even if anything would work. She had two dysfunctional allies going into a military compound armed to the teeth, stealing from the craziest Grineer she had ever heard of.
This will all be worth it, Maroo told herself, but not entirely believing it.
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