Epilogue
"You can go." The weak voice echoed oddly in the small cave, but the other form didn't move. The red rock showed they were still on Mars. They hadn't made it far from the tower they had left in rage, but neither had wanted to stay there. Too many memories. "Human! You don't need to stay!"
"I do not like Grineer or trust Grineer, but we fought and bled against Narmer together." Violet said flatly. "In old human terms, you are a comrade, a battle compatriot. Whatever you have set, I will survive. I stay."
"Silly base." Ven'kra Tel gasped as her breath left her again and she lay back on the hard stone.
"Often, yes." Violet said quietly. "But today? I want to remember a little bit of good. We lost so much today and I want to remember something good." Being captured by spetznatz had stung them both. Seeing Aziz simply fall apart in the black ops team's custody had hurt far worse.
"Violet, you are not immortal. My failsafes might kill even you." Ven'kra Tel said weakly as her life drained out of her. "You are the only human I do not want to kill!"
"And you are the only Grineer I do not want to see dead." Violet squatted down by the dying Grineer and took the clone's hand in her own. "This insanity of mine likely will not last, but I have seen far too many comrades die. Too many died alone. You? No. I can be here, share these moments with you and I will be."
"Stubborn base." Ven'kra Tel said with a wheeze.
"Always." Violet smiled, but it was melancholy. "There have always been very few people I trusted. I didn't trust you until the colony. They had me. They stunned me and held me and you could have fled. You took your wounds to stop them from veiling me when I was down."
"Well, I still do not trust you." Ven'kra Tel snarked and then gasped in pain that even her armor's augmentation and rock hard determination could not mask. Violet just held her hand as she convulsed.
"Hello the cave!" Came a human voice and Violet went utterly still. "Violet, you breathing?"
"Horatius?" Violet's voice was husky, strained. "Stay out!"
"I am outside of any blast radius less than nuclear." Horatius called in. "But someone else wants to talk to you and I know how you react to surprises."
"I never did stick a fork in you." Violet snapped and Ven'kra Tel stared at her. "Don't ask. Please." The human all but begged. "This is not a good time, Commander."
"I know, but like I said, someone else wants to talk to you." Horatius did not sound happy. "No one blames you two for leaving. No one. We are all angry."
"He is gone, isn't he?" Ven'kra Tel managed to get that out, but then she gasped and lay still, panting. "Is my duty done?"
Both females recoiled as a small Sentient form appeared at the sole entrance of the cave. A familiar black furred kubrow stood beside it.
"Vader no! Get out of here!" Violet all but screamed that, but didn't move. She did not let go of the dying clone's hand.
I have my orders. The kubrow said firmly. Lady Adiinah, Ven'kra Tel's life signs are fading and her failsafe is both powerful and unable to be hacked. We have time, but not a lot. You are in danger.
"Right. The short version then." Was that a snicker from the kubrow? "Human Violet, Grineer Ven'kra Tel. I am Adiinah." The voice from the Sentient was odd. Not quite as it had been the sole time Violet had heard it in the tower. Less grief stricken. More focused. Then again, Violet had been a bit distracted when she had been released from spetznatz custody. She had wanted to kill every last one of them, but then, Ven'kra Tel had collapsed and refused medical care. The human soldier had ignored anyone talking to her to help the mortally wounded Grineer out of the tower. "Sir Aziz is gone, but his legacy lives on. He made no distinction between human, clone, Tenno or Sentient. He gave hope to all of us equally. I want to make his sacrifice mean something. Not for my kind, your kinds or Vader's kind. For all of us."
"Pretty words." Violet snapped, eyeing her Supra where it lay nearby. She had set it down to help the stricken clone, but she could grab it. Would it do her any good? "But pretty words mean nothing in the world we inhabit.'
"True. We live in a solar system that has been ruined by greed and by war." Adiinah was still quiet, but no less firm. "There are those who wish to make things better. Not by killing, but by building. They are over matched by hostile forces and need help. I find myself in a role I am utterly unprepared for, but I will learn fast and I will adapt as needed. I need people I can trust. As insane as it sounds at first, Sir Aziz trusted the both of you. I trusted him. He is gone. I remain."
"What do you mean?" Ven'kra Tel asked.
"The spetznatz apparently did not intend to kill him, but they did." Adiinah sounded more than bit dubious and Violet could relate to that. Working with Corpus Special Forces, Violet had done black ops, but what they did was just wrong. "They are being punished."
"Who could hold them accountable?" Ven'kra Tel demanded.
"The sole remaining princess of Orokin is very upset with them." Adiinah replied and both females in the cave stilled. "And um, she is a Cyberlancer and has a lot of scary friends." Was that a wince from the Sentient? "They will be judged and punished. Even at Orokin's height, what they did would have been punished. Now?"
"Don't tell me it won't be covered up." Violet snapped. "Such always is!"
"Maybe from the general populace, but from everyone? No. Not this time. Everyone who was there in the tower when they were brought out of the ship saw what they did to Aziz. I tried to help him. I failed." Adiinah moved a bit closer despite Vader's warning growl. "Vader, we cannot compel either of them or it will undo the fragile trust Aziz managed to form. We must persuade them. Violet, Ven'kra Tel, the Order of the Sword is all but gone. The two remaining true knights are too busy with their duties to do as the Order was intended and one is just a squire, not a full knight. She is good, no question, but she will be overwhelmed. I do not ask trust. I ask the opportunity to build trust. To build something better than unending war."
"You need to go. Now." Ven'kra Tel moaned as her armor started to beep ominously.
"Not until I am done explaining." Everyone stilled as Adiinah swept down to settle on the Grineer's armor and it stopped beeping! "I can hold it long enough to explain. Then, you can make your choices. I have no right to decide a course for either of you and I will not."
"You are insane." Violet said softly, but did not release the dying clone's hand.
"As Aziz would have said, 'Pot, meet kettle!'." Adiinah snickered as Violet choked and Ven'kra Tel both choked. A joke! The Sentient had told a joke! "I absorbed a bit of Aziz when I tried to save him. As I say, I failed, but I did get a bit of his sense of humor. It will take some getting used to."
"What do you want?" Ven'kra Tel sounded bit stronger, but still weak. "We are what we are. A dying clone and a betrayed human operative." Violet nodded. "That is all we are."
"You were his comrades." Adiinah said softly. "He would have wanted me to try and help you both. You, Ven'kra Tel, I can save. Your armor will be destroyed by your failsafe, but I can save you. The unique you that helped Aziz in his last mission." The clone looked away and Adiinah continued. "Then, you can do whatever you wish."
"I can't go back." The Grineer said softly. "They have made a copy by now and I have been corrupted by too long among crazy people. I would be 'reclaimed' as soon as I appeared." Tossed into a vat alive to be dissolved to make more Grineer. A really bad way to die.
"Probably more than one." Adiinah agreed. "But I will need people who know the difference between right and wrong. I was never a soldier. I was a resource collector and then, the Orokin made me to be a monster. They intended me to kill my own kind or any target they gave me. You are a soldier, Ven'kra Tel. I have no wish to conflict with any, but I know it will happen. I ask your aid and offer mine. No more."
"I…" Ven'kra Tel slumped and then looked at Violet. "And her?"
"Violet, your hurts are as much the things of horrific legend as mine are." Adiinah was gentle now, so gentle. "Eventually, the Kuva will drain out of your system and you will become mortal again. Whole and hale but for the last time. Then, you will die as easily as any organic." Violet gave a sniff and Adiinah snorted. "Or maybe not. You are tougher than I ever was."
"So?" Violet snarled, confused by all this.
"So, I need other perspectives. I have a Sentient perspective on what I want, but I know that is not the only one." Adiinah said simply. "I need other views. Yours, Violet. Ven'kra Tel's. The Queen of Cats'. Tenno. We all exist in this solar system and we all continually find ourselves in conflict. Narmer took advantage of that. He is gone, but the hurts remain."
"He is gone?" Ven'kra Tel and Violet both exclaimed.
"We are still trying to figure out exactly what happened, but he is gone." Adiinah said with a sigh. "Narmer forces still exist, coordinated and dangerous, so someone else is leading them. Whoever it was, probably took the title with the power, but the Orokin Ballas is dead. That is confirmed."
"Erra?" Violet asked, worry rising.
"We do not know." Adiinah was just as worried. "What we do know? Ballas is gone and the Lotus is back. Grineer and Corpus are turning on one another. Tenno are moving again. It is going back to exactly where it was before. We have to do better!"
"What can one Sentient, one human and one Grineer do?" Violet demanded, only to pause as Vader coughed and her tone turned sour. "Right, right. One kubrow too."
"What did one Tenno do when all seemed darkest?" Adiinah asked quietly. For a long moment, no one spoke and then, wonder of wonders, Ven'kra Tel did!
"He gave me hope that my death might have meaning." The clone said softly.
"He gave me hope of vengeance." Violet was just as quiet.
He gave me hope that my people might survive a new, mad Orokin. Vader interjected and everyone looked at the kubrow. We were beneath his notice for the most part, but he was going to terraform the area we inhabit. Many, probably most of my kind would have died. We scattered but we knew it was only a matter of time before Narmer noticed us and we had no chance against Orokin power that was aware of us.
"Damn, Vader I am sorry. I never even thought about that." Violet said weakly. "They made your kind, didn't they?"
Orokin did, yes. Ancient history. We need to focus on the now. The black furred kubrow growled. Lady Adiinah…
"Right." The Sentient turned to face the pair of females. "Violet, Ven'kra Tel. I intend to form an Order of my own. The Order of the Sword may be gone. Aziz may be gone, but the ideals live on. To form an order? I need knights. I am not a warrior, so I will need warriors."
"WHAT?" Came from both.
"The Order of the Sword was only for Tenno. They did not intend such, but it was discrimination." Adiinah said with a growl. "I will not make the same mistake. I offer you both places in my order. You will have equal say in what I do. I ask that respect be given but I know for those such as you both who have fought your entire lives, it will be hard. At least at first. All I ask is that you try. Please? Help me."
"A Grineer and a human?" Ven'kra Tel was almost in shock, but it had nothing to do with her wounds.
"I am going to offer Juni a space as well. Her mentor is gone and her duty will not last forever. I will offer her a new duty." Adiinah had a bubble of mirth in her voice now. "And the same to a few others."
"Others?" Violet was almost punch drunk now.
"As I find them and deem them worthy, yes." The Sentient snickered as Vader growled. "Isn't that right, Sir Vader?"
"Sir Vader." Again, a chorus from the clone and human as both stared at the kubrow who ignored them.
"What?" Adiinah was laughing at the other two females. "We need more pilots than just me! Aziz trusted him too and the knight was better at judging people than I will ever be. Hopefully, I can find others who can judge such and advise me. People like you two."
"Can you save Ven'kra Tel?" Violet asked softly even as the Grineer wilted anew.
"I can, but only if she lets me." Adiinah said firmly. "I have no right to take choice from any who do not harm the innocent."
"As I was, I was evil. I did not understand. My life was pain, fear, hate and death. Aziz showed me a new way. A harder way. I do not wish to die, but I do not know… This is so not Grineer." Ven'kra Tel said weakly. "Violet? What do I do?"
"You ask me?" Violet was shocked by the words.
"You are honest and for a base, you are kinda tough if ugly." Ven'kra Tel laughed at Violet's sputters. "I don't… I obeyed the queens. Would I obey you?" She asked Adiinah.
"For some things, probably. I am still figuring some things out." Adiinah admitted. "But in the end? Your oaths will be to your own honor, not to me. If I ask something you cannot do, for whatever reason, you must say so. You must tell me if I go too far. I ask loyalty and honesty. No more. I will not throw lives away if I have any choice at all and now? I have lots of choices. I can help you, Ven'kra Tel. Violet, I am not so sure of, but I will try."
"Then, let us see what the future holds." The clone said slowly. Violet gave Ven'kra Tel's hand a squeeze and the world seemed to flash in front of them.
Suddenly, the group were standing in a huge chamber that was dominated by a large, circular table. Violet stared at it and then at Ven'kra Tel who stood, shocked staring at the table as well. Violet would have dropped the clone's hand, but it tightened on Violet's. Flesh, not an armored glove. Violet was also not in her armor. She and Ven'kra Tel wore armor was that nothing like any Corpus or Grineer had ever worn before. It looked almost Sentient in design, but not quite. Then energy flared around them both and that was Sentient energy. Vader appeared at their side and he too was wearing armor and flashing with Sentient energy. Chairs appeared around the table and a pad of some kind formed in between two of the chairs! It looked elevated so whoever lay on it could see across the table. A chair for a kubrow?!
Then Adiinah appeared nearby with a form garbed as an Orokin princess, but Jesse shook her head when all eyed her.
"I am not in charge. Adiinah is." Jesse said firmly. "I just helped a bit with construction. I want you all to be separate from anything I control. I was just shown how bad things can get when there are not checks on the power of anyone with power. Please, stop me from going too far again?" She all but begged. "I hurt Adiinah and the spetznatz killed a true knight. They will be punished, Lady."
"Keep to the law, Cyberlancer. Honor the Tenno code and your own duties." Adiinah replied, her tone cold and formal.
"Rule of law is better than rule of mob, yes. I wish I could join you, but it is probably better this way." Jesse smiled but it was bit harried that smile. "Count me an ally, knights." She bowed to them and vanished.
"Okay." Ven'kra Tell shook her head. "If we are not the Order of the Sword, what do we call ourselves?"
"I think the classics are classic for a reason. Welcome to Camelot, Knights of the Round Table." Adiinah said formally. "Better take a seat. We have a lot of work to do."
"Oh?" Violet asked as she sat. The chair was very comfortable even in her armor, but she was intent on Adiinah who flew to a chair and hovered above it.
"The remnants of Narmer are being pests and odd energy is being detected across several bands that have not been used in millennia." Adiinah said firmly as a hologram of the solar system appeared over the table.
"What kind of energy?" Ven'kra Tel asked, her tone bemused as she too sat. "Orokin?"
"Orokin, yes, but far older than anything we have seen even from Narmer." Adiinah flashed a little and the holo of the system shifted. "What little research I have had time for shows such energy was only used once."
"Once?" The three knights asked as they settled into their new roles.
"Yes." Adiinah replied. "And the area corresponds to the part of the system where it occurred as well."
"Where what occurred?" Violet asked and paused as Vader made noise of worry. "Vader? Or do I call you 'Sir' Vader now." She joked.
You will do as you wish, Violet, we all know that. Vader replied dryly but his tone was serious, worried. Those coordinates are confirmed, Adiinah?
"They are." Adiinah said flatly. "I bet it is what you think too. If so, we need to get ready to move. To find more knights. Because we will need them when the Corpus and Grineer realize it is there."
"When they realize what is-?" Violet broke off with an 'eep' as the holo changed and an odd apparition appeared on it. She knew that image. Every Corpus in the system knew that image. "That… That is…"
"As I feared. The Zarimon Ten Zero had reemerged from the Void, but not entirely." Adiinah was bemused now. "The ship that created a new breed of Tenno when the Orokin tried to send it to Tau through the Void. The birthplace of the Zarimon children. It disappeared long ago, but now it is back and my people cannot go there."
"Right." Ven'kra Tel shook her head and focused on the job. A true soldier. "The Queens, the Corpus, everyone else but your people will try for it. It will be a mess. What do we do?"
"We protect the innocent, Ven'kra Tel." Adiinah replied. "However we must. We are knights of the Round Table and this is our quest."
With nods, the three new knights focused on the task at hand. None of the beings around the huge table heard the soft voice singing from far over their heads. None of them noticed the Hydroid warframe that hung from a chandelier. He saluted Adiinah before vanishing from her reality for the last time in a haze of green energy, still singing. Warden of reality energy. None of the others would ever know, but he knew Adiinah heard. She might fail. Even as a Sentient, she might perish. But she would try. It was enough but the warden who had once been Tenno Aziz couldn't leave without offering a last little bit of silly to brighten the Lady a bit.
'We're Knights of the Round Table.
We dance whene'er we're able...'