As we made our way back down to Fortuna (After mining a few ore veins and snatching a trio of Pobbers), I couldn't help but notice Melissa smirking at me. I didn't need to guess why - she'd clearly been amused by me hacking the orb, which was currently being moved off Venus by my forces so that Nef couldn't recapture/destroy it. I wanted to keep this for myself, and build a butt-ton more.

As we disembarked, I returned to Eudico, whilst the rest of the Cell dispersed to do whatever suited their fancy. Melissa had managed to catch an orokin servofish and was exchanging it for parts with Biz, Cyreesia was turning in some gems to Smokefinger, and Etran had headed to the ventkids clubhouse, after doing quite a few tricks on our way back to Fortuna. We'd all done some tricks, but I'd not really succeeded with them - I'd missed an attempt at doing a grind, though I had, through dumb luck, pulled off a board grab and spin without wiping out. Melissa had mocked me over the failed grind, before attempting to do one herself and succeeding...and then unceremoniously wiping out in a nearby snowbank. Needless to say, I had had the last laugh there.

As I finally came into view, Eudico did a double take, before recomposing herself. "So, Sparky, I heard you stole an Orb from Nef."

"That I did. He say anything about it?"

"Only that one of the Orbs went rogue, and advising us not to venture to the surface. I think he's just using it as an excuse to keep us where we can easily be monitored."

"Well, if he loses you to an Orb, it'd probably speak badly on him, so I think pragmaticism has more weight here then a need to stroke his ego."

"...Fair enough. Oh, and thanks for saving my team. I believe these are yours."

A moment later, she pulled out and handed me a set of triangular medallions - debt bonds. "Ticker's told me you helped scratch a few names off her books, so you should know what these are for."

"I do."

"Good. Look, I'm not entirely sure if we can trust you yet, so don't hold it against us if we are wary of offering you some of our wares. Still, thanks for the help."

Then she pulled out a list. "Here's some of the things we can offer. You can have one of these on us, so choose wisely."

I briefly, I perused the list of wares, before settling on what I wanted. I pointed to the target of my focus.

"Goblite tears? You have someone special you want to give them to?"

"Somewhat. I want to give them to Melissa, see how she reacts. Pretty sure it will be amusing."

"Save me a picture."

"I will...hey, how do you know her?"

"She sold Nef a bunch of weapons a while back. Also sold us some mines and told us exactly where the weapons she'd sold Nef would be sent. Think she wanted to humiliate him."

"...Okay. How'd you figure out she knew me?"

"She told Nef the weapons she'd sold him were meant to be used against you. Now that I think about it, they do look familiar to your guns."

She sent me a schematic of those weapons. Instantly, my Commander's database pulled a match - an old weapon system meant to be used on the dox. It was phased out a long time ago, apparently before the war with the Xziphid, but it could still bloody my knuckles if I went into a fight against somebody who wielded them.

"These things could hurt my forces, but they wouldn't win a fight where our numbers are equal or even heavily in favor of whoever wields these. At best, they might cause a scratch...which is better than anyone else can manage now."

"Hmph, seems like she knows how to string people along. So, you need to run any errands?"

"Why're you asking?"

"I'm meeting with some people in the back room. If you have any business left to finish, do it now, then head to the back room - you're expected for the meeting."

"Understood. I need to talk to Biz anyway."

"Stay warm...oh, and take this - Tenno said you might have a use for it."

With that, Eudico sent me a data transmission, which contained, to my surprise, the blueprints for the warframe known as Garuda. She also attached the designs for the chassis to the transmissions. The rest, I'd have to earn.

Smiling, I went over to Biz's space and managed to acquire a vermink echo-lure. I also got a servofish trophy and a pobber floof, because those are adorable. After scratching a few names off of Ticker's books, I headed to the backroom.

There, around a table, was Eudico, Legs, and Biz, while in the corner stood...was that Little Duck?

I'd only seen her in the comics, but the fact she was here told me that something big was going on. I mean, she knew the Quills!

And now she was looking right at me. And gesturing for me to come forward. Which, needless to say, I did.

"So, you're the stranger I heard so much about from the Quills, aren't you?"

I merely nodded.

"Hmph, thought you'd look different. Didn't expect you to use a Warframe. Then again, that is different from normal, isn't it? A non-Tenno using one of their frames."

I really wasn't sure how to respond to that. Little Duck seemed to realize that too.

"Look, I don't want any trouble. Fact is, the Quills have let me in on some of their secrets, and provided me some of their wares to sell...and you happen to now be one of the people I'm allowed to sell them to."

"Really?"

"Yes. For the moment, though, I'd suggest you speak with Eudico. I think she has something to say."

"Right you are. Listen, Sparky, we got the crate open, but there's a problem."

"And that is?"

"Nef has more than one, and he's already got forces headed to the repository...Scratch that, he has a whole fleet on standby to take it."

"And I guess you need help taking it out?"

"Yes. The Tenno can deal with the key, but taking out a whole Corpus fleet will send Nef a message, and I'm fairly certain you have the firepower to pull that off."

"Well, you're certainly right there. Anything else you can tell me?"

"Just one little fact: we're not the only ones trying to access this place. Someone else is."

"And who might that be?"

"Only thing we know is his name: Zen'hurros. Weird name if you ask me."

...Oh fuck.

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AN: Read and Review! This is Flameal15k, signing off!