Terrors

Magda did not move from her spot on the floor. The psuedo-Ivara warframe recoiled even as Magda stared from her to the grim apparition that was the ship's captain and back. For his part, the captain slowly shook his head.

"After all of what happened, she cannot trust you, General." The sort-of-boogeyman who commanded the ancient railjack Tempestarii said flatly. "I like this situation almost as much as the officer here likely does. That said? The Grandmaster asked my aid and I will give it. No matter your claims, you killed a peer of mine. You are not welcome here, but he insisted, so I will abide by his wishes. No matter what, trust will not happen. Not after what you did to Aziz."

There was a strange undercurrent to the captain's tone as he turned towards the bulb that was the navigation computer on most railjacks that Magda had been on. Rage, sorrow, regret, so many emotions all boiled into one stern tone. Magda had no time to parse that, she was clearly not in Sun's custody now but this railjack was far different than most she had ever even heard of. All of them were old, many having been repaired or refurbished when needed against the many enemies the Tenno faced in the system, but this one had been lost for a long time. Odd that it looked almost pristine. Wait a minute! Magda stilled anew as she remembered it had been lost in the Void!

"I did not mean that to happen." Taliana said very softly as she backed up another step.

"Motivations do not matter, General." The captain was working controls and a hum built around Magda. The very walls of the ship were thrumming with power. Moving? Magda did not dare look away form the spetznatz. They defined the words 'sneaky' and 'dangerous'. "They do not matter now any more than they did when the Corpus tried to disassemble this ship and got what they deserved." The last was filled with hate of his own! Magda jerked and then nodded.

"The Tempestarii destroyed Lucretia platform, but no one ever gave a satisfactory reason why." Magda kept her focus on the captain as Taliana backed up to a hatch that slid open for her and then shut as she backed even further. "Knowing the Corpus, though? I can guess."

Most Corpus executives thought that any Orokin tech they found or stole was their own property, even if it had a mind of its own. That had cost the Corpus dearly over the years, since Orokin tech only answered to its masters and no one living now as the master of such. It got downright dangerous to touch such things. This railjack had a master, no matter what any silly Corpus might think. Magda did not know all the details, but here he stood.

"Yeah." Sevagoth chuckled, but there was little humor in it. "It not like the ship was actually empty when they boarded to salvage it, but they do not care as long as they can make their Profit, do they? Well, they learned that the ship was not abandoned." He heaved a very deep sigh filled with old regret. "They learned."

"The hard way is pretty much the only way their kind do learn, as always." Magda sat up and then slowly rose to a kneeling position. She did not seem to be in danger, but her gut was screaming 'Danger!' at her as Ollie might have. Ollie… She shunted her worry aside for the moment. "Sun grabbed me… Took me to wipe me…" Magda said, more than halfway to shock, but fighting it with all her being. Falling apart would not help here. Later.

"Yes." The captain did not go for empty platitudes, it seemed. That said? He was not acting like a monster. "Grandmaster Jack told me this would be a mess when I offered my aid, but I had no idea." He sounded almost as punch drunk as Magda felt. "That Tenno would have killed you after so many powerful people have worked so hard to keep you alive and sane. Idiot!"

"I can sort of see his point." Magda said a bit weakly as the captain's rage flew around the deck and the ghastly shadow that hung off his back writhed. From what little she knew about him? It was an entity of its own, with a mind of its own. It had conned the ship for millennia searching for the lost captain after a Search and Rescue mission went bad in the Void. That was basically all she knew about it and she fought not to quail as the captain turned to her, posture almost incredulous. "I don't agree with him or anything!" She said quickly as she rose to her feet, careful to keep her balance which felt a bit off. "This is my life we are talking about after all, but if I am a threat…" She trailed off as the captain growled. Was it her imagination that the shadow was moving off his shoulders?

"If you are threat, so what? 'I' am a threat after so long lost in the madness of the Void, Officer." Sevagoth's tone was flat, but held grudging acceptance of her words. "My shadow is a threat after so many tried to either dismantle or destroy this ship not knowing or caring that it was not abandoned and the mind conning it had a duty to perform. I regret the lives lost at Lucretia and other places, but duty is duty." It wasn't her imagination! The shadow was writhing, but Sevagoth did something and it subsided. Thank goodness!

"Yes, it is." Magda nodded to the captain and forced herself to relax. "My duty has taken some very odd turns recently. That said? I am still an officer of the law and there is a crime being committed."

"Probably by a Tenno." Sevagoth sounded as if he was pulling teeth to admit that, but Magda understood. Boy, did she!

"A Tenno or a rail agent are pretty much the only ones with access to all the places where bodies were found." Magda agreed with a sigh. "There were other ways, but the Orokin who did such are all gone."

"The known Orokin who are left are monitored closely and even the enemies of the Tenno keep a close watch for more now." Sevagoth nodded approval to Magda's recovery from her shock. "After the mess of the war, no one wants another Ballas popping up."

"Hell no." Magda agreed, taking a deep breath to stabilize her nerves. "Um… If he is willing to cross the Grandmaster of the Dead, Sun will chase me."

"Almost certainly. That said? Getting away from the Grandmaster will be far harder even than escaping the other two." Sevagoth offered and Magda nodded. "I do not know them, but simply conversing while I conveyed them to Deimos at the Grandmaster's order made me very wary of them." Magda nodded fervently and Sevagoth actually snickered. "You too, huh?"

"Yeah." Magda took another breath and then let it out. "No one has said… Does anyone know what happened to our ship? Laney would not have taken what he did lightly."

Considering that the ship the cops called 'home' was a former Orokin light cruiser class warship with a mind of its won and not always a peaceful soul? No. It worried Magda a great deal that no one had even mentioned Laney. The ship AI was not a pacifist and she would have fought for her crew.

"She didn't." Sevagoth bowed his head and Magda went still. "I am sorry." He was honestly sympathetic. Then again, he was a sailor too and he knew all about loss, Sevagoth did.

"How?" Magda wanted to curl up into a ball and cry, but she was Tenno! She had her duty even it hurt so much! Laney had been a friend for as long as Magda had been a cop. "She had protections! Even from our kind!"

"We do not know." Sevagoth was still very quiet and Magda slumped. "We know your compatriots attempted to flee to the ship when Sun accosted them, but then… all communication ceased and the ship disappeared. It reappeared, and I was close. I tried, officer…" Sevagoth was all but in tears now. "I tried, both on the com and after boarding. She wasn't there!"

"He could not have killed her!" Even after all the horror, Magda was aghast! "She survived the Collapse for the ancestors' sakes! She… She…" She slumped to her knees and felt a hand on her shoulder even as she bent her head.

"I do not know if she is gone or not." Sevagoth was being painfully careful in what he said, that was clear, but also appreciated as torn as Magda's emotions were. "If so, she is not in the ship. I found no sign. No messages. No records at all." At that, Magda hissed and looked up to see Sevagoth nodding. "Your archives had been wiped." He stilled as she did, and then tilted his head in query as she relaxed!

"Then she got away somehow." Magda said softly and Sevagoth stared at her, retracting his hand. "I have no idea how, but that was one of our fallback plans in case we…" She swallowed hard and then continued. "...in case we were all subverted or fell. She would take all of our records to the Elders to be put in the secure archives. That is the only way there would be no records. Everything on the ship or in our coms is recorded and sent to the ship. That protocol predates the Collapse, let alone the latest war. She probably hated herself for fleeing, leaving us, but it was, 'is' the job. We have to maintain the chain of evidence. Had to." She corrected herself grimly. "If we mess up the paperwork, all kinds of things go wrong."

"I am so glad I am not a cop." Sevagoth muttered, not even close to under his breath. "Just hearing about the paperwork is bad enough."

"It definitely has its moment." Magda heaved a sigh, gave herself a shake and rose to her feet. She could not help the other cops. She could not help Laney. She had to go on. "Where are we going?"

"First, the Zarimon." Sevagoth nodded approval at Magda's calming herself. He was Tenno, he understood all the emotions but he also understood duty, the ancient SAR captain did. Enduring hardship was what Tenno had always been best at. "No one else wanted to try and transport the spetznatz and no one sane wanted them around."

"Wait." Magda paused and stared at the captain. "They are going there?"

"As bad as what happened to Aziz was…" Sevagoth was clearly working hard to be fair. "...they are quite good at what they do. The ancient wreck needs dedicated guardians and they are available. Their sole guidance had been Lynn and she left. No one has told me where she went, but everyone was clear she was not available to guide them."

"Or they may not know." Magda shook her own head. "Do you know what happened to Anahera and the other shades she supported?"

"She is still at the Tower with them." Sevagoth slumped a bit. "I talked to her a little when I picked up my passengers and she is…" He broke off and shook his head, sad. "I cannot define how she is. I don't think she can. She told me what happened and I understand all too well about being left to float in eternity alone."

That he did! If not for his Shadow's dogged perseverance and the aid of Tenno in this time, he might still be floating in the Void.

"You were not lied to about as to why." Magda replied, cold and Sevagoth paused in whatever he was going to say. Then the ancient captain nodded. He had gone into the Void by choice, it had been his job. Anahera… Just what little Magda knew about the ancient betrayal by Hayden Tenno of all people filled her with rage and shame. [See Warframe: Trust for that mess and what unfolded after]

"True." The word was cold, hard and merciless, but also with a tinge of regret. "I had my job and I did my job. A hard job, rescuing lost souls from the Void, but a needed one and often rewarding. I do not pity her, but I do feel sad."

"Me too." Magda took a deep breath and then let it out slowly. "Did the Grandmaster tell you what I am seeking now?"

"Yes." Now, Sevagoth seemed bemused. "I missed a lot, lost in the Void, but I remember the Sentients. I fought them a few times. Deadly enemies."

"That has not changed." Magda agreed and Sevagoth looked at her." The thing is, there is a…" She made a noise of consternation. "...almost a splinter faction that does not want to fight anymore. Or so they say." She was not convinced. She too had fought the Sentients. It had not been her focus, but the war had been everywhere. "I do not know what to believe. She admitted. "But I have no other leads except one Sentient that vanished at the same time the bodies started appearing and no one can find it. Her." The last was quite dubious and Sevagoth chuckled without mirth.

"The Grandmaster himself seemed a bit leery about all this and I do not blame him." Sevagoth was working controls again, but his tone was of deep thought. "He was first to say that this entire situation could be a trick. The Sentients were nothing if not sneaky at times. That said?" He groaned and Magda made a matching noise of disgust. "I have my orders and you have your duty. For now, they coincide."

"Thank you for the rescue." Magda said, bowing the captain who waved it away. "I know it is your job, rescuing people in distress, but it is greatly appreciated."

"Don't hug me! Please!" Was that fear in Sevagoth's tone? No, it wasn't fear. It was resignation mixed with wariness and Magda felt her memories lurch back to happier times as a cop. Times when she too had helped people. The reactions she remembered and always would! The good, the bad and the 'oh my god' embarrassing!

"It sucks when they get clingy, doesn't it?" Magda put just the right inflection on that and Sevagoth spun from his console to stare at her. Then he laughed! Pure amusement mixed with gratitude at her understanding.

"You understand!" Sevagoth seemed to wilt, just a little. "I get that they are happy to be rescued. I get that they were sure that death was moments away. I get that, but oh my god…"

"Been there, done that." Magda said with a growl. "I won't hug you." That was a promise. "It was… Yeah. I understand. I won't. Trying to get the kids to let go without hurting them was rough." One did not hug a warframe and not get hurt! That had been the last thing any of the cops wanted in such situations. The kids that the cops had occasionally rescued had often flatly refused to let go and some of the others… Ugh!

"Yeah." Sevagoth was lost in memory too it seemed. "Only dealt with kids a few times, but yeah. Rough. Even more rough than the lady who would not take 'no' for an answer when I told her flatly I couldn't have kids with her, no matter her gratitude."

"You too?" Again, Sevagoth stared at Magda as she shuddered.

"I don't want to know, do I?" Sevagoth was all by shuddering himself.

"We Tenno can work our mysterious space magic and simply disappear on them, but some of them have more resources than others." Magda said with another wince of memory. "Let's just say that it took a year, three lawyers and an Enginus judge to stop that guy following me."

"Ouch." Sevagoth made a noise of consternation. "Okay! Awkward! Changing the subject!" Magda nodded vigorously at that and he continued. "Do you have any kind of starting place? The Void defies all definitions from our point of view. It is another reality, if connected to ours. Totally different."

"I know and not really." Magda admitted. "My information is scant to say the least. Sentients cannot survive in the Void. Or, most cannot."

"Adiinah, Mother and Kanaah." Sevagoth agreed. "I didn't talk with any of them while I was at Mars, but Anahera has dealt with them. She told me what happened to Adiinah. Both before Aziz's mess and during. I um… I was bit upset when I heard about Aziz and I demanded to know what had happened to him."

"Did you know him?" Magda asked as the railjack jumped a bit, but Sevagoth did not react and Magda forced herself to relax.

"No, but I knew of him. He was a legend among the Tenno who sailed the stars." Sevagoth was lost in memory again. "Knights went where their battles took them and his often took him into space and into the Void. Anahera told me all of what happened both times he showed up. Maybe he will again." At that, Magda stilled, but Sevagoth just chuckled. Again, there was little humor in it. "As I say, the Void is often a paradox. Time does not mean the same thing there that it does here." A hologram sprang to life nearby. One with way too many numbers on it for Magda's peace of mind!

"Oh no, don't start the high math please!" Magda fought to keep a whine out of her voice. "I am a cop, not a temporal physicist!"

"Okay." Now, Sevagoth's chuckle was pure humor. "'Simple' it is. Time there and time here are not always the same. Don't ask me how. Don't ask me why, but it is not the same."

"Does that help us?" Magda asked.

"Maybe. Maybe not." Sevagoth said slowly, staring at the hologram as the numbers flashed faster and faster. "If Kanaah was in a pocket where time moves faster, she is dead and gone. But if she is in a pocket where time moves slower or is stopped…" Magda made a noise of query and Sevagoth chuckled again. "You wanted the simple version. This is it. Anything else has lots more numbers."

"Simple!" Magda said a bit too quickly from Sevagoth's rumble of amusement in reply. "So, do we search those?"

"I don't know." Sevagoth was shaking his head now. "Some I know about and can get into. Others? Not so much. I-" He paused as his shadow writhed. "What?" he demanded, but not of Magda.

Intruder! The barely audible voice of the sentient shadow was just as wrong as Inaros' had been. Just as terrifying and for much the same reason. Both used life force to power their abilities. At least this wasn't a Guardian of the Dead, but still… Magda fought a shiver as Sevagoth worked his controls feverishly.

"Nothing on scans." The helmsman said after a moment. "All spetznatz accounted for. You sense another!" That was not a question to the shadow again as Magda stared around wildly. "Where?"

There. The shadow raised a clawed hand from Sevagoth's back to point at Magda!

She stared at the shadow, just a hair to long and the pulse of power hit her from behind! How had Sun found her so quickly? No, it wasn't the same energy! The power was dingy white and felt sticky. Odd. She was suddenly lying down on something that moved underneath her. Whatever she was on felt odd to her limited senses. Metal, but not and moving in very odd ways. Not a robot for sure. Not a warframe either. It was clearly moving, but not running or…

"Easy." A voice that was almost familiar sounded from close as Magda fought to move! To speak! To do anything, but she could not. Her senses were eclipsing and she was falling asleep even in her warframe as what looked for all the world like silk crossed her vision! Was it wrapping her like the victims? Again, the voice came from further away as Magda's sight darkened and wind whistled in her ears. "It is not what you think, Officer. It will be okay."

Wait! Magda did know the voice!

"Owl?" Magda managed and then she knew no more.

"Sort of." The other replied as a hand stroked her head. "Rest now. We have got you and we will keep you safe."

Why did those kind, soft words worry Magda so much? She fell asleep afraid.