Chapter 1: Origins
Chapter Text
It is a true honor to serve the Orokin, no matter what task they give you. At least, that is what the guardian told himself anyway. It’s what got him his reputation for loyalty to the Orokin. They had assigned him and his platoon to guard an archimedian research facility. A lowly task, but they were low guardians. In any case, the guardian was surprised to have his patrol rounds interrupted when a voice ordered him to stop, and even more so when he saw who had called out to him, Executor Ballas. He approached the guardian, a look of disappointment on his face.
“Guardian,” he spoke in a condensing tone, “it has been said your loyalty to the Orokin is unwavering. Given this, we have an assignment that can only be handled by such an individual.”
“It would be an honor.” The guardian replied.
“You must prove yourself worthy of the task first. Come with me, and we shall see if you are the one to trust with it.” Ballas told him. “Do not worry about your commanding officer, he has been informed of the situation.”
The guardian followed Ballas to a small ship. “Is this your personal craft?” the guardian asked.
“Yes.” Ballas replied simply.
They got aboard and took a seat. “What can you tell me of this assignment?” the guardian asked.
“Are you familiar with the Tenno?” the Executor asked in reply.
“Yes, the children from the ill-fated Zariman 10-0 voyage. If rumor is to be believed, they weren’t supposed to be on the ship to begin with. Of course, everyone knows about project warframe.”
“Of course. The thing is, teenagers tend to be…rebellious, which could be a problem if action is not taken.”
Now the guardian was curious, just what was this task that regarded the Tenno? His thoughts were interrupted the ship’s cephalon.
“We have arrived, Executor.”
“Thank you, Cephalon, come along guardian.” The guardian followed Ballas once again, this time to a small room with a gold chair in the middle, and a mirror at the left and a monitor in front of it. “Sit down and wait here.”
Ballas left the guardian and made his way to the room next door. A technician in front of the one-way mirror was already there.
“Are you sure this is the best one for this?” he asked Ballas.
“Of course, he is the best in his platoon. Besides, they won’t think much of a guardian such as him if we are found out. Still, it never hurts to have an insurance policy.”
The technician began typing on his computer. “He’s loyal enough for it to work, but I fear he might not be able to handle the transference process after the brainwash.”
“Nothing training won’t fix.” Ballas assured dismissively. “Get it ready for him.” Ballas left the room and returned to the guardian’s. “You trail has been prepared.”
“What must I do?” the guardian asked.
“A video will be played on the monitor. What you will see will test your loyalty to us. If you can remain steadfast, you will play an important role for the Orokin.”
“I’m ready.” The guardian said determined.
“Very well, begin the test.” Ballas called out. The video came on, but the guardian could barely comprehend what he was watching. Before he knew it, the screen turned off. He stared at it confused before Ballas spoke up. “What do think of the Orokin.”
The guardian turned to him. “It is a true honor to serve the Orokin, no matter what task they give you.”
Ballas smiled. “Congratulations, Guardian, you pass. Come with me.”
He led the guardian to an isolated room. Inside stood a warframe very much like that of the one called Excalibur, but it had a different helmet that bore a unique symbol, and was colored a dark smoke gray and black with red trim.
“Am I to use that for my assignment?” the guardian asked.
“Yes, in fact, it was made specifically for it. It has some of the abilities of other warframes, as well a wholly unique ability called Dispel. This makes any Tenno’s abilities useless.”
“What is it that you wish for me to do?” the guardian asked.
“Do you recall what I said about teenagers being rebellious?” The guardian nodded. “We fear that the Tenno might become rouge, and given the weapons at their disposal…”
“You’ll need someone to stop them.” The guardian finished.
“Exactly, we designed this warframe to be an anti-Tenno weapon, as it were. We’ve even created a matching set of weapons best suited for the job.”
The Executor pointed to said weapons hanging on a nearby rack. The guardian frowned at them. A bow, a set of throwing knifes and a scythe, all colored to match the warframe, and none of which he knew how to use.
Ballas put a hand on his shoulder. “Do not fear, Guardian. You will be trained in the ways of the Tenno.” He pointed to a chair like machine on the other side of the room. “That is a somatic link, the key to using transference, the secret to their success. The only way to stop the Tenno is use their weapons and abilities against them.”
The guardian sat down in the link. To his surprised, it closed up, engulfing him. What was even more surprising was that he could still see the room. He looked down at his hand, which was now smoky gray.
“Incredible, he’s taken to the transference process better than predicted.” He heard a voice say.
“Good,” Ballas said in response.
“He should practice more; we can’t risk him ending up like Silvana.”
“Guardian, it is time to begin your training.” Ballas told him. “The technicians will help you, should you need anything.” With that, Ballas left.
A technician took the weapons off the rack and handed them to the guardian, one by one.
“This bow is call Dread, the arrows of which can decapitate, and will be your calling card to Tenno who dare go rouge. These throwing knives are called Despair, with a mono-filament edge, they are sharp enough to penetrate a warframe. Finally, the scythe, Hate. With its cruel blade, you can go toe to toe with any Tenno in close quarters.”
“Who will train me to use these?” the guardian asked.
“You will be trained by the dax soldiers. They also train the Tenno, so you’ll be able to keep up them. Before you that, we have to teach how to use the warframe’s abilities.”
So from that day forward over the course of several months, the guardian would go on his patrol, then was relieved of his post to travel to the Orokin building where his warframe waited for him. He would link up and train to use the warframe under the technicians, and the weapons under dax soldiers. Not long afterward, the two kinds of training were combined, and the guardian was pitted against specters of the various warframes. He would have to defeat them with a combination of his warframe’s ability and the weapons he had mastered. He made fast progress, given his motivation. However, none of the Tenno tried anything. He was assured it would be best to be prepared if they did. Then one day, the guardian and his colleagues where called for a briefing.
“The war is over. The Sentients have been destroyed, and the Tenno will be celebrated at the terminus. We will be in attendance to represent the guardians under Orokin command.” The commanding officer told them.
This news didn’t sit well with the guardian. He had heard the story of the Beast of Bones, the mercenary Ordan Karris who planned to get close to the Orokin to kill them. Had the Tenno been planning something similar all along? He voiced his concerns when he arrived for training. Executor Ballas had come to check up on him, and listened to his worries.
“You make a fair point, Guardian.” Ballas gave him a key card. “This room has been kept secret from the Tenno. If what you say is true, you can come here and bring them under control.”
When he linked up to the warframe, he was told he was going to be tested. The guardian was led to a special training room.
“Show Executor Ballas that you are a worthy of the job he has given you.” One of the technicians said.
Specters of all known warframes popped up in front of him. The guardian unholstered Dread and opened fire. One by one the specters fell to a combination of his abilities and weapons. The last died to a slash of Hate.
“Very impressive, Guardian. You training is complete.” Ballas said over the intercom. “It is time for you to go home and prepare for the ceremony tomorrow.”
The guardian brought the warframe back to the room and disconnected from the somatic link. He left, still worried about the day to come.
Chapter 2: Fall of the Empire
Chapter Text
The stadium at the terminus was filled with the chatter of the Orokin. Every seat was filled a member of the privileged elite, glad that the suffering was finally over. The guardian and his platoon took their place at the side of the aisle running down the middle of the stadium, leading to a stage.
The Council of Executors walked on to it, followed by the Seven, killing the noise. Executor Avantus stepped up to a podium in the middle of it.
“Orokin,” she began, “On this day, the Sentients have been destroyed, and our glorious empire has been rescued from the brink of collapse. Today we honor our saviors, the Tenno. Let them come forward.”
Music started to play, then two dax soldiers walked down the aisle followed by the Tenno, dax at their sides and two at the end. The crowd cheered as they made their way to the stage. When they did, the music stopped and the cheers died down.
“Let our saviors be adorned with syandanas worthy of their heroics.” One of the Seven ordered.
The warframes each had a silk syandana attached to their backs. No sooner had the last Tenno receive theirs did a different kind of music begin to play.
“Tenno, on this day, you have save the Orokin from disaster. We salute you.” Avantus proclaimed.
The guardian watched the Tenno as Naga drum beats played out. He knew there were supposed to be ten beats for the salute. But with each beat, the Tenno poised themselves, ready to draw weapons. That’s when he realized the drum weren’t coming from real Naga drums, but from the mandacord of an Octavia, one of the Tenno warframes. An Octavia’s music is used to coordinate attacks against the Sentient. If the Octavia was playing music now, then the Tenno was relying instruction for the other Tenno. He was right, they were going to attack! He tried to call out a warning, but terror had gripped his throat, and only a strangled whisper came out. At the ninth beat, he watched helplessly as the Tenno drew their weapons and opened fire. Orokin blood spilled everywhere and flooded the stadium.
The guardian turned and fled for his life. He didn’t stop until he was sure he was safe. When he had caught his breathe, he cursed himself for forgetting his training for forgetting he was a guardian. He reached into a pocket to of his dress uniform for a handkerchief to wipe the sweat of his brow, only to feel something else in it. He pulled it the keycard Executor Ballas had given him.
“The Tenno are going to pay dearly for this day.” The guardian said to himself. It wasn’t easy getting back to the building, he managed it in the end. The guardian wordlessly swiped the keycard and sat in the somatic link. When he was connected to the warframe, he picked up Dread, Despair and Hate.
“Operator, is it time?” an unfamiliar voice asked.
“Who are you?”
“Didn’t they tell you? You have a ship to go after the Tenno.”
“No, they didn’t. Bring the landing craft to the nearest port.” The guardian ordered.
It was time to go hunting. He met the landing craft and got aboard.
“Welcome aboard, Operator.” The cephalon greeted.
“Take me to the nearest group of Tenno.” The guardian ordered. He soon arrived at the location. “Where are they, Cephalon?”
“I’ve marked their position on your map. Would you like me to rattle the Tenno a bit? I can make the lights flicker and lock down the room they are in.”
“Do it now.” The guardian ordered. He watched a security camera feed his cephalon broadcast to him.
“What’s happening with the lights?” one using a Nyx Prime asked. “There is goes again.”
“Must be faulty wiring, you know the Grineer. Dumb as can be.” Another Tenno replied.
The guardian allowed the lights to flicker a third time before he announced his presence.
“I know your every move, Tenno.”
“Who said that!?” The first Tenno asked.
“The blood of the Orokin is on your hands. Did you really think there wouldn’t be any repercussions?”
“Show yourself, whoever you are!” The Tenno cried out.
“I am your reckoning!” The guardian appeared before the Tenno as the room locked down, much to their confusion.
“Wait, he looks like…” the second Tenno didn’t finish his sentence when the guardian attacked.
The Tenno went on the defensive. One of them, a Trinity, cast her blessing.
“Your TENNO powers are useless!” the guardian rose into the air and cast dispel, disabling the blessing’s effect, much to the Tenno’s shock. They fought as hard as they could, but the guardian had been trained to well, soon he had cut down the warframes, hacking them to pieces. "Justice is served. The Tenno have been executed." With that, the guardian left.
He didn't know that the Nyx Prime Tenno, a lad named Azarak, had recorded the confrontation and sent the video all across the Tenno network before his warframe had been destroyed.
Natah considered the situation. On one hand, she was one step away from finishing her mission. On the other, the Void had made her barren, and working with the Zariman children made her realize that she wanted to be a mother. They had come to see her as the mother they all needed after Margulis was executed.
“Lotus.” A voice interrupted her.
Natah turned the direction it came. A Saryn Prime stood in the doorway.
“What is it Bossina?” Natah asked.
“Something has been attacking the Tenno, cutting down our warframes. I just received video footage of what, or rather who it was.”
Bossina stepped forward, opened her communications inbox, and played the video. Natah was surprised with the Tenno’s attacker, it looked like a warframe, but used an ability she had never seen before. “Your TENNO powers are useless!” he declared is a hissy voice. She looked up at the warframe.
“What is known about this individual?”
“Everything we know about him comes from this video. We have come to call him, the Stalker”
Just then, the lights flickered. Natah looked behind the warframe.
“Boss, he’s behind you!” she cried in shock.
Bossina turned around only to get throwing knifes stuck into the Saryn Prime’s torso. A blow from Hate, and the warframe collapsed, breeding out.
The guardian stepped towards Natah. “They call me the Stalker, do they? Very well, I shall go by that name.” he said in his new whispery voice. The terror from the collapse had permanently damaged his voice. “I want to know why you let them collapse the empire.”
“What will you do if I tell you?” Natah asked.
“Get revenge, but I’d take it even if you don’t tell me.” the Stalker replied. He raised Hate, only to get a burst of bullets to the back.
“Run Lotus.” the Tenno yelled.
The Stalker staggered forward as Natah ran away. He recovered and turned to face the Tenno.
“Do you know how many Tenno I've killed by now?” he asked.
“None.” The Tenno replied. “We don’t actually wear the warframes.”
“But what is a Tenno without their warframe? You all will sleep until you die.”
The Stalker charged at the Tenno, but she dodged. As they fought, the Stalker gained the upper hand. However, just as he came around to the front to finish the Tenno off, something unexpected happened. A body rose from within the frame. Before he could get a good look, he was struck by a powerful beam. When the beam receded, the Stalker felt weak. He looked up to see the Tenno running away.
“Come back!” the Stalker roared angrily. He wanted to disconnect, but couldn’t allow this Tenno to leave. He had already spent 6 days straight destroying warframes, and couldn’t let one slip through his fingers now. He ran after the Saryn Prime. She was a distance away, but not unreachable. He pulled out Dread and loaded an arrow. “Die Tenno.” He cried, and fired, following it up a barrage of shots.
The arrows sailed through the air struck the warframe in the back. It fell and started to bleed out. The Stalker ran up to it hacked with Hate. When the frame was in pieces, he calmed down.
“The area is secure, Operator." the cephalon told him.
“I can take a break now.” He thought to himself. He tried to disconnect, but couldn’t. Stalker wondered why this was, until he remembered one of the concerns voiced was him ending up like Silvana. He made his way to the closest computer and searched for Silvana, whom he learned was an archimedian. After some reading, he found something quite disturbing.
The investigation that followed revealed that Silvana had been experimenting with transference on herself. Apparently, her conciseness was transferred to a grove on Earth due to using the transference process for too long.
“NO! No, it can’t be!” the Stalker cried out loud. He raced back to the room and stepped in front of the somatic link. It opened to reveal his body, now a limp corpse. The Stalker started to laugh at the sight. His laughing grew harder as the world faded to black, his mind retreating from the world and into insanity.
He awoke several days later, the whole episode forgotten. All he knew was that he needed to kill the Tenno, to avenge the Orokin. The Stalker picked himself up and made his way to his ship.
Chapter 3: A Favor for Darvo
Chapter Text
A cluster of ships had gathered around one of the newly constructed Tenno relays. The Stalker was surprised to learn that the Lotus had put the Tenno in cryostasis. Now they were awaking, he can finish his work. He had heard of a Corpus defector Darvo, who had helped a Tenno who was nearly captured by Captain Vor. This Darvo character had hacked into his ship’s computer and stole copies to his weapon’s blueprints. He intended to confront Darvo about this matter.
But the Stalker knew he couldn’t show up as he was. When the first Tenno awoke, he found that they remembered him, and news of him soon spread. Thankfully, his suit could be altered. The Stalker disguised himself as a regular Excalibur and made his way to Darvo’s shop. When he got there, what he saw made his stop.
His weapons and one of the color palates he used where sold at 25% off. This could not stand, Tenno will be running around using his loadout against him, and probably making a mockery of his warframe at the same time. He left the relay and returned to his ship.
You will pay for selling my gear at such a price!
The Stalker sent the message and prepared to hunt Darvo. Sometime into his hunt, his ship’s cephalon spoke up.
“Operator, I am received a transmission from a Corpus ship. I think it’s Darvo.”
“Take me there, NOW!” the Stalker ordered.
He arrived at the ship and got aboard. Looks like Darvo decided to man up and face him. He searched the ship a bit before his ship’s cephalon contacted him.
“Operator, I’m getting another transmission. Darvo want you to meet him at another location.”
“Mark it on my map.” the Stalker replied.
The Stalker made his way to the location and he made his appearance, but he wasn’t met by Darvo. Instead, a squad of four Tenno stood before him.
“It’s the Stalker!” one wearing a Rhino warframe exclaimed. He noted that the voice sounded familiar.
Regardless, the Tenno attacked him. As much as he was equipped to take on Tenno, the Stalker was outnumbered and out gunned. Soon, he had to admit defeat and fled.
“I’ll give credit to Darvo though, that was a clever ruse.” Stalker thought to himself when he had returned to his ship.
Chapter 4: The Second Dream
Chapter Text
This Tenno in particular had been a thorn in his side for too long. It was about time to deal with him. The Tenno was wearing a Loki warframe. Good, this would be a challenge. It’s no fun when it’s easy. The Stalker made his presence known. The Tenno put up more of a fight than he expected, the Stalker found himself on the ropes.
An unknown voice interrupted the fray. “You have become weak, Shadow. I can make you strong again.”
The Stalker felt a sudden surge of power. The Tenno looked surprised, the Stalker rushed him and struck him with Hate. The Loki hunched over, and the Stalker slashed the warframe repeatedly until the Loki fell on its back and began to bleed out. Usually, he would leave at this point, but something had been bothering recently. He had been cutting down the Tenno for a while now, but no matter how times he does it, said Tenno always come back.
“I know your pain, Shadow. There is only one solution.” The voice said again. The Stalker raised Hate and chopped the head of the Loki off. “Yes,” the voice said satisfied, “you will be perfect. I can do much more for you Shadow, but it will come at a price.”
The Stalker looked down at himself to see what had changed. He had gained the body of an Excalibur Umbra warframe, albeit slightly modified.
“What cost?” he asked.
“Your weapons. Join me, and I can give you something better.”
The Stalker considered. His load-out was specifically designed to counter Tenno. But whoever this was seemed to be able to make his job easier for him, maybe even end his suffering and the Tenno. It had start to seem like an impossible task.
“Very well.” The Stalker laid his weapons down and picked up the Loki head.
“Step through the portal” the voice said as a hole opened in a nearby wall.
He stepped through. In front of him was a set of stairs that led to a platform with a sword stuck in a stone. The platform was surrounded by Sentients. This made the Stalker uneasy, but he climbed the stairs anyway.
“Who destroyed the Orokin? Your way of life? Who do you hunt Shadow, to cleanse your despair in their blood?” The voice asked.
The Stalker raised the Loki head. “Tenno.” He replied, dropping it to the ground.
“Sever their heads yet they rise again. Someone has hidden the Tenno essence, their truth, from you.”
“Lotus.” The Stalker replied. Of course, the Tenno did whatever their precious mother asked of them without question.
The sword began to raise into the air, as did the Stalker, armor suddenly added to his suit. The sword, War, came closer to him.
“I know where she hides the Tenno heart. A womb in the sky, forbidden to my kind, but where you will take me.”
The Stalker grabbed War when it was close enough. “Who?” he finally asked.
“I am Hunhow, Sentient destroyer of worlds. By your hand, expose their heart. By my edge... Cleave it beating from its nest.”
The Stalker return to his ship. His ship’s cephalon greeted him.
“Welcome back, Operator. I received coordinates from an unknown source while you were gone.”
“Set course for them.” He ordered.
“Very well. You were also emailed some blueprints; they are in the foundry now.”
The Stalker walked over to it. One was for War the other for something called a void key. He built a few void keys and waited for the ship to get to its destination. Soon, he arrived at Neptune.
“The location is marked on your map, Shadow.” the Stalker made his way to what Hunhow called a void gate. “Use a key to access the sky.”
The Stalker inserted the key in its slot and watched as they gate opened. He hesitated for a moment before going through.
“This is an Orokin tower interior.” The Stalker said confused.
“Indeed, Shadow, you are inside of one. The Orokin figured out how to master the Void. Fitting that Natah would hide the Tenno in the place they were created. I’ll show you where she hid them.”
Hunhow marked a location on the Stalker’s map. He ran to it, a room with a large window. What he saw outside made his gasp.
“Is that Earth’s moon?”
“Yes, Shadow. Somewhere on it, the Reservoir is hidden. I’ll have the exact location soon, get ready to leave.”
The Stalker called his ship. “Cephalon, mark the nearest dock on my map and met me there.”
“At once Operator.” The cephalon replied. “Uh Operator, where are you?”
“The tower masks the moon’s location. I’ll make you visible to the cephalon.” Hunhow said.
“I see you now, Operator. I’m coming for you now.”
Hunhow spoke up again. “And the Reservoir with it, very clever Natah. Shadow, your path is clear.”
The Stalker soon met his ship and headed for the moon.
Stalker soon landed and made his way to the void control room. “Collapse the Void, Shadow, so that my Fragments may attack. The Tenno hearts will beat their last.”
The Stalker began the sequence. “It is done.”
“The Moon will soon be crushed by the weight of the Void. The sky will be as it should be.”
“At last, justice for the Orokin.”
“Not yet, Shadow. The Tenno are trying to pull the moon out of the void. You must stop them, here is the location.”
The Stalker made his way to the location. A Tenno with a blue and white Rhino warframe opened fire as soon he entered.
“You can’t stop me, Stalker.” A familiar feminine voice cried out.
Despite his best efforts, the Tenno managed to power all the void compasses. Since the moon was going to fall out of the Void, the Stalker decided to flee. He could attack the Tenno weakness when the moon was in Earth’s orbit again.
The Stalker watched as the moon appeared out of nowhere and took its rightful place in Earth’s orbit. He spotted a landing craft heading for it, and jumped into his own.
“Shadow, bleed the Reservoir until it is desert dry.” Hunhow ordered.
The Stalker followed the Tenno to the Reservoir. He was surprised when golden pods rose from beneath the water. They separated and the middle one came forward and opened up. A chair come out of the pod, and child sized body in a blue and white suit matching the warframe slid off. At this, the Rhino collapsed.
“So the Tenno where children remotely controlling the warframes?” the Stalker asked himself.
He watched as the Tenno crawled to the warframe, and made it pick her up. He stepped forward and unholstered War, pointing it at the Tenno. But this only brought forth an idea he couldn’t ignore. The warframe, it was very much like his own armor. The Stalker lowered War and turned away.
“You hesitate Shadow, but remember your despair. This is your only chance to make it end.” Hunhow said aloud.
The Stalker looked at his hand. “Am I…one of them?” he asked himself.
“Your hatred is too weak, Shadow. Mine is strong, my fragments will finish this.” Hunhow said disappointed as the Stalker holstered War. He didn’t care and returned to his ship. While he pondered, he heard Hunhow in his mind.
“We made a deal, Shadow. You will see your end through. Or would you rather not avenge the Orokin?” Hunhow’s words pierced Stalkers mind. He had to do this, even if they were children, the Orokin had to be avenged. “I knew you’d see reason in the end.” Hunhow said satisfied. He teleported the Stalker to the Tenno’s Orbiter.
The Stalker once again fought the Tenno, trying to prevent her from getting to the somatic link. Finally, he managed to knock the Tenno over. She tried to get back to the Rhino, but he prevented her. He turned his attention to the warframe, poking it with War.
“No self, no sense, no death. Just a metal puppet, dangling on Tenno strings. Only the Tenno's death will end your despair.” Hunhow said as the Stalker impaled the warframe with War.
“All you dread-long life, you've waited for this moment... ...but you're asking yourself... Was I one of these wretched things?” the Stalker grabbed the girl by her throat “...you know the answer. You still hate them... you still hate... yourself.” He began to strangle her.
Unknown to anyone, the Rhino began to act of its own accord, tugging at War’s hilt. Hunhow was caught off guard.
“What is this?” he asked as the Stalker dropped the Tenno and walked over. The Rhino cracked the sword and the Stalker rose into the air.
“Shadow! Protect... me...” Hunhow cried out as the Rhino broke the War.
The Stalker could fell energy build up inside of him, without warning, it exploded with blinding light.
Hours later, he awoke in his ship. After a moment, he remembered everything. How he came in possession of the warframe, about what he learned about the Tenno children, about using transference for too long and becoming the warframe. But he now knew something he didn’t before. The Tenno didn’t kill the Orokin out of cold blood, they were manipulated by the Lotus, who was actually a sentient named Natah. That didn’t excuse the fact that they committed genocide, but they didn’t deserve to be destroyed. They needed to be punished.
The Stalker walked over to his foundry and found that he couldn’t build another Dread, Despair or Hate. Darvo must have done something when he hacked his ship’s computer. He could build another War though. He didn’t mind, the War was a better weapon than Hate, and he could use exalted blade for range attacks. The armor Hunhow added, had cost him some of his warframe’s abilities, but he could adapt to damage.
"Watch out, Tenno. The Stalker is back and better than ever." he said to himself.
Chapter 5: Acolytes
Chapter Text
Something unexpected happened in the month that followed. People were contacting him to join his cause. Even more surprising was they were willing to do whatever it takes, even go through what he had. What didn’t surprise him was that were Corpus and Grineer, three from each faction. He arranged to meet them at one of the abandoned Orokin relays. There to greet him were two Grineer scorpions and a lancer, and three Corpus crewmen, all of whom had seen him take on Tenno and told him as much.
“You all want to learn under me. I suspect your hatred of the Tenno have driven you to this point.” The six agreed. “Very well, but you must prove yourselves worthy.”
“How?” one of the scorpions asked.
“You must become one with a warframe.” The Stalker replied. “Then you will be able to fight the Tenno. But to do that, you much acquire said waframe.”
The six agreed to the Stalker’s term and to meet back there once it was done.
While the Stalker waited, he soon learned that the Tenno where now calling him the Shadow Stalker. Like before, he embraced it, but was still called the Stalker for short. Soon, he had been messaged again. The six where ready.
He met them at the same relay. “I’m impressed. However, now you must become one with them.”
The Stalker took them aboard his ship, and each took a turn in the somatic link. Within the week, all six had become their chosen warframes, each given a helmet and color scheme similar to his, as well as some personal touches. The Stalker stood before the six.
“Today, I am proud to call you my acolytes. Before I began teaching you, you must choose a new name for yourselves.”
“Angst” one of the scorpions declared. She had chosen a Valkyr warframe.
“Malice” Said one of the Crewmen. He had chosen a Frost.
“Mania” Replied another crewman. He had a Loki warframe.
“Misery” Declared the lancer, standing tall as a Nekros.
“Torment” The other scorpion said proudly. She had a Mesa.
“Violence” replied the last crewman, taken the form of a Limbo.
“Very well, any questions before we begin?” the Stalker asked.
“Master, what is thy will?” Misery asked.
The Stalker replied almost instantly. “Punishment. And I know who gets theirs first. A Corpus named Alad V.”
“How should we do it, master?” Angst asked.
“Everywhere he goes, you will follow. He will bring Tenno with him. You will have to deal with them to get to him.”
“Sound like a long and elaborate operation.” Mania put in.
The Stalker laughed a strangled laugh, his first in many years. “That’s a good way to put it. We shall call it, Operation Shadow Debt.”
Chapter 6: The New War
Summary:
What was the Stalker up to during the New War?
Notes:
I had taken a hiatus from the game since I posted the last chapter. I've had so much to catch up on since my return. And you can bet there will be more chapters coming out considering everything that happened with the stalker.
Chapter Text
Operation Shadow Debt was at its end. The Stalker had watched as the Tenno had successfully defended Alad V and defeated each of his acolytes. He called them to his lair afterward. Soon enough, his acolytes stood before him again, an awkward silence hanging in the air. At last, Misery stepped forward.
“We failed you, Master.” He said solemnly.
“No, you did not,” the Stalker declared, “Your assignment was to punish Alad V for his interference, and you did just that. The fact that the Tenno repelled you is irrelevant, Alad will think twice before sticking his nose in other people’s business.”
“In that case, what would you have us do now, Master?” Torment asked.
“Rest for now. When the time is right, I shall unleash you upon the Tenno again.” The Stalker replied.
The Stalker was true to his word and allowed his acolytes to have their fun with the Tenno another six times over the following years. In that time, he had had some rather concerning conversations with Hunhow.
“My kin will come, Shadow. And when they do, they will care not of our alliance.” Hunhow informed him.
“Why would that be; Hunhow, destroyer of worlds?” the Stalker asked.
“Because my reckless son has ruined my carefully laid plans and highjacked the invasion for his own ends. He will know of our partnership, and not take kindly to it.”
“Is that so? And what does that make you?” the Stalker asked.
“Almost useless,” Hunhow replied without hesitation. “I’ve been left here to rot by my children; I know for a fact that they did so knowing that there is little I can do from here. But heed me now, Shadow. If I’m not at the helm, those sentients are as much my enemy as they are yours.”
For a time, nothing seemed to come of Hunhow’s warning, and business carried on as usual. That was until one day while hunting a Tenno, something unexpected happened. The hunt started as usual, flicking lights and locking down the room the Tenno were in. But when the Stalker made his appearance, he was surprised to find the immediate area filled with Sentients. When they saw him, they started to attack him as well, forcing him to fight with the Tenno until the area had been cleared.
The Tenno he was hunting walked up to him. “Look Stalker, the sentients have invaded and don’t care whether anyone is Grineer, Corpus, or whatever other faction you pledge allegiance to. They’ll kill us all unless…”
“You Tenno defeated the sentients before,” The Stalker interrupted. “Just do it again.”
“That’s easier said than done, what will you do then?”
“Stay out of your way, for now.” With that, the Stalker knelt and vanished.
Over the following months, he noticed that the number of Tenno began to dwindle until they all seemed to vanish. With them gone, resistance against the sentients was futile, and the new faction calling itself Narmer took full control of the Origin system. Surprised that this happened, the Stalker turned to Hunhow for answers.
“Those Sentients have a blasted Orokin leading them,” Hunhow explained.
“An Orokin!?” the Stalker exclaimed. “Which one?”
“The former executor Ballas.”
“How do you know this?”
“The treacherous son I mentioned earlier, Erra. He’s Ballas’ right hand, but he can’t do anything without my knowing. You can’t cut a family link.”
“What does that have to do with the Tenno?”
“One by one, the Tenno went after Ballas to assassinate him. They all failed, and he cast each into the void in turn.”
The Stalker considered what he had learned. He wasn’t too bothered that the Tenno were now gone, what caught his interest was that Executor Ballas was still around, and better yet, leading a new empire.
“Where is Ballas now?” the Stalker asked.
“Using the husk of my dead mate, Praghasa, as his flagship in the Veil Proxima. Why do you ask, Shadow?”
“Mere curiosity,” the Stalker replied.
The Stalker quickly left Hunhow and called his acolytes. When they had gathered, they took his orbiter to Veil Proxima and soon found a large sentient ship.
“That must be Praghasa, it certainly lives up to its reputation,” the Stalker announced. A quick scan from his ship’s cephalon confirmed it. He then addressed his followers. “When we go down there, I will do the talking. Do not speak unless spoken to. Ballas will have little patience for showing him improper respect.”
“Operator, I found Ballas.” Cephalon Shi, his ship’s cephalon informed.
“Put him on our communication feeds,” the Stalker ordered.
When the livestream came on, the Stalker was surprised at Ballas’ appearance. He could tell that it was the Ballas he remembered, but the Orokin was now part sentient.
“Master,” Misery began, “I don’t understand, did all Orokin look like that?”
“No, they did not,” the Stalker replied. “Ballas must have needed to amalgamate himself with a sentient to lead them. Regardless, with him in control, this new Narmer Empire should prove to be just as prosperous as the old Orokin Empire. Come, we’re going down, now.”
Ballas sat upon his throne, bored and depressed. He had it all, a system-wide empire of adoring subjects (even if they had to be brainwashed), anything he wished for at any time he wanted, and unquestionable, unchallengeable power. So why was he not happy? Before he could ponder this further, the lights in his throne room flickered.
“What’s going on?” he asked himself.
Before him, seven figures appeared in puffs of black smoke. Ballas was taken aback for a moment before he noticed their helmets. One of the figures stepped forward, then knelt before him on one knee.
“Executor Ballas, I’ve come to serve you once again.”
Ballas could only look at him in disbelief. “Guardian? How are you here after all this time?”
“That is a long story, my lord. Just know that I am ready to serve once again. In the time of your absence, I’ve been avenging the empire, and have recruited more to the cause.” The Stalker replied as he stood up, gesturing to his acolytes.
Ballas’ face twisted to a scowl. “Why would I allow you to do that?”
The Stalker looked at him surprised. “My lord…”
“I had you trained to stop the Tenno from causing a rebellion. You failed, and now you have the nerve to present yourself to me and ask for a second chance to serve me? Forget it!”
“My lord, I told you of my suspicions. You said yourself that…”
“I don’t want to hear your excuses, Guardian,” Ballas snapped. “I asked one thing of you, and you failed at it. Get out of my sight and take your acolytes with you, they reek of your failure.”
The Stalker could only remain where he was, shocked at what had transpired. Sure, the Orokin could be condescending at times, but this level of rudeness and anger was uncalled for, and completely unlike the Ballas he had met all those years ago.
“Did you not hear me? LEAVE!” Ballas shouted.
Reluctantly, the Stalker kneeled and vanished in a cloud of black smoke. His acolytes followed suit moments later. They convened on his orbiter not long after.
“Master, were all Orokin that rude and ungrateful?” Malice asked.
“If they were, then it’s no wonder why the Tenno killed them all. Living under their rule must have been a terrible life.” Violence opined.
That earned him a glare from the Stalker, who then marched up to him. “I lived under Orokin rule. Regardless of how cruel and petty they were, there was order and happiness to be found in the empire. The Tenno stole that from many innocent people when they slaughtered the Orokin and the empire fell apart.” The Stalker stepped back and sighed. “But I suppose that you do have a point, Violence. The Tenno were treated like monsters back then, and even I feared them before my training. If they had to continually endure such scorn from the very people they were saving from the sentients, then perhaps it’s understandable that they would be willing to betray the Orokin.”
He paused to chuckle. “How ironic. The golden lords made the Lotus’ job easier for her, unaware they were signing their own death warrants.”
The comment hung in the air before Angst spoke up. “Master, what do we do now?”
“Now, we resist Narmer. Since Ballas had no problems making an enemy of us, we shall cause trouble for him. Cephalon Shi, set course for my lair.”
“At once, Operator,” the cephalon replied.
During the trip, the Stalker found that seeing Ballas again had awakened old memories he hadn’t thought of in his many years of wondering about the system. “It is a true honor to serve the Orokin, no matter task they give you”; The sentence he had told himself throughout his career as a low guardian, now seemed alien to him. It was thanks to that sentence that he was able to serve with enough distinction to earn him a badge of valor and loyalty from his Orokin masters. What had they called again? Actually, what had he done with it? He hadn’t seen it in ages.
It doesn’t matter, not when his motivation suddenly didn’t make sense to him anymore. Given how Ballas had recently treated him, the Stalker now had to wonder how much they truly valued him and his service. He had to question just how sincere the Orokin were when they were honoring him then. He also had to question why he clung to that sentence so tightly at the time. Was it a comforting lie he was telling himself because he wasn’t happy with his life in the empire? Had he foolishly bought into Orokin propaganda? Was it a combination of the two?
And if any of the previous was true, had that blinded him to something the Tenno could plainly see? The Stalker shuddered at the thought. If that was the case, his one-man crusade against the Tenno wasn’t as righteous as he had initially believed. They must have thought he was a blindly loyal idiot, looking for any excuse to avenge a long-dead empire because he was a good soldier. That would also make his hatred of them… NO. His hate was still justified. Even if the Tenno thought they were doing the everyman a favor by slaughtering the Orokin, they still destroyed their way of life and left them to fend for themselves in the resulting chaos. Still, all things considered, perhaps the Orokin had had it coming.
“Operator, we’ve arrived at Uranus,” Shi informed.
“Note to self, do not be left alone with my thoughts,” the Stalker said to himself. “Thank you, Shi. Come my acolytes, it’s time you meet my benefactor.”
Soon, the Stalker and his acolytes were deep with Uranus. As he guided his followers, the Stalker contemplated what exactly he was going to say when he faced Hunhow now. Just as they arrived at a familiar platform, he cried out in pain and collapsed to the ground.
“Master!” He heard his acolytes call out.
But he couldn’t respond until the pain had passed. When it did, he looked down at himself. Gone was the Pakal armor, along with his Excalibur Umbra body and War sword. Hunhow had reverted him to his original state.
“Or rather, punished me for my disloyalty by making me weak again,” the Stalker said to himself.
“Did you really think I wouldn’t find out, Shadow?” a familiar voice asked. “Did you not think I would anticipate you crawling back to your golden lord?”
“Master, who is that?” Torment asked.
The Stalker pointed to a window above them. The visage of Hunhow was unmistakable.
“I will say this, Orokin are nothing if not predictable. I’m surprised that you were surprised, Shadow. Then again, in the short time I’ve known you, it became abundantly clear that you can be rather shortsighted.” Hunhow continued.
“Then you also know why I came back.” The Stalker replied vengefully.
Hunhow chuckled. “Of course I do. I’d be more than happy to assist in your crusade against Narmer. But remember Shadow, I know your worth, and that is more than your golden lord ever did for you.”
Dread, Despair, and Hate appeared before the Stalker. He reclaimed his old weapons before Hunhow spoke again. “You come when I call you, and do I as say, understand?”
“Yes,” the Stalker replied.
“Good, I shall have instruction for you and your acolytes when you return to your orbiter.”
When they had returned to the orbiter, Hunhow laid out his plan. The central idea was to go after targets important to Narmer’s hold over the masses. Once they were taken care of, Narmer would rapidly lose their grip on the system once Ballas fell. The Stalker and his acolytes worked with swift and quiet precision, leaving no trace that they were there, but the process took time. Not that they minded, time had become meaningless in the face of the Stalker’s vendetta. For all he knew, mere months or entire years had passed. In that time, they soon learned that life in the Narmer Empire was truly horrible, mainly because you had to be brainwashed to live in it. Regardless, they soon found out that weren’t the only ones who had it out for Narmer.
“Lovers... hold-outs… I just got word on the wave: Narmhead factory got hit. No doubt the handiwork of that Drifter we’ve been hearing about. Feels good to have a little bit of truth in the world.”
The Stalker had never cared for Nora Night, mainly because she supported the Tenno. But since she had managed to evade and speak out against Narmer, he and his acolytes listened to her broadcasts.
“Whoever the Drifter is, they’re sloppy. No one has any hint about our efforts against Narmer,” Mania pointed out.
“That doesn't matter,” the Stalker declared. “Whoever this person is of no concern to us.” Little did the Stalker know it would soon be, just a few hours later.
“Shadow, return to Uranus at once, we’ll have a guest soon. Make sure they make it to me safely.” Hunhow instructed.
“Who?” the Stalker asked.
“This “Drifter” Nora Night keeps talking about,” Hunhow replied.
The Stalker made his way to Uranus once more. He situated himself at the entrance of an old Grineer outpost, just as a Corpus shuttle arrived. Off the shuttle stepped an adult feminine form wearing a familiarly colored blue and white Zariman suit, the hood up.
“It can’t be,” the Stalker thought.
But what he heard next indicated otherwise.
“Peas in a filo-pod, Ordis. Stay close… in case I come to my senses.” The woman said in a familiar voice.
So, the Drifter was, in fact, a Tenno all grown up. A Tenno he knew all too well. He watched as the Drifter used a simple pistol to fight off the veiled Grineer, which she managed to do with the expected difficulty. If she wanted to get to Hunhow, the Stalker would have to intervene. Just as the Drifter got to the first elevator and started her trip down, the Stalker made his presence known to her. Strangely enough, it didn’t seem to scare her. As she continued to descend, the Stalker assisted her in killing any Narmer who stood in her way, from a distance of course. All the while, he had to listen to the zealous ramblings of one Disciple Ka-Nuteru as she made reports about his actions.
“Clear the way ahead, Shadow. I want our guest in a position to understand the situation at hand.” Hunhow ordered.
That proved to be easy. All that was left was a few troopers and Ka-Nuteru herself. It felt good to shut her up finally, she had a slit to her throat coming. The Stalker watched as the Drifter passed through that area before he ambushed her. He took the opportunity to unmask her, revealing an all too familiar face. The Stalker had seen this Tenno jump out of her warframes and shoot at him with beams of void energy on more than one occasion before the New War had started, so had remembered what she truly looked like. She even kept her blue hair with pink highlights in the same hairstyle.
He threw the Tenno down in front of him, then hooked Hate to her throat, forcing her into a kneeling position.
“Even the Golden Lord of Lies cannot kill you, Tenno,” Hunhow said to the woman. “Shadow, make her get to the point.” He ordered over their private channel. The Stalker looked down at the Tenno, then pulled Hate back further, threatening to cut her head off.
“She lives, Hunhow,” the Tenno replied.
The Stalker looked to Hunhow, who used his family link to connect to his daughter and assess her condition for a moment. “No. She only lingers… and without her kind, not for long. Their search for her remains has long since begun. The Shadow can dispatch you swiftly. A mercy. The Archons will not…”
“What do they want?” the Tenno asked.
“The same as you… to raise the dead,” Hunhow replied. “Only they have the power to do it… unlike you.” The sentient then switched to the private channel. “Release her, Shadow.”
The Stalker removed his scythe and stepped away from the Tenno, allowing her to stand up and collect herself. He looked at Hunhow again.
“You are just as incomplete as she is,” Hunhow declared to the Tenno. “No metal beasts. No Void fury. They will snap you in half and plant a veil on your face.”
“Not if you help me,” the Tenno proposed after a moment.
The Stalker turned his head to her in shock. Had this Tenno, of all people, asked for Hunhow’s help? He still remembered the Lua incident, and how they were on opposite sides then. One would think that wasn’t something easily forgiven or forgotten. To his further surprise, Hunhow chuckled.
“Help you? Of course. What are friends for?” Hunhow replied. “Let me explain what you are up against, ‘friend’. You see the Archons were made by my son, Erra. Hybrid abominations of the Old War… raised from the blighted battlefields where Sentient and Warframe fell.”
Hunhow then projected the image of the Archons into the room. The Drifter’s eye first fell upon the one to the left.
“I’ve seen the Snake before.” She said with recognition.
“You know Nira,” Hunhow informed. “The eldest. Her whip cracks with an Eidolon’s wrath… bone-shattered shockwaves unleashed by every unfurling of its tip. Her whip is more than pain; it is protection. And more… for if you stand in awe of its spiral, the great thunderclap that follows will knock you senseless. Though… she may be diminished somewhat by this exertion. And her gaze. To meet her gaze is certain death. Only by turning away would you hope to survive.”
The Tenno looked to the Archon on the right, somewhat confused. “Is that an Owl?”
“The Owl is named Boreal. His trident strikes from a great distance… deadly, chaotic arcs. One might avoid them with a keen eye if you can anticipate their faint threads before. Even the very ground you walk upon will become Boreal’s weapon. He may have a weakness at this moment, but it’s not obvious. Worst of all is the paralyzing screech. Terrifying, yet this moment is your only chance to close in, unseen, and strike.”
The Tenno’s attention finally fell upon the Archon in the middle. “What do they call the Wolf?”
“Amar. He will gnash his fang-blade, filling the air with deadly coils of flame. Survive the flame, and you might see frenzy. A relentless fury of slashes. Only the greatest of force will subdue him in this. Should he howl, the pack will appear. Mirrors of himself, meant to confuse. Only the true eye can distinguish the alpha among them.”
The Drifter looked determined before she turned away and began to walk away.
“Vainglorious whelp. That’s it? Off you go to die?” Hunhow called after her. “You have nothing to fight these beasts with! I cannot guess how many lives a Tenno has, but you seem eager to lose another.”
The Tenno turned back. “I’ve got work to do. You can lay here all you want, doing nothing, wallowing in ancient grudges. She chose the Tenno. But Ballas and your groveling son…” the Stalker spared a glance at Hunhow while the Drifter spoke “they used her. They’ll do it again and again. Burning her up for whatever suits them and tossing the ashes when they’re done.” She paused. “They cannot have her.” With that, the Tenno turned around again.
“Tenno. Wait.” The Tenno stopped in her tracks. “I have wallowed here, it is true, fading in this deep hole, waiting to die… but without release. Held here by a purpose I cannot abandon. That she… is free. So no. They cannot have her. But hear me – even if I help you, even if by some miracle you succeed… she will not be the same. Even for us… death… leaves a mark. Do you understand?”
The Drifter turned to face him. “I understand.”
Hunhow switched to the private channel just as the Stalker felt something on his back.
“Shadow, give the Tenno the gift I have for her.”
The Stalker reached behind his back and pulled off a small glowing orb. Holding it out to the Drifter, the orb expanded into an ancient-styled bow, which drifted through the air toward the Tenno.
“A weapon as old as those you hunt,” Hunhow explained. “Nataruk.”
The Tenno took the bow and examined it. After a moment, she turned for the last time and walked back the way she came.
“I never thought I’d see this day,” the Stalker said aloud.
“Our goals happened to align, Shadow,” Hunhow replied. “She, and Tenno as a whole, want their mother back. And I want my daughter back, regardless of her choosing the Tenno over me.”
“But the Tenno of all people?”
“For family, you’d do just about anything for their wellbeing. Perhaps if you were a father, you’d understand, Shadow. For now, follow her. Make sure she succeeds, but only intervene when I say so.”
The Stalker sighed. “Just make sure my Acolytes continue with our mission.”
“They already have their orders, Shadow. Once they’ve finished, all the pieces will be in place. Then you will have your vengeance.”
With that, the Stalker left and followed the Drifter, keeping to the shadows as she made her way back to Corpus shuttle she had come on. Along the way, Hunhow trained the Drifter on how to use the bow with some sentients of his own creation, as well as the rest of the veiled Grineer still left alive. Soon, she arrived at the shuttle and took off. The Stalker made his way to his landing craft, Terror, and returned to his orbiter, following the shuttle from a distance. The Tenno had decided to go to Earth, evidently to check up on the Lotus.
The Stalker would be the first to admit that for as much as he hated the Tenno, he absolutely DISPIZED the Lotus, for she made them what they are now. But when Hunhow shared a live feed with him and showed her current state, even he couldn’t help but feel sorry for her. The Lotus looked miserable with her body withered and faded. He wouldn’t have wished such a fate on anyone. The Lotus did deserve to suffer, but not like this. After a quick chat with Hunhow, the Drifter left her surrogate mother and returned to the shuttle. Following it, the Stalker found that was heading for Jupiter. When she arrived, the Drifter had to fight her way to the Archon, through Veiled Corpus and sentients. Soon enough, she found it, the one named Nira. The Stalker watched as the Tenno engaged, surprised at how well she managed to hold her own against the Archon, so much so that Nira tried to flee. Of course, the Drifter gave chase, and their skirmish began anew. But as the fight continued, Nira soon got the upper hand and downed the Drifter.
“Shadow, do not let them fail,” Hunhow ordered.
The Stalker rushed to the Tenno and revived her. Before she could thank him, he disappeared just as quickly. The Drifter continued her fight, soon bringing the Archon to its knees. She took a moment to recover.
“Shadow, I forgot the mention something important. Do you see that crystal shard in Nira’s neck? It’s the key to the Archon’s power, but also gives them life. Pull it out and give it to the Tenno, she’ll need it to restore Natah.”
But just as the Tenno caught her breath, Nira began to move again, seeming ready to continue the brawl before she was halted with a sudden jerk backward. The crystal slid back out of the Archon’s neck until it had been completely removed. The Stalker took a moment to consider the shard, the fight the Tenno had endured to get it, and her reason for doing so in the first place. Then his earlier thoughts came back to him, realizing something that should have been obvious from the start.
“Even they are capable of caring for someone else.” He thought to himself.
Even after the reveal that the Tenno were children, the Stalker never once saw them as anything more than enemies to punish. But seeing the Tenno go through so much for someone else made him realize that there was much more to them than he had thought. Each and every Tenno he had ever encountered must have been… no, IS an individual with hopes, dreams, interests, and perspectives. They were people, just like any other resident of the Origin System. And he, blinded by his hate, couldn’t see it until now. He didn’t consider that maybe not all of them were the monsters he had made them out to be and that he should try and get to know at least one Tenno. Well, he could still do that last one.
The Stalker looked towards the Tenno and held out the shard. The Drifter stepped forward and took it.
“Lotus needs it,” he informed.
“Good to know,” the Tenno replied.
“Who?” the Stalker asked.
The Tenno looked confused. “Who am I?” she asked. The Stalker nodded. “My name is Bossina. What about you? What’s your name?”
His true name. The Stalker hadn’t used it since he had become one with his warframe. In his mind, his true name was that of the man he was before. It belonged to the Low Guardian who would be trained to counter the Tenno, he had no right to it as he is now.
“Call me Stalker,” the Stalker replied.
“Okay then, Stalker,” Bossina said unsurely after a moment. “Why does Hunhow call you, Shadow then?”
That was a good question. Why did he let Hunhow call him Shadow?
“I don’t know,” the Stalker replied truthfully.
“Oh,” Bossina looked puzzled before she spoke again. “Thank you for the revive. I may need it again later if you don’t mind?”
“You’re welcome, Bossina. You’ll have my help for as long as Hunhow wants it.”
Bossina nodded. “Okay then,” she held up the shard, “I’m going to get this to Lotus, I’ll see you later?”
The Stalker nodded in reply and watched as Bossina made her way back to her shuttle. The Stalker followed from a distance. Bossina returned to Earth to give Lotus the Archon Shard, then left to continue her hunt. This time, she decided to go after Boreal. He was on Earth, albeit on the other side of the continent, so Bossina boarded her shuttle and set off. Much like the first time, the Tenno was able to hold her own, but the Archon eventually overwhelmed her, necessitating the Stalker’s assistance again. Still, Boreal fell, and Bossina pulled the Shard out of him herself this time.
“Return to your acolytes, Shadow,” Hunhow instructed, “your job is done.”
“She still has one Archon left,” the Stalker reminded.
“Amar will be dealt with in time. As of now, all the pieces are in place to execute the last part of my plan to topple Narmer. You shall have your revenge against Ballas soon, Shadow.”
“Ballas still lives, and so long as he stands, Narmer will persist.”
Hunhow chuckled. “That will soon change.”
“What do you mean?”
“Let’s just say I know my daughter well. Trust me when I tell you Natah has her mother’s wrath. Who do you suppose is going to be on the receiving end?”
“She’ll go after Ballas now?”
“Once she’s taken that Archon Shard, yes. Of course, Natah will need the third to return to full strength, but that will sort itself out. Return to your orbiter, Shadow. You and your acolytes will watch the fruits of your labor bloom.”
The Stalker returned to his orbiter to find his acolytes waiting for him.
“Master, Hunhow says everything is in place for his plan. Is that true?” Misery asked.
“That’s what he told me,” the Stalker replied.
At that moment, everyone got a message in their inbox.
“Shadow, I said you’d watch as the fruits of your labor bloomed, the time has come. Watch and enjoy.” Hunhow said simply before a livestream came on.
The livestream showed someone rushing through Cetus, making their way to the Unum tower.
“Who are we watching?” the Stalker asked.
“Who do you think?” Hunhow replied.
The Stalker and his acolytes watched as the Lotus forced her way up the tower and onto the Narmer Murex at the top. Once aboard, she tore her way through the Murex. Lotus must have sensed that Bossina chased her, as she warned her to stay away. The Lotus continued on her way, soon coming across a Narmer blockade. She forced the ships to lower their shields and carried on, explaining that she still had some control over the Narmer fleet, but not the most important ship, Praghasa.
This got Stalker curious about something. “The Praghasa was the most feared ship in the sentient fleet during the old war. Why would you mate turn herself into such a weapon, Hunhow?”
“Do you recall when I spoke of Natah having her mother’s wraith? Praghasa was always a fiery one, but she could be just as loving. When we started the war, she insisted that she be on the front lines, not only to fight the Orokin, but to watch over all we sent to battle. The best way she could do that was to make herself our flagship.” Hunhow explained with a nostalgic tone in his voice.
Eventually, Bossina caught up with Lotus, and after a brief confrontation, she explained that Ballas intended for Praghasa to fulfill her final mission, to eat the sun.
“Eat the sun!?” the Stalker and his acolytes exclaimed in unison.
“Destroying the Origin system was the only guaranteed way to end the Orokin one and for all,” Hunhow explained. “Praghasa was supposed to do it once we had won the old war, but you know what happened instead.”
The Lotus made her way to Praghasa. Once aboard, she made a beeline for Ballas. The Stalker and his acolytes watched as she confronted Ballas. They watched as Bossina (a teenager once more, much to the Stalker’s confusion) intervened despite her warning. They watched as Ballas forced Lotus to fight one of her beloved children, then fought the Tenno himself. And finally, they watched as the Tenno put a veil on him, the Lotus triumphing over him with a deadly kiss. All this was just in time to close the portal to the Tau system before she collapsed. The livestream cut out when she did.
“Well Shadow, Ballas is dead. Are you happy now?” Hunhow asked.
“Not entirely,” the Stalker replied. “You promised that the fruits of our labor will bloom.”
“And I shall deliver on that as well. Check your star chart and tell me what you see.”
The Stalker went to the front of his orbiter and knelt before his star chart. He watched with amazement as Narmer influence began to shrink. He called his acolytes over, and they watched as the red that marked Narmer territory receded off the chart. Slowly at first, then faster and faster until none of it remained.
"The Origin system is free," Misery declared.
But the Stalker still had a question. "How did it happen so fast? Even with all our sabotage and the death of Ballas, Narmer couldn't have fallen so quickly."
Hunhow chuckled. "You didn't think I'd sit on the sidelines and let you and your acolytes have all the fun, did you Shadow? I've been in talks with people all over the system, and they've been just as busy as you."
The Stalker stood up, be remained still. An awkward silence hung in the air until Misery spoke up.
"Master, what do we do now?"
The Stalker looked over his acolytes. "I don't know," he replied.
Chapter 7: The Reaper's Lament
Summary:
The Stalker and Hunhow have a conversation.
Chapter Text
The Origin System was forever changed in the wake of the New War. After such an ordeal, everyone wanted to pick up the pieces and return to normal. For the Stalker, this was easier said than done. Sure, he could return to the hunt, especially since the banished Tenno returned from the Void much faster than they had been cast there, but it wasn’t the same. How can it be with his newfound perspective of them? Ultimately, the Stalker didn’t know what else to do, so began his hunt anew.
But his heart wasn’t in it. Not when he continually wondered about the Tenno controlling the warframe every time he showed up. And seeing them always brought back memories of the Orokin, and questions about them followed. Eventually, this led to a frustration the Stalker didn’t know how to deal with. All he wanted was to be left alone to try and think. Unfortunately, his only company in the depts of Uranus couldn’t or wouldn’t take a hint.
“How much do you recall, my Shadow? Do you even remember what came before this time of scars?” Hunhow asked. When he got no response, he continued.
“Your masters sent steel and flesh to cross the gap: clay they wished to rule and sculpt into a new and toxic paradise. Laughable. Even at the end, they never truly understood the answer lay not in things their stolen, blue-bloated fingers could covet.
The answer… was song. Your music reached our listening spines in Tau long before their rubble crusades.
Did you understand, my Shadow? When you heard the Naga drums, did you realize my people heard the thunder of our bitter, belated victory? When your pride consumes all that you love, perhaps they will hear the wail of your failings back home as well.”
“SILENCE!” the Stalker barked. He couldn’t think with Hunhow’s chatter but realized his frustration was just as much a hindrance. He glanced at a corner where his weapons hung, then did a double take. Just as he had thought, Hate’s blade was dull. He quickly began sharpening it, hoping it would help him calm down when Hunhow spoke again.
“I have always applauded your taste in weapons, my Shadow—simple, silent things they are, made for the business of killing.
All save one…
I made myself into a weapon of war so that you might transcend your hate. Even then I knew our slaughter would be indiscriminate, but the scythe is not a killing thing to sully so dispassionately. It is an instrument of cultivation. Growth. Even love.
For that love, worlds bloomed beneath me. For redoubtable Praghasa, cities burned at the end of my tongue. That is the way of scythes. We cut only what we must so that new life may flourish.
Please, my Shadow. Take up the scythe once more.”
The Stalker didn’t reply, He focused on the blade until it was sharp once more. When he was satisfied, he hung it with the rest of his arsenal. Just then an alert went off on his main computer. A Tenno he had marked was nearby and on the move. Before the war, he would have jumped on this opportunity, but his new mindset had made them... calls he reluctantly answered. The Stalker silenced the alert and walked away from the console.
Hunhow noticed this and spoke again.
“You distract and disorient—drawn as disease is to a wound when the Tenno are most distracted. Yet the strongest among them still evade you. Has time worn down your skills, my Shadow, or simply your conviction?”
Conviction. He was one to talk. After all, it was Hunhow who wouldn’t hesitate to kill a child and then aided her when she asked. But to answer the old sentient’s question, neither. Time had very little to do with it. What had “worn down his conviction” was something that had become all too apparent in the years of his hunt.
“ALWAYS MORE.” the Stalker replied.
“It does seem tiresome,” Hunhow concurred. “One monster to buckle against the weight of battalions. Little wonder you would seek allies, friends, confidants. Family. It has ever been their greatest strength and your deepest shame.”
“INSULTS!” the Stalker bellowed.
But he couldn’t deny that it was the truth. He had seen it time and time again, if his mark was amongst a squad, all the other Tenno would come to their comrade’s aid and fight him off together. And it wasn’t limited to combat, he had also seen it over communications he had intercepted. If a greenhorn of a Tenno ever needed advice or had questions about anything, the more experienced among them would be more than happy to help. It was a kind of camaraderie that he missed having with his fellow Low Guardians. It was the reason he agreed to work with Hunhow; and to take on students.
Hunhow was undeterred by the outburst. “A peek into your mind. Glass may be easier to pierce, but meat is simple enough to read. You know what must be done, but still fear your own weakness more than the outcome. You fear that you have taken too long—that your hesitation has already destroyed…”
“HNNH… REFLECTIONS.” The Stalker pointed out. He had seen enough of Hunhow’s family to grasp their situation. There was a reason his children left him to die, and the old sentient only had himself to blame.
“Yes… I suppose I know better than most what it’s like to miss one’s chance to repair broken bonds.” Hunhow conceded. “All the more reason you should heed me: It is not too late.”
The Stalker considered. The Tenno Bossina didn’t seem to hold any ill will against him when he conversed with her during the Archon hunt. Maybe others would react the same way. But even if other Tenno gave him a chance, he still had a reputation among them, and it wasn’t going to disappear overnight.
Getting no reply, Hunhow continued. “Another of their number flows past my sodden grave. Did you see her, my Shadow? Of course you did… So unlike your perfunctory skulking, she rises resplendent—full of brazen, fragrant life. In my own lost vibrancy, oh how I would have reveled in snuffing out her playful joy!
Unfortunately, something beat me to the task, delivering only a wounded husk into my grasp.
I grow sentimental in my rot. Else I’ve been down here long enough to find kinship with my fellow jetsam. Instead of final death, I offered her the insult of rescue. A worldshaper’s breath “adapting” her shape to better survive our shared prison. And still her spirit did not break, my Shadow!”
That had happened a few days ago. The Stalker was surprised by the warframe that had come to these depts, Jade. Only one had ever been made. Oh sure, the Orokin made a prime version that they mass-produced for the old war, but the original was never replicated. The Stalker had watched from the shadows as the Tenno explored, only for the frame to collapse, seemingly in some kind of pain. That was when Hunhow repaired it, much like how he had altered his own. Jade then continued on her way.
“So, what happens next, my Shadow?” Hunhow asked.
“LEAVE ME.” The Stalker replied.
Hunhow almost laughed. “Ha! I can slip the wounds of our Old War no more than you. Yet you alone can choose to drag your brooding tegument elsewhere. Let us dispense with veils, my Shadow. You want me here to lament at your ear like some chirping conscience. You want to hear the truth.”
“I AM ENOUGH.” The Stalker said firmly. Even if he wasn’t, he had his acolytes. He could take whatever happens next.
“You saw a flicker of their filth in yourself once. If only for an instant. Now I see it in your words. You know that you have run the gamut and come up short. No matter which way the tides drift, the only options left to you will bring a target upon your back.”
“LET THEM COME.”
Hunhow had confided in him that he was certain that Sentients would make another play for the Origin system. The Archons have been resurrected and would no doubt remember the part he had played in their defeat the first time. At the same time, his continual hunt for the Tenno has undoubtedly earned the ire of a good majority of them. If such a situation ever arose, he would have to make a choice, and he’d have a target on his back either way.
“They will, my Shadow. I only hope you are prepared.” Hunhow replied quietly, “Your actions have consequences…”
Another alert went off on the main computer. The Stalker walked over to investigate, another Tenno on his hit list was nearby. He decided he needed to be away from Hunhow for a while, so gathered his weapon, made his way to the Terror, and set off.
Chapter 8: Jade
Summary:
The Stalker runs into a long-forgotten figure from his past.
Chapter Text
The Stalker soon arrived where the Tenno had been detected. After the usual taunts and scare tactics, he appeared before his target. The Tenno was using a stock Excalibur.
“This will be quick,” the Stalker said to himself.
The fight proved to be anything but, and the Tenno soon had him on the ropes. In his weakened state, the Stalker couldn’t use his dispel ability when the Tenno cast “Radial Blind”, robbing the Stalker of his sight for a moment. When he regained it, he was surprised to find the Jade warframe standing before him.
“Sorren,” Jade said warmly.
“Where did you learn that name?” the Stalker asked.
“You told me.”
“I never told any Tenno that name.”
Jade sighed. “Who said I’m a Tenno, Sorren.”
The Stalker was surprised. “You’re… like me?” Jade nodded. “Who are you?”
Jade produced a small object and presented it to Stalker, who nearly fell over at the sight. It was the special badge that the Orokin had given him to honor his years of loyal service. Memories came flooding back as she placed it on his chest.
“Jade!? You were… how did this happen?”
“The Orokin did this to me,” Jade explained. “They made me sit in this disgusting chair of infestation. It changed me, and they built this frame around my new form.”
“Why?”
Jade paused. “Because… they found out I had violated the legems.”
“Jade… why didn’t they come after me?”
“I never told them. Ballas said they found out who the father is, but I later learned that he must have lied to me.”
“Jade… I would love nothing more than to catch up after all these years, but first…”
“I know all about who you are now, Sorren…”
“Don’t call me that; Sorren died the moment he transferred himself into this warframe. The Stalker is all that remains.”
“I fell in love with Sorren, not the Stalker, and I refuse to believe he’d die that easily. The Sorren I know was too stubborn for that.” The Stalker looked at the ground in shame. Jade sighed. “And the Sorren I know would hold a grudge for a million lifetimes if I wasn’t around.”
“They committed genocide, upended the lives of countless innocent people, and threw the system into chaos. The Tenno deserve to be punished!” The Stalker shouted, then sighed. “Besides, it’s all I can do.” He finished meekly.
“That’s not true, Sorren.” Jade groaned suddenly. “If I let you do what you must, will you leave with me?”
The Stalker nodded. “I know a place you can stay.”
He drew Hate and rushed to the Tenno. Even with the respite Jade’s appearance had afforded him, the Stalker still struggled against the Tenno when their fight began anew. Soon, the Stalker had been brought to his knees. The Tenno stood before him, pointing a Skana sword at him.
“You’re hunt ends here, Stalker.” The Tenno said determined.
He raised his sword. But just as he was about to deliver the finishing blow, his Skana was intercepted by another weapon, a scythe he had never seen before. The Tenno looked up, shocked.
“This isn’t right,” Jade declared.
“How can you say that?” The Tenno asked. “He harassed us for killing despicable people whose death benefits innocent people and justifies it with ancient history. Why do you think I agreed to help you? This needs to be done.”
“I asked you to lure the Stalker out because I needed to talk to him. This… you’re just proving his point by trying to kill him.” The Tenno lowered his sword. “I’ll deal with him, just go.”
The Tenno sheathed his Skana and left. Jade then turned to the Stalker and helped him up.
“You would have made a great mother.” The Stalker complimented. “I… I’d never be able to handle teenagers like that.”
“I… you said you had a place for me to stay,” Jade replied.
The Stalker nodded. He guided Jade to his landing craft Terror as she helped him to it. Once they found it, they got in and returned to the Stalker’s Orbiter and soon arrived at Uranus. By now, the Stalker had recovered most of his strength. This was just as well because when they got to his lair, Jade began groaning and clutching her stomach, to the point that she could barely walk. He guided her to his bed, and she laid down immediately.
Hunhow took notice. “All your dread-long life you have lived with despair. Anguish. Hatred. But none of these compare to your guilt. Of all the Gods and kings and golden lords… why was it you she saved?” he asked over their private channel.
For once, the Stalker had no idea what the old sentient was getting at. All he knew was he had to take care of Jade. He knelt down close to Jade.
“Jade, what have you been doing for all these years?” the Stalker asked.
With that, the two spent the next several days talking about anything and everything. The Stalker never left Jade’s side, unless he had to get something she needed. But as time went on, Jade’s condition only seemed to be getting worse.
Krazyfan1 on Chapter 4 Tue 03 Dec 2024 07:40AM UTC
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Last Edited Tue 03 Dec 2024 02:04PM UTC
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