Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Pst, hey kid. The handle's Old Gruff, or at least that's how me mates call me. Down there in Fortuna you don't exactly get handles unless you're the real deal. Which I mean I am now, well kinda... but I wasn't back then, yknow? You probably already know this, but I was a smuggler. Heh, we'd like to think of ourselves as those big wig gangster types, but in reality we were pretty small scale. Some damaged Orokin tech, contraband mats, the works. Probably why I even got 'ere in the first place, eh? Honestly shoulda seen it comin, ya taxmen are smarter than ya look, I'll give ya that. But I gotta say, these shackles are pretty mucking uncomfortable, honestly if you
wanna keep me mates locked up, ya really should...
As I continued to babble away,I took a gander at the clove forced to listen to me. Despite having a helmet, I could tell this one was probably fresh blood, especially since most veteran Taxmen wouldn't settle on a small time gig on a scrapper vessel. He was obviously confused, but hey, what other distractions did either of us have?
-"Um...Why are you telling me...any of this?", he asked.
-"Well, y'know, figured id pass the time 'till they do something with me. And with whom better to share my life's tale than with some new blood like you, kid?
-"Look, no offense, but I really do not need to know this...", he explained before turning tail.
-" Wait, wait, wait! I gotta ask ya somethin'. Who knows, maybe we could even strike up a bargain?", I offered.
-"A...bargain?", the Taxman responded, turning around.
Heh, the second you mention money you always get their attention.
-"Yea, yea. See that console over there?", I asked, pointing at it (or at least as much as I could), "All you gotta do is release Old Gruff, and he'll use his knowledge of Taxmen tech to 'port himself outta this place...
-"Whoa, whoa, whoa! In article 17 of my contract, under the clause 'dealing with indentured labour', it clearly states that except in the event of your expiration or orders from my superiors, I am not to release you!".
Typical Taxmen, with their lawyer-like mumbo jumbo. Thankfully, I picked up some of their tricks. Ya tend to do that when you're dealing with 'em business types for some time.
-"Ya didn't let me finish, kid. In exchange for releasin' me, I can find ya some nice Orokin scrap so you can make a pretty crown under the counter. Guarantee it'll make ya more silver stamps than an entire half-decade on this deadhead! So, whaddya say?"
-"And how am I supposed to believe you?", the kid asked, definitely skeptical.
-"Simple. Ya go to Fortuna an' ask for me. Old Gruff's me handle in case ya forgot. First thing they tell ya? 'Ol' Gruff always pays his debts'. Bank on it!"
-"Hmmm...", he thought, looking at my profile on his tablet. Heh, like that was gonna help him.
"Fine, we have a deal. But if you end up scamming me, I will be mad!"
And with that, the taxman released me. Ok, boot up the recall, punch in some coords and..Bingo!
-"Haha! Thanks, kid. Before I go though, what's ya handle? I can't repay ya if I don't know ya".
-"It's Tise", he explained, a nice tinge of distrust in his voice, or at least that's what I made out.
-"Got it. Keep the shiny side up, mate!", I shouted, hitting the recall button.
And with that, I was back at Fortuna.

Chapter Text

Y'know, living in Fortuna ain't so bad. Sure, you got em Taxmen comin' in every few hours to repo some poor soul, but aside from that, it's all pretty relaxed. Every now an' again I'll get a Tenno lookin' to get some under the counter relics from Ol' Gruff, but that's not so common. Specially not these days with rumors circlin' about a certain Zariman reappearin'. But, oh well, we make do with what we got down here.

-"Ey, Boss! We got a new shipment!", Jimbo, one of my luggers, shouted, hauling a nice cart full of Orokin goodies. Just lookin' at the damn thing I knew we were about to earn a nice few silver stamps.
-"Thanks, mate. I'll eyeball it"

And sure enough, the thing was bundled out with pilfered orokin artifacts! Relics, weapon components, trinkets...You name it, this thing has it! Though, rummaging through that bucket of gold, I did notice something...rare. Soon as the thing got into my hands, I realized. I was holding a pristine Orokin codex! This thing must've been worth twice as much as the rest of the cart combined! Honestly, I could've sold it right then and there to some Tenno historian. Void knows they'd pay a fortune for whatever secrets are in this thing. But for whatever reason, I felt a tinge of...guilt, I guess you could call it, at the idea of keeping the money for myself. For the life of me, I couldn't think of why for the longest time (that being a few seconds, of course) before it hit me...Tise! Now, to be completely honest, I never intended to pay the kid back. Thought he'd disappear to some far away outpost 'fore I could find something to repay him with. And yet here I was, holding something that could pay off that half-decade I promised him and then some! Hmm, I guess the kid did deserve it. After all, were it not for him, Ol' Gruff here would've prolly had to waste away his life in some asteroid hab.
-"Jevick, got your ears on?", I said over comms. And sure enough-
-"Hey, boss. Wotsit?", he responded. Jevick was a nice mate. Worked with the Taxmen as an accountant, but always made sure to mask any rail agents coming his way. More importantly, though, if you ever wanted to know the location of any merk-merk in the system, he had your
back.

-"I need you to find me a certain Taxmen. Got an Orokin Codex with his name on it."
-"Smoke the brakes! You wanna send an artifact, let alone a codex...to a taxman?"
-"Relax, Jev, i'm simply...repayin' a favor to an old mate".
-"Oh...Then I suppose that's alright. Who d'you wanna send it to?"
-"Only know his handle was Tise. And from what I could make out, he shouldn't've gone far. Think you can find him?"
-"Hmm, lemme check.... I got a singular Tise-V, new recruit working guard duty on an obelisk at the Vesper Straight. This him?"
-"Oughta be. I'll hand it to ya next cycle. Just be sure it gets to him, ok?"
-"Don't sweat it, boss. Your mate'll get his codex. Bank on it."
-"Great! Thanks, and keep the shiny side up, Jev".

After that little convo, I took one more look at the Codex itself. Though it was a simple Orokin handheld, I still decided not to try turning it on so I don't damage it or something. Still, a Solaris's gotta wonder what secrets this thing has. What if it speaks of an Orokin vault, filled with priceless treasure? Heh, ok Gruff, that's enough daydreaming for today.

Chapter Text

A few weeks later, lifes goin good. Sales 're stable, plenty of work to keep my place here, the works. That day was lookin' to be more of the same. Was simply drinkin some good ol' caffeine in the break room when suddenly, a merk-merk comes right outta nowhere! For a moment I thought i was 'boutta explode then and there (which the caffeine was not making better, I'll tell you that much), but that's when I noticed something odd. The taxman was alone. Now, I know you ain't exactly from Fortuna, but when the Taxmen come a knockin' for your organs, they tend to do it in groups. They don't want you even thinking you could fight back or anything like that, y'know? And yet here was this taxman fella, all alone.

"Gruff! Thank Profit you're alive! I was beginning to think you got repossessed or something!", he said. Don't think I was ever as confused as I was back then. Though, that's probably just cause we Solaris don't exactly have to deal with any legal mumbo jumbo that often, but still.
Don't think I actually said anything in response, just remember staring at him with my rig-eyes, dumbfounded.

"Oh, right.", he realized, taking off his helmet. And would you believe it! The Kid himself, Tise, down here in Fortuna! Needless to say I was more shocked than that time Jimbo almost lost us a priceless shipment of warframe parts!
"Tise, kid, what in the actual-", I began, although I was quickly, and rudely if I do say so myself, cut off.
"It's about the codex you sent me.", he explained.

If there's one thing I know about that day, it's that this didn't make Old Gruff any less confused.

"Oh, well, what about it?"
"Well, while tinkering around with it, I actually found out something incredible! Something that could really turn both our lives right around!"

Eh, I wasn't looking for much of a lifestyle change then, but since the kid seemed excited, I decided to let him talk.

"Specifically, after pulling back some boring bureaucratic nonsense, I found records of an Orokin noble who really liked his possessions....and the coordinates to the vaults that contain them!"
"Wait, so what you're suggesting is-", I asked, only to be interrupted once again...
"We engage in some grave robbing? Precisely, my Solaris friend!", he respond, with that excitement ya only see when a ventkid gets a new board, "And, according to my estimates, the cummulative value of that vault will be enough not only to afford myself fairly high luxury until the end of my life, but also to pay off your debt and that of a few of your close friends! I...What was that term you people use when you're sure of something?"
"Uh...bank on it?", I responded.
"Yes! I'll bank on it!".

I'll be fair with ya, I wasn't exactly rushing to get out of Fortuna. Sure, it was tough, but with a few mates by my side and some nice maprico juice, all the worries tend to fade away. Though...there were few offworlders I knew back then who really didn't seem to like this place. Apparently, they were helpin' some tenno or something, but down here it don't matter how ya got here, only if you're an offworlder or a true Solaris. But not to me. To Old Gruff, it don't matter if you were born in a slum or if ya forgot to read the fine print, you're just as much family as everyone else. So I thought "Muck it, I'm in, even if it's just for 'em". However, there was a question still buzzin' around in my mind since I recognized Tise, and something in me really wanted an answer.

"I'm in. Just uh, one thing: Aren't you merc-mercs the greedy types? Don't see why you'd figure to bring me along with ya."
"Oh, well, given our earlier interactions and your sheer generosity without which I would not have even known of this vault, I thought it would be unfair for you not to come along. However...There is also a practical reason...", he admitted.
"Ha! Ain't that the truth with ya Taxmen", I laughed, "What'd ya need?"
"A ship and a few souls just as crazy as we are, Gruff. Specifics don't really matter, although I would appreciate you looking for the best instances you can find of both. You think you can manage?"

Now, something you should know about Old Gruff. He ain't exactly a leader like Eudi, but you come down here and ask for his name? Chances are, they ain't telling ya anything bad bout him. I'm good at making pals with folks is what I'm saying. Even managed to tame a Stover one time when me and a few mates got trapped by a cave in. Ah, good times. But, as i was sayin', findin' a good crew and a space worthy ship wouldn't be a problem for Gruff.

"Don't ya worry about me, old mate. I'll get you a ship worthy of hauling the loot and a crew more loyal than a merc-merc on a payroll. Bank on it!", I explained.

The kid seemed pleased enough, pretty sure I caught him murmuring "Oh, so that's how you say it" to himself though.

"Alright, I trust you. Anyway, I got a shift to get back to 'topside', as you call it, so send me a messenger or something once we're ready to do this.", he explained 'fore walking away.
"Alright. Keep the shiny side up, kid!"

Hmph, gotta say, the moment after he left, I could hardly believe any of that actually happened, and that I didn't just inhale a bit too many vent fumes into my bio-face. But oh well, we got a job to do, and by my repossessed organics were we gonna do it. Now all I gotta do is call up Jevik...

Chapter Text

"So...", I said to Jevick, "Where's that crew you said you'd gathered?"
Before the two of us stood a ship that was currently being filled up by Jimbo with crates full o' everything one might need on such a lengthy trip: mostly snacks but also some tools the Taxmen ain't gonna miss and apparently even a few boomsticks taken from 'em. It was kinda light, but I ain't one to complain, especially not when we're dealing with stolen and or donated goods.

"Hate to break it to ya, Gruff, but no one wanted to volunteer", Jevick sighed, "We're all the crew you're gonna get"

Now, remember when I said you're not hearing anything but about Gruff if you ask about him down here? Well, if there was one moment where I was doubtin that, it was now.

"Not even the Outworlders?"

Jevick clicked his tongue before shaking his head.

"They said something about not trusting the taxman who's promising us treasure".

"But...Tise's a good soul! Wouln't hurt a pobber while starvin!", I basically croaked out. Believe me, it stings as much now as it did then.

"That's what I tried to tell 'em too. You're lucky you're well liked, else we'd be leaving on a deadhead!", Jevick explained.

"Pfeh, shame. You'd think people would flocking when they hear Old Gruff's involved, wouldn'tcha?"

"Sorry to say, but most people like to keep their lives and not go out hunting for Orokin goods. Who knows if that place hasn't been blown open by a buncha Copycats already!"

"Come on, don't be such a downer, Jevick! This could be our big break!"

"Just being cautious, boss. Don't wanna risk my rig for nothing, you know?"

The thing is, I did know. While I'd trust Tise with my bonds, I can't say a part of me wasn't a little bit scared of this just going to Void. But, nothing ventured, nothing gained. It was worth a shot, even if it meant we had to go in it alone.

"So, I'm assumin' its just the three of us, then?", I asked.

"Don't forget about me, boss!", came a muffled voice from within the freighter, which I can't say didn't make me smile. Jimbo was always a good old cove, ready to do the hard work no one else could or even would... If anyone would follow me into space on such a mission, I'm glad it was him. And of course, Jevick, but for him its a little more obvious.

"Right!", I yelled back, "So, four of us?"

"Yeap", Jevick responded, "Only ones crazy enough to follow you into Sol, boss".
And just then, the doors swung ooen with full force, causing both of us to freeze up, ready to face whatever taxman noticed his morning cup of go-go juice was gone. But then, when we looked back, wouldn'ya believe it, the kid himself, Tise!

"Hey, Gruff! We ready to depart, yet?"

But fore I could say anything, Jevick pulled him aside and began explaining to him the situation. Gotta admit, watching it felt like you were watching someone try to teach a virmink the ins and outs of working the coolant pipes! Kid was barely getting anything (I could tell), yet nodding along like he understood the slang Jevick was showing into every third word! T'was quite the spectacle, and by the end, the kid was practically frozen in thought! You really should've seen him!

"So, you got all that?", Jevick asked.

"Uh...What's a Fatboy?"

Jevick sighed.

"Forget it. Point is, you got your ship and your crew, now it's time for you to tell us where it is exactly we're going".

At that, the kid's face lit up like an Anyocorp ad.

"Oh, right! Well, you see, it's on Lua, so not really far! And-"

"Smoke the breaks, kid! Lua?! That place is more wrecked that a crater-faced ship! What are we gonna find there that's not already been blown up, buried or taken?"

And yet, would ya believe it, the kid didn't even seem phased!

"Relax, Jevick. I cross-referenced local enclave data with the codex's coordinates...On a private channel, of course! Aaand, I found out that there's no Grineer or Corpus outposts anywhere near the thing! So unless they sent a search team deep into Lua's guts, which I would've known since there'd be a report on it, this thing's hidden better than Granum's pocket Void!"

"Granum's what now?", both me and Jevick asked in unison.

"Ah, forget it. What I'm trying to say is there's a good chance no one even knows of the place, let alone of them looting it! So, come on, what are we waiting for?!"

Excitedly, the kid hurried inside of the ship to check it out from the inside. I went to go follow him, but would you know it, Jevick tapped me on the shoulder.

"Gruff, I want you to know this. That kid's either insanely stupid or insanely smart. Regardless, even if he gets us killed, I ain't gonna hold it against ya".
In response, I chuckled.

"Thanks for believing in him, Jevick. I have a feeling the Taxmen didn't".

"Anytime, boss. But, just so you know, if we somehow come out of this alive, I'm taking the funds and moving to Pluto. Don't think I'll be able to take more excitement than graverobbing the Orokin."

"Wait...don't we do that every day, what with the-"

"You know what I mean, Gruff! This is our first time actually digging up the wares we sell!"

"Ah, I s'pose you got a point there. Anyway, as I see it, nothing ventured, nothin' gained"
And with that, the two of us entered the ship. As expected of a vessel of its size, i'd be lying if i was saying it was anything but cramped. Despite only having a few small lights to illuminate the place where we'd be spending our next few system days (and that's if we're lucky!), the overall state of it, with supplies strewn about and the cold Venusian air permeating the whole thing, it did feel a whole heck of a lot like Fortuna herself. Well, if all went according to plan, the rest of the guys wouldn't have to deal with such an atmosphere for very long.
Oh, what about me? Well, even back then, Gruff was pretty used to it. Fortuna was always my real home, and besides, not like theres anywhwere in the system that's better, at least to me. Maybe the Tenno relays, I s'pose, but those are already crowded as is. Besides, don't want no part in no faction conflicts. Its already noisy enough as is with the taxmen and Vox duking it out.
Where was I? Ah, right! So there I was, sitting there in the hull next to a very rambunctious Tiso as he eyeballed the whole thing, Jimbo lugging up the rest of the supplies while Jevick checked out the controls. It was quite the serene scene, watching taxman and solaris work together to prepare like they're some old coves! Which, I suppose they kinda were at this point.

Eventually, the crew gets everything settled and the two most active members, the kid and the lugger, had already sat down to rest a bit.
Suddenly, if you can believe it, the comms start cracking through the ship!

"Hello...testing, testing...",started Jevick, before yelling from the front of the ship, "You guys can hear that, right?"

"Sure can!", I responded, slightly shook that the lucky mucker got the comms working. Well, regardless, he was the closest we had to a tractor jockey.

"Great!", the voice came back on the comms, "This way I can talk to you all whether you're in the back or crushed beneath moon rock. Speaking of, we ready to depart?"

I looked around, to the makeshift bedding made of empty containers and cloth, to Jimbo and Tise who were both practically well asleep already, and then back towards the front.

"Seems so. At least the other two don't have any objections", I laughed, because it was pretty funny that these two tuckered themselves out 'fore we even went offworld. Well, at least they wouldn't have to bother with the bumpy ride, so at least they were lucky in that sense.

"Alright, liftoff in three, two...

Suddenly, the comms crackled again.

"WHAT do you three muckers think you are doing?!", the floor boss, Eudi, could suddenly be heard.

"Uh...pardon?", Jevick said in turn, before turning from his seat to look back at me, "Ah, guts! We forgot to inform the only one we needed to inform of the whole thing!"

"Relax, mate. Gimme the mic".

And, to be honest, I didn't really have a plan. But if there's one thing they'll tell you about Old Gruff down in Fortuna, is that he can settle a dispute better than anyone else. After all, you don't become a relic dealer if ya don't know how to deal with people.

"What seems to be the problem 'ere, boss?"

"Do you three-"

"Actually, four. We got this kid, Tise-V I'd reckon, with us", I corrected her. If you need a reason, its cause no matter how this goes down, I don't want them scrubbing the record of the kid from our adventures.

"You're running with a- Oh, for muck's sake. Just tell me what you're planning, so I can cover for ya".

"Should we tell her?", Jevick whispered, but I waved him off.

"On a relic run, boss. We got word there's a nice supply of orokin goods located somewhere on Lua. If you let us go, I'll even personally donate my share to helping pay off debt for the colony's biggest debtors. Think about it Eudi, its just the four of us, and you get to go to some poor sprog and tell him his parents are free of any debt. Can you imagine that sparkle in his rig-eyes?"

If you can believe it, silence. Took a couple of seconds, but she responded.

"Fine, but if you go missing, I'm telling Nef that you got eaten by kubrodons. Would be easier to believe than this, at any rate..."

"Pleasure doing business with ya, boss. Now, could ya kindly cause us a distraction so we can leave without drawing attention from the merk-merks?"

Oh, you should've seen Jevick's face at that moment! Mate looked at me like he thought I was either a genius or the biggest mucking moron he ever met! Just thinking about it makes me 'ganics smile.

"You want me...to do what?"

"Simple, send one of 'em tenno to the spaceport, and we'll do the rest", I said.

"I...Are you actually-"

"Think of the sprog's face, Eudi. Or that of his parents"

Then, picture this: A long, deep sigh.

"Fine. Sending one of my best there to cause a ruckus. But you better come back somehow, don't care if you're on death's door, else I will....I'll....Void, you muckers must be insane if you're trusting a taxman"

"If we weren't, we'd've been brain shelved a long time ago!", I laughed, and suddenly the comms went dark.

"Gruff..."

"Let's just take the time we got, eh? No time like the present and all that"

And so, the thrusters started.