//------------------------------// // Chapter 3 // Story: Warframe: Rebirth // by REDMAMBA //------------------------------// Chapter 3 A young girl no more than ten years in age… or at least… on the outside, fell to the metal floor of her ship in terror. Nearby a male figure clad in simple armor with a sword on his back sat limp on his knees. Looking in front of herself a massive man in black and red armor stood over her. He was clad from head to toe in armor similar looking to the other limp body in the room. From head to toe he wore a single suit of armor. The helmet itself looked like a dark, evil eye. On each shoulder sat a large pair of arm guards. Skeletal remains of the dead, brought forth to fight again for the living. On his shoulders, chest and legs, sat the remains of these fallen warriors, his back, a long flowing scarf. Both beautiful and fearful. In his hands… A massive Great Sword. “Why do you always run, Tenno?” the pulsing sword asked. Out of fear, the girl gulped. Taking a step, the man advanced as she retreated in fear. Glancing over her shoulder she looked at the door on the far side of the room. As she looked back she yelped in terror as the man dropped the massive blade, embedding itself in the metal floor between her legs. He pulled and tugged and the stuck blade as she continued to crawl away.       Making the door her new goal she crawled as fast and as hard as she could. Each pull gained a grunt as she forced her body to move. Inch by agonizing inch she crawled. Just behind her the man pulled the blade free from its metal prison. Lowering it he dragged it along the floor as he walked. Once he reached the child, he lifted his leg and dropped his foot on her back. “GAK!” Even being pinned to the floor she attempted to pull herself along the floor towards freedom. Holding it reversal style the man slowly grasped the blade with both hands and lifted it over his head. “You see Shadow? Puppets controlled by Tenno strings,” the sword said. “You found the heart… now cleave it from its chest!”   Before he could drop the blade and impale the girl she screamed. “Ordis! Dive!” The engines of the ship roared as it dove downward, launching all three figures in the room to the ceiling. Leveling out a few seconds later all three landed with a thud. She landed flat on her face as the man fell square on his back. Losing his grip the sword slid across the floor. The third just landed limply.          Without missing a beat the girl started to crawl again. Nearby the man propped himself up with a  hand while holding the other to head head before shaking it. Before he could get to his feet the door to the room slammed shut, the young girl had evaded him. Knowing that the door would only slow him down she had to act fast! But she didn't have time to formulate a plan before the tip of the massive blade punched through the metal of the door. Using all of her strength she crawled toward on of the ramps to the center of the ship. Heading for the arsenal, she quickly grabbed her Lato pistol for protection. Moving from the arsenal she passed the mods library on her right and her foundry on her left. Once she was close enough, the hidden ramp to the cockpit descended. Upon hearing footsteps in the background she increased her pace as best as she could. Upon reaching the top of the ramp it closed. “Ordis, disconnect the Liset!” “Yes operator.” With a *hiss* the cockpit disconnected from the rest of the ship. The cephalon transferred power to the landing crafts engines, creating distance from the rest of the ship. The operator let out a relieved breath. She was safe, she escaped Hunhow... and... him. She may have lost her frame ad=nd her orbiter, but at least she was still alive. The orbiter could be replaced, her life, not so much. Her relief didn’t last long though. The ship shook violently as an explosion rocked its frame.          “Ordis!?” she screamed, confused and very panicked still. “Massive engine failure!” the cephalon replied in a panicked tone. “The powercore has gone critical!” Just in front of the massive lotus flower shaped window the floor hissed and opened. “As per my protocol, I must protect the Operator. Get in the pod so that I may eject you!” She couldn’t believe her ears. She didn’t want to believe her ears. Apprehensively she crawled into the human shaped opening. It was either death, or live. She didn't want to go, she didn't want to leave her friend. He was her protector, her ship... he was more alive than most would give credit. Sitting inside she grabbed each of her legs and lifted them inside the leg holes before leaning back fully and grabbing the handles. Above she watched as the floor closed before the pod engaged. She chose life... as much as it pained her... As the pod rotated as she felt a sense of slight vertigo take hold. Next, she felt the harness of her archwing attach to the crook of her lower back. Stopping 180% from her starting position, the bottom of the ship opened, revealing the blackness of open space. This was it, she was going to be deployed into open space. Good thing the wing had its own oxygen supply. “Operator, the core has gone nuclear,” the ship informed her. “I am opening a Void Portal to the Koronia Relay…” Tears welled up in her eyes as she listened to her friend speak. The pain, the pain of losing someone so close. Oh it hurt, it hurt right down into her very fiber. “... Thank you, Ordis… you are a good friend…” she took in a shuddered breath and clenched her eyes shut and turning her head, almost as if to try and avoid eye contact. “If I had a body,” the ship replied with a saddened tone. “I would be crying… thank you, Operator… be safe.” The girl sniffed in an attempt to hold her tears back. “... I will.” With that… the ship dropped her. She floated momentarily in the gravity free zone before the engines of the wing roared and pushed forward towards the portal. Behind her the ship banked to the left further into open space. It didn’t make it far before the hull started to crack, unable to take the pressure of the damaged core. It exploded shortly afterwards in a massive red fire ball. Slipping through the portal the subsequent shock wave of the ship's explosion roared through the vastness of space. It didn't make a single peep, creating a beautiful array of colors. Time seemed to slow. All, before it impacted against the girl, throwing her off course… And killing her. *** “AH!” The young girl shot straight off the bed as her one good eye surveyed the scene. She was soaked in sweat and her breathing was through the roof. As she started to regain her composure, she looked down at her body. She quickly noticed that she no longer wore her Zamarian suit and was now wearing a simple green gown. Looking to her left hand she could see a long clear tube attached to a nearby bag of fluids on a metal stand. Looking down from the mysterious and possibly poisonous tube she spotted a simple table next to the bed. While scanning the room she aslo identified what appeared to be a nearby chair next to the bed, but she paid it no mind. On the far side of the room, just opposite of the bed, was a lone wood door. Looking to the right she spotted a window. Just outside she could see the bright blue sky. From the looks of it, it was going to be a rather nice day. Finally, she focused on the table to the right of her bed. On it rested her Lato and a strange looking statue. By now her panic attack had passed. Gingerly, she lifted the sheet that covered her lower half and wiped away the sweat on her forehead. Lowering the covering, she let her hands rest on her legs. Looking back down she examined her peach colored hands. ‘So this is what I really am?’ She turned and examined her bare hands before she reached down and lifted the sheet yet again. Looking underneath she examined her bare legs for a moment before covering them up again. Reaching up she rubbed her tired face. Her hand quickly fell on the metal eye patch that covered her missing right eye. She slowly felt the edges of the metal before rubbing its cold hard surface with two fingers. Letting her hand fall limp she sighed. Contemplating her next move she just started at the bed in thought. Unfortunately for her, her legs were still weak from being in that pod for so long. She also lacked a Warframe and its operating system. The only thing he could do was use it to carry her. And Ordis had… “Ordis…” Disheartened, she just stared at the sheet on her lap. Tears started to roll down her face as she started to sob lightly. She whimpered and lifted her head, wiping her left eye with the sheet. She lifted her head yet again and stared out the window. The sound of metal rattling knocked her out of her thoughts as she focused on the door, the knob specifically. Shortly afterwards the door opened and a large figure in a long white jacket stepped inside the room.         And he was unlike anything she had ever seen. His ears sat on the top of his head instead of the sides like hers. His mouth and nose extended outward like a Kubrows. His eyes were abnormally large compared to a human's. He lacked feet and his entire body was covered in fur. He also appeared to have a tail like Wukong, or Gesemine Valkyr. Except his was thicker. Finally, he was carrying a clipboard. Looking up, his attention moved from the clipboard to the girl. Awkward silence filled the room as the pair studied each other.   “Ah. You’re awake,” he said while looking back at his board and approaching the girl. “My name is-” He was cut off when he heard a light clicking sound. Looking up, he saw the filly holding that mysterious object at him. Assuming the worst he held his hands up to show his peaceful intentions. “Hey. I’m not going to hurt you,” he said before taking a step forward. “Why don’t we-” He was cut off as a loud ‘bang’ as the tile in front of his right hoof exploded and shattered into several pieces, causing the stallion to curl on one hoof and cover his face with both arms and the clipboard as his ears fell back in a vain attempt to protect his hearing. Looking up from the shattered tile he could see a distinctive smoke trail emanating from the end of the device. The sound of footsteps echoed through the outside hall behind him as a nurse rounded the corner. “Doctor are you -EEP!”   The female nurse ducked back behind the wall as a small part of it exploded into several pieces of wood and sheet rock. The doctor stood stock still as the filly aimed the weapon right back at him. The look of panic and horror was all to evident as he just sat there wide eyed. He need to do something, but... what? “Out… NOW!” The doctor didn't move as the biggest  problem of the day just surfaced. She didn’t speak Equestrian.