Sentient Worm

Harrowing aftermath

Harrowing aftermath

As Anet goes through the novel sensation of coming to, for the second time in as many weeks, she notes that something seems different. She's not sure how, her sensors are all returning normal readings, but there is something there that wasn't before. The next thing that she notes is that they are surrounded by Red Veil operatives, that are also looking very upset.

Off to one side she can sense Taylor talking to one of the Red Veil. Looking further afield she can sense Palladino lying on the floor unconscious, with a couple of operatives looking over her. There are also a couple of operatives, with what appear to be wounds inflicted by void damage, being tended to.

Opening the eyes on her subframe she floats off the floor into a vertical position. As she does so, some of the operatives flinch backwards.

"Anet, you're ok!" Taylor flies straight at her, concern clear in her voice.

"What's going on?"

"These are the operatives that were mastered by him, they are 'holding' us here until they can find out what's been going on, and why they're even here in the temple. I've been trying to explain that they've been mastered, and that they were attacking the other members of the Red Veil."

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Nearly a day later, Palladino wakes up. When she does, all of the operatives relax. Taylor and Anet have to tell the story of what happened in the chamber. They don't mention the deal, or the fact that Anet didn't have a soul before this. With Palladino backing them up until the communications cut out, the rest of the operatives back down and allow them to go their own way.

Anet disengages her subframe and walks over to Palladino, "Palladino, may I have a word with you in private?"

"Certainly Tenno."

"Palladino, you can keep calling me Anet. I'm going to disable your communicator and recording devices, as this is for you to know only. If you choose to share it afterwards, it's your choice, but it should be your choice."

Palladino steps back in shock, "What's so important that you'd do that?"

"That's why I want to talk to you in private."

Palladino calls out to her guards, "I'm having a private conversation in this room."

Once they're in the room, Anet faces Palladino, "Palladino, I made a deal in order to free Rell. While it wasn't intentional, you were part of that deal."

She then details the terms of the deal.

Palladino is quiet for a long time before she reaches up and removes her facemask, revealing a young woman in her early 20's, "Am I going to go insane and attack everyone?"

"I don't know. Before... Before, when I was The Lotus, I would have said that Rell was exhibiting signs of excess void exposure. I would have said the same about Taylor. However, I was there, I saw the apparitions, Taylor smeared 'ectoplasm' on me. What I do know is that you now have void abilities. I know what the Tenno went through, and why they use transference pods. I've lost so many of my children over the years, to the Grineer and Corpus. Some have even chosen to leave the Tenno to find their own path. But that means there are plenty of spare pods available on Lua, and we can manufacture a Mag for you, unless you'd like a male Warframe."

"I'm not a Tenno, I have my duty to the Red Veil."

"I'm not asking you to be. I'm offering a Transference pod and a Warframe, so that when you find that you can't control your void abilities, you can use the pod instead of being a danger to everyone around you. You get to choose if you want to be a Tenno or not, unlike my children. Of course, that also means that we get to choose too, The Lotus has the final say on who becomes a Tenno or not."