In his overzealous enthusiasm, Kouki split away from Anisim and Abram, and dove towards the shattered surface of Lua without once considering what lay ahead. Secrets buried in the cratered and cracked body of the moon waited for discovery. Kouki did not make a habit of following the Lotus’ directions - in fact, since his release from cryo, he had made a point of ignoring her. This time was different; this time, lives were on the line. His, most importantly.
His lander - a brand-new Xiphos - dropped him off on a stretch of platform jutting out from the wall of a bottomless canyon. There was no time to waste, no time to worry if the other two Tenno would reach Lua themselves. Kouki set off without waiting. Lives were on the line. Anisim’s included; he was sure of it.
What had he expected? Not this. Staring at the slumped form of himself - at his warframe? - he felt a heavy truth settle into him, and a thousand unanswered and unconsidered questions suddenly made sense. Somewhere in Lua’s maze of sheer cliffs and half collapsed halls, Anisim slept; he was certain of it. Did Abram know about this? Something told Kouki he did.
The Stalker. Kouki knew this dark being the sentient Hunhow referred to as “Shadow” well. There had never been any doubt or fear in their encounters, but now... now his brawny might carried a frail self, and for the first time Kouki felt the meaning of helpless. He fled the moon, pursued by spindly creatures and haunted by Hunhow’s looming threat.
Was nowhere safe? In the heart of the orbiter, Kouki faced the Stalker again; a child in the arms of a fortress. A fortress only protects those on the inside, but Kouki cannot see through his warframe’s eyes. He must channel a raw power found inside himself, a power that swells in his chest and brings with it phantom memories. A ship full of malice. A heart empty of love.
He almost fails. The Stalker’s hand curls around Kouki’s throat, and Hunhow taunts them both. The warframe sits crumpled and pierced behind them. Yet, somehow a consciousness flares up inside it; a need to protect, to fight back and never surrender. The grip releases, and air rushes back into Kouki’s lungs. The rest flashes by in seconds - the sword splits, Hunhow’s presence fades, and the Stalker vanishes in a blast of light, throwing Kouki back.
Silence. Still air surrounds him, and for some time, he lets his mind wander. The phantom memories strengthen. He sees a fight; a kid held by the throat, not unlike what just happened to himself. He recalls the guilt, and the struggle to find meaning in it before he could succumb to self-loathing. After all of that; after finally coming home without a welcome, he remembers the one person who called his name with love - and he remembers what they did to her. Even now, it angers him, and even their demise does not satisfy him. Still, he moved forward, vowing not to let fear control him, instead embracing his honored duty in her name. It feels like a lifetime ago...
The Lotus brings him back, and he wakes in the somatic link. He relays all of these memories to her, answers all of her questions, and listens when she speaks. He rejected her before - why? Had she reminded him of her - of Margulis - and felt bitterness? She prompts him to think on his past, to think back to days where, at long last, he belonged. Madurai - engage the enemy; leave no room for preparation or recovery. That was his focus. It is still his focus, the Lotus tells him.
For the first time since she pulled him from cryo, he considers her words. Did he not pledge himself once before to a cause greater than himself? The Origin System is more chaotic than ever before, and he is but a single tenno with few connections. But, there are ways to start small... there is Anisim, a point of interest - no, a friend. Someone to commit to; a place to start. It will do. Kouki grins at the Lotus, and says,
