That chill ran down her spine now, like ice. Like it felt when she shook the hand of the creature that wore her own face. Sometimes, she felt it again whenever he whispered in her mind.
'I'm always watching, kiddo.' flows across her thoughts, getting met with a teeth-gritting "shut up" before taking a breath to watch Kahl.
"I don't know what to call him. Or it." Tapping her fingers on her thigh as she gave it some thought. How much to mention? She'd never spoken with anyone, even the other Tenno, about the experience.
"I met him on the Zariman. He wore my face then, promised to help me save the other kids from the adults that went insane and I agreed." And she still didn't know what exactly she had agreed to give in return.
Different after? If she hadn't been working with Adis for so long, it might have taken a bit for her to catch on, but she did and she couldn't help but gape at him for a moment. Considering the incredible power the Zariman's children had acquired, she shouldn't have been so surprised that thing could do even more but-
"The future?"
What could that even be like? Her head swam with questions and ideas but at the same time, that responsible part of her brain told her not to question too much.
"Void..." Another moment, she chewed her lip in thought. "Then you need a full rundown, huh? Or you can ask me whatever you need. Whenever, I'll make sure my comms are always open for you."
The Tenno understood. Kahl smiled, feeling a little relieved. "Hah. That sound like Tenno Kahl know." This was good. Kahl wasn't completely alone here.
"Kahl need to know lots. But Kahl know things too." Bad things. Things that shouldn't wait. He'd practiced saying these parts too. He needed to, otherwise the words might not come out at all.
"Ballas, huh? He's one of the Seven Executors to the Emperors, and he has the most authority here at Tauron Academy along with Archimedean Margulis. Right now, he's holding the fate of the Academy in his hands." A deep breath, a sigh.
"He's here at the academy now. Galastra tried to kill him, she's found a way to revert the Sentients. So it's the best way to try breaking the treaty."
Did she want the treaty broken? No, not at all. Ballas dying though? That would be a dream come true.
Kahl had to hope that the face he saw the Tenno make was a good sign. Because he was going to tell them a lot. And Kahl had no idea how much of it would sound like things that could happen at all. "Orokin have everything now," he started. If this was before, if this was the Orokin Empire, then they had everything. "That not enough for Ballas." This part was going to be difficult.
"Kahl not know when. Maybe Ballas not know yet either." He didn't know much about history. Only what the Empire told him, and what his brothers said. What Blue Girl said. "Ballas use Sentients. Make war happen again. Make veil-things, like Corrupted. Put on everyone. Ostron, Solaris, Corpus. Grineer. Make everyone Narmer." Remembering it all was bad. Being here made it worse. Every Grineer here was already a slave to Ballas. It made Kahl angry. But Kahl had to focus on telling the Tenno this one thing first.
"Kahl had veil. Kahl know. Made Kahl love Ballas. Then veil break. Kahl escape." Blue Girl helped. Blue Girl hadn't meant to help a Grineer, but she still helped. Started understanding more. If Orokin could understand, Tenno should understand too.
How could that not be enough for Ballas? He basically owned Tauron Academy, he was probably the most powerful of the Executors, he'd almost been able to wipe out the Tenno right after they were rescued.
And using the Sentients? She thought of Adis and Archimedean Itzam, even if they did annoy him a lot, all the Dactolysts and Conculysts that helped them out in the field. They would never give up this peace for him to use them.
The Ostron and Solaris, she may not know them but it sounded like enslavement, the way Kahl described the veils. It was disgusting. That an Executor would stoop so low-
No, it made sense. Full of themselves as they were. Especially Ballas. She'd tolerate Tuvul better but not by much.
You could kill him, kiddo.
She shook her head. Shut up!
"We can't let another war happen. We've worked too hard to make this treaty work, we've made so much progress." That voice wasn't wrong, much as she hated to admit it.
"Right now, Ballas is the deciding vote on the Academy and the treaty. If we could remove him as an Executor or change one of their minds to support it, we could throw a wrench in his plans."
Kahl paused, but nodded. "Kahl know even Orokin can change. Kahl watch Blue Girl change." Orokin don't have to all be wrong, they can learn. "All Orokin here keep Grineer slaves. That wrong. Need to change too."
Would it change everything? maybe. Kahl didn't know how time worked. Kahl was made by the Grineer Empire. If the Grineer were free, the Empire would never happen. No Empire, no Kahl. But this was important. And had done a lot of things he thought were important, and just tried not to die while doing them. That didn't need to change.
![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
timeasmymeasure
no subject
Date: 2026-01-05 11:27 pm (UTC)'I'm always watching, kiddo.' flows across her thoughts, getting met with a teeth-gritting "shut up" before taking a breath to watch Kahl.
"I don't know what to call him. Or it." Tapping her fingers on her thigh as she gave it some thought. How much to mention? She'd never spoken with anyone, even the other Tenno, about the experience.
"I met him on the Zariman. He wore my face then, promised to help me save the other kids from the adults that went insane and I agreed." And she still didn't know what exactly she had agreed to give in return.
no subject
Date: 2026-01-06 05:26 am (UTC)"Face-stealer take Kahl," he finally says. "Kahl fall through from different place. Different after. Lots changed." He doesn't have good words for it.
He hesitated for a moment, then took off his new mask. "Kahl want to help. Make better, maybe. Kahl have to try."
no subject
Date: 2026-01-06 04:47 pm (UTC)"The future?"
What could that even be like? Her head swam with questions and ideas but at the same time, that responsible part of her brain told her not to question too much.
"Void..." Another moment, she chewed her lip in thought. "Then you need a full rundown, huh? Or you can ask me whatever you need. Whenever, I'll make sure my comms are always open for you."
no subject
Date: 2026-01-06 05:27 pm (UTC)"Kahl need to know lots. But Kahl know things too." Bad things. Things that shouldn't wait. He'd practiced saying these parts too. He needed to, otherwise the words might not come out at all.
"What Tenno know about Ballas?"
no subject
Date: 2026-01-06 06:08 pm (UTC)"He's here at the academy now. Galastra tried to kill him, she's found a way to revert the Sentients. So it's the best way to try breaking the treaty."
Did she want the treaty broken? No, not at all. Ballas dying though? That would be a dream come true.
no subject
Date: 2026-01-11 02:17 pm (UTC)"Kahl not know when. Maybe Ballas not know yet either." He didn't know much about history. Only what the Empire told him, and what his brothers said. What Blue Girl said. "Ballas use Sentients. Make war happen again. Make veil-things, like Corrupted. Put on everyone. Ostron, Solaris, Corpus. Grineer. Make everyone Narmer." Remembering it all was bad. Being here made it worse. Every Grineer here was already a slave to Ballas. It made Kahl angry. But Kahl had to focus on telling the Tenno this one thing first.
"Kahl had veil. Kahl know. Made Kahl love Ballas. Then veil break. Kahl escape." Blue Girl helped. Blue Girl hadn't meant to help a Grineer, but she still helped. Started understanding more. If Orokin could understand, Tenno should understand too.
no subject
Date: 2026-01-19 04:25 pm (UTC)And using the Sentients? She thought of Adis and Archimedean Itzam, even if they did annoy him a lot, all the Dactolysts and Conculysts that helped them out in the field. They would never give up this peace for him to use them.
The Ostron and Solaris, she may not know them but it sounded like enslavement, the way Kahl described the veils. It was disgusting. That an Executor would stoop so low-
No, it made sense. Full of themselves as they were. Especially Ballas. She'd tolerate Tuvul better but not by much.
You could kill him, kiddo.
She shook her head. Shut up!
"We can't let another war happen. We've worked too hard to make this treaty work, we've made so much progress." That voice wasn't wrong, much as she hated to admit it.
"Right now, Ballas is the deciding vote on the Academy and the treaty. If we could remove him as an Executor or change one of their minds to support it, we could throw a wrench in his plans."
no subject
Date: 2026-02-06 07:56 pm (UTC)Would it change everything? maybe. Kahl didn't know how time worked. Kahl was made by the Grineer Empire. If the Grineer were free, the Empire would never happen. No Empire, no Kahl. But this was important. And had done a lot of things he thought were important, and just tried not to die while doing them. That didn't need to change.