Exotic Weapon Archive

• “Leave dying to the dead.”

Weapon Type: Trace Rifle

Weapon Slot: Energy - Solar

Magazine: 101

Exotic Perk: Samsara - Reviving an ally grants this weapon bonus damage and splits the beam into four parts that attach to up to four enemies simultaneously given they are close enough to the crosshair. Nearby allies attract a tether from the wielder that heals based on damage dealt.

Trait: One Last Favor - Dying with this weapon equipped emits a healing burst.

Lore:

You have lived so many lives, died so many deaths that it is nothing but a minor setback to you Lightbearers. You exploit the cycle, turning it into a straight line. You are nothing without your Light. Nothing more than something to cling to while everything else crumbles.

My Light is only but half my strength. I do not use my Light to escape death. I use it to prolong the lives of those who deserve it.

Heresy. You are an eyesore. Nothing more than a mortal playing god. A feeble attempt to escape the inevitable. You take for granted that which does not hold you back anymore.

I am a mortal playing human. I taunt death so others may never see its face. I look to my luminous God and thank it for such a blessing so that I may continue to do so.

A God? Is that what you call it? It certainly is not god that looks down kindly on you. When the day comes that it leaves you like the unfathomable amount of species before, what will you do? Beg? Bargain? Will you even try and convince it? Or will you freeze? Held in place like a rodent in its trap.

I…will accept. If we lose the Light we never deserved it in the first place. I can come to terms with not being worthy. But worthy or not, I still hold one more shield people can hide behind. Even if I fail to save a mother and her son and I’m hated for it, I will never put my shield down. I will never leave their side. I will simply accept.

-Nothing. The voice goes silent. Whether it got the answer it was looking for or gave up on humanity’s stubbornness is unclear. All that is left is a Lightbearer facing an impossible evil. An unfathomable Darkness.

Archive

Previous Part (Reddit)

Previous Part (Docs)

“Myla was a bust, huh?”

“She had no intention on reliving the past. I don’t blame her. The way she described what happened was…”

“Graphic, I know. I wasn’t able to get in touch with Safi. As it turns out, she was killed in action only a few weeks ago if scans are to be believed. I found what was left of her on Venus. There…wasn’t a fight of any sort...just her. A hand cannon sat in her open palm.” Othello took a moment. “I’ve already confirmed the location of Caldrux. He’s off world but alive. We’ll touch base back at the Tower.” Othello signed off.

“Alright. Lux, you’re up. Any idea who Jakob is?”

She materialized above the dashboard. “Unfortunately. He’s quite a character. He’s a Hunter but as for his usual location, he has a camp out in Old Russia. His…unpredictably forced the Vanguard to always be aware of his location through frequent pings of his exact longitude and latitude. Simply put, you may be a Huntress, but don’t expect a warm welcome.” Lux displayed Jakob’s last known location in my helm.

I made my way through the streets back to the Tower, once again being stopped by civilians along the way.

I arrived in the hangar, checking with a frame in charge of logging arrival and departure.

“Huntress Zara Qal. On a mission are we?”

“Eh…we’ll call it a patrol.”

“Patrol…? To my knowledge there are no vacant patrols at the moment.”

I bit my lip trying to think of either a good lie or a valid excuse. “It’s a…personal patrol. Something I can’t really share with anybody.”

The frame looked at me, emotionless as a frame is. “Of course! Guardians are sure to have their special top secret missions! I’ll have your Galliot ready momentarily.” The frame strolls off typing away at a tablet. I took a moment to gather my thoughts. I need to get information out of this Jakob. Reports from back then told of Jakob being instrumental in leading other Lightbearers to safety off of the Moon. He didn’t lose a single person yet the events still took a toll. He blamed the Vanguard for giving up the moon so easily.

“I can hear your thoughts.” Lux startled me out of deep thought.

“Just trying to figure out how i’m going to convince a Hunter of all people who hate the Vanguard.”

The frame from before returned pointing to the center of the hangar where my Ship was being towed forward, ready for me. I thanked the frame, headed for my ship, and climbed aboard. I proceeded with necessary checks on the internals before igniting the engines and headed out past the wall.

“Lux, hit me with another Jakob flavored ping.” She obliged, throwing a set of coordinates on my display. I quickly recognized the location as the Forgotten Shore. A graveyard of cargo ships nearby where I first made contact with the Telys and the House of Royalty. “

I arrived at the aforementioned camp. It was nothing to write home about but it clearly kept Jakob alive. The fire was only recently snuffed out. I investigated further, opening the chest nearby. Multiple scraps of weapons. Hand cannon shells, empty casings, trigger mechanisms. Anything you’d ever need to kitbash yourself the weapon of your dreams.

Just as I was about to reach in and inspect one of the mechanisms, I felt a cold poke in my back. A barrel.

“Toss your weapon.” The gravely modulated voice of an Exo rang behind me.

“Are you Jakob?”

“Toss it. Won’t ask again.” I obliged and slowly reached for my hip to toss my hand cannon to the side. It made a quiet thud in the sand. “I ain’t stupid. Both of ‘em.” I sighed, reaching slowly again. This time behind my cloak for a slightly smaller, hand made hand cannon I’d crafted myself under Banshee’s eye. “Turn around.”

I turned to face the Exo. He had a desaturated orange cranium with flakes of its paint missing and his unused arm in a makeshift sling. “Are you Jakob?”

“What if I am?”The Exo squinted at me. “Vanguard sent you?”

I didn’t respond.

“Thought so. I got no interest in dealing with the Vanguard.

“So i’ve heard. But i’m afraid you don’t have a choice.”

“You forgettin’ who got the gun?”

I held my ground. “You were present during the great disaster. You were one of the many who saw acepta firsthand, and one of the few able to tell of it. I won’t sugarcoat it, Crota is making a return, this time his sights set on Earth. I need you to tell me something-anything that could help us. Things you noticed, how you escaped.”

“Do you realize what you’re asking me?”

“I do. I also know you saved many Guardians escape the moon with their lives and Light. I’d do anything to stop the Hive. Anything for the City.”

Jakob finally lowered his weapon, tossing it into the trunk filled with parts. “Wasn’t loaded.“ He sat at his smothered campfire inviting me to sit across from him. “What’s your name?”

“Zara.”

“I thought so. You’re the Zara that cleared out that mini brood in the Terrestrial Complex. Did me a good thing.” He paused, staring not quite at me. “Tell you what. You scratch my back I scratch yours. A deal.”

“What are the terms?”

“Devils got uppity when those Hive moved in and set up shop. With the recent vacancy, they saw their chance to take back what’s not theirs. This makes it quite a job to go about daily needs like hunting for food and clean water. That’s how I ended up like this.” He gestured to his broken arm, braced in a makeshift splint made of cloth and thick branches held in a sling torn from his cloak. “I’d normally have it fixed by my Ghost but…I decided to part ways with her. The last thing I wanted was for her to pay for my mistakes. Left her in the care of another Hunter who made it her mission to take care of wandering Ghosts. As for those Devils, if you could clear them out, i’d be indebted.”

“Consider it done. I should be back before nightfall.”

“Best of luck, Huntress.” Jakob waved me off as I headed up the hill into the familiar building topped with a radar dish.

Penultimate entry. We're nearing the end.

Archive:https://docs.google.com/document/d/1vC9_wjnIAUIq9fila3GLv568ECCmk8rbzo9w9wmWEa4/edit?usp=sharing

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Zuloc's new ship touched down just within the southern polar cap of Mars, a Hive Warship hovering over a small structure in the distance. Under most circumstances, this would've been a bad sign. However, the purple banners of Ak-Tol's Hive told us everything would be fine, if not a little awkward. Maya, Zuloc, and I trudged through the snow until we were right under the Warship.

Ak-Tol stepped out of the entrance of what looked to be an underground fortress. He was accompanied by two Knights in white armor, carrying Shredders. When he got close to me, he raised his arm out. I shook his hand.

"It is good to see you all." He said, his Ghost popping out from behind him.

"How's it going?" Samuel asked.

"We're doing fine." Maya said.

"So... this is it?" Ak-Tol asked.

I nodded slightly.

"We're going to be leaving the system soon," I said, "I just wanted to make sure you and your people would be OK."

"It is a process..." Ak-Tol admitted, looking off to the side.

"A lot of our members are old," Samuel chimed in, "so a few are having a hard time pulling away from the Sword Logic."

"I think the Lucent Brood are having troubles with that, too." Zuloc added.

"Zuloc here argued to the Coalition for this to be a neutral space," I said, "hopefully they keep to it."

"I'm not too worried about it." Zuloc said, "The Itinerants and I have made a lot of friends within the Coalition."

"Where will you guys go?" Samuel asked.

"There's one last place I wanted to stop off at," I replied, "but after that..."

I looked off and into the distance. There was nothing. No grand spires, no cities, just rock and ice. The unknown.

"I understand." Ak-Tol said, "Thank you all for what you have done for me and my people."

"I wish I could've helped more." I said.

"As do I." He sighed, "I will do what I can to protect my people. In time, I hope we can explore new worlds, perhaps undo some of our sins. Maybe we can convince more of us to abandon the Worm."

"What about your power and immortality?" Maya asked.

"We will find other ways to harness power." Ak-Tol said, "Your people taught us that power does not have to come at the cost of servitude. The Lightbearers that join us will sustain the Worms of those joining us. Maybe we can spread it to others, one day, or find a way to use Darkness again without being consumed."

"There's a lot of hope riding on this," I said, "are you sure you can handle it?"

"Karugul is working on it now." Ak-Tol replied, "She and I have done much to make everyone feel welcome. We ease the agitated, we renew those who are tired. For every growing pain, there are twice as many successes."

"That's good to hear." I said.

I pulled out a Pyramid-augmented Cabal transceiver from my bag and handed it to him. He was initially hesitant to take it, pausing for a few seconds before grabbing it.

"Give us a call if you need anything." I said.

"Is this technology safe?" He asked.

"Yes." I replied, "See you on the other side, friend."

"Goodbye." He reciprocated.

"Take care!" Samuel chirped.

Ak-Tol bowed his head before backing away, the Knight guards turning with him. When they left our view, we turned around to head back to the ship. I turned around after a few steps, taking one last look at the black and purple structure before continuing the journey.

The ship we came in on, the Phanuel Currus, was not like the Imperial Guard. Instead, it was a modern Command Ship, modified to suit the Itinerants' needs. It borrowed design aspects from House Light and City technicians, leading to it having a more sleek and rounded appearance. It was black and green, like the Mitzrael Viator before it. It would be our way across the stars.

Once on the bridge, I followed Zuloc to her seat.

"Is everything good with the Coalition?" I asked her.

"It is," she replied, "is call good with your Vanguard? Are they not worried about two of their Guardians leaving the City for a Psion-led splinter group and a Vex sub-faction?"

I turned to see Maya interacting with Krystallon and one of the Psion crew members. As they spoke, an Eliksni technician approached, clearly shy. I watched Maya gesture to her, bringing her into the conversation. The four continued talking.

"Yeah..." I said, taking in the moment, "I think they'll be fine."

"To AG37?" She asked.

"To AG37." I confirmed.

The ship lifted off the ground, and I watched the Hiveship vanish from my view as we left the planet.

This may very well be my last time in the inner system.

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Hey, all! Here is the complete list of my stories from my Dark Age and City Age storyline, together they tell the origins of the Hunter Adryel and what leads him to eventually train Iden-4! Thank you to anyone who took the time to read and/or comment on one of these posts, it's been a long journey getting this done, and looking at it all on one document was really awesome to see! 52 pages, 18,300 words, 14 stories, and this is just one part of my overall Book of Iden-4 series! I know it's a lot to read, but if anyone does, feel free to let me know what you think of the story and evolution of the characters and writing, I'm still working to finish this entire series so I welcome ideas and constructive criticism! I hope you enjoy!

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Book I: For Every Hunter, a History

Hey, you. I’m not sure how to write this, no Hunter really is, but if you’re reading this—I’m dead. We all know that despite our immortality, we aren’t all that immortal. Sure we can go on for a few hundred years—or even a few thousand if you’re lucky, but sure enough, the Light comes for us all. It’s because of this that every Hunter searches for a way to be remembered—to leave a legacy. Now some of us have this handled just by living our lives and being famous, notorious, whatever, but most of us do it the old fashioned way, teaching those that come after us, and being remembered through them.

And for most of us, this is all we really ask for. A chance at legacy, and a guarantee that we won’t be forgotten the day after we die. I guess that is a legacy of its own ain’t it? To be a teacher and have your lessons passed on to aid the next generation of Hunters. For me, that guarantee came by the name Iden-4—a gutsy kid that one, he’s got a good head on his shoulders. But you don’t just wake up one day and decide to be the next Tallulah Fairwind who sets out to guide your fellows into the ways of the wild. It took a while for me to find myself, figure out who I am and what I’m about, who I need to surround myself with, and what I’m really fighting for.

So I guess I’m writing this for you, Iden, and anyone you choose to surround yourself with—Hunter or not, student or not. Learn from my life, the good and the bad. Live as fearless as you can, as bold as you can. Find your path and walk it with no regrets. But most importantly, always do what you think is right. There’s a lot of opinions out there as to how humanity is going to survive the years to come, don’t get bogged down by the short term fixes. You’re a Hunter, explore possibilities. 

Drinks on me wherever we end up,

-Adryel

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Dark Age: Starvation

Dark Age: Hunting

Dark Age: Warlords

Dark Age: Mourning

Dark Age: The Last Safe City

City Age: The Past Come to Haunt

City Age: Whispers and Bones

City Age: Hold the Line

City Age: Lunar Horrors

City Age: Light's Bane

City Age: Rizzo's Blade

City Age: Wayward Tidings

City Age: What Comes From Light

City Age: Torn Asunder

Hello Guardians! This story marks the last in my Dark Age and City Age storyline. This, in addition to what I've written in The Book of Iden-4 (It's been literal years since I've started this united storyline), marks the end of Adryel's story in my writings. Granted, I really love this character and might include him in some works involving Iden at some point, I currently have no plans for future stories revolving around this character. Let me know what you think! I will be making a follow up post that includes links to each of the stories in my Dark and City Age series I've posted here in the past in case anyone wants to read them all in order. I hope you enjoy!

City Age: Torn Asunder

In the harsh wake of Twilight Gap, many parts of the Last City had been left broken and devastated. Large swaths of land had been scorched with Light, and Fallen Ketch bombardments, but as Rizzo assessed the streets before him, it came as no surprise that the hole in the wall Hunter Den at the street’s corner was somehow still open. 

The Titan sighed as he crossed the street, passing a group of maintenance frames on his way as they worked to replace a broken underground pipe. 

He was five paces from the building when the bar’s door slid open and a lone ghost came floating absentmindedly through them. 

“Skye? Where are you going?” Rizzo said, reaching out with an open palm to block the ghost’s path. 

“Hey there, Rizzo. I’m headed back to the Tower, I have some paperwork to file for him.” 

“Paperwork? We don’t have another operation for a few days. What’s going on?”

The ghost said nothing, simply floated there and spun her shell once apprehensively, as she bobbed and avoided eye contact with the lingering Titan, “You’d better talk to him about it. I’m not sure it’s my place.”

“That bad, huh?” 

“Yeah. That bad. Twilight Gap hit him pretty hard, it’ll be a while before he’s back to any sort of normal I think. He even stopped going to the counseling sessions, although he swears it’s just for a little while. We’ll see, I guess.” 

Rizzo shook his head acknowledging the ghost’s concern, “I take it he still doesn’t want to see me?”

“Probably not. You just remind him of Frost, really, and the guilt just builds up again. But he has news for you, and even if he doesn’t want to tell you, you need to hear it from him. Regardless of how it goes, do me a favor, Rizzo?”

“Anything, you know that.”

“Keep trying. It’ll get better…eventually.”

“What do you mean by that? What is the—” “I really have to get going now, it was nice seeing you, Rizzo.”

Before the Titan could say another word, Skye vanished in a haze of blue transmat energy.

Rizzo grunted, confused before entering the establishment. Whatever news Adryel had for him, it couldn’t have been good. 

A fireteam of Hunters stood at the bar as they ordered their drinks and laughed, their voices fell silent as they heard the heavy footfalls of the Titan and turned to stare at Rizzo. Their eyes were narrow, no doubt trying to figure out what business a Titan had at a Hunter Den. 

Rizzo simply smiled and nodded at the group. He had never been to a Hunter Den before, but the dark scenery displaced by neon signs, and decorated with knives, sparrows, Fallen, Vex, and Hive battlefield trophies, and a few couches was somehow both completely unexpected and exactly what he had envisioned. Then his eyes locked onto the display high above on the shelf behind the bartop, and the shattered ghost that lay dead inside it. 

“You need something, Titan?” a voice spoke from the other side of the bar. Rizzo turned to see the hardened face of a grizzled and aged Awoken Hunter. His face was crisscrossed with scarring and his cloudy left eye stared a hole into Rizzo as he slowly poured out drinks for the fireteam.

“Is that your ghost?” Rizzo asked, pointing at the display behind the bar.

The Hunter narrowed his eyes and focused on the Titan, “Yeah. He was. What’s it to you?” 

A dozen questions raced into Rizzo’s mind, but he asked none of them as he just shook his head and said, “Nothing. Just here to talk to a friend.”

“You mean dark and gloomy?” Rizzo nodded, “Yeah, been getting a lot of his kind in here lately. He’s sitting in the back.”

Rizzo nodded once more in thanks as he moved to the next room, ignoring the collective gaze of the four Hunters. 

In the last booth in the corner of the room sat a lone Hunter, his familiar hood pulled low over his face as he downed the rest of his drink. 

“Go away, Rizzo. Not today.” Adryel said without looking up from the table.

Rizzo ignored the statement and took a seat across from his friend, “Skye told me you have something to tell me?” 

“Damnit, Skye! Throwing me under the bus like that, really?”

“She’s concerned.”

“She’s overbearing…sometimes. I'm fine.” 

“You’re fine? How many drinks does this make today? I can smell you from here” Rizzo motioned to the empty glass on the table.

“I take it back, you’re overbearing.”

“I’m serious. What do you have to tell me?”

Adryel’s hands curled into balls, and for a moment, Rizzo thought he would lunge at him across the table in a drunken rage, but nothing happened, only his continued silence. 

“Adryel?”

“I’m going solo,” The Hunter said as he finally locked eyes with his friend.“You’re… What?” The words came as a shock to the Titan, who felt their impact as hard as any physical strike against him.  

“I’m leaving your team and flying solo. With all the casualties at Twilight Gap, the Vanguard are in need of new scouts, and I plan to take on as much as I can by myself. For a time at least…”

“But why? I could join you and—”

“I see the way you’ve treated me the last few missions. You check on me more than ever. You don’t have the faith in me that you used to—You blame me for Frost.”

Rizzo’s eyes shot open at the last part, “I don’t blame you, Adryel.”

“Maybe not consciously, but I can feel it there. You two knew each other for who knows how long before I came into the picture at Norbury. And if I’m being honest, I blame myself too, so don’t worry about it. This way, at least I won’t be reminded of what we lost, and maybe I can improve my skills along the way.”

The two stared at each other for a long silence, neither one knowing what to fill the void with. Adryel’s stance was final, Rizzo could hear it in his voice, and see it in his tired eyes. There was no changing his mind. But most of all, he could tell his friend needed this for himself.

Adryel stood from the booth and swayed on his feet, “I’ll see ya when I see ya, Rizzo. Thanks for everything.” He gave the Titan a pat on the shoulder as he walked past. 

“Hey Iden,” The Hunter stopped in his tracks, “I’ll hold you to that you know? Now, go make your own fate. You’ll always have a spot on my team.”

Archive:https://docs.google.com/document/d/1vC9_wjnIAUIq9fila3GLv568ECCmk8rbzo9w9wmWEa4/edit?usp=sharing

It had been a day since the news broke out to the public that the Witness was dead. Enemies of the City poured out of the Traveler to escape, the Coalition returned in celebration, and raw Light and Dark poured out of the portal. But, outside of a few stragglers, there was nothing. It's as if the entire universe had been watching the past week with bated breath, waiting to see if Sol could stop the Witness.

Now, there's only celebration. In a way, I expected it to be louder, but there were no fireworks or grand parties like there were for Solstices. That's not to say the cheers weren't there or that the people weren't happy. They were, but even those who were only Risen a decade ago know that this war has taken a toll on every person there. The Eliksni world of Riis destroyed by servants of the Witness, the Cabal home system ruined by others, our Golden Age suddenly halted by the Pyramid Fleet itself. We were worn down.

I sat on top of the old Tower's postmaster building, Maya and Zuloc already there. I heard a familiar sound as I touched the ground, turning my head to see Krystallon, its chassis now a bright pink, matching my transcendence. I looked back to the City, watching as hundreds of paper lanterns were carried into the night sky, hovering towards the bright pink aurora that marked the Traveler's location in orbit above us.

I noticed Zuloc staring up at the aurora, pulling out a small trinket from her belt. It was a shattered Loyalist sigil, one that her brother had worn on his armor as both a reminder of where he came from and what he did for her. She closed her hand around it.

I turned to see Maya. Her helmet was off, letting her hair sway in the wind. She turned to me, giving a slight smile before looking back at the City.

"It's over." She said.

"It doesn't feel that way..." I admitted.

"All we know is war," she replied, "it's going to take a moment to sit down and just... breathe."

"Our enemies are still out there." I said.

She nodded.

"That is true..." she said, "but do we not owe it to everyone we've lost to try and celebrate?"

I stared into the distance. For a moment, I wondered how the others would've felt. If Oztect or Lampsace or Kim were here... how would they have reacted to all of this? Zuloc put a hand on my shoulder, snapping me out of my stupor. She bowed her head, and a flash of color shot through me.

They were both right, I should try. They would've celebrated... I should too.

Maya took out a batch of folded lanterns, passing one out to each of us, even Krystallon. After unfolding hers, Zuloc channeled a spark of flame into it. Krystallon reached out a hand, sparking a pink flame that filled its lantern. I let solar energy run through me, lighting mine before moving to light Maya's. When we were all ready, we released them, watching them float up to the sky.

Maya leaned her head against my shoulder.

"Thank you." She said.

"For what?" I asked.

"Getting me out of the Crucible." She replied.

We both chuckled.

I watched a single firework come up from the City's tallest building. Afterward, dozens more came up from all around.

I guess I was wrong. We weren't entirely worn down, we just hadn't started celebrating yet.

ACCESS: RESTRICTED
DECRYPTION KEY: 86XK7C3EBQ0$AUN-326
AGENT(S): AUN-326
REP: #497-POI-0286

BASIC INFORMATION

Name: Donovan Morgan

Known Aliases: The Scarred Titan; Captain Morgan

Ghost: Eyeball

Class: Titan - All subclasses [KSU]

Race: Human

Gender: Male

Height: 210cm

Eyes: Brown / White

Skin: Tanned

Hair: Dark

Age: ~100Y since First Rez

Distinguishing Marks:

• Pre-Rez facial scar from brow to cheek over left eye
• Left eye cloudy white (no visual impairment)

Current Whereabouts: Cis-Jovian space / Themis Cluster, captaining ketch Skyspear as Vanguard-aligned privateer, policing pirate activity.

PROFILE

POI #0286 presents as a gruff, stern person, often unfriendly and with a notable tendency to pepper his speech with demotic phrases. He has a self-admitted tendency to mistrustfulness. However, he has shown a staunch loyalty to those people he does develop a trust with, and shows more approachability to these people. This trust is hard to shake, even if presented with evidence to suggest the trust is misplaced or unwarranted.

Morgan's proclivity to disregard authority led to much friction with the Vanguard and especially the Praxic Order, but later events would explain these. He is a self-driven individual that chafes with too much restriction on his activities, hence the clashes with Vanguard authority. The Praxic Order, meanwhile, earned his animosity due to the Order's distrust of his fireteam partner, POI #0247. (Wahei Ohr) (See REP #063-POI-0247) While Morgan has eased off this animosity when it transpired that much of the Order's distrust resulted from one particular agent, he still looks askance at the Order's stark views on the usage of Stasis and Strand. This supports Morgan's anti-authoritarian outlook.

His participation in VIP #1315's ("The Drifter") Gambit activities contributed to the Praxic Order's own distrust of him, until a confrontation with an Order agent led to his clarification on his stance. Morgan explicitly noted the difference between himself and the Drifter, "At the end of the day, he's just a Lightbearer, while I am a Guardian." He's stated that he has no problem using whatever means necessary to protect mankind, declaring "all options are on the table."

Morgan did have some issues adjusting to recent alliances between the Cabal Ascendancy and the Eliksni House of Light, but he has made great strides in adapting and becoming less prejudiced toward them. This came easier for the Cabal, developing a respect for their culture and traditions, to the point where he became a liaison between Vanguard or Tower personnel and the Ascendancy, when VIP #1169 (Lord Valus Saladin Forge) was not available. He has also now become a liaison between the Coalition and the recently allied Eliksni House of Blades.

Morgan actively tries to avoid being assigned any missions that would bring him into contact with the Hive, stating that he always has nightmares after such operations. Nevertheless, he remains one of the Vanguard's best operatives for Hive flashpoints, being very good at killing them. He does not, however, condone torture or actions of extreme prejudice, stating, "We don't make them suffer. Because we are not them."

NOTABLE ACTIVITIES

POI #0286 was first Risen a little over a century ago, somewhere on what was left of the British Isles near the EDZ. He reclaimed his first life's name from a set of dog-tags he was carrying. He spent much of his journey across the world to the Last City-- specifically choosing to go by foot, even when other modes of transport made themselves available-- battling the Fallen along the way, witnessing some of the atrocities they committed. He arrived at the City not long before the Battle of Twilight Gap, distinguishing himself in that conflict. Over the next few decades, he alternated between field work and Wall duty. It was during this time that he met POI #0247 (Wahei Ohr) and would occasionally accompany her and members of her fireteam on expeditions.

He later joined Ohr's raid team into the Lunar Hive Realm (viz "Hellmouth") to slay VIP #2076. (See OP-VNGD-RAID-2014-LUN.) In spite of his best efforts at avoiding it, he was a key operative during the Taken War, in clearing landing sites on the Hive Throne Ship (viz "Dreadnought") and a key member of the team for the assassination of VIP #2015. (See OP-VNGD-RAID-2015-DRE) He was also instrumental in guiding a later operation to suppress the ascension of a new Taken King. (See OP-VNGD-STRIKE-2015-DRE-ALAK)

He continued alternating between field work and Wall duty until the City's conquest by the Cabal during the Red War. Morgan aided in the evacuation of civilians from the City, and continued to protect them despite Lightloss while the convoy went to ground to hide. They later made contact with Vanguard forces at the rally point in the EDZ (viz "The Farm") and were properly evacuated to join up there. He participated in the counter-invasion of the City and resumed his usual routine following the Red War's conclusion. He came into contact with VIP #1315 ("The Drifter") at some point during this time and was an early participant in his Gambit activities, though he eschewed some of the philosophical mores ascribed to by other neo-nihilists (viz "Shadows of Yor" "Dredgens").

Following the Prison of Elders riot and mass breakout (See REP #489-POE-2017), Morgan was one of many Guardians who traveled to the Tangled Shore to hunt VIP #0705 (Uldren Sov), though he himself was unsuccessful in tracking him down. Morgan would remain in the Shore for a few months, taking bounties from the Queen's Wrath and Vanguard to hunt down escaped prisoners. His participation in Drifter's Gambit continued, but their respective philosophical differences reached their height. Ultimately, Morgan refused to abandon humanity "if push came to shove," but also understood that Drifter would do what he needed to survive, including abandoning anyone and everyone. There was no ill will between them, and Morgan became a trusted member of Drifter's Crew, to the point of rebuffing a Praxic Order attempt to subvert him as an informant into Drifter's dealings.

As the Black Fleet began to arrive in force in Sol System, Morgan was kept abreast of what his teammate Wahei Ohr was doing in her "quest for insight," though he was often out of contact with her. He was again approached by the Praxic Order by agent Aunor Mahal, hoping to convince him to bring Ohr in, under the belief that Ohr had been corrupted by her quest for insight into the Darkness. Morgan once again refused, and did shoot Mahal down "on principle." The antipathy between the two would persist until the Endless Night conflict, when Mahal asked for his assistance in passing information to Ohr, and later assisted in the Battle of Eventide. (See AAR-2022-EUR-EVT-326.) Morgan and Mahal have remained professional in any interactions since.

Morgan remained in touch with Ohr in the lead up to the Battle of Eventide, frequently expressing his concern for her well-being, noting her lack of sleep and how obsessive her behavior had gotten. During the battle itself, he personally fought POI #0492 (Hadil Ainu, "The Ruiner" "Dredgen Ruin") to a standstill, keeping her occupied so the rest of the team could deal with the other members of her cohort. ("The Shadows of Salvation") He deliberately took an injury from her to set her up for what is being treated as her final death, and later captured the Ghosts of both her and POI #0478. (Afa Kashaf, "Dredgen Bog") These were later given over to the Praxic Order for containment.

In the wake of Eventide, Morgan continued work as a Vanguard operative, serving as a liaison between them and the Cabal Ascendancy. He took part in several more missions, including Operations Exorcism and Catharsis. Following the return of VIP #2029 (Eramis, Kell of Darkness) and the re-emergence of Fallen and Cabal pirates (viz "Old Crews"), Morgan aided Drifter in the rescue of VIP #3248 (Rakis, "The Spider") from House Salvation, receiving the captaincy of Spider's former ketch, later rechristened the Skyspear. He led anti-piracy actions in the Reef and in particular the Themis Cluster, and led privateer forces in defense of the Reef's Cerun Outpost against a pirate fleet headquartered in the region of the Themis Cluster known as "The Trench." He continues to captain the Skyspear following the conclusion of the pirate crisis.

Noted Arsenal

• EX-GL-CON-WTH - "Witherhoard" - Personal gift from the Drifter.
• EX-HC-GAM-MAL - "Malfeasance" - Personal gift from the Drifter.
• SH-GAM-Kin01 - "Parcel of Stardust" - Awarded for participation in Gambit activities.
• SH-VAN-Kin02 - "Fortissimo-11" - Awarded for completion of Vanguard operations.
• AR-GAM-Void02 - "Gnawing Hunger" - Awarded for participation in Gambit activities.
• RL-PINN-Sol02 - "Ascendancy" - PINNACLE-class reward from the Vanguard.

Noted Armor

Morgan has shown a tendency to vary his armor loadout depending on his activities. He tends to keep to wearing an entire set from a specific line depending on the activity. He does, however, wear the same helmet, a Torobatl Celebration Mask. He favors using shaders of a bronze or dull gilt hue.

• Formal Attire: Optimacy line
• Wall Duty: Knightly Noire line
• Vanguard Duty: Photosuede line
• Cabal Liaison Duty: Tusked Allegiance line
• Ketch Captain Duty: Starfarer line

Abilities

Morgan is a demonstrated master of all types of Light wielded by Titans. He has a preference for using Solar, preferring to wield a Burning Maul over the Hammer of Sol, and can and will switch between the types of Light at will and as needed.

Following advice from teammate Wahei Ohr, Morgan acquired a Splinter of Darkness on Europa and spent some time there learning to wield it. He can use Stasis and swap between it and the Light at will.

He has proven himself an adept melee combatant, accomplished in brawling, having proven his expertise by keeping up with, and at some points temporarily overcoming, the far more experienced Ruiner in hand-to-hand combat.

Despite stepping into a leadership role in his capacity as a ketch captain and Vanguard operative, Morgan eschews leading planning operations, but has proven adept at coming up with quick, improvised strategies on the fly in heated situations. He also shows an intuitive grasp of freshly imparted knowledge from his Warlock comrades.

FIRETEAM MEMBERS

Rega-7

• Exo - Gunslinger Hunter [KSU]
• Vanguard Operative
• Relationship: Longtime friend and ally, sometime fireteam leader.
• Status: Presently active in the field, assisting with Warmind operations. (cf. REP #134-RAS-R7)
• (see REP #497-VDB-R7)

Wahei Ohr - POI #0247

• Awoken - Voidwalker Warlock [KSU]
• A/K/A "Seeker of Insight"
• Relationship: Longtime friend and ally. Staunch loyalty.
• Status: Currently prohibited from leaving the Last City per Vanguard orders. (cf. VAN-POI-0247)
• (see REP #326-POI-0247)

Sergei Bolvan

• Human - Striker Titan
• A/K/A "The Laughing Titan"
• Relationship: Close friend, drinking buddy.
• Status: KIA due to Lightloss during the Red Legion's conquest of the Last City.

Shaman-9

• Exo - Dawnblade Warlock
• Vanguard Operative
• Relationship: Stalwart teammate to Morgan for many years, secondary source of Warlock advice.
• Status: Presently active in the field, assisting with Warmind operations. (cf. REP #134-RAS-S9)
• (see REP #497-VDB-S9)

Yurei

• Awoken (Reefborn) - Arcstrider/Nightstalker Hunter [KSU]
• Vanguard Operative, Queen's Wrath Ally
• Relationship: Loyal teammate, slightly estranged.
• Status: Primarily active in Dreaming City, continuing suppression of enemy forces in paracausal time loop and paracausal demiplane. (viz "Shattered Throne")
• Other Notes: Rezzed mute, relies on Ghost ("Vox") to speak for her.
• (see REP #497-VDB-YUR)

KNOWN ASSOCIATES

The Drifter - Rogue Lightbearer - VIP #1315

• Gambit Handler
• Relationship: Strong allies, counts Morgan among his crew.
• Status: Complicated.
• (see attached files REP #326-VIP-1315, REP #326-1315-0286-2022)

Bracus Gaal'matel - Imperial Ally

• Cabal Tower Liaison
• Relationship: Frequent conversations, developing friendship, drinking buddies.
• Status: Contact with Cabal Ascendancy to privateer fleet.
• (see attached file REP #135-TOW-0286-2022)

Bokta Tren - House Blades Reaver

• Eliksni Warrior
• Relationship: Skyspear crewmate
• Status: Contact with the Eliksni House of Blades.
• (see attached file REP #135-BTZ-0286-2022)

IN SUMMATION

POI #0286 has been something of a recurring headache for the Praxic Order. While an argument could be made about banning #0286 from Vanguard operations-- owing to his persistent association with other problematic individuals, conflicts with authority, and unapologetic use of Stasis-- it is the opinion of this analyst that this may not be necessary. Continued monitoring is recommended instead, as this would allow #0286 to continue working for the Vanguard without disruption to routine, as he commands great respect from his privateer crew and several other people of note.

ACCESS RESTRICTED
PLEASE ENTER CREDENTIALS:
CREDENTIALS ACCEPTED. WELCOME, AGENT IKO-006.
GUARDIAN DATABASE SELECTED.
LOADING DATABASE . . . LOADING COMPLETE.
ENTER POI DESIGNATION TO VIEW FILE.
DESIGNATION #3729 ACCEPTED. DISPLAYING FILE:

Below is the attached documentation on POI #3729. This report was written as part of the Guardian Database requested by Commander Zavala and the Praxic Order. This report is for Hidden use, and is pending review by IKO-006 prior to public release. This report was compiled by Hidden Agent LIN-357, with assistance from Guardian Jay Winger.

WARNING! UNAUTHORIZED DISTRIBUTION OF THIS DOCUMENT AND ATTACHED FILES IS A VIOLATION OF VANGUARD OPERATIONS CODE 092015, PUNISHABLE BY UP TO 120 YEARS IN CONFINEMENT IN VANGUARD RESTRICTED ACCESS HOLDING CELLS. THIS IS YOUR ONLY WARNING.

____________________________________________________________________________

BASIC INFORMATION

Name: Elynor Tai

Known Aliases: Dredgen Fell

Ghost: Yin

Class // Subclass: Hunter // Solar “Gunslinger” proficient, formerly Void “Nightstalker”

Race: Human

Sex: Female

Height: 173 cm

Eyes: Green

Skin: White

Hair: Black

Distinguishing Marks: Arc Spear scar (face, above r. eye to l. cheek); various Wire Rifle burns (upper r. chest, int. l. thigh, r. hand & forearm); Hunter sigil tattoo (int. L. forearm); human female face encircled in roses, writing stating “I WILL SEE YOU IN THE LIGHT” (upper l. chest); //(NOTE: This female is stated by POI #3729 to be Isabelle Tai, whom was killed by Fallen soon after #3729 became a Guardian –LIN-357)//

Age: 40 years since First Rez

Current Status: Active; Deployed to London ruins

Current Assignment: Prevent further Fallen reorganization and occupation of the area; Gather information from remaining Devils outposts; Aid New Lights and civilians in safe passage to the Last City

____________________________________________________________________________

PROFILE

POI #3729 is a quiet Guardian, preferring to work alone, and spend her off time in the same way. A notable deviation from the classic Gunslinger heard in Tower bars, #3729 is known for heading straight home or on the next mission when her current assignment is concluded. That being said, she shows strong capabilities to work in a team setting. Previous excursions show she values her fireteam above herself quite often, and will take risks to ensure their safety, often to great harm to herself.

#3729 is shown to work with the Hidden quite often, though she is not an agent herself. She seems to enjoy the more covert operating style Hidden assignments offer. Though she gets satisfaction from standard Vanguard deployments, Hidden assignments are where she feels truly at home.

Though #3729 shows tolerance to House Light and their presence within the City today, she was among the first to speak out against their invitation. It is worth noting that while she was very outspoken to the invitation of House Light, she was not ever seen committing any acts of violence towards the Eliksni, moreso keeping to herself, and treating them as any other civilian she’d encounter. Her complaints were more that the Vanguard made this decision with no warning or even request of opinion from the people, or even the Guardian forces more generally. This being said, #3729’s personal trauma concerning the Fallen of House Devils, Dusk, and most recently Salvation are obvious when interacting with House Light, and reports from her therapy sessions indicate she is constantly working to dismantle her innate prejudice against the Fallen from House Light, and see them as not only allies, but also possible friends. The House Light Scribe Eido, along with House Light Armorer Nirriva have worked closely with #3729 at this, going so far as to teach her the Eliksni language so she may better communicate with House Light.

In the field, #3729 shows little mercy towards her enemies, burning them all away without a second thought. #3729 has retaliated, stating that she eliminates her enemies quickly, and therefore mercifully. However, her actions in the field have led to some Guardians filing reports showing their concern for her brutality against the enemy. Though #3729 has toned back her aggressive combat style, she is still required to attend mandatory counseling to address her underlying psychological issues and outbursts in the field, especially when combating Fallen enemies.

____________________________________________________________________________

NOTABLE ACTIVITIES

POI #3729 was risen approx. 40 years ago, just outside the crater of the Manhattan Nuclear Zone. She spent her first year surviving off the land until she was eventually discovered by a fireteam patrolling the area for House Kings Captains. She was apprehensive at first, but eventually joined the fireteam back towards the Last City. She was quick to choose the path of the Hunter, honing her latent Solar Light. Her year alone in the ruins gave her some time to figure some things out alone, but formal training elevated her strong foundation into a fully-fledged Guardian. She graduated to field training earlier than most Guardians did that year, and made short work of the field assignments, earning her praise from many high-ranking Hunters, and even a notice from Cayde-6. After two years of training, she graduated to full Hunter status. 

Soon after, she met another Hunter named Isabelle Tai, a Nightstalker. The two began a serious rivalry that spiraled into several reports and disciplinary hearings. After being at odds with one another for over a year, their rivalry broke away into a surprisingly passionate relationship, with #3729 taking Isabelle’s last name as her own, as she didn’t have one prior to their meeting. They became inseparable, spending every moment not on mission with each other. Guardians that knew them both described their relationship as extreme and fiery. Friends of #3729 say that she was at her happiest during her relationship with Isabelle.

The pair would eventually find themselves on the front lines of Twilight Gap, battling Fallen on a scale not seen by any Guardian before. There #3729 bore witness to Ana Bray and her Golden Gun’s power. This display resonated with #3729, and stuck with her long after the battle had concluded. She spent more time training, honing herself to improve her Light, often using Ana Bray as a target for her skill level to exceed. Encouragement and support from Isabelle was paramount to her success, and she quickly rose to stand among the strongest Gunslingers ever seen by the Tower. 

Unfortunately, tragedy would soon strike Isabelle and #3729. During an operation in the Cosmodrome, the House of Wolves initiated their Rebellion against Queen Mara Sov, and Isabelle was captured by the Silent Fang. #3729 was delayed by Fallen ships entering Cosmodrome airspace, and was unable to assist Isabelle. Her death was broadcast through their commlink. Isabelle’s final words were “I will see you in the Light,” after which her Ghost was crushed, and she died her final death at the hands of the Silent Fang operatives. #3729 made landfall soon after, and burned the entire area, leaving nothing behind but charred remains. Unfortunately, the Silent Fang had already left the area, leaving #3729 with nothing to exact her vengeance upon. She later found Isabelle’s body, and brought it back to the Tower for a proper burial. 

Following these events, #3729 entered a crusade against the Silent Fang, and House Wolves more generally. She slaughtered many Fallen crews working for the Wolves, and came close to destroying a Ketch almost single-handedly. Her fury landed her a hefty bounty on her head, and she was quickly grounded by Tevis Larson following several assassination attempts by the Fallen on her. 

Once the Wolf Rebellion showed signs of ending, #3729 was reinstated to extra-terrestrial operations again, and she quickly continued her hunt of House Wolves, to little avail, as most of her targets were already imprisoned, or killed. Frustrated, she decided to enter the Prison of Elders, seeking any prisoners the Queen had interred there. After several incursions, she would be on the fireteam that eventually slew Skolas, along with VIP #2014.

After the death of Skolas, she ended her crusade, and her activity in the field dropped significantly, only logging required hours on patrol and in operations. She spent most of her off time in her home in the Tower. Several of her friends recommended her to counseling, but she refused, preferring to seclude herself from the world. This drew the attention of the Vanguard Crisis Division, who opened a file on her, and began routinely performing wellness checks on #3729. Though little progress was made during these, friends of #3729 were comforted to know she was being looked after.

Almost two years later, the SIVA threat roused her again, and she began hunting down Splicer groups manufacturing SIVA. Though she didn’t chase after them with the same ferocity that she did the Wolves, the Splicers were not spared any mercy by #3729. Though she did not participate in the destruction of the Replication Chamber, she aided in OP-VNGD-RAID-2016-PGLD, where she was instrumental in the destruction of the Siege Engine machine crafted by the Splicers. She was not present for the post-mission celebrations, and returned to her reclusive style, though she would make the occasional outing with very close friends. The Vanguard Crisis Division continued providing support and resources during this time.

When the Red Legion attacked the City, #3729 cut through many Cabal with no remorse, earning herself several kills. However, the caging of the Traveler and the loss of her Light quickly turned #3729 from a Hunter into a civilian. She switched to gruella tactics, becoming a great nuisance for the Red Legion. She spent almost the entire Red Legion occupation within the walls of the City, operating just enough to be a low priority for the Red Legion, but enough to still cause problems. Eventually, the Legion captured her, and she was sent to one of many prison vessels stationed just above the City. She was interrogated for a short time, but was soon deemed unworthy to keep, and thrown from the ship with other prisoners. During her fall, the Traveler broke free, and she regained her Light. She reboarded the vessel by hijacking a Thresher, and destroyed the vessel from within.

It was on that prison vessel that she met a Warlock named Rian Trune, a Sunsinger turned Dawnblade following the return of the Light. They met up soon after the Red War to catch up and became good friends, and she slowly broke out of her reclusive nature back into the Guardian she once was. The few friends she still had noticed the change, and supported her in any way they could.

These changes continued well into the years, and #3729 continued making progress, attending more missions, and post-op celebrations with her friends. Her progress was noted by many, and she and Rian began seeing each other as more than friends. Though she still had problems committing to a romantic relationship, her friends encouraged it, and they soon made their relationship public. Though her romantic life never reached the heights it did with Isabelle, she was able to fully break her depressive cycle with the support of her friends and Rian.

However, once more #3729 was struck with tragedy. During the emergence of House Salvation, #3729 was on a recon mission with Rian, during which the pair were separated by Salvation elites. Rian was captured and taken to the Concealed Void Lost Sector and interrogated by Teliks, a Salvation Captain. His Ghost was crushed, severing the commlink between Rian and #3729, who was desperately trying to locate him. When she finally did, all that remained was shards of a Ghost, and Rian’s body at the end of the Lost Sector. Teliks had escaped, along with any remaining House Salvation troops. #3729 carried Rian’s body out, and returned him to the Tower to be buried. 

Rian’s death had catastrophic consequences on #3729’s psyche, with any progress made not only having been reversed, but made seemingly permanent. This time, she signed on for constant patrols, spending little time on Earth at all. Any mission that became available, #3729 would take it, no matter what it said. 

It is worth noting that #3729 spent a very brief time with the Shadows of Yor immediately after the imprisonment of Eramis, taking on the alias of Dredgen Fell. Little is known about her time with the Shadows, only that she spent only a year with the group before leaving amicably.

Since the opening of the Traveler, #3729 spends much time there, mainly in the Lost City where she and Isabelle used to live. Among others, she was on the fireteam that finally unmade the Witness. However, this was her final noteworthy exploit. She logs her standard mission requirements, and spends her patrols within the Pale Heart, though these patrols are not logged. She spends most of her time simply wandering around the Lost City, eliminating enemies where she finds them.

____________________________________________________________________________

KNOWN ARSENAL

• HC-ITL-Sol16 - “Luna’s Howl” - Gifted by Lord Shaxx following accomplishments during Operation Onslaught. Modified to interact directly with #3729’s Light.
• SNPR-LW-Kin15 - “The Supremacy” - Earned during her exploits in the Prison of Elders. Modified with Banshee-44.
• HC-GMNF-Kin27 - “Warden’s Law” - Earned for exceptional performance during Vanguard Operations. 
• SNPR-MARS-Sol12 - “IKELOS_SR_v1.0.3” - Acquired from the Seraph Station by POI #0728. Gifted to #3729 soon after.
• E-SNPR-PH-Sol02 - “Still Hunt” - Acquired during patrol within the Pale Heart. This weapon is a copy provided to the Vanguard by VIP #2014.
• E-RL-WRLD-Sol04 - “Dragon’s Breath” - Acquired from a Silent Fang crew. Modified soon after the Red War.

____________________________________________________________________________

ARMOR

The armor POI #3729 wears is crafted from Ketchkiller armor and pieces of her old armor. She has imbued the armor’s twisted metal in the arms and the legs with incredible amounts of Solar Light, allowing her to store excess energy expelled by casting her super ability, known in Hunter circles as the “Blade Barrage” technique. The armor is black, with deep orange and brown highlights. The cloak is stitched from a Ketchkiller Captain’s cloak. The original owner is believed to be Virris, a former Silent Fang operative that escaped the Awoken to join the Ketchkillers.

Prior to the death of Isabelle, #3729’s armor used inspiration from ancient Iron Lord armor to adopt a knightly rogue aesthetic, using brown as a main color and red and gold highlights. The arms contained wish-dragon teeth, which was the original source for #3729’s ability to store Solar Light. These teeth were later used in the process to create the twisted metal #3729 currently uses in her armor.

____________________________________________________________________________

LIGHT

POI #3729’s proficiency in Solar Light needs no introduction. Her power is among the best, and she continues to hold records in the Hunter Academy regarding Solar Light. Though, on mission, she rarely overperforms, preferring instead to save her Light for targets that need it. Though it is a sight to behold, rare as it is.

POI #3729 is apprehensive when it comes to Arc Light. However, this does not mean she dislikes Arc users. She treats the Arc as another tool, but one that she is not able to use herself. Interestingly, Arc Light does not seem to be at odds with Solar users the way the Void is. There is little reason, other than lack of experience or want, that #3729 should be unable to use Arc Light. Perhaps her internal struggles and grief make the volatility of Arc Light too dangerous to use.

As usual for most Solar proficient Guardians, Void Light is difficult for #3729 to summon in any aspect, if not altogether impossible. This is unsurprising, as few Guardians have been able to wrestle these conflicting aspects of Light in a way that allows them to use either discipline. Though, with the trauma #3729 has experienced, her current personality of a recluse, reserved Guardian matches a Nightstalker more than a Gunslinger. It is possible that she may convert to a Nightstalker in the future. However, she may not want to, given that she may consider herself unworthy of wielding the powers Isabelle did.

As the saying goes, “When a Gunslinger loses it all, beware the winter that follows.” This is true twice over for #3729, yet there has been little evidence of any affinity for Stasis use within her. She is more than capable, as records have shown on multiple occasions that powerful Gunslingers that turn to their cold opposite end up being powerful Revenants with little effort. However, #3729 breaks this trend by remaining a steadfast Solar Hunter. Of course, it’s entirely possible that she may be honing her skills in private, but Hidden surveillance and reports from mandated therapy sessions have turned up nothing fruitful. It is worth noting that said surveillance was minimal at best. Perhaps, with a closer eye, we may see more.

Had tragedy not struck #3729 as hard as it did, Strand and the freedom it provides would’ve been perfect for her. However, her trauma is likely holding her back from plucking the strings the way other Threadrunners were able to. It is worth noting that many Threadrunners started as Nightstalkers, a path which is commonly impossible for Gunslingers of her caliber. This may be partially why #3729 does not use Strand, in addition to the more easily acceptable reasons. Too little is still known about the nature of Strand to give a quantifiable explanation.

____________________________________________________________________________

FIRETEAM MEMBERS

Isabelle Tai - Nightstalker Hunter

• Originally a rival, became #3729’s first, and most passionate love
• Motivated #3729 to become a more powerful Guardian
• Murdered by the Silent Fang, kickstarting #3729’s crusade against the Wolves

Thalia Grace - Gunslinger Hunter - POI #0728

• Lifelong friend of #3729
• Helped #3729 learn Blade Barrage
• Supported #3729 through both her losses
• Only Guardian still regularly spotted with #3729

Rian Trune - Dawnblade Warlock 

• Second love of #3729
• One of three Warlocks to befriend #3729
• Murdered by House Salvation

Taiyo Emira - Dawnblade Warlock - POI #3322

• Patrols London with #0728 and #3729
• Unofficial therapist for #3729
• Displays signs of romantic interest in #3729
• Frequently seen checking on #3729 at her home

____________________________________________________________________________

KNOWN ASSOCIATES

Sarah Ivoria - Praxic High-Captain //(SUSPECTED STASIS USER)//

• Main source for London Fallen activity for #3729
• Main point of contact for the Praxic Order and #3729

Eido - House Light Scribe

• Works with #3729 to depose House Salvation and House Devils fragments
• Studies and translates House Devils information taken from London
• Currently teaching #3729 Eliksni
• Unofficial therapist for #3729

The Drifter - Rogue Lightbearer - VIP #1315

• Supplies #3729 with information on Fallen activity
• Sources weapons and armor for #3729
• Aided #3729 in joining, and later leaving the Shadows of Yor

____________________________________________________________________________

IN SUMMATION

It is not an uncommon thought to believe #3729 as “damaged goods,” based on how much she has suffered. Her reclusive nature, fear of relationships, and greater fear of losing Guardians in combat are all indicators of severe PTSD, survivor’s guilt, among other psychological issues. However, her resilience cannot be denied. Twice she has suffered losing those closest to her. Yet she still logs her standard missions, without the frequent outbursts against authority commonplace among Gunslingers. She has attended her counseling, and it has shown in her field reports, along with the steadily dwindling reports against her. Eventually, she will recover. Not to the extent she was once, but she will recover. Of course, this will take time and effort from herself and her friends, and there is no recovering the Guardian she was prior to the death of Isabelle, or even Rian. But we cannot simply throw her away because she is hurting right now. Guardians are only as strong as those around us, and when those around us are suffering, we all come together to hold each other up. #3729 needs that now more than ever.

End Report.

–LIN-357

____________________________________________________________________________

ADDENDUM

Your concern for #3729 is commendable, and I share it. The support she receives from #0728, #3322, and Eido is paramount, and is no doubt the main reason she has not fallen as far as some others who have suffered great loss. The temptation of the Witness was strong, and many fell to it. #3729 will not be one. We will ensure it together.

Your skills continue to grow, Lisbon. Continue, and Aunor will have to work hard to keep her job.

–IKO-006

Archive:https://docs.google.com/document/d/1vC9_wjnIAUIq9fila3GLv568ECCmk8rbzo9w9wmWEa4/edit?usp=sharing

I enter a space initially unknown, yet full of knowledge. It's a familiar abyss, one I've walked through a dozen times yet never could. What I stand on predates all things... but it doesn't. It's a memory. The memory of the universe. Amethyst, ruby, and carnelian colors surround me, completely absent of its jade and sapphire sister.

I feel trillions of thoughts weigh down upon me in this expanse. Everything that was and ever will be exists here in thought. Something else exists here, too. It is made of the power of consciousness, surrounded by thought yet alone in its own. There's a deep sorrow within it, yet conviction in its existence. Were it not for the abyss I find myself in, this thing would be impossible to see, cloaked in the shadows of reality.

-Let go.- IT says, incomprehensible waves reverberating through the abyss with every word.

-Reed, my friend, roll your shoulders and reform your hands. I'm no stranger to you or your family. There are no enemies to fight, just a friend of a friend. This is a place of life, a place of peace.

Lay down and relax, let me tell you a story. You've heard this before, a tale of a gardener and a winnower, sitting down to play a game of possibilities outside of time and creation? Do you know why it is told time and time again? Does a flower need to know its nth-removed origins?

No, they do not. Every one of you know the truth, the one that matters, inherently. It's built into the fabric of the universe, into the instinct of all things. When the first cell to eat another finished its meal, other cells built defenses to repel it. The cell starved, yet another took its place, one that had adapted to those defenses. It won. It's a pattern that happens everywhere because it is the simplest one there is. Adapt and sustain your claim to existence, or fail and lose your right to exist.

Your wife understood this. She took up the knife and even offered you a spot beside her. She's one of many that have done so. Every day, someone chooses me, and you are no exception. Just now, you willed yourself to survive, beating the odds through time and space.

Listen, I tell you this because you are special, one of a kind. I offer you to not just choose, but take. Take what is owed to you. After all, do you not deserve it? After all that you've pushed through, don't you deserve to push the universe back? You now wield the power to reshape reality, will you use it?

You don't have to answer now. I'll know eventually. In the meantime, I'm so thankful for this opportunity to have finally spoken with you.

Be seeing you.-

I sit up, banging my shoulder on the sides of the Harvester cockpit. Zuloc steps back in shock. Behind her is Damea's Pyramid, still falling to the surface. It's as if I was only out for a few seconds...

I feel an emotion from Zuloc. I raised my hand in assurance, hoping to alleviate her concern, but was unsuccessful. I wasn't surprised. I wasn't even sure what had just happened myself. Whatever IT was, IT's voice was still ringing through my head.

Zuloc kneeled down beside me, putting her hand on my shoulder. From her came sensations of anxiety mixed with relief. She was trying to focus on the relief... and so I did, too. We pressed our heads against each other, taking in what happened before my vision.

We won. We survived. Focus on that.

We still exist.

Hello, I'm currently writing on a 5 act story about these characters taking place in the Dark Age and begin City Age. I'm still working on Act 1 out of 5 and am on page 47 if I remember correctly. I want to share what I wrote with everyone (especially when it's finished) and I'd like to know, if there's a site I can post this on. A site where most Fan Fictional novels are posted.

Act 1 is about this Hunter that woke up and travels to the Last City with a large group of refugees and loses some on the way there and there is Fallen Raider conflict too

Act 2 is about exploring the city in its early years when the walls are freshly built and what the city looked like and where the Guardians were trained.

Act 3 is a story of a Warlock named Sarah, that's mentioned before in act 1 and 2 that takes place in the Dark Age. She was killed by a Warlord, brought back later by a Ghost and her story is about learning about her past, getting strong and leading a Rebellion against that Warlord to free the village she's from.

Act 4 is the Warlord's story where his Ghost escapes, brings him back later and he has a meltdown. His Ghost has manipulated him this whole time into committing these horrible deeds and they part ways. The Warlord takes on a new identity and hides his face and tries to be a better person and make up for his sins the next 50 years before Jay approaches him and asks for the story about this Warlock he heard about.

Act 5 is about this Warlock Sarah confronting the Warlord and bringing him his Ghost. Here he has 3 choices. Free his Ghost and return to his old ways, kill his Ghost and become mortal or bury his Ghost somewhere he'll be never found so he keeps his powers and immortality and can dedicate his life to help people like he swore. Jay goes out of the city to meet some of the graves of the people he lost on his journey.

That's the story.

Of course there's a lot more to each story and I like to write very detailed about what characters do, how they move, what look, what they say, I'm basically just trying to write it like you see it happening in front of you.

Archive:https://docs.google.com/document/d/1vC9\_wjnIAUIq9fila3GLv568ECCmk8rbzo9w9wmWEa4/edit?usp=sharing

Damea's body flared with Darkness, filling the room with a bright orange glow. Her eyes were all in sync, no longer different colors. Whatever Vex parts of her there were became overtaken by Resonance.

I braced myself, but was given no chance to think as the Disciple shot out a bolt of Darkness, pushing me against the wall. It struck me in the chest, burning a small hole through where my heart would've been. I rolled out of the way as she fired again, cutting into the wall behind me. While I was familiar with her attacks, having been on the receiving end before, they seemed to be stronger.

I launched a Nova Bomb, only to watch as Resonant lightning pierced it, tearing it apart. She raised both of her arms, sending lightning into the air. In a micro-second, it arched down and hit me. I couldn't move. It didn't cut through me as other attacks did, instead keeping me in place and constantly shocking me. I felt myself get lifted into the air, only to be thrown across the room.

I pushed myself up, only for another strike to hit my leg, slicing through the knee and forcing me back down. I once again found myself gasping for air that I didn't need. I had a break from Damea's attacks, using it to build up whatever energy I could. In one move, I summoned everything I could. Void, arc, solar, and stasis, everything I could possibly muster, shot out of my body as various mixed projectiles.

When the smoke cleared, Damea stepped forward, completely unharmed. The pearl, the echo of Iris's power, flashed with the energy running through her body. The Disciple summoned another wave of lightning, arching and hitting me again. This time, it did more than paralyze. As I was lifted into the air again, I saw pieces of my body burn as the lightning cut through it. Damea brought me close to her, holding me in place.

"This ends now!" She growled.

A loud boom resonated through the room. I looked up to see the modified Vex gate behind her glow. It was opening.

I tried to reach out, to bring out anything in my body, but could barely lift a finger. In moments, Damea would go back in time. In moments, I wouldn't even exist.

I wouldn't exist...

I tried to do something I hadn't done in a long time... look within. I remembered simulating myself over and over. I remembered the conversations I could have with myself about my problems in nanoseconds. I remembered my own internal thoughts when being converted by Pyramid tech. I remembered my experiences waking up in a new body, now fully converted by the Vex that had started it so many years ago.

I am a single mind, divided into two, gradually fusing back into one. I was torn apart and put back together. I was merged yet still confused. I am human. I am Vex. I am all of these things.

SIMULATE

There was no simulation. It was just a thought, a question. If I am all of these things, if I am human, Vex, Light, and Dark... why can't I be stronger? These powers create and destroy universes. If they are here, in me, why can't I just... live?

Live. Win. Energy flows through me. I see something materialize in my hand, an object I didn't even remember that I had... a knife.

The Psions kept telling me I was an unbalanced mind, confused as different aspects of me tried to dominate my own body. This is MY body. I will not have this imbalance again.

I see the lights on my suit turn from purple to pink. I see the Light and Darkness in my cores merge in a way I had only seen once, yet have felt several times now. Damea's grip loosens. The lightning breaks off as a pink-hued pulse spreads through the room. I fall to the floor, landing on my reformed feet.

I look up. Damea is messing with her hands, dealing with burns to her finger tips. She looks at me, a confused look on her face.

"How?!" She questioned.

I didn't answer. My hands tightened into fists, prismatic energy flowing through them. Damea shook her head.

"No matter!" She yelled, blasting lightning from her hands again.

It bounced off of me. I responded with a concentrated beam, aiming straight for her chest. Damea screamed as her body pulsed with Darkness. When it was done, the Echo in her chest had fallen out. She grasped at her wound in shock. I fired again. Damea attempted to block with a shield, which broke immediately. The prismatic beam cut her arm, scorching her suit and flesh. I took the knife that had formed in my hand and sent it as I would a Dawnblade. It struck her in the face, causing a pulse that pushed her to the ground.

I took a few steps forward, wary of any sudden moves. She was gasping, intermittently coughing up some kind of fluid that reminded me of Radiolaria. She looked up. Her Vex eye was damaged, the dagger sticking out from it.

"How are you doing this?!" She yelled, "This isn't supposed to happen! I see everything that is, has been, and ever will be! I saw your resurrection! I saw your battles! I saw your BIRTH! How did this happen?!"

I remained silent as she stood up, struggling with every movement.

"You insolent little speck!" She cried, "You're not even the Gardener's Chosen! You aren't the one it sent out for! You aren't the slayer of GODS! You aren't worthy of salvation! How did YOU gain this power?! How does YOUR existence-"

She stopped. Her remaining eyes widened.

"Your existence..." She gasped, "That's it!"

She raised her hand. The portal behind her shifted colors. I took a step forward.

"If I just erased YOU then I wouldn't have such resistance to my plans!" She started laughing, "I know exactly when you are brought back! You will make easy prey."

I stopped walking. The knife's prophecy, a long-forgotten part in my own history, was being fulfilled before my eyes.

"I'll tell your wife that it was necessary." She smiled, beginning to laugh again, "She'll understand. Or maybe she won't! Either way, I WIN!"

She started walking backward.

"See you soon... abomination..."

Her body disappeared into the portal, which shut down behind her. On the other side of that portal, she'd meet her end. I was certain of this, for I wouldn't be able to be here without that assurance.

There was no time to celebrate. Darkness pulsed from the statue, the ship shaking. There was no commanding will anymore, and the ship was reacting to it.

"Zuloc!" I called, "We need an exit, NOW!"

"Understood!" She responded.

I blasted a hole through the wall, seeing a path outside of the citadel. I ran as fast as I could, leaping off a ledge and down to the city below. As I fell, I saw Resonant energy exploding from various parts of the ship as it was coming apart. Ships were flying in and out as our forces were retreating.

I stopped my fall before I hit the ground, managing to land safely. I ran for the hole in the ship that I had arrived on, finding it to be much bigger than it had been when I had left it. I saw a black and green Harvester, one of Zuloc's. It was getting closer, already opening up its doors.

"Reed, can you hear me?!" Zuloc yelled on the comms, "Jump!"

I let myself fall, attempting to guide myself to the dropship. I managed to land on its hull, a hatch opening up. I slid in, seeing Zuloc in the cockpit.

"GO!" I yelled.

We sped out as the Pyramid lost its ability to hover, beginning its plummet towards the surface. Zuloc turned the ship when it got close to the Praetorian Guard. I saw the Pyramid swirl with Darkness as it finally exploded, a Resonant wave being emitted from its center.

It struck the ship. I felt suddenly dizzy. Another wave hit and my head began to hurt. A third wave hit and I collapsed. Zuloc put the ship in hover and grabbed me. Her voice was distorted. My vision had blurred. I didn't know what was happening.

I blacked out.

Archive:https://docs.google.com/document/d/1vC9_wjnIAUIq9fila3GLv568ECCmk8rbzo9w9wmWEa4/edit?usp=sharing

The trip through the citadel was surprisingly uneventful. As I moved up a couple of lifts, I thought about the lack of enemies. Were the Dread and Vex outside just focused on everyone outside? Was Krystallon proving to be enough of a hassle to focus everything on its army? Did the Coalition finally make it on board the ship in full force?

As I got off the third lift, I got my answer.

The door opened, revealing a dark room full of Pyramidian Vex, all pointing their weapons at me. I looked behind me to see the lift's exit being blocked off by a Resonant barrier. I sighed and stepped forward, arms raised. I looked at the Vex, seeing the Goblins, Hobgoblins, and Minotaurs in those red suits. Their durability had been increased. Were it not for my reshaped body and the powers I wielded, this trap would've been utterly impossible to get out of. I braced myself to summon a Stasis wave.

"Don't bother," said a familiar voice, "we're not fighting yet."

The form of Damea appeared on the opposite side of the room, hovering just off the floor. In the center of her chest was the pearl, the remnant of Iris's power. Vex tendrils flared out like wings.

"You continue to reject the Witness's promise." She said, "I won't let you win."

"The Witness is dead," I replied, "its 'promise' died with it."

"You don't understand!" She spat, letting her feet touch the ground, "We were on the cusp of finality! We would've lived in purity! I would've lived in purity!"

She stepped forward, stomping on the ground.

"But you!" She yelled, "You and your kind have forced my hand!"

I lowered my hands, forming one into a knife. Damea squinted her non-Vex eyes.

"As a fellow hybrid," she said, "how do you like my Vex?"

"What did you do," I questioned, "subjugate them?"

"No," she replied, gesturing to the nearest Minotaur, "they joined willingly. A sect of the Sol Divisive dedicated themselves to our glorious purpose. Not just to Darkness, but to the Witness. I explained our goals to them, and they decided that we were right. They now reap the rewards for their loyalty."

I lowered myself into a combat stance.

"You've already met their Mind, Prodotis." Damea continued, "I believe you two have unfinished business."

Behind her, I saw something move. As it got closer, I saw its shape. The upper body of a Minotaur, the legs of a Wyvern. Its frame was gold, its chassis white. Black armor covered its body, made of Pyramidian material. On its shoulders were two cannons, glowing with Resonant energy. The Mind was massive, easily twice the size of the Disciple before it.

Damea turned around, walking away while Prodotis stepped forward. It leaned forward, aiming all of its weapons. Its gauntlets produced Resonant shields, its hands formed blades. The room illuminated, revealing how big it actually was. The Vex around me moved back, giving their leader and I space.

Before I could make a move, Prodotis launched forward, revealing that it had jets on its legs and back. It slammed one of its blades down on the ground, slicing through the floor and sending a wave of Resonant energy at me. I got out of the way just in time, sending a Stasis bolt back. Prodotis dodged before firing its cannons. A single shot hit me in the chest, forcing me to the ground. Prodotis charged again, raising one of its feet. I rolled out of the way just before it stepped down, cutting its foot in the process.

When I recovered, it stopped shooting. I tried to feel its intent, finding... enjoyment. I looked at my chest, seeing the damage repairing itself. I looked to its foot, seeing Resonant energy repairing its own wound.

I heard something teleport behind me. I turned to see Krystallon. There was a scratch on its chest.

"What happened?" I asked.

"Reinforcements have boarded." It explained, "We have come to assist you."

Within seconds, dozens of crystalline Vex appeared. The Pyramidian Vex raised their weapons. I let energy course through me. Prodotis did the same, an orange glow running through its frame. Krystallon and its Vex dispersed, fighting the Dark-powered Vex on the side while I ran towards Prodotis.

I unleashed a Nova Bomb, striking the Mind in the chest. It reeled back before lurching forward, firing a salvo of Scale Drones in the process. I raised a Stasis wall, blocking the missiles. When I saw the Mind's shadow get close, I pushed energy into the wall, causing it to shatter towards my foe. Shards got lodged in its chassis, causing it to stumble. It swiped at me, the force tossing me to the side.

For a solid minute, we exchanged blows. Stasis bolts blocked by shields, arc strikes dodged, Resonant attacks countered. Eventually, Prodotis charged again, using its jets to gain enough ground in a second. It swiped both of its blades down, forcing me to use Stasis to effectively block with my own. The ground cracked with the weight of the strike.

I pushed back, trying to reinforce my physical strength with my paracausal ability. For a second, I felt the same energy that I felt when I faced the Witness and Iris. The purple flames around me turned pink and I forced it onto Prodotis. Its hands shattered as prismatic energy shot into its body, cracking its armor and frame. Radiolaria began to spill from its core and its lights flickered. It fell to the ground, struggling to keep moving.

The energy around me turned from pink to purple once more. By the time I looked back at Prodotis, it was already dead. The Pyramidian Vex stopped shooting. They seemed to twitch slightly, as if the death of their Mind was causing them to short circuit. Krystallon walked up to me, its Vex pulling in to form a defensive circle.

"Polemarch, you must go." It said, "You are running out of time. We will hold them off."

The Pyramidian Vex stabilized, with several more teleporting in. Krystallon raised an arm, and several of its Vex moved out of the way to clear a path for me.

"Be careful." I said.

Krystallon seemed to nod before returning its focus to the coming battle. I ran out of the room, hearing a cacophony of gunfire behind me. The hallway outside of the room was full of hostile Vex. I made quick work of them, wasting as little time as possible.

Eventually, I came across two white-suited Minotaurs guarding a door. Both were equipped with wrist blades. I rushed them, avoiding their ranged attacks. When I got close, I stabbed one in the core, causing it to bleed out. The other grabbed my arm and tossed me aside. I recovered and ran forward. The Minotaur attempted a melee, but I slid under it, cutting its legs in the process. It fell, allowing me to finish it off before throwing a Nova Bomb at the door, breaking it open.

Inside the room was Damea, standing in front of a circular gate. Behind the gate was a Veiled Statue, Darkness still emitting from it despite the Witness's demise. The Disciple turned to face me.

"You are too late." She said, "In moments, your victory will be undone."

"What is this?" I asked.

"After the Hive destroyed our worlds, I was left adrift in the void." Damea explained, "There, I met the Vex. They attempted to convert me, but I resisted. My will drew the attention of the Witness. Once it explained its goal, I understood how important it was. All of this needless suffering caused by an argument of Gods. Under the Final Shape, there will be no suffering."

The gate started making more sense. In order for our victory to be undone, one would have to revive the Witness. The Vex can't do that... but augmented Vex technology could allow you to travel through time...

"You made a time machine..." I said aloud.

"How astute." Damea mocked, "I admit, your existence is a unique one. In another life, had Iris succeeded in her goals, you would have been a valuable asset. However, you have wasted your second life in a futile struggle against inevitability. I won't let you succeed."

Damea began to glow. Resonant energy coursed through her, causing vascular patterns to appear on her body. Her suit turned silver and the Vex tendrils protruding from her back turned orange with Dark energy.

"Come then, hybrid, make your final stand."

WARNING: this is my first time writing something of this length in...I don't even remember if I have before. Please forgive any format or spelling errors, it was hell to modify it on mobile to look nice. So many Zero-Width spaces.

Vusseriks' head pounds and spins with every slow beat of her heart. Shifting slightly and hissing from the body pains, she cracks her front right eye open.
"Am I alive?" Her first thought that surfaces upon consciousness.
Failing to process her immediate surroundings, the rest of her eyes peek open in confusion. Something smells tangy and of meat. ​
​

[awakened : hours pass across the sky : lucky : query : hunger]

​

Vusseriks' eyes blink and open wide at an unknown... voice? Concepts? Whatever it was she "heard", it is not eliksni. Pushing through her pain to get herself sitting up and stable, she readies to react.
Swiftly taking in the surroundings, a Psion stands away from her with the top of its head very faintly shimmering purple.
​
"Emiisek'lasaov!" Vusseriks barks out with a piercing click of her mandibles, lunging at the thin creature and immediately poising a lower arm into a hidden position to thrust.
The Psion plants himself firmly in place as Vusseriks feints an attack with her left arm, only for her lower right arm to swing up to stab underneath the psion's throat.

​

The sound of metal and flesh being impaled doesn't land.
​

Her strike goes farther than expected, an odd feeling of emptiness fills her arm as it overextends. Her shivs are gone.
She nearly punches his throat before a flash comes from the Psion's head. A solid force of wavering purple crashes into Vusseriks' chest and throws her half-way across the room
As she lands, her mind becomes wrapped in psionic daze. She fails to get up without feeling off-balance and slipping from swaying in over-correction.
The Psion straightens himself and approaches casually, but with a hint of caution.

​

[tensely expected : calculated strike: impressive speed : pain ignored : ... rude language]

​

He stops before coming too near, as if giving her space.
​

[debates of an assassin among Vals : glint of a pointed blade : modus operandi : cleanly pierced Cabal skulls : an Eliksni shiv inspected on a table : Recognition : satisfaction : present eliksni is that assassin]

​

Vusseriks snarls and shakes her head to be rid of this telepathic communication, angered at how she is forced to experience and understand it clearly without choice.
"Nadrosk... tuuash variben aklii, priit mrathis neh!"

​

[gesture of peace : Weapons lay bare : two speaking beings: clause : foreign language : Slave : Assassin : similarity]

​

=="Is it agreed?"==
the Psion speaks in Ulurant, with a slight nasal pitch. There carries a subtle ephemerality within his voice.
Vusseriks fights hard enough against the instability to get her lower arms under her chest and prop herself up. She looks at the Psion in aggravation and daze. A moment of silence passes and she contemplates, confused by this odd individual. She nearly begins to open her mouth to speak, until the Psion cuts her off, having already seen her surface thoughts.
​
=="Settled, then."== He breaks the link of psionic suppression, Vusseriks flies upright and nearly lands on her back as her muscles regain full power and push her up suddenly after fighting the block put in her mind.
=="ahss! ....Ghh, what do you want from me, psion? Where am I?!"==

​

[a rundown building of The City : City walls towerin--

​

=="Ahem... apologies. You are just outside the City, some sort of abandoned building. Seemed like a good place to set up for me, 'til you came along. Do you not remember how you lost consciousness?"==
Vusseriks keeps her muscles tense and her eyes locked onto the Psion, but she does attempt to remember
​
=="You....your kind have just attacked the City! You murdered my scouting group out in that covering storm ambush! Some new brute from the back ran to the front and hit me with some sort of burning concussion wave, after I pierced some thick, halfwit skulls...=="
Vusseriks grins at the psion, basking in the memory of legionaries running up to her, not knowing that's what she wants in combat. But, her grin turns to a teeth-bared grimace as her chest aches with sears and her back with blunt force. She forces herself up into a hunched stance
=="Who are you?"==
​
The Psion stands straight and takes a few steps towards her, not intimidated by their size difference
=="I am Teulk, and I have an offer for you, assassin... one that will let you pierce more "thick, halfwit skulls" as you say. We psions are loyal to an extent... but we ultimately follow our own goals. Mine happens to coincide with your job, and--"==
​
Teulk kicks open a box to his side, spilling Cabal technology and hand-held info banks.
=="--it pays in something you want."==
​
Teulk gestures at Vusserik for her introduction, she hesitates, upping her posture. She does recall rumors that some said, that Psions are somewhat two-faced
=="...Vusseriks. You want Cabal... dead?"== She says with cautious intrigue.
​
=="I would. You see, psions aren't exactly seemn as equals within the Cabal. I might like to see them taken down a bit. Being bigger and armored doesn't necessarily mean you are better, if one knows where to strike..."==
Teulk opens a container on a table near them, revealing Vusseriks' Arc shivs and flips them, handing them out to her.
=="And I believe, if my information is right, you know where to strike."==
​
Vusseriks snatches her shivs back and attaches them back rightfully on her lower wrists, thinking and considering many thoughts in her head. Teulk sees them, but patiently lets her take time. She glances around the room, looking at Teulk, the box of cabal tech, her shivs, the makeshift sleeping spot she woke up on, a little stove nearby where the meaty smell is coming from, and back to Teulk with a strange expression
=="A conspirator, risking life to save and hire an enemy assassin who would kill them without a passing glance..."==
​
A smile tugs at the edges of her face
=="... I like your boldness, Psion... undaunted face-to-face of a skilled murderer of your legion, daring to even having a passing thought to want to talk with them without protection"==
​
Teulk smiles, if not for his success, then in pride for her to mention how his plan surprisingly worked
=="Let us begin then..."== Teulk turns towards the stove that's been running, taking a pot off the heat. Many small, square, closed pockets of some kind of filling sits in a sweet and meaty stew or sauce
=="would you be hungry? You've been unconscious a while"==
​
Vusseriks smells the air cautiously, hit by the stronger, closer scent. She grins.
=="This will be a fun job."==

City Age: What Comes from Light

“What I remember from Twilight Gap? What I remember is chaos.”

Adryel stares blankly at his empty palms as memories of battle and unyielding loss race through his mind.

“Ok, what about the chaos?”

The words echo in Adryel’s ears, but he does not hear them.

“Adryel?”

The Hunter turns to face the woman sitting across from him and once again, seemingly for the first time, realizes there are a dozen other Guardians sitting in the circle with him. They looked at him with faces as haunted as his own, faces of guilt, shame, anger, and emptiness.

“What?” Adryel responds, now alert and with a hint of embarrassment.

The woman takes a second to repeat herself. Her expression is one of understanding and a willingness to help, “I asked what you meant when you say you remember chaos.”

Adryel grimaces at the question, “I mean we’re Guardians. It’s our duty to be ready for whatever comes our way, but despite that, and our victory, we still lost so much. I held a boy and his little sister in my arms and watched the light fade from their eyes because I couldn’t protect them from a few Dregs that bypassed me just three minutes earlier, when I was dealing with their Captain and Vandal lieutenants. And that’s just one incident from one Guardian, imagine what horrors some others have experienced. Everything was chaos. So many Fallen, it was hard to process just how many came at us.

Some Titans might’ve called it a ‘target rich environment’ before coming down with a Fist of Havoc. Under normal circumstances that would’ve been a fair assessment. But so much of the fighting was overflowed onto the streets that they would’ve ended up eradicating our own infrastructure and killing the Lightless alongside the Fallen. Those pirates hit us where we live, and when your home…w-when your home gets hit like what we just went through, you can only reasonably expect chaos.”

A round of nods circled the room in quiet solidarity.

“I see. That must’ve been very hard on you.”

“Hard? We were one Fireteam away from my experience being every Lightless person in this City, and there wasn’t a damn thing I would have been able to do about it. Not one thing, but just accept fate and watch the Last City become another Norbury.”

“I’m sorry, Norbury?”

Adyrel lets out a soft chuckle as he gives the woman a once over, “Before your time I suppose. or maybe just too far out in the wilds. Lets just say this Last Safe City of ours isn’t the first place I was called ‘Guardian’. Only instead of Fallen it was a Warlord, and instead of Lord Shaxx, they only had young and inexperienced me.”

The woman nods understandingly, “Hmm. And you promised yourself that you’d never let yourself be made that helpless again didn’t you?”

Adryel shook his head.

“I understand your devotion to protecting those around you with everything you have and more, Adryel. It’s what makes a Guardian a Guardian. But part of being a Guardian is knowing that we as a people will take losses along the way, and those losses aren’t your fault. You can’t expect to never be in a lopsided fight again. With everything that’s out there, we should all expect something like this to possibly happen again. But keep in mind, we survived this, and we’re going to be stronger for it. So instead of being afraid and letting that fear rule us, we need to be brave and stand our ground. Right?

We are humanity. We are not to be taken lightly, and we just proved that by pushing back the Fallen and all they could throw at us.”

“But what if it was my fault?”

“You’re referring to the incident that happened during the battle? Your teammate?”

“Yeah. What happened to Frost was my fault. Bora never should’ve been put in that position, and if he hadn’t then my friend would still be here today.”

“You don’t know that. He could’ve met his end any number of ways during that battle.”

“I do though, Doc! You saw Skye’s recorded telemetry yourself. I was flat on my back after getting caught out in the open by that House of Kings walker. Sitting there dazed and confused like an animal stuck in a trap, with snipers hiding on every rooftop, and civilians running from a now burning building. Frost took those first bullets for me, hoping that I’d have time to recover enough to blow that Walker to pieces with my Light, and doing that ended his life. But guess what? I didn’t recover in time, and when the next wire rifle shot came it was Bora that chose to take it for me… He wasn’t even my Ghost.”

Silence filled the room as they all took in Adryel’s words.

“It sounds like Bora had those civilians on his mind and simply acted on the first thing he thought of. If he hadn’t done what he did, then you wouldn’t have had the time to get up and deal with that walker like Frost needed you to. Those people wouldn’t still be alive right now if it weren’t for Frost and Bora.”

Adryel wiped the growing tears from his eyes and stared back at the floor, “I know. But part of me still wishes Bora hadn’t done what he did. What if keeping Frost alive meant saving even more people down the line?”

“It very well could’ve. But you are Guardians, picking and choosing who among the innocent to save isn’t something you can afford to do. Every human life is precious, and it’s not up to you to pick and choose which ones matter more. You save every life you can, right? No matter the cost.

Devotion, bravery, sacrifice. Those are the tenets Guardians live by, and to me it sounds like Frost and Bora knew that better than anyone. They were true Guardians, don’t you think?”

Adryel raises his head again and locks eyes with the woman. He knows she’s right, but he just can’t bring himself to admit it. Part of him would always feel that their deaths were his fault, that he had been the weakest link at that moment in the heat of battle, and it cost his friends their lives.

“I just miss my friends.”

“I know, Adryel. But they’re still with you. You have their memory in your heart, and you will remember them until your final moments. Remember them and their actions. Remember what made them so special, and use that to keep pushing forward. If you just do that, I’m sure everything will be ok in the end.”

The Pale Heart

"Polaris?"

"Polaris."

"POLARIS!" Mara Sov shouted at the Hunter, fast asleep in a hammock tucked away in an alcove of the Lost City.

Polaris jolted awake, falling out of his hammock. "AH! Oh, Mara. Hi." He got to his feet, brushing his armor off.

"This is where you've been? There's a party starting at the Tower right now." Mara put a hand on her hip. "I was hoping to find you there."

"A party? What for?"

"What for?" Mara scoffed. "It's for you, Polaris. You personally defeated the greatest evil in this universe, and you're not even at your own party?"

"I... don't want the attention," Polaris admitted. His face hidden behind his helmet, Mara couldn't tell what his true expression was. "I didn't do this alone. I never did any of this alone, but everyone wants to give me all the credit."

"Then who else would it be given to?"

Polaris crossed his arms. "Hecate. Nemea. Any one of the other Guardians that have joined our fights. You. Him," he finished, holding out his hand. His Ghost, Daedalus, appeared above his palm. "D has kept me alive through everything, and nobody ever thinks to tell him thank you. Hell, I never did. Not until I almost lost him."

Daedalus's shell, previously a dark gray, had now turned white, just like the Traveler itself. His golden inlays shone brighter than ever. "Polaris, I keep telling you, that's just my duty. Both as your best friend and as your Ghost. You don't need to be so hung up over it."

"You died, Daedalus," Polaris retorted, his voice cracking. "You sacrificed yourself to kill the Witness. I'll never stop thanking you for that."

Daedalus chuckled. "Whatever you say, Polaris. Now, we should be at this party. Wouldn't be right to ghost everyone."

"At least one of you has sense." Mara took Polaris's hand. "Daedalus, please go ahead without us. Polaris and I have something to discuss alone."

"Got it. I'll meet you guys at the ship." Daedalus bobbed in a sort of nod and flew off.

"What's up, Mara?" Polaris asked once they were alone. "Is everything alright?"

"When I teleported you aboard the H.E.L.M. that time, you were more hurt than I'd ever seen you." Mara recalled. "The Witness or its forces would have killed you if I were a second later. And again, when I felt your Light fade after Daedalus died... you are not the only one who thought they lost someone, Polaris."

"I'm alright, Mara." Polaris cupped the Queen's cheek in his free hand. "You'll never lose me."

Mara took Polaris's hand off her face and studied it. The white and gold of his gauntlet- wait. White? "Your armor has changed," Mara noticed. "Trying a different aesthetic?"

Polaris looked at himself. His armor, previously mostly black and gray with gold trim, had changed to a white and black style, with the gold staying where it was. Even his cloak was now stark white. "Not intentionally. When I left the final battle, my armor had just turned into this. But, uh... you were saying?"

Mara pulled Polaris's hood down and took his helmet off, studying his face as she tossed it to the ground. At first look, he seemed healthier and happier than he'd ever been, but there was a sadness behind his eyes. "Are you alright?" she asked simply.

"Never better. Really. It's just..." Polaris looked out at the sky. "With all that's happened these past days, I don't know where I belong in the universe now. I always thought that when we defeated the Traveler's ancient enemy, before we even knew what it was, that it would be the end of my story. My life. I feel like I've fulfilled what I was revived to do, so... where does that leave me?"

"The Witness was not your destiny," Mara countered softly. "Dying was not your destiny. If you are still here, then you have more to contribute to this world. This is not an end, my dear. It is a beginning. For all of us."

Polaris paused. "...Dear?"

"I suppose I should have said this before." Mara blushed, briefly looking down at her feet. "I heard what you said that night, before you entered the Traveler."

"Oh. I, uh... look, when I said I love-"

"I love you too." Mara kissed her Guardian, her hands on his cheeks. "Our destinies are still out there, Polaris, and I want to face them together. If you would have me as your... what do you call it? Your girlfriend."

"Only if you would have me as your boyfriend," Polaris chuckled. "I didn't think we could be together as a true couple, not with a war constantly on our doorstep. But now... I guess there's room for anything in the universe."

"Indeed there is. Shall we head to the party?" Mara asked, a smile on her face. A rare sight.

"Let's get out there." Polaris transmatted himself and his girlfriend to the Pale Heart's makeshift hangar, where he found Daedalus waiting for him, along with a ship he'd thought he'd lost in the Red Legion's attack on the old Tower years ago- though it felt like centuries. "What... the..."

"You'll never believe this!" Daedalus exclaimed as he flew over to his Guardian. "After the Queen of Hearts crashed on the way here, someone commissioned the Tower's best engineers to rebuild our ship! Our ship, Polaris! Look!"

Sure enough, waiting for them in the hangar was a perfect replica of Polaris's original Arcadia-Class jumpship, claimed from the Cosmodrome on his first day as a Lightbearer. The only difference was the colors- instead of the dark blue and orange of the original, this one was white, black, and gold, just like his armor. Polaris's jaw dropped as he ran to the ship, leaping into its cockpit. Everything felt just like he remembered. The controls felt perfectly familiar under his hands as he fired up the engines.

Mara teleported onto the ship's wing, looking down at Polaris. "When you return to the City, come straight to your apartment. You should change out of your armor. This is a party, one should dress appropriately. I'll meet you there." With that, she blew a kiss at Polaris and teleported away.

"Hell, yeah." Polaris nodded excitedly to Daedalus as they soared out of the hangar and through the portal, exiting the Pale Heart and returning to the Last City, where he watched and listened to the partygoers' cheers as they watched the Arcadia in the skies above them. He did a barrel roll to acknowledge them, then parked his ship and obediently returned to his apartment.

The Queen was waiting for him, dressed in an elegant violet off-shoulder evening dress and silver high heels. Her dress had a high slit in the skirt, revealing one leg. She wore silver bracelets and a ring on her left hand to match her shoes. "Welcome back. Let's get you ready."

"Yes, ma'am," Polaris agreed, taking off his armor. "You look lovely, by the way."

"You'll look even better." Mara helped Polaris into a black dress shirt and white pants, tying a gold tie around his neck. "I picked this out to match your new armor. The shoes and jacket are over there."

Polaris put on his shoes- black dress boots- and a white jacket matching his pants. "You picked pretty well, I'll admit." He admired himself in the mirror. "You ready to go?"

Mara looped her arm through Polaris's. "Let's not keep our friends waiting."

The Tower

Polaris and Mara arrived at the party to find it even more lively than they'd expected. Civilians, Guardians, and members of every group of the Coalition were enjoying the festivities together. Some people were dancing, some were chatting at the numerous bars, but everyone was having a good time.

"There they are!" Crow called out as soon as the couple arrived. He shimmied his way through the crowd to reach his sister and mentor. "Looking good, you two," he said with a smile. His hair was still in a bun and he had changed into a simple black and white suit for the night. A silver feather pin rested on his lapel. "What took you so long?"

"He was taking a nap in the Pale Heart," Mara explained. "Almost refused to take part tonight."

"What? But you're the life of every party!" Crow clapped Polaris's back. "C'mon, Ikora and Zavala have been waiting." He led the couple through the party to the edge of the Tower, where Zavala and Ikora were enjoying their drinks. "Found them. Finally."

"Good to see you again," Zavala said with a smile.

"After how you vanished after the final battle, we were starting to get worried," Ikora added. "Where've you been?"

Polaris shrugged. "Camped out in the Pale Heart. Didn't feel right to get showered in praise. Not unless we celebrate everyone who contributed to our victory."

"That might involve celebrating a certain goddess of cunning." Ikora chuckled. "Though I see your point. For what it's worth, this party isn't just for you. It's for everyone. Every Guardian, every ally we've ever had. None of us would be here if not for our combined effort."

"That's what I was hoping for. Now, which bar's the best?"

Crow gestured to a bar set up at Tess Everis's booth, though the Eververse vendor herself wasn't present. Instead, she was replaced by every Guardian's surrogate grandmother. "Eva Levante is slinging drinks over there, better than anyone else."

"Eva? Not surprised. Should've seen her mixing after the Oryx died. Come with me, Crow. We'll grab something strong to celebrate your promotion." Polaris put an arm around Crow's shoulders and steered him over to the bar, leaving Mara and the other Vanguard leaders behind. "Never got to congratulate you officially. Sorry for the delay."

"Ah, it's nothing." Crow leaned against the bar. "Was almost worried you'd be jealous, though."

"Jealous?" Polaris snorted. "Never. I'm grateful to you for accepting, actually. Means I won't have to deal with it anymore."

"Ah, Polaris! Good to see you. What would you like?" Eva Levante asked as she approached the duo of Hunters.

"Hm... shot of vodka on the rocks, lime juice, and ginger beer. Oh, and most importantly: a splash of love."

"Jackie's drink, yes?" Eva nodded. "A lovely choice. And for you, Crow?"

"The same. Thanks, Eva." Crow looked back at Polaris as the elderly woman walked away to make their drinks. "Who's Jackie?"

"A FOTC member that I worked with a few times. Fell in battle against the Vex, but he was one of the bravest men I ever knew."

"A regular human fighting the Vex? Jackie had some serious cojones." Crow looked out at the crowd. "You've got some company. I'll get out of your way for now." Crow took his drink from Eva and walked off as Polaris's fireteam joined him at the bar.

"There you are!" Nemea-13 clapped Polaris's back, nearly breaking his spine. His armor was replaced with a dark orange suit. Not a color Polaris expected to look good, but his Exo brother pulled it off well. "How's our little brother doing?"

"Better now," Polaris said as he hugged Nemea and Hecate in turn. "What're you guys up to?"

"A bit of mingling, a bit of dancing, the usual. Marcus Ren tried to hit on me." Hecate wore a short black dress and matching heels. She took Polaris's drink out of his hand and took a sip. "Oh, that's good. What is it?"

"A friend's recipe." Polaris took his drink back. "Anything interesting happen yet?"

"Some old Hunter wanted to talk to you. Says you know each other, but I didn't recognize him. He's waiting by Rahool's tent." Hecate nodded in the Hunter's direction, who put a hand up in greeting.

"No way... I'll be back in a sec, guys." Polaris met up with the older Hunter. "Never thought I'd see you again," he said as they shook hands. "Been a while, old man."

"Well, you know damn well why I'm here." Shin Malphur drew the Last Word and tried to put it in Polaris's hand. "Had to return this."

"It's your gun, Shin. Keep it," Polaris said as he moved his hand out of the way.

"It was my gun. Now it's yours. Gotta admit, though, when the Word showed up at my doorstep with that note, I was as surprised as can be, but I couldn't sit idly by when you needed me. But I was serious when I said my time in this fight is over."

"Not like you're doing much else," Polaris countered. "Besides, it'd be hilarious to freak Ol' Drifty out by dropping in on him sometimes, wouldn't it?" Polaris looked over at the Drifter, who was talking to Eris Morn not too far away.

Shin followed Polaris's gaze, chuckling. "You got me there. Alright. I'll think about it." He holstered the Last Word. "Reckon I might as well try to have a life."

"That's the spirit. Now go, get a drink, sign some autographs. I could name at least a hundred Hunters who really wanna meet you."

"I might just do that." Shin shook Polaris's hand again. "Have fun. You've earned it."

"You too, Shin." Polaris walked off, softly throwing a ball of Stasis matter at the back of Drifter's head as he passed, looking for his fireteam.

Later in the night...

After possibly one too many shots, Polaris found himself in the center of a dance circle, surrounded by his friends and spinning on his head, when the sound of a Hive teleportation caught everyone's attention and the music stopped. Polaris turned himself right-side up just in time to see none other than the Witch Queen flying toward the party.

"BATTLE STATIONS!" Zavala shouted, preparing to attack Savathun with a Stasis lance. His movements were slightly stumbled, but his focus was still strong.

"Wait!" Savathun said before anyone could move. "I'm not here for a fight, silly Guardians."

"Then what do you want?" Mara demanded.

"Why, to join the party, of course! Is this not a celebration of everyone who contributed to the Witness's defeat?"

Everyone shuffled awkwardly, not sure whether to attack or not. She wasn't wrong- technically. That was what the party was for.

"I brought beer," Savathun added, holding up multiple large cases of beer in each claw.

The silence broke into cheers. "BEER! BEER! BEER!" the drunk crowd of Guardians chanted, some Warlocks gliding up to Savathun and collecting the drinks from her.

Over the next couple of hours, Savathun drank an entire gallon of vodka in a single gulp, did some very impressive aerial dance performances, and was called "Moth Mommy" at least four times before she eventually departed.

. . .

As the party died down, some attendees returning to their homes and some falling asleep right in the Tower, slumped over against railings and walls, Polaris watched the sunrise from the Old Tower alongside a small crowd of all his closest friends and allies: Daedalus floating at his side, his shell gleaming in the morning light. Mara Sov leaning her head on his shoulder, a soft smile on her lips. Hecate and Nemea-13 standing at his side, basking in the peace of the day. Aunor Mahal stood with her arms crossed, watching Polaris and the Queen out of the corner of her eye. With a small chuckle, she transmatted away. Zavala, Ikora, and Crow stood together, the Vanguard finally whole again. Saint-14 and Osiris in each other's arms, marveling at the sun. Eris Morn and the Drifter subtly took each other's hands. Caiatl and Mithrax, alongside Eido and Valus Saladin Forge. Petra Venj and the Techeuns. Ana and Elsie Bray. For a brief moment, Polaris thought he saw Cayde-6 out of the corner of his eye, but when he looked over, the late gunslinger was nowhere to be found.

As the group gazed at the sunrise, a hawk of light manifested in the air and flew in a wide circle around them. As it cried and disappeared, they all heard a faint voice in their minds. It spoke only two words: Thank you.

. . .

The next morning, Polaris and Crow- now having donned his new cloak- paid a visit to a certain Hunter's grave.

"Hey, Cayde," Crow began, staring at the headstone with the spade symbol carved into it. "You never let the rest of us say goodbye, you bastard." He chuckled. "Guess that's just how you roll, though. But I wanted to say... thank you. For everything. I didn't know you long, but I think I get why everyone misses you."

Polaris unholstered the Ace of Spades, its chamber glowing with white smoke, aiming at the spade symbol. "Whether it was the will of the Traveler or a wish to an Ahamkara that brought you back, I'm eternally grateful for being able to spend a little more time with you."

Daedalus appeared at Polaris's side. "And I'll never be able to thank you enough for giving your Light for me. You were given a second chance. And you used it to bring me back."

"But... I guess for real this time. Goodbye, Cayde." Polaris shot his single empowered bullet into the heart of the spade symbol, leaving the bullet embedded in the gravestone. He holstered Ace as he and Crow strolled away from Cayde's grave. "So, what now, Hunter Vanguard?"

"Now? I could go for some ramen," Crow replied.

Polaris chuckled. "He definitely rubbed off on you." He put his arm around Crow's shoulders. "Alright. Ramen it is, boss."

. . .

Finally alone again, Polaris parked his ship in space, not far from the Traveler. He climbed out onto the Arcadia's wing, sitting down and summoning Daedalus. Together, they watched the Traveler in silence for a while, basking in the aurora it emanated.

polaris try to post a story in a reasonable amount of time challenge (impossible)

anyway thank you so much for reading this very late final shape epilogue. hope it wasn't too cringe. see you... eventually? I guess? idk i cant promise things anymore i never keep them

~ P.

Archive:https://docs.google.com/document/d/1vC9_wjnIAUIq9fila3GLv568ECCmk8rbzo9w9wmWEa4/edit?usp=sharing

A loud boom. The Pyramid began to glow bright with Resonant energy. After a few seconds, it flickered. The Darkness around it began to peel off the hull. However, replacing it was a familiar grid pattern... the Vex. It was a bright orange, laced with Darkness. I felt a pull from within the ship. It had to be Damea's.

"What's happening to it?" Maya asked.

"I don't know." I said, "But I need to get on that ship."

Nearby Cabal and Fallen ships already turned their attention to the mutating Pyramid, pelting it with missiles and turret fire. The Pyramid responded with Darkness-touched Vex weapons of its own, cutting through shields and repelling any ship daring to get close. Radio chatter was going crazy as several people were celebrating while others were continuing to fight.

I called my ship, noticing others doing the same. Our enemies were beginning to flee, but the ones that stayed behind posed a threat. As it opened up, I looked at Maya.

"Are you ready?" I asked.

"After this, we need a vacation." She said, I could tell she was smiling under her helmet.

I nodded and we boarded. I patched in Zuloc to the ship.

"Zuloc-" I started.

"I know." She interrupted, "Be careful. I'll provide support from the outside with the fleet."

"Understood." I replied.

In sync with a dozen other ships, I flew my ship towards the Pyramid. It noticed, forming more laser emitters to push back. By this point, the fleet had caught on and were focusing fire, successfully damaging the Pyramid's outer hull. The ship began to rise in order to avoid the weapons fire. A stray beam cut through one of my ship's wings.

Crippled but still in the air, I pushed forward, aiming towards one of the ship's lower levels.

"Hold on to something!" I yelled, seeing Maya shift out of view.

Scales began to appear, emerging from holes in the ship. More allied ships were being downed. My target was in sight, I just needed a little more distance. A swarm of Scales had formed around me, but were cut off by a Cabal Command Ship firing in every direction. I increased my speed, tearing my way through the air and hitting the Pyramid, breaking through its hull and crashing my ship.

I got out of my seat and checked on Maya.

"Are you OK?" I asked.

"Yeah," she groaned, "just some whiplash."

A sound. Something was carving its way through my ship's hull. I braced myself as a chunk was removed. It was a Minotaur, covered in crystals. I lowered my weapon as Krystallon entered my view.

"What are you doing here?" I asked.

"We followed your signature here." It said, "We feel something calling to us."

"So do I..." I mumbled, "What is it?"

"We do not know." It replied, "However, we are here to assist."

"Alright, we need-" I was interrupted.

The ship rumbled. Maya and I exited my ship, seeing a Cabal ship brushing just under the Pyramid, cracking its hull. I could see the sky through the breach, noticing that it was shifting to black. We were no longer in what could be considered the Pale Heart's atmosphere. I looked beyond the hull breach to see the central structure, a behemoth of a citadel that encompassed the heart of the ship. Its style was unlike anything I'd ever seen, not human or Pyramidian.

Something whizzed by my head. I looked to find a strange looking Hobgoblin. Before it could shoot again, Krystallon grabbed my shoulder and brought me down. The Hobgoblin fired again, shooting right where my head was.

"What was that?" I questioned.

"Unknown." Krystallon replied, "These Vex are changed."

"Can you handle them?" Maya asked.

"We will attempt." Krystallon said, "However, we must warn you. There is an increasing buildup of energy within the Pyramid's central core. We suspect that it will reach a critical state in approximately 10 minutes."

"Then we have to move, now!" I said, leaping out of cover.

We were met by more strange Vex. Their chassis were red, but only their heads, hands, and feet were exposed. The rest of their frame was covered by a familiar technology, the red suit that had been fused with the Dread under the Witness... a suit I once wore. Their eyes glowed bright with Resonant energy, as did their still-exposed cores. Curiously, the only units present were Goblins, Hobgoblins, and Minotaurs, units solely dedicated to construction rather than data-storage or security.

They were met by Krystallon's Vex. I noticed that, unlike prior Vex, these Darkness-powered ones were not getting infected through touch.

A Subjugator appeared, only to be brought down immediately by Maya. More Dread dropped in, supporting the Pyramidian Vex. Maya and I pushed back, but more and more enemies were dropping in. Eventually, Maya began to glow a bright green. She was surrounded by a Strand shield.

"Go!" She yelled, "I'll hold them off!"

I nodded and sprinted for the hull breach, not having the time to go around it. Suddenly, I began to lose my footing. Stabbing into the floor, I held my spot. Gravity near the breach was low. I manipulated my feet, making spikes that kept me on the ground. I looked down, seeing a massive plane of blocks. I looked to the side, seeing glimpses of other worlds, unknown planets both familiar and unfamiliar. There was a single star, but light came from other sources out of view.

I stepped back, eventually sprinting towards the breach. At the edge, I jumped, successfully gliding across the hole. On the other side, I saw a red orb... a Nightmare manifestation. I made it to the other side, sticking myself to the ground. The orb pulsed and began to take another form. It was human-shaped, with familiar eyes and wounds on her left arm. It was a Nightmare of Iris.

She pulled out a knife. I formed blades. I shook off any feelings of remorse. This thing was not her, and it was in my way. Unfortunately, even if she was just a memory, she was a good fighter. She successfully cut into my side, and I was forced to use Stasis to get out. I tried to push forward, to just ignore her, but she pulled me back. I tried to push her into the hull breach, but she ignored the lack of gravity, instead hovering in the air just above the ground.

We continued to fight, my mind rushing as I became increasingly aware of how long this was taking. Iris began to glow, charging into me and managing to stab me in the shoulder. In response, I grabbed onto her and jabbed my arm into her side, cutting into her chest. She looked at me, and I saw something... a hint of sorrow. I closed my eyes, feeling the weight in my arms grow lighter. When I opened them back up, the Nightmare was gone.

I turned to see that I was close to the entrance to the citadel. I took a deep breath and pressed onward.

We were running out of time.

Archive:https://docs.google.com/document/d/1vC9_wjnIAUIq9fila3GLv568ECCmk8rbzo9w9wmWEa4/edit?usp=sharing

I had only seen the Witness in-person once before, when I attempted to intercept it in the battle over Earth. Everything else was through footage or someone else's eyes. I had seen the Vanguard's recording of their fight against it, as well as the H.E.L.M.'s ship camera footage. It still didn't prepare me for what I saw.

We walked slowly up the ramp, led by the Young Wolf, eventually coming to the opening on the far side. They stopped. We all stopped. There it was, staring directly at us. It was massive, dozens of arms surrounding its body in various positions. Its neck was horribly elongated and its suit had changed. There was a Resonant mark on its left eye, carried upward into the smoke billowing from its head... its wound.

But it wasn't its only wound. Its suit had been damaged, an orange glow beneath several plates. Its aura wasn't as oppressive as it had once been. I jumped down with Maya and three others, all of us aiming our weapons directly at this horror. Its face contorted in anger at our defiance. It spoke with a loud, seething voice.

—-We are the First Knife! We are the edge that carved purpose into being! Your resistance will be remembered, within the shadow of the Black Fleet!—-

One of its hands snapped, and a dozen of its troops dropped in. The group of Guardians dispersed to deal with the enemies before us. Among them were two large Subjugators, towering over the others. Maya looked at me, motioning towards a Strand-powered one. I nodded and we charged her. Maya knocked her legs out while I formed my arms into weapons to deal a killing blow. Successfully killing her, I noticed something.

Upon its death, a warmth had spread across the battlefield. I looked down to see the ground bursting with Light, reaching up towards me. I turned to see others get touched by it, getting supercharged. One particularly disheveled-looking Titan approached an obelisk by the fall, charging his arm with Light and shoving it into a Resonant well. The obelisk cracked slightly in response. Others began to do the same.

I never got the chance, instead being knocked down by a Shadow Centurion. Before it could stab me, Maya ripped it apart with Strand blades.

"Go!" She said, pointing towards the obelisk.

By now, it had cracked open, revealing a wall of Darkness. I recalled the footage. Beyond that wall was the Witness's mind. "Give yourself to Darkness," was what its dissenters had said. I prepared myself and ran for it, diving through.

There was an extremely powerful feeling of Darkness energy, not unexpected but enough to make me disoriented. On the other side were rows of statues. I looked around to see several Guardians wielding swords, cutting down them down, each screaming in pain. I didn't get much time to process what was happening, only managing to see a sword at the center of the room before being booted out by the Witness, now screaming in agony.

Back outside, I saw Light congeal into a central platform, forcing it out of the ground. The Witness's eyes were full of desperate anger as it started to focus directly on the people before it. I leaped onto the platform to focus on it. Its arms swung at it, successfully knocking a Hunter off. It released Resonant blasts, vaporizing a Warlock. Despite the precarious position, the Light in the platform was giving us power, power that we turned on the Witness, damaging its suit with abilities and gun fire. Before it did a final swing onto the platform, I threw a Nova Bomb, one that I did a double take at. It was Light. Purely Light. I remembered the charge that I had never gotten rid of.

I didn't have much time to process, as the platform lowered and more of the Witness's allies spawned. I ran for Maya, who was now occupied with an armored Tormentor. A Strand thread caught my leg, and I was pulled to an unexpected sight... a teal Subjugator. She had a horn on her head, as well as spikes on the sides. She had a long cloak draped over her left arm. Her weapon was a halberd. She stomped on the ground, a wave of Stasis shards coming from the impact.

I rolled out of the way, taking a better look at the entity in front of me. She had used both Strand and Stasis at the same time. It was a perfection of the prototype that I'd seen onboard a Pyramid months prior. I readied myself and charged. She did the same. Blades clashed before I managed to strike her in the chest. It wasn't enough, as I was kicked and, for the first time in a long time, frozen.

I attempted to exert my will over it, slowly breaking from my prison. I leaped back up, only for an arm to get caught by the Strand thread emerging from the halberd. Grabbing onto it with her free hand, the Subjugator pulled, her touch sending a series of Stasis crystals along the line. I fired back with my own, the two clashing in the middle.

We held that moment for a few seconds before a Titan flew into the Subjugator's back, instantly vaporizing her in an arc explosion. Light once again spread across the battlefield. Once again, some reached towards me. I felt myself growing more powerful. Once again, the Obelisk was forced open. This time, Maya joined me in running towards it. Before I could enter, however, I felt a chill.

I turned to see the Witness looking right at me. It reached a hand forward, charging some kind of attack. I ran for the Darkness wall before the attack could reach me. This time, there was no hesitation. I grabbed the Traveler's sword. I filled it with the Light I had gathered from the field earlier, making it glow as bright as a star. I focused on a cluster of statues no one was at.

I heard a faint voice. It was that of a woman. I didn't understand her words through the sounds of cracking stone, but I understood her intent. She wouldn't suffer another day being a part of the Witness's collective consciousness. Joining her was a child's voice. Eventually, I heard dozens of voices all calling for their own demise. I closed my eyes and released all of the Light I had built up, slamming the sword on the ground and destroying the statue cluster.

We were forcefully ripped out again. Light pooled in the center, lifting a platform again. I looked at the Witness's smoke, noticing less faces. It roared in anger, summoning more of its troops. We were divided, attempting to rush to the platform. A white Grim flew down from the sky and tackled Maya. I kicked it off before slicing a wing. Another descended, assisting its companion. Strand burst from Maya's body, shielding her and slicing through the Grim around her.

"Go!" She yelled, "Finish this!"

I leaped onto the platform, narrowly avoiding a Resonant blast. The Witness, however, wasn't done. It raised a hand, producing a glass shield in front of it.

—-WE! ARE! SALVATION!—-

I saw the Young Wolf pull out their Ghost. I didn't hear their conversation, but they clenched their fist in the middle of it. They looked up to the Witness, and it looked in kind, furrowing its brow. Suddenly, their Ghost flew in front of them, and Light surged into him, firing a beam of pure Light energy. The Witness was taken by surprise, trying to maintain its shield.

Light began to spread to the others, and they reached out their hands to provide support. Light was flowing to me, too. I looked at my hands, feeling the familiar warmth envelop them. I made fists, watching as the Light flowing into me clashed with the Light and Dark already in me. For a brief moment, my armor's lights flickered bright pink.

I reached out my hands, firing a beam of pure Light and Dark energy. The prismatic beam mixed with the six Light ones, breaking the glass shield. The Witness waved its hands frantically, desperately trying to block the energy flowing into it. I focused as much energy as I could into the attack.

Eventually, the Witness exploded. A wave of Darkness burst out of it, pulsing through the entire region and eventually dissipating.

—-We-... I-... I don't understand...—-

The Witness's body slowly disintegrated, its voice fading. The platform lowered, the Light returned to normal, no longer overflowing. The oppressive aura was gone. Guardians stepped back and began celebrating. I fell back, being caught by Maya.

"Are you OK?" She asked.

"Yeah..." I lied, "I'm just... did we do it?"

"Yeah," she said, peering off into the distance, "we did."

I looked to where she was staring, seeing the Young Wolf cradling their Ghost before suddenly being enveloped by Light. Before I could question, I heard thunder. Everyone turned their attention to the sky, seeing a familiar shape in it. A black triangle.

The Witness was dead, but this fight wasn't over.

"You gotta get better boots, Crow." The stranger spoke, a familiar voice emenating from the distance. The voice of a long-dead friend... "Now Uldren? He could sneak up on a fella." The man continued, a metallic echo accompanying the words. Arkham turned the corner, and couldn't believe his optics: Cayde-6, or at least someone wearing his infamous armor, standing at the railing of the Speaker's old office, playing a harmonica. Arkham cautiously approached, hand inches from the Ace as he moved. The harmonica stopped as the Young Wolf stepped on a branch, the wood snapping under his boot, the man's stance shifting in response. "You're not Crow." In an instant, the man turned, throwing the harmonica at the young Exo, and drawing his pistol. Arkham instinctively caught the instrument, and drew the Ace in kind. The two took a second to size the other up, and Cayde lowered his gun, an ethereal clone of the Ace of Spades, eminating with Light. Arkham kept his aim steady, optics narrowing as he slid his finger over the trigger. Cayde slid his Ace into its holster, and raised his hands. "Well, I'll be damned. You really wanted to be me, huh kid?"

"You're not him. I-"

"Died in your arms, I know. It's good to-"

"Prove you're him. Tell me his last words." Cayde sighed, rolling his optics as he placed his hands on his hips, smirking.

"To tell Zavala and Ikora that they were the best bet I ever lost." Upon hearing those words, Arkham's optics widened in surpise as he instantly lowered the Ace, his synthetic muscles relaxing as his jaw went slack with shock.

"C-Cayde? It... it's really you?"

"Hey, I'm as surprised as you." Arkham tossed the harmonica back to the former Vanguard, before embracing him in a tight hug. The Exos both let out a hearty laugh, as Cayde gave Arkham a few pats on the back in response.

"How long has it been?"

"A lifetime. The kid told me a few guns were on their way, that the Vanguard would send their best. Was expecting your little group of stragglers with you too, though. The freaky Warlock and Desmond's formerly-dead hubby."

"Oh, uh, right. Uhm, they aren't exactly... available."

"Real good to see you, at least. Ghost too, o'course." He gave a finger gun to Ghost.

"Now I finally have someone to talk to about Crow's stupid haircut." Arkham let out a chortle at his old friend's jab at the young Hunter, Ghost giving Arkham a disapproving glare in response.

"What? It was funny!" Cayde began to walk up the steps to the balcony, and turned to face his former protégé.

"C’mon. I'm guessing you have questions. And I won't say I have answers, but let's talk."

Cayde regaled Arkham and Ghost with his own experiences with death, and his sudden return to the land of the living. He spoke of meeting Crow, and the two fighting their way to this recreated Tower, before Crow left to do some reconnaissance. "Now then, what happened after I kicked the bucket?" Arkham let out a heavy sigh, rubbing his forehead as he tried to find the words.

"I don't even know where to begin."

"Cliffnotes, then."

"Right, okay." He took a deep breath, shaking his nerves, and told Cayde of what transpired.

"I burned down half the Tangled Shore in a bid for revenge, ending with me shooting Uldren with the Ace. Like, a lot. Not my best moment."

"Well, good to know you can get angry enough to kill. What next?"

"Well, ended up in some pocket dimension where the Awoken used to live and killed an Ahamkara they had in their basement."

"They did?! Hah! I gotta figure out how ta talk to Petra, she owes me a new knife! Made a bet that they had one somewhere, seemed like somethin Mara woulda done. Ya know, before she.." Cayde slid his finger across his throat.

"About that- she didn't die. Well, she did, but like... it's complicated."

"Oh. Well, then I owe Petra a ship. Maybe smarter not to call her then."

"Uh, right, so: Met up with Eris Morn, and found a pyramid under the moon, Ghost got possessed, the Black Garden got involved at some point..."

"How is she, anyway?"

"Oh, Eris is a lot better these days. Beat back her demons, literally. The pyramid could manifest our fears and doubts as Nightmares: weird red ghost... things. But not like him," Arkham jutted a thumb towards Ghost, "the other kind. Anyway, where was I? Oh, right! Time broke, then the Almighty almost destroyed the Last City but Rasputin blew it up, and then Rasputin got turned into a vegetable the next day when a buncha other pyramid ships showed up. They surrounded us, like a ring of spears. In the end, we lost some good people. As Guardians tried to figure things out, I got invited to Europa. Met up with that Exo lady I told you about on Venus, who ended up being Ana Bray's sister apparently, and fought off this group of Darkness wielding Eliksni led by Eramis."

"Wait wait wait, you're telling me Fallen started wielding Darkness?"

"Not just them." Arkham replied, his hand covering is Stasis.

"Turns out we're made of this stuff. Found out when I talked to Clovis, after breaking the Deep Stone Crypt." Cayde smirked, laughing a little.

"Oh, didja now?"

"Yep. Taniks ended up being turned back on up in that space station, so Clovis tried to crash it into Europa and blowing up the moon with a buncha nukes. Managed to deactivate the nukes, though. Then I killed Taniks. Again. Well, not killed, per se, more decapitated. Then I wired his head to a battery and mounted it to a wall. That way, he can't be brought back anymore. Oh, and Clovis is a giant head in a basement now."

Cayde's smirk faded as he listened. "You really found it..."

"Eeyup. Guy was an even bigger prick than you told me."

"I hoped you wouldn't have to learn that. Damn..."

"Then Osiris got his ghost killed-"

"I heard about that, since Crow told me a bit before you guys got here. Only his side, though. His story leaves out a few things..."

"Right, I'll skip ahead then. Sorry."

"Don't apologize, just finish the story."

"Well, Mars came back and Savathûn was there.Turns out she died, and got brought back by a ghost calling himself Immaru. Eventually, we tracked her down and killed her, but her ghost got away. Then there was that mess with the Leviathan, then Eramis got out and I had to deal with some pirates, and then Rasputin sacrificed himself to prevent anyone from using the Warsats again. Few days later, Calus showed up and raided Earth. Vulcan-"

"Who?"

"Oh, right- Uh, Dante... changed his name. After some... stuff. Not really my place to say..."

"Fair enough."

"Anyway, so Vulcan and I follow Osiris to Neptune and stopped Calus permanently, but Ghost got possessed again and the Witness cut a hole in the Traveler."

"And now we're here."

"Pretty much, yeah."

"Well; seems you've been busy while I was gone. You've really grown up, Ace. I'm proud of you."

"Thanks, boss."

"Copied my look too, huh?"

"I'd say improved it, actually."

"Can't improve on perfection, kid. But we got work to do. I'm gonna scout ahead, try to pick up Crow's trail. He shoulda been back at camp by now, and it's dangerous out there."

"We'll be right behind you.""You gotta get better boots, Crow." The stranger spoke, a familiar voice emenating from the distance. The voice of a long-dead friend... "Now Uldren? He could sneak up on a fella." The man continued, a metallic echo accompanying the words. Arkham turned the corner, and couldn't believe his optics: Cayde-6, or at least someone wearing his infamous armor, standing at the railing of the Speaker's old office, playing a harmonica. Arkham cautiously approached, hand inches from the Ace as he moved. The harmonica stopped as the Young Wolf stepped on a branch, the wood snapping under his boot, the man's stance shifting in response. "You're not Crow." In an instant, the man turned, throwing the harmonica at the young Exo, and drawing his pistol. Arkham instinctively caught the instrument, and drew the Ace in kind. The two took a second to size the other up, and Cayde lowered his gun, an ethereal clone of the Ace of Spades, eminating with Light. Arkham kept his aim steady, optics narrowing as he slid his finger over the trigger. Cayde slid his Ace into its holster, and raised his hands. "Well, I'll be damned. You really wanted to be me, huh kid?" "You're not him. I-" "Died in your arms, I know. It's good to-" "Prove you're him. Tell me his last words." Cayde sighed, rolling his optics as he placed his hands on his hips, smirking. "To tell Zavala and Ikora that they were the best bet I ever lost." Upon hearing those words, Arkham's optics widened in surpise as he instantly lowered the Ace, his synthetic muscles relaxing as his jaw went slack with shock. "C-Cayde? It... it's really you?" "Hey, I'm as surprised as you." Arkham tossed the harmonica back to the former Vanguard, before embracing him in a tight hug. The Exos both let out a hearty laugh, as Cayde gave Arkham a few pats on the back in response. "How long has it been?" "A lifetime. The kid told me a few guns were on their way, that the Vanguard would send their best. Was expecting your little group of stragglers withyou too, though. The freaky Warlock and Desmond's formerly-dead hubby." "Oh, uh, right. Uhm, they aren't exactly... available." "Real good to see you, at least. Ghost too, o'course." He gave a finger gun to Ghost. "Now I finally have someone to talk to about Crow's stupid haircut." Arkham let out a chortle at his old friend's jab at the young Hunter, Ghost giving Arkham a disapproving glare in response.

"What? It was funny!" Cayde began to walk up the steps to the balcony, and turned to face his former protégé. "C’mon. I'm guessing you have questions. And I won't say I have answers, but let's talk."

Cayde regaled Arkham and Ghost with his own experiences with death, and his sudden return to the land of the living. He spoke of meeting Crow, and the two fighting their way to this recreated Tower, before Crow left to do some reconnaissance.

"Now then, what happened after I kicked the bucket?" Arkham let out a heavy sigh, rubbing his forehead as he tried to find the words.

"I don't even know where to begin."

"Cliffnotes, then."

"Right, okay." He took a deep breath, shaking his nerves, and told Cayde of what transpired.

"I burned down half the Tangled Shore in a bid for revenge, ending with me shooting Uldren with the Ace. Like, a lot. Not my best moment."

"Well, good to know you can get angry enough to kill. What next?"

"Well, ended up in some pocket dimension where the Awoken used to live and killed an Ahamkara they had in their basement."

"They did?! Hah! I gotta figure out how ta talk to Petra, she owes me a new knife! Made a bet that they had one somewhere, seemed like somethin Mara woulda done. Ya know, before she.." Cayde slid his finger across his throat.

"About that- she didn't die. Well, she did, but like... it's complicated."

"Oh. Well, then I owe Petra a ship. Maybe smarter not to call her then."

"Uh, right, so: Destroyed a giant robot, talked with the Nine, had to deal with some Hive infestation in the Leviathan...""Ooh, did the fat man give you anything shiny?"

"A fancy cup thing. Dunno where it ended up, though." "Damn, woulda liked a souvenir."

"Met up with Eris Morn, and found a pyramid under the moon, Ghost got possessed, the Black Garden got involved at some point..."

"How is she, anyway?"

"Oh, Eris is a lot better these days. Beat back her demons, literally. The pyramid could manifest our fears and doubts as Nightmares: weird red ghost... things. But not like him," Arkham jutted a thumb towards Ghost, "the other kind." "How'd Ghost get possessed? What happened?" Cayde asked, leaning forward.

"The closer we got to the Pyramid, the more it felt like something was... invading my shell. The voice, the Witness, it took a hold of me-used me to speak to Arkham... I hated it..." Ghost spoke softly, looking down at the small campfire.

"That's interesting... good to know. Makes a parta me glad to know that Sundance ain't here. Wouldn't want that to happen to her, or any ghost." Cayde spoke, his glowing white optics staring into the flames.

"Anyway, where was I? Oh, right! Time broke, then the Almighty almost destroyed the Last City but Rasputin blew it up, and then Rasputin got turned into a vegetable the next day when a buncha other pyramid ships showed up. They surrounded us, like a ring of spears. In the end, we lost some good people. As Guardians tried to figure things out, I got invited to Europa. Met up with that Exo lady I told you about on Venus, who ended up being Ana Bray's sister apparently, and fought off this group of Darkness wielding Eliksni led by Eramis."

"Wait wait wait, you're telling me Fallen started wielding Darkness?"

"Not just them." Arkham replied, his hand covering is Stasis. "Turns out we're made of this stuff. Found out when I talked to Clovis, after breaking the Deep Stone Crypt." Cayde smirked, laughing a little.

"Oh, didja now?""Yep. Taniks ended up being turned back on up in that space station, so Clovis tried to crash it into Europa and blowing up the moon with a buncha nukes. Managed to deactivate the nukes, though. Then I killed Taniks. Again. Well, not killed, per se, more decapitated. Then I wired his head to a battery and mounted it to a wall. That way, he can't be brought back anymore. Oh, and Clovis is a giant head in a basement now." Cayde's smirk faded as he listened. "You really found it..."

"Eeyup. Guy was an even bigger prick than you told me."

"I hoped you wouldn't have to learn that. Damn..."

"Then Osiris got his ghost killed-"

"I heard about that, since Crow told me a bit before you guys got here. Only his side, though. His story leaves out a few things..."

"Right, I'll skip ahead a bit then. Sorry."

"Don't apologize, just finish the story."

"Well, the me that went into the Vault of Glass years ago got killed, and time broke again. Orion managed to make a Vex thing that kept me tethered to existence while he went back in time to fix stuff. Then the Eliksni moved in, and I stayed nearby to help Crow keep em safe. Lakshmi led a coup against the Vanguard with some of the War Cult and the New Monarchy, ending with Vex inside the City. We shut it down, but she died, and the factions left the City entirely after that. Then we got Mara outta limbo and made a deal with Savathûn to get Osiris back since she kidnapped him and all. We got her worm out, but she vanished, and Osiris was in a coma."

"Damn. And Crow said that Osiris had been Savvy the whole time?"

"Since the thing on the Moon, yeah. A couple weeks later, Mars came back, and Savathûn was there. Turns out she died and got brought back by a ghost calling himself Immaru. Eventually, we tracked her down and killed her, but her ghost got away.Then there was that mess with the Leviathan, then Eramis got out, and I had to deal with some pirates."

"Pirates, huh? Sounds fun."

"It was a nice distraction, at least. Won myself a Ketch, too. Named it the Den, and made it a mobile base for the Wolf Pack. Then Rasputin sacrificed himself to prevent anyone from using the Warsats again. Few days later, Calus showed up and raided Earth. Vulcan-"

"Who?"

"Oh, right- Uh, Dante... changed his name. After some... stuff. Long story, and not really my place to say anyway..."

"Fair enough."

"Anyway, so Vulcan and I follow Osiris to Neptune, finding a whole hidden civilization, but Calus parked his fancy new ship right in the middle of town."

"He gave up that fancy fish shaped one?"

"Yeah, part of some bargain with the Witness. The Spades and I stopped Calus permanently, but Ghost got possessed again, and the Witness cut a hole in the Traveler."

"And now we're here."

"Pretty much, yeah."

"Well, it seems you've been busy while I was gone. You've really grown up, Ace. I'm proud of you."

"Thanks, boss."

"Copied my look too, huh?"

"I'd say improved it, actually."

"Can't improve on perfection, kid. But we got work to do. I'm gonna scout ahead, try to pick up Crow's trail. He shoulda been back at camp by now, and it's dangerous out there."

"We'll be right behind you."

I remember when we were young.

I was a tailor. Not a good one, mind you, but I tried to remember what my mother taught me when I was little and offered my skill, or lack thereof, to the City.

It wasn't called a City back then. Really just a bunch of huts and buildings surrounded by a half-built wall.

I did my best to try and make warm clothing for survivors coming in, or the Lightbearers trying to defend our newly found home. It was hard, though, as they needed what I couldn't provide. Armor, clothing tough enough to withstand a tussle, gear heavy duty enough to survive a blade or bullet. I could barely patch together a blanket.

Then there was her.

She wasn't anyone at first. Well, anyone to me, that is, she was still a Lightbearer. She requested the finest that I could offer. I told her that wasn't much, and she said that was enough for her.

So I made her my best. A jacket. Soft, warm, comfortable.

And it was enough.

It started as words at first. Quick, terse words, usually about menial things such as the goings-on of the Guard, the wilderness and ruins of our civilization. We even resorted to the weather at one point.

But I kept making her my best.

And it kept being enough.

Those words turned to smiles. Soft, kind ones at first, then bigger.

Then they turned to touches. Seemingly unintentional initially; a brush of a hand, a bump. Then my hand would eventually find hers.

But I kept making her my best work.

And it kept being enough for her.

Those smiles turned to kisses, under the cover of dark, stolen away from the world. Under a night sky that was ours and ours alone, when neither of us were needed by anyone but each other.

And I kept making her my best.

And I kept being enough for her.

Now I am old. My hair is grey and my joints ache and creak as we walk through the City together. Yet she remains unchanged, her hair still glossy and tumbling down her shoulders like waves of fire, her skin still fresh and clear like a first snowfall, her step still sprightly and spry.

I know I will be the cause of great grief to her one day. One day I will leave her alone under the night sky, alone on her walks through the City. No one will make her clothes for her. I know this, and I wish I can give her these comforts and joys until the end. Until I can't.

Time doesn't touch her, but I love her still.

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West District. Several civilians tried stopping me and asking for pictures, to hold my gear, even hugs. One small child asked me to do the ‘Sparkly Knife’ for them. It was cute.

I finally escaped the crowds of people arriving at a dive bar named ‘The Tincture’. Slightly run down, clearly didn’t get too much business despite its location.

I opened the door, it’s creak breaking the silence inside. Only two people were present. The bartender and a woman matching Shaxx’s description, unconscious at the counter hardly grasping an empty pint.

I pulled a stool from underneath the counter.

“What’ll it be?” The Exo bartender’s mouth glowed a warm orange when he spoke.

“Oh, I don’t drink.”

“I got mocktails, soft drinks, I aim to serve anyone who walks in. First drink for newcomers is always on the house.”

“In that case surprise me.” I put on a genuine smile. He turned around returning to his work, quickly mixing my drink, the complete concoction being presented before me

“Strawberry sunrise. Liquor replaced with soda water, enjoy.”

I thanked the tender and looked over at who I assume is Myla. I carefully moved my glass across the countertop a bit after a few courtesy sips.

“Who’re you?” The woman slurred her words and squinted up close to my face. “Ah! Yoose a Guardian! I’m a Guardian! Was. I was a Guardian.” As sudden as her waking, Myla immediately plummeted into unconsciousness once again. I won’t get any answers while she’s in such an…inebriated state.

“Does she have a tab open?”

The bartender reached below the counter fetching a tablet, placing it before me. 67,000 glimmer. “I’ll cover it. I need to speak with Ms. Hale for a moment.”

“Please, take all the time you need. She alone costs me more glimmer than I get out of her.”

I hoisted Myla up carrying her on my back out of the bar. After multiple blocks of walking without finding a private place to speak, my arms began growing weak.

“The alley ahead is as good a place as any.” Lux advised. “It’s better than dropping her.”

I held out for just a bit longer setting Myla down in the alley blocked by a discarded neon sign. I slumped down across from her catching my breath. I began organizing my thoughts. The questions i’d ask.

Myla slowly began regaining consciousness from her drunken stupor. “Where am I. Who are you” She spoke much clearer and in a more mature tone.

“I’m Zara Qal. Your some distance from your usual resting place. Do you mind if I ask you some questions?”

“Depends.” She looked up.

“It’s about The Great Disaster.”

“Then no. Don’t remind me. Please…”

“I’m sorry. We could be facing a second one any day now and with details from the survivors, a raid team could be formed to end him once and for all. You were there. Can’t you tell me anything that might help?”

Myla stood up trying to leave. I blocked her way, standing at the end of the alley.

“Do you see a Ghost following me around? Do you feel any Light in my body? I’ll answer for you. No. Thanks to Crota and his entourage. The sound of your Fireteam being slaughtered before you and their screams, the sight of seeing their viscera splayed across the room, the feeling of your very Light being ripped from your body. It fucks you up.” She shoved me out of the way headed right back to the bar. I snatched her by the shoulder.

“Do you want that to happen again? This time on tens, hundreds of more people?”

“Never.” Her voice began breaking.

“Then please. Help me.” I took notice of the sidearm on her hip.

“I can’t…”

“Then let me ask this, why carry a sidearm if you don’t plan on fighting anymore?”

She reached down, slowly sliding out the sidearm etched in decorations. A prize of the Iron Banner. “It belonged to a Titan on my Fireteam. I always keep one round chambered. She…knew…she knew the weight i’d have to hoist leaving as the only survivor. So she gave me…an out…if it ever became too heavy on my mind. This isn’t my fight anymore.” She pulled herself up, stumbling back up the street towards The Tincture.

I crossed her name off the list. “…Great start.”

Archive:https://docs.google.com/document/d/1vC9_wjnIAUIq9fila3GLv568ECCmk8rbzo9w9wmWEa4/edit?usp=sharing

A blue, orange, and pink swirl of cascading, fractal shapes filled my vision. I turned to look at others, but no one else was there. The entire bridge of the Imperial Guard wasn't there, nor were the other ships we were bringing into the portal. It was all the space between. I felt myself being carried through several kilometers of space, some familiar, some familiar only to my first self. I felt myself age, felt myself being resurrected, felt myself being reborn time and time again. I heard the encouragement of parents I barely knew, the conversations I had with Kim and Lampsace, the love I had with Iris and the subsequent fights...

Before I knew it, yet after I had already comprehended it, the ship had made it through the portal. I turned to find the others, with Maya and Zuloc recovering from their own experiences. I looked out the window to see over a dozen other ships. Ketches from House Light, accrued over the years as Eliksni from House Salvation and Dusk turned back to the Traveler. Various Cabal ships from the Cabal Ascendancy, carried from all across the galaxy to be here, now. Several City and Reef ships.

Before us was a wide plane made of several cubical spaces, each filled with different, ever-changing environments. At the far end, the sky changed from blue to red and purple, produced by a half-destroyed monolith, easily over a kilometer tall. The monolith had a beam of Light shooting out of it, likely what caused the damage. A dark cloud was moving away from it. The chill down my spine was enough to know what it was.

This was it. Over the past several days, small teams had been sent in through the portal to weaken the Witness's position within the Traveler's Pale Heart after the Vanguard successfully injured it. Now, it's hold on it has been released.

"Prepare for transmat!" Zuloc said.

In moments, Maya and I were on the ground, surrounded by hundreds of others. Guardians, militia, Eliksni, Cabal, all here. I turned to see Krystallon warp in, a dozen crystallized Vex with it. A broadcast was sent to all channels by the man standing in front of the crowd, Commander Zavala of the Vanguard.

"Defenders of Sol! Hear me now! Moments ago, one fireteam infiltrated the Witness's monolith and shattered its hold on the Traveler's Light. Their courage brought us one last chance to finish this."

The familiar screech of Hive portals caught my attention. Several Tombships were pouring through, dropping in Lucent Hive. The crowds near them were uneasy, but stood their ground. They weren't here as foes...

"But the Witness," Zavala continued, uninterrupted, "still lives. The Guardians and their Ghosts will face the Witness, while we eliminate the remainder of its forces. Our final chance at freedom lies on that field."

A flapping of wings. I turned to see a sight I'd never thought I'd see... Savathûn, the Witch Queen. I shook off the urge to open fire on her then and there. As much as I'd wanted to, now wasn't the time. I took a deep breath. Another portal opened right beside us. From it stepped out a familiar Acolyte. Ak-Tol said nothing, simply bowing his head, with Samuel popping out and doing the same.

"This enemy has taken so much from us all." Zavala said, turning to Ikora beside him before turning back to the crowd, "Eliksni. Cabal. Awoken. Humanity. Hive."

The crowd cheered as their factions were called. Guns were readied, blades were drawn.

"The Witness started this war long ago." Zavala yelled, turning to face the chasm full of enemies in front of him, their roars loud enough to hear from where I was standing, "But now... we end it!"

Zavala leaped into the air, covered in Stasis crystals. The crowd charged. The battle had begun. I turned to Maya and nodded. We sprinted until we reached the rock jutting out from the center of the area. We leaped into the air, Maya forming Strand blades and myself forming solar wings. A particularly large Taken Minotaur stood out to me and I focused. A dozen dawnblades rushed forward, destroying it instantly.

On the other side of the chasm, we found armies of Scorn, Taken, Vex, Fallen, Hive, and Cabal, accompanied by new and old foes from the Witness's Pyramids. One of the winged beasts, a Grim, flew at me, but a Hunter leaped into the air, kicking it away before I got the chance to open fire. I saw one of Caiatl's Centurions battle a Shadow Legion Colossus, successfully stabbing it in the neck with his blade. I rushed to assist when I saw a Tormentor running at him.

I bore down on the Tormentor, stabbing onto its shoulders. Before it could grab me, its arms were restrained by Maya. Ak-Tol rolled onto the scene and charged his rifle, firing a void shot directly into the creature's chest, assisted by a Lightbearer Wizard not bearing his colors. I got down as the Tormentor fell, regrouping with my companions to face what came next.

A Wrathborn Captain rushed at us, only to be shot from across the map by a Hunter. A Vex Wyvern rushed at us, only to be touched by one of Krystallon's Minotaurs, seizing up and turning on its former allies. We pushed forward, joined by a Light Captain and her squad, to a new area. More Cabal and Lightbearer Hive were in the region, accompanied by Mithrax, Caiatl, and several Threshers. I spotted six Guardians who looked like they'd been through a war. That must've been the fireteam that drove the Witness out, here to finish the job. I began to recognize a couple, including the Young Wolf, confirming my suspicions.

A large Vex Minotaur fired a shot into my group, knocking some of us down and dispersing us. Maya helped me up as I saw our assailant being torn apart by Risen Hive and two Titans. The more we pushed up, the more of the Witness's strongest were present. Several Tormentors had dropped in, assisted by Subjugators and other similar entities. A Husk, one of the smaller ones, lunged at me. I stabbed its abdomen, tearing out a worm-like creature that had been resting within. I pushed it off before moving on.

Getting closer to the gate at the far side of the area, people began breaking off. I turned to see Ak-Tol battling a Taken Captain. Successfully stabbing it in the neck and bringing it down, he was soon occupied by another Taken foe. Samuel appeared and flew up to me.

"Go! We'll help the others keep the Witness's forces at bay!" He said before disappearing again.

Maya put a hand on my shoulder and we continued towards the cluster of Guardians at the gate. They had just gotten done killing a Tormentor Imprint and were dealing with Taken and Dread combatants. A Subjugator raised a Stasis wall in front of the plate, blocking Maya and I from reaching it. Before I could turn all the way, the Subjugator kicked me. Before she could finish the job, Maya threw a Tangle, disorienting the Subjugator before a Stasis Javelin struck her chest, thrown by a Titan who had been hovering in air above the plate.

Eventually, the Resonance wall that had been blocking the gateway fell. The remaining enemies were killed. We all looked at each other. We all felt that chill. Just beyond this wall was our enemy... the Witness.

One Guardian stepped forward, we all followed.

Hi! I'm having trouble naming my first Eliksni House. the R/polls subreddit doesn't really seem interested in it compared to the amount of votes every other post gets, compared to what mine has so far on there. Is there a fanmade destiny subreddit that will allow me to poll?

But, Here's the names if anyone wants to know anyway.
"This House is another friendly house like House Light, allies with and respects Misraaks as Kell of Kells. Focused on making a new age of expanding, rebuilding destroyed architecture and taking back parts of earth from enemies to make more safe places other thanThe City to live in, for all. Rediscovering lost cities and information, And then rebuilding on the planets beyond after earth is re-expanded."

House of Reach
House of Horizon(s)
House of Frontier(s)
House of Dawn

Edit: I forgot to show the House Banner I put together

Archive:https://docs.google.com/document/d/1vC9_wjnIAUIq9fila3GLv568ECCmk8rbzo9w9wmWEa4/edit?usp=sharing

Operation Ahamkara was underway. Its goal was to get into the Traveler portal and stop the Witness from enacting the Final Shape. Since everyone in the system, likely the universe, felt the Witness edge closer to its goal, things have changed. No other forces have attempted to go through the portal since Damea's Pyramid and the Vanguard. No one is coming to assist the Witness anymore. It is now or never for it and for us.

I sat on the edge of the hangar bay of a Command Carrier, its artificial gravity keeping me in place. Over the past 12 hours, ships from all corners of the system had been slowly pouring in to safeguard Earth as well as enter the portal when the time was right. I had been watching as ship after ship passed by, either exchanging personnel with each other or hovering in place.

I heard someone approach, turning to see Maya. She sat down beside me.

"Are you alright?" She asked.

"I'm not sure," I sighed, "are you?"

"No." She said.

We sat there in sustained silence after that. Out here, there was nothing we could do. There was no way to communicate with the team inside, no way to send them help unless the Witness's control over the portal wavered. It was just a waiting game... one that'd either end in a battle for existence or in everyone returning to a state of frozen terror, masked in ignorance.

"I'm going to check up on Zuloc." I said, standing up.

"I'll join you." Maya said.

We walked to the still-docked Imperial Guard, its armor silver and blue, erasing the last bits of gold left on the hull. Dropships, Threshers, and weapons were being loaded onto it. Maya and I took a trip straight to the bridge. There, we found Zuloc once again leaning over the holo-table at the room's center. No one else was on the bridge besides us. I could feel her concern.

"Where is everyone?" Maya asked.

"Away," Zuloc replied, "enjoying what could be their last time together."

"Why aren't you with them?" Maya questioned.

"Because she's afraid." I said.

Zuloc sighed, her shoulders lowered. She looked up at us. I didn't need to feel her to know what she was thinking.

"We're not ready." She said, "Even with most of our enemies beaten down and Krystallon on the Vex, the Witness could have tricks up its sleeve, more enemies to throw at us. We still don't have an explanation for the things we saw on Essence. That's not even counting the Witness itself."

"We'll handle it." I said.

"What if we can't?" Zuloc asked, "What if we get in there and we all get sliced apart in an instant? What if the Witness isn't weakened in the slightest? We don't know what's in there until we have someone come back, and we don't even know if they will! I know the Awoken Queen is trying to get in, but we just do not have enough information! I don't want my brother's death to be for nothing! I don't want the deaths of my friends to be for nothing!"

I didn't say anything. She looked back down at the table, which showed a display of ships around the Traveler.

"Don't tell me you aren't afraid," she said, "I can feel it."

"I'm not denying it." I said.

"But it's better to think about the possibility that we win over failure." Maya added.

"As unlikely as it is..." Zuloc muttered.

I walked up to the table and sat down.

"We either win or we won't be conscious long enough to care." I said.

Zuloc finally sat down, disabling the hologram. Maya walked up and took a seat as well. The three of us sat in silence for a long time. For a brief moment, I felt warmth again, like that of the Light. However, it wasn't coming from the Traveler nor the portal hovering above its open wound... but the people across from me.

Despite our fear, despite how prepared we were or were not, the fact that the three of us could sit here at all is a triumph to how far we've come. I could tell Zuloc was feeling it too. We were here, now, in this moment. There are reports that many other timelines never even made it beyond the arrival years ago, yet here we are. That's special.

"We'll make it." I said, finally.

"What?" Zuloc asked.

"I said we'll make it." I repeated, "No one else has been where we are right now. We've beaten the odds before."

Another beat. Maya leaned forward and raised her hand to me. I grabbed it.

"For everyone we've lost." She spoke.

Zuloc hesitated, taking a deep breath before reaching over and placing her hand on ours.

"For everyone we've yet to meet." She said.

I looked outside the window, towards the Traveler.

"For everyone here." I said.

Archive

Previous Chapter (Doc)

Previous Chapter (Reddit)

“Crota’s first documented appearance. The Great Disaster. Hundreds of Lightbearers slaughtered resulting in a momentous loss. Namely we surrendered the Moon to the Hive and the Vanguard deemed it forbidden.” Othello sifted through files presenting multiple blurry images and field reports. “Hundreds of Guardian final deaths and an unknown amount of civilian casualties.” He sighed. “And Crota’s only become stronger since.” 

Xadric remained silent despite intently paying attention. 

“You were there weren’t you? Got any insight?” He gestures towards the Titan who remained silent. “‘Course not. When do you ever have anything to say outside of chastising me?” He sighed, minimizing the window. “I can’t live through a second one...” Xadric finally moved, sifting through the console once more returning the previous files of involved persons. A long list of names stacked on top of one another one by one. Wei Ning, Eriana-3, Gunnvor. The list went on, the majority of names were followed by ‘Deceased’. 

“Different perspectives…” Xadric mumbled. He transferred half the surviving list onto a tablet, handing it to me. “Do you think you could get some info from these people?” I took the tablet and reviewed it. Lord Shaxx, Myla Hale, Jakob, Caldrux Cafun, and Safi Branwen. Survivors of The Great Disaster. 

“And Othello, if you could accompany her, I'd appreciate it.” 

“Where would we start?”

“Start with Shaxx. He should be moderating a Skirmish match at the moment.” Xadric prepared his own tablet of names. Nearly twice the length of mine. I left looking over the names again. Xadric included notes below each name. Shaxx voiced strong disagreement with the Consensus when the idea to take the moon was first raised. Could possibly get very vocal when pressed about the events…when doesn’t he get vocal?

Othello and I exited the room and walked aside each other dead silent. He gestured for me to hand him the tablet. “This’ll go by faster if we split up. We arrived in the courtyard already able to hear Shaxx’s excitement echo from below. I prepared myself and walked up to the towering Titan. 

“Huntress! Othello…” 

“Would it kill you to address me like a human and not some stain on your boot?”

“Pay your fine and I'll think about it.”

“You know damn well that fine is outrageous! I’d have paid it if-“ Othello cut himself short regaining his composure. “Anyway. We have some questions for you.”

“Do you now?" Shaxx turned towards me, away from Othello.

“You cannot be serious…”

“Can I help you with something, Huntress?”

“Uh…yes actually. You are aware of the current threat of Crota right?” 

“I am.” His voiced quickly became stern. “Why do you ask?”

“I…was asked to question people on this list." I turned the tablet to face him. "Survivors of the Great Disaster. If we stand any chance of fighting back we need as much information, as many perspectives as possible. Any insight would help.” 

Shaxx stood silent for a moment. He cut off the monitors displaying an ongoing Crucible match. “Had it been up to me, we would’ve never attacked the Moon. Survivors are reluctant to speak on what happened for a reason. It was a war we had no chance of winning. Lives were lost that didn’t need to be lost. 5 of the 6 who took the fight to Crota didn’t return. And to top it all off we lost control of the moon. Surrendered it to those monsters.” He tilted his head down to meet my sight. “Despite it all, I've seen the recent new lights rising for the first time. If there is anytime for Crota to be banished to the depths, it’s now.” Shaxx placed his hand on my shoulder surprisingly gently, eclipsing the sun behind him. “There will not be another Great Disaster. At least not with enough people to remember” 

I looked down at the list crossing the Titan’s name off of it. “If I could bother you with another question, do you recognize anyone else on here?” I turned the tablet around. 

“Myla Hale…I should warn you, it’ll be hard getting an answer from her.”

“It was that bad for her?”

“That too, yes. But I refer to her…coping mechanisms. The Great Disaster hurt us all differently.” He returned to spectating the Crucible match which hadn’t changed since before our talk. “At this time of day…you’ll find her in the West District. There’s a dive roughly 3 blocks from where Tex Mechanica is located. She’s an almond skinned brunette woman. I truly hope you learn something useful from her.”

I thanked the Titan, leaving for the mentioned bar housing Myla Hale. Not 10 feet later Othello motioned for the tablet.

“This’ll go by quicker if we split up. You’ll go see Myla then find Jakob, wherever that moron is, and I’ll track down Safi and Caldrux. I’d recognize them from some strike missions in the past before getting tied down to Xadric and Cree.” He transferred the two aforementioned names to his helmet’s display before splitting up by the time we got to the courtyard. 

“Myla Hale…Lux do you know of her?” 

“Not much. Not to diminish her role as a Guardian but she wasn’t exactly a standout Huntress. Though what I do know…you remember what Shaxx said? The Great Disaster impacted everyone differently? Well put simply, her Ghost was shattered. She blames herself and doesn’t have the best coping mechanisms.”

“We don’t have many options. I have to try anyway.”

Archive:https://docs.google.com/document/d/1vC9_wjnIAUIq9fila3GLv568ECCmk8rbzo9w9wmWEa4/edit?usp=sharing

The Pyramid loomed over Old Chicago, its shadow covering most of the ruined city. Maya and I touched down in the swamp, weapons free. It was quiet.

"I don't like this." Maya said.

"Neither do I..." I muttered.

We pressed forward, hoping to reconvene with the other teams at the city's center, right below the Pyramid. I wasn't a stranger to swampy environments, my trip with Ak-Tol to the High Coven was enough to acquaint me, but it didn't feel good. My armor, now an extension of myself, could feel the murky water both on the ground and in the air. I opened a channel.

"This is Reed, reduced Fireteam Epsilon, anyone copy?"

Nothing. I looked over to Maya, watched her try to no avail.

"I think there's interference." She said.

I stared up at the Pyramid. Like earlier attempts, there were no troops, no guards. Why go here? What tactical advantage did it serve? A sound shook my focus. Gunfire, distant. We started running towards the City.

We encountered nothing on our way to the center. Whatever the other teams had found, it was keeping them occupied and ignoring us. Walking around the rendezvous point, we heard a sound. A Scale manifested above us, emitting a short-range pulse before flying off.

Before we had a chance to react, the Pyramid above began opening up, firing a beam directly at us. I felt my feet leave the ground. We were being pulled.

"Maya!" I yelled, "The beacon!"

Maya fiddled with a bag she'd been given, pulling out a transmat beacon. She held it, waiting for us to reach the ship. Instead, another beam emitted from the ship, frying the beacon in her hand and forcing her to let it go. The ship continued to pull us up until we were inside, closing the floor behind us.

"Damn it!" Maya exclaimed.

"It's alright." I said, forming my hands into blades, "just be ready."

The ship opened a pathway, a straight shot to its heart. Cautious, I walked up the stairs. On the way up, we saw a dozen rooms, each well-lit but empty. Finally, we emerged from the ship's city, being able to see the chamber at the center, where we were being led. There was no activity below, not even a Tormentor.

When we reached the central structure, we were met with another hallway. We slowly walked down, finally entering a large room. Here, as expected, was the Veiled Statue, the Pyramid's beating heart. In front of it, however, was an unexpected sight... a Vex Minotaur.

I stepped forward to take a closer look, only for a Resonance barrier to raise behind me, Maya on the other side.

"Reed!" She yelled.

"Shit!" I said, "Are you alright?"

"Yes, just be careful!" She said.

A rumbling. The ship was shifting. I turned to see the Minotaur create a central platform. I got a closer look at it. Its black frame was covered by a purple chassis. Bright yellow lights made eyes and other ornaments on its armor. Its core was also a bright yellow... Darkness.

As I approached, I felt it. A powerful, oppressive aura. It was feeling excitement, as if it had been anticipating my arrival. It felt... pride.

When I stepped onto the platform, the Mind produced a holographic blade with one arm while teleporting another weapon into its other hand. The weapon looked like a Pyramid version of a Slap Rifle. It was ready.

Before I could even raise my arms, it charged at me, helped by a pair of boosters on its back. I rolled out of the way as it brought its blade down on the ground, slicing through even Pyramidian stone. I immediately went for a Nova Bomb, hoping that the attack would destroy it. Instead, it destroyed it with its rifle. Fragments of void energy still hit some of its armor, scratching it.

It stepped forward, stretching out its arms and lifting its head as its core started glowing. I instinctively leaped away, narrowly dodging a blast of Resonance energy. I slammed my fist into the ground, sending out a Stasis bolt that caught onto the Minotaur's leg. It broke free, but left enough crystal intact for me to shatter it with another slam.

Its leg now damaged, it took a second to recover. It stood up fully, its armor shifting as Resonant energy moved through its body. It was shielding itself. I wasted no time, getting up and firing off several solar blades, some breaking through the armor while others simply bounced off. The Mind moved again, charging forward and attempting to grab me.

Once again, I tried a Nova Bomb, this time aimed for the back. Traveling faster, it did hit, breaking through its ablative armor and shattering parts of its back. The Mind turned, its gun already firing. A stray bolt hit my left arm before I could raise a Stasis barrier. Trying to recover, the Minotaur broke through the barrier, its foot nearly squishing me. I took the opportunity to slash at its already-damaged leg, successfully breaking through the armor and cutting into the chassis, then the frame.

Falling over, the Mind attempted to swipe at me. I backed away as it tried to stand. Stumbling a little, I focused on its core. However, before I could move, a Strand bolt hit the glass, shattering it. I turned to see Maya, who had pried the Resonance barrier open with threads. I turned back to the Minotaur, who arched backward in order to retain its Radiolaria.

A loud boom rang through the Pyramid. The Minotaur looked around, confused. The ship began to shift and I felt myself teleporting. When I recovered, I saw Maya on the ground. We had been brought back to the city below. I looked up to see the Pyramid lifting itself into the sky, disappearing into the atmosphere.

I heard static. The interference was clearing. I heard Zuloc's voice.

"-answer me, please!"

"What is it?" I asked, "The Pyramid was blocking us from receiving any transmissions."

"Damea's ship, it's headed straight for the portal!"

"We're on our way!" I said.

I reached out to Maya, who reached back. As soon as our hands touched, the air changed.

—-YOU LIVE WITHOUT PURPOSE.—-

A chill ran up my spine. I knew that sound, the voices of many souls bound to a singular being.

—-ANGUISH. BLISS. A MEANINGLESS CYCLE...—-

The Witness's voice was both nowhere and everywhere at once. It was as if the very universe acted as its mouth.

—-OF ACTION AND REACTION.—-

Everything stopped.

—-LET US BRING AN END... TO YOUR FUTILE EXERTIONS.

A FINAL SHAPE IS COMING.

CHAOS UNTANGLED... MADE KNOWABLE... WITH IMMACULATE INTENT.

LET US KNOW YOU... AND BE REBORN INTO PERFECTION.—-

Its voice rang inside my head, inside the head of all things. This is perfection, realized. For a moment, I thought I saw Maya. Her face was visible yet contorted, fragmented. Her hand was still holding mine, but our arms were disconnected. I tried to imagine what I looked like, but no image appeared. I struggled to think, but why bother? This is finality.

Everything started.

I gasped for air, as did Maya. There was a fleeting feeling of warmth. I looked up to the sky, afraid. That was the Witness's Final Shape, its goal that it had been striving for for eons. Even with everything returning to normal, the fact that it even happened at all means it's getting close.

We are nearing the Final Shape.

Archive:https://docs.google.com/document/d/1vC9_wjnIAUIq9fila3GLv568ECCmk8rbzo9w9wmWEa4/edit?usp=sharing

As expected, eleven Pyramid ships showed up in Earth orbit mere hours after Zuloc uncovered their movements. They divided across the planet, targeting several sites across the planet. Four Pyramids headed for the Cosmodrome region, spreading themselves between the main facilities, the quarantined Plaguelands, and Felwinter Peak. Four others were divided between the EDZ and Old Chicago. The most worrying were the three that headed for the City.

On the first day, the titanic ships opened up, releasing dozens of Tombships and Skiffs upon the surrounding areas. Guardians at the Farm, Cosmodrome, and City defended against the first waves of foes. Over the course of the following days, the Pyramids shed off Scales, which both acted as spawn points for Tormentor reinforcements and markers to generate bases. A Pyramid would use its Darkness to build something, a forward operating base for its combatants to make camp. We were being pushed back.

On the fifth day, Crucible overseer Lord Shaxx had taken the initiative to plan out defenses in the City and Cosmodrome. It involved the use of Advanced Defense Units, devices developed with the combined efforts of the Coalition. The technology allowed for simulated Frames and quick transmat of traps and Vanguard-made Scorpius turrets.

Throughout the next week, we entered a stalemate. That was until the Coalition managed to capture a Scale from one of the EDZ Pyramids. Using that technology and Resonant energy, we were able to open portals to the Pyramid ships themselves using the signals between them and their troops. The enemies being thrown against us were not as coordinated as we initially thought. Hive scrambled around Fallen and vice versa. This became extremely apparent when we entered the first Pyramid and managed to kill its commander, a massive Ogre.

Despite the lack of leadership, the Pyramid kept deploying forces until it ran out. Once that happened, it started to pull back. Its shields were still up, yet it didn't launch any attacks while we were weakened. Everyone was confused, but we had no time to waste pondering why. Each day, another Pyramid would be able to breached, and its commander would die within the following hours.

Eventually, all Pyramids were diverted between the Cosmodrome and the City with one exception. The one at Old Chicago remained. Due to interference and a lack of ground troops to latch onto, no portals have been made to it. I have been ordered to venture there with my team after dealing with the final Pyramid above the City.

Several Guardians were focused on this final assault, including Maya and myself. The ADUs provided extra offense and defense around the final enemy strongholds. Maya and I took part in the infiltration of the ship. Clearing out several of its Hive inhabitants, we came across a Wrathborn Dreg roaming near a window. I fired on it just as it noticed us.

Afterwards, I walked up to the window, peering outside to see the City. Ships in the sky, firing upon the Pyramids to no effect. The warzone below was smaller than it has ever been, only covering a couple square kilometers of the City itself. Though the fight was drawing to a close, I felt old concerns creep back up. Why was this fight so uncoordinated? Why didn't the Pyramids themselves attack? This felt like they were throwing enemies at us rather than dedicating an actual attack force to the destruction of the City.

After some time walking around enemy-filled hallways, we caught up with the primary infiltration team. They were fighting a Shrieker, with Hive and Fallen pouring into the arena to defend their commander. Using the distraction, I leaped into the air with solar wings, launching blades into the eye of the construct. Its eye damaged, the Shrieker turned to me, only for its eye to be grabbed and ripped out by Maya with a Strand thread. The Shrieker exploded, its pieces being thrown across the arena. I threw up a Stasis wall before one shard could hit me.

There was no respite. The Hive left in the arena kept fighting, now backed by an Imprint of Nezarec. The Tormentor slammed its scythe into the ground and began coordinating the Hive in the room. Knights fell back while Thrall charged in from the side rooms. The Guardians at the center of the room hunkered down, deploying a Well of Radiance. Maya produced Strand blades, with me reinforcing her with Stasis armor. The Tormentor launched a void orb into the air before charging through the Hive and towards the Well.

Maya and I ran to catch it, carving through several Knights and Thrall on the way. I leaped onto the Tormentor's back, stabbing into its neck. A Hunter fired two Golden Gun shots into the enemy's body, forcing the suit to turn silver. The Tormentor, enraged, grabbed me and threw me across the room. Recovering, a Knight ran at me, sword drawn. Maya slid by it, slicing its legs. I finished it off with a quick stab to the head.

By this point, the Tormentor had made it to the Well, bringing its scythe down upon the sword at the center, destroying it and dispersing the team that had been within its range. Maya and I ran at the Tormentor again. It turned just in time for Maya to trap its arms, preventing it from defending itself as I jumped onto its chest, stabbing it repeatedly.

With the Tormentor dead, the Hive became disorganized once more. It only took a few moments to render the Pyramid just as uninhabited as its counterparts. We got out before it pulled out, landing back in the City. After the fleet confirmed its inactivity in orbit, drifting alongside some of its brethren, I took a deep breath.

This was a messy, heavily disorganized assault. I had expected waves of Tormentors and whatever those things I saw in Essence were. Instead, uncoordinated forces of House Salvation and Xivu Arath's brood were all we fought. The City, the Coalition, as desperate as we are, would never have let this shell of an army bring us down.

What continued to bother me was what Zuloc discovered about Damea's Pyramid. Her ship never appeared in this multi-week assault. Why? What was she planning? Why throw enemies at us like this, especially since it did little damage to not only our morale but to our infrastructure? It didn't feel right. Perhaps there was one more chance to find out what was happening, why Pyramids were being thrown at us as troop transport.

My concentration was shaken by the voice of Lord Shaxx over comms.

"Excellent work, everyone!" He enthused, "I'm sending my Redjacks down to help clear out the remaining combatants! Fireteams Church, Alpha, and Epsilon, make your way to the Tower! Commander Zavala will brief you on the Chicago operation!"

I looked over to Maya. She had taken her helmet off. She noticed me looking at her and turned. She smiled.

"Ready to go back in?" She asked.

"I'm worried about this," I admitted, "it just doesn't feel right. I expected this to feel apocalyptic, like last year."

"Do you wish it was?" Maya questioned.

"No," I said, "I'm just... confused."

"Any time now," Maya said, "that portal will be open for all of us. Once that happens, we'll be in the fight of our lives. I'm confused, too, but I'll take this if that's how it's going to be. A calm before the storm."

I nodded and sat down. The sun was just about to set, the sky a bright orange. With hope, this will be the last mission before we all go through. I already called on Zuloc and Ak-Tol to be ready, and Krystallon awaits my orders.

I took a deep breath. One more Pyramid...

Guardians walk out from the fog amongst the wreckage of the tangled shore. Their armor adorned with broken Ghosts and pieces of fallen Guardians. Warlock bonds, bent and cut. Shreds of Hunter cloaks woven into trophies. Titan marks wrapped around weapons. Two of them drag the lifeless bodies of other Guardians. These bear the name Dredgen. The five still standing are clear in their motive; to hunt down any who wield the darkness, without warning or remorse.

The sixth of their party screams, before a telltale hiss rings out. Above the party stands a hunter, dragging a young Warlock by his collar. He raises the light-bearer over the edge and lets go before stepping off himself. The Warlocks body crashes to the ground with a chilling thud. As his Ghost materializes, the Hunters palm wraps around it as his feet hit the ground. In a single motion, the Guardian shifts his weight and kneels, turning the center of the Ghost in his hand to powder against a stone.

The chiefest of the party steps forward. A Warlock, draped in glittering armor. "You're going to regret that, heathen" His voice rings. "You're outnumbered five to one"

The Hunter stands and rests his hand on his cannon. "And you're all outgunned"

Lightning crackles in a Titans fist "Im going to enjoy putting you in the ground"

"This doesn't have to end this way" The Hunter warns. "Theres already been too much needless bloodshed"

A Hunter among the party lunges out, the blade of a sword materializing as she sprints. Before anyone can say a word, her body hits the ground. A spike of darkness lodged in her forehead. Her Ghost meets the same fate shortly after. "Last warning Guardians... Go home..."

A few seconds of silence pass. Knuckles go white on the grips of weapons and feet shift slightly in anticipation. No one dares move before its time. All hell breaks loose as a Titan from the party launches into the air, arc light in a seething rage around him. His corpse turned to ash as a beam of piercing solar light rings out from the Hunter. The surrounding plateau roars with anger and violence. In what seems like a moment and a lifetime, the party is cut down.

The final Guardian falls, as the Hunter raises his cannon. The Ghost pauses in his attempt to resurrect his Guardian. "Dont..." the Hunter pleads. The Ghost out of instinct presses forward with the revival effort, before a final shot brings it to an end.

The Hunter collects the fragments of the Ghosts into a bag on his side, gently laying them in before setting a transmat zone for weapons and armor.

"Kaster..? You're quiet" His Ghost appears over his shoulder

"I tried... they wouldn't listen..."

"I know... but you did your duty. Don't let it eat you up inside"

The transmat fires, clearing the battlefield. Five bodies disappear. The two Dredgen remain. They too will be transmatted to the Hunters ship.

The Exos cannon changes. A Duke Mk.44 fills his hand as his stance and armor change. His Ghost disappears. In his head he can hear combat information being rattled off. "Unknown light-bearer, no city signal. Keep it tight"

"Well thats quite a trick you've got" an Awoken and her Ghost emerge from the ridge line.

"And a very interesting cannon... reminds me of one I've read about" the Ghost mentions, a veiled accusation in his tone.

"I'm sure you're read a lot about forty-four's" the Exo waves the cannon in his hand.

"I've read a lot about a different cannon too. Maybe you recognize it? Black, covered in spikes, and a major red flag"

"Mmmm it's a little fuzzy after the last wipe"

"Does the name Dredgen sound familiar?"

"You scared of the boogie man?"

The Huntress looks to her Ghost "Dredgen? Who's Dredgen"

"I'd stay out of business you aren't ready to handle" The Exo scolds, his eyes fixed on the Ghost.

"And I wouldn't threaten my guardian. I'd hate to see you end up like those two" the Ghost motions to the Dredgen on the ground.

"And I'd hate to see your guardian the same way" the Exo's Ghost materializes over his shoulder "you should get back to running patrols before you end up getting yourself in trouble"

"Wait, you have one too?" The Awoken questions, her stance changing as her tone shifts from caution to confusion.

"If you're going to act stupid, I recommend acting like this never happened instead" The Exo takes a step back. Both Ghosts move closer to their Guardians.

"None of the other Wrath have them" the Awoken states quietly, looking at her Ghost. "I didn't realize I wasn't the only one"

The Exo's Ghost slowly peeks out from behind his Guardian. "Wait... you... you've actually never met another guardian?"

"Is that why you call me that, Artym?"

The opposing Ghost disappears into nothing. Without warning the Exo lunges forward, grabbing the Awoken's Ghost as a sniper round rips through his arm. Servos and pistons tear loose, locking the Ghost in place. Rounds from his cannon ring as he returns fire, splitting the scope from the assailant. The Awoken's Ghost dematerializes and transmats her into a reef made jumpship. A rocket sails out of a outcropping, striking an engine and grounding the ship in a ball of flames. The change in attention gives the Exo just enough time to sneak up to the position of a Titan. "You're not getting away again..." the Hunter states coldly, his cannon coming into line with the Guardians helmet.

The Awoken's Ghost frantically scans his environment. The ship is stagnate, his Guardian is hemorrhaging, and moments away from needing resurrection after the crash, and the canopy is stuck shut. The Exo's hand crashes through the glass and rips the Ghost out, clutching firmly, but carefully. He takes two steps and holds the Ghost tight to his chest as the NLS drive overloads and the fuel core detonates, sending shrapnel through the back plate of his cuirass, puncturing all major systems, and killing him instantly. Between the strength of his armor and the density of his frame, the Ghost is able to safely float away after his body hits the ground.

Both Ghosts resurrect their Guardians, and the four of them gather beside the wreckage.

"Thats two, in less than five minutes. You're welcome" The Exo says smugly, point a finger at the Awoken's Ghost.

"Which all could have been avoided"

"I can turn it back the other way"

"This is fine, thank you"

A moment of silence passes. The Exo nods to his Ghost, who calls their ship from orbit. "Well, I guess this means you're riding with me then"

"Riding..? Where..?" The Awoken takes a look at the mangled ship behind her.

The Exo looks to the sky and points out a distant white dot, shimmering and radiant. The Traveler, visible in all its glory.

"Home"

-Hi all! Thanks for reading. This is one of a few stories I've been putting together for the various guardians of my fireteam, both past and current. I hope you enjoyed this lore tab about my Exo Hunter, Kaster-9 and his ghost Psyvo encountering my former Awoken Hunter Mina Sharai and her ghost Artym. I look forward to posting more in the future.

So I asked my little sister (F10) what kind of events / storylines she’d create if she were to make a season of Destiny 2 all on her own. She is practically obsessed with Savathun and the Hive and constantly replays the Witch Queen Campaign, so I really expected it to be some one-off storyline about becoming real allies with them or something. I was very wrong.

What she told me ended up being the most suspenseful and interesting storyline she’s ever come up with. (For context, I am a writer, and have been teaching her for years through Barbie playing and other means about the fundamentals of good storytelling.)

It starts as innocent as anyone could believe; right after the Final Shape, but before the Conductor is revealed. There was a small time of peace — a while where Guardians could relax and revel in their reality-changing victory.

There are two Guardians among them that no one pays much mind: a girl and a boy, twins. They know they’re twins because they’re both half awoken; with typical white human skin, but platinum awoken hair, glowing white eyes, and very distinctive white awoken markings on their faces. Their markings match to the tee, and their features are almost identical. Therefore they safely assume they’re related and have been going on missions together for a while. She named the girl, a Hunter, Bailey, and the boy, a Warlock, Elias.

Somewhere down the road, it is revealed (probably in Season of the Wish) that these twins are the younger half-siblings of Mara and Crow. (I don’t know how possible that was lore wise, however. But for the sake of her story, I went with it.)

They are getting a lot of newfound unwanted attention around the Vanguard; so much so that they take to staying on other planets to keep away from the rest of the Guardians — queue the Young Wolf.

The Young Wolf gets recruited to find Elias, the male twin, after he goes missing for a while. There is no stable connection with his Ghost, and not even his sister knows where he is. The Young Wolf is sent out alongside Bailey to find him. Here, there are interactive puzzle missions that have to do with scanning individual planets from orbit and triangulating the location of his Ghost. The player has the ability to get this wrong and can end up searching a planet for no reason.

Finally, they find his signal in the Dreaming City. They don’t think it’s much of a big deal that he’s there — since he recently found out he’s kin to awoken royalty and all.

They go there, and it’s a mostly painless process of finding him — just some walking. He is found crouching behind some rocks, intact and alive, very intensely watching some Fallen skitter about.

Young Wolf’s Ghost says something along the lines of: “There are no Fallen on the Dreaming City.”

Elias’s cryptic response is: “They were Scorn.”

Many scans and Ghost imaging later, they decide that the darkness which mangles the Fallen into the Scorn is actually leaving them, reverting them back to their original state. Their First Shape. These Fallen are non-hostile for the most part, unless fired upon.

They head back to the Tower and discuss with their Vanguards, which at this point is Zavala, Ikora, and Crow. Since the Fallen are non-hostile, they decide to keep an eye on it but do not engage. After all, Scorn turning back into Fallen seems to be a good thing, as Fallen aren’t aligned with the darkness.

They let it go for a while; focus on other things.

Until there’s a distress call from Queen Mara. A quick trip of the Young Wolf to the Dreaming City reveals that Mara is turning white. Like the typical, human colored white, starting at her hands and working its way up her arms little by little. Not long after, Bailey, the younger female twin, reveals that under her armor, she, too, is turning a shade of awoken white-blue, at the exact same pace and in the exact same place as Mara.

Ghost scans and tests reveal that Mara is slowly losing her awoken magic, and it is being siphoned to another location of the Dreaming City.

The Young Wolf, alongside Bailey and Elias, are sent to that location in an attempt to somehow stop the siphon and help Mara return to her awoken state.

Tracing the magic leads them deep into a river beneath a bridge. Under the water there is a statue — a woman, in a beautiful dress, holding a large broadsword in one hand. Not too far away, there another — one of a man, with two large knives. There are inscriptions on the blades. The sword says: “I’m sorry.” And the knives say: “I had to.”

There are also new enemies here, deep under the water — mermaids, almost sirens of sorts that they have to fight their way through to get to the statues. But once they arrive at the statues, there is nothing they can do to them. Awoken magic is pooling in them, but they can’t be shattered, broken, siphoned from, or interacted with in any way.

At this point, Crow’s hands begin to change, and Mara is almost halfway human. Elias’s hands begin to turn awoken at the same pace as Crow’s.

As the statues led them nowhere but a dead end, they begin to search for more people who might have the faintest clue what is happening — but calling to Osiris, the Techeuns, and even Drifter, due to his relations with the Nine and their Emissary, they come back with absolutely nothing. The Vanguard is stumped, with no direction to go for the first time in a long time.

It takes mere days for Mara to become a full human, and for Bailey to turn full awoken.

Mara died that day.

(Though not permanently, for my sister knows the power of a good heart-wrenching death turned eventual miraculous revive.)

Bailey surges with a newfound power, a sudden magic — and the female statue no longer holds the magic it once had. They return to it. There are now glowing markings on its face, and blood on the sword. The statue is of Bailey.

With the awoken queen gone, everything is thrown into an uproar. Bailey and Elias, only just becoming close with their siblings, are heartbroken. Crow, despite much pushback and begging from Glint, vanishes. Life turns to chaos; because something strange, something different, something paracausal is happening.

And the Vanguard has not a clue what it is.

But Elias is still turning blue, and Crow, wherever he went, is still turning human, and the Young Wolf must fight through planets to find him before he dies, too — for no one is certain if Glint will be able to revive him afterwards.

These events are labeled The Hunt for The Crow: several chronological strike/battleground like events of the Young Wolf & other Guardians following Crow’s signal across the sol system. He is going from planet to planet, leaving waves of emotionally-fueled destruction in his wake, waking enemies long forgotten and angering allies already made. The Guardians must follow behind and clean up his mess lest he bring war upon the Vanguard, fighting every kind of enemy they’d ever encountered, from Vex to the Dread. But they must also move quickly, for Elias’s skin is changing, which means Crow’s is, too.

It’s strange. It’s beyond strange. And all Ikora can manage to come up with is, now that the Final Shape has been destroyed, perhaps the awoken magic is turning the Dreaming City back to its First Shape, like the Scorn turning back to Fallen. Purifying itself in the absence of such pervading darkness.

It’s forcing Bailey and Elias to take Mara and Crow’s places, to rule over a new and untainted awoken world. Even if that means their predecessors must die. There are only few beings in the farthest reaches of the solar system that have power that matches the awoken, that hold the power of light and darkness, much like Guardians, but on a more personal, divine level — and the Vanguard has no other option but to ask these far-off species for help.

My sister calls it, The Season of the Shift.

Aboard a desolate ketch above earth, three eliksni dregs discussed what to do about the (now) ghostless guardian trapped in their hull. Frak of the medicinal order and a devout worshiper of those who despised the traveler offered a modest proposal that they tear the hunter’s head from his limbs and eject the body into the atmosphere wherein it would burn, eliminating any evidence worthy enough to inspire a revenge tale. The others relented that they very much enjoyed the sight of guardian fireworks but the risks were too high. Sek of a lunar scavenger tribe suggested that they leverage their good fortune. With a ghostless guardian in jeopardy, the Vanguard might meet the eliksni’s demands. Sek’s father and sister were trapped in Old Russia along with enough arms to man the derelict ketch which they captained. The others thought Sek a good mind and consoled her on her family’s imprisonment, but the third dreg was the eldest and considered the wisest. She was called Mal and meditated alone for a minute before she uttered her proclamation. Frak and Sek quickly agreed to Mal’s plan and descended the hull.

—

Metal pipes hissed venom and firestorms. Sam dangled over a snake’s pit of boiling plumping. Sam’s arms were chained to another pipe, and whenever he swung too wildly, his wrists struck the metal and burst the skin in a thousand-fiery screams. By now, burnt flesh reached his nostrils, and he felt his arms thud with a drummer’s pulse.

The entryway near where his dead ghost lay swung wide, and out emerged the joyous three who brought a guardian to his knees. Sam instinctively reached for his handcannon, but the chain caught, his wrist touched pipe, and the blood burned solid before it could make a mess. His screams seemed to charm the fallen because they broke into a cheery dance.

“Guardian, oh,” they hissed in their broken common.

“We’re sorry so.”

“Sorry to see you hang!”

They broke into snarls and growls that Sam almost mistook for laughter.

“Guardian who slay our kin.”

“Guardian who kills—”

“And kills—”

“And kills!”

“Guardian who takes life yet his may never be took.”

“Then who are you? For yours we may take.”

Sam kicked off his boot. It landed short — on the pipes tangled beneath him — and the leather squealed against the heat. The fallen did not seem to notice the high-pitched interruption. Done with their taunts, they scattered throughout the hull. Sam twisted his head to follow their path but could not track them all at once. He focused his gaze on one beneath him. The smaller runt who tinkered with a console. The one who seized his ghost and tore it from the light. Were Sam’s wrist freed, he might make good on his earlier promise to gut the dreg.

“Surprise, hunter.” A soft whisper in his ear, and the chains loosed. Sam fell forty feet to the boiling pipes below. But something caught him. The runty dreg at the console operated a claw typically employed to retrofit ships. The claw clung to the hunter’s chestpiece. With a breathy gasp, the runt lowered Sam toward the catwalk. Sam struggled against the machinery but without the light, nothing made a dent.

Then the three fallen were together again beneath him, chattering in their tongue. Sam kicked his second boot, and it struck the taller dreg — whom the others seemed to admire more. The fallen sprang into action. An arc bolt sliced through Sam’s arm, and for the first time in forever, blood poured forth unopposed.

“Guardian, please sit still.”

“You hurt and bleed.”

“Let us help.”

“We’re sorry for your ghost.”

“What a shame.”

“Shame.”

“Shame.”

The tallest dreg stepped forward. “But we extend our mercy and consider the trade fair. You slay thousands upon thousands of our house. In turn, we slay your ghost. Fair deal. Now, in exchange for your release, we ask one thing. Take us to earth. We hear eliksni live in peace amongst guardians and cabal. May we live amongst them and ask them their ways.”

Sam sensed a ruse but bit his tongue. What position was he in to refuse? And if he boarded a ship to the tower, he could have them thrown in a cell before long.

Sam broke into a broad smile.

Index

Previous Chapter

I sat slumped back in the seat lost in thought as the autopilot carried me towards Earth. “It doesn’t make any sense…Crota had no reason to kill Taniks…” I mumbled to myself repeating the same thoughts again and again ad nauseam. 

I’m getting nowhere. I snatched the controls and sped toward the Tower. “Lux pull as many files on Crota as you can. Anything you lack clearance for just skip over it. While you’re at it pull related terms as well. Anything that could give us insight or an edge over the Hive.”

Lux projected window after window extracting info and closing them as quickly as they were opened. One after another more and more tabs piled up and up then all cascaded and closed at once. “Not much I could grab. Mostly speculations, recon reports, theories...nothing concrete.”

“Figures.” I bit my lip growing more and more nervous. It felt like the more I try, the more hopeless any kind of victory appeared to be.

“Hey, relax, your heart rate is spiking. We’ll ask Xadric and Othello. They’ll surely know something that’ll help.” Lux’s attempts to assure me were appreciated, but ultimately in vain. 

The Tower came into view as we pierced the clouds and approached the hanger. 

“Zara. Didn’t expect you back so soon. You get a welcoming party?” Othello was leaning against the Quartermaster’s workbench.

“What do you know of the Hive?”

“Oh…so that’s the tone we’re going for.” Othello checked his surroundings. “C’mon.”

“Where-“

“Living Quarters. Some Guardians don’t have the jolliest of memories regarding the Hive.” He hurried out of the hanger as I hardly kept up. 

We get to the living quarters in the middle layers of the Tower and Othello pulls me into the room.

“So. What’d you see that’s got you so nervous?” 

“Lux.” Lux rose and expanded her shell creating a projection of her point of view. It displayed Telys and I coming up to the room where we found Crota over Taniks’ corpse. The incantation began muddying Lux’s feed until it ceased followed by our hasty exit. 

“Crota. Do you understand how lucky you are? There’s no doubt in my mind they knew you were there, yet you were spared.“ 

“Your guess is as good as mine which is why I need to know of your experiences with the Hive and their habits, tendencies, anything. He killed Taniks. To him just another Eliksni. I need to know any reason why he’d do so. Where’s Booker? Would he know something? ” Othello’s face immediately went blank and pale. 

“He-“ 

“For tribute.” Eris Morn made a silent entry cutting Othello short. She stood in the open doorway, silhouetted by the light behind her. “Crota has but one purpose in this system. Collect tribute for the one superior to him. His king. His father. A being such as Taniks who has taken many lives,  Fallen and Guardian alike vastly differing in strength, would grant a sizable amount of tribute. Such an amount that would take hundreds of Vandals and Captains.” Eris stopped opposite of the table, but did not sit. “What you witnessed was Crota collecting his bounty. A portion of tribute as his reward from Oryx.” She stared into the orb always with her. “There are beings in this endless universe we can only speculate about. Ones powerful enough to snuff out worlds in but ten paces.” 

“So what? He butchers Taniks just to get some brownie points with Daddy?” 

“Tribute is nothing of the sort. It is power itself. Crota is bound by the Sword Logic. Bound to submit tithes to Oryx and feed his worm lest it feed on him. Proving strength once does nothing. No amount of bloodshed is enough for the Hive. What matters is whose blood is shed. Taniks gained notoriety through ruthless aggression and teaching other Eliksni to fear him. His status is what defines the tribute’s worth from his death. While no challenge for Crota, Taniks still grants a sizable amount of tribute.”

“Ok.” Othello took a breath. “But with the way you make it sound, it sounds an awful lot like we have no chance.”

Eris stared down Othello. “If there was no chance, would I be here? I took the plunge into the Hellmouth and saw a great many things of the Hive. Rituals, strengths, weaknesses, all to come back and grant knowledge in the hopes that Crota is slain. In the hopes a Fireteam could succeed where mine failed.”

“And you think we can?”

“No.” Eris paced around the room as she continued to speak. “Your fear is easily exploited. The moment you enter Crota’s realm, your mind would be torn asunder simply by his presence. I have seen and felt it firsthand.” She reaches for her face, lightly caressing the cloth that hides her disfigurement, a permanent reminder.

Othello stood up. “I need to take a walk. I’ll bring Xadric back with me.” 

“Running will not help.” Eris’ words forced Othello to hesitate. “You are a slave to your fear.” 

“I’ll be back.” He closed the door as he left.

I was left alone in the silent room. 

“And what of you?” Eris suddenly questioned me. I hesitated to answer. “I can see you are afraid as well. However yours is…different. It’s not fear bred from experience.” 

I opened my mouth, beginning to form words, yet nothing would come out. It was something I couldn’t understand let alone put into words. I gave up. 

“I see.” Eris began to leave, seeming to understand without me needing to say a word. “I will have Ikora grant your Fireteam a chance to weaken the Hive.” Eris finally left, leaving me alone in the silent room with nothing but my thoughts. I sat in silence for what felt like an hour yet lasted hardly 5 minutes.

The doors suddenly slide open and both Xadric and Othello enter.

“Are you unharmed?” Xadric was quick to ensure i was OK.

“I’m fine. Physically at least.”

He took a seat next to me. “Othello told me the situation. What do you know of the Great Disaster?”

“Not much. Only what’s public knowledge. We went to war with the Hive and failed to defend the moon, surrendering it.” 

Xadric approached the console embedded into the wall sifting through centuries old files. He kept going further and further back until stopping at a personal folder. ‘The Great Disaster: Reports’. “It’s difficult to find any Guardian who’s not only old enough to recall when we first found the Hive, but also willing to relive those memories. Many are plagued by nightmares even today. I knew of a couple who chose permanent deaths over living with being the only member of their Fireteam to survive.” Xadric opened the folder revealing tens of reports of the events. From the first Thrall to Crota himself. “You are free to read through all of these at your leisure. But I will not recount or build upon anything written.” Following those final words Xadric once again left. 

“Would…Booker know something?”

“Designation recognized. Dormancy deactivated. You summoned me?” Booker’s projection appeared just at the mention of his name. 

“Booker you’re familiar with Hive runes right?” 

“Familiar, I am.”

“Lux, show him the feed while Othello and I look through the reports.” 

Lux repeated the process projecting the feed before the A.I.

Othello remained staring at the screen partially covering his mouth. “Let’s get to work.” He said dryly.