Recovered Ghost Fragment # 38
"Eyes up, TB" I awoke to the sound of my ghosts mechanical voice, along with the background noise of Venus' Wildlife. I'd given her a name but she wasn't to fond of it. "Morning already Zaela?" "Indeed it is, and I thought I told you to stop calling me that. You know I dislike that name very much" Who would've thought that a small little robot could have such a big attitude? "Well, I think the name fits you very well. Now down to business, how far away are we from the fallen encampment?" "About an hour on foot" The fallen... They've been terrorizing a group of rookie guardians that were in a valley not far from here. They'd been able to hold them off for a few hours, but the fallen were getting more bold. The rookies had popped they're distress beacon, and they were lucky enough to have me nearby. I had arrived just as a vandal was about the take the head off one those poor kids. After thwarting the fallen's attack, led by a Captain who wasn't to much to handle with my trusty Suro shotgun. I told the rookies they should've headed back to orbit immediately, turns out they were looking for spirit bloom way off the beaten path, and right into a darkness zone. "Still worried about those rookies?" Zaela asked with a tone I couldn't quite make out. "Yea, and when I get back to the tower I'm definitely gonna need to give them a lesson about darkness zones." "And how exactly are you going to do that when you didn't bother to ask them they're names?" "Oh... Yea... You're right, but still. I thought the vangaurd taught the rookies about the dangers of a darkness zone?" "Maybe they forgot about how dangerous it was" No time to dwell on that now, I need to hurry up and finish the bounty I got from Cayde to clear up this fallen encampment. "Is there any paths around here that I can use my sparrow on?" "I'll check" I watched as Zaela flew up above the tree line and scanned the area. As she reached the top of the tree line a giant fallen ship flew over head. "What was that?!" I shouted. She flew right back down into my arms. "That was a fallen Ketch!" A ketch? I've never managed to see one up close like that. And they say there a guardians that can take down one all on they're own? I may be out of my league here. "Why is a Fallen ketch here of all places? Out in the middle of nowhere!?" "Hold on and Ill find out just give me a scond to translate the fallen comms" Let me elaborate. Zaela learned how to translate fallen from Variks in the reef. It wasn't free of course. It costed me my Elder cipher, but it was well worth it in the end, I'll just have to get my hands on another Cipher. "It's a fallen house's Ketch for sure." "From what house?" "This can't be right..." "What is it Zaela?" "That doesn't make sense" "Zaela!?" "It's from a house I've never heard of" "What?! Are you sure? How can it be from a house you've never heard of?" "I'm not sure... Apparently its from... The House of Rain?" This won't bold well for the city. "House of Rain? The name sounds familiar doesn't it?" "Indeed it does" But we need to leave now" I could her concern in Zaela's voice. "Leave? And lose the chance to pick off the fallen Kell?" "Are you crazy, TB? You're nowhere near skilled enough to take on a fallen house all on you're own. Plus we need to warn the Tower" "Or, we could learn a little more info on them, and this is my chance Zaela, don't you see? I can do it. Trust me please" "Fine... Just be careful, and remember, I can't revive you in a darkness zone." I heard a hint of uncertainty in her voice. "Well, then lets move"
It took us about two hours to get to the fallen encampment. It was down in a cave/cliff hybrid. I pulled out my New Monarchy rifle 'The Chosen' equipped with a long range scope to get a better view of what was going on. It was pure pandemonium. The House of Rain was slaughtering the other fallen house that was encamped in this area. The Archon that was at this encampment rushed into the battlefield and took a few shots at the opposing Captains, there gunfire all over the place. Vandals with Wire Rifles picking off the dregs that were on the front line. After a few minutes all of the defending fallens forces were wiped out except for the Kell who was kneeling in front of the opposing forces troops. "I guess I can still take credit for the eradication, right?" Zaela turned and looked at me. "What? I mean I.. can say that... I took..out.. th- Never mind" "Thats what I tought" Zaela turned back to the battlefield. I did as well. As soon as I looked back The House of Rain lined up and turn their head towards the Ketch. Emerging a Kell Scarred and battered, he slowly walked toward the kneeling Archon, he stopped in front of Archon, and grabbed the Archon by the head, and started dragging him towards a cliff thats a few feet away. Stopping right next to the Kell leaned down next to the Archon and said something. "What did he say?" "I can only hear the comms from here. Not what they're saying to one another" "Oh, makes sense I guess." The Kell dropped the archon off the cliff. "That's brutal" "What do you expect? The fallen are barbaric" Said Zaela so non chalantly. "We need to head back to he city and warn them about the new house." "Agreed" As I looked back to the scope I was surprised to see the Kell staring back at me. "Oh shit, we've been spotted! Get the ship over to our location now!" He must've spotted my glare from the scope, how careless of me. Damn! "The ship will be within range in a couple of minutes, and the fallen are readying the the Ketch for an attack we need to find cover! Now!" "Quick we need to get to the tree line!" I grab Zaela and make a run for the trees. As I turn to look behind me I see the Ketch rise to the sky and watch as Skiffs depart from the sides of it. "We're almost there!" I turned again as I watched the Ketch ascend into orbit and the Skiffs fly toward us. "How close is the ship?!" "One minute!" A piece of ground is blown apart right next to me, debris flying into my visor. "The trees are right there!" I dive for the trees as I feel heat and rock at my feet. I realize I made a mistake when I feel my face hit a rock for a split second. "Up! Get up! You have to get up TB!" "Zaela? Whats the ETA on the ship?" My head is throbbing like hell. An explosion of heat and electricity hits me right in the torso. I get flung into the air but I don't care about my safety. As I land, I look around for Zaela, to make sure shes safe. Then what I see brings me to tears. Zaelas shell is broken apart right next to me. "No! Zaela! C'mon get up! Take us to orbit!" Theres no response. "No!..." "Zaela!" I scream at the sky and in hatred and sadness. "I will avenge you Zaela" I pull out the Pax Totalus to take a shot a the skiff. I double jump into the tress. And go turn on my suits stealth abilities. As soon as I reach the top of the trees I see the skiff. "This is for Zaela!" I shoot, and whizzes right past the skiff, and the cannons face towards me. Well, I guess this is the end for me, I guess it was a good thing I recorded the last few hours to show the Vanguard proof of my findings. Well, goodbye Zaela. I hope we see each other again, someday. I hear the cannons fire and feel the projectile hitting me, disintegrating my body. My last thought is "Forgive me Zaela"