Red - A Stranger's Call

1406 Hours, November 3 2932
Sol System, Planet Venus \ Ishtar Sink, Near The Shattered Coast

There was always something, different, when landing on a foreign planet for the first time.

Ruby Rose landed on Venus' ground with hardly much of a sound, gun up at the ready but finger not quite around the trigger. The last thing anyone would have wanted was a Guardian shot in the back because of some jumpy kid with an itchy trigger finger. The landing zone was empty save for some empty crates and communication beacons. It seemed that Guardians didn't stay here long before branching out. Ruby could clearly understand why. The Vex and Fallen were constantly at each other's throats here while off towards the Citadel, the Vault of Glass remained sealed. Waiting for another team similar to that lead by Kabr the Legionless to test the trials hidden within.

Ruby herself had not been a Guardian for very long, maybe a handful of years at best, but not once had she heard word of a team gathering together to challenge the Vault of Glass like Kabr had a long long time ago.

"Are you ready?" Ruby's Ghost asked as they formed beside her. "We can always wait for another Guardian to show up if you want someone to watch-"

"You are more than enough to watch my blindside." She said as she tapped the right side of her helmet. At first glance most people would just see her as another Hunter, but those with a keen eye would notice that Ruby's armour was much more ragged on the right side compared to the left.

"And they said you wouldn't make a good Guardian." Ghost said as Ruby started her trek down towards the outpost. "It doesn't matter if she was a Huntress! She's missing an eye! The Darkness will eat her whole." The small red Frontier Shell shifting as the a mocking tone sung in the air before the chassis shifted side to side disappointment. They were age old words from more skilled Guardians who didn't believe Ruby had it up to snuff because of the injuries she had received in her previous life or upon her death.

Although, the two of them speculated that the injuries were the cause of her death. Beneath her helmet and across the right side of her face was a rather impressive scar. The result was a rather spotty memory of her previous life. A few things remained with her, but others,she wasn't sure. From time to time memories would return, so it just seemed like she needed to be gently, reminded, about those she had forgotten.

"We're going to link up with the outpost and get my sparrow online." Ruby muttered as she started down the hill towards the destination in mind. First time on Venus and she didn't have much of a destination in mind. She knew the Vanguard paid well for jobs done here and she was getting bored of the Moon.

But it was those reasons that her Ghost had just stated that where holding her back from venturing out to the other planets like the other Guardians. Her blind spot left her at a disadvantage, requiring her to rely on her Ghost to act as a spotter for her. If it was caught up hacking through a terminal or something of the sort and she had to protect it from the Fallen or the Hive during that process, the chances of her being blindsided were far greater than the average Guardian.

Of course the thought of that made Ruby stop to think for a moment. She was on a new planet by herself and fighting with a clear disadvantage, waiting for another Guardian to appear could be hours. She shook her head and shifted her hands. Her Auto Rifle in her hands shifting into a Scout Rifle while the Shotgun on her back changed to a Sniper's Rifle. Ruby knew that the Fallen House of Winter and a machine race called the Vex tended to war over the areas here, if Vanguard reports were anything to go by.

However she had never fought against the House of Winter or the Vex before. So she knew that she needed to play it safe. While her Semblance of Speed and her previous life as a Huntress allowed her to shift through the various Hunter disciplines at a drop of a hat, it wasn't something that really should be practiced on the field. So she would fight at a distance.

"Alright, let's start hoofing it." Ghost sighed as Ruby started down the rather beaten path. Several Guardians and their Sparrows having found use of the old broken roads. Skeletons of old cars simply pushed aside to clear the path and allow places for Fallen to hide.

Ruby stopped when she saw the sign of a Dreg and heard the quips of a Shank. Quickly she darted away from the road off to the side in the shadow of a building. Crouching slightly as she raised her gun, flicking the safety off and tilting her head slightly so she could see down the scope. Sights following the slight pattern the Dreg moved in trying to find the right timing.

"One shot. One kill." Ruby muttered to herself as her finger curled around the trigger and pulled. The gunshot broke the silence and the Dreg was headless, Ether spilling brightly into the air as the body fell. The single death drawing in the attraction of the other Fallen as their guns were aimed at Ruby's position for a mere second before the shots from the Shock Pistols and Shanks' Turrets were cutting through the air. Some of them peppering Ruby's shields at the same time.

Ruby pulled off another three shots, two Shanks exploding and a Dreg falling back when it took a hit to the shoulder. The Fallen just shrieked in return and started to fire again, the Hunter ducking behind the burned out car.

A quick check of her ammo counter told her she still had eight shots left in her clip before she needed to reload. At least, that would have been the case of she didn't have a Ghost. She pulled the release and the magazine fell to the ground, disappearing in shimmer of Glimmer as she pulled a fresh clip from her belt. Already knowing that by the time she needed to reload, whether it be after a full clip or another four shots, she would have a fresh clip waiting for her.

The bonuses of everything relying on Glimmer in some shape or form.

When her counter read twelve again she ducked out from around the car, keeping low to the ground as she fired at the Fallen. Unlike her first shot where it was one bullet to kill the Dreg the others took a few more shots. With her depth perception thrown off because of her injury her bullets would miss from time to time.

Once she was positive their numbers had dwindled enough she broke cover, slowly moving forward as she kept firing with her rifle, frowning when she clicked empty when there was one Dreg left, quickly she pulled a knife from her belt and threw it forward, the blade finding it's way home in the Fallen's skull.

"Clear." Ghost stated as she reloaded her rifle, rolling her shoulders once as the Sniper's Rifle on her back changed back into a Shotgun. Just in case her knife didn't find it's way home the next time. She huffed as she dropped the empty magazine on the ground as placed a fresh clip in place as she kept walking forward.

This was going to be a long walk.

1824 Hours, November 3 2932
Sol System, Planet Venus \ Ishtar Sink, Ishtar Academy

Ruby dropped her gun on the ground as she knelt down beside the body of a fallen Vex Goblin, she knew this was going to be her first time fighting them but she wasn't sure what to expect. She knew they were a machine race, but this, was like nothing she had fought before.

She looked up when she heard footsteps, knowing that they weren't the mechanical footfalls of the Vex, if it was Fallen they would have been firing at her by now. So slowly Ruby moved to stand up, surprised when she saw a female Exo Hunter standing before her, somehow, Ruby felt that she seemed, amused.

"Well fought." she spoke. "You weren't the Guardian I was looking for, but I am impressed, nonetheless." she spoke as she slowly walked down the set of stairs so she was on the same level as Ruby. Ruby's helmet moved slowly to keep eye contact with the woman, a slight frown across her hidden features.

"What do you mean?" Ruby asked. "Not the one you were looking for?" she asked as she crossed her arms, tilting her head to the side, the Exo turned around so she was facing Ruby properly now.

"Just the other day, I met a rather peculiar Titan." the Exo spoke. "You'd expect a Solar Titan to harness the abilities of a Sunbreaker, instead she was a Sunsinger."

"That class belongs to the Warlocks." Ghost spoke up as they floated forward, Ruby looking at their red shell for a moment before back at the stranger. "But if you were looking for that Titan, it doesn't explain why you are here, talking to us."

"No, you made it this far." The Stranger spoke. "I've seen many Guardians fall, but you survived. You might not be that Titan, but you're still something, something important, something special." she turned around quickly suddenly. "Yes I'm listening, no I'm not with the Titan." she looked at Ruby for a moment. "I'm with the leader."

"What is she talking about?" Ghost asked as it looked at Ruby for a moment before floating over to the Stranger. "Who is she talking to?" it asked as the Exo brought her hand up and pushed them away before her attention was returned to Ruby.

"So, who are you? What did you mean when you called me a leader?" she asked, genuinely confused, the Exo exhaled slowly.

"I don't have time to explain why I don't even have time to explain." she said quickly. "You need my help Guardian."

"You mean that Sunsinger Titan needs your help." Ruby pointed out as she picked up her gun off the ground, frowning slightly underneath her helmet.

"Both." she said as she looked at the fallen Vex that Ruby was looking at before. "The truth? They brought us here." she gestured to the Vex Goblin, walking over to it as she looked at it, as if, she was giving it, pity. "The Vex, evil so dark that is despises other evil."

"You're not a Guardian." Ghost pointed out, a soft chuckle.

"No, I am not." she looked at Ruby for a moment. "But you, you're a Huntress, a Huntress who had accomplished many great things in your life." she said as she raised her foot up and pressed it down against the core of the Vex, the machine squealing in pain before it broke down properly for good. "Have you heard of the Black Garden?"

A sudden change of subject, the two of them had noticed. This Stranger knew something but didn't want to share. Anyone who was smart would do their best to pry, but somehow, Ruby knew that she would find her way around them.

"The Legends, yes." she spoke. "It falls under the same strand of Kabr and Eris Morn." she shifted her hand slightly as she crossed her arms again. "Those teams that disappeared?"

"It's hardly a legend." she responded. "It is the greatest threat that we face. It is where these machines are born. You need to reunite your team, find the Black Garden. Rip out its heart." she stated firmly, confusing Ruby at the same time. "Then, your Traveler will begin to heal."

"I don't understand. My team?" Ruby asked. "I've never had a team of any official capacity." Sure, she teamed up with some Guardians here and there for some patrols and heists against the Fallen or the Hive, but nothing of importance. "You gonna have to help me understand this all, at least lead me to this Titan you spoke of!"

"I can't. My path's my own." The Exo spoke, Ghost turning to speak to Ruby but the Exo suddenly turned her head to the side.

"Too late, returning. How many? Hold position, kill the engines, and don't let them find you." she said as she pulled her weapon off her back, flicking the safety off at the same time. "Once you have your team, you will need to see the Awoken, those wavering between the light and the dark."

"Those refusing to pick a side." Ruby muttered. "Although a side should always be taken. Even if it's the wrong side." she brought her hand up to the side of her helmet, feeling something coming back to her. It was a woman, but she couldn't remember the face, but she had dark colours, carried a sword, caught between two sides of a brewing war.

No name came to her lips.

By the time she had come back around, the Exo Stranger was gone, and Ghost was looking at her, concerned.

"We'll find your team."

A/N: A return to a story I had attempted before. This time, with a little bit more planning.

I'm starting with 'trailer' chapters. However I'm also posting as each chapter is completed. As you read the next few chapters, please pay attention to the dates and years posted. For I will be writing in character order rather than chronological order this time around.