King of the Sands
Chapter 4: Negotiations
Well, after a disappointing lack of reviews for Chapter 3, here we are with Chapter 4, a bigger, more meaty update than Chapter 3's light and fluffy background story. It's like comparing a big juicy steak with a little sweet mousse.
(I'm really hungry right now.)
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Warlock Allasandra, clad in her orange Scalpel Wing pattern robes and armour, was very angry. Tendrils of her bluish-purple hair flew around her head as she paced around the room, occasionally shooting dirty looks at the Awoken Hunter who sat in the corner, who had a very sheepish and guilty expression on his face.
"So now you're back, WITHOUT getting the samples, and Josh is stuck in the hospital with both arms broken and his leg having been snapped in half, all because you saw a chest?!" She asked, her voice filled with menace.
"Ummm… the chest was golden." The Hunter offered, blushing and turning his face an even darker shade of purple.
"THAT'S NOT A REASON!" Alassandra screamed, her face turning a darker shade of purple as well, though in her case it was due to rage rather than some level of embarrassment.
"Well… I got a better gun, and a load of Spinmetal!" The Hunter said frantically.
"Oh, that's great. Europa's got the Exo equivalent of brain damage, but you got some Spinmetal, so it's aallll good." Alassandra said sarcastically rolling her eyes.
Then, all throughout the Tower, home to the Guardians, alarm klaxons started blaring.
"What the hell…?" The Hunter said, rising from his chair.
"That's the primary alarm! It means something's trying to land on the tower!" Allasandra said.
"I'm going to presume something we don't WANT to land on the Tower?" The Hunter said, as his Scout Rifle materialized in his hand.
"Yeah, usually. Come on, we need to get up top!" Allasandra said, as her own favoured shotgun appeared in her hand.
They rushed past several very confused younger Guardians, likely still in basic training, as they headed to the top floor of the tower from their apartments below. They were joined by at least a dozen other Guardians, all of whom were carrying guns of one type or another. One Titan was even carrying a rocket launcher.
As they burst out into the harsh mid-July sun, their eyes adjusted to see a single Cabal dropship opening up and deploying its contents. The first thing out, to the surprise of everyone present, was a Titan wearing full Justicar armour and carrying a purple and red hand cannon, that most of the people attending recognized.
"By the Traveler…" Allesandra overheard one Titan mutter as the Guardian landed, with two Cabal Phalanxes landing just behind him. Both of them were even bigger than a standard Phalanx, with armour and shield coloured gold and red. This drew a cacophony of clacking as weapons were primed and safeties were pulled.
Then, to everyone's furthered surprise, the twin Phalanxes reacted by stepping next to the Titan and shielding him with their bodies and shields. One of them growled in the Cabal tongue at a Hunter who was taking aim with his sniper rifle and raised his slug gun, but the Titan placed his arm on the Cabals vambrace.
"Hold your fire please, Akanda. I don't want to appear too hostile." The Titan said, before stepping forwards, raising his arms in an embracing gesture.
"Friends!" He called, his voice booming across the otherwise quiet Tower. "I come to you today with good tidings!"
"And what would those be, Guardian?" The Vanguard Warlock leader, Ikora Ray, asked, her shotgun still leveled at the new arrival.
"Tidings of peace, Ikora! Peace and opportunity, though the second may take a little longer to reach." The Titan answered, taking a step towards the dark-skinned warlock.
"What is this about, Titan?" Vanguard Commander Zavala asked, staring at the two Cabal with a look of disbelief on his face. "Why have you brought Cabal to the Tower?"
"Well, Zavala, as I told the Guardians on Mars whom I had the displeasure of meeting, these aren't just any Cabal. These are MY Cabal." The Titan said, removing his helmet.
Allesandra raised an eyebrow when the helmet came off, revealing a human face, surprisingly young looking. He couldn't have been over thirty years old. He had a worryingly large scar running across his face, starting just under his left eye and cutting across his face to his right jaw, where it twisted right slightly. To be honest, the scar made him look almost roguish, though Allesandra would never say it out loud. His eyes were also a subject of fascination, being the darkest blue she had ever seen.
His dirty blonde hair was cropped close to his scalp, and he was completely clean shaven, a feature universal for most Titans. Didn't want a beard to get caught in your helmet apparently. He also had a massive grin across his face. It was evident he was having a lot of fun with this.
"Erik?" Allesandra heard Zavala remark. "I thought… we thought…"
"I was still in a depressive slump? Hah! Fat chance!" Erik laughed. "I headed to Mars over a month ago, and started picking off the Cabal command structure. At least, that was the plan. Then I became their general."
"How in the Travelers name did you manage that?" Zavala asked, and Allesandra had to agree with the question. This situation was getting more and more surreal as it unfolded. A lost Guardian returning as the leader of the Cabal? What?
"Well, it's a long story, but to make it as brief as possible; I killed off their general, Valus Ta'aurc, and all his lieutenants, and that made me Marchall, or General, by right of conquest." The Titan explained. "I spent a week getting everything organized, then elected to head straight for Earth, mostly to have a talk with the Speaker on the possibilities of a peace treaty."
There were lots of gasps at that, as well as various other expressions of surprise. Allesandra could scarcely believe it herself! Peace? With the Cabal? Was such a thing even possible? They had been at war for so long…
"Hmmm… very well. Given the fact the Cabal have yet to attack, I can believe you're telling us the truth. Cayde, go get the Speaker." Zavala said. "But take two of my Titans with you."
The Exo Hunter Vanguard left wordlessly, two Titans in with Machine Guns following him. Zavala turned back to look at Erik.
"Erik, if this is a trick, I swear on the Traveler I will kill you myself." Zavala said.
"If you think you could kill Akanda and Bereus first, I welcome you to try." Erik replied, somehow sounding smug and polite at the same time.
Allesandras gaze switched to the twin Phalanxes, who at this point she had no doubt were some sort of bodyguards. Both of them certainly looked the part, at least. She could hear Eron muttering about weak-points and armour chinks.
"Eron, stop it." She said, turning to the Hunter. "Muttering about killing them isn't going to calm your nerves."
"I know, it's just… they can't be serious! A peace treaty? With the CABAL? With the Fallen, maybe. But Cabal? They slaughtered us in the hundreds while invading Mars!" Eron said.
"And how many of them did WE slaughter while they invaded Mars?" Allisandra countered.
"But… but…" Eron stuttered. "They are an army of the Darkness, something we were created to fight!"
"Something we were created to fight, yes, but who is to say they still follow the Darkness? They accepted a Guardian as their leader just fine." Allisandra said.
Eron didn't reply to that. He was too busy watching as the Speaker himself strode through the central plaza, two Titans walking just behind him, weapons out and ready to fire if need be. Allisandra hoped it wouldn't.
"Hail, Erik, leader of the Cabal." The Speaker said, bowing slightly.
"And hail, Speaker, voice of the Traveler." Erik replied, bowing back, his bodyguards mimicking the action.
"Tell me Guardian, why is it you seek a peace treaty?" The Speaker asked, gesturing to the Phalanx bodyguards. "You could have just as easily invaded Earth."
"I have no desire for more power, and the less blood spilled pointlessly, the better. I learned that the hard way on Venus." Erik said, the last part little more than a whisper.
"Ah, so you seek to lead the Cabal to an era of peace?" The Speaker asked.
"That is my ultimate goal, yes. The Cabal are on the back foot, to be honest. The Vex outnumber us, and despite the fact one Legionary is worth several Goblins, the fact Mars is literally a Vex breeding ground doesn't help matters much." Erik said. "But if Guardians and Cabal were to work together, we could destroy the Vex at their source."
"You speak of the Black Garden." The Speaker replied.
"Yes. I know you are planning on attacking it. Hell, I was planning and trying to go in solo if I needed to." Erik admitted.
"So now you come to us, offering peace and the opportunity to strike back against the greatest force the Darkness has, and all you want in return is…?" The Speaker intoned the statement as a question.
"Mars." Erik replied. "I want to keep Mars."
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Well, that's another chapter done. The negotiations have begun, and the world is going to change forever because of it and all that.
Erik walked into the primary landing bay of 'Dun Admirallens Gaunt', clad in full armour except for his helmet. The Psion pilots and his own Cabal Honour Guard were rushing about in a fashion similar to chickens that lacked their heads.
