"We now have one hundred fifteen Dredgens," Aunor Mahal read off her tablet screen. "Gambit draws in an average of three hundred players per event, across all brackets. To date, there have been only two fatalities, due to encounters gone bad with enemies in the arena. Neither were Guardian-perpetrated."
Aunor and Ikora sat at a table in Ikora's inner office. The only equipment they carried were their ghosts and tablets. There would be no material records kept of these reports. Both women had brown skin and very short hair. Neither of them cared about appearance.
Ikora nodded, her expression grave and professional. "Does the Drifter move about the Tower much?"
"Not since he was assigned the annex," Aunor replied. "He stays holed up there when he's not on his ship. Acts like he's hiding. His groupies bring him food supplies and clean up after him, the slob."
"He has quite the operation," Ikora observed. "Now. What about the Black Armory?"
Aunor gave a small snort. "My spies infiltrated them in the first week. Ada-1 is wary of guardians, but once we restored her forges to operation, she warmed up. There is now a steady stream of quality weapons flowing into the City's black market. We've observed Guardians using them, as well as City militia and civilians. The criminal element have them, as well, but the militia keeps them in check."
"Darkness always returns," Ikora murmured. "Let them arm. It may give us an edge."
"You think that's wise?" Aunor said, raising her eyebrows. "There has been an uptick in the occurrence of weapons of sorrow. Someone is creating them to kill guardians. How long do you think we would last if the City turned against us?"
"How long would the City last if we were not here to defend it?" Ikora replied quietly. "Don't jump at shadows, Aunor. Where are you finding these weapons? Civilian hands?"
"Primarily rogue guardians," Aunor said, touching her tablet. "My team discovered and destroyed a camp outside the South Gate where someone was modding weapons in bulk. We found evidence of at least eleven different weapons. Those weapons are in the wild, unaccounted for. Oh." She pulled up a new screen. "Your acolyte Jayesh turned one in. He didn't say how he acquired it."
"Jayesh did?" Ikora said, eyes widening a fraction. "He's the last Guardian I'd ever expect to use a weapon of sorrow."
"I doubt he used it," Aunor replied. "He never touched it directly and heard no voices, according to our post-analysis. Of course, the man has psychic damage, so who knows if he was telling the truth."
Ikora flipped back and forth between screens on her own tablet, reading the reports. She also pulled up the results of Jayesh's latest medical exam, using her Vanguard credentials. "He's improving," she said with relief. "His training hasn't been too hard on him."
"Cal wishes to push him harder," Aunor replied. "But I'm not here to talk about your pet warlocks, Rey. If Black Armory-quality weapons are being converted to weapons of sorrow, we have a crisis on our hands."
"Yes," Ikora mused. "Send word to the Hidden. Keep an eye out for anyone researching the Hive, or any Guardian who seeks out Hive Knights for the bone. Also watch for erratic behavior in Gambit or Crucible."
"They're Guardians," Aunor said. "Erratic behavior is their modus operandi."
And Ikora had to agree.
Nell sat on a high catwalk in the Drifter's ship, the Derelict. She'd wrapped herself in her cloak against the cold and sat with her legs tucked under her. Inside her helmet, she watched a tiny screen of the current game of Gambit. Down on Mercury, among the Vex ruins and hot, dusty wind, Jayesh was fighting enemies and collecting motes along with his team.
"Newbie games are so slow," Nell muttered to her ghost.
"They're still learning," Hadrian replied. He was snuggled into the crook of her arm, under her cloak, for warmth. She had spent most of the previous day removing the old paint from his shell and sketching out new designs. He had requested a rearing Pegasus, and she had practiced on many sheets of paper before she created a version they both liked. Now Hadrian's shell bore a winged horse in red and blue, and he was very proud of it.
"If you're cold, you could phase," she told him.
"It's not warm in phase," he replied. "It's not cold, either. It just ... is. I can't be touched there, so that's all right. But right now I just wanted to be with you." His voice was a little anxious.
Nell stroked him with her fingertips, glancing across the Derelict's interior to the other team. Two big Titans, a hunter, and a warlock, all with helmets on. One Titan wore Vanguard gear today, probably making some kind of point to the Drifter. The other Titan wore black armor, and that must be Grant. He was watching her.
Nell made a V with two fingers, pointed at her eyes, then at him. He responded with a single-fingered salute.
"It is so on," she muttered.
Nearby, one of her teammates transmatted onto the catwalk. Cidrex, one of the team's three hunters.
He sat beside her and bumped fists. "Hey, look. I smuggled along some hot coffee. Want some?" He produced a large silver thermos and cups from under his cloak.
"Real coffee?" Nell exclaimed. Coffee was immensely expensive in the Last City, a recently rediscovered crop grown only in one small hothouse. The Awoken in the Reef grew it in far larger quantities, but they charged insane prices for it.
Cidrex poured her a cup of the fragrant, black liquid. Nell pulled off her helmet and wrapped both cold hands around the warm cup. The coffee scorched her mouth and throat, but here in the cold ship, it felt wonderful.
"Gotta keep the team on their feet, right?" Cidrex said. "Bought coffee with my winnings. After that last match, I've been rolling in glimmer."
"Me, too," Nell said, breathing the steam. "I think I'll drop some on coffee when we get back."
Liran and Nessa arrived, and accepted the precious drink with surprise and delight. The three hunters and warlock sat together on the high catwalk, keeping an eye on the opposing team, and chatting.
"They're watching us," Liran's ghost for her. She nodded at the Titans. "Watch your back out there, Nell. Grant's gunning for you."
"Supposedly he has a crush on me," Nell said.
Her team laughed.
"I could see that," Nessa said. "Isn't that how Guardians fall in love? Killing each other during blood sport?"
"You'll really have to watch out, then," Cidrex said. "He'll want to murder you to prove his affection."
Nell's hand found Hadrian under her cloak. "Do you think he'd hurt my ghost?"
The team shrugged and made noncommittal sounds.
"If you turn him down," Liran's ghost said, "who knows? All those feelings might turn to hate. A jilted man is nothing to trifle with."
"I heard a story like that," Nessa said. "A girl and a guy broke up. The guy stalked her, killed her ghost. She had to kill his ghost and him together. Or maybe it was a movie. Point is, watch out."
Nell pulled her cloak a little tighter around her, shielding Hadrian from sight. "My ghost has already been through years of torture. He's not going to die because of some stupid Titan's feelings."
"How does anyone torture a ghost?" Nessa said.
Nell told them about Hadrian being torn apart by the Fallen and rebuilt with Servitor parts. "He's terrified of being taken apart, or even touched, by anyone but me. And if anyone, I don't care who it is, so much as breathes in his direction, I will fill them with shadow blades."
Her team listened to this in sympathetic dismay. "Your poor ghost!" Nessa burst out. "No wonder you're so protective. You have trouble with Grant, we'll gang up and execute him for you."
"We got your back," Cidrex agreed.
"Agreed," said Liran's ghost.
Nell smiled at them. "You guys are the best."
Down below, and further forward along the ship's cavernous main deck, the two newbie teams transmatted into the Derelict. They were panting and gripping their weapons, fresh from fighting their Primevals.
"Team one, you're champions!" the Drifter said from his balcony overlooking the teams. "Team two, try harder! Bank those motes, don't carry them around! Got it?"
The team nodded.
"All right, transmat firing!" The Drifter worked the commands from a battered tablet. The teams disappeared back down to Mercury, starting their second round. The Drifter returned to his control room to send enemies and commentate the match.
Nell sipped her coffee. "Looks like Jayesh was on the winning team."
"Who?" Cidrex asked.
"A guy on my fireteam. He observed the matches last time."
"Oh, him." Cidrex shrugged. "You told him about your thing with Grant?"
Nell snorted. "Yes. Jayesh thinks I should get to know him. Fat chance of that." She glared at the black-armored Titan across the ship, but he was talking to the Vanguard-Titan and didn't see.
"Well, we'll look out for you," Nessa said. "Even if your lame-ass fireteam won't."
Nell smiled. She lifted her cloak a little and looked down at Hadrian. "You all right?"
"Toasty," the ghost assured her, his blue eye switching into a smile emote.
Nell cuddled him. "Going to be at the top of your healing game?"
"Always," Hadrian replied. "I had to be fast to avoid the Fallen, and it's made me a fast healer."
"You're the only reason I can knife fight."
Hadrian's eye moved in tiny flicks, studying her face. "You're the only reason I'm still alive."
She lifted him and kissed his shell, very gently. "I'll never let anyone hurt you ever again."
"Thanks," he whispered.
She tucked him back under her cloak and pulled her helmet on. The second game was half over, the banks nearly full enough to summon a primeval. Nell watched as Jayesh tried invading. He jumped through the portal, emerged in the other arena bathed in Taken energy, and sniped the other team. He killed two, sneaking from cover to cover, before his time ran out and the Drifter recalled him.
"Yay Jayesh!" Nell cheered. "I knew you could do it!"
"He'll be fun to have on our team," Hadrian agreed. "You know, when he's not doubting himself."
"That does get irritating," Nell agreed. "I'll have to ask what he thought of invading. I'll bet he goes on about it for twenty minutes."
Hadrian laughed.
The teams summoned their Primevals and began the race to kill them. The two experienced teams grew quiet, watching the action on their helmet cams.
"Come on, Jay," Nell muttered. "Use your super!"
"He can't," Hadrian pointed out. "Psychic damage, remember?"
"I thought he was better! What's he doing in Gambit with no super?"
"Wait," Nessa said. "Your warlock friend has no super?"
"No way," Cidrex said, leaning in. "What's the matter with him?"
"Riven ate his Dawnblade," Nell replied.
Her team stared at her. There was a moment of shocked silence as they watched the game on their screens, tracking the warlock who fought with firearms only.
"Well," Liran's ghost pointed out, "his team's winning."
Whether it was the combination of fighters, or simply good team synergy, Jayesh's team were burning down their primeval. When the other team invaded, the whole team hunted the invader and killed them in seconds.
"He's singing," Hadrian observed.
"What?" Nell said.
"Jayesh is singing to his team," Hadrian said. "Phoenix is sending me a private feed. He thinks it's beautiful."
"Singing," Nell muttered. "That shouldn't work."
But somehow, it was working - the team of new Gambit players, still learning the rules, were cooperating like a professional team, anticipating each other's movements, coordinating weapon fire, seeming to read each other's minds. Jayesh never threw a grenade or even threw a fire punch-he used two rifles and a rocket launcher. But his song propelled his team to killing their Primeval a full minute before the other team.
The Drifter transmatted both teams back to the Derelict. He walked out on his balcony, clapping, as the teams lowered their weapons and tried to catch their breaths.
"Shut out, team one!" he exclaimed. "That was great. You really pulled together. Keep that up, you'll blast through the rankings, go up against the really tough teams. Team two, you lost, but you did well. Banked your motes, got your Primeval up. You'll do better next time. Line up over there, teams. Payout time."
Nell climbed to her feet and nudged Hadrian, who vanished. Her match was next. But she did want to congratulate Jayesh and find out more about his weird song.
She waited until his team had received their glimmer and transmatted it to their ships. Then she found Jayesh, standing to one side, gazing up at a screen that displayed scores.
"Your team won, Jay!" Nell exclaimed, slapping him on the back.
He grinned. "Hey, Nell! Didn't know you were watching. Yes, it was pretty frantic."
"Hadrian said you were singing?"
Jayesh shrugged. "It felt right."
"Felt right?" Nell said. "What was it, some kind of psychic boost? Your team turned into a machine. Even my team doesn't fight like that, and we're really good."
"I don't think so," Jayesh replied, glancing around. "Not sure we should discuss it here."
One of the hunters from Jayesh's team walked up. "You have a great voice, dude. Whatever that song was, I want you to sing it again. In a Crucible match. On my team."
"Hey, me too," chimed in a female Titan. "I want to play more Gambit with him. We could beat every team on the roster. You're signed up for the next match, right?"
Jayesh looked cornered. He backed away, raising both hands. "Look, I was just trying out, today. I don't know if I'll keep playing."
His team clamored for him to please play again.
"Tell you what," Jayesh said. "Give my ghost your codes, and next time I play, I'll let you know."
This calmed everyone down. Their ghosts communicated with Phoenix, then the crowd dispersed.
"You staying to watch my match?" Nell said.
"I wouldn't miss it," Jayesh said. "Good luck out there!"
Nell hesitated. "Do you think you could sing to me as I play?"
He shook his head. "That'd be cheating. Besides, the whole team has to hear it."
The Drifter called both teams to the transmat stations. Nell hesitated, scrutinizing Jayesh's face. "It's because you're a Sunsinger, isn't it?"
He shrugged.
Nell dashed to her station, baffled at how he didn't even have a super charge, but he could still use his Light in a way she'd never heard of before.
"Eyes up, Guardian," Hadrian told her. "We have a team to beat."
Nell spotted the Titan in black armor on the other side of the deck. "Grant-4 is going down today."
Jayesh transmatted back to his ship and had Phoenix display the feed of Nell's match on the big view screen. He kicked back in the pilot seat and rested his boots on the control panel, ready to watch and relax.
"Did you make up that song?" Phoenix asked, floating beside him.
"No," Jayesh said. "It's kind of spooky, but ... I think it's from my past life. It came out of this really deep, subliminal place in my mind."
"It worked."
"It did."
It had been a chanting, marching sort of song, sung to the rhythm of his pulse rifle's bursts. Jayesh had started humming it to try to coax his Light into operating, only to find it affecting his team, all moving in time to the song. Some of them even hummed along. The song didn't have words, really, just notes.
He had already half-dismissed the musical teamwork as simply a good group who enjoyed a good rhythm. It had nothing to do with him or his broken Light. Their win had been due to their fighting skills, not his voice.
They watched as Nell's team charged into the hot, dusty Mercury arena. On the other side, Grant's team did the same.
"Which one is Grant?" Jayesh asked. "Black armor?"
"No, actually," Phoenix replied. "Vanguard colors. I wonder why he switched?"
"Huh." Jayesh rummaged around beneath his seat, located a water bottle, and drained half. "I wonder if Nell realizes."
"She'll be invading soon," Phoenix said, watching the screen. "Speaking of invading, that was weird."
"It was." Jayesh didn't know what to make of it. A Taken power rush was nothing like he had expected. He'd been thinking of the irresistible pull of a Maw, a devouring portal that swallowed a being and later vomited them back into reality as Taken. What he'd actually experienced had been a blast of strength, a sense of overwhelming confidence, and the sensation of flying rather than running. Infinite power. Infinite stamina. His will was untouched-it was why he'd chosen to stay under cover rather than charge the other team-but he'd felt good enough to plan to try it later.
It had felt good. That unsettled him. Darkness wasn't supposed to feel that good. No wonder Guardians became addicted. Was there something wrong with him, servant of the Light, when he could pick up the Darkness's power so easily?
Part of his singing, afterward, had been an attempt to fill himself with Light and banish the memory of that pleasurable feeling. Even now, he drummed his fingers on his thigh and hummed it softly, uneasily.
On the screen, Nell invaded the other team, and went after the Titan in black armor.
"Uh oh," Jayesh muttered. "She doesn't know Grant changed his gear."
Nell disappeared from the camera's view, then reappeared as she attacked the Titan from behind with whirling Void knives. The Titan shoulder-charged her into a rock, where they both died, the Titan impaled on her knives. The Drifter guffawed.
Nell and the Titan resurrected, Nell back on her own side. This time, the Titan invaded and killed Nell's whole team, Nell included.
"I need popcorn for this match," Jayesh said.
"Me too," Phoenix said. "Light! She thinks she's fighting Grant. And look at Grant! He's back there, collecting motes, not even trying to invade. What's gotten into him?"
"I wonder if the Praxic Order had a chat with him," Jayesh said. "Convinced him to sell them information on Gambit or something."
"Or he doesn't want to hurt Nell."
"Maybe so."
They watched in suspense as Grant's team summoned their Primeval first, and killed it first. Nell was visibly raging, kicking rocks, slamming the hilt of a knife into a wall.
"She's not happy about this match," Jayesh muttered.
The second match began. Again, Nell and the black-armored Titan went head to head. She only managed to kill him once. The rest of the time, he or his team killed her and her team-except Grant. Grant never engaged the invader, never attempted to invade, himself, and collected more than half his team's motes. When they summoned their second Primeval, Grant destroyed it with a pair of electrified fists.
Nell's team lost.
As they transmatted back to the Derelict for payment, Jayesh gestured to Phoenix. The ghost opened a private channel to Nell. Jayesh said, "Man, you got spanked."
"Shut up," Nell retorted. "You saw what happened. They shut us down. Man! I could choke somebody."
"You still get paid."
"So what?" Nell broke the connection.
Jayesh laughed a little. "She's too mad to talk right now."
"I'll say." Phoenix looked at him as Jayesh straightened, taking his feet off the control panel. "We headed home?"
"Set course for Earth," Jayesh agreed. "I have a fat load of glimmer for the bank, and a nice dinner out with Kari and Connor." As the ship wheeled about in preparation for its jump, he added, "And a guitar. I want to buy one for practice."
"I like that idea," Phoenix said. "But be careful, Jay. Your music works on more than just you."
Jayesh snorted. "My team liked the tune, that's all."
"It was more than just music."
"It didn't even make my fire work, Phoenix. It was just a song."
Phoenix didn't want to argue with his guardian, so he said nothing more. But he carried scan data of Jayesh's team's performance before and after the song, and he knew conclusively that it had affected them all.
