Hey there everyone. I hope you've all heard about the April 2016 update for Destiny, because it looks awesome. Best thing I like about it though is that infusion is now 1:1. Meaning that if you have a 220 chest armour and you infuse a 310 chest armour into it, it's going up to 310. Not some halfway point that requires multiple infusions, but one single infusion. I've got so many blues floating around because they're a higher Light level, but too high for a single infusion. Now it'll be so much easier. And if you've got an Exotic at high levels (maybe a sword) you can then infuse them into other weapons without any problems. Hope you've got plenty of Exotic Shards.
Second thing I'm liking is that all packages have a guaranteed item and up to two possible items. And you can actually see what they might be. Really useful if you're trying to find an elusive item. Of course, it doesn't increase your chance of actually getting it, but at least you know where to look now.
Third thing is RWBY related. RWBY Chibi. That announcement trailer looked so cute and adorable. I'm thinking it's going to be a lot of cute funny adventures, a few hijinks and stuff. And always adorable. And better yet, it's to tide us over until Volume 4 comes out. So once it finishes, we shouldn't have long to wait for more RWBY. Yay.
But enough talk. It's time to introduce our Huntsmen into the Destiny Universe.
Chapter 11: Huntsman? Eyes up Huntsman
Ti'ana groaned softly as she came to, blinking the lights from her vision. Damn, that Mind must've had some kind of self-destruct program or something. Wreaked havoc on her senses when it died. Or maybe that was just the portal activating. They still knew so little about how they worked.
She could hear Bianca cussing to herself and Katie mumbling something, so they were probably alright. Instead, she checked on whether Uldren and his team were still in the area. Annoyingly, it looked like they had already managed to scamper. Only wrecked crates and a totalled Paladin remained.
She sighed in frustration. "Damn slippery bastard. Light, hook up with the ship. See if you can detect them before a Reef ship arrives." He'll probably call for pick-up as soon as possible. They would have only minutes at most before he could get away.
"Already done, Ti'ana. But we've got bigger problems than Uldren." Light replied solemnly. "The ship sensors picked up a Ketch signature not far from the academy. It matches the vessel under Ironwood's control."
"Oh. Oh shit. Oh Traveller-damned shit." She cursed.
They didn't make it in time. Despite their warning, the school was still dragged through with them.
This was a freaking disaster. And it's partly their fault, no matter what anyone said.
"There's more, I'm afraid. I'm still picking up an active signal from four nearby Scrolls, down the tunnel we came in through. I'd hate to say it, but all signs suggest that Team RWBY didn't manage to make it in time either."
"Please tell us there isn't a Cabal outpost nearby or something." Bianca said, having overheard them talking.
"We're currently based in The Red Seas, at least four hundred miles from the nearest outpost. But there's no way the Cabal could miss a mountain appearing, even all the way out here. The only good news right now is that it'll likely take them a couple of hours to deal with all their paperwork and chains of command and get a crew over here."
"Alright then. New plan. We'll grab our Sparrows, pick up Team RWBY, and hunt down Uldren and his team. While we're doing that, we need to get in contact with Ozpin and Ironwood. Get them to grab everything not nailed down and fry all the systems. We don't want the Cabal learning anything about Remnant or Dust."
"Got it." Katie replied, already hopping onto her Sparrow and zooming away, Bianca and Ti'ana quickly behind her. They drove through the severed tunnel until they came across a separate tunnel made of what looked like glass. Maybe the sand was superheated by the teleporter or something. Driving through to the end of the tunnel allowed them to find Team RWBY. Staring off into the distance as they took in the desert before them.
They all turned as they heard their Sparrows approaching.
"I don't think we made it in time." Ruby stated obviously, the team quiet as they took in the world before them. When they had started running for the portal before, they had found it closing before them and the world suddenly shaking and blurring. There was a bright flash of light, and they woke up to find what looked like glass a few feet before them. Following the new tunnel took them towards light. But instead of seeing forestry and some rubble, they found themselves looking at sand. A boundless sea of reddish sand, stretching onwards for miles. The edges curled upwards, showing that they were now inside a basin of some kind, a lone dead tree sticking upright on one side.
And two moons, hovering above them.
Weiss coughed a bit from the dryness. "You think? Of course we didn't make it in time, you dunce. The question is, where are we?"
"Uh, the Guardians' home planet? Duh." Yang replied. "No wonder they keep wearing those full-body outfits. It's like being in Vacuo's dirtier brother."
Blake looked around warily, bow twitching. "We should wait for them to find us. We don't know what kind of threats live out here. They could be too much for us." She said. They all started as they heard the drone of three engines, coming from the way they came.
They all turned as one. "I don't think we'll have to wait very long." Weiss said. And indeed, they could already see their hovering bikes on approach. The three Guardians came to a halt before them, hardly looking worse for the wear from their battle. It was hard to tell what they were thinking, seeing as they were wearing their helmets again.
"We don't have much time." Bianca said to them. "Hop on quickly. We'll explain our plan on the way." They all quickly jumped into action, Yang joining Blake on Katie's ride. Bumblebee was a good bike, but it would be terrible in a place like this. The Guardians immediately gunned it, zooming forward at great speed. A misty trail of sand arced up behind them.
"What's the hurry? Do we need to get out of here before some big monster finds us?" Yang asked, her words almost snatched away by the wind.
"Sort of." Katie replied. "Uldren Sov managed to give us the slip. He and his guys must've woken up before us and scampered off with their loot. It'll only take a Reef ship about five to ten minutes to get to Mars, so we have to find him before they do. Or else he'll get away with this."
"There's also the fact that Mars is currently occupied by the Cabal. A militant species that doesn't take kindly to intruders on their territory. We've got some time before they finally respond, but I'd rather we all be long gone before they send platoons in." Bianca added.
"We?" Ruby asked excitedly. "You're taking us with you?"
"You… and them." Bianca replied, pointing upwards. They all turned to see a massive long ship hovering over Beacon. "The entire school is aboard that thing. We can't leave them to fend for themselves. Vanguard orders; never leave a colony unprotected."
"Finally." Ti'ana said. "I thought they'd never respond. Ironwood, this is Ti'ana reporting in. What's your status?" Her Ghost appeared before her, bits spinning wildly.
"We're fine, for the moment. Our engines initiated a forced shutdown from the strain though. We won't be moving for a while." Ironwood said.
"Dammit. In that case, we've got a mission for everyone on board."
"What kind of mission?"
"Securing vital intelligence and equipment. We're currently on enemy territory right now, and the Cabal are smart enough to attempt to gain intel on their enemies. We need you and everyone else to return to Beacon and take everything that can be used against you guys. All pieces of tech, all information, all shards of Dust. If you can't remove it, disable it. Treat this like keeping information out of enemy hands."
"Understood. What about your team? What are you going to do?"
"Hunt down a prince before he escapes. He can't have gotten too far, not out here. There's nowhere to hide besides inside the academy."
"Over there!" Katie shouted, pointing towards the other end of the basin. A large dust cloud was being kicked up, stumbling Paladins moving slowly inside of it. From the bits Ruby could see through her scope, it looked like they had strapped the crates to the back.
"And on the other side of the academy too, those sly bastards." Ti'ana muttered. "Ironwood, if you have any gun operational, get them ready for when their ship arrives. Try to avoid destroying it if you can; I somehow doubt the Queen will be happy if we kill her people trying to bring Uldren to justice."
"No promises." Ironwood replied. And she felt the same way.
No promises she won't beat the ever-loving shit out of Uldren for dragging so many people into their fight.
They immediately gunned their Sparrows, rushing forward at top speed. There was no way those Paladins could ever hope to outrun them, not out on Mars. They must've thought the same thing, because the Paladins turned around and started firing at them. They boosted sideways, dodging their gunfire while still getting closer. Team RWBY pulled out their weapons and fired back, Dust bullets slamming into the paladins. Their passengers – Emerald, Mercury, and Cinder – jumped on top and fought back, using their weapons and Aura to deflect the bullets.
"Katie, hit them with a rocket!" Ti'ana shouted. The Warlock nodded and fired, her missile streaking through the air. The Paladin folded out a fist and punched the errant attack, metal exploding away in pieces.
The other Paladin retorted with a barrage of missiles.
"Scatter!" They swerved away from each other, doing their best to avoid getting blown up. But there were just so many. Each of them ended up being blown into a tumble, rolling down the sandy hill before climbing to their feet. The Guardians and Huntresses had to keep moving as a second salvo landed around them.
"Guardian, our radar's picking up several small ships on approach from above." Ironwood's voice sounded from Little Light. "They'll be here any minute now."
"Dammit." Ti'ana cursed. "Can you fire anything at them? Maybe scare them off a bit longer?"
"We'll try, but just because we can shoot doesn't mean we can hit them." Far above, they could hear the sound of cannons firing, the ships now visible in the sky. Down below, the seven of them were still attacking. Ruby and Blake slashed at one Paladin's ankles, only to be interrupted as Emerald and Mercury jumped down. Taking advantage of their distraction, Ti'ana jumped up on top and started firing her shotgun into the Paladin. Cinder blasted her off with a gout of fire, but was forced back by Yang charging into her.
And proving the ancient law of Murphy right, that was the moment when they came under fire.
At least four ships, made up of three pillars attached to a cockpit in a triangle shape, flew overhead, sweeping the ground with their guns as they passed. Everyone scattered again as clouds of sand flew into the air. Katie shoved Weiss aside, intercepting the deadly hail of bullets instead. Several drones dropped down from the ships, blasting at them with lasers as a form of distraction. One slammed into Yang, knocking her off the Paladin. Mercury moved towards her, and they both disappeared in a cloud of dust and sand. Bianca and Ti'ana attacked the legs, hoping to cripple the Paladins, while the ships flew round for a second pass as they came under fire.
"Guardians." Cinder shouted. They all looked up to find her holding Yang by the hair, an obsidian blade to her neck. She was bruised and bloodied, her Aura depleted. "Stand down. Now. Or else we'll end her life right here and now." She pressed the blade tighter, a thin trail of blood dripping down Yang's neck.
"You bitch." Bianca muttered darkly.
Ti'ana stomped her foot angrily before speaking into her comms. "Ironwood, cease fire immediately. They got a damn hostage."
No response, but the cannons above stopped firing. The ships hovered overhead now, red beams tracing over them. The paladins vanished into thin air, along with the cargo. They quickly flew away, leaving just two left.
"I don't care how long it takes, but I am going to bring you and your team down." Ti'ana hissed at her.
Cinder smirked. "Save your threats for someone who cares. Because you'll be stuck as a lackey, while I am going to be a noble." She shoved Yang towards them, and the ship zapped them aboard. They all started shooting, but the ships flew off before they could do much damage. And then they vanished, almost like jumping away.
Ti'ana screamed in anger and slammed her glowing fists against the ground, blasting sand away. "Dammit! Dammit, dammit, dammit!" She shouted. Ruby quickly checked on Yang, hoping she was still alright. Amazingly, aside from a thin cut on her neck (and lots of nicks and grazes) she was still fine. Fine-ish. She was alive at least. And conscious.
Bianca sighed, pressing a hand to her helmet. "Let's just… We need to get back to the ship. The last thing I want right now is to have to deal with the Cabal."
Ironwood winced as he felt the ship shudder, a slight scraping sound reaching even up here. Penny gave an apologetic look as she kept the ship hovering near the landing platform at Beacon.
"Sorry sir." She apologised. "This Ketch isn't the most manoeuvrable of ships."
"I know, I know. Just… Try not to take the landing platform out." He said. "I want you to keep an eye on the radar; tell us if any more ships are on approach. Whatever these 'Cabal' are, I don't want to meet them like this."
"Yes sir." Ironwood turned away, heading down further into the ship. As he walked, he passed students carrying bags and crates or equipment. As per the Guardians' orders, they were taking everything they could. Everything not nailed down, everything that was nailed down, even things they wouldn't normally rip out. And they were smashing what was left behind. The ginger girl from Team JNPR seemed oddly enthusiastic about that part. He also noticed that several students were looking at him oddly. No doubt they're still curious as to why this ship had been hiding underneath their school.
He'll have hell to pay for this, and he was willing to take it. But right now, they needed to get to safety. Their continued survival rested on him and his decisions. One wrong choice out here, and he'll have to come back with one less student.
He was determined to come back with as many people as they left with.
By now, he had reached the docking bay, where everything was being stored for their trip. The few Shanks that had survived were helping out, latching down straps and locks. In the middle of it all was Bartholomew Oobleck. Calling out orders and instructions to the students.
"Now remember, Dust crystals are to be stored securely on the left-hand side. And I mean securely. I see any crystals rolling around, there will be severe consequences for all students assigned to storing the Dust. Team FNKI, please move from that area. The Guardians are going to unload cargo on that spot. Mr Wukong, see if you can place some weapon parts in the netting above." Oobleck turned on the spot, and finally spotted Ironwood. "Ah, sir. I see that you've decided to grace us with your presence."
Ironwood nodded. "How are we doing?" He asked.
"Splendidly, all things considered. We've already stripped, dismantled, or destroyed half of everything in Beacon. Give us another thirty minutes, and we'll be good to go." They both looked up as one of the Guardians drove her ship into the hanger bay, a large pile of bits and pieces materialising underneath her ship. Students moved in to move the cargo, while the ship backed out and turned around. "At the very least, we'll have early warning if the Cabal start approaching." He adjusted his glasses. "I wouldn't mind actually seeing one of these things before we took off. I wonder what form or shape they have, and what they use as weapons. Are they similar in shape and size to humans, or are they completely foreign to us in every way? What motivations did they have for targeting this planet out of all the worlds out there?..."
"Oobleck." Ironwood interrupted him. "We need you to focus on what's happening right now."
"I… Yes. You are correct, Ironwood. No doubt the humans here will have all sorts of data about the Cabal. I will keep track of the loading process."
"Good. Notify me as soon as we're done." And he turned away, heading towards the large open doors leading outside and taking in the world before him. The red sand went on for eternity, not a single landmark to offer guidance or to reveal an oasis. But from their high position, he could see the tops of buildings over the distant hills. Some were standing upright, but there were also some listing to the side. As he watched, he could see one rooftop sinking downwards as it toppled. Cabal work, or just natural erosion?
It was hard to believe that anything could've lived here once. Then again, maybe this desert was the aftermath of their war. A lush planet full of life, reduced to dust and echoes.
He stood there for a while, mind whirring away as he wondered what this place used to be and how it ended up like this. All around him, everyone was busy working and storing everything, the cargo holds growing fuller and fuller with every minute. Now most of the students were sitting down on cargo, exhausted or despondent. His musing was interrupted when the intercom system sounded an alert. Everyone looked up in confusion.
"General Ironwood." Bianca's voice sounded through it. "I hope you've grabbed everything you could. Cabal ships are on approach right now. Estimated time of arrival; five minutes." He looked back at the open hanger bay doors, finally spotting something in the sky. It was too far away to properly identify, but it seemed to resemble a flying brick than any design meant for flight. He felt a hand on his shoulder, turned to see Oobleck behind him.
"Almost everyone is on board." He said. "The last few stragglers were sitting on the landing platform instead of inside the ship."
He nodded. "Get them aboard, now. I want us out of here before those ships reach us." He turned and headed back towards the bridge, while Oobleck started shouting at the students still outside. He quickly found his way to the bridge, where Penny was tapping away at controls. "What's the current state of our engines?" He asked her.
"Back online, ready and able." She replied.
"Just in time." Bianca's voice sounded. "They must've engaged their engines full throttle. They're almost on top of us."
"Dammit." He cursed quietly. "Keep them occupied until we're ready." He tapped at another button, one the Penny had identified as comms. "Oobleck, we're running out of time. Give me some good news."
"Still stragglers… Just a few… Almost there…" He replied, voice faint.
"Get those guns firing. We need to hold them off until everyone's on board." He ordered Penny. The Servitor made a droning noise as the turrets turned towards the Cabal, firing upon them. Oobleck came running into the bridge, moving as fast as lightning.
"Everyone has been accounted for." He said quickly. "No one is left behind."
"Alright then. Penny, head towards those coordinates the Guardians gave us."
"Yes sir." She replied, the engines humming louder and louder. They took off and upwards, the Guardians quickly peeling away to join them. The world fell quickly away, the clouds passing by in a flash as the sky grew darker.
In a matter of moments, they had finally done what none had accomplished back home.
They had finally gone into space.
It's so massive. He thought to himself. Space just stretched as far as the eye could see, stars filling the void by the millions and billions. A tiny blue dot, barely bigger than a pea, could be seen further away. Another world, another planet. So large, and yet so small. The distance between the worlds must be unsurmountable.
In the past, people once thought that the world was all the existed, because how could there be anything bigger than it? But now he truly understood how little they knew. To the rest of creation, their world was so tiny as to be insignificant.
It was no longer a question of 'were they alone out there'. It's now a question of 'how much of space would see them dead'.
The Guardian ships flew ahead of them, suddenly picking up speed and vanishing into the distance. Meanwhile, space started getting brighter until the viewports was filled with a flash of light… And then they were surrounded by blue sky and clouds. Barely visible in the sky above them was a faint red dot. The world they had just came from.
Such a massive distance, covered within an instant. Remnant seemed almost laughably under-equipped.
The Guardian ships flew down towards them, evidently having only just arrived. "Hold position right here, Ironwood. We'll need to come aboard before we try to get any closer to the Last City." Ti'ana said.
He nodded. "Understood. We'll open the bay doors again for you." The ships flew down towards the side, towards the large doors waiting for them. As they landed, he looked closely out the window, trying to spy the city. Surely something called 'The Last City' would have to be massive in size. Surely they couldn't number in the mere hundreds of thousands. But all he could see was a massive wall of storm clouds, a slight ring of mountains surrounding it…
Ah.
The doors opened from the rear, the Guardians stepping into the bridge. They had removed their helmets now, their armour still looking pristine. He gave them a curt nod once they were standing by him. "Interesting defence system you have." He said. "I would've thought you would have something more… technological than a massive storm though."
Katie shrugged. "It's worked pretty well for the most part. We used to have skies filled with orbital satellites and advanced AI controlling them, but most of them were lost in the Collapse. We make do with what we've got."
He nodded, understanding. "And we're certain those Cabal won't try and follow us?"
"Not worth their time now that we've left. They're more interested in keeping invaders out of their claimed territory. And besides, they'll be more interested in the building that popped up from nowhere."
"We have to get Beacon back."
"And we will. Just give us a minute to prepare. This won't exactly be a three-person job. Right now though, we need to introduce you guys to the Speaker. And for that, we need to borrow the radio." Ti'ana stepped towards a console, and pressed a large button on it. "Tower Control, this is Titan Ti'ana of Fireteam Tramon reporting in. Do you guys copy?" There was a slight sound of static, stretching on far too long. "Tower Control. This is Titan Ti'ana. Can you hear me? Or read me? Or whatever it is you do?" More static. More silence.
Then the static stopped. "Titan Ti'ana, this is Tower Control. You're sounding pretty lively for someone who's supposed to be dead again." A jovial male voice replied. Ti'ana smiled as she heard him.
"What can I say? It's gonna take a lot more than some dark god to keep a good Guardian down."
"I hear that. Now, I take it you're the reason there's a Ketch waiting outside the Stormwall?"
"It's a long story. Long and crazy. But we've got refugees with us from another world."
"Well holy shit. You guys found a colony out there?"
"Kind of. Like I said, it's a long story."
"Alright. I'll have to hear all about it once you've landed. We'll send a fireteam in to make sure everything checks out. Any attempt to move from your current position will be taken as an act of aggression, we'll start firing on you, yadda yadda yadda. You know how it goes."
"Understood. We'll hold position. Ti'ana out." She stepped away from the comms console. "You heard him Penny. No moving at all. We don't want anyone getting the wrong idea."
Ironwood frowned. "Isn't there some way to declare this salvage? Speed things up a bit."
"That is how we declare salvage. We still have someone check it out properly to make sure we didn't pick up any stragglers or passengers. We used to get attacked that way by the Silent Fang."
"I… I see. Will this inspection take long?"
"They should hopefully be here in about fifteen minutes."
It took only five minutes for a trio of ships to fly out of the storm and head towards them. There was enough space inside the hanger for their ships too, even with the Guardians parked inside.
The first ship was a gunmetal grey, with two thrusters attached to its sides. But for some strange reason, the top of it was covered by some… kind of chitinous scale. Something vaguely Hive-like. The second ship was a more normal vessel, a blue ship marked with the Future War Cult insignia on the side. Two triangular thrusters with large fins were obviously its main mode of propulsion. And the third ship was… well, engine heavy. The body was the same size as the FWC, but its thrusters were easily twice as big. They deposited their Guardians before landing.
It was a standard Fireteam. A Hunter, a Warlock, and a Titan. The Warlock leading the team had the build of a male, but his armour was unlike anything Ti'ana had seen before. A long billowing coat with a frilled high collar, covered in more chitin and scales. His arms were also covered in chitin, with a strange bond with a glowing green flower symbol and circle. His face was hidden behind a helmet with upturned wings circling it.
To his left was the Titan female. She wore mostly New Monarchy gear, with the curved bulky armour of the gauntlets, the large kneepads of the greaves, and the angular chest plating. She also wore an Exotic helmet. It featured a single glass-like visor on the front, cracked in two places and gushing Light. The Helm of Inmost Light. She had been willing to kill to get that awesome looking helm.
And on the right was the Hunter. She wore a helmet with glowing yellow eyes and a large tube attached to the mouth, her shoulders covered by triangular shapes. A single small plate of metal was bolted to one boot, and there was a box hanging from the top of her cape.
The three Guardians came to a halt before them. Ti'ana gave them a quick salute, eager to get this done with. But the other team just stood there, staring at them. What was their deal?
"It's you." The Warlock said quietly, his voice easily recognisable. He pulled off his helmet, revealing a very familiar face. Solas looked at her like he had seen a ghost. "You really are alive."
"Solas." She said in shock. Emotions welled up inside of her as she took in her love. And then he pulled her into a tight hug, their arms wrapped firmly around each other. There was dampness on her cheek. Was he… crying?
"I thought I would never see you again." He whispered to her, voice shaking. She gave him a sad smile and pulled him in tighter, almost lifting him off his feet.
"Hey, come on. You know it'll take more than some dark god to take me down. I just got… a bit lost." He pulled away slightly, just enough that she could see his confused expression. "I'll explain later. Right now, we need to get to the City."
He stared at her before nodding, clearing his throat loudly as he tried to be professional again. "Right. Of course. Haley. Gen'ki." He called out to his teammates, who were busy gossiping behind him. "Fan out and sweep the ship top to bottom. Make sure that nothing's sneaking around in here."
"Acknowledgement: Affirmative." The Titan said in a monotone voice, her Ghost already in hand. They both headed deeper into the ship, leaving Solas with the crew.
"Now, I suppose I'll need to speak to the captain of this ship." Solas said formally.
"Yeah, you kinda do." Ti'ana turned slightly to point behind her. "The guys in charge are Headmaster Ozpin and General Ironwood. They're the closest thing we've got to leaders."
Solas nodded, holding his hand out. "A pleasure to meet you both. You've done very well to keep a colony surviving out there for so long."
"Actually, we're not from this system." Ozpin replied, shaking his hand. "We're not entirely sure where we are compared to your worlds, but suffice to say that we're rather off the beaten track." Solas stopped, and gave Ti'ana a look.
She shrugged. "I told you we got a little lost."
"I think I'll need to hear the whole story once we've landed in the City." He replied dryly. "Sparks, how are the scans coming along?"
"Almost done." His Ghost replied. "Haley and Gen'ki have only one storage bay left to check." He dinged, his eye flashing. "And… done. All passengers are located in this room alone."
He nodded. "Excellent. Contact Tower Control. Tell them that we are cleared for landing."
"You seem very cautious about what enters this Last City of yours. I take it that stowaways are a problem?" Ironwood asked.
"Were a problem. Fallen assassins called The Silent Fang used to sneak aboard cargo ships and launch terror attacks on the City. Security is just a tad concerned about what might be hidden aboard a Ketch." Solas explained. Sparks dinged again, and his frame opened up into a whirling ball of light.
"Warlock Solas, we've received your message." Tower Control spoke through him. "Fallen Ketch, proceed through the Stormwall. Some of our ships will meet you on the other side and direct you to a safe location. Please make sure to follow their flight path."
Ironwood nodded, even though Control couldn't see him. "Understood. I'll go tell our pilot." With a short curt nod, he turned and walked off back towards the bridge.
Solas' fireteam came back at that moment, helmets still on. "Hey boss." The Hunter called out. "Are we gonna stay on board here, or are we heading back to Tower 4?"
"You two go if you want. I'm staying with Ti'ana." He replied, one hand firmly on her shoulder, as though he was worried she'd disappear if he wasn't holding on.
"Query: Do you wish to procreate with the Awoken female?" The Titan asked, still speaking like a robot. The students around them made varying noises, and Ti'ana blushed purple slightly.
Solas turned to face his teammate, his expression thunderous. "Dammit Haley-51, you will stow that kind of talk immediately. Show some damn respect."
"Yeah Haley. Show some respect for the lovebirds." The Hunter – obviously Gen'ki – parroted, nudging her teammate. "He just wants to squeeze those curvy cheeks of hers and nuzzle her…"
"Enough!" he said firmly. "You will either stow that kind of talk, or get off this ship."
"Yes sir. Zipping the lip." Gen'ki replied quickly, giving a weird salute.
"Disengaging vocabulator." Haley said.
Ti'ana chuckled, shaking her head ruefully. "Still the same as always, aren't you Gen'ki? I'm surprised that Solas hasn't kicked you off the team yet."
Gen'ki removed her helmet, revealing that she was a younger Awoken, with spiked up bluish hair and a grin on her face. "Solas thinks that handing me off to another fireteam is a 'cruel and unusual punishment worse than what is used by the Hive'…" Her grin dipped a bit before bouncing back. "Personally, I think he likes me too much. After all, he needs someone to make fun of him and get that stick outta his ass when you're not around."
"Oh really? Well you'd better remember that his cute ass belongs to me. No trying to grab it."
Solas shook his head. "I see we've returned to the grand old game of 'make Solas look stupid'."
"You make it too easy sir." Gen'ki replied. "The bigger the ego, the more fun it is to pop it."
Ti'ana nodded in agreement. "Just don't try to insult his dancing. He'll dance you into the ground before you can blink." Their laughter was interrupted by the shaking of the ship, startling the students around them.
They had entered the Stormwall.
A massive storm created by the Traveller and fuelled by Light, the storm was designed to be incredibly destructive to any vessel not carrying enough Light on board.
Ti'ana was almost certain that between the six of them, and the combined Light of the student's Auras, there was enough Light to protect the Ketch. Still she couldn't help feeling a bit nervous with every hit of turbulence. Dying from a crashing ship wasn't her first choice of death.
And the guilt of being one of the only survivors would suck balls.
Uh… Ti'ana?" Ruby said to her nervously. "Is this… normal for… where we're going?"
"Oh yeah, definitely." She said, putting on a brave face. "Flying's always like this when you're going through the Stormwall. Think of it as… a line of defence." Ruby still looked nervous. "Look, everyone who flies in and out of the Last City goes through the exact same thing. They've all survived; so will we."
"Of course you'll survive when you don't stay dead." Cardin Winchester shouted at her. "Must be nice, being able to treat dying like a fricking inconvenience."
"Fact: Forty percent of all ships flying in and out of the Last City are piloted by normal human beings." Haley spoke up. "In over two hundred plus years, only zero point three percent of all vessels have been destroyed whilst flying through the Stormwall. Risk of death: minimal."
The shaking stopped, like the calm of a storm. There was the sound of aircraft moving around them, and the gentle feel of the ship turning. "You see?" Ti'ana said. "We made it."
"Picking up a general broadcast." Little Light said. "Figure you might want to hear this." His body opened up.
"...There is no need to panic." The Speaker's soothing voice sounded. "The Fallen Ketch has been captured by a Guardian fireteam, and is carrying refugees from beyond the Wall. They are no threat to you. Carry on with your business, knowing that the Security of the Last City shall protect you…" Good old Speaker, trying to keep everyone from freaking out. Having an enemy ship flying overhead would be pretty scary. It was alright for them, because Guardians don't usually get scared. But for the normal civilians… Well, this ship was a reminder of why they're stuck behind a massive wall instead of spreading out there. She turned around to see the students watching them nervously.
"Light. Has the ship stopped moving?" She asked.
"It has. We're just waiting for ships to arrive and move everyone to Tower 1." He replied.
"Great. I know how to try and cheer everyone up." She headed off towards the doors, towards the control panel operating them from this side. Light immediately got to work, while she turned back to face everyone. "Ok. I know everyone's a bit scared, a bit shocked about being on another world and how… unusual things are. And that whole 'follow our orders or we'll have to blow you up' hasn't painted the best picture of us. So, I felt that maybe it was time to let a little sunshine into this dreary room." Light operated the door, opening it up all dramatic and stuff. People blinked at the sudden brightness, before some of them started looking out in awe.
They took in the massive size of the City, the layers and layers of buildings and districts. The constant flow of ships flying from one area to the other, almost insects compared to their surroundings. But most of all, they drank in the sight of the Traveller, floating overhead like a guardian angel.
"Huntsmen and Huntresses. I give you… The Last City. In all its glory."
So, this is their god. Ironwood thought to himself as he leaned on the balcony, taking in the Traveller. An all-powerful being, going from world to world and uplifting the dominant species for some unexplainable motive. The being that gave Remnant Dust, gave them Aura and Semblances. It made him wonder; what were they like before it arrived? Were they little more than sheep, falling prey to a cold harsh world? Or was Remnant so much like any other world, until the Traveller and the Darkness decided to play God with them, to use them as they saw fit? How much of their history was lost forever because those two had a tantrum over their world?
And what would have happened if it had decided to stand and fight over Remnant instead of running and hoping the Darkness followed?
"I can see why the people worship It." Ozpin said. Ironwood turned to see him pouring over a screen, data streaming down it. "Powerful enough to alter entire worlds and make them inhabitable, helped mankind create technology centuries ahead of their time. And it nearly gave Its life to protect them from the Darkness. In times of darkness and danger, such things are enough to elevate anyone to godhood."
"Perhaps. But the Darkness only came here because of it." Ironwood retorted. "What might this world have become if it had stayed away?"
"We cannot change what has happened. Only accept that what is done is done." They both turned to see a group approaching them, led by a man dressed in a white robe and simple mask. Behind him were three others, arrayed around a table. On the right hand side was a woman in a long coat, brown-skinned and her hair closely cropped. On the left was a machine, an Exo, with blue plating and a large horn jutting from under his hood. And on the other side of the table was an Awoken. A bald man dressed in heavy armour, with a large plate of red steel attached to one shoulder. "I am the Speaker, the voice of the Traveller while it slumbers. Behind me are the Vanguards, the leaders of the Guardians. Commander Zavala," The Awoken gave them a salute, "Hunter Cayde-6," The Exo gave them a quick nod, "And Warlock Ikora Rey." The lady gave a short bow.
"A pleasure to meet you." Ozpin said courteously. Ironwood and Glynda said the same.
"Fireteam Tramon has told us of their adventures in your world." Zavala spoke up. "The fact that Hive and Vex had been to your world before, and are still there in secret, is worrying. Their presence will not be good for your world."
"But that's not the most important issue right now." Ikora interrupted. "Right now, we want you to know that we are willing to offer you and your students lodging while we try to find a way to get you back to Remnant. And we also offer our aid in any matters you require help in."
"Thank you. In that case, we require your help in bringing the criminals responsible for this to justice. When will this 'Reef' deport them into our custody?" Ironwood asked.
There was an awkward moment, as the Speaker and the Vanguards looked at each other. "Never, I'm afraid." The Speaker answered.
"What?"
"One of the criminals you want brought to justice is Prince Uldren Sov, brother to Queen Mara Sov." Zavala answered. "Both have ruled the Reef for at least a century, and have entrenched themselves deeply into their kingdom. The royalty felt themselves above the law back when I was with them; I doubt anything's changed since them."
"Then we must bring them in by force. How many soldiers can you…?"
"We can't." The Speaker interrupted him.
Ironwood seethed. "Didn't you just offer The City's aid in anything we need help with only a minute ago? Does this not count as something we would need aid doing?"
"We understand your anger." Ikora said, trying to soothe him. "But our situation is a bit precarious right now. Our Guardians have just dealt with the Hive god Crota, a lengthy battle that resulted in the death of a Guardian and the resurgence of the Hive. They are too busy protecting our worlds from the Hive, and we have an agreement with the Reef to limit any infighting."
"What Ikora's trying to say is that we're kinda busy fighting one war to start fighting another." Cayde translated, speaking bluntly. "Don't get me wrong, I'd love to wipe the smirk from their faces. But our agreement was that we don't bother them, and they don't bother us. And you can bet that Mara's going to get pretty pissed off if we arrest her brother."
"So what you're saying is that they're out of our reach." Glynda summed up.
"Pretty much, yeah." Cayde answered, shrugging his shoulders. "Oh, and there's something else we want to talk about."
"Cayde. Let people with tact handle this part." Ikora said politely, but firmly. He shrugged again, but remained silent. "This isn't going to be something you're forced into doing. It's just a way that we can help each other."
"Every Guardian we have busy looking for a way to reactivate the Vex portal and ensure it leads back to Remnant is going to be one less Guardian fighting to reclaim our worlds. From what Fireteam Tramon told us, all your students were training to become Huntsmen. In a way, your world's version of Guardians." Zavala said.
"Minus the whole 'nearly impossible to kill' bit." Cayde added.
"It simply seems a waste to let them just wait things out in the City." The Speaker spoke up. "The danger will be great. But there are advantages to helping."
"Such as?" Ozpin asked.
"The more Huntsmen helping us reclaim territory and kill off powerful leaders, the more Guardians we can feel safe devoting to helping find you a way home. And of course, in recognition of their aid, all who help fight back against the Darkness are offered larger rations and more Glimmer for their services. Along with a pick of powerful weapons, armour, and modifications."
"Like I said, we're not forcing you to have your students go into life-threatening situations." Ikora placated. "Even with their resurrection, Guardians have been killed over and over in these fights. We're simply hoping you might consider it."
Ozpin, Glynda, and Ironwood all looked at each other. "Thank you for the offer." Ozpin said. "We'll just need some time to think it over."
"We understand. Take as long as you need."
"Thank you. May we have a ship to take us back to our Ketch?" Ironwood added.
"Certainly. It'll be waiting for you in the Hanger. Just as for Holiday. She'll organise it." The Remnant leaders nodded, leaving the building they were in. Ozpin looked back at the spinning device overhead, showing an image of this world – Earth – and its moon. They stepped out into a busy walkway, with garbage and people around everywhere. One corner was having a lot of people in red – including Guardians – having a big discussion, a large white triangle on the wall behind them. They headed towards the landing platform, a place filled with Guardians. Dancing, sitting, talking and comparing weapons. A few were even bouncing a ball off their heads, until one Guardian jumped too far and fell over the balcony. His friends laughed and pointed until his Ghost showed up, reviving him. And then he joined in too, the lot of them tossing each other over and jumping off for fun. They walked over the mural in the floor – a shield with symbols in each quadrant – and headed down the other side to a walkway over the hanger bay. When they got below, a blond-haired woman with a band of stripes down her arm pointed out their ship for them. It was an easy ride to the Ketch, empty now as the students rested on the Tower. That made it perfect for talking. Or venting.
"Unbelievable." Ironwood raged. "All talk and no action. They expect us to just let Sov, Torchwick, and all their flunkies get away scot-free because of, what, diplomatic immunity? All it would take would be a small strike force to grab them and go, and we would see them put before a firing line before the day was over. Instead, they claim they can't do anything, and then force us to do their work for them."
"It's not like that at all, and you know it." Glynda retorted. "You were asking them to launch an assault on a sovereign nation to capture a member of royalty. You wouldn't expect Vale to invade Vacuo or Mistral to arrest someone of importance; why would you expect this world to attack the Reef?"
"Arresting and punishing Uldren Sov won't help us now." Ozpin added. "If anything, we might need the Reef to help us find a way home. That is what's important now." He paused. "That, and deciding on whether we'll send our students in or not."
"I'm rather against it." Glynda said. "Yes, our students were already training to fight Grimm, and yes, they have already killed a sizable number so far. But they're still in training. And I imagine that fighting intelligent species is different from hunting wild beasts."
"All true, Glynda. But everyone who joins knows that a Huntsman's life can end far too early. As you pointed out, this is very much like what they've been training for. Why not let them use their skills to help our new allies? And of course, there's always the fact that there will be more Guardians searching for a way home than if we stayed in the City."
"I don't see why we simply can't use Beacon's portal to go back." Ironwood muttered.
"Because it's in Cabal hands right now. And we don't even know how it works. Perhaps it simply recalled to Mars, locking onto an original point. Or perhaps it was sheer luck. Without further study, we can only hypothesise. And who better to help us understand than the people who have dealt with the Vex far longer than we have?"
"So you think we should agree." Glynda stated.
"I do. But this isn't about us. It's about our students. They should be the ones deciding on what happens to them. Once the City links our Scrolls to their network, send out a message to all of them. Let them know what the Speaker is offering to them if they join."
"Of course. If you'll excuse me, I need to make sure our students are busy picking fights or falling off towers." Glynda headed back towards the ship.
"We're letting criminals escape justice." Ironwood said, once she had left.
"It's not about justice anymore. It's about getting everyone back home. Work with the Vanguard, with the students. Use that tactical mind of yours to help ensure as many of them come back safe."
And with that, he left too. Leaving Ironwood to stew all alone.
Man. Remember how I said last chapter that I basically took two chapters and mushed them together? This one is the opposite. I had plans for this chapter that are going into next chapter simply because it was already so long. Didn't want it going on forever. But hey, at least you've got something to look forward to.
You know, I really planned on redeeming Ironwood in the eyes of the fans. After all, he's focused on protecting his world from outside unknown threats, and he's only a 'bad guy' because he rushed ahead. I thought I would do that in this chapter with him worrying about getting everyone home safe. But then we had the ending, where he's more focused on justice. Whoops. I'll just give him time to cool off and maybe try again.
Mind you, The Last City does have a point. The Reef is its own kingdom, and therefore they can't just charge in and demand they hand over royalty. It's just not done, and I doubt Mara Sov is going to be ok with it. What if they decide they want to arrest her too? Plus, they kinda are fighting a war already. Against the Hive, the Fallen, the Vex, and the Cabal. I think having the Reef an enemy is one too many.
So for those wondering about what happens when HoW happens (House of Wolves) The City isn't going to have an embargo on the Reef or something. Skolas is simply too dangerous to ignore. So we'll have scenes in the Reef too. Maybe have our friendly Remnants get into a fist fight with Roman and Cinder.
Oh, and I'm still interested in a story where Weiss chose Jaune as her partner instead of Ruby. If anyone knows of a story like that, can you let me know? And if one doesn't exist (a bit surprised if that's the case) is there someone out there willing to write it?
Can't think of anything else to say right now. So enjoy, and see you guys after the April update.