Tormented

Crash Landing

That moment where you know you have the plotline and end all ready but then realize that there is going to be a lot more chapters than you expect. I seriously expected to get this book done in 20 chapters but looking at where I am now and how much more of the story I have planned out, I realize that it's not going to happen. Anyway, enjoy this new chapter guys C:

It was strange, in all his years of his life, Oraxsis never imagined the day when he would lay his eyes upon The Great Machine. Although, back then, it would have been with the destruction of the human city and his people reclaiming it through chaos and death, but, right here, standing on the edge of the Plaza, while Axtris chittered excitedly as she leaned over the railing as if to close the distance between her and the being they had called a god for years, it was just as good and maybe, even better.

"Your first time seeing the Traveler up close?"

Turning his four eyes towards the male Guardian, Oraxsis tilted his head curiously at the grin on the human's pale features, "Even I have to admit, even though I see it almost every day, I still get struck with awe." Turning his golden eyes back towards the Traveler, the Titan crossed his arms as he added, "If you think it is amazing now, you should see it when night comes. It literately lights up the sky."

The larger Eliksni just let out a light grunt, "I am amazed at being able to see it, even once." Oraxsis turned his eyes back towards the Traveler as well, "I had believed that I will never be able to see this 'Great Machine' that my people keep preaching about." The Baron then fixated his gaze upon the back of the female Vandal, the latter climbing onto the railing much to the female Warlock's exasperation, "I didn't even believe that Axtris will live long enough to see it as well."

"Well now you're here, despite the circumstances," Akiva flashed the male Eliksni a grin before he turned his attention back to the female Vandal who was now crouching on the railings, her four eyes looking up at the Traveler with awe clear in her gaze.

Momentarily silent, Oraxsis kept his gaze upon the Traveler as he asked, "I am curious, hu- Aaakiiivaaa, why did you and your litter mate decide to help us? Why are you not against us like the other Guardians here?"

At first, there was no response as the human Titan instead turned his golden eyes towards the Eliksni, bewilderment clear in his gaze before turning his eyes towards his Ghost who was hovering above his shoulder, "Litter mate?"

"Your sister, Akiva," Lex explained, only to earn another confounded look from the Titan, "I believe litter mate is a term used by the Eliksni to represent siblings, those who were born from the same parent at least."

"Oooh," Akiva returned his gaze to the Baron and gave the male Eliksni another grin, "What a silly question, it's because Angel trusts you and since he's our friend, we trust you as well."

"…Is that the only reason?" Oraxsis asked, turning his gaze upon the human, who then shrugged, "Well if you want an honest answer, I'm also curious, it's not every day that an Eliksni walks up to your front door and asks for help."

"…We didn't walk up to your front door. We climbed up the walls and –"

"It's a metaphor, no need to take it seriously," Akiva laughed, earning a bewildered look from the Baron, "Look, don't worry about it, my sister and I, we won't stab you in the back if that's what you think. We're not those kind of people. We trust you as much as we trust Angel, so if anyone comes up and tries to harm you guys, Aleeza and I have your back."

Blinking, Oraxsis watched as Akiva let out a short laugh and walked towards the two females as the Vandal had attempted to climb over the railing and onto the walls below, much to Aleeza's exasperation as she called out to her twin for help, the larger Eliksni easily pulling the Warlock with her as she attempted to climb over. Hearing the Titan call out his approach as he headed towards them, the Eliksni Baron contemplated on the human Guardians words. It was strange, to the older Eliksni, how the pair treated them with trust and respect, unlike back at the House, if you do not watch your own back, you may find the one who you called your closest friend the one who will betray you. But the two Guardians show no hesitation, no doubt, that both he and Axtris will not harm them, despite their people's history together. Letting out a soft grunt, Oraxsis watched as Axtris easily slipped away from the two Guardians' grasp, sliding over the railing before disappearing from sight. Before the twins could react, Axtris suddenly skyrocketed into the air, performing a leap before she landed gracefully right in front of the Baron, beaming when Oraxsis let out a low rumble of approval.

"Why the – is that what you were planning all along?!" Aleeza shouted as she ran up to the two Eliksni, only to earn a sly grin from the smaller Eliksni, "…were you intentionally trying to scare me?"

"It was amusing while it lasted." Axtris chittered, causing the female Warlock to place a hand on her face and sigh, earning a laugh from her twin as the Titan came to a pause next to her, "I asked you if you wanted to keep an eye on Oraxsis but you insisted on wanting to watch Axtris."

"Oh yes, like a small Warlock like me can keep up with an Eliksni Baron."

"Hey, I watched you take on Cabal three times his size! Shouldn't have been too difficult."

"That was out in the field! This is a wholly different situation!"

Before the two could continue on their bicker, Lena glided in between the twins, startling them as the red and white Ghost spun her back parts once, "Incoming Message: From Pluto."

This caught everyone's attention. "What does it say?" Aleeza asked.

Lena paused, processing the message before she responded, "They found Ixrsis' location."

Xxxxx

"I fear the Rebels have made an alliance with another power, my Captain. I believe it to be the Guardians. They have been getting closer and closer to our position every day."

"Your point?"

Olkar watched as the Vandal dipped lower to the ground, their stature clearly submissive as the Captain glowered at them, waiting for their response.

"I-I just believe we should move on. Find another position to carry out this execution, in case we are interrupted and-"

It was then, Olkar watched as the Captain unsheathed his shock blade and before the Vandal could react, swung the weapon through the smaller Eliksni's chest, the armor doing little against the energized blade. As the Captain pulled the weapon out, the Vandal glanced down, shock clear on their expressions before glancing up at their superior, their four limbs shaking as it reached up to the wound. Then slowly, the smaller Eliksni collapsed onto their knees and fell to their side, the life in their eyes fading soon after.

"Anyone else want to go against orders?" The Captain snarled, causing every single Eliksni in the room, including Olkar, to glance away and resume their duties. Listening to the Captain let out huff, Olkar waited until he heard the large footsteps of the larger Eliksni exit the room, signaling to the Vandal to glance up from the tool he held in his hands, his four eyes glancing around to ensure that everyone else's attention was elsewhere before he placed the tool down and slowly crawled his way towards a nearby exit.

Making his way out of the room, Olkar glanced around once more before catching sight of one of the vents, slowly making his way towards it until he was close enough to pull the lid off and then place it on the floor. However, before he could heft himself inside, a low rumble emitted behind the Vandal. Twirling around, Olkar narrowed his eyes at another Vandal in front of him, the latter crossing their arms and tilting their head curiously.

"Going to 'visit' the Prisoner again?" The Vandal asked.

Instead of answering, Olkar let out a low snarl, but it was enough to answer the Vandal's question.

"You're taking a risk giving Ether to a prisoner who is going to be executed in less than a day's time." The Vandal stated, earning low huff from Olkar, "especially since Ether is scarce."

"I am using my own share," Olkar growled, "It is not like I am disobeying orders."

"Unless you call visiting a 'traitor' not disobeying orders."

Glaring at the Vandal, Olkar hissed, "Then why not turn me in, Vellak? Not only will you expose a 'traitor', you might get an extra ration of Ether for your 'honesty."

A rumble emitted from the other Vandal, one of which Olkar recognized as a chuckle, "If you think I was here to expose you, I would have done it the first time I have seen you 'visit' the prisoner."

Watching Olkar recoil from his words, Vellak shrugged before uncrossing his arms, "For me, it matters not what you do, as long as you do not get caught."

Vellak then approach Olkar, raising up one of his upper arms as he paused in front of his fellow Vandal. Puzzled, Olkar glanced down only to pause when he saw a glass canister, the contents glowing white with a tinge of blue. Immediately lifting his gaze, Olkar started, "Is this…"

Instead of responding, Vellak instead used his other hand to grab one of Olkar's upper arms and then placing the container in his hand, "I am only doing this because we are litter mates, Olkar, not because I pity the Captain that you often visit." Then releasing his grasp from his fellow Vandal's hands, Vellak let out a grunt, "Although I do believe her stories of a Guardian tending to her wound."

"You believe them?"

"You don't?"

When Vellak gained only silence as an answer, the Vandal shook his head, "And yet you are helping her?"

"I'm only doing so because I believe that it is time to create peace between the Guardians and our people," Olkar retorted, his four eyes glaring at his fellow Eliksni, "I am tired of the fighting and constant need to scavenge for survival. If we do make an alliance with the Guardians, then we don't have worry about scraping up every last ounce of Ether to survive."

A low rumble emitted from Vellak, earning another bewildered look from his litter mate, "Although I do believe that peace between 'some' Guardians are possible, I do not believe that complete peace will be attainable."

"And what makes you believe that?"

Vellak's four luminescent eyes blinked, tilting cocking his head slightly to one side as he responded, "Because I too was saved by a Guardian."

It was then, Olkar recoiled from his litter mate's words, taking several steps back as doubt flashed in his eyes, "Is that why you believe Ixrsis' story then? But why do you not believe that peace is-"

"A storm flew over me during one of my patrols," Vellak interrupted, causing Olkar to go silent, "I had attempted to find shelter but the cold soon overwhelmed my senses, and soon, I found myself falling into the snow's cold embrace. When I awoke, I found a Guardian attempting to keep a fire alive to keep me warm, even as to using their own cloak to cover me, ensuring my survival." The Vandal paused, looking at Olkar to see if he had a response. When Olkar motioned for his litter mate to continue, Vellak added, "He too was cold, from the way his body shook and the way he rubbed his arms in a vain attempt to keep warm. But the Guardian was more concerned with my own survival, my life, from the way he looked over and saw me awake and then immediately lowered himself to the floor, to show that he means no harm, even to go as far as going to a corner of the cave, far away from the fire and warmth.

We did not speak each other's tongue, so it was hard, to convince him to come nearer to the fire without use of words. In the end, I too had to lower myself to the floor, signifying that I would do no harm if he were to get close."

It was then Vellak paused, a low rumbling emitting from the Vandal, "It was strange. Although he does not know our language, he learned enough of our body posture to communicate just enough to show that he was willing to help and that he was an ally, not an enemy. He continued to tend to me until the storm calmed, and it was then I did something I never thought I would do to a Guardian, and from his scent, a human. I bowed."

Watching Olkar's eyes grow wide, Vellak continued his story, "I had wished to meet this Guardian again someday, to properly thank him for saving my life." He then shook his head, "But the months passed and when I saw no sight of him, I feared that the Darkness took his life. So, in an attempt to properly thank the Guardian, I tried contacting others."

It was then Olkar took in a sharp breath, "You didn't…"

Although the Ether mask obscured much of his features, the way Vellak's eyes turned up a little and the sad glint in his blue eyes was enough to show he was smiling, one filled with disappointment and sadness. Without speaking a word, Vellak held up one of his upper arms and using his opposite hand, started unlatching the bracer. Hearing the familiar 'click' of the latch coming undone, Vellak then unsheathed his arm from the armor, and almost immediately, Olkar let out a low snarl. The Vandal's arm was covered in scars and burns, the former showing signs of guarding knives blows to their vulnerable neck and head.

"As you can see, these attempts were not successful," Vellak then fitted the bracer back around his arm, earning a curious look from Olkar, "In the end, after many attempts, I gave up altogether. The Guardians I came into contact with were more willing to fight than talk." A sigh then escaped the Vandal, his shoulders drooping in disappointment, "When I heard Ixrsis preach of an alliance with the Guardians, I had thought of joining her rebellion. But..." The Vandal glowered down at his hands, lifting up his palms to show the scars from knives and light, "The memories of the Guardians that I attempted peace with, who attacked me when I was unarmed, even when I lowered myself to the ground, even raising my hands in surrender, the memories overcame me, and it prevented me from joining the Rebels." Bitterly, Vellak lifted his gaze back towards Olkar, who stood silent as the Vandal added, "True, there may be some Guardians who are willing to make an alliance with us, but there will be enough who will be against it, and many of which, are willing to take innocent Eliksni lives if it ever comes to reality."

"Doesn't mean we can't try." Olkar immediately muttered, pausing when Vellak's four eyes narrowed. Expecting the Vandal to attack, Olkar got into a defensive position. This caused Vellak to snort and shake his head. Then without another word, the Vandal turned and exited the room, causing Olkar to blink once before relaxing, glancing round several more times before shifting the Ether canister into one of his lower arms, turning around and hefting himself into the vents. Then, turning around, the Vandal leaned over from the opening and lifted the lid, shutting the vents before turning around and started to crawl, grunting at the small space he was forced to move around in.

Back when he was a Dreg, Olkar had an easier time moving around in the vents, easily slipping past Vandals and Captains and into the Ether rooms, where he would steal Ether to sustain his then younger sick litter mates. However, even with the aid of Vellak, a litter mate born years earlier before Olkar, many of them are dead now though, the only one remaining alive thanks to the kindness of Ixrsis, who was a Vandal then, tended to the then wounded female Dreg, having been unfortunate enough to be near a Guardian's void grenade during a battle. She survived, but her legs had been destroyed by the void light and Ixrsis was the one who crafted replacements for her, letting his litter mate rise to the rank of Vandal. Now she was part of the Rebels, having escaped the house with several Servitors to enact their rebellion. Admittedly, Olkar would have joined the rebellion as well, if it wasn't for the fact that he was out on patrol during said rebellion and returned, only to be threatened with death if he even showed a sign of loyalty to the rebels. Grumbling at his own luck, Olkar's eyes lit up when he sighted the familiar vent to the cells, using his upper arms to push said vent out and sliding out onto the floor, letting a smile form onto his leathery features.

"Olkar? That you, yes?"

Turning to the familiar voice, the Vandal turned around, his gaze immediately sighting cell doors before scampering over, reaching out to the pack around his belt before present two Ether canisters, "Here, this should help you regain your strength."

It was then four glowing eyes illuminated the dark inside the cell, only for them to narrow, "Did I not say not to come here? If they catch you-"

"They are not going to catch me," Olkar retorted as he reached out and used his upper hands to grab the Captain's upper arms before forcing the two Ether canisters into them, "I am a stealth Vandal remember? I can easily cloak and escape if that ever comes to that."

"Not unless they shoot you first, no?" Ixrsis frowned, although she did slip her upper hands out from the Vandal's before shifting towards the her belt, pressing a button on one of the packs wrapped around her waist, the familiar hissing sound echoing through the cell before the lid slowly lifted up, revealing a nearly empty Ether canister. Watching Ixrsis remove the old one and replacing it with a new one, Olkar stated, "I am not just here to give you Ether."

This caused Ixrsis to pause, the empty canister in her lower arms in an action to break it, "What you mean?"

Waving for the Captain to come closer, Olkar watched as Ixrsis placed the empty canister on the floor, and stuffed the second one in another pack on her belt before scooting closer to the bars, "I had intended to speak to you about this days ago, but I feared on how you would react."

This earned the younger Eliksni a frown, "I am your friend, no? You do not trust me?"

"I trust, I trust," Olkar immediately defended, earning a small snort from the Captain, "Just, be quiet, okay?"

It was then Olkar reached into his pack and pulled a small object out, cupping it in his hands and presenting it to the female Captain, "Ready?"

When the Captain nodded, Olkar took in a breath before removing one of his hands, and almost immediately, Ixrisis let out a gasp.

"Hello."

Xxxxx

"So, you're telling me, a long dead leader of a nearly extinct Clan, is still alive tending to Rasputin?" Akiva asked, earning a nod from the younger Guardian.

"And don't forget to add one with a grudge against humanity," Angel sighed, causing Akiva to let out wince at the Hunter's words, "So in all due respect, when I get the chance, going to warn the Vanguard to leave Rasputin alone. Otherwise, they're going to find more bodies spread across the Cosmodrome, if of course, Pluto doesn't report to them beforehand."

"Wait, does the Vanguard know about Sun's existence?" Aleeza asked, shaking her head when the Hunter remained silent, "I'll take that as a no."

"Pluto made us promise not to tell anyone, especially the Vanguard about them," Angel muttered as he rubbed the back of his neck, "So, if you guys can-"

"Lips sealed," Akiva motioned his hand over his lips, smiling at the sheepish smile he earned from the younger Guardian.

"Akiva, Aleeza, Angel, care to join us?"

Turning their eyes towards another part of the Hangar, the three Guardians came to a pause when their gaze paused upon Pluto's form, the Hunter's arms crossed as he tapped his foot impatiently, Nix hovering above his Guardian's shoulder as he blinked. He and the others were already gathered around near their ships, even Oraxsis and Axtris, the two Eliksni easily towering over the Guardians as they waited for the other three to join in.

Akiva giving the others a sheepish smile, the three Guardians approached the group, earning a satisfied nod from the Exo Hunter, "From the data we gathered, we have to have our ships. Angel's friend is being held in a Fallen Ketch."

"…Please tell me you're joking," Aleeza's eyes fell when Pluto shook his head.

"True, they have been moving her around often, but as of right now, they're staying in the air until her execution which is less than a day from now. Since we have no clue on where the execution site will be, we might as well strike now."

"Are we going to have any backup?" Carina asked.

"Only if necessary," Pluto responded, earning a puzzled look from the female Exo, "If I theorize correctly, Ixrsis might not be the only prisoner aboard the Ketch. Perhaps other Fa-Eliksni rebels might be imprisoned with her, and who knows, maybe some Guardians are well. However, if that is the case, then we do not want any…accidents if backup is necessary."

"You mean Guardians just shooting every Eliksni they see?" Ianos asked, in which Pluto nodded once more.

"If we want this group of Rebels to align with us, we have to take every precaution into consideration," The Exo Hunter explained, "so for now, it will be just the six of us."

"We are coming too," Oraxsis butted in, earning startled looks from the Guardians, "She is our leader, it is the least we can do."

"But if anything happens to you-"

"I am a Baron, yes, but Captain Ixrsis' life is more valuable than my own," This caused Angel to pause on his words, "Without her, there would have been no rebellion, and if it hadn't been for that traitor, she would have never been captured. She is powerful, despite her rank."

"We need every help we can get," Pluto responded, earning a gawking look from the human Hunter, "Angel, I know you are worried of their safety, especially since we have the power to resurrect, and they do not. But if they volunteer, I can't say no, especially since they were the ones who requested our help."

"But-"

"Do not worry about us, Pure One," Axtris chirped, her four eyes beaming at the human to give him comfort, "We did not survive this long for no reason. We are just as strong as any Guardian here."

"…Fine," Angel sighed in defeated, "Any ideas how to board it?"

That's when a strained silence permeated between the Guardians and the two Eliksni, causing the Hunter to shift nervously on his feet, "Please tell me you have an idea."

"I do," Pluto blurted, raising his hand so Nix materialized onto his palm, "It's just…" He shook his head before he sighed, earning a puzzled look from his allies, "When…my 'friend' transferred the data of Ixrsis' location, they also sent us a code. A stealth code."

"What? But he didn't say anything about sending us a stealth code." Ianos frowned behind his helmet, crossing his arms as he leaned on one side, "Don't tell me that this thing is untested."

"It's untested." Pluto responding, earning a sigh from the Awoken Warlock, "Look, if anyone else has any other good ideas then please do, speak up."

"We can just-"

"Flying full speed ahead into the side of the ship isn't an option, Akiva" Pluto interrupted, "Especially since the Ketch is armed with 'cannons' and weapons specifically built to shoot down ships like ours."

Shaking his head at the sheepish laugh he earned from the Titan, Pluto continued, "Each of our ships will be encrypted with the stealth code. As for rides," The Exo Hunter turned his blind eyes towards the two Eliksni, "Oraxsis will be riding with me while Axtris will be riding with you, Angel."

Almost immediately, a rumble emitted from the larger Eliksni, and Pluto could easily sense the glare he was receiving from the Baron.

"Look, we can rendezvous at the Ketch when we land, but we can't fit both you and Axtris onto Angel's ship. It's either that or the three of you will be weighted down and the cloak 'may' not last long enough for you to reach the Ketch." This caused Oraxsis to pause as Pluto continued, "So if you really want to help, then follow my directions, then maybe, we can save your leader."

Letting out a grunt, Oraxsis let out a reluctant nod, signaling to Pluto to turn his attention to the rest of the team, "Alright, the encryption will take a few minutes, so the few moments we have, get your gear ready since as soon as we land on that Ketch, there will be no time for last minute changes. More than likely it will be guarded heavily." He then focused his attention back onto the two Eliksni, "Since it's a Fall- Eliksni ship, we will be splitting into two teams with Axtris and Oraxsis in each one. Angel, Ianos, Carina, you three will be going with Axtris while Akiva, Aleeza, and I will be with Oraxsis. As soon as we land on that Ketch, we will split up, that way, we can cover more ground. If one team finds Ixrsis, then immediately relay a message to the other team as quickly as you can. We will then meet up at the bay of the Ketch and hopefully, escape from there."

"You make it sound so easy," Carina muttered, her violet optics narrowing at the Hunter, "I just hope it goes smoothly as you explain it."

"With my past experiences, it won't," Pluto deadpanned, earning a blank look from his fellow Exo, "The best we can expect that we will be able to rescue Ixrsis and make it out alive."

"Terrific," The female Exo murmured as Nix glided out of Pluto's palm and started sending light onto their ships.

Xxxxx

Seated upon the stairs, Oraxsis tilted his head in curiosity as he watched the Guardians converse and held out their weapons, pointing at the others as if to point out flaws or perks, letting it materialize back into their inventory before moving onto the next.

"The Guardians are lucky, able to flawlessly pick out weapons as they please."

Oraxsis turned his gaze towards Axtris, the Vandal sitting next to him as she let out a huff, "While we only have limited weapons to aid us against our foes."

"Spoiled is what they are," The Baron grunted, earning a low rumble from the female Vandal, an Eliksni equivalent to a chuckle, "It is thanks to our lack of supplies that we adapt so quickly. If we lose our gun, we move onto our knives. If our knives fail us, then we quickly move onto our fists. True, Guardians are powerful with their arsenal, but remove them, and they are defenseless as an armless dreg."

"But how often does that occur, Baron Oraxsis?" Axtris chittered, earning another grunt from the larger Eliksni, "How often does the chance to disarm a Guardian occur?"

"…Not often enough," The Baron responded bitterly as he turned his gaze back onto the Guardians, causing the female Vandal to turn her head and look elsewhere.

"I miss litter mate Olkar," Axtris let out a sad rumble, causing the Baron to pause, "I miss even older litter mate Vellak."

"Olkar was away on patrol," Oraxsis grunted, causing Axtris' shoulders to droop, "Vellak had his chance, but he did not take it."

Axtris lifted her four eyes hopefully at the Baron, "Do you think they will join us once we save Ixrsis?"

That's when Oraxsis hesitated. Olkar, he knew would immediately join in on their cause, especially since Olkar was very vocal about it when the three of them were alone together. But Vellak, the oldest of his children, and the only survivor from the first litter of six, Oraxsis was unsure. He was just a newly appointed Vandal when Oraxsis' mate was killed by Guardians just days after giving birth to the litter that bore Axtris. This immediately sparked a rage inside the young Vandal towards the Guardians, and there were times when Vellak would be given a chance at ranking up to a Captain since more often times than not the Vandal would return with dead Ghosts as trophies. But for some strange reason, the Vandal would always refuse and seemed content at his rank that he currently held. Although, some time ago, he stopped bringing in Ghosts and took on a more apathetic approach to everything. But that does not say if his rage towards Guardians was sated.

"Yes," Oraxsis find himself saying, startling the larger Eliksni as he blinked. Now why would he raise his daughter's hope so needlessly? But when the Baron fixated back onto the female Vandal, the way her four eyes were beaming up at him, full of hope and joy, Oraxsis couldn't bring himself to redact his response. How often does he see Axtris, his only daughter of his three surviving offspring, gleaming with positive emotions?

"Oraxsis? Axtris? You two ready to go?"

The two Eliksni glanced up as the familiar form of the human Hunter standing in front of them, the latter giving the two a nervous smile.

"When you are ready, Pure One." Oraxsis responded.

Xxxxx

"Where did you find it!?" Ixrsis hissed, immediately causing the Vandal to motion with his lower hands to lower her voice.

"I found it wondering one day," Olkar whispered as he cupped the object in his hands once more, hiding its glow in the dim light "Saved it when it was being attacked by the Dark Ones."

"And you kept it since, yes?" The female Captain asked, her four eyes going wide as the Vandal nodded, "Then how is it- Are you its chosen?"

"What? No," The Vandal let out a low rumble, "Remember my patrols? I let it out to search once we were in the clear."

"Clever," Ixrsis held out her hand, signaling to Olkaar to open his hands and expose the topic at hand: the familiar star shaped form of a Ghost.

Gliding out of the Vandal's palm, the Ghost paused as they stretched out their parts, shaking its core side to side as if to stretch, "Ah, it feels to be out of that pack." It then turned its white optic towards Ixrsis's palm before gliding over and nestling onto it, "You must be Ixrsis, the leader of the Rebellion that Olkar always seems to talk about it."

A pleased rumble emitted from the female Captain, "I am Ixrsis, yes. And you are a little Light of the Great Machine, yes?"

Spinning its parts on the Eliksni's palm, the Ghost bobbed once, "I was created as soon as it went…dormant." It paused, letting silence permeate the air before it shook side to side once more and lifted its parts up into a smile, "We will talk more about that later, shall we get you out?"

This caused the Ghost to earn a puzzled look, "What?"

"Like I said, I wasn't just here to give you Ether," Olkar's four eyes beamed at the Captain as the Ghost glided out of her palm and headed to the pad just next to her cell, letting out streams of light as it went to work, "We are getting you out of here."

"How?" Ixrsis asked as her gaze fixated onto the working Ghost, "You know as well as I do that getting out of the prison cell is the easiest part, yes?"

Olkar then snorted, "I'm a stealth Vandal. I can cloak both of us and we can easily head to the Hangar."

Tilting her head in contemplation of the Vandal's plan, Ixrsis turned her head towards the other cells, causing her four eyes to narrow, "Now without the others."

This caused the male Vandal to pause, "…That is a large group, you know that, Ixrsis."

"I know," Ixrsis turned her four eyes towards the Vandal, "But I am not abandoning those who risked their lives for not only me but for the rest of our kin." Tilting her head at the Vandal, Ixrsis then asked, "You are not going to abandon them, no?"

Going silent, Olkar heaved out a sigh as the Ghost let out a small 'ah hah' as Ixrsis' cell door slid open, letting the Captain out, "Little Light, can you manage setting the rest of our kin free?"

"Of course I can." The Ghost glided towards the others cells before it paused, earning a puzzled stare from the two Eliksni, "One more thing, do 'not' call me Little Light."

Xxxxx

"Axtris please, you're making it hard to pilot my ship."

Letting out a low rumble as an apology, Axtris released her grasp on the Hunter's shoulders as she took several steps back, giving the Guardian personal space. Heaving out a sigh of relief, Angel focused his attention back onto piloting his ship, only to sense the Vandal hovering over his shoulders once more, letting out silent chitters of curiosity. Brushing his fingers through his hair, Angel let out a groan before he turned to the Vandal and said, "Axtris, please."

Dipping low to the ground, the female Vandal let out a low rumble, "I apologize Pure One, but this ship. I am just curious."

"You can be curious later," Pluto's voice ran over the coms, startling the human and Eliksni as the Exo continued, "Right now we have to focus on getting to that Ketch."

"Which I have to ask, you sure that cloak will work?" Ianos' voice echoed through the coms, "I don't want us to get shot out of the air and our Ghosts having to glide down to safety only to look for our bodies. Again."

"Well, we are petty high up," Aleeza spoke up, "do you think we'll survive a crash from this height?"

"If our wings stay intact," Carina responded nervously, "then we can glide to safety but if not…"

"Oh come on, have more confidence in Pluto," Akiva laughed, "I'm sure that the cloaking device that his friend gave him works."

"Like I have said before, it's untested," The Exo muttered through the coms, "although if it does work, I'll send them a message of thanks."

"And if it fails?"

"I'm going to go back and kick their ass."

Letting out a nervous chuckle, Angel suddenly went alert when Hope's voice rang, "Target in sight."

Out of instinct, the Hunter glanced up, only for him to feel like his heart skipped a beat within his chest. In front of them, was a massive ship shaped into a pointed arrow, the wings itself easily dwarfing the Guardians' jumpships. The engines elongated alongside the back of the ship, letting out a loud rumble as the group slowly approached the ketch. It's white and black paint gleaming under the sun, Angel couldn't help but gulp at the sight, his fingers curling tightly around his controls.

"Focus," Hope whispered, causing the Hunter to turn and give his Ghost a sheepish smile before turning his attention back to the controls and shifted them just slightly to fly closer to the other five ships flying nearby.

"Get ready," Pluto murmured before a low hum started to surround the human Hunter, "Cloaking device activating."

Taking in a deep breathe, Angel watched through the windows of his ship as the team around flickered before blending in with the clouds, the familiar shimmering the only sign of their presence.

"I can't see you," Carina's broke the silence through the coms, "can you see me?"

"The device works," Angel let out his breathe before he asked, "But for how long?"

Silence permeated through the coms, causing the human Hunter to shift nervously in his seat, hearing the female Vandal behind him let out a anxious rumble at the silence.

"Everyone get your boosts ready," Was Pluto's response as the distance between them and the Ketch waned, "on my mark…"

Hearing the Exo silently count down, Angel lifted one of his hands and curled it around the gear next to him, feeling sweat bead down the back of his neck as Axtris leaned over and used her four hands to grasp the back of his seat. It was then the Hunter heard the sound that he currently dreaded: the sound of clicking and crackling echoing around them before his eyes sighted his team's ships flickering back into view. Glancing up, Angel's tan features paled as the Ketch's weapons lit up, slowly turning the turrets towards the Guardian ships.

"Now!"

Startled at the Exo's signal, Angel immediately pulled on the gear. Instantly, Angel felt himself being pressed against his seat before he heard Axtris let out a shriek followed by a loud 'thud' behind him. His concern for the female Eliksni was quickly forgotten as he felt his ship rumble and shift as the shots fired from the Ketch flew past him, a sign for Angel to let out a shout as he shifted with his controls, barely dodging the enemy fire.

"I've been hit!" It was Ianos' voice, followed by Pluto's cursing before the Exo Hunter ordered, "Everybody close in, try to keep Ianos' ship stable!"

"But we can't turn into their hangar like this!" Aleeza's voice yelped as her jumpship enclosed around the Warlock's ship, placing her wing just under his to as the others followed suite, "Our Ghosts haven't been finished hacking their system yet."

Silence filled the coms as Angel glided his ship over, covering the back of Ianos' ship as he waited for an answer.

"Everyone, put up your shields," Pluto's voice broke the silence, "We're going to ram this thing."

"You're shitting me," Ianos growled through the coms, followed by a laugh that Angel recognized as the human Titan's, "This is going to be great!"

"I'll take point. Carina and Angel, behind me. Aleeza and Akiva, keep supporting Ianos in the rear."

Navigating his ship obediently behind the blind Exo's, Angel then blurted, "Isn't this dangerous?"

"It isn't dangerous if you have a chance for survival."

"That isn't helping Akiva."

"Contact in ten seconds," Hope's voice ran up, causing Angel to take a gulp as he attempted to keep his shaking hands steady.

"Five seconds." Hope's voice wavered as the hull of the Ketch grew closer.

"We better survive this!" Carina yelled as Hope counted, "Three seconds!"

"Our Ghosts will revive us…hopefully," Aleeza's voiced nervously.

"Brace for impact!"

Clenching his teeth, Angel watched as Pluto's ship rammed into the Ketch headfirst, the black ship instantly breaking through the white surface of the Fallen ship followed by loud clanging and scraping of metal. Before the Hunter could even wince at the noise, the human then felt his ship rumble, jerking Angel around in his seat before it came to a sudden halt. The action cause the Hunter to jerk forward and a loud 'crack' echoed throughout the cockpit of his ship. Then darkness.