Hi Guys! Sorry it's a day late, but I had some issues in trying to finish typing it all up. But I hope it's worth the wait.
I'm predicting another two or three chapters after this one, so we're slowly starting to come to a close with this story. But don't worry, I'll be starting another one that will take place after the events of this one, along with a Bio story for Starr on the side.
Also, for those of you who have a tumblr... I have one that's all about Teira and her friends. the-queen-of-kingss is the username, so go ahead and check it out if you want!
Anyway, I hope you all enjoy the chapter. See you next week!
Exo's were tireless. They didn't feel the fatigue that organics did when they were tired or hurt. However, in her current mood, Starr figured she'd have been feeling that fatigue had she been a Human or Awoken.
She let out a sigh and looked out upon the city below the tower. Her arms were crossed over the railing that let her observe the ships coming to and from the Guardian Hub. Things seemed peaceful enough for now, but inside the Tower, things were gloomy.
Seraph had woken from his coma earlier in the day, around mid-morning, after being under for nearly a week. Teira was overjoyed to hear that her friend had survived the ordeal, at least for now.
There was something wrong with his processor. They learned of it from the expert Exo programmers after they took a look at him. They described it as a sort of 'cancer'. The corrupted Guardians had planted something in his system that slowly and painlessly ate away his memories, and eventually his life.
He couldn't remember Teira's name... And the girl's joy had vanished in an instant.
Starr balled her hands into fists angrily as she glared out at the Traveller. It wasn't fair! Seraph was such a good person. Well-liked by everyone on the tower! Even Cayde had nothing but good words for the Exo titan! Then suddenly, his kind actions become his own downfall, and he's betrayed by the very people he thought he trusted.
"Starr, are you alright?"
She turned her head over her shoulder as Frost walked up to her and stood next to her. He sounded like he already knew the answer, and that answer was no. Starr huffed and turned her head down.
"Those Corrupted assholes made this mission personal, Frost. After I learned of what they did to Seraph..." She trailed off when he gave an understanding nod.
"I understand how similar his illness is compared to how you died all those years ago, but you can't let it cloud your judgement Starr. Nothing good will come of it if you lose your head."
"I am well aware of that." She said with a slight glare his way. "It doesn't change the way I feel though."
Frost gave a sigh and shook his head slightly. "So, how long does he have?"
"The techs said the virus will spread through his system and shut him down permanantly in about six months. Give or take a little. That's if he doesn't talk Teira into letting him go to the Moon with us still. Physically, he's perfectly fine. His combat knowledge seems to be intact for now. But Teira doesn't want him to go. The girl's suffered so much already, Frost." Starr shook her head. "First her mother, now this..."
"Teira seems to be a tough girl. As long as Seraph is alive, I'm sure it can't be that bad." Frost shrugged.
"...Yeah, I guess it could be worse." Starr agreed after a moment.
"...Has the speaker decided on a new date of attack yet?"
"Not yet. I'm hoping it'll be soon. We need to hit them while they're crippled from the loss of two of their strongest soldiers."
"Does the Speaker know this?"
"If he didn't he wouldn't be our leader. He knows, he's just keeping us grounded for the time being for some reason. I'm not sure why he didn't just let us go sooner. We're as ready as we'll ever be." Starr sighed.
"You and your team, maybe. What about Teira and her soldiers? How is her training coming along?"
"She's making fast progress, according to Erunan. Like I said, we're probably as ready as we'll ever be. I don't know why we're waiting."
Frost gave a hum of thought as he looked out upon the city. After a moment, he glanced back to Starr. Her head was low as she was also lost in her thoughts. So, slowly, he reached out and took her hand into his. She lifted her head to look up at him questioningly.
"Try not to worry about it too much, Starr. I'm sure the Speaker is holding you back for a reason." He said quietly. "You'll get your chance to tear them a new asshole."
Starr couldn't help but chuckle at the statement. She gave a nod. "Yeah, I suppose so."
The two stood in silence for a while, and eventually Frost stood up straight with a sigh. Starr blinked at him as he patted her shoulder.
"I've got some bounties to do out on Venus." He sighed, rubbing the back of his neck.
"It's alright. Say hi to the Vex for me." She replied, a smile in her voice.
"Should I use rockets?"
"Grenades too. Good luck Frost. I'll see you later."
"See ya." Her boyfriend replied with a wave as he headed off to the docking area.
This left Starr to her own thoughts again as she stared out at the Traveller for a long while. Other Guardians passed behind her, all focused on doing their own things. Nobody bothered her, and she was okay with that for once. Nobody needed her for something yet, and it was peaceful.
"Starr, may I have a word with you?"
And then the peace was gone.
She sighed and looked up to see the Speaker. She blinked and turned to face him. "Of course."
He waved at her to follow him, and she walked with him to his quarters. Once there, she saw the other five of the team plus Teira and Ferro there, looking just as confused as she was. She stood next to Raz and waited for the Speaker to say what he needed to tell them. Perhaps he was ready to announce the date of attack? She hoped so.
"I have gathered you all here for two reasons. I have decided on a date of attack." He began. "However, I have also come up with a theory to help you win this battle."
Everyone was silent, waiting for him to continue.
"The altar that Ferro had found. I cannot help but feel that it is the source of all the Darkness being used to corrupt the Guardians. I predict that if we can somehow dissolve that dark energy, then the corrupted Guardians will be freed from their enslavement by these people."
"Yeah, but how will we do that?" Teira questioned, her arms folded.
"I have taken the time you have been waiting to acquire a small shard of the Traveller. Pure light energy. Someone will insert this shard into the altar, and perhaps it will disspell the darkness from the Guardians. However, there is one catch."
"And that would be?" Veritas asked.
"Only one of neutral origins can insert the shard. If any of you who are Guardians come into contact with such powerful Darkness, then I fear you will be converted yourselves, or even killed in the reaction of your light and the altar's darkness. Teira, you will have to be the one to insert the shard."
Teira blinked in surprise as the Speaker walked to her with a small silver box in his hands. He stood in front of her with it for a moment before handing it to her without a word. She slowly took it and looked up at his masked face.
"All you must do is reach the altar and place this shard inside of it." He said quietly.
"I understand. It will be done." She replied quietly.
"Now, as for the day you will all begin this fight. I have decided that you will leave after tomorrow has ended. That will give you the rest of today and all of tomorrow to prepare yourselves. I wish you luck, Guardians. May you walk in the light, always."
Everyone gave a short nod and headed off to discuss their plan of attack. Teira held onto the box. Such a small thing could really destroy all the darkness in the Guardians that had been corrupted? It didn't seem possible, but here they were.
Then again, becoming a Kell seemed impossible before. So she supposed it wasn't too shocking.
"So you all remember the teams right?" Starr began as they walked up the stairs toward the main hub of the Tower. "Ferro will be coming with us to help us locate the altar faster. We get in, place the shard, and get out as fast as we can, okay?"
"Anything else we should know?" Prometheus asked in a serious tone.
"Aside from refraining from killing the Fallen that will help us out, and protecting Teira at all costs, not really." Starr replied. "Just be ready for anything. Chances are they're disgustingly strong. Buy some extra ammo from Banshee while you're at it. You never know when you'll need it."
A couple of them gave a nod and went off to prepare themselves. After a moment, only Starr was left standing by Teira. The Exo stared ahead for a moment in silence, and Teira looked up at her.
"Do you feel it too?" Starr asked. "All that power in your hands?"
"I'm not as attuned to the light as you, Starr." Teira pointed out quietly. "I don't feel a thing."
"Then you won't feel the power of the Darkness either. But that means you have to be extra careful out there. Once you die, there's no coming back for you."
"I'm aware of that. I may be young compared to you, but I'm not stupid." Teira said with a frown.
Starr gave a small chuckle and nodded. "I know. I just wanted to make sure you knew what is at stake if you slip up."
Teira gripped the box and turned her gaze to it. "I just won't slip up then."
"Hah. Easier said than done."
Teira didn't get the chance to reply as Starr walked off. She stood there in silence before sighing and then turning to walk off toward the medical bay. Many of the Guardians that she passed by all turned their heads to her, or rather the box under her arm. The power of it really was that strong then. She almost felt lonely, being left out of feeling the power of the shard. However, she discarded the feeling, she had a duty to save the people of the Last City, and to her soldiers.
She found herself standing in front of the door that kept Seraph at rest. Room 124. She swallowed her grief and quietly pushed the door open before walking in. Seraph, as he was earlier that day, was sitting on the bed that was assigned to him as one of the scientists examined him once more. Seraph lifted his head when she entered and she smiled at him softly.
"Teira." He greeted stiffly, as if unsure that was her name.
She gave a nod. "At least you can remember things for a few hours." She laughed half-heartedly. "How are you feeling?"
"His systems as of right now are stable. Save for his memory loss, he's in perfect physical condition." The scientist informed as Teira sat in a chair nearby.
Seraph eyed the box in her lap. "What's in that?" He asked.
"A shard of the Traveller. I'm going to be going to the moon in a couple days to destroy the darkness there. The people there are the ones who hurt you, Seraph. I won't let them go unpunished, I promise."
He was quiet for a moment, obviously trying to remember how he lost his memory, but gave up after a moment. He sighed and then looked up to the girl.
"I want to go too." He stated quickly.
"What? No. No! Absolutely not!" Teira retorted in surprise.
"If those people were the ones who made me lose my memory, then I want revenge too." He replied. "Teira, from what you've told me, we used to be really close before I lost my memory. If that was truly the case, then the man I was before would want to go too."
"Seraph..." She sighed, casting her eyes to the floor. "...Those people dragged you into the Ketch that day.. and you were so close to death already by their hands... I don't even want to think of what we might face on the Moon. I don't want to see you get hurt again..."
"My combat skills are still here, Teira. I can help you win the fight." Seraph pressed.
"Seraph, you're not going." The girl sighed. "I'm sorry, but I won't let you. You're the only family I have left now and... I can't bear to put you in danger again."
Seraph stared at her as she stood up with the box in her arms.
"I have to go now. I need to finish preparing for the fight." She said quickly before walking out of the room. Leaving Seraph alone with the scientist again.
The man watched as Teira left in a haste, and when she was gone, he spoke up.
"She really wishes you could go, Seraph. She's afraid she'll lose you for good though." He said, gaining the Exo's attention.
"She made that pretty clear..." Seraph sighed. "Maybe she's right, but what's the use? I'm dying anyway, right?"
The scientist gave a short nod. "Unfortunately. Your systems all seem to be in good condition. I've also been notified that your ship has been repaired as well..."
Seraph glanced at the man and saw him crack a small smile.
"She needs you Seraph. Follow her to the Moon, nobody can stop you."
Then the scientist left too, leaving Seraph alone with his options. He sat at the side of his bed with his head low in thought. Then he brought a hand up to the left side of his chest where a small dent was. Teira had said that he obtained it on the first day they had met. Apparently it had meant a lot to him in the past, so he kept the dent for whatever reason. Different possibilities ran through his head, but the all ended the same way: He ended up helping Teira and became good friends with her.
An hour had passed, and finally Seraph had made up his mind. So he quickly stood, donned his armor, and headed out into the Tower with a newfound resolve to make sure he, too, was ready for the fight on the moon.
Because Teira needed him. Whether she knew it, or not.
/
Time passed quickly, and before everyone knew it, the day of the attack was upon them.
Teira had a thoughtful frown on her face as she stood next to Erunan and Kalyvaaz in the Ketch. They all had decided to just transport the entire Ketch to the moon so that reinforcements were always nearby. The Guardians were ahead of her in their own ships as they took off for the moon.
"Alright guys, so Ferro is gonna lead the way for the Scout team and we'll push against their forces as quickly as we can. Don't forget, these people will try to kill you. I don't care if they were your long lost cousin, if they fire at you, you kill them on sight. Got it?" Starr's voice said over the radio.
The others gave an answer of acknowledgement.
"This fight is going to determine the fate of everyone back home. So failure is not an option here. We get in, destroy these bastards, and get out. We're gonna arrive at the destination in about five minutes, so get prepared to drop kids. It's about to get fun."
Teira watched as the moon came into sight on the projection in front of her. Her sword hung on its sheathe on the hip of her belt and she kept her sniper rifle on her back along with her brothers old rifle in her hands. Erunan turned his head to her slightly.
"Are you alright, Teira?" He asked.
"I'm fine." She replied quietly. "I have the shard tucked away in my pocket, and all my training will have to pay off for today. We'll get through this."
"You seem like you are saying that more to yourself." He huffed.
"I know." She sighed. "...We better get to the ships. Let's go."
With that, she turned and stalked off toward the doors. Erunan glanced at Kalyvaaz, who simply shrugged. Erunan then turned and walked off after her while he put on his helmet. He caught up to her in the hallways just in time to see her tie her hair back and put on her helmet. It was not something one would see on a Guardian, it was something of a cross between a hunter's helmet and it also had small aspects of Fallen armor. On the side, painted in gold, was the symbol of the House of Kings. The visor of the helmet was slightly tinted and covered her face from her forehead to her nose, leaving her mouth hidden.
He would have never admitted it, but seeing her in full armor was almost terrifying. She was no longer the curious girl that had fought the warlock to save him. Now, she was a leader, proud and strong. Not to mention she was now deadly with her sword thanks to the training she went through in the past couple weeks. He was still afraid to lose her though.
Their relationship was still a secret to many. He still figured it was for the best, but sometimes it was difficult to refrain from showing her the affection she deserved after all the trouble she was going through. Perhaps once all this was over, he would outwardly show how much he cared about her...
They arrived in the docking port and saw a ship all ready to go. Teira walked past some of the soldiers that were preparing for the fight, and the Dregs all quieted their hissing as they watched their leader pass by them. She said nothing as she passed. There was no need to say anything. She silently boarded the first ship with Erunan behind her. Starr spoke in their radios as they neared the moon.
Teira took her spot at the front of the ship as other soldiers began to board as well. Once the ship was full, it began its descent to the surface of the moon. She still remained as silent as ever, and Erunan didn't bother her with it. This was a battle that would prove her loyalty to the House. She couldn't fail.
"Are you ready for this, Teira?" Starr asked through the radio as the ship touched down on the surface.
"Not like I have a choice."
And with that, Teira jumped from her spot and out onto the moons surface. Completely unaware that Seraph's ship was making its way to the moon as well...