Wrong Side of Right
The air is still and the landscape is covered in a faint purple haze. The haze builds upon itself as it stretches out past the asteroid's surface, forming into great ethereal clouds.
Not too far from The Spider's holdout, Klutz rests under a natural alcove atop a great crag. The spot affords him a spectacular view of The Tangled Shore, as well the expanse beyond. He holds his helmet steady with both hands as he gazes into the distance.
"I'm almost done. Hold on just a moment more." Spark's voice is raised so as to be heard over the sound of her work. Carefully, she emits a bright beam of light directed at the Guardian's damaged helmet. The beam screeches in a high pitch as it blasts forward and the helmet hisses as the thick glass mends. With one last slow sweep, the Ghost stops her beam and inspects her work. "Alright, I think that should be a lot better. What do you think, Klutz?"
Lost in the strange sights before him, it takes a moment for Klutz to respond. "Huh?" He looks down at his partner and then at the headgear in his hands. "Oh, yeah." He flips the helmet around and holds it up to get a look at his friend's work.
Every crack in the glass has been mended perfectly. Not so much as a hint is left that there was any damage to begin with.
"Great job, Spark. Thanks again." His words are genuine but his voice is quiet, almost detached. He rests the helmet at his side and looks out once again.
"No problem. I'm happy to help," Spark says softly and tilts her shell. She looks up at the man and sees his distant expression. "Are you alright, Klutz? Want to talk about something?" She speaks in a blend of interest and concern.
Klutz maintains his gaze as he answers. "I don't know… I guess I just wish things were simpler."
Spark moves closer. "I can't imagine it's been easy for you to adjust to… everything. You've been through a lot in a short time."
The man sighs quietly. "Getting used to the constant info dump was easy after a while. Just kinda accepted that most days brought more questions than answers." He sits up from the hard wall behind him. "For a little while I thought I had it straight. You found me because The Traveler chose me to be a Guardian."
The Ghost tilts to the side as she listens.
"I thought that just meant I'd be helping people. Y'know, doing what I can to keep people safe… I thought that would be as simple as 'go here, shoot them, grab that.' Now I know nothing's that simple. People get hurt. People I care about." Klutz turns his head and looks down at his Ghost with sad eyes.
Spark drops her injured shell a little as she rises up to face her Guardian. "There is nothing we can do to change that, Klutz… What happened to Marin… What happened to me, we can't change it. We can only move forward and be grateful things didn't end up worse."
"Am I doing the wrong thing?" he asks honestly. Vulnerably. "I know you said I shouldn't have come here… I just felt like I was running into a wall back in that village. Felt like I was letting everyone down. Like I was letting myself down…"
"You haven't let me down," Spark whispers tenderly.
Klutz closes his eyes and leans back. "You sure? I abandoned my post, smuggled something across the system, and now I'm going to kill a group of… Eliksni… on some crime bosses orders… And that's just today." He chuckles but the smile fades quickly.
"But your heart is in the right place."
Klutz opens his eyes and looks at the Ghost.
"You aren't doing this just because it's important to you. You're doing this because it's important to Marin… Because it will help people." Her words are soft and calming. "I'm proud to have a Guardian that's willing to take risks to help others… Even if I don't agree with how he's doing it." She floats up and settles above his shoulder.
"I want to earn your pride, Spark… I want to be proud of myself." He speaks slowly and closes his eyes once again. Drifting to sleep atop the quiet hazey rock.
There is a dull pain in his neck from his hard stone pillow. The cool, unnatural air blankets his body and slight breeze blows sparse clouds of dust about. The dust tickles his face slightly but it is not enough to rouse him from his slumber. He snoozes weightily on his rocky bed. Unmoving. Undisturbed. A moment of reprieve.
"Klutz?"
He wakes as soon as he hears her voice but he remains motionless. Savoring the last moments of his rest.
"Guardian? Are you awake?"
The answer is yes but he would not betray his own peace any sooner than he needs to. Instead he lays still as a corpse.
"Guardian, wake up! It's time to go!" An impossibly bright light shoots from the small machine's eye.
The light passes through the man's eyelids with ease. Instinctively, he recoils and covers his face with his forearm. "Alright, alright, I'm up!" Klutz begrudgingly sits up straight and sets his arm aside as soon as his impatient friend has stopped her barrage of light.
Spark positions herself near his face as she speaks. "The Spider sent me the location of those Fallen. Told us not to 'waste his time' and to 'get a move on.' Can you believe that!? He makes us wait for hours only to tell us not to waste any time!?" Her shell stretches wide and rotates angrily.
Klutz reaches for his rifle. He brushes some dust from the weapon before standing from his bed of rocks. "Best get to it then." He pulls back the cocking handle on the side of his firearm. A satisfying click echoes around as a bullet enters the chamber.
Dust Rock Blues.
The hike to the designated location is long but rather calm and uneventful. Klutz is treated to some beautiful views on his journey but his mind is too occupied to appreciate the sights. He thinks of the grim work he is headed toward. He thinks of what Osiris' reaction will be when he reports on this detour. He thinks of Marin. He planned on visiting her today. He wonders what she will think when she realizes he won't be stopping by.
In a flash, Spark appears and zooms forward to peer over the cliff edge the man is approaching. "This is it," she says quietly.
Klutz joins her and carefully peeks over the edge himself. "And there they are…"
Nestled in the canyon below, a large group of Fallen gather in a small camp. A disorderly line has formed as they wait to receive their share of Ether from the very large Servitor in the center of the camp.
"That thing is massive!" Klutz says in hushed surprise.
"That Servitor is at least four times the size of the one you disintegrated back on Earth!" Spark exclames in a shocked whisper.
"Spider didn't think it was important to let us know about this 'little' detail?" Klutz scans over the rest of the camp.
Most of the Fallen are grouped up on the edges of the camp. Some are sifting through scraps, others seem to be resting and conversing with each other. A small gathering of the creatures tends to strange bundles in the back of the camp. All are rather diminutive when compared to The Spider. Few seem to be armed.
"These are pirates?" Klutz questions as he focuses on the group near the back. It is hard to make out what they are doing from a distance. He can see the glow of their blue eyes as a few of them rock side to side. Clutched in their gentle grasp are dark bundles of cloth. "What are they doing?…" He squints his eyes to focus further. Just then he catches a glimpse of it. The same glow emanating from the tightly warped rolls. The glow of tiny eyes. He stands back from the edge and lets his weapon hang loosely in his hand.
"What's the matter, Klutz? What are they doing?" Spark asks in a worried tone.
"They've got- They have- There are… little ones…" He struggles to speak. A mixture of surprises at what he's seen and anger that The Spider had failed to inform him of some important details.
"Little ones?" Spark looks back over the edge. "You mean Dregs? I don't see any of the larger ones around…"
"No Spark… I mean they have kids…"
Spark returns from the cliff side. "Why would The Spider want us to hurt the young of his own kind? I don't understand the Fallen at all…"
"I'm not doing it, Spark. The Spider lied." Klutz sits down and places his weapon on the floor.
Spark floats down to meet the Guardian. "How are we going to get our ship back? He will keep it as collateral if the… job isn't done."
"I'll take it from him if I have to... These Eliksni are just trying to survive and I'm not going to hurt them just because some crook told me to."
"Alright, let's head back quickly. The Spider will know something's up if we take too long." Spark vanishes soon after she finishes speaking.
Klutz grabs his rifle and rises to his feet. The moment he slings the weapon over his back, he hears a voice chime in over his radio.
"Cold feet huh?" The Spiders voice is low and disappointed. "I don't feel like renegotiating our agreement. So instead I'll give you a little more… motivation."
As soon as the call ends, a loud pop rings through the canyon followed by the sound and shake of an explosion below the cliff.
Klutz dashes over to the edge to see what happened.
A number of bodies are strewn about around the aftermath of the rocket's impact. It landed right in the center of the Servitors line up. Most of the camp's inhabitants flee and shriek in the chaos. Some ready their weapons and eye around to find any sign of their attacker.
Klutz quickly looks for the group of caregivers. He is somewhat relieved to spot them fleeing with most of the other Eliksni. Their hatchlings swaddled securely in tow. His attention is then drawn to the massive Servitor in the center of the camp.
The machine radiates angry violet light. A low roar rumbles throughout the area. Soon after the great Servitor lets out an ear piercing cry. The sound summons a pair of smaller Servitors to join. They form a dazzling weave of energy between each other. The energy creates a bright shield around the enormous machine. It's eye pulses menacingly.
"What the hell was that!?" Klutz exclaims, his grip now tight on his rifle. He spots the shooter on the other side of the canyon. A tall Vandal brandishing a sizable rocket launcher. A rocket launcher pointed in his direction. In a quick reaction, he takes aim and presses his finger over the trigger. Too late. His aim is shaken violently at the trigger pull by the Vandal's second rocket blast. It lands only a few feet down the cliff side, causing the man's footing to shift and crumble. A bullet flies out far from its intended target as the man flails for any sort of purchase or foothold to stop his now rapid tumble down the cliff face. His leg connects with a jutting rock protruding from the wall, flipping him head first toward the hard floor below. Only seconds away from the sudden impact, Klutz steadies his breath and focuses. Almost instinctively, he points the palm of his free hand toward the ground and channels The Light in a pale, enveloping force. The force pushes off the rocks below and reorients him upright in a swift, calculated moment. He then channels the same force through his lower extremities. A billowing covering of white light surrounds his legs as he gracefully glides to the ground beneath. He takes a brief moment to breathe.
"Eyes up, Klutz!" Spark warns over the radio.
Klutz heads the warning and turns his attention to the threats before him.
The huge Servitor radiates an unsettling hum. Its smaller subordinates join in the whiring chorus. Shielded by the other machines, it appears invincible. It roars loudly, as if to gloat about its inpenitiple defense.
"Multiple combatants, Guardian! Find cover fast!" Spark cry's, as a dozen armed Fallen swarm from around their gargantuan machine. It's eye gathering with volatile power.
Spark's orders are obvious and sensible. Klutz dives out of the way of the Servitor's sudden blast. He rolls to a kneeled stance and eyes over the arena. The Fallen press his position. Some equipped with small arms and others with crude melee weapons. Their eyes glow bright with hate and rage. He hesitates for a moment. He wishes he never came to this cold rock. In a bright blast of Light he pushes off from the ground and lobs a vortex of Void energy at the nearest approaching group. The four unfortunate attackers are instantly consumed by the singularity, unable to even scream before they are disintegrated. Grazed by a few shots in his short flight, the Guardian lands behind a makeshift hut near the back of the camp. He peeks out from his cover and finds a lone, knife wielding Fallen approaching fast. Only a few steps away, Klutz projects a quick blast of energy from his palm in a swift strike. The blast knocks the knife-man on its back and sends its shiny bronze colored weapon hurtling away. The Guardian points his weapon at the creature. An opportunity to finish his downed opponent.
The Dreg looks up at him for a moment, recognizing its imminent doom. To its surprise, this doom is in fact not so imminent. It lays there breathing heavily through its filtered mask as it looks up at the Guardian. It watches him turn the gun away and duck back behind cover. The Dreg takes the opportunity to collect its bronze knife and retreat.
Klutz peeks out once more and is rewarded with a flurry of scattered shots in his direction. He hides behind the hut, narrowly avoiding a few of the haphazard projectiles.
"Eight active Fallen still on sensors, Guardian-" Spark's update is interrupted by another cry from the large Servitor. "Also, I think the big one is getting angry…"
"Big one's gonna have to wait his turn!" Klutz spins out from behind the hut, peppers out a few rounds from his rifle, and tosses a bright ball of Solar Light at the center of the battlefield. The molten ball bursts apart, projecting a great wall of fire across the middle of the combat zone. Klutz crouches with his weapon ready and watches as the Fallen shoot randomly through the obscuring flames. He steadies his breathing and reloads his weapon.
The Fallen halt their attacks. One lays on the cold floor, clutching the fresh gunshot wound on its neck as the Ether slips out and evaporates. The rest look through the flickering shroud for any sign of the Lightbearer. The great Servitor above them focuses its powers and prepares for another blast. If the Servitor fails to destroy him, once again, the Dregs will be ready to attack when the flames die down. Diligently, anxiously, they wait for the Machine-Spawn to make a move.
Another chest pounding roar comes from the Servitor as it blasts its devastating payload straight through the burning border. The explosion of the impact is grand and dramatic, although the Fallen are immediately focused on a more dangerous sight.
Just as soon as the Servitor's blast connects, Klutz somersaults through the hot barrier and directs his firearm in a deadly flourish. The first couple of shots take out a Dreg armed with a short electric dagger. The next burst of gunfire finds a trio of unlucky gunmen before they even have time to aim. Ether fills the air as the Guardian leaps above the remaining fighters. He feels the sting of frantic, desperate gunfire as he glides above them. With a quick snap of his fingers, small orbs of Solar energy bounce forth and engulf one of the shooters. He lands heavily on top of another, knocking the gun from its hand and forcing it back first into the hard dusty ground. The pined Fallen manages to grab hold of its blade with impressive speed. It slashes a deep cut across the Guardian's calf that forces a muffed cry from behind his helmet. Klutz reacts with a powerful strike across the side of the alien's four eyed head. The blow makes an audible crack and the Dreg drops the blade from its limp hand. Klutz stands swiftly and takes aim at the final remaining Fallen.
The smaller creature stands only a few feet away, unmoving, stunned by the sudden violence. It maintains a tight yet unfocused grasp on its tiny pistol as it stares at the singed killer.
Heavy breaths flow in and out from the Guardian's mouth. He keeps his gun pointed and says, "Go… C'mon… get out of here…"
With its legs shaking, it stays in place and raises its weapon.
A splitting shriek explodes from the Servitor as it projects a powerful wave of pressure around itself. The pressure shakes the supporting Servitors and lunches the two grounded individuals several feet away.
Klutz rises to one knee rather quickly and looks around to see where the panicked Dreg ended up. It doesn't take long for him to spot the Dreg, lying lifelessly in the dust. It's neck twisted and limbs crooked. Klutz looks down and removes his dirty helmet. He coughs deep from his chest and spits out blood on the dry rocks.
The deadly machine cries out once more. A call to fight.
Klutz feels heat swelling inside him. He punches the ground hard enough to send bits of debris high into the air. He shouts gutteraly and stands tall with fire in his eyes. The flame spread across his body, shining through him with Radiance. With a powerful jump, he blasts off the floor, leaving a scorch mark behind. The flaming warrior propels himself up and over the massive machine, raining down orbs of charged Solar Light upon the machine defenses. Still burning with power, he lands on the ground behind the Servitor. He is shocked to see his flaming barrage was seemingly ineffective.
"You have got to target the small ones, Klutz! They are generating the Shield!"
A high jump followed by a powerful kick off the canyon wall, sends the Guardian flying toward one of the protective Servitors. He lands on top of the round machine with unsteady footing. His boots burn the contraption and it screeches loudly to express its discomfort. Klutz builds a bright ball of heat in his hand as he struggles to balance atop his unhappy podium. With a quick assessment of the angle, he tosses the grenade at the other small Servitor. The thermite burns through it like it were a ball of cotton. As the Servitor burns it suddenly stops its energy projection before falling to cinders on the floor. Klutz shifts his attention to his frustrated footstool, and conjures a long flaming sword. He thrusts the blade through the glowing eye he stands above, shutting down the machine and sending them both falling toward the ground. The blazing Guardian rolls out of the fall and turns his attention to the surviving Servitor.
The huge raging orb notices its protective barrier fade away. The threatening eye fills with terrible power. It growls deeply. Small rocks and gravel bounce and vibrate around the canyon. A final warning before it releases its devastating attack.
Klutz clenches his jaw to stop his teeth from chattering under the force of the Servitor's growl. He feels the pressure in his chest and stomach. He builds white hot flames in his hands and prepares himself for the final assault.
The energy in the Servitor's eye swirls and shakes, bursting forth, desperate to be released. The machine screams a deafening, scratching, metallic cry as it focuses on the flaming man. The long cry is abruptly interrupted by a new pained screech. Arcs of electricity surge through the great synthetic beast and turn the bright glow of its eye to nothing more than a struggling flicker. Its powerful sound peters off into a quiet hum. The machine can no longer find the strength to maintain its place in the air. It falls to the ground revealing a Skiff positioned behind it, as well as a long charged harpoon sticking out from its backside. The disabled Servitor rolls to a stop against the canyon side and the last the light disappears from its huge eye.
"Put that fire out before you damage my prize!" The Spider barks over the radio. "My associates have the machine subdued and your job is done here. You're welcome to collect your reward back at my establishment, after you've licked your wounds. It may not have gone as smoothly as expected," he chuckles, "but you've done good work." The signal cuts off.
The Guardian lowers his hands and the flames quickly die away. He drops to his bottom and rests his arms over his knees.
Spark appears in front of him and passes her light over his tired body. "Let me take a look at you. You got pretty dinged up in that battle… yet you seem to be almost totally uninjured." She sounds surprised and slightly confused.
"Huh?" Klutz asks. He feels for the wound on his calf where he was slashed. He finds his skin undamaged under the torn pant leg.
"You must have healed your wounds with Solar Light," Spark declares.
"Didn't know I could do that…" He stands and watches as a crew drops down from the Skiff and ties up the sleeping Servitor with dense coiled ropes.
"I've heard of other Guardians healing themselves with Light, but I assumed it required practice. I guess we can surprise ourselves in stressful situations…"
"Well, it's no replacement for you, Spark." He smiles at his Ghost. "Now let's head back to Spider… I want to leave this rock as soon as possible."
Bad News.
"Don't give me that look," The Spider snaps. "The job is done and you'll have what you came here for." The large scoundrel rests lazily in his strange throne.
"Didn't feel like telling me what I was heading into!?" Klutz questions with frustration. "Had to lie to get me to do your dirty work!?"
"I told you what you needed to hear. My only lies were by omission, if you see it that way."
"You said those Eliksni were outlaws. Most of them were unarmed and ran once you attacked… I saw kids there." Klutz's angry stance adjusts slightly.
The Spider sits forward and stares down at the Guardian. "You fought with the last holdout of The House of Embers. A small house of even smaller notability, aside from the fact that they have their hands on- or more appropriately, HAD their hands on a Prime Servitor." He hides a short laugh. "They are a house of violent raiders and pirates that have caused trouble in The Reef for quite some time. Luckily for you, most of them joined some foolhardy crusade with the larger houses. A crusade I don't believe many will return from." He rests back again. "You danced with the left behinds. The Dregs that they didn't feel were strong enough to join them. Instead they 'protected' the Servitor while everyone that was worth a damn was away! Even their foolish Archon thought it was more important to fight than guard his Servitor… I think he'll find that was a mistake."
Klutz stares back at The Spider for some time. He has a number of grievances he wants to air. He holds his tongue.
"Do you have what we came here for or not?" Spark asks directly as she flashes into the room.
"Of course I do, my tasty little mouthful." The Spider glares at her frighteningly. Without turning his attention, he waves a hand to signal one of his guards.
The guard returns with a small item and presents it to the Guardian.
Klutz takes the small reward and examines it briefly. It is a mostly transparent card with a strange token recessed in its center.
"That badge will give you access to the secrets you want to uncover. Maybe even some you don't," The Spider says with a foreboding tone. "In any case, I've enjoyed doing business with you. You keep me on my toes. If ever you need more information feel free to-"
"Is my ship fixed?" Klutz interrupts.
"Yes…" The Spider answers. "My associates fixed it up good as new. It's waiting for you just outside."
Klutz looks at his Ghost and she disappears. He puts the badge in a small pouch on his waist and turns to leave.
"Guardian!" The Spider shouts to get the man's attention.
Klutz stops but does not turn around.
"Because of your good work, I feel it's appropriate to give you… something of a bonus."
Klutz tightens his fist.
"Nothing material, you've already got your reward, but I think it will interest you nonetheless," The Spider says coyly.
The Guardian turns around and looks at the round creature.
"The crusade I mentioned, the one House of Embers is away on." The Eliksni's words ring out almost excitedly. "They've joined forces with pretty much every other significant house in a kind of… temporary alliance. Century old disputes have been set aside for a unifying cause, it's truly incredible to see."
Klutz narrows his brow, trying to figure out where this is going.
"They hope to retake 'our place' in the galaxy. Bring us back up from the depths we've… fallen into." He reaches behind his chair and grabs hold of a dead Ghost.
The Guardian is disturbed to see the hollow Ghost but more disturbed by the direction this 'bonus' is headed in.
The Spider fiddles with the shell idly as he continues. "The Kells wish to… win The Great Machine's favor and they've decided that the only way they can do such a thing is by… eliminating the competition."
Klutz's eyes widen and his heart sinks deep in his chest. "They want to take The Traveler?"
The words echo across the room. The Spider laughs for a moment. "They don't just 'want to,' New Light. Right about now I expect their forces are converging on your 'Last City.' I don't doubt your kind's abilities but I do doubt they've faced a threat as strong as the united houses! If you want to warn your people… you may want to hurry."
With fast movements, Klutz bolts from the room.
"And leave my name out of it!" The Spider shouts as he watches the young Guardian scramble.
The jumpship cruises far away from the tangled shore. The blue glow of its thrusters burn bright, testing the quality of the hasty repairs. Inside the pilot grips the controls tightly. Sweat runs across his brow.
"I still can't get through. It's as if our signal is being jammed!" Spark announces with frustration.
"Is it The Spider?" Klutz asks.
"I don't believe so. We are far enough away from the shore that I can't imagine he would be able to block our communications."
"Well, keep trying I guess. We need to warn The City. Is the NLS ready?"
"Not yet… I think it's having trouble communicating with the Fallen hardware they used in the…" Spark trails off and scans the ship's console for a moment. When she finishes the scan, she moves close to the window and peers into space.
"What's the matter, Spark?" Klutz asks and looks out as well.
"I think I found the source of the signal jammer." She pings a small shape in the distance.
"What is it?"
The shape grows larger in appearance as they approach. Finally the shape is close enough to make out. It is a strange three pointed spacecraft with a pale blue color. It waits unmoving as the Guardian's vehicle grows closer.
"Stop the ship, Klutz. They are sending a direct communication."
Klutz steadies the jumpship a couple hundred meters away and studies the strange vehicle in front of him. He takes note of the large weapons fixed to its haul. "Who are they?"
"The Awoken."
With a deep breath, Klutz accepts the communication request on his ship's dashboard.
Static fills the comms for a moment before focusing into a voice. "This is the sovereign territory of The Awoken. What business do you have here?" The masculine voice is both gruff and strangely relaxed.
Klutz looks to his Ghost for support.
Spark nods her shell upward encouragingly.
"The business I had here just wrapped up, actually. Plan on heading home now," the nervous man explains.
"Working with The Spider?" the Awoken pilot asks.
Klutz doesn't answer.
"You're from Earth, right?"
"Uh, yes. I'm a Guardian from The Last City."
"A Guardian?" the Awoken asks with equal surprise and curiosity. "So, what business do The Guardians have in The Reef? In The Tangled Shore of all places?"
"I'm actually not here on any orders. My business here was my own."
The Awoken laughs quietly. "You have to know how shady that sounds, right?"
"Listen, I'm sorry if I broke any… Awoken laws, but there is something very important going on and I'm running low on time…" Klutz is anxious, less so about his current predicament, more so with the danger back on Earth.
"If you hadn't noticed, my jammer has disabled both your long range communications and your Near Light Speed capabilities. You'll only leave when we are sure we have learned what we need from you." The Awokens words are less cruel than they are cautious.
"We?"
"Yes, we. I am going to escort you to a nearby outpost. When we arrive, you'll be questioned by one of my fellow Corsairs until we find out if it's safe to let you go."
Klutz's breathing quickens. He knows he does not have time to waste. "Hey, that isn't gonna work! There is a very important matter going on back on Earth and it's important I get there to help!"
"You can explain everything when we arrive at the outpost." The Corsair maneuvers his ship much closer to the Guardian's vehicle and points it back toward the asteroid belt. "Now stay close and don't cause me any trouble. I really don't want to chase you down."
Klutz looks at his Ghost wide eyed. He mutes the radio. "What do we do!? Is the NLS really jammed?"
Spark spins her shell frantically. "It appears so… I don't advise trying to run. His vehicle is far more capable than ours."
"Well, we don't have time to deal with an… interrogation." Klutz runs his hand over his head.
Spark looks out the window at the Awoken ship. "I can try talking to him. Try to explain things?"
"It's worth a shot…"
Spark connects to the Corsair's radio. "Hello? This is the Guardian's Ghost."
"Ghost? You're one of The Traveler's machines?" The Corsair asks with genuine curiosity.
"Yes! My name is Spark. My Guardian and I are both very sorry to have trespassed on your peoples territory… We came here following an important lead related to the security of our people." Spark speaks with calm remorse.
"Well, Spark, like I told the other guy, you can explain everything when we get to the outpost." The engines of the Awoken ship flare up.
"I understand your concern, but we received some information while we were on The Shore that is vital to our peoples survival…"
"That so?" The Corsair asks uncertainty.
Spark looks at the Guardian and prompts him to take over.
Klutz rejoins the conversation. "Have you noticed a drop in Fallen activity out here?" he asks the Awoken.
"Not normally in the business of sharing information about our enemies with outsiders… but I doubt you plan on trading secrets with The House of Wolves. And I'd be lying if I said that question didn't get me curious. So yeah, I can confirm our scouts have reported a drastic drop in Fallen sightings in and around The Reef."
"Well, from what I've gathered, a large number of Fallen have joined forces… for an attack on Earth." Fear underlines the Guardian's words.
"You're implying the Fallen houses are working together?" The Corsair asks with skepticism.
"All I know is my people are in danger and I need to do something about it…"
The Corsair is silent.
Spark fills the silence with a proposal. "At the very least, can you allow us to contact The City? We need to warn them of what's coming…"
The Corsair is quite a while longer. "Alright. You can make one call, but I'm going to need to listen in," he says with a sigh.
The call is answered quickly and transferred to a superior even quicker. Klutz is surprised how soon he is speaking to the 'Busiest Man in The City.'
Osiris listens to the Guardian's brief and highly cutdown explanation of the events that led to his discovery of the supposedly eminent attack. "If what you say is accurate, I find it strange we have not seen greater signs of the Fallen forces… Although it is true we have felt a noticeable increase of Fallen activity on our territory, something I know you can attest to personally," the Warlock says.
"I know it may seem far fetched, but with a risk this high I think we'd rather be safe than sorry…" Klutz says anxiously.
"That we can agree on." Osiris says. "I will notify the Titans and recommend The Vanguard put the defenses of The Last City on high alert. In the meantime, I want you to return to the village and suggest that they seek safety behind our walls. We don't have the numbers to spare on their safeguard and if a large-scale Fallen invasion does occur… I greatly doubt they would last long from their position, even with a Guardian's protection."
Klutz feels his heart stop at the thought. "I'll get there as soon as I can," he says.
"Good. And I expect a full report on everything when you have time. This situation is quite concerning," Osiris says somberly. "Now if you will excuse me, I have much to attend to."
"Good luck, Osiris."
"Good luck to you as well, Warlock. And to the people of your village." Osiris cuts the signal to prepare for the possibility of an incoming assault.
As soon as Osiris leaves the call, Klutz drops his head into his hands. Guilt and worry fill his mind.
Spark moves in close to try and comfort the Guardian.
"You got people you're supposed to look after?" the Corsair asks empathetically.
Klutz sits up, almost caught off guard by the question. "Yeah. People I left behind when I came out here… I need to get back to them as soon as I can, so let's get to where we're going and get these questions over with…"
The Corsair is quiet for a moment. "What if you got away?" he asks after the small pause.
"Huh?" Klutz raises an eyebrow.
"Be a real shame for me if you darted off while I wasn't ready. Especially if my jammer acted up so your NLS could kick on."
Spark scans the ship's dashboard and nods joyfully at her Guardian.
"Why the change of heart?" Klutz asks candidly.
"I know what it's like to have people that depend on you. I also know what it's like to let them down," he replies in a low voice. "Now go on, before my jammer starts up again."
"Thank you," Spark says.
"Yeah, we won't forget this," Klutz adds.
"Eh, don't sweat it. Just make sure you keep your people safe," the Corsair says before he activates his engines and disappears into the darkness.
The bright blue light of the Guardian's ship streaks through the stars as he hurries home.