Chapter 35: Cerberus Vae III pt. 1
"The Cabal's elite forward unit, the Siege Dancers are deployed into unsecured areas to take control and set up fortifications. Their tactical doctrine allows more freedom to unit commanders – perhaps because their missions face much greater unknowns. According to Ikora, Hidden agents have observed Siege Dancer engineers competing in demolition challenges. Whether this represents training or a form of recreation is unknown." -Whisper's Guide for Guardians
Sola Scath scrabbled desperately in the rubble with bloody fingers as the sound of Harvester artillery edged ever closer. She scratched, scratched, scratched, casting fearful glances over her shoulder, with every breath expecting a Cabal Legionary to storm into their tiny island of safety amid the devastation.
Her fingernail caught on something and she bit off a curse, then saw what it was – the corner of a ghost. She dug frantically, ignoring the pain, until the little spark of Light was free and held it up. It sputtered, flickering.
Light flowed into it from her own ghost and she allowed herself to hope. "I can repair the shell, but if the Light within is gone…" he warned.
The little shell blinked, nearly faded, then ignited once more and hovered on its own power. It took a quick look around, then immediately the shell burst outwards, exposing the raw Light within. Moments later, Crimiq-5's mangled frame vanished and he reappeared in a flash. "What happened?"
Sola threw her arms around him in gratitude. He staggered, taken aback, then returned the embrace. "Uh, Sola? What happened?"
The building shook again as a Harvester made another pass, and they each started digging again. With the two of them, it didn't take long to find Katake's ghost, who was thankfully in one piece.
In the distance they heard a new thunder, this one the march of heavy infantry in lockstep. Legionaries burst around the corner, and the guardians opened fire.
The Cabal did not buckle. They were tough targets, but even the Cabal they had fought before would have been driven back a step from the combined fire of three guardians. These Cabal, in even heavier yellow armor with blue accents, didn't even flinch. Their front rank of Phalanxes remained elbow to elbow, impenetrable shields blocking all fire. They parted and a Centurion opened fire through the gap with their Projection Rifles that were grenade launchers in all but name, then the Phalanxes rejoined once the Centurion's shield went down.
Sola died twice before they could fall back out of range. Their iron discipline made them unassailable, but it also slowed them just enough to let the mighty guardians turn tail and flee for their lives.
…
Shiro-4 would have gasped if he still had a human body. Instead, he sat perfectly still as an entire battle fleet of the Skyburners Legion ignited their engines and started pre-flight checks. Supplies were carried, ammunition loaded, and orderly lines of Legionaries began marching to the troop transports.
He waited sixty seconds to confirm it wasn't a drill, then tapped his comm to send a very short, pre-recorded and encrypted signal. It was one of a dozen he'd set up that he would have bet good money he would never need, but he believed in being prepared, and he was profusely grateful that he'd made them. The tiny squeal across the void would hopefully avoid notice from the fleet's active sensors now that they were online, floating around Phobos in what was now uncomfortably close proximity. The exterior lights were already off, but he killed the idling engine and most of the life support systems and floated quietly along, like any other asteroid. The Cabal wouldn't even look twice in his direction. He hoped.
…
Cayde-6 looked away from the planning table as his comm pinged with a message from Shiro-4, who he'd sent to keep an eye on things. He winced, then looked back at the other two Vanguard members. "We have a problem."
…
Zavala stood before the Consensus in their chambers. The windows were dark, lying directly in the shadow of the Traveler itself, the safest place in the system.
"What is the meaning of this?" demanded Executor Hideo. "Increased activity across the system, reactivating the Warmind, and now you tell us you want to start a war with the Cabal? This time, Zavala, you have gone too far."
Zavala kept his voice level, though his hands clenched into fists behind the lectern. "I am saying, Executor, that whether we wanted it or not, we've already stepped into a war with the Cabal on Mars. This is a Vanguard matter. I am informing the Consensus as a courtesy."
"And yet," retorted Lakshmi-2, "it is our resources you will use. The Future War Cult's weapons, New Monarchy's infrastructure, Dead Orbit's ships…" The other faction representatives started to murmur and she quickly continued, "and more resources from the rest of us, too. All spent to provoke a fight on the other side of the system."
Zavala opened his mouth to respond but paused as Ikora put a restraining hand on his shoulder. He glanced over at her and saw the Speaker stand, and the murmurs of the council chamber fell silent.
"You raise a fair point, members of the Consensus," he said with a voice that carried perfectly through the room. His masked eyes looked slowly across the chamber, matching the gazes that looked back at him, some worried, some thoughtful, some angry. "These are troubling times that face us. Our relative peace has been shattered. This is not random, nor is this provoked by the guardians. We have learned that our enemies no longer need to come to us to threaten us. As many of you already know, we recently discovered that the Hive were draining the Light from the Traveler using one of their profaned rituals on Luna. This was preventing the Traveler from healing."
At least one person gasped audibly in the assembly, before quickly silencing their surprise in shame to learn most had known of this already.
"The guardians stopped the threat. But with this knowledge we can no longer afford to sit back and gather strength. And so I asked the guardians to press outwards, to expand the City's reach. I asked this not to retake the system," he said, glancing pointedly at the New Monarchy contingent, nor to provoke a war or throw away resources," he added with looks to Lakshmi-2 and Dead Orbit. "I asked this to find threats to the Traveler itself and eliminate them. For if the Traveler is lost, then we are lost." He gazed out over the assembled people, each hanging on his words. "Know this – every battle defends the Light. Even the smallest conflict may be significant. The galaxy is more dangerous than ever. But if we fight as one, together we will triumph against the Darkness. So I ask that you help the guardians, our defenders, shine their Light and give the Darkness no place to hide."
The first Consensus member raised their fist. "I will support the guardians in their efforts." "And I." "And I!"
Lakshmi-2, Arach Jalaal, and Executor Hideo glanced at each other before they, too, joined in the chorus of assent.
…
"Fireteam Guardian, do you copy?"
Whisper immediately activated her comm as Zavala's gravelly voice returned.
"The airstrike on the Imperial Land Tank failed, and the Cabal have retaken the Dust Palace and re-established control over Freehold. The Skyburners Legion fleet around Phobos is also preparing to move. We fear the target is Earth."
Whisper looked across at the other two, their faces grim, and felt the heart she no longer had drop. The thought of the City going down and not even being there to fight, to have to watch from afar knowing they would be too late…
"As I told the Consensus, whether we wanted it or not, we've stepped into a war with the Cabal on Mars. We have prepared the City against this day for centuries now, but I don't plan to test our defenses unless we absolutely have to. So instead, I am ordering every fireteam on Mars to make preemptive strikes against the Cabal. If we can throw them on the defensive, disrupt their chain of command, we may be able to force them to abort this invasion before it even begins."
"Just tell us where to go, sir," answered Vistrek.
"Very good. We're assigning targets now, but your fireteam has shown a knack for the taking out high priority targets. So you are going to go after the Siege Dancers commander, Valus Ta'aurc, who commands them from an Imperial Land Tank outside of Rubicon. He's well protected, and the tank itself is too fortified for any sort of large-scale direct assault. But if you can punch through those defenses and take him out, it should create enough confusion to limit the reinforcements to Freehold and break their grip on the city. The Cabal are conservative by nature – they may break off the attack until they can stabilize their position on Mars."
Whisper nodded hesitantly. "I understand the strategy, but you need your best for that sort of mission."
"Most of the top guardians are already engaged in other duties elsewhere. Deputy-Commander Sloane is on patrol on Earth. The Praxics have deployed their available fireteams to… observe matters in the Crucible. Fireteams Firebreak and Elite are on their way now from the Trials of Osiris, but they are unlikely to arrive before the Skyburners launch their attack. You are what we have… but do not underestimate yourselves. Vistrek – your training is progressing nicely. The call of the Striker is a difficult one, putting us on the front lines of a skirmish. Your heavy fist will turn the tide in many battles to come. And you, Whisper."
She felt a shiver as one of the most powerful guardians in existence spoke her name. "Bladedancers lack the Striker's strength, but even a Striker must admit the Bladedancers move at a velocity Strikers can only hope to match."
"And you, Alice." The usually unflappable warlock nodded a little nervously. "There are flames that even the Darkness cannot extinguish. These are dark times. Humanity stands on the brink of extinction. You will carry fire into that darkness – a beacon to guide the way, and a pyre to consume our great enemy. The Light saved us from death and forged us into weapons. Your fellow guardians need your power. Our civilization needs your strength."
"Remember, each of you. The Traveler resurrected all of us for a reason. Put its gifts to good use, and know that I fully expect to see each of you home again in the City, to tell of your success. Now go."
The line cut and Fireteam Guardian looked at each other once more. Then together, they leaped onto their sparrows.
Let's find access to their system, see if we can track down Valus Ta'aurc.
Whisper addressed Blabber skeptically. "For someone so smart, you say some pretty dumb things, Blabber. He's in a tank the size of a city – he's not going to be hard to find."
That's my point, insisted the ghost, it's the size of a city. Do you really want to wander around there fighting Cabal for weeks looking for him?
"Okay, I take it back. That's a good thought. Let's hit a bunker and see what we can find."
…
The Tower hangar was a hive of activity as Amanda raced through to the jumpship she had half taken apart. She tossed a wrench to a frame standing nearby and started directing work immediately. They had to get this bird up in the air, now.
All around the jumpships, welders flickered their wince-inducing light as weapons were haphazardly mounted, and still others were simply bolted on. Most would fail, of course, but every weapon they could get would make a difference.
And outside, two entire contingents of titans were marching into view. The first stoically divided into squads and spread out into the streets, each bearing sky blue heavy armor marked with the insignia a quartered shield. Amanda shivered at the sight of them. Peacekeepers. The old guard, guardians who had walked the same streets of the City literally since before its formation, sworn to defend the City itself against all threats. Older and tougher than stone, the last time they had gathered in force was during the battle of Twilight Gap over a hundred years ago.
The second contingent marched up in an assortment of armor of all kinds, but each bearing the same sigil of 28 triangles stacked in columns, the mark of the Stoneborn Order. Their entire purpose dedicated to defending the walls of the City, they settled into firing positions established decades in advance, manning the artillery and guarding every entrance.
This was bad. This was very bad.
She turned her attention back to the battered jumpship before her, unaware she was quietly grinding her teeth with anxiety.
…
"They're coming? Now?"
"Yes," responded Zavala gravely in the Consensus emergency session. "Our scouts report that the Skyburner Fleet is mobilizing. We believe their objective is Earth."
Executor Hideo glanced at Lakshmi-2 and Arach Jalaal. Between their own seats and those of the smaller factions aligned with them, they controlled a majority of the Consensus votes. As always, it would come down to what the three of them decided to do.
Lakshmi-2, always hard to read, sat quietly, focusing inward. She did not seem surprised, but rather, almost excited. Bloody-minded war cult. He grimaced and turned towards Jalaal, who could not quite hide his anxiety. He had a small screen no doubt hooked into the Dead Orbit network and was scanning quickly through reports. Checking if they can flee in time, no doubt, he thought with disdain. Not much help there.
So, with no other options, he turned back to Zavala. "What is being done," he demanded.
"Guardians are already mounting small offenses on Mars, trying to derail their deployment and force them to look closer to home. Here in the City, the Peacekeepers are deploying to patrol the streets, and the Stoneborn Order is preparing to defend the walls."
"What good are small arms going to be against that?" he asked, pointing to the holographic projection of a Cabal Harvester.
Zavala stared him down. "Do not underestimate the Stoneborn, Executor. They don't fail."
…
Alarms wailed in the bunker as Blabber hacked into the Cabal battle network. It didn't take long, and Whisper grimaced before reporting the news to the others. "The Cerberus Vei III has fallen back behind the Iron Line for refit and repair. It's hunkered down in the Valley of Kings, probably to avoid another orbital bombardment."
Vistrek kept his eyes on the sky, watching for Harvesters. "Then we do it the hard way."
"I guess we do it the hard way."
…
Deputy-Commander Sloane transmatted down into the hangar heavily in her hurry, the sheer mas of her armor shaking the stone of the hangar, while the inertial sinks and field drivers kept her balanced and able to leap forward into action. She charged down the stairs and then up again towards the walls to her assigned position. It didn't take long to arrive, and another titan of the Stoneborn Order in massive armor was already there.
"Skantor, good to see you."
The titan nodded. "And you, Deputy-Commander. It has been a long time."
"Since Twilight gap, I think. That was… almost a hundred years ago, now. You know, we should probably say hello in between crisis sometime."
"It would be easier if you weren't always gallivanting off in the wilderness. Our duty is the wall."
She snorted. "The patrol network is the lifeblood of guardian ops, Skantor. Without patrols out there, we'd have to do this," she said, waiving hand towards the general sound of pounding titan boots, "more often. Besides, if all you do is sit in the wall, you miss out. When was the last time you dropped a fist of Havoc from ten stories up? You have to try it."
Skantor shook his head fondly. "You're as crazy as ever. And I see you still have poor choice in weapons. A SUROS scout rifle? Really?"
"It's called Tone Patrol, Skantor, and it's not how many bullets you carry," she said, gesturing to his Darius-C heavy machine gun. "It's about how many you can make count."
"Nonsense. You're going to defend the walls with that little love-tapper? I looked through the armory for an old Echo-1 variant of the Genghis from when we last fought the Cabal, but couldn't find one. But I found something better - this baby delivers inertia-coupled ram rounds." He tapped the heavy weapon reverently with a massive gauntlet. "That's what you need to get the job done."
Sloane grinned fondly at her fellow titan. "You haven't changed a bit, Skantor. You sure you don't want to head out into the wilds for a patrol with me sometime?"
"Tell you what: if we both survive this one, then we'll talk."
"Deal." She settled into her firing position, making sure she was linked in to VanNet, and checked her rifle. Just like old times.
…
The Iron Line is sure living up to its name, thought Whisper to herself as she ducked behind a shattered rock outcropping as another flight of explosive rounds detonated all around them. She peaked her head out and her Calcutta-LR2 boomed in response, dropping another Cabal Legionary. Another wave of reinforcements thundered out of the bunker line, this time lead by three big Cabal that stuck out from the crowd from their contrasting colored armor.
Whisper frowned at the sight. That's Siege Dancer armor. What are they doing here?
The question would have to wait, however. They weren't just Siege Dancers, from their decorated armor they were officers, and a quick cross-check of the data they'd stolen from the Cabal battlenet, they were Val Bou'urc, Val Zu'aurc, and Val Ma'aurg, bodyguards for Valus Ta'aurc. And if that weren't enough, another Val, Val Ca'aul, coming down now in a friggin' tank. It had to be a Goliath Tank she'd heard rumors of.
She sized it up quickly, trying to see what it was capable of. To start it was big, bigger than anything other than the land tank she's seen on the ground. It sported four massive boosters that must have at least some anti-gravity capabilities to keep it going. That was a big advantage, giving it a surprising amount of mobility as it surged over the rough terrain churned up by period heavy artillery bombardment, but it could also be a weakness. Take out the boosters and it was a quick mobility kill, making it vulnerable to follow-up attack. Assuming they could live long enough to do that, of course.
It had a huge main gun that looked powerful enough to level a bunker, but it was backed up by an area denial rapid-fire missile launcher system and at least three short-ranged anti-personnel cannons. This could get ugly.
"Watch the tank! Go for the boosters!"
"What?" shouted back Vistrek, trying to disengage from six separate Cabal. He just had time to turn and see the tank when its main gun fired, landing a direct hit at his feet. The round detonated in a fireball of solar power, annihilating the titan completely. His ghost, Guldor, hustled away from the devastation to hide behind Whisper.
The Cabal were moving to surround them now, spreading out to limit casualties from Light grenades. Whisper fired again and again into the tank's front left booster, emptying the clip. The rounds sparked violently as they ripped into the tough armor, but failed to penetrate.
Alice exploded in Light, sending waves of solar energy around them, and Whisper felt it coursing through her. She tossed aside the sniper rifle and drew the Baron RS/1 rocket launcher. Alice positively hummed with Light, sending out flaming grenades to consume the Cabal foolish enough to get close, but the Goliath was taking aim again. "Alice, move!"
Whisper blinked away just as the tank fired, and not even Alice's Light could hold back that volcanic fury. Whisper took aim quickly, ignoring the spattering of anti-personnel fire as the tank's point defense weapons tracked her, and fired. The rocked sailed true, colliding into a booster which shorted out from the impact. The front-left corner of the tank hit the rock with a shriek of tearing metal, swinging the turret around just as the tank fired again. With freakish accuracy, the shot connected directly with the torso of Val Ma'aurg, who simply evaporated.
The tank dragged itself backwards, trying to take cover, as Whisper reloaded. She ignored the incoming small armors fire, taking two, three, four direct hits that detonated on the surface of her armor, but her aim stayed steady and she pulled the trigger. The second rocket exploded on the other front booster, which exploded in a fireball. Smoke billowed from the tank that ground to a halt, and Whisper moved.
Thankfully, the ghosts were on their proverbial toes, and they took advantage of the impromptu smokescreen to revive their guardians. Whisper's sensors were going wild now, showing dozens more Cabal coming out of the base. "Come on, let's get out of here!"
LORE REFERENCED:
D1 Grimoire:
Siege Dancers
Cerberus Vae III
Sunsinger
Goliath Tank
Ghost Fragment: Cabal 3 (showing Goliath main gun can destroy a bunker)
Items:
Peacekeepers
Fortress Field
Mark of the Stoneborn
Fieldplate (legs)
Firebreak (chest)
Tone Patrol
Darius-C
Genghis-E1
Lorebooks:
Dawning Delights: The Dawning on the Stormy Seas (showing Sloane is in the Stoneborn Order)
Other:
Eternal Vigilance (bounty)
Pushing Back the Darkness (bounty)
Wanderers (bounty)
Slay Enemies (bounty)
Carving a Path (bounty)
Bounty: Super (bounty)
Stoneborn Relic (titan artifact)
Walk the Beat (bounty)
From Downtown (bounty)
Bounty: Crackshot (bounty)
