Wren waited for Banshee to finish up her order, a new scout rifle. Well, new to her. Some other Guardian had traded up for something better, but Wren trusted Banshee's handiwork. He wouldn't put a weapon in Guardian's hands if he wouldn't carry it into battle himself.

"How does this feel?" he asked, passing across a scout rifle. "It's the smallest one I could find."

"It's great," Wren said, keeping the irritation out of her voice. It wasn't his fault she was small and he didn't mean any harm. "I think it'll work just fine for me."

"If you need anything else, you let me know."

"Of course." Wren handed over the Glimmer for the rifle and slung it over her shoulder before heading off toward the hanger.

There hadn't been much time for sleep once she returned to the Tower with news of the Vex. Cerulean had been assembled after a light scolding by Ikora and Zavala, but Cayde had been absent at the meeting where they discussed the plan for getting into the Black Garden.

Late afternoon shadows stretched across the ground and the leaves on the tree outside of Banshee's stall rustled in the wind. It seemed that no matter the weather, it was always windy this high up. A few wispy clouds floated lazily overhead. Had they been able to keep in the area, the conditions would be nice. Instead, they were headed to the outer reaches into mostly uncharted territory.

"You ready to head out?" Sisre asked, trotting up behind Wren as they walked down the catwalk toward their ships. She had her sniper rifle over her shoulder and behind her Rorick was toting a massive rocket launcher.

Wren nodded and Franz laughed at the weighty weapon their leader was carrying.

"I told you, we need it," Rorick replied, his hazel eyes narrowing at the Warlock.

"Please, my rifle can do anything that hunk of junk can," Sisre teased.

"This is not a hunk of junk, and your dinky little rifle can't take out an entire line in a single shot."

"Alright, alright," Beorn said, holding his hands up between the Titans. Sisre shut her mouth and side eyed the Exo. "Put the lover's quarrels away. You can play whose gun is bigger when we're done."

Rorick straightened and cleared his throat. "Where's Flak?"

"Don't know, don't care," Franz said. "Let's ditch'em."

Wren almost agreed when she caught sight of the Hunter coming toward them. Sisre must have noticed the way Wren stepped back because she looked over her shoulder to see him walking up.

"What's the plan?" he asked.

"You'd know if you'd been at the briefing," Rorick said, turning to loom over Flak. "Next time, you will report when you're summoned."

The scrawny Hunter sneered at Rorick and rolled his eyes.

"Sisre, Wren, and Franz are going to find the Awoken. As they are also Awoken, we hope the Queen will be more receptive to their presence. In the meantime, the rest of us will go to the Ishtar Collective on Venus to see what other information we can find on the Vex. We'll wait there until they're done speaking with the Queen."

"Better them than me," Flak snorted. "Good luck not getting killed." He waved over his shoulder as he pushed past them, smirking as he passed Wren and spotted her cloak.

"I swear I'm gonna—" Franz made a move toward Flak but Beorn grabbed his arm and gave him a stern look.

"Don't," he said. "He's not worth it. He is right, however. The Awoken Queen is… well, this is dangerous. Even with the lot of you being Awoken, there's no telling how she'll respond to Guardians in her territory. The Awoken don't live the way we do. You need to be careful." He spoke to all of them but met the gaze of his fellow Warlock at the end.

Franz inhaled deeply and clasped his friend's shoulder. "We'll be careful."

"We're on a schedule," Rorick said. "We leave in five minutes. Get yourselves ready."

Beorn and Franz put a hand around the other's neck and quickly touched foreheads before parting ways to go to their ships. Rorick and Sisre walked away as well, speaking quietly amongst themselves. When they thought no one was looking, Rorick planted a kiss on Sisre's crown and they separated as well.

Wren walked up the metal step ladder to her ship when she heard someone running down the catwalk. She turned in time to see a mechanic drop a wrench and Cayde kick it over the edge of the catwalk to the abyss below.

"Sorry! Sorry," Cayde replied as the mechanic cursed at him, but he didn't slow. He came to a halt near her ship. "Hey, Emu—"

"Emu? What the hell is an— you know what, I think you're making things up now."

"It's a bird, I swear. Look, I heard you're headed out to see the Awoken."

"Yeah. We have to talk to the Queen about getting into the Black Garden."

"How'd you know that?"

Wren looked over to see Rorick tapping his wrist. They were out of time.

"You'd know if you were at the briefing. I can't explain, it'd take too long. Basically, I got an encrypted message from some Exo. Kiran figured out where it was coming from, we went early this morning to check it out, and she said we need to find the Black Garden and destroy its heart. I have to go now. Did you want something?"

"Yeah I uh…" he slapped the back of his right hand in his left palm, eyes darting away. "It's dangerous and…"

"And what?"

"And just uh… you know. Be careful."

"Don't worry. I can handle the boogie man." Wren got into her ship and Cayde backed up. The rest of Cerulean was leaving the hanger and Wren took one last look at Cayde. He paced a few times, glanced over his shoulder at her, and walked away down the catwalk.

"That was weird," Wren said.

"He seems worried," Kiran replied.

"I wonder if he knows something we don't."

"I don't think that's it."

"Then what?"

Kiran's shell clicked a couple times to the left, then spun quickly to the right and he just chuckled nervously. "Ah, we'll talk about it some other time."

Wren sighed and relaxed, putting her ship on autopilot. "Whatever you say. I'm going to get some sleep. Wake me when we get closer." She laid back and watched the light of the City fade out as they shot out toward the stars.

Wren woke to Kiran speaking to her. The area around the ship was hazy with purple light. Hulking masses of broken ships littered the area and the three Guardian ships slowed to avoid a collision. There were hundreds of them. Thousands maybe, drifting at the edge of the Light.

"Where did they all come from?" Wren asked, her stomach in knots.

"Everyone who could escape Earth during the Collapse did so but I guess this is as far as they made it."

"They died out here?"

"Most likely."

Wren clutched at the ship's wheel. She couldn't imagine getting this far only to have her ship ripped apart with her still on it. Had those people begun to hope that they could escape? Survive? People died by the thousands in this very spot and that knowledge gave her chills.

"It's a graveyard."

"Those who survived became the Awoken. Or at least, I think that's what happened," Kiran said.

"How did they survive out here?"

"I'm not sure."

"Keep your guard up," Sisre said over the comm system.

No sooner did she speak did two ships emerge from the wreckage. They flanked Wren as she was at the back of the line and an unfamiliar voice came over the comm.

"Intruders bearing one-two-seven. You've entered the realm of the Awoken. State your business or be fired upon by order of the Queen."

"We're from Earth," Sisre said. "We seek the counsel of the Awoken."

Silence followed and Wren sat straighter, watching both ships beside her for signs of change. There were three Guardians and only two ships, but who knew how many more were using the ship graveyard as a hiding spot. They'd be overcome quickly.

"Conform to my trajectory," the voice said. "Any deviation will be taken as an act of aggression."

"Understood," Sisre said. One of the ships sped ahead of the line and led the way while the other fell in behind Wren.

The group changed paths slightly, heading straight into the blinding purple light Wren had noticed when she first woke.

"I don't like this," Kiran said, shell spinning.

"Keep calm. We'll be alright." Her voice was calm, but her jaw clenched.

Once they were landed in the Awoken hanger and their weapons had been stripped, guards led them into the throne room. The throne itself was suspended above an empty chamber with a walkway that was wide enough for the Guardians walked side by side, guards following. Wren peered over the edge, but she couldn't see what was below.

An Awoken man with black hair stood on the top step, blocking the throne itself which was surrounded by shredded banners. Despite its derelict state, there remained an air of royalty, dignity, and power.

"So there are the trespassers who demand an audience with the Queen," she man said.

Wren immediately had a distaste for him. He was thin, pale, and wiry. His hair was inky black and oily. Overall, he reminded her of Flak.

"We didn't mean to trespass," Sisre said.

"The Queen herself judges who may and may not enter here," the man said, descending the stairs to close the distance between them. "Personally, I don't see why she should be available for whatever washes up in the Reef. But here we are."

"We came because we need the help of the Awoken."

The man sneered at Sisre and two Vandals with pikes crawled from behind the throne. Kiran noticed them first and cried out at their appearance.

"Fallen!"

As the man whipped around to look behind him, Wren took the opportunity to shove a guard and steal her weapon, pulling the gun up to take aim at the Vandals. In the same move, the black-haired man stopped her. One hand gripped around the gun and the other held a dagger to her throat.

Franz took a step toward them but Sisre blocked him with her arm. Before any more could be said, a woman spoke from the throne.

"It is afraid of the Fallen," she said, her voice soft and calm. "It does not understand that these ones are mine."

The Queen. Blazing blue eyes watched them intently and white hair framed her delicate features. She sat back in her throne, receding into the darkness until only her eyes could be clearly seen. The Fallen at her sides eased their stances and the black-haired man removed his blade from Wren's throat.

"Apologies, your grace," he said, snatching the gun from Wren's grasp.

"We're Guardian, from Earth," Sisre said as Franz gently ushered Wren back beside him. "We've come to see what you can tell us about the Black Garden."

"Why?"

"We must destroy the Darkness at the heart of the Garden."

The man tilted his head. "You want to turn it into a battleground. How unimaginative," he said, shaking his head.

"Do you know where it is?"

"Everyone knows where it is," he said, raising his voice slightly. "Getting in is the problem."

"Can you help us?" Sisre was losing her calm, but she clenched her fists and fought through it, even when the man neared her, baring his teeth.

"And why would we do that?"

"The Queen requests council with her brother." The voice stopped them all. Wren glanced at the throne where the Queen wasn't staring at her brother, but directly at Wren.

The man was reluctant to be called back to her side, but he didn't argue. He knelt beside the throne and they spoke in hushed tones until at last he rose.

"That's good. Alright, why not. We'll make you a key? How about that? All we need is the head of a Vex Gate Lord ."

The Ghosts shifted and glanced at one another. Sisre shook her head. "I don't… why do you want a Vex head?"

"We don't," he replied, narrowing his eyes. "And I doubt we'll get one either. But it's your only hope for getting into the Black Garden." He took his place at his sister's side.

"We will return," Sisre insisted.

"Or die on Venus," he smirked. "Either way…"

Wren glanced at the Queen who was still staring at her. She hated the way those eyes cut through the darkness and seemed to look through her. The Queen raised her head slightly and Sisre turned on her heel to leave. The guards escorted them out and Wren couldn't be happier to get her weapons back.

They didn't speak until they were well outside the Reef and Sisre's first move was to contact Rorick. She explained the situation to him and in turn, he shared what information they'd been able to find on Venus. They would continue their search on how to find a Gate Lord until Sisre, Wren, and Franz could meet them on the Shattered Coast.

"Damn, my heart's pounding in my ears," Franz chuckled when they cut comms from the other half of the team. "And what the hell were you thinkin' Wren? Pullin' a gun like that."

"How was I supposed to know they were bodyguards?"

"It's alright," Sisre said. "We were able to pull it back."

"You were," Franz said. "I was about to bust that guy's ass for pulling a knife on Wren."

"I could have handled it," Wren said, but she wasn't so sure. She put her hand around her throat. He could have slit her throat before anyone else would have had time to react. Her reaction was instinct, but it could have ended very badly for all of them. She'd have to try and be more careful in the future.

"We'll do better next time. Just relax. We still have a lot of work to do." Sisre cut comms and Wren was alone again with her thoughts. She stared out into space toward Earth which was little more than a blue light on the horizon. Or could she even see it at all? She sat back and calmed herself to the thought of a rooftop on Earth, covered in wisteria.