A few days passed quietly enough, with Cerulean being placed on hold from leaving the City until the Vanguard could decide what to do about SIVA and the strange Fallen they'd discovered on their last mission.
Wren wasn't happy about it. The City was vast, and there was plenty to do, but not having the freedom to roam as she pleased made it seem like a punishment. Even nights in the bath house with Sisre couldn't keep the restlessness away. When they were finally called by the Vanguard, as dawn of the fourth day, she was in her armor and headed to command center before the others in her team were ready.
The weather was terrible. A storm had raged all night and showed no signs of letting up. What few leaves the Courtyard tree still held, had been stripped off in the wind and now clung to every surface, plastered by rain. What light the sun had to offer was blocked out by dark clouds and lightning struck all around the highest points of the Wall.
Shaxx raised his mug to her as she passed and she gave him a nod in return, then descended into command center to meet with the Vanguard. Cayde noticed her immediately, standing straighter, then crossing his arms over his chest and staring at his map. His jaw clenched and his optics narrowed.
Ikora sighed and gave Wren a tight-lipped smile.
"I'm surprised to see you here so quickly," Zavala said.
"Just ready to get out there, Commander," Wren replied.
"We'll wait for the others." Zavala looked toward the steps were Sisre and Rorick were, Franz and Beorn on their heels. "I wish I could say good morning, Cerulean, but we have some important business at hand. Lord Saladin has requested assistance in dealing with the recent SIVA crisis. The Vanguard has collectively decided that it would be in our best interest to send you to aid him as not only are you our best team, but you have already begun missions involving confidential information."
Cayde grumbled under his breath but Zavala ignored him.
"What we are about to discuss here must remain confidential. Understood?"
Cerulean nodded their consent, some with hesitation.
"Good. During the Golden Age, SIVA was developed by Clovis Bray as a means of replication that would help expand humanity's reach into space. It's nanotechnology that is capable of breaking down matter in order to create something else and it can be programmed to do anything."
"There was an incident with the Iron Lords," Ikora said. "I don't know how much of that information Lord Saladin is prepared to discuss, but we have decided it's only important for you to understand that SIVA wiped most of them out. It's incredibly dangerous and depending on what it's been programmed to do, can very easily kill a Guardian in a matter of hours. It'll be absolutely imperative that you keep in communication with each other and check one another regularly to ensure no one comes in contact with SIVA. It may be nanomachines, but it also has a sort of collective mind and can infect similarly to a virus."
Suddenly it made sense as to why Cayde gave Wren such a thorough check when she returned from the Cosmodrone. He really was afraid for her to encounter SIVA. Really and truly. And now he was angry. He refused to speak during this meeting but she could tell at the way he glared between Ikora and Zavala that he'd objected to Cerulean being used in this mission.
How strongly had he fought it? She hadn't given much consideration before to what he must deal with as a Vanguard, being so closely connected with her. So far the issues had come from outside and seemed to revolve around him being concerned with how the others treat her, not the other way around. Maybe he hadn't felt it was right to fight against Ikora and Zavala at all.
"We don't know yet what SIVA has been programmed to do," Zavala said. "All we know is that it must be contained before it can do any more damage. You are to report to the location Lord Saladin has provided and work with him and Shiro-4 to complete any missions they have for you. Your ships are restocked, and supplies are waiting for you in the Hanger. Dismissed."
Wren glanced at Cayde who was now staring at her, but the anger from before was gone. Now his eyes were intense and practically screamed for her to be careful. He wanted to follow her, she could tell, but he stayed still and watched her leave.
Lord Saladin didn't communicate with them beyond sending coordinates until they were preparing to land. Below, Wren could see dark masses where SIVA had taken over; breaking down ruins to rebuild them into… well, she wasn't sure. For now they didn't seem to be doing anything but replicating themselves. Maybe that was the point? Without fully understanding SIVA and what it was capable of made her feel in the dark all over again. All she knew was that she didn't know how they could possibly contain all of this.
The Cosmodrone was a no-fly zone and had been since they were last here. All other Guardians were ordered to keep away, though she swore she could see Sparrows as tiny dots kicking up dust around the outer rim of the Cosmodrone's boundaries. Hunters probably.
"Fireteam Cerulean," Saladin began, "we're sending you into the Plaguelands so you can gain control of the SIVA replication chamber. The Iron Lords believed that we could contain SIVA by destroying this chamber, but it seems the Fallen have rebuilt and restarted the process. We need to stop them."
"I think we need to focus on what we know," Shiro said. "The Fallen have a bunker in that area but we can't get any reinforcements to you until the artillery is taken out. The drop site is a little far away. Didn't want your crew getting taken out before you could even land."
"The Fallen are a symptom. SIVA is the disease. Destroy the artillery but containing the replication of SIVA is the goal of this mission."
"Get those guns down first," Shiro said. "If things get hairy, I can't get you reinforcements to clean up the area until that's done."
Cerulean landed in the Rocketyard, close to where they had found the terminal from before. They exchanged glances before donning their helmets. It was never a good thing when the people running the mission didn't agree on what needed to be done.
Snow was falling thick, sizzling and melting instantly on red hot metal, cut through by SIVA. Wren wondered if it would do the same to them. Sear through their armor and into flesh and bone. She shuddered, then followed the rest of her fireteam through the snow, under rusted crates that hung from cranes, everything dripping with huge icicles that threatened to drop on them at any moment.
The room with the terminals didn't look any different than before. The only strange thing was that the metal that had been cut still glowed red, though it had been days. Was it even melted at all or was this some strange effect of SIVA?
Wren passed a cut in the wall and tried to get a closer look but she was too hesitant to get any closer. Shiro requested that they find a dead Fallen nearby and scan its body so Rorick did just that. Cerulean circled the body and watched as Brix did a full scan of the corpse.
"Odd," Brix mumbled. "It's basically Fallen, but… not? Weapons and armor have both been modified and there had been cybernetic enhancements made…"
"Most Fallen houses have sects for this," Shiro explained. "They're called Splicers. They're body hackers… bio engineers of sorts."
"This is worse than I feared," Saladin said. "The Splicers are not only using SIVA to enhance this place, they're using it to enhance themselves."
"I thought SIVA could kill organic beings?" Rorick asked.
"It can. If that's what it's programmed for," Shiro said. "The Fallen may be using it to enhance themselves physically, but that doesn't mean it isn't still dangerous. What they consider enhancement, SIVA might consider a starting process to take over the host and control it as a weapon."
"I'll be honest, I don't like these odds," Rorick said.
"I understand," Saladin replied, "but you don't have much choice. SIVA must be stopped or no one and nothing in the system is safe."
Rorick's grip tightened on his auto rifle, the gun creaking under the pressure. Sisre touched his arm and gave him a slight nod which relaxed his shoulders, but only a little. He didn't reply to Saladin, only motioned his team to move and they did, following him deeper into the wall.
Tracking the Fallen was easy enough. They didn't bother finding doors and seemed to be cutting their way into the structure using SIVA.
"The Fallen have done some remodeling," Franz said and Beorn elbowed him.
"What do you mean?" Shiro asked.
"We have large chunks of metal missing from inside the wall," Rorick explained. "I don't see any sign of SIVA, though I'll admit I don't know exactly what I'm looking for. The sections that are mission are glowing red hot, as if they've just been removed by extreme heat, but a lot of these cuts have been like this for days in the freezing cold."
"It seems they're taking the metal for something," Shiro mused. "I hope they're not using it to reinforce those gun emplacements."
"I bet that's exactly what it's for," Franz groaned. "Glad you brought your rocket launcher."
When they turned the corner the whole team took a collective step back and a few curse words were muttered among them. A huge section of the wall was missing, to the point where they could see the sky above, thick with gray snow clouds. Wind whipped around them and across the way was a Fallen ship, hovering in the distance. Glowing sections could be seen from afar.
"You have to see this," Rorick said and Wren knew he was transmitting what they were seeing to Shiro and Saladin.
"Damn," Shiro said. "I've never seen Fallen do anything on this scale before. I'm sending in reinforcements."
"No," Saladin said. "You said yourself reinforcements will be pointless with those guns in place. Besides, they will not be prepared for what they find."
Rorick tensed and shook his head. There was no clear direction from Saladin and Shiro, which was enough to make them all uneasy. Wren wished someone else was in charge of them. Anyone else. Even Eris Morn. Sure, Eris had nearly gotten Wren killed more than once, but at least she was decisive about it."
"What is that thing?" Franz asked as they entered the area completely.
It wasn't hard to figure out what he was referring to. Beyond the Fallen ship, dwarfing it entirely, was a round machine of some sort. It was much larger than any Vex gate they'd seen, and didn't resemble one otherwise. Was it an engine for a ship? A turbine maybe? What ship would be that large?
An enormous red light illuminated the center, making it look like an eye watching them.
Splicer Dregs caught sight of them and charged. At first Wren was taken aback because their legs had been replaced with thick, metal spikes that pierced through the snow and ice with ease. They were easily killed but more were coming, accompanied by Vandals.
Cerulean stood almost shoulder to shoulder and destroyed the Fallen who dared to combat the Guardians. However, when the last Vandal died, something red like a bright, dense cloud, ripped through its body and swarmed toward the Guardians.
Wren and Beorn took shots at it but the bullets only tore away parts of the cloud and didn't stop or slow it at all.
"Get close!" Rorick demanded and popped his bubble around them.
The red cloud came closer and when it did, Wren saw that it was more like a swarm of insects than a cloud and when it came in contact with the bubble, it sizzled and faded away to nothing.
"Was that SIVA?" Wren asked.
Beorn glanced down at her, bright yellow optics searching her face place. "I believe it was."
Wren watched as the others left the bubble, headed toward a doorway that had been cut into a metal wall. Before, when she was sent in alone on a mission, she wished for her team to back her up. She wanted them there to fight with, to stand beside… but right now she wished they were anywhere else. Somewhere safe, away from SIVA.
"You coming?" Beorn asked, looking over his shoulder at her.
"Yeah." Wren trotted to catch up and remained close to Beorn's side as they walked in silence with only crunching of snow under their boots.
"Are you nervous?"
"Hm? I just have this feeling I can't shake. Like something's going to happen."
"Sometimes I forget how young you are," Beorn smiled. "We all feel that way. All the time. There's always the dread that someone might not come back." He glanced at Franz who was walking with Sisre, asking her questions about the new scope she'd bought for her sniper rifle. "In a weird way you get used to it. You can push it to the back of your mind because worrying about it constantly is draining and causes more harm than good. But it never really goes away."
Beorn grabbed her with one arm and pulled her in to lean down and bump his head against hers but it was so fast it threw her off balance and he laughed.
"Keep on your feet, Hunter."
"Holy shit," Franz breathed, and Wren looked up.
Ahead was… well, Wren wanted to call it a tunnel but it wasn't solid. Instead it was made of beams and rebar, made jagged and hot by SIVA. As if a giant molten worm had eaten its way through the metal and they were only following its path.
"I thought SIVA was just technology," Rorick said, his voice a hushed tone as they passed between red hot beams. "But this… it's like something that's alive. Moving, growing… completely out of control."
The clanking of boots on a catwalk echoed from the walls of the next room as Cerulean filed in. The same thick cables as before snaked in thick clumps across the wall and ceiling. Wren knew they must be machine, technology, but they seemed far more organic. They looked as though she could touch them and they'd feel like flesh. Like veins. They pulsed red and Wren kept closer to the edge of the catwalk to keep distance from them.
"These Devil Splicers are using SIVA, but they don't know how to control it," Saladin said. "They are like children with a new toy."
"I don't know of any toys that eat Russian industrial complexes," Sisre said flatly, tucking in her rifle as the corridor narrowed where the coils of SIVA had nearly overrun the area.
"Hurry up and get outside," Rorick said.
Out in the open, there was no more sense of safety than in the complex. Something was on fire in the distance, spewing great plumes of black smoke. Two steams of red shot across the sky, shortly followed by an explosion.
"Those guns were destroyed during the Collapse," Shiro said. "How did the Fallen…"
"It's not the Fallen," Saladin corrected.
"Maybe not, but the Fallen are the ones pulling the trigger. The Vanguard wants them down, so we're taking them down."
Cerulean fought their way across the field, through swarms of Exploder Shanks, Vandals, and Dregs, all of which were augmented by SIVA.
"Keep an eye out for the nanite swarms," Rorick said, referring to the red cloud of SIVA that had come from the Vandal before.
The closer they got to the weapons, the thicker the groups of Fallen became until they were slowed considerably. They took cover behind shipping crates, boulders, and pieces of vehicles that had been left behind and kept firing from safety.
"This is getting worse the closer we get," Rorick said. "I'm not sure we can reach the chamber."
"You must," Saladin said.
"Beorn, Franz, use your supers to clear them out."
"Gotcha boss," Franz said and the Twins pulsed with Void energy. The pair of them decimated the Splicers, ripping through them as if they were nothing until only a few remained to be picked off by Wren and the others.
"Let's move before they send in reinforcements," Rorick said, charging down the snow-covered slope, half sliding along the way.
The was he was leading them would take the fireteam along the outer edge of the gun emplacements, through a natural ravine. Cliff on either side weren't very promising and Wren wished they could go in from the top, where high ground could allow them the advantage, but she trusted Rorick's decision.
"Brix is reporting a high concentration of SIVA around the gun emplacements," Rorick said. "Be on guard."
"Even SIVA enhanced shields would require an energy source," Saladin said. "But be careful… there's something familiar about all this."
Cerulean came upon the first weapon, guarded by a Servitor and a few Vandals and Dregs. Sisre dropped to one knee and with a few well-placed sniper rounds, the Servitor spun erratically and exploded into shards of metal, some of which forced their way deep into the bodies of Fallen that were standing too close.
One of the Dregs tried to crawl back to safety, a piece of the Servitor wedged in the lower part of its back. Rorick approached it and with one shot to the back of the head, the Dreg went still.
"Alright Cerulean," Rorick said, "there's a new batch of Fallen incoming. Franz, Beorn, you two take out the generators supplying SIVA with power. Sisre, Wren, and I will take out the gun."
"Vira is getting high energy readings inside that section of the building over there," Franz said. "Help us get the area cleared and we'll get right on that."
"Will do," Rorick replied. He motioned Wren to stay back and she did, guarding the entrance as the sounds of a gunfight raged just inside.
The sounds grew more and more distant, until at last Rorick and Sisre joined her outside again. Every once in a while she could hear one of the Twins shooting, but it was so infrequent now she was able to relax her shoulders some.
"Shield power is dropping," Brix said.
"We have one more to go," Beorn said. "Okay, it's taken care of but I'm getting something weird. I don't think those guns out there are functional. I think the ones were looking for are farther into the complex. We'll wait at our current position for you to catch up."
"I really hate this," Sisre groaned. "The whole thing stinks."
"Wren, don't take this the wrong way," Rorick said as they entered the building, following the signal put out by Vira. "But while we were back at the Tower, did Cayde tell you anything?"
"Leave her alone, Rorick."
"I don't mean anything by it."
"I know," Wren interrupted. "Look, if Cayde were to have told me anything, I'd let you guys know. You're my fireteam and I don't want anyone getting hurt because I was withholding information. But Cayde hasn't told me anything. He didn't seem happy that he can't, but he hasn't said anything that Zavala and Lord Saladin haven't."
"I'm sorry. I won't ask again."
"Yeah, please don't," Sisre said. "It's uncomfortable. Let Wren do what she wants."
"That has nothing to do with it I just… I want to ensure this fireteams' safety."
"Look, I don't like this either," Wren said. "I don't like going into anything blind and I very much feel that way about this mission too. I hate not knowing. I hate figuring things out as we go. Cayde was worried too, which definitely doesn't ease my mind, but if I knew something I'd tell you, Vanguard rules be damned."
Rorick sighed and nodded. "You're right. I should have trusted you more. You're at the core of this team, Wren."
Wren didn't know how to reply, so she didn't. She might have brought them together, but she didn't feel like she was the core. They could still do amazing things without her, though together they were much better than alone.
They joined with the Twins and set off again, pushing farther into the complex until they reached an opening and from there, they could see the artillery as well as Fallen ships dropping off squads before leaving once more.
"If I didn't know better I'd say these Splicers are creating a beachhead," Shiro said. "Something of this size could be used against the City…"
"Well, those guns you said were destroyed?" Rorick said. "They may have been before, but SIVA has repaired them. What we say earlier was most definitely from these weapons."
"Look for a central SIVA node," Saladin instructed. "If you can manage to destroy it, you can break the Fallen's hold on the gun."
"I don't like how close we're going to have to get to do that."
"We got this," Franz said. "Now let's go blow shit up!"
"I have no clue how he's a Warlock," Sisre sighed and Franz took off running across the field toward the nearest gun emplacement.
"That moron!" Rorick said through gritted teeth before chasing after Franz.
Beorn cursed and followed as well, leaving only Wren and Sisre behind. Sisre began to set up her sniper rifle to assist from afar and Wren decide it was for the best that she join the men.
Energy rounds ricocheted off the ground at her feet, spraying up snow and bits of stone that clinked off her armor. She and Beorn covered Franz and Rorick as best they could, one taking the right and the other the left as the Warlock charged ahead, Rorick scolding him the whole way.
Franz slid into the bunker below the gun and the entire room lit up a bright, vibrant purple. A small explosion followed and Wren figured he'd thrown a grenade in when he slid, hoping it would kill any Splicers that might have been down there before they were ambushed. Rorick was not amused.
"What the hell is wrong with you?" he shouted. "It's imperative that you follow orders and keep in formation. I want everyone coming out of this in one piece."
"Sorry," Franz laughed, clapping a hand on Rorick's back before passing him to destroy the SIVA node that lay in a thick clump of cables toward the back of the bunker. "Damn, this place is completely overrun."
"One down, two to go," Sisre reminded, the thunderous sound of her sniper clearly heard from outside the bunker. "Don't waste time, I see more Fallen ships on the horizon."
"Keep high," Rorick said as the exited the bunker. He pointed to the left where the domes of other bunkers in the complex rose between the gun emplacements. He led the way, with Franz on his heels.
From there they were able to kill many of the Fallen who were trying to keep them at bay but a Captain abandoned his position guarding a SIVA node inside the next bunker and took several shots at the fireteam as they crossed the domes.
Beorn was thrown off balance, rolling forward to avoid being hit by possible SIAV nanites and in the process, sent himself tumbling down the side of the dome and into the crevice between it and the next bunker.
"Keep going, I got him," Rorick said and Wren ran passed, jumping over the gap and taking out the Captain with Franz's help.
They dropped into the bunker, destroyed the SIVA node, and watched at Beorn and Rorick ran by for the next emplacement. Wren and Franz didn't follow them this time, instead choosing to hang back in cover and take care of the Fallen who were quickly gaining on the other two. Sisre caught up with them as well, using her super to slam the Splicers into dissipating Arc energy.
"All SIVA nodes are cleared," Rorick reported as Cerulean cleared out the remaining Fallen from the area.
"Good job," Shiro praised. "Hawks are inbound. Try to hold that position until they get there."
An explosion from overhead knocked Franz, Sisre, and Wren back into the bunker. Wren's ears rung and her vision blurred with the force of the blow. She could see the form of Sisre sitting up but Franz was still and quiet for a solid ten seconds before his helmet twitched to the side.
"Are you guy okay? Cerulean, sound off," Rorick said.
"I'm alright," Sisre groaned.
"Same," Wren replied. She crawled over to Franz who needed help sitting up. "Franz is a little dazed but I think he'd alright. What the hell happened?"
"A Fallen ship came in and blasted the bunker," Beorn explained. "They're dropping a Walker so don't come out. We're going to hold the third bunker and Rorick is going to try to get it down with the rocket launcher."
"Shiro," Rorick said, "your reinforcements aren't going to make it in time."
SIVA swarmed around the Walker and red cables threatened to swallow it whole. A rocket whizzed by and when it did, Wren ducked away, putting herself between the blast and Franz who was struggling to get up. Sisre and Wren helped him get farther back and Vira was able to come out and heal him enough for him to stand.
"The rockets aren't strong enough," Rorick said. "It hardly seems to be damaging it at all. If you can, stay down but try to shoot at the front left leg. Its left, not mine. Maybe we can get it down that way and Wren and I can finish it off with supers."
"I don't think supers are gonna be enough for that thing," Franz said but he followed orders anyway.
The Walker made its slow advance toward the center of the field when the ground began to shake and spikes of SIVA shot up from the ground. They broke through rock and ice with ease, casting earth aside with sharp black edges and pulsing red cables. One by one they dotted the field and Wren's stomach tensed.
"Saladin? What's going on?" Shiro asked.
"It's directing the corruption to resurrect the guns!"
They opened fire on the SIVA columns but they regret nearly immediately.
"We can't destroy them. Go for the Walker!" Rorick demanded.
Hoards of Fallen were dropped overhead and Wren struggled to keep them at bay while Sisre and Franz crouched beside her, still in partial cover, and took aim for the Walker's leg. Rockets continued to fly and Sisre's sniper echoed through the bunker.
Sweat soaked the inside of her armor, making the material layer by her skin stick to her uncomfortably. Her hands shook and she struggled to keep her breathing even while feeling like her armor was suffocating her.
"Calm down," Kiran tried to sooth, but Wren just wanted out. Out of her armor, out of this situation. "You can do this. We've killed gods, remember? This… this is just a Walker. You've taken them out before, you can do it."
Wren gritted her teeth and with one more rocket, the Walker lurched back and fell, exposing the critical point between its head and body, which had overheated during the battle. They didn't have much time. The freezing winds would cool it down quickly.
Rorick ran past her and Wren forced herself to follow, taking out Fallen as they ran. When they got close enough, Rorick's body crackled with Arc bolts and he unleashed everything he had into the exposed core of the Walker. He used the force of his blows to crush metal, tear out wiring, and destroy cooling units.
Wren jumped over him, took aim, and allowed the Golden Gun to blaze in her palm. The shots ripped through the core and out the other side, leaving holes throughout.
The Walker shuddered and Rorick pushed Wren out of the way, landing on her to shield her as the Walker exploded around them. Shrapnel plunged into stone and flew in every direction, piercing Fallen armor and leaving them dying and gasping in the snow.
What Splicers were left, ran, abandoning their posts.
Wren and Rorick sat up as their team joined them, Sisre tackling Rorick so hard it nearly knocked him back. Beorn and Franz pulled Wren up and into a hug that lifted her off the ground while Franz let out a victory cry.
"Centuries passed and I have learned nothing," Saladin said. "Shiro, can you get the area clear and secured?"
"We'll do our best."
"Try. I believe fireteam Cerulean needs to meet me at the Temple. If we want to avoid the mistakes of the past, they must know about the fall of the Iron Lords."
Cerulean exchanged glances. This was it. The truth would finally be known to them.
The midafternoon sun sank over the mountain peaks to the west, casting a soft light over the Iron Temple. Torn banners drifted lazily in the breeze and although the snow had stopped, the temperatures were quickly dropping.
Cerulean followed Lord Saladin up the steps of the temple and into the inner sanctum where the darkness was illuminated by a massive fire lit in an iron basin. Statues of wolves circles both sides of the fire, their smooth eyes blazing with the reflection of the flames.
Rorick and Lord Saladin walked side by side with the rest of Cerulean behind as they crossed a narrow bridge toward the basin. All around the room were statues of what appeared to be knights, carved in stone and overlooking the central area. They must be the Iron Lords… Wren didn't like the way they made her feel so small. A tree in the back twisted toward the ceiling, a testament in a way to Guardians sprouting and thriving in the face of adversity. Or perhaps Wren was reading into it too much.
"This may not make sense to you," Saladin said. "But it took your fight to remind me that immortality does not mean invincibility."
"I'm not sure I follow," Rorick said, coming to a halt while the Saladin continued on. Cerulean stopped behind him, waiting for Saladin to speak.
Wren wasn't sure if Rorick meant it. They all know that death was not against the rules. Guardians died too, even if it was a difficult task.
Lord Saladin's Ghost floated from his palm and hovered over the fire. Blue light erupted from its shell in silence and traced across the floor, up the walls and statues, and toward the ceiling.
"When the Ghosts first found us, those who were chosen were blessed with power, not wisdom," Saladin explained.
The light of his Ghost concentrated over each statue, forming a panel over their heads like paintings. They showed the story that Saladin told and Wren took time to observe each as he spoke.
"The Iron Lords came together to find a solution to mankind's struggles. Instead, we found SIVA. We thought we could use it to built starships, colonies… we would become what the Traveler always believed we could be." He circled the basin, casting long shadows. "SIVA had been lost to time. When Timur tracked it to the Cosmodrone, we thought our quest was over. It would be ours for the taking. Rasputin responded."
Lord Saladin stared into the flames, as if transported to some far away place. Beorn shifted and Wren stepped a little closer to him. Franz glanced down at her and gave her hand a reassuring nudge. The sick feeling from before was creeping up again.
"More than a hundred Iron Lords entered the Plaguelands," Saladin continued. "Only nine made it to the replication chamber. But since we were chosen by the Traveler and our cause was just, we were sure the day would be ours. Until SIVA took control. It infected our weapons. Our armor. The corruption puppeted us against on another." His gaze trailed up the wall toward a statue, then he began to walk toward it. "In the end, Jolder sealed the chamber with the Iron Lords inside, rather than allow SIVA to escape."
Wren stared above the statue's head where an image depicted two Iron Lords reaching for one another through a closing door and her heart sank.
"A battle was won. Heroes died. And our mistakes stayed here."
"But Rasputin survived," Sisre said.
"This is not Rasputin. But neither is it something I know how to fight. They are using SIVA in ways we never even imagined."
"How did the Fallen learn more? about SIVA than the Iron Lords?" Rorick asked.
"Or better yet, where did they learn?" Beorn added.
Lord Saladin looked away, as if searching for an answer. "They haven't mastered SIVA yet. This is all still new to them…" his voice trailed off but his brow was furrowed and his jaw slack. "You must go and see Tyra. She has studied SIVA's origins. If there's a way to track the Fallen's discoveries, she will know where to look. Stay the night here and leave first thing in the morning."
"Of course," Rorick nodded. "Cerulean, let's get some rest."
The living quarters below the Iron Temple were simple. Rough carved walls, narrow halls, low ceilings. Rorick's head almost touched in some places and he had to be careful walking around inside. The steps leading down to the bronze door were steep and cut into the side of the mountain, curving around the cliffside to the south.
Inside there were no steps or doors, only Iron Lord banners that hung over doorways. There were two doors to the left and two on the right, with the right side bearing nameplates outside for Shiro and Saladin. The other two were unoccupied so Cerulean split up to share them.
They ate their dinner, rations prepared at the Tower, and settled in for the night. Sisre and Wren sat in the middle of the bed, which was covered in thick furs and pillows that were dusty from not being used in what might have been years.
Despite there being fireplaces in the main area, the rooms were cool and Wren's toes were already cold. She tucked her feet under herself while Sisre laid down and stretched.
"Is something bothering you?" she asked.
"Hm? What do you mean?"
"Well, we've hung out a few times recently and you seem really distracted. Anything you want to talk about?"
"I don't know."
Kiran appeared and nudged her shoulder, then settled into the furs beside Sisre and Sambo.
"Before all this stuff with SIVA, I went on a scouting mission and Kiran led me to a bunker in the middle of this field."
"Golden Age?"
"Yeah, but I didn't go in there for any of that. He thought there might have been a cache in there. One of Cayde's."
"And I guess you found it."
"We did. See, Cayde told me once that each of his caches has a card symbol on it representing different things and hearts were for a girl he once knew. When I found the first one I didn't want to know what was in there. I just turned my back and walked away. When Kiran asked about it, Cayde side stepped the question and the subject was dropped. But in that bunker…"
"You found one with a heart on top and got curious. What was in it?"
Wren shook her head. "Nothing that made sense. There were things belonging to a bunch of different women and a journal that I think might have been from before he was an Exo."
"Wow. That's hundreds of years. Wonder how it survived?"
"Probably the fact that it was in a watertight cache in a bunker that looked to be for long term housing. Either way, a good bit of it was still damaged and illegible. All I could tell was something about a woman named Dovie, their son Ace, and a bunch of drawing of them. But when I asked Cayde about her, the description he gave me didn't fit the drawings in the journal."
"You told him you went through his cache?"
"No, I was afraid he'd be angry."
"I would be."
"I would be too, which is why I feel bad about it. Part of me wants to come clean and tell him, but I'm worried about how he'll take it. Not to mention, I'm way more curious now than I was before I found it. I wanted to know more, but now I'm just confused, and I want answers."
"Well, as much as I can sit here and say you were in the wrong for going through his things, I also think if he wants something long term with you, he needs to open up about his past some."
"But not like this. I don't know what to do."
"It'll bug you until you fess up. You know that."
"I know." Wren hugged the dusty old pillow and leaned forward until her face was buried in the soft furs. "When we get back, I'll tell him."
"Why don't you get under here. You have goosebumps."
Wren got into bed beside Sisre and stared at the ceiling where candlelight flickered across the textured stone. She shivered at the warmth but her toes and fingers were still numb and tingling and her nose was starting to hurt.
"I know it's daunting but you've been through way scarier situations than an angry Cayde. And who knows? Maybe he won't be mad about it at all. On another note, I have to thank you."
"For what?"
"See, Guardians don't make a lot of Glimmer. I mean, we can depending on the job, but since you came around and we became the top fireteam at the Tower, Rorick and I have made enough Glimmer that we can finally get married and move out of the Tower."
"That's great, Sisre."
"I want you to be my maid of honor. There's a lot of ritual and tradition around it but I think you can pull it off. Rorick is supposed to be asking Franz and Beorn to be his groomsmen and I'm sure they'll say yes. I'll be bringing in some old friends as bridesmaids, so I'll introduce them to you, but it'll be relatively small."
"That's exciting! When will the wedding be?"
"A couple of months I think. We want to wait until after the Dawning celebration, if we can make that happen. That'll give us time to finish setting up our home and get the wedding planned. I'll need a lot of help."
"Anything you need, just say the word."
Sisre smiled and shuffled down deeper into the furs. "I love you, Wren."
"Love you, too."
"Commander Zavala has put us in contact with Tyra Karn," Rorick said as Cerulean's raced closer to the given coordinates.
It'd been several hours since they'd left the Iron Temple and had flown all the way to Mars in radio silence with the Tower, the Vanguard, and Lord Saladin. Wren felt uncomfortable with the silence and in a way, it was like they'd been abandoned. Where was Cayde? She expected him to contact her as he had before, but there was nothing.
Now they sped across a Martian wasteland on their Sparrows, waiting for any word from their leaders. Wren wished she could take joy in the ride, but the tension between them was palpable.
"In my search for more information about SIVA, I discovered some recent unexplained phenomenon near Clovis Bray," Tyra said.
"That's deep in Cabal territory," Saladin said. "I find it unlikely that the Fallen would have time to experiment in those labs undisturbed."
"True, but there are records of SIVA prototypes that were never recovered. They could be the missing link."
"Lord Timur also spoke of these prototypes. Very well, old friend. Let's follow this path."
Comms went quiet and Wren rolled her eyes. Hell, at least they could agree as to what Cerulean was doing. Now it was getting through the heavily guarded Cabal territory that they had to worry about.
So far they'd been able to avoid most of them, but as they neared a ruined city, they slowed down to wind between the buildings. Wren followed up at the end of the line, glancing around for snipers in windows. She was ready to boost and get out of there at any sign of an enemy.
"I hate this," Franz muttered an instant before a shot rang out, clipping the tail of his Sparrow, inches from where he was sitting. "Go!"
The whole fireteam hit the accelerator at the same time, shooting through the city streets as Cabal took shots at them from above. Bullets and energy rounds hit the dirt all around and panic blossomed through the Guardians, taking a toll on their abilities to navigate. They nearly hit each other and with no idea where the next attack was coming from, they had no choice but to race blindly ahead.
A round slammed into the front of Wren's Sparrow and she lurched to the side, clipping the back of Beorn's Sparrow. She overcorrected and the Sparrow rolled, sending her sprawling in a barrel roll. Metal caught her cloak and tangled her in it, shredding the fabric until the Sparrow rolled free in a cloud of dust. Fire erupted from the fuel tank and Wren knew it was down for the count. Kiran transmatted it away.
"Beorn!" she called, trying to get to her feet but the world spun around her. Pain shocked through her shoulder and her left knee buckled when she tried to stand. She stumbled and hit her knees, disoriented. "Help!"
"I'm coming!" he replied.
The dust hadn't had time to settle but Cabal were taking blind shots toward where they thought she was. Beorn flew past her, circling around to kick up more dirt before heading back toward her. He grabbed her arm and pulled her behind him on the Sparrow.
"Do you have her?" Franz asked.
"Yeah, I got her. Now get the hell outta here!"
Rorick blazed the trail, leading them out of the heart of the city to where the attacks stopped. They wound up outside of a complex with a few Legionaries guarding the entrance. Overhead were the words Clovis Bray in giant type.
Rorick and Franz advanced, killing the guards as Sisre and Beorn checked on Wren.
"Your helmet is damaged," Beorn said. "Is your air filtration working?"
"Kiran says yes."
"How do you feel?" Sisre asked, looking Wren over.
"Dizzy but okay. I think I broke something while I was rolling but Kiran healed me while we were riding so I'm alright now."
"Good," Rorick said as he and Franz finished off some Psions who had come in a reinforcements to the Legionaries. "Those snipers in the city are likely to tell the others we're coming. We need to infiltrate as quickly as possible and hope we can surprise the Cabal before they have time to rally against us."
Cerulean entered the building when Tyra Karn contacted them again.
"I can direct you to the biolabs," she said, "though it might take some investigation to find the SIVA prototypes once you're in there."
"I have faith in our young wolves," Saladin said. "They will find a way forward, I'm certain of it."
"Young wolves?" Franz said, turning to Rorick who only replied with a shrug. "I'm gonna take that as a term of endearment and move on."
"Standby," Rorick said. "I'm going to get Brix to open this door. Be ready, I think I hear Cabal on the other side."
The door slid open and immediately the Cabal were attacking. There was no way of telling the size of the lab from here, as most of it was hidden by stairways leading up to the right, then thick cement pillars. Half of the room was in darkness, with the only lights being upstairs, behind the Cabal lines.
Cerulean eliminated the guards, then stepped over their bodies as they entered the upper section of the lab. The walls were decorated with red paint and Clovis Bray logos. Monitors and command consoles were placed about the space, as well as data storage.
"I don't see any signs for SIVA research," Rorick said. "Everyone, split up and get your Ghosts to scan these consoles. What we're looking for has to be here somewhere."
Within minutes Sambo spoke up. "Who knew accessing dangerous Golden Age information would be so easy," he laughed. "There's an intact date store right below us."
"Then we have to find a way to it," Rorick said, reloading his auto rifle. "Let's move."
They fought their way through corridors and down to an area with a wall of grimy windows that looked out over the red, Martian sands. It was too easy. Far too easy. There had only been one Colossus and a few Phalanx as the heavy hitters in the guard and Wren didn't trust it. What if they were leading the Guardians into a trap? She wound the charm chains around her hand and stayed on high alert.
Deeper into the bowls of the complex they walked, away from any natural light and into corridors that were too dark to see in places.
"Unfortunately, my resources say you're going to have to go underground," Tyra said. "You might need to find a… direct route down."
"Shit," Franz sighed. "Are we throwing ourselves down an elevator shaft?"
"Relax," Rorick said. "We'll find a way."
They exited into another area with floor to ceiling windows but this time it was larger, with multiple stories.
"Brix says the schematics of the complex have the doors of the elevators on the lowest level in this area, facing the windows," Rorick said.
"Of course. Fucking elevators," Franz groaned.
Rorick and Beorn pried the elevator doors apart and looked over into the shaft.
"Damn," Beorn breathed.
"What? How far is it?" Franz neared the edge and with one swift move, Beorn shoved him into the shaft where Franz fell, cussing up a storm.
Beorn laughed. "Relax, it's not far at all."
The others followed Franz, dropping into the shaft. At the bottom Franz took a less than playful jab at Beorn's shoulder, only to recoil in pain when he struck the Exo.
"Look," Sisre said and the fireteam walked toward the end of the short hallway to another open area. "Nothing says "we're in the right place" quite like dead Fallen."
Bodies littered the floor. The Cabal hadn't even bothered to clean the corpses up and seemed content to let them rot, probably as a sign to intruders.
"Heads up!" Rorick said an Cabal who had been hiding in the back of the area opened fire.
Cerulean took cover and began to shoot back.
"See what you did?" Beorn teased. "All that commotion you made about a tiny little drop brought the Cabal on us. Tsk tsk."
"Shut up ya bag of bolts."
"Concentrate," Rorick scolded.
Sisre shuddered with Arc energy as she flew past Wren and the Twins. Franz took her lead and followed, Void energy pulsing. The pair of them cleared the Cabal toward the back of the room as the rest of their fireteam took up the rear, finishing off anything they missed.
"Hey, there's a terminal back here," Sisre called and they all joined with her.
"Brix, check it out."
The Ghost hovered a few feet from Rorick, then began his scan of the console.
"Ah, this is it," he said. "One of Clovis Bray's research archives. Now to rummage through the files…"
"Just search for SIVA."
"Interesting… it would seem there were multiple prototypes, each programmed to serve a different function. One that builds constructs, viral armor enhancements… let's see… ah, here we are! Cybernetic diagnostics! Just what the Fallen would need for—"
The floor rumbled under their boots, starting off small but quickly intensifying until Wren thought the metal and cement might crack.
"We have company," Rorick said, readying his rocket launcher. "Franz, Wren, watch the left. Beorn, can you get the right side alone?"
"If I need help I'll let you know," the Exo said as he sprinted away to find cover at the bottom of the right hand stairs where enemies were already pouring through the doors.
"Keep it up!" Rorick said, encouraging his team. Smaller enemies came in droves but they were no match for the Guardians.
"I see a Colossus in mid," Sisre said, taking aim with her sniper. "Rorick, can you draw that thing out? It keeps hiding behind that column and I can't get a clear shot."
"I'll do one better," Rorick said, running out of cover and using his super to punch his way through enemies, their bodies disintegrating with sparks of Arc. It was enough to not only bring the Colossus out of hiding, but to deal a decent amount of damage to it.
The Cabal's screams intensified and he dropped to his knees as his body sparked and writhes with bolts of Arc electricity. While he was downed, Sisre took her shots, piercing the Colossus' skull and taking him out for good. His screams went silent and he fell forward onto the floor.
"We're clear," Wren said.
"Over here too," Beorn replied.
"Ah, the young wolves strike again," Lord Saladin said. "Tyra, the prototype archives. Will they be enough to identify a weakness in the Fallen's hold on SIVA?"
Tyra laughed. "I should be the last to remind you that I'm a scholar, not a scientist. But between myself and Shiro, we'll leave no stone unturned. You'll have your defense."
"Good work, Cerulean," Saladin said. "Return to the Tower and report to your Vanguard. This might take time to track these leads, so resume your daily activities as normal and we'll let you know as soon as we find something."
"Urg, let's get the hell outta this dust bowl," Franz said, holstering his weapon. "You can ride back to the landing zone with me, Wren. Your Sparrow is beyond fucked so we'll have to fix that before we get sent out again."
"Alright Cerulean," Rorick said. "Let's go home."