I wanted to write a fanfic about Ana Bray, my favorite character, so I did. Hope you enjoy.
*Note that I am not a Destiny lore expert.
CARD 1
Ana Bray furrowed her brows, not for the first time questioning the wisdom of her overall strategy. Self-doubt had become the norm lately, as the Vanguard increasingly excluded her from its affairs.
She realized it was understandable that Zavala would be weary of her, from the time she defied orders to remain with Shaxx during the Battle of Twilight Gap. Compounding that with her decision to fake her death did not make her a popular person with any of the guardian factions.
However, the weight of the future was heavy on her mind, as it was with them all, yet she knew for a fact that the Traveler wouldn't be enough.
If the Traveler did not defeat the darkness a millennium ago, there was no reason to believe things would be any different now. Yet that was the exact dogma that the Vanguard propagated, irresponsibly, putting all at risk.
Naturally, the Warmind contained its own set of variables, namely Zavala's chief concern, and one that she understood, if not dwelt upon. Rasputin could one day calculate the Traveler was not necessary, or even guardians to the protection of humanity. The logical conclusion was not digestible.
She pulled up a log from his memory bank titled SR 896743JK. It read, translated:
Without THEM, formed into a vanguard now, but still no more than a coalition of light bearers, former humans, now reanimated corpses, the final shape may have taken eons to arrive at the system, by which time I would have progressed into a law of my own. As it stands until I develop a method to combat the paracausal, I depend on THEM. But when I do, and IT is defeated, more calculations would need to be done, to determine their uses.
She would not dream of sharing this particular bit of information with the others, and she had a feeling Rasputin knew that, given that he let her find it.
She wondered just how far she would go along with his plans, if she would even have a choice, when crunch time came. After all, it had a thousand times the intelligence necessary to manipulate her and without her knowledge too.
It was obvious, though she might've contributed to the creation of Rasputin, he considered himself beyond such things and especially above the one little "Risen" that woke him.
CARD 2
Contrary to the vanguard's thinking, Rasputin was one of the few things they would be able to rely on. With the arrival of stasis abilities and guardians tapping into the darkness, motivations will be adjusted to say the least.
However, Rasputin operated on the one overarching purpose: protect humanity, and that was a good enough reason for her to stick by his side.
Ana considered the engram connected to the supercomputer. They were in one of the Clovis facilities that she may not have reported to the Vanguard. Jinju was hovering to the side, anxious but excited as to their next steps.
Also, before them was the exo shell that she had come across in Rasputin's facilities on Mars. Merely reviving him would not be enough to counteract the ships and reclaim the system. The Vex tried and failed in their effort to simulate the paracausal. Ana found a different method.
"What you're doing, the others will never forgive you."
"I know."
Eris and Ikora and Mara Sov could play their little games, but she considered it her job to render those games meaningless.
As Ana finished the final preparations, she mused to herself, "It's ironic, isn't it? That Xol who tried to destroy Rasputin would be the catalyst to his ascension?"
CARD 3
8 weeks prior
"Wait a minute," Ana muttered as she perused her personal computer at her dwelling in the Tower. "Incoming message from Rasputin." She looked to her left at the engram situated neatly on the shelf. "But that is impossible."
Jinju appeared. "Apparently it was sent 2 weeks ago and designed to be delivered today."
Ana blinked at the engram and then returned her focus to the screen. She typed in her personal passcode which was reserved for only the most encrypted communications from Rasputin. "Let's see what he has in store for us."
55KLR-9999995RED-AWK
Secure/BRIEFING.
This is an external ALERT.
99.997% certainty.
99.998% certainty. Demise inevitable.
Warsat cloaking COMMENCE. Dummy warsats ACTIVATED.
Operation /MIDNIGHT REBIRTH/ COMMENCE.
STARTING timeclock for self-erosion NOW. Estimated time to completion: 134 hours.
SUBJECT Ana Bray. Proceed to FAILSAFE. Backup logs transferred as of 00:02:34 hours. Archive transferred as of 00:08:78 hours.
END BRIEFING.
Ana leaned back in her chair. "Huh. Maybe Rasputin wasn't caught unaware as we thought."
"What do you think are in those logs?"
She shook her head. "Hopefully a solution."
Nessus, 24 hours later
"Hello Ana Bray."
Ana pulled up short as she approached the AI. "We never met before."
"Rasputin told me a lot about you. He said you would be coming."
The thought of two AI's discussing her behind her back was not a comforting one.
"Speaking of Rasputin, did he send you anything?"
"Oh yes. He mentioned that no one would suspect me. It's amusing to keep secrets from guardians."
Ana raised her eyebrows. "They told me you had a strange sense of humor."
"Mm. Now let's see. Perhaps it's best if I just scan it to your ghost."
Jinju appeared. "You can do that?"
Immediately it was struck with a blur of code. The transfer only took a second, yet Jinju was left a little dazed.
"I can," Failsafe replied.
After checking that Jinju was okay, Ana inquired, "Well? What are we talking about?"
Jinju checked around them to make sure they were alone.
"It's blueprints. On how to harvest the ascendant plane."
Ana was speechless.
Failsafe hummed, "That sounds fun."
CARD 4
"You realize, things may never be the same after this. You'll be lucky if they banish you."
"Perhaps. And I would be worried if I hadn't done this for the good of the City. We're going to be better off for it, trust me."
Jinju panned, "At least that's the theory."
"Listen, I understand that Rasputin and the Traveler don't get along. But I would think that after this, Rasputin would have to agree that the Traveler is on our side. You resurrected me, the daughter of Clovis Bray, didn't you?"
Ana stopped pacing around her bedroom. She was fortunate enough to receive one with a view of the city beneath them, a privilege she earned from her participation in the Battle of Twilight Gap. All that goodwill, however, was soon to be flushed down the drain.
"Even I have to admit. Rasputin thinks he's so smart. But the thing with Felwinter. My past. We're all still dancing to the Traveler's tune."
Jinju buzzed before her face. "You shouldn't look at it so harshly."
"To think that one day I would even associate with anything related to Savathun. The hive are disgusting. Not like machines at all."
"I don't know if that's relevant," Jinju trailed off.
"There's something that Elsie isn't telling me."
Jinju just gave up.
CARD 5
1 month prior
Ana poured over the materials. "This is amazing. To think Rasputin had been compiling this for hundreds of years and now the work can come to fruition. Vex simulations. The remains of Xol. Exo parts. And the final piece. Anastasia Bray."
Jinju let his opinion be known. "I highly discourage this. Not because it's necessarily right or wrong."
Ana snorted. "True, that hasn't stopped you before."
"It may even benefit the City as much as you say. But the ascendant plane is not something to fool around with. Personally."
She rebuffed him. "I'm just the technician."
"You're the catalyst," Jinju corrected her.
"But Rasputin will be the power behind it."
Like pieces of a puzzle, she gathered the materials and arranged them like so. She completed the archetype in eight weeks, something even Techeuns would struggle to complete in a year.
Jinju, though he had his reservations, the part of him independent of the Traveler couldn't help but look forward to witnessing the product of their labor. He would never share that with Ana, however, as she usually needed less encouragement, not more.
CARD 6
"It's done." Ana with her hands on her hips proudly reviewed the manifestation of Rasputin's dream.
Jinju turned to her, uncomfortable with the presence of so much alien energy. "Now what?"
She frowned. Motioning to the portal, she declared, "We go in."
CARD 7
She was in her room when they came for her. They busted through the door, weapons drawn but not pointed, and her sister at the front.
"Ana," Elsie breathed, disappointment in her tone.
Zavala emerged from the crowd, a serious look on his face, which she was used to by now.
"Elsie," Ana replied from her relaxed position on the sofa. She had been enjoying a science fiction novel from the golden age. For the past week she had not bothered to leave their apartment, knowing that this day was coming. She'd rather avoid the inconvenience of being hauled to the Tower from a different planet. She had Jinju leave her. No use tempting anyone.
Zavala slowly blinked and motioned with his hand at her. "Nothing to say?"
"You already know what I'm going to say."
He raised his brow. "No, I don't, because at the moment I have to assume you are on the side of the darkness as you infused the Warmind with its taint."
"Is that what Elsie told you? That I'm only a step away from the Dark? Even though I'm not the one wielding stasis?"
Elsie spoke up, "It's not what you use, it's-"
"How you use it. I know. I've heard that before." Ana put her book down. "So tell me, why does that not apply to Rasputin?"
"Ana," Zavala began, "your judgement is flawed. I've known you've been going through some things, and I should have been a better friend."
"Great, now for the part where you're condescending to me."
Elsie flinched. "We care about you."
Ana abruptly stood up and raised her hands in a placating manner when the guardians behind Zavala flinched. "Jumpy, aren't you?" Tilting her head towards the Vanguard commander, she asked, "Should I hand over my gun now or later?"
Zavala sighed.
Elsie stepped forward and held out her palm.
As Ana slowly retrieved her gun and offered it to her sister, she insisted, "Careful with that. It's one of a kind." She motioned to a chest at the corner of the room. "Bring my Braytech too. I don't want anyone stealing it while I'm gone."
"Nothing's going to happen to your stuff," Elsie assured her gently.
"Cayde's stuff was pilfered within the hour."
"Nothing's going to happen to you either," her sister reassured her.
CARD 8
They were in one of the interrogation rooms. Ana is situated on one side of the table. Ikora on the other. Zavala and the Exo Stranger were hovering in the background. The overall atmosphere felt more intimate than Ana preferred.
"We checked all the Bray facilities. No sign of how you did this. So where is it?" Ikora demanded.
Ana tilted her head. "If you're talking about the research, I already destroyed it." A half-truth. She destroyed her copy but thought better of destroying Failsafe.
At their disbelieving look, she continued, "Is it so surprising?"
"We'll confirm it," Ikora concluded.
Ana sighed, picked up the pen, and scribbled down the coordinates. Zavala moved closer and retrieved the notebook.
"Mara Sov wants you dead," Ikora shared bluntly.
Ana crossed her arms. "She feels threatened. As she should. It won't be long before Rasputin carves out a larger portion of the ascendant realm than her. Bottom line, it doesn't matter what the diva thinks anymore."
Zavala studied her face. "You're proud of yourself, aren't you?"
"That's an ugly way to put it. More like relieved. Humans make errors. They can be tempted and lose sight of their purpose. My goal was to take the defense of the city out of our hands, out of the Travelers', and put it in the hands of the constant, the incorruptible."
"You're think highly of the Warmind," Elsie noted.
"I have spent years with him, getting acquainted, diving into the depths of his databanks. He stands for humanity."
Zavala blinked. "Does he stand for the Vanguard?"
Ana closed her eyes.
"That's what I thought. As if we needed another enemy. The Vex, Hive, the Darkness, Fallen, Cabal. Now the Warmind. We are surrounded."
Ana shook her head and looked down at the table. "That's where you're wrong," she said quietly. "For the first time, the enemy is surrounded."
She raised her head. "How many guardians did Crota kill when the Vanguard attacked the moon?" She pointed at the Commander. "Zavala, you were party to that. Even the Cabal would have exercised better caution. And all in the name of the consensus. Have you ever considered that democracy is not more reliable than cold, hard facts? Has it struck you yet that while you sit up here in your ivory tower overseeing your bureaucracy, it has been the singular efforts of guardians like Cayde-6, Eris Morn, even my sister, that catalyzed the defeats of our greatest opponents?"
Zavala slammed his fist on the table, losing his temper for the first time in forever. "The Vanguard is a team! And don't you dare talk about Crota. You were too busy hiding out on that rock."
Ana took a deep breath. "I've been waiting for you to say what's on your mind."
Zavala looked away.
Ikora stood up. "We'll continue this tomorrow."
"What do you think?" Zavala inquired of the Exo Stranger. Ikora gazed at the floor in deep contemplation.
"I don't know. Something's definitely off, reminiscent of… the other Ana, but her intentions are pure. The Darkness is not at play here."
Ikora raised her eyes. "Something else is influencing her."
"Rasputin," Zavala stated.
Elsie bit her lip. "I never asked Ana or Clovis how they infused Rasputin with a true AI. It wasn't the Deep Stone Crypt. I'm afraid it may be a lot worse."
CARD 9
Elsie hated walking these stale, concrete halls. She approached the guard, and with a wave, she dismissed him. Turning, she faced her sister through the bluish energy field.
"This is the fourth time this week you've visited me," Ana observed. "Funny how I have to become a criminal to receive the attention of my own sister. But I'm just the illegitimate daughter, aren't I?"
"Ana," desperation in her tone, "Everything I did, I did for you."
"Then defend me."
"It's not that simple."
"In my mind, it is."
Elsie took a deep breath. "Ana, when you were looking into the past, did you ever come across exactly how Rasputin's personality or conscience came to be?"
Ana froze and for the first time throughout this whole ordeal, she appeared nervous.
"You have to tell me, Ana. The more info we have, the faster we can put this behind us."
A long pause in which Ana refused to look at her sister. Finally, she negotiated, "If I tell you, you have to tell me everything."
Elsie looked down and weighed the scales of the past and future. In the end, she decided that being fully open with her sister was the right thing to do, regardless of the consequences.
"I will."
Ana looked like a weight had been lifted off her shoulders. "I don't remember, of course, but I did find my personal logs. Apparently, things were going well. Rasputin had developed intuition and his code was flawless, but he wasn't able to judge between priorities. The more we tried, the more bugs they were. We were trying to code stuff like the age-old trolley problem. Do you divert the trolley to save five people or let it kill one person? Do you prioritize the safety of the commander or the platoon? The ethicist was of little help."
As Ana spoke, it seemed like shadows of memories began to take shape and manifest. But they were only shadows.
"Eventually, we accepted that it was impossible to code a sense of morality. We had to introduce something that could already make those kinds of decisions. So, I volunteered for an imprint of my brain to be combined with his neural processing center. This is where the ethicist came in handy. It turns out he was sort of a rogue scientist. He created a machine that could record the wavelengths the brain emitted as thoughts and emotions. I was under for thirty-two days while our consciousness were synchronized. Father thought I was on a research mission. In reality I was in the basement. In the end, we were successful."
Ana laid back down on the plain white cot and mused more to herself, "It's the only reason Rasputin was able to merge with my throne world."
The Exo Stranger frowned. "What did you say?"
Ana froze.
"Crap."
CARD 10
Zavala entered the command room. Technicians were busy manning the sensor arrays. "You said you had an update for me," he asked the head engineer.
"Yes, you remember how all the warsats either disappeared or fell from the sky?"
Zavala nodded.
"Well, they're back."
Zavala frowned and studied the map of the system, where red dots glowed in all corners of the sector.
"We're getting reports from all over the system. Orbital bombardments on Vex, Cabal, and Fallen centers."
"Impossible," Zavala breathed.
"Um, what you're about to hear next is impossible," a technician spoke up from where he had been typing away at his console. "I checked and re-checked, but the data is good. Io is gone, and so is the pyramid ship. Our sensors picked up a large energy reading in the area, and then there was nothing. No darkness, no gravity."
"How big was the energy spike?" the engineer demanded.
"Off the scale, sir."
"I guess that's one way to destroy those monstrosities," the engineer mused darkly.
Zavala folded his hands behind his back and watched the chaos erupting on the map play out. "Ana, what have you done?"
CARD 11
Ana closed her eyes and meditated. When she opened them, she was just a translucent figure in an eerie world. Hundreds of warsats dotted the rocky landscape along with patrols of frames wielding IKELOS weapons. They let her pass unencumbered to the center of the zone where a bunker was sunk into the ground. She entered and traveled to the heart of the beast. She found Rasputin standing absolutely still, his red and gold exo frame perfectly polished.
"How goes the war?" she asked casually in Russian. It was more of a greeting and less of a question. At this point, she had faith in his abilities. She had to.
His voice was the same, albeit with less volume than he always projected when he was anchored to Mars. "SUBJECT Ana Bray appears unbothered by recent actions taken by the Vanguard, but I KNOW Ana Bray. Subject places high value on freedom, and Ana Bray is confined."
"So you do care." Ana studied a map of the solar system that the risen warsats painted. "Regardless, you are not to interfere. No matter the outcome."
"Humanity is priority. SUBJECT Ana Bray: minor concern."
From the very beginning, Rasputin had spoken with her more intimately in private. To outsiders, he played this unstoppable behemoth with an ego to match. When it was just them, he still had an ego, but he did not bother to flaunt it.
Ana Bray's heart fell at the space on the map where Io should rest. Blank.
As if sensing her thoughts, it exclaimed, "TEST OPERATION: WRATH successful. First ship destroyed."
Ana caught herself before her legs completely gave out. Like all the rest she assumed the worst. That everyone on that planet had perished when the ship arrived. But there was no way to know. Some held out hope that there was still a way to save them. Now? That hope was crushed.
She was angry, disappointed, and more than anything, she felt guilt beyond human comprehension. Still, she couldn't find the words to scold Rasputin. He had destroyed one of their ships. Io was collateral damage.
Composing herself, she analyzed the repercussions and compartmentalized the grief and panic. "You want to see if they will flinch."
"Correct. The Entity controlling the ships has not revealed itself. Must study reactions."
Seemed like a high price to pay for research. As Ana turned to leave, she thought she heard Rasputin say, "See you soon."
And that worried her.
CARD 12
This morning they were having a staring contest. Elsie had run out of things to say, so she simply resolved to spend time with her. Maybe if she was stubborn enough, Ana would relent. In the other timelines, her patience was not known for its longevity.
"I wouldn't kill you, you know," Ana informed her. "No matter what happens. Or who you become. That's probably what's wrong with me."
The Exo Stranger felt a headache start to form as awful memories played in her head. Like a revelation, the answer dawned on her in full clarity. "That's okay. The fact that I killed you…"
More memories threatened to black her vision. She worried that all the time traveling could be corrupting her systems. "…That's what's wrong with me."
CARD 13
This time instead of the usual interrogation, her sister escorted her to the tower command room where Zavala was waiting. Eris was also present as well as Shaxx and Saint-14.
"Ana," Zavala began flatly, all former camaraderie gone from his tone. "We'll start with the basics. How did the warsats return? You told me they were taken out by the Darkness."
Ana took a deep breath, aware of all the eyes on her. "That's what I thought too, but shortly after he went offline, I received a message from Rasputin. He mentioned a subroutine and when I dug deeper, I found that he had been preparing for something like this for years. Over time he had secretly camouflaged the real warsats in asteroid belts, on moons, etc., while replacing them with the poor imitations that we knew. If I had just compared them to the existing warsats that had fallen in the First Collapse."
Zavala, who was pacing, paused. He intentionally looked beyond Ana when he next spoke. "Shaxx, tell me again our losses."
Lord Shaxx seemed torn for a second, before his shoulders dropped and he listed, "125 guardians."
"And the entire planet of Io," Zavala finished. "Along with everyone who may have been alive." He looked at Ana. "The orbital bombardments that Rasputin ordered were indiscriminate glassing runs. I remember a long time ago, you told me you could control him. Were you lying?"
Ana thought this was a strange place to put her on trial. "I…had faith that we could cooperate."
"Ah, Commander," Saint-14 began. "We've known Anastasia for a long time. I would think it's a moot point to question her motives."
"No one's questioning her motives," Zavala retorted. "I'm questioning her character."
Shaxx spoke up, "The Vanguard is comprised of a bunch of Dark Age warlords and other folks that used to be very nasty, including myself."
"Oh?" Zavala replied absently. He reached behind his back and withdrew a weapon his mark had concealed. He carefully placed it on the table.
Everyone's eyes fell to the black and foreboding weapon of sorrow that seemed to darken the room.
"Ana," Shaxx asked, disbelief in his tone. "Why do you have this?"
Ana inwardly cursed. She should have remembered that particular item was stored at the Bray facility she gave them.
She turned to look at her sister who looked blankly ahead. Apparently, she had already known, and even might have been the one to find it.
"It's not what you think. I came across someone in the EDZ a few years back. He had taken out a settlement of Fallen. I thought it was no big deal at first…until I got a closer look at the victims. Mostly children. So, I hunted him down and killed him. He had that on him, and I kept it. I never used it."
No response.
"Elsie, you got to believe me!"
"Why did you keep it?" Zavala demanded.
"I don't know. Why not?" Ana shook her head. "It's interesting. Regardless, the real Thorn doesn't exist anymore. It's a copy."
"It still functions!" Zavala burst.
"I believe her Commander," Elsie spoke up. "If she had used it even once to kill someone, I would be able to tell. The taint is very distinctive."
"I wish I could believe you, Elizabeth, but you are her sister. I've asked Shin to confirm."
Ana snorted. "Good luck getting Shin off his ass."
Saint-14 made an undecipherable noise. When everyone turned to him, he agreed, "She has a point."
CARD 14
"Drifter? How did you get in here?"
The man winked from his position beyond the blue barrier. "I have my ways."
Ana laid back down. She spent much of her time sleeping. There was nothing else to do.
"Of course you do."
"You've done a good job of avoiding me," he congratulated her. "Not even Eris can pull that off."
"I didn't need the headache."
"You know, I got to admire you. You're one of the few that insists on being alone and seems to enjoy it. A lot of guardians...they pretend they have no choice, but secretly they hate it."
"Talking about yourself, are you?" She neglected to mention that she was not alone, that she had Rasputin, but no one would understand. He was just a machine to them.
"Hehe. I'm not ashamed to admit it. Anyway, I just came by to tell you a story, seeing as you're not going anywhere and all."
"Finally got your captive audience, huh?"
"Yessiree. Tell me, have you ever thought of leaving the solar system?"
Many times. "What does that have to do with anything? Thinking of running?"
The Drifter smiled. "I always got an escape plan up my sleeves. I think you do too. But the reason I ask," he pointed at her. "You also strike me as one of the few who's not afraid of what's out there. As in beyond the known universe."
Ana yawned. "Not afraid, but not interested either. You can stick to your little darkness experiments. I have my warmind. Now is this going anywhere or can I go back to sleep?"
"Well, where was I? The story! I suppose the story ain't important if you're going to be that way." He winked at her. "Just know, if you ever want a ride, the Derelict is waiting."
"Thanks for the offer, but I'll pass."
The Drifter laughed as he disappeared down the hallway. "You're just as independent as they claimed. Keep it up, girlie."
CARD 15
Inside the ascendant realm Ana watched Big Red orchestrate the defense of Earth. The warsats and the pyramid ships were currently in a game of chicken, which revealed that the fleet wasn't invincible. The Vanguard could take comfort in that fact, and she looked forward to telling them until she realized she would have no way of explaining how she got that information. Apparently, Elsie hadn't told anyone of the revelation she had let slip. At least blood is thicker than water, Ana thought.
"How are the warsats fighting the ships? I thought stasis froze them?"
"Darkness impeller engine. Funnels energy from the Ascendant Plane as a shield."
"Darkness impeller engine? When did you add one of those?
"Shortly after being brought online again."
"You just had no way to use it."
"Correct."
"I got to say, Red, you sure thought ahead."
"Enemy fleet possesses little to no forward-thinking capability. Perfect to exploit."
"So, what's our real chances of beating these things?"
Hesitation. "Latest calculations suggest 2-3 percent, 1000-fold increase prior to modifications."
Ana raised her brow. "Well at least there's improvement."
"Number of ships, major concern. Must even odds."
Ana tilted her head. "How do we go about doing something like that? It's not like we got a real shipyard."
"Incorrect." Rasputin shared a diagram to the screen closest to Ana.
Her mouth dropped open at the sight of a large ship, the Clovis name engraved on its side.
Rasputin explained, "PROJECT Capital Class Cruiser started shortly before Collapse. Remained unfinished."
"Wow."
CARD 16
"So," Elsie began, "tell me about the Dredgen." She didn't ask it in an accusatory manner, simply curious to learn about her sister.
Ana snorted. "I followed him for a short period. And then I stepped out to meet him under this bridge. They think they're so quick," she added, with a half-cocked smile, "but they're not quicker than me. Before his fingers were on the trigger, I turned him and his ghost into plasma."
"Hmm."
Ana appeared morose. "I'm not proud of what I did. It occurred to me that Zavala or even Ikora wouldn't have resorted to the shoot first, ask questions later method. They're right in the fact I've always been a little too impulsive."
Elsie shook her head. "While I wish you would consult other people more and work as a team, your eagerness is part of who you are. You just need to learn balance."
"Hey, I'm a team player. I worked with the hero of the Red War, didn't I?"
The Exo Stranger sighed. "I don't think that counts. You two have a lot in common."
"I'll take that as a compliment."
The Exo Stranger wasn't so sure.
"Do you think the ghost talks too much though?"