One Disaster Breeds Another

Obsession and madness walk hand in hand, and Eris was beginning to wonder which hand Eriana-3 held, and which belonged to her.

Much had happened since the Exo Warlock had pitched her concerns about the Hive to the Vanguard. Rezzyl Azzir had undertaken the scouting mission to Luna, and only his Ghost returned. This lead to Eris and Eriana increasing the urgency of their studies, knowing the danger of something that could kill a Guardian of his stature. Eriana had even begun discussing a search for the mad Warlock Toland who had been driven from the Tower years before due to his obsession with these creatures.

Shortly after the disappearance of Azzir, the Hive had actually launched an invasion of the Earth. In what had become known as "The Battle of Burning Lake", the Guardians had their first full introduction to the Hive, and it had shaken them. Eris and Eriana-3 had both been present, finally facing down these monsters they had been studying. It had left a deep impression on both of them. Eris' resolved had been hardened, knowing for certain that these beasts were the threat she feared. Eriana had been changed in other ways. The Warlock was distracted and distant when discussing anything except the Hive.

Currently, the Consensus was meeting to debate launching a counterstrike on the moon. In a surprise move, Lord Shaxx had been the key dissenting voice. The man who once defied an Iron Lord to lead a charge at the Battle of Twilight Gap now preached patience. Eriana and Eris had been two of the primary voices arguing in favor of an assault, but Eriana's zeal was starting to concern her friend deeply. The two opposing figures now made their argument before the leaders of the City and the Tower, as well as a collection of prominent individuals and Guardians..

"The Hive have been holed up inside the moon for centuries," Shaxx spoke to the gathering, an imposing figure in his orange and white armor, "and there is a reason for that. It isn't that they lack strength. There was no one who could stand against them when they took it, and we have no way of knowing what sort of forces they have built up in all that time. Why are they willing to move now? The power they displayed at Burning Lake is not something to be trifled with, and could be but a sampling of their armies for all we know. We need intel. Send a strike team to explore and get the lay of the land, then make an informed decision."

"No," Eriana interjected, optics glaring at Lord Shaxx before turning to the Consensus. "The Hive have shown their hand. We cannot afford to sit back and wait for them to regroup and come at us again. We need to hit them hard and show the Darkness the power of our Light."

That last statement drew nods and murmurs of assent. Many Guardians were angry and out for vengeance, so the more aggressive stance of Eriana had been gaining followers daily. Shaxx's helmet swiveled as he scanned the assembly, head tilted defiantly.

"You know my record," he stated firmly. "You know that I have had no fear in leading a charge when I believed it was the right thing to do. This is not one of those times. We have no idea what we will be walking into if we set foot on Luna. Only a fool charges into a battle he is not prepared for, and we are not prepared."

More murmurs from the crowd. Eris could see that Lord Shaxx held a lot of sway with the audience, and with good reason. There were a lot of nervous faces in the chamber, but she sensed that most were still leaning in their direction. Either way, they would know soon enough.

The Speaker rose from his seat and raised his hands. All whispering ceased as every eye turned to the white-clad figure. Once he was certain he had their attention, he spoke.

"Thank you, Lord Shaxx and Eriana-3 for sharing your opinions with the Consensus. It is clear that both of you hold strongly to your position. You have both given us much to consider, and we will convene at this time. Expect to hear our answer by this time tomorrow."

With that, the members of the Consensus rose and left the chamber. Once they had departed, the audience left as well. Soon, only Eriana, Eris, and Lord Shaxx were left behind. The massive Titan strode purposefully to the two women.

"You are a fool," he spat, helmeted gaze fixed on the Warlock. "This crusade of yours will not end well, mark my words."

Shaxx turned and left. Eriana's fist clenched in fury as she watched him go. Eris placed a restraining hand on her friend's arm.

"Don't risk doing something foolish," she whispered. "Shaxx believes in his stance, but I think he can feel that he isn't getting through to them. He hates to lose any battle, and is reacting accordingly."

Eriana whirled to face the Hunter, "Do you really think so? Do you think we won them over?"

"Yes," Eris said, wishing not for the first time that her friend wore a human or Awoken face that could be read, as opposed to the metal plates of an Exo. "I believe the Consensus will rule in our favor."

"I hope you're right, my friend," Eriana replied, placing a hand on Eris' shoulder. "Then we can put an end to this nightmare. And the whispers."

The two women left the chamber then, headed in the direction of Eriana's study. Eris would have preferred to go somewhere to get her friend's mind of the proceedings, but new Eriana would want to bury herself in her books again. The unmistakable figure of Wei Ning was standing outside the door as they approached. Eriana smiled and embraced the other woman, who grinned from ear to ear.

"Word around the Tower is that you hammered Shaxx at the hearings today," the female Titan said by way of greeting.

"Oh?" the Warlock questioned.

"Absolutely," Wei responded, "You know I prefer punching things to talking, but a win is a win, right? I think the Consensus sides with you and we go take back the moon. Good thing, too. My helmet needs a few new war marks."

"Hello, Wei," Eris chimed in. "It is good to see you in such high spirits."

"Hey, Eris."

Eriana unlocked the door, and the three women stepped into her study. The Warlock froze suddenly, confusing the other two. They glanced from her to each other, baffled.

"What the problem?" Wei asked, to the point.

"That book," Eriana whispered, snapping out of shock and striding over to her desk.

An unassuming book sat in the middle of the desk, the space directly around it clear of anything else. Eris and Wei watched, confusion still etched on their faces.

"What about it? It's a book?" the Titan shrugged.

"What about it?" Eriana asked incredulously. "It wasn't here when I left the room. I've never seen it before. The door was locked, no one should have been in here."

She flipped open the cover and gaped. The other two women made their way to stand on opposite sides of her and looked down as well. Inside the front cover of the book was a hand written note.

Eriana-3,

I am impressed with your progress. I never could get those simple minded fools in the Consensus to listen to me. You have done well, but there is still much you do not know. I could educate you, open your mind to things that you never imagined. Seek me out if you want to know the real face of your enemy.

Toland

Wei whistled softly. Eriana flipped through the book, glancing at its contents. There was so much here, much of it that she had pieced together piecemeal through numerous old volumes. There was also much that she had never seen before. She glanced at the opening note again. Could it really have been the mad Warlock?

"Eriana..." Eris began, but the Exo cut her off.

"You two should go. I want to be alone for a little while. I'll see you both in the morning when we get the decision."

The other two women both hesitated, glancing at each other again.

"Leave!" Eriana stated firmly, and the other two grudgingly acquiesced.

...

The next morning found Eriana at the assembly hall before anyone else, anxiously pacing while she waited for the Consensus to arrive. Eris met her there, having first tried her room and then her study and found both empty. The Warlock did not even acknowledge the Hunter's appearance. Eris considered forcing the issue with her friend to get her to discuss the previous night, but the doors opened and the assembly began to arrive.

The two women took their place, while Lord Shaxx strode in to stand opposite them. The Vanguard and heads of the factions entered and took their seats. Finally, the Speaker entered, taking the central position and dominating the rooms focus. A heavy anticipation hung over the room.

"Thank you all for joining us again today," the Speaker began. "And, once again, the Consensus thanks Lord Shaxx and Eriana-3 for their counsel. You both made compelling arguments over the course of these proceedings. After much deliberation, the Consensus has come to an agreement. It was not unanimous, and the Dead Orbit representative would like their objection to be made part of the permanent record."

The meaning of that was not lost on Eriana. Dead Orbit was the one faction who had opposed an assault on the moon since day one. Elation filled her as the Speaker continued.

"This body has decided to follow the course of action proposed by Eriana-3 and Eris Morn." An excited babble rose from the audience, but the Speaker spoke over them and it mostly died down. "It was Eriana who brought concern about the Hive to the Vanguard, a concern that proved valid when they launched an assault on us. It is our belief that sitting back and waiting for them to move again would be detrimental to the safety of the Last City and those that gather here beneath the shadow of the Traveler. The Vanguard will begin preparing for the assault immediately."

Shaxx slammed his fist down on his podium and glared at Eriana for a moment before wheeling about and stomping out of the room. The Warlock sneered at his back, then left the opposite direction. Eris took in the tumult of the room, listening to the voices of the crowd as they filtered out, both those in agreement and those of the opposition. Casting a look in the direction her friend had gone, Eris turned to go prepare for what was to come.

…

Things moved quickly after that. It became clear that the Vanguard had been planning their strategy while the hearings were going on so that they would be prepared for whichever outcome presented itself. Guardians massed in numbers not seen since Twilight Gap. It was hard not to be impressed by the gathered Light, it was a palpable presence that lifted the spirits of everyone involved. It made them feel invincible.

The host landed on the lunar surface and quickly established fortifications within abandoned facilities. Eriana and a group of Warlocks from her order set themselves up in an old research lab. Eris longed to rove the surrounding terrain, given that no one had set foot on the moon in centuries. At Eriana's request, however, she opted to stay with her friend.

The Hive wasted little time in responding to the arrival of the Guardians. Thrall came shrieking from every nook and cranny, launching themselves at the invaders in a never ending horde. Despite their numbers, the Thrall were outclassed by the might of the Guardians, and that lifted their confidence even higher. Victory was beginning to feel inevitable.

A fireteam reported hitting some heavier resistance as they pushed toward the Imbrium Basin. Powerful creatures with large swords had entered the fray, bringing up shields of unknown material to block attacks launched at them. That team disappeared. Feeling that the stronger forces located there was significant, the Vanguard began directing the assault in that direction.

The Hive met them in force, and the battle was truly joined then. Guardians began to fall, but they continued to press forward. As more powerful creatures of the Hive began to emerge, the tide began to turn. The offensive of the Guardians broke, and the forces of Darkness started to push them backward. A massive, skeletal beast of unbelievable power entered the fray, glowing with green fire and swinging an impossible blade. Thus, the true nature of the Hive revealed itself. Where once victory looked certain, catastrophe now loomed. Then, a surprising breakthrough. A fireteam managed to capture a wounded Hive creature. At Eriana's insistence, it was brought to the Praxic facility for interrogation.

The creature, what they learned was known as a Wizard, gave them little other than the name or the monster that led the Hive forces. Crota. It also promised death. Reports from Mare Imbrium began coming in, revealing how badly the battle was going. Hearing this, Eriana led her team into battle in hopes of helping to swing things back into the Guardians favor, but they were too few and came too late. Eriana arrived just in time to see the Wizard's prophecy come true.

Wei Ning was near the forefront of the engagement, surrounded by enemies. She waded through Thrall that crumbled beneath her fists. An Acolyte found itself within arms reach and Wei grabbed the creature, reared back, and brought her head forward violently, slamming her helmet into her foe's face. Pulling out her auto rifle, Wei unloaded on several other enemies. Unfortunately, she did not see the beast behind her until it was too late.

Crota thrust his sword viciously, impaling the Titan from behind, his blade punching through her spine and emerging from her chest. He then raised the blade skyward, holding the corpse up for all to see before bringing it down and slamming her body into the lunar regolith. She did not move again.

"Wei!" Eriana screamed, suddenly igniting with Solar Light. Flame leapt from her hands, searing any and all Hive in close proximity, the creatures screaming as they burned.

Eris ignited her Arcblade, darting and slicing through those that Eriana missed. An Exalted Knight approached, swinging its massive sword at her, attempting to cleave her in two. Eris dodged left and darted back in, slicing through the armored creature like a knife through butter. Around them, the others started to retreat, panic setting in for many. Crota swung its evil blade again, cutting clean through another Guardian.

"Fall back," someone yelled. "Fall back!"

A line of Defender Titans erected their Wards in a chain, forming a barrier that allowed the others to turn and flee. It was not an orderly withdrawal. Eris grabbed Eriana's arm and pulled her friend, desperately trying to get her to safety.

"What have I done?" the Warlock asked in horror, finally noticing the scope of the devastation. Hundreds of bodies covered the ground. "What have I done? Wei? What have I done?"

Eris finally managed to pull her away, and the women fled with the others.

…

The short flight back to Earth was silent. Everyone was in shock. The sight of battered and bloody Guardians returning to the Tower, warriors openly sobbing for lost friends, and the utter sense of despair that permeated the air deeply scarred everyone who witnessed it. In the aftermath of the battle, all Guardians were forbidden from entering lunar orbit.

There were two ships that plotted a different course.

"Where are you going?" Eris asked upon realizing that Eriana was not on course for the Tower.

"To find Toland," was the reply. "He can show us the way to fight that monster, to kill Crota. If we can find him, we can put an end to the threat and avenge the dead."

She cut the connection then Eris and had her Ghost bring up an image of the fallen Titan. At that moment, Eriana wanted nothing more than to be human so that she could cry for her lost friend. She would have to settle for vengeance.

"Crota will pay for what he did to you," she swore.

…

AN:

I asked what my readers preferred out of this, another Celeste/Astrid piece, or something different, and got one vote for each. So I went with the more solid concept. Even though I had a strong idea of what I wanted to do here, and really wanted to tell this story, getting this written was something of a struggle still. I'm not sure it works 100% like I want it to, but... oh well.

These pieces are designed to be one shots, so don't expect many more direct follow ups to previous entries. Celeste/Astrid will probably be next. Unless I get a specific inspiration, of course.

I thought about using dialogue lifted directly from the Grimoire card "Ghost Fragment: Warlock 2" for a portion of this story. /cards/ghost-fragment-warlock-2 In the end, I didn't like the way it felt, so I glossed over that part.

I'm glad everyone seemed to like what I did with the Exotic last time. A few more in that vein might be called for...

Thanks, FusRoDerp for the favorite! Please be sure to check out my main fiction, "A Not So Simple Patrol" if you haven't yet.

FusRoDerp – Thanks for the review. I've had fun writing these.

Amberstar of Thunderclan – Yes, an extended version of Efrideet's return would be nice, but... *checks writing history* It looks to me like YOU are the Iron Lord author here...

Daydreamer B.A – And if the Celeste/Astrid entry was more feels-y? Who am I kidding, of course there would be shenanigans. You'll get those soon enough.

Order and Chaos – Like I said in the email, was not thinking of Eris/Eriana in terms of a ship. Just written that way as they would be the stars of the piece. I do like the idea of branching out with the supers a bit, though, to be honest, I think the Void illusion of a ship pushes it a little too much into Green Lantern territory. Definitely having other abilities that mimic the current supers – Arc Ax/Hammer, Void blade, Solar arrows, etc – seems like it could fit easily.