Chapter 6
Forgotten Shore
The sun was high in the sky now, and Tobias found himself back on the Forgotten Shore right after an eventful night.
All of the Guardians that had gathered at the Wall had waited until the Titans from the Last City had arrived before departing. Ikora had advised everyone to return wherever they had been stationed in the Cosmodrome and keep a keen eye for any activity from the Wolves. They may have killed off some of the highest authority in the House of Wolves, but this Fallen House was still present in the Cosmodrome.
"I had my doubts at first, but it's clear to me now that he can be a real difference maker in the near future once he gets more experience under his belt."
Briggs-6 had said that about him this morning and Tobias felt his chest swell with pride. For how much he had struggled learning under each of them during the last two days, he was glad to hear something like this.
Now though, Tobias held his tanto as he stood before Niko who was about to begin his lesson. Niko had agreed to take Tobias under his wing during the morning, and he had decided that with Tobias' success with Arc Blade during the night, it only made sense to make sure he understood proper swordsmanship.
"So basically, you just stab them." Niko stated bluntly, leaving Tobias to stare at him in a deadpan.
"Gee, I never would've figured that out." Tobias mumbled as he looked down at the weapon in his hands. "So there's no kind of technique or anything behind using this. You just run around swinging it?"
"Yeah, pretty much." Niko replied with a shrug.
"Okay then, who taught you how to use this?" Tobias asked.
"Cayde."
"And how did he teach you?" Tobias went on. Perhaps Cayde's teaching methods would be of some use. Niko looked up in thought, recalling the day he had received his first tanto from Cayde-6.
"Here Piko." Cayde said as he handed Niko the blade.
"It's, Niko." Niko replied as he accepted the weapon.
"Whatever."
"O-kay, so now what?"
"Don't die."
"What?!" Tobias exclaimed, clearly dumbfounded by this story. "That's it? He didn't teach you anything?"
"Nope, I just kind of figured it out." Niko replied.
"Well don't you have any tips or something to help me use this right?" Tobias asked him as he raised his tanto. Niko had been using these for decades now, so there must have been something he could recommend.
Niko hit his open palm softly as he got an idea.
"I know what to do."
"Niko, I don't like this." Tobias stated as he laid on his back, gasping for air.
"But you're not dead." Niko pointed out in return with a whistle. "And besides, all of your wounds closed up like instantly."
Niko's marvelous idea was for them to have a duel, only using their tantos. And Niko didn't even think of Tobias' safety, cutting him at any and every opportunity.
"If you can defend yourself with your blade, then you'll know when to attack with it." Niko said, and in theory that made sense to Tobias. But the way the put it into practice left Tobias a bit shell shocked. He thought Niko would pull some punches so to speak and help him understand how to defend himself, but clearly such a concept didn't occur to Niko.
"Hello, Earth to Tobias." Niko said, snapping him out of his thoughts.
"Did you say something?" Tobias asked him.
"It was nothing important. I just think you need more practice." He replied.
"Yeah, I thought so too."
"And also, I noticed you've been kind of distracted. Even when we were sparring you were unfocused." Niko said to him.
"What? I wasn't distracted." Tobias said. He had been focused quite intently during their exercise.
"No, your head wasn't in the game completely. Do you have something on your mind?" Niko said, causing Tobias to furrow his brow.
There was something on his mind, but he had pushed it aside to focus on Niko's instructions. Maybe for a split moment or two his mind might have wandered during the spar.
"Well, there was something on my mind. But how'd you notice that?" Tobias inquired. He was impressed with Niko's instincts that could allow him to deduct all of that from just a momentary lapse.
"Oh, there was a part in our spar where I could've you decapitated you so I pulled back, but it was like you didn't even notice." Niko explained.
"No way! I definitely would've remembered that." Tobias proclaimed.
"That cut you had on your neck. Where do you think it came from?!" Niko said in return, reminded Tobias of the wound he had received earlier, although it was long gone now.
"Crap." Tobias said as he placed a hand against the side of his neck. "I guess I was distracted."
"So whatever it is that's on your mind, it must be pretty important." Niko said.
Tobias couldn't deny it now. His discussion with Anari on the Wall this morning had been on his mind since they had returned to the Forgotten Shore.
"A world without the Darkness…? I can't even begin to imagine it."
"Do you remember that Guardian we saved last night, when we first entered the Wall?" Tobias asked, receiving a nod from Niko.
"Yeah, I remember her. Did you want to ask her out on a date or something?" Niko asked in return, shooting Tobias a sly grin.
"What? No!" Tobias exclaimed. "…We just talked for a bit after the mission was over, and she told me that she doesn't know what it's like to live without the Darkness. I was just wondering what that must be like."
"Ah, I see~" Niko said as he stroked his beard.
"Do you know what it's like?"
"Actually, I do." Niko stated, causing Tobias to perk up now. "Most of the Guardians were victims from the Collapse, or some other event that took place after that. I'm a bit of an outlier though."
"How so?"
"When I was alive, I was a soldier in Ancient Athens. I was Greek." Niko revealed.
"A geek?" Tobias said.
"No, Greek." Niko corrected him with a snort. "I lived back when there were only humans and animals on the Earth. Unfortunately, we didn't live in peace. We were divided by the nations that existed at the time, and fought over territories and resources."
"But you're all humans. Why was there a need to fight one another?"
Niko only shook his head in response.
"I don't know. There's something you just can't explain." He said after a while. "I was told that after the Traveler appeared, all fighting ceased. But that centuries after I was alive, centuries of fighting and killing each other. I even read that there were points where mankind was willing to point nuclear weapons at each other."
"It was that bad?"
"Definitely. But once the Darkness appeared, you could say that-that was the first time that mankind was truly united." Niko said before chuckling. "All it took the threat of total extinction."
"Whoa." Was all Tobias could say. He never would've imagined humans treating each other like that. But…if they did manage to defeat the Darkness, would conditions return how it was when Niko was alive?
"I never really got to experience peace back in Athens. There was a war taking place with a rival nation. So when I became a Guardian and started fighting again, it was like I was back out on the war front again." Niko explained to him. "But who knows? Maybe if we beat the Darkness, we might reach a second Golden Age. I'd love to see that."
"Golden Age?" Tobias repeated. Why did that sound so familiar to him?
An image flashed in front of Tobias' eyes.
He was standing on a large stage, staring out at an incredible crowd, but all of them were hazy figures. He could hear them applauding, so he raised his hand and began to wave to them. Glancing to his left, he noticed that there was dark haired man standing beside him, but his face was a blur as well, concealing his identity. They waved at the crowd for a few moments before they approached by a man who placed an award in his hands.
Looking down at the award, Tobias could only wonder what it was before he passed it over to the man beside him. This man raised it triumphantly, much to the delight of the audience.
"Tobias, are you okay?" Niko asked before Tobias suddenly fell backward, hitting the ground with a thud.
"What did you do to him Niko?" Briggs asked.
"I didn't do anything. We were talking and then he just fell over." Niko responded.
"Quiet Niko." Diana whispered at him harshly. "He's waking up."
Tobias blinked a few times, rising up a bit from his bunk to look around. He was resting in the main cabin of the ship on the one the beds that extended from the wall. All the members of Undaunted were around him, glad to see he had woken up.
"Ugh, what happened?" Tobias asked them as he placed a hand on his throbbing head.
"That's what we want to know." Briggs replied.
"Uh…I don't even know myself." Tobias replied. "I saw, a memory I guess, and then I started to get really dizzy."
"You scared us there Tobias." Diana said to him.
"Well you scared them, not me." Niko said through pursed lips, earning an elbow from Diana. "Alright, I was a little nervous. Just a bit."
"I seem to remember you came screaming into camp that Tobias died." Diana revealed with a small smirk.
"You thought I died?" Tobias asked him as he looked up at the Hunter.
"Uhh…" Niko suddenly placed a hand on his head and became unsteady on his feet. "I just caught a case of poo brain from Tobias. I don't remember anything~."
Niko looked toward Diana, placing a hand on her shoulder.
"Who are you again?" He asked her.
"Amnesia isn't contagious." Diana said as she rolled her eyes at his dramatics, swatting away his hand. "But I guess only a Hunter would come to that conclusion."
"Oh, that's below the belt Diana!" Niko declared.
"Anyway, are you sure you're alright Tobias." Briggs asked him as he stepped in between Tobias and the bickering duo.
"Yeah, I'll be fine." Tobias said, now seated on his bunk. He then gave Briggs a nod of reassurance.
"I'm going to leave my Ghost with you though Tobias, just to keep you company." She said as her small companion appeared beside her. "Keep an eye on him for us."
"I'm on it." It said before placing its gaze on Tobias, becoming frozen like a statue.
"Thanks Ghost, I know I can count on you." Diana said as she left along with the rest of them.
Tobias sighed before lying back down on the bunk. He was supposed to be training, but now he was stuck on the jumpship. Looking up at the ceiling, he let his eyes wonder, following the panel work that made up the top of the room. Eventually, Tobias propped himself up on one elbow to find that Diana's Ghost was still staring at him, exactly where Diana had left it. It hadn't budged, remaining completely motionless in midair.
"Hey Ghost, what do you know about Diana?" Tobias asked it. Her Ghost responded by blinking, finally beginning to move up down against it floated.
"Well I am her Ghost, so I know quite a lot about her." It replied.
"Do you know what she was like before she was a Guardian?" Tobias continued.
"Indeed I do."
"Can you tell me about it?"
"Nope." Her Ghost stated, getting a frown from Tobias.
"How come?"
"I'm not authorized to reveal anything about Diana. I'm under her orders to keep her former life private." Her Ghost explained. "Anything you want to learn about her, you'll have to speak to her directly."
"Hmph." Tobias muttered as he looked away from her Ghost.
Niko had been very open with him about anything. Diana had been secretive on more than one occasion now. And Tobias definitely wasn't going to go digging into Briggs' personal life. Each of them had a story though, and he was curious about it now. Perhaps this would help him rediscover his own past.
Outside the ship, Briggs, Diana and Niko stood together, quietly checking their surroundings before they relaxed a bit.
"So he's starting to have memories already." Niko noted.
"Well it has been three days since he's woken up. It's only a matter of time." Diana said to him. "Or there could have been a trigger too. What were you guys talking about?"
"He was asking me about my life before I was a Guardian. Then I started to tell him about the Collapse and the Golden Age and suddenly he fell over." Niko explained. "I still don't understand what would make him pass out like that though."
"It might have been too intense for him. I mean, it's not like you know what he saw." Diana pointed out. "He might have remembered how he died."
Niko seemed to grimace a bit at the mention of this. He then shook this is off as he looked away from Diana.
"I hate that memory, but it doesn't make me pass out. What could be more intense than seeing your own death?" Niko asked her.
"I don't know, but I've fainted from seeing memories too." Diana said to him.
"Well that makes you weird then."
"Excuse me?" Diana exclaimed. "How does that make me weird?"
"Well number one, your skin implies that you have frostbite taken to the extreme, and you have the hair color of an old hag." Niko said to her, leaving Diana's mouth a gap. "On top of that, now you pass out when you remember something. Yeah, that's pretty weird in my book."
"Oh, you really want to go there Niko?" Diana barked at him. "At least I'm not so hairy that my face looks like a freakin' gorilla!"
"That's low Diana, below the belt!" Niko shouted at her, motioning to his waist.
"You brought this on yourself!" Diana hollered in return. Briggs stood back, quietly watching their usual exchange with only a slight interest. It was quite amusing how much material the two of them had for each other despite being teammates for so long. You would think they'd run out of insults, but they just keep on coming.
"Message incoming!" Briggs' Ghost declared, appearing in front of him. Diana and Niko were silence by this as they assumed it was another report about the House of Wolves.
"What's going on?" Diana asked.
"Petra Venj has opened a channel with the Vanguard. There was an invitation for all available Guardians to tune in." Briggs' Ghost responded before it split its shell, beginning to broadcast the conversation that was taking place.
"The connection with the Vanguard has been established." Petra began. "So can you run that by us again?"
"Sure thing. My fireteam and I had been sent to Venus by Commander Zavala. We were among the first to arrive in the Ishtar, so we decided to patrol the area to get an idea of where the Wolves might be hiding." A male Guardian explained. "As we traveled through the Waking Ruins, we noticed that the seal on the Vault of Glass was broken with banners of the House of Wolves planted around the entrance, so we immediately went to investigate immediately."
The mention of the Vault of Glass now had the full attention of Diana, Niko and Briggs.
"We ventured down into the Vault until we found Skolas and the Wolves tampering with the Vex Confluxes." The male Guardian stated.
"But what would Skolas want from the Vex?" Diana asked as she looked at Niko and Briggs, neither of which could give her an answer.
"We engaged the Wolves, but as soon as they became aware of our presence, a portal opened. It was similar to the ones the Vex use, but the Fallen came flooding out of it, more than any of us could imagine." The Guardian went on. "We had to retreat, but we've been monitoring the Wolves. Skolas has an army now, and they're marching toward the Vex Citadel."
"The Vex Citadel. What could Skolas possibly want with that?" Petra asked herself.
"Yeah, what does all this mean?" Niko asked his team.
"He was tampering with Vex Confluxes in the Vault of Glass and he was able to summon and army of Wolves." Diana noted, going through the information they had gathered so far.
"The Guardian compared it to how the Vex use their portals. Could it be possible that Skolas was trying to hack the Vex network of portals?" Briggs suggested, tossing an idea out there for his teammates to dissect.
"But how would having access to the Vex network be of any benefit to him?" Diana said.
"Think for a moment. He was able to summon an army. With access to the Vex portals, he can transport his House anywhere around the system." Briggs continued, causing Diana to raise her brow. Niko though had wide eyes as it all donned on him.
"Not even. You guys are thinking to small still." Niko said. "I remember that the Vex portals can go to any place, at any point in time. Skolas isn't just moving the forces he has at the moment. He's taking Wolves from any time and bringing them here."
"That's not good." Diana said before a thought occurred to her. "But that doesn't make sense. He has the ability to summon an almost endless amount of Fallen. Why head for the Vex Citadel?"
"I've just been informed that at the top of the Vex Citadel is where the heart of their network is located. But what could he be planning to do there?" Petra continued before a raspy voice cut in.
"Skolas and House Wolves, seek vengeance against Awoken for loss in Reef Wars. If Skolas controls Vex network, time travel may be a…possibility." Variks explained to them.
"Variks, are you saying he aims to travel through time and change the outcome of the Reef Wars?" Petra inquired.
"Guaranteed. House Wolves harbor deep hatred for Awoken. If not for Reef Wars, Fallen would have succeeded at Twilight Gap. That would be Skolas', greatest triumph." Variks went on.
"Then we don't have much time." The Guardian called out.
"Guardians, we now have a crisis on our hands. Skolas is heading for the Citadel as we speak. Is there anyone in the Ishtar Region that an intercept the Wolves before they reach the Citadel?" Petra asked.
"That's a negative." It was Commander Zavala speaking. "We had yet to make contact with the Wolves prior to this. We're scattered about the region, and attacking this army in small numbers is too risky. We'll gather together at the Citadel, and launch our offensive against Skolas from there."
"Anyone who is available to join the effort on Venus, come as soon as you can." Petra advised them before the channel was shut down. Now was the time to act.
Diana looked at Niko and Briggs, both of which gave her a nod as a signal. They were going to Venus.
"Ghost, prep the ship." Briggs called out as they rushed up the ramp, startling Tobias as they all strapped themselves to a seat in preparation for a jump to light speed.
"What's going on?" Tobias asked them.
"New orders from Petra. Skolas is headed for a Vex Citadel on Venus. And we're going to stop him dead in his tracks." Briggs stated. "Strap in, because as soon as we make it to orbit, we're going to light speed."
Skolas, that's the big guy, the one leading the Wolves right?" Tobias asked them as he got into one of the open seats. Diana gave him a nod in response. "Do you guys think we'll get to fight him?"
"I fully plan on it." Diana said, earning a brief look of concern from Briggs and Niko. But the two of them quickly returned their focus to the preparation for takeoff.
Tobias unconsciously began to open and close his fingers, as if to give them a warm up. He eager for his next fight now, eager to see what else he could do with his abilities. He had defeated a Fallen Captain on his own, but now he would be facing the champion of a Fallen House. This would be a true test.
Venus
Ishtar Region
Citadel
For the second time in the last twenty four hours, Tobias found himself leaning backward to look up an incredible structure. It had been the Cosmodrome Wall last night. And now, he was staring up the Vex Citadel that seemed to reach for the heavens. It was unlike anything that he had seen on Earth, but considering the fact that the Vex had built it, it was no surprise that it didn't resemble anything made by mankind.
A large number of Guardians had gathered at the base of the Citadel, anxiously waiting for their order to proceed.
"So we have to get to the top of that thing?" Tobias asked as he looked to Niko who stood beside him.
"Yup." Niko said, giving him a nod.
"So then, why didn't we just fly there?"
"The top of the Citadel is protected by the Vex. Their portals make the area intangible unless you enter it from using a lift at the bottom like we're about to." Briggs explained to him.
"Although I'll bet the Wolves have set up some defenses around the lift to slow us down." Diana said.
"Well well, if it isn't the mighty fireteam Undaunted." A male voice proclaimed, earning their attention. They all spun around to find a Titan matching Niko in height, standing tall and proud in his decorated armor.
"He-y, its umm, uh…" Niko trailed off as he realized he didn't recognize the Guardian that had approached them. "What's your name again?"
"It's Zeke damn it!" He snapped, animatedly pointing a finger at Niko who chuckled.
"Calm down Zeke, Niko's just messing with you." Diana said, motioning for him to tone it down since he had drawn the attention of the surrounding Guardians.
"It looks like I'm doing a good job too." Niko added, but the Titan was completely unaffected by Niko's comments as he now scratched the back of his neck with a goofy chuckle.
"H-Hey Diana, it's good to see you again." Zeke said as he focused on the Warlock. "How've you been?"
"I've been well Zeke. I see you've been keeping well too." Diana replied.
"Oh, I'm glad you noticed." He said, flexing his biceps which went unnoticed by Diana.
"Who's he?" Tobias asked Niko softly.
"He's the leader of some fireteam we worked with a couple of times. Fireteam lizard or something like that." Niko explained.
"It's fireteam Salamander!" Zeke hollered at him.
"Heh, I knew he'd hear that one." Niko said with a laugh.
Briggs on the other hand, was far more interested with the report he was receiving from his Ghost about the situation within the Citadel.
"I'm detecting both Fallen and Vex around the base of the Citadel. They're in combat at the moment." His Ghost noted, getting a nod from Briggs.
"The opposition is going to be heavy then." Briggs concluded.
"We should expect nothing less." A burly voice filled with authority boomed, gaining everyone's attention. Every Guardian immediately recognized this voice.
"Commander Zavala." Briggs said as he stepped aside, allowing the Titan Vanguard to look up at the entrance to the Citadel.
"According to the report we have, the House of Wolves had stationed a portion of their forces around the lift. This is in an all-out effort to buy time for Skolas to take control of the Vex network." Zavala explained to them. "Guardians, from the moment we arrive at the lift, we're going to strike hard and fast. Now we don't have time to waste. Everyone, move out!"
"Okay, I'm a little freaked out now." A Guardian whispered to their teammate walking beside them. All of them were currently passing through a tight corridor, and there were bodies everywhere. Dead Vex were lumped together in piles, with severed heads and broken limbs poking out. Yet…there wasn't one Fallen casualty as far as they could see.
That Vanguard had always advised the Guardians to be caution when engaging the Vex, whereas the Fallen weren't treated quite as seriously. But for the Fallen to slaughter the Vex to such an extent…the Wolves were certainly the most dangerous Fallen House the Guardians had seen.
"We're getting close." Zavala commented as he looked up. Faintly, he could hear the sounds of a nearby battle. "The Juncture and the lift are dead ahead, get ready to engage."
Reaching the end of the corridor, the Guardians found themselves entering a large room with a towering pillar at the center that rose straight up to the heart of the Citadel. Waiting around this pillar though was the Fallen, who were already under attack by the Vex who were trying to remove the foreigners that had invaded their structure.
"I don't think I've ever seen the Fallen and the Vex fight each other before." A Guardian pointed out.
"We'll have time for observations later. Clear them out!" Zavala ordered as everyone drew their weapons. "Don't leave anything standing!"
Tobias felt his heart begin to race as he tightened his hold on his Proxima. The number of enemies that occupied this room was unlike anything that he had seen when they were fighting back on Earth. But at the same time, he was now standing side by side with more allies than he had on Earth.
The Guardians spilled out into the Juncture, firing their weapons at anything that moved. The Vex had surrounded the Fallen forces, pressing them around the lift, but the robotic race began to drop like flies as the Guardians shredded through them. Noticing the presence of a new threat, a large Vex Hydra turned toward the Guardians, flexing its limbs. The small cannons on the sides of the Hydra lit up before it began to pelt the Guardians with energy blasts, giving a screech as it called for some of the Vex to aid it.
"Look out!" Briggs shouted as he thrusted his arms outward, casting a Ward of Dawn over the Guardians that stood beside him. The purple shield blocked out the onslaught from the Hydra, and it quickly reminded many of the other Defender Titans present to put down a Ward of Dawn as well, creating a safety zone for the Guardians to work out of. Realizing that they were under attack from two fronts now, the Vex began to divide their effort to fight both the Fallen and the Guardians.
"Thanks for the Orbs!" Niko called out as he ignited his Golden Gun. "Ghost, I need my Celestial Nighthawk!"
Niko's helmet changed immediately, resembling the face of a bird now as its eyes flickered to life. Niko them jumped into the air and took aim with his flaming weapon, firing down onto the Hydra. His hands were thrown upward from the powerful recoil as the pistol released a stream of scarlet flames onto the Hydra, piercing right through it. The large Vex unit gave a groan before its limbs began to explode, leaving nothing but its torso to collapse to the ground.
"Backing you up!" Diana shouted as she and a pair of like-minded Voidwalkers jumped into the air following Niko's attack, hurling Nova Bombs into the center of the Vex forces. A portion of the Vex forces were vaporized by the blast, starting an all-out push by the Guardians as they devastated the Vex with their abilities.
In just a matter of minutes the Juncture was almost devoid of the enemies of the Light. As the Guardians picked off the last of the Fallen now, the small group of Fallen that were stationed by the lift controls decided to take decisive action. The Captain gave a growl as it motioned to the controls, ordering a Dreg to destroy it while the rest of them stepped into the lift.
Those that stood on the lift were snatched up and taken to the top of the spire, leaving the Dreg to look at the surrounding Guardians as they finished off the last of the Fallen now. Attaching a shock grenade to the console, the bomb detonated and destroyed the lift controls, causing a cylinder like barrier to rise up around the base of the lift, denying anyone entry. The Dreg looked up at where its allies had gone, only receiving a moment to hope that its efforts would be noted before it was gunned down by the Guardians.
"That's the last one." Niko commented as Zavala approached the lift controls, placing a hand on it to examine the damage.
"Ghost, do you think you can repair this?" Zavala asked as he called out his small companion. The drone took a moment to scan the lift controls before turning back to him.
"I'm not familiar with any of the patterns used within the Vex network. Restoring this console could take me some time." His Ghost replied.
"Those Wolves will stop at nothing to give Skolas some time it seems." Zavala noted quietly. They didn't have time to waste trying to fix the lift.
"Hold on a second Commander Zavala!" Diana's Ghost called out as it materialized beside him.
"Yes?" The Titan Vanguard said as he glanced at the Ghost.
"I've hacked the Vex network twice now. Once to bring out a Gate Lord, and the other time to enter the Black Garden. I think I have the best chance of restoring the lift for us in the shortest amount of time." Diana's Ghost informed him.
"Well, by all means then." Zavala's Ghost said courteously as it moved aside for Diana's Ghost.
"Do you have an estimated time of completion?" Zavala asked curiously.
"Give me sixty seconds." It replied.
"Excellent." Zavala stated before turning to the Guardians that were waiting for their orders. "Guardians, you have one minute for final prep. As soon as the lift is active again, we're going to make a beeline for Skolas!"
All of them had already checked their weapons outside of the Citadel, but it didn't hurt to check everything one more time.
"Hey Tobias, are you okay?" Diana asked as she approached him. Tobias was seated on a small ledge, his legs shaking as he quietly stared at the lift.
"I'm fine. Just excited is all." He replied, causing Diana to raise her brow. Even though she couldn't see his eyes because of his helmet, she was certain that they must have had a fire in them again.
Unfortunately though, Tobias wasn't going to have an opportunity to fight Skolas here. Diana would be the one to kill Skolas.
Diana stomped hard with every step, sprinting as quickly as she could through a long corridor that was tinted red by the emergency lights.
"We've switched to auxiliary power!" The announcement came over the intercom of the station which shook violently once again, throwing Diana into the wall. "The escape pods have been activated! All civilians have been order to evacuate as quickly as possible!"
Steadying herself, Diana took off again reaching the end of the hallway where she rounded a corner that took her out into one of the escape pod bays. As she reached the entrance, she could hear screams for help which made her grab the sidearm that was strapped to her thigh. Racing into the escape pod bay, Diana spotted a group of Awoken civilians that were trapped in the corner of the room by a group of Vandals. Members of the Fallen House of Wolves.
"Please, just leave us!" They begged the Vandals who only raised their weapons in response, ready to kill off these people. But before any of them could shoot, everything came to a halt as one of them went limp, crumpling to the floor with a hole in its head.
The Vandals whirled around, spotting Diana who stood at the entrance with her weapon raised. Before any of the Vandals could respond though, she dropped two more of them, leaving the remaining ones to glance nervously at each other. They recognized the insignia on Diana's helmet. She was a member of the Awoken Royal Guard, and she could and would dispatch them easily.
"Guardians, get ready!" Zavala called out, snapping everyone out of their thoughts as they looked toward the spire. The shield that had been blocking off the entry point of the lift began to glow before expanding, traveling up the full length of the lift. The entire thing was sealed off.
"Whoops, that's…not, right." Diana's Ghost said sheepishly as it looked up at the spire. "Give me sixty more seconds."
Diana palmed the forehead of her helmet with a sigh. Only her Ghost could pull off something like this.
"Considering the number of Wolves we engaged down here, it's safe to assume that they have a much greater force waiting for us up there." Zavala began. "It's very likely that we won't have much time to stop Skolas, so we're going to go after him directly. Regardless of the enemy numbers, we're going to do everything we can to get a team to Skolas to stop him!"
"Commander Zavala, I'll face Skolas!" Diana declared as she now stood on the ledge beside Tobias, elevated above most of the Guardians.
"We, want to face Skolas." Briggs corrected her as he and Niko separated themselves from the crowd.
Zavala smiled inwardly as he recognized this team immediately. Fireteam Undaunted.
Zavala had the utmost confidence in any of the Guardians present to fight Skolas, but seeing Undaunted step forward guaranteed the success of this mission. If anyone here could kill Skolas, it was them.
"Alright then, I will do everything in my power to get you to him." Zavala stated as raised one hand, closing it into fist. "Everyone else with be our escorts. My Ghost will provide objectives, so stay focused on the tasks you receive and we will find success!"
"I got it this time!" Diana's Ghost announced, and just as it had said, the shield that had sealed off the lift vanished, allowing them to make their way to the top of the Citadel.
"This is it Guardians! Let's move!" Zavala commanded as they began to enter the lift. In groups they were lifted up the spire, rising up through the Citadel. At one point they were passing through an open space where they could see the surface of Venus as it grew smaller and smaller before it disappeared beneath a layer of clouds.
Finally they were spat out of the lift onto a large platform where they could see the shinning brilliantly in the distance. Slowly as they all arrived at the top of the Citadel, the Guardians looked out in the distance to see what awaited them.
The banner of the House of Wolves fluttered in the breeze, high over the main platform that was heavily occupied by the Fallen.
"How are we supposed to get over there?" One of the Guardians asked as they peered over the edge of the platform they stood on. There was no way for them to cross to the main platform where the Wolves were waiting for them.
For a few moments a platform appeared in front of them, and then it vanished as another one appeared further out.
"Those platforms out there, they're warping in and out of time itself. But based on the intervals that they're appearing for us, it looks like they create a pathway for us to cross…for just a few moments though." Diana Ghost explained to the group. "It'll take a while to reset though."
"We're under fire now!" Zavala exclaimed as he put down a Ward of Dawn, calling for the other Defenders to do the same to create a wall in front of them. There were Vandals out on the main platform with wire rifles, trying to gun them down from a far. "We need to pick off their snipers if we're going to cross. Ghost, select a team out of those present to provide cover fire for us."
Sorting through the information it had on the Guardians present, Zavala's Ghost assigned a pair of fireteams their job as snipers. Quickly retrieving their long range weapons, they got to work picking off the Vandals that were firing at them.
"Everyone else will be coming across with us!" Zavala ordered as the rest of the lined up at the edge of the platform, waiting for the first one to appear for them.
Scooping in on an enemy Vandal, a Hunter pulled the trigger and watched as the Vandal she had been aiming was blow off the elevator platform it stood on. Without a moment of hesitation she found her next target and did the same, removing the Fallen snipers.
"Okay, I'm detecting a surge, get ready!" Diana's Ghost called out for them as the first platform pixelated into existence, becoming solid once it was fully formed. Most of the Guardians had made the jump to the first platform, anxiously waiting for the next one to appear.
"Look out!" A Guardian shouted as a shock grenade landed on the platform with them.
"We're sitting ducks out here!" Niko hollered as he kicked the grenade of the edge of the platform before it could detonate. The Fallen that were waiting on the main platform were beginning to gather at the edge, firing their weapons and hurling grenades at the approaching Guardians.
"Get behind me!" Briggs ordered as he dropped a Ward of Dawn to shield them.
"We're going need more cover fire!" Zavala added as he glanced back at the Guardians on the platform they had started on who were steadily picking off who they could.
"There's the next platform!" Diana's Ghost interjected, surprising just about all of them. Some of the Guardians reacted quickly, managing to make the jump to the next platform. Those that failed to react in time though, found themselves free falling after the first platform disappeared from right under their feet. "We have a very small window to make these jumps so make sure you're-there's the next one!"
Frantically they scrambled to the next platform, with no losses this time.
"Give us better warning would ya?!" Diana snapped at her Ghost.
"Point taken it." Her Ghost replied as a Titan stepped forward to place a Ward of Dawn in front of them, blocking out the enemy fire. "Incoming!"
The jump to the next platform was flawless as they pressed on toward the main platform where the Wolves were waiting for them. The Wolves were relentless in their attack though, doing everything they could to slow down the Guardians approach, but it wasn't enough to slow down these Guardians.
"This is the last one!" Diana's Ghost proclaimed, which was the single for the Guardians to begin executing now. A squadron of Titans sprung forward first, rising as high as they could into the air. Together they each raised one hand into the air which they had balled up into a tight fist, fueling it with Arc Light. Electricity began to crackle around each of them before they launched themselves down at the Wolves on the main platform.
One by one these Strikers came crashing down, unleashing a torrent of Arc Light around them that vaporized the surroundings Wolves, clearing out an area for the Guardians to land.
"Defenders, we need those Ward of Dawns now!" Zavala ordered as he landed on the main platform, being one of the first to meet with the intense fire from the Wolves. They were already trying to choke the Guardians off of the main platform, which was all the more reason for them to establish a perimeter right now.
In a moment's notice, the Guardians established a perimeter on the main platform that became their staging ground.
"Make sure you pick up Weapons and Blessing of Light!" Briggs called out. For now, they would be operating out of these bubbles against far greater numbers while they waited for the rest of the Guardians to join them on the second trip across the jumping puzzle.
Tobias stood within one of the bubbles, watching as the Guardians poked in and out of the Ward of Dawns, gunning down a few Wolves at a time. It appeared as though this was all they could do while they waited for everyone else to cross.
"Hah!" Diana shouted as she swung her hand through the air, releasing a Shatter Nova Bob into the hordes of Wolves that surrounded them. Knocking out a chunk of them, Diana descended back down into the safety of the bubbles where she spotted Tobias watching the mayhem. "Tobias, you're a Voidwalker! Light this place up!"
"What do you mean?" He asked in reply. "Aren't we waiting for the others?"
"Yeah, and this is part of our strategy. We have to generate Orbs of Light for our Titans to keep creating Ward of Dawns. So start chucking Nova Bombs like I know you can!" She ordered him.
Tobias wasn't one to question orders. Leaping out of the bubble, Tobias ignited his hands with Void Light which he thrusted down onto the Wolves in front of them. Unleashing a swirling vortex onto the Fallen, a portion of them were swallowed up in this while the other Wolves backed away to avoid being eaten up by this attack.
"Commander Zavala, everyone is here now! We're good to go!"
"Excellent, let's press the offensive Guardians!" Zavala commanded as he motioned for a full frontal assault. The small area that Tobias had just cleared away became occupied by a pair of Titans who put down their bubbles, connecting them back to the starting point where the Guardians had landed.
"Oh, wow." Tobias exclaimed as he began to understand the plan. Even though they were outnumbered, they would always be acting from the safety of a Ward of Dawn. As the Guardians pressed forward, the Defenders would drop a bubble to continue their advance without even being touched. It was unbelievable!
On the far end of this main platform, a massive beast stood with a cloak fluttering in the breeze that possessed the sigil of the House of Wolves. Skolas, the Kell of the House of Wolves, looked out at the battlefield for a moment, watching as the Guardians slowly approached him. Even with the massive army he had at his disposal, this didn't deter the Guardians in the slightest. He couldn't let them continue like this. He couldn't allow the Wolves to fall! Not while he was leading them!
Turning around, Skolas returned his gaze to the Vex Mind Core that he had obtained in the Vault of Glass. The key that he needed to crack the Vex network. It was a small oddly shaped piece of machinery that now hovered in between a trio of Confluxes that had been waiting for him at the end of the platform. The place where all of the Vex portals met.
Skolas had spent years in the Prison of Elders. He didn't waste any of this time though. He learned, studying the enemies that occupied the Prison of Elders as well. And he discovered the Vex there, a fascinating robotic race that possessed the ability to travel through time. All Vex possessed this ability due to the connection each unit had established with the network. So for Skolas to gain these abilities, he would need just the sliver of a Mind Core so that he would warp through time.
Now as he stood at the heart of the Vex network, Skolas watched as the Mind Core glowed softly, harnessing power from the portals. The network was fighting him right now, trying to ensure that it wasn't being compromised. And it was taking far longer that Skolas had planned.
With every moment he lost waiting for the network to open up to him, the Guardians grew closer. Skolas threw his head back, and gave a great howl that seemed to pass the fighting for a moment.
"That must be Skolas!" Diana pointed out.
"He must be calling in reinforcements." Briggs added.
"Well we've been kicking around his grunts so far. He'll have to bring out the big guns eventually." Niko said, getting a nod of agreement from Briggs.
"Guardians, expect heavy resistance from this point forward!" Zavala called out for them.
'Jeez, so this was light resistance?!' Tobias exclaimed to himself. He hadn't taken any serious his yet, but all of this gunfire and chaos couldn't be considered light resistance. But as black clouds began to form over the platform, Tobias found himself regretting asking such a question.
There was a blue flash from within the clouds before a group of Sevitors were dropped onto elevated parts of the main platform, while a Fallen Archon landed among the Wolves, towering over them.
"Hey, isn't that…Aksor?!" Niko exclaimed as she squinted at the Fallen Archon Priest which gave a roar. "We killed him months ago!"
"Skolas must have pulled him back from when he was alive to fight now." Briggs noted. Aksor was also a member of the House of Wolves, so it was fitting to see Skolas bring back such an ally. "Don't get caught up in that now though, we need to keep advancing!"
"Yeah, Skolas must be running out of ideas to slow us down!" Diana hollered.
"He must be if he brought Aksor! We'll just kick his ass a second time as warm up for Skolas!" Niko declared as he cracked his knuckles.
Even though Briggs had called for their advance to continue, the Guardians were stopped dead in their tracks when Aksor landed right in front of them. The surrounding Wolves began to back up a bit, giving Aksor some space as they eagerly awaited to see the Guardians engage and Archon. There was silence among the Guardians since this was something that none of them had anticipated, and Tobias would use this opportunity.
Darting out the bubble, Tobias made a bee-line for Aksor, surprising all of the Guardians.
"Tobias, what are you doing?!" Diana exclaimed as Tobias approached Aksor. The Archon was at least three times his size, but the difference in height meant nothing to Tobias. Aksor raised his arm and threw down in an attempt to crush Tobias, but he displayed his evasiveness as he sidestepped the attack and jumped onto Aksor's arm. Racing up his forearm and bicep, Aksor hissed at Tobias but he was unfazed as he went straight for the Archon's head.
Rotating his hand and slamming his palm in to the side of Aksor's head, a rippling blast was released from Tobias' hand which sent the large Archon stumbling away while Tobias landed comfortable on his feet. Not only was Aksor surprised, but everyone observing the fight. Aksor snarled in response as he straightened up, rushing toward Tobias who was now waiting for his next attack.
'Focus.' Tobias said to himself as he recalled his training with Niko.
"Focus your senses to the highest degree."
'I can do this.' Tobias said to himself. Aksor lunged at him now, extending his claws to tear Tobias into pieces.
But Tobias dived at the Archon, barrel rolling right beneath him to avoid contact, but Aksor responded quickly. Thrusting his feet at the ground, Aksor created a thundering wave that caught Tobias as he was rolling which sent him reeling from the blast.
"Ugh." Tobias muttered as he lay on his back, dizzy from rolling so much. As he looked up, he found Aksor descending toward him, his hands clasped together to land a punishing blow to Tobias. "Oh, this is going to hurt."
Tobias felt his breath get caught in his throat as he shut his eyes, waiting to experience the pain of being crushed. But there was no pain.
"Tobias, what the hell do you think you're doing?!"
Opening one eyes, Tobias found Briggs standing in front of him, using nothing but his forearms to block Aksor's attack. The Archon snarled at Briggs', but the Titan was far more concerned with Tobias than the opponent in front of him.
Keeping the pressure on Briggs' with one arm, Aksor raised its other hand to swat the Titan away, but before he could do so, a black stick hit the side of the Archon's head, attaching itself to it. Suddenly a bright red light shot out from the opposite end of the stick before it exploded, staggering Aksor handily.
"Hah, perfect tripmine!" Niko commented at the accuracy of his toss.
"Let's go!" Briggs commanded now while Aksor was still recovering from this. The Guardians gave Tobias and Briggs some cover fire as they returned to the bubbles.
"Tobias, what were you thinking just now?" Briggs demanded to know a second time, but a roar from Aksor reminded him of their current situation. "Forget that for now. Just remember, we're a team Tobias. There's no reason to throw yourself at the enemy, by yourself. We stick together."
"…Right." Tobias said after a pause, giving him a nod.
A fireteam of three stepped into Aksor's path now, raising their weapons at the Archon.
"Back off Undaunted, you can leave this guy to us!" Zeke declared as he stood beside the other two members of fireteam Salamander.
"Yo, we can handle this!" Niko retorted.
"The priority of your fireteam is to take out Skolas. Our priority is to get you there. So get your asses moving!" Zeke ordered as he motioned for them to get going.
"He's right Niko." Briggs pointed out, raising a hand to stop Niko before he could protest. "Undaunted, let's keep moving!"
"We're right behind you." Tobias said as he took one last look at Aksor. Fireteam Salamander stood confidently, eager to fight the Archon Priest.
"Axel, Sheryl, let's tear em' to shreds!" Zeke shouted as they charged forward.
"We need to keep moving Guardians!" Zavala hollered, and the chaos resumed as soon as the next Ward of Dawn was placed.
"Those Servitors are beating the crap out of us!" A Guardian called out. The Servitors that had been thrown into the mix when Aksor arrived had been pelting them with energy blasts to slow their approach.
"Snipers, we need you to knock out those Servitors!" Zavala commended.
"On it!"
"We're almost there!" Diana pointed out as she caught sight of the final ramp that would take them up to the area where Skolas was waiting.
"Let's push through!" Briggs shouted as he gave his team the signal. Diana rose into the air and fired another Nova Bomb to clear away the Wolves that were protecting this ramp. And Niko followed with his Golden Gun, picking off anyone that tried to deny them entry.
As soon as they made it up the ramp, the Wolves closed them off from the rest of the Guardians, ready to smother them. But a roar from Skolas halted the Wolves that had been focusing on Undaunted. Skolas was looking at the Guardians, giving them a sharp glance as they aimed their weapons at him.
These were the champions that the Guardians had sent forth to defeat him? They certainly didn't look the part. They were no bigger than their allies. Skolas began to speaking in his native language to the four Guardians before him, pointing at them vehemently.
"Oh ho ho-!" Variks exclaimed over the comms after Skolas had finished speaking.
"Variks, what did he say?" Petra inquired.
"Skolas has declared himself the Kell of Kells, and he is insulted that this is all the Guardians could muster to oppose him. He will make an example of them to all the others." Variks translated with a cackle. Skolas was still just as bold and arrogant as he remembered.
"Alright then, it looks like we'll have to show him what happens when you underestimate a Guardian!" Briggs declared.
"I couldn't agree more!" Diana added.
"Fireteam Undaunted, let's go!"
A/N
So this is my first major battle here with the Terminus, a Vex stronghold, being turned into a battleground for the Guardians and the House of Wolves.
In game I loved this level. All of the build up through the HoW campaign as we chased Skolas led up to us ascending to the top of the Vex Citadel, an area that had been locked off until HoW had been released. So believe me when I say I was anxious to see this area for myself. The setting was outstanding, but the boss fight was lackluster to me since Skolas didn't really do much. Maybe if they had utilized the entire platform he was on for that fight it might have been more interesting…but that's the past now.
I'm trying to develop this battle a lot more from how it unfolded in game, so hopefully you guys enjoy this arc. This battle with Skolas is going to take a few chapters, so be prepared.
In other news, Crimson Doubles is in effect, and kind of lame in my opinion. But they did announce in spring that there would be some new PvE challenges and a Light level increase, so hopefully there'll be more relevant content with this update. I read some speculation that they're going to update the Vault of Glass and Crota's End, which I all for if the loot table from those raids comes up to the max light level as well. It there's any set of gear I loved, it was that beautiful Warlock set from VoF. That was per-fection! Just my two cents though.
Anyway, hope you all enjoyed this chapter!