Chapter 16
Flagship
"Well this is quite a mess the two of you made of this." Cayde commented as he looked at his Vanguard counterparts. The trio was seated around a small table within a soundproofed room to ensure that the crowd outside couldn't hear them. There a glass window that audience was looking through, but the mentors paid them no mind.
This crowd of Guardians was eagerly waiting for the Vanguard to announce whether they would be revealing the new abilities that were put on display during the invasion.
"If I remember things clearly Cayde, you told us to wait so that you could go first." Ikora pointed out, raising a brow at the Hunter.
"That's because I knew the two of you would start showboating." Cayde shot back as he leaned back in his seat. Zavala cleared his throat to refocus them.
"That aside, a number of Guardians reported to me that the Taken are far stronger than anything we've faced before." Zavala stated, causing the other two mentors spare a glance at the Guardians that were observing them. "They want to learn these abilities."
"Do we have much of a choice here?" Ikora asked them. "We've been put in a position where we had no choice but to run. If we're going to fight back, we're going to need all of the firepower we can get."
"The two of you…are really serious about this?" Cayde asked them as he straightened up in his seat, looking at each of them. They remained stoic in reply.
"Cayde, we're facing a threat that, according to the Awoken, single handedly caused the Collapse. Everyone has to be fully equipped for this battle that lies ahead of us." Zavala pointed out. "My reputation with the Sunbreakers is already in shambles, but I'd prefer to do further harm to that than know I sent hundreds of my Titans into battle without a full arsenal of abilities."
"I agree one hundred percent." Ikora added. "The Astral Order had already given me the green light to begin training Stormcallers, it was just a matter of when I was going to start. I think now is the time more than ever."
"Yeah, well I don't think you're going to be seeing more Nightstalkers around here just yet." Cayde said, surprising both of them.
"What do you mean?" Zavala demanded.
"The two of you are in a positon to mass produce Sunbreakers and Stormcallers, but it's different for me. The power of a Nightstalker is handed down from one Hunter to the next. I can't pass this on to just anyone." Cayde responded as he looked away from the two of them. His old friend Tevis had been the last Nightstalker among the Hunters of the Last City, but his abilities had been passed on to Cayde under dire circumstances.
"How could this happen to you?" Cayde asked softly as he kneeled down beside his longtime friend. Tevis lay motionless on the cold floor of the Black Garden, refusing to move despite his best efforts.
"…Cayde? Is that you?" Tevis asked weakly, fighting just to get this question out.
"Yeah, it's me. Just take it easy, I'm here now. Where's your Ghost?" Cayde asked as he quickly looked around the empty area.
"The Vex…they already got to it. It's too late…for me." Tevis said as he raised one hand toward Cayde.
Cayde felt his throat become tight, if that was even possible for an Exo. He couldn't think of what to say in this situation. His friend was dying, and there was nothing he could do.
"Please take this." Tevis said as his open hand became ignited in Void Light. "This Light won't burn, much longer. Take it…and make it your own."
"Cayde, I want to sympathize with you, believe me." Zavala began. "But you cannot allow this to cloud your judgment. We've faced Oryx and Taken just once now, and we had to abandon everything we've spent the last few centuries fighting for. Now is not time to be sentimental." Zavala stated, snapping Cayde out his thoughts.
Cayde gave him a sharp stare in response, sighing deeply. Closing one hand into a tight fist, Cadye dropped it down onto the table, surprising his fellow Vanguard Mentors before he rose from his seat.
"Where are you going?" Ikora asked him as Cayde glanced over his shoulder at them.
"Cayde, our discussion has not yet concluded." Zavala said as Cayde began to head over to the exit.
"Oh I know, that's why I'm leaving." Cayde said as he continued out the room, leaving the two of them alone. Cayde pierced through the crowd that was waiting for him, ignoring their demands for information.
Tobias found himself wondering through the corridors of the massive cruiser, his hands in his pockets and his head in the clouds. They had been aboard this ship for three two days now, although he wasn't really sure. He wasn't really trying to keep track of time. He had a list of other things to occupy himself with.
He still couldn't believe that he had a family. People that he used to share his daily life with. He couldn't remember their names though. But these memories had of them, they weren't fake. They were too vivid. He could see his wedding unfold right in front of him. He could remember the night that his son was born, and how he held him for the first time. What happened to them though?
He could kind of recall how chaotic the Collapse had been. Oryx had been razing their civilization to the ground, and people were running for their lives. It was possible that he could have been separated from them. Or maybe they got on board one of the ships that managed to escape but he was never reunited with them. There were still too many blank and hazy areas in his memory, but bits and pieces were starting to fall into place.
Tobias blinked as he caught a whiff of a familiar scent before realizing that he was standing at the entrance to one of the four large cafeterias that had been built into this flagship. Entering, Tobias looked around, enjoying the delightful smell that filled the air.
The cafeteria only had a few occupants, six other Guardians who were all seated at a table close to the kitchen. Approaching the large window area that allowed him to peer into the kitchen, Tobias discovered quickly discovered who was responsible for this wonderful smell. It was none other than Eva Levante.
"Oh sweetheart, it looks like I captured your stomach as well." Eva commented with a small smile as she waved to Tobias, recognizing him immediately. She invited him to take a seat by the window as she opened up the oven to pull out of the dessert she had been making. "It's finished everyone, come get a slice while its hot!"
In an instant the other six Guardian present were with Tobias at the window, watching as Eva pulled out a pair of apple pies from the oven. The crust of a pie was a beautiful golden brown, causing everyone to lick their lips in anticipation. Soon enough all of them had received their own slice, causing the orther Guardians to return to the table they had been seated at, leaving Tobias at the counter with Eva.
"Are you alright sweet heart?" Eva asked him as she took a seat beside him. She had noticed that Tobias had been picking at his treat, clearly lost in his thoughts even though he had been captured just by the scent of the apple pie.
"Huh, oh, I just have…a lot on my mind." Tobias replied slowly.
"Well there's no sense keeping it bottled up. Why not speak to old Eva." She suggested with a warm smile, causing Tobias to chuckle at her kindness. "So, what's on your mind?"
"During the evacuation yesterday, I rescued a woman and her son. Seeing them together once we got to safety brought back some memories of my own family." Tobias revealed to her, causing Eva to don a straight expression. "It's been almost three weeks since I became woke up on Diana's ship, and during all that time I guess I forgot that I had a life of my own before all of this. I kind of figured that I was always a Guardian, but now I know that I had done something else before this."
"Ah, I understand what you're feeling Tobias. I can't say that my comparison is spot on, but I've outlived most of my friends and family." Eva revealed to him with a smile. "Once they were all gone, I realized that I was alone. I was depressed for quite a while, and I won't even tell you how long it took me to stop wallowing around and feeling sorry for myself. But do you know what helped me begin to feel better?"
"What?" Tobias asked her.
"I stopped living in the past." Eva stated. "I was clinging onto things that weren't there anymore. And that was stopping me from moving forward."
Tobias remained silent after this statement, allowing it to settle into his mind.
"But how can you say that so easily?" Tobias asked her.
"Like I said, it wasn't easy Tobias. It takes time to move on from something. But the trick to making that transition as painless as possible…is to absorb yourself in something, anything. Otherwise you'll find yourself thinking about the past again." Eva explained to him. "That's why I became the Guardian Outfitter."
Eva looked back fondly at the group of Guardians as they devoured the apple pie she had baked for them.
"I lived to see a few centuries come and go. I've seen Guardians of all shapes and sizes, but all of you are still like children to me." Eva said sweetly as she looked toward Tobias. "Now finish your pie dear, it won't taste as nice if it's cold."
Eva placed a hand on his shoulder, giving a rub to reassure him that he would be fine before she joined the other Guardians at their table. Tobias watched her as she went off, impressed with her poise and demeanor. She really was a pool of wisdom.
Sitting on the bed within the small cabin that had been given to him, Tobias looked out the window behind him. He could see just how boundless space was beyond the ship they were within, but even with such a beautiful scene in front of him, Tobias found his mind wandering.
What were his wife and son like? What did they do together on Saturday afternoons? Did they enjoy walks in the park? Or going to movies?
"I stopped living in the past."
Despite Eva's words though, Tobias still found his thoughts drifting back to his former life, before he became a Guardian. He wanted to know more about himself, but he had no way to find out. Dropping himself back onto the bed, Tobias looked up at the ceiling, trying to think of something else.
Fortunately, there was a knock at the door. Rising up now, Tobias looked at the entrance of his room as the door slid open revealing Diana to him.
"Is anyone home~?" She asked curiously as she stepped in, greeting Tobias with a wave and a smile. "How ya feeling?"
Tobias sighed deeply, shaking his head a bit.
"I don't know. I can't really focus right now." He replied as she laid back again, looking up at the ceiling once again. Diana shut the door and joined him, taking a seat at the edge of the bed. "I just…don't know what I should think right now. Whenever I want to do something, my mind just goes right back to my life before I became a Guardian. I never once thought that I might have been normal. You get what I mean?"
"I know exactly what you mean Tobias." Diana stated, causing him to glance up at her. "I remember when I woke up as a Guardian, although I had all my memories intact. Right now I look back at my former look, and it all seems like a dream. Sometimes I still can't accept that I used to have a life where I didn't have to fight all time. When things were actually peaceful."
Tobias gave her a small nod of agreement.
"I noticed that noting ever really seems to bother you Diana. No matter what's going on, you're always focused on what has to get done. The whole mission could've gone to crap and you'll still have your head on straight." Tobias noted, causing her to laugh a bit. When he fell to the bottom of the Cosmodrome Wall, Diana wasn't fazed by this at all. Even with Briggs' death weighing on her mind, she was still focused for the most part back at Twilight Gap. How did she do it?
"No one said being a Guardian is easy Tobias, not by a long shot. Even though we're all dead, it's not like we all want to spend all our time out of the battlefield. Because after a while, it really starts to…drain you." Diana went on. "But in the end, you can't think about all of this stuff too often."
"What makes you say that?" Tobias asked as he raised himself up.
"You can't let events in the past dictate what you do now. I know firsthand that revenge isn't going to take you very far." Diana stated as she looked directly into his eyes. "You have to focus on the here, and now. You're not fighting for the people you haven't seen in centuries. You're fighting for the people who just sacrificed their planet, just to give us another chance."
Diana took a short breath as she ran her fingers through her short locks.
"Guardians make sacrifices all the time, but a lot of us forget that we're not the only ones making sacrifices. It's hard to keep that in mind sometimes when you think about it. But we're not fighting for ourselves. Our lives are over. Now we stand once again to protect the Traveler and humanity. That's all we need to think about."
Tobias remained silent, letting this information digest. Eva had told him something similar the day before.
"You can't let events in the past…dictate what you do now." Tobias said, repeating what Diana had told him. She was right.
As much as he wanted to know more about his family, dwelling on them and his past was only acting as a distraction. This was no time for him to be moping around, not when others were making sacrifices for him.
"You're right Diana." Tobias said as she slid off his bed, putting himself on his feet. He then looked directly at her with a very small smile. "Thank you."
"It's what I'm here for." Diana replied as she shot him a grin, glad to see that his mood had improved. And just in time since a pair of Hunter came banging on his door.
"Geez, what's going on?" Tobias asked as the door opened, allowing Niko and Carmen to come tumbling in.
"Did you guys see this?!" Carmen exclaimed as she jumped up to her feet, her Ghost forming beside her.
"See what?" Tobias asked, causing her Ghost to begin projecting a recording of the Guardians final stand back within the Last City. In this recording he could see the three Vanguard Mentors display abilities that none of them had ever seen before. Cayde was rattling off arrows of Void Light that captured and suppressed their enemies. Ikora was unleashing torrents of electricity, blasting away their foes by the dozens. And Zavala had become ignited in a flaming armor, pitching out molten hammers at anything that dare oppose him.
Tobias whistled audibly at the sight of all of this, impressed with what he was seeing.
"Apparently there's been special Guardians out there that have been working on new ways to channel the Light, and this is the end result." Niko explained.
"And the Vanguard Mentors just announced that they're going to teaching us how to uses these too!" Carmen added excitedly.
"For real?" Tobias asked, receiving a nod from her. "Oh man, we're going to beast and feast on the Taken with these."
"Don't get ahead of yourself Carmen, Cayde said that he's personally selecting who he's going to be training." Niko pointed out, causing Carmen to turn back to him in shock.
"Then I've got nothing to worry about. Cayde must know about my legendary feats in battle." Carmen said confidently.
"What feats?" Her Ghost asked her in a deadpan, causing the rest of the team to burst into a fit of laughter.
"Ugh! You suck so much!" Carmen shrieked at her Ghost as she chased the small drone out the room. Niko chuckled at the usual exchange between these two before looking toward Tobias, giving him a grin.
"It's good to see you back on your feet Tobias." Niko said before he left as well.
"Uh, thanks." Tobias said. Diana then cleared her throat to regain Tobias' attention.
"So actually, I stopped by to tell you that Ikora is going to be starting the Stormcaller training later this evening. Care to join me?" Diana offered him.
Dining Hall
Tobias now found himself in the same dining hall that he had been in when he was speaking to Eva the day before. But now the sweet scent of apple pie was missing, and in its place were the Warlocks that were accompanying the Traveler to the Reef. Ikora truly enjoyed the sight of so many Warlocks gathered together at once, listening to them as they exchanged information about subjects that varied from their discoveries out in the field, to the reason behind their choice of robes. It was relaxed setting, but she would have to bring it to an end.
Stepping up onto a small platform that had been put together by the maintenance crew, Ikora called for everyone's attention.
"Well this is quite a turn out." Ikora noted with a smile as she looked around at the crowd of Warlocks around her. All of them become silent immediately, ready for their lesson to commence. One of the more eager ones raised their hand, filled with questions already. "Yes?"
"Ikora, it's no secret among Warlocks at least that the Praxic Order trains Warlocks on how to channel Solar Light so that we can become Sunsingers. Why is it that these teachings are still kept secret, while the discovery of channeling Arc Light is being shared with us almost immediately after its discovery?" They asked, causing Ikora to smirk just a bit.
"I can't give you a straight answer to your question. You would have to speak with the Warlocks of the Praxic Order if you really want to know. But I'm certain that you could discern that the Praxic Order is stuck in their old ways." Ikora replied. "On the other hand though, you're here right now to understand what it means to be a Stormcaller."
Ikora raised on hand, beginning to channel Arc Light to her fingertips. Electricity began to crackle around her hands, before it began to travel up her arms, eventually surrounding her entire body. Everyone watched in awe as Ikora rose into the air, spinning a few times for everyone to get a full view of the electrical field that had developed around her. This was the type of power they would be handling now.
The Storm is chaos. The Trance is control. Both are needed to become a Stormcaller.
The 'oohs' and 'awws' came to an end as Ikora returned to the floor, reverting back to her usual stature.
"The Astral Order had been researching Arc Light for decades after the Battle of Twilight Gap. There are several phases involved in becoming a Stormcaller. The first step is understanding how to channel Arc Light." Ikora explained. "Do any of you understand the concept to doing this?"
Most Warlocks had a wealth of knowledge concerning how to use their abilities, and it was never a problem for them to put it into practice. But Arc Light was a different kind of monster for them.
"Arc Light can be compared to kinetic energy. It's everywhere." One of the Warlocks said after being called upon by Ikora.
"Channeling Arc Light is based entirely around gathering this energy that's in motion and being it to our will." Another added.
"Good, so you all do understand how to do it. But with Arc Light, there is chaos, and control." Ikora stated.
Tobias snorted a bit at this. Absolutely none of this was making any sense to him. He could recall that Niko had tried to explain Arc Light to him back on the Forgotten Shore, but he didn't really get it then. And he still didn't get it now.
"I don't get it." He whispered to Diana, but she placed a finger against her lips to shush him.
"Don't worry, it'll make sense as we go on." She replied.
"The reason that Warlocks have struggled to wield Arc Light up until this point is because of the two spectrums that exist when using Arc Light. Our counterparts, Titans and Hunters, both exist on the very extreme of each spectrum." Ikora went on. "Titans often describe Arc Light as tumultuous, uncontrolled…chaotic. They've embraced this and it shows in the destructive power that can unleash as Strikers at any given moment."
Many of the Warlocks gave a nod of agreement.
"In comparison, Hunters use Arc Light as masters of precision. That same destructive force a Striker would use, is fine-tuned and contained within a Bladedancers weapon. We as Warlocks though, stand at the center of these opposing ideals, searching for the perfect balance between them to wield Arc Light." Ikora said as she finished her explanation.
"Wow!"
"That's incredible!" The crowd exclaimed.
"Now spread out and practice drawing out Arc Light. First begin by gathering it in your hands, and then begin shaping it as you would Void Light." Ikora said as she motioned for them to get moving.
Not a moment was wasted as the dozens of Warlocks spread out to various parts of the room, placing plenty of space between each other as they began to practice. It wasn't long before Ikora found herself observing her students with electricity crackling around their hands, some of them already managing to spread this power throughout their entire body. All but one of them was making fast progress.
Tobias was staring at his hand intently as he fought to channel Arc Light. The muscles in his arm were tense, his fingers were fully extending, but nothing was happening.
"What the heck is going on?" He exclaimed with a sigh, dropping his arm to side. Glancing around at the others, he could see that everyone was harnessing Arc Light without a problem. Many of them were beginning to experiment to see just what they could do with this new power.
"Hey Tobias, check this out!" Diana called out to him. Looking around for his teammate, Tobias couldn't seem to find her among the other Warlocks. "No, up here!"
Looking upward, Tobias found her floating nearing the ceiling of the room which was quite a ways up. And electrical field surrounded her body, exactly like what they had seen Ikora do. Diana had already replicated Ikora's demonstration just minutes after she had done it for them. And he had yet to do anything…
Tobias frowned as some of the Warlocks began to gather around, calling out questions to Diana to see if they could understand what she had done to progress so quickly.
"Don't feel down." Ikora said to Tobias as she approached him.
"How can I not?" Tobias asked her. "Everyone else is making this look easy, and I can't even do the easy stuff yet."
Ikora remained silent as she recalled the report she and the other Vanguard Mentors had received from Briggs'6 regarding Tobias' ability to channel the Light. The former leader of Undaunted had mentioned that Tobias struggled with channeling both Arc and Solar Light. And even know, it was clear that he still hadn't figured out what was the cause of this struggle.
"Tobias, do you understand where you're drawing this power from?" Ikora asked him, but he only shook his head in response.
"I haven't the slightest." He replied. He understood the Light was his means of power, but he couldn't get a grasp of how to channel this power from his surroundings. "I never had to take power from anything else. I always get the energy from myself."
Ikora placed a hand on her chin, furrowing her brow as she went into deep thought. She had never heard anyone say something like this. The power the Guardians wielded didn't come from within them, it had always been in their surroundings. It had been recounted in numerous data banks that the Traveler had released a powerful surge of Light during the Collapse, causing its power to be interwoven with their surroundings throughout the system. The Guardians could freely use this power as they see fit, using the Traveler's Light to draw out the power around them.
But Tobias was different. If he truly the Vessel of the Light as the Speaker said, it might very well be that all of his power came from within. Perhaps a test was in order.
"As I said before Tobias, energy resides in everything around us. Take a moment, and try to sense it." She said to him.
Tobias took a deep breath as he focused, shutting his eyes to prevent himself from getting distracted. The noise from the other Warlocks came to hush as he breathed softly, trying to feel the energy that resided within them. But he couldn't find it.
"No, I can't." He said with a shrug, but this didn't deter Ikora.
"I think I understand what might be the case." Ikora stated, receiving a look of confusion from Tobias.
"What do you mean?" Tobias asked her.
"To my understanding, you're acting as a vessel as the Traveler. You are the source of the Light that surrounds us, therefore you might be incapable of using the Light that we Guardians rely upon." Ikora explained before looking away from him. "But this is contradicted by your proficiency with Void Light."
Tobias looked at her curiously, waiting to see if she would continue.
"I think an experiment is in order. Once we arrive on Venus Tobias, I'll contact you again." Ikora stated.
"What's up with you?" Tobias asked as he approached the girl who was seated alone within one of the hanger bays. She had her arms folded in front her chest, her cheeks puffed out with clear irritation.
"What do you want?" She asked him, shooting him a sharp stare.
"Just came to check on you. Niko told me you stormed off after Cayde selected the next group of Nightstalkers he would train." Tobias explained as he took a seat beside her. "So are you alright?"
"Heck no! I'm stinkin' pissed!" She retorted with a huff. "I wanted to be a Nightstalker, but that stupid butt-face Cayde only picked a couple of people. All of the Titans and Warlocks are learning their new sub-class, but only a few Hunters get the chance. How is that fair?"
"Well you never know, Niko might be able to teach it to you." Tobias suggested, getting a nod from Carmen at the thought. Niko was pretty cool, maybe he would.
"He had better." Carmen said softly, getting a chuckle from Tobias. She then looked up him, realizing that Tobias should've been with Diana and the other Warlocks. "Why aren't you learning how to become a Stormcaller?"
"Since I suck so much as channeling Arc Light, Ikora told me to wait until we get to Venus. She said the second phase of becoming a Stormcaller might actually be my first step." Tobias explained.
"So are you going to join Zavala and learn how to be a Sunbreaker?" Carmen asked, a bit of jealously welling up in her chest at the fact that Tobias had all these options.
"I didn't even bother to check in with him. Obviously becoming a Sunbreaker involves uses Solar Light, and I have a funny feeling that I won't do so well there either. And I'm sure you know what I mean" Tobias said, getting a bit of a laugh from Carmen.
"I still don't know how you can only get one shot out of a Golden Gun." Carmen pointed out. "That's why we call you the one hit wonder."
"Yeah yeah, laugh it up. But one day I'll show you what just one hit can do." Tobias said to her with a smirk. She gave him a light shove in response.
"So that means you're stuck, like me." Carmen noted once she finished snickering at him.
"Yup, we're stuck together." Tobias added, causing a grin to creep onto Carmen's face.
"Then how about we get in our own special practice." Carmen suggested.
"Like what?"
"Well since we're not learning anything new, we might as well sharpen the skills we got right now." Carmen explained.
"I like the sound of that."
"So how did that one feel?" Carmen asked Tobias as he removed the headset to look up at the monitor that displayed his score. He had scored four hundred out of five hundred possible points.
"Not bad judging by the score." He replied as he looked back to her with a smirk.
Deep within the flagship, there were numerous simulators that had been designed and built by Dead Orbit to train human soldiers in the event that the Guardians were defeated and mankind had to abandon the Earth. These simulators though, became a practice ground for the Guardians to keep their aim sharp while the action was at an all-time low. And it was a fantastic place for Tobias to continue experimenting with different weapons. He was definitely starting to get a sense of how to fire his weapons beyond just a scout rifle.
"Whoa now, don't let this go to your head." Carmen stated as she extended a hand toward him. Tobias placed the headset in her hand which she quickly put on before pushing him aside so that she could step into the simulator. "Put in on the highest difficulty, and get ready to be amazed."
"Show off." Tobias muttered as he clicked his tongue, watching as Carmen picked up the auto rifle that was connected to the simulator. The machine was nothing more than a standing cylinder, but it responded to your every movement as it placed the participant in various settings to test them.
Looking up at the monitor hanging beside the simulator, Tobias could see the scene develop around Carmen as she held her weapon. Fire was everywhere as numerous Fallen Ketches descended from the skies above. She was in London, the day the Fallen had burned it to the ground. Her heart rate quickened as she quickly had to take shelter within a nearby building, giving her radar some time to get a bearing on the enemies around her. She used this time to give her auto rifle one last check before she began her mission.
Carmen charged off into the heat of battle, engaging the Fallen that were destroying everything in sight. Tobias watched with raised eyebrows as she began gunning down everything with her only weapon. Dregs, Vandals and Captains were nothing to her. She was doing so well that she began to attract the attention of an approaching Walker Tank. But even this didn't stop her as she disposed of it quite easily. Tobias was surprised by how easy it was to destroy one of those things.
All of the gun fire and explosions coming from Carmen's simulator began to draw a crowd as she racked up points, slaying the Fallen hordes all by herself. It was becoming nothing but a show for her audience as she demolished everything.
Standing on top of a hill that overlooked the burning city, Carmen glanced out at the cityscape with a sigh of a relief as she placed her auto rifle on her shoulder, giving everyone a thumbs up. She had cleared out all of the Fallen, and the event came to an end.
"Fifty thousand!" The other Guardians exclaimed with cheers for Carmen as she stepped out of the simulator.
Carmen had scored exactly how many points were available. She was perfect, even as she faced the full might of a Fallen house on her own. Tobias felt his chest tighten a bit as he pictured himself in Carmen's boots. Would he have been able to perform as well as she did?
"Let me take a crack at that one." Tobias said, eager to get in some more practice.
"Not bad Tobias." Carmen commented with a nod of approval. "You're really improving."
"Thirty eight thousand." He noted with a grin. It had been just over three weeks since he and Carmen began to use the simulators as a practice ground, and Carmen couldn't deny that Tobias had made tremendous progress. Firing a weapon was something that took time and practice, but Tobias clearly wasn't a green Guardian. The weapon skill that he had before losing his memory was there, it was just a matter of shaking off the dust.
As he continued to fire each weapon, it became more natural for him. Scout rifles were easily his favorite, but he could pick up just about any weapon and perform well in the simulator.
"I noticed you didn't miss during the final three minutes. Were you in the Gunslinger's Trance?" Carmen asked him curiously, causing Tobias to scratch the bridge of his nose with a chuckle.
"Yeah, that junk is crazy." He replied. This was the second time he had entered the Gunslinger's Trance since being introduced to this ability by Sheryl and Carmen, and it was almost breathtaking. He could read the movements of his enemies just off the slightest movements, allowing him to adjust every shot he took. And with the experience he was gaining with each weapon, he could reload them blindfolded if he had to.
"Nice. Make sure you put it to good use when you're down on Venus." Carmen said to him as Tobias handed her the headset and test weapon.
"Thanks squirt. Wish me luck out there." Tobias said as he gave her a small two fingered salute before heading off.
Exhaling as he left the training area, Tobias began his journey to the hanger that had been designated for the Warlock's departure to Venus. It had been a strenuous three weeks for him as he used the simulators to brush up on his gun skills. Witnessing Carmen's display on their first day had lit a fire in his chest as he became determined to compete with her on the highest difficulty. But in doing so, he quickly saw the glaring difference in skill between them. Carmen was adept at using any weapon, and she her neutral game was strong as well. Tobias on the other hand, was very reliant on his abilities, which he didn't have access to in the simulator.
It took him ages to realize that he didn't have a bail out option, forcing him to be smarter with his decisions. He had to think on his feet, be aware of the situation, and react accordingly. As he began to do this, his scoring went through the roof. He was progressing, but he was far from the only Guardian who was improving.
During his breaks or at dinner each night, Tobias could hear all of the Guardians discussing their practice sessions for their new sub-classes. They were all giving each other tips and pointers on how best to utilize their new abilities. Everyone was extremely motivated, eager for their next encounter with the Taken. The Guardians were compiling a laundry list of new or refined abilities to unleash on their enemies, and they couldn't wait to do so.
Tobias hadn't seen much of Diana or Niko, but he could only assume that their training was going well with the reception these new sub-classes were receiving. But today would be his first opportunity to work with Diana in quite some time now.
Their fourth month journey to the Reef had reached its first checkpoint. Venus. Acting as a pilot for the Traveler, the Speaker needed to rest himself which meant that the Traveler and the small fleet that accompanied it had to land on the surface of Venus for a period of time. Titans and Hunters had been tasked with establishing and maintaining a safe zone around the Traveler, meanwhile the Warlocks were undertaking their next step in becoming Stormcallers.
"The Vex are an interesting species, if you can call them that. For example, there's a being among them that's recognized as the Conductive Mind. These are a special group of Vex that harness the same kinetic energy that we use to channel Arc Light, but they use it to provide power for Vex units across the system." Ikora explained to Tobias. "Destroying this Mind will give you access to the core which is responsible for its ability to harness kinetic energy. The other Warlocks merely need to study how it harnesses kinetic energy, but you Tobias…I want you to come into contact with the core. Perhaps that will allow you to understand how you can tap into the natural energy that surrounds you."
Entering the hanger, Tobias could see that all of the Stormcallers in training had gathered together, carpooling so to speak as they prepared to depart. The Vanguard had pinpointed the location of numerous Conductive Minds across the surface of Venus, dividing the Warlocks into teams to give each of them a target. They would attack in groups, the core of a Conductive Mind would be the spoils of their victory.
Making his way through the crowds, Tobias' Ghost directed him to the location of Diana's ship where her small team of Warlocks was already set to leave. Heading up the ramp of the ship, Tobias entered the cabin where he was greeted by a Warlock he was familiar with, and another two that he didn't know.
"We meet again Tobias." Axel said, giving Tobias a wave. The Exo Warlock of fireteam Salamander stood at the center of the cabin, leading the discussion. Tobias gave a small nod in return before he glanced at the other two Warlocks. One was a female Exo, and the other a light skinned man with shaggy blonde hair.
"Rox-12." The Exo said to him as he took a seat beside her. "Pleasure to meet you."
"Thanks." Tobias said as they shook hands. He then looked toward the man who raised his eyebrows at him, realizing that it was time for his introduction.
"You can just call me Dario." He said, raising a hand to bump fists with Tobias.
"Tobias." He replied, introducing himself.
"We're all here Diana, let's get moving." Axel called out toward the cockpit where their pilot had been waiting for them.
"Tobias is here?" She asked, peeking back into the cabin.
"Ready and waiting!" He replied.
"It's good to see a familiar face." She said as the exits to the ship were sealed off. The spacecraft then began to rise as Axel took a seat in the cabin.
"I'll give you a quick recap Tobias." Axel said as he focused on the last person to arrive. "Our target is located in an underground facility in the Ishtar Sink. Ikora gave us a warning that these Conductive Minds charge all sorts of Vex units, so that pretty much guarantees some opposition."
"Great, I wouldn't have it any other way." Tobias said as he clapped his hands. His first real battle in weeks. He could wait to see how much had progressed since they had left the Earth.
A/N
And now were diving into Taken King along with my own version of the sub-class quests. I didn't have too much going on after the last chapter with them being forced to evacuate the City and all in the last chapter. This was actually part of one huge chapter, but it was so big that I decided to split it up because it was just that big. I didn't want to overwhelm anyone with one enormous chapter.
As always, thanks for reading!