S1-208
Darkness's Doorstep
2:17 PM
02/17/3274
Planet Vez-2 - Suburban Cul-de-sac
Aran-Johnson residence
Music
none
It was a rainy day, and Michael couldn't stop thinking about the odd message he got yesterday.
"Food for thought?" Samus walked in, holding two paper plates with sandwiches and Dorito chips as she sat next to the ace on the couch.
Michael took his plate, but didn't touch the food. "I just can't stop thinking about yesterday. The Darkness pulled me into the Pyramid, offering an 'ancient power' on that frigid moon of Jupiter."
Without warning, the voice of Commander Zavala came through the television.
Music
Destiny 2 - Perseverance
"People of the Frontier, humanity has endured a devastating blow. Our scouts have confirmed that Io, Mars, Titan, and Mercury… have disappeared. We don't know why. Thankfully, evacuations have been successful and we haven't lost anyone."
Planet Alrion - New Pacific Arcology
Solarium
In the Eliksni settlement, the same transmission was playing on the screen in the back of the Solarium. "We are deploying Pilots and Guardian-Pilots to all corners of Sol to find answers, and with those answers, we will form a plan."
Planet Korj - Angel City District 10: Phoenix Central
Boardwalk (West)
Zavala's transmission played on the monitor in a spicy ramen shop, garnering attention from passersby and customers. "In the meantime, we ask that all Lightless civilians, be they human, Awoken, Exo, or Eliksni, remain within the safety of the Frontier, under the protection of the Traveler and the IMC. Do not lose hope."
Planet Korj - Angel City Dreaming District
Mara Sov's Throne World
Even in a Throne World, Zavala's message could be received, and in this case, visually reconstructed by the same mystical energy that made up baryon boughs, as his voice came through with a slight echo. "Humanity has survived many horrors, with and without the IMC. We have done so through the strength of our community; through steadfast commitment to one another. Stay strong. Be brave."
Mara Sov could not help the slightest hint of a smile that etched itself upon her face. She did hold respect and admiration for the IMC after they safeguarded her people.
Planet Gaea
Suotamo
Zavala's message even rippled throughout the Outlands, where Blisk watched on his ship's monitor as he looked through the various comments made by various veterans that decided to participate. "The Traveler protects us, and we will protect you. The Guardians will come through. They always do."
2:31 PM
02/17/3274
Jupiter's moon, Europa - Rathmore Chaos
Beyond
Music
Destiny 2 - Acceptance (Ambient)
On the surface of Europa, the Aran-Johnson family was conducting thorough analysis after thorough analysis of the colossal looming Pyramids across the snowy moon, while Jenny kept a lookout from TN-9684's cockpit.
"That's another one. They all scan the same. Empty." Samus reported as she switched off her Scan Visor. "Why did the Darkness invite us here?"
"Not sure." Michael then turned to his Ghost, realizing that Rocco barely said a thing while they were there. "You're quiet today."
"{Yeah. It's just… we keep coming face-to-face with Darkness, and every time, we fail to stop it. We're just so… powerless.}" Suddenly, a beeping sound could be heard. Rocco began floating up in the air, his shell components wagging. "{I'm picking up a distress signal. Someone's in trouble.}"
On their radios, a familiar voice came through amid the static. "My friends, we are all in great danger." There was a hum of static before the message resumed. "Darkness walks among us-"
"{It's… Variks? I was wondering where he disappeared to after Crow's tour.}"
Samus began opening up a channel for the Vice Admiral. "I'll send a message to let Spyglass know-"
"No, wait." Michael interrupted. "Where is the signal coming from?"
"{Here.}" Rocco's answer was simple. "{Europa.}"
Music
Destiny 2 - Trepidation
"I've tracked Variks's distress signal beyond the ridge." Jenny's voice rang through her Titan's speakers. "We better hurry."
Michael, Samus, and Cayde climbed atop the Vanguard Titan and hitched a ride as Jenny willed it to run.
"{We already know that Variks instigated the riot at the Prison of Elders. But, as he said, he didn't know it would result in Cayde's death. Wasn't his intention. We were right not to hold it against him.}" Axel transmitted.
Samus was the first to notice how fast they were closing in on the source of the signal. "We're close to the origin point of Variks's distress signal."
Suddenly, Fallen Skiffs and a Ketch warped in, flying overhead. "Those Fallen patrols are right where we're going…" Cayde muttered before realizing something. "The campsite! They must be after Variks too! Let's hurry!"
One Skiff stopped and dropped a squad of Fallen, but they were completely unprepared for homing volleys of micro-missiles to decimate the ship in mere moments from out of nowhere. Jenny mowed down the rest of the Fallen with the XO-16.
"These Fallen have an unfamiliar House symbol. Who are we dealing with?" Samus wondered as the trio dropped off of the Titan.
Michael looked over the dead Fallen, allowing his helmet to scan the symbol. However, the automated response told him that it wasn't from any House on record. "Not sure. We probably should've set up a reconnaissance operation before coming here to scan the Pyramids."
"I think we should head into that bunker, which is where the signal's coming from, and search for clues." Cayde suggested, heading over to the structure. It appeared to have an automatically opening glass door, which granted the Sim-Exo entry as he approached. Michael and Samus nodded to each other in agreement before following him in.
"{Someone's been staying here. There's traces of… Darkness energy.}" Rocco shuddered as he looked around the cozy hut.
Looking back, Michael saw that Jenny hadn't followed them in. "Jenny, TN can keep a lookout without you."
"No thanks. Knowing how uncomfortable I was in the ice caps of Mars, I'm definitely not going to like being out in the open here on Europa." Jenny rebutted over the comms.
Michael chuckled. "Who said you were gonna be out in the open?"
There was silence for a moment before the Vanguard-class Titan's cockpit opened, with a blue-armored Pulse Blade Pilot rushing into the structure for dear life. "OH MY LIGHT, THAT IS COLD!"
"[Amaya, you're wearing a combat suit that offers a sufficient amount of protection against environmental climates. Why have your vitals become erratic?]" TN-9684 questioned.
Taking a few seconds to warm up, Jenny answered. "It just felt like my suit was getting more and more unbearably cold by the millisecond. It… it stung and burned. I could almost feel my own body start to seize up."
As Michael and Samus regarded their daughter with concern, Sundance scanned a futuristic terminal sitting on the central table. "{It's BrayTech. From Eventide. Clovis Bray's Golden Age colony here on Europa.}" The Ghost said as she examined the contents. "{Whoever was here was using it to track Variks too. They must have intercepted the distress signal before we did.}" She looked through the communications data for a few seconds before getting something. "{OK, I've got the signal's true origin point now. It's not far. Let's hurry!}"
Jenny watched as TN-9684 knelt down at the shack's entrance, her hatch open and waiting for the Pilot's safe return.
Watching as his daughter rushed back into the Titan's warm cockpit, Michael thought back on her sensory description. Pilot ablative armor suits could sufficiently protect human, Awoken, and Exo Pilots from cold environments, so why did Jenny feel such freezing pain?
Michael then remembered that his daughter wasn't one-hundred percent human. She inherited genes from her mother, including Chozo and… "Metroid DNA…"
"What was that?" Cayde didn't quite catch what the ace just muttered.
In his mind, all the pieces fell into place. "Jenny inherited the Metroid DNA in her mother's cellular makeup! Metroids can't survive cold temperatures! Our suits weren't made with enough cold resistance to protect a Metroid from the cold! The open air of Europa is a death zone for her! Just being here could literally kill her, Fallen or no Fallen!"
"Maybe we can discuss this with the AUs after this." Samus suggested, putting a hand on his shoulder.
The ace nodded. "Maybe."
Going back outside, Michael and co. saw the Vanguard Titan firing blindly in an approaching snowstorm. Fallen Arc rounds were whizzing by, hitting the Titan's energy shields.
"I can't see them!" Jenny called over the comms.
Looking in the direction the Arc projectiles were coming from, Michael aimed down his Spitfire's Threat Scope. Red silhouettes became visible. "Cayde, your Flatline's Threat Scope can see the Fallen here! Samus, use your X-Ray Visor!"
Looking down his Flatline's Threat Scope, Cayde saw several red outlines of Fallen moving about, giving him something to shoot. However, Jenny was still shooting her XO-16 blindly, so Cayde pulled a Pulse Blade off his belt and threw it in the enemy's direction.
The radar pings from the Pulse Blade relayed data back to TN-9684. Jenny saw her targets and focused her fire, the oversized bullets hitting the Fallen one by one.
As the last Fallen, a Captain, fell to Samus's Plasma Beam, the family continued on their path. However, Jenny came shockingly close to walking her Titan right into a wall of ice. "You three go on ahead. We'll regroup on the other side." She transmitted.
"OK. We'll keep an eye out on the way." Cayde said as he reloaded his Flatline.
As Jenny engaged her Vanguard Titan's Northstar flight thrusters to fly over the ice, Michael, Samus, and Cayde headed into the arctic tunnel.
"{Variks must have really done it this time. If we don't get to him first, someone else will.}" Samus's Ghost said.
"If it's not already too late…" Her Guardian muttered.
Jupiter's moon, Europa - Rathmore Chaos
Charon's Crossing
Music
Destiny 2 - Peril Unknown
As the trio entered the next sector, Michael felt something. "Wait… Darkness." He said, holding up a hand. "It's close."
"{I feel it too, but… it's different, somehow.}" Rocco replied, transmatting his Darkness-suppressing device onto himself just in case.
"Variks should be just up ahead." Michael then rounded a corner, taking down a couple of Shanks. He then looked upon a building with a giant radar dish. "There! That's where Variks's signal is coming from!"
Nailing a Dreg with an explosive knife, Cayde threw a Pulse Blade at the building, seeing multiple contacts on the roof.
Climbing up to clear out the opposition, the trio saw their ally, trapped from the waist down in some sort of paracausal ice. They also saw that his lower arms were frozen over, for some reason.
"Help me!" Variks cried out as the three approached him.
Just then, oversized bullets whizzed by as an orange Vanguard-class Titan flew over the ice wall. "Am I late to the party?" Jenny transmitted.
"Just in time!" Her mother replied.
"Please! Fire away from me!" Variks begged as he shielded himself with his upper arms.
The hailing stream of 1.6 inch slugs stopped. "Sorry, buddy."
Taking advantage of the cease-fire, a lone Dreg attempted to get the drop on them, only to get instantaneously pulverized by one of Samus's missiles.
Music
none
"{Wait a second, I'm picking up more chatter on the Fallen's comms.}" Rocco reported.
On the radio, the voice of a female Eliksni could be heard. "Have them surround the perimeter. The snake does not leave here alive."
"It will be done, Eramiskel." A second female Eliksni joined in.
"Hurry, Pilots! You must free me." Variks said, looking down at his half-frozen body.
Switching on her X-Ray Visor, Samus engaged her arm cannon's old welding torch. The superheated flame cut through the ice with ease, though the ice itself began to crack and splinter. Before Samus could free one of Variks's legs, the ice shattered.
Collapsing onto the ground for a moment, Variks grabbed his staff as he picked himself up. "Thank you. But now, I must hide."
"Not so fast. We heard your message." Michael interjected, grabbing the staff in Variks's hand. "'Darkness walks among us'. What do you mean?"
"There is no time. They are coming! I ask for your protection once more." The Judgment Kell said as the ace released his staff. "I will take shelter inside. Succeed, and I will reveal all."
As Variks took shelter inside the building, Fallen reinforcements flew in.
Music (resume)
Destiny 2 - Peril Unknown
Without warning, a new Fallen automaton basically Warpfalled in from a Ketch, armed with multiple weapon systems.
SCANNING…
NEW ENTRIES
1: Brig
"By the Traveler! Get to cover!" Michael called out as the Brig started firing a barrage of rockets into the air, which rained down on them.
As the ace dealt with the smaller Fallen with his Spitfire, Jenny turned around and fired her XO-16 at the Brig, which caused the Titan-like machine to turn its attention to her, firing some Void blasts at the Vanguard in return. Taking the opportunity, Samus unleashed some Storm Missiles onto the Brig, causing considerable damage to the mech and ripping off the front plate.
The Brig then flew up in the air a bit, with one of its cannons charging up before letting out a burst of Solar energy, which projected a dome of extreme heat before imploding. Jenny lurched in the cockpit as the Solar implosion broke through the Titan's shields. "These things are tough!"
As Jenny returned fire, hitting the exposed circuitry, the Brig charged up another shot of its Annihilation Blast, unleashing a second Solar implosion upon the unshielded Vanguard.
"[Warning: hull is taking excessive damage.]" TN-9684 blared as her hull crumpled a bit from the blast.
"You wanna heat things up, huh?" Jenny quipped as another shot began to charge. She called upon her Solar Light, watching as the edges of the Titan cockpit display glowed with flames. "Then let's… heat things up!"
"[Laser Core overclocked.]" The red beam of the Laser Core shifted to a brilliant fiery orange, melting a big hole straight through the Brig's entire chassis, leaving behind pieces of charred metal in its wake.
Jenny [Laser Core] Brig
Music
none
For a moment, Jenny felt woozy and lightheaded. Several seconds later, with a shake of her head, she steadied herself, feeling her Light return to normal strength. "Hoo boy. Never did THAT before."
"That's the last of them." Samus reported as she Grapple Beamed one Shank into another, destroying both drones.
"Success! I am truly grateful." Variks praised in response.
"Then prove it. We expect answers." Cayde demanded.
"Come to me, and you will have them." The Eliksni said. "But know that our work here has only just begun."
Here we are. Beyond Light.
Definitely not gonna see Jenny on Europa ever again. That Metroid DNA from her mother is an issue... that I had actually overlooked.
Well, things are about to get pretty darn 'cool' in the next chapter. Get it?
See you next time, everyone.