Bad News.
"Don't give me that look," The Spider snaps. "The job is done and you'll have what you came here for." The large scoundrel rests lazily in his strange throne.
"Didn't feel like telling me what I was heading into!?" Klutz questions with frustration. "Had to lie to get me to do your dirty work!?"
"I told you what you needed to hear. My only lies were by omission, if you see it that way."
"You said those Eliksni were outlaws. Most of them were unarmed and ran once you attacked… I saw kids there." Klutz's angry stance adjusts slightly.
The Spider sits forward and stares down at the Guardian. "You fought with the last holdout of the House of Embers. A small house of even smaller notability, aside from the fact that they have their hands on- or more appropriately, HAD their hands on a Prime Servitor." He hides a short laugh. "They are a house of violent raiders and pirates that have caused trouble in the Reef for quite some time. Luckily for you, most of them joined some foolhardy crusade with the larger houses. A crusade I don't believe many will return from." He rests back again. "You danced with the left behinds, the Dregs that they didn't feel were strong enough to join them. Instead they 'protected' the Servitor while everyone that was worth a damn was away! Even their foolish Archon thought it was more important to fight than guard his Servitor… I think he'll find that was a mistake."
Klutz stares back at the Spider for some time. He has a number of grievances he wants to air. He holds his tongue.
"Do you have what we came here for or not?" Spark asks directly as she flashes into the room.
"Of course I do, my tasty little mouthful." The Spider glares at her frighteningly. Without turning his attention, he waves a hand to signal one of his guards.
The guard returns with a small item and presents it to the Guardian.
Klutz takes the small reward and examines it briefly. It is a mostly transparent card with a strange token recessed in its center.
"That badge will give you access to the secrets you want to uncover. Maybe even some you don't," the Spider says with a foreboding tone. "In any case, I've enjoyed doing business with you, you keep me on my toes. If ever you need more information feel free to-"
"Is my ship fixed?" Klutz interrupts.
"Yes…" the Spider answers. "My associates fixed it up good as new. It's waiting for you, just outside."
Klutz looks at his Ghost and she disappears. He puts the badge in a small pouch on his waist and turns to leave.
"Guardian!" the Spider shouts to get the man's attention.
Klutz stops but does not turn around.
"Because of your good work, I feel it's appropriate to give you… something of a bonus."
Klutz tightens his fist.
"Nothing material, you've already got your reward, but I think it will interest you nonetheless," the Spider says coyly.
The Guardian turns around and looks at the round creature.
"The crusade I mentioned, the one House of Embers is away on." The Eliksni's words ring out almost excitedly. "They've joined forces with pretty much every other significant house, in a kind of… temporary alliance. Century old disputes have been set aside for a unifying cause, it's truly incredible to see."
Klutz narrows his brow, trying to figure out where this is going.
"They hope to retake 'our place' in the galaxy, bring us back up from the depths we've… fallen into." He reaches behind his chair and grabs hold of a dead Ghost.
The Guardian is disturbed to see the hollow Ghost, but more disturbed by the direction this 'bonus' is headed in.
The Spider fiddles with the shell idly as he continues. "The Kells wish to… win the Great Machine's favor, and they've decided that the only way they can do such a thing is by… eliminating the competition."
Klutz's eyes widen and his heart sinks deep in his chest. "They want to take the Traveler?"
The words echo across the room. The Spider laughs for a moment. "They don't just 'want to,' New Light. Right about now, I expect their forces are converging on your 'Last City.' I don't doubt your kind's abilities, but I do doubt they've faced a threat as strong as the united houses! If you want to warn your people… you may want to hurry."
With fast movements, Klutz bolts from the room.
"And leave my name out of it!" the Spider shouts as he watches the young Guardian scramble.
The jumpship cruises far away from the Tangled Shore. The blue glow of its thrusters burn bright, testing the quality of the hasty repairs. Inside, the pilot grips the controls tightly. Sweat runs across his brow.
"I still can't get through. It's as if our signal is being jammed!" Spark announces with frustration.
"Is it the Spider?" Klutz asks.
"I don't believe so. We are far enough away from the shore that I can't imagine he would be able to block our communications."
"Well, keep trying I guess. We need to warn the City. Is the NLS ready?"
"Not yet… I think it's having trouble communicating with the Fallen hardware they used in the…" Spark trails off and scans the ship's console for a moment. When she finishes the scan, she moves close to the window and peers into space.
"What's the matter, Spark?" Klutz asks and looks out as well.
"I think I found the source of the signal jammer." She pings a small shape in the distance.
"What is it?"
The shape grows larger in appearance as they approach. Finally, the shape is close enough to make out. It is a strange three pointed spacecraft with a pale blue color. It waits unmoving as the Guardian's vehicle grows closer.
"Stop the ship, Klutz. They are sending a direct communication."
Klutz steadies the jumpship a couple hundred meters away and studies the strange vehicle in front of him. He takes note of the large weapons fixed to its haul. "Who are they?"
"The Awoken."
With a deep breath, Klutz accepts the communication request on his ship's dashboard.
Static fills the comms for a moment before focusing into a voice. "This is the sovereign territory of the Awoken. What business do you have here?" The masculine voice is both gruff and strangely relaxed.
Klutz looks to his Ghost for support.
Spark nods her shell upward encouragingly.
"The business I had here just wrapped up, actually. Plan on heading home now," the nervous man explains.
"Working with the Spider?" the Awoken pilot asks.
Klutz doesn't answer.
"You're from Earth, right?"
"Uh, yes. I'm a Guardian from the Last City."
"A Guardian?" the Awoken asks with equal surprise and curiosity. "So, what business do the Guardians have in the Reef? In the Tangled Shore of all places?"
"I'm actually not here on any orders. My business here was my own."
The Awoken laughs quietly. "You have to know how shady that sounds, right?"
"Listen, I'm sorry if I broke any… Awoken laws, but there is something very important going on and I'm running low on time…" Klutz is anxious, less so about his current predicament, more so with the danger back on Earth.
"If you hadn't noticed, my jammer has disabled both your long range communications and your Near Light Speed capabilities. You'll only leave when we are sure we have learned what we need from you." The Awoken's words are less cruel than they are cautious.
"We?"
"Yes, we. I am going to escort you to a nearby outpost. When we arrive, you'll be questioned by one of my fellow Corsairs, until we find out if it's safe to let you go."
Klutz's breathing quickens. He knows he does not have time to waste. "Hey, that isn't gonna work! There is a very important matter going on back on Earth and it's important I get there to help!"
"You can explain everything when we arrive at the outpost." The Corsair maneuvers his ship much closer to the Guardian's vehicle and points it back toward the asteroid belt. "Now stay close and don't cause me any trouble. I really don't want to chase you down."
Klutz looks at his Ghost wide eyed. He mutes the radio. "What do we do!? Is the NLS really jammed?"
Spark spins her shell frantically. "It appears so… I don't advise trying to run. His vehicle is far more capable than ours."
"Well, we don't have time to deal with an… interrogation." Klutz runs his hand over his head.
Spark looks out the window at the Awoken ship. "I can try talking to him. Try to explain things?"
"It's worth a shot…"
Spark connects to the Corsair's radio. "Hello? This is the Guardian's Ghost."
"Ghost? You're one of the Traveler's machines?" the Corsair asks with genuine curiosity.
"Yes! My name is Spark. My Guardian and I are both very sorry to have trespassed on your peoples territory… We came here following an important lead related to the security of our people." Spark speaks with calm remorse.
"Well, Spark, like I told the other guy, you can explain everything when we get to the outpost." The engines of the Awoken ship flare up.
"I understand your concern, but we received some information, while we were on the Shore, that is vital to our peoples survival…"
"That so?" The Corsair asks uncertainty.
Spark looks at the Guardian and prompts him to take over.
Klutz rejoins the conversation. "Have you noticed a drop in Fallen activity out here?" he asks the Awoken.
"Not normally in the business of sharing information about our enemies with outsiders… but I doubt you plan on trading secrets with the House of Wolves, and I'd be lying if I said that question didn't get me curious. So yeah, I can confirm our scouts have reported a drastic drop in Fallen sightings in and around the Reef."
"Well, from what I've gathered, a large number of Fallen have joined forces… for an attack on Earth." Fear underlines the Guardian's words.
"You're implying the Fallen houses are working together?" the Corsair asks with skepticism.
"All I know is my people are in danger and I need to do something about it…"
The Corsair is silent.
Spark fills the silence with a proposal. "At the very least, can you allow us to contact the City? We need to warn them of what's coming…"
The Corsair is quite a while longer. "Alright. You can make one call, but I'm going to need to listen in," he says with a sigh.
The call is answered quickly and transferred to a superior even quicker. Klutz is surprised how soon he is speaking to the 'Busiest Man in The City.'
Osiris listens to the Guardian's brief, and highly cutdown, explanation of the events that led to his discovery of the supposedly imminent attack. "If what you say is accurate, I find it strange we have not seen greater signs of the Fallen forces… Although it is true we have felt a noticeable increase of Fallen activity on our territory, something I know you can attest to personally," the Warlock says.
"I know it may seem far fetched, but with a risk this high, I think we'd rather be safe than sorry…" Klutz says anxiously.
"That we can agree on." Osiris says. "I will notify the Titans and recommend the Vanguard put the defenses of the Last City on high alert. In the meantime, I want you to return to the village and suggest that they seek safety behind our walls. We don't have the numbers to spare on their safeguard and if a large-scale Fallen invasion does occur… I greatly doubt they would last long from their position, even with a Guardian's protection."
Klutz feels his heart stop at the thought. "I'll get there as soon as I can," he says.
"Good. And I expect a full report on everything when you have time. This situation is quite concerning," Osiris says somberly. "Now if you will excuse me, I have much to attend to."
"Good luck, Osiris."
"Good luck to you as well, Warlock, and to the people of your village." Osiris cuts the signal to prepare for the possibility of an incoming assault.
As soon as Osiris leaves the call, Klutz drops his head into his hands. Guilt and worry fill his mind.
Spark moves in close to try and comfort the Guardian.
"You got people you're supposed to look after?" the Corsair asks empathetically.
Klutz sits up, almost caught off guard by the question. "Yeah. People I left behind when I came out here… I need to get back to them as soon as I can, so let's get to where we're going and get these questions over with…"
The Corsair is quiet for a moment. "What if you got away?" he asks after the small pause.
"Huh?" Klutz raises an eyebrow.
"Be a real shame for me if you darted off while I wasn't ready. Especially if my jammer acted up so your NLS could kick on."
Spark scans the ship's dashboard and nods joyfully at her Guardian.
"Why the change of heart?" Klutz asks candidly.
"I know what it's like to have people that depend on you. I also know what it's like to let them down," he replies in a low voice. "Now go on, before my jammer starts up again."
"Thank you," Spark says.
"Yeah, we won't forget this," Klutz adds.
"Eh, don't sweat it. Just make sure you keep your people safe," the Corsair says before he activates his engines and disappears into the darkness.
The bright blue light of the Guardian's ship streaks through the stars as he hurries home.