Trying Something Stupid

"Explain to me again how this is gonna work?"

"Simple. Dak takes out the snipers, you launch your flares, and I'll take care of the rest."

"And you won't tell me what your big idea is?"

"And I won't tell you what my big idea is."

Kahlee stared at him for a moment. "You're gonna die."

"Relax, I'll be fine. Just get ready. Dak, you in position?"

"You know it. Just give the word."

Bill took one more look out from behind his cover. "Kahlee, get those flares ready."

Kahlee began to charge her Solar flares, commonly and incorrectly referred to by other Guardians as "grenades." They were actually pure energy conjured by Warlocks and most frequently used to disorient enemies.

"I sure hope you know what you're doing."

"Seriously, calm down. This is gonna work."

Before Kahlee could offer another rebuke, Bill took off running down the hill behind them.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!" She yelled at him.

"Now, Dak!" Was his only reply.

Kahlee heard the muffled shots from Dak's rifle, and watched the two Vandals fall. Bill's voice filled the comm. "Time for those flares! Launch them now!"

She complied, and propelled two Solar flares over the rock she was using for cover. She watched as the Servitor, followed closely by the Captain, emerged from inside the plant. The Captain's bodyguard pointed to the solar bombs arcing towards them, but before any of them could react, the grenades detonated, large orbs of Solar energy radiated light down onto the enemy squad. The large Fallen and his subordinates all shielded their eyes, and Dak began to pick them off as they were blinded.

Suddenly, Kahlee heard the familiar whine of Bill's Sparrow rushing up behind her, and she swung around to see him whiz past her at top speed. Using a small mound as a ramp, he propelled himself and the swoop bike into the air, a cry of pure joy and adrenaline filling the comm channel.

As Bill reached the peak of his jump, he jumped free of the Sparrow, shouldering the rocket launcher he carried on his back. Firing both of the warheads in the tube, they impacted around the stunned enemies and exploded. The Fallen Captain took one of the missiles at his feet, flying ten meters back and striking a wall. The Servitor was engulfed in flame as it sputtered and shook itself apart, the flammable ether it carried fueling the inferno even more. The Sparrow itself landed on one of the Dregs, exploding on impact. Bill landed in the middle of the carnage, tossing the rocket launcher aside, and drawing his primary weapon. Dak's covering fire took out two of the Shanks, while he dispatched the third, and gunned down the remaining Dregs as they tried to flee.

Bill waved to Dak, signaling him to come down. Dak offered a casual salute in return, and began to make his way back to his team. Kahlee came walking out from behind her cover, shaking her head as she approached. "You are… insane. Do you know that?"

"I get that a lot."

"With good reason. You wrecked your Sparrow AND almost got yourself killed. Did you really think that would work, or were you just winging it?"

Bill shrugged. "Honestly? I thought the whole thing was a crapshoot. Glad it paid off, though."

Val popped to life, and fluttered by Kahlee's left shoulder. "Well, your chances of survival were about sixty-thousand to one, so I'd say 'crapshoot' is an understatement. But it was certainly entertaining, make sure Cee sends me a copy of his visual logs. I want to see that again!"

"Val, please don't encourage him."

"Sorry."

Bill gave a thumbs up. "Don't worry buddy. It's alright. She's just cranky today."

Val's shell spun. "She's always cranky."

Kahlee's stared at her Ghost through her visor. Val's shell stopped rotating. "I'll uh, just… I should go." With that, the Ghost dematerialized. Bill turned towards the plant to recon the area.

Dak cocked his head at Kahlee. "That wasn't very nice."

"Oh, don't give me that. What with the way you treat Vera."

"Hey, I'm just messing around with her. She's a damn fine partner… I just wish she'd loosen up a bit."

Vera expanded her outer shell. "How's this?"

Dak gave her a puzzled look. "That's not what I- oh. I get it." The Exo chuckled. "See, now that's more like it. I said you'd warm up to me sooner or later."

"TEAM! Get over here now! You need to see this!" Bill shouted at the pair. "Double time!"

Dak and Kahlee rushed over to the plant entrance, where Bill stood over the bodies of the Fallen patrol they just eliminated.

"These aren't the Devils. House markings are wrong. I think we found our second faction."

As Dak looked over the bodies, he paused to check out the House markings. "These are like nothing I've ever seen before. No surprise there. But I'm not familiar with Fallen tongues, and unless you guys took a class without me, I'd say neither of you can figure this out, either. Vera, can you shed some light?"

Vera reappeared. She scanned the emblem on the tattered cloth that the dead Dreg bore. Her shell rotated and expanded, then contracted again.

"Anything?"

"Well, Master Rahool doesn't exactly have a Fallen dictionary in his library, but I think I can piece together these words from what little he has collected. I'm not one hundred percent sure of this, but I believe this means… 'Cast-off?' No, wait… 'Exile!"

"Exile?" Dak asked.

"Precisely. As I said, I can't be fully certain, but I believe this faction refers to themselves as the House of Exiles."

"Whoever they are, their tactics are similar to the Devils. Their patrol numbers match that of the Cosmodrome gangs. How else could we have guessed their numbers so well?" Dak gave the dead Dreg a tap with his boot.

Bill retrieved his rocket launcher nearby and Cee transmatted it away. "Doesn't really matter who they are, they must have had access to the computers inside. Let's get in there and see what they found up here that got the Devils willing to go on a road trip."