S1-57
Ishtar Collective
9:34 PM
02/16/3201
Approaching unknown destination
Music
none
City Hawk 723 was on their way to the coordinates received from Cayde-6, which supposedly lead to the Awoken.
"Anything we should expect?"
"Don't know, Michael." The Exo transmitted.
9:49 PM
02/16/3201
Asteroid Belt
The Fireteam, following the coordinates, ended up in an asteroid belt somewhere at the far edge of the solar system.
"Where did all this come from?" Mark-18 wondered.
"{Every ship that could escape fled Earth during the Collapse. They made it this far. I guess they died out here.}"
"It's a graveyard." Samus stated.
"How did the Awoken survive?"
"{No one knows.}"
Suddenly, an unknown voice was heard over the local channel. "Intruder bearing 127, you have crossed into the realm of the Awoken. State your business or be fired on by the order of the queen."
Michael and his Ghost exchanged glances. "{Don't look at me. Better say something.}"
"We are from Earth. We're here to seek the counsel of the Awoken."
There was silence on the line as the Fireteam spotted two strange ships trailing them. "Conform to my trajectory. Any deviation will be taken as an act of aggression."
"Looks like we're in the right place." Mark-18 said.
"{Why is the right place always so terrifying?}" Who knows?
9:56 PM
02/16/3201
Asteroid Belt - The Reef
Queen's Throne
Music
Code Lyoko - The Hermitage
The Fireteam arrived in the throne room, escorted by a few Awoken guards. There was one Awoken up ahead, and his ID popped up on the HUD of Michael's helmet.
SCANNING...
NEW ENTRIES
1: Uldren Sov
Leader of the Crows
"So... these are the trespassers demanding an audience?" Uldren asked.
"{We didn't mean to trespass.}" Michael's Ghost defended.
"The Queen herself judges who may or may not enter the realm. Me? Hm. I see no reason she should be available for whatever washes up at the Reef. But here we are."
"We've come to ask for help."
Suddenly, two Fallen Vandals appeared. "{Fallen!}"
SCANNING...
NEW ENTRIES
1: House of Wolves
Acting quick, Michael proceeded to pull out his Spitfire LMG, catch sight of Uldren pulling out a knife, then grab his wrist before the Awoken leader could put the knife to the Pilot's neck, aiming his weapon directly at Uldren, who suddenly had a scared and shocked expression on his face as the barrel of the weapon was to the underside of his chin.
A female voice was heard. "They are afraid of the Fallen. They do not understand these ones are mine." A female Awoken appeared and sat on the throne.
SCANNING...
NEW ENTRIES
1: Mara Sov
Queen of the Awoken
The Fireteam put away their weapons, and Uldren breathed a sigh of relief once Michael's Spitfire LMG was no longer pressed against his throat. "Apologies... your grace."
"We are City Hawk 723. I'm Michael, the Fireteam leader. Samus, Jack, and I are old super-soldiers known as Pilots, and Samus was once a bounty hunter, but is now with us." Michael explained. "Mark-18 is the only one who's not a Pilot. We are from Earth. We're searching for the Black Garden."
"Why?" Uldren asked.
"We seek to destroy the Darkness at its heart."
"You want to turn it into a battleground. How unimaginative." Uldren sighed.
"Maybe, but a good portion of my old life consisted of fighting in battlegrounds all across a dense zone of habitable planets, VERY far from here." Michael spat back, feeling underestimated.
"Do you know where it is?" Mark-18 questioned.
"Everyone knows where it is. The hard part is getting in."
"Can you help us?" Asked Jack. "And why... would we... do that?"
"The Queen requests counsel with her brother." Uldren then proceeded to head over to the Queen... his sister.
"Why the aggression?"
"{Don't know.}"
"Could be anything."
"I just have a bad feeling about all this. I'm starting to wonder if this is what my Ghost felt like at times."
"{Well, yeah, you're right.}"
Uldren was heard once more. "That's good. Why not? We'll make you a key! How's that? All we need is the head of a Vex Gate Lord."
"{A Gate Lord... Uh... we-}"
"Why do you want a Vex head?" Samus asked, interrupting Michael's Ghost.
"Oh. We don't. And I doubt we'll get one either. But it's your only hope of getting into the Black Garden."
"We will return." Michael proclaimed. "Or die on Venus. Either way." With that, the Fireteam departed, heading back to Earth.
10:07 PM
02/16/3201
Planet Earth - The last City
Tower Hangar
Music
Destiny - The Tower
"So, which Titan you bringin with you this time, Michael?" Amanda asked.
"Hmm... TE, you're up."
"[I won't let you down, Michael.]"
10:15 PM
02/16/3201
Approaching planet Venus
Music
none
"{I wish you'd check with me before making insane promises. If we want to take down a Gate Lord, we've got to find out how these machines operate. Let's find the biggest one we can, pull out its brain, and see what we can learn about them.}"
"Sounds good, and sorry, Ghost." Michael apologized.
"{I'll let it slide this one time, alright?}"
Planet Venus - Ishtar Sink
Headlands
Music
Destiny - Ishtar Sink
"{OK, there is a big Vex signature just up the coast. Let's kill it, whatever it is, and bring its mind core to one of the old Academy research labs.}"
"We're on it." Mark-18 summoned his Pike, Michael embarked in TE-5138, Samus embarked in Arc-Rod, and Jack embarked in BT-7274. They were ready to roll. "I don't know if it'll be another one of those Vex Goblins, or Hobgoblins, or even a Minotaur."
"[I've never seen any Vex, so I don't know what those are.]"
"Well, that makes sense. But get ready to see them." Michael replied.
Planet Venus - Ishtar Sink
The Shattered Coast
They entered the next sector, seeing a red Vanguard-class Titan and a Pilot tear the Fallen apart. "Sarah Briggs, and MOB-1316."
"Michael Johnson." Sarah responded over the radio. "What brings you four out here?"
"I'll transmit the mission data to you now."
The mission data was transmitted, allowing Sarah to see it. "We'll see what we can do."
"We've been seeing Fallen in differently colored armor with each planet we visit. Got anything about that, Briggs?" Samus asked.
"Yeah, we do. MOB?"
"[On each planet, we have encountered a different Fallen House. The Houses of Devils and Kings occupy Earth, the House of Exile resides on the moon, and here on Venus is the House of Winter.]" MOB-1316 stated.
"Good info, MOB. Let's move." Michael commanded.
It took them less than a minute to pass the old Academy entrance and head into a new sector.
Planet Venus - Ishtar Sink
Ishtar Cliffs
Music
Destiny - Ishtar Sink
More Fallen from the House of Winter stood in the way of the Fireteam, only to be cleared away by Jack using BT-7274's Multi-Target Missile System. "{Up ahead. A ridiculously large Vex emission. Sounds like what we're looking for.}"
"You're right. That's definitely what we're looking for." Suddenly, the particle cloud of incoming Vex started to form, but was getting bigger than normal, with a large Vex unit appearing.
SCANNING...
NEW ENTRIES
1: Cyclops
"WHOA! OK, that's not what I expected!"
"[I just received the scan data from your helmet. I'll bet we could easily destroy this Vex Cyclops.]"
"No doubt about it." As Michael put up the Gun Shield and opened fire with the Predator Cannon, the rest of his Fireteam kept the other Vex occupied. Michael used a Power Shot, and the Cyclops was obliterated by the blast, with a strange object becoming partially exposed. He disembarked and climbed on the remains of the Cyclops as TE-5138 used a Power Shot on a group of Goblins, and some new flying Vex.
SCANNING...
NEW ENTRIES
1: Harpy
Michael extracted the object from the wreckage. It was a Vex mind core. "{Fascinating. Let's heard for that research station.}"
Once the Vex in the area were cleared out, TE-5138 picked up Michael and placed him back in the cockpit. "[Pilot-Mode engaged. Manual targeting restored.]"
With the Vex mind core acquired, the Fireteam moved out, heading to the research lab. "{Their mind cores are actually biological, not relative to any known life forms recorded. Maybe the Collective's research can tell us more.}"
"[Sounds like a plan, Ghost.]"
"Let's get this job done."
Planet Venus - Ishtar Sink
Waking Ruins
"{These ruins predate humanity by a few billion years. Vex are coursing through them.}"
"[I say we try and fix that when we can.]"
"You've got the right idea, TE." The Fireteam then came to a very small passage, little over the height of a Titan's knee.
"{I'd say the Titans have to wait out here, but there seems to be another large area on the other side.}" Michael disembarked, followed by the other Pilots getting out of their Titans.
"How good are Titans at climbing?" Mark-18 wondered.
"BT's done some climbing before." Jack answered.
"[That is true.]" BT-7274 then went over to the wall and started climbing it, ending up on the top after a while, followed by the other Titans.
"We'll meet you guys on the other side." Michael stated.
"[Right. See you there.]"
The Fireteam headed into the tunnel, finding that it was showing major signs of Vex conversion. Upon reaching the other side, something felt wrong.
Planet Venus - Ishtar Sink
Campus 9
(!) Darkness Zone (!)
"We've got a Darkness Zone. Something powerful must be nearby." Michael noted.
"Over there!"
"{The research station.}" The area was filled with Fallen, which they had to clear out.
"Take them down!" Michael ordered.
Before they could open fire, multiple rockets flew in, each killing a Fallen soldier. "We've got Titan support!" Samus exclaimed.
With the help of the Titans, the area was clear in no time. "{Nice work. There's got to be a central terminal around here... Found one. Let's see if I can get it to work.}" Michael's Ghost went over to the terminal inside the research station, interfacing with it to find the information they needed. "{It's revivable. I'll see what they discovered here.}" As the Titans jumped down into the area, something was happening. "{Vex! They're coming!}"
Music
Metroid Prime 3: Corruption - Space Pirates Attack
Vex particle clouds formed all over the sector, releasing large amounts of Vex. "You guys get in your Titans and destroy the Vex! Michael, I'll keep them from attacking your Ghost!"
"Understood!"
"[Transferring controls to manual operation.]"
With a group of Harpies taken out by a Power Shot, Vex Goblins started appearing, only to get shredded by regular Predator Cannon fire. "{The Vex share one mind, across a million units! That's why they react so fast!}"
"[That's unexpected. The Vex are hive-minded.]" Goblins and Hobgoblins started appearing, with the Hobgoblins acting as snipers with their Line Rifles.
"They think I can't shoot them from here? HA! I'll show them."
"[Using Mode Switch to go to long-range mode then sniping them back? Smart.]" A long-range Power Shot completely annihilated a single Hobgoblin, not even giving it the chance to project a Solar barrier around itself.
"{Amazing. They can warp across star systems in an instant.}"
"Not that amazing, Ghost, but it is... interesting." Goblins, Hobgoblins, Harpies, and Minotaurs started appearing, with Samus electrocuting a great deal of them with an Arc-infused Arc Cannon, which had enhanced electrical firepower compared to even the Capacitor modification.
Sarah rushed into a large group of Vex and released Electric Smoke, destroying them as Jack did the same.
"Get away FROM ME!" Michael looked back at the research station, seeing a Vex Minotaur warping in and out, chasing Mark-18. With a toggle of the Mode Switch, and a use of the Power Shot afterwards, Michael basically dismantled the Minotaur in an instant. "Thanks!"
Planet Venus - Ishtar Sink
Campus 9
Music
none
"{I'm almost done.}" The Vex stopped appearing, allowing the Pilots to safely disembark over at the research station. "{I know how to find a Gate Lord! Each Vex is part of a giant network that spreads through the mantle of the entire planet. If I can just get into their system, we can draw a Gate Lord out.}"
"Sounds good, but we should head back to the Tower and resupply." Jack stated.
"You're right. Thanks for the help, TE."
"[Protocols 2 and 3, am I right?]"
"Heh... You got it."
"[May I make a suggestion?]" TE-5138 asked.
"Go ahead." Sarah replied.
"[To fight a Gate Lord in an unexpected way, you may need a bird's-eye view.]"
"A Northstar!" Jack figured it out fast.
"Northstar?"
"ZJ-7349." Michael pointed out.
"Ahh." Mark-18 understood.
"{Well, for the place we're going to next, Titans won't be able to reach us.}"
"What do you mean?" Samus asked.
"{We'll be heading underground.}"
Ooh, underground.
If you've kept up with the story of Destiny while going along this, you probably know where this is going.
See you next time, Guardians.