S1-60
Eye of a Gate Lord

9:27 AM
02/17/3201

Approaching planet Venus

Music
none

"{The more we learn about the Vex, the more I understand why our Exo friend is so worried about them. During the Collapse, they transformed the planet Mercury into a machine in days. They would have spread to every planet if the Traveler hadn't stopped them. We need to get into the Black Garden. We need a Gate Lord's head.}"

"Let's do this." Samus started counting down. "We're landing in three... two... one... mark."

Planet Venus - Ishtar Sink
Headlands

Music
Destiny - Ishtar Sink

Once the ship touched down, Michael, Samus, Jack, and Sarah went to the platform in the back of the control room. The ship automatically vacuumed the oxygen into storage, stabilized the pressure, then lowered the platform.

The Fireteam was let out into Venus's atmosphere.

"Ready?"

"Good to go, Michael." Samus nodded.

Jack made sure his V-47 Flatline was locked and loaded. "Ready."

"Let's get this job done, people!" Sarah ordered.

ZJ-7349, Arc-Rod, BT-7274, MOB-1316, and Mark-18 joined them. Everyone was ready to uphold the mission.

"{First thing we're going to have to do is get me into the Vex network so I can lure out a Gate Lord. I'll lead the way.}"

Michael embarked into his Northstar, allowing the path to be shown on the Titan cockpit display. "[Ghost, what exactly is a Gate Lord?]"

"{Here's what we have on Gate Lords. 'Three stories tall. Protect the realms the Vex keep locked out of time.' Time? That can't be right.}"

"The Vex have realms that are kept out of TIME?!" Michael exclaimed.

"[Sounds like it.]"

The rock formation over the path was gone, replaced by a large amount of shattered rocks, which the Titans could easily walk over, and Mark-18 could smoothly ride his Pike over it as well.

Planet Venus - Ishtar Sink
Ember Caves

There were no Fallen or Vex in the area, so there were no distractions. The Fireteam eventually reached a path that lead to a new sector.

Planet Venus - Ishtar Sink
The Citadel

There were a few Vex in the area, but nothing difficult. "{I'm picking up a heavy conflux nearby. I can use it to get into their network.}"

"Where's the conflux, Ghost?"

"[I'm picking it up too. I've marked it.]" The Fireteam blasted through the little amount of Vex that was there, arriving at a little secluded area that was too small for Titans. Inside were three Minotaurs, and the conflux. Michael opened the Northstar's cockpit, letting his Ghost out as Mark-18 'krusched' the Vex.

"{And I thought you had the hard job. OK. We've got to head for a place called the Endless Steps. That's where we'll find the Gate Lord.}"

"[I have the location marked. Let's do this.]"

Planet Venus - Ishtar Sink
Waking Ruins

"So far, we've only encountered Vex. I think the Fallen House of Winter killed each other off without Draksis there to keep them together."

"Yeah, looks like you're right, Briggs." Michael replied.

"{To find the Gate Lord, I sort of had to mess with all their Transfer Gates here. You're probably going to have your hands full.}"

"Ugh... Are you serious, Ghost?"

"{Sorry about that.}"

As Mark-18 rode through the Vex tunnel, the others climbed over the mountain, eventually ending up on the other side.

Planet Venus - Ishtar Sink
Campus 9
(!) Darkness Zone (!)

Music
Destiny - The Vex

They saw Mark-18 fighting off a lot of Vex, destroying them with... Solar Light? Suddenly, a Minotaur appeared behind him and destroyed him.

Minotaur (Hezen Protective) [Torch Hammer] Mark-18

Mark-18's remains suddenly burst with Solar Light, with the Exo back in perfect condition in the middle of the flames. "Killing me really burns me up! Now how about I return the favor?"

He threw a Fusion Grenade at the Minotaur, dissolving it into Solar particles upon detonation. The Exo Warlock then proceeded to throw Fusion Grenades at the Vex, destroying a lot of them.

"How did he do that?"

"[From what I found in the City's records, the Sunsinger Super is known as Radiance. This Warlock Super pretty much allows them to act as a mythical creature called a phoenix, coming back to life from its ashes.]"

"Huh. Now that is impressive." Michael fired a fully charged Plasma Railgun shot at a Minotaur as Mark-18's Radiance ran out.

"They just keep coming!"

The rest of the Fireteam jumped down to join the Exo, with more Vex appearing.

"[I'd recommend use of the Flight Core, but we'll need it when we face the Gate Lord. Use the Cluster Missiles.]" Two deadly projectiles were released, continuously exploding as a ring-like structure further ahead began to form a sort of portal.

"{The Gates are waking. They'll keep coming unless you can shut them down.}" Michael fired a fully charged Plasma Railgun shot, destroying the portal. "{That worked! Keep it up!}"

The Fireteam had to deal with more and more Vex, clearing them out and destroying the Transfer Gates as they came across the ring-like structures that formed them. A few Hobgoblins tried to snipe them with Line Rifles, only to get evaporated by Plasma Railgun rounds and Arc Cannon bolts.

Another Transfer Gate up ahead let out a few Harpies before being destroyed, and the Harpies were blown to pieces.

After taking down more Vex, the Fireteam ran into a new unit.

SCANNING...
NEW ENTRIES

1: Hydra

The rotating barrier around the Hydra was successful in blocking their firepower, until it rotated out of the way, leaving the Hydra open to destruction. All the Vex in the area were disposed of and the Transfer Gates were destroyed.

Planet Venus - Ishtar Sink
Campus 9

"I think that should do it... for now." Michael surmised, looking over the area. There was another tunnel, but this one was just big enough for the Titans to weave their way through.

Planet Venus - Ishtar Sink
Endless Steps
(!) Darkness Zone (!)

"[This is the place.]" There was a giant Transfer Gate just in the middle of the sector.

"{And that is where we'll find the Gate Lord. Let's go.}"

The area was filled with Vex, which were cleared out by Jack and Sarah using the Multi-Target Missile System of both their Vanguard-class Titans.

"I think we'll need to disembark. We'll summon the Gate Lord, then the Titans will provide supporting fire against our target. Remember: the weak point of a Vex soldier is the white membrane in their chest. Let's finish this and give the Awoken Queen her Gate Lord head." Michael ordered.

The Pilots disembarked, heading to the large Transfer Gate, where more Vex were in a strange sort of worshiping position. An Axion Bolt from Mark-18 and some 'krusching' from his machine gun were enough to clear them out. "Alright. Let's summon this Gate Lord to its doom."

"{I guess you're going to have to step inside the ring.}" A circle of red squares began forming from a round plate in the ground. The Fireteam stepped in it, causing the squares to turn white and slowly disappear.

Music
Destiny - Eye of the Gate Lord

A strange sound was eventually heard from the giant Transfer Gate as pieces of a Vex Gate Lord appeared in front of it. "{Here we go.}" The pieces assembled themselves, with a large weapon floating next to it for the Gate Lord to grab just before landing on its feet.

SCANNING...
NEW ENTRIES

1: Zydron
Gate Lord

"[I see its weak spot. Plasma Railgun is at maximum power.]"

"FIRE!" A large bolt of charged Void energy zoomed through the air, blasting the Gate Lord in the white membrane in its chest. Zydron stumbled back, taking heavy damage from the blast.

Swarms of rockets flew up and crashed down upon the Gate Lord, and only one swarm was still coming. ZJ-7349's Flight Core. "[Mark, I think you can 'welcome it to oblivion' at this point.]"

"Got it! EMBRACE THE VOID!" With Void Light building up, Mark-18 unleashed the Nova Bomb. "WELCOME TO OBLIVION!" The Nova Bomb hit, annihilating the Gate Lord. Its head vanished, picked up by the Exo's Ghost.

Mark-18 [Nova Bomb] Zydron, Gate Lord

Planet Venus - Ishtar Sink
Endless Steps

Music
none

"{Nice work! This better get us into the Black Garden. Let's go get our key from the Queen.}"

The Titans went in to join their Pilots. "[Do you have the Gate Lord's head?]"

"We've got it." Michael replied.

"Now we should go see the Queen."

10:13 AM
02/17/3201

Asteroid Belt - The Reef
Queen's Throne

Music
Code Lyoko - The Hermitage

The Fireteam approached the throne, noticed immediately by the Queen. "They are alive. And they each still have their ball."

"They're called Ghosts." Michael pointed out.

"There is no shame in running away, Guardians." Uldren stated. "Apart from the cowardice and failure of it, it's an excellent strategy."

"We didn't run." Mark-18 stated.

"Was no Gate Lord slain, brother?"

"{Oh, we slayed a Gate Lord.}" Michael's Ghost said, brimming with confidence.

"Ghost." The Ghost then released the Gate Lord head.

It appeared, banged on the floor, then slid to a stop. "That's one way to make an impression." Jack stated.

"We need to find the Black Garden." Michael demanded.

"Huh. They don't even know where it is."

"Let us tell them. Search the Gate Lord for that which gains them entrance." The Queen's brother turned to her.

"Why? If you wish them certain death, just kill them here."

"I heard that!" Michael yelled.

The Prince turned to the Pilot. "Mind your own business!"

"I don't think you know who you're messing with here!"

Uldren shut his mouth, the expression on his face one of shock and fear as he turned back to his sister. "I swear, this one is freaking me out."

"Often, when we guess at others' motives, we reveal only our own."

"My motive is simply loyalty, to a people, to a Queen and a sister."

"Then, please. Take what is required."

Uldren went over to the Vex head, pulled out his knife, and carved out its eye, with the red glow in it dying out. "Dead, unfortunately. A wasted journey, I'm afraid."

"Perhaps. But I think these ones resourceful. We gift it, in sympathy for their Traveler."

The smirk on Uldren's face slowly turned to a scowl as he looked back at the Fireteam, still holding the Gate Lord's eye up. "Mars, 84 north, 32 east. Meridian Bay." He tossed the eye at Michael, who caught it reflexively.

Mara stood from her throne, looking over the Fireteam. "I have shown you benevolence, Guardians and Pilots. Should the Awoken ever need an ally, I will call on you. And expect you to answer."

"She's saying you owe us.

"We understand. Your grace." Jack bowed as a sign of respect. The Fireteam gave the Queen a soldier salute before turning to leave.

"Good luck! ...getting through the Exclusion Zone."

Michael stopped and immediately turned back around to face him. "Uldren Sov of the Awoken, my senses are sharpened like you would not believe! I heard that last part loud and clear!" Uldren was scared again, and it was getting funny.

The reason I didn't put which Vex Programming Zydron was part of is because this Gate Lord is registered as 'nonaligned', as in part of no Vex Programming.

See you next time.