S1-63
A Rising Tide

12:47 PM
02/17/3201

Approaching planet Mars

Music
none

City Hawk 723 was heading back to Mars, and multiple Titan carriers were with them. "I'm not sure about bringing in ALL of your Titans, Michael."

"Why not, Samus? We need all the firepower we can get to destroy the Darkness at its heart."

"That definitely makes sense." Carlos replied.

"Logic. He always goes with logic." Jack was right; Michael always finds the logic to put to his decisions.

"{Unfortunately, we can't go to the Black Garden yet.}"

"What's the problem?"

"{The Vex are taking control of the surface to protect the Black Garden. Mars could soon be worse than Venus. We've got to find out where they're coming from.}"

"That's reasonable." Jack replied.

"We're ready." Michael proclaimed.

"{Lucky we have all your Titans with us, so they can help us get there.}"

"True."

12:52 PM
02/16/3201

Planet Mars - Meridian Bay
The Barrens

Music
Destiny - Exclusion Zone

City Hawk 723 landed back on Mars, ready to finish the mission. "{We need to track down a conflux, like we saw on Venus. There's reports of one not too far from here.}"

"Michael, which Titan are you gonna jump into?"

"Vanessa, you're up."

Vanessa picked up Michael and placed him inside the cockpit while readying the Quad Rocket. "[Welcome back, Pilot. I've missed you."]"

"I missed you too, Vanessa. It's been a long time, hasn't it?"

"[Yes. Yes, it has.]"

With everyone ready, City Hawk 723 headed off to the Vex conflux. "{Once we find out where the Vex are coming from, cut them off, or it's only a matter of time before Mars becomes one of their machines.}"

"[We can't let that happen!]"

Planet Mars - Meridian Bay
Scablands

"I think I can see it."

"{There's the conflux!}" They approached the conflux, and multiple Vex units appeared to stop them, but to no avail as the Vex were destroyed. The Stryder-class Titan's cockpit opened, letting Michael and his Ghost out. The Ghost floated over to the conflux and scanned it. "{This is part of an even bigger surge, coming from below the Buried City. We'd better check it out.}"

"Let's get over there quick!"

"[Considering how we just destroyed those Vex, I'd say they're no match for us.]"

"Yeah, and I can welcome them to oblivion at a moment's notice."

"He can. I've seen it." As Michael's Ghost returned to Vanessa's cockpit, the Fireteam headed to the next sector.

Planet Mars - Meridian Bay
The Drift

"So, Michael, I've been meaning to ask you something." Mark-18 began over the comms. "How did you start on this path of yours?"

"Not what you'd expect." Michael stated.

Without warning, an Ion-class Titan got on the comms. It was XS-9365. "[I thought I should let you all know this, but it might be bad news. Ever since my comm array was fully repaired and rebooted, I haven't been able to contact the IMC. It's like they're just... gone.]"

Music
Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End - The Heart of Davy Jones

"G-gone...?" Michael couldn't believe his ears.

"Try it again, XS, and put it over the radio so we can hear it."

"[OK. Attempting IMC radio frequencies 1 through 19476204.]"

City Hawk 723 stopped in their tracks as Michael's Ion tried all known IMC communication frequencies. On the radio... was nothing but static. "They... They really ARE gone..." Michael was in disbelief.

"{Wait a minute... I think I hear something in all that static. Patch me in so I can find the frequency.}"

"[Guardian Mark-18, I've patched your Ghost into my comm array.]"

"{Let's see... Hmm... It's frequency 38615. Try and clear it up.}"

"[Frequency 38615? That's the IMS Olympus.]"

A distorted voice was cutting in and out of the channel. "IM- ~static~ -enses compromi- ~static~ -ition red. We are und- ~static~ -epeat, we are under attack. All civi- ~static~ -acuate the Frontier immedia- ~static~"

"That sounds like the Aurora Unit." Samus was right. It DID sound like AU 242!

"[Hold up. I've got it cleared out.]"

"IMC defenses compromised. Condition red. We are under attack. Repeat, we are under attack. All civilians, evacuate the Frontier immediately!"

"[If I'm reading it right, this repeating message is almost eight centuries old.]"

"800 years?!" Jack exclaimed.

"I... I can't believe it..."

"Michael, I'm sorry."

"They... always had my back, and I had theirs... but now... I've failed them..."

"[Hang on. I'm picking up an IMC emergency distress signal in this solar system. Patching in now.]"

A familiar voice was heard over the radio. "To any and all who are receiving this message, know that the Frontier is lost. Despite this, we will adapt, and we will prevail. What's left of the IMC is onboard this supercarrier, the IMS Sentinel, in cryogenic storage. If any of us have survived out there, follow our signal beacon. This signal is only visible to you."

"[I've located the IMS Sentinel. Looks like it's just drifting through space. I'm also detecting faint energy readings, but they're getting weaker and weaker.]"

"Try and patch into their radio signal." Samus ordered.

"[Patching in.]"

For a while, there was silence. "W-well?" Michael wondered, his hope wavering.

"[Radio connection failed.]"

"[At least we know there are survivors.]" Vanessa stated.

"We can't argue with that."

"{Not only that, but it looks like there are a few Ghosts there. They might have found their Guardians, but can't get to them.}"

"We need to check it out." Carlos stated. "I hate to say it, but we should focus on our mission first. Michael, I think you're gonna hate me for saying that."

"You're right about one thing, Sarah. If we don't finish this, no one will."

Music
Destiny - Exclusion Zone

City Hawk 723 pressed onward, coming across a tunnel. The Pilots disembarked as their Titans looked for a way around.

"Do you think Bish might be with them?" Sarah asked.

"What about Spyglass?" Michael wondered.

"It sounded like a Spyglass Unit on that message, so there must be one onboard."

"Sarah, there was only one Spyglass Unit left during our war. Spyglass Unit #826591740-A, the one who found and raised me. It's GOT to be him."

"Point taken."

They eventually reached the other side, with the Titans waiting ahead, clearing out the Vex.

Planet Mars - Meridian Bay
The Buried City

"[This is as far as we can go. Cut the Vex off!]"

"You got it, PN! Protocol 2!"

They entered the building in the back, facing more Vex at the entrance. It was dark ahead, too dark to see, so the Ghosts came out and shined their lights to illuminate the building's interior.

Planet Mars - Meridian Bay
Freehold Station
(!) Darkness Zone (!)

Music
Destiny - The Vex

"{Looks like it's going to be dark in here for a while. Just aim for any red eye you see.}" They carefully looked around, searching for any red eyes, which eventually started appearing in great numbers. Goblins, Hobgoblins, Minotaurs, and Harpies all came in to attack.

"Attack formation Echo-23!" Michael ordered.

The Pilots stood back-to-back-to-back, with Mark-18 joining them, and unloaded their weapons at any Vex in sight, destroying them. "That's helpful."

The next room still had lights, so the Ghosts disappeared for safety. Up ahead were more Vex, and a Cyclops. "EMBRACE THE VOID! WELCOME TO OBLIVION!" Mark-18 unleashed a Nova Bomb, dealing incredible damage and clearing them out.

Planet Mars - Meridian Bay
Freehold Station

As they went further into the building, Michael's Ghost appeared. "{It's like the Vex have dormant networks buried under every planet, waiting to be revived.}"

"Good to know." Samus stated.

"That's something I'm gonna have to look into."

Planet Mars - Meridian Bay
Tharsis Junction
(!) Darkness Zone (!)

More Vex for the Fireteam to destroy. "{They have Transfer Gates here. Shut them down!}"

"There!" Jack jumped up onto an old train car and used his Archer to destroy one of the portals, with two unlucky Goblins being caught in the explosion.

SCANNING...
NEW ENTRIES

1: Virgo Prohibition

Another Transfer Gate was up ahead, giving Samus the opportunity to take it out with her Mag Launcher. Three magnetic grenades and the portal was gone.

"Samus, I think that Mag Launcher will be quite effective against the Vex." Michael suggested.

"Magnetism! Good idea!"

"{More Gates up ahead!}" Up ahead were even more Vex, and the remaining Transfer Gates.

There was also a Vex conflux in the middle of the area. "Clear them out!"

Jack destroyed another of the portals with the Archer, pulling out his V-47 Flatline in order to deal with a Goblin.

Mark-18 'krusched' another portal, coming under attack by a special Minotaur.

Michael looked at the Minotaur, getting an ID.

SCANNING...
NEW ENTRIES

1: Prohibitive Mind

Michael pulled out his Charge Rifle and started blasting away at the Prohibitive Mind until the Minotaur fell.

Michael [Charge Rifle] Prohibitive Mind (Virgo Prohibition)

"Thanks for the assist!" With the efforts of the Fireteam, the Vex were eventually cleared out, and the portals destroyed.

Music
none

"{That should slow them down!}"

"Agreed."

Planet Mars - Meridian Bay
Tharsis Junction

"{A Conflux is still active. Let me check it out.}" Michael's Ghost scanned the conflux, getting information out of it before the thing dissipated. "{This isn't an invasion. The Vex are returning home. Something is calling them back to the Black Garden.}"

"More to kill later on, right?"

"That's one way of putting it, Jack." Michael replied.

"I think we should head to the Black Garden and kill its heart now." Sarah said.

"Yeah, let's go."

This is it. We're heading into the Black Garden!

See you next- wait, the Black Garden is kept out of time, so... See you there.