S1-97
Sacrilege

8:21 PM
03/18/3251

Approaching Io

Music
none

Michael's Ghost began the briefing. "{Io. The whole place hums with energy left behind by the Traveler's unfinished work. No wonder Guardians consider this site sacred. Now that Cayde is back in the fold, all we need is to find Ikora, make the Counsel whole again, and bring down the Almighty.}"

"We have arrived at Jupiter's fifth moon. Planetary designation: Io." Spyglass reported.

Jupiter's moon, Io - Echo Mesa
Lost Oasis

Once City Hawk 723 entered orbit, they immediately found who they were looking for. "Down there! It's Ikora!" Following Mark-18's direction, Samus landed her gunship down behind Ikora, and City Hawk 723 exited it, joining her in looking over the ancient environment.

"Of all the places I've been in all the years since my rebirth, this is where I return; the last place the Traveler touched. I came for answers. I stand here, still with nothing."

"Ikora, Zavala is forming a resistance, and he believes-" Tanner-21 was interrupted.

"What good is a resistance when you are the only one who would survive? I believe this Ghaul creature knows the Traveler blessed this site. I believe he sent his legion to find something they could never possibly understand. And I believe they will continue to desecrate all we hold sacred! Save this place, Guardians. Do not squander this second chance."

"Consider it done." Michael replied.

"What about you? What will YOU do now?" Tanner-21 once again showed genuine concern for Ikora.

"Where will we regroup? If Guardians are gaining their Light back, surely we must have hope."

"The Farm at the edge of the EDZ on Earth. Tanner, Spyglass, Dane, and I will stay here and help Michael. Jack, Sarah, Mark, Hayden, bring Ikora back to the Farm. Keep her safe." Samus ordered.

As her ship neared orbit, the remaining Fireteam members on Io headed out to see what the Cabal were doing there.

Music
Destiny 2 - Ikora

"Red Legion ships have been in and out nonstop since I got here. We need to know what they're doing. Get into that base." Ikora transmitted.

"{Look at the sky. What is that, Ikora?}"

In the sky, there appeared to be a massive bright beam erupting from the surface of the moon. "Energy... The Traveler's energy! What have they done?! This is my fault! I could have stopped this!"

"Ikora, there's no way, not without your Light." Tanner-21 replied.

"I am more than just my Light! I could have tried! I should have tried...! But... after all these years, dying, being reborn, dying again, the Traveler has left me with one life... and I am afraid to lose it."

"That might happen anyway. Ghaul has a weapon that can blow up our sun." Dane stated.

"What?! Why would he destroy what he's worked so hard to conquer?! Get into that base! There must be answers there."

Jupiter's moon, Io - Echo Mesa
Terrabase Charon

There were a few Cabal soldiers up ahead, and some of their Harvesters. "{Looks like the legion's packing up, Ikora.}"

"Find out what they're shipping. We need every scrap of intel we can get."

Once the Harvesters took off, the remaining Red Legion soldiers took notice of the Fireteam. Too late for them, as Michael just wiped out a lot of them with a relentless hail of lead from his Spitfire, then took care of the rest with a Stormtrance.

With the Cabal dead, Michael lead the way into the base. "{Everyone's gone.}"

"Keep looking. It's not like the Cabal to invest so much in a base and just... abandon it."

Jupiter's moon, Io - Echo Mesa
The Wraith Mines

"⟟'⋔ ⌇⟒⋏⌇⟟⋏g ⌇⍜⋔⟒⏁⊑⟟⋏g. ⌇⍜⋔⟒⏁⊑⟟⋏g... ⎎⏃⋔⟟⌰⟟⏃⍀..."

"We're coming up on a big drill." Michael reported.

"A drill?" Ikora wondered." Are they mining the Traveler's energy?"

"How much Travanium do you think they've got?" Dane asked.

Samus looked at him. "Trava-what?"

"'Travanium'? The Traveler's energy in an ore form?" Tanner-21 put it together.

Dane shrugged. "Yeah."

"Hard to tell, but I don't think it works like that." Michael replied.

"No, it's not Light. It can't give the Traveler's blessing. Not to me, not to Ghaul... or could it?"

"Unknown." Spyglass responded.

There were a few dimensional rifts up ahead, confirming what the Shadow was sensing before.

Michael put two fingers to his helmet radio. "Ikora."

"What's wrong?"

"Taken rifts. Defensive wards too." Michael reported.

"The Taken...!"

"⟟ ⏁⊑⍜⎍g⊑⏁ ⌇⍜! ⋔⟟c⊑⏃⟒⌰, ⌰⟒⏁ ⋔⟒ ⍜⎍⏁. ⏁⊑⟒⊬ ⋔⟟g⊑⏁ ⍀⟒c⍜g⋏⟟⋉⟒ ⋔⟒."

"Good idea, Shadow." Michael then took the black half off the Yin Yang Switch and tossed it ahead, with the Shadow forming and landing in a kneeling position, with the Darkscythe floating above him.

As he got up, the Shadow grabbed his floating weapon and stood tall and strong. "⌰⟒⏁'⌇ ⎅⍜ ⏁⊑⟟⌇."

"That was quite an entrance." Tanner-21 stated.

The Shadow then let out a pulse, causing the rifts to close and the defensive wards to collapse.

Up ahead, Taken appeared, then moved in to attack, but once they saw the Shadow, the Taken stood at attention, recognizing him as their leader. "You were right." Michael remarked.

The Fireteam moved through the area, and Dane felt very uneasy about being surrounded by Taken. "⊬⍜⎍ ⊑⏃⎐⟒ ⋏⍜⏁⊑⟟⋏g ⏁⍜ ⎎⟒⏃⍀, ⎅⏃⋏⟒. ⏁⊑⟒ ⏁⏃k⟒⋏ ⏚⟒⌰⍜⋏g ⏁⍜ ⋔⟒, ⏃⋏⎅ ⏁⊑⟒⊬ ⎎⍜⌰⌰⍜⍙ ⋔⊬ ⍙⟟⌰⌰."

"Why are the Taken here?" Michael wondered.

"The Taken will always be drawn to the Traveler's energy. They are no longer Fallen or Hive or Cabal. Oryx changed them with the dark powers he stole. He- Wait... Is Ghaul's plan to do the same, but with the Light? That has to be it!"

The Shadow then put down the hood of his tattered robes, grabbed Michael's helmet, and put it on. "⍜⍀⊬⌖ ⋔⏃⊬ ⊑⏃⎐⟒ ⌇⏁⍜⌰⟒⋏ ⏁⊑⍜⌇⟒ ⎅⏃⍀k ⌿⍜⍙⟒⍀⌇, ⏚⎍⏁ ⟟ ⊑⏃⎐⟒⋏'⏁. ⊑⟒ g⏃⎐⟒ ⏁⊑⟒⋔ ⏁⍜ ⋔⟒. ⟟ c⏃⋏ ⏃⌰⌇⍜ ⋔⏃k⟒ ⟟⏁ ⌇⍜ ⏁⊑⏃⏁ ⏁⊑⟒ ⏁⏃k⟒⋏ ⏃⍀⟒ ⋏⍜ ⌰⍜⋏g⟒⍀ ⎅⍀⏃⍙⋏ ⏁⍜ ⏁⊑⟒ ⌰⟟g⊑⏁. ⏁⊑⟒⊬ ⍙⟟⌰⌰ ⌰⟒⏃⎐⟒ ⟟⏁ ⏃⌰⍜⋏⟒." He then returned the helmet and pulled up his hood, then spoke to the Taken. "⏁⏃k⟒⋏, ⏁⊑⟒ ⏁⍀⏃⎐⟒⌰⟒⍀'⌇ ⌰⟟g⊑⏁ ⟟⌇ ⋏⍜⏁ ⍙⍜⍀⏁⊑ ⊬⍜⎍⍀ c⍜⋏⌇⏁⏃⋏⏁ ⏃⏁⏁⟒⋏⏁⟟⍜⋏. ⊬⍜⎍ ⏃⍀⟒ ⋏⟒⟒⎅⟒⎅ ⎎⍜⍀ ⌇⍜⋔⟒⏁⊑⟟⋏g ⋔⍜⍀⟒ ⎅⟟⍀⟒. ⎎⟟g⊑⏁ ⍙⟟⏁⊑ ⋔⟒! ⎎⟟g⊑⏁ ⍙⟟⏁⊑ ⎍⌇!" The Taken then vanished, and the Shadow stumbled a bit.

"What just happened? Are you OK?" Michael was worried.

"⟟'⋔ ⎎⟟⋏⟒. ⟊⎍⌇⏁ ⏃⋏ ⎍⋏⟒⌖⌿⟒c⏁⟒⎅ ⟟⋏⎎⌰⎍⌖ ⍜⎎ k⋏⍜⍙⌰⟒⎅g⟒ g⏃⟟⋏⟒⎅ ⎎⍀⍜⋔ ⏁⊑⟒ ⏁⏃k⟒⋏. ⏁⊑⟒⍀⟒ ⍙⏃⌇ ⏃ ⋔⏃⌇⌇⟟⎐⟒ ⌰⍜⏃⎅ ⏁⊑⏃⏁ ⟊⎍⌇⏁ g⍜⏁ ⎅⎍⋔⌿⟒⎅ ⟟⋏⏁⍜ ⋔⊬ ⊑⟒⏃⎅ ⏃⌰⌰ ⏃⏁ ⍜⋏c⟒." More Taken appeared, then vanished upon recognizing the Shadow, giving him their knowledge.

"Ghaul must be mining the Traveler's remnant energy in the hopes of transforming himself and the Red Legion into wielders of the Light. If he succeeds, he will become immortal, unstoppable! We have to tell Zavala. Meet me outside."

"Hey! What are you doing?!" It sounded as if Ikora was wrestling control of Samus's ship from Mark-18. "GAH!"

The AI was heard over the channel. "Ship priority status update: Destination altered. Returning to Io."

More Taken appeared and joined the Shadow's army, causing his own knowledge of the Fallen, Hive, Cabal, and Vex to skyrocket. "⏃⌰⌰ ⏁⊑⟟⌇ k⋏⍜⍙⌰⟒⎅g⟒... ⊑⟒⋉⟒⋏ C⍜⍀⍀⟒c⏁⟟⎐⟒! ⏚⌰⟟⋏⎅ ⌰⟒g⟟⍜⋏! ⌇⌿⏃⍙⋏ ⍜⎎ C⍀⍜⏁⏃! ⎅⟒⎐⟟⌰ ⌇⌿⌰⟟c⟒⍀⌇? ⍙⊑⏃⏁'⌇ '⌇⟟⎐⏃'?"

"SIVA is Golden Age nanotechnology, originally created to build colonies on other worlds. This nanotech was created in the Clovis Bray laboratories located in the Meridian Bay on the planet Mars. The House of Devils found this ancient technological achievement and turned it against us, forming the Devil Splicers. They used SIVA to enhanced and upgrade their armor and weapons, as well as themselves." Spyglass explained. "When the City is reclaimed, we will allow you access to the data we have on the Devil Splicers."

"⟟ ⌰⍜⍜k ⎎⍜⍀⍙⏃⍀⎅ ⏁⍜ ⟟⏁. ⊬⍜⎍ k⋏⍜⍙ ⍙⊑⏃⏁ ⏁⊑⟒⊬ ⌇⏃⊬: 'k⋏⍜⍙⌰⟒⎅g⟒ ⟟⌇ ⌿⍜⍙⟒⍀'. ⏃⎎⏁⟒⍀ ⏃⌰⌰, ⏃ g⍀⍜⍙⟟⋏g ⎅⏃⍀k⋏⟒⌇⌇ ⍜⋏⌰⊬ ⋔⏃k⟒⌇ ⏁⊑⟒ ⌰⟟g⊑⏁ g⌰⍜⍙ ⏚⍀⟟g⊑⏁⟒⍀."

With City Hawk 723 making their way through the tunnels, and more and more Taken joining the Shadow's army, someone new came on the comms. "All channels, this is a skyshock alert! Someone or something drew the Taken here!"

"Asher Mir? Is that you?" Ikora questioned.

"Irrelevant! The Taken are sapping the moon's energy! I hypothesize that Io will implode if someone does not intervene!"

"Guardians, we cannot lose this sacred place! Do what must be done! Stop the Taken!"

Jupiter's moon, Io - Echo Mesa
Terrabase Charon

Music
Destiny 2 - The Consumed

Within the sector was what looked like a Taken ritual, and the Shadow was the first to react. "⏁⏃k⟒⋏, ⌇⏁⍜⌿! ⌇⏁⍜⌿ ⏁⊑⟟⌇ ⏃⏁ ⍜⋏c⟒! ⏁⊑⟟⌇ ⋔⍜⍜⋏ ⟟⌇ ⌇⏃c⍀⟒⎅! ⎅⍜ ⋏⍜⏁ ⎅⟒⌇⟒c⍀⏃⏁⟒ ⟟⏁!" With that, the Blight in the center of the area closed, and the surrounding Taken vanished.

Music
none

"⏁⊑⟒ ⟒⋏⟒⍀g⊬ ⍜⎎ ⟟⍜ ⟟⌇ ⌇⏃⎎⟒. ⋏⍜ ⋔⍜⍜⋏⌇ ⏃⍀⟒ g⍜⋏⋏⏃ ⟟⋔⌿⌰⍜⎅⟒ ⏃⋏⊬⏁⟟⋔⟒ ⌇⍜⍜⋏. ⋏⍜⏁ ⍜⋏ ⋔⊬ ⍙⏃⏁c⊑." The Shadow then looked at his bony wrist. "⋔⏃⊬⏚⟒ ⟟ ⌇⊑⍜⎍⌰⎅ g⟒⏁ ⏃ ⍙⏃⏁c⊑."

"Io energy has stabilized. Neutrino particle field has terminated connection!" Asher reported.

"Ikora, I know this place is important to you, but..." Tanner-21 started.

"There is nothing for me here on Io. I have one life left to give, and I will give it gladly to stop Ghaul. We leave now!" "Don't be so hasty. Ikora Rey, we must talk. And as for you, meddling Guardians. I have a few choice things to say to you."

"If you're gonna badmouth us for keeping Io from imploding, then you might as well KEEP YOUR BIG MOUTH SHUT!"

"AH! WHAT ON THIS BLASTED MOON WAS THAT CONTINUUM DISRUPTION?!"

"WHAT?!" Samus was laughing hysterically at Asher's reaction to the sudden voice change.

"⏁⊑⏃⏁ ⏃c⏁⎍⏃⌰⌰⊬ ⍙⏃⌇ ⌿⍀⟒⏁⏁⊬ ⎎⎍⋏⋏⊬."

Michael then started walking away. "Let's get to the bottom of this before Ghaul manages to take the Light"

This should be good.

Instead of fighting the Taken, the Shadow merely recruited them for a higher calling.

See you next time.