S1-101
Larceny
11:06 PM
03/18/3251
Planet Earth - European Dead Zone
Legion's Anchor
Music
Destiny 2 - EDZ
"Thumos the Unbroken has a ship in that base. It's the only way we can get you onto the Almighty undetected, so you're going to steal it." Zavala transmitted.
"News flash, folks: the Fallen are on the move. Seems they didn't learn their lesson the first time. Those scavenging vultures, those Fallen... Always turn up when you don't want 'em. Kinda like a Warlock when you're, uh..." Cayde-6 trailed off.
"Go on." Ikora insisted.
"I think- No. I'm... I'm done."
David went out to secure the area while Blisk joined City Hawk 723.
Up ahead, there were some Cabal fighting against a swarm of Taken, and they had the Red Legion on the ropes. There were some Fallen as well, but the Shadow was busy dealing with them. "⍙⟒'⌰⌰ k⟒⟒⌿ ⏁⊑⟒ ⎎⏃⌰⌰⟒⋏ ⏃⋏⎅ C⏃⏚⏃⌰ ⏚⎍⌇⊬! G⍜ g⟒⏁ ⏁⊑⎍⋔⍜⌇'⌇ ⌇⊑⟟⌿ ⏃⋏⎅ ⏁⏃k⟒ ⍜⎍⏁ ⏁⊑⟒ ⏃⌰⋔⟟g⊑⏁⊬'⌇ ⍙⟒⏃⌿⍜⋏!"
City Hawk 723 went past the fighting forces, ending up at a landing pad observation corridor. "There's only one ship left on the landing pads!" Mark-18 stated.
"That must be Thumos's ship. Get to it before it's too late." Zavala ordered.
Up ahead were more Cabal fighting the Fallen. Suddenly, Taken rifts opened in that room, and defensive wards appeared, killing off a few Cabal and Fallen while Taken came marching out of the Ascendant Realm.
A trail of black particles rushed in, with the Shadow appearing from it as he attacked a Legionary, taking the Slug Rifle out of its hand and killing the Red Legion soldier with it. "⟟⋔⌿⍀⟒⌇⌇⟟⎐⟒ ⏁⟒c⊑. ⟟ ⏁⊑⟟⋏k ⟟'⌰⌰ k⟒⟒⌿ ⟟⏁."
Up ahead, more Cabal rushed in.
As the Taken distracted them, City Hawk 723 slipped by, ending up outside.
"Thumos's ship! We have to get past the Cabal!" Michael cleared out the Red Legion in the area with his Spitfire.
"{The way's clear! Now let me at Thumos's ship!}"
"Great! This is the part where you 'borrow' it." Cayde-6 transmitted.
"Like when you borrowed Eris's ship?" Ikora was also on the line. "She will want a replacement, Cayde."
"Eris loves me! She'll be fine."
"I wouldn't be too sure about that, Cayde." Mark-18 replied.
Blisk let out his Ghost at the Cabal ship as Cabal reinforcements arrived. "{Cover me. I need to figure out how this works.}"
"Protect that ship!"
Out of the entrance came the black particle trail of the Shadow, followed by three Taken Wizards. Eventually, the General of the Taken regrouped with City Hawk 723, helping them deal with the Cabal. War Beasts came prowling out, clawing at the Taken before being killed off by the Fireteam.
"I don't hear dying. Still in one piece?"
"Unlike someone I know, they can handle hostile technology." Ikora replied.
"Hey, that teleporter was all... Vexy and stuff." Cayde-6 defended.
"'Vexy'... Really, Mr. 6?" Michael sighed.
"What'd you call me?!"
"{The key codes work! Finish them off and get onboard!}"
Music
none
With the remaining Cabal troops properly disposed of, City Hawk 723 boarded Thumos's ship as the Taken vanished. But Spyglass stayed behind for some reason.
The Fireteam then headed off to the Almighty. "Our plan relies on you. Destroy the Almighty's weapons. End the threat to our world."
"And while you're doing that, we'll get in position for the final run on the City. It's time for Ghaul's last dance."
11:29 PM
03/18/3251
Approaching the Almighty
"{Zavala's troops are already getting into position around the City, but they can't attack until we shut this thing down. So, ready when you are, Michael.}"
"I'm ready. How about you guys?"
"Let's do this."
"Ready."
"Like I'd let them get away with this."
"The Cabal are going down!"
"⏁⟟⋔⟒ ⏁⍜ ⟒⋏⎅ ⏁⊑⟟⌇."
The Almighty
Starboard Landing
Music
Metroid Prime 3: Corruption - Norion Power Generator
They landed on the Almighty, seeing Red Legion troops everywhere. "{We made it. We're on the Almighty.}"
"Good. You must find the ship's central core and disable its weapon system." Ikora transmitted. "Your best option will be to follow the fuel stream." Indeed, there was a massive beam underneath the landing pad, and it was supplying the Almighty with fuel.
It was then that Samus used her Seeker Missiles to clear their path of Cabal. "That was awesome!" Blisk exclaimed.
"{The weapon's already active! Are we too late?}"
"Not yet. You need to disconnect the link between the Almighty and the sun before it disrupts the sun's magnetic field."
"And everything goes boom." Cayde-6 added.
The Pilots began to sweat profusely as a result of being so close to the sun. They could feel the heat, but they were powering through. Samus was the only one who didn't feel the heat, thanks to the Varia Suit. They reached a console, which Dane accessed, causing a bridge to rotate into place.
Cabal ships flew in and opened fire, but Samus destroyed the ships with Super Missiles. More Cabal came charging in from the other side of the bridge, only for Michael's Spitfire to clear them all out.
"Leave some for the rest of us!" Blisk complained.
Three more Red Legion troops came out, only to be blasted away by Dane's Golden Gun. "I'm gonna have to agree with that Exo I met. Tricks with the Light are pretty OK, but you need a good weapon to back it up."
"Let me guess. Banshee-44?" Mark-18 wondered.
"Yeah, him."
On the other side of the bridge, a door opened to let them through. Zavala was on the line. "Our forces are moving into position outside the City walls. Your signal will start the assault."
"{We'll get the job done, Commander.}"
The Almighty
Mineral Processing
City Hawk 723 arrived in a large chamber. So far, no Cabal forces in sight. "{That tunnel over there should lead us straight to the central core.}" They entered the tunnel on the side of the chamber, and there were just two Legionaries. They joined the Shadow's army.
The path ahead was blocked by all the minerals.
"{Blocked. I bet we can get the grinders working and clear this.}" They went back out of the tunnel, then headed to a control post. A hologram of a planet being reduced to pieces could be seen in the middle of the room. "{It looks like the Red Legion are using the planet Mercury... as fuel.}"
"Strip mining the solar system?" Cayde-6 sounded intrigued. "That's... kind of impressive."
"⋏⍜⏁ ⍙⊑⏃⏁ ⟟ ⟒⌖⌿⟒c⏁⟒⎅, ⏚⎍⏁ ⏁⊑⏃⏁'⌇ c⟒⍀⏁⏃⟟⋏⌰⊬ ⌇⍜⋔⟒⏁⊑⟟⋏g."
There were a few power cells nearby, and Michael picked one up. "{That's radioactive and unstable. Don't hold onto it for too long. Looks like the Red Legion use fusion cells to power their machinery. Let's plug it in. Get this thing started.}" He shoved the fusion cell into a nearby port, causing the tunnel to close. A loud mechanical sound could be heard coming from inside it. The grinders were clearing the path.
Red Legion soldiers came in and opened fire, causing Michael to form a Ward of Dawn. Mark-18 initiated a Stormtrance and went around the place, destroying the Cabal.
Eventually, the tunnel opened, and the path was open. "Ore tunnels are clear. We can follow the fuel to the weapon's core."
City Hawk 723 entered the tunnel, then began on their way through, seeing parts of Vex structures and dead Vex units in the rocks. "{These rocks... It's hard to believe that this is one of our planets ground up under our feet.}"
Cayde-6 got back on the comms. "Vex already did a number on Mercury, but there's still plenty of planet left. We'll take care of it."
"Zavala, your group is in position at the City's perimeter." Ikora reported.
"Understood. Preparing to go radio silent. We can't give the Red Legion any warning. Guardians, Pilots, I will do all I can to reclaim our home. If we do not meet again... know how proud I am of what you have done."
The Almighty
Sunside
A door opened, allowing the Fireteam to proceed further to the Almighty's weapon. More Cabal stood in their path, and were put down as a result.
They reached a window, and the sun's brightness and intensity were much stronger this close, becoming deadly. "So the only way to get where we're going is... out there." Mark-18 surmised.
"I hope we packed sunscreen. Preferably SPF 50,000." Dane shuddered.
"Yeah, it's gonna be hotter than anything we've faced yet." Samus stated.
"Except for a Scorch's thermite." Michael added.
"{Might even be hotter than that.}"
The outer door opened as the Fireteam rushed out, feeling the burn of the sun.
Music
Destiny 2 - Battle Stations
"{Stay in the shadows. The shadows!}" A few parts of the Almighty were casting shadows, and City Hawk 723 took cover under them. A few Cabal were out there too, doing the same.
Samus's Varia Suit still protected her from the sun's rays, so she could move without needing to take cover. As Samus cleared out the Cabal, the rest of City Hawk 723 followed her from shadow to shadow, eventually reaching another entrance into the ship.
"Ghost, how about the Iron Pilot?"
"{I like the way you think.}"
Michael's Pilot equipment vanished, replaced by a metallic suitcase that fell to the ground with a clang. Michael pressed a button with his foot, causing the suitcase to pop up and semi-unfold, extending two handles for him to grab and press back into the armor, then hoist the whole thing onto his chest. Michael then extended his arms to the sides, causing the armor to finish unfolding around him. The Arc Reactor glowed as it initialized, with the armor on the arms and hands clicking itself into place, and the Repulsors came online as well. The armor on his legs went down and came together perfectly. Finally, the armor around his torso finalized, then the Iron Pilot's armored helmet unfolded and went into place, closing down the face-plate to finish it up. "Iron Pilot combat suit: activated. Protocol 2: Uphold the Mission. Disable the weapon of the Red Legion star destroyer 'Almighty' to disconnect it from the sun."
"{This thing is incredible! Who built this?!}"
"My records indicate my frame was created by the AI assistant of famous billionaire Tony Stark."
"{T-T-T-TONY STARK?!}"
"You know about him?"
"He's only one of our best Guardians." Cayde-6 transmitted.
"He's... alive? After all this time?!" Michael exclaimed.
Hawthorne was on the comms. "He's been keeping a close watch on the Farm's perimeter ever since you guys lost your Light."
"Huh. That's something. Now let's do this thing!"
"It's time for me to go, Pilots." Ikora transmitted. "Your know your path. You don't need our guidance anymore. If my journey ends today, then I face it gladly."
"No, Ikora! Your life will not end this day, or any day as long as we still have Light!" Mark-18 proclaimed.
More Cabal up ahead, and Michael used the Iron Pilot's Repulsors to blast beams through them, decimating the Red Legion. They climbed up a lift shaft into another hallway, leading to more Cabal, which were cleared out by an Axion Bolt from Mark-18.
Further along the way, a certain Exo called. "Hey, Hawthorne says we're reaching our insertion point, and I'm not big on goodbye scenes. So... you do... what you gotta do. Make it out alive, OK? I need someone who gets my jokes." It was Cayde-6.
Just then, Hayden-10 was heard over the radio. "Don't worry, Cayde. My Warlock brother's with them. They'll be fine. He knows what to do."
They reached the observation platform for a large chamber. "{See those tubes? That's how we get to the weapon core.}"
"Your Ghost is correct. Structural analysis does indicate that those tubes lead to the core of the Almighty's weapon." The Iron Pilot added.
Surprisingly, there were very few Cabal in this chamber, so they were easily wiped out, clearing the way for the Fireteam.
They reached a tube, ready to finish the mission. "Here goes nothing!"
Music
Destiny 2 - Forge Ahead
City Hawk 723 entered the tube, being sent through a beam of energy that was moving at hypersonic speeds, until they were slowed down and deposited a lot closer to the Almighty's weapon core.
The Almighty
Light's End
Music
Destiny 2 - Untold Legends of the Almighty
In the next room were more Red Legion... and Cabal Interceptors! "Interceptors! It's like they're BEGGING us to blow this place up! Dane, Blisk, Mark, you're up! Samus, your Super Missiles should more than suffice!" They blasted through the Cabal, making their way closer to the weapon core.
The next room was massive, with a huge load of machines regulating the weapon. "Wow. That's... wow."
"⏁⊑⟒ ⏁⊑⟒⍀⋔⏃⌰ ⟒⌖c⊑⏃⋏g⟒⍀⌇! ⏁⏃k⟒ ⏁⊑⟒⋔ ⍜⎍⏁ ⏃⋏⎅ ⏁⊑⟒ ⍙⟒⏃⌿⍜⋏ ⍙⟟⌰⌰ ⍜⎐⟒⍀⊑⟒⏃⏁!"
"How do you know?" Michael asked.
"⟟'⎐⟒ g⏃⟟⋏⟒⎅ k⋏⍜⍙⌰⟒⎅g⟒ ⎎⍀⍜⋔ ⏁⏃k⟟⋏g ⋔⟒⋔⏚⟒⍀⌇ ⍜⎎ ⏁⊑⟒ ⍀⟒⎅ ⌰⟒g⟟⍜⋏."
"{The vents are blocking our shots! Wait for them to open!}"
Eventually, one of the vents opened, allowing Michael to destroy the thermal exchanger with micro-missiles from the Iron Pilot's attached rocket pod.
"{That's one!}"
Another vent nearby opened, and Samus destroyed the thermal exchanger with two Super Missiles.
"{That's two. Last one should be ventilating the core!}" Indeed it was, and the last thermal exchanger was bigger than the others. A bigger target for the three using Interceptors.
Once the vent opened, they opened fire, destroying the machine. "Temperature levels are rising, but it's not enough! We need to disrupt the core itself!" Mark-18 reported.
They entered the destroyed thermal exchanger, seeing a path to the weapon core.
"⏃ ⎎⎍⌇⟟⍜⋏ c⟒⌰⌰! ⍙⟒'⌰⌰ ⎍⌇⟒ ⏁⊑⏃⏁ ⏁⍜ ⍜⎐⟒⍀⌰⍜⏃⎅ ⏁⊑⟒ ⟒⌰⟒c⏁⍀⍜⋏ ⍀⟒⌇⟒⍀⎐⍜⟟⍀!" Michael picked up the fusion cell, then made his way through the overheating maintenance tunnel directly to the core of the Almighty's weapon.
The core destabilized and began to explode once he shoved the fusion cell into it, and the Almighty was about to blow! Thankfully, it wasn't taking the sun with it.
"Ship priority status update: Approaching your location for extraction." City Hawk 723 jumped on top of the maintenance tunnel, seeing Samus's ship flying overhead, withstanding the sun's rays.
"{Zavala, the weapon is destroyed! Start the attack!}" The Red Legion Interceptors below vanished, picked up by Mark-18's Ghost for further use. The gunship stopped up ahead, with the entry pad opened. "{We're done here. Let's go home.}"
"I couldn't agree more." Michael replied.
11:47 PM
03/18/3251
Approaching planet Earth
Music
Metroid Prime 3: Corruption - Gunship theme
With the Almighty's weapon destroyed, City Hawk 723 was now en route back to the City.
"Disembark." The Iron Pilot's armor plating opened, allowing Michael to step out of the suit. It then walked to the back, anchored itself down, then deactivated.
Michael's Pilot equipment was then released by his Ghost. "{You're gonna need those.}"
"That was... something I don't wanna do again."
"Thankfully, we won't have to."
"I say it's time to end this once and for all." Blisk proclaimed.
It was then that Spyglass was heard on the comms. "City Hawk 723, I have just made it out of the City, and I have rescued the Speaker. It appears Dominus Ghaul was tormenting him in order to gain information on how to gain the Traveler's blessing. The Speaker's vital signs are below standard, but he is stable. We are now en route to the Frontier so that he may be treated back at HQ."
"Wait..." Michael was baffled at the risk Spyglass took. "You entered the City while the Almighty's weapon was still a threat?"
"The Red Legion did not recognize the IMC's Cloak Drones."
"That was a risky move, Spyglass!" Blisk yelled. "But at least you managed to get the Speaker out of there without drawing any attention."
Time for the Red Legion to taste defeat.
Dominus Ghaul, you're going down!
See you next time, Guardians.